Acts chapter 27. We'll read verses
20 through 26, and we'll consider these verses in their context,
not only of the chapter, but the several chapters prior to
this and the last chapter of the book following after. But for right now, let's just
read verses 20 through 26. Paul is on a ship as a prisoner
going to run. A great storm has arose. They'd thrown out everything
they could get their hands on. The light in the ship didn't
make any difference. That's the picture, that's what's
taking place when we read these words, verse 20. And when neither
sun nor stars in many days appeared, and no small tempest laid on
us, All hope, all hope that we should be saved was then taken
away. But after long absences, Paul
stood forth in the midst of them and said, Sirs, you should have
hearkened unto me and not loosed from Crete to have gained this
harm and loss. Paul exhorted them not to do
it. They did anyway. They wouldn't listen to him.
Verse 22, And now I exhort you to be of good cheer. For there
shall be no loss of any man's life among you but of the ship. For there stood by me this night
the angel of God, whose I am and whom I serve, saying, Fear
not, Paul, thou must be brought before Caesar. And, lo, God hath
given thee all them that sail with thee. Wherefore, sirs, be
of good cheer, for I believe God. that it shall be even as
it was told me, howbeit we must be cast upon a certain island."
We'll consider as our text verses 24 through 26, but especially
verse 25. The book of Acts, as you know, is the inspired history
of the apostolic ministry of the early church.
It covers a period of 30 to 35 years. The central theme throughout
the book is the ascension, the message of the exalted Lord. The once crucified Christ now
sits exalted as our great Savior and King. As the angel told the
grieving ladies that morning, Mary Magdalene and a few others,
that came to the tomb to finish preparing his body for the burial
that they had to cease doing because of the Sabbath. So they
came that morning to finish the job. You remember what the angel
said to them? He is not here. Don't you like
that? He is not here. He's no longer
in the tomb and soon He would no longer be on earth. He is
not here. He is risen. He is risen. And they added these comforting
words, as he said. Prior to that, he had told his
disciples, let not your heart be troubled. If these things
weren't so, if what I'm telling you wasn't true, I wouldn't tell
you. I won't lie to you. I won't deceive you. Oh, he is
risen as he said. Thank God, the Lord Jesus Christ,
the faithful shepherd of his sheep, always does, always does
exactly what he said. Since Christ died and rose again
for all God's elect, righteousness is finished. That's what he said. Sin is finished. It's put away. Atonement has been made, it's
finished. Satisfaction to God is finished. The fulfillment of the law is
finished. The curse is finished. Judgment
is finished. There's no condemnation for any
believing sinner. Our all-glorious Christ has put
away our sins by the sacrifice of Himself. By His own blood,
He entered in once into the holy place, having obtained eternal
redemption for us." Sounds like it's finished. But, but, and
this is what the book of Acts is about. The work of Christ
is our mediator, and surety is not yet finished. It won't be
finished until He's brought all of His sheep into the fold of
grace. and presents all God's elect
back to His Father like He promised that He would, holy, unblameable,
and unreprovable in His sight. His work will not be finished
until the Father has put all enemies under His feet, as He
promised His Son He would do, and every knee bows and every
tongue confesses of things in heaven and things in earth and
things under the earth that Jesus Christ is Lord. Now that's not happened yet,
but it's going to. It's going to. It's this ongoing
work of the risen Christ in the earth that the book of Acts is
all about. That's what it describes. In
his gospel, Luke, the gospel of Luke, he also wrote the book
of Acts, Luke, But in the first verses of Acts, he speaks of
that. Acts 1, verses 1 and 2. The former treatise have I made,
O Theopolis, of all that Jesus began both to do and teach, until
the day in which he was taken up, after that he through the
Holy Ghost had given commandments unto the apostles whom he had
chosen." Acts begins where the Gospel of Luke ends, with the
ascension of Christ. It's a history of the Church
of Christ in its infancy, showing God's constant care. That is
evident to anybody that has eyes to see. From chapter 1, verse
1 to the last verse in chapter 28 in this book, it's evident
again and again and again. God protecting, comforting, watching
over his people. And here in chapters 27 is another
blessed example of that. The constant care of the Great
Shepherd for his sheep. My message, the title of it rather
is this. Cheer up! I take these words
from verse 25. Cheer up and believe God. Cheer up and believe God, just
as Paul said he did and exhorted them to do. In verses 24 and
26, you have two must. Two must. Paul said, I must be
