The Word Made Plain

Tony Clark: We will be able to discern whether what we are doing is God's good, perfect, and acceptable will for our lives. How? By allowing God's word, which is where His will is contained, to transform our minds, to transform our thinking. See, when we spend time in the word of God, the word of God transforms—metamorphoo—it transforms our thinking and our minds from being conformed to this world to being transformed into the image of Christ.

This is what happens every time we pick up this word to spend time in it; it is transforming us. And transform means to allow outwardly what is going on inwardly. We're being transformed into the image of Christ. So when we spend time in God's word, now we are outwardly doing what is going on inwardly in our lives. We're being transformed into the image of Christ. And this is by God's word. So God wants us to know His will. God wants us to see the Just One in the pages of scripture. The end of verse 14 says this.

This is so important because sometimes in life we think that God isn't being just, that God isn't being fair. I bring this up because there are a lot of people at this time who are feeling this way. Maybe you haven't outwardly expressed it yet, but it's something that is going on in your heart right now. You're saying, "God, you're not being fair. I was told to trust you. I was told to put my faith and trust in you, and you're kind of unjust by allowing this to happen in my life."

"I lost my job, I'm losing this, I'm losing that, and I'm afraid. You promised that you would take away my fear, and I'm still afraid, I'm worried, I'm freaked out. You said that you're just, but you're not just. You're kind of unjust." Maybe you're not saying that outwardly to anyone yet, but in your heart, you feel that way. You better believe before we even allow it out of our mouths, it's first in our hearts, and that's what God is looking at.

It was said in the book of Acts in chapter 7 verse 39, "In their hearts," speaking of the children of Israel, "they went back to Egypt." In their hearts, they were already gone back to Egypt, going back to the world. And so in your heart, you're speaking these things. Just keep in mind, out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth will eventually speak. You feel that God is unjust, you feel that God is unfair.

I'm here to tell you that in the pages of scripture is where you're going to find your encouragement because the believers in Revelation 15 and verse 3 sang a song. They said, "Great and marvelous are your works, Lord God Almighty. Just and true are your ways." Somebody needs to hear that. I think all of America needs to hear this. Just and true are God's ways. God never wastes a hurt. God knows exactly what He's doing, even though we don't.

We may not see it, we may not understand. "God, why are you allowing this? What's going on?" America, and not only America, the world's god is going down. The god of sports is the god of the world, and that has been stripped away from us and we don't know what to do. God knows what He's doing. Just and true are your ways. These believers now in the presence of God understand. Just and true. God, you are just and you are true in the way that you've been doing things. And they call Him O King of the saints.

Not only does He want us to see the Just One, but He wants us to hear His voice speaking to us as well. Jesus said in John 10 and verse 27, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me." The primary way that God speaks to us is through His word. So the more you know His word and spend time in it, the more you will know the voice of God. His voice will always encourage us to follow Jesus.

His voice will always encourage us and point us to walk in the ways of God contained in the word of God. The more we spend time in this book... it's rightfully said, seven days without this book will make one week (W-E-A-K). So we have to spend time in the word of God. Ananias said in verse 15 that Paul would be a witness to all men of what he has seen and heard. We're called to be witnesses for Jesus Christ as well.

Acts 1:8 says, "Then you shall receive power after that the Holy Spirit has come upon you and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth." We have to ask, are we being a witness during this time? Are we being a witness at home? That's where we're spending a whole lot of time. Are we being a witness at home? I know parents, especially those with small kids, you're ready to kill your kids. But we're called to be a witness.

I love that meme that said it was from a teacher. It said, "Now you believe that your kid is as bad as we said they are, don't you?" because you got to spend all that time with them. Are we being a witness at home? That's the primary place. That's our Jerusalem. Are we being a witness for God in all Judea? That can be our workplace for those who are still working. Are we being a witness in our Judea, if you're an essential worker?

Are we being a witness in our Samaria, around our city, and to the ends of the earth? I'm so amazed at technology, how there are people that are watching us from Africa. I'm getting messages from Pakistan, from Australia, from around the world. Through technology, we can share the gospel and reach to the ends of the earth. If you're out there and you're like, "I'm not being too much of a witness," well, it could be that you need to receive the power of God's Spirit.

Acts 1:8 says, "You shall receive power." Dunamis is that Greek word where we get dynamic, dynamite. It's that dynamite power that we need to speak for Jesus Christ. Maybe you need a fresh filling of the Holy Spirit because in Acts 4:31, it said they were filled with the Spirit of God and they spoke the word with boldness. It's yours for the asking. Luke 11:13 says, "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?"

