Let's begin our worship singing in Psalm 95.
Psalm number 95 in the Scottish Psalter, that's on page 357.
The tune is Lingam, verses 1 to 6.
O come, let us sing to the Lord. Come, let us everyone a joyful noise make to the rock of our salvation.
Let us before his presence come with praise and thankful voice.
Let us sing psalms to him with grace and make a joyful noise.
Verses 1 to 6, and if you're able to stand, please stand for the singing.
A joyful noise make to the rock of our salvation, of our salvation, of our salvation, of our salvation.
Let us before his presence come with praise and thankful voice.
Let us sing psalms to him with praise and make a joyful noise.
And make a joyful noise.
For God a great, God a great King, above all God's He is, above all God's He is.
The strength of His, above all God's He is.
hymn I am magnified.
For God's Jesus, above all God's He is.
Before His, above all God's He is on earth.
For God's He is a great King of His, above all God's He is.
His hands, it's for my worship here, it's for my worship here, it's for my worship here.
O come, let us worship him, let us bow down with all, let us bow down with all, and on our knees before the Lord.
O come, let us bow down with all, let us bow down with all, let us bow down with all.
Let's now join together in prayer.
Our prayer at this point is for the young folks in the Sunday School and tweenies especially.
So let's join together in prayer.
Lord our God, we give thanks that you have reminded us and taught us in these great words we have sung,
that you are our God and our King, that you are worthy of all our worship,
that you are the one who has created us and brought us into being and sustains us, keeps us from day to day.
We thank you today that we are here together in relation to the gospel, to the worship of your name.
Help us to be, as we were singing, a people who draw near to God, to give him thanks, to call upon his name, to receive our strength from you.
Blessed today we pray, our young people, we give thanks for them and we give thanks that they are assured they belong to the congregation and are valuable to us.
We give thanks, Lord, especially that they are precious in your eyes.
We pray that your blessing will be with them today.
And as they receive teaching from your word, help them, we pray, to take this into their own hearts
and enable them to act accordingly and live in accordance with your truth.
And keep them as well in the world, O Lord, from all that is harmful.
Shield them about, we pray, with your own protective care.
And give them from day to day to know that you are their God and their King also.
So bless them now, we pray, and help them in all that they do in school and in their time of holiday
to reflect upon God and to think upon him and to realize the preciousness of knowing him
and of placing their trust in him.
Hear us now, we pray, and pardon our sin for Jesus' sake.
Amen.
Okay, today I'm going to ask you to remember 3, 2, 1.
Do you think I'll remember that?
3, 2, 1.
Quite easy to remember.
What do I mean remembering 3, 2, 1?
Well, 3 days, 2 events, and 1 person.
Can anybody think of what the 3 days might be?
The 3 days are the 3 days from the time that Jesus was crucified
until he rose from the dead 3 days after that.
3 important days.
Probably the 3 most important days in the whole history of the world or of mankind.
Because in these 3 days, the Son of God, Jesus, gave himself to die on the cross for our sins.
The middle day, nothing happened, but his body was still in the tomb.
And then on the 3rd day, he rose again from the dead, conquering death.
And so went afterwards back to heaven to God's right hand.
3 important days.
And the things that happened on these 3 important days are also important events.
So 3 important days, but 2 important events.
Firstly, his death on the cross.
And then secondly, his resurrection arising from the dead.
2 important events.
2 important events during these 3 important days.
His death on the cross was the death that was due to us for our sins.
But he took our sins and he died that death.
And after he had died, his body was placed in the sepulcher.
And the death of Jesus is presented in the Bible to us as so, so important.
Because by his death and then his resurrection afterwards, we come to be saved.
When we come to trust in him, all that he did by his death on the cross and his resurrection from the grave,
all that he did, all that that means, the salvation that that obtained for us,
becomes ours as we trust in him.
So the 2 important events, the death of Jesus and the resurrection of Jesus.
You'll find in the Gospels a description of how the disciples, Peter and John especially,
went to where he had been buried.
And his body wasn't there.
And 2 angels were there.
And they were told that he had risen from the dead.
And he met with them afterwards, sometime later, and with others.
Because he was now alive.
And that is the most important event along with his death in the history of the world.
Three important days.
Two important events.
One important person.
Because it's all about Jesus.
It's all about Jesus.
This Bible is all about Jesus.
The Lord describes God the Father, God the Holy Spirit, ourselves, the creation, so many, many things.
