Turning to Acts chapter 4, Acts
chapter 4. As I studied this and read over
this, I just tried to put myself in this story. I tried to write
myself into this story. put myself in the place as Peter
and John were, in the midst of these most religious people who
were most grieved in heart. Acts chapter 4, beginning at
verse 1. Acts 4. And as they spake unto
the people, they were faithfully declaring the gospel. You go
back to chapter 3, beginning at verse 13. He began with preaching
Christ God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of
our fathers, hath glorified His Son, Jesus Christ. In the end
of the sermon, before they were interrupted, it says in the last
part of chapter 3 that God has determined to bless His people
in Christ Jesus, from turning them away from their sin unto
the Savior. As they were faithfully declaring
God's gospel, as they spake unto the people, the priests and the
captain of the temple and the Sadducees, they came, I think,
viciously upon them, violently upon them. They were grieved,
not happy. They weren't glad. They weren't
happy campers. They were angry. They were upset
that they taught the people, that they They preached in the
name of Jesus Christ. They were pointing sinners to
this exalted, glorified Lord Jesus Christ. They were preaching
resurrection and completion and all sinners justified in the
Lord Jesus Christ. Christ the victorious one, seated
at the right hand of God. And they came on them. They laid
hands on them. Now, you kind of get this picture.
They just didn't politely tap him on the shoulder and Peter
said, I ought not say that, Peter. They laid hands on them. I mean, they viciously took them
and they tied them up and tried to silence them and to stop them. would have been easier to blot
out the S-U-N, the sun, than to try to stop God's purpose,
the purpose of God, to exalt the S-O-N, the Lord Jesus Christ,
to save His people from their sins. Several things I see in
this story. What a testimony to man's total
depravity, is it not? Hear God's faithful servants
preaching God's gospel and hear these most religious men stop
or try to stop the purpose of God, the preaching of God. These
most religious men were grieved over the truth. They said they
believed Moses. They said Abraham was our father.
Yet they got upset when Peter and John plainly told them that
salvation is in the Lord. Jesus Christ alone. They were
grieved over God's mercy to this beggar. You'd think they would
have rejoiced over this. Now, you may try to stop God's
messenger, and that's what they tried to do, but you cannot stop
the message of the gospel. Now, you may silence a messenger,
But you cannot stop the purpose of God and the message of God.
We read in verse 4, many heard the word. Is that necessary to
faith in Christ? Absolutely. Is that necessary
to your salvation? Absolutely. They heard God's
servant preach God's gospel. They heard the word. And what's
that next word? They believed. They believed. You see, you can't stop the purpose
of God. He said, I'll send forth My Word,
I'll prosper My Word, and it will not return unto Me void.
Five thousand men, not counting the young people, not counting
the dear women, believed God concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. God granted them faith. gave
them faith to look to Christ and to trust Him and to fall
in love with the Lord Jesus Christ. My friend, if you're sitting
here today loving and believing and trusting the Lord Jesus Christ,
it is a miracle. As it said here, a notable miracle
has been done. You see, we believe the gospel
only according to the working of God's mighty power. This promise of God, turn back
to Acts chapter 2, this promise of God, you remember verse 39,
Acts 2, 39, this promise of God is unto you and to your children,
to all that are far off, even as many as the Lord our God shall
call. We believe the gospel because
God has called us and saved us by His grace. As many as were
ordained to eternal life believe the gospel. We believe according
to the working of God's mighty power. My friend, it's a miracle.
Faith is the gift of God, and we know that faith comes by hearing
that message of Christ. That's why we insist upon teaching
the word and preaching the word, service after service after service.
Must have the word of his own will, beget he us with the word
of truth. Being born again, not of a corruptible
seed, but of an incorruptible seed by the word of God. They heard the truth and God
granted faith. God enabled them and God gave
them life and caused them to believe the truth and love the
truth. Now, you know, when the gospel
of the Lord Jesus Christ is preached to a mixed crowd, I think you
see these two responses here. You see the response of that
crowd who are unbelieving and rebellion is in their heart.
