28, Acts chapter 28. We'll begin reading in verse 20 of
Acts 28. Paul says, for this cause, therefore have I called for you,
to see you, to speak to you, because that for the hope of
Israel, the hope of Israel. In Psalm 130, verse seven, it
says, let Israel hope in the Lord. The Lord Jesus Christ,
He's the hope of Israel. According to the scriptures,
He's the strength of Israel. The prophet Jeremiah said this,
the Lord our God is the salvation of Israel. Simply said, Christ,
Christ is all. He is all. Now, if you still
have our text here, he says, he says, because that for the
hope of Israel I am bound with this chain. And they said unto
him, we neither receive letters out of Judea concerning thee,
neither any of the brethren that came showed or spake any harm
of thee. Verse 22, but we desire to hear
of thee. What thou thinkest? For as concerning
this sect, we know that everywhere it is spoken against." They said,
we want to hear what you have to say about this sect. That word sect, it means heresy. They said, we wanna know what
you have to say about this heresy. Now, when they were talking about
the heresy, they were referring to the gospel, the gospel of
God's grace. They said, what do you have to
say about this? They thought of the gospel as
many do in our day, the true gospel, not man's gospel. Everybody's
lined up for man's gospel. about feeling good, about being
healthy, about being well, about doing works, about those things
that man can do to please God. But that's no gospel. That's
no gospel. But they call the true gospel,
they call it heresy. A thing of man's, this thing's
all turned upside down, isn't it? A thing of man's device.
They considered it a choice, an option. something of man's
free will. My friends, it's not an option.
It's not an opinion. It's not something man invented. It's not of man. The gospel is
of God. It's of almighty God. It's a
revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ. Over in Galatians 1,
Paul said, he said, I certify to you, brethren, that the gospel
which was preached of me, it's not after man. No, for neither
received it, he said, I didn't receive it from man, and I wasn't
taught it by man, but by revelation of Jesus Christ. That's what
men, that's what this world calls heresy. That's what God's word
declares is the gospel. You still have our text here,
look at verse 23. And when they had appointed him
a day, there came many to him, into his lodging, to whom he
expounded, he declared, and he testified the kingdom of God,
the gospel of God's grace, persuading them concerning one. concerning the Lord Jesus Christ,
both out of the law of Moses and out of the prophets from
morning till evening. The gospel, the gospel concerning
Jesus Christ, the Son of God. And listen, he preached from,
this should be no surprise, he preached from the Old Testament.
It says here he preached from Moses. What did the Lord Jesus
Christ say? He said, if you'd believe Moses,
you'd believe me. Moses wrote of me. This, all
of God's word, it declares the truth about Almighty God. It declares the truth about man,
man's sinfulness. It declares the truth about the
Lord Jesus Christ. the truth about him. Remember
back there when Philip was sent to that Ethiopian eunuch? That
eunuch was reading from the prophet Isaiah. And what did Philip do? Philip began at the same scripture. What did he preach to him? He
preached unto him the Lord Jesus Christ. Now Christ is found throughout,
again, throughout the Old Testament. But I want us to look this morning,
I was thinking about this, he said he preached to him from
Moses and from the prophets. Look at Isaiah 45, one verse
of scripture here, Isaiah 45, verse 22. Look unto me, verse 22 of Isaiah
45, look unto me and be ye saved all the ends of the earth for
I am God and there is none else. I pray that God might be pleased
this morning to give us just a glimpse, if just a glimpse
of hope, that he might be pleased in his mercy, he'd even be pleased
to call out one of his lost sheep. How? How does he do that? Through
the preaching of the gospel, through the preaching of his
word, that he might give us an ear to hear, open our ears for
just a minute, a heart to receive his word, faith. Faith's the
gift of God, faith to believe and look to Christ and Christ
alone. Let's look at this passage of
scripture this morning. I wanna break it up in four parts. The first, he says this, look
unto me. Look unto me. There's a lot of things in this
world to look at. He says, look unto me. Don't look to an idol. Don't
look. In Psalm 135, we read this about
idols. Idols have mouths, but they speak
not. Eyes have they, but they see
not. Ears have they, but they hear
not. Neither is there any breath in
