The nation heals the sick, the
lost he came to save. For me his precious blood he
shed, for me his life he gave. I need no other argument, I need
no other plea. It is enough that Jesus died
and that he died for me. OK, let's go back to the book
of Acts. Chapter. Sixteen again, those
of you who heard The radio message this morning
will recognize this. And I felt that it was so important
that it needed to be brought again this morning for
you, knowing that everyone did not or could not hear that radio
message. This is a very needful, very
needful message. One that perhaps we should look
at more frequently, but this is to those who haven't, there's
an old saying, haven't closed with Christ or that is, Paul said, I'm persuaded he's
able to keep that which I've committed to him. That's the
best way you can describe what it means to close with Christ,
to really trust him, cast your care upon him, believe him, confess
him, and closure. This is to those, and this is
also to those who, I believe, believe, but are not just not
sure, don't have the assurance they would like to have. And
this is to those who do believe and have some confidence and
assurance that they are believers, this will be for their comfort.
Now, look at verse 31 again. Now, we're not going to look
at this story per se, but we're going to look at what Paul and
Silas told the jailer. Verse 30, the jailer who was
stricken prayed and trembling and. And just. He was distraught,
verse 30, the jailer said, Sirs, what must I do to be safe? Now, here's a man that wants
to know how to be safe. What salvation is, how to be
safe? And he said, what must I do to
be safe? Now, here's what Paul and Silas
both said. They said, verse 31, Believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved. And thy house, if they believe.
Doesn't matter who it is. If they believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ, they too shall be saved. Doesn't matter, day to day. Now,
here's a man who is really interested. Brother Henry just told me about
a woman that was speaking to him where he works and seemed
to be interested. What would you tell someone? What would you tell someone what
salvation is? I had an opportunity recently,
a man who's stricken with cancer. He's in his last stages of cancer. He's going to die soon. And I
thought, what do I tell this man? Well, you tell him what
Paul and Silas told this man. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ
and thou shalt be saved. He did not say, aren't you glad
he did not say. If you quit your sinning. You'll be safe. Aren't you glad those of you
who have been hearing this gospel for years? Aren't you glad that
it doesn't say that anywhere in the scriptures that if you
quit sinning? You'll be saying. You go to heaven. All it says is, and this is the
good news, this is why the gospel is such good news. Believe on
the Lord Jesus Christ and thou shalt, not might, not there's
a possibility, shalt be saved. And whoever else does, no matter
how young. That's the good news of the gospel.
Very simple. That's what I told that man.
I said, if a man has hope in the Lord Jesus Christ, if a man believes and trusts
and has hope in the Lord Jesus Christ as his all, as his salvation,
he has nothing to worry about. Is that enough? Did I tell him
enough? I had to search my conscience. I didn't have thirty minutes
to talk to him. It was a very brief encounter.
Did I tell him enough? This is what Allen Silas said.
Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. And thou shalt be saying of someone
who argue they went on to preach the gospel yes they did but when
the man said what must I do to be saying it they said this is
what you must do is what you must do. You must believe believe on the
Lord Jesus Christ now what is it to believe what is it to believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ are you Is there anybody who wants to
know what it means to be saved? Is there anybody who wants to
know if they have truly believed on the Lord Jesus Christ? Well,
I think I do. I hope you do. I know many of
you did, most of you. What is it to believe? The word
believe, very simply, the word believe means To trust someone. To trust someone. Brother Stan
is a man I trust. If he tells me something, I believe
what he tells me. If he tells me he's going to
do something, he promises something to me, I believe him because
I trust him. I believe him. I have faith in
his credibility, in his honesty, in his promise. If Stan tells
me, say I owe a debt, and he says I'll pay it, and then later on I ask him,
did you pay that debt of mine? He says, I paid it in full. I believe him. That's very simple, isn't it?
