In this sermon, the preacher shares a sad incident that occurred during a prayer meeting in South Africa. Initially, the prayer meeting was powerful and effective, with people seeking the presence of God. However, the meeting took a negative turn when they started spending time talking and debating instead of praying. This led to angry arguments and ultimately caused the prayer group to split up, leaving only a few people praying. The preacher emphasizes the importance of unity among Christians and highlights the devil's knowledge of this fact. He also references Bible verses that teach about the grace of God and the need to live righteously. The sermon concludes with a story about two individuals who tried to share the gospel but failed to show love and unity, ultimately hindering their efforts.

Good morning, if you'll excuse my voice, it's slightly gone. It's wonderful to stand up for the last time here in this short time. I'd just like to say thank you first. I really appreciate that I could come over here. I'd like to thank Ezra and Brandon and Timothy and everybody in the church for all that you've done. And I really, really, really, really appreciate it. I'm not very good with words in thanking people. But from my heart, I don't deserve it. And I appreciate from my heart that you organized this as you felt led. Also, my daddy said on the phone this morning, he said I must thank everybody. And he's looking greatly forward to coming over here. And he said something else, but I can't remember. But it was perhaps important. I love my dad. He's one of those jewels, as a father, to me anyway. I love him, and I love him, and my mom gets very irritated when I say to her, you're the best mom I ever had. But I mean it from my heart. I've yet to find a better mom, but until I look around the world and make absolutely certain, I just tell her she's the best I ever had. And I'm sure she sends greetings as well. Before I start with my sermon, this morning when I woke up, I wrote down a few thoughts. And this isn't to do with my sermon, but I'd like to mention them, because they might help some of you. I'm sorry I missed the meeting last night. I heard it was wonderful, and I'm supposed to get the tape and listen to the tape, I suppose, five times. But I don't know what Timothy preached, but everybody says it was wonderful, and that's blessed. I listened to Brandon and Timothy. I think they should really take that idea of touring and get on the bus and go. I don't know how it works practically, but they should do that. And the thing I'd like to share before I come over to my sermon is this. Well, I'll come to the point after a thought. You know, the devil loves extremes. I was amazed when I read through a book of church history. I like small books, but it was a smaller book of church history from year 01, probably to about 1800s, and how again and again the devil, he'd either get people totally involved on one side or totally involved on the other side of extremes. And at some times it was extremely interesting how the church, they were scared in one extreme, and so they swung over to the other extreme as the answer to that. And the devil loves that. And you must be wary. Some people are going to legalism of a thousand, thousand rules, and when they eventually realize that it's wrong, and they come out of that, they do the opposite. They go into liberalism of anything goes. And that has happened. And I'd just like to talk about failing in your Christian walk, how God can forgive and forget in a moment, after you've failed if you ask for forgiveness. I just had a thought this morning about failing in your Christian walk, how God can forgive and forget in a moment if you ask Him. And I'd like to be careful here. Very careful. Because some people, when they read of Paul's grace, he speaks of grace and grace and grace, they come to the point where they think God has got so much grace, that sin is actually not such a terrifying thing. Sin is not a terrifying thing. And in fact, some of them say, we might as well accept that we're just going to sin a lot in our lives, and therefore, and good will come of that. Good will come of that. And that's not the Bible which I read, before I come to the balance on the other side of grace. Romans 3 verse 8. This is the Bible I read. And not rather, as we be slanderously reported, and as some affirm that we say, says Paul, let us do evil, that good may come. What's Paul saying? Yeah, he says, whose damnation is just. He's saying, his people are looking at this grace I'm talking about. And they're saying, Paul's saying, we can do evil and good will come of it. And throughout the ages, people have fallen for that. Grace has been such a wonderful thing, it becomes an umbrella. And I can take out my umbrella of grace and I can go around sinning. And it doesn't matter, God can't see me. Sin is not a terrifying thing. And if I look at Gethsemane, if I want to know how terrifying sin is, before I come to why God can forgive you in a moment anyway, I just look at Gethsemane where Jesus, he who knew no sin, became sin. He who knew no sin, became sin. And he looked in that cup. And in that cup, I believe that was the point where he became sin. He knew no sin. And what happened? No one had hit him, no one had hurt him, but blood began to fall onto the ground. Because he was a purer eyes than to even behold sin. Sin is a terrifying, terrifying, terrifying, terrifying thing. That's the reason why so many people are going to hell is sin. Titus 2 verse 11. This is the grace I read of in the Bible. For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world. That's the grace that Paul teaches. Romans 12 verse 9 says, Let your love be without dissimilation. That means in English, sincere. Abhor that which is evil. Cleave to that which is good. 1 John 1 verse 6 says, In 1 John he says, If we say that we have fellowship with him and walk in darkness, we lie and do not the truth. And why did he write that? He said why I wrote this. My little