their mouth. There's no life in them. There's
no life in them. And they that make them, are
just like them, no life. That's all of us by nature, no
life in them. They that make them are like
unto them and so is everyone that trusteth in them, that trusteth
in an idol. Turn to 1 Kings chapter 18. 1 Kings chapter 18, look at the
beginning with verse 21. It says Elijah, 1 Kings 18 verse
21, Elijah came unto all the people, and he said, how long
halt you between two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow him. But if Baal, then follow him. And the people answered him,
they didn't say a word. And what happened? What happened
there? Look down at verse 26. Verse 25, Elijah said unto the
prophets of Baal, this false god, this idol, they said, choose
you one bullock for yourselves and dress it first for your many,
call on the name of your gods, but put no fire under it. And
they took the bullock which was given them and they dressed it
and called on the name of Baal from morning until noon, saying,
O Baal, hear us. but there was none to answer. And they leaped upon the altar
which was made. It came to pass at noon, Elijah
mocked them and he cried aloud, said, he's a god, either he's
talking or he's pursuing or he's in a journey. Peradventure he
sleepeth and must be awakened. And they cried aloud and they
cut themselves after the manor with knives and lancets till
the blood gushed out. on the altar. Isn't that a picture
of false religion? Isn't that a clear picture of
false religion? They pray unto a God that cannot
save. They make a lot of noise. These
men made a lot of racket, didn't they? Look at this, look at that,
look at us. That didn't work. So they shed
their own blood. My friends, our blood can do
nothing. It's tainted with sin. It's filled
with sin. And there was, look at verse
29. Came to pass, when the midday was passed, they prophesied to
the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, and there
was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded.
And Elijah said to the people, come near unto me. And all the
people came near unto him and prepared the altar that the Lord
was broken down. And Elijah took 12 stones according
to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom the
word of the Lord came, saying, Israel shall be thy name. And
with the stones he built an altar in the name of the Lord, and
he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two
measures of seed. And he put the wood in order,
and he cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and
he said, fill four barrels with water. pour it on the wood. And he said, do it a second time.
And they did it a second time. And he said, do it a third time.
And they did it a third time. He's removing any doubt, any
doubt that what's about to happen is of man. This is of God. And the water ran around about
the altar, and he filled the trench with water, and it came
to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that
Elijah the prophet came near, and he said, Lord God. He prayed unto the Lord God of
heaven, Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it
be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am
thy servant, and I've done all these things that thou wilt.
Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that thou
art the Lord God, and that thou hast turned their heart back
again. And the fire of the Lord fell and consumed the burnt sacrifice
and the wood and the stones and the dust and licked up the water
that was in the trench. And when all the people saw it,
well, they saw something that day, didn't they? Back there
earlier, he said, if God be God, follow him. If Baal, follow him. And the people answered not a
word. Look here, verse 39. When all the people saw it, they
fell on their faces and they said, the Lord, He is the God. He is the God, the Lord God Almighty. The people, they saw. Despite
all that activity of those prophets of Baal, despite their sincerity,
they called on Baal from morning to evening. No voice, no answer. They leaped on the altar. They
cried aloud, they cut themselves, they poured out their own blood.
From midday to the time of the evening sacrifice. But that false
god, there was no answer was there? None to answer, none that
regarded. They prayed to an idol. They
prayed to a god that cannot save. But Elijah, he prayed to the
Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel. And we read that the
fire of the Lord fell. Not just the sacrifice, but the
wood and the dust and the water and everything that was in it.
And the people saw it. There comes a time when God's
people see something. They've sat and they've listened. They've listened with these ears.
