Look back at verse 11, if you
would. Acts 15, verse 11. But we believe, we believe that through the grace
of the Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be saved, even as they. Now in our scripture reading
here in the book of Acts, Acts 15, we read that a certain group
of men, it doesn't say believers, it says a certain group of men
came down from Judea and they said, except you be circumcised
after the manner of Moses, you cannot be saved. Paul and Barnabas
went up to Jerusalem. to the apostles and the elders
about this question. And in verse 7, you'll see that
Peter, after there had been much disputing, a lot of back and
forth about the answer to that question, he stands up and he puts the
issue to rest. You know, it's so surprising,
maybe it's not, that conflict in the early church, how quickly
conflict could arise. But it did. It did. And that should be a warning. That should be a warning to all
of us in our day. And there's so many things, so
many things. And I'm not even talking about
things related to the gospel. You got a lot of different people
from a lot of different backgrounds. It's easy. Oh, it's easy to have
conflict. But listen, in matters of the
gospel, what are we to do in matters of the gospel? Well,
we read this. In the mouth of two or three
witnesses, Every word is to be established. Those things that
are important, those things that we truly need, they're written
in God's word. We're told this, to the law and
to the testimony. To the law and to God's word.
If they speak not according to his word. If men come and they're
talking about things not written in this Word, it's simple. It's because there is no light
in them. Well, for just a few more minutes
here this morning, I want to see this response we read here
in verse 11. Peter says, we. We. He doesn't stand up and say,
well, John says this. Or Paul, he's kind of thinking
this. What's Peter say? We. We. These men are united in their
response, as we should be in all things. We. And let this
be a quick warning to all of us. When we start using that
word, I, with any frequency, unless I'm talking about my sin,
we should be careful with that. There in Daniel 4, remember Nebuchadnezzar? Remember what he said? He started
talking about that great Babylon. What'd he say? Isn't this the
great Babylon which I have built? He said, by my power, by my majesty. And while the word was in his
mouth, there fell a voice from heaven saying, O King Nebuchadnezzar,
thy kingdom is departed from thee. We were running late this morning. I could say that. We didn't get
here till 10 o'clock. I'll try to justify
myself. 9.59. We didn't get here till
late this morning. And there were three of us in
the car. Abby was in the car. Brady was in the car. I was in
the car. The problem wasn't we. I forgot
the bulletins. You see the difference there?
We believe. But when we're using that word
I, it should be in relation to just like David, I have sinned. I have done this evil in thy
side. But this word we, look in John
chapter 6, Turn there with me, John chapter 6. Listen to this word, we, in Scripture.
John 6, verse 69. We believe. We believe and are
sure that thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. John said this of Christ, he
said, we know that his testimony is true. Paul said, we know that
the law is spiritual. But then he said this, I'm carnal.
Talking about myself, I'm carnal, sold under sin. What do we know? What do the scriptures reveal
to his people? We know we're sinners. God's
people, we know that we are sinners. What else do we know? Well, again,
in Romans, Paul said this, he said, we know that all things
work together for good to them. This is a special people. To
them who are the called, to them that are called according to
his purpose. We, his disciples, we, those
that believe, those to whom God has shown mercy. We. Second, we believe. See that in our text here in
Acts 15, 11? We believe. This is faith defined. We believe. But what do we believe in God? Believe in Him. What are the Scriptures? Consider
what the Scriptures said of Abraham. Abraham, what did he do? Abraham
did a lot of things, but this is Abraham believed God. Turn to these Scriptures with
me. Turn first to Romans chapter 4. Romans chapter 4. Look at verse 3. For what saith the scripture,
Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Turn to Galatians. Galatians
chapter 3. Look at verse 6. Galatians 3
verse 6, Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to
him for righteousness. Turn to the book of James, James
chapter 2. Look at verse 33, James 2, verse
23. And the scripture was fulfilled,
which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto
him for righteousness. And he, think about this, he
was called the friend, the friend of God. Abraham believed God. You know, back in Acts 27, you
don't have to turn there, but in Acts 27, that perilous voyage
that Paul was on with all those men, and they were frightened. These were criminals. These were
I guess tough guys, but Paul told them this. He said, be of
good cheer. And this is the reason he gave. How can I be of good cheer? This
