Okay, today we're going to look
at Acts 27. The title of the message is pretty
obvious. Be of good cheer. Be of good
cheer. Or we could say it this way.
Be of good courage. Take heart. Take heart. Lift up your voice. Be of good
cheer. Be of good courage. Now, he says
that in verse 24 and 25, saying, Fear not, thou must be brought
before Caesar, and lo, God hath given thee all them that sail
with thee. Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer, for I believe
God. Be of good cheer, because I believe
God, that it shall be even as it was told to me by the messenger
of God, be of good cheer. The only reason we have as believers
to be of good cheer, of good courage or cheerfulness is resting
in the exceeding great and precious promises of God. His word cannot
fail. His Word will not fail because
He cannot fail. He's given us exceeding great
and precious promises in His Word. Not one word He has spoken
will fail. Our Lord said, I've spoken it.
I've purposed it. I'll do it. I'll bring it to
pass because our God and Savior cannot fail. His word cannot
fail. Whatever God has told his people
of or promised unto them shall be performed, shall be done,
shall be accomplished. There are no failed promises
with God. Now we may make a promise. And
due to circumstances, we may not be able to fulfill that promise.
God doesn't act that way. He said, I've spoken it, I've
purposed it, I will do it. He commands and it stands fast.
All the promises of God in the Lord Jesus Christ are certain,
sure, yes, and amen. Failure is not an option. Failure is not an option. In
verse 25 it says, it shall be even as it was told me. Now who told him? Who told him
that we're going to lose a ship, but not one soul will perish.
God told him that. Wherefore sirs, I believe it
shall be even as it was told me. The last part of verse 25.
We studied last week and I read this scripture to you and I'll
repeat it. In Romans four, He staggered not at the promise
of God, considering Abraham through unbelief that was strong in faith,
giving glory to God, being fully persuaded that what he had promised,
he was able to perform. Saving faith is fully persuaded
that God is able to do all He said. Able to save to the uttermost
all that come to God by Him, seeing He ever liveth to make
intercession for us. His purpose and His grace that
God purposed from eternity in the Lord Jesus Christ shall be
done because He cannot fail. Now, let's get back to the story
here for a moment. When it was determined, verse
1, when it was determined that we should sail into Italy, they
delivered Paul and certain other prisoners under one named Julius,
the centurion of the Augustus band. It was determined by who? Who determined it? I'm sure that
Agrippa and Festa thought they determined it, but they only
did what God purposed before to be done. God worketh all things
after the counsel of his own will. The Lord our God purposed
and determined for Paul to take this journey to Rome and there
to preach the gospel for two years. When his ministry was
over, the Lord took him home to glory. Turn over here to Acts
28 in the next chapter over and read the last two verses. And
Paul dwelt two whole years in his own hired house and received
all that came in unto him, preaching the kingdom of God, teaching
those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence,
no man forbidding him. Even though in prison, even though
he sits on death row waiting to be executed, he's still preaching,
preaching, preaching the gospel. He writes from the prison cell
these words. For me to live is Christ. To
die, he said, is gain. And then again he writes from
his prison cell in Rome, for I'm ready to be offered. The
time of my departure is at hand. I've fought a good fight. I've
finished my course. I've kept the faith. the time of my departure. I finished
my course. I've run the race. I've kept
the faith. Man's days, someone said, are
immortal here until their work is done. When their work is done,
they're done. God is pleased to take his people
home. When Paul and Luke and Aristarchus and the other prisoners
The soldiers and the sailors, a total of 276, were making this
journey from Caesarea to Rome. The Lord was pleased to send
this great wind called Eurocladon. It was a typhoon. say in that area, they call them
typhoons, we would call them hurricanes. 70, 80, 90, 100 mile
an hour winds, which sank the ship and all aboard the ship
were able to make it safely to land, just as God said, so it
came to pass, we all made it safe to land. Just as the Lord promised Paul
that none would lose their lives, so it came to pass. Isn't it
encouraging to know everything God speaks, every promise he's
given will come to pass? If Paul could boldly speak these
words of comfort to these men, of 273 of these men, were pagans. They didn't know
God. They didn't believe the gospel.
If Paul could boldly speak these words of comfort to these men
upon the ship, who were for the most part not believers, how
much more can we read and hear these words as believers and
take great comfort in the words and promises of the Lord to you. This is God's word to you. Be
of good courage. Be of good cheer. When the storms
of life are raging, when the sun does not shine for days,
and the stars are not seen at night, when all looks bleak,
black, and barren, when all hope seems to be gone, what? Be of good cheer. for I believe
God." Now this was not the first time that Paul heard these words.
