Some call this the Acts of the
Apostles. Others have called this the Acts
of the Holy Spirit. But certainly I'm confident of
this. It is a true record sent from
God through His servants to you right now. Now you think about
this. All that's happened in the past
in your life, It's all working to this one particular moment
right now that you might hear the truth, that you might hear
the gospel. Now, Peter's chief object in
Acts chapter 3, and here we have the second recorded sermon of
Peter, God's apostle, sent to declare the gospel. This man,
this cripple, had been healed. by God's power in the name of
the Lord Jesus Christ. And the people were greatly wondering
how this could happen. They were astounded. They were
amazed. And Peter's chief object in this
sermon was to take their mind, their heart, their attention
off this beggar. They were astounded. His first object was to take
their attention away from that man and to focus it on God and
God's gospel, the Lord Jesus Christ, and to point them to
the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, it is my object today in
this message, and I trust that it is my object and goal in every
message to magnify and to exalt the Lord Jesus Christ and to
point you to Christ, the Lord Jesus himself. David said this,
O magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together. I want to exalt His name, and
praise His name, and preach His name, of which Peter says in
chapter 4, neither is there salvation in any other name. Know the name
under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. So it is my object, as it was
Peter's in this day, to take your mind off any distraction
you may have, your work, your family, your feelings, and to
focus you and point you to the exalted, risen, victorious Lord
Jesus Christ. To point you to the only Savior
of sinners, this one, This one, this Christ, now not another,
this Christ, the Christ of God, this one whom God has sent and
glorified, as it says in verse 13, the God of Abraham, Isaac,
and of Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Son, Jesus
Christ. I'm sent today to magnify and
glorify the Lord Jesus Christ, to point Him out as the only
true Savior of sinners. This one, who's been sin of God
and glorified of God. This one that it says over here
in verse 14, this one who is holy and just. This one who is not a created
angel, who is not another son of God, the one who is God Himself,
the deity of His person. We believe that Jesus Christ
is God. He's holy, it says there. He's
the Holy One. Our Lord said, you've seen me,
you've seen the Father. I am my Father. We are one. One
in essence, in nature, in purpose, in glory. This one is holy and
just. This one who is victorious over
sin and death, as it says in verse 15, you killed the Prince
of Life. They crucified, they nailed Him
to the cross, they put a spear in His side, they made His blood
come out of His body, they whipped Him, hunted Him, hated Him, hounded
Him, and killed Him. But it says there that God raised
him from the dead. You see, he died for our sin
according to the scripture. He was delivered by the determinate
counsel and foreknowledge of God. It is true that wicked men
took and crucified the Lord Jesus Christ, but they only did what
God determined before to be done. You see, He came to put away
the sin of God's people. This is the one that Peter is
describing to these people. The Savior, the only Savior of
sinners, sin of God, holy and just, victorious, delivered for
our offenses and raised again because He justified His people
with His blood. This is the one who I point you
to today, the one who alone is all of salvation. He is the Prince,
the Author of life. of all salvation. This One who
has fulfilled all things. Written of Him in verse 18, it
says that Christ, all the prophets spoke concerning this Christ,
that He should come, that He should suffer, and He has fulfilled
all things. Purpose of God. This One who
is not a defeated, frustrated, peanut God, peanut Savior. This One who is God. who has
fulfilled all things for His people, this One who cannot fail,
this One who cannot fail. Don't feel sorry for the Lord
Jesus Christ. He's not crying out and wringing
His hand, hoping, leaning over the banister of heaven, hoping
somebody would let Him have His way. No, He's the Almighty Victorious
Christ to whom we have to do, to whom we must bow and love
Him and embrace Him. This is the One that's fulfilled
all things. This is the One who is victorious
to whom I point you to that says in the Scripture of Him in Isaiah
42 that He cannot fail to accomplish all God's purpose. Is this the
One you're looking to? You're not looking to that counterfeit,
are you? You're not looking to that weak, defeated, frustrated
reformer that some people refer to as my co-pilot. You're not
looking to him to put away your sin, are you? Don't look there.
There's no salvation there. Salvation is in the one who would
by himself purge our sins, sat down at the right hand of God.
