Thank you. Go back with me now
to Acts chapter 5. Acts chapter 5. Read verses 19 and 20 with me. The apostles were put in prison,
but the angel of the Lord, by night, opened the prison door
and brought them forth and said, Go, stand, and speak in the temple
to the people all the words of this life. Now, there is a wonderful message
found here in verse 20, and that is the text and the most of our
message this morning. But before we get to that, I
want us to look at this whole story. The whole story is a wonderful
story. The story of the Lord's sovereign,
saving power, keeping power. watching over and protecting
these apostles, bringing them out of prison, giving them strong
faith and courage and boldness to preach. It's also a story
within a story within a story. It's also a beautiful picture
of salvation, how the Lord brings His captives out of prison and
gives them the same faith. Now look at verse seventeen it
says the high priest the religious leader high priest who was an
imposter. He was an imposter he hated the
great high priest didn't Christ and all the those that were with
him sect of the Sadducee says they were filled with indignation. After the apostle preached what
did they bring. They preach Christ didn't they?
Christ is all they preach. They preach that Christ is all
to the people. They preach this glorious liberty
to the sons of God that's in Christ, free from the law. Christ is all the salvation of
all of God's people. He's the high priest. He's the
mediator. He's the sacrifier. Don't need
all of these things anymore. The high priest and those who
made their living at these things they were indignant, it says.
So they were filled with indignation. They were filled with indignation. They were offended by this. High
priest and those who were offended, it says they were indignant.
It also, if you looked at the word there in the margin, it
said envious, didn't it? Filled with envy. Well. The gospel truth of things man. It offends man gospel of God's
sovereign mercy. That God Almighty must show mercy
that man is guilty that offends man's sense of goodness of worth. Now, all have sinned and come
short of the glories of the Lord's mercy that we're not concerned.
That offends a self-righteous man's sense of worth. I don't
need mercy. I'm not that bad. It doesn't
offend the chief of sinners, but it does the Pharisee, the
gospel of God's sovereign grace that salvation is a gift. It's
in the Lord's hands to give completely up to him. Sovereign grace that
offends man's work that. Well I've done all this and I've
done that and I've worked and it doesn't account for anything
it won't it won't. Merit me anything God it just
doesn't mean anything I've done I've been religious all my life
I've worked real hard I'm not accepted by these things no you're
not not not one way. Back to counts against you if
you if you're trusting that offends man he's indignant by that. And the gospel of God's revelation
that this thing he can't figure it out you can't work it out
you can't earn it you can't. You're not. indoctrinated into
the kingdom of God, you don't buy your wisdom, find these things
out that God must reveal it to you. And he hides it from the
wise and prudent and reveals it under babe. That the poor
little child. Is given salvation the same way
as the seminary professor. Oh, that offends man's wisdom,
doesn't it? That offends, but those who know they are nothing,
know nothing, can do nothing. that by the grace of God they
are what they are no what they are no that doesn't offend him
and it says there were indignant or envious. What were they envious
of? When you're envious you hate someone else getting what you
think you deserve. That's envious. And what were
they envious of? Christ's glory. Christ gets all
the glory in this gospel doesn't he? For those who are in it,
our Lord said this over the Gospel of John. He said, how can you
believe which seek honor one of another? How can you? He said, let a man come in his
own name and him you will receive or come in your own and but those
that are in it for God's glory. Those who truly glorify God and
love God's honor and God's glory and Christ's honor and Christ's
glory, they're not envious. They dare not take any glory.
They want him to have it all. They dare not share his glory. Well, in this story, these Pharisees
hated the truth. And here God's people, God's
elect, were in prison, verse 18. They were in prison, it says
in verse 18, the authorities laid hands on the apostles and
put them in the common prison. These disciples were in captivity
and they were put in a common prison with all the rest of these
common criminals, weren't they? A bunch of murderers and thieves
and debtors in debtor's prison. And here these fellows were in
the same prison as all these other common criminals. That's
a good picture, isn't it? What, brethren, are we better
than they, Paul said? Paul was talking to his Jewish
brethren. He talked about the Gentiles and all their filth
in Genesis, Romans 1. He said in chapter 2, are we
better than they? In no wise. God has before proved
that you're all And until the Lord comes to where
we are and sets us, we're just a bunch of common criminals,
aren't we? No better. No matter what our
mothers may think of us, we're born just common. Not one whit
better than anybody. And scripture says that we're
captives in bondage. Under the law. Under sin. Under the world. Under self.
