In this sermon, the preacher discusses the origin of sin and the role of the devil in tempting humanity. The devil's pride led to his expulsion from heaven, and he saw an opportunity to establish his kingdom on earth by causing Adam and Eve to fall into sin. The preacher emphasizes the importance of not despising children, as their angels always see the face of God in heaven. The sermon also touches on the need for personal conversion and warns against aligning oneself with those who have forsaken the Lord.

Our text we find in Matthew chapter 18. In fact, I wanted to speak about this portion from the first verse till the tenth verse. But I actually just got stuck right in the beginning. So we don't know, maybe God willing we'll carry on another time because I'm sure we won't get through everything today. First one. At that time the disciples came to Jesus saying, who then is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? Then Jesus called a little child to him, set him in the midst of them and said, assuredly I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Then verse ten. We'll just jump to there and then we'll see whether we speak about that another day. Take heed that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven the angels always see the face of my father who is in heaven. Let us pray once again. Lord, what we speak out of our own is just the letter that kills. It's only that what comes from you born out of the Holy Spirit that will bear forth much fruit. So be in our midst Lord. Amen. I thought I'd speak about children. But I'll start now with the last verse. Do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that in heaven the angels always see the face of my father who is in heaven. I wanted to speak about angels. We so easily and lightly speak about angels. Some even say well each person has his or her angel. But I would like to study God's word and see what God's word says about angels. Now here the Lord says that these little ones in heaven, their angels always see the face of the father who is in heaven. The angels. Let's now turn to the last book in the Bible, a revelation. Chapter twelve. From verse four. I think so, yes. His tail drew a third of the stars of heaven and threw them to the earth. And the dragon stood before the woman who was ready to give birth, to devour her child as soon as it was born. She bore a male child who was to rule all nations with a rod of iron, and her child was caught up to God and his throne. And then to verse seven. And war broke out in heaven, Michael and his angels fought with the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought. But they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world. He was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. We'll stop reading there. Angels were created long before man was created. They were very interesting creatures. Amazing. They were amazing creatures with a glorious body. Surrounding the throne of our Father in heaven. Praising him. Worshipping him, thanking him. Loving him. And so the angels were great. They were the greatest at that time. With a wonderful glory about them. Complete, perfect. They had a glorious, radiant body. A heavenly body. Often in the Bible, when it refers to an angel, it refers to them in the masculine sense. When the woman came to the tomb, to the grave of the Lord, there was an angel, and he spoke to them in the appearance of a young man. Clothed in white garments, snow white. Even the clothing was radiant and dazzling, beautiful. Now angels don't move slowly, they are quick, fast, and powerful. We read in the Bible that the angel descended from heaven like lightning, so you see the speed of an angel, like lightning, so fast. They are the messengers, the servants of God. Their greatest joy is just to behold God. Being before him, worshipping and praising him. Carrying out his commands. Whatever God says, there is an immediate response and obedience. And at all times, they are united with God. Surrounding his throne, they love God, they serve him continuously. These angels even have their princes among them. Two of them are mentioned quite often, namely Michael and Gabriel. One of the princes of the angels, Because they are subject to one another, and those that are set before them and above them, they honour them, respect them, and obey them. Now one of the princes, who possibly was even above Michael and Gabriel, He was like just below God. So he was just in the rank beneath him, and he now today is referred to as Satan, the devil. He fell. He didn't desert and forsake God alone. His tale drew a third of the angels with him, those we now refer to as demons. A third of the heavenly host of angels were influenced and dragged along by this old dragon, the devil. Now this old dragon, the devil, was one of the great princes in heaven. He fell because of pride. He didn't want to be the second in command anymore. He wanted to be like God. Pride, haughtiness, brings a person to a fall. When pride entered this prince in heaven, even such a one it brought to fall, because he wanted to be the same as God. It's a very serious thing, because you find this pride or haughtiness or wanting to be great, even among the disciples themselves, for they spoke among each other and said, Who is the greatest among us? So many people strive to become great, and that's the beginning of their downfall. See, the devil was not satisfied with what he was. He wanted