57 Acts 16.26-34 Enemies Made into Friends

October 13, 2024

Christopher C. Freeman

Title: Enemies Made Into Friends Text: Acts 16:26-34 FCF: We often struggle loving others especially our enemies. Prop: Because God strikes down all His enemies and does so by making some His friends, we must love all, even our enemies. Scripture Intro: [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to Acts chapter 16. In a moment we will read from the New English Translation starting in verse 25. You can follow along in the pew bible or in the version you prefer. Last week we saw that in correlation to God being sovereign over His mission and His people responding to His gospel, He has many enemies. We noted that though God allows these enemies to persist, He does so for His glory so that when they are finally put down, His fame will only increase. But we also left one major cliff hanger. The human enemies of God and His children have seemingly won. They were able to beat and imprison Paul and Silas without, as it stood, any response from God. We left Paul and Silas singing and praying in their jail cell as the other prisoners listened in. Where was God? Why did He let this happen to His children? Those answers will come today… and my friends… they come in a big way, especially for a certain warden and his household. Please stand with me out of respect for and to focus on the reading of the Word of God. Invocation: Father, we know that were it not for Your grace we would still be Your enemies. Were it not for Your love, we would still be opposed to You. Among us today we have many stories of how You took a wretch and made it Your treasure. Our lives are living testaments to the power of Your grace. Today, as we look into Your word, show us more of Your amazing grace. Reveal to us the power of Your gospel to destroy even the hardest heart so it can receive Your truth. Renew us today in the strength of Your Right Hand. For Your power unto salvation is the gospel of Your dear Son. It is in His name we ask this, Amen. Transition: Once again, we will go right to the text this morning as we attempt to fit all this in to a reasonable time. I.) God will eventually strike down all His enemies, so we must love all, even our enemies. (26-29) a. [Slide 2] 26 - Suddenly a great earthquake occurred, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. Immediately all the doors flew open, and the bonds of all the prisoners came loose. i. Luke includes in his description of this earthquake, just enough details to assure us of the divine agency in it. ii. First, it must be said that earthquakes are quite common in Greece. 1. Some records indicate Greece on average has a small or moderate earthquake every two or three days. 2. Greater earthquakes are less common. The last great earthquake was in 1956 and they are expecting another large earthquake to occur sometime in the next 2-3 years. iii. Second, ancient Greeks would read considerable religious significance into great earthquakes. 1. They frequently built their temples along fault lines. There are two reasons for this. a. Natural springs occur around or near fault lines and they would be sought after for a temple. b. The connection to the gods, specifically Hades or Pluto and the underworld, or even Poseidon or Neptune and the sea would be far clearer as the faults are literally cracks in the earth to the underworld and the abyss. 2. Therefore, an earthquake would already be seen as a divine act. It is simply a question of which divine being did the shaking and why. iv. Third, is the particularity and specificity of which divine being caused this earthquake. And Luke gives us that by recording that all the prisoner’s hands were freed and all the doors were opened. 1. Although this earthquake shook the foundations of the prison, the walls did not crumble and the prisoners and the guards were not harmed. 2. The only noticeable result of the earthquake was that the prisoners were freed. 3. It is no small coincidence, nor would anyone think it so, that the earthquake occurs on the one night in which these missionaries who preach the Most High God are imprisoned and then released by such an event. 4. And as we’ll see the jailer’s response actually points to this fact. 5. He will assume that it is the God of Paul and Silas that is at work here. b. [Slide 3] 27 - When the jailer woke up and saw the doors of the prison standing open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, because he assumed the prisoners had escaped. 