In Acts chapter 3, our Lord had
used Peter and John to heal a man that had been lame from his birth. We're going to pick up in chapter
4, where these two men are brought before the council and questioned.
I'd ask that you turn with me to Acts chapter 4 this morning. I want us to read a few verses
here, beginning with verse 4. It came to pass on the morrow
that the rulers and elders and scribes, Annas the high priest,
Caiaphas and John and Alexander, and as many as were of the kindred
of the high priest, were gathered together at Jerusalem. And when
they had set them in the midst, when they had set Peter and John
in the midst of By what power or by what name
have you done this? Then Peter, filled with the Holy
Ghost, said unto them, Ye rulers of the people and elders of Israel,
if we this day be examined of the good deed done to this infant
man, and the title of our message will come from these words here,
by what means, by what means is he made whole? By what name,
by what power have you done this? This is the title of the message
this morning. Now, the word whole, it means saved. It means kept. It means saved from perishing,
saved from suffering. It means delivered from the penalty
of judgment. By what means is this man made
whole? Well, was he made whole by his
own power? Look at Acts chapter 3. Turn
back to the other page prior there. Acts chapter 3. Was he
made whole by his own power? Now, in our day, that seems to
be the message of religion. He must save himself. He must
make a decision, take the first step. Let Jesus into his heart. He must accept Jesus. He must
do something by the religion of this world. That's the message
of today, isn't it? That's what's preached. If you
flip through the channels this morning, I'd say most of the
channels you crossed, if you just listened for a few minutes,
you'd hear those words. Well, do you have Acts chapter
3? Look at verse 1 of Acts 3. Now,
Peter and John went up together into the temple at the hour of
prayer, meaning the ninth hour, and a certain lame man from his
mother's womb was carried, from whom they laid at the gate of
the temple, which is called Beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered
into the temple. Who's seen Peter and John about to go into the temple,
ask alms of them. Well, there's a certain man here,
a particular man. We don't know how many men laid
at the gate of that temple, but here we read of one. We read
of a particular man. God spoke to Moses. He said,
I'll have mercy on whom I'll have mercy. And next we read
of his condition. He was lame from his mother's
womb. Now, if we read over in Acts
chapter 4, we'll see that this man was over 40 years of age,
but the point here, he was lame from his mother's womb. Turn
back to the Old Testament. Turn to Psalm 58. Psalm 58 and
verse 3. He was lame from the womb. Verse 3 of Psalm 58, the wicked
are estranged from the womb. They go astray as soon as they
be born, speaking lies. He was born in this condition.
Does that sound familiar? That's our condition, isn't it? Let me ask you, several of you
have children. How many of you had to teach
them to lie? I know I never had to be taught
to lie. I never had to teach any of our children to lie. How
many of us had to be taught to be selfish? How quickly we hear
that word, mine, mine. We come that way from the womb.
He was born in this helpless condition. And spiritually, our
hearts were plagued with the same condition, same incurable
disease of sin. Our legs are broken. Our hands
are withered. Our ears are deaf. Our eyes are
blind. We have hearts of stone. Let's
look at another scripture. Turn back to the New Testament,
Ephesians chapter 2. Ephesians 2, beginning in verse
1, and you hath he quickened who
were dead in trespasses and sins. Wherein in times past ye walked
according to the course of this world, according to the prince
of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the
children of disobedience, among whom also we had our conversation
in time past in the lust of our flesh. fulfilling the desires
of the flesh and of the mind, and we're by nature children
of wrath, even as others. From birth, we're dead in trespasses
and sins. And in our condition, we cannot
do anything, and we will not do anything. Back to our text,
Acts 3. It says, who they laid. at the gate. They laid him there. Somebody
had to bring him. He could do nothing. He was completely helpless. He could do nothing for himself.
Had to be picked up, had to be carried, had to be laid down
at the gate. Helpless and hopeless. What would his reaction have
been to a man that come up to him and said, if you'll just
take the first step, that's all you have to do. He can't. He
can't. We can't. We're helpless. We're
hopeless. lame on his feet, our Lord said, you will not come
to me that you might have life. And even though this man was
brought to the temple, he came for alms, didn't he? He didn't
come there for healing. He came to beg of alms. But on this day, on this particular
day, he's going to be healed. The Lord's going to cross his
path with one one of his preachers. He laid there to ask alms. He's
a beggar. He's a beggar. He's unable to
work. He's unable to do anything. And as a result, he must beg. Now, the only wage we can earn,
the only wage we can earn is death. The wages of sin is death. And we have no claim on his mercy. And all we can do is sit at his
feet and beg. Cry out like the publican, God
be merciful unto me the sinner. Remember the words of that Canaanite
woman? Two words. She said, help me, help me, be
merciful unto me. This certain man, laying from
his mother's womb, this one day, this one who could do nothing
for himself, he's a beggar. Isn't that a picture of our condition?
