OK, open your Bibles now to Acts
chapter 4. Acts chapter 4. Acts chapter 4, I wanted to read
our text. before the message. Acts 4, beginning
with verse 13. Now when they saw the boldness
of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and
ignorant men, they marveled, and they took knowledge of them.
that they had been with Jesus. And beholding the man which was
healed standing with them, they could say nothing against it.
But when they had commanded them to go aside out of the council,
they conferred among themselves, saying, What shall we do to these
That indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest
to all them that dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it. But that it spread no further
among the people, let us straightly threaten them that they speak
henceforth to no man in this name." They wouldn't even mention the
name themselves, would they? Peter and John, and commanded
them not to speak at all, nor teach in the name of Jesus. But Peter and John answered and
said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to
hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye. But we cannot but speak the things
which we have seen and heard." So when they had further threatened
them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish
them because of the people. For all men glorified God for
that which was done. For the man was above forty years
old on whom this miracle of healing was shown. The Lord opened this up to us
tonight. Now, Peter and John were on trial before this group
of religious leaders, these men and these leaders who persecuted
the gospel. And all believers, all who dare to make a stand
for the truth, all believers are no less on trial today. before a world that is steeped
in religion but hates the gospel of God's sovereign grace in Christ. We are on trial just as these
men were back then, not with the same persecutions, but we
are nevertheless being tried before this generation. Turn
back with me to Jeremiah 12. The Apostles at this time were
just beginning to experience some trials and persecutions
for the faith of the gospel. A little while later, They are
to undergo some very severe trials and persecutions and afflictions
and abuses for their stand for the truth as it is in Christ
Jesus. Now they are just beginning to
experience some of the fallout from their preaching, some of
the persecution from it, very mildly. And this is God's tender
mercies and God's kindness to break them in gently, to give
a mere foretaste of what is to come, to prepare them for greater
things. God in his tender mercies did
not have them severely beaten right off the bat for their preaching,
but gave them a little taste of what they are about to experience.
And we are given small opportunities, very small in relation to what
we're seeing and reading tonight, but we are given some small opportunities
to speak the truth, to testify of the faith of the gospel, and
we're not nearly under the threat. We're not under any threat, really. as the apostles were. And these
small opportunities given to us may lead to greater opportunities
later on. And persecution as well. We don't know what the church
is going to go through in days ahead. We don't know what you
will go through, what this little group will go through. We heard
Brother Walter Gruber speaking of some of the persecution that
they are experiencing from the government of Mexico and how
he foresees some greater trials, perhaps. And we don't know, but
what maybe we might have to go through some of these things.
But we are given small opportunities now. and greater opportunities
may arise. Paul said in Philippians chapter
one, it is given unto us not only to believe, but also to
suffer, to suffer for his name's sake. And he has promised us
great peace and joy and comfort and consolation. through these trials and afflictions
and persecutions, very real consolations, a very real sense of his presence
in times like that. Some of you perhaps who have
gone through sickness may know something about that. I'm not
sure you can know anything about that real sense of his presence
unless you are in dire circumstances. Because when you're rich and
increased with goods and have need of nothing, you're not calling
on the Lord to desperately argue. So God forbid that we should
shrink from any opportunity given us, right? God forbid. Look at what Jeremiah says here
in chapter 12, verse 5. See if you can understand what
he's saying here in relation to small trials and small afflictions
and persecutions, as they are related to much larger ones in
the future. He says, verse 5, If thou hast
run with the footmen, and they have wearied thee, then how canst
thou contend with horses? Do you understand that? If small
trials weary thee, and we break under small trials, what are
we going to do when a large one comes along? Small opportunities
at speaking out, we shrink from those for fear or because of
persecution. What are we going to do when
they start hailing people to jail for what they believe? So
the apostles stood before their persecutors. Turn back to the
text now. The apostles stood before their
persecutors and exhibited great courage before them. This is
courage that I covet so very much. And boldness. He said in verse 13, that when
they saw the boldness of Peter and John, when they saw their
boldness, as Matthew Henry said, they were not daunted, but rather
they were daunting to their persecutors, to their accusers, not vice versa.
When they saw their boldness, it says in the court, it says,
preceding they were unlearned and ignorant men, that they hadn't
been to school and that they were nobodies, classless men,
mere working-class men, they marveled at their boldness, at
their authority in speaking. And this is the conclusion they
came to. And they took knowledge of them. They concluded that
they had been with Jesus. That's where they get this boldness.
They've been with this Jesus of Nazareth fellow. We thought
we'd heard this before. We thought we'd heard somebody
speak like this before. We thought we'd heard this doctrine
before, and now we remember it's that Jesus of Nazareth fellow.