But Jesus really is the main figure in it.
The Savior who came to save us as sinners.
3-2-1.
If I ask you tomorrow, 3-2-1, do you think you'll remember what 3-2-1 means?
I know you will.
Three days.
Two events.
One person.
Okay.
We're going to say the Lord's Prayer together.
Let's say the Lord's Prayer.
Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever.
Amen.
We're going to sing again now to God's praise this time.
It's in Psalm 40.
Sing Psalms in Psalm 40, verses 1-5.
The tune is Walton.
I waited long upon the Lord.
He heard my cry and turned to me.
He raised me from the slimy pit.
And from the mire he pulled me free.
He set my feet on solid rock, a place to stand both firm and broad.
He put a new song in my mouth.
A joyful hymn of praise to God.
Verses 1-5 of Psalm 40.
I waited long upon the Lord.
He heard my cry and turned to me.
He raised me from the slimy pit.
And from the mire he pulled me free.
He set my feet on solid rock, a place to stand both firm and broad.
He put a new song in my mouth.
And from the mire he put a new song in my mouth.
And from the mire he puts a new song in my mouth.
And from the mire he put a new song in my mouth.
to God.
Then he will live with
godly fear, and on the
Lord alone rely.
Blessed are they who
trust the Lord, who
shone the proud and lost
the light.
The wonders you have done,
O Lord, how many and
how great they are.
Your plans, what else are
far beyond our
how to
number or declare.
Let's turn now to read God's word.
We find that today in Acts chapter 4,
book of the Acts of the Apostles, chapter 4.
We're going to read verses 1 to 22.
This is just following on the account we have of Peter and John and some of the ways in which they addressed the people.
So at chapter 4 at the beginning,
as they were speaking to the people,
the priests and the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them,
greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection from the dead.
And they arrested them and put them in custody until the next day, for it was already evening.
But many of those who had heard the word believed, and the number of the men came to about five thousand.
On the next day, the rulers and elders and scribes gathered together in Jerusalem with Annas, the high priest, and Caiaphas, and John, and Alexander, and all who were of the high priestly family.
And when they had set them in the midst, they inquired,
By what power or by what name did you do this?
Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them,
Rulers of the people and elders, if we are being examined today concerning a good deed done to a crippled man,
by what means this man has been healed,
let it be known to all of you and all the people of Israel
that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,
whom you crucified,
whom God raised from the dead,
by him this man is standing before you well.
This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders,
which has become the cornerstone.
And there is salvation in no one else,
for there is no other name under heaven given among men
by which we must be saved.
Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John,
and perceived that they were uneducated, common men,
they were astonished,
and they recognized that they had been with Jesus.
But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them,
they had nothing to say in opposition.
But when they had commanded them to leave the council,
they conferred with one another,
saying,
What shall we do with these men?
For that a notable sign has been performed through them
is evident to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem,
and we cannot deny it.
But in order that it spread no further among the people,
let us warn them to speak no more to anyone in this name.
So they called them,
and charged them not to speak or teach at all
in the name of Jesus.
But Peter and John answered them,
Whether it is right in the sight of God
to listen to you rather than to God,
you must judge,
for we cannot but speak
of what we have seen and heard.
And when they had further threatened them,
they let them go,
finding no way to punish them,
because of the people,
for all were praising God for what had happened.
For the man on whom this sign of healing was performed
was more than forty years old.
Amen.
May God follow with this blessing that reading of his word.
Let's again call upon his name in prayer.
Our gracious God,
we give thanks for the assurance that your word gives us
of your own resurrection from the dead,
that you preside over all things
for your church and the happenings of this world.
We thank you today, Lord,
that we are gathered to worship you.
We would not be here without the desire to worship you.
We pray that that desire, Lord,
may find its fruition
in another knowledge of you in our hearts,
another experience of your spirit
applying your word to us.
Lord, we pray today that as we gather here,
so you would come to meet with us.
We thank you that you indwell your people
by your Holy Spirit.
We pray that we may know that you are here in our midst.
We ask for your blessing.
We pray for your blessing.
But we know that without your blessing, O Lord,
the purpose of our gathering will not be fulfilled.
Even though we could find ourselves following
matter and form in our worship and in our gathering,
it is your spirit alone that quickens us.
It is your spirit alone that applies your word savingly to us.
We pray to you today that that spirit
will actually be manifested in our midst
and active in our own experience.
