Back to Acts chapter four. Acts
chapter four. Amazing how the Bible lesson
this morning just goes right along. You'll see it goes right along
with this. Now, Peter and John. Stood before
the Sanhedrin. And what we are getting to witness
Three of our brothers, you've got Peter, John, you know that
lame man standing there also? That lame man that could not
walk is standing right there with them. God saved that man
and He brought him right there. Peter, John, and this lame man
keeping his mouth shut. Peter's doing the talking, but
he's standing right there in their face. And we are getting
to witness and look in on this counsel that went on, and three
of our brothers standing there telling the truth on God, not
backing down, not backing down an inch, not backing down, not
one bit. They stood before that high ecclesiastical
court being judged for their preaching in the name of Jesus
Christ of Nazareth. If I'm ever in trouble for anything,
let this be it. If we ever get in trouble, if
you're ever found to be in trouble, let it be over preaching the
truth, over telling men the truth. And if I'm in trouble for that,
that's all right. I can take that. And after being examined
of them and finding nothing, my wish to condemn them, they
found nothing. I mean, here stood a man perfectly
whole. And when they examined him, and that's the way it was
with our Lord, when they examined him, Pilate said, I find no fault
in him. And they could find no fault
in them as a reason to beat them or do something to them. So they
threatened them. They threatened them with excommunication.
They were powerful. I tell you, you don't know how
powerful they were. And they threatened them, they told them
they were not to preach nor teach in the name of Jesus anymore
to anyone. Don't you use that name again.
That's all you have to do and this thing will be over with.
Just don't use that name. Now verse 13, let me pick back
up there. Now when they saw the boldness
of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned, uneducated
in their schools, unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled. They marveled that they were
able to speak in tongues, in an unknown language. They were
able to do that. They were able to heal. So they
marveled at this, and they took knowledge of them, that they
had been with Jesus. They recognized that they were
His disciples. They were His disciples. And
that they had been taught by Him, that they remembered, no
doubt they remembered the miracles that Christ performed and now
they perform. Christ said, greater things will
you do also, He said to His disciples. And I thought this last night
as I was going over this. Our walk and talk should reflect
who we've been with. Now that's not just an off-the-wall
statement. Our walk and talk will, it will,
without a doubt, it will reflect my company, the company I keep. It will reflect it. The scripture
says, let your conversation be seasoned with grace. Well, you
have to be around the one whose lips pour forth grace. You have
to be around that one for your conversation to be seasoned with
it. And then they say here in verse 14, And beholding the man
which was healed standing with them, he was right there with
them, standing with them, they could not say anything against
it. Now when the world examines,
when religion, false religion, they examine you and they examine
the work of God, the grace of God in you and what He's done
with you, they can't find anything against His work. They can't
find anything against it. And listen, they were convinced
of this miracle. They were convinced. This is
a miracle. They said, a known miracle has been done. But they
were not converted. They were convinced, but not
converted. People can agree with many things.
They can agree with many things. They can agree with creation.
They can agree that Christ died on the cross. I had a man tell
me one time, he said, I believe every word of that Bible. He
never made a profession of faith. He never pretended to. He told
me one time I was working with him, he said, I believe every
word of that Bible. Well, he believed every word of it like
a history book. We don't believe the Word of God. We do not believe
the Bible as a history book. We believe it as the Word of
God. It's God's Word to His church. When we look into the Word of
God and we read the Word of God, we are reading God's Word to
us. That's how the believer sees
it. And also here, it's evident that
when God saves a sinner, when He truly saves a sinner, that
a real change has taken place. This man stood there whole, and
they knew him. The lame walk. The blind see. They see the sun. The deaf hear. Don't you hear the Word of God
now? Don't you hear the voice of God in the message? When I
hear the gospel, when I hear someone preach the gospel, when
you spoke this morning, when Henry spoke here a few Wednesday
nights ago, I went home and I was taller than I am now. I mean, I was walking on air.