They've been around him too long. They've learned what they learned
from him, haven't they? Yeah. They received their courage
and their fortitude from me and his disciples, haven't they?
That's where they get it from, don't they? and remembering Christ's
authoritative speech and his fearlessness and his bold preaching. That's the conclusion they came
to. Now read with me verses 14 through 16. And so beholding
the man which was healed standing with them, they could say nothing
against what had happened. They could say nothing against
it. And when they had commanded them to go aside or told them
to leave the room out of the they conferred among themselves,
saying, Now what shall we do to these men? Indeed, a notable
miracle has been done by them, it is manifest to all them that
dwell in Jerusalem, and we cannot deny it." What are we going to
do? And to apply that to us in our
day, though men and women vehemently oppose the gospel, and despise
it. They cannot utterly deny it,
can they? Though they may utterly despise
it, they cannot totally deny it, the gospel. That which is
so clearly written on every page of this book is impossible to
totally ignore and deny and do anything about it. Men have been
trying to do so from the very beginning. That which speaks
so clearly of God's sovereignty, of man's helplessness and depravity,
of Christ's absolute Lordship and power, his dogmatic assertions,
bold claims of being the way, the truth, the life, no man comes
unto the Father but by me. That's impossible to deny, isn't
it, being so clearly revealed in the scripture. and notable
or obvious miracles by the preaching of this gospel, by God's grace,
notable or obvious miracles of faith brought in different people,
of regeneration in some people who were former lame or wicked,
sinful, vile people. Notable or obvious miracles of
faith and regeneration in some of these people who were formerly
wicked, perverse, nobodies, no good, unlearned, ignorant people,
that these miracles take place is absolutely undeniable. It's
undeniable. That the gospel actually changes
lives. I told you last Now when it was,
I was telling you that if one of my old cronies, who I used
to run around with, saw me now. It's been a year since I've seen
any of them, a long time. I can't even remember when I
even have run into one of them on the street anywhere, because
I don't spend much time back in Kentucky. But if one of them
saw me now, they would not even recognize me. And not for the
fact that I've lost my hair. That's not it. But me, personally,
they wouldn't recognize me. Me. I'm not the same person. And indeed, that a notable miracle
has taken place, they cannot deny it. Something has happened. He got religion or something.
Something has happened. And they can't explain it. And
that the gospel actually changes lives is undeniably a miracle
of God's grace. And there are many living proofs
of it here tonight. living proof. Verse 17, and they, but they
came to this, they decided this among themselves. They said,
but that is spread no further among the people. We don't want
this thing to get any further. Oh, the best laid plans of mice
and men. Doesn't he bring to naught the
counsels of men? Isn't that what he said? I'll
bring to naught their counsel. They said, we're going to stop
this, they're going to nip it in the bud right now. Oh, my. Oh, my. They'd have quit right then and
there, wouldn't they, if they'd have known what was going to happen in the
future. And later on, when the Church was persecuted, that was
the means of spreading the gospel, wasn't it? And they said, well,
let it spread no further among the people. Let's straightly
threaten them. We'll look our sternest. We'll
talk our meanest. We'll put on our pietistical,
ecclesiastical robes and our fish hats. And we'll all gather
together with a solemn look, and we'll look down on them from
our pedestals, and we'll speak very harshly and threaten them
that they speak henceforth to no man in this name." So they
called them in and commanded them not to speak, not even to
talk to anybody about this name, nor especially don't teach it.
Don't teach it. that they were unable to prove
that these men had done anything. They were unable to prove that
they had done anything wrong. But they didn't want them doing
whatever it was they were doing. They didn't know what it was
they were doing wrong, but they didn't want them doing it. And
they didn't want for sure what it was they were saying that
was wrong, but whatever they were saying, they didn't want
them saying it. So they charged the apostles
not to preach any more. They came to this That name,
that's it, just don't say the name. You can preach, you can
do what you will, but don't say that name, the name, the name,
in the name of Jesus, in this name, this name. So they charged
the apostles never to preach in the name again, that name,
this name. Now apparently, they didn't hear
a word that Peter and John said in verse 12, did they? I mean
Peter and John, they were bold, and they looked at them in verse
12 and pointed their finger and said, There is no salvation in
any other. There is no other name under
heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. The name of Jesus Christ every
knee will bow. They must not have heard a word
that they said, or if they heard it, they sure didn't believe
it. and they renounced what they had said, there is none of the
name whereby we must be saved. And Peter and John thought to
themselves, and I say, if we don't preach that name, what
are we going to preach? There is nothing else, is there?
