Living Waters of Grace 01.19.26

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.

He's. Preparing you.

He is causing you to be a vessel prepared for the masters.

Use. I don't know what he's going to

use. You for I don't.

Know what he has coming around? We can only see to the corner.

He's the only one that can see around it.

We don't know what he has prepared for us, but.

What we do know? Is that He can prepare us and

use us for great things, even us.

Do you believe that? Do you believe that God is

preparing you for something good?

In the mundane and humdrum of life, it can be easy to just get

up, get ready for work, go to work, come home from work, eat

dinner, veg out and watch Netflix, go to sleep, rinse and

repeat. God in heaven has a greater

purpose for your life. He is preparing you to do what

He's made you to do. And yes, you do have a purpose.

Today, Pastor Lewis invites you to discover that purpose and

take a step of obedience. Now here's Pastor Lewis in the

Book of Second Timothy, Chapter 2, with today's edition of

2 Timothy 2 · chapter mention

Living Waters of Grace. To argue.

And strive about words to no prophet to the ruin of.

Hears that has. Nothing to do with teaching the

word of God. Profane and idle babbling that

has nothing to do. With the word of God, those.

Things are ungodly, but when we study.

The Word of God and we are. Workmen.

The Bible says we are workmen. With the word of God we study it

just like Paul said a couple verses back.

That one of the things we are is a.

Farmer A hard working. Farmer and in doing that we have

to make. Sure that we are.

Hard workers getting into the Word of God, spending time with

him in prayer. So that we rightly.

Divide and that word. Rightly divide.

Actually means cutting straight, cutting the word of God.

Straight. We know that farmers cut furrows

straight. A Carpenter will cut a board

straight. We as pastors or as teachers of

the Word, are to cut the Word straight, cut it straight, give

it straight. We don't add to it, we don't

take away from it, we don't sugarcoat it, we don't

breakdance around sin. We cut it straight, just the way

the Lord gives it to us. And this and this sum, when he

says, Sean, that means to keep away from profane means

irreverent, unconsecrated and babbling just simply means empty

chatter, He said stay away from those things.

Because they don't lead. To godliness it leads to more

ungodliness. These things only lead to

arguments bitter arguments bitter.

Debates. And no one comes out of it

benefiting. No one benefits out of it but

when you teach. The Word of God there should be

a spirit that is. Along with it.

That will lead. Us to godliness.

It encourages us, it corrects us.

If need. Be it convicts us, but it.

Leads us to godliness and then in verse 17, verse 17 here it

says and their message will spread like here in my in the

new King James, it says cancer. But in most other versions it

actually uses the term gangrene. And I don't know how many of you

are familiar with gangrene, but it is a very nasty infection

that one can get and you get it from.

A lack of or. No blood flow.

Blood flow that's supposed. To be going to the tissues or

the limbs or organs and when it doesn't.

Go. The tissue dies.

When there's no. Blood flow to the.

Organs or the limbs? Or the tissue.

That tissue dies. And that's what Paul is saying

to to Timothy, that their message.

Will spread like gangrene. It'll spread quickly.

But it is an infection that gets into.

The body of believers. And because there's no life in

teaching error, there's no life in that.

There's no life in teaching heresy.

There's no. Life in arguing.

There's no life in any of that. And because of that the.

Remembers the tissue begins. To die the.

Ministry will begin to. Die the life.

Is in the blood, isn't it? So he.

Says Hymenaeus and Philetus. Are of this sort.

They have, you know, they are the ones who were teaching these

things and they were actually saying look at verse 18.

They have strayed from the truth, and they were saying that

the resurrection has. Already passed, so there's been

a lot of error. Teaching in.

Error that has. Come into the churches, even

back in Second Thessalonians we read about.

Where the teachers the false teachers?

Were coming to the Thessalonians and they were basically saying

that the second coming had already.

Passed had already come. Jesus already come.

You missed it, and they stumbled, the people.

And now here they're saying that the resurrection has already

come and they're stumbling, the people.

But that's what. Happens with heresy.

That's what happens with air teaching in air.

You stumble the people. And we know how important the

resurrection is. That is a core.

You know, it's it's a. Core source of our theology.

I mean, without the resurrection we have no.

Hope do we? Without the resurrection, we

have no hope. So Paul's saying these.

People, you got to. Stay away from them.

But then he says, he gives us that assurance here in verse 19.

He says nevertheless, the solid foundation of God stands.

