Sovereign Grace Chapel, located
at 135 Annabel Lane in Beaver, West Virginia, invites you to
listen to a gospel message concerning Jesus Christ our Lord. Good morning and welcome to this
morning's broadcast. My title for this message this
morning is this, God made Jesus both Lord and Christ. Or we could say this, God made
Jesus Lord and Christ. I have just one verse for a text
for this message, and the text I'll give you in just a moment,
but the context of this verse I have as my text, the context
of this verse is Peter's message to the Jews who were gathered
during Pentecost. after the death, burial, resurrection,
and even the ascension of our Lord Jesus Christ. And the scripture
says the day of Pentecost was fully come. And these words we
find recorded by Luke. And you can find them in Acts
chapter two and verse 36. And just a very brief statement
here. Peter said these words, therefore,
that all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath
made that same Jesus, whom he crucified, both Lord and Christ. Peter's message, the message
that Peter preached on, excuse me, Pentecost, Peter's message,
as is true of all God sent preachers, his message was Jesus Christ.
And what a remarkable summary, because this verse I've read
is pretty much what you could call a summary to Peter's Pentecostal
message, if you will, the message he preached on the day of Pentecost.
And Peter's message was none other than Jesus Christ the Lord,
and that's what the message was about. You see, his message was
Jesus Christ. What I want to try to do from
our text this morning, specifically, mainly from this one verse, I
want us to note three observations from the truth that is stated
here in the text, just three things. I'll probably spend most
of my time on the third one, but we'll see how that goes.
But three observations from the text, and that again is, therefore,
let all the house of Israel know assuredly that God hath made
that same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. Now here's the first observation.
God sent preachers, listen to me, God sent preachers are not
debaters. You hear me? They're not debaters. I see a lot of this on TV, I
hear a lot of it, where men want to sit and debate the word of
God, sit and discuss the word of God. God sent preachers, they
do not parley. You know what that is, don't
you? It's an old term often used back during the days of the pirates
and things of that. So they do not, God sent preachers
do not parley. They are not sent to exchange
different views about Jesus Christ. God sent preachers say things
like this, like Peter said. Therefore, let all the house
of Israel know, assuredly. Do you see that? Peter wasn't
there and asked, what do you think? Now let's discuss the
pros and the cons. Peter made this statement, by
the power of the Spirit of God. Therefore, let all the house
of Israel know assuredly. Do you see that? That's what
he said. Therefore, let all the house
of Israel know assuredly. God's preachers make statements
like this. Jude wrote it, earnestly contend
for the faith. Do you see it? Earnestly contend
for the faith. You can find Jude saying that
in Jude verse three. They say words like this. Apostle
Paul made this, this is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation. Do you see it? He's not parlaying
here. He's not trying to exchange different
views about Jesus Christ and see which one suits our case
the best. He's talking about the truth
of the person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ. Earnestly
contend for the faith. This is a faithful saying and
worthy of all acceptation. You'll find Paul wrote that in
1 Timothy chapter one, verse 15. You also hear Paul making
this statement. And without controversy. I don't
think Paul's saying no one argues about this, but Paul said we
don't. There is no argument here. There is no debate here. There
is no parlaying here. There is no exchanging different
ideas and see which one sounds the best. Without controversy,
great is the mystery of godliness. And he goes on to explain several
things that are considered to be without controversy. but great
is the mystery of godliness. And you'll find that 1 Timothy
3 16. So let this be established. God sent preachers are not here
They're not sent by God. They're not in the local assembly
that they're in. Wherever they may be found, wherever
God sends them, they are there to let all men know. Now, not
just the house of Israel, but to let all men know assuredly. assuredly that God hath made
Jesus both Lord and Christ. Do you see that? Let all the
house of Israel know assuredly. But here's my second observation
from our text. God sent preachers concentrate
first. Now there's a lot of things that
God sent men to mention, to mention of, to make mention of. But God
sent preachers, concentrate first on what God has done. Do you
hear me? God sent preachers, concentrate
first on what God has done. And Peter even, go back and read
the whole message of Peter. We have at least that which God
knew was what we needed. We have by the Spirit of God
through Luke, the message that Peter preached on the day of
Pentecost. His Pentecostal message, if you will. God sent preachers
concentrate first on what God has done and Peter begins that
way. He begins by speaking of Jesus
Christ and speaks of Jesus Christ throughout the whole message
and kind of sums it up. Therefore, let all the house
of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus,
whom he crucified, making sure they knew exactly who he was
talking about, both Lord and Christ. So again, number two,
God sent preachers concentrate first on what God has said. Look
at it. I'll read it again. I know I'm being redundant here,
but it's a short verse, but such a powerful verse, such powerful
truth. God sent preachers concentrate
first on what God, you see, what God has done. Therefore, that
all the house of Israel know assuredly, now look at it, that
God hath made. Do you see that? Notice how Peter
put it. That God hath made. You see, if you listen closely, if you
listen closely, to a man preach, you can detect the crux of his
preaching. Now, what do I mean by that?
