Let's take our Bibles and turn
with me to the book of Acts, Acts chapter 17. Acts chapter 17. I'd like to read verses 10 and
11. And the brethren immediately
sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea, who, coming thither,
went into the synagogue of the Jews. These were more noble than
those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all
readiness and searched the Scriptures daily whether those things were
so. I was thinking, as God made a
statement a moment ago, thanking the Lord for His mercy to allow us to
be able to meet together, how he providentially, predestinatingly
has caused us to be here. Now, you think about this. What did it take for us to be
able to be together at this point? What did it take for all of us to be able to come and to sit
down and have just a few minutes? Really, that's all it is, just
a few minutes. You think about how much time
has passed in this week, this past week. We've got a few minutes. It's just a window of time to
be able. Let me tell you what happened
right here. Paul had decided in his mind,
he purposed in his mind that he was going to go to Asia to
preach the gospel there. And the Scripture says that he
was forbidden by the Spirit of God to go to Asia. And you know that the Spirit
of God would stop A man said, ìNo, I donít want you to go there. Donít go to Asia.î Then he decided
in his mind, heís thinking in his mind, ìIíll go to Bithynia.î
Scripture says that we were suffered not to go to Bithynia. We werenít allowed to. The Spirit of God wouldnít let
us. How do you answer that? Couldn't go to Asia. Couldn't
go to Bithynia. Came to a place named Troas. Went to sleep one night. Paul
did while he was sleeping. Had a dream. In that dream there
was a man, had a vision. come to Macedonia. Paul got up
and convinced the Lord there was a purpose for us to go to
Macedonia. He got on a ship, went to a place
called Philippi, a major city there in Macedonia. He wanted
to go to Asia. He wanted to go to Bithynia. He had a vision one night to
come over. Come help us!" He went to Philippi,
and he got there, and a few days after he got there, he went out
by a river, and there were some women that had met together, and Paul began to preach to them. And there was a woman there named
Lydia, and the Scripture says, as Paul preached
to her. She was a businesswoman, a seller
of purple, maybe on a business trip. What brought her there? Almighty God caused this woman
to meet with the preacher, and he preached to her, and the scripture
says God just opened her heart, and she attended to the things
that were preached by Paul. You think, what a miracle of
God's grace. The Scripture says, just a little
while, Paul, Silas, had a run-in with some of the authorities. Got thrown in jail. Oh my, what
a horrible thing man would think. Why'd they get thrown in jail?
Well, there was a jailer that was there, providentially, that
spot. Almighty God had raised up that
jailer. A little boy came up, went to
school, you know, got him a job as a jailer. Almighty God put
him right there. And the Lord sent an earthquake. My goodness, how horrible. Earthquake. And all of the shackles just
fell off of him. And that jailer came in, knowing
that everybody had escaped, took his sword. He was going to fall
on that sword. Paul told him, said, Don't hurt
yourself. We're all here. We're sitting right here. He
began to preach to this man. That jailer asked him, said,
What must I do to be saved? Paul told them, ìBelieve on the
Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved in the house.î Why was Paul in that jail? There
was one of Godís elect in that spot. They left that place, released,
and went to a place called Thessalonica, preached there. An uproar happened. And they were sent away by the
converts, Thessalonica, and they sent them to a place called Berea.
You think about all these things that happened. Why are you here? What happened to you? What good
thing by God's good grace caused you to be here? How has the Spirit
of God taken events in your life? These things that we think are
so bad are so tough. Surely this disease can't be
good. Surely that event right there
couldn't be good. All things work together for
good to them that love God, to them who are the called. Oh,
that's a nice title, the called. What's your name? The called. All things work together for
good to them that love God. I'm glad we're here today. By
God's good pleasure, good grace, wherever you're from, wherever
you were born, Almighty God worked all things to put them together.