Scripture says Christ is all and in all, or in all of the
scriptures. Christ is all. His name is inscribed from Genesis 1 to
Revelation 22. The whole book is inscribed with
his name. If you don't preach his name,
what are you going to preach? If you can't say that name, his
name is word, isn't it? His word. Now, when you say name,
when they talk about name, don't preach in this name, don't preach
this name name means someone's character. When you say, just
say the name of Stan Anderson, you immediately conjure up a
man in your mind, a man who looks a certain way, who acts a certain
way, who walks, talks, speaks, who is a certain way. His name
is him, right? His name immediately tells you
of his character, his attributes. And so does the name of the Lord
Jesus Christ. His name, you'll find in his
very name, his character, his attributes, his work, his person. Every part of his magnificent
person is contained in that name, right? and other names that are
ascribed to him, right? Jehovah-Jireh, Jehovah-Sidkenu,
Jehovah-Shalom, and so forth. His name. So when you talk about
name, you're talking about his character, his attributes. And
if we cut out his character, his attributes, if we cut out
the sovereign, electing, free, unmerited, eternal, effectual
grace of God in Christ Jesus out of the Bible, Like that wicked
king, you know, who took a penknife and cut everything out of the
Bible he didn't like? Well, we wouldn't have a Bible left, would
we? We wouldn't have anything left, because this whole book
is inscribed with his name. Now, these religious fellows
had shut their ears to the truth of Christ alone for salvation,
hadn't they? rebelled and refused to believe
that salvation was only through believing this Nazarene. So they shut their ears to the
truth of Christ alone for salvation, of salvation being of him. They shut their ears to it. And
mere religionists today are doing the same thing. They shut their
ears and refuse to believe the absolute truth. of salvation
of and through and by Jesus Christ alone for salvation. Because,
and here are some of the reasons why, and this is the reasons
why these Pharisees didn't want to hear this name or to hear
this message in it. Because it kills pride It kills
all religious pride. It kills merit, doesn't it? When you talk about Christ alone
for salvation, it kills all of our works and our merit. Our
dead works, the scripture is called, dead works. It kills
merit. It kills our religious attainments. You mean I've gone to Sunday
school all these years without missing one for nothing? These
pens don't account for nothing? Nothing. As a matter of fact,
you better jerk them off real fast. You better take them off.
They count against you. Right? Against you. If you hold that up as some kind
of merit before God, it will count against you. You'll be
judged by your works. Hypocrisy. It kills all hypocrisy. Now, I tell you, the Lord exposed
the hypocrisy of those Pharisees, didn't they? And they wanted
him silenced. Why? Because he was exposing
them. And it frees people from bondage
to men, too. When you tell people, don't come
to me, when you tell people, don't look to me, you don't have
to shake the preacher's hand to be saved. You don't have to
come down here. You don't have to have our approbation, our approval. You don't have to do these things.
All you have to do is to get to Christ. Christ alone. He's the Savior. He's the mediator.
I don't have to pray you into heaven. He must. He must. My prayers don't amount to anything,
but his do. So that just frees people from
bondage to men. So you see, these Pharisees didn't
want that, did they? They had people under their thumbs.
Under their thumb. And it kills money-making schemes
in the name of religion, doesn't it? It'll kill them all. You
mean I don't have to pay my way into heaven? No, Christ paid
it all. All the debt. It'll kill this
money-making craft of religionists. Look at it again. It says that
they called them back into their council hall, and they commanded
them in their sternest voice not to speak at all, nor to teach
in the name of Jesus. Even though Peter and John were
threatened, and later on they were actually tortured and killed,
John not being killed, but the rest of the apostles were. But
even though the apostles were threatened and later on actually
tortured and threatened not to preach anymore, these apostles
didn't think anything about these threatenings, did they? They didn't stop and have to
consider. They thought nothing of these threatening, but I'll
tell you what they were thinking of. They were thinking in the
back of their mind, they were thinking of our Lord's threatenings
and warnings. When he said back in Matthew
10, he said, Whosoever shall deny me before men, I'll deny
before my heavenly Father someday. I bet you, Terry, they were thinking
about that threat, weren't they? That warning a lot more than
these pinheads, pinhead preachers, weren't they? And they feared
God more than man. They esteemed God's approval
more than man's, didn't they? Far greater than man. And just
as soon as the scribes and the elders finished their little
threatenings, just as soon as they got through talking and
threatening Peter and John, Peter and John didn't have to pause
for a minute to consider what they were going to do, did they?
