Peter and John - been with Jesus (Quality: Very Good)

[0:00] As the Lord should be pleased to help us this afternoon, we would direct your prayerful attention once again to the fourth chapter of the Acts.

[0:11] And this afternoon we will look at verses 11 to 13. The fourth chapter in the Acts of the Apostles, verses 11 to 13.

[0:23] This is the stone which was set at naught of you builders. Which has become the head of the corner. Neither is there salvation in any other.

[0:35] For there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men, they marveled.

[0:49] And they took knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus. Once again this afternoon the subject will be the Lord Jesus Christ.

[1:04] He is at the very centre of these words. And it was the desire we believe of Peter and John to preach as also the Apostle Paul expresses it in the Corinthians.

[1:19] He determined not to know anything among the people save Jesus Christ and him crucified. Now here as we were looking at it this morning.

[1:31] These two dear men of God, Peter and John, were being examined by the rulers of Israel and the elders of Israel. And it is concerning these elders and these rulers that the Apostle Peter speaks when he says in the words here before us, This is the stone that was set at naught of you builders.

[1:57] Jesus Christ of Nazareth, who he has just been speaking of in the previous verse, Raised from the dead by the Father, whom God raised from the dead.

[2:11] This is the stone. This is the glorious person that the psalmist was speaking of. I believe you will find it recorded in the 118th Psalm. This very word that Peter was speaking of here as he brings it before the people.

[2:29] For the psalmist had spoken of this in that very psalm. Psalm 118 we read that the psalmist says, The stone which the builders refused has become the headstone of the corner.

[2:44] This is the Lord's doing. It is marvellous in our eyes. And so, friends, how true this is. The Lord Jesus Christ was set at naught by those elders and those scribes and those Pharisees and those Sadducees.

[3:03] How they set him at naught. How they rejected him. All the many things he had to suffer from those that were elders.

[3:14] And so, Peter brings it before them here. This is the stone which was set at naught of you builders. And we've been thinking, as we have thought upon these words, of what Peter writes in his epistle.

[3:34] And you know, Peter had been fitted, not only to preach and proclaim these things on the day of Pentecost, and in these things that we're considering this afternoon, but he'd been fitted to write concerning these things in his epistles.

[3:49] You remember what the Lord Jesus said to him, Just before his denial, he said to him, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat.

[4:01] But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not, and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren. Now this is exactly what he does as he writes his epistles.

[4:15] And the epistles of Peter, friends, are very precious and very real, because Peter had handled and tasted the very things that he writes of in those epistles that he wrote.

[4:30] And you can tell by the things that he writes therein that he is one who has walked in these things. They're not just things he has thought about in his mind, but he has walked in it.

[4:44] You know, when he was speaking about the trial of faith, being much more precious than of gold that perishes, it was something he himself had been into.

[4:55] He himself had been through this pathway. He had known what it was to be tried with fire. Well now, as he comes to write in that first epistle, and we look at the second chapter, he speaks of this stone that he is speaking of in our text.

[5:17] This is the stone which was set at Nortervue Builders. And we find him speaking like this in the second chapter of his first epistle and the fourth verse.

[5:29] To whom coming as unto a living stone. A living stone. The Lord Jesus Christ was this living stone.

[5:41] He'd just been speaking in the previous verse like this, If so be that ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. Have you and I tasted these things?

[5:52] That the Lord Jesus Christ is gracious? He is gracious. Full of grace. That's what we find recorded in John's Gospel. Of all, of his fullness, of all we received, and grace for grace.

[6:08] Yes, the Lord Jesus was gracious. But Peter says, To whom coming? Do we know what it is to come to him? Do we come to him with all our problems?

[6:19] You know, last Sunday, friends, we felt it to be very wonderful. As we thought of those women that came to the sepulchre. And they had a problem. What was the problem?

[6:30] There was a stone in the way. The stone was heavy. The stone was great. And they were saying in their minds, Who shall roll us away the stone?

[6:42] I was thinking, last Lord's Day, friends, that's often so with us. We have these problems in our mind. Some great perplexity. How are we going to get over this?

[6:53] How are we going to do that? How shall we get on in the future? But you know, when we come to these things, we often find, the Lord has gone before us.

