My how the tables have turned
for Paul and Barnabas. I tried to picture this as I
was thinking about this passage of scripture. They went from
being considered as gods, the gods are come down in the likeness
of men, and they were going to offer a sacrifice to them, and
then some people from Antioch, Jews came and persuaded the people,
and they actually stoned Paul. Now, picture that in your mind.
Paul was the principal speaker. And a bunch of people started
throwing rocks at him. I can see him trying to cover
up his body, them hitting him in his head, wherever else they
would hit him. And he crumpled down, fell down, everybody watching. And the people of the town, when
it says they drew him out, the word means they drug him out,
I guess by the heels, dragging him out of town. as a dead man
and just leaving him there. They weren't going to provide
any kind of bearing for him. I suppose they thought that he
would be carrying for wild animals or birds. And during this time,
the disciples stood around him, and I'm sure they were devastated.
They thought he was dead, and all of a sudden he moved. Can
you imagine how exciting that was to them? He moved, and then
I picture him getting up. How painful that must have been.
How many cuts and bruises were all over his body. Maybe broken
bones. But he gets up in their midst. We read in verse 20. Howbeit
as the disciples stood round about him, he rose up and came
into the city. And the next day, He departed
with Barnabas to Derbe, and when they had preached the gospel
in that city. Now, this was their purpose,
and this is our purpose, to preach the gospel. As simplistic as that is, that's
the most profound thing that we can do, to preach the gospel. And when they had preached the
gospel to that city and taught many, made many disciples, there
were a lot of people who were saved through this preaching. That's what that's a reference
to. They returned again to these places where they had been persecuted,
Lystra and Iconium and Antioch. Confirming the souls of the disciples
and exhorting them to continue in the faith. Now that's what
I've entitled this message. This is what I want to do. This
is what I want you to do. To continue. To continue in the
faith. I love the definite article there.
Very important. To continue in the faith. And I'm sure they were looking
at him with bumps and bruises and cuts and that we must, through
much tribulation, enter into the kingdom of God. I bet it
meant something, him saying that, looking at him, what he just
experienced. And when they had ordained them elders in every
church, and prayed with fasting, they commended them to the Lord
on whom they believed. Now this is a verse that is used
by people to teach that there should be a plurality of elders. And somebody says, what's plurality
mean? It means more than one pastor. many elders. It says they ordained
elders in every church. Well, that's the way I would
speak if I was talking about ordaining elders in any church.
I wouldn't say ordain a elder for each individual specific
church. I'd say they ordained elders
in every church. And when the Bible is speaking
of this, think of The Lord speaking to the angel at the church at
Ephesus. And the angel at the church of
Pergamos. And the angel of the church of
Laodicea. Not angels, angel. A church is
to have one pastor. Deacons, in the plural. I mean, the church in Jerusalem
had over 10,000 people. I guess it did need Was it seven
deacons, six deacons, or seven deacons? And I think it's also
interesting in Timothy, when Paul was giving Timothy the instructions
with regard to the bishop, he said a bishop. But when he spoke
of the office of a deacon, he spoke in the plural of deacons.
You'd have to really be stretching things to teach a plurality of
elders. You know, that almost sounds
like a disease, doesn't it? A plurality of elders. Well, at any rate,
let's go back to verse 21. And when they had preached the
gospel to that city and had taught many, they returned again to
Lystra and to Iconium and to Antioch, confirming the souls
of the disciples and exhorting them to continue in the faith. I heard a Christian song and by that I
don't mean a gospel song. It was one of the contemporary
Christian Musicians and this has been several years ago, but
I'll never forget hearing this line It says we all believe just
not the same thing Well, I guess that fits in with continuing
a faith as long as you believe doesn't matter what you believe
continue in believing We all believe, but just not the same
thing. Now that kind of thinking throws
the faith out the window. So important, the definite article,
the faith. And every believer is called
upon to continue in the faith. Now the faith has a definite
content. Titus 1.1 speaks of the faith
of God's elect, the faith that all of God's elect possess. I find this so comforting. Every
believer believes same thing. There's not different beliefs.
Every believer believes the same thing, the same gospel, the faith
of God's elect, the acknowledging, the embracing, the recognition
of the truth. Now that's the content of the
gospel, the truth. Which is after, which is caused
from, which is the child of godliness, the truth. The truth concerning
who God is. The truth concerning who man
is. The truth concerning how God saves sinners. I think of the Lord saying to
Pilate, it's one of my favorite Passage of Scripture. I like
to think of how this must have gone on between the two of them.
When he said, I came to bear witness to the truth. And oh,
how he bore witness to the truth of who God is, who man is. He is salvation. How he bore
witness to the truth. And Pilate asked this question.
What is truth? Is there such a thing? And if
there is, wouldn't it be presumptuous for a man to say I know the truth?
