All right, now turn with me back
to Acts chapter 15. Acts 15, we have a first part and a second
part to the message tonight. I pray the Lord will bless this.
I've been looking forward to telling you this. Last Wednesday
night, we were here in Acts 15, and we saw where Paul and Barnabas
were preaching the gospel. And they were in Antioch, and
some men came down. Verse 1 said that certain men
came down from Judea And what they said was, except you be
circumcised after the banner of Moses, you cannot be saved.
Remember that? So Paul and Barnabas said, we're
going to go to Jerusalem about this. They had this dissension. And they had been traveling city
to city preaching the blood of Jesus Christ alone for salvation
that's what they were telling people it's the blood of Christ
alone and men and women were believing this declaration so
they went up and they met with the other apostles and they told
them here is what's being disputed here's the question that has
been raised and we want to know on the authority of God what's
your answer So Peter stood up, they heard all this, and then
Peter stood up and he said, we know that God has laid hold of
the Gentiles. And the reason we know that is
because he has sent them the same spirit he sent us. We've
seen it, the spirit of Christ. And he told them that we were
circumcised, you know, back before in the law. but it's the blood of Christ
alone that saves sinners. He said in verse 10, now therefore
why tempt ye God to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples,
which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear. But we
believe that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, we
shall be saved even as they. That settles it. That's what
he said. All this dissension. All this disputing. Peter stood
up and he said, It's through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ
alone. That settles it. Alone. And when
Peter said that, the whole crowd got silent. All this arguing. All this going
back and forth. all these opinions and all the
sudden Peter stood up and he said this thing is through the
grace of the Lord Jesus Christ alone and the whole place got
silent. All of that disputing stopped and every man in that
room said yep this thing is by grace alone. And as they were pondering that,
in all that silence, Paul and Barnabas said, would you all
like for me to tell you some of the things that God has done
for the Gentiles? Would you like to hear about
some of those wonderful things? Yes, we would. Look at verse
12. Then all the multitude kept silence. and gave audience to Barnabas
and Paul, declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among
the Gentiles by them. Now, second to hearing the gospel
preached in the liberty of the Holy Spirit, the gospel is preached
two ways, without God's Holy Spirit, and it's miserable. and is preached in the liberty
of God's Holy Spirit, and it's wonderful. Second to that, that
is the greatest thing a believer experiences on this earth, the
gospel preached in the liberty of the Holy Spirit. Second to
that, The second most glorious thing to do in this lifetime
is to hear the stories of the miracles and wonders that God
has wrought in his people. It really is. I'm so thankful
that I've had the privilege over the years to hear the stories
of the things that God has done, these amazing things that God
has done in his people. The things that he has done through
the preaching of the gospel, it's always through the preaching
of the gospel, always. The gospel comes into a place
and then the Lord works. I've had the privilege of hearing
men and women both tell personally how great things the Lord has
done for them. And it is precious. It is so precious. I'm not talking about, you know,
people were in wheelchairs and then they got out of wheelchairs.
Usually they don't. Usually God just makes them happy
to be in the wheelchair. Usually. Well, you just trust
God and all that stuff will get better. Nah, maybe not. But you'll
be a lot happier about it. I'm talking about, though, these
wonders, these miracles, I'm talking about men's souls going
from dead to alive. It's just amazing. We take it
so for granted. If we could all physically say
in this room, I was laying in a coffin right over there at
the funeral home. And now I'm not. We would all
be thinking that's a miracle. That is a wonder. All right? But men's souls, they go from
dead to alive. And people who were blind, so
spiritually, religiously blind in their seminaries and in their youth
groups, And in their humanitarian work, they call it mission work,
but it's not because they're not preaching the gospel. They're
building houses. But they're so blind in all that, all of
a sudden, they see. They see Christ. They're not running the Christmas
parade float anymore. They see Christ. They don't see everything they've
accomplished. They don't see how good they are. They see Christ
for the first time. Hearing about God's work has
warmed my heart. It has truly warmed my heart.
Hearing of the Lord's mercy, hearing of his grace to sinners.
Looking back on this tapestry, when you're going through it,
you don't see what all's going on. You know God is doing it.
We know He's the doer of it. But then you get away from it
a couple of decades and then turn around and look back. And
I don't want time to fly, but I am amazed at my stories that
are accumulating right now. I just want to tell you a couple
of these. In Rocky Mount, there's a restaurant.
It was about an hour and a half from Rocky Mount. And we went
there as often as we could because it was Henry's favorite restaurant.
