A Treasure of Sixty Years of Preaching

By Jim Thompson, D.M.

This book is written for the glory of God. All messages may be used for preaching, teaching, and personal growth. The messages have been inspired by Our Precious Lord and, as such, may be used by all who worship Him in spirit and in truth.

All scripture quoted is from the King James Version of the Bible. All references to God, as nouns and pronouns, are intentionally capitalized in respect to God the Father; Jesus Christ, His only Begotten Son; and the Holy Spirit. This may not be grammatically proper; however, this is proper in my heart.

The messages contained in this work are a treasure of over sixty years of preaching, teaching, and studies. Each message was the gift of the Holy Spirit, who inspired and guided me in the preparation and preaching of the Gospel. It is my prayer that each message will be used for the glory of God and, in so doing, will be useful in bringing people to Jesus, revival in the hearts of believers, and growth in each one of God's elect.

When the Lord Jesus called Simon Peter and Andrew to be disciples, He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men" (Matt. 4:19). After the resurrection of Jesus, He appeared to His disciples at the Sea of Tiberias as they were in a boat fishing and had come to shore after the obeying the orders of Jesus and had caught a large number of fish. Jesus asked Peter about his love for Him and then ordered Peter to "feed My sheep" (John21:16). These messages are an effort to accomplish these orders from our Master: to be "fishers of men" and to feed His flock.

May the gracious blessings of Our Lord be upon you as you use this work for personal growth and feeding His sheep.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Covenant Books, Inc.
• Release date: Sep 13, 2022
• ISBN: 9781685262112

Book preview

Table of Contents

Title

Copyright

Way (Proverbs 14:12)

You Are the Salt of the Earth (Matthew 5:13)

Heart Attack (Matthew 18:17–20)

Nothing but Leaves (Matthew 21:17–22)

What Bound Jesus to the Cross? (Matthew 27:33–37)

Things in Hell, the Church Needs (Luke 16:19–31)

Remember Lot's Wife (Luke 17:32–33)

A Two-Piece-Fish Dinner (John 6:5–15)

The Master Has Come and Calls for You (John 11:1–46)

By Now He Stinks (John 11:1–46)

Jesus Came to Dinner (John 12:1–11)

The Legacy of Jesus (John 14:27)

The Test of Love (John 21:14–17)

Our Rose (Four Gospels)

The Momentum of Sin (Romans 6:12)

What Manner of Persons Ought You to Be? (2 Peter 3:9–12)

About the Author

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A Treasure of Sixty Years of Preaching

Jim Thompson, D.M., PhD

ISBN 978-1-68526-210-5 (Paperback)

ISBN 978-1-68526-211-2 (Digital)

Copyright © 2022 Jim Thompson, D.M., PhD

All rights reserved

First Edition

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods without the prior written permission of the publisher. For permission requests, solicit the publisher via the address below.

Covenant Books

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In grateful thanks to my dear Lord for the precious memories of my most encouraging devotee, my first born, Jimmy II, who at five years of age while walking with me in the woods cautioned me by saying, Daddy, make your footprints deep, because I am walking in them.

I really miss you, son.

J. M. Thompson Jr.

March 1, 1964–April 14, 1982

The Way

(Proverbs 14:12, 16:25; Judges 17:6; John 14:6)

Way (Proverbs 14:12)

Outline

Introduction

Man's Search for a Way

Man's Search for God

Definition of Way

The Way that Seems Right

Seems

Man's Decision-Making

Failure

The Way of the World

Pleasure

Riches

Fame

Other Religions and Beliefs

God's Ways

Are Perfect

Are Everlasting

Are Just and True

The Way: Jesus

The Way

The Truth

The Life

Jesus is the way.

Jesus is the one way.

Jesus is the only way.

Invitation

The Way

(Proverbs 14:12, 16:25; Judges 17:6; John 14:6)

Introduction

Ever since beginning of time, man has searched for the way: the way of doing things better or easier; the way of getting from one place to another; the way of making a better living for his family; and, especially, the way to God, the way to heaven.

In the Old Testament (Judg. 17:6), we find this statement regarding the condition of the children of Israel: In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes. This reminds us of the condition present in America today and the condition of a person who is living without Christ. We are searching for our way, without leadership, without a goal or purpose in life; searching for success without really knowing what success we want other than that of the mighty dollar.

Within the heart of man is the search for a divine person, for a way to spend eternity. This search is found in every race, every tribe, every civilization that has been discovered on the earth that we live in. Some people are so occupied with themselves that they will not search for the proper way or the way of fulfilling their lives, so they pursue their own way, hoping to gain what they feel to be success. God's attitude toward this way of seeking ends up being the way to destruction.

Do you recall the song that was made in the 1950s or 1960s when the singer talks of his success, or failures, and concludes, I did it my way? This statement is in no way intended to reflect upon the singer, but to see how this thought is prevalent in the thinking of so many people of today. Break down the verse in Proverbs 14:12. "There is a Way, that seemeth right unto man. This way is not the way of God but is determined in the mind of man. We think of man's way as coming from the heart, which we are told that a man's heart that is without God is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked, who can know it? Again, in Proverbs 23:7, As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he." If man's search without the guidance of the Holy Spirit or without God's indwelling in his heart, the decisions made by man are destructive.

One day, when I was pastor of a church in middle Georgia, I had called on a family who lived near the church. I was explaining the plan of salvation to the mother and told her that salvation was free and that all she needed to do was to accept Christ as her savior, confess of her sins, and begin to live for Him. She immediately responded, But that seems so easy, too easy. I tried to explain to her that it was not easy at all, that Jesus had suffered greatly for the forgiveness of her sins, and that was the reason He came into the world. She again replied, But that seems to easy. The poor woman was looking for something that she could do in order to be saved. The woman allowed me to leave, without making a choice for the Lord, other than saying, "That seems too easy." She chose the way that seems right unto man. I pray that she made the right decision later in her life.

