← Back to sermon library

to all those who bravely braved the elements and are with us this morning and we were looking forward to a day of worship welcome to any visitors who are amongst us as well to free grace Baptist Church we certainly were keeping our eye on the weather and will certainly send out an email this afternoon should it turn turn turn worse looks like a few travelers people who normally would travel the distance are not with us and probably that's wise someone who came from Harrison today said it would have been best that they'd stay at home so certainly they aren't great weather conditions but we will certainly let you know for this evening in regards to announcements there's a ladies bout ladies fellowship breakfast yeah that's this that's coming up in a couple of weeks it's Saturday January the 25th 9:30 there has been an email about it there's some information on the back on the bulletin board and certainly there will be an email coming out as we get closer to it in terms of setting out what that what that agenda will look like that's the other announcement is that there will be a church luncheon next Sunday January the 19th and if you've not received an email about that perhaps you are not on the email list and perhaps you could speak to speak to Pastor Butler about making sure you get your get your email address to him so you're always having those email addresses or so emails sent to you in regards to the weather or anything related to related to the church so I believe that's it for announcements and asked you to turn in your Bibles please to Isaiah Isaiah chapter 42 Isaiah 42 and we'll read the first nine verses Isaiah chapter 42 1 to 9 behold my servant whom I uphold my elect one in whom my soul delights I put my spirit upon him he will bring forth justice to the Gentiles he will not cry out nor raise his voice nor cause his voice to be heard in the street a bruised Reed he will not break and smoking flax he will not quench he will bring forth justice for truth he will not fail nor be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth and the coastlands shall wait for his law thus says God the Lord who created the heavens and stretched them out who spread forth the earth and that which comes from it who gives breath to the people on it and spirit to those who walk on it I the LORD have called you in righteousness and will hold your hand I will keep you and give you as a covenant to the people as a light to the Gentiles to open blind eyes to bring out prisoners from the prison those who sit in darkness from the prison house I am the Lord that is my name and my glory I will not give to another nor my praise to carved images behold the former things have come to pass and new things I declare before they spring forth I tell you of them amen please turn with me in your hymn books to say our first hymn turn to 212 2 1 2 and I'll ask you to please stand [Music] amen you may be seated let's turn to God in prayer and ask his blessing to be upon our meeting time here this morning let's pray our gracious and our loving Heavenly Father we do praise You Lord for the blessing of this holy day a day set apart one in seven to come before you and worship you and to be Lord you are worthy of all worship all adoration as we read of that that one who was promised in the Old Testament that that Savior who would come to this earth in order to take upon himself our manhood and how we praise you Father for the the blessing of knowing that we who are in Christ Jesus have our sins forgiven so we Lord you are a holy God you are a God who is without without without it on anything unholy in your presence and so Lord how we praise you that we get to come into your presence this morning through your son through his perfect righteousness and how we praise you that we are clean that we are washed not in our own and not in our own works but rather in that precious blood of your son the Lord Jesus Christ thank you that you have bid us to come into your presence thank you that you bend your holy ear towards we your people and you hear our praises father and you hear our worship and how we praise you for that we pray Lord that you would be pleased to Tabernacle here this day in our midst and what we pray for ourselves and we pray for other churches throughout Chilliwack as well and throughout British Columbia and across our nation father all those who gathered together to worship you that father we would hear from you and that you would be well pleased to and to bless your word as it as it comes forth from ministers of the word we do pray Lord your blessing upon the Ministry of the word here in this place at free Grace this day we praise you felt we have that your word we have your book and we are not left to ourselves our own thoughts and our own ideas and our own wishes but rather we have the Holy Word of God and we it contained in that word father's all that we need for the instruction in this Lord were in this lower world to prepare us for eternity with you thank you Lord that you've given to us a doctrine that you've given to us everything that is required for us to be instructed we pray your blessing upon that instruction here in this place this day father we do pray your blessing upon pastor Butler strengthen him Lord enable him to lay hold of you we pray that that that gracious Holy Spirit would descend upon us and bless the word as it's opened up here in this place as we seek to understand the mind of God we pray lo that you would give to us that that that mind through the word of God had just sin protect us from false and wrong doctrines that are all around us that are seeking to to pull us aside and we pray though that we would be instructed by that by the pure and the true Word of God and we pray that your blessing to be upon that instruction here this day Lord we do praise you for the the goodness and kindness that we've all gathered together here safely this day thus far and we just commit our our journey home as well into your hands and pray Lord that you would be pleased to bless us with safety as we return to our homes Lord we thank you for the goodness your kindness to us and in the health and strength that you give to us from day-to-day and week-to-week week to week and month to month in' or we do think of those who who are not well amongst us who are in our congregation who who do suffer from from ailments from time to time or or ongoing ailments we pray Lord that you would sustain them cause them Lord to not grow weary in that illness in that faintness we pray Lord that they would find strength strength from you and strength in your word we pray they would find the comfort and the help and the aid of your Holy Spirit that it would be a living word to them we do pray Lord and we pray that in these things that they might find grace to carry on it grace to continue on given their circumstances Lord we thank you that you are a kind God a good a good God and you are merciful to your people when we seek your face you are you are to be found and we praise you for that Lord we do ask your blessing to be upon upon the the church in Surrey the church in in Vernon as well that are known to us we pray Lord that your blessing would be upon that word as it's opened up in those places today we pray that that your spirit would descend there as well in both of those places and cause your word to to be blessed and we do pray that it would not return unto your void but rather it would it would be for instruction for edification for for bill and that Lord you'd be pleased to even save individuals both in this place and and throughout the churches we pray Lord that you would cause those who perhaps come into this place this day as an enemy of Christ that they would leave here as as as a friend of Christ we know Lord that that you are in the business as it were of saving souls and so how are we pray that you would have dealings with souls that here in this place this day we pray that it would be unto salvation that that as the word of God is preached that you would be pleased to cause it to to find its mark in hearts this day edify us father we do pray by your Holy Word build us up and our most holy faith and we pray that you would forgive us of all of our sins cleanse afresh in that precious blood of your son the Lord Jesus Christ and it's in his name we pray amen well please turn with me in your hymn books once again to him number 22 be 22b is an boy and I'll ask you to stand please [Music] have you seated and please turn with me in your Bibles as we read through the