Address—G. Thomson
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Shall we turn to the Book of Acts?
And.
Chapter 20.
And we'll read from verse 22.
And now, behold, I go, bound in the Spirit, onto Jerusalem.
Not knowing the things that shall befall me there, say that the Holy Ghost witnesseth in every city.
Saying that bonds and afflictions abide me, but none of these things move me, neither count I my life dear unto myself, so that I might finish my course with joy, and the ministry which I have received of the Lord Jesus, to testify the gospel of the grace of God.
Now the second Epistle of Timothy for a few verses there.
Two Timothy, chapter 3.
Verse 13.
But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived. But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned, and has been assured of knowing of whom thou hast learned them.
And that from a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make the wise unto salvation.
Through faith which is in price visa.
All scripture is given by inspiration of God.
And is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works.
Verse six of the next chapter.
For I am now ready to be offered and the time of my departure is at hand.
I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course.
I have kept the faith.
Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness.
Which the Lord, the righteous Judge shall give me at that day, and not to me only.
But unto all them also that love.
His appearance.
In these scriptures that we have read together.
We have brought before us two men.
The beloved Apostle.
Who has reached the end of his course?
Down here.
And Timothy, a young man.
Who, so to speak, was just beginning his career?
And it's lovely, is it not, to see the Apostle Paul?
That grand old warrior of the cross.
That one who had fought many a hard campaign.
He had won many a victory but now he stands and he says I have finished my course.
In chapter 20 of Acts, he says that I might finish my course with joy.
And here we see him laying down his weapons, so to speak. I have fought a good fight. I have finished my course. I have kept the face.
And then he, as it were, turned to Timothy, this young man.
And he says, Timothy, now you go on, Continue thou, in the things which thou hast learned, knowing of whom thou hast learned them.
One's encouraged to read these scriptures this afternoon, beloved friends, because.
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Within the last year, we have seen.
Some of the Lord's servants finished their course with joy.
We have seen our brother Hey Ho and our brother Gil.
And others finish their course with joy.
16 years ago I visited these parts and I remember sitting under the ministry of our beloved brother Brathwaite and our brother Chanel. But today they're not with us. They finished their course with joy. They've left this scene.
And now?
To you, dear young people here this afternoon, and to myself.
One would say that it's left to us to continue.
On in the things that we have learned and we feel more and more.
The responsibility of this, especially in view of the character of the times in which we find our lot cast.
And so one would seek to encourage the dear young brothers here this afternoon, and the young sisters as well, to weigh these matters in the balance, to consider them, and to continue on in the things which thou hast learned, not knowing where thou hast learned them, but knowing of whom thou hast learned them. Where did Timothy learn these things? He learned them from the apostle Paul.
Ah, but it goes higher than that. Where did Paul learn them?
He got them by direct revelation from the Lord.
In glory. So the things that we are to continue in dear young people are the things that come right down from the very heart of God, the truth of God. The truth that never changes. For there is no advancement in truth. There's no development in truth. The truth comes down from God in all its purity, and it's the same today as the very day that it was given.
Know the truth doesn't change.
I remember a few weeks ago my little grandson, just 16 years old.
Came to me and holding up three fingers on each hand, he says, grandpa, what is this? Why I said three and three is 6. Oh, no, he said, you're wrong. These are equivalents. Three and three are equivalent. Oh, don't you see? They've changed their system now of teaching. They've made progress. They've advanced. And so if we were to go back to school today, we would find that there are many things.
That we would have to learn over. I pick up the textbook on physics.
I see that we have now a new subject called nuclear physics. I didn't learn that when I was school. In school there's been an advance, there's been progress in the things of man. But all when we come to this book that we hold in our hand the truth of God, there's no advance in that. It came down from the heart of God in all its purity, and we possess it today.
We ought to treasure it more, so the apostle says to Timothy.
And that's my child. Thou hast known the Holy Scriptures. Timothy had a wonderful background. He had a godly grandmother. He had a godly mother. But that didn't save Timothy. And the fact that, dear young people, that you have godly parents will not suffice for you. There came a day when Timothy had to weigh matters. There came a day when Timothy had to learn in the presence of a righteous and a holy God.
That he had sinned. There came a day when he had to make a choice. He had to own the Lord Jesus as his own precious Savior. That was Timothy starting point and that is your starting point if you have accepted the Lord Jesus as your Savior. And if you haven't, you have not yet started. In fact, you're still traveling that broad Rd.
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That leads to destruction, but to you who have accepted the Lord Jesus.
As your own personal Savior, this is your starting point. And isn't it interesting to see here how that that the apostle Paul, in view of the last days, brings the Holy Scriptures before Timothy as a young man? Or would you say this is the Old Testament Scriptures? Well, to be sure, Timothy was acquainted with the Old Testament Scriptures, but one believes.
