John sang that correctly, that
last line. Our Lord doesn't weep now. He's
not weeping now. There's no tears in heaven. There's
no sorrow. Joy unspeakable. Always. Alright,
go back to Acts chapter 20. Paul was sent by our Lord to
preach. He was sent to preach the Gospel
because He later wrote, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching
to save them to believe. That's what he said. That's what
God did. That's what Christ did as a preacher.
And Paul wrote to the Romans. He said, how shall they believe
in Him whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without
a preacher? And how shall they preach except they be sent? So
Paul was sent to Ephesus and other places to preach The gospel. Look at verse 24. He said, I
received of the Lord to testify the gospel. What is the gospel? It's the gospel of the grace
of God. Did anyone listen to the radio
this morning? I didn't send it out, but it's still on the radio
at 8 o'clock, WYTI. Wasn't it? It wasn't on there. Well, then nobody listened to
it. Okay, well, here it is. This was the message. Not exactly,
but yeah, the same. Oh, to write the same thing,
to preach the same thing is not grievous to me. It's salvation.
But the gospel, you see, is the power of God unto salvation to
everyone that believes. The gospel of the grace of God.
This is the gospel. Not words, but grace, you said. And Paul preached in Ephesus
nearly three years, and the Lord raised up a strong church there,
sound believers, like here. I've been preaching a lot longer
than that to some people that are sound in the faith. And now
he's leaving, and these are his parting words. These are the
last words they hear him preach in person, but he wrote a letter. Greg, God put him in prison to
write Ephesians. Oh, my. What would we do without
the book of Ephesians and Colossians? These were his parting words.
He was on his way to Jerusalem. Verse 22, he said, I go bound
in the Spirit. Yes. Verse 23, the Holy Ghost
is witness. Monds and afflictions abide me,
await me. These were his last words. Dying
words, you know, seem to be important. They certainly
are in the scriptures. Listen to Peter's last word.
Let me just read you a few. He said, Beloved, you know these
things. Beware lest you be led away with
the error of the wicked and fall from your steadfastness. Grow
in grace the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
To Him be glory both now and forever. Amen. Listen to John's
last words. He said, We know the Son of God
has come and given us an understanding that we might know Him that is
true and that we are in Him that is true. In His Son, Jesus cried,
this is the true God and eternal life. Fiddle children, keep yourselves
from idols. Amen. Listen to Jude's last word. Jude. He said, now unto him,
he went on to say, he said, keep yourselves in the love of God.
That means under the sound of the gospel. Keep yourselves there,
looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ in eternal
life. He said, Now unto Him that is
able to keep you from falling, to present you thoughtless before
the presence of His glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise
God our Savior be glory and majesty and amendment and power both
now and forever. Amen. Last words. So these were Paul's last words.
Last word, look at verse 28. Let's just read down here, verse
28. Take heed therefore unto yourselves.
He's talking to me, talking to the preachers. All the flock
over which the Holy Ghost has made you overseers. Thank God
And Lord, our shepherd has given unto shepherds. Aren't you glad?
Aren't you thankful? I'm so glad. He sent preachers
and pastors. And when He ascended on high,
He gave gifts unto men. And this is the gifts He gave.
Some prophets, some apostles, some evangelists, some pastors
and teachers for the perfected and saved. To all be united in
faith with the Lord Jesus Christ. Thank God. He made you overseers
to do what? What's a preacher, what's a shepherd
supposed to do? Feed the Church of God. What? What does he feed Him? Green
pastures. Well, what's the Word all about?
The Word incarnate, Christ. Feed the Church, which He purchased,
the Church of God, which He purchased with His own blood. You say,
that's a misprint. No, it's not. God was manifest
in the flesh. Paul knew that. He knew he was
God, my Lord and Thomas, my Lord and my God. All God's people
know that Jesus Christ is very God of very God. And that somehow, some way, mysterious
though it is, God died on that cross. And yet God can't die. But he purchased with that sacrifice he made on Calvary's
tree, that burnt offering, that blood atonement, he purchased
our redemption with his own blood. Does that say that, Brother John? Having obtained eternal redemption.
