Would you turn to Acts chapter
four once again? I've entitled this message, You
Be The Judge. You Be The Judge. Verse 19. But Peter and John answered and
said unto them, whether it be right in the sight of God to
hearken unto you more than unto God, you be the judge. Judgy. You be the judge. For we cannot. We lack the ability. We cannot but speak. the things which we've seen and
heard, the things of which we have been eyewitnesses." We have
no choice in this matter. We cannot but speak the things
we've seen and heard. Now, Peter and John had been
used by Christ to heal a man that had been lame from birth.
Turn back to Acts chapter 3. Now Peter and John went up together
into the temple at the hour of prayer, being the ninth hour,
and a certain man, lame from his mother's womb, was carried,
whom they laid daily at the gate of the temple, which is called
beautiful, to ask alms of them that entered into the temple.
Who, seeing Peter and John about to go into the temple, asked
an alms. And Peter, fastening his eyes upon him with John,
said, Look on us. And he gave heed unto them, expecting
to receive something of them. Then Peter said, Silver and gold
have I none, but such as I have, give I thee. In the name of Jesus
Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk. And he took him by the
right hand and lifted him up, and immediately his feet and
ankle bones received strength. And he, leaping up, stood and
walked, and entered with them into the temple, walking and
leaping and praising God. And all the people saw him walking
and praising God. And they knew that it was he
which set for arms at the beautiful gate of the temple. And they
were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto
him. And as the lame man, which was healed, hailed Peter and
John, all the people ran together unto them, and the porch, which
is called Solomon, greatly wondering." Oh, they were so taken up with
this miraculous miracle that had taken place. Now, this miracle
was a fact. Look in Acts chapter four, verse
14. These are the scribes and Pharisees, which were upset with
what had taken place. Look at verse 14. And beholding
the man which was healed, standing with them, they could say nothing
against it. Now they looked at this man.
They saw the miracle. They saw the fact of the miracle.
They could say nothing against it, but they did not love it. And this is something that took
place in history. It's something that literally
took place. They could not deny it. Why didn't
they believe? I mean, there, this man is standing
there. A miracle has taken place through
the name of the Lord Jesus. And they did not believe, even
though they saw the fact. Why didn't they believe? I can
answer that question. Because they didn't want to. If you do not believe, it's because
you do not want to believe. And if you do believe, it's because
you don't have any choice. You cannot not believe if you
believe. It's not a choice you make to
believe. If you believe, you believe because you don't have
any choice. But if you do not believe, it's
because you have chosen not to believe. That's the case with
these people here. They saw this event, this fact,
and they would not believe. Look in verses 15 and 16. Verse 15, but when they had commanded
him to go aside out of the council, this is the religious leader,
they conferred among themselves saying, what shall we do then
to these men? For that indeed a notable miracle
has been done among them is manifest to all that dwell in Jerusalem
and we can't deny it. The gospel is historical. What do I mean by that? It's something that took place
in time. It's prehistorical. Christ is
a lamb slain from the foundation of the world. It's prehistorical. It's eternal. It's called Revelation
14, six, the everlasting gospel. But it happened in time. Christ really became a man. He really kept God's law perfectly. He really died on a cross. He really was raised from the
dead. These are facts rooted in history. You can argue against it if you
want, but that doesn't change the fact. The gospel is not a
philosophy. The gospel is not a point of
view. The gospel is a fact. the fact of the Lord Jesus Christ,
who he is, what he did, and where he is now. It's a fact that will
not be believed apart from divine revelation. I can preach the
fact as clearly as I want to, but a man or woman will not believe
unless God is pleased to reveal himself to them. They'll see
the facts, can't deny them, but they won't believe unless God
causes them to believe. Now verse 17, here's their thought,
but that it spread no further among the people. Let us straightly
threaten them that they speak henceforth to no man in this
name. What about this name? This is
the threat. It's okay that this man is healed.
We see that we can't deny it, but we don't want you speaking
in this name. Now go back to Acts chapter three.