I thought, that's the gospel. That's the gospel. And that's
what they hear. He gives them ears to hear and
dead are raised. Dead people are raised. These
things cannot happen. And no one notices it. I'm telling
you, God's not going to save a man, a sinner, and no one notices
it. It'll just slip right by. It's
not going to happen. There cannot be a new creation
and it not become evident. In the beginning, God said, let
there be light. Now you imagine what that was
like. There was darkness that set upon
the face of the deep. And then God said, Let there
be light. And everything on this earth
was revealed by that light. Now that was a creation. And
then you go on and read where He created the trees and the
animals and finally He created man. Now that can't happen and
nobody take notice. That's just not going to happen.
So it's evident when God saves a man, there's a real change
that takes place. A real change. Then they say
here in verse 15, but when they had commanded them to go aside
out of the council, they sent Peter and John and that man aside. They conferred among themselves.
They discussed this matter. How are we going to handle this?
Saying, what shall we do to these men? For that indeed a notable,
a known miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them
that dwell in Jerusalem. And we cannot deny it. First
of all, their decision was not based on conviction. It was not
based on conviction. It was based on fear of the people.
And when a man begins to fear the people, it's over with. The message is gone. When you
start to fear the people, the message is gone. The Lord throughout
all the Scriptures says, don't fear what they can do to you.
You can't do it. Paul Thacker told me this when
running a business out there at the shop. He told me one time,
he said, if you ever become afraid doing this, it's over with. He
said, if you ever become afraid running this business, it'll
be over with. And that's the same thing in preaching. When
you start to fear the people, their opinions, it's over with. It's over with. And that's what
they did. They feared the people. But listen,
Peter and John stood before them not fearing what would happen
to them because they feared one greater than the people. They
feared God. Our Lord said, don't fear them which can destroy the
body but can't do anything else. He said, I'll tell you who to
fear. Him who can destroy both body and soul and heal. That's
who you fear. And if God's my fear, not a slavish
fear, but you know what I'm saying, if He's my fear, the people won't
matter. The people won't matter, no matter
who you're preaching to. They feared the people. But John
and Peter didn't. This group of men feared the
people. For them, it was a political move. That's all it was. That's
all it was about to them. And they said, what shall we
do with these men? We've got a situation here on
our hands. A notable miracle has been done.
What are we going to do with these men? Well, listen, here's
what they ought to do with them. Here's what they ought to do
with Peter and John. They ought to give them their
seats, shut up, sit down and listen to them. That's what they
ought to do. They ought to listen to them.
They ought to believe their message. God is to be believed. We ought
to believe God. We're not doing God a favor by
believing Him. We ought to believe Him. We ought
to love Him. We ought to worship God. We're
not adding anything to God by doing these things. We ought
to do them. That's what they ought to do. They ought to believe
them. They ought to give up their seats. They ought to thank them.
They ought to thank John and Peter for being faithful and
not lying to them and for telling them the truth. I tell you this,
when I come up, whenever that day comes, and I lay down to
die, I'll thank Henry Mayhem. He told me the truth. He didn't
lie to me. And all these years, You told
me the truth. And I tell you, without a doubt,
I thank them for telling the truth. But men left to themselves. If God leaves men alone, if he
left me alone, this is what they do. They reject God's men. They
reject the message. They reject their God. But they say, but that is spread
no further among the people. They were afraid they were going
to lose their following. They were afraid all of Jerusalem All of
Israel is going to follow these men if we don't do something
here. Let us straightly threaten them that they speak henceforth
to no man, not even in private. Don't even use his name in private.
To no man in this name. That name was just a thorn in
their flesh. False religion hates that name
when it's revealed in truth. I've told this before, but when
I heard the Gospel and I was going to Independent Missionary
Baptist Church in Milton. And I began to tell it. I began
to tell the truth. I began to tell who God is. And
that man said, you'll not do anything here again. That pastor
said, you won't nothing. You won't speak here again. You'll
do nothing again. When the truth is revealed, when that name,
he used the name Jesus Christ, I used the name Jesus Christ.