I mean, who are you to think you've got your hand on things?
What about somebody else? But here's what I think he really
meant more than anything else. The truth. Is it worth this? Is it worth you being nailed
to a cross for the truth? The faith of God's elect is the
acknowledging, the full embracing, the recognition of the truth,
which is after godliness. Second Thessalonians, I'm going
to quote a bunch of scriptures. I'm not going to ask you to turn
to these, but I want you to listen. Second Thessalonians 2.13, Paul
said, we're bound to thank God always for you. Brethren, Beloved
of the Lord. I want to be one of those people,
don't you? Somebody that's beloved of the Lord. Because God hath
from the beginning chosen you to salvation. I want to be one
of those people too, don't you? Through sanctification of the
spirit and belief of the truth. You know, the sanctification
of the spirit is seen in the belief of the truth. And it is the sanctification
of the spirit that causes the belief of the truth. In Titus
1.3, Titus speaks of, and I'm using the definite article with
the faith in all of these scriptures, he speaks of the common faith.
The common faith. Now, that word common means that
which is general to all as opposed to that which is peculiar to
the few. This is what all of God's elect possess, the common
faith. Peter called it like precious
faith. I love that. It's alike. Every
believer has the same faith and it is precious, the gift of God's
grace. It's called by John in Revelation
chapter 13, verse 10, the faith of the saints. This is the faith
that all of God's saints possess. Believing that Jesus is the Christ. Believing that Jesus is the Son
of God. You believe that? That's the
faith of God's elect. It's believing Christ. The faith in scripture is called
the faith of God, Romans 3.3. It's called the faith of Jesus
Christ in Galatians 2.16. It's called the faith of the
son of God in Galatians 2.20. It's called in Colossians 2.12,
the faith of the operation or the working of God. That's the
word is generally translated, the works of God. We do believe
in salvation by works. His. His. Faith in the working of God. Revelation 14.12 speaks of the
faith of Jesus. Listen to these other descriptions
of faith. Acts 24, 21, the faith in Christ. I love the simplicity of that.
The faith in Christ. We read in Romans 3, 27 of the
law of faith. I love the law of faith. You
know, a law, like a physical law, what comes
up must come down, law of gravity. It's, well, do you know a believer
has a law in him? The law of the spirit written
in his heart that makes it to where he cannot not believe. I love that. Now, at all times,
our prayer is, Lord, I believe. That's the new man, the new nature,
the law of faith. Help thou mine unbelief. That's the old nature that is
always there. But every believer, try to not
believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. You can't do
it. Try to believe that Jesus is
not the Christ. Try to believe that he is not
all in salvation. You can't do it. It's the law
of faith. Romans 4 11 speaks of the righteousness. of the faith, the righteousness.
And I know exactly what Paul said, Oh, that I may win Christ
and be found in him not having my own righteousness. And I can
say with such conviction, I don't want to have anything to do with
my own righteousness because I know what it is, but that which
is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness, which is of
God by faith. Philippians 1, 27, he uses a
double definite article, the faith of the gospel. In Ephesians 4, 13, we read of
the unity of the faith. And you know, every believer is in complete
agreement right here. Now, people have their different
convictions about different things, I realize that, but there is
something called the unity of the faith, that every believer
is united in Christ being all. I mean, there's true unity there.
There's a heart unity. There's no, it's not simply a
uniformity trying to be the same. There's a true unity brought
about by the unity of the spirit. The unity of faith. I love 1
Timothy 3, 9 speaks of the mystery of the faith. I love how mysterious
the gospel is. I mean, don't you love the mystery
of the gospel? That doesn't mean it's stuff
you don't know. You know the mystery of the gospel,
but he's revealed it, but it's things you would have never known
had he not revealed them. Isn't God the Father, God the
Son, and God the Holy Spirit mysterious? Isn't it mysterious
how I can actually be righteous before God and God sees me without
seeing? Isn't it mysterious that you're
birthed of God, born of God? I mean, all the gospel is mystery. glorious mystery that only he
reveals. And we would have never known
it had he not made the mystery of the gospel known. We read
in 1 Timothy 3, 13 of the faith, which is in Christ. So simple. The object of faith is Christ
himself. We have a tendency to always
be looking to ourself. How can I be saved if I think
this? How can I be saved if I do that? How can I be saved if I
keep doing that? Always looking to yourself. The mystery of the faith is the
mystery of the faith in Christ, not in yourself, in Christ. Now, there are so many warnings
concerning the faith. We read of being weak in faith.
Weak in faith, and it's not good to be weak in faith. Abraham
was strong in faith. giving glory to God, being fully
persuaded that what God had promised, He was able also to perform.
