truly speaks of receiving Christ. John 1.12 says, But as many as
received Him, to them gave He power to become the sons of God,
even to them that believe on His name. In that verse of Scripture that
I just read, John 1.12, the Scripture does speak of receiving
Christ. But that verse absolutely has
nothing to do with man's free will to act according to the
dictates of a dead heart. as far as what the world describes
as receiving Christ. The word receive in this first
description, but as many as received Him, the word is explained in
the latter part of that verse. That is, to them that believe
on His name. So those that believe on His
name, those that believe on the character, those that believe
the report of Almighty God, have received Him. That is, it's evident
that the Lord has given them life. He gave power, the Scripture
says, to become the sons of God. If a man receives Christ, that
means he believes Him. And it is evident that Almighty
God has given him a heart to believe, to receive. He didn't
earn it. He didn't merit it. It was a
gift of God. Now this evening, in Acts 2,
41 and 42, that Scripture gives the heart and the evidence of
one that has truly received or believed on the Lord Jesus Christ. And so I would like to ask myself,
and I'm going to ask you to ask yourself, have I truly received
His Word? Have I? Has the Lord Jesus Christ
called me out of darkness? Do I know Him? And can I know
it? Is there any evidence whatsoever
given from the Scriptures concerning those that truly have received
Christ? Everybody talks about this. Well,
I received the Lord Jesus. What does the Word of God have
to say about receiving or believing upon the Lord Jesus Christ? Well,
here's the first thing I know. And I'll ask this in a form of
a question. What is my attitude toward the
gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ? What is my attitude toward the
gospel of sovereign grace? Now, the reason I have to clarify
that, you know, you would think that you wouldn't have to. But
there's another gospel that's being preached. There's another
God, which Paul says, which is not another, but there would
be some that would set it forth as such. It's a false message. What is my attitude? Now, I want
you to look at verse 41. Now, here's the acid test. This is God's Word concerning
those that know Him. Verse 41 says, "...then they
that gladly..." received His Word. That is the Gospel. The Word of the living God. Those
that gladly, there's the key word right there. Gladly. The word gladly there is cheerfully.
Joyfully. They embraced it. They welcomed
it. Now obviously, that's the evidence
that Almighty God has given power to receive Christ. You that have received Christ,
have believed Christ. But let me ask you something.
That word right there, gladly, for every truth that is set forth
in God's Word, Satan has a deception. There is a deception. And here
is the deception. Here is the deceptive joy. Hold your finger right there
in Acts 2 and turn back to Matthew 13. Matthew 13. Matthew 13, 20 and 21. Matthew 13, verses 20 and 21. Now the Scripture sets forth
in Acts 2, "...then they that gladly received His Word." Now
here is a deceptive joy. Matthew 13, 20, 21, "...but he
that received Now there's that word. He that
received the seed, that is, the seed of God's word, into stony
places, the same as he that heareth the word, and anon, that word
anon there means quickly, quickly, and anon with joy receiveth it,
yet, Hath he not root in himself, but dureth or endureth for a
while? For when tribulation or persecution
arises because of the word, by and by he is offended." Now this
is what the Scriptures got to say about one that receives. They take in. They hear it. It's an intriguing message. When
you hear the Gospel the first time, It is an intriguing message. It's different. It's a message
that is completely opposite from anything that you'd ever heard
before. It is as common as dirt to hear a message that gives
man all the honor. Now, man comes forth believing
that. He believes that he's somebody.
He believes that he's able, he's capable. But the gospel of free
grace is a message that goes completely contrary to that. The first time I ever heard,
I've told you this before, but the first time I ever heard the
gospel. The first time I ever heard it
mentioned. I'm not saying to hear it in
power. I'm just saying the first time I ever heard it. There was
a man that came down from northern Louisiana. Remember that, Mama? R.F. Gates. A man came down and
he preached. And I heard that for the first
time. And it was intriguing to me. And the first thing it did, because
so many rebelled against it, I was proud of myself. There
was joy in that I wasn't fighting against this. Now, again, I told
you the first time I heard it in power, the Lord was pleased
to bless it through Brother Henry. Mayhem. That's when I heard it
truthfully. But the first time it ever crossed
my path, I was taken up with that. And I thought, you know
what? You folks don't believe this.