I believe him. I believe that he did what he said he did. Is that too simple? I believe it's to trust that
is confidence, have confidence in someone or something. And now this faith is in the
Lord Jesus Christ. This saving faith. He said, believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ, go with me to the book of Romans,
the book of Romans. We're just going to turn to a
couple of places. These are this will be a very simple. And very. Familiar message to most in here,
but Romans chapter 10, this faith. Is from the heart. True faith,
real faith, real trust and confidence comes from within. If I'm just
convinced in my head of what Stan told me. Someone may come
along. And say, did you hear about this
man Anderson? He stole one hundred thousand dollars from his company
that. They may convince me that something
wrong with that. If I know him and believe him
and trust him in my heart, nothing anyone said can convince me otherwise. Very simply, that's what it means
when you really believe something or someone. It's from the heart. This is why someone who really
believes something, you take a Republican or a Democrat, you're
not going to change them. You're not going to tell them
anything, because with all their being, they believe in what they
believe. That's from the heart. Out of the heart are the issues
of life. The heart means the inner man.
Look at Romans 10, verse 10. It said, with the heart man believeth
unto righteousness. With the mouth, confession is
made unto salvation. But with the heart, man believeth
unto righteousness. What does that mean? It means
with the heart, man believeth. That man, that woman, that person,
young person, who really believes from the heart by God's grace, from the heart, really believes,
has embraced Christ from the heart, embraced the truth from
the heart, really, with their soul with their spirit with their
heart. It's counted under them for righteousness
like Abraham. That is count. They are counted
righteous before God. They're accepted in the beloved
in the righteousness of Christ from the heart with the heart
man, believe not the head, you can be convinced of something,
the fact of something. But if you're if you're just
convinced in your head, somebody else can convince you otherwise,
but not the heart. Now, here's the here's why salvations
of the Lord. Because only God can give a heart. Only God can give this heart
that. God said in Ezekiel, I'll give
them a new heart. I'll take away that stony heart,
that hard heart that won't listen to a thing, that won't believe. And I'll give them a new heart
to receive the truth. See, this thing of faith is the
gift of God. It's the work of God. It's according
to the working of his mighty power. If anybody believes, God
gets the glory. He must. All right, what does
it mean to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ? Well, it's from
the heart. It's from the heart. Now, Matthew chapter eight. Here's
a wonderful illustration of the Matthew chapter eight. Here is
a an actual story, an illustration of a man who believed on the
Lord Jesus Christ from the heart. This is a desperate man. A desperate
man. And he. Cast all his care upon the Lord
Jesus Christ. He believes. Now, what does it
mean to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ? Number one, it means
to believe that you need saving. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ
and thou shalt be saved. That's that's what it's all about,
so. It stands to reason the only
person who really believes on the Lord Jesus Christ is the
one who knows they need to be saved. Believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ and thou shalt be saved. That man said, sirs, what must
I do to be saved? Saved from what? Sins. That's what the whole thing of
salvation is about. It's not saving bank accounts. Or even saving marriages, that's
not the primary reason or saving this or that and the other. I just thought of something that's
about what modern religion is all about, so-called church,
it's just a savings account. Money, but. The issue of salvation is sin
against God, and this is what God makes. His people to know
their sin against God, and it's not a one time thing. Thou shalt be saved. This thing
of salvation is a lifetime thing. We have been saved when God purposed
it for the world. When God said it, it was good
as done. Christ had to come and die. We were saved when Christ
paid that price. And I'll be saved, mind, body,
and spirit. When I stand in the judgment
someday, not condemned. So it's a. We'll be saved completely. When we get the glory. It's not
a one time thing, it's not a past thing, oh, I believed in Jesus
years ago and was baptized and now I'm now. No, no. This is why this faith. Is continual,
it's a daily thing. Ask somebody, are you saved?
They say yes, because I was baptized. No, that's a present tense, isn't
it? Saved, isn't that a present tense? Are you trusting Christ
right now? Do you believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ right now? And will they die in the faith?
