Romans chapter 1. Let's begin
reading at verse 14. Verses 14 through 17. Paul writing and he says, I am
a debtor both to the Greeks and to the barbarians, both to the
wise and to the unwise. So as much as in me is, I am
ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also. For
I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ. For it is the power
of God unto salvation to every one that believeth, to the Jew
first and also to the Greek. For therein, that is in that
gospel, is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to
faith. As it is written, the just shall
live by faith. We take again as our text verse
16. Paul said, I'm not ashamed of
the gospel. This morning we spoke mainly
about that blessed fact, that refreshing statement, I'm not
ashamed of the gospel. Tonight we want to consider more
in detail why it was that Paul wasn't ashamed of the gospel.
And he gives two reasons there, or two at least that we want
to consider to show that he wasn't ashamed. The fact that he preached
it, and the fact that he believed it. He believed in its power. It is the power of God unto salvation. Last Sunday night we used David,
David's life and illustrating the message that Peter preached
from Acts chapter 2 on the day of Pentecost concerning the Lord
Jesus, that David spoke concerning him and about that challenge
of Goliath to do battle with him. and how David was an example
of what Paul calls the foolishness of preaching, that God has chosen
the weak things and the foolish things and the despised things,
as the world looks at them, to confound the things that are
mighty. I want to use David again just
briefly as an example of what Paul says here concerning the
power of the gospel of God. You need not turn there unless
you want. In 1 Samuel chapter 22, David
has fled again from Saul. Saul doesn't want David to be
king. By the way, the 118th Psalm is
David's song of praise to God when he's made king in spite
of Saul. But more specifically, it refers
to that one prophetically, the son of David. This is the day
which the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad therein. But David is fleeing from Saul
and he founds himself because he had to leave in such haste
without even food or a weapon. He's at the place where the priest
is, and the priest gives him bread to eat, and David asked
him in verse 8, and David said unto Ahimelech, the priest, and
is there not here under thine hand spear or sword? I don't
have a weapon to protect myself. He says, For I have neither brought
my sword nor my weapons with me, because the king's business
required haste. I had to get out of town. Verse
9, And the priest said, The sword of Goliath the Philistine, whom
thou slewest in the valley of Elah, behold, it is here wrapped
in a cloth behind the ephod. If thou wilt take that, Take
it, for there is no other save that here." That's all that's
here. And look how David responded. And David said, there is none
like that, give it me. And this is what Paul says concerning
the gospel of God's grace. He says, there's none like that,
give it to me. For I am not ashamed of the gospel
of Christ, it is the power of God unto salvation. And Paul proved that. He proved
his absolute confidence in the power of the gospel. That word
power is the word that we would translate dynamite. It's from
the same word. It is the power, the dynamite
of God unto salvation to everyone that believe. And David showed
his confidence, his faith in the gospel of God's grace that
was committed to his trust by his willingness to preach it
and his faith in it. Remember what James said concerning
works and faith? He said, you show me your faith.
without works. And I'll show you my faith by
works. I'll show you the evidence of
it. A faith without works, James said, is not saving faith. It's
dead. All but true faith works does
not save. do not save, but true faith always
has as its evidence good works." And Paul had as the evidence
of his faith in God's gospel the work of preaching it and
believing it and spreading it everywhere. Paul believed in
the power of the gospel of Christ and he proved it in those two
ways. His willingness to preach it.
Look again at verse 15 of Romans 1. So much as in me is, I am ready
to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also." Anytime, as
he exhorted Timothy, preach the word, in season, out of season. And Paul wasn't telling Timothy
to do something that he didn't do himself. He preached it anytime
to anyone. whether it was a multitude of
people, even if that multitude was crying out for his blood,
or whether it was while he was chained between two guards in
a prison cell, Paul preached the gospel anywhere to anyone,
whether they be Greek or whether they be barbarians, Gentiles. Not very flattering, is it? The
wise or the unwise, it doesn't matter. The sword of God's Word,
the Gospel, Paul felt was convinced is all he needed. Thank God for that. I prayed
much as I looked over this text of Scripture for the last several
days. And again this afternoon before coming here. God increased
my faith. Don't allow me to stand up and
preach what I do not believe. God increased my faith that your
gospel, that the gospel of your grace is still the means and
to prove it like Paul did by preaching it and believing in
it that it's the power of God unto salvation because it's Christ's
gospel. God's gospel. He backs it up. No wonder it's called the dynamite
of God. The triune God Himself sends
it forth, and He goes with it, and He proves His presence and
blessing by converting sinners through the preaching of the
gospel. Turn, if you will, to Mark chapter
8. Mark chapter 8. Mark 8 and verse 34. We read in verse 34 of Mark 8,
and when He had called the people, notice that, unto Him with His
disciples also, He said unto them, Whosoever will come after
me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow
me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it, but whosoever
shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall
save it." For what shall it profit a man if he should gain the whole
world and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange
for his soul? Whosoever therefore shall be
ashamed of me and of my words, the gospel. And this adulterous
and sinful generation, of him also shall the Son of Man be
ashamed when he cometh in the glory of his Father with his
holy angels." In 1 Corinthians 9, Paul says, I become all things
to all men. To those without law, as without
law. To those under the law, as under
the law. He said, I become all things
to all men, that I might by all means save some. And he said,
this I do for the gospel's sake. Did you notice Paul's words?
