Seeking the Lord's help for a
little while this evening and your very prayerful attention,
turn with me to the chapter we read, the Acts of the Apostles,
chapter 11, and reading verses 21, 22, and 23. The Acts of the Apostles, Chapter
11, verses 21, 22 and 23. And the hand of the Lord was
with them, and a great number believed and turned unto the Lord. Then tidings of these things
came unto the ears of the church, which was in Jerusalem. And they sent forth Barnabas,
that he should go as far as Antioch, 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 unto the Lord. Two weeks ago we were favoured
to hear a remarkable sermon preached by Pastor James from the Acts
of the Apostles, chapter 4, verse 36, and Joseph, who by the Apostles
was surnamed Barnabas, which is being interpreted the Son
of Consolation, a Levite, and of the country of Cyprus. And we considered many things
regarding how the Lord was pleased to use this man Barnabas, this
Son of Consolation, this encourager. Barnabas what an encourager he
was and it's remarkable and that it's often said that Barnabas
is that they're downtrodden really they're not really they're not
really valued They're not really valued, they're in quite a vulnerable
position really as they seek to encourage others, but they're
probably the last really to receive encouragement. But it's good
to see that in our text, that it speaks of how Barnabas was
encouraged, that he was glad, and he encouraged himself by
what he saw in this young church at Antioch. it would appear from
what we understand from the Word of God, that when Stephen was
being martyred and all that was going on then, that many of the
people of God, many of the Jews, that they fled. They fled to
all corners. And several of them settled in
Antioch. And this church at Antioch began
to flourish and to grow, and the word was brought to the Gentiles. And this encouraged Barnabas,
as he saw that the hand of the Lord was with them. And he also, as our text also
says in verse 23, and had seen the grace of God in them, in
this church, on this people, and he was glad. and he exhorted
them all that with purpose of heart they would cleave unto
the Lord. Now in thinking upon these things
it is good for us, it is good for us as a little church and
people to reflect, to reflect on the way in which the Lord
has led us has led us as individuals, and has led us collectively,
and has led us and brought us together as a church and people. I mentioned in prayer with much
thanksgiving that it'll be, I believe, it's five years this coming Lord's
Day that several of you entered on a Lord's Day for the first
time in this house of God. and you along with several others
that have since come along and made this your spiritual home. Now what was it? What was it? How good it is for us to reflect
on what was it? What was it that drew us? What was it that we saw? What was it that you saw when
you came into this house of God? Was it not, in effect, that you
saw that the hand of the Lord was with this people? You saw
that the grace of God, evident amongst the people, And so you
were glad, weren't you? You were glad. And as we think
of how the Lord has been pleased, has been pleased in His mercy,
to prosper at the work in Ebenezer Chapel Hastings since that venture
by faith was made by just about half a dozen souls who had been
meeting together in the big chapel in Old Town and they were favoured
by faith to move here into this house of God, very much run down
place and yet how the Lord has been pleased to bless and build
up not only the building but much much more the church of
God's and good for us to to remember to remember what he's done that
two of the brethren were sent out to pray a couple were sent
to establish the mission in Mombasa. There have been several baptisms,
including a teenager. Others have been added to the
church, including two teenagers. Let us ever remember, remember
these things. The Sunday School was established,
I suppose, probably about 20 years ago. And today it's grown
so that there are three classes. And we witness, don't we, we
witness Sabbath by Sabbath, Wednesday by Wednesday, liberty, liberty
in the pulpit. We witness, don't we, the hand
of God. We witness an evidence of a growth
in grace within the church and the congregation. We witness,
don't we, as evidence that there's prayer in the pew, as it was
coined by one of old a long time ago, and how true it is that
where there is prayer in the pews, that there's power, there's
power in the pulpit. And then there was that huge
venture of faith, wasn't it, as a pastor was called. And it seemed an impossible,
impossible, an impossible thing. And yet it was proved that it
was of the Lord, wasn't it? That the man, dear James, had
been exercised for years, that he would take up the pastorate
here. And so we know, don't we, that
as my dear father-in-law said to me when I asked for Crystal's
hand in marriage, he said, well, Dave, if I know anything about
it, if anything's of the Lord, it'll be tried. It'll be tried. And it is being tried, isn't
it? And the enemy would seek to come in, wouldn't he? And
he'd seek to divide us and to make us lose sight of these things. These precious things. But Barnabas,
oh Barnabas, son of consolation. Verse 24 says, for he was a good
man and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith. And much people,
much people was added unto the Lord. well, the Church. The Church went full of the Holy
Ghost and of faith. Barnabas knew that they were
a target. Barnabas knew that they were
a target for grievous wolves to enter in, not sparing the
Church. And so he exhorted them in our
text He exhorted them all. Exhorted them all, not a few
of them. Exhorted them all. that with purpose of heart they
would cleave unto the Lord. The prophet Isaiah in chapter
59 and verse 19, we have these words, 59 and verse 19, when
the enemy shall come in, It's not if the enemy, it's when
