And name shall the sun, S-U-N,
capital S-U-N, of righteousness arise with healing in his wings. Christ is that sunlight we just
sang about. All right, go back to Acts, the
book of Acts with me, chapter Thirteen and fourteen as. We know that the apostle Paul
and Barnabas. Another preacher. We're on a
missionary journey they were sent by God supported by the
church at Antioch. They were traveling through what
is now called Turkey back then it was called Galatia Cappadocia. They stopped in a town called
Iconium to preach the gospel. That's why they went and that's
what they did. And like most places where they went, it caused
a great stir. And often violence broke out. And they had to flee for their
lives. Like in this story. Why? What did they preach that made
people so fighting man. It happened everywhere. It doesn't
happen today. Very often does it. What made people want to kill.
These preacher. Well. Not one time did. Paul and Barnabas or Stephen
or Peter or Philip or any of them through the whole book of
Acts. Now the whole book of Acts is the story of the preaching
journeys. And the preaching all the recorded
sermons of the apostles found in the book of Acts. OK. Not
one time not one time. Did any of the apostles stand
up and tell a crowd of people, God loves you and Jesus died
for you? Not one time. The word love is not in the book
of Acts. Anyway, not one time. That doesn't mean they didn't
preach the love of God. is the greatest display of the
love of God there is. But that's not where the preaching
of gospel starts. That's not how you preach the
gospel. That's not how you start it. See, the gospel is only good
news. It means good news. It means
glad tidings. The gospel is only really good
news to people who believe God ought to throw me in hell. You know that? That's about it. The gospel is about mercy. That's what salvation is, the
mercy of God. Mercy means sparing the guilty,
not the deserving. Not good people who just, you
know, deserve a second chance. No, sir. The hell deserve him. Chief of Center. And the majority of the people
who got angry with and wanted to bash their brains out with
rocks were religious people. Why? Because we're good folk. And you're calling us a bunch
of sinners. And you're telling us that everything we ever did
amounts to nothing. You're telling me that me keeping
the law of Moses all these years and all my faithfulness and my
faithful dad accounts nothing with God and God's not paying
attention to it and God's not pleased with me and going to
give me an attaboy and reward me with heaven because of what
I've done. You're telling me that? You're telling me that
God is holy and just and sovereign and will by no means clear the
guilty and holds everybody guilty of all points of the law? You're
telling me that God is so just and so holy that he requires
death and bloodshed, and that I ought to die for my sin? That's
just too strict. You're telling me that if somebody
doesn't do it for me, that I can't do it myself? That somebody has
to do it for me 100%? I can't do anything? It's all mercy, it's all gratuitous,
it's all grace, it's all given to me that I can't do a thing.
You're telling me that I'm dead and trespassing? You're telling
me that all I've ever done accounts for nothing? I don't like that. That's not my God, that's not
what my Bible says, and I'm going to bash your brains out for saying
it. You're telling me that I don't get any credit at all, that one
person is going to get all the glory? You're a liar, preacher, and
I hate you for it. My God's not like that. But we'll
find out, won't we? We'll find out. See, salvation's to find all
that out now. And now. Not accept Jesus. Not let him anything. But call
on him. Crying to Him. Begging Him for
this mercy. Begging Him to have mercy on
your hell-bound, hell-deserving soul. All the prophets throughout the
Old Testament preached repentance toward God. And faith and trust
and looking to Christ and Christ alone. But that's the only one
God's pleased with. That's the only one. That's the
only one who's ever pleased God. The only one who's ever lived
according to God's holy law. Only one. Only one. He says none
righteous. Not one. Not one. Not one. None that doeth good. No, not
one. God looked down from heaven on the sons of men, Psalm 14,
to see if there were any. He said none. They're all worth,
none worth saving. Not worth saving, God said. Altogether
become filthy. Jew and Gentile. Paul preached
this in Romans 1 and 2. He said, what about the Gentile?
They're filthy. What about the Jews? They're
religious. Just like them. There's no difference.
And in Romans 3, he got down and he said, from the sole of
their feet to the top of their head, there's no soundness in
them. Out of their mouths come this and that. Their feet are
swift to shed blood and so forth and so on. None good. Not one.
