Which turned back to Luke chapter
nine. While you're turning there tonight, I'm going to be speaking
from Matthew chapter seven on this subject, hearing, doing,
and not doing. I've entitled the message for
this morning, the Christ of God. In Acts chapter eight, verse
five, we read where Philip went down to the city of Samaria and
preached Christ to them. And I fear that that can be cliche
as far as people using that term, preach Christ. And I pray that's
not what takes place this morning, but that Christ might be preached. Verse 18 of Luke chapter nine. And it came to pass. You know,
I love that phrase. It came to pass because everything
that God determines comes to pass. It came to pass as he was
alone praying. And I love to think about the
Lord being alone, praying to his father. His prayers were
so much different and are so much different than our prayers.
Oh, the communion that he enjoyed with his father. And I think
it's glorious the way it says, and as he was alone praying,
his disciples were with him. Isn't that neat? Even when he's
alone, we're with him all the time, united to him. And he asked
them saying, whom say the people that I am? Verse 19, then answering said,
well, some say John the Baptist, some say Elijah and others that
one of the old prophets like Jeremiah or someone like that
is risen from the dead. Now they put the Lord Jesus Christ
in some high company, didn't they? These were great men, but
he was not any of those men. What they said was not true.
Whom say the people that I am? Now, people have so many different
opinions, don't they? Men's opinions are different
and varied. Error is always multiple choice. They were contradictory. He couldn't be John the Baptist
or one of the old prophets or Elijah. Their answers were all
contradictory. And the people made Christ out
to be lower than he is. Low views of the person of Christ
is behind every error and every sin. Whereas right views of the Christ
is the foundation of all truth. Now, without commenting, upon
what the people said, he said unto them, verse 20, but whom
say you that I am? Now this is a far more important
question. Whom say you that I am? Not what have you heard others
say, not what Have you been taught to say, but whom do you say that
I am? Would to God that Christ would
speak to each one of us, even now with this question, whom
say you that I am? What are your thoughts regarding
me? When God looks in your heart,
What are the thoughts he sees regarding me? Now this is the
issue. What think ye of Christ? This is the issue between you
and God. What do you think of the Christ? Not What do you think of abortion,
gun control, or gay rights? Not what do you think of Christian
involvement in government? Not what do you think of the
believer's relationship with the law? Not what do you think
about the end times and eschatology? Here is the only issue. Let me
repeat that. Here is the only issue. What
do you think of Christ? What are your personal thoughts
regarding the Christ? Everything hinges on this. Everything
else you believe will be determined by this. Your view of the scriptures,
your view of law and grace, your view of faith and repentance,
your understanding of the atonement, everything hinges right here. What do you think of the Christ? You see, what we believe is determined
by who we believe. Somebody says, well, I know what
I believe. That's not what Paul said. He
said, I know whom I have believed and then persuaded that he's
able to keep that which I've committed to him against that
day. Whom say ye that I am? Verse 20, Peter answering. Peter's good to answer, isn't
he? He answers a lot. Sometimes his answers are not
very good, but this one is great. Peter, answering said, The Christ
of God. It was told to Simeon that he
should not see death until he had seen the Lord's Christ. And when he had seen the Lord's
Christ and held him in his arms, he said, Lord, now let us, thou
thy servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seen thy salvation. The Lord was casting out some
demons and the scripture says regarding those demons, they
knew he was Christ. The Lord is talking to that woman
at the well, and she says, I know that Messiah cometh, which is
called Christ. When he has come, he'll tell
us all things. Jesus saith unto her, I that
speak unto thee, am he. She said, come see a man who
told me all I ever did. Is not this the Christ? The Lord had been preaching and
he lost his audience. 5,000 people left. And as he