I want to read some scriptures. After this miracle took place,
when Peter saw it, verse 12, he answered unto the people,
ye men of Israel, why marvel ye at this? Or why look ye so
earnestly on us, as though by our own power or holiness we
made this man to walk, the God of Abraham and of Isaac and of
Jacob? The God of our fathers hath glorified His Son Jesus,
whom you delivered up, and denied Him in the presence of Pilate
when he was determined to let Him go. But you denied the Holy
One and the just, and desired a murderer to be granted unto
you. And you killed the Prince of life, whom God hath raised
from the dead, whereof we are witnesses, and His name Through
faith in his name hath made this man strong, whom you see and
know. Yea, the faith which is by him hath given this man perfect
soundness in the presence of you all. Look in chapter four,
verse seven. This is after they had been arrested
for this miracle. And when they had set them in
the midst, they asked, by what power or by what name have you
done this? And whose authority? We can't
deny the fact. By what name have you done this? Then Peter, verse eight, filled
with the Holy Ghost said unto them, you rulers of the people
and elders of Israel, if we this day be examined of the good deed
done to the impotent man by what means he's made whole, be it
known unto you all and to all the people of Israel that by
the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God
raised from the dead, even by him does this man stand before
you whole. This is the stone which was set
at Naudibuilders, which has become the head of the corner. Neither
is there salvation in any other, for there's none other name under
heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." Now, this
is the name we've done this in. in his name. Now to speak in
his name is to speak solely by his authority. That's what that
means, to speak solely by his authority. I love the way it
said of the Lord, he spake as one having authority. Not as
the scribes, not as these religious idiots that we read of in Acts
chapter three and four. He spake as one having authority. Now to speak in his name is to
speak in the name of the one. Listen real carefully. To speak
in His name is to speak in the name of the one who does exactly
what He wants to do all the time. To speak in His name is to speak
in the name of Him who is absolutely sovereign, who has absolute control
over all things, all events, and all people. To speak in His
name is to speak in the name of Him who doeth. This is Daniel
4.35, who doeth, who doeth according to His will. in the armies of
heaven. You know what's going on in heaven
right now? His will. And among the inhabitants of
the earth. You know what's going on right now? His will. He doeth according to his will
in the armies of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth.
And none can stay his hand and say unto him, what doest thou? To speak in his name is to speak
in him, in the name of him who is absolutely sovereign. And that means, and listen to
me real carefully. When we speak of the sovereignty
of the Lord Jesus Christ, that means your salvation is in his
hands. If you're saved, it's up to him. And if he passes you by, it's
up to him. That's what that means. Doesn't
mean anything less than that. That means your eternal destiny
is in his sovereign will. That's what it means to speak
in his name. When I'm speaking in his name, just like Peter
did, I'm saying your destiny, my destiny, is up to Him. And you know, until you're brought
to that place, you'll never really ask Him for mercy. That's what
is going to make you ask Him for mercy when you see that you
have no control, that your salvation is utterly and completely in
His hands, not yours, His. Have you ever seen that? Have
you ever seen that your salvation, it's up to Him? That to speak
in his name is to answer every objection to that with, Nay,
but O man, who are you to reply against God? That's what it is
to speak in his name. Every objection to him is answered
with, Nay, but O man, who are you to reply against God? They made this command, verse
17, but that it spread no further among the people. Let us straightly
threaten them that they speak henceforth to no man in this
name. And they called them, verse 18, and commanded them not to
speak at all, nor teach in the name of Jesus. Now, how much
weight do you think that had with Peter and John? It didn't
have any weight, did it? Look how they replied. But Peter
and John answered and said unto them, Whither be right in the
sight of God to hearken unto you more than God? You be the
judge. You be the judge. For we cannot
but speak the things that we've seen and heard. And that's where we're at. We
cannot but speak the things which we've seen and the things which
we've heard." Now, if a man can speak contrary to what he's seen
and heard, it's only because he's really not seen and heard
anything. If you can speak contrary, you've
never really seen and heard anything savingly. You might have heard
some things, but you didn't hear savingly. Peter says, we can only speak
what we've seen and heard. Now, like I said, if you can
think you've seen something, heard something, keep your mouth
shut about it, it's because it's really not important to you.