book of Acts in our New Testament morning readings we will read the entirety of Acts chapter 14 again in this chapter just like in the previous 13 chapters God just uses ordinary means to to see his church moving forward and that's all we see here again in in Acts chapter 14 the Word of God was preached and God blessed that word it wasn't it certainly separated those who were to be saved from those who were not to be saved yet yet they didn't change the message they didn't change the the way in which they they approached Paul and the disciples that continue to go from place to place preaching the word and allowing the Spirit of God to take that word and use it as as he deemed best so as we read chapter 14 we might just keep that in mind that God just blesses the ordinary means all the time well let's read chapter fourteen 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 poisoned 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 and part with the Apostles and what 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 to lystra and derbe cities of Laconia and to the surrounding region and they were preaching the gospel there and in Lystra a certain man without strength at his feet was sitting a from his mother's womb who had never walked the 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 lie Sounion language the gods have come down to us in 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 the 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 insane men why are you doing these things we also are men with the same nature as you and preached 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 and who is and who in bygone generations allowed all nations to walk in their own ways 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 they commended them to the Lord in whom they had believed and after they had passed through Presidio and they came to Pamphylia now when they had preached the word in purga they went down to a tallit 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 it's pray our gracious and our loving Heavenly Father we praise you how we see the growth of the church certainly here in this chapter not without its difficulties along the way yet father you did cause the Church of Christ to to take root in this part of the world and and ultimately we see it going to the Gentiles here at the end of the chapter how we praise you Lord that we are amongst that that Gentile group that father the gospel came to us whether it be through our churches through our homes through our families by the Word of God for our Father thank you that you have saved us from saved are never 9 Souls you you remove those stony hearts that we were that we were born with and and gave to us fleshly hearts that seek after you and and seek your word and how we praise you father for the gift of salvation that we have been added to the church this local church here and in the last hours we reminded how you are planting your churches all over the world father good things are happening throughout Cuba and and in many other parts of the world father we praise you that perhaps through difficulty yet yet yet you are seeing the Church of the Lord Jesus Christ expand and we rejoice in that and pray Lord your protection upon those who are currently experiencing difficulty who are currently experiencing persecution for the faith and persecution for being a part of the Church of Christ Lord you know your children everywhere by name those who are suffering those who have suffered those who are currently suffering we pray Lord that you would cause them cause your smiling face to be upon them this day may they may they know and experience that that smile of God is at work upon them and upon their lives and upon the ministry in the churches and places where they are Lord we pray that you would be pleased even if it be your will to show them mercy and we pray that that they might be relieved of the persecution the father you might be used to do to cause those who persecute to be turned in their ways and we do pray for the gospel to continue to go out all over this earth that said that would run swiftly and many would be saved as a result of the preached word so Lord we thank you that you that you that you have saved that you are saving and you will continue to save and add to the church as many as are to be saved we bless you and thank you for this report that we've read here this morning in this chapter of Acts and we praise you in Jesus precious name Amen well please turn with me in your Bibles I'm sorry your hymn book sorry to the last him 425 425 before passed about there comes to preach four to five Alaskan stanzas [Music] [Music] you may be seated well please turn with me in your Bibles to Acts chapter 13 Acts chapter 13 just a reminder we're considering the first missionary journey Paul and Barnabas sent out by the church in Antioch the Antioch in Syria they first go to Cyprus and then they go to an Antioch in the region called pasilla so they are in pacinian Antioch the Apostle Paul has been invited to speak to speak the truth to this particular synagogue he does so and as we saw last time that we gathered together the Jews went out of the synagogue the Gentiles beg that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath so we'll pick up the reading here in chapter 13 at verse 42 so when the Jews went out of the synagogue the Gentiles begged that these words might be preached to them the next Sabbath now when the congregation had broken up many of the Jews and devout proselytes followed Paul and Barnabas who's speaking to them persuaded them to continue in the grace of God on the next Sabbath almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God well when the Jews saw the multitudes they were filled with envy and contradicting and blaspheming they opposed the things spoken by Paul then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said it was necessary that the Word of God should be spoken to you first but since you reject it and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life behold we turn to the Gentiles for so the Lord has commanded us I have set you as a light to the Gentiles that you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth 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 and the word of the Lord was being spread throughout all the region but the Jews stirred up the devout and prominent women and the chief man of the city raised up persecution against Paul and Barnabas and expelled them from their region but they shook the dust from their feet against them and came to Iconium and the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit amen will let us pray our gracious God and Holy Father we thank you for the word and we praise you for this history this record this theological account of how the churches were planted in the early in the early church how the word went forth and disciples were made we thank you for the missionary Enterprise begun here by Paul and Barnabus how we thank you that that word went forth and that it continues to go forth even to this day and we would pray even now God that it would be active in our own minds and hearts as we gather here this morning we pray that you would edit I and strengthen and encourage your people we pray that you would have mercy upon and convict and and draw out of darkness into marvelous light those who are not yet Christ's we know that salvation is of the Lord we know that you are sovereign in these things and God we rest secure in that reality knowing that you have purpose to save a great multitude that no man can number from every tribe and tongue and people and nation so God extend that mercy and grace even even now and we pray that sinners would see the glory of Jesus Christ and would look to him in faith and would know the joy of being found in him do forgive us for our sins and our transgressions wash us afresh in that precious blood of Christ and fill us now with your spirit and we pray in Jesus Holy Name Amen well as I said this is the first missionary journey it took place in about AD 47 and 48 covered about 1400 miles and it covered the churches or rather the regions of Cyprus as I mentioned already the churches of southern Galatia we see here pass it E and Antioch as Steve read will notice God willing next week Iconium and then Lystra and then Derby and then once the Apostle Paul and Barnabus finished their mission they go back through those particular regions visit the churches strengthen the Brethren appoint elders there and then they ultimately