I'm gonna be strong in faith, don't you? We read of being turned
from the faith, where people seem to believe and somehow they
were turned from the faith. We read of departing from the
faith. We read of denying the faith. We read of erring from the faith. We even read of the faith of
some being overthrown and we read of being reprobate concerning
the faith. Now those are strong warnings
and that is why it is so important for us to be exhorted as Paul
and Barnabas did to these people to continue in the faith. There are numerous exhortations
with regard to the faith. We read in Romans 1, 5 of obedience
to the faith. You know what that means? You believe what God says. It's
that simple. To not do so is disobedience.
We read of being established in the faith where you can't
be moved. You don't have to be moved around all over the place.
I want you to turn with me to this scripture. Hebrews chapter
six. Hebrews chapter six. Therefore, leaving The principles,
now that word is the elements. It's the ABCs. If you don't have the ABCs down,
you're not gonna be able to read very well. Matter of fact, you're
not gonna be able to read at all. What he's saying is we ought
not have to keep teaching the ABCs. They ought to come automatic
to you. And you know, I know that I can
give ABCD Egypt. I can do that. I've got it down.
I've had it down for a long time. It's important to have that down.
You're going to struggle with reading unless you have the elementary
truths down. Now here's what he's saying.
Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, now
you don't ever leave the ABCs, do you? Well, don't need the
ABCs anymore. You always need the ABCs. It's
the building block. It's the foundation, the elementary
truths of the gospel. And he's gonna tell us what they
are. Therefore, leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let
us go on unto perfection, not laying again the foundation.
Now, what would happen in trying to build a building if you're
all the time laying again the foundation? Superstructure wouldn't
go up, would it? The house wouldn't go up if you
have to lay again the foundation. And the problem with the Hebrews
is they were having trouble with the foundation. Now here's what
they are. Repentance from dead works. Now, every work done before Hearing
the gospel and regeneration is a dead work. And we're called
upon, the first thing he says, is to change your mind with regard
to dead works. See them for what they are, dead
works. No life in them. There's no salvation in them.
There's no true knowledge of God in dead works. Have a change
of mind about your dead works. Well, I was saved when I, in
something contrary to the gospel. No, you weren't. No, you weren't. Repent of dead work. See them for what they are. The
second thing he mentions is faith toward God, which is faith in
Jesus Christ. Of the doctrine of baptisms.
Now, he's not just simply talking about the mode of baptism, baptism
by immersion. He's talking about what baptism
teaches. When I'm baptized, I am saying, through this picture,
that all my salvation is being in Christ, united to Him. When
He lived, I lived. This is why baptism is so important.
When He lived, I lived. When He died, I died. My sins were paid for. When He
was raised, I was raised. That's my life before God. the
doctrine of baptisms in the laying on of hands. And that's not talking
about a bunch of people laying their hands on some preacher
and all, and all of a sudden now he's ordained, you know,
or it's not talking about people laying hands on people and they
fall backwards. They've received the Holy Spirit
and all this weird stuff that people talk about. That's not
that at all. What that's talking about is the high priest laying
his hands on the head of the sacrifice. What happened? The sins of God's people of Israel
were transferred to that scapegoat in picture. But what that is
talking about, and this is the joy of, this is where our assurance
comes from, my sin became his sin. It was transferred to him.
And his righteousness is transferred to me. You say, how does that
work? Well, God can do it. He said, God's work is not something
we have the authority to do. I'll never forget hearing a preacher
who was caught up in some kind of scandal. He said, well, I
put that sin under the blood. Oh, you can do that, huh? You can just up and indiscriminate,
I'm going to put that sin, it doesn't work that way in any
way. mysterious transfer of sin, transfer
of righteousness. And then he talks of the resurrection
of the dead. Christ was raised from the dead.
He honored God, he justified all of his people. Every believer
is raised from spiritual death when they're given a new heart
in the new birth, and then that final resurrection, and then
he speaks of eternal judgment. I love the, all the works were
finished from the foundation of the world. Christ is the Lamb
slain from the foundation of the world and everything with
regard to God is eternal, eternal judgment. If it's something that
only took place in time, it's not God's work. Everything God
does is eternal. And we should be grounded right
here and not have to lay again the foundations over and over
again. We read in 2 Corinthians 13,
5, to examine yourselves whether you be in the faith. Not examine
yourselves at how holy you're becoming or how well you're dealing
with sin and putting down sin and how you're growing in the
fruit of the spirit and you're growing and becoming more Christ-like
and more, it doesn't say that at all. It says examine yourselves
whether you be in the faith. Ephesians 3, 12, in whom we have
boldness and access with confidence by the faith of him. What is it that gives us boldness
and access with confidence? Is it the strength of your faith?
