Address—Robert Boulard
DISCLAIMER: The following has been auto-transcribed. We hope it will help you to find the section of this audio file you are looking for.
Good evening.
I thought maybe we would begin tonight with #230.
#230.
Oh Lord, when we.
Praise.
Great love.
I was all and grace my head.
Yeah, and I'll go.
And then, then the closest.
I love by.
A man.
And so the crane Jane and lost.
Well, let's ask the Lord blessing in our meeting tonight.
Our loving God and our Father, we thank Thee for this little hymn that reminds us of the path of our blessed Savior that we can retrace through the precious pages of this blessed book, and how we can recognize the love of the Father and the witness without his gift. Faithfully, our blessed Savior, a witness of the Father and the love of the Father, and we thank Thee for thy great faithfulness.
And manifesting the love of our God for us.
Delivering the message that thou does have to deliver. And now as we open up thy precious word, we pray that thy word might have free course and be glorified, that there might be liberty of the Spirit of God.
That our minds and our hearts might be taken up with that blessed One who loved us and gave himself for us. So we pray that there would be fruit for thee, our God, as a result of our being here together tonight. We know that, uh, the fruit is vine. It's delight to have the devotedness of thy people, the affections of thy people. And so we pray that our hearts might be stirred.
With the love of our Savior and a desire to live for Him in a little time, that remains for us here in this scene. So we ask thee for thy blessing, our God and our Father, in the precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.
I'd just like to read the one verse just to begin with in umm, first Peter chapter 5.
00:05:08
And, uh, verse 12.
Just open up the subject that I have on my heart tonight.
First Peter, chapter 5.
And verse 12 by Sylvanus, a faithful brother unto you, as I suppose I have written, briefly exhorting and testifying that this is the true grace of God wherein ye stand.
While the Apostle Peter had written a letter to, umm, the Saints, you know what it says in the first chapter. He identifies who he wrote it to, and he speaks to those that, uh, as the apostle to the strangers or the sojourners scattered throughout Pontius, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Baithania, elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ, grace unto you, and peace be multiplied.
Well, the Apostle Peter wrote a letter and he had to send this letter to the Saints and, umm, he selected this man Sylvanus to deliver the letter to the brethren. There was no European Postal Service or anything like that. And, uh, you know, we took up this little passage of Scripture in the Hammer Bay reading meeting a couple of years ago. And umm, perhaps we've read this passage of Scripture often times and just kind of glanced over these things and said that, you know, while the apostle had a few closing comments and he was just kind of.
Making a little bit of fill back here and.
But the God's Word isn't written that way at all.
And I want to just read it the way it says in Mr. Mr. Darby's translation. He says in verse 12 by Sylvanus the faithful brother.
And I thought to myself, it says here by Sylvanus the faithful brother. Now why would the Spirit of God address this man and give him this title as the faithful brother? There must be a reason why, because God doesn't.
Use these expressions lightheartedly at all. And so I'd like to trace a little bit of his life tonight. His name is also called Silas and Sylvanus, perhaps his formal name like Timothy or Timotheus. Paul often times when he was addressing a letter used the name Timotheus and at the heading of the letter and umm here this man, the apostle Peter addresses the the Saints and he says he's sending this letter.
By the faithful brothers.
And so I'd like to look at several different ones that are called faithful and then look at this brother. But to really understand the spirit of Christ that really characterized this man, you really have to look at the Lords life himself. And I'd like to look at Revelation chapter one and just read a couple of verses there in Revelation chapter one.
Says in chapter one of Revelation verse 4, John to the seven churches which are in Asia, grace be unto you, and peace from him which is, and which was, and which is to come. And from the seven spirits which are before his throne, And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten among of the dead, and the Prince of the kings of the earth, unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood.
And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father. To him be glory and dominion forever and ever.
Oh man. Well, as we consider.
This, uh, little characteristic that gone, umm, indicates that he's so valued in the different ones that we'll look at tonight, particularly Silas or Sylvanus. But the Lord Jesus was the most faithful, most loyal, most avoided, uh, most devoted, the one who was the most steady in his path. And God had to deliver a message to deliver to this world.
He sent his son with a message, a message of love for those that have sinned against his himself.
Had sinned and become separated from him. He sent a message by his son and his son delivered it faithfully, devotedly. We can read the Gospels and there was not one iota of compromise in the delivery. And when he stood before Pilot.
Pilot could say what is truth?
He mocked the messenger, He mocked the message, but the Savior never, never blinked, as it were. He was faithful.
00:10:08
And you know, as we look at these different ones, we're going to find out that when it came to faithfulness and devotedness to Christ, devotedness of life, devotedness of heart, there was a price to pay.
But there was a reward too. And so you know and I know what it costs the Lord Jesus to deliver his message and faithfulness and devotedness to his God.