the enemy shall come in like a flood. The Spirit of the Lord
shall lift up a standard against him. Friends, the Lord will enter
the fray. The Lord will enter the fray. He'll join the fights. Blessed
be God. As the commanding officer, he
raises a standard, doesn't he? To give his men, to give his
soldiers something tangible and visible. Tangible and visible
around so that they can rally to the cause. As they are, as he exhorts them. with all purpose of heart, to
cleave unto the Lord.' Jesus, didn't He, as He spoke of Himself
of being the Vine in St John chapter 15, And in verse 4 he
says, Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit
of itself, except it abide in the vine, no more can ye, except
ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abideth in me, and I
in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit. For without me ye
can do nothing. Friends, it's like the ivy, isn't
it? The ivy clings to the oak, clings
to the oak tree. and friends, and so it is that
you and I, we're exhorted, we're exhorted to cling, to cling to
Jesus, to cling to Jesus, to cling to His words, to cling,
to adhere to, to join, to stick, to abide together, That lovely
hymn of Joseph Hart number 708 on it is good for me to draw
near to God in Psalm 73 and verse 28 and he says, as when a child
secure of harms, hangs at the mother's breast, safe folded
in her anxious arms, receiving food and rest. And while through
many a painful path the travelling parent speeds, the fearless babe,
oh the babe is fearing nothing, safe with mother, a mother isn't
he? The fearless babe with passive
faith lies still and yet proceeds. Should some short start his quiet
break, He fondly stries to fling his little arms Around her neck
and seems to closer cling. Poor child, maternal love alone
Preserves thee first and last. thy parents' arms, and not thy
own, are those that hold thee fast. So now he likens to that
to souls clinging to Christ. That's it, friends. That's where
safety is. That's where the wolf is kept
from coming in and disturbing the flock. So souls that would
to Jesus cleave, and hear his secret call must every fair pretension
leave leave everything all of those things that come and they
do they come in like a flood don't they as the enemy seeks
to do whatever he will to destroy the unity of the spirit and the
bond of peace must So souls that would to Jesus
cleave, and hear his secret call, must, must, there's no two ways
about it, he's such a subtle foe, must, every fair pretension
leave, and let the Lord be all. Oh, you remember when you were
first favoured with the love of Christ? Was not Jesus your
all and in all? And is he not still when you're
in that good place? He's still, isn't he? Your all
and in all. He's your friend. He's precious. He's your heavenly friend. He's
leading you on. And the enemy will do all he
can to detract, to disturb, to see that you go down into those
by-path meadows. Keep close to me, he says, thou
helpless sheep. The shepherd softly cries, Lord,
tell me what it is to close to keep. And the listening sheep
replies, Precious Jesus, thy whole dependence on me fix, Nor
entertain a thought, thy worthless schemes with mine to mix, Think
about it. Don't go that way. Don't try
and mix your schemes, your worldly schemes, your worldly thoughts,
those things that the enemy leads you into and those things he
tries to cram your mind with. Don't try and mix them with mine. No, just venture to be nothing. It's a hard place to come to,
isn't it? To be nothing and Christ to be
all and in all. Fond self-direction is a shelf. Thy strength, thy wisdom flee. Let it all go. When thou art
nothing. It's a hard place to come to
and the enemy will do all he can to ensure that you feel you
shouldn't be there. You shouldn't be there. You must
put your hand to this, put your hand to that. No, it's when thou
art nothing in thyself, thou then art close to me. And so are all souls to cleave
to Jesus. thy whole dependence on him fix
well so as we've said the purpose of Satan this this that we have
in our text regarding regarding this this purpose and and he
says he says in In our text, which I've completely
lost here, here we are. Then tidings of these things
came unto the ears of the church, which was in Jerusalem, and they
sent forth Barnabas, that he should go as far as Antioch,
who, when he came and had seen the grace of God, was glad and
exhorted them all that with Purpose of hearts they would cleave unto
the Lord so the purpose of Satan is that we don't cleave to the
Lord that he'll bring division and And his objective is simply
to cause division in a church where the hand of the Lord is. Where the hand of the Lord is
with them and the grace of God is very, very evident. His purpose is to cause division. And he's not bothered. He really
isn't bothered whether that leads to worldliness or whether it
leads to another church. He doesn't care. He really doesn't
care as long as he upsets the unity of the Spirit and the bond
of peace, as long as he can be seen to bringing discord. to discord amongst the brethren,
because he despises, he despises seeing a church prosper, he despises
seeing the hand of God upon a church, he despises the grace of God. He despises that very fact that
the people of God are blessed with this grace, God's riches
at Christ's expense. He despises them. It cost him
so much. He knows that he's a conquered
foe. And all the while, all the while,
until Jesus returns, He'll do what He can to frustrate, to
frustrate the people of God. And especially, especially where
the unity of the Spirit dwells, where the hand of the Lord God
is upon His people, leading and guiding and blessing them with
His grace. And so he says, as he will, he'll
purpose, he'll bring those thoughts into our hearts. But you know,
dear Daniel, he had a purpose, didn't he? And this is really,
as we would seek to bring this out just a little. And it's a
young and old as well. Oh, we're never far, are we?
