Now back in your Bible, as we
just read, you have Acts chapter 23. And our message will be taken
from one verse here. The night following, the Lord
stood by Paul. Stood by him. And here's what
he said. Here's what he said. Be of good,
be of good cheer. Be of good comfort. He's saying,
Paul, cheer up. Cheer up. Cheer up. I'm with you. I'm with you, Paul. The Lord knows His sheep by name.
He calls them out. For thou hast testified of me
in Jerusalem. You have. Paul was a faithful
witness of God. Faithful witness to the gospel
of God's grace. He said he was not ashamed of
the gospel of Christ. And he was not ashamed of the
gospel. He was bold to declare the gospel of God. concerning
the Lord Jesus. And as you have done that in
Jerusalem, and done that in the face of much opposition and hatred,
you're going to preach also. You're going to be a witness
to the gospel of God's grace, even, I'm going to put you right
in the capital of the world, Rome. And he spent two years
there, we know. He spent two years preaching
the gospel concerning the Lord Jesus there in Rome, until God
was through with him, and when his ministry was over, God took
him home. And it's interesting, if you
read the second epistle to Timothy, when he talks about the time
of my, when he talks about his death, he doesn't call it that.
He says, the time of my departure is at hand. I've fought a good
fight, I've kept the faith, and it's time for me to leave. What
God has given me to do is done and I'm going home." Now, the
title of this message is, Be of Good Cheer. The servant of
the Lord, this man we know as Saul of Tarsus, who was marvelously
converted by God's grace. Since coming to Jerusalem, he
had encountered much opposition and much trouble, much danger. If you look back at chapter 21,
verse 31, as they went about to kill him. They were actually going to kill
him on the spot. Tidings came in the chief captain
of the band that all Jerusalem was in an uproar. Again in chapter 22, when Paul
was finished preaching the gospel of God's grace, and he declared
unto them in verse 21 of Acts 22, Depart, for I will send thee
far hence unto the Gentiles. When those Jews heard that God
was going to put them on the shelf and have mercy on some
Gentile dogs, they were highly offended. And they gave him audience
unto his words and then lifted up their voices and said, Away
with such a fellow from the earth. It's not fit, it's not fit for
this man to even live one minute more. Look at verse 23. And as
they cried out, They cast off their coats. Now why would they
do that? I'll tell you what they were
doing. And they threw dust in the air.
They took off their coat because they were getting ready to pick
up some stones and stone them. And the reason they threw dust
in the air, they were digging in the ground to find some rocks.
and they're going to kill this man. That's exactly what they
were going to do. Just like they did in Lystra.
They did pick up stone, then they did throw them at him, and
he did die, and they dug him out of the city dead, and God
raised him up, and he went right back into the city preaching
the same gospel of God's saving grace in Christ Jesus. This man
encountered much trouble. And here we find him in Acts
23, standing before this council of religious men, Sadducees and
Pharisees, and Paul somehow drove a wedge between them. He knew
where both of them stood on vital issues to them, and in his wisdom
he drove an edge and got them to fighting each other instead
of him. But he was in the middle of it. And they proceeded to
pull him in pieces, and then again this Roman captain commanded
the soldiers, to rescue him, and they brought him back into
the castle, put him back in chains, put him back in prison, and he's
now by himself in a Roman dungeon, not at Rome, but in Jerusalem
still, in a Roman dungeon. And the night following, the
Lord stood by him, and the Lord said, Share up, Paul. Be of good cheer. The Lord is
with you. Now Paul was a faithful servant,
faithful servant, but let us never forget he was a man just
like you and I, a sinner saved by the grace of God. Paul was
a man like any of us, a man subject to like passions, a man of flesh
and blood, subject to fear, subject to heartache, subject to worry,
and now alone in prison, needing a word of encouragement, and
there's no one there to encourage him, but the Lord stood by him. He needed a word of encouragement
and he received it from the Lord Himself. The Lord stood by him
and said, be of good cheer. There's a similar instance here
of this same thing happening back in Acts chapter 18. When
Paul first came to Corinth, And he preached the gospel there
in Acts chapter 18. Acts chapter 18. He reasoned in the synagogue
every Sabbath day, persuaded the Jews and the Greeks. You
see verse 4 of Acts 18. And when Silas and Timothy were
come from Macedonia, Paul was pressed in the spirit and testified
to the Jews that Jesus was Christ, the Christ. He is the Christ. And they opposed themselves,
blasphemed, blasphemed, spoke evil, He shook his raiment, they
spoke evil against Paul in his message, and he shook his raiment
and said unto them, your blood be upon your own heads, I'm clean
from henceforth I'll go unto the Gentiles. And he departed
thence and entered into a certain man's house named Justice, one
that worshipped God, whose house joined hard to the synagogue.