children, I write these things unto you, that ye sin not. And I'd like to say, I believe God. When he says there's a great victory in Christ Jesus concerning sin. When he says in Corinthians, I thank God always, which always doth cause me to be victorious in Christ Jesus. That's the God I serve. And I love him for that. But, he goes on. And at that point I'd like to say, you must always seek this. Seek victory in Christ Jesus. There is a victory. Don't be satisfied with an everyday sinning life, where you're failing every day. I can guarantee you, I know, there is a victory in Christ Jesus, which is wonderful. But then he goes on and says, if any man sin. Not when. God says there is a way out of temptation. But if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father. And that Greek word just means a person who's near. It's not that it's not a calamity when you sin. It's not that it's not wrong. It's not that it isn't a problem. But he's near. He's running to help you in your problem. An advocate. Who died for you and paid for every sin that you ever committed. So I'd like to come back to that question. What happens if we fail in our Christian world? Sin is kind of a calamity, but God is a glorious answer. And I'd like to say a little story. When I was a child, I did third level first aid. That doesn't mean anything. They teach you how to do everything. Help people dying, whatever. Childbirth. And all I can remember after about a month is that you must put ice on everywhere where it's sore. So don't ask me to help you. And I remember I went to school and they decided that everybody had done this course of first aid. We had to go. And when they were playing these sports games, yeah, I suppose they do it with helmets. And there they just tackle each other. And I've seen people with their jaws hanging out and he wants to go back on the field. I don't know, it's almost barbarian. And I remember one day, it was one of my first times that I was ever doing this first aid. And there was a person called Charlie Bongo. He was a black person in Africa. And he was with me and he just finished his course and I'd finished my course. And we had these lovely radios that we could call the ambulance. And if anybody, the doctor, if there was help, it was a big sporting thing. And I stood there and this person came off the field and he had a sore finger. He had a sore finger. And Charlie Bongo, who was with me, we were supposed to be a team, a big, big, I wouldn't say fat, but he was very big, fellow with his big white teeth, he said, it's an emergency. Call the ambulance. And I thought he was joking, but he wasn't. He thought this finger was the worst thing that ever happened in his entire life. And he got out of there. I said, stop, please. Of course, a good name is rather to be had than many things the Bible says. But my name was also at stake here. And he started, it's an emergency, crisis, bring the ambulance on this radio. And luckily, the lady on the other side asked him what was wrong and he kind of told her and he got into big trouble for that. But I was just amazed, someone, he looked a little intelligent. Before that happened, I wondered. And it's true that we can overdo things. We can overdo things. And there's a verse in the Bible, before I bring a little illustration, just the end of this thought. There's 2 Corinthians 2 verse 7. So the contrary, this is a person who's failed. I mentioned it to Brandon yesterday. So the contrary-wise, you should rather to forgive him. This is someone who's penitent, who's sorry over where he failed greatly in his Christian walk. And comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with overmuch sorrow. You know, I've met many people who are swallowed up with overmuch sorrow. They fail and then for a long time they go into darkness and they're swallowed up with overmuch sorrow and they think they've lost everything that God ever did for them in that moment. And I don't believe that. You know, from my own life, I remember a time when I was in Africa, it was a few years back. And I was at my grandfather's farm and I'd been going through a time of about 3 months where God was working in His mercy. And it was wonderful, the communion that I had with God. And it was precious, like a diamond that I didn't want to lose. And I remember there on the farm, I stood one day and I failed. I failed. And I was down. Oh, I was terrifyingly down. I felt terrifying. I thought I'd lost everything that God had done. He would forgive me, but He wouldn't restore to me immediately all that He was doing through me and so on. And you know, I went up that hill with my daddy. My daddy's a wonderful person. He walks up hills faster than me probably. And we were walking up this hill, and I remember at first I was down. Oh, I was down. And He did what this verse says. It says, Rather you should forgive him and comfort him, lest such one should be swallowed. He started to comfort me. He said, St. Roy, it's not so bad. You're smiling and so on. And after a while, I didn't get comforted. I just went on. And I'm being honest with you today for a reason. And my dad eventually turned around at a moment. And I've rarely seen my dad so serious. I stood still. My daddy looked down at me and he said, Roy, and I don't hear my daddy shouting. He said, Roy, don't crucify yourself. Don't give up. Get up. I said, Yeah. And the amazing thing is I got up and I asked the Lord to forgive me. And it was all the same again. Everything was back. I found after that God didn't take anything away. And my dad taught me a lesson. Well, this is what I thought, but my dad used to speak about this verse. Hebrews 4, verse 16. He says, Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in times of need. Now, if you fail, and I know people have had great problems with this, there's a few things the devil will do. And before I mention these, I'd just like to say one of the things you're trying to do is to say to you that you must come later. You can't come now. You