THE LORD STOOD BY MY SIDE

THE LORD STOOD BY MY SIDE “At my first defense, no one came to my support, but everyone deserted me. May it not be held against them. But the Lord stood by my side and gave me strength, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed and all the Gentiles might hear it. And I was delivered from the lion’s mouth. The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen.” (2 Tim. 4:16-18)

Paul was in prison. At his first defense no one came to his support, but everyone deserted him. The Scriptures are filled with warnings about placing your trust in men:

• “It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes.” (Psalm 118:8) (There are 31,102 verses in the Bible and this is the central verse in the whole Bible)
• “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength.” (Jer. 17:5-6)
• “Put no trust in a neighbor; have no confidence in a friend.” (Micah 7:5)
• “Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.” (Ps. 146:3)
• “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.” (Prov. 3:5-6)
• “In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I shall not be afraid. What can flesh do to me?” (Psalm 56:4)
• “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.” (Psalm 20:7)
• “Behold, you are trusting in Egypt, that broken reed of a staff, which will pierce the hand of any man who leans on it.” (Is. 36:6)
• Etc.
• All men deserted Paul, but the Lord stood by his side and gave him strength!
• Remember! “As the Scriptures says, ‘Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame.” (Rom. 10:11)

When Paul wrote to the Romans he sent personal greetings to 26 brothers and sisters in Christ whom he knew by name (See Romans 16:1-16). Paul was in prison in Rome and when he went on trial, every one of these friends either didn’t know about his trial or deserted him. How sad!

This was Paul’s second imprisonment in Rome. The first time Paul was a prisoner in Rome was around A.D. 62-63. On this occasion he was chained to a soldier 24 hours a day but still permitted to live in his own rented house. Luke states: “For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ—with all boldness and without hindrance!” (Acts 28:30-31) It was during this imprisonment that Paul wrote four inspired letters: Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon. Obviously there were many Christians in Rome and their faith was reported all over the world (Rom. 1:8). Yet, when Paul went on trial, all of his friends and converts also either didn’t know about his trial or deserted him!

Paul’s second imprisonment in Rome was around A.D. 67-68. This time history tells us that Paul was in the dreaded Mamertine Prison and was beheaded by Nero. It was just before his death that he wrote his second letter to Timothy which was his last letter. Even though the Lord stood by his side, Paul expected to die. He explained to Timothy: “For I am already being poured out like a

drink offering, and the time for my departure is near. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.” (2 Tim. 4:6-8)

At Paul’s first defense, no one but Jesus came to his support but everyone deserted him! Jesus, as you know, is a friend who sticks closer than a brother (Prov. 18:24). Jesus never deserts those who believe in Him!

THE LORD DID NOT DESERT HIM

Paul wrote to Timothy that even though all men deserted him: “the Lord stood by my side and gave me strength.” God is faithful and never allowed Paul to be tempted beyond what he was able to bear (1 Cor. 10:13). Everything that happened to Paul worked together for good because Paul was called according to the purpose of God (Rom. 8:28).

Please consider:

• At the time of his conversion Paul was warned about how many things he would suffer for Jesus (Acts 9:15-16). At no time did Paul have to suffer alone. Jesus was always with him!
• Paul wrote: “If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness. The God and Father of the Lord Jesus, who is to be praised forever, knows that I am not lying. In Damascus the governor under King Aretas had the city of the Damascenes guarded in order to arrest me. But I was lowered in a basket from a window in the wall and slipped through his hands.” (2 Cor. 11:30-33)
• When Paul returned to Jerusalem the Grecian Jews tried to kill him and when the brothers learned of this they took him down to Caesarea and sent him off to Tarsus (Acts 9:2-30).
• Paul and Barnabas were driven out of Antioch in Pisidia (Acts 13:50).
• At Lystra Paul was stoned and left for dead (Acts 14:19-20).
• At Philippi Paul and Silas were publicly beaten and put in prison (Acts 16:22-40).
• Paul and Silas were driven out of Thessalonica (Acts 17:1-9).
• Paul and Silas were also driven out of Berea (Acts 17:10-15).
• At Corinth the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision and said: “Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city.” So Paul stayed in Corinth for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.” (Acts 18:9-11)
• At Ephesus the whole city was in an uproar and rushed to the theater to try and kill Paul (Acts 19:23-41).
• Back in Jerusalem more than 40 Jews took a vow that they would neither eat nor drink until they had killed Paul (Acts 23:12-15).
• On his way to Rome as a prisoner his ship was beset by a storm and wrecked on the Island of Malta. God decided to spare all 276 people on that boat because of Paul. Paul testified to those on the ship: “Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.’ So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me.” (Acts 27:23-25)
• Paul wrote to the Corinthians: “Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, in danger from bandits, in danger from my fellow Jews, in danger from Gentiles; in danger in the city, in danger in the country, in danger at sea; and in danger from false believers. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked. Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.” (2 Cor. 11:24-28)
• THE LORD NEVER DESERTED PAUL, AND THE LORD WILL NEVER DESERT YOU!
• JESUS PROMISED HIS APOSTLES THAT HE WOULD BE WITH THEM TO THE VERY END OF THE AGE (MATT. 28:18-20).
• THE CHILD OF GOD IS INDESTRUCTIBLE UNTIL HE HAS COMPLETED THE COURSE AND FINISHED THE TASK THAT GOD HAS GIVEN HIM!

