Okay, back to our study in the
book of Acts. I find this the best way to preach
the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, is book by book, verse
by verse, to see what the Lord would have us to know. In Acts
chapter 5, let's begin at verse 28. I'm taking the title for
the message from verse 28. I always like to try to include
in the title some words found in the text that we have today. Verse 28 of Acts chapter 5, did
not we straightly command you that you should not teach in
his name? They said, don't teach or preach,
don't mention his name anymore. And behold, you have filled Jerusalem
with your doctrine. Now the doctrine they preached
was Christ, the doctrine of Christ. And you intend by doing so to
bring this man's death, his blood, at our doorstep upon us. The title of the message then,
you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine. The word doctrine
means instruction. It means teaching. It means teaching. Over in verse 42, the last verse
in chapter 5, daily in the temple and every house they cease not
to teach and preach the Lord Jesus Christ. That is who he
is and what he did. how the Lord Jesus Christ has
accomplished salvation for us. Now, even though these apostles
had been commanded not to teach or preach in his name, if you
look back at verse 18 in chapter four, turn back to chapter four,
verse 18, they called them and commanded them not to speak nor
teach, in the name of Jesus, 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 make that call, judge
you. For we cannot but speak the thing
which we have seen and heard. heard. So when they further had
threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they
might punish them. Because of the people, for all
men, that is those who were given faith to believe, glorified God
for that which was done. Many people heard the gospel
and believed. They did, the apostles, what
God commanded them to do through that special messenger, the angel
of the Lord, was sent to their prison cell, in verse 20 of Acts
5, and the messenger from heaven, from God's throne, with God's
instructions said, go and you stand and you speak to all the
people the words of the gospel, this life. They did what God
commanded them to do, Rather than to obey men, they said,
we're going to preach the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Oh,
that God might enable us to fill this town. Jerusalem must have
been a big city. I remember they didn't have the
modern communication technology that we have in this day. Oh,
that God might enable us to fill this town, this community, with
the doctrine of the gospel of God concerning the Lord Jesus
Christ. We've tried for these 25 years
to preach the gospel to this community. I would have you notice
in verse 28, this word doctrine that's used, notice it doesn't
say doctrines, doctrines. The gospel is one single doctrine. It's all about Christ, the Lord
Jesus Christ. It's called the doctrine of Christ,
we read earlier. Everywhere we read in the scripture,
the word doctrine in regard to the gospel, it's always in a
singular form. Let me show you that, turn back
to Acts chapter two, verse 42, Acts 2, 42, and they continue
steadfastly in the apostle doctrine. and fellowship, and breaking
of bread, and in prayers. One other reference, if you'll
turn with me to Acts 13. Acts 13, verse 12. Acts 13, verse 12. Then the deputy,
when he saw what was done, he believed, being astonished at
the doctrine of the Lord. The doctrine of the Lord. And
then we read a moment ago in 2 John, about the doctrine of
Christ. And here's that verse, whosoever
transgresseth and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath
not God, he that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both
the Father and the Son. must be pretty, pretty important
to hear this doctrine, to believe this doctrine, and to rest in
Christ who is salvation. Now, furthermore, whenever we
read in scripture the word doctrines, plural, it's always in reference
to the doctrines of devils or the doctrines of men. Now, don't
you find that interesting? I do. Listen to these two scriptures,
Matthew 15, 19. But in vain they do worship me,
teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. And then Paul writes
in 1 Timothy 4, now the Spirit speaketh expressly that in later
time some shall depart from the faith giving heed to seducing
spirit and doctrines of devils. The gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ is a straightforward, simple, single message. The Lord Jesus Christ is everything
in salvation. Christ is all and in all. so peter said verse 28 and verse
29 verse 29 peter said then said peter and the other apostles
