In this sermon, the preacher reflects on the importance of passing down the testimony of God's work to future generations. He emphasizes the need for parents to sit down with their children and share their own experiences of God's faithfulness. The preacher expresses his concern about the possibility of his children and grandchildren straying from the narrow path and entering the world. He finds hope and inspiration in the book of Joel, where God warns of the consequences of sin but also offers the opportunity for repentance and restoration. The preacher encourages listeners to repent, change their ways, and continually share their testimony with the next generation.

We ask you Lord Jesus to be with us in the service. Speak to us, reveal yourself to us. Amen. In Joel chapter 1, from verse 1 to 3, The word of the Lord came to Joel, the son of Bethuel. Son of Bethuel, hear this, oh elders, and listen all inhabitants of the land. Has anything like this happened in your days or in your father's days? Tell your sons about it and let your sons tell their sons and their sons the next generation. I experienced something these days. It was very difficult. It was like I had a mountain on my shoulders. Think of my children and their children who are increasing in number. And in that troubled state I prayed and said, Lord, these children who are now alive, will they serve you? Or will they go into the world into sin? Or will they live for you and feel the fire that I experienced? Or will their love grow cold? I thought, well, there's nothing I can do. How can I influence the next generation? It seemed to be so dark to me as I prayed to the Lord. I said, oh God, what will I say about my generations? Yes, I speak to my children and to their children as well now, but when I'm gone, will they just become like ordinary people? I felt desperate as I thought, perhaps some of them will leave the narrow way that I have come. I said, Lord, what can I do? What injection can I inject them with that they will have your fire in them? Then I received this word. I got up. I said, thank you, oh God, I've received you strength and hope for tomorrow. This word, the word of the Lord that came to Joel, I met with the word of the Lord, he said. It wasn't just any Joel, but it was Joel, the son of Pethuel. There were many at the time, but it means if they named the father, that he was an important person. And it says, hear this, oh elders, and listen, all inhabitants of the land. What should they hear? Tell your sons about it. Let your sons tell their sons and their sons the next generation. I rejoiced. I said, Lord, I didn't see any possible way or means, but now I see. Tell your children and their children and theirs. Each generation, the parents should tell their children. Parents should be telling their children how the Lord redeemed them out of Israel. The Lord redeemed them out of Egypt. And don't think in political terms. It's got nothing to do with that. It means the world. The Lord redeemed them out of Egypt. And don't think in political terms. It's got nothing to do with that. It means the world. You've heard how the choir explained the song beforehand and how prisoners get released. It's got nothing to do with prisoners on earth. It has to do with spiritual bondage, the bondage of grudges, hatred, disrespect. That's the world. It has happened that God has worked in a spectacular way in revivals, in reformation. But it is factual that history tells us that in the next generation already, they've lost it. And it should not be so. God says, no, every parent should be telling their children their testimony. Have you sat down with your children? Have you sat down with your children? You parents, don't cry when your children go into the world if you have not shared your testimony of how God took you out of sin. Share with them the bondages, the sins that you were in and how the Lord set you free. You just tell your children, don't do that, don't do that. Have you ever given them your testimony? Have you ever shown them the sins of your youth? How you grew up? How you lied? What you did? If there are crossings, well, there are ways and means how you can explain it in the right way. Or don't you have a testimony? If there are crossings, well, there are ways and means how you can explain it in the right way. Or are you like the parent who says continually to the child, don't do this, do this, stop doing that. But then the child becomes so desperate, in this instance, became so desperate that they said, mother, tell me how it's done. With tears, the daughter asking, but mother, how is it done? How must I then live? How ought I to live? But the mother couldn't explain, like the mother crab telling the baby crab to walk straight, but she herself walked sideways. Maybe tell your child not to be promiscuous. Like a boozing parent telling their child not to touch alcohol. Will they be able to change? Never. Rather you should be able to tell your child, that's the boozing that I was in. I used to be in bondage to that alcohol, but this is how the Lord Jesus saved me. This is the gospel I received. Then the child has hope of redemption. Not that you're just telling your child, this is not allowed, you're not allowed to do that, and then you threaten that you'll chase them away if they do it. But instead, you've never shared your testimony with them. Now we've heard in our text how the word of God came to Joel, saying, tell the elders of the nation to share with their children. And their children. And the children's children. Then the gospel continues. It becomes something that goes from generation to generation. I said, oh God, thank you for giving me the cure. Tell your children. You are instructed here as a commandment. Yes, we have the Ten Commandments, but this is a commandment of God. Share your testimony with your children. Otherwise the child goes to hell, but their blood is required of you. But in Hebrew, the meaning is not just tell your children, not just a factual account, but number one by one. Number one by one. Number one by one. Have you sat down with your children and their children, shared with them, numbering firstly, secondly, the different things that you had experienced, the sins that you were in, the bondage that you were released from. Otherwise you are messing around if you blame them for going astray. Have you shared as God instructed you? He told them when they were taken out of the land of Egypt, he said, now you tell your children and their children, tell them of the bondage in Egypt, the slavery