Just right here. Here we are. Right here. Here
we are. All is at a place called Berea. by God's prophets, by
God's grace, by God's power, and He moved them, put them in
that perfect situation, threw them in jail, had them beaten,
put them in a storm, brought them to have a snake bite them. By God's good grace, you hear,
be thankful, be thankful that God Almighty has not left you
to yourself, that He has given you a new heart and a new mind.
that would desire to be here, to hear His Word. The brethren immediately sent
away Paul and Silas benighted unto Berea, and coming thither
went into a synagogue of the Jews, and they were more noble."
Oh, what a compliment! What a compliment! Amazing statement
made by some of these Jews that were found at Berea. Now, something
obviously was different about them than those in another town. More
noble. More noble. More honorable. That's what that
word means. More well-birthed. They were more noble. But let
me ask you something. Before these men, You or I have
anything to boast in about being more noble." They were more noble
in that they received the Word of God with all readiness of
mind and searched the Scriptures. Do you have a heart to do that? Do you have anything to glory
in of yourself because you do that? No, you don't. No, they were not more noble.
more different in their birth. Psalm 58 verse 3 says, ìThe wicked
go astray as soon as theyíre born, speaking lies.î Were these
people born any differently than anybody else? No. They werenít any different by
practice. All if sin, it comes short of the glory of God. But they were more noble than
those at Thessalonica, the Scripture says. They received the Word
of God willingly. That's what that word, all readiness
of mind. They heard that word and they
sat there and they hung on every word that Paul preached and Silas
preached. I want to hear what you've got
to say. Why? God gave a heart to do so. They were open to the hearing
of the Word, willing to hear what was being preached, not
owing to anything in them that was good by nature, receptive
of mind, totally by the grace of Almighty God. We have nothing
to boast in of ourselves. We are what we are by God's grace. And I know how easy it is. Driving
down the road and you see a sign on some church, you know, and
it's some silly something. And you read that, you know,
and read one yesterday. It said, our Sundays are better
than Baskin-Robbins, or our Sundays are better than some... I can't
remember what it was. Our Sundays. And in my mind, I'm thinking
to myself, oh, y'all are so silly. But you know what? I see the
thought. But for the grace of God, I'd do the same thing. But for God's grace, I'd wallow
in my self-righteousness, and I'd think to myself, be something. The Lord had a people in that
place. You know why? that there's a
place in Fairmont, West Virginia where
you can come and hear the gospel. You know why? Because Almighty
God's been pleased to place a place right here. Raise up and maintain
it and sustain it. And raise up a preacher and keep
it there. We ought to be thankful every
moment we've got a place to come and hear There were some sinners, without
a doubt, seeking a Savior right here in Berea. They heard the
Word of God and they sought after Him. But I'll tell you why they
were seeking. Because the Savior sought them
first. The Lord Jesus Christ said, The
Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.
You know why God's people love Him? because he loved them first. That's why. You find a sinner seeking mercy
and grace, and God's grace has already begun in that sinner.
God's already done something for him. Blessed is the man whom
thou choosest and causeth to approach him. The reason we seek him is because
he seeks us first. We love Him because He loves
us first. No sinner ever seeks the Lord
until Almighty God in grace and power causes that man to do so,
gives him a heart to do so. I will remove that heart of stone. I'll give you a heart of flesh.
I'll write my law on your heart. I'll say to you, you're my people.
You'll say, I'm your God. Romans 3.11 says there's none
that understand it. There's none that seeketh after
God. But these right here at Berea received with a favorable
reception. They received the Word of God
as the Word of God. 1 Thessalonians. Now Paul is
writing a letter to that church. He was talking about they were
more noble in Berea than they were at Thessalonica. But there
were some noble in Thessalonica. 1 Thessalonians 2.13, and listen
to this. And let us read these words this
morning with a heart, asking Almighty God, Lord, let me read
this. These very words that my eyes
look upon and my mind understands by Your grace, Lord, let me say
this too. For this cause, 1 Thessalonians
2.13, for this cause, also thank we God, first of all, realize
who we thank. Is it because of my industry
and my ability and my persistence and my stability? Hang on, hang
on, man. I'm so glad that I've hung on
all this time. If you're here this morning,
it is by God's grace that He's kept you, kept you. He's able to keep you from falling.