We ask your blessing today, Lord,
upon all the gatherings of your people,
wherever they be.
We thank you today that there are many,
many people throughout the world
who gather as we do on this Lord's Day,
a day that reminds us, O Lord,
and teaches us of your own resurrection from the dead,
not only at this time of year,
but every Lord's Day that passes,
every Lord's Day that we come to experience,
is one that reminds us of the resurrection
of our Lord from the dead.
And we do thank you today, Lord,
for this reminder once again,
as we gather here today,
that we come before you to give thanks
for the risen Jesus,
for the Christ who died and rose from the dead,
and from the way that in being made acceptable
to yourself in all,
that he did as his Father in heaven.
So we too are gathered, Lord,
under all that he has obtained,
and pray and plead these things in your presence
for our acceptance also.
We ask your blessing to be with us here as a congregation.
We pray that all our activities, Lord,
in association with the life of the congregation
may go on being blessed by you.
We thank you for every encouragement that you give us,
that your work is going on amongst us,
that your Spirit is active,
that your people are engaged in the work of the Gospel,
that there are others who are interested, Lord,
in the Gospel and in all that it has to say to them.
We pray today that for each one of us,
your Word may be alive and vibrant in our experience,
that we may know it, Lord, as your Word,
piercing into the inmost parts of our souls
and giving us to further our knowledge of you
and giving us especially to rejoice in your salvation,
to rejoice in the victory that you have achieved
in your triumph over sin and over death.
So bless, we pray,
each and every aspect of the congregation's life,
every home, every family, every individual.
We commend ourselves, Lord, to you today
and ask that you would richly bless us
even beyond what we are able to ask or even think.
Remember those of our number today
who cannot be with us,
those at home through illness or old age,
we pray for them.
We thank you for the facility of livestream
by which they and others are able to partake
of this time of worship.
We pray that you would be with them, Lord,
in their circumstances.
We pray for those who are receiving treatment
at this time.
We ask that you would be pleased
to bless that to them and bless them under it.
We pray that you would bless those
who are anticipating treatment or surgery
in days to come.
We ask, Lord, that you would be with them also
to give them the calmness of heart and of mind
that would trust in yourself
and realize that all things do work together for good
to those who love the Lord,
who are called according to His purpose.
We pray too, O Lord,
for those who at this time are anxious over loved ones,
those who have difficulties of mental health,
difficult to do with addictions,
other things that cause anxiety among families,
those who have bereavement and sorrow
to contend with,
the loss of loved ones.
We commend them all to you today
and ask, O Lord, as we come together here
that we would remember them constantly,
for we know that there are so many in the world
who have problems greater than our own.
We pray for those today, Lord,
who watch over loved ones injured in hospital.
We pray again for William Graham
as he spends time in recovery.
Lord, we pray that your good hand
will be upon him today
and that the slight improvements
that he has shown over the past week
will themselves be an indication,
Lord, that your hand is upon him.
We pray that your good hand
will lead him to further health and strength,
be with Morag and with the family
at this anxious time for them
and with all in the wider family as well.
We ask, O gracious God,
that you be pleased to lay your healing touch upon him,
be near to him in his soul as well.
Lord, we thank you that even when outwardly
there may be little sign
or only a small sign of consciousness,
yet, Lord, we know that you are able
to reach into our inmost soul.
So we pray for him and for his family
and commend them to you
and all other families today
who have experiences like this
and who we know may not belong to us
as a congregation,
and yet we know of them
and we know of them in our community.
We pray for them again today.
Bless us as a nation.
Bless us in these tumultuous times.
We ask for your own blessing, Lord,
for those in government over us.
We pray that you would lead them in your ways.
Help them to value
and to live by your truths,
your commands, your promises.
We long for the day, Lord,
when we will see a movement of that kind
in our nation.
We pray to you as the God
who is able to do this
and turn us again into your ways.
So be with us now throughout the day, we pray.
Hear us now and pardon our sins
and cleanse us for Jesus' sake.
Amen.
We'll sing once more
before we turn back to this passage of Scripture
in the book of Acts.
We'll sing in Psalm 68
in the Scottish Psalter,
verses 18 to 20
to the tune Covenanters.
And in the book of Acts and Ephesians,
it's made clear to us
that these words are prophetic
of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ
from the dead,
as he has ascended up on high
and led captivity.
In other words,
has overcome sin and death
and left them vanquished.
So we'll sing these four verses.
Thou hast, O Lord, most glorious.