He purchased it. It doesn't say he tried, does
it? It doesn't say he put a down payment on it, does it, John?
You read it with me. He purchased. He paid for it. the sins of God's people with
His own blood. And that's what we're all going
to be singing and going to Him that washed us from our sins
in His own blood. Right there's the gospel. Not
works, it's grace. The gift of God, the grace of
God is the redemption that's in Christ. I know this, he said,
that after my departing, grievous wolves were entering in among
you, dressed like in sheep's clothing, not sparing the flock.
And it'll rise speaking perverse things to draw you away. Draw you out. Away from the gospel. Away from each other. Separate. Divide. That's satanic. Watch. Watch. Watch. Watch. Watch. Keep your eyes
and watch unto prayer. Remember that. Be sober. Watch
and pray. And above all things, Love one
another. If you love one another, you're
going to stick together. Right? Now cease not to warn everyone.
Every night and day with tears. Now brethren, now here it is.
Here's our text. Brethren. Don't you love that term? Somebody
texted me and I texted back and said, Sis, sister, thank you
for that. I think it made her very happy
I called her that. Sister. You know, I lost my one and only
sister in the flesh. I miss her. I'd like to say,
but I got a whole lot more. A bunch of them. I got some I
don't know I have. It's a blessed relationship. Brother, sister, here it is. I commend you, brethren. I commend
you to God and the Word of His grace. I commend you to God and
the Word of His grace. The word command, I looked it
up in the dictionary. And you know, it's only used
twice in the New Testament. Commendation, it's not the same.
It's only actually used command. When our Lord on Calvary's tree
said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit. And then when Paul said, I commend
you, another place he went all over the churches, commending
them to the grace of God. Same word. But I commend you. The word means present. The word
means to praise as worthy of confidence. I commit you to God
who is worthy of your confidence. It means to entrust. It means
to deliver with confidence. Brothers and sisters, I commend
you to God. In Luke's Gospel, that same word,
Father, I commend my spirit. It means to place under another's
protection. Brethren, And it's not that Paul
was the one commending them. He's just reminding them, brothers
and sisters, you're in the hands of God. Remember that. Remember
when he said, I am persuaded He's able to keep that which
I've committed unto Him against that day. I'm persuaded. Jude
wrote it. It's like unto Him that's able
to keep us from falling. Unto Him that's going to present
us faultless brothers and sisters. I commend you to God. Commit
yourself to Him. Trust in Him. Look to Him. You're
under His divine protection. You're under His divine care.
Yes, you are. You always have been, always
will be. This is what Paul is reminding him, saying, I commend
you to God. He said, I'm going to be crucified.
But God told me I was going to be sacrificed. He told me that's
going to happen. And everything concerning God's
people is under the absolute control of God, who worketh all
things after the counsel of His own will. When Paul said, I have
not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God, that
means the predestinating purpose of God, who worketh all things
after the counsel of His own will. Brothers and sisters, This
may be my last message. Trust God. Trust the Lord Jesus
Christ. Cast all your care upon Him.
Why? He careth for you. You belong to Him. You believe
Him? You belong to Him. Yes, sir. Yes, ma'am. Sister? Sister Robin,
do you hear me? If you believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ, you have life that nobody or nothing can take from you. I commend you to God. Paul's
the one. You notice all through his epistles he's comforting
the people. He's comforting the people. He's the one in prison.