The reason you believe this morning, the reason you believe this morning. You know why? I prayed for you.
That's what He told Peter. That your faith fail not. I prayed for you. For this cause
also think we got, without ceasing, because when you received the
Word of God, which you heard of us, you received it not as
the Word of men, but as it is in truth. the Word of God which
effectually worketh also in you that believe." Effectually, actively,
powerfully. He effectually worketh in those
that He's purposed to save. You received the Word of God.
Not as the Word of men, Paul said, I thank God that you received
it. Not as the Word of men, but as it is in truth, the Word of
God. Oh, I find myself just... I just
want to stop. Just let me just stop one minute.
Lord, You give me an understanding. This is God's Word. This is God's
Word. Lord, I'm so sorry that I hear
it and I hear it. I just am so prone to forget. As God just said, if you ever
hear the good news, there is no other bad news. He received it. 1 Corinthians 2.14 says, The
natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God,
for they are foolishness unto him. Neither can he know them. because they're spiritually discerned,
he can't. We hear this glorious gospel,
a gospel of free grace, sovereign grace, Almighty God loved the
people everlastingly, chose them in Christ, their surety, and
dealt with the surety, dealt with the surety. Those of you that signed notes
for somebody, you ever sign a note for somebody and they didn't
pay? Who'd they come after? You. You had the assets, evidently. They took your signature. You're
the surety. Christ is the surety of the sheep. Could they walk before Almighty
God in absolute obedience before God's laws and obey Him perfectly,
perfectly in every thought, every thought, every word, every deed? Could they do that? No. Why?
Dead. Dead. Unable. Unable. Can't. No man can come. He can't.
Why? He's dead. I'm going to pray to you on that,
Lord willing, tonight. Dead. You have to acquit them who were
dead. They came before Almighty God, made
under the law, walked before Almighty God perfectly. His people, their representatives,
they were in Him, went to that cross, took their guilt, They
took their shame, their humiliation, made to be sin. And under the
judgment of Almighty God, He laid down His life willingly
and paid their debt and put their sin away, paid it. Cast it as far as the east is
from the west. Man by nature hears that. He
says, that's foolishness. That's foolishness. That's absolute
foolishness. I can. Scripture says you can't. He said, I can. No man will. He said, I will. That's what
man by nature says. He said, they were more noble.
They received the Word of God with all readiness of mind. What was it that they received?
The Word. The Word. Man, by nature, give
him a program. Tell me what to do. Tell me how
to walk. Tell me how to come down the
aisle. He said they received the Word, the Word concerning
Christ, the living Word. preached word, the written word
concerning the Word. In the beginning was the Word.
The Word was with God. The Word was God and was made
flesh and dwelt among us, tabernacled among us. We beheld His face. began to pray for what
would be pretty these were no more noble birth eleven and that
they received the word what what paul preaching to look at birth
to a back seventeen paul as his manner was went in onto them
three-day sabbath reason with them out of the scriptures opening
and alleging that christ must need to suffered and risen again
from the dead and that this jesus who my preaching to you Yes,
Christ, that's what he preached in Thessalonica. You think that's
what he preached in Berea? Paul said, I'm not ashamed of
the gospel. I'm not going to preach anything
but Christ and Him crucified. That means he's just going to
preach every day, every time on the day of the crucifixion?
Christ and Him crucified is all that Almighty God has done from
beginning to end. It's in Christ. Paul's opening and alleging out
of the scriptures. What he had was the Old Testament
scriptures. That's where he was preaching from. Preaching Christ. Is that not what the Lord Jesus
Christ Himself did on the road to Emmaus, the two that He came? Beginning with Moses, all of the prophets, He expounded
unto them in all the Scriptures those things concerning Himself.
