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 Bibles to Acts chapter 13, verses 1 through 3.

Tony Clark: Acts chapter 13 and Father, thank You so much for this great time that You have given us to open up Your word, open up our hearts to the truths of Your word today in Jesus' name. Amen. Acts chapter 13, looking at verses 1 to 3. The title of this message is, "It's Time to Go." You say, "No, I just got here." No, no, no, that's not what I'm talking about. It's time to go, part one.

Now, it's time to go where? Wherever it is that God has called you to go to do His work. I believe the time of sitting around in a church is over. It's time for the church to be the church, like we see here in the book of Acts.

However, before we go, there are three things that we must do first that prepares us for this journey, which is Roman numeral number one for you note-takers: know your giftedness, your gifts. Know your gifts. Number two: serve God. Serve God. And number three: fast and pray.

Let's look at number one: know your gifts. Know your gifts. Look what it says there in verse one. "Now in the church that was at Antioch, there were certain prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul."

Now we saw in Acts 11 and verses 19 through 30 how a great work was started in the city of Antioch and a church was established. Barnabas went and got Saul from the city of Tarsus to help him in this great work. One of the first things that need to be established in any church is godly leadership. Everything stands and falls on leadership.

So we see here in verse one that prophets and teachers played an important role in the church. The prophets were responsible for forthtelling the heart of God to the people of God and sometimes foretelling future events, like in the case of Agabus in Acts 11 and verse 28, who prophesied that there would be a worldwide famine in the days of Claudius Caesar, and it did come to pass in AD 44 and 45.

Today, someone operating as a New Testament prophet is according to 1 Corinthians 14, verse 3, which says, "He who prophesies speaks words of edification, exhortation, and comfort to men." Oh, let's bring this a little bit closer to home. What about you? Have you been a prophet to those around you? Have you been speaking these types of words to those around you?

Have you been building them up, or have you been tearing them down? Have you been exhorting them or comforting them? Oh, the first ones that need these prophetic words is our families. When was the last time you comforted your wife concerning something that broke her heart? When was the last time you comforted your teenager when they came home from school because they've been bullied?

When was the last time you've done these things? You exhorted them. You built them up. Or do you always tear them down? Are you always pointing out the lowest grade on their report card? When they got maybe a couple of A's and some B's, but they got a D in something, and then you won't even focus on those other things, you're constantly tearing them down for the one D. I know how some of you parents are. I know you.

When was the last time you've been a prophet at home, where you're speaking words of exhortation, words of edification, and words of comfort? Oh, ladies, when was the last time you exhorted your husband instead of always tearing him down about leaving the toilet seat up? You kidding me? When you got your mess scattered all over the place, hairdryers and bobby pins and stuff and undergarments all over the place and you're going to talk about a seat left up? You kidding me? That's fooling around there. Stop it. When was the last time you exhorted, comforted folks?

Not only were there prophets, there were teachers. Oh, teachers were critical to the church then and especially today. Their ministry was giving others a clear understanding of biblical truth. They also explain the prophetic word given by the prophets.

Teachers are important today. I think the greatest need in the church today is teaching. I think we as the church—I'm talking about Big C church, overall church—we have been preached to death. I think we need to be taught. I think the reason why many people are not walking with God, they haven't been taught how. They've just been preached at.

See, preaching is for the unbeliever. You preach the gospel, the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. And then when they come to Christ, then you teach them how to walk. "Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things. I have said unto you and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." You go to any common church today and they're going to get up and give you some good preaching, not teaching. And they're going to preach at you, preach at you, preach at you.

And I think what's needed in the church today is teaching. Even God told Moses, He said, "Look, here are the commandments, the Ten Commandments." And watch this. And God said, "Now go down there and teach these to the people." Teaching is what's needed. We've been preached to death. We've been preached to death.

And in many of the churches that I came out of, you came out of, you're going to get some loud and theatrics and walk on the chairs and you're going to get some preaching. And then you leave there excited about what? I don't know what he said. And in the midst of that preaching, you're going to hear about Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and they did this.

We need to be taught. Teachers were critical then, they're even more critical today. Now, both of these ministries were needed in the church in Antioch. Now five of these leaders are listed in this verse. Now who are they? Look what it says there. It's Barnabas. Now we've already been introduced to him. His real name was Joseph. Did you know that? But he was called Barnabas, which means son of encouragement, according to Acts 4 and verse 36.

Oh, are you a Barnabas on your job? Do they call you Barnabas? Or do they call you Debbie Downer? Because when you come around, you bring a cloud with you and you're bringing everybody down. They're like, "Oh boy." They're just hitting each other up, "Here she comes." And you just bring everybody down.

He was called Barnabas. You would think he was called Barnabas so much, everyone thought that was his name. No, his name was Joseph. He was given the name Barnabas. Next was Simeon, who was called Niger. Now, Niger is Latin, which means black, indicating that he was probably from Africa.

