In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the power of the gospel in raising people up. He shares a personal anecdote about being asked to remove his shoes in a hotel room, which leads him to reflect on the importance of cleansing oneself from sin. The preacher then reads from 2 Timothy 2:19, highlighting the need to turn away from wickedness and be instruments for noble purposes. He also mentions the story of Julius Caesar burning his ships to prevent retreat, using it as an analogy for the commitment and determination required in following the gospel. The sermon concludes with a mention of Korean missionaries spreading the gospel worldwide.

So let's read from 2 Timothy chapter 2 and verse 19 Nevertheless God's solid foundation stands firm. Sealed with this inscription the Lord knows those who are his and everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness. In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver but also of wood and clay. Some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. If a man cleanses himself from the letter he will be an instrument for noble purposes made holy useful to the master and prepared to do any good work. Let's pray together. We pray oh Lord that you would speak to us through your holy word. Please help each one of us here Lord that we would be enlightened that we would understand that which is important to you. Now in actual fact I thought I wouldn't be able to speak today because I was very tired. When you travel from here to Europe there is no jet lag because you just travel straight north. And but when you go east you go against the Sun. When it's morning here it's already evening there. And also when you travel in the other direction towards America your biological clock also gets totally upset and it's it's really a strain on the body especially if you're a busy person. Now I took Elizabeth along with me my daughter to Korea and in Australia I met up with Esther my other daughter was also there. But concerning the counseling and the spiritual work I was alone. Somebody from Australia had bought Esther a ticket to come and visit them there. Now I'd like a part of the message to be a report to you or to relate to you as to how I went and what I met up with along my journey. We started in Korea. They met us at the Now we were met there by some professors and two ladies whom they brought with them. One of the ladies was a Miss Korea beauty queen and years gone by and after that she got converted and she was also there because she was going to be our hostess to take us around to different places. Now according to their custom a man can greet another man by hand but you don't greet the ladies by hand. You'll just cordially bow and that is your way of greeting them. They are a nation that are extremely that's extremely respectful. Now for a long time I've been saying there's no nation on earth that can respect as the Zulus can. But since communism has influenced young people that has come to an end, young people no longer know how to respect adults. I remember the Korean nation was a very backward nation. Their toilets were like the Indian toilets. But in these past years there has been tremendous progress there. I could never imagine that a country could advance so quickly in such a short time as that nation. I didn't find one dirty toilet or even a toilet where there were drops of water on the ground. It was absolutely clean. You could even have your meal there. Their homes were attractive, well-kept, tidy. Well I visited the Christians of course and also the minister's homes. When you come there it would seem as if it was the home of a king. I don't know how to say it in Zulu. I don't know how to say it in Zulu. I don't know how to say it in Zulu. I don't know how to say it in Zulu. I don't know how to say it in Zulu. I don't know how to say it in Zulu. I don't know how to say it in Zulu. I don't know how to say it in Zulu. I don't know how to say it in Zulu. Now I don't know what all those buttons were for. I think you can let your imagination roam as to what they might all do for you but some of it I suppose was to let the water flush quickly and sometimes with less force and hot water and cold water and well I couldn't read the Korean language so I don't know what all the others were for but I'll leave it over to imagination. They laughing because I said some if you press the button you'll be washed. Another button you'll be dried. Another button you'll be dried. Now that was what the toilets were like. High tech toilets and I thought my we here in Africa we are remaining behind because what are our toilets like in some places one still doesn't even have toilets and even when you go to hotels you find that the toilets are dirty and here are these Koreans leaving us in the rather in the dust leaving us behind. Now for a long time I've been preaching here even at the mission saying how important it is to be hygienic and even in the toilet that that exposes your character and what you are like and if you find that place to be dirty or with spots of water on the ground that you should leave it spotless when you go out of there but if you are not spiritually well and you're not living for the Lord well the toilet will expose that as well. We also went to Seoul that is the capital city of South Korea and we went That city alone has 12 million inhabitants, and that's one and a half times the Zulu population. It is 20, 30, 40, 50, 65, it is. That city is densely populated with