You know, I thought about that. The Spirit of God was pleased
to not set forth in Scripture exactly what the Lord had said
to us. But just in my mind, I wondered,
would that not have been, they said, did our hearts not burn
within us as He opened unto us the Scriptures? Have you ever,
when you hear someone stand up and proclaim out of the Scriptures,
out of the Old Testament, those tithes, the ark, the brazen serpent,
the rock, the tabernacle, the altar, the slain, the sacrifices,
all pictures of the Lord Jesus Christ. And as they open it up
and you see that, you know, Abraham goes up, takes his son, lays
him on that altar, takes that knife. The Lord stops him and
says, there's a ram caught in a thicket. And there's that ram,
you know, it's a substitution, you know. And you think, oh,
that is so good. I see that. I see what you substitute
Him in my place. He took my guilt. He was on the
altar. I went free. The Lord opened unto them Himself. The Lord wasn't pleased to reveal
that to them. I think, my goodness, whatever
He preached, the Spirit of God blessed it to them. Their hearts
just burned with it. What did Philip do when he came
and found that Ethiopian eunuch? What was that Ethiopian eunuch
reading? Where was he? Out of Isaiah.
Philip asked him, he said, do you understand what you're reading?
He said, how can I? That's the man who preached to
me. And starting right there, right
there in the book of Isaiah, he preached unto him Jesus right
there. This was his comment, that Ethiopian
eunuch. He said, what does it mean to
me to be baptized and confess Him? He said, you believe with
all your heart. He said, I believe. I believe. Paul clearly set forth the necessity
of the Savior's suffering. That's what he said. The opening
and alleging that Christ must Needs have suffered and risen
again from the dead. This is Jesus whom I preach unto
you. He's the Christ, the Messiah. He must needs have suffered.
The scriptures must be fulfilled. God's people must be redeemed. God's word cannot fail. The law
must be satisfied. God must be just. He must need
to have suffered. He's got to suffer. He's got
to go to the cross. He set forth that Christ is the
Messiah, the only Savior and Redeemer. There's none other
name under heaven given among men whereby you must be saved. How is that word received? The
Scripture says, with all readiness of mind. Readiness. All readiness of mind. That word
readiness means willing. Willing. Turn with me. I want
to show you something. Turn with me to Matthew 26, verse
41. Ready. Readiness. All readiness
of mind means willing. Matthew 26. Look at this. The Lord is speaking here. He
says, Watch and pray that ye enter not into temptation. The
spirit indeed is, look at this word, willing, willing. But the flesh is weak. OK? The spirit is willing. The
flesh is weak. Now turn with me to Mark. fourteen
thirty eight mark fourteen thirty eight. Is the Lord Jesus speaking mark. Pending these words under the
inspiration of the spirit of God. Back where we just read
he said watch and pray that you enter not in temptation the spirit
indeed is willing but the flesh is weak and mark fourteen thirty
eight. Watch and pray, lest ye enter
into temptation. The spirit truly is ready, but
the flesh is weak." The same word. Paul says, when he was
preaching to these under the inspiration, he said, they received
the word of God with all readiness. Ready. They were ready. They
were willing. Here is the way, a heart made
willing. in the day of God's power. This
morning, if you hear this word, the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ,
with all readiness, willingness, you want to, I want to hear. I want to hear of Him. I want
to hear about Him. I don't want to hear anything
new. Now, when you hear anything that'll
tickle my fancy, tell me one more time, you tell me of the
glory of Almighty God in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ,
how God, Almighty God, was pleased to show mercy to me. Why would He show mercy to me?
Because He was pleased to do so. Because He pleased God. It's like a hungry man feast
upon a lavish meal placed before him, like a drowning man who
latches on to a life preserver, just like Jacob did when he wrestled
with the man until the breaking of the day. Let me go, Jacob
said. I won't let you go. I bless you,
bless me. He was holding on. You know why? Because God was holding on to
him. That's the reason you let go.
That's the reason. You have a heart after Him this
morning. Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief. You have a heart after Him. You
long after Him. A readiness of mind after Him.
