Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church,
located at 905 Yadkin Street in Kingsport, Tennessee, would
like to invite you to listen to a message of sovereign grace
by their pastor, Gabe Stoniker. And now, Pastor Gabe Stoniker. If you would like to open your
Bible with me this morning, I'm going to be reading from Acts
chapter 5, beginning with verse 17, and I'm going to read down
to verse 20. Acts 5 verse 17 says, Then the
high priest rose up, and all they that were with him, which
is the sect of the Sadducees, and were filled with indignation,
and laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in the common prison. But the angel of the Lord by
night opened the prison doors, and brought them forth, and said,
Go, stand, and speak in the temple to the people all the words of
this life." These four verses of Scripture
illustrate the truth of our condition. We are all along with every person
in this world. We are all in a common prison. They put the apostles in a common
prison, and that's where we are. This earth, life in this world
is a life of bondage. It's a prison. When God cast Satan out of heaven
as a bolt of lightning, do you know where he cast him to? Most people would say hell, but
that's not actually where the Lord cast him to. He cast him
to this earth. Over in Luke chapter 10, our
Lord said in verse 18, I beheld Satan as lightning fall
from heaven." And there's a reference right there in that verse to
Revelation chapter 12, verses 12 and 13, and this is what those
two verses say. Therefore rejoice, ye heavens,
and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabitants of the
earth and of the sea, For the devil is come down unto you,
having great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short
time. And when the dragon saw that
he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman which brought
forth the man-child." This place is a common prison. Our text
in Acts chapter 5 verse 19 says, but. Thanks be to God for the sake
of my own soul. My soul, your soul. Thanks be
to God. God told a servant. He told a
messenger. He told a man. Verse 20 says,
go. stand and speak in the temple
to the people all the words of this life. This life. There is a life outside of this
world. There is a life outside of this
prison. And His name is Jesus Christ.
There is a life in Him. A true life. Now we are in this common prison
right now. Answer this question in your
heart. I think it will explain a lot
for us. People who are actually in prison,
physically in prison, federal prison, how truly happy do you
think they are? Truly happy. People who are day
in and day out locked up in prison, how happy do you believe they
are? I'm sure they have some days
that are better than others, up days, down days. But how truly
happy do you think they are? Happy in the soul. Over in 1
Corinthians 15, verse 19 says, If in this life only we have
hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. If in this life only. We have
hope in Christ. We are of all men most miserable. If all we ever know, if all we
ever believe and all we ever hope for pertains to this world
only, then we are of all men most miserable. I don't care
what good news we get pertaining to this world, we're still miserable
because we're still in this common prison. It'd be like the warden telling
everybody, we just want to let you know that next to the basketball
court, we've decided to put in a weightlifting gym. Well, that's
great. But I'm still in prison. I'm
still in prison. If in this life only we have
hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable. But I want to tell you that there
is a moment when a prisoner does experience absolute, true joy
and happiness. There is. It happens every single
time somebody comes up to his cell with news of his release. News of his freedom. It happens every time someone
comes up and says, it looks like the law is going to be satisfied. It looks like justice is going
to be fulfilled. If I'm reading this right, they
have to let you go. Well, fellow prisoners, turn
with me over to 1 John chapter 5. Verse 11 says, this is the record
that God hath given to us eternal life. There's a record on it. And this is the record that God
hath given to us eternal life. And this life is in His Son. It's not in the common prison,
it's in His Son. Our Lord said, lo, I come in
the volume of the book it is written of Me. I've come to open
the prison doors. I've come to set the captives
free. Now we're going to remain in
this common prison just a little while longer. But all we have
to do and all we can do is sit and wait for our redemption to
draw nigh." Over in James chapter 5, verse 7 says, Be patient therefore,
brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman
waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience
for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Be ye
also patient. Establish your hearts, for the
coming of the Lord draweth nigh." He's coming real soon. He is
coming very soon. I know this is a sad place. I
know it's a fearful place. I know it's a dangerous place.
I know everything that's good here, it becomes ruined. It becomes
tainted. But He is coming very soon. And He has already told the warden
not to touch His child. And not to let anyone else touch
His child. He said to His children, don't
be afraid of the pestilence by day or the terror by night. Now
with that in mind, turn with me over to Psalm chapter 42. Psalm 42 verse 5 says, Why art
thou cast down, O my soul? And why art thou disquieted in
me? Hope thou in God, for I shall
yet praise him for the help of his countenance. I have a margin
in my Bible and it says, His presence is salvation. His presence is salvation. Why
are you cast down? Why am I cast down? I know that
you're cast down because I'm cast down. We're all cast down
in this common prison. There's nothing to be happy about.