Listen to a man closely. And I'm not talking about just
part of a message or even just one message per se. I mean, we
preachers, even God-sent preachers are but fallen men, and we can
get tangled up sometimes, there's no doubt about that. But again,
listen to me, God-sent preachers concentrate first on what God
hath done. Peter said, therefore let all the house of Israel know
assuredly that God hath made. You see, a preacher, when you
listen to him preach, they either concentrate on man's doings or
God's doings. the whole of their message and
ministry will be the one of two things. It'll be what man should
do, what man is doing, what man ought to do, what man must do.
But it's always about what man is doing. And on the other hand,
you've got God sent preachers. And they're concentrating first
on what God has done. Do you hear me? What God has
done. You see, There is no balancing
scale here. Well, we need to preach so much
about man and so much about God. Or we need to preach a certain
amount about what God has done and then a certain amount about
what man should do or must do or might do. I even had one fella
tell me years ago, he said, what we really need to do is teach
people how to live and how to act, how to conduct themselves.
And then the last few minutes of our message, just throwing
enough about Jesus Christ so they can believe on him and to
be saved. Oh, how sad. Oh, how sad. Again, I'm saying,
if you listen closely, you can detect the crux of a man's preaching. They'll either concentrate on
man's doing, or they'll concentrate on God's doing. But there is
no scale here. Listen to what the Apostle Paul
said. Listen to how he put it. He certainly put it far better
than I ever could, or can. And of course, he was moved by
the Spirit of God to write. And listen to what he says, and
I'll, just a couple passages. Listen to 2 Corinthians chapter
four, and just one verse here, verse five. And later on, take
your Bible, read the context here of what Paul's talking about.
Look at what he says, 2 Corinthians 4 verse 5. For we preach not
ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord. And ourselves, your servants. Your servants for Jesus' sake.
So thus, Jesus Christ the Lord is the sum and substance of both,
of it all. Even the servitude of God's men
is still based upon and for the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ
himself. He enables them, he motivates
them, he enables you, and motivates you to hear if you actually listen
and believe the Lord Jesus Christ. For we preach not ourselves,
but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your servants for Jesus'
sake. Now, one more passage. One more,
1 Corinthians chapter one. And this here, of course, all
the book of God, all the book of God is astounding. And I don't
mean to try to pull up one part of God's word as being more inspired. It's all inspired in the spirit
of God. But listen to what Paul says concerning this in 1 Corinthians
chapter one. And remember what we're talking
about here. I've said this, God's sent preachers are not debaters. They do not parley. They are
not sent to exchange different views about Jesus Christ and
consider the pros and the cons. And here's our second point.
