Do not fall away from the living God

Introduction Sibongiseni Khumalo
Welcome to everyone who has joined us today, especially if you are here or tuning in for the first time. We thank the Lord that we can be together. We warmly welcome the brethren from Europe.

Welcome also to Mrs Meshoe. We are so glad that you can you be with us. Rev Meshoe would have loved to have been here too, however, there is something which required his attention.

The team at Malelane thanks for your prayers. God is with them and it is going well. Many young people have attended the services. Continue praying for them because the services are continuing.

Today we stand for life. Innocent unborn babies should not be killed in their mothers’ wombs. Abortion is the killing of unborn children. We thank the Lord for Christians who stand up boldly and say NO to abortion wherever they are in the world. We thank the Lord for the National Alliance for Life, an umbrella body that brings together pro-life organisations so that everyone can stand together for the right to life of unborn babies. May the Lord bless that organisation. The Bible says that we should speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves. (Proverbs 31:8)

Do not simply pass that responsibility on to an organisation. It is each one’s responsibility to do what he/she can. Take a stand and speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves. You were privileged to be born, so why do you want to snuff out the life of another? Those who have the ability to speak and the platform to do so, speak up and say, ‘Stop with this outrage!’

Jabulani Dube
I greet you in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Many people are not present today as there are a number of activities on this weekend. Others will soon leave for the March for Life.

12 Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. 13But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin. 15 As it is said, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.” Hebrews 3:12, 13, 15

This text speaks to believers. 12Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.

If we have received the Lord Jesus and say that we live for the Lord, that we are believers and children of God, then we must be careful and watchful lest anyone separates us from the love and life in God. Someone can cause you to separate from God and you find yourself falling away from the faith. You may have once loved reading the Bible and praying but that desire has dried up and you have become spiritually blunt.

11 About this we have much to say, and it is hard to explain, since you have become dull of hearing. Hebrews 5:11

You can become dull of hearing and spiritually blunt because you have fallen away from God. A person begins to dream evil dreams because their brother has caused them to fall away from the faith. People have time to watch sports on their phone, computer or internet but while watching it they are defiled. That person finds news and other articles on the internet which defile them. Sport in itself, watching it and playing it, is not evil, do not misunderstand me. But while watching, adverts appear. There is nakedness in the adverts and a person is defiled by it. Such a person becomes spiritually blunt. Your children also become blunt and dull. They do not obey immediately when they are given an instruction, or when they are sent to do something. Why? They have been watching these things on their cell phone. Now the evil one has won over their hearts.

12 Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.

This danger is close to us in some way. It could be through a family member, a brother or something else, that we are deceived and fall away from the living God.

13 And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. Hebrews 4:13

All of us who have been created by God, every single creature, is exposed and open to God.

Be aware lest your neighbour or friend deceive you and your heart falls away from the living God. Are you still in the living God? While you watch sport or the news and suddenly images flash in front of you – your heart is drawn away from God, you are deceived and you become spiritually blunt. Do not be surprised if your life becomes barren and God’s word no longer speaks to you. You even no longer pray before you sleep. You become a loner who is always on your own - like a cow that strays off and eats alone. If an animal strays from the herd/flock they become easy prey to predators. Brethren, we need to be close to one another, united, pray together, do things together. If not, you will become the devil’s prey. Who can say, ‘We know this person. He/she is really on fire for the Lord’? Who will say of you that this person really loves and serves the Lord?

Birds of a feather flock together. A person is known by his/her friends and it will be obvious whether that person is spiritually alive or not. Brethren from all churches and denominations should be one in Christ. There are people with evil hearts who aim to lead brethren astray.

Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Galatians 6:1

If somebody accuses you saying that you are immoral, loose, etc. and if you know it is not true, you can respond humbly with, ‘I am unaware of that in my life.’

You should not go about beating and striking people because you have been saved from that. With your tongue you can strike the heart, wound and hurt many. Saul thought he was doing the right thing, but he hurt many with his tongue. How many have you wounded because of your tongue? Just by speaking to them you have wounded them.

Jeremiah, the prophet, said that the heart of man is evil and wicked which is why we need to take care lest anybody with an evil heart should lead you astray to fall away from the living God. Beware of your cell phone - that it does not lead you astray. Jeremiah was thrown into a pit. Imagine doing that to a prophet of God! Some who saw it were troubled and reported it to the king. The king said that he should be lifted out with cloths tied together. Why was he thrown there? Because he spoke the truth of God which they did not like to hear. Today, when you speak the truth of God, people do not like you. Let me say that to each of you – anyone who speaks the truth is not liked. Those men thought they had finished Jeremiah off, just like they thought they had finished Jesus off.

Jesus said that the Truth will set you free. You might not be popular because you speak the truth as it is. You might not be popular as a preacher because you speak the truth as it is.