Living Waters of Grace March 5, 2026

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.

How in the world can I be a blessing to you?

How can you be a blessing to me if corruption is in the heart?

How can we have fellowship with the Father if we regard iniquity

in our heart? How can we minister to our kids

and our grandkids? If we are defiled, we're we're

bringing judgement toward one another and toward the body of

Christ whenever we compromise. The great theologian CS Lewis

penned these words in his book The Screw Tape Letters.

Indeed, the safest road to hell is the gradual 1, the gentle

slope, soft under foot, without sudden turnings, without

milestones, without signposts. It's not the flashing sign, but

the small pivot towards sin in the body of Christ.

We are called to hold firmly to God's command, to remain

steadfast. Pastor Clark reminds us in

today's sermon that compromise will lead to sinful behavior and

our destruction. Now here's Pastor Clark in

Galatians Chapter 5 with today's edition of Living Waters of

Galatians 5 · chapter mention

Grace. I'm not interested in compromise

anymore. One time I was.

I thought that was just the way it was.

Everybody compromises. Yeah, you believe, but you

really don't live like you believe sometimes.

Because we're all human, you know?

We all cut each other's slack. You know, I got drunk last

night, you might say. And the other person.

Yeah, I was drunk two weeks ago. I know I shouldn't have done it,

but I did it. That's not the gospel.

That's not salvation. It tells us in Galatians 5, it

gives a list of the sins of compromise, and this is written

to believers. Galatians chapter 5.

Galatians 5 · chapter mention

He says the works of the flesh in verse 19 are evident,

adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry.

And this church was full of idolatry and thyrotyra, sorcery,

hatred, contentions, jealousies, outspursts of wrath, selfish

ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders,

drunkenness, revelries and the like of which I tell you

beforehand. Just as I also told you in time

past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the

Kingdom of God. God has called us for holiness

and purity. People many times Ask me, do you

believe in eternal security? Do you believe once saved,

always saved? You believe you can be saved and

not be saved? That's not the that's not the

question we should be asking. Am I living in light of what the

Bible says is true salvation? Or am I kidding myself?

Did someone just make me feel good?

You know, I get a kick out of these people that sometimes

these churches, they get them to come up front and they'll come

up front. If you want to accept Jesus a

day and you don't want to go to hell, and who in the world wants

to go to hell so everybody comes up.

I mean, that sounds like a good deal.

Jesus died for my sins. If you ask Him to come in your

heart and save you, you won't go to hell.

You'll go to heaven, man. Who wouldn't want that?

But there's no message of death to self.

If any man will follow me, let him deny himself.

He who finds his life for my sake must first lose it.

There's a cost, the right to be a disciple of Jesus Christ.

If any man will follow me, let him deny himself and take up his

cross daily and follow me. So the people come down, and so

the pastor's. I pray this prayer after me.

Lord Jesus, I'm a Sinner, please forgive me of my sins came into

my heart and save me so I don't have to go to hell and I can be

in heaven with you forever. So the person prays it.

Then the pastor goes, praise God, you're a Christian, you're

saved. And the person's like I am.

Sometimes I don't feel different.

I don't sense anything's happened to me or but I guess if

that's what you're saying, I guess that's what I am.

And so they come to church week in and week out, month in and

month out and year in and year out thinking that they're

Christians because they prayed a prayer.

But down deep inside, their heart is still doing the same

things, thinking the same things.

You and I, we can't save ourself.

It's the mercy of God. It's his grace.

And when God changes a life, folks, he changes a life.

We don't have to pretend it. We don't have to fake it.

We don't have to have power, positive thinking.

Well, yeah, I prayed this prayer, even though I'm still

acting this way, you know, I'm saved because I prayed a prayer.

No, we're saved if we are living like Jesus Christ.

We're saved if we love the things that he loves and hates,

the things that he hates. We're saved if we're new

creations, right? If any man is in Christ, he's a

new creation. Old things are passed away,

right? My old desire is to do the

things I used to want to do are passed away.

I don't want to do them anymore because my heart's been changed.

All things have become new. So if we're here today and we're

still struggling with old things and things haven't become new,

we're still without Christ. And the good news is, is that

Christ is still here and able to save.

And so he's speaking to this church.

He's talking about judgment. He's talking about the need for

repentance. Repentance is critical to

conversion or salvation or change or purity in the church.

The church is a place that repentance should be the most

intense, guys, not the world, It's US.