they answered and said we ought to obey god rather than men they
were told never to preach or teach in his name So what did
they do? They did what God said for them
to do. They went out and preached the gospel. When the commands
of men run contrary to the word of God and stand in opposition
to the word and will of God, men are to be ignored and the
word of God is to be declared openly, plainly, boldly. Our Lord said to those disciples
after his resurrection, you remember, go into all the world and preach
the gospel to every creature. In Romans 1, Paul said, for as
much as in me is, I'm ready to preach the gospel to you who
are at Rome. For the gospel of Christ, the
doctrine of Christ, is the power of God and the salvation to everyone
that believes it. And in that gospel of Christ,
the doctrine of Christ, is the very righteousness of God revealed
from faith to faith. The apostle Paul, when he sits
in a Roman dungeon waiting to be executed for the gospel, for
the doctrine of Christ, writes back to young Timothy and says,
I charge you before God to preach the word, be in season, out of
season, reprove, rebuke with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when men
will not hear the truth. Well, we certainly live in that
day. Now again, I repeat what I said
earlier. May God help us and enable us
to preach the gospel of God concerning the Lord Jesus Christ near and
far, wherever God opened the door. We have so many excellent
tools on our hand in these days, do we not? And you think about
these men in those ancient days. Word of mouth was about all they
had. They were witnesses to the gospel,
and we need to make use of that. as well as the other things we
have. We have in this day the internet, the radio, printed
materials, CDs we put out, cassette tapes we did for years. Last
month, out of this ministry here, 12,000 sermons went out all over
the world through this ministry, through sermon audio on the internet. 12,000 sermons, just last month. Last month, in the last 14 years,
it's been 2.8 million sermon have gone out from this pulpit,
from this ministry. Last month, 60 foreign countries. 50 states, we have on Sermon
Audio over 5,000 sermons, just from this place. 5,000 sermons,
counting Brother Mahan's and mine. So people often would accuse
those who believe the gospel of God's sovereign grace that
we're not evangelistic. We don't believe in spreading
the gospel and preaching the gospel, nothing further from
the truth. We support missionaries, we send out the gospel all over
this world. God has commanded us to go preach
the gospel. Now, notice verse 30. And here's what Peter does when
he is challenged about the doctrine of Christ. And here's what he
says, Peter answered and the other apostles answered and said,
we're gonna obey God because, verse 30, the God of our fathers
raised up Jesus, whom you slew and hanged on a tree. Him, verse
31, had God exalted with his right hand to be prince and the
savior for to give repentance to Israel, and the forgiveness
of sin. Now there's a whole lot in those
two verses, especially verse 31. Peter declares the doctrine
of the gospel of Christ Jesus. And Peter begins where everything
begins. Look at verse 30, the God. GOD. IN THE BEGINNING, GOD CREATED
THE HEAVENS AND THE EARTH. EVERYTHING BEGINS WITH GOD. I LIKE WHAT JOHN GILL SAID YEARS
AGO, THE FIRST CAUSE AND LAST END OF ALL THINGS IS GOD. PETER
BEGINS WHERE ALL THINGS BEGIN. THE GOD OF OUR FATHERS RAISED
UP THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, SENT HIM THE SON OF GOD, GOD THE SON,
AND YOU Killed him. You put him on a tree. You killed
him. Peter begins where all things
begin for all things are of God. God is over all things and all
things are of him. He works all things after the
counsel of his eternal will and purpose. The God of Abraham is
the God of our salvation. This is a method and pattern
that Peter has, if you look back at chapter three, he begins when
he makes defense for the gospel, and that's chapter three, verse
13, the God of Abraham, and of Isaac, and of Jacob, the God
of our fathers, hath glorified his son, Jesus, whom you delivered
up, whom you denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined
to let him go, but you denied the Holy One and the just, AND
YOU DESIRE THE MURDERER TO BE GRANTED UNTO YOU. REMEMBER THEY
SAID GIVE US BARABBAS. AND YOU KILLED THE PRINCE OF
LIFE. HE IS THE PRINCE AND SAVIOR. You killed him whom God raised
from the dead, whereof were all witnesses. And his name, through
faith in his name, hath made this man strong, that is, that
cripple, whom you see and know. Yea, the faith which is by him
hath given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all."
