Living Waters of Grace 01-29-2026

This is Living Waters of Grace, the teaching ministry of Lewis

Harold, assistant pastor of Calvary Chapel of Westmoreland

County in Greensburg, PA. Now here's Pastor Lewis as he

continues teaching through God's Word.

Paul was saying I am already being poured out, I've already

given everything. I've given all to the Lord ever

since the day that he caught me into ministry back in Acts

Acts 9 · chapter mention

Chapter 9 when he first stopped me on the road to Damascus.

From that point on, I've given it all to him, I've given it all

to him. And that is such an inspiration

for us to look at how we serve the Lord.

Do we? Give it all to him, do we Give

it off to them? Do we hold something back

because in that cup for the drink offering, the whole idea

was that totally empty the cup. I like to hear compliments,

don't you? I don't really care for

criticism. I know that I could lose a few

pounds. I know that I can stand to lay

off the sweets a bit. But isn't it good to have people

in your life who tell it to you? Straight people who won't

sugarcoat the truth. In his message today, Pastor

Lewis warned you about Bible teachers who just tell you

everything that makes you feel good about yourself.

The Word of God should challenge you.

It should convict you of sin, and it should push you towards

holiness. Now here's Pastor Lewis in the

Book of Second Timothy, Chapter 4, with today's edition of

2 Timothy 4 · chapter mention

Living Waters of Grace. He says, and the words should

convince or convict or correct. It should rebuke and it should

exhort. Every time one of us comes up

and teach this word, one of those three things should be

happening. It should either correct us.

It should either exhort us or encourage us or should warn us

or caution us. But the word should always have

impact is what Paul is saying. The word will always have

impact. And this is to be done with

long-suffering and teaching, or in other words, patience.

Paul is talking about patience because he understands that as

Timothy, as you speak to your congregation, everyone is not

going to be at the same place spiritually.

So people will need to be. You will need to be patient

because people are going to mature at different levels.

As we mature at different rates, we're going to mature

differently. So, Timothy, be patient, but be

patient through teaching. Don't always want to just call

somebody out. Let the word change people,

Timothy. So do it through teaching.

Let the word help people to mature.

That's the importance of teaching the Word with patience.

And then he said for the time will come when they will not

endure sound doctrine. And that's why you should teach

the Word now, Timothy, because there's going to be a time when

there's going to be people who will not want to endure sound

doctrine. There will be a time when people

will want to not hear a word that convicts them.

They're not going to want to hear things that will hold the

mirror up to their lives and cause them to be able to see

what they look like or what we look like.

They might not want to hear that, Timothy, after a while,

they're not going to want to hear about righteousness.

They're not going to hear about holiness.

They only want to hear, you know, they're going to be

looking for people who are only teach the, you know, the

goodness of God or the mercy of God or the grace of God or the

love of God. They don't want to hear people

that's going to teach about the holiness of God and the law of

God or the righteousness of God. They're not going to want to

hear that. I want to hear people talk about

sin, things that I want to do. Don't call it sin.

That word sounds so bad when you call it sin, but it's things

that I want to do. They don't want to hear that,

Timothy. So preach the word because

they're not going to hear sound doctrine.

But because of but, but but according to their own desires,

because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves

teachers. They'll just listen to the

teachers, Timothy, that they want to hear the ones that's

going to make them feel good when they leave every time.

They'll never hear about things that I need to change in my life

or or never hear a word that convicts me or challenges me

about things that I'm doing or things that I'm thinking about

the way that I'm treating people about my unforgiveness.

They don't want to hear a word that challenges that.

They want to hear something that just makes them feel good, that

just makes them feel good, something that just motivates

them, you know, 5 steps to acquire, you know, to acquiring

wealth, 5 steps to a good marriage, 5 steps to, you know,

to, to really being able to excel in business, 5 steps to

making myself a better person. Hear things like that instead of

the things that the Bible teaches us about change, about

holiness, about the things the Bible teaches us about

obedience. They're not going to hear that,

Timothy. And then they said they're going

to turn away their ears from those things.

They're going to turn away their ears from the truth.

And they're going to turn to fables, turn aside to myths, to

fables, to turn aside to things that are not lined up with the

word of God. Turn aside to prosperity

teaching or turn aside to, you know, it being OK to live with

somebody or turn aside to those things that say everybody's

going to heaven. You know, turn aside to teaching

like that because it's easier for them to listen to as opposed

to being challenged through the word.

But then in verse 5, he says, but you Timothy, so he's

switching gears here, Timothy. That's what they that that may

be what they want to hear. That may be where the false

teachers are. That may be where people were

the unbelievers are or people who are being challenged in

their faith. That may be where they are.

But you, Timothy, as a pastor, I want you, Timothy, to be

watchful in all things. In other words, that that that

that word means to be sober in all things to be sober.

