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 17, verses one through four.

Tony Clark: Luke uses three words to describe Paul's ministry there. He, number one, reasoned with them from the scriptures, the end of verse two says. He was, number two, explaining what the scriptures meant. And number three, demonstrating that Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, verse three says.

Let's look at these one at a time. For Paul first reasoned with them from the scriptures. The Greek word for reason is *dialegomai*, and it means a discussion. It wasn't a sermon that he gave. It is where we get our English word "dialogue" from. Paul dialogued with them, which meant that he opened it up for questions and answers, and they had a dialogue back and forth.

Parents, this is a word for us as well. We need to reason more with our kids, like Paul did. Don't miss this next statement: out of the scriptures. Not just telling them, "Do it because I said so," but telling them, "Do it because the scriptures tell us why." This is what we need to be doing because you're letting them know that even Mommy and Daddy have to submit to the scriptures. We have to submit to the Word of God.

If you just do this because I said so, they'll rebel against your laws and your rules. But when you say, "Do it because the scriptures say so," then that lets them know Mommy and Daddy have to do it, you have to do it, and if you don't do it, you're in trouble not only with me, you're in trouble with God. That lets your children know that it is God and the scriptures that govern our home and it's not Mom and Dad's little rules that they had when they were growing up and then their parents taught them and their parents did it, and so on and so forth. You're letting them know that our home is governed by the scriptures.

First Peter 3:15 says, "But sanctify the Lord God in your heart, and always be ready to give every man an answer to the reason of the hope that lies within you with meekness and fear." The Greek word for "answer" is *apologia*, and it doesn't mean that we are apologizing for our faith. It means to give an answer or a defense for the Christian faith. It is the same Greek word that's used in Acts 22, verse one, when Paul gave his defense to the Jewish Supreme Court called the Sanhedrin. The word "defense" there is *apologia*. This is what Paul did.

Once again, this is a word for us as parents. We're told in Proverbs 22, and verse six, to "train up a child in the way they should go, and when they are old they won't depart from it." We're told in Deuteronomy 6, and verses four through nine, to take every opportunity to teach our children the scriptures. Ephesians 6:4 says, "And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the nurture and in the training of the Lord."

Notice he says, "And you, fathers." *Patres* is that Greek word because it's plural. It can include mother and father, but it's specifically talking about the father should lead the way. So often it's just the opposite in homes today. If there is any kind of Christian anything in the home today, it's Mommy tucking the kids into bed, praying with them, or reading some little Bible story to them. But it says that fathers, we are the ones that should lead the way. It's not saying that the mothers can't, but we should be leading the way in the home to bring them up in the training and the admonition of the Lord.

This is a great word. I don't have to tell you how much Christianity is under attack. Not only here in America, but especially around the world. Even laws are being passed now to silence Christians and to basically eradicate Christianity from our society. So the question is: can you give an *apologia*, a defense of the Christian faith? We want to help you with this in our school of apologetics, our question and answer services on Wednesday nights that we give sometimes throughout the summer, or through our foundations classes that we offer on Tuesday nights throughout the year.

But here's the thing. When we offer these things, four people sign up, at the most, six. And it's like, but if we call for a picnic at Newport News Park, we're giving out burgers and dogs, and everybody is there. Many of you are leaving with the aluminum foil over the top of the plate; you're taking some home. But here we're trying to give you some tools to equip you to be able to give every man an *apologia*, a defense of the Christian faith, and you don't show up.

I just wonder where's the hunger for the things of God. We want to not only tell you what we believe, but why we believe it. I'm like, where's the hunger for the things of God? Where's the hunger to want to give every man an answer, the reason of the hope that lies within you? There's plenty of things coming against Christianity today, and can you give an answer?

Can you give an answer? I mentioned it last service. Can you give an answer to the people who come against Christianity, who said that Christianity is the white man's religion? Can you give an answer to that? When I taught apologetics in our Bible college in California, the main thing out there and during that particular time, you're talking 25 years ago, was Jehovah's Witnesses, Mormons, Word of Faith movement, maybe just a tad bit of Black Muslim, just a little bit.

