If you would Look in your bibles
at Acts chapter 5 Acts chapter 5 I want to read
verses 17 to 21 And we'll probably go beyond that Just a bit Acts chapter 5 beginning in verse
17. 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. And when they heard that, they
entered into the temple early in the morning and taught. But the high priest came, and
they that were with him, and called the council together,
and all the senate of the children of Israel, and sent to the prison
to have them brought." I'm going to stop right there for right
now, mainly because of time. Now, I did preach this on the
radio this morning, but I recorded it like three weeks ago. That's
my excuse. Well, I did that thing on the
radio and it stuck in my head and it stayed in my head and
I had some more stuff to write down and I did and that's what's
here today. So it will be the same but there
will be more. These are some of the acts of
the apostles. They were recorded were told
by Luke. Now, to be specific, the acts
of the apostles were just that, the acts of the apostles. There
are many things, many things, that the apostles did that we,
as believers, cannot do. There is such a thing as apostolic
power. We're not apostles. There are
no more apostles. There are people who claim that
title, but they're liars. That's just the facts. For example,
I do not have visions. I cannot heal others. I cannot
even heal myself. Christ came. And Christ did give
apostolic power to these apostles. They did wondrous things in the
establishment of the church. But with the passing of the apostles
also went the passing of the apostolic power. But, that being said, There are
things that the apostles did that we can do. And this is one
of them right here. This is one of them right here.
Now they were first thrown in prison for performing miracles,
but not only that, for preaching the gospel of Christ. The religious world is not against
miracles not against signs not against wonders but they are
against with indignation the preaching of our Lord Jesus Christ now these are the words of the
angel of the Lord which came and delivered these men from
prison and he says this to them Go stand and speak in the temple
to the people all the words of this life. The first word is go. Believers are not to stand still. Now, there was a time. As Moses
told the Israelites at the Red Sea, stand still and see the
salvation of the Lord. But they ain't still there. OK? After that, he said, go forth. Believers are not to stand still. We are to move. And this is very
key. It does not give you any direction
here. But we are to go ahead. We are to go forth. Why? Because the direction of Christ
is always forward and never backwards. We are to remember the pit from
which we are digged, but we're not supposed to go back and visit. Those people, those Israelites,
once they left Egypt, They never went back not as a people That's
deliverance and once delivered the people never go back We are to go for Sometimes we
don't That's our fault We are to go forth. That's the instructions
here. This is the instructions of the angels of the Lord these
are the instructions of our Lord Jesus Christ And why is the believer to go
forth well? Every believer has a place to
be I Don't know where it is. I know
where my place is and my place is right here Because it can be anywhere. Because
where is the place of believers to be is where he sends you. Sometimes it's right where you
are. Walter, and sometimes it was Mabscot, West Virginia. Sometimes it was in the Gent
firehouse. And now it's on a hillside behind
a couple of magnificent oaks in a place called Crow, West
Virginia. We are to go forward. Individually
and as an assembly, we are to go forward. God has a place for
every believer. And we are to gather together,
we are to assemble. We are not to stand still. Now
that being said, the next word he tells them is stand. I know it sounds a little funny.
Go and stand. I just said we're to go. And that is true. And when you
get to the place you are supposed to be, you are to stand. What does it say? Ephesians 6
and verse 13 says this, wherefore, take unto you the whole armor
of God that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and
having done all, to stand. To stand. To stand. We are to go, and we are to stand. But he doesn't stop there either.
The next word is and speak. Speak. Speak. There's a purpose
for our going and our standing. There is a purpose for our going
and our standing in the whole armor of God. In the whole armor of God, there
is one weapon That is both offensive and defensive. All the other
parts of the whole armor of God are defensive. The breastplate
of righteousness, everything else is armor. But there is one
weapon that is defensive, but it is also offensive. It's called
the sword of the spirit. You don't have to speculate about
it, he tells you. It's the word of God. Go, stand, and speak
the Word of God. It's the sword of the Spirit.
It can parry a blow. A sword can be used defensively
when someone is attacking you. You have the shield of faith,
but you also have the sword which can parry. But it is only, the
only offensive weapon we have is the Word of God. We are to speak. We are to speak. This is the way that God has
chosen to reveal himself to men. He could have done it any way
he wanted to. He could just like, poof, and put it right in your
hand. He could appear to you on the Damascus road. But he
has chosen to send men, sinners, to speak to men Other sinners, but His Word,
His Gospel, His Truth. That's the way that God has chosen. And this is the way everyone
here has had the Gospel Christ revealed to them in His Gospel. By His Spirit, but through His
Word. The words that he speaks, which
are the words that we are to speak, our spirit and our life. And we are to speak his words. Go, stand, and speak. The next section, I'm going to
skip over in the temple all the people for now. But we're, all
the words. of this life. All the words. Now let me be very clear. This
is not your words. This is not the words of the
world. Not the words of mathematics,
of science, of biology, of evolution. Not the words of the country
or the city. These are the words of Christ. all the words. And I'll also
say it this way, not part of the words. He's very clear here. This is the message, this is
the angel of the Lord bringing a message from the Lord to these
apostles, all the words. We are surrounded by people who
just want part of the word. You know the greatest lies in
this world even religiously, have a little piece of truth
in them. I've come up with a name for
this, Walter. I'm going to start calling it chicken theology.