watched them leave, he said to his 12 disciples, will you also
go away? Peter answered, to whom shall
we go? Thou hast the words of eternal
life. And we believe and are sure that
thou art that Christ, the son of the living God. Caiaphas said, art thou the Christ,
the son of the blessed? And Jesus said, I am. When Peter was preaching On the
day of Pentecost, he said, God hath made this same Jesus. I hear preachers say, won't you
make Jesus the Lord of your life? God's already done it. God hath
made this same Jesus whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ. Paul said in Romans 1 16, I'm
not ashamed. of the gospel of Christ. The gospel of Christ is the power
of God unto salvation. He said in Romans 5, 6, when
we were yet without strength in due time, Christ died for
the ungodly. And I love this scripture, Romans
8, 34. Who is he that condemneth? It's Christ that died, but he
did this, but it's Christ that died, but he was guilty of this. It is Christ that died. No other answer is needed. That is the power of the Christ. Romans 10, four says, Christ
is the end of the law for righteousness. everyone that believeth. Every thought is to be brought
into captivity to the obedience of Christ. We read of the simplicity of
Christ and the grace of Christ and justified by the faith of
Christ. We read that Christ is all. And Paul said, for me to live
is Christ. And you know, that doesn't even
make grammatical sense, but it makes all the spiritual sense
in the world. For me to live is Christ. John said, who so
believeth that Jesus is the Christ? is born of God, the Christ of God, the Christ
of God's providing. Now Christ, you know, is the
Greek word for the Hebrew word Messiah. It means God's anointed. It speaks of the offices of Christ. In the Old Testament, there were
three persons that were anointed by God. The king was anointed. You remember when they anointed
David king? The prophet was anointed. Elijah was told to anoint Elisha
as prophet. The priest was anointed. Samuel
was anointed the priest of God. The prophet, the priest, and
the king. Now in the Old Testament, no man ever held all three offices. Moses was king. Moses was a mighty
prophet, but Moses was no priest. David was a king. David was a
prophet, but David wouldn't dare try to offer up a sacrifice.
Samuel was a priest and Samuel was a mighty prophet, but he
was no king. No mere man could hold all three
of these offices, but the Christ of God. holds all three offices. He's a prophet. He's the prophet. I shouldn't say he's a prophet,
he's the prophet. Remember when Moses said, a prophet
with the Lord your God raised, like unto me, him you will hear. Now, what is a prophet? A prophet
is a man who speaks for God. Now, Christ is more than a man
that speaks as a prophet for God. He is the thing spoken. He is the word. In the beginning was the word. The word was with God and the
word was God. The same was in the beginning
with God. Now, the only way you can know
what's going on in here with me is by the words that come
out. You can guess, you can speculate,
but the only way you can actually know what's going on in my mind
is by the words that come out. If you want to know the mind
of God, the word that comes out is the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the mind. He is the word. He is the expression of God's
mind. No man, our Lord said, has seen
God at any time. The only begotten Son, which
is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him. He is the
prophet of God's providing. And what a mercy that is, because
you and I, by nature, do not know God and cannot know God. And you can write this down.
Every thought that you and I have about God is wrong by nature. Thou thoughtest, God said, thou
thoughtest I was altogether such a one as yourself. Well, I think
it doesn't matter what you think. It doesn't matter what I think.
Turn with me for a moment to second Kings chapter five. He is the word. He is the prophet
of God. Second Kings chapter five. Verse one. Now name it. A captain
of the host of the king of Syria was a great man with his master
and honorable because by him the Lord had given deliverance
unto Syria. He was also a mighty man in valor, but he was a leper. He thought he was a great man
who happened to be a leper. He didn't realize he was a leper
who happened to be a great man. And the Syrians had gone out
by companies and brought away captive out of the land of Israel,
a little maid. And she waited on Naaman's wife.