And Father cost him his life. He was the faithful witness and the Lord his Father. God valued that witness, valued the devotion, and he went into death as he delivered his message. Let's look at the 19th chapter of Revelation. We'll find something of the reward there. God always rewards faithfulness, devotedness to himself.
And so in chapter 19.
Here it says.
In verse 11.
I saw heaven opened, and behold a White Horse. And he that sat upon him was called faithful and true, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war. His eyes were as a flame of fire, and on his head were many crowns. And he had a name written that no man knew but himself. And then just dropped down to verse 16. He hath on his vesture and on his thigh a name written King of Kings.
And Lord of Lords.
Every eye is going to see this blessed one, those that were faithful in the scriptures, those that have been faithful in their lives not only impact the generation that they live in, but they oftentimes influence generations beyond their lifetime. And to hear the blessed Savior as a faithful witness, devoted, delivered his message, cost him his life to deliver His message of love.
For you forgiveness of sins to those that would receive him as Savior, and those that would confess that they were sinners and receive eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
But in Resurrection, he's given a title, and his title here in chapter 19 of Revelation verse 11 is faithful and true.
Not a wonderful title for the blessed Savior, faithful and true.
And you have a faithful Savior. You have a a Savior that's devoted to you tonight. You have a Savior that loves you. He's devoted to your care in every way. There's nothing that occurs in your life or mine that he's not devoted to your care.
Your nourishment spiritually, physically, in every instance in your life that he's desiring, that there would be fruit in your life for himself. And so he's faithful to you, devoted to you.
And here at the end of time, as it were in, uh, I shouldn't say really in time, but umm, at the appearing of the Lord at the end of the tribulation period as he comes to set up his Kingdom, he has this title and the witness that was rejected, the witness that was true. He's given the title, He's faithful and true, and he's given that name. A King of kings and Lord of Lords. God rewards faithfulness, devotedness, and so his son will be seen for all eternity.
With this title, faithful and true.
Well, then if you look in chapter 2 of Revelation, I'll just look at one more here in the Book of Revelation and uh, we'll just read verse 13, chapter 2 of Revelation, verse 13 here we see the Spirit of Christ and another witness.
I know thy works and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's seat is. And now hold us fast. My name and has not denied my faith, even as in in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful.
Martyr, who was slain among you where Satan dwelleth. But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumbling block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols.
And to commit fornication. So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of Nicolaitans. Which thing I hate, repent, or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. He that hath an ear to hear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. To him that overcometh to him will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in a stone a new name written, which no man knoweth, saving he that receiveth it.
I don't want to comment on this whole passage, but you notice here that there's a man, his name is given Antipas, and his name means against all and umm.
00:15:11
He was one who was identified by the Lord Jesus who wrote this.
He identifies him as my faithful martyr.
Or in the new translation, says my faithful witness.
You notice that in this address to the seven churches.
A little snapshot of the church history from the beginning of the Apostolic age down to the day that we live in the latest CNA age of indifference to the glory of Christ. There is no other name of any individual given in those assemblies that are addressed except for this one. And the Lord Jesus says, this is my faithful martyr, my faithful witness. He gives his name, and we don't know if we look in the.
Church histories. We have no idea who this man was, who he is.
What city might have lived in except for Pergamos? And we don't have anything written about them except that God sudden sums up his life in these three little words. My faithful martyr or my faithful witness, you know, what cost them to give a witness in the day that he lived in? It was really a day in which the church was marrying up with the world and, uh, there was a lot of compromise going on and, uh, during the days of Constantine and Umm, people were being baptized and.
They were entering the Kingdom, really being a part of the Christian profession only in profession, not in reality. And umm, there was a great day of compromise taking place. And this man, his name, as I say, means against all. He stood up and he said it's not right, it's not right. It's not according to the principles of God to compromise and to accept worldly principles into the church.
And those to umm, identify ourselves and compromise with this world for the sake of.
Escaping persecution.
And it cost him his life to give that witness to be devoted to Christ and to hold fast. And the Lord Jesus mentions his name, and you read it tonight, and I read it tonight. We're going to meet that man from the glory. And, uh, we'll know. We'll know perhaps a little bit more about him. But the Lord Jesus wanted us to know what it meant to his heart to be faithful and devoted to the cause of Christ and to the cause of walking the truth of God in a day of declension.
In a day of those when it was perhaps popular to compromise or to water down the truth, well, let's look then at the.
Life of Silas or Sylvanus. I'd like to turn to chapter 15 in the book of Acts and read a few verses. You'll forgive me for just reading Spot, reading a little bit here and a little bit there. Maybe you can read this whole chapter and get all of the connections and maybe meditate on it when you get to your own home.
But the, uh, I just mentioned that in first Peter chapter 5 that, uh, this is the last time that his name is mentioned.