We're not talking about the same one. I told that to a man one
day, and he and I were talking about the gospel. I said, you
and I are not talking about the same Jesus. We're not talking
about the same Christ. False religion hates that name
when it's revealed in truth. I am the way, the truth, and
the life. And they called them and commanded
them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus. Do whatever else you will. Just
leave His name out of it. That one we crucified, that one
that we put to death, just leave His name out of it. Christ crucified
is our message. He's our message. Christ risen,
Christ exalted is our message. Substitution. That's what they
preach when they preach the resurrection in His name. They preach substitution.
Substitution is our message. If we leave His name out of it,
if I leave His name out of it, then we have no message to preach.
We have nothing from God to tell you. Not at all. He is all the good news I have
to tell you. Apart from that, there is no
good news. Apart from Christ crucified, apart from Christ
taking my sin, burying my sin in His body on the tree, apart
from His satisfaction, there is no good news to this human
race. I'm sorry, but there isn't any.
There's none. Everything that God has For a
sinner is bound up in the Lord Jesus Christ. Everything God
has for me is bound up in that person. Not to speak nor teach
in the name of Jesus. Adam Clark, let me read you this.
Adam Clark wrote this. Any doctrine in any other name,
the scribes, the Pharisees and the hypocrites and infidels will
bear it. They'll take that. Christ said,
if another man come in his own name, him you will receive. But
the doctrine which is according to godliness, proclaiming salvation
through the blood of Christ crucified, they will not bear. If their
doctrine were not the truth of God, it would not be so unpopular. There is such an enmity in human
nature against all that is good and true that whatever comes
from God is generally rejected by wicked men. I thought that
was a good statement. It was good. But Peter and John
answered and said unto them, whether it be right in the sight
of God to hearken unto you more than to God, you be the judge.
Peter did a wise... God gives His men wisdom, doesn't
He? God gives His preachers wisdom. He says, you be the judge. He
let them be their own judge. When man's laws come into conflict
with God's Word, then God's to be obeyed. And he knew they'd
have to come to that same conclusion. He said, you be your own judge.
You tell me. For we cannot but speak the things
which we have seen and heard. That's a good witness, isn't
it? That's a true witness. If you're going to have a witness
in court, And you're going to put him on a stand. You want
somebody that's going to tell the things which he has seen
and heard, not something fabricated. He said, I'm just telling you
what we've seen and heard. That's all I'm telling you. I'm
not telling you any more or any less. That's a true witness who
speaks what he has seen and heard. So when they had further threatened
them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish
them because of the people. He scared the death of the people.
For all men glorified God for that which was done. This was
the first persecution of the church. This was the beginning
of it. The Lord determined the degree
of their sufferings. He determines the degree of our
sufferings, every one of us. Nothing will ever go through
that He hasn't already determined. And this was a light one, this
was light compared to what was coming, compared to what Peter
was going to go through and the other apostles. Listen, every
trial, every trial that God sends our way trains us for the next
one. He started out here with a light
one and it got heavier and heavier as it went. Just like Abraham,
you look at the trials of Abraham and the greatest trial he had
was when God told him to kill his own son. Every trial trains
us for the next one. Here's a scripture that I, this
is one that you can write down, just put it on your screen. It's
in Jeremiah. I didn't write down where it was at. It said, if
the footman weary you, what will you do when you have to run with
the horses? If this little trial wearies you, if this one breaks
you down, what are you going to do when the real ones come?
