Well, good evening. Delighted
to be with you. Delighted to be with you. It's
always good to come back and see how the Lord continues to
bless this ministry. And it is the Lord's ministry
that he has given to you here. And it's a blessing. It's a blessing.
Now back to Acts chapter 20. Acts chapter 20. I have just
one verse I want to take a good look at. Verse 28. Acts 20 at
verse 28. Take heed. Take heed. Now, remember, Paul called for
the elders there from the church at Ephesus, and he was on his
way to Jerusalem. Eventually, he ended up in Rome,
eventually gave his life for the gospel of the grace of God. And as he assembles this little
group of elders together, he had a final and parting word
unto them. What would you think that he
would talk about? What would you think that he
would say unto them? What is the message that God
would give him, as far as we know, to these elders, his last
message to them? There must be something very
special that God inspired this writer to tell, the words that
Paul spoke to these believers here. Verse 28, take heed. Take heed therefore unto yourselves. And, and, he's writing, talking
to these elders, these who pastored and preached the gospel, and
to the flock, talking about the sheep of Christ, over which the
Holy Ghost or the Holy Spirit had made you overseers. One who
is a shepherd, under-shepherd, to feed, to feed them, feed them
with the constant diet of the word of God. Feed the church
of God. the church of God, which the
Lord Jesus Christ purchased us. We're his purchased possession.
He purchased us with such a great, great price. He purchased us
with his own blood. Now, who is this one that died
for us? says that God bought us with
his own blood. Now, the title of the message
is going to be from verse 28, purchased, purchased, purchased
with the blood of Christ. Purchased, bought. He said, you
are bought with a price, therefore glorify God in your body and
in your spirit, which are God. Now, it is a common supposition
believed among many in religious circles what we call mainstream
Christianity, the religious beliefs of men, what I call the religion
of the flesh. It is a common supposition and
believed among most in religious circles These three things are
widely held and widely accepted. And we've all heard these things.
These three things usually goes this way. They usually say, well,
God loves everybody without exception. God loves everybody without exception. It's interesting, if you read
all the way through the book of Acts, you know how many times
we read that word L-O-V-E? Not one time. Not one time. Now the love of God is manifested
in the preaching of the gospel, God choosing his people, calling
his people. But that word, particular word,
is not used one time in the book of Acts. It wasn't love, love,
love. It wasn't God loves everybody
everywhere without exception. That wasn't the message. But
that's what we hear on every corner. If you went down here
to the little church circle, and go to those congregations,
that would be the message that they would preach, what we call
universal love. Second thing that they would
say, and this is held as the truth in most religious circles,
they would say that Christ died for all the sins of all men without
exception. Well, that's not what this text
says, and that was not Paul's message unto them. He said, God
bought us with his own blood. So they say God loves everybody
without exception. They say that Christ died for
all the sins of all men without exception. And then thirdly,
they would say this. They would say, well, God the
Holy Spirit is trying to save all men without exception, but
somehow the sinner will not let God have his way. Well, in that
scheme of salvation, who really gets the glory? Well, it's the
sinner rather than the Savior. These things that are widely
believed among most religious men are contrary to the true
teaching of the Word of God. It is not true that God loves
every man. God loves all men everywhere
without exception. That is not true. It is not true
that the Lord Jesus Christ died to try to put away all the sins
of all men without exception. That's not true. Nor is it true
that God the Holy Spirit is trying to save all men everywhere, but
somehow he's frustrated by the sinner's will. Now, you might
say, well, why make this an issue? Why make a big deal about these
things? Well, because the glory of the
Lord Jesus Christ is at stake. That's why. Because the word
of God makes a big deal about these things. If he loves all
and died for all and tried to save all, man without exception
and doesn't do it, fails to do it, what does that say of his
person? What does that say of his work?
We don't need a God that tries and can't, that wants to and
can't. The God that's described in scripture,
God our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, is the absolute successful. He doesn't know anything of failure. He said, I've spoken it, I've
purposed it, and I will do it. I will do it. The Lord Jesus
Christ cannot fail to love his people with an everlasting love.