And Christopher, the chief ruler of the synagogue, believed on
the Lord with all of his house. And many of the Corinthians,
hearing, believed, were baptized. Some believed and some hated
the message of grace. But look what it says in verse
9. Then spake the Lord to Paul in night by vision. Be not afraid, but speak and
hold not thy peace, for I am with thee. And no man shall set
on thee to hurt thee, for I have much people in this city. I am
with thee. Don't be afraid. Same message.
Be a good chair. I am with thee. No one's going
to set hurt on thee, for I have much people in this city, and
continue there a year and six months, teaching the word of
God among them. Be of good cheer." Be of good
cheer. You see, my friend, the Lord
is most faithful to his covenant people. He said, I'm the Lord,
I change not, therefore ye sons of Jacob, you shall not be consumed. Now, this message has three points.
First one is this. Good cheer came to Paul. by the
Lord's presence. Good cheer, encouragement came
to Paul by the Lord's presence. It says in our text, the Lord
stood by him. When all forsook him, and the
company of the Lord was with him. When all forsook him, the
Lord said, I will not leave you, I will not forsake you. He commanded
those The risen Lord commanded His disciples to go into all
the world and preach the gospel to every creature. And then He
says, ìLo, I am with you always, even to the end of the earth.
Iíll never leave you. Iíll never forsake you.î When
all forsook Him, when all despised Him, when all rejected Him, the
sweet favor of His Lord encouraged Him, ìFear not, I am with thee.î
Be not dismayed, I will strengthen thee, I will uphold thee with
the right hand of my righteousness. Fear not, be of good cheer. The Lord who stood for him as
sacrifice, as righteousness that justifies, the Lord who stood
for him as charity in that covenant of grace, the Lord who stood
for him as the sacrifice to put away his sin, the just dying
for the unjust, the Lord who stood for him now stands with
him in his trouble. That ought to encourage every
one of us. Turn over here to Romans chapter
8 and look at this here. The Lord stood with him. What it says here in Romans 8
when He talks about those whom He did foreknow, Romans 8.29,
He also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of His
Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover,
whom He did predestinate, verse 30, then He also called, and
whom He called, then He also justified, and whom He justified,
then He also glorified. What shall we say to these things? Well, if God before us in electing
grace, in redeeming covenant mercy. Did God before us in Christ,
who, tell me, who, in heaven, earth, and hell, can be against
us? He that spared not His own Son,
but delivered Him up for us all. How shall He not with Him also
freely give us all things? Who can lay anything to the charge
of God's elect? It's God that justifies. Who
is He that condemned? It's Christ that died. Yea, rather,
that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God. who
also intercedes for us." The Lord who stood for him now
stands with him. We can be assured of God's good
presence since He does stand for us and with us. The Lord who called this man
Saul of Tarsus Saved him by his marvelous, glorious, almighty
grace. Washed him in the blood and made
him a new creature in Christ. Sustained him in the hour of
his need. No doubt Paul needed some encouragement
and God encouraged him just in the hour when he needed it. Sustained him. We are kept by
the power of God through faith. Better? Now you think with me. Paul was in a strait. You imagine
yourself in that condition. Hated, despised, persecuted,
beaten, yelled at, jailed. He had a lot to be discouraged
about, but yet the Lord encourages him. Better to be in jail, in
a dungeon, with the Lord than to dwell in the tent of the wicked,
not knowing the Lord at all." Now, what would you rather have?