I mean the hard ones. That's why he's saying, if the footman
weary you, if the foot soldier, what about when those ones on
horses come and they're fast and they're swift and they're
strong and deadly? Well, I tell you what we're going
to do, we're going to just trust Him. We're going to trust Him for the little
ones and the big ones. Then it says here, for the man
was above forty years old, God let his son, this is one of his
sons, This man is one of his sons. He let that man suffer
and sit at the gate for 40 years. He was crippled all his life
from birth. The man was above 40 years old
on whom this miracle of healing was shown. God left them without
an excuse. They looked at this man just
as they look at every believer that's born of God. I mean, if
a man's born of God, they look at him and say, well, something's
happened here. We can't deny that. We cannot deny that a notable,
a known miracle has taken place. God's done something here. God's
done something. And He left them without an excuse,
as He always does. Always. And being let go, they
went to their own company. and reported all that the chief
priest and elders had said unto them." I like the way this is
written. Their own company. They went
to the, who's your company? They went to their own company.
They went to the best place. They didn't, Peter didn't, did
not just, and John Herb, he would go home. They went to the worship
service of God. It was going on at that time.
No doubt the church was gathered, praying for them. And when they
left this place, they did not go home. They went to their own
company. Their real family. I'm telling you, this is the
real family. This is who you're going to spend eternity with. They went to the best place.
They went to the fellowship of believers. That's where they
went. There's no better place to be, especially in times of
trouble, than in the company of God's family. Todd Nyberg
had an article I put in there this week. That was a good article. No better place to be, especially
in times of trouble, among God's family. They are the most loving,
they are the most caring, and they are the most forgiving people
on earth. They don't kick you when you're
down. They are. The best place to be is under
the preaching of the gospel. That's the best place to be.
Look over at Psalm 84. Psalm 84. Under the preaching of the gospel,
the preaching of Christ. Psalm 84 and verse 1. He says,
How amiable are thy tabernacles, O Lord of hosts! My soul longeth,
yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord. My heart and my
flesh crieth out, for the living God. Again, verse 10. For a day
in thy courts is better than a thousand. I had rather be a
doorkeeper in the house of my God than to dwell in the tents
of wickedness. That's good, isn't it? Look in
Psalm 122. Psalm 122. Here's the heart of a believer. Psalm 122, David said, I was
glad when they said unto me, let us go into the house of the
Lord. Coming here is not a burden. Coming here is not a duty. It's
a privilege and a great blessing. It is if God's in it for you. Now look over in Hebrews chapter
10. Hebrews chapter 10. Hebrews 10, 23 and 24. Let us hold fast the profession
of our faith without wavering, for He is faithful that promised.
Let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good
works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the
manner of some is, some have left, but exhorting one another,
and so much the more as you see the day approaching. It's the
best place to be. I've had people in the past few
years, since I've already raised my sons, I've had people ask
me about raising children. Me and Jeremy's talked about
it. And I said the best advice I can give you is keep them under
the gospel. That's the best. Keep them under
the gospel. where Christ is preached. And
when they heard that, in verse 24, when they heard that, they
lifted up their voice to God with one accord and said, Lord,
Thou art God, which has made heaven and earth, the sea, and
all that in them is. You know what's the first thing
they did here? They recognized the sovereignty
of God over all things. Isn't that the best way to start
our prayers? You know, if you go back in the Old Testament,
most of the prophets, when they prayed, that's how they started
out. God of creation, God who created all the heavens and the
earth and the sea and all this, that is repeated over and over
in the Old Testament. They recognized the sovereign
rule and authority of God over all. They did not complain, and
listen, they didn't complain about their mistreatment. Not at all. They didn't complain
about the trial. They thanked God for His help
in the trial. They recognized His overruling
