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Wilson, LesterNone Other Name ~ Acts 4;

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The assembly here up at Mountaintop will be active there and recuperating a little, we hope, come back with fresh energy, throw themselves into the work again. We appreciate everyone that's here, has been carrying on the previous service from the Sunday School now, and you are visiting with us this morning. Delight to have you. To many of you, our speaker this morning does not need an introduction. You have known him for many years. Many of you were saved through him. Led for the Lord quite some years ago when he was preaching here and in this area. So you certainly do not need an introduction to it. But some of you friends are new. We've just gotten to know you recently and to enjoy your fellowship in the Lord. And so we want you to know our friends today. that we have known and loved for a number of years. While Brother Wilson and I were both born in Canada and both saved there, and our families lived not more than about thirty miles apart, yet we did not know each other. We may have seen each other distance, but we certainly did not know each other until we met here in the southern state. And for over thirty-five years now, it's been my pleasure to be associated with Brother Wilson in his work for the Lord. Since he backslid to Georgia from North Carolina, which is almost unbelievable, nevertheless it does happen. Well, since that sad day in his life, naturally we haven't been together as much as we were before that. but we have the joy for a good number of years in laboring together for the Lord, not so much preaching together, because we were busy. Very often we'd be preaching three places a day on the Lord's day, each of us. We'd pass each other and wave on the way. That's the way we had fellowship on the Lord's day. He'd started one end of the work, and I'd start the other, and each of us would preach in a different assembly, and we'd pass each other... But we have had very happy fellowship. And the Lord has used our brother Wilson here in the city, the establishing of what was then the Forest Avenue Tabernacle. And many of you met him when he came up for the opening of our new chapel here at Chan Hill. So we're delighted to have our brother Wilson back with us again. I'm not going to take any more of his time. We'll turn the meeting over to him, and he will just dismiss us. He sees this. Thank you, Governor McCain. Well, I don't know whether it's better to be a Georgia peach or some tar. What is nicely back in Greensboro, all have anticipated returning to this state. And whether I'll spend my sunset years here, I'm not sure about that. But we'll let the Lord take care of that in a little place I'd sooner do it than right here in North Carolina. So I'm glad to meet those I've never met before, and always happy to see those that I've known for many, many years. Shall we turn this morning for our text to Acts chapter four? Acts chapter four. and verse eight. Acts chapter four and verse eight. Then Peter with the Holy Ghost said unto them, ye rulers of the people and elders of Israel, if we this day be examined of the good deed done to the infinite man by what means he is made whole, Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you hold. This is a stone which was set at naught of you buildings, which has become the head of the corner. Neither is their salvation in any other, 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 and they took knowledge of them that they had been with Jesus. And beholding the man which was healed, standing with them, they could say nothing against it. Now this morning I want to speak on that glorious name, that is the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, found some twenty times in the book of Acts and nine times in chapter three and four, relative to the healing of the lay man. This was the first outbreak of persecution in the Acts, and it's very interesting how broke out because of a miracle performed by Peter and John at the gate of the beautiful temple. And thus the Jewish nation, which had been accustomed to names that were dear to them, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and David, and Solomon, these were names that were dear to them, and they revered. But now comes a new name onto the scene, a name they did not like, a name they did not appreciate, because it seemed to eclipse all these other names of Abraham, Isaac, and David. Yet, had they known their Bible, which they should have, these scribes and Pharisees, they would have realized that this is the one that they spoke of. And so it's in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, that we see this man healed, this lame man, and also provoke persecution against the disciples. This wonderful name, you notice in verse trade you have four things about the Lord Jesus Christ. It says the despised one, Jesus of Nazareth. Can any good thing come out of Nazareth? Remember when asked that question, Can any good thing come out of Nazareth? Yes, a wonderful thing came out of Nazareth. That was the Lord Jesus' tract. Then you have the next