Under Satan. Held captive, Scripture says,
by him at his will. Common sinners. Criminals. Enemies of God. But God. But God. This is salvation. But
God. And you, who were sometime aliens
and enemies by your own evil works. happy, but God who's rich
in mercy. Came to that prison. God in sovereign
electing love and mercy and grace purpose to deliver his people
who are called prisoners of hope in Isaiah, prisoners of hope.
And like these apostles, verse 19, it says the angel of the
Lord by night. Open the prison door and brought
them forth. By night. See, we were in darkness,
even as others. But the angel of the Lord, who's
that? That's the Holy Spirit Himself, through the preaching
of the gospel, sends Him where we are, in darkness, to bring
us out of darkness into His marvelous light, from death to life. He leads captivity captive. The gospel comes proclaiming
liberty to the captives, the opening of the prison to them
that are bound. And here's the good news of the
gospel. Say unto them, Her iniquities
pardoned. Free to go? Yes. Sins have been
paid. Laws been satisfied. The debt
has been canceled because it's all been paid. Through him that loved us and
the mighty cry of the gospel comes, turn him loose. The ransom's
been paid. And that ransom is the Lord Jesus
Christ. And in verse 20, he says, go,
here's the here's the tidings or here's the message to these
freed captives. Go stand, speak in the temple
to the people, all the words of this life. Go and you witness,
you go tell what great things the Lord has done for you. You
go be a witness of this so great salvation that you once were
lost and now you're found. Once we're blind, but now you
see. Once we're dead and now you live. half. Why? Who? The Lord. Salvation is in
the Lord. And so straightway, it says,
verse 21, immediately, early in the morning, they ran to the
temple. They entered the temple. And
what did they begin to do? They began to speak these wonderful
words of life. Peter said over in Acts 2, he
said, We can't help but speak the things we've said. How the
abundance of the heart, the mouth speaketh. When you hear a man
talk, you ask him about his salvation. The first thing that pops out
of his mouth is what's on his heart. It's what's in his heart.
And that's what he'll say. The Lord saved me. If you ask
these fellows, how'd you get out of prison? Well, we decided
to let the Lord. Oh, the Lord sent his angel of
mercy to us and sprung us. Brought us out. How'd you are
you saved? I believe so. How? Why? The Lord
had mercy upon my soul. The Lord in sovereign electing
grace chose me, came to me, called me, gave me to Christ, who was
my substitute, sent the Holy Spirit to teach me, lead me,
guide me, convict me. Am I saved? Is there a man at
the right hand of glory? Is there a mediator percent or
is there a substitute is the blood before the mercy see is
salvation of the Lord. Yes it is. Well then I'm playing. Yeah we can't help but speak
the thing boldly proclaiming the truth and down in verse twenty
nine look at the old Peter said and the other apostles sound
like they all said this in unison that they did. One of them spoke,
Peter was the spokesman, but they all felt just like him.
They all believed the same thing. They all had the same faith,
one Lord, one faith, one hope of their calling, one deliverance,
didn't they? Peter said, we, after they were
threatened, he said, we ought to obey God rather than man.
We ought to obey God rather than man. And what about you? Everything
I've said thus far, I'm the spokesman here. Do you concur? Do you agree? Is this your salvation? Do you
say this is the truth? This is the gospel. There is
no other. Do you say with old Martin Luther
of old, herein I stand. I can do no other. I can hear
no other. I can tolerate no other. There is no other salvation.
Do you say with old Hosea or Ephraim over in Hosea when Ephraim
said, What have we to do anymore without. We've heard observed
him we've heard what your salvation you say with all of the sites
Christ is all and all are. Well that's the story. OK here's
the message. That's what that's like. And
that is a good story wonderful story within the story but here's
the message that the aims of the Lord gave to the apostle.