A willingness after Him. It's because He will not let
you go. He's holding you in His hand. That's the reason. These at Berea were anxious to
hear the Word of God. Like Cornelius sending a messenger
to Peter and saying, Now therefore are we all here present before
God to hear all things that are commanded thee of God. And Peter
preached to him. The book of Acts. You can find that if you want
to. Acts chapter 10. He preached to him. But here,
is that not what God's people say? We're here this morning
to hear one thing. Tell us of Him. Tell us of Almighty
God's sovereign, almighty, saving grace. Tell us of the glory of
Christ, the glory of God in Him. And they searched, the Scripture
says, the Scriptures daily, whether these things were so. This message
of the glory of Almighty God. What do people do? They look
in there, and you show me. I want to see that in Scripture. Search the Scriptures. Examine those Scriptures. Scrutinize
what is being preached. That was a blessed privilege
granted from above for them to do that. Man by nature will hear
this, hear it preached, and he will blindly willingly, blindly
say, I'm not going to believe that. He may have his eyes fall
upon those words. That's not the God I serve. The
God I serve loves everybody. Well, maybe so. Maybe the God you serve, the
God of your imagination, the God of your own creation, but
not the God of His Word, of these Scriptures. They searched the
Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. Why? Well, God gave my heart to do
so. Because the care of their souls
at stake, the glory of Almighty God, was the issue. What is the
issue right now? What's the issue this morning?
I'll tell you. His honor, His glory. What's
the issue? Him. Him. When it's all said
and done, when it's all over, what's the issue? Thou art worthy
and you are worthy to receive honor, glory, and praise. 1 John 4 says, Beloved, and they
search the Scriptures daily, John says, Believe not every
spirit. A man that stands up and preaches
what he's preaching. Believe not every spirit, but
try the spirits, whether they are of God, because many false
prophets are gone out into the world. They received the word of God.
How? With all readiness of mind. And
lastly, the evidence that they had receive that word is this,
verse 12, back of Acts 17, "...and therefore many of them believed." Not all, but many. Here we behold the distinguishing
grace of Almighty God to His elect. We see right here Book of Acts, turn with me, talking
about they believed. Who shall believe? Acts 13, 47
and 48. For so hath the Lord commanded us,
saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that
thou shouldest be for salvation. unto the ends of the earth. And
when the Gentiles heard this, they were glad and glorified
the word of the Lord. And as many as were ordained
to eternal life believed." These at Berea, the Scripture says
that they heard Paul preach and they received the word with all
readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures daily, whether
those things were so. Therefore, many of them believed."
Do you believe? Do you believe this
message preached? Do you believe this report? Lord,
who hath believed our report? Who hath believed our report?
I'll tell you who will believe it. I'll tell you everyone's
going to believe it. as were ordained to eternal life. Salvation is of the Lord. Salvation
is of God. Salvation is by sovereign, saving
grace. Philippians 129, for unto you
it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on
Him, but also to suffer for His sake. It is given unto you to
believe. And then the scripture says,
that last part of verse 12, many of them believed also of honorable
women, which were Greeks, and of men, and not of people. Honorable. Honorable. 1 Corinthians, this will be my
last scripture, 1 Corinthians, verse 1, chapter 1. 1 Corinthians,
chapter 1, verse 26. You see, you call them, brethren,
that not many wise men are to the flesh, not many mighty, not
many noble are called. But God hath chosen the foolish
things of the world to confound the wise, and God hath chosen
the weak things of the world to confound the things which
are mighty. And base things of the world
and things which are despised hath God chosen, yea, and things
which are not, to bring to naught. things that are. Why? That no
flesh should glory in his presence. You know, man by nature, someone seems to have a little
bit more, accomplish a little more, have a few more things
in this life. And somehow, you know, and this
is nothing more than our old fleshly nature. We kind of look
at them and we just kind of have a little bit more respect for
them, you know. In God's sight, God's chosen
based things. Not many wise, not many noble,
but there are some. We are what we are by God's grace,
by God's choosing. by God's purpose, most not in
yourself. Think not too highly of yourself. God has made all His people to
be honorable and come before Him. By God's grace, He give us a
heart this morning to receive the Word of God with all readiness
to think upon Him with respect, and to think upon ourselves as
being nothing more than a beggar before Him.