This is Living Waters of Grace, the teaching ministry of Clark
Wofford, senior pastor of Calvary Chapel of Westmoreland,
County of Greensburg, PA. Now here's Pastor Clark as he
continues teaching through God's Word.
What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood.
Of Jesus and. If we're not proclaiming this
message as Paul and Peter and Steven.
And every other. Person has been called,
commissioned by God to proclaim the gospel.
Might as well shut the church down and no longer show up,
because there is no good news apart from this message of
Christ. Oh that lovely old hymn, Nothing
but the blood of Jesus. These words are rich with
doctrine and theology. Truly, there is nothing that has
provided our cleansing and our guarantee and the payment for
our sins. Save the shed blood of Jesus
Christ on the cross of Calvary and we would be hopeless without
it. Today you'll learn from Pastor
Clark that the blood of Jesus is the lifeline of the church.
Once you've accepted the free gift of salvation, you can now
begin to step into the calling that God has placed on your
life. Now here's Pastor Clark in the
book of Acts chapter 13 with today's edition of Living Waters
of Grace verse 25. And as John was finishing his
course, he said, who do you think I am?
I am not he. Well, everybody thought John,
man, he's something else. He's out there in the
wilderness. He's not connected.
To this world, really, he's like a hermit.
He's just like, very, very different and very.
Godly and very fiery. In his eyes and just.
The passion he had for God and nothing else, they might have
thought. He was the one.
Well, this guy, he's, he's different.
I mean, he's really challenging me and my heart's convicted
because of what he's saying, he says.
I am not he, but behold, there comes one after me, the sandals
of whose feet I am not worthy to loose.
So you see humility in John. He didn't think he was anything.
He was just a voice in the wilderness, as the Bible says,
just like I'm a voice here today in the wilderness that we live
in today in this world. Men and Brethren, Verse 26.
Paul says Sons of the family of Abraham.
Isaac, Jacob, The Lineage.
Of the nation of. Israel through the Patriarchs.
He's speaking to them and those among you who fear God.
The gentiles who are sitting in the synagogue.
Seeking the truth to you. The word of salvation has been
sent, so the word of salvation is why this is all happening.
The word of. Salvation is why.
We have a church and a radio. Station and we're.
All witnesses, wherever we. Are and we pray and we intercede
for people who need Jesus Christ, and our hearts are
burdened for lost people every day.
It should be if we belong to the Lord.
We're seeking ways that we can reach people for those.
Who dwell in Jerusalem? And their rulers, because they
did not know Him, and they're referring to Messiah.
There are even the voices of the prophets, which are read every
Sabbath, having fulfilled them and condemning Him.
So every Saturday they're going through this process.
Of reading the. Torah and the Law and the
prophets, and it's like the blind leading the blind, because
everything's pointing to what? Jesus Christ did it.
Pointed to John the Baptist being the forerunner, the
prophet who is preparing the way of the Lord.
Right? All this stuff is should be
self. Evident to these people, right?
And yet they did. Exactly what the scripture said
they would do. They would reject him and they
would have him martyred and crucified, and they would try to
keep this message under wraps so no one would.
Believe it. And though they found no cause
for death, verse 28 in him, they asked Pilate that he should put,
he should be put to death. Now when they had fulfilled all
that was written concerning him, they took him down from the tree
and laid him in a tomb. So everything's fulfilled.
He's reviewing the history. We all know it.
We've studied it, we're aware of it, we believe it, but God verse
30 raised him from the dead. So if God didn't raise Christ
from the dead like the prophecies?
In the Old Testament, you know referred to, and if you look at
your cross references, if you have a cross reference Bible, a
lot of things I'm talking about, all the Old Testament quotes are
tied into Isaiah 55, three or Psalm 1610 or Psalm 2 verse 7.
All these are prophetical fulfillments of what Christ had
done. God the Father, God the Son, God
the Holy Spirit. Long before.
We were created long. Before creation had ever
developed, was the. Plan of the Ages.
That when this. World would be created.
God knew that man would fall. And turn from him.
And he? Already had a remedy where he
said in. Revelation.
He was a lamb slain before the foundation of the earth.
For God's vantage point is past. Present future he sees.
Everything at one time and in the fullness of time, God sent
Jesus for us. To be the Savior of the world.
So they laid him in the tomb, but that is not the end of it.
Verse 30 But God raised him from the dead.
God brought him up from the dead as the literal translation from
the Greek, that this was a work of the sovereign God, who had
planned to do this for all eternity.
Verse 31. He was seen after that for many
days by those who came up with Him from Galilee to Jerusalem,
who are His witnesses to the people.
So all these. People were connected, they
knew, OK, a lot of you know, they're witnesses now.
Paul had the encounter on the road to Damascus and Barnabas.
You know, all these people have become believers because of this
historical event in history of. Of the church and.
