Holding The Ropes

William Carey, that great missionary said, “Yonder is a gold mine. I will descend and dig, but you must hold the ropes.” My subject is “Holding the Ropes”—shall we turn to Acts 9:21–25?

“But all that heard him were amazed, and said; Is not this he that destroyed them which called on this name in Jerusalem, and came hither for that intent, that he might bring them bound unto the chief priests? But Saul increased the more in strength, and confounded the Jews which dwelt at Damascus, proving that this is very Christ.”

“And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him: but their laying await was known of Saul. And they watched the gates day and night to kill him. Then the disciples took him by night, and let him down by the wall in a basket.”

The infant church as related in the Acts of the Apostles, was conceived in a “rushing mighty wind,” and swept across the Aegean Sea to Rome itself. The growth of this church was astronomical. Acts 2:41 states, “There were added unto them about three thousand souls.” Acts 4:4 reads, “Many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.” Acts 6:7 relates, “And the word of God increased; and the number of the disciples multiplied in Jerusalem greatly.”

Historians tell us that there were over 200,000 believers in Jerusalem by AD 60. On the heels of victory came violent persecution. The leader of this barbarous onslaught was a young man by the name of Saul.

Who was Saul? Saul was a Jew, born in Tarsus and named probably in honor of King Saul. He was brilliant, having been trained at the feet of Gamaliel. He was zealous toward God. He was intensely religious.

He believed that Jesus was an imposter, His followers were heretics, and he [Saul] was God’s instrument to silence false doctrine. He believed they denied the doctrine of the unity of God. Saul believed in one God, but not that Jesus was God.

Acts 7:58 tells of the murder of Stephen. Verse 58 reads, “And cast him out of the city, and stoned him: and the witnesses laid down their clothes at a young man’s feet, whose name was Saul.” Notice Acts 8:3, “As for Saul, he made havock of the church.” Observe Acts 9:1–2. Every breath a curse and every word a threat. His passion was the slaughter of the followers of Jesus. But a life breaking, earth shaking, heaven awaking revolution took place according to verses 3–5. Recognizing this supernatural display, he called, “WHO ART THOU, LORD?” The response was “I am Jesus whom thou persecutest.” Immediately Paul [Saul] understood that Jesus was God’s Son. Paul was converted.

When Paul arrived at Damascus, “He preached Christ in the synagogues, that he is the Son of God” (Acts 9:20). The people according to verse 21, “were amazed.” This was an understatement! They asked, “Is not this he that destroyed them?” Possibly some thought this was his strategy to attack from within; however, verse 23 suggests that their patience ran out. “Let’s kill him.” Observe the setting. “The governor under Aretas the king kept the city of the Damascenes with a garrison” (2 Corinthians 11:32). It was nighttime. Paul and his new-found friends moved carefully through the shadows of Damascus wall. One carried a basket and another a coil of rope. I can picture the little band of disciples gathering about Paul for a moment of prayer. Then through a window, Paul was let down—down—down ’til the basket touched with a thud. Paul gave a quick wave to the disciples on the wall and was then swallowed by the Damascene night.

I. Consider The Disciples Who Held The Ropes

Who were they?
What were their names?
In what chapter are they listed?
What were their rewards?

The answer is—they are unknown to us. Their names are not listed.

When I get to heaven, I have many questions to ask. One is, “Who were the disciples who held the ropes for Paul when he escaped from Damascus?” These men are unknown to history, unknown to us, yet they are known to God. Some people will serve as long as their names are listed. They want earthly credit. They crave praise. In Matthew 6:1 Jesus said, “Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.” If one lives for earthly credit, then we forfeit heavenly credit. These disciples served without recognition. Actually, the great majority serve in this manner. Thousands of pastors, missionaries, businessmen, homemakers, secretaries, teachers, live for heavenly credit. We thank God for them.

In Exodus 1, we find the nation Israel in slavery in Egypt. “Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not Joseph” (v. 8). He [the king] mercilessly oppressed the people. His order concerning the newborn was, “If it be a son, kill him.”

One Jewish mother conceived and gave birth to a son. She saw he was well formed and loved him. For three months, at great risk, she hid him, and when she could do this no longer, she made a basket of bulrushes, and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and placed the child in it. The child was Moses. This mother had her baby in the basket.

When Pharaoh’s daughter found the child, the mother of Moses was conveniently at hand. In the will of God, she was called to nurse and care for her own precious baby. Moses was in her basket. She held the ropes for her child. Many of us are here at The Moody Church because of saintly parents. In spite of our rebellion and independence, they loved and continued to love ’til the basket touched the ground.

Often I have thought of those who held the ropes for me. A godly mother and father. Their lives, prayers, and tears carried me from danger to safety. A thousand enemies plotted my destruction, watching the gates day and night to slay me. I thank God for parents who held the ropes on my behalf. A faithful pastor, sacrificial deacons, elders, trustees, Sunday school teachers, held the ropes for me. Unknown disciples held the ropes for Paul.