Judgment, the Bible says, must first begin with us, and with

us, the House of God. What is it that we are

compromising with secretly? What is it that we're thinking

or watching or seeing or doing that only God sees and no one

else sees? What is it that we're turned on

by? What is it that we're turned off

by? What is it that comes on the TV

that the Spirit of God is just crying out?

You turn that filth off. I don't want you to be defiled.

I don't want you to become impure.

I don't want your thoughts to be corrupt.

I don't want you to be defiled as we're studying in the Old

Testament right now about the purifications systems and all

that and the, and the roles that God gave to Moses regarding the

ministry of the sacrifice and touching what's clean and, and

not touching what's unclean. I'll tell you, God was so clear

on his displeasure for the slightest thing that would

defile or make one impure or unholy.

And do you realize a thought that comes into your heart that

is not sent there by God is designed to defile you and

corrupt you? It says that we're to cast down

imaginations and every thought that exalts itself against the

knowledge of God. How many thoughts did you have

this week that came to try to exalt themselves against God's

knowledge in your life, recognizing where they're coming

from, why they're being sent, what the source is.

It says to bring every thought into captivity, into the

obedience of Christ. Every thought.

I mean, are we like David? The words of my mouth and the

meditations of my heart be acceptable to you.

Every second, every moment is my thought pleasing God.

If it isn't and I'm embellishing, or I'm embracing,

or I'm allowing the thought to begin to become part of my life,

I'm becoming defiled. And so I communicate to you as a

brother and my mind's been defiled, how in the world can I

be a blessing to you? How can you be a blessing to me

if corruption is in the heart? How can we have fellowship with

the Father if we regard iniquity in our heart?

How can we minister to our kids and our grandkids if we are

defiled? We're we're bringing judgment

toward one another and toward the body of Christ whenever we

compromise. Jezebel, we think as we study

this book, the word Jezebel is not so much a person, but a

movement of false religion in the church.

Jezebel had an influence in the Old Testament upon Israel and

got Israel to worship Pagan deity and worship Baal Bear

worship and temple service. Let's let's bring a little bit

of the world into the church. Let's bring a little bit of the

world into the home and in the car and in the movie theater so

we can be culturally relevant to the masses.

I mean, because if we were too pure, how in the world can we

impact anybody else? Well, the Bible talks about salt

losing its savour. What good is salt to flavor if

it's lost its ability to impact the meat to make the sacrifice

pleasing? It's your life and my life.

What good is our lives if they're compromised the world

today and the church in the culture is lost its influence.

It's entertainment, it's social, but it's far from holy.

And as we study these churches, you know, we don't look back and

say, boy, that church was messed up.

I'm glad we're not like this or like that.

No, we, we read in here and we say, Lord, what is our church

like? What are we known by?

Why do people come here? What is it that interests them?

What keeps people away from this church and what draws people to

it? What is it, Lord, that this

church is known for the spirit of Jezebel idolatrous practices?

They're OK. Do whatever you need to do to

keep your job. Don't get too serious about your

faith because you'd be looked upon as a fanatic.

Everybody sleeps around. Single people in the church

here, who knows what's going on in their lives.

Who knows what's going on in married couples lives unless

there's accountability and faithfulness to the body and the

church in the home and prayer and the husband and wife

relationship. She's a teacher.

The movement, the false teaching is saying hey I do this stuff

and let's let me do it along with members of the church.

There's been churches here in Greensburg that fell because of

sexual immorality in the pastors lives.

There used to be a very large church in Greensburg years ago

when I was in my 20s. There was 3 pastors there.

They all condoned behind the scenes a sexually immoral

ministry and it was like a poison.

It came through the church, the crowds were there, everybody's

worshiping, praising, thanking God, but no one knew except for

God what was going on in the hearts of those who were leading

that church. And KP Johannon came through

Gospel for Asia. He preaches at our Calvary

pastors conferences talking about the unreached people in

India and he spoke a word of prophecy in that church.

He said I sense and declare that God is going to write Ichabod on

this church. No one knew what he was talking

about. It means the glory.

The Lord hath departed from this place.

The place now is an office complex, and the sheep have been

scattered and are still scattered.

The deceptions of what goes on in ministries nowadays, people

talk about deep things of God, superior enlightenment.

There's certain truths that only certain people can understand

because they're there for those who are deep.

And they make Christianity into something that never was meant

to be. Christianity from Christ's

perspective is to be simple enough for a child to

understand, right? And whenever someone tries to

make it more complicated than it is, man run.

That's the antinomian or the Gnostic spirit.

Antinomian means to live as though there is no law, that

we're under grace. So it doesn't matter what we do

or how we live, we're under grace.