high-rise flats, 20, 40, 50, 60, one building, 65 stories high, and I thought, is it possible that a nation can progress at such a rate, so much, in only 10 years? There are no flat areas there, plains, it's just a very hilly area, but the roads are extremely good. They have no gold, no diamonds, no mineral wealth. Ask them, I said, how is it possible that you could make so much progress and go forward to such an extent? They have no gold, no diamonds, but it's in the Gospels, in the Gospels. They have no gold, no diamonds, but it's in the Gospels. And I said, because you've no gold, you've no diamonds, how do you do it? They said, we've got the Gospel, that's what we have got, that's our precious commodity, and that's also what we export, it's our main export product, or that's what we export, it's an export product that we have. Last year alone, 12,300 Korean missionaries went out to spread the Gospel across the whole world. I think 13,200. That's what we all along have been telling you, that it is the Gospel that raises the people up, but if the people turn their back upon the Gospel and upon the Lord, then they go backward, and in the end, they find themselves in the muck. And I said, because of me being tired, they've booked a place for me in a hotel. And I said, because of me being tired, they've booked a place for me in a hotel. When I went into my hotel room, they said, no, no, you can't come in here with your shoes on, you don't go into a room with your shoes, you leave them outside. I said, oh, so I went outside and I took my shoes off. I said, my, you know, I really did myself in by taking my lace-up shoes along, because every time you've got to take them off and put them on, take them off and put them on, all the time. Eventually, I had the way of not tying my shoelaces any longer, anymore, I would just push them in at the sides, so that I had my own slip-on shoes. Now, I asked myself, I wonder why they don't wear shoes inside, but I did notice that it was extremely clean, polished, and the floor was sparkling, you could eat from it. And they said they would take me to an American hotel, but when I came in there, I saw it was like any other hotel I knew, and we had a meal there. Sat on chairs. Certain days, we went to the own hotels. Now, the tables are only that high. I went to the hotel, and there was a table, and there was a table, and there was a table, and there was a table, and there was a table, and there was a table, and there was a table, and there was a table, and there was a table, and there was a table, and there was a table, and there was a table, and there was a table, and there was a table, and there was a table, and there was a table, and there was a table, and there was a table, and there was a table, and there was a table, and there was a table, and there was a table, and there was a table, and there was a table, and there was a table, and there was a table, and there was a table, and there was a table, and there was a table, and there was a table, and there was a table, and there was a table, and there was a table, and there was a table, and there was a table, and there was a table, and there was a table, and there was a table, and there was a table, and there was a table And while the tables were only that high from the ground, and then they had little mats on which you sat. And these were the top hotels! and then the men would come and sit there and just cross their legs like that, quite easily. Well, my legs are quite stiff. I couldn't get that right. So what I did, I would sit against the wall and lean with my one elbow on the table and then stretch my legs or direct my legs to the side and Elizabeth would sit next to me and I said to her, well look Elizabeth, my legs are coming in your direction, I'm glad that you're sitting there. When you eat, eat with sticks, chop sticks. That's quite difficult. You've got to eat even your rice with those sticks, chop sticks. Well, I said to her, look Elizabeth, my legs are coming in your direction, I'm glad that you're sitting there. When you eat, eat with sticks, chop sticks. Well, they taught us how you have to do it, that you've got the two sticks, the bottom one and the top one and the bottom one should always be stationary, it shouldn't move, whereas the top one would be flexible and you put the bottom one underneath the food and with the top one you pinch it and then you eat in that way and then it's much easier. The food is also different to our food, even though it might be the same foodstuffs but it's prepared in a different way. In all our trip, I didn't come across one person who was overweight. Not one Korean person. If you come across anybody that's overweight to anybody, with a belly, then you'd know that's a foreign person, it's a foreigner. But no Korean person would be overweight or fat. Well, now I'm just pre-warning you, any of you that have any intention of ever going along with us there, you need to start dieting now because if you're overweight and you go there, you'll be embarrassed. Well, those who are overweight, well, they can go to Greece because there's a saying that a man without a belly is the heaven without stars. But in Korea, there is no problem with being overweight. Why not? Because all their food is prepared without fat. They don't use any oil in their cooking, no fat. Even when they fry their meat, they do it without oil or fat. Their vegetables, whatever they prepare, they never put in any butter or anything else like that. Sugar is