Not one. God says, to all that see that, all whom
I make to know that, all whom I make to know their unworthiness,
their filthiness, what they really deserve at the hands of God. God is love, God is grace, and
God has provided that salvation one hundred percent, and his
name is Jesus Christ, the sinner's substitute, the sinner's savior,
the sinner's righteousness, the sinner's justification, the sinner's
representative, the sinner's mediator, the sinner's covenant
head, the sinner's savior. This is for sinners. And so who
doesn't like this? Who could not like this? That
salvation is 100% a gift. From the calling, the choosing,
to the saving, to the giving, to the providing, to the keeping,
to the final glorification. Who wouldn't like that? Who wouldn't
want that? Self-righteous people. Sinners love the sound
of it. Every bit of that. Sinners love it. And what they say, like the Gentiles
said, we want to hear that again next Sunday. But the Jews, well, I've been
church all my life. I quit my sin years ago. Are you telling me that all these
Sunday school pens don't matter? I tell you what I'm telling you,
you better jerk those off and throw them in the river fast. But Lord, Lord, we preach, we
prophesy, we've done many wonderful works in your name, yeah? You
said it was in my name. It was your name. It's in your
glory. All your bumper stickers, all
this and that and the others, for your glory. So people will
know what a good Christian you are. One for my glory. I know
you. I'm looking on your heart. This is for sinners. Who wouldn't
like this message? Who does not like, who does not
like God being God? Would you tell me? How could
somebody claim to love God and not love dear God be God? Huh? I have to ask myself that
all the time, you know, why in the world are people getting
mad at this? We were just saying God's God. Christ is Christ. God's Word is His power. Huh? That mercy is mercy. That grace
is grace. That Christ is Christ. That it's
the blood. Who wouldn't like that? Why does anybody get mad at that? God says there's one way. I know
it. I made it. I'm the architect
of it. I'm the author of it. I'm the
finisher of it. I did this. I did it all. Salvation
is of the Lord. Not you and me. It's of the Lord.
I will not share my glory with man. Man didn't help me create
anything, and man doesn't help me save him. I'm the Savior. That's why I do it. For my glory. Who wouldn't like that? Somebody
that really doesn't love God's glory. They love God. They love
themselves. They love their profession. They
love their works. They love their religion. They
love their tradition. They love their this and that. Where am I? This is what they pray. This
is what the apostles prayed. They never stood up and said,
now, folks, God loves you so much. And he has a wonderful
plan for your life. Peter didn't stand at Pentecost
that day and say, God loves you, you bunch of God-hating people.
He loves you. No! No! A thousand times no. He didn't
say Jesus died for you. He didn't say that. He didn't say that. He never
said that. That's all you hear out of the mouths of so-called
preachers today. Not this one. And not this one. Now here's what he said. Now
look at it. Now some of you smiled when I read this. Here's the
end of his message, the conclusion of his message. See, he started
with the Jews of old. He said, God chose. He started
with election. You know that? In this message,
he started with election, that God chose our father. A bunch
of strangers living in Egypt didn't know God, didn't care
if there was a God, but God. That was his message, Nancy.
That's how he started. That's where we start, every
time. People that listen to true preachers,
they say, he's going to get on that election again. Yes, because
that's how this whole thing started. God, from the beginning, chose. It didn't start with us. In the
beginning, God. And this thing of salvation is
in the beginning of our salvation, God. And from there on out, Sherry,
it's God did this. God did that. God did that. God
kept them. God provided. God did it. And
in the end, God presents them. Holy, unblameable, unfruitful,
faultless in His sight. Salvations of the Lord John Davis. Don't you love it? Why wouldn't anybody love this? Why not? Well, here it is. Verse 38 of chapter 13, he said,
Be it known unto you, therefore, men and brethren. Now, he's preaching
Christ, the man, Christ Jesus, the God-man. Through this man, it's preached
unto you the forgiveness of sins. You see, this is our problem.
This is the issue. This is what separates us from
God. This is what's going to eternally
separate us from God. If somebody doesn't do something
about it, we can't. Sin. God's going to destroy this
world because of sin. God will not clear the guilty.