No, it's the faith of him. It's the faith of him. We read in Colossians 2, seven
of being established or confirmed in the faith. Paul said, I've
fought a good fight. I finished my course. I've kept
the faith. We're called upon to continue
in the faith. The Lord said, if you continue
in my word, then are you my disciples indeed. Not just beginning, but
continuing. Turn with me to John chapter
15. John chapter 15. The word continue is quite often
translated abide, it's translated remain, it's translated tarry. You tarry in a place you like
being. John chapter 15 beginning in verse 4. Continue in me. Same word. And I in you as the
branch cannot bear fruit of itself except it continue in the vine,
No more can you except you abide in me. I am the vine, you are
the branches. He that continueth in me and
I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit. For without me, you
can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he's
cast forth as a branch and is withered and men gather them
and cast them into the fire and they're burned. If you abide
in me. And my words abide in you. You know, somebody that abides
in Christ, his words are going to be abiding in him. It's always
that way. You shall ask what you will and
shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified
that you bear much fruit. So shall you be my disciples
as the Father hath loved me. How did the Father love Jesus
Christ? As the Father hath loved me,
so have I loved you. Continue ye in my love. Now I want to close by looking
at two verses of scripture in Hebrews chapter three. What is
this thing of continuing in the faith? There's the faith. We're called upon to continue
in the faith. What in the world does it mean
to continue in the faith? Look in verse six. The Christ. As a son over his
own house. Whose house are we? If. We hold fast the confidence
and the rejoicing of the hope. Firm unto the end. Now we're the house of Christ.
He dwells in us and we dwell in him. If. If. That's a big word. That's an
important word. I want to presume on this. We're
the house of Christ if we hold fast the confidence. What do you have confidence in? There's only one thing I have
confidence in, a person, the Lord Jesus Christ, that all that
God requires of me he looks to his son for. That is all I have
confidence in. Now, that actually is the beginning
of my confidence. And it's my confidence right
now. And on my last breath, it'll be my only confidence. If we
hold the confidence and the rejoicing of the hope. Now that word rejoicing
isn't just talking about being joyous. There's two words translated
joyous. This one is the same word Paul
used when he said, God forbid that I should glory, save in
the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. Philippians 3.3, we are the circumcision,
which worship God in the spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus and have
no confidence in the flesh. Now, this confidence and the
rejoicing of this hope, my hope, is built on nothing less than
Jesus' blood and righteousness. I dare not trust the sweetest
frame, but wholly lean on Jesus' name. This hope, this confidence,
this rejoicing of the hope is to be held firm unto the end. Now, here's what perseverance is.
Perseverance is when I first looked to Christ, he was all I had. I really knew
I didn't have anything else. The only hope I have is Christ
is all. You know what? Right now, it's
no different. It's not a bit different. I'm
looking to Christ the same way I looked the first time. He's
all I have. I have nothing else to plead
before God. And when I take my last breath,
I've persevered. If even then, all I have is Jesus
Christ. That's my only plea before God.
I don't have anything else. Don't want anything else. And
it's not like that's the minimum requirement. That's everything.
You see, if all you have is Christ, you have all. All God requires,
all God delights in. Now, to persevere, to continue
in the faith is to continue right there. Look in verse 14 of the
same chapter. For we are made partakers of
Christ. Well, that's something, isn't
it? To be a sharer in all that Christ is, to be an actual partaker,
to be part of Him. I love that scripture Peter uses,
partakers of the divine nature. We are made partakers of Christ.
In another place, it says partakers of His holiness. Now, what a
high and heavy and glorious heavenly calling that is to be a partaker
with Christ so that I'm one with Him. I'm united to Him. Everything's
good for me. We are made partakers of Christ. if we hold the beginning, the
very first confidence we ever had. Same thing as that last
verse. We are made partakers of Christ
if we hold the beginning of our confidence. The beginning of our confidence
sounds something like this, of him or you in Christ Jesus, who
of God is made unto us. wisdom, and righteousness, and
sanctification, and redemption. That's the beginning of our confidence.
And that's what we hold steadfast to the end. When from the dust
of death I rise to take my mansions in the skies, in them shall this
be all my plea, that Jesus lived and died for me. And you know
something I'm going to see more clearly in glory than I do right
now? Because I won't have this flesh
weighing me down the way it does. Jesus Christ is all in salvation. And it will be my joy through
the ages to sing of his love to me. Now, if I don't stay right
there, I will turn from the faith, I will err from the faith, I
will fall away from the faith. And this thing of perseverance,
don't think it just means staying religious. Well, somebody fell
away, they've gone back to the world. Well, that's a bad thing,
but you can stay religious and fall away from looking to Christ
only. May the Lord enable every one
of us to continue in the faith. Let's pray. Lord, we ask in Christ's name,
by thy spirit, by thy grace, for Christ's sake, that you will
deliver us, that you will shut us up to the faith. and that we might not look anywhere
but Christ only. Nothing more, nothing less, and
nothing else. Oh, Lord, make that to be so
by your grace in each heart here according to your will. In Christ's
name we pray, amen. Dwayne, come lead us in a closing
hymn.