The Word Made Plain

Tony Clark: 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 20, verses 28 through 31.

Tony Clark: I'm going to take some of you back. Some of you ain't going to have a clue of what I'm talking about, but some of you, you're going to be, oh, that took me back. They will exploit you and say, give me my $100 line over here. Give me my $50. Give me my $20 over here. But if you only got a dollar, you bring up the rear. But I need my $100 line over here.

Tony Clark: They seek instead of feeding the flock, they seek to fleece the flock. And they leave those churches with a bag, a grip full of money, and they go off to the next church to give them another $100 line, $50 line, $20 line. It's just a sad thing.

Tony Clark: Or or so this, let me get my little dildos ready, so this financial seed, into this ministry and financially, and you will be blessed to get some holy water, or some holy towel, or some holy handkerchief that they prayed over.

Tony Clark: It's it's we see it's unfortunate. And you would think that people would see through it. But remember what Peter said, many will follow their destructive ways. And it says, and the way of God will be blasphemed. See, what I'm teaching here will be blasphemed by them. Because I'm calling them out.

Tony Clark: See, Paul told Timothy, from such people, withdraw yourself. So Paul told these Ephesian elders that these, he called them savage wolves, will come in from the outside, in verse 29. But there's another group from within the church. In verse 30, who will rise up speaking perverse things to do what? To draw away disciples after themselves.

Tony Clark: This took place because Paul would later write to Timothy, who became the pastor of the church of Ephesus. He told them in 1 Timothy 1:20 to beware of a man named Hymeneus and Alexander, whom he delivered to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme. Then in his second letter to Timothy, in 2 Timothy 2 and verse 17, Paul told Timothy to beware of Hymeneus again. He's still fooling around. Hymeneus, and then he teamed up, buddied up with a guy named Philetus. Because they were spreading a message, notice, in the church that was like a cancer.

Tony Clark: And why would they do such a thing? To draw away disciples after themselves. You will always have people trying to make a name for themselves, trying to get people to follow them. I see this all the time. Coming in thinking they're impressing me with a bunch of titles and and letters in front and behind their name. And I just, you know, I've been in ministry well over three decades, and I'm not impressed by any of that stuff. I'm not impressed by that stuff.

Tony Clark: But they think they're going to come in and impress me with what they're doing, what they're doing. And what they were trying to do, watch this, they were trying to slither their way in to some Saturday men's group. Or some small home study. And they're trying to slither in there in order to do what? Draw away disciples after themselves. You will always have people trying to make a name for themselves.

Tony Clark: And Paul warns Timothy, notice, he warns Timothy by name and names of men causing the trouble in the church. He said, Hymeneus and Alexander. And then he said, Hymeneus teamed up with somebody else named Philetus. He named names. Today, people will say, Paul, you judging them, you you you judging, judging, Paul. You judging. Paul will say, yes, I am. Because as a pastor, I am not only to feed you, but I'm to protect you and warn you from people who will seek to harm you spiritually.

Tony Clark: He says, this is why I'm doing this. Because I'm being a good pastor. And I'm not going to sugarcoat it for you or for anybody else. I'm going to name the name. I'm going to say, beware of him and him and him over there. This is what Paul did. But today, because we're so worldly-minded, Paul, you judge, Paul, you you legalistic, Paul, you you like a Pharisee. You like one of them religious Jesus rebuke, Jesus in love. Won't you just love Hymeneus and love and love Alexander?

Tony Clark: Yeah, that message is spreading like a cancer and the whole church will be full of cancer. But you need to love on them and just love them a little bit more. And if you love them, Paul, maybe they'll straighten up. It's no lack of love that. That's the kind of mess that goes on today. Christians, Christians with that mess. That kind of that kind of gushy 60s kind of love, love kind of love. That's not biblical love.

Tony Clark: You stop bringing that mess in the church. That's not biblical love. Paul named names. He said, these men are going to hurt you spiritually. And just like a person with cancer, you got a cancer in part, we got to cut that thing right out. And that's what he said. He said, I delivered them to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme. I need to cut that cancer right out before it just poison the whole church.

