Okay, let's go back to Acts chapter
3. Acts chapter 3, we are going to stand
on the Word tonight. We are going to be in the Word
tonight. There are times, one of my favorite
things to do is turn in Scripture and see it for myself. It's one
of my favorite things to do. And I do it a lot, but we're
going to do it a lot tonight, okay? So, I hope and pray the
Lord will open up and bless the Word tonight. Right here in Acts
chapter 3, Peter and John We've been looking at the story. They
healed that lame man. And all the people who saw it
were greatly amazed, it said. Let's start reading at verse
12. And when Peter saw it, he answered unto the people, You
men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? Or why look ye so earnestly
on us, as though by our own power or holiness we had made this
man to walk? The God of Abraham and of Isaac
and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified his son
Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied him in the presence
of Pilate, when he was determined to let him go. But ye denied
the Holy One and the just, and desired a murderer to be granted
unto you, and killed the Prince of life. whom God hath raised
from the dead, whereof we are witnesses. And his name, through
faith in his name, hath made this man strong, whom you see
and know, yea, the faith which is by him hath given him this
perfect soundness in the presence of you all. And now, brethren,
I know that through ignorance you did it, as did also your
rulers, But those things which God before had showed by the
mouth of all his prophets, that Christ should suffer, he hath
so fulfilled. Repent ye therefore and be converted,
that your sins may be blotted out when the times of refreshing
shall come from the presence of the Lord. And he shall send
Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you, whom the heaven
must receive until the times of restitution of all things
which God has spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since
the world began. Now here's where our text tonight
starts. Verse 22. It says, For Moses
truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your
God raise up unto you of your brethren. like unto me. Him shall you hear in all things
whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass
that every soul which will not hear that prophet shall be destroyed
from among the people." Let's begin by seeing where God told
Moses this. Turn with me over to Deuteronomy
18. Deuteronomy 18 verse 15 says, The Lord thy God will raise up
unto thee a prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren
like unto me. Unto him you shall hearken. That's Moses telling the people
what God said. Now verse 16 says, according
to all that thou desirest of the Lord thy God in Horeb, in
the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice
of the Lord my God, neither let me see this great fire any more
that I die not." That's the people saying, Don't let me hear from
God. They're sitting there watching
Mount Sinai burn with fire. And God told them, Don't any
of you try to come up on this mountain?" And they all backed
up, and they said, we don't want to hear from him. Don't let him speak to us. They're
saying, Moses, you go talk to him for us. Verse 17, and the
Lord said unto me, Moses said, and the Lord said unto me, they
have well spoken that which they have spoken. He said, they're
wise. Verse 18, I will raise them up a prophet from among
their brethren, like unto thee. God is telling Moses, this prophet
is going to be like unto thee. And will put my words in his
mouth, and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command
him. And it shall come to pass that
whosoever will not hearken unto my words, which he shall speak
in my name, I will require it of him. God told Moses, tell
the people, this is how they will know my prophet, the prophet. He's going to be like unto thee.
This is how you'll know him. When he comes, he's going to
be like unto thee. The Lord told Moses and Moses knew that he
was just a picture of the one who would come, the prophet who
would come. Now let's see if the Lord will
give us eyes to see his prophet. I pray the Lord will give me
eyes to see his prophet. Go with me over to Exodus chapter
1. Exodus 1 verse 7 says, And the children of Israel were
fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied, and waxed exceeding
mighty. And the land was filled with
them. Now there arose up a new king over Egypt, which knew not
Joseph. And he said unto his people,
Behold, the people of the children of Israel are more and mightier
than we. Come on, let us deal wisely with
them, lest they multiply, and it come to pass that when there
falleth out any war, they join also unto our enemies and fight
against us, and so get them out of the land. Therefore they did
set over them taskmasters to afflict them with their burdens,
and they built for Pharaoh treasure cities, Pytham and Ramses. But the more they afflicted them,
the more they multiplied and grew, And they were grieved because
of the children of Israel. Now look at verse 15. And the
king of Egypt spake to the Hebrew midwives, of which the name of
the one was Shipprah, and the name of the other, Puah. And
he said, When you do the office of a midwife to the Hebrew women,
and see them upon the stools, if it be a son, then you shall
kill him, but if it be a daughter, then she shall live. Kill them. Verse 22, And Pharaoh
charged all his people, saying, Every son that is born you shall
cast into the river, and every daughter you shall save alive.