not used in the food. There was one type of sweet which we got, which they said, well, this is extremely sweet. It's made from pumpkin which they grind and cook and boil and eventually they make these sweets. But when we ate it, we couldn't taste that it was sweet. But to them, it's very sweet. Well, that's according to their custom. But you can eat and really have your full of that meal and eat enough, yet you do not become fat. Nevertheless, their food is very tasty. However, there is one type of dish which is very bitter. Now, the one professor who would always accompany me, he was the same professor who visited us here at the mission. He would always take a spoon and a fork along as eating utensils for me so that I wouldn't have any problems with the sticks. When they were here, they said that they would invite me to come and address and speak at certain universities. However, when I was there, they said, would it also be possible for me to go to certain congregations and preach there? As well. When we went to some universities, we found that there were only girl students. We also went to a Christian university where the students were studying for the ministry. And many other places. The revival in Korea started in 1907. It's not even a hundred years that it started. But such a great work has been accomplished in this short time. And they told me that the revival started in this way. They were together with some missionaries. And one missionary got up. And he wept. And he said, this was a white missionary who stood up and he wept. And he said, you know, I'm living amongst you. And I'm preaching the gospel to you. But God has convicted me that I don't really have a love for you. And he said, please forgive me. Because I don't have that love of God that I'm supposed to have for you. I don't have it. And then another missionary was convicted when he heard that. And he also stood up. And he said, please forgive me as well. Because I've also left my home country, my people. I've come here to work amongst you. And I don't have God's love in my heart for you. And then there was also a Korean minister in that service. And when his white brethren and colleagues got up and confessed their sin openly in that way. He got up and he was also convicted. And he said, I've sinned. And he said, my brother gave me money to bring to you, to give to you. But then I wasn't faithful. I took some of that money and used it for myself. I stole it. And then a fire was kindled. And the revival started. And that happened, which Dr. Edwin Oh says, is the secret to revival. He said, revival begins when Christians start confessing their sin. And he said, revival comes to an end as well when Christians stop doing that. He made a study of revivals. He was a specialist on that. He said, every revival started with confession. Not in your bedroom. Confessing sins. If you've confessed Christ, you don't go in the bedroom and close the door and say you confess. You bring it to light. In John 4, Jesus said, you hate the light because your works are evil. You don't come to the light so that those works of evil will be judged. In John 4, Jesus said, you hate the light because your works are evil. You don't come to the light so that those works of evil will be judged. In John 4, Jesus said, you hate the light because your works are evil. You don't come to the light so that those works of evil will be judged. Now the Koreans don't have any problem with the confession of sin. They do it. They practice it. They say that's what brought them revival. That's what changed those people who were Buddhists into Christians. I was very sad. One day, we traveled from the eastern shore to the western shore in Korea. We traveled for a whole seven hours by car. Actually, from the western to the eastern shore. And then they phoned us and said, where are you? The service was starting at 7 o'clock, but the journey took a long time. It was starting at 8. The service was starting at 8 o'clock, but the journey took a long time. It was starting at 8. The service was starting at 8. That was a training college, training people to go out into the ministry to propagate the gospel. And as we preached there, they really drank in God's word. And they accepted God's word. And just remember that Korea is divided into two. There's northern Korea and southern Korea. Northern being communist country. There's no progress there. People are suffering famine. In the south, there's a lot of progress. And so these people are trained to reach those places where the gospel hasn't entered yet or penetrated as much. And the communists have set up a barrier, cutting that country in two. And at the time when it happened, it might have been that your wife was on the other side and you were on this side. There's nothing that you could do about that. Afterwards, there could be no contact or any communication. You wouldn't know even if she's still alive. And it's very similar to the Berlin Wall that the communists put up as well. So they've been praying for 40 years that the Lord would demolish that barrier and remove that barrier. That the door can be opened to spread the gospel amongst them. And they've got that hope that it's very soon going to happen. So in anticipation for that, these ministers are training at this college so that when that would happen, they'd be able to spread the gospel there. And some even expressed the hope that maybe America would be able to help them as they did in Iraq. One man told me that. One person