I give it to me and to you this morning in verse twenty go back
there with this is what really caught my attention. And this
is where I want to dwell the rest of the time. The angel of
the Lord came to these men who were set free and he says go
Stand and speak in the temple to the people all the words of
this life. That gets your attention. All
the words of this life. Go, stand, speak, go. Didn't
the Lord tell his preachers and you? Go into all the world. Go. I send you forth, he said. Go into all the world and preach
the gospel. Here, he said, go and stand in
the temple. Here I stand this morning. You
know, I'm doing exactly what Ezra the scribe did in that day
when they first rebuilt the temple. They put up a pulpit. This is
biblical. This is not man-made. There are many, many man-made
traditions. But this is not one. You see
this pulpit of wood where this man stands up and has opened
this Bible in front of you? This has been going on for a
thousand, two thousand, three thousand years. It says, Ezra
the scribe stood up in a pulpit of wood that was made for that
purpose. This is the only reason it's
not made to see the man. It's not made as a pedestal to
put him up on, but merely a place where the word of God sounds
forth so that everybody may say, hey, he's got his back. He's
speaking from the Bible. And so that everyone may hear,
hear ye, hear you. That's what this pulpit is all
about. Go, he said, stand in the temple. Hear what the word of God say
it to the. Churches who's going to hear
this. Who's going to hear this? It
says in the last days, you'll turn away their ears from the
truth unto fables, not God's people, the hearing ear and seeing
eyes of the Lord. And it says, go and stand in
the temple, hear what the spirit of God say it to the churches.
That's who's going to hear. This was a lesson to me, not
to preach to those who aren't there. I need to know this, and I'll
need to know it in the future. Don't preach to those that aren't
there. He said, go and stand in the temple and speak to the
people. What people? The ones I bring. Go stand in the temple. Who's
going to be there? All that the Father giveth me,
Christ said, shall come unto me. I'll say to the north, give
up to the south, bring my sons from afar, from the east, from
the west. I'll bring my sons and my daughter.
He said, my sheep will hear my voice. I'll bring them. It's
not up to you to bring them. I'll bring them. And I'll sit them down, clothe
them in their right mind. You just open the Bible and you
speak. Don't entertain, don't dance,
don't speak. What, Lord, what shall we speak?
All the words of this life. You go speak all the words of
this life, all the words, keep back nothing. Don't you dare
hold back anything. Don't you dare shun to declare
the whole counsel of God, like Paul said. I've kept back nothing.
He said, my hands are free from the I've declared the word of
God, you all the words he said of this life. What life? Well, he sure didn't
tell him to stand up and give a nice little sermon on the social
on on the sociology. Or how to be a success in life,
and so that What life is he talking about? All the words of this
life. Would you go with me to 1 John
chapter 5. 1 John chapter 5. All the words of this life. What is this life? He's talking
about. How do you get it? How do you
get this life? How do you know if you have it?
How do you know? Are you with me? What is this life? How do we get it? And if we have
it, can you have it and not know it? How do you know if you have
it? Interested? What is this life? Well, he's talking about eternal
life, true life, spiritual life. Our Lord Jesus Christ, over in
John 6, he said, my words are spirit. My words are life. Life, life, spiritual life. The life of God, this life, this
is the life we're talking about. Life, our Lord called it life
more abundant. You know, we live here and we
enjoy some of these things, but is this all there is? No, no,
far from it. We're talking, this is life more
abundant. This is life without end. This
is life It's in its fullest, truest expression. This is life.
He that hath not this life, hath not life. This life. This is
life more abundant. This is life everlasting. It
doesn't end. This life. If it's life, it can't
end, can it? This life. Not talking about
physical life. God gives, Paul preached over
at Mars Hill to all the people, everyone. He said, God giveth
to all life and breath, yes, God giveth to all life and breath,
physical life. But now this life, look at John,
1 John 5, 1 John, it says in verse 11, this is the record,
this is what is written, this is what God hath written, that
God hath given to us eternal life, and this life, is in his son, this life. This is what we're talking about,
this life. This is what God's people are
interested in, this life, this eternal life. This life is in
his son. John wrote in his gospel, he
said, in him was life, and the life was the light of man in
Jesus Christ. He wrote, he said, in the same
epistles, he said, our hands have handled of the word of life. life. Go with me over to John eleven
John Gospel of John chapter eleven over there you know this story
well John chapter eleven and there are other stories just
like it but in the story of the woman at the well over in John
chapter four. You remember that woman at the
whale well she was religious but she was. She was dead. He didn't know God you didn't
know. And the law in that story he
didn't know Christ who is why he didn't have the. He had a
lot. Until Christ, he said, I am come
that they might have life. Until Christ, who came to who?
