Let's take our Bibles and turn
with me to the book of Acts, chapter 2. I would like to look at a few
verses in this book, in this chapter. But I would like to
read Acts 2.47. The Scripture says, Praising
God and having favor with all the people, and the Lord added
to the church daily, such as should be saved. I'd like to speak for just a
few moments on this subject. Who should be saved? Now, that verse right there is
the result of what the Lord had obviously done. The scripture
says the Lord added. And He added daily. And those
he added should be saved. Now I know this from that scripture. I know that salvation is of the
Lord. And I know that any addition,
it says he added. I know he didn't add them in
his eternal purpose and will. of covenant grace. I know they
weren't added. They've never been added. They've
always been. There's never been a time. That's hard to even enter into,
isn't it? By faith, I believe, as every
believer does, Almighty God has always possessed His people. But when it comes to that open
manifestation, I'm talking about the open addition of Almighty
God calling out in regenerating grace. A helpless sinner. I know that that work, that manifestation
of God's will and purpose can only be attributed to the Lord. Now when the Lord is pleased
to reveal, His eternal purpose. To show mercy to His elect. He's going to use His prescribed
means of salvation. And this is what it is. I want
you to turn to Romans 10 while we're talking here. Romans 10,
and I want to read verses 13 to 17. Romans chapter 10. Now this is what the scripture
says concerning salvation. Romans 10, 13. For whosoever shall call upon
the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call
on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they
believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they
hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach except
they be sent? As it is written, how beautiful
are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace and bring
glad tidings of good things. But they have not all obeyed
the gospel. For Isaiah saith, Lord, who hath
believed thy report? So then faith cometh by hearing,
and hearing by the word of God. Whosoever shall invoke for aid,
whosoever shall cry out for mercy, knowing that in themselves they
are helpless You know, when you say, whosoever shall call upon
the name of the Lord, I know, listen, I grew up in false religion. And I just truly believe if I
could get somebody to get them down on their knees, you know,
and go through the Roman road, and I don't know, maybe some
of you don't know what the Roman road is. It's just taking some
Scriptures and trying to use and make out a neat little package.
Now look, if I can get you to read these verses of Scripture,
if I can get you to repeat whatever I say when I'm praying, if I
can get you just to use the words, just call on the name of the
Lord. This call right here is a call
of an enlightened heart. No one calls. until Almighty
God has given them life. See, false religion says you
call in order to be saved. The Scripture says that Almighty
God saves His people. And they cry out for mercy. I've
used this analogy so many times. Does a baby cry in order to be
alive? Or does it cry because it's alive?
Well, obviously, a baby cries because it's already alive. That's the evidence of life. It cried. Listen to 1 Corinthians
1.21. For after that in the wisdom
of God, the world by wisdom knew not God. It pleased God by the
foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. James 1, verse
18, "...of His own will begat He us, birthed us with the word
of truth, that we should be of kind of firstfruits of His creatures."
So the Lord of glory is pleased through the proclamation, the
heralding, of the good news, of the glory of God in the person
of the Lord Jesus Christ. He's pleased to save a people
that He's everlastingly loved. Listen to this Scripture. We've
looked at this before. Jeremiah 31.3. And I want you
to listen to the first line. I'm going to read the verse,
but I'm going to break it up in two parts. Just a very short
verse. Jeremiah 31.3. And hear what the church has
to say. The Lord hath appeared of old
unto me, saying." Now, that's what the bride says. That's what
the church says. The Lord hath appeared of old
unto me, saying. Now, where would we begin if
we desired to set forth and to speak of the beginning? of the
appearances of the Lord Himself unto His church. Where would
you begin? The Lord hath appeared of old unto me. Would you be
speaking of eternal election in Christ? How about eternally
being betrothed to the Lord Jesus Christ? Eternally married to
Him? The Lord hath appeared of old
unto me." But then listen to the words of our Lord. The Lord
answers the church, and He says, "...yea, I have loved thee with
an everlasting love. Therefore, with lovingkindness
have I drawn thee." His love for His church is an everlasting
love. And in Christ, the church has
been beheld and loved from all eternity. And in His wisdom,
He calls His people out of spiritual darkness as they hear the gospel
preached. And that gospel is brought to
them in power by the Holy Spirit. Now when it comes to hearing
the gospel, I'd like to just look for just a moment at the
blessing of God in that hearing. Back in Acts 2. Acts 2 in verse
37. I want you to look at Acts 2.37. Now the scripture says, Now when
they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto
Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, What
shall we do? They were pierced, the Scripture
says, pierced in heart and truly affected with an alarm of what
Peter had just said to them. Now, what did he say? Well, look
at verse 36. Therefore, let all the house
of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus
whom ye have crucified Both Lord and Christ. Now, here's the problem. They
had crucified the Lord of Glory. And they knew that they were
guilty. They knew that they were guilty
of the murder of God's Messiah. Now, what's left? What could
be left? But God's wrath. The one that
they had crucified, God raised up. And Almighty God, having
raised him up, has now had him set enthroned at his right hand. And he's entrusted with all power. And he's the judge. And now they're conscious. of
what they've done, and they know that what they've done can't
be undone. Men and brethren, what shall
