And now as we turn your attention to the verse that we have chosen today for our text, I shall repeat the verse again. It is John five, verse twenty four. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life. It may be that Amongst my listening audience today, I have a number of mothers. You may not have such prominence for yourself in the world. You may not have gone out to follow a career. Maybe you just stay at home and you attend to the things of the house and you look after your children. You sometimes wonder, what service can I render for God? May I tell you this? I was once visiting in a large city, standing one day in a certain establishment. A man came in as a customer. Because that he came from the same country as myself, the shopkeeper introduced me to him. We began to talk. After a little while we turned the conversation round to spiritual matters. I had learned by that time the particular town where he was born and where he came from. And when we turned the conversation to spiritual matters, he looked at me, he said, you know, he says, the home in which I was born and raised. He said, my mother had a text, a verse from the Bible, and she had it framed. It was on the wall, right opposite my bed. It was the last thing I saw at night before I put the light out. It was the first thing I saw in the morning. I said to him, well, what was that verse? If you saw it each day before you went to sleep, and you saw it again in the morning when you woke up, could you, after all these years, you've been away from home, tell me what the verse was? And he began to quote the verse, and it was John five. Here was a mother who had this verse framed, placed it on the wall of the bedroom of her boy, and years after he had left home, and his mother perhaps had gone to be with the Lord in glory, and he away in a strange city, here was he could still remember that verse from the Bible, it had been planted like a living seed into the mind and heart. of that young lad and remained with them. I mention that incident because, for all the mothers who are listening to me today, might I give a word of encouragement? If you do nothing else, then plant the seed of the word in the hearts, in the minds of your children. You are definitely doing a work for God. Whether you teach them to memorize these verses when they're young, Or you have them framed and put in the bedroom like a motto. And there they'll learn them through eye gate. And so therefore you're doing a work. If every Sunday school teacher would just arrive at this point, that their business is to teach the children in the Sunday school the word of God. Get them to memorize the verse. Now with that in mind we come to our verse today and we'll try to analyze it. and see what God's message is for us through this verse. Because I might say this, that a great number of people have been led to a knowledge of salvation. They've come to confess Jesus Christ as Lord on the strength of the truth that is revealed in John five twenty four. I have had the privilege many a time sitting by the sides of anxious people showing them this verse and on the strength of this truth they've come to an understanding of the way of salvation. I trust you shall today, my friend, if you're not a Christian. And if you are a Christian, I'm sure of this, that you'll love this text just the same. In fact, it may be that some of my listeners today can look back on years that have passed and remember when you first learned this text, and perhaps you were led to an assurance of salvation on the strength of these words. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believe it on him that sent me hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death. Unto life, let us take four simple movements in this verse. First of all, there is the great privilege, he that heareth my word. Then there is the great participation, and believeth him that sent me. Then there is the great possession, half everlasting life. Then there is the great promise, shall not come into condemnation for this pass from death and to life. Luke first of all, then, at the great privilege, He that heareth my work. The Lord Jesus Christ on many an occasion said, He that hath ears to hear, let him hear. If God has given to us the capacity to hear, then there is the corresponding responsibility for us to listen and take in the message. You know, when it says, Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word. This does not simply mean some caudal hearing. That is, you don't simply listen to someone reading the Bible. While that is good, that is not what is inferred in this text at all. That word here that says heareth, it means to incline the ear with intent to hear. Have you ever seen a person whose hearing was a little bit impaired and you were to speak to them and you didn't speak loud enough? They would put their hand to their ear and they'd turn their ear round in order to catch the very words that were being said. They didn't want to miss anything. In plain words, they were inclining the ear. Again, how often... Have you heard some alarming sound? And the moment you heard the sound, whether it was a whistle or a horn, you immediately incline your ear in order to catch what the message is. That's the thought that's conveyed to us in John five, twenty four. It's he that will incline the ear with intent to hear. If I could reduce that to one word, I would say it like this, He that listens to my word. My friend, may I ask you, have you ever taken time to listen to what God has to say? Now, this word to which we have to listen is a word of authority. God speaks with absolute authority. Therefore... If it is a word of authority, we can rest assured it is dependable. You know, you hear an awful lot of things today that you cannot depend on. Men are very slick today with a language. They have a way of saying things, but it's not a word of authority. But when you hear the word of authority, you can rest assured that it is absolutely dependable. You asked some of the men who were in the forces, when they were going through their training, when their superior officer gave a command, they knew that that word was spoken with authority. And if their superior officer gave the command, it was their duty to hear the command and to act accordingly. But not only is this word the word of authority, and therefore dependable, may I suggest it is the word of simplicity, and if such it is understandable. I am sure of this, that like myself you have listened to some men talking in a language, oh yes, it was English all right, the language we were supposed to understand, but the way in which they spoke, they so complicated the whole matter, that it was anything but simple, and therefore it was not understandable. There are some men who can talk of things, and it's just like mumbling. With the result you do not understand the message they're seeking to convey. But when you come to the word of God, my friend, it is so written that a man could be running and could read it at the same time. It's the word of simplicity. In the Bible you'll find words that come down to the level whereby men and women like ourselves can read it and understand it. Look at the text I'm reading now. Is there anything in that text that's complicated? Are there any words in the text that you do not understand? He said, I say unto you, he that heareth my word, and believeth him that sent me. hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life. Using our text as a sample, you'll realize this, my friend, that God's message is conveyed to us in words of simplicity. Therefore it's a word that is understandable. Then again, when God speaks, it is a word of prophecy. And on