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well good morning welcome to free grace Baptist Church on this another Lord's Day although it is rainy outside we have a couple of happy announcements to make in regards to to two women who are expecting expecting children so John Jonathan and Elise Jones are expecting their first so for that we along with them are pleased and congratulate them and rejoice in the Lord as well as Mike and Melissa Crowell would also like to make a happy announcement they are also expecting a child so that's two two infants already created in the womb and for that we truly give give grateful thanks to the Lord for so that's it for announcements if you turn in your Bibles please to Psalm Psalm chapter 29 so let's prepare for worship by reading Psalm 29 psalm of David give unto the Lord O you mighty ones give unto the Lord glory and strength give unto the Lord the glory due his name worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness the voice of the Lord is over the waters the god of glory thunders the Lord is over many waters the voice of the Lord is powerful the voice of the Lord is full of majesty the voice of the Lord breaks the Cedars yes the Lord splinters the Cedars of Lebanon he makes them also skip like a calf Lebanon and Syrian like a young wild ox the voice of the Lord divides the flames of fire the voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh the voice of the Lord makes the deer give birth and strips the forest bare and in his temple everyone says glory the Lord sat enthroned at the flood and the Lord sits as king forever the Lord will give strength to his people the Lord will bless his people with peace amen well please turn with me your hymn books to him number 230 230 in Ostia please stand to 3 0 [Music] [Applause] [Music] amen please be seated let's go to God in prayer and ask his blessing be upon our time here this morning let's pray our gracious and our loving Heavenly Father we come before that holy God of whom we just spoke a thrice holy God we praise you Father Son and Holy Spirit for your graciousness and in allowing us to come before you this day to worship you to be worshippers of the high king of heaven and earth Lord how we praise you for that gift of your son the Lord Jesus Christ Lord how we pray that the Lord Jesus Christ will be lifted up here in this place this day and all over this world father what we pray for ourselves we pray for other pulpits with in Chilliwack and throughout the Lower Mainland and across our nation and around the world as as all Christian churches around the world saw pause this day from their from their daily labors to to worship the the eternal God that you are how we praise You Father that you have called us that you've elected us to be your children that we get to call you Abba Father that you call us your children that the that holy eye of a holy God is upon this sinful people we recognize father that we come in and through the name of your son the Lord Jesus Christ how grateful we are father for the fact that the Lord Jesus Christ died in our place so that we might enjoy that that justification of of a perfect sacrifice on our behalf how we praise you father for that gift of the Lord Jesus Christ and we pray that Christ might be made much of here this and here in this place this day cause our pastor father to be kept in truth this day strengthen him enabled him Lord to lay hold of you and we pray that your gracious Holy Spirit would would enable him to to preach boldly that word that you would have for us keep him in truth had Justin as a congregation we do pray father in truth this day we thank you for your guiding Holy Spirit that that has been given so that the things of Christ might be made known we pray Lord that that gift that would be would be known of a truth here in this place we we know Lord the Holy Spirit is like it is like a wind we may not be able to see but we certainly see we can certainly feel the effect of that gracious Holy amongst us and soulard how we pray that we might all rejoice as truth is preached from this pulpit this day bless that truth we do pray to each and every heart or we pray for any at all who are unsaved in our congregation this day the Lord you would be pleased to to do to till up the the soil of their heart as it were to to cause that that that good seed of the gospel to fall upon that that tilled up soil that they might receive that - that good word that father you would be pleased to do a work of grace in each and every heart that is not your own we do pray for children we pray for young people here in our congregation father we know that parents seek to raise their children the fear and the admonition of the Lord they come Sunday and Sunday out and hear the word of God preached and how we pray load that you would turn the heart and cause cause little ones cause cause older ones cause any adults amongst us father you do not know the things of Christ that they might believe in the things of Christ this day they might know that gift of salvation through your son the Lord Jesus Christ so they might be forgiven of their sin they might enter into that new life remove for them those stony rough hearts father and give to them fleshly hearts that would seek after you they would breathe for the things of God boy we pray that you would give parents wisdom as they seek to raise their children cause them Lord - to know patience each and every day we know that we can run short of patience and father we pray that that patients might be exercised in the in the discipline and the loving of children - to raise them to fear you Lord we rejoice in the happy announcements this day for both the Joneses and the crows and we pray we thank you Father you are the giver of life and we praise you for that we pray that in due time you might be pleased - - to bring forth that life in in in a little one in due time father we pray that you would keep mother keep child in the over the next number of months we know Lord that you are gracious and we pray that you would show yourself gracious to these mothers and cause them to know health and strengthen and vigor in the in the meantime we do pray that in due time they might be raised to fear you Father and walk in a manner that is worthy of the gospel well we do pray your blessing to be upon any and all who are sick amongst us we know there are a number who are not with us today who would desire to be here we pray load that you would strengthen them on their sick bed them to to no help and age caused them to our Lord to know that to know the spirit of living God in their lives as they take the Word of God and it say they read it we pray it would be a blessing to them they would be strengthened by it we pray they would be strengthened in the inner man but also in the outer man father we pray that as as they as I deal with the issues of that they are dealing with the Lord you'd be pleased to bring healing bring bring comfort and encouragement to them and we pray that in due time they will be amongst us and they will be able to rejoice with the people of God here in this place so Lord bless them and strengthen them and cause them to rejoice in you this day may you smile upon them father may they know that that gracious Holy Spirit bringing comfort and aid and encouragement to them probably we do pray your blessing to be upon us as a church we thank you for the unity that we do enjoy and we pray Lord that you would be pleased too to continue to give us that unity we know that when brethren dwell together in love and unity you are well pleased and so are we pray that we would seek to - to make make the things that that ought to be the most important the most important amongst us and that is that the making of the things of Christ and we pray Lord that your blessing would be upon those things we pray Lord your blessing upon the missionary enterprise as well we prayed for a number of missionaries this morning and pastors teachers all over this world father you know them and we pray that you would encourage their heart just like us here in North America they can grow weary they can grow they can they can grow tired not necessarily of the ministry but in the ministry we pray Lord that you would just strengthen their hearts and enable them Lord to continue to - to do that which you've called them to do we pray for those who are making changes in ministry plans in this coming year in 2020 that you would bless those plans again we know Lord that we make our plans but you bring them to pass so we pray that you would just bless them and cause cause all things to work out for the gospel and and for for the for the blessing and good of your kingdom we do pray where we do ask your blessing upon the the persecuted Church we again were reminded in the last hour of many in this world who who are persecuted for the Gospels sake something that we know so little of here in North America yet father we we are to pray for them as though we were in chain with them we pray for those who have lost loved ones this past week or this past month already people who have been individual Christians who have been who who've had their lives taken from them and been transported into into heaven through the wickedness of men Lord we pray that you'd comfort families for comfort wives comfort children comfort churches who have been left behind and we pray Lord that by the blood of martyrs you would be pleased to cause your church the march forward march onward and we know it is like a grass fire cannot be stamped out father the the the the the greater that the enemy of our souls the devil would seek to stamp out the Church of Christ and we believe that it will only grow and only increase because Christ is the head of the church and the kingdom of the kingdom of God will not fail will not falter but rather it will continue to grow and so let me pray for the for the for the blessing for the extension of your kingdom