When I moved here, and now 25 years later, it's still a little bit of Jehovah's Witness, Mormons, just a little bit. Now it's Black Muslims, Hebrew Israelites, Five-Percenters, and all the kind of mess that's out there and saying that Christianity is the white man's religion. Can you give an answer to that? Can you give an answer if they take you to Revelation 1, verses 14 and 15, that say his hair was like wool and his feet the color of brass, and they say that shows you Jesus was a Black man? Can you give an answer to that?

Many of you can't. Many of you cannot. And though, but if you've been with me for any length of time when I was teaching in Revelation, you know how to answer that. Because I'm here to give you answers to that. But the average Joe who comes when that church is not your custom, you missed out on that. You missed out when I was teaching in Revelation. You missed out on apologetics classes and stuff. You missed out on that. And then when they come to you and show you that in Revelation 1:14, you think, "Wait, it does say that." His hair like wool, that's kind of like how my hair looks now. Feet like bronze, that's like dark. That's dark. Then who's that Malibu Jesus on my wall right there? Blonde hair, blue-eyed surfer Jesus? Who is that? And you don't know how to answer that.

I've got a couple of minutes just to let you know. This is free right here, apologetic 101 in two minutes. Here's the thing. We understand as we have many teachers and educators out there, we understand similes and metaphors. It's using "like" or "as" to compare two objects. It says his hair was white *like* wool, color, not texture. His feet were *as* brass, as, simile, metaphor, used to compare and not the color. Bronze in the Bible is a symbol of judgment. So it's not talking about a Black man. It's talking about, and his eyes were like fire. So is it saying that he was bloodshot, Jesus was drunk? Is that what it says? No. Eyes of fire, eyes of judgment.

You've got to understand what was being said there. It's not describing a Black man, describing God and his attributes in that particular chapter of Revelation chapter one. That was free right there. That was worth its price of admission for some of you. So Paul reasoned with them. He was also number two, explaining, and number three, demonstrating. Explaining, the Greek word there is *dianoigo*, and it means to open thoroughly, to expound. This same Greek word is used in Luke 24, and verse 32, describing how Jesus opened or *dianoigo* the scriptures to the two disciples on the road to Emmaus.

Can you open up the scriptures to your coworkers, to your neighbors? This is what we do on Sundays and Wednesdays. We open up the scriptures to you. This is why I give you the background, the setting. This is why I give you the year things were, so you can know why Paul said what he said to the believers in Corinth and why he said what he said to the believers in Galatia, the believers in Rome. What was going on in Rome to make Paul say that? What was going on in the city of Corinth to make Paul say that? This is why I bring those things out.

This is why I give you Greek words because we see it in English, and when you hear the Greek word, it is an expounded definition, and it opens up your understanding even further to what this verse is saying. This is why we give you, in the Old Testament, Hebrew words and stuff so you can understand the mindset of the Jews at that time because we think as Americans. That's all we know is Western mindset. We don't know the Jew in first century, and this is why I give you that understanding so you'll be able to open up the scriptures to other people, to your children, to your neighbors and coworkers.

I know I've done my job is when you can leave here and you can take this and open up the understanding of this scripture to those around you. I know I've done my job. No longer the days are over, "Hey, how was church yesterday?" "Church was good." "What did you learn?" "I don't know, but it was good." No longer, that day is over. You're not coming here for that sort of song and dance and shuck and jive and a bunch of loud running around fooling around. No, we're going to teach you the scriptures and expound it to you so you can understand, so you can take and so I've done my job is when you can take this Word and go and explain it to others. That's when I've done my job well.

Paul was also number three, demonstrating. The Greek word is *paratithemi*, and it means to bring something forward as a way of proof. In this case, Paul was bringing the Old Testament scriptures as a way of proof that Christ had to suffer and rise again from the dead, verse three says. I'm sure he used passages like Psalm 22, Isaiah 53 to prove that Jesus the Messiah had to die, and Psalm 16 to show that Jesus the Messiah would rise again from the dead. So after reasoning and explaining and demonstrating from the scriptures, Paul said, "You must conclude that this Jesus whom I preach to you is the Christ."

