Thank you lord for an opportunity that we
may sit at your feet.
Speak to us lord through your holy word.
May it pierce and penetrate our hearts and
work in an amazing way.
May it bring life to those who listen
and who obey and death to those who
are disobedient.
Amen.
Our word for today we find in Hebrews
chapter 13 and verse 7.
Remember your leaders who spoke the word of
god to you.
Consider the outcome of their way of life
and imitate their faith.
We'll end reading there.
There are a couple of points which I'd
like us to have a look at from
this portion.
The first point is remember them.
The second point who led you or your
leaders.
Thirdly, who spoke the word of god.
And then fourthly, their faith.
And fifthly, consider or understand the outcome of
their way of life.
Finally, that you imitate their way of life
and their faith.
Firstly, remember your leaders.
Now in this portion it doesn't say that
you should pray for them and remember them
in prayer.
It says remember them.
Remember those who led you, your leaders.
Now in the Zulu translation it comes out
clearer that those who led you.
It's speaking in the past tense.
It's something that has already passed by.
So it is good that we remember those
who led us, those who taught us and
those who preached to us in the past.
This letter to the Hebrews was one of
the later letters that were written that we
have in the New Testament.
And so the author was reminding these Christians
of those who were their leaders who are
now no longer alive.
There are those who are martyrs like Stephen
who was stoned to death.
And then James, the brother of our Lord
Jesus Christ who was a bishop in Jerusalem.
And then also James, the brother of John.
All of those were martyrs.
They died for their faith.
So there were many of those who were
their leaders in the faith, their ministers who
laid down their lives for the sake of
their faith.
And then it says remember them.
One has to sit down and ponder over
their lives and think of them and remember
them.
And remember in what way they died.
Remember their lives and the outcome of their
lives and strive to imitate them.
And I'd like to add, remember those who
forsake, who forsook the faith, who left the
way and consider their outcome of their lives
as well, how they die and died.
It's very good to consider that and to
ponder over that.
Now some from, in our case, haven't died
yet and some have died already.
But even though they haven't died yet, some
of them haven't died yet.
But I say, oh God, save me from
that and keep and protect me from that.
Save me, lest my children should live like
their children.
Lest I should live as they live and
be scattered as they are scattered.
Now some amongst us have died.
I think of my mother-in-law when
she passed away.
I said, oh my, if a person can
die like she died, then death is wonderful.
Because I was seated in my office, busy
preparing to take to service.
And while I was seated there, my wife
came in and she said, my husband, it
seems like my mother is in the throes
of death.
And then I said, I'll come.
And then she said, no, I wouldn't like
to disturb you.
I can see you're busy preparing for the
service.
Continue with that, but just pray for her.
And I got up and I went there.
And I prayed with her.
I sat down.
And then I beheld the way in which
God took her.
And then I saw as she closed her
eyes and as she went.
And I said, oh, it's true.
And the Bible should say that the death
of the saints is precious in the eyes
of God.
And I said to those who were with
me and with us there, that death, if
death is like this, then death is wonderful.
And death is still our last enemy.
But Jesus overcame death.
And I said, oh, the death of saints
is wonderful.
Death is wonderful if a person can die
in such a way.
And also when my wife was dying, I
prayed.
I said, oh God, if I can die
and pass away in such a way, then
it would be a crown to me.
The word says, remember.
But it's not only them whom I've seen
dying.
I've also seen others dying.
And when I prayed, I said, oh God,
spare me from ever dying in such a
manner.
Here it says, remember your leaders who spoke
the word of God to you.
Consider the outcome of the way of their
life.
Moses prayed and said, oh God, teach me
to number my days, to count how many
days I still have got left, and to
remember that I have to die.
That I might gain a heart of wisdom.
Now if a person is young, the last
thing that ever comes up in a person's
mind is death.
You think that you are still going to
live almost forever.
And yet, life is like mist before the
sun that just disappears.
Or the flowers of grass itself that just
comes up and it withers in a short
time.
And it's a known fact that here in
Africa, the youth, young people die at a
higher rate than older people.
Many die before
they
reach the age of 20 and many before
they reach the age of 30.
They are driven by the lust of their
flesh.
And when they reach the age of 20,
they go because of being driven by the
lust of their flesh, they enter into the
world.
When they reach the age of 20, they're
already old and worn out.
