Okay, let's find in our Bible
now back to our study in the book of Acts chapter 5. I'm taking
the title from verse 20. Let's read verse 20 again. I want to try to drive home this
point this morning. Go the angel of the Lord said
to these men who were arrested and set free, the apostles of
God, go, stand, and speak in the temple to the people. The
people need to hear. What do the people need to hear?
All the words of this life. Now, there's a whole lot there.
What is the words of this life? Salvation is of the Lord. This life is the Lord Jesus Christ. He's more than just a life. He
is life. He that hath the Son hath life.
He that hath not the Son does not have life. Go stand and speak
all the words of this life. This is equivalent to and comparable
to the words the Lord Jesus Christ declared in Matthew, or rather
Mark 16, where he says, go into all the world and preach the
gospel to every creature. It's the same command, is it
not? Go stand and speak to the people. Go into all the world
and preach the gospel. The gospel is the words of life.
to every Christian. This is also the same apostle
that declared unto the church in 2 Timothy 4, I charge thee
before God and the Lord Jesus Christ to preach the word. Remember,
preach the word, preach the word. You cannot preach the word too
often, too high, or too boldly. We need to hear, thus saith the
word of the Lord. Now, let's backtrack for just
a moment, verse 17. When the Lord had so abundantly
blessed the ministry of these apostles in the healing of so
many, and in granting faith to so many, then, verse 17, the
high priest rose up, and all them that were with him, which
is the sect of the Sadducees. The Sadducees were likened to
the Pharisees, those two different sects, the Sadducees and Pharisees,
and they were filled with indignation. They were filled with zeal, not
zeal for the truth, but zeal in their hatred against the truth. They were ramped up and they
were ready to go toe-to-toe, fist-to-fist, and to fight those
who preach the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. A multitude
of sick people were healed by the Lord's power. The established
Jewish church and the leaders were filled with hatred, jealousy,
They were motivated with hatred against the true and living God. Even though these men said, we're
the sons of Abraham. We've got a lock on this. We
are the true sons of God. And our Lord said, you are of
your father, the devil. You don't know the true and living
God. But when they were faced with God who is almighty, that
is the Lord Jesus Christ, When they were faced with the truth
of the living God, they were angry and full of wrath, jealousy,
religious pride. Their ministry of the Sadducees
and Pharisees was dead, useless, and damning. while these poor
fishermen from Galilee were blessed abundantly through the Lord Jesus
Christ." Now, you put yourself in their situation. Here they
see these ignorant and unlearned men out there preaching the one
who they hated, the Lord Jesus Christ, and multitudes believed
the gospel, multitudes were healed, and they couldn't stand it. They
were so angry and upset. Instead of giving thanks unto
the Lord, whom they said they believed, but just the opposite
was true. They were full of wrath and indignation. When the true character of God
was revealed in his sovereign mercy, they were filled with
wrath and hatred against God. And you know what? HUMAN NATURE
HAS NOT CHANGED. THE CORONEL MIND IS STILL ENMITY
AGAINST GOD. NOW, WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE IS
EXACTLY WHAT THE LORD TOLD THEM WAS GOING TO HAPPEN. YOU REMEMBER? TURN BACK TO JOHN, CHAPTER 15. JOHN, CHAPTER 15, VERSE 18. IF THE WORLD HATES YOU, YOU KNOW
THAT IT HATED ME BEFORE IT HATED YOU. IF YOU ARE OF THE WORLD,
THE WORLD WOULD LOVE HIS OWN, BUT BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT OF THE
WORLD, I HAVE CHOSEN YOU OUT OF THE WORLD, THEREFORE THE WORLD
HATETH YOU. YOU REMEMBER WHAT HE SAID BACK
IN VERSE 16, YOU HAVE NOT CHOSEN ME, BUT I HAVE CHOSEN YOU AND
ORDAINED YOU? IF YOU ARE OF THE WORLD, THE
WORLD WOULD LOVE HIS OWN, BUT BECAUSE YOU ARE NOT OF THE WORLD,
VERSE 19, BUT I HAVE CHOSEN YOU OUT OF THE WORLD, THEREFORE THE
WORLD HATETH YOU. Remember the word that I said
unto you, the servant is not greater than his Lord. If they
have persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they've
kept my sayings, oh, they'll persecute you because they will
keep your sayings as well. But all these things will they
do unto you for my name's sake because they know not him that
sent me. If I had not come and spoken
to them, they had not sinned, but now they have no covering
for their sin. He that hateth me, hateth my
father also. Now, what is happening to them
is exactly what the Lord said was going to happen. Turn back
to Matthew 10, Matthew chapter 10. When the Lord sent them out
originally, he said to them in Matthew 10, behold, verse 16,
Matthew 10, 16. Behold, I send you forth as sheep
in the midst of wolves. Be ye therefore wise as serpents,
harmless as doves. Beware of men, for they will
deliver you up to the councils. They will scourge you in the
synagogue, and you shall be brought before governors and kings for
my sake and for the testimony against them and the Gentile.