Our Lord came to where she was. He had her waiting. Who brought
her? He did. At that exact time, at that very
hour to hear his voice, and after she spoke to him and had many
questions and so forth, finally the Lord revealed himself to
her. She said, but, but, but, but
she said, I'm crying. Now she has life. It's like her
eyes have been opened. Her ears have been opened. Her
heart has been opened. And it says she dropped her water
pot then. That was her life, her life every
day consisted of getting water, getting water, getting water.
The Lord kept telling, told her that anyone who drinks of this
water will thirst again. But he that drinketh of the water
that I shall give unto him shall never thirst again. The water
of life. Well, once she met Christ, he
had the son, half-life. Once she met Christ, she dropped
her water bottle. She didn't need a cistern anymore. It is now a broken cistern. She
didn't need that well. She didn't even take a drink.
She came to get that water. She forgot all about it. Now
she has within her, Christ said, a well springing up of life. What's that? Christ is in her
now. The hope will flow. And what
did she do? She ran and told all, come see a man. Come see
life. He that son hath life. She's a different, a new creature
created in Christ Jesus. She has life. That story of, well, right here,
John chapter 11. John chapter 11. You know this
story. Mary and Martha, their brother,
has died according to the Lord's will. The Lord said, I kill,
I make alive. He said, this sickness is not
of death. But he died. Oh, no, no, no, no, no, he didn't. No, he didn't. The Lord stopped
his breathing. Well, look at this. In chapter 11, verse 21, Martha
came running to the Lord when he came to the funeral, and she
said, Lord, if you'd been here, my brother had not died. I know, she said, I know that
even now whatsoever you will ask of God, God will give it
unto you. Our Lord said unto her, thy brother shall rise again.
Martha said unto him, I know that he'll rise again, the resurrection
at the last day. Jesus said unto her, I am the
resurrection and the life. He that liveth, read on. He that
believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. Whosoever
liveth and believeth in me, live or dead, doesn't matter, whatever
you believe in me, shall never die. You believe this? Believest
thou this? Our Lord later on, she said,
Lord, I believe. Yes, Lord, I believe, verse twenty-seven,
that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come
into the world. That is life. She has life. She has life. He that hath the Son hath life. And our Lord later said to his
apostles, he said, I am Remember, they were all distraught about
this and that, that and the other. Show us the way, show us the
father, show us the way. We don't know the way, he said.
And as he was pitiful, full of pity to his children, as the
father pitieth his children, he understood that they're flesh.
But he in mercy, knowing their frame, he said, Ah, little children,
have I been so long? He that hath seen me, hath seen
the Father. You don't need to see anything
or anyone else. This is the Father's will, that everyone that has
seen the Son, I will make known. This is life. He said, Thomas,
I am the way. You don't need to look for another
way, Thomas. You just need to look to me. I am the way. He said, Philip, I am the God
in whom you live and move and have you I am the way I am the
truth don't you have the doctrine of Christ you don't need to look
at you don't need higher doctor. He's as high as you can get him
exalted at the right hand of the majesty on high need higher
doctrine than that. I am the truth I am the life
this life this life this life is in his either have the sun
and this line. This eternal life is in his son. You're in Christ. Christ in you. You have. How do we get. How do we get this. Well we don't generally ask that
question about physical life to. And it pretty much understood
that our parents gave us life. You don't ever walk around thinking
how did I get here. You know how you. Only an utter
fool. Would ask that question. Those that are in Christ look
at our text well first John first John five we read that it says
in verse eleven this is the record that God have given to us. Eternal life. God has given he's
the author of life he gives life God who gave physical life must
give this spiritual life salvations of love and you have he quickened
who were dead. God sends his word, his incorruptible
seed, just like a father, into you and plants his spring forth
life in his due time, in good time, in his due time, in the
fullness of his time. When he plants that seed and
waters it and it is conceived, that's when life begins. Can
a person have life and not know it? Well, let me ask you this. When
were you aware that you were alive physically? As soon as you were born, did
you have full assurance of life? It took a little while, didn't
it? You gave every evidence to everyone else that you were alive,
didn't you? But there did come a time, John,
there did come a time when all of a sudden, you know, you see
darkly and dimly and all of a sudden, Hey, see your father, your mother,
and see yourself, don't you? You're alive before you know
it. This is for the comfort of those that may not know. Well, how do we get this life?