So Peter always begins where all things start, and that's
with God. And we know that salvation is
of the Lord. The God of Abraham is a God of
salvation. Hold your place there and let's
find the book of Galatians. Turn to Galatians chapter three. Galatians chapter three. The God of Abraham is the God
of salvation. Galatians chapter three, verse
six. Galatians three, verse six. You
got it? Galatians three, verse six. Even as Abraham believed
God, and it was counted to him for righteousness. Now know ye
therefore that they which are of faith the same are the children
of Abraham. And the scripture foreseeing
that God would justify the heathen through faith preached before
the gospel unto Abraham saying in these shall all nations be
blessed. that is then that special son, Isaac. So then they which
be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. For as many
as are of the works of the law are under his curse. For it is
written, cursed is everyone that continues not all things which
are written in the book of the law to do them, but that no man
is justified by the law, and the sight of God is evident,
that just shall live by faith. The law is not of faith, but
the man that doeth them shall live in them, Christ hath redeemed
us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us, for
his written curse is every one that hangeth on the tree. Verse
14, that the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentile through
Jesus Christ, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through
faith, not works, not law, not ceremony, not tradition, but
through faith, God-given faith. The God of Abraham is the God
of salvation. See right here in the book of
Galatians a minute. The God of Abraham is a God and father of
our Lord Jesus Christ. Now, she stayed in the book of
Galatians for a minute. Let me read this to you in Ephesians
chapter 1. The God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, the God of Abraham. Listen to this. Blessed be the
God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who had blessed us with
all spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ, This is Ephesians
1 verse 4 according as he had chosen us in him before the foundation
of the world that we should be holy without blame for him in
love having predestinated us under the adoption of children
by Jesus Christ to himself. according to the good pleasure
of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein
he hath made us accepted in the beloved, in whom we have redemption
through his blood, the forgiveness of sin, according to the riches
of his grace, the God of Abraham, is a God and father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, and he is a God and father of all spiritual blessing. We bless God who had blessed
us with all spiritual blessing. Almighty God sent him, notice
back to the text, the God of our fathers raised up Jesus whom
you slew and hanged on a tree. God sent the Lord Jesus Christ
to accomplish our salvation. Let me just read this to you
back in the book of Galatians. You can turn there if you want
to, but if not, just sit and listen. Galatians chapter four,
when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his
son made of a woman. God raised up the Lord Jesus
Christ made of a woman. born of a virgin, conceived of
the Holy Spirit, made under the law to redeem them that were
under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.
And because you are a son, God has sent forth the spirit of
his son into our heart, crying, Abba, Father, wherefore thou
art no more a servant, but a son, and of a son, an heir of God
through Christ. The Lord Jesus Christ was no
unsent man. He was created in the womb of
that virgin, sent from heaven to inhabit that body. God Almighty
manifest in the flesh. In the fullness of time, God
sent forth his son. The God of our fathers, verse
30, Acts 5, raised up the Lord Jesus Christ and sent him sent
him to be our Savior. Almighty God sent him to be our
righteous and just Savior. He came to save sinners. He raised
up who? Jesus. What does his name mean?
Savior. Call his name Jesus. He shall
save his people from their sin. This is a faithful saying, worthy
of all acceptation, that the Lord Jesus Christ came to save
sinners. Almighty God raised him up and
sent him to be the sacrifice for sin. It says here that Peter
said, you slew him and hanged him on a tree. But remember what
we read back in Acts chapter two and Acts chapter four, turn
back to Acts chapter two, verse 23. Acts 2, 23, Him being delivered
by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, you have
taken Him by wicked hands and crucified and slain. He was God's
sent Savior. Now in Acts chapter 4, you remember
this verse, verse 26 of Acts chapter 4, that 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.
to do whatsoever thy hand and thy counsel determined before
to be done." They did put him on a tree. They did kill the
Prince of Life. They did slay him. He did shed
his blood, but they did all this According to the determinate
counsel of God, the Lord Jesus Christ's death was not an accident. He died on purpose. He came to be the atonement for
our sin, whom you slew and hanged on a tree, but never forget this,
it pleased God to bruise him in our room and in our stead.
