Acts chapter 23. I'm taking the
title for the message from the good news the Lord gives the
Apostle Paul as he's so hated and so abused AND SO TREATED
SO POORLY, THE NIGHT FOLLOWING, VERSE 11, ACTS 23, THE LORD STOOD
BY HIM, AND HE SAID, PAUL, BE OF GOOD CHEER, FOR AS THOU HAST
TESTIFIED OF ME IN JERUSALEM, SO MUST THOU BEAR WITNESS ALSO
AT ROME, JUST AS GOD SAID IT WOULD COME TO PASS. Will Paul
end up in Rome? He's in prison now. He's a prisoner
of the Roman soldiers. Will he end up in Rome? Will
he preach the gospel there in Rome? Yes, because God said so. God said so. Now I'm taking the
title then from what the Lord says to this beloved apostle,
servant of the Lord, be of good cheer. Be of good cheer. Remember the words of the Lord
to his apostles that we read a moment ago in John 16, verse
33, these things have I spoken unto you, that in me you might
have peace. Now that's where we have peace.
We have peace with God in Christ. In the world, don't expect peace. In this world, you're gonna have
tribulation, but be of good cheer. Same Lord, same message. Be of
good cheer. I have overcome. I have overcome
sin. Put it away. I've overcome death. I'm he that liveth and shall
die no more. I'm he that was dead. Behold, I'm alive forevermore.
The Lord liveth. WE HAVE GOOD NEWS IN THE GOSPEL. I'VE OVERCOME SIN, DEATH, HELL
AND THE GRAVE. THAT'S GOOD NEWS. AND BECAUSE HE'S WON THE VICTORY,
THANKS BEING TO GOD WHO'S GIVEN US THE VICTORY THROUGH OUR LORD
JESUS CHRIST. THE LORD STOOD BY HIM. EVERYTHING'S
OKAY. THE LORD STOOD BY HIM AND THE
LORD STOOD WITH HIM AND THE LORD STOOD FOR HIM. What an encouraging
word from the throne of God to a weary sinner in need of mercy.
Paul was shut up in prison, but you know what? The Lord wasn't
shut out of prison, was he? How did the Lord Jesus Christ,
the risen God-man mediator, how'd he get inside that prison cell?
Doors, bars are no obstacle for the God of all glory. He simply
took the door off the hinge and walked in. He has access to all
things because he's the almighty God. He had free access. We read in scripture where the
Lord said, I'll never leave thee, I'll never forsake thee. And
Lord, he said, lo, I am with you always. Now, if we go back
and look, of what had happened to the Apostle Paul, he'd only
been in Jerusalem for 12 days. We read in Acts 24, verse 11,
when he's before the governor, Felix, he said, I've only been
in Jerusalem for 12 days. All these things they accuse
me of, there's no way that's gonna happen in 12 days. But
those 12 days that he spent there in Jerusalem, beginning on the
first day, HE WAS FULL OF TROUBLE FROM THOSE RELIGIOUS JEWS IN
JERUSALEM, THE TROUBLES THAT WERE ORDAINED OF GOD. IN THIS WORLD YOU SHALL HAVE
TRIBULATION. PAUL HAD BEEN PERSUADED INTO
GOING INTO THE TEMPLE WITH THOSE FOUR MEN. to offer an animal
sacrifice, and he went along with that until God stopped him.
In the later part of chapter 23, we find there's 40 men, I
believe it is, 40 men who bound themselves with an oath that
they would not eat or drink anything till they had killed the Apostle
Paul. This man was in trouble all the
time. While he was in the temple going
about to accomplish those days of purification according to
the law, the Jews recognized Paul as one who preached salvation
by the grace of God alone through the Lord Jesus Christ alone.