II. They Held The Ropes By Night

Acts 9:25, “Then the disciples took him by night.” It was nighttime chronologically and experientially. Certain death would have been the fate of the disciples had they been caught aiding Paul’s escape. Yet they were willing to hazard their lives for this new believer. The Bible says in Ephesians 6:12, “For we wrestle. . .against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world.” I thought, anyone can be a Christian in the daytime. When the sky is blue and the soft breezes play. Anyone can follow Christ when the body is strong and the bills are paid, but, are we faithful by night when the going is difficult? Do we persevere against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness?

Peter held the ropes when Jesus was popular. When Christ fed the 5,000, he was there; but on that cold night when Jesus was on trial, he denied Him three times.

Enoch dared to be singular and walked with God in a dark generation.

Abraham held the ropes as the darkness enveloped Sodom. He pleaded, “Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city” (Genesis 18:24). Lord, perhaps there are forty-five righteous. Abraham was a rope holder.

Daniel was in the desperate minority in Babylon and wrestled against the rulers of the darkness.

Esther stood before the king holding the ropes for her people in spite of the edicts of Haman.

Polycarp was led to the stake saying, “Eighty-six years have I served Him, never once has He wronged me, how can I blaspheme my Lord and King?”

Mrs. Jonathan Goforth said, “The greatest hardship of the missionary’s life is not the strange food he eats, not the houses he lives in, nor the trying climate, nor the lack of modern conveniences. . .the greatest hardship in the missionary’s life, and the thing which drives many defeated from the field, is the combat against the powers of darkness; if the missionary is left without sufficient aid in prayer, he suffers.”

The call is for rope holders—for The Moody Church, for the pastors and workers—for our missionaries. This is a new day—we must move forward on a miracle basis.

We live in a great age, an age of opportunity, absolutely exciting, but also a dark age and a dangerous one. The Christian religion has blood on it. I predict we will see many more martyrs in the days ahead, but also great advances in proclaiming the Gospel. The call is for Rope Holders in the night, for men and women to stand against the rulers of the rising darkness.

III. They Held The Ropes ’Til The Basket Touched Ground

Ninety percent of the time, staying power makes the difference. “It is required in stewards that a man be found faithful” (1 Corinthians 4:2). The need of the church today is for old fashioned dependability. Someone has said, “The greatest ability is dependability.”

There are two reasons for holding the ropes:

1. You may be the only one holding the ropes. Who will reach the college age young people if you do not? Who will reach the High School young people, or the children and the infants if you do not? Some people will never hear the Gospel unless we reach and teach them. Often it takes the teenager to communicate with the teenager, and the executive with the executive.

2. Your basket may be ready to touch ground. It may be today [when] God will answer that prayer. Today, your problem could be resolved. It may be today that loved one will be reached with the Gospel. That dream will be realized! That vision will be given!

May I encourage you to:
Pray on ’til the basket touches ground.
Ask on ’til the answer is given!
Seek on ’til the lost is found!
Knock on ’til the door is opened!

I challenge each of you to deeper, consistent, steadfast devotion to Jesus Christ!

IV. Who Was In The Basket?

In a real sense, they did not know. Oh, you say, Saul was in their basket! But who was Saul?

They didn’t dream he would preach Jesus Christ in Jerusalem, Antioch, Cyprus, Lystra, and Derbe.

They didn’t imagine that he would start a church in Galatia, Phillipi, Thessalonica, Corinth, Ephesus, and Rome.

They didn’t envision that he would write thirteen books of the Bible. They didn’t really know who was in their basket.

In 2 Kings 10:7, Jehu ordered the slaughter of seventy young men, “They took the king’s sons, and slew seventy persons, and put their heads in baskets, and sent him them to Jezreel.” Here we have baskets of ugliness, hatred, and murder. Baskets of despair and doom. May I ask, “What is in your basket? Who is in your basket?” You respond, “Pastor Sweeting, I’m so weak and unimportant.” Yes, we all are weak and insufficient, but little is much when God is in it.

Jesus delights in multiplying and magnifying the small. In John 6, a lad had five barley loaves and two small fishes. Alittle boy, five loaves, and two small fishes. With this, Jesus fed five thousand, and John 6:13 states that they “filled twelve baskets with the fragments of the five barley loaves, which remained over and above unto them that had eaten.”

Jesus Christ delights in using the weak and the small. Little is much when God is in it.

Moses had a rod!
Samson had a jawbone!
David had a sling!
The widow [had] two mites!
Gideon [had] a vase!
The lad [had] five loaves and two fishes!
God wants you today!

I invited you to get a  good grip on the rope and help in the great work of God.