return to the church in Antioch and give a give a favourable report so chapters 13 and 14 in the book of Acts do highlight for us that first missionary journey now remember that Paul preached in this synagogue in pasilla in Antioch and in the first place in verses 16 to 22 he sketched Israel's history he wanted to show that what he was speaking on what he was preaching was something consistent with their own history and their own scripture he then announces the arrival of Israel's Messiah and verses 23 to 25 and then he explains the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ that he died that he was raised the third day and all those who look to him in faith will have everlasting life and then the last time as I mentioned we saw the immediate response in verses 42 and 43 well this morning we're going to take up the next Sabbath the next Sabbath here in facility in Antioch that's what verse 44 indicates so I want to look at first of all the opposition of the Jews in verses 44 and 45 secondly the response of Paul and Barnabas in 46 to 48 and then finally the spread of the word in verses 49 to 52 but let's look at verse 44 in terms of the opposition of the Jews so the following Sabbath day notice what occurs according to verse 44 almost the whole city came together to hear the word of God what an encouragement moved by the spirit to produce that effect now the Apostle Paul obviously preached in a manner that was consistent with the written word the spirit was there there was good reception on the part of the hearers and then we see that in the next week a week later almost the whole city shows up that indicates that the people who were at the Sabbath are rather at the synagogue on the previous Sabbath told others they told others you ought to come and you ought to listen to this man Paul you ought to hear what he says concerning Jesus Israel's Messiah you ought to hear the way of salvation by grace through faith in Christ Jesus our Lord so by word of mouth the very city was roused and almost the City a whole city comes together to hear the word of God on that following Sabbath so the preaching of Paul on the previous Sabbath was blessed of God and profitable to the hearers therefore they here went out and rallied up further sort of support to hear the word as it would be proclaimed here and that of course arouses the Jews according to verse 45 it's not every Jew certainly some Jews would have responded favorably to Paul's preaching they would have come to know Jesus Christ as the promised Messiah as the one that their two scriptures testified concerning but as a whole there was unbelief on the part of Israel they rejected the claims of Jesus they rejected that he was in fact the one written of in the Old Testament prophets in fact modern Jews are still waiting for the Messiah that's what distinguishes that they are waiting for the one that will come in fulfillment of the scriptures having rejected the one who in fact came in fulfillment of the scripture so verse 45 tells us when the Jews saw the multitudes they were filled with envy and if we ask the question why would they be filled with envy I think there's two responses that we can make in the first place they wanted the Gentiles to come over to their particular position we like victory when we preach and these Jews having rejected Jesus didn't want these Gentiles to go after Jesus as well they certainly didn't want these Gentiles to go after the Apostle Paul there is a power play among these religious leaders just like it occurred in the time of in the life and Ministry of our Lord Jesus they were incensed by him because persons followed him and wanted to hear what he had to say and certainly if persons hear him and follow him and do what he says they would no longer have a need for these particular religious leaders so there's Envy in their hearts and as a result they then tried to shipwreck the very thing spoken by the Apostle Paul so verse 45 says but when the Jews saw the multitudes again multitudes of Gentiles these persons that would come to the synagogue and then laugh and then brought more Gentiles when they saw these multitudes they were filled with envy and predicting and blaspheming they opposed the thing spoken by Paul so in terms of contradiction whatever Paul would have said they would have said just the opposite Paul claims that this Jesus of Nazareth is in fact a fulfillment of our scriptures he's not that's how they would contradict but then it goes on to say that they blaspheme now this particular word that's used when it's when it's used from man to man it can mean slander so they slandered the things that were spoken by Paul or slandered Paul himself but I think this is something of Luke's Christology I think what Luke is telling us is to deny or when you deny Jesus when you resist the message concerning Jesus you are blaspheming God remember that God is triune God is Father Son and Holy Spirit you reject one of the persons of the Godhead you are rejecting the entirety of the Godhead and as a result you are a blasphemer so it's not so much I think that they were slandering Paul though that was part of it they were actually blaspheming the very word and truth of God Almighty and I think we all need to let this soak in because I think there are times that the Christian Church can get a bit lost on this particular account we think that just because Jews are monotheists they're somehow connected to us they're not they reject the Savior I don't say that to promote hate or anti-semitism but to promote pity on their part to promote on our part for that and then prayer and a desire to see them converted to the truth as it is in Jesus in that second petition of the Lord's Prayer the Westminster larger catechism highlights the reality or the need to go and preach to the Jews because they need the gospel they need the truth as it is in Jesus apart from him they will perish eternally in hell and so we need to understand that blasphemy or rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ is blasphemy against the Lord God Most High and Luke sort of summarizes everything at the end of verse 45 by saying they opposed the things spoken by Paul and you can see again why they rejected Jesus they said it was not Jesus that fulfilled everything that the prophets wrote they were still waiting for the Messiah and as a result they speak these evil things now notice secondly look at the response of Paul and Barnabas I think it's very instructive for us because there's always going to be opposition there's always going to be resistance against the message of Christ and him crucified what are we supposed to do when people do oppose us do we run and do we hide do we cower do we quiver do we cry do we say oh we're snowflakes and we need a safe place notice what happens with Paul and Barnabas they were emboldened they grew more bold the opposition didn't stop them but rather the opposition aroused in them a more earnest commitment to setting forth Jesus Christ and him crucified this is the kind of ministers that we need today these are the kinds of men that when we pray to the Lord of the harvest to raise men up that they would be these kinds of men men that don't twist or distort or change the message or shave off the rough edges but when opposition or persecution comes they get embolden to speak even more earnestly concerning the glory of Jesus Christ the Lord that's precisely what the tax tells us notice verse 46 then Paul and Barnabas grew bold they grew bold now as we look at this this isn't always difficult is it when men are silenced or men aren't rejected or are resisted at times they don't grow bold now this wasn't native to the Apostle Paul we saw in acts 4 the other apostles not Paul at that time they pray to God so that they may speak the word with boldness the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 6 tells the Ephesian Christians to pray for me that utterance would be given to me so that I may speak the word boldly as I ought to speak so we see that God is sustaining his servants God is granting them what they need that in the midst of opposition in terms of men gods on their side the spirit is upon them and they now are bold to speak the truth now notice how they respond they say in the first place that there was a priority with reference to gospel preaching in other words the Jews first notice verse 46 then Paul and Barnabas grew bold and said it was necessary that the Word of God should be spoken to you first we see that in Jesus Commission in Luke 24 where are they supposed to