particularly in some of these places where they are where there's great persecution we pray Lord for an end to these these false religions who would seek to stamp out your your church and harm your people Lord how we pray that through circumstances you might bring about change and and cause these these religions to to to be to come to nothing that we do pray Lord we do pray against the sin of abortion our own land we we are hard to do cry out to you Father for to whom do we go we cannot change the hearts of all the men and women throughout Canada and the United States and around the world but father we can pray to you that you would be pleased to to to cause there to be a change in the mindset of Canadians change their to be a cause there to be a change in in the mindset of legislators and we do pray Lord that these things would not always be be merciful to us as a nation fathers we look as you look on us that you truly would show show mercy for we deserve we deserve we deserve much punishment as a result of the this wickedness of abortion that we see going on and now euthanasia is it as it begins to to creep in and and grow an influence throughout our nation father we do pray that you would strengthen your people strengthen your churches and we pray against these things father and pray that you would be pleased to hear us for Christ's sake and again Lord we just ask your blessing upon our meeting time here today we do not desire to meet without this well the presence of your Holy Spirit and so Lord how we pray that you would present yourself amongst us cause us to know that that's truth that that you are here with Father and that that you will bless your word as we seek to lift it up and as we bring praises and and before you father hear us we do pray for Christ's sake forgive us of all of our sins and cleanse us afresh in that precious blood of your son the Lord Jesus Christ and his precious name we pray amen well please sir with me your him books 246 C 46 C and again I'll ask you to stand [Music] [Music] a man you may be seated and please turn with me your Bibles as we continue to read through the New Testament we're up to acts Acts chapter 15 Acts chapter 15 we read the first 21 verses last Sunday so we'll pick up at verse 22 and go to the end of the chapter so Acts chapter 15 beginning at verse 22 then it pleased the Apostles and elders with the whole church to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas namely Judas who was also named barsabbas and Silas leading men among the Brethren they wrote this letter by them the Apostles the elders and the brethren to the brethren who are of the Gentiles in Antioch Syria and Cilicia greetings since we have heard that some who went out from us have troubled you with words unsettling your souls saying you must be circumcised and keep the law and to whom we gave no such commandment it seemed good to us being assembled with one Accord to send chosen man to you who with our beloved Barnabas and Paul men who have risked their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ we have therefore sent Judas and Silas who will also report the same things by word of mouth for it seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things that you abstained from things offered to idols from blood from things strangled and from sexual immorality if you keep yourselves from these from these you will do well farewell so when they sent so when they were sent off they came to Antioch and when they had gathered the multitude together they delivered let the letter when they had read it they rejoiced over its encouragement now Judas and Silas themselves being prophets also exhorted and strengthened the Brethren with many words and after they had stayed there for a time they were sent back with greetings from the Brethren to the apostles however it seemed good to Silas to remain there Paul and Barnabas also remained in Antioch teaching and preaching the word of the Lord with many others also then after many days Paul said to Barnabas let us go let us now go back and visit our brethren in every city where we have preached the word of the Lord and see how they are doing now Barnabas was determined to take with them John called mark but Paul insisted that they should not take with them the one who had departed from them in Pamphylia and who had not gone with them to the work then the contention became so sharp that they parted from one another and so Barnabas took mark and sailed to Cyprus but Paul chose Silas and departed being commended by the Brethren to the grace of God and he went through Syria and Cilicia strengthening the churches well it's an interesting chapter in the sense that we have two we have two things kind of juxtaposed together and one in the first half we have the church coming together in agreement and settled settled with with unity they went to the Word of God they sought they sought counsel from the Word of God and they were and they found unity from the word and they were strengthened they were able to strengthen the Brethren but then we see here a sharp division between between Paul and Barnabas and I guess they're they're they're creatures just like us they're men like us and they have their they have their their disagreements over things and and they were not able to come to a to a to a consensus to a to an agreement on this issue it's kind of a sad it's a sad thing in many ways I'm sure pastor Butler will will bring great things out of it when it gets to this section in Acts but I guess what what is interesting is the fact that God is able to make straight out of the out of the crooked and in some ways more ground was covered by their disagreement we have instead of two men going out strengthening the churches and and and causing the gospel to be proclaimed we see ultimately that man's failings here are being or have been overruled by the Providence of God and so we have two groups of elders two groups of men four men in total going to different places to different directions which otherwise would not have happened had they remained cohesive had they remained as a pair they would have only covered in a sense half the ground so sometimes our man's ways are not God's ways and not that God would necessarily send division here between a sharp division between Paul and Barnabas but nevertheless God through His Providence is able to work out even when do have differences when we do have disagreements God is able to still overrule and and work out in his Providence the growth the maturation the strengthening the ongoing work of the Church of Christ he is not he is not limited by men's disagreements I think in that there is great hope and great great encouragement well that's great our gracious our loving Heavenly Father we do thank you we praise you when the church is unified when they are strengthened by the Word of God when they seek the word and and are seen here in this in the first half of this chapter two to be in much agreement and and much unity and you are well pleased with that and yet father even when we do sin against you sin against one another there if there you you are in your Providence able to overrule these things we praise you father that you are you are God who is far above our ways and far above our thoughts and we praise You Father that you are in the business of making making the crooked things straight and causing the Church of Christ to march forward march onward even with all of our of all of our sinfulness all of our weaknesses father yet you caused you have caused your church to to still exist in the year 2020 with all of its difficulties all of its flows along the way all of its men of weaknesses along the way all of the the doctrinal errors along the way yet father you have preserved truth and here we are today as one but one example of that Church Universal we praise you father having for having kept us as a church we pray for the year your continuing to keep us in unity keep us in strength bless our pastor as he is about one man to to lead this flock and guide us along we prayed you give to him strength give to him much wisdom from your word father to know that aid and help and comfort and encouragement by your gracious word and by your Holy Spirit to lead us and and to give us that direction from the Word of God that we seek and desire and need so Lord blesses of the congregation bless the word of God as it comes forth from this full pulpit in a few minutes we pray that you would give aid give strength give give encouragement give comfort cause the gospel to be preached to faithfully here once again and we pray these things in Jesus precious name Amen well please turn with me your hymn books once again to him number 378 before me where God preached him number 378 and last you to please stand [Music] well please turn with me in your Bibles to Acts chapter 14 acts 14 as we continue to move through the book of the Acts of the Apostles we're in the first missionary journey that takes place in acts 13 1 to 14 28 and so this morning we're going to take up verses one to seven in acts 14 this is when they are in Iconium so I'll read beginning in verse 1 of chapter 14 now it happened in Iconium that they went together to the synagogue of the Jews and so Spoke that a great multitude both of the Jews and of the Greeks believed but the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poison their minds against the Brethren therefore they stayed there a long time speaking boldly in the Lord who was bearing witness to the word of His grace granting signs and wonders to be done by their hands but the multitude of the city was divided part sided with the Jews in part with the Apostles and when a violent attempt was made by both the Gentiles and Jews with their rulers to abuse and stone them they became aware of it and fled the lystra and derbe cities of like keyonnah and to the surrounding region and they were preaching the gospel there and in Lystra a certain man