Let's open our Bibles again to
the book of Acts, chapter 13. Paul and his companions had come
to Antioch, and as their custom was usually,
they went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day. It says here
in verse 14. When they departed from Perga, they came to Antioch
in Pisidia. They went to the synagogue on
the Sabbath day and sat down. And after the reading of the
law and the prophets, now we can sort of compare this situation
to what's taking place this day here in our nation around the
world. This was the day of worship for
the Jews. It was the Sabbath day. day of
worship. And the people were there in
the synagogue, from everywhere. They were there in the synagogue
to hear what was said. And the teachers were there and
the rulers were there, present, to take charge. It says here,
and after the reading of the law and the prophet, the rulers
of the synagogue sent unto Paul and the brethren, evidently they
sent a messenger, down to where Paul and his friends were sitting.
See, there was the Sabbath day. The people were there assembled
for religious activities and worship. The teachers were there,
the rulers, the men in charge. There was the reading of the
word, much like has gone on here this morning and in other places,
reading of the word, audit of service, But the difference,
here's the difference, something unusual this Sabbath morning
in this particular synagogue in Antioch, something unusual,
something different. And here's what it was. They
sent to Paul and his brethren and they said, if you have any
word of exhortation for the people, then speak it. Here's the difference. In this day and all the other
Sabbath days, as long as this particular synagogue had been
standing there, on this day one of God's true servants was there.
Not just the rulers of the Jews and these merchandisers of soul,
but this day one of God's true servants was present. On this
day there was a man there who knew God, who knew God, who knew
his gospel. On this day there was a man there
whom God had sent. He was there according to God's
purpose and God's will and by God's grace. It's much like those
women that met by the river in Philippi. You remember reading
about them in Acts 16? I wonder how long they had been
meeting there. It says there was a gathering
of women down by the river where prayer was wont to be made. How
many years had these women been meeting there on the Sabbath
day? But one special Sabbath God sent Paul to preach It was
a special time, a special day. There was a servant of God there
who knew the Lord. It wasn't just a confusion of
voices. It wasn't just a forum and ceremony
of religion. There was someone there who knew
the word, who knew the Lord, who knew the gospel, to preach
to them, and God opened Lydia's heart. And who knows how many
more? Well, on this day, on this Sabbath
day, They called on Paul to speak. All right, verse 16. So Paul
stood up, and he beckoned with his hand. Someone said he held
his hand up for silence. Evidently a murmur went through
the crowd when they called on Paul to stand up. He was known
among those people. Paul had been... You see, when
Paul stood before Agrippa and Festus, rulers, they said, much
learning hath made thee mad. They knew this man who was Saul
of Tarsus, who came by God's grace to the knowledge of the
gospel. God called him Paul the Apostle. But he was known. He was a Pharisee. He was a ruler
of the Jews. He was a member of the highest
court, they tell me, the Sanhedrin. So these folks, there must have
been a murmur, went through the crowd and Paul raised his hand
for silence and for attention. And then he begins with, like
someone says, where these people are. He began with what they
knew. Now listen to him. And this might
be a good lesson for all of us who preach and who go to different
places to preach other than here. and in different circumstances.
Paul was here on the Sabbath day before Jews who did not know
the gospel, did not know Christ, did not know Jehovah. And he
began where they are. He said, now listen, this is
true and you know it, the God of this people of Israel chose
our fathers. God chose our fathers and exalted
the people When they dwelt as strangers in the land of Egypt,
and with a high, powerful arm, he brought them out. Paul said,
you know that, God chose Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. God was
with them. He didn't choose them because
they were more in number than any people, they were the least
of all. But he chose them because he
would. He chose them because he set his love upon them. He
chose them because of a covenant he made with Abraham. He brought
them out of Egypt. Now you know that, and I do too.