Christianity so they see him, and then they say in verse 32,
And we declare to you glad tidings, good news, that promise
which was made to the fathers. God has fulfilled this for us,
their children, and that He has raised up Jesus.
It is also written in the second Psalm, You are my son the day I
have begotten you, and that he raised him up from the dead, no
more to return to corruption. He has spoken thus.
I will give you the Shure mercies of David.
Verse 35. Therefore, he also says in
another Psalm, You shall not allow your Holy One to see
corruption when the when the body goes into the.
Grave we we corrupt. We decompose, you can dig.
Someone up, you know. So many months or years later,
it's it's. Bones it's there's nothing left
OK, Christ, when he died, there was no.
Corruption. Nothing affected his body.
When he was putting that tomb, he he didn't go into.
That process of corruption and when he was resurrected, his
body was perfect because he's he's eternal.
He died physically. But you can't kill God, can you?
He, He's eternal. And so David, verse 36, it says,
for David, after he had served his own generation, by the will
of God, he fell asleep, was buried with his Father's.
He saw corruption. So the prophecy was about the
one who wouldn't see corruption, which was our Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ. So verse 37 it says, but he whom
God raised up saw no corruption. Therefore, let it be known to
you, brethren, that through this man, the man Jesus Christ is
preached you the forgiveness of sins, and by him everyone who
believes is justified from all things from which you could not
be justified by the law of. Moses, so he's talking to these
Jewish. People that think by following.
The 10 commandments the. Law, doing the rituals, all that
that. Somehow God grades on a curve
and they may get in. That's their hope.
Or they're. Deceived thinking because of
that, they can stand before God in the judgement day and say,
well, I should come in because I you know, a kosher.
I was at the Sabbath in the synagogue.
Every Saturday I did this. I did.
I mean all that stuff and it can't save anybody.
So I think what happens, people come to church, they think all
these people are holy rollers or whatever and they're perfect.
I'm not. Excuse me, I'm not.
So I can't be like these people because.
I'm I'm sinful. I got this stuff in me that.
You know won't go away. I try and I try to beat it and
conquer it, but I keep falling back into it.
I keep being drawn into it. That is why we need salvation,
because God delivers us from the power of sin that controls us
until Christ saves us. Once Christ saves us, a big
change happens. I don't have to sin anymore
because I'm controlled by the influence of Satan and lost.
I have an opportunity. I'll say, Lord, help me not do
this. Help me to make a better
decision. Or if I fall, Lord, I get it, I
don't want to. That's my old life I don't want.
To live that. Way anymore.
And and the Christian life after we get saved is a process of
being perfected. We're not perfected yet.
We're in the process of being conformed to the image of.
Christ, right, as it tells us in Romans 829.
So everything that happens, adversities, trials, difficulty,
heartache, whatever disasters, crises, disease, sickness,
financial ruin, whatever happens to us in this life as Christians
is designed to make us press deeper into the Lord, which it
does. That's the problem, right?
The power of sin destroys us and that's that's why we need to
tell people the good news. And then people talk.
To me and say, well this is what I did and this is what happened
to me and. And I can't, you know, and we
have to keep telling them it's not about what you've.
Done. It's about what he's done for
you and that's. The beauty of the gospel.
And so as we think about this now, it's really important
because whenever. You get saved.
Christ declares you righteous now what's that mean?
He. Declares you righteous.
He says that Jesus takes your sin.
Your unrighteousness. And puts it on.
Him on the cross. He's not unrighteous, but he.
Chooses to take. All of our sin, the whole earth.
Everybody in the world upon himself, and then what he does
he imputes or credits. To your account He gives you his
righteousness. So we sit here.
Well, what does all that mean? This means this is what it
means. God chooses to look at you as
being perfect. Now.
Now how can that happen? Because we know we're not
perfect. But that's the beauty of this
message of the gospel. It's that's what's exciting
about it that only he can declare someone as being just
and righteous and perfect. Even though we still are
sinners, our position in God's eyes and eternity is that he
forgives us as though. We've never, ever sinned.
Our past sins are forgiven. The present sins are forgiven,
and the future sins that will still commit are forgiven.
That's incredible, isn't it? There's no one else that could
do something like this for us. And, and we don't get into this
this deep every week because we're going through the whole
Bible. But when it touches on these
important things, we have to understand.
Romans 5 says therefore having been justified by faith.
We believe these things. By faith it says.
Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ. So we have this peace now
because what God? Has done for us.
Through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in
which we stand, and we rejoice in hope of the glory of.
God, so we have this salvation now and we have this peace.
No matter what's happening, we have this peace that if this is
my last day on earth and I go to be with the Lord, I'm not going
to be gilded by God, am I? And you won't be either.
He's going to embrace us and welcome.
Us home because he's forgiven us and justified us.
