I appreciate Brother Tony's words
so much. I agree with everything he just
said. You know, experiencing what we
have, it really, it brings an appreciation to us
that we wish we could have always. an appreciation for the gospel
and for brethren who love and believe the gospel. And I'm truly
thankful just as he is. I'm just thankful. Turn with
me to Acts 11 again. Acts 11 verses 22 and 23 are
the focus of our text. And they say, 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. I love this portion of scripture
in a way that I cannot describe to you. And I mean that. Anytime that I travel to a new
congregation of believers, a congregation that I've never met in person
or been with in person, especially if it's a long distance away,
I think of this scripture. It touches my heart so much. And after this wonderful trip
that Brother Tony, Brother Eddie and I were privileged to go on,
This has an extra special meaning to me right now. I want to begin
with verse one. We're going to work our way to
verse 23 and I pray and I believe the Lord will make this to be
a blessing to us. I sincerely beg of him to do that. To give
you a little background here, in chapter 10, Peter preached
the gospel to some Gentiles. He preached the gospel to some
Gentiles. And that is any person who is not a Jew. You have the
Jews and then you have everybody else in the world. Everybody
else in the world is a Gentile. We are Gentiles. We're Gentiles. But the word of God and the commandments
of God and the promises of God, the good news of the gospel of
God. Forgiveness in the blood of Jesus
Christ. You know, you had the law. You
had the commandments. And they spoke of something.
forgiveness in the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, redemption
and remission of sins by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Our Lord told his disciples in Matthew 10 that the good news
message of his salvation was for the Jews. That's what he
said. Okay, hold your place in Acts
and turn over to Matthew 10. Verses one through four mentions
the names of the apostles or the disciples that the Lord called. Verse five says, these 12 Jesus
sent forth and commanded them saying, go not into the way of
the Gentiles and into any city of the Samaritans enter you not.
but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. He said,
don't go to the Gentiles. He said, you go to the lost sheep
of the house of the Jews. Israel was Jacob. Jacob had 12
sons and one of them was named Judah. And from that is the line
of the Jews. And our Lord said again in Matthew
15, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
And what horrible news it would have been for us had he left
it right there. Think about that. He literally
said that. Don't go to the Gentiles. That's
us. Thank God, our Lord said through
Paul, he's not a Jew, which is one outwardly. He's a Jew, which
is one inwardly, one that circumcision has been made on his heart. But
our Lord, he didn't leave this commandment right here. Turn
over to Mark 16. Verse 14, Mark 16, verse 14. It says, afterward, he appeared
unto the eleven as they sat at meat and upbraided them with
their unbelief and hardness of heart. because they believed
not them which had seen him after he was risen. Verse 15, and he
said unto them, go ye into all the world and preach the gospel
to every creature. Aren't you so glad he said that?
Aren't you so glad he sent these men into far places, other areas
of the world to preach this gospel and spread this Glorious news
every creature. Oh the goodness of the Lord and
the kindness of the Lord and the mercy of the Lord He extended
that to the uttermost He extended his mercy his grace to the uttermost.
He said his gospel was to the Jew first But thank God he said
and also to the Gentile For God so loved the world Because God extended his loving
kindness and his tender mercy to the world. He sent his son
to die on a cross to pay the sin debt of all of his people. All of his sinful people, all
of his elected to salvation sinful people, souls out of every tribe,
nation, kindred, tongue, country, continent, all over the world. All over this entire world. What
grace. But in our text, in the account
we're looking at right here, word had not gotten out about
that yet. Word had not gotten to the Jews
concerning this yet. And they found out that Peter
preached the message of peace with God through the blood of
the Lord Jesus Christ to the Gentiles. And they heard that the Gentiles
believed it. What? And they rejoiced in it. And
they confessed Christ to be their only hope before God. Look back
at Acts chapter 11, verse 1, it says, And the apostles and brethren
that were in Judea heard that the Gentiles had also received
the word of God. And when Peter was come up to
Jerusalem, they that were of the circumcision contended with
him." They didn't like that. They didn't understand that.
