Living Waters of Grace 10.20.25

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.

The Lord doesn't want us to be criticizing each other.

He wants us to be loving one another and forgiving one

another and being patient with one another.

And until we're willing to become less judgmental and less

critical, we won't hear the voice of God.

We'll quench the voice of God in my judgment or your judgment or

my criticism or my control, whatever.

God can't work. Wow, isn't that the truth?

What we just heard from Pastor Clark is so apparent in our

world today. Just turn on the news or start

the doom scrolling on your phone and you'll see that criticism is

the common language of all. We are so divided and sadly it's

not much different for those of us who are in the church.

God is calling us to be people of love and to stop the

criticism, stop the bad mouthing, stop the division.

What did Jesus say? Jesus said we would be known as

his followers by our love for one another.

Now here's Pastor Clark in the book of Acts Chapter 10 with

Acts 10 · chapter mention

today's edition of Living Waters of Grace.

So Peter's wandering in verse 17 within himself, what this vision

which he had seen meant he's rehearsing of.

So what? What's this all about?

Behold, the men who had been sent from Cornelius had made

inquiry for Simon's house and stood before the gate.

So they have just arrived, and they called and asked whether

Simon, whose surname was Peter, was lodging there, living there.

So while Peter's thinking about the vision of verse 19, the Holy

Spirit says to him, Behold, three men are seeking you arise,

therefore go down and go with them, doubting nothing for I've

sent them. Now this is like really awesome

because the Holy Spirit speaking specifically to Peter about

someone who's already there. And you, if you're walking with

the Lord and you're seeking God, I'm sure if I brought you up

here today, you could tell all kind of stories of how the Lord

set up certain situations ahead of time with you knowing about

something before something even came to pass.

And that's what makes living in Christ exciting.

It doesn't happen all the time as much as maybe we would like

to experience it. But if we're open to the

direction of the Holy Spirit, he'll set up divine appointments

or he'll set up situations that there's no way something could

come to pass if it wasn't him doing it right.

And it just gives you goosebumps at times.

And you think about the the realness of God and how powerful

he is and how he can show up and how he can maneuver and move

situations. And, and the Bible talks about

spiritual gifts, the words of knowledge, the words of wisdom.

These are real spiritual, supernatural gifts.

Some people have certain types of gifting, other people, other,

we all have certain kind of spiritual gifts.

But sometimes, like I told you a story about the man that gives

away the Bibles and he came out of the the restroom and the

young lady comes out of the bathroom and she had been

drinking heavily and partying and, and he just the Lord put on

his heart, it's her birthday today.

And he said happy birthday and she's how do you know it's my

birthday? That's the Lord.

He does stuff like that. If we're open to the leading of

God's Spirit, He works outside the dimensions of how our normal

thought processes work. Without faith, it's impossible

to please God. We need to be walking by faith

and not by sight. So often, like Lord, I'll

believe it if I can see it, and I'll trust you if you got all

this A through Z all lined out. And I don't have to like, worry

about making a mistake or going down the wrong path or

something. When the Lord impresses

something on your heart and you know it, and you've heard the

voice of God, not literally out externally, but the voice of God

speaks in terms that interact with our mind and our heart.

And you and I should know the difference between hearing our

own imagination and hearing the voice of God.

And I think we begin to hear the voice of God when we're willing

to be still in prayer. Both these guys heard the voice

of God's working through their time in prayer.

And you might say, well boy, I just never sense God's voice or

his presence. I'm not sure.

Well, spend some time in prayer, waiting on the Lord, fasting,

whatever it is, giving God time to speak to you about what it is

He wants you to do. Instead of this going off and

doing it in your own strength. You're doing it on your own

will. Lord, what would you have me to

do? What would you want me to do?

And Cornelius said, what is it, Lord?

The question, what? You're talking to me now what,

What do I do? I want to become more in tune,

as I'm sure you do too, what with the voice of the Lord.

How do I interact in this conversation or how do I respond

to this crisis situation? Or, you know, what do I say to

this lady that's very angry about Roe versus Wade being

overturned and just beside herself dropping F bombs and

she's telling me her frustration then telling me, but she's a

Christian. You know, it was interesting.

I was tempted to say, can I pray for you?

But she would probably beat the crap out of me.

There ought to be another conversation.

Maybe down the road. I'll say, hey, by the way, we

had that conversation. I want you to know I've been

praying for, you know, and I am praying for, but hearing the

voice of the Lord. So Peter, specifically this,

this isn't what we're studying in the book of the Acts, folks.

