All right, go back with me to
Acts 21. This chapter, the text we just
read, is coming off of the fact that Paul just saw the brethren
in Ephesus for the very last time. That's what we're coming
off of. In chapter 20, if you look at
chapter 20, verse 25, Paul said, Behold, I know that ye all among
whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God shall see my face
no more. No more. Verse 36. And when he
had thus spoken, he kneeled down and prayed with them all and
they all wept sore and fell on Paul's neck and kissed him. sorrowing most of all for the
words which he spake that they should see his face no more. And they accompanied him unto
the ship. Now chapter 21 verse 1 says,
and it came to pass that after we were gotten from them, those
disciples in Ephesus, the word gotten means torn apart. torn apart, torn from each other's
embrace. That's the love of believers.
That is the love of believers. I mean, I love you guys. I really
do. It's true love. True, true love. It is strong. It is real. Especially in this
case right here when Paul was the one who brought the gospel
to them. Paul is the one that the Lord
used to bring them the gospel. I thank the Lord for the men
that he used to bring me the gospel. I really do. I thank
the Lord for those men. We don't honor men. We don't
honor men. And I don't even want to include
myself in this. But I'm so grateful. Every believer
agrees with Isaiah. Every believer agrees with Isaiah. Turn with me over to Isaiah 52.
Isaiah 52. Look at verse 7. How beautiful upon the mountains
are the feet of Him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth
peace, that bringeth good tidings of good. I love that. I love
all this. Good tidings of good. It's all
good. What does he do? Time and time
again, he publishes peace. That publishes salvation, that
saith unto Zion, thy God reigneth. I adore that. In all of the turmoil
of this world, it's so uncertain, isn't it? Oh, it's certain. Thy
God reigneth. Thy God reigneth. Thank God for
the declaration of his gospel. Thank God. Paul was leaving them
forever. He said, you're never going to
see me again. And they wept. Oh, they wept. Deuteronomy 34
says when Moses died, it says the children of Israel wept for
30 days in the plains of Moab. They wept, wept over the fact
that he was gone. But here's the good news of the
gospel. The Lord our God, the one that they preach, said, I
will never leave you. I will never forsake you. Never. Never. He said, lo, I am with you always. even unto the end of the world."
Things are looking bad. I wonder if it's going to be
the end of the world soon. Well, guess what? He said, I'm
with you always, even unto the end of the world. I love how
Brother Maurice Montgomery, the pastor there in Madisonville
for years and years, the Lord just called him to glory. But when he was a young man,
probably 18, he went into the service. And he was going overseas. And his dad, who was also a believer,
when Maurice was, I don't know if he was getting on a bus or
a plane or a ship or what he was getting on, but when he was
getting ready to go, his dad said, son, God goes everywhere. God goes everywhere. That's because
God is everywhere. He's everywhere. He said, I'm
with you always, even unto the end of the world. We know that,
don't we? We know that. But we still love our brethren
so much. It's just painful. It's still
painful when they go, it just is. Go back with me to Acts 21. Verse 1 says, And it came to
pass that after we were gotten from them and had launched, we
came with a straight course unto Kohos, and the day following
unto Rhodes, and from thence unto Pterah. And finding a ship
sailing over unto Phineasia, we went aboard and set forth.
Now when we had discovered Cyprus, we left it on the left hand and
sailed into Syria and landed at Tyre, for there the ship was
to unlaid her burden. And finding disciples, we tarried
there seven days, who said to Paul through the Spirit that
he should not go up to Jerusalem. Now God's Holy Spirit, through
the brethren, the brethren through the Spirit, told Paul that he
should not go up to Jerusalem. And the reason that God had them
say that is because it was witnessed to Paul in every city that bonds
and afflictions waited for him in Jerusalem. And as a type of
Christ, Paul being a type of Christ, Our Lord knew that bonds
and afflictions awaited Him in Jerusalem, didn't He? But He
set His face like a flint. And as a type of Christ, Paul
said back in chapter 20, verse 23, Save that the Holy Ghost
witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide
me, But none of these things move me, neither count I my life
dear unto myself. Now that's what Christ did for
us. He said none of these things move me, and I don't count my
life dear to myself. I'm gonna obey the will and the
command of my Father. Now as a type of us, Paul being
a type of us, The Lord told him over and over again, bonds and
afflictions are waiting for you. He told him that over and over
again to prepare him for when they come. He kept telling him,
bonds and afflictions are coming. Our Lord has made it very clear
to us there will be sufferings, hadn't he? There will be afflictions,
there will be persecutions. Trials will come. He said, In the world you shall
have tribulation, but he said, Be of good cheer, I have overcome
the world. They're coming, but I've overcome
every bit of it. Verse 4, And finding disciples,
we tarried there seven days, who said to Paul through the
Spirit that he should not go up to Jerusalem. And when we
had accomplished those days, we departed and went our way
and they all brought us on our way with wives and children till
we were out of the city and we kneeled down on the shore and
prayed. That's such a precious scene
to me. That is so precious. Paul is
going on to Jerusalem, and it's not just the men who are sending
him on his way. They brought their wives, they
brought their children. Their children witnessed the
ministry. Their children knelt down right
there with them on that beach. Here, there's the ship. And they
went out of the city, and now they made it to the beach. It's
time for Paul to get on this ship. And they all kneeled down
right there on the beach and their children kneeled down right
there with them and they heard the prayer. Paul prayed with
them all. Verse six, and when we had taken
our leave one of another, we took ship and they returned home
again. Now all of this story is because
of the gospel. Everything we just read is because
of the gospel. These people right here believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ and they love the Apostle Paul because
of the gospel message he preached. I'm sure he was a nice man. I'm
sure he was a kind man. But the reason they were so drawn,
the reason they had to be torn apart, the reason they loved
each other so much is because of the gospel message he preached. And that's the way it is for
us. We love each other dearly and we think much of each other
but the reason we're all here and the reason we're all like
this is because of this gospel message. It's because of Christ. This message that is declared,
this wonderful gospel. That gospel message is in those
six verses. The six verses we just read.