Having this heal, the Lord knows.

Those who are his, the Lord knows those who are here.

The solid foundation stands First Corinthians 311 for no

other foundation can be laid other can anyone lay than that

which. Is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Who is our firm foundation? He is the solid rock Isaiah. 40

and 8. Says the grass.

Withers and the flower. Fades, but the Word of God

stands. First Peter one in 25, but the

word of the Lord endures forever.

And then of course, we all know about Matthew and Seven.

The Story of. Building a foundation on a rock

and building it on the difference of building on a rock

and building it on sand. The foundation that is built on

a rock will stand. That's a wise man who builds on

a rock. And when adversity comes, rather

be rain, wind. Or floods.

It can. Beat upon the house, but the

house will stand. If you are built.

On the solid foundation on the truth.

Of God's Word. Not heresy, not someone's ideas,

not someone's thoughts, not someone who wants to argue when

you are built on the truth. Of God's Word.

It is a solid. Foundation and you will stand in

adversity. You won't fall away, you.

Won't deny him. You will stand in adversity.

It can keep. You.

So then we go to verse. 19 Let's go to the bottom of 19, it says.

The Lord knows. Those who are his.

And let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from

iniquity, and those. Who are Christ?

Will depart from iniquity. They will not walk in the ways

of the Sinner. They won't walk in the way of a

Sinner. They will depart.

From Iniquity back in Numbers chapter 16, back around verse 5,

Numbers 16 · chapter mention

Moses is confronting Cora and those who are in rebellion with

him, and he said tomorrow the Lord are going to show.

Those who are with him, the Lord are going to show.

Those who are his. Tomorrow and then in verse 20. 6

after it was clear. That it was Moses who was the

one that the people should be following.

Because of the rod. That Aaron had.

That actually spouted. A rod that was not connected to

anything, just spouted. And because of that.

The Lord said to them. Get away, those of you who are

with the Lord, get away. From these tents of wickedness

get away from them, and that's. Exactly what, Paul?

Is saying here that everyone who names the name of Christ depart

from iniquity, And then in verse 20 says, But in a great house

there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also wood

and clay, some of honor and some of dishonor.

Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from the latter.

He will be a. Vessel of honor sanctified and

useful for the Master prepared. For every good work, this is a.

Very encouraging verse here because what it's saying here

basically that in a great. House The church is a great

house. And there's vessels in a church,

just like in your own house you have.

Vessels that you probably brought out.

On for Thanksgiving. Because they were your.

Good China, you know, when company comes over, we bring

this China out, you know? Because that's the good stuff.

Other stuff to use every day. I know myself.

We like to eat off of plate more paper plates you.

Know we don't have. The good stuff out every day.

We eat off of paper plates. Eat.

Throw them away, but in every. House there is, vessels there,

there are. Vessels of gold and.

Silver, they're good vessels, vessels that.

Stand. They're valuable.

And then there's. Vessels of wood.

And clay, those vessels are not so.

Valuable what Paul is. Saying here is that just like

they're vessels of honor, vessels of gold and silver,

they're vessels of honor because they contain good stuff.

They contain good stuff and because of that.

They are vessels of. Honor, but they're.

Also vessels of. Dishonor.

They don't contain good stuff, they contain ungodliness, things

that are contrary. To the word of God.

They are your disapproved workers of God.

And he says. As a result of that, but if that

vessel. Would cleanse himself.

He can. Become a vessel of.

Honor and we cleanse by confessing and allowing the Lord

to cleanse us from the things that are unrighteous in our

life, and we can become. Vessels of.

Honor, we don't have to remain vessels of dishonor.

Don't let the enemy make. You feel guilty about.

Something you've done and make you feel that God can't reach

you now. God can't ever use you again.

That is the biggest lie. To Christians, and unfortunately

there's Christians who will tell other Christians things like

that. You've blew it.

You've blown it. God can't use you anymore.

You've lost that position. God loves each and every one of

us. And he desires for us.

To turn back to Him and we can become vessels of honor again.

We can repent and we can turn and become cleansed again.

It's the blood of Jesus. Christ that has cleansed us from

all sin. Is what the Bible says.

So then he goes on and he says, and be sanctified.

That means be set apart and useful for the master.

Prepare for every good work and. This preparing is important to

me because there are things that I go through sometimes and I

wonder, Lord, why am I going through this?

What is going on? What is going on in my life?

Why am I going through this? Why?