Some scholars suggest that he could have been the same Simeon from Cyrene who carried the cross of Jesus in Luke 23 and verse 26. It could be, we can't be dogmatic about it, but it's very well possible.

Next is Lucius of Cyrene. Now, not much is known about him, but it has been suggested that if this is the same Simeon from Cyrene, that he went back home to Africa after his encounter with Jesus Christ and talked to his buddy Lucius about his encounter with Jesus. And together they started walking with the Lord and eventually became leaders in the church in Antioch. Incredible.

Oh, I believe that there are many people like Lucius waiting on us to come back and tell them about how Jesus and the cross has changed our lives. Let me tell you something, there are some Lucius waiting on you tomorrow at the job. Waiting to hear about how your encounter with Jesus today has changed your life, and you never know, one day you may be serving in ministry together. I've seen this happen so many times here at our church.

Many of you have come through the doors and all of a sudden you encounter Jesus. You went back and told others about your encounter, and then now you got coworkers and family members and friends that are filling up seats here. And all of a sudden now they're serving in ministry with you. All because you did the same thing that Simeon did here.

Next is Manaen. Now, notice Manaen gives a kind of an odd description. It says, "Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch." Now, tetrarch means one-fourth. When Herod the Great had kids, the kingdom was divided up into four parts. He had four sons, four parts. Each son had a fourth, which is what tetrarch means. It means a fourth.

So it says, "Manaen who had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch." Now, this phrase "had been brought up with" in Greek is *syntrophos*. And it can be translated as foster brother. And you say, "Well, so what?" Well, this means that he had been brought up in Herod the Great's household alongside of Herod Antipas, the one who beheaded John the Baptist.

This is a beautiful example of the grace of God. Manaen grew up in Herod's wicked, vile, and polluted family, yet the Lord rescued him and saved him for ministry. Oh, maybe this sounds familiar to you, because maybe the house you grew up in was vile and polluted and it was evil. It was nothing godly that ever went on, but the Lord rescued you, like it says in Zechariah 3:2, that you were a brand plucked from the fire.

But the Lord rescued you, like we see here with Manaen. And the reason why the Lord rescued you is because He loves your family. And He saved you so that you could go back and minister to them. Watch this next phrase. Not separate from them, like you're too good.

Oh, I've seen this happen with many Christians, the Lord began to work in their lives, they go back to their families that are still fooling around out there, and you just kind of come off smug and you're just too good and, "Oh, I don't do that anymore and I'm just—oh, I don't do that anymore." And you cross your little leg and your foot dangling and you're just, "Oh, I'll just have a glass of water." And you fool around like you're too good for them.

Oh, I've been there. Early on in ministry, my family began to say that, like I come off like I'm too good. That when I go back home, I have this little air. And you know what? They were right. I did. I did, and God had to deal with me because God wanted to reach my family.

And when I separate from them and start acting like I'm too good for them, they will never receive the Jesus that I've had an encounter with because I'm coming off smug and coming off with this air and my nose in the air like, "Oh, you poor peasant family." And I was. And on the inside, on the outside I am. On the outside I am.

Finally, there is Saul. We will later see his name is changed to Paul. Why? Because the name Saul means requested or asked for. Just like King Saul in 1 Samuel 8:6 was requested or asked for by the Israelites. Paul means little. Did you know that name means little?

See, something very beautiful happened in the life of Paul when he was converted to Christ. No longer did he identify himself as Saul, the requested one, the man in demand. No, he said, "Just call me little." See, when a person gives their lives to Christ, they start to see their lives in light of Jesus Christ. And Paul was no different.

In the early part of his ministry, Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15 and verse 9, "I am the least of the apostles." In the middle of his ministry, he said in Ephesians 3 and verse 8, "I am less than the least of all the saints." And finally, at the end of his life, he said in 1 Timothy 1, verse 15, "I am the chief of sinners." See, I find it amazing that the longer Paul walked with God, the more he saw how far he was from being like God.

This is how it's supposed to be. The prideful religious person says what the Pharisee said in Luke 18 and verses 11 through 13. He says, "God, I thank You that I'm not like other men." The true believer says what the other man said in this same story, "God be merciful to me, a sinner." Which one do you relate to when you pray or when you're around other people?

When you get around your family, when you get around coworkers, are you like, "Oh." You may not say it out loud, but in your heart, you walk around, "God, I'm thankful that I'm not like them, other people." Or do you look at them and realize the grace of God that's been poured into your life? And you're like, "Oh Lord, be merciful unto me a sinner. Be merciful to these people like You were to me." Is that your heart? Or are you, like I was, walking around with the nose up in the air? Any bit of rain and drown you. That nose up in the air. Drown that person who you are. That prideful, arrogant person that thinks you're too good to be around someone.