begin Jerusalem we see it in Acts chapter 1 you'll be witnesses of me or to me in Jerusalem Judea Samaria and then to the uttermost parts of the earth Peter echoes this and in Acts chapter 3 at verse 21 to you first this message comes the Apostle Paul highlights this in Romans 1:16 I'm not ashamed of the gospel for it is the power of God to everyone who believes to the Jew first and also to the Greek and if we ask the question why the priority because it was initially revealed unto them at the call of Abram out of the out of ur of the chaldeans in Genesis chapter 12 the promises the prophecies they were given to this people the people called Israel and that's why there is this priority to explain to them that the very scriptures that they held in their laps were the very word of God that displayed or express rather that Jesus was in fact the Christ the Son of the Living God I think Barrett summarizes well he says the Christian message was the fulfillment of Israelite history and especially of Israelite prophecy so it doesn't say to the Jew first and then to the Greek as if Greeks or Gentiles are somehow unimportant as if Jews have a leg up on the Gentiles know in terms of God's redemptive plan the promise initially comes to Israel so when Christ comes in accordance with that promise it is imperative upon the early church to make this known to the Jews but then notice what he goes on to say in terms of their culpability and in terms of their responsibility notice at verse 46 it was necessary that the Word of God should be spoken to you first but since you reject it and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life now that's a very intriguing way that the Apostle highlights their culpability or their responsibility this is a very intriguing passage because in verse 46 Luke indicates to us the responsibility of man and then in verse 48 Luke indicates to us the sovereignty of God someone once asked Charles Spurgeon how do you reconcile God's sovereignty and human responsibility he says I don't need to reconcile friends both things are taught in the scripture and we need to guard our hearts against a rationalistic attempt to try and and impair off the edges that we perceive to be rough but in verse 46 he indicates their responsibility and this is most important this is crucial when he says since you judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life I don't think Paul that theologian of grace that theologian who understood all too well total depravity and total inability actually thinks that persons think that they're worthy of eternal life that's not the case no man rightly understanding his sin can ever assume that he's worthy of eternal life we are worthy of eternal punishment we are worthy of eternal torment we are worthy of eternal separation from the presence of God and the glory of his power that's what we're worthy of but he's using a manner of speech to provoke in them this understanding of their responsibility for having rejected Jesus Christ as Lord notice the text verse 46 he says since since you reject it and judge yourselves unworthy of everlasting life again it don't think he's saying now I think that people out there are worthy no he is saying that to reject Jesus to reject the gospel of Jesus is to put yourself outside of everlasting life there's one way of acceptance with God and that is through Christ the Lord if you reject that you are fundamentally taking yourself out from that place of possible blessing and putting yourself on the outs that's the emphasis reject Jesus you reject everlasting life reject Jesus and you embrace the wrath and fury and punishment of God reject Jesus and everything will be miserable for you now this isn't the case simply for first century Jews in pacinian Antioch but the same thing is true even now if you continue to resist you continue to reject you continue to stiff-armed the offer of mercy and grace which should continue to come then you judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life and put yourself in a position that is horrific it is terrible and terrifying and I would submit to you that you should pay attention to what happens in this particular passage they had in fact become the despisers of verse 41 they had in fact become the very enemies of the gospel of free and sovereign grace and that's what Paul emphasizes and highlights for them in this instance now it does not mean he would never speak to Jews again he will certainly speak to what when he says we're gonna turn to the Gentiles doesn't mean he's given up on them it doesn't mean that he stopped praying for them it doesn't mean that he's not going to visit their synagogues and present the gospel to them but in this instance in pacinian Antioch with all these multitudes of Gentiles coming and the Jews themselves resisting and and Counting themselves unworthy of eternal life Paul says that we will turn to the Gentiles now again remember in this particular context this would not have pleased them this would not have made these Jews happy in fact later in Acts chapter 22 they follow his message until the time when he says that God called us to go after the Gentiles it's at that point that Paul has to stop his defense because everybody flips out the thought of Gentiles entering in to the very covenant community that at one time was only Israelite bye-bye only by Israelite that was an offense to these people but Paul doesn't shrink back from telling them that so these Jews the Apostle highlights their responsibility in rejecting and then at the end of verse 46 he says we turn to the Gentiles now notice this mission to the Gentiles in verses 46 and 47 Paul gives the reason for this in the first place God commanded it God commanded Paul to go after the Gentiles acts 1 generally you're my witnesses 2 to Jerusalem Judea Samaria and to the uttermost parts of the earth but then look at the call of Saul of Tarsus in particular in acts 9:15 acts 9:15 but the Lord said to him verse 15 go for he is a chosen vessel of mine to bear my name before Gentiles kings and the children of Israel that was Paul's marching order and so in pacinian Antioch when the Jews and Mass reject him and resist him and blaspheme the very Christ that he's preaching he says we're going to turn to the Gentiles we're going to go after them this is what God has commanded look at acts 26 Paul before Agrippa asserts or highlights the very mission that was given to him by the Lord Jesus Christ acts 26 and it sounds a lot like the passage that Steve read from in Isaiah 42 but if you look at acts 26 at verse 15 so I said who are you lord and he said I am Jesus whom you are persecuting but rise and stand on your feet for I have appeared to you for this purpose to make you a minister and a witness both of the things which you have seen and of the things which I will yet reveal to you I will deliver you from the Jewish people as well as from the Gentiles to whom I now send you to open their eyes in order to turn them from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God that they may receive forgiveness of sins and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith in me so just to summarize before we move on the Apostle is saying that the promise made to Abraham continuing through Isaac and Jacob expounded on in the entirety of the Old Testament both prophets and psalmist's has come to pass it's come to fruition Jesus is the savior sent to Israel and for these Jews to reject that they have judged themselves unworthy of everlasting life so we're gonna go to the Gentiles now how does this affect the Gentiles this is what we see in the passage Paul says in verse 47 for so the Lord has commanded us he was commanded and then he invokes the prophet Isaiah not forty to forty nine there's similarities between 42 and 49 but here it's Isaiah 49 verse 6 it says I have set you as a light to the Gentiles that you should be for salvation to the ends of the earth now in Isaiah the prophet there's four songs they call them songs servant songs of the Lord and it's in Isaiah 42 Isaiah 49 Isaiah 50 and Isaiah 53 52 and 53 and essentially what you get in these servant songs are are facets of the person and the work of our Lord Jesus Christ now interestingly this is about the servant Isaiah 42 Isaiah 49 Isaiah 50 as a of 53 it's about Jesus the Messiah but notice what Paul is doing in this very instance he is invoking isaiah 49:6 and applying it to himself in other words he is suggesting or is stating or declaring rather that he is a light to the gentiles he has been given by God