28 - But Paul called out loudly, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here!” i. We have commented before on this very issue, but as a jailer it would be your primary responsibility to keep the prisoners from escaping. If you should fail at this task, your life is forfeit. ii. We saw how Herod killed the guards who allowed Peter to escape. iii. The same would be true for this jailer. iv. So, waking from the earthquake and seeing all the doors open he assumed that all the prisoners had escaped. v. If he would lose his life for losing 1 prisoner – how much more would he have to pay for losing all of them. vi. Indeed, he most likely faced crucifixion for his dereliction of duty. vii. Certainly, an act of the gods like an earthquake would excuse him from his failure we would think. But I’m not sure this jailer wanted to take that risk. viii. The honorable way to pay for allowing the prisoners to go free – divine act or not - would be to take his own life. And we see him taking out his sword to do just that. ix. Before he is able to complete the deed, Paul calls out to him loudly from within the inner cell. x. Though Paul was imprisoned unjustly and though the jailer was no doubt unkind and lacking empathy for Paul and Silas only a few hours prior – Paul does not want to see this man lose his life arbitrarily. xi. It is unclear how Paul is able to see him. Whether the light from outside allowed for those inside to see out but not for those outside to see in, or perhaps through divine revelation, we don’t know, but somehow Paul knew the suicidal jailer’s intention. xii. He informs him that every prisoner is safe and secure. There is no need for him to take his own life. xiii. Most likely, Paul knows that none have left, because they are all in the same prison room together. c. [Slide 4] 29 - Calling for lights, the jailer rushed in and fell down trembling at the feet of Paul and Silas. i. After hearing the voice of a prisoner claiming they are all still present – the jailer calls for torches to be brought in so he can verify that this is true. ii. He would not have been alone. He would have had guards helping him to secure the jail, probably members of his household. iii. After the lights are brought in and Paul and Silas are discovered - he falls down trembling before them. iv. Why is he trembling? v. As we have already discussed, earthquakes served as divine omens of judgment. The fact that these men were only here for one night, now freed by a very specific earthquake, and were kind to him even though he was probably not kind to them, clearly proved to this jailer that Paul and Silas’ god –– whoever it was – was angry that they had been imprisoned. vi. And if that god was angry at them being imprisoned, that would mean that this god was also angry at him. vii. Out of the frying pan and into the fire. viii. Sure, he won’t be crucified for letting prisoners escape… but now he faces something far more dreadful. ix. He faces the judgment of a god whom he has been caught actively opposing. d. [Slide 5] Summary of the Point: Last week we witnessed the apostles face down two enemies of God. Demons and humans. In the power and authority of Jesus’ name, the demons were cast out. But last week we stopped short of God’s victory over his human enemies. Today we see God acting in such a way that both proves He is above all the false gods that were worshipped by the Greeks and the Romans while simultaneously freeing His people from their grasp. In this process the indomitability of God is on full display. He is not able to be subdued, no creature can tell him no, no one can slap his hand away. The jailer got the point. His fear of this God far exceeded all the would-be gods he had feared in the past. As an enemy of this God, one who mistreated His servants, he was absolutely terrified at what this God would do to Him. But notice what the missionaries did… EVEN BEFORE the jailer knew what had happened. Paul saved his life. My friends, if God will put down all His enemies eventually, then we should love our enemies and show compassion and care for them. What more can you do to the enemies of God than God will do? Did Paul try to cast the demon into the abyss? No. He simply cast him from the slave girl. And Paul could have done nothing and watched this jailer end his own life. But instead, he told him – we are all here. Spare your life. Would I have been so gracious to a man who so recently mistreated me? I shudder to think. We must love all men, even our enemies. Even when they despitefully use us… we must pray for them. Transition: [Slide 6(blank)] But what comes of the Jailer? He is terrified at the coming judgment of God. But what happens? Does God destroy Him? If God truly destroys all His enemies, we might expect that to be the case. Are Paul and Silas as concerned about his soul as they are his life? Let’s see. II.) Sometimes God will strike down His enemies by making them into His friends, so we must love all, even our enemies. (30-34) a. [Slide 7] 30 - Then he brought them outside and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” i. Most likely the prisoners are brought out from the inner room into the courtyard of the prison. Once in the courtyard they could get everyone to safety from the compromised building and do a proper head count of the prisoners. ii. It is here that this warden asks the missionaries a question. iii. His question is flawed in two regards. 