Well, a couple of years ago, in between services, Walter and
I were out there on that porch there. And we were talking. And while we were talking, I
was watching the chickens over here in the coop. If you all
don't know, we are in the country here. There was a pan they had
put out, a pan of corn. And the chickens were eating
at it. Then all of a sudden, one of the chickens jumped right
in that pan. It was a big, flat pan. And that chicken started
scratching and spitting. The corn was right there. All
of the corn was right there. And that chicken kept going until
there was like one kernel left. And then it reached down and
it ate it. That's the way people treat this
book. chicken theology I've been waiting
to use that metaphor an illustration I have two years We are to go to stand and to
speak all the words not just the parts we like now very careful,
you don't also you don't get to pick a part the message and You are to preach all the words. Not the nicest words, not the
harshest words. All the words. His words are
spirit and they are life to every believer. I'm going to qualify
that. His words are death. Those who
don't believe to those that are condemned already They won't
have it. They'll be like a chicken out
there They'll pick one little pieces. Oh, I like this one This is speaking of the message
of God in the scriptures and these apostles were eyewitnesses
See we don't have apostolic power, but there is the apostolic doctrine
right now There is the apostolic teaching. There is the apostolic
preaching. And that we are to go, to stand,
and to speak all the words, all the words. In Acts 20, Paul told
these Ephesian elders, I kept nothing back profitable to you. In verse 27, he says, for I have
not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God. I'll tell you something. That's
whether you like it or whether you don't like it. Because there
are some things, Peter wrote it, that Paul spoke that were
hard to understand. And that some rest to their own,
what, destruction. All the words. You understand,
Christ not only said, suffer the little children to come unto
me. Let them come here, you know. Little Jesus, meek in mouth,
that's the way they preach it. But they don't want to talk about
the Jesus that preached and told them that no man can come to
me except the Father has sent me draws them. No man can come
to me unless it be given to them. my father and 5,000 people walked
away back They go, but they go backwards all the words are to be spoken
and it says of this life and I look in the Greek that word
this is there Mason and We're talking about this life that
angel of the Lord is talking about this life. Not your old
life This life these men were in prison for preaching the truth
of God They were believers. This is the life you are to preach
This is what you are to go and to stand and to speak all the
words of this life Not your old life Why? Because your old life is
not the message. Now, if you want to, you can
use parts of your old life for examples and illustrations of
what not to do. And what not to be. Because we
were all there. And I did say, remember the pit
from which you are digging. Don't go visit. Don't hang around. Don't lean over and see how close
you can get to that old life. Remember it, but move on. Examples and illustrations are
OK. But again, that's not the message. This life of having been delivered
from prison spiritually, figuratively, and here, literally This is the
life you're supposed to be talking about This is the life of God that
we are to go and to stand and to speak John 5 and 21 talks about as
the father quickens he makes alive Whom he will They like
the part around us. They like the part where it says
God makes alive. But that whom he wills, they
got to talk about. Well, I'll talk about it. It's whom he wills.
Our God's in the heaven. He hath done whatsoever he hath
pleased. Now there are those that will try to explain this
away and say, well, he willed to choose and to make alive everyone
that chose him. No. No. No, because the same one
who wrote those words also, who said those words, John wrote
them, Christ said them. The same one who said those words
also said these words, you didn't choose me, I chose you. That's the words of this life.
You didn't choose me, I chose you. This is the life of God we're
talking about. And it's eternal. Even so, the Son quickens whom
He will. Y'all talk like Jesus is God.
I hope so. I hope so. How does this life
come? It starts with God. It starts
with God. The religion all around us starts
with man. This religion starts with God. Well, let me look at it just
real quick. I can't go without reading this. John chapter 1. Let's see. John chapter 1 verse 11. He came unto his own, and his
own received him not. But as many as received him,
to them gave he power to become the sons of God. That's this
life. That's this life. Even to them
that what? Believe on his name. See, you know what it says. You
believe and you become a sinner. No, well just keep reading. Which
were born. This life is a new life. This life is not the old life. This life gives a new nature.
You still got the old nature, but it does give a new nature.