brought before Caesar. Verse 26, we must be cast upon
a certain island. And then in verse 25, right in
between those, you have the shall. The shall. God's must equal a
shall. If God says it must be this way,
this is what I've willed to happen, this is the way I've willed it
to happen, it must be, and bless His glorious name, it shall be. First of all, though, look at
the first must, verses 23. Let's include verse 23 and 24. Let's read it again. For there
stood by me this night the angel of God, whose I am and whom I
serve, saying, Fear not, fear not, Paul, thou must be brought
before Caesar. And lo, God hath given thee all
them that sail with thee. Paul is a prisoner. on board
her ship headed to Rome when this tremendous storm arises. But just as when the Lord Jesus
Christ on that occasion told his disciples, let us pass over
into the other side. And then shortly thereafter we
read these words, and they came over unto the other side. You can apply that to Paul's
journey. You can apply that to every believer's
journey through this world. It was even so with Paul. Between
where Paul was right now, where we read, and where he began,
as they say, a whole lot of water had gone under the bridge. For
example, let's just trace this out for a minute. Let's compare
verse 24 here in Acts 27 to what our Lord told Saul shortly after
his conversion, just a few days afterwards. This is in Acts chapter
9. verses 15 and 16. And this is our Lord's response
to Ananias, who was commanded to go find Saul. And he was somewhat
hesitant. Lord, are you sure about this?
We know why he came to Damascus to arrest us, to imprison us.
Are you sure you're not mistaken about this? And here's our Lord's
response to Ananias. But the Lord said unto him, go
thy way, for he that is Saul is a chosen vessel unto me, to
bear my name before the Gentiles and kings, that included Caesar,
that included Nero, and the children of Israel. For I will show him
how great things he must suffer for my name's sake." Acts chapter
20. We're following this journey
we read of in Acts 27. Acts chapter 20. Paul is now
on his way to Jerusalem. He meets with the elders of the
churches of Ephesus. And in verse 22 through 24 in
Acts 20, we read these words spoken by Paul. And now behold,
I go bound in the Spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the things
that shall befall me there. Say that the Holy Ghost witnesseth
in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions abide me. I know this. I know this before
I get there, Paul says. But, and I love this, but none
of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself,
that I may finish my course with joy in the ministry which I have
received of the Lord Jesus that testified the gospel of the grace
of God. Period. Period. You mean to tell me when God
calls a man to preach the gospel, that's all he's supposed to do?
Of course, of course. That's all he's supposed to do.
And then we follow, continuing to follow Paul in Acts chapter
21. I'd like for you to follow along with me here. Acts chapter
21, verses 10 through 14. He's on his way to Jerusalem.
He's almost there. He stops by the house of Philip,
one of the seven deacons who was also an evangelist. In verse
10 we read, As we charried there many days, there came down from
Judea a certain prophet named Agalus. And when he was come
in to us, he took Paul's girdle, and bound his own hands and feet,
and said, Thus saith the Holy Ghost, So shall the Jews at Jerusalem
bind the man that owneth this girdle, and shall deliver him
into the hands of the Gentiles. Paul already knew that. We read
it in Acts chapter 20 just a minute ago. And when we heard these
things, both we and they of that place besought him, that is Paul,
don't go, don't go to Jerusalem. Paul answered, Paul answered,
what mean you to weep and to break my heart? For I am ready
not to be bound only, but also to die at Jerusalem for the name
of the Lord Jesus. And when he would not be persuaded,
we ceased saying, the will of the Lord be done. And Paul continues
on. In chapter 23, Paul is now arrived
at Jerusalem. He no sooner gets there than
he preaches the gospel of God's grace and just tears things all
to pieces. Just makes a mess. And he's arrested. Here in Acts 23 we have the count
of that, or very briefly, Acts 23 verses 10 and 11. And when
there arose a great dissension, the chief captain, fearing lest
Paul should have been pulled in pieces of them, commanded
the soldiers to go down and to take him by force from among
them and to bring him into the castle. And the night following,
the Lord stood by him and said, Be of good cheer, Paul. For as
thou hast testified of me at Jerusalem, so must thou bear
witness also at Rome." Isn't that marvelous? God using self-righteous Jews
barbaric Romans, a storm at sea, a shipwreck, broken pieces of
the ship, a snake bite, which we didn't read of in chapter
28, and even the adultery of a barbaric tribe on an island. God used these things to perform
his will and purpose for the Apostle Paul. Isn't that amazing?