for the salvation to the ends of the earth how can that be if it's Jesus originally or initially how could it possibly be the Apostles as well well by virtue of our union with Jesus Christ when we make known the glory of Christ throughout the earth that is a light under the Gentiles that is precisely what the Prophet was speaking to again I think Barrett highlights this well he says Paul is a light of the Gentiles only in virtue of the Christ whom he preaches so that Paul was the greatest guy in the world wandered around and just emanated light that's not the emphasis the emphasis is that as Paul preaches Christ as Paul preaches forgiveness of sins as Paul preaches a righteousness that avails with God he is then emanating the light to the Gentiles the declaration of Jesus Christ is the revelation of light to Gentiles so Paul is a light to the Gentiles only in virtue of the Christ whom he preaches Christ is the light to the Gentiles as he has preached to them by his servants so you see what Paul is doing the promise was prophesied by the by Isaiah it's come to pass in the person and work of Christ and in us his emissaries or his ambassadors it really is a wonderful bit of theology Simeon that man who saw the Lord's salvation rehearses this truth as well in his song in in Luke chapter 2 in Luke chapter 2 we have that man Simeon and he says Lord now you are letting your servant depart in peace according to your word for my eyes have seen your salvation which you have prepared before the face of all peoples a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles and the glory of your people Israel so Paul says this is coming this is happening rather right now God Almighty has ordained that we would be a light to the Gentiles that we would be the ones to announce salvation to the ends of the earth now the Gentiles respond favorably to this as you would expect they would right I mean that makes sense when they hear Gentiles they hear the the mission of the the Savior himself and the mission of the saviours apostles certainly their ears would be would be a prick they would want to pay attention to this and we see according to verse 48 they received the word they glorify the word of the Lord it's such a blessed thing and I think that goes back to what we see the Spirit is doing in very instant on the previous Sabbath when they left the synagogue Gentiles begged that the word would be preached to them on the following Sabbath almost the entire city came and gathered together what's the point there was a hunger for God's Word in this first century context and I'm not convinced that we always see that hunger for God's Word in our 21st century contacts we're kind of kind of a take-it-or-leave-it sort of a Christian movement well you know we we confess the importance of the Word of God but it's not so important that I'd read it every day it's not so important that I'd read it to my children every day it's not so important that I attend about the services at my church every Sunday or even Wednesday night brethren if we value and we prize the Word of God we will not only be beggars for it but we will respond favorably to it and this concept or idea of glorifying the word of the Lord seems interesting doesn't it so I'm 138 says that God magnifies his word even above his name if you read the Old Testament you ask the question what does or what are the what is the significance of the names of God it's God it's who God is the names of God revealed to us who God is and yet in Psalm 138 it says that he's magnified his word above his name that shows his interest in that word but when we get to these Gentiles what does it mean that they glorified the word of the Lord I think Calvin explains it well he says and surely we do then honor the Word of God as we ought when we submit ourselves obediently to it by faith that's what it means to glorify the word of the Lord when we submit obediently to it by faith that's when we know whether you ever say boy I just glorify the word of the Lord whether or not you ever sing Psalm 138 the reality is is that those who submit obediently to it by faith are those who revere it those who treasure it those who say with the psalmist it's than much or it's much finer than gold there is this prize there is this value to it there is this desire after it and then Calvin concludes the statement by saying as it cannot be more grievously blaspheme than when men refused to believe it so these Gentiles here the mission that marked the savior but the mission that marks the saviors apostles and so these Gentiles are now intrigued but then 1348 B indicates why it is they believed were they smarter than the unbelieving Jews were they not as sinful as the unbelieving Jews was their free will left intact more so than the unbelieving Jews know the very fact that these Gentiles believe the Word of God was due and owing to God 13:48 be is a statement concerning God's absolute sovereignty there is absolutely no way to try to change it or to try to tamper with it to make it say something that is contrary to our theology we don't have to do that our minions do they don't like this passage so they try and change it they try to make it say the opposite those who believe were appointed unto eternal life that's not what the text says the text is a conspicuous presentation of the absolute and unrivaled sovereignty and majesty of God notice in 1348 B and as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed Calvin says again for this ordaining must be understood of the eternal counsel of God alone and this place teaches that faith depends upon God's election see there are those who teach that that we believe and then were born again that's not what John three tells us we are born again in order that we might believe others teach again trying to turn this text on its head to suggest that when we believe that's when God elects us unto eternal life no faith is a consequence of election faith is a consequence of predestination faith is not the cause us faith is not the reason faith is not the producer of election rather God chose us in him before the foundation of the world and as a result of that sovereign grace then sinners according to God's timing and plan according to the power and presence of His Holy Spirit believed the truth as it is in Jesus again this differentiates reformed or Calvinistic believers from those who reject this or resist it brethren the reality is is that if God had not chosen us we would have never chosen him if God had not predestined us we would have never looked favorably upon him if election is unbiblical then none of us are going to be saved it must be this way but as I said Luke makes sure that we understand it's not only God's sovereignty but he can tell these unbelieving Jews in verse 46 since you judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life again we're not called to reconcile friends both things are taught in Scripture to try and eliminate one or the other ends up in either hyper Calvinism or Arminianism or Pelagianism reformed theology consistent Calvinism takes the statements of Scripture and deals with it exegetes them in their context and sees there is no discrepancy whatsoever that God most high is sovereign that man is in fact responsible and that when it comes to glory given for salvation it goes to God it's not us it's not our expression of faith it's not our wretched free will brethren before God started working in us we were that man that woman described by the Apostle in Romans chapter 3 there is none righteous no not one what does Paul say about man in that particular place he says then there is no fear of God before their eyes there is none who seeks after you that's us in our natural state that was these Gentiles in their natural state that was these unbelieving Jews in their natural state what makes the difference we just sang pity the nation's o our God and constrain the earth to come brethren this promotes hope this promotes confidence this promotes gospel preaching the idea that understanding God's sovereignty will somehow inhibit us or keep us from preaching the gospel I could never preach the gospel if I thought for a moment it was up to a guilty vial helpless sinner to make a decision for Jesus I rejoice in Psalm 110 where God the Lord under or David under God the Lord says that you make men willing in the day of your power the reality is is that God saves to the uttermost all who draw nigh unto Christ and he is the one that receives the honor and the praise there is a parallel passage to this do you ever