That it goes farther than that. For what we have here is a broad statement concerning the entire revealed Word of God, the Holy Scriptures. All Scripture is given by the inspiration of God. Oh, dear young people, let us lay hold of that fact. Let us learn it well, that this book that we hold in our hands, all Scripture is given.
By the inspiration of God, it gives us the mind of God, the will of God, it gives us God's counsels and God's purposes. And beloved friends, let us remember this, that the Scriptures carry with them the highest authority. It's the authority of God. All how we ought to treasure them, more how we ought to value them.
How much time do we spend reading the scriptures?
We had it brought to our attention this morning in the meeting, did we not all we're living in a busy scene, but yet let us not be so busy that we find no time for reading the precious word of God. And let us not only find time for reading it, but let us find time for meditating it. Meditating in it. The prophet Jeremiah could say, I found thy word and did eat them.
That's what we need. We need to read the precious word of God. We need to assimilate it. We need it. We need to allow it to become a part of it so that our thoughts are formed by it and our lies are molded by it. All Scripture is given by the inspiration of God. Let us remember that. And they carry with them the authority of God.
This is the highest authority. Everything that we hear, everything that we've read must be tested by the scriptures and that they are in disagreement with the scriptures, then we must let them drop. They're of no value whatsoever.
We find much said about the Word in the 119th Bomb. Wherewithal tell a young man, cleanse his ways by taking heed, according to thy word. Thy word is a lamp unto our feet, and a light unto our path. And again, the entrance of thy word giveth light. It giveth understanding to the simple. Oh, what a wonderful treasure we have in the Word of God.
And what little time we spend in reading it and meditating upon it.
Well, may we eat one and be encouraged to read it more, to meditate upon it more, and in it to get light and wisdom for our pathway through the darkness that is enveloping the scene about us.
Well, one wanted to call attention to some of the things that Timothy learned, continues all in the thing which thou hast learned until we turn for a moment to Galatians chapter one.
And verse 11.
But I certify you, brethren.
That the gospel which was preached of me is not.
After man, now let's get that the gospel which was preached of me.
Is not after man, for I neither received it of man, neither was I caught it, but.
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By the revelation of Jesus Christ.
All that wonderful message, the gospel of God's grace, that which has broken our stubborn wills.
And has won our heart had its source in the very heart of God. It was received by the apostle Paul from the Lord in glory. It was not the fruit of his imagination. He didn't get it in any theological books, but he received it directly from the Lord in glory. And what a wonderful gospel it is. One loves that 5th chapter of Romans which begins.
Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus. Right wonderful message, Peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
All we learn that God delivered Jesus for our offenses and that he raised him again.
For our justification, therefore, being justified by faith, that is, on the principle of faith, we have peace with God.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, we were reading in our meeting this morning that lovely verse in the second chapter of John's first epistle. I write unto you, children, because your sins are forgiven.
We deserve it, No forgiven for is.
Name Faith. I love that. Don't you? Forgiven are forgiven.
How many of them all of our sins are forgiven for?
His name faked wonderful truth to lay hold of.
But in the 5th chapter of Romans, we go a step further, and not only do we learn.
That our sins are forgiven, but we learn that we have been justified from all things.
We learn that we stand before God as though we have never committed one single.
Sin justified. Justified.
Ah, how wonderful one thinks of Abraham in the 22nd chapter of Genesis.
When God told him to take his son, his only son.
Whom he loved and to offer him for a bird offering in a place that he would show him.
And so we see Abraham and Isaac taking that three days journey.
And then when they reached the place, Abraham Isaac turns to his father.
And he says.
Father, here's the word for the burnt offering, here's the fire. But where is the lamb? Where is the lamb? And Abraham says, My son, God shall provide himself a lamb. And then turning Abraham, after he had laid his son Isaac and bound him on the altar, and had taken the knife in his hand to slay his own son, and was stopped.
By the Angel voice.
He turned and what did he see? He saw a ram caught in the thicket by its horn. Oh, wonderful picture, beautiful picture. The Lord Jesus could have gone back at any moment during His life down here. He could have gone back from whence He came because He was the one who knew no sin, who did no sin in him was no sin.
He was that holy thing, but what was it that detained in here? Oh, he was caught in the thicket by his horn. The horns speak of power, and the Lord Jesus was held here by the power of love. Love for who? Love for you, love for me, held by the power of love. And then we think.
Of the Hebrew servant.
Saying I love my master, I love my wife.
I love my children. I will not go out free. And so the true Isaac was laid on the altar. He was bound by the cords of love, and the knife was raised, but there was no voice to say it. It was he in his holy bosom. Jehovah lifted up his rod all Christ. It fell on the thine. Open bosom was my ward. It bore all I'll for me.