He cannot fail to put away all the sin of his covenant people. The Lord Jesus Christ cannot
fail to call all of his covenant people unto him with irresistible
loving grace. The truth of the scripture is
that the love of God is manifested in the Lord Jesus Christ. The
truth of the scripture is that the Lord Jesus Christ laid down
his life for his covenant people. That's what Paul said here. God
bought us with his own blood. The truth of the scripture is
that the Holy Spirit effectually called and quickened sinners. You hath he quickened who were
dead in trespasses and in sin. Now, the Apostle Paul, as he
preaches the gospel unto them. We'll go back one verse, verse
27. He said, I've not shunned to
declare unto you all the counsel of God. All the counsel of God. Here he defends his ministry
by saying that he told them the truth. He told them the truth,
how God saves sinners in Christ, through Christ, and by the Lord
Jesus Christ. He said, I've taught you publicly
and in private the same message. Look at verse 20. He said, I've
kept back nothing that was profitable unto you, but I've showed you
and I've taught you publicly and from house to house. The
Apostle Paul didn't have one message in private and then another
message in public. No, it was the same message.
Jesus Christ and Him crucified. He said, I'm determined not to
know anything among you, but Jesus Christ and Him crucified. So he defends his ministry by
saying that he told them and declared the truth of the scripture
unto them. In salvation, the Lord Jesus
Christ is all the counsel of God. In salvation, the Lord Jesus
Christ crucified is all the counsel of God. All the redemptive purpose
and redeeming will of God to save sinners is all wrapped up
in this fact, this blessed, blessed gospel doctrine, Bible doctrine
of substitution and satisfaction, how God made Christ sin for his
covenant people. He knew no sin that we might
be made the righteousness of God in him, in Christ and him
crucified alone. I like what Peter says about
the Lord Jesus Christ and his substitutionary death, that he
suffered once for our sins, the just for the unjust, that he
might bring us unto God. No other way to come unto God
but through the Mediator, the appointed Mediator, with the
appointed sacrifice, with the appointed people. The Lord said,
I am the way, I am the truth, I am the life. No man comes unto
the Father but by and through me. Now, let's look at a couple
things here in verse 28, and I'll give you three points in
closing. He says, take heed to yourselves. Take heed. instructing these elders of the
church here, those who would preach and minister the gospel
and teach others the gospel, he said, take heed yourself.
Take care, in other words, or be on guard for yourself. Give
attention to yourself. When Paul writes to young Timothy,
he says, concerning the ministry, take heed unto thyself and unto
Your doctrine continue in them for in doing this thou shalt
both save thyself and those that hear you. So take heed. Take heed to yourself. Take heed
to the doctrine which you preach. One old writer says that the
ministers of the gospel should take heed to their gifts. not
neglect them, take heed to their time, not to waste it, take heed
to their spirit, that it be with moderation and temperance, governed
by meekness, take heed to the doctrine, that it be according
to the scripture, then the unvarnished word of truth. I like that line
in that song we just sang a moment ago, in thy book revealed, I
see the Lord Jesus Christ. So take heed. Take heed to yourself. Take heed to the ministry that
God has given to you. And those who are called of God
and put in the ministry they do, take this with great seriousness
of heart. We don't play around preaching
the gospel. If you're going to play games,
you want to go somewhere else. Let's not play games here. It's
a serious thing to preach the gospel of God's grace in Christ
Jesus. And we take it seriously. And
I know your pastor does as well. And then it says, secondly, take
heed to all the flock, the sheep of Christ, to feed them. You
see that? To feed them. What do we feed
the flock? We feed them the word of God. The word of God. Now if you hold
your place there and turn over here to 2 Timothy. 2 Timothy
chapter 4. Feed the church of God which
he purchased with his own blood. Preach the word. Preach the word. 2 Timothy 4 verse 1. Paul's last words to young Timothy
before he was executed for the gospel. I charge thee before
God and the Lord Jesus Christ who shall judge the living and
the dead at the appearing of his kingdom. 2 Timothy 4 verse
2, preach the word. Preach the word. When should
we preach the word? All the time. all the time, lift
up crying. He said, if I be lifted up, I
draw sinners unto me. Preach the word, be instant,
be ready, in season, out of season, reprove, rebuke, exhort with
all longsuffering and doctrine, the teaching of God, the teaching
of the word of God. to watch over them, to watch
over the flock, to care for them and then feed them with a steady
