All right, let's take our Bibles
again and turn to the book of Acts chapter 17. Acts 17. Acts chapter 17. I've entitled
this message, How do I know that this gospel is so? How do I know that this gospel
is so? Acts 17 verses 10 and 11 gives
us the answer. to this question. And the brethren
immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Berea, who
coming thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. Now these
were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received
the word with all readiness of mind, and searched the scriptures
daily, whether those things were so. Now I realize in this day
of religious hype, everybody's got an opinion on what's right
and what's wrong. I realize that the average person
sees preachers, all of them, false preachers, true preachers,
I hesitate to even tell someone that I am a preacher because
of feeling as though that I'm putting myself in a group that
are nothing more than an embarrassment to the office of this marvelous
preaching, calling of preaching. Most people see preachers as
nothing more than hucksters. trying to weasel their way into
their wallet. And the truth about all of this
is that one day there's going to be a reckoning. And we're
all going to stand before God, and those that heretofore have
been lied to are then going to find themselves without hope,
without a substitute, without life cast out from the Lord.
Now what I need is I need for someone to tell me the truth. I want to know who can I believe. There's got to be something that's
more substantial than my opinion because this one says one thing
and that one says one thing and these things don't mash up And
if they're both supposed to be truth, then I've got a conflict. Everybody's got an opinion. But
what I truly need is to hear from someone that has truly been
taught of God. Someone that the Lord has blessed
with some knowledge of Himself, and the only confidence that
anybody is ever going to have of hearing that which is absolutely
the truth is going to have to be found in the Word of God. Almighty God has set forth a
truth in our passage today that everybody can absolutely take
to heart and listen to what God has to say. When you hear someone
speaking, listen to what they're saying
and do what they did at Berea. It said they searched the scriptures
daily whether those things were so. Now, the Lord Jesus Christ
was speaking to two on the road to Emmaus, and the scripture
declares that he spoke to them and he started with Moses. He
started in the beginning of the written scriptures, and he expounded
unto them in all the scriptures those things which were concerning
himself. Look at John 5. The gospel according
to John chapter 5 verse 38-39. John 5, verse 38. The Lord said, and you have not
his word abiding in you, for whom he has sent him you believe
not. Search the scriptures. For in them ye think ye have
eternal life, and they are they which testify of Me." There is
no difference between the written Word and the incarnate Word. Someone can say, well, that's
good and fine. Everyone says that they're teaching
the Word. And everyone says that they're
going to do what they're doing by truth. And what makes you
think that what you're saying, your interpretation of the truth
is true? Well, as Scott Richardson used
to say, he said, I'm going to lay down a straight stick. And
we're going to take this straight stick of the Gospel And we're
going to compare everything else to this straight stick. What
does the scripture teach? What does the scriptures teach,
first of all, about man as he really is? How is man? Now, all religious teaching can
be summed up in one of two ways. Either man's ability or man's
inability. God's ability or God's inability. Now either a man can pull himself
up by his own bootstraps or he cannot. Now one or two. Either all men are fallen creatures,
helpless creatures. The scriptures said, the Lord
speaking in Psalms Psalms chapter 14, here's man, here's man summed
up right here. Here's all of the goodness, here's
all the worth of man as Almighty God sets it forth. Psalm 14,
to the Lord look down from heaven upon the children of men to see
if there were any that did understand. How many understand? Understand
what? Understand about themselves, understand about God, understand
about salvation. How many of them understood?
How many of them did seek God? He looked, the verse says, to
see if there were any that did understand and seek God. In verse
3 it says, they are all gone aside, they are all together
become filthy. There is none that doeth good. No. Not one. Now, according to the
scriptures, searching the scriptures daily, we realize then that man
cannot be sparked by some emotional feeling or teaching. Either a
man is just kind of dozed off sleepily and he needs to be aroused
by some positive thinking, an emotional speaker, or He's dead
in trespasses and sins. The Scriptures declare, in searching
these Scriptures daily, Isaiah 1 verse 6, from the crown of
the head to the sole of the foot. What's there? Putrefying sores. None of it's been bound up, none
of it's been mollified, none of it's been treated. It's none
the better. That's man by nature. And so
therefore, The Scriptures declare that we've all come forth from
my mother's womb, speaking lies. We're all liars. We're all conceived
in sin. The best that we've ever done.