God hates sin. God will punish sin. Malachi
wrote that in the last night. He said, where is the God of
judgments? Where is he today? You don't
hear about him. You do. You hear about him. The world's
not hearing about him. Huh? I challenge you. Tell me. Sins. But he says at the end
of his message, here it is. God will forgive sins. God will
forgive sins. Why? How? Who? Through what man? Through this man. Not by you
cleaning up your life. Not by you doing penance. Not
by you. Martin Luther was crawling up those steps, kissing the steps,
kissing the steps. Martin Luther, a devout Catholic,
gave his whole life to crawling up the steps, kissing the steps. You know, it's supposed to be
the blood spot. And God spoke to his heart the Word of God.
It says that just live by faith. Lord revealed to him what that
meant. It's not you kissing steps. It's mercy and truth kissing
each other. It's righteousness and peace
kissing each other. It's God the Father and God the
Son kissing each other and agreeing to each other. We're going to
accept that old boy, Martin Luther. God says, I've chosen that old
boy. He's just like the rest of those monks. He doesn't deserve
anything, but I've chosen him. And, son, you're going to go
down and you're going to live for him. You're going to die
for him. And then you're going to send
the Holy Spirit to regenerate him. That's what I mean right
there. Reveal it to them. And Paul goes on to preach. He says, And by him, look at
this, Kenner, oh, who is this good news to? Verse 39, By him,
by Christ, I say, Yes, by Him, I say, all that believe are justified,
completely exonerated, cleared of all charges, just as if they'd
never done it, from all things. Now, who does that mean anything
to? Huh, Hannah? Who does that mean anything to? Not people
that just have little faults. You know, I've got just a little
problem. I'll take care of that. I'm pretty good. There's a man hanging on a cross
right beside the Lord Jesus Christ. A murderer and thief. He couldn't
get any worse than him. He'd never done one thing all
his life, for God or anyone. A murderer and thief. And with
one word, the Lord Jesus Christ completely cleared him of all
charges. wiped his whole past out, his
life out. Every charge against him was
completely gone, and in a few seconds, a few moments, entered
into glory and presented him holy, faultless, unblameable
to God Almighty. So here's one of your holy sons
right here. Now you tell me if that fella
didn't like the sound of that. You tell me if that thief on
the cross is not right now singing louder than anybody in glory,
maybe with the exception of Mary Magdalene. Right now there's
two people singing a duet at the top of their lungs, Gabe.
The top of their lungs. No, everybody there is. Because
everybody there where they call themselves the chief of sinners.
We don't belong here. Everybody there thinks we don't
belong here. And you ask everybody there,
how did you get here? And every one of them there will
say, Him right there is why we're here. One hundred percent. It's under Him that loved us
and washed us from our sin. Under Him. See, salvation is
of that Lord right there. That's good news. It's only good
news to the guilty, to the unworthy, to the unlovely.
Christ is only altogether lovely if you're altogether unlovely.
You know that? That's just so. And who doesn't
like this gospel? Who doesn't love it? Those that
love themselves. That's it. Well, where do I go
now? I was going to deal with chapter
14, verse 8. This is what got this is why
people hate him. I'm going to try this. I've got a bunch of notes. I
don't know where to begin now. This is what got them hated.
They went into town after town preaching this and they got run
out. They got run out. Well, they came into this town
of, where are they now? Leestra. OK? Town of Leestra. They preach the same message
everywhere they went. Same message. Everywhere they went. The word
of his grace. Wasn't that it? The word of his
grace. That means a gift. A hundred
percent gift. Every part of it. One hundred
percent a gift be bestowed upon. An act upon. Grace is not an
offer from Christ. It's an act. Salvation is not an offer. It's
an act. It's a work. You understand me? You do. Well, they ended up in this place
called Lystra, and there they preached the gospel. What are
you going to preach, Paul? The same thing. Same thing. Woe is unto me if I don't. Certainly, in this evangelical
preaching they were doing, they were going places where people
never heard it, absolutely. Verse eight, they came into this
town of Leestrom, and there sat a certain man at Leestrom. There sat a certain man. Most of you have heard this before
because we've been through a bunch of books, and we've seen this
over and over, haven't we? We've been through all the Gospels
together, every verse, you and I together. And we've seen this
written over and over again, haven't we? A certain woman,
a certain man, a certain, a certain, a certain. This certain man was
the reason all this happened, in God's purpose and all of that,
the reason why they ended up in this town of Lystra. They
came here. And whether they preached in
the marketplace or where it was, they came and started preaching
the gospel. And right there sat a certain man. A certain man. You see, our gospel is a gospel
that is certainly the gospel. Everything about our gospel is
certainties. Certainties. Sureties. Everything, and this is what
makes our gospel differ from what they call the gospel out
there. The gospel they call out there is just a plan, just a
hope to, a want to, a wish to, throw it out there, an offer
and all that, and God sure hopes people do something right with
it. That's not our gospel. Our gospel is about a certain
God, who is God. He most certainly is God. He's
not trying to be God. He's not running for election
to be God. He is God. Okay? He is most certainly God Almighty, and our gods chose certain persons
before the world began. Is that God's Word or not? You
that know it. People do err not knowing it.