diet of the word of God lest they be infected with the doctrines
of men instead of the doctrine of Christ. Now this is a warning
that he gives. Turn over here to Ephesians chapter
4. Ephesians chapter 4. Take heed to yourself and take
heed to feed the flock over which the Holy Spirit had made you
overseer. Now Ephesians chapter four, we
read at verse eight, wherefore, Ephesians 4a, when he ascended
up on high, he led captivity captive and he gave gifts unto
men. Now he that ascended, what is
it but that he also descended first into the lower parts of
the earth, God incarnate, that he that descended is the same
also that ascended up far above all heavens, that he might fulfill
or fill all things. And he gave some, verse 11, and
he gave to his church, he gave apostles, prophets, evangelists,
pastors, and teachers. for the perfecting or for the
growth of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the
edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come in the unity
of the faith of the knowledge of the Son of God unto a mature
person, unto the measure of the statue of the fullness of Christ,
that we henceforth be no more children tossed to and fro and
carried about by wind of doctrine, by the slight of men and cunning
craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive us, but speaking
the truth in love. Feed the church that we may grow
up into Him in all things which is ahead, even in Christ Jesus. Now look back at Acts chapter
20 one more time. Take heed therefore unto yourselves
and to all the flock, the congregation that God has given to you, the
sheep of Christ, over which the Holy Ghost had made you, made
you an overseer, a pastor, a preacher of the gospel, to do one thing,
to lift up Christ, to feed them, show them and teach them about
the Lord Jesus Christ. I'm thinking of this scripture
back a few pages in, I think, in John 21. Turn back over there
to the Gospel of John. You remember the risen Lord asked
Peter that question, John 21, verse 15. So when they had dined,
the Lord said to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou
me more than these? And he said to him, yes, Lord,
thou knowest that I love thee. And he said to them, feed my
lambs, feed my lamb. You see, the sheep are needy
creatures. They need to hear about the Lord Jesus Christ,
his person, his work, his glory. We feed upon him. Preach Christ. He saith unto him again the second
time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou me? And he said unto him,
yes, Lord, thou knowest that I love thee. And he said unto
him, will you feed him? Feed, feed my sheep, feed my
people. And he saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of
Jonas, lovest thou me? And Peter was grieved, because
he said unto him the third time, lovest thou me? And he said unto
him, Lord, thou knowest all things. Thou knowest that I love thee.
And the Lord said to him, well, feed my sheep. If you love me,
if you care for my glory, then you feed my sheep. I think of
another scripture over here. I think of John chapter 12. Turn
over there. John chapter 12, verse 41, talking
of Isaiah. What is our message? Christ.
Christ. Look at John 12, 41. These things
said Isaiah when he saw His glory. Now that refers back to Isaiah
6. Remember? I saw the Lord high and lifted
up, and His train filled the temple, and the seraphim cried,
Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God Almighty. When Isaiah saw His glory, he
spake about Him. Those who were where we sang
just a moment ago, in thy book revealed, I see, I see the Lord
Jesus Christ. In the book revealed, those who've
seen his glory. as it's set forth in the Word
of God. And when it comes by the revelation
of God the Holy Spirit, we don't talk about our experience, our
feelings, our doings. Our message is preach the Word. Preach Christ, Christ, Christ. That's what the sheep of Christ
wanna hear. They wanna hear about the good shepherd that laid down
his life. They wanna hear about the chief
shepherd that's coming again. They wanna hear about the great
shepherd who through the blood of the everlasting covenant actually
accomplished and brought in everlasting salvation for us with his own
blood. He bought us. We love to talk
about him. Those who are taken up with his
glory love to talk about him. Those who love him love to talk
about him, the Lord Jesus. Now, three things. Here's three
points from verse 28 of Acts 20. where it says, take heed therefore
unto yourselves and to all the flock over which the Holy Spirit
hath made you overseers. Paul didn't put himself into
the ministry. You remember his conversion story?
Saul of Tarsus was one who hated the gospel and did his best to
stamp it out. But God unhorsed him, put him
in the dust and made him a new creature in Christ and sent him
to preach this message that one time he despised, God put him
in the ministry. I pity the man who puts himself
there. And many run without a message. Many run without being sent.