Can't we see that when man depends upon his own mind, he is making a decision from his own experience, from his own feelings, from his very own prejudices—all of which can be so easily influenced from outside forces. Man's mind, in his original state, does not reflect the wisdom that God supplies when man comes to him. Man's mind is finite. It is limited in what man feels in his opinions, what he feels to be right. But the end of this thinking leads to death: spiritual death and physical death.

Definition of Way

Way is defined as a method, style, or manner of doing something; a person's characteristic of habitual manner of behavior or expression; the customary modes of behavior or practices of a group; the typical manner in which something happens or in which someone or something behaves. Way also refers to a road, track, path or street for traveling along; a course of travel or route taken in order to reach a place, a specified direction of travel or movement; a method of entry or exit from somewhere, such as a door or gate.

Let us consider a person's characteristic or habitual manner of behavior in light of God's Word.

Proverbs 16:2 tells us that the ways of man are clean in his own eyes. If I look at the way I go or do something always meets favor to myself, this way is based upon my feelings, desires, lusts, and experiences—all of which can be dangerous because we follow only our wants, with no input allowed from God, nor consideration for His laws or commandments.

Genesis 6:12 tells us that God looked upon the earth, and, behold it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted His way upon the earth.

Isaiah 55:8 declares to us, For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways are not My ways, saith the Lord.

In Psalms 1:1, we are told, Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. And in 1:6, it says, For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous; but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Second Peter 2, the entire chapter, especially verses 2, 15, 17, 21. Verse 2 says, And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of.

In all of these readings, it is easy to see that God is not pleased with the ways of man, his characteristics, his ways of living and conducting his daily walk with whomever man seeks to follow other than Himself. A reason for God's feelings toward man's ways can be found in the heart of man. Man makes his decisions and established his ways from his heart, the condition of his heart. Consider Jeremiah 17:9–10: The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked, who can know it? I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.

If a man's eyes see evil and desires wrongful things, then his heart will be evil, and his decision-making terribly affected by his evil heart and not the Word of God.

Another word in our text is seem. It means to give the impression or sensation of being something or having a particular quality. Here again, the decision is made from the information stored in our mind and heart. To seem requires one to have a vision (see) the method, pathway, or door to our understanding. Man's explanation depends upon that information that we have discussed earlier, and his vision of what he wants to accomplish. Man's vision can be distorted by his feelings, prejudices, and desires. Evil in, evil out. Isaiah 30:21 says, And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.

Psalm 18:30 cautions us by saying, As for God, His way is perfect: the word of The Lord is tried: He is a buckler to all those that trust in Him.

The ways of men may seem good and acceptable to himself, but we see time and again in God's word that man's ways are the thinking or path that will lead him into a state of spiritual death and man's way to heaven has pathway that leads to hell and eternal destruction.

The way that seems to be right unto man tells him that if he lives a good, honest life, treating his fellow man right, going to church occasionally, and praying when distressed, that he will go to heaven. A good life seems to have some reward for his sacrifice; however, this is not the right way to heaven.

Man's way of doing something or of accomplishing what he is desiring to do as reasoned in his heart. There are those who prefer to try to acquire his way through illegal and lying ways. If one's goal is to acquire wealth, he may turn to a life of crime, defrauding others of their funds or property, even defrauding them of their good name. In our present day, we see identity theft far above what we even thought possible. This way is surly not what God is pleased with. If you have ever watched crime programs on TV, you have heard officers refer to a criminal's MO, their method of operation, modus operandi, in short, their way of committing a crime. We know for sure that such ways provide only a temporary solution for their gain of what they search for, facing the probability of being arrested and serving time in a prison.

Man's concept of the way to heaven, or eternal life, was discussed earlier in this message. Man's way miserably fails in his attempt.

Illustration

My mom and dad divorced when I was a child. My mom moved to Florida, and my dad remained in west Georgia. I lived with Mom for several years, but moved back to Georgia with my dad after I had been called to preach the gospel. I was called to pastor a small church in Georgia when I was seventeen years of age, in the eleventh grade of high school, this was in 1960. During this time, I would occasionally drive my old Plymouth named Shasta, from Hogansville, Georgia, to Palatka, Florida, a trip of about eight hours, to visit my mom.

The interstate highway system was very young and incomplete in the south, so I would have to travel all the way on two lane highways, making several turns, and travel on several highways. Before my first trip, my dad sat down with me and laid out the best route to travel, the highways I would have to use, and different places where I would have to alter from one highway to another. He showed me the way I would travel. We recorded this information on three-by-five index cards. We recorded the highway numbers and towns where my route might change and then plotted the route on our map.

This was a very crucial thing for me. I had never traveled this far alone, and I certainly did not know the way. I would always travel at night, and I could easily make a wrong turn and end up being lost and endangering the safety of my trip and myself. It was very comforting having my way pointed out by my dad. As long as I followed his instructions, I would be safe in my travel and arrive at my destination. To return home, I would simply reverse the instructions on the index cards. Dad's way was always right. I was also assured by knowing that my Heavenly Father was watching over me and was leading my way and keeping Shasta running correctly and preventing breakdowns or accidents. (The name Shasta was chosen because She hasta have gas, and she hasta have oil.)

My friend, which way are you following through life today? There are several ways that are being used now by many different people. Consider those ways.

The Way of the World

There are those who follow the way of pleasure. This way may seem rewarding and fulfilling for a time, but it has its severe disadvantages. There is the possibility of contracting a disease, which could lead to a painful life and early death. This way may include alcohol and/or drugs lying hidden in the dark shadows in the turns of