I'd rather be persecuted and hated and shut up in jail, knowing
that in the Lord Jesus I have all of salvation, given, full,
and free, justified freely by His grace, than to be in the
Trump towers and have the multiplied millions of Donald Trump and
have all that and not know him. Now what would you rather have? Give me poverty. Blessed are
they who are poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of God.
You see the Lord stood by him and this is true of every believer.
This is the promise of God. He'll never leave us. He'll never
forsake us. Turn to Hebrews chapter 13. Be
of good cheer The Lord stood with him, and the Lord stands
with us. No matter who stands against
us in opposing God's gospel, it doesn't matter. The Lord's
with us. James, or rather Hebrews 13,
I want. Hebrews 13, look at verse 5. Let your conversation, Hebrews
13, 5. Let your conversation, your conduct,
your behavior, be without a covetous spirit, and be content with such
things as you have, for He has said, Now who said this? He has
said, and it goes all the way back to the promise that he gave
to Joshua in Joshua chapter 1. Same thing, same God. He doesn't
change. Same message. For he said, I
will never leave thee. I will never forsake thee. And because of that, we can boldly
say, the Lord is my helper. I will not fear what man shall
do unto me. I will not fear. I will not fear. The Lord stood by him. And this
is true of all of God's servants and all of God's people, the
Lord Jesus Christ. If you ever had a friend, turn
over here to Proverbs. A friend, you know a friend stick
with you through thick and thin. A friend, a true friend. Proverbs 17, a true friend. Or to have a brother, a brother
that's a friend. Now that's A brother will never
forsake you. A brother will never leave you.
He'll stick with you through thick and thin, in lean times
and good times. A brother will stick with you.
Look what it says in Proverbs 17, 17, a friend loveth at all
times. A brother is born for adversity. Turn over one chapter to Proverbs
18, 24. A man that hath friends must show himself friendly. Well,
that's good advice. You're not going to have many
friends if you don't Show yourself to be friendly. But there is
a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. Who is that friend? Well, let's see if we can find
out. Turn to Matthew 11. The Lord stood with him. Paul,
be of good cheer. Now, I want you to think about
this when you're down and blue and out and discouraged and be
of good cheer. I'm with you. I'm with you. Look
what it says here. He's our friend. The Lord Jesus. Matthew 11. They said of Him,
the Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, Behold,
a gluttonous man and wine-bibber, a friend of publicans and sinners. Wisdom is justified of her children. Turn to one other scripture on
this. Luke 15. You see, the Lord Jesus Christ
died for the ungodly. He didn't come to call the righteous.
He came to call sinners. He's a friend of sinners. In
Luke 15 it says this, Then drew near, verse 1, unto him all publicans
and sinners. For to hear him, and the Pharisees
and the scribes, here's that same crowd, the same religious
crowd, murmured, saying, This man receives sinners, and he
eats with them. He's a friend of sinners. The
Lord Jesus Christ died for sinners. He stands one with His covenant
people. He will never leave them. He'll
never forsake them. He stood for us in that eternal
covenant of grace. He stood for us, lived for us,
died for us, arose and ascended and is seated and enthroned for
us, and He's coming again for us. And He said, I'll never leave
you. I'll never forsake you. Be of
good cheer. Be of good cheer. Turn back to
the text again. Be of good cheer. That's my first
point. The Lord stood with him. Secondly, be of good cheer. Good cheer came to Paul knowing
his Lord knew all things. The night following, the Lord
stood by him and said, Paul, be of good cheer. Good cheer
came to Paul knowing his Lord knew all things. He knew where
he was. The Lord came to him. He knew
where he was. He knew where he was and he knew
all about his trouble. All about his trouble. I'll show
you another occasion on this. Paul was a regular in the jail
cell. Turn back to Acts chapter 18. Acts chapter 16. Acts 16. There in Philippi when Paul preached
the gospel and a lot of the folks got mad there because he preached
salvation not by works. He condemned works. And he preached
salvation by grace alone. And they were upset and they
put him in prison again. In Acts chapter 16 verse 25,
at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, sang praises unto God. They prayed
unto God and worshipped God and the prisoners heard them. And
suddenly there was a great earthquake so that the foundation of the
prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors
were opened. And everyone's bands were loose. The Lord knew just where he was. And as he prayed unto the Lord
and worshipped him, God answered with a mighty earthquake. God
shook that place to the ground. Good cheer came to Paul knowing
his Lord knew all things, knew where he was and knew his trouble.