Those who were sent of God and called of God and sent with the
message of God, they preach Christ. Christ has everything in salvation,
not a part, but all of salvation, to feed the church of God, which
he purchased with his own blood. Point number one. the particular
person that redeems, okay? The particular person that redeems. Secondly, the particular price
that was paid. What a price, his blood. And
then thirdly, the particular people that he purchased. He bought us with his own blood. Now, I won't keep you much longer. First of all, what makes redemption
such a valuable, a value of infinite measure, limitless measure? Is
it just that some Jew died? There were a lot of Jews that
were crucified. The Romans, when they came through there, they
crucified thousands of those Jews. There was blood shed by
thousands of those Jewish people. It's just not that blood was
shed, it's who died on that cross as the Lamb of God, the particular
person that redeems us. You see, it's who he is that
gives infinite value to what he did. It's his blood. God bought
us with his own blood. God, get a hold of this, God
shed his blood. to purchase us. You see the Lord
Jesus crying. What is this teaching us about
His person? The Lord Jesus crying, He is God. How long has He been
God? forever, from everlasting to
everlasting. Thou art God. You see, it's His
person. It's who He is. God Almighty
manifest in the flesh. The Word was made flesh and dwelt
among us, and we beheld His glory as of the only begotten of the
Father. His glory, His person, full of
grace, full of truth. It's who He is that gives infinite
value to what He did. He bought us with His own blood. Turn over here to Hebrews chapter
1. This is, if you ever get, if the Lord ever teaches you
who the person of the Lord Jesus Christ is, you have to come to
this scriptural conclusion that what He did is absolutely successful,
weighty, and powerful before God Almighty. Look what it says
here in Hebrews 1. So it's a person who redeems.
The Lord Jesus Christ is God our Savior. Look at Hebrews 1
verse 1. God who in sundry times divers
banners, faking time path unto the fathers by the prophets,
he has in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he appointed
heir of all things. by whom also he made the worlds,
who being the brightness of his glory, the expressed image of
his person, upholding all things by the word of his power, when
he by himself purged our sins, he sat down on the right hand
of the throne of God." Now, why did he sit down? His work was done. You remember
in John 4, he said, my meat is to do the will of him that sent
me. And then in John 17, he prayed,
Father, I finished the work you gave me to do. And then at Calvary's
tree, his last word there in John 19, he said, it is done. Well done. It is finished. You see, it's the person of the
Lord Jesus Christ that makes his redeeming blood of such great,
great value. God bought us with his own. But, turn over to Colossians
chapter one a moment. Colossians chapter one. Who is
this man who dies such a brutal, agonizing, horrible death? He
is both fully and totally God and man in one blessed person.
Without controversy, great is the mystery of godliness. God
was manifest in the flesh. Notice in Colossians chapter
one, verse 14, in whom we have redemption through his blood,
even forgiveness of sin, who is the image of the invisible
God. Where is God Almighty revealed? Huh? Where does the glory of
God shine? In the person of the Lord Jesus
Christ. He is the image of the invisible God. Look at verse
15 again. The firstborn of every creature.
He's Lord of heaven and earth. He's not Lord by something you
do. God beat you to it back in eternity. God had made that same
Jesus whom you crucified. God had made him both Lord and
Christ. He's the firstborn Lord of every
creature for by him all things were created. This is the one
who died for our sin, that are in heaven and earth, visible,
invisible, whether bethroned or diminished, principalities
or powers, all things were created by him and for him. He's before
all things and by him all things consist. He is the head of the
body, who is the beginning in the beginning God. the firstborn
from the dead, that in all things he might have the preeminence,
the first place, all the glory. For it pleased the Father that
in him should all fullness dwell. All the fullness of a Godhead
dwells in Christ, having made peace through the blood of his
cross, by him to reconcile all things unto himself. By him I
say, whether they be things in earth or things in heaven, and
you that were sometimes alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked
works, yet now hath he reconciled, so much so that in the body of
his flesh through death to present you holy, unblameable, unreprovable
in his sight. You see, it's who he is. the
Lord Jesus Christ. It's who He is that gives eternal,
value, power, saving merit to what He did. One old writer said
this, that the Lord Jesus Christ had not been a real man in the
flesh, He could have no blood to shed. Had He not been God,
the blood He shed could not have been sufficient price for our
redemption, had He not been God. God bought us with his own blood. The person who redeems, the glorious
God who redeems. God, I like what he says repeatedly
in the book of Titus especially. He calls, when the Apostle Paul
writes about the Lord Jesus Christ, he called him God our Savior. I like that. He is God, and He
is our Savior, and He's the only one that's able to save to the
uttermost all that come to God by Him, seeing He ever lived
to make intercession for us. The person who redeems. You see,
we're not redeemed with corruptible things, but with the precious
blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. That Lamb without blemish and
without spot, that Lamb that was foreordained before the foundation
of the world, That's point one. Point two is this. The particular
price that was paid, sin demanded a ransom. There had to be redemption
price had to be paid. The particular price that was
paid, it says here in the text, purchased. Purchased or bought. That's what it means, isn't it?