They said, Peter, why would you do that? You're casting our pearls
before swine. Verse two, when Peter was come
up to Jerusalem, they that were of the circumcision contended
with him, saying, Thou wentest in to men uncircumcised, and
didst eat with them. Does that remind you of somebody? Does that remind you of anybody? Does that remind you of a man
who used to get reprimanded by the self-righteous religious
Jews for fellowshipping with, for
eating with publicans and sinners, outcasts, heathens, just like
you and me? That's what they constantly accused
our Lord of. Verse 3, saying, Thou wentest
in to men uncircumcised and didst eat with them. Why would you
do that? Why would you give the hope of
the gospel to wretched, miserable, outcast, heathen sinners? Why
would you give hope and peace and rest to sinners? Verse 4, But Peter rehearsed
the matter from the beginning, and expounded it by order unto
them, saying, I was in the city of Joppa praying and in a trance,
I saw a vision. The Lord sent this vision to
me. A certain vessel descended as it had been a great sheet
let down from heaven by four corners. This huge sheet by four
corners was let down from heaven and it came even to me. Verse
six. Upon the witch, when I had fastened
mine eyes, I considered and saw four-footed beasts of the earth
and wild beasts and creeping things and fowls of the air.
And I heard a voice saying unto me, Arise, Peter, slay and eat. But I said, not so, Lord, for
nothing common or unclean hath at any time entered into my mouth. There were certain animals that,
according to the law, the Jews could not eat. They were unclean,
they were defiled, and it was against the law to eat them.
It was against the law to eat them. But the Lord told Peter
to eat them. Verse 7. And I heard a voice saying unto
me, Arise, Peter, slay and eat. But I said, Not so, Lord, for
nothing common or unclean hath at any time entered into my mouth. But the voice answered me again
from heaven." And this right here is the gospel. This right
here is the gospel. This right here is the glory
of the gospel. If we want to know what the gospel is and what
the glory of the gospel is, this is it. Verse four, but the voice
answered me again from heaven, what God hath cleansed, that
call not thou common. He said, if I have cleansed it,
Don't you dare call it unclean because it's not unclean. According
to the law, it was unclean. In its flesh, it was unclean. But the Lord said, if I have
cleansed it, it's white as snow. It is holy. It is pure. It is without spot or wrinkle. If I have made it clean, it is
clean indeed. And that's what God has to say
about every sinful soul that he has washed in the blood of
Christ. We say, Lord, why would you receive
me? Have you ever said that? You
ever heard anybody say that? Why would you have me? Why me? Why would you do this for me?
Why would you receive me? I'm a sinner. I'm a vile, wretched,
miserable sinner. And to that he replies, don't
you dare call my own. who I have washed and sanctified
and purified and made holy and spotless and righteous in my
own blood. Don't you dare call him or her
sinful, vile, wretched, and miserable. You say, yeah, but in my flesh,
that's what I am. Not in Christ. Not in the Lord
Jesus Christ. He says, if I have made you clean
in Christ, you are clean indeed. Verse seven, I heard a voice
saying unto me, arise, Peter, slay and eat. But I said, not
so, Lord, for nothing common or unclean hath at any time entered
into my mouth. But the voice answered me again
from heaven, what God hath cleansed, that call not thou common. And
this was done three times. This was established by two or
three witnesses. This was done three times, and
all were drawn up again into heaven. And behold, immediately
there were three men already come unto the house where I was,
sent from Caesarea unto me. And the Spirit made me go with
them, nothing doubting. Moreover, these six brethren
accompanied me and we entered into the man's house. He said,
the Lord revealed this vision to me. Then three men came to
the house where I was and asked me to go with them. And I felt
led of the Lord to go. I felt led of the Lord to do
it. And six brethren who were with me, traveling with me, they
went and accompanied me. Verse 12, the end of verse 12. He said, we entered into the
man's house and he showed us how he had seen an angel in his
house, which stood and said unto him, send men to Joppa and call
for Simon, whose surname is Peter, who shall tell thee words whereby
thou and all thy house shall be saved. If this doesn't prove
to us that our Lord has chosen to use the means of preaching
this word, to save his people. You go out and preach this word.