In verse 18 and 19, God showed mercy to these people in spite
of their rebellion. It said about the time of 40
years, suffered he their manners, their behavior, their conduct
in the wilderness. He put up with them. Long suffering
and patience. He put up with their rebellion,
he put up with their idolatry. And verse 18, 19, and when he
had destroyed seven nations in the land of Canaan, Canaan was
their land, he gave it to Abraham. He destroyed seven pagan nations
and he divided their land to them by lot. God Almighty, in
spite of their rebellion, brought them through the wilderness for
40 years drove out seven nations and established them in their
land. God's mercies and blessings upon them. And then verse 20.
You know this is so. And after that he gave unto them
judges about the space of 450 years. You can name some of them.
Judges to rule over them. And to Samuel the prophet. But
the people wanted a king. They wanted a king. Like the
other nations, they said, give us a king. Other nations have
a king. They had one too. God was their king. But they
wanted to be like the other nations. It says in verse 21, afterward
they desired a king, and God gave unto them Saul, the son
of Cis, man of the tribe of Benjamin, for the space of forty years.
Just for a moment, turn to 1 Samuel 8. Let's read about what the
Lord said to Samuel about this man Saul. And the people, in 1 Samuel 8 verse 5, Samuel was getting old now, and
the people said to him in 1 Samuel 8 verse 5, they said to him,
Behold, you are old. and your sons walk not in your
ways. Now make us a king to judge us
like all the other nations." This thing displeased Samuel
when they said, give us a king to judge us, and Samuel prayed
to the Lord. And the Lord said unto Samuel,
well, hearken unto the voice of the people. God lets us have
our ways sometimes. It's not good for us Now, he let the people have their
way, and he said, you let them have a king. They've not rejected
you, Samuel, they've rejected me. I should not reign over them. That's the problem. That's the
problem. All right, let's go back to the
text. Now verse 21, and afterwards, all these things these people
knew. Paul is telling them where they are, what they know. This
is the background. And when he had removed him,
verse 22, Saul, he raised up unto them David to be their king.
God raised him up. This is God's king. To whom also he gave testimony
and said, I found David the son of Jesse, a man after my own
height, which shall fulfill all my will. Now this was known to
these people. They knew these things. But here
Paul begins to declare unto them a gospel of God's grace, which
they didn't know. Declaring to them the mercy of
God in Christ, the substitute, which they didn't know. Which
is a fearful thing to me, that in all of the religious activities
of our day, perhaps that's the case. Let me show you a verse
over in Exodus chapter 6. I started not to deal with this
at all because it requires a whole message. But this is just a word
I want you to see that describes what was present here. These
people, they were there to worship God. They were there because
of a knowledge of God. the Almighty God, the God of
Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob, the God whom they
feared, the God with whom they had to do, the Almighty God.
But the only person present in that group who really knew God
was Paul, who really knew the God of grace, Jehovah, Redeemer,
Savior. God was in Christ. Now watch
this verse, Exodus 6, verse 1, Then the Lord said unto Moses,
Now shalt thou see what I will do to Pharaoh. For with a strong
high hand shall he let them go, with a strong hand shall he let
them go, and with a strong hand shall he drive them out of his
land. And God spake unto Moses, and said unto him, I am the Lord,
I am Jehovah, I am God thy Savior. I am Jehovah, and I appeared unto Abraham and
Isaac, unto Jacob by the name of God Almighty, Elohim. But by my name Jehovah was I
not known to them." In other words, a man comes to know God before he comes
to know God our Savior. A man can be a woman, a person,
a congregation, a people, a nation, like Israel. Can be aware of God, and know
the acts of God, and the power of God, and the existence of
God, and not know God in mercy and grace. Jehovah, my Savior,
my Lord, my Redeemer, the God-man. You see, Paul started where they
were. These people were there Sabbath
day. They had the oracles of God, they had the scriptures,
they had the priesthood, sacrifices, all these things, Israel. Talk
about God. Didn't know Jehovah. So here's
where he begins with these six weighty statements which ought
to be declared in every religious gathering today. Now look at
the first one. I'll try to be to the point. He raised up David. Now, of this man's seed hath
God, according to His promise, raised unto Israel a Savior,
a Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Now, according to His promise,
this Savior will be a sinless man, seed of woman. That's what
He told in the Garden of Eden. before he cast the man and woman
out. He said to Satan, I'll put enmity between thee and the woman,
between her seed and thy seed. You'll bruise his heel, and he'll
bruise your head, the seed of woman, the seed of woman, the
sinless Savior. He's coming to this earth in
the flesh. According to promise, he's not
only to be the seed of woman, But he used to be the seed of
Abraham. That's right. Abraham. Turn to Genesis 17.