My friend, we never need despair. Our blessed Lord knows all things
about us. He knows our thoughts afar us.
He knows our circumstances. He knows we're in need of mercy.
He knows we're in need of grace. That's why He came. He knows
all our circumstances and all our need more than we do. And
we know something of our need. He knows more of it. He's able
to meet all our need according to His riches in glory through
our Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord too. The Lord Jesus,
the God-man, the Lord also was a man of sorrows and acquainted
with grief. Turn to Hebrews chapter 4 and
look at this. Hebrews chapter 4. And you know
one reason why He was tempted and tried and tested in all points
like as we are yet without sin? He identified with us apart from
sin, but He identified with us in our humanity. He was a real
man. Look what it says in Hebrews.
Chapter 4, verse 15, But we have not a high priest, which cannot
be touched with the feeling of our infirmities, but was in all
points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore
come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy,
and find grace to help in time of need. Now read on, For every
high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things
pertaining to God. that he may offer both gifts
and sacrifices for sin, who can have compassion on the ignorant
and on them that are out of the way. For that he himself also
is compassed with infirmities, and by reason hereof he ought
as for the people, so also for himself. to offer for the sin,
and no man take this honor unto himself." The point I'm getting
at is this, the Lord Jesus Christ was called a man of sorrow and
acquainted with grief. He knows what it's like to be
hated of men. He knows what it's like to be
rejected of men. They stand away with this man,
we have no king but Caesar. And he can have compassion on
this. He knows our frame. He knows that we are but dust.
Our sovereign Lord, gracious Lord, knows all about us. He
knows our sin. He knows our frailty. He knows
our weakness. He knows our guilt. He knows
our troubles. He knows our fears. And He graciously
cares for us. Troubles we see? We see some
of them. But even troubles we don't see,
even dangers that we are unaware of, the Lord undertakes for us
and undergirds us. Notice Psalm 40. Turn over there
to Psalm 40. And I'll show you a couple cases
of this. Read Psalm 40 with me. Psalm 40. Look at verse 17. I am poor and needy. Psalm 40,
17. I am poor and needy. I am poor
and needy, yet the Lord thinketh upon me. Now you get a hold of
that. I am poor. I am needy. And yet the Lord of glory thinks
upon me. He sets His affection on me. He came to die for me. He called
me with His grace. He knows His sheep by name. Matthew,
follow me. Zacchaeus, come down. Lazarus,
come out. He thinks upon me. Thou art my
help, my deliverer. Make no tearing, O my God. Troubles we see, He undergirds
us, undertakes for us, troubles we are completely unaware of. Now in this story here in Acts
chapter 23, Paul knew nothing of these 40 men who would not
eat and drink until they killed him, but the Lord knew, didn't
He? The Lord knew all about it, and
He sent this young man to spy out their plans, and then He
sent that young man to the Roman captain to expose their plan,
and God assembled an army of 470 Roman soldiers against that
puny army of 40 to protect God's servant and to protect God's
gospel. Paul didn't know anything about
that at first, did he? God knew. You see, dangers we
see and dangers we don't see, the Lord knows all circumstances
and He is in charge of all things at all times. I'll give you another
example of this. Turn to Matthew 14. Another time
when the Lord told His disciples to be of good cheer. Matthew
14, verse 22. of Matthew 14, and straightway
Jesus constrained his disciples to get into the ship, to go before
him unto the other side while he sent the multitudes away.