And instead of being associated with the apostle Paul and his work, here is really with Peter and perhaps even close to the end of Peter's life. This man's name is mentioned 17 times in the Word of God, and this is the last time in first Peter chapter 5.
And God sums up his whole life with those 3 words, The faithful brother.
And I think tonight have the lives, the souls that I see the, my brethren, your life is being written one day at a time, the history of your life. And very soon we're going to be called into the presence of the Lord, every one of us. And we'll have an individual review with the Lord face to face and, uh, how we've lived our lives, the priorities that we set in our lives, the objectives.
What we accomplished.
For His glory in this scene, it's all going to come out and I covet this for my own soul. I don't know what 3 words the Lord could say for my life, but when it came to Silas or Sylvanus, who lived in the shadow of the great apostle Paul, the Spirit of God records 3 words that sum up his whole life. The faithful brother.
And I trust that the Lord be able to look in your, into your face and summon, sum up something of what he saw of the reflection of the glory of Christ in your life, Fruit for him, devotedness to him, to his cause, and to have a little commendation from him, just like Antipas might have and like this man Silas.
00:20:13
So this, uh, chapter 15, we'll read just a few verses of Scripture and umm, we'll find out that, uh, this man lived in a very precarious time. The church was under attack, the truth was under attack and the enemy had not let up the, umm, battle as it were. So chapter 15, verse 1, certain men which came down from Judea caught the brethren and said, except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved.
Let's just skip down to verse 5.
There rose up certain of the secular Pharisees which believed, saying that it was needful to circumcise them in the command.
Them to keep the law of Moses.
You know this is approximately 8050. It was approximately 20 years.
21 years after the Lord had died at the cross had been raised to gain resurrection, ascended on high end of the glory 20 years, 21 years had passed. The enemy was still trying to destroy the testimony of those that were gathered to the Lord's name and he wasn't going to let up these that had been saved or professed to know the Lord the Savior came to this Gentile Cindy a city Antioch, and they said to the Gentiles in that city, they said you can't be saved.
Paul didn't tell you the whole truth. He left off the part about being circumcised and keeping the law of Moses. He said, they said to the Saints there in that Gentile city, Paul didn't tell you the whole gospel. We're telling you the rest of it and you need to keep the law. You need to be circumcised and was a lie in the enemy to try to mix Judaism and Christianity. And so here this question came up.
And the apostle Paul was there in Barnabas in verse two says therefore Paul and Barnabas had no small dissension in disputation with them. And they determined to say that Paul and Barnabas and certain other of them should go up to Jerusalem under the apostles and elders about this question. And then let's read in umm from verse 13.
Acts 15, verse 13. After that they had held their peace. James answered, saying, Men and brethren.
Hearken unto me, Simeon had declared, how God at the first did visit the Gentiles.
To take out of them of people for his name, and to this degree the words of the prophets as it is written. After this I will return and will build again the Tabernacle of David which has fallen down, and I will build again the ruins thereof.
And I will set it up, that the residue of men might seek after the Lord and all the Gentiles upon whom my name is called, saith the Lord, who doeth all these things.
Known unto God are all His works from the beginning of the world. Wherefore my sentence is, that we trouble not them.
Which from among the Gentiles are turned to God, but that we write unto them, that they abstain from the pollution of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood. For Moses of old hath in every city them that preach him, being read in the synagogues every Sabbath day. Then it pleased the Glenn pleased that the apostles and elders with the whole church to send chosen men of their own company to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas, namely Judas.
Surname Barsabbas and Silas, chief men among the brethren, and they wrote letters by them after this manner. I'm not going to read the letter, all of it, but let's drop down to verse 25. It seemed good unto us, being assembled with one accord, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul, men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have sent, therefore Judas and Silas, who shall also tell you the same things.
By mouth, For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost and to us to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things.
Well, there was a, a time of difficulty in the church. There was a crisis in the church at the time that Silas lived. We don't, uh, read in, in verse 22, we don't read anything about Silas beyond that, uh, at the beginning of his life, except for this, that he was well established in the assembly in Jerusalem.
00:25:04
He was one of that that could be addressed as, uh, one of the chief or the leading men among the brethren. So he took his Christianity seriously. Evidently he was, uh, had been a Jew and uh, he had taken Christ as his Savior. He had known what it was to live under the law. And, uh, it was, as it says in verse 10A, yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear.
And he had known what it was to try to keep the law.
But there came a day when Silas heard about the Lord Jesus, when Silas heard of the free forgiveness of sins, and that for by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves. It is a gift of God.
Gift of God and Silas laid aside his good work. He laid hold upon the finished work of Christ. He said that's I'm resting my eternal security, my eternal.
Uh, destiny.
My soul's destiny upon the finished work of Christ. I'm setting aside all the deeds of the law, and I'm taking Christ.