I'm constantly asking, "Oh God, fill me afresh with your Holy Spirit so I can speak His word with boldness." God choosing Paul didn't alleviate him of his responsibility to respond. See, this is the problem with the two sides of the issue. There's the responsibility of man and there's the sovereignty of God. You've got some groups who overemphasize the sovereignty of God at the expense of the responsibility of man. Then you have others who overemphasize the responsibility of man at the expense of the sovereignty of God.

We have both here. God chose Paul, but Paul still had to respond. Look what it says in verse 16: "And now, why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord." The Lord said, "Well, why are you waiting?" Okay, he's been chosen, so what are you waiting on to do something? Paul, what's up with you? What we see in these verses is the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man at work.

Yes, God chose Paul, but Paul had to do something, which was arise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord. Now, there are those who try to use this verse to teach that unless you're baptized, you cannot be saved. In order to hammer in on a doctrine, you have to look at the totality of scripture on the subject. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "For by grace you have been saved through faith, and yet not of yourselves; it is a gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast."

We also have Romans 10:9 and 10 that says if we confess with our mouths that Jesus is Lord and believe in our hearts that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. This is how we're saved: by grace through faith alone, by confessing with our mouths and believing in our hearts that Jesus is Lord. The way that the Greek text reads on this particular verse is, "Since you have called on the Lord's name, now get baptized."

Now with that being said, we should not go on the other side and think that baptism isn't important, because it is. Baptism symbolizes the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ based upon Romans 6:1-4. If you have accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior, you should get baptized if you're an able-bodied person. There are deathbed conversions and folks go to be with the Lord who couldn't get baptized. We're not going to trip on that.

It's just like the thief on the cross; he accepted Christ and the Lord said, "You'll be with me in paradise." The Lord didn't say, "Wait one minute. Romans, can you take him down and John, can you baptize him? And then you can put him back up here on the cross." No. If you're an able-bodied person, you ought to get baptized. Jesus submitted to the baptism of John the Baptist in Matthew 3:13-17 for two reasons: to validate the ministry of John the Baptist and to give us an example to follow.

Look what it says in verses 17 and 18: "Now it happened when I returned to Jerusalem and was praying in the temple that I was in a trance and saw Him saying to me, 'Make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, for they will not receive your testimony concerning me.'" As Paul continues to tell his story to this mob and answers the accusations that they had against him in Acts 21:28, where they accused him of speaking against the temple, which was not true, he said in verse 17 that he was praying in the temple.

Yes, as a follower of Jesus Christ, he still went to the temple to pray and worship, probably at the times of prayer that all Jewish people did at 9:00 AM, 12:00 noon, and 3:00 PM, like Peter and John did in Acts 3:1. He tells them while in the temple, he fell into a trance. The Greek word is *ecstasis*, and it describes being transformed beyond the normal senses to the supernatural realm to receive divine revelation.

It is the same Greek word, *ecstasis*, used to describe Peter when Peter said he was in a trance in Acts 10:10 and Acts chapter 11 verse 5. While in this trance, he saw the Lord tell him in verse 18 to make haste and get out of Jerusalem quickly, for they will not receive your testimony concerning me. In Acts 9:29 and 30, it says that some brethren told him to get out of Jerusalem. So is this another contradiction?

Of course not. What probably happened was this: some concerned brothers told Paul, "Hey bro, they're plotting to get you. Bro, you better get up out of here." And then God gave Paul this trance and confirmed what they were saying. Look at verses 19 and 20: "So I said, 'Lord, they know that in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believe on you; and when the blood of your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by consenting to his death and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.'"

You've got to love Paul. He was not the one to run from controversy. Most people, if the Lord said, "Hey, you better get out of here because they are not going to receive your testimony," we would have been, "Okay Lord, what's the first thing smoking out of here?" and we would have been gone. Paul said, "Whoa, whoa Lord. I hear what you're saying, but let me just give you some reasons why I should stick around a little longer just in case you don't understand."

He mildly objects to the Lord. I wonder how many times we have mildly objected to what the Lord is telling us or has told us. Why we should stick around, or why we should stay, or why we shouldn't go here or there where the Lord is leading. I'm reminded of what Paul said in Romans 11:34-36. It says, "Who has become the Lord's counselor?" So often all of us have mildly objected to what the Lord is telling us.

Paul was no different. He said, "Look Lord, maybe you don't understand. Maybe you're too busy running the universe, but let me fill you in. They know what type of dude I was. They know that I was that guy that came against Christianity and came against the things of God." Then he goes on to say, "They know in every synagogue I imprisoned and beat those who believe on you. And when the blood of your martyr Stephen was shed, I also was standing by consenting to his death."