Will they die believing on the Lord Jesus Christ? He that believeth, believeth
believe it, our Lord said, he that believeth on me hath everlasting
life. Well, you must believe that you're
lost in order to be saved, don't you?
Nobody's going to call for salvation that doesn't need to be saved.
A person martyred used to say this, he said, I'm not Trying
to get everybody saved, I'm trying to get somebody lost. You don't see many people lost
today, do you? I mean, really lost. I mean,
there's sin. A sin, as David says, ever before. To be lost. What does it mean
to be lost? Has anybody in here ever been
lost? I mean, physically lost. Actually lost somewhere. I don't
mean you turn down the wrong street. Every man in here. Well there's not one man in here
would admit it. All the women can relate to that. You got to be at least 40 before
you start looking at maps. Directions. But. No, I mean, really, has anybody
in here ever been really lost? I mean, really, out somewhere
where you could not, you didn't know where you were, and you
could not find your way back, and there's no way you could
get back unless somebody found you. I don't know if there's anybody
in here who's been that way or not. I haven't. I told you the story
about Walter Groover, didn't I? Everybody's heard that. Brother
Walter, well, maybe everybody. Brother Walter Rueber down in
Mexico went out hunting. The man told him, don't do it.
Don't go by yourself. He did it anyway. Dumb gringo.
That's what he'll tell you. He was a stupid gringo. You don't
go out there in that wilderness. I mean, hot, 110, 115 degrees
in the heat of day. And that's what he did. He went
out in the heat of day hunting by himself. Very little water. Now. And he got out. And got. He. Yeah he stroke or whatever. And became disoriented didn't
know where he was. And fell down on the ground.
And couldn't he couldn't he was lost. And he would have died. Had not somebody came and found
him. Now that's what it means to be
lost. Now this is what salvation is
to me. It means to be lost. You need
somebody to find you. And there's only one who can
and will. The Lord Jesus Christ. It means
to be sinful. Well, we toss that word around,
sinful. Full of sin. Sinful. You just don't see many
sinners today, do you? Full of sin. Mary Magdalene knew she was full
of sin. The thief on the cross knew he
was full of sin. But they were saved from their
sins. Saved from the penalty of it.
Saved from the power of it. And right now, they're saved
from the presence of it. sinful need mercy a sinful person
I mean a wretched man that I am in my flesh dwelleth no good
thing but all it dwells in it is sin sinful. That person will find mercy. I told you about that family
doctor of mine. Years ago. I had a family doctor. who he was one of those old fellows,
made house calls. I remember vividly him coming
to our home, you know, making visits, delivered all of us,
all four of us children. And the sweet old fellow had
his little black bag. I remember that well. Well, those
days are gone. But one time in his hospital
waiting room, he came out, and after a whole day of seeing people
with You know, sniffles and a spraying little finger and this and that
and the other. He came out into the waiting
room and said, in a loud voice, if there's anybody in here really
sick, I'll see them now. But if not, I'm going home. Is there anybody really sick? And this is what the Lord Jesus
Christ did exactly when he stood on that great day after the feast,
after that religious feast. He said, if any man thirsts,
I mean anybody who's really thirsty, religion's left you dry and thirsty,
really needs the truth, anybody really seeks the truth, Brother
Henry, they'll find it, won't they? He'll find them. He, Christ,
will find them who is the truth. Anybody really sinful. I mean
really Roman seven sinful Christ said they'll be saved. They'll
find mercy. Anybody really need mercy. You'll
find mercy. Great. Well, it means to be helpful. Look at Matthew eight, Matthew
eight, verse one. When Christ was come down from
the mountain, great multitudes followed him. There were people
all around him. Believers. It seemed like. All through the Gospels, it said
many believed on him, didn't it? Many believed on him, many
believed on him. One time it says he didn't commit
himself to it. He knew what was in them. An evil heart of unbelief. The
heart's not right, Paul. Peter said to that man, Simon.
