The Word Made Plain

Tony Clark: 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 21 verses 26 through 32.

This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against the people, the law, and this place. And furthermore, he has also brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place. For they had previously seen Trophimus, the Ephesian, with him in the city, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple.

As we can see from verse 27, after the seven days of purification had ended, the Jews from Asia, and we know that that is modern-day Turkey, who had come to Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of Pentecost, saw Paul in the temple with these four men he was purified with.

They stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him as if to make a citizen's arrest. We know that these Jews were from the city of Ephesus, that Paul spent three years ministering in that particular city. We know from verse 29 that they were from Ephesus because Paul's traveling companion at the time was a man by the name of Trophimus, who was from Ephesus, and these folks who stirred up the crowd, they recognized Trophimus.

So this showed us that they were from the city of Ephesus. They stirred up the crowd by crying out in verse 28, "Men of Israel, help! This is the man who teaches all men everywhere against the people, the law, and this place."

These were some very serious charges against Paul. They said, number one, Paul was anti-Semitic. They said he spoke against us as a people. Then he said, number two, that he spoke against the law, referring to the law of Moses.

And finally, they said, number three, he spoke negatively about this place, referring to the temple. These were serious charges in the Jewish community, but they were false. They were only rumors.

We could say today that all of this was fake news. That's what we would term all this today. And Paul didn't do any of these things, but these were the rumors circulating throughout the Jewish community about him.

Let me just pause and just say this: we can't stop what rumors are said about us, but we can control how we respond to them. If you know that the rumors aren't true, then allow the Lord to vindicate you. Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, like Exodus 14 verse 13 says.

Allow the Lord to fight your battles. This is hard. Oh, this is so hard to do because you want to defend yourself. It's tough. You want to defend yourself. And allowing the Lord to fight your battles is tough. The reason why I say it's tough is because sometimes we think God has taken too long.

And that we can do it a little bit faster than He can. We can search it down a little bit better. Allow the Lord to fight your battles. Stop trying to chase down every rumor and who said what and when. You will spend all of your time trying to get to the bottom of who started the rumor about you.

And especially with social media, you're trying to chase all that down. Good luck with that, because you will be all day, all night, constantly chasing down and it's going viral now. You don't know where it started and hey, let me tell you, allow the Lord to fight your battles.

Then they accused Paul of defiling the temple by bringing a Greek into it. See, the Gentiles, or non-Jews, were allowed in the temple in that part of the temple designated the court of the Gentiles. Luke, the author, gives us a parenthetical phrase in verse 29 to give further clarification on these false claims.

They had previously seen Trophimus with Paul in the city, whom they supposed that Paul had brought into the temple. However, even if he did, let's just say Paul did, Trophimus was allowed in the temple in the court of the Gentiles.

See, there is nothing worse. Please hear me, hear me when I say this. There is nothing worse, and this is for people who have been walking with the Lord a little while. There is nothing worse than a religious, critical, judgmental spirit. There's nothing worse. This is, Jesus had His harshest words to say to the religious leaders of His day, those who are critical, religious, judgmental spirit.

Where we're upset when we see a Trophimus at church. Someone who is an unbeliever. Woe be it unto us when we're upset, when we see anyone we don't like at church. Someone from another race. If you got that in your heart, listen to me, if you got that in your heart, that's even worse.

The Jewish people were just like this. If you got some kind of issue because someone is not the hue of color of skin than you are, you got some major issues. Major problems. And you'll be critical, you'll be judgmental about that sort of thing. Please, please be careful of this kind of spirit.

Greeks, or unbelievers, were allowed to go to the temple. But because of the Jews' hatred for non-Jews, put it this way, by the time Jesus came on the scene, the Jews hated non-Jews so much that they said the only purpose of Gentiles, non-Jews, were to keep the flames of hell burning. They despised non-Jews that much.

And that they were appalled to even see anyone that was a Greek near the temple, let alone in the temple. Beware if you see an ex-spouse, an old friend, an old boss come to this church when we gather together again. Woe be it unto you. If you have this kind of spirit.