You've not heard savingly. But if you've heard savingly,
you're going to be just like Peter. You can't but speak the
things which you've seen and heard. Now, when Andrew, Peter's
brother, came to him and said, we found the Messiah. Well, the
Messiah found them. And they said, we found him.
I understand that. But, you know, he brought the
Lord to Peter and the Lord looked at Peter and said, you're Simon
Bar-Jonas. I've always known you and your
name is going to be called Peter, Little Stone. Peter heard that. He experienced that. Right after
that, When Peter and John and Andrew and James had been fishing
all night, they brought their nets in, hadn't caught anything
all night, the Lord said, launch me out in the boat. And he gave
the sermon on the mound at that time. You can read it. The content
is not in Luke chapter five. It's in Matthew chapter five
through seven. But after that message, he told Peter and the
boys, launch out into the lake and draw up a number of fish. Now, Peter said, we're fishermen. We know this business. And we've
fished all night, and we haven't taken a thing. Nevertheless,
nevertheless, at thy word, I'll let down the net. So he let down
the net, and the Lord said, fish, get in the net. And they got
in the net. And they brought up this big, the boat began to
sink. Peter had said, Master, at thy
word, I'll let down the net. But now he says, after he sees
the net full and he sees who the Lord is, he hears this, he
experiences it. He said, Lord, depart from me. You don't want to have anything
to do with me. I'm a sinful man. He heard this. He experienced
this. He heard the teaching in John
chapter 6 where the people left. They said, these are hard sayings.
These are harsh sayings. These are not agreeable to humanity. How can you expect us to hear
teaching like this? They left. And in that message,
I can't get into John chapter 6 right now, but he gave what
is called the doctrine of grace. He clearly set forth Total depravity. No man can come to me except
the Father which has sent me drawing. He set forth election. All that the Father giveth me
shall come to me. He set forth limited atonement,
divine effectual atonement. This is the will of Him that
sent me, that of all which He hath given me I should lose nothing,
but raise it up again at the last day. He set forth irresistible
grace. All the Father give me, they
shall come to me. Every one of them will. He set
forth this, and people got upset. He heard this message. He watched
the people leave. The Lord said, will you also
go away? He said, to whom shall we go?
Thou hast the words of eternal life. We believe and are sure
that our that Christ, the son of the living God, he saw as
an eyewitness the miracles of the Lord. He saw him cleanse
lepers. He saw him literally, can you
imagine actually beholding this? He saw him give sight to the
blind. He saw him raise dead people. He witnessed this. He
saw him. Create matter that had not been
there when he fed the five thousand creative power, he saw him control
the weather. Winds be still and the wind cease.
And they said, I'd love to be there just to watch the weather.
What manner of man is this that even the winds in the sea obey
him? He experienced these things, he saw the character of the Lord. He was he was around somebody
for three years who never sinned. Can you imagine that? He saw
his love to his father. He saw his compassion towards
sinners. They were eyewitnesses of this.
He heard him pray in Gethsemane's garden. He was an eyewitness
to all this. He was an eyewitness to his resurrection.
Remember when the angels told the women, you go tell my disciples
and Peter, I'm risen from the dead. Make sure you tell Peter.
And Peter would have thought he wasn't a disciple, but the
Lord said, you make sure you tell Peter. He experienced all
of this. He saw the ascension. He was
there watching when the Lord started going up into the air,
into the clouds. He beheld it. He was an eyewitness. Now, the gospel is a thing of facts. This is not opinions. You know,
Plato wrote the Republic. That's a well-respected book.
