Once again, I have to say how glad I am to be here. Remember one another in prayer. Remember those who are not with us today. We ask that you would remember Nancy and I as we travel.

Not long ago, I was listening to a recording message and the individual that gave that message said right at the beginning, and this is for those who listen on Sermon Audio, you might want to take a piece of paper and a pen so you can write down the scriptures as we go through them. All right, that being said, turn with me to the book of Acts chapter eight, if you would. We're looking at the events that followed the death of Stephen. And we have right off in this passage of scripture, we have that there has been a great persecution as a result of Saul of Tarsus, and he's raised havoc in the church. And many of the folks that live there in Jerusalem have left. Now they have left by divine appointment. God has moved them to places where there are lost sheep of the house of Israel, and as a result of them being moved, they're going to preach. And it tells us in verse four of Acts chapter eight, therefore, they that were scattered abroad went everywhere preaching the word.

In the very next verse of scripture, we have a record of Philip. It tells us here, Philip went down to the city of Samaria and preached Christ unto them. How valuable these words are for us even today.

I remember many years ago, not long after I first came, a man approached me and said, is this all you're going to preach? And I had to stop because I didn't know what he was talking about. I'd only been here for less than a year. And I said, what do you mean? He says, are you just going to preach Christ? And I said, that's all I've got. What do you want? Well, he explained to me what he wanted. He wanted some legalism and he wanted some advice and this sort of thing.

Well, there are some reasons that we preach Christ. There are some reasons. Jesus Christ himself said this. Would you turn with me to the book of John chapter 5? In John chapter 5, we read the Lord Jesus giving some instructions here. John chapter 5 verse 39. He's speaking to a group of people who really knew the Bible.

You know, before I was saved, I had read through the Bible a couple of times. My grandmother had read through for years and years and years. Every year she read through the Bible. And someone could ask me today, how many times have you read through the Bible since you've been saved? From beginning to end, not one time. Not once. But I read my Bible. The Lord leads me to places, to books, to chapters, and allows me to read it and ruminate on it. So it's not checking a list and saying, I made it through this year. I made it again through this year. I got to read about my Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, Old Testament, New Testament.

And that's what Christ brings out here in the book of John chapter five and verse 39. He's speaking to a group of religious people that know the Bible. They have memorized chapters of the Bible. I'm convinced that Saul of Tarsus knew more from memory of the Bible than I could read in a year. but he was not qualified to preach Christ because he didn't know him.

But here we read, we preach Christ because Jesus Christ is the center of the scriptures. What does it say here? Search the scriptures, for in them ye think ye have eternal life. but they are they which testify of me. That's what the scriptures are about. The Bible testifies of Jesus Christ. And we've mentioned this in the past. If you go to the Old Testament, you find him known as the Messiah, the promised one. Many other terms are used over there. When he came in the New Testament, he is given the title Christ because that's the word Messiah translated into Greek and we just transliterated it into English. So search the Scriptures for they testify of me.

They testify when we preach Christ, we're testifying as the Scriptures declare of Christ. And then would you turn with me just in the book of John Again, to chapter 15 and verse 26. John chapter 15 and verse 26. Once again, the Lord Jesus Christ is speaking and he's speaking about the testimony of the scriptures. He's teaching here us again about the testimony. Who is going to testify about me? Well, here in the book of John chapter 15 and verse 26, we find that the Holy Spirit's ministry is this. The scriptures testify of me. And here in the book of John, yes, John chapter 15 and verse 26, it says, but when the Comforter has come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, what does it say? He shall testify of me.

Now, he is not going to testify of himself, and he's not going to testify of the Father, specifically because if you testify of Jesus Christ, if you preach Christ, then you're going to be preaching the Holy Spirit, and you're going to be preaching the Father. That's how they receive their glory. He's the one that is preeminent. We just heard that there in the book of Colossians, that in all things, he might have the preeminence.