These folks, some of these folks got grieved. They were grieved. The other camp, they were made
glad. They were made glad. They believed
God. They believed the gospel of God
concerning the Lord Jesus Christ. Some were grieved. Some were
made glad. Some were mad. Mad. So much so they laid hold on
these. I've never had that happen to
me. Have you, Brother Henry? Someone grab you and stop you
and try to restrain you from preaching the gospel? I've never
experienced that. I don't know what I'd do if that happened. Some were made mad. Some were
made new creatures in Christ Jesus. Some rebelled in their
heart against the purpose of God. You remember Saul of Tarsus?
Our Lord said to him, how hard is it to kick against the purpose
of God? Yet he tried. Some rebelled,
yet some rejoiced in the Lord Jesus Christ. We are the true
Israel which worship God in the Spirit, rejoice in Christ Jesus,
and have no confidence in the flesh. Now, I ask you, my friend,
who made the difference on that day? If you say the difference
was in the person, you've missed the gospel. It's God who made
us to differ. Those who were grieved and mad
and angry are those who God in His sovereign justice left to
their own wicked heart. Those that rejoiced and were
made new creatures in Christ are those who God in His sovereign
purpose stuck His hand of omnipotence in their heart and made them
new creatures. That's the sovereign purpose
of God Almighty. It's not of Him that with us
nor of Him that run us. It's God. It's God, my friend,
that shows mercy. That's the truth. It's the truth
that I'm determined to declare unto you that salvation is all
of God's saving grace. Well, the next day, down at verse
5, the next day, You remember in verse 3, the last part said
it was now evening. It was the evening time. And
the next day, verse 5, it came to pass on the morrow. The next
morning, it's sunrise. It's sunrise. Now, I thought
about this, as I mentioned earlier, about what did those folks do
that night? I know there was 5,000 people
and more, counting the women and children who were rejoicing
in God's mercy. You think about that. Oh, the
love and joy that flooded their heart and soul seeing that salvation
is not in those sacrifices. Salvation is not in that temple,
that legal sacrifice, but in the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus
Christ. They were rejoicing that night.
How about that cripple? Forty years had never taken one
step And yet we find this man leaping and walking and praising
and entering into the temple, giving God all the glory. I believe
he was walking the floor all night. Thank you, Lord. Thank
you, Lord. I've got legs. Thank you, Lord.
And then here's another crowd. these Annas and Caiaphas and
John and Alexander and all the high priests. They brought all
their kinfolk. They called their kinfolk, all the kindred of the
high priests, their kinfolk. They said, you better come and
watch what we're going to do to these guys. We're going to
put them out of business. We're going to put them out of
business. We're going to put God out of business. That's what
they thought. They called their kinfolk. They
would have had cell phones that night. They would have been on
the cell phone all night. They send out messengers and
writers to all their kinfolk and said, you better come here
the next day and watch what we're going to do. They were conspiring among themselves,
thinking, how are we going to handle this? They were malicious
in their heart. They had nothing but awful thoughts
in their heart, these awful men with this awful counsel with
an awful purpose. And here I see two other men,
two other men, Peter and John. Here they've been tied up, probably
gagged, put in prison. What do you reckon they're doing
that night? What do you reckon they did all night? Well, John, You don't think I'm just going
to go fishing. Peter, I think I'll go with you."