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A victim LED thy blood was shed. Now there's no load for me. Yes, the blessed Savior, the Son of God became my substitute. He took my place. He stepped into that awful breach that my sins have made. He bore my sins in his own body on the tree. Or can you say that, dear young people here this afternoon.
Can you say that he bore my sin in his own body?
On the tree, that's where we start. All that wonderful message that comes down from the glory, down from the heart of God, that wonderful gospel. Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.
Ah, but there's more. We have access by faith now into this grace wherein we stand.
And rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Think of that. We stand now in grace. We stand in all God's favor. Access by faith into this grace wherein we stand. We've been taken, as it were, out of that place of death and condemnation, and we've been put in that place of life and righteousness. Now we stand in all God's favor.
In Christ, the weakest child stands in all God's favor. But there's more. We rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. As the past, our sins are gone, gone forever. As to the present, we stand in all God's favor. As to the future, we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.
And then, step by step, we climb the ladder of blessings until we're left, as it were.
Rejoicing, rejoining in our God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Isn't this wonderful? The very God whom we dreaded the thought of having to meet, we now find our joy and our delight in Him. Oh dear young people, continue thou in the things which thou hast learned, knowing of whom thou hast learned them.
And there's more. We haven't found it all yet before we find.
That there is now a divine Person dwelled within, shedding abroad in our hearts.
The love of God. And so we start our course.
As Christians, as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ, we start our course.
With this wonderful knowledge that we stand in all God's favor.
And that we have that consciousness in our heart that God loves us.
Now having started in that course continues. Continue thou in the things which thou hast learned.
Knowing of whom thou hast learned, then.
Now shall we turn to 1St Thessalonians chapter 4?
Verse 15.
For this we say unto you.
By the word of the Lord. Oh, don't you see again?
Here is that message that has its source in the very heart of God coming down through the channel.
Now to us, by the word of the Lord, this ought to increase our confidence.
That we which are alive, and remain unto the coming of the Lord.
Shall not prevent or precede them which are fleet, for the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout.
With the voice of the archangels, and with the trump of God and the dead in Christ shall rise first.
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Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds.
To meet the Lord in the air. So shall we ever be.
With the Lord, I know you've read these scriptures many, many times, but all beloved friends, they have a message in them that deepens and increases as the days will by. For that moment is growing nearer. When that one who was once held to the cross by the cords of love, that one who has risen from among the dead.
By the glory of the Father has gone back from whence He came, and soon he's coming again.
To take, to be with himself those for whom he has died. Yes, the Lord is going to descend from heaven with a shout. And I wonder if everyone here in our audience this afternoon is ready for that event that is so imminent. The coming of the Lord draweth nigh. A little while, and he that shall come will come.
And will not carry and so as we journey.
On our way.
Wherever it may be, whether it's in school, whether it's in the shop, in the office, in the factory, wherever it may be, we can go our way with the consciousness of the fact that at any moment, at any moment, we might hear that. And we learn in the third chapter of John's first epistle, Beloved, now are we?
The children of God, and it does not yet appear what we shall be, but we know that when he shall appear.
We shall be like him, or we shall see him as he is.
He that hath this hope in him purifieth himself even as he is pure. So as we have the imminence of that hope before us, it has a sanctifying, a purifying effect on our lives. For the brighter that hope becomes, the less attractive the things of time are to these hearts of ours. It has a sanctifying effect.
And you recall the prayer of the Lord Jesus in the 17th chapter of John.
When he had on his heart his own who are in the world.
Did he say sanctify them through thy truth? Thy word is truth. What does that mean? Sanctify them through thy truth? Ah, dear young Christians, it simply means this, that what we went on with yesterday, we must drop today because we have learned more of the precious truth of God.
And so as we learn the truth, little by little, line upon line, precept upon precept.
Here are little, and there are little, for we are slow to learn. It should have. It must have. It will have a sanctifying effect on our lives. Do you want to finish your course with joy? Oh, then you must learn to walk.
And separation from this present evil world. You cannot go on with the world and be a happy Christian. Know it impossible. If you want to be happy, if you want to finish your course with joy, then let us allow the precious word of God to have it sanctifying effect upon our heart. All one thinks of a number of young people.
In his own history.
Because of allowing the world to allure them.
Into the byways Instead of staying on the highway, they were drawn into the byways, but pursuing the pleasures of this world. Perhaps the first step was an innocent step, but it led to another and another, until at last they found themselves drawn entirely aside, going on with the world so that you can scarcely distinguish the fact that they belong to Christ. To call, and we have to leave them here.
The Lord knoweth them that are his. Oh how sad it will be.
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To find that like the Apostle Paul at the close of his careers.
At the end of his journey, how sad it would be to have to look back with a heart.