Which were, and how is it done? They're born. Now, that metaphor,
that illustration, that word used, implies there's a father
somewhere. Which were born, not of blood,
Nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man what were
they born but of God That's where this life starts
this life starts with God It started with God before the foundation
of the world what when he chose us You didn't choose me. I chose
you went before the foundation of the world Guess what that's
part of all the words of this life. I That's part of the counsel of
God. We've got it written that Paul
wrote to the Ephesians. That's where it's written down. Well, we can't preach that. I
believe it. I know it's in the scripture,
but I can't preach that. It'll split the church. No, it
won't. It may split your assembly. But
you ain't splitting Jesus' church nowhere. know how, you can't
do it. And there's no call to keep your
people willingly ignorant of all the words of this life. The apostles didn't do it. And
we are not to do it. Because sometimes I think they're
more worried about their paycheck than they are about the truth
of God anyway. That's how this life comes. John chapter 17 says that Christ
prayed to God. Jesus prayed, Thou hast given
me power over all flesh. Why? For what purpose? To give life. to as many as thou hast given
him." To give life. John 17 goes on and says, I pray
for them. I don't pray for the world. Those
are the words of the Son of God. And those are the words of this
life. He didn't pray for the world. This life is the life of Christ. He is our life. And it says in the temple to
the people, real quick, there is a field for every sower to sow in. You look at those,
and you'll find them in Matthew, Mark, and Luke. You'll look at
all of them. It'll say some variation of this. A sower went forth to
sow. Now, I don't know how you do
it with machinery nowadays, but in the old days, you didn't sow
sitting down, Mason. You had to stand. You had to
stand. And you went forth in the field,
and you sowed seed. But you had a field to sow in. And he tells these apostles here
to go in the temple and speak to the people. Paul went down
by the river. Why? Because that's where prayer
was wont to be made. Now I broke this down by words,
but now I want to speak to it all put together. Go, stand,
and speak all the words of this life. Because the reason I want
to do it this way, I need to, is because this, go, stand, and
speak, all the words of this life, is one act. It's got parts, but this is one
command. It's not just go and stand. That
ain't of much value. And it's not to stand and speak
if you don't go. And it's not to go and speak if you won't
stand. You've got to have all three in order to fulfill this
command. And it's tough some days. It's
tough. But that's what I'm here for.
And that's what Walter's here for. Because the direct context
of this verse is for those who proclaim the gospel of God. That's the direct context. This
is what we are to do at this place, standing behind this desk. Go stand and speak, therefore,
all the words of this life. Now, I'm not going to let anybody
else off the hook, though. If you look at Acts chapter 8
for just a moment, This is after the death of Stephen.
Chapter 8, verse 1 says, And Saul was consenting unto his
death. And at that time there was a great persecution against
the church which was at Jerusalem. And they were all scattered abroad
throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria except the apostles. Except the apostles. And devout
men carried Stephen to his burial and made great lamentation over
him. As for Saul, who became the Apostle Paul, who was there
at the death and was consenting to the death of Stephen. He made
havoc of the church, entering into every house, hailing men
and women, committed them to prison. Therefore, they that
were scattered abroad," what? Went. Everywhere. Preaching the word. That ain't
preachers. It might have been some of them,
too, but this is the people. Now, if you read verse 5, it
says, then Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached
Christ unto them. OK? Now, those two words, one's
preaching, one's preached, they are different words. But it's
the same message. It's the same message. It's the
same words. It is. It says the people, it
says, announced the word. Some people have interpreted
it gossiped. They talked about Christ. The people that were
scattered still talked about Christ. Now Philip, it says,
heralded. He announced it. He was preaching.
But guess what? Everybody's supposed to do this. Nobody's off the hook. All of us are to go, stand, and
speak all the words of this life. Remember the words of Christ.
This is Mark 16 verse 15. And he said unto them, go ye
into all the world and preach the gospel but to every creature. That sounds like Go stand and
speak all the words of this life It is it is and it is for every
single one of us Now let me be very clear here,
and I waited till this point to say this You don't have to wait Until
you know all the words of this life before you speak Because
you ain't never gonna know all the words of this life. I'm not
supposed to use the word ain't You're not You don't have to
wait You are to speak all the words of this life that you know
I When I met that man over there 30 some years ago, 32, 33 years
ago, we were both very young. He had more hair. I had longer hair. I don't know. I do remember stating this, and
this is what I told Deborah, my wife, and most everybody. All I knew at that time is, If
God does for you what He had done for me, you would be saved. Because God saved me. I did not
save myself. I knew some scriptures and I
tried them the best I can. But you know, I had never heard
the word regeneration until we met Earl Cochran. And I believe
regeneration with all my heart. Because what that is, regeneration
is life from God. God speaks to you when you're
polluted in your own blood, when you're dead, and you live. Because the light of the word,
he said, I said unto thee, live. And guess what? When God says
unto you, live, you're going to live, whether you want to
or not. With loving kindness have I drawn
thee. I've loved thee with an everlasting
love. It's a drawing. Mason, I fought. I struggled.
