In this sermon, the preacher shares an illustration of what happens when we disobey God. He tells the story of a believer who had a high position in baking and encountered a stranger on the street. Despite feeling an urge to approach the man, the believer hesitated because he didn't know him well. Later, he learned that the man was the beloved village doctor who had taken his own life. The preacher emphasizes the importance of obeying God and the blessings and protection that come from doing so. He also references the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, where God commanded them not to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

I stand up. Shall we pray? Lord, thank you for the opportunity to meet once again. Teach us to walk in your way. Amen. Our text for today is from the book of Genesis, chapter 3. Genesis chapter 3, and we start reading from verse 9. But the Lord God called to the man, where are you? He answered, I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked, so I hid. And he said, who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from? The man said, the woman you put here with me, she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it. Let's end there because even this which we have read we won't be able to cover in depth, there is too much. In the middle of the garden of Eden, God planted two trees. The one tree was the tree of life. And the second tree, the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. And God said, you may eat of all the trees, but not of this one tree. These two trees in the middle of the garden. Now the topic or the theme of this message is obedience. It is good to obey. There is no working along with God if you fail to obey. And obedience brings about freedom. Many people speak about freedom. Many people want freedom, but it's a freedom that means nothing. Because here in South Africa, we have freedom today. But what has that freedom brought about? Nothing but death. Some people define freedom as being free from laws and being able to do whatever you like. But they go astray. They are deceived because this type of freedom, where people would like to do whatever they want to do and be free from law, that only leads to slavery and to being in bondage. Jesus said to the Pharisees, you will know the truth and the truth shall set you free. And then they answered, how can you say we'll be set free? For we are the offspring of Abraham and we've never been slaves. The Jews were ruled by the Romans at that time. Beneath the iron hill of Rome. But Jesus didn't refer to that freedom. They said, we've never been slaves to anyone. How can you therefore say we'll be set free? Jesus said, you will know the truth and the truth shall set you free. The one who commits sin is a slave to sin. And Jesus said, the slave doesn't live forever in the home, but the son stays there forever. So in heaven, only those who have been set free from their sin will dwell. Have you been set free from your sin? If you're still in bondage to your sin, if you still go back repeatedly to your sin and you wallow in your sin, you don't belong to heaven but to hell. It's a great thing for one to be forgiven of his sin. But what does it profit a man, even if he's forgiven of his sin, but he's in bondage, he's in the chains of hell, of sin, of Satan? It might be said that you have forgiveness of sin. You have been set free from your guilt, your guilt has been removed and it has been paid for. But what does it profit you, even if you have that forgiveness of sin, and yet you have not been set free from the power of sin? You have been set free from your guilt, your guilt has been removed and it has been paid for. Because you do not belong to heaven. Because the sons will dwell and remain in heaven. But if you are in bondage to hatred, to grudges and stubbornness and things like that, don't tell yourself that you are going to enter heaven. It's a lie, you won't go there. He who commits sin is a slave to that sin. You are a slave to that which overcomes you. You might seek freedom of the type where you can go and do what you like, for example smoking, and whatever type of cigarette you want to be free to smoke, but the first cigarette you smoke will hook you and you become a slave to whatever type of drug you might use. You might see any type of sin which looks so attractive and enticing to you, and you partake of that sin, you so to say eat it. But after you have eaten that sin, that sin will eat you and devour you. But listening to God and His words, His instructions, His laws, and obeying that will give you eternal and true freedom. For you will always have fellowship with God, intimate fellowship and friendship where there is that two way communication between you and God. And you will be open and free in your relationship with God. Well Adam and Eve got what they wanted. God commanded them, do not eat of those trees, the tree of life and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Well they were not concerned about the tree of life. And until today it's like that, man isn't interested in life, he's only interested in