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 14 verses 23 through 28.

Tony Clark: Jesus said, for us, if any man desires to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow me. Luke is the only gospel writer who adds one little word to that command. All the other gospel writers quoted it just like I said. Luke is the only one who adds one word: daily. Take up his cross daily and follow me.

It is a day-by-day choice. You woke up today and you made some choices. You came here. You made a choice to do that. You could have stayed home. You could have gone over to a friend's house. You could have been getting ready to just goof off for the day. You could have just said, I'm just going to stay in my pajamas and fool around all day today. But you chose to come here. You made a choice.

I love what Jesus told the religious leaders in John chapter 5 verse 40. He says, you're not willing to come to me that you may have life. That means they had a choice to come to Jesus and they didn't take advantage of it. You have a choice. Maybe this describes you.

God has given all of us a free will and what we do with it will tell how intimate we will be with God. Some stay home, some come to church. Some spend time in prayer and Bible reading every day while others grab a cup of coffee and look at social media before they go to work. It's a choice. It's a daily choice.

It's the choices that we make. I believe that there were those here who showed a level of maturity when Paul and Barnabas came back through these cities. When they fasted and prayed, God pointed them out and they were appointed as elders throughout these cities.

I believe the things that Paul and Barnabas taught them, when they left to go to other cities, there were those who chose to take advantage of that. I need to be praying. I need to be looking to the Lord. I need to stop doing this. There were those who began to follow the teachings that Paul and Barnabas taught them. When they fasted and prayed as they came back through those areas, God said, him right there and him right there. I believe that they stood out from the rest.

The end of verse 23 says that they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed. Please don't miss this very important point. Ultimately, the people belong to the Lord, not to the elders, not to Paul and Barnabas, but to the Lord. You belong to the Lord. You are his people and his sheep. He died for you and we didn't.

Yes, we will give an account of how we fed you, led you, and took care of your souls, but you ultimately belong to him. Never forget this point. You're God's people. In other words, don't take your eyes off of the shepherd, Jesus Christ, that you belong to. You look to him.

I told you many times, many of you have gotten yourselves into some stuff that only the Lord God Almighty above, the creator of the heavens of the Earth, can get you out of. In my younger years in ministry, I remember thinking, bring your problems and I'll show you in the word of God how to get out of your situation.

Now, I look at some of the stuff and sometimes I'm thinking, what in the world did you get yourself into this? My job is to point you to the Lord. I believe that there's too much, as the world would say, too much codependency that goes on in the church and leaders who have this need to be needed. They want the people looking to them.

I want you looking to the Lord. You're his people. You belong to him. You belong to him, you're his sheep. He died for you. None of us did. Some of the problems you're involved in, what do you want me to do with that? What do you want me to do with this? Pastor, I want some help. Only God can help you.

That's my job is to point you to the Lord. Look at verses 24 and 25. And after they had passed through Pisidia, they came to Pamphylia. Now when they had preached the word in Perga, they went down to Attalia. In these verses we see Paul and Barnabas retracing their steps and risking their lives to go back and establishing leadership in all of these cities.

They risked their lives in going back to these cities because Paul was stoned in Lystra. As I was going over my notes this morning, I just had to pause and I couldn't leave that sentence the way it was because Paul was stoned in Lystra. He was stoned with stones. He wasn't stoned drug-wise, but he was stoned with stones.

I had to explain that. I couldn't just leave that because somebody would have went out and said, the Apostle Paul was stoned. He was hit with rocks. Maybe I should have put it that way. He was stoned with rocks in Lystra. They escaped a violent mob in Iconium. Jealousy and envy stirred up another mob against them in the city of Antioch of Pisidia.

They didn't care about their own lives. They knew what they were risking by going back through these areas, but that didn't matter. They were servants of God. They wanted to see healthy churches established in these cities and elders appointed so they could continue to grow in their relationship with the Lord.

Verse 25 says that they preached the word in the city of Perga, implying that they didn't get a chance to do it the first time there. They had already been through this city but something prevented them from preaching the gospel. Remember, the whole reason they were going back through this area was so that they could establish elders, not necessarily to preach the gospel but to see how those new believers were doing.

Why is it that verse 25 says that they preached the gospel in Perga? It lets us know they didn't get a chance to do it the first time. We know why. According to Acts 13:13, this is when John Mark, the nephew of Barnabas, left and went back home. This is also what many scholars believe that Paul became sick with malaria and had to go to a higher altitude and ended up in the city of Antioch of Pisidia.

Because of Paul's sickness and John Mark going back home, maybe he got sick as well. They didn't preach the gospel in Perga until they came back through this region on their way back home. I love it how God so often will give us another chance to share the gospel with people that maybe we didn't get a chance to do it because of circumstances. God will give us another chance.