It's called the Homestead. It was out in the middle of nowhere. And it was just like Farmer's
Daughter. You know, you had to drive all the way out there. Nothing
out there. It was an antebellum home they
made into a restaurant. And the food was delicious. It
was absolutely delicious. So he loved to go out there.
We would all pile in our van. We had a van at the time. And
an hour and a half out, hour and a half back. Well, Henry
would ride up front. And one of those times on the
way back, he was in the mood to just tell about a bunch of
the wonderful things that happened throughout his ministry. And
one of them that he told me about was a couple, and I'm sure you
all have heard these many times, but they're wonderful. A couple
came to his house. and they'd seen him on TV and
they wanted the gospel out in their area. They lived out west
and they came to Henry and they said, I want to schedule, this
man said, I want to schedule a meeting. I want you to come
out. I have to have this gospel. He
was either in Oregon or Wyoming or something like that and He
saw him on TV, so he thought he was a big TV evangelist, and
he was asking him, how many people, if I schedule a meeting, how
many people do I have to get in order for you to be willing
to come? You know, how many people is
enough for you to actually come out and preach? Henry said, you
need to have two. We need one man to preach, one
man to listen. So the guy scheduled a meeting. And he rented this big hall that
would hold a lot of people. And he went and told a lot of
people about this. And Henry went out and he preached
all weekend. And he said he never heard from
that guy ever again. Never again after that. Guy came
all the way out to Ashland, talked about it, had paid for Henry
to come out, rented all that stuff, talked it all up. He never
heard from him again, ever. That was that. But in the crowd
who came, a large crowd came, and in that crowd who came, one
of the men was named Gene Harmon. These people never heard the
gospel before, and if you don't know who that is, he's a Sovereign
Grace pastor out in Rescue, California. Isn't it Rescue? Is that where
he is? All right, so Gene Harmon was there. Another man who came
and heard the gospel for the first time was a man by the name
of Norm Wells. And if you don't know who that
is, he's a Sovereign Grace preacher in the Dalles, Oregon. And I
believe those are the only two I called Doris and had her to
ask Henry, but I believe those are the only two who are still
currently alive and preaching. But he said there were two or
three others. Four or five men heard the gospel. In time, they were taught the
gospel, and then they were called to preach the gospel from that
one little deal. Now, in Henry's point of view,
he went out there and he preached. He never heard from that guy
again. And then he went on back to Ashland, and he just went
on about his business. He did not know what God was doing in
Gene Harmon. He had no idea what God was doing
in Norm Wells. But now, all these years later,
we can look back and say, that was wonderful. Back then, Henry
had it go, I don't know. I didn't even hear it from the
guy. Today, that was miraculous, wasn't it? That's wonderful.
I told you about being in Mexico, and Brother Walter, we had breakfast
one morning, and he was telling some of his stories, and they
are amazing. And I've told you before about
this man, Felice. He met him. Walter was driving
down this little road and he met these two men with muzzle
loaders. And Walter thought they were going to kill him because
they came up to his truck and they said, are you a missionary?
And he said, yep. And the guy said, we just buried my 16 year
old daughter. He said, I'm so sad. He said,
I know there is a God, but I don't know where he is. He said, would
you come into my house and tell me who God is? I wish somebody
would say that to me. I thought a man was going to
say it to me the other day. A guy called and I thought, this
guy's about to tell me he is lost. He wasn't. But he said it was just a little
grass hut. Walter said, I can't. I promised
a lady I would meet with her. It's in another village. It's
a long way. But I will come back tomorrow at this time. and I'll
meet with you." So Walter went on. Well, Felice went into the
village and he told everybody that would listen to him, tomorrow
a man is coming to tell us who God is. And if you want to know
who God is, you better get to my house. So the next day, here
comes Walter. He pulled his car up and he said
he could not hardly get in the front door. It was jam-packed
full of people who wanted to know who God was. And God saved
Felice. His name means happy. And God
saved others. And it's amazing. It's just amazing.
Death to life. I'm going to give you the really
short story, but Brother Tom Harding, ask him, he'll give
you the long version of how Pikeville got started. A man started watching Henry
on TV, wanted the gospel in Pikeville. So he called him and said, he said, I want this message
preached here. I'm a contractor. He said, if
I build a building, will you send men to preach in it? Henry
said, yeah. He said, all right, I'll call
you back. He said, never heard from him for six months. He said,
I thought, what in the world was that all about? Well, six
months later, phone rings. Hello? Brother Henry? Yep. This is Paul Thacker. We're ready. Start sending men. So here come
the men. Probably Bob Wynn or the Tom
Wynn. And the next thing you know,
God starts saving souls in Pikeville, Kentucky. God sent a pastor to
Pikeville, Kentucky. They got down there. You've all
seen the building. It's a beautiful brick building.