Here's how the Scriptures sums it up. Filthy rags. Filthy rags. Man is summed up
in this word. He is altogether vanity. So when men say that there's
a little good in all men, search the Scriptures. Search them daily
and see if that is truly so. What does God have to say when
Almighty God declares this concerning man? It's the truth. When someone tells you that you
can do something and the Scripture says you cannot, We're going
to obey and believe God. Ephesians 4.18, having their
understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God
through the ignorance that's in them because of the blindness
of their heart. Man by nature. Isaiah 59. Look at Isaiah 59.10. Here he
is. What does the Scriptures have
to say? What does the Scriptures have to say about man? Isaiah 59, 10. We grope for the
wall like the blind. And we grope as if we had no
eyes. We stumble at noonday as in the
night. We're in desolate places as dead
men. We roar all like bears and mourn
sore like doves. We look for judgment. There's
none for salvation. It's far off from us. Our transgressions
are multiplied before Thee. Our sins testify against us.
For our transgressions are with us. As for our iniquities, we
know them. In transgressing and lying against
the Lord, departing away from our God-speaking oppression and
revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood. Yeah, there's a little good in
all men. Is that what the scriptures say? I know that the gospel we
preach is so because it proclaims man to be as God says he is. Only in the gospel do you hear
the truth concerning man. I tell you the reason I know
the gospel we preach is so. Because according to the scriptures,
it is the only message that proclaims God to be sovereign. God Almighty is sovereign. One might say, well, I absolutely
believe that God is sovereign. Well, let's just examine to see
if what you believe is what the scripture says is so. I would say that probably, if
you want to get right to the heart of what a man believes
or doesn't believe about God's sovereignty, it's going to come
down to this point. I'm telling you, this is the
point right here of contention with most people. Well, all people
that don't believe. I can tell you, this is the point
right here. For whom did Christ die? Believe me, that's the point
right there. For whom did Christ die? Nobody
will dispute the fact that he died. In fact, you could pretty well
get people to at least admit outwardly, when you talk about
a man's total inability, total depravity, Men will say because they don't
understand it. Do you believe a man is totally
depraved? Oh yeah, absolutely. I believe he's a sinner. That's
not what I ask you. Do you believe that a man is
totally depraved? That means that there's no part
of his faculty that has any ability, desire or ability to seek after
God. That's what that means. Men will
say, I believe that he's a sinner. Well, everybody believes that
they're sinners, but they believe that they're capable sinners. So they'll admit, OK, I believe
that man's to pray, because they don't understand what you're
saying. You can ask them, say, do you believe that God Almighty
elected a people? Oh, I absolutely do. I truly
believe that. I absolutely believe that God
Almighty has an elect people. He looked down through time,
and I believe that He saw who would choose Him, so He chose
them. He elected them. So I believe in election. Do
you believe in irresistible grace? Oh, I do. I truly do. I believe
that grace, whenever God comes to a man and offers him graciously,
that a man does accept that. And I believe He does it because
man really knows deep down inside that really God wants to save
him. So I believe, yes, I believe
that part. And again, the reason they say they believe that is
because they don't understand what you're asking. Do you believe
in preservation of the saints? Oh, I do, I truly do, because
I've been in this for a long time. And I've truly been faithful. I've been faithful. I'm like
that Pharisee. I fast twice a week, and I give all that I, you know,
possess, and I tithe, and I do this, and I'm not like that publican
right there. And so I persevere because I'm really, really sincere
about what I'm doing. And the reason, again, is because
they don't understand what you're saying. But I'll tell you this. When you ask them, for whom did
Christ die? Do you think that the Lord Jesus
Christ died for everyone without exception? Or do you believe
that He died only for the elect? Now they understand what you
said there. They understood that part of it. The very part that
a rebel against God comes to in rebellion against God is particular
redemption. Particular redemption declares
according to the scriptures that when the Lord Jesus Christ laid
down His life He laid down his life only for the elect. John 10, 15. He said, I am the good shepherd,