If your heart is like this, then you're no different than these Jews who were trying to stir up the crowd against Paul, calling up folks. "Girl, you'll never believe who was at church today." Hey, we deal with that kind of spirit. That is a religious, critical, judgmental, satanic spirit.

I'm telling you, we're going to see all kinds of folks flood into the church when all of this is over. And woe be it unto us if we come, "Oh, somebody was in my seat," or, "Can you believe who showed up? They shouldn't have been there. I'm surprised the roof didn't cave in." Hey, watch yourself.

Watch yourself if that's you. If that's your kind of heart, I'm telling you, you'd better get it right before we all begin to gather together again, because this is how they were in this particular time.

Look at verses 30 to 32. And all the city was disturbed, and the people ran together, seized Paul, and dragged him out of the temple, and immediately the doors were shut. Now, as they were seeking to kill him, news came to the commander of the garrison that all Jerusalem was in an uproar.

He immediately took soldiers and centurions and ran down to them, and when they saw the commander and the soldiers, they stopped beating Paul.

Now, not only did this group stir up those in the temple, but it spread quickly to the point where verse 30 says, "And all the city was disturbed, and in a mob mentality ran together, seized Paul, and dragged him out of the temple, and immediately the temple guards, which consist of the Levites, immediately closed the doors."

They didn't want this mob to kill Paul in the temple and thus defile it. Oh, but it was okay for them to kill Paul right outside the temple, as long as the doors were closed. Oh, what hypocrisy we have here.

But there's something else I would like to draw to your attention, and that is once they seized Paul and dragged him out of the temple, the last part of verse 30 says, "Immediately the doors were shut."

Let me just talk to us for a few minutes here. Sometimes we must realize, recognize, and here's the last part, and accept when the doors are shut for us to do a certain thing. You protest and say, "But Pastor Tony, I want to do it so bad."

We need to pray that God will give us eyes to see when the doors are shut. Revelation 3:7 and 8 says God opens up doors no man can shut, and He shuts doors no man can open. When the door is shut on a particular job, when the door is shut on a particular position or relationship, stop trying to kick the door down.

Realize that this chapter in your life is over and move on. Somebody out there needs to hear that. Somebody needs to hear that. The door is closed, so move on. I had to do this in my own life. I wasn't even going to share this. I had to do this in my own life.

When I came here over 26 years ago, I longed to go back to California. Longed to. I mean, palm trees, you know, sunshine, beaches, you know, it was just, it was nothing like where I grew up. And I longed to go back.

It took 12 to 15 years. Each year I would go back for a pastor's conference or gathering. I would just say, "Oh, look at this sunshine, this weather. Oh, it's so good. I wish I was back here." You know, back in Virginia, they're freezing and I got this sunshine. Look at the blue skies and the and the water. It's just so great.

And the Lord finally had to say, "Stop. Quit fooling around. This door's shut. You ain't coming back." "Well, God, what are you talking about?" "You ain't coming back." "You can come back to visit, but you ain't coming back." And I had to realize that that door was shut. It took 12 to 15 years for me to realize that door was shut.

That door was shut. And I had to settle it in my heart that that chapter of my life, no matter how good it was, is over. That I've been here now 26 years. That door is shut. Somebody needs to hear that today. That door is shut.

That person, he or she has moved on. There's no need to mourn over that. It's enough. That door is shut. That door is shut. That position is gone. That job, that opportunity is not there anymore. Let it go. Let it go. Sometimes we like to stew in our own stuff.

When God has said, "That's done. Give it a proper burial and move on." And somebody needs to hear that today. The door is shut. Paul had to realize that. Do you know why Paul had to realize this? Because no matter what, Paul wanted to reach his people. He wanted to reach the Jewish people.

And yes, in Acts chapter 9, it talks about how he'll be a witness to the nation of Israel. But he had to realize God had called him to reach the Gentiles. And he wanted to reach the Jews so much. He said, "My heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel that they might be saved."

He said, "I wish that I was cut off. I was accursed." That was the Greek word for accursed. "If it will mean that my people will be saved." But every time he tried to go after his people, there was a riot. A mob tried to kill him. He had to be chased out. He had to be snuck out by nighttime.

