The clock struck twelve, and Cinderella came running down
the stairs, knowing that her fairy godmother insisted that
she be home by twelve o'clock or something dreadful would happen.
No, don't leave now, the pastor hasn't flipped. Cecil looked
at me and frowned. Dr. Moore got his medicine kit
out. But she left her slipper. I know
where I'm going. She left her slipper, and the
prince, the handsome prince, thought she was the most beautiful
woman he'd ever seen. He danced with her, talked with
her, wanted to know her name, and she wouldn't tell him. And
after she was gone, he went over to the stairs and picked up that
beautiful glass slipper. And he said, with this slipper,
I'll find that woman. And so he set out with the slipper
in his hand, and he visited every home. He visited the rich homes
and the poor homes. He visited the castles. stately mansions, he visited
the hovels, and finally in a little poor home in the village, he
found the girl, the only girl in all his kingdom that could
wear that slipper. He found her. The only one who
could wear that slipper. He carried that slipper about
in his hand until he found the one person whom it fit. I have in my hand a book. It's
no ordinary book. It is said that this is the word
of God. It is said that all scripture
is given by inspiration of God. It is said that holy men of God
spake or wrote as they were moved by the Holy Spirit. It is said
that God used 40 men, 40 different men, over a period of 1,500 years
to write this unusual book. They started writing, someone
said, 3,500 years ago, the first word was written. And it was
completed almost 2,000 years ago. And this book, this unusual book,
this is no ordinary book. This book has crossed the barriers
of time. Time means nothing to this book.
I ask myself, as I look at this book 3,500 years old, I ask myself,
where are the books written by men? Mortal men, natural men,
even 400 years ago, 500 years ago. Josephus, the historian. We still have it, but where are
the books that men have written 400 or 500 years ago? In fact, most of the books which
men wrote way back there have been disproved by something else.
But this book lives on. It's crossed the barrier of time.
It's just as rich and beautiful today as it was 3,500 years ago. And not only that, but it's crossed
the barrier of languages. Where are the books written in
Chinese that are read by Americans? where the books written by Russians
that are read by those in India or Burma. But this book has been
translated into 1,000 different languages. And it's read on the
streets of New York, and it's read in the jungles of Africa,
and it's read on the shores of New Guinea. It's read by men
in every language in the world. It's crossed the barrier of language.
It's not only that, but it's crossed the barrier of age. This
morning in our classes, there were six- and seventy-year-old
children who were reading this Word and enjoying it and being
blessed by it, and there are people here today who are seventy
and seventy-five years of age. Children six and men seventy-five
don't read the same books, but we do. And it's just as rich
and just as precious to that child as it is to that old man
or old woman. It's crossed the barrier of age
and nationality. Men of every nationality read
that this is no ordinary book. I have in my hand a book that's
no ordinary book. It is the Word of God. This book
is the Word of God. There's no question but this
book is the Word of God. It reveals His deity. It reveals
God's glory, it reveals His holiness, it reveals His character, it
reveals His purpose. It's God's Word. And not only
that, but this book is a story of creation. It starts when there
was nothing and tells how that God brought the stars and the
moon and the sun and the planets and the world into being, speaking
only by the word of His power and the things that were made
were revealed. They appeared, made man in his
own image. It's a book of history, it's
a book of love, it's a book of holiness, it's a book of prophecy.
But the chief theme of this book, I know, and every man who's read
it knows, that the chief theme of this book is the story of
a man. The story of a man. A man who
was, a man who is, and a man who shall be. This book, though
it's a book of history, a book of law, a book of creation, a
book of love, a book of proverbs, it's the story of a man. A man
who is the same yesterday, today, and forever. A man who was God,
who was with God, and by whom all things were made. A man who
became a man and dwelt among us. This book is a story of a
man. A man who lived, who died, and who lived again. This book is about a man who
is called THE man. THE man. The one man, the only
man. Pilate stood one day before that
host of angry Israelites and a smattering of Gentiles because
it all gathered together against the Christ, and standing beside
him was the most pitiful-looking creature eyes have ever beheld.
