In Acts chapter 25, really this
incident begins in chapter 24. The Apostle Paul had been a prisoner
now for two years. Felix was the governor. Caesar
had put Felix down, had some trouble with him, and put a man
by the name of Festus in his place, Governor Festus. Felix
left the Apostle Paul bound in prison. Festus came into his
rule, and Festus wanted some money from the Apostle Paul. The Jews were wanting Paul put
to death. So you read the context here.
The Apostle Paul was here in prison at Caesarea. Festus had received King Agrippa. King Herod's son. You remember
King Herod that the worms ate. He gave not God the glory, but
King Agrippa was his son. And Bernice, his sister, came
here and wanted to hear from the Apostle Paul. Festus said,
Felix has left this man bound, and we're sending him to Caesar,
and I don't have anything to charge him with. Would you hear
him? Would you hear what he has to say? And that way maybe I
can know what to charge him with. Send some letters to Caesar.
So let's pick up that story there in chapter 25. And just go back
a little bit in verse 13. Chapter 25. And after certain
days, King Agrippa and Bernice came unto Caesarea to salute
Festus. And then Then Agrippa said unto Festus,
I would also hear the man myself. Tomorrow, said he, you shall
hear him. And on the morrow, when Agrippa
was come, and Bernice with great pomp, and was entered unto the
place of hearing, and the chief captains and principal men of
the city, at Festus' command Paul was brought forth. And Festus
said, King Agrippa and all men which are here present with us,
you see this man about whom all the multitude of the Jews have
dealt with me, both at Jerusalem and also here, crying that he
ought not to live any longer. But when I found that he had
committed nothing worthy of death and that he himself had appealed
unto Augustus, I was determined to send him. of whom I have no
certain thing to write unto my Lord, whereof I have brought
him forth before you, and especially before thee, O King Agrippa,
that after examination had, I might have somewhat to write. For it
seemed to me unreasonable to send a prisoner, and not withal
to signify the crimes laid against him. Then Agrippa said unto Paul,
They are permitted to speak for Then Paul stretched forth his
hand and answered for himself, I thank myself happy, king of
Crippa, because I shall answer for myself this day before thee,
touching all the things whereof I am accused of the Jew. Especially
because I know thee to be expert in all customs and questions
which are among the Jews, wherefore I beg you to hear me patiently.
My manner of life from my youth, which was at the first among
my own nation at Jerusalem, know all the Jews, which knew me from
the beginning, if they would testify, that after the most
strictest set of our religion I lived a Pharisee. And now I
stand and am judged for the hope of the promise made of God unto
our fathers, unto which promise our twelve tribes, instantly
serving God day and night, hope to come. For which hope's sake,
King Agrippa, I am accused of the Jews? Why should it be thought
a thing incredible with you that God should raise the dead? I
have early thought with myself that I ought to do many things
contrary to the name of Jesus at Nazareth, which things I did
also in Jerusalem. And many of the saints did I
shut up in prison, having received authority from the chief priest,
and when they were put to death, I gave my voice against them,
and I punished them often in every synagogue. I compelled
them to blaspheme, and being exceedingly mad against them,
I persecuted them even unto strange cities. Whereupon, as I went
to Damascus with authority and commission from the chief priest,
at midday O King," this is another account that Torrance read to
us, At midday, O King, I saw in the way a light from heaven
above the brightness of the sun. It was shining around about me
and them that journeyed with me. And when we were all fallen
to the earth, I heard a voice speaking to me and saying in
the Hebrew tongue, Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me? It is
hard for you to kick against the pricks. And I said, Who are
you, Lord? And he said, I am Jesus, whom
thou persecutest. But arise and stand upon your
feet, for I have appeared unto you for this purpose, to make
you a minister and a witness both of these things which you
have seen, and of those things in the which I will appear unto
thee, delivering you from the people and from the Gentiles
unto whom now I send you. to open their eyes, and to turn
them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan unto
God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and inheritance among
all them which are sanctified by faith that is in me. Whereupon,
O King Agrippa, 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 worse fit 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 of Moses did say should come, that is, that Christ
should suffer That he should be the first that should rise
from the dead, and that he should show light unto the people and
to the Gentiles. And I hate this part. As he thus
spake for himself, Thestas said with a loud voice, Paul, you
are beside yourself. Much learning doth make thee
mad. Don't you wish he'd have shut
up? Just let this man finish the message. Interrupt a message
like this, it sort of aggravates you, don't it? If Paul called
him noble, I don't think I'd have called him noble. But he
said, I am not mad, most noble Festus, but speak forth the words
of truth and soberness. For the king knoweth of these
things, for whom I speak freely. For I am persuaded that none
of these things are hidden from him, for this thing was not done
in a corner. King Agrippa, do you believe
the prophets? I know that you believe. Then
Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost you persuade me to be a Christian. And Paul said, I would to God,
that not only you, but also all that hear me this day, were both
almost and altogether as I am, except these bonds, these chains. There was nobody like this man.