That I might by all means save some. Paul saw the gospel as
the one and only means that God Almighty has ordained in the
calling out of His elect. Therefore Paul said, instrumentally
of course, but he said, save some. He saw himself and the
gospel that God had committed into his hands as the means,
instrumentally, to save sinners. He told Timothy, I think I mentioned
it this morning, he said, I endure all things for the elect's sake. Well, Paul, if they're elected,
if they're going to be saved, Louis, they're going to be saved
regardless. Wrong. No. Not without means. Not without being called. Not
without hearing. Not without believing. And how
shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall he preach except
he be sent? I endure all things for the elect's
sake, Timothy, that they too may obtain the salvation of God
that's in Christ Jesus. All for the gospel's sake. Paul
would say, I'm ready. I'm ready again, verse 15 of
Romans 1. I'm ready to what? So as much as in me is, as much
as God enables me, as long as He gives me breath at every opportunity,
every door He opens, as much as in me is, I'm ready to preach. No, that's not what he said.
There's plenty of men that do that, too many. But Paul said,
no, I'm ready to preach the gospel, the gospel. If any man who claims
to be a preacher and doesn't preach the gospel, he's deceived
and he's a deceiver. Men that God called to preach,
He calls them to preach His gospel and nothing else. Oh, for the
gospel's sake, Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1, these things I do, these things
I endure for the gospel's sake. And he says to you that are at
Rome, with all its immorality? You can read about that in history.
What an immoral, perverse society. The Romans, they were renowned
for it. They took pleasure in it. Oh,
Paul says, I'm coming there to do what? How will you confront
that immorality, Paul? How will you deal with that?
Paul says, preach the gospel. Men in our day that claim to
speak for God claim to be preachers and pastors. I think I saw it
on the news even this week, this past week. The way they confront
these issues, they take up a sign and organize a march and start
to protest. Paul said, not me. Things were
immoral at Rome. Everywhere Paul went, there was
immorality. There was wrong. How did Paul
confront it? What weapon did he use? He preached
The gospel, that's what God called him to do. That was Paul's answer
to injustice, to preach. Because by the preaching of the
gospel, God is pleased to change men's hearts. Change their hearts,
Lonnie, and you'll change their lives. You'll change the way
they act. You'll change the way they treat
their neighbors. You can't do it by laws, but
you can do it by the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore,
Paul says, as much as in me is, I'm ready to preach the gospel
to you that are at Rome also. Oh, we hear men speak and use
great swelling words and folks go away and they say, That was
deep. Usually that means I didn't understand
what that man was talking about. He just used words. He's over
my head. Paul didn't preach that way.
Remember what he said in 1 Corinthians? When I came to you, I came preaching
in simplicity. I didn't attempt to preach over
your heads. I was with you in sorrow and
anguish and much fear and trembling, and I didn't preach the Gospel
to you with the wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ... Listen
to this. Listen to this. I didn't use
words of man's wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be made of none
effect. That's some charge, Louie. That's the danger, isn't it?
Oh no, Paul said, I preach simply. I preach plainly. I wanted you
to understand what the gospel is. Turn, if you will, to Acts
chapter 20. Acts chapter 20, several places
here we'll look at. But in Acts chapter 20, Paul
was giving his farewell to the Ephesian elders. He's on his
way to Jerusalem, we'll look at that in just a moment. Just
right after this, in chapter 21, he arrives in Jerusalem and
he's arrested before he's murdered by the mob. But just prior to
that, in Acts chapter 20, he's on his way to Jerusalem and he
is on a little isle called Miletus and he calls for the elders of
the church at Ephesus. And among the things that he
says to them in Acts 20, look what he says here at verse 17. And from my leaders he sent to
Ephesus, and called the elders of the church. And when they
were come to him, he said unto them, You know from the first
day that I came into Asia, after what manner I have been with
you at all seasons, serving the Lord with all humility of mind,
and with many tears and temptations, which befell me by the lying
in wait of the Jews. Paul said, I'm just the man.