1. First, it is probably flawed in its scope. a. While it is possible that the jailer had heard the gospel from the lips of the missionaries, or had heard the proclamation of the slave girl, it is more likely that his theological understanding is quite shallow. b. Thus, his question about salvation most likely has to do with the physical judgment of the God that these missionaries served. He wanted them to tell him how to be spared from that punishment. c. He is not far off the mark – but enough to where he doesn’t understand the true depth of his need. d. He doesn’t understand that it isn’t only his mistreatment of this God’s men which has led to him being in danger of judgment, but that all his sin has made him an object of the wrath of this God. e. As so many today, he thinks he has only slightly angered the god of the Jews, when in reality He has committed acts of treason against the Most High God, Creator of all that is and was and will be, Who is the First and the Last and beside Him there is no god. 2. Second, his question is flawed in means. a. Like the Jews at Pentecost when they were pricked to the heart and asked what they should do, like the Ethiopian Eunuch who asked what prevents me from being baptized, like the rich young ruler who lacked some command to enter the Kingdom of God, so also the Philippian Jailer asks what he must do to be saved. b. From a pagan perspective, he is probably asking Paul and Silas to prescribe to him a set of sacrifices or rituals which he can execute to square himself to their god and avoid his or her judgment. c. As many do today, he measured his offense on the cosmic scales of human effort, assessing that he would be able to pay the balance he owed by a few heart-felt rituals and sacrifices. If I do enough good it will outweigh my offenses. d. But should man do exactly what God desires, he has done what God has expected. There is no extra credit. Therefore, there is no way to make up the ground you have lost. Saying it a different way, in order to be pleasing to God you must be Holy as He is Holy. And if you violate the law in one point you violate the whole law and are condemned by it. e. Therefore, the question is asked amiss. f. What can he do? Truly? Nothing. He can do nothing. g. So how will the missionaries respond? Will they say – you can’t do anything? b. [Slide 8] 31 - They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household.” i. The way this reads is much like the way the Elisha/Naaman scene transpired in II Kings. ii. The jailer, having seen the Lord’s hand in freeing and preserving the prisoners and himself, and trembling in fear at being found opposing such a god, no doubt asks what great feat he must accomplish to be spared judgment. iii. He probably expected a very difficult task. The Greeks and Romans both had mythologies and legends where the gods assigned difficult tasks to people to get on their good side. It is probable that he expected some sort of task for himself to make things right. iv. But as Elisha told his servant to tell Naaman to bathe in the Jordan 7 times, so Paul and Silas (the servants of Jesus) tell the jailer to believe on the Lord Jesus and you will be saved. 1. This is a pregnant statement by Paul. What is he saying? Is he saying, “Say a prayer and then you are saved forever.” No. 2. He says believe on the Lord Jesus - which is a command, that in the Greek, emphasizes its completion or fullness. Believe completely and undividedly on Jesus as Lord. 3. And then he says, if you do this, you will be saved. In the future. Believing completely does not immediately produce this salvation. It is something that occurs sometime after one believes completely. 4. Furthermore, your saving, is also done by someone or something else. It is passive. The believer is receiving the saving not doing the saving by their actions. 5. Now does this statement fully address what the warden is asking? 6. No, not really. But it does indicate that Paul probably understood exactly what the jailer was asking when he said “what must I do to be saved.” 7. Paul understood that the man was afraid of being judged by God and desired to do something to be square with Him. 8. Paul does not prescribe some great task… but instead commands him to believe completely in Jesus as Lord of all Lords and any future judgment he has earned, he will be spared of it. 9. Paul declares that this man must abandon every other lord he trusts in, and trust in only one Lord. Jesus. 10. Then He will be saved. 11. Paul speaks of a future aspect of salvation rather than a present one. Because that is what the Jailer feared. Future judgment. v. Before we move on we must address the last statement here. vi. Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household. 1. Proponents of the infant baptism view point out that here in the Greek the verb believe and the verb saved both occur in the singular form. Proving, they say, that the salvation of the head of the household is applied in one way or another, to the rest of the household. 2. But this construction is not uncommon in the Greek. In fact, the NET translates this in such a way as to help us see how this works. Because we do it in English too. 3. Let me give you a couple of examples in English. a. Wash your hands and you will be healthier, you and your family. i. Now if I said that, would you assume that my whole family will be healthier simply because I washed my hands? ii. Or would you assume that I was saying that if my family does the same, they too will be healthier. iii. Here is another. b. Eat and you will be filled, you and your family. i. This is even less ambiguous. ii. While we could make a case that my whole family would be healthier if only I washed my hands, it makes absolutely no sense that my family will be filled if I am the only one that eats. 4. Basically, the phrase, “You and your family” implies that the same command fulfilled will produce the same promise or reward for fulfilling it. 5. Paul, really, is predicting that the gospel call will go out to his household too. c. [Slide 9] 32 - Then they spoke the word of the Lord to him, along with all those who were in his house. i. Here we see a further explanation of the gospel to both the jailer and his household. ii. Probably his household consisted of his family and his servants, all of which applied themselves to the keeping of prisoners. Therefore, all of them are up at this late hour dealing with this peculiar situation. iii. His household has joined them in the courtyard where Paul and Silas elaborate on their previous gospel presentation. iv. Believe on the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, is a true statement, but it certainly could afford to be fleshed out a little right? v. John Calvin called this gospel presentation a “cold and hungry” definition of salvation. vi. And he is 100% right. It is complete… but it would not be enough for the jailer. He will need more. And that is what we see happening here. vii. Believe on him for what? What has He done? What am I being saved from? What am I being saved to? viii. We can assume that the fullest expression of the gospel is given to the warden and his house. d. [Slide 10] 33 - At that hour of the night he took them and washed their wounds; then he and all his family were baptized right away. i. Remember the situation not a few hours prior. The warden secured them against the wall and left them to a painful and sleepless night. ii. Now, moved by compassion that is only explained by saving faith, like the woman who washed Jesus’ feet, he as the jailer washes their wounds. iii. My friends, wardens at this time did no such thing. As a jailer, his task was to keep the prisoners and afford them no luxury. He wasn’t even required to feed them. That was the responsibility of their loved ones. iv. But here, he washes their wounds. v. And immediately after this – no doubt in the same water mixed with the blood and sweat of the missionaries, he was symbolically washed of his sins. He and all his house. e. [Slide 11] 34 - The jailer brought them into his house and set food before them, and he rejoiced greatly that he had come to believe in God, together with his entire household. i. Again, we see the fruit of the Spirit follow conversion. His hospitality and care for the missionaries which he formerly sought to harm, is evidence of a changed man. ii. He feeds them. A task which could actually get him in a lot of trouble. Why? He willfully released the prisoners to come into his home and fed them. This is at very least risking his career, if not his skin. iii. And again, we must deal with this final statement here in this text which seems to suggest that only the jailer believed even though his entire household was baptized. iv. There is actually a very good grammatical argument for why the way the NET translates it is quite excellent. But I can give that to any interested this Thursday night at Bible Study. v. Long statement short – the words at the end of the sentence show us that both the rejoicing and the belief in God were shared by the entire house. vi. And how remarkable for God to save not only this jailer, but also open the eyes of his entire house to believe the gospel. f. [Slide 12] Summary of the Point: In our last point we saw that our God is indomitable. He is unable to be subdued. He is unable to be tamed. He is unable to be controlled. He is the Most High God. And because of this, he will subdue all His enemies eventually. But in the Philippian Jailer’s life – we see that that subjugation is not always punishment. Because our Lord is also