They didn't say, Well, let us have a little counsel here. We'll
think about this. And they go, Well, what are we going to do,
John? This looks serious. I don't know. What do you think, Peter? I don't
know. You know, our lives are at stake." Hey, he didn't think
for a minute, did he? Look at it. It says, "...but
Peter and John answered to him right away, and said unto them,"
right away, together. It says, "...Peter and John,"
as if they both spoke it together in unison. They didn't stop and
consider at all. It said, "...Peter and John answered."
Both of them said unto them. Now, whether it be right in the
sight of to listen to you more than God,
you be the judge. We rest our case. Should we listen
to you or God? You judge. You judge. You decide whether it's right.
Should we go with the flow or go with God? Shall we go with
the majority? Does the majority rule, or does
God rule? Who shall we listen to? Are we
going to preach God's Word or man's opinion? Isn't this so
applicable today? Are we going to preach God's
Word here, or are we going to preach man's popular opinion?
Which will it be? Do we have to stop and think
about it for a minute? Like I told that preacher one
time, That preacher who was fearful of some kind of legal reprisals
on him for preaching a certain issue from his pulpit, I said,
if you even have to consider for a moment whether or not you're
going to preach the truth of God's Word from your pulpit,
if you have to stop and think whether or not you're going to
preach the truth from your pulpit for a minute, you'd better get
out of that pulpit just as fast as your legs will take you. You're
on dangerous ground. Are we going to preach God's
word or man's opinion? Are we going to say what God
tells us to say, or are we going to hold something back? Well,
you know, they say, John, that's family doctrine. Election is
just family doctrine. Where does he say that? Somebody
show me chapter and verse. Would you? If that's what God
said, Sammy, that it's family doctrine, I'll just preach it
to the family then. Besides, tell me who the family
is first. Are we going to say what God
tells us to say or hold something back? Are we going to preach
popular opinion or particular redemption? Popular opinion or
particular redemption, which will it be? Don't even have to
think for a minute. And like I said, we're going
to be outside the ark swimming, going with—you know, that's what
it means to go with the flow—outside the ark. We're going to be outside
the ark going with the flow? We're going to be inside the
ark resting? We're going to please man? We're
going to seek to please man, scratch people's back, or glorify
God? Which will it be? Are we going to hold back the
truth, or are we going to declare it? Somebody tell me. You judge. You judge. What do we preach,
God's gospel or man's? Is there a decision to be made?
I really wonder sometimes if preachers get out their Bibles
and open them up, and they open it up accidentally to, like,
Ephesians 1 or Romans 9, and say, Oh, I better not, that's,
and they start reading, Oh, I better not, Deacon Jones won't like
that. He's the biggest giver in the
Church, and I better not say he doesn't like that election.
I heard him say, So I'll skip over that. And here we come to
particular. Oh, you better not say that either.
Widow Smith, she's going to leave her whole inheritance to this
church, and I better not say that either. I wonder sometimes
if they don't do that, because they see it, Henry. They see
it in the Bible just as plain as you do, buddy. They're scholars. So what are we going to preach?
God's gospel or man? And then Peter and John say,
They say what all believers, all who truly believe in their
hearts and are firmly persuaded who God is, who Christ is, what
he did as being the only salvation there is. They said this in verse
20, they said, We cannot but speak, we cannot but speak the things
which we have seen and heard. We can't help it. Necessity is
laid upon me, like Paul said, Woe is unto me if I preach not
the gospel. We cannot but speak the things
which we have seen and heard. While we've seen God's glory,
we're going to talk about man's? Well, we've heard his powerful
voice in the gospel We've seen God's glory and heard his voice.
We cannot but speak the things we've seen and heard. Like Elihu said to Job and his
friends, he said, My heart's bubbling up, I've got to say
it. And David said that, didn't he, in Psalm 145? My heart is
indicting a good matter. And the margin says it's like
a bottle of wine ready to bust. I'm speaking of things that's
touching the key! I've seen God's glory. I've heard
his voice. Who am I going to listen to?
Who am I going to talk about? Man? Now, let me tell you a few
things here that we've seen and we've heard. Here's a few things
that we have seen and we have heard in the gospel, and we cannot
but speak them. We can't help it. that God is God. Right? Have you seen that? Blessed are
your eyes if you have. I see Him as saving glory. How that God
is God, he is Lord in salvation. I see that. I see his absolute
holiness. Didn't we see that last night,
ladies? Didn't you see it so clearly? God's holiness, God's
sovereignty. I see that. Don't you see that?