Tony Clark: Paul said, I'm being a good pastor. Today's people will say, Paul, you're unloving. I don't know why you're doing that. Can we all get along? Can we just love each other? All we need is love. Mess. That's why the church is messes in now. Because people are afraid today. They're afraid, they're afraid to speak out, they're afraid because, oh, people may just freak out if you say something. Oh.

Tony Clark: Hey, let me tell you something, I got to answer to God. I'm going to give an account not only how I pastor the church, but in what spirit I pastor it in. Did I do it in the spirit of fear? Did I do it in the spirit of the power of the Holy Spirit? That's what I'm going to give an account for. And I'm here to let you know, I'm not going to shrink back. I'm not going to cower. I'm not going to, I won't say that because somebody might be offended.

Tony Clark: The Bible said one of the characteristics of the last days that many will be offended. Did you know the Bible says that in Matthew 24? Oh, y'all don't read your Bibles, do you? Says that. Matthew 24. Characteristic of the last day, many will be offended. So, Paul named names that he had no problem with it.

Tony Clark: Now, notice Paul said these leaders in verse 30 that they will speak, notice, perverse things. The Greek word for perverse is diastrepho. And it means to distort, to misinterpret or corrupt. This word diastrepho, I love this definition. It came to mean turning something into a new shape. To twist.

Tony Clark: In other words, Paul is saying that there will be people from within the church who will rise up and twist and distort the word of God and try to turn it into a new shape to suit their ways. Oh, we see this all the time. Paul said these men will be trying to, notice, draw away people to follow them.

Tony Clark: Now, the Greek word for drawaway in verse 30 is apostapel. And it means to draw off, to wrench away or to snatch away. Paul is is saying if a pastor is not watchful over the sheep God has given him to watch, the wolves will snatch away, drag away, wrench away the sheep to devour them.

Tony Clark: Parents, oh, I have to talk to us. Or grandparents because nowadays even grandparents are raising their grandkids. Parents, grandparents, you better pay close attention to the children your children are hanging out with. Satan will send wolves even among them to drag away, drag off from the faith you're trying to teach them.

Tony Clark: I'm so thankful that our home was the home all the kids wanted to come to. I'm thankful for that. That I had children, especially my younger son, he was he was the pipe piper. All the kids followed him. And so whatever Eric did, they all wanted to do. So, they they always, they were always over the house. And I would watch, I would watch them either up in the window I'd watch or in the garage I'd watch, or if they're playing basketball in the driveway, or at that time, at that time, I used to be out there playing with them.

Tony Clark: Now, I'd be out there playing with them, you know, I only had one or two games in me. After that, I'm done. You know, I'm I don't have nothing else in the tank. So we had this big electrical thing in the yard that, you know, people sit on waiting on the next game. So I would just sit and I'll just watch and I will listen and I'll pay close attention. And I start asking questions and say, hey, Eric, Tony, what about who who is that? I don't know about that. They ain't coming back.

Tony Clark: I don't know about him. I don't know about. What what's their background? What's going on with them? What's their parents like? You know, and I we had refrigerator in the garage. I'm giving out Gatorade and all this stuff, and you know, I'm sipping, you know, I'm drinking, watching, oh, this person wants to spend the night. Not over this house. They want me to go over and spend the night. The devil's a liar. You ain't going over there.

Tony Clark: And I used to watch. Our house was that house. I remember one time Eric says, you know, he said, Dad, you know, we're going to, we're going to have a, you know, a couple of friends over, we're going to watch some movies or whatever. I said, okay, all right. I said, okay, just a couple friends. Yeah, yeah, just a couple friends.

Tony Clark: Because he's the piper, the word got around. So, I I said, I'd be upstairs, and I'd be upstairs watching the game or something, whatever. So, all of a sudden, I didn't hear anything downstairs. I just, you know, I just heard the TV. I went down there all the lights off. I flicked the lights on, there's about 40 kids in my house. I said, what in the world, what who are these folks? What's going on? What's happening?

Tony Clark: And I was able to watch because I'm the pastor of my home. I'm a pastor of my home long before I was pastor here. I was watching. I said, who who is that? Who that little fast thing right there? That little mini mini, what you call, numbers, just skivvies. Look a mini mini dress. It was a mini shirt. I said, who is that? Girl, where your clothes? Where your who are your people? Who are your mama?