Purchased or bought. Bought with his own Blood, blood,
the price was blood. The Lord Jesus Christ as the
surety of that everlasting covenant of grace guarantees our salvation. The Lord Jesus Christ is that
redeemer who really redeems. He is that savior who really
saves. Officiating as our great high
priest, the Lord Jesus Christ, he is our great high priest. The book of Hebrews makes that
absolutely crystal clear. He's a priest forever after the
order, not Aaron, but of Melchizedek, that special priest that God
raised up for a special time. But that the Lord Jesus Christ
is our great high priest did not bring the typical animal
sacrifice, did he? Let's see if we can read that
over here in Hebrews 9. Hebrews chapter 9 there were
many priests who brought many sacrifices Animal sacrifices
many priests the book the blood of bulls and goats never put
away sin Never put away sin, but Hebrews 9 verse 12 But Christ
being come a high priest of good things to come by greater and
more perfect tabernacle, not made with hand, that is to say,
not of this building, needed by the blood of goats and calves,
but by his own blood, he entered in once into the holy place,
having obtained, obtained eternal redemption. for us. He obtained for us eternal righteousness,
eternal salvation. He obtained for us eternal redemption
with His own blood. So much so, turn to Hebrews 10
verse 13. This man, verse 12, well, let's
go back to verse 11, Hebrews 10, verse 11. Every priest stands
at daily ministering, offering oftentimes the same sacrifices,
which can never take away sin. But this man, this man, the God-man
mediator, after he'd offered one sacrifice for sin forever,
sat down on the right hand of God, expecting henceforth till
his enemies be made his for by one offering he has perfected
forever them that are sanctified. Look down at verse 17. And he
said their sin and their iniquity will I remember no more. Now the blood sacrifice of the
Lord Jesus Christ was not an attempt to put away sin. They
right here in the book of Hebrews look back to chapter 9 verse
26. We don't have an attemptment.
We have an atonement. We don't have a theory of atonement
either. What's your theory on atonement?
I don't have a theory. I have an atonement. The Lord
Jesus Christ actually put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.
That is the atonement that we read about in scripture. Look
at Hebrews 9, 26. Once in the end of the world,
end of the age, hath He appeared. Who appeared? You see, it gets
back to His person. In the fullness of time, God
sent forth His Son, made of a woman, made under the law to redeem
them that were under the law. He appeared to put away sin by
the sacrifice of Himself. himself, by himself, with himself. He actually put away our sin. The Lord Jesus Christ bought
us. Our sin demanded not partial
payment. We sang a moment ago that other
song, my sin not in part, but the whole. What kind of shape would we be
in if he paid part of our sin debt? And then he left the rest
of it up to us. I'd be lost. I'd be dead. I'd
be damned. I can't put away sin, not by
any works, by any measure. You see, our sin demanded full
payment, full payment for sin. The payment the law of God demanded
is death. The guilty must die. The Lord
Jesus Christ took our nature to himself. Such a high priest
became us who was holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sin.
He had no sin, knew no sin, and did no sin. The sinless one became
sinful in our stead and in our room and in our place. He took
our sin to himself so much so that he said, that the Lord Jesus
Christ bear our sin in his own body. If you look carefully at
Psalm 40, he calls our iniquity that's laid on him, he calls
our sin that was laid on him, he calls it his own sin. Mine
own iniquities have taken hold upon me. God laid on him our sin. That's what happened at Calvary.
It's just not I know a lot of religious folks make a lot of
deal about all the physical agony and pain, and we don't diminish
that. He suffered like no other. And a lot of people talk about
how cruel the Romans were, and how ugly the Pharisees were,
how they said, if you be of the Christ, come down, we'll believe
you. How they taunted him, and jeered him, and mocked him, and
how the Romans hated him. And a lot of people make a whole
lot about that, but that's all they see. They don't see what
God was doing there that day at the cross. The Lord laid on
Him the iniquity of all His covenant people. God made Him to be sin
for us. He redeemed us from the curse
of the law being made a curse for us. Now, when I first came
here, crossed the street over here, seven years ago, in September,
that first meeting that we met in that little school room. You
remember the text I brought, the message I brought to you
that first time I came here from Lamentation 112? There's an outline
of it here stuck on the wall somewhere. Someone made an outline
of that message. And the text goes, is it nothing
to you, all you that pass by? Behold and see if there be any
sorrow like unto my sorrow, which was done unto me, wherewith,
wherewith, The Romans afflicted me. Well, they did afflict him.
