Be of good cheer

We'll open our Bibles to Acts 23 verse 10. Acts 23 and verse 10. When there arose a great ascension, the chief captain, fearing lest Paul should have been pulled in pieces of them, commanded the soldiers to go down and to take him by force from among them and to bring him into the castle.

And the night following, the Lord stood by him and said, Be of good cheer, Paul, for as thou hast testified of me in Jerusalem, so must thou bear witness also at Rome. Just a little word to follow up on our brother Brody's word before lunchtime. This thought of be of good cheer mentioned, I believe, by the Lord four times, twice by the Apostle Paul.

So we have down in chapter 27. I'll refer back to the first mention of it, which ought to encourage our hearts, Matthew 9 verse 2. There was a paralyzed, invalid man, forebore him before the Lord. The Lord saw something that no man has ever seen.

He saw their faith. And what did he say to him? Did he first minister unto his physical, invalid, we'll call it, condition? No. He got to the root of the problem, which is the root of every one of our problems.

Son, be of good cheer. Thy sins are forgiven thee. If there's nothing else in this world that should give good cheer to a soul is to know my sins have been rightly dealt with by God.

There's no other source for such a foundation to have this permanent dwelling in the soul. Be of good cheer. The matter is settled.

I'll bypass what our Brody has referred to in John 16 33, the last verse of that chapter before they leave that upper room. The Lord said, These things have I spoken unto you that in me you might have peace. In the world you have tribulation.

But be of good cheer. I have overcome the world. Here's another reference to it.

This time, if I'm not mistaken, this word, tribulation, really has to do with the light you and I bear in this world and the good works that we show forth to others. The world has never ceased to hate such and it does bring on problems. We can refer this, of course, to like we heard already, you know, to health problems, home problems, job problems.

But there's only one place you'll ever find peace. In me, the Lord said. There's no other source.

Whatever the tribulation is, but I do like this thought though that the Lord says, I have overcome the world. Therefore, he says, be of good cheer. Whatever our difficulty is, we can count on the words of the Lord.

Be of good cheer. Whatever the hurt is in a man's life, woman's life, child's life. Here in Acts 23, I like this phrase, you know, the people were going to just shred Paul as it were to pieces.

You wouldn't want to be in his shoes. No man would. But notice the next thought.

The Lord stood by him. Would that not bring comfort? What a source of help. Now think back now.

Mark 10. The Lord was crucified, buried, risen. He ascended back up on high, sat down at the right hand of the Father.

Yet we read the apostles went forth preaching, doing miracles. The Lord working with them. Well, the Lord's already seated in the glory of man's eyes working with them.

What do we have in Acts 7? Stephen, if you threw one pebble at me, I'll guarantee I'm going to duck. These were stones and there was no ducking. And they were flying from different directions.

Not one stone brought Stephen down. He knelt down. He looked up into heaven and what did he see? His life is going to be out.

His life is going to be gone in just a moment, but he sees one standing. John said he was seated. But now he's standing.

There's no hope for Stephen. The rocks are flying. I mean, I believe they're good-sized ones.

But my, he blesses the people and asks God, lay not this sin to their charge. What kind of love is that? We were singing, how happy is our portion here. God is love.

His promises our spirits cheer. And Stephen was immediately at home with his Lord. But here with Paul, almost being shredded to pieces, the Lord stood beside him.

I like that word double security like we have in John 10 and verse 28 and 29. You and I are in the Lord's hand. Where's his hand? In the Father's hand.

It's the sense of if it's not enough for it to be in his hand, that double security, we just enjoy it. Is our portion. We'll never, never lose that eternal life given to us of God.

But notice this double security if we can call that, call it that. It's a nighttime. The Lord stood by him.

What more would we want if such difficulties came our way? The Lord stood by him. And notice the words that he said to give you that sense of double security. Paul, be of good cheer.

And what do we get out of this? You've borne witness of me here in Jerusalem. You'll also bear witness of me in Rome. Full 100% assurance like in Mark chapter five, is it? The Lord says, let us go on to the other side.

He didn't say a word about what was going to happen between now and then. But be sure of one thing. We're going to be at the other side because his word says so.

And did they ever face the difficulties? You and I are heaven-bound. There's no doubt about it. We're going to be there by the grace of God.

But between this point today, this moment, and that time, that you or your loved one would pass away, go home to be with the Lord. Be sure of this. His promise is good.

We can be of good spirit. And so here, we'll dip over. I have time here.

I said I'd take 15. Maybe I won't get to it, but you're going to be there, Paul, in Rome. But between this point and Rome, there's going to be all kinds of disaster.

And then you go into chapter 27, twice over. Paul, now, is the only second person ever to use this phrase. Tells the captain, you should have listened to me.

But I believe it is in a polite way. He says, be assured of this. Now be of good cheer.

Not one soul on this boat, some 270 plus men, will perish. We're going to lose the boat, everything in it, and the boat itself. Everything's lost.

But be of good cheer. We're going to be there. But dipping over into chapter 27 with this, I'll sit down.

Wherefore, sirs, be of good cheer for, why? I believe God. That's faith. No matter what the circumstances are.

I believe God. And what's Paul's definition? For it shall be, even as he has said unto me. That's faith.

What God says, that's my portion. So be of good cheer. It's divine guidance, we have in chapter 23.

And does God keep his word? God keeps his word.