Let's take our Bibles and turn
to the book of Acts chapter 19. While you're turning there, let me confess unto you that
I pray and ask the Lord's blessing upon this service. I believe I mean that. I think
I do. I pray that God might be pleased
to teach us that truly we might rejoice in the exceeding riches
of His grace as we study this blessed subject. I want to preach
tonight on the baptism of John, picking up where we left off. In Acts chapter 19, I left off
in verse 2. And it's there that I'd like
to pick up this evening. The Apostle Paul had come to Ephesus. The Lord eventually raised up
a church there. Paul wrote a letter to him. It
was the book of Ephesians. some disciples, it says at the
end of verse 1. And obviously, as he talked with
them, as we said before, he detected something that didn't
ring exactly true with him. Their speech betrayed them. And as I said before, a believer
talks, speaks like a believer. And the Spirit of God within
a believer detects and can pick up after a while if something
seems to be wrong. Something seemed to be wrong
with what these disciples were saying. And so Paul asked him
in verse 2, have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed? Or literally believing, did you
obtain the Holy Spirit? And as I said last time, that
word believed that he used is the same word
used concerning Simon Magus in Acts 8. It says he believed. But later it was revealed by
the Apostle Peter, by the Spirit of God's detecting or revealing
to Peter, detected to Peter, that this man's heart was not
right. Peter didn't know that. The Spirit of God taught him
that. James 2.19 says the devils believe,
tremble. Same word. But the difference between Simon
Magus and these devils that believe that God is God, the devils believe
that. He said you believe that there
is one God. The devils believe that. They
tremble. But the difference between the devils believing that word The Philippian jailer asking
Paul, what must I do to be saved? And Paul said, believe on the
Lord Jesus Christ. Same word. Look it up. Same word. There is a mental assent. There is an understanding of
some things. As I've told you before. You
can believe. Five points of Calvinism stand
firm on. And not have a heart for the
Christ that those doctrines set forth. The devils that are said to believe
have not received the Holy Ghost. Now, God's elect actually in
time receive the Spirit of God. He is imparted to them. He lives in them. And we are
said to be sealed by the Spirit of God. I got to thinking on
that, and I've always considered that being sealed by the Spirit
of God, being protected, covered over. That's true. That is so,
there's no doubt about that. But actually being sealed by
the Spirit of God, that's not the exact description, let me say, of that
word being sealed by the Spirit of God. The word sealed there,
now this is the difference in believing, having a mental assent
of something, like the devils do, and believing on the Lord
Jesus Christ and receiving the Holy Ghost, truly regenerated
by God, quickened by God's Spirit. Here's the difference. They're
sealed. God's people are sealed by the
Holy Ghost. What does that word mean? It
actually means to be stamped, marked, impressed, like an embosser. If I were to write a letter,
I can take Finest piece of paper that I could buy and I could
write in the most beautiful calligraphy that you've ever seen and write
a letter to my mother. Buy a fine envelope, stick it
in there, see, you know, flap it over, lick it, stamp, press
it. Right on there, you know, Marian
Stoniker, Ball, Louisiana. Do you know until I take that
stamp and put a stamp on it and put that, there's the seal, that's
what it is. That seal, that stamp, is actually
the legal stamping document, whatever you want to call it,
that will then have the federal government have somebody come
by. It is, there's the authority
that picks it up, the requirements have been met to have that letter
sent. Until that's put on there, it's a pretty letter, but it
ain't going anywhere. There's no stamp on it. There's
no seal on it. That's what the word means. Been
sealed. The impression, it's been placed
upon, being sealed. The Spirit of God is there. Who
sees it? God sees it. God put Him there.
And God's people know it. Have you received? the Spirit of God since you believed. Has the impression, have you
believed unto repentance and God Almighty put Himself upon
you? Well, when Paul asked them, have
you received the Holy Ghost since you believed? He is asking them
this. Has the evidence of God's Spirit
been manifested to you? Have you received it? Now, I
told you last time, and I don't want to go back and preach the
whole message, but I want to pick up where we left off here.
How do you know that you've received the Holy Ghost? Remember, there
were three things. The Lord says when the Comforters
come, He's going to convince the world those that were the
elect, God's people. He will convince the world. As
I said, the world left to themselves. God leaves them to themselves.