expressed the hope that maybe America could help them as they did in Iraq to topple that regime, as they toppled the regime there, to do it as well in northern Korea. Now that service was a long service, really long. When we came to the end of it, nobody went out of the service. One person came to me and said, Would you please give us the opportunity that each one could come to you for counseling, confessing their sin, and cleansing their lives? One by one. But I was drained of all my strength. And I said, sorry, I don't have any energy left. As I'm sitting here, I feel as if I can faint any moment. And they were very disappointed. But they really drank in the word of God and accepted it in a wonderful way. They said the revival is busy declining. But they had the hope that with our coming there, that maybe that would rekindle it, that God would work afresh again in their midst. Many of them are determined to live for the Lord with the gospel. And they are praying that God would once again kindle His fire. Now our text says that the Lord knows those who are His. Do you hear that? Jesus knows those who are His. In Matthew, we read where the Lord said many will come to Him and say, Lord, Lord. Now in the Greek language, Lord means we are His. But He'll shake His head and He'll say, I never knew you, go away from me. So you see, the important issue is not whether you confess that you know the Lord, but whether He confesses that He knows you. Now Paul told Timothy in this letter that there were many people that had a lot to say. They were busy with godless chatter, saying this and saying that. And then Paul came to this conclusion saying, it doesn't matter what people say, whether they stand on this or that, or they admit it, or they deny it. But the foundation is sure, God knows those who are His. What does it say in chapter 2 verse 19, how does it start? God's solid foundation stands firm. In Zulu it says, but in spite of that. Sorry, it says here the first word, nevertheless. In other words, in spite of that, it also says that in Zulu. In spite of all that which people say, this foundation of God stands firm. The Lord knows those who are His. And we need to ask ourselves that question. When I meet with the Lord, will He acknowledge that He knows me? And everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness. Have you parted from wickedness and turned away from it? Or is there any wickedness, iniquity remaining in your life? I remember that minister, that missionary in Korea. He preached, he sang, he did everything, and yet he didn't have God's love in his heart towards those people. That was the evil. That's why I ask you, is there nothing in your life that's not right before God? If there is, you've got to cleanse yourself of that sin. And when in Korea, the missionaries got converted, the missionary realized there is something that's not right. They confessed it, and God started working. The Lord knows those who confess the name of the Lord. And we need to ask ourselves that question. When I meet with the Lord, will He acknowledge that He knows me? Or is there any wickedness, iniquity remaining in your life? He preached, he sang, he did everything, and yet he didn't have God's love in his heart towards those people. If we cleanse our lives, then we'll be instruments that are useful to the Master, and where God can work through us and use us. Now, each one of us need to be busy with that ministry. We need to be busy with it, searching and examining our lives and our hearts. Asking God the Holy Spirit to reveal to us, should there still be any iniquity, any wickedness in our lives. And even if it should only be one thing, that we'll repent from it, that we'll confess it, and turn away from it. Now, there's still so much more that I could say, but I see that time has run out, so I need to draw to a close, or start drawing to a close. But I'd be very happy if this which has been spoken, if you take it to heart. That's the secret, whether God will use you or not. God will use you, whether you're a man or a woman, whether you're a man or a woman, whether you're a man or a woman, whether you're a man or a woman, whether you're a man or a woman, whether you're a man or a woman, whether you're a man or a woman, whether you're a man or a woman, whether you're a man or a woman, whether you're a man or a woman, And Italy, there's a world famous singer, he doesn't sing pop and all of that kind of music, that which is not good, even though he's not saved, but nevertheless, he sings good music. Now, some would know his name, Pavarotti. When he was still a child, his father spoke to him and said, my son, Luciano, I want you to learn the skills of good singing. He said, work hard to train your voice. He said he then went to somebody else from the same village or town, and he then taught him and trained him. And after he finished that training, he then went to a teacher's university or a university of education. On the day of his graduation, he went to his father and he asked his father, shall I become a teacher or a singer? His father replied, he says, my boy, Luciano, if you try to sit on two chairs, you will fall between them. Shall I repeat that so that you won't forget it for the rest of your life? If you try to sit on two chairs, you will fall between them. And the father said to his young son, for life, you must choose only one chair. For life, you must choose one chair. If you try to sit on two chairs, you will fall between them. And the father