more. He wanted to be like God. The Bible refers to him as the prince of this world, the God of this world, the world of darkness. He wanted to be like God. He wanted to be like God. And just take note how when he, in a very sly way, through the serpent, came to Adam and Eve in the garden of Eden, how he worked, what tactic he used. He used the same tactic. He said, Is it true you mustn't eat of the fruit of that tree? If you eat of it, you will become like God. If you eat of it, you will become like Him. Pride is a curse. Even if you're a prince in heaven, it will bring you to fall if you want to become great. It's tragic that even the disciples were troubled by this, that they among themselves discussed this matter, saying who is the greatest among us. Pray that God saves you from pride and haughtiness, because even if you're a prince, it will bring you to fall. And even if you had to get to heaven, you will be rejected there. We can't understand how such a thing is possible. Someone with such a position as he had, second to God, such a wonderful position, and yet pride and haughtiness came and he wanted to become like God, and it was a downfall. He had his meetings there in heaven with the angels. And he started and he influenced them, and eventually one out of three joined forces with him, and they rebelled against God. They turned their backs on him, forsook him. And of course by doing that, by turning their backs on him, they no longer had a place in heaven. Heaven rejected them, spewed them out. They could no longer be part of the congregation. But two thirds of the angels, they were faithful to God. And because of their faithfulness, God blessed them. But the devil and the angels that joined up with him, they were rejected, they were cursed. But they could no longer then stay in heaven, because they had now gone and rebelled against God. So they could no longer stay in heaven. Now it's interesting because God could speak just one word and destroy the devil. But he didn't do it. And then Michael and the heavenly and holy angels, they declared war against the devil and his angels, and they fought him. It was a great battle. And that's the battle we read about, this war that broke out between Michael and the other angels. And war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought with the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail. The devil didn't go, he just stayed there, and he didn't want to go. But then Michael and the angels said, let us declare war, and they fought against the devil and his angels. And then Michael and the angels said, let us declare war, and they fought against the devil and his angels. And they had been together before. They had always been worshipping the Lord together, they had worked together side by side, they had come together as princes and been united in everything. But the day the devil rejected God, turned against God, Michael said, we can't just look on, we can't tolerate this, and they declared war against the devil. But the devil put up a fight. And God observed what was happening. Michael was there with the angels, fighting, and they prevailed over the devil and his angels. There was no place anymore for the devil, and he was thrown out of heaven. So there it refers to the devil as the serpent of old, the devil and satan who deceives the world. He is the one who deceives the whole world. So the devil didn't stop his recruiting work in heaven. Now when he was cast down from heaven, he had won over thousands upon thousands of angels, but he wasn't satisfied with that, he was cast down to the earth, and he said, well I'll carry on my work on earth, I'll recruit there now. Now when he was cast down from heaven, he had no place, he wasn't in heaven, and he didn't have a place on earth yet, he was just in the skies. He found no place. Heaven rejected him, he had no place in heaven anymore. And that's why we read in the Bible that we don't fight against flesh and blood, but against powers and principalities that are in the air. And that's why we read in the Bible that we don't fight against flesh and blood, but against powers and principalities that are in the air. So as he was there with no place to be and to stay, just out in the air, he then saw the earth, he saw Adam and Eve, and he said, well let me enter into them, then I will make earth my abode, I will make it my kingdom. And so Michael and the angels, they declared war, they fought against the devil and his angels, and they overcame them, and they were cast out of heaven. That's why God allows them. And that's why the devil sends people that sell drugs here, because they know, and the devil knows there are people that have that problem, and he wants to see. And God allows it to see whether you will be prepared to stand, or whether you will fall to the temptation. And if you overcome that temptation, if you overcome the devil, God will bless you. But the angels that sided with Prince Devil, they received a curse, nothing else. And they are lost for all eternity, there is no turning back for them, for all eternity they are lost, they belong to the devil. By siding with the devil, their hearts were hardened. And so it is to this day, if someone deserts God, forsakes him, forsakes the way, his heart is hardened. But then there are people that say, no, we must go back, we must try and win them, and instead of winning them, they are influenced by them, and their hearts become hardened