Good morning to each of you.
I know we have some out today on vacation and summer. That often happens. But pray
for those that are out that the Lord might bring them back to
us safely. And I want you to look at my study with me this
morning in Acts chapter 2. I remember years ago, Brother
Mahan preaching a message called Pentecostal Preaching. And after that message, Tim James'
son said, that's the best message I ever heard. He was only about
probably eight years old. And he said, well, thank you,
Josh. And he said, 28 and a half minutes. I'll never forget that. Henry
just laughed. And I hope not to be much longer
than that this morning. In verse 14, Peter stood up and began to preach.
And he stood up with the eleven and he lifted up his voice and
he began to preach to this crowd of people. But I actually want
to take, start in Peter's message in verse He said, "...and it
shall come to pass that whosoever shall call on the name of the
Lord shall be saved." Notice verse 22, "...Ye men of
Israel, hear these words, Jesus of Nazareth, the man approved
of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs which God
did by Him in the midst of you as ye yourselves also know."
Now notice in verse 22 that here Peter speaks to the nation of
Israel, the Jews who were there this day, God's chosen people,
those that He delivered out of Egypt in the Old Testament, those
that He walked with in the desert, all those years speaking to them. But there's also spiritual Israel. All those who trust in Christ
are of this spiritual Israel. So these words were written and
they are very pertinent to us as believers. God's elect are
called spiritual Israel and they find these words written to them
also. He says, you men and women of
Israel, applies to today, those of you who trust Christ as all
your salvation before a thrice holy God, and these words are
just as much for you, whosoever of you that shall call upon the
name of the Lord, shall be saved." What is it to call upon the name
of the Lord? Well, we know to worship Him,
we must worship Him in spirit and in truth. And I believe that
we'll answer that question in these verses. But notice also
that Peter demands our attention here. He says, hear these words. He draws attention to the things
that he's about to say. Those of you who trust Christ,
hear these words. If you'd be saved from the torments
of hell and everlasting condemnation, it'd be wise for you to listen.
What I'm fixing to say is importance of urgency. But we can only listen when the
sovereign God of heaven and earth gives us ears to hear, eyes to
see, and hearts to believe. but we're still responsible to
listen. Hear these words. If life everlasting means anything
to sinful men and women, they'd better listen to what God's Word
says. In this book we find life. Christ
is the Word of God. This book is about Him and Him
only. and what He does for sinners
and salvation. And it's no surprise to me that
the words that follow this important warning are what they are. Notice
again in verse 22, "...Ye men of Israel, hear these words..."
And notice the next word, "...Jesus of Nazareth." These are my words to you this
morning and every time I stand to preach. These are every true
preacher's words of warning and words of life. Hear these words. Jesus. Jesus Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ. That's
our message. That's the theme of all our preaching. Our constant theme. Jesus of
Nazareth. We constantly ask this question. What think ye of Christ? What
think ye of Him? That's the most important question
you'll ever consider. So it would be wise to listen. It would be wise to bow. Hear these words. They're our
only hope. Jesus. Thou shalt call His name
Jesus. Why? For He shall save His people
from their sin. Oh, that's of interest to me.