THE COMMAND AND THE PROMISE

The principle command Christ gave was “follow me”. This is the Greek word “akoloutheo”. W. E. Vine in his Word Studies states: “It is used 77 times in the Gospels of following Christ, and only once otherwise, Mark 14:13”.

For three years these faithful men followed Christ. Peter once said to Jesus: “We have left everything to follow you!” “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last first.” (Mark 10:28-31)

On the night before Calvary, however, Jesus said: ““Where I am going, you cannot follow now, but you will follow later.” Peter asked, “Lord, why can’t I follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.” Then Jesus answered, “Will you really lay down your life for me? Very truly I tell you, before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times!” (John 13:36-38)

Then Jesus made a promise: “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. On that day you will realize that I am in my Father, and you are in me, and I am in you.” (John 14:18-20) “But very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. When he comes, he will prove the world to be in the wrong about sin and righteousness and judgment: about sin, because people do not believe in me; about righteousness, because I am going to the Father, where you can see me no longer; and about judgment, because the prince of this world now stands condemned.” (John 16:7-11)

When Jesus returned to be with them, however, He would not be “outside” of them as He had been for the last three years. When He returned both He and the Father would be “inside” of them. “Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we

will come to them and make our home with them.” (John 14:23) The word translated as “home” in this verse is “mone”. This is the same word that is used in John 14:2 when Jesus said: “In my Father’s house are many rooms”. These are the only two times that the word “mone” is used in the Bible! How beautiful! Jesus is going to provide a “mone” for us in heaven, and we are going to provide a “mone” in our hearts for Him.

Jesus promised to be with them “always” to the very end of the age. “Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matt. 28:18-20)

THIS WONDERFUL PROMISE IS FOR ALL BELIEVERS!

GOD WILL NEVER LEAVE YOU OR FORSAKE YOU

The Jews in Judea needed encouragement. They had not only suffered persecution, but they also suffered from a famine that was so severe brethren throughout the world sent money to help them survive (1 Corinthians 16:1; 2 Corinthians chapters 8 and 9, Etc.) These suffering brethren needed encouragement!

Another problem was the destruction of the Jewish Temple by the Roman General Titus. Jesus had predicted that the Temple was going to be so completely destroyed that not one stone would be left upon another that would not be cast down (Matt. 24:1-2). The siege of Jerusalem began in A.D. 66 and lasted four years. The city was completely conquered in A.D. 70.

Around A.D. 63 or 64 God inspired someone to write a letter to the Hebrews to encourage them to be faithful as the day approached: “Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another – and all the more as you see the day approaching.” (Heb. 10:25) The letter to the Hebrews has many warnings against abandoning their faith in Christ: For example: “See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has a sinful, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God. But encourage one another daily, as long as it is called “Today,” so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness. We have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original conviction firmly to the very end.” (Heb. 3:12-14)

As the letter was drawing to a conclusion these discouraged brethren were given one of the most precious promises in the Bible. “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5)

The Hebrew Christians, to whom this text was written, needed assurance that Jesus was keeping that promise. As we have said, they had been driven from Jerusalem by persecution and also ravaged by famine. Saul of Tarsus was one of their principle persecutors and confessed: “On the authority of the chief priests I put many of the Lord’s people in prison, and when they were put to death, I cast my vote against them. Many a time I went from one synagogue to another to have them punished, and I tried to force them to blaspheme. I was so obsessed with persecuting them that I

even hunted them down in foreign cities.” (Acts 26:10-11) The writer of Hebrews was inspired by God to give these Hebrew Christians assurance that Jesus was going to keep His promise. He virtually bankrupted the Greek language to give them this assurance.

The Greek word translated as “never” in this verse is actually two words - “ου μη.” These two words used together form a double negative as both words means “no”. This is the strongest way possible in the Greek language to emphasize “not ever.” While the English reader sees one promise in the word “never”, the Greek text actually contains two promises. So when the Scriptures promise to “never” leave you and “never” to forsake you, that promise has actually been repeated four times.

But there is also another negative in this one short verse. The word “ουδ’” is also a negative word and is translated as “nor” in the KJV. This makes five negatives linked together in only nine Greek words. In other words: God will never, never, never, never, never leave you or forsake you. Yes! God is true even if every man is a liar (Romans 3:4).

God knows how we are formed and remembers that we are dust (Psalm 103:14). So when God wanted Abraham to be confident in his promise He confirmed it with an oath. Since there was no one better to swear by, God swore by Himself (Hebrews 6:13-20). Abraham was convinced! The Hebrew letter was written to Christians. They already knew that Jesus was the Christ and that God had kept his promise to Abraham. So in our text God gives these precious believers a similar assurance that He gave to Abraham and promises to “never, never, never, never, never” leave them or forsake them!

So: “Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,“Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” (Hebrews 13:5)

JESUS WILL NOT DESERT YOU IN YOUR HOUR OF NEED

Just as Jesus stood with Paul in his hour of need, He will also stand with you in your hour of need. Even when you walk through the valley of the shadow of death you do not have to be afraid because Jesus will be with you and His rod and His staff will comfort you (Ps. 23:4). God is a very present help in time of trouble (Ps. 46:1).

THE QUESTION IS, WILL YOU DESERT HIM?