But there comes a time when God's pleased to reveal the truth. To reveal it, to open that, to
unstop that deaf ear. To open the heart. Listen, to
take away that old stony heart and give us a new heart. To receive,
to receive his word. The people saw it and they said,
the Lord, he is God. We look unto him. Not again, not to an idol which
cannot save, but unto him. What else do men look at? Well,
we commonly try to look at the dead works of these hands, to
our so-called righteousness. Isaiah wrote, Again, from the
prophet Isaiah, we are all as an unclean thing in all of our
righteousness. Boy, if we could just, we had
a bucket over here, we could put it all in there. What would
it be? Nothing but filthy rags. We fade,
we fade as a leaf, and our iniquity, like the wind, has taken us away. Back there in the book of Daniel,
you remember King Nebuchadnezzar? God took away his kingdom from
him. And he dwelled out there with the beast of the field. What a fool he must have appeared
to be. Out there eating grass like the oxen. Said his hair
grew out like eagle's feathers. His fingernails like bird's claws
for seven years. for seven years. Daniel had told
him, Daniel had told him ahead of time what was gonna happen. Remember that one day the king
walked into the palace and he spoke and he said, is this not
the great Babylon which, listen, I have built? by the might of
my power, for the honor of my majesty." He said, look what I've done.
Look what I've done. Look at the works of my hands.
And Daniel 4.31 says this, while the word was still in his mouth,
he didn't even finish speaking that sentence. A voice from heaven
saying, O King Nebuchadnezzar, to thee it is spoken, the kingdom
is departed from thee. You notice he didn't say thy
kingdom is departed from thee. He said the kingdom. It's God's
kingdom. Listen, don't look to the work
of your hands. Salvation, salvation's not in
our doing or dying. Salvation has nothing to do with
the works of man. Salvation is of the Lord. He
said this, I'll be merciful to whom I'll be merciful. I'll be
gracious to whom I will be gracious. Don't look to other men. So-called
priests who would hold themselves up to stand between God and man. Over in the book of Acts, Cornelius,
he met Peter and he fell down. He fell down to worship Peter
and Peter said, he said, stop. He said, get up, he said, I myself
am just a man. Jeremiah 17, five, thus saith
the Lord, cursed be the man that trusteth in a man, and maketh
flesh his arm. And if we read on, it says that
man's heart is departed from God. We don't look to men, we
look to the man, we look to the God man, we look to the Lord
Jesus Christ. For there is one God and one
mediator between God and man, the man, Christ Jesus. Turn to Psalm 146. Look beginning in verse three. Put not your trust in princes,
nor in the son of man in whom there is no help. His breath
goeth forth, he returneth to his earth, and the very day his
thoughts perish. But happy, happy is he that hath
the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the Lord, His
God. Turn back with me to Isaiah 45. Isaiah 45, verse 22, look unto
me. Our hope, our confidence, our
rest, our salvation, it's in the Lord God. It's in Him and
Him alone. We look unto Him as the Son of
God, whose glory, His glory is the only begotten of the Father,
full of grace and truth. We look to the Lamb of God. The scriptures say the Lamb of
God who taketh away the sin of the world. We look to Him as
the mediator, the only mediator between man and God, one man. We look to Him as the Savior,
the true Savior and Redeemer of lost sinners. Look unto me,
second, and be ye saved. Look unto me and be ye saved. Look to him, see him, believe
him. John 3 16, one of the most recognized
and probably misquoted scriptures in God's word, for God so loved
the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth
in him should not perish but have everlasting life. Turn with
me to John, John chapter three. Hold your place there in Isaiah.
Turn to John three. Look at the, look at the verses that lead
up to that passage of scripture. Look at verse 14 and 15 of John
three. As Moses lifted up the serpent
in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up,
that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting
life. You remember that account from
God's Word back there in Numbers 21? God had hearkened to the voice
of Israel and had delivered up the Canaanites into their hand.