Is not like this an axe. This is like supposed to be part

of everyday life for all of us. And when the book of the Acts

becomes alive and the day that we live, then we begin to see

God working within the realm of the supernatural in people's

lives. And I think we've been so

conditioned mentally. It's one thing to know the Word,

to memorize the Scriptures, to know where to find us, find

that. But how is God interacting with

you and me in the midst of what it is we're reading and learning

and anticipating that? Do we have a desire to hear God

and to have him set up circumstances for us so we can

be used by God? So Peter goes down to the men

who had been sent to him from Cornelius and said, yes, I am he

whom you seek. For what reason have you come?

They said Cornelius, a Centaurian, a just man, one who

fears God and has a good reputation among all the nation

of the Jews, was divinely instructed by a holy Angel to

summon you to his house and to hear words from you.

And so then he invited them in and lodged them.

And this is huge because probably a month before this,

Peter would have never considered this.

He's hanging out with the Tanner in an unclean place.

He's already like compromised some of his kosher convictions.

And now he has this vision of these animals in this blanket.

And he's starting to see this isn't about this animals and

eating. This is about relationships with

people, with Gentiles that he would have never given the time

of day to. And he invites them in.

And not only does he invite them in, but he's hanging with him.

He's he's entertaining them. He's the word lodging means that

he's, he's spending time with him.

He just doesn't say, well, you can sleep over there.

I'll see you tomorrow when we head out.

No, he, he fed them, he took care of them and he talked with

them. That's a beautiful, beautiful

story of, of the conversion that's going to come up for

Cornelius. But Peter's being converted to

real Christianity, not religion, not judgment, not criticism.

The Lord doesn't want us to be criticizing each other.

He wants us to be loving one another and forgiving one

another and being patient with one another.

And until we're willing to become less judgmental and less

critical, we won't hear the voice of God.

We'll quench the voice of God in my judgment or your judgment or

my criticism or my control, whatever.

God can't work. It's only as we're open to him

to be like Jesus that God will begin to really show up and move

and work in ways that we can't even comprehend.

And so on the next day Peter went away with them, and some

brethren from Joppa accompany him.

So he took some guys with him because he knew there's going to

be problems in Jerusalem when this gets around.

Someone's going to say to the apostle, we heard you brought

Gentiles into your house. You know, that's against the law

of Moses. These people are unclean.

They're just not worthy of our bloodline.

Terrible, terrible discrimination.

And this is the leaders of the church still had this stuff in

on the Judaizers. So verse 24.

So Peter goes with them. He gets there the following day.

They enter Caesarea. Now Cornelius was waiting for

them and, well, how excited he was, I'm sure.

And he had called together his relatives and close friends.

Isn't that awesome? Like he knew God was up to

something and he's like getting as many people in that house as

he can to be able to hear the message.

They were prepared to hear the message.

They wanted to hear the message. As I was studying this, one

commentator said, what are people like to come to the

church on Sundays? Are they praying in their hearts

to be prepared to hear something from God for themselves?

That's something to think about. You know, that's not showing up

at church. But am I prepared to hear the

voice of God through the word of God, by the servant of God to

cause me to become a stronger man or woman of God?

That's something for us all to reflect on.

So as Peter was coming in, Cornelius met him and fell down

at his feet and worshipped him. So Cornelius was overwhelmed at

the anointing of God. I'm sure that he sensed the

presence of God upon Peter's life.

And so he he just had this tendency to pay homage or honor

him. Obviously that isn't what we do.

Peter lifted him up saying stand up.

I myself, I'm also a man. And as he talked with him, he

went in and found many who had come together.

What a set up, what a perfect, perfect opportunity for

evangelism. And then he said to them, you

know how unlawful it is for a Jewish man to keep company with

or go to one of another nation. But God has shown me that I

should not call any man common or unclean, and that so the

significance of that trance he had with the sheet, with all the

animals in now was dawning on him, that there is no issues

here between Jew and Gentile. We're people that all need God.

Therefore I came without objection as soon as I was sent

for. I asked then, for what reason

have you sent for me? So Cornelius said, four days ago

I was fasting until this hour, and at the 9th hour I prayed in

my house. And behold, a man stood before

me in bright clothing and said, Cornelius, your prayer has been

heard, and your alms are remembered in the sight of God.

Send therefore to Joppa and call Simon here, whose surname is

Peter. He is lodging in the House of

Simon, a Tanner by the sea. When he comes, he will speak to

you. So I sent to you immediately and

you have done well to come. Now.

Therefore we are all present before God to hear all the

things commanded you by God. So everybody that's there has

got an open mind and an open heart to hear what's up.

Then Peter opened his mouth and said, In truth, I perceive that

God shows no partiality, but in every nation whoever fears him

and works righteousness is accepted by him.

The word which God sent to the children of Israel, preaching

peace through Jesus Christ, He is Lord of all that word, you

know, which was proclaimed throughout all Judea and began

from Galilee after the baptism which John preached.

