Real Security (Times of Refreshing Radio) — Peter Brandon

Hello friends, it's good to greet you again. Another program of Times of Refreshing has been prepared and on behalf of the Voice of Melody Victoria, this is your Christian friend Ralph Taylor, looking forward to sharing this half hour with you.

This is the final program of our five-part series where our special guest, Peter Brandon, has been sharing thoughts on that wonderful verse found in John chapter 5 and verse 24. And Peter will be with us again today in just a few moments.

Long ago in a faraway place Rough rugged timbers were raised to the sky There hung a man suspended in space. And though he died, they left him to die Just to say to my guilt and despair Bitter hating, to sweet peace and love.

That was his last word Out of that great verse this morning,.

Security Through John 5:24

Remember we've had authority truly truly I say unto you Honesty he that heareth my word. Dependency believeth on him that sent me. True eternity hath everlasting life. And now true security. Not coming to condemnation.

But his past from death. My dear friends, we do need that security but let me say just a little word about that word condemnation. The fact of judgment. We don't hear the preaching of judgment today because people are afraid to offend.

The Loving Necessity of Warning About Judgment

But if you really love people, you will tell them the truth. Let me explain what I mean. A mother will warn her children of dangerous rafts. A mother will warn her children of the danger of deep water.

In fact, if you listen to a good mother, she is constantly warning her children. Warning her children about accidents, high potential electricity, in fact, everything that's dangerous. Now why? Because mum really loves her children.

Again, with the authorities, you will notice this. If you're driving and there's a dangerous bend, they will give you a real warning. And sometimes they'll put up very dramatic posters in order to frighten you so that you might heed the danger.

Now why do they do it? Because they love you. Now in the Bible, there are warnings. For instance, we read in the scripture, the wages of sin is death. We read in the scripture, he that believes not the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him.

Sin, Hell, and the Exclusivity of Christ

Now why does God do this? Simply because he infinitely loves us. You see, hell was never made for human beings. It was made for Satan and all the influences of evil. And it's going to be a great day when the Lord will finalise and isolate sin and evil once and forever in that sphere which he calls the lake of fire.

But this is the tragedy. Men and women do not accept Christ. And Christ is the only saviour. There's no other saviour apart from the Lord Jesus. The word of God says, neither is there salvation in any other, for there is none other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved.

And therefore, dear friends, the Lord Jesus came into this world to be our saviour. And he is the only spiritual life belt that we have. And that is why the Lord says, truly, truly, I say unto you, he that hears my word and believes on him that sent me has everlasting life and shall not come into judgment.

The Urgent Call to Come to Christ

Now, may I give you, dear friends, a loving warning. If you go on in life in your sin, if you go on breaking the commandments as we all do, and you do not accept Jesus Christ as your saviour, and you die, it will be a tragedy.

And that hurts me to say that. Dear friends, the only thing in life that really matters is that you get your sins forgiven and saved. The Lord Jesus said to his own people with tears, you will not come to me that ye might have life.

And I feel like that just now. I want to plead with you people to put your trust in the Lord Jesus so that you might be saved from condemnation. What a tragedy it is. When the saviour is available, when the saviour is there, longing to come into your heart and life, that people neglect and reject him.

Don't do that. Heed the warning and turn to Christ now. So the fact of judgment is there. Now, freedom from judgment. Shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life. The moment a person comes into saving faith.

Now that is the faith that comes from your heart. The faith that throws itself upon Christ. The faith that really receives Christ into the heart and life. Immediately that takes place. You pass from death unto life.

Passing From Death to Life Through Christ

It's a wonderful word really. It's like someone in a burning building and a fireman come and they step out of the window into his arms. They pass from death to life. Or it's like being on a burning ship and a lifeboat comes alongside and the ship's burning, it's sinking.

And you take one jump from the burning ship onto the lifeboat, you pass from death unto life. Now the Lord Jesus comes alongside you and he's doing that now. And he wants you to trust him and you pass immediately from death to life.

Why? He bore your judgment. Therefore God can't punish you again. Why? Christ has borne your judgment. And when you believe, you are linked with him. Just want to relate a little story before I close.

A Drowning Rescue as an Illustration of Salvation

I was actually in a place called Wollokon and I was the swimming instructor and the swimming policeman. And the job wasn't very nice really. You had to swim out about a quarter of a mile and none of the young people were allowed to pass you.

They were all early and late teenagers. The reason was that there at Wollokon, there are about five tides and every year there are fatalities where people get swept out in the sea and they drown. And because of this act, every time we went into the water, there would be two swimming policemen.

And I was swimming backwards and forwards, getting a bit cold. And there were three men crying for help. Now I thought really they were playing a practical joke because they had a large inflated ball upon which they were holding and they were secured to it.

Eventually I turned round and there was just one man. And then I looked and I saw him sink and then I knew he was in jeopardy. Eventually I went out to him and I could see he was in the last stages of drowning.

And I tried to call him. He was a massive man and he was trying to grab me. Now of course you will know that it's foolish to go in and try and save a man who is still strong. You wait until he gets a little exhausted and then you render him powerless and bring him back.

So I started to swim around him and then I looked up and I had the biggest shock in my life. I was in a current. And I must have been then a half a mile from the land. Another friend came up and joined me and he realised the predicament that we were in and I tried to make it for sure and I couldn't.

The current was too strong. And then I went back and gave the other swimming instructor just a wink and we both realised that we were in a mess. We were caught in a powerful current and we were being driven out to the seventh current and we knew that was fatal.

