Acts 27. Acts 27. I'd like to look at a couple
of verses tonight. And I do pray that the Lord bless
this service. If He blesses it, it's blessed,
I'm telling you. He could take this Word by His
Holy Spirit and He can ignite our heart with it. I know that's so. I pray it will. The Apostle Paul, two other believers
for sure, some prisoners, a group of trained seaman manning the
boat and some Roman soldiers are in a hurricane that the Scripture
reveals was named Heraclodon. Type, I suppose. But I know that that hurricane
was sent by God's good pleasure, by His wisdom, by His purpose. That hurricane was just exactly
where it was supposed to be. Paul and all of them were where
they were supposed to be. They're out there in the midst
of that storm exceedingly tossed. And Paul and those other believers
are going to be made to behold the faithfulness of God. And this is exactly the way that
the Lord chose to manifest his faithfulness to Paul and those
other believers. Put them in a hurricane. The Lord had told Paul, Thou
must witness also in Rome. So Paul tested in the frailty of his
flesh He rested in the good providence and surety of God's Word. And he said in verse 25, in the
midst of this storm, Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer. That's the second time. He had
just told them that a few verses back. For I believe, God, that
it shall be even as it was told me. True faith is always proven. True faith in Christ is always
tried. You are always going to behold
that Almighty God is going to keep you by faith. Knowing James 1 verse 3 says
this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience." It fashions
it. Fashions. That's what that means.
Worketh. Fashions. Paul said, I believe God. Boy, what a statement of hope. Here's the first miracle. of
grace that I see in that statement. Paul said, I believe Him. You know, I can read in Scripture
where others have believed Him. And the Scripture speaks with
such honor to the glory of God's grace to those that believe God. Abraham believed God. But that He would give me. Now, I'm just talking to you
now, just me. Paul said, I believe God. That Almighty God would give
me a heart. Because based upon what I can
see just in viewing just around. People that I see, Scott, every
day, there's few that do. How many do you know, relatively
speaking, that you could say, you know, I truly believe, I
believe he's a believer, I believe she's a believer? Paul said, I, and here's the
next word, I believe, I believe God, I have entrusted my soul
to Him." Now you think about this. Life just so frail, so perfectly
balanced and held by Him who does all things well. Life and
death in His hand. And here we are. Just teetering by the grace and
good pleasure of God between mortality and immortality. Now
let me ask you this. Has Almighty God given you a
heart to believe Him? To trust your soul? To rest your
heart? is the only God-given grace and
gift that enables me to believe God." Paul said, I believe. And here's the third thing. He
said, I believe God. Sovereign God. Mighty God. Man by nature trusts in himself. That's what he trusts in. The devils believe that there
is a God, but Paul said, I believe God. I want you to turn to Isaiah 43. Isaiah 43, verse 10. Isaiah 43, 10. Ye are my witnesses,
saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen, that ye may
know and believe Me and understand that I am He. Before Me there
was no God formed, neither shall there be after Me." Three things
that are revealed in that Scripture right there about those that
believe God. Number one, you are My witnesses. You tell what you know. You tell
what you have seen. Those that believe God are witnesses
to His mercy and grace toward themselves. You're a witness
of that. But that word witness right there
in Isaiah 43.10 also means evidence. You're the evidence that I've shown mercy and grace
toward you. Here's how I know that you are one of God's witnesses,
one of God's elect. Here's how you know it. You believe
Him. You believe God. Now, I'm going
to tell you something. That's not a small thing to believe
God. That is so rare. Rare. That's the only way I know
how to say it. Few there be that find it. 1 Thessalonians 1, 4 and
5, Knowing, brethren, beloved, your election of God for our
gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, in the
Holy Ghost, and in much assurance. You believe God. Secondly, in
Isaiah 43, verse 10, concerning those that believe God, he says,
you are my witnesses, and he said, and my servant whom I have
chosen. Those that believe God are servants,
willing servants, bowing servants, following servants, chosen servants. And servants recognize their
place. They are needy. I need Him. David said in Psalm 31, 16, Make
thy face to shine upon thy servant. Save me for thy mercy's sake.
You know, only a believer will ask that. Only a believer will
say, Lord, have mercy on me. And the reason he asked is because
the Lord's had mercy on him. He'd never asked that until God
had absolutely already imparted life to him. Take not thy spirit
away from me. Save me for thy mercy's sake. Psalm 69, 17. Hide not thy face
from thy servant. Have you ever found yourself
Longing to pray that right there. Lord, don't hide Yourself from
me. I'm in trouble. Hear me speedily. You ever been there? That's a
needy servant. You're my witnesses, saith the
Lord, and my servant whom I've chosen. Those that believe God
are chosen people. Chosen by God. in electing grace, those placed within the confines
of His love. Servants. That's what they are. Thirdly, those that believe God
possess eternal life. You are my witnesses, saith the
Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen, that ye may know and
believe me. This is life eternal, that they
may know Thee, that they may trust Thee, that
they may entrust themselves to Thee. The only true God in Jesus Christ
whom Thou hast sent, those that believe God, know
Him, recognize Him, discern Him, They've got a kinship with Him.