How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit

with power, who went about doing good and healing all who were

oppressed by the devil. For God was with him, and we are

witnesses of all things which He did both in the land of the Jews

and in Jerusalem, whom they killed by hanging on a tree.

Him God raised up on the third day, and showed Him openly, not

to all the people, but to witnesses chosen before by God,

even to us who ate and drank with Him after He arose from the

dead. And He commanded us to preach to

the people and to testify that it is he who was ordained by God

to be judged of the living and the dead.

So pointed on the man wants to die.

And after this a judgment, we're all going to stand before God to

be judged. Now, believers, we won't be

judged for our sin. Thank the Lord.

It's been poured out upon Jesus Christ, God's wrath and anger.

And we are forgiven through Christ's death and has shed

blood on behalf of us for our sin.

But we will give an account for the stupid things that we've

said and things that we've perhaps not been open to in

regard to letting God use us. And that's for the judgment of

our rewards, the wood, hay and stubble or the gold, silver and

precious stone. And that's why we as believers

are in the word of God conditions us and changes us to

to make us want to live more for the things for eternity and less

for the things of this world. To be more useful to God's will

and his purposes for reaching the world, especially for such a

time as this in a country and a culture that is so divided.

And we have opportunities to love people and to be salt and

to be light and to be gracious and to point people to Jesus.

And it's so beautiful this this sermon that he's preaching here.

You could cut and paste this, put in your Bible.

And if you have a chance to witness, let's read this.

It covers everything you need in order for the Lord to work and

cause someone to realize they need to be saved.

And this is what happens as a result of Him just preaching the

short sermon He commanded us to preach to the people and to

testify that it is He who was ordained by God to be the Judge

of the living and the dead to Him.

All the prophets witnessed that through His name.

Highlight this, underline it, mark it the message from Christ

that has been preached since the beginning of the time of

creation, through the prophets, through his name.

Whoever believes in him will receive remission of sins.

Maybe you're here today and you find yourself believing.

If you are believing right now, you are being saved.

It's faith in Christ. Salvation is by grace alone,

through faith alone in Christ alone.

The devil say it can't be that easy.

Don't listen to what the devil says.

In the midst of our guilt and our regret today we can believe

and whosoever believeth in him or receive remission means

forgiveness of sins. So while Peter was still

speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell upon all those who

heard the word. So what was happening was the

word is going out, the Spirit is convicting, people are

believing, and they're getting saved because the Holy Spirit

doesn't come upon people who aren't believing, right?

There was no altar call. There was no raise your hand,

say this prayer. They just believe, right?

So simple, Whoever believes in him and those of the

circumcision who believe were astonished that these Jewish

people are watching this. And this is very significant

because at Pentecost when the Holy Spirit was poured out,

there was this gift of the Holy Spirit in regard not only to the

indwelling of the Spirit as new members of the body of Christ,

but there was this gift that some people, all those people at

that particular time, received the gift of speaking in tongues.

And the Jews would have been sort of suspect of the Gentiles

if they didn't receive the Holy Spirit the same way.

So God in his wisdom duplicated what happened at Pentecost with

them so that they could say, wow, you know, God loves these

Gentiles as much as he loves these Jews.

And so they received the Spirit of God and they had this

experience. Now it's interesting, whenever

Paul was filled with the Spirit, he didn't speak in tongues.

And the Bible tells us in the book of Corinthians and

spiritual gift do all speak in tongues.

No, they don't. Some churches teach, well, you

can't be saved unless you speak in tongues, it's not biblical.

Or some people say you're not filled with the Holy Spirit

unless you speak in tongues. That's not biblical.

Now, tongues are a valid gift. Some people have it, some people

don't. But the real evidence of the

person who's controlled or filled with the Holy Spirit is

the fruit of the Spirit, right? The love, the joy, the peace,

the long sufferings, the gentleness, the goodness, the

meekness. I've met people that brag about

speaking in tongues and they're the most obnoxious people to be

around. They're proud, you know, or

they're arrogant or they're judgmental order, you know, I'm

thinking like, well, whatever you have, I don't need it.

Believe me, I don't want it, you know.

But anyway, so this, this experience happens.

And as many came with Peter because the gift of the Holy

Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles also, for they

heard them speak with tongues and magnify God.

Then Peter answered, can anyone forbid water that these should

not be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as

we so right away after they become believers.

Baptism is always the next event in the testimony that I've been

saved. I want to follow Jesus.

And so he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the

Lord, and they asked him to stay for a few days.