can't come now. Number two, he'll want you to have an amazing feeling so that you know you're forgiven. Instead of just standing upon God's word, he'll tell you that God will forgive you, but he won't forget. He won't trust you like he trusted you before. And my dad said this word, Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in times of need. God says come boldly. Come now. He doesn't say come brazenly as if you've done nothing wrong. You have done wrong. But come now. And God will forgive and forget in a moment so that you won't even remember what you did. Come now. And just leave it behind you. There's two things the devil wants to do. He wants to get you down. Number one, he wants to make you fail. My little children, I write these things unto you that you sin not. And the devil wants you to sin, not the Lord. But if any man sin, the second thing the devil wants to do is he wants to keep you down. He wants to get you into a hole. Oh, I've failed. Now everything's over. Now I've got to wash the dishes for six weeks. As Brendan said. And so it comes that people are swallowed up with overmuch sorrow. And the reason I say it is because I've met many, many, many people who don't go through little darkness. They go through great darkness after they've failed. Great darkness that they didn't have to go through because it wasn't right, but now there's a Saviour, Jesus Christ, an Advocate who's waiting to forgive you and forget and trust you again. If you turn, he said, 70 times 7, you must forgive. Well, if he told it that we must do that, then he'll also do it. If you turn, it says, that's my God. And I'm glad he did that because I'm not one who hasn't failed. I've failed quite a few times. But, I can testify to the victory in Christ Jesus has been wonderful. Wonderful. And constant. Not that every day you have to fail at all. Okay. Now I'm going over to my sermon. I'm sorry, that's terrifying. I probably preached twice today. But, I felt like that when I woke up, so, you must forgive me. Let us pray. Father, thank you so much for thy word. Thank you for thy grace. Thy love. Thy holiness. That you're not one-sided, Lord, but that there is great grace to those who need it and who want it and are sorry. And Father, I ask today that you'll be present. This is the last meeting where I'm preaching. Father, I need you every meeting I ever preach. In every part of my day, I need thy grace. And I ask for thy presence now. You said, what God is like unto our God is near unto us in all things. Near unto us in all things which we call upon you for. And I call upon you now to be near, Lord. I ask you to be near in thy mercy. In Jesus Christ's name. Amen. You know, I often thought, I often thought of Cain and Abel. When, now I've never had a wife, obviously, but when Eve had Cain in her hands for the first time, this little baby child had come out of her, and she was holding this baby for the first time. She'd never, ever, ever seen a little child before. She'd never, ever, ever seen a little child before. And there, these little, tiny, wonderful fingers were wriggling at her. And her little eyes were poking themselves out at her. And Pratchett sneezed and coughed, and the little, cute belly button was sitting right over there. And you know, this little baby was in her hand, and man, she must have been proud. I can't remember the words she said, the Lord has given me a man. Wow. And I wonder if it could have come into her greatest, into her wildest imagination, if it could have come into her wildest imagination, that this cute, little, cuddly child that she was holding in her hand was going to become the first murderer that the world had ever known. I wonder if that could have passed through her mind as she looked at this cute, little, wonderful little child, that this child was going to become the first murderer that the world had ever known. In 1 John 3, it says, for this is the message that he heard from the beginning, that we should love one another, not as Cain, not as Cain, who was of that wicked one and slew his brother, and wherefore slew him, because his own works were wicked, and his brother's righteous. Neither now, my brethren, if the world hates you, we know that we have passed from death unto life if we love the brethren. He that loveth not his brother abideth in death. Whosoever hateth his brother is a murderer, and we know that no murderer hath eternal life abiding in him. Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. What an amazing verse. Hereby. I wonder if you've pondered over that verse. Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us, and so ought we to lay down our lives for the brethren. But you, sir, hath of this world's good and seeth his brother of need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him. How dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, it does not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed, and in truth. What is God saying here? Not as Cain. Cain one day went to a field. He was jealous of his brother that his offering was not accepted, and his brother's wife. And he took up a stone or something, and he physically killed his brother. And here God says that we should love not as Cain. My little children, it does not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed, and in truth. What is God saying here? He's saying, apart from it being a test of your salvation in the first place, he's saying, just as Cain showed his hate, just as Cain showed his hate by his deeds, by physically picking up a stone or something, and smiting his brother dead, so we ought to show our love not by words, but by deeds. My little children, it does not love in word, neither in tongue, but in deed, and in truth. We ought to, says the Bible, lay down our lives for the brethren. You know, the devil knows our precious is unity. The devil knows our precious is unity. But Christians often forget. Christians often forget. Let me ask a question. How did Gideon, with just 300 men and a few clay pots, a