But when they deliver you up, take no thought how or what you
shall speak. What shall be given you in that
same hour, what you shall speak. For it's not you that speaketh,
but the spirit of your father that speaketh in you." So what
is happening exactly what the Lord said would happen and ordained
it and he brought it to pass. Which leads me to say this to
you in our day, don't be surprised if when this religious lost world,
men who are full of religious self-righteous pride hate you
for believing the gospel of God concerning the Lord Jesus Christ,
and don't be surprised when they try to stop the gospel from being
preached or would try to hinder us. Now I had that here happen
not too many years ago when I Radio preacher heard my broadcast and
he said he was going to destroy my ministry and he got on the
radio and started ranting and raving against this ministry
and Tried to invite everybody in this congregation to leave
me that I was a false prophet well I called the radio station and
informed them on what that man was doing. And you know who got
put out of business? It wasn't this preacher, it was
him. Not only that, the Lord put an
end to his ministry and he had to leave the state. God will
take care of his people. God will protect his people.
Look at verse 18. They laid hands on them and put
them in prison. common prison. They thought they
could stop the power and purpose of God and to spread the gospel
by silencing the servants of the Lord. Now you can bind up
the servant of the Lord, but you cannot bind up the word of
God." The more they tried to silence them and persecute them,
the more the gospel was blessed of God and spread everywhere. Look at the last part of chapter
5, Acts chapter 5. They had beaten them, verse 40. They called the apostles again
and beat them and commanded them they should not speak in the
name of the Lord Jesus Christ. What did they do? Verse 41, they
departed from the presence of the council rejoicing they were
counted worthy to suffer shame for his name and daily in the
temple and in every house they ceased not to teach and preach
Jesus Christ. Well, I admire their boldness,
don't you? May God give us that kind of boldness. commanded and
beaten don't you bring it don't you bring another word but the
lord used that look at chapter eight the lord used that persecuting
of the early church to spread the gospel look at acts chapter
eight verse one saul was consenting unto his death that is the death
of stephen and at that time there was a great persecution against
the church which is at jerusalem and they were scattered abroad
throughout the region of judea samaria except the apostle and
devout men Carried Stephen to his burial and made a great lamentation
over him. As for Saul, this is the Apostle
Paul, this is Saul of Tarsus. Before he was converted, he made
havoc of the church, entering into every house and hailing
men and women and committed them to prison. Verse four, what I
want to get at. Therefore, they went everywhere,
scattered abroad, and they went everywhere preaching the word.
So the Lord even used that persecution just to disperse the gospel into
all that region. You see, my friend, you cannot
stop the eternal purpose of God. He said, I've spoken it, I bring
it to pass, I've purposed it, I will do it, Isaiah 46, 9 through
12. He worketh all things after the
counsel of his own will. You cannot stop the effectual
working of the word of the Lord. Remember Isaiah 55, where he
says the water comes down from heaven. waters the ground as
the Lord has purposed, doesn't return to him void, it accomplishes
God's purpose. Even so, he says, my word shall
be, it'll go forth and it will prosper and it will not return
to me void. Wherein, Paul said, I suffer
trouble as an evildoer, even under bonds. You know, they put
him in jail many times. But he said the word of God is
not bound. You cannot stop the eternal purpose
of God as he ordained the preaching of the gospel to bless his people. Whatsoever the Lord pleases,
that's exactly what he does. When God hinders, none can work. And when God works, none can
hinder. Remember, he does according to
his will in the army of heaven, among the inhabitants of this
earth, and none can stay his hand, stop his hand, or say unto
him, Lord God, what doest thou? Even one of these men realized
this. His name was Gamaliel, and he
was Saul of Tarsus' teacher. If you look in this same chapter,
Look at verse 34. Even Saul of Tarsus knew, rather,
let me rephrase that, even Gamaliel, who was the teacher of Saul of
Tarsus, knew you couldn't stop the purpose of God. Then there
stood up there one in the council, a Pharisee named Gamaliel, a
doctor of the law, had in reputation among all the people, and commanded
them to put the apostles for a little space. Now, He gives
several examples of men who were raised up, Thutis, whose ministry
came to an end. And another man was raised up,
Judas of Galilee, and his ministry came to an end. And he says this
in verse 38 of Acts chapter five. Now I say unto you, refrain from
these men and let them alone. For if this counsel or work be
of men, it'll come to naught. You see that? But if it be of
God, you cannot overthrow it, lest haply you be found even
to fight against God. So even one of their leaders
acknowledged that you cannot stop the purpose of God. When I was a very young man,
a believer of the gospel of the grace of God, and I felt a calling
of God to preach the gospel, And the Lord gave me this verse
here in verse 39, chapter five, verse 39. If it be of God, you
cannot overthrow it. But if it be of men, it'll come
to naught. If it be of God, you can't overthrow
it, lest you fight against God. But if it's of men, it'll come
to naught. It'll come to naught. Well, I
guess the life of my ministry will tell the truth of that statement
in my case, in my life, in my ministry. Look at verse 19 now.