And she said unto her mistress, would God, my Lord, were with
the prophet that's in Samaria, for he would recover him of his
leprosy. And one went in and told his Lord saying thus and
thus saith the maid that is of the land of Israel. And the king
of Syria said, go to go. And I'll send a letter unto the
king of Israel. And he departed and took with him 10 talents
of silver and 6,000 pieces of gold and 10 changes of raiment. And he brought the letter to
the king of Israel saying, now, when this letter is coming to
thee, behold, I have therewith sent Naaman my servant to thee,
that thou mayest recover him of his leprosy. And it came to
pass when the king of Israel had read the letter that he rent
his clothes and said, am I God to kill and to make alive that
this man doth send me unto me to recover a man of his leprosy?
Wherefore, consider, I pray you, and see how he seeketh a quarrel
against me. And it was so when Elisha, the man of God, heard
that the king of Israel had rent his clothes, that he sent to
the king saying, wherefore has thou rent thy clothes? Let him
come now to me and he shall know that there's a prophet in Israel,
one who speaks for God. One who says the truth, one who
tells us who God is. So Naaman came with his horses,
with his chariot, and he stood at the door of the house of Elijah.
I love that. He comes there with all of his
mighty men and his chariots and his fine changes of gold. And
he waits for the prophet to come out to him. And Elisha sent a messenger unto
him. I love that. He sent a lowly messenger unto
him. See, Elisha had some wisdom.
He knew what this man was expecting. And he just sent a messenger
out unto him saying, go and wash in Jordan seven times and thy
flesh shall come again to thee and thou shalt be clean. But
Naaman was rough and went away and said, behold, I thought.
That's where he got in trouble. Behold, I thought he will surely
come out to me and stand and call on the name of the Lord
his God and strike his hand over the place and recover the leper.
Oh, he had it all figured out the way it ought to be. Are not
Havana and far, far rivers of Damascus better than all the
waters of Israel? May I not wash in them and be
clean? So he turned away and went away in a rage. And the
servants came near and spake unto him and said, my father,
If the prophet had bid thee do some great thing, wouldest thou
not have done it? How much rather then, when he
said to thee, wash and be clean. Then he went down and dimmed
himself seven times, not six, seven, according to the saying
of the prophet. according to the saying of the
man of God. And can you imagine that seventh time when he came
out of the water, all of a sudden his flesh was clay. You see, we are totally dependent
upon this prophet, the Lord Jesus Christ for revelation. You and
I cannot know God unless He is pleased to reveal Himself to
us. The only way you'll ever know,
the only way I'll ever know the living God is if He is pleased
to make Himself known. The Lord said in Matthew 11,
25 through 27, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and
earth, because you've revealed these things. but you've hid
them from the wise and the prudent. All things are delivered unto
me of my Father, and no man knows the Son but the Father. I'm so great, I'm so infinitely
great, that the only one who can know me is the Father. Neither knows any man the Father
save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son will reveal Him. Show us the Father, and it sufficeth
us. The Lord replied, he that hath
seen me hath seen the Father. Now he's the word of God. And
all you and I will ever know of God is as he is pleased to
make himself known as the very word, the mind of God. He's the word. Don't you love
that name of his, the word of God? Lord Jesus Christ is the anointed
priest of God. Christ is not his last name.