Now our government has agreed to distribute anti
-retrovirals medicine that lengthens a person's life who
has got HIV AIDS by an average of
20 years.
Before they didn't want to do so, but
now they've agreed to that.
They were pressurized into doing it.
In Germany, they say it can lengthen such
a person's life by an average of 30
years.
But what does it help you?
That you're alive, but you've got AIDS?
If you don't live for the Lord and
serve the Lord in that time that you
are given, that extended time, if you continue
living in your lust and your sin, and
you continue injecting others with that disease, and
you destroy them, you are a disease in
society.
It says, remember your leaders who spoke the
word of God to you.
Remember and consider the outcome of their lives,
how they died.
Oh, it's wonderful when one sees how those
men of God died, like Stephen, for example,
who saw heavens open before him, and who
saw Jesus standing at the right hand of
God the Father.
Like Moody, when he was dying, he said,
oh, I see how the earth is drifting
away and disappearing, and now heaven is drawing
nigh and coming closer to me.
Isn't that wonderful?
Well, if you live in the world, then
that's terrible.
But if you're living for heaven, such a
thing is wonderful.
Let me leave that point.
As I said, I need to leave for
somewhere, and so I cannot go into further
depths into that point.
Remember them, think, consider how they died.
The second point, your leaders or those who
led you in the past, who led you
spiritually, who spoke the word of God to
you.
Remember those who are your leaders or who
were your leaders.
In the Greek, it says, those who have
had the rule over you.
Does that sound strange?
Remember those who had the rule over you.
That's not sound doctrine today.
In this evil time in which we live,
who will rule over me?
Nobody.
If you speak to carnal Christians, they say,
nobody will rule over you.
If you speak to carnal Christians, they say,
nobody will rule over you.
Only God.
I won't listen to any man.
I listen only to God.
Strange that such a thing should be in
the Bible.
Strange that such a thing should be in
the Bible.
Your spiritual leaders are those people who watch
over you and take care of you.
And they are responsible for you before God.
And you owe something to them as well
before God.
Those who forsake, they say, we want to
do what we want.
want to do.
Nobody else should tell us what we have
to do.
We are all on the same level.
There's truth in that, but hell is in
that as well.
Because he can't tell me anything anymore.
Now, just listen to this.
You've got a Bible, underline it.
Timothy chapter four.
Second Timothy four from verse three.
Second Timothy four verse three.
For the time will come when men will
not put up with sound doctrine.
Instead, to suit their own desires, they will
gather around them a great number of teachers
to say what their itching ears want to
hear.
This is the type of time, the kind
of time in which we are living in
today.
The Bible speaks our language.
It is a time when men will no
longer put up with sound doctrine.
But according to their own desires, they will
gather around them a great number of teachers.
To say that which their itching ears want
to hear, that which pleases them.
They will gather around them a great number
of teachers.
To say that which their itching ears want
to hear, that which pleases them.
They will go from one teacher to another
teacher just to hear that which their itching
ears want to hear.
Just that which pleases them according to their
own desires.
They will turn their ears away from the
truth and turn aside to fairy tales.
But you, keep your head in all situations
and endure hardship.
Do the work of an evangelist.
Discharge all the duties of your ministry.
Today is such a time in the world.
We
Christians
gather around them a great number of teachers
who say that which they want to hear,
that suit their own desires.
So be careful and see where you stand
concerning this.
Remember your leaders.
Those who led you.
Those who went before you.
And you should imitate them.
There where they put their foot, you should
put your foot as well.
Paul said, follow me as I follow Christ.
There are those backsliders who say, well, I
don't follow anybody.
I only follow God.
I don't listen to anybody except God.
Consider them and their ways and realize that
they are an idol unto themselves.
They only worship themselves.
Remember those who led you.
Maybe you've already forsaken them.
Maybe you are now following others.
And yet the Bible says, remember them.
Maybe you go to a certain minister and
you are blessed by him.
And then you say, well, here is my
minister for I've been blessed by him.
And then a person might say, well, I'm
this person's spiritual father.
But it's not like that.
Can it be that when a child or
a mother goes to the hospital to bear
a child that the doctor or the midwife
after the child has been born says, well,
I'm the spiritual parent of this child.
Not spiritual.
I'm the biological parent of this child.
No, that doesn't make sense.
In the same way, spiritually, it also doesn't
make sense.
