The Word Made Plain

Guest (Male): Welcome to The Word Made Plain, with Senior Pastor Tony Clark of Calvary Chapel Newport News in Virginia. Currently, Pastor Tony is teaching a study in the book of Acts. Please open your Bible to Acts chapter 13, verses 16 through 22.

Tony Clark: Paul and Barnabas continued on from the city of Perga and came to the city of Antioch of Pisidia, which was approximately 100 miles away, and went into the synagogue in verse 14 on the Sabbath day and sat down. After the reading of the law of Moses and the prophets, verse 15 goes on to say that the rulers of the synagogue said to them, "Men and brethren, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say on."

This was very common because whenever there was a visiting rabbi, they would always give them an opportunity to give that word for today. Seeing that Paul was a former rabbi, they recognized that and were giving him an opportunity to share the word of God. So here is an awesome opportunity for Paul to share the gospel with this group of people. What did he say? Look at verses 16 to 22 so we can get the context.

Then Paul stood up, and motioning with his hand said, "Men of Israel and you who fear God, listen. The God of this people Israel chose our fathers, and exalted the people when they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt, and with an uplifted arm he brought them out of it. Now for a time of about 40 years he put up with their ways in the wilderness.

And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he distributed their land to them by allotment. After that he gave them judges for about 450 years until Samuel the prophet. And afterward they asked for a king. So God gave them Saul the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, for 40 years. And when he had removed him, he raised up for them David as king, to whom also he gave testimony and said, 'I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, who will do all my will.'"

In these verses we see Paul give his first sermon to the people in a synagogue. He stands up in verse 16 and motions with his hands to get their attention. He starts off by addressing the men of Israel, who were the Jews there, and those who fear God, which were the Gentiles or non-Jews who were embracing Judaism, like the Roman soldier Cornelius did in chapter 10. Paul starts off his sermon like Stephen did in chapter 7 by giving them a history lesson. It is always good to be reminded of the past—the good, bad, and the ugly—so we can know where we came from and possibly where we are going.

Here is Paul telling the people present, especially the Jews, how God chose them. He said God chose their fathers, which is a reference to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and exalted them when they were in Egypt, and with an uplifted arm he brought them out of it, which is a reference to the ten plagues that God brought on Egypt that caused Pharaoh to let them go.

Let me pause right here and just say, have you taken time to look back at your life to see where God has brought you? How he has rescued you from the slavery of sin and brought you out of your Egypt with an outstretched arm? This also shows what the Lord can do in your life if you are here today. How he can rescue you from the slavery of whatever it is that has enslaved your life. Maybe it's drugs, maybe it's alcohol, maybe it's sexual relationships, or it's pornography.

Whatever it is that has enslaved you today, the Lord Jesus Christ can set you free from it. Many people try to ignore their past. They try to ignore what has happened to them, maybe because it's too painful. Maybe because in the past there was a molestation or a rape of some sort. The Lord wants to rescue you from the pain of your past. He wants to rescue you from those things that have enslaved you, just like the Israelites were enslaved in Egypt and God brought them out with an uplifted arm. God wants to bring you out of it as well. This is why you hear me constantly say Jesus said himself, "whom the Son sets free is free indeed."

And so this is what Paul is doing for the Jewish people, reminding them of their history. Then Paul reminded them in verse 18 of how God put up with their ways in the wilderness for 40 years. After they came out of Egypt, they were told to go into the promised land, but the people refused to do it. What is God putting up with with you? What is it about your ways that God is putting up with?

For the Israelites, it was their disobedience. He told them to go into the promised land, and they refused because of fear. They were afraid of the giants in the land. They sent twelve spies into the promised land to spy it out. They came back, and ten of the twelve spies came back and said, "No, we can't go in there. There's some giants in there. There's some giants in the land, and we were like grasshoppers in their sight."

To give you an example of what it means by giants in the land, they were not just exaggerating. We know that Goliath, according to the Bible, was nine feet six inches tall. If you saw someone nine feet six inches and you stood next to someone nine feet six inches tall, you would seem like a grasshopper in their sight as well. And it was giants all throughout the land. The land of Canaan was full of them. And they said, "We're not going in there. Our children are not going in either." So God had them wander in the wilderness or the desert for 40 years until that generation that doubted him, that generation that disobeyed him, died off.

So what is God putting up with with you? Lust, rebellion, disobedience? And how long has he been putting up with you in this area? Oh, he told you to move out five years ago, and you're still living with him or with her. This shows us how patient God is. For 40 years he put up with the Israelites. How long has it been for you? Four weeks, four months, four years? I hope it hasn't been 40 years. That's a long time to be in disobedience.

