Acts 21. Let's have a word of prayer. Our blessed Father, how we thank
you for the privilege that we have to be able to assemble ourselves
together. And Lord, I pray that you'd bless
the next few moments as we consider and study your words. We thank
You that You've raised up this place, and I thank You for this
small assembly in Japan that's written us. Lord, it's just two,
but You said where two or three are gathered together, You're
there. Pray that You'd bless in accordance with Your will
and purpose those believers that are in that place. And we ask
these things for Christ's sake. Amen. being persuaded by God that he
must go to Jerusalem. The Apostle Paul would not hear
of the advice that a lot of people were trying to give him to not
go because he was going to be persecuted. You know, when God
gives a man or woman a heart to do something, That's what
they want to do. And anything that tries to forbid
them or obstruct them, it just can't. God's called me. God's called me to do this. I've
got to. I've got to. That was Paul's
attitude. Well, Scripture says, last time
we looked at this, verse 14, it says, And when he would not
be persuaded, we ceased, saying, The will of the Lord be done."
They realized that he had a much higher calling than what they
were considering. Don't go, Paul. You're going
to get in trouble. I've got to go. I've got to go. I have no choice but to go. I
can't give myself to something that God's not called me to do. I just can't do that. Well, verse
15 says, Well, after those days we took up our carriages and
went up to Jerusalem. Their luggage is what that was.
It doesn't mean a carriage as we think of it. Their luggage. There's the mark of a believer. obedience. Luke writing said, well, he wouldn't
be persuaded, so we left him alone. And it said the will of
the Lord. Well, after those days, we went
to Jerusalem. The Lord said in John 10, 27,
My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. You
hear the voice. A believer hears the voice of
the Master. They hear it through the Word. Just hearing the Gospel preached
is life. You hear it and you know that's
His voice. That's the voice of Christ. That's
Him speaking. Even those who at one time felt
that maybe Paul shouldn't go. They realized this is God's will. They knew that this was the purpose
of the Lord and they had confidence in God who had called Paul to
do what Paul felt was the right thing to do. They knew that God
had called him. They knew it. There was no doubt in their mind. that he was called of the Lord.
How did he know that? Well, Acts 9.15, Saul of Tarsus
on the road to Damascus, he goes into Damascus and there's one
Ananias, and Ananias asked the Lord. He said, Lord, this is
Saul of Tarsus. The Lord told him in Acts 9.15,
the Lord said unto him, Go thy way. He is a chosen vessel unto
me to bear my name before the Gentiles and kings The children
of Israel. Paul knew these folks knew that
the Lord had called him. He had to go. When the Lord would
go to Judea because of Lazarus. Well, his disciples ask him in
John 11, 8, Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee,
and thou goest thither again. Well, the Lord said concerning
going to Lazarus, let's go to him. He waited. He waited according to his purpose
and will, and Lazarus died. He was sick. Lazarus died. In
fact, he'd been buried according to his sister four days. Four
days, you know, the body's starting to break down now. And Martha,
you know, tried to Tell the Lord, don't roll the stone away. By
now he stinks. You know. When they knew that
the Lord was going, the disciples said, then said Thomas, which
is called Didymus, unto his fellow disciples, let's also go that
we may die with him. A believer is going to follow
Christ. That's what he's going to do. My sheep hear my voice
and they follow. They follow. What's a possibility
of them not following? They're going to follow. They
will. Well, verse 16 says, Then went
with us also certain of the disciples of Caesarea, and brought with
them one Nason of Cyprus, an old disciple, with whom we should
lodge. You know, there was something
in that verse of Scripture that was Very beautiful. It says there was a fellow named
Nason of Cyprus, an old disciple. Proverbs 16.31 says this, the
hoary head, that is the gray hair of old age, is a crown of
glory if it be found in the way of righteousness." Just because
a person has gotten older, has some gray hair. But it's a crown of glory if
that person is found following after Christ. Proverbs 20, 29
says, "...the glory of youth is their strength, but the beauty
of old men is the gray head." I remember the other day when
Brother Cody was here and he made that statement, and I thought
about that. He said, it's so good to see
so much gray hair. That's true. That is true. You
know, if a believer be found to possess Gray hair. That is what it said. There was
a man there and he was an old disciple. Scripture bears out. The hoary head is a crown of
glory if it is found in the way of righteousness. But if a person be found with
some gray hair, here are a couple of things we know. If he is a new convert, what
does that mean? Well, if the Lord called him
out of darkness when he was older. If he is a new convert and he is found in the way of
righteousness as an older believer, older in that the Lord called
him at an older age, this is what we know. Never despair of
the grace of God. As long as there's breath in
some lungs, there's some hope. As long as there's a breathing
human being, there's times that I look and it's just my unbelief. I know it is. But I know some
folks right now that are not associated with this church. They're older in age. And they
make no claim whatsoever to believe the gospel of God's grace. And
in my mind, I think all these years they've had no association
whatsoever with the truth. And I don't suppose that they'll
be called out of darkness. But what if they are? Never despair. We can ask, pray that God would
have mercy. I don't know how old those two
thieves were on the side of the Lord. I don't know how old they
were. It doesn't say. But I know this. There was two men and one
of them, before he left this world, the Lord called him out
of darkness. Don't you ever despair. As long
as there's breath, as long as there's breathing, as long as those lungs are drawing
some air, there's hope. There's hope. God's going to
have to save them. But here's the second thing I
know. If it is an age believer, one
that has been long in the faith, I know this secondly, we see
the proof of divine faithfulness. God has kept them there a long
time. If they are a new convert and they are older in age, do
not ever despair of God's grace. But if they have been there and
they have been there and they have been there and they have been there
and they are still there, there is the evidence of God's faithfulness
to His own. 1 Peter 1, 4 and 5. says that we have an inheritance
that is incorruptible and undefiled, that fadeth not away, reserved
in heaven for you, who are kept by the power of God through faith
unto salvation, ready to be revealed in the last time. You that believe,
that have been here for years and years and years, you came
up from your youth, and in time, Years ago, God called you out
of darkness. You hadn't always been converted.