A man standing there with a crown of thorns on his head, blood
streaming down his face into open wounds where they'd plucked
out his beard, his eyes so blackened and swollen they were just slits,
his shoulders stooped, wearing a ragged, dirty, mocking robe, his hands tied behind him, and
Pilate stood there and pointed to this this mass of flesh whose
visage was so marred he didn't look like a man, and he said
aloud, Behold the man! The man. This book is about that
man. And the reason I started that
story, this message with that story, that prince had in his
hand a slipper, and he looked everywhere for the person who
could wear it. And I'm saying that I hold in
my hand a book, God's Word, no ordinary book. And it's the story,
among other things, it's the story of a man. And if I can
find that man who can wear this garment designed and fashioned
and made by these prophets, I have found the Christ. If I can find
him, I have found the Christ. You see what I'm saying? As I
read this book from Genesis to Revelation, if I can find the
person, the man who was, who is, who ever shall be, the man
who is the same yesterday, today, and forever, the man who is God's
man, if I can find that man who fits every prophecy and promise
and picture in this book, I will have found God's Redeemer. Now,
Simeon believed he found him. The old man Simeon who ministered
about the temple. who had the promise of God that
he would not taste death, not see death, until he'd seen the
Lord's Christ. One day in that temple, a little
Jewish maiden with her husband brought in a baby. And Simeon
took that baby up in his arms, and he lifted his eyes to heaven,
and he said, Lord, now let us, thy servant, depart in peace.
I'm ready to die, I'm willing to die, I'm equipped to die.
Mine eyes have seen that maiden. who fulfills every promise in
this book. I've found the man. I've not
found it. I've found him. There's a difference. You can find it and never know
him. But I've found him. Simeon found him. John the Baptist
found him. John the Baptist one day stood
out there before all of his friends, the people he preached to, the
people for whom he felt responsible, and he pointed to a man, and
he said, There He is. Behold, the Lamb of God that
taketh away the sin of the world. There's the Lamb of the Old Testament.
There's Aaron's Lamb. There's Abraham's Lamb. There's
God's Lamb. There's the Lamb of God. Peter
found Him. Our Lord Jesus Christ said to
Peter one day, Whom do men say that I am? They said, well, He
said they've got a lot of different opinions about you. Some say
you're John the Baptist. Some say you're Elijah. Some
say you're one of the prophets. He said, but whom do you say
that I am? Thou art the man. Thou art the Christ, the Son
of the living God." Thomas found him. Thomas fell at his feet
and said, My Lord and my God. The centurion who witnessed the
crucifixion, he found him. He said, Surely this man, this
man is the Son of God. I'm saying, my friends, that
in Acts 10, verse 43, the scripture I read to you a moment He, Jesus
Christ, is what this book is all about. I have found him who
fits every promise. I have found him who fulfills
every scripture. I have found him who fulfills
every prophecy. I have found him who fulfills
every type and shatter. I have found him, and here in
Acts 10.43, the writer of the book of Acts says to him, give
all the prophets witness. Have you found him? Are you convinced?
Now, we've been, this time of year, we've been celebrating
the birth of an unusual person, Jesus Christ, who was born of
Mary and laid in a manger. We've got manger scenes all around
here. We've sung about his birth. We've
talked about his birth. I picked up the newspaper and
it said, Happy Birthday, Jesus, you know, and all these things.
And that man, Jesus Christ, walked on this earth. We know he walked
on this earth. He was a good man. He was beyond
His reputation was pure. Pilate said, I find no fault
in him. He said to the Pharisees, which of you can convince me
of sin? He died on a cross. He was buried. They say he rose
again. But what think ye of that man? Who was he? Is he the man
for whom we look? That's what the Pharisees said.
They said, are you the Christ? Tell us plainly, are you the
Christ? John the Baptist, for some reason or other, whether
he had second thoughts, I don't know, or whether he was doing
it for the sake of his disciples or what, but he sent two men
over to Christ one day and said, Are you he for whom we look?
Are you the one that should come? Are you the man? Are you the
man? Well, let's see. Let's take the
Bible this morning. I want you to use your Bibles.