It was not what wicked men did that day that's our hope, is
it? They did their worst. God did his best. It pleased
God to bruise them in our room and in our stead. The Lord appeared
once in the end of the age to put away sin by the sacrifice
of himself and to obtain eternal redemption for us. The God of
our fathers raised up Jesus whom you killed and hanged on a tree,
look at this, him has God exalted with his right hand to be prince
and savior. God raised up his dead body from
the grave because the justice of God was satisfied because
the Lord Jesus Christ justified us. You remember Roman chapter
four, he was delivered for our offenses, raised again because
he justified us by his grace the law of God has no claim on
him or us there is therefore now in Christ no condemnation
for those who are in the Lord Jesus Christ God raised him up
and God raised us up in him verse 31 him have God exalted exalted
how high is he exalted as high as you can go when he by himself
purged our sin he sat down on the right hand of god him have
god exalted with his right hand to be prince and savior for to
give repentance to israel for the forgiveness of sin now verse
31 is a tremendous, tremendous verse. God hath highly exalted
him. He is the God-man mediator who
sits right now as our advocate, as our intercessor, who sits
right now on the throne of God, at the right hand of God, there
to intercede for us right now. Wherefore, he's able to save
to the uttermost all that come to God by him, seeing that he
ever lived to make intercession for us. John says, my little
children, these things I write unto you that you sin not, but
when you do, we have an advocate with the Father. Jesus Christ
the righteous. There is one God and one mediator
between God and men that is a God-man, the Lord Jesus Christ, seated
at the right hand of God, exalted. When we read through the book
of Hebrews, many times in the book of Hebrews I've quoted that
FIRST CHAPTER THERE, WHEN HE BY HIMSELF HEARD OUR SIN, HE
SAT DOWN ON THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD. WHY DID HE SIT DOWN? HIS
WORK WAS ACCOMPLISHED. WHY DID HE SIT DOWN AT THE RIGHT
HAND OF GOD? GOD ALMIGHTY WAS SATISFIED WITH
THE SACRIFICE OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. NOW THINK OF THIS. Our
great high priest, who made sufficient atonement for all our sin, having
satisfied God's law and justice, was raised from the dead because
he justified us, seated at the right hand of God, but you know,
he is a representative man. When he died, we died. When he
was buried, we were buried. When he was exalted, we were
exalted in him. When he sat down, We sat down
in Him. You know that's so. Hold your
place there, I can make good on that. Hold your place there,
turn to Ephesians chapter two. Preacher, are you sure? I'm already
in glory. I'm already seated in the heavenlies.
Not in my person, but in my substitute, in one who represents me, the
Lord Jesus Christ. Ephesians chapter two, verse
four. But God, who is rich in mercy, Ephesians 2 for his great
love wherewith he loved us even we were dead in sin hath quickened
us together with Christ by grace are he saved and has raised us
up together and made us sit together in the heavenlies in Christ that
in the ages to come he might show the exceeding riches of
his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ for by grace
are you saved and that not of yourselves it is a gift of god
the lord jesus christ is exalted high above god given him a name
which is above every name god has highly exalted him he's seated
victoriously at the throne of god and we're seated in him but
watch this verse 31 he is a prince and savior He's a prince, he's a savior,
and he gives repentance to somebody, to his Israel, his elect. And
he gives to somebody the forgiveness of sin. Now let's look at these
things here. The Lord Jesus Christ is a prince. That means that he is Lord of
heaven and earth. That means he's the king of kings
and Lord of lords. Remember what Peter said in Acts
2, that same Jesus whom you crucified, God had made him both Lord and
Christ. He is called, we just read it
a moment ago, Peter said, you've killed the prince of life. HE
IS SOVEREIGN IN SALVATION. HE WILL HAVE MERCY UPON WHOM
HE WILL HAVE MERCY, AS MANY AS WERE ORDAINED TO ETERNAL LIFE
BELIEVE. He is called the Prince of Life. Salvation is in Him. And He's
called the King of Peace. He's called the Prince of Peace
as well. You remember Isaiah 9? A child is born, the Son is given. His name shall be called Wonderful,
Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, Prince of
Peace. He's the Prince of Peace. He
made peace for us with his own blood and presents us faultless
before his holy throne. HE MADE PEACE FOR US WITH HIS
OWN BLOOD. LET ME READ THIS TO YOU, COLOSSIANS
CHAPTER 1, FOR IT PLEASED THE FATHER, VERSE 19, THAT IN HIM
SHOULD ALL FULLNESS DWELL, HAVING MADE PEACE THROUGH HIS BLOOD
TO RECONCILE ALL THINGS UNTO HIMSELF, BY HIM I SAY, whether
they be things in earth or things in heaven, and you that were
sometimes alienated, enemies in your mind by wicked work,
yet now hath he reconciled in the body of his flesh through
death to present you holy, you, unblameable, you, me, believers
in him, unreprovable in God's sight. He's able to keep us from
falling and to present us faultless for his glory with exceeding
joy. He's a prince of life. He's a
king of peace. He's a prince of peace. And then
he's called here a savior. You see that? I quoted a moment
ago, Matthew 1 21 called his name, JESUS FOR HE SHALL SAVE HIS PEOPLE
FROM THEIR SIN. HE IS THE SAVIOR WHO SAVES. HE
IS WHAT HE'S CALLED. HE DOESN'T TRY TO SAVE HIS PEOPLE.