we do? Here they are pricked in their
heart, but think about what a blessing being pricked in their heart
was. It was God's way to manifest
the evidence of that new heart that Almighty God had put within
them. When we set forth the glorious gospel of God's grace, that the
Lord Jesus Christ came into this world to save sinners, Paul says,
of whom I am chief. Whenever the Spirit of God takes
God's Word and puts a sinner in their heart, They realize,
I'm guilty. I in myself am deserving of God's
wrath. Though Almighty God has never
placed His wrath upon His people. His wrath was spewed out upon
the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord now has convicted them
of their sin and their rebellion of what they are. When the Lord
convicts a man or a woman of what they are by nature, this
is evident. Ezekiel 36, 26. A new heart also
will I give you. A new spirit will I put within
you. And I'll take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and
I'll give you a heart of flesh. A heart of flesh that loves Him. A pliable, not a heart of stone,
but a heart that loves God and bows. and longs after Him and
seeks after Him. Now, what was the evidence? Now, there's the blessing. They
were pricked in their heart. What's the evidence? That God
had done something for them in regenerating power. Here they
are, cried out for mercy. As we just read, pricked in heart,
said to Peter, the rest of the apostles, men and brethren, what
shall we do when the Lord powerfully and mercifully, and suddenly
moves upon a sinner, causing that sinner to truly see something
of his need, that man, that woman, regenerated by the grace of God,
they are not indifferent. And when you find indifference,
when you find that it can be a take it or leave it situation. They have yet to be pricked in
their heart. But you know, even in their rebellion,
even in their conviction of regeneration, the carnal mind is ever taken
up with doing. Men and brethren, what shall
we do? And I know and you know that
the only thing that a sinner has ever done is sin. Salvation
is of the Lord. But I want you to listen to what
Peter's answer was in Acts 2.38. Then Peter said unto them, Repent,
and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of God, Is that
what he said? No. Now let me ask you this. Had Peter said that, he would not have been wrong,
because the Lord Jesus Christ is God. But I'll tell you this,
there would have been no bringing to the forefront of their rebellion. Everybody believes in God. Everybody believes in God. I
was telling the men a while ago, I was reading today, you've heard
of Baal? Baal. Baal is not any particular
God. Baal just means a God. Balaam
means more than one God. Baal means the God that you worship. False worship. When Peter said
unto them, when they said, what shall we do? Do you know the
one that they had rebelled against was Jesus of Nazareth? He's God's
Messiah. He's the Lord of glory. Men and
brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, repent. Change your mind. And I'll tell
you this, there is no man, no woman that has ever been born
in Adam that has the power to change their own mind. Think
differently. They can't think differently. Men and brethren, what shall
we do? Think differently and be baptized,
every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission
of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Do you know what the gift of
the Holy Ghost is? Eternal salvation in Christ. I'm not speaking in tongues. Salvation
in Christ alone. What shall we do? Almighty God
is going to have to do something for you. Think differently. If Almighty God gives a new heart,
if Almighty God gives a new mind, if God Almighty creates a man
anew, a woman anew, born from above, what shall we do? Think differently and the Lord
is going to have to give you a new heart. The Lord Himself is going to
have to save His people. What had they done? Look at Acts 2, verse 22-24. Peter was preaching. He said, you men of Israel, hear
these words. Jesus of Nazareth. Let me tell you what they had
done. This was the one. that was brought before Pilate.
This is the one that they spit on. This is the one that those
soldiers put that robe on him and took him, crown of thorns.
They took a stick and hit him. Who hit you? Who hit you? You're supposed to be who you
claim you are. Prophesy! Who? Pulled out his
beard. You men of Israel, hear these
words, Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by
miracles and wonders and signs which God did by Him in the midst
of you as you yourselves also know Him being delivered by the
determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, you have taken and by
wicked hands have crucified and slain. What shall we do? Peter's answer
was one that gave all of the glory for repentance. The Lord
Himself gave you repentance. I want you to look at Acts 5.
Acts 5. You know, we talk about repentance,
or men do. Believers don't. Man by nature
does. Talks about repentance as if
that's something that he can absolutely do. It's within his
power. Acts 5, verse 29-31, Then Peter
and the other apostles answered and said, We ought to obey God
rather than men. The God of our fathers raised
up Jesus. whom ye slew and hanged on the
tree, him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a prince
and a Savior, for to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of
sins." Where does repentance come from? The Lord of glory
gives it. God Almighty, in His infinite
mercy and compassion and distinguishing grace, grants repentance. Causes His people to come under
the sound of the Gospel. And when it pleases Him, He blesses
that message to their heart. Convicts them of what they are
by nature. Causes them to see they have
no hope in themselves. Saves them by His grace. and gives them a heart that calls
upon the Lord. He gave them repentance. He gave
them a new mind. Their mind was changed, but it
was changed by grace, power. Now you've had your mind changed
about the One that you crucified. Now what? Confess Him in baptism. He's God's Lamb. He's the Lord. He's your only hope. Baptism. The symbolic confession of faith. It is the outward confession
of what Almighty God has done in the heart. And it's concerning
the sacrificial and particular death of the Lord Jesus Christ. His burial. His resurrection.