All right, and then if you'll turn with me to Matthew chapter 17, the book of Matthew chapter 17, we read here that the father speaks from heaven with regard to his son, the Lord Jesus, not son by birth, but by relationship. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in every capacity are equal in power, in omniscience, omnipotence, everything else. There is so equal. And there are equal in their interest in saving the lost sheep of the house of Israel. They have their ministries to perform in that.

And here we find in the book of Matthew chapter 17, there in chapter 17 and verse five, we have this, the Holy Spirit shares with us. While he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed. Now Peter's speaking, and Peter's just like us. Now what can we do? And while he yet spake, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and behold, a voice out of the cloud which said, this is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. Hear ye him.

So when they went out preaching the word, when Philip went out preaching Christ, there was a reason for doing that. Jesus Christ said, the scriptures testify of me. Jesus Christ said, the Holy Spirit testifies of me. And we find out that the Father testified of him. So here we have the great explanation given concerning these very things.

Now, last time we were looking at the preaching Christ and preaching the gospel, we find out, as Brother Mike brought out this morning, there must be part of that. There must be part of it. We're lacking if we do not present what the Bible has to say about our condition in the fall. A lot of people, I grew up with them, they were, Spiritually, I looked at them for advice in the religion I was in, but they never ever told me what happened in the fall and how it relates to me. They never shared that, but they expected me to make a decision for Jesus.

I had a young man in my office not that long ago, he and his father and his brother, And he was spouting off about something and I said, he said, you're saved. I said, what do you save from? He says, sin. And I said, who told you that? Who told you that you were a sinner? He says, my dad. Well, my dad said that several times too. He didn't mean it from a spiritual context in any way. He just said, you know what I'm talking about. Well, we're not given that information from our dad. Now, our dad may be faithful and tell us about what the Bible has to say about the situation, but just because he tells us that we are wrong and we've sinned and we shouldn't have done that doesn't mean anything when it comes to spiritual matters. Only the word of God can give us the truth of this, and only the word of God will give us the truth of this, because we want our legacy to be spiced up just a little bit, don't we? We want our word about ourselves to be just as good as it can be.

Well, we find out God has a great declaration about this, and he has declared throughout his word in so many ways that when Adam fell, it brought the entire human race under a veil of sin and darkness and death. Well, I've had people say, well, Adam didn't die. Well, he did later. But spiritually speaking, he died instantly. He was darkened towards God. And we know the account. We just go over there and we read. Well, he's running scared to death from a good God. He ran.

Two verses I want to look at before we go to the next part, and that's in Jeremiah chapter 17. Turn with me, if you would, to the book of Jeremiah chapter 17, and in Jeremiah chapter 17, it tells us the extent of the problem in our heart, in our inner person, in who we really are and think about. That part we don't want to share with anybody, Now we may share a little, but we're not going to share it all. But here in the book of Jeremiah chapter 17, and there in verse nine, we have the Old Testament prophet. And I just want to say this again, as is so often brought out from this bullpen, this is all the saints at the time of Jesus Christ had. was the Old Testament. So they could have easily read this passage of scripture pointing out the error, the problem, with natural man in preaching Christ. Because it tells us the heart condition, the person that we are inside, that nobody can tell about, can't see. It says here, the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked, who can know it?

So we have the problem there about the heart. It is desperately wicked. It is incurably wicked. We cannot take an antidote for that problem. It must be a new creation. We must be raised from the dead, and we'll get to that in just a moment. And then if you would, back up one book to the book of Isaiah chapter one, and we find out here the totality of the problem that Jesus Christ came to deal with. Now it is so comforting in all of this that before the world began, God had an interest in some people that he knew were going to die in Adam. And he promised to them eternal life and eternal justification, eternal sanctification. They're dead in trespasses and sin, but he has them marked out in time. Now, my friend, if God had not done this, if God had not had an interest in us before the foundation of the world, we would never have an interest in him on our own. The death that happened in the Garden of Eden with Adam was so complete that nobody, and the Bible tells us clearly, but most people don't want to read it or believe it, is no one seeks after God. But that's the truth of the matter. And if he does not seek after us and find us and bring us, we'll never ever seek after him. And I've had people tell me blank to my face, I did. Well, that's just too rare. Because God said nobody did. So I'm thankful that he has an interest in doing that. He's the seeker after, he's the raiser of, he's the drawer of.