Do you remember what happened to him? They went about to beat
him to death. Look back in chapter 21. Verse 30, And all the city was
moved, and the people ran together, and they took Paul, and drew
him out of the temple. For with the day the doors were
shut, and as they went about to kill him, tidings came to the chief captain
that there was an uproar in Jerusalem, who immediately took soldiers
and security and ran down unto them. And when they saw the chief
captain and the soldiers, they left beating of Paul. They were determined to beat
him to death. This man been in Jerusalem 12 days. Every day
he had trouble. Then he's rescued by the Roman
army from the Jews, bound with a chain, and brought into the
castle. And remember what Lysia the captain
said, we're going to beat the truth out of you? They tied him
up and went about to scourge him, to examine him by scourging. And then Paul said, you better
wait a minute, I'm a Roman citizen. And when they found out he was
a Roman citizen, they didn't lay a hand on him, but rather
protected him. And then we find that Paul was
given an opportunity to preach the gospel to the crowd there
in Acts 22. And when they heard the testimony
of the gospel from the lips of the Apostle Paul, the Jews were
enraged again and sought opportunity to kill him. You remember back
in Acts 22, verse 22. And they gave him audience. When
they heard that God had sent the gospel to the Gentiles, they
gave him an audience, verse 22. They lifted up their voice and
said, away with such a fellow from the earth. It is not fit
that this man should even live one more day. 12 days. THE APOSTLE PAUL WAS IN JERUSALEM
AND 12 DAYS HE HAD NOTHING BUT TROUBLE. IN THIS WORLD YOU SHALL
HAVE TRIBULATION. after the chief captain finds
that he's a Roman citizen. Now we find him being arraigned
before the Jewish council of Sanhedrin, of which one time
some men think there were 70 men, Pharisees and Sadducees,
that made up this council. And some of the writers think
that the Apostle Paul or Saul of Tarsus at one time was part
of that Sanhedrin council. They knew him. The Apostle Paul
knew this man He knew this man Ananias was the high priest.
Paul knew that because he was one of them. He was a Pharisee
of Pharisees. Now in verse 1 down to verse
9, we see Paul before this council. Let's read verse 1 and following.
And Paul, Acts 23, 1, earnestly beholding the council, You know, you remember what he
writes in Romans 9 and Romans 10, I have a continual burden
and heaviness in my heart for Israel because they're most religious
and lost. He earnestly wants these people
to know the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ because knowing
the gospel is salvation. Earnestly beholding the council
said, men and brethren, I've lived in all good conscience
before God unto this day, when he was Saul of Tarsus He did
everything according to his conscience, told him to do, according to
the deeds of the law. And when he was converted and
made into the Apostle Paul, he said, I serve God in my conscience,
purged by the blood of Christ. I've lived in all good conscience
before God unto this day. And when the high priest Ananias
heard that, commanded them to smite Paul upon the mouth, and
Paul said, And what he says here, as the
servant of God, speaking with the authority of God, the apostle
Paul said, God's gonna smite you. You think you're gonna beat
up on me? God's gonna have you. And he
did. Thou whitest wall, you're a whited
wall, you're a hypocrite, for you sit and judge me according
to the law, and you command me to be smitten, conjurated to
the law, And they that stood by said, oh, you speak to God's
high priest so? And Paul said, brethren, I knew
not that this was God's high priest. He recognized this man,
but he didn't recognize his office, because the apostle Paul had
one high priest, great high priest, that's the Lord Jesus Christ.