great army, take on over 100,000 Midianites, and they won? Well, if you read your Bible, the Midianites fought among each other. How did Jonathan and his servant take on a great Philistine garrison and achieve victory over that great? Just two men. Or read in the Bible that the Philistine garrison fought among each other. How did Jehoshaphat, the king of Judah, when the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir came with this great mass of people? You know, Jehoshaphat had over 100,000 people in his own army, and yet he said the words, we have no might against this great company. How did it come that the next day when he came down into the camp, there was no one alive? Hmm. And they could just take this foil. Well, we read that Mount Seir, Ammon and Moab rose up against Mount Seir and destroyed them. And then Moab rose up against Ammon and destroyed them. They destroyed each other. You see, the devil knows, I mean, he knows history. The importance of unity. But, Christians often forget. Now, I was in Africa, and Rudy Fonseau is a student, an ex-policeman, came out of the world. But after he was saved, he said a very sad thing happened. He talked of how near his home in up South Africa, somewhere, there'd been a prayer meeting, a wonderful prayer meeting where people came together and they sought the presence of God. And God was using that prayer meeting. Sad how few people pray nowadays, truly. And then he said something very sad. He said a sad thing happened there, a very, very sad thing. He said instead of praying for the whole time, they started to have about five minutes at the beginning to talk. And he said that time of talking became times of debating. And that time of debating became angry arguments. And that wonderful prayer group split up. And there was only a few people left praying in that prayer group. You see, the devil knows. The importance of unity. But Christians often forget. In the Khamtus Valley then, my grandpa's farm, it's wonderful to hear how much of my family was saved in a great movement of God. There was conviction of sin. Many of the African people were streaming to God and brokenness. The white people too, the farmers, they ploughed in the tobacco. It was wonderful. They burned up what they had. They turned to God. But you know, I often wondered when I preached and came then to that little valley, how was it, how was it that revival stopped? How was it that revival stopped? And I think the answer is on a little hill, smaller than this patch of white out there. If you look there in that little hill, there's about eleven churches. Eleven churches. Oh, they fought about this little thing. And they split. They fought about that and then they split. You see, the devil knows the importance of unity that Christians often forget. Spurgeon said that unity is so important that it's like when two goats come up onto a a log across a river and they've got a problem. They're like me, they weren't looking where they were going. And they say, oh, there's someone in front of me. And they can't go back because they're too clumsy with their legs, they'll fall in. And they can't go forward because there's two of them. So nature has taught them, nature has taught them that the one must bend down and allow the other one to trample over it so that they can both get to the other side. And unity is so important that sometimes when it's just a matter, not something important, but just a matter of doctrine or something of the will, that we must bend down and allow the other to trample over it. Of course, we don't have to bend down to sin. The Bible doesn't teach that. James 3 verse 17 says, for the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable. First pure, then peaceable. So first comes purity. But maybe you say we are unified. I'm not saying you're not. We come together every week in the same building. We sing. Well, imagine George W. Bush woke up a few years back when William Carey was, I don't know how you pronounce his name, was canvassing against him. And he woke up and he had this revelation. And he picked up the phone and he phoned William Carey and he said, William Carey, I've had a revelation. What's that, George Bush? We're unified. We come together in the same building every so often. And we talk to each other. The Senate. Well, I think William Carey would either laugh or say something else. But the thing is, we must not just be together. The Bible says we must lay down our lives one for another. We must lay down our lives for the brethren. And this must be practical, not just in words. People must be able to see it. It does not love word, neither in tongue, but in deed and in truth. John 13, verse 33 to 35 says, little children, yet a little while, I'm with you. You shall seek me and as I said unto you, the Jews, with I go, you cannot come. So, now, I say to you, a new commandment I give to you, that you love one another as I have loved you. That you also love one another. By this, shall all men know that you are my disciples if ye have loved one for another. What is God saying here? Little children, yet a little while, I'm with you. You shall seek me and where I go, as I said unto the Jews, with I go, you cannot come. God is saying, Jesus is saying, I'm going now. I'm going. And no longer can people see that you are my disciples by you physically walking after me and following me. No. The only way that they're going to be able to see that you are my disciples is if you have my love one for another. My love one for another. He does not say about this by going to church or by singing or by reading your Bible only or by giving out tracts that people will know that you are my disciples. I've met unsaved people running down the streets giving out tracts. No. People must be able to see Christ's love in you one for another. It amazes me. I think the second century Christians they so loved each other, they so laid down their lives one for another. It's someone that started with the T, Terculus or Tercullian, I can't