He is their intimate friend. They talk with Him. And He talks
with them. He said, My sheep hear My voice.
They hear it spiritually. They hear it in the Gospel. They
hear these words and they say, This is the Word of the Lord. This is God's Word. Paul said, Be of good cheer.
Be of good cheer. The Lord that sends the storm
is the Lord who sends the storm. He's the Lord. Works all things
after the counsel of His own Word. Sovereign in all things. Back in Acts 27, I believe God
that it shall be even as it was told me. Let me ask you this, my friend,
as I ask myself. Do you believe that it shall
be even as God Almighty has said it is? I believe, God, that it
shall be even as it was told me. Do you believe truly that Almighty God has everlastingly
loved you. Do you believe that He chose
you in Christ before the foundation of the world? That you should
be holy and without blame before Him in love? Do you believe when
the Lord Jesus Christ came into this world, that He came into
this world, came in the likeness of sinful
flesh and walked in perfect obedience before God for you. Do you believe that when He laid
down His life being made sin, that Almighty God dealt with
in one sacrifice your sin and forever put it away? That it will never be brought
up again in judgment? Do you believe that it will be
as God has told you? than be of good cheer. Paul said, I believe God. How be it, verse 26, we must
be cast upon a certain island. You know, when we see the word
must as it relates to the Lord's people, there's always a blessing
in that when it concerns God and His people. A must. It's always for their
good. Always. Because I'm telling you, He's
not going to do anything for His people. It's not for His
glory and their good. Nicodemus, you must be born again. Unrighteousness is not going
to enter the kingdom of heaven. Concerning the Lord Jesus Christ,
He must go through a Samaria. He must need to go through Samaria. There was one of His elect there. He must send a preacher to Katy,
West Virginia. Why? There's some sheep there
that he's everlastingly loved. And in that particular time that
he sent and raised up a preacher here, there were some folks that
he had chosen that his son had died for, redeemed them. They
were going to be called out of darkness. All that the Father
gives me shall come to me. They are going to hear the Gospel.
How are they going to hear it? God is going to send a preacher.
In Katy, West Virginia, yeah. And in time, you that believe Him, you were
born. You grew up. I knew a lot of
the folks here. I went to school with them. God had sent a preacher for many
of you here. You sat and you heard and you
heard and you heard. And then one day, God gave you
ears to hear and you heard. He called you out of darkness.
Scott, you had to be here. You had to be here. God had a
people here. Paul said we must be cast upon
a certain island, not revealed right here where it was. Acts 28.1 is going to tell where
it was. It came to pass. And when we
get there, we'll look at it. But that revelation that the
Lord gave Paul was going to be proven. He told them, he said,
now I know we're out here in the middle of a hurricane right
now. But he said, we're going to end up on an island and be
a good ship. I believe God. It's going to
be just like God told me. That gave hope, I know. All those
that heard his voice. The steps of a good man are ordered
by the Lord. That hurricane was perfectly
balanced to put that ship just exactly where Paul was supposed
to be. And he was going to prove to
be for God's glory and for the good of the sheep. We're going
to get over there in just a little bit and we'll find out why God
had sent a preacher to that island. It was right there that the Lord
was going to manifest Himself. I believe God. That's the foundation
of hope of every believer. I believe Christ. You that believe
Him, that is the greatest joy and privilege and honor that
you possess, that you're able by the grace of God to believe
Him and trust Him. You get up every morning. I can
just about tell you somewhat, I don't know exactly how, Your
day goes exactly. But I can tell you this, I know,
I know that you rise, maybe before you rise, lying upon your bed,
before you ever really want to get up, you think on Him. And your mind is drawn by the
Spirit of God. And you talk to Him. And you feel the frailty of your
flesh. I know what it's like trying
to talk and you're somewhere almost going back to sleep at
times. You'll catch yourself. You'll get up. You'll rise. You
may be going through your morning routine, but you talk to Him. Scripture comes to my mind often.
This is the day that the Lord has made before the foundation
of the world, He ordained that this day was going to come to
pass. I wonder what He will reveal
today. What He is going to reveal has
been His will eternally. Who knows what a day shall bring?
He does. I believe God. And whatever He
brings this way, this day, for my good, is going to be to glorify
Himself. And I promise you, for all of
His people, He's going to keep you. And you'll rest in Him. And you'll say, it's been a good
day. God has proven Himself faithful. Be of good cheer. I believe God. Let's pray together.