Secret of a saved life, sure likeness, steady labour, steady race

Well, it's nice to be here, and thank you, Eric, for introducing me. And I have remembered people I remember at a conference or sitting, eating, and they give you little tags over here, one was Tommy Thompson, that was me, and a man sitting across for me. He said, are you Tommy Thompson? I said, yeah.

Oh, he says, I thought you were a big man. Well, he's disappointed, and I hope you won't be disappointed today. But I want to speak quickly and leave some, I like in a conference to get some seed ministry that I can go home and develop and enjoy myself.

So the first thing I'd like to look at is John 1 and verse 29. The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and said, Behold, the Lamb of God which taketh away the sin of the world. The second Corinthians, chapter 3. Chapter 3, and we look in at verse 15, 16.

Verse 17. Now the Lord is that Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty. But we all with open face beholding as in a glass, the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

Let's jump over into 2 Timothy, and 2 Timothy, we look in at chapter 2. 2 Timothy, chapter 2, and verse 8. You remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel, wherein I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even unto bonds, but the word of God is not bound. And lastly, in Hebrews, and I think we can go into the twelfth chapter, verse 2. Looking on to Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Now in the word of God, and for those I would like to encourage today, there's probably some young Christians here, and you would like to go on for the Lord, that's a desire I believe that is begotten in our souls when God reaches and saves us.

And then you find there may be some here, and you've had concerns about your soul, and you're wondering about salvation. Well let me look and just show you a few little things, because I'm not going to be up here too long. We've got brethren here that are gifted and can minister Christ to us.

But the first one there in John 1, 29, is the secret of a saved life. That's what it is. The secret of a saved life.

Now, sometimes you find when God lets us go and we get into our twenties or so forth, we have a life behind us that in certain things and places we would go, there's a contamination that comes into the mind that you never get rid of. And I would like to speak to some young ones today. You may think that, well, I'm too young or something like that, but here is the secret for you.

They're speaking out, preserving this and preserving that. But I would like to suggest to you that the word of God shows you the secret of preserving your life for the glory and honor of God. And that is found in verse 29.

It's the lovely testimony of John the Baptist. It says, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. And whether we like it or not, we're born into this world.

We're born sinners shaped in iniquity, and it's a very hard thing for some people, religious people, to take that place that God says we must take, that the whole world become guilty before God, and that we are sinners before God himself. And that is one of the things you find here, that this is the way that God, it says here, that taketh away the sin of the world. And we thank God that his propitiation at the place called Calvary has led it so that the whole world can be saved, although the whole world don't want to be saved.

But here is something for you. If you're young, here's a wonderful thing. You may be planning this, that, and the other thing for your life ahead, but don't miss this because this is the greatest blessing that you could have in your life.

The day and hour when God in his grace saves you and saves and preserves you for his glory. Notice what it does say. Behold the Lamb of God.

Now, there is no salvation without the person of Christ. It may be that some people here, even today, it may be that you have been taught about good works and so forth, and there's nothing bad about that. We're not preaching against good works.

It's nice to have people or neighbors who live nicely and cleanly and so forth, but that will never get you to heaven. But the secret here of your life being preserved and mine is this. Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.

And so if you want to have a life that will be a life of, and I have never endured salvation one minute, not a minute have I endured salvation. Since God reached and saved me, I've enjoyed God's salvation all the time. I was back in the place I was born in, in Belfast, and I was at a conference.

I went on a little walk during the period when they were having something to eat, and I went down to a little corner near the city hall, and I looked up, and I started to cry. And the reason I cried was I looked up there and I thought, 60 years ago, I was saved up there by God's grace. It's a wonderful thing, and every morning I go back to that place.

It's lovely to go back and find the day and the experience that you have had when God came into your life, when you beheld the Lamb of God, and sin was taken away. It's a wonderful thing to have that experience. If you haven't had it, I do trust that during this conference you'll be able to enjoy what we read here, that your life will be preserved, a saved life for God.

Now, after God has saved you, I would like to take you to 2 Corinthians chapter 3. And there we read about something that is very, very important. You'll find the context is very worth looking at because it brings in Moses and so forth, but that's not what I'm going to mention just now. But 2 Corinthians 3 and verse 18, now notice what it does say, but all.