that knowledge of good and evil. There was a student studying theology at university. And he said to that student, I'm not interested in that knowledge of good and evil. And the professor who lectured the first subject or course said, I don't care, he said to the students, what life you lead when you are here as long as you get the knowledge which I'm passing on to you. Speaking like a serpent. He said I don't care about your life as long as you gain knowledge. Now Adam and Eve. And especially Eve because she was the instrument that Satan used to cause sin to enter into the world. You Eves, you were the portal that allowed Satan to enter into the world. But on the other hand, it's the woman as well who brought the Savior into the world without the help of a man. And because of that, we honor and respect you. We would have said that women are nothing but dirt and a curse. But because you brought the Savior into the world, for that we respect and honor you. So Eve went to that tree of the knowledge of good and evil. And so she went and she saw the fruit on that tree. Now some say they were apples, but that's just a fairy tale. The Bible doesn't speak about apples. But she saw the fruit there and she saw that it was desirable to gain wisdom. And so Satan said, did God say you mustn't eat of any of the trees? Now humanly speaking, we might say, why would it be a bad thing to know the difference between good and evil? Isn't it a good thing to be able to recognize that which is good and discern that which is evil so that you can cleave to that which is good and depart from evil? It might be good, but if you get a hold of that in a bad and evil way, then it's bad. Then you are hurt. You're actually harming and destroying yourself. Because even if something might be good and the final object or goal might be a good goal, but if you get a hold of it in an evil way, then it's bad. And so the woman saw the fruit of the tree that was good for her. And that was after Satan had already said to her that God is actually deceiving you because he knows as soon as you eat of this fruit, you will be just like him. Now there are some people that are demon possessed because even if you tell them something, they don't believe and accept and take you by your word. No, they first want to go and experiment it for themselves and find out for themselves instead of being obedient to God. Well, it's one thing to examine that which is preached and said from God's word and to see what God's word says about it. But it's something else. It's a different attitude where you are critical and you ask questions and you want to understand it mentally. Well, if that is the way you go about it, Satan will swallow you. You won't have life and you won't have freedom unless you go about it and receive it in the way that God intended. Now let me illustrate it to you by using Paul's words. A boy and a girl. A boy looks at a girl and she looks attractive to him. She's got a pretty face. She's got a nice figure. And then he eats of that fruit. Well, girls are the most gullible of all creatures in the whole world. And when the young man or the boy comes to her and flirts with her and speaks his syrupy words, she just drinks in every word. And after all, there's nobody that can lie and deceive as somebody who's flirting with somebody else. They will say all manner of things and make the biggest promises. They'll say, they'll promise you heaven itself. They'll say you won't even have to go in a car, you'll fly in an airplane. And when you come into our home, it'll be like the sun rising and shining brightly in our home and yard. And those are all green lies. Because from you, he'll go directly to another girl. And so that sin looks so attractive and desirable. And then you partake of it. And then the young boy or that boy leaves you pregnant after that. Before that, you were a pure virgin. You were pure. But what are you now? You're going to give birth to a child? Your virgin breasts come to an end. You now give birth to a child. You've got to suckle that child. But you're not even married. That child doesn't have a father. You're nothing but a piece of scrap. You're secondhand. You are hurt. You are wounded. You have eaten of that fruit. You have eaten of that fruit. You are wounded. You have eaten of that fruit. You are wounded. You have eaten of that fruit. You are wounded. You have eaten of that fruit. You are wounded. You have eaten of that fruit. You are wounded. You have eaten of that fruit. You are wounded. You have eaten of that fruit. You are wounded. You have eaten of that fruit. You are wounded. You have eaten of that fruit. You are wounded. You have eaten of that fruit. You are wounded. You have eaten of that fruit. You are wounded. You have eaten of that fruit. You are wounded. You have eaten of that fruit. You are wounded. You have eaten of that fruit. You are wounded. You have eaten of that fruit. You are wounded. You have eaten of that fruit. You are wounded. You have eaten of that fruit. You are wounded. You have eaten of that fruit. You are wounded. You have eaten of that fruit. You are wounded. You