Baptism does not save. Baptism is the confession, the
obedient confession. Should a believer be baptized?
Absolutely. Absolutely. If the Lord has revealed
to you your utter need of Christ, that you have no confidence whatsoever
in your flesh, that unless Almighty God saves you by grace and power
and mercy, Not counting anything that you've done. Not looking
to your faith. Looking to the object of your
faith. Not counting your baptism. If baptism is salvation, then
you believe in salvation by works. What shall we do? Repent. He
did that. He granted that. Now you confess
Him in baptism. Confess Him who is your life.
And the Scripture says back, and we'll end here, let's read
verses 41 down to the first part of 47. Here the Scripture says,
Then they that gladly received his word were baptized, and the
same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls. I think about that when the Lord's
disciples asked him, he said, Lord, teach us to pray. As John
taught his disciples, he said, when you pray, pray in this manner. Our Father, which art in heaven,
hallowed holy is your name. And he prayed, thy kingdom come. The Lord has a kingdom. He has
a kingdom that He's everlastingly known and loved, chosen in His
Son. That's His kingdom, that's His
people. He's the King and He has a kingdom. He's the Lord,
He has a people. He's the head, He has a body.
I desire, and you that know Him, you desire for the Lord to call
out His people. Isn't it refreshing to be able
to The whole miracle of God's grace when God called out one
of His elect, one of His sheep, one of His bride, member of His
body. We were looking at John 10 the
other day when the Lord, the true shepherd of the sheep, went
into the sheepfold. The sheepfolds of this world. And He goes and He calls out
His sheep. He knows them by name. They hear His voice. How do they
hear? He gives them ears to hear. What
do they do? They hear Him. They know Him. They know His voice. That's the
voice of the Master. That's the voice that you're
listening for. When you're hearing the gospel, you that know Him,
you have a discerning ear. I'm listening for the glory of
Christ. Anything that gives man any honor,
anything that gives man any glory, anything that gives man any praise, that's the voice of a stranger.
I don't follow that. I don't listen to that. I don't
know that voice. That's not the voice of my Lord. My Lord is
exalted. He's to be praised and honored.
They gladly, verse 41, received His Word. They were baptized.
And the same day there were added unto them about three thousand
souls. And they continued steadfastly
in the apostles' doctrine, and in fellowship, and in breaking
of bread, in prayers, And fear, respect came upon every soul,
and many wonders and signs were done by the apostles. And all
that believed were together and had all things common, and sold
their possessions and goods and parted them to all men as every
man had need. And they, continuing daily with
one accord in the temple and breaking bread from house to
house, did eat their meat with gladness and singleness of heart,
praising God, and having favor with all the people, and the
Lord added to the church daily, such as should be saved." Now,
in closing, who should be saved? Who should be saved? I know that
the Lord is going to save His people. Who should be saved? Remember, salvation is of the
Lord. It is by the grace of God that
Almighty God saves anybody who should be saved. Well, I can
tell you this, those that the Father chose in Christ, those
that He gave His Son, that they should be holy and without blame
before Him in love God chose them to election. God Almighty
said, I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy. Who should
be saved? Those that the Father chose.
Who should be saved? Those that the Son redeemed.
He said, I lay down my life for the sheep. He shed His blood. He was made sin. for His people. When He said, I lay down my life
for the sheep, I paid their debt. I was made what they are. Before
Almighty God's holy law, the law demanded absolute justice. Who should be saved? Those that
Christ bought. There won't be any And He paid
for her. There won't be any of them that's
not with Him. Who should be saved? Those that
He redeemed. Who should be saved? Those that
the Holy Spirit regenerates, gives life, gives a new heart,
a heart that does not sin against God. Who should be saved? Those who are holy in Christ
Without blame, those who are without condemnation is therefore
now no condemnation. Who should be saved? Those that
are robed in His righteousness, chosen and redeemed and regenerated
and kept by the power of God through faith. Who should be
saved? None in themselves, but those
that He has purposed to pay their debt. Those that He has purposed
to robe in the righteousness of His blessed Son. Those that
He is pleased to give a new heart to. A heart that knows Him, longs
for Him. That new man. that will forever
be in His presence, beholding His glory, they should be saved. To the honor and to the glory
and the praise of the Lord Jesus Christ. Not unto us. Not unto
us. But unto you, Lord. Give honor
and glory forever and ever. Amen.