Which takes us back to Acts 7:54-60. The consenting part meant that he was a part of the Jewish supreme court called the Sanhedrin. Paul mistakenly believed that his radical transformation by Jesus Christ would convince this angry mob, and the Lord had to tell him in verse 21, "Depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles." So here is Paul's appeal to God, unsuccessful, and the Lord said, "Depart, for I will send you far from here to the Gentiles," the non-Jews.

The Lord told him, "Look, they're not going to receive your testimony concerning me." I just had to pause and just let you know: just because you might have been sent to a job or a certain place, and you're bold enough and filled with the Spirit to speak the word with boldness and give your testimony, not everybody's going to receive it. Not everybody's going to be happy with the new life you have in Christ Jesus.

I've seen where couples were unbelievers, one of them gets saved, and the other one says, "I didn't marry this. I didn't marry you like this. I don't want nothing to do with your Jesus or you for that matter, because all you talk about is Him. All you want to do is go to church; all you want to do is read your Bible. I didn't sign up for this." Not everybody's going to receive your testimony.

Somebody on social media said, "You know what? I've lost many friends because of my testimony for Jesus Christ." Not everybody's going to receive your testimony. You need to be okay with that and not get in your feelings and wonder, "Hey, I used to be this kind of dude and now I'm like this. I am a better person according to the world's standard." Not everybody's going to receive your testimony.

There are times the Lord would tell you, just like He told Paul, make haste and leave because they're not going to receive your testimony concerning me. So He told him to depart and that He was going to send him to the Gentiles. Remember how I said before that God can use our backgrounds? I said this last week. God can use our backgrounds to minister to people or to be more relatable to them. Yes, this is true.

But there are always exceptions to the rule. If we're going to rely upon or trust in our education, our background, or upbringing for the success of the ministry, I believe God will move us to an area where naturally we don't fit in, or our backgrounds are just the opposite. Why would God do this? So the glory would go to God. So God sent Paul to the Gentiles and Peter to the Jews, like Galatians 2:8.

This blows me away. Paul was perfect for the Jews. He was one of the conservative religious leaders called the Pharisees. He was a son of a Pharisee. He studied under the greatest rabbi in Jewish history, Gamaliel. He was perfect to go to the Jews. God said, "Uh-uh. I'm sending you to the Gentiles." And Peter being from Galilee, hick town... you would say Galilee was the country. Up in Galilee where the Gentiles were.

He would have been perfect to go to the Gentiles, and where did God send him? To the Jews. So there are times by which our backgrounds, our upbringing, our education would be perfect to go to a certain area, but God knows our hearts. If we're going to rely upon or trust in our backgrounds or our education for the success of whatever we're going to do for God, God will say, "Pump your brakes. I'm going to send you somewhere totally different where your background doesn't fit, where you are just the opposite."

God says, "You're perfect for it because now you've got to rely upon me. Now you've got to trust me. Now you've got to look to me instead of looking to your background, your education, or your racial makeup." God will do that. There are times by which it's a perfect fit, but there are times by which God says He's going to do something totally, totally different.

How did this crowd respond to Paul telling his story? Well, you've got to wait until next time to find out. Let me conclude with this: in part two of Paul telling his story to this angry mob, he talked about how God chose him, but he still had to respond. The question is, have you responded yet to the call of God upon your life? He wants us to know His will for our lives. He wants us to hear His voice.

He wants us to respond to the Just One, that He is just and true and holy, just like He told Paul. Can you hear God calling you through this message? There's something that God has been placing upon your heart during this time. Can you hear Him calling you? He's called you from the foundations of the world. He's called you to do a certain thing. He just didn't save us for us to be little earthlings upon this earth.

He called us to do a great work. To find out the details of things, you have to spend time in God's word because that's where His will is revealed. You can start with the Proverbs and then move on to other books. As you dive into this great word of God, this word will dive into you, and God will reveal His voice to you and you will hear what He has called you to do.

I can remember as clear as day when God called me into ministry. I was just two months old in the Lord. I can remember when God revealed to me that I would be a senior pastor one day. I remember it like it was yesterday and it was 30-something years ago. Can you hear the voice of God calling you? Maybe there's some out there that He's calling to salvation.

If that's the case, we're going to lead you in a prayer that's going to lead you to the throne of grace, to the foot of Jesus Christ at the cross. Let's close in prayer at this time. Father, we are so grateful that you love us, Lord, that you have called us to be at this place here. Lord, I just pray for anyone out there who has not surrendered their life to Jesus Christ. Just pray this simple prayer:

Lord Jesus, forgive me. I believe you died on the cross and were buried and rose again. Come into my heart. I make you my Lord and Savior. Help me to live for you by the power of your Holy Spirit. Help me to live for you from this day forward. In Jesus' name, Amen.

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