Sermon #1363 Miscellaneous
Sermons
Title: “The Servants of the Most High God”
Text: Acts 16:17
Readings: Mark Henson and Gary Baker
Subject: One Distinguishing
Characteristic of God’s Servants
Date: Friday Evening – September 3, 1999
20th Annual
Sovereign Grace Bible Conference
Grace Baptist Church of
Danville - Danville, KY
Tape # Conference Tapes --
1999
Introduction:
What
a privilege we have before us this weekend. It will be our privilege to sit
here and hear the gospel of God’s free and sovereign grace in Christ preached,
I trust, in the power of God the Holy Spirit to our hearts, by the servants of
the most high God. Oh, may God be pleased to meet with us, speak to us through
these faithful men, and pour out his Spirit upon us, for the glory of Christ.
It is so difficult to know
how best to open a meeting like this; but I believe the Lord has given me the
message for the occasion. The title of my message tonight is -- “The
Servants of the Most High God.”
Blessed is the man who is
enabled by the grace of God to “discern
between the righteous and the wicked, between him that serveth God and him that
serveth him not” (Mal. 3:18). When I am done, I trust that you will be able
to discern between preachers, between them that serve the Lord and them that
serve him not. You will find my text in Acts chapter sixteen.
In
this sixteenth chapter of Acts, in the verses leading up to our text, the Holy
Spirit has recorded several things that deserve our careful attention. They are
matters full of instruction for our souls.
1st.
He shows us, a very distinct and clear example, that God almighty sends his gospel to some an hides it from others, as he
sees fit. We are told that Paul and Silas “assayed to go Bithynia” (v. 7); but the Holy Spirit would not
allow them to do so. This is a clear, unmistakable demonstration of God’s
sovereign, distinguishing grace. He sends the gospel to some and not to others.
He reveals the gospel to chosen sinners and hides it from the wise and prudent.
Matthew
11:25-26
"At that time Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of
heaven and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent,
and hast revealed them unto babes. (26) Even
so, Father: for so it seemed good in thy sight."
As it
was in that day, so it is in our day. How is it that in some places the gospel
is preached in the power of the Holy Spirit “sent
down from heaven,” while other places are left barren and desolate? Our
Lord explains it this way: "I caused
it to rain upon one city, and caused it not to rain upon another city" (Amos
4:7). The fact is, God has mercy on whom he will have mercy.
2nd,
We are here taught that God’s time is
always the best time. Not only does God send his gospel and his grace
to whom he will, he sends it when he will; and the time he chooses to send it
is the best time for it to be sent. We like to do things and get things done in
our time; but our timing is usually untimely. God’s time is always the best
time.
Paul and Silas wanted to go
to Bithynia at this time; but apparently this was not the right time. It
appears that God’s elect were not there at this time, or at least this was not
the appointed time of love for them However, later the Lord did send his gospel
and his grace there. Some six years after this, Peter speaks of a gospel church
being established there (1 Pet. 1:1). In his own appointed time, the Lord will
both seek and find out his sheep. There
is a set time to favor Zion, an appointed time of love, and a fixed time for
grace to come to chosen, redeemed sinners; and our God is always on time.
Psalms
102:13
"Thou shalt arise, and have
mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come."
Ezekiel
16:8
"Now when I passed by thee, and looked upon thee, behold, thy time was the time of love; and I spread my
skirt over thee, and covered thy nakedness: yea, I sware unto thee, and entered
into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord GOD, and thou becamest mine."
Habakkuk
2:3
"For the vision is yet for an
appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry,
wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry."
The Lord God waits to be gracious
at the appointed time; and the Scriptures tell us that we are “blessed in waiting for the Lord.”
Isaiah
30:18-19
"And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and
therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait for him. (19) For the people shall dwell in Zion
at Jerusalem: thou shalt weep no more: he will be very gracious unto thee at
the voice of thy cry; when he shall hear it, he will answer thee."
Psalms
27:13-14
"I had fainted, unless I had
believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. (14) Wait on the LORD: be of good
courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD."
Lamentations
3:26 "It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait
for the salvation of the LORD."
God’s
ways are not our ways. His thoughts are not our thoughts. We will be wise to
learn to subject our ways and our thoughts to his and wait on him. Paul and
Silas waited “certain days” (v. 12)
at Philippi, until the Lord opened the way before them to preach the gospel
there.
With regard to your soul’s salvation, I
urge you, by way of caution, to wait on the Lord. Do not receive a
substitute grace or substitute salvation. Do not allow anyone to talk you into
a religious profession without the possession of grace. Only God himself can
give you life and faith in Christ. Only God can speak peace to your heart.
As I caution you who are lost to wait
upon the Lord, so too I caution you to wait on the Lord when it comes to the
salvation of others. We sometimes get in a hurry. We want to pick
unripe fruit. In spiritual matters,
haste is hazardous! We do the souls of men no good, but only positive
harm, when we try to manipulate them into a profession of faith.