said to his young son, for life, you must choose only one chair. Have you chosen that one chair? And Pavarotti says, I chose one chair. I forgot about being a teacher. And I chose singing. one tree young and old he loco oh we see here who kata is it shallow a soda base a gugui nigga locon when I get no more musha no more dollar we saw a cat I in less a salon ah when you have heard and know the right way commit yourself to it with all your heart and let that be your one tree most ways we live in Jaila who saw as well again Jaila a clean is a Yona Yona he can't lay on Jaila basically we need a long walk parallel a yo-yo Humber Goulion Jaila who's okay till he's done Osaka we say kapapa roti what him to him with your son I assume you may see me let's stand to our feet Nitanda oh woody nigga tuba Nina and in a cocky t-style ocean oh good one is Katie I want to do something today you who haven't chosen your tree I'm giving you an opportunity right now to choose your chain if you say I want Jesus and his way of holiness if you haven't chosen that tree choose that chain now and I asked those that want to do it who haven't done it who haven't lived it that they come forward to show us that they are choosing the one tree guitar I received a phone call just now from overseas is somebody whom we preach with overseas he was in Russia well she was in Russia two men surrendered their life to Christ but the last couple of months the two wives noticed that their husbands were compromising they sent word it said please pray for our husbands and now this morning we heard that those two men were in a car involved in X in an accident the car caught fire and they were burnt alive they did both of them and both of them have lived behind their wives and young children and they are dead they didn't choose one tree they tried to sit on two chairs we're not who's who katie list I lost a corner no more who's up on really still pursue was in the way shall it be Mundo Moosha who's who katie no dada who's who katie who good ticks together and I'm Sanjay it's not a Sotra okay now before I pray I'm giving you one last opportunity have you chosen your chair have you made your choice young person have you chosen to serve the Lord Jesus or where are you standing today shall we pray them must cool a posy chase Lord Jesus here are your children but she I'm up in trouble there's a lot they have left their benches and they've come forward who's Vasella Gucci but Katie Stalin's Sotra to have a funeral party Zito I'll be when I wait who's a basic feenie to show openly Lord that they have chosen you as that one chair for the rest of their lives forgive them Lord for allowing other things other thoughts but recording your books Oh Lord that today they have made that choice that one choice that one tree so that they would never fall again and perish this by sample Lula was a stance a uber um Lilo was a saloon who was he who who potentials and saw help them Lord to cleanse themselves cleanse their lives that your heavenly fire would burn amongst them and in them now for those that came forward and all those that have chosen that for the rest of their life they'll only be one chair and that is the chair we've spoken about Caesar a figure Oh Queenie gas and land a figure namabuto aka onki he took a bold and decisive step to ensure the success of his military venture what is in your tail or a basic visa how a footy who is Miss Ella Oguba logo class in a walkie England good in a pool LL he ordered his men to march up the mountain to the edge to the edge of the cliffs of Dover why Allah I'm about to argue Guba I'm I say I couldn't obey me I elopper Nassima Nassima weenie I said Dover a figure Lapo good color corner I'm our they should march right to the edge of the cliff then he said now you look down into the water to the water to the sea why said he will run parts managing over they're gonna say not so long day parts and then to the shock and amazement they saw that every ship was in flames all this the ships which way with which they crossed the channel engulfed in flames then they found out that Julius Caesar had set those ships alight there's why get we Anna because yabba okay la let's wake up Guba Zeesh he deliberately set them alight what wins a numbers boom to cut off any possibility of retreat and going back there was no way to go back again all the ships were burning now his soldiers every one of them was unable to return to the continent there was now nothing left for them to do but to advance and to conquer exactly what they did to fight for their life there was no turning back just going on and conquering and conquered they did now all of you came forward don't forget what Julius Caesar did and may God grant that every ship will be burnt that you'll never be able to backslide or going backwards only one way for him to and conquer only one way for him to and conquer only one way for him to and conquer only one way for choosing one tree and anybody else who tries to do it another way remember you Pavarotti's father you can't sit on two chairs you'll fall in between let's close and pray Lord please help each one that came forward today and before heaven and earth gave this public testimony where they said we are choosing the Lord Jesus and him alone help them Lord to continue and to remain faithful until death Lord may your grace be with him and the love of the Father and may the Holy Spirit lead and guide them until that last trumpet shall sound and you come back again Lord Jesus