Albu van Eeden
I greet everybody on this wonderful morning. Sundays were known in the early church as the Lord’s Day. In the book of Revelation, John said he was in the Spirit on the day of the Lord. Through the ages, the ‘day of the Lord’ has been the day the early church celebrated the resurrection of the Lord, which was a Sunday. It is my prayer that we will experience this time in the presence of the Lord, on the day of the Lord.
We will read the story of Abraham, Sarah, Hagar and Ishmael today. We know that God had promised Abraham and Sarah a son. They waited and waited. How many people fall into sin because they cannot wait? How many people lose God’s way because they cannot wait? It finally happened that Isaac, the promised child, was born when Abraham was 100 years old, and Sarah 90. But because they could not wait, or especially Sarah, she suggested that Abraham take her slave girl as a wife and have a child with her. Friends, if we cannot wait, we can create our own way to heaven - not God’s way but our own way. We are still committed to going to heaven, but we create our own way to heaven. And so, Abraham did took Hagar. Polygamy was practiced then.
4 And he went in to Hagar, and she conceived. And when she saw that she had conceived, she looked with contempt on her mistress. Genesis 16:4 The Amplified Bible says, ‘regarding Sarai as insignificant because of her infertility’.
How easy is it to become proud about things we have no reason to be proud about. She looked with contempt on her mistress. Friends, pride is a terrible thing. It works subtly into our souls. It influences our decisions.
I would like to share a testimony. This person who asked me to use this testimony in a sermon so that people can learn from it.
The woman one day dreamt she was walking and in her dream someone or something grabbed her from behind. It was very evil and dark. She shuddered. There was even a sexual undertone in the experience. She swung around and asked, ‘Who are you?’ She tried to push this thing away. She asked, ‘Where do you get the right to grab me?’ Even in her dream she was a child of God and it seemed as if Satan had an excuse for grabbing hold of her in the dream. Then this thing, which had no figure or face, said to her, ‘But you gave me your address.’ Then she woke up.
The dream baffled and troubled her. For days she wondered what had happened. She is an elderly woman and for decades there was no temptation for sexual desires. It was irrelevant to her. It never featured in her life. The devil is like a naughty child. If he sees you have a weak spot, he will constantly tempt you there just like a child who sits behind another one at school and kicks the chair. If he gets a reaction from the child in front, he will continue to kick, kick, kick but if the child does not respond, he will stop kicking. It is the same with temptation. If you have a weakness for sexual things and immorality, the devil will tempt you at that point. But if you reach spiritual maturity and that weakness is no longer there, the devil will stop tempting you in that area because he realises that he will not get anywhere. There is no life there even if he probes.
For many years, this was irrelevant to this woman, and she was not even tempted by it. She knelt and prayed, “Lord, what is the reason, what is going on here? What did this thing mean when he said, ‘You gave me your address’? Where did I give him my address? Because I haven’t been involved or been tempted or thought about anything sexual.’” One day while she was praying, the Lord revealed it to her. She remembered a day when she entered the service and there was a seat open next to a gentleman. Before the service started, they sang. The man next to her sang falsely and loudly. ‘My goodness, now I’m stuck next to this croaking frog,’ she thought. She despised him. It was a non-sexual experience. But God spoke to her and revealed that it was then that she had given her address to the devil.
Friends, pride is a monster that destroys. If you go through life despising other people, you are walking in pride and giving your address to the devil. You may be experiencing dark sexual dreams that trouble you constantly because there is pride in your life. This woman despised one man, not everyone, on one occasion. God said, ‘Through that single, isolated incident you gave Satan your address to visit you in your dreams.’ It is amazing how the devil or this dark thing said, ‘You gave me your address, so I can visit you.’ (Not a physical address but a spiritual one.)
Pride is a monstrosity. If it is in a Christian’s life, it is a monster. This woman asked me to use this testimony in a sermon. Because of the danger of pride in our lives, God will break us before He uses us. God not only breaks individuals before He uses them, but God has also broken armies so that they are not proud.
I am reminded of Gideon and his army when they fought the Amalekites. First, God spoke three times individually to Gideon and told him that he must fight against the Amalekites. He had little faith. First God sent an angel who poured down fire from heaven to consume the sacrifice. Gideon still did not have enough faith. Then he put out a fleece. God never got angry with Gideon. God did not accuse him of a lack of faith. But Gideon wanted to make sure it was God who told him to go to war against a kingdom with a much stronger army than his own.