without strength and his feet was sitting a from his mother's womb who had never walked this man heard paul speaking paul observing him intently and seeing that he had faith to be healed said with a loud voice stand up straight on your feet and he leaped and walked now when the people saw what paul had done they raised their voices saying in the like ho nian language the gods have come down to us and the likeness of men and barnabas they called Zeus and Paul Hermes because he was the chief speaker then the priest of Zeus whose temple was in front of their city brought oxen and Garland's to the gates intending to sacrifice with the multitudes but when the Apostles Barnabas and Paul heard this they tore their clothes and ran in among the multitude crying out and saying men why are you doing things we also are men with the same nature as you and preach to you that you should turn from these useless things to the Living God who made the heaven the earth the sea and all things that are in them who in bygone generations allowed all nations to walk in their own ways nevertheless in that heed excuse me nevertheless he did not leave himself without witness in that he did good gave us rain from heaven and fruitful seasons filling our hearts with food and gladness and with these sayings they could scarcely restrain the multitudes from sacrificing to them then Jews from Antioch and Iconium came there and having persuaded the multitudes they stoned Paul and dragged him out of the city supposing him to be dead however when the disciples gathered around him he rose up and went into the city and the next day he departed with Barnabas to Derby and when they had preached the gospel to that city and made many disciples they returned to Lystra Iconium and Antioch strengthening the souls of the disciples exhorting them to continue in the faith and saying we must through many tribulations enter the kingdom of God so when they had appointed elders in every Church and prayed with fasting they commended them to the Lord and whom they had believed and after they had passed through Presidio they came to Pamphylia now when they had preached the word in purga they went down to Atalaya from there they sailed to Antioch where they had been commended to the grace of God for the work which they had completed now when they had come and gathered the church together they reported all that God had done with them and that he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles so they stayed there a long time with the disciples Amen well let us pray our Father in Heaven we thank you for this Lord's Day we thank you for the blessed privilege to gather in the house of God which is the Church of the Living God the pillar and ground of the truth we know that you are the Lord God of truth the scripture declares and that you have given us your scripture you've given us your word and we acknowledge it's inspiration it's given by you we know its profitability for our own hearts and lives and we pray even now that you would strike and furnish us unto every good work edify your people and God we pray that you would save those who are dead in their trespasses and sins and to that end father we need the Ministry of the Holy Spirit we need him to regenerate the heart we need him to raise the dead and give the graces of faith and repentance and so we call upon you Most High God to do this for your glory to do this for the good of your creatures to do this Lord God so that the kingdom of Jesus Christ might increase and and and continue to proceed we ask for the forgiveness of all sin and unrighteousness now and we pray through Christ Jesus our Lord amen so as we continue in this missionary journey we see the recurring emphasis of the Apostles they go into the synagogues of the Jews and there they find not only Jews but Gentiles and they preach the truth of Jesus Christ do that and so as we look at verses one to seven we see this ministry in Iconium iconians about 90 miles southeast of pacinian Antioch so that's where they are presently and I want to look first at the blessing of God in verse 1 secondly the opposition of the Jews in verses 2 & 3 and then finally the division of the city in verses 4 to 7 now let's look first at the blessing of God on the ministry according to verse 1 notice it says now it happened in Iconium that they went together to the synagogue of the Jews and so spoke that a great multitude both of the Jews and of the Greeks believed again this is the city of Iconium and it's a synagogue of the Jews this is Paul's Coste in Acts chapter 13 in pacinian Antioch that's what he did dead he went into the synagogue and there preached in both Jews and Gentiles were converted he's going to do that as well in Thessalonica according to chapter 17 Berea in chapter 17 Athens in chapter 17 corinth and then ephesus in both chapters 18 and 19 so in verse 30 46 of Acts 13 when he says we turn to the Gentiles he hadn't given up on the Jews it wasn't the case that he said forget about it know we preach to the Jews certainly Paul would preach to the Jews the book of Acts ends with Paul testifying to the Jews so in that instance in the city and Antioch when they highlight that they'll turn to the Gentiles it's not as if they are no longer concern with Jews whatsoever but then notice what the emphasis in the passages according to verse 1 it says they went together to the synagogue of the Jews and so spoke that a great multitude both of the Jews and of the Greeks believed now one of the things that's obvious in the book of Acts is an emphasis on preaching in other words God could have sent angels from heaven with the message of grace and they could have floated around and told men about Jesus but that's not what God purposed God purpose from amongst us he would choose man equiptment qualify those men have them recognized by the churches and then those men would preach the glory of Jesus Christ and the wonders of the Christian gospel if you look at verse one in this particular context if you didn't know anything else about the book of Acts you didn't know anything else about the sovereignty of God you didn't know anything else about the doctrines of grace you might conclude that a great multitude believed because of the way that these men preached look at what it says in verse 1 and they so spoke that a great multitude both of the Jews and of the Greeks believed again if you came to that passage without any understanding of God in the way that he uses means you might attribute this success ultimately to the preaching of Paul and Barnabas but of course scripture does not allow us to do that if you look back in chapter 13 at verse 48 we see a declaration concerning the sovereignty of God in the salvation of sinners notice in 1348 now when the Gentiles heard this they were glad and glorified the word of the Lord and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed so they had been appointed to eternal life by God before the foundation of the world and in his timing and according to his sovereignty through preaching of the gospel now they believe at the end of chapter 14 we notice that when the Apostles returned to the church in Antioch look at what they say according to verse 27 now when they had come and gathered the church together they reported all that God had done with them and that he had opened the door of faith to the Gentiles sovereignty of God he opened the door of faith he had appointed unto eternal life and as a result of that sinners believe one other passage in the in the close proximity to this passage is Acts chapter 16 notice the emphasis here on the sovereignty of God here Paul is at Philippi and he speaks to a group of women and according to verse 14 we read now a certain woman named Lydia heard us she was a seller of purple from the city of Thyatira who worshipped God the Lord opened her heart to heed the things spoken by Paul again brethren we are a reformed congregation we believe in the absolute sovereignty of God Almighty he saves to the uttermost all who draw nigh unto Him through his son the Lord Christ he has purposed it's a great multitude that no man can number there from every tribe tongue people and nation the Lord Most High is amassing a church triumphant ultimately from every people group on the face of the earth it is his project it is his business Christ says I will build my church and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it but we cannot neglect the reality that the Lord God who has purposed to save from the foundation of the world has also purposed to use means and in this instance he used the means of good preaching not everything that passes for preaching is necessarily good preaching what we find in acts 14 one is a testimony to good preaching they set forth Christ and him crucified it happened in Iconium that they went together to the synagogue of the Jews and so Spoke that a great multitude both of the Jews and of the Greeks believed gill says such words and doctrines of grace with much power Authority and demonstration of the spirit with so much plainness clearness and evidence as well as with so much boldness and courage I think that's a great way to stay indicator explain the way that they preached now as I referred to earlier the reality is it not as purpose to save he's also using means to do so our confession of faith of God's decree in chapter 3 paragraph 6 tells us as God hath appointed the elect unto glory so he hath by the eternal and most free purpose of his will for ordained all the means there unto now I want to take a few moments to investigate this claim that they so spoke I want to look at Paul's doctrine of preaching because we need to emphasize preaching in our day some churches are not engaging in this particular activity in some churches it is the reality that the proclamation of God's truth is not always primary and it must always be primary whatever a church does she mustn't ever compromise the proclamation of the