Tony Clark: I I made sure, I watched all that. Watch all because I'm the pastor of my home. And I knew that their kids had influence. Thank God, my son was the pipe piper that everybody followed. But here's the thing, many of you don't have pipe pipers. You have followers as children. And you better watch the kids that's coming in and out their lives. You better watch it.

Tony Clark: Because Satan, just like he plants tears in the church, he plants tears among your children. And among you at the job. All of a sudden, somebody want to be all buddy-buddy with you. I bet you they do. Mhm. I'm you got to watch that sort of stuff. So, because they want to snatch them away to devolve them.

Tony Clark: Now, here's the thing. I had no problem with telling children and telling my son or, you know, whatever that this kid, uh-uh, this kid ain't allowed back over here. Uh-uh. Something, this coming up missing, that coming up missing. I I know I know that kind. I said, oh no. Nope, not coming over here. Nope.

Tony Clark: Well, Pastor Tony, you're a pastor. Should you have ministered to that kid? I'm trying to pastor my kids. They were growing up. That was my job. To pastor my kids. You know, I do all that, I talked to these kids on the side, but it don't mean I got to let them come over and spend the night. They ain't spending out my house. Next you know, my whole downstairs is gone and we're upstairs asleep. Not doing that. Uh-uh. That ain't happening.

Tony Clark: So, I named names. I said, so and so and so and so. No more. Mm-mm. And so too, Paul was naming names as well in these verses. Now, the way that you can tell if a person is a wolf or not. Is by checking out their diet. You said, what does that mean? What what are you talking about? What if they eat fast food or something? No, no, no, no, no, no, no. Not that diet.

Tony Clark: Wolves love to eat sheep. That's their diet. Now, sheep, you got to understand, are innocent. There is a purity about them. They they they are easily persuaded. If one sheep, shepherds tell us this, if one sheep falls off the cliff, the rest of them will follow. They they that's sheep.

Tony Clark: And if a person is trying to take your purity and your innocence away from you, just know that they are a wolf. And Satan, he plants his wolves in the church. To pray upon your innocence. To pray upon your purity. You're trying to stay pure. To pray upon it.

Tony Clark: And I'm telling you, ladies, I'm telling you. And no matter how he dresses up. We learn from Little Red Riding Hood. Oh, what big teeth you have, the better to devour you with. And then he can do that and I was talking to New York after first service. He said, bro, you need to remind them. There are some women who are wolves today. I said, okay. I said, second service. So, here we are. There's some female wolves out there.

Tony Clark: He said, they're like, how do you think I smell? What you what? See, because Satan knows that's that's that's a man's weak point. So, if a woman comes off like a wolf. He know he's going to devour the man. And I told them after after first service. I said, guess what? I said, when did Satan come to Jesus? After Jesus had been fasting 40 days and 40 nights. He was at his weakest. It said that he was hungry. That's not the Bible trying to be cute, that 40 days. Of course he's hungry. No, no, no, no.

Tony Clark: He was fasting 40 days and 40 nights, it meant that his body was starting to go into starvation mode. And that's when Satan came and said, okay, you son of God, turn these stones into bread. You're hungry. I know you're hungry. He comes at our weakest point. And and and and if you're in here now, you little wolf, I don't care how you dress. I still see those big teeth.

Tony Clark: And we're going to call it out. And I'm telling you, a man that's his weakest area. And then when little woman comes off wolfish. Then his knees buckle. He's gone. He's snatched away, drugged away, wrenched away to be devoured. So, it could it comes both both ways.

Tony Clark: Now, 30 years ago, I would have just pretty much just said, and ladies, look out for the men who are wolves. Today, shoot. Female wolves because there are a lot of thirsty women out there. A lot of thirsty women. And because they're thirsty and a man is weak, that combination is like peanut butter and jelly. And he gets devoured. Well, man, you shouldn't be so weak. Cut it out. Because you're weak when it comes to love. That's what your main thing you want is love.

Tony Clark: So, you're weak when it comes to that. Men, we're weak when it comes to just the female period. We're weak. Let alone is she a wolf or not. She could be wolf, lamb, it doesn't matter. We're weak. Let me let me wrap it up with verse 31.