You know it, don't you? You know it so. He chose certain
persons according to his certain purpose and will and covenant
And sent a certain one, a certain one, a certain Savior. His name
is going to be called Jesus, because that's what it means. Does his name mean Savior? Yes.
Did he do that? He most certainly did. I'm not
trying to make a play on words or be clever here, but honestly,
this is the difference. This is it right here. A certain
Savior was sent by this God according to his certain purposes, nothing's
going to change it. Known unto God are all his works
from the beginning, Acts 15, 18. Do you know what you're going
to do tomorrow? You do not. You have no clue. It's all uncertain,
isn't it? It's all uncertain. Does God?
He certainly does. That's what makes him God, you
see. And so he sent his certain Savior, his Son, the Lord Jesus
Christ, to do a certain work. Certain work. For those certain
ones that he chose. He didn't do it for everybody.
Uh-uh. If he did, they'd all be saved. If Christ shed his
blood for every single human being, then the price is paid,
isn't it? Isn't it the blood that makes
remission? Where's it say the blood plus?
It says the blood of Jesus Christ. All right, Christ came down here
for those certain ones and did he finish the work? Did he get
it done? Came to do a certain work, save his people? Did he
do it? He most certainly did. He said so. I finished it. Is there salvation certain? He said, All that the Father
giveth me shall come to me. Sounds pretty certain to me.
Do you like that? Anybody here like that? Sheep
like that. Sheep like hearing about a Savior
who can't lose any of them. Sheep like goats don't. I'm an
old man now. I like my old... Go on, goats! Sheep say, oh, like David, last
thing David said in Psalm 119 is, seek me, I'm gone astray
like a lost sheep. Oh, Lord, be my savior, be my
shepherd. Seek me, I'm like one of those
dumb sheep. I'll fall off a cliff if you
don't come get me. Sheep like that. They all like
that. They all love that. Well, here
sat a certain man. It's no accident. Jennifer, this
is not, you know, God said that on purpose. There's that certain
man. He's sitting there, and not by accident, like you. You're
not here by accident. A lot, Scripture says, is cast
into the lap, OK? You got up this morning, you
thought, will I go to, well, some said, will I go to church
or will I not? I said, I think I will. Others,
it's just, it's nature, a new nature. You don't say, will I
breathe? You don't say, will I eat? It's
life. But will I or will I not? Say,
oh, I think I will. The lot is cast in the lap, but
the whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. And nobody's here by accident,
neither was this man, this certain man. The reason he was sitting
here is because God before the world again determined that at
this point in time at this exact point in time this man would
be sitting right there and Paul and Barbas would come walking
into town and stand up and preach this certain gospel and this
certain man chosen by the certain Lord in this certain hour would
hear this gospel and be saved right then and there. Well, let's describe him, OK?
We've got a few more minutes. This certain fellow, what was
he like? Well, listen to how God described
him. And really, this is a description of every single person that God
saved, all right? This is every single person God
saved is just like this fellow, all right? They're not there
by accident. Now, this certain fellow, it
says he was impotent in his feet. What's impotent mean? powerless. No ability whatsoever. If somebody said come, he couldn't
have come. Like that fellow, you know what,
you heard that story about that fellow that had that dog, he
bought that dog that had no legs. You hear that, Dan? Dog, he had
no legs, he got this dog. And one of his friends asked
him, what do you name him? He said, I didn't name him anything.