And Paul says, what then shall we send?

Because we are not under the law, but under grace.

He says, God forbid Jesus sees everything, Hebrews 413 it says,

and there is no creature hidden from his sight, but all things

are naked and open to the eyes of him to whom we must give an

account. That means this morning there's

nothing in your heart or mine that is hidden from his sight.

All things are naked. Everything I did this week,

everything I thought is open to the eyes of him to whom I must

give an account. I think sometimes a delusion in

the church today is, well, I die and I'll just be with Jesus.

That's great. Well, it's going to be great to

be with Jesus, but I guarantee that giving of an account is

going to be a very, very painful thing if we don't deal with this

now. It says it's a fearful thing to

fall into the hands of the living God.

You know John the Apostle, the beloved of Christ, Whenever he

saw Christ, what did he do? That's what we need to do, guys,

get on our face before God. It's a fearful thing to fall

into the hands of the living God.

John was the buddy of Christ. He laid his head on the breast

of Jesus. He bragged at times saying, I'm

more loved by Jesus than anybody else.

I'm the beloved John. How different it is though, when

you see Christ in his exalted state and his glory and his

purity and His Holiness, and those eyes like a flame of fire,

when you stand before him in the judgment, they shine through

you. And you say, woe is me, huh?

And we don't want to wait till we get there to fear God.

We need to fear God now, right? And respect Him and honor him

and love Him. And when he says something is

sin, we say, yes, Sir, forgive me, I repent.

And then he says, that's OK, go and sin no more.

Not this glibly saying, well, yeah, the Lord forgives me, I'll

just do it again. Yeah, he forgives me, I'll just

do it again. That's not repentance.

And then he talks about the feet of brass in Isaiah chapter 63.

Isaiah 63 · chapter mention

This is a reference to this. Who is this who comes from Edom

with dyed garments from Borza? The one who is glorious in his

apparel, traveling in his greatness, traveling in the

greatness of his strength. I who speak in righteousness,

mighty to save. Why is your apparel read in your

garments? Like one who treads in the wine

press? I've trodden the wine press

alone and from the people. No one was with me, for I've

trodden them in my anger and trampled them in my fury.

Their blood is sprinkled upon my garments, and I've stained all

my robes. For the day of vengeance is in

my heart, and the year of my redeemed has come.

He will come to judge the wicked in the church, and no one will

be able to stop or resist that judgment.

Now, what's ironic about this church in Thyatira is that this

was going on at the same time that the church actually was

doing some good things. There was no shortage of works

in this church or love of service, faith, practice.

It seemed like the church is getting stronger in a sense of

ministry, not colder. And Jesus says their works were

increasing, their last works were more than their first,

meaning that the church seemed to be more intense and there

seemed to be no defection in their love for one another.

Yet like unlike Ephesus, who lost the purity of the love for

God, and yet we're really focused on the importance of

sound doctrine. This church was very, very

loving, but wasn't focused on the importance of sound

doctrine. And whenever you have a church

that preaches the truth, that's unloving.

And whenever you have a church that is loving but doesn't teach

sound doctrine, they're both hated by God.

In other words, they're churches that don't represent the truth.

And this spirit of Jezebel has been a problem for a long time,

way back in the Old Testament. It's not a recent origin, but

God in his mercy. And I find this astounding, as

God is a merciful God, He's given her in verse 21 time to

repent of the sexual immorality. And she did not repent.

God always gives us time to repent.

How much time, I don't know. For me, He gave me more time

than I deserve. I marvel that I wasn't taken out

a long time ago. But God's always given folks

time to repent. He's not willing that any should

perish, but that all should come to repentance.

But it says she didn't repent. So what's God's, what's his

choice? I'll cast her into the sick bed.

That doesn't mean every time you're sick it's because of sin,

but sometimes people are sick because of sin.

That's why it says in James Five that if someone's sick among

you, you call the elders of the church to anoint with oil and to

pray for the sick, and the person confesses their sin.

The Bible says publicly before the elders, and it says the

prayer of faith will save the sick and God will forgive their

sins. I don't know about you, but

whenever I go through a trial, I'm searching my heart.

You do that, Lord, I'm just checking.

Is this because of something's going on in my life right now

that shouldn't be? And if he reveals to me

something that shouldn't be, I want to repent of it and deal

with it. And if there's nothing, then I

say, OK, Lord, teach me in the midst of this trial and the

struggle right now, the sickness or adversity to depend upon you,

to be closer to you. But God loves us so much, guys.