have eaten of that fruit. You are wounded. You have eaten of that fruit. You are wounded. You have eaten of that fruit. You are wounded. You have eaten of that fruit. You are wounded. You have eaten of that fruit. You are wounded. You have eaten of that fruit. You are wounded. You have eaten of that fruit. And in the olden days, it used to be like that, that the young girls would go down to the river to fetch water, but only those who were pure young virgins would go together, and they had an adult supervising them. And somebody that wasn't pure anymore couldn't go with them, because those other pure girls didn't allow that. They kicked such a person out of their company, and so that person had to go during the midday, in the heat of the sun. They were going to be kicked out of their company, and they were kicked out of their company, because they were pure young virgins. And if you haven't been saved, you'll be the next one. You'll be the next one to be saved. And if you haven't been saved, you'll be the next one to be saved. And you'll be the last one that will be saved. Oh God, you are a good man. You are the one who will save the world, and will save the world. you are no longer worth the full dowry according to the Zulu custom of 11 cattle now there will be some discount either nine head of cattle or seven depending on whether you may be given birth to a child or two children and even I've heard men of old saying once a way has been opened with the girl then it will never be closed again or shut again you can get out of it anytime she's a loose girl like a prostitute who put a shutter will shut a number Bailey as a pedigree yes I'll go see um Kanyani at all a umpire son jahlu ngisham a boom get him fast and you want to get married but what kind of a wife will your husband get an old hag of a woman who's weenie we leave my zeal ago take a lane and so you are wounded your life is destroyed you are devoured by that sin but initially it looks so attractive to you it looks so desirable you wanted to taste of that sin and even all the people say well why do you take that pleasure away from the young people and young people don't want to listen in any case they don't want to listen to those warnings but in the end it destroys you it harms you and where you even have a child and have to go to school together with your child and some say well I'll go to school at night if my child goes to school during the day I'm not 23 met at 24 who's in England is a food knife in a food get a what does a food I got Charlie oh yeah it's calling in Gagnac I die Baba Yoni Zoya a meanie Mina Zoya a night school one person 23 24 years old already had a child that was going to school and this person still needed to go to school as well I said well how will you do that so they said well my child will go during the day and I'll go at tonight's good I get in England zombie the soft wound is calling well while children are still going to sitting at their school desks will write love letters to one another boys to girls and girls replying to those love letters while the teacher is still teaching them they are going in the direction of which God said they shouldn't go oh come on seven or seven I never called a knee love me I'm a call back on an echo and they'll have their meetings in secret places behind corners in dark places embracing each other they say those are on and away net easy but Kabul on I'll cover London July Satini but Abu London again sailor a sin dengue so gungun cool and then they make their appointments to meet at certain places where they'll kiss each other and not just giving a pick on the cheek but kissing in a way which you know which is an abomination to God and turn no car from over Conan a garden cotton I'm Sanjay name Ghani they say money I wouldn't like to go into detail because there are those who are innocent amongst us but even innocent even children that are supposed to be innocent today get up to all these things Oh Kabbalah Oh Gunga look who fun up to nope Fabie we see Fabie now kissing like that makes you to be a prostitute don't say you're not a prostitute in God's eyes you're nothing but a prostitute go back Kabbalah Naga Leone sailor who find out to nobody can see me because kissing in that way is no different than being sexually immoral and having sex before God when I'm fine Bambi such a St. Thomas on who's a shot on a linear on my coat again with him Ghani when you go Carla ah hanging bum anything to decide you'll hold the hand of that girl but then you'll still get married to another woman later on and you won't be able to say to your wife that you are the very first girl whose hand I'm holding if you'd be able to make that declaration to her she'll never forget it in all her life that she got married to a true man a person who is pure and upright a real man but I don't know what you're going to say to her because you too are a piece of scrap and secondhand I don't know if you're going to say to her I'm so sorry because I missed her on with other girls as well You are sowing something in her life and you might reap that she then is unfaithful during your