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 Bibles to Acts chapter 5, verses 33 through 42.

Tony Clark: We know what that other Judas did, snake in the grass when he kissed Jesus and stabbed him in the back at the same time. 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. 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.

I think I might be doing this over here. Why don't you leave Calvary Chapel? They got enough. I'm trying to do this. 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."

In these verses, Gamaliel tells his fellow council members in the case of the apostles, keep away from these men, let them alone according to verse 38. I can hear some of the Sadducees saying, why Gamaliel, why should we leave them alone? He said at the end of verse 38, if this plan or this work is of men, it will come to nothing. Please keep this in mind, dear people. Anything we try to do for God, if he isn't in it, it too will come to nothing.

I have done many things for God without praying and asking him if this was something he wanted us or our church to do, and it came to nothing. Most of the things done in churches today, big C churches, are the works of men. This is why it comes to nothing or is not fruitful and why the church isn't making the impact that the early church made. It's the works of men today. It's about let's do a survey of the people and see what the people want and give the people what they want.

Let me tell you something. Every time you read in scripture where they did a survey of the people, so to speak, to see what the people wanted, in the Old Testament there was a group of people called the Israelites that said, let's go back to Egypt. Another same group said, what do you think we ought to do? I think we ought to break off our earrings and make a golden calf and say, this is who brought us out of Egypt. The golden calf, and let's dance and swirl around it.

Every time the people were consulted, it was a hot mess. They wanted to go back to Egypt. They wanted to do something stupid when the people were consulted. This is why the democratic system of our government, government ruled by the people, the church is being so foolish in bringing that mindset into the church. You can't even change the toilet tissue in the bathroom without a vote. Or you can't sweep the parking lot without the committee getting together and voting. You want to sweep it this way, we want to sweep it this way, so let's vote on it.

The government is a hot mess and we wonder why the church is a hot mess. Because that sort of mindset, the government mindset, the American democratic mindset was brought into the church. Now pastors are no longer shepherds leading the flock. Now you got the flock leading the shepherd. He comes in and says, I think we ought to do this. No, we got to vote. But I think God is leading us. We got to vote. Well, I want to use a pencil instead of a pen. We got to vote. Two-thirds win.

Are we serious? And we wonder why the church isn't fruitful. Because it's the works of men, man-centered programs and things because of what we do. We take a survey. What do you want? What do you want? What do you want? Take that collection and then we give you programs based upon what you want. Last time I checked, Jesus Christ is the head of the church and we need to consult him on what should go on in his church, not taking surveys. I don't care what you want. I really don't. I care what he wants.

He's the head and I need to consult him to see what he wants for his church. The church is his bride. That's just like you coming to tell me what you think I ought to do for my wife. I'd be like, you better beat feet out of here. That's my wife. I know what's best for my wife. So too, the church is the bride of Christ. We need to ask Jesus what he wants for his bride. This is what the church is about, not about votes and surveys and mess.

That's why the church is a mess today. No impact. It's been rightfully said, if you took the Holy Spirit away from the early church, 95% of what they did would cease. And it's also true you take the Holy Spirit from the church today, 95% of what we do will continue because it's man-centered, not God-inspired. It's man-centered programs and isms and schisms and things. That's why we have all these big giant choirs and mess all up in the choir and folks in all kind of junk going on.

It's just mess in the church today. Fighting and cussing and cutting up. After church we go and we're going to have us a smoke in the back of the church. It's just a mess. The church is a mess. But it's the bride of Christ. We got to ask Jesus what he wants. What do you want for your bride? The church is yours. That's why you won't hear me say this is my church. This is not my church. I don't have a heaven to put you in nor hell. I didn't die for any of you. I don't know if I would. Jesus died for you. It's his.

So we have to be mindful of this sort of mindset. If it's of man, it will come to nothing. That's why, and this breaks my heart, this is why many thousands of churches close their doors every year. People think that I rejoice and say, yeah, you know you got a lot of people coming to the church from this church over here. And I look at them with this look and I say I don't rejoice in that. I don't rejoice at the demise of a church that because they got some drama and a bunch of people are leaving and coming here.

I don't rejoice in that. Why? Because you're going to bring that mess here. And you're going to get mad at me over something and you're going to be packing your bags going down the road. Let me tell you something. I don't rejoice in that. There are thousands of churches that close every year and I mourn over that because the Bible says if one part of the body hurt, we all hurt. At least supposed to. And I don't rejoice in that. So if it's of man, it'll come to nothing.