have those instances where you think of something and then somebody else says it and you go that's cool little confirmation there that's my charismatic sight I guess or my Pentecostal side but but I thought John 10 26 when I reflect on acts 13:48 and then I glanced at Gil and when he was discussing 1348 here's John 10 26 now probably I saw that sometime ago and that's why it was there so it's not like I had this original great thought it's probably planted there by John Gill then I thought it was mine I see John Gill but listen to what Jesus says in John 10 26 but you do not believe because you are not of my sheep you do not believe because you are not of my sheep if God had purposed you to be a sheep if God had purposed you as an elect sinner if God had purposed or predestined you unto salvation you would believe but you don't believe because you're not of my sheep see the Arminian flips the passage on its head he says well now that you believe God is instituting you as the Sheep now that may seem like a subtle distinction but it's massive it's huge it locates the primacy of the will upon the rather than upon God and this is Christ you do not believe because you are not of my sheep same sort of construction as many as had been appointed to eternal life believed now let's look finally the spread of the word the spread of the word will visit this at the end notice in verse 49 this is a summary 49 to 52 summarizes essentially what's happened in Pisidia and Antioch now we've spent a considerable amount of time walking our way through Paul's preaching here in the city and Antioch so verses 50 a 49 and following sort of summarizes as the dust settles no pun intended because that's actually gonna happen here but as Luke is summarizing he wants us to understand the spread of the word and what does that indicate to us that indicates that the opposition cannot silence God be encouraged about that Psalm 29 tells us the voice of the Lord crushes the Cedars of Lebanon so try as these unbelieving Jews might in pacinian Antioch to silence the Apostles to contradict to envy them too to blaspheme the very things that they're speaking what happens according to verse 49 and the word of the Lord was being spread throughout all the region there's an instance in the life and Ministry of the Apostle Paul later imprisonment in 2nd Timothy chapter 2 verse 9 he says for which I suffer trouble as an evildoer even to the point of Chains but the Word of God is not chained and doesn't that happen in history I think this is the application the psalmist when he says even the wrath of man shall praise you try as they might to suppress the truth as it is in Jesus it can't be suppressed try as you might to take its chief spokesman off the beaten path and put him in jail the Word of God is not chained try as you might to extinguish the Christian movement it's not going away Christ is at the right hand of the Father Christ is building his church Christ has promised at the gates of hell shall not prevail against it brethren we ought to be very bold very encouraged and very earnest and very hopeful with reference to the spread of the gospel I feel like at times we think we're like third or fourth or fifth in the line of who's really important society I mean Islam is growing so rapidly Christ must reign till all of his enemies are made us footstool that's just a simple biblical reality there's one institution one group that continues on and that is the church because behind her is Christ the Lord who has omnipotence and omnipresence to be their guide to be their shield and to see them through the various assaults of men notice that he revisits or highlights the escalation of the opposition of the Jews and this is something I think is symptomatic of church history we've already seen it in the book of Acts they initially tried to stop the Apostles by just charging them commanding them don't do this anymore we forbid you to preach in the city so I could talk about freedom of speech I mean that's just a an absent sort of a thought or concept when it comes to religion or politics I mean these men are incensed they want to get rid of that which offends now as Christians we fully disagree with the claims of false religionists we fully disagree with the claims of heretics but do we expel them from cities do we arouse the prominent women do we get the chief men of the city to chase them out of our city that's the animosity and the antipathy of these men toward the cause of God and truth notice escalation according to verse 15 but the Jews stirred up the devout and prominent women in the chief man of the city raised up persecution against Paul and Barnabas and expelled them from their region Paul speaking to this in 2nd Timothy 3 10 and 11 he says to Timothy but you have carefully followed my doctrine manner of life purpose faith long-suffering love perseverance persecutions afflictions which happened to me at Antioch at Iconium at Lystra what persecutions I endured and out of them all the Lord delivered me you see that antipathy of the the God hater toward the truth you see that enmity as I said earlier in the book of Acts they first charged them tell the command them not to preach anymore in the city and then they escalate it they imprison them they put him in jail they escalate it they beat them they escalate it by the time we get to to Acts chapter seven what happens to Stephen the same sort of a situation they cannot defeat Stephen in an exchange of doctrine act six tells us that these men disputed with Steven and Steven continually bested that so what do they have recourse to false charges deliver him up to the Sanhedrin tell them that he's a blasphemer brethren these are capital offenses that the godless are willing to engage in whether it means slander whether it means blasphemy whether it means twisting or distorting the truth whatever it takes to silence the opposition that escalation occurs here in the book of Acts and we see it occurring we just read in the last hour pastor Wang Yi from the Steve mentioned I think it's a bit odd - I think there's an Old Testament reference there but it's early reign covenant church he's a reformed preacher in China and he was just sentenced to nine years nine years that man is going to be taken off the beaten path because he preached the gospel of Jesus Christ missionaries that we know that we love that we've support that we've prayed for for twenty years are now having to leave China because of the gross opposition because of the oppression and the attempt at suppression but you know what's going to happen they're not going to be able to extinguish they're not going to be able to wipe out the knowledge of Jesus Christ in fact it would probably be of god or normal to the way God deals once all these Western missionaries are gone to see a ton of great blessing and revival not suggesting that they've impeded that or hindered that but just to show these commies in China that you can't stop the Word of God though you may imprison Paul the Word of God is not chained though you may kill Stephen the Word of God has not stopped though you may contradict and though you may be filled with envy and though you may blaspheme the things spoken by Paul what happens to the it spreads throughout the region you cannot silence the king of kings and the Lord of lords you cannot stop the advance of Christ and His Church you cannot he has promised and he has all authority all power in heaven and on earth so these men these Jews these unbelievers stirred up the devout and prominent women and the chief man of the city they raised up persecution against Paul and Barnabas and then expelled that you no longer welcomed in our region you're no longer welcomed in our part of the world we no longer want you as long as you're preaching and teaching in the name of Jesus now notice Paul and Barnabas is response in verse 51 they take seriously the Lord's admonition doesn't Jesus in the gospel narratives specifically matthew 10:14 tell them that when they go into these cities if these cities reject them if these cities refuse them then shake off the dust from your feet have no truck with those people whatsoever you have nothing in common with those people and therefore you shake off that dust and you separate yourselves from them one commentator Denis Johnson says the long-suffering and nonviolent gentleness of Jesus servants should not be mistaken for a lack of divine authority their message cannot be scorned with impunity rather their dust shaking ceremony previewed the day when God Himself will make