He's the one that's going to get his head cut off. He says,
this doesn't move me. I don't count my life dear. What
do you count dear, Paul? Christ. Oh, the excellency, the
knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. I commend you to God. Trust in
the Lord. He went all over, said the same
thing to all the churches. In Acts 14, it says the same
thing. He and Barnabas, Acts 14, says
they preached the gospel to that city and taught many, returned
to Lystra and Iconium and Antioch, confirming the souls of the disciples
and exhorting them to continue in the faith and that we must,
through much tribulation, enter into the kingdom of God. And
when they had ordained elders in every church, prayed with
fascination, they commended them to the Lord on whom they believed. Brothers and sisters, trust the
Lord. Okay? Don't worry about all these
voices. Don't listen to them, okay? But,
but, but, they're going to kill us. Good. Good. They'll take us home. Isn't
that wonderful? That's what Paul said. I'm going
there. He's going, Our Lord, for the joy set before Him, did
what? Endured the cross. Who did that? God did it. And
He committed Himself to Him that judges righteously. He said,
I know that You've sent Me to do this. And it's just going
to end gloriously. Gloriously. And the reason you
can remain seated right now is we see dimly. But thank God I
do see a little bit. Thank God I do see a little bit. Don't you? I believe it's just
a little bit. Well, that's saving faith. There
was a time I had none. Now I have a little bit. That's
saving faith. It's going to give way someday
to say, I commend you to God and the word of His grace. The
word of His grace. What is that? That's the gospel
of God's grace. The word of His grace. Peter
said, this is the word which by the gospel was preached unto
you. The word of His grace. Salvation's by grace. The salvation
belongeth unto the Lord. Righteousness is His. We don't
have any. Okay? Peace is His to give. Justification
is His. All this salvation belongeth
unto the Lord. Well, He giveth and giveth and
giveth. He delights to give it. How do
we get it? Ask. Just ask. Don't work for it. If you work
for it, it's not great. He giveth. He's able. The gospel of God's
grace, look at this, and I'm going to dwell on grace for about
10-15 minutes. He said, The word of His grace
is able to build you up. Oh, this world brings us down,
doesn't it? Brings us down, and we come in here, and our hearts
jump start. Our hearts get deadened by this
world. We come in here to get quickened
again. The world brings us down. The world builds us up on this
most holy faith, on Christ the solid rock. This world is sinking
sand in it. This world is in darkness. This
world is just shifting and confusion and chaos we think. Oh no, no,
no. The foundations of the Lord are
sure having to seal the Lord and all of them that are here.
They're on Christ the solid rock. Oh no. We're going to walk through
this Red Sea on dry ground. walk through this River Jordan
on rock, solid ground, and we're all going to pass clean over. Oh yeah, that's the Word of His
grace. That's what He promised, God who cannot lie. He promised,
you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, thou shalt be saved. Better than that, he that believeth
hath life, and nobody's going to take it away. And you just
wait, Paul said. Just wait. You'll see the things
that God had prepared for them to live. So he said, it's able to, the
Word of God is able to build you up. The world's sin drags
us down, doesn't it? Like gravity. This world has
this thing called gravity. And it was God's goodness, God's
wisdom. It's amazing that God creates
just amazing gravity. It's a good thing. I'll float off. But sin is like
gravity in it. It really is. In this world,
the things of this world just drag that down-dragging tendency,
just pull us down. Pull us back, don't they? The
muck and the mire, like the children of Israel. It seemed to be a
clean escape of what Egypt had just lured to bring back. And
we come in, hear the Gospel. We get drugged down, don't we? Down in the pit, we come in the
Gospel to lift us out. Hear the Gospel. Picks us up.
The world, sin, self, all in the world, lust of the flesh,
lust of the eyes, pride of life, that's all that's in the world.
And we're in the world. And a lot of it's still in us,
and it brings us down. Until we come here, and what's
my job? Lift you up. Do you feel these things? This
down-dragging tendency within you? Do these things bring you
down? Well, look up. Lift up your heads. Rejoice. Your redemption draws
nigh. He says in verse 32, He's able
to build you up and give you an inheritance among all them
that are sanctified. He'll give you an inheritance.
I do want you to turn to Hebrews 9. You know how often it talks
about inheritance? Hebrews 9. Now, how do you get
an inheritance? There's only one way. Somebody
dies. Okay? And you don't decide that
you get that. Right? You better not mess up. And they'll take you out of it.