remember his name. He wrote, the heathens say, look how those Christians love one another. Look how those Christians love one another. Isn't that wonderful? You know, I don't know about you, but there's something that irritates me sometimes. And that's when I go into a lift. It's an elevator in America. Get in that lift and nobody talks. And I was in Africa once and I was going to see a lawyer up in the fifth story of some building. And I remember coming to this parking my car outside, coming inside, signing the security guards something or other. And I saw this lift and I had to go to the fourth floor or something. We pressed the button, the lift opened, we went inside, there was about six, seven people. And we stood. And what generally happens is you stand, and you stand, and you stand, and eventually the door opens and you leave. And this irritated me very much to the point that I thought, no, this is getting too much. So I turned around and I said, hello, my name is Roy. And they were silent. And then suddenly, everybody was saying, hello, my name is Beatrice and John. So that was wonderful. Everybody knows who everybody is. One of the persons said, we don't normally do this, we didn't grow up this way. But you know what I think? Christians often forget to communicate. To communicate. Now the principal of our college in South Africa is a wonderful, wonderful man. I look up to him as a person who seeks the Lord, Mr. Mayberg. And he, he went through more fires than most people on earth have gone. And that's hard to say because many people have gone through very hard fires. But he's been through many fires. And I remember him standing up in front of our students when I was a student a few years back. And he looked at us and he said, you know, there was a time when I was going through great fires. And I know what those fires were. He didn't say what they were, but I knew. And he said, no one talked to me about it. No one comforted me. He said, once I was lying in the bath. Lying in the bath. And somebody suddenly, suddenly, the telephone rang. And I don't know how the telephone was in the bathroom, don't ask me. But he picked up that telephone, he said it was in the bath. And some old man, he didn't know very well, said, Mr. Mayberg, I just want to tell you that I'm praying for you. I just want to tell you that I'm praying for you. He said, I burst into tears that someone actually did or thought to phone me to tell me I'm praying for you. Hebrews 13 verse 16 says, but to do good and to communicate, forget not. For with such sacrifices the Lord God is well pleased. I don't know if you've noticed that verse before, but to do good and to communicate, forget not. For with such sacrifices the Lord God is well pleased. I was in a town called Middleburg in South Africa. And there was a minister, there was about 90 congregations connected together across South Africa in this certain church. And there his wife was literally every day dying in hospital, getting worse and worse. And he himself was getting sick and going through terrifying times. And do you know what he said? Not one of those 90 ministers, not one, not one evangelical minister ever phoned me to comfort me. And they all knew about it. But to do good and to communicate, forget not. For with such sacrifices God is well pleased. Do you know the only reason that God ever comforts you? Read about it in 2 Corinthians 1 verse 4, who comforted us in all our tribulation that we may be able, this is the reason, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble by the comfort whereby we ourselves are comforted. That's the reason you get comforted is so that you can find someone and comfort him. That's what God says in the Bible I read. And it's a sacrifice is the Bible which God is well pleased in. Paul was comforted by the coming of Titus with communication from the church. Now when I was in Bible college I know a young pair of people who were on fire for God and loved each other with a great and wonderful love. They used to call them David and Jonathan because they so loved each other and so were on fire and so went out on the weekends just to seek souls. And what is wonderful about this love is it was a peculiar love, a peculiar love. I remember one day one of them couldn't afford a bus ticket to go and see his mother. And the other one of these two he had a guitar. And I happen to know that this guitar was his pride and joy. It was what he'd saved up for. Some people had helped him also at one stage eventually to get this guitar. And he couldn't easily ever afford another guitar. But when he heard that his friend needed a bus ticket to go home he didn't tell him. He got in the car with another person and he went down to the second hand shop and for a little bit of the price he sold that guitar. He came back and he made sure his friend got it, got that bus ticket. He said that's going a bit too far. Wasn't it peculiar love? Jesus laid down his life for us. And the Bible says so ought we, so ought we, so ought we to lay down our lives for the brethren. These two people went to a farm where people were. And they, as usual, were trying to win everybody for the Lord. But, and I met this woman. They were going on there and a lady they met. They didn't speak to her, they just said a few words to her. Well, they spoke to her and that's it. But they said a few words to a group of people. They didn't speak to her individually. You know, a few months later I was there as well with this woman. And she stood there and she said, you know, she had a piece in her eyes. She talked about throwing away drink and smoking and everything and turning to God. She said, there's two things I remember about you two. There's two things I remember. The one was that one of you said, I know where I'm going if I die. And I didn't know. She said, the other thing was the love that you had won for another. The other thing was the love that you had won for another. And she had turned to God. She brought other people to the