Well, it's a fairly succinct
statement that we have here from the Apostle Paul and how relevant
it is, how relevant it was, and how important it is if we see,
as we read what the Apostle was commanded to do, and remember
he had just, as it were, been converted and God gave him this
wonderful position and told him how he would use him and what
he would do. And he had to come and confess
his situation. Because he came to the Lord,
he said, who art thou, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus, whom
thou persecutest. Well, that condemned him, didn't
it? But then we see the mercy and the love of the Lord Jesus. Because then he went on to say,
but rise and stand upon thy feet. Although he told the apostle
his situation and what he'd been doing, and yet now he says, but
rise and stand upon thy feet. He tells him, for I have appeared
unto thee for this purpose, to make thee a minister and a witness. both of these
things which thou hast seen and of those things in the which
I will appear unto thee. You see remember he's here now
before King Agrippa and he's speaking very clearly at that
command that the Lord gave him and what a wonderful word it
was and so he continues and tells the king there was No doubt,
he was moved by the Spirit. And here he was, before this
austere monarch, telling him exactly what God had spoken to
him. And then he comes and says, delivering
thee from the people and from the Gentiles, unto whom now I
send thee. God had sent him. And how true
that is of all God's servants. God sends them. unto whom now
I send thee and the commission was then very clear and very
wonderful and very blessed and it hasn't changed it's still
the same today and that commission was as follows to open their
eyes what a blessed commission that is to open the eyes of the
hearers and to turn them from darkness to light By nature we're
in darkness, by nature we're blind. But how merciful it is
to have a God who sends his servants to do this, to open eyes and
to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan
unto God. What a blessed change that is. really how very wonderful to
ponder that because we were under the power of satan and what a
mercy when there's a change a change from the power of satan unto
god what a complete difference that they may receive forgiveness
of sins. All of us need that. We all need
to have our sins forgiven. No unforgiven sinner gets to
heaven. I want a blessing, therefore,
if under the preaching of the gospel, through the word of God,
the word is applied to our hearts, the application of God's Holy
Spirit to us. And we're blessed with this wonderful
favour. And then it follows, and inheritance
among them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. See how the Lord graciously gave
the Apostle this very clear definition and spoke to him and said, this
inheritance among them which are sanctified are separated,
are made holy by that God-given faith that is in me. That was granted and what a wonderful
blessing it was. And then, therefore, the Apostle
speaks very boldly to this King. He says, Whereupon, O King Agrippa,
I was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision but showed first
unto them of Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and throughout all
the coast of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should
repent, and turn to God, and do works meet for repentance. See, in just these few sentences,
so much is covered. the Apostle had this very clear
commission, direct from the Saviour himself. What a wonderful blessing
it was, and how able he was under this commission, as we read of
what he was able to do by the Spirit of God, and how many there
were convicted, how many there were that were blessed, how many
there were that were led, to the great and glorious Saviour,
and showed first unto them at Damascus, and at Jerusalem, and
throughout all the coasts of Judea, and then to the Gentiles,
that they should repent, and turn to God, and do works meet
for repentance." And again how essential that is for every one
of us to be found in that situation, repenting turn into God and doing
works meet for Repentance, it's very clear, isn't it? We shouldn't
pass it by and think it doesn't apply to us These this was the
Commission that God gave to the Apostle Paul and gives to his
servants as they go and preach the everlasting gospel and then
he says for these causes The Jews caught me in the temple
You see, there is that hatred to the things of God. And the
apostles were able to tell the king that because of what he'd
preached, because of what he'd followed, that gracious commission
from his Lord and Master, for these causes, the Jews caught
me in the temple and went about to kill me. It wasn't an easy
path, was it? Paul didn't have an easy path.
And he tells us, tells Agrippa, having therefore obtained help
of God, I continue unto this day. Well, the Apostle Paul was
able to say that and we as believers should also be able to say that
and to thank God for it. and be able to say that we continue
unto this day witnessing the small and great saying none other
things than those which the prophets and Moses did say. You see he
had a complete and comprehensive message to give from the Old
Testament right from the prophets and Moses. He combined it all
and we have some of the things that he was able to reveal as
we read through especially the epistle of Paul to the Hebrews.
And the prophets and Moses did say, should come what God has
said will come to pass. He tells us then, this is what
it was, that Christ should suffer and that he should be the first
that should rise from the dead. and should show light unto the
people and to the Gentiles. Well that was the great commission
of the Apostle and we know of course that through God's grace
the Apostle was caught up into the third heaven to view the
Savior. And therefore, he was then that
great and wonderful apostle who was able to declare the unsearchable
riches of Christ. I thought it was good for us
just to meditate on these things and see how relevant they are
to our own life, to our own personal spiritual experience, the need
to experience the great truths that the Apostle was commanded
to set before the people, and that we may therefore rejoice
in these truths, especially as we can trace out in our own spiritual
life the blessed work of the Spirit in confirming these things
to us. And especially, as we come down
to the end of that statement, that Christ should suffer. The
Apostle knew what it was. He tells us, doesn't he, in the
Philippians, the third chapter, fellowship with his sufferings. And what a wonderful unity that
is. Fellowship with his sufferings.
that Christ should suffer and that he should be the first that
should rise from the dead, a conqueror. He conquered. He conquered, didn't
he, sin? He conquered hell and the grave
and through his life shows light unto the people and to the Gentiles. Well, I hope tonight you and
I can rejoice in the evidence of these things which have been
revealed to us through the preaching of the gospel so that you and
I can go on our way rejoicing at the great and wonderful plan
of salvation. Well we'll continue by singing
our second hymn and the second hymn I