I do. I do. And I'm telling you, it
was just nothing but pride and arrogance. And I was happy. But
the next thing I know, there was so much dispute. It was the easiest thing in the
world. It's not worth it. It's not worth
it. But I can truthfully say with
joy, prideful joy, but joy. They hear that, and when tribulation,
persecution arises because of the Word, by and by, he's offended. He leaves. And the reason he
leaves is because there was never a heart there. glad reception
from the heart. So here's the truth. The Scripture
speaks of two different receptions. One of them in Acts 2 verse 40
says that glad they received His Word. And Matthew 13 says
that there was a reception quickly with joy, but because there was
no root. When persecution came, they withered. Now let me ask you this, how
do you know the difference? Well, what does the Scripture
have to say? Let's look at verse 41 again
back in Acts 2. Then they that gladly received
His Word, here's the first thing, they're obedient people. They
were baptized. Now, I know assuredly, and you
that know Him know assuredly, that water baptism does not wash
away sin. Water does not wash away sin. I want you to turn to 1 Peter
3 and look at an amazing passage of Scripture. 1 Peter 3, verse
18 to 21. 1 Peter 3, 18. For Christ also hath once suffered
for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God,
being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit,
by which also he went and preached unto the spirits in prison, which
sometime were disobedient. When once the long-suffering
of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a-preparing,
wherein few, that is, eight souls, were saved by water, the like
figure whereinto even baptism doth also now save us." And then
the Apostle puts in, "...not the putting away of the filth
of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God
by the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Now, Peter said this.
This preaching that the Lord Jesus Christ did in the days
of Noah, before Abraham, when Noah was here. And the scripture says that God
looked and saw that the imagination of every man was evil continually. And the Scripture sets forth
in verse 19, by which he went and preached. Who did he preach
to? Well, he preached to the spirits
that are now in hell. Those that are now in hell. The
Lord Himself preached to them. When? In the days of Noah. Through
Noah, the Lord Jesus Christ preached it. We stand before you this
evening in Christ's stead, Paul said. We beseech you, be you
reconciled to God. These are not the words of a
man. This is God's Word, God's Gospel, God's Truth. The Lord
Jesus Christ, the Scripture says, went and preached unto the spirits
that are now in prison. Not that he went to hell, as
I've heard people say, that he went actually into hell. Have you ever heard that? That
he actually went, they say, into hell. No. He went and preached
unto the spirits that are now in hell, which sometime were
disobedient. When? When they were alive. Walking on this earth. The long-suffering
of God waited in the days of Noah while the ark was preparing
wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. The Lord
gave Noah the instruction to build an ark. And Noah built
an ark. and was saved from the flood. God Almighty prepared that ark
through Noah and saved Noah. A picture of Christ. The like
figure wherein to even baptism doth also now save us. Not, Peter
says, that baptism is our salvation. But baptism is actually the answer. of a good conscience toward God
by the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. Baptism is the
outward confession of our faith in the One who alone has put
away our guilt. Remember this, water does not
save us. The One who died, the One with
whom we were buried, the One with whom we were raised, He
is our Savior. God's people believe the gospel
of free grace. And they gladly receive the word
of electing, redeeming, quickening, and sustaining grace. Sovereign
grace. And they confess that in baptism. Beware of the temptation if you
believe that the Lord has saved you. Beware of the temptation
to think lightly of being baptized. If you believe that Almighty
God has saved you by His grace, beware of thinking lightly. Mr.
