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 five, verses 33 through 42.

Tony Clark: All right, Acts chapter five. We're going to be looking at verses 33 to 42. Father, we pray that Your Holy Spirit will move in our midst. We pray, God, that You would teach us the truths of Your Word. God, we pray that our hearts would be good soil so the Word of God can be planted and we can bear fruit, some 30, some 60, some a hundredfold. I pray, God, that we will receive with meekness the implanted Word, Lord, that is able to save our souls. Thank You, Lord, for this time in Jesus' name. Amen. Amen.

Acts chapter five, looking at verses 33 to 42. We're going to finish up this chapter and then, God's will, we'll move right into chapter six next week. The title of this message is "Seasoned Advice." Seasoned Advice. Now, I love to give advice to my children even when they don't ask for it. But I love to give advice to my children or those who are just entering the ministry because I know that the advice I am giving goes beyond theory and book knowledge. It is advice that has been tried through the years of ministry: the good, bad, and the ugly. It has been tested by the fires of trials and difficulties and hardship.

The same is true on a practical level with parents and grandparents. No, we may not have the education of the younger generation, being able to handle those devices and things. I'm just amazed on how my grandchildren are fooling around with phones and devices and flipping, trying to find Bubble Guppies and mess and all kind of stuff. I'm amazed and they're one and two. We may not have the education of the younger generation, but our years of experience in life qualifies us to give some seasoned advice.

And this is what we have in our story here. The apostles were wrongfully arrested and put in prison for preaching about Jesus Christ. But God sent an angel to set them free and told them to go back to the temple to preach about Him. They were re-arrested and brought before the Sanhedrin, who was the Jewish Supreme Court. And they told them in verse 28, "Did we not command you not to teach in this name?" And Peter preaches his second sermon to them and said in verse 29, "We must obey God rather than man." And he went on to give them an outstanding sermon about Jesus Christ for the second time. Now, truly, maybe they received this second sermon with great delight.

Well, let's see how they received it. Look at verse 33: "When they heard this, they were furious and plotted to kill them." When they heard what Peter had to say in this second sermon, they were furious. Now, the Greek word for furious is *diasprio*, and it means to cut to the quick. The same Greek word is used in chapter seven and verse 54 when Stephen was giving his sermon to these same religious leaders. And it says that they were cut to the quick or cut to their hearts.

And this is what true biblical preaching does: it cuts to the quick. The word *diasprio* literally means cutting something in two, a very apt metaphor to describe the power of the Word of God, seeing that Hebrews 4:12 calls the Word of God a sharp, two-edged sword, slicing and dicing away the sin in our lives. See, true biblical preaching does not tickle the ears. I'm not here to tickle your ears. I'm not here to tell you how to have your best life now or next week or next month. I'm here to bring you face to face with the God who created you. I'm to put a mirror of the Word of God up to your life and say, "This is how you measure up to the God who's going to judge your life."

True biblical preaching doesn't tickle the ears. Even if you came here with ears to be tickled, I'm not going to be the one to scratch them. Trust me when I say that. I'm here to bring you face to face with God and face to face with your lifestyle to the God who loves you, but He's going to judge you at the same time. True biblical preaching sometimes provokes a violent reaction that we see in this verse here. They plotted to kill them after this message. Now, I have talked to and heard of many Calvary Chapel pastors who are committed, like I am, to the preaching and teaching all of the Word of God from Genesis to Revelation, who after preaching have had their lives threatened.

Why? Because true biblical preaching provokes a violent reaction like we see here. When true biblical preaching and teaching is going forth, it reveals the secret of your heart. Here it is that God is speaking. God knows what you're going through, what's happening in your life, and the secrets of your hearts are revealed. I've had many people, many ladies who were praying for their husbands, "Oh, please come to church, please come to church." Finally, they come. And true biblical preaching goes forth and reveals the secret of his heart and he comes up afterwards, all excited, and says, "Did my wife put you up to say those things?"

First of all, I'm thinking, "Oh, we better bring that down a peg or two. I got some guys surrounding me that would love to just bounce you right up out of here and use your head to open up the door with." So bring that down a peg or two. But see, what happens is true biblical preaching and teaching sometimes provokes a violent reaction. I've had people angry at me because they say, "I know somebody told you to say that. How did you know that?" I've had other people say, "You were in my house last night or this weekend or this week." True biblical preaching, it cuts to the heart. It cuts to the quick and sometimes provokes a violent reaction.