Thou shalt not speak evil of that man, And Paul perceived,
verse six, one part were Pharisees and one part Sadducees. Now,
this council here is the same council that condemned the Lord
Jesus Christ to be crucified. It's the same council that commanded
Peter and John never to preach the gospel again. If you look
back in Acts chapter four, when Peter and John had healed that
man that was crippled and declared that salvation is of the Lord,
neither is there salvation in any other than the Lord Jesus
Christ. It says in Acts chapter four,
verse 18, and they called them and commanded them not to speak
at all nor teach in his name. Not only that, this same council
is the same council, look over in chapter five. Verse 40, they agreed when they
had called the apostles and beaten them, they commanded that they
should not speak in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. They
departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they
were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name. And daily
in the temple and every house, they ceased not to teach and
preach the Lord Jesus Christ. So at the same council, THAT
TOLD PETER AND JOHN NOT TO PREACH AGAIN. IT'S THE SAME COUNCIL
WHO HAD PETER AND JOHN BEATEN. IT'S THE SAME COUNCIL THAT ALSO
CONDEMNED THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. THE SAME COUNCIL THAT CONDEMNED
THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. AGAIN, PAUL HAS TO DEFEND HIMSELF
BEFORE THESE SELF-RIGHTEOUS, SELF-SERVING JEWS. HE SAID, I'VE
LIVED BEFORE MEN AND GOD. GOD AND MEN. with a conscious
purge. Now, Paul is not saying that
he's not a sinner. That would be contrary to what
he says in other places. that would be contrary to the
gospel testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ concerning how he
saves sinners. By nature we have a guilty conscience,
or we should have. By nature we have an evil conscience. As Paul said, O wretched man
that I am, he called himself the chief of sinners. But what
he's saying here before God, his conscience has been purged
by the blood of Christ THAT HE STANDS BEFORE GOD, JUSTIFIED
BY THE GRACE OF GOD IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. HIS CONSCIENCE
HAD BEEN PURGED. NOW, LET'S SEE IF WE CAN READ
THAT IN SCRIPTURE. IF YOU FIND OVER HERE IN THE
BOOK OF HEBREWS, CHAPTER 10, TURN OVER THERE. HEBREWS, CHAPTER
10, VERSE 17 SAYS, HEBREWS 10, 17, THEIR SINS AND THEIR INIQUITIES
WILL I REMEMBER NO MORE. Now where remission of these
is, there's no more offering for sin. Having therefore, brother,
boldness to enter into the holiest, into the presence of God by the
blood of Jesus. the Lord Jesus crucified by a
new and living way, which he consecrated for us through the
veil, that is to say his flesh, having a high priest over the
house of God, we do have a high priest, let us draw near with
a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our heart sprinkled
from an evil conscience, sprinkled with what? THE BLOOD OF JESUS
CHRIST, AND OUR BODIES WASHED WITH PURE WATER, THE WATER OF
THE WORD, THE GOSPEL, LET US HOLD FAST TO THE PERFECTION OF
OUR FAITH WITHOUT WAVERING, FOR HE IS FAITHFUL THAT HAS PROMISED. EVERY BELIEVER'S CONSCIENCE HAS
BEEN PURGED BY THE BLOOD ATONEMENT OF CHRIST BECAUSE HE PUT AWAY
OUR SIN. LOOK AT VERSE 2. THE IMMEDIATE
RESPONSE OF THE HIGH PRIEST WAS TO HAVE PAUL SMITTEN ON THE MOUTH. Now, you know they did the same
thing to the Lord Jesus Christ. Turn back to John 18. John 18,
19. This same crowd, this same council,
this crowd that said, away with him, crucify him, we have no
king but Caesar. In John 18, verse 19. The high priest then asked Jesus
of his disciples and his doctrine and the Lord said John 18 20
I speak openly to the world I ever taught in the synagogue and in
the temple whether the Jews always resort and in secret I've said
nothing why ask thou me ask them which heard me and what I've
said unto them. Behold, they know what I've said.
And when he had thus spoken, one of the officers which stood
by struck Jesus with the palm of his hand, saying, answerest
thou the high priest so? And the Lord said, I've spoke,
if I've spoken evil, bear witness. If I've spoken evil, you bear
witness of the evil. But if well, why do you smite
me? Because I tell you the truth.