It had a fellowship hall, classrooms. It had a pastor's study. No pastor,
but a pastor's study. Baptistry, carpet, pews, curtains,
everything. We're ready. Come preach the
gospel. And God blessed it. And we are
now the second half of the story. Anytime that story's told, we
need to add this one to it. God started saving souls in Kingsport
because a builder called and said, if I build a building,
will you send men to preach in it? Is that not wonderful? I'll
tell you one more. This one's always been my favorite.
There was a man who was in a wheelchair. He wasn't
always in a wheelchair. I think he had a disease that
put him in a wheelchair. But anyway, he lost about everything
he had, and he was in his living room on a Sunday morning, and
he just turned his TV on. And when it came on, there's
Henry pointing at him. He just so happened to be on
the broadcast station. And first thing he heard him
say was, he said, you and I have one thing in common. He said, now we have a lot of
differences. There are a lot of differences
between me and you, but we have one thing in common. He said,
I'm a sinner and you're a sinner. And that guy turned his TV off
and he said, don't you call me a sinner? Who do you think you
are calling me a sinner? I ain't no sinner. He said, well, maybe I am a sinner.
So he turned it back on. And he started watching, listening,
and God saved him. And later on he said, I believe
God put me in a wheelchair to save my soul. That's wonderful. Didn't take him out of the wheelchair,
but he knew God put me in a wheelchair to save my soul. Is that not
miraculous? Well, that's the kind of stories
that Paul and Barnabas were telling. And you know what that tells
me? Our God doesn't change. And he might give us some more
decades here. And we're going to keep preaching
the gospel. And one of these days we're going to look, we're
already looking back, but one of these days we're going to
look back and we're going to say, that was amazing. That whole thing
was amazing. Well, verse 12, then all the
multitude kept silence and gave audience to Barnabas and Paul,
declaring what miracles and wonders God had wrought among the Gentiles
by them. Now, here's what I want to do.
I want to read on down and finish this story. I want to tell you
that I have really yet to preach the gospel to you. I want you
to know that. This has been good, and it's been refreshing, and
it's been a blessing. But I want to preach the gospel
to you. And the apostles sent the gospel back to the brethren
in Antioch. I want us to see the whole story,
and we won't take too much longer. Look with me here at verse 13.
After they held their peace, James answered, one of the apostles,
James answered, saying, Men and brethren, hearken unto me. Simon
hath declared how God at the first did visit the Gentiles
to take out of them a people for his name. He said to take
out of them, right? And to this agree the words of
the prophets as it is written. The Old Testament he say and
told us everything that God is doing right now. And he's quoting
Amos chapter 9 verse 16. After this I will return and
will build again the tabernacle of David. David represents Christ. His tabernacle is his church,
his people. He said I'm going to build again
the tabernacle of David which is fallen. They've fallen. And I will build again the ruins
thereof, and I will set it up that the residue of men might
seek after the Lord. And all the Gentiles, upon whom
my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things. Known unto God are all his works
from the beginning of the world." Now, what he just told them was,
this is to all the Gentiles, upon whom my name is called. He's saying God chooses who He
wants to. Known unto God are all His works
from the beginning of the world. He's a sovereign God. It's His
work. Verse 19. Wherefore, my sentence
is, this is what I have to say about it, that we trouble not
them which from among the Gentiles are turned to God, but that we
write unto them that they abstain from pollutions of idols and
from fornication and from things strangled and from blood." He's
saying, I agree with Peter. I agree with Peter. Salvation
is by the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ alone. And we should not
trouble God's sheep by putting a yoke of bondage on them. But
he said we're going to write him a letter. Verse 20, that
we write unto them that they abstain from pollutions of idols
and from fornication and from things strangled and from blood.
For Moses of old time hath in every city them that preach him
being read in the synagogues every Sabbath day. Then pleased
it the apostles and elders with the whole church to send chosen
men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, namely
Judas, surnamed Barsabbas, and Silas, chief men among the brethren.
And they wrote letters by them after this manner. This is what
the letter said. The apostles and elders and brethren
send greeting unto the brethren which are of the Gentiles in
Antioch and Syria and Cilicia for as much as we have heard
that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words
subverting your souls saying you must be circumcised and keep
the law to whom we gave no such commandment. We didn't say that.