I tell you, that's not what they were thinking. Now, one time
they thought that. But I tell you, these are different men
now. These men are filled with Christ and God, the Holy Spirit. I believe they were doing the
same thing that Paul and Silas were doing that day down in Philippi
when they were in jail all night. Singing and rejoicing, glory
to God in the highest, peace on earth. Oh, we have peace with
God through the Lord Jesus Christ. Don't you think they were doing
that? I know they were rejoicing in their heart that they were
counted worthy to suffer shame for the Lord Jesus. Look over to chapter 5, verse
41. Chapter 5, when they were beaten later on, Acts 5, verse
41, they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that
they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. And daily
in the temple, in every house, they ceased not to teach and
preach Jesus Christ. They were rejoicing that they
were counted worthy to suffer in His name for His cause, for
the cause of God and truth. The next thing and what I want
to camp on and tell you about mostly is this. Verse 7 says,
when the next day came along and they set Peter and John and
this crippled man, we don't know his name, but I know he had a
new name, being made a new creature in Christ Jesus. They didn't
ask this question here for information. They asked this question whereby
they may condemn them to death. And when they set them in the
midst, I can just imagine Peter and John and this cripple surrounded
by this council, this Sanhedrin of the Jews, surrounded by the
enemies. They ask, what power, what name
have you done this, this? It's almost like they'd say you
did an evil thing in the name of Jesus Christ. Now, they didn't
ask this question for their help, or you think they really wanted
to know, how did you do this? They didn't want to know. They
didn't want to hear what these men had to say, other than that
they might have somewhat to beat them and accuse them. So here's
Peter's answer. I like this. Here's his confession. Boldness. Notice verse 13, when
they saw the boldness of Peter and John. Peter and John confessing
Christ. You see, those who believe the
gospel of God's grace are not ashamed to declare it to all
men. To their families, their friends,
people at work. They're not ashamed of the gospel
of Christ. Our Lord said, if you're ashamed of me in that
day, I'll be ashamed of you. We own Him. Boldly declare Him
as our all and in all. Now notice this, Peter filled.
He could have been filled with rage. He could have been filled
with anger. He could have been filled with,
I'll get even with you. He was filled with the love of
God. He was filled with the Spirit of God. And he said unto them,
I think he said it boldly and plainly, not many days ago he
denied the Lord, but this is a different Peter. This is a
man made new in Christ, filled with the Spirit of Christ. His
heart set on things above, his affection set on Christ, looking
to Christ. He said to them in a most respectful
manner, you are the ruler. He acknowledged they were the
rulers. They were the Sanhedrin. They
were the most religious. He identifies them for what they
are, religious but lost. If we're examined this day of
this good deed, now who can do good? I can. You can. God is good. If we're examined
of this God deed, let's read it that way. This is God's doing. Remember what David said? This
is the Lord's doing. What is that Psalm? This is the
Lord's doing, and it's marvelous in our eyes. If we be examined
of what God has done to this helpless, infinite man, by what
means God made him whole, let it be known to all people. Let
it be known to every one of you in all this world, for us, for
them, in all the world, to all people of Israel, that by the
name of Jesus Christ, the name of Jesus Christ, His name declares
who He is. His name declares what He did.
He is what He's called. Call His name Jesus. He shall
save His people from their sin. His name declares His office. His name declares His person.
His name declares His power. God has highly exalted Him. God
has given Him a name above every name that has that name. Every
knee is going to bow. Every tongue is going to confess
that He is Lord to the glory of God the Father. I willingly,
lovingly bow to Christ, own Him, love Him by His grace. Be it known to all people that
by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, this one from Nazareth,
can anything good come out of Nazareth? This one, this one
who was called the despised Nazarene, by that name, by that person. And this is the very one whom,
boy, this took the grace of God and the power of God. He stuck
his finger in their face and said, you're a murderer. You've
killed the Prince of Light. As it says in chapter 3, verse
15, you've killed the Prince of Light whom God raised from
the dead, whereof we are witnesses of these things. They were eyewitnesses
to these things, the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. He
accused them of their guilt before God. This is the one whom God
raised from the dead. Now, how important is the resurrection
of Jesus Christ? He was delivered from our offenses
and raised again to justify us by His blood, by His grace. God has declared to all men everywhere
that this is the Christ, that He is salvation, and that God
raised Him from the dead. When He by Himself purged our
sin, He sat down at the right hand of God. Now watch this,
look at verse 10 again, it's by him, this one whom you conspired
to kill, this one whom you denied and hated, as it says over here,
notice in chapter 3 verse 13, the God of Abraham, the God of
Isaac, the God of Jacob, Acts 3 verse 13, The God of our fathers
hath glorified his servant, the Savior, the Son, whom you delivered
up and denied in the presence of Pilate when he was determined
to let him go. You denied the Holy One and the
Just One. That declares His deity. And
you desired a murderer to be granted unto you. Remember what
they said? Away with Jesus. Crucify Him. Give us Barabbas.