When Moses was born, Pharaoh said, Every son that is born,
throw him in the river. Kill them all. A great multitude of infants
died when Moses came. A huge multitude of infants died
at the time Moses came. Now hold your place right there
and go with me over to Matthew chapter 2. Matthew chapter 2 verse 1 says, Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem
of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came
wise men from the east to Jerusalem saying, where is he that is born
king of the Jews? For we've seen his star in the
east and are come to worship him. When Herod the king had
heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Verse
7. Then Herod, when he had privately
called the wise men, inquired of them diligently what time
the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem,
and said, Go and search diligently for the young child. And when
you have found him, bring me word again that I may come and
worship him also. Verse 12. and being warned of
God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed
into their own country another way. Verse 16. Then Herod, when he saw that
he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wrath and sent
forth and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem. and in
all the coasts thereof from two years old and under according
to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men." When
this one that Peter preached about in Acts chapter 3, Jesus
of Nazareth, when he was born it says, Herod slew all the children
that were in Bethlehem in all the coasts thereof from two years
old and under. Same thing. When the type came
and when the Christ came. Both times God had great mercy
on a huge amount of infants. He saved them all. Salvation
has come. Salvation is here. All right,
now hold your place right here and go back to Exodus 2. Verse 1 says, And there went
a man of the house of Levi, and took to wife a daughter of Levi.
And the woman conceived and bare a son. And when she saw him that
he was a goodly child, she hid him three months. And when she
could not longer hide him, she took for him an ark of bulrushes,
and daubed it with slime and with pitch, and put the child
therein. And she laid it in the flags
by the river's brink. And his sister stood afar off
to whip what would be done. And we know the story. Pharaoh's
daughter came down, right? Verse 9, Pharaoh's daughter said
unto her, Take this child away, and nurse it for me, and I will
give thee thy wages. And the woman took the child,
and nursed it. And the child grew, and she brought
him unto Pharaoh's daughter. And he became her son, and she
called his name Moses. And she said, Because I drew
him out of the water. Moses was a Hebrew. And the Hebrews
were given a land called Goshen. It was in Egypt, but they were
given this land called Goshen. And as soon as Moses was born,
he was taken from Goshen straight into the heart of Egypt. All right, now go back over to
Matthew 2 with me. Matthew 2 verse 12. and being warned of God in a
dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into
their own country another way. And when they were departed,
behold, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream,
saying, Arise and take the young child and his mother, and flee
into Egypt. And be thou there until I bring
thee word, for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.
When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night,
and departed into Egypt, and was there until the death of
Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord
by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son." Moses was taken into Egypt. Christ
was taken into Egypt. Okay, now go with me to Acts
7. Acts chapter 7, look at verse
21. And when he was cast out, that's
Moses, Pharaoh's daughter took him up and nourished him for
her own son. And Moses was learned in all
the wisdom of the Egyptians and was mighty in words and in deeds. Why? Because he was the son of
Pharaoh's daughter. Moses was heir to the throne
of Egypt. That's why. What he said carried
weight. It carried the weight of the
throne. All right, now go with me to Luke 9. Luke 9 verse 32 says, But Peter and they that were
with him were heavy with sleep. And when they were awake, they
saw his glory and the two men that stood with him. And it came
to pass, as they departed from him, Peter said unto Jesus, Master,
it is good for us to be here. and let us make three tabernacles,
one for thee, and one for Moses, and one for Elias, not knowing
what he said. While he thus spake, there came
a cloud and overshadowed them, and they feared as they entered
into the cloud, and there came a voice out of the cloud saying,
this is my beloved son, hear him. Hear him. Why? Because this is My Beloved
Son. This is the heir to the throne
of God. And the Father said, Hear Him.