It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to
send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul,
men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord
Jesus Christ. We have sent therefore Judas
and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things by mouth,
for it seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us to lay upon you
no greater burden than these necessary things. that you abstain
from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things
strangled, and from fornication, from which if you keep yourselves,
you shall do well, fare you well." James said, we're not going to
put any bondage on them. And then he said, let's write
them a letter and tell them to abstain from four things. And
that sounds like bondage, doesn't it? Those men at the beginning
said, except you be circumcised, you cannot be saved. They didn't
say that. But the other apostles and James,
they did send a commandment that they should abstain from four
things. Believers do have a heart to physically abstain from these
four things. And the reason is because they
love God and they want to obey Him. But in addition to that, these
apostles, they sent these four things because of what they mean
spiritually. I'm going to be really brief
with this. Everything here points to Christ. I want us to see what
they had to say concerning Christ. Verse 20. First thing they said
to abstain from was pollutions of idols. Don't defile yourself
by worshiping idols. You're free from the law, but
don't defile yourself by worshiping idols. An idol is an image. It's an image. God's people don't
want to worship idols. An image did not save our souls.
The true God of heaven gave himself for us, didn't he? And we worship
no one, and we worship no thing but Him. So here's what they're
telling them spiritually. You're free from the law, but
don't partake in anything that does not give Christ all the
glory. And that's what I say tonight. We're free from the
law. We're free from the law. I thought you said I was free
from the law. I did. Well, then that means I can do
what I want to do, and I can live how I want to live, and
I can be a heathen if I want to. No. I don't have any boundaries.
I'm free from the law. I have no limitations. No. As
soon as God is no longer receiving the glory, we've crossed that
limitation. So they said, you're free from the law, but don't
partake in anything that doesn't give Christ all the glory. All
right, then they said in verse 20, abstain from fornication. We know what that is. It is not
okay for two people to come together outside of marriage. It's not
okay. Those who love God, they abstain
from fornication because God said so. and because of what
it means spiritually. The apostle said you're free
from the law, but don't set your affections on anything but Christ. Nothing but Christ. Don't leave
your first love of Christ alone, and that's what I want to say
tonight. This world is so enticing. It is so easy to set our affections
on the things of this world. You're free from the law. You
are free from the law. But don't leave your first love
of Christ alone. Don't set your affections on
anything but Christ alone. There's nothing to be desired
outside of Him. It'll all turn out to be vanity,
vexation of spirit. Commit your way to Him. Commit
your all to Him, your husband, your spouse. Verse 20 says that
we write unto them that they abstain from pollutions of idols,
from fornication, and from things strangled, strangled to death. When they slaughtered their animals,
the apostles said they must bleed out. You know what that means? Death without bloodshed will
not be accepted. It just will not be accepted.
Without the shedding of blood, there's no remission of sins.
You're free from the law, but don't ever get away from the
shed blood of Christ. And here's what I want to say.
My favorite part of what I had to tell you tonight was what
I just told you. But if that's all the message ever becomes,
we're in religion. We're in an emotional pump-up.
You know what I'm saying? I don't want to detract from
that because it was wonderful. But let's not ever leave this
place without being reminded, don't get away from the blood
of Christ. Don't get away from the blood of Christ. And then
they said in verse 20, abstain from blood, from the blood itself. What they said is don't drink
it. Don't drink it. They said you're free from the
law, but make sure that you know in your own heart that that atonement
of Christ, that blood that satisfied God was on us and not in us. It was on us, not in us. You're free from the law, but
it's only because that blood was on you. It had nothing to
do with what was in you. So don't mix the two. Don't drink
it. Verse 30, that's where we left
off. Verse 30 says, so when they were dismissed, they came to
Antioch, and when they had gathered the multitude together, they
delivered the epistle. That's what they told them. You're
free from the law. They said it's free grace, but
give God all the glory, cling to Christ alone, and His blood
alone. Verse 31, which when they had
read, they rejoiced for the consolation. And Judas and Silas, being prophets
also themselves, exhorted the brethren with many words and
confirmed them. And after they had tarried their
space, they were let go in peace from the brethren unto the apostles.
Notwithstanding, it pleased Silas to abide there still. Paul, also
in Barnabas, continued in Antioch, teaching and preaching the word
of the Lord with many others also." They let him go in peace.
After they told him that, they let him go in peace. They said,
Godspeed to you. Grace is peace. That's what it
is. Grace is peace. If a house of
worship is full of grace, that house is full of peace. And they
continued preaching the word. With many others, it said, they
went around spreading it. Saved by grace. All by grace. All right, let's stand together.