Maybe that person that you've helped to be
born spiritually, to be reborn, has been worked
on a long time.
That person has been prepared for a long
time spiritually to come to that point of
spiritual rebirth.
So you cannot say that you are the
spiritual parent of that person.
You are just the midwife.
There's a difference between a midwife and a
parent, or isn't there?
Maybe you'll have to go back to first
year to learn the difference between the midwife
and a parent.
Don't get things back to front.
It's as if nonsense is being seen as
that which makes sense.
It's as if nonsense is being seen as
that which makes sense.
It's as if
nonsense is being seen as that which makes
sense.
You have been preached to for a long
time.
You've heard God's word over a long period
of time.
Now maybe there's someone that helps you just
to go that last step, to be born
again spiritually.
Now will you take that person who's just
the midwife, who just helped you there at
the end, to be your spiritual parent, whereas
the breast that suckled you, you reject that,
and you reject that seed that was within
you.
Oh my, it becomes dark during midday, if
that is your reasoning.
Remember your leaders, those who led you.
Maybe that leader hasn't yet died, and yet
you've already buried him because in your life
he's dead to you.
You've rejected him.
But you take that other person as your
spiritual parent because that person suits your desires.
That person goes along with your lusts and
that which you would like to hear.
Remember your leaders then, and thirdly, who spoke
the word of God to you.
Don't allow anyone to lead you who doesn't
speak the word of God to you.
That person must go along with the word
of God.
You need to take the word of God,
and then
compare it and see,
does it go along with what God's word
says.
In the book of Acts, there's a church.
I won't tell you what the name of
that church was.
It was said of them that they were
a better church than other churches or another
church because they investigated that which they were
told to see whether it went along with
the word of God, to see whether those
men were true apostles of God or not.
Now you also need to do that.
If you don't do that, you'll be led
astray and deceived.
You will be, otherwise you will be deceived.
Take that which is being said, investigate it,
examine it, see whether it goes along with
the word of God, and also that which
is said to be the working of the
Holy Spirit, because the working of the Holy
Spirit will always be in line with God's
word.
The Holy Spirit will never go and work
contrary to God's word because the Bible and
God's word is inspired by God's Holy Spirit.
Take that which is being said, investigate it,
examine it, see whether it goes along with
the word of God, and also that which
is said to be the working of the
Holy Spirit, because the working of the Holy
Spirit will always be in line with God's
word.
A person preaches to you, and examine it,
see whether it is in accordance with God's
word, and not only partially, but completely, everything,
lest your faith is built on just somebody
else's idea.
The fourth point.
It is spoken about their faith, their faith,
which goes along with their way of life.
I once heard something very heartbreaking.
A person who preaches, and he really preaches,
let me tell you that I know him,
but he has made children pregnant, a child,
a young girl.
God says that we
should
consider the outcome of their life right till
the end.
Now this person, this man, hasn't yet reached
the end, and yet along the way he's
made this young girl pregnant.
Consider the outcome of their way of life,
the outcome, the end, the result of their
life, right till the end.
Oh, we are sick and tired of people
who believe and have faith, but not till
the end of their life.
Halfway, they give up.
No more 20 years, no more 50 years.
The book of Hebrews says, blessed is the
one who has a steadfast heart and spirit,
who remains unmoved and unshaken, whether you see
him after 10, 20, 30, 50 years, you
see he's still exactly the same.
He hasn't budged.
He's not like a chameleon that changes its
colors.
Amongst the disciples of our Lord Jesus, the
12, it was only Judas Iscariot, the son
of perdition, who went lost because he loved
money, but all the other 11 were faithful
till the end, till death.
And Demas, one of Paul's co-workers, he
was like Judas to Jesus, he was to
Paul, because he forsook the faith, he loved
the world, and so he turned his back
on Paul.
Let me tell you a secret.
If I cross and travel through countries, and
I get there, they ask me, is so
-and-so still with you?
Is that child so-and-so still there
with you?
And they will mention different names and number
them and then they say, are they still
with you?
And I say, yes, they are still with
me.
And they say, are
they still with you?
And I say, yes, they are still with
me.
And I say, yes, they are still with
me.
And they will reply and say, oh, that
person, he stands like a rock, that person
is like a pillar, yes, they are faced
with problems and difficulties in their lives, but
yet, they are persevering and they are more
than conquerors in that.
Their faith and their way of life, which
is an example, a good example for us.