His words carry weight. The weight of the throne. Over
in Hebrews 1, the Father said, Thy throne, O God, it's Thy throne. John 13 says, ìAll things have
been given into His hands. He is mighty in words and deeds.î
Hear Him. Hear Him. Now go with me over
to Hebrews 11. Hebrews 11. I'm so thankful to the Lord that
He would reveal all this to us. I'm so grateful. Watch this.
Hebrews 11. The Lord, He told Moses, this
is how the people are going to know that this is my prophet.
He's going to be like unto thee. Great persecution came when both
of them were born. They were both taken into Egypt.
They were both heir to the throne of their father. Now look at
Hebrews 11 verse 24. It says, By faith Moses, when he was come to years,
refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter. Choosing
rather to suffer affliction with the people of God. Moses left it all. He left it
all. All the comforts of Egypt. And
he came all the way down to the slime pits with his brethren. Why would he do that? Why would
Moses do that? Really, why would He do that?
The reason is because He represents the One who would come. Go with
me over to Philippians 2. Philippians 2 verse 4 says, Look
not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things
of others. Let this mind be in you, which
was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, thought
it not robbery to be equal with God, but made himself of no reputation
and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the
likeness of men, and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled
himself and became obedient unto death, even the death of the
cross. Christ left it all. He left it
all. All the comforts of glory. And
He came all the way down to this cesspool. This slime pit. And He did that for His brethren.
He came down here where we were. All the way down. That song says,
He reached way down for me. Oh, the love that drew salvation's
plan. Oh, the grace that brought it
down. Do you know how high and holy everything of glory and
God and heaven is, and He brought it down for us? He brought it
down. Down into the polluted vileness
of our sin. The goodness of God. Now watch
this, okay? Go with me back to Acts chapter
7. Acts chapter 7 verse 23 says,
And when he was full forty years old, it came into his heart to
visit his brethren, the children of Israel. And seeing one of
them suffer wrong, he defended him and avenged him that was
oppressed and smote the Egyptian. For he supposed his brethren
would have understood how that God by his hand would deliver
them, but they understood not. And the next day he showed himself
unto them as they strove, and would have set them at one again,
saying, Sirs, your brethren, why do you wrong one another?
But he that did his neighbor wrong thrust him away, saying,
Who made thee a ruler and a judge over us? Moses came unto his own, and
his own received him not. And that's what John 1 verse
11 says about our Lord. He came unto his own, and his
own received him not. Isn't that something? Isn't that
amazing? After he left glory, knowing
he wouldn't be received. It's unthinkable, unimaginable.
God in mercy sent a deliverer and we rebelled against God and
we hated him and we rejected him to the point that we said
crucify him. Crucify him. Who made him a ruler
and a judge over us? We're sinners, aren't we? We
are sinners. I preach because I'm a sinner.
You know that? I'm a sinner who needs a Savior,
and I have seen one. We're worthy of one thing only,
and that's the wrath of God. That's it. Moses was rejected.
Christ was rejected. But thanks be to God, both of
them, the picture of our Deliverer and our Deliverer, both of them
met with God on behalf of God's sinful people. Go with me over
to Exodus 20. The Lord came down on Mount Sinai
and all his holiness in that mountain exploded with fire.
And God gave Moses his holy law, the Ten Commandments. And verse
18 says, Exodus 20 verse 18, And all the people saw the thunderings
and the lightnings and the noise of the trumpet and the mountain
smoking. And when the people saw it, they
removed and stood afar off. And they said unto Moses, Speak
thou with us, and we will hear, but let not God speak with us,
lest we die. And Moses said unto the people,
Fear not, for God is come to prove you, and that his fear
may be before your faces, that you sin not. And the people stood
afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where
God was. And the Lord said unto Moses,
Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, You have
seen that I have talked with you from heaven." With you, Moses. Sinners cannot approach a holy
God. Sinners cannot approach a holy
God. Sinners cannot approach a holy
God. They must have a mediator. I must have somebody who can
go to God on my behalf and who can tell me what God said. I
must. If I try to go on my own, I'm
going to die. And I hate to say it, but there are thousands and
thousands of people who are going to try to go on their own. And they're going to be met with
fiery wrath. Isn't that awful? So who is my mediator? Who will
go to God for me? My little children, these things
write I unto you that you sin not. And if any man sin, we have
an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous. That's who Moses pictured. That's
who Moses pointed men and women to. Jesus Christ the righteous. Now one more time go back to
Acts chapter 7. Acts chapter 7 verse 35. This
Moses whom they refused, saying, Who
made thee a ruler and a judge? The same did God send to be a
ruler and a deliverer by the hand of the angel which appeared
to him in the bush. He brought them out after that
he had showed wonders and signs in the land of Egypt and in the
Red Sea and in the wilderness forty years. Verse 37 says, This is that Moses
which said unto the children of Israel, A prophet shall the
Lord your God raise up unto you of your brethren like unto me,
him shall you hear. Him shall you hear. Everything Moses showed us physically,
tells us what Christ has done spiritually. And He has been
raised up to be a judge and a deliverer. And He's going to bring us out.