Every time. Paul wanted to be the apostle to the Jews. And God said, "I will let you witness to them, but Peter is going to be the apostle to the Jews. I'm going to send you to the Gentiles." Paul, I know he protested and said, "God, I was a Pharisee. They know I used to persecute and kill Christians.

I need to be an apostle to the Jews." And every time he tried to be an apostle to the Jews, then just being a witness to the Jews, there was a riot that broke out. They tried to kill him. They tried, they did what they can to, "Away with such a man!" They constantly plotted to take his life.

And he had to realize, he had to come to a place where the Lord had to speak to him in a vision, in a trance, and say, "Hey, look here, bro. They're not going to receive your testimony. So it's time for you to go and be what you're called to be, what I've called you to be, which is an apostle to the Gentiles."

And I'm telling you, I know that Paul was bummed about it, but he had to realize that door was closed. Not only was it closed literally as they dragged him out of the temple and they closed the doors, but the door for him to be an apostle to the Jews, that door is closed. He was called to be an apostle to the Gentiles.

Now, once the crazy mob was outside the temple, it was Rome's responsibility to get involved. Verse 31 says, "As they were seeking to kill him," referring to Paul, "God intervenes by allowing the news to come to the ears of the commander." We know from Acts 23 and verse 26 that the commander was Claudius Lysias.

Now, commander comes from a Greek word, Chiliarchos, which means a thousand. So he was a commander of a Roman cohort, which consisted of a thousand soldiers. He was told that the whole city was in an uproar. So the commander in verse 32 immediately took soldiers and centurions. Centurions were captains or leaders over 100 soldiers.

So we see that centurions is plural in this verse. So it was at least Claudius Lysias, the commander, and 200 soldiers, and they ran down to investigate the situation. And when the mob saw these Roman soldiers coming, they stopped beating Paul. They were able to get there quickly because of the proximity of the garrison.

The proximity of the garrison to the temple. See, the Antonia Fortress, which was where these Roman soldiers were housed, was right adjacent to the temple area, and this is how they were able to get to Paul quickly.

I just, this had to be an incredible scene. I can see in my mind's eye. This was an incredible scene. 200 soldiers, Roman soldiers just running next door and see this mob and these people beating this guy, giving him the beat down. This had to have been an incredible scene, but my question is this, where were the believers?

Where were the elders of the Church of Jerusalem that strongly urged Paul to go to the temple to be purified with these four men? Where were they? Where were they at this particular time? Let us not become a church so concerned and caught up in our rules and regulations that we're no longer concerned about what people are going through unjustly.

Christians are going through unjust punishment and treatment around the world. Now we're starting to see it come to the shores of America. Let us not be so caught up with what we have going on at our church, or any particular church, that when we see through social media, through the news, that believers are treated unjustly that we just have no kind of feeling about it.

See, one of the characteristics of the last days that Jesus told us in Matthew 24 and verse 12, it said that the love of many will grow cold. I just want to know, have you grown cold towards this world, as we're in the midst of crisis? Have we grown cold towards it? Or towards people in general?

Surely the Jerusalem Church heard about what was happening with Paul, because verse 30 said, "All the city was disturbed." But I guess the Church of Jerusalem was disturbed too, but watch this, but not disturbed enough to do something to help Paul out. Surely they got the news and say, "Hey, have you all heard? Paul is down at the temple getting a beat down." Surely they heard that.

Surely that could have, that got to their ears. I'm sure that it did. And you would think they would be like, "Hey, let's go down there. You know, let's see what's going on. See what we can do to help Paul out, get Paul out of there or something." We don't read about any of that. They just said, "Oh, well."

It's almost like when the religious leaders were indifferent towards the news that the long-awaited Messiah was coming and was born. When the wise men in Matthew chapter 2, when they came and said, "Where is he born, King of the Jews?" And then Herod went and asked the religious leaders.

They said, "Oh, yeah, in the book of Micah, chapter 5, verse 2, you know," and so they came back and and said, "Hey, he's to be born in Bethlehem," just a little town, five miles south of Jerusalem. You would think that their long-awaited Messiah was born, was here, that all of them would have been rushing down.