NEVER SAY JESUS IS TRYING TO SAVE YOU BUT YOU WON'T LET HIM.
WHAT A TERRIBLE STATEMENT. GOD DOESN'T TRY TO DO ANYTHING.
HE SAVED HIS PEOPLE WITH HIS OWN BLOOD. HE JUSTIFIED THEM. HE IS THE SAVIOR. As such, he
saves his people. He is a good shepherd of his
people who laid down his life for the sheep. He is the only
just God and Savior. You remember Acts chapter 4 verse
12. You remember? Neither is there salvation in
any other, for there's no other name under heaven given among
men whereby we must be saved. He is the only Savior of sinners. He is the Savior of his covenant
people. None for whom he died can perish. He said, my sheep hear my voice,
I know them, I love them, and I give them eternal life, and
they'll never perish. Now watch this. So Peter says,
God sent him, you killed him, you accomplished
God's purpose, God raised him up, exalted him at his right
hand to be prince and savior. Now watch this, verse 31, to
give repentance. Now, what is repentance? It's
a change. It's a change. He grants and
gives repentance only for those for whom he died. Notice, for
to give repentance to Israel, if you'll hold your place there
and find chapter 11, Acts chapter 11, verse 18, WHEN THEY HEARD THESE THINGS,
THEY HELD THEIR PEACE AND GLORIFIED GOD. THAT IS, WHEN THE JEWS HEARD
ABOUT THE GENTILES BEING SAVED, CORNELIUS IN HIS HOUSE, HOW PETER
WENT DOWN THERE AND PREACHED THE GOSPEL, THEN HAD GOD ALSO
TO THE GENTILE GRANTED REPENTANCE UNTO SALVATION. THROUGH REPENTANCE... NOW LISTEN
TO ME CAREFULLY. A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK, IF I REPENT
HARD ENOUGH AND LONG ENOUGH, THAT'LL PUT AWAY MY SIN. Repentance never puts away sin. True repentance that's granted
of God, that's given of God, true godly repentance is a state
of being that always acknowledges in the heart of a sinner how
sin was put away. TRUE REPENTANCE, A GODLY SORROW
UNTO SALVATION, FREELY, READILY, OPENLY ACKNOWLEDGES THAT THE
LORD JESUS CHRIST PUT AWAY OUR SIN BY THE SACRIFICE OF HIMSELF,
THAT HE OBTAINED ETERNAL REDEMPTION FOR US WITH HIS OWN BLOOD. Now I've got this question written
down, I'm gonna read it to you. How do I know that I've been
given true repentance that does not need to be repented of? How do I know I have true repentance? By believing, loving the true
doctrine of the gospel, faith and repentance are both gifts
from God, both acknowledge and love salvation that's of the
Lord. The faith of God's elect, You
see, faith, a lot of people think my faith put away my sin. I beg
your pardon. Your faith didn't die for your
sin. TRUE GOD-GIVEN FAITH ACKNOWLEDGES
THAT CHRIST PUT AWAY SIN. THE FAITH OF GOD'S ELECT ACKNOWLEDGES
THE TRUTH. SAME WAY WITH REPENTANCE. REPENTANCE
THAT'S GIVEN OF GOD, I CAN SHOW YOU THAT IN THE SCRIPTURE. IN
FIRST TIMOTHY, CHAPTER 6, TRUE REPENTANCE ACKNOWLEDGES THAT
CHRIST PUT AWAY OUR SIN BY THE SACRIFICE OF HIMSELF. Therefore
faith, the gift of God, repentance is a gift of God. Both look to
Christ alone for all salvation and nowhere else, nowhere else. Now, the fourth thing he mentioned
in verse 31, the forgiveness of sin. God grants repentance
which acknowledges how sin is forgiven. The forgiveness of