was perilous. The waves were beating against
that ship. Everything on it was going to be lost. Be of good cheer. How, Paul? I believe God. And it's gonna be just as he
said. It's gonna be even as it was
told me. Abraham, Paul, listen. Abraham was fully persuaded that
what God had promised he was able to perform, he was able
to do. Abraham believed God. God told
Abraham, he said, look toward the heaven. Count the stars. Tell the stars, count them, if
you're able to do. And he said, so shall thy seed
be. Did Abraham say, that's the craziest
thing I've ever heard? He may have thought that, but
what did the Scripture say? Abraham believed God. It's hard to imagine that sinful
man, that a sinful man can be saved but not when we consider who
it is that saves them. Abraham believed God. Faith cometh by hearing, and
hearing by the Word of God. And this faith, listen, Scripture
says, for by grace are you saved through faith, and that not of
yourselves. It is the gift, even faith is
the gift of God. Well, back to our text, back
to Acts 15. We, who's he talking about here? We, God's sheep, God's people. They're described as his church,
his bride. Believe. Faith. Faith is believing God. What do we believe? What is it
that we believe? What did his disciples believe? Here's the third point. That
through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, We shall be saved. How are we saved? How is a sinner
saved? Those men that came down from
Judea, they said it was through circumcision. Men said, except you be circumcised
after the manner of Moses, you cannot be saved. That's what man says. What's scripture say? What does
God's word say? Is it by circumcision? Is it
by any deed of the law? Scripture says, by the deeds
of the law, there shall no flesh, no flesh be justified in his
sight. Men say we're justified by works,
by what we do, by what we don't do. Is that the case? Is it by our
so-called righteous acts? That's what men stand and declare
around this world. Paul writing to Titus, he said
this, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according
to his mercy. Men come up with crazy things
to say, don't they? Isn't God's word plain? not by works of righteousness
which we have done, but according to His mercy." Now listen, our works, our outward
obedience were justified in the sight of man. God's sheep, we're not lawless
people. that go around using our liberty
as a cloak to do whatever we want to do. Not a license to sin and live
a reckless life, that's not honoring. That's not honoring to God. Paul
warned the Galatians of this. He said, brethren, you've been
called unto liberty, only use not your liberty for an occasion
to the flesh. but by love serve one another. In Romans 10, or I'm sorry, Romans
6, verse 1, we read this. Shall we continue in sin that
grace may abound? How shall we that are dead to
sin live any longer therein? We've been called out of the
bondage of sin, called out of the bondage of Satan, called
out of the bondage of the law into the liberty of Christ and
his gospel. In Christ, are we free? Absolutely. We're free from the
ceremonies. We're free from the sacrifice. We're free from circumcision.
We're free from religious rituals. Because we're complete in Him. The believer is complete in Christ. The believer has liberty. But
that liberty, just like anything else, can be abused. It's not an excuse to fulfill
the lust of this flesh. To forget or set aside the rules
of moderation. What's our liberty if we use
that as a... if it's a stumbling block to
another believer? But here in Acts we read this, "...by the grace of the Lord
Jesus Christ." It's Him. It's Christ and Christ
alone. It's not our morality. It's not
ceremony. It's not rituals. It's not wearing
certain things. It's not religious activity.
It's not, listen, it's not church membership. Certainly not our free will.
Not by any works of righteousness which we have done. but it's
by His grace, the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, free grace,
sovereign grace, unmerited, undeserved grace. You know, if it was something
that we could earn, What would it be? It would be a wage then,
wouldn't it? I only read of one wage in Scripture. The wages of sin is death. It's not a wage. It's grace. It's His grace. The same way
in which Noah was saved. If we go back there in Genesis,
what do we read? Noah found grace in the eyes
of the Lord. The believer is saved by the
grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, His blood, His righteousness,
that one who died on the cross for the sins of His people. Scripture says He bore our sins
in His body on the tree. He who carried our sorrows He
that delivered us from the wrath to come. How? Through grace. The grace of the
Lord Jesus Christ, through his blood and his sacrifice, through
his work as our substitute, through his perfect obedience, through
His righteousness. It's all of Him. But back to
our text, Acts 15, verse 11. We, we believe. What do we believe? We believe that through the grace
of the Lord Jesus Christ, and here's the last point, we shall
be saved. Now this points to our condition.