They're dead in trespasses and sins, and they are not convinced
of these things. But God's people in time are. They're convinced of sin. They're
convinced of their transgression against the law of God. They
know what they are. I'm a sinner. Brother Scott just
read 1 Timothy. Jesus Christ came into this world
to save sinners, of whom I am chief." They are convinced of
sin. They are convinced, Mitch, of
their transgression against God. They know that. Those that have
received the Holy Spirit, they are convinced of sin, that they
can do nothing of themselves. They know that they have sinned
against God. Secondly, they are convinced
of righteousness. That is, that there's none that'll
stand before God except the Lord Jesus Christ. That it is His
righteousness alone that is imputed to me. One that is convinced
of that, he's received the Holy Ghost. God Almighty has manifested
Himself to that man, to that woman. And thirdly, he's convinced
of judgment. That is, that there's none for
me. That the Lord Jesus Christ has paid my debt, being made
sin, made what I am by nature, and that God Almighty dealt with
me in a substitute. He dealt with Christ, but why
was He dealing with Christ? Because He was made what I am.
Paul said, I was crucified with Him. So therefore, Paul asked
them, Have you received the Holy Ghost since you believed? Is the evidence of God's Spirit
manifested to you? And the answer that they gave
shed a great deal of light on their spiritual state. They said
unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any
Holy Ghost. Now, to think that they had been under the teaching,
and they were under the teaching of John. I'll answer that in
a few minutes, and we'll look at that. To think that they had
been under John's teaching and had not heard of the Holy Ghost
is highly improbable. When they said we've not so much
as heard, the way they answered, the way it's translated right
here, and actually what they were saying is a little different
in our minds, and I'll explain it to you. John, the Scripture
says in Luke 115, was filled with the Holy Ghost from his
mother's womb. John spoke of the certainty of
the Spirit's teaching and presence. John knew. Listen, John 1.32,
and John bear record saying, I saw the Spirit descending from
heaven like a dove and it abode upon Him. John, as he preached,
taught the people the vast difference between the person of the Lord
Jesus Christ and His ministry And John's ministry, this is
what he said, Matthew 3.11, I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance. But he that cometh after me is
mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear. He shall
baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire. So knowing that
John preached concerning the work of, the ministry of, the
presence of, the Spirit of God, to have them say, we've not so
much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. And they said
under John's ministry, it couldn't mean that they were ignorant
of his being and his Godhead. That's not what they're saying.
But I believe that their answer to Paul was that they honestly
admitted. And there's a miracle of God's
grace that they never experienced, as far as they could tell, any
work of the Spirit of God in themselves. They were just honest. Now, that admittance right there,
man, I've thought on this answer right here. Grace before grace? The grace of God before the saving
grace of God that would bring them. even the baptism of John,
which we're going to look at in just a minute again. The grace
of Almighty God. They answered, We've not so much
as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost. There's been no evidence
to us of the Spirit of God. Well, when they said that, in
verse 3 and 4, He, that is Paul, said unto them, Unto what then
were you baptized? They said, we don't know here,
no evidence of the Spirit of God to us. Well, here the apostles,
Gary, had been sent by the Lord Jesus Christ. And he said, you
go into all the world and you baptize, preach and baptize. Go into all the world and preach
the gospel to all men, baptizing them in the name of the Father,
of the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all
things whatsoever I've commanded you, even to the end of the world,
the age. And so Paul asked them, they said, there's been no evidence
of the Spirit of God. To me, if you come up and ask
somebody, do you feel yourself to be a believer? And they just
say, well, to be honest with you, I absolutely have no. They said, I've been baptized,
but no evidence of me that God's ever done anything for me, to
be honest with you. And ask him, well, then what were you confessing? What were you confessing when
you were baptized? That's what Paul asked them.
He said, then, unto what then were you baptized? Paul, knowing that these men
had honestly admitted their ignorance of the working and the presence
of the grace of God in the Holy Spirit, asked them, what were
you confessing? when you were baptized. You were
baptized. What were you confessing? Remember this. When a believer
is baptized, he is admitting outwardly of an interior, of
a work inside. He is saying something symbolic. Baptism is not salvation. save because we are baptized.