That's the one we look to today, the victorious Christ, the one
who came and saved His people from their sins. You see, my
friend, He made an atonement for our sin. He made complete
satisfaction for the sins of God's elect. He did not die for
all of the sin of all men. That's a lie. I tell you plainly,
that's a lie. It's not according to the Scripture.
He died for the sin of His people. And those for whom He died, He
justified them with His blood. call his name Jesus, he shall
save his people from their sin. This is a good shepherd that
gives his life for the sheep. You see, he didn't make an attempt
at atonement. He made atonement. He appeared
once in the end of the age and put away sin by the sacrifice
of himself. This is the one that it says
here in our text that Peter is preaching here, that this one
that the prophets looked forward to, the one the prophets described
that fulfilled all things, this one in verse 21 that says, whom
heaven must receive. Heaven must receive him. Why
must heaven receive him? Because he is holy. Because when
He had died for our sin, according to the Scripture, and put away
all our sin, when He by Himself purged our sin, He sat down at
the right hand of God. This is the one whom heaven must
receive. You know, that gives this sinner
hope. Because He's my Savior. He's called David. He's called
my forerunner. My forerunner has entered in
within the veil, seated in heaven. And you know what? I'm seated
in Him. I'm already seated in Christ,
my Savior, on the throne, in God's purpose. I'm not there
yet in person, but I'm there in God's purpose, in His decree. Read Ephesians chapter 2 sometime. What's true of the head is true
of the body. I'm His body. My head, the Lord
Jesus, my representative man is in glory, and I'm seated in
Him, in the heavenly in Christ Jesus. This is the one whom heaven
must receive. Is this the one that you're looking
to today? The true Christ of God, whom
heaven must receive until all things are completed, until every
enemy bows at his footstool? You remember back this first
sermon, back in chapter 2, turn back over there. until all things
be fulfilled." He must reign until all things, all the elect
are called. All the elect of God are called
with the true gospel and justified in Christ, granted and given
faith, regenerated and made a new creature in Christ, until every
enemy is bowed at His feet. Look what it says over here in
Acts chapter 2. Verse 34, The Lord said unto
my Lord, Sit thou with my right hand, until I make thine enemies
thy footstool. That's going to happen. That's
going to happen. Therefore let all the house of
Israel know with surety that God hath made this same Jesus,
whom you crucified, he is Lord, and he is the Christ. This is
the one whom we preach. This is the one in whom Peter
is preaching. This is the one in whom I love.
The Lord Jesus Christ. To you who believe and trust
and rest in this holy, just Savior, you know what? To you who believe
and look to this One that's described in this book, good news! Christ died for the ungodly. Good news! My sin! Oh, there
are many! My sins, it says in verse 19,
are blotted out. My repentance doesn't blot out
my sin. My conversion doesn't blot out
my sin. I truly, a truly repentant heart
acknowledges that He put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. You know, this is what the prophet
said. Turn back to Isaiah 43. Isaiah 43. Isaiah 43. Isaiah 43, verse 25. He said, I, even I am he that
blotteth out thy transgressions for my own sake, and will not
remember thy sin. I blotted them out. Look at Isaiah
44. Isaiah 44, verse 21. Remember
these. Remember these, O Jacob, in Israel,
for thou art my servant, I have formed thee. Thou art my servant,
O Israel, thou shalt not be forgotten of me. I have blotted out, I
have blotted out as a thick cloud thy transgression, and as a cloud
thy sins. Return unto me, for I have redeemed
thee. Now read on. Sing, O ye heavens,
for the Lord hath done it. chouchy lower parts of the earth,
break forth into singing, you mountains, O forest, and every
tree therein. For the Lord has redeemed Jacob,
and glorified himself in his room." To you who believe and trust
the Lord Jesus Christ, our sins are blotted out with His blood. There will be, back to Acts chapter
3, there will be times of refreshing. There will be times of preaching
and refreshing from the Lord. As it says in verse 19, when
the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the
Lord. What are these times of refreshing? I tell you what it
is. Verse 20 says, And he shall send Jesus Christ which before
was preached unto you. These times of refreshing are
times of preaching, times of blessing. And we are blessed
by the setting forth of the true Christ of God, the Lord Jesus
Christ. True times of refreshing in Christ. Those who are perishing, Christ
crucified is foolishness, but unto them which are saved, Christ
crucified is the power and wisdom of God. He shall send Jesus Christ,
which before was preached unto you." He said, where two or three
are met in my name, that's where I am. I'm in the midst of them. I'm in the midst of them. Now,
look at verse 22. That was my introduction. Now
here's verse 22. For Moses truly said unto the
fathers, A prophet shall the Lord your God raise up, like
unto you of your brethren The Lord, a prophet, shall the Lord
God raise up unto you of your brethren like unto me, him you
shall hear in all things whatsoever I shall say unto you." The Lord
Jesus is God's prophet to reveal God's will and God's way unto
us. He is that prophet, that prophet. Now we know the Lord Jesus in
the Old Testament is revealed as the priest of God. He is that
priest who represents us before God in the Holy of Holies on
that mercy seat. He is the priest that represents
us to God. But he is also that prophet who
represents God to us. And I need both. I need the anointed
priest. to make an atonement for me.