and the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. For the sheep. There were some that came to
the Lord and said, well, I hear what you're saying, but how long
are you going to make us doubt? Why don't you tell us plainly? John 10, 25, the Lord answered,
I told you, and you believe not. The works that I do in my Father's
name, they bear witness of me, but you believe not, because
ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you. My sheep hear My voice,
I know them and they follow Me. When you tell somebody that Christ
died only for the sheep, that's the point right there. That they
will raise their ugly head of rebellion against God Almighty. Christ laid down His life for
the sheep. Let me ask you this. How do I
know that this gospel is so? Who then can be saved? Who then has eternal life? Turn with me to John 17, our
high priestly prayer of our Lord. John 17. Who has eternal life? Well, someone's going to say,
well, I can tell you who it is. It's those that have given their
heart to the Lord Jesus Christ. That's not what the Scripture
says. That is not what the Scripture says. What does the Scripture
say concerning eternal life? John 17 to as thou has given
him power over all flesh that he should give eternal life to
as many as thou hast given Him. Who has eternal life? Those to
whom the Son has given it. For by grace are you saved through
faith, and that not of yourselves. It's the gift of God. Look at
verse 3 of John 17. And this is life eternal, that
they might know Thee. the only true God and Jesus Christ
whom Thou hast sent. Who has eternal life? Those that
have been taught by God concerning God's will and God's purpose
and God's good pleasure to show mercy and compassion. Those that
God has chosen and given unto the Son and sent Him, the Lord
Jesus Christ whom Thou hast sent to be their Savior. Who has eternal
life? Look at verse 6. I have manifested
Thy name unto the men which Thou gavest Me out of the world. Thine
they were, and Thou gavest them Me. And listen to this. And they
have kept Thy Word. How did they keep His Word? Because they, 1 Peter 1, were
kept by the power of God through faith. They've kept Thy Word. What? By their own power? No!
No! No! Who has eternal life? Those that
have been given life, those taught of God, those kept by the power
of God. And look at verse 9, I pray for them. I pray not for
the world, but for them which thou hast given me, for they
are thine. Who has eternal life? Those that Christ prays for,
intercedes for. You know, the problem is that
we want God to fix some kind of a mold that we've conjured
up And when the Scriptures fail to back up what we believe, we
just then start preaching a message that appeals to the masses. And we tell them, this is God's
glory. But actually it comes down to this, who gets the glory? Who gets the glory in salvation? How do I know that the Gospel
that we preach is so? Because we search the Scriptures.
We line up everything that we believe with what God has to
say. And if it doesn't line up with
what God has to say, then it's wrong. If I don't believe in particular
redemption, then by process of elimination I must believe in
salvation by merit, by works. If I believe that the Lord died
for everybody and it's left up to me, then I have to believe
that my choice is what made the difference. God cast a vote,
devil cast a vote, I have the time vote. That's what man believes
by nature. I know that what we preach is
so because we preach the only message that declares God to
be sovereign, that He's God. Thirdly, I know that this gospel
is true because it's the only message that offers me any hope,
any security, any life. Because of what I know concerning
what the Scriptures has to say about man. I've already looked
at that. I know what it says. I know that
it says that all have sinned and come short of the glory of
God. I know that God looked and there's none good, not one. I
know from the crown of a head, the sole of a foot, a putrefying
source. I know that Paul says in me that
is in my flesh that there dwells no good thing. I know I'm dead
in trespasses and sins. If I'm dead, unless I've got
the ability to raise myself to life, and I know that God's just,
and He's not in any wise going to clear the guilty. He's not
going to do it. Then the gospel is the only message
that offers any security, any hope of life eternal, because
I've seen something of the depravity of a man And since reconciliation
back to God is an impossibility if left to me, then I must come
to the conclusion to where I've got to hear a message. Is there a message out there? that declares unto me that God
Almighty is going to save sinners. Is there a message that preaches
that He delights in mercy? That He delights to show mercy
and compassion? Is there a message out there
that could talk about the justice of God being spewed out? That judgment can be spewed out? That the law can be honored?