We are baptized and that is the confession of our faith in the
Lord Jesus Christ. What we are confessing is this,
I believe having been regenerated by the Spirit of God, God Almighty
has granted me faith to believe that Christ is my all and in
all. That He put away my guilt that
God Almighty chose me before the foundation of the world in
Christ to be holy and without blame before Him in love. And that in time the Spirit of
God called me out of darkness and revealed to me that God loved
me without a cause in me freely by His grace. and called me to
Himself powerfully. I believe that the Lord Jesus
Christ is all of my righteousness and that His Spirit is my seal
until the day of redemption. There is the authority of God
placed upon me. That's what I believe. That's
believer's baptism. He asked them, then what will
you baptize? And they said, unto John's baptism. Now, Paul clarified in the fourth
verse, John's baptism. He said, John barely baptized
with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people that they
should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ
Jesus. Now, Paul is admitting and telling
these men This is what John was saying. This is what his baptism
was. It was a baptism unto repentance. Now that phrase right there has
been one that I have mulled over and prayed over and thought upon
for weeks and weeks and weeks. The baptism of repentance. again for a moment at this thing
of the baptism of repentance. Now, before I go in, and I'll
not labor it, I don't want to just, but I want to be honest
about it. Repentance. Repentance. I know this, that true repentance
is a gift of God. I know that. I know this, brother
Scott, I can't Let me tell you what repentance is, and I've
said this before, it's to think differently. That's what repentance
is, to think differently. And savingly, it is to think
differently concerning how God saves or justifies a sinner,
to think differently. Differently from what? Differently
from the way that I thought when I was born in Adam. I thought
I could justify myself before God by works of righteousness,
you know, whether it be walk down an aisle and recite a sinner's
prayer or be baptized or, you know, just somehow go to church
or read my Bible or I don't know. I just, you know, just something,
something in my mind, just works of righteousness that I've done.
Repentance, repentance, is a gift. It is the grace and gift of Almighty
God to think differently. How do I think differently? I have to have a new heart. I
have to have a new heart. I have to have a new spirit.
I have to be born again to think differently. I cannot think differently
in the old man. Why? I'm dead. I can't think
differently. So repentance, there was a baptism
of repentance. Oh, I do realize there's a false
repentance that springs from the sorrow of the consequences
of sin. What do I mean by that? I mean,
when I get caught. When I'm caught. That's false
repentance. I am sorry because of the consequences. True repentance. flows from the
consciousness of indwelling sin. I think differently in what it
is I see in me that is in my flesh. There dwells no good thing. And there is a new man that has
been given from above that thinks differently. He thinks aright. He thinks rightly. came baptizing with the baptism
of repentance." Now, the Lord Jesus Christ set forth, spoke concerning John's
baptism. Turn to Matthew 3, and just hold
your prayer because I'm going to, right there, hold it in Acts,
but Matthew 3. Matthew 3, 5 and 6. John spoke
of sin. and the absolute necessity of
repentance. John spoke of a change of mind. Look at Matthew 3, 5 and 6. Then
went out of him Jerusalem, then went out to him Jerusalem, and
all Judea, and all the region round about Jordan, and were
baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins. What were they doing?
They were saying in that baptism, I know this, I'm a sinner. I'm
a sinner. They were confessing their sins.
Secondly, John preached that repentance is proved by the fruit
of the Spirit. True repentance. Look at 7 and
8. Same Matthew 3, 7 and 8. But when he saw many of the Pharisees
and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation
of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
Bring forth therefore fruits, meat, or fit for repentance. John spoke of the Lord Jesus
Christ. He spoke of the Spirit of God.
He spoke of the dangers of unbelief and false security. Look at Matthew
3.9. And think not to say within yourselves,
we have Abraham to our father, for I say unto you that God is
able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. What
John was saying was this. In that repentance, speaking
of sin, Speaking of Christ, speaking of my need and speaking, don't
be falsely secure. There were some that came and
they would not be baptized of John. What was John saying? The last time we looked at this,
we looked at and said and admitted. I think we'd all admit this.
If you come to the heart of why the Lord Jesus Christ was baptized,
He was baptized of John, you will then get to the heart of
why others were being baptized. I think that's a fair deduction.
Find out why Christ did it, and you'll find out what the others
were saying, at least in type, in form. We looked at this when
the Lord Jesus Christ was baptized. What he did, he picked up telling
John all righteousness must be fulfilled. John the Baptist came on the
scene 400 years after the last prophet. The last word that God
had through Malachi was this, remember the law of Moses. Don't
forget. Remember the law of Moses. What
does the law of Moses do? It reveals to me my need, but
it reveals to me my lack because I know this, that I've fallen
short of the glory of God. All of those priests that were
washed, they would go through that washing. You remember what
we looked at. They would wash every time, spiritually,
symbolically setting forth that the priest, who is a picture
of Christ, must be clean before he can minister. The Lord Jesus
Christ comes, and John the Baptist baptized him. There is the Lord
Jesus picking up the fulfillment of, setting forth the one who
is clean is himself. But he did it according to the
law. As those priests were washed, He was washed. So when He was
baptized, there was a picture, the law. He was baptized, heaven
opened. God Himself spoke and said, This
is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased. The Spirit of God
descended upon Him in the form of a dove. And the Lord Jesus
Christ, the fulfillment of all that those priests had pictured
began his earthly ministry. Just as they washed and started
their ministry daily, he was baptized according to the law.
