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Source: https://www.sermonindex.net/speakers/john-meekin/three-men-who-got-saved/
Let's continue with a reading from John's Gospel. I'd invite you to read with me in John's Gospel and in chapter 3. John's Gospel and in chapter 3, a very well-known reference, and we read at verse number 3.
John 3, verse 3, Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old?
Look at verse 5. Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, except a man be born of water and of the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. Acts chapter 7, please. Second reference in Acts chapter 7, and this is about Stephen.
Acts 7 and at verse number 55. But he being full of the Holy Ghost looked up steadfastly into heaven and saw the glory of God and Jesus standing on the right hand of God. Verse 57. And they cried out with a loud voice and stopped their ears and ran upon him with one accord and cast him out of the city and stoned him.
And the witnesses led down their clothes at a young man's feet, whose name was Saul. Look at verse 60. And he kneeled down, Stephen did, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge.
And when he had said this, he fell asleep. Final reference in 2nd Timothy. 2nd Timothy, just a little further over in the New Testament. And we read in chapter 3. 2nd Timothy, please. And in chapter 3.
And look with me at verse number 14. But continue thou in the things which thou has learned and has been assured of, knowing of whom thou has learned them. And that from a child thou has known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus.
God bless to us further the reading of the sacred scriptures. You might already be wondering, what is it that's connecting, at least in my mind, these three portions of the holy scriptures together? Well, you say in John 3, wasn't that man Nicodemus?
He came to the Lord Jesus by night. He got saved. And that would be true. And you say the man that's named there in Acts chapter 7, his name was Saul, Saul of Tarsus. And he was saved. And that also would be true.
And you say this man that we've read about in 2nd Timothy chapter 3, his name is Timothy and he was saved. And that would also be true. But that's not the thread that is linking in my mind the three passages.
Just for a few minutes tonight, I want to speak to you about three things. I want you to consider with me in John 3, we've got an old man. I want you to notice when we're in Acts chapter 7, we've got a young man because those witnesses, they laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man and his name was Saul.
And you say, what about 2nd Timothy chapter 3? There we read about a child. And that from a child, thou hast known the sacred scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus.
Now, I want you to notice along with that, there's three things that God is using to bring these men to the point of conversion, and he still uses the same. You see, when we're reading about this boy or child, Timothy, it's the scriptures.
When we're going to look at the young man in Acts chapter 7, it's not the scriptures, it's the circumstances of life. And we take a look at that. And you say, what about the old man in John's gospel chapter 3?
It's not the scriptures or the circumstances of life. In John 3, it's the spirit of God. So whether it's the scriptures or the situation in life or the spirit of God, God is actively working to bring sinners to Christ.
And I should say this, that God uses all three. If you're a child in this meeting, God could be dealing with you through the power of the spirit and through the circumstances of life and through the scriptures and vice versa.
Whether it's an old man or an old woman or whether it's a young man or a young woman or whether it is children, God is actively moving, using all three means to bring sinners to the point where they accept Christ as their savior.
And you say this point about the child, listen to it now, that from a child thou hast known the sacred scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus.
I want to go as quickly as possible here because I know the meeting goes to quarter after eight. And if you've been following the time, we might even get a fourth speaker here. And so I'm going to try and be as brief as possible.
But don't forget now, a child. And in second Timothy chapter three, listen to it now. There's at least four things that God is using to speak to this child. Listen to the first one. We've got the word of God.
The second thing which is highlighted is the wisdom of God, which is able to make thee wise, the wisdom of God. Then you'll notice unto salvation, the salvation of God. And of course, highlighted right in the text is the way to God for everyone that is baptized.
No, for everyone that joins a church. No, through faith, which is in Christ Jesus. But market well now market. Well, I want everyone in this building, this auditorium, as we've been hearing, I want you to understand tonight.
First of all, the word of God, mind you, the word of God is power. If you picked up a thread between the former two speakers who spoke, both of them actively spoke about the word of God. And as I'm speaking tonight, I want to remind this audience that the word of God still has power.
There is something that none of us have. Jack Gould doesn't have it. Scott McLeod doesn't have it. I don't claim to have it. Listen, folks, there is something which we are wielding tonight. And as we wield it, it yields its own particular pivotal power.
And you say, what is that? It's the word of God. Listen to what the Bible says. The Bible says the word of God is living and it is powerful and it is sharper than any two edged sword. And it pierces even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit.
Do you know why? When you sit in a gospel meeting like this, you start you start thinking about your soul and you begin to think about eternity and you think about meeting God and you think about heaven and you think about hell and you think of the reality of the world to come and you think about your sins.
Well, you say it's fervent preaching by preachers just like yourself. It is nothing of the sort. It is the power of the word of God. Listen to what Peter says, being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible through the word of God, which lives and abides forever.
And as I am standing here tonight, I would advise everyone under the sound of my voice, if you are not saved to business with God tonight, because you can stay in your sins as long as you want. But if you know this book, you will never have peace.
You can go as far as you want in this world, but if this book has already an abiding value in your life, you will never outrun the scriptures, no matter how far you go, no matter how deep into sin you go, no matter the pleasures that you start to enjoy.
I say to everyone tonight, if you know the word of God, you're already ruined for this world, already ruined now. You boys and girls that are here, the word of God, it is power. I was reading recently, I was at a conference and there was a gentle man at the conference.
If I mentioned his name, everyone here would know him. And he was telling a story about a book he had read and I Amazoned it to myself, quite a book, a book about the British King Josiah. In 1536, there was a dear man, his name was William Tyndale, and William Tyndale was killed.
