Acts 28. If the Lord wills, we'll finish
the book of Acts tonight. The chief of the Jews that were at Rome was called
by the Apostle Paul so that they might hear from
his mouth the reason that he was there. Paul told them, he said, I'm
here, verse 20, for the hope of Israel. And they told him, they said,
well, we've heard We've heard about
what you've been preaching about. Paul said, I'm here because of
what I preached before and what I'm going to preach here. The
Lord had sent him to Rome and we've watched that journey as
we've gone through the Scriptures and we've watched how providentially
God brought him to this place just like all of us here, providentially
been brought. We talk about the providence
of God. And when you speak of the providence
of God, what you are actually saying is that God provides all
that is needed for His people in the person
of the Lord Jesus Christ. That's the providence of God.
It's these things that work, that God works. He's providing. He's doing. So Paul said, I'm
here. They told him, we've heard of
this sect. We've heard of this gospel. Some called heresy. Well, if there was going to be
any hope for these Jews right here, if there is any hope for
anybody here tonight, the one message that we are going to
have to hear is the Gospel of Christ. That Gospel that Paul
said, I am not ashamed of it. I am not ashamed of the gospel
of Christ. It is the power of God unto salvation. Well, in these last verses, beginning
in verse 23 and go through the end of the chapter, I want to
look at four evidences of absolute truth. Here is the first evidence. If
God is going to save a man, a woman. God Almighty will cause that
person to hear the truth of Christ. Here is the evidence, first of
all, of those that God sends. Here is the evidence of a God-called
preacher. Here it is right here. Verse
23, And when they had appointed him a day, there came many to
him into his lodging, to whom he expounded and testified the
kingdom of God, persuading them concerning Jesus, both out of
the law of Moses and out of the prophets, from morning till evening." Now Paul and all true preachers
of the gospel. This is what they do. They faithfully
execute their calling by preaching the Lord Jesus Christ out of
the scriptures. Now, he clearly, Paul did, set
forth the scriptures revealed the reign of the Lord Jesus Christ
in the heart of His people. That's His kingdom. He rules
and reigns. Now you're walking around, you
that believe the Lord, you're going to work, you're here, you're
going about your daily things as you go. And while you go,
the kingdom of God is being set forth in this. The Lord Jesus
Christ rules in your heart. That's His kingdom. He has a
kingdom. He told Pilate, He said, My kingdom
is not of this world. The kingdom of God. The only
basis that Paul used to prove the kingdom of God was the Scriptures. That's what he said. He expounded
and testified the kingdom of God persuading them concerning
Jesus both out of the law of Moses and out of the prophets
morning to evening. He took the Word of God. This
is the foundation. This is the basis of what we
believe. We are very careful to make sure
that when we make a statement out of these holy Scriptures
that we'll prove Scripture by Scripture. Iron sharpens iron, Scripture
to Scripture, truth to truth. The truth of God confirms the
truth of God. And Paul took the Scriptures.
He expounded unto them, persuaded men, concerning, the Scripture
says, Jesus. Now, when Paul and when preachers
stand and persuade men concerning Jesus, what was he saying? What is actually taking place
there? Well, here's the first thing.
When men are persuaded concerning Jesus, first of all, they're
persuaded of the fault of man. We talk about the Lord Jesus
Christ coming into this world. Why did He come? He came to save
sinners. Men are persuaded concerning
Jesus when you tell a man what He is by nature. You set forth. Now, the Scripture does not say
in this verse of Scripture 23, it doesn't tell which Scripture
Paul used. But it says that he persuaded
them concerning Jesus both out of the law of Moses and out of
the prophets from morning to evening. Now, let me ask you
this. Look at Genesis 6, 5. Here's out of the law of Moses.
I'm talking about the fall of man. I'm just reading one. I'm not saying that this is one
Paul referred to. I'm talking about the Scripture
that says he did it out of the law of Moses. Genesis 6-5, "...And God saw
that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that
every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually."
You know what that says? Man has fallen. Man is a fallen
creature. How about out of the prophets?
Look at Isaiah 1. Brother Scott just read this.