I think all of us will agree with that that has read his life
story, his epistles. There's no man like this apostle.
Everything he did and everything he was, he was chief. Nobody
did more. Nobody believed firmer. Nobody
lived with as much conviction as this man. Listen to some of
these things that I wrote down. From a child He was taught by
one of the greatest theologians of his day, if not the greatest.
He said, I was brought up in Jerusalem at the feet of Gamaliel
and was taught according to the perfect manner of our fathers. He was circumcised when he was
eight days old. He started his religious convictions
early. He said from a child he believed
and practiced what he had learned. Listen to Galatians 1.14. I profited
in the Jews' religion above many my own equals. Above many. Being more exceeding zealous
of the traditions of my Father. He said if any man as were of
he might trust in the flesh." I'm o'er. I'm o'er. Concerning the outward ceremonies
of the law, the keeping of the Sabbath, knowing which sacrifices
to offer, he said, I was blameless. Nobody could hold with me. I
was chief. In his hatred of the Son of God,
he was chief. I read it to you. I thought with
myself. that I ought to do many things
contrary to the name of Jesus of Nazareth." And he said, I
did it. I just didn't talk about it. I didn't meditate on doing
it. I did it. I hated him with a passion. I
lived to stomp out his name and his memory from the land of Israel. I hated him with a passion. He
was the chief persecutor of the church of our Lord Jesus Christ. He tells us that here in verse
10. When they were shut up in prison, I gave my sentence against them. When they were put to death,
in the latter part of verse 10, I gave my voice. I was there
to witness against them. I punished them often in every
synagogue. I compelled them to deny Christ
and to blaspheme His name, and being exceeding mad against them,
I persecuted them in strange cities." He was chief. He was
chief. In his conversion experience
that Ternce read to us this morning, and I read this account, who
before had ever had the Son of God appear to them in a vision
like this? And whoever had it since, what
an experience this man had. The Son of God appeared to him,
struck him down upon the ground, and revealed himself to him. And he even said, I'm a pattern.
I'm a pattern to those who should believe on the Lord Jesus Christ
to life everlasting. I can't make myself a pattern
in my conversion. But he is. He is. He's chief in his conversion
experience. In his estimation of himself,
in his own judgment of himself, he was the chief sinner. This
is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation, that Jesus
Christ came into this world to save sinners, of whom I am. There's times that you and I
say, scoot over, Paul. Let us sit by you. We feel that
about ourselves. But let's be honest. Let's be
honest. He was. He was. After his conversion, he was
the chief in all that he was and all that he did. In his labors
for the Lord, he said, I labored more abundantly than they all. In the messages that he preached,
more in number. In the churches that he established,
more than any of the apostles. In the epistles that he wrote,
wrote more than any. Yet not I, he says, but the grace
of God that was in me. And his sufferings, whoever suffered
like this man. He was chief in his sufferings.
And I would even say this, without fear of being contradictory.
Though our Lord suffered in His hours upon the cross and suffered
in a way that Paul and no other man could suffer to atone for
sin, yet when we look at this man's life, the whole of his
Christian life, no man in the Old Testament and no man in the
New Testament suffered for the cause and glory of Christ as
this man here. Listen to what he says in 2 Corinthians
11. He says, Of the Jews I received
Of the Jews, five times received I forty stripes." Say one. Thirty-nine times, five times,
they put him to a quipping pole and made his back a sausage.
Three times I was beaten with rods. Once was I stoned, left
for dead. Three times I suffered shipwreck.