God sends his word, Christ said, I give unto them eternal life.
Talking about the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, this life.
God sends his word, the word of God, incorruptible seed, through
the preacher of the gospel. Christ said, I give unto them
eternal life. As the father quickeneth whom
he will, even so the son quickeneth whom he will. He said, my sheep
will hear my voice, not just a sermon. He said, the word of
God is quick. That means alive. Why? It's his voice. Only when he
speaks to you through his word and you feel like, God has spoken
to me. Wasn't it that way? And even
now, we'll only be blessed when we feel like, that spoke to me,
the Lord spoke to me today. But there was a time when you
first heard the word as if you were the only person in that
congregation. You thought, he's talking to me. Who is? My sheep shall hear my voice.
The sun quickeneth whom he will. And the Holy Spirit come. The
Holy Spirit. Everyone is born of the Spirit.
The Spirit blows where he listens. He cannot tell the sound thereof.
He knows exactly who he's going to, when he's going. Hear this word. Born of God. Well, how do we know we have
it? And we know. Many of us even doubt later on
don't you have doubts and fear I don't know even old John Newton
wrote in his latter days he said to the point I long to know all
that causes anxious thought. Who I Lord love the Lord or no.
I don't have a problem with that because I have that I have those
doubts a lot. And he went on to answer it for.
You ever have any doubts about how do I know I'm one of the
Lord's own? How do I know? Well, look here
in verse 13 of 1 John 5. You got that? Verse 1 John 5,
verse 12. He said, He that hath the Son
hath life. He that hath not the Son of God
hath not life. These things have I written unto
you that believe on the name of the Son of God, that you may
know that you have eternal life. How do you know? Our Lord said
this in John 3, He that believeth on the Son, not might have, not
should hope that he has, but he that believeth on the Son
hath everlasting These things are written he that
believe on the name of the son of God these things are written
that you might know. Is it presumption of faith faith
on what. Do you believe on Christ? There's
a difference between believing in him. Yes, everyone believes
that a fellow named Jesus lived on this. That's not to believe
in him. Do you believe on Jesus Christ?
In other words, do you cast all your care, all your hope, all
your salvation on him? Let me give you a better illustration. The children of Israel, there
was a high priest about to make a sin atonement. And he made
the announcement, everyone that's sinful feels a guilt and shame
of their sins. If you will come, come today. I've got a goat right here. God
had said, God had promised that if you confess your sin and we
lay our hands on the head of this goat and give him to a man,
a fit man, that he's going to take He's going to take all your
sins, past, present and future. We're going to put it on the
head. God said this now. He cannot lie. We're going to
put all our sin. We're going to cast all our sin
on this goat. And this man is going to take
this goat as far as from the east to the west, this fit man,
and put it away. And it'll never be found again.
Anybody need for their sins to be gone. Believe on the name
of the Lord Jesus Christ, he that believeth on him. Have you
cast all your sins on the head of Jesus Christ, our Savior? To believe on Christ is to fall
on him. Our Lord said this rock, this
stone, he said, upon whomever it falls, it will grind and But
whoever falls on him will be broken. What happens to those
that are broken? The Lord is nigh unto them that
are broken hearted. Saveth such as be of contrite
spirit. Whoever falls on him, that woman
caught In the act of adultery that one woman who was guilty
she came in and fell at his feet and fell on his feet and poured
out her heart. She left that place completely
justified. She fell on him. She believed on him. Cast all her care. What's your
hope for your children? Their future? Is it in their
ability? Is it in your ability? Is it
in your wisdom and your teaching? What's your hope? Christ is all
of that. He's all. Same hope for your
children as your hope. Cast all your... What is it to
believe on Him? Cast all your care on Him. He's our only hope. Christ is
all our salvation. You know, Paul said this one
time. He said, he said, thanks be unto God. And this is this gives me such
comfort. I told you Sunday I fail miserably
so much of the time. I'm not failing right now. I'm
preaching Christ. I'm holding him up like that
pole, serpent on the pole. I can't make somebody look, but
he said, hold him up. I will. I will cause someone
to look. Well, this is my comfort. He
said, thanks be unto God, who always causes us to triumph,
who maketh manifest the savour of his knowledge by us in every
place. And he's a savour of life to
life. You preach Christ and he'll be
a savour of life to life. How do you know you have life?