And I know what's casting us down. It's the reason for the
prison. It's sin. That's what it is. It's sin. Do you ever have those
days where you just can't put your finger on it? You just cast down. You just cast down. I know what it is. It's sin. It always comes back to sin.
Our minds and our consciences and our hearts and our bodies
acknowledge I'm a sinner. I have sinned. I live in a world of sin. Sin is all around me. Sin is all in me. It's on me. Crown of my head, the sole of
my foot. From the depths of my heart,
I'm nothing but sin. I'm just a sinner. And sin grieves
me. And sin grieves you. That's our
problem. That's our problem. bondage that
is keeping us in this common prison? It's sin. That's the
answer. Well, listen to this. Listen to this, and if you're
turning with me, I want you to read this with me. Go over to
1 Timothy chapter 1. 1 Timothy 1 verse 15 says, This
is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation. That Christ
Jesus came into the world. He came into this world. God
was manifest in the flesh. Christ died on that cross. He
shed his precious blood to save sinners. Christ Jesus came into the world. to save sinners, of whom I am
chief. That's what the Apostle Paul
said, and that's what I say. Is that what you say? Why are you cast down? Are you
a sinner? Are you a true sinner? A real wicked, vile, sinner. If you are, hope thou in Jesus
Christ, the God." Listen to this quote. This is
such a good thing to hear. This is a good quote to hear
and learn from. Don't allow the trial to take
you from Him. When things are tough, when things
are hard, when you don't feel like you can go on, don't allow
the trial to take you from Him, but rather allow the trial to
turn you to Him. Make trying times, times of seeking
the Lord. Don't turn from Him, turn to
Him. There's only one reason He came
to this earth. There is only one reason the
God of heaven came into this common prison. It was to save
sinners. Run to Him. Call on Him. Seek Him. Knock. Ask. Beg. A sinner might say, oh, I'm just
so weak. I'm so weak, I don't know if
I can. I feel like I'm too weak to even worship Him. Do you ever
feel like that? Do you ever feel like you're just too weak to
even worship Him? Well, turn with me over to 2
Corinthians 12. 2 Corinthians 12 verse 9 says,
And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee, For my
strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly, therefore, will
I rather glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may
rest upon me. Why are you cast down, O my soul?
Are you weak? Then hope thou in Jesus Christ,
the God. Don't turn from Him, turn to
Him. His strength, His strength is
made perfect in my weakness. The weaker I am, the more His
power will rest upon me, the more He'll help me. Oh, I'm just a sinner. I see
that. We see that, don't we? We're
just sinners. He's the Savior. We see that,
don't we? He is the Savior of sinners. Glorious news! That's the greatest
news that a prisoner could hear. I have news of our release. Based on the work that Jesus
Christ has accomplished, it looks like the law is satisfied. Justice has been fulfilled. God's
holy demands have been taken care of. And we have to be let go. The book of Romans chapter eight
says, who is he that condemneth? It's Christ that died. We have
to be set free if Christ died for us. Back in Acts 5, verse 17 says, Then the high
priest rose up, and all they that were with him, which is
the sect of the Sadducees, and were filled with indignation,
envy, and laid their hands on the apostles, and put them in
the common prison. But the angel of the Lord, by
night, in their darkest hour, and that's what we are down here.
We're in the darkness of this common prison. There's no light
down here. This is a dark and sinful place. But the angel of
the Lord, by night, opened the prison doors and brought them
forth and said, go stand and speak in the temple to the people
all the words of this life, this life in Christ. You know, we preach the gospel
and the gospel is good news, but it's only good news to sinners.
That's it. It's only good news to sinners.
It's only good news to prisoners of sin. It's only good news to beggars,
the hungry. One man said preaching the gospel
is just one beggar telling another beggar where he found some food. And we can also say that preaching
the gospel is just one prisoner telling another prisoner about freedom that's coming.