A day and a night I've been in the deep. in journeyings often
in pearls of water, in pearls of robbers, in pearls by my own
countrymen, in pearls by the heathen, in pearls in the city,
in pearls in the wilderness, in the sea, in pearls among false
brethren, in weariness, in painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger,
in thirst, in fastings often, in cold and in nakedness, I've never suffered like that.
I'd be ashamed to compare myself to this man. And not only those
things which come on me outward, he said, that which I suffer
with daily, the care of all the church. He was chief in everything. In his knowledge of Christ, no
man received the abundance of revelation that he had. In his
understanding of the gospel, he was clearer than any other
In his love for the Lord Jesus Christ, in his faith, in his
trust, in his dependence upon the Son of God, he was cheered. He was cheered. He said, I'm
not only ready to be bound, but I'm ready to die for the very
name of the Lord Jesus Christ. I love him. I love him. I count all loss for the excellency
of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered
the loss of everything, and count it done that I may win Christ.
The life I now live in the flesh I live by faith of the Son of
God. No man ever lived with more assurance
and a greater desire to be with the Lord Jesus Christ than this
man. There is laid up for me in heaven
a crown of righteousness that he shall give me at that day. I'm in a strait. I have a desire
to depart and to be with Christ, which is far better. In his love
for Christ's elect, I endure all things for the elect's sake. Whatever I may suffer is nothing
if I can get the gospel to Christ's elect. In his love for his fellow
man, he says this, my heart's desire and prayer to God that
they might be saved. If it would help, if it would
secure the salvation of my fellow Jew, I'd be willing to be accursed
from Christ. Oh, isn't he chief in everything? There's never been a man, and
you know who this man is? He's the apostle of the Gentiles.
He's our apostle, and what a great man he was. And here he stands,
this man, and he makes two wonderful and interesting statements. He
makes one at the very beginning of the defense of his faith,
and then he makes a very wonderful statement at the end, the very
end of his defense. I'll deal with one this morning,
and we'll deal with the other one tonight. In chapter 26, in
verse 2, here's what he says. I thank myself." Happy. What a statement. What an amazing
statement. And the last he made is found
here in chapter 26 in verse 29. He says this, I wish that every
one of you was just like me. He said, I would to God that
not only you but also all that hear me this day were both almost
and altogether such as I am, except these bonds." How could
this man make this statement in any sense of the word? To any measure or degree whatsoever,
how could he say, I count myself happy? I think myself happy. I am extremely blessed. I am well off. This man had been
in prison for two years. He had been falsely accused by
his own countrymen. They had taken a vow that they
would not eat or drink until they had murdered this Paul. They had laid wait for him. They
had already stoned him and left him for dead. And even the Holy
Spirit witnesses to him that in every place his foot is to
step, every city that he is to visit, that bonds and afflictions
abide him. And yet here he stands, and the
first word out of his mouth, I thank myself. I am well off. I am extremely
blessed. Consider this with me this morning
and let's look at it from his perspective. I don't dare look
at it from my perspective because it's not so with me. I'll be
honest with you, I have a difficult time being happy sometimes. And
if I stood where this man stood and suffered what this man suffered,
I am certain I could not say what this man said. Then we must
look at it from his perspective. And when we look at it from his
perspective, maybe you and I, by the grace of God, will be
able to say with him, in our sufferings, in our afflictions,
I thank myself happily. First of all is this. He was
a man who had no doubt at all that the Lord had saved him. He had no doubt at all that the
Lord Jesus Christ had saved his soul. Terence read it to you,
and I read another account. There's another account in the
book of Acts. He always knew and he always remembered and
he always had the assurance that the Lord Jesus Christ had been
revealed to his heart. That he had broken him, that
he had changed him, that he made him a new creature. This man
could never say with dear Newton, It is a point I long to know,
am I His or am I not? This man knew in his heart of
hearts that the Lord had saved his soul. No one was ever more
deceived than this man, but once his heart was open to see and
know the truth, he never doubted it, not for a minute. He thought
Christ was an imposter. But when the Lord Jesus was revealed
to him, never did he doubt again that that's the Son of God. And
when the Lord had converted him, the first thing he did was preach
that this Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. God had called
him and revealed his Son in him, and he knew it. I love the verse
that turns red to us about the Lord speaking to Ananias. And
he said, you go over there at this man's prayer. You go over
there and speak to him. This man had prayed all the time,
hadn't he? You saw him in the synagogue
praying. He stood on the street corner and prayed. That's what
Pharisees did. What did he mean he's praying? He's really praying
now. He's really praying now. You know what he's saying now?