Verse 13, he showed us how he'd seen an angel in his house, which
stood and said unto him, send men to Joppa and call for Simon,
whose surname is Peter, who shall tell thee words whereby thou
and all thy house shall be saved. That is a word of hope every
time I read it. Every time I hear that, I think,
thank God. Thou and thy house. Lord, let it be so. Us and our
little ones. Save us, Lord. Save us all. You and your loved ones. Verse 15, and as I began to speak,
The Holy Ghost fell on them as on us at the beginning. And our
brother just said and prayed, that's what we need. We need
God's Holy Spirit. This is of God. It's not of man. It's not by man. It's not man's
words. It's not man's effort. It's not
man's anything. We need God Almighty. As I began
to speak, the Holy Ghost fell on them as on us at the beginning. What does that mean exactly?
Does that mean they started hooping and hollering and running around
the room and jumping pews and then saying gibberish that nobody
else could understand but them? No. Verse 15. As I began to speak,
the Holy Ghost fell on them as on us at the beginning. That
means they believed. We're about to read that. They
believed. When God's Spirit comes to a
sinner, He convinces, He convinces men and women of their own sin
and Christ's own righteousness and all hope of enduring the
judgment of God being in Him, only being in Christ. When God's
Spirit comes, He convinces of the fact that Christ is our only
hope. He's all we have. Christ alone,
He's our only hope. It's not His work, it's not our
work, it's His. It's not our sacrifice, it's
His. It's not our anything, it's His.
It's Him and Him alone. Peter said, I told them that.
And they believe it, believed it. God gave them the gift of
faith and they believed it. That's not of ourselves, that's
the gift of God. Verse 15, as I began to speak,
the Holy Ghost fell on them as on us at the beginning. Then
remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John
indeed baptized you with water, but you shall be baptized with
the Holy Ghost. For as much then as God gave
them the like gift as he did unto us, who believed on the
Lord Jesus Christ, what was I that I could withstand God? He said,
if that was the purpose and the good pleasure of God in calling
his people to himself, calling who he would to himself, if that's
who he was pleased to have mercy on, if it was the unworthy and
the outcast and the rebels who He chose to set His love
on and chose to show mercy to, chose to make them objects of
His mercy and grace. Who was I to question God? How
could I cast out any soul who God had received to Himself? How could I condemn any soul
that God had set free? Verse 17, for as much then as
God gave them the light gift as he gave unto us who believed
on the Lord Jesus Christ, what was I that I could withstand
God? Now, I love this. I just love
this so much. This touches my heart. It blesses
me every time I think about this. I can envision these Jews listening
to Peter. Peter is telling them what's
going on. And I can hear them just pondering and contemplating
what he's saying. And after Peter finishes saying
this, I can hear, because of something that's said, I can
envision total silence in this room. And in the middle of that
silence, in a still, small voice, I envision the Spirit of God
whispering to the hearts of these men, believe what you just heard. That's what he does. Believe
what you just heard. Believe what you have been told. And I can envision a change coming
over all their countenances. A change from being angry with
Peter to rejoicing in God. That he would be so merciful
in giving them brethren, no matter who they are, no matter where
they come from. I can envision them looking around
the room at each other realizing we're no different than they
are. We are no different than they are. We're just sinners
saved by the grace of God like they are. A believer on Christ
is a brother or sister in Christ, no matter who they are or where
they're from. And in realizing that, I envision
frowns turn to smiles. Look at verse 17. For as much
then, Peter said, as God gave them the light gift as he did
unto us who believed on the Lord Jesus Christ, what was I that
I could withstand God? He said, it is the Lord, let
him do what seemeth him good. Verse 18, when they heard these
things, they held their peace and glorified God saying, Then
hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life. They realized glory to God in
the highest. On earth, on earth, peace has
come to men. Peace on earth and mercy mild. God and sinners reconciled. How can all ye nations rise,
join the triumph of the skies? All ye nations. God made man with men to dwell. Our Lord Jesus Christ, all of
our Emmanuel. One God and Father of us all.
