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and everyone just a couple of announcements before we begin in the first place there is a ministry at the hospital today the main hospital the extended care unit if anybody is interested in attending please try and get there around 2:20 the actual service begins at 2:30 and then there is Bible study this Wednesday night but just a reminder there won't be Bible study on Wednesday the 26th or Wednesday the second well for our call to worship you can turn in your Bibles to Psalm 125 Psalm 125 I'll begin reading in verse 1 a song of a sense those who trust in the Lord are like Mount Zion which cannot be moved but abides forever as the mountains surround Jerusalem so the Lord surrounds his people from this time forth and forever for the scepter of wickedness shall not rest on the land allotted to the righteous lest the righteous reach out their hands to iniquity do good O Lord to those who are good and to those who are upright in their hearts as for such as turn aside to their crooked ways the Lord shall lead them away with the workers of iniquity peace be upon Israel amen will please turn in your Trinity Psalter your red Trinity Salter to Psalm 1 Psalm 1 will stand as we sing together [Music] [Music] [Music] well let us pray our Blessed God and holy father what a privilege it is to gather in the house of God Almighty what a blessing to know that as the mountains surround Jerusalem so you surround your people that you are God Most High Father Son and Holy Spirit you're the God who made the world the God who governs and keeps the world and the God who has redeemed his elect from it and we rejoice Most High God in your mercy and in your Grace's we bless you for your goodness in your loving-kindness we know father that it is not our deeds it's not our goodness it's not our works that commend us to you but it's all that the Son of God has done on behalf of his people how we thank you that in your time and the fullness of the time you sent forth your son born of a woman and born under the law to redeem those under the law we thank you for the perfect life of obedience of our Lord Jesus Christ under that law we thank you for his death at Calvary and for the fact that he was our substitute an atoning sacrifice a blessed one who stood in the place of all the Father gave him and we thank you that he was raised the third day and he ascended on high and he now sits enthroned at your right hand God as we gather today may we on this Lord's Day remember first and foremost our Lord and may our hearts be drawn out and worship and in love and in adoration help us as we sing help us as we pray help us as we look to the holy scripture to know the glory and the majesty and the excellence of Jesus Christ your son we ask for the Ministry and the power of the Holy Spirit to be at work in our hearts that you would cause us to approach you with reverence and fear and with great joy knowing that our sins are forgiven knowing that our our our sins are cleansed in that precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and may we approach you as the God of heaven and earth as the one who does hear the prayers of his people we ask now that you would forgive us for our sins and our transgressions your scriptures your Bible tells us that you are a go who is holy that your eye is too pure to look upon any evil we know father even as believers we have enough remaining corruption the land of sin hell for all eternity but we thank you that there is forgiveness with you that you may be feared we thank you that if we confess our sins you are faithful and just to forgive us and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness may we confess with that ancient Creed I believe in the forgiveness of sins and may we rejoice in that great reality and father for any and all who've come here this morning still in sin those who have yet to come to the Savior those who have not kissed the son we pray that this would be the day of salvation that they would know the joy of being found in him the joy of not having their own righteousness which is from the law that that righteousness which is given freely by you through faith in your son the Lord Jesus we pray that this would be the day of salvation for young and old for male and female we pray that as your word goes forth here and elsewhere it would run swiftly and be glorified we ask our Father that you would be pleased to demonstrate that sovereign might that power we know ultimately it doesn't depend upon him who wills or him and runs but on God who shows mercy and we appeal to you Father in Heaven that you would demonstrate that mercy today in the saving of sinners by Jesus Christ through the preaching of the gospel we would pray to that end that you would send your spirit for God we confess that apart from him we can do nothing we need that ministry that aid of the Spirit to open the scriptures to open our eyes to the scriptures that we may behold wondrous things in your law we asked you'd bless our children and our young people that they in their youth would remember their Creator that they and their youth would come to the Savior that they would see him as all together lovely in chief among ten thousand and they by grace would be would be saved and walk in obedience unto the God of heaven and earth we thank you Lord that you grant good gifts to your people we thank you for children and we pray this morning for James Butler we ask that you watch over this little one we pray that he would continue to increase and health and strength we pray Lord God that he'd be able to leave children's and and not in the in the not-too-distant future to be able to return home stop hold Micah and Chloe and help them father to to bear up under these trials and difficulties and may they continue to lean upon a God who does care for them we thank you for your blessing over Joanne this week we just ask God that you would continue to grant her health and strength we ask that she would just continue to see your hand your good hand in the midst of this trial we also thank you for Linda and the way that your continued to continuing to sustain her we do pray that this meeting on Tuesday would be would be the last session of chemo we know that you are over these things that you do use the means and God we rejoice the way things have have fallen out thus far we pray that you'd continue to be with them that you would continue to bless and encourage their hearts thank you that mrs. Proctor can be with us this morning we just rejoice in your kindness again and answered prayer we ask that you bless the new Feld's and continue to watch over our brother dawn and be with Bev Mun Lord God we know that you are God and not only looks after the the inner man but you look after the outer man as well and we would just commit them to you into the word of your grace and our Father bless other churches this morning as they gather we thank you that we're not alone in this community God our community desperately needs the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ and we pray that each pulpit that preaches truth there would be sinners in attendance that would receive that truth and would come under the Savior King we pray that your word would go forth all over the earth the psalmist prayed in Psalm 67 that you had caused your face to shine upon the nation's that you would let the nation's be glad knowing the way of God Almighty through Jesus Christ and we would ask that Father in Heaven that this gospel would go forth to men of every tribe and tongue and people and nation and that you would get glory in the salvation of sinners by our Lord Jesus Christ and it's in his most blessed name that we pray amen well please turn with me again or in your Trinity hymnal this time hymn number 481 hymn number 481 will stand as we sing together [Music] amen well you can turn in your Bibles to John's Gospel or in John chapter three for our scripture reading this morning John chapter three will pick up reading in verse 22 this is John the Baptist's continuing witness to our Lord Jesus Christ and beginning in verse 22 we read after these things Jesus and his disciples came into the land of Judea and there he remained with them and baptized now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim because there was much water there and they came and were baptized for John had not yet been thrown into prison then there arose a dispute between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purification and they came to John and said to him rabbi he who was with you beyond the Jordan to whom you have testified behold he is baptizing and all are coming to him John answered and said a