And we read that the children of Israel, they journeyed from
Mount Hor by way of the Red Sea. They became discouraged because
of the way. They were grieved because of
the way. That true of us today? to become discouraged because
of the way. How often do we become, even,
listen, grieved by even the smallest of things seem to catch our attention. And they, when this happened,
they spoke against God. And they spoke against Moses. They said this, they said, I
wish he'd have just let us, think about what they were saying.
I wish he'd have just let us die in Egypt. Were there not
enough graves in Egypt that he brought us out here in the wilderness? This frequent comment, they didn't
just say that once and move on. It seemed like they frequently
said that. when they, anytime they encountered
some difficulty. Despite the fact that God continually
delivered them. And I don't wanna get off track
here, but we can learn something. I believe we can certainly learn
something from this. You know, Paul, writing the Romans, he
said, whatsoever things were written aforetime, they're written
for our learning. that we through patience and
comfort in the scriptures might have hope. Consider this, wherever
God had the children of Israel go, it sounds like a simple statement,
but it was where he had them to go. It was where he led them. Wherever Moses led them, Moses
was out there leading them. Where was Moses leading them?
Where God would have Moses to lead them. And when they murmured, listen,
they murmured against Moses and in doing so they were murmuring
against God Almighty. And that's no, that's no different
in our day. Oh, that God would deliver us
from murmuring and complaining. How easy it is for us to find
fault that he would deliver us from that. And God said, and
when I say us, I'm talking to me. We're quick to do that, aren't
we? Well, you know the story. God
sent those fiery serpents and they bit the people and much
people died. God judged sin. You know it was
that serpent that appeared in the garden. God gave Adam the
garden to dress it and keep it. But Adam chose his own, he chose
his own way. And in choosing his own way,
he chose death. Just like all of us, we'll not
have this man, by nature, we'll not have this man to reign. over
us. Well, the people, they came to
Moses and they said, we've sinned. Moses, we have sinned. We've
spoke against the Lord. We've spoken against his prophet.
And they asked Moses, they said, intercede on our behalf that
he might take away these serpents. And Moses, we reprayed for the
people. And the Lord told Moses, he said,
make a serpent of brass. and put it up upon a pole. And Moses did as God commanded
him. He took that serpent and that's the same message. It's the same message today.
Look, look and live. Look, he didn't ask him to do
anything. He said, look and live. Remember when the children of
Israel, they were fleeing They were fleeing Egypt and Pharaoh's
army, and there they were against the Red Sea. No doubt they had
to be scared to death. Probably looking around, can
we sharpen a stick? Can we do this? How are we going to fight
this mighty army? What did God tell Moses? He said, stand still. Stand still and see the salvation
of the Lord, which He'll show unto you this day. Don't move
a hand. or a hair, put it upon a pole,
and tell the people, look and live. And it came to pass that
everyone that was bitten, when he looked upon the pole, he lived. Look and live. You know, I wonder,
I wonder, whether men and women, there's life right there. Look and live. Were there people
who, were there men and women who refused, absolutely refused
to look? Men and women, listen, men and
women who were dying, were there those that refused to look to
Him? Those who would not submit to
His command, look and live? Maybe there were those who thought
This is silly. There's gotta be a better way
than this. I'll make my own serpent. I'll
go here and I'll take some clay and I'll make my own serpent. And I'll look dead. Ignorant, that's what the scriptures
say. Ignorant of God's righteousness
and going about to establish their own. That's what men do
today, isn't it? They worship a God of their own
making. Those that will not submit to
the righteousness of Almighty God. Those who would not look
because of unbelief refused to look. Those too proud to look. Those who refused to believe,
they were dying. Men do it today. When our Lord
walked this earth, some of those religious Jews, they'd seen a
man that was healed on the Sabbath day. A man that had suffered
for 38 years. And we read this, that rather
than rejoice, Rather than worship the Lord that had healed this
man, they were all just tore up because this man was carrying
his bed on the Sabbath day. They completely missed it. Our Lord said, you will not come
to me that you might have life. Back to Numbers 21 now, and you
don't have to turn there, but it says, it came to pass that
if the serpent had bitten any man, when he beheld the serpent
of brass, he lived. Look and live. Our text, again, Isaiah 45, 22.