an utter separation between those who have fled for fled to him for refuge and those who have fled from him in rebellion in a terrifying prelude to the final division Jesus instructed his emissaries to give certain cities what they wanted to withdraw the indicted and saving word of God from them that's a very appropriate comment they're not pushovers there's no lack of divine authority when a group of people rejects or resist the Word of God it simply means that you indicate the judgment of God is going to be upon that Paul does that is preaching notice in acts 13 at verse 40 beware therefore less what has been spoken and the prophets come upon you behold you dis Pfizer's Marvel and Parrish Frye work at work which III work a work in your days a work which you will by no means believe the one were to declare it to you you see we preach the love of God we preach the mercy of God we preach the grace of God we preach the righteousness of Christ we preach the forgiveness of sins but we equally preach the judgment of God the wrath of God the fury of God and the righteousness of God we don't say oh no God loves everybody all the same and everything's just gonna work out in the end brethren we're not Universalist the Bible sets forth a real hell the Bible sets forth a real separation between the sheep and the goats the Bible sets forth this reality that the righteous have bliss in heaven and that the unrighteous will be cast off forever into hell and if we don't tell men if we don't warn men if we don't exhort men then we're not being consistent with our calling so the Apostles indicated the Apostle rather along with Barnabas shakes off the dust from their feet against them and then they go to Iconium now notice finally the joy of the disciples verse 52 the disciples most likely the disciples in pacinian Antioch those who had just received the word those who had not not that I'm suggesting Paul and Barnabas didn't have joy of course they had joy they were Paul and Barnabas I mean Paul was that sort of fellow that when you around him he probably just had a smile on his face he loved Jesus and he had the joy of the Lord Paul remember was the man who commanded us rejoice in the Lord always again I will say rejoice I I don't ever have in my mind this long face miserable Paul that's not what I see when I don't vent and vision Paul in the sense of you know any beard must I like that but I just don't get this dour sourpuss fellow this guy who looks like he's just munched lemons and he's miserable I get that from the unbelieving unbelieving Jews I think there is a contrast here between the disciples and the opposition opposing Jesus Christ does not promote joy resisting Jesus Christ does not promote happy yes I think it's safe to say that most everybody I realize there's exceptions to every rule but most everybody wants joy most everybody wants happiness most everybody wants some sort of order and and goodness in their life well the way to that is not by resistance against God the way to that is not by rejecting Christ in the claims of the gospel the way to that is by faith in Christ and that's precisely what these disciples have the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit Paul and Romans 14:17 will write for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking but righteousness and peace and joy in the holy spirit verse chapter 15 verse 13 in the book of Romans he says now may the god of Hope fill you with all joy and peace and believing that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit and again I think the contrast is marked there's this opposition that isn't joyful there's this opposition that doesn't have or know the Holy Spirit and then you have these believers these disciples who have both they have joy and the Holy Spirit which indicates again that even though there is opposition against the truth as it is in Jesus that doesn't mean the absence of joy we can still be joyous even in a situation where there's persecution we can still be joy s even when there's this opposition to our cause why because our joy isn't rooted in externals our joy isn't fleeting our joy isn't here and there our joy rather is in the triune God of Holy Scripture that's where our joy is and when men oppose when men persecute when men contradict when men blaspheme when men resists the things that we speak or believe it doesn't mean that we're gonna be the joyless miserable lot that they themselves are brethren joy is consistent even in the midst of persecution and affliction well in conclusion just a couple of thoughts and then we'll close first in terms of the opposition to the gospel when we see the book of Acts right off the bat it doesn't take long to get into this the first chief enemy of the Church of Christ is unbelieving Jews secondly will be the Roman Empire initially the Roman Empire was favorable or if not favorable they they left Christianity alone they saw Christianity as a subset of Judaism and Judaism for the most part in the Empire it was left alone they had a degree of Liberty they had the freedom to worship they had their synagogues they had these various things and for the most part they weren't molested by the civil state but as Christianity starts to go forward and as persons start to come to the Lord Jesus Christ the civil state gets increasingly more opposed to that so you've got unbelieving Israel and then you've got the Roman Empire that is after the people of God so that opposition is introduced to us early on in the record by Luke because he's not lying to us he's not deceiving us he's not suggesting to us that once you become a Christian everything's just gonna be hunky-dory and it's really getting like the charismatic say it's really gonna be like Joel Osteen says every everyday will be like a Friday no that's not reality there's heartache there is hardship there's imprisonment there's martyrdom there's suffering there is torment there is pain associated with the cause and that's what we find in this particular passage and brethren may I just make a plug for the prayer meeting that's why we read voice of the martyrs that's why we acquaint ourselves with what's happening in other parts of the world this is a genuine genuine application of Hebrews 13 what are we supposed to do with the prisoners forget them not have any clue that they exist no the Apostle tells us in Hebrews 13:4 remember the prisoners you're one with them you're in Chains with them there's solidarity among the body I am Jesus whom you are persecuting you persecute the church you persecute Jesus you persecute our Chinese brethren you're persecuting us you're persecuting and we need to know about that so we can hold you up in prayer see we don't presently face the kind of opposition that they do that I'm just saying China go all around the globe go all over the earth you see resistance to an opposition toward the people of God we don't experience that presently though I think it is going to increase not a prophet nor the son of a prophet but you'd have to be pretty foolhardy not to read the writing on the wall at this particular point they are trying to silence us by stopping us condemning any sort of sin that society revels in brethren hate crime speech or crimes against what they call hate speech ultimately targets you and I now again it targets others out there that shouldn't say horrific things but typically they identify a condemnation not based on the person but based on a particular sin as hate speech this is going to increase unless things change and we need to be prepared but we should at least understand the suffering of our brothers and our sisters elsewhere we ought to be able to enter into what Paul says in Hebrews 13:4 we ought to think outside of ourselves at least once a week okay once a week okay just stop thinking about and you know may Jim for 15 minutes and pray for these these poor people in other parts of the world think about the Hamiltons think about the sorts of things that happen in my in mark you have to protect these children from being kidnapped and sold into prostitution or killed and their organs harvested I mean they have a genuine need to build fences so that persons don't come in and kill the children they're looking after and take their organs out and sell them on the black market again brethren we got issues I'm not going to suggest that we don't but at this point in the history of the world that ain't our issues that is not our problem but it is the problem of others it is a genuine concern imagine for us today the very thought of letting