man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven you yourselves bear me witness that I said I am NOT the Christ but I have been sent before him he who has the bride is the bridegroom but the friend of the bridegroom who stands and hears him rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled he must increase but I must decrease he who comes from above is above all he who is of the earth as earthly and speaks of the earth he who comes from heaven is above all and what he has seen and heard that he testifies and no one receives his testimony he who has received his testimony has certified that God is true for he whom God has sent speaks the Word of God for God does not give the spirit by measure the Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand he who believes in the son has everlasting life and he who does not believe the son shall not see life but the wrath of God abides on him a man who as I said this is continuing Testament John the Baptist concerning our Lord Jesus Christ we see these disciples of John the Baptist have a bit of a party spirit they know that everybody's coming to the Lord Jesus to be baptized and so John's disciples come to him and they say Lord this or John rather this isn't a good thing they're all going after him so of course John is going to crush that on the part of these disciples but it is interesting that this sort that sort of thing exists today it's not wrong for a body of believers to sort of rally around a particular confession of faith it's wrong to think that that's the only way or the only means by which sinners enter into heaven it's by grace through faith in Christ alone that sinners are saved and so we need to guard against a party spirit again it's okay to want to be right it's okay to pursue truth but it's not okay to discourage those or dissuade those who are genuinely blood-bought children of God because they don't dot their eyes and cross their t's the way that we do we need to be charitable we need to be large hearted we need to be loving with reference to the body of Christ as a whole now notice how John deals with their particular complaint verse 27 he acknowledges the sovereignty of God in other words what happens in terms of who gets baptized and who doesn't is all about the sovereignty of God that's verse 27 he goes on in verse 28 to say you know that I'm not the Christ I have told you that I'm not the Christ and therefore it ought not to be an offense that people are actually going after the Christ that's a good thing and then notice in verse 29 he who has the bride is the bridegroom but the friend of the bridegroom this is John the Baptist who stands and hears him rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice towards John the Baptist is not saying I'm very discouraged that everybody is going to be baptized by the Lord Jesus he says I'm just happy to hear his voice I just rejoice that I get to be near him I just rejoice that I get to be counted as his friend and then John the Baptist makes this statement that I would hope all of us by grace would seek to to inculcate in our own lives notice in verse 30 he must increase but I must decrease now that's a very conspicuous statement by the Baptist concerning the preeminence of our Lord Jesus Christ but notice what he doesn't say he doesn't say that Christ must increase and I must increase a little bit he doesn't say that Christ must increase and I must stay the same no Christ must increase but I must decrease in other words the Baptist's role has been completed he was a forerunner announcing the arrival of Messiah Messiah has come no longer followed John the Baptist but rather give your hearts holy to the Lord Jesus Christ he must increase I must decrease and then notice how this passage ends with this truth this true statement of verse 36 he who has the son or rather he who believes in the son has everlasting life and he who does not believe the son shall not see life but the wrath of God abides on him you see there's only two options we like to think there's sort of this third position there's those who are born again there's those who are atheists but but you know I'm sort of right in the middle I'm I'm kind of on the fence I I doubt that God would you know unleash his vengeance against me like he would the Atheist there's only two groups you're either with Christ or you're against Christ you either believe the gospel and have everlasting life or you do not believe the gospel and the wrath of God abides on you if we could see the wrath of God this morning we would see where it abides on those who are not believers the answer is not oh I wish I could see where the wrath of God abides the answer is believe on the Lord Jesus Christ he must increase I must decrease the Baptist says and that ought to be the disposition of every one of our hearts come to the Savior for everlasting life well let us pray our God we thank you for the Lord Christ we thank you that he must increase that we must decrease help us to take that rightful position and help us to be happy to hear the voice of the of the bridegroom help us to be joyful that we have the Word of God that we have the gospel of salvation that Jesus did come down for us men and for our salvation may this be that which produces joy and Thanksgiving and gratefulness in our hearts and may it be the case today father that that sinners would move from that that state of being under the wrath of God to being in the favor of God and that through grace in faith in Jesus Christ our Lord then we ask this in his name amen well for our final him before the preaching you can turn to 437 437 again we'll stand as we sing together [Music] [Music] [Music] well please turn with me in your Bibles to the book of Acts Acts chapter 5 Acts chapter 5 just a bit of review we see in verses 12 to 16 the emphasis on the continuing growth of the church in verses 17 to 21 the Apostles are imprisoned and ultimately released by divine aid the Apostles are then recaptured without violence brought back to the Sanhedrin and religious council and they give their defence in verses 27 to 32 so this morning will note that the decision of the Council in other words what's the disposition what's going to be the case with reference to the Apostles what is the outcome and that's in verses 33 to 42 but I'll pick up reading in verse 17 then the high priest rose up and all those who were with them which is the sect of the Sadducees and they were filled with indignation and laid their hands on the Apostles and put them in the common prison but at night an angel of the Lord opened the prison doors and brought them out and said go stand in the temple and speak to the people all the words of this life and when they heard that they entered the temple early in the morning and taught but the high priest and those with him came and called the council together with all the elders and the children of Israel and sent to the President to have them brought well when the officers came and did not find them in the prison they returned and reported saying indeed we found the prison shot securely and the guards standing outside before the doors but when we opened them we found no one inside and when the high priest the captain of the temple and the chief priests heard these things they wondered what the outcome would be so one came and told them saying look the men whom you put in prison are standing in the temple and teaching the people then the captain went with the officers and brought them without violence for they feared the people lest they should be stoned and when they had brought them they set them before the council and the high priest asked them saying did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name and look you'll filled Jerusalem with your doctrine and intend to bring this man's blood us.the Peter and the other apostles answered and said we ought to obey God rather than man the god of Our Fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree him God has exalted to his right hand to be Prince and Savior to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins and we are his witnesses to these things and so also is the holy spirit whom God has given to those who obey Him when they heard this they were furious and plotted to kill them then one in the council stood up a Pharisee named Gama Leal a teacher of the law held in respect by all the people and commanded them to put the apostles outside for a little while and he said to them men of Israel take heed to yourselves what you intend to do regarding these men for some time ago through disrobe claiming to be somebody a number of men about four hundred joined him he was slain and all who obeyed him were scattered and came to nothing after this man Judas of