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 19, verses 11 through 17.

Tony Clark: The Greek word for exorcist is *exorkistēs*, and it means to bind with an oath. It only appears here in the entire New Testament. Exorcists at this time attempted to expel demons by invoking the name of a more powerful being. Exorcists were common in the ancient world, even among the Jews. So as they observed the power of God through the Apostle Paul, they thought that they would give it a try by saying at the end of verse 13, “We exorcise,” or as your margin says, “adjure or solemnly command you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.”

Here are these exorcists trying to imitate the success of Paul's ministry, and we will see that it will end disastrously. These were charlatans going from town to town making money claiming to heal people. Solomon tells us that there's nothing new under the sun, and we see this kind of charlatanism going around today making the same types of claims. One of them, Luke the author identifies in verse 14, whose name was Sceva. He had seven sons who followed in his footsteps.

He even claimed to be a Jewish chief priest. However, there's no historical data on this man other than what we have here in the New Testament. There are no records of any high priest by this particular name. So it is believed that he took this title to impress the people. It’s no different today: men in ministry taking on titles they have not earned to try to impress people or to gain some sort of advantage over God's people. Usually, it is for financial gain.

Now, the name of Jesus, we have to understand, is no magical charm to be used by whomever wants to use it, as these exorcists found out the hard way. They addressed, as I said earlier, “We adjure you by the Jesus whom Paul preaches.” In other words, it's not the Jesus I believe in, nor the Jesus I am preaching, but the Jesus whom Paul preaches. How did these demons respond to this? Verse 15: the evil spirit said, “Jesus I know, and Paul I know, but who the heck do you think you are?”

This demon saw right through their scam. In other words, these evil spirits were saying, “What power do you think you have over me? Jesus I know and Paul I know. Who are you?” Let me ask you this: are you known in the demonic world? When you wake up each morning, are the demons concerned because they know that you're going to lead people out of Satan's kingdom into God's kingdom? Paul was known.

I remember almost ten years ago—I’ll never forget this—you know how Jesus changed history? Everything is divided into BC, before Christ, and AD. Please don't think AD means after death; it doesn't. You'll have a 33-year gap in history. It's a Latin word, *Anno Domini*, which means "the year of our Lord." Jesus changed history; everything is before Christ and afterwards. This event I'm telling you about was a defining moment for not only me in ministry, but for this church.

It was almost ten years ago. There was a period of time that we saw over 300 people come to Christ in a two-to-three-month period. It was an awesome time for our church. Right afterwards, I was attacked spiritually like never before. Then our church went through what many people call a church split that almost destroyed the church. I believe I was definitely known in the demonic world at that time.

The enemy tried to take me and this church out to stop the work here, to stop the damage I was and this church was doing bringing people out of darkness into His marvelous light. It was a demonic attack. Just like God uses people to accomplish His purposes, Satan is a master imitator; he uses people to accomplish his work. It was a devastating, devastating time because this church was doing a great work.

Think about it: 300 people. It was around this time of the year that it took place. Many people coming and surrendering their lives to Jesus Christ, repenting of their sin. It was an incredible time. During that time, we were doing altar calls, calling people to come to the altar and surrender their lives to Jesus Christ. Did you know, from that attack almost a decade ago, we haven't done altar calls since until three weeks ago?

Now I'm a little bit wiser. I can see the attack coming a mile away. This is why we have to be praying as a church, because Satan is not liking what's happening. It reminds him of what took place a decade ago here, and he's going to launch his attack. He uses people. Don't be a tool of Satan. Don't be a weapon formed against this ministry because you won't prosper in the end. God is doing a work. We're going to continue to see people come out of darkness into the marvelous light of Jesus Christ.

Something else I want to bring to your attention: don't try to copy or imitate someone else's formula to try to accomplish spiritual victory. If you want to see your effectiveness, your ministry, your witness die, be like these seven sons of Sceva and say, “To be effective or to be used by God, I have to copy this person or that person, or I will just say it just the way he says it, or I will do it the way he does it. I'll dress the way he dresses. That's the secret. He's successful in ministry, so will I be if I do it just like them.” It will not work.

