I want to read this morning from Acts chapter 13. Acts chapter 13, starting to read at verse 14, and verse 14 till 23. You have Paul preaching here at Antioch, The heading of my Bible says, justification by faith, preached by Paul at Antioch. But verse 14, it says, but when they departed from Parga, they came to Antioch and Pisida and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down. And after the reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent on to them saying, ye men and brethren, if any among you have a word, Ye men and brethren, if any among you have a word of exhortation for the people, say on.' Then Paul stood up and, beckoning with his hand, said, Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, listen. The God of this people of Israel chose her fathers and exalted the people when they dwelt as sojourners in the land of Egypt, and with a high arm brought them out of it. And about the time of 40 years bore he their manners in the wilderness. And when he had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he divided their land to them by lot. And after that, he gave unto them judges for about the space of 450 years, until Samuel the prophet. And afterward, they desired a king, and God gave unto them Saul. the son of Cish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, by the space of forty years. And when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be their king, to whom also he gave testimony and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, who shall fulfil all my will. And this man's seed hath God, according to his promise, raised up unto you a Saviour, Jesus Christ. And we'll trust the Lord to bless the reading of his word if we finish there at verse 23. The Bible's all wonderful, but this is a wonderful passage of scripture where you have Paul preaching here in Antioch in the synagogue. in the Jewish quarter of the city, and Paul and Barnabas had made their way there. Paul gives a brief history lesson effectively. He gives a brief history lesson to the Jews present of the Lord's faithfulness, the Lord's patience, and the Lord's blessings towards the people of Israel over a large number of years. And it's just wonderful just to see the way the Lord worked with Israel over them years as we read down through that. And that's really what we're going to do this morning with the Lord's help. This is a wonderful overview of a nation of Israel and God's dealings with them. Paul's plan was to rehearse the history of God's past dealings and blessings of Israel and then try to assure their initial interest, of course. the initial entrance of his audience in the synagogue, and then to naturally lead them to the fulfillment of God's plans. And we all know what the fulfillment of God's plans were. It was a person of our Lord Jesus Christ. That was fulfillment of God's plans. So we'll start at verse 14 and 15 where we started to read there. But when they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch, and went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day and sat down. And after the reading of the law and the prophets, the rulers of the synagogue sent on to them, saying, ye men and brethren, if ye have any word of exhortation for the people, if you have any word of exhortation for the people, say on. And it's that last phrase at the end of verse 15 was really the one that stuck with me. Ye men and brethren, if any have any word of exhortation for the people, See, Paul and Barnabas had come to this city looking for an opportunity to speak. They were there to preach the gospel. They were there to tell of the Lord Jesus Christ. They were looking for an opportunity to speak to this people and what a great chance this was. Stan in the synagogue Accordingly, on the Sabbath day, when the Jews gathered to worship Paul and Barnabas, they were in their place in the synagogue doing what they would normally do on the Sabbath day. Paul didn't, of course, push himself in. The next step, of course, hinged upon others here. So there's really three lessons, first of all, I want us to think about on this phrase, have any word of exhortation for the people to stay on. First of all, Paul and Barnas were in their place of worship. They're in their place effectively. They take time to worship. Paul and Barnabas, friends, opportunities come to those that are faithful, those who seek to worship the Lord in spirit and in truth, those whose Christian living is right, who have the faith, who have a strong faith in the Lord, but faithful, but faithful to wait on the mighty hand of a Lord to move. Friends, in Lamentations chapter 3 and verse 26 it says, it is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. And friends, that is good that we should hope and trust the Lord and quietly wait for him to move. This verse is from That great passage that tells us of God's faithfulness in the Book of Lamentations, great is thy faithfulness, it says further on in that passage. Friends, most of the time we need to wait on the Lord to move things along. And that's always best as far as service is concerned. I'm sure Paul and Barnabas would have landed in Antioch praying and patiently waiting for what way the Lord was going to open the door for them to speak and present the Lord Jesus Christ. And that is what they had done. They were in their place of worship seeking that opportunity. I should say when I'm here for those maybe listening on sermon audio that are not saved, The rules are different for you. The rules are different for you. The Lord has made the first move as far as you're concerned. The