Galilee rose up in the days of the census and drew away many people after him he also perished and all who obeyed him were dispersed and now I say to you keep away from these men and let them alone for if this plan of this work is of men it will come to nothing but if it is of God you cannot overthrow it lest you even be found to fight against God and they agreed with them and when they had called for the Apostles and beaten them they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus and let them go so they departed from the presence of the council rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name and daily in the temple and in every house they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ amen let us pray father thank you again for the written word and we need the ministry of the holy spirit who gave us the word we ask that you would forgive us for our sins and it's darkening influence over our minds and hearts and we pray that you would illumine our minds and hearts give us wisdom concerning this passage of Scripture may it edify may it strengthen may it encourage and yay God may it even challenge us as the people of God and may we see in all of this the supremacy the majesty the excellency of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and it's in his name that we pray amen remember that the council here is the Sanhedrin it was made up of 71 persons it was presided over by the high priest according to verse 17 and what we know from the history of the time it was heavy with Sadducees remember those men in the gospel narratives there were Sadducees and there were Pharisees and they made up this council but the council specifically at this time was more or majority Sadducees this man Gama Leal is a Pharisee that comes to speak some wisdom to them and they agree but having agreed they nevertheless beat the disciples so I want to look first at the council's decision about the Apostles in verses 33 to 40 and then secondly the Apostles commitment to continually preach Christ in verses 41 to 42 this is such a wonderful section of Scripture I think as it encourages us in it and as I said in prayer it it challenges us you know we oftentimes get discouraged or we oftentimes think that if everybody's against us or life is hard or or there's a great deal of difficulties and my service to the Lord Jesus Christ these men were beat probably 39 times each on the back and on the chest which oftentimes caused death the loss of blood would in many cases caused death they rejoice that they were worthy to counter a suffer shame for the name and then they continue to go out and preach and teach Jesus as the Christ I think it puts our sufferings into perspective I think it causes us to reflect that you know hangnails or being a little tired or having a bit of sniffles now I'm not suggesting that you come and infect everybody with your colds and fevers but there is a sense brethren were the things that we undergo oftentimes are nothing in the world compared to what we find these Apostles suffer well let's look at their or the apostle or rather the counsels decision about the Apostles and I want to look first at the plan secondly the advice of gamma Leal and then thirdly the decision of the council but note the plan verse 33 when they heard this now what did they hear they heard Peter preached notice in verse 28 the high priest gets - Peter gets the apostles and he says did we not strictly command you not to preach in this name you are filling Jerusalem with this doctrine and you intend to bring upon our heads culpability or liability for his death and what does Peter do does Peter say I'm sorry I'm sad that you've interpreted it that way nope Peter continues to fill Jerusalem with the doctrine and Peter continues to hang upon them the reality that they are responsible not solely not alone it was the people of Israel that cried away with him away with him crucify him it was our sins that were heaped up upon the Son of God he went to that cross to bear the penalty in his own body that that suffering in that rat that was due for us but brethren these men had a hand in it they were instigators and Peter reiterates that to them in verse 30 so verse 33 makes sense again I'm not agreeing with their decision or their response rather but you can see why they're angry you can see why they're furious and you can see why they want to deal with these apostles because Peter repeats in verse 30 the god of Our Fathers raised up Jesus whom you murdered by hanging on a tree so verse 33 when they heard this Peter's speech Peters words Peter's Gospel Peters again assertion that they were guilty for the death of the Savior they were furious and plotted to kill them we see this same verb used over in act 7 this they were furious notice in Acts chapter 7 at verse 54 when they heard these things they were cut to the heart literally means they were sawn their hearts were sawn in two it's rendered properly here in 533 as they serious they were mad they had already been filled with indignation about these apostles and their preaching in verse 17 that's what led them to arrest them and so in verse chapter seven we see that same response to Stephen it says they were cut to the heart they gnashed at him with their teeth go back to chapter two we don't see the same verb but we see the same concept but here it's in a better way notice in acts 2:37 now when they heard this they were there it is cut to the heart and said to Peter and the rest of the Apostles men and brethren what shall we do that's the goal that's the hope that's the desire when the Spirit comes is to cut sinners in the heart now hopefully it's in that axe to sort of a way where they say men and brethren what shall we do they're pointed unto the Lord Jesus Christ and they by grace believe and are saved there are those instances that we find here in acts 5 and again in acts 7 where they're cut to the heart and they're infuriated by the things that they have seen and notice they plotted to kill them that's just pretty horrendous isn't it and these men didn't do anything wrong except preach Christ these men were not public enemies to the to the civil order to the ecclesia well it was as far as the Sanhedrin was concerned was a threat to them because why they loved men or rather feared man they loved their own power and they wanted to silence the opposition and as far as they were concerned the apostles were the opposition and so they're now they escalate this rage in fury to the point where they actually want to kill them Alexander says this felt feeling led to a new step in the march of persecution instead of idle threats and prohibitions they now conceive the thought of capital punishment and bloody persecution see here it begins brethren this is what we see in the history of the church this is the the rage of the enemies of Jesus Christ against God against his anointed and because the enemies can't get to God and is anointed they target God's people you see this is the way the master was treated in his earthly ministry there were seasons instants times with a Sanhedrin or the Religious Council of the religious leaders were infuriated with the Lord Jesus and they plotted to kill him it ultimately culminates in that plot being carried out successfully when they hired Judas the betrayer Judas betrays him and then they cry out away with him away with him crucify him and they see the Son of God hung on a cross you see the way the master was treated is the way the disciple is treated Jesus had warned them of this or rather taught them of this so it would be uh uh uh in terms of preparing them for this inevitability now note in verses 34 to 39 we have the advice of this fellow called gamma lil notice he's a man that should have been listened to and it does say they did agree with him but I think to agree with him would have been to let them go without a beating we agree with you but we're gonna take our fury out on their backs first we agree with you gamma leo but we're still gonna open them up we're still gonna give them stripes we're still gonna possibly kill them by inflicting upon them this whip but notice how it explains or describes this man gamma wheel he was a Pharisee and he was a teacher of the of the law held and respected by all the people now this was Paul's master or should I say Saul of Tarsus and acts 22 verse 3 as the Apostle Paul is rehearsing his upbringing in terms of the sect of the Pharisees he was brought up by this man gamma leo this man gamma leo was held in respect by all the people he was the grandson of a of a famous rabbi called Hillel in fact there was a Mishnah that's sort of commentary on not only scripture but also on tradition that at the death of this man