But if that's all you see, come back and look again until you
see God afflicted him. God laid on him our sin, made
sin for us, burying our sin in his own body on the tree. The
guilt of it, the filth of it, the horribleness of it, so much
so all the sin of God's elect laid on him. That soul concentrated
that blackness and horribleness and darkness of that sin, it
blotted out the soul. Darkness. He was really made
sin for us. What mercy, what grace. The law of God exacted its full
penalty for sin. What was the full penalty? Death. Death. The Lord Jesus Christ
really died for our sin according to the scripture. The Lord Jesus
Christ really did make full satisfaction. The substitute who died in our
place made full satisfaction to God, satisfying everything
that God demanded in precept and in penalty. I like that scripture
over in Isaiah 42, 21, if I can remember it. The Lord is well
pleased for his righteousness sake. He will magnify the law
and make it honorable. He didn't meet just the bare
standard of the law. He exalted it. He magnified the
law of God. And he did so by shedding his
blood. He did so by willingly, lovingly. He said, no man takes my life
from me. I have power to lay it down. I have power to take
it again. This commandment have I received
in my father. You see, he dies, he appointed
death by the decree of God. Him being delivered by the determinate
counsel and full knowledge of God. It pleased the Romans to
bruise him, didn't it? It pleased others to misuse him
and abuse him, but what we must see it pleased the Lord to bruise
him. When he had made his soul an
offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his
day, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. His atonement, therefore, he
bought us, he purchased us with his own blood. He gave us life,
he laid down his life that we might have salvation through
his death. His atonement is not a partial
Payment is full payment, full payment, complete, eternal payment. So much so that God said their
sin, as we read a moment ago, their sin and their iniquity
will I remember no more. So fully put away our sin as
far as the east is from the west. Now how far is that? It's infinite.
He separated our sin from us. They no longer exist. Now, thirdly,
who did he do that for? I mean, the atonement of the
Lord Jesus Christ is successful. It's effectual. God said it's
enough. satisfied God in every way. This
is God's Lamb, His appointed Lamb that does indeed take away
our sin by bearing away our sin. Now who did He do that for? He did that for His people. He
did that for His church. It says here that He purchased
the church with His own blood. God bought us with His own blood. This text of scripture and many
others declare the glorious Bible doctrine of what we call particular
redemption. Particular redemption. He died
for a particular people. The good shepherd lays down his
life for the sheep. Particular redemption. It's also
been called limited atonement. Not that the power of it's limited,
but limited in its design to his covenant people. Also the
term that's used, definite atonement. He definitely atoned for the
sin of his people. For whom did the Lord Jesus Christ
die? It says here that he bought us
the church of God with his own blood. You know what? He's going
to have what he bought. He's going to take home what
he bought. He bought us. Where he is? He paid such a price. You think there's going to be
any lost? Is there going to be anybody in hell for whom the
Lord Jesus Christ died? Cannot be. No, sir. He said, of all that the Father
hath given me, I'll not lose one sheep, but raise it up again
at the last day. You see, his death is effectual. He loved the church, it says
in Ephesians 5. He loved the church and gave
himself for it. He's going to have us. He bought
us. He chose us in that covenant
of grace. He married us. He bought us. He paid the ransom price. deliver
them from going down to the pit. You remember that scripture in
the book of Job? I found a ransom. I paid the debt. I remember something
Pastor Henry Mahan quoted years ago. It had such a, it gripped
my heart so much. This is a statement that Brother
Mahan had that was made by John Owen years ago. There's a little
track around here somewhere that Brother Rupert put together about
the statement for whom did the Lord Jesus Christ die. Was it
for all the sins of all men? Then all men must be saved without
exception for the blood of Christ must be effectual if he died
for all the sins of all men. Secondly, was it for some of
the sin of all men? Well, then none will be saved
if he just paid a partial payment because the Lord demands full
atonement for sin. But thirdly, and here's the truth
of the scripture, the Lord Jesus Christ put away all the sin of
some men, his elect, his sheep, his church, and they must be
saved. His blood demands The ransom
price is paid. Once the ransom price is paid,
what happens to the captive? He's set free. Stand fast, therefore,
in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free. The Lord Jesus Christ died effectually
to redeem his elect, and in time, God the Holy Spirit will cross
their path with the truth of the gospel. and make particular
application to the heart of the sinner, making them new creatures
in Christ Jesus. God who has begun a good work
in you, he will perform it, he will perfect it, he will complete
it. This is why we're instructed in the scripture to go preach
the gospel to every creature. Go preach the gospel now to every
creature. the gospel, not another, but
his gospel, the gospel of God concerning the Lord Jesus Christ,
the gospel of his grace and glory. And to those who hear it, not
just with the ear, but hear it with the power of God and the
conviction of the Holy Spirit, they will hear the gospel and
they will believe it to the saving of their soul. And their testimony
will be. What will their testimony be?