marriage like with David when he sinned in secret God said David you have sinned in secret but I will make your wives to sleep in broad daylight with other me what will not local I'm Carly Charlie Pontius we open up on trees Charlie tomb was a woman my tomb Charlie's on bond we have woma we have one is on bond Charlotte Billa was a woman Billa I will get you now it was a and he had a bitter harvest when you plant beans you'll harvest beans or potatoes whatever it might be you too will harvest and reap that which you have when you reap that you'll cry tears but then you'll remember I was the one who planted and so that and remember when you plant something or you sow something after I got married I went from the marriage altar and I spoke to a minister who had visited me whom I respected and he was so respected me when a caravan among and when in the past when I went to do missionary work down on the south coast he would sometimes lend me his caravan and a tent and in that caravan I would stay there and cook for myself and so we knew each other from that time and when he visited me I said to him you know my wife is the very first girl whose hand I'm holding and this was the first time as well that I held her hand I said to him you know my wife is the first girl whose hand I'm holding and this was the first time as well that I held her hand I said to him you know my wife is the very first that I cooked for myself well I knew how to cook and I would prepare my own fish and there's no fish as tasty to me as the fish that I prepared for myself and even if I would fry a steak you know I'd use olive oil and garlic if you eat and a quite a thick steak as well if you eat of that steak you lick off your fingers I got a good old foodies look okay and so when I told this minister that Kaye is the very first woman whose hand I held and whom I got close to and that was the first day as well that I did that he said you must be joking there's nothing like that in this world but I was speaking the truth before the Almighty but I wanted to obey and I strove to obey that which God said when he said flee from youthful lusts and not just mentally but even physically if there is a mamba in the room with you you won't try and get as close as possible to that mamba and stroke its head you will flee from it you'll run away from it do you hear that young girls do you hear that young men if you don't you are only dirt that will be thrown out of heaven like you see that fruit it looks pleasing to the eye good for food desirable to eat and then you take of that fruit you get closer to it well you already swallowed by the devil you belong to him and you don't belong beware you young people who don't want to listen to your parents you want to be free free to do whatever you like you will be hurt you will be harmed and wounded for many years I'll be preaching this gospel and still you find children that have grown up here that still go out in their own way well go your own way go through the fence and make out your own way out of the camp if you want to but on the day of judgment I'll stand up and I'll say to God I preached the gospel and the truth to that young man and he didn't want to listen you want freedom but you're harming yourself and you're taking yourself to a bottomless pit there is a great deception and a heresy where there are those who believe that if you have been set free you are free to do whatever you like those are lies and a great illusion as well a great illusion you are like he said deceiving yourself you're a fool that's what you are with no brains that function the normal way the way God made it but the devil has gone into you filled you with these demons and that's why you break the law God said that true liberty you receive by obedience obeying him and through obedience you will understand that is evil that is wicked I shouldn't even draw close to that and the reason why God commands and instructs you and gives you his laws is because he wants to protect you he wants to prevent you from being harmed he has good intentions for you parents what do you teach your children because they go astray right in front of your very eyes are you closing your eyes we're not allowed to close our eyes before God we've got to be wide awake and have the eye of an eagle and if you notice there's not something wrong in your child's life go to him and tell him and if doesn't listen bring him to me then by God's grace both of us will fight the evil in him and the devil in him don't just let him carry on with it carry on you'll reap evil fruit and he will be bring shame and disgrace upon you and your family people have no understanding of what freedom entails does freedom entail that if there is a big truck or lorry carrying a load of logs coming along at great speed that you say well I'm free to go wherever I like I can just go in front of this lorry or truck no you'll be seriously hurt and you'll be very fortunate if you don't lose your soul there in your life you've got the freedom to walk before a speeding car that you need go through that accident before you know it's not done and it's a