And he knew what was in them because he hadn't taken that
out and he hadn't put in. that new heart. He didn't commit
himself to it. But one fellow, the great multitude,
but one fellow, it says in verse 2, Behold, there came a leper. Oh, I wish we could see leprosy
as it really is. Back then, there was a hideous
sight. Man, his flesh is literally wasting away. Totally disfigured. No comeliness. His beauty had
melted into corruption. Isn't that what Daniel said about
himself? Isn't that what Paul said? In my flesh dwelleth nothing
but open running From the crown of my head to
the sole of my feet, there's no soundness in my flesh. This fellow rags. But he came
to the right place, didn't he? Somebody told him about this
healer of leprosy. Somebody told him. How shall
they believe in him whom they've not heard? Well, he heard. And he came, verse 2, and what
did he do, first thing? What did he do? Worshiped him. He saw in this person, oh, this
is salvation. This is what it means to believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ. It's to see in him what you're
not. It's to see in him beauty, glory,
everything. It's to see in him all that God
requires, to see in him everything you need. He worshiped him. What did he do to worship him?
You know, this word worship here, right here, this story right
here, this word worship, if you look it up in your concordance,
the best definition in the Bible of the word worship, best in
all the Bible. Look it up yourself sometime.
What it says, literally, the word worship, translate, like
a dog licking his master's hand. I've got a dog, I've got a couple
of dogs that just worship me. They just lie around looking
up at me, rolling their eyes, waiting on me to just speak to
them. Just pet them, just say, come
on, or get in the truck, or let's go, How are you? Just a word. They worship me. Every now and then I come and
lick my hand. What do you think I think about
that? You think I kick them? You think I mistreat them? Oh,
no. Somebody said, what are you going
to do with Abner when you move? What do you mean what am I going
to do with Abner? I'm taking him with me. What's Christ going to do with
his dogs? What do you mean, what's he going to do with them? He takes them with him wherever
he goes. He said, I'll never leave a dog
like Mephibosheth. David said, you're going to eat
at the king's table. How long? Continually. As one of the king's sons. I'm
just a dog. Doesn't matter. And he worshipped him, verse
2, and he said, Lord, look at this. Here's the difference between
a true person who believes on the Lord Jesus Christ and all
this religion today. Here it is. Here's the whole
difference in a line. Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me
clean. He didn't say, I know you can,
and I'm willing. He didn't say that, did he? He
didn't say, Lord, I know you can, and I'll let you if you
want to. I know you've done all you can
do, and now it's up to me, and I will, I will. He didn't say,
I've decided to. Keep getting excited here. But,
folks, this is it. This is it in a nutshell. This
is salvation. This is what it means to believe
on the Lord, Jesus Christ. He said, Lord, that is, you're
the sovereign, you're the king, you have all authority over all
flesh, and that includes me. That you can do with me as you
will. That you do with all things as
you will, according to your will. That nothing is done according
to anybody's will but yours. That's what that means. Believe
on the Lord in this order, the Lord Jesus Christ. He said, Lord,
if you're willing, if it's in your will, if you have purpose,
if you are pleased, you can. You don't have to. I don't deserve
it. And there are many lepers out
there. But I'm coming. Lord, if you will, you can. That's what it means to believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ. To believe He's Lord. I don't
mean with lips. This is with heart. Lord, all authority. Lord, Jesus. Let's take His name. Believe
on the Lord. Did the Lord heal Isabella? Yes, He did. He said, I will. Be clean. How, Kelly, how was
He clean? with a word from Jesus Christ. John, why was he playing? How was he playing? Because Christ
said so. Who is he that committed? God
justified. You remember the story? I said
I wasn't going to deal with the Philippian jailer, but I'm going
to deal with every other story. You remember the story of the
Pharisee and the Publican? Pharisee was this good moral
man, you know, thought he was just a wonderful fella and anybody
deserved to go to heaven. He did, huh? And most everybody
probably thought he did deserve to go there. But here's a Publican
who nobody, nobody thought was any count at all. Everybody thought