And in fact, the older we get, the more we realize that the
way does get narrower as Satan's temptations become more and more
subtle and we don't have the strength to fight them as we
once did. But we read in Daniel chapter
1 and verse 8, But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not
defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with
the wine which he drank. Therefore he requested of the
prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. And
it was a very lonely place that he and his three friends came
into and they were put through much testing. But the Lord honoured
them. He honoured them so much that
we read in Daniel 6 and verse 3 Verse 3, about 70 years later,
70 years have passed, they were teenagers when Daniel purposed
in his heart that he wouldn't defile himself, and 70 years
later he's an old man now, between 80 and 90 years old, and we read
that this Daniel in the third verse of chapter 6 was preferred
among the presidents and princes because an excellent spirit was
in him. An excellent spirit. The Lord
had honoured him, had blessed him with an excellent spirit. as he with that excellent spirit
that he had as a teenager, that he requested. He didn't demand. He didn't go in all guns blazing. He quietly, calmly, in the fear
of God, requested that they might not eat this defiled meat. And the Lord honors them that
honor him. Friends, it'll never be an easy
pathway to heaven. It's a narrow way. It's strewn
with danger. But friends, as we approve in
times of trouble and in joy that our Saviour is the same and He
blesses His people as we seek to worship together to honour
His Name and to rejoice with those that rejoice and to weep
with those that weep. And so dear friends, to be favoured,
to be favoured in this defiling world, in this secular country,
in this day when the world is to the most part leading the
church, rather than the church leading the world, setting an
example to the world. May we each be favoured to earnestly
pray, to be blessed with real fervent prayer, the effectual
fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. Pray earnestly, to be guarded
by God's grace to purpose in your heart to purpose in my heart
as Daniel I he would not defile himself the the the psalmist
in in Psalm 17, dear David, and in verse 3, he says, thou hast
proved mine heart. Thou hast visited me in the night. Thou hast tried me. Is that what
he's doing to you today, friend? The Lord is trying you. Oh, but
you say, but he seems to be so far from me. Oh, the enemy, perhaps
he's playing a pretty tune, but he can only go as far as God
will allow. And it'll be this, that as He
tries you, as a precious holy God tries you, as He brings you
into the crucible and blesses you and favours you and sees
you in Christ, that it'll be as David says, that thou hast
visited me in the night, thou hast tried me and shalt find
nothing. I am purposed. I am purposed
that my mouth shall not transgress. I am purposed that my heart shall
not transgress. And so we have, don't we, we
have the purposes of God, that we know that all things, not
a few things, but all of these things, even these subtle, these
subtle and sometimes far more than subtle, subtle effects,
and growlings of the devil. That they're all he's held. He
can only go as far as the Lord will permit and to be blessed
if we're his to understand in due time as he brings us through
these things to his honour and glory that we prove that it was
in his purposes and that they were amongst those all things. We know that all things work
together for good to them that are the called to them who are
the called according to his purpose and so dear friends when the
going is tough and when the enemy tempts you oh if only you'd done
this if only you'd done that if only you'd waited if only
you'd moved there oh there's so many things isn't there that
he brings that he brings temptation in the people of God's way but
remember this remember this of what dear Peter oh and as we
mentioned on Sunday morning didn't we how tried and tempted that
dear man was and how he fell into Satan's temptations but
he said this he said this for the encouragement of you and
I to purpose in our hearts to purpose in our heart, that we'll
not defile ourselves, that we'll seek to cleave to Jesus, that
we'll covet the grace of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Remember, remember in all these
things what Christ has done for you. And so in 1 Peter, in 1
Peter chapter 2, and he says at verse 21, for even here unto
were ye called, Satan will have you lose sight of the fact that
you were called. And he has many, many artful
ways of doing that. But you remember, hereunto were
ye called because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an
example that ye should follow in his steps. Who did no sin, neither was guile
found in his mouth remember what we just read about david to keep
his mouth neither guile was found in his