This is why we always talk about how God is the God of the second chance. Maybe God wanted us to share and talk to someone and we didn't get a chance to because of whatever reason. God will give us a second chance and I'm so thankful for that.

Look at verses 26 to 28. From there they sailed to Antioch, where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work which they had completed. Now when they had come and gathered the church together, they reported all that God had done with them and that he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. So they stayed there a long time with the disciples.

In these verses we see the first of three missionary journeys came to an end. They sailed from the city of Attalia and headed home to Antioch of Syria, where they were commended to the grace of God for the work they had completed, according to verse 26. We know that the work of God is never done, but this task God had them do was complete.

I just have to pause and say have you completed the task that God has given you to do? For some, have you even started? God has given every person who calls himself a believer at least one gift and to use that gift for the glory of God. They completed the task. This was the first of three missionary journeys that God would send them on. The first one was done now.

They completed that task. Have you even started doing what God has called you to do? Because we're going to give an account to God for how we steward over the gift that God has given us, how we took care of the gift. Many of you are using that gift and you're making a company, a store, the military, the government a whole lot of money.

But God has ultimately given you that gift to use for the glory of God. Have you completed the gift? So often people get started but they don't complete it. A lot of people get started because of what is called church hurt. Because the people that you're serving are once again God's people.

And because people trip when you serve them, sometimes they're not always thankful for watching their little rugrat. They're not always thankful for you putting up with their mouthy attitudish teenager. They're not always thankful when you open up a door and say good morning to you or when you help them park a car. You get hurt and you started the work but you haven't completed it yet.

God has given you a gift to use for his glory, use for his kingdom. And some people haven't even gotten started yet and there's always another chance every time you open your eyes to get going again. Did you know when we go to heaven it's an old saying but it's true, only what we do for Christ will last.

We're not going to get in heaven and say how many hours you work when you down there, 70? I worked 80 hours a week. We're all going to be looking at you like whoop-dee-doo. Who cares? Nobody's going to be talking about that. But what you're going to be doing for the next billion trillion years is based upon the gift you use down here.

The question is that they finished the task, have you finished yours? The task of being a mother, a task of being a father, that's all another sermon. Have you got done or have you even started the task? They completed theirs and you've got to search your heart and just ask yourself have you completed yours.

No doubt the church in Antioch of Syria was so happy to see them and hear the stories from Paul and Barnabas. Notice how they told this church in verse 27 all that God had done with them. They gave all the glory to God. They didn't take the credit. Maybe the reason why many of you have not completed the task that God has given you is because as you were working on the task, you began to take the credit for it.

God said, oh, and then God has to put you on the shelf. You remember what that was like putting books on and off the shelf? Today we're flipping, but there was a time that we used to take books off the shelf and then when you get done you put the book back on the shelf. Sometimes when we begin to take the glory and the credit for the gift God has given us, because the gift he's given us it comes from him and it comes for the purpose of blessing his people.

Then all of a sudden when the people are blessed by the gift that you got from God, all of a sudden they can't see God, they see you and they begin to just pat you on the back a little too much. Nothing's wrong with an atta-boy, appreciate you, amen, God bless you, nothing wrong with that. But when they start appreciating you a little too much then you begin to oh, yes, I am all that.

And God says, oh, let me put you back up on the shelf. What you need to do is humble yourself and give the glory back to him. Give the glory back to God, the one who gave you the gift, the one that has empowered you to use the gift, not for you to take the credit for yourself. That's why many you don't get too far because God knew if he blessed you with possessions, if he blessed you with position, if he blessed you with prestige, you couldn't handle it.

You'd start walking around like a peacock. Your wings couldn't even get through the door. I know these type of people, I see them all the time. I know when they come in strutting, throwing around their titles and their position and what they've done in life. I just want to yell peacock alert, peacock alert. God put you right on the shelf.

The second thing that they told them was how God opened the door of faith to the Gentiles. God is the one who opens doors and closes them as well. We know this from Revelation 3 and verse 7, it says God opens doors that no man could close and close doors no man could open. However, all because God has opened a door for you doesn't mean that there wouldn't be any hard times.

First Corinthians 16:9 says, Paul speaking, a great and effective door has opened to me and here it is, but there are many adversaries. I bring this up because we think I am experiencing hard times and hardship, it must not have been the Lord's will that I walked through this door. That's not necessarily true.

God opening up a door of ministry for us doesn't mean that it will be free from hard times. Look at Paul and Barnabas. They went through some difficult times, but when they got back they told the church about the great doors God had opened up for them in preaching the gospel to the Gentiles who were the non-Jews.

So no doubt they took some time to rest and stay a long time with the disciples, verse 28 tells us. Now here's the thing. You have to understand that there are times it is just as spiritual to rest then it is to also serve the Lord. Yes, we get tired in the work but never of the work. This is why we want to move you in the area where you're gifted.