Verse 20, and how I kept back nothing that was profitable unto
you, but have showed you and have taught you publicly and
from house to house, testifying both to the Jews and also to
the Greeks, the same thing he said to the Romans. repentance
toward God, and faith toward our Lord Jesus Christ. And now
behold, I go bound in the Spirit unto Jerusalem, not knowing the
things that shall befall me there save." or accept, that the Holy
Ghost witnesseth in every city, saying that bonds and afflictions
abide me." Remember what God said to Ananias? Don't be afraid,
Ananias. He's a chosen vessel unto me.
Go to him, because I'm going to show him what great things
he must suffer for my name's sake. Verse 24. Look what Paul
says. But none of these things move
me, neither can I my life dear unto myself, so that I might
finish my course with joy and the ministry which I have received
of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God. And now behold, I know that ye
all among whom I have gone preaching the kingdom of God shall see
my face no more. And they did. And from there,
Paul continues his journey toward Jerusalem. Look, if you will,
in chapter 21, verse 10. Paul is in Caesarea. And while
he's there, well, let's read it. Verse 10 of Acts 21. And
as we tarried there many days, there came down from Judea a
certain prophet named Agabus. And when he was come in unto
us, he took Paul's girdle and bound his 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. And when we heard these things,
both we and they of that place besought him, that is Paul, not
to go up to Jerusalem. Paul, don't go. You've been warned. You know what will happen. Don't
go. Then Paul answered, what mean ye to weep and to break
mine 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 seeth saying, The will of
the Lord be done." Oh yes, Paul proved he wasn't ashamed of the
gospel of Christ by his willingness. at all cost, no matter what the
cost, even his very life, which proved to be the case, he was
willing to lay down to preach the gospel. Secondly, Paul proved
his... not being ashamed of the gospel
by his believing it. He said, because it's the power
of God unto salvation. Paul said, I believe that. And everyone that believes it,
that's the means that God is pleased to use to bring salvation
to them. Remember what our Lord said in
the Old Testament? He said, those that honor me,
I will honor. Paul honored God by believing
his word. He honored the gospel by believing. Paul honored God by believing
his word, his gospel, and his son, and God honored Paul by
using him to call many out of darkness into the marvelous light
of his dear son's kingdom. When Paul said the gospel is
the power of God unto salvation, he wasn't speaking about something
he didn't know. He'd experienced it, Louis. He'd
experienced it himself. He personally experienced this
power of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Remember what Christ
said to him on the Damascus Road? When he knocked him off his high
horse, his religious high horse, and that literal horse that he
was on, he fell to the ground and he said, Saul, Saul, why
persecutest thou me? Who are you, Lord? Who are you? He said, I'm Jesus Christ, whom
thou persecutest. It's hard for you to kick against
the pricks, isn't it? The goading. the continual goading,
the pricking of the Holy Spirit in your heart. You can't get
away from it, can you, Saul? Where did that take place? I
declare, I think, certainly, when as a young man he held the
cloaks of those who stoned Stephen, while Stephen preached the gospel,
and he stood there and watched as Stephen was stoned, I think
right there, right there, that goading began, if not before,
all but certainly there. And I think our Lord referred
to that when he said, it's hard for you to kick against the pricks. spoke about preaching the glorious
gospel of the blessed God. He knew something about its power
from personal experience because he had met the glorious gospel
of God personified. Personified on the Damascus road. Brothers and sisters in Christ,
that should encourage you and I. That should encourage us. We have lost loved ones, sons
and daughters. and grandchildren and neighbors
and most of our acquaintance are lost, blind in religion or
irreligion, but lost. Was there a more fierce opponent? Was there anyone that hated Jesus
of Nazareth more than Saul of Tarsus? Nobody. He was determined with His last
breath. He was committed to do everything
He could to spend His life in stamping out that name, erasing
it from the face of the earth as though Christ had never been
here. He considered Jesus the greatest
imposter, the greatest deceiver that ever lived. Who are you,
Lord? I'm Jesus. I'm Jesus, whom thou persecutest. Oh yes, Paul knew something about
the power of the gospel because he experienced it in the person
of the Lord Jesus Christ. You see what grace does? Grace
reigns over sin. Grace reaches deeper than the
stain has gone. Grace can bring that prodigal
son home. God says, My word will not return
void. God, help me to believe that.