It's what we're on now. God sent preachers concentrate first on
what God has done. Now listen to what Paul told
this same group of believers. this same local assembly, the
assembly at Corinth, and listen to what he wrote to them in 1
Corinthians 1. And let me begin just in verse
17 for the context of my message this morning. 1 Corinthians 1,
verse 17. For Christ sent me not to baptize. Now the apostle Paul was not
against baptizing. But that's not the message. That's
not what he concentrated on. Do you see it? For Christ sent
me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel. Do you see it? Not
with wisdom of words. Do you see it? Not with wisdom
of words, lest the cross of Christ should be of none effect. We
see that preaching the gospel is what? Preaching the cross
of Christ. And that's not talking about
that piece of wood Christ hung on. That's talking about his
sufferings. what he dealt with, what he put
up with, what the Father laid upon him when he hung on that
accursed tree. So again, for Christ sent me
not to baptize, but to preach the gospel, do you see it? Not
with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made
of none effect. For the preaching of the cross
is to them that perish foolishness, Preaching to men and women how
to live, they tolerate that. But you know one thing they don't
want to tolerate unless God Almighty's worked on them in grace? The
preaching of the cross of Christ. I know enough about that. Go
on to something more. Go on to something better. There
is nothing better than preaching of the person and work of the
Lord Jesus Christ. For the preaching of the cross
is to them that perish foolishness. But unto us which are saved,
do you see it? Unto us which are saved, it is
the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy
the wisdom of the wise. This is the Old Testament Paul's
quoting from. I will destroy the wisdom of the wise and bring
to nothing the understanding of the prudent. Where is the
wise? Where is the scribe? Where is
the disputer of this world? Hath not God made foolish the
wisdom of this world? For after that, in the wisdom
of God, the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God. Think about this statement. It
pleased God by the foolishness of preaching. But not just any
preaching, the context is what? Preaching Christ. and more than
even that, preaching specifically the cross of Christ, the sufferings
of Christ, the agony of Christ when God Almighty hung him on
that tree and made him sin for us. Where is the wise, where
is the scribe, where is the disputer of this world if not God made
foolish the wisdom of the world? For after that in the wisdom
of God, the world by wisdom knew not God. It pleased God by the
foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. For the Jews
require a sign, and the Greeks seek after wisdom. And there's
a correlation of that in our day. Religious people, they like
to see signs. They like to see something happen,
something great, something marvelous, something miraculous. The Jews
require a sign. Religious people do the same
today. And the Greeks, The Greeks, what do they do? That's the common
everyday world man. Hey, what does he? The Greeks
seek after wisdom. Tell us how this is all done.
Show us how this is all true. Give us empirical evidence how,
whether we should believe this or not, there is no empirical
evidence. There is the word of God, there
is the preaching of Christ, and there's the power of the spirit
of God, and that's all any man or woman will ever have. For
after that in the, read it again, for after that in the wisdom
of God, the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the
foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. For the Jews
require a sign, the Greeks seek after wisdom, but we preach Christ
crucified. Under the Jews a stumbling block,
and under the Greeks foolishness, but unto them which are called,
both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, Christ the
wisdom of God. So remember, God-sent preachers
are not sent to debate. They don't parley. They're not
there to exchange different views. God-sent preachers concentrate
first on what God Almighty has done. But here's my third point,
and we'll kind of concentrate on this one for the remainder
of our time. Note what God has done in our
text. Isn't that the flow of it? Therefore let all the house
of Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus,
that God did it, God hath made that same Jesus, and know it
assuredly, we're not parlaying about this, we're not discussing
about this, hath made that same Jesus, whom ye crucified, both
Lord and Christ. Oh, may God give you ears to
hear what I'm about to say. I do not. You hear what I said? I do not. And you do not make
Jesus anything. We may make a mockery of him. We may make a lie out of his
truth, but we don't make him anything. But all the house of
Israel know assuredly that God hath made that same Jesus, whom
ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ. God made him Lord
and Christ. And you and I have nothing to
do with that. He is Lord and Christ. We don't make him anything. I do not, me, this preacher,
even after preaching for all these years, I do not and you
do not accept him as anything. Very common in this day and age
to hear many among the fundamental, what is called the fundamental
Bible-believing, pre-millennial, soul-winning type of folk. It's
often very prevalent in their places of so-called worship,
where they talk about accepting Jesus as your personal Savior.
No such thing is ever taught in the word of God, never. Some people are even bold enough
to say accept Jesus as your Savior and your Lord. You don't accept
Him as anything. God made Him. He made Him. He's
already made that. God made Him both Lord and Christ. So again, oh God, don't you get
angry at me. Don't you turn off that TV switch. Don't you do that. You listen
to what the Word of God's saying here. I do not and you do not
make Jesus anything. I do not and you do not accept
him as anything. Jesus Christ, Jesus of Nazareth,
he is the Lord. God made him that. Jesus of Nazareth
is the Christ. God made him that. Now, in that
subject, I could spend many more half hour messages preaching
to you about Jesus Christ, God made him to be both Lord and
Christ. He's made him that eternally,
but he specifically made him that in his humanity as the son
of man, as Jesus of Nazareth in his obedience and sacrifice
and sufferings under the penalty of sin and God's judgment for
sinners and ungodly enemies. God Almighty made that same Jesus
whom men crucified and whom we crucified too. Whom men crucified, God made
that same Jesus to be both Lord and Christ. Jesus is Lord. And
I say this to everyone that may hear this message. I say to you,
confess him as such. Confess him as such. You don't
make him anything. Confess him as such or you'll
perish. It's that simple. I don't have
to get up and preach hellfire and brimstone. There is hellfire
and brimstone. This book talks about it. But
that's not your problem. Your problem is your rebellion
against the Lordship and the Christhood, the messianic authority
and power of the Lord Jesus Christ. I say to every soul that may
hear this, confess him as Lord or perish. Jesus is the Christ. Confess him as such or perish.
