The Word Made Plain

Guest (Female): 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 18, verses 11 through 18.

Tony Clark: "Do not keep silent, for I am with you and no one will attack you to hurt you, for I have many people in this city." And God comforted Paul the same way that He will comfort us, by giving us two wonderful gifts. Number one: His presence. He said, "I am with you." And number two: His promise. "No one will attack you to hurt you."

So with this in mind, Paul continued in the ministry. Let's pick it up in verse 11. Look what it says there: "And he continued there a year and six months, teaching the word of God among them." Now, as a result of God's assurance in his life, Paul spent 18 months in the city of Corinth doing what? Teaching the word of God to them. He also wrote two letters to the believers in the city of Thessalonica, which we know in our Bibles as First and Second Thessalonians.

Now, I can spend the entire time on what I'm about to say because it is a passion of mine. But the fact remains: the greatest need in the church today and in our homes is not group confession sessions, nor family interventions, nor bingo. Our greatest need is to be taught the scriptures. Paul stayed in Corinth for 18 months teaching them the truths of the scriptures.

Paul told Timothy, who was the pastor of the church of Ephesus, in 1 Timothy 4:13, "Till I come, give attention to reading, to exhortation, and to doctrine," or teaching. In other words, Timothy, read the text to the people, explain the text to the people, and apply the text to the lives of the people in the church. Now, how much of the Bible should we teach?

Paul told Timothy again, this time in 2 Timothy 3:16 and 17, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God." That word "inspiration," the Greek word is where we get "God-breathed." All scripture is God-breathed and is profitable for doctrine, which is teaching, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. Why, Paul? Verse 17: "that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work."

It is all of the scripture that not just equips us, but thoroughly equips us for every good work that God has for us. Paul understood that the new Corinthian believers needed to be taught the word of God, and so do we today. These other scriptures I'm about to quote you are not on the screen for you note-takers. In Matthew 28:18-20, a very familiar passage of scripture, Jesus says, "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things I've said unto you, and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

God told Moses in Exodus 24:12, "Go and teach these commandments to the people." Teaching is the greatest need in the church today. Before first service, the Lord reminded me of Nehemiah 8:8. Listen to what it says: "So they read distinctly from the book in the law of God, and they gave them the sense and helped them understand the reading," or they taught them. The greatest need in the church is teaching.

If I had a penny every time I heard this. Many of you have been preached to death. And because you've been preached to death, you flood into church here, and I've heard you say that you've been here for a month and you've learned more in a month than you have in 30, 40, 50, 60, or 70 years of being preached at at a church.

The Lord showed me very early on, before I even started this church 25 years ago, the Lord very clearly spoke to my heart and said, "Look, many of My people are not walking with Me because they've never been taught how." And this is the greatest need in the church: to be taught. You can go wherever and be preached at. They can entertain you, run around, and give a good story and all that kind of stuff, and you can leave out there emotionally charged, feeling good, but you still won't know how to walk with God. You've got to be taught how.

I've got to move on and get these other verses in, but I could spend the whole time talking about the teaching of the word of God. This is why we teach the word, chapter by chapter, verse by verse, book by book, from Genesis to Revelation. If all scripture thoroughly equips us for every good work, you need to be taught it all. This is my job. This is what I get paid to do: to teach you so you can be thoroughly equipped for every good work God has for you.

Many people are not serving God because they haven't been thoroughly equipped on how to serve God. So they come and they sit in the church and don't do nothing. Let me tell you something: the teaching of the word of God will feed your soul. And as your soul is fed, God's going to begin to speak to you of what He has called you and created you to do for His kingdom. You're going to go from being a pew potato to an equipped soldier for the Lord.

Look at verses 12 and 13. It says, "When Gallio was proconsul of Achaia, the Jews with one accord rose up against Paul and brought him to the judgment seat, saying, 'This fellow persuades men to worship God contrary to the law.'" Now, God told Paul in verse 10 that no one would attack him personally, but it didn't mean that his ministry wouldn't be attacked. So the Jews there in the area of Achaia rose up against Paul and brought him to the judgment seat according to verse 12.

The man presiding over the court proceedings was named Gallio. He was proconsul of Achaia from July AD 51 to June AD 52. He was the brother of Seneca, the famous Roman philosopher and tutor of Caesar Nero. The Jews tried to capitalize on Gallio's inexperience in these matters. He rose up to try to get Paul in trouble with Rome. They wanted Gallio to condemn this new Christian religion in which Paul was the leader. This is why they said in verse 13, "This fellow persuades men to worship God contrary to the law," referring to the Roman law.

Look at verses 14 and 15. "And when Paul was about to open his mouth, Gallio said to the Jews, 'If it were a matter of wrongdoing or wicked crimes, O Jews, there would be reason why I should bear with you. But if it is a question of words and names and your own law, look to it yourselves, for I do not want to be a judge of such matters.'" Verse 16 says he drove them from the judgment seat.