Lord. People who were, they used to call lions, they were so cruel. Do you believe that verse? Ye are in shall men know that ye are my disciples. If ye have love one for another. I know a very old man. And I love this old man. He's 91 years old. And I met him when he was about 89. Just before his 90th birthday he wanted me to come. And he was a wonderful man in the sense that when he was younger God used him in revival. More people came to the Lord in one city's prisons to this man than any other man, they say. They didn't backslide. People were crying down the corridors under conviction of sin. Under this man's, when he was there. And bringing each other to the Lord in the jails. He was on fire for God. You know what I love about him? I go and sit, he can't see and I read to him the Bible. And we sing together and we pray together and so on and so forth. And it's just wonderful. We're the first 91-year-old, 20-year-old combination who writes hymns together. Not very good hymns, but we write them. And I love him with a great and wonderful love because he loves Jesus with all his heart. And he's on fire at the age of 91 years old. More fire than most young people are. With strong legs. And I remember coming back to see him at a stage and there was a guitar box, a tuner. And it was my tuner box. And I stood there and I looked at it and I thought, this is my tuner box. And I went to Mr. Fenimore and he looked at me and I said, look, I found my tuner box. He said, oh Roy, oh Roy, I haven't moved that tuner box because it reminded me of you. And then there was a very strange man, he got this green cool drink made by the Coca-Cola company. And he says, the only reason I drink it, Roy, is to remind me of you. Very peculiar love. You know what's wonderful? We pray together. God answers prayer. I remember one day standing there with him and he's got this thing in common with me that he doesn't like new music in churches. You know that music that goes boof diddy boof diddy boof. And this church wasn't even as bad as that, but it was getting towards the wrong side. And it was nearby. It was the only church he could really go to because of his old age. And we were talking about this terrifying music. So I can't remember which one of us said, let's pray about this music. And we knelt down and basically we just said, Lord, we pray together, please, we believe that you can do this, please help that there will be some hymns in this church. In Jesus Christ's name, amen. And as we said amen, the phone rang. Ring, ring. Okay. And I picked it up, put it on my ear. Hello, this is the minister of the church. Would you like to choose the songs? What's this? That was wonderful. Peculiar love. I was once in a town. I was once in a town. And this old man was sitting at the one side of the table and he was in a state, you know. He was jumping up and down from something. He was saying, Roy, Roy, Roy. In another language. The problem is that Christians don't pray in this town. And this young girl looked at him and said, no, no, the problem is not that Christians don't pray, the problem is that Christians are fighting too much to pray. And I could go on, thought of it. But it's so true, as you travel around, how many Christians have started to fight. Matthew 18, verse 19 says, Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of the Father which is in heaven. Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree, agree like a symphony orchestra, concerning anything that they, anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. You know, I remember as a family, it's wonderful growing up in a mission. Basically your daddy teaches you to pray. And many times my father, he would tell us afterwards, that he prayed for a long time concerning a crisis that you were in. Whether it be financial, opposition or whatever. And he said that sometimes the Lord just answered his prayers. He said sometimes nothing happened. And he used to call us together as a family, it was so precious. And he used to tell us what was going on. And together as a family, as a family we used to pray, all five of us. And you know what was so precious is that almost every single time, even as we prayed, God answered our prayers. As a family, when we prayed together. Well God didn't answer his prayers when he was on his own. I was in a car on the way to Sedgefield in South Africa, on the way to Sedgefield. And we were praying, I can't remember what my father prayed, but he was praying away to God. And then he said Amen. And then there was another one of those times when I've never seen him so serious. He turned around and looked at us and he said, I hope you said Amen. And of course you have to think, did I say it loud enough? And he said, because the Bible says that if two of you shall agree touching anything, it shall be given you of the Father. But then you've got to really agree. You know as a family it's precious. I remember once we were in London and we were walking down the street. I think it was about 10 years back, a bit more, walking down the street. And Noah, Noah had some funny ideas. He wanted to see the Queen of England. He said, Daddy, I want to see the Queen of England. He looked down, not everybody can see the Queen of England. You know what I appreciate about my daddy is he didn't say, let's go to Buckingham Palace. He said, let's pray. And we pray. We said something like this, Lord, Noah wants to see the King of England. Please, honor this prayer and let him see the King of England, Queen of England. Simple prayer in Jesus Christ's name. Amen. It was wonderful. As we said Amen, we were on a dark, long street. We were the only family on the street. As we said Amen and opened our eyes, a long car came around the corner and drove past us. And it was the Queen of England. She said, she didn't say anything, she just waved. But we were the only people on the street to wave to. You know, I believe the Lord loves, loves with a great love praying families. And I pray many times for our mission