Christ is his offices as the prophet of God and the priest
of God. We need a prophet because we're
so ignorant and are dependent upon him for revelation. We need
a priest because we're so sinful. and we have no access to a holy
God in and of ourselves. And we need him to come into
God's presence for us. God is holy, we're sinful, we
can't approach him, but thank God there is a great high priest,
a priest that will represent me before God. Now, I love that
passage of scripture in John chapter 17, verse nine, when
he said, I pray for them. I pray not for the world. Now,
the Lord says that no uncertain terms. I pray not for the world,
but for them which you have given me, for they are thine. Oh, the glorious office of the
Lord Jesus Christ as a priest. Not only do I need him to bring
the word of God to me, I need him to bring me to God. And that's what he does as a
priest. Now there are three qualifications for a priest. First, he must
be a man. A man must represent men. I need a man to represent me. Secondly, he must be sinless. If he has sin, he can't approach
the father. He can't do anything more than
I can. He must be sinless. And thirdly, he must be divine. He must be God. You see, only
God can satisfy God. And this priest, he must be man,
he must be sinless, and he must be God. Now, why is that? Well, man sinned. Man sinned and man must die. But the blood, the death of a
mere man could never satisfy the justice of God because sin
is an infinite evil. The reason hell lasts eternally
is because God is never satisfied. Man sinned. Man must die. But man must satisfy, but man
can't satisfy. Only God can satisfy. You know the only one who can
satisfy God? God. You believe that? The only one
who can satisfy the living God is God himself. But there's a
problem. God can't die. Man cannot satisfy. God cannot die. But the God man
did both. He satisfied and he died and
he didn't stay dead. He was raised. Now the Lord Jesus
Christ is the only one who has access to the father. The Lord
Jesus is the only one who could satisfy the demands of God's
holy law. Perfect obedience. And the Lord
Jesus is the only one who could satisfy the penalty of the broken
law. God raised him from the dead
because God said, I'm satisfied with what he did. You know the
reason he didn't go into the process of decay the way you
and I will when we die? Because the moment he died, complete
satisfaction was rendered to God. And God says, I am satisfied. And God looks at me because of
the death of Christ and says, I can't ask any more out of him.
I wouldn't ask any more out of him. He's perfect in my sight. That's the work of our great
high priest. As priest, he brings his own
blood into the very presence of God. He shall see the travail
of his soul and shall be, anybody know the next word? Satisfied. By his knowledge shall my righteous
servant justify many. For he shall bear their iniquities. And he intercedes for us. Now he, he came to God for us. He brought us into God's presence.
And even right now, he intercedes for us as our great high priest. Turn with me to Hebrews chapter
nine. I want to read this scripture. Verse 22, and almost all things
are by the law purged with blood and without shedding of blood
is no remission. Now listen, the gospels of bloody
religion. And without the shedding of blood,
the blood of God, the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ, there
is no remission. But by his shedding of blood,
there is complete remission. I love what Charles Spurgeon
said. He said, if all we dealt with was the cross, it would
be a widening rather than a narrowing of our ministry. I like that. Don't you? Go on reading verse 23. It was
therefore necessary that the patterns of things in the heavens
should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves
with better sacrifices than these, these animal sacrifices for Christ
is not entered into the holy place made with hands, which
are the figures of the true, but into heaven itself. Now get
that word now, now, right this second to appear in the presence
of God, us, nor yet that he should offer himself often as the high
priest entered into the holy place every year with the blood
of others. For they must have often suffered since the foundation
of the world. But now once in the end of the world, hath he
appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And beloved,
that's what he did. He put away sin. And as it's
appointed unto men once to die, but after this, the judgment.
So Christ was once offered to bear the sins of many and unto
them that look for him, shall he appear the second time without
sin unto salvation. Now the intercession of Christ.