Is this a sweet smelling savour to you? This message of Christ. How do you know you have it?
I don't know if I have life. is what you've heard so far. If you're a meat eater. And we
just preached a little while now, tell you if you're a meat
eater. Can you smell somebody barbecuing
or something on the on the grill? Oh, especially if you're hungry. Oh, that's sweet smelling. And I could be there seated eating
that one. When you hear these words of
life wafting through the air, is it a sweet smelling savor
of Christ to you? This life, you don't like, you're
dead, you don't have any sense to smell it. You're dead, you
don't have any sight. You see in him, the altogether
lovely one, all your need. You see in Christ, you see that
he's all there is, huh? You need nothing, that in everything
there is nothing at all, that he is all. Do you see that? When that old blind man, he saw
for a while, men walking, his eyes don't see clearly. When
the Lord finally opened his eyes, what did he see? It was the first
thing he saw. Christ. He's looking in the face
of Christ. He never forgot that. That's
the one. That's my salvation right there.
That's the one. Oh, words of life. Is he a sweet
smelling savor to you? Huh? He said that ours come,
and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of
God, and they that hear shall live. Huh? Have you been quickened? Have
you heard this voice, Kelly? Like no less than Lazarus of
old? Lazarus, come forth. Is he coming? He's coming. Oh,
the Father give of me shall come. Now is the dead shall hear the
voice of the son of God. Well, in closing, let me tell
you, let me give you a few things here that might. Might be good. Words of this life. OK, here's
a few words. Of this life. Words that describe
physical life, you know what you would if you described life
life on this planet, you would use these words. OK, what is
life? What is it all about? Love. Isn't
it? If you don't have anybody that
loves you and you don't love anybody else, you're not worth
living. That's what you've got to live for. I can say this with just as much
confidence as he said it this morning about every seeking sinner.
If you believe on Christ, smile. God loves you, and if God loves
you, you're loved. Oh, I know it doesn't mean anything
what those preachers tell everybody, you know, that's silly, silly
sentiment. He loves you, but no ifs, ands, and buts about
this love. If God loves you, if you're in private love, he
went on to say there, Romans 8, didn't he, Johnny? He said,
who shall separate us? anything, death, life, tribulation,
you name something. Nothing can separate me from
the love of my Heavenly Father. If I'm loved by God, I will be
loved, I will be saved, I'm kept by this Father. He will not lose
one of his children, never have, never will. And I can say that
every single person who believes on Jesus Christ, no matter what
they are, who they are, what they've done, shall do, You are
loved by God almighty. And you know then it won't much
matter who does love you or doesn't love you. Your own enemies should
be those of your own household but it gives you family. Isn't
that a word of life? Family. family. All these so-called churches
all over they build these big family life center we don't need
to build another building for family life. Family church is any other kind. What family. What kind of family
do we need we need one that where the circle won't be broken. God's children, God's people.
Christ said that one day. He said, your mother and your
brothers are out here and want to see you. Who are my brothers?
Who is my mother? Behold, my mother and my brother. We'll never be separated. Not
my family. I'm sticking closer to my brother.