I know better than that. But maybe the Lord called you
out of darkness at a younger age, and you've been here, and
you're still here. Do you know why you're still
here? It's not because you're just super spiritual in yourself. You know, I've been faithful
all these many years, you know, like that brother of the prodigal
son. All these years, you know. No,
you know what you say? I'm here by the grace of God.
The only reason I'm not gone is because God was pleased to
keep me. And here's the third thing we
see. You see the evidence of a renewed heart that will not
go away. You know, the Lord asked his
disciples, you know, will you go away also? Peter said, Lord,
to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal
life, and we believe and sure that Thou art that Christ, the
Son of the living God. My question to you that believe. You that have been here a little
while. You that have been here a long
time. Glenn, where are you going to go? Where are you going? Where
are you going to go, Gene? Where? Carl, where are you going
to go? Scott, where are you? Those of
us that... Bob, you know that... I've been here for a while, gray
hair. Where are you going to go? No,
this is what you say. Lord, You have the words of eternal
life. I can't go. I just can't. One,
it's been long in the faith. He's learned much of the frailty
of this flesh. He's learned much of the sustaining
grace of God. That's what Brother Henry meant
when he said the greatest losses that this world ever suffers
is when God removes an aged believer. Boy, they've learned some things.
They've been taught some things. Now verse 17, And when we were
come to Jerusalem, the brethren received us gladly. They received
us with pleasure. You know, brethren love to see
other brethren. Those they hadn't seen for a
while. I know that for a fact. That fellowship and love for
the brethren is the evidence of life in Christ. That's what
the Lord said. By this shall all men know that
you are my disciples. You have love one for another. And I know that we've anxiously
seen each other. Hadn't seen each other. But stop
for a moment And think of the joy when you shall see Him. And to look upon Him and to know
without the presence of sin anymore. It's the Lord. And you'll know
Him. And you'll know Him as you're
known. Scripture says we'll be like Him. Never to be separated
from Him. Oh, Paul and these disciples,
they were glad to see each other. They received each other gladly.
But oh, to see Him! Verse 18, the day following,
Paul went in with us unto James, and all the elders were present.
And when he had saluted them, he declared particularly, what
things God had wrought among the Gentiles by His ministry.
Paul saw James and the other brethren, saluted them, embraced
them, hugged them. And it says Paul began to particularly
tell them what the Lord God had done. He told them one by one. That's what the word particularly.
He declared particularly. He told them one by one. This is what God did. And there
was this brother and there was his sister. And this one right
here. And here's how it happened. And
the Lord called them and they did this. And He rehearsed in
their mind exactly what God had done. Set forth. the events that the Lord opened
up in regenerating grace to those Gentiles. That's what Paul wanted
to talk about, and that's what these elders, these other disciples,
that's what they wanted to hear. That's what they want to talk
about. I've said before, you know what? Believers, they get
together, and there will be maybe a little chit-chat here and there,
Listen to the conversation of two believers. You know what
they're going to talk about? They're going to talk about Christ. The psalmist said, Psalm 66,
16, Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare
what He has done for my soul. Come and hear. Hearing the gospel in power is
the eye of faith. That's truly seeing. Hearing
in power. Romans 10, 17 says, so then faith... The word cometh is not really
there. If you'll notice, if you read that, it's in italics. It's
not there. So then faith by hearing. And
hearing by the Word of God. Faith sees. It does. That's the C and I. Faith. Faith sees. Acts 11, 23 concerning Peter
when he went to Antioch says, "...who, when he came and had
seen the grace of God, was glad and exhorted them all that with
purpose of heart they would cleave to the Lord." I said when we
preached on that back a long time ago, how do you see the
grace of God? I see it. I see it. I can see the evidence of God's
grace. I see the grace of God. I see
what He's done for others. Pray that He's done that for
me. I see that. Come in here, the psalmist said,
all you that fear God, you know, When you're going to bear your
heart, when you're going to absolutely just let your innermost feelings
be known concerning Almighty God, you want to choose your
audience carefully, don't you? I mean, there's just some that
you just can't level with concerning how you feel, concerning the
Lord. I don't want to cast my pearls before swine. What does
that mean? Well, I'll tell you what. I want
to be honest with men and tell them the truth concerning God. But you know, there may come
a point when someone may tell you, I don't want to hear that
anymore. Don't talk to me about that anymore.