However, he said in verse 39, "But if it is of God, you cannot overthrow it, lest you even be found to be fighting against God." What wise and seasoned counsel coming from the most respected teacher of the law and held in respect by all the people. He was telling them just wait and see. Be patient. Wait and see. If it's of man, it'll come to nothing. It'll fade out like Theudas and Judas of Galilee. If it's of God, though, you better watch yourself because you'll find yourself fighting against God.

Someone needs to hear this wise, seasoned advice of Gamaliel. Just wait and see. Wait and see. Now, here's some advice from a seasoned pastor. You've heard me say it before. I've never regretted times I waited. I've always regretted times I rushed into things. Never regretted times I waited. Wait on the Lord and be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart. Wait, I say, on the Lord. God is constantly encouraging us to wait.

Wait. Somebody needs to wait. You better not marry them. You hear me in the west auditorium? Don't marry them right now. You better wait and see. Here's some wise advice that Paul the Apostle was giving to Timothy, his young protégé in the faith, who was suffering from ulcers because the leaders were cutting up. Paul said this, watch this. He said, some men's sin will be evident, following them to judgment. Some men's sins will come later on. Watch this.

He is saying, Timothy, the elders that you are rebuking in the presence of all, if you had just waited before you laid hands on them, laying hands means ordain them as elders, if you had just waited, the sin you're rebuking them for would have been clearly evident and you wouldn't have laid hands on them. Somebody needs to wait. You better wait. You better wait. About to make some major decision, move some state, about to make some military thing and you better wait. Just wait and see.

This is what Gamaliel was saying, seasoned guy. He said, just wait and see because the very thing that you're going to loathe them for later on, if you just wait and see, they'll reveal themselves. They're putting their best foot forward now because they like you. And they're putting their best foot forward. Just give it time. That ugliness of them is going to come out. Give it time. It'll reveal itself. Oh, God is speaking to somebody. It'll reveal itself. Don't rush. Wait and see.

And then he went on to say if it is of God, you can't overthrow it. You will find yourself fighting against God. There was a play that traveled the country back in the 70s and those of you who remember it, Your Arms Too Short to Box with God. You can't win a battle with God. If it's of God, you can't overthrow it. To fight against God means this is what this means. It means that you are fighting against something God has clearly said to do in his word or not to do and you're fighting against that. Don't do it. I'm telling you, you won't win.

Some of you are fighting against tithing. You won't win. Let me tell you, that money is coming out of your house. Some kind of way, through a car repair, through a letter from IRS. You thought your light and air condition bill was going to be $30, it's $300. Oh, it's coming out. Some kind of way it's coming out of your house. You can find 3 million things on the internet that say tithing is not for today. Fight against God. That money is coming out. Trust me when I say that.

Some of you are dodging your phones right now because they are blowing you up for their money. Silent. And it's just in your pocket. Eating you up because they want their money and you like, I don't want to get that. It's coming out. God's told you to move out. You're living with someone you're not married to and you're playing house. You hear me over there? West auditorium? That's what you're doing. And you like, but if I move out, what am I going to do, where am I going to go?

And you're fighting against God. Watch this. You're getting out of that house. What do you mean? Where am I going to go? What am I going to do? All of a sudden you catch him because he got him another little honey on the side. That's it! I knew it! Your phone was blowing up, you kept peeking at it. I knew something was going on! I'm out of here! I told you you were getting out of that house. By hook or by crook, you're getting out. God said you can't fight against God and win. What are you trying to fight against God's word? It's a never-winning battle. You won't win.

Somebody needs to hear that today. Stop fighting against the Lord. The difference between the early church and the church today, the difference is they had the power and relied upon the power of the Holy Spirit. Some of you need to ask God to fill you fresh with his spirit. Now, there is one indwelling, many fillings. The disciples were indwelt by the Holy Spirit but throughout the book of Acts, it says they were filled, and then this chapter they were filled, and then this chapter they were filled. Many fillings, one indwelling.

Some of you need to be filled with God's spirit. But here's the thing. Some of you have not really truly repented of your sin and accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior. You're just a churchgoer. A churchgoer to appease your conscience or your mama to say have you found a church yet. You need to commit your life to Jesus Christ by repenting of your sin.