and many others that they would become praying families. That they would become praying families, children. You know how precious, get to your parents and say, let's spend time in prayer, Daddy. And parents, they do their children, but it helps if the children say yes. 1 Peter 1 verse 7 says, or 3 verse 1 says, Likewise your wives be in subjection to your husbands. Now I'm going to put that on my wife's wardrobe. My wife. So as you can see, I have a big son. When I get one, if I ever get one. And then I'll put this, verse 7 on my wardrobe. Likewise your husbands dwell with them according to knowledge, giving honor unto the wife as unto the weaker vessel. And why does he say all this? That your prayers be not hindered. That your prayers be not hindered. Now the first time that the Holy Spirit was poured out and answered the prayer, we read this, These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication. With one accord in prayer and supplication. They were a powerful and fruitful church. They really said Amen. You could say. And there's seven churches in Revelation. You all know that. Ephesus, Myrme, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. And you know only two of them don't have anything said wrong against them. That's Spyridon and Philadelphia. Of course you know what Philadelphia means. It means fond of the brethren. You see this is the message. This is the message that you have heard from the beginning. That you should love one another. Every book, if you study through the New Testament you'll be amazed that every book brings out love among the brethren. But there's one that strikes me and that's Philippians. It's the one of Paul. I love the love that Paul had for the brethren. I love the love he had for souls. I love the love he had for God. You know it's easy to love people when they love you. It's easy to do good unto men when they do good unto you. It's very easy. But what about people who don't love you? What about people who go against your will and do wrong to you? What I love about Paul, he said in 2 Corinthians 12 verse 15 and I will very gladly spend and be spent though the more I love the less I be loved. Though the more abundantly I love you the less I be loved. I'll do it gladly. That's love. Love isn't just loving them who love you. Philippians 1 verse 23, 24 says Paul, for I am in a straight patrix to heaven and desire to depart and be with Christ which is far better nevertheless to abide in the flesh is more needful for you. What's Paul saying? He says he's got a straight patrix two things. He's got a struggle. One he wants to be with Jesus. But the only thing that makes it worthwhile staying on earth is his love that he might be of help to the brethren. Is that your struggle? Or is your struggle between so many other things? Oh his struggle was between being with Jesus and being of blessing to the brethren. And it wasn't him only. It says a few verses later talking to that church he says having the same conflict which he saw in me and now yet to be in me. You've got this conflict. I hope you do. In South Africa I'd ask them is there a conflict between sport and this? Work? What is it? Is it between the brethren and Christ? See we too like Paul must lay down our lives for the brethren. Paul said follow me as I follow Christ. Now I did a little study in the Bible and it interested me. And I read in Judges 5 verse 2 and 9 these words. The people willingly offered themselves. Judges 5 verse 2 and 9 The people willingly offered themselves. 2 Chronicles 17 verse 16 talked of the captains under Jehoshaphat. Different part of the Bible and it said Adner over 300,000 Jehoanan over 80,000 and then it stops and it says a Messiah. And God had to say something about a Messiah. He said a Messiah the son of Zechariah who was willing who willingly offered himself unto the Lord. Isn't that precious? And God stood still and said this man willingly offered himself unto me. So that everybody can read it through time and eternity who dares to read right through the Bible. And then we read in the New Testament. Now it's only once mentioned that phrase in the New Testament. 2 Corinthians chapter 8. It talks about the church of Macedonia and I marvel at the church of Macedonia. Because they were a church who greatly loved. And their trial of affliction says born deep poverty. They gave much. Beyond their power says Paul they were willing of themselves. They begged him to take the gift. This of course was for the Jerusalem. And I wondered what is their secret? Such love. Such sacrificial love. Such laying down of their lives as Christ. And then I read in verse 5. And this they did not as we hoped but first gave their own selves to God. They first before they started doing things which anybody can do in their flesh. They gave themselves unto God. Do you know what I believe with all my heart? To the degree that you are laying down your life and given over to God. To that same degree you will be laying down your life for the brethren. That's a test. To the degree that you are laying down your life for God. To the same degree you can test it. How you are laying down your life for the brethren. Not before men. I'd like to end off with a verse. 