Our sinful condition? Well, by what means is he made
whole? It wasn't by his own power, was it? No. No, he's a helpless,
hopeless beggar, lame from the womb. And before I go on to the
next point, I thought about this. This impotent man, where was
he found? He was found at the gate of the
temple, at the temple, the place of worship. I don't want to get
off track. But two things here, this man's
going to be delivered. And he's found, again, he wasn't
there, he was there to beg, but he was at the temple. He was
at the place of worship. And second, he had to be brought. He had to be brought day after
day, time after time. I think about, that's good instruction
for us. That's good instruction for our
children to bring them. to be brought time and time again.
This man was brought for 40 years, 40 years before mercy was shown
on him. But one day, God did show mercy. And until that time, he was brought. He had to be carried, brought
there, time after time. Well, he wasn't made whole by
his own power. How about the preacher? Was he
made whole by the preacher? You often hear men talk about
leading a man to the Lord. Ben Dale, we were talking about
this driving over last week, said he heard Henry say one time,
don't pay much attention to that, he said he may have been standing
there when it happened, but he didn't lead him, did he? Only God can draw a man to the
gospel. Well, look back at Acts chapter
3, verse 10. Look at verse 10. It says, And
they, the people, knew it was he which sat at alms at the beautiful
gate of the temple. And they were filled with wonder
and amazement at that which had happened unto him, had happened
unto this lame man. And as the lame man which was
healed held Peter and John, all the people ran together unto
them in the porch that is called Solomon's, greatly wondering. And when Peter saw When he saw
the reaction of the people, he answered unto the people. He
said, You men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? You know,
we're thrilled and we're thankful when the Lord's pleased to raise
up one who's sick among us. But what is that? What is that
in light of spiritual healing? What are temporal things in light
of eternal things? And Peter says, Why look ye so
earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we
made this man to walk? Why look ye so earnestly upon
us? The people had known this impotent man. They knew he was
lame from the womb. They knew he was carried to that
temple daily to beg, but he's now healed. And Peter stands
before them. who for a moment, think about
this, Peter walked on water with our Lord. Peter had preached
at Pentecost just here a few chapters back where 3,000 men
were saved. But Peter, Peter as any preacher,
is still just a man. He's just a man. Remember when
our Lord prayed in Gethsemane? Peter was one of those who fell
asleep as our Lord prayed. It was Peter who rebuked our
Lord when he spoke of his death. Our Lord said unto Peter, Get
behind me, Satan. It was Peter who said, Lord,
I'll die before I deny you. And yet we know he denied him
three times. Why look ye so earnestly upon
us? Don't do that. Don't do that.
As though by our own power, back in Psalm 62. I've got this written
down here. David said, God has spoken once,
twice have I heard this, our belongeth unto God. It's not
by our power, it's by His power. Not unto us, O Lord, not unto
us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy mercy and for thy truth's
sake. Is it by our own holiness? not
by our own power, not by our own holiness, then by what means,
by what power is this man, or any man, made whole? By what
means is he saved? By what means is he kept safe?
By what means is he saved from suffering, delivered from the
penalty of judgment? It's not found in man. It's not
found in the preacher. Turn back to Acts chapter 4. Peter says here, if we this day,
verse 9, Peter says, if we this day be examined of the good deed
done to the impotent man, by what means he is made whole. In verses 10 and 11, we read
the answer to this question. He says, be it known unto you
all the people of Israel by that name, by that name. What name? Jesus Christ of Nazareth. He that came down from heaven.
Jesus, the name given to him before his birth. She shall bring
forth a son. Thou shalt call his name Jesus,
for he shall save his people from their sins. Christ, He's
the Anointed One, the Messiah, Son of God, Jesus Christ of Nazareth. He's God and He's a man. And in His name, look over in
chapter 3 and verse 16, in His name, through faith in
His name, have made this man strong whom you know And yea,
the faith which is by him hath given him this perfect soundness."