He's going to bring us out. And this Word, all through this
Word, it says, Hear Him. Him shall you hear. Him shall
you hear. Now, here's my question. What
did He say? What did he say? Now what I hope
we've proved is Jesus of Nazareth is the one. What did Jesus of
Nazareth say? That is the best part of the
gospel. That's the best part. That's
the good news that a sinner needs to hear. Go with me to Luke 4. Luke 4, verse 18. This is the Lord Jesus
Christ. He says, The Spirit of the Lord
is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the
poor. Alright, what is it? What is
the good news? This is what he said. My father
has sent me, verse 18, he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted. He sent me to heal the brokenhearted.
How did he do that? He broke himself. That's how
he did that. He broke his own heart. He took all of the feelings of
my infirmities. Isn't that what Hebrew says?
We have not a high priest who cannot be touched with the feeling
of my infirmities. Here's what that means. He took
all of my sorrow that my sin has caused me. All of that grief. All of that pain. All of that sadness, all that
shame. All of that humiliation, he took every bit of that and
he put that inside his own heart. And he made himself to be a man
of sorrows acquainted with grief. And then he looked at me and
he said, rejoice, your sins are forgiven. Verse 18, he said, I'm sent to
preach deliverance to the captives. In Isaiah 61, he said the opening
of the prison to them that are bound. How did he do that? He had to come in to my cell. Of bondage and sin. Bondage. I am in bondage in this flesh.
I'm in bondage. And he had to come into my cell
of bondage and sin, and he sat down. He had to be numbered with the
transgressors. He had to sit in the seat of
the scornful so that I could walk out a free man. He gave up glory to do that.
Verse 18, he said, I came to give a recovering of sight to
the blind. How did he do that? He closed
his own eyes in death. He closed his own eyes and he
gave me sight. He said, I left glory, I left
God's heaven and I came down here to this world of sin, verse
18, to set at liberty them that are bruised. How did he do that? He wrapped His loving arms around
His own, and He made their beating His. He forced their beating on Himself,
choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, for the
people of God. Is that not amazing? Well, let's
close by going back to Acts 3. Go back over to Acts chapter
3. Acts 3 verse 22 says, For Moses
truly said unto the fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your
God raise up unto you of your brethren like unto me. Him shall ye hear in all things
whatsoever he shall say unto you. And it shall come to pass
that every soul which will not hear that prophet shall be destroyed
from among the people." Why on this earth would any soul not
want to hear that prophet? Why on this earth? Really? Every soul that says, no thanks, no thanks, I'll set myself free.
What I'll do is I'll just exercise my free will. That's what I would
rather do. Any soul who says, I'll open
my own eyes if I ever need them to be opened, I'm not even blind
in the first place. Every soul who will not hear
Him, and that means believe Him, and it means love Him, will be
destroyed. What has God in mercy caused
us to do? What has He caused us to say?
Speak, Lord, thy servant heareth. I can't imagine not wanting to
hear his loving words. Everything he said in Luke 4
was loving words. And you know what they wanted
to do? They grabbed him and the next few verses they wanted to
throw him over the cliff. Lord, open my ears. Open our ears. Cause me to believe
it, cause me to love it. Wonderful words of life is what
it is. All right, I hope the Lord will
bless that. Let's stand together.