And then I need the anointed prophet to tell me the way of
truth and salvation. How sin is put away. You know,
sin is pretty hard to put away. I can't put it away. The blood
on Jewish altars that flows for thousands of years can't put
away sin. It's only the blood atonement of Jesus Christ that
puts away our sin. He is God's priest. He is God's
prophet. And He is the King. He is King
of Kings and Lord of Lords to rule and reign over us. I need
a priest. I need a prophet. I need a King
to rule my heart, to restrain me, to keep me, to guide me,
to lead me, the one that has all power over all things, to
keep me, to preserve me, to glorify me in Christ. And He is that
King. He is called King of Kings and
Lord of Lords. I know the law was given through
Moses, right? The law came through Moses. The
gospel came, and the gospel came through the Lord Jesus Christ.
The law came by Moses, but grace and truth came by the Lord Jesus
Christ. I know that Moses was a mediator
between God and the people. We've studied that through the
Exodus and through Leviticus. Moses was that mediator. But
that's his type and picture of the true Mediator, the Lord Jesus
Christ. There is one God and one Mediator
between man and God. That one Mediator is Christ.
Moses was used as the instrument of deliverance from bondage.
You remember, he led the people out of Egypt. And the Lord Jesus
Christ, He is that Deliverer who delivered us from bondage. Christ is that Redeemer. And
this is what he says here, a prophet shall the Lord your God raise
up. He was a real man, and yet fully
and totally and completely God, the God-man. This is the one
who is greater than Moses. Now find Hebrews chapter 1. Hebrews
chapter 3 verse 1. Turn over here. Hebrews chapter
3 verse 1. Like unto Moses now, like unto
Moses, Moses that mediator, Moses that one who had the word of
God. But we have one greater than Moses has come. Hebrews
3 verse 1, Wherefore, holy brethren, partakers of the heavenly calling,
consider the apostle and high priest of our profession, Christ
Jesus, who was faithful to him that appointed him, As also Moses
was faithful in all his house, for this man was counted worthy
of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as he who had built the house
hath more honor than the house. Every house is built by some
man, but he that built all things is God." He's saying that Christ
is God. Moses barely truly was faithful
in all his house as a servant for testimony of those things
which were to be spoken after, but Christ as a son over his
own house, whose house are we if we hold fast the confidence
and rejoicing of hope firm unto the end. You see, Moses was that
prophet, but a greater than Moses has come, who has more honor
than Moses, the Lord Jesus. And that's what this is talking
about. You see how he takes their attention away from this cripple
and points them to the true Christ of God. And that's what I've
tried to do over the years, point you to the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now, look at verse 23. And it shall come to pass. And
it shall come to pass. Now, how come? Because God said
so. It shall come to pass. He said,
I purpose it, I'll bring it to pass, I'll do it. And it shall
come to pass that every person which will not hear that Christ,
that prophet, that priest, shall be condemned, shall be destroyed
from among the people." Now, listen to me. There is a great
reward and blessing to hear that prophet and to believe that prophet. There is a great blessing to
hear that prophet, to believe that prophet. Turn back to John
chapter 8. There is a great blessing to
hear that prophet, to hear Christ, to desire to hear a word from
the Lord Jesus. John chapter 8. John chapter 8, verse 45. He said, I tell you the truth,
you don't believe me. You believe me not. Which of
you convinces me of sin? And I say, and if I say the truth,
why do you not believe me? He that is of God. Now, I said,
it's a blessing to hear from him. Look what it says here.