I am a sinful man, full of sin. Sin is what I am. And He shall
save me from my sin. I better listen to what He has
to say. I better listen to what He's done for sinners. That's
the message. That's the gospel. Well, what
is it about this Jesus of Nazareth that we should hear? Well, the
first thing He shows us right here in verse 22, we should learn
first off that He is a man, Jesus of Nazareth, a man. That's a
very important value. Sinful men and women must find
redemption in and from one of their own kind, a man. in order to be redeemed, our
Redeemer must be a man. One who is touched, Scripture
says, with the feeling of our infirmities, yet without sin,
a man. Hebrews 4.15, For we have not
a high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our
infirmities. Why? Because he's a man. But
was in all points tempted Like as we are. He's a man. One big difference. Yet without
sin. Yet without sin. All the gospel
devised of God Almighty. Job said, man that is born of
woman is a few days and full of trouble. That describes me
well. Full of trouble. Of a few days. In Job 15-14, what is man? That he should be clean. And
he which is born of woman, that he should be righteous. Man is
born unrighteous, unholy, completely sinned. Complete sin is what
he is. And then he asks a question in
Job 25-4, how then can man be justified with God? Or how can
he be clean that is born of a woman? I'll tell you one that's born
of a woman must make you clean. Scripture is clear about that. Here's the answer to Job's good
questions. Galatians 4, but when the fullness
of time was come, God sent forth His Son. Now He didn't send Him
in deity. He said, made of a woman. So
what Job asked, how can a man born of a woman, how can he be
righteous? God sent forth His Son made of
a woman. That's how. Isn't that amazing? Made under the law to redeem
them that were under the law that we might receive the adoption
of sons. Oh, our Savior must be a man
in order to redeem us. He could have done so, but this
is how God devised Him. And that's what Peter preached
on this day of Pentecost. Look at verse 22. Again, with
the men of Israel, hear these words, Jesus of Nazareth, a man,
not just any man, a man approved of God. among you by miracles
and wonders and signs, which what God did by Him in the midst
of you, as you yourselves also know." You see, not only must
our Redeemer be a man, but He must be a man approved of God. To be approved of God, let me
tell you, you must be a perfect man. Perfect. God only approves
of perfection. Nothing short of perfection to
get the job done. God's law is holy. And to keep
it, a man must be perfect. And we can't keep it. Many have
tried. All have failed. And notice the
words right after approved of God. It says approved of God
among you. And this gives confirmation to
what we say about Christ becoming a man. We fell a great fall in
the first Adam who was a man. And we rise to great salvation
in the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, we must be redeemed
by the second Adam, who must also be a man. 1 Corinthians
15.22, For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be
made alive. 1 Corinthians 15.45, And so it
is written, The first man, Adam, was made a living soul. The last
Adam was made a quickening spirit. But he came in the body of a
man. He would die as a man. Why? Because that's what you
are. That's what I am. For if by one man's offense death
reigned by one, much more they which receive abundance of grace
and the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus
Christ." Christ was approved of God among you, Peter said. He must not become not only a
man to redeem us, but He had to be made sin. For He was the
only man ever born without sin. Perfect. Perfectly righteous. Perfectly holy. And Scripture
is clear that He was made to be sin for what? For us. For us, that we might be made
the righteousness of God in Him. That's the best trade that man
has ever made. Our sin for His perfect righteousness. And it was proof enough that
He was God's Son, because He was a man approved of God among
you, Peter says, by miracles and wonders and signs which God
did by Him in the midst of you, as you yourselves also know.
Now, most all the men and women of Israel in the time of our
Lord had seen or heard firsthand of the mighty works that Christ
had done. Scriptures are very clear about
the fame of him throughout the land. You remember after he'd
been crucified and he walked with the two on the road to Emmaus. They thought he was crazy because
he asked them why they were sad. They said, you haven't heard
about this man Jesus? And all that he's done, his fame
went about as, oh, I guarantee you he was better known than
the King of Pop. Now notice the way Peter says
this in these miracles and wonders and signs, he said, which God
did by him. That's the same as saying he's
God. It's the same thing as saying he's God. He's man, 100% man,
100% God. 100% God, 100% man. How can that be? I don't know. It's a mystery. But it's true. My Redeemer is God. And yet,
God, my Redeemer, is a man. I'm so glad He is. I know Nicodemus
knew a little about it. I don't know if Nicodemus ever
came to see it in true light. But I know he came to Jesus by
night, and he said unto Him, Rabbi, we know that Thou art
a teacher that cometh from God. We know You've come from God.
How do we know You've come from God? For no man can do these
miracles that thou doest, except God be with him." Now, I don't
know how much Nicodemus came to see that God was with him.