The covenant Savior. The sinless man and then the
covenant Savior. Genesis 17. Now listen. In verse
1 of Genesis 17. And Abram was 99 years old. 99 years old and 9. The Lord
appeared to Abram and said to him, I am the Almighty God. walk
before me, and be thou perfect." That's how he knew him. "'I'll
make my covenant between me and thee, and will multiply thee
exceedingly.' And Abram fell on his face, and God talked with
him, and said, As for me, behold, my covenant is with thee, and
thou shalt be the father of many nations.'" Verse 7, "'And I'll
establish my covenant between me and thee, and thy seed after
thee in their generations for an everlasting covenant to be
a God unto thee and to thy seed after thee." Now, who is their
seed? Genesis, you have to turn with
me to Genesis 3. I mean to Galatians 3. Here is
that seed. Galatians 3, verse 16. Now to Abraham and his seed were
the promises made. He saith not, and deceives as
of many, but as of one, to thy seed which is Christ." Oh, how profound, how weighty,
how weighty. Paul said, God raised up seed
of woman. sinless man, seed of Abraham,
Isaac, covenant Savior, and the seed of David. Turn with me to
Psalm 132, the seed of David. This is the Savior. This is the
Lord Jesus Christ he is talking about here now. Made of the seed of David according
to the flesh and declared to be the Son of God with power.
Psalm Verse 132, listen to it. Verse 10, For thy servant David
say, Turn not away the face of thine anointed. The Lord hath
sworn in truth unto David. He will not turn from it. Of
the fruit of thy body will I set upon thy throne. Verse 17, There
will I make the horn of David to bud. I have ordained a lamp
for mine anointed. His enemies will I clothe with
shame, but upon him himself shall his crown flourish. According to the promise, promise
to the woman, seed of woman, promise to Abraham, seed of Abraham,
covenant Savior, promise to David, thy seed shall sit on the throne. Now watch this, back to our text,
Acts 13. Of this man's seed, David, hath God, according to
his promise, according to the Word, raised unto Israel a Savior. This is Israel's Savior. Who
is Israel? Well, let's turn to Romans 9
and see who Israel is. This is the Savior of Israel.
The Savior of Israel. But I told you Wednesday night,
Israel was a type of the Church, the Kingdom of God in the Old
Testament. And here in Romans 9, Romans
9, verse 6 through 8, listen. Let's go back just a little bit,
verse 4. We're talking about the Israelites, to whom pertaineth
the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the
law, the service of God, the promises, whose are the fathers,
of whom is concerning the flesh, Christ came, who is over all,
God blessed forever, he is the seed of David, but not as though
the word of God had taken non-effect, for they are not all Israel which
are of Israel, neither because they are the
seed of Abraham are they all children. But in Isaac shall
thy seed be called, that is, they which are the children of
the flesh, These are not the children of God. This is not
spiritual Israel. This is not the Israel for whom
the Savior, God my Savior, has been given. But the children
of the promise are counted for the seed. You see that? And the
book of Galatians verifies it. If you'll turn back to Galatians
3. Let me read one other verse. In Galatians chapter 3. Listen
to this now. Verse 7, "...know ye therefore
that they which are of faith, the same are the children of
Abraham." Verse 26, "...for you are the children of God by faith
in Jesus Christ." As many of you as have been baptized into
Christ, have put on Christ, and there's neither Jew nor Greek,
there's neither bond nor free, there's neither male nor female,
you're all one in Christ. And if you be Christ, Then are
you Abraham's seed, and theirs according to promise." That is
the first waiting statement. He stood before that awesome
crowd of Jews, and he said, God, according to promise, raised
up from this man's seed, David, unto Israel, unto Israel, spiritual
Israel. A Savior. You know who it is? It's that Jesus you crucified. That's the Savior. And then in the next verses he