This is what we have to see. As Paul was about to open his mouth to defend himself, Gallio interrupts him and says to the Jews, "If it were a matter of wrongdoing or wicked crimes, there would be reason why I should bear with you." Or, "If this was a question dealing with civil law, I would hear this case out. But if it is a question of words and names and your own law, look to it yourselves, for I do not want to be a judge of such matters."

In other words, Gallio was saying, "This is not about a civil law. This is about religious points and theological issues. I don't know about this mess, and I don't want to know about it. You handle these things yourselves. Don't bother me with this mess." So he threw the case out of the court. We know he did because verse 16 said he drove them from the judgment seat.

How did the people respond to this? Look at verse 17: "Then all the Greeks took Sosthenes, the ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat. But Gallio took no notice of these things." There has been much discussion about whether the Greeks beat up Sosthenes or whether the angry Jews who brought the case to Gallio beat him up. There are good arguments for both. The angry Jews may have beat up Sosthenes, who had become the new ruler of the synagogue after Crispus, the former ruler, converted to Christianity.

There's evidence from 1 Corinthians 1:1 that this beatdown of Sosthenes brought him to Christ because Paul called him a brother in that verse. Like Sosthenes, oftentimes people are brought to salvation when they get beat up. I'm not talking about necessarily physically, but beat up by life's bullies, beaten up by the hard times and hardships that life brings. The worst thing that we can do is try to protect them from it when God is using this beatdown to bring them to salvation.

We have to talk right now. We're going to talk whether you say we can talk or not. We as parents can fall into this trap when our children get older and they have strayed from the faith we brought them up believing. They get in trouble and we're posting bail, putting up the house to get lawyers, and taking out personal loans. But God could be using this beatdown to draw them back to Christ, and we could be interfering or getting in the way of this process. This is something to think about and something to pray through.

I say this because Hebrews 12:5-11 says that God disciplines those He loves. So often God uses hardships, heartaches, trials, and tribulations as the instruments of discipline. So often parents, especially moms, you get in the way of that process. I talked about it first service so you're going to get it too. Third and fourth service are going to get it as well. I've seen this so often. Moms, God bless you. I know how much you love your children. But I'm telling you, God uses hardships and heartaches as instruments to discipline.

He disciplines those He loves. I know you love your children, but God loves them more. He wants to see them either come to Christ or come back. You could be getting in the way and interfering in that process. This is where us fathers come in. This is why we're so needed. This is why this is the father-void generation, because our input is so valuable. We're like, "No, no, no, let them stay hungry a couple more days." That's what fathers bring to the table.

I know when my youngest son was in school, he was struggling. His belly button needed to touch his back a few times. He needed to understand what a good meal was. I know my wife was sneaking some money behind my back, I know that. But there were times when my son was hungry and struggling, and that was building some good fortitude in him. I know that my son is going to be the head of a household one day. They've got to know how to provide for their family and do all they can for their family, and not have mommy bail them out all the time.

They need to learn that. That's something about manhood. Now my daughter, that's where I struggle. That's the only girl I've got. But my boys? No. Later on, now that he's out of school, grown, and doing his own thing, my son tells us those stories: "Well, some times I was hungry. Sometimes I only had a Now and Later and put it back in the package for dessert for later." I would just sit and smile and listen to those stories. I said, "Good!"

He needed to know what it is to struggle and know what it is to see God provide for him. He needed to learn that, and sometimes moms you get in the way of that because God is trying to use that to teach them some things. You're putting up loans and bailing someone out when God is trying to teach. Get out of the way of that, mom. Get out of the way of that. All you're doing is hampering him and keeping him in diapers and dependent upon you when God is trying to use that toughness.

I told them in first service, if that's you, just walk by me when I'm standing out there and just shake your head. Say, "Yeah, that was me." So many of them were walking by me. I know it's you because as dads I know what we bring to the table. We're like, "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Let them feel what those cuffs are like behind his back, sitting in the back of that squad car. Let them feel that so he knows not to ever have those cuffs behind his back again."

There's some good teaching. You see why we're so needed in the home as dads? We bring a balance to y'all. God uses these hardships and tough times as instruments of discipline, and He disciplines those He loves. I know you love your kids, but God loves them more. He would rather see them come to faith or come back to the faith, and so often your love for them can be a hindrance and get in the way of the process and the little spanking God is trying to give them. Somebody needs to hear that. That's all right. It's quiet. Amen.

One lady said, "God knew just what I needed to hear today." Yes! On the other hand, if you know the Lord and you feel like you're being beat down by the trials and tribulations that life brings, take heart. Blessings will follow you if, like Sosthenes, you allow the beatings to draw you closer to Jesus. What are the beatings of life doing to you? Are they drawing you closer to Jesus or further away from Him? Let's allow the beatings that life brings to draw us to Christ.