And my dear friend, that was an awful moment. Now lots of people are in the current of sin and it's got hold of them and it's driving them to perdition and there's no hope for us. And all of a sudden, I saw a head and then I saw a man swimming toward us.

And I cried out, don't come, we're in a current. But he came on. And when he got near us, he was a lifesaver. Attached to him was a wire rope and that was attached to a Land Rover. And when he got near us, forgive my emotion, I could have kissed him.

It was wonderful. I knew then that we were saved. Now my dear friend, in these addresses, the Lord Jesus has come to you. You can't see him, but in the power of the Spirit, he's there and he's really there and he's come to you.

He turned to me and he said, you tried to make it, didn't you? I said, yes. He said, no swimmer in Britain could beat this current. He said, now look quickly. He said, I'm going to inflate this boy and be turning to the man that was in difficulty.

He said, I want you to grab it. He said, and I want you two men to grab the inflated handle and then hold my hand. So he pulled this valve out and the thing immediately inflated and the drowning man, I shall never forget it, his hands open wide and he grabbed that life buoy and he nearly squeezed all the air out of it and immediately he grabbed it.

You could see peace, tranquility, some security coming back. Oh, it was a wonderful sight. And then we grabbed the handle and we both grabbed his hand and we knew we were safe. Wouldn't it be lovely if someone took a step of faith and said, Jesus, I'm going to trust you to forgive me and save me and come into my life.

And then we started to be pulled in by this big wire rope. Never forget it. The bottom part of us was going out to the sea because we could feel the current. The top part seemed to be being pulled in.

And when we really got halfway, I started to lose grip and I was too proud to shout for help. And eventually I said, I'm sorry, old chap, I can't hold you any longer. He said, I know you're slipping. He said, but don't let go.

Wait until a big wave comes and that will throw you on me. Then let go and I'll grab you. So I let go when the wave came and I was thrown on him and he grabbed me by the wrist and I held on to his wrist.

And then I knew I was really safe. I wonder, is there a backslide and you feel you're letting go? You can't hold on any longer. Well, let go and let Christ get a grip of you. That's what he wants to do.

Take over your life. And when we got in, I shall never forget it, there was a great crowd there. And when this lifesaver crawled out of the water, he was six foot four. He must have weighed about 17 stone, a massive man.

And two of us just gripped him by the hand and we kept on thanking him, thanking him. What a day it will be when we get home to heaven and we see the mighty savior with the marks of the cross in his body.

And we'll go on thanking him for eternity. May God help someone to take that step of faith and trust him. Let's pray. Lord. My dear friends, warning after warning has fallen from the mouth of God to sinners about judgment and the result of sin.

The Certainty of Judgment and the Harvest of Sin

We are warned, be not deceived. God is not mocked. For whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. Galatians chapter six and verse seven. But not all the reaping is done in this life. God will call men and women, unsaved, unrepented men and women to judgment.

There they will reap what they sow. There they will receive their just and public sentence and depart to a Christless, hopeless and peaceless and last eternity. This, my dear friends, is a striking and a terrible thought.

Sinners must face God. No wonder the scripture says, it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this, the judgment. Hebrews nine and verse 27. But my sinner friend, you do not have to wait for that awful day.

Christ Bearing Judgment and Offering Mercy

Thank God. If you will trust in Christ, you can escape that judgment. God loves you. Trust him for forgiveness and mercy today and you will not come to this awful judgment. Christ was judged for your sins on the cross.

And when he cried out just before he died, it is finished. He meant that every sin of yours and mine was paid for. Everyone. Thank God. You can have mercy now instead of justice if you will trust in Christ.

The Final Invitation to Receive Everlasting Life

During the past five programs, we have heard that if you will trust in Christ, you will have no judgment and no condemnation, but instead life everlasting. Verily, verily, I say unto you, he that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life.

John chapter five and verse 24. Christ will answer for you, my friend, on that judgment day if you trust him. He bore your sins. He took your place. He is even now at the right hand of the father to intercede for those who trust him.

He is one lawyer who never loses a case and one physician who never turns his back on his own. Today is the last of the series of programs with Peter Brandon. And Peter has faithfully presented to you the message of salvation in a very clear and simple way.

And if you have listened, God will hold you to account for the decision that you make today. Will you now confess your sins and trust Christ to forgive you? Will you claim him now as your savior? My dear friend, turn to the Lord Jesus Christ right now and be saved.

The Times of Refreshing is a radio missionary outreach.

Of the Christian Brethren and Assemblies of Victoria and is made possible by God's provision through his people. Would you like a copy of today's program on cassette? Free to you and to post free? As this is the final program of a series of five which Peter Brandon has presented from John chapter five and verse 24.

You may like perhaps to have copies of the complete series. If this is the case, we would be pleased to send them to you also. Remember they are free and post free with our Christian love to you. When writing, be sure to state that the number of the cassette for today's program is 858, cassette number 858.

And if you wish to have the series of tapes, make that plain in your letter also. Our mailing address is Times of Refreshing, Post Office Box 66, Lillydale, 3140. Times of Refreshing, Post Office Box 66, Lillydale, 3140.

And the cassette number again is 858. Now until next we meet. On behalf of our guest Peter Brandon and all your friends here at the Voice of Melody Victoria, this is Ralph Taylor saying goodbye, God bless you, and remember, keep looking up.

Call on the Lord what He may become He will wipe away your tears He will wipe away your tears