[7:04] And so it was with those women. They came to the sepulchre. And they found that the stone was already rolled away. The problem was solved. And then, you know, I thought of another problem that Mary Magdalene had.

[7:19] She not only had the problem of the stone, but she had another problem. Oh, she thought someone had taken away the Lord, out of the sepulchre. He was gone. She couldn't find him.

[7:31] It was a great perplexity to her. But you know, when the Lord Jesus spoke to her, that one word, the problem was immediately solved. When he said, Mary, she realized who he was.

[7:46] She realized then that he'd risen. And she said, Rabboni, which is master. And I do believe myself that she was about to embrace him, because he said to her, touch me not, for I have not yet ascended to my father, but go to my brethren and say to them, I ascend to my father and your father, to my God and your God.

[8:13] You see, friends, if we have these problems, and what is our greatest problem, really? I believe the greatest problem of all, friends, is sin.

[8:24] And that's the cause of all the other problems. When you really think about it, friends, sin is the cause of all the woe the world has ever seen or known. Now, the Lord Jesus has dealt with that problem.

[8:37] He has come to do away, to put away sin. This is exactly what Paul writes in the Hebrews, chapter 9. He says concerning the Lord Jesus Christ there, in that ninth chapter, and toward the end of it, we read this, that the Lord Jesus Christ has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

[9:06] He has dealt with this great problem. He has put away sin by the sacrifice of himself. And so, we realize that he has done that.

[9:17] If he has taken away the greatest problem of all, we shall often be coming to him with our other problems, with those things that may be perplexing to us.

[9:30] To whom coming? As unto a living stone? He's not a dead stone. No, friends, he's living. And I felt this morning as I was journeying here, what a wonderful thing, he's still living.

[9:46] He's a living Lord. He died, we know, on the cross at Calvary, but he rose again. He's living. He's at the Father's right hand. We can bring everything to him in prayer.

[9:59] To whom coming? As unto a living stone. But you see how this next sentence fits in with our text? This is the stone that was set at Nortivue builders.

[10:13] Disallowed indeed of men. Disallowed indeed of men. He always was. He was while he was here below. Yes, and he still is today.

[10:25] Look around, friends, and think of those in this village and all the towns and villages in this land and those that are unbelievers. They reject him. They say, in effect, we will not have this man to reign over us.

[10:41] Disallowed indeed of men, but chosen of God and precious. Chosen of God and precious. Yes, chosen by his Father.

[10:54] His Father's own elect. He says in Isaiah's prophecy, Behold my servants, servant, mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth. Chosen of God and precious.

[11:08] Is he precious to you? Can you say, friends, with that hymn writer, to me he is more precious far than life and all its beauties are.

[11:21] More precious than my daily food. More precious than my vital blood. God. Oh, the Lord Jesus will be precious to every believer.

[11:33] Chosen of God and precious. This is the stone then. This is the glorious person that Peter is referring to in these words of our text.

[11:44] As he says to these elders and rulers, this is the stone that was set at naught of you builders. Yes, they set him at naught.

[11:56] You know, not long ago I was reading that chapter in Luke where the Lord Jesus went to his own hometown of Nazareth where he'd been brought up.

[12:10] You remember how he went into the synagogue that Sabbath day and read that portion from the book of the prophet Isaiah. And after he had read that portion he began to speak to them.

[12:22] But what do we read after he had spoken to them? We read this that they rose up and thrust him out of the city and led him unto the brow of the hill where on their city was built that they might cast him down headlong.

[12:42] It was very wonderful to me this morning as I tore off the calendar at home and I saw on that calendar there this morning how the Lord Jesus had been rejected by his own brethren by these people in Nazareth by many of those who are spoken of as disciples but they weren't real disciples because we read in John 6 that many of his disciples went back and walked no more with him.

[13:12] They rejected him. but you know friends the greatest rejection of all was this when the Lord knew that on the cross at Calvary when he said when he cried out my God my God why hast thou forsaken me?

[13:34] What a bitter ingredient that was in the cup of suffering. as I was speaking to our old friend just now he said that to me he said I believe that was the bitterest ingredient in the cup of suffering of Christ I said yes I agree with you that was the bitterest thing he had to bear when his father forsook him and he said my God my God why hast thou forsaken me?

