Last Sunday evening when we met
here, our message was from Acts chapter 20, a portion of Paul's
farewell address to the elders of the church of Ephesus. When
Paul first met with them, he said this in his message to them,
he said, Now behold, I go bound in the Spirit unto Jerusalem,
not knowing the things that shall befall me there. He can't go
into particulars, but he says, I know this. Say that the Holy
Ghost witnesses that in every city saying that bonds and afflictions
abide me. And that's exactly what happened.
He had been in Jerusalem only, I think, seven or eight days
before he was arrested. before he was rescued from the
hands of an angry mob who said it's not fit that that man should
live because he preached Jesus Christ and he was rescued but
he was put in prison. He appeared first before Felix
and then Festus, and it was a total of two years that he was in prison
before we read about this voyage that takes place in Acts chapter
27. Here he's on a ship as a prisoner,
still a prisoner, sailing to Rome to stand before Caesar. And the record we have here is
of a severe storm that came up suddenly. And all hope we're
told in verse 20 that they should be saved was lost, was taken
away. It was a very severe storm. But God but God. That matters, doesn't it? That
makes a difference, doesn't it? That makes all the difference.
God had told Paul right after he was arrested in Jerusalem
that to be of good cheer and not to be afraid, for as he had
borne witness of the Lord at Jerusalem, he also must, were
the words, must bear witness also of God at Rome. And our Lord reassures Paul with
that same promise here in Acts chapter 27. He assures Paul that
not only himself, that is, Paul would be spared, would be saved,
but all those others with him on this ship would also survive. 275 more souls besides Paul. How often, I'm sure you've noticed,
often in Scripture, the C is used to illustrate the life of
a Christian. A calm sea. This is what David
spoke of. He leadeth me beside the still
waters in Psalm 23, a picture of perfect rest, composure, tranquility
in our Lord Jesus Christ. But on the other hand, It's not
always a calm sea, is it? Often our life is illustrated
in scripture, our journey, as a voyage just like Paul, and
storms arise very suddenly without warning. In Psalm 107 we have
a description of such a storm as that. Listen to these verses. They that go down to the sea
in ships that do business in great waters, these see the works
of the Lord and his wonders in the deep. For he commandeth and
raiseth the stormy wind, which lifteth up the waves thereof.
They mount up to the heaven. They go down again to the depths. Their soul is melted because
of trouble. They reel to and fro and stagger
like a drunken man and are at their wits' end. Then they cry
unto the Lord in their trouble, and he bringeth them out of their
distresses. He maketh a storm of calm." Doesn't
that sound familiar? Doesn't that sound familiar?
Our Lord came walking on the stormy sea that night, and said,
Peace, be still, it is I, be not afraid. He maketh the storm
a calm, so that the waves thereof are still. Then are they glad,
because they be quiet. So he bringeth them unto their
desired So it was with Paul here. But by his words in verse 25,
which will be our text, he appears to be perfectly at ease, doesn't
he? He tells them, he repeats what
God told him, be of good cheer. And he tells them likewise, I
believe God that it shall be even as it was told me. Like the old hymn writer expressed
it, when peace like a river attendeth my way, The man who wrote that
him had lost family at sea, had lost his business in the Great
Chicago Fire, and neared the spot where the captain of the
ship pointed out where the previous ship with some of his family,
his children, had gone down and he'd lost them. He sat down and
wrote that famous hymn, It Is Well With My Soul. A portion
of it says, When peace like a river attendeth my way, Or sorrows
like sea billows roll, Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to
say, It is well, it is well with my soul. God told Paul, you must
be brought before Caesar. You must be brought before Caesar.