God was there. He was God. John 2.23 says, Now
when he was in Jerusalem at the Passover, in the feast day, many
believed in his name when they saw the miracles which he did. John 2 verse 11, the beginning
of miracles did Jesus in Cana of Galilee and manifested forth
His glory. And His disciples believed on
Him. Oh, this is no ordinary man. He heals the lame. He gives eyes to the blind. He
gives hearing to the deaf. He even raised the dead. This
is no ordinary man. This is no ordinary prophet.
No man done what this man did. John 7 and 31, and many of the
people believed on him and said, When Christ cometh, will he do
more miracles than these which this man hath done? No,
he was already here. That's him. That's Christ that's
doing those miracles. And therefore said some of the
Pharisees in John chapter 9, this man's not of God because
he keepeth not the Sabbath day. Man, isn't that just like man?
Here he is. Imagine this. Causing men who hadn't walked
for years to walk. causing men who have never been
blind since their birth to see deaf men who could never hear
now hear. And they're saying, he don't
keep the Sabbath because he healed a man on the Sabbath. Man, what
kind of hypocrites are following me, I'm telling you. And he says, how can a man that
is... And others said this, how can a man that is a sinner do
such miracles? It just doesn't make good sense.
And there was a division among them. You know why there was
a division among them? Because God gave some eyes to
see, and he passed by others. That's why. He's going to cause
division in our lives, too. He caused division with me and
the ones that I love dearly. And we must also see and hear
firsthand like these men did by the Spirit of God and by faith.
God must reveal this to us. Now look at verse 23. I remember
the first time I read this verse. I've never seen it before. Him,
being Christ, being delivered by the determinate counsel and
foreknowledge of God, ye have taken and by wicked hands have
crucified and slain." Now, wait a minute, Brother David. He said,
wasn't it true that one of his disciples, Judas, delivered him
for a sum of money into the hands of the Jews? That's true. And isn't it true that the Jews
delivered him unto Pilate, the governor? who put thumbs down
on him after much deliberation and thought, that's exactly right.
And isn't it true that Pilate delivered him into the hands
of the soldiers to crucify on the cross? That's right. But
behind it all, the purpose The amazing and merciful
truth is this, by Himself, according to His own will, He gave or delivered
Himself for His people. The real truth is that He was
delivered by His Father. The whole truth is that He was
delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of
God. Just as God said, let there be
light, God said, my son shall die for his people. And ye have
taken and with wicked hands have crucified and slain. I remember
one time in a meeting with Brother Mahan, He said these words, I think
this was after the meeting. He said, have you ever thought
about what you would have done if you'd have been there? Do
you really think you would have stood up and said, no, no, no,
this is God in the flesh. He said, you'd have been the
first one hollering crucify. You'd have been the first one
to pick up a stone and cast it at him. Men by nature do not
want this man to rule over them. Now God not only foreknew that
it would be, but God determined that it should be. A determined
counsel for the knowledge of God. That's why when people say God
looked ahead in time and saw who would believe and who wouldn't
and elected them based on that, they better read this. God didn't
do no such thing. God chose the people. not based
on what good or bad they might do. He chose them by his own
counsel, determinate counsel and foreknowledge. Don't get
the cart before the horse, dear friends. Men are going to find
a way to turn it around to where they get some credit and glory
in it. But you're not in the gospel. Might as well just give
up right now. Quit trying to take credit and
glory for something you had no part in. This marvelous revelation
of Scripture did not in the least excuse the sin of Judas in betraying
Him. It didn't excuse Pilate in condemning
him. It didn't excuse the Jews for
crucifying Him. Nor did it at all infringe upon
the liberty of their wills and doing what they did, not by force. God didn't force these men to
do these things. They did it voluntarily out of
the wretchedness of their own heart. Ye with wicked, wicked,
wicked hands have crucified and slain Him.