Now look at chapter 28, and we'll come back to our text. Verse 16, Paul, I said there
was a lot of water that went under the bridge. Paul has arrived
now at Rome. Verse 16, and when he came to
Rome, the centurion delivered the prisoners to the captain
of the guard, but Paul was suffered or allowed to dwell by himself.
Well, with this exception, with the soldier that kept him. And
then down in verses 30 and 31, we're closing the history, not
only of the Book of Acts, but the Apostle Paul himself. Verse
30, And Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house,
and received all that came unto him, preaching the kingdom of
God, and teaching those things which concern the Lord Jesus
Christ with all confidence, no man forbidding him. He's doing
till his dying day the very thing from prison that he wrote to
Timothy telling him to do. Timothy, preach the word. Don't
let nothing distract you. Don't be turned under fables.
A lot of fellows are. Timothy, don't you do it. Preach
the word. Preach the word, and just keep
preaching the word. And that's exactly what we have
here in the closing scene of the great apostle's life and
ministry. Now, I read all those verses,
bringing us up to where we are, just so we would have another
example for our own encouragement of what old William Cooper wrote.
God moves in a mysterious way, his wonders to perform. He plants
his footsteps in the sea, and he rides upon the storm. We see
that, didn't we? Deep in unfathomable minds of
never failing skill, he treasures up his bright designs, and he
works. God works. God works all things
together for the good of his people. And God works his sovereign
will. Oh, may God give us grace to
adore the wisdom and the sovereignty of our God. As David did in Psalm
76, he wrote, Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee, and
the remainder of wrath shalt thou restrain. God does everything
for the salvation and the good of his people. Everything. There is nothing that's out of
his control. There is nothing that he doesn't
use for this ultimate purpose to glorify himself and bring
all of his people to glory. Everything. I don't care what
you read in the paper. or see on the evening news, or
hear, or by any other means, nothing that happens is out of
the control of our sovereign God, if that's true. Somebody
said to me just the other day on the phone, a brother up in
Asheville, Kentucky, about the coronavirus. I said, well, brother,
he said, God's in control. And I said, brother, if He's
not in control of that, He's not in control of anything. If
that stumped God, then he's quit being God. That's just so, isn't
it? And that glorious truth, that
blessed truth of our sovereign God produces this. This is what it did for Paul.
Considering God's sovereign work in the salvation of his people,
Paul just seems overwhelmed by it. when he wrote these words,
O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of
God! How unsearchable are his judgments and his ways past finding
out! For who hath known the mind of
the Lord? Who hath been his counselor? Who hath first given to him,
and it shall be recompensed unto him again? For of him and through
him are all things to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen. I left a word or two out, didn't
I? For of him and through him and back to him are all things
our Lord saideth, King forever, forever. Amen. That's what Paul wrote. Now here's the second must. The
second must, verse 26. Now we considered God's sovereign
rule, His use of all things to bring His purpose to pass. Now
here in verse 26 we read this, Howbeit we must, we must be cast
upon a certain island. God works, yes, and none can
stay His hand, or say unto Him, What doest thou? But here's the
point I want to make from verse 26. God works by means. I've got to repeat that. God
works by means. We have to remind ourself of
that. And Paul understood this. This is so important. I'm afraid
we tend to forget it. I think Satan tries to help us
to forget it. I hear statements, and I've mentioned
this before, and I'm not going to condemn a man for a word.
I've probably said it myself. But whatever will be will be.
Whatever will be, will be. No. As is not so. Not without the means God is
also purposed to use to fulfill His will and to bring it to pass. Whatever will be, will be because
God uses means to bring that to pass. God who purposed to
save His people. Now He did that. He purposed
that. before the foundation of the world, didn't he, Billy?