He's not saying I'm not like other men. Now he's saying, Lord,
be merciful to me, a sinner. You go over there, Ananias. And
Ananias went and said, Brother Saul, the Lord that appeared
unto you in the way hath sent me, that you may receive your
sight and be filled with the Holy Ghost. And he's sending
you to the Gentiles. And immediately there fell from
his eyes, as it had been scaled And he arose and was baptized
and preached the Lord Jesus at that very time and in that very
place. Oh, this is some people's problem. This is all of our problems I
fear sometimes. That we live in doubt as to whether
the Lord has saved us or not. Some have reason to doubt. There's
no question about that. But others don't. God has given
them assurance, but they cannot, especially in their time of trials,
shake this doubt. They ask with dear Newton, Am
I His? Do I believe Him? Do I love Him? Or do I not? The Lord Jesus has
appeared to them, not in a vision like He did to Paul, but He's
appeared to them in His Word. He's made Himself known in their
hearts. The scales have dropped indeed
from their eyes, yet they have these nagging doubts, especially
in their time of trials. Oh, they could face their persecutors,
and they would never flinch either, if they could only be sure the
Lord has saved them. The Lord has washed their sins
away and given them life everlasting. Oh, if they could live without
assurance, that I am my Beloved's and my Beloved is mine, no amount
of persecution or afflictions or trials would keep them from
saying, I think myself happy. You know why this man was happy?
He knew the Lord had saved him. And he never got over that. And
he lived in the faith and the assurance of that in all the
days of his life when he faced these day and the night in the
deep, when he faced their whippings, when he faced these men to examine
him. It bothered him not. Why? You notice where his mind went
back to? Oh, he says, I remember what I was.
And I remember I was on my way to Damascus. And I remember the
Lord of Heaven smoked me down and made Himself real to me. And my sins were all washed away. And he says, therefore, even
you are standing here to examine me and maybe plot to put me to
death. I'm still happy because the Lord
has saved my soul. Oh, dear brothers and sisters,
if you and I could live in the light of this every day, wouldn't
we say we're happy? Old Brother Scott Richardson
used to say, I haven't heard any bad news since I heard the
good news. That's why this man was happy.
This is why he was The assurance that these apostles had was the
assurance of faith. The only remedy I know for doubts
is this. The only remedy I know for doubts
is this, is to open up your Bibles and to believe what the Lord
tells you. That's the only thing I know
that will rid a true believer of his doubt. This is the very
assurance that the apostles had. You have the words of eternal
life, and we believe and are sure. We want that turned around
backwards, don't we? We want to be sure so we can
believe. But it doesn't come that way.
What you find written in this word is words of life. Believe it. And you can live
in the assurance of it. We believe and are sure. Paul lived in the faith and the
assurance that it was Christ who had called him out of darkness
into his marvelous light. And that he had forgiven all
his sins, as many and as grievous as they were. And if you and
I could do that, if you and I could live in that assurance, we would
thank ourselves happy. That's the first thing. That's
the first thing. The second thing is this, and it's found here
in chapter 26 in verse 19. This is attributed to the Apostle
Paul's happiness. Look in verse 19, chapter 26. Whereupon, O King Agrippa, I
was not disobedient unto the heavenly vision, but I showed
first unto them at Damascus then to Jerusalem, then through all
the coast of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, that they should
repent and turn to God, and do works fit for repentance. You notice that? Paul said, I
was not disobedient. As soon as he said, Lord, what
will you have me to do? From that time, from that time,
he was an obedient man. He just didn't say that with
His lips, did He? Lord, what would You have me
to do? And He meant it. He had that resolve and grace
in His heart. The Lord said, I'm going to send
you to preach to the Gentiles. And Paul said, I'm going to start
right here. He started right there to preach, to follow the
Lord and do the Lord's will. I know what it is to be slothful. I know what it is to be negligent.
I know what it is to not seek the Lord earnestly in prayer. I know what it is to say prayers.