I've just touched the fringe of the matter.
Now, if you don't have another service after
this one, or other work that you need
to go and see to after this, then
go and take your Bible, go through this
again, through these different points, chew the cud,
meditate upon it.
That is what a person does who is
alive and well spiritually, and that person will
profit by that.
But the person who just goes out and
who just forgets about what he's heard and
does other things, that person is a spiritual
dullard, that person won't get anywhere.
That person is just like rubble and just
dirt that has to be swept out and
won't get anywhere spiritually.
The fifth point.
Now, I'm just combining two points here.
Understand and consider the outcome or the end
of their life.
Now, I've already touched a little bit on
the end of one's life.
Now, this word, understand or consider the outcome
of their life, what does that mean, this
word, understand or consider?
Looking up to.
Or diligently contemplating all over.
Or contemplating all over.
careful that your life will not be despised
that there'll be nothing that anybody can point
a finger at but that people will be
able to look up to your life where
now oh sure you'll go to whom Christ
you
are
a Christian you need to live a life
that is above reproach.
Remember there in the letter to Timothy where
Paul wrote to Timothy where it
says you need to set an example and
be an example.
Verse 12.
Chapter 4 verse 12.
First Timothy 4 verse 12.
Don't let anyone look down on you because
you are young.
Now these words also directed at schoolchildren.
Your life should be like precious gold.
It should shine brighter than the shining of
the Sun.
That it shouldn't just be like rubbish that
people despise and look down upon.
That's it.
An example for the believers not just for
the unbelievers but especially for the believers.
They are the ones who need this example
who need this help because oh my how
the believers stumble and fall into mistakes and
so you need to set an example for
them.
Set an example in speech.
Sometimes one is shocked when one hears what
some believers can say what comes out of
their mouths and you ask but my does
this person hear what he is saying?
Oh my how blunt and how blind do
those believers become when they forsake the faith
and turn their back on God?
Here is God's standard and God's requirement for
us whether young or old and not just
for the beginning of your life but right
till the end.
That you set an example for the believers
in speech and in life, in your conduct
and in love and in faith and in
purity.
Oh Christians set an example in purity even
in the way in which you dress.
Not that the way in which you dress
will cause the lusts of dogs to be
woken up and to become alive or other
wild animals but that people can see from
your dress this is how the temple of
the Most Holy God is adorned.
That is sound you
set an example in purity, absolute purity and
holiness that by your dress not that you
reveal your body to the eyes of men
who are driven by their lusts and that
their lusts are aroused.
I was speaking about those dogs just now.
You need to set an example not to
follow the example of the world in their
fashions and the way in which they comb
their hair and have their hairstyles that you
follow after them.
Oh you are to be pitied you who
conform to the pattern of this world.
The Bible says if anyone should love this
world he's an enemy of God.
If you love the world you are an
enemy to God.
And you brethren who have a TV in
your home you are destroying your children.
You are destroying your youth, your children.
By exposing your children to the music and
all the other things that are portrayed and
shown on TV you are sacrificing your children
on Satan's altar.
You don't know what battle
we are facing concerning your children after the
holidays when they come back they're absolutely wild.
And I've got the question concerning you parent
have you got converted yet?
Do you know God?
Well don't cry in the end when your
children go astray and they enter into gross
sin because that which you have sowed that
you will reap and it will only be
the result of that which you have planted
in your children.
Do you ever gather your children together and
teach them from God's Word and remind them
of examples of the men of God and
also of those that have forsaken the faith
and showing them what their outcome was?
Do you ever do that?
Where are your children today?
Are they going to inherit heaven or are
they going to It
says consider the outcome of their way of
life and I say that means to look
up to.
Are we living such a life that people
can look up to us?
We need to consider carefully and look at
their whole life right till the end and
the final result and outcome of their life.
And do it in such a way as
an artist An
artist will take a model whatever the object
is that he wants to paint whether it's
a person whether it's flowers or some animal
a lion that person will study that object
in the smallest detail and then will paint
that and in such a way we need
to study in the smallest detail the lives
of those who have gone before us.
Behold study the life of Jesus and the
life of Paul and the testimonies of other
children of God and that you then imitate
them and until that picture that was in
them is realized in you and in your
life.
But you look at TV that is what
you are busy studying and what you are
busy looking at and there you see immorality,
adultery, homosexuality and that's why those things are
sticking out their head in your life and
why you come out now with the stars
that you see over there.