Turn to Luke 2. Now, get in a position where
you can turn to some scripture. I want you to take your Bible,
because this is so important. This book is no ordinary book. This is God's Word, supernaturally
written, supernaturally preserved, supernaturally kept to this day,
protected by God's providence. There's no question about it.
All 40 of these men, writing these 66 different books, when
these books were brought together, they formed a perfect picture
of a man. They're in perfect agreement.
There's no contradiction. They're in perfect agreement.
It's just like somebody had hired 40 men to carve and cut 66 stones. at different times from 3,500
years ago to 2,000 years ago. Some of these men never met one
another, never knew one another, had no contact with one another. And each one of them took a stone
and cut it a certain way and chiseled it and sculpted it and
made it a certain way. And then when all these stones
were brought together, a perfect wall was built. They fit perfectly,
all 66 of them. And there on that wall was a
picture of a man. Now, who is that man? I say I
found him. I say he's Jesus of Nazareth.
I say that man, the Christ, the Messiah, that prophet, that priest,
that king, that Redeemer, is Jesus Christ. This is what this
book, I say he's the fulfillment. Jesus Christ is of every one
of these prophecies. Now let's look at Luke chapter 2. Luke
2, verse 1 through 4. And it came to pass in those
days that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all
the world should be taxed, enrolled. And this taxing was first made
when Cyrenius was governor of Syria, and all went to be taxed,
every one unto his own city. And Joseph, Joseph and Mary,
Mary was with child, great with child. She was due any time.
And Joseph also went up from Galilee unto Judea, unto the
city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of
the house and lineage of David." My friends, what was Jesus of
Nazareth doing in Bethlehem when he was born? That's a good question,
isn't it? What was he doing in Bethlehem?
Here is a woman expecting a child any time. Her husband who loved
her, who cared for her, who protected her, they lived way off down
here in Nazareth. What in the world, why did he
put her on a donkey and ride her all the way to Bethlehem,
and there with no accommodations, and no relatives, and no friends,
and no doctors, take her into a stable and let her give birth
to her firstborn? Because the scripture said in
Bethlehem he would be born. That's what Scripture says. The
Word of God in Micah 5, verse 2 says, Bethlehem. That's where
he's to be born. To be born in Bethlehem. And
the amazing thing about this is that God didn't tell him to
go to Bethlehem. An angel didn't tell him to go
to Bethlehem. A puppet didn't tell him to go to Bethlehem.
An unsaved, unregenerate, rebellious old king sitting on a throne
down there. not knowing what in the world
he was doing, but just got the brilliant idea that he was going
to tax everybody, and everybody was to go to their own home city. You see, Joseph and Mary were
of the House of David, Bethlehem. That's where they were enrolled.
It's just like me, I vote in a certain precinct. I'm not welcome
in another. I get my tag at Catlesburg. I
don't go down to Lexington to get my tag. I'm enrolled here,
you see. And Mary and Joseph were of the
household of David, and they had to go to Bethlehem on orders
of an evil king. And that's what they were doing,
that the Scripture might be fulfilled. He was of the tribe of Judah.
He was of the family of Jesse. He was of the household of David.
All right, let's read another Scripture, Matthew 1, Matthew
chapter 1. Not only did he have to be born
in Bethlehem, see, that's what the scripture says, that's what
the Old Testament scripture says, that Christ is born in Bethlehem,
and Jesus of Nazareth was taken to Bethlehem to be born. Now,
Matthew 1. Here was a woman who wasn't married, who was engaged
to a man called Joseph. She was with child, and the angel
came to Joseph. and said, don't be afraid to
take her to be your wife, and she shall bring forth a son,
and thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his
people from sin. And all this was done, that it
might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophets,
saying, Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bring forth a son."
You see, these Old Testament prophets are making a garment
that can't fit but one man. Where? It won't fit but one man. They're showing the Redeemer. They're showing the Christ in
39 books. And they're saying he's going
to be born in Bethlehem. There ain't no other place he can be born.
