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 Bibles to Acts chapter 18, verses 24 through 28.

Tony Clark: The Bible says in Revelation 12, right around verse 10, that they overcame by the blood of the lamb and the word of their testimony. No one can deny your testimony. No one can say that didn't happen to you. If that is the one thing you know, you share that one thing. I was blinded by my sin, and now I see.

Man's greatest need is to be forgiven. If people can hear that there is a God who can forgive them of their sin, who can take the weight they are carrying around and place it upon himself on the cross, people will run to it. People are not against Christianity. They are against our demonstration of it. That is what they are against because we are a hot mess.

We were talking about this on the way home from South Carolina. We are all broken. We are broken. We are tore up from the floor up. I thought about it a little bit longer. We went about another couple of miles. Everyone in America needs to just go to the nearest Celebrate Recovery in their area and try to get fixed.

We are all broken. We come in here with our smiles acting like we have it all together. We are broken down spiritually. We have so many hang-ups and hassles and hardships and mess in our lives. If we can just show the world that there is a God who wants to forgive them, that is all you need to know.

I was blinded by my sin, but now I can see. How can you see? Through Jesus Christ and the cross. He has forgiven me of all of my sins. If we can just share that with people. People are burdened down with their sin, the mess they have done to their kids, the things they did not do, and the hatred and anger kids have toward parents.

We are all just broken people, and the only salvation is through the cross of Jesus Christ. This is what we need to be telling folks. We try to come off like we have it all together, like we are all right and good and righteous and holy. Then you go cuss out your spouse as soon as you get in the car. You were in church, then you get in the car and say, "I didn't forget what took place last night."

Where did you just come from? We are broken and only Jesus can fix us. We are like Humpty Dumpty. We fell down. Like the commercial says, "I fell down and I can't get up." You can't. Only Jesus can pick you up. He can lift you up. We are in such need of salvation, such need of the cross and the forgiveness of our sin.

We do not have it together. I know you want to look like you do, but you are broken down too. I am your friend and I am letting you know you are broken down no matter how many Hallelujahs, Amens, or "too blessed to be stressed" you can say. You need Jesus just like the rest of us.

This is what Apollos knew. All he knew was the baptism of John. Verse 26 says he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. We know from verse 24 that Apollos left Alexandria where he was born and came to the city of Ephesus.

We see that his gift of speaking made room for him because this verse says he began to speak boldly in the synagogue. Proverbs 18:16 says that your gift will make room for you. Spiritually, in the church, you do not have to try to pump yourself up or boast in who you are and where you have been. In the world, you have to send your resume and try to make yourself look good.

No, the Bible says your gift will make room for you. Here is this eloquent, educated man. Next thing you know, he left Alexandria and came to Ephesus. All of a sudden, he is speaking boldly in the synagogue. I remember when I was assistant pastor in the church back in the '80s and then I left there and started going to Calvary Chapel.

We sat in the back because in those days, if you had kids in the children's ministry, you sat there. That was the most glorious thing I ever heard. Kids having their own church so the adults can be taught and not worry about Johnny needing to go to the bathroom. I thought it was the most glorious thing. I was experiencing a little taste of heaven.

We sat in the back because that was before the technological ways we tell people their children need them. Back in that day, someone came and tapped you on the shoulder. You got the famous tap. Instead of sitting up front and having to say "excuse me" to everyone while you leave, you sat in the back. We did that for two years.

The Bible says your gift will make room for you, just like it was doing with Apollos. Next thing you know, someone asked me if I could cover a new believers class. Pretty soon, my gift made room for me. They asked me to be available to pray with people after the service. Then my pastor asked me to come on full-time.

Your gift will make room for you in the kingdom of God. The way to be exalted is to be humble. The world is just the opposite. In the world, you have to promote yourself. It is not like that in the kingdom. It is through humility and letting God exalt you. When God exalts you, no one can put you down.

When Aquila and Priscilla heard him, they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately. Paul went to Jerusalem for the Feast of Passover. When they heard this eloquent preacher talk about the things of God, they did not stand up and blast him in public. No, they took him aside, possibly to their house.

The church of Ephesus started out in the house of Aquila and Priscilla. They instructed him in the atoning death of Christ, his burial, and his glorious resurrection. Apollos was teachable. Yes, he was knowledgeable and eloquent, but he was humble and teachable. He did not allow his knowledge to puff him up with pride.

First Corinthians 8:1 says knowledge puffs up but love edifies. I always smile when our kids go off to college for the first time. They come home for Thanksgiving break talking differently. Their head is held a little higher. They have a semester of psychology under their belt and they come back calling us "Mother" and "Father."

Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies. Even though this man had great knowledge, he was humble and teachable. He did not allow his affluent upbringing in Alexandria to cause him to be unteachable. He allowed Aquila and Priscilla to tell him the rest of the story. John the Baptist talked about Jesus who was going to come.