And there's a lot of things that can be intoxicating to us that

causes us to not think clearly and a lot of things that causes

us to not have self-control. To be sober means to have to

think clear and to have self-control.

To be sober mean to not be under intoxicating influence.

That's what it means to be sober, to think clearly, to act

clearly. But there's things out there

that we can listen to or things that we allow to get into our

hearts that will cause us to not think clearly, that will cause

us to not act under self-control, and it causes us

to act like we're under the influence.

We can be under the influence of bad things.

Intoxicating teaching can put us under the influence and cause us

to act that way. And he says, Timothy, be careful

that. Be watchful, be watchful.

The things that you allow to come into your ear gates.

Be watchful. Parents, be watchful.

The things that come into your kids ear gates.

Be watchful the things that come into your eye gates, the things

that you allow your eyes to look upon, David said in Psalms 119.

Turn my eyes away from empty things because he knows that to

look at things that are empty can be intoxicating and it can

change you. And he says, Timothy, I want you

to turn away from those things. Guard your ear gates, guard your

eye gates, guard your heart. For out of it are the issues of

life. So, Timothy, be careful and be

watchful. Be aware of the things that

people were saying around you, the things that people were

teaching. Be aware of that.

Be aware of the things that you listen to, the things that you

read. Be aware of those things.

You know, one thing I, I, I love, you know, Pastor Clark is

very well read, very well read a lot more well read than I am.

And there are books that can sometimes appear to be OK, but

once you get into them, you read them, you'll find out that it

that it's not that it does not line up with the word of God.

It does not. And a lot of times before you

even have to open up the book and be exposed to that, Pastor

Clark will have known something about it in some degree.

I mean, it's amazing how many times that he's been able to

hear an author's name or hear a book that has that has come out

and he's aware of where that book goes, how that book

separates from the word of God. Very well read that way.

We have to be careful of those things.

That's why it's so much easier to just stick with the word of

God. We don't have to worry about it.

You know, if I swim in my swimming pool, I don't have to

worry about, you know, having to worry about any drop offs or any

surprises. You know, if I'm swimming in my

own swimming pool, you know, I have to worry about anything

that's going to surprise me. You know, I know what's in it.

I know what's in my pool, so I don't have to worry about it.

But if I'm swimming out there in some place that's open, where

anything can have access to me, that can be a problem.

That can be a problem. But he said be watchful in all

things. Then he says, endure

afflictions. And this is another thing that

has been consistent throughout Timothy's life and throughout

Paul's life as he has endured afflictions.

Paul can definitely talk about enduring fictions.

Back in Chapter 3, we just talked about the afflictions

that he endured over in Antioch and in Iconium and in Lyster,

where he actually. Suffered the stoning.

That took his life or could have taken or we think that actually

did take his life. So Paul knows a lot about

enduring afflictions and these are all along with these, you

know, the commands that Paul gave to Timothy.

The first was preach the Word and the second is be watchful in

all things. And now the third here is endure

afflictions and endure patiently, not just go through

them complaining, not go through them, you know, murmuring, not

go through them, you know, with a bad attitude, but endure

afflictions, endure it in a way that it brings glory to God.

When you go through changes on your job that may afflict you,

that may cause some discomfort to your may interrupt the way

that you do things on your job. How do you do it?

Do you do it with by complaining and murmuring?

Do we talk about the boss? Do we, you know, do we get with

the water cooler crew and, and put down the people who are

making the decisions? Or do we go through it

patiently, just trusting the Lord that he will work it out,

that he will work it out. That's what makes us different.

That's what makes us different. And so he says endure

afflictions and then he says do the work of an evangelist, do

the work of an evangelist. Now the word evangelist is only

mentioned three times in in the Bible.

The first time it's mentioned is in the book of of Acts in

chapter 21 where he refers to Philip as an evangelist.

The next time it's mentioned is over in Ephesians chapter 4,

Ephesians 4 · chapter mention

when, when, when, when Paul talks about the gifts that Jesus

left with the church and one of those gifts was an evangelist

for the purpose of equipping the Saints.

And then of course, here in second Timothy chapter 4, he

2 Timothy 4 · chapter mention

mentions the evangelists or, or, or evangelism.

Now evangelism is very important.

It's very important to the whole gospel.

It's the what they call the pre salvation preaching is what they

call evangelism, pre salvation preaching because it's the, it's

the word. It's the one that introduces you

to the gospel. People were introduced to the

gospel through evangelism. And then of course, once they

become believers, they are discipled through the word of

God and they're learning the doctrines and they're coming

here and they're being taught the gospel are coming other

churches and are being taught the, you know, how to live the

life that they were just birthed into.

But the purpose of evangelism is to equip and encourage believers

to share the gospel, to share that good news and to live that

gospel out. He preaches the gospel and calls

for repentance is what an evangelist does.