Spurgeon said this, I want to read this quote. He said, I do
not question the safety of the soul that has believed, but I
do say again, I would not run the risk of the man who, having
believed, refuses to be baptized. The refusal of a believer. I do not go around trying to
encourage people that has made no outward confession of their
faith verbally to say, I believe the Lord saved me. I don't try
to get people in the water. The refusal of a believer, though,
To be baptized, Mr. Spurgeon said, is to rob God
of His glory because of disobedience. This is his ordinance. He ordained
it. Baptism. They that gladly received
His Word didn't leave because of the persecution of the Word.
No. They were baptized. They confessed
the Lord in baptism. Here's the next evidence. The
Scripture says back in Acts 2, verse 41, Then they gladly received
his word and were baptized. In the same day there were added
unto them about three thousand souls. Now listen to verse 42,
And they continued, now here's another word, steadfastly. Now the word that we focused
on in that verse 41 was the word gladly, heartily, heartily. Verse 42, "...and they continued
steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine." Now, you know there's
a sense in which you can just sit under the sound of the gospel
all your life. And just be there, hearing it. But the Scripture sets forth
The evidence of those that gladly received his word is they continued
steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine. They continued in heart
in the truth of the gospel. They adhered and persevered in
the inspired record of Holy Scripture. And they didn't. by the grace
of God, apostatized. They didn't leave or forsake
the hearing of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus asked
His apostles when many got heard His saying, they said, that's
a hard saying. I understand. I've told you before.
I do understand. Men that hear the gospel of free
grace, And here of distinguishing grace, distinguishing grace,
I understand man by nature resisting that message. I'm telling you,
it goes completely against the flesh. It's going to take a new
heart to love it, to bow to it, to thank God for it. Can you
imagine the book of Revelation says in that day when Almighty
God cast all rebellion in hell, that the saints will cry, hallelujah,
hallelujah. I had someone ask me the other
day, they said, what do you think about that? I said, this is what
Almighty God says. And I can tell you one thing's
for sure. In that day, by the grace of
God, God's people will cry, Hallelujah, as God Almighty casts all rebellion
into hell. You say, are you saying that
those that you know, your loved ones, I'm saying that God Almighty
says that in the day, and I cannot enter into the depth of this
and tell you Everything that I know is going to be revealed.
But I'm telling you, in that day, they're going to cry, hallelujah,
when the Lord throws all rebellion. They said, that's a hard saying. Who can hear it? And the Lord
asked His disciples, will you go away also? And Peter said,
Lord, to whom shall we go? Thou hast the words of eternal
life. You have the words of life eternal. Where are we going? Where is
there to go? Save Him. Are you going back to free willism? Where are you going to go? Lord,
you've got the words of eternal life. No man. that has forsaken
the hearing of the gospel. No man that has forsaken it,
left it, has any reason to expect that he knows God in mercy. You
know that's true. They continued steadfastly. They didn't leave. They continued
steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine. Have I received His
Word gladly? Has God kept me to this date to remain steadfast in the doctrine
of Christ? Here's the third thing. They
continued steadfastly in fellowship. Fellowship. Partnership. They weren't hermits. They stayed met together to hear. Fellowship expresses the interest
that the body of Christ has for His glory by the effectual calling
of God's Spirit. Now, I want you to turn to 1
Corinthians 1.9. This is an amazing passage. How
did you come to have fellowship with God's people? Now, we meet
together on Sundays, on Wednesdays, and we come together, if not
continually, during the week. But we come together, you get
two believers, and I'm telling you, This is going to be, give
it a minute if you have to, but this is going to be the conversation.
It's going to come to Christ. Why? Because there are kindred
spirits, fellowship. How did you get there? How did
you enter in? How is it that we have fellowship,
partnership, communion? How is it? 1 Corinthians 1.9. God is faithful. By whom you
were called unto the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our
Lord. The Lord God of Heaven has called
His people, number one, into fellowship with His Son. Into
fellowship with Christ, knit together with Him. walking together
with Him. How can two walk together unless
they be agreed? The Lord has given His people
a heart that agrees with Christ. That agrees with God's report
of the Lord Jesus Christ. They're in fellowship together.