Before Adam, before sun, before moon, before stars. God chose
a people in Christ before the foundation of the world. That's
just a fact. The free willers can snarl and
spit and cuss and carry on. It's still so. It's a fact. But
God did not purpose to save his people apart from the death of
Jesus Christ, did he? That was necessary. Election
is unto salvation. It's not salvation by itself. It involved and included and
made necessary the death of the Son of God and redemption being
obtained by Him. And that redemption must be applied. His sheep must hear His voice
and be called to Him. Therefore, God uses the means
of the preaching of the gospel to accomplish that very thing.
How shall they hear without a preacher? How shall they preach except
He be sent? All these things, from election
to glorification and all those other things in between, those
glorious links in the chain of God's sovereign grace, are means
to that end. God uses means, doesn't He, to
accomplish His purpose. For example, Paul. He said, I
endure all things for the elect's sake. He didn't say, well, whatever
will be, will be. I'll just sit and twiddle my
thumbs. No. I endure all things for the elect's sake. I preach
the gospel. I suffer for preaching the gospel.
I'm persecuted for preaching the gospel. But I do it for the
elect's sake. Because Paul knew that was the
means that God chose that they might obtain eternal salvation. So then, again, I remind you,
it's not simply a matter of whatever will be, will be. Whatever God
purposes, whatever He has determined to bring to pass, He does so
by using the means that He has ordained to use. And here in
this chapter, these verses that we read, we're given a very instructive
lesson with regard to that, aren't we? I mean concerning divine
predestination and human responsibility. As far as anyone can tell, and
we read it in verse 20, All hope of salvation, of them being rescued,
of them being spared, was taken away. All hope. But then Paul
says, he assures them that though the ship goes down, they won't
go down with it. Paul assures them of that. I
exhort you again, verse 22, to be of good cheer. For there shall
be no loss of any man's life among you except of the ship."
Now you compare that, what Paul just said, to verses 30 and 31. When some of the sailors were
certain that they were going to crash, they started to let
down the lifeboats. They tried to be sneaky about
it, but Paul saw them and saw what they were doing. This is
what he is referring to, verse 30, here in chapter 27. And as
the shipmen were about to flee out of the ship, when they let
down the boat into the sea under collar, as though they would
have cast anchors out of the foreship, Paul said to the centurion
and to the soldiers, except these, abiding the ship, ye cannot be
saved." Everyone will be saved. Paul
says, if they don't stay in the ship, you cannot be saved. When
Paul saw that happening, when they were about to abandon ship,
he told the centurion, it won't work this way. How could Paul
say such a thing after declaring certainly and absolutely of God's
purpose and promise? Because he fully understood that
the point of our responsibility, child of God, an unbeliever as
far as that goes, is not God's hidden purpose, but His plain
command. His plain commands. He understood
that God has not only ordained the ultimate end of all things,
but also all the means by which He will accomplish that end.
He understood. Every man is responsible to obey
God's command. Well, if God's ordained I should
do this and I should do it, and if He hasn't ordained it, then
it won't work out. No, no. God's ordained prayer.
Seek my face, call upon me, and I will answer thee. He understood
this. Paul understood that obedience
to the revealed will of God ends all controversy, all argument. I've been called from time to
time, sometimes to my face, sometimes behind my back. It don't matter
to me. I've been called a hardshell. You know, that word will slip
out, won't it, Bill? People hear that you believe
God's Word. That's what it amounts to. You
believe God's Word, you believe all of God's Word, all that He's
pleased to reveal about salvation, the sinner's condition, and so
forth, and they say, oh my, he believes in election. You're
a hardshell. You're a hardshell. You're a
fatalist. You don't believe in preaching
the gospel. You believe babies are going to go to hell because
they weren't ordained. They've never heard me say either one
of those stupid things. It's just not true. I know the
difference. But here is what our obedience
is based on. What thus saith the Lord. That's
all I need to know. And that's what I act on, what
God has plainly revealed. Now that brings us to the third
verse, verse 25. The shall be. Let's read it again. Wherefore,