And he went forth. Now, knowing that his baptism
was according to the law, everybody else's had to have been according
to the law because his baptism set forth what their baptism
was going to set forth. You can understand that. What
he did was he set forth, I am the revelation of the One who
is the true priest that takes away the sin of the world. That's
what John said. Behold the Lamb of God. When
they were being baptized, the baptism unto repentance, what
they were saying is, I need One that will answer for me. There
had to be a change of mind. The baptism of repentance. Remember,
repentance is a change of mind. What were they admitting? I know
this, that all of the rituals, all the law, all the ceremonies,
all the animals, all the blood, everything is not going to put
away sin. There had to be a change of mind.
There had to be a change of understanding. There had to be a new heart.
And they were being baptized of John, stating I need a new
direction. I need to do mine. John the Baptist
came upon the scene and was baptizing. Now, let me tell you something
that I thought of. How many do you think that he
baptized? How many did God Almighty give
a heart to be baptized? Some of the Pharisees and Sadducees
didn't. I know that. What were they saying? I don't
have any need of repentance. I know that those that were being
baptized, I know that it was according to an admittance of
a need. Think about how many in the book
of Acts, God Almighty, 3,000 of them called out of darkness. How many of those do you think
were baptized of John that God had given a heart to admit, I
need some help. I need a change. I need a new
mind. And God then called him out of
darkness under the preaching of Peter. What were they admitting? They were admitting their need
of who Christ revealed He was. John's baptism, the baptism of
repentance. John was a true prophet that
preached safety only in the Lord Jesus Christ. What did you go
out to see? A prophet? I tell you, more than a prophet,
never been one greater than John the Baptist, the Lord Jesus Christ,
set forth by John the Baptist. Now, the Lord Jesus, baptized
of John, all righteousness is going to be fulfilled. John's
baptism is the declaration of the need of repentance. The Scriptures
say they heard Paul's preaching. Then said Paul, John verily baptized
with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people that they
should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ
Jesus, he who is truly clean, he who justifies us before God. He who is our hope, our peace,
our joy, He is the One. Paul said, you have declared
in your baptism your need. There He is, right there. And
the Scripture says, when they heard that, verse 5, they were
baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus. And when Paul had laid
his hands upon them, The Holy Ghost came on them and they spake
with tongues and prophesied and all the men were about twelve. John's baptism, it was a baptism,
an admittance of their need. They knew. But as I said before,
an admittance of my need and a declaration of the one
who is my all-sufficiency is two different things. God reveals
to me what my need is. I know what I am. I'm a sinner. But admitting that I'm a sinner
does not make me justified before God. I have to have a righteousness
that will stand before God. Almighty God Had given some somebody
said, well, do you think that all that were baptized of John
were converted? Do you think that all that are
baptized today are converted? I don't know, but what did the
baptism of John show? It was an admittance in the form
of water baptism. Of my need. It was an admittance
that I must think differently. This is grace before grace. This is the grace of God that
would cause a man to even be honest. God Almighty today reveals
to a man he's a sinner. But the revelation of a man being
a sinner is not what justifies that man before God. I know what
my need is by the grace of God, but all my need is supplied by
the application of the righteousness of Christ by God Himself, imputing
His righteousness to me." John's baptism, an admittance of my
needs, a confession, but really when you think about it, John's
baptism was a confession made with some ignorance to it. when believers are baptized today,
we know in whom we've believed. He's been revealed. John's baptism,
the Lord Jesus Christ had not been revealed. After the Lord
Jesus Christ was baptized, John didn't baptize anymore. He was
put in prison and soon beheaded. I want you to look at Matthew
11. Matthew 11. Matthew 11, verse 1, it came
to pass when Jesus had made an end of commanding his 12 disciples,
he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities. And
when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent
two of his disciples. Now, understand this before we
read any farther. What's going on here? John has
now been thrown into prison. John, being the forerunner of
the Lord Jesus Christ, came preaching the baptism of repentance. John
was baptizing those that would submit to his baptism. John was baptizing and in that
baptism they were saying, I have need of one who will stand before
God for me because I cannot stand in myself. That's a good admittance. The Lord Jesus Christ, remember,
when He was baptized, He said, I am the one that all of these
priests have typified. I am He. Everybody else that
was being baptized says, I need one that will stand for me. The Lord Jesus Christ is set
forth by John the Baptist. Behold the Lamb of God. John
is then thrown into prison. John's got some disciples. John,
verse 2, heard in prison the works of Christ sent to of his
disciples. And he said unto them, Art thou he that should come,
or do we look for another? Now, that question did not arise
from doubt on John's part, but it was for the benefit of John's
disciples. It was meant for them to hear
Christ. John had been baptizing. I have
no doubt these two had been baptized by John. They, by the grace of
God, had heard a man preaching one that should come. But they had not had him revealed
to them yet. He tells them. He said, I want
you guys to go and ask him. Are you the one that should come?