It's the same religious, God-hating crowd that commanded Paul to
be smitten. It's the same crowd that commanded
the Lord Jesus Christ to be smitten. Look at verse 3. The apostle,
with the authority of God, says to the high priest, you're a
hypocrite, you judge me according You sit to judge me after the
law, and you smite me on the mouth contrary to the law. Now,
where does this come from? Turn over here to Matthew 23.
Matthew 23. Our Lord said, and this is where
Paul gets that saying, in Matthew 23, verse 25, woe unto you scribes
and Pharisees and hypocrites, He's speaking to the same religious
crowd. You may clean the outside of
the cup, Matthew 23, 25, and the platter, but within you're
full of extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse
first that which was in the cup and platter, that the outward
may also be clean. Won't you, scribes and Pharisees,
hypocrites, for you're like a whited sepulcher. That's a gravestone.
which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full
of dead men's bones. Even so outwardly you appear
righteous unto men, but within you're full of hypocrisy and
all manner of evil." Now, notice what the Apostle Paul says to
him, he calls, Paul said, you're a whited wall, and then he says,
God's gonna judge you. Now, what do you think Ananias
thought of Paul saying, God's gonna smite you? I'm sure he just basically probably
laughed at him, don't you think? Well, who are you to think God's
gonna smite me? Here's bold words from the Apostle
Paul, from a man who was sent of God, with the authority of
God, who spoke the truth of God, God will smite you. Now, I've read this. And I read
it again, just to make sure. Five years later, after this
was spoken, this man, Ananias, was stabbed to death by the Roman
army when they came and attacked Jerusalem. God shall smite thee. Just as Paul said it would happen,
it did happen. Now, verse four and five, and
they stood by, said, Revilest thou God's high priest? And Paul
said, oh, I think he speaks this in sarcasm. I knew not, brethren,
that he was the high priest, for it's written, you do not
speak evil of the ruler of the people. I think, Paul, they give
him a warning to treat the high priest with respect and reverence.
I think Paul answers here, in way of sarcasm. If you were really
God's high priest, I would respect you. You see, the Lord Jesus
Christ is the only high priest of God who has made this man's
office null and void by the fulfillment of the Lord Jesus Christ as the
anointed high priest of God. All through the book of Hebrews,
it talks about seeing we have a great high priest. Consider
the Lord Jesus Christ, who is our great high priest, who for
the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising
the shame, and he's seated at the right hand of God. We need
not any earthly man acting as a high priest for us today. We
don't need a earthly mediator, an advocate, or an intercessor.
There's one God, one mediator between God and men, and that
is a God-man, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is our Great High
Priest. He's able to save them to the
uttermost that come to God by him, seeing he ever liveth to
make intercession for us, seeing we have a great high priest who
cannot be touched, who is touched with the feeling of our infirmities,
but yet he cannot sin, he's without sin. Such a high priest became
us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sin, says in
Hebrews chapter seven. We have a great high priest.
We don't pay any respect to any man to be a priest for us or
to make intercession for us. We look to the Lord Jesus Christ.
You see, he's made us unto him kings and priests unto our God.