I know what it is to read a chapter, not words. I know what it is
to grow cold and indifferent. Disobedience will make us miserable. We find assurance. We find the
Lord's presence in the way of obedience. Trust and obey. There's no other way to be happy
in Jesus but to trust and obey. Obey is better to obey than sacrifice. It's better to obey than talk
about Christ. It's better to obey God than
anything else. That's why Paul was happy. I
think myself happy. I think myself happy. The old
Puritans used to say there's two things that go hand in hand.
You cannot separate them, they say. God's joined them together
and you cannot separate them. Obedience and assurance. Obedience and assurance. And I think we can add this there,
happiness, happiness. There's no other way to be happy
in Jesus but trust and obey. Wouldn't you hate to have been
standing here in this man's place and you hadn't gone to preach? You hadn't sought the Lord's
will? Wouldn't that have been terrible to stand there? I wouldn't
have said, I think myself happy. I'd have said, man, I'm miserable.
I need to pray. I need to be alone with the Lord
and see if I can get this thing straightened out. But here's
a man that was happy because he said, I was not disobedient
unto this heavenly vision. And here along with that, I want
you to look here in Acts chapter 26. Thirdly, there's something
else that caused this man to be happy. Look here in the 20th chapter,
and look in verse 22. Look at this. The 20th chapter,
and look in verse 22. This is where they were trying
to get Paul not to go up to Jerusalem, knowing that he was going to
be arrested and suffered. And now, behold, I go bound in
the Spirit into Jerusalem, not knowing the things that shall
befall me there, except that the Holy Ghost witnesses in every
city, saying, Bonds and afflictions await you. But none of these
things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, 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." How could this man be happy? Well, he says here,
one way, my life's not dear to me. I've
lost my life. That's what he said. One thing
is dear to this man. And that's the Son of God, the
will of God. That's the most dear thing in
His life. What would you have me to do? If we seek happiness
for happiness' sake, I imagine we'll be the most miserable people
in the world. But when we can reach the point,
by the grace of God, that this Apostle did, that we can say,
my life is no longer dear to me. Lord, what would you have
me to do? Lord, show me the way. Open my
eyes. That's all that matters. Then
we'll be happy. Someone asked Walter Gruber,
one of our missionaries down in Mexico. Walter first got down
there and it was bad. He had no place to live. They
were running him out of towns. He'd go to preach and the Catholics
would come around firecrackers. He was having a tough time. And
somebody said, Walter, are you happy? He said, what does happiness
got to do with it? This is where the Lord has sent
me. This is the will of God for me.
And you know that's what leads to happiness. When I have no desire to please
myself, when my life ceases, my way, my ambitions is burnt
as ashes at my feet, and all that's precious, all that's valuable
is Him. There's where we're apt to be
happy. Here's a serious question. Let
me ask you this question. Does your health mean more to
you than the Lord Jesus Christ? Is he and his way and his will
and his people and his gospel worth more to you than the thousands
of your being? Is your family, your job, your
bank account, your time, your energy, more dear to you than
the Lord Jesus Christ and His gospel. Oh, if Jesus Christ is most dear,
if He is most dear, dearer than all things else put together,
then we may have Him and have all things with Him and be happy. Or we may have nothing but Him. and be happy. If He's everything, if He's most
dear, I think myself happy. What is your life, James said?
It's a vapor. He that seeks to save his life,
he shall lose his life. A man that hangs on to his life
and he counts this present life valuable and refuses to let it
go, he'll lose his life. But whosoever will lose his life
for my sake in the gospel, the same shall find it." When we
lose our life, we find our life in Christ. And when our life
is found in Jesus Christ our Lord, you'll find a degree and
a great measure of joy and happiness in such a life. I think myself
happy. You're going to be happy. You can't value your own time.
If you're going to be happy, you can't esteem your health
or your money, your house, your families more valuable than the
Son of God. You cannot. You cannot. I don't know what's going to
happen to some professing Christians in our day when things get bad
and things get rough. I don't know what's going to
happen to them. I know them, and you know them. When you ask
them to come to worship, they say it's too far to drive. When
you ask them to read the scriptures, they say they don't have time.
When you ask them to examine their selves, they're afraid
to. When you ask them what they believe,
they can't tell you. But they have time for themselves.