That's our choice. You want your choice? There it
is. There it is. I don't want God to lead me to
my choice, because my choice, men love darkness rather than
light. You denied and you desired a
murderer to be granted unto you. By him, now look back at the
text, by him, by this one whom you denied, The one whom you
delivered up to the Romans to be crucified. You remember it
says over here in chapter 4, this is from Psalm 2. The kings
of the earth, verse 26, Acts 4, 26. The kings of the earth
stood up and the rulers were gathered together against the
Lord and against his Christ. for the truth against thy holy
child Jesus, whom thou hast anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate."
You know, they were enemies, but they conspired together to
kill the Lord Jesus with the Gentiles, the Romans, and the
people of Israel were gathered together for to do whatsoever
God's counsel determined for it to be done. Now back to chapter
4, verse 10, it's, By this One, Son of God, God's King, God's
Anointed, God's Messiah, this One crucified, risen, victorious,
it's by Him. It's by Him that we believe.
It's by Him that we live and move and have our being. It's
by Him that this man, I believe they pointed right to this man,
this cripple, it's by Him. By the Lord Jesus Christ, this
victorious, risen Christ, it is by Him that this man is made
whole. He stands before you, it says
in chapter 3, verse 16, with perfect soundness in the presence
of you all. That's good language, isn't it?
You all. My friend, you see the picture
here? This is salvation. We're that
impotent cripple. We're that beggar on the dunghill
of works and religion without Christ? We're the cripple that's
born sinful and it's only by Him. Christ has made the difference. I'd still be out in the Rocky
Mountains embracing idols. Had God not moved by His purpose
and grace. How does somebody from northern
Utah get all the way here and meet a woman in Columbus, Ohio
that's from and born in Ashland, Kentucky? How do I get all the
way from Utah and meet her from Ashland, Kentucky, marry her,
move to Ashland? Somebody named Henry Mahan. lived
in Ashland, Kentucky, and God was bringing me all that way
to hear that man declare the gospel to this sinner. And it's
by the Lord Jesus Christ that I stand here before you right
now, whole, complete in Christ. That's the story of every one
of God's people. You look all through your life,
everything that happened in your life, is happening to bring you
to this one end. If you're one of His sheep, the
shepherd is on the trail of the sheep. He'll cross your path.
He'll break you. He'll own you. He'll strip you.
There's got to be a stripping before there's a clothing. There's
got to be a wounding before there's a healing. There's got to be
a killing before there's a life given. That's what God's teaching
us here. It's by this man By the Lord
Jesus Christ, it's by Him that we stand complete in Christ. Is it not? This is my story. This is my salvation. I can identify
with this. Now watch verse 11. Verse 11,
he says this. This is the stone. Now what's he saying here? This
is God's foundation. It goes back to what he said
in Isaiah 28, 16. The Lord hath laid in Zion his
church, the foundation, a tridestone, a precious cornerstone. He that
believeth on him shall never be forced out, never be confounded,
never ashamed. This is that stone. This is that
Savior. This is that promised Messiah
that Abraham rejoiced in, that Moses wrote about, that all the
prophets give witness to Him. This is that man, that stone,
that Savior. Now watch this, which was said
it not. Not. Do you know what these folks
had? They had not religion. They had
not religion. Said it not of you builders.