gracious and loving, He sent His Son so that all the believing ones in Christ would not perish but be given everlasting life. Sometimes God subdues His enemies by making them His friends. Indeed, He is drawing to Himself a bride, a fold, a priesthood, a unified body of people in Christ. And because of this – as we see both the Missionaries and the jailer and his house do, we must love one another. We must love our enemies and we must love God’s people. The missionaries loved this man enough to share the gospel with him and his household. And this jailer loved these new brothers so much he risked his career to care for them. Conclusion: So, what have we learned today CBC? How then shall we live? Doctrinal Takeaway: [Slide 13] Building from the scene from last week, we know that our God has enemies both spiritual and physical. Although our God is sovereign over all things, He allows His creation to oppose Him in His plan to glorify Himself. And today, we are reminded that eventually God will subdue all His enemies. And He will do so in one of two ways. Either He will judge them for their sin, or He will judge another for it and make them His friend. Either you will be destroyed or you will be destroyed and rebuilt. The Philippian Jailer came to the end of himself, and though he was ignorant of exactly what his problem was or what he might need to do to fix it, one thing he knew for sure. He was in trouble. The God of these missionaries was able to shake the foundations of the prison, release his men and everyone else, and yet this God’s followers were kind and even saved his life. As the Lord would have it – the Philippian Jailer’s destiny was not to be destroyed someday in the future – but to be destroyed that very night in his jail courtyard, in the wee hours of the morning. He and all his household believed on the Lord Jesus and were remade into new creatures. The missionaries and the Jailer serve as our examples of the one application from this text. We must love all men, even our enemies. This application flows out of the fact that God will destroy all His enemies and some by making them His friends. If this is true, it is Anti-Christ to hate God’s children. Since they are the body of Christ, His Son. And, it is Anti-Christ to hate God’s enemies, for only He is the judge and will determine whether He destroys them or destroys them and remakes them. But let me make these applications much more concrete so that we may take them into our everyday lives all the easier. 1.) Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must believe that all men, being enemies of God and deserving His eternal wrath, will eventually be subdued by Him. a. There is a lot in this little statement that we must believe. b. The Philippian jailer feared what the Lord would do to him since he had opposed His servants. c. The earthquake sent him quaking, fearing what their God’s reprisal would be on him. d. But he underestimated his status before the Most High God, Creator of all things, and Holy Lord of Glory. e. He did not stand in offense… He stood opposed. f. He did not merely trespass, He mutinied. He was not merely an offender. He was an enemy. g. The scriptures declare to us that all men are enemies of God, children of wrath, of their father the devil, incurably sick with sin, desperately wicked, neither seeking nor desiring God. h. All men are guilty of the whole law and are subject to the only just penalty of breaking the whole law. i. Eternal wrath in a death devoid of God’s mercy and empty of His grace. j. Many ask, why is the lake of fire eternal? Why cannot a man pay for his sin and then the Lord restore him to heaven or at least just snuff them out of existence? Why must God preserve their eternal souls to suffer forever? k. Such questions reveal the same shallow understanding the Philippian jailer had of his own sin. l. Sin is so heinous, so terrible, so egregious… it is so unnatural… so diabolical… that were we given all eternity to pay for even 1 sin against our Holy God… My friends… it would not be enough. m. That is why God’s wrath is poured out eternally on those who are enemies of God. Because in that eternity – they are no closer to paying for their sin. n. And here is the kicker… o. All men are enemies of God. p. And here is the terrible warning I have for you today. q. All men will be subdued by God. All men will be put down. r. Every enemy of the Lord will be destroyed. One way or another. s. That is a terrifying thought. t. But it only gets worse. u. Let me continue with the bad news this morning. And it is found in something that many men believe that is false. 