I'll just read a verse or two. Isaiah chapter 1. Verse 5 and 6. I'm sorry, he
read out of 6. I'm reading out of 1. Isaiah 1, 5 and 6. Why should ye be stricken any
more? Ye will revolt more and more. The whole head is sick,
and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even
to the head there is no soundness in it, but wounds and bruises
and putrefying sores. They have not been closed, neither
bound up, neither mollified with ointment. Do you know what the
Scripture says? Man's falling. He expounded unto them Jesus
and He told them why. When we expound and preach Christ,
when we preach the Gospel, this is what we do. We tell a man
what he is. We set forth what man is as being
found in Adam. He is dead spiritually. He is born unable, unwilling. Man is unwilling in himself to
be reconciled to God. No man seeks after God. The Lord
said you will not come. We will not have this man to
reign over us. Fallen. I'll tell you the second
thing when he preached Jesus, persuading them of Jesus out
of the law of Moses and the prophets. The message of redemption has
always been set forth. out of the law and out of the
prophets. Man has always set forth. He has fallen. Redemption
always set forth. In that same way, let me ask
you this, just an example. As I said, it is not told. But
when Abraham brought his son Isaac up on that mountain, God
had told Abraham, He said, I want you to take your son, your only
son. and sacrificed him unto me for a burnt offering. Abraham told the men that went
with him, he said, the lad and I are going to go yonder and
we're going to worship God." Can you imagine? Abraham looked
at that boy and that boy in Abraham's mind was dead, but he was fully
persuaded that God was able to raise him up. That boy, that
was God's promised son. That was His only son. Redemption. Brought him up on that hill.
Laid him on that altar. Raised that knife up. God stopped
him. He said, I want you to take that
boy off and I want you to take that ram caught in a thicket
right there and put that ram up there and sacrifice the ram.
Substitution. The Lord said, Abraham saw my
day. He was joyous. He was glad. That's out of Moses. How about out of the prophets?
How about redemption out of the prophets? Isaiah 53, 4 and 5,
Surely he hath borne our griefs, carried our sorrows, yet we did
esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted. But he
was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities. I'll tell you the third thing
that's preached whenever Jesus is set forth. He's set forth
and expounded unto them concerning Jesus. Paul had the Old Testament
Scriptures. And he was preaching Christ. The third thing is that man is
regenerated. This has always been preached.
Regeneration. Quickening. bringing to life. The Scripture says in Genesis
15, 6 concerning out of the book of Moses, concerning Abraham,
he believed in the Lord and he counted it to him for righteousness. Almighty God regenerated men,
women in the Old Testament just like He does in the New. He expounded
unto them Jesus. He set forth man's fall. He set
forth substitution. He set forth regeneration by
the grace of God. Listen to this. Regeneration
out of the prophets, Ezekiel 36, 26, A new heart also will I give
you, and a new spirit will I put within you. I'll take away the
stony heart out of your flesh, and I'll give you a heart of
flesh." Does God not do that now? He's always done that. He's always
set forth the Lord Jesus Christ. He's always set forth man's fall,
man's need, hope by God's grace. Let me tell you the second thing,
the evidence that's set forth in this blessed last few verses
of this book. The evidence of the distinguishing
grace of God. Paul had preached unto these
Jews and he expounded and testified, verse 23, the kingdom of God
persuading them. concerning Jesus, he preached
the only message of hope. He preached life in Christ. He
preached hope and comfort and peace, reconciliation before
God. And here was the evidence of
the distinguishing grace of God. Look at verse 24. And some believed the things
which were spoken, and some believed not." Hearing the gospel always has a reaction. There is always a reaction to
hearing the truth. All that believe not the gospel
of free grace in Christ do so because they choose to not believe. Men, the Scripture says, love
darkness rather than light. Men will not come. This is what Christ said in John
5, verse 40. Ye will not come to Me. that you might have life. You know, I mentioned this Sunday, a believer, and I'm convinced
the older a believer gets, the more serious, the older a believer
gets, the more serious they get concerning this thing of salvation. They just don't take nothing
for granted. They never tire of hearing of
the grace of God. And you'll find them. I know
you do. You that believe. I know this
is the way it is with you. Making your calling and election
sure. To whom coming? You don't look back. You don't
look back 5, 10, 15, 20, 30 years, 40 years. You don't look back.
You don't look back to a feeling. You don't look back to an experience.
You don't look back to an event. You look to a person right now. A person. that is real to you. It's real. And you are truly aware of the
reality of who He is. And you admit, I see through
a glass darkly. Lord, I know in part I see and
behold the frailty of my flesh. I see in me there dwells no good
thing. Lord, I admit it, but coming
to You, I come afresh. I come afresh today. To whom
coming? You're not satisfied to rest
in the faith by which you believed Him yesterday. Yesterday's gone.
Tomorrow never gets here. Today is a day of salvation.