gamma leo it says when rabbin you've heard the word rabbi rabbin was reserved for a couple of the rabbi's too to distinguish them as being sort of better than everybody else I know that that sounds you know you know what I mean more preeminent than the rest of the rabbis it's Rabban Gamliel and this Mishna says that when gamma leo the elder died the glory of the tour CAES and purity and separateness perished now the word Pharisee typically is defined as referring to separation or separateness so in a sense this mission of saying with the death of gamma leo we essentially had the death of Pharisee ISM so all this to say he's a man of great importance he's he's a member of the Council and he's functioning here as the leader of the opposition party if the Sadducees are the majority on this Sanhedrin or the Sadducees of the majority in the council then damn allele is functioning as the opposition leader and he wants to speak to them words of wisdom that they ought to HEA that they ought to listen to that they ought to subscribe because he is no he is no novice he is no amateur and notice what gamma Leal does according to verse 34 he asks that the Apostles are put outside for a little while dismisses them so that he can talk freely in terms of the the proposal that he's going to make to that now notice his proposal he first cautions that that's in verse 35 verse 35 if I could just put it in 21st century sort of North American isms he says chill out relax don't do what you're plotting to do do not carry out this particular plan and purpose that you have you need to back it down is what gamma leo says verse 35 he said to them men of Israel this in their capacity as the religious and political entity that was charged with making decisions for the the nation of course subject to the Roman Empire but he said to them men of Israel take heed to yourselves what you intend to do regarding these men you need to be careful I mean this is a better heads prevalent this is a man who they needed to listen to this was a man that that wasn't a Christian some have suggested that perhaps he was a believer we have no evidence no indication whatsoever that gamma will ever came to the Lord Jesus Christ but he certainly was a more moderate men he was certainly a war a more thinking man he was certainly a more judicious man a man who had a degree of wisdom that the rest of the Sanhedrin needed to listen to in many respects he sounds like pilots wife here doesn't he remember Pilate is deliberating within himself he's got the pressure from the Jews what am I going to do with this man Jesus and and pilots wife says the same thing to him have nothing to do with this man you don't want to go around this man you don't want to be near this man you certainly don't want to be culpable with reference to the disposition of this man have nothing to do with him pilots wife says now Matthew pull suggest and I don't have any reason to doubt what he suggests in terms of gamma Leal's motivation he says gamma Weil interposes partly out of his moderate and mild disposition partly out of fear lest if they slew the Apostles they might and sense the Romans now at this time excuse me the Romans were the power and for the most part they left Judaism unmolested I mean they weren't favorable in the sense that they worship the God of the Jews or anything like that but they didn't mess with them they they pretty much let them do their own thing though they did not have the power to execute they did not have the power to put people to death they admit that with Jesus don't they they have to send Jesus to Pilate so that Pilate can give the kill order with reference to the crucifixion now when we get to Acts chapter seven all that just goes right out the door with Stephen so it wasn't as if they were given than the opportunity or the privilege to engage in capital punishment what they do is Stephen is absolutely incredibly wicked and wretched not that this isn't but you see the escalation when the enemies of Christ first start they threaten you not to say anything then the enemy the enemies of Christ will lay hands on you and put you in jail then the enemies of Christ will will bring you before their Council and again try and intimidate you and then the enemies of Christ will beat you and open up your back so that you bleed to death and if that doesn't work the enemies of Christ will just put you to death they will authorize stoning as they do in the case of Stephen but - Matthew Poole damn allele interposes partly out of his moderate mild disposition partly out of fear lest if they slew the Apostles they might incense the Romans who were very jealous of their authority I don't think he means jealous in the sense that they really wanted it but jealous to monitor jealous to watch jealous to to provide scrutiny to make sure they didn't step outside the boundaries and he goes on to say and had taken away their power this is the Empire of capital punishments from the Jews now Gama wheel is going to offer two arguments as to why they ought to listen to what he says the first is a historical argument and the second is a theological argument note his historical argument he cites two men a man by the name of Judas and a man by the name of Judas of Galilee now this passage presents some difficulties for some because Josephus the Jewish historian wrote his history concerning the Jews and puts a few days who does something similar to this about a decade later in other words if we look at Josephus and we had a concordance they probably have that I'm I'm unawares but they have concordance 'as for just about everything they probably have one for Josephus if we look for Theotis we would see that Judas lived about ten years later or his activity was about ten years later he basically drew a crowd they followed him he said that he could part the river Jordan the the governor gave the the the kill order cut his head off and brought it back to Jerusalem so Judas of Galilee actually was around ad six or seven many many years prior to this particular instance so some have wondered if Josephus was wrong others wonder if Luc was wrong when Luc read Josephus he messed up but I think the best explanation is there was another fellow named fewness a fellow that predated Judas of Galilee a fellow that did something similar perhaps not going to the River Jordan and suggesting that he could part it but the point that Galileo is making with reference to this Judas and with reference to this Judas of Galilee is that they were men man who started movement men who gained a following and men who ultimately died and once those men ultimately died their followers were dispersed now this Judas of Galilee he could have been the forerunner of what was called the zealot movement so in a sense it really didn't die the zealots would be fundamental at the time of the Jewish wars against the Roman armies remember that the sign of the zealot there were these zealots that were sort of anti-tax they were the guys that didn't want to sort of submit to the Roman Empire but that's how Judas of Galilee started off it was at the time of the census it's not because he didn't want to give his name and address it's because he didn't want to pay his taxes or not that he didn't want to pay his taxes but he didn't want to pay more than his share and I think that this is the same census referred to in Luke's Gospel under the Syrian governor named Karenia so so Galilee a gamma wheels point is this you had this theater and you had this Judas of Galilee and what they did was they started a movement they were followed by a lot of people when they died the movement died with that so what's his point leave him alone leave them alone if it's not of God they'll die if it's of God then you've got bigger problems and that's the theological argument notice specifically in verses 38 and 39 we see the historical argument verses 36 to 37 we see the theological argument verses 38 to 39 it's a good time for him to remind them of his charge of his warning of his command verse 38 and now I say to you keep away from these men and let them alone I don't know how much clearer he could have made this so that when Luke tells us they agreed they agree but they really didn't they agreed but they had to vent their fury they agree but they had to get their licks in he agreed but they had to open their backs they agreed but they had to continue to parade before these men where the boss that's over reach these men are in sin and in rebellion Peter has already pitted them against God by saying we must obey God rather than man he doesn't mean men in general he says you manner he means you men in the Sanhedrin that are forbidding us and prohibiting us from speaking in the name