Ascended upon high
and in triumph, victorious
and captive, captive, captive,
captive, captive, captive, captive,
and in triumph, victorious,
and captive, captive, captive,
thou hast received it for men,
for such a child to rebel,
in the book of Acts.
In the book of Acts,
the Lord is the Lord,
in the midst of them I dwell.
In the midst of them I dwell.
Let's feed the Lord to his true trust,
of our salvation God.
Who live with his benefit,
as well as he has seen the Lord.
As well as he has seen the Lord.
Who live with his benefit,
as well as he has seen the Lord.
He of salvation is our God,
who is our God most strong.
And unto God the Lord from death,
the issues to belong.
The issues to belong.
And unto God the Lord from death,
the issues to belong.
Let's turn now to Acts chapter 4,
where we read a short time ago.
And let's read again from verse 8.
Then Peter filled with the Holy Spirit,
said to them,
Rulers of the people and elders,
if we are being examined today
concerning a good deed done to a crippled man,
by what means this man has been healed,
let it be known to all of you
and to all the people of Israel,
that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,
whom you crucified,
whom God raised from the dead,
by him this man is standing before you well.
This Jesus is the stone that was rejected
by you the builders,
which has become the cornerstone.
And there is salvation in no one else,
for there is no other name under heaven
given among men
by which we must be saved.
Prejudice always blinds people
to some aspects of reality,
even to the most important things
that we should know.
Prejudice always has that effect.
It closes minds.
Minds not prepared to think of any other possibilities,
but that which prejudice thinks of
as the only important thing.
And you can see that here in this chapter.
You can see here in verse 9, for example,
if we are being examined today
concerning a good deed done to a crippled man,
by what means this man has been healed,
let it be known to all of you.
In other words,
Peter is really saying,
what is the sense in you focusing on
what you're focusing on to these Sadducees
and the priests and the captain,
the rulers there,
the spiritual rulers at the time?
What is the sense in focusing
with your objections to what we're doing
when you can see for yourselves
that a good deed,
a good deed,
a deed which really is a holy deed,
to a crippled man,
a man who really was in dire need
of such a thing,
of such help being given to him,
what is the sense
in just ignoring that,
in just putting that to the side
and focusing instead
on your objections to us
and to the Lord
and the gospel that we preach.
They should have rejoiced
that this man who had been crippled
and is now restored,
that they should have rejoiced
that this was indeed the case now with him.
Instead,
they're finding fault with James,
with Peter and John
and the other disciples.
They're finding fault with them
for what they're doing.
Now, they knew,
fine,
when they were asking this question,
who has actually given you the power?
In verse 7,
by what power
or by what name
did you do this?
They knew very well
by what name
they were doing this
because you go back
to the beginning of the chapter,
as they were speaking,
the priests
and the captain of the temple
and the Sadducees
came upon them
greatly annoyed
because they were teaching the people
and proclaiming in Jesus
the resurrection from the dead.
They well knew
by what name
they were doing this.
They well knew
the nature of the message
that they were giving,
that it was about Jesus
and about the resurrection.
And yet,
they are so prejudiced
against these men
and against Jesus
that this is what
they're focusing on.
And Peter responds,
and it's interesting
and important,
the beginning of verse 8 there,
that you see the description,
Peter filled
with the Holy Spirit
said to them.
Peter was not giving
his own opinion.
Peter was not doing
anything less
than speaking
in the name of God
and by the Spirit of God.
And so,
what he said to them here
was something
that had come
from the Holy Spirit's
indwelling of his person.
And therefore,
added even more
significance to it.
And two things
I want to take
from this passage
briefly today
about Jesus.
First of all,
here is Jesus
the powerful Savior.
And secondly,
here is Jesus
the only Savior.
Jesus the powerful Savior.
Jesus the only Savior.
Now, they see,
they had asked them here
in verse 7,
by what name,
by what power,
or by what name
do you do this?
And Peter in his reply,
let it be known to you
and to all the people
of Israel,
by the name
of Jesus Christ
of Nazareth,
by him,
this man is standing
before you well.
Now, the name
is something
that goes back
to the Old Testament.
because the name of God
was associated
with the character,
with the attributes,
with the ability
of God.
You go back
away to,
for example,
to Exodus,
chapter 34
of Exodus.
Remember God
revealing himself
there to Moses.
And when,
especially in verses
5 to 7,
we read that the Lord
came down
in the presence
of Moses.