All right, the book of Isaiah chapter one, and there in verse six, we read this, the extent, the extent illustrated here in the book of Isaiah chapter one, verse six, it says, from the sole of the foot, even into the head, there is no soundness. in it. And I can hear people say, I have some. You know, we all think we do until we find out when God saves us, we didn't. He's the only one that can actually convince us of the truth of the gospel. He's the only one that convinces that his word is actually true. Until he does that in the new birth, we'll argue with him on every side. We may agree with him up to a point, but you know what? We are really the exception to most of those rules. And then we find out, oh no, I'm worse than I thought.

All right, goes on to say here, but wounds and bruises and putrefying sores that have not been closed, either bound up, neither mollified with ointment, there's no medical doctor that can take care of the spiritual needs of anybody. We can read about the lady that suffered much. by many doctors and paid all of her income and savings. And it tells us was no better. And if we look at that from a spiritual context, we have people going all over the world. I saw a story yesterday about a lady traveling down to Australia to be with some guy that supposedly could give her a better life in some kind of study. You know, we'll go everywhere, won't we? We'll do almost anything. And then it's by the grace of God, he leads us somewhere where the gospel is preached and we get to hear it. And at that time, we do admit what he said all along. From the top to the bottom, nobody could do anything that would take care of the problem.

Now we find out, if you'll turn with me to the book of Acts right now, chapter 4. Acts chapter 4. In Acts chapter 4 we read this about our Savior, the Lord Jesus. We find out about Him that there is none other name given under heaven. It doesn't matter where you live, doesn't matter what culture you have, doesn't matter what you believe by nature, whether it's a totem pole or a big fat guy on a building. I know people that won't go into a Chinese restaurant because that little fat guy sitting there, well, he has no control over me. We kind of laugh at what people do, but we were just right in the middle of it, weren't we? Yeah. All right, Acts chapter four. Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. Now just back up to verse 10. Be it known unto you all that to all the people of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, now that's the name, that we find in verse 12. Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom he crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand before you whole. This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which has become the head of the corner. And he takes them to an Old Testament verse of scripture that shares with us that Jesus Christ, the Messiah, is always rejected until we're born again. And then we say, take me, Lord.

All right. We need something to take place. Now, there's an illustration I have to give you. Many years ago, I was pretending to pastor churches, and I was pretending to pastor a church over in Klamath Falls, Oregon. And I had some car trouble, and I was too proud to ask anybody for help, so I took my Winchester Model 94 3030 down to a pawn shop. And I pawned it. And I got the money I needed to do some car work. Now, when it came time for me to go get it, you know what I had to do? I had to redeem it. I went in with more money than I got. I went in with the redemption price. I went in with a price that would redeem what had belonged to me to begin with. I had pawned it, and now I want it back, so I'm going to have to redeem it. Well, when we get to looking at God's great work of redemption, He is the Redeemer that redeems His people. Now, we gave up all in Adam, and we can say, well, it's his fault and it's not my fault, it's our fault, we fell in Adam. We're either gonna believe it or not, and if you don't believe it, you're wrong. We fell in Adam, we died in Adam. And in order for us to ever appear before the throne of grace on God's terms, we must be redeemed. Now we must be redeemed from the sin price. The soul that sinneth, it must die. There is a price that was paid when we sinned in Adam, we died. And in order for us to ever be in the presence of God Almighty on good terms, we must be redeemed.