Lord has made the first move. He's walked this face of earth. He's walked the face of earth. He's died on that cruel cross. He's rose again victorious over sin and death and hell. The next move is yours. The next move is yours. And the scripture would remind us that it's repentance toward God and faith toward the Lord Jesus Christ. and now shalt be saved. So for those not saved, the rules are different for you. It's not to wait any longer on the Lord to move you. Your responsibility is to move yourself. So the first thing we notice there is a time, Paul and Barnabas took time to worship. The second thing we notice is Paul and Barnabas waits on the Lord's time to speak. Paul and Barnabas didn't push. didn't push themselves in, they didn't oxtail somebody off the platform to get speaking, they didn't do that at all. They waited their opportunity. Sometimes you may feel like it, but they didn't do it. But biblically speaking, it is rarely a good idea to push doors open as far as the Lord is concerned. It is rarely, and I would say never, you can nearly put it in there, a good idea to push doors open as far as the Lord is concerned. Many have ended up somewhere where they shouldn't have been. I'm sure that has happened. The guidance of the Lord is a vast subject, and I cannot truly be dogmatic here, but if you want to be really sure that you're where the Lord wants you to be, if you want to be really sure that you're where the Lord wants you to be, you wait on the Lord's time, you wait on Him to make the first move. You wait on Him to make the first move, and to open the door, and for that invitation to come even. This is Paul again in 2 Corinthians 2 in verse 12, it says, Paul always seemed to wait for the Lord to open the door, friends, and it's a great principle to wait on Him to move and to open the door for you. This is something we should always be concerned about, is what we're doing, is it of the Lord? Is it of the Lord, or is it just our own will, which is always a danger? It goes without saying, it's best. It's best. Whatever we do, that it be of the Lord. The third thing I notice, that I notice out of this phrase, Paul and Barnabas make best use of the time to exhort and encourage. They make best use of the time to exhort and encourage. So the Lord opens the door for Paul to speak. When the request was announced for any word of exhortation for the people, but this But this was a great principle for us as well, for any of us that seek to speak a word. Is the word we have, is it a word of exhortation, is it a word of encouragement to the people? I was in a meeting recently and the speaker said something I wholeheartedly agree with, and it was this. He said it in this way, but he said, church should be a positive experience. In other words, meetings in the Lord's house should be a positive experience, friends. And I wholeheartedly agree with that. There should be a blessing for each one who seeks to gather. he seeks to gather in the Lord's house. Meetings should be edifying for all present, and if not, why not? They should be. It's funny, Joyce was actually with me at that meeting, and he picked up on the same thing on the way home in the car. That was said, and it's very true that they should be a positive experience. In other words, all that is done should be done for the sole purpose to encourage and exhort into the congregation and push them on to greater heights, to greater heights for the Lord. Of course, we all need to be challenged in how we behave and how we live our lives in the light of God's word. But the aim should always be to build up and not to put down or tear down. Paul was preaching here with Barnabas, his partner, alongside him, who is well known as an encourager. well-known as a courager whose name means son of consolation. And we all need encourages alongside us, of course. And there is more done with a word of encouragement in this world than we can really fully comprehend, really. So make that a goal. The enemy loves to tear down. The enemy loves to tear down. Don't you be helping him, no friends, be that one who's building up, seeking to console, seeking to exhort, and seeking to encourage. So friends, that's it. That's the three things that we notice in verse 15, that Paul and Barnabas take time to worship, Paul and Barnabas wait the Lord's time to speak, and Paul and Barnabas make best use of the time to exhort and to encourage. Moving on to verse 16 then, it says, Then Paul stood up and beckoned with his hands, said, Men of Israel, and ye that fear God, listen. We see something of the boldness of Paul here. He waited for an opportunity to come, but when it did, he seized it with both hands, even in an intimidating place. So first of all, Paul is a bold picture. And of course, our main message is the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, and that was Paul's aim. But we are also to be salt and light in a world upholding the Lord's biblical way of life. We live in a world where many would almost apologise for preaching the truth from the scripture. This is a world system that wants to silence the scripture and the Lord's servants who would preach it. This aggressive liberal society in which we live is becoming more and more authoritarian as the days go by, and we all, I'm sure, notice that. There's a lot of truth this society seeks to hide from us. and you risk prosecution if you mention them, of course, but I was on a meeting there recently with the Christian Institute where I had come to speak at, and they stated a fact, and they said from 1967, they said from 1967 in the UK, nine