[14:05] Oh how we realize what he went through we cannot comprehend it all we cannot enter into the depth of it but he knew what it was to be forsaken but you see these people rejected him they rejected him at Nazareth these elders and scribes and Sadducees and Pharisees these people they set him at naught this is the stone which was set at naught of you builders and so Peter says here in his epistle he was disallowed indeed of men but chosen of God and precious and then he goes on to speak of God's people as lively stones isn't that what you and I want to be friends more lively in the things of God oh here we do desire to be lively stones we have that prayer I believe in our hearts very often that is found in the hymn may I be found a living stone in

[15:07] Salem streets above and help to sing before the throne free grace and dying love he also as lively stones are built up a spiritual house and they're built upon this foundation stone this glorious person and Peter reminds us of this stone in the next verse he says it is contained in the scripture behold I lay in Zion a chief cornerstone elect precious he that believeth on him shall not be confounded if we've ever been brought to believe sincerely upon the Lord Jesus we shall not be confounded because he is precious unto you therefore which believe he is precious but unto them which be disobedient the stone which the builders disallowed the same is made the head of the corner and a stone of stumbling and a rock of offence even to them that stumble at the word being disobedient whereunto they were appointed these elders then and these scribes they were these builders that the psalmist refers to and the Lord

[16:25] Jesus refers to the same scripture you'll find in one of the gospels when he was speaking to these very elders he reminded them of this same word that Peter brings out here this is the stone that was set at nought of you builders which has become the head of the corner he is spoken of isn't he in the second chapter Paul's epistle to the Ephesians in the same way how wonderfully does the apostle Paul speak of Christ as the foundation and as the precious cornerstone for he writes in the second chapter of his epistle to the Ephesians now therefore you are no more strangers and foreigners but fellow citizens with the saints and of the household of God and are built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets Jesus

[17:25] Christ himself being the chief cornerstone what is Jesus to us then is he the chief cornerstone is he the foundation of our religion and we say my hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness I dare not trust the sweetest frame but wholly lean on his dear name yes he is the chief cornerstone as well the cornerstone joins the two wars together doesn't it Jew and Gentile they are all made one in him you know I was rather struck recently I was reading about that which the Lord said on the cross it is finished and we know that he was thinking of all the types and shadows in the Old Testament all finished but I was reminded there was something else that was finished and that is that division between the Jew and the Gentile oh that was finished they're brought together in this cornerstone yes the precious cornerstone the Lord

[18:38] Jesus Christ no more strangers and foreigners that's what he's speaking to Gentiles at Ephesus and he says you're no more strangers and foreigners you're fellow citizens with the saints and the household of God you're built upon the same foundation Jesus Christ and he's the chief cornerstone in whom all the buildings fitly framed together groweth the church is like a building it's growing it's continually being added to the stones are being placed into it oh what a mercy friends to be one of those stones cemented together by love in whom all the building fitly framed together groweth unto a holy temple in the Lord in whom also ye are builded together for inhabitation of God through the spirit and doesn't it remind us too of what the apostle writes in the

[19:38] Corinthians when he says this according to the grace of God which is given unto me as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation and another buildeth thereupon but let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon for other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid which is Jesus Christ the one foundation oh yes you remember when the Lord had finished speaking that great sermon on the mount he comes to this he says whosoever heareth these sayings of mine and doeth them I will liken him to a wise man which built his house upon a rock now are we building upon that rock Christ Jesus this is the stone which was set at naught of you builders which has become the head of the corner as we've already seen in Ephesians he's become the head of the corner he's the headstone he's the foundation as well as the headstone he's all in all to his people which has become the head of the corner but Peter goes on here friends in our text neither is there salvation in any other don't look anywhere else friends for salvation you won't find it anywhere else it's only in one person no use looking to self no use looking to our righteousnesses you know it was very striking the other day

[21:16] I was speaking to one of my colleagues at the TBS and he was telling me how he'd heard one of the Lord's servants speaking about our self righteousness and how that the self righteousness is something which is not acceptable to God it's like filthy rags and he was saying how that filthy rags they really stink and our righteousness friends it stinks in the sight of God there's nothing in it the hymn writer so plainly says that our best is stained and die with sin our all is nothing worth here can we look there for salvation no we must look to one friends who had a perfect righteousness and that's why Jesus said didn't he except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven we must be found clothed in