This glorious gospel and I'll tell you where I found it. It's
in the meaning of all the names of those cities. We read all
those cities. And I kept reading and reading
and reading and reading. I thought, what am I going to say about
this? So I got my concordance out. When in doubt, get the concordance. And I started looking at all
the meanings of these names. And there's a reason why he went
through those cities exactly. It's almost like he was being
guided on purpose. And he was. Their meanings tell
us that message of redemption. That wonderful, wonderful message
of redemption. There's eight of them. Verse
one. And it came to pass that after
we were gotten from them and had launched, we came with a
straight course unto Koos. That name means a public prison. That's what it means, a public
prison, and that's what this is. That's what it is. That's where we are. This is
a public prison. If men and women only knew the
bondage they were in, every now and then, I really enter into
that, and it crushes me because there's some unbelievers that
I love. I really love them. I think much of them, and I just
wish if they only knew the bondage they were really in. They have
no idea. Didn't our Lord say that He came
here to set the prisoner free? Isn't that what He said? I came
to the earth for one reason only, to set the prisoner free. We're
in a public prison. What do you mean? What do you
mean prison? That's what the unbeliever says.
What do you mean prisoner? Who's the prisoner? Verse 1,
it came to pass that after we were gotten from them and had
launched, we came with a straight course unto Koos and the day
following unto Rhodes. That name means Rosie. Red. Now the first man who was ever created
was named Adam. And his name means rosy, red,
ruddy. That's what ruddy is. It's red.
Red countenance. Clay. But it actually said rosy. Rosy, red, ruddy. Every man and woman born in Adam. is born into bondage still to
this day. Every one of them. Every single
one of them. Why? Why are they born into bondage? Verse 1, it came to pass that
after we were gotten from them and had launched, we came with
a straight course unto Koas, and the day following unto Rhodes,
and from thence unto Patera. That name means scattering, cursing,
cursed. It's because of the curse of
sin. That's what it is. We're in this common prison.
Every man and woman born into this world is under the curse
and the bondage of sin. They're bound and they don't
even know it. They don't even know it. But
verse 2 says, and finding a ship, the word finding means to come
upon, to hit upon, to meet with, to find a thing without previous
search, to find by chance, to fall in with. What all that means
is their hap was. Just like Ruth. Their hap was. That's the work of God's Holy
Spirit. That's the work of God's Holy Spirit. In this text right
here, that ship, that's God's Holy Spirit that brings a sinner
straight to Christ. Verse 2 says, And finding a ship
sailing over unto Phoenicia, That name means palm trees. That's an interesting one, isn't
it? Palm trees. Turn with me over to Psalm 92. Now in Exodus
15, it talks about Three score and 10 palm trees,
that's how it's worded. Three score and 10 palm trees
that were planted by 12 wells of water. Our days are three
score and 10, but we have been planted by the well. We've been
planted by Thee well. Look right here at Psalm 92.