And from that day he had the person of Christ before his heart and the value of the finished work of the Lord Jesus, the blood of Christ, and he had a person. You know, the Jewish religion had a system of things, had a glory in itself, was a perfect religion. God had given that religion, but it wasn't a person. It presented a law and a rules to keep and so on, something like 613 laws and commandments and ordinances, but.
Not the motivation to keep them, not the ability to keep them. But Silas took Christ as a Savior. He laid aside his good works.
Handy held fast to the finished work of the Savior and had an affection for Christ. Now someone came to from his assembly apparently went to this Antioch, to this Gentile city and began to teach this these Gentiles that they couldn't be saved apart from the work of the law and the to be circumcised. And it is apparent that Silas took a stand and he said no, that's not right. That's a lie of the enemy. It's not right at all.
And he stood fast. He was a chief, one of the chief men among the brethren. We're not told how we got saved when.
Nothing except that he was one of these steady, steady brothers. And when there was a test came in the assembly, when there was a test that came among the brethren, here was a man that couldn't be moved off center. I think every one of us perhaps has known one who has had a testimony of being steady in things of God.
Not only know what it is to be saved. Know the truth of God. Know the apostles doctrine, enjoy the apostles doctrine.
But they paid a price, probably personally for themselves, not pulled anything of Silas family, not even told that he was married.
That cost Silas something to stand up for his savior. And I wanna just say this, those of us that are perhaps a little bit younger. There's there's times in life when we don't know how long this man was saved, but let's say he got saved soon after the Lord went to to the cross.
I take it that he was a little bit of an older man as we read this these passages of scripture.
And he walked in the background, as it were. He was perhaps one in oversight, maybe even in the assembly in Jerusalem.
But he wasn't to take a public place very quietly behind the scenes, but he was a steady brother, and he supported the Christian testimony there in Jerusalem. And then as he was educated by the Spirit of God, when there came a need for a man that was steady, that was faithful, that was loyal, devoted to Christ, here he was. And the apostle and the assembly there said, you know, there are some people that should go. There's a couple of brothers that should go with Paul and Barnabas.
And deliver this message. Deliver this letter to the Gentiles.
And, uh, we need to select a couple of witnesses. They selected this man, Silas and his, uh, another man called Judas. Both of them, it says chief men were leading men among the brother. And so, dear brethren, I wonder if this isn't just a little bit of a reward for Silas. Walking with the Lord in a quiet way, devoted to the things of God and taking his Christianity seriously wasn't a secondary thing for him. He lived for the Lord.
00:30:04
The assembly was the centre of his life. He was devoted to the cause of Christ and when there came a time the Spirit of God needed someone that would go with the Apostle Paul and Barnabas, Silas was selected.
Now you say, well, why did they need to send uh, uh, two men with Barnabas and Paul? It says in verse 25.
It seemed good unto us being assembled with one accord, or having arrived at a common judgment, to send chosen men unto you with our beloved Barnabas and Paul. Wouldn't you believe Barnabas and Paul if they brought a letter and they said, this is from the assembly in Jerusalem?
Weren't they credible witnesses?
I think every one of us would say this is probably a good letter from Jerusalem. But, you know, I've wondered if there was, uh, wisdom in the part of the ones that were there. Let's turn to 2nd Thessalonians, chapter 2.
So with wisdom in the assembly in Jerusalem and the Spirit of God was working and LED them to send these two brothers. Second Thessalonians chapter 2.
And uh, let's read verse one and two.
Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our coming together, our gathering together unto him, that ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter, as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means. And so it's apparent that there were those that were forging Paul's name to letters.
And we know that Paul wrote a letter to the Galatians, and he wrote it himself.
And instead of this letter to the Thessalonians going out only with Paul's signature on it, you'll notice in chapter one of Second Thessalonians it says Paul and Sylvanus and Timotheus. So there were other witnesses that this was a bona fide letter from the apostle Paul. So the assembly in Jerusalem.
Asked these two men to go.
Those that were well taught, they had bought the truth for themselves. They walked faithfully. Their private lives had some moral power and they were believable in their testimony, if I could put it that way. And these two men were sent alongside with Barnabas and Paul to deliver this letter. But you know, just call to attention this verse 26 in Acts chapter 15, it says that they were men that have hazarded their lives for the name.
Of our Lord Jesus Christ. In the new translation it says this men that have given up their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
I want to illustrate it this way.
There's a a brother I was staying at his house.
Several years ago and he had a pocket watch that they used as the engineers have a pocket watch and with a chain on it and so on. And hit the button and the cover comes up and you see the watch works there. And we know that the train system ran very efficiently. The conductors had watches, pocket watches, the engineers and all those that had responsibility. Anyway, this brother had this watch and asked me when I was in his home one day that if uh.
He asked me if, uh, I would like to have this watch as a, as a, as a gift. And he knew that I had grown up on the railway for the 1St 10 years of my life and I'd seen the engineers with these watches and I'd seen the conductors and so on. And I was, uh.