of Jesus Christ we must obey God and that's the way verse 29 should be read when he says in the New King James we ought to obey there's almost that sort of idea in the minds of people that you know there's an Auton s there and and and but but there might be a not not a not not Ennis there - no it's a mosque we don't have the we don't have the prerogative or the privilege to choose otherwise necessity is laid upon us we're we're constrained we have no other option when man tries to use surp God when man says something like no more preaching of the gospel of the Lord Jesus we must obey God we don't kowtow we don't bow down we don't say okay a sovereign state we pull it Daniel Daniel when he was prohibited from praying to the God of Israel didn't kowtow Daniel opened up his window he assumed the position and he prayed to the God of heaven and earth brethren that's the marching orders for the people of God whether we're told not to whether we're arrested whether we are beaten or whether we are ultimately murdered we need to hold fast to preaching the gospel of our salvation namely as verse 42 tells us preaching Jesus as the Christ so gamma Leal's advice is look at these men and now look at God he says in verse 38 for if this plan or this work is of man it will come to nothing Jesus and His apostles will be like foodists and Judas of Galilee Jesus and His apostles will be like every other guy that hung is his huh his sign out and said I'm a new religious guru that everybody should follow if it is of men then it will fail this is Jesus point in Matthew chapter 7 on those who build or with reference to those who build on the sand it's shifting it's moving it's not stable so that you can build your house upon it it's it's not last there's no permanence that's that's what gamma wheels getting at in this particular exhortation but notice he doesn't stop there he goes on to say but if it is of God you cannot overthrow it lest you even be found to fight against God so gamma Leal as I said we have no sort of reason to believe that he went you know he's a believer in Jesus but he's sure smart isn't he I'd like to think that there were people in the opposition that would stand up in political parties and and speak wisdom like this just back it down just just look at history these kind of guys they're they're flashes in the pan they call people follow them they die people don't follow them anymore you need to realize that if this is not of God it will fail if it's built on man it will fail but gamma will sort of increases or escalates the argument here in this last bit but if it is of God you cannot overthrow it lest you even be found to fight against God now that's good sage advice as well again we don't know his heart we don't know if he's hedging his bets with reference to Judaism and Christianity we don't know what his motivation is but it is true it is accurate it is good sound information and it reflects what we know he would have known from the Old Testament Scriptures the reality concerning God in the Old Testament is that what God purposes he carries out right so everybody with me whatever God purposes he carries out our God is in the heavens he he does whatever he pleases that's the the contrast there in psalm 115 the psalmist is mocking yes I said it mocking the idols of men when he says they have eyes but they don't see they have ears but they don't hear they have mouths but they don't they don't speak they have noses but they don't they don't smell he's mocking them what's the contrast but our God is in the heavens he does whatever he pleases the prophet Isaiah mocks idolatry in his in his book there's that bit where the man goes out and he cuts down the tree and he takes some of the wood and he and he builds a fire and he then he cooks his food and and he warms his hand over that fire and with the rest of the wood he makes an idol and he bows to it the Prophet is mocking you if you're an idolaters the Prophet is mocking in Isaiah or I say the Prophet is mocking as well when he speaks of those who worship the gods of Babylon when they have to pick them up and put them on the carts always said that if you're a god or if you have to pick up your god you've got the wrong God the whole glory of the God of the Bible is that he picks us up he puts us on carts he puts us where we need to go remember that bit with reference to Dagon when they had the Ark of the Covenant and oh the the Philistines capture the Ark of the Covenant and they have this ingenious idea to put it in the temple of Dagon the the the false God what happens when they go in there the next day Dagon you know knocked over his hands are gone as something else breaks off and they have to prop him back up see brethren that's mockery on the part of God's prophets to tell people that it's absolute insanity for you to worship idols Jesus says the same sort of things in the New Testament somebody who would choose ma'am and over the living and true God somebody who would choose any other create or any created thing over God is a madman it's falling it's it's it's it's a lack of wisdom it's incredibly insane and if you this morning are not a believer in Jesus Christ you're like that guy cuts down the wood warms his food warms his hands takes the rest and boughs down to it or you're like those who have been enamored with the Babylonian gods and they fall off the oxcart and you have to pick the God back up and put him on his skin the glory of the true God is cast your burdens upon him because he cares for you not pick him up and put him in the place where you want them to be and hopefully things will come out in your favor see idolatry is the same no matter the guise idolatry is the same topsy turvy rejection of the living to God for that which is creature whether it's the God to Babylon whether it's the gods of Canaan whether it's the gods of Egypt or it's the gods of North America sure we don't have little statues that we bow down to we don't have poles that we worship but we have money that we worship we have leisure that we worship we have pleasure that we worship we have sex and drugs and rock and roll that we worship that idolatry is as bad as bowing to Bale brethren and the prophet Elijah said how long will you halt between two opinions if bale is God then serve him if Yahweh is God then serve Him don't try to mingle and mix don't try to have a little bit of the truth and a whole lot of a lot of the false can't do that so Gamal eels right he understands proverbs 19:21 there are many plans in a man's heart nevertheless the Lord's Council that will stand lets Nebuchadnezzar's admission after God sends him out to the field to live like a beast I mean I think everybody really ought to listen to Nebuchadnezzar everybody should give ear to Nebuchadnezzar remember he was that man that looked over Babylon and he was parading himself and he and he just thought what a wonderful thing my hand has made me me me me he'd fit right in in the 21st century in North America that same confession that the Prophet sort of condemns as well in Isaiah he says that Babylon says I am he and there is no other it's a competitive word against the living and true God well Nebuchadnezzar does that God judges him Chasen's him sends him out to live like a beast in the field and afterward he says my reason returned to me take a cue from that to worship the true and living God means you're a reasonable rational person to not worship the true and living God means that you're out of your mind before we get back to Nebuchadnezzar there's another illustration of that in the gospel narratives remember that man who lived among the tombs he was demon-possessed he was naked he cutting himself with stones he would weep and wail all through the night well cut a Christ comes to him casts out the demons and I think it's in Luke's Gospel Luke's description specifically we read that the man is sitting and he's clothed and he's in his right mind see we think that that's somehow cool somebody well maybe not that degree of wretchedness but we we think oh yeah that person he's evolved to the point where he knows that that the God concept is is just the the opium of the masses and and and that truly rational and reasonable people have you know lots of degrees and they they teach and universities and there they they espouse atheism God tells us those men are out of their minds and that a five-year-old who says God is spirit infinite eternal and unchangeable in his being wisdom power holiness justice goodness and truth is a thousand a million and eternal times more intelligent than the atheist who says in his heart there is no God you see God's Word restores rationality we'll see later the Lord willing some day when Paul the