Now, look at the next thing that happens here. Verse six down
through verse nine, the apostle Paul, knowing what the Sadducees
believed, and knowing what the Pharisees believed, he cried
out in the council, men and brethren, I'm a Pharisee, former Pharisee,
I'm the son of a Pharisee, and of the hope of the resurrection
of the dead, I'm called in question. Now, what he preached was salvation
by the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, whoever lives to
intercede for us. And when he had so said, then
arose a dissension between, an argument between the Pharisees
and the Sadducees, and they were divided. Paul was in the middle. God gave him some wisdom here
to start a fight between those two factions. The Sadducees say
there is no resurrection, there's no angel, there's no angels,
there's no spirit. The Pharisees confess both. And
there arose a great cry, and the scribes that were of the
Pharisees' part arose and strove, saying, We find no evil in this
man. But if a spirit or an angel hath
spoken unto him, let us not fight against God. And when there arose
a great argument, the sheep kept in fearing lest Paul should have
been pulled in pieces of them, commanded the soldiers to go
down and take him by force. from them, among them, and to
bring him back into the count, into the castle. The apostle
Paul was given God, given wisdom, TO DIVIDE THE COUNCIL AGAINST
ITSELF OVER THE DOCTRINE OF THE RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD. HE
KNEW THAT THE PHARISEES AND SADDUCEES WERE ENEMIES. THE ONLY TIME THEY
GOT TOGETHER WAS WHEN THEY GOT TOGETHER TO SAY, CRUCIFY THE
LORD JESUS CHRIST. THEY WERE ENEMIES. THEY HATED
EACH OTHER. HE WAS ONE OF THOSE PHARISEES WHEN HE WAS A LOST
RELIGIOUS MAN KNOWN AS SALT OF TARSUS. WHILE THE PHARISEES DID
BELIEVE IN THE RESURRECTION FROM THE DEAD AND THE IMMORTALITY
OF THE SOUL, THE SADDUCEES DENIED BOTH. NOW, IF YOU TURN JUST ONE
PAGE, THE APOSTLE PAUL IS GOING TO BRING THIS UP AGAIN IN ACTS
24, VERSE 14. BUT THIS I CONFESS UNTO THEE,
THIS IS WHEN HE'S BEFORE Felix the governor, I believe it is.
This I confess unto thee that after the way which they call
heresy, so I worship the God of my fathers, believing all
things that are written in the law and the prophets, and have
hope toward God, which they themselves also allow, that there shall
be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust,
all men everywhere. THERE'S GOING TO BE A RESURRECTION
TO GLORY OF THOSE WHO ARE JUSTIFIED BY THE BLOOD ATONEMENT OF JESUS
CHRIST. LET'S SEE IF WE CAN READ THAT
IN THE BOOK OF ROMANS. TURN OVER THERE. HOW ARE WE GOING
TO BE JUSTIFIED AND RAISED? THERE'S GOING TO BE A RESURRECTION
OF THE JUST. HOW ARE WE JUSTIFIED? WE'LL SEE
IF WE CAN FIND OUT. Romans chapter 3, verse 23 says,
all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, being justified
freely by His grace through the redemption that is in the Lord
Jesus Christ. That's how sinners are justified. Now, right in the book of Romans
here, turn to Romans chapter 4, look at verse 25. There's
going to be a resurrection of the just, that is, those who
are justified in Christ, and those who are unjust. Romans
4.25, who was delivered? The Lord Jesus Christ was delivered.
He was raised from the dead. who was deliberate for our offenses,
raised again for our justification. Because He lives, we shall live.
Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God
through our Lord Jesus Christ. And right here in Romans chapter
5, look at verse 8. God committed His love toward
us in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more than being now justified,
we shall be saved from wrath through Him. There's going to
be a resurrection of the just and of the unjust. I want you to turn and read this
with me. Turn back to the Gospel of John, chapter five. John,
chapter five, and notice this. Our Lord said the same thing,
John chapter 5, verse 24. Verily, verily, I say unto you,
he that heareth my word, John 5, 24, and believeth on him that
sent me, hath everlasting life, shall not come into condemnation,
but is passed from death unto life. John 5, 25. Verily, verily,
I say unto you, the hour is coming, now is, when the dead shall hear
the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live.
For as a father hath life in himself, so hath he given to
the son to have life in himself, and hath given him authority
to execute judgment also, because he is a son of man, son of God,
son of man. Marvel not at this. For the hour
is coming in which all that are in the grave shall hear his voice,
and they shall come forth, they that have done good, unto the
resurrection of life. I was a sinner said to do something
good by believing the gospel. Unto the resurrection of life
and they that have done evil. There's nothing more evil than
not to believe God. They that have done evil unto
the resurrection of damnation. I can of my own self do nothing,
as I hear I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my
own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me. I seek his will, not my will,
thy will, thy will be done. Now, back to the story here. In verse nine, there arose a
great cry, and a division between the Pharisees and scribes. And
the Pharisee said, we find no evil in this man, but if a spirit
or an angel has spoken unto him, let us not fight against God.