When you're serving in the area you're gifted, there's no such thing as burnout because you're just doing what you're gifted to do. Burnout comes when you're doing something because there is a need. You're not gifted there but you heard that there is a need and maybe you have the gift of service and you just want to serve. That's great. God bless you for those who are like that.

But we want to move you in the area you're gifted. There's never burnout. I don't get burned out in doing what I'm doing. I get tired but I don't get burned out because this is what God has gifted me to do. Also, I need to rest. There's times I do need to rest. Be very mindful it is just as spiritual to rest. Notice notice when they did it, after they had completed the task. They completed the task God gave them to do. They took time to rest, chill, sit back, pray, seek the Lord, strengthen the church in Antioch of Syria, and all that kind of stuff.

It's great stuff. Now what happened next? Well, you got to wait until next time we get into chapter 15 verse 1. But let me just say I'm talking about the importance of leadership. Paul and Barnabas appointed elders in every city to establish the believers in their faith. Men, single parents, you are the elders that God has appointed in your home and if everything stands and falls on leadership, how is your home church doing?

Is your home church standing or falling on your watch? Are they spiritually mature or spiritual infants? Is your home falling apart? You heard me say it many times whenever a company goes down and another company comes in and swoops them up, the first thing they do, not even a interview or as you would call it in the corporate world, not even an exit interview. No, they fire them immediately because the company went down on their watch.

So to it, men, how's your home church doing? We're struggling. It's on your watch. Single parents, how's your home doing? It's on your watch, no matter what. It's on your watch. There was one pastor talking to a more experienced pastor and he was complaining about the church, people they don't want to serve, they don't want to do anything, they just come and they just sit, they don't show up all the time. He just kept going on and on.

The experienced pastor was listening to him and he looked at him and said, who's the pastor of that church? The issues are because of you. It's under your watch. You're the leader there. It's under your watch. Men, I'm telling you, if your marriage and stuff is falling apart, it's on your watch. I know you want to be the man, I'm the man of this home, I'm the leader here. Well then there's some responsibilities that go with being a leader.

One guy walked out after first service, he came and he was talking to me. He said, I hear you when you talk, but he pointed to his wife, he said, but this kind of crazy, I can't be responsible for this kind of crazy. I said, hey bro, let me hit you with a verse going out the door. I said First Corinthians 11:7 says that the woman is the glory of the man.

The woman reflects what the man is doing. So if she got all kind of crazy going on and she reflects you, then you must have a whole lot of crazy going on. Everything stands and falls on leadership. Keep that in mind, men. Single parents, I know it's hard and you got them babies and kids and stuff and crazy going on. I know. But everything stands and falls on leadership.

Everything. It almost kind of goes back to the man again because if this woman is a single parent, where's the dude? There are also men who are single parents as well today in this crazy world we live in. But everything stands and falls on leadership. We want to help you. We want to help establish your home in righteousness. We want to help establish your home in holiness and righteousness.

That's what we're here to teach you how to do, how to be the man of your home, how to be the leader of your home. We're here to help you. There's things that we've taught here as far as leadership, as far as the word, that people have taken that and gone and lived that on their jobs and guess what? They've end up being promoted. This is eternal truth here and we want to help you.

Finally, don't forget that God is the one who opens and closes doors. All because you're going through a tough time doesn't necessarily mean you should not have gone through that particular door. It could mean that, but not necessarily, not always. We have to remember whatever we try to do for God, there's a being called Satan and he's very good at what he does.

He's going to try to oppose anything we try to do for God. You have to understand that. All because I'm going to start serving, then next thing you're like, I've been serving for two weeks, my house is falling apart, the kids are crazy and stuff going on at the job. Don't you know that there's a Satan that says, okay, let me see how I can stir this pot to get them to stop serving?

Maybe I shouldn't have started serving because ever since I started serving God all this this been happening. Stop it. Paul said a great and effective door has opened to me and there are many adversaries. You're going to have adversaries when you serve God. We're going to keep it 100 with you. We're not going to say you serve God and all of a sudden life will be like tiptoeing through the tulips. No.

Satan is going to come. He's going to come and fool around and stir the pot, especially at home. That's where he starts. So just be ready for that. Be ready. I'm not going to hide it from you. Be ready, but God will be with you and strengthen you. It'll be a great time. Let's pray.

Father, thank you so much for this time you've given us your word that is so good to us. We pray that your spirit will move in our midst. God, we pray that your Holy Spirit would take the word and that we might hide it in our hearts that we might not sin against you. Lord, I pray for anyone here who has not prayed to repent and to ask you to come into their hearts. I pray that today would be the day of salvation for them, in Jesus' name. Amen.

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