I please God to bless us together
this evening as we meditate in his word. Let's turn to the Acts
of the Apostles, chapter 4, and we'll read verse 23. The Acts
of the Apostles, chapter 4, and reading verse 23. And being let
go, they went to their own company and reported all that the chief
priests and elders had said unto them. The Word of God has many wonderful
examples for us to follow. And here indeed is a very wonderful
example for us to follow. Because these people, Peter and
John and others, had been before the council who were criticising
them because of the things that they had said and the things
that they had spoken and had commanded them not to speak in
the name of the Lord anymore and they let them go and what
did they do? Well they didn't go to the nearest
pub did they or to celebrate this situation. What did they
do? They went to their own company.
It went to those who would understand the wonderful deliverance that
had been granted to them. They came to those who feared
the Lord. Being let go, they went to their
own company. And it's a good thing and a wonderful
thing if our own company is the people of God. You know, really,
we either have God's people as our own company, or we have the
world as our company. And the world will never really
be of any true company to the true Church of God. They speak
a different language. The people of God, by the grace
of God, And sadly it's not always so, but it should be always so,
that they speak the language of Zion. That means they speak
the language of the Church of God. What a good thing it is
if, when we are freed from situations, it may be, you know, our work
or school or college or whatever, we don't go and join ourselves
to the world. We go and join ourselves to the
people of God. What does that indicate? It indicates
where our heart is. You see, where our heart is,
is our heart in the world or is our heart amongst the people
of God? Now, as we look forward and we
think of the future, where do we hope to be when our life is
finished? With the world? or with the people
of God? Well, I hope we desire to be
with the people of God. And surely if that is a true
desire, and it is brought about by the work of the Holy Spirit,
then as we are on the earth, there will be that found in our
hearts, to find ourselves with the people of God, and concerned
that there may be perhaps opportunities to meet with the people of God. We may think that we're in a
relatively isolated condition and situation, but nonetheless,
when we're free, when we let go, not to seek company with
the world, but to seek company of the people of God. Now that
surely indicates where our heart is. Indeed what a good test that
is, to be found with the people of God. On a very similar note,
the Apostle John speaks to us in the first epistle in the third
chapter, and he speaks to us about being united with the children
of God and love towards the brethren. We love God when have the evidence
of God's love to award us and what a blessing that is to be
found amongst those who love to be with the children of God,
love to be with the household of faith and not left therefore
to wander away and have fellowship with the things and the people
of this world. Well we have the example here
in the testimony of Peter And John being let go, they went
to their own company. And having arrived at their own
company, what did they do? Well, they gave a report, reported
all that the chief priests and the elders had said unto them.
And of course, that was in response to that which they had evidenced. They'd evidenced the miracles
which God had brought upon them. And what they'd observed was
the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived they were unlearned
and ignorant men, and they marveled that they took knowledge of them
that they had been with Jesus. Now it's a blessing if the Holy
Spirit gives us boldness in the things of God when we are amongst
the world, that we do possess the grace of God. And what a
blessing, if it's like it was here. These people, they saw
and they were surprised, but they perceived that these men
had indeed been with Jesus. They had been influenced by the
blessed conversation and the walk and example of the Lord
Jesus Christ. Now I know today, you and I cannot
physically be with Jesus, but we can in a spiritual sense. And if you think about that,
it really means that our life will be that which demonstrates
whose we are and whom we serve. We won't be amongst those who
are found in serving the devil. Sadly, sometimes we are left
to ourselves, that's why we need to continually pray that prayer
of the Saviour when he said, lead us not into temptation and
deliver us from evil. Because you know the devil knows
what your weakness and my weakness is. And very easily we can be
sidetracked into things which do not profit. And especially
when Satan pretends there's no harm in being occupied in some
particular situation and we go down that line and there is no
evidence of benefit for our souls and it won't produce that effect
so that people will say these men, these women, these boys,
these girls have been with Jesus because they are true Christians
and they're walking out their life, their Christianity. What
a sad thing if we're taken as people of the world. they assume
we're the same as they are, rushing headlong to a lost eternity. Well, we have this gracious example
of the Word of God which shows to us so wonderfully the example
of those in the New Testament who did not please themselves,
just like the gracious Saviour who did not please himself. What
did he do? The Lord Jesus did his Father's
will. My friends, may our concern be
in our life today to do the will of our God, to indeed follow
the gracious examples that we have in the Word of God, and
let us not try and hunt around for excuses why we should not
follow the blessed examples set before us in the Word of God. We live in a sad day, don't we
really? People come and they hear the
Gospel, it doesn't seem to have any effect upon them at all.