Well, God did his part and I did my part. That's not it. If that's your testimony, you
missed the gospel. You just don't know the gospel. If he did a
part and you did a part and you put the two parts together and
then you have a whole, you missed the gospel. The gospel of the
Lord Jesus Christ and the testimony of every believer is this. He
did it all. He paid all the debt I owe. I can show you that, I think.
2 Timothy chapter 1. Turn over
there. Here's our testimony. It's not, Lord, I've preached
in your name, I've done many wonderful works in your name,
and I've done this, and I've done that. No, no, no. We don't
start with I, me, or mine. It's him, him, him, Christ, the
Lord. Here's our testimony. Verse seven,
2 Timothy chapter one, 2 Timothy chapter one, verse seven. For
God hath not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and of
love and of a sound mind. Be not thou therefore ashamed
of the testimony of our Lord, nor me his prisoner, but be thou
partaker of the affliction of the gospel according to the power
of God." You see, it's God. Now, this is Paul writing to
Timothy. Now, remember, Paul's in prison.
Paul's in prison, about ready to lose his life. It's God who
saved us and called us with a holy calling. Now who saved us? God
saved us. Not by works of righteousness,
which we have done, but according to his mercy, he saved us, who
saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our
works, but according to his own purpose and grace. I like those
two words, purpose and grace. purpose, and God married his
purpose and his grace together. They work together in harmony,
which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began,
but now is made manifest by the appearing of our Savior Jesus
Christ who abolished death and brought life and immortality
to light through the gospel. That's our testimony. Now and
it will be forever. One more scripture and I'll let
you go. Revelation chapter 1. Here's our testimony. Revelation chapter 1, verse 5,
that Jesus Christ, the Lord Jesus, who is a faithful witness, the
first begotten of the dead, the prince of the kings of the earth,
and the prince of the kings of the earth, He's King of Kings
and Lord of Lords. It's unto Him that loved us. It's unto Him that washed us
from our sin in His own blood. You see, He gets all the glory,
doesn't He? And rightly so. And made us kings and priests
unto God and His Father. To Him Be glory and dominion
forever and ever. Who gets the glory now, huh?
You see, salvation is of the Lord. Gives him all the honor
and glory. May God bless you to see your
need of Christ. His redeeming blood to put away
your sin. And may God be pleased to give
you no other hope. No other hope. but Jesus Christ
in him crucified. Is he enough? Is the Lord Jesus
Christ enough? If he's all you've got, that's
everything that God has provided for his church. He's enough.
Yes, he is enough. Christ is all, and in all, in
him dwells all the fullness of a Godhead bodily, and in Christ
you are complete, complete, complete. Now, I unplugged this thing a
while ago, and some of you may have noticed, and you're probably
sitting there wondering, why did he unplug that? The battery went
dead. So that's an explanation. But that's okay. That's okay.
I'm not complaining at all. Some of you are probably wondering
why I disconnected that microphone. Maybe you didn't even notice.
But what a blessing to be back with
you. I'm just so amazed at the Lord's
grace, how he's blessed you and continued
to bless you. Those who honor Christ, 1 Samuel
2 verse 30, those who honor Christ, he'll honor that. He'll honor
that commitment. God's people are committed unto
him. Those who honor Christ, he will honor, he'll bless, he'll
bless that message. He has and he will, and he'll
continue to do so. Okay. We got you anyway, we have two
recorders.