Then God sent him to the camp of the Amalekites where he heard a soldier explaining that God was going to give Gideon victory. Gideon finally decided it was the Lord and he called the nation of Israel together. There were about 33 000 soldiers.
Everybody suffered under the Amalekites therefore everyone was motivated to fight them. Some were afraid and had issues, but they realised they had to do something. God then told Gideon that there were too many soldiers. Gideon’s army was already a fraction of the size of the opposing army. Why did God say this? So that Israel could not say they were behind the victory. God broke up the army of Gideon. Firstly, he said, ‘Gideon, tell the men that those who are afraid can go home.’ Pride slips into every detail of our lives, and it has an effect where we do not even realise. The most dangerous time is where God allows us to choose. It is better not to choose and allow God to just put you into the situation. Few people realise how risky it is when God allows you to choose. This army did not refuse to fight, they were willing. Then God said they should choose whether they wanted to fight or not. About 20 000 abandoned the army. Gideon was left with 10 000 men. God said that there were still too many. For some reason, God looked at the hearts of these men and realised that they did not qualify for the army. Why did this take place? Because God said, ‘Israel will think it was their victory. They would become proud because of their victory.’
I wonder what went through the heads of the 10 000 who remained? I wonder what was in their hearts. ‘Listen, there isn’t really a future in this little army of Gideon’s.’ How often have we not seen this happen at KSB mission. People live on the mission, they become part it, they work on the mission and then one day they say they have decided to leave. They are so happy when they leave. They have the peace of the Lord in their souls because they are leaving. Many even promise saying, ‘You know what, I’ll be coming back.’ One even said that we would see more of them now that they were leaving. Others have said that they were not leaving the principles of the mission, it was just that God had called them somewhere else. Although they looked so peaceful, they left and are never seen again.
The remaining soldiers could have felt that there was no future for them. ‘Who is this Gideon? Does he know what he is doing? I smell a rat here. I can’t put my finger on what is wrong, but something is wrong here. I think Gideon must go and do his homework first.’ They did not realise that God was at the centre of the whole event. Then God said, ‘They have chosen, now I will choose.’ Remember, the 22 000 soldiers left, not against God’s will, He gave them the green light. They did not mean to resist God. We know what happened in the end. Gideon was left with 300 men. You can read the account in Judges 7.
When I read this, it sounded so familiar. The soldiers could have responded and said, ‘This is blasphemy. How can they say, “A sword for the Lord and for Gideon!’” Do you want to put Gideon on equal terms with the Lord? To be theologically correct they should say “For the Lord!” and not Gideon. We have been through this in the last few years on the mission. We had a Gideon here, but we were not allowed to give him any recognition. But this was the instruction from the Lord.
Do you realise how dangerous it is when God allows us to test, even if He tests me? It is critical to have a broken spirit - broken from all pride. God breaks a person before He uses him/her.
Back to Abraham and Sara and Hagar and Ishmael.
9 Now [as time went on] Sarah saw [Ishmael] the son of Hagar the Egyptian, whom she had borne to Abraham, mocking [Isaac]. Genesis 21 from verse 9. AMP
First, Hagar had run away from Sarah because she was harsh. God said, ‘Go back and submit to your mistress.’ Hagar was pregnant then. At this point in the text, the child has been born, his name is Ishmael and now he is mocking Isaac. How does one mock someone? Ishmael pulled Isaac’s hair and ran away laughing. He repeated this. These are examples. Isaac threw a stone at Ishmael. Then Ishmael told his mother. Ishmael had descendants and this phenomenon of Ishmael is seen in his descendants. They shoot missiles at Isaac, and if Isaac gets upset, turns around and strikes them, they run off to the world and say, ‘See what Isaac is doing to us.’ It is strange how certain weaknesses are transferred to our descendants if we do not allow God to deal with them and we do not deal with them.
10 Therefore she said to Abraham, “Drive out this maid and her son, for the son of this maid shall not be an heir with my son Isaac.” 11 The situation distressed Abraham greatly because of his son [Ishmael]. Genesis 21:10-11
Ishmael was Abraham’s son and as a father he had the same feelings for his son, as for all the others.
12 God said to Abraham, “Do not let it distress you because of Ishmael and your maid; whatever Sarah tells you, listen to her and do what she asks, for your descendants will be named through Isaac. Genesis 21:12
Now Abraham did a terrible thing which to the humanist mind was gross, terrible, and evil. To Abraham’s human mind, feelings and emotions, it was also terrible and evil. He sent the woman and her child away, with water and food, into the desert.