2.) Refutation: “What lies must we cast down” or “What do we naturally believe, or have been taught to believe, that this passage shows is false?” We must deny that we are able to make up for or help God make up for our sin by acts of obedience, ritual, or sacrifice. a. The Philippian Jailer assumed, like many today, that his sin was only a minor matter. Something that he could easily make right by performing some act of obedience, some ritual, or paying some penance or sacrifice. b. Like the Philippian jailer this thought divides into two categories. c. Either someone may think that they can do good deeds, or give up things they love for a period of time, or perform certain rituals and this will somehow earn extra credit from God who will apply it to their account and allow them to balance the scales of His justice. d. Or as others concede, Christ has to help us in some degree. They believe He has built up for us a storehouse of merit, and because we still sin, we must continue to add to that storehouse lest we potentially run out. We must keep ourselves in this status of salvation and if we do not, then we risk punishment and even hell. e. But given our discussion about the heinousness of our sin, I hope you realize that such a thing is wholly impossible. No amount of good deeds could possibly make up for 1 offense against the Lord because good deeds are what He requires of us. There is no “extra” credit available for doing what He has commanded us to do. f. My friends, no act of obedience, ritual, or sacrifice could possibly make up for any sin we may commit. g. The bad news is… our sin is a real and deadly problem. h. Our sin separates us from a holy God… And there isn’t anything we can do about that. Why? Because we are separated from Him. i. How do you make peace with a God you cannot approach? And even if you could get an audience with Him – what would be your offering to Him? j. Would you approach His holy throne with your righteous deeds? He has declared through the prophet Isaiah that all our righteous deeds are like used menstrual rags. Will you bring these to the Most High God and expect Him to be pleased? Pleased enough to forgive you? k. Nothing we can do can make up for our sin. l. We are wholly and completely destitute. Dead in our sin. m. But now it is time for some good news. Something we must believe. The gospel… 3.) Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must believe that it is in the will of a loving and gracious God, to destroy some of His enemies by making them His friends and conforming them to His Son. a. What must be done with a vessel that does not serve the purpose it was created to serve? b. What does a potter do with a vessel that rips on the wheel? c. He must remake it. d. Yes, God destroys all of His enemies. e. But some of them, He remakes into His friends. He presses them into a new mold. Not the old broken mold of Adam which springs a leak and cannot hold water. f. He presses us into the mold of Christ which is a vessel fit to hold the finest treasures of our Lord. Namely His Spirit. g. God will destroy all His enemies. This is true. h. But some of them will forever praise Him for the glories of His grace because even though they should have been cast into the fire with the rest… i. He chose to save them, remake them, and build them back into a vessel fit for glory. j. What does that mean? 4.) Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don’t naturally do or aren’t currently doing?” We must believe on the Lord Jesus and we will be saved. a. The Holy God, the Most High God, The Creator of all that is, was and will be, The first, the last, the alpha the omega, Yahweh… b. He has supplied exactly 1 way of salvation. i. He loved every nation so much that He sent His only and unique Son, the second person of the Godhead, to humiliate Himself by becoming one of us by taking on a human nature and adding it to His divine nature. ii. This Jesus, who is the Lord of Glory, submitted Himself to a shameful death after living a sinless life, and died as the most wicked sinner that has ever died – having taken on Him the sin of all of His people. And by dying He suffered the full wrath of God for them. iii. By raising again the third day He conquered death supplying a way for all who are in Him to go to the Father of Lights who is the giver of only good gifts. iv. And by ascending He now stands as an advocate for His bride while they are being prepared to be wed to Him. c. My Friends! d. Because you are absolutely, comprehensively, thoroughly, ultimately, exhaustively, extensively, inside out and upside down, through and through, woefully and perfectly wicked and unable to do anything to change it, unable to do anything to prevent this GOD from utterly destroying you… e. WILL YOU NOT BELIEVE? WILL YOU NOT BOW? Will you not cast all your hope on this One who has not commanded you to die for Him so you can be saved, but has died to save you from His own judgment? f. Will you not completely and finally believe no matter what it costs? g. Would you not do something far greater and more taxing to escape the coming eternal judgment of His wrath? h. Why then will you not only believe? i. And I do not speak of a simple mental assent where you just agree that He is who He says He is. j. No. k. I mean a belief that this Jailer had. l. A belief that cast aside everything else in order to obtain it. m. A belief that proves itself out in a changed life. n. One in which… 5.) Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don’t naturally do or aren’t currently doing?” We must love one another, even our enemies. a. My friends, there is no such friend of God who is not completely and irrevocably changed by His remaking hand. b. God’s people, those He has destroyed and sought to remake… DO NOT LOOK THE SAME AS THEY ALWAYS HAVE! c. This jailer only moments after his beleif was washing the wounds and feeding these prisoners. d. Why? e. Because He wasn’t the same. f. Paul and Silas being ambassadors of the Living God, should have been treated like the Kings … but when they were maligned, abused, mistreated, mocked, ridiculed – they neither retaliated nor did they complain. g. Instead, they sang songs of praise to God. h. And when they had a chance to watch the jailer who treated them so poorly, end his life in front of their eyes so they could escape… they stopped him from doing it! i. And when he asked how to be saved – they could have refused, they could have laughed at his flawed question…but did not. They taught him and his WHOLE HOUSEHOLD the word of God. j. My friends… k. You cannot be a Christian and hate one another. You cannot be a Christian and withhold forgiveness from others. You cannot be a Christian and hate your enemies. l. God will put them down, one way or another. That is His role as a Just Judge. m. Our role… is to love one another. Even our enemies. n. Even those who abuse us. o. Even those who spitefully use us. p. Why? q. Because we’ve been remade. We aren’t the same broken jar we once were. r. We hold living water. s. But perhaps your heart looks to the enemies of God and screams what mine often does. t. There is no hope for these people. They are too far gone. u. Or perhaps… you are saying that of yourself. Perhaps you think… you are too far gone too. v. Take heart… 6.) Comfort: “What comfort can we find here?” or “What peace does the Lord promise us in light of this passage of scripture?” There is no enemy of God beyond His reach to judge or to save. a. There are only two options in front of every enemy of God. b. Either they will be judged by the just judge and they will pay for every crime they have committed against Him… c. Or Christ will. d. That’s it. Either Christ has already paid it, or they will pay it. There is no third option. e. Do you realize that Kamala Harris is 1 earthquake away from being your sister in Christ? f. Do you realize that Gretchen Whitmer is 1 opened heart away from being a friend of God? g. I don’t care what you’ve done sinner… or how wicked you’ve been. h. Paul sought and killed Christians for a living. He did it zealously. He did it joyfully. He did it as a holy charge to the false god he served. He was the Hitler of the early church… And Jesus Christ threw him on the ground, rebuked him and commanded him to serve him. That Paul died that day. And the Paul we see today was reborn in his place. i. No one… is beyond the reach of God’s destructive power. He will destroy all His enemies. And that is a great comfort to we, who were destroyed and then remade. j. And it is a terrible warning to you if you remain His enemy… k. But you don’t have to succumb to a future destruction. You can be destroyed… right now. l. That is my prayer for you. Let me close with a prayer by the Reformer John Knox Strong and mighty God, You destroy the word of the ungodly and rid the world of tyrants, whenever You decide. No force can resist Your everlasting determination. Now look on Your cause for the sake of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is time, Lord. Bring to nothing all those things that stand against You and Your holy word. Do not let the enemies of Your truth oppress Your word and Your servants. We seek only Your glory, and above all things wish in our hearts that Your holy name would be glorified among the nations. Grant that we Your servants would speak Your irresistible truth and wisdom. Even though we justly deserve this plague and famine of Your word, we pray that You would release us in our true repentance. We vow before You to better use our gifts, and to order our lives according to Your will and pleasure. We will sing unending praises to Your blessed name, world without end, through Jesus Christ our Lord, amen. Benediction: Let those who trust the Lord be like Mount Zion, Which cannot be shaken but endures forever. May that same Lord establish you in the Gospel So that all peoples might believe and obey Him Who is the only wise God; the glory is to Him forever through Jesus Christ! Until we meet again… Go in peace!