Now we've seen this statement before. Turn back to Acts chapter
five. Acts chapter five, you remember,
who Saul of Tarsus, who his teacher was, Gamaliel, you remember?
He's taught according to the perfect manner of the law of
the fathers. This man, Gamaliel, says the
same thing over here. It's found in Acts chapter five,
verse 38, when Peter and John were brought before this council.
Here's what he said. This is Gamaliel. And now I say
unto you, Refrain from these men and let them alone for this
council or work be of men It'll come to naught But if it be of
God You cannot overthrow it lest you fight against God if you
look back at verse 34 Acts 5 34 and there stood up one of the
council of Pharisee named Gamaliel a doctor of the law had in reputation
of all the people commanded and to put the apostles forth a little
space, and they said, if this thing be of God, you cannot overthrow
it, lest you fight against God. Probably the same man, probably
the same man that said, Let us not fight. If God's spoken to
him, or if an angel has spoken to him, or if the Holy Spirit
has appeared to him, let's not fight against God. That's pretty
good advice. That's good advice. That's godly
advice. Surrender unto God. Submit to
the will of God. Well, there again rose a great
turmoil. Paul is pulled one way and pulled
the other way. He has to be rescued again. and
brought into the castle. Now, why did they hate this man
so? I think, why did they hate him
so? They hated the gospel message
he preached. Salvation by the Lord Jesus Christ
alone. Salvation by faith alone. It's not so much that they were
directed their hatred toward Paul, it was the God that Paul
had preached. That's what they were angry over. Now look at verse 11. The night
following, The Lord stood by him and said,
be of good cheer, be of good cheer. When all had forsook him,
when the Jews so hated him, the Lord loved him and the Lord stood
with him. You can shut Paul up in prison,
but you cannot shut God out of prison, or you cannot shut God
away from his people. Walls and bars, concrete, Reinforcement
bars are no obstacle to God Almighty. He just simply removes the door
and walks in. He invites himself in. Oftentimes
preachers, false preachers, like to picture God trying to knock
on the sinner's heart, on the sinner's door, but they won't
let him in. That's not the God of Scripture. God opens the door and invites
himself in and makes his people willing in the day of his power. Better to be in prison with the
Lord than to dwell in the tents of the wicked, is it not? When
Paul and Silas were beaten there in Philippi, After they preached
the gospel to Lydia and God opened her heart, the Jews again got
mad and beat him and Silas and put him in jail. And at midnight,
what were they doing? Praying and singing unto the
Lord. And they preached the gospel
to a jailer in his house who was converted. The Lord stood
with him. Here's the point. The Lord always
has stood for his covenant sheep, his covenant people in the eternal
covenant of grace as our surety, as our sacrifice. He's the lamb
slain that stood for us from all eternity. Before Adam ever
sinned, before we were ever born, the Lord Jesus Christ has always
stood up for us. as our sacrifice, as our righteousness
before God. Since God in Christ is for us,
in the eternal covenant, since God in Christ is for us, making
full atonement for our sin, what does it matter who is against
us? Paul wrote this in Romans 8,
if God be for us, who can be against us? No one. Be of good cheer, Paul, I am
with thee. Now, be of good cheer. I want you to turn and read with
me. This is said before, not only to those apostles on the
eve of the crucifixion, but in Matthew chapter nine. Remember
the impotent man who couldn't even walk, who had some friends
who brought him to where the Lord was, and they tore off the
roof, remember, and lowered that paralyzed man down on that couch
Matthew 9 verse 2 and behold they brought him the sick man
of palsy lying on his bed and Jesus seeing their faith said
unto them said unto the sick of the palsy son be of good cheer