And I can see some of you just don't want to hear this message

today. That's OK.

It's not mine. It's from the scriptures you

press, you push God away. How long are you going to push

him away for? Today's the day of salvation.

Today's the day to get right with God.

Today's the day to say, Lord, I'm not going to live

superficially. I'm not going to live

continually compromising. I want my life to be totally

surrendered and given to you. I don't want to have to be

thrown into some kind of adversity in order for me to

realize that I'm not God, only you are God.

It's perplexing at times why some of us seem to get away with

so much for so long and others don't get away with much of

anything. And sometimes people they.

Realize God's all over their case and he's saying enough's

enough because he loves us. And for some wonderful, glorious

reason, we're hearing what He's saying and we're saying, I

understand, Lord, yes, enough's enough and I want to surrender.

I don't want to be hard anymore. I don't want to be distant.

I don't want to be like pushing you away from what you want for

me anymore. I want what you want from me,

Lord. I don't want to play church.

I don't want to this go through the emotions.

I just don't want to show up Sunday after Sunday and

nothing's changing in my heart. I want you to take over my life,

Lord. He says I'll kill her children.

And we believe as we study in the commentaries that this is

referring to the followers of this false teaching.

He says I will bring death, and he says he'll do this so that

all the churches shall know that I am he who searches the minds

and hearts, and I will give to each one of you according to

your works. He says, Now to you I say, and

to the rest in Thyatira, as many as do not have this doctrine.

And he's, he's speaking out to those in the church that aren't

following this false teaching, who have not known the depths of

Satan. As they say, I will put on you

no other burden. In other words, the Lord is not

interested in putting guilt trips on us or pressure.

If we're doing what we're supposed to be doing, we're

free. There's nothing to get hung up

about. But if we are following

wickedness in our lives and we're doing things that we

shouldn't be doing, then we need to repent.

He says, hold fast what you have till I come.

So the faithful, the remnant, those in the church that are

refusing to compromise, those folks in the church who are

worshipping God in the secret place of their own lives, you

alone with God on your face at your home in the morning or

night, this you and the Lord, the Lord sees it.

No one else does. And you're endeavoring to live

only for Him. He says He who overcomes and

keeps my works until the end, to Him will I give power over the

nation's. You know Christ is going to come

back in the rapture and take the bride out of the world.

And we're going to be given the privilege and the opportunity to

roll and reign with Him when He comes back during the millennial

Kingdom. And we'll roll and reign with

him. It says I will give them power

over the nation's. We'll serve with him.

It says He shall roll them with the rod of iron.

That's referring to Christ. They shall be dashed to pieces

like Potter's vessels. And I also receive from my

Father, and I will give him the Morning Star.

That's referring to who Jesus is later on in the Book of

Revelation. He says he's the Rose of Cherim,

Cherim and the bright and Morning Star.

He says he who has an ear. As we begin to conclude, do you

have an ear today, guys? He says he who has an ear, let

him hear. How can you hear if you're

downstairs, right? He who has an ear, let him hear

what the Spirit says to the churches.

Has a spirit spoken today? Has he spoken?

And may we be as a church, ready to serve and to help those who

are broken. We are digging into the Book of

Revelation here on Living Waters of Grace.

Pastor Clark is tackling this challenging book as we try to

discern the messages that are within its pages.

There's so much imagery, and at times you're not always sure

what's literal and what's metaphorical.

At one point, there's a reference to an adulterous woman

riding on a beast. And as someone else mentioned,

at one point it almost sounds like a rodeo from hell.

And in actuality it kind of is. You learn about the downfall and

demise of a sinful and rebellious world, falling down

in worship to someone who is the anti hero, the enemy, Satan

working his insidious ways into the minds of fallen people.

It's sad and it's heartbreaking, but it's a classic story of good

versus evil. Thankfully, we know how this

story ends. Jesus wins, Jesus reigns, and

evil is conquered once and for all.

We pray and trust you've received Jesus as your Savior.

But if you haven't, don't wait until the events and revelation

become what's happening on the streets.

None of us wants you to be there at that time.

Instead, we'd love for you to be with us in heaven as we

celebrate the marriage supper with Jesus as his bridegroom.

To get a better understanding of where we are in the Book of

Revelation, to listen to any messages before or after this

one, you can find them at our website,

calvarychapelonline.com. That's it for today's edition,

but we hope you'll want to hear Pastor Clark teach more from the

Book of Revelation. It can be exciting to think

about the future for believers, but it can feel a bit harrowing

for those who don't believe. Come here more next time on

Living Waters of Grace.