under Pharaoh, how you painted your doorposts with the blood, how you ate of the lamb and how you were redeemed. Hand down your witness, your personal witness of the living Christ down to your children. If you haven't done it, is it because you've got no witness? You've got nothing to say. They are just fools like you are, lost like you are. Surely, if you have experienced salvation, the first thing you'd go to your child and you'd share with them how God has come into your life, what you were, what happened, how you suffered, through what shame you went, and then God was merciful. Dear friends, this is our first duty, the very first duty, and if you have slipped up there, you are guilty. And you've got to repent today and let your children come and do what God commands you to do. Share with them, tell them, start with your family. This is the first duty. This is your first duty as a parent, you share with them, then it is, if you haven't done this, then you repent, then you can share your testimony. This is your first duty. As we spread the gospel, we need to start with our own children, with your own family. And a preacher that hasn't started right in his own home is a bad preacher, a wicked one. Yes, God does instruct us to preach in the highways and the byways. But firstly, your number one duty, start with your own children. Not the highways and byways first, but prior to that, your own home. Maybe your children and grandchildren are what they are because of you. It begins at home, and woe to every person who reverses God's order. Look at how homes are in our own country. See what state they are in. Whose fault is it? Parents. Did you hear what our president said these days in South Africa? He said it's a nation of criminals. Why? We parents, we blame the government for bad laws. But you, you are breaking the word of the Lord right in your own home. You are breaking the word of the Lord right in your own home. It doesn't help that you send your children off to Sunday school. That is not sufficient. You need to start with your own children in your home, sharing with them. And do it the first time. Do it the second time. The third time. Hit the nail in properly. God said of Abraham, I have known Abraham that he would be able to have authority in instructing his own family. Not just his own family, but all those in his household, including the servants. God said of Abraham, I have known Abraham that he would be able to have authority in instructing his own family. It is twofold. I know that Abraham will do this, and also I have known Abraham in a relationship so that he will be enabled to do this. If you are not, then you are rubbish in your own family. My children, you know my testimony. And if I have given it to you, you hear what God says. Do the same to your children. And teach them that they do it to their children. Otherwise, the blood of multitudes will be, God will ask the blood from your hands. That means you have murdered, you have killed them. Hitler was bad in that he fought against the Jews. That was his first sin. He conquered, he attacked nations. Nation after nation he conquered. But then he attacked the Jews. There were those though that showed sympathy and they hid some Jewish children. One person hid 699 children. Recently that Jewish child who is now grown up and is old said, Oh, I want to find that German person who hid us Jewish children, 699. Now we are over 7,000 of us who have been saved. Our lives have been saved because of that one man. If you win your children, if God tarries, the Lord tarries to come back. Just think what they in some years, what great number that will be. And if those go to hell and they will cry in hell because of you. Even if you should get to heaven, I don't think that you will have any pleasure of them. I want to tell you a story. There was a man, he was old. He was sitting with his wife and he told his wife, is not so important as it's timeless message and his message was sin brings God's judgment on you, your children, your great children, and great-grandchildren. God's judgment on you, your children, your great-grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. And so God's word to Joel was tell the elders, because they have experienced things that their children have never experienced, tell them to share constantly with their children. If you've never done that, then before the sun sets today, be seated with your children, sit down and say sorry that you've never kept this command of the Lord, and then share with them. And if they repent, you too, you tell your children, so that they too would tell their children. You've heard my children, I start with you. You're my daughters, sons-in-law, If you're not holy for the Lord, woe to you. Don't stand up on the day of judgment and say our father never told us. If your children end up in hell, I have to ask you fathers, you mothers, have you done the work that God has commissioned you to do? I don't know whether we have an ear to hear what God has spoken. Joel said, because of your sins, the locust will come and destroy everything. Everything will have been devoured by the locust. Plagues and pests will consume your food so that you have nothing left because of your sins. And you'll be conquered by your enemies because of your sins. Drought will come, the heavens won't rain because of your wickedness. Many things are still to happen in this world because of the wickedness of people, people who are disobedient. One thing will help, repent, repent and show remorse, change your ways. Like this boy, let him be. Let him be continually changed for eternity so that it would never be going back to this, but rather that this testimony would be made new every day. Stop just laying down the law for your children, share your testimony with them. I don't know, do you have an ear to hear? If you haven't, you fathers repent in dust and ashes because of not keeping the word of the Lord. May this word of the Lord which he gave to Joel not be in vain to us that we trample it underfoot, shall we pray. Lord Jesus, I ask you and cry to you that this word would not be in vain to us. For I know, Lord, that the one who does not keep your word cannot enter into heaven. Work, O Lord, by your grace far above what we can ask or expect. Lord, please start with the adults, with the fathers, mothers, the grandparents here. Amen. I would be glad if you would not be like a duck that goes into water but comes out and it's not wet under its feathers, but rather that you'd hear the word of the Lord and do it.