Apostle is brought up on charges when Paul the Apostle is told much learning is driving you mad what does Paul say well I should take some time off and regroup and find myself I says I am NOT mad most noble Festus but I speak the words of truth and reason the Brethren don't miss that he's saying to them you're mad just say Peter is here saying you are guilty for killing the Savior but back to Nebuchadnezzar and the decree of God and the fact that it marches on what does Nebuchadnezzar confess according to Daniel 4:35 all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing he does according to his will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth no one can restrain his hand or say to him what have you done everybody should listen to that gamma will certainly was listening to it if it is of God you cannot overthrow it now notice last you even be found to fight it's God you don't wanna be in that position do you you don't to be the contender with reference to God you don't want to be the one that gets in the ring with God now game alleles disciple will eventually right as a Christian man if God is for us who can be against us the converse of that is true as well if God is against us who can be for us right no army in the world is going to defend you from the anger and the vengeance of a holy God and so gamma leo at least an appearance level appeals or appeals to these men and they listen now I just do want to add one thought before we move from gamma Leal's advice here this is true in the universal sense it is absolutely true in the universal sense if Christianity is of man then it will falter if Christianity is of God it will triumph it will thunder forth and of course you know I believe it is true but at the local level and at certain episodic moments in history we need to guard against this type of thought let me just explain Mormonism has a lot of adherents presently Islam has a lot of adherents presently we don't therefore conclude it's it's of God no there are times in the history of our church not ours specifically ours in terms of the Brethren universally there are times when true works of God most iron are extinguished there are times when the people of God suffer and are persecuted to the point where it almost seems like there is no more people of God Elijah faced a time like that he didn't see all the people of God he sat into that broom train he said I'm alone left there's no more God says no I have 7000 that haven't bowed the knee to bail so we need to make sure that if a particular true church gets stamped out we don't necessarily conclude it wasn't of God no God has his purposes God has his reasons God moves in a mystery a mysterious way his wonders to perform God is his best his own interpreter it is the word that ultimately defines for us whether Islam or Mormonism is true it's the Word of God that ultimately defines for us a group of faithful believers who were wiped out by a civil government it's not the appearances so as I say gamma wheels advice holds true at a universal macrocosmic level but beware of falling into the numbers game well this group of people has this many adherents and therefore they must be of God Mormonism is not of God Islam is not of God it's just not you can't say that pastor Butler Lama phobia not afraid of them at all they're wrong they're false they're incorrect Muhammad was not a prophet they are not serving the same true and living God they are heretics so we don't say from the numbers game it must be of God does everybody get that we need to beware of Gamal Lee ilysm when it comes to the microscope Qasim and a judging works whether they are popular and prevalent or whether they've been extinguished and concluding well they weren't of God there's been a lot of good brothers and a lot of good churches and a lot of good people in history that had been wiped out for reasons unknown to us but we cannot conclude that they were of men now notice what happens with reference to the council verse 40 and they agreed with him and when they had called for the Apostles and beaten them they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus and let them go again it may just because I'm a simple Tim but they agreed with them should mean they let them go the the beating that they inflicted on them is probably that beating of Deuteronomy 25 3 you were not to exceed 40 lashes and if you did you violated the law the Apostle Paul in 2nd Corinthians 11 refer to his having received that that that forty lashes minus one so it would have been thirty-nine lashes don't you think agreement with gamma Leo would have been okay you guys go we'll just let you go the way a few Tyson and Judas of Galilee if you're of men you're gonna fail but we have that confidence now because gamma lil has spoken why do they agree first of all why do these men on the council who are the majority Sadducees agree with this Pharisee believe it or not people actually like the Pharisees and didn't like the Sadducees you know we get this idea in our heads of Pharisee it becomes like this four-letter word on the pages of the gospel narratives and I'm not suggesting they were great wonderful human beings but as far as Israel was concerned there are a whole lot better than Sadducees so so what does this reflect the majority takes the minority position remember one of the things I tried to assert over and over again about these particular man is that they fear men because they fear man they listen to the Pharisee when it says that gamma Leal was held in respect by all the people it doesn't mean the sad you see and counsel it means the common folk on the ground and so the Sadducees saying yeah we're going to listen to gamma leo he is respected by all the people we don't want to offend the people so we'll agree with him and have no further dealings with them after we beat them with the whip after we opened their backs after we hurt them now remember brethren these twelve men were men these twelve men had families these twelve men felt pain these twelve men were fishermen were you know men from a background that that wasn't you know military they hadn't been on the front lines they'd probably never been beaten with a whip in their lives now they come to Jesus and they're being beaten with whips it's again the the lie of the health wealth prosperity gospel come to Jesus and you'll get whipped is what these apostles will say not rich he's not gonna be the kind of fisherman where fish just jump in your boat now there was an instance where Jesus did give them a great catch of fish but but that wasn't their experience then on you know health wealth and prosperity and identifying with Jesus Christ if you're an apostle remember the Apostles were foundational in terms of the church itself the foundation stones are being beaten with whips what does that mean for the rest of us health wealth prosperity God's good very often he does give us health God very often gives us well very often he gives us prosperity the brethren that's not the gospel the gospel isn't bigger bank accounts the gospel isn't no physical maladies the gospel isn't a prosperous life the gospel is Christ and him crucified Christ in him resurrected for guilty sinners the gospel is because of him we get to go to heaven the gospel is because of him not that I have a great life on earth but because of him I'm gonna live forever in eternity with Father Son and Holy Spirit you see these men understood what it was to spend for Jesus Christ nff Bruce explains the Pharisees were in the minority but they commanded much more public respect than did the Sadducees so much so that the Sadducees and members of the court found it in politic to oppose the Pharisees demands that's why they do it that's why they listen to gamma leo they don't really listen to gamma Leo all the way because they got to get their licks in now they beat that I want to just quote one more commentator on this this statement Bach Darrell Bock says the whipping would have been on the back and chest with a three stranded strap of calf hide that this passage can be convicted me in a few different ways first I was really tired this morning very tired well I'm so tired I thought these men got beat went bloodied and they went and preached and teased I know my grammar was off but it publicly that it privately they didn't stop they weren't dainty they weren't pathetic they didn't whine they didn't say look at what we're suffering for the Savior they did what they were supposed to do now I have a special love for calfskin you see that strange pastor Butler you're not a farmer my bible is made out of calf skin it's almost like you can hear it low at times it's so supple and beautiful so James White described the leather