Regarding all our trials, all our
troubles, all our earthly woes, let us wait on the Lord. God’s time is always the
best time. Our wisest, most responsible course of action is always to wait upon
the Lord.
Isaiah
40:31
"They that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they
shall run, and not be weary; and they
shall walk, and not faint."
3rd, We learn from the story of
Lydia’s conversion that the opening
of the heart is God’s work. When the Spirit of God works by the Word of
God through the preaching of the gospel, chosen, redeemed sinners are converted
by God’s sovereign, irresistible grace. This is what happened to Lydia at
Philippi, “whose heart the Lord opened”
(v. 14). At the appointed time of love…
·
God caused the paths of his servant and the chosen object of his grace
to cross at Philippi.
·
As Paul opened the Scriptures and showed “the way of salvation,” by the public preaching of he gospel, the
Lord wrought his wondrous work of grace in Lydia’s heart.
·
Do you see how God sovereignly secures the salvation of his elect by
the use of the means he has ordained? He
never by-passes the use of his appointed means in accomplishing his work of
grace. There is no need for him to do so. He is God!
4th, Our great and glorious God, in his great
wisdom and goodness, sovereignly overrules all evil for the salvation and
everlasting good of his elect and the glory of his own great name.
Acts
16:16-17
"And it came to pass, as we went to prayer, a certain damsel possessed
with a spirit of divination met us, which brought her masters much gain by
soothsaying: (17) The same followed
Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high
God, which show unto us the way of salvation."
When Balaam
hired himself out to curse Israel, God caused the hireling false prophet to bless
his people. When Caiaphas the high
priest spoke a word intended to consign the Lord of glory to death, the Holy
Spirit caused him to speak a prophetic word that fills believing hearts with
joy to this day, though he had no consciousness of what he said. And when this damsel cried out, “These men are the servants of the most high
God, which show unto us the way of salvation," she knew neither God
nor his salvation. Yet, the Lord God sovereignly used the witch’s words for
much good.
We have no way of knowing
what inspired her to say what she did; but we do know what came to pass as the
result. Paul cast the demon out of her. When her masters saw that they had lost
money because of God’s mercy toward the young witch, they had Paul and Silas
thrown into jail. Why did God permit
this? The time of mercy had come for the crusty old jailer at Philippi.
Psalms
76:10
"Surely the wrath of man shall praise thee: the remainder of wrath shalt
thou restrain."
5th, The text before us teaches
us that there is one trait, one
characteristic that is common to all the servants of the most high God and
distinguishes those who serve God from those who do not serve him.
Acts 16:17 "The same followed
Paul and us, and cried, saying, These men are the servants of the most high
God, which show unto us the way of salvation."
Proposition: Those men who are truly the servants of
the most high God are those men “which
show unto us the way of salvation.”
Knowing the plague of their own
hearts, God’s servants faithfully expose the plague in others. Having tasted for themselves
that the Lord is gracious, they proclaim his grace to all who will hear them.
1 Timothy
1:15
"This is a faithful saying, and
worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save
sinners; of whom I am chief."
Having been taught of God, they know that the Lord
Jesus Christ alone is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. They have come to him.
They have proved for themselves that he is able to save to the uttermost all
who come to God by him. Being sent
forth by God himself, with the unction of the Spirit upon them, all
God’s servants “show unto us the way of
salvation.
Jeremiah
6:16
"Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old
paths, where is the good way, and
walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.”
Matthew
11:28-30
"Come unto me, all ye that
labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (29) Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and
lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. (30) For my yoke is easy,
and my burden is light."
Isaiah
28:12
"This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to
rest; and this is the
refreshing."
Acts 4:12 "Neither is there
salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among
men, whereby we must be saved."
1
Corinthians 2:2 "For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus
Christ, and him crucified."
The servants of the most high God show
you the way of salvation; but they can only show you the way. They
cannot put you in the way. We preach grace; but we cannot communicate grace. Like Joshua and Caleb, who
entered into the land of promise, tasted, the fruits of the land, and brought
back a faithful report of the good things they had seen for themselves, God’s
servants know whom they have believed and give faithful report of that which
they know; but they cannot cause you to enter in. They cannot give you faith.
That is God’s prerogative alone. Faithful gospel preachers are like…
·
Sign Posts on the Road to the City of Refuge.
·
The Star Directing the Wise Men the Bethlehem.
·
The Pole which Held Up the Brazen Serpent.
Yet,
though the servants of the most high God know full well that they have no power
to save anyone, they go forth as they
have been commanded, to preach the gospel of Christ to every creature, and do
so with the same earnestness and zeal as they would if the whole work depended
entirely upon them. We know that…
·
God has a people in this world, loved, chosen and redeemed by him, whom
he will call and cause to hear and know the joyful sound of his free grace in
Christ.