he was a no good bum and he certainly did. Why do you think that about
himself? Why is he looking for mercy from
God? The Holy Spirit convicted him. Well, these two men came
into the temple, and all the Pharisee could do was brag on
himself. But all the publican could do was condemn himself
and cry out for mercy. God be merciful to me, thee sinner,
he said. They're the worst sinner. They're
no good. So he stood in the back while
the publicans, or the Pharisee, stood up front. And what did
Christ say? One of those men went home justified. I mean completely exonerated
of all wrongdoing. Completely cleared. His record
wiped out forever. Justified. Which one was it? It's the public. Why? He didn't do anything, did
he? He didn't do anything. The cry for mercy. And he was
justified because Christ said so. I say of you, the woman caught
in the act of adultery. All those good Pharisees cast
her before the feet of Christ. And the Lord stooped down and
picked her up, raised her up, and He said, Your sins are forgiven
you. They were justified. Ah, boy. The Lord Jesus means
believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Believe who He is. What's that mean? Savior. Only lost people need a Savior. Jesus. That means Savior. That means blood sacrifice. Redeemer. Lamb. Call His name Jesus, because
He's the Lamb of God. Christ, the Lord Jesus Christ,
means mediator, representative, covenant head. The one who stands
before God before you. The people said to Moses, don't
let God speak to us, you speak to God for us. That's what they
said to Moses. He was the Christ in a picture. Christ stands there for his people. Do you believe on the Lord Jesus
Christ? Do you believe that he's able? Look with me
quickly, and I close with this. I didn't tell you, but I'm going
to make this short. Romans chapter 4. Go over to
Romans chapter 4 real quickly. The story of Abraham. Romans chapter 4. You have it?
It says here in Romans chapter 4, verse 20, Abraham staggered
not at the promise of God through unbelief. but was strong in faith,
giving glory to God. You want a good definition of
strong faith? Right there it is. Giving glory to God. The Roman centurion. Here's another story. The Roman
centurion said to the Lord Jesus Christ, he asked him to come
heal his servant. Or he sent a message to him. And the Lord
sent back a message to the centurion and said, I'm coming, I'll come
to your house and heal him. But the centurion sent back another
message and said, no, wait, don't come to my house. He said, I'm
not worthy. I'm not worthy for you to come
to my house. He knew who he was, didn't he?
What if the President of the United States was coming to your
house this afternoon? If he sent word immediately, I'm coming
to your house today. He might send back word, don't
come. My little lowly hubble or whatever,
don't come here. But the centurion said, don't
come to my house, but you have all authority. You just speak
the word. You don't have to come to my house. Just speak the word
and it'll be done. The Lord said, marvel! He said, this is great faith.
Great faith. He knows who I am. He knows he's
unworthy. And he knows I just have to speak
the word. That's strong faith. He gave all glory to Christ. Unworthiness to himself. Look
at this, he was strong in faith. Verse 21, Romans 4, Abraham was
fully persuaded that what God had promised, he was able also
to perform. And therefore, had to read this,
didn't I, John? The next verse. Therefore, it
was imputed to him for righteousness. He's counted righteous. How?
He's accepted by God. How? God receives him. How? God justified how. Believe on. The Lord Jesus Christ. Our Lord said this, I quoted
it while ago, he said, he that believeth. Half a life, he that
believeth on me, half everlasting life. He doesn't say shall have. Paul and Silas told the jailer,
you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Believe now, keep believing
until the day you die. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
Believe what? That you need saving until the
day you die. You keep trusting him. You keep
looking to him. You keep calling on him for mercy
as a sinner and you shall be saved. No doubt about it. No
doubt about it. There needs to be no doubt about
it. He doesn't say if you clean up your act. He doesn't say if
you quit your sin. He doesn't say if you if you. He doesn't say
that. They said believe on. Is this
good news to anybody? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
On. You believe on something. Were
you waiting for me to say this, Nancy? You believe on something, that
means you cast yourself on it. You lean on it. You rest on it. I believe that bench is a good
bench. I have that belief in my head.