And after receiving this word from God, Paul was not only comforted
himself, but he comforts all those on board ship with him
with those blessed words in verse 25. Wherefore, sirs, be of good
cheer. Be of good cheer. That was Paul's
exhortation to them, and then he tells them why they should
be. But consider that first of all. Be of good cheer. Now, Paul doesn't say that to
them when the storm is over. and they have arrived at their
destination. No. He says to them, be of good
cheer during the storm, in the very midst of the storm. Look
again at verse 20. When neither sun nor stars in
many days appeared. Now in those days, they were
in a world of trouble. They didn't have compasses to
resort to. They didn't have any other means
to tell where they were. without sun or stars and no small
tempest laid on us, all hope, all hope that we should be saved
was then taken away." All hope. Oh, but if Paul could speak these
words to a group of hardened sailors and soldiers and other
prisoners, unbelievers, if he could say to them, be of good
cheer because God, God has told me and I believe God. If He could
say that to them, how much more do they apply to you and I who
know our Savior? God's own people. Be of good
cheer. How often our Lord, during the
time when He was with the disciples, spoke the same sort of words
to them, did He not? Look, if you will, in John's
Gospel, chapter 6. Here's a familiar passage. One
of several times. But how often he spoke to them
and said, don't be afraid. Don't be afraid. Be of good charity
as I be not afraid. Our Lord has fed a multitude
of people. And he sends them away. And sends
the disciples down to a ship to cross the sea. In verse 16
of John 6, and when evening was now come that his disciples went
down into the sea, and entered into a ship and went over the
sea toward Capernaum. And it was now dark, and Jesus
was not come to them." Man, that makes all the difference. It
was now dark, and Jesus was not come to them. Verse 18, and the sea arose by
reason of a great wind that blew. And when they rowed about 5 and
20 and 30 furlongs, they see Jesus walking on the sea, walking
on the sea, the master of the sea. He has his way in the whirlwind,
does he not? They see him walking on the sea
and drawing down to the ship, and they were afraid, but...
He saith unto them, It is I. It is I. Be not afraid. That's what Paul said to these
on board that ship on that other stormy sea that night. Be of
good cheer. I believe God. It is I. Be not afraid. What sweet words. Did he not promise them? And
you and I? I'll never leave you nor forsake
you. Did he not say I'm with you always,
even until the end of the world? Did he not say nothing can separate
me from you? Nothing, Paul says, shall separate
us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus. It is I. It is I. Oh, how much is in those
words. How full they are like himself
of grace and truth. It is I. I, the great shepherd
of the sheep. Isn't that a sweet description
of our Lord? I am the shepherd that laid down
my life for the sheep. I'm the great shepherd. the good
shepherd, the chief shepherd, that one alone to whom has been
committed all the care of the sheep, all the responsibility
of the sheep, the preservation of the sheep, the sheep all being
brought to glory, being one fold and one shepherd is his responsibility. It is I, the great shepherd of
the sheep. It is I, your mighty God. your everlasting Father. It is
I, the captain of your salvation. It is I, your high priest and
mediator. All those things are Christ. I who have loved you and gave
myself for you, I say to you, be not afraid. Should we not
be content and of good cheer? There's nothing spiritual. Nothing
spiritual about gloominess. Nothing spiritual about that.
Nothing honoring to God about being pessimistic all the time,
especially in the light of such promises that we have in Christ
Jesus, which are all yea and amen. Notice again verse 23,
Paul said, The angel of the Lord, of God, stood by me, whose I
am. Whose I am, that is God. We have
God as our Father, Christ as our Redeemer, the Holy Spirit
as the Comforter of his people. Can we not say with Paul, be
of good cheer? We have all reason to be hopeful. When the storms of life are raging,
he'll stand by me. When the world's tossing me,
and it does, it does, like a ship upon the sea, When all hope that
we should be saved seems taken away, oh, it won't stop him from
coming to me. It won't stop the captain of
my salvation from coming to me and saying, be of good cheer,
be not afraid. When this world is tossing me
like a ship upon the sea, thou who rulest, but thou who rulest,
who's always in control, who's never caught off guard, who's
never taken by surprise, who has his way all the time with
everyone, he stands by me. Be of good cheer. Turn, if you
will, back to Isaiah chapter 43. Isaiah chapter 43. Hear the
word of our God here. Isaiah chapter 43 in verse 1. But now, but now, take that word to yourself, child
of God, but now, thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob,
and he that formed thee, O Israel, fear not, fear not, for I have
redeemed thee. I have redeemed them. We're not
our own. We've been bought with a price. That's what Paul said. Whose I am? I belong to God. One dear sister, going through
a severe and sudden trial, prayed to her Heavenly Father, Father,
your property is in trouble. I belong to Him. He is mine and
I am his. This is what we read here, O
Israel, fear not for I have redeemed thee. You're mine. I've purchased you. I've paid
for you. Surely he'll not let us go. I
have called thee by thy name. Thou art mine. Thou passest through
the waters. Not if you pass through. Not
if you may endure a storm, no you will. When thou passest through
the waters, you won't be alone. No, I will be with thee. and through the rivers that 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. I gave Egypt for thy ransom,
Ethiopia and Seba for thee. Since thou wast precious in my
sight, thou hast been honorable, and I have loved thee. Therefore
will I give men for thee and people for thy life, fear not.