talks about John the Baptist's ministry. Verse 26, let me move
on so I can give you all of these. In verse 26, Men and brethren,
children of the stock of Abraham and whosoever among you really
fears God, to you is the word of this salvation, this redemption,
sin. Paul declared to those Jews the
awesome fact, and I don't think it dawns upon us just how awesome
this is. What we have in our hands here
is the word of God, the glorious gospel of God. And he says to
these people, God has not left you in darkness, God has not
passed you by, but God sent His prophets to you with this word
of His salvation. There is no nation on this earth
blessed quite like Israel. Let me show you a few verses. Turn to Romans 3. No nation on
this earth blessed quite like Israel. In Romans chapter 3 it
says, One of our elders brought a message
from this not too many months ago. What advantage then hath
the Jew? What advantage? What profit is
there in circumcision? Oh, much. Much, every way. Cheaply because unto them were
committed the oracles of God. This nation, Israel, in the Old
Testament, to you, Paul said, is the word of this salvation
sent to the Jew first. also to the Greek. Christ came
to Israel, that nation. To them was given the oracles
of God. Let me show you another scripture,
Romans 9. Romans 9. Listen to this. Romans
9, verse 4. Paul is interceding for Israel
here and saying some things that are powerful. But he said, I'm praying for
these people, verse 4, who are Israelite, to whom pertaineth
the adoption, and the glory, and the covenants, and the giving
of the law, and the service of God, and the promises. These people, to you is this
word, the word of this salvation sent, this gospel sent to you.
God spake to our fathers, Paul said, by the prophets. But my
friend, by the same token, no nation, I say nations, England
and America, over the past 400 years, have been blessed quite
like we've been blessed with the Word. God has raised up so many faithful
preachers going back to 500 years ago and started with Luther and
Calvin and Zwingli All of these men, Huss and Tyndall and Newton,
Watts, Calper, Clarkson, just keep naming all these men in
our country. God has given us the gospel.
To you is the word of this salvation sent. But here's the tragedy. Turn to Hebrews chapter 4. Hebrews
chapter 4. Here is the sad thing. Now, this
is going to be our next point, but let me read this. Hebrews
4, verse 1, "...let us therefore fear, lest the promise being
left us of entering into his rest, any of us should seem to
come short of it. For unto us was the gospel preached
as well as unto them." Who is them here? But the word preached
did not profit them, because they didn't believe it, not being
mixed with faith in them that heard it. All right, go back to the text,
Acts 13. Here's the third thing Paul had to say, third weighty,
weighty, weighty fact. Of this man's seed, God raised
up a Savior according to promise unto Israel, and he sent you
the word. in type, in promise, in picture,
in fact, he sent it to you. Verse 27, "...for they that dwell
at Jerusalem, and their rulers, because they knew him not, nor
yet the voice of the prophets," they didn't know the voice of
the prophets, "...which are read every Sunday," every Sabbath,
every Saturday for them, Sunday for us. They fulfilled these
words in condemning him. And though they found no cause
of death in him, they desired Pilate that he should be slain."
These people at Jerusalem, who were religious and daily in the
temple, did not recognize him when he
came. Who hath believed thy report,
Isaiah said, to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? Their rulers,
their preachers didn't know him. Recognizing, he said, mine eyes
have seen thy salvation. But the rest of the rulers, did
they read the scriptures? They read the prophecies? They
read the prophets? Turn to Acts 10, just back two
pages. What was the message of the prophets?
Acts 10, verse 43. To him gave all the prophets
witness. that through his name, whosoever
believeth in him shall receive remission of sin." Moses wrote
of me. Christ said to those Jews, they
said, we have Moses. He said, you don't believe Moses.