That's his opinion. That's his worldview. I hear
people talk about the Christian worldview. I think, what? What
do you mean by that? I mean, God is, God is, this
is not about an opinion or a philosophy or a point of view. This is about
fact. I love what Paul said. He said,
I deliver unto you first of all, that which I also received. It's
not my opinion. This is what I've received from
God. That's the gospel. Now, Peter,
is speaking as an eyewitness, and he says we cannot but speak
the things which we've seen and which we've heard. Now, turn
with me to 2 Peter 1. We're going to spend about the
rest of our time in 2 Peter 1, where he tells us about something
that took place with him. 2 Peter 1. Beginning in verse 12. Now, this
is that one who said to the Sanhedrin, we cannot but speak the things
which we've seen and heard. Look in verse 12. Peter says
to the people he's writing to, wherefore, I will not be negligent
to put you always in remembrance of these things, though you know
them and be established in this present truth. I think that is
what true preaching is. It's bringing to our remembrance
what we already know. You know, when you hear the gospel,
you know it and you hear it and it's present truth. It's present
truth. That means it's the truth right
now. See, here's the deal. I don't get assurance from yesterday's
faith or yesterday's experience. I get assurance from hearing
the gospel right now. I'm not looking for something to happen
tomorrow. That's looking to myself in some way. Truth is always
in the present. The biggest false refuges men hide in is the past
and the future. The past, something I did. The
future, what I'm going to do. No, this present truth. Bringing you into remembrance
of this present truth. Now let's go on reading. Yea,
verse 13, I think it meet as long as I'm in this tabernacle,
this body, to stir you up. by putting you in remembrance. That's what gospel preaching
is. Knowing that shortly, I must put off this, my tabernacle,
even as our Lord Jesus Christ has showed me. Peter says, I'm
dying pretty soon. I know that, the Lord's let me
know that. I don't have much longer to live. Verse 15, moreover,
I will endeavor that you may be able after my decease to have
these things always in remembrance. This is why I'm writing this
epistle for. Verse 16. We have not followed cunningly
devised fables when we made known unto you the power and coming
of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.
What are cunningly devised fables? Listen real carefully. Wisely
constructed myths that could be used to manipulate people
into doing feeling or believing something. Preachers do that
all the time. Wisely constructed myths that
manipulate people into doing or feeling something. Oh, I don't
want to do that. I've seen that done so many times.
I don't want to be a manipulator. I want to preach as a witness.
That's what a witness does. He tells what he's saying. I'm
not trying to get you to do anything. I'm telling you what I've seen,
what I know. That's what's going on here.
Now look in verse 16. Notice he says, for we have not
followed cunningly devised fables when we made known unto you two
things, the power and the coming. of our Lord Jesus Christ, but
we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. Now here's what we've made known.
We've made known the omnipotence of Jesus Christ. Now, omnipotence,
all power is an attribute that belongs only to God. And we've made known to you the
omnipotence of Jesus Christ. This is what Christ said to Abraham
when he said, your wife in her old age is going to have a baby.
And remember when Sarah laughed at it and the Lord said, is anything
too hard for the Lord? Is anything beyond the scope
of his power? He's omnipotent. Jesus Christ
is omnipotent. Jesus Christ created the universe
from nothing. Jesus Christ controls everything
that's happening right now. He's controlling what's going
on in your mind right now, you know? He's controlling. Somebody says, I don't believe
that. Yeah, he's controlling that too. He's in absolute control
of everything. He is sovereign. All that happens
is his will being done. You saying Jesus Christ left
that happen? Yeah, I'm saying that. I might not understand
it. I don't understand why he's doing what he's doing. I don't.
I don't get it. But he does. And I'm fine with
that because he's holy. He's good. He's righteous. He's
got the power to control everything. And beloved, Salvation is of
Jesus Christ. Salvation is of the Lord. He quickens whom he will. When
he had by himself purged our sins, that means with no help,
no contribution from me or you. He did it by himself. Salvation
is of the Lord. Now, that's what we're talking
about when we're talking about the omnipotence of Christ. He's the creator.
He's the controller and he's the savior. And then he talks
about making known the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now,
Christ is coming again. And that word is also used to
speak of his presence. We may know the presence of Christ.
I love to think of his presence before the Father, even now,
representing his people. His presence in the covenant
before time began, when God's people were given to him, and
he said, I'll bear full responsibility of them. I think of his presence
in the incarnation when he was made flesh, his presence on the
cross when he put away sin, his presence when he was resurrected,
raised back to the father and seated right now, ruling and
reigning and everything. That's the Christ we preach.