If I am with thee, I will bring thy seed from the east and gather
thee from the west. I will say to the north, give
up, and to the south, keep not back. Bring my sons from far
and my daughters from the ends of the earth, even every one
that is called by my name. For I have created him for my
glory. I have formed him, yea, I have
made him. You remember when Paul, after he arrived at Rome, Sometimes
later, the book of Acts ends with Paul apparently having some
liberty under, it seems to be, house arrest, but something changed. Because when Paul wrote his last
epistle to his beloved Timothy, he said, the time of my departure
is at hand. The executioner's at the door.
And he said, Timothy had my first answer before Nero. Nobody stood
with me. Nobody. They all scattered. Nevertheless, sweet word, nevertheless,
the Lord stood by me. Paul, fear not. You're mine. You're mine. You've borne witness
before me in Jerusalem and you also shall bear witness before
me in Rome. Remember when Paul was converted
on the Damascus road and The Lord spoke to Ananias in Damascus
and said, go down to a certain house, a certain man there, Saul,
is praying. Ananias, oh, I've heard of him.
Well, he's not as he once was, Ananias. He's a changed man. He's a new creature in Christ
Jesus. But our Lord said, I must show him what great things he
must suffer for my name's sake. He'll bear my name before kings,
kings. give testimony to the greatness
and the mercy of his great God and Savior. Did you notice the
brief article in the bulletin this morning by Robert Mary McShane? I thought this was very good.
He said, if I could hear Christ praying for me in the next room,
I wouldn't fear a million enemies. Now think about that. If you
could actually, at this moment, hear Christ praying for you,
calling your name, In the next room, he wrote, I wouldn't fear
a million enemies. Yet, yet, the distance makes
no difference. He is praying for me. He is praying
for me. He ever liveth to make intercession
for us. Peter, the devil's desired to
have you. He wants to sift you like wheat,
but, but, I prayed for you. I pray for you. Our great high
priest intercedes for us. He sacrificed himself, but he
also intercedes on the behalf of all of his people. Isn't that
a comforting thought? Peter, I pray for you that thy
faith fail not. Another reason Paul gives, he
says, God, whose I am, I belong to him. belonged to God by God's
own eternal choice. Imagine. Imagine. Before the
foundation of the world, before God ever created the heavens
and the earth, He chose a people in Christ unto eternal salvation. And I belong to Christ by purchase. He bought me with his own precious
blood. This is my blood, he said, which
is given for you. Deliver his soul from going down
to the pit. Hell can't have him. Oh no, he's
snatched his brand from the burning because I've found a ransom. Truthfully, I am his and he is
mine. Is that so? Is that so? Has God chosen a people for his
namesake? When he calls a sinner out of
darkness in time, when that sinner during his life hears his voice
and comes to him, that's not when God begins to love him.
That's when that sinner first experiences God's love. Oh, but
his calling in time is proof and evidence that God loved that
sinner before the world ever was. God doesn't have a new idea,
does he? No. He knows all of His works
from the beginning to the end. Has God loved me with an everlasting
love? Did the Lord Jesus Christ come
here and was made like unto His brethren that He might be a merciful
and faithful high priest? Did He live as a substitute for
His people? Did He die as the substitute
and sin-bearer for His people? Is all that true? Is that so? Then, Be of good cheer. God will take care of his own.