Well, here's the kicker, may I say. Here's the glory. Here's
the grace. We're just messed up, period. But we can't mess
it up. He's not going to take us out
of the wheel, John. Why? Because ain't none of us
worthy. This is a faithful save, worthy of all acceptation. Christ
came here to do what? Save sinners. The fact is, if
you think you deserve it, you're not in it. I've been a good son. I'm a worthy
son of my father's inheritance. And you're not in it. If you're, you know, a sister
all the time telling me, if I'm a sheep, I'm a black sheep. Well,
sister, listen to me, Sister Karen. We're all black sheep. Isn't that what the Shulamite
Maidens said in the Song of Solomon? I'm black. But what? Comely. You can't be both. Yes, you can. Yes, you are. Black. All I look within, I see
nothing but blackness and sin. But her beloved said, you're
clean. You're pure. You're beautiful. How? Through His comeliness. Well, I could stop right there,
but I'm not going to. Where am I? Well, Hebrews 9. Yeah, Hebrews 9. Okay, look at
verse, this is what notes are good for. Hebrews 9, verse 14. How much more shall the blood
of Christ who offered, who through the eternal spirit offered himself
without spot to God purge your conscience from dead work, that
is religion and all this, to serve the living God. For this
cause, this is the cause, he's the mediator. of the New Testament,
the will, that by means of death, His, for the redemption of transgressions,
ours, those that were under the First Testament, the law, that
they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. Here's what God said. I'm going
to give all of these sinners, these black sinners, whom I've
chosen, give them to Christ, and he's going to accomplish
their salvation on Calvary's tree, put away all their sin
by the sacrifice of himself. He's going to earn heaven for
them. as a man, keep the law and die
under the law, under the curse of the law, be made sin for them,
that they might be made the righteousness of God in Him, by Him, for Him,
for His glory and honor, for mine. And He's going to bring
them all to glory someday, washed completely, faultless before
the presence of my glory. And they're all going to get
everything, my whole kingdom. There's nothing without from
them. This all belongs to them because of Him. Well, not that one. He's worth
starting with him. The Lord brought the thief on
the cross in, first time. Look, look here. What did he
do? Sin. Now, what's he doing here? Christ. Until the last one comes
in. We can do without her. Nope. No, Christ died. Like that worm. Remember that
ball of worm? There was one stuck down in the sack. I paid money,
$39.95 for a ball of worms. And I was going to throw the
sack away. I thought, I better look again.
There's one worm hanging on to death, hanging on to darkness. I said, buddy, I'm not leaving
one behind. I paid for you. I reached down, reached way down
to the bottom of that dark sack and pulled him out. I said, you're
coming with me. Until the last one's brought
in, it's over. Oh, He is inheritance. Go back to our text, Acts 20,
32. It says, Give, it's Abel, the
word of His grace, the gospel of God's grace, God, Christ crucified,
will build you up, pick you up, lift you up, carry you all the
way to glory, and going to give you an inheritance among all
them that are sanctified. What do you mean sanctified?
What's that mean? So what does Hebrews 10 say? Who did the sanctify? Who does
the sanctify? It says He sanctified them. By
one offering hath He perfected for ever them that are sanctified.
Doesn't it? He said, Father, I sanctify myself
that they also might be sanctified. Set apart. What sets God's people
apart? Jesus Christ. The blood of Christ.
What set the children of Israel apart from the Egyptians? Blood
on the door. The promise of God. The word
of His grace. He said, I'm bringing you out.
All of you. Every one of you. I'm going to
bring you out. And He did. He didn't. He did. All right. This thing of grace. What is
it? Where would you turn? That's
right. Where would you turn for the
clearest Word of God's grace. Where would
you turn? All right, Paul's preaching to Ephesus. Okay, Ephesians 1. Go over there. You want to turn
there again? You're not tired of it? I'm not tired of telling.