million, nine million babies have been aborted in the United Kingdom. Friends, it's a holocaust. It's a holocaust and it's never mentioned as when was the last time you heard that story run on the BBC? When was the last time you heard that story run on the BBC? It'll be swept under the blanket or under the mat and not mentioned. We had twins born last, they were born a while back but it was only news last week. They were born at 20 weeks. They're born at 20 weeks and they lived and they're doing very well. And friends, they're seeking to introduce abortion in Northern Ireland at 28 weeks. Friends, how sad would that be? To say in this world that God will judge sodomy and you'll not play rugby for Australia again, that's what happened to an Australian footballer, or an Australian rugby player. He happened to mention that and he was totally banned from playing for Australia. Friends, the UK would be in danger of persecution for saying these things, friends, but that's where this world is going. They want to sweep many things under the carpet. They don't want things to be said. Friends, aggressive liberalism is a threat to the gospel. It is a very real threat to the gospel. It's a threat to our Christian way of life. Aggressive liberalism is a threat to our religious liberty. Aggressive liberalism is a threat to our children. It will seek and is seeking to feed them corruption. Seeking to feed them corruption from a young age. And that's what's going on in this world today. I'm not saying that we need to go out on the streets and protest. I don't believe that'll do much good, but we need to get real in prayer. We need to get real in prayer and pray for this nation. We need to really pray for this nation, and we need to really pray for this province, and for our next generation of children that come along in His will, that the Lord will protect them from such. Paul was a bold preacher. No, friends, the preacher can be bold not because of who he is or any great platform ability maybe, but indeed his boldness comes from a great authority of scripture from which he reads and speaks from, and let alone his boldness comes from it, or as much as he can speak from. Secondly, we know the sale of Paul is speaking in an intimidating place, also, We see Paul standing here, and what we notice is a man willing to stand and to speak when the opportunity arose. Sure, this would be an intimidating place, surrounded by people of whom many would not want to hear what he had to say. But Paul stood up and spoke a word for the Lord. Ephesians 6 and 11, it says, put on the whole army of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. Our enemy is very real. So we will need to be trusting in the Lord's strength if we're going to stand for him. For without him, we can do nothing. Our attitude may need to change as far as expecting an easy raid. and not of realizing that we're peddling upstream. We're peddling upstream against this world. Expect an undercurrent that works against us. We have to expect that. As Paul charged Timothy in chapter 4, Timothy chapter 4, verses 2 and 4. Preach the word, be diligent, in season, out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and doctrine, for the time will come when they shall not endure sound doctrine, but after their own lusts shall heap unto themselves teachers having itching ears, and they shall turn away their ears from the truth and shall be turned unto fables. The verse, these verses are buying up to date, are buying up to date in our 21st century. The enemy is real, the intimidation is real, And we are really paddling against the current, or paddling upstream against the current. But with the Lord's help and grace, we'll paddle on. Lord's help and grace, we'll paddle on. So Paul was bold, even in an intimidating place. Moving on to verse 17. The God of this people of Israel chose our fathers and exalted the people when they dwelt as sojourners in the land of Egypt, and with a high arm brought he them out. Brought he them out of it. The high arm takes them through. We're here, the children of Israel in Egypt, and it's the high arm of the Lord that brought them out. Israel, chosen of God and despite oppression, was exalted to a place of power that even Pharaoh feared. Pharaoh tried persecution and slavery. He tried to take back control. But this would not alter God's plans and purposes. Nothing was going to change God's plans and purposes. And every day, God's purposes stand as well. And God's promises stand as well. God says, I will never leave you nor forsake you. I am the Lord, I change not. We have a savior that stands by us. And thankfully, his love and grace and care doesn't change. This same Jesus who was taken up from you into heaven shall so come in like manner as you have seen him go into heaven. Friends, the Lord will return for his own and call us away from this troubled world. These purposes and promises of God stand and many more with them. There is an almighty God in control of this chaos. We, as a Lord's people, can be thankful that man is not in control, because left to his own devices, I don't know where we'd finish with man in control. Verse 17, part B, and it says, and with a high arm brought he them out of it. The high arm that brought them out, then we're thinking of the arm of the Lord symbolizes the omnipotent power of our God, the power the Pharaoh in his folly tried to oppose. When Pharaoh looked at Israel, he only saw helpless slaves. When he looked at Israel, he only saw helpless and hapless slaves, but what Pharaoh did not see was the mighty arm of the Lord behind these