A Cheery Word in Troublous Times

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Acts 27:25

Why, sirs, be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me.

The presence of a brave man in the hour of danger is a very great comfort to his companions. You must have seen in history that it is the one man, after all, that wins the battle. Recollect, Christian man, that wherever you are placed you are to be the one man, that you may comfort those around you who are of the weaker sort. If you are to do this, you must be strong yourself. Nothing can come out of you that is not in you. The reason why Paul was able to embolden his companions was that he had encouraged himself in his God.

I. PAUL WAS STRONG BECAUSE HE BELIEVED. Faith makes men strong. When mistaken there is a power in faith for mischief; for good if the right thing be believed.

1. Paul's faith was faith in God. "I believe God." That was something more than saying "I believe in God": this many do and derive but slender comfort. But "I believe God, believe Him, believe His truthfulness, His mercy, and His power." This made Paul calm, peaceful, strong.

2. Believing God, he believed God's message and was revived by it. He was sure that no hair of any man's head would be harmed.

3. And he did that when there was nothing else to believe in. He might have said, "I do not believe in the sailors: they are evidently nonplussed, and are plotting to leave the ship." He did not say, "I believe that the centurion can maintain military discipline, and so we shall have a better opportunity of escaping." No, the ship was breaking up, but he calmly said, "I believe God." It is a grand thing to believe God when the winds are out. The common run of men's faith is fair-weather faith.

4. Since Paul believed God he was not ashamed to say so. Now, it is not so easy to thrust out your faith and expose it to rough weathers, and to the hearing of rough men. Under the name of prudence there lurks an unbelieving selfishness. Genuine faith in God speaks out and says, "God is true, and I will stake everything on His word." I would to God all Christians were prepared to throw down the gauntlet, and to come out straight; for if God be not true let us not pretend to trust Him, and if the gospel be a lie let us be honest enough to confess it. But if it be true, wherefore should we doubt it and speak with bated breath?

II. PAUL BEING STRONG, SPAKE WORDS OF CHEER TO OTHERS. So must we.

1. You will meet with seeking souls who are saying, "Oh that I knew where I might find Him!" You that believe God are bound to say, "Be of good cheer: for I believe God, that it shall be even as it was told me." "Seek and ye shall find."

2. You will meet with those who are pleading daily for mercy, and seemingly to no effect. Speak up and say, "Be of good cheer, for I believe God, and He told me this — 'Ask, and it shall be given you.'"

3. You will meet with those who are venturing upon Christ, but whose confidence is feeble. Tell them that Jesus has said, "Him that cometh to Me I will in no wise cast out," and then say, "Be of good cheer: for I believe God."

4. You will find those whose fear arises from their strong passions and evil habits. Go and say to them that Christ has come to bring liberty to the captives, and that you believe God, that it will be even as He has told you.

5. Now, there are the Little-faiths, and I want you strong-faith people to encourage them, by telling them that you believe God that it shall be even as it was told you. Some of these Little-faiths are conscious of very great inward sin, others are vexed with outward temptation, others whose lamentation is, "I am so weak." There is much work for happy believers amongst the Feeble-minds, and the Miss Much-afraids, and the Mr. Despondencies, and the like.

6. I commend to your attention those who are greatly tried. Tell them that God has said, "Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but the Lord delivereth him out of them all."

7. We have some Christian people about who tremble greatly for the ark of the Lord. I occasionally meet with brethren who are tempted to commit the sin of Uzzah; as if God could not protect His own cause.

(1) Some say that the good men are all dying. What will become of the Church? "My Father! My Father! The chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof!" You know the good Methodist woman's outcry at the funeral sermon when the minister said, "Now that this eminent servant of the Lord is departed we know of no one to fill his place. It seems as if the glory were departing and the faithful failing from among men." The worthy mother in Israel called out from the aisle: "Glory be to God, that's a lie!" If all the men who preach the gospel today were struck down tomorrow, the Holy Spirit would still qualify men to preach the gospel. Christians ought to be as confident as the heroic Spartans. The old men advanced in procession, and they said, "We have been brave," and they showed their scars; and then the strong men in the prime of their days followed and said, "We are brave," and they bared their arms for war. Then if anyone wondered what would happen when the old men were gone, and when the strong men were slain in battle, there came the striplings, and they said, "We will be brave, for we are Spartans!"(2) Many are in distress about the spread of error. The signs of the times are very bad, and the would be prophets say that a dreadful storm is coming on. But God is not dead, and He will beat the devil yet. It is true it is a hard time for Christianity, and infidels are fighting us with new arguments; but when I think of them I feel inclined to say what the Duke of Wellington said at Waterloo to the generals, "Hard pounding, gentlemen! hard pounding! but we will see which will pound the longest."

8. Those who are labouring for Christ. Sometimes workers for the Lord get cast down. "I have taught a class for years," says one, "and seen no fruit." "I have been preaching for months, but have never heard of a conversion," says another. Well, do you think that you have preached Jesus Christ, and nothing has come of it? I do not believe it for a moment. I believe God, that it shall be even as He has told me, and He has said, "My word shall not return unto Me void." Be not so cowardly as to say, "I will leave the work." You are not to win a battle in a moment, or reap a harvest as soon as you sow the seed. Keep on!

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