the strength of that we say that this word is desirable. When I say a word of prophecy I mean this. God speaks and God alone can reveal the future. It seems to be something inbred into the soul of each person today. They would like to know what lies before them. I'm sure we would all like to know what will be on the morrow. We would all like to know what will happen next week. And wouldn't it be fine if you could be absolutely sure what things would be like next year? Everyone wants to know the future. That's why so many people are making merchandise today, professing to be able to tell your future. Some profess to tell it by looking at the lines on your hand. some profess to be able to tell it by looking into a crystal ball. Oh, my friend, do not be deluded. God and God alone can tell the future. And all that you and I know about the future is what God has revealed in his word. And if you will take time to listen to what God has to say in his word, you will know just as much about the future as anyone else. The trouble is, men don't read and listen to what God has to say in his word. He that heareth my word. God's word is a word of authority. It is dependable. It's a word of simplicity. It's understandable. It's a word of prophecy. It is desirable. But remember this, it is a word of finality. Therefore it is acceptable. When God has spoken, remember that is the last word. And in the end, God will have the last word. If you care to go to the story of the prodigal son, when the prodigal came back to his father and his father received him, my his old brother, he was furious. He showed his indignation and he resented it and he was arguing with his father. But remember this, the father had the last word. My friend, you may try to argue with the preacher. You may try to argue with your Christian friends. You may even try to argue with God. But remember this, God will have the last word. But what a privilege it is for us. to be able to listen to God's word. He that heareth my word. It's God's word. We have the capacity to hear. We have the responsibility to listen and take note of what God says. You see, it is a divine revelation, but on the other side, there is the human responsibility. Then there is the great participation. And believeth him that sent me. You see, it's one thing to hear. It's another thing to act upon the message we receive. And believeth him that sent me. A lot of people have stumbled at this. I can remember one dear man telling me this. He said, Sir, my wife is a Christian. My son is a Christian. I have friends who are Christians. and have been lecturing me for a long time, telling me to believe. I have been anxious to do this. I've been trying to believe. But somehow or another tonight, I stopped trying to believe, and I've just believed and received Christ. That's it. You see, it's a person that's presented. In the message of the Gospel, God's word presents a person. He that heareth my word and believeth on him that sent me. If you're going to believe God's message about his Son, then you'll have to accept Christ Jesus as Lord. The Gospel presents a person, and there's to be the person presented, and there will be the personal confidence in the record of God. If God says anything about his Son, I must have confidence in what God says. It's God's word and it's final. There is a positive committal and believe us. As I've indicated to you this, that to believe is very simple. Before John uses this word believe, he tells us what it means. He says this. But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name. That's chapter one, verse twelve. John is telling us there that to believe corresponds with the idea of receiving. So in plain words, it will receive Christ. then that's equivalent to believing on Him. You don't try to receive a person. You receive that person. You open a door and let them in when they come to your house. You receive them into your life. And so if you're receiving Christ, that's equivalent to believing on Him, having your confidence in Christ. But now there's the third thing in our text. It's the great possession. This is vital. He that heareth my word and believeth him that sent me half everlasting life. Now, I like that simple word, H-A-T-H. Ha. A one-syllable word. It simply means you are in possession of. It's your present personal possession. Here is the great possession everlasting life. Now, the one who has everlasting life, of course, also has peace. He has the peace with God. That gives us security. But he can also have the peace of God, which gives serenity. Now, to have everlasting life, then, you know you're right with God. To have everlasting life gives us a great provision. This meets every emergency at the present time. And then everlasting life gives us a prospect, the prospect of an abiding place with Christ. On the strength of John chapter fourteen, where he said, if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself. That where I am, there you may be also. There's a prospect of abiding pleasures, for at his right hand there are pleasures forevermore. There is the prospect of an abiding person. Because there is everlasting life that shall be spent in the presence of the everlasting God. Oh, my friend, what a possession. I care not what else you possess. You may possess gold. You may possess silver. You may possess a great banking account. You may possess great interests in business. Let me ask you, my friend. Where will these things be when the time comes for you to leave this earth? Your earthly possessions you will leave behind you. You know that. You know it right well. But here is something you can possess now that you can take with you when you leave this earth. Something you can never lose. It is the possession of eternal life. He that heareth my word and believeth him that sent me hath, in possession of everlasting life. Do you have that possession? Now watch the great promise, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed from death unto life. Here is the affirmation of guarantee. You see, he says, verily, verily. It's got a double stamp upon it. God's signature upon it. God says verily, verily. Amen and amen, says God. There's the affirmation of guarantee. There is the satisfaction of the judge. Here is the supreme verdict. God says you shall not come into condemnation if you are in possession of this life that comes through trusting Jesus Christ. There is the position of the believer. He has already passed from death unto life. He's over the bridge. He has been accepted by God. He is in possession of eternal life. He can enjoy it now and look forward to the prospect of spending eternity in the presence of the Savior who saved him with an everlasting salvation. Now let me repeat to you the words of an old familiar hymn. I love to tell the story of unseen things above, of Jesus and his glory, of Jesus and his love. I love to tell the story because I know it's true. It satisfies my longings as nothing else would do. I love to tell the story more wonderful it seems than all the golden fancies of all our golden dreams. I love to tell the story it did so much for me, and that is just the reason I tell it now to thee. I love to tell the story. It is pleasant to repeat what seems each time I tell it more wonderfully sweet. I love to tell the story, for some have never heard, the message of salvation from God's own holy word. I love to tell the story, for those who know it best, seem hungering and thirsting to hear it, like the rest, and when in scenes of glory I sing the new, new song, it will be the old, old story that I have loved. So long I love to tell the story. It will be my theme in glory to tell the old, old story of Jesus and his love.