our children out front we you know they call them helicopter parents now you know what that is you ya hover around your kid I that way when I would feed one of my thought it was Kelly the the oldest daughter I mean as soon as I give her a bite I'd wipe her face I was that that hovering helicopter parent that didn't want to have you know any of that garbage on her face I'd be right there we don't want our kids to wander out of the front yard for fear they may be abducted or hit by a car I got to tell you in my 53 years I never once for a moment in life in the US or life in Canada ever feared somebody killing my children to take their organs out and solve them that that just never rose in my head and yet that's happening and yet we for whatever reason don't know about this and we don't pray for brothers and sisters the unbelieving Jews opposed the thing spoken by Paul the unbelieving Jews stirred up women and men in order to persecute the missionaries the unbelieving Jews expelled the missionaries from the region I mentioned Stephen the opponents disputed with Stephen and they were bested by him that should be it right non religion and politics religion and politics if you disagree I'm going to kill you that's just the way it is isn't it I look at the world today don't they tell you or caution you when you're young don't ever talk about religion and politics they don't tell you why because they might kill you that's what happens when you disagree about religion and politics that's what happens in this instance they could it best even so they end up charging him before the Sanhedrin of blasphemy that was a capital offense they stoned Stephen to death they would do the same thing to these men have given the opportunity fact that's what Paul rehearses that's what we just saw in the reading in Acts chapter 14 what happens to Paul they stone him they leave him for dead he gets up he goes into the next city and he preaches the gospel all over again see there is this animosity toward God this animosity toward Christ Edwards was right they can't get to God so they'll attack the people of God and we see that in spades in the history of the church brethren we need to be on guard we need to be aware we need to be ready if we hardly attend church now and we hardly pray now and we hardly read our Bibles now do we actually that when persecution comes we're going to step it up the best way to plan for persecution is to be faithful right now to be attending right now to be in the scriptures right now what is it saying when daniel was forbidden to pray to the living and true God he goes into his uh he goes into Israel he opens the window as his custom was it was his practice it was his habit it was his manner of life to pray to the truly living God such that when the decree is issued he says forget it I'm going to continue to do what I've always done but if you haven't always done what you're supposed to do when the persecution comes you might just say well okay I guess I can't go to church today I guess the government doesn't want me to worship Jesus I guess I guess there is a lion in the street all these excuses brethren if we are not faithful now we're not going to be faithful then that's my thought on the situation but the opposition of the Jews could not stop the spread of the gospel and the opposition of the Jews could not quench the joy nor the presence of the Holy Spirit in the lives of God's people to be encouraged whatever may happen whatever increasing opposition may obtain with reference to us in life in Canada it's not the case that they can strip from us joy or the spirit never can the can any foe any enemy whatsoever strip those things from the people of God Almighty that I just wanted to focus one more thought on this whole theological emphasis in the passage I think verse 46 authorizes legitimizes endorses gospel preachers for blaming sinners on not coming to Jesus hyper-calvinism doesn't say that hyper-calvinism would never suggest that but biblical Calvinism reformed theology we don't need to reconcile friends because both are taught in Scripture of course I know it's the absolute sovereignty of God of course I know it's to election and predestination just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world but the Apostle Paul does not let these men off the hook since you judge yourselves worthy of of eternal life or everlasting life this is wrong and wicked and foul on your part don't resist but I think it also legitimizes authorizes and endorses gospel preaching to sinners come to the Lord Jesus believe on him turn from your sins look unto him who's altogether lovely a chief among ten thousand go to the Christ and whom there is forgiveness the Christ in whom there is a righteousness that avails with God take these things to heart quit playing games in the sense of well I don't know if I'm a whack I don't know if I'm predestined the anthesis in gospel preaching isn't I want you to see if your intellect I want you to see if you've got an e on your back Spurgeon refers to that as well I don't have to see that they've got an e on their back to tell them to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ but I suspect some have been duped into thinking that that's precisely what needs to happen I need a sign I need to understand I need it to be disclosed whether I'm predestined or elect no you need to believe the gospel you need to look unto the Lord Jesus Christ as the serpent was lifted up in the wilderness so must the Son of Man be lifted up I guarantee you when those Israelites in numbers 21 and 2022 are they 22 when they were bit by those fiery serpents and Moses said I want you to look at this brazen serpent and you'll live I doubt they had encountered groups to try and discover whether or not they were predestined not to die from snake venom they walked they looked at the brazen serpent they didn't say well I don't know if I'm inclined to look I don't know if it's been predestined for me they looked they were bitten the remedy was set forth and they looked and yet we know we're all bitten by sin we know we're all poisoned by an iniquity and when it comes to the remedy set forth look unto Jesus believe on Jesus it's at this point that hyper-calvinism has promoted in the part in the hearts of people - well I'm not sure I'm Bri Destin I'm not sure I'm alack I'm not sure if it's for me because after all many are called and fewer chosen amazing how our memories rehearse the few Bible verses that we know to argue against us closing with Jesus Christ never underestimate that does the devil use crack cocaine to keep people away from Jesus probably does the devil use Sabbath breaking to keep people away from Jesus probably does the devil use an imbalance doctrinal approach to keep people away from Jesus I'd have to say probably do not fall prey to it if you are one of the Israelites who has been bitten and your body is riddled with poison look to the remedy and be saved Christ alone is the way of salvation believe on him and you will have everlasting life let us pray our Father we thank you for your word and we thank you for your grace and your mercy and your loving-kindness we thank you for election and predestination we thank you that you use the means as well as Paul will say later in Corinthians 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 believed we see this statement concerning the absolute sovereignty of God in verse 48 but as well the responsibility of men in verse 46 we see an Iconium that the Apostle so spoke that a great multitude believed God certainly we see these doctrines as friends we see them both taught in Scripture and I would pray that you would keep us from ever ever relinquish in one or the other give us grace most high to be theologically correct and God give us grace to preach the truth as it is in Jesus and I pray that many many more people would come to know him as Lord and Savior and we ask this in his most blessed name amen well you could turn in your Trinity hymn books to number 564 564 will stand as we 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 let us pray blessed father thank you for your word thank you for the public worship of the living and true God thank you for bringing us safely to this place as our brother prayed earlier give us safety now as we travel home watch over us not only physically but especially spiritually and cause us each to grow in the Grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ but with us we pray in his most blessed name amen we'll close with a brief time of meditation