Your way of walking is now copying their
way of walking and the fashions that you
wear your clothing is copying their kind of
clothing.
You know pastor Hum who's from Germany originally
from Russia he came here as well to
preach here.
I loved his sermons and also his way
of life.
He would preach and say you are watching
TV the Antichrist will come and through TV
write his 666 on your forehead and I
want to agree with him in that but
even though it hasn't yet physically happened in
that way but you already have the spirit
of the Antichrist and the sign of the
Antichrist in your body because of that which
you watch.
And so remember from today on that the
life and the standard of a child of
God should be up there and not a
low standard.
My final point Consider
their outcome or their end There
isn't anything as wonderful as Psalm 73 But
as for me, verse 2, my feet had
almost slipped.
I had nearly lost my foothold for I
envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity
of the wicked Now
I've often noticed that here at the mission
that when a child has forsaken the Lord,
turned his back upon God, was maybe expelled
from the school, that person goes away and
after some time comes back in a smart
new car and then all the young people,
all the school children, all the young people,
they flock around that person like flies flocking
to dung and this person is now their
hero and everything about this person is so
wonderful.
But yet this, the person who wrote this
psalm says, I nearly slipped, I found myself
on a slippery place when I envied the
arrogant and I saw the prosperity of the
wicked and I say they are wicked through
the lives that they lead, the spiritual life.
And then verse 4, they have no struggles,
their bodies are healthy and strong, they are
free from the burdens common to men, they
are not plagued by human ills.
From their callous hearts comes iniquity, the evil
conceits of their minds know no limits, they
scoff and speak with malice, in their arrogance
they threaten oppression, their mouths lay claim to
heaven and their tongues take possession of the
earth.
I say
well we used to
be under bondage but now we are free,
we can do what we like, life was
so wonderful and I said says when he
beheld that he got confused when he saw
how these arrogant people prospered.
Now listen to verse 16 he
says when I tried to understand all this
it was oppressive to me 17 till
I entered the sanctuary of God then I
understood their final destiny Asaph
says when he saw all this it confused
him he couldn't understand it it was oppressive
to him how is it possible that these
people forsake God they turn their backs upon
God they are arrogant they are callous and
yet they are healthy they seem to prosper
and everything seems to go well with them
he says until I entered the sanctuary of
God then I understood their final destiny
if you enter
into God's sanctuary then it'll dawn in your
life listen to what he says from verse
18 surely
you place them on slippery ground you cast
them down to ruin how
suddenly are they destroyed
completely swept away by terrors all their arrogance
has come to an end all they're being
so haughty when they realize they've got to
die and they haven't lived a holy life
as a dream when one awakes so when
you arise O Lord you'll despise them as
fantasies now it might seem as if God
is asleep but the day will come when
he arise verse 21 when
my
heart was grieved and my spirit embittered I
was senseless and ignorant I was a brute
beast before you you
hear what Asa says he says when he
looked at these people and his feet nearly
slipped he was like a senseless ignorant brute
beast before God now I didn't say exactly
what the Bible says I said just like
an animal he says not obeying genius he'd
run I could run local money Sherlock good
fun now my silhouette a going cool you're
not just like an animal you are an
animal to God if you think on those
lines go shoot your nigga Makaya you put
this tablet or 73 mr.
Tish you're sorry go home go and study
Psalm 73 and you'll grow wise he
says I was senseless and ignorant I was
a brute beast an animal before you and
verse 25 whom have I in heaven but
you and earth has nothing I desires besides
you 27
those
who are far from you will perish you
destroy all who are unfaithful to you I
don't know whether the message is clear maybe
you came in here as a brute beast
like a dog or
a goat how terrible won't it be if
you'd go out of here still like it
no more food I love a buck to
this are you Betty nevermind nevermind a good
show look tall no more turkeys way no
more fun on
no
no no no no no no no no
no no no
no no no no no no no no
no no no no no
no
no no no no no no no no
no no no no no
no
no no no no no no no no
no no no no no no no
no no no no no no no no
no God and see what the end result
of their lives will be.
Shall we bow our heads and pray?
O Lord, may your words not be food
for the birds, but may it bring forth
food for the abandoned fruit in the life
of each one.
Help us, Lord, not just to be hearers
of your word, but doers of your word.
Amen.