They make a mockery of it. They scorn you. They scorn the
God you love. Don't cast your pearls before
swine. Come and hear ye that fear God. This is not a mockery. I can
freely speak with those that want to freely speak of Christ. Well, Scott, I don't have any
problem concerning Christ to you, any of you. But there's a lot in this world
that I just can't do that. I'd say something, but there's
nothing coming back, Carl. It's just not there. You that
fear the Lord, you that reverence God. David said, I'll declare what
He has done for my soul. I'm going to bare my soul to
you. You know, a believer wants to talk about what the Lord's
done. Not what I've done. Let me tell
you what He has done for my inner part. My eternal part. Let me tell you what He's done
for my soul. Testimonies that have gotten
by experience, carry some true weight. I love
talking to those that are not talking to me hypothetically.
I mean, when somebody tells me the Lord's grace is sufficient,
and I'm witnessing a believer that's been there, and they know
what it's like. to walk through the trials, through
the fire. And they've been there. They
know. They know. Somebody says something to me
and it's something that I've experienced. Somebody comes up
and they've gone through a trial and it's something that I know
something about because I've been there. When I tell them,
I know how you feel, they say, yeah, I guess you do. That carries
some weight to it. But if you've never been there,
then you say, well, you know what, you really don't know how
I feel. But you that fear the Lord, if
God's given you a heart to reverence Him and somebody else reverences
Him, you'll tell them, let me tell you what God's done for
me. It's an encouragement to younger believers to see and
to hear of the sustaining grace of God. It helps me. When I see some of you that God
has brought through the trials, some through the water, some
through the flood, you know, all of them through the blood.
But when I see something that you've gone through and I look
and I say, you know what? The Lord's grace is sufficient.
You know how I know? You're still there. You're still
there. You wouldn't go? That gives me
some encouragement. I should never desire to draw
attention to myself. I say that. And you know what? My old flesh denies that. And I do want to draw attention
to myself. But I hate that thought. I mean, I know I want to do it.
Anybody says, oh, I don't want any attention for myself. You
liar. You're a liar. But I hate that thought. I know
in my heart that he deserves the attention. Come and hear
you that fear the Lord. I'll declare what the Lord's
done for me, done for my soul. What greater joy than to be able
to share with someone how God has given me an interest for
Christ. Let me tell you what the Lord's
done for me. He's given me an interest in
His Son. There was a time that I didn't
have it. Let me tell you what He's done for me. I can muse upon God's mercy,
but to another believer, One that fears Him, I can break forth
in speech. I can freely tell you how He
gave me faith to believe. I can share that with you. I have no problem talking to
a believer and telling them, if the Lord wouldn't have given
me faith, I wouldn't have believed. You talk to an unbeliever about
that, they don't know what you're talking about. that the Lord everlastingly loved
me. This world thinks that God loves
everybody. But a believer knows this was
a distinguishing love. I set my affection on you, not
because you were greater than me, but because I chose to. Redeemed me by His grace. Who
did Christ die for? All that the Father gave Him. I love to talk about that. Call me by spirit. I think back, a man of myself,
and think about how I was, you know, a man of life, running
with the crowd that I ran with. I got thinking one day. When
I graduated from college a long, long time ago, of all the people that was in
that college, could it be, Neil, that God showed mercy to one
that I know of? I don't know of anybody else.
Maybe it's I just don't know of them, but that thought goes
through my mind. Let me tell you. what God's done
for me. Let me tell you how God has been
merciful to my soul. How many times do I find in given
families there may be one. I've been a very blessed man.
I had a family that God, I'm convinced, showed mercy. I've
got four kids that I can fellowship with. That's a miracle. God's grace, a miracle. Let me tell you what the Lord's
done for me. There was a man that was possessed
of a legion of devils. And the Lord showed mercy to
that man and spoke to those demons that was in that fellow. and
sent them into a big group of swine. And after he cast those
devils out, that demoniac there of the Gadarenes, that man came
to the Lord, it's said, and he was clothed. He was in his right
mind. And he asked the Lord if he could
go with him where he went. And this was the Lord's words
in Mark 5, 19. Howbeit Jesus suffered him not, but said unto
him, Go home to thy friends, and tell them how great things
the Lord hath done for thee, and hath had compassion on thee. Could it be that there were some
sheep back there at that fellow's house. Little Gary, you come.