I believe that apologetics or giving a defense for the Christian faith is the great need in the church today. So the question is: can you reason, explain, and demonstrate from the scriptures to your friends that this Jesus is the Christ, the Savior of the world? If you said, "Hey, Jesus is the Savior of the world," "Why you believe that?" What you going to say, Mr. Christian, Mrs. Christian? "Because Pastor Tony said so." No, never lie. You ain't saying that. Hopefully, you've been here long enough to understand why Jesus is the Savior of the world, why did he need to come and die, what was the purpose of that, what was going on with mankind that he couldn't pull his own self up by his own bootstraps. Why did Jesus come and die? There's a reason for that.

But can you give that reason? Can you explain to your coworkers, "Yeah, I hear that Jesus is Jesus, but what's so special about him? Why not Buddha? What's wrong with Muhammad, Confucius? Why can't they be right, too?" You're on, Mr. Christian, Mrs. Christian. What are you going to say? "Well, see, we get taught." Okay, yes. Keep going. I want to hear it. Can you give an answer? This is the burden of my heart, to be able to teach God's people how to give every man an answer, the reason of the hope that lies within you. To not only teach you what we believe, but why we believe that. That's my heart. This is why I will weave apologetics throughout my messages because I want to be able to equip you, equip you to be able to give every man an answer.

Because it's not on the screen, Ephesians 4:11 and 12 says God gave some to be apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastor-teachers. Why? Verse 12: for the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry and for the edifying of the body of Christ. The word "equipping" there, the Greek word is *katartismos*. *Katartizo* is its verb form. That word meant different things to different people. *Katartismos* to a doctor, the word in this original language means to bring back to its original order. Doctors will use *katartizo* to talk about to set a broken bone; you're bringing the bone back to its original order.

Fishermen will use *katartizo* or *katartismos* to talk about to mend a torn net. A fisherman will always want his net together, wouldn't want it torn because fish can slip out and stuff, so they will mend a torn net. They use *katartismos*. Soldiers will use *katartismos* to equip soldiers for battle, and this is the form I'm using it in for you. I want to equip you for battle so you can wage a good warfare against those who come against Christianity. This is my job. This is what I'm passionate about. And if church is your custom, it is your manner of life, you're being equipped.

And you're the ones that will leave here and be given an answer. And then guess what? As you're out there giving answers, then next thing you know, you're coming and you're like, "Hey, Pastor Tony, this is my coworker. Hey, Pastor Tony, this is my family member, this is my neighbor." Why? Because you're able to give them answers and they want to hear more. And you're the ones that's bringing folks. "This is my girlfriend, this is my boyfriend," and they're coming because you're able to give every man an answer.

Now, here's the thing. Yes, we can teach you and train you to reason from the scriptures, explain to your children and those around you that Jesus is the Christ. But don't miss this. But the greatest way of demonstrating, which that word meant, remember, to bring something forward as a way of proof, the greatest way of demonstrating is a godly life. We can teach you how to talk the talk, but you've got to walk the walk. You can get equipped, you can be all about that life here and take your notes, have a notebook full, but you've got to walk this thing when you get out of here.

You've got to walk the walk, and we have to walk as Jesus walked, as First John 2, verse six says. Wives, the way that you win your husbands to Christianity is not by preaching sermons to him only, but by living it out in front of him, like First Peter 3, verses one and two. Now, here's the thing. You can go back or even turn right now and say, "What's First Peter 3:1 and 2 say?" You can read that and say, "How do I do that?" That's what we're here to equip you to do. We equip you, to help you to say, "What does that mean?" Because when we are in First Peter, going through First Peter, we will get to chapter three, and then we'll give you practical ways of what that looks like. I just love the teaching of the Word of God. I'm telling you, this thing is good.