He wouldn't come if I called him. He had no legs, you see, and
if you called him, he couldn't. This fellow was impotent. He
couldn't, he couldn't come. He couldn't walk. Didn't Christ
say, no man can come unto me? Didn't he say that? He said it
twice in John 6. Didn't he say that? No man. People don't believe
that. I'll tell you who does. I'll
tell you who, after this was over, would tell you that he
was impotent. It was this fellow, this certain
man. Huh? Could you come to cry? No. How's
he impotent? No man can, our Lord said, come
unto me. What's the point preacher. Every time we preach is one point
one overruling overriding point. It's the one point it's the reason
this world stands. It's the reason you were born
the reason you die is the reason you were created it's reason
for everything that glory. This certain man he was impotent he's
crippled it's a. Impotent in his feet, powerless,
no ability. And the scripture says, a natural
man receiveth not the things of God, their foolishness to
the natural man. Neither can he know them. You're blessed if you know those
verses. Most folks don't. He's impotent in his feet. See, we walk by faith. Believers
walk by faith. The just shall live by faith.
Walk. We don't have faith. We're not born with faith. We're
not born with the ability to believe. No, no, no. God has
to give it. All power belongs to Him. We're
impotent, powerless. Well, it says he was crippled
from his mother's womb. Are you still with me? I'm losing
you. Come on. I'm losing you. He's crippled from his mother's
womb. I said this was an explanation, a definition of all God. How
did he get crippled, Henry? He was born that way. Why is
he powerless? He was born that way. He came
out of the womb powerless. Doesn't Scripture say man is
born in sin? Huh? Doesn't it say that? Huh? David said it. He said,
I came forth from my mother. First, he said, I was shapen
in iniquity. In sin did my mother conceive
me. I got a sinful father. I got
a sinful mother. And I'm born of them. And so
I come out a sinner. How? What do you mean? Impotent. Crippled. That's not politically
correct, is it? Neither is it religiously correct
to call a man a dog and a worm and all that, is it? Huh? That's
what God's Word is very plain. He's crippled. You don't understand. He's crippled. That's cruel. No, it's not cruel. It's truth.
And the truth, to all who hear the truth, they're not going
to stay crippled. All who hear that they're worms
and dogs and receive them, they're not going to stay dogs. all that are humbled,
all that are humiliated, all that are brought down, all that
are guilty, they're going to hear good news. He's crippled from his mother's
womb, came out speaking lies, depravity. Parents, your children,
Scripture says foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child.
Foolishness, your child is not sweet because he's your child.
Do you understand this? And if God doesn't do something
for him, he's going to turn out just like you. And I don't want that. Do you?
Huh? Do you? It says foolishness is
bound in the heart of a child and a rod of correction will
bring it out. That's all I want. That's all I want. Bound up. Got to take it out. He's from his mother's womb.
He was born that way. He never had walked. He never had walked. Is there any doubt in your mind
that this fellow could not walk? Is there any? Huh? How plain God's word. Is there
any doubt? Brother Sam, you're with me. Is there any doubt from
God's word that this fellow could not get up? And had you known me years ago,
there'd have been no doubt in your mind. No doubt. And if you
know yourself, you know. You know. Well, the same, this same fellow
heard Paul speak. Heard Paul speak. Irene just
got a call she loves this gospel she's not leaving. Some do that people do that. She loves this gospel this is
what she heard one day first time. Not a woman in a way it
wasn't John. Well this fellow this certain
fellow heard Paul speak. What did he hear him say? Same
thing you've heard this Paul speak all morning. Paul said fastly beholding him. In other words, looking into
his eyes, looking at him. Paul said, I don't fight as one
that beats the air, you know, not just doing this for show,
not just preaching out in the air, you know. You hear me call
names all the time, don't you? Why do I do that? You don't like
it, probably. It embarrasses you. But I'm not
preaching to the air. Deborah I'm not preaching there
I'm preaching to you Deborah I want you to take this personally. Jennifer. I'm trying to put you
on the spot and embarrass you. Jennifer are you with me. Jennifer
Holland. OK. Paul looks straight at him. Davis are you with me. Hey you. Honestly, I'm not trying to embarrass
anybody. Paul said, looking steadfastly
at him, Are you listening to me, son? And he shouted it! He ought not to holler, preacher.