They're saying he's going to be born of a virgin who is of
the tribe of the household of David, of the tribe of Judah,
and he can't be born anybody else. That's the garment that'll
fit nobody else. All right, let's turn to Matthew
chapter 2. Now, when he was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the
days of Herod the King, behold, there came wise men from the
east of Jerusalem, saying, Where is he born, King of the Jews?
We've seen his star in the east. We've come to worship him. When
Herod the King heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem
with him. And when he gathered the chief priests and the scribes,
he got those Jews together, he demanded of them where the Christ
was to be born. Where is this Christ, this Messiah,
going to be born? And they said, In Bethlehem.
It's written in the prophets. That's where he's going to be
born. It's written in the puppets. Well, old Herod told him to go
down and find him and then come back and tell him so he could
worship him. He wanted to kill him. That's what he wanted to
do. So read verse 13. Verse 12, And being warned of
God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, these wise
men departed to their own country, going another way. And when they
departed, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream,
saying, Arise, and take the young child, his mother, and flee into
Egypt." Egypt? And be thou there until I bring
thee word, for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.
When he arose, he took the young child, his mother, by night,
and departed into Egypt. Watch it now. And he was there
until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was
spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called
my son." Isn't that beautiful? He got to go to Egypt. Another sleeve in the garment
to fit one man. I'm not through." So Herod, verse
16, he saw he was mocked of the wise men, and he was angry, and
he sent forth and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem.
I'll kill them all, he said, two years old and under, according
to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men. What
did he do that for? Verse 17, "...then was fulfilled
that which was spoken by Jeremiah, or Jeremiah the prophet, saying,
In Ramah was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and
great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children." and would
not be comforted because they were not fulfilled the scriptures. Well, let's read on. So when
Herod was dead, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph
down in Egypt, saying, Arise, and take the child and his mother,
and go back to Israel. For they are dead that sought
the young child's life. He arose and took the young child
and his mother, and came to the land of Israel. And when he heard
that Archelaus did reign in Judea, and the rumor of his father Herod,
he was afraid to go Notwithstanding being warned of God in a dream,
he turned aside into the parts of Galilee, and he came and dwelt
in a city called Nazareth." What in the world is the Messiah doing
in Nazareth? Nothing good can come out of
Nazareth, anybody knows that. I'll tell you why he's there,
read on. "...that it might be fulfilled which was spoken to
the prophets, he will be called a Nazarene." I'll tell you everything surrounding
his birth. is in the Old Testament scripture.
Everything surrounding his birth, everything is according to the
scriptures to reveal to Israel and to the world that this is
the Christ. This is the Christ. This is the
Christ. All right, secondly, let's look
at his life. Turn to Luke chapter 4. Let's look at his life and
see what the Scripture says about his day-to-day life. Our Lord
was always surrounded at birth. Now, all this was according to
the Scripture. The virgin in Bethlehem, in Egypt, the destruction
of the children, Nazarene, all this. Now, let's see about his
life. So one day he came back to Nazareth where he was brought
up, and he read the Scriptures. And this is the part he read,
Luke 4, 18. The Spirit of the Lord is upon
me. because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel of the
poor, he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach
deliverance to the captives, recovery of sight to the blind,
to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable
year of the Lord. And he closed the book, gave
it to the minister, and sat down, and the eyes of all them that
were in the synagogue were fastened on him. And he began to say,
This day, this day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears. Here
I am. Here I am. God sent me to preach
the gospel to the poor, to heal the brokenhearted, to deliver
the captive, to recover sight to the blind, to set at liberty
them that are bruised. Here I am. It's all fulfilled."
Just run through some Scripture. Now back to Matthew 4. Let's
go on with his life here. Matthew 4. Let's read a few verses
here. See how important. My friend,
you know, when Paul came preaching, he said, I preach the gospel
to you. of Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures,
he was buried, he rose again according to the scriptures,
he ascended to heaven according to the scriptures, everything
according to the scriptures. Now look at Matthew 4, verse 12.