sins. The one who is Prince, Lord,
and Savior, who is God our Savior, is the only one that can give
repentance, is the only one that can give the forgiveness of sin. Mama can't forgive sins, not
sins against God. Now, she may forgive sins against
Mama, but those sins against God, Mama can't do anything about
it. Daddy can't either. The only
one who has right to pardon and forgive sin is God Almighty. God says, I will pardon those
for whom I reserve. Notice he says, I give repentance
to Israel. That's his elect. That's his
chosen. And he says, I give also the
forgiveness of sin. Jeremiah 50, we read in those
days. And in that time, said the Lord,
the iniquity of Israel shall be sought for, and there shall
be none. The sins of Judah, they shall
not be found, for I will pardon them whom I reserve. We only
had the forgiveness of our sins because the Lord Jesus Christ
put away our sin by the shedding of his blood. Now hold your place
there and turn to Acts chapter 13, the first sermon that's recorded
by the Apostle Paul, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness
of sins according to the riches of his grace in Christ Jesus. We read a moment ago from Ephesians
1 verse 7, but look at Acts chapter 13. Verse 38, Be it known unto you,
therefore, men and brethren, that through this man is preached
unto you the forgiveness of sins. It's through this man, his person,
his work, that we have the forgiveness of sins, and by him all that
believe are justified from all things which you could not be
justified by the law of Moses. By him all that do what? Believe. Believe what? THE DOCTRINE OF
CHRIST, THE GOSPEL OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. NOW BACK TO THE
TEXT. HIM HATH GOD EXALTED, VERSE 31,
WITH HIS RIGHT HAND TO BE PRINCE AND A SAVIOR, OR TO GIVE REPENTANCE
TO ISRAEL, THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS, ACCORDING TO THE RIDGES
OF HIS GRACE, THROUGH THE BLOOD ATONEMENT OF CHRIST WILL BE REDEEMED
WITH HIS PRECIOUS BLOOD. VERSE 32, PETER GOES ON, WE ARE
WITNESSES OF THESE THINGS, And so is also the Holy Ghost, whom
God has given to them that obey him, that believe the gospel.
The apostles and other men who were called to go preach the
gospel, the doctrine of God, the doctrine of Christ concerning
how God put away sin in the Lord Jesus Christ, only do so by the
power of God, the Holy Spirit. And they all preach that in salvation,
the Lord Jesus Christ is everything. GOD'S SERVANTS THAT ARE FILLED
WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT, THAT ARE TAUGHT OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, ALWAYS
POINT CENTER TO JESUS CHRIST AND HIM CRUCIFIED. NOW, IF YOU
HEAR A PREACHER SAY, WELL, YOU'VE GOT TO GO BACK TO THE LAW OR
YOU'VE GOT TO GO TO THE POOL TO PUT AWAY YOUR SIN OR BACK
TO THE LAW TO MAKE ATONEMENT FOR SIN, MARK IT DOWN, HE'S A
FALSE PROPHET. God's servants sent by the Holy
Spirit always point centers to the Lord Jesus Christ. That's
what he said. He said, look, I'm the only just
God and Savior. Now look unto me and be ye saved.
All the ends of the earth, I am God and there is none else. We
are witnesses of these sayings and so is also the Holy Ghost.