The Lord descended
in the cloud
and stood with him there
and proclaimed
the name
of the Lord.
And that explains
to us
what is meant
by proclaiming
the name of the Lord
by God himself.
The Lord passed
before him
and proclaimed
the Lord,
a God merciful
and gracious,
slow to anger,
abounding
in steadfast love
and faithfulness,
keeping steadfast love
for thousands,
forgiving iniquity
and transgression
and sin,
but who will
by no means
clear the guilty
and so on.
In other words,
what is happening
there is God
is actually unfolding
for Moses
the contents
of his name,
what his name
signifies,
what his name
is actually
to be understood
as containing,
what God's character
is like,
what God's attribute
is like,
what God is like.
And you take that
with you
into Acts,
the name of Jesus.
And as you read
through these early
chapters of Acts,
you'll find that sometimes
all it says
is that,
for example,
they were accounted
worthy themselves,
they saw themselves
worthy of suffering
for the name.
Because the name
is really identical
with Jesus
who is identical
with God.
And here is
the name of Jesus,
the name that really
means exactly the same
as what it means
in the Old Testament,
the name of God,
the contents
of the name of God,
the attributes of God.
Remember in John chapter 1,
for example,
speaking about the way
in which Jesus,
the Son of God,
came into the world.
He came to his own,
but his own
did not receive him.
But to those
who did receive him,
to them he gave
the authority,
the power,
the authority,
to become
or be known
as the children of God.
to all those
who believed
in his name.
In his name.
Who took him
to be what he himself
claimed to be.
Who saw in him,
in his characteristics
and character
and attributes,
the very God
who is the Savior
of his people.
And this is what
Peter is presenting
to them here
in this incident
in Acts chapter 4.
You see the same thing
in chapter 3.
You go back
to verse 16
of chapter 3.
His name,
by faith in his name,
has made this man strong
whom you see and know.
And the faith
that is through Jesus
has given this man
this perfect health
in the presence
of you all.
You see the way
the name again
is a feature there.
And his name.
By faith in his name.
But there's the extra,
the added detail there.
By faith in his name.
Which of course
is such an important addition.
It's not just the fact
of knowing
who Jesus is,
but knowing Jesus
for yourself
that brings you
in to experience
the benefits
of all that he has done
by his death
and resurrection.
Faith in his name.
You see he's saying
we're looking
at the power of Jesus.
Jesus the powerful Savior.
Savior.
But you only come
to experience
the power of Jesus
for yourself
when you place
your faith
and your confidence
and your trust in him.
When you come
to believe in his name.
When you receive him
as he's offered
in the gospel.
When you actually say
this is the Savior I need.
This is the Savior I want.
This is the Savior
that I require.
This Savior who has
all of these attributes
and characteristics.
This must be
my Savior too.
who believe
in his name.
Who believe in him.
By him,
Peter says,
this man
is standing
before you well.
But then he went on
to add to that
whom you crucified.
This Jesus of Nazareth.
You see he's describing him
with all of these words.
Jesus Christ of Nazareth.
In other words,
he's saying
the very same
historical figure
that you knew
prior to his crucifixion.
This Jesus of Nazareth
whom you crucified,
whom God raised
from the dead,
by him,
this man is standing
before you well.
What a lot,
Peter packs into
that one statement.
the name of Jesus,
the characteristics
of God,
the historical figure
of Jesus,
the actual person
who lived
as Jesus of Nazareth,
who was crucified,
who rose from the dead,
or whom God raised
from the dead.
In other words,
God set his own
imprimatur
or acceptance
on him,
his mark of acceptance,
and raising him
from the dead.
Remember,
the resurrection
of Jesus
is itself
an indication
of God's full acceptance
of the death
he died on the cross.
And God is really saying
by the resurrection
of Christ from the dead,
by raising his son
from the dead,
everything that that cross
has done,
everything that happened
on that cross,
has covered
all of my requirements
as God
with respect to sin.
And so he is now
raised from the dead
and set him
at his own right hand.
This Jesus,
he says,
by him
is this man
standing
before you
whole or healed.
You see,
this is the emphasis
of the gospel.
The very one
who died
on the cross,
the very one
who came
as Jesus
of Nazareth
to live
amongst us
human beings,
the very one
who was raised
from the dead
by God the Father.
He is the Savior.
He is the powerful one.
He is the one
who has the ability
to change lives,
to turn things around.
The one
who is
despised
because of
his death
on the cross.