They burned him at the stake for his fidelity to God and his faithfulness in translating the scriptures. Before William Tyndale died, they actually strangled the man. And just as he was being strangled, as the fire was lit around him, William Tyndale said this, he said, oh God, oh God, open the king of England's eyes.
Henry VIII was on the throne at that time. And you say it was a fruitless prayer, was it? Within eight years, there was a king on the throne of England. He was eight years of age and he was a saved boy.
In fact, at his coronation, they brought out three swords and they're on the way to the coronation. And Edward, he turned to the courtiers that were all around him and he looked at the swords that were there, symbolic of his kingdom.
And he said to everyone there, he said, there's a sword missing. And they said to him, no, sir, we've got all the swords representing the kingdom. No, he said, there's a sword missing and I won't be crowned without it.
But they said to him, what sword are you referring to? He said, bring the Bible. He said, I won't be crowned this day without holding in my hand the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God. And as I'm preaching tonight, listen to it now, that from a child, thou hast known the sacred scriptures, which is able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith, which is in Christ Jesus, the word of God.
Well, you say, what about the wisdom of God? The scriptures are able to make a person wise. You remember the parable that the Lord Jesus told? He told the story about two men who were building. He told about a man who built without a foundation and he built upon the sand.
That man was a foolish man. But the Lord Jesus told another part of that parable about a man who was building and he built on solid rock, a wise man. Let me ask you tonight, what are you building on for eternity, boys?
You girls who are here, what are you building on for eternity? As I am standing here, let me assure this audience, I am building. In fact, I am built on the solid bedrock, which is Christ Jesus. As Paul says in first Corinthians chapter three, other foundation can no man lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ.
And there's a boy of 16 standing in a bedroom door. I accepted the Lord Jesus as my personal savior and I am building on Christ, on Christ, the solid rock I stand. All other ground is sinking sand. Let me ask you again now, what are you building on for eternity?
Because the Bible says, oh, that they were wise, that they would understand this, that they would consider their latter end, the wisdom of God, the word of God, the wisdom of God. But every gospel preacher wants to get to this one and you say, what is it?
Listen to what it says, that from a child, thou hast known the sacred scriptures, which is able to make thee wise unto salvation. Because the wonder of the gospel we preach is about God's salvation. And you think of the salvation of God so rich, and you think of the salvation of God so free, and you think tonight of the salvation of God so full.
You know those passages in the New Testament. I hardly need to quote them for God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be. You got it saved. You know what Acts 4 says, Acts 4 and 12.
Peter says, neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none other name under heaven given among man, whereby we must be saved. You know what Romans 10 says, Romans 10, 13, whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
You know what First Timothy says, Christ Jesus came into the world. Why did he ever come folks? Christ Jesus came into the world to save. Now I got to stop tonight because if I stayed there, dear brother Brody wouldn't, sorry, whoever speaks, my apologies, but whoever speaks, they wouldn't have time to speak.
But listen folks, one of the things that I believe fervently and the thing that I love to preach is not just the Word of God and the wisdom of God, but I want to tell you tonight about the salvation of God.
Well you say, how can I get this? There is a way to God. And you say, what is that way to God? Through faith, which is in Christ Jesus. Because every sinner who is saved at some point, every one of us came to exactly the same point.
Every sinner who has saved comes to the point where they realize I'm lost and in my sins. I'm going to perish in my sins. If I perish in my sins, I'll be far from God forever. You see that night that I've been telling you about, I get up off my knees.
I remember throwing my arms around my mother. I said to my mom, I'm lost and I'm helpless and I'm just going to be in hell. And she poured into my ears the gospel. And in a few minutes time standing in the doorway just at a bedroom, he was wounded for your transgressions.
He was bruised for your iniquities. The chastisement of your peace was upon him with his stripes. You were healed. And just at that moment, I placed faith in the Lord Jesus and my sins were gone forever.
I would advise you tonight, I would appeal to you tonight, do business with God, young people, children, that from a child thou hast known the sacred scriptures. I'll spend a little bit on the second one, this young man.
Here's a Christian who's going home. Stephen is standing in Acts chapter seven. Stephen opens Acts chapter seven and he speaks about the God of glory. You see at the end of Acts chapter seven, Stephen, it's not the God of glory, but Acts seven mentions the glory of God.
He saw the glory of God and they run upon him and they take their stones. And before they took those stones, they took off their coats and they threw them at the feet of a young man and his name was Saul.
And Saul was standing there watching and he saw a Christian going home. You ever see a Christian leave earth? It's quite something. I haven't seen too many, but I was in the presence of my grandmother when the Lord called her home.
In fact, I wasn't sure it had happened. She's lying in a bed ravished with cancer. And as she was lying there, I saw that breath being taken and that was the last breath she ever took. And I remember walking in and calling my father and calling my father's brother who wasn't saved then and he's still not saved.
And I said, I think granny's gone. Here's a man and Saul of Tarsus watched and he saw a Christian going home and he never forgot it. And the circumstances of life were such that God used it for every moment after that Saul of Tarsus, he was kicking against the goads that God was working with him.
Is there a sinner here tonight? God is working with you. Is there a young man in this building tonight? And you've been wanting to be saved for months and God has been goading and pricking you and pricking your conscience and you know you need to be saved.
I tell you tonight, listen folks, God was in the business of moving in the life of Saul of Tarsus until the moment when Saul got saved. And God is still in the business of working here in Wisconsin, seeking and searching and saving the lost.
I leave the last one for you, an old man. Nicodemus, verily, verily I say unto you, ye must be born again. How can a man be born when he is old? If you're an older friend here tonight, you accept the Lord Jesus and on the authority of this book, you too will be born again.