It will accomplish that whereunto I send it. Our Lord said, Heaven
and earth shall pass away, but my word shall not pass away. Turn, if you will, to Galatians
1. Paul here again recounts his experience concerning his personal
experience with the gospel of Jesus Christ. He said, I'm not
giving you second-hand knowledge. He said, I know what I'm talking
about by personal experience. Verse 11 of Galatians 1. Paul says, but I certify you,
brethren, you can take this to the bank, that the gospel which
was preached of me is not after man. I didn't learn it from him. For I neither received it of
man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus
Christ He taught me. He burned it into my heart as
with a hot iron. For ye have heard of my conversation,
the way I lived in time past in the Jews' religion, how that
beyond measure I persecuted the church of God and wasted it. and profited in the Jews' religion
above many my equals in mine own nation, being exceedingly
zealous of the traditions of my fathers." Oh, what men will
do for religious tradition. But when it please God, oh, thank
you for grace. Thank you, God, for your amazing
grace. I know I'm reading Paul's testimony,
but it's mine too. The only reason I stand here
tonight, instead of already in hell, like so many of the friends
that I ran around with, and I was the ringleader, Louie. The only
reason. God don't let me ever forget
it. The only reason. But when it
pleased God. who separated me from my mother's
womb and called me by His grace to reveal His Son in me, that
I might preach Him among the heathen. Immediately I conferred
not with flesh and blood, neither went I up to Jerusalem to see
them which were apostles before me, but I went into Arabia."
and returned again unto Damascus. Then, after three years, this
is the only place we're told this. In the book of Acts, it
seems as soon as Paul was converted, he began to preach. But he says
here, no, I went into Arabia. I was alone with Christ three
years. Then after three years, I went
up to Jerusalem to see Peter. You know what the word is there
for see? It's the interrogate. The word is interrogate. To interrogate
Peter, I asked Peter day and night. I bet Paul kept Peter
up all night. Tell me about it. Tell me about
him. Tell me about those three years,
Peter. Tell me about what you saw. Tell
me about what he taught. Tell me everything you can remember. Tell me all about him, Peter. He interrogated Peter. about
the Lord Jesus Christ. Oh yes, Paul proved personally
the power of the gospel of God experimentally. Experimentally. When I was thinking along these
lines, I remembered this that I had laid up and I got it down. It's ten things by Brother Henry
Mahan about preaching. I won't share them all with you.
But along this point that we're speaking on now, I will share
three things. He said, tell only what I know
by experience. Everything else has no passion
of heart. And I remember hearing Henry
say, you can't tell what you don't know or haven't experienced
any more than you can come back from somewhere you've never been.
It doesn't work. And then he says, remember that
if the message I preach doesn't grip my heart, it won't grip
theirs. It won't grip yours. And then
he said, last of all, number 10, expect men to believe. Believe what you preach. Believe
that it's the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth,
as Paul said here in our text. And then God proved it not only
to Paul, but he proved it by Paul, by the fruit that Paul's
preaching resulted in. Remember when he went to Ephesus?
Let's go back to the book of Acts, Acts chapter 19. Paul goes
to Ephesus. And everybody in that place worshipped
the great goddess Diana. They said her image fell down
from Jupiter. Men there were making a living
selling little images of this false goddess. You could put
them on your dashboard or on the front of your car, something
like that. Everywhere you went in that city,
it was great as Diana. Great as Diana of the Ephesians. They built her a huge temple.
And here comes Paul. Here comes Paul. Everywhere he
turned, every street he walked down, there was these hucksters,
these peddlers. Sounds familiar? Here, buy this. Buy this. You'll be good luck.
