Acts 9. I'm going to read you several narratives
out of the book of Acts. Notice the wording. The title
of this message is, That Man and That Way. That Man and That
Way. subtitled, is Our Man and Our
Way. But let's look at Acts 9, verses
1 and 2, After and Saul, yet breeding out threatenings and
slaughter against the disciples of the Lord, went unto the high
priest, and desired of him letters to Damascus, to the synagogues,
that if he found any of this way, whether they were men or
women, he might bring them bound or imprisoned unto Jerusalem."
Acts chapter 19. If he found any of that way. Acts chapter 19 verses 8 and
9. And he, that is Paul, now Paul's
converted, the previous Paul was not converted, he's converted
now. And he, Paul, went into the synagogue and spake boldly
for the space of three months, disputing and persuading the
things concerning the kingdom of God. But when divers were
hardened and believed not, but spake evil of that way, Before
the multitude, He departed from them and separated the disciples,
disputing daily in the school of one Tyrannus." Spake evil
of that way. And in verse 23 of the same chapter,
and that same time, there arose no small stir about that way. Acts chapter 22. Verse 1, men, brethren, fathers,
hear ye my defense which I make now unto you." And they heard
that he spake, this is Paul again, in the Hebrew tongue to them.
They kept the more silence, and he saith, I verily am a man which
am a Jew, born in Tarsus, the city of Sicilia, yet brought
up the city at the feet of Gamaliel, and taught according to the perfect
manner of the law of the fathers, and was zealous towards God as
you are this day." Now that zeal is not according to knowledge,
we know that. Look at the next verse, "...and I persecuted this
way unto death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women. Acts chapter 24. Acts chapter
24. Verse 14 and 22. Paul is still speaking. He says,
But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they
call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing
all things which are written in the law and in the prophets."
And verse 22, And when Felix heard these things, having more
perfect knowledge of that way, he deferred them and said, When
Lysias the chief captain shall come down, I will know the utmost
of your matter. That way. This way. Now let's look at this man and
that man. Luke chapter 7. Luke chapter 7 and verse 39. Luke 7, verse 39, Now when the
Pharisees, which were bidden him, saw him, well let's go back
to verse 36, And one of the Pharisees desired Christ that he would
eat with him. And when he went into the Pharisee's
house, Christ sat down to meet. And behold, a woman in the city,
which was a sinner. When she knew that Jesus sat
at meet in the Pharisee's house, brought in an alabaster box of
ointment, and stood at his feet, behind him weeping, and began
to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs
of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.
Now when the Pharisee, which had bidden Christ, saw it, he
spake within himself, saying, This man You can hear the derision. This man, if he were a prophet,
would have known who and what manner of woman this is that
touches him, for she is a sinner. Luke chapter 15 verses 1 and
2. Luke 15 verses 1 and 2. Then drew near unto Christ all
the publicans and sinners for to hear Him. And the Pharisees
and scribes murmured, saying, This man receives sinners and
eats with them." And He touched them. He touched them. They touched Him. This man. Matthew chapter 9. Matthew chapter
9. verses 1-3. Matthew 9, verses
1-3, And He, Christ, entered into a ship and passed over and
came unto His own city. And behold, they brought to Him
a man sick of the palsy, lying in a bed. And Jesus, seeing their
faith, said unto the sick of the palsy, Son, be of good cheer. Thy sins be forgiven thee. And behold, certain of the scribes
said within themselves, This man, Oh, this man blasphemes. Matthew 12, for our last look
at this. There's more, but this will be
enough. Matthew 12 and verse 24. Verse 23, And all the people
were amazed and said, Is this not the Son of David speaking
of Christ? But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, does not cast out devils, but
by Beelzebub, the prince of devils. So what that way and who that
man was often spoken in the scriptures, at least in these scriptures,
is a put down. It was a derision. And they said
these things mockingly this way, that way, this man, that man. But I tell you, this man and
that way, we who have been shown our sins and shown our Redeemer,
we embrace this language, we adore, and we worship. We worship this man in this way. I pray it would not be said among
us here this day, in Luke chapter 19, they said we will not have
this man to reign over us. We've got too many things. We've
got too many things going on, whether it's school, our jobs,
recreation, this, that. We don't have time for the Gospel. We don't have time for this way. We don't have time for this man.