He that is of God, heareth God's word. He said to these self-righteous
Jews, you hear them not, because you're not of God. He said, You
are of your father the devil. Then answered the Jews and said
unto him, Say we not well? We said, Well, you are a Samaritan,
and you have a devil. Can you imagine? They spake evil
against this prophet of God. You have a devil. But read on,
Jesus answered, I have not a devil, but I honor my Father, and you
do dishonor me. I seek not my own glory, but
there is one that seeketh and judgeth. Verily, verily, I say
unto you, If a man keep my sayings, if you hear my word and believe
my word, if you keep my saying, you shall never see death. Would you like to never see death?
than believe the Lord Jesus Christ. You say, well, wait a minute,
preacher, everybody's got to die. You know, death to the believer
has been changed. It's been changed to a blessing.
Death to believers is not punishment, it's promotion. Those who believe
in me shall never die. You know why? He's given us eternal
life. Turn to John 11, chapter 26.
John 11, verse 26. John 11, 26. John 11, 25 says this, Jesus
saith unto her, I am the resurrection and the life. This is Mary and
Martha. Remember, Lazarus had died. John
11, 25. He that believeth in me, he said,
I am the resurrection and the life. He that believeth in me,
though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth
and believeth in me shall never die. To be absent from the body is
to be present with the Lord. I shall never die. Whosoever
liveth and believeth in me shall never die." Do you believe this?
I do. John 14, 23. I'm saying there's a blessing to hear the
Word of God and believe it. John 14, 23. The Lord answered
and said, If a man love me and will keep my words, my Father
will love him And we'll come unto him and make
our abode with him. There is a blessing, a great
blessing. Now look back at the text again.
Him you shall hear. His people will hear him. He
said, My sheep, they hear my voice, and I know them, and they
follow me. His people will hear. You see,
there's a blessing in hearing because we have life if we hear
him. But there's a flip side of that
picture. It says there in the text, Acts 3, 23, it shall come
to pass that every soul which will not hear that gospel and
not hear that truth, wrath, judgment, condemnation. There is a great
judgment and condemnation, condemnation to those who do not, who refuse
to believe the gospel, who will not hear. Now, here's this scripture
I told you about earlier. Hebrews 10. Hebrews 10. Turn
over there. Our Lord said in Matthew 12,
30, He that's not with me is against me. I don't want to be
against Him, do you? I want to hear Him, love Him,
bow to Him. And here's the consequence of
not hearing Him, not believing Him. Hebrews chapter 10, verse
27. Verse 28, He that despised Moses'
law, Hebrews 10, 28, died without mercy under two or three witnesses.
Of how much sore punishment, worse punishment, suppose you,
shall be thought worthy who have trodden underfoot the Son of
God, and have counted the blood of the covenant wherewith He
was sanctified an unholy thing. You know, it's dishonoring to
hear the Gospel and not believe it. Would you count the Gospel
an unholy thing that God had sanctified and set apart? And
then you've done despite to the spirit of grace, for we know
him that have said vengeance belongs unto me. I will recompense,
saith the Lord. And again, the Lord shall judge
his people. It is a fearful thing to fall
into the hands of the living God. Hear him, will you hear him?
Will you hear the gospel? There's another consequence.
Turn back to John again, John chapter three. You see, there's
blessings in hearing, receiving, believing and bowing to the word. And there's a dire consequence
to reject the truth. John chapter three, verse 18,
he that believeth on him is not condemned. He that believeth
not is condemned already because he had not believed in the name
of the only begotten Son of God. In John chapter 3 verse 36, he
that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life. He that believeth
not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God, the wrath
of God abides on him. Now turn to John chapter 5. John
chapter 5. I'm saying there's blessings
in hearing, receiving, and loving, and bowing to the gospel. There
is dire consequences to hear the gospel and to refuse to believe
God. John chapter 5. Now, turn over
there. John chapter 5, verse 37. The Father Himself,
John 5, 37, which hath sent me, hath borne witness of me, you
have neither heard His voice at any time, nor seen His shape.