Thankful to have the opportunity to, uh, accept the gifts. He said something like this. He said, you know, I've enjoyed this watch for years and uh, he said that would you accept this watch as a gift? He took this watch and I opened my hand. He dropped it into my hand. Nice heavy watch silver and I hit the button and the case opened up and I wound it up a little bit and a very nice watch. He says, uh, I've enjoyed it and I'd like you to enjoy it now.
And I wonder if it wasn't like this with Paul, with Barnabas, with Silas and Umm, with Judas, that, uh, they had to come to the conclusion that they'd enjoyed their lives by themselves and in their own wills and they'd, uh, done things their way. And there came a point in their lives when they were going to go out to the Gentiles and they were going to preach the gospel of the grace of God. And when they preached the gospel to the Gentiles and told them the idols were just idols, just hunks of silver, hunks of stone.
00:35:06
And gold, there is not no life to them. And umm, Paul could say that they were, umm, their devotions or their in sacks chapter 17. He could say that, uh, in uh, verse 22 of Acts 17, he said, ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things, uh, two superstitious or given up to demon worship, he was going to tell them the truth that things weren't right.
And he was going to be faithful and deliver a message of love and forgiveness.
The Savior from the God of heaven, and that he told them at the end he said that God hath umm now commandeth all men everywhere to repent, because he has appointed a day in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained. Well, I wonder if Paul, when he knew he was going to go out to the Gentiles, he knew it's going to cost them something. He knew he might be beaten. He knew he might suffer for it.
And you know on what I know that as the apostle Paul went out to the Gentiles, he preached the gospel of the grace of God and wrote these epistles. 14 epistles, if you include Hebrews. It cost him his life to give us those epistles.
It cost him his life to be faithful, and as he went out to the Gentiles, it's as if he said, I know it's gonna cost me my life sooner or later. And Silas had to leave Jerusalem, Leave that.
Centre of Judaism and go out to the Gentiles and even preach the gospel to those that were Jews in the synagogues and he knew that it could cost him his life. And so this is what he did. He arrived at this decision. It says he'd given up their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. I want to ask you a question tonight. Have you given up your life?
For the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
You know what our King James Bible that says hazarded that. Umm, and perhaps there's some sense of that men that have hazarded their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. It was a hazard. It was a risk to go out to the Gentiles and preach Christ. But they had to arrive at the conclusion that, uh, they had lived their lives the way they wanted to live them and they were delivering up their lives to Christ. And they said, it's OK if it cost me my life to go out to the Gentiles and preach the gospel, that's OK.
And you know, everyone of us that know the Lord Jesus as our Savior had cost the Lord Jesus his life to give us life, the cost of his life to bring us into relationship with the Father. And we know the Son because he was a faithful witness. He gave his life to redeem you with his own precious blood. He delivered up his life. But Paul, you know in this man, Silas, they delivered up their lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
And a wonderful to say, someone asked you, what church do you go to? I don't always give the same answer every time, but I often times will say I don't go to a church like many people do. I'm gathered, I go and meet with Christians and I'm gathered to the precious name of the Lord Jesus Christ. There's no, no name in the building. There's only the name of the Lord Jesus Christ that we associate ourselves with. You know, I said that to a man in Ohio and went to a place for.
Dinner one night, he lived across the street from us when we lived in Massillon and, uh, just Kiddie Corner on the other side. And he and his wife were looking for a church, so to speak. And they'd seen all the young people come to our home and different ones that would come. And they'd seen us in our schedule of going to the meetings and have they invited me over in the summer. And Janet and the others were up north and, uh, they wanted to know where I went to meeting, where I went to church.
And I said, well, I'm gathered to the precious name of the Lord Jesus. And I said that, well, they said, well, where is this place that you go to? What's the name on the building? I said, well, there's no name on the building. They said, well.
Where is it? His name is Jeff Sprout. He said uh, Jeff said, uh, tell me where it is. I said, well, I go up, uh, it's in Cuyahoga Falls. I just go up Route 8 and I get off at, umm, Portage, he said Portage Trail. Yeah, I said Portage Trail. And then I go up to the uh.
Fire station and I turn right. Oh yeah. And then you go across and you turn right and jog and you go on. Uh, Myrtle. Yep, I said, uh, and then there's a building. He said yeah, there's a building right before you get to the park and you turn right and it's a brown brick building.
00:40:05
I said you're right, there's no name on the building.
And this is 28.2 miles away from where that little meeting room is. And he knew where the building was. You know, brethren, you and I are being watched by our neighbors and they know that there's no name on this building and they know why. Perhaps you don't know why. Perhaps you're a young person or someone that doesn't know why there isn't a name of such and such Christian fellowship on this building. But it's because we're gathered by the Spirit of God under the precious name of the Lord Jesus. And we don't advertise that, but we just have a list of meetings out there.