truth whatever she does take on by way of trying to help people by trying to serve people all which are legitimate pursuits she mustn't ever abandon the intimate emphasis on preaching Christ and him crucified there are three passages in the New Testament where Paul develops this doctrine of preaching and I want to look at those now in the first place turn to the book of Romans in Romans chapter 10 Romans chapter 10 again just spending a few moments to sketch a biblical doctrine or a biblical theology of preaching as we find it in the New Testament because if God has purpose to save a great multitude and God has foreordained the means thereunto then we ought to see the value in those means we ought to utilize them we ought to pray for people to exercise those gifts we ought to pray that God raises up preachers from among us it'd be a wonder thing to encourage our young people to encourage our young men to pursue gospel ministry to pursue an understanding of God's Word to pursue an understanding of Christian theology so that they can so speak that a great multitude both of Jews and of the Greeks can believe if God has purpose to save a great multitude from every tribe tongue people in Asia and the means then it should affect the way that we pray for gospel missions elsewhere the way that we pray with reference to the missionary enterprise outside of our door and evangelism and all those sorts of things so look at Romans 10 verses 14 to 17 the Apostle says how then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard and how shall they hear without a preacher and how shall they preach unless they are sent as it is written how beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace who bring the glad who bring glad tidings of good things but they have not all obeyed the gospel for Isaiah says Lord who has believed our report so then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God it's a beautiful statement isn't it's a beautiful declaration concerning the place of gospel preaching and it's necessity in terms of the salvation of sinners faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of Christ that's the direct connection if sinners do not hear special revelation if they do not hear the reality of Christ and him crucified Christ and him resurrected Christ and his perfect life of obedience if they don't hear that they will perish in their sin and so notice several things that Paul brings out in this particular instance the sinner in the first place will not call upon Christ if he has never heard of Christ we will never go for the remedy if we don't know that the remedy exists if we're diagnosed with some particular malady but the doctor never tells us there's hope or there's help it will exasperate and frustrate us but with reference to the gospel there is help there is hope there is the promise of salvation to all those who look unto Jesus Christ and are in faith and are saved as well the sinner does not believe Christ if they have not heard Christ notice specifically what he says in verse 14 I'm going to translate it a little bit more literally than what the New King James renders it in verse 14 he says how then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed and how shall they believe him whom they have not heard believe him whom they have not heard and you say well wait a minute does Christ preach when a man stands in a pulpit well that seemed to be the understanding of the Apostle Paul in Ephesians chapter 2 he says that Christ came and preached peace to you if you trace through the book of Acts you will never find Jesus physically go to the city of Ephesus but you'll find Paul go to the city of Ephesus you'll find as companions go to the city of Ephesus and you'll find that when they preach it is as if Christ Himself is speaking to sinners and that's his emphasis here in verse 14 notice as well the sinner does not hear Christ without a preacher notice at the end of verse 14 and how shall they hear without a preacher you see the emphasis you see why Luke can say they so spoke that a great multitude believed oh but Luke I thought God is sovereign God is sovereign and the means that he's ordained according to his sovereignty is gospel preaching to call his elect on to faith in Jesus Christ our Lord Paul's doctrine of preaching is clear this way but notice what he goes on to say relative to the preachers themselves they're not to be self sent they're not supposed to be self ordained they're not supposed to be renegades or Mavericks rather they operate under the authority of the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ we see that in acts 13 Paul and Barnabas didn't say hey it would be good to go out on a missionary journey it'd be good to go to facility in Antioch it'd be good to go to Iconium and then to Lystra and then to Derby and then to make our way back that was not there purpose and plan the spirit comes to the church and the Spirit says separate unto me Paul and Barnabas for the work that I have for them it is the Spirit of God through the Church of God that sends out ministers of the gospel of God and that's the emphasis at the end of or in verse 15 how shall they preach unless they are sent again brethren the church is active the church is a participant in the missionary enterprise even if every one of our members never goes overseas we pray we raise up man we financed that operation and we send them forth so they can call sinners unto faith and repentance in our Lord Jesus Christ and then ultimately the sinner must hear the Word of God or there is humanly speaking no salvation again when it comes to Sovereign Grace it isn't the case that God in heaven just clicks his fingers and sinners get saved know God's purpose to save as I said a great multitude but he's ordained the means there unto gospel preaching listening to the Word of God faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God if you find yourself unsaved if you're not a believer if you do not confess faith in the Lord Jesus Christ may I encourage you you're in the best possible place not this particular church but church in general under the sound of the gospel with a Bible in your lap surveying the sacred word because that's the means God uses to save souls of his own will he brought us forth by the word of truth I'm going to quote machen in just a moment where matron deals with that that that folly that that heresy that that is so rampant today that was probably just emerging at the time that he lived when men tell us that we can preach the gospel without words it's our lives it's our virtue it's our ability that is absolute falsehood that is wrong if we do not preach Christ and him crucified we have no hope or expectation whatsoever that sinners are going to get saved said well God is sovereign could God use other means the means that he is sanctioned according to the word is preaching that doesn't mean you can't read your Bible it doesn't mean you shouldn't read your Bible but for whatever reason in the mind of God he has chosen creatures redeemed by sovereign grace to stand before other creatures and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ our Lord John Murray comments on the Romans 10 passage he says the main point is that the saving relation to Christ involved in calling upon his name is not something that can occur in a vacuum it occurs only in a context created by proclamation of the gospel on the part of those commissioned to proclaim it that's the emphasis that Paul sets forth in Romans 10 and that is precisely what we observe in Paul's practice or activity he doesn't go out unsent the church in Antioch Santana he doesn't go as a man that is governed by his own passions or lusts or desires to be useful rather he goes out as a minister of the gospel under the sanction of the church in Antioch by the power of the Holy Spirit and he so Spoke that a great multitude both of Jews and Gentiles believed turn over to 1st Corinthians chapter 1 for another passage dealing with Paul's doctrine of preaching 1st Corinthians chapter 1 I'll just read the section verses 21 to 25 and then draw out again some observations verse 21 for since in the wisdom of God the world through wisdom did not know God it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe for Jews request a sign and Greeks seek after wisdom but we preach Christ crucified to the Jews a stumbling block into the Greeks foolishness but to those who are called both Jews and Greeks Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God because the foolishness of God is wiser than men and the weakness of God is stronger than man again couple observations in the first place we see that preaching pleases God preaching pleases God again we ought to qualify that good preaching I don't think Benny Hinn pleases God I think heresy it provokes the wrath and judgment of God it must be good it must be faithful it must be accurate it must be biblically theologically consistent and sound but it does please God notice that in verse 21 for since in the wisdom of God the world through wisdom did not know God the words Socrates and Plato and Aristotle couldn't bring people into the very room of God into acceptance by God but it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe now I think the accent or the emphasis falls on the content the objective content of the gospel the life the death the resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ I think that's what Paul means but nevertheless that content is preached that content is delivered in an authoritative way not authoritarian but authoritative because the Spirit of God Himself is behind faithful preaching and so preaching pleases God if that's the case brethren how should our churches look they should look like places that celebrate that act of preaching not in some sick twisted or demented way brethren we need to rail against this celebrity culture this cult of men that are sort of put on pillars but above everybody