[22:23] Christ's righteousness neither is there salvation in any other we certainly can't look to our own self righteousness we cannot look to our own works for salvation no it is in Christ alone it is in what he has done upon the cross at Calvary and as he rose again from the dead neither is there salvation in any other for there is none other name we have just been singing of this precious name what a name it is friends the name of Jesus you remember when the Lord Jesus was born how that Joseph was given that name and when Joseph was given that name to give to the child when he was born we read this that the angel of the

[23:27] Lord appeared unto him in a dream saying Joseph thou son of David fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost and she shall bring forth a son and they shall call his name Jesus for he shall save his people from their sins the very name means a saviour and who are the people friends that are saved his own chosen ones his own people those that were given to Christ as he says in the 17th of John all that the father giveth me shall come to me and how wonderful it is to notice when the Lord begins to pray that prayer that is recorded in that 17th chapter of John as thou hast given him power over all flesh that he should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him these are the ones that are mentioned here he shall save his people those that are given to him dear

[24:40] Ruth you know she wanted to be among this people thy people should be my people thy God my God he shall save his people fall from have we known something of this salvation do we know him to be precious is his name sweet and precious to us can we sing that hymn well known hymn but do we know the sweetness of it how sweet the name of Jesus sounds in a believer's ear it soothes his sorrows heals his wounds and drives away his fear neither is there salvation in any other there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved you know when Paul wrote his epistle to the Philippians he spoke very well of this name oh he brings it before us in that second chapter of his epistle to the

[25:45] Philippians in this way he speaks of how the Lord Jesus was in the form of God and thought it not robbery to be equal with God but how he made himself of no reputation and took upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men you know friends it amazes me every day when I think about it that wonderful word that he himself spoke when he said the foxes have holes and the birds of the air have nests but the son of man hath not where to lay his head he who made the earth and everything in it he had not where to lay his head he he he he he he he became poor that we through his poverty might be made rich he made himself of no reputation look upon him the form of a servant and was made in the likeness of men and being found in fashion as a man he humbled himself and became obedient unto death even the death of the cross now the apostle comes to this name and he says after his death after his crucifixion and his resurrection and ascension we have this wherefore

[27:10] God also hath highly exhorted him and given him a name which is above every name this name friends is above every other name there surely cannot be a land today that does not know this name and yet you see until one is given faith in his name we do not feel the preciousness of it we do not know the sweetness of it that at the name of Jesus but you know presently this will be true every knee will bow to it every knee shall bow of things in heaven and things in earth and things under the earth every tongue shall confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father neither is there salvation in any other for there there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved what a wonderful salvation this is then through

[28:18] Jesus Christ what are we saved from we're saved from sin yes what a wonderful thing that is to be saved from sin saved from self but you know friends we're saved from hell we're saved from that which was our due reward you know the dying thief he was brought to see that we indeed justly we receive the due reward of our deeds this man has done nothing amiss and he was brought to see that that's where his salvation was in Christ he was brought to look to this glorious person to look to this one who had the name of Jesus there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved and so we come just a moment or two to this verse again that we were looking at this morning and we find that those rulers when they heard

[29:23] Peter preaching on this wise and saw the boldness of these two men and perceived that they were unlearned ignorant fishermen by trade they marvelled they marvelled at their boldness they marvelled at their wisdom they marvelled at their grace and why because of this they took knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus during the interval as I was thinking of this last sentence here my mind went over to that 11th chapter in Matthew's gospel and I remember what the Lord Jesus said to his disciples he said come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest now there's the salvation the being heavy laden surely reminds us of the burden of sin and when we look to Christ that burden is removed he gives us gospel rest and then he says take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and I was thinking yes these two men had both those graces they were meek and they were lowly because they had been with Jesus and learned of him they were given that wonderful meekness

[30:55] Moses was given this same meekness but these two men Peter and John they were given this meekness and this lowliness they had been with Jesus and learned of him may the Lord then grant to us the same blessings that was given to these dear men and may we feel and know that there is indeed no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved the Lord had his blessing amen to thank dad eat kalauına hat apa haat