This is a great chapter to reflect on of the voice of God,

hearing God, the Lord speaking and setting up supernatural

experiences for people to connect, and the Lord showing

His power and His reality by doing things that should be more

common in our lives. The Lord directed me to do this

and I think you got to be careful when you say, well, God

showed me this or he told me this.

I mean, that can be true or false many times, right?

There's some things that God does tell you that are very real

and very clear and you have no doubt about it.

And maybe you tell the story after the whole thing unfolds

and you can say, well, this what happened to me?

I was, you know, and then the Lord spoke and he showed me

this. And then this is what happens.

The result of that? That's the voice of God, the

fruit of what it is that you were praying about and

experiencing as a result. Of hearing the voice of the

Lord. I don't know.

So often I think when we pray, we're seeking God about

something specifically, how am I going to get this job?

How am I going to find this husband or wife?

Or how am I going to get over this illness or this

relationship conflict or whatever it might be in life?

And waiting on the Lord and praying and being calm.

And then the Lord giving you the pieces of the puzzle, how He's

going to put it together in His time as you trust and you wait

for Him. I believe God is speaking all

the time and speaking louder than any of us can comprehend,

right? But it we're like busy life,

business, family, financing, you know, all this stuff crowds out

the voice of God in our lives. And Jesus says it's the cares of

the world, the deceitfulness, the riches, the lust of other

things to choke his word out, right?

There's nothing wrong with you. Got to do your life and work and

raise your family and, you know, save your resources.

But but if that's all you're hearing and that's all you're

thinking about, you have no time to be calm and to hear God's

voice. And it's in the stillness that

God speaks to us, isn't it? And we really need to figure out

all of us, including myself, how to be more still before God.

And the Scriptures say be still and know that I'm God father.

We I don't know. I go through the chapters like

this Lord, and I'm speechless because I just watch what it is

you have done and are doing and this setup by you, your

sovereign hand, working in two different people's lives at the

same time for the same reason. Peter to bring the message and

Cornelius to be ready to receive the message.

And Lord, we believe that you're doing that today.

You're doing it in our sphere of influence.

We're the messengers. We're the ones you want to use

to to share with someone who needs to know who you are.

And Lord, we don't know where they are, but you have those

people out there everywhere that are trying to find their way and

they need someone to tell them about you.

We pray Lord, you would give us divine appointments that we

would sense you moving in the supernatural realm of you Holy

Spirit, where we're being led by you.

We're we're placed in circumstances that we know that

we couldn't be there apart from your intervention.

We pray to be used by you, Lord, as the book of the Acts is all

about this people being witnesses unto You.

We want to be witnesses, Lord. We don't want to force it.

We don't want to push it. We don't want to strive.

We just want it to be natural, Lord.

And we pray, God that we would have more and more testimonies

of this, the moving of your Spirit and how we ended up

coming to know you, Lord, because of your word and because

of your grace. Lord.

We again pray for this week coming up that we'll probably be

around some people that are uptight, agitated, frustrated

people that will want to give us their opinion.

Help us to listen. Help us to pray for wisdom and

discernment and not judge or criticize, but to look to you,

Lord, for a way to see people's hearts be softened.

That Lord, you would just move powerfully in the land.

We're excited, Lord, in the midst of the adversity and the

challenges of of this world's exciting time, to be alive and

to be able to be used by you. Thanks for joining us on today's

edition of Living Waters of Grace, a ministry of Calvary

Chapel, Westmoreland. Today, Pastor Clark is teaching

about the Book of Acts, And as we learn more about Acts, it

becomes clear that the early church didn't miss a single

opportunity to share the Gospel. In nearly every chapter, you see

apostles like Peter and Paul stepping into conversations,

crowds, and crises with boldness, ready to proclaim the

name of Jesus. Their example challenges us to

consider how we might step into gospel moments in our own lives.

What doors might God open this week for you to speak truth,

offer hope, or live out your faith in a way that points

others to him? The story of Acts reminds us we

are part of the same mission. Today, let's live with eyes open

and hearts ready to respond. We hope you are challenged by

today's message. If you're in the Greensburg, PA

area, we'd love to see you in person this Sunday at 10:30 AM

at 400 E Pittsburgh St. Unit 6B.

For more information, visit calvarychapelonline.com.

You could also join our e-mail list, give online or submit a

prayer request right from the site.

If you can't make it in person, be sure to tune in on the

Calvary Chapel Westmoreland YouTube channel.

Subscribe so you never miss new teachings.

If you were in the Greensburg area, you can listen to Grace FM

on the new 91.7 frequency. Pray about helping financially

support the new station that will reach thousands more

listeners. Send financial gifts to Grace

FMPO Box 716, Greensburg, PA 15601.

Once again, we're so grateful you joined us today to be

inspired by God's Word. Please tune in again for more

Living Waters of Grace.