It just seems like it just seemed like things will keep

coming sometimes. You get stretches of that.

I don't know if anyone else can relate to that, but sometimes

you just get stretches of things that keeps coming time after

time and time again. And I'm realizing now that God

is preparing you. For a good work he's.

Preparing you he is. Causing you to be a vessel

prepared for the master. 'S use.

I don't know what he's going to use.

You for I. Don't know what he has coming

around. We can only see to the corner.

He's the only one that can see around it.

We don't know what he has prepared for us, but what?

We do know. Is that He can prepare us and

use us for great things, even us.

And then he goes on into verse 22.

He says flee also youthful lust. You know, flee those things.

Those things are not of servants of honor or vessels of honor.

That's for vessels of. Dishonor.

Flee those things. Flee sexual immorality.

Flee the love of money. Flee power.

But also flee talking about profane and idle babblings.

Flee from that. Flee from teaching and error.

Flee from striving. Over words, flee.

From those things, flee from always wanting to be right.

Flee from that, but then you have to pursue.

So God. Gives us three things here that

we need to do. We need to flee, pursue and

avoid. We know what to flee, but now he

tells us what we need. To pursue.

And we need to pursue faith. We need to pursue love.

We need to pursue. Peace.

And that. Righteousness is righteous.

Righteous. Standing right, standing with

God. Let's pursue that.

Pursue faith or faithfulness. Pursue love, that agape love.

That unconditional. Love that love like Jesus Christ

loves. It's very difficult in our flesh

to love that way. We usually love those who love

us. We usually love those who.

Do good things to. Us or for us, we love those who.

Act the way we want them to act, and then when they don't, all of

a sudden we don't love them as much and we know the.

World. The world.

'S love is very conditional. They'll walk out of a marriage

because they'll just say I just don't love you no more.

I just don't love you no more. Very conditional.

But the love of God is unconditional, and it never.

Fails. It never fails.

Even in his chastisement. Of us, It's his love for us.

When he convicts us, he's showing his.

Love for us and. Obviously, when he.

Blesses us. He's showing his.

Love for us, but the. Biggest act of his.

Love for us? Is when he sent his son Jesus

Christ to come and. Die on a cross.

For not his sins, our sins. That was the greatest act of

love ever. But he said.

We do that with. Those who calling the Lord.

Out of a pure heart. Need to find other people who

are seeking the Lord. The way that we.

Either want to seek the Lord or are seeking the Lord.

Everyone that sits in the Great house is not necessarily.

Of a pure. Heart, and if we're honest with

ourselves, most of us from time to time.

Will have a heart that's not necessarily pure.

There are things that come into our our thoughts.

There are things that come into our mind, There are things that

we we think about that are not necessarily.

Pure. But we have a God that is

totally pure. And we can always go to him and

ask him even to cleanse us from any impurity that we.

Do have but then. In 23.

He says avoid Foolish. And ignorant disputes avoid

pointless or stupid and. Useless.

Unlearned disputes avoid those things because they only

generate strife. That means more battles, more

fights, more arguments. That's all it does.

Getting into these debates sometimes, I mean these

conversations got to make sure that when we get into these

conversations that first of all our motives are right.

You know, we have men that we do breakfast with sometimes.

Our brother Tom runs that and we have.

Bible. Studies.

The men have Bible studies and I can't talk about what the women

have because I'm not invited to that.

Y'all don't ever, y'all don't invite us to y'all women's

studies. But I understand that that's a

blessing that we have those. Studies as well.

But the point I'm trying to make that in all of these studies,

whether it's men's studies or whether it's women's studies,

the point I'm making is that if there's a discussion, there is

discussion about. The word of God.

There's not debate, it's not argument, it's discussion about

the word. Of God, because it's.

Based on the. Word of God when?

Someone comes with a perspective.

It is rooted and grounded from the word.

Of God I love. Going to our breakfasts on on

Saturday mornings because I. Always leave there edified.

I've never left one of those. Breakfasts and felt.

Angry or bitter? Or upset.

Or felt like I was in. An argument with anybody.

I've never left there feeling that way.

The discussions that we have and we may only get through one or

two. Verses because of.

Discussion. But it's not discussion about

somebody trying to be right or somebody coming up with some new

theology. It's not.

That it's a discussion about the Word of God.

And it's based on the word. Of God.

So when you. Leave there.

You leave there edified. You leave there looking.

To. Be more godly you leave there.

Encouraged to be more. Godly so he says.