Now, when Jesus had heard that John was cast into prison, he
departed into Galilee, and leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in
Capernaum, which is upon the sea coast in the borders of Zebulon
and Nephthalon. Watch it--"that it might be fulfilled
which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying, The land of
Zebulun, and the land of Nephthalun, by the way of the sea, beyond
Jordan, gallery of the Gentiles, the people that sat in darkness
saw great light, to them that sat in the region in shadow of
death, light is sprung up." Matthew 8, verse 16. I'm looking for
the man that fulfills the scripture, the one who wears the garment
fashioned by the prophets. Matthew 8, listen, verse 16,
When the evening was come, they brought unto him many that were
possessed with devils. And he cast out the spirit with
his word, and healed all that was sick, that it might be fulfilled,
which was spoken by Esaias, or Isaiah the prophet, saying, Himself
took our infirmities, and bare our sickness. Matthew 12. Go
to Matthew 12. I want the Word of God to be
sealed in your minds this morning. I want you to see what I believe
I've seen. Then the Pharisees went out and held a council against
him, how they might destroy him. But when Jesus knew it, he withdrew
himself from thence, and great multitudes followed him, and
he healed them all. He charged them that they should not make
him known that it might be fulfilled, which was spoken by Isaiah the
prophet, saying, Behold my servant, whom I have chosen, my beloved.
in whom my soul is well pleased. I'll put my spirit on him, he'll
show judgment to the Gentiles, he'll not strive, he'll not fight,
he'll not cry out, he'll not force his kingdom on any man."
That's what he's saying. Don't tell him who I am. Don't
say anything. Don't go out here aggressively and try to take
this thing in my name. Because this is a fulfillment
of Scripture. All right? Matthew 13. Matthew 13, 34. This is so vital, what I'm pointing
out this morning. that you have an interest, like
the prince with a slipper looking for his love. I have the word
of God looking for my king. In Matthew 13, 34, all these
things spake Jesus unto the multitude in parables. Without a parable
spake he not unto them, that it might be fulfilled which was
spoken to the prophets, saying, I'll open my mouth in parables.
I'll utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation
of the world in parables. Matthew 21, let's keep going.
Matthew 21, verse 1, our Lord Jesus Christ is going to prepare
the Passover. He sends his disciples to prepare
the way to ride into Jerusalem, and he said in verse 3, "'If
any man say unto thee, Ye shall say, The Lord hath needed them,
and straightway he will send them.' All this was done, that
it might be fulfilled which was spoken to the prophets, saying,
Tell ye the daughters of Zion, Behold, our King cometh unto
thee, meek, sitting upon an ass, and a colt, the foal of an ass.
And the disciples went and did as he commanded them." Now to
John 12. John 12, verse 37. John 12, 37. But though, John 12, 37, though
he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed
not on him. that the saying of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled
which he spake, Lord, who hath believed our report? And to whom
hath the arm of the Lord been revealed?" In John 15, John 15.23,
our Lord said, He that hateth me hateth my Father also. John
15.23. If I had not done among them the works which none other
man did, they had not had sin. But now have they both seen and
hated both me and my Father. This cometh to pass, that the
word might be fulfilled that's written in their law, they hated
me without a cause." What think ye of Christ? I'm not three. Let me give you this word by
John Newton. What think ye of Christ? That's
the test. to try both your state and your
scheme. You cannot be right in the rest
unless you think rightly of Him. As Jesus Christ appears in your
view, as He is beloved or not, so God is disposed unto you,
and mercy or wrath is your lot. Some take Jesus a creature to
be, a man, a prophet at Sure, these people do not have feelings
like me, and they do not know themselves to be wretched and
lost. So guilty, so helpless am I. I cannot trust in his blood,
nor on his protection rely, unless I am sure that he's God. So if you ask what of Jesus,
I think, though still my best thoughts are but poor. I say,
he is my meat and my drink, He is my life, my strength, and
my store. He is my shepherd, my husband,
my friend, my Savior from sin and its sting. He's my hope from
beginning to end. He's my portion, my Christ, and
my King. I have found Him, of whom the
prophets speak. I have found the Christ. I have
found the man that wears the garment. I have found the only
man who fits every prophecy In closing, let's go to his death.