I disagreed with the scriptures for a minute or two. And not
until I read it again. And there it was. And then he
said it again in John chapter 6. That except the Father which
has sent me draw him. Man, that hit me hard. I didn't
like that. Not at first. He said it. Those words are true. And those words were there for
me to fight against, to kick against the prick sometimes. But to whom shall I go? He has
the words of eternal life. And then I read that at the end
of that chapter. And that blessed my soul so much,
Mason. I mean, that made me so happy. Because I'd already come
to that realization before I read that Peter said it. That's this life. That's this
life. God can change your minds. You better hope He does. You don't have to wait until
you know all the words. You just gotta say what you know. Now don't leave anything out.
You are to speak what you have learned of Christ. Some know
more, some know less. You speak what you've been taught.
From the scriptures. Because we are to speak who we
know. Who we know. Now, I'm going to skip over the funny
part. I was like, well, you know, it
is funny. Go stand and speak in the temple
to the people all the words of this life. Well, let me put one
thing right here. And when they heard this, what? They went to the temple. When
they were told this, they went. obey. I know a lot of people don't like
that word, but we are to obey God. We are to obey Christ. We are to obey this word. The funny part comes in when
the high priest came and they called together everybody and
they sent to the prison to have them brought. The high priest
was somewhere and the disciples were in the temple. Teaching
I don't know if I said it. I think I said this on the radio
He sent to the prison to get to the men that were in the temple
preaching If you don't know Christ I can
tell you this for certain there are things going on that you
don't know And they sent for me said that
the place is locked up the guards are there the bars were shut
the doors were locked and But we opened them up, and the men
weren't there. But they're in the temple. Why? Because they
were told to go, to stand, and to speak all the words of this
life in the temple to the people. And that's what they were doing. Then Peter and the other apostles
answered and said, they brought the disciples to him. Without
violence, because they feared the people. He said, we ought
to obey God rather than men. The God of our fathers, what? All the words of this life right
here. You can see it in Peter's words. They start with God. The
God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged
on a tree. Him hath God exalted with his
right hand to be a prince and a savior. for to give repentance
to Israel and forgiveness of sin. God has highly exalted him. Now the accusation of these priests
in verse 28 says that, do we not straightly command you you
shouldn't teach in this name? And behold, you fill Jerusalem
with your doctrine and intend to bring this man's blood upon
us. Peter answered him, this man's
blood is upon you. The God of our fathers raised
up Jesus, whom ye slew, and hanged on a tree. The blood of Christ
is on all our hands. But God has highly exalted him. Literally, that word means elevated
him. With his right hand, the hand
of power, the hand of might, and the hand of authority, what?
To be a prince and a savior. Notice very carefully the order
there. Prince and Savior. He is both Lord and Christ. that word prince translates literally chief leader but here's
one I like author the author he is the author and the finisher
of faith he is the author and finisher of salvation he is chief
God has highly exalted him, set him on his right hand. I don't
remember where my right hand was. And when they heard that, the high priests and these Jewish
leaders, they were cut to the heart. All the words of this life can
cut right to the heart. And it will cut right to the
heart of religious people. Now, Peter just said it, for
to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins. Did
these fellows repent? No, not even close. When they heard that they were
cut to the heart and took counsel to slay them. Here's the difference between
heroes. Believers will say amen and unbelievers
will say you need to be dead. Now we all used to be in that
one category. But now, this life is in the
other category. We believe God. We believe His gospel. We believe
Him. And we believe when His word
is preached, it has an effect. Positive or negative, but there's
an effect. What is the old saying? Even
if you make no decision, you've made a decision. That's what
it is. I used to be indifferent to the
gospel. I was not religious at all. Now, I will admit that religious
people did annoy me. This is one of those illustrations
of the old life. They annoyed me. But it went
in one ear and out the other. It wouldn't have mattered, Walter,
if you had told me God did everything on purpose, or God did everything
by accident. I didn't want to hear anything
about God. But this is the way religious people react. We've
seen it more than once. They'll be cut to the heart,
and they'll want you dead. Before, they were already filled
with indignation. Now they're cut to the heart,
and they want you dead. In a couple of chapters, they're
going to stone Stephen to death. What are we to do? What's the
conclusion? Go, stand, and speak all the
words of this life. The apostolic message, the apostolic
doctrine is for all believers to hear and to speak. There is only one gospel. And that is what we are to go,
to stand, and to speak. Our Heavenly Father, we're thankful
again for this time, this place, I'm thankful for you, God, who chose to save and chose
us in Christ before the foundation of the world and bringing us
into Christ now in this world. Thank you for this blessing,
this love, this opportunity. In Jesus' name we pray, amen.