Here it is, God's grace. I've been 24 minutes, okay? Just a few more minutes. Here
it is. This is God's grace. Later he's in jail. He's writing
to them. The God of all grace. The gospel
of God's grace, here it is. Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
chapter 1, by the will of God, to the saints, sanctified, set
apart, to the faithful in Christ Jesus, who are in Him. Of God
are you in Him. Of God is made unto us wisdom,
righteousness, sanctification, redemption. Grace to you. What grace? All grace. Every
grace. He's the God of all grace. He's got it all. He's given it
all to you. And all the fullness is in Christ. Peace from God
our Father. Where's peace come from? Christ
made peace out of the blood of His cross. Why don't we have
more peace? We're not looking down. From the Lord Jesus Christ, our
God, our Father, blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus
Christ, who has blessed us with all spiritual blessing, In heavenly
places or things, they're in Christ. And here's the first
thing, electing grace according as He has chosen us in Him before
the foundation of the world. Electing grace. I never tire
of hearing it. Never. If you think you're an ugly bride,
you're going to be thankful for electing grace. Because that's
the ones He chooses. Chosen before the foundation
of the world. Spurgeon, you remember, he said,
I know that God chose me because I sure didn't choose him. And
he said, if he hadn't chosen me before I was born, he sure
wouldn't have chosen me after. So I believe and I love the sovereign
electing grace of God. That we should be holy and without
blame before Him in love, having predestinated us unto the adoption
of children. Predestinating grace. Some people
hate the sound of the word. I say, preach it loud. Predestination. That means your destiny is predetermined. Predestinating grace. He said
even the hairs of our head are all numbered, all ordered. He
said, so in patience possess your soul because God possesses
you and everything about you. It's all predetermined. It's
all good according to His good pleasure. It's by Jesus Christ
to Himself, to the praise of the glory of His grace. This
is how it should all be. God's glory and we be with Him in glory.
And verse 6 says, He's made us accepted in the blood, accepting
grace. Oh, my brothers and sisters,
God, He accepts every single person, no matter how bad. that comes to him by Jesus Christ,
that comes pleading Jesus Christ. Every, would you listen to me?
Every single person that comes to God pleading Jesus Christ,
mercy and grace through Jesus Christ, God accepts. No questions asked. No conditions. Accepted. Now it says John. That's why that's on our side
out there. We're accepted in the beloved. And that makes us
beloved. In whom we have redemption, redeeming
grace, forgiveness of sin. Forgiveness. It's a gift, isn't
it? Not a right. We don't earn it. It's up to the one that's been
offended. And God says, I forgive you for Christ's sake. Of what?
Surely He won't forgive me of this. He said, all manner of
sin shall be forgiven. Didn't he? Oh, but what? He knows. Forgive me, for Christ's
sake. Forgive him. Forgotten. That's the riches of his grace.
Wherein He abounded us in wisdom, this is superabounding grace,
made known unto us the mystery of His will, that's revealing
grace, according to His good pleasure and purpose, and dispensation
of the fullness of time, gathered together in what? Gathering grace.
Why are you here this morning? Why are you here? God brought
you. Do you like being here? Is this where you want to be?
Do you like what you're hearing? Why? Gather in grace. My sheep here, my boys, they
want to hear one thing. Gather together around Christ.
The world doesn't. Other things. Other things, not
God's people. Gather together in one, all things
in Christ. Is Christ all to you, John? Is
Christ all to you, Margaret, Elizabeth? Is Jesus Christ all
to you? All your hope? You're His people gathered together. That's the way it is in heaven
and even on earth. In verse 11, I'll close, it says,
we've obtained an inheritance. Obtained. Have? But Paul, I'm
not there yet. He is. But I might lose it. He won't. But what do I got to do? Believe.
What if I don't believe? Hear about His people. But I
might deny him, probably will. What's going to happen to me?
What happened to Christ? He's crucified, married, risen
again. And Ephesians 2, I really wanted
to go over there, Ron, and tell you something about how you were
this but God through Christ, for it's by grace you're saved.
And in the ages to come, you know what he's going to do? He's
going to show us. the exceeding riches of His grace and His kindness
toward us through the Lord Jesus Christ. And if you like being
here now, just wait until you get there then. Oh, we're going
to be like Sheba, the half was not told me. Thy fame exceedeth. Thy wisdom exceedeth. I think
I'm going to preach Wednesday night on exceeding. One word. Exceeding. Come back. It gets better.