But the angel of the Lord by night opened the
prison doors and brought them forth and said, go, stand, speak
in the temple to the people. all the words of this life. Now, in verse 19, that word but. But, it's a big word in scripture. But God who is rich in mercy
for his great love wherewith he loved us. But God. I read
it as a big stop sign. Anytime you see that word, just
think stop sign. Stop, look, and listen. The angel of the Lord opened
the prison door and set them free. and commanded them to go
publicly and preach the gospel in the very place where they
were arrested. We're going to see another example
of that. When Peter was arrested, look over at Acts chapter 12.
Acts chapter 12. When Herod had put Peter in prison
in Acts chapter 12, verse 7, behold, the angel of the Lord
came upon him and a light shined in the prison and he smoked Peter
on the side. Peter was bound with chains and
was between two soldiers, as it says in verse six. I said,
rise up quickly. And the chain fell off from his
hands. And the angel said to him, gird
thyself, bind on the sandals. And he did so. And said to him,
cast thy garment about thee and follow me. And he went and followed
and knew not that it was true which was done by the angel.
He thought he was dreaming. No, he was set free. And Peter
went and preached the gospel again. We studied in our message
on Wednesday night from Psalm 34, which says, the angel of
the Lord encampeth round about them that fear him. THE ANGELS
OF GOD ARE SENT FORTH AS MINISTERING SPIRITS, SENT FORTH TO MINISTER
FOR THEM WHO SHALL BE THE HEIRS OF SALVATION. NOW, WE SEE THE
MINISTRY OF ANGELS ALL THROUGH THE WORD OF GOD. WE DO NOT WORSHIP
ANGELS. EVEN THAT ANGEL THERE IN THE
REVELATION, WHEN JOHN FELL DOWN BEFORE THAT ANGEL AND WAS ATTEMPTING
TO WORSHIP, THAT ANGEL STOPPED HIM AND SAID, DON'T. I'M YOUR
FELLOW SERVANT. YOU WORSHIP GOD. So we don't
worship angels, but angels do have a specific ministry. We
call them the elect angels of God. Even the fallen angels of
God do the purpose of God. Let me give you some examples.
Just in the Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, the angels announced
the birth of the incarnate God. to Joseph and Mary. Remember,
to Joseph, fear not to take Mary unto thee, thy wife. That which
is born of her is conceived of the Holy Spirit. Call his name
Jesus. He shall save his people from
their sins. The angels announced the birth
of the Lord Jesus Christ. The elect angels rejoiced and
filled the heavens Praising God when the Savior was born. He
said this day unto you is born in the city of David a Savior
Christ the Lord and the angels filled the skies Praising the
Lord for the salvation of the Lord In Matthew chapter 4 when
the Lord was tempted 40 days you remember of the devil and And the Lord rebuked him with
the word of the Lord, but it says there, the angels came and
ministered unto him. Isn't that interesting? And then
in the garden of Gethsemane, when the Lord was praying about
doing the will of God and accomplishing our salvation, being made an
atonement for our sin, And he was in deep agony, so much so
that his sweat started oozing out, his sweat gland started
oozing out blood. And it says there that the angel
came and strengthened the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, as God, he
doesn't need any strength, but as a God-man mediator, he was
a real man, tempted and tested in all points, like as we are,
yet without sin. And then the angels, you remember
in our study from Luke chapter 24 at the tomb when the Lord
Jesus died for our sin according to scripture, he was buried.