Turn back a few pages. You remember in Acts 23 when
he stood before that council, the first time that Sanhedrin
council and Ananias the high priest and all those different
men Verse 10 says, And when there arose a great dissension, the
chief captain, fearing lest Paul should have been pulled in pieces
of them, commanded the soldiers to go down and take him by force
from among them, and to bring him into the castle. They were
ready to tear him in pieces. And the night following, the
Lord stood by him and said, verse 11, Acts 23, Be of good cheer,
Paul. For as thou hast testified of
me in Jerusalem, now get this, so must thou bear witness of
me in Rome. He must go to Rome because God
had determined it to be so. So Paul has heard these words
before, and this was not the only time the Lord spoke these
words of great comfort. We read over in Matthew 14, turn
to Matthew chapter 9, and look at this reference here. In Matthew
chapter 9, there was a paralyzed man who had some dear friends. and the Lord Jesus Christ was
in this certain house and they couldn't get in. So they took
off part of the roof and lowered this man on a bed down before
the Lord Jesus Christ in Matthew chapter 9 and behold they brought
him to sick man of palsy lying on the bed and Jesus seeing their
face said unto the sick of the palsy son be of good cheer thy
sins be forgiven the same one speaks good cheer to one who
needed forgiveness of sin and behold certain of the scribes
said within themselves this man blaspheming and Jesus knowing
their thoughts said wherefore think ye evil in your hearts
for whether it's easier to say thy sins be forgiven thee or
to arise and walk in but that they may know that the Son of
Man hath power on earth to forgive sins, saith he to the sick of
the palsy. Rise and take up your bed, and
go to your house." It's easy to say, well, your sins are forgiven.
But to say to this lame man, paralyzed man, you get up, take
up your bed and walk. Thy sin had been forgiven. Be
of good cheer, be of good cheer. And remember this reference,
turn to John 16. We read in Matthew 14 as the
disciples were on that ship in the midst of a storm and the
Lord Jesus Christ comes walking upon the water and they were
afraid And the Lord said to them, be of good cheer, it is I, don't
be afraid. And then the Lord says to them
in John 16, turn there, John 16, verse 33. These things I've spoken unto
you that in me you might have peace. In the world, trouble,
tribulation, but be of good cheer. Why? I've overcome, I've overcome
the world. So it's a repeated message the
Lord would have us to know. To have us to hear, to have us
to believe, to have us to have comfort in our heart, be of good
cheer. Be of good cheer. No matter what the day may hold,
we know who holds the day. We know who holds the day. No
matter what our circumstances may be, we have every reason
to trust our Lord for he knows what is best. used to be an old
black and white TV show years ago. Some of you older ones will
remember they had that TV show called Father Knows Best. Remember? Our father knows best for us. He knows what's best for us.
What he brings our way is for our good. That is why trials
in the believer's life are called precious. That's why he called
our trials light afflictions that don't work against us, that
work for us in exceeding and eternal weight of glory. That's
why we can read with the Apostle Paul and we know that all things
work together for good to them who love God, to them who are
called according to his purpose. Let me encourage you who believe
the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ to take comfort in his
word and in his presence to be of good cheer, be of good cheer. No matter what the day may hold,
no matter No matter what the day may hold, we know who holds
the day. We read in scripture, our times
are in His hand. Psalm 31, I hope to bring the
message from Psalm 31 Wednesday evening. It says this, but I
trust in the Lord. I trust in Thee, O Lord. I said,
Thou art my God. My times are in Thy hand. Your life is in His hand. That's
why the Lord said, into thy hand I commit my spirit. Be of good
courage. Psalm 31, 24 says, be of good
courage, be of good cheer, and he shall strengthen thy heart.
All ye that hope in the Lord, be of good cheer. No matter how
bleak the outcome may seem, no matter how severe the pain may
be, no matter how hopeless the situation appears to be, be a
good chair. The Lord reigns. The Lord reigns. Now we've been through some,
2020 was quite a year, wasn't it? Over 500,000 people died of COVID, they say. The
Lord kills and the Lord makes alive. Everyone who died, died
at the appointed time. God appointed that day. The number
of his months is what the Lord pointed on the man who wants
to die and after that judgment, whether it's COVID or something
else, the Lord kills, the Lord makes alive. If you belong to
the Lord Jesus Christ in that eternal covenant of mercy, if
you purchase with his blood that redeemed us from all sin, if
you're called by the effectual grace of God to a saving knowledge
of the Lord Jesus Christ, you have every reason to be a good
cheater. Our sovereign Lord controls all
things in our lives and is in charge over all aspects in all
things. We read this verse and quote
it quite often Romans 11 36 for of him and through him and to
him are all things to whom be glory both now and forever forever. He will give us grace in the
time of trial. That's his promise to his children.