They just carry on, day by day, week by week, month by month,
as it were pretending to be Christians, but not willing to be a true
follower. Not willing to take up their
cross. Not willing to testify of what
the Lord has done for them. Now these apostles, what did
they do? They gave a report. They gave
a report. Who to? The household of faith. The church of God. What a blessing
if you and I give a report to the Church of God of what he's
done, how he's helped us, how he's delivered us, how he's blessed
our souls. What does it produce? Honour
and glory to God. Don't forget that is the reason
for our existence on this earth, to bring honour and glory to
God. And that's why we are not to
please ourselves. These disciples, as we read of
in the Book of Acts, they did not go about pleasing themselves. There was a great cost to those
things which they did. But they received it joyfully,
as we had before us this morning in that fifth chapter. They rejoiced. They were counted worthy. to
suffer shame for his name. Now, if we haven't given any
report, if we've never given any true indication of who we
are and what we are, then there won't be any suffering and we've
just gone away. But are we honouring our God? Are we honouring our
God? There's no more blessed pathway
than to be found honouring God and acknowledging what he's done. disciples, that's what they did.
They acknowledged what had been done. Being let go, they went
to their own company and reported. Sometimes we skin down the Word
of God, don't we? And we say, well, being let go,
they went to their own company. But it doesn't stop there. There's
a report to tell. There's something to bring forth,
so that God may be honoured and glorified. And they told them
what the chief priests and elders had said unto them. What did
they say? Well, they condemned them. They didn't want to hear
any more about the Lord Jesus Christ. That was the last thing
they wanted to hear. But you see, they'd heard it.
If you and I, my friends, are silent, there won't be anything
heard, will there? There won't be anything heard,
and it was a very exceptional company. Rulers, Elders, the
High Priest, Caiaphas, John Alexander, and as many as were the kindred
of the High Priest were gathered together. And they set these
people before them. And when they set them in the
midst, they asked, by what power or by what name have ye done
this? And what a wonderful answer.
Peter was able to give. And I often think it's wonderful
really that the Lord God, as it were, picked out Peter. Because Peter, more especially,
was that one who had denied his Lord and Master. And we know
he wasn't happy having done that. He didn't just brush it aside.
The Lord looked at him, he went out and wept bitterly. But subsequently he was bold
for the things of God. And so these people set these
disciples before them and Peter, filled with the Holy Ghost, he
addressed them and he said, be it known unto you all and to
all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of
Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead,
even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. This is the stone which was set
at naught of you builders, which is become the head of the corner,
neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none
other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be
saved." A very wonderfully clear testimony that the Apostle was
able to give before this company and how good it is if you and
I today in our lives are able to give a good testimony Perhaps
we may be cornered. Perhaps we may be questioned
about our religion, as to what we believe. Left to ourselves
and left under the power of Satan, we'll quickly try and change
the conversation. But what a blessing if the Spirit
of God is with us like it was with Peter. He was filled with
the Holy Ghost. What did he do? He really went
in the same way that the Apostle Paul did, in the strength of
the Lord God. I will go in the strength of
the Lord God. I make mention of thy righteousness,
even of thine only. He wasn't, and Peter wasn't,
and the people of God should never be dependent upon their
strength. They should be found praying
to God in their time of need. Don't forget the example of Nehemiah. when he was in the king's presence. And the king asked him, what
was the problem? Your countenance isn't right. What's the problem? What did
he do? He tells us, I prayed unto the
God of heaven. There's no situation in your
life or my life when we cannot pray to the God of heaven. And
it can be a very simple prayer. The shortest prayer in the Word
of God recorded is, Lord, help me. Faced with that kind of situation,
and tempted to ignore the question and turn aside to make our life
a bit easier, no. The Word of God graciously sets
before us the example for the people of God, and that's not
to please ourself, that is to be those who honour the name
of the great and blessed Lord Just you think for a moment,
just ponder for a moment, what the Lord did to save your soul. Did he turn his back? Did he
say, no, it's just too hard? No. The Lord Jesus Christ gloriously
did his Father's will. And what a difficult job that
was. How hard it was. What he endured. What He suffered
to redeem our souls. What a great and glorious Saviour
we have. And yet, are we, tonight, counting
the cost? Are we saying, well, I think
the cost is too great? Thankfully, the cost was not
too great for the Saviour. Because He said, if it be possible,
let this cut pass from me, nevertheless not my will, but thine be done.'