·
He will call them, by the gospel we preach, to life and faith in
Christ.
All the servants of the most high God
depend entirely upon the sovereign will and power of God alone for the success
of their labors. God’s servants know that it is not their ability,
their power, or their skill that determines the efficacy of their labors, but
God’s grace, God’s will, and God’s power.
2
Corinthians 4:7 "But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the
excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us."
Isaiah
55:11
"So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return
unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper
in the thing whereto I sent it."
2
Corinthians 2:15-16 "For we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ, in them that are
saved, and in them that perish: (16) To
the one we are the savour of death
unto death; and to the other the savour of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?"
2
Corinthians 3:4-6 "And such trust have we through Christ to God-ward: (5) Not that we are sufficient of
ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves; but our sufficiency is of God; (6) Who also hath made us able ministers of the new testament; not
of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth
life."
Let me be understood. If I am
God’s servant, I faithfully show you the way of salvation as it is set forth in
the Word of God. If I do not faithfully show you the way of salvation, if I
entertain your immortal soul with any thing else as merrily you drift along to
hell, I am not the servant of God, and I am not the servant of your soul.
I am
going to wrap this message up by defining from the Scriptures what is meant by “the way of salvation” and what is meant
by “showing unto you the way of
salvation.”
I.
The
Way That Seems Right To You Is Not The Way Of Salvation.
Proverbs
12:26
"The righteous is more excellent
than his neighbour: but the way of the
wicked seduceth them."
Proverbs
14:12
"There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death."
Proverbs
16:25
"There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death."
Isaiah
28:15-19
"Because ye have said, We have made
a covenant with death, and with hell are we at agreement; when the
overflowing scourge shall pass through, it shall not come unto us: for we have made lies our refuge, and under
falsehood have we hid ourselves: (16) Therefore
thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay
in Zion for a foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure foundation: he that
believeth shall not make haste. (17) Judgment
also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet: and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of
lies, and the waters shall overflow the hiding place. (18) And your covenant with
death shall be disannulled, and your agreement with hell shall not stand;
when the overflowing scourge shall pass through, then ye shall be trodden down
by it. (19) From the time that it
goeth forth it shall take you: for morning by morning shall it pass over, by
day and by night: and it shall be a vexation only to understand the report."
2
Corinthians 13:5 "Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your
own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you,
except ye be reprobates?"
A. The way of salvation is not by the works of the law,
or works of religion, or works of righteousness which you may perform.
1. Your works can never satisfy
the law and justice of God.
2. If salvation were by your
works, or could be attained by your works, then Christ died in vain.
Galatians
3:21 "Is the law then against the
promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have
given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law."
3.
God has plainly declared that our works can never save us or contribute
anything to the work of salvation.
Romans 11:6 "And if by grace, then
is it no more of works: otherwise
grace is no more grace. But if it be of
works, then is it no more grace: otherwise work is no more work."
Titus 3:5 "Not by works of
righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by
the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.”
The
very best works that we can perform are sin. Our very righteousnesses are an
abomination to God, just filthy rags in his sight. We can no more be saved by doing good than we can by doing evil. The
good we do is evil and deserves eternal damnation!
·
You can no more be saved by keeping the ten commandments than you can
by breaking them, because you best efforts at keeping the law are, at best,
breaking the law!
·
You can no more be saved by baptism, church membership, and observing
the ordinances of Divine worship than you can by going to some place of carnal
amusement, because our very best attempts at worshipping God are full of
irreverence and unbelief!
·
If you cannot be saved by keeping God’s law, observing God’s
ordinances, and doing good works, you certainly cannot be saved by walking to
the front of a church, kneeling at an altar, or saying what preachers call the sinner’s prayer!
B. The way of salvation is not the exercise of your
imaginary free will, your decision
for Jesus, or your letting Jesus into
your heart!
You
cannot even cure a toothache by your free will! Yet, men think that the
salvation of their souls and the work and purpose of God hangs upon man’s will.
What nonsense!
Salvation
is not by our works or our will, but by God’s work and God’s will!
Psalms
115:1
"Not unto us, O LORD, not unto us, but unto thy name give glory, for thy
mercy, and for thy truth's
sake."
Ephesians
2:8-9
"For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: (9) Not of works, lest any man should
boast."
2 Timothy
1:9
"Who hath saved us, and called us with
an holy calling, not according to our works, but according to his own purpose
and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began."
Romans 9:16 "So then it is not of him that willeth, nor of
him that runneth, but of God that showeth mercy."
II. The Way Of Salvation Is The
Lord Jesus Christ Alone. He Is God’s Salvation!
John
10:9-11
"I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go
in and out, and find pasture. (10) The
thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that
they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. (11) I
am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep."