Or do we look for another? John told those disciples to
go ask the Lord Jesus Christ, not for John's sake. John was
filled with the Holy Ghost from his mother's womb. John said,
He that sent me told me, the one on whom you see the Spirit
of God descend, that's the Christ. John knew who he was. John wasn't
saying this for John's sake, but for their sake. John was getting ready to die.
He was getting ready to have his head cut off. And I'll tell
you this, ministers of the Lord Jesus Christ near the end, especially
near the end. Brother Scott, I believe I'm
right on this. Ministers that God has raised
up that seize their life. I remember that message that
Brother Henry preached on reflections of 82 years. This is what he
said, Bob, life is short. John knew his life was short.
He told him, he said, I want you guys to go ask him. Ask him,
are you the one that we look for or do we look for another?
Ministers of the Lord Jesus are concerned about those they leave
behind. Their great desire is to encourage
the flock to cling to Christ. And that's what John did. These
men had been baptized of John and they were admitting the baptism
of repentance. I need one. I need to think differently.
I need one to stand for me. John says, don't you go ask him.
You go ask him, see what he says. The scripture says, verse four
to six, Jesus answered and said unto them, they came, they did.
They did. They came and asked him just
exactly. what John told them. And Jesus answered and said unto
them, You go and you show John again those things which you
do and hear and see. The blind receive their sight,
the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the
dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached unto
them. And blessed is he whosoever shall not be offended in me."
The Lord Jesus Christ did this for their benefit again. By the
mercy of God, God Almighty raised up a preacher John the Baptist,
and placed some and gave them a heart to stay and listen and
hear. Baptized of John to admit their
need, the Lord Jesus Christ comes on the scene. John's in prison
now. John told these two, by the grace of God, go ask him
if he's the one we're looking for. You go ask him. See what
he says. They go and ask him. And he tells them, he said, you
go back and tell John. The blind see, deaf raised. That's what
he did. These words from the Master's
mouth would forever ring true with those men. And it does today. Verse 7, And as they departed,
Jesus began to say unto the multitudes concerning John, What went ye
out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken with the wind?
But what went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment?
Behold, they that wear soft clothing are in kings' houses. But what
went ye out to see a prophet? Yea, I say unto you, More than
a prophet, for this is he of whom it is written, Behold, I
send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy
way before thee. Verily I say unto you, Among
them that are born of women, there hath not risen a greater
than John the Baptist, notwithstanding he that is least in the kingdom
of heaven is greater than he." The Lord Jesus Christ gave a
word of commendation. to John the Baptist that is amazing. He said, those that
are born of women, none greater than John the Baptist. Think
of the honor that was put on John the Baptist by Almighty
God. You think of the honor. You remember
when we looked at that passage of Scripture back, these were
more noble. They were more noble in Berea. They were more noble
than those in Thessalonica. More honor had been placed. You remember what I said about
that more honor? You remember when the sower went
to sow and some of the seed fell on good ground and some of it
came forth? The quality of the seed of the
fruit that was produced There was no difference in the quality
of it. Some came forth thirty, some sixty, some a hundredfold.