Now, the question is, did they succeed in killing the apostles? Well, not this time. But eventually, all of the apostles, except for John, the apostle John, were killed for preaching about Jesus Christ. There are people right now overseas being put to death for preaching about Jesus. The very loving and kind and peaceful religion of Islam is killing them by the thousands. They're so peaceful, huh? So calm. They're putting our people to death, our brothers and sisters, to death by the thousands in the Middle East. Not just the cutting off of the heads, but they're rushing into homes and bum-rushing homes and killing Christians inside of their homes, mobs of them.

I just heard a story this last night, mobs coming in just because they're preaching about Jesus and telling people to turn from their sins to a relationship with Jesus Christ and turn away from Islam. And oh, it provokes a violent reaction around the world. And it's starting to happen here in the United States as well. The question is, if they wanted to kill the apostles, what stopped their murderous plot? Look at verse 34: "Then one in the council stood up, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a teacher of the law held in respect by all the people, and commanded them to put the apostles outside for a little while."

Now, because the hostility between the Sadducees—as you know that they're the liberal religious leaders—and the apostles had reached a climax that they wanted to kill them like they did Jesus, but seeing that Rome had taken away the Jews' right of capital punishment, surely they were probably trying to come up with some false charges to get Rome involved to put the apostles to death. However, Gamaliel, a Pharisee, one of the conservative religious leaders, Gamaliel intervened and keeps the Sadducees from their murderous plot.

Now, who was Gamaliel that he had that much clout? He had that much respect, that he had that much power and influence? That this verse says that he was held in respect by all the people. Gamaliel the First, a first-century Pharisee, is believed to be the grandson of another respected rabbi by the name of Rabbi Hillel. And Gamaliel was so respected by everyone that he was given the title "Rabban" instead of the usual "Rabbi." He was so respected by everyone that when he died, the Mishnah—you have to understand the Mishnah were the writings of the oral traditions.

There were oral traditions handed down by the Jews. Someone decided to write them down and put them in a book. That became what is commonly called the Mishnah. The Mishnah said, "When Rabban Gamaliel the Elder died, the glory of the law ceased, and purity and abstinence died with him." And this is confirmed in this verse by the statement "a teacher of the law of God." He was just respected. His most famous pupil was a man named Saul, who was also a Pharisee, who later became the apostle Paul.

And because he was respected by everyone, he commanded them to put the apostles outside for a little while, according to the end of this verse. His respect is also seen in the Greek word for commanded, *keleuo*. It's a major Greek word and it means to order or command. It was a military word used of an officer commanding his troops or giving them an order. He commanded them to put the apostles outside. Here he is speaking to his council members, the Sanhedrin, 70-member council. And here's Gamaliel, so respected by all the people, he commanded them, "Put the apostles out for a little while. We need to talk."

Well, let's see what he said. Look at verses 35 to 37: "And he said to them, 'Men of Israel, take heed to yourselves what you intend to do regarding these men. For some time ago, Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody. A number of men, about 400, joined him. He was slain and all who obeyed him were scattered and came to nothing. After this man, Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census and drew away many people after him. He also perished, and all who obeyed him were dispersed.'"

Now, Gamaliel stands up in verse 35 by giving the Sanhedrin a warning by saying, "Look, take heed. Take heed to yourselves what you intend to do regarding these men." Now, he's about to give them a history lesson which shows that this isn't his first rodeo, meaning that he has seen this kind of stuff before. And he jarred their memories in verse 36 when he says, "Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody. A number of men, around 400, joined him. He was slain and all who obeyed him were scattered and came to nothing."

Now, many critics have tried to mock Luke, who is the author of Acts, because Josephus, a first-century Jewish historian, writes about a Theudas who revolted in AD 44, which happens to be ten-plus years after Gamaliel's speech here. It is very obvious that there was another Theudas who revolted before this speech that Gamaliel is giving. It was obvious another Theudas revolted. Also, the Theudas in AD 44 that Josephus writes about, he said that this Theudas had more than 400 men, showing that it was obvious that there was another Theudas who revolted in an earlier time.