And when he had sent the multitude, excuse me, away, he went up into
the mountain apart to pray, alone to pray an evening. And when
the evening was come, he was there alone. Now the disciples
are in this ship going across the sea. The ship was now in
the midst of the sea, tossed with waves, for the wind was
contrary." They were in trouble! And in the fourth watch of the
night, the Master, the Lord Jesus, went unto them walking on the
sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they
were troubled, saying, It is the Spirit. And they cried out
for fear. But the Lord came straightway. The Lord came and spake unto
them and said, Be of good cheer, it is I, don't be afraid. And look down at verse 32, And
when they were come into the ship, that is Peter and the Lord,
the wind ceased. Then they that were in the ship
came and worshipped and sang of a truth, Thou art the Son
of God, be of good cheer. Be of good cheer. The Lord undertakes
for us in troubles seen and in troubles and dangers unseen that
we are unaware of. I can look back over my life
how the Lord, I can see it on this side of His providence,
but at the time I thought, well, I'm in big trouble. Yet the Lord
undertakes and undergirds for His people. I'm a miracle. It's
a miracle of God's grace that I'm standing where I am preaching
to you the gospel of sovereign grace. My third and last point
is this. Good cheer came to Paul, look
back at the text again, Acts 23 verse 11. Good cheer came
to Paul knowing his ministry would continue. Paul probably
thought this is it. I'll probably never get to preach
another sermon unless it's to my cellmate. This may be the
end of my life. But the Lord stood by him and
he said this, you have been faithful to testify the gospel of God's
grace And you're going to bear, you must, so must thou bear witness
also at Rome." Now how's God going to get him there? God put
him there. Good cheer came to Paul knowing
his ministry would continue. Now what's he saying here? You
will yet preach, you have preached my gospel, and God says, so must
thou bear witness also at Rome. What does that say to us? What
does that say to us about our Lord? I'll tell you what he's
saying. He's saying, Paul be of good cheer, I'm in charge. I'm in charge. You have preached
to me. I called you by sovereign grace. I made you a chosen, you are
a chosen vessel to declare my gospel. I have chosen you and
I will sustain you. I will bless you and days to
come you're going to preach my same gospel, my message, my message. Almighty God called this rebel.
and made him a willing, loving, bond-servant of the Lord Jesus
Christ. And God was pleased to use his
ministry, his preaching, in a mighty way to call out God's elect and
to establish the church. Now think with me. No power on
earth. God called him and said, I'm
going to send you forth to preach the gospel to the Gentiles. No
power on earth could stop the purpose of God. They tried, but
their efforts were futile to shut up this man. No power on
earth, no army of demons could stop this man. No army of Rome
could stop the purpose of God. God said, I've spoken it. I'll
bring it to pass. I'll purpose it. I'll do it.
I believe Him. God is God. Whatsoever the Lord
please, that's what He did in heaven and earth, seas and all
deep places. I have absolutely no problem in resting the whole
of my salvation upon God who is the absolute God of all things. God who is God. in creation and
providence and in salvation. No power on earth, no army, no
demons can stop the sovereign purpose of God. All things work
together for good to them who love God, to them who are called
according to God's purpose in the gospel of Christ through
the power of God unto salvation. Let me show you an interesting
situation that happened here over in Acts chapter 27. Turn
over there. In Acts chapter 27, when Paul
was finally put in a ship chained as a prisoner. And they were
transporting this man to Rome to have a hearing in the civil
courts of Rome. And as he travels by ship to
Rome, they run into a terrible storm and the ship is going down. Now Paul is chained to the ship.