And so the apostle Paul and Barnabas and this man Silas, they took the name of Christ and went out to the Gentiles. And then it says in verse 32 That Judas and Silas, being prophets also themselves, exhorted the brethren with many words and confirmed them. So here's this man Silas that says that they were prophets.
And so God could use this faithful brother. A prophet is one who delivers a message from God for the people of God at a certain time when they need a message delivered. He was faithful to the Lord, and he came to these brethren in the Gentile city of Antioch, and he exhorted and encouraged the brethren. Is that how you are? They talk to you and they're encouraged when they talk to you.
That was one thing that characterized Silas and, uh, Judas.
They were encouragers, and with many words it says, and they confirm them, that they strengthen them, they strengthen the brethren. Now why did the brethren need to be strengthened?
You know, if somebody came here, somebody came to the assembly in umm, Rio Ferry and said, uh, listen.
What? Umm.
Brother, uh, Earl has been telling you all these years and, uh, brother Dave Mearns and so on. It's not quite true that they forgot to leave. They left out a lot of, uh, the, a good part of the gospel, and we're gonna tell you the rest of it. You might be a little bit shaken. Their story might sound good.
But you know this man, he came to those brethren in Antioch new to the faith and uh, he said, you know, Paul told you the right thing and he knew Paul's doctrine, he knew the apostles doctrine.
Do you know what the apostles doctrine is? Do you know the four major parts perhaps of that gospel? Paul taught us the truth of the Lord's coming. He told us when, how it would take place. First Thessalonians chapter four. He told us more about it and the change, the instant change that would take place in our bodies. First Corinthians chapter 15. He told us about the church and how it should really be organized. If you read First Corinthians chapter 15.
And umm, in Second Corinthians, he told us that we're in Christ. He told us that we're members of the body of Christ. He told us that he taught those things in the apostles doctrine. He taught many things.
Silas came, he says, you know, we're not a part of the Jewish system at all. He says we're members of the body of Christ. And he confirmed and he just strengthened them. Kind of wonderful just to strengthen your brother, just to go over the truth. Enjoy the truth yourself. Enjoy it. Encourage, feed your own soul. Read the epistles, the Paul's epistles, the other epistles. Know them, enjoy them. Be strengthened yourself.
And then be able to strengthen and confirm your brethren. And so this is how this man was. Now let's read this sad little thing that took place in verse 36 in connection with Paul and Barnabas.
Some days after Paul said unto Barnabas, Let us go again, and visit our brethren every city where we have preached the word of the Lord, and see how they do. And Barnabas determined to take with them John, whose surname was Mark. But Paul thought not good to take him with them, who departed from them from Pamphylia, and went not with them to the work. And the contention was so sharp between them, that they departed asunder one from the other. And so Barnabas took Mark, and sailed unto Cyprus.
And Paul chose Silas, and departed, being recommended by the brethren under the grace of God. And he went through through Syria and Silithia, confirming the churches. Then came he to Derby and Lystra, and behold a certain disciples there named Timotheus.
Well, you know, there was this sad incident that took place.
Barnabas had a cousin, I think that's how Mr. Darby translates it or puts it in a Colossians chapter 4 and he wanted his cousin to be involved in the work of the Lord. He wanted them to come along and Paul, you know, sense that he wasn't ready. I wondered about that. Why did what was it about John Mark that? Well, one thing was that perhaps he had left the work. He'd gone and got a little faint of heart perhaps and seen the opposition of the gentiles and so on. So he.
00:45:28
Had Pamphilia, he decided he'd go back to Jerusalem. It was a little bit safer place to be and umm maybe just couldn't take the rigors.
But you know, I wonder, I just suggest this that, umm, maybe the apostle Paul had seen in John Mark that John Mark hadn't delivered up his life under the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. There was just a little bit of holding back. He wanted to live his part of his life and he just didn't want to give all to Christ that there was just a little bit of holding back. And so Paul said he hadn't come really to the point where the Lord could use him in the right way to go out to the Gentiles. Now we know that he was restored a little later on, and Paul speaks very highly of this young man.
And said to Timothy later on that he was profitable in the work. But umm, this man, dear brother Barnabas had labored with the apostle Paul for approximately 10 years, from AD 41 to 8051. This boat, when it takes place here. And we don't read of them laboring together again. But you know, the apostle had a yearning to go out to the Gentiles. And, uh, he selected this man Silas.
As a partner in the work, as one that he could trust, one that he could labor with, one who is, as we had in First Peter Chapter 5, the faithful brother. He had seen something in Silas as he faced the test in Acts Chapter 15 in connection with the false teachers. He'd seen Silas not got upset, not get angry and umm, umm, try to get his own way or anything like that. He just went on in a steady way.