as well. So they were cast out of heaven, and they had no place anymore, they were out there in nothingness. They have no peace, no rest, they are restless, they go up and down in great need and trouble. That is why the devil is referred to in the Bible, the Lord says he goes up and down like a roaring lion, he is like a madman walking up and down, no peace, no rest. Seeking one to devour. And that is why when the devil saw Adam and Eve, he saw and grabbed the opportunity, and he came in a very sly way, and said he will start with Eve, and he said at least let me try and get in there, and then I can make the earth my kingdom. And that will belong to me then. The devil said well I'm lost, I've got nothing, I've lost everything, but here's my opportunity on earth, let me establish my kingdom on earth. And so the devil came, remember that same devil who was cast out of heaven because he wanted to be the greatest. He wasn't happy being number two or number three, he wanted to be the greatest. So when he came to Eve, that old serpent coming through the serpent, and he said did God really say? He said no, God didn't want you to eat of that fruit because he doesn't want you to become like him. However, and Eve fell, she fell. Pride is a terrible sin. Being proud, being haughty, wanting to be greater than you are, and not happy if anyone else has got a higher position than you, that will bring you to fall. That's a terrible sin. That's where it all started with the pride, and look where the world is today. Totally lost. Now people run after other things, and it's rock and pop. Recently the self-proclaimed king of pop died, and the whole world mourned. Mourned this person who lived the life he lived in sin, immoral, and all that he was. And if you look at the state of the world today, how it's full of sin. Immorality, lies, drunkenness, and all sorts of other sins. Where did it start? The devil was proud. He uplifted himself, and war broke out. He was cast out of heaven, and the devil saw he had lost everything. And then he saw the earth, he saw man, and he said here's my chance. I'll establish my kingdom among them. And the devil succeeded in making Eve fall, and then he used Eve to get to her husband. Adam fell as well, and oh how much rejoicing there was then among the devil and his angels. He said now I've managed to secure the earth for myself. And while the devil was rejoicing because of his great victory, God in his grace and mercy, because he has compassion on man, he intervened. He said just as the devil has succeeded in making Eve fall, He made a promise, he said I will now send a savior who will be born of a virgin. And he will trample the head of the serpent underfoot. In other words, In other words, saying the devil will be defeated. He will not be able to establish his kingdom on earth, because the earth belongs to the Lord. And the wonderful thing is that if you believe in the Lord Jesus, our savior, that makes us children of God. That will transfer us from the devil's kingdom into the kingdom of God. So by becoming a Christian or not becoming a Christian, you are showing what side you are choosing, who you are voting for. Between God and the devil. You've got to choose. You must choose today. Before you leave this room, you must have made a choice, choosing between the kingdom of heaven and the kingdom of the devil. What do you choose? You must choose now whether you want to be in God's kingdom or in the devil's kingdom. Now God's kingdom and the devil's kingdom are at war with one another all the time. And it's not just a little battle. It is the biggest battle ever. It's a matter of life or death. One of the two. You'll have to choose whether you like it or not. That you go with the deceiver, with the devil, and be part of his kingdom. Or that you choose God and say, I want Jesus. Nobody else. No matter what the cost is. On the one hand, there are those who have put their trust in the devil. On the other hand, there are those who have put their trust and faith in the devil. These two things do not go along together. They are at enmity, at war with one another. They are at enmity, at war with one another. If you want to be in God's kingdom, you must choose Jesus. If you want to be in the devil's kingdom, you must choose Satan. Never take sides and feel sorry for that person and compromise because of it. You've got to choose. How can you say you've chosen God's side? And yet you become one with a person who's chosen the other side. You are united with that person. You're one with that person. And perhaps it's your own child, but they're on the other side. But you are one with that child. How is such a thing possible? It's not. I remember I once got a slap in the face. That was before the revival even started, if I remember correctly. There was someone that we were good friends with. We both preached the gospel. And this person, there were lots of things wrong in his life. And then the brethren tried to help this person and tried to correct and say, Look, as a Christian, you shouldn't be doing this. And then I felt sorry for him. And I thought, well, maybe I should just go and visit him because I feel sorry for him. Maybe I can talk to him. So I went in there and went to his room. Meant to go there. And as I went in, there was a wardrobe with very sharp corners. I had prayed and I said, Lord, if you want me to go and see him work, that when I get there, that I'll find him at home. But