And you have not His Word abiding in you, for whom He hath sent
Him you believe not. For in them you think you have
eternal life, but they are they which testify of me." And then
he says, you will not come to me that you might have life. I receive not honor from men,
but I know you, you have not the love of God. in you. I am come in my Father's name,
and you receive me not. If another shall come in his
own name, you receive him. How can you believe which receive
honor one of another, and seek not the honor that cometh from
God only? Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There
is one that accuseth you, even Moses, whom you trust. For had
you believed Moses, you would have believed me, for he wrote
of me. If you believe not his writing,
how shall you believe my words? You see, they wouldn't receive
the word of God's prophet then. And those who rejected God's
prophet, God's word, then received a just recompense of reward. How much more to refuse to hear
the prophet, the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, wash your ears out with
this and sit up and listen. To hear the true gospel and cast
it away is high treason against God. You've not offended me. You've sinned against God. Unbelief
is a refusal to obey God's gospel. It says in Acts 17, He commands
all men everywhere to repent and to believe Christ. Unbelief
is calling God a liar. I can make good on that. Turn to 1 John, chapter 5. Unbelief
is calling God a liar. 1 John, chapter 5. Turn over there. 1 John, chapter
5, verse 10. 1 John 5, 10. To hear the true
gospel and cast it away is high treason against God. Unbelief
is a refusal to obey the direct command of God. You know, I don't
give an invitation at the end of the service. Have you ever
noticed that? The gospel is not an invitation,
it's a command to believe Christ. What it says there in 1 John
5, 10. He that believeth on the Son
of God hath a witness in himself. He that believeth not, God hath
made him a liar. Because he believed not the record
that God gave of his Son. And this is the record that God
has given to us. Eternal life and this life is
in his Son. He that hath not the Son, he that hath the Son
hath life. He that hath not the Son of God
doesn't have life. You see, unbelief is calling
God a liar. Unbelief is denying the necessity
of the sacrifice of the Lord Jesus Christ. If righteousness
has come by the law, Christ is dead in vain. Unbelief will certainly
doom our soul to eternal condemnation. Turn back to the book of John,
chapter 8. John, chapter 8. John chapter 8 verse 24, I said
therefore unto you that, John 8 verse 24, look what he says
here, I'm saying unbelief of the true gospel will condemn
our soul. I say therefore, I said therefore
unto you that you shall die in your sin for if you believe not
that I am, I am that I am, I am the way, I am the door, I am
life, I am bread, I am water, I am everything. You shall die
in your sins. My friend, believe the gospel,
will you? By His grace, and ask God to
give you faith in Him. All the prophets back at the
text, and I've got to quit. Verse 24, all the prophets from
Samuel and those that follow after have likewise foretold
that these days they all had the same message. Look to Christ. Look to the Lord Jesus Christ. He said, you are the children
of the prophets. They were Jews. God sent the Lord Jesus to that
nation. They rejected Him. And God promised
to Abraham, thy seed, which is Christ. God promised to bless
a multitude of sinners in the Lord Jesus Christ, the seed of
woman that crushed the serpent's head. And that's Christ. And those who believe are true
sons of Abraham, spiritually speaking. Turn over here to Galatians
chapter 3. Let me give you this. God promised Abraham a multitude
of people in that covenant of grace, that seed in Isaac in
Christ. Galatians 3 verse 6, Even as
Abraham believed God that was counted to him for righteousness,
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 thee shall all nations be
blessed in Christ." The blessing of salvation in Christ. So then, they which be of faith
are blessed with faithful Abraham. Now look at Galatians 3 verse
16. To Abraham and to his seed were the promises made. He saith
not unto seed as of many, but as of one, that thy seed, which
is Christ, Again in Galatians chapter 3 verse 26, For you are
all children of God by faith in Christ. For as many of you
as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ by the one
Spirit. Are we all baptized into the
one body? There is neither Jew nor Greek.
There is neither bond nor free. There is neither male nor female.
You are all one in Christ. And if you be Christ, then are
you Abraham's son, Abraham's seed, and heirs according to
the promise of God. Let me read verse 26 in Acts
3. Turn back there. And to you first,
God, having raised up His Son, sent Him to bless you. God sent
this gospel to bless His people in turning us away from our righteousness
and turning us to the Lord our righteousness, the Lord Jesus
Christ Himself. Well, I hope you will take those
words of the apostle and consider them carefully. And I encourage
you to believe the gospel, believe the gospel.