He was willing to do his Father's will, whatever the cost. And may it be so in all of our
lives, willing to do the will of our God, whatever the cost, because the Word of God is so
encouraging. And it's encouraging like this,
and the Church of God know it to be true. Those that honour
me, I will honour. And those that despise me shall
be lightly esteemed. And if the Spirit of God enables
us to walk in this path and to honour our God, there is a wonderful
blessing in it. as an answer of good conscience,
peace to our soul. Yes, it's a wonderful blessing
to know the help of the Holy Spirit to do that which perhaps
we might have thought was not possible. Well, here were these
disciples, these apostles, speaking faithfully to that company that
had gathered together to condemn them, And yet you see, they recognised. They recognised what they were
saying. They recognised the truth of
the words. They'd also seen, of course,
the man that was healed standing there. And they couldn't deny
this great and wonderful truth, but they still wanted to stop
the Gospel being proclaimed. Still the same today. We see
it, don't we? We see it in our nation. Saw
it recently, didn't we, with those two preachers who that
judge wrongly condemned for quoting the Word of God. But they were
faithful, weren't they? Those men were faithful in what
they were saying. Well, may we be faithful today
in our lives in our profession, in our taking up our cross and
following the Lord Jesus Christ. So we have the testimony here
of the apostles and they were threatened you know, they were
threatened so when they had further threatened them, they let them
go. There will be threatenings in
your life and my life. Be sure of this, the devil will
threaten to destroy you. He'll bring all manner of accusations. He'll bring all manner of reasons
why you should not take up your cross and follow the Lord Jesus
Christ. And he's very powerful and he's
very clever. But you know, the Word of God
tells us, isn't it, what we should do. by God's grace, resist the
devil, and take unto ourselves the whole armour of God, that
we may be able to resist the devil. He doesn't change. He's still so evil. What he wants
is all of us to deny the Lord Jesus Christ, or to not mention
anything about him. Perhaps we might come amongst
the people of God and there is silence. There's nothing said. Well, that wasn't so here. These
people, when they were let go of those who were keeping them
captive, they were free and they went to their own company. Now,
bless God today, we physically are free, are we not? We're not
in prison, we're not captive. There are those in the world
who are in prison, who are captive, and I'm sure if they are freed
from prison, they've been there because of their faith, being
let go, they'll go to the Church of God. They'll go to their brethren,
their brothers and sisters in Christ, and be able to testify
of the Lord's favour and the Lord's goodness, and what occurs
on such situations. The church of God rejoiced together.
The church of God rejoiced together. What happened here? And when
they heard that, they lifted up their voice to God with one
accord and said, Lord, thou art God, which has made heaven and
earth and the sea and all that in them is, who by the mouth
of thy servant David has said, why do the heathen rage? and
the people imagining vain things. The kings of the earth stood
up and the rulers were gathered together against the Lord and
against his Christ. Well, what a mercy it is. And then they went on to say,
for, to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before
to be done. And now, Lord, behold their threatenings. Grant unto thy servants that
with all boldness they may speak thy word." It didn't rely on
their strength. It desired the Lord would strengthen
them, give them boldness that they might speak the truth, the
word of God. Being let go, they went to their
own company, and reported all that the chief priests and elders
had said unto them." Well, we have this example before us,
do we not? And it's a good example to be
found following, and not to follow our own ideas. The Word of God
sets before us so many gracious examples. And often we fall short
of following the truth of God's Word. And we're very apt to reason
things out in our own mind. Well, you know, you need to reason
things out in accordance with the Word of God. You see, if
you try and reason things out in your own mind, you're relying
on your own ability to work things out. And if that's without God,
you're relying on a sinful nature. And you'll come to the wrong
conclusion. You need to lay everything alongside the Word of God. In this day and age, how necessary
it is, surely, that you and I are able to live a godly life. And a godly life of setting forth
the truth of God. and demonstrating that we are
those for whom Christ has died, setting forth his grace, his
love, his favour. How wonderful it is to read of
those in the Word of God like this, being let go, they went
to their own company and reported. We have many testimonies since
the Word of God was written of those who've been able to stand
firm for the truth of God. You think of those who were martyred
during the Reformation for the truth's sake. What wonderful
testimonies many of those men were able to give. They'd gone,
no doubt, to their own company and they reported the gracious
work of God, Some of them had to suffer. Some of them were
burnt at the stake. Others were martyred in different
ways. But they were not ashamed of the gospel of the Lord and
Saviour Jesus Christ. And let us today, let none of
us be ashamed of Christ. It's easy to ignore the truth
of God. It's easy to think that we can
just carry on in our life, appearing to do that which is right, but
yet with no real concern to honour and glorify the name of our God. Isaiah tells us, and it is so
true, ye are my witnesses. Well, what a blessing today.