a particular to a particular Bible you can almost hear it Moo because it's so supple their experience was cat with calf skin was getting their backs opened up by it not having a nice big beautiful wide margin Bible brethren this is the real deal this is what Christianity looks like this is giving all for Jesus the whipping would have been on the back and chest with a three stranded strap of calf I'd this could leave one close to death if not dead from loss of blood the hope is that by intensifying the punishment a deterrent will be established you see what's the Sanhedrin saying anybody want to join them that's what you get anybody want to side with that Christ that's what you get this is intimidation this is this is just gross overreach this is absolutely terrible and this brethren is why you should avail yourself whether it's at our Sunday morning prayer meeting or the Wednesday evening prayer meeting of what's happening outside of our confines it's a group of believers and his brother Steve said this morning and I would agree I don't know the significance of the name but there's a church called early reign covenant church in China it's one of the few house churches that when they're told to stop preaching they continually go out on the streets their pastor is presently in jail waiting for his trial has not been able to see his attorney yet and why because they're inciting subversion to the state that right how does a Christian incite subversion to the state the Christian scriptures tell us to pay our taxes to the state the Christian scriptures tell us to submit to the governing authorities insofar as they don't tell us to sing Christians should be the best citizens in a body politic but Christians worship another god you see and when the sovereign state who wants to be God sees that they start arresting and they start pouring out their enmity upon them praise God for early rain covenant church that they continue to preach and teach just like their predecessors the Apostles we get a raised eyebrow and we're ready to check it in we get somebody you know mock us and that's just suffering for Jesus who nobody knows what I go through here nobody understands the difficulties that I've done treading in my in my Christian faith brother I don't want to undermine her or or say don't do that but I would say don't whine about it our service for Jesus is really really not like what these guys are doing I'm not saying go to you know prime minister trudeau and say can you you know beat me because I'm a believer in crying I'm not suggesting that enjoy the liberties that you do have realize that if they do become scarce we still need to obey God rather than man and of course they command them to stop preaching Christ this is the end game and had beaten our and beaten them they commanded that they should not speak in the name of Jesus and let them go so they they agree with Gamal eel but they don't really agree with Gamal wheel they agree with Gamal eel but they got to get their licks in they agree with Gamal eel because they want to appease the body politic that likes the Pharisees / the Sadducees but we can't just let these guys go we've got to hurt them we've got to open their backs now let's look finally at the Apostles commitment to preach in Christ they depart from the council according to verse 21 of course they do the first moment you from these these madmen wouldn't you given the opportunity you'd want to run from these guys that's not what they do there they're given access to leave but notice the text verse 41 so they departed from the presence of the council rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name you know there are certain key texts in the Bible or we can just you know close our Bibles and get on our faces and repent before God and this is one of them they don't write their Senators or their congressmen they don't appeal to the higher court they don't say these men mistreated us they depart rejoicing why they have been treated in a contemptible manner this was a very strong shame Honor Society you hear that about China don't you you hear that they want to save face it's a very honor a driven Society Japan Asian countries I think in many respects North America honor it's very important to meatball notice what happens there honored through dishonored their graced through disgrace they've entered into a realm where they have been treated contemptibly by these men they have been held out as as as a shame in the public eye and instead of whining or crying or or misery and commiserating about it they rejoice they rejoice over the fact that they had been counted worthy to suffer shame for his name Bach again says in a strongly shame honor oriented society to be dishonored normally would be considered shameful the phrase quote counted worthy to suffer dishonor is an oxymoron a dishonor that is cause for joy the leaders beat them to produce shame they hope that the shame might function as a deterrent and stop their preaching or at least persuade others not to heat them and yet the disciples the apostles of our Lord instead of being dishonored instead of being shame they're counting themselves worthy to be ashamed for the cause of Jesus Christ and and we have this bit of a textual reading here where we have in the New King James his name your Bible if it's a different sort of a text type ESV NIV NASB may just have the name now there's some merit to that the name the name of Yahweh the name of Christ at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father Alexander explains not merely for being called by his name but for the sake of all that it implies his doctrine his Messiahship his service is divinity so they are rejoicing that they had been counted worthy to suffer shame for his name now notice in verse 42 and daily in the temple and in every house they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ the Apostles reject the councils command the Apostles reject the prohibition against preaching and teaching in the name of Jesus the Apostles with bloodied back and with perhaps now a lamp or they never had one before don't stop preaching Jesus as the Christ there's that bit in Galatians chapter 6 where the Apostle says don't let anybody continue to bug me that's the gym butler paraphrase or say things about me for i bear in my body the brand marks of jesus i bear in my body the brand marks of jesus what are those brand mark second corinthians 11 he was beaten by the jews he was beat and by the Romans I remember a book by Sinclair Ferguson any comments on Galatians sex and he says what does Paul mean there he says you would have known what he meant at the church picnic some of the kids would have come to Paul and they would have said Paul will you jump in the lake with us and Paul being the kind of guy Paul was would have jumped in the lake with them so Paul takes out his aunt takes off his outer garment to jump into the lake and there you see Galatians 6:17 on his back I bear in my body the brand marks of Jesus you see brethren that is Christianity that's the faith once for all delivered to the Saints that's what Jesus meant when he said take up your cross daily and follow that's the implications of coming unto our Lord Jesus Christ in conclusion just want to draw out a few final thoughts first the fury of the enemies of Christ now there may be seasons and there may be times and by God's grace we've experienced it probably most of us for most of our lives there are some in this room that haven't always there are some in this room who have seen overreach the likes that you and I have never seen before and again I'm no prophet of the son of a prophet but I am suggesting we need to be ready we need to be ready I don't mean go live in a you know on a hot on top of mount sham with your beans and and your rice and you know and your guidance and I guess if you're inclined to do that I can't stop you because you got guns but and beans and rice but but but you see what I'm saying we need to be prepared we need to understand that just because we've always had it good doesn't necessarily mean we're always going to have it good the enemies of Christ don't change they hate Christ they hate Yahweh according to Psalm 2 and they hate his anointing they rage against him they plot vain things against him those Edwards rightly pointed out sinners can't get to the throne and cast god onto the earth and kill him but they can definitely go after God's people and we need to be prepared we need to be strong in the Lord and in the power of his mind secondly we ought to appreciate the perseverance of the servants of Christ they are threatened by the council chapter 4 and again here in chapter 5 and what do they do they continue