power in their situation. They thanked God for it. He that
made all things by His power will overrule all things by His
providence for His glory and the good of His church. Turn
over to Psalm 4. Psalm 4. Look in verse 7. Thou hast put
gladness in my heart more than in the time that their corn and
their wine increased. I will both lay me down in peace
and sleep, for Thou, Lord, only makest me dwell in safety. Now only. And Vicki was talking
about this yesterday. People go out and they buy this
and weapons, they'll buy guns, they'll buy this and that for
protection. I'd rather have God. I'd rather
have God as my protection. And I told Vicki yesterday, I
said, and I was thinking about a particular person that told
me he bought a gun, a pistol for his protection. I told Victor,
I said, God's just not real to people. He's real to a few, I
know that. But this is someone I was talking
to who was religious. I mean, he's a religious person,
makes a profession. But I said, he's not real. God's
in my safety. I said, I'd shoot myself in the
footshore of the world if somebody broke in the house. I'd be shaking
so bad probably I'd just shoot myself. But I'm telling you the
truth. God's our safety. God's our safety. Thou only makest me to dwell
in safety. And then listen. They repeat the Scriptures in
their prayer to God. They recognize the fulfillment
of the Word of God. They say in verse 25, Who by
the mouth of thy servant David hath said, Why did the heathen
rage, and the people imagine vain things? The kings of the
earth stood up, and the rulers were gathered together against
the Lord and against his Christ. For of a truth against thy holy
child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate
with the Gentiles and the people of Israel were gathered together,"
listen, I like the way he does this prayer, "'for to do whatsoever
thy hand and thy counsel determined before it to be done. They always
recognized God's hand in it. God is our salvation. God's hand
is in this. It's good to quote God's word
in prayer. I tell you what, it's good to
repeat His promises in prayer. Repeat His promises. Lord, thou
hast said, you'd never leave me nor forsake me. I can't find
the word, but I tell you what, I can find the promises. And
repeat the promises. When you can't find anything,
repeat the promises. And then listen, they recognized
God's purpose and counsel in the death of Christ. They did
not say, Lord, that these people have gotten together and they've
killed your son, and he said, for to do whatsoever at thy hand
and thy counsel determined before to be done. This was not a mob. out of control. It was a mob
under His control. That's what it was. His blood
must be shed for the remission of our sins. It has to happen.
He must bring in an everlasting righteousness for His people.
He has to die. And this was determined by God
in counsel before the world was. What a way to recognize God in
prayer. And now, Lord, He says, behold,
they are threatening. and grant unto thy servants that
with all boldness they may speak thy word, by stretching forth
thy hand to heal, and that signs and wonders may be done by the
name of thy holy child Jesus." They did not ask to be delivered
from suffering, but for boldness in suffering. Lord, let the trial
have its perfect work. Let it have its perfect work. They prayed that the Father What
they wanted was that the father would honor his son in their
preaching. That's what I want this morning.
Every time we gather together, I do, I pray God would honor
his son. Because I know this, if he honors
his son, his people will be fed and edified if that happens.
It'll happen. And they didn't back down. They
did not try to soften it, not like the Pope who's trying to
back down now after talking about the Muslims. You know, he's now
trying to make apologies, and Peter didn't say, well, I'm sorry
if I offended you, let's get together here now. No. He's mad. He's just going to stay mad.
Because it's not going to change. The message is not going to change.
Not at all. You cannot live right in a wrong
world and not suffer for it. Remember that. You can't do it.
All the Scripture said, our Lord said, all who will live godly
in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution. It's going to happen.
And when they had prayed, the place was shaken. God heard their
prayer. For they were assembled together,
and they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and they spake
the word of God with boldness. And the multitude of them that
believed were of one heart and of one soul. Neither said any
of them that aught of the things which he possessed was his own."