else that's not what I am suggesting but I am suggesting that a church that knows the truth is a church that's going to value that truth and the public acts proclamation of it so preaching pleases God notice as well preaching does not please natural man it doesn't the Jews seek after signs the Greeks seek after wisdom right see while it preached while preaching pleases God Almighty it doesn't necessarily please the carnal man the natural man the man in Adam the man outside of Christ he doesn't want to hear what God's Word says concerning his particular sense he doesn't want to hear what God's Word says concerning the particular sins of the nation that we live at he doesn't want to hear God's emphasis in terms of righteousness and holiness and justice and those sorts of things the natural man would much prefer signs and he would much prefer wisdom but notice thirdly preachers nevertheless preach they don't capitulate to Jews who want signs and they don't capitulate to Greeks who want wisdom they preach Christ and him crucified in other words they are not dictated to by the hearers they are not the one that is at at the whim of an audience we'll see that in the next acts that we look at in just a moment but rather they preach Christ and him crucified so when Jews say we want signs and when Greeks say hey we want wisdom or when the world says hey we want entertainment or when the world says hey we want puppets and ponies and programs what do true preachers do they preach Christ and him crucified you have to see that you have to appreciate that brethren if there's one thing we seek to do in this church it's to present God's truth we have certain vehicles to do that Sunday morning Sunday evening Wednesday evening Saturday morning we have a confession study from 9:30 to 10:30 is that because we just want to be cerebral we want to be academic we want to walk around like ivory tower theologians no it's because we want Jesus give us Jesus sirs let us see Jesus is what the Greeks say in John's Gospel let us see Jesus well we don't get Jesus in tea leaves we don't get them in cards we don't get them in our therapy session we get him through the word of the living and true God that's what we ultimately need in good times we need the Word of God guess what we need in bad times I'd suggest we need to double dose of the Word of God it's the Word of God that stabilizes the soul it's the Word of God that carries us through it's the Word of God most high that we have banked our souls on and Paul says preachers preach and then preaching according to the Apostle is the means to declare Christ who is both the power of God and wisdom of God notice verse 22 for Jews requests to sign and Greeks seek after wisdom but we preach Christ crucified that's also an important emphasis as well the Apostolic ministers of the Epis taluk church didn't preach Jesus first and foremost as an example Christ is an example to be sure Paul will later say 1st Corinthians 11 imitate me as I imitate Christ there is an exemplary message concerning Christianity yea we're called to live like the master we're called to follow the master but that's not the first emphasis we preach Christ and him crucified why is that because the good example of Jesus will only bury you further in your sin the good example of Jesus will only show moreso how desperately wicked you are in other words when you read the Sermon on the Mount do you feel like congratulating yourself you feel like patting yourself on the back and saying wow I've done good today if you do you've got big problems because when man come to grips with that Sermon on the Mount which is an emphasis on the law of God there is despair without Christ as lloyd-jones and as machen rightfully say the Sermon on the Mount rightfully understood or interpreted casts a man down to the foot of the cross in other words when we see that law we cry out a wretched man that I am who will deliver me from this body of death so the Apostles preached Christ and him crucified in other words him as Redeemer him as blood atonement him as priest and victim him as the the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world that's why the emphasis here we preach Christ crucified again preaching that is only exemplary or is only moralistic is wrong we need to learn more ality we need to learn biblical ethics but if we are only ever preaching law we're going to create congregate of despair we're gonna get create congregations filled with sorrow we're gonna create congregations filled with all sorts of mischief and mayhem we preach Christ crucified we preach the gospel the gospel is good news the reality that Christ came into this world he assumed our humanity he lived in our scat he died in our stead he was raised again the third day summarized well by Paul in Romans 4:25 he was delivered up because of our offenses and he was raised for our justification that's the good news the good news is is that Christ has died Christ has risen and everyone who believes in Him will be saved it's a beautiful thing remember Paul in pacinian Antioch faith in Christ will do everything that could never obtain under the law of Moses that you Jews were previously under it's a beautiful wonderful thing now turn finally to 2nd Timothy chapter 4 2nd Timothy chapter 4 and this one is intriguing not that the others aren't but this is the last epistle that Paul wrote the last letter that Paul wrote it's prior to his death he knows that his time is short that's what he says in the passage that's one of the reasons why he gives the command that he does in verse 2 but this is the last epistle there's going to be commands given to Timothy at the end of chapter 4 but those are personal in nature bringing the cloak bringing the books especially the parchments those are instructions given by Paul to Timothy to sort of alleviate the the hardship that the Apostle was suffering we read in the last hour I think it was Mayan Mar that this brother had been in prison for a year he was a man that was apparently a very lawless sort of a fellow he used to kill or hunt elephants and then he was wonderfully converted to the Lord Jesus Christ he got ultimately thrown into prison for preaching the truth so he's been there for about a year and it's very cold in the south well the same thing was with reference to Paul that's why he tells Timothy bring the cloak that I left it in Troas but here with reference to verse 2 this is the last formal command issued by the Apostle Paul to the church as Church ok so there's going to be individual commands to nathie as Timothy things that he needs to do to help alleviate the suffering and the turmoil that Paul is going through but in terms of the last corporate command it's not be the best entertainers be the most gregarious be the most winsome be the most handsome be the most charismatic that's not what he says and you know he doesn't say that he doesn't say be the best joke teller be the most chatty have the most coffee that's not the emphasis in gospel ministry again ministers can engage in some of that not all of that because it's weird frankly but some of that but never to the neglect of the command of verse two look at Paul's statement verse one I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who will judge the living and the dead at his appearing in his kingdom preach the word be ready in season and out of season convinced rebuke exhort with all longsuffering and teaching for the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine but according to their own desires because they have itching ears they will heap up for themselves teachers and they will turn their ears away from the truth and be turned aside to fables but you be watchful in all things endure afflictions do the work day of an evangelist fulfill your ministry for I am already being poured out as a drink offering in the time of my departure is at hand I have fought the good fight I have finished the race I have kept the faith finally there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous judge will give to me on that day and not to me only but also to all who have loved his appearing I read the entirety of the section because I want it to make sense to you why Paul gives the command he gives in verse 2 but in the first place the command is stated preach the word not preach or life there's times where autobiography can illustrate points but too much emphasis on autobiography takes away from the written word of the Living God autobiography or illustration or story time can be like a window that you open up to let in some sunshine it can be helpful for hearers to see truth analyze put up next to something that there connected with and that sheds light on it but sermons that are heavy on story sermons that are heavy on illustration sermons that are heavy on autobiography do not obey the mandate of Paul preach the word preach God's Word not your experience not your discovery but preach the word I mentioned matron earlier here's what he said we can preach the gospel they tell us by our lives no we can't if you think that listen to matron if you don't listen to Jim this morning listen to matron this was going around I know a few years ago what's it Francis of Assissi maybe I don't know who said it you know preach the gospel always and when necessary use words the only way you can preach the gospel is with words you have to tell sinners that means open your mouth and tell them about blood atonement tell them about their sin tell them about the glory of Jesus Christ sinners will never observe that by your virtue sinners will never witness that by your conduct if that's what you're thinking you really really need to listen to matron and Jim because I'm telling you the same thing he says we can preach the gospel they tell us by our lives and do not need to preach it by our own words but they are wrong thank you Machin that you weren't afraid to tell people they were wrong we're so afraid today to