1 Peter 4 verse 8. Peter loved. Thought this was important too. It says, And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves. Above all things have fervent, fiery charity among yourselves. For charity shall cover the multitude of sin. Now, could we close our eyes. Now I'm not going to sing to you. I've got a song but my voice is gone. I'm going to speak to you the words of another song I believe God gave me upon a time. And I'd like you to listen. Remember, charity shall cover the multitude of sins. It doesn't lay up a list of other people's faults. There is a love much greater than a mother's for its child. It is the love that drove our Lord to be crucified. A thorn crowned on his head. A sinner by each side. Our Savior cried, forgive soon before he died. How would the world ever know that you follow him if they do not see the same love flowing out of you? A thorn crowned on your head. A sinner on each side. Would you then cry forgive soon before you died? That's the question. Would you cry forgive soon before you died? Now, I normally make an appeal. I've preached this once or twice before. But I'm not going to make an appeal. But if there's anybody of you that know that you must lay your life on the altar, that you will not have this struggle in you to owe for Jesus, but you need, would be of help to the brethren. You have a love, a deep love, a forgiving love for the brethren. Go to your knees when you get home sometime and ask God for it. He says you have not because you ask not. And my God that I share gives. As I give myself, he gives himself. And let's pray. Father, thank you for thy love on the cross. It is a great love that herein we know the love of God that he laid down his life for us. And I ask that for every single one of us here, Lord, that you would work it to be that they would have a great love, the same love. So ought we to lay down our lives for the brethren. And I ask it not just as words, Lord. I've seen you do it before. I've seen you do it many times. The people so love each other, the people are staggered by their lives in that, Lord. And therefore, Father, to a God who can answer prayer and answer it mightily, I ask that you would change our lives and make us love one another with the great love that laid down its life so that herein shall men know that you are my disciples if you have loved one for another. Shed about the love of God and I ask for the Holy Spirit in us as Romans 5, verse 5 says. I ask all this, Lord, and I thank you for thy grace and love. In Jesus Christ's name, Amen. Thank you so much. I'd just like to say one thing. I've preached in many places, many, many places. And sometimes it's the people who run to the front. Oof, wonderful. It makes you feel very good. And some of them meet with God in a wonderful way. But others, they forget about the message very soon. But I remember in one place when no one responded. No one. And it was so precious to me. It was on another subject. Someone told me later they'd thought to themselves, you know, if we hear something, then we must do it. And there with all their heart, that person was lit on fire for God. Walking about, going in the streets, saying to everybody, you can't be good without God. And in that person's simplicity, I could testify of people who came to God through her life. Because she was turned on fire. But it's wonderful. She never responded. But this was true. She heard the message. She listened to the message. She said, God, I want that message. I'm going to get that message. She just didn't forget it. It was precious to her. There's two ways, and I end up with this. There's two ways of wanting something. You can either want it like the little child who came to his father and said, Daddy, I want a bicycle. Bicycles cost money. And after a while, the child said, Daddy, I really want a bicycle. You know, that sounds like he wants it. And then the father said, OK, but then you've got to work in the garden for three days. Something like that. He came to his daddy afterwards. Daddy, I've changed my mind. I decided I don't want that bicycle. And some people are like that. They plead to God, but they weren't willing to pay the price. They say, Lord, give me love. But if someone, they wouldn't really be willing to do good unto those who do bad to them. And then you have the other type of person who was in the water. It really happened. And the lifeboats were in the sea. The ship had sunk. The lifeboats were full. And he started to swim towards the boat. And he came to the boat and he said, let me on board. And they said, no, there's too much people. And he put his hand on, they took a knife and they cut it through. And he put his other hand and they put a knife and cut it through. But he still wanted to get on board. He was life and death to him. And so he put his teeth on the boat. And when they saw him put his teeth with no hands on the boat, they pulled him aboard. So there's two ways of wanting something. Do you want to give all your life to God? And lay down your lives for the brethren? Yes. Or yes. And that's the difference I've seen in so many meetings across South Africa. Those with all their heart want it at any cost. I can't all ask of Badung that I might win Christ. I was talking of salvation originally. But, and then there's those who want it, but you know, if it costs me anything on earth, I've got a few hours of prayer. Anyway, that was my sermon from the Lord, I believe. And I'd just like to thank you again. You're all wonderful. It's not the right thing to do, say everybody's wonderful. I said to my wife, I love you. But I mean it. And to me, you're wonderful. And I appreciate it. You've crept down into my heart as people, many of you. And please pray for me in Africa. Because I need prayer more than most people. I need the Lord to help me. Thank you so much, baby. I hope I haven't gone over time, Brendan. Have I? Oh no. Would you like another sermon? But that last thing I said, I meant with all my heart. It's your choice whether you seek God. Glenn in South Africa, my friend. It was his choice. You don't fast for a week in front of people. You don't pray for days and days in front of people. But I knew. And that boy went through with God. And he got down on his knees and started to seek the Lord. And spend much time on his knees. And he went out into the streets and spoke to every soul he could about the Lord. And very unwisely he used to have chases in cars so he could give the person in front of him a trap. And things like that. But at the end of the day, with differing personalities, it's your choice whether you spend more time with God so that He can change you. He draws you, but you must choose to get down to your knees. And go out and do everything the Bible says you must do. Okay. Thank you so much. I'm finished.