Let's take our Bible and turn
to the book of Acts chapter 23. Acts 23. Beginning in verse 16, let's
read through verses 22. And when Paul's sister's son
heard of their lying in wait, he went and entered into the
castle and told Paul. Then Paul called one of the centurions
unto him and said, Bring this young man unto the chief captain,
for he hath a certain thing to tell him. So he took him and
brought him to the chief captain, and said, Paul the prisoner called
me unto him, and prayed me to bring this young man unto thee,
who hath something to say unto thee. Then the chief captain
took him by the hand, and went with him aside privately, and
asked him, What is that thou hast to tell me? And he said,
The Jews have agreed to desire thee, that thou wouldest bring
down Paul to-morrow into the council, as though they would
inquire somewhat of him more perfectly. But do not thou yield
unto them, for there lie in wait for him of them more than forty
men, which have bound themselves with an oath, that they will
neither eat nor drink till they have killed him. And now are
they ready. looking for a promise from thee.
So the chief captain then let the young man depart and charged
him, see thou tell no man that thou has showed these things
to me. Let's pray together. Our father. We thank you this
evening for this time. to be able to meet together.
Lord, how You have ordered these things and have caused us to
come together in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. We ask
You this evening, Father, to bless according to Your mercy,
grace, and power. Bless the Word. Lord, it's not
by our might, it's not by our spirit, but it's It's by your
Spirit, by our gracious God and our Lord and our Master that
the Word is blessed to the calling out of your people and the comfort
of your saints. Help us this evening. Help us
to hear. Help us to rejoice. Help us to
worship for Christ's sake. Amen. There's a lot of things that
I could probably say about this passage of Scripture that truly
would be so. It's a story about Paul the Apostle,
and he's in a jail. He's in prison. And there's a
plot to kill him. And some Jews have have bound
themselves together under a curse, saying, if we don't kill him,
may God do to us what we said we're going to do to him. If
we don't accomplish what we say we're going to do to Paul, may
God curse us. And so Paul's nephew heard about
it. He came to Paul and told him. Now, here's some wonderful thoughts,
truthful thoughts. The Lord will take care of His
own. That's a true statement. That's
an absolute truth. God is going to take care of
His own. Paul is in a Roman prison. And here's a truthful statement.
God's saints will find themselves suffering just like other people
suffer. Paul was in prison. Other people
had been in prison. That young man went on Paul's
instruction and talked to the chief captain and instructed
him, and the Lord will bring to light All these, all these,
that's a truthful statement. There's so many wonderful lessons
that we could learn and truthful, truthful lessons that we could
learn from this passage of Scripture. But all of those things being
true, they're not the gospel. If we fail to see the glory of
God in this passage of Scripture, The Gospel is not preached. If
the glory of God in the face of the Lord Jesus Christ is not
seen and set forth in the preaching of the Gospel, of which Paul
said in Romans 1.16, I'm not ashamed. If the Gospel is not
preached, the Spirit of God does not bless it. Paul said the Gospel
is the power of God. So therefore, I truly desire
that we look into this passage of Scripture and see the gospel.
Remember, the gospel is the declaration of God's purpose to show mercy
and compassion to a people undeserving in themselves. through and by
and for the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ. The gospel, the
good news, is the salvation, the rescue of sinners everlastingly
loved by God, chosen by God in Christ before the foundation
of the world. That's the gospel. So let's look
and see if we can see the gospel in this passage of Scripture.
It's not just history. As I've said before, if there's
just history, then it avails us nothing. All right, let's
look at it like this. Now, here we know this. Paul
the Apostle is in prison. Now, that's a given. We know
that he's in prison. Now, Paul is a picture. of all of God's elect, bound
in the prison of sin, bound by the law, bound by Satan, bound
by sin, bound by self. He is bound up. And this young
boy, Paul's nephew, his sister's son, the Scripture said, is one
that heard something. Here's my first point. There
was knowledge of the problem. This young boy, Paul's nephew,
heard of these ones, more than 40 of them, that was lying in
wait. That's what verse 16, when Paul's
sister's son heard of their lying in wait, There was 40-something
men that had bound themselves together, and they had plotted
together under this binding themselves, under this curse, we're going
to get you. There was some there that was
going to kill Paul. You leave a man in prison, in
the prison, in the bondage of sin. There's one thing that awaits
him if God does not intervene. This young boy, a picture of
the Lord Jesus Christ. Now this young lad's a picture
of Christ. Paul's a picture of us. Paul's
the one that's in bondage. And here's this young boy right
there, and he found out. There was knowledge of the problem.
