In this sermon, the preacher reflects on the life and testimony of a woman who lived a good life and passed away. He emphasizes the importance of following in the footsteps of Christian parents and serving the Lord. The preacher also shares a story about a father who asks his son to stab him because he feels hurt by the son's actions. The sermon then focuses on the biblical story of Jesus riding a donkey into Jerusalem, highlighting the significance of the Lord's need for the donkey and how it fulfilled prophecy. The preacher encourages the audience to remember that the Lord has the keys to death and Hades, and to trust in His plans even when they may not understand them.

Let us pray. Lord, at the wedding in Kaina, you took just ordinary plain water and changed it. You changed it to become wine, something sweet, something good. Now we pray, Lord, that you will also change our tears and make something good out of this time, that it will be a time of joy. Amen. We will find our text in Matthew chapter 21, from verse 1. And when they had approached Jerusalem and had come to Bethpage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, Untie them, go into the village opposite you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied there and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says something to you, then you shall say, The Lord has need of them. And that is the title of this message, the theme, The Lord has need of them. And it was to go into fulfillment what the prophet had prophesied, saying, The Lord will enter Jerusalem riding a donkey. And if anyone asks you, What are you doing? You shall just say, The Lord has need of them. And if anyone asks you, What are you doing? You shall just say, The Lord has need of them. They did not know what the reason was, but the Lord knew what the reason was. Now just about the Lord, here he was riding a donkey. A donkey is an animal that is often despised. Kings used to ride on horses. Important people rode horses. And people who thought a lot of themselves rode horses. But Jesus wanted a donkey. Now here we see the creator of heaven and earth, humbling himself, coming down to us, to our level, humbling himself to come to us on a donkey. And people that went into battle rode horses. But the Lord was not coming in this way, going into war in this particular way. No, he came to us on a donkey. And he said, If anyone asks you, What are you up to? What are you doing? You shall respond by saying, The Lord has need of it. We people like to talk a lot and we often even criticize, saying so much. But the Lord said, If people speak to you, asking you what you are doing and what it was all about, you will just say, The Lord has need of it. And that will be sufficient. Today there is much to be thankful for concerning the testimony of this child of the Lord. Perhaps not. But the Lord said, If anyone asks you, What are you up to? What are you doing? You shall respond by saying, The Lord has need of it. Perhaps none of you. But the Lord said, If anyone asks you, What are you up to? What are you doing? You shall respond by saying, The Lord has need of it. Perhaps none of you knew her as well as I did. But the Lord said, If anyone asks you, What are you up to? What are you doing? You shall respond by saying, The Lord has need of it. But she did get married eventually, going into marriage in a pure way. She got married and she was an example as a married woman and later as a widow as well. As you've heard already, that never once was there even a whiff of a relationship with anyone else. So you've heard it, you young people, you married people and even you widows, you heard that in that she was upright. And I wish you would follow her example in that. You heard what Togo said. Remember that when a dog chases a cat, the cat runs into a tree and that's where it gets out of reach and the dog can't get at it. But don't be like a rabbit that runs and runs until it runs out of breath and then the dog gets it. And so one cannot forget that because she never brought a disgrace upon us in that way. Now just yesterday someone was telling me that there are people that are very much against me. I said, But why? They said, No, it's because you don't embrace women. And I said, Well, if it's for that, then I thank the Lord. And so they say, No, that's the reason why they left me because I have no feelings especially towards other women. But you must excuse me, I'm like a cat sitting in a tree. And you women must excuse me if I then don't embrace you and you'll probably die without me ever embracing you. I have no intention that our congregation becomes one that is an adultery and immorality. We need to live holy lives with no whiff of anything wrong. The Bible warns us very earnestly to flee youthful lusts. And that's not just in your thoughts, but even physically. It's the same as when the angel told Joseph to flee with Mary and the child to Egypt for Pharaoh wanted to kill it. They had to flee and in that way we must flee youthful lusts. That's the first point. It's nice when you can stand next to a coffin and a person has such a testimony. When a person has lived a good life, as the Bible says, that if you have a good span of life, you get to 70 years. And she was almost there. And secondly, what is wonderful, which we can talk about, is that she has run her race and she did her work and died in the job. And you've heard the son speaking about those words which she shared with him, how she was yearning after the Lord as a deer for water. Just these days she shared with me. She said, oh you know, there are so many people who are trying their level best, speaking to me and telling me that I must leave you, but I won't give in to what they're saying. And then I realized as well that there are probably quite a few people who have left us who do so because of what other people are telling them. I'm glad that they didn't succeed in influencing her. And she said, nothing will separate me from this gospel that we started preaching right in the beginning and are preaching to this day. She passed away on Tuesday in the morning. Now on that Monday, here's a letter where she shared about someone who she was advising or counseling. She said, remember Luke 13 verse 22. Strive to enter into that narrow gate. And he said, speak to others as well and encourage other widows too to enter into that narrow gate. And also in Proverbs 13 verse 3, he who guards his lips spares his life. He who guards his lips spares his life. That's amazing advice. Amazing words. Guard your