Family. Do you love He said there in
verse fourteen it's a chapter three verse fourteen here we
know we've passed from death on the life because we love the
brethren do you love these people like family. How do I know I have life here's
how you might know we know we've passed from death on the life
we have this life because we love the breath who would you
rather spend time with. What about this grief in life,
this life, the world, physical life, there's grief and sorrow. Your laughter turns to tears,
your joy turns to sorrow, and then back and forth, ups and
downs, aren't there? There is in this life. It's not
happy all the time and no trouble. He said, you must through much
tribulation into the kingdom of heaven. But he said, your
joy will return. I mean, your sorrow will return
to joy. Weeping endures for the night. Oh, but he said, joy. He said, comes in the morning,
that happy golden day, Nancy. Joy, that eternal morning where
the sun has arisen. Forever. And the joy unspeakable
full of glory no more tears no more. No real joy unless there's been
some tears have what about eating and drinking is that life we
went to Williamsburg and you know what we did. We soon as
we got there we ate lunch and while we're eating lunch we're
thinking about eating dinner. I'm not kidding. And then at
night we're eating delicious one was great and we were talking
about where we're going to eat breakfast. Honestly is that about
all we did walk around enjoy the size eat and drink. We weren't
there to work we were there to rest. Eat drink life. The older you get that's about
all it consists of. Rest eating drinking. Christ said, blessed is he that
eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood. Is this meat indeed?
He said, my blood, my body is meat indeed. Oh, he said, my
blood is drink, the water. Oh, thirsty. Sounds good to me. And rest. And you're no longer
finished here. Do you think about the next one?
When can we come back? Breathing life, the breath of
life. How do you know he's alive? That
child comes out of that womb. First thing that a doctor and
a parent, everyone wants to see, wants to see him breathe. He
doesn't look alive, does he? How do you know? This is the
surest sign of all. Cry. Who's he crying to? He doesn't even know. Just crying. Crying out. To call him by his name. Broke him, humbled him, put him
in the dust. revealed himself to him. He has
life. How do we know? The Lord sent
Ananias to Paul, and here's what he said. Ananias said, he's an
enemy. He hates this gospel. I know
he does. The Lord said, nope. And he doesn't. He said, go down
there, behold, he prayeth. He's calling. Who's he calling
on? Me. He never did before. The only
time he ever used my name was to cuss me. Now he's calling
on me. He said, go. He has life. He has life. And many other words
of this life. Walking. To walk by faith. Running. To run the race. Wrestling. Hey, Jacob. Somebody ever grab hold of you?
Word ever grab hold of you? Wrestling. I will not let you
go, Tim. Wrestling. Leaping. The time
we leap, the time we sleep. Sleeping is part of it. Mercy. Does that sound good? Words of
this life. Mercy. It's all in Christ. Grace.
Does that sound good? Hand out. Free hand out. Complete
hand out. All debts paid. Does that sound
good? It's in Christ. Righteousness. Righteousness. Righteousness. Got a robe from
the naked. Whoever's naked, completely covered. Righteousness. Want to throw
that away, Bartimaeus? Stinks, doesn't it? Got one here
without seeing. Cannot be rent. Pardon, full,
free, final, eternal pardon from all. That sound good? These are
words of this life. Peace. rest and pay all the work
he said go Peter James John Paul Tom Henry go. Stand and speak all the people
who ever I bring common people keep the center doesn't matter
who the people. All the words of this. This is
not he that have some. God has given us this life, and
this life is in you, son. Is this life to you? Smell good? Old Peter, you remember, here's
a good sign. After the Lord spoke, a bunch
of fellows were mad at him, said, it's hard saying, we don't like
this, we're leaving here. OK. There's the door. Go on.
But Peter and the boys were standing right there. Lord said, will you also go away? What Peter said. To whom? Thou hast the words of life. This is life to me. This is life. You're my life. Okay. May the Lord bless that. Let's turn to hymn number 722
and stand together. We'll sing the first and second
verses. 722. Sing them over and into me, wonderful
words of life. Let me more of their beauty see,
wonderful words of life. Words of life and beauty teach
me faith and duty. Beautiful words, wonderful words,
wonderful words of life. Beautiful words, wonderful words,
wonderful words of life. Second as the last. Christ the
blessed gives to all, wonderful words of life. Centerless to the loving call,
wonderful words of life. All so freely given, to bring
us to heaven. Beautiful words, wonderful words,
wonderful words of life. Beautiful words, wonderful words,
wonderful words of life. All right. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you very much.