It's the very one
that did this
is what Peter
is saying.
And that's why
really the language
he's using
is a language
that is really
setting before
these people,
you know,
it's as if he was saying,
you know,
it's remarkable
that when you know
what this man
has been
and is now,
this crippled man,
and when you know
that's by the message
that we present
of Jesus of Nazareth
that he has done this,
it's remarkable
that you're still
so prejudiced
in your views,
that you're still
against him
and against the idea
of resurrection.
Jesus,
the powerful Savior,
do you know him
for yourself today?
Has he come
into your experience
as the powerful Savior?
Have you been rescued
from your sins?
Have your sins
been dealt with
in the sense
in which the cross
of Christ
has particularly
been taken by you
as God's answer
for your sins?
Has this Christ
who died
today come
to live in your life?
Have you come
to place your faith
in his name?
is your trust
in this name
that carries
all the characteristics
and the attributes
of God
so as to rescue us
from our sins?
Are we today
saved
through faith
in the name
of Jesus?
The powerful
Savior.
That's one thing
to be able
to say,
I know he's
the powerful Savior
Savior from what
I find written
in the Bible,
from what other
people tell me.
But friend,
you have to be
able to say
as I have to be
able to say,
he is my
powerful Savior.
He's a powerful
Savior to me
also.
So Jesus,
the powerful Savior,
and secondly,
Jesus,
the only Savior.
Peter went on
that this
Jesus,
in verse 11,
is the stone
that was rejected
by you,
the builders,
which has become
the cornerstone,
and there is salvation
in no one else,
for there is no other
name under heaven
given among men
by which we must
be saved.
Now he speaks here
of the cornerstone,
and that's going back
to the Old Testament
too,
as you know,
back to the likes
of Psalm 118,
where it's mentioned
as the cornerstone
that the builders
rejected,
the same has become
the head of the corner.
In fact,
you'll find in
Matthew chapter 21,
you'll find a reference
to that
on the part of
Jesus himself,
who obviously
saw himself
as the fulfillment
of the cornerstone
of the spiritual temple,
as he's there
in the parable
of the tenants,
and in Matthew 21,
you come to verse 42,
Jesus said to them,
have you never read
in the Scriptures?
The stone that the
builders rejected
has become
the cornerstone.
This was the Lord's
doing,
and marvelous
in our eyes,
and so on.
So there is Jesus
obviously presenting
himself as the
fulfillment of that
great prophecy.
And what is the
cornerstone?
Well, the cornerstone
literally is the
chief foundation
stone of a building,
especially in those
days.
And not only is it
the chief foundation
stone that takes
a lot of the
strain of the
building,
but it also,
it's the stone
that sets the
angle of the
walls that
follow out from
it, if you like.
The stone had to
be a perfect
shape,
perfectly angled,
so that every
other stone that
was then set in
relation to it
would actually
have a proper
straight line or
be in the right
direction.
So the cornerstone
is the vital stone
in the building.
It's not the stone
at the top of an
arch, as some
people think it
might be.
It's actually a
stone set in the
foundation, takes
some of the strain,
a lot of the strain,
but it also sets the
angles for the
building.
In other words,
Jesus, as he is the
cornerstone spiritually
of the spiritual
temple, the angles of
our lives are set by
that.
The direction of your
life is set by that.
The direction of the
church of God, as it's
founded upon Jesus,
founded upon that
foundation, as it is
really related to that
foundation stone.
He is the vital angle
setter, if you like,
for your life, the
direction setter for
your life and for the
life of his people.
And of course, the Jews
were waiting for that
fulfillment.
They knew the Messiah,
the promised Messiah,
was coming, that he was
coming into the world,
that it was going to
happen in the history
of humanity.
But they rejected
Jesus as their
Messiah.
They're still waiting
for their Messiah,
most of the Jewish
people are, who have
that religious attitude
to life.
He has been set as the
cornerstone through his
death and resurrection.
The cornerstone was set
by God through the
incarnation, the God
Son taking our
humanity, and then his
death and his
resurrection and his
ascension, but especially
his death and his
resurrection.
These are the means by
which the stone was set,
by which he was set as
the cornerstone in the
building.
That's where the
offense is.
Who's going to accept
somebody who was
crucified on the cross?
Somebody who couldn't
save himself as it was
put at the time?
How can he be the
Savior of sinners?
How can he be
almighty?
How can he be the one
that has power over
death?