That faith is in him, it's by him, and it's bringing forth
perfect soundness. Peter said back in Acts 2, him
being delivered by the determinant counsel and foreknowledge of
God, ye have taken and by wicked hands have crucified and slain. Acts 3.18. But those things which
God before had showed by the mouth of his prophets that Christ
should suffer, should suffer. Without the shedding of blood,
there is no remission. He must suffer, and he must suffer
like no other man has or ever will. He suffered the shame and
humiliation of the cross, and he suffered unto death. Why must
he suffer? Why must he be put to death?
Sin must be punished. We read in Romans 6.23, the wages
of sin is death, and what I've earned by what I am is death. God's holy, he's righteous, he's
just, and he will in no way clear the guilty. His law must be honored,
his justice must be satisfied, and if he chooses to show mercy,
He must do it in a way that's consistent with his holiness
and his righteousness. He just can't wink at sin. Our
children do things from time to time and we just, we ignore
those things. God can't do that. He's holy. He's just. He's righteous. Sin
must be punished. This is why Christ came. This
is why he obeyed the law. And this is why he must suffer
on the cross, that God might be holy just and righteous, crucified
on the cross at Calvary. John 3.14, As Moses lifted up
the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted
up. Turn with me to Matthew chapter 16. beginning in verse 21, Matthew
16, 21. From that time forth began Jesus
to show unto his disciples how that he must go into Jerusalem
and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and
scribes, and be killed and raised again the third day. And Peter
took him and began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee,
Lord, this shall not be unto thee. But he turned and said
unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan, thou art an offense to
me, for thou savorest not the things that be of God, but those
that be of men." He had to suffer. He had to suffer on the cross.
He must die for the sins of his people. Without his death, we
have no atonement, no advocate, no substitute. Turn with me to Isaiah 53. I
know these are familiar scriptures. It does us good to read him.
Isaiah 53, beginning with verse 4. Surely he hath borne our griefs,
carried our sorrows, yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten
of God, and afflicted. But he was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities,
the chastisement of our peace was upon him, and with his stripes
we are healed. All we like sheep have gone astray,
we have turned everyone to his own way, and the Lord hath laid
on him the iniquity of us all, the Lord Jesus Christ, Jesus
Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified." He is the crucified Savior. Now back to Acts 4. Acts 4, whom He crucified, whom
God raised from the dead. He's the risen Savior. Risen
from the dead, He must die. Oh, but He must also be risen. The Lord Jesus Christ, He that
was made sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness
of God in Him. Turn to 1 Corinthians 15. begin with verse 12, 1 Corinthians
15. Now if Christ be preached that
he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is
no resurrection of the dead? But if there be no resurrection
of the dead, then is Christ not risen. And if Christ be not risen,
then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain. Yea,
And we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified
of God, that he raised up Christ, whom he raised not up, if so
be that the dead rise not. For if the dead rise not, then
is Christ not raised. And if Christ be not raised,
your faith is vain, and ye are in your sins. Then they also
which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished. If in this life
only we have hope in Christ, we are all men. most miserable. But now is Christ risen from
the dead, and become the firstfruits of them that slept. For since
by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the
dead. For as in Adam all die, even
so in Christ shall all be made alive. Every man in his own order,
Christ the firstfruits, and afterward they that are Christ's at his
coming. The fact that he is risen from the dead proves And all
that he did, he was successful. Nothing was left undone. Almighty
God satisfied. Acts 4, the stone said it not
of you builders, for some a stone of stumbling, to others this
is the tried stone, sure stone. The stone said it not of you
builders, which has become the head of the corner. He is exalted at the right hand
of God. Crucified, risen, exalted. Turn to Hebrews 1. Hebrews 1. God, who at sundry
times and in diverse manners spake in times past unto the
fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto
us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things. by whom also
he made the worlds, who being the brightness of his glory,
the express image of his person, holding all things by the word
of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, put
them away, he sat down on the right hand of the majesty on
high. He was wounded for my transgressions. He was bruised for my iniquities. He did it all, and then he sat
down. He sat down. Well, I ask you
again, by what means? By what power is a man made whole? By what means is he saved? Kept
saved? Saved from perishing? Saved from
suffering? By what means is a man delivered
from judgment? Listen to Peter's conclusion
here in verse 12 of our text. Acts 4 verse 12. Neither is there salvation in
any other, for there is none other name under heaven given
among men whereby we must be saved. By what means is he made
whole? By what power? and work of our
Lord Jesus Christ. He that came to this earth, he
that suffered the death of the cross, he that's risen, he that's
exalted, there's none other name, none other name under heaven
given among men whereby we must be saved. It's the Lord Jesus
Christ. All right. I pray God will bless
his word.