And then what happened on the third day? He was raised again
the third day. And when the women went to the
tomb, the angels met those women and said, he's not here. You're
seeking the living among the dead. He's not here, but he is
risen. Now you go and tell. and Peter
and the others that he's raised from the dead. We also read in
2 Thessalonians chapter 1 that the angels are coming back with
the Lord Jesus Christ in flaming fire. Now, we do not dismiss
the ministry of the angels. They're the servants of God sent
forth to be a blessing to the Lord's people. But, having said
all that, the Lord our God didn't send an army of angels into the
temple to preach the gospel that day. He didn't. He could have,
but he didn't. He wisely uses sinful men redeemed
by the grace of God to tell other sinful men how God saved sinners. You see, an unfallen angel doesn't
know anything about being redeemed and regenerated, being redeemed
by the blood of Christ, being regenerated by the Spirit of
God. It pleased God through preaching
to call out his people. What is preaching? I like what
my pastor used to say, preaching is one beggar telling another
beggar where he found bread, and that's it. This is one beggar
telling you that salvation is in the Lord Jesus Christ who
is a bread of life. Years ago, I heard this story
recently, back during the Depression days, and none of us are old
enough here to remember those days back in the 1920s when the
economy was just gone to nothing and so many people were out of
work. And those people that used to ride on trains that would
go from city to city trying to find some kind of work, they
had a name for those people in those days. They were called
hobos, remember? For those hobos who rode the rails in those days
trying to find work and trying to find a meal so they could
go to work. When the word got out that a
certain so-and-so in this city, this couple or this family in
this city, you go there, you find that family, Jones or Smith,
whatever their name was, and they'll give you a meal. And
those hobos, when they'd ride that rail, they would say right
down there, in Birmingham, Alabama, you can get a meal. Word got
out. One beggar telling another beggar,
where he found bread. Christ is that bread. Now the heavenly instruction
in that day IS THE SAME IN OUR DAY, VERSE 20, GO, STAND, AND
SPEAK IN THE TEMPLE TO THE PEOPLE ALL THE WORDS OF THIS LIFE, OR
WE CAN PUT IT THIS WAY, GO AND SPEAK THE WORDS OF SALVATION
THAT IS IN THE LORD. NOW NOTICE WHAT HE DIDN'T SAY. HE DIDN'T SAY GO RUN AND HIDE
UNTIL THINGS COOL DOWN. IT'D BE SAFER FOR YOU IF YOU
JUST Just toned it down and go over here and maybe get out of
town a few days until things cool down and then come back.
No, you go right now in the heat of the hatred of the enemy into
the teeth and the headquarters of the enemy, their temple, and
you preach the gospel to the people of God. That's what needed to be done.
Preach the gospel one more time to everyone, that will hear it. In God's service today, notice
it says here, all the words of life. All the words of life,
we say with the apostle, we're determined to preach the Lord
Jesus Christ and Him crucified. And we preach all the counsel
of God. Remember, turn over to Acts chapter
20, the apostle Paul, when he met with those elders at Ephesus
for the last time. In Acts 20, verse 27, he said, I
have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God, all
the counsel of God. Take heed therefore unto yourself
and all the flock over which the Holy Ghost hath made you
overseer, to feed the church of God which he purchased with
his own blood. That is all the counsel of God. All the counsel of God, how God
saves sinners, is through the Lord Jesus Christ and Him crucified. Now, what are these most important
words called the words of life? Let's take our Bible, turn back
to John chapter one. The Lord Jesus Christ is the
word of life. He is salvation. All the words of this life, the
Lord Jesus Christ is the word of salvation. John 1, verse 1,
in the beginning was the word, notice capital W, and the word
was with God and the word was God. The same was in the beginning
with God. God, the same in the beginning
with God. The Lord Jesus Christ is that
word of God. Now you hold your place there
in the book of John and find John chapter five, John chapter
five. And let me turn and read something
to you here in Hebrew chapter one. You hold John five verse,
John five verse 24. Now let me read this to you out
of Hebrews 1. hath in these last days spoken
unto us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, by whom also
he made the world, who being the brightness of his glory,
the expressed image of his person, upholding all things by the word
of his power, when he by himself purged our sin, he sat down on
the right hand of God." He is the word of God. God again in
the book of Hebrews chapter 4 verse 12 don't turn let me just read
it to you for the Word of God is quick and powerful sharper
than any two-edged sword piercing even to dividing asunder of soul
and spirit and of the joints and marrow and is a discerner
of the thoughts and the intent of the heart the Word of God
the Living Word and the written Word is quick and powerful now
John 5, you got it, verse 24. Verily, verily, I say unto you,
he that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me hath everlasting
life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from
death unto life." Words of salvation, words of life. Same chapter,
John 5, look at verse 39. Search the scriptures, for in
them, he said to these Pharisees, you are those who search the
scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life. There
they which testify of me, and you will not come to me that
you might have life. The Word of God is life. The Lord Jesus Christ is that
essential truth and life of God. You will not come to me that
you might have life. Turn back to John 3 a minute.