Paul went on in verse 19 to describe how the Lord destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan and distributed their land to them by allotment. When they finally went into the promised land, God was giving them this land, and they were to destroy the enemy when they went in. Many people have a problem with that. You have to understand God gave the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Jebusites, and all the other "-ites" in there, he gave them 400 years to turn from their wicked ways, and they refused to do it.

So when the Israelites came in, they wiped them out and their land, that promised land, was divided up by allotment to them to take pieces of the land. And then after that, Paul reminded them in verse 20 how God gave the Israelites judges for 450 years, which is a reference to the 400 years they were in Egypt, 40 years in the wilderness, and 10 years it took to divide the land to them, which totals 450 years.

Paul was showing them how God was with them all of these years, orchestrating each and every event. Did you know that the same thing is true in our lives? The Lord has been with us every year of our lives, orchestrating, allowing, and preventing each and every event, which has helped shape who you are today. I've said it many, many times that God never wastes a hurt because you only look at your past and maybe you only see that hurt that you've gone through. That hurt has helped shape who you are today.

All of the things he has allowed in our lives will ultimately and very uniquely allow us to minister to those who are around us who have gone through similar things and they are looking for hope. This is why God has allowed things to come into our lives, because there's a whole world around us going through the same thing and they need to know that there is hope.

Second Corinthians 1, verses 3 and 4, confirms this truth. It says, "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation." Why God? "That we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God." God has allowed us to go through our tribulations and trials and troubles so we can comfort people who are going through similar troubles, trials, and tribulations. But you must allow God to comfort you first.

You must come through your tribulation by the grace and power of God because you can never comfort others if you are bitter and angry with what God had allowed you to go through. You can only comfort others when you have been comforted by God yourself. Paul continues to tell them in verse 21, reminding them of how they asked for a king, which was a big mistake.

Samuel, who was the last of the judges and the first of the prophets at the time, was very upset when the people came to him and asked for a king. They said in First Samuel 8, verses 19 and 20, "Give us a king," and listen to the reason why: "so that we can be like all of the other nations." Wow. When Samuel brought this request to God in prayer, God said in First Samuel 8:7, "Heed the voice of the people in all they say because they have not rejected you, but me."

Please listen to this. Sad is the day when God gives us what we want. You think that the purpose and the end-all of prayer is to get everything you pray for. Sad is the day when God gives us what we want, when what we want is in direct rebellion to him and his word. "Lord, Lord, Lord, I want them as a spouse." Well, you know that they're not walking with God. "But I must have them." Okay, they're yours. There you go. You can have them.

"Lord, I must have this job or position." But you know you'll have to work on Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights so there'll be no church and very little family time. "I don't care, but I must have it so I can have more money." Sad is the day when God gives us what we want when it is in rebellion to him and his word. But you keep insisting, "I gotta have them, I gotta have them, I'm tired of being lonely, I gotta have them." Sad is the day when God gives you what you want when what you want is in rebellion to him and his word.

For the Israelites, they had to put up with King Saul, whom they asked for as king, for 40 years. The end of verse 21 tells us how long will you have to put up with your request? Only God knows. However, there is hope. I'm so glad that there is hope, because to leave us like that is hopeless. I'm glad that there is hope. Paul reminded them in verse 22 how God had to remove Saul. This is amazing to me because there are times that God has to intervene and remove the King Sauls out of our lives.

Meaning we will continue to live in our misery of the decision we made to the point where God has to intervene and remove the Saul like he did the Israelites. And then God raised up for them David as king, to whom God, notice, God gave testimony and said—these are the words of God about David—"I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after my own heart, who will do all my will." This is what God had to say about David. David didn't say this about himself. "Guess what? You know I'm a man after God's own heart, don't you?" No, he didn't have to say that. Now this is what God said about him.

What an incredible testimony. Notice what God says: "I have found David." Meaning that he was looking for someone who was a man after his heart and who would do his will, and he found it in David. Here's a verse that's not on the screen, it's Second Chronicles 16:9. It says that the eyes of the Lord go to and fro throughout the earth seeking someone he can show himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are loyal to him. God is looking for men and women after his own heart and who will do—notice, not some of his will—all his will.

Are you that man? Are you that woman that the eyes of God can stop on and say, "Hey, they will do my will, all my will"? Are you that man? Are you that woman? Every time I read those verses, I say, "Lord, let your eye stop on me. Let your eye rest on me. May I be a man after your own heart who would do all your will, not just some of it." And he found it in David.

So what was it about David that made him a man after God's own heart? What was it about David that made God's eye stop on him? Well, David had a prepared heart. What do you mean? Long before God had David to be king over Israel, he was preparing him by having David be the shepherd over his father's sheep. You will always find shepherds with sheep. God always prepares his servant, notice, in private before he uses them in public. Moses was content with being a shepherd over his father-in-law's sheep in private before God called him to be the shepherd of his people and bring them out of Egypt, according to Exodus 3 and verse 1.