Look unto me. and be ye saved all the ends
of the earth. Where will this gospel be preached? Romans 10, 18 says this, have
they not heard, yea, verily, the sound went unto all the earth
and their words unto the ends of the world. God's message of
grace continues to go forth throughout this, not just this country,
but throughout this world. All the ends of the earth, in
all the ends of the earth, he has a people. He has a people
given him by the Father, a people purchased by his own precious
blood, a people for whom he was made a propitiation, a
sin offering. a people for whom he sends forth
his gospel. He continues to send forth his
gospel that men might hear his word. Scriptures say he's able to save
to the uttermost them that come to God by him. We read in his
word of harlots and publicans The worst of the worst. The most
vile offenders. And listen, the question is not
am I a publican or an adulterer or a harlot. The answer to that
question is yes. Yes. Yes, we are. To be found
in one point, to offend in one point, is to be guilty of the
whole law. There's certainly nothing we
could be called that would be low enough. We're sinners. But here's the question. This is what men struggle with.
Am I a sinner? Well, if the answer is yes, well,
there's good news. There's hope. There's hope for
a sinner. He's able to save to the uttermost
all that come to God by Him, all the ends of the earth. By
His blood, the sins of His people are pardoned. By His blood, we're
cleansed from all sin. By His righteousness, we're justified
from all sin. By His sacrifice, He put away
the sin of His people. He put it as far away as the
east is from the west. He is able to save and he will,
he will save. He said this, all that the father
hath given me shall come to me and him that cometh to me I will
in no wise cast out. Not one of his sheep, not one
will be lost. Our Lord speaking to the disciples,
he said, go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every
living creature. He that believeth, he that believeth
and is baptized shall be saved, but him that believeth not shall
be damned. He sends forth his gospel calling
his sheep, a people out of every kindred, every tongue, every
nation, every tribe, and those that refuse to believe, those
that refuse to look are without excuse. Isaiah 45 verse 22, look unto
me and be ye saved all the ends of the earth for I am God and
there is none else. In Acts chapter 4 Verse 12, turn
there with me. Peter said this, verse 12 of
Acts chapter four. Neither is there salvation in
any other. For there is none other name
under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. None else. No other. No other name. Christ is the
only Savior. Christ is the only Redeemer.
He was promised and prophesied throughout the Old Testament.
and he saves his people, he redeems his people from the law, from
sin, from Satan, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose
and grace, given in Christ Jesus before the world began. Before
there was a sinner, there was a Savior. Look unto me. and be ye saved all the ends
of the earth for I am God and there is none else. Turn back to Acts chapter 28
with me and I'll close. Look at verse 23. There at the end of verse 23, Paul expounded and he testified
to the kingdom of God, the gospel of God, persuading them concerning
one man, concerning the Lord Jesus Christ, He brought that
message from the law of Moses and from the prophets from morning
till evening. Look at verse 24. What a miracle of his grace.
And some believed. Some believed. Those ordained
to eternal life, those given to believe. Faith is the gift
of God. Those for whom Christ died, they
believed. Not all. Not all. Some believed not. Isn't that a miracle? Isn't that
a miracle that some believed? Aren't we thankful that he's
given some to believe? Had he not, Had he not none,
none would ever believe. They came to Christ. Those who
believe. A man who believes, he'll come
to Him. He'll rest in Him. He'll receive
Him. He'll commit to Him. They were
found looking to Him. Looking to the Lord Jesus Christ. Not my works, not my way, not this world, but looking unto
him. Some believed. I was thinking
about that father over there in the book of Mark. Remember
he brought his child, he brought his boy to him, he was sick.
Our Lord said to him, he said, if you can believe, he said to
that man, if you can believe, all things are possible. And
what was that father's cry? He said, I believe. Help thou
mine unbelief. We're thankful for God's word.
I pray he blesses our hearts here this morning.