If I must be saved, then I must be lost. If I must be saved, what is my
condition? I'm lost. I'm ruined. I need to be saved. You know, if I hadn't been ruined,
if I wasn't dead in trespasses and sin, I wouldn't have any
need of being saved. What happened in the garden? Truly, what happened in the garden? Scripture says that Adam fell. He didn't just stump his toe. He wasn't just injured. In the
day that ye eat thereof, thou shalt surely what? Die dead in
trespasses and sin. And listen, we're not just a
little fallen. Man would paint a picture of
that, that we just maybe just need a little help. False religion points to this
as like an old man, maybe an older man that needs help. He's
stuck in his chair and he needs just a little help getting out
of it. That's not the case, my friends.
Man is dead, dead and trespasses in sin and helpless. What can
a dead man do? A dead man is helpless to do
anything about his condition. Life, on the other hand, is the
gift of God. Man is lost, completely fallen,
completely undone. Scripture says we're by nature
the children of wrath, but salvation, life, is of God's
free favor. It's by his almighty power. We must be saved. We must be saved. He says in
our text, we shall. We shall be saved. Every one of his lost sheep shall
be saved." Listen to these words again. We shall be saved. It doesn't say we might be saved. It didn't say we could be saved. We shall be saved. That word shall, it means There's
no wavering. There's no wondering. We shall
be saved. Of all that the Father hath given
me, I'll lose nothing. I'm not going
to lose. Our Lord said, I'm not going
to lose one. We're saved. We're kept safe. We're rescued from danger. from
suffering, made whole. That's what that word means.
What do we believe? Truly, what do we believe? Peter said, we believe that through
the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be saved. And then he says this, Even as
they. Even as they. That's how every believer is
saved. Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob,
Rahab the harlot, Lydia, David? How were they saved? Saved by
the grace of God. Listen, we could just go through
Scripture. Just start reading off names
in Scripture. Those the Lord was pleased with. You could go
around this room. How's Eric saved? Saved by the
grace of God. Saved by the grace of God. Is
that what you believe? Has the Lord revealed that to
you? Is that what we believe? That's the believer's hope. It's
a good hope. It's a sure hope. And I tell you, that's a mighty
good answer, isn't it? If I ask that question, what
do you believe? You know, we're told to be ready,
always, to give an answer of the hope that lies within us. Wouldn't that be a good answer? We believe that through the grace
of the Lord Jesus Christ, We shall be saved. Turn with me, turn back to Acts
27, and I'll finish up here. Acts 27. Look, beginning with verse 31. It says, Paul said to the centurion,
again, this is that perilous voyage, Paul said to the centurion
and to the soldiers, except these abide in the ship, you cannot
be saved. And the soldiers cut off the
ropes of the boat and let her fall off every false refuge. gone. And while the day was coming
on, Paul sought them all to take meat, saying, This day is the
fourteenth day that you've tarried and continued fasting, having
taken nothing. Wherefore, I pray you, take some
meat. This is for your health. For
there shall not a hair fall from the head of any of you. And when
he had thus spoke, he took bread, and he gave thanks to God in
the presence of them all. And when he had broken it, he
began to eat, and they were all of good cheer, and they all took
some meat, and we were all in the ship." 203 score and 16 souls. I believe
that's 276. Look at verse 42. The soldiers
counseled. was to kill the prisoners. What Paul told them earlier,
be of good cheer. I believe God. It's going to
be just as God told me. Soldiers' counsel was to kill
the prisoners. That was man's will. That was
man's desire. It's overruled though, isn't
it? Huh? Lest any should swim out and escape or to flee, but
the centurion willing to save Paul kept them from their purpose
and commanded they which could swim should cast themselves first
into the sea and get to the land and the rest, some on boards,
some on broken pieces of the ship. And so it came to pass
that they escaped all. Huh? Every last one of them,
all safe to land. And that word escape, escape,
listen, it means, it means, it doesn't mean like to go out there
and climb the fence and escape. It means rescued. It means preserved. It means healed. It means made
perfectly whole, saved completely. How are we saved? Saved by His
grace. Paul writing in 2 Thessalonians.
Turn there with me and I'll close. 2 Thessalonians 2. Look at verse 16. Now our Lord Jesus Christ himself,
verse 16, our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God, even our Father,
which hath loved us and hath given us everlasting consolation
and good hope. Where? Through grace. Comfort your hearts and establish
you in every good word and work. an everlasting consolation, a
good hope through His grace, by His grace. Well, let me just
read this in closing, Acts 15, 11. But we believe, we believe
that through the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, we shall be
saved even as they. All right. How does it come?
Leave us in the closing?