God's sovereign demand is always responsible. They took him in
the garden and they bound him and they cried out with one voice
in a most vehement manner before Pallet, crucify him. What about Barabbas? No, let
Barabbas go. Crucify this man. He makes himself
to be God. Well, they missed the boat on
that. He was God. Therefore Peter justly charges
all these Judas Pilate, the Jews, the soldiers who hung him there,
charge them with murdering and slaying God in the flesh. Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians,
but we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden
wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory, which
none of the princes of this world knew, for had they known it,
they would not have crucified the Lord of glory. Now look at
verse 24, Whom God hath raised up. Salvation is not in the fact
that just that Christ died. Salvation is accomplished by
Him rising again, the resurrection. Whom God had raised up, having
loosed the pains of death because it was not possible that He should
be holding of it. God raised Christ up from the
dead, for though His life was taken away by men, He was raised
to life again by God the Father. having loosed the pains of death. This is what Christ has done
for His people by dying for them. He's abolished death. He's taken
away its sting. And He's delivered us from the
curse of it. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is
thy victory? He holds the keys of hell in
His hands. and having fulfilled the law,
satisfied justice, and made full atonement for our sin, and though
we still die physically, death is no longer a pain or concern
for us. Matter of fact, to die is gain. To live is Christ, but to die
is gain. We're no longer under the power
of death. What God did in raising Christ from the dead, He delivered
Him from the power of death. And this is the power that held
all others in the grave before Him. The power of death. Man's guilty. Couldn't rise from
that grave. But not this man. He was perfect. Death couldn't hold him. The
grave couldn't hold him. The death with which Christ died
being the death of the cross, it was a painful one. He endured
great pain in his body. He was smoked with rods, beaten
with the hands of men, scourged and whipped, had a crown of thorns
plaited on his head. But the pains of the cross were
still greater. Oh, His body being stretched
out upon it as far as it could be pulled and stretched and fastened
to it by nails drove through His hands and feet. I can't imagine. Then the cross was erected up
and His weight pushed down on His hands and His feet and they
slammed it down in the earth. Oh, can you imagine the pain?
when that cross hit the bottom of the hole in the earth in which
he had been dug. He hung there in extreme agony
until he physically expired. Scripture says, gave up the ghost.
That's what he did. He gave up the ghost. And all
these pains he endured for the sins of his people were because
he was their surety. It was necessary now that he
should die. Because the wages of sin for
you and I is death. And He paid our debt. It was
necessary for Him to die. And the justice and truthfulness
of God required that He die. The soul that sinneth, it shall
surely die. Is that what Scripture said?
And it was proper that He should die. The painful death of the
cross. Why? Because He was made a curse
for His people. It was necessary that Christ
should bear the whole punishment due to sin, because it was our
sin. God had given Him a people before
the foundation of sinful people we were. And Christ died for
us. He took our sin. It was proper. It was right. Because you and
I should have been hanging on that cross. He must in great pain feel the
wrath of God and the strokes of divine justice. And these
sorrows of soul may be well called the pains or sorrows of death
because it was not possible he should be holding of death or
under the power. Partly because of the power and
dignity of his person. This is God. As the Son of God,
He being still the Prince of Life, and who by dying abolished
death forever, had made full satisfaction for our sin. Is there anything else worthy
of talking about, my friend? Is there anything else worthy
of mentioning from this pulpit? That's the gospel. Substitution. Paul said, I'm determined not
to know anything among you but Jesus Christ and Him crucified.