What He says, we believe. God's people are not in disagreement. with the Lord Jesus Christ. They
read God's Word. Now, I'll be the first to admit,
there's a lot of things that I cannot enter into the depth
of. But I believe it. I believe the
truth concerning His Word. I believe His Word. We have fellowship
one with the other. And Lord, as You say, it is. As You say, I am, I am. Lord,
I am a worm. Lord, You're the Lord of heaven.
Lord, I am incapable. You're all sufficient. The Lord
Jesus Christ is our Lord, our God, and we're in fellowship,
believers, in fellowship with each other. I'm going to tell
you this, I believe the same thing, Carl, you do. I have the
same joy. that you do. I have the same
hatred for indwelling sin that another believer has. I have
the same confidence of salvation totally by grace. By Christ alone,
by grace alone, through faith alone. Fellowship. Fellowship. God's people are knit together. Here's the next evidence of those
that have gladly, back in Acts 2, gladly received His Word. They continued steadfastly in
breaking of bread. Now, the sense of that breaking
of bread may insinuate that they enjoy each other's company Privately. I can see in the wording and
the interpretation of that, that it absolutely can mean that. Believers enjoy other believers'
company. You're not trying to impress
anybody. You're not trying to put on airs with a believer.
You can relax around them. You don't feel as though that
they're scrutinizing every word you say and trying to pin you
in a corner. You can relax around them. But
especially, that portion of Scripture right there means the obvious.
That they were faithfully partaking of the Lord's Supper together. This is an ordinance that has
been left to us by our Lord, and it's for the remembrance
of his death. The giving of himself. We're
at Lord willing. We're just getting ready to partake
of the Lord's supper. He said, this do in remembrance
of me. And in the wisdom of Almighty God, a bronze statue was not
left. Here's the ordinance that he
left. for the remembrance of his death
and burial. It was the breaking of bread
and drinking of a cup of wine. This do. This is my body. This is my blood. This do in
remembrance of me. God's people steadfastly, in
heart, they come together in the breaking of bread. This fellowship
that we enjoy right here It is a joy to remember our precious
Savior together. And then lastly, they continued
steadfastly in prayers. That was the last part of verse
42. They continued steadfastly in
the Apostles' doctrine, in fellowship, in breaking of bread, and in
prayers. Mindful to pray for one another. That's what the Apostle Paul
says. Brethren, pray for me. Call my name as God calls you
to remember me. Pray for us. Pray without ceasing. Again, that is an amazing passage
of Scripture to me. I do realize that we go through
this life and we have things. You've got your work. Those of
you that have jobs where you're having to be around people, I'm
shielded. I'm shielded from much that you
have to endure. I know. I'm here in this study
by myself. But then, for those of you that
are in the workplace, And you have to put up with the stress.
You know, there's times that the Lord brings to your memory
things concerning His grace. I'm not going to leave you. My
grace is sufficient. There's times that the Lord,
the Spirit of God, brings to your mind things that you pray
about and you're never really aware of what you're doing until
you're in the midst of it. The Lord's caused you. to think
upon Him. Everything that you do, everything
a believer does revolves around Him. His honor. Whatever comes
up, I'm telling you what will come to a believer's mind. How
is this concerning my Lord? How is this concerning His honor? How is this going to affect My
relationship to others and my witness to others pray without
ceasing. The essence of prayer lies in
the heart drawing near to God. It's the evidence of the Spirit
of God upon that new heart. It's good to retire to the closet
of prayer often. I would, for myself, I just like
to schedule. I don't want it to become vain
repetition. But it's good for me to set a
time to where this is where I want, I desire, I would long to, to
have my day begin and end. Lord, for those that You've given
a heart to gladly receive Your Word. Lord, cause us to enter
in to the truth of the evidence that You've given of those that
know You. Lord, teach us. Help us. Cause us to muse upon these things
for Christ's sake.