May God have mercy on whom he will. Lord, save to the uttermost
if it would be your will. Save all whom you will. Verse 18, When they heard these
things, they held their peace and glorified God, saying, Then
hath God also to the Gentiles granted repentance unto life? Now they which were scattered
abroad upon the persecution that arose about Stephen traveled
as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, preaching the word
to none but the Jews only. And some of them were men of
Cyprus and Cyrene, which, when they were come to Antioch, spake
unto the Grecians, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand
of the Lord was with them, and a great number believed and turned
unto the Lord. They turned away from the flesh
of man to the finished work of the Lord Jesus Christ. The blood
of the Lord Jesus Christ, a great number of them did. Wouldn't
you love to see that anywhere? Wouldn't you love to see that
anywhere? I'd love to see it in Kingsport. I'd love to see
it right there. But I'd love to see it anywhere. Wouldn't we rejoice if God would
do this again? Lord, send a revival in the midst
of our years. In your mercy, in your grace,
Lord, reveal the blood to men and women. Reveal the satisfaction
of God to men and women in the person of Christ, in the work
of Christ, in the cross of Christ and everything He did to save
His people. And in seeing that, let men and
women fall before the throne of God. Verse 21. They were preaching, and the
hand of the Lord was with them, preaching to the Gentiles, the
Greeks. 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 to that far land, after he had traveled all
the way out to that far land, a land that had some people there
who were reported to believe the truth of God's word, it was
told there's some people out there who believe the truth of
God's word concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. Verse 23, who when
he came, and had seen the grace of God, not the work of man, that's everywhere,
but the grace of God, the gift, the free God-given gift of His
love, of His mercy, of His salvation, His grace, His grace. When he had seen the grace of
God to those people, giving them a right mind concerning these
things. A right mind concerning God and
a right mind concerning man. A right mind concerning salvation. When He had seen the grace of
God to them and the grace of God in them, causing them to
believe the Word. Causing them to have a heart
for Christ. Do you know how you can witness
the grace of God? Christ. He is the grace of God. Causing them to have a desire
to hear the gospel preached, not hating it, loving it. Causing all of them to know we're
just sinners saved by grace. We're just sinners saved by grace. causing them to love God's people,
causing them to desire to be with Christ. Verse 23, when he
came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad. And that's what I am, and that's
what Eddie is, and that's what Tony is. We're glad. We came back so glad. after going
to such a far land and witnessing with our own eyes the grace of
God. I saw it. I saw it. It made us glad. We were so glad
to meet those dear brethren. They're dear brethren, aren't
they? They put smiles on our faces.
Man, they're so rich over there. They're rich in happiness and
contentment in Christ. I can't wait to tell you the
details of the trip. And I'm going to. I'm going to
tell you the details of the trip. We're going to have a service
soon. I'm going to devote a whole service to the details and fill
you in as much as I can possibly fill you in. But I cannot wait
to tell you about a woman named Brenda. and her husband, Chipoliro. Their last name is Jamis. I'm gonna tell you about a young
man named Fison Peary. I'm gonna tell you about a man
named Isaac Chirwa. Man, we fell in love with Isaac,
didn't we? I'm gonna tell you about a man
named Stanley Kachala. Another man named George Kamwenda. Another man, and I don't know
if it's Willard or Willert, I don't know his last name, but I'm going
to tell you about him. And I cannot wait to tell you
about Charles Taisi. You're going to love it. You're
going to absolutely love it. You're going to be glad. I promise
you're going to be so glad. And that's just the men and women
from Malawi. I have glad tidings to bring
to you from South Africa, too. You already know Christoph and
Karina. And I've mentioned this other brother named Chris. I'm
going to tell you more about this man, Chris, but I want to
tell you about a man named Ponte and his wife and another man
named Simeon. Christoph's parents met with
us. But this trip makes this scripture
hit home with me. Verse 22 says, then tidings of
these things came into the ears of the church, which was in Kingsport.
And they sent forth Tony, Eddie and Gabe, that they should go
as far as Africa. Who, when they came and had seen
the grace of God, They were glad. They were so glad. Just like
Barnabas, he was glad. I entered into the heart of this
man. He was so glad. And He exhorted them all that
with purpose of heart they would cleave unto the Lord. Cleave
unto the Lord. Get rid of yourself. Cast away
the flesh. Get rid of your works and you
cleave to Jesus Christ. That was our message while we
were there. That is our message here. That's the message everywhere.
The message is preached throughout the world. Cleave to Jesus Christ. It's a man. It's a man. All who the Lord has purposed
in his heart to cleave to will do just that. If he is cleaving to us, we will
cleave to him. And we'll be glad. Lord, if you
will, spread your gospel all over this world. Let it thrive
all over the world for Christ's sake. You'll be glorified. We'll be glad. Amen.