So there's none of us excluded here today. This verse is for all of God's dear people. But we all with open face beholding as in a mirror or glass, the glory of the Lord are changed into the same image, notice, from glory to glory even by the Spirit of the Lord.

Now that is for all of us. So if you've come here today, you want to hear something, well, we'll refer you to God's precious word. And here you'll find something that we'll mention and just use at it, and that's what brings in a sure likeness to the Lord Jesus Christ.

We thank God for the Lord's people. And we thank God for the way the Lord has worked. Our brother's been speaking about work, but if God saved you, you're a work in progress.

So please remember it. And you find that you may make mistakes, but I'll tell you, the only people that don't make mistakes are people who do nothing. If you do something, then you'll make a mistake.

But thank God, God can even use, you know, you may not agree with me. We've got theologians here, but I'm going to tell you what I believe, for we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them that are called according to his purpose. And you know, I honestly believe that God can use our mistakes, and I include it in that little verse.

So it's not all that we are perfect, but you find that it's a joy, and it should be a joy for us to, as we see here, bear a sure likeness to the Lord Jesus. Now, the Lord is so wonderful, and you find that I remember as just a young Christian that I was very impressed. There was a man that spoke at our baptism, some of you may remember him, Archie Smith of India.

And then there was another man, Reuben Scammell from London. And just being saved, I was very interested in these men, and I noticed that there was something that they were similar. Now, not in height or anything, because Archie Smith was a tall man, a fine Scotchman he was, I think.

So I'll get you a word in now, brother. He was a Scotchman, Archie Smith, Archie Naismith. And then there was another little man, his name was Scammell, and he was from London.

And I looked at the two of them, and they couldn't have been different as far as their bodies were concerned. But you notice, I know, a young Christian, and I looked, and they had something on their faces that were similar. And you know, afterwards I found out, and this is what it is.

They both were looking in the mirror, they were looking in, and what they were looking at for the Scriptures is the Lord Jesus, and it came out on their features. So here you have, in this little verse, if you're going to bear a likeness to the Lord Jesus, then this is a verse with you, open face, beholding him, because in chapter 4 you find it's the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. And there's going to be a change, but it's going to be a change as you, there you communicate and look at and enjoy the Lord Jesus Christ, then you find there will be, whether it's Archie Smith or Reuben Scammell, there will be those things that will be Christ-like in your face.

So there's the secret of a sure likeness to the Lord Jesus. Now, let us look at Paul's writing to Timothy for a minute, 2 Timothy perhaps, 2 Timothy chapter 2, verse 8, verse 7 would be a good one. Consider what I say, and the Lord give thee understanding in all things.

Remember here, remember that Jesus Christ of the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my gospel, and there I suffer trouble even as an evil doer, even unto bones, but the word of God is not bound. Though I endure all things for the elect's sake. And here you find Paul is writing to this young man that he had seen saved, and now he was guiding him in the things of God and to go on for God.

And one of the things you find is that he was enjoying, in fact you find Timothy was quite different to Paul, but the thing is they were both engaged in the same thing, and that was in the work of the Lord. So God has got different ones for different works, and he can have you in his work too. And here you find that he was encouraging him, and he was encouraging him to go on steadily in the labors of the Lord.

So you find the first one is the secret of a saved life. The second one is the sure likeness to the Lord Jesus. And here you would have, if you want it, is steady labor, going on for the Lord.

Now, I believe that God has a work for all of us to do. I don't believe there's anyone who's saved, you're saved. God has a work somewhere, somewhere for you to do, and you'll just be, if you give yourself over to the Lord and ask the Lord, you know, I like the heat, I really do, and when I made a choice as a young man, I decided, well, Africa's a lovely place to go, and it's nice and warm, see? So I went out there, but God was working, see, just before I went out, and to think of it, that God took me away from sunny South Africa, where did I go up into Alaska? So you can't choose where you're going to serve God.

Let me emphasize that, you can't choose where you're going to serve God. And I want you to get that and sing it in, it's a service. God has got something for you.

He saved you as an individual, he'll develop you as an individual, you'll have characteristics about you that somebody else doesn't have, but God can use them. And it's interesting how God can use you in his labor, and you'll find in his labor, let me tell you this, I have never endured salvation, or I've never endured God's service. I have had a life in Alaska, working with the Indian folk, and I could keep you entertained with some of the, you know, you've heard that saying, he's a green whore, he doesn't know much.