This young boy found out in time. And remember this, any type that
you see of the Lord Jesus Christ, It's never going to be a perfect
representation. It's a type, it's a shadow. This
boy found out something in time, but I'll tell you this, Almighty
God knew of the problem before the foundation. He's always known
the problem. Always. Turn with me to Proverbs
8. Let me show you something. Let
me show you how long Almighty God, how long has God known of
my problem. I'm talking about before I was
ever conceived in sin. Proverbs 8 verse 1, doth not
wisdom cry and understanding put forth her voice? Verse 8, all the words of my
mouth. Now this is wisdom speaking.
This is Christ who has made unto us wisdom. Here's wisdom. Verse 8, all the words of my
mouth are in righteousness. There is nothing froward or perverse
in them. Verse 14, counsel is mine, and
sound wisdom I am understanding. I have strength. Verse 17, I
love them that love me, and those that seek me early shall find
me. Verse 22, The Lord possessed me in the beginning of his way,
before his works of old. Verse 27, when he prepared the
heavens, I was there. When he set a compass upon the
face of the depth. Verse 29, when he gave to the
sea his decree that the waters should not pass his command.
When he appointed the foundations of the earth. Verse 29 says,
when God established everything. The Lord said, I was there. Wisdom. I knew. Then I was by him as
one brought up with him, and I was daily his delight, rejoicing
always before him, rejoicing in the habitable part of his
earth. And my delights were with the sons of men. Almighty God,
before the foundation of the world, before the Before anything
came into actual physical being, Almighty God knew. He knew my
need. He knew my plight. Just as Paul's
nephew discovered Paul's plight, God Almighty knew my plight before
the world began eternally. He loved me, chose me in Christ,
chose to look upon Me in mercy and compassion and justified
Me freely by His grace." This plot to destroy Paul, just like
this plot, Satan coming in to destroy man. Have God said, surely
you don't think that God is good? No, no, no. You're going to be
like God. Man fell right into it. How long
did God know that that was going to happen? He told Adam, in the
day you sin, in the day you eat, you're going to die. How long
did God know that you were going to fall in Adam? He's always
known that. This young boy discovered. David
said his salvation was that God had made with him an everlasting
covenant that was ordered in all things and was sure. A plot was discovered. Almighty God is always known.
I've heard someone say, I'm like Brother Scott. It's not original
with me. I'm like him. I read it. Someone said one time, has it
ever occurred to you that nothing has ever occurred to God? Almighty
God has always known. Chosen in the Beloved. So here's the first thing. There
was knowledge of the problem. Here's the second point. Paul's
nephew. A picture of the Lord Jesus Christ
frustrated the plot to destroy Paul. The nephew. The scripture
says that he had, verse 16, he heard of their lying in wait
and he went in and entered the castle and told Paul. Then Paul
called one of the centurions and said unto him, bring this
young lad unto the chief captain. He has a certain thing to tell
him. And so he took him, brought him to the chief captain, said,
Paul the prisoner, call men to him and prayed me to bring this
young man unto thee. He has something to tell you.
The chief captain took him by the hand and went with him aside
privately and asked him, said, what is that thou hast to tell
me. And he said, The Jews have agreed
to desire thee that thou wouldst bring down Paul to-morrow unto
the counsellors, though they would inquire somewhat of him
more perfectly. But do not thou yield unto them. For there lie in wait for him
of them more than forty men, which have bound themselves with
an oath, that they will neither eat nor drink till they have
killed him. Now are they ready, looking for a promise from thee."
So these 40 men bound themselves under that oath. But what a plot
was I found in when I fell in Adam. Adam fell and I fell and
you and you and you and every one of us fell. And now all of
us having fallen into sin died Spiritually dead, bound by sin. Bound. Bound to the penalty. Bound to Satan's hold on us. We looked at that. Satan being
bound that the strong man, who was stronger than that strong
man, would come in and bind him and spoil his goods. What happened? This young boy, a picture of
Christ, was the means by which this plot was frustrated. He went to the chief captain,
told him what it was. Paul wasn't escaping out of that
prison, I'm going to tell you something. And here I am, blind
to any hope of salvation in myself. and deaf to any ability to hear
any good news of salvation, I was bound. Couldn't get out. And Satan, sin, and even myself
has one purpose to destroy me. John 10.10, it says, The thief
cometh not but for to steal and to kill and to destroy. That's his purpose. has an offer of pleasure, but
it is bait. The Lord Jesus Christ came into
this world to save His people. Thou shalt call His name Jesus.