Men make themselves out to be busybodies. They want to be counselors. They want to be somebody that,
oh, saved a couple's marriage, whatever. It's not the job of
a preacher. The preacher is to exalt the
Lord Jesus Christ, lift Him high that He might draw all men unto
Himself. If I ever start giving you spiritual
advice from up here, throw a handbook and hit me in the head, get me
out of my misery. Oh, there's so much here and
time is so short, but He brought in an everlasting righteousness
and therefore God's wrath and justice must be discharged. Death can't hold Him. The grave
can't hold Him. He's not holding us. Christ no longer is detained
as a prisoner in the grave. No. No. Now let me just read a few verses
to you. Peter quotes David in verse 25. And he said, For David speaketh
concerning him. I foresaw the Lord always before
my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved. And therefore did my heart rejoice,
and my tongue was glad. Moreover, my flesh shall rest
in hope, because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell. Neither
wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption. Thou hast made known to me the
ways of life. Thou shalt make me full of joy
with Thy countenance." Then Peter again addresses the crowd in
verse 29. And he says, Men and brethren,
let me speak freely, speaking to you of the patriarch David.
A lot of these Jews wanted to worship David. He said that David,
he's both dead and buried. And His sepulchre is still with
us until this day. There's a greater one than David
here. There's a greater than Abraham. There's a greater than
Isaiah. There's a greater than Elijah.
Therefore being a prophet, verse 30, and knowing that God had
sworn with an oath to him that of the fruit of his loins, according
to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne.
Speaking of David, and he seen this before, spake of the resurrection
of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell. This was proclaimed
years and years and years before it actually came. David knew that he would resurrect
from the grave, that his soul was not left in hell, neither
did his flesh see corruption. Verse 32, this Jesus hath God
raised up, whereof we are witnesses. Therefore, being by the right
hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise
of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see
and hear. And we now see and hear by the
grace and mercy of God Almighty. I'm telling you, we had no interest
in these things until God gave us one. God showed us a little
of ourself, and showed us something of our need, and by His grace
and mercy, we said, I must have Christ. Give me this set for you. Verse 34, For David
is not ascended into the heavens, that he saith himself, The Lord
said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, until I make thine
foes thy footstool." Now verse 36, Therefore let all the house
of Israel know assuredly, you can be assured of this, dear
friends, that God hath made that same Jesus whom you have crucified,
notice those next words, both Lord and Christ, Now let me just briefly say here
before closing, that if you do not know Him as both Lord and
Christ, then you are yet to know Him. He must be your Lord to
be your Savior. That's just the way it is. You can't have Him as your Savior
if you don't bow to Him as your Lord. Those that worship Him must what?
Worship Him in Spirit and in truth. He's not a helpless God who desires
to be your Savior, and then you decide, oh, I think I'll let
Him be my Savior, and go on living your life as you please. That's
ridiculous. He's my Lord and my Savior. He's a just God, and yet He's
justifier of the sinful. He's my Lord. If He is your Lord,
then He's your Savior. I'll put it that way. If you bow to Him as Lord, you're
going to bow to Him as Savior. But you can't bow to Him as Savior
and not bow to Him as Lord. The two go hand in hand. Only
Christ as Lord can be a Savior. Oh, can you see what I'm trying
to tell you? Verse 37, now when they heard this, they were pricked
in their heart. This is the only message that
will lead someone to true salvation. And they said unto Peter and
to the rest of the apostles, men and brethren, what shall
we do? We're going to die if we don't
do something. And Peter said unto them, repent. You want to do something, repent,
be baptized, every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for
the remission of sins. And you shall receive the gift
of the Holy Ghost. Now notice verse 39. And this
right here ought to put away all discussion and debate about
the whole world being saved. It says, For the promise is unto
you and to your children and to all that are far off. All
who? All God's elect. Look what he
says, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. He didn't
call everybody. If he did, there wouldn't be
anybody in hell. You know that and I know that and we rejoice
together in that, don't we? I'm just glad that he didn't
pass me by. I'm so grateful he didn't pass
you by. He's a merciful and gracious God. And I am so thankful that
He is. I don't deserve salvation. I
deserve death and condemnation. That's what I deserve. But God
had mercy. I'm so glad that He did. I appreciate
you.