thing in that verse ten, the atoning one, not only the despised one, but the atoning one, whom ye crucify. Then the victorious one, whom God raised from the dead. Then the saving one, by him, does this man stand before you whole? physically and spiritually. But the main text is the one, verse twelve. Through this man or through this name, I preach after you the forgiveness of sins, and by him all that believe are justified from all things from which they could not be justified by the law of Moses. Now that's in chapter thirteen. It popped into my mind, so I came out with it. But he tells us here, there is none other name. under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. How God met Peter was. How in fact, how in tolerance, Peter sweeps aside every other name, every system, every scheme for salvation and as a gathering center. Peter is speaking boldly. He says there is none other name. and there are thousands of names in the world in the religious world. Peter comes out boldly and he declares before these names, there is none other name. You can forget Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, Solomon. This name replaces all other names. And today you can add to that list by many other names reviewed today. those who head up certain religions and etc. But Peter says here, There's none other name under heaven given among them whereby ye must be saved. You say one must not be too emphatic. You must have some toleration, some consideration, some sympathy for other people's views. Well, I'm not going to compromise. make any other state or preach any other name than in this text, I would have to count them up. Peter was an expert. Peter was a specialist. And above all, in verse eight, he was filled by the Holy Spirit of God. Therefore, he said, as if it came from the very throne of the eternal There is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved. You say that's narrow-mindedness. Well, I'm just as narrow as the Bible. I'm going to take what God's word says and preach none other name but this name. You know God may be tolerant at times of ignorance. You remember the cities? where he visited Bethesda and Chorazin. And he referred to the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah and Tyre and Silen. He says it shall be more tolerable, more lenient for those wicked, ungodly cities than these cities. Where I visited, my feet of forestry, my voice they heard preaching the gospel, performing miracles, It will be far more tolerable for those wicked cities of years ago than you enlightened people in the cities of his day. God will have more patience, more leniency for those cities than he will these cities. You have heard a son of God himself. You have witnessed his miracles. Therefore you are more responsible to God. The Apostle Paul himself says, God had mercy on me because I did it, ignorant me, in unbelief. Paul was ignorant at first. He didn't realize what he was doing, a zealous Jew, and he was carrying out as he thought the provision of his scholars, And God had to stop him on the Damascus roof, and his eyes were open. And he realized then that this one he was persecuted and putting to death those who followed the Son of God. This is the Messiah. Paul was no longer ignorant or in the dark. He was in the light. Paul says, I did what I did, ignorantly. God had mercy on them. But if you go to the Acts, chapter seventeen, I think, verse thirty, what did God say? God commandeth all men everywhere to repent. He was pointing out very plainly that this ignorance, the time of this ignorance, the age of this ignorance, God blinked at it. He overlooked it, or he was lenient to it. But he says now, the light has come. The truth has been quaint. There's one name and one name only that can save. And God says there's no other name. The time of ignorance is gone. Now says, God, I command every man everywhere to repent. And that's the message for today. If you've never known God's way of salvation before, You, like me, have heard it here in this chapel, but if you haven't, you're going to hear it this morning, and you won't be able to go out of this building saying, well, I was ignorant of how to get to heaven. You'll know the way of salvation, and God will hold you responsible. If you have faith in any other name, you're lost. There's none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. Man's plight must be pitiless, perilous, and painful. Sad Solomon says, when God goes to such an extent to give his only son to suffer and bleed and die upon the cross. Man's in a sad state. There is none other name given under heaven among men whereby man must, he must be saved, if you'll ever enter God's heaven. The heaven belongs to God, and God has the prerogative to lay down the terms whereby men and women can get to that place that he's prepared. If you go any other way, you'll never arrive. God has given you the way plainly in the Bible. And there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby you may be saved. Think of the fireman who fights furiously. He fights the fire and the smoke, endangering his own life to rescue or to save someone in that burning building. Life-favor struggles