Buy this holy water. Buy this anointed cloth. This
other nonsense. Great is Diana. And here comes
Paul. And you know what he said? He
saw all that and he said, greater is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. And you know what happened? Look
at verse 17. Or no, verse 10. Paul continued
there for two years, so that all they which dwelt in Asia
heard the word of the Lord Jesus, both Jews and Greeks. And look at what happened. Verse
17, And this was known to all the Jews and Greeks, also dwelling
at Ephesus. And fear fell on them all, and
the name of the Lord Jesus was magnified. Well, that's all that
matters. And many that believed came and
confessed and showed their deeds. They brought their little charms
and threw them down. Many of them also which used
curious arts brought their books together and burned them before
all men. And they counted the price of
them and found it fifty thousand pieces of silver. So mightily
grew the word of God and prevailed. No wonder Paul said that the
gospel of God is the dynamite of God unto salvation. Oh, turn if you will back to
chapter 18 in Acts. Paul comes to Corinth. Now Corinth
was a center of worldly wisdom and philosophy. You remember
how he addressed his epistle? In 1 Corinthians chapter 1 and
2, how he mentioned that so much, it's because the people that
lived there, they were so proud of their knowledge. These folks
thought they were smarter than any so-called God. And Paul comes there, among all
that worldly wisdom and philosophy, Paul, what are you going to do?
What are you going to do? How are you going to combat that?
Look at verse 5 of Acts chapter 18. And when Silas and Timotheus
were come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit and
testified to the Jews that Jesus was Christ. Jesus of Nazareth
was and is the Messiah. And when they opposed themselves
and blasphemed, he shook his raiment and said unto them, Your
blood be upon your own heads. I am clean from henceforth. I
will go unto the Gentiles. And he departed thence, and entered
into a certain man's house named Justice, one that worshipped
God, whose house was joined hard to the synagogue. And Crispus,
the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on the Lord with all
his house. And many of the Corinthians, hearing, believed and were baptized. Verse 9, Then spake the Lord
to Paul in night by a vision, and this is what he said, Behold,
or excuse me, be not afraid. Be not afraid, but speak and
hold not thy peace. Preach, Paul. Why? Verse 10. For I am with thee, and no man
shall set on thee to hurt thee, for I have much people in this
city. Hmm, that sounds like that awful
doctrine of election. That discourages me, doesn't
it you? Of course not. It didn't discourage
Paul. God told him, Paul, your labor
is not in vain. The gospel you preach is not
in vain. I have much people in this city. You stay right where you're at
and just keep doing what you're doing. And look what happens
in verse 11. It didn't discourage Paul. He
continued there a year and six months teaching the word of God
among them. Oh, yes. Men thought Paul was
fanatical when it came to the gospel, the preaching of the
gospel of Jesus Christ. They said, Paul, you're a fanatic
about it. They even accused him of being
mad. Stay in the book of Acts for
a moment and look in chapter 26. Paul has been arrested on his way to Rome. He's been before Festus, who
wanted to show the Jews a favor, so he left Paul bound, though
they had no cause to keep him in prison. Agrippa comes down
with his entourage, and Festus mentions having Paul as a prisoner. So, King Agrippa says, I'd like
to meet him. I'd like to hear what he has
to say, too. So look at verse 19 of Acts 26. Whereupon, O King Agrippa, this
is Paul's testimony. I was not disobedient unto the
heavenly vision, but showed first unto them of Damascus, and at
Jerusalem, and throughout all the coast of Judea, and then
to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do
works meant for repentance. For these causes the Jews caught
me in the temple, and went about to kill me. Having therefore obtained help
of God, I continue unto this day witnessing both the small
and great, saying none other things than those which the prophets
and Moses did say should come, that Christ should suffer, and
that he should be the first that should rise from the dead, the
firstfruits among many brethren. and should show light unto the
people, unto the Gentiles. And as he thus spake for himself,
Festus, saying with a loud voice, Paul, thou art beside thyself,
much learning doth make thee mad." You're crazy, Paul. You're crazy. You've lost your
mind. But if Paul wasn't mad now, he
was mad before. He's in his right mind now. He
was mad before God saved him. Turn if you will to chapter 27
of Acts. Or no, we'll stay in chapter
26. I think I've lost my place. But Paul went on to say, that
he wasn't bad. On the contrary, when he was
lost, that's when he was mad. He thought to do many things
contrary to the name of Jesus Christ and his church and all
the people that called upon his name. He said, I was exceedingly
mad against them. But now, now that he's experienced
God's grace, he's not mad. He's in his right mind now for
the first time in his life. He's not the self-righteous madman
that he used to be. No, but like that demoniac in
Mark chapter 5, after he met Jesus Christ, after Christ came
to where he was, just like he did that madman Saul of Tarsus
on the Damascus Road, they come to that man, and we're told in
Mark chapter 5, they find him sitting at the feet of Jesus,
clothed. And in his right mind. In his
right mind. Oh yes, for the first time in
his life. That's what God does by His mighty
grace. Oh, and that's what he can do
for our sons and our daughters and our grandchildren. Oh, he
says, my arm is not shortened that it cannot save. My ear is
not heavy that it cannot hear. Why can't Jesus Christ still
save to the uttermost? He can. He can. Unless he's lost some power.