God's sovereignty all through this Bible. His omnipotence,
his omniscience, his omnipresence. Don't you see these things? That
God is God. Do you see? I see his glory in
everything, in everything. I see God's glory, don't you?
And I hear his voice in everything, in the thunder. You say, you're
superstitious then. No, no I'm not. I hear God's
voice in the thunder. I hear it in the wind. I think
the clouds are the dust of his feet. How about you? Most of
all, I hear God's voice in the Word. Do you? Have you ever heard
God's powerful voice in the Word saying this? I am God, there
is none else. Have you heard that powerful
voice? Worship me, thou shalt have no
other gods before me. I am God, I am the Lord, there
is none else. Have you heard that in His Word? I hear it all
the way through. That's all I hear all the way through, that God
is God. I don't hear anywhere that man is God or devil is God. I hear God is God, and I've heard
his voice. I've seen his glory. Here's another
thing that I've seen and I've heard. I've seen myself in this
Bible. I've seen myself in this I've
seen this is like a mirror, and that's what the scripture says,
it's like a glass that a man beholds himself in. And I see
myself written all over it in passages like Psalm 14, and the
Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men to see
if there were any that did understand and seek God. They're all gone
aside, they've all together become filthy. There's none that doeth
good, no, not one. From the soul, I see it in Isaiah
1, from the soul of their feet to the top of their head, no
soundness in them, nothing but wounds and bruises. I see myself,
don't you? Children of wrath, even as others,
I see myself. When I read this Bible, I see
myself. I see my own corruption, my sinfulness, I see my helplessness. Without me, you can do nothing.
I see that. You're weak and poor and miserable
and blind and naked and lame. I see myself. Do you see yourself?
in this Bible before a holy God. I see it in God's law. It condemns
me. I see it in my own life. I don't
even have to look in the Bible to see it. I see it in my own
heart, in my own life. My speech betrays me. I am a
sinner, and I hear it all through the words. I hear it all. I hear
him say to me, I hear him say, You're a sinner, and you're dead
in trespasses and sin. I heard that. I hear that. Here's another thing I see. and
I hear. I've seen God, I've seen God's
glory, and I've heard his powerful voice all the way through this
book. I've seen myself in this book, like at a look in glass,
my corruption, and I've heard God tell me so, that I'm a sinner
worthy of hell. I've seen that, and bless God,
I've seen something else in the pages of this book. I've seen
his son. I've seen Christ. I've seen Christ
and him crucified. I've seen Christ high and lifted
up. I saw him this morning high and lifted up. I feel like I
was the only one here this morning. I saw him high and lifted up.
I feel like he was showing himself to me, if no one else. I see
Christ as the only righteousness God will accept. I see that so
clearly in the Bible, don't you? I see that so clearly that the
high priest went in not without blood, not without blood. I see
him as the only man approved by God. I see that so clearly.
Has it all men failed the test miserably? Don't you? I see that. I see him as the
only substitute for sinners. I don't see any saint that I
can pray to that would do me any good. I don't see anybody
that can represent me before a holy God but one. Do you? I've seen him as the only sacrifice
for sins. I've seen him as the Lamb of
God that taketh away the sin of the world. Have you seen him?
Have you beheld him and been held by him? I see him as the
blood of God's Son that maketh atonement for my soul, and the
only thing that will. Have you seen that in the pages
of these books? I see him as the one Lord. I
see him as the one faith. I see being put in him by faith
is that one baptism, and there being no other. I see that there's
one hope of his calling, and blessed God, I've seen that and
I've heard that calling. I've seen him and I've heard
the call of the Holy Spirit through the gospel. Have you? Have you? I've heard that call, I've seen
him, his glorious person, and I've heard his glorious voice
say, Now come unto me, O ye that labor." in our heavy laden, and
I'll give you rest. Believe on me, I'm the Lord,
and you shall be saved." Believe. I am thy righteousness. I am
the Lord thy righteousness. I've heard his voice, heard him
say, Trust me, look to me, look unto me, and be ye saved. All
the ends of the earth, you scattered strangers, I am thy salvation. I've heard that voice. Have you? Have you? So I cannot but speak
the things I've seen and I've heard. And I see those things
and I hear those things every time I open this book, and I
don't see much else. I don't see much else. I see
Christ as all and in all. I see God as God over all. I see me as nothing at all. And I see and hear that all through
the book. I've seen, I've heard, And what
did one apostle say? Therefore we speak. Right? I believe, therefore I have spoken. And I can't help but speak. Huh? Nothing else to say. Right? Nothing else to say. There
is nothing else to say. That's a short message, but I
said a lot. Glory of God, the person and
work of Christ, and my desperate need of him, my only hope.