Well, of course, you're
going to come to
appreciate that when you
really believe in him
and trust in him and get
to know him and realize
his power in your own
life, that that is
exactly who he is.
The death and
resurrection and
exaltation of Jesus,
the cornerstone of God's
spiritual temple, what a
tragedy that they rejected
having examined him, as
they did literally before he
was crucified.
We have no other king but
Caesar.
having examined him, they
came to the conclusion, no,
he's not for us.
He doesn't meet with our
expectations, with our
measurements of the
cornerstone.
And so, crucify him.
Crucify him.
What a great tragedy that was
for them at the time.
What a great tragedy that
that's still happening in
our world.
That this Jesus presented
in the gospel, this cross
of Christ, this death of
Christ, this resurrection
from the dead, is so much
not only put aside but often
ridiculed as being absolutely
ridiculous nonsense.
Who can possibly believe in
such a thing as foundational
for the development of human
life and human expectations?
You see, that's the tragedy
that human beings like you
and I, and most of us
probably did the same until
we came by God's grace to
know the truth for ourselves.
The very one who meets all
our need is the one that we
choose to reject.
This very one, that's what
Peter is getting at.
This Jesus of Nazareth,
whom you crucified,
whom God raised from the dead,
by him is this man standing
before you well.
This Jesus is the stone
that was rejected by you,
the builders,
but has become the cornerstone.
Whether they like it or not,
that's really what has happened.
And that's what the gospel
is saying to us today.
It doesn't matter how many
millions of people in the world
think otherwise.
He is the cornerstone.
He is the foundation of hopes
for human beings.
He is the foundation of our salvation,
of our redemption.
Nothing's going to change that.
And even if the likes of you
and I go on refusing him,
it's not going to change
who he is,
what he has done,
what he is for,
why he's important.
And he goes on to say,
there is salvation
in no one else.
And Peter is being
so emphatic in what he says.
He's the stone
that was rejected by you.
There is salvation
in no one else.
For there is no other name
under heaven
given among men
by which we must be saved.
saved.
And the word saved,
as you find it there
in verse 12,
is exactly the same word
as you find in verse 9,
for healed.
And you'll find that often
in the Gospels
that some of the miracles
that Jesus did
actually include
an emphasis on being made whole.
Being made whole.
For example,
you find a woman
with the hemorrhage of blood
where you find
Matthew chapter 9,
verse 22,
and the other accounts
of it as well.
You'll find this is
what Jesus said to her.
Your faith has made you whole.
Literally.
It may be not always
translated that way,
but that's exactly
what this word means.
To be saved,
you see,
means to have your whole person
brought under the provision
that Christ has made
of salvation
so that ultimately,
if you think of it
ultimately in heaven,
that is what human beings
in heaven
in their state of resurrection
and glory will be.
They will be whole.
They will be entire.
Mentally,
spiritually,
physically,
they will be perfect.
They will be saved.
All the vestiges
of sin,
of death,
will have gone.
That's what Jesus
came into the world for.
To make us whole.
To put together
what we,
by our sin,
fragmented
and tore apart.
And He came into the world
to mend this.
To fix this.
To make us whole.
To be the kind
of human beings
that God
created us for.
Salvation,
you see,
really restores
everything.
It restores
everything we lost
in our sin
against God.
restores
our righteousness.
Restores
our perfect holiness
ultimately.
Restores
our relationship
with God.
Our relationship
to God's requirements.
Everything
that we require
is restored
in Christ.
Go your way,
He said to the woman.
Your faith
has made you whole.
Salvation
is making you
whole,
entire.
the very thing
that we need.
And there is no other
name given
amongst men
whereby
we must be saved.
You see the name,
the word name
is used again there.
There is no other
name under heaven
given among men
by which we must be saved.
In other words,
he's really,
Peter is really
making his point again
forcibly
and emphatically.
there is no one
else that has
these attributes
that Jesus has.
Nobody else
has the name
that he has
because he is God.
Nobody but God
has that name,
has these attributes,
these qualities.
No other name
is given
under heaven
amongst men.
It's all in him.
Muhammad doesn't have it.
Buddha doesn't have it.
Hindu gods
don't have it.
The Christ of liberal
theologians
doesn't have it.
Secularism
doesn't have it.
Atheism
doesn't have it.
It's nowhere else.
It's all here
in the person
of Jesus.
There is no
other name
given under heaven
whereby we must
be saved.