The one who is all powerful and the one whose presence is salvation. His presence is where two or
three meet together in his name. We were eyewitnesses, Peter says,
of his majesty, of his incomprehensibleness, infinite majesty. Now let's keep
on reading. Four, verse 17. from God the Father, honor and
glory. When there came such a voice
to him from that excellent glory, this is my beloved son in whom
I am well pleased. And this voice which came from
heaven we heard. This is an experience we had.
We heard when we had seen we were with him in the holy man.
He's talking about the mound transfiguration. Now would you
turn, hold your finger. We're going to come back to second
Peter and turn to Matthew chapter 17. We cannot but speak the things
we've seen and heard. Matthew chapter 17 verse one. And after six days, Jesus taketh
Peter, James, and John, his brother, and bringeth them up into a high
mountain apart. Now, once again, that's emphasizing
the sovereignty of the Lord Jesus Christ. He took them. I want
him to take me, don't you? He took them, and he set them
apart. Why didn't he take all the rest
of the disciples with him? I don't know. I don't know. But he took these three and he
set them apart. And whatever he does is right.
And let's go on reading verse two. And he was transfigured before
them. At this time, The only thing
we can say is that his deity burst through his humanity. He who is the brightness of God's
glory and the express image of his person who is veiled in flesh,
all of a sudden the deity burst through the humanity. Now, this
isn't something you can understand. Something you believe. You see
it in the word of God. And I'm sure Peter and James
and John were not really cognizant of what was taking place just
yet. They were amazed. Let's go on reading. He was transfigured
before them and his face did shine as the sun. Literally? Literally. Literally. When's
the last time you looked into the sun? Couldn't do it, could
you? They saw enough to look down. His face did shine as the
sun and his raiment was white as light. Mark says there's no
fuller on earth could white them. This is something transcendent, beyond ordinary experience, transcendent. And they saw it. Verse three,
and behold, there appeared unto them Moses and Elijah talking
with him. There, they're watching this.
Moses appears, Elijah appears, and they're talking with him.
And we don't have to guess as to what they were talking about
because Luke 9 31 tells us, they spake of the decease, which he
should accomplish at Jerusalem. That's what they were talking
about. They were talking with the Lord, and I'm sure they knew
the only reason they were in heaven and the only reason they
were there was because of the decease that he should accomplish. His
death accomplished something. If I don't understand this about
his death, I don't understand his death. His death accomplished
something. His death accomplished the complete
salvation of everybody he died for by one offering, hath perfected
forever them that are sanctified. Now, somebody says, well, I believe
his death made salvation available. No, it didn't. It didn't make
salvation available. It didn't make salvation possible.
He saved. When he said it is finished,
all of God's elect were saved. They spake of the decease which
he should accomplish. Now here, Peter and James and
John are, listening to this, verse four, then answered Peter. Now, I don't recall anybody asking
him anything, but he's got to answer. I can identify with this
so much, Lynn can tell you, I've always got, you know, I've got
to say something. Then answered Peter. Now, Peter,
nobody asked you anything, but then answered Peter. Lord, it's good for us to be
here with you and Moses and Elijah. If thou wilt, let us make here
three tabernacles. One for thee, one for Moses,
and one for Elijah. Bless Peter's heart, he just
had to say something, didn't he? Three tabernacles? Wow, that's
putting these men on the same plane as the Lord Jesus Christ. Three tabernacles, no, no, no,
no, no, no. These men are creatures. He's the creator. These men are
sinners saved by his grace. He's the savior. No, not three
tabernacles. You, you're way out of line. And when Peter made that amazingly
stupid statement, you know, that's such a blessing. I make stupid
statements. Things are contrary to scripture. You make stupid
statements. I hear, you know, somebody says, well, we can't
say anything. Well, you're going to make stupid statements just
like Peter did. I'm going to make stupid statements. Peter made
a very stupid statement, but look at what the Lord said, while
he at spake, verse five. While he was speaking, behold,
a bright cloud overshadowed them. And behold, a voice out of the
cloud which said, this is my beloved son, in whom I am well
pleased, hear ye him. What does God say? This is my beloved son. In whom, not with whom, in whom
I'm well pleased. If God's gonna be well pleased
with you, you're gonna have to be in his son. Hear ye him. Now listen, all God has to say
to you is hear ye him. God who at sundry times and divers
manners, spaken times passed unto the fathers by the prophets,
hath in these last days spoken to us by his son. Jesus Christ is all God has to
say. You believe that? Hear ye him. him. Verse six, and when the
disciples heard, they fell on their face and they were sore
afraid. I imagine they were. I imagine they were waiting for
a lightning bolt to come down from heaven and strike them.