John 11:25 "Jesus said unto her,
I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were
dead, yet shall he live."
John 14:6 "Jesus saith unto him,
I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by
me."
John
20:30-31
"And many other signs truly did Jesus in the presence of his disciples,
which are not written in this book: (31) But
these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of
God; and that believing ye might have life through his name."
Acts 4:12 "Neither is there
salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among
men, whereby we must be saved."
1 John
5:10-13
"He that believeth on the Son of God hath the witness in himself: he that
believeth not God hath made him a liar; because he believeth not the record
that God gave of his Son. (11) And
this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in
his Son. (12) He that hath the Son
hath life; and he that hath not the
Son of God hath not life. (13) These
things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that
ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of
the Son of God."
Christ alone is salvation. The only
way salvation can be had by us is by looking to, believing on, trusting the
Lord Jesus Christ; and the only way we can or will do that is if he gives us
the grace and faith to do so.
A. Christ alone brought in
everlasting righteousness by his obedience to God.
B. Christ alone satisfied the
justice of God for the sins of his people by the sacrifice of himself.
C. Christ alone procured peace
and pardon for sinners by his blood.
D. Christ alone obtained
eternal redemption for us, when he entered into heaven with is own blood.
E. It is through Christ alone
that both grace and glory are given to sinners who deserve death and hell.
This way of salvation revealed in the gospel
and faithfully preached and shown to sinners by the servants of the most high
God is the only way of salvation that…
·
Is agreeable to and honors all the perfections of God’s holy character
and is worthy of our great God.
·
Is suitable to the needs of poor, guilty, helpless, depraved, and
spiritually dead sinners.
·
Is able to give sinners a well grounded assurance before God.
2 Timothy
1:12
"For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not
ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to
keep that which I have committed unto him against that day."
If something must be done by
you, be it ever so small, then there is no hope for real sinners. But here is a
salvation that drives despair from my wretched soul. Christ says, “ am thy
salvation.”
Moreover,
this is a way of salvation in which none have ever perished. Salvation that depends
upon the sinner cannot last very long. But that salvation which Christ
accomplished, which Christ purchased, which Christ performs, which Christ
preserves, and which Christ is lasts forever!
Ecclesiastes
3:14
"I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be
put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear
before him."
John 10:28 "And I give unto them
eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand."
III. This Salvation, Which Is The Lord’s, Is In Its Entirety The Work Of
God’s Pure, Free, Sovereign Grace.
I
will not spend much time on this now, because this will, I am sure, be
addressed (in one way or another) by each of the other men who will preach to
us during the conference; but I want you to see that salvation is the work of
all three of the Divine Persons in the Holy Trinity, the Father, the Son, and
the Holy Spirit.
A. We see the hand of God the Father in his plan and
purpose of grace in predestination, securing salvation for us and effectually
drawing us to Christ.
Ephesians
1:3-6
"Blessed be the God and Father
of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in
heavenly places in Christ: (4) According as he hath chosen us in
him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without
blame before him in love: (5) Having
predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself,
according to the good pleasure of his will,
(6) To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us
accepted in the beloved."
John
6:44-45
"No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and
I will raise him up at the last day. (45)
It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every
man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto
me."
B. We see the hand of God the Son in salvation,
purchasing us with his own blood and interceding for us by the merits of his
blood in heaven.
Galatians
2:20
"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ
liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of
the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me."
1 Peter 2:24 "Who his own self bare
our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live
unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed."
1 Peter
3:18
"For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust,
that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened
by the Spirit:"
C. We see the hand of God the Holy Spirit in this great
work of salvation and grace, effectually convincing every chosen, redeemed
sinner both of his need of Christ and of the efficacy of Christ’s redemptive
work.
John
16:8-11
"And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of
righteousness, and of judgment: (9) Of
sin, because they believe not on me; (10)
Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more; (11) Of judgment, because the prince of
this world is judged."
From beginning to end God’s salvation is
God’s work. It shows forth the glory of his grace in Christ. It displays
the unceasing love of his heart toward us and the complete devotion of his
infinite Being to us.
Jeremiah
32:41
"Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in
this land assuredly with my whole heart and with my whole soul."
Application: Who are the servants of the most high
God? “These men are the servants of the
most high God, which show unto us the way of salvation.”
I
have once more shown you, to the best of my ability, the way of salvation and
life in Christ. Salvation is…
·
By Grace Alone.
·
Through Faith Alone.
·
In Christ Alone.
Now, I pray that God, who
alone is able to do so, will be pleased to grant to you his salvation in
Christ.
·
I call on you to repent, praying that God will grant you repentance.
·
I call you to faith in Christ, praying that God will give you faith.
·
I call you to come to Christ, praying that the most high God, whose
servant I am, will graciously and effectually bring you to Christ by the
irresistible grace and power of his Holy Spirit, making you willing in he day
of his power.
Amen.