Today. And the Scripture says concerning
the unbeliever. That's a believer now. That's
the way a believer is. To whom coming. Is that not so
with you? Is that not the way it is? You're
concerned. You're concerned. I mean, you
know whom you have believed. And you're persuaded that He's
able to keep that which you've committed unto Him against that
day. You know it. You know it. And the thought that He would
call you out of darkness still just steals your heart. You're
so taken away with that, Lord, that You would call me, that
You would not leave me to myself. Lord, can it be that You have
shown mercy to this weak and frail sinner? Lord, is that the
way? Thank you. Thank you. And the Scripture says for an
unbeliever, you will not come that you might have life. Here is the evidence of God's
distinguished grace. Some believe the things that
were spoken and some believe not. Oh, but to those that believe
the things that were spoken, Now we behold the evidence of
God's power and grace. I had a group of Jews that were
there, and they all heard the same message. Paul preached,
expounded, testified of the kingdom of God, and everything that once
mattered to some of them didn't matter anymore.
They believed. The difference between those
that believed and those that believed not was the mercy and
compassion and grace of God. I will have mercy on whom I'll
have mercy. I'll have compassion on whom
I'll have compassion. It's not of him that willeth,
not of him that runneth, but God that shows mercy. Faith to believe is given by
God through the power and quickening grace of His Holy Spirit. The
wind bloweth where it listeth. Thou hearest the sound thereof,
but canst not tell whence it cometh or whither it goeth. So
as every one is born of the Spirit, can you imagine that God's Spirit
would blow upon me? Call me out of darkness." Believing God, some believed
and some didn't. Believing God is the evidence
of God's eternal purpose to show mercy, that you believe Him. What's the evidence of salvation? You believe God. You believe
God about yourself. You believe the record that God's
given concerning His Son. And you cast yourself upon Him
for mercy. Him who has already had mercy
on you and has given you life. You call, Lord have mercy. He already has. But that doesn't
relinquish the cry that you have for mercy. Compassion. Acts 13.48, as many as were ordained
to eternal life believe. How many are going to believe?
All that the Father gives. How many are going to come? All
that the Father gives. All that He has chosen in Christ
are coming. How many are going to be lost? None. None. If any man dies and doesn't believe
God, it's his own fault. You will not come to me that
you might have life. If any man comes that he might
have life, God has shown him mercy. Let me ask you this. We say, what is the evidence
of eternal life? Here's what it is. It's that
they believe, that they believe. But you know, I got to thinking, what's the evidence of true belief?
Just me thinking to myself, you know. I know this. What is, you
know, whosoever believes, whosoever is called on the name of the
Lord, you know. The Philippian jailer asked Paul,
what must I do to be saved? Paul said, believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ. And I got to thinking today. What is the evidence of
true belief? Do you remember me telling you
one time that the devils believe? That's the same word as believe
on the Lord Jesus Christ. I told you I looked it up. I
thought it was going to be different. You know, it wasn't. Belief is
a mental ascent. No doubt about it. You believe.
You believe. You believe. But I got to thinking, what is
the evidence of true belief? And I think this verse of Scripture
nails it. John 10, 27, My sheep hear My
voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. So I looked up the word, follow.
Because, Carl, I wanted to know. This is important to me. I looked
up the word follow, and this is what it was. It means alpha. A-L-P-H-A. Alpha. You know what it says? Those
that follow Him, He's first. That's what it means. Those that
follow Christ, What is their attitude? Those that believe
Him, what do they do? They follow Him. What's the attitude
of following Christ? He's first. He's the Lord. I'm first. Everything else is
second fiddle. Here's the third evidence. The
evidence of a solemn warning. To those the Scripture says it,
believe not. Here was a solemn warning given
by the Apostle. The evidence of God's warning. Verse 25 through verse 29, And
when they agreed not among themselves, they departed after that Paul
had spoken one word. This is what Paul said, Well
spake the Holy Ghost by Isaiah the prophet unto our fathers,
saying, Go unto this people and say, Hearing ye shall hear, and
shall not understand, and seeing ye shall see, and not perceive.
For the heart of this people is wax gross, and their ears
are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed, lest they
should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand
with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal
them. Be it known therefore unto you that the salvation of God
is sent unto the Gentiles, that they will hear it. And when he
had said these words, the Jews departed and had great reasoning
among themselves." They questioned everything. Great reasoning.
They questioned everything that Paul was saying. Paul warned them. He said, well,
has the Spirit of God spoken? You're going to hear and you're
not going to hear. You're going to see and you're
not going to see. I've heard this said before,
there is none so blind as those that will not see. You will not. You cannot. You will not. Refusing to bow, to come, to
follow, to believe the Lord Jesus Christ is a dangerous act. A man or woman leaves this world
without Him is a fatal act. You're snubbing your nose at
eternal reprobation. That is, the eternal judgment
of God that falls upon those that willfully reject Christ.