Paul knew that the God he belonged to, the God that he served, was
the sovereign God of all. I believe, Paul said, that it
will be even as he told me. It'll be just as he said it would
be. Paul, you must be brought before Caesar, and what God has
purposed might come to pass. No. You must be brought before
Caesar. Storms are not. Difficulty are
not. Trials are not. I've often heard
people make statements like this. If God had his way... Have you
ever heard any people say that? Some people that profess to be
believers talk that way. If God had his way... Really? Really? God does have his way. There's no if about it. God always
has his way. If he doesn't, if God doesn't
have his way, if there's ever one split second, anytime, anywhere,
amongst anybody, that God Almighty doesn't have his way, then he's
no longer God and he needs to step off the throne. And that
will never happen. The Lord has his way, he said,
in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of
his feet. Oh, how great thou art! I'm in the hands of my great
God and Savior, and he has his way and his will, and his will
is that of all those the Father gave him, they should never perish. Does anyone Or rather, does anything
serve to give us reason for calmness and to be at ease more than this? Our God is in the heavens. He
hath done whatsoever he hath pleased. Hear himself declare,
I will do all my pleasure. Not some of my pleasure, or most
of my pleasure, but I shall do all my pleasure. All he was pleased
to predestinate. He is pleased also to call. And all that he called, he justified. And he said all that he justified,
he glorified. If one link in that golden chain
of God's everlasting salvation could be broken, they all fall
to the ground. All but every one he chose, He
calls, justifies, and glorifies every one of them who will be
brought before the throne of their Lord and God. Well, what's
the practical benefit of that? Folks say, oh, we hear about
predestination. Oh, that's too deep. We ought
to just leave that alone. Preachers ought not even talk.
It'll confuse people. No, it won't. Know it well. Now,
what's the practical benefit? Folks say there's no practical
benefit to God's people concerning those deep, dark things. What's
the practical benefit? Paul told us. When he said, he
who is predestined and called and justified and glorified,
Paul said, you want to know some practical benefit for God's people
from that blessed truth? If God be for us. Who shall be
against us? What shall we say to these things?
What practical comfort, what kind of shoe-leather can we make
of that? What use can we make of that
as we journey through this world? And the storms of life sometimes
are raging. This, if God be for us, be for
us in the way of predestination, and calling and justification
and glorification. If God be for me and all those
things, who can be against me? Oh, that's a practical benefit,
is it not? Paul knew God would be true to
his word. He says, I believe that it shall
be even as it was told me. Abraham, we read, believed God. And he gave glory to God. simply by believing him, gave
glory to God, believing that what he promised, he was able
also to perform. And it will be even as he has
told us, you and I as well, believer. He says, I will come again and
receive you to myself, that where I am, there ye may be also. And he said, if it weren't so,
if it wasn't true, I would have told you. I would have told you.