sirs, must plus must equals shall. Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer,
for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me. Because he believed God, Paul
was confident that God would do what he said. He was full
of comfort regarding his own life and those that was on board
ship with him. Remember, Paul said, I believe
God. Not I believe the centurion or
I believe the sailors. I believe God, the everlasting
God. What does coronavirus, when you
compare that to God, I believe the everlasting God. Remember
whom we trust. Remember whose promise we rely
on. Remember in whose hand we are. Remember that it's the everlasting
God's purpose to save his people, all of his people, unto everlasting
glory. Who's going to stop him? Nobody,
anything or anyone can even hinder him. Isaiah chapter 44, you're
familiar with these verses. Thus saith the Lord, the King
of Israel, his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts. I am the first
and I am the last, and besides me there is no God. And who,
verses six through eight is where I'm reading, and who, as I, shall
call and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since
I appointed the ancient people. And the things that are coming
and shall come, let them show them unto me. Fear ye not, neither
be afraid. Have not I told thee from that
time, and have declared it? You are even my witnesses. Is
there a God beside me? Yeah, there is no God. I know
not in Again still in Isaiah chapter 45 verse 5. I am the
Lord This is the God we trust him. I am the Lord and there
is none else. There is no God beside me I girded
thee though thou has not known me That they may know from the
rising of the Sun and from the West that there is none beside
me I am the Lord and there is none else. I formed the light
and create darkness, I make peace and create evil, I the Lord do
all these things. My soul, then why should we not
cheer up and believe such a God?" Abraham, remember what Paul,
using Abraham as an example of, who's been referred to as the
father of the faithful. Romans chapter 4 verse 18, Speaking of Abraham, who against
hope believed in hope, that he might become the father of many
nations, according to that which is spoken, so shall thy seed
be. Now he's 100 years old at this
time, and Sarah's 90. And being not weak in faith,
he considered not his own body. He didn't even consider that.
now dead, when he was about a hundred years old, neither yet the deadness
of Sarah's womb, he staggered not." Oh, how I'd like to do that.
He staggered not at the promises of God through unbelief, but
was strong in faith. And what did that do? Giving
glory to God. Oh, I want to do that. Oh, Lord,
increase my faith. Don't let me act like an unbeliever,
like I don't have a God. and Abraham being fully persuaded
that what he had promised, that is God, he was able to perform. A child of God can take the words
of the Apostle Paul here in Acts 27 and make them his own. He
has the same reason to do so. Paul was in the midst of a storm,
argue, with no seeming prospect of anything certain except shipwreck. But he thus reposed himself upon
his God." Paul did something like this. He just laid back. Rest easy! Calm down! It is well with my soul. Every child of God has the same
reason to do the same. Our security in every dark night
is the same as Paul's, for we are Jesus' property and depend
on it. If we are his property, we'll
have his care. He's bought us with a price.
No wonder Paul said, Sirs, be of good cheer, I believe God. I think I've told you this before,
and I know the scripture doesn't tell us this, but I'd be willing
to bet, so to speak, that like Daniel, I thought of this when
I was preparing the message here. Daniel in the lion's den. God
shut the mouths of those lions, and I believe that old Daniel
just laid back on the mane of one of those big lions and just
slept like a log. Remember when the king came to
him? He had tossed all night, the king had. Oh, Daniel, was
your God able to keep you? Was your God able to deliver
you? You remember what Daniel said?
Rest easy, King. Everything's all right. Just
calm down. Has Jesus not bought us with
his own precious blood and made us new creatures by his grace?
Then he says, fear not. I have redeemed thee. I have
called thee by thy name. Thou art mine. Oh, then how sure will be the
promise that follows when you pass through the waters. You've been there, haven't you,
Billy? You're thinking about it right now. I see the tears coming
to your eyes. Every child of God has. When thou passest through
the waters, I will be with thee. And through the rivers, they
shall not overflow thee. When thou walkest through the
fire, thou shalt not be burned. Neither shall the flame kindle
upon thee. For I am the Lord thy God, the
Holy One of Israel, thy Savior, all the way my Savior leads me."