And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing
that tribulation produces perseverance and perseverance,
character and character. Hope.
Now hope does not disappoint because the love of God has been
poured in, out into our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given
to us. This, this is all the the
benefit, you know. You go through tough times, you
go through whatever and you have.
This peace and you have this assurance that no matter what.
Anybody says about you or thinks about you or slanders you or
criticizes you in life. It really doesn't matter.
Because what God says. To you.
Is that you're perfect in Christ.
Now try telling an enemy that how would.
That go well you did this you did that hey yeah, I know please
forgive me but I'm perfect in. Christ, man, are you crazy?
You are far from. Perfect, I agree, but in Christ.
I'm declared. Perfect, we all are.
I mean, that should make you want to dance, right?
And some. People do dance when they hear
this. David understood it and he did
some dancing. And then Romans 3, chapter 3,
verse 21, well it says in verse 19.
Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who
are under the law that every mouth may be stopped.
So in other words, you want to get saved by following the law.
You got to do it perfectly. And if you say you can't, then
obviously your mouth is stopped and all the world may become
guilty before God. Understanding we can't be saved
apart from the finished work of Jesus Christ.
Therefore verse 20 by the deeds of the law, trying your flesh or
your human effort, no deeds. Therefore by the deeds of the
law, no flesh will be justified in his sight.
Even if you got to 99% of perfection, you couldn't get
saved without Christ for by the laws and knowledge of sin.
So the commandments and everything that the that guilts
us is showing us. That we can't.
Do this without Christ. By now the righteousness of God,
apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the law and
the prophets. They're reading the law and the
prophets. The law and the prophets are
proclaiming this. They still don't get it.
Even the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ to
all and on all who believe, for there is no difference.
For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
That's everyone in this room, everyone in the world being
justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is
in Christ Jesus. So we're saved by grace.
We're justified by grace. Justified means just as though
we've never sinned. God declares us that way because
of what Christ has done, whom God set forth as a propitiation,
which is a word for sacrifice. Christ sacrificed.
Himself for you. So that you could receive.
All the blessings of the God of all heaven.
And he just, he, he sacrificed himself, it says, by his blood,
through faith to demonstrate his righteousness.
Because of his forbearance, God has passed over the sins that
were previously committed because of the.
Blood of Jesus, he's passed over them 100%.
The devil will tell you and remind you and all this stuff
that went wrong that you didn't do right.
Don't listen, the blood is covered at all.
That's why we take the. Lord's Supper every week to be
reminded of the power of the blood.
What can make me whole again? Nothing but the blood.
Of Jesus and. If we're not proclaiming this
message as Paul. And Peter and Stephen and every
other. Person has been called,
commissioned by God to proclaim the gospel.
Might as well shut the church down.
And no. Longer show up because there is
no good news apart from this message of Christ.
We're free by His grace, the redemption.
It is in Christ Jesus through the blood and not right now.
God demonstrates this in his present time, His righteousness,
that He might be just in the justifier of the one who has
faith in Jesus. I pray as a worship team comes
forward today, if you're here, you've never understood this
gospel. You've never put your faith in
this Savior who can do it perfect for you and that you
don't. Put pressure on yourself.
Anymore thinking you got to be something you can't be.
Without God's grace, come to faith in Jesus today.
Believe what it is that Jesus Christ has done for you and what
He's done for me. And we have this privilege,
brothers and sisters, to be able to tell people this good news
that people can be reconciled to God.
It ends in 2nd Corinthians 5. Now we are ambassadors for
Christ you. Represent Jesus Christ wherever.
You go. You.
Can be assured when you go and tell someone the gospel that God
has sent you. As an ambassador representing
him to tell people, as Paul said, through God, that we're
pleading with people, imploring them on Christ's behalf to be
made right with God, to be reconciled to God.
For he made him, Jesus, who knew no sin, to be sin for us, that
we might become the righteousness.
Of God and him so. How do people see you and me?
And how does God? Choose to see us in Jesus
Christ. We really need to focus on that
There's. People that don't.
Like you for whatever. Reason.
Enemies from the past or whatever, you've gone through
things in life and. It can really get you upset
because you don't feel it's fair at.
Times or whatever but. We have to look beyond that
because we have to. Say, well, what's the big
picture in all this is that God sees me as perfect.
I I couldn't do one more thing in my life, nor could you to
make God love me anymore than he loves me right now.
That's that's incredible. I mean, people expect you to do
things. In order to prove that.
You know, whatever you've changed or whatever, but God
never looks at us that. Way he doesn't Guild.
Us and I pray as Pastor Lewis, but I never want anybody to be
gilded in this church. Get enough of that in the world
all week, right? You don't need to come here on
Sunday and get that all over again.
Why? Why go to church if that's what
what's happening? We want to be free in church and
reminded of the. Promises of God.