He calls for repentance. He, he causes us or lets us know

that we can repent and we can turn from that old lifestyle

and, and, and, and anyone who's listening who have not given

their hearts to the Lord or not trusted Jesus Christ for your

salvation. Repentance is open for you.

It's available for you. Evangelism is, is what we're

doing right now is just sharing the gospel.

Jesus Christ died for your sins and we are all sinners and Jesus

Christ died for those sins. He died for those sins and we

all are sinners. Everyone of us have sinned and

I've come short of the glory of God and that sin will have to be

dealt with. The wages of sin is death

according to the word of God. That's the wrath that

unrepentant sinners have to face is death.

But Jesus Christ came and died for our sins.

He was buried three days, He laid in the grave, and then he

arose. And that gives us our hope for

eternal life. Anyone who's listening who have

not trusted Jesus Christ for your Savior, you can repent

right now. You don't even have to say it

out loud. You can.

Repent at home. But it's available through the

grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

So he says, do the work of an evangelist and then he says,

fulfill your ministry, fulfill your ministry, finish your

ministry. You know, have your ministry,

you know, whatever it is that the Lord called you to do,

fulfill it. I remember when I was first.

Being called to the. Ministry, I personally kind of

ran away from it. Actually.

I was called from very early age initially, and I definitely ran

away from that. And then when I got older, the

Lord began to beckon to me again.

He began to reach out to me again.

And, and, and, and I can remember during the time when

different people were, you know, asking about my calling and was

talking to me about my calling. And I always ignored the fact

that, you know, that I was called to be a minister and

definitely did not want to acknowledge being a pastor.

I remember when I was being called to be a pastor, I

definitely did not want to do that.

I, I wasn't a pastor until I came here.

Clark is the one that ordained me to be a pastor.

Him and the elders that are here, I did not look for that at

all. But in fulfilling your ministry,

it's acknowledging that call and completing it.

And I can remember a phone call that I got from someone who

didn't even know what I was dealing with in my heart

concerning pastoral work or ministry work.

They called me and they gave me a scripture.

And today that scripture is still very important to me.

It's Colossians chapter 4 and verse 17.

Colossians 4 · chapter mention

And what it says is and say to Archopus, take heed to the

ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may

fulfill it, that you may fulfill it.

That word was so powerful. I actually had to stop the car

and pull over because I was, I was tearful.

I was tearful because I know that it was the Holy Spirit that

was working in my heart concerning that.

Couldn't even believe that that person even said that to me.

The point of the matter is, is that we have a ministry to

fulfill. Each and every one of us do and

God wants us to just do we have to fulfill what it is that God

has called us to do. And there's someone, you know,

there may be someone out there today that God is working on

your heart. God is already acknowledging in

your heart or you know that the Lord is giving you a passion for

something concerning ministry, regardless of what it may be.

I would just suggest that you don't ignore it because he's

pretty much 100% he's, he's undefeated in terms of getting

people to follow him. He that he goes after, it's

pretty much undefeated. So I would suggest that if you

know that the Lord is tugging at your heart and he's calling you

into something, regardless of what it is, doesn't have to be

pastoral, doesn't have to be ministry that way, but or

teaching ministry, but there's a lot of different ministries.

They all, they all, whatever the ministry is, they're all

important and they all add to the body of Christ and they all

supply at every joint supplies in the body of Christ.

So I would just strongly encourage.

You to acknowledge that. Call and allow the Lord to do a

work in your heart concerning it.

And then we go to verse 6 and he says, for I am already being

poured out as a drink offering and the time of my departure is

at hand. I want to stop there for a

second because this is really significant.

Paul described himself as being poured out as a drink offering

back in the Old Testament, back in the book of Numbers, around

chapter 15, the Old Testament priests, when they would give a

sacrifice, they would, at the end of the sacrifice, they would

pour out a drink offering to the Lord.

They would pour out a drink offering on the altar and that

would actually be a sign that the service was completed.

The offering was given, the service was complete.

And Paul now describes himself as being that drink offering

that is already being poured out.

And he's signifying that. He's symbolizing the fact that

his service is complete and he has totally poured himself out

to the Lord. Totally.

Jesus Christ was a drink offering for us.

Jesus Christ was not only the drink offering, He was also the

Lamb that was slain. He was the sacrifice and he was

the drink offering. When his, when his side was

pierced and the blood came out, when he hung on the cross and

the blood dripped down, that was him emptying himself as a drink,

offering to us, to the Lord for us rather.

And Paul was saying, I am already being poured out.

I've already given everything. I've given all to the Lord ever

since the day that he caught me into ministry back in Acts

Acts 9 · chapter mention

Chapter 9 when he first stopped me on the road to Damascus.

From that point on, I've given it all to him.

I've given it all to him. And that is such an inspiration

for us to look at how we serve the Lord.