Well, he came, died on the cross, was buried, and resurrected. When they gave him the rest of the story, this man was blown away. Verse 27 says when he desired to cross to Achaia, the brethren wrote to the disciples to receive him. He vigorously refuted the Jews publicly, showing from the scriptures that Jesus is the Christ.

Apollos was so excited to have the whole story that he wanted to go to Achaia, where the capital is Corinth. They wrote a letter to the believers in Corinth to receive this mighty man of God. He was such a great help that he vigorously refuted the Jews with his mastery of the Old Testament and his skills as a debater.

The Greek word for refuted is an intense double compound word. It means he totally crushed his opponents, disproving them at every point. Notice he showed from the scriptures that Jesus is the Christ. We need more men and women like Apollos who are mighty in the scriptures and fervent in spirit.

We need people who can vigorously refute those who come against Christianity. The Bible says always be ready to give every person an answer for the hope that lies within you. Can you do that? With the popularity of the internet, a plethora of good is on there, as well as a plethora of incredible evil.

People used to say there are contradictions in the Bible, but they could not show you where. Now, because of the internet, all they have to do is pull it up on their phone. Can you answer them? Can you vigorously refute them? This is why we have classes to equip you to be mighty in the scriptures so you do not walk away questioning if Christianity is true.

That is what kids are doing in universities because some atheistic professor is saying Christianity is junk. Ray Comfort made those professors in the universities look straight dumb in the Atheist Delusion. They wanted the cameras turned off because they looked stupid. Anytime a leading atheist says nothing created everything, that is the most idiotic thing I have ever heard.

How can nothing create everything? When this famous atheist said this, the crowd laughed and he was shocked. The Christian who was on the panel debating him said, "They're laughing because of what you just said. It doesn't even make sense." Second Peter says in the last days, men will be willingly ignorant.

They can see the evidence and say no. We have to be ready. We want to do all we can to equip you because our children are going off to universities and there are atheistic professors who mock Christianity. We have to be able to give answers. If they come home and say their professor said something, what are you going to say?

Do not make an appointment for them with me. I have enough on my plate. You get some answers. We have assistant pastors who would love to take time with you, but it is time for you to dig in too. It is time for you to be ready to give everyone an answer, and that includes your children as well.

I asked the question at the beginning, where is Apollos today? I pray he is in this room. I pray there are men and women mighty in the scriptures, fervent in spirit, and speaking boldly for Jesus Christ. Even if you only can say you were once blind in your sin, but now you can see because of Jesus Christ.

You share that, but you do not stay there. Ten years later, I hope you know a little bit more than that. I hear this all the time, but it was a great honor to hear it last service. A man told me he has been going to this church for about ten years. He said he has learned more in ten years than he did in the 40 years prior to coming here.

He had no clue about Apollos before, but he knows now. We want to give you the word of God. Jesus said you are easily deceived by not knowing the scriptures nor the power of God. The power of God is in knowing the scriptures. You will have power to defend it against anyone who comes against it.

There is a way they train people to detect counterfeit money. They let them touch and examine the real thing so well that they detect a counterfeit immediately. Do you know the real teaching of the word of God? When someone comes to you with a counterfeit, can you detect it just like that?

There is a cult not that far from here and they are all over the place. They ask if you believe in your heavenly father and heavenly mother. I have not encountered them yet. They get it from one little verse in Galatians. On the surface, that does not sound right. They act like they have some secret stuff about God that you do not know.

They tell you that you must come to their little cult to hear more about the heavenly mother. Are you kidding me? But the parking lot is packed out. People are hearing some mystical teaching about a heavenly mother. Are we serious? Can you refute them? Can you give answers, or would you join them?

Remain humble and teachable. Let us commit to being more like Apollos by spending daily time reading the word, praying, and coming to church to be instructed. If we commit to this, the 757 area would never be the same again. We have people who come from all over the place.

If we would commit by the grace of God to be like Apollos, the 757 would never be the same again. We are crammed in here, but let me tell you what I see. I see empty seats up here. That lets us know there is more room. This whole row is empty. There is room for more. We have not even touched this region and what God wants to do.

If we commit ourselves to the things of God, if we just take a moment to quiet ourselves and spend time in silence with our Bibles open, letting God speak to us, this area would not know what hit them. You are the talk around this country because of social media. I am blown away that people are taking vacations in Newport News so they can come here on a Sunday.

You live right around the corner and you come once every six weeks. These people take their vacation to come and sit in here for a Sunday. Let us commit to being more like Apollos. We know we want to be more like Jesus, but Apollos was mighty in the scriptures. May our coworkers and family members say the same thing about us.

Father, thank you so much for your word and for the time you have spent with us. Thank you for this great man of God, Apollos. I just pray that your Holy Spirit will move upon us so that we can be mighty in the scriptures. Thank you for your great love and your kindness for your people.

Lord, if there is anyone here who has not repented of their sin and accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior, I pray today would be the day of salvation for them. I pray they believe you died on the cross and rose again. Draw them to you, Lord. In Jesus' name. Amen.

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