He shall save His people. Here is the Lord Jesus Christ
coming into this world to frustrate That which I fell in Adam, yes,
but which I willingly, gladly cast myself into. Rebel against
God? Had no problem with that. What's
it going to take for this sinner to be saved? It's going to take
Almighty God, one more powerful than me. that's not going to
wait on me because I won't come. Left to myself. I'm not coming. Paul had no ability to break
himself out of that bondage of that jail. He had no ability
whatsoever. What was he going to do? He took
this young boy, a picture of the Lord Jesus Christ that God
providentially put right next to a group of people and he heard
what was going on from knowledge of it. And he came to Paul and
he told him. Paul sent him. See how this picture
just unfolds and how this chief captain becomes aware. But that
young boy was the means by which God Almighty was going to deliver
Paul the apostle. Who was the means by which God
was going to deliver me? The father said, this is my beloved
son. This is the servant. This is the angel of the covenant.
You hear him. Paul says, you go over there
and tell that chief captain. Tell him what it is. He'll hear
you. This is him. Listen to him. The frustration
of the elect's destruction is an eternal purpose. It is by
eternal power and it has absolute sure results. All that the Father
giveth me shall come. And him that cometh to me I will
in no wise cast out." How many times has that Scripture passed
my mind as I pray and say, Lord, if I come, if I can come, I'm
going to have to come by faith. I'm coming by faith in Christ.
That's the only way that I come. Without faith, it's impossible
to please God. And if I come, it's because you
drew me. I know it's not by my works.
It's not by my will. It's not by my ability. Lord,
You're the one. And Lord, I realize by the grace
of God, by the revelation of God's Spirit to me, You're the
one that has frustrated That which I plunged myself into,
Lord, You took my place. Lord, it was Your knowledge that
knew of my plight. Lord, You came because You loved
me. You helped me. One way that God
Almighty could be just and justify a sinner, how is that? He hath made him. This is how
God Almighty has frustrated the plot of Satan and sin to destroy
this sinner. He had made him sin, who knew
no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
I have no ability to frustrate anything. The only ability that
I have is to rebel against God. He's going to have to give me
a new heart. He's going to have to give me a new will. He's going
to have to give me a new mind. He's going to have to reveal
Himself to me. Tell me what He's done. Frustrate the plot? Yes. Let me tell you how the
Lord Jesus Christ said it at Calvary. It is finished. What's He done? He put away my
guilt. He put away justice and the wrath
of God against me. He frustrated that which took
all that was written against me and nailed it to His cross. Frustrated the plot. The law
of God that had legal claim to me because of my disobedience,
He bore that. Sin, that body of death, He was
made sin for me, a substitute, one that took my place. How did
the Lord Jesus Christ deliver His people? He went to Calvary,
laid His life down, suffered their penalty, shed His blood
for them. There's the frustration, the
putting away of the law The penalty of it against me, sin, death
against me. And God Almighty said, when I
see the blood, I'll pass over you. Thirdly, this nephew knew
something of the secrecy and the preciousness of Paul's delivery. Verse 22, it says, after he had
told the chief captain what had happened, it says, So the chief
captain then let the young man depart, and he charged him. He
said, See thou tell no man that thou hast shown these things
to me. That boy came and told him this is what
they're planning to do to my uncle. Chief Captain told him,
he said, look, I'll tell you what, this is going to be a private
matter. This is private. This is a secret
thing. I know this, that we freely preach
the Gospel. We stand and we Without reservation,
without shame, we proclaim the unsearchable riches of the grace
of God in the face of the Lord Jesus Christ. Thankful to do
so. Thankful. This gospel, the Scripture
says, is preached in all the lands. Preach it. Go everywhere.
Preach it. We put this on the Internet.