15When the water in the skin was all gone, Hagar abandoned the boy under one of the bushes. Genesis 21:15
Hagar and the boy suffered.
16 Then she went and sat down opposite him, about a bowshot away, for she said, “Do not let me see the boy die.” And as she sat down opposite him, she raised her voice and wept. Genesis 21:16
Friends do not miss this point. At no stage do we read that Hagar was remorseful or that she was convicted about her sins. Even when she went back and served under Sarah, there is no indication that she was remorseful for her pride and what she had done to her mistress. Here again we do not read that she guided her son to apologise for mocking Isaac, or that she felt guilty about it, but she just wailed, wept and was anguished about the hopelessness of her situation. Why did God have mercy on the boy? Was because of his mother’s weeping?
17 God heard the voice of the boy, and the angel of God called to Hagar from heaven and said to her, “What troubles you, Hagar? Do not be afraid, for God has heard the voice of the boy from where he is [resting]. Genesis 21:17
No, God heard the voice of the boy. Why did God have mercy on this boy? Firstly, we read the Bible says, 13 And I will also make a nation of [Ishmael] the son of the maid, because he is your descendant.” Genesis 21:13
God heard the voice of the boy not the voice of the mother.
18 Get up, help the boy up, and hold him by the hand, for I will make him a great nation.” Genesis 21:18
Why? He had promised that to Abraham.
19Then God opened her eyes and she saw a well of water; and she went and filled the [empty] skin with water and gave the boy a drink. Genesis 21:19
The life of the boy was saved. His descendants became the Ishmaelites.
20 God was with Ishmael, and he grew and developed; and he lived in the wilderness and became an [expert] archer. Genesis 21:20
Here is my lesson for today. It is one thing to experience trouble and suffering because of your sins and when you suffer you can go to a place like KSB. You can come here without shoes for your feet, with clothes full of holes. You think because you come to the mission for help and do not run to drugs for help, or to the world for help, or to a boy or girl for comfort; no, you leave all that and come to a place of God - surely God will be impressed with you because you go to a place of God. You stay here and bewail your hopeless situation, but you do not see the sins you have committed. This is one of the most common mistakes. Just because you associate with the mission and stay, you think God will see you, have mercy on you and bless you. But friends, your heart is not broken because of your sins. You know about your sins, but your heart is not broken about them. You do not know what it is to be convicted of your sins. This can only happen through the Holy Spirit when He shows you the evil of your heart and all the harm you have done to others. You know that you need to receive forgiveness and come to Christ with this evil because you are an evil person, but you do not understand that. Friends, this is where people go wrong.
I was blessed by an example I heard from Mozambique. In the beginning of January, a man arrived at the clinic for help. He had swallowed poison, and it was apparently the second time he tried to commit suicide. He was an alcoholic and he was so desperate about his messed up life that he decided to kill himself. He took poison for ticks. He was put in a car. He was in a coma. He was kept alive. At one stage he vomited everything out and possibly the poison was expelled. He was rushed to ICU, his life was saved, and he returned, but that was not salvation. If he would have died, then he would probably have gone to hell. But I heard this man began attending the services regularly. God spoke to him about his sin. He asked for a counsellor so he could get the sin out of his heart and soul. He brought a lot of witchcraft medicine. He did not end where Hagar ended.
Hagar complained about the terrible situation she was in. Her descendants – Ishmael’s descendants do the same. They complain about the terrible situation of their homes destroyed, everything bombed, everything destroyed, the terrible situation they are in, but do you hear them speak about their sins? No. ‘I don’t have to do that. God, you should already feel sorry for me, just because of the pathetic state I am in.’ It is not necessary to confess my sins or see them. May the whole world have mercy on me.’ They show videos to the world but there is no conviction of sins.
This man also brought his witchcraft medicines, poured out his heart, confessed all the evil he had done in his life. Friends, that soul has been saved for eternity. If he continues and remains faithful to the Lord, that soul will be worth more than all money in world. When I heard it, I said, ‘Lord, thank you that in a small way I could be part of this.’
Conviction of sin is part of revival. In 1950 the Hebrides revival took place. A group of young men prayed each day for months for revival. I will read to you what happened:
One evening when they were together praying, one stood up. He closed his Bible, looking at his companions on their knees before God he cried: Brethren, it is just so much humbug to be waiting thus night after night, month after month, if we ourselves are not right with God! I must ask myself, is my heart pure? Are my hands clean? And at that moment something happened. God swept into that prayer group. And at that wonderful moment 7 elders discovered what they had evidently not discovered before. That revival is related to holiness.
