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Source: https://www.sermonindex.net/speakers/stanley-wells/continuing/
Acts chapter 26, please. I just want to read part of a verse. Acts chapter 26, and it's verse number 22. Verse 22, the words of Paul. Having therefore obtained help of God, I continue unto this day. Now that's the text I want to talk about and examples of it.
Book of Daniel, please, chapter 1. Daniel chapter 1. Notice the last verse of Daniel chapter 1. And Daniel continued, and Daniel continued even unto the first year of King Cyrus. Acts chapter 2, please.
Acts chapter 2. Book of the Acts, please, chapter 2. Verse 42. And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine, in fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers. And fear came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles.
And all that believed were together and had all things common. 2 Timothy, please, chapter 3. Our brother Goff has already read these verses. I want to read them again. Verse number 14. 2 Timothy chapter 3.
But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned, all to Timothy, and has been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them. And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.
All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, truly furnished unto all good works.
Hebrews chapter 7 to conclude. Hebrews, please, chapter 7. Hebrews chapter 7. For the connection is verse 23. Priests of a former day, and they truly were made many priests, because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death.
But this man, because he continueth ever, hath an unchangeable, an untransferable priesthood, wherefore he is able also to save them to the uttermost, that come unto God by him, seeing he ever liveth to make intercession for them.
For such an high priest became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separated from sinners, made higher than the heavens. Now the Lord will bless what our brethren have brought to our attention today.
The closing part of this session, I want to talk a little about the great theme in holy scripture of continuance, and what our brethren have given to us this morning, relative to the will of God, and to the great privilege of prayer.
These are ingredients, if we're going to continue, for the Lord Jesus Christ. The background has already been established in this session, so I won't take time to go over the ground. But we're living in a world.
Sadly, it won't continue the way it is presently. And we have been reminded, it will deteriorate until the coming again of our Lord Jesus Christ. Will you take home with you this morning this text? Here is Paul, a man in his sixties.
He stands before a monarch, a king. He said to him, King, having obtained help of God, I continue until this present day. And that's what we want to talk about for a few minutes, before it's time to have lunch.
I want you to think of a man that continued, Daniel. He continued into the fourth kingdom. We might well ask ourselves, why did he continue? I want you to think of a movement that continues to this present day.
They continued steadfastly in the four things. And then we've already been reminded, and I present it slightly different. We have a mandate that continues. Paul to Timothy, Paul is only a days at the most from heaven.
He's saying to the younger man coming on, what continue thou and the things which thou hast learned, knowing of whom thou hast learned them. I want to think of a ministry that continues. It's the ministry of the high priestly work of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The Bible declares he is a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. We need him on the Christian pathway. But when we arrive in our desired haven, that ministry will continue forever. Now, the background is likely known of Daniel chapter one by most in this audience.
So I want to pick up on a young teenager, somewhere around 16 years of age. He's in a foreign land. He's been brought there through no fault of his own. Everything is different. There's a different line of culture, different emphasis in every facet of life.
But it says Daniel continued into the fourth kingdom, the kingdom of Nebuchadnezzar, Belshazzar, Darius, and Cyrus the Mede. Well, might we ask ourselves, why did this young man of 16 years of age or thereabouts continue throughout his long life?
He was likely nearly 90 years of age when he was in the den of lions. God upheld him all the way with all the ups and downs of life. And in a society that will not continue, you and I have a responsibility to continue in loyalty to the God of heaven and the Lord Jesus Christ.
I would like to suggest to you this morning, reason number one, why he continued. He lived a separated life. Dear folk don't like to talk about that. Separation in the Bible is separation onto. That's the positive side.
And the negative side, separation from. He didn't live in a world of isolation. He became, you remember, the chief president in the reign of Darius the Mede. He was right in the middle of it. But he lived a separated life.
It's not a life that the worldly knows much about. They would look on it as isolation. God looks on it as separation. Here's a man, a young man, and he refused Babylon's food, chapter one. He refused Babylon's friends, chapter one and two.
He refused Babylon's fun, Daniel chapter five. He refused Daniel's fame. He could have gone right to the very top. And he said, no to Belshazzar, you have that for somebody else, chapter five. He refused the fables of Babylon, chapter two.
And he refused the fortunes of Babylon. Yet he lived in the middle of it. What a testimony to the God of heaven. You and I can make the simple application. We're in this world, but not off it. God help us today to continue along this line.
Reason number two, he was a man of supplication. We have heard about prayer already. Putting the whole history together of those 90 years that he lived in this life, he was a man of prayer. When the crisis was on in chapter three, and he knew what would happen, he opened the curtains toward the place of the name in his window where he lived.
And he bowed before the mighty God of eternity. If he was going to continue, he would need to supplicate not only himself, but with others. And in a day of crisis, we live in a busy world, more responsibilities than ever.