Let me just quote some scriptures. I don't think they need too much
comment. Brethren, these things have a
written into you that you sin not. I, That's what the Lord
says to us. Don't sin. Anybody got a problem
with that? Don't sin. When you do, we have an advocate with the
Father. Jesus Christ, the righteous. He's no crooked lawyer. He's
Jesus Christ, the righteous. And let me tell you something
about this lawyer. He's like no other lawyer. He makes you
plead guilty. And yet, he causes you to be
without guilt. Justified. Is there any lawyer
like that? Remember when he said to Peter, Peter, Satan hath desired
to have you, that he may sift you as wheat. I have prayed for
you. Can you imagine the Lord taking
your name before his Father? That's what he does. I pray not
for the world, he said, but for them which you've given me. When
he said, Father, forgive them. They know not what they do. I'll
tell you this, everybody he prayed for, the Father forgave. The
father never says no to the son. That wasn't some kind of generic
prayer. No, everybody he prayed for was forgiven completely by
the father. Who is he that condemneth? It's
Christ that died, but that's not the end of the verse. Yea,
rather that's risen again, who's even at the right hand of God,
who also maketh intercession for us. Oh, the intercession
of Christ. He is able to save them to the
uttermost that come to God by him, seeing he ever liveth to
make intercession for them. You know what I'm doing? I'm
coming to God by him. You know what that means? When
he comes, I come too, because I'm in him and he's the only
way I approach God. He's prophet. We need him to
reveal God to us. He's priest. We need him to bring
us to God. He's the Christ of God, and he
is God's king. The prophet of God, the priest
of God, and the king of God. A king is one who reigns, whose
will is law. whose will must be done. He's the king of the physical
universe. I like thinking about that, don't you? I mean, every
particle of dust that flies through the air, the galaxies, the weather,
men, animals, plants, demons, everybody is under his thumb
and under his control. He's the king. He's not only the king of the
universe, he's the king of grace. You know, he sits on a throne
that is called in Hebrews 4.16, the throne of grace. Don't you
love that name for his throne? The throne of grace. He's the
king of providence. Everything that happens is his
will being done. And he's the king of grace. Now
I need him. I've talked about my need for
him as a prophet. And I do need him as a prophet,
don't you? I need him to bring the word of God to me and to
reveal himself to me. I need him as a priest to bring me into
God's presence. I told you this recently. One
of the favorite things I've ever heard Bruce Crabtree say was
he said he'd lost all hope and he just felt like he was reprobated.
He said he was falling down on his bed and during the time he
was falling on his bed, he said, plea for me. Plead for me, pray
for me, talk to the Lord. He said, and by the time, between
the time I started falling and I hit the bed, I had peace. He
prayed for me. I need him as my priest, but
I also need him as my king to make me as king of grace, one
of his subjects. You know, the scripture says,
blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of
heaven. I need him to make me poor. Well, it's a good thing
to be poor, isn't it? It's a good thing to have nothing
because when you have nothing, that's when Christ does everything
to you. I need him to make me willing. Psalm 110.3 says, thy
people shall be willing in the day of thy power. I need him
to make me willing. I need Him to make me a little
child. The Lord said, except you be converted and become His
little children, you shall in no case enter the kingdom of
heaven. I need to be converted. I need Him to convert me to cause
me to be this little child in need of Him. You know, the scripture says
regarding His kingship, He's King of kings and Lord of lords,
and they that are with Him are called, chosen, and faithful. I need Him to call me. I need
Him to choose me. I need Him to cause me to be
faithful. I need Him as King to rule and
reign over me and cause me to do His will. I need Him as King. I need Him just as much King
as I need Him as prophet and I need Him as priest. I need
Him as King to cause me to do His will. It's God that worketh
in you both the will and to do His good pleasure. I need Him
as my King. Now, He's the Christ of God. And I'm not asking you if you
know that you're a Christian. I'm not asking you if you know
for sure your name is written in the Lamb's Book of Life and
you're with beyond any shadow of a doubt one of God's elect.
I'm not asking you that. I'm not asking you if you know
that Christ died for your sins and they've all been put away.
I'm not asking you if you know that you've been born of the
Spirit and have been regenerated and have a new nature and a new
heart. I'm not asking you that. But
I am asking you this, what do you say of Jesus Christ? Can you say with Peter, when
the Lord says, who do you say that I am? Can you say with Peter,
the Christ of God? And you know what John said?
He said in 1 John chapter 5 verse 1. Whoso believeth that Jesus
is the Christ is born of God. If you believe that Jesus is
the Christ, God's word says, you are born of God. The Christ of God. You know,
I like thinking, he's the Christ. I love the Christ. And I love
the Christ of God. Not the Christ of men's inventions. It's nowhere like the one in
scripture. but the Christ of God. Now we're going to have a baptism
now. Rebecca Vincent is going to confess
Christ in believers baptism.