God gives you and me strength to be his witnesses. in this
world. That means to testify. That means to speak forth. And
with our mouth, but also of course in our daily walk and conversation
and our thoughts. What a good thing it is if we
are found operating in that way and concerns to be a true follower. of our Lord and Saviour Jesus
Christ, the Apostle. When he wrote to the Romans,
he really outlined this very clearly. And he tells us, for
with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and he doesn't
stop there, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. See, this sets forth the evidence
of God's work in our soul. Being let go, they went to their
own company. What a blessing it is if you
and I are therefore able to come and to make confession with our
mouth unto salvation. The scripture saith, whosoever
believeth on him shall not be ashamed. He goes on to say, for
whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord, shall be saved."
Well, it's a favour, is it not, if you and I have been blessed
to call upon the name of the Lord. And that's from our heart. It's not just a theoretical prayer.
It's because we have a real need before God of salvation, to know
that we are saved. And we're calling upon the name
of the Lord. Why? That we might be saved. saved from our sins, delivered
from our sins? Well, you need to ask and answer
such a question as that. Have I called upon God that I
might be saved? And have I the evidence that
God has heard my prayer, so that I have the evidence that I am
saved? Oh, blessed be God. Blessed be
God, if that is so. And then the apostle just gives
a little sequence when he says, how then shall they call on him
in whom they have not believed? Well, there's no point in calling
on something we don't believe in. There's no point in praying
to God we don't believe in, is there? How shall they call on
him in whom they have believed? And how shall they believe in
him of whom they have not heard? Well, if we've never heard, of
the Lord Jesus Christ, how can we believe in him? But we have
all heard of the Lord Jesus Christ. And how shall they hear without
a preacher? Well, we are blessed today in
the day and age in which we live to hear the preaching of the
Gospel. Remember, it is through the foolishness
of preaching that God sends and grants blessing. And how shall
they preach except they be sent? Well, God sends forth preachers
to preach everlasting gospel. And so we have this wonderful
sequence of the sovereignty of God and the Word of God says
how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of
peace and bring glad tidings of good things. And this is glad
tidings that we have before us tonight. This is glad tidings
that the apostles were able to bring to that council. They were
glad tidings, but they rejected it. They didn't want to hear
it. The devil doesn't want you and
me to hear it. He wants our ears to be stopped. He doesn't want us to hear these
great truths of the gospel. And what a favour then if the
Holy Spirit comes and opens our ears. We read, don't we, in the
book of the Revelation, when John was on the Isle of Patmos,
and the Lord spoke to him with letters to write to the seven
churches. And in all those letters, these
words were recorded. Those that have ears to hear,
let them hear. Now tonight, may you and I be
blessed with ears to hear. Not ears that are stopped, not
ears that are deaf, not ears that we stop ourselves, we put
our hands to our ears so we will not hear it. It's good when you and I put
our hands to our ears so we don't hear the words of the devil. We have that illustration in
the Pilgrim's Progress when Pilgrim commenced his journey from the
City of Destruction. And there was that city which
he was dwelling in. And all of us by nature dwell
in the City of Destruction. But the Spirit of God worked
in Pilgrim's heart, so he was convinced that he should leave
the City of Destruction. He didn't just creep away. He ran. And as he ran, he put
his hands over his ears, so he would not hear the cries of the
people to come back. What a wonderful blessing that
is. If you and I are able, when we're told by Satan, no, you
cannot go forward, no, you cannot pursue the life of a Christian,
you're just not good enough, you're too bad and everything
else, you better stay where you are. Put your hands over your
ears so that you can't hear the enticement of the devil, because
that's what it is. But may the blessed word of the
Spirit ring in our ears. And it rang in his ears. What
was it? Flee from the wrath to come. Flee from the city of destruction. Stay there or perish in your
sins. And so we have this statement
addressed to us tonight. These disciples, able to testify
before these people of the great Word of God. And it was very
simple, wasn't it? Just a few sentences, but there
was a great fullness in it. Especially the last verse which
tells us, neither is there salvation in any other, but there is none
other name under heaven, given among men, whereby we must be
saved. And all of us tonight must be
saved, otherwise we're lost. And how are we saved? We're saved
through what the Lord Jesus Christ did when he died upon that cross
at Calvary. Well, what wonderful news that
is, and to be able to come and to testify and report of those
things, report of what was said. being let go, they went to their
own company and reported all that the chief priests and elders
had said unto them. And don't forget there was, of
course, in response to the words that the apostles had spoken
unto them. And then you see, there was that
rejoicing together. The Church of God rejoiced to
hear the work of God. how strengthening it is to our
souls to realise and to know the work of God is continuing. Indeed, the desire surely is,
let thy work appear. It's God's work. This was God's
work. This wasn't man's work, but it
was God's work. And when it's God's work, what
does it do? It brings honour and glory to
him, the great the eternal, the ever-blessed Lord God. Well,
tonight, if we're let go, where do we go? Where do we go tonight? Do we go to the Church of God?