people. The mighty arm of the Lord behind these people, ready and able to smite those who would touch them. Friends, the Christian Church of Jesus Christ, as far as the world and its governments and its powerful leaders and its media outlets, full of the liberal elite, churning out twisted stories and doing its best to paint the Lord's people and his servants in a bad light, as far as they are concerned, we are a laughingstock. As far as they are concerned, we are a laughingstock. We're powerless, we're weak, we're feeble. We're outmaneuvered by a world system every time, and government, and its courts, and its press. But Christian friends, let's take heart, for behind us and out of sight of these fools that despise God is the high arm of the Lord. Is the high arm of the Lord. Sometimes our God chooses not to show his vast power. Sometimes our God just sits and lets them think they're in charge. He chooses not to show his vast power. But that does not mean that he's still not ready to move at a later date when he chooses, when our God chooses to do so. When the world system seems to be getting the upper hand, we can recite the verse which says, greater is he that is in us than he that is in the world. Greater is he that is in us than he that is in the world. That's the high arm that brought them out. And before, it was a high arm that took them through. In verse 18 then, it says, in about the time of 40 years bore he their manners in the wilderness. There are two things here to notice. There is the problem with the people and there is the patience of God. First of all, the problem with the people. Israel was full of unbelief, unfortunately. It was full of disobedience, rebellion, apostasy in the wilderness. Back to the day, of course, There's a problem with the people as well. The problem in the wilderness, the problem that the children of Israel had in the wilderness is largely the same problem it is today, unfortunately, in the wider Church of Jesus Christ. The wider Church of Jesus Christ were very difficult to lead. Grumbling goes on at an awful rate at times, of course, but friends, We're all guilty in some respect of this attitude, but let's work harder at being part of the answer rather than part of the problem. The honesty in the scripture can sometimes cut very near the bone when we think of this positive scripture. Just the honesty of the scripture, the way it tells the truth. Not so much has changed And today, there's still a problem, there's still a problem with manners, effectively, as the word used in the scripture here, of the Lord's people today, as it was in Moses' day, in the wilderness. This attitude, ultimately, is all against the Lord and his word, and the Lord's work can be damaged by this sort of behavior. So it's a problem with the people, friends, and seek not to be that problem with the people. And then there's the patience of God, we notice as we think about this. It says he bore it, God bore it, and Moses bore it. Israel always seemed to be complaining, always criticizing, always finding fault, never thankful for God's bountiful provision in the wilderness. What patience our God shewed toward this people. What patience he shewed toward this people in the wilderness journey. It surely is just beyond anyone how our God listened to it all. How he listened to it all. How Moses listened to it all. In the end of the day, complaining is something we all battle with. It's naturally in us. Ultimately, it is better to be quiet and to walk away than nurture criticism. Let's be thankful that our God is rich in mercy, friends. Let's be thankful that our God is rich in mercy as the scripture would remind us. And God does not reward us according to our iniquities. As the scripture reminds us in Psalm 103 and 10, he has not dealt with us according to our sins nor rewarded us according to our inequities. How thankful we should be of that great truth. So that's the problem with the people. The problem with the people is they were always complaining. And then as the patience of God, we notice in that verse 18, Moving on to verse 19, we see the victory is the Lord's. The victory is the Lord, verse 19. And when he destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, he divided their land to them by lot. When he, the he, of course, is God. The he is God, the Lord himself, that destroyed the seven nations in the land. And God that divided the land up for each tribe. Israel did not win the Promised Land by its own military might. They did not win it by their own military might. No, the land was a gift of God to Israel. Something they needed reminded of, less personal pride would take hold of them. The same is true today if we have any victories. If we do have any victories in our Christian lives, whether it's we happen to see a soul saved in our meetings or whatever, we have answers to prayer or simply daily victories over principalities and powers at war against us. It was all of the Lord. It's all been of the Lord. It's an alone of Him. Dare we seek to take any credit for He is the one who indeed is worthy of all honour and glory and praise. We sang that. Of course, He is worthy. He is worthy. No matter what happens, no matter what victory we have, He is the one who truly is worthy of all the praise and honour. Sometimes I think The Lord sometimes can be unable to use certain people in his work because they would sit back and soak up the glory. At times, friends, that is a very dangerous thing to do. If you sit back and soak up the glory, you should be aiming at the way to the Lord every time. That's danger. If the Lord