if you don't want me to be there, then rather arrange it that he's not at home. Now it was dark in the passage. And as I walked down this dark passageway, I didn't notice this wardrobe there. And I walked straight into it and it got me here on my head at the sharp edge. And when I did this with my hand, I felt it was all warm. The blood was just gushing out. I didn't even get the chance to get to his bedroom. Because the Lord gave me a slap in the face before I got there. I had to go back immediately, get myself cleaned, even change my clothes. And I realized there that if someone has forsaken the Lord, you cannot become one with such a person. You cannot feel sorry for him and associate yourself with him in that trouble that he's in. Because of him forsaking the Lord. Now are you today in God's kingdom or are you in the devil's kingdom? Even if you claim to be on God's side in his kingdom, yet you are one with the people that are not in his kingdom, who have chosen the devil's side, who have forsaken the Lord's way. But you are one with them. You are with them and that's where your heart is. Just with them, that's where you are. But if you are on the Lord's side and you fight for him and you fight against what's of the devil and what he is doing, then you will be blessed. Even the angels will bless you. Are you on God's side, standing for him, fighting for him, saying no matter what my relatives do, my family do, and my friends do, I stand on God's side and his side alone. Then Michael Then Michael and the angels will take note of that. They'll honour you and respect you for it. And they will say, let us go and support him. For they will say, we also went through this once and he's going through it now. Let's go and assist him. And let us overcome the devil like we did of old. As I said, Michael and the angels will honour you and assist you. But if you choose one of them, then the angels of hell, the demons will assist you. They'll come and they'll ignite their fire and even more in your heart. They will make you their slave. And whether you end up in heaven or in hell will depend on this battle in your life. And which and who is victorious, whether it's God or whether it's the devil and his angels. And that you go through what you're going through, God has allowed it. So that it will become evident for heaven and earth, everyone to see who has been victorious in your life. And that it will be evident, whether you've really chosen God, in all honesty and truthfully, that you want to live for him and work for him alone. That you've met up with these trials and difficulties is for this reason, so that it will become evident what you have chosen. Whether you've chosen God's side or whether you've chosen the side of those who have forsaken him. As I said, God has not yet thrown the devil and his angels into the lake of fire. That's still coming. But he allows these things now to happen and he allows them to come to you so that you will be tested and tried to see which side you've chosen. God's side or their side. God's side or their side. Do you understand? Or are you asleep? Or are you so blunt that you can't hear, don't want to hear anymore? But if you don't want to hear, you go your way, but at least don't say that I didn't warn you. But it must be clear what side you've chosen. God's kingdom or the devil's kingdom. God's kingdom or the devil's kingdom. But Michael and the angels said we cannot allow this, we cannot tolerate this, that the devil stays in our midst when he's rebelled against God. They said we cannot tolerate it. And that's when they fought with the devil, cast him out. But then as you've heard, the devil said let me make my abode, my office there on earth. Whose side are you on? On Jesus' side or the devil's side? If you're on the devil's side, you have chosen the curses and all that the devil has to offer you. You will go out with a curse and you will take that curse with you and pass it on even to your children. And you will be fuel for the flames of hell. They'll burn even more because your children will condemn you. They'll say, Mother, we are here because of you, because you made the wrong decisions. But may God grant us the grace that we will be children of the kingdom of heaven. People who will stand for the truth, who say we cannot mix with the world and with sin. May God grant us the grace that we will be children of the kingdom of heaven. Maybe you are trying to keep both sides happy. You've got one foot in the world, one in God's kingdom, one in that kingdom. You cannot stand like that. It's impossible. Let us stand up and pray. Lord, you've put before us blessing and curse, either to choose blessing or to be condemned. Those that chose the devil chose for themselves. They chose the curse and all that goes with serving him. Lord, you know how each one is deciding, what he is choosing and what he is deciding to do. Work, Lord. We've heard that the angels that went with the devil, there's no hope for them. They are lost for all eternity. They've hardened their hearts. They clung to the old dragon. They forsook you, Lord, for all eternity. Thank you, Lord, for offering us salvation, that even though the devil almost got it right to take control of the earth, you intervened and you showed us mercy. Lord, we pray that you'll show mercy to those who have chosen the devil and his kingdom, who live in darkness, that they will not end up in that darkness for all eternity. Amen.