Do we take time to supplicate the eternal throne? Dear folk, I've abandoned that. I'm talking about believers. Sadly, some are not continuing, but this man continued. Here's another reason. He searched the Holy Scriptures.
You read chapter nine of Daniel, and you'll find out that at this particular time, he's reading the prophet of Jeremiah chapter 29. He recognized that 70 years had come and gone. And now it's time for the nation, those who were down in Babylon, to get back to the place of the name.
And you can develop that in your own thinking. Very simple today. If we're going to continue, we need to read the word. Did you read it today? Did you read it yesterday? Here's an observation from the people outside in different countries where we have been.
And they say those in assembly life of a former generation were people that knew God and knew his word. They were a Bible fundamental reading generation. But you see today, we're not reading the way we should.
Even the ungodly can see it. God help us. If we're going to continue what we have to do, here's another one. He's the man selected, the outstanding prophet of the Old Testament to give the future prophetic ministry for the nation of Israel and everything else that surrounds it.
If you're prepared in whatever circumstances you are, you want to continue, God will bless you. Just want to pause a minute. I talked to a dear saint in another part of the country recently. He happens to be a shepherd amongst God's people.
I says, brother, there are so many things have happened in this part of the country. I can't continue. I'm no longer want to be a shepherd. I'm going to let somebody else do it. The dear man's Godly and his wife along with them.
We were there to encourage them. We've come to encourage you today. Whatever your circumstances may be from a shepherd to a young believer, don't give up. Continue. Somebody says you don't know where the way I'm going and what's happening.
The message today is this. I've been obtained help from God. We continue to this present day. Here's a movement that continues. Now you all know about Acts 2. I'll summarize it. The day that Peter stood and the other 11 stood with him on the day of Pentecost and Jerusalem in the very city where the Lord Jesus Christ was condemned and outside its walls was crucified.
Unlikely members of the Sanhedrin were there that day to listen to him. Over 3000 souls saved by the grace of God. What happened next? Well these people, they heard the word, they received it, they were baptized and they continued steadfastly with determination, desirous in their heart to whatever the circumstances to go on.
Let me summarize this verse or two for you here. You see here's the first assembly established in the New Testament. Unlikely there were over 10 ,000 in it. Read it carefully until you find out. Now you see the Apostles teaching, it formed the fellowship and the breaking of bread expressed the fellowship and the prayers maintained the fellowship.
The whole area, the city, those that were against the believers of the Lord Jesus, they recognized here's a unique group and of the rest there's no man join himself. The very presence of God was in the gathering.
They knew there's something different about this. Now the thinking in our generation is it's just a passing thought, it's cultural, it's for a different generation, it's for the apostolic age. Listen to your Bible, you see this movement, it continued steadfastly.
Jerusalem, Samaria, Judea, Antioch, Sidia, Presidia and all through the Epistles, Thessalonica, Philippi, Corinth and right all the way through into Rome. This is no fly-by-night. The movement continues over 2 ,000 years or thereabouts and we thank God today amidst all the confusion that abounds in our world, there is those that gather to the precious name of the Lord Jesus Christ and they continue.
You see the corporate company won't continue unless the members continue. God help us today to appreciate the favor and the privileges that we have. Now I can't develop that further. I would like to ask you today, young married couple, older friend, young believer, those who have been with us for decades, if you had the thought recently, there's no point continuing.
I talked to a young couple recently and they said, Stan, you see these big mega churches there? Look at the thousands they're getting and look at us, just a handful. Ah, the assembly never was popular and it never will be, but are we prepared to see it continue?
And somebody says, yes, oh yes, yes, yes. Well we receive to the fellowship, we don't receive to the breaking of bread. That's one of the privileges of the fellowship. God help us to keep it in mind. Let me talk for a moment or two about another thing that continues and that is the mandate.
Our brother has already read to us, but continue thou in the things which thou hast learned, knowing of whom thou hast learned them. That's the very context where he, brother Goff, got the idea. Unbelievers, seducers will wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.
We think it's a dark day and it is, but if the Lord may not come, it's going to get darker. Oh, I want to emphasize to all of us, whatever the circumstances may be, God help us to have the determination by the grace of God to continue.
Well, how is Timothy going to continue? Well, from the human standpoint, from his father in the faith, Paul the Apostle, he learned the truth of God. He likely heard him preach the gospel in the first missionary journey and down there in Acts chapter 14, for example, he was likely around Lystra whenever this honored servant of Christ was stoned, and he likely remembered the circumstances and the thought he was gone, but he rose up and went into the city.
Things impressed the young man, and when you come to chapter 16, here he is. He's an assembly fellowship. He's well reported off by the brethren. He's a man that has learned, and now Paul is going home to heaven, and he said, Timothy, one thing I want to get to you is this.