Let's turn to John 13. John 13. The way he was born,
according to the Scriptures, the way that he lived and walked
and taught and everything about his life fulfilled the Scriptures. Now, the way that he died. In
John 13, as I said, when the disciples went to prepare the
Lord's table, and he sat down with his disciples to eat the
Lord's table, He'd wash their feet and they'd eat the Passover
in the Lord's table. He said in verse 18, I speak
not of all you, I know whom I have chosen, but that the scripture
might be fulfilled. Here our Lord had 12 disciples.
One of them was a devil. One of them was a rebel. One
of them sold him for 30 pieces of silver. One of them betrayed
him and denied him, Judas. Why was this? The same reason
everything else was in the life of Christ. It fulfilled the Scriptures.
It's another evidence that this man who has these twelve disciples,
and one of them is a devil, wears the garment of whom, that the
prophets were all had. Verse 18, I know whom I've chosen,
but that the Scripture might be fulfilled, he that eateth
bread with me hath lifted up his heel against me. I turn to Mark 14. He went out
in the garden. He went out in the garden, and
they came looking for him. Judas led that band of officers
and men from the chief priests and from the Sadducees and the
Pharisees, and came out there and laid hands on him and took
him. Why? In Mark 14, he was down on the street every day.
He was in the temple every day. Why this dead of the night? Why this kiss on the cheek? Why
this coming to him with swords and spears? They laid hands on him and took
him. And one of them that stood by
drew a sword and smote the servant of the high priest, cut off his
ear. And Jesus answered and said, Are you come out as against a
thief, with swords and with staves, to take me? I was daily with
you in the temple teaching, and you didn't take me. But the Scriptures
must be fulfilled." The Scriptures. How about turning to Mark 15?
Listen to this. Mark 15. So they crucified him
between two thieves. Put an accusation over his head,
this is Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews. Between two thieves? Why? Well, that's the way the
Messiah must die. It was the third hour, Mark 15,
25, third hour, and they crucified him, and the superscription of
his accusation was written over the King of the Jews. And with
him they crucified two thieves, one on his right hand, the other
on the left. And the scriptures was fulfilled, which said he
was numbered with transgressors, identified with thieves. All right, what about John 19?
He had a garment, he had a robe. This some fellow wrote a whole
book about it one time. about that robe, and that robe
was seamless from top to bottom. What are you going to do with
it? Well, let's see, John 19, verse
24, they took it off of him and crucified him naked. And then
the soldiers, verse 23, when they crucified Jesus, took his
garments and made four parts, to every soldier a part, and
also his coat. Now, the coat was without seam, woven from
the top throughout. And they said to themselves,
let's don't tear this, let's cast lots for it, whose it shall
be. That's a good idea. Who came up with that? Well,
let's see. "...that the Scriptures might be fulfilled. They parted
my garment among them, and for my vesture did they cast lots."
How about verse 28? Our Lord, they denied him water.
He hung under that burning sun. Fever, high fever, wracking his
body, his tongue cleaving to the roof of his mouth, his lips
split open and cracked just horrible, horrible death. And Jesus, knowing
that all things were now accomplished, that the Scriptures might be
fulfilled, said, I thirst. That's Psalm 69, 21. All right,
verse 36. Well, you know, it was a custom
that when men were crucified, after they'd hung on the cross
for a long time, The soldiers would come and break their legs.
They'd just take an iron bar and just break their legs. If
they weren't dead, they'd hasten death. They'd just ruin them,
just break their legs. So verse 32 in John 19 says,
"...the soldiers came and broke the leg of the first thief, and
of the other which was crucified with him. When they came to Jesus
and saw he was dead already, they broke not his legs." You
say, is that important? If they broke his legs, you could
lay your Bible down. That's right. One of the soldiers
with a spear pierced his side, and forthwith came there blood
and water. And he that saw it bare record, and his record is
true, and he knoweth that what he saith is true, that you might
believe. And this things were done that the scripture should
be fulfilled. A bone of him shall not be broken."