This is mine. We live in a world of mine and
I. This is mine. No trespassing
signs, get out of here. It's mine. But they didn't say
that. I bet at one time they did. At one time they did. I bet at one time they probably
had no trespassing signs stuck up everywhere. But boy, God saved
them and He took them down. It's not mine, it's His. It's
His. It says they had all things in
common. Note the oneness here among God's people. They are
one. Look over at John 17. John chapter 17. Look in verse
10. Let me see if I wrote down the right
ones. And all mine are thine, and thine are mine, and I am
glorified in them. And now I am no more in the world,
but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father,
keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that
they may be one, one in heart, mind, affection, love, that they
may be one as we are. How one is that? How one is the Father, the Son,
and the Holy Spirit? How one are they? He said, I
want them to be one just like we are. United just like we are. That's what I want. And he gets
what he wants. And then he says in verse 21, Well, look at verse 20. Neither
pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe
on me through their word, that they all may be one, as thou,
Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one. Where? In us. What a union. What a living
union we have in the Lord Jesus Christ with God. It's a real
union. That the world may believe that
thou hast sent me. One. One. And here's good evidence
that a people have been converted. Not that they can repeat some
doctrine. Not that they can do that. But that they love one
another. By this shall all men know you're
my disciples. That you believe the doctrine
of election. That you love one another. That
you love one another. That's how they're going to know
it. They look after one another. They take care of one another.
They recognize that what they have, God's given it to them.
What I have is not mine, it's His. It's loaned to me. You won't
see me take any of it when I go to the grave. None of it will
follow me. Maybe a suit. That's about it. It's all His. It's all His. Neither said any of them that
aught of the things which He possessed was His own. They resigned
all to Him. That's what they did. The rich
and the poor, like I said before, the gospel is a great equalizer.
He can bring them both at the same table and fellowship. I mean, really have fellowship
with one another. That's what Martin said. Fellows in the same
ship. That's what they are. And with great power gave the
apostles witness of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus and great grace
was upon them all. You cannot have Christ and not
have great grace. And I'll tell you this, we've
had it over the years. We've had great grace upon us
for many years. And we're still having it. I'm
telling you, we still have it. Great grace was upon them all. Neither was there any among them
that lacked. For as many as were possessors of land or houses,
sold them, and brought the prices of the things that were sold,
and laid them down at the apostles' feet. And distribution was made
unto every man according as he had need." The apostles here,
if you'll notice, they did not take advantage of the flock,
did they? God's a man of law. I'm telling you, if God gives
a group of people, his church, he gives them a pastor. He'll
not take advantage of the flock. He'll not feed himself. He'll
feed the flock. They used, but they did not abuse,
what was laid at their feet. And Joseph, who by the apostles
was surnamed Barnabas, which is being interpreted as the son
of consolation, a Levite of the country of Cyprus, having land,
he sold it. He brought the money and, listen,
He laid it at the apostles' feet. He and the rest of that crowd
trusted God and they trusted God's servant. They trusted his
servant to do as they felt led of God. You and I have had great grace
upon us for many years. We need to cherish that. We need
to cherish that great grace. There's a lot of people this
morning listening to a lot of foolishness. I passed a church.
I hate to call it a church. I like another word, but it was
a church of the Nazarene. It was a hurricane. We saw this.
And I was with my brother, James. He said, I want you to see this.
We was driving by. I was going to his house. He
said, look at that board. He slowed down. And it read, Jesus may not have saved your
soul. He may not save your soul, but
He sure died trying. I thought, I'd like to go in
there and hit that. That's what that, that's what
it said. He sure died trying to. He may not save your soul,
but He sure died trying. We don't have that kind of garbage
coming out of here. Great grace was upon them. Okay,
Mike. Stand as we sing, please. 154.
154. Amazing grace, how sweet the
sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now I'm
found. Was blind, but now I see. T'was grace that taught my heart
to fear, And grace my fears relieved. How precious did that grace appear
The hour I first believed. Through many dangers, toils and
snares, I have already come. Tis grace hath brought me safe
thus far, and grace will lead me home. The Lord has promised good to
me. This word my hope secures. I still and portion thee as long
as life endures. Yea, when this flesh and heart
shall fail, and mortal life shall cease, I shall possess within
the veil a light of joy and peace. The world shall soon to ruin
go, The sun forbear to shine, me here below shall be forever
mine.