And, uh, he laid hold of the finished work of Christ, and these men were trying to suggest that the finished work of Christ wasn't good enough for salvation. He wouldn't have it. He just kept going in a steady way. And Paul thought he could use Silas in the work.
And so they weigh laboured together, they had the fellowship of the assembly there and they went out. They were recommended by the brethren unto the grace of God. He went through Syrian Celestia confirming or strengthening the churches. Now let's just read, uh, from verse chapter 16 and verse 19.
When her masters saw that the hope of their gains was gone, they caught Paul and Silas, and drew them to the marketplace under the rulers, and brought them to the magistrate, saying, These men being Jews, to exceedingly trouble our city, and teach customs which are not lawful for us to receive, neither to be to observe being Romans. And the multitude rose up together against them, and magistrates ran off their clothes, and commanded to beat them or discourage them.
And when they had laid many stripes upon them, they cast them into prison, charging the jailer to keep them safely, who, having received such a charge, thrust them into the inner prison, made their feet fast in the stocks. And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed and sang praises unto God, and the prisoners heard them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundation of the prison were shaken. And immediately all the doors were opened, and everyone's bands were loosed, and the keeper of the prison waking out of his sleep and seeing the prison doors open.
He drew out his sword and would have killed himself, supposing the prisoners had been fled. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm.
For we are all here. Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, and brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved in thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord to all that were in his house.
Well, I like this little story because, you know, it was the first city's, first European city that received the gospel and there was a little assembly set up in Philippi, the 1St that European city, but there were two men that labored together and, uh, there was.
A a slave girl demon possessed and uh, she was delivered from the power of Satan.
And the enemy, as Paul and Silas, went into the stronghold of the enemy, in the darkness of that place, the enemy was vicious and was gonna try to extinguish the light as soon as it shone, the light of the testimony of Jesus Christ.
00:50:07
In that scene and here, Paul and Silas were taking they were scourge together.
And then in the prison it says.
In the darkness of the midnight, they sang, they prayed, and they sang praises together.
I wonder if you would agree that Paul chose the right man to go with him. Here was a man who wouldn't back down. He gave his testimony. It was faithful. He wasn't going to run when things got heard, and he was faithful, devoted to Christ.
To the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
And they are, they were companions as they suffered and their blood was shed together, as it were, as they laid the foundations for that little assembly in Philippi. What a relationship they both those men had, no doubt, with those in that little assembly in Filipi. And it says that there was a great earthquake. And you know in Scripture that so a little picture of something, an event that takes place and things are never going to be the same ever again.
And that's how it is in Western Europe. Things were never going to be the same again in Western Europe because the gospel was presented, was preached, Christ was preached, idolatry and all that. Superstition and heathenism was, uh, going to be vanquished, as it were. Christ was going to be ministered, and to a large degree, many, that whole region was given the gospel and there was a real testimony.
Now, I'll just say this in connection with this little incident. I'm gonna read it the way I used to read it, and I used to read it wrong.
It says uh, in verse 29 that uh, this man, he called for a light and sprang, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul.
And he brought Paul out and said, Sir, what must I do to be saved? And Paul said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved in thy house. Well, that's not really the way it is, is it?
We often read it.
And instead of saying Paul and Silas, we think Paul.
And when he says believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved in my house, we think Paul said this. But you know, in all the instances that Silas name is mentioned, there's nothing that we read in all the Scriptures as to what he wrote, if he wrote anything and nothing else that he said in the New Testament except for this little sentence. And he said it with his soul mate as it were in the power of the Spirit of God. He said it with Paul. He said at the same time the same words at the same time he said.
They said, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved in thy house.
You know, I have a twin brother and often times when we were working together in business, we would be discussing, uh, a design problem and, uh.
So we would be discussing it and I I suggest a solution and so on, and I take a bit of a breath or a cough or something and he'd finish the sentence.
And sometimes he would have an idea, we'd be discussing something and he would take a breath or whatever, and I'd know exactly where he was going. So I finished the sentence that he started.
And uh, some of the people that we were working with thought it was a little bit spooky that two people could, one could begin the sentence, the other could finish the sentence. But that's not how it was here. These men in the power of the Spirit of God said the same thing to the same man at the same time.
And Paul valued Silas, but I think that this is a reward for Silas as well. I wanted to suggest it this way.
That when you pick up a gospel track or you listen to the gospel meeting, there's a couple of verses that are oftentimes used. One is John 316 For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth should not perish, but have everlasting life. And the second verse is this one. If you read a gospel tract, 9 out of 10 will have this verse. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, sometimes not in thy house, but it's a nice promise.
And thy house, I think it's a reward for Thylus. Silas was faithful, the Spirit of God, says Silas. Or Sylvanus the faithful brother. And God always rewards faithfulness. He'll reward faithfulness in your life.