Moses wrote of me. But we have Abraham. But Abraham
rejoiced in my day. You see, these people were looking
for a kingdom and not a Redeemer. They were looking for an earthly
reign and not a spiritual kingdom. They read the scriptures looking
for a way to merit eternal life, to merit eternal life, and did
not see Him who is eternal life. He said, you search the scriptures,
in them you think you have life, but there they which testify
of me. And here is the sad thing, listen to this, verse 28. And
though they found no cause of death in Him, yet desired they
Pilate that he should be slain. And when they had fulfilled all
that was written of him, took him down from the tree. They did their will, but in doing
their will, they did God's will. You see what he's saying? They
fulfilled. The scriptures had some things to say about their
rebellion and their rejection and their crucifixion of Christ
and their rejection of their Messiah. But in following their
will, they did God's will. That's right. You see, everything... I want to show you something.
John 19. Listen to this. This is so important. Listen to this. John 19, 28. John 19, 28. After
this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished,
that the scriptures might be fulfilled, said, I thirst. And
there was set a vessel full of vinegar, and they filled a sponge
with vinegar, and put it upon Hyssop, and put it to his mouth.
Back in the Old Testament, God said that's what they'd do. He
said, I'm thirsty. And they dipped a sponge in vinegar
and stuck it on his mouth. And then verse, John 19, verse
29 and verse 30, now verse 36, look at this. For these things were done that
the Scripture should be fulfilled. A bone of him shall not be broken."
In other words, when the soldier came to the three men on the
cross, he broke the legs of the two on either side. Broke their
legs. Hastened death. When he came
to Christ, he saw that he was already dead. He was breaking
out his bones. But that's what the Scripture said he would do. Now, the bone of him shall be
broken. Everything they did they did because they want this this
man hadn't read the Bible He didn't read where you supposed
to break the legs or two and leave Christ. He did what he
wanted to do And that's what it says over in Acts. He said
Here and Pontius Pilate and the Jews and Israel got together
to do what their wicked hands and minds wanted to do But they
did what God determined before to be done. Now listen to me
make an application I cannot think of anything more
blessing than to be an object of God's grace and fulfill his
word in believing. Isn't that wonderful? Now, as
Christ said, other sheep I have which are not of this foal, them
I must bring, and they'll hear my voice. And they'll believe,
and there'll be one foal, one shepherd. They'll believe. They'll
fulfill God's promises in believing. They'll fulfill God's words. in believing. And the Word says
glorify Him, they glorify Him. The Word says praise Him, they
praise Him. The Word says believe on Him, they believe on Him.
The Word says He's Son of God, they bow to Him. The Word says
exalt Him, they exalt Him. It's a joy, and they do that
by God's grace. Of course it ain't any different
from anybody else. But God taught them, they're taught of God.
But here's the worst thing that can happen. That's the best thing. I can't think of anything more
tragic than to be a vessel of wrath as Pharaoh was. God said to Pharaoh,
I raised you up to show my power. Pharaoh, you know all that when
Moses came to him and told him these things and showed him these
things? No, no, no. And he meant no. That was his
nature. But God raised him up to say
no. And I'll tell you, they're vessels
of wrath fitted for destruction. Let me read you that Romans 9.
You listen. And they're compared to Pharaoh.
Romans 9. Turn over there a minute. Romans
chapter 9. Romans 9 verse 17. Listen to
this. Romans 9, 17, "...for the Scripture
saith to Pharaoh, even for this same purpose have I raised you
up, that I might show my power in thee, and that my name might
be declared throughout all the world." You mean God made him
do these things? No, He just left them to himself. Somebody said predestination
is God predestinates some to heaven and some to hell. No,
that's not what predestination is at all. God predestinates
men to glory, to be like Christ, consequently to reign in heaven.
But God doesn't predestinate anybody to hell. He leaves them
alone. In order for a man to do wicked, then leave him alone.
He'll do wickedly. God didn't have to give Pharaoh
a little more meanness to say no. He just left him to his meanness.