Do we report the good news of the Gospel? Well, I hope we don't
disappear and go into worldly scenes. I hope we don't go and
forget about the great truth of God. Because the great truth
of God is eternal. The truth of God will never vanish
away. The things of time, the things
of the world, will fast die and disappear and be all forgotten
about. The things of God never die.
They are eternal. God is eternal. and God is not
to be trifled with. What a favour for us tonight
to think that you and I have the Word of God in our own language
and we can read it and it describes to us in detail the path of the
true Christian, the hardships, the oppositions and yet the blessings
of a Christian life. What a favour it is. And then
to think there is that glorious time to come when we should have
finished the battle of life. You know the Apostle, when he
wrote to Timothy, he told him to be a good soldier of Jesus
Christ. And you and I, if we're true
Christians, we are really soldiers, aren't we? We're battling on
in this world and it's not an easy battle, is it? It never
has been and it never will be. But what a gracious thing it
was, the apostle when he wrote to Timothy said, therefore my
son, be strong in yourself. No, in the grace that is in Christ
Jesus. Christ has an all sufficiency
of grace to help us in every time of need. and the things
that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit
thou to faithful men who shall be able to teach others also.
Thou therefore endure hardness. As a good soldier of Jesus Christ,
no man that woreth entangles himself with the affairs of this
life, that he may please him who has chosen him to be a soldier."
Are you and I concerned to be men-pleasers, or are we concerned
to be God-pleasers? Men vanish away, God is eternal. How important it is that we're
concerned to be God-pleasers. We follow therefore the word
of the Lord, and those things which are set before us, He says,
consider what I say, and the Lord give thee understanding
in all things. Remember that Jesus Christ of
the seed of David was raised from the dead, according to my
gospel. If Christ has been raised from
the dead to deliver our souls from the wrath to come, that
is such a wonderful and amazing favour. The Apostle tells us
though, wherein I suffer trouble, as
an evildoer, even unto bonds, but the word of God is not bound,
don't expect to escape opposition. Those who are true followers
of the Saviour will find there is opposition. He tells us, therefore
I endure all things for the elect's sakes, that they may also obtain
salvation, which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. He says, it is a faithful saying. For if we be dead with him, we
shall also live with him. If we suffer, We shall also reign
with him, and then, if we deny him, he also will deny us. If we believe not, yet he abideth
faithfully, he cannot deny himself. He tells him of these things,
put them in remembrance, charge in them before the Lord that
they strive not about words to no profit, but to the subverting
of the hearers." Well, let us not be found striving about words
to no profit, but may we be concerned indeed to listen to what the
Word of God speaks to us, and especially these words we have
here, being let go. Being let go, being free to come
to the people of God, to come to the Church of God. Just what
these disciples did, being let go, they went to their own company,
straight away, and reported all that the chief priests and elders
had said unto them. They had something to say. And
the Church of God do have something to say. It may not be much, but
a blessing if there is something to say. Perhaps a few words,
some small testimony that brings honour, and glory to almighty
God. Well, may the spirit of God come
upon us and bless us with this real desire to follow the word
of God so that his name may be honored and glorified and our
souls may indeed be blessed, blessed indeed. And being let
go, they went to their own company and reported all that the chief
priests and elders had said unto them. Amen.