to preach Jesus Christ they are arrested by the council and what do they do both in chapters three and four and five they continue to preach Christ they are beaten by the council and what do they do they continue to preach Christ's escalation of persecution will increase in the Empire leading to the death of most of these people at the hands of the magistrate well of all of them or most of them but certainly some of them Paul the Apostle would get his head chopped off by Nero Peter would be crucified upside down John the Apostle would be boiled in a in a vat of oil and what really blows my mind is that he would survive that and ultimately end out on the Isle of Patmos he's on Patmos after this oil incident as far I always thought that was the way he met his head and then some further research indicated no he was boiled in oil and lived to fight another day I mean the people of God by the grace of God stand up to persecution and trials and difficulties you see the escalation a persecution is going to happen right before our eyes as we move through this book of Acts it initially comes from unbelieving Israel it initially comes from Sanhedrin from Council it initially comes from the religious leaders who are feeling slighted and we're feeling angry by the by the work that is going on right under their eyes but it will increase it will move into the Empire itself initially the Empire treated Christians like they did Jews they thought Christianity something like a subset to Judaism so Christians really didn't get molested they didn't get messed with in the Empire but it changed it changed drastically it changed huge and this is what the experience of God's people has been in the past listen to Kelvin he says therefore in light of the fact that these men suffered what these men suffered therefore woe be to our dainty Ness I just wanted to cite this quote because I love his choice of word dainty Ness that's I think my problem dainty therefore tuo be woe be to our daintiness who having suffered a little persecution do by and by resign up the light or the torch to another as if we were now old worn soldiers now as you get old and as you get worn you do slow down it's just the way it is but I think Calvin's point holds will be to our daintiness if we suggest well you know I just can't go on anymore these men were beaten within inches of their lives and continued to go on they continued to preach they continued to teach I want to consider thirdly in terms of conclusion the joy of the servants Christ the joy of the servants of Christ the Apostles rejoice that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for the name very similar to what Christ taught in the eighth beatitude isn't it Matthew 5:10 to 12 blessed are you when you suffer from I say the yeah it's consistent with what Christ had had had warned them about Christ told them that this was going to happen Matthew 10:17 they will deliver you up they will scourge you in their synagogues the master had prepared them for this eventualities the master had promised a beatitude for those who suffered for his cause and now these apostles are knowing it in their own experience and I think as well with reference to this apostolic suffering on behalf of Jesus it corroborates validates affirms underscores or causes us hopefully to take heed to what they would write we studied this on Wednesday night a little break from Genesis and looked at the believer and trials in James 1 2 to 8 what's James tell us they're my brethren count it all joy when you fall into various trials why does he tell us that because the contrary is typically the way we respond we fall into trials and we whine we murmur we grumble we can plan we need to be like these disciples who put their money where their mouths were and who would write these things not because it was some ethereal dream but because it was their own experience born out of their suffering for the Lord Jesus Christ in his statement on how the church ought to deal with persecution in first Timothy cha for speeder chapter 4 the Apostle Peter tells us we rejoice we're to rejoice why are we sadistic are we masochistic do we like blood and pain and shame and all that no we're suffering for the master where we're counted worthy to suffer for the name we're following our our Savior we're doing what he bid us we're taking up the cross daily and we're following him and I want to end on Christ according to the book of the Song of Solomon Christ is described by the bride there as altogether lovely in chief among ten thousand you know that experience in your own bosom don't you you as believers in Jesus Christ amen that description of the bride in Jenna Solomon chapter 5 he is altogether lovely isn't he we know that he he justified us freely by His grace he he sanctifying us by the power of His Holy Spirit and he's going to glorify us in that eternal blessed New Jerusalem he is altogether lovely and he is chief among ten thousand Oh brethren if he is those things that the bride suggests if he is those things that our hearts resonate with then he's certainly worthy of us upsetting a religious counsel who hates him he is certainly worthy of us going to jail if called upon he is certainly worthy of us having our backs ripped open until they're a bloody pulp if he decrees for us and he is certainly worth our dying for because he's altogether lovely and he's chief among ten thousand if you're an unbeliever here this morning very often you hear pastors or preachers say come to Jesus and it will be wonderful I can't say that any better it will be wonderful there's this kind of common misperception out there that when you go to Jesus you lose you go to Jesus you have to give everything up you go to Jesus and life changes all you know it changes so much so and it's all for the worse what believer in here would ever ever say that's the case anybody here on their way to the celestial City want to go back to the city of destruction is anybody here saying you know what I don't want this one who's altogether lovely and chief among 10,000 I'd much rather have the devil I much rather have this godless wretched horrible world and I'd really rather have my sin now I know we battle and I know we struggle and there is that or in our hearts the good we wish to do we don't do let the prevailing attitude of the people of God is that he's altogether lovely and chief among 10,000 if you're not a believer here this morning come you will not lose you will gain you will say with the Apostle for the meek to live is Christ and to die is gain because that means more Christ well let us pray our Father we thank you for your word we thank you for this account in Acts chapter 5 give us grace is the people of God to see the all-together loveliness of our Savior to see that it is in fact chief among 10,000 it may be may we be willing to defy courts that would tell us not to preach in his name may we be willing to submit to the whip to arrest to even death itself because he's altogether lovely and chief among 10,000 thank you for churches outside of North America those suffering under the persecuting hand of godless States thank you that you give them grace thank you that you give them courage that you give them tenacity and perseverance to continue to preach the gospel even when their own governments are against them and have targeted them for destruction may this word continue to go forth and may it not return unto you void may it always accomplish the purpose for which you sent it namely the salvation of a great multitude that no man can number and we ask this in the name and for the glory of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ amen well let's close by singing the doxology and praise to our God it's paid page Roman numeral 16 in your Trinity hen book if you're not familiar but for those who are please stand and we'll sing together [Music] [Music] my beloved is white and ruddy chief among 10,000 his mouth is most sweet yes he is altogether lovely this is my beloved and this is my friend o daughters of Jerusalem father go with us help us to value and to prize and to see the Savior the way the Bible presents him may we be willing to undergo suffering for for his name may we see that as a great blessing may we see that as a great honour may we see that as grace in the midst of disgrace we ask that you would Gerdes up that you would strengthen us that you would cause us to be the people of God the New Testament calls us to be in the Old Testament as well bless this day bless our ministry at the ECU we pray that you give ears to hear and hearts to receive the Word of God in that environment and we ask in Jesus name Amen we'll close with a brief time of meditation and then be dismissed