Freedom that has already been secured. It is ordered. It is sure. That freedom is in Christ. It's
in Christ, the one who came to set the prisoner free. The one who came to seek and
to save that which was lost. The one who came to bind up the
brokenhearted. This life is in Christ. This
life of rest, this life of happiness, this life of sinlessness, comfort,
peace, is in Christ. There is peace
in Christ. Peace with God. The God who is holy and just. The God who must punish sin.
The God who is angry with the wicked every day. The God who holds the keys of
hell and death. That's what the scripture says.
Jesus Christ Himself, The God, said, I hold the keys of hell
and death. We have peace with God. And it's
through the blood of Jesus Christ, the Savior of sinners. Listen to this. A man wrote this
a long time ago. It's called The Secret of Peace. And this is it. This is it. Peace
with God was made in the blood of Christ. secured and God was satisfied
when his son died on that cross. But we have to sit in this common
prison until the appointed day. There's going to come a day that
the trump shall resound and the Lord shall descend and he is
going to free us from this place. But until that day comes, we're
going to have to sit here in this common prison. So for some
peace, for some contentment and some comfort, while we wait,
this is what was written a long time ago, the secret of peace.
It says, with eager heart and will on fire, I sought to win
my great desire. Peace shall be mine, I said,
but life grew bitter in the endless strife. My soul, weary and my
pride, was wounded deep. So to heaven I cried, God give
me peace or I must die. But the dumb stars glittered
no reply. Broken at last, I bowed my head
forgetting all, myself, and said, whatever comes, God's will be
done. And in that moment, peace was
won. There is life outside of this
prison. There is life outside of this
prison, and it is in Jesus Christ. It's in His will. It's in His
work. It's in His choice. It's in His
blood. It's in His cross. It's in Him. It's in Him. He is the life. He is the life. And if you are
a sinner, if you know you're a sinner, If you know that you
deserve to be in the prison you're in, and if you are without hope, then listen to this. He's coming. You just wait. The order has already come through.
The warden has already been notified. No one is going to harm you.
No one is going to touch you. Fear not for the pestilence by
day or the terror by night. You are safe. You are safe in
the hands of your Savior. Just wait. Just wait. Your redemption draweth nigh. He's coming. Our Lord said to
His own, He said, I'm going to prepare a place for you. And
if I go, if you see me go, I will come again and receive you unto
Myself, that where I am, you may be also. A kingdom of freedom, a life
of freedom, a place of freedom with Christ and His people. Just
wait. He's coming. And if God ever
sets a prisoner free, if God ever says to a prisoner's heart,
you have now seen the truth and the truth has made you free,
then go and tell other prisoners how great things the Lord has
done for you. Go as one prisoner telling the
other prisoners. I know the one who holds the
keys of freedom. I know the one who holds the
keys to this door. I know the one who is able to
put away all of your sin. Everything that is keeping you
in this bondage. Everything that is holding you
in this cell. I know the one. He is the God
of heaven. His name is Jesus Christ. Look
to Him. Run to Him. Every time our Lord
had mercy on a sinner, every single time, that sinner went
and published it much. Tell how great things the Lord
has done for you. That's the gospel message. You
know that. That's all that a sinner has
to say. Good news, great things the Lord
hath done for me. What must I do? Nothing. While religion is telling people,
if you want to get out of this cell, you better do this and
you better do that. I can't do anything. I'm locked
up in this cell. The only news that could ever
be good news to a sinner, a prisoner of sin, is it has already been
done and that's the truth of God's Word. It has already been
done. It's already finished. As soon
as a sinner hears that, even though we have to spend the rest
of our time in this common prison, as soon as a sinner hears that
in his heart, it sets him free. Lord, set us all free. Show mercy to us for Christ's
sake. Until next Sunday morning, may
our Lord bless His word to our hearts. You have been listening to a
message by Gabe Stoniker, pastor of Kingsport Sovereign Grace
Church in Kingsport, Tennessee. If you would like a copy of this
message or to hear other messages of Sovereign Grace, you can write
to our physical mailing address at 905 Yadkin Street, Kingsport,
Tennessee 37660 or log on to our website at kingsportsovereigngracechurch.com. If you would like to come and
worship with us, our service times are Sunday morning Bible
study at 10 o'clock a.m., worship at 10.45 a.m. and 6 o'clock p.m.,
Wednesday evening at 7.30 p.m. Please tune in next Sunday morning
at 8.30 for another message of God's free and sovereign grace.