I am not talking about anything physical. Physical beatings should draw you to the police and not to Christ. I'm talking about the spiritual beatings that trials and tribulations bring our way. This is why it could have been the angry Jews who beat Sosthenes, or the Greeks who beat him up because they brought some bogus case to the court. Either way, the end of verse 17 says Gallio took no notice of these things, which leans toward the angry Jews being the ones who beat Sosthenes. Gallio turned his head as if to say, "I'm not dealing with these religious matters. I told you to look to it yourselves, and y'all are handling your business."

Now look what it says in verse 18: "So Paul still remained a good while, then he took leave of the brethren and sailed to Syria, and Priscilla and Aquila were with him. He had his hair cut off at Cenchrea, for he had taken a vow." Gallio's favorable ruling allowed Paul to stay in Corinth for many more days. However, Paul felt the need to get back to Jerusalem. He left Corinth and took along Aquila and Priscilla, whom he became friends with in verse 2.

They left the church in Corinth in the good hands of Sosthenes, Crispus, Gaius, and even Stephanas, whom Paul talks about in 1 Corinthians 1. Arriving in Cenchrea, a city on the eastern part of Corinth where he could find a ship going east, Paul had his hair cut off because he was taking a vow. Why would Paul do this? And what kind of vow was he taking that it would require him to cut off his hair?

You've got to wait until next week. I didn't want to rush through that because I'm going to spend the entire time talking about how God looks at vows. When we say, "God, I promise You I'll do this if You get me out of this," how does God look at that? Because nine times out of ten we're just blowing smoke until God gets us out and then we go back to doing what we're doing. What does God have to say about vows? We're going to spend the entire time in verse 18 next week.

In this message, we saw the positive side of getting a beatdown. It's when the beatdown brings us to salvation or, if we're already a Christian, when the beatdown brings us closer to Jesus. I would just say again: what are the beatings of life doing to you? Remember, I am not talking about anything physical. If physical beatings are taking place, leave that situation and report it. Ladies, you hear me?

Nowadays, I can't believe I'm saying this, but nowadays I have to say this as well: men, do you hear me? There are some women giving some hands to some men. I remember seeing a Lifetime movie some years ago. This lady just all of a sudden became abusive. Because you have men who are brought up in homes that say you don't hit a woman, she would only hit and beat him around his torso. When he put on his shirt, nobody could see any bruises. She just was laying into him.

Men as well, if there's anything physical going on, you don't go to Christ, you go to the police and you report it. God didn't put "Welcome" on your forehead for somebody to wipe their feet on you. You report it. Don't come telling us, and we're going to report it. You tell us, we're reporting it. What about confidential? Nothing. We're reporting it. We're going to feel a certain way because we might want to lay some hands on them for doing it, and I ain't talking about with prayer.

Report it. You're not a punching bag. Somebody needs to hear that. You're not a punching bag. "He said he won't do it again." How many times has that been? Ten times ago? Somebody needs to hear this today. Maybe you're with a person with anger problems and they need some serious help. You don't stay in a situation like that. He's a coward to beat up on some woman. And I don't know what to call you for you beating up on him. The other side is the coward. I don't know what to call the other side.

I just don't understand that kind of mindset. But it's happening, and somebody needs to get some help. If that's you in here and you like to lay hands and not in prayer on folks, you need to get some help. God is speaking to somebody. Get you some serious help. If I hear about it, I've got some pretty good big dudes around me, and they're just this much saved. So all I've got to do is just say, "Hey, we got us a situation," and they're ready to rumble anyway. Ex-bouncers and stuff, they're ready to bounce somebody around. Just let us know.

Finally, be very prayerful because if your adult children have strayed from the faith, the Lord could be using the beatings of life to draw them back to Him. Don't get in the way because you could be interfering in this very important process or the lesson the Lord is trying to teach them. Yes, you love your children, but God loves them more. Allow Him to use whatever is necessary to draw them back to Jesus.

It doesn't mean you don't love them. It means you're allowing the one who loves them more to do the necessary. He's not going to destroy them, but He may spank them. He loves them just like He loves you, and He wants to see them come back to Christ. Whatever instrument He has to use, He'll use it because the result is that they're going to come back to Christ. Allow the Lord to do this important work, not only in your lives personally but in the lives of your children as well.

Father, thank You so much for this time in Your word. Oh God, I pray that we would receive with meekness the implanted word which is able to save our souls. Lord, do a work in our hearts that only You can do. Lord, thank You so much that You love us enough to share this word with us. Now may we respond to this word.

Lord, if there is anyone here who has not repented of their sin and accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior, I pray that today would be the day of salvation for them. Lord, I pray for those who have strayed and need to come home. Lord, draw them back to You. Oh God, thank You that You love us to share this word with us today. In Jesus' name, amen.

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