with the man that's pounding. He wants to save that, his desire and age. Do you think also of the doctor? I never can forget I've seen this picture. Many a home, it was in my own home. Many a time I stood looking at that family doctor, looking at a sick patient. and is chinned on his hand and is washing. The father stands at the foot of the bed. The mother is there in a chair sobbing to break her heart. What's wrong? The temper or that little girl or the temperature has risen to danger. Rise higher than we bring death. The doctors and all he takes. He's prescribed, he's given every medicine he thinks will help the situation. What's he trying to do? Break the fever. Break the fever. And now we sit watching carefully. Will he see a change? Will the crisis come? Will the fever break? Finally, feeling the pause. watching the child's experience. He rises to the sideline. She left. She left. The fever broke. Friendly, let me tell you, not until the fever of your pride breaks, not until the fever of your rebellion against God breaks. Is there any hope of you being saved? God is watching like that faithful gospel. The Holy Spirit is watching. Those of us who preach the gospel we watch. Loved ones are watching. Angels are looking on. Is the fevered and the pain. You've been prayed for time and time again. Getting on your conviction and your loved ones Hope and pray, will this be it? Will this be it? Showing signs that can turn over to this, give it Christ. Will that stubborn heart yield? Will that will be broken? Yes, maybe this meeting will be the tension. The doctor has done all he can. There must be a change, and it must be inside that basis. And then the change has got to come inside you. That hard heart has got to practice. That will has got to be given. And in that hand, then God's salvation can do. Man has got to be saved from three things. Sin, death, and judgment. I've heard two or three missionaries talk about their fields of labor. I don't know the name of the snake, but it's in many countries, it's very popular in Africa, and it gets its eye upon a bird, and it's able to charm or mesmerize that bird. And once it's got that bird in its eye, the bird is caught. And it begins to a circle. It begins to a circle, but each circle gets smaller and lower. It's crying as best it can to break the charm. You're a cat, and when it comes right down to where the snake, again, it's got. Sin is a charm. It's got men and women who miserable. And friend, it's drawing you down. is drawing you down. Send is bringing you to death. If I were to see something like that, and only three weeks ago I thought I saw it when there were some cars behind me, so I didn't stop, otherwise I wouldn't. I saw this word circling frantically about twelve feet off the ground. Anyway, I know one thing, had I gone back and saw that snake, mismarizing that bird, I'd have picked up a stone or a stick, and I'd have pulled over where the snake was, and it would have turned to see what's there. The spell is broken, and the bird with the light takes off. Ah, yes, the spell is broken. and the birds they like to sing. I would have thought that this message this morning would be like that stick or stone, to break the spell that sin has on you. Sin is drawing you down, but you need a new object to catch your eye. Christ said, if I, if I be lifted up from the earth, I'll draw men unto me. You need to be drawn up. And only Christ can deliver you from the power of sin that's pulling you down. Christ saves from sin, the power of sin. How sin this marries. It charms people until it's too late. For the power of the spell that we go, we'd like to break that spell of more. But ain't Christ saved from death? Wings of sin is death. In old Germany, they had a method of punishment, of killing certain prisoners. And it was unusual. Here they were put into this cell, and it was beautiful. Shining war. And the food was left. There was a spot, nothing to stand on. There the prisoner was put until he happened to notice something that caused cold sweat to break out over the floor. The warmth was coming together. The cell was getting small, an inch by inch and minute by minute. The walls were getting closer, till the ultimate end crushed the dead. Oh, that a friendly hand could reach down from the blue sky and smash them up. Let me tell you, pray, and moment by moment, secretly and silently, death is closing in. There's only one who can deliver you from that And that's the Lord Jesus Christ. He can reach down this morning and save me out of the clutches, the jaws of death. Every man has sinned, and the ways of sin is death, and the soul that shall die. But Jesus Christ came to save man from death. There is none other name under him given among men whereby we must Save, save, save from sin, save from death. Save from judgment. Yes, the Bible says, and Christ says, verily, verily, as truly, truly I say unto you, he that heareth my word and believeth on him that shepherds me, hath everlasting life, shall not come into condemnation that is passed from death unto life. Why will a Christian not come into judgment? Because the Lord Jesus Christ took that judgment on the cross. He bore my