No, just five miles south, Bethlehem is where they say he's going to be born. Let us not grow indifferent. This is, this is talking to people who have been a Christian for some time. Let us not grow cold and be indifferent towards what people are going through, towards what's happening.

And it's easy for us to get caught up in our little world, in our little cocoon. And we stop caring about what is happening around this world, not just in our country, not just in our city, but what's going on around this world. And it's easy for us to be in our little cocoon and we're safe, and we're insulated from everything outside, and we just become cold and indifferent towards what's going on around the world.

And it's very well possible that the Jerusalem Church fell into this very thing. We don't read about them rushing down, trying to save Paul or to speak up for Paul or whatever. They could have easily said, "Hey, they think, they see we're Christian, they may beat us down too." And maybe they were afraid. We don't know. We don't read about them coming to Paul's aid, but they were the ones who told Paul to go to the temple and do this.

And then when Paul got into beat down, they're nowhere to be found. Maybe they were afraid. I don't know. Maybe they were indifferent. Maybe they were cold. I don't know. But we do, but we do know is, they never did show up to help Paul out. Not at all. And we don't want our brothers and sisters in the Lord to feel alone.

To feel like they're by themselves going through this. And we don't want them. This is why it's so important. I'm just saying, this is why it's so important for us to be checking up on folks, because you don't know what folks are going through during this sort of crisis that we're experiencing. You don't know what's happening in people's lives as they're in their little cocoon.

I've heard that mental illness and all kind of stuff is on the rise. Hey, let me tell you, we need to be checking up and look outside of our little cocoon, our little, our little cave that we have our little family and we all huddled up in our little cave. We need to look beyond that. We have technology that we can check on people around the world.

And we need to do just that, because there are folks that are struggling, there are folks that are being persecuted, there are folks that are being beat down. And and and we feel because we're in our little cocoon that we're safe, we're good, and nothing can happen to us. Be careful, be careful of that mindset.

Be careful of that mindset. So that we know they did nothing to help Paul out, the church. Let us guard our hearts from growing cold by staying close to the fire. The fire of God's presence. We know from Hebrews 12 verse 29, it says that our God is a consuming fire.

And as we stay close to the Lord, and like John did, we, we leaned on the, the chest of Jesus, we hear His heartbeat. As we stay close to the Lord, we stay close to His heart. He came to seek and to save the lost. We stay close to His heart when we stay close to Him in prayer.

When we worry and fret and we don't pray, we don't have God's heart. And we'll grow cold, we'll grow indifferent, we'll have a "I care less" kind of attitude and we want to stay away from that. And we will see what happened to Paul, God's will next time.

Now, let me conclude with this. In part two of this message, Making Peace, we saw how Paul was willing to submit to a form of a Nazarite vow in order to appease some Jewish believers who heard false rumors about him. Think through and pray about what you are willing to do, what hoops you're willing to jump through, what walls you're willing to climb over that is not sinful, that won't cause you to violate God's word, in order to make peace or to reach people for Jesus Christ.

We also talked about the difference between the peace of God and peace with God. Which one are you lacking today? If you're lacking peace with God, He is one prayer away. He is one prayer away. If you're lacking the peace of God, it's just by being honest with Him and praying and just saying, "Lord," like the man did about his son.

He said, "Lord, I believe, but help my unbelief." And maybe that's you today in the midst of everything that's going on, you say, "Lord, I believe, but help my unbelief. I'm struggling. I'm struggling." So no matter what, He's one prayer away. May we turn to God in prayer. May we not allow worry to overtake us like a tsunami.

To where we are drowning in the midst of our crisis, but that we look to the Lord, the Lord who loves us, the Lord who cares for us, the Lord who is still on the throne. May we look to Him in prayer. And Father, I pray for us, Your precious people.

I pray, oh God, that You will forgive us, Lord, for our unbelief. You will forgive us for our worry. You will forgive us for our doubt. Lord, I pray that Your Spirit will come upon us, Lord, and grant us the peace of God that surpasses all understanding. May it guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

In Jesus' name. Amen.

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