And I remember because you're the same way. I remember, I'm just like you. Watch this. And some of you still do it to this day. I remember when you get around those coworkers—this is when back in the day when you still could smoke inside of a building and I'd go through there, "Ugh! Ugh!" And you do the same thing. You get around folks, you wave. Every time I get around and walk past someone that smokes and they blew their smoke and I'm like, "Oh, ugh."

Grew up in a house where Dad smoked, but now I act like I don't know what a little puff is. "Oh, ugh. This pure lung, sanctified, Holy Ghost filled lung. I cannot stand your smoke. Ugh." Many you, you're still like that. Look what it says in verse 2. I love it how it says, "And they ministered to the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, 'Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work which I have called them.'"

Notice, as they ministered to the Lord, stop right there. Please notice that Luke the author was careful not to say they ministered for the Lord, but to the Lord. There's a huge difference between these two statements. See, there are a lot of people who desire to minister for the Lord saying, "Give me something to do, Pastor Tony. Tell me what to do for the Lord."

These men in these verses ministered to the Lord. Notice, also, not even to the congregation, but to the Lord. Oh, this is important to know because before you can go and do anything in ministry, God is the audience for all spiritual ministry. We're doing it for an audience of one: Jesus Christ. Never lose this perspective. Whatever you're doing, you're doing it for an audience of one: Jesus Christ.

See, if our goal is to minister to people, we will always have the temptation to compromise to achieve certain goals. But when we minister to the Lord, the temptation to compromise is taken away. We will keep Galatians 1:10 in mind, which Paul said, "Do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ."

In other words, Paul is saying if I am seeking to please men, I am no longer a servant of Jesus Christ. Now I am a servant of the people. This is why I teach to an audience of one: to Jesus Christ. See, if I was a man-pleaser, there are certain things I wouldn't dare say in fear I might offend someone.

But when I'm preaching to an audience of one, Jesus Christ, then I just let it rip. And I do it unto the Lord. Because on top of that, every time, every Sunday and Wednesday, I go home, I drive home and I say, "Oh Lord, if I said anything that wasn't of Your heart, please forgive me." Forgive because, see, I'm doing it to Him. I'm ministering to Him. Not to you. You're just eavesdropping on a conversation I'm having with the Lord.

As I'm teaching and it's for Him, you're benefiting from it. I am not going to be a servant to people because I will compromise. Certain people of high standard in the community, they'll come in here and I'll be like, "Oh, I better not say this, I might offend." No way. I'm going to teach this word and let that word fall where it needs to fall. You're doing your service to God and people just happen to benefit from it. But you're not doing it for people. If you do it for people, you'll be tempted to compromise.

So the question is whose servant are you? Are you a servant of God? "Yes, I'm a servant of the Lord all the time. Well, I hope that when I said that, they didn't get offended." Or you fishing for compliments, "How do you think it went today?" I got a family member that's constantly like that. They struggle in this area. They do something and all of a sudden, "How do you think I did?" And my lovely wife, "How you think you did?" What do you mean how you did? Brought them down a rung or two.

But we gotta be a servant of the Lord. And so amazing thing here, that we're doing it for an audience of one. See, so we prepare ourselves to go by, number one: knowing our gifts. Number 2: ministering to the Lord. The reason why I put at the very beginning "serving the Lord" is because minister—*diakonos* is the Greek word. We get deacon from it, but it means servant. So it's serving the Lord. But ministering to the Lord, serving the Lord, same thing.

Number three is fasting. Look at the second part of verse 2. Notice it says, "as they ministered to the Lord and fasted." Now, biblical fasting is always connected with abstaining from food. Now, I understand that sometimes you don't understand, and I'm here to help you. I'm your friend.

Some of you say, "Well, you know, I've been fasting from social media." No, you're not fasting from social media, you're taking a break. Fasting is always associated with food. Food. "Well, I'm fasting from working out." No, you're not fasting from working out, you're taking a break. Fasting is connected to food! You can call it something else, but don't call it fasting because biblical fasting is always connected to food.

Fasting—it is denying the physical appetites to focus and turn your attention on the spiritual things of God. It is saying no to your physical appetites and desires so when temptation comes your way, you will have the power and strength to say no to them. These leaders needed to hear from God as to when and where to go, so they fasted to hear His voice clearly. Did it work? Yes. Look at the third part of verse 2. "Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them."

This is great here. Notice the Holy Spirit said, "Now separate to Me Barnabas and Saul for the work which I have called them." I want to draw your attention to the word "now". In this word, God is giving them the time to go and it is now. There was an urgency in the command of God. It's time to go and it's time to go now. God is saying, "Do not delay in going. It is now that you are to go."

I was thinking about this early this morning and I began to just jot this down. Do you sense an urgency to do something for the Lord? Notice how the urgency came as they were fasting. In other words, don't try to say that you have an urgency to do something and you haven't spent one moment fasting. Because, see, I can just leave it right there and just say, "The Lord said go now, go now!" And many of you would take it, "Okay, I gotta do this right now, I gotta go right now!"

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