could not trust us to thank Him and glorify Him in our blessings and victories, I believe the Lord goes elsewhere and passes in blessings and victories on to someone else who will be more faithful. Friends, the Scripture reminds us that God forbid that I should glory save in the death of our Lord Jesus Christ. We have nothing to glory of, only for what the Lord has done for us. Our victories are of the Lord. Verse 20, national shame contrasted with godly mercy. And after that he gave unto them judges for about the space of 450 years until Samuel the prophet. The days of the judges would be something that Israel would find difficult to listen to. For it was a time of national shame and for they were days of rebellion and self-will apostasy once again effectively. and moral pollution and religious perversion. Again and again Israel would fail miserably, and oppression would be the result. But God in his great mercy would deliver them with his judges. In Proverbs 14 and 34 it says, righteousness exalted a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people. Sin is a reproach to any people, and that's what Israel found. So we notice Israel, many failures, but thankfully our God, who is rich in mercy, If the Lord were not merciful, where would any of us be? But we all know too well the forgiveness and blessings we know we deserve, nor could we earn. So truly we should be thankful for the Lord's grace and mercy and his love shown toward us, even in the midst of our many failings. So that's national shame contrasted with godly mercy. And then verse 20, part B, until Samuel the prophet. There was a change there. Until Samuel the prophet. Samuel, with the Lord's strength, completes Mission Impossible, I have called it. Mission Impossible Samuel was sent on. Samuel was the last of the judges. the first of the prophets. It was Samuel with the Lord's help that brought the nation back to God and as well Samuel was clearing the way for David to be king on the messianic line. Samuel was just a faithful judge. He was a faithful judge and a prophet and a servant of the Lord. He done what he was sent to do in the difficult time. All around him was sin and failure and grumbling, but he made no excuses and carried on and done his part. And I'm sure he must have doubted at times his ability to change things, to change anything in Israel at that time, among the Jewish people at that time. But we sometimes can think that we have been sent on a mission impossible. That's something we would run through our minds at times. We have been sent on a mission impossible. I'm sure Samuel thought that as he was sent to try and sort these people out. I'm sure he thought that at times. But indeed, we are called, We are called to do, in this wicked world, what might look impossible without the Lord's strength. It is impossible, actually, without the Lord's strength. We are called to go into all the world and preach the gospel, but very few are willing to listen. Very few are willing to listen. We are called to be that light set upon a hill that cannot be hidden. Yet the world waxes worse and worse, and deep darkness surrounds us. We have an enemy within our own shells that seeks democracy, as Paul said in Galatians 5 in verse 17, so that we cannot or may not do the things that we would when we have a traitor within our own breast. But before we get downhearted, we must remember that there is nothing impossible with the Lord. There is nothing impossible with the Lord. Seek the Lord's strength from day to day, and the enemies can be put in their place. Philippians 4 in verse 13, I can do all things through Christ that sends them to me. Mission impossible is possible. It's nothing to do with Tom Cruise, but mission impossible is possible. The Lord is well able to change the hearts of the wicked generation around us. He does keep his people. He does keep his hand upon the people. We are kept by the power of God. And this is all done in the strength of the Lord and in his strength alone, friends. We can do it. We can do all this through Christ's strength in us. Verse 21. We have a carnal man's king, I've called it a carnal man's king in verse 21. And afterward they desired a king, and God gave them Saul, the son of Kish, a man of the tribe of Benjamin, by the space of 40 years. Israel desired a king like all the other nations, and that's bad enough, but they simply chose him on outward appearance. They simply chose him on outward appearance only with little thought of spiritual content. What a mistake. And of course, it would prove costly. Israel's motive was wrong. They wanted to be like all the other nations round about them who had kings. Israel's moment was wrong. God had a keen plan, but it wasn't quite yet. And Israel's man was wrong. Israel was impressed with this man's physical stature, but God was not impressed with the weakness of his soul. God was not impressed with the weakness of his soul. Assemblies that leave the biblical pattern for making big decisions, whatever that may be. are risking doing long-term damage, doing long-term damage to the work they are trying to build up. The motive, the moment, the man, if it be a man, must be all right, must be right and everything well watered, well watered with prayer. The carnal man's king, Israel chose Saul, and Saul should never have been king, but that was man's desire, and the Lord let them have their desire. Verse 22, then we have the God-appointed king. Verse 22, and when he had removed him, he raised up unto them David to be king, to whom also he gave testimony and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, who