And maybe you've done something. You think, Well, God.
Isn't around anymore. He's mad at me.
He promises he will never leave you or forsake you.
He'll never, ever leave you. God will never leave us.
There's no one like that. We've all left Jesus like the
apostles and all the people at the cross.
He always loves us. No matter what, the prisoner on
death row, who's committed the most heinous crime that has
come. To face in Jesus.
Christ he loves as much as someone who never ever committed
anything like that. He doesn't focus on our feelings
and our stumblings. He lifts us up to keep getting
up every day, starting a new day with the Holy Spirit to become
more like Jesus. Don't look about yesterday and
what happened or what didn't work or what you wish you hadn't
gone through. Look fresh today that it's a new
day, a new beginning. And the Lord just says.
Come on, get up again. I've forgiven you.
Let's just keep on going. He never says that you can't be
forgiven anymore and he always. Says this when you ask him for
forgiveness. It's OK, I forgive you, doesn't
he? He never says you went past 70 *
7 four 190. That's it.
That meant. There's no limit to forgiveness.
When Peter. Asked him how often should I
forgive this person for the same?
Sin he says 70 * 7. Meaning you never.
Stop forgiving and so. This is the biggest issue in
Christianity, the lack of forgiveness.
And when there's lack of forgiveness, then again
everything falls apart because we have nothing to tell people.
If we're unforgiving, how can we even begin If we're unforgiving
towards someone who's. A believer who loves the Lord
and has made some mistakes. How can we as.
Christians and go. To some person in the street
who's like all over the. Place and sin.
And begin to tell them about. God who loves them.
When we can't even love. Anybody right and.
I got to read this as we prepare our hearts for the supper.
The parable. The unforgiving servant Peter
came to him and said, Lord, how often shall my brother sin
against me, and I forgive him? Up to seven times.
Jesus said, I do not say to you up to seven times, but up to 70
* 7. Therefore the Kingdom of heaven
is like a certain king who wanted to settle accounts with
his servants, and when he had begun to settle the accounts,
one was brought to him who owed him 10,000 talents.
But as he was not able to pay, his master commanded that he be
sold with his wife and children, and all that he had, and payment
be made. The servant therefore fell down
before him, saying, Master, have patience with me, I will pay you
all. Then the master of that servant
was move with compassion, released him and forgave him the
debt. That's what God does to us.
But that servant then goes out and finds one of his fellow
servants who owed him 100 an hour I, which was nothing
compared to what the other guy owed.
And he laid hands on him, took him by the throat, saying, Pay
me what you owe. His fellow servant fell down at
his feet and begged him, saying, Have patience with me, and I
will pay you all. And he would not, but went and
threw him into prison till he should pay the debt.
So when his fellow servant saw what he had done, they were very
grieved, and they came, and they told the master all that had
been done. The master, after he had called
him, said to him, You wicked servant, I forgave you all that
debt because you begged me. Should you not also have
compassion on your fellow servant?
Just as I had pity on you, and his master was angry and
delivered him to the torturers until he should pay all that was
due him, so my heavenly Father also will do to you, if each of
you from his heart does not forgive his brother his
trespasses. Ephesians 432.
Be kind, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as
God, for Christ's sake, hath forgiven you.
How in the world, brothers and sisters, can we hold anything
against anyone when we realize that Christ has forgiven us of
Amen? We're so glad you joined us
today on this edition of Living Waters of Grace.
Pastor Clark is teaching through the Book of Acts, which is the
only book that chronicles the history of the early church
immediately after Jesus's ascension.
It gives us a front row seat to how the Gospel began to move
outward, starting in Jerusalem and reaching into the heart of
the Roman Empire. In just three decades, a small
group of frightened ordinary believers became a bold, spirit
empowered movement that transformed the known world.
Acts is not just a history lesson, it's a reminder of what
God can do when His people are surrendered, obedient, and
filled with the Holy Spirit. Their perseverance still
inspires us today. May we follow their example and
live faithfully for Christ in our own time.
We hope today's message encouraged you.
Living Waters of Grace is a ministry of Calvary Chapel,
Westmoreland. If you're in the Greensburg, PA
area, we'd love to have you join us in person.
Our Sunday service begins at 10:30 AM at 400 E Pittsburgh
St., Unit 6B. Be sure to visit
calvarychapelonline.com to confirm times and learn more.
If you are in the Greensburg area, you can listen to Grace FM
on the new 91.7 frequency. Please pray about supporting
this outreach. Gifts can be sent to Grace FMPO,
Box 716, Greensburg, PA 15601. Stay connected through Facebook,
YouTube, or our Calvary Chapel Westmoreland app.
Join our e-mail list, submit prayer requests, and give online
all at calvarychapelonline.com. Thank you for tuning in and
spending this time in God's Word.
Be sure to join us again for Living Waters of Grace.