You may not see it in your lifetime, but people are still getting saved and laying hold of the finished work of Christ by reading Silas's words, those words that Paul and Silas spoke together in the power of the spirit of getting saved. I think it's a reward for Silas. Want to read one more little reward? We looked at a little earlier, but umm, Second Thessalonians chapter, uh, we could look at Second Thessalonians chapter one. Same thing in.
00:55:22
First Thessalonians chapter one, but uh, Second Thessalonians chapter one, verse one.
Paul and Sylvanus and Timotheus under the Church of the Thessalonians in God our Father.
And the Lord Jesus Christ.
You know, there's, uh.
These three men, Paul we know, wrote this epistle to the Thessalonians. It's the first epistle that he wrote, was the first epistle of Thessalonians, and the 2nd epistle is believed to be the one that he wrote as umm, very shortly thereafter.
But he uses this man as a cosigner. If I could use that terminology, he says, still, Sylvanus, that would be all right if we use your name.
I like to write this letter to the Thessalonians. I'd like to use your name as a witness that this is a real letter from me. And Sylvanus has this reward, if I could put it that way. His faithfulness was rewarded by the Spirit of God. His name is written at the head of a couple of different epistles. And Timotheus too. Timothy was a young man. His formal name is used here, Timotheus. And Timothy was a faithful brother. I don't have the time to look at it tonight, but if you look at first.
Corinthians, chapter 4.
You have this little expression used in connection with Timothy First Corinthians chapter 4 verse 17 for this cause of Isena Euthemotheus, who is my beloved son and faithful in the Lord, who shall bring you into remembrance of my ways which be in Christ. Want to point out that Silas and Timotheus labored together for several months because Paul got chased out of Berea and Silas and Timotheus were together for a few months.
And Timothy observed Silas, his steadiness, and how he just conducted himself. Perhaps as an older brother, Paul could trust Silas to have Timothy with him. And later on, Timothy, the apostle Paul calls Timothy faithful in the Lord.
Every one of us has an effect upon another. None of us live unto himself. No man dieth unto himself. And you have an effect on your mom, your dad, you have an effect on everyone in this assembly if you come to the assembly meetings.
Every one of those assembly meetings you seek to live for the Lord, you try with by the grace of God, to deliver up your life for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. You're going to have an effect on this generation. You're going to have an effect upon this assembly. You're going to have an effect upon the testimony in the day that we live in. We read about Silas because he was faithful, re read about Antipas because he was faithful. And as I say, your life is going to be summed up.
Every day.
Every hour you're living, the Lord is watching.
And he's not going to demand faithfulness, devotedness to His cause. But if you follow Christ, if you desire to devote your life to Him and to be faithful to his, 'cause there's going to be a day he looks into your face and your life is going to be summed up. There's going to be a reward. And He's going to render that blessing, that reward in the future day.
I trust that it will be.
So and so the faithful sister. So and so the faithful brother us commend ourselves.
Our loving God and our Father, we thank thee for thy precious word. We think of how thou this teach us by precept and by parable and through the Proverbs and these passages of Scripture, by example and these different ones that lived in New Testament times. In the Old Testament times too, we thank thee for the example of these faithful brethren and our faithful Savior, we long imitate the Spirit of Christ and.
The Spirit of our brethren too, as they imitated Christ.
In faithfulness, devotedness to the cause of Christ and at the cause of the truth that Paul preached. And so we pray that we might each one be exercised as to the, uh, faithfulness, devotedness to Christ as we, uh, come to the end of this age. And so we think that they're coming for us again very shortly. We know that we're going to see the face to face in all of thy glory. And how we long to have a commendation from myself.
01:00:14
Approval not only in the day that we live in, but approval in the day to come. And so we pray for Thy blessing our God upon each one here tonight, young and old, that there would be fruit for thee in our lives. Our God and our Father, we pray and we ask it in the precious name of our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.
Well, I brought some more books and booklets. I do have some new materials back there.
And I, I bring them to encourage you to read a little bit of sound ministry.
Particularly those that are young and I'd like to suggest that if you see maybe two or three booklets that.
You could help yourself as a gift from Janet myself, a couple of little booklets and if you see maybe one book, maybe, umm.
Take it as a gift as well, but there's a couple of rules, if I could put it that way, little strings attached. One is if you take it, you need to read it. And the second one is with the booklets particularly it says not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together as a manner of some is but encouraging one another. And so much the more as you see the day approaching and the day of apostasy is approaching and take these little booklets and pass them around, encourage one another.
As you read them and thank the Lord for them.
And then I have some some little things for the children. So I'm going to ask my wife, Janet. So if you want to see Aunt Jan, she's got little buttons and she's got notepads and all kinds of stuff like that. You can have one or two of those. And then the other thing is there's bookmarks. So if you need a bookmark for your book, there's feel free to take them.