They have time for their own labor. They have time for everything. And they put their energy, they
put their time, they put their talents, they put their money
into self. That's the most valuable thing
in their life is me. What's going to happen to people
like that when the trying time comes? When tough times come? I think you're going to see a
lot of miserable professionals. They ain't going to be saying,
I'm happy. What are they going to do when they stand where the
Apostle Paul stood? And they've been in prison. They've
lost their liberty. They're confined. What would
Joel Osteen do then? That'll wipe the smile off of
his face. You say, Bruce, that's cruel. No, that's just the truth.
That's just the truth. The world loves that man. He's
offensive to the church. He denies the deity of the Son
of God. And he says now that he's happy.
Oh, he's happy. I'm so happy. You're preaching
to 6,000 people that you've deceived. You got it made. You're a rich
man. You've got all the luxuries, all the temporal advantages.
Yeah, you're happy. That'll put you in jail. That'll
put you in chains. Stand before the authorities
to give account of your faith in Christ. See if you're happy
then. No, there's a reason this man
was happy. And he said, my life's worth
nothing. I've got another life. I've got a greater life. The
Son of God is my life. That's happiness there. Let come
what may, come what will. He's my life. Two more things
quickly, and I'll let you go. We find this, and I'll quote
it until you don't have to turn there, but this has to be one
of the chief reasons why this man standing here, a prisoner
that he was, could say, I thank myself happily. In Romans chapter
8, verse 28, he said this, We know, we know, we know that all
things work together for good to those who love God. to those
who are the called according to his purpose. Here he stands
accused in chains, a common prisoner who has been stoned and left
for dead, made a whipping post out of, and yet he says, I know
something. I know something. I know something. Here's our problem. He knows,
we think. He has the assurance of it. We're
just not quite for sure. I don't know, Paul said. Don't
ask me to explain. Now, I can be whipped until I
was almost ready to pass out, and I can say, this is for my
good. But he says, my God tells me
this, and I believe it. I believe it. Don't ask me why
I'm standing here. having done nothing wrong to
be accused and punished for it. But I know it's for my good that
God is so careful with my soul and with my body that everything
that happens in my life, God is working it in His wisdom and
His sovereign authority for His glory and my good. All things work out for good,
we know. Such is God's great design. He orders all our steps below,
all of them, all of them, for purposes divine. This is the
faith that keeps me still no matter what the test, and lets
me glory in His will. For well, I know, tis best."
So now the future holds no fear. God guards the work begun, and
mortals are immortal here. You mean this poor, humble man
standing before the bar of Thestis is immortal? Yes, sir, he's immortal
until his work is done. Someday the path he chose for
me will all be understood. In heaven's clear light I'll
see all things worked out for good. The stones pounding off
of my head was good. The whip on my back was good. This chain that I'm wearing on
my feet, it was good. I have learned, in whatever state
I am in, to be there with content. I thank myself. Happy. I am happy. I am happy. Ain't that a good goal to shoot
for? I'm not there. Are you there? Anybody there
at this point? Well, I ain't there either. Ain't that a good
goal to shoot for? But we won't get there without using this
man as our pattern. And lastly is this, and I'll
turn and just read this to you, and then you can go. Look over
2 Corinthians chapter 4. 2 Corinthians chapter 4. And look in verse 14. 2 Corinthians 4, 14. Knowing. Knowing. This is our hope. knowing that He, that is God
the Father, which raised up the Lord Jesus Christ from the dead,
shall also raise us up by Jesus, and shall present us with you.
For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might,
through the thanksgiving of many, rebound to the glory of God.
For which cause we thank But though our outward man perish,
yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light afflictions,
which are but for a moment, works for us a far more exceeding and
eternal weight of glory." The afflictions of this world are
for a moment. We are looking at things in the
light of eternity. The afflictions of this world
are light compared to the glory that awaits us, which is heavy. We look not, in verse 18, at
things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen.
If I looked at things which I see this morning, I'd quit, wouldn't
you? Wouldn't you? We dare not look at the things
which our natural eye sees and our carnal reasons try to figure
out. But what do we look at? We look
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 think myself happy. I think
myself happy. And tonight, this afternoon,
we'll consider that statement. I wish all of you were just like
me. All right?