Can the law be honored? Can the law not be mad at me
anymore and judge me anymore? Is there a message out there
that declares that God can be just and deal with sin and still
justify a sinner? Yeah. One message. It's the glorious gospel of the
Lord Jesus Christ. It's that gospel that proclaims
Him to have actually come into this world, and this is according
to the Scriptures, that He came into this world to save His people
from their sins. So you're telling me that there
is a people of God. Yes, I am. That's what I'm telling
you. I'm telling you that God has a people and He's given them
to the surety Himself. And I'm telling you that the
Lord Jesus Christ came into this world because I don't have a
righteousness that will stand before God. And I've got to. I've got to stand before God
holy. I've got to stand before God with no guilt. Not only no
guilt, I've got to have righteousness that God's going to accept. You're
telling me that the Lord Jesus Christ came into this world and
He lived for me, not for Himself only as a single person, but
He came into this world as the representative of all of God's
elect. and for all that God had ever
given Him in electing grace, He came and for them, He as their
absolute representative. And God's going to account everything
that He did to my account. Yes. And He's the one that the Father
said, this is my beloved Son in whom I'm well pleased. Yes. And you're telling me that that
righteousness that He earned, that He covers me in that? Yes. And you're telling me that
somehow He took all my guilt, that I can't even figure out
how it's in me. He took everything that I can't
even, I could cut myself open and I'm not going to find it.
That it's in my nature. Yeah, that I can't do anything
about. Yeah. And he bore all of that
in his own body, and God Almighty, in absolute justice, because
he was made sin, that God dealt with him in the indescribable
justice and wrath of God's law. Yes. And when He put that sin
away, cast it as far as the east is from the west, and right now,
that believing Him being the evidence of this, that there
is right now, if I die in this next second, if I pass out, if
I have a stroke, if I have a heart attack, and don't even realize
that I ever hit the ground, I'd never even know it, that right
now there's no condemnation. To them that be in Christ Jesus,
yes. How do you know that that's so?
Because the scriptures declare it to be so. The gospel we preach
proclaims Christ finished the work. And that Christ himself now is
ascended into glory and he's seated in the heavenlies as my federal head, my husband,
my savior, my priest, and that God Almighty is not angry with
me. No. The scripture declares, I
love this right here, I've read it so many times, I'll just read
it to you in closing. 2 Thessalonians. 2 Thessalonians 2.13. There's one word that I want
us to hit right here when I read it. 2 Thessalonians 2.13. But we are bound to give thanks always to God for you, brethren. Now listen to this. Beloved of the Lord. Beloved
of the Lord. Because God hath from the beginning
chosen you to salvation through sanctification of the spirit
and belief of the truth. You're telling me that God right
now is not angry with me at all. Not in the least. He is no more
angry with you that believe than he would be angry with Christ. When he died and came out of
the grave, according to the scriptures. That's what scripture says. He
died according to the scriptures. That he was raised according
to the scriptures. How is that? How is it according
to the scriptures? When he came out of that ground,
God, who accepted his sacrifice, raised him from the dead for
or because of our justification before God in him. This message is the only message
that tales of one who absolutely secures salvation and doesn't
just make it possible. If it's possible, then I don't
have any hope because I have never obeyed God in one thought,
one time, one action. I know that the gospel we preach
is so because it's the only message that proclaims me to be dead
It reveals God to be just and it sets forth man to have any
hope with a just God in a substitute. Where is my hope and justification
for this truth? In the scriptures. Search the
scriptures. We would do well to listen to
the preaching of the gospel from the mouth of one who has been
taught of God. and then search the Scriptures
to see if these things be so. Oh, the joy of having a book. Someone says that's just a book.
No, no, my friend. No, it's not just a book. This
is the Word of God. God's Word divinely kept, divinely
sent, divinely blessed to the hearts of those that God Almighty
has divinely and everlastingly loved in Christ. And I pray that
according to His goodwill and pleasure, that Christ might be
honored as we read these blessed and preach these blessed scriptures.
And it might be to the eternal good of God's elect. These things
for Christ's sake we ask. Amen.