sin. He took my judgment that I may make this wonderful passage from death unto life. No born-again Christian will meet God in judgment such as it is right to Christ took my place on the cross nineteen hundred years ago, and I'll never have to face God with my sin. So there's none other name under him given among men whereby we must be saved, and the choice is yours. Down in Albany about a year ago, friend is quite a friend of mine, Mr. and Mrs. Fairfield. He was in the Department of Justice Department of Albany and had quite a position. He was righteous to come to the meetings we had in the chapel down there. One of our officers said to me, he's a barber and he cuts the hair of a lot of professional men, doctors, lawyers, judges and so on. He said, Father Wilson, Jimmy Percoc, in the hospital, and it says, I know he'd be glad to see it. I went to see him as I walked in the room and broke down and saw it. And they'd be a strong man. Oh, Brother Wilson, I'm glad to see you. He said, I'd always been happy to hear you preach. But he said, I don't know about it now. I don't know whether I'm up to facing to what's before me the doctor tells me. Well, I said to him, Christ is the answer to the problem. The big payoff in being saved is when you come to die. You may get through life without the Savior, but you'll find it awfully hard to get through death without him. Jimmy, you know what I've told you time and time again, you must be saved. Yes, consider, I'm thinking of one thing. When I was thirteen, I got baptized and joined the church way down in the country. He said, I'd just like to know if those records were there. I'd like to have those records. And I said, I can't help you about that. But a young preacher came in to see him of that denomination. And Jimmy told him he said, Mr. Faircloth, I'll investigate. He went way down the country. Yes, there was the church and he investigated the records. And there was Jimmy Faircloth's name and the date on which he was baptized and joined the church. And he brought the records back. Grimmy was so relieved. He had a local preacher of the same denomination come to his bed in the hospital, and he joined that local church by proxy. And I went in to see him. He was so relieved. This was done. I said, Gimmy, is your name written in the Lamb's Book of Life in Heaven? God doesn't give a hill a bean for all the records, except on earth. What a mess it is. Jones says, My record is on fire. Are you recorded in that Lain-A-Lan Book of Life? Is your name written there on that book, Bright and Fair, in the home of our Father? Is your name written? His wife was sitting there. She says, Well, and I really believe she was a Christian. She responded to many things I said. She says the church I was a member of was burned up on all the records. So she says, I'm in bad shape. But the church, your name on the church record is going to take you to heaven. You know, Jimmy Fairclough died with his coat in his name on the church record. There's none other name under heaven given among men whereby you must be saved. Never mind any denominational name. Frank is the one and the only one who can save you. Without him praying you could have your name on every church rolling cream of blood. The Lord of himself, God alone, is keeping the record. whosoever's name was not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire according to Revelation. You know, perhaps, if not, I hope you'll get the known, and I hope you'll get the known. You may know it, and no assurance, assuredly, indefinitely assured, that your name is I'm just as sure as there and I'm standing here because I remember the night I accepted Christ. I can't forget it. How could I? It was the happiest day of my life. Talk about birthdays. I know much about my birth, the first one, but I know a whole lot about the second. I had my seventh birthday three weeks ago. And I had another one when I was nineteen. So that's fifty-one years ago. That's one I missed today. My first one's August the twenty-sixth, nineteen-five. The second one is May the third, nineteen twenty-five. I know my name's written in the Lamb's Book of Life. You know, there's none other name under heaven given among men whereby you must be saved. And well this morning all I can do is present to you and commend to you and recommend with all my heart that you trust this same Savior too. Little boy went to his Sunday school class. He had a new night. It was a wonderful night. He started passing around and one of the boys said, My, that's a good night. The other one said, That must be an expensive night. The other one pulling out the different parts. He said, That's a useful night. The next boy's sword and hand. He said, That's a nice night. The other one opened the blade and said, My, he said, That's a sharp night. The other one? That's unusual night. He said, A little screwdriver. He said, Lo, me now. When he got back to a little boy, Romans said, I appreciate all your compliments, but he said, it's minor. It's minor. He's the only one who could say it was here. I appreciate the compliments that many women say about the Lord Jesus Christ. They may speak of Christ as good. Oh, Jesus was