Filled with regret because you had been careless in your walk, because you had taken a wrong step which led you into the byways of this world and robbed you of the joy of your salvation. Oh thank God, if we belong to Christ, we can never, never be lost. He has died for us. He has undertaken the full responsibility for us. Where the Father's gift to the Son, and he'll see to it that we land safely.
Home in the glory. But I'm sure it's the desire of each young person here this afternoon to walk a happy Christian life and to finish your course with joy.
Now we look at another passage in.
First Corinthians.
Chapter 11.
Verse 23.
For I have received a man. Is that what it says?
No, I have received of the Lord that which also.
I delivered unto you that the Lord Jesus, the same night in which he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he break it and said, Take, eat. This is my body which is broken for you. This do in remembrance of me.
And after the same manner also he took the cup when he asked when he had stopped saying.
As the New Testament in my blood, this do ye as OFT as you drink it in remembrance of Me. For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, ye do show the Lord best.
Till he.
Now we were to turn over to the 22nd chapter of Luke. We would find that the Lord Jesus, ere He left this scene, instituted.
This beast of remembrance, all he knew, these four hearts of ours.
How prone they would be to forget, how prone to wander. He values our affections. And so he has instituted this piece himself before he left this scene. And then he gives it to us the second time through the apostle Paul. That message comes down from the Lord in glory. And he says this do in remembrance of me.
All continue thou in the things which thou hast learned, knowing of whom thou hast learned them. Now the Lord leaves us here in the morning. We'll be assembling together. What for to respond to this request.
This do in remembrance of Maine, we'll have the loaf on the table, that loaf which speaks of that one body, and we will see representatively in that lobe every member of the body of Christ.
We will have the cup on the table, that cup which speaks to us.
Of His precious blood shed on the altar of Calvary Cross, that cup which reminds us of that bitter cup of judgment that He drained to the last dark bitter drop. Oh dear young people, are you going to be amongst that number who will gather together on the Morrow if the Lord leaves us here with the assurance of Himself in our midst? Are you going to be amongst that number?
Who will remember him?
In there.
Or will you be amongst those who will sit back and take the outside place?
Oh, the Lord values your affections. Do you want to minister joy to his heart then? If so, why not respond to his request? This dude in remembrance.
Of me continuous vows, in the things that thou hast learned, and if time would permit.
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We could turn over to the Epistle of the Ephesians and again see how.
That the truth concerning the one body of Christ laws received by revelation.
My Apostle Paul from the Lord in glory and these.
Dear young Christians, are the things which you and I.
Are to go on in where to continue continue in Bell.
In the things that thou hath learned, Knowing of whom?
Thou hast learned them. These are things that we must cling to.
As we see the truth being let go on every hand. As we see.
That grand mixture things as we see the confusion that exists about us.
All we must cling to these things tenaciously. They come directly from the Lord in glory, the precious gospel of God, grace, the coming of the Lord, the remembrance of the Lord, and death. The truth is to the one body of Christ. We must hold these at all costs if we want to finish our course with joy, and I'm sure that's the desire of every young believer.
Here this afternoon, and may the Lord in his grace and mercy.
Satisfy that desire, may he cast his.
Wings around you, and may He protect you and shelter you from the evil influences that abound on every hand.
And may He preserve your steps in that path of faith.
That path that leads home to the glory, all the end is near. The coming of the Lord draweth nigh. And dear young people, I know that the opposition is great. I know that the problems are many, but all, as we heard this morning, the Lord has equipped us, fully equipped us or the way, and His grace is sufficient to preserve and to keep us.
Until at last we are home in the glory, when with unwearied eye we shall gaze on His face, not face that was once marred more than any man. When we shall be with him to be His eternal companion, When we shall share all the fruit of his atoning death on Calvary Cross, When we shall rest with him in his love. Oh, what a wonderful.
Wonderful prospect.
Lies before us and may each one hear this afternoon.
Dear young believer, cling to these things that we've been considering together, Nathan your own, and never, never let them go until he comes.
Now we sing.
#16 in the appendix.
O Jesus, friend unfailing, how dear art thou to me Our cares or fears of failing. I find my strength in thee. Why should my feet grow weary of this? My Pilgrim way, rough though the path and varies, it ends in perfect day. I'm gonna start it, please.
Why close my feet? You're always.
Of this my building work.
Hard. I'm rearing.
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With me.
I love.
Where can I look?
In Vadnais.
Our.
By my side.
Rambling.
Love you.
By my mind, what are taken?
Where Christ place?
Prepare.
There is.
More.
Where shall I save?
Up where God is well with me.
All right, brave, you like God.
Lord, pray for this rap.
In price.
Salvation.
For help and quiet.
Oh dear.
I cry of Lord and me.
Unfailing.
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Our dear heart about you.