You've got to be careful. If your name was Theudas, you prompted a rebellion. You've got to be careful. You name your kid Theudas, oh, he's going to rebel. So it was obvious that Theudas was a common name of a person who rebelled. Then Gamaliel names a man named Judas of Galilee in verse 37. He rose up during the time of the census. This census is recorded for us, or history gives us, it was Quirinius who gave this particular census in AD 6 or 7, which is not the same census that Luke 2 describes that sent Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem. It's not the same census.

This Judas drew away many people after him. However, he perished and all who obeyed him were scattered and perished too. Now, Gamaliel through his seasoned wisdom gives us some insights on how to spot and identify false teachers, false messiahs, and false leaders. A false teacher—this is the easy way to identify them. He or she would do the two things these men tried to do in their day. Like Theudas, they will claim to be somebody great, boasting in themselves, when all the time Proverbs 27:2 says, "Let another man praise you, not your own mouth; a stranger, not your own lips."

Beware of someone promoting themselves, claiming to be somebody, somebody great. This is the Theudas mentality. And I have to ask us, are you Theudas today? Are you always trying to promote yourself on social media, always wanting to draw attention to yourself? Beware of the mindset of "look at me," because that is the Theudas mentality. I never thought in my time—and those of you who are my age and older, you will agree with me—I never thought in my time that there would be such an instrument invented called a selfie stick.

That your arm is not long enough, so we have to come up with an extension device and term it "selfie stick" so you can make sure to get a good picture of yourself. The Bible said a characteristic of the last days, men will be lovers of themselves. Beware of the Theudas mentality: "Look at me." And social media was the greatest thing invented for those who love and worship at the altar of me, myself, and I. Oh, because now millions can gaze upon you and your selfie stick.

Because you can get almost like an aerial photo looking down at you, get that good angle at that downward angle and—I'm amazed. Beware of the Theudas mentality: "Look at me. I'm somebody great. Oh, I'm the best." We do that on our resumes. We embellish them because we want people to think that we're someone greater than who we are. I never did get into that kind of stuff, because if you embellish your resume and they give you the job, you've got to go do that job. And if you fooled around on the resume saying you can do this, that, and the other and you get on that job, you're going to look stupid.

So you might as well tell the truth. "I can only type ten words a minute instead of 80 like I embellished on here." I'm just being real with you. I'm telling you truth. You better tell the truth because they expect for that report to be done. Can't you type 80 words a minute? And they see you fooling around. Beware of the Theudas mentality.

Or like Judas of Galilee, he will draw away people after himself. Paul the apostle would later write to and warn the elders of Miletus in Acts chapter 20 in verses 29 and 30. He said, "For I know that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock. Also from among yourselves men will rise up speaking perverse things"—watch this, why would they speak perverse things?—"to draw away disciples after themselves." This is the Judas of Galilee mentality: trying to draw people to follow you.

Beware, beware, beware. Are you Judas of Galilee, trying to get those on your job to follow you against them over there and that over there? Whispering in break rooms and corners because of this, that, and trying to get people on your side and then when you make your case, "Well, I have these people right here who agree with me." You're Judas of Galilee. That's that mindset, drawing away people after you.

Here's the thing. I'm ashamed to say Judas of Galilee that mentality is seen with people of my ilk: pastors in churches. "Oh, you go to Calvary Chapel? Why don't you leave them? They got enough members there. Why don't you leave and come on over here and follow me over here? You know, I'm trying to get this thing started. I can use you." I've had a friend do me like that and trying to secretly draw away. I had him come speak, and all the time afterwards, he's whispering to people, "Yeah, why don't you come on down here? Come with me. Come with me here. They got enough members at Calvary Chapel, you know, I can use you."

It's the Judas of Galilee mentality. Have you noticed you don't see people's name Judas? We know what the other Judas did, snake in the grass, went and kissed Jesus and stabbed him in the back at the same time. And then you got Judas of Galilee, not to mix him up with the Judas who was a disciple. But this Judas of Galilee, you don't see people named Judas today. And that's the Judas mentality. Beware, beware, beware of people trying to draw away disciples after you. There's somebody who's secretly, subtly trying to do it now.

"Yeah, you know, I think I might be doing this over here. Why don't you leave Calvary Chapel? They got enough." Beware. It's the Judas of Galilee mentality. Now, what else did Gamaliel say? Look at verses 38 and 39: "And now I say to you, keep away from these men and let them alone. For if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing. But if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it, lest you even be found to fight against God."