a good man. He was a just man. I would have said that and went ahead. He said, I am guilty of the blood of this just person. You may say you are the holy man, the demons, admitted that. We know thee who thou art the holy one of God. They are lost for them. Oh, you may speak of Christ. I am a sinless man, a humble man, a rich man, a righteous man, great man, a loving man, a loyal man, and a royal man. You may speak of Christ in such terms. Some people know so much about the Bible, they're so religious and pious, they just speak of Christ, and that there is the Monsanto, and the altogether lovely one. In his life, pure and white, there's a lily in his death, red and crimson as a blue. You may use all his language in speaking of Christ as the Prince of Pain, the Emperor of Boz, the King of Peace, and the Savior of sinners. Yes. You can call them all these names if you like, becoming sovereign of the universe. But I can say this morning, and I will ask you this question, can you say it? He's mine. That's the whole thing. You may compliment him. Speak well of them. Christ doesn't want your compliments. He wants your faith and trust. But you say this morning, this save is mine. Forever mine. Always mine. He is mine, and I am his. And we are one forever. Can you think of anything more thrilling in life than to say this Lord Jesus Christ is mine? The little girl looks at the little boy and she hounds with just mine. The little boy looks at the trice and says, Mine, and we'll be under the neighbor voice if you try to stay away. That's mine. And you say concerning the Lord Jesus, Christ is mine. He's mine. Christ says, I know my things and am known by mine. You may know. the Lord Jesus Christ, that swore in that intimate way, that if none other name under heaven given in heaven will abide, you might be saved. Lord Jesus, I trust you. Lord Jesus, I accept you. I accept you right now. I want you to remind me, my own private possession, Yes, like the lady went out on a lovely morning, the sun was shining in its blue. She looked up and said, I have the whole sun of mine. I've got a whole sun to myself. Then you can look up and look at the faces of the son of God and say, I've got a whole savior to myself. Clarence Conrad Moon's a brother in a case they would go over in Vincent's care and many years ago, and then I was having meetings in Bern. One Sunday morning early, the lady with whom I was staying called up, she said, there's a man here who wants to see you. I said, set him up. He said, step in, but Planned Con, and I said, what do you do, Planned? Well, I said, I got up this morning. He said, I just felt so down. He said, I just had to come over and see you. I said, you act as though... I was a shepherd and I only had one sheep and you were that sheep. You want all the attention. He said, that's it. Friends, there is one Savior and He'll give you all the attention you want. He can be your. Isn't that wonderful to have a Savior can be the property, the possession, the enjoyment of millions of people all over the earth at the same time. Do you want it? Or don't you? He saw on the terms of simple faith. God helped you to say this moment, Lord Jesus, you've died for me on the cross. I want to be saved. I will accept you. You are mine. You're mine now. You're mine forever. Shall we pray? Our Father, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, we come before him. Yes, I bless you in all good and thank you for the Savior you've given us to preach. We trust that some poor, trembling sinner this morning will trust them, accept him, open their heart, let him walk in. O God, we pray, that right now someone will accept Christ. for his glory. Amen. Two-forty-two. Two-hundred-and-forty-two. Out of my bondage saw the night, Jesus I come, Jesus I come, into thy freedom, gladness, and light, Jesus, I come to thee. It's out to him to you. Will you make that passage this morning out from yourself, your troubles, your trials, or fears, into Christ? We will understand you've made your decision. You haven't told anyone to look up and tell us now. And lad to your peace and assurances, if you come and tell us, you have trusted Christ, shall we say. I've got my bondage so far, Jesus I come, Jesus I come, Jesus I came, Jesus I came, I will send you my love. You don't put on the long altar call if God has been speaking to you. You're ready to come and if he hasn't. No, you've come. But if God has been speaking to you and you want to be broken to that pole of sin, if you would like that spell to be broken and come to Christ like a bird that threw in happiness into this space around a tree, that awful full of sins with him. Will you change your object? May trust be your object this morning instead of sin, death and death. If I can help you, if you would like to be saved, John will you sing the last verse? Out of the dear and dread of the truth, Jesus I come, Jesus I come, with the joy of my life of my own. Jesus I come to thee. Ah, Jesus I come to thee. Come back tonight for our meeting. About seven thirty or seven forty-five. Seven thirty tonight. We'd like to be speaking on God's Hall of Faith when we talk through that. Thank you. Thank you.