Put it in tapes, you put it on, you send them. But I'm going
to tell you something about this gospel, about this delivery,
about this deliverance. This is a personal matter between
Almighty God and His people. This is a secret thing. The declaration
of the gospel is open. It's freely distributed. But there is, between God and
His people, there is a secret bond. And they know it only because
God has revealed it to them. Why is it that one person hears,
and loves it, and basks in the wonder of it, rejoices in it,
and muses on it, and just can't hear it enough, and can't hear
enough of it over and over and over, and another one can hear
it, and it just... It's because it hasn't been revealed
to one, and it has been revealed to another. He told that young boy, he said,
I want you to not tell anybody that you've showed these things
to me. It's secret. Tell no man that thou hast shown
these things." These things are precious. These things are wonderful. To
an unbeliever, they are ridiculed. To an unbeliever, this is trampled
on. But to you that believe, Christ
is precious to you. And this is a secret thing to
you. It's a wonderful thing. And I'll tell you this, you can't
explain it to somebody else. It's going to take Almighty God
telling you. I want you to listen to the prayer
of the Lord Jesus Christ, Matthew 11, 25-26. At that time, Jesus
answered and said, I thank Thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and
earth, because Thou hast hid these things from the wise and
prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes, even so, Father,
for so it seemed good in Thy sight." The Lord Jesus Christ thanked
His Father. Here He is, the Man, Christ Jesus,
God-Man. Here is the man, the Lord Jesus
Christ, as our representative, thanking the Father, thanking
Him for distinguishing grace. Someone might say, well, I don't
see why that would be a secret. I don't see why that would be
something that's so hidden. I don't see why everybody...
Here is the Lord thanking God for hiding the wonders of redemption
from those who were wise and prudent in their own eyes, that
they would not glory in the understanding of it." To say that, I am the
one that figured this out. This is secret. This is a precious
thing. And the apostle said that we
hold this treasure in earthen vessels. This is precious. This is precious
knowledge. Precious information. That young
boy came and told that chief captain, he said, they're plotting
to kill my uncle. He said, thank you for telling
me. He said, don't tell anybody. Any information that needs to
go out, I'll make sure it goes out. These are the wise decrees of
Almighty God that has told and revealed Himself to His people. And they hold this dear, the
knowledge of Christ, the knowledge of His understanding, the knowledge
of His mind, the knowledge of His person, I think about it
and we talk about it so often how God Almighty has chosen a
people before the foundation of the world. And this world
looks at that and they spit on it. That ain't fair. That's not
right. And a believer hears that secret
whisper, that still small voice of the Spirit of God God comes
and He tells him, He said, I chose you. You're one. And they say, Lord, thank you.
Thank you that you've revealed this unto this helpless sinner. Thank you. Forty men plotted to destroy Paul. Almighty
God, who before the foundation of the world knew of the plight
of not only this man right here, but a greater plight that he
had, sent his only begotten Son into this world and spoiled the household of
the strong man that had him bound because he was stronger. and took the goods and led captivity
captive and has kept it a secret that is revealed to the new heart
and to the new mind. And he speaks to his children.
And the Lord said, My sheep, they hear my voice and they follow
me. And the world knows nothing of
that. This book Right here. I'm going
to tell you something. This is a book written by the
Spirit of God through the hands of men. I understand that. But
all of this Scripture is given by inspiration of God. This is
God's Word to God's people. And He tells them of His mercy
and grace and compassion to them. And I promise you this. He reveals
in this book all that will not kiss the sun. The wrath of God
abides on him. Oh, the preciousness of this
blessed secret. Here he is, life eternal. The Lord Jesus Christ said in
John 17 3, that they may know thee. the only true God in Jesus
Christ whom thou hast sent. There are few, a remnant according
to election of grace. A few in this world that a believer can truly bear
his heart to. Have you ever noticed when you
start to talk to one that does not bear witness to the Lord
that you love. You try to relate or try to fellowship
with a person that is an unbeliever. They openly profess something
that you know is not so. Have you ever noticed how there's
no communication? But you take two people, two
believers that God has revealed Himself to, and I'm telling you
there's a bond of secrecy There's something there that they can
fellowship. It's Christ. It's a secret thing
that this world knows nothing about. Paul the Apostle, bound
in jail. A young lad hears of his plight.
A plot is discovered. This boy is the means in foiling
that plot. A picture of Christ. And the
foiling of that plot is a secret thing that was never revealed
to those 40-something men for the purpose of it. Almighty God,
before the foundation of the world, knew the plot and the
plight of His people. He entered into an everlasting
covenant with Himself. When did He enter into it? It
was everlasting. It never started. And in due
time, in the fullness of time, the Lord Jesus Christ, the One
that the Father always trusted in, came into this world and
spoiled principalities, powers, and wickedness. Spoiled. Foiled
the plot. And then in time, this blessed
message, this gospel is preached, and in time, the Spirit of God
comes and whispers a secret to those that God's everlastingly
loved, and he tells them, I've always loved you. I saved you. I purposed that where I am, there
you may be also. And his people say, Lord, thank
you. Thank you for that.