He said my grace is sufficient. God gives real grace for real
trials when we need it. Real hope. for real grief, real
mercy for real misery, real grace for real guilt before God. Now, let me give you five things
from this verse found in Acts 27. Let's begin at verse 22. Now I exhort you to be of good
cheer, for there shall no loss of any man's life among you,
but the ship, for there stood by me this night the angel of
God, verse 23, whose I am, at point number one, whom I serve,
point number two, saying, fear not, Paul, thou must be brought
before Caesar, point number three, God hath given thee all them
that sail with thee, wherefore, sirs, Be of good cheer, for I
believe God that it shall be even as it was told me. I believe God. So Paul was aware,
verse 23, there stood by me this night the angel of God. Paul
was aware, well aware of the presence of God with him. the
presence of God with him. The angel of the Lord was sent
to minister to him. Now, we don't worship angels,
but they are ministering spirits sent forth to minister to them
who are the heirs of salvation. We do believe in guardian angels
that watches over his people. I've never seen an angel. Not
that I'm aware of, but I know his angels have protected me
on numerous occasions when my life could have easily been taken.
And somehow it wasn't. It was by God's appointed grace. In all our lives, the Lord has
promised to never leave us nor forsake us. He said, lo, I'm
with you always. Even before we knew him in saving
mercy, he knew us and was watching over us and bringing us by his
good and sovereign providence to the place where we heard the
gospel and was given faith to believe the gospel of the Lord
Jesus Christ. The foundation of God stand assure
having this seal, the Lord knoweth them that are his. His word assures
us of this truth. His presence to protect us. This
is one of my favorite scriptures. Isaiah 41 10. He says, fear thou
not for I am with thee. Be not dismayed for I am thy
God. I will strengthen thee, I will
help thee, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Fear not, be of good cheer for
I'm with thee. I'm with thee. His word assures
us of his presence to protect us, his grace to provide for
us, My God shall supply all your need according to his riches
in glory through Christ Jesus. The Lord assures us in his word
he has all power to save us, able to save to the uttermost
all that come to God by him. He has all power to keep us.
We're kept by the power of God through faith. His word says
that. Here's the second point. Paul
was aware of the true fact that he belonged to the Lord. Whose I am. I like that. Whose I am. The Lord chose this sinner, Saul of Tarsus, and all the elect
of God are chosen by God's sovereign purpose in that eternal covenant
of grace. The Lord carefully watches over
his property. You carefully watch over your
property, don't you? Your dear children, grandchildren,
don't you watch over your children, grandchildren, carefully? Why
do you do that? They're yours, you love them.
The Lord carefully watches over His property. We are His by divine
choice. We're His by divine choice. He
chose us in that eternal covenant of grace. We're bound to give
thanks to God always for you, brethren, beloved of the Lord,
because God has chosen you unto salvation from the beginning.
We're His by divine choice. He said, you didn't choose me.
I've chosen you and ordained you to bring forth fruit unto
life. We are His by divine purchase.
Remember, we're bought with the blood of Christ. We are redeemed
with his precious blood. He says, you're no more your
own, you're bought with a price, therefore glorify God. We're
here by divine purpose, by sovereign grace, given us in the Lord Jesus
Christ before the foundation of the world. Thank God he chose
me before I was born because he never would have chosen me
afterward. It's God who saved us and called us with a holy
calling, not according to our work, but according to God's
own purpose and grace, giving us in Christ Jesus before, before
the foundation of the world. Thirdly is this, third point
is this, Paul was also blessed to understand that he was a servant
of the Lord. Notice he says, whose I am, I'm
his property and whom I serve. I know whom I have believed. What you believe is determined
by whom you believe. I know whom I serve. We serve the living and true
God, don't we? What a blessing every believer
has to be chosen of the Lord to serve him whom I serve. Paul called himself many times,
more times than he called himself the apostle, he called himself
what? The servant of the Lord. The
servant of the Lord. That's a high title. It's a high
title. Even the Lord Jesus Christ is
called in Isaiah 42, behold my servant, my servant. It's a high
title. You think that the true and living
God who has chosen you to serve him, wow, what a privilege God
has given his people to serve the Lord. And it's a privilege,
it's a high title. The Lord Jesus Christ, as a servant
of the Lord, came to redeem us with His own blood, and we willingly,
lovingly, by His grace, desire to serve Him. Here's the fourth
point. He says, fear not, verse 24,
fear not, Paul. thou must be brought, thou must
be brought before Caesar. And lo, God hath given thee all
them that sail with thee. Fear not, fear not. Only our sovereign Lord Our God
can speak with language of absolute certainties. He spake and it