say well you know that's just flat-out wrong oh no you can't do that they'll be offended well better to lead people into health and offend some prissy preacher I think it's better to offend a prissy preacher so that he doesn't lead countless multitudes into hell he goes on to say they are wrong men are not saved by the exhibition of our glorious Christian virtues that should be self-evident because brethren frankly we don't have glorious Christian virtues do we we find ourselves in that place of Romans 7 the good that I wish to do I don't do the evil I don't want to do I find myself doing and then he goes on to say wretched man that I I forgot my handkerchief today so if I am sweating beads here I'm gonna use the that leaf stickies on my head so don't laugh at me the bottom line is that Christ came not because we would one day exhibit glorious Christian virtue but he came because every day we will depend upon his Precious Blood every day we need him as our soul righteousness the imputation of Christ both active and passive obedience that's the reality we need the face that if we think our glorious Christian virtues are going to win man we need to reorient ourselves on what a glorious Christian virtue looks like he goes on to say they are not saved by the contagion of our experiences we cannot be the instruments of God in saving them if we preach to them thus only ourselves no we must preach to them the Lord Jesus Christ for it is only through the gospel which sets him forth that they can be saved he's absolutely positively right that's why Paul in the last corporate command given to the church says preach the word but he doesn't just say here's the command he tells Timothy how he's supposed to preach remember the accent in 14:1 they so spake Luke could have just said they spoke but they so spoke there was something about the preaching it was in fact a demonstration of the Spirit and power Paul speaks to that in first Timothy were 1st Corinthians chapter 2 at verse 4 when I came to you my preaching wasn't according to my ability but it was in a demonstration of the Spirit and power they so spoke that a great multitude believed so again it was good preaching so when Paul prescribes to Timothy how to preach the word he tells him be ready in season and out of season be ready in those times when the church is favourable and in those times when the churches not favourable he says this needs to be your posture steadfastness in the presence of opposition from without and the presence of opposition for within weather it's a good season and people are receptive or whether it's a bad season and persons aren't receptive the task of the preacher doesn't change why would we ever think that well you know in our society people really like entertainment so that's where our emphasis lies no that's not what we're supposed to do do you not think that the people living in Timothy's age liked entertainment you don't think they like to go to the to the stage plays they didn't like mime they didn't like drama they didn't like the games they didn't like those sorts of things of course they did but in this particular medium God says I want the word preached it doesn't matter what they want God knows what's best so be ready in season and out of season and then he says convinced now I'm not suggesting that all good preaching is necessarily loud preaching there's some not loud preachers that are very convincing there's some not loud preachers that are very sober men that are very articulate and men that are very faithful I am not advocating that there's a style that is emphasized not everybody's Spurgeon not everybody's Calvin not everybody's Luther God made us as men and he does not obliterate that manhood when men take to preach but they need to convince they don't just sort of offer it up there as an as a as a potential well this may possibly be true so you really ought to think about it no no no no no no this is absolutely positively true remember in acts 26 Festus says much learning is driving you mad Paul he says I'm not mad most noble Festus but I speak the words of truth and reason that's what we need today in this day and age where it is this this environment where we can't ever do anything for fear that we may offend somebody the men of God must still preach if the gospel doesn't offend somebody along the way you're not preaching it accurately you're not preaching the offense of the Cross if everybody welcomes it or everybody warms up so there's this convince and rebuke why do we need to be rebuked because we're way were because we are in the language of the hemorrhoid er prone to wander and prone to leave the god that we love we don't need chatty preachers with their hands in their hand pocket just saying well you know just try a little bit harder we need to be rebuked we need to be told that what we're doing is wrong we need to repent we need to forsake we need to seek mercy at the hand of our gracious God so he says convince rebuke and exhort there needs to be exhortation the people of God need to be built up they need to be benefited they need to be helped they need to see how Christ and His gospel and the glory of God makes sense in their lives in their suffering in their issues they need to know Psalm 46:10 that we sang be still and know that I am God when the mountains are crumbling all around us what is it that stabilizes the people of God it is the God of Jacob who is our refuge and Our Strength the Brethren need to be exhorted but Paul doesn't stop there he says with all long-suffering and teaching all long-suffering patience a brethren this isn't something only preachers need to develop we all need to be long-suffering with one another we are so judgmental well that person this or this person that boy you sound like you'd be great at a party you'd be great at a fellowship meeting brethren let us be patient with God's grace in the lives of other people it wasn't the case that Rome was built in the debt in a day and it's certainly not the case that Christian sanctification is built in a day so preachers need to understand this emphasis on long-suffering don't lambaste the people of God don't nag the people of God I do sometimes guilty as charged but the obvious emphasis is is that ultimately it's God's task you see when preachers get Calvinism into their practice it is quite liberating see preachers can understand sovereignty preachers can understand all those particular things but if they don't get it into the ministry they're gonna be frustrated they're going to be exacerbated they're going to be ungodly men too around because they don't have long suffering and then he says with teaching so all preaching sets for Jesus Christ and it must teach the Scriptures as well because that ultimately is what men women boys and girls need so he not only gives him the command preach the word he specifies the manner convinced rebuke exhort and now he furnishes two reasons as to why Timothy needs to do that the later reason is that Paul is going to die you can see the argument can't you Paul says to Timothy Timothy I'm gonna die I need you to do what I'm telling you I need to pass on this baton I need to have a legacy not because Paul was that weirdo that needed to have his legacy but because he knew that if gospel preaching ceased sinners would not be saved so he tells Timothy the time of my departure is at hand I have fought the good fight I have I have run the race and I have kept the faith there is this crown laid up before me so the thing that he wants to pass on to his young Protege is to preach the word says why I say brothers and sisters we better start praying very seriously for elders in this church for other preachers to be raised up it's already a lot for one particular man we need a team of men we need men to breathe this word to bear on this generation we need young men to stand in our place it ought not to be the case that at the death of a minister the church closes down if that happens we're not doing our job we need to be looking for men we need to be identifying men we need to see men qualified and called and fit and we need to use those men because the task is enormous humanly speaking every tribe tongue people and nation we can't do that on our own we've got to have assistance in hey we are not angels we need sleep we need rest we need those sorts of things there needs to be a division of labor so Paul says I'm gonna die that's why I want you to preach the word but the first reason that he gives for preaching the word is found closer to the text notice what he says verse 3 he says for the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine that's the reason for his emphasis on preach the word now those of you who have known me for the 22 years I've been here know that I always say some same things when I preach certain text I'm gonna do that again imagine if you're Timothy and you're in Ephesus and you're looking at the church and they don't endure sound doctrine and let's just say you're Timothy and Ephesus and you happen to have a Macbook so you fire off an email to Paul and you say Paul the church doesn't want to hear what I have to tell that what should I do preach the word let me send you back a reply Paul Yi maybe didn't understand they don't want me to preach the word Paul hits reply preach the word you see what does the text tell us preaching pleases God for since in the wisdom of God the world through wisdom did not know God it pleased God through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe so Paul shoots back this email to Timothy and tells him that the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine they're gonna find the kinds of people that they want to hear and that's not gonna be you to anything they don't want to hear sin judgment righteousness holiness they don't want to hear gospel salvation faith in Jesus Christ they don't want to hear that their self-righteousness their glorious Christian virtues are