foolish thing to do I used young people's relationships maybe there's somebody who's an alcoholic in our midst you are drinking you are smoking you're using drugs you're in the same category you're a slave of sin and hell bound you can call a minister when you pray when you die to to pray with you you'll go to hell with those prayers unless you are set free of them and become a son of god don't listen to satan when he tempts you when he entices you but be a man and answer him and ask and say what will it be like what will the consequences and the results of this be because he doesn't show you that you bring a child into the world you become pregnant and how you suffer because of that and maybe even get aids and maybe you you didn't get it but maybe you've got it and you don't even know it well come that you can be examined you can be physically healthy with that virus in your body for 15 years but all after that it can go very quickly your decline it is good to obey god me foreign foreign well my brother gave me an article here where it explains that the lutheran church from sweden has now agreed and they said it's okay lesbianism homosexuality a man can get married to a man a girl to a girl and they can be registered in the church and have the full rights of a married couple well even the afrikaners here in south africa they say that young people from the dutch church say that living together is okay they're looking at it they're looking at it and examining it to see if it's okay or not the bible speaks about the great apostasy of the last days and we're experiencing that right now foreign to obey god is good to disobey him is evil so samuel said to Saul don't you know that the sin of disobedience is exactly the same as the sin of witchcraft foreign jesus said my sheep hear my voice and they know me and they follow me if you belong to the lord jesus if you are his sheep you'll hear him and you'll follow him pimpolengos b-e-r-g-e-r Heinz Berger. Now one day a man who is a very devout Christian who knew the Lord's voice felt late at night that he had to go to somebody and visit somebody his name was Heinz Berger. He used to be in the same congregation as he but then he left and he separated himself from the church because he was always reprimanded as to what he did committing sin and eventually he decided well let me just go my own way and leave the church. They tried every means possible to try and correct and help him however he wasn't he was incorrigible. So late at night he felt let me go and visit Heinz Berger. And there was a big distance from his home to this home of Heinz Berger. He lived on the very other side of the village and there are towns and villages which are quite big. He said well you know I'm so exhausted how can I go such a long distance. But after that thought came to him it was as if it was impressed on him that he should nevertheless go there. Eventually the urge became so strong that he felt that he was compelled to get up right there and to go to Heinz Berger. And he obeyed. He got up and he went there to Heinz. He said this must be God speaking to me. So he went all this distance to his home. He got there he knocked on the door and there was no reply no answer. And he waited a while knocked again and again and still no answer. After a very long interval the door was opened went open and there was Heinz and he asked of him what do you want from me. And he answered well I also don't know I just felt compelled and I felt the urge to come to you and to see you. And Heinz blinked away tears. And he said it was God who sent you to come to me. He said for when you knocked the first time I was already standing on the chair with a rope tied to the rafters and a noose or noose around my neck ready to jump down and hang myself. And then he heard the knocking on the door and he thought who is this coming to my home at this time of the night and that caused him then to loosen the noose around his neck and to get off the chair and to come to the door. That's why it took such a long time for him to get there. Through his obedience to God he saved the life of that man. That man was rescued from death. I'm speaking to you about obedience. If you obey God great are the blessings that will follow you and many things you will be protected from and things that might have harmed you. But let me tell you now about an illustration of what happens when you disobey. There was a believer. He was, he had a high position in baking. And at twelve at night, midnight, as he was walking along he saw somebody else also coming along the street. And as they were, he was walking alongside him, he seemed to have recognized him that he had seen him somewhere else. But because he didn't know him very well, he didn't get closer to him. And this baker felt the urge in his heart to get closer to this man and to address him, to start up a conversation with him. But he felt, but I don't know him. What will he think of me if I start speaking to him? So he said, I can't do it. Not far from there, their ways split. The next morning, he heard that that man was dead. In the meantime, that man