Just the other evening, Robin called Gail Poore. She's a member of Clarence. Her husband is Clarence. They
attend the church in Newcastle, Sovereign Grace Church, that
Brother Bruce Crabtree pastors. Robin had seen a note on Facebook
or something that Gail's brother-in-law, her sister Wanda's husband, had
died. Steve Jones. I knew him well. I knew Steve Jones. He liked
to be called Jonesy. Oh, he loved the fish. He loved
the fish. He loved the gospel more than that. Every time I
was there. I don't remember a time ever
being there, and I've been there many times, and preached. When the final prayer was over,
Jonesy always made his way up front, before I could get to
the door, and he said, shake my hand. Thank you, Larry. Thank
you for that message. Thank you for that gospel. He
loved it. And last Monday, He went to do some work. He was
retired, but still doing things. He went to do some work at a
rental property that he and his wife, Wanda, owned. And after
Wanda got off work, she went to meet him there, and she found
him lying there, absent from the body, but present with the
Lord. He said to his wife and her sister,
Gail, and Gail's husband, his brother-in-law, Clarence Saturday
night, two nights before, the discussion about someone will
probably soon be with the Lord. He said, I don't know why everybody
gets sad. Why would anybody be sad for
anyone who died and went to heaven? And 48 hours later, that's exactly
what happened to him. Isaiah chapter 32, verse 18,
my people shall dwell in peace, peaceable habitation, and ensure
dwellings and in quiet, resting places." What a sweet promise
that is! To lie down on the bed of night,
to lie down on the bed of death. Oh, Thou art with me! You'll
be with me all the time. Let me bring this to a close.
Look at verse 44 here in this chapter, Acts 27. Look at verse
44. We made mention of it already,
but we didn't read it. and the rest, some on boards
and some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass
that they all escaped safe to land." What a beautiful conclusion
of Paul's journey. What a beautiful history of Paul
on that stormy sea. Child of God, although everyone
with Paul thought to the contrary, The outcome was never in doubt. It was never in doubt. The angel
of God had assured Paul that God had given him all the lives
of those who were on that ship with him, and so he proved it
to be so. As a matter of fact, as we just
read, the very wreck of the ship furnished the means for the people's
safety. Now think about that. The broken
ship, not the ship intact, but the ship busted up, is the very
thing God used to bring them to shore. Oh, here's a very precious
instruction for us. In the storms of your life, learn
to abide firmly by the promise. When everything seems to lead
to the contrary, pray for grace to take hold of His promise,
to take hold of your God. that his purpose for you cannot
fail, no matter what else may fail. And though like Paul on
his voyage, neither sun nor stars in many days may appear, and
no small tempest be beating upon your little boat, Jesus is still
at the helm, and he will most assuredly bring you safe to harbor. Glory to his name, who is able
to work all things together for good, The very wreck of all things
around you, even, shall be the very thing God may use to accomplish
His purpose. He will use. The coronavirus,
COVID-19, or COVID-20, 21, 22, or 10,000, will not keep me from
heaven. That may be the very means that
God uses to take me to heaven, and that'll be alright. That'll
be just fine with me. 2 Corinthians 4, 16-18, For which
cause we faint not, but though our outward man perish, yet the
inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction,
which is but for a moment worketh against us, no, no, no, worketh
for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory while
we look, not at the things which are seen, but at the things which
are not seen. For the things which are seen
are temporal, but the things which are not seen are eternal."
I thought of an old poem, and I searched until I found it again.
I'd like to conclude by reading it to you. I think I did years
ago, maybe the first year I was here. It's called Not Growing
Old by a fellow named John Roberts. I don't have a clue who he is.
But listen to this. They say that I am growing old.
I've heard them tell it times untold in language plain and
bold. But I'm not growing old. This frail old shell in which
I dwell is growing old, I know for a well. But I am not the
shell. What if my hair is turning gray?
Gray hairs are honorable, they say. What if my eyesight's growing
dim? I still can see the fellow hen
who sacrificed his life for me upon the cross of Calvary. What
should I care if time's old plow has left its furrows on my brow?
Another house not made with hands awaits me in the glory land.
What though I falter in my walk? What though my tongue refuse
to talk? I still can tread the narrow way. I still can watch
and praise and pray. My hearing may not be as keen
as in the past it may have been. Still I can hear my Savior say, and whisper soft, this is the
way. That where man do what I can
to lengthen out this life's short span, shall perish and return
to dust as everything in nature must. The inward man descriptors
say is growing stronger every day. Then how can I be growing
old when safe within my Savior's fold? Ere long my soul shall
fly away and leave this tenement of clay, this robe of flesh I'll
drop and rise, this seized everlasting prize. I'll meet you on the streets
of gold and prove that I'm not growing old. I like that. I like that. And until that day
comes, may each of us be granted God's grace to cheer up and believe
God. Amen. Amen. Lord bless you.