They saw the enormity of the evil of what was said by Peter.
Verse seven, and Jesus came and touched them. touch of his grace
and said, arise and be not afraid. And when they had lifted up their
eyes, they saw no man. They didn't see Elijah anymore.
They didn't see Moses anymore. Were they still there? I don't
know. They might've been. But when
you see Jesus Christ, the Lord, You see Him only. Now, when the sun is up, the
stars are there, but you can't see them, can you? The dazzling
brilliance of the sun prevents you from seeing the stars. Now,
when the sun is down, oh, you can see the stars clearly, can't
you? But not when the sun is up. When they saw the Lord, they
saw Him only. And a man or woman has only seen
Christ when they've seen him only as all in their salvation. Have you seen that? Have you
seen that Jesus Christ only is all in salvation? You see that he is all you need. You really don't need anything
else. Not only is he all you need, he's all you have. You don't have anything else
to recommend you to God but him. And he's all you want. You do
not want anything else. Now that's when you see him.
That's when you've seen him. If that's not the way you've
seen him, you've just not seen him. If you've seen him, you
know that he only, he only, well those words sound good together,
don't they? Jesus only. I like the way that sounds, don't
you? Jesus only. They saw no man save Jesus only
as all in salvation. If it's not Christ alone, it's
not Christ at all, is it? They saw no man save Jesus only. And as they came down from the
mountain, Jesus charged them saying, tell the vision to no
man into the son of man is risen again from the dead. Now, Peter
said, we cannot but speak the things we've seen and heard.
Now go back to second Peter chapter one. Some of us think, well,
I've never had an experience like that. I've never seen the Lord physically
transfigured. I've never had an experience
like that. Me either, but we got something
better. Better than that? Better. Verse 18, 2 Peter 1, and this
voice which came from heaven we heard. when we were with Him
in the Holy Mount, we also have a more sure word of prophecy. You know, whatever it was I experienced
yesterday, it might've just been a dream. You know, I think of
my dreams, the dreams I have, so weird and they seem surreal. And it might be yesterday's religious
experience was just a dream. I don't know. It could have been. But here we have something better
than a personal experience. We have a more sure word of prophecy
where into you do well that you take heed as under a light that
shineth in a dark place into the day dawn and the day star
arise in your hearts, knowing this first. that no prophecy,
the scriptures of any private interpretation. Somebody says,
well, that's just your interpretation. Ain't no such thing. Ain't no
such thing. This is God's declaration. For the prophecy came not in
old time by the will of man, but holy men of God spake as
they were moved by the Holy Ghost. We've got the Bible. We've got
God's revelation of himself. Somebody says, well, it's hard
to believe that the Bible is the Word of God. It is not if
you believe that God can create the universe. You believe that
God can inspire men to write a book and preserve it. Now,
if you don't, if you're an atheist, well, you will have a hard time
believing the Bible is the Word of God. But if you believe God
created the universe, You can believe that God wrote a book,
all scriptures given by inspiration of God. And this is better than
any experience that you or I have. And this book says, Christ is
all. Colossians chapter three, verse
11. Christ is all. And I can say, this is my testimony. Christ is all. We cannot but speak the things
we've seen and the things we've heard. Let's pray together. Lord, we're utterly and entirely
dependent upon you to reveal yourself to us through your word. Lord, how we thank you for this
more sure word. Bless this message for Christ's
sake. Amen.