that had walked next to him there was the doctor of the village, who was loved by all. After they had parted, their ways parted, he had a stroke, and he died. And so this baker was struck with remorse, saying this was God, this was of the Holy Spirit that inspired me, that spoke to me to go and speak to this man about his salvation, about his soul. Because God knew that his end was nigh. But he wasn't obedient, and that man had entered into eternity. Now I've used many illustrations, but one thing will help you, and that is that you confess your sin. I'll close with these words of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a very highly respected theologian. He was executed by the Nazis at the age of 35. And today, all believing nations have a high respect for him. And theologians. He wrote the following. He said, why is it so easy for a person to go into his inner room and in secret confess his sin to God, rather than going to somebody and owning up and confessing that sin there. Because some say they confess their sin to God alone. He said, God is holy. He is the judge, the judge of all that which is evil. And he hates the sin of disobedience. But a person is a sinner just like you. That person also knows what it means to keep quiet about sin. Being in that darkness of night. He said, why is it then that it is so easy for us to go to the holiest of holies, to go to the one who is most holy, and go and confess to him, rather than going to another sinner and confessing your sin there. He said, we must ask ourselves this question. Why is it so difficult for us to go to someone else and confess our sin, than going to God. He said, the reason is, when you go into your room, your bedroom, to go and confess your sin there, you're not confessing it to God, you're just confessing it to you yourself. And then you tell yourself, now I've been forgiven. He said, is this not perhaps the reason for it. He says, is this not perhaps the cause, why? The cause of people going back to their sin, confessing it again, going back to it, and just going back to that sin so easily, because you're not actually confessing it to God, you're just confessing it to yourself. That's why it's easy to go back. And you're forgiving yourself, self-forgiveness. He says, that is not true confession. He said, if you forgive yourself, just in that manner, then you will never be set free from sin. He said, what have you been busy with in that room? You've just been busy confessing to yourself. You heard somebody saying here that in these days, South Africa, we are remembering the passing of that law, allowing abortion on demand. Where a person kills his own baby through abortion. The organization Planned Parenthood was started by a white woman from America. They don't refer to it as abortion or planning to commit abortions, they speak about it as family planning, Planned Parenthood. Her name was Margaret Sanger. She started the organization Planned Parenthood. Why did she give it that name? Why did she start it? Well, the Negroes in America, the black Americans, they were increasing at a rapid rate. And she thought, well, if they increase at that rate, then eventually they'll be in the majority, and in America they'll be ruled by them. So let us then teach them, she said, to have few children and also to abort their babies. So that they won't increase at that rate. That's what she said. That's what she said to South Africa. That's what she said. Well, here in Africa, in South Africa today, that whole idea of planning your family in that way by committing abortions, that has been welcomed with open arms. And they've swallowed that whole message. Don't you realize by that you are destroying your own nation and you're destroying yourself? Well, one is almost tempted to say, well, I don't know. Well, one is almost tempted to say, let them then abort their babies if they so wish, so that those who are righteous and upright, that they might increase. And those who are not like that, that they might decrease. Those that are evil and murderers. Oh, you have got guts, you woman, that are able to kill that baby so close to your own heart. You are more hardened than the hardest man. Obedience will bring about freedom. But you go about aborting your babies. You'll have blood on your hands. You'll have no peace. It will haunt you. It will bring about stress. You'll become ill. All because of that evil deed that you've committed. You may say obedience is so difficult, it costs so much. But let me close with these words. To be disobedient, disobedience costs 10,000 times, at least, more than obedience. No Christian can afford to be disobedient. Let's stand to our feet and pray. O Lord, I plead with you. May these words not go in through one ear and immediately out through the other. O Lord, may these words penetrate the heart and reach the very depths of the heart. That by your grace, Lord, even though we might have been harmed and wounded, we are like a piece of scrap, but that we might come to you. You are able to renew and revive a person and make everything totally new. That all the old has passed away. Amen.