Turn to Luke 13. I want you to read something
here. Luke 13, verse 23. Luke 13, beginning in verse 23. Then said one unto him, Lord,
are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, strive
to enter in at the straight gate. For many, I say unto you, will
seek to enter in and shall not be able. That is by their own
works, by their own efforts. by their own thoughts, when once
the master of the house is risen up and has shut the door, and
you begin to stand without and to knock at the door, saying,
Lord, Lord, open unto us. And he shall answer and say unto
you, I know not whence you are. Then shall you begin to say,
we have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught
in our streets. But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not
whence you are. Depart from me, all you workers
of iniquity. There shall be weeping and gnashing
of teeth when you shall see Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, and all
the prophets in the kingdom of God, and you yourselves thrust
out. They shall come from the east,
and from the west, and from the north, and from the south, and
shall sit down in the kingdom of God. And behold, therealast
which shall be first, and thereafirst which shall be last. Those that
have hardened themselves against Christ, and die in that state, Almighty God has left them to
do that which they truly want to do. And they hang, Jonathan
Edwards said, as a man suspended Oprah over the abyss. Just held there with a spider's
web. The only thing that suspends
him. is the sustaining grace of God that holds a man there.
A man that believes not is here by God's good mercy and pleasure. Oh, the hardness. He said their
hearts are waxed gross. They are calloused. Their ears
are dull of hearing. unsparing, violent. Eyes have
they closed, they've shut to the truth. And God will not trifle
with those that trifle with His Son." Verse 28 reveals the method and
purpose of God to show mercy to the Gentiles. That's what
He said here in that latter verse at last. He says that when He
said these words, I'm sorry, Verse 28, "'Be it known therefore
unto you that salvation of God is sent unto the Gentiles, and
they will hear it.'" Here these Jews are saying, some believed,
some didn't. Gentile dogs, the Lord said, I'm going to send
the gospel to them. And these Gentiles, they will
hear. And then the last evidence is
the evidence of true salvation. Paul, verse 30. dwelt two whole
years in his own hired house and received all that came in
unto him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching those things
which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no
man forbidden him." As far as I could tell, the last
two years of Paul's life were summed up in those last verses
right there. That's what it says. Paul dwelt
two whole years in his own hired house. More than likely, most
of the letters that were written to the churches were written
during this time. Paul was there. He was under
house arrest. The Roman government had him.
But the one thing that sums up the life of the Apostle Paul, is found in these last two verses.
He dwelt two whole years in His own hired house and received
all that came in unto Him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching
those things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence. No man forbidden Him. Do you
know what that says? He endured to the end. The Apostle Paul, beaten in the
deep, ridiculed, imprisoned. And here
was this man. And we come to the very last
two verses of this book, the book of Acts. The setting forth
of how the Lord sent His Apostles and how God Almighty went out
and established calling out His people. And here was this man,
the Apostle Paul that the Scripture reveals, a man that was one time
in the body, out of the body. He didn't know. Taken up to the
third heaven. heard things that were not lawful
for a man to speak. This man that God Almighty used
to write, to pen, under the direction of the Spirit of God, a major
portion of the New Testament. And he died a prisoner in Rome. I stayed there, the Scripture
says, two years, no mention whatsoever. It just
wasn't fair. It just wasn't right. He preached the Kingdom of God
and taught those things which concerned the Lord Jesus Christ.
Here is the evidence of a believer in Christ. Matthew 10.22. You shall be hated of all men
for My name's sake, but he that endures to the end shall be saved."
If Almighty God has called a man out of darkness, a woman out
of darkness, that man, that woman will be kept by the power of
God. God will keep them. chose them in Christ. Those that Almighty God everlastingly
loved. Those for whom the Lord Jesus
Christ was made sin. Those that the Spirit of God
call out of darkness impart life. God keeps them. The reason He keeps them is because
it's His will that where Christ is, they're going to be also.
And they're going to see Him as He is and be like Him. It's been a blessed book, hasn't
it? A good book to consider. I pray
that the Lord calls us to muse upon the things that we've learned
out of this blessed book. And to be thankful that God has
allowed us to consider, I think to myself, but for the grace
of God, I wouldn't even want to look at it. I wouldn't even
want to consider the book of Acts. Most people in this world,
in the book of Acts, this is the only thing they know about
the book of Acts. They take something that happened on the day of Pentecost
and they go back and they've built a whole religion. They've
built a false hope of salvation. based on trying to mimic what
they think is some kind of a speaking in tongues. And it has absolutely
nothing to do with what they're talking about. Setting forth
a Christ. May God add His blessing upon
His Word for Christ's sake and for our good. Amen. Gary, you
come.