Now, if you're following along, I want you to turn to Proverbs.
I wanna read to you something, and I realize this will probably
be astounding to many folk, but it's just the way it is. Listen
to what, remember what I said. Jesus is Lord, confess him as
such or perish. Jesus is the Christ, confess
him as such or perish. But listen to me, and if you
perish, if you do, Listen to me, if you perish, God will mock
you and your insult to the honor of his son. Do you hear what
I just said? You reject him, you mock him. you deny him, you
lie in unbelief and you refuse to bow to the lordship and the
messianic power, the Christhood of the Lord Jesus Christ, then
I'm telling you, if you perish, God will mock your insult to
the honor of his son. And you say, well, where's that
at? It's in Proverbs chapter one, listen to what, Solomon
said concerning this, and this is God talking. This is Solomon
writing, but this is God talking. Proverbs 1, verse 22. How long,
ye simple ones, will you love simplicity? And the scorners
delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge. Turn you at my reproof. You're
being reproved right now. Being reproved right now. Turn
you at my reproof. Behold, I will pour out my spirit
unto you, and I will make known unto you my words. Now listen,
listen to what God says. Because I have called, and you've
refused. I have stretched out my hand,
and no man regarded. But ye have said it not, all
my counsel, and would none of my reproof. Now look at what
God says. I also will laugh at your calamity. Anybody ever talk to you about
God like that? This is who God is. I also will
laugh at your calamity. I will mock when your fear cometh,
when your fear cometh as desolation, and your destruction cometh as
a whirlwind, when distress and anguish come upon you. Then shall
ye call upon me, but I will not answer. Then shall ye seek me
early, but they shall not find me. For they have hated knowledge
and did not choose the fear of the Lord. They would none of
my counsel. They despised all my reproof. Therefore shall they eat of the
fruit of their own way and be filled with their own devices. For the turning away of the simple
shall slay them, and the prosperity of fools shall destroy them.
But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall
be quiet from fear of evil. Now someone says, I don't believe
that. I don't even believe that's who God is. That's your problem. And remember, let all the house
of Israel know assuredly, God made that same Jesus, whom he
crucified, both Lord and Christ. But here's another passage. Turn
to the second psalm. I said the second psalm. This
is a psalm, this psalm here's the psalm of David, the sweet
psalmist of David. And listen to what psalm chapter
two says. Isn't it psalms chapter two?
Why do the heathen rage? And the people imagine a vain
thing. The kings of earth set themselves
and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against
his anointed, his Christ, that's what that word is, and against
his anointed, saying, let us break their bands asunder and
cast away all their cords. This man won't reign over me.
I'll never confess him as Lord. I'll never confess him as Christ.
Read on. Let us break their bands asunder
and cast away their cords from us. He that sitteth in the heavens
shall laugh. The Lord shall have them in derision. Then shall he speak to them in
his wrath and vex them in his sordid pleasure. Yet I have set
my king upon my holy hill of Zion. I will declare the decree,
the Lord has said unto me, thou art my son, this is speaking
of that Christ, thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee,
ask of me and I shall give thee the heathen for inheritance and
the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt
break them with a rod of iron. Thou shalt dash them in pieces
like a potter's vessel. Be wise now, therefore, O ye
kings. Be instructed, ye judges of the
earth. Serve the Lord with fear and
rejoice with trembling. Kiss the son, do you see it?
Kiss the son, lest he be angry and ye perish from the way when
his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put
their trust in him. Isn't that astounding? That's
who God is. Let me sum it up this way. You nor me. You nor me. No man, no woman, young, old,
wise, Maybe just a silly heart. You do not have God and his Christ
over a barrel. God is not up there wringing
his hands, pleading with men to let him have his way. He holds
you and me in his sovereign grasp. He holds me in his grasp, he
holds you in his grasp. And he'll be merciful and gracious
to me, or he will justly damn me and damn you, and mock my
obstinance and your obstinance, and mock my pride and your pride,
and mock my destruction and your destruction, if we do not kiss
the Son, bow down before the Son of God, confess that God
hath made that same Jesus. God did it, and know it assuredly
that God hath made that same Jesus. The one we crucified,
yeah, we crucified him. If you not have been there, we'd
have done it. God made that same Jesus whom ye crucified to be
both Lord and Christ, amen.