Well, when I went up there, I didn't have any missionary to take me aside and say, Tommy do this, or Tommy do that, or you do this, or you do other things, so I had to find out how to do things by myself. And I thank God for that. And I could entertain you here about some of the experiences that I had in the work of the Lord.

But you find here that God, it's a wonderful thing, and I speak to some young believers today, you know, the day that God brought me into the village of Chitina, and I saw the people that God sent me to, and looked at some of them, and wondered, seeing a father and a son absolutely saturated with liquor, going along like that, and others in an old trailer, and there the place was full of smell, and bottles, and things like that. And you know, I got down and I cried. I said, Lord, can these men be saved? We didn't have anything, but we had the gospel.

And preaching the gospel, you find Satan, of course, he was very busy. But the gospel, just the gospel, not Alcoholics Anonymous or any of those things. The pure, clear gospel was proclaimed, and you find one after another were captivated by the Lord Jesus Christ and delivered.

So it's encouraging here, you find, when he was speaking to Timothy, you find he encouraged Timothy to go on steadily in his labor. Now let's just finish with one, and that's Hebrews chapter 11, and we'll look in at verse 2. Hebrews chapter, I said it's chapter 12, sorry. Chapter 12, and we'll read from verse 1. And wherefore, seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth easily beset us, let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that is set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the majesty and glory.

And so the throne of God, and here you have something that's important. I don't believe, and I want to state that quite clearly, I don't believe in verse 1 you have a pet sin. I don't believe that.

I believe the sin here is a lack of faith. Because the word of God tells you without faith, without faith we're nothing. But to please God, faith is necessary.

And so you find the just shall live by faith. Are you listening? Are you just? Well the thing is, you live by faith. What is faith? Faith is trust and dependence upon the Lord.

And that goes for businessmen too. It's a lovely thing to read some of these stories about businessmen, and you find that you can always be sure that you're bringing God into your business. Because a book was written years ago, God runs my business.

And if you have no room in your business for God, you better get out of that business. But here we have, in this lovely portion here, you have in verse 11, you have that lovely gallery of people and faith itself. It's wonderful to live by faith and to realize that without faith it's impossible to please God.

And whatsoever is not of faith, brother, what is not of faith, the Bible says it, I'm not saying it, quoting the Bible, whatsoever is not of faith is sin. What sort of a life are you living? Are you living a life of dependence? Are you living a life, a near prayer life for your children? A whole family are now in heaven, and I was the only one that saw my eldest brother as I passed through on my way to Alaska, and he lived in Portage, Indiana. And I went to see him, took him out for a little meal, and in talking to him about salvation, he said, you know, Tommy, forget about it, Dad's is religion, you've got yours, and I've got mine.

And I says, Andy, I says, you know in the depths of your heart it's not religion with Dad. I says, it's God's salvation. Well, I'm not going to spend a lot of time, but you know the Lord came into his life and broke up a lot of things that he had, and one day I got a call from him, and he was in Ireland.

Another time, I was in a little cottage down the coast, and he came down, and he said to me, Tommy, I wept all night, I got saved. I'd asked my mother sometime before, do you still pray for Anna? Oh, yes, son, she says, the Lord will save him. So you find that faith, faith is what God honors, and without faith it's impossible to please God.

And then you have this here in verse 12, and we're all in this race of faith, and it says this, it tells us here, run the race with patience, looking on to Jesus, and then it says consider him, so please, you have one to look to, and that's the Lord Jesus. And you've won for your eye of faith, and you've won for your mind. Consider him.

Now, may the Lord bless these few little thoughts, John 1, 29, the secret of a preserved and saved life, 2 Corinthians 3, 18, likeness, a sure likeness to the Lord Jesus. It's a work, isn't it? And then you find 2 Timothy 2, 8, encouragement to go on steady in the neighbors of the Lord, and lastly, Hebrews 12, 2, the secret of a steady race. It's lovely to go back sometimes to Ireland, and I go into the places where I was in a Sunday school, and of course, now at my age, I wouldn't be seeing too many that I saw, but it's nice to see some of them going on for the Lord.

So if you're an elderly Christian, and you're in the assembly, you remember that you going on for the Lord, that little steady race of faith that you can be an encouragement to younger believers. May the Lord bless his word. Amen.

See you.