There was a guy who was at our church about 16 years ago. Whenever he taught, he tried to teach like me. Yes, imitation is the greatest form of flattery, but in ministry, it's a no-no. He went out to start a church, and after about 15 years, he had less than 20 people. Be who God made you to be and don't try to copy someone else's ministry. It will not work.

Pastor Chuck, who started all the Calvary Chapels, was known for talking very slowly and taking pauses. People who spoke a foreign language loved listening to Pastor Chuck because they could follow him because he spoke very slowly. When I used to listen to him teach through the Bible on cassette, he would pause so long that we thought it was time to flip the cassette over. When we flipped it, he was still talking on the other side because he talked so slowly.

Guys were getting up in the pulpits trying to imitate Pastor Chuck. “Good morning. God bless you. The Lord loves you.” They would just stop and smile and try to be like Pastor Chuck. It just doesn't work. Be who God made you to be. If you don't be you, who will? God made you the way that He made you for a reason. Many of you—I mentioned this in the first service—you're Eeyore. You're just droopy. You're a Debbie Downer.

Don't come in here trying to say, “Hello! God bless you! Hallelujah!” That's not you. Be who God made you. If you need a little help, I can help you with that, because you being Eeyore and being droopy and being a Debbie Downer is an attitude issue. You know who you are. But don't try to be what you're not. Be who God made you, and God will use you. Don't try to imitate someone else. It won't work.

How do I know it won't work? Verse 16 said that the man in whom the evil spirit was, leaped on them, overpowered them, prevailed against them, so that they fled out of the house naked and wounded. We see the supernatural strength seen through those possessed with a demonic spirit. We see it biblically in Mark chapter five and verses three and four. Matthew tells us that there were two men there. Mark focuses on the main guy.

In Mark 5:3-4, it says that no one could tame this demon-possessed man, and with chains they couldn't even contain him because he had often been bound with shackles and chains and he would just pull them apart or break the shackles. No one could tame him. I remember hearing a story of some eyewitnesses who were there some years ago. There was a little young 14-year-old girl in the Philippines who was demon-possessed. She was about 80 pounds, if that.

Eyewitnesses said this young, itty-bitty little 80-pound girl was tossing grown men around like a ragdoll. The Bible talks about angels, how they are powerful in might and strength. Demons are nothing but fallen angels. When they possess a person, they give a person that power. A 14-year-old, 80-pound little girl was tossing grown men up against the walls because she was demon-possessed.

Let this story be a vivid example and a stern warning to show the dangers of carelessly fooling around with the demonic world through horoscopes, Ouija boards, seances, Dungeons and Dragons, and other virtual reality games that get you into a whole other world where you have to take on some character. Do not be deceived. Do not fool around with Satan and his world. Do not.

I remember a story in the Bible when Jesus was on the Mount of Transfiguration in Matthew 17. He took Peter, James, and John up there. When they came down off of the mountain, it says that this father brought his little boy that was demon-possessed and the disciples couldn't cast him out. They brought him to Jesus, and all of a sudden the demonic spirit began to manifest through this boy, foaming at the mouth, flipping and flopping.

Jesus was talking to the father and said, “How long has this been going on?” He said, “Since childhood.” As children, we used to fool around with all kind of foolishness. Going into the bathroom in the dark and saying "Bloody Mary" in the mirror. We did all that foolishness not knowing that we were opening ourselves up to the demonic world. We did some crazy stuff we heard or maybe we saw in some horror movie.

Notice that father said this had been going on since childhood, meaning that something went on with this boy in childhood that he opened himself up to demonic possession—not just demonic oppression, but demonic possession. It happens when we're innocent kids just fooling around. Be careful. I'm telling you, what happens in the movie theaters is just a reflection of what happens in society.

If you'll notice, horror movies used to only come out around Halloween. Now it's year-round. It's showing a reflection of society that society is evil year-round. It's not just a Halloween kind of thing; it is all the time that this stuff is going on. I remember in California talking to this one couple. She began to tell me stories. This was not Hollywood stuff; this was an eyewitness to whom this was happening.