Tony Clark: Notice he said, therefore, watch and remember that for three years, I did not cease to warn you every night and day with tears. Notice he talked about watching, Paul tells them to watch. The Greek word is Gregorius. And it means to be awake, it means to be alert, to be watchful. Like for you military-minded, you remember when we used to have guard duty. It's you are on guard. You know, when everyone else is asleep, you're guarding, being alert, being awake. In other words, we should be alert and watch out for those people in the church and be watchful when it comes to the lives of our children as well.

Tony Clark: And grandchildren. Then he told them to remember his example of watchfulness, how for three years, he didn't cease to warn them day and night with tears. This is our job, this is our job as pastors here. But we are also called to warn your children day and night with tears. Why? Why? Because you know that even though you warn them, some will not heed the warning. And be the prey of some savage wolf, and it will break your heart.

Tony Clark: All of us who are parents and grandparents, our children and grandchildren, they have done things that has broken our hearts, even though we've warned them. And so it breaks your heart. So, this is why you need to warn them day and night with tears. Even though they may whine and complain, why are you keep telling me that? Well, I keep telling you because just last week you were devoured by a wolf.

Tony Clark: So, you keep warning them and don't feel bad about keep warning them. Because they're going to fool around. You already know that. They're going to be pray of some wolf whispering sweet nothings in in in the ear. And you do so with tears. I I know it truly broke David's heart, King David. When his own son Absalom, Absalom launched a rebellion from within his own family, his own son. Came against him in 2 Samuel chapters 14 and 15.

Tony Clark: And we will see Paul wrap up this goodbye speech to these Ephesian elders next time. Let me conclude with this. We just finished seeing the heart of Paul's last words to these Ephesian elders. He told them to take heed to the flock that God made them overseers over. He warned them that savage wolves will come in from outside and some will rise up from within, not sparing the flock. And finally, we saw how Paul warned them night and day with tears.

Tony Clark: Let me just ask you this, this heart-penetrating question. If this was our last day here at church or with our children, what would your last words be to them? How would you warn them? How would you plead with them with tears over what subject? Their sporting activities? Their grades? Or their eternal souls?

Tony Clark: I will plead with you today to get right with God because eternity is a long time and hell is very real. Repent today of your sins and accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior before it's too late. You know, we have already seen on a global scale, you all know who I'm talking about. I'm not going to repeat it because when this message gets on the radio across the country, it will date the message. But we all know who I'm talking about, we've already seen on a global scale that we don't know around what corner death is. And then we're off into eternity.

Tony Clark: Are you ready to meet God? Look at your life, evaluate your life right now. Are you ready to meet God? I've been doing a lot of funerals lately. And I'm one. I don't put everybody in heaven. Everybody that's stretched out across the church. It's not everybody is not going. There's a criteria to get into heaven, and the criteria is not just you are an earthling. That's not it. That's not how it is goes.

Tony Clark: The criteria is accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, repenting of your sin. Your sin offended God. Jesus paid the price for your sin. You accepting him who paid the price for your sin to come into your life and change you. That's how you get to heaven for there's salvation and no other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. Not if it's a good idea or if I feel like it, or if I have a chance. No, you must be saved. Jesus said, I'm the door by which you enter in to be saved. He said, I didn't make this up. He did.

Tony Clark: And like I said, we don't know around what corner death is. We don't know. We we we make our plans, next week, we're going to do this and tomorrow we're going to do that. Tragedy can strike. And we all have been reminded of that. And then you got people, families left saying, what what what do I do next? You can get right with God. You can be ready to meet with God today. And we're going to give you an opportunity to do that.

Tony Clark: And so before we before we pray, we're going to have the worship team come back up and we're going to have those who are serving to get to their post so your experience leaving can be just as good as when you came. And so as they're going to their post and as the worship team is making their way back up, let's just close in prayer at this time.

Tony Clark: Father, I pray for your precious people. Thank you for your word that you have spoken. And Lord, I pray that your Holy Spirit will descend upon your people today. Lord, we've already prayed for them last night and this morning. So now we pray that your Holy Spirit will have room to move. Moved by your spirit, we pray. In Jesus name. Amen.