Now there is only one redemption price and there is only one redeemer. It doesn't matter what religion may say. There is only one redeemer and there's only one redemption price. Now, it's not our good works, it's the redemption price. It is the blood of Jesus Christ. There's one Redeemer, Jesus Christ, and there is only one redemption price that will take care of the problem, and that is the blood of Jesus Christ.

Now, what does that mean? His life must pay for our sin. When you take the blood from something, you take its life. And when Jesus Christ gave his blood a redemption price, he is saying, I will die in your place. I will die for your sin. I will redeem you. Now I'm so thankful that the redemption price was paid by Jesus Christ. And we'll look at some of those verses, but in that, he did not make us redeemable. He doesn't redeem us because we consent to it. He redeems us and then we learn about it. He didn't make us redeemable by us doing something then. Okay. All right. I'll pay your price. No. He paid the price for God before the foundation of the world, knowing full well who he was going to redeem. He's going to redeem his people. He's going to redeem the church. He's going to redeem his elect. And that's what he did.

So let's look at this for just a moment. Book of Ephesians chapter one. Would you turn there with me? Ephesians chapter one and Ephesians chapter one, verse four. Ephesians chapter one, verse four. We notice this. I'm just so thankful that we find these things in the word of God. God is very clear to explain to us what he had to do in order to save us, to redeem us. Here we have in the book of Ephesians chapter four, it says, excuse me, chapter one verse four, according as he has chosen us in him before the foundation of the world that we should be holy and without blame before him in love. Well, what does that tell us right off? He's gonna take corrupt and make them incorruptible? He's gonna make those who are unholy, holy? Yes. He's gonna take care of the problem.

Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will. He's happy to do it. He finds pleasure in redeeming his people from their sins. It's not drudgery. It is his pleasure to do this. To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved. In whom, now notice verse seven, would you? In whom we have redemption. through His blood. And what does that redemption through His blood provide for us? The forgiveness of sins. It's almost overwhelming. That by His shed blood, He grants the forgiveness of sins. according to the riches of his grace, wherein he hath abounded toward us with all wisdom and prudence.

In him we have redemption through his blood. Who is it that pays the debt? Who is it that pays the sin debt? It's the Redeemer. Who is that? Jesus Christ the righteous. It was counted in the covenant of grace before the world was ever created. They covenant together in mercy and grace to save a people and the Son said, I will die for them. I will redeem them. I will purchase them. I will go to that earth and I will go through the life of a man for thirty-three and a half years. All the indignities all of the rashness, all of the nature of man with God, I will endure all of that and then I will be condemned to death and go to the cross. And I'll lay down my life a ransom for many.

Our iniquities have separated between us and God, and we need someone to come in and take care of the problem. Turn with me, if you would, to the Psalms, Psalm 111. Psalm 111, verse 9. Psalm 111, verse 9. He sent redemption unto His people. I stand redeemed. Payment has been made and a result of that payment that was made he has granted the forgiveness of sins

I Had someone tell me recently that people go to hell because they don't accept Jesus And I says that's not in the Bible You know why the Bible says people go to hell because they're sinners and That's the problem. And you know what? Everyone that's ever been born deserves that. We deserve that justice. We deserve that penalty. We deserve that eternal separation from Almighty God. There's nothing good in us that should warrant anything else but What is it that makes the difference then? The grace of God. Only the grace of God, only the unmerited favor of God, only the choice of God, only the purpose of God, only the predestination of God, only God and God alone makes the difference. We cannot, no one can, but he does, and he has, and he's made a difference for his people. Here it tells us, I sent redemption unto his people. He sent redemption unto his people. He hath commanded his covenant forever. Holy and reverend is his name. Holy and reverend is his name. Oh, it is so set apart. He is set apart because of his redemption. He is set apart because of a covenant. He is set apart, and it is a holy and reverend name that he has.

They shall call his name Jesus, for he shall save his people from their sins. And then we go down just a few verses from that, and they shall call his name Emmanuel. which being interpreted is God with us. So we have God. becoming the redemption price, the redeemer of his people. He sent redemption unto his people.