not what's going to get them to heaven that is an offense to the self-righteous man we oftentimes think about how the gospel offends the careless the ungodly and the wicked I suppose that the gospel offends the self-righteous even more so see we can condemn the crack dealers and the prostitutes but the self-righteous among us those Pharisees among us we don't see that as equally heinous I suspect at times it's even more heinous and I think Jesus made that emphasis with the Pharisees and the scribes of his own generation he says that the harlot ins and the publicans are entering into the kingdom of heaven but you sons of the kingdom are passed out into outer darkness you see the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine they'll heap up teachers that that tickle their ears though they'll pay benny hinn to tell them about the holy spirit they'll make sure that that joel osteen has a stadium to preach it a stadium they took an old sports stadium and converted it to a church and I use that term as vaguely and as broadly and as generally as I could possibly do but they like that they like an emphasis on every day as a Friday they like an emphasis on your best day now they like the emphasis on humanism so they'll heap up men like that so Paul's counter action or counter a reply to Timothy when he says they don't want sound doctrine he says preach sound doctrine the logic is impeccable brethren and the emphasis is obvious the departure of the church calls for continual and faithful preaching of the church for the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine but according to their own desires because they have itching ears they will heap up for themselves teachers and they will turn their ears away from the truth and be turned aside to fables but notice you be watchful in all things adora endure afflictions do the work of an evangelist fulfill your ministry you let it take from verse 5 your job doesn't change Timothy the job doesn't change you just do what you're supposed to do ok that's it your job isn't results your job isn't you know care self care make everybody happy your job isn't therapy your job is to preach the word imagine for a moment if churches saw that imagine for a moment if we meet we realized the value of that and we sought to inculcate that amongst us as thinking Christians we would give to these causes we would back these causes we would pray for these causes we would be involved in it because we know that God is pleased through the foolishness of the message preached to save those who believe brethren if God is behind preaching if his inspired apostle paul is behind preaching then we as the Church of Jesus Christ today must be behind preaching I think second Helvetic confession gets at this doctrine well when it says the preaching of the word of God is the word of God again I think that's our global people would never think oh no that's not true that that's not true it is true brethren the word faithfully and accurately expounded is the Word of God our confession validates this it's not only explicit things that are in Scripture but implicit things things that can be deuced deduced by good and necessary consequence so when the scripture says do not commit murder we imply that we ought to do everything to promote life you see how that works and when it comes to this particular emphasis in Scripture we see God say the same thing first Thessalonians chapter 2 verse 13 Paul says you received it not as the words of men but as it is in reality the Word of God so back to the Helvetic confession this is 1566 the preaching of the word of god is the word of god wherefore when this word of God is now preached in the church by preachers lawfully called we believe that the very word of God is proclaimed and received by the faithful and that neither any other Word of God is to be invented nor is to be expected from heaven and that now the word itself which is preached is to be regarded not the minister that preaches for even if he be evil in a sinner nevertheless the Word of God remains still true and good you see that is not about the preacher it's about the content it's about the reality that Christ lived Christ died Christ was raised from the third day if that is accurately and faithfully preached that's the Word of God and that's what Paul commanded Thessalonians 4 you received it as the Word of God himself so back in acts 14 at verse 1 when we read they so spoke that a great multitude of the Jews and of the Greeks believed we ought to seek God's emphasis on preaching in the book of Acts this is a sample passage we're going to see Paul moved other places go to other synagogues go to other open-air situations and what does he do he doesn't share he doesn't give his experience he doesn't put his hands in his pocket he doesn't sip lattes but rather he preaches Christ and him crucified I can leave you with one thought this morning go home to your prayer closet and pray that the lord of the harvest would raise men up brethren if I drop dead I don't want this church to close down we need somebody that can lift up their voice that can cry all out and spare not I let Jerusalem know her sins we need somebody to proclaim the truth as it is in Jesus Christ this is important it's not the case that it's just a one generation don't you want your kids and your grandkids and your great grandkids to be able to come here and worship God in a simple way emphasis on thoroughly a biblical preaching good system of theology that's not going to lead them astray it's not going to lead them to the to the weirdness of the charismatic movement so I need them to the weirdness of other movements but rather it's going to be stabilizing influence in their lives isn't that the best thing we can leave for our kids a righteous man leaves an inheritance to his children's children we may not have silver and gold but what we do have we better start passing it on the name of Jesus Christ the Lord CH Spurgeon said let the name a Spurgeon perish but let the name of Jesus go forward that should be our cry that should be our desire brethren I'm not suggesting this church alone does that praise God we do have churches in our community that we pray for regularly because they're faithfully proclaiming the truth they're committed to this reality of setting forth Christ and him crucified this isn't some tirade that reformed Baptists are the only way to do things no that's not it at all grace through faith in Christ Jesus the Lord and then a valid attempt to set forth that gospel to sinners in the preaching of the word that's it that's what we need to be about so take this to your prayer closet pray to God Almighty that he raise up man and send them forth to call man from every tribe tongue people and nation to assist in the the work of church planting the Vernon group got more bad news brethren we need to continue to pray for that they need a guy they need a man they need a breathing human that understands his Bible and that system of theology contained in the 1689 confession without that they're probably not going to be able to continue on that should burden us that should affect us that should hurt us that should send us to our prayer closets and intervene on their behalf with the lord of the harvest how many prayers do we offer up for things that in the grand scheme of things matter I don't want to ever minimize the place of prayer but do we actually pray for those things that do matter in the grand scheme of things in terms of never dying souls do we actually go to the Lord God of the harvest and say Lord we see that the fields are that they're white unto harvest and not just in Vernon we've got a Lower Mainland here there's a church a faithful one in Surrey and I'm not suggesting again there's no other faithful ones I know that there are and praise God for that but in terms of the population in terms of the numbers that are in the Lower Mainland are there enough biblical churches presenting Christ and him crucified to service that vast majority of people no not really so what ought we to be about what should our church budget reflect and in February at our Annual General Meeting Training men equipping men getting men sent out into the mission field or into the church planting field that's ultimately what it's about brethren see at times we can make the mistake of of swallowing camels and and and you know going through and trying to get rid of the gnats in our lives and neglect this paradigm that we find in the book of Acts and we see in the epistles of the Apostle Paul preach the word be ready in season and out of season convinced rebuke exhort with all longsuffering and teaching why Paul because they're not going to want it but they're not smart enough to know what they want I'm not trying to belittle any of us I am as dumb as they come and this dumb as a bag of hammers god knows what we need it's not entertainment we are entertained to death in our culture there is no lack of entertainment I want no entertainment when I come into the house of the Living God because it is literally inundating us from sunup to sundown anything we want we can look at our phone anything we want to hear any song that we ever thought of we can find it entertainment is not what the people of God are lacking the people of God are lacking a consistent faithful ministry that is dedicated to preaching Christ and him crucified that's what we need to pray about if God in his sovereign grace and mercy raised us up and put us here so that we could see that church in Surrey planted so that we can hopefully be a benefit to the church and Vernon so that one day I mean this is where we ought to be thinking one day take one of those old beautiful buildings that are downtown in Vancouver that house apostate churches and may God take that and give it to a group of people that preach Christ and him crucified I think it's Burrard there's some beautiful old buildings down there right in the thick of