There, as in verse 24, he says and a servant of the Lord must

not quarrel, that means a servant of the Lord must not

fight, must not be battling, must not get into argument, that

word. Quarrel.

Actually means it's like hand to hand combat.

It's a military term and it actually means like hand to hand

combat. A servant of the Lord shouldn't

be involved in that. It should not be involved in.

Even with just words, you should not be involved in something.

That would symbolize. Hand to hand combat.

But he said. But be gentle to all, and be.

Able to. Teach and be patient.

Be able to teach. And be patient.

That's a servant. Of the Lord.

It's that and then in verse 25, it talks about that humility,

the humility of correcting those who are in opposition.

And there are sometimes that we come against people who are in

opposition of the word, but that doesn't mean again, that we

leave them wounded and bludgeon. I mean, there are times that you

could get into conversations with some people.

Who are just bitter. They're hurting anyway, so they

unleash. All of that wrath.

On you in a discussion and it's covered.

It's covered with thinking. We're we're talking.

About the word of. God, no.

We're. Really talking about some issues

that you have because you walk away.

From that feeling bludgeoned. Beat up.

Never underestimate the effect. Of our words.

It can wound and leave deep wounds, but he says in humility.

We should be. Correcting those who are in

opposition. And now this is the part I love

the most. And it's been, it's been weaved

throughout the entire section. There's four reasons.

Why we? Should be gentle.

There's four reasons why we should.

Be. Humble when we're correcting

people, even in opposition. There's four reasons why, and

it's the ultimate reason #1 repentance.

The whole. Reason for correcting people and

getting into a. Discussion about the truth of

God's Word. Is that that person will come to

repentance, or we will come to repentance if we're wrong #2

that they may know the truth. All of these are right here.

That they may know the truth. John 8 and 32 says, And you

shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

It's bondage being in heresy and under air.

But the truth will set you free. And then the third reason that

they may come to their senses or that they recover.

People that the devil. Are using to get into these

debates and get into these arguments that they enjoy.

That's not of God. That's all this.

That's of Satan. That's of the devil.

It's a plan to try to get there to cause.

Confusion in the church, that vision in the church when you

come with all those different attitudes and, and, and being

angry, that's just being used of the enemy.

And it's like being into like being in a drunken stupor.

And then the 4th and final reason.

Is to escape the trap of that devil.

To know that you've you've been used.

By the devil. To do things that are ungodly

ungodly. It causes confusion, it causes

opposition, causes division. It's like a plant to plant

destructive heresies, and it comes in secretly, and that's

the reason they want. No, Paul is saying.

We want to bring that person to repentance, not to just.

Destroy that. Person not to just belittle a

person who may be an heir, but that person can come to

repentance and sometimes that person can come to repentance

through you. And then at the very end it says

that he to escape the snare of the devil, having been taken

captive by him. To do.

His will we no longer have to do the will of the evil 1 and if

there. Are teachers that we.

Even know or teachers that are out there and then we talk

about, you know, teachers of prosperity, teachers of

inclusion and all these different types of theology and

gospels that are out to these different type of gospels that

people were preaching air heresy.

Let's pray for him. Let's pray.

Let's pray that God will. Bring them to repentance, not

just talk about them and talk about how.

Evil it is, or how bad it is and how they.

Should be ashamed of. Themselves or how they get

themselves. God's going to deal with them.

Well, we got some things God going to deal.

With us about too. Let's.

Pray for these people. That God will.

Perhaps bring them to repentance and that they turn.

They weren't always like that. And God can restore.

So if we are people who strive, if we're people who.

Get involved in empty chatter. If we quarrel, we can repent.

If we have some youthful lust that we need to flee, we can do

that today and repent from our youthful lusts.

And if we need to turn toward godliness, if we need to turn

toward righteousness, we need to turn toward faithfulness, love,

and peace, if we want God to supply more of that in our lives

and in our hearts, we can pray. For that and of course.

If you're 1, who's here that have not received Jesus Christ

as your Lord and. Savior, let this be the last day

that. You don't have eternity with.

Jesus Christ. Today you can repent and turn,

and you can receive salvation from the wrath of God that is

coming. You have an opportunity to do

that today. So, Father, we remember today

everything that he endured. We remember today.

His love for us to even leave glory.

To come here, not for his to die.

For his sins, but to die. For our sins.

And we're grateful for that. Amen.

You've been listening to Pastor Louis 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.