Not a bone. My Lord fits these scriptures,
David. You needn't look any further. From his birth, through his life,
through his death, he fulfills the scripture. You can't lay
down the Old Testament. You've got to pick it up and
find him of whom it's written. Find him of whom it speaks. Find him that declares of whom
all these scriptures speak. Find him who wears the garment.
Let's go to another verse here. Let's go to Acts 3. Acts 3. I'm pretty near done. Acts 3,
verse 18. And Peter's talking to these
people, and he says, in verse 15, you kill the Prince of life,
whom God raised from the dead, of whom we are all witnesses,
and his name, through his name, faith in his name, hath made
this man strong, whom you see and know. Now, brethren, I know
that through ignorance you did it, as did also your rulers.
But those things which God before had showed by the mouth of all
his prophets that Christ should suffer, he hath fulfilled." Now,
one other verse, and I close with it. Acts 13, verse 26. I'm
saying that From his birth, our Lord Jesus
Christ, right through his life, through his death, through the
last cry on the cross, is all the fulfillment of God's Word. And those who believe on him,
and those who receive him, and those who trust him, fulfill
the Scriptures in bowing to Christ. He is God's Christ. He's God's
Messiah. He's your Redeemer. He's your
hope. He's your Savior. If you bow to him, you're fulfilling
every You're fulfilling every invitation and condition that
God lays before. But if you refuse him, if you
refuse and despise him and reject him, you, too, are fulfilling
the scriptures. Now, listen to it in Acts 13.
This is staggering here. In verse 26 of Acts 13, men and
brethren, children of the stock of Abraham, and whosoever among
you feareth God, to you is the word of this salvation sent.
For they that dwell in Jerusalem, those that dwell in the so-called
holy city, in the city of God, and their rulers, their teachers,
their preachers, because they didn't know him, they knew him
not, they didn't recognize the Christ when he came. They didn't
recognize the voice of the prophets that were read every Sabbath
day in their churches, in their synagogues and temples. You see
what I'm saying? This scripture was read This
scripture about he'd be born in Bethlehem, he'd be born of
a virgin, he'll be in Egypt, he'll be called a Nazarene, he'll
speak in parables, he'll heal the sick, he'll be betrayed and
denied, and his garment and so forth, crucified between the
things, all this is read daily. But it says they wouldn't listen,
and they have They have rejected the prophets, read every Sabbath
day, and they have fulfilled these scriptures in condemning
him. They fulfilled the scriptures.
I believe, I believe that Jesus is the Christ. I believe it.
I believe, I'm satisfied, I'm totally, completely satisfied
that from Genesis to Malachi, all the scriptures is revealed
in that man called Jesus Christ. I'm totally, completely satisfied.
I put all my eggs in one basket, all my hope in Christ. He fulfills
the Scripture. Everything was according to the
Scripture. I trust him, believe on him, rest in him. God said
I would. He said, my sheep will hear my
voice, and they'll follow me. God said you would. You trust
him, Chuck, you believe on him, Danny, rest. God said you would.
He said, my sheep will hear my voice. They'll follow me. Another,
they won't follow. We say, I don't believe him. I just believe a
man to do the best he can. If you walk in religion and do
the best you can, go to heaven, I don't believe Jesus is the
Christ, I don't believe he's the Messiah. God said you'd refuse
him. He said the natural man receives
it, not the things of God. He said there's foolishness to
him. He said that those that are perishing, the preaching
of the cross is foolishness. He said you would. And you fulfilled
the scriptures in refusing him. You fulfilled. Those who are
receiving fulfilled the scriptures. Those who deny Him, fulfill the
Scripture. But I can tell you, everybody here is going to fulfill
God's Word. Going to do God's will. I hope you find your place
in His will. That's the reason I'm preaching
here. That's the reason I took this study and went through the
Scriptures. He fulfills the Word of God.
And I take this Word and I go forth to find the man, the only
man, the one man who fulfilled everything written. I found him.
He's Jesus of Nashville. He's our Lord and our Redeemer.
We don't look for another. He has come.