was done. He commanded and it stood fast. God said I will be their God
and they shall be my people. He said my sheep hear my voice,
I know them, I give unto them eternal life, they shall never
perish. God has given all those that
sail with thee. All the sheep of Christ, sinners
chosen by God in that eternal covenant of grace and given to
the Lord Jesus Christ, they all shall be saved. Fear not, fear
not, for I am with thee. Fear not. Turn to Isaiah 43. We had this on the radio this
morning, Isaiah 43, verse one. But now thus says
the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel,
fear not, for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee, By
your name, you're mine. When you pass through the waters,
I'll be with you. Through the rivers, they shall
not overflow thee. When you walk through the fire,
thou shalt not be burned. Isaiah 43, verse 3, for I am
the Lord, the Holy One of Israel, thy Savior. I gave Egypt for
thee, for thy ransom, Ethiopia, and Saba for thee, since thou
wast precious in my sight. Thou hast been honorable, I have
loved thee, therefore I give men for thee and people for thy
life. Fear not, verse 5, for I am with
thee. I'll bring thy seed from the
east and gather thee from the west. I'll say to the north,
give up, to the south, keep not back. bring my son from far,
my daughters from the ends of the earth, everyone that is called
by my name, for I've created him for my glory, I have formed
him, yea, I have made him. Fear not, fear not, fear not. The last point, verse 25, Paul
was blessed of God to believe the word of truth. He was convinced
that God was faithful to his promise. What it says there,
that it shall be, I believe God, that's a miracle to believe God.
I believe God that it shall be even as it was told to me. Believing the gospel is a miracle
of grace. Remember Acts 13, 48, as many
as were ordained to eternal life believe the gospel. We only believe
by the working of his mighty power. The faith of God's elect,
true faith, lays hold of the unchanging character of God,
his unfailing word of truth, I am the Lord, I change not. Saving faith believes God at
his word and takes him at his word. I'll give you an example
of that. One night the disciples, most
of them were fishermen, James and John. Peter and Andrew were
fishermen. They were out fishing one night
and they'd caught nothing. Now these were men who were professionals. They caught nothing. And the
Lord came to them and said, cast the net on the other side. And
they said, Lord, we've been here fishing all night and we've caught
nothing. Now you say, cast the net on
this side. You know what it says? Nevertheless,
according to your word, we'll do what you say. The word of
God and every gospel promise of God shall be fulfilled in
and by the Lord Jesus Christ. Go all the way back to Genesis
3.15, the first gospel promise of the woman's seed that will
crush the serpent's head and his humanity will be bruised.
Go all the way back to Genesis chapter 3 and then Isaiah 53
where it said it pleased the Lord to bruise him and then upon
Calvary 3 we studied an action 2, verse 23, him being delivered
by the determinate counsel of God, you have with wicked hands
have crucified the Lord of glory. God promised and it came to pass. In the fullness of time, God
sent forth his son, made of a woman, made under the law to redeem
them that were under the law. The Savior was and Messiah was
promised and in the fullness of time, He came, right? The Redeemer was promised to
save his people from their sin. The messenger from heaven said
to Joseph of Mary, call his name Jesus. He shall save his people
from their sin. Promise given. And at Calvary,
he said, it's finished. When he by himself purged our
sin, he sat down at the right hand of God. He appeared once
in the end of the age to put away sin by the sacrifice of
himself. The Lord Jesus Christ said that
all those given to him in the covenant of great shall be saved.
He said, I will not lose one. Not one sheep can perish. And
it's fulfilled now in Christ, the Lord Jesus Christ. For when
he rose from the dead, after 40 days, he was exalted to the
throne of God, seated in the heavenlies as the forerunner,
as a surety of the covenant, seated in the heavenlies, and
we're seated in him right now. Preacher, you sure? I'm sure.
That's what the Word of God says. I believe it shall be even as
he said. He said, all that the Father
giveth me shall come to me. I'll raise everyone up at the
last day. I will not lose one sheep of Christ." And so it came
to pass. You remember the promise was,
God said to Paul, no loss of any man's life but the ship. And then he says over here, in
another place, there shall not a hair fall from your head, of
any of you. That's pretty bold. Sirs, I believe
God, be of good cheer. And so it came to pass, verse
44, that they escaped all safe to land. See, God promised all were delivered safe to land. And that's true of God's covenant
blessings in Christ. Everyone for whom the Lord Jesus
Christ stood as charity and Savior and sacrifice. He is our sanctification. He is our redemption. He is our
salvation. Therefore, we have every reason
as sons of God, don't we, to be of good cheer? To be of good
cheer. I believe God. Behold what manner
of love the Father has bestowed upon us that we should be called
sons of God. Friend, Be of good cheer. God is God. He cannot fail. He's absolute, successful God
our Savior who cannot fail.