She would be in her room and the drawers of the dresser would open and close, lights turned on and off, covers snatched off her. I began to inquire about her family history. Her family had a history of fooling around with the demonic. Now this demonic that had its way in the family was trying to make its way to her. Do not fool around with that which is demonic. You're opening yourself up for oppression number one, and possession number two.

If you're a Christian, you can never be possessed, but you can be oppressed. Stop fooling around with the demonic and thinking it's just cute. It's not cute when all of a sudden your lights are flicking on and off and your covers are snatched off of you. I've seen stuff where all of a sudden folks are dangling up in the air and nobody is there, caught on security cameras, all of a sudden they're being dragged down a hallway and nobody is there pulling their leg.

Satan is no one to be fooling around with, and this story is a stern warning. Do not fool around with the demonic. They will look at you and say, “Who the heck do you think you are?” and will give you a whooping. Ask the seven sons of Sceva. They were wounded, left out naked. It means they had their clothes just ripped off of them and just got sent out. Notice it was seven sons and one person demon-possessed. The seven sons left out naked, wounded, and hurt.

This story also shows us the dangers of trying to do supernatural things for financial gain like these seven sons of Sceva were doing. Spiritually, this teaches us what will happen if we try to copy or imitate someone else's ministry. When you try to minister, you will feel powerless, naked, and exposed. Afterwards, you will feel beat down and that the enemy prevailed over you. Just be yourself. Be who God made you. Allow God to work through your personality.

Y'all see me up here and you think I'm like this 24/7. No. When I get home, I don't talk much. I'm very quiet. I let the kids and the grandkids just do what they do. I'm very quiet when I'm at home. When you get me privately, I'm very quiet. I'm not this person I am right now. I'm just chill. Don't try to imitate Pastor Tony. You don't know Pastor Tony. Pastor Tony is really quiet, to be honest with you.

What happened next? Look at verses 17 to 20. This became known both to all the Jews and the Greeks dwelling in Ephesus, and fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. Many who had believed came confessing and telling their deeds. Also, many of those who had practiced magic brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. They counted up the value of them, and it totaled 50,000 pieces of silver. So the word of the Lord grew mightily and prevailed.

What happened to the seven sons of Sceva became known throughout the city of Ephesus. As a result, fear fell upon them all, and the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. Notice that it wasn't the name of Paul magnified. It was the name of the Lord Jesus. Who are you trying to magnify? Yourself or Jesus? The Greek word for magnified is *megalunō*, and it means to declare, to make great, or to enlarge.

Who are you trying to declare, make great, or enlarge? You or Jesus? Surely in here, we would all say in unison, “Jesus!” But if I were to go to your social media page, will I see you magnified? Something to think about. Even though God was using Paul in a great way, whose name was being magnified? It was the Lord Jesus.

Matthew 5:16 says, “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify...” you? No. “Glorify your Father in heaven.” The word glorify in the Greek is *doxazō*. It's where we get doxology from. It means to speak well of. We're called to do things in such a way that the people around us will speak well of our Father which is in heaven. They'll speak well of our God, not speak well of us. Let us always keep this in mind in everything we do.

Known in hell. Are you known in the demonic world because of the great things you're doing for God? However, don't miss this point: it's one thing to be known in hell, but are you known in heaven? Luke 10:20 says, “Nevertheless do not rejoice in this, that the spirits are subject to you, but rather rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” Is your name written in heaven?

You can leave here and know today that your name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life, that God came to give you eternal life. This is what this season is all about. It's not about gifts and toys and Black Friday and Cyber Monday. It's about the fact that there was a babe born in Bethlehem, and He came to give this world life, implying that the world was living in death. He came to give us life. When we accept Him as our Lord and Savior, He gives us eternal life.

We're going to give you an opportunity to surrender your life to Jesus Christ so that you can know that you have eternal life. The Bible says that in 1 John 5:13, that you may know that you have eternal life.

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