Will you please continue? Truth of God has been passed on from older to younger and from one generation to another, and it's what this part of the chapter shows in 2nd Timothy chapter 3. You know, we could summarize the second epistle this way.
The Word of God, wholesome words, health-giving words is very strong throughout the chapters. And you see, if we're going to continue in the mandate, the Word of God needs to have first place. And so in chapter 1, we have to read it.
In chapter 2 of 2nd Timothy, we have to rightly divide it. Chapter 3, we have to know it. In chapter 4, we have to preach it and be instant in season and out of season. Preach the Word. God help us to understand the mandate.
The young man likely never forgot it. It's very possible that in the closing days of Paul on earth, he longed for Timothy to come. He wanted to see him one more time, but it didn't happen. There's no record that he ever got to the inner dungeon, but God allowed the doctor, the physician, to be there to meet his needs to the day that he walked out and he was decapitated and in seconds was home in heaven.
God help us to appreciate the mandate. Ah, dear brethren, we thank God for beloved brethren. We have heard about them already this morning. Their race has run. We'll look back over life and thank God for those that crossed our pathway and taught the truth of God.
Scores of them sat at their feet, and here we are today. We have to do exactly the same thing to pass on to others what the Lord has given to us and learned by the grace of God, and all of us need each other as we move along the pathway.
Having obtained help from God or of God, we continue until this present day. Nothing to do with intellect, and it has nothing to do with experience, but it's depending on God for every step. That's for brethren and sisters and all of us.
I want to give a little word of comfort here before we get too far into this conference, and I want to think right now of a ministry that will never end. The ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ continues.
Putting all the scriptures together, you see, great are the offices he bears, and brightest character appears, exalted on the throne. There he is today. He has been to the cross, the grave, resurrection, ascension, passed through the heavens, and sat down at the right hand of the majesty up there today.
He's there as the high priest of his people. You see, he's there to support us all the way. Older friends, life takes its toll on all of us, and as we look back over life, we couldn't have continued apart from the high priestly work of the Lord Jesus Christ.
See, young friend, you're maybe here today, and you have never had that experience. You're saved by the grace of God, but you don't seem to realize the help of the aid and assistance of the Holy Spirit of God that brings to our attention the great work of our Lord Jesus Christ at God's right hand.
I would say to you, dear folk, keep living. I could stand here and tell you of tragedies that have happened recently would break your very heart, and only for the high priestly work of the Savior, they couldn't continue.
Now, here's the context very quickly. You see, the writer of Hebrews wants to tell these dear people, the one that we represent and are teaching you about, he will continue. Those that you folk in the Judaizing line of things think about, well, the high priests of a former day, they weren't allowed to continue because of death.
Numbers chapter 20, on a mountain yonder, Mount Hor, there comes a moment when Moses takes the garments of glory and beauty of Aaron and dons them on his son, Eliezer. He couldn't continue. But this, the Lord Jesus Christ has an untransferable priesthood.
He's a priest forever after the order of Melchizedek. He's there as our intercessor to supplicate our cause, whatever the circumstances of life may be. And then, of course, he's there as the advocate, the paraclete.
That's 1 John chapter 1, based on propitiation. And the work that he has finished that has satisfied the God of heaven. He's there to help us and to maintain us and mend us as God's people. You see, it's the truth of the family.
See, it's nothing to do with conversion. But along the pathway of life, this very tender thread of compassion and of communion can be easily broken. And then sometimes we're not enjoying things the way we should.
But there's provision made for us. Thank God today for the paraclete up there, and the paraclete here, the Holy Spirit of God, to direct us along the way. Maybe there's someone here today in your family, you're in deep distress.
Things have happened that you can't account for. It happens in nearly every family, sooner or later. Oh, I want to direct you today to the unfinished ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ at God's right hand.
There is a shepherd living there, the firstborn from the dead, who tends with sweet unwearied care the flock for which he bled. God help us, each of us, as we appreciate these great truths. Do you intend to continue?
Do I intend to continue? Everybody says, yes, yes, yes. Well, we need help from God on a daily basis as we have been reminded. A man that continued to the fourth kingdom, Daniel. A movement that continues, gathering to the precious name of the Lord Jesus.
Doesn't matter how dark the hour will be, in the big picture there will always be those who gather to his precious name until he comes. God help us to continue this great privilege. The mandate will continue.
The truth of God won't change. God help us to bow to it and then the outstanding ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ, a ministry that will continue until we arrive in our desired haven and on beyond that.
We have to leave it. Thank you for listening this morning. Thank you for coming. Let me reiterate what has been asked already. What did you come for? Oh, I asked the Lord myself. I would like a word from God.
Maybe a word to in direction. Maybe a word of comfort. Maybe a word of rebuke. Maybe a word of instruction. God help us to bow to the holy book. Thank you for listening. Let us pray.