You see that? In order to use a person, you
know the Bible says offenses must come, but woe unto the person
by whom they come. Well, how are you going to get
a person to offend? Leave him alone, he'll offend. How are
you going to get him to act wickedly? Leave him alone, that's his nature.
How are you going to get him to say mean things? Leave him
alone, he'll say them. The only reason we don't say
them is we're restrained. We're kept by the power of God.
We're restrained by the power of God. Provenient grace. But
all in the world, what God has to do to use a man for judgment
and wrath and to hurt his people and to wound them and to afflict
them, is just leave him alone. He'll do it. That's his nature.
He'll do it. We hate because we're haters.
We love because of grace. We're selfish because we were
born that way. We're generous because God made
us that way. Just leave them alone. And now
look at this other verse, Romans 9, verse 21. Hath not the potter
power over the clay? Of the same lump to make one
vessel unto honor, and another unto dishonor? Could you think
of an illustration? What about Jacob and Esau? The
same lump, by the same mother's womb, at the same time. Jacob,
I've a love he saw, I left alone. What if God, willing to show
his wrath and to make his power known, endured, put up with? With much long-suffering, vessels
of wrath, pitted to destruction. He suffers them to exist. He leaves them alone. Their foot
will slide sooner or later. And that he might make known
the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy which He had
afore prepared unto glory, even us whom he hath called, not Jews
only, but Gentiles." You see that? Oh, the greatest blessing
I can think of is to have this word of salvation sent and believe
it. And the greatest tragedy I can
think of is to have this word sent I won't have it." It's all right.
He said they wouldn't. He said, I'll send you to them,
but they're not going to hear. My sheep will hear my voice.
All right, quickly, let me give you these other three statements.
Verse 30 in our text, God raised him from the dead. This is the
key statement. God raised him from the dead.
My friends, there have been many so-called messiahs, but they're
all still in the grave. There are many so-called messiahs
who were put to death by angry mobs, but they all stayed dead. But this man, God raised him
from the dead. And God gave proof to the world
that Christ is the Messiah when He raised Him from the dead.
And because He lives, we'll live. Now, verse 38, the fifth statement,
So be it known unto you, therefore, men and brethren, But through
this man, no one else, through this man is preached to you the
forgiveness of sins. Blessed is the man to whom God
will not charge sin. Blessed is the man whose sins
are forgiven. And through this man is preached
to you the forgiveness of sin. And by him, by his obedience
and death and blood, all that believe, I do believe. God help my unbelief. But to
whom shall I go? I get in this pool and I won't
wash my sins away. I join this church or some other
church. I can see those confessional
booths down there in Mexico and those poor people sitting there
talking through that screen to that fellow on the other side.
He can't put my sins away. Death won't put my sins away.
Hell won't put my sins away. But Christ can put my sins away
because He bore my sins in His body on the tree. He, by the
sacrifice of Himself, has put away our sins. As far as the
East is from the West. And you can't be justified by
the Law of Moses. It's a powerful sermon, isn't
it? Paul preached to them. Powerful, weighty statement.
That's it. Now here's the sixth one. Now
beware. Therefore lest there come upon
you that which is spoken of in the prophets, behold, ye despisers
and wander and perish. I work a work in your days. What
is that work? It is finished. That's what Mike
sang about. That's the work. A work which you shall in no
wise believe, though a man, Declare it to you. And if you hear it,
a man will declare it. An angel is not going to declare
it. A man will. I believe it. And you do, don't you? I believe if you go through this
congregation this morning and poll everybody here, I doubt
that there would be anybody who would say, Preacher, I don't
believe that. Is there somebody here who would say, I don't believe
that? I just don't believe there isn't anybody here that don't
believe that. I want to believe Him more, but I believe Him. I believe Him. To whom shall
we go? We believe and assure that thou
art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And that's salvation. But I don't feel right. I don't
either. I've never felt right in my life. I'm not right. He's right. I don't feel right either. I don't feel righteous either,
do you? But I'm righteous in Him. I'm glad. That's it. All right, Mike, let's
sing that Hallelujah, what a Savior.