No difference in the quality of the fruit, Neal, because it
was the fruit of the Spirit of God. But the quantity of it was
different by the good pleasure of Almighty God. The quantity,
not the quality. Same grace to save John the Baptist
it took to save this sinner right here. Same grace, same mercy,
same fruit. But the quantity of it may be
different. The Lord said it was 30, 60,
100. That's a difference in quantity, not quality. John the Baptist,
here's what the Lord said. Of all that is born of women,
there has never been a greater one than John the Baptist. What
honor! What esteem! What an epitaph! Six months on the scene and John
the Baptist had his head cut off. I said, boy, I'll tell you
what, that was unto whom much is given, much
is required. You're going to find that those
that God Almighty has most greatly blessed in quantity, not quality,
quantity. are usually those that suffer
the greatest. You know why? Because no man is going to have
honor above Almighty God. Nobody is going to look at some
man and say, boy, I'll tell you what, I ain't never seen a saint
like that. Man, look at him, look at him, look at him. Brother
Henry Mahan, Brother Scott Richardson, two men that I highly esteem
and love dearly. Some of the greatest sufferings
I've ever seen. Why? Because it pleased God to do
so. None greater than John the Baptist. And from the days of
John the Baptist, verse 12, until now, the kingdom of heaven suffereth
violence, and the violent take it by force. That's the Lord
Jesus Christ speaking. What did He say? He was speaking
of John the Baptist remembering what John the Baptist set forth
in his baptism. Before John was the law. In the wilderness, the slaying
of the animals. And men found great pleasure
in saying, I'm of those guys. Therefore, because I'm a Jew,
and I live in this nation right here, and I'm part of that group
You know, that's that priest. That's my priest over there.
Because I'm of the sacrifices and the law, and I'm in the group
with the prophets, and I go all the way back to Abraham, and
I find great comfort in all this. You're going to have to think
different because the blood of bulls and goats never put away
sin. You're going to have to think differently on how God
saves a sinner. God sends John the Baptist on
the scene, preaching the baptism of thinking differently. God Almighty gives some a heart
to admit it. I need some help. I need to think
differently. And they're baptized of John. They know that they have a need.
And the Lord Jesus Christ is baptized of John. And there He
is. There is the Lamb of God that
takes away the sin of the world. And they see Him. And they see
what God Almighty has done. And the Lord Jesus Christ gives
this explanation of what now has happened. From the days of
John until now, the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence and
the violent takes it by force. The kingdom of heaven. What is
that? It's the bride. It's the elect
bride, the kingdom of heaven. If there's a kingdom, there's
a king. If there's a king, there's some subjects. The kingdom of
heaven. is God's church. The kingdom
of heaven suffereth violence. That is, they're entered violently
or they're pressed. That's what it means. Suffereth
violence. They're pressed. And the violent
take it by force. That means the strong and forceful
one seizes it. What did the Lord Jesus Christ
say when He made that statement? He's saying this, from the days
of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of God, God's people,
it has now been openly revealed that it's not by the works of
the law. It's not by the works of self-righteousness,
thinking that those ceremonies and those shadows and their types
and the blood of bulls and goats put away your sin. No. It is
now openly revealed from the days of John the Baptist, it
has now been openly revealed that the kingdom of heaven, God's
church, enters and is pressed violently, strongly, and the
violent, the Lord Jesus, the strong, the forceful, Takes it
by force. Seizes it. Why? Because they're
His. They fell in trespasses and sin. Captive to sin. Captive to Satan. Bruised by
the fall. Dead. What's it going to take? Not the blood of bulls and goats.
Going to have to think differently. Not by the works of the law. By the works of the law, no man
is going to be justified. What's it going to take? It's
going to take the powerful one, the violent. He seizes him. How does he do it? By the shedding
of his own blood. He led captivity. Those that
were captive, he led captivity captive. And he held them in
their mind. Man born in Adam thinks that
he can reconcile himself back to God. I need to think differently. What's it going to take for me
to think differently? Almighty God is going to have
to do something for me that I can't do for myself. John's baptism
was an admittance of my need. The Lord Jesus Christ was the
revelation of my all-sufficiency. And from the days of John, Until
right now, the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence. It's pressed. And the violent, the powerful,
takes it by force. John told his disciples, go ask
him. Go ask him. Are you the one we're
looking for? And he told them. He said, you
go tell John. The blind see. the dead, the
lame walk. You that believe, do you know
what God Almighty has done for you? He's given you a heart of
repentance. Repentance to think differently. You know what you thought? You
thought just like I thought. I can reconcile myself to God.
You know what I need? I need to think differently.
Thanks be to God that He would give me a new heart to see Him
who is the violent One, the powerful. That's what that word means.
It's not a bad connotation. The powerful One who sees me. Why? Your mind sees me by His
grace. And in His hand, I cannot fall. I cannot fail. That mind to think
differently from the way I thought before is the greatest news I've
ever heard in my life. That's the gospel. The gospel
sets forth the power of Almighty God to do what God says He's
going to do. He's sovereign of all things. I pray this has been a help to
you. I hope that it's been set forth in such a way that we can
understand what was being said, what was done. All right, Gary,
won't you come, please?