This is why Zechariah 4:10 says, "Don't despise the day of small things. Don't despise the day of small beginnings." Because it is in these small times and small beginnings, these private times, that God is preparing you for greater things he has for you. So when God brought David out in the public in First Samuel 17 to face the giant Philistine warrior Goliath, he was able to tell King Saul—King Saul said, "What are you doing? This man's a warrior. He's been a warrior from his youth. King Saul said, "Look at you. You're just a young man, ruddy, good-looking, you know, got bright eyes. This man's been a warrior since he was little. What is it about you that makes you think you can go out and fight against this giant?"

Well, he was able to tell King Saul how God prepared him in private to face this giant. He said in First Samuel 17, verse 37, "The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, he will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." See, God prepared David in private by having him face and defeat a lion and a bear that came to eat his little sheep. And so now that God prepared him in private, he trusted and believed God to deliver this giant into his hands. And so too God is preparing us in private to face our giants as well.

I was thinking about this. The messages that God has graciously allowed me to give in churches around the world—I've been giving these messages in private in Newport News long before God put me on that kind of platform. I've been giving these messages here for years. God prepares us in private before he places us up on a stage in public. God is preparing us. This is why the main way that God prepares us is in the secret closet of prayer. This is where he prepares us.

Jesus taught us this in Matthew 6. He said when we go into the secret closet of prayer, the Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. God prepares us on our knees in the private place of prayer. That's where God prepares us, and he's preparing us in private. So when you see someone who has a public platform, just know they've had their battles with the lion and the bear privately, and so they're able to tackle the Goliaths publicly because God first prepared them privately.

God wants to prepare you. He wants to prepare me privately before he ever puts you on any kind of public platform. But can his eye stop on you? Can you say, "Lord, let your eye stop on me"? He said that the eyes of the Lord go to and fro, meaning that he's looking for somebody so he can show himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are loyal to him. Is your heart loyal to him? Can God's eye stop upon you? Can you pray the prayer, "Lord, let your eye stop on me"? Or you say, "Lord, don't, don't, don't, don't you dare put your eye on me. I ain't ready for that."

No, you're not, but he gets us ready in private. That's how he gets us ready, to deal with those things privately in our own lives first before he can reward us with a public platform. So Paul will continue his sermon because I told you last week Paul is a little long-winded, so he's going to continue his sermon, God's will, next time. Because he is bringing up their history to get to an important point that we will have to see next time.

Let me conclude with this. Remember the title is "Are You Ready?" Paul was ready because God had prepared him for such a moment in private years earlier. We talked about how God uses our backgrounds—the good, bad, and the ugly—to prepare us for the people we will minister to. Now, Paul was a Pharisee. They were the strict religious leaders in Judaism. So because Paul was a Pharisee, he knew Jewish history like the back of his hand. And now see how he is using that background to lead people to Jesus Christ.

He prepares us. He uses all of our backgrounds—our education, how much we have, how little we have. He uses it all for his glory. This man was a Pharisee who knew Jewish history so well that when he stepped in that synagogue to share with them and he started off with their history, he could rattle off their history in his sleep. But notice how God is using that background to ultimately lead these people to Jesus Christ. Finally, God is still looking for men and women after his heart. Are you that person? Do you want the eyes of the Lord to stop on you? Or are you going to say, "Well, I just gotta get a few things in order first"?

You're not ready. "I told you, Pastor Tony, I wasn't ready." Well, I want God's eye to stop on me. I do. I want him to. And then I will allow him to get me ready. I'll allow him to remove the Sauls out of my life like he had to do for the Israelites. So God is still looking. He's still looking for men and women to use, but you can be that man after his own heart by committing or recommitting your life to Jesus Christ. That's how you get ready.

Maybe you already committed your life to Christ. Maybe you need to recommit your life to him. Recommitting your life to being a man or woman after his own heart. This is what we're here for: to get taught God's word, to get us ready to be men and women after God's own heart. Let's pray.

Father, thank you so much for this time you've given us to study your word. I pray, God, that you would allow your Holy Spirit to take this word, engrave it upon our hearts, write it upon our minds, Lord, that we may think your thoughts, feel with your heart. Lord, I pray for those who are here who have never really committed their lives to Jesus Christ. I pray that they will pray to first, Lord, repent of their sin and then believe you died on the cross and were buried and rose again. Your word says if they accept you, Lord, they call upon your name, they shall be saved. Work in hearts and minds today in Jesus' name. Amen.

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