And now the one reason that Paul gives to be of good cheer, he
says, because I believe God. I believe God. That's all. Oh, but that's everything, is
it not? For consider, God had given Paul his word. He promised
Paul. You'll be brought to Rome before
Caesar. You'll bear witness of me before
Caesar." God had given Paul his word. Thereby, once doing so,
he was bound. He was bound by his own honor
to fulfill it. Turn, if you will, to the book
of Psalms, Psalm 138. Look at a verse here in Psalm
138. Let's read verses 1 and 2. The psalmist says in verse
1, I will praise thee with my whole heart. Before the gods
will I sing praise unto thee. I will worship toward thy holy
temple and praise thy name for thy loving kindness and for thy
truth. For thou hast magnified thy word above thy name. He's magnified his word above
his name. God honors His Word. God honors His promises. He's bound Himself to perform
all that He has promised. Turn, if you will, again to the
book of Isaiah. So many places in Isaiah we could
turn to, but look at this one in Isaiah chapter 46. Look at what our great God says
here concerning Himself. Isaiah chapter 46, verse 9. Remember the former things of
old? For I am God, and there is none else. I am God, and there
is none like me. Declaring the end from the beginning,
and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying
my counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure. if God had
his way. And I will do all my pleasure,
calling a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executes
my counsel from a far country. Yea, I have spoken it. I will
also bring it to pass. I have purposed it. I will also
do it. Look at another place in 2 Samuel,
2 Samuel chapter 7. David wanted to build a house
for God. God spoke to Nathan and said,
go tell my servant David. I'll not allow him to do it,
but his son after him shall. It will be from David's loin
someone setting up on the throne forever. Forever. I don't think he was talking
about Solomon, do you? Behold, our Lord said, a greater
than Solomon is here. Behold, our Lord Jesus Christ
saideth, King forever. After the faithful prophet delivered
God's word to David, David's overwhelmed by it. When he'd
heard concerning his heritage that he shall build a house for
my name and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever,
oh, that's the son of David. That's not Solomon. That's that
one that poor Blind Bartimaeus said, oh, son of David, have
mercy on me. But after hearing those words,
that certain promise from his God, verse 18, look what David
did. Then went King David in. David's
king. Oh, but he's not king of kings,
is he? And he sat down before the king, before the Lord, and
he said, Who am I, O Lord God? Have you ever felt that way,
child of God? Some quiet time, when God rolls
back the curtain of your memory now and then, Reminds you where
he brought you from and where you could have been. Doesn't it just overwhelm your
heart and soul? And like David, you say, who
am I, O Lord? Who am I? And what is my house
that thou hast brought me hither to? And this was yet a small
thing in thy sight, O Lord God, but thou hast spoken also of
thy servant's house for a great while to come. And is this the
manner of man, O Lord God? And what can David say more unto
thee? For thou, Lord, God knowest thy
servant. For thy word's sake, I magnify
my word above all my name. For thy word's sake and according
to thine own heart hast thou done all these great things to
make thy servant know them. Wherefore, thou art great, O
Lord God, and there is none like thee. Neither is there any God
beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears. O how great thou art!" Paul said,
I believe it shall be even as it was told me. Not maybe or
might be, but it shall be. God's Word never returns to him
void. That is empty without fruit. It always accomplishes the purpose
whereunto he sent it. Paul said, I believe God. Despite all outward appearances,
Paul said, it is well with my soul. in the midst of the waves
battering against the ship, and the wind tossing it to and fro. Paul said, I believe God. It's
well with my soul. Old Martin Luther, who knew something
about trials and persecution, he said this. He said, "'Fillings
come and fillings go, and fillings are deceiving. My trust is in
the Word of God. None else is worth believing.'"
And Paul behaved, didn't he? Paul behaved like he believed
God with all around him. They seemed to be going hysterical.
Paul was calm, resting in the promise, in the purpose, and
in the providence of his God. and all could sing when all around
my soul gives way. He then is all my hope and stay. I'm on the solid rock. Jesus
Christ himself said upon this rock, I'm building my church
and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. Not one soul,
one soul resting up on that sure and certain foundation can ever
be washed away by any power. by any devil, by any man. It is well with our soul. And
this is true of all God's promises. We can apply what Paul said here
to all God's promises to his people. I believe that it shall
be even as it was told me. Did you notice in the last sentence
of the chapter? And so it came to pass that they
escaped all safe to land. Just exactly like God said it
would be. Not one of them shall perish. Turn, if you will, with me to
Revelation chapter 21. I know this is a familiar passage,
but I thought of it. And what our Lord said to John,
who was recording it, in Revelation chapter 21, Remember this morning,
we read in Psalm 84, every one of them in Zion appeareth before
God. Revelation 21 verse 3, And I
heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle
of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall
be his people, and God himself shall be with them and be their
God, and God shall wipe away all tears. Well, if God does
it, it'll be done. "...from their eyes, and there
shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall
there be any more pain, for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne
said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write,
These words are true and faithful. These words are true and faithful. He's magnified His Word above
all His name. Be of good cheer. Believe God. It shall be even as He has told
us. It is well with our soul. God bless you.