thy sins be forgiven. Same Lord, same message. Be of good cheer, thy sins are
forgiven. This is our gospel message. With
the Lord Jesus Christ, there is the forgiveness of sin. Be of good cheer. Can God forgive
a sinner like me? Absolutely. He came to seek and
to save folks just like you, sinners. He appeared once in
the end of the age to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. There is atonement for our sin
in the Lord Jesus Christ. Be a good cheer. Be of good cheer,
there is a righteousness to be received. He is the Lord, our
righteousness. Blessed is the man to whom the
Lord would impute righteousness without works. Be of good cheer,
there is salvation by the pure and free and sovereign grace
of God. Neither is there salvation in
any other. This was spoken also to the Apostle
Paul in Acts 27 when the ship was breaking apart And men were
drowning or fearful of perishing in the sea. And the Lord stood
by him and said, Paul, be of good cheer. Not one soul will
be lost. Be of good cheer. Paul said to
those men, be of good cheer. I believe God. I believe God. Be of good cheer. The gospel
ministry shall continue. As he says there to the apostle
Paul, as thou hast testified me in Rome, in Jerusalem, so
must. So must the Son of Man be lifted
up? So must you also preach the gospel there at Rome. I will send you to preach the
gospel. The ministry is not over, Paul.
It reminds me of what the Lord said to the Apostle Paul when
he was in Corinth. You remember in Acts chapter
18, when they hated him and persecuted him there, and the Lord said
to him, Don't leave the city. I've got much people in this
city." And he stayed there 18 months preaching the gospel.
Be of good cheer. Our Lord Jesus Christ is the
sovereign God of all providence. No power on earth. No army or
demons of hell, not even a Roman army, can stop the purpose of
God. His will will be done in spreading
the gospel in all the world. Matter of fact, God used this
Roman army, this Roman government, to put the Apostle Paul in Rome
to preach the gospel there, and he did so for two years. God
arranged all this. It has pleased God to ordain
the preaching of the gospel, the calling out his elect. You
remember over here in Acts 13, turn over there, Acts 13, 48. When the Gentiles heard this,
they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord. And as
many as were ordained to eternal life, believe the gospel, Acts
13. 48. When the last of God's elect
will be called out and joined with Christ, then the end will
come. When is this world going to end?
I tell you exactly when it's going to end. Listen to Scripture. And this gospel, our Lord said,
shall be the gospel of the kingdom of God, the grace of God, the
glory of God, shall be preached in all the world for a witness
unto all nations. Then cometh the end. When we started doing this sermon
audio ministry, sending the gospel out on the internet, and I would
send out monthly report, to Pastor Mahan showing him how many sermons
went out of here. Usually five or 6,000 sermons
a month went out of here all over the world. And he would
usually write back to me and reference Matthew 24, verse 14. reminding me the gospel shall
be preached in all the world, and then the end is coming. And
that's so, and that's so. We as believers have every reason
to be of good cheer. Our sin's been put away. He's
given us an everlasting righteousness. He's given us eternal life in
the Lord Jesus Christ. LET US BY HIS GRACE KEEP LOOKING
TO OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, AND FIND THAT HIS WORD IS TRUE, HIS
PROMISES SHALL NEVER FAIL, HIS GRACE IS ALWAYS SUFFICIENT, HIS
MERCY IS EVERLASTING, HIS SALVATION IS COMPLETE AND FINISHED, HIS
LOVE SHALL ENDURE, NOTHING SHALL SEPARATE US FROM THE LOVE OF
GOD WHICH IS IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, AND HIS PRESENCE IS ALWAYS
WITH US. HE SAID WHERE TWO OR THREE ARE
GATHERED IN MY NAME, I'm in your midst. Is the Lord here today? Absolutely. I believe that. Is he meeting with us today?
Absolutely. I believe that. We've gathered
in his name.