mouth that you may preserve your life. That's the problem with many people. They don't guard their lips. They say things and even later then when they want to rectify things, it becomes almost impossible. Unless of course they are prepared to give account for all the idle words that they have spoken. So remember these words, even you widows. For she said this should be passed on to others, that he who guards his mouth and his lips preserves his life. And then in chapter 11 verse 14. Where there is no guidance, people fall. But in abundance of counselors, there is victory. She directed this advice at the widows, but I don't think it applies just to the widows but to all of us. She directed this advice at the widows, but I don't think it applies just to the widows but to all of us. And as you heard just before she passed away, she advised someone else. She said don't look at people. Keep your eyes on Christ. Fix your eyes on him. Don't be held up with what other people are saying. And then finally just after she had got dressed, not knowing that she was getting dressed for that heavenly marriage feast. If someone asks you, then you shall reply, the Lord has need of this donkey. The Lord needs this foal, this colt. The Lord has need of her and so he has need of her and has had need of her. And I don't think that there is anyone amongst us who would have such a hardened heart or a heart of a heathen which would imagine that even any human intervention could have been involved here. No, the Lord had need of her. And she even spoke to a colleague and said no, I will go first. And the other one said no, it can't be, I will go first. But the Lord had need of her. Now there is something I would like to direct at children or those of you who have parents. You who still have a father or a mother. I just recently returned from the east, I was on a trip to Korea. I was invited by some ministers there and a professor who took me around to different places there in Korea, to different congregations. You know what the people from the east look like. They have different eyes to us. And their tables are just very small or short, with short legs. Now it's interesting. So when you sit at a table there, you don't sit in a chair like we are used to doing it. But it's got very short legs, so you actually sit on the ground just on a mat. And you've got to get yourself comfortable somehow. We have great difficulty, but the people there are used to it. Now this country is just, and I was at Japan. Now the people there, there are very few people that are overweight. And it's because of the diet they have there. They don't eat a lot of fatty things. I even lost 5 kgs while I was there, just in a few days, even though I ate as much as I wanted to. Now they cook food which the old Zulus used to cook. And so they took me around there to different congregations and ministers, and even to the biggest church in Korea. Now the minister there, one of the ministers was very sad, and he cried almost day and night, and it was because of his son. When I heard what he was going through, I even said, well Lord, thank you that I didn't have a son. And if a son can cause you so much grief, but the problem is that even daughters can give you a lot of trouble. Now this minister, this biggest congregation, biggest church, people come there, many people come, they get converted. But there are those that are critical of him, who are saying, but how can he preach at us when his son is the way he is. And so there are those that find fault with it, they say, how can he preach? But I would like to, I mention this to you children who have Christian parents. This man, he's a broken man. He says, Lord what must I do? Must I really then now stop preaching because of my son who is immoral, who is addicted to alcohol and to drugs, and lives in the world going to discos, living that type of life. Must I now really stop my ministry? And one day he asked his son to come to his office. The son came. When the son was in the office, the father took out a knife, a shining knife which was razor sharp. And he said to his son, he said, my son, take this knife and stab me in my heart. The son was shocked. He said, what are you saying father? And he said, my son. My son, rather stab me to death because you've been stabbing me for so long now. Rather just finish me off because people are going against me, even the newspapers write against me because of you. My son, my son, my son, my son. And he said, my son, rather just stab me because people are going against me. They're saying, how can I preach to people? I tell them that the gospel and the Lord Jesus changes your life and makes everything new. But look at the life you're living. He said, rather just kill me. I can't carry on like this. Within a week, that son got converted and he started walking in the ways of his mother. You children, you who have Christian parents, you should serve the Lord. Woe to you if you don't follow in their ways and in the Lord's ways. What will you say when you stand before God one day? You heard what the mother said to her daughter-in-law saying, continue where I leave off. And so don't forget what she said to you and to the sons. Remember her words of advice and the words she spoke to you. And to all of you who still have parents, remember that shining blade of that knife in Korea. So the Lord sent me to preach to you. He sent the disciples to fetch that cult. And the people asked, say the Lord has need of it. And so the Lord had need of her as well. And we spoke just now, before we came here, that the Lord has the keys to death and to Hades. Only the Lord has that key in his hand. No man. No man. These days, let us pray. Lord, we stand. Lord, we are here today and we are amazed at your great power that can keep a person from his youth right through life, right to the end. And that a person is like a cat that runs away. That when the dogs are about to pounce upon the cat, it runs up into a tree to save its life. And thank you, Lord, that you have been able to keep her and give her the victory, even when the enemies came and tried to distract her. Yet she said, they won't get hold of me. Yet she said she would die there where God had put her. Now, Lord, we pray that you will work through your Holy Spirit in every heart. He is committed to you. May this strengthen him and give him courage to continue. He is only half-hearted that he will get converted and repent from that lukewarmness. And he has never even repented that this will be the day when he will repent. Amen.