And Melinda and I were talking about that. She's looking up
some stuff in Finland. Was it Finland? Denmark. Five percent, only five percent
of the population goes to church. Five percent. Well, I don't know
what it is in this country. We didn't ask. But where they're
going, they're not hearing. And most stuff they schedule
stuff on Sundays, it doesn't matter. It's just another day
of the week. Stiff arm. This way? This man? Now let's look at what the believer
sees in this way, in this man. Hebrews chapter 1. Hebrews chapter 1, just for some
introductory thoughts before we get actually into specific
verses. Hebrews chapter 1. Now it says
this is in a book, and the believer believes this book. This tells
about the way, and it tells about the man. God, in verse 1 of Hebrews
1, God who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time
past unto the fathers by the prophet. However, in these last
days, and this is what we're in, He has spoken unto us, by
His Son. Now that word His is in italics.
It's implied and it's a good implication. But it could read,
in these last days it's spoken unto us by Son, this man, whom
He, God, hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also Christ
made the worlds, being the brightness of God's glory, and the express
image of God's person, and upholding all things by the word of His
power, when Christ by Himself purged our sins, sat down on
the right hand of the Majesty on High, being made so much better
than the angels, as He hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent
name than they." God's language to us is about this man. and this man is about His way. This man and this way of salvation
and righteousness and redemption, may this way and this man be
our way and our man. There's only one. There's only
one faith. One Lord. One baptism. Turn with me to Hebrews 3. Hebrews
3, verses 1-6. Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers
of the heavenly calling, consider the apostle and high priest of
our profession, Christ Jesus, who was faithful to him that
appointed him, as also Moses was faithful in all his house,
for this man, verse 3, for this man, was counted worthy of more
glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who hath built the house hath
more honor than the house. For every house is built by some
man, but he that built all things is God. And Moses verily was
faithful in all his house as a servant for a testimony of
those things which were to be spoken after, but Christ as a
son over his own house, whose house are we, if we hold fast
the confession and the rejoicing of the hope firm unto the end."
This man, this man, who we just read in Acts and just read in
the Gospels, this man, though derided and criminalized by our
flesh at one time, and still our flesh despises this man in
this Gospel, and this world and its false religion, this man
is indeed counted worthy of more glory. For God, through Christ,
can build our house unto God in faithfulness, righteousness,
and peace. This house, our heart, and we
know that out of the heart are the issues of life, and God deals
with the heart. So He took that heart of stone
out and planting within, all by sovereign free grace, that
fleshly heart which beats and pants after God and after His
righteousness. This One who is counted as more
worthy, Christ, verse 6, the Son over His own house, this
Man was counted worthy of more glory more glory in the fact
that He initiates salvation, He initiates righteousness, He
initiates justification. So this man, this man who we
just got done reading, to the religious world, most religious
people at the time despised Him, mocked Him, laughed at Him, persecuted
Him, and the way as well, if you find any of this way, And
I got to thinking, what if it happens in this country? It's
happened before. There's nothing new under the
sun. Nothing new. Nothing new. Hebrews chapter
7. Hebrews chapter 7, starting verse
19. Hebrews chapter 7, starting verse
19. The law made nothing perfect, but the bringing in of a better
hope did, by the witch we draw nigh unto God. And inasmuch as
not without an oath he was made priest, for those priests were
without an oath, but this with an oath by him that said unto
him, The Lord swear and will not repent, thou art a priest
forever after the order of Melchizedek. By so much was Jesus made a surety,
of a better testament. And they truly were many priests
because they were not suffered to continue by reason of death.