That's a good bench. It's a strong bench. That bench
is able. That bitch would support me up. But to believe on it is to sit
on it. I got to do it. It is. It held me up. That's what it means to believe
on it. Cast all your care, all your sin, your lie, everything,
your future, everything. Come on. The Lord Jesus Christ. Believe on the Lord. Christ said
that he that believeth in me, on me, hath everlasting life. This is important. Faith isn't
the cause of life. It's proof there is life. Faith isn't the cause. He said, He that believeth in
me hath everlasting life. These ladies have these babies. Do they have life when they're
finally, well, when they're born? Well, there's life when the seed
is created. Let's go back a little further.
When the conception begins, there's life. There's a human being in
Melanie Hudson right now that God Almighty purposed before
the world began and knows everything about that child. All its members. Oh yeah, you read it for yourself
in Psalm 139. Everything about it. The whole
future of that child. has been absolutely ordered,
ordained by God Almighty. Everything about it, from however
many hairs are going to be in its head. Yes, sir. That's our God. That's our God. Now give her comfort if she cast
that child, her care on the Lord who gave that conception. It began,
see, life begins at conception. But then the child is born one
day and comes out. All right is it and then this
is Mama is it alive because it believes it's alive. And there's not, you know, with
Kelly reached this point, all children do when they finally
notice they are alive, don't they? First month or so, I guess,
I don't know how long. First little while, you know,
they're just kind of, you know how they are. Eating and sleeping
and what, you know, what else. That's all they do. But then
all of a sudden, you know. Everything is brand new. All
things have become brand new. New creature. That day, they
really see you. Look up and see you. They've
heard your voice. They were alive. They've been
hearing that voice. They knew that voice. Right,
Tammy? And there's a day, there's my
mama. Her dad. It's come a day, maybe
she's our dad. The world is yours now. I exist
to serve you. Sammy said. That's true. That's the way it is. New birth. Faith is not the cause. It's
proof. Proof there is life. Half life. Faith is not faith in faith. It's in a person. Faith trusts
Christ. Faith never trusts itself, that's
not faith. Do you have strong faith? Yeah,
that's not faith. Faith's not in yourself. Do you
have strong faith? Well, I believe Christ. Do you have strong faith? Christ gives life, not faith.
Christ gives glory, not faith. Christ imputes righteousness,
not faith. Faith is proof of it. Christ
saves. Faith just believes that. Do
you believe? In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Do you? Do you believe? Well, I've got to say this in
closing. With the heart, he said, with
the heart, man believeth. Romans 10, 10. With the heart,
man believeth unto righteousness. That's it. But the heart man believe is
underwriting with the mouth. Confession is made. And salvation. What you really believe you got
to got to have the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaking,
you've got to. Our Lord said, Go in all the
world and preach the gospel, he that believeth and is baptized. This is the
confession, the public confession. With the mouth, so to speak.
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. See that? That's the confession. God says, like the marriage ceremony,
do you take this? I sure do. I sure do. Do you take this cry? Do you believe this cry? I sure
do. I believe I was buried with Him and risen with Him and walk
in newness of life and walk like Him the rest of my day. Okay. He that believeth on the Lord
Jesus Christ shall be saved. Turn to hymn number 359 and let's
stand. Sing the first and last verse. My faith looks up to Thee, Thou
Lamb of Calvary, Savior divine. Now hear me when I pray, take
all my sin away. Oh, let me from this day be holy
night When hence life's trends entrain, When death's cold sullen
stream Shall o'er me roll, Let Saviour then in love Fear and
distrust remove. Oh, bear me safe above a ransomed
soul. The. Okay. you Thank you very much.