This is a psalm of thanksgiving and praise. Verse 1 says, It
is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises
unto thy name, O Most High. Verse 12 says, The righteous
shall flourish like the palm tree. The righteous shall. David's constantly talking about
the wicked and the righteous. Not the wicked, but the righteous
shall flourish like the palm tree. He shall grow like a cedar
in Lebanon. Those that be planted in the
house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. This
is talking about a chosen people. A chosen, a particular people. That's what this is about. Song
of Solomon chapter 7 calls the bride. It says the bride looks
like a palm tree. This is all the people that God
chose to set his affection on. Every single one of them. Back
in Acts 21, verse 1 says, It came to pass that after we were
gotten from them and had launched, we came with a straight course
unto Koas, and the day following unto Rhodes, and from thence
unto Patera, and finding a ship sailing over unto Phoenicia,
we went aboard and set forth." This world is a public prison
full of men and women who are cursed, but God chose to set
His affection on some of them. Verse 2 says, And finding a ship
sailing over unto Phoenicia, we went aboard. We went aboard. God put us in that ship. God put us in that ship and set
forth. What that means is to lead up
or bring into a higher place. God put us in this ship to bring
us up. to lead us up. Verse 3 says,
now when we had discovered, that word means brought to light,
when it was revealed to us, when our eyes were opened to see. Verse 3 says, Cyprus. That name means love. Love. All this happened before
our eyes were open to see it. Every bit of this happened. I
was put in that ship and brought up and then it was revealed to me.
All of this happened before our eyes were open to it. But when
the love of God was shed abroad in our hearts, when He finally
let us in on it. That's what happens in salvation.
Whenever we call it, you know, the Lord saved me. Well, He did
that from the foundation of the world. He did that on the cross. But in time, He notifies me.
He opens my eyes to it. He reveals to me it's finished. While everybody's running around
trying to figure out how do I get saved, God in mercy all of a
sudden goes, Oh, it's finished. It's already over. And he lets
us in on it. Turn over to Titus chapter 3. Titus chapter 3 verse 3. says, for we ourselves also were
sometimes foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving diverse lust
and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful, and hating
one another. But after that, the kindness
and love of God our Savior toward man appeared. not by works of
righteousness, which we have done, but according to his mercy,
he saved us by the washing of regeneration and renewing of
the Holy Ghost, which he shed on us abundantly through Jesus
Christ, our Savior, that being justified by his grace, we should
be made heirs according to the hope of eternal life. After the
kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared. It appeared, He revealed it to
us. 1 John 3 verse 16 says, Hereby perceive we the love of
God, because He laid down His life for us. The love of God. Back in Acts
21, verse 3 says, Now when we had discovered Cyprus, we left
it on the left hand and sailed into Syria. That name means exalted. Isaiah said, In the year that
king Uzziah died, I saw the Lord High and lifted up. High and
lifted up. Our Lord said in Psalm 46, be
still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the heathen. I will be exalted in the earth. I'll be exalted. I will be exalted. I love when Samuel's mother,
Hannah, his mother Hannah, when she prayed to the Lord, she said
in her prayer, my horn is exalted. I'm exalted. And the reason is
because you know how to take a beggar off of the dunghill
and set him among princes. Because he is exalted. We're
exalted. Exalted. God hath highly exalted
him and given him a name which is above every name. And in him,
we get his name. Because we're his bride, God
has given us his name, that highly exalted name. Verse 3 says, Now
when we had discovered Cyprus, we left it on the left hand and
sailed into Syria, and landed at Tyre. That name means a rock. A rock. We've landed on the rock. We've landed on the rock. The
rock that was smitten. The rock that was broken. God
said, I'm going to hide you in that rock. And he said, when
I pass by, thou shalt stand upon the rock. We just sang, on Christ the solid
rock I stand, all of the ground is sinking sand, every bit of
it. Verse three, now when we had discovered Cyprus, we left
it on the left hand and sailed into Syria and landed at Tyre,
for there the ship was to unlaid her burden. On that rock, God
caused every soul in that ship to unlaid her burden. Every one
of them. That story, I love Pilgrim's
Progress. We've said it so many times how
Pilgrim, it starts with he had a burden on his back. That's
how the whole thing starts. I got this burden on my back.
And I'm carrying around this burden and I cannot get this
burden off my back. And it stayed with him until
he finally made it to the foot of the cross. And as soon as
he got to the foot of the cross, he looked up and boom, the burden
fell off. That burden fell off. He saw that mercy there was great. Grace was free. Pardon there
was multiplied to me. There my burdened soul found
liberty. At Calvary, right there. Our
Lord said, Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden,
and I'll take it off of you. I'll give you rest. The last
city is at the end of verse four, Jerusalem. That name means double
peace. That's what it means, a double
portion of peace. It comes from two main hills
in the city. In Jerusalem there are two main
hills and they're referred to them as peace and peace. A double
portion of peace. Let's close by turning to Isaiah
40. Isaiah 40 verse 1 says, Comfort ye, comfort ye my people,
saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem,
and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity
is pardoned. For she hath received of the
Lord's hand double for all her sins. Every word in this book is good
news for sinners, isn't it? Every single word. Don't we love
every single word? Every word. Good news. Let's
all stand together.