They thought they were building the kingdom of God. He said,
you are not what you are. You took this one and set him
at naught. You ignored him. You hated him.
You denied him. You crucified him. This stone,
God's Savior, was set at naught of you builders. But watch this. He that sitteth in the heavens
shall laugh. This one has been made the head of the corner. He's the head. In all things,
the Lord Jesus Christ must have the preeminence. You remember
what He said back in chapter 2, verse 36? Turn over there,
Acts 2, verse 36. Therefore, let all the house
of Israel know maturely that God hath made that same Jesus
whom you crucified, God hath made Him Lord and Christ. He is the head. He is King of
Kings and He is Lord of Lords. And this is the one to whom you
and I have to do. Now what He's doing here, He's
meeting them at their very point of rebellion. Isn't He? He's meeting them at their point
of rebellion against God. God said, this is my stone, this
is my foundation, this is my salvation. And you've said it
is not. I made him your Lord, now bow
to him." You see, he contended with them at the very point of
rebellion. And my friend, God will bring
each of us to that point. Are you in rebellion against
the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ? If you are, He'll contend
with you over that issue. And if you're His, He'll break
you. If you're one of His sheep, He'll break you. And He'll give
you life. He's neither of a broken heart,
save as such as be of a contrite spirit. You go on in your rebellion,
it's just evident you're not one of His. His sheep hear His
voice. They hear His voice. He says,
I know them and they follow Me. And I give unto them eternal
life and they never shall perish. Now, here's the bottom line.
Neither. Neither. Is there salvation in
any other? There's just one Savior. There's just one Church. Christ. Christ. The Church is His body.
His body. We're members of His body. Baptized
into the one body by the Spirit of God. And there, my friend,
I'm telling you with my dying breath, If I had just this one
time to tell you this one truth, there is salvation in no one
else. I am the way, I am truth, I am
life. No man comes to the Father but
by and through this Lord Jesus Christ. Salvation in no other. Friend, don't look for any other.
I plead, I proclaim the truth of God, there is salvation in
no other. No other. No other name under heaven given
among man. No other name. No other Savior.
No other salvation. Whereby we must be saved. Salvation
in no other but the Lord Jesus Christ. He said, I am God. Beside
me there is no other. I am the just God and Savior.
There is no other sacrifice for sin but Jesus Christ and Him
crucified. Don't look for another. There
is no other mediator and advocate to make intercession for this
guilty sinner but the Lord Jesus Christ alone. One God, one mediator
between God and men, the man, Christ Jesus. He's able to save
to the uttermost all that come to God by Him. There's no other
position of value for disease, depraved, and sin-sick souls
that I might apply unto but the Lord Jesus Christ. He said, I
didn't come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance. There
is no other position. There is no other Savior. There
is no other Mediator. There is no other Advocate. There
is no other Sacrifice. There is no other refuge whereby
we can flee. flee from the wrath of God to
come and be safe, He is our refuge. He is the city of refuge, the
Lord Jesus Christ. There is no other righteousness
that would justify the ungodly before God but the Lord Jesus
Christ, who is the Lord, our righteousness. He is my righteousness
before God. Therefore, my friend, to whom
can we go? Where can we go? Remember, our
Lord said to those disciples, when He said, It is the Spirit
that quickeneth the flesh, the prophet of nothing, the Word
that speaketh unto you. They are their spirit and their
life. No man can come unto Me except the Father which sent
Me to draw him. And many of those who were following Him turned
and walked away. And He said to His twelve, Will
you also go away? Remember what Peter said? Shall
we go? We believe and we are sure you
are that Christ. That Christ, the Son of the living
God. To whom can we go but unto Him?
Remember this, if you don't find rest, forgiveness, remission,
salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ alone, You'll never find it anywhere
else but in Christ. There remaineth no more sacrifice
for sin in Christ, in the Lord Jesus Christ. It's all salvation.