or for a few moments this evening
we'll consider the Acts of the Apostles chapter 4 and the first
12 verses. Just to recap over the first
few verses which we spoke on about a month ago. Remember that
here we have this situation with these people and the apostles
were speaking to the priests and the captain of the temple
and the Sadducees, they came upon them and they were grieved
that they preached things which were contrary to what they thought
would occur and as a result they laid hands on them and put them
in hold until the next day, because it was the evening. Then we read
these wonderful words, many of them which heard the word believed,
many of them, try and imagine, a great crowd, many of them believing,
and we're told the number of the men was about 5,000. Well
that wasn't insignificant was it? We see the wonderful work
of the Spirit of God. And my friends, tonight we should
believe and recognise that our God is the same who can do great
and wonderful things. And wouldn't it be a wonderful
occasion for the Lord to come down in power to the Holy Spirit
and cause an amazing time of revival, a wonderful time of
blessing. And so we then read, and it came
to pass on the morrow of their rulers, the elders and scribes
and Annas the high priest and Caiaphas and John Alexander and
as many as were the kindred of the high priest were gathered
together at Jerusalem and when they had set them in the midst
they asked by what power or by what name have ye done this now
they were referring of course to what was recorded in the previous
chapter where that was that lame man who was healed of his lameness. He had been at the Gate Beautiful
for a long time and the Lord gloriously revived him and brought
him back to normal health and strength and it was an amazing
occurrence and therefore it was something they couldn't avoid
noticing And everybody was aware that this miracle had happened.
And so they asked them this question. And, by what name have you done
this? Then we see Peter standing up. Now it's important to notice
that Peter was filled with the Holy Ghost. He wasn't speaking
of his own volition. He was speaking the words, the
Holy Spirit of God, put into his mouth to speak and we are
told he was filled with the Holy Ghost and said unto them, ye
rulers of the people and elders of Israel if we this day be examined
of the good deed done to the impotent man by what means he
is made whole be it known unto you all and to all the people
of Israel that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth whom
ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth
this man stand here before you whole." The opportunity that Peter had
to speak to these people and we see how God gave him the grace
to grasp it in this way and to describe how he was healed He
could have described it in just two or three words and have said,
well, it was the purpose of the Lord to heal this man. But he expounded it in this way,
which would hit home very hard. And he tells them that they should
know that it was by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
And then he tells them, whom ye crucified. Yes, he doesn't
leave any room for doubt. Whom ye crucified. And then he goes on. Whom God
raised from the dead. And he tells them, even by him
doth this man stand here before you whole. All the honour and
glory was given to the Lord Jesus Christ and how clear it was He
spoke of his death and he spoke of his resurrection and he spoke
therefore as this being accomplished through this man, the Lord Jesus
Christ. And then he goes on and he says,
this is a stone which was set at naught of you builders which
is become the head of the corner. Well how many people set at naught
the Lord Jesus Christ. They count Him of no value. They have no time for the Lord
Jesus Christ. But here, on this occasion, this
situation was so done, so that by the Spirit of God, the Apostle
Peter was able to show so clearly who the Lord Jesus Christ was
and how they rejected him and it was this man that had done
this great and glorious act and he'd been set at naught but he'd
now become the head of the corner. What a blessing if in our lives
we may have set Jesus Christ at naught. We may have considered
him of no value. And then, to have it explained
to us what we'd done, our true condition, our sinful state,
had produced this sad development. He'd been set at naught, but
now he's become the head of the corner, the chief cornerstone
the only one that God's people can have any confidence or hope
in of eternal life. This man, whom we crucified,
whom God raised from the dead. Peter was speaking to those who
were around at that time. But the truth is, we also were
the means of crucifying the Lord of life and glory. We were not
exempt. We are not exempt. We are guilty of this great crime. By nature, we would say, as they
had said, away with him, away with him. We will not have this
man to reign over us. But we see the great power of
God coming upon all those people owes 5,000. And then the Apostle
describing the situation so clearly to those leaders. Yes, the opportunity
was there and by God's grace he grasped it with both hands
to describe very clearly what had occurred and the reality
of it. And then he says, neither, and
he makes this clear, neither is there salvation. in any other. For there is none other name
under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved." He
didn't just say, you must be saved. He said, we must be saved. And that's so true tonight. Every
one of us here It is through this name that you and I must
be saved. You know, the Lord Jesus spoke
to Nicodemus in similar words really. He said, Marvel not,
when I say unto thee, ye must be born again. There are some
things, and there are many things perhaps in this world, which
are not important. There are some things which are
more important than others. But this is the most important
thing. That's why there is a must. Must. We must be born again and
also we must be saved by the Lord Jesus Christ. Not saved
from a never-ending eternity in hell, delivered from the wrath
to come. It's only through the merits
and only through the blessing and only through the finished
work of the Lord Jesus Christ. So we come back again and again
to that great statement, what must I do to be saved? Yes, and
what did the apostles say? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ
and thou shalt be saved. Oh, tonight, may each of us be
given that grace. If we look at ourselves and realise
how lost we are, what sinners we are, no hope in ourselves,
no hope in our own works, No, but all our hope is in the finished
work of the Lord Jesus Christ. And may this word penetrate deep
into our hearts. That is the only way whereby
we must. be saved. My friends, we must
be saved. We cannot do it ourselves. Oh
then, do we know the Lord Jesus Christ as our Saviour, that One
who did come into this earth for that precise reason, to save
our souls. Oh, it is the greatest blessing
that you and I can ever receive the gift of eternal life. My friends, if we don't receive
that, then eternal misery will be ours, and for a never-ending
eternity. that you and I might know Jesus
Christ and him crucified as that one who has given his life so
that we might live. Well, we bless God that we have
this record in the Acts of the Apostles of those words that
the Apostle was able to speak and do not forget he was moved
by the Holy Spirit. It was the work of the Holy Spirit. And my friends, if you and I
are blessed with that grace to believe, we can thank God for
the wonderful work of the Holy Spirit of God in our souls. Neither is there salvation in
any other, neither way. For there is none other name
under heaven, given among men, whereby we must be saved, and
we're only saved through that sin-atoning sacrifice, because
Jesus gave His life, He died in our place, as our substitute,
He shed His most precious blood, that our sins might be forever
washed away. And then, the truth is, There
is, therefore, now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. If Christ has died for us, we
are in Christ Jesus, and we have been saved, and we are eternally
safe. Amen.