But this man, this man, this man, this man, yes, this despised
and rejected of men, God has highly exalted him and given
him a name far above all things. For in all things, the Scripture
says, he must, nay, he has the preeminence. that this man, because
he continueth to ever, hath an unchangeable priesthood." Unchangeable. Unchangeable. He's immutable. What does the Scripture say about
that? I change not, therefore you sons and you daughters of
Jacob are not consumed. Wherefore, he is able to save
them to the uttermost that come unto God by him, seeing he ever
lives to make intercession for them. For such a high priest
became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners,
and made higher than the heavens. Who needeth not daily, as those
high priests, to offer sacrifice, first for his own sins, and then
for the people's? For this he did once, when he
offered up himself. For the law makes men high priests,
which have infirmity. But the word of the oath, which
was since the law, make it the Son, who is consecrated forevermore. this man continueth ever." Constantly
interceding on our behalf. We are weak and frail. He is
supreme and strong. We are infirm and wasted. He is majestic and accomplished.
And He has, as I said, an unchangeable priesthood. Malachi 3.6, we're
not consumed. It's based on who He is and what
He's done that way in this man. He saves to the uttermost, none
interfering, none able to withstand Him or His decree or purpose
or ruling grace. It's to the uttermost. Wherefore
He is able, verse 25, to save them to the uttermost. Is able. This man. this man. I tell you, never a man spake
like this man, never a man lived like this man, never a man died
like this man, but we, all the elect, shall rise like this man
because we're in this man. Now, if this man holds so little
esteem in your eyes, And it's not even talking about the gospel
that He is and the embodiment of, but His very person and His
worth and His work and all these things that when we think of
Christ, if He means so little to you, as He says in the Old
Testament, all you that pass by, wag the head, then you're basically on your
own. You've got no salvation, you've
got no Savior, you've got no redemption. But this man, this
man, continueth ever. An unchangeable priesthood. This
man. As Maurice Montgomery would say,
Hallelujah, what a Savior. You really like that song. And
I like it as well. Lastly, turn to Hebrews chapter
8, which is just next page. Hebrews chapter 8. Well, read the whole chapter,
but let's just start in verse 1. Now, of these things which
I have spoken, this is the sum. This is how important this way
is, and this is how important this man is. This is the sum. We have such a high priest as
Christ, who is set on the right hand of the throne of the majesty
in the heavens, a minister of the sanctuary, and of the true
tabernacle which the Lord pitched in that man, For every high priest
is ordained to offer gifts and sacrifices whereof it is of necessity
that this man, this man, have somewhat to offer. He have somewhat
to offer. This man, he did have somewhat
to offer. He offered up himself. For God
would accept nothing less, nothing more, and nothing else. But now, verse 6, hath he obtained
a more excellent ministry, but how much also he is the mediator
of a better covenant which was established upon better promises.
And if that first covenant had been flawless, then should no
place have been sought for the second. Verse 10, For this is the covenant
that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith
the Lord. I will put my laws in their minds and write them
in their hearts, will be to them a God, and they shall be to me
a people. And they shall not teach every
man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know the
Lord, for they shall know me from the least to the greatest.
For I will be merciful to their righteousness, and their sins
and their iniquities will I remember no more. And that he saith a
new covenant, he hath made the first old, now that which decayeth
and waxes old. is ready to vanish away, but
not this man and not his way and not his accomplishments.
God is the mediator of a better covenant. God in the person and
work and worth of his darling son who was and is merciful to
our unrighteousness and our sins. Christ is the bearer of our sins. He bore our sins on his own body
on the tree. He is, as Micah 2 says, He is
the breaker sent forth to open the way before us. Without Him,
there's no breaking this way open. Without this man, there's
none of this. This whole book, from Genesis
to Revelation, is about this man and about this way. God, fully honored and fully
glorified, He says, Verse 12, I will be merciful to the unrighteousness
and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. God who cannot forget will not
remember. Why? Because of this man who
brought that way to sinners. I ask you and I ask myself, have
we ever heard such good news? It's good news to those who need
it. Let us speak these things about this way and this man to
one another and thereby comfort one another in the Lord. This
man, may he be our man today. This way, may it be our way this
day as well. Amen, amen. Bruce, would you
close this?