Unless he's lost some of his precious merit. Unless he has
ceased to satisfy God Almighty. Unless he no longer delights
to show mercy, unless he no longer has the ability, he's still able
to save to the uttermost. Oh, let us pray, children of
God, that he would be pleased to do it even here, even today. in our day. Oh, there's no reason
why He can't. God gave us faith to believe
that. Paul says, I'm not ashamed of
the gospel of God, for it is. Notice what he says back in Romans
1, verse 16, it is. Not was the power of God, it
is the power of God unto salvation. Whatever God Almighty, if He's
God Almighty, Whatever he takes in hand to use, whatever he wills
to employ, it's going to be effective. It's going to work. Whatever
he takes in hand to accomplish his purpose, ask Samson. The
jawbone of an ask. Ask David, a sling and a stone. Turn, if you will, and then we'll
wrap this up. Turn back to Matthew's Gospel, Chapter 13. We'll look
at one or two places, and then we'll be done. Matthew, Chapter
13. We won't read the entire thing,
you're so familiar with it. I just want to direct your attention
to verse 3. And he spake many things unto
them in parables, Matthew 13 and verse 3, saying, Behold,
a sower went forth to sow. In Mark's account of that, he
uses the word cast, cast. Like a sower of seed. This is the parable. Something
these people were familiar with. Our Lord used everyday illustrations,
or He drew illustrations from everyday things. Behold, a sower
went forth to sow. And as he sowed, Mark says, as
he cast. You know what the word is? That
word cast, sow? It's the same word from which
we get the word broadcast. Broadcast. Oh, so is the kingdom
of God, as Mark says, as if a man should cast seed into the ground,
and from that word comes the word broadcast. Just throw it
out there. Spread the tidings all around. Are you still in Matthew? Look
in chapter 14. Chapter 14 of Matthew at verse
15. When it was evening, his disciples
came unto him, saying, This is a desert place, and the time
is now past. Send a multitude away, that they
may go into villages, and buy themselves victuals. But Jesus
said unto them, Listen to this, They need not depart, give ye
them to eat. And they said unto him, We have
here but five loaves, and two fishes. He said, Bring them hither
to me. bring them to me, give those
loaves to me." Oh, and look at verse 19. And he commanded the
multitude to sit down on the grass, and he took the five loaves
and the two fishes. And looking up to heaven, he
blessed and break and gave the loaves to the disciples and the
disciples to the multitude. There is a picture of gospel
preaching. He gave the bread, the gospel
to the disciples, and the disciples to the multitude. Isn't that
a good picture? And look what happens. Look what
happens. Paul said, it's the power of
God unto salvation, verse 20. And they did all eat and were
filled. And they took up of the fragments
that remained twelve baskets full. One more example, Acts
chapter 8. Acts chapter 8. To illustrate
this very thing, the means that God is pleased to use and why
it has to work. It's His ordained means. In Acts chapter 8, We referred
to this earlier, Saul of Tarsus. Oh, just breathing out threatenings
and slaughter against the people of God. In verse 1 of Acts 8,
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." Scattered, broadcast. I just imagine these believers
wonder, couldn't help but wonder, they're flesh, why is God allowing
this? Why won't God stop this? I mean, this persecution, this
imprisonment, friends dying, fellow believers left and right
falling at our sides. Why does God permit this to continue? And it just seems to get worse.
Look at verse 2. And devout men carried Stephen
to his burial, and made great lamentation over him. But as
for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering into every house
and hailing men and women committed them to prison." There seems
no rhyme or reason to it. These believers went everywhere.
They were scattered. But look at verse 4. Look at
verse 4. Therefore, they that were scattered
abroad went everywhere scattering God's Word. Went everywhere preaching
the Word. Oh, He gives the loaves to the
disciples and the disciples to the multitude. Broadcast it! Broadcast it! Throw the seed
of the glorious gospel of God's grace out there and see if He
won't make it effectual to the salvation of sinners. They went
everywhere preaching the Word. Broadcast. Verse 5, Then Philip
went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them,
because they were scattered. God broadcast the men, and those
men went everywhere, broadcasting His word. To God be the glory. And He does the same thing today,
brothers and sisters. He does the same thing today. God bless you. Delilah.