shall fulfill all my will. A man of whom God's will was first, was what David was. This was a man the Lord had planned to be king, with a right heart, a spiritual man, a man after my own heart, the scripture tells us. He had feelings as well, but he was still a man after God's own heart. Notice man's king had to be removed. Man's king had to be removed in order to install the Lord's king. A lesson there would be for us is that we cannot serve two masters. The Lord is King. Our man is King of our life. There may be things that would hinder your service for the Lord. They may need to be put under the the heavenly king's authority. Scripture reminds us that there are things that would hinder our walk with the Lord. Scripture says, on occasion, ye did run well, what did hinder you? What did hinder you? There are things that can hinder us out there, friends, and sometimes we need to get them sorted effectively. David inherited a nation torn and divided on easy prey for his enemies. But he set about uniting the nation. He set about to unite the nation and brought order to the priesthood and of course founded Israel's messianic dynasty. So with the Lord's help, David's gifts as shepherd, soldier and saint would be fully used. It's important to put ourselves to use where the Lord would have us be. And with his help, let the Lord's given gifts to us be a blessing to others. And that's important that what we do is God glorifying and edifying to the Lord's people. I remember speaking speaking out of Isaiah chapter 40, one time. The first verse struck me just as I read it, and I was seeking to build a message around the chapter, it was actually, but the first few verses, the first verse is this. Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith the Lord. Speak ye tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry unto her that her warfare is accomplished. on that her iniquity is pardoned. There are many today, effectively in the Lord's work, and they've got great agendas. They've got great agendas today on what they want to do and what they want to see done. But surely this should be our agenda. This should be a big part of our agenda. Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, friends. Comfort ye, be a help, be a comfort, be an assurance, be help to assure people that their sins are forgiven, those who have trusted the Lord. And friends, that's a big part of our work, that we could seek to be a blessing, and we could seek to be a blessing to others. Verse 23, then we notice the purpose for all. I finished here, verse 23, but the sermon goes on, but I finished just here for the sake of time. It says in verse 23, of this man seed hath God according to his promise raised unto Israel a Savior, Jesus. Here we're getting down to the reason for Paul's complete sermon, the reason for their missionary journey. The reason for Paul's life was to live as Christ, of course, he says, and the reason is to tell of the saving grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. That was the whole reason for all the early part of the sermons going through the history of Israel. All that has gone before was just preparation for this great truth, that Messiah has come. That Messiah has come in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ, he was telling to a Jewish audience. The search of Israel for a Messiah is over. Jesus Christ is Savior. Friends, what is our aim and our purpose in this life? That's a question we could ask ourselves. What is our aim and our purpose in this life? This is a challenging question for each of us. What is our focus in our Christian life? Surely it should be to bring the lost and the perishing. lost and the perishing to our Lord Jesus Christ, whatever way we can. We read elsewhere of Paul's heart's desire, and Paul's heart's desire, I'm sure we know it well, is that Israel might be saved. We read that Israel might be saved. Paul's desire should should surely be our desire that those that are perishing around us might be saved. Our lives and our lips should all speak of our Lord Jesus Christ. Paul also said on an occasion in Ephesians 3 and 8, unto me who am less than the least of all sins is this grace given that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ. What a message. What a message, the unsearchable riches of Christ. What a privilege to be able to share such a truth. We live in a world and a land where so many are being destroyed, are being destroyed by sin. A lot of people, there is people that don't know where to turn, friends. But friends, we have the message that can change their lives. We have the message that can change their lives, can save their souls and set them free from these things. We need to pray that we can find these people. We can find these people in need and we have the answer in the person of our Lord Jesus Christ. Friends, the purpose for the whole early part of the sermon was just so that Paul could relate the person of our Lord Jesus Christ to this congregation of Jews in the synagogue. And friends, truly that is our purpose in life. It should be our purpose in life that we could tell people of our Lord Jesus Christ if we can, where the opportunity arises. So I thank you for your attention and trust the Lord to bless the study of his word. I have a hymn here, maybe just in mind, that's 417 in Redemption Songs. As I'm sure you remember, I'm not much of a singer, so I'll need some of you to raise it. It's Blessed Assurance, Jesus is mine, oh what a foretaste of glory divine, heir of salvation, purchase of God, born of her spirit washed.