John 3, 36. He that believeth on the Son
hath everlasting life. He that believeth not the Son
shall not see life. Wrath of God abides on him. Now turn to John 6, John chapter
6. Notice verse 63, John 6. It is the spirit that quickeneth,
the flesh profiteth nothing. The words that I speak unto you,
they are spirit and they are life. Never discount the necessity
of preaching the word of the Lord. Notice down in verse 66
of John 6, from that time, many of the disciples went back and
walked no more with him. When the Lord said, no man can
come to me except it were given unto him and my father, declaring
salvation is of the Lord. Then verse 67, then said Jesus
to the 12, will you also go away? Simon Peter answered and said,
Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal
life. We believe and we are sure thou
art that Christ, the son of the living God. I turn in John chapter
14, John chapter 14, and you know
this verse by heart, don't you? Verse six. Let me quote this to you while
you're looking at John chapter 14, verse six. The Lord said,
my sheep, hear my voice. I know them and they follow me
and I give unto them eternal life and they shall never perish. Now, let's begin back in verse
one of John 14. Let not your heart be troubled.
You believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are
many mansions. If it were not so, I would have
told you. I go to prepare a place for you, and if I go and prepare
a place for you, I'll come again and receive you to myself, that
where I am, there you may be also. Whether I go you know,
and the way you know. Thomas said unto him, Lord, we
know not whether thou goest. How can we know the way? And
the Lord said unto him, I am the way, the truth, the life. Definite article. The way, the
truth, the life. No man come unto the Father but
by me. He is life. He is salvation. He is the word of God and the
way of life. Neither is there salvation in
any other, for there's no other name under heaven given among
men whereby we must be saved. Now, why do all men need to hear
the word of this life? Why do all men, why was the instruction
to go and preach the gospel to all people in that temple? And
why do we need to hear today all the words of this life? And
someone might think, well, can't we just be religious? Can't we
just be moral? Can't we just be sincere? And
all things will be okay in that eternal judgment of God. It won't
be okay. So we need to hear the truth
and preach the truth. Now let me give you this and
I'll close. I've got just a minute or two. Why do we need to hear the truth?
Why do we Preach the truth because the
Lord told us to. Let me give you these four things.
Because it's the truth that sets us free. Our Lord said in John
8, 32, you shall know the truth and the truth will set you free.
God doesn't use the lies of men to teach truth. He uses truth
to set us free. Secondly, because faith comes
by hearing and hearing by the word of this life. Thirdly, because God has ordained
this as the means to set his sinners, to set his people free.
as the means. God has ordained the end, right?
Predestinated those people to conform to the image of Christ,
right? He's also ordained the means to arrive at that end.
He calls them out with the preaching of the gospel. By the word of
truth, here's the fourth thing, by the word of truth, we are
begotten of God with the word of truth. find first peter chapter
one james says in his epistle of his own will beget he us with
the word of truth first peter chapter one verse 23 being born
again Not of a corruptible seed, that's the way we were born the
first time, but of a incorruptible seed, we could say, by the Word
of God, which liveth and abideth forever. For all flesh is as
grass, and the glory of man is a flower of grass. The grass
wither, and the flower thereof falls away. But the Word of the
Lord endueth forever. And this is the word which by
the gospel is preached unto you. You see why we make much of the
word written, which tells us everything about the living word,
the Lord Jesus Christ. He that hath the Son hath life. Now, here's one more scripture,
one reference. Turn here, Colossians 3. I'm
saying that the Lord Jesus Christ is salvation. He's not a way, He's the way.
He is the Savior of sinners, and He saves us, His people,
by His grace. Colossians chapter 1, verse,
excuse me, Colossians chapter 3, verse 1. If you then be risen
with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ
sitteth on the right hand of God, set your affection on things
above not on the things of this earth for you are dead and your
life is hid with christ in god verse 4 when christ notice those
two words who is leave them out they're added when christ our
life shall appear then shall you also appear with him in glory
who is christ He is our life. He that hath the Son hath everlasting
life. Now, you see why the angel of
the Lord said, go, stand, and speak, preach all the words of
this life, and they did that very thing. They said, you have
filled Jerusalem with your doctrine.