The Holy Ghost, when our Lord said, when he, the Spirit of
truth is come, he will do what? HE'LL GLORIFY THE LORD JESUS
CHRIST. THOSE WHO ARE TAUGHT OF GOD AND SAID OF GOD TO PREACH
THE GOSPEL ALWAYS LIFT UP THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, WHOM GOD HAS
GIVEN, GOD HAS GIVEN THIS HOLY SPIRIT TO THEM THAT OBEY HIM. God has freely and sovereignly
given the Holy Spirit to quicken sinners who were dead, to enable
them to believe the gospel. You hath he quickened who were
dead. We believe only according to the working of his mighty
power. Our Lord said, except a man be
born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. WE DON'T BELIEVE
TO BE BORN AGAIN. WE BELIEVE BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN
BEGOTTEN OF GOD. WHOSOEVER BELIEVES THAT JESUS
IS THE CHRIST IS BORN OF GOD. WE ONLY BELIEVE IN THE GOSPEL
BY THE POWER OF GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT. NOW WE ARE WITNESSES
HIS WITNESSES OF THESE THINGS AND SO IS ALSO THE HOLY GHOST.
THERE'S HARMONY THERE WHOM GOD HAS GIVEN TO THEM THAT LOVE HIM
AND THAT OBEY HIM, AND THAT'S THE GIFT OF FAITH THAT GOD GRANTS
UNTO US. NOW, THAT WAS A GREAT SERMON.
PETER PREACHED A GREAT MESSAGE. HOW MANY DECISIONS DID HE GET
THAT DAY? HOW MANY PEOPLE CAME FORWARD
AND MADE A DECISION? I'M GOING TO MAKE JESUS MY LORD
NOW. LOOK WHAT IT SAYS IN THAT NEXT VERSE. AND WHEN THEY HEARD
THAT, THEY WERE CUT TO THE HEART. And they took counsel, we're
going to kill, we're going to kill these men too. We're just
going to kill them. We hate what they preach. We hate the God
they preach. When these most zealous and religious
leaders heard Peter declare the gospel, the doctrine of God,
they became more enraged, not just to put them in jail, but
to murder them. Many, when they heard the gospel,
were given a broken heart and spirit, and God added thousands
of people. But when these men heard the
gospel, left to themselves, they just got angry and mad. Two things
usually happen when the gospel is preached. Some get mad and
some get glad. Some rejoice and some rebel. You see, these folks, they just
didn't get fighting mad. They were so angry and were ready
to commit murder. Why is that? Man by nature is
a brutal beast. I mean, he's just a cruel, wicked,
brutal beast. We see it on the news every day. reading the papyri every day.
Men are totally depraved sinners, hating God and hating one another. The carnal mind is enmity against
God. If God has restrained you to
believe the gospel, what a miracle of grace. You'd be right on the
other end of that. You'd be right with that crowd.
I'm gonna kill you, Peter. I hate what you preach. I hate
the God you preach. I'm gonna murder you. We'd be
right there with them. Two things usually happen when
the gospel is declared, riot and revival, riot and revival. We're gonna see that all the
way through the book of Acts. To some, the gospel is a savor
of life unto life. To others, it's a savor of death
unto death. To some, the gospel is foolishness
and nonsense. To others, the gospel is the
power of God and salvation. Now, who makes you to differ? Why do you love and believe the
gospel? And why does your brother, your
sister, your father, your mother hate what you believe? Grace
has made us to differ, my friend. May God give us grace to hear
the doctrine of God concerning the gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ, how he's the exalted Prince and Savior, who will have
mercy upon whom he will, who will grant repentance unto his
people, who will give us the forgiveness of sin. May God give
us grace to hear the gospel, to believe the doctrine of Christ. And you cannot separate The doctrine
from Christ. You cannot separate it. The doctrine
is only understood in light of who the Lord Jesus Christ is. I'll give a good example of that.
You talk about the Bible doctrine of election. What does that begin
and end with? The Lord Jesus Christ, he is
the elect. We're chosen in him. You see,
everything is filtered through Christ, the doctrine of Christ.