mouth who when he was reviled reviled not again when he suffered
he threatened not but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously,
who his own self bear our sins in his own body on the tree,
that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness. by whose stripes ye were healed
for ye were as sheep going astray and that's exactly what the enemy
of souls wants you and I to do tonight he wants us to go astray
again But remember ye were, ye were as sheep going astray, but
are now returned unto the shepherd and bishop of your souls. Dear Paul, as he wrote to the
church at Philippi, and in chapter 2 he says, if there be therefore
any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship
of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies, fulfill ye my joy. that ye be like-minded, having
the same love, being of one accord, clinging together, cleaving together, being of one accord, of one mind,
let nothing. And this comes so close to us,
doesn't it? let nothing be done through strife
or vain glory, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other
better than themselves. Look not every man on his own
things, But every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which
was also in Christ Jesus. You know, that hymn 258, Christ's
example, the source of our salvation and and he says he
finishes that hymn hand in hand we would be walking eyeing Jesus
new command of his love we'd ever be talking till we reach
fair Canaan's land and so and so our our text in the Acts of
the Apostles chapter 11 verse 21 and the hand of the Lord was
with them was with this church at Antioch and a great number
believed and turned unto the Lord. Then tidings of these things
came unto the ears of the church which was in Jerusalem, and they
sent forth Barnabas, son of Consolation, encourager, that he should go
as far as Antioch, 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 unto the Lord. For he was a good man,
and full of the Holy Ghost, and of faith, and much people were
added unto the Lord. John Owen said this, Ministers
are seldom honoured with success unless they are continually aiming
at the conversion of sinners. The turning of the heart to the
Lord is the evidence of having believed. Well, friends, may
it be, we started the sermon, didn't we, with how that some
of you, as you first came into this chapel, what was it that
you discerned? May it be our longing desire
that all with spiritual discernment that visit this house of God,
that they will say, the hand of God, the hand of God is with
Ebenezer Chapel Hastings. For we have seen the grace of
God. that it's very manifestly it's
manifestly evidence well as we meet here tonight again with
our pastor being unwell blessing God that he has turned the corner
having been so desperately ill and for Five nights, I believe,
with such a fever, but we bless God that he had a little better
night last night. We pray he will again today. May we be in much prayer for
him. You know, it's no easy task coming
up in the pulpit in front of the same people, although it's
a blessed thing. And he will often say, I'm only
really happy when I'm preaching to my own flock. That's lovely,
isn't it? But oh, how much prayer, how
much prayer we should be blessed with, with being favored to pray
for him. That each time, that each time
that he preaches, that we might be the recipients and evidence
the very fact and him blessed in his own soul as this verse
24 in our chapter Acts 11 speaks of Barnabas for he was a good
man and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith and may we be favoured
to see the effects and much people were added unto the Lord. Amen. May the Lord help us as we sing
our final hymn, number 103, from Gadsby to the tune 364. 103. Jesus, thy blood and righteousness,
my beauty are, my glorious dress, midst flaming worlds in these
arrayed, with joy shall I lift up my head. 103. Jesus, thy blood and righteousness,
thy beauty, ah, thy glorious dress, With flaming wealth in
these array'd, With joy shall I lift up my head. Then from the dust of death I
rise, To take my mansion in the skies. Even shall this be all
my plea, Jesus has lived and died for me. All shall I stand in that great
day, For who ought to my charge shall lay. while through thy
blood absolved I am from sin's tremendous curse and shame. As thy brethren, my friend of
God, thus holy am I, but with blood Saviour of sinners, they proclaim,
Sinners of whom the chief I am. This spotless robe the same appears
When ruling angel sings in ears. No age can change its glorious
hue, The robe of Christ is ever new. O let the dead now hear thy voice,
Big lobe thy banished ones rejoice, Their beauty this, their glorious
dress, Jesus, the Lord, the righteous. The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ,
the love of God the Father, the fellowship and the sweet communion
of the Holy Spirit rest and abide with us all, now and for evermore. Amen.