Now, what was the result of Paul reasoning, explaining, and demonstrating? Verse four: "And some of them were persuaded, and a great number of the devout Greeks, and not a few of the leading women joined Paul and Silas." Now, this response was typical for Paul everywhere he preached the gospel. Some of the Jews were persuaded, a great number of the devout Greeks, or people like Cornelius in Acts chapter 10 who embraced the God of Judaism and then heard the gospel and accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior. And a third group, not a few of the leading women. What does that mean? The Greek word for "leading" is *protos*, and it means first or chief or most important. These were the influential women in the upper class of society. All of these were ones who responded to the gospel message by Paul.

Now, this is what this shows us. This shows us not only, or put it this way, not everyone will respond favorably to the gospel message. Notice it said "some" of the Jews. This blew me away when I first got saved. The Lord saved me. He saved me from my sin. He saved a wretch like me. I was lost but now I'm found, blind but now I see. And I wanted to tell others about it. I was saved from hell itself. And so when he saved me, he changed me and began to change my language, change the way I walk, change the way I talk, change the way I did things. He changed me. So when I told others and others didn't respond to the gospel, I said, "What's wrong with you? Who don't want to be saved from hell? You kidding me? What's wrong with you?"

So I didn't but I had to understand not everyone will respond favorably to the gospel message. And so when you share with people and they say, "Get out of here with that stuff, I don't want that," I used to be offended by that. Just, "What's wrong with you? You rejected my Jesus, the one that saved me. What's wrong with you? Then bust hell wide open then." That's when I was younger in the Lord. I was young, I was young.

So not everyone will respond favorably to the gospel. It also shows that the gospel message doesn't discriminate. It is for everyone. Racially, Jews and Greeks. Gender, men and women. Nor does the gospel discriminate according to socio-economic status. Some of the leading or influential women were also believers that followed Paul and his team. Now, we saw that some of the Jews believe. What about the rest of them? Well, you've got to wait until next week because the rest of them, they're going to kick up some dust. And we're going to see that gospel next week.

Now, let me conclude with this. As we can see from these verses and in our time, it's time to talk. It's time to talk. It's time for us to be reasoning, to be explaining and demonstrating from the scriptures that Jesus is the Christ. Demonstrating mostly from our lives to our families first and then to those around us. And maybe you're here and you have been reasoning and explaining but have not been demonstrating very well through your life. Come for prayer and ask God to help you to be a more effective witness to those around us.

Or maybe you're here and you don't know how to reason nor explain, let alone demonstrate. Come and talk to someone, get some prayer because maybe you're not saved. Maybe you're not born again, and that's why you're not reasoning and demonstrating nor. Maybe you're not born again, but you can. You can leave here born again.

And finally, maybe you're here and you've been timid to talk to people. You've heard if you mention that name of Jesus, you're going to be in all kinds of trouble, and therefore it has caused a zipper to come over your mouth and you have not been speaking. And you need to come and get a fresh anointing of God's Holy Spirit. Here's some verses that's not on the screen. Acts 1:8: "You shall receive power after that the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses unto him in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." *Dunamis* is that Greek word for "you shall receive power," *dunamis*, that dynamic power that's needed. You need for the Spirit of God to come upon you.

Acts 4:31: they were filled with the Spirit of God and they spoke the Word with boldness. Proverbs 28:1 says the righteous are as bold as a lion. And you need to come and ask God to fill you fresh with his Spirit. Luke 11:13: "If you, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will God give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him?" It's yours for the asking. There's going to be some people to pray with you about these things.

Father, thank you so much for your Word. Thank you for your Spirit. Lord, I pray that you would fill us afresh with your Holy Spirit and empower us to be witnesses for you. To be able to give every man an answer, the reason of the hope that lies within us. Oh God, help us, we pray. Oh Lord, I pray for those who are here who may not have repented of their sin and accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior. Your Word said if they believe you died on the cross and was buried and rose again, they confess that with their mouth, the Word of God said that they shall be saved. Save now we pray, in Jesus' name. Amen.

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