If the ship goes down, he goes down with it. But look what he
says here. Acts 27 verse 22, And now I exhort
you to be of good cheer. The ship was breaking apart,
and the sailors, they were fearful for their life. They thought
we're all going to perish. For there shall be no loss of
any man's life among you but of the ship. We're going to lose
the boat. "...For there stood by me this
night the angel of God, whose I am, and whom I serve, saying,
Fear not, Paul, for thou must be brought before Caesar. And,
lo, God hath given thee all them that say it with thee. Wherefore,
sirs..." Now look what he says here. You see, the same comfort
that comforted him, he uses this same Word of God to comfort them. "...Wherefore, sirs, be of good
cheer." I believe God. You can be of good cheer. If
you're sitting here believing God, you can be of good cheer. But there's a flip side to that.
If you're sitting here and rebelling against God, there's no good
news for you. I'd be fearful and concerned. He that believeth not, the wrath
of God abides on him. Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer.
I believe God that it shall be even as he told it me. Be of
good cheer. be of good cheer. I believe God. What about you? Knowing our blessed
Lord is in absolute sovereign control of all things, afford
the believer much reason to be of good cheer. Let me show you
another time the Lord said this. Turn to John 16. Knowing our blessed Lord is in
control, sovereign ruler of all things. Afford the believer much
comfort in the time of prosperity or in the time of adversity.
In John chapter 16 verse 33, These things I have spoken unto
you, that in me you might have peace. In the world you shall
have tribulation, but be of good cheer. Well, look at that. Be
of good cheer. Why? Well, you know, I've done
a lot. I've given a lot for the Lord.
That's not what He said. Be of good cheer. You didn't
overcome. Be of good cheer. I have overcome. And then He says in this prayer,
I have power over all flesh that I should give eternal life to
as many as thou hast given me. I have overcome. Be of good cheer. Not because we have overcome. Be of good cheer. He has overcome.
He's overcome all obstacle to secure our salvation. The law
of God that we offended, He satisfied the law of God. Our sins which
are many and which are against God, He has put away the sin
of God's people. Be of good cheer. I have overcome. Let me encourage you, you who
believe the gospel, and you who rest and find all of your salvation
in Christ Jesus. Let me encourage you to be of
good cheer, no matter what the day holds. We know who holds
the day. We know who holds the day. We
say with David, this is the day the Lord hath made. We will rejoice
and we will be glad in the day that He made, the day that He
gave, the day that He sustains all things. No matter how hopeless
the situation appears to be, with God all things are possible. with salvation with men, and
left myself. No way. But with God in Christ,
all things, salvation, dead certain in Christ Jesus. Our time, my
friend, our time in His hand. No matter how hopeless the situation
appears to be, with God all things are possible. God is absolute
sovereign over all. The Lord reigneth, let the earth
rejoice as believers. Now listen, stay with me. Find
Matthew chapter 9, and here's the last reference to that same
phrase. You see, the Lord doesn't change His message. Not towards
His people, it's the same thing. That's why the gospel is called
good news. Be of good cheer, of good things. As believers,
we have every reason to be of good cheer. Look what it says
here in Matthew 9, verse 1, "...and he entered into a ship, and passed
over and came into his own city. And behold, they brought to him
a man sick of the palsy, lying on a bed. And Jesus, seeing their
faith, said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, be of good cheer,
thy sins be forgiven." Be of good cheer. We have as believers
We have every reason to be of good cheer. The blood atonement
of the Lord Jesus Christ puts away all our sin. Be of good cheer. I hope the
Lord will bless that word to your heart. And next time, in
the morning, tomorrow, this will happen, when we're discouraged
and blue and doubting and full of fears and anxieties and all
these different things, May God cause these words to echo and
resound in your heart over and over. My friend, be of good cheer. The Lord is with us. Be of good
cheer. God protects His own. Kept by
the power of God. My friend, be of good cheer. The Lord does reign and rule
over all things and we can fully, completely commit the care of
everything we have. to Him are all wise, knowing
God. Be of good cheer.