Tell Paul that! He cried with a loud voice, Stand
up! I wish I could do that. I can't.
God can. He does. I remember distinctly
many times my preacher would look right at me. What's he looking
at me for? I need to look that. There was
a time, there is still a time, Sam, where God needs to look
at me to the preacher and say, thou art the man. Huh? I'm preaching to the air. Watch
me, I'm a good preacher. Listen, I'm a good preacher.
Impressed? That's not it! Barbara! Believe on the Lord
Jesus Christ. Stand on the rock, Christ Jesus,
and thou shalt be saved. Stand up! Oh, but I'm a sinner. Stand up! But I'm powerless. Stand up! I'm talking to you,
Barbara, right now. Yeah, but preacher, I don't,
you know, I can't do anything. Who said anything about you doing
anything? Stand on Christ. Stand on the
promises. Huh? He said, believe on me and
thou shalt be saved. Didn't he? Hmm? Kelly? I don't care what you've
done, where you've been, or what. I don't care a bit. God says
there are sins in the nickel that I'll remember no more. He
says, Believe, and thou shalt be saved. Kelly, stand right
now. Don't stand up physically, but
right now, sit right there and stand on the rock. Joseph, believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. Don't you wish God do that to
your job. To you. But he did. He's him he's crippled
I've tried all my life you know he can't. He jumped. And he walked. And he kept walking
and you may have left your heart. He walked all the way on into
glory. What's this mean he had faith
to be healed? What's that mean? That he perceived
in him he had faith to be healed? Well, faith doesn't give life,
it's proof of life. Understand? These babies that
are in these ladies' stomachs right now, after they come out
and they cry, oh, now they have life. No, no, no, no. How are
you going to know they have life? It's going to cost. They're going
to cry for their misery because they're in this awful world.
Isn't that it? Isn't that the new birth? Cry
for misery. We're in this awful world. And this life begins before faith,
faith, just proof of it, proof of life. Calling on the Lord,
proof of it. And what Paul saw as he preached
to that young man, man, old man, might have been an old man, Henry,
I don't know. And what he saw in his face was light in his
eyes. Paul was preaching this gospel.
And what he saw in that young man was... I've seen it. I've seen him go from this, you
know... I've seen it. I'm not in power. What he saw was a young man who
was sitting there with light in his eyes and maybe even a
tear running down his face, thinking, oh, I believe that. I don't know if it's for me or
not, though. I believe everything you said, preacher, but not me.
I can't, Lord, couldn't have mercy on me. His ears were pricked, his heart
was pricked, he's sitting on the edge of his seat or the floor,
and he's just listening intently. He has faith. He already has
it. His life is there. And somebody just needs to tell
him. Stand up. That's the gift of God. God gave that man the face of
the gift of God, not himself. And a man, and that's what I
say, I don't know if I'm not a believer. Come on now. Don't look to yourself. Look
to Christ. I believe there are people, I
know there are, who believe Christ, believe the truth I believe everything
that's been preached this morning, I'd love to hear it. I'm just,
just, just not sure about them saying it. Well, that's
good. And so I say on the authority
of God Almighty's Word, stand up. Stand up. This is the good news, he says,
the good news. Past wiped out. Brandenburg will walk from there
on. He'll walk, he'll walk, he'll walk. He'll stumble, yeah. Did he ever fall again? Oh, yeah.
Oh, yeah. But he's alive. Where do you
think he went? Let me just conjecture here.
Where do you think he went? Jerry, where do you think this
fellow went after that? Paul and Barnabas left, and they
headed on down the road. You're going to go preach again.
What do you think that man did? What do you think, huh? Would
you like to make a guess? Hey, Paul, can I come with you? I've got to hear some more of
this. Where are you going next? Here's Derby. I'd like to sit
in on it. No, I'm going to stand the whole
message. He's alive. That's how you do it. Okay. That's the best I can do,
as Scott would say. Mr. Gabe, come up please. M number 474, and let's stand.