You know,
I think we've lost
in our nation
and even through
the church,
in a wider sense
at least,
we've lost
something of
the dishonor
that's done
to Jesus
when any alternatives
are placed along
with him
as the means
to salvation.
It's a dishonor
to the name
of Jesus.
It's an honor
to the reputation
of Jesus.
It's a dishonor
to the person
of Jesus.
It's an honor
to the work
of Jesus,
to the death
and to the resurrection
of Jesus,
to even suggest
that there could be
a semblance
of qualification
on the part
of anyone
or anything else
but him.
And actually,
you and I
are doing the same
when we refuse
to accept him
and bow
in obedience
to his authority.
That's really
just going back
into yourself,
trusting in yourself.
today,
if you and I
are rejecting
Jesus,
we are
dishonoring him.
We're
dishonoring his name.
We're saying,
I know that
this is what
the Bible
tells me
about him
and I wouldn't
say it's untrue
but,
please don't
dishonor Christ,
dishonor his cross,
dishonor his resurrection
by refusing
to receive him
into your life
as your Savior too.
Because there is
no other.
And to have
any other
is to dishonor
him,
the only Savior
who exists.
And you see,
finally,
by whom
we must
be saved.
Doesn't say
might be saved.
Doesn't say
could be saved.
It says
by whom
we must
be saved.
You see,
being saved
is an
indispensable
thing for us.
And because
being saved
or salvation
is indispensable
for human beings
like you and I,
therefore the call
of the gospel
is in the imperative.
It's in the way
of a,
yes,
it's an invitation
of course,
but it's also
an invitation
in the form
of a command.
Repent.
Believe.
Come to me.
Because salvation
is indispensable
for us.
How can we
think of it
as anything else?
Therefore,
today,
friend,
today,
make Jesus
the powerful
Savior,
your Savior.
Make Jesus
the only
Savior,
your Savior.
By trusting
in Him,
by receiving
Him,
by acknowledging
Him as
the one
who has the
right to
control your
life,
by receiving
Him as the
Savior of
sinners,
by confessing
your sins,
by trusting
in Him,
by taking
Him at
His word,
or in the
simplest
language,
believing
in His
name.
Let's pray.
Amen.
Lord, our
gracious God,
we pray
today that
through faith
in Your
name we
too may
know the
freedom with
which Christ
makes us
free.
We may
know the
righteousness
that He
died to
achieve for
His people.
We may
know that
acceptance with
You, our
God and
Father in
heaven, so
that we come
into Your
presence as
those who are
no longer
regarded as
guilty before
You, but
freed and
washed from
our sins.
We ask, O
Lord, that
through this
day Jesus
may be
precious to
us more
and more,
and may it
be so for
us as life
goes by,
that His
preciousness
increases in
our estimation
and our
commitment to
Him likewise.
So bless us
now we pray
and receive
our worship,
cleansing all
that is of
sin in
Jesus' name.
Amen.
Let's now
conclude our
service singing
in Psalm
118,
118 from
verse 19,
that's on
the Sing
Psalms version,
page 156,
tune as
Heron Gate,
singing
verses 19
to 26.
Throw
wide the
gates of
righteousness,
I'll enter,
and give
thanks to
God.
This is
the gate
of God
through which
the righteous
come before
the Lord.
You answered
me, I
will give
thanks.
Salvation
comes from
you alone.
The stone
the builders
had refused
has now
become the
cornerstone.
Verses 19
to 26.
To
26.
Throw
wide the
gates of
righteousness,
I'll
enter,
and give
thanks to
God.
This is
the gate
of God,
through which
the righteous
come before
the Lord.
You answer
me, I
will give
thanks.
salvation
comes from
you
alone.
The stone
the
builders
have
defused,
has now
become
the
cornerstone.
known.
The Lord
himself
has
come
of
this,
and
is
a
marvel
in
her
sight.
This
is
the
day
the
Lord
has
made.
In
let
us
take
great
delight.
Save us,
O Lord,
we humbly
pray.
O Lord,
we may
grant us
success.
He's
blessed
to
count
in
God's
faith
in
you
from
the
Lord
has
we
blessed.
I'll go to
the door to my
right here
after the
benediction.
Now may the
grace of the
Lord Jesus
Christ,
the love of
God the
Father,
and the
communion of
the Holy
Spirit be
with you
now and
evermore.
Amen.
be
blessed
Lord
for
this
day
for
a
good
opportunity.
Thank you.