Do we? Give it all to him, do we give

it off to him? Do we hold something back?

Because in that cup of the drink offering, the whole idea was

that totally empty the cup so that nothing was held back.

And that's exactly what Paul says of himself.

Then he says, I've fought the good fight, I'll finish the

race. I've kept the faith.

Paul says. Just like, just like in the old

days of Israel, they fought many battles.

They fought many battles as they were on their way to the

promised land. And even in our life we fight

many battles, but there's only one good fight.

There's only one good fight, and that's the good fight of faith.

That's the only good fight. Jude said.

That we are to contend for the faith or we are to strive for

the faith which was once delivered to the Saints, once

for all delivered to the Saints. We're to strive for that and it

is going to be a battle. Now in this battle are the

weapons of our warfare. They're not carnal, they're not

Spears, they're not bows, they're not clubs, but they're

still mighty through God. It's prayer, it's the reading of

the Word, it's the giving of ourselves in ministry.

Those are the weapons that we now have that we give to the

Lord. And then he says, I finished the

race. This Christian race, this

Christian battle is a race. This Christian life is a race,

and it's not necessarily the one that's rewarded, is not

necessarily the one who crosses the finish line first.

It's not a race in that way. It's not a race in that way.

The idea is to finish, finish. He said I finished the race.

He didn't say I won the race. He said I finished the race.

And that's what we need to do, is to finish the race.

What we've started. Whatever you've started in the

Lord, finish it. Finish it, be able to say like

Paul, I've I've, I've fought the good fight and I have finished

the race and I've kept the faith.

I've held on to it. I haven't strayed from it.

I haven't gotten off into myths and I haven't gotten off into

other wild things. I've kept the faith and he says

there's laid up for me a crown of righteousness.

Finally there's laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which

the Lord, the righteous judge will give to me on that day, and

not only to me, but on all those who will love his appearing.

And what he is saying here is that there are two crowns.

There are two crowns that that people can talk about.

The one crown is a, is a royal crown and that's given to the

king. We won't get that crown that's

given to the king, but the other crown is a victor's crown.

And that's the one that we will be rewarded, the victor's crown.

And the victor's crown is given to like in the Greek games or

the Roman games. It was given to the one, OK, who

would run the race well and he would get a reef.

If he won the race, he would get a reef and it would be olive

leaves or oak leaves that would be on this, this reef, this,

this head thing that would go around his head.

That would be the reward. Now those things faded.

Those things will fade. But the reef.

But the, the, the, the reward, the victor's crown that we get,

it doesn't fade. It's a crown that does not fade

away. And it's not just given to us,

but it's given to all who will love his appearing.

That is what Paul is looking forward to during his time, his

last minutes. He's looking forward to the

victor's crown. He knows he has one and pretty

soon he's going to be able to have it on his head and he's

looking forward to that. He's not looking at his

condition, he's looking beyond it.

He's not looking at his circumstances and feeling bad

about himself. He's looking beyond it and

that's where we should be. Yes, things are bad here.

Yes, we got challenges here. Yes, things are crazy.

But we have a hope. We have a hope we can finish

this race. We can keep the faith.

We just have to continue to fight the good fight and not let

temptation take us out, not let the enemy derail us, not be

pulled aside or pulled out of what it is that God wants us to

do. Not be convinced to give up and

give out. Fight the good fight, finish the

race, keep the faith. You've been listening to Pastor

Lewis Harrell here on Living Waters of Grace.

We're digging into all that Paul shared with Timothy in the books

of First and Second Timothy. Timothy was commissioned to do

the following fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on

eternal life, to which you were also called, and have confessed

the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

Timothy would be carrying on what Paul had taught him and

continuing on in ministry, even though Paul knew that more

hardships would come for Timothy.

This is the Christian life. It's not glamorous.

It's not some celebrity status. It's hard fought, it's gritty,

it's unpopular, but it's worth it.

Do you believe that today? Are you willing to fight the

good fight even at the cost of earthly pleasures?

Living the life of a follower of Jesus will have its heavenly

rewards. To be a part of a community

that's looking forward to that heavenly reward, we invite you

to join us at Calvary Chapel Westmoreland.

If you're in the Greensburg, PA area, come be with us this

Sunday at 10:30 AM at 400 E Pittsburgh St., Ste. 6B.

Check out Calvary Chapel online.com For more information

on directions and any other details you might want to know.

You can also download our mobile app from our website

thatscalvarychapelonline.com. If you have friends or family

members who want to tune in, encourage them to listen on

Grace FM 91.7. One last thing, this radio

ministry relies on your support to keep things going.

If you're willing to donate financially, send gifts to Grace

FMPO, Box 716, Greensburg, PA 15601.

Thanks for prayerfully considering this, and thank you

for listening to Living Waters of Grace.