In 1966 when the revival started ay Maphumulo the same thing happened. A person threw their shoes off and said that his feet were on fire because he had been when he should never have gone. Others rubbed their eyes, ears which were on fire because they had looked at things they should never have looked at. Friends, have you looked at things you should never have looked at?
They found themselves in the searching power of the presence of God and found in themselves things they never suspected – discovered the meaning of the word confession.
The literal meaning of the word confession is to agree with or to say the same thing and in its biblical context it means we agree with God about our sins. First, we agree with God that we have sinned. We do not just stand up in church and repeat a few sentences, no, you are convicted about the evil of your specific sins. It says, this stands opposed to lessening the crime in your own eyes.
Never look down on a person and say it is not so bad. Paul says that each one should think more of the others than of himself. It also means not justifying or arguing that there was no crime in what you did, pretending there was no evil in what you did.
How do you counsel? Do you speak about the evil of everyone around you so that it sounds as if what you did was not so evil? Confessing your sins means to stop pretending that there was no crime. Stop making as if you did nothing seriously wrong. The word crime is used. Stop blaming and pinning the crime onto someone else. That is the meaning of confession. You agree with God about your life and your sins.
Hagar suffered. Ishmael suffered, but at no stage do we read that they had remorse about their sins. I suppose you can argue that it was not written in the Bible, but that does not mean that it did not happen.
If you do this and put everything on the altar, and find that you still cannot be Isaac, because you are not a Jew, (99,9% of us are not Jews) I cannot become an Isaac in that sense, but I can become an Isaac in the sense that I am part of the family of Abraham, the father of all believers. The Holy Spirit can speak to me, God can reveal Himself to me. May God be merciful to us and give us the grace to see our lives the way God sees them. If we have seen our evil, through the work of the Holy Spirit, then we will also know that there is salvation and forgiveness for our sins. By confession I receive forgiveness of sins. This is what they discovered in the Hebrides revival and that is what is discovered in all real revivals.
Recently I read the story of that man of God, Jonathan Goforth. He had 11 children. He heard about the Hebrides revival and the fire for revival was lit in his soul. He went to Korea where he experienced the Korean revival. Then he went to Manchuria in China as a missionary, but he was not a young man anymore. He lost 5 of his 11 children due to all the difficulties. Under his ministry the great Manchurian revival broke out. It was the first revival in China that was so large that it attracted national attention.
Let us humble ourselves and deal with the sins in our lives. Let us live with broken hearts. This is my prayer. Lord, give me the grace to live with a broken heart.
Conclusion Michael Ngubane
I was touched by Sarah who failed to wait. God called Abraham to leave his country and relatives and go to a land He would show him. It was a blessing that his family accompanied him. It is a wonderful thing if the family works together in a calling and that each member pays attention to what the man of God, the one who was called, says. There should not be people who enter from the side and cut across the path of the man who was called. We see the outcome of disobedience up until today. May the Lord help us to learn what it means to wait and not use our human minds. If we use our own understanding, we will make decisions contrary to what God requires. Such decisions will have negative results for generations.
We have heard much about revivals where God works among people Each person should testify that this is what they experience daily.
In our confessions, it is critical that our hearts must break. It is important that when you confess your sin you go deep, the heart is broken, and you ask yourself why you committed that sin. Go all the way to the root. When you have dealt with the sin and confessed it before God, you will feel peace in your heart knowing you have parted from that sin before God. The sin has fallen away, and you are united with God.
Then you can look forward and ask what you can do for God. You cannot do nothing for God. Something will drive you to find out from God what you can do for Him, what He would like you to do for Him. God’s fire should burn in our hearts and drive us to do something for Him because of what He has done for us. You need to pray and read God’s word because you need that food to grow.
When will we people who strive for things of God and not add things of Satan but serve the Lord only? To be filled with the Holy Spirit is a great gift of God. You are led by Him, and you know He lives in you. Let us take these things to heart. When last did you pray? Do you still have your quiet time? When last did you go on your knees and seek God’s will for your life? There should not be a noise and disturbance in our hearts. We need to have God’s peace ruling there. Young person, don’t you wish for that? Do you just feel bored and not know what to do with your time so you fill it with all the rubbish on your cell phone? Let us desire to go forward with God, not in our own way, but that we move forward according to God’s plan.