the city and there are these liberal denominations that deny the gospel they deny the truth and they preach morality or moralism wouldn't it be wonderful to put a CH Spurgeon in that community I mean that's exactly what happened to Spurgeon you know the story he was 16 when he first preached a sermon now this is not normative if you ever think your Spurgeon you got bigger problems than I can imagine you're not gonna be Spurgeon no man is ever gonna be Spurgeon he was a unique individual he would read volumes of theology per week volumes of theology per week that right there sets him off from you know the rest of us rabble but he preaches his first sermon at the age of 16 in a village church and it's not long brethren that people start to realize this guy needs to be in London and that's what happened they put him in London I think it was 19 18 19 when he starts in London New Park Street chapel and there he out preaches the building moved to the metropolitan tabernacle brethren we have Vancouver we have men from every tribe tongue people and nation we don't even have to go to China we don't even have to go to some of these Middle Eastern countries we don't have to go to India because it's all come right to our doorstep it's all right here the thing that we lack are men the thing that we lack are biblically qualified first Timothy 3 Titus 1 men men with fire in their hearts men who cannot be silenced many spare not they lift their voices like trumpets and they proclaim the truth as it is in Jesus brethren that's the need for today well we're going to stop there I'm not going to subject you to the rest of the exposition I wanted to focus on that I wanted to make sure that you and I are on the same page when it comes to priority with reference to the church I do want to draw out one concluding threefold section of application I just can't help myself first of all and we'll see this when we return to the exposition and Iconium what happens when the Jews up uh-uh oppose them when the Jews stir up the Gentiles and they poison or bitter their minds against that what do they do they run do they hide they eventually do it's not wicked and wrong Jesus says in Matthew 10 when they persecute you in this city go to another but they don't initially do that they keep preaching they keep preaching that's what they do they're opposed they're resisted they are mocked no doubt I mean how do these unbelieving Jews stir up these Greeks or these Gentiles how do you poison them against the Apostles probably by saying unsavory things about the Apostles right you have to slander you have to resort to that sort of a tactic in order to get these Greeks on your side so that they along with you and your rulers oppose the Apostles so what we do glean from this is the necessity of the church to faithfully persevere even in the midst of opposition the opposition should not cause us to close up shop in fact I would suggest that if we never see opposition we're doing it wrong all who desire to live godly Christ Jesus will suffer persecution second Timothy 3:12 but the church in the midst of this continues and I love the connection that that Luke uses here specifically notice in verse 2 the unbelieving Jews stirred up the Gentiles and poisoned their minds against the Brethren therefore they stayed there a long time that's counterintuitive as well while they're opposing why would you stay there a long time because they obviously need us just because they're opposing doesn't mean we abandon them to hell some of the staunchest opposers have become some of the most glorious trophies of god's free grace visa vie the apostle paul himself Peter said look they're opposing we're going to leave it would have been contrary to his own experience he himself was opposing the church he himself was armed with extradition orders to go to Damascus to find the believers and to take them back to Jerusalem for further punishment and Christ saves him on that road to Damascus so in the midst of opposition the church has one call it is to remain faithful and to persevere secondly the church needs preachers the church needs preachers John Calvin made the observation at the present day now remember when John Calvin's present day was they didn't have you know everybody was perfectly in tune with good theology and they were all on board with the confessions and they all sang off the same page but I know they didn't have Benny had I know they didn't have joel osteen i know that that wasn't what populated the earth in those days but here we have at the present day there there are many who are well nice sickened by the very name of preaching because there are so many stupid ignorant men who blurt out they're worthless brain waves from the pulpit again that may sound offensive because we're culturally unable to deal with any criticism I mean we got to cry if somebody ever says anything that is untoward we have to have a safe space so nobody can ever affect us but see back in those days they actually told the truth there are men in pulpits that shouldn't be in pulpits and somebody needs to act we identify that problem at some point and try to remedy it and try to fix it to try to rectify it I'm not suggesting go out now get a sign and stand in front of bad churches please don't do that don't be obnoxious don't be a jerk for Jesus that's that there there's enough of them we don't need more of them the Brethren in terms of our prayer we need to think in terms of God and faithful preaching but I just wanted to end with one final note the necessity of faithful hearers let's just say God sends Spurgeon to Vancouver people still need to listen if to the degree there has been accurate exposition of Scripture this morning you need to listen to that you need to heed the Word of the Living God you need to listen what God's Word says whether you read it privately whether it's preached to you publicly whether it's in family worship and your father or mother or reading those things we need to give heed to the Word of God remember faith comes by what faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God JC Ryle says preaching is an ordinance of which the value can never be overrated in the Church of Christ but it should never be forgotten that there must not only be good preaching but good hearing they so spake that a great multitude believed why because not only did they speak but the multitude heard the multitude believed the multitude responded the multitude gave ear to the word of the living and true God how many times do you come into this room under the assumption that whatever is sad even if it's faithful and accurate I'm not duty-bound to it I'm not beholden oh yes you are the voice of the Lord crushes the Cedars of Lebanon the voice of the Lord is what gives birth to the calves of the deer it's the voice of Yahweh that all of us must respond to and if that word is being faithfully proclaim you have a responsibility you need to pay attention you need to listen because if faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God and you are not saved yes God is sovereign but you are a rebel you are a transgressor because there is no other name given under heaven among men by which we must be saved come to the Lord Jesus listen to the Word of God that faith comes by hearing Spurgeon on Mark's mark 4:24 says with reference to the admonition by Christ here Spurgeon draws out four observations first here it is your wisdom to know what God says to hear well God's teaching deserves the deepest attention it will repay the best consideration 3 here often wastes no Sabbath nor any one of its services use weekday lectures and prayer meetings for here better you will grow the holier thereby you will find heavenly joy by hearing with faith amen let us pray our Father in Heaven we thank you for your word we thank you for the fact that they so spoke that a great multitude believed we know it's according to your sovereignty we know it's according to those you appointed to eternal life believing we know it's you that opened the door to these Gentiles and in this first missionary journey we know the sovereignty of God Almighty but we also know as you say it's the means that you've ordained you are pleased to save those who believe the foolishness of the message preached God help us as a church to see men raised up and to see men sent out and men that will indeed lift up their voices to cry aloud the they'll spare not and they'll proclaim the word of the Living God bless Mike and Suri bless the Saints and Vernon and do provide for them a man that can labor in the word and doctrine bless the churches here in Chilliwack that are faithful we thank you for them and we prize them and we praise you for them and ask that they would know your mercy your blessing your hand of grace upon them and that father we would see real effect in this community we know there is great need there's a lot of destitution a lot of depravity a lot of sinfulness and we believe and we know and are convinced that the gospel is the answer so we pray that gospel would go forth in this community and God all over the earth we pray that you would send forth men to go to these tribes and these tongues and these peoples and these nations to proclaim your truth and we ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord amen well we'll stand and close our service by singing hymn number 568 568 the doxology please stand with me and we'll sing together [Music] the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all amen father may these things be true in our own lives and hearts we thank you for your graciousness to us and for your mercy we thank you for the the gospel itself that blessed truth concerning Jesus Christ and that blessed reality that through him we have everlasting life go with us now bring us together tonight and may you be glorified in this local church and we pray through Jesus Christ our Lord amen may be seated for a brief time of meditation