And then if you turn with me over to the New Testament, the book of 1 Peter 1. In 1 Peter 1, we have this redemption price again. It took the redemption price. You know, we don't have a redemption price. We can't pay it. It's all covered with sin. Anything that we have is covered with sin. Our works are covered with sin. Our will, our belief, our faith, everything that we have. And God demands perfection. He demands perfect faith. He demands perfect sanctification. He demands perfect righteousness. He demands perfection. And so there's only one place to look for that perfection, that's to God. And so he looked to his son as perfection. And that perfection came down in a perfect way and laid down his life for our sins and forgave us all our sins. And now we find that God's people shall be presented spotless without sin because of his perfect offering, perfect righteousness.

All right, over here in the book of 1 Peter, First Peter chapter one, verse 18, talking about redemption. It says here in verse 18, for as much as you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things. Now I may redeem my 94 Winchester with corruptible things. I probably took in some paper money and that money's probably all gone to the pods by now. I may have taken in some coins, but even they wear out. The fluctuating price of gold and silver? That's one thing about the blood of Christ, it doesn't fluctuate in value. Same today as it was yesterday, the perfect redemption price.

All right, for as much as you know, we're not redeemed with corruptible things of silver and gold from your vain manner of life or conversation received by tradition from your fathers, but this is how you were redeemed. but with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish and without spot, who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world. This plan took place in eternity past. Can't put a time on it. It's old eternity. That plan was worked out by God in old eternity. And that plan was carried out exactly. You know when Jesus Christ came? At the exact right time. You know when he was crucified? At exactly the right time. Everything was being carried out by purpose of God that was laid down in eternity past.

This covenant is exacting. Now the covenant that God made with Israel or Israel made with God and failed was because of natural man. The weakness of the flesh, it failed. But this covenant will not fail because it's made between the triune Godhead. And they are in complete agreement to keep it because they can. They can say they could do it because they have the ability of doing it, the power to do that.

But with the precious blood of Christ as a lamb without blemish, without spot, who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you. What's that mean? He came down to this earth. And you know, he was really mistreated. He came into his own and his own received him not. Came into the world and the world knew him not. But the ones who know him are the ones that the third part of the gospel says they will know him. Those who are born again. You know, creation tells us about the new birth.

I was talking to my brother yesterday, youngest brother, and we were remembering a family that moved into my granddad's old, he had a little homestead there. It wasn't very big, had an old house on it in the barn. They moved up from California and bought it. And you know, we kind of laughed, because they just did not know country ways.

First thing we knew that there was a problem was they had four kids and they wanted to get some cats for those kids, some kittens. So they said, we'll get all female cats so that way we won't have any kittens around. That didn't last very long.

And then we knew there was a problem when there was a bunch of willow trees along Pine Creek there and he grafted peaches onto them. Not gonna work. They're not of the same kind. Willows and peaches, they may be trees, but they're not that close. Now you can take apples and graft them on other apple trees. And you know, we have a lot of fruit today as a result of grafting and so forth, but it has to have the same beginnings.

And here we find in creation, God made everything and it brought forth after its kind. I don't expect oranges on a peach tree. I don't expect broccoli coming off of carrots. It's not going to work. We may pray over it all we want.

I remember seeing a movie one time, and this old couple, they planted all kinds of groceries, and when it came up, they all looked the same. And someone had sold them all corn in different tomato packages, celery packages, carrot packages, and they didn't know the difference.

Well, my friend, I've said that, and my time is about up for today.

The creation declares God's great work of new birth. What was here before he created the world? Nothing. Zero. And he created something out of nothing. Now my friend, when we get involved in our new birth, We're trying to create something out of something, and that's a fallen something, and it will not work.

But when God creates and brings forth after His kind, it's something that will endure to the end. It will be glorious in His sight. and it will be something we will love for all eternity. A new life in Christ Jesus.

We're going to stop there for right now.