In this sermon, the preacher reflects on the impact of words and the importance of being an example of a believer. He shares stories of individuals who excelled in their faith and passed every test they faced. The preacher also recounts a personal experience of being publicly attacked by another preacher, which led to a deep revelation about enduring trials. The sermon emphasizes the power of words and the need to guard one's tongue, as well as the love and forgiveness of God.

Well, it is lovely to have fellowship, and it's very hard, I know, to stop speaking when you're with godly people. You want to speak and speak and speak, especially to things of the Lord. It's one of the great disciplines of life, to say no to that and to make sure you go and speak to Jesus, so that he knows you didn't enjoy someone else's fellowship as much as his. I've been going to bed without having spoken to Christ. I had time for Christ because he wanted much more to fellowship with others. But I agree with you, it's hard to turn away fellowship. Especially such lovely people, lovely godly people, it's hard to turn away such people. Well, if you're being used of God, if you're sitting there speaking about the Lord, then of course you have the right to be speaking right through the night, God's there with you. And oftentimes I've been in company, I was thinking of this now, I've been sitting with a crowd of people in a room, more conscious of Jesus, more communing with Jesus than anyone else in the room, more speaking to him about what's been spoken of. And finally, when I do speak, sometimes I say, this is what I think the Lord's been telling me about what they're saying. Anyway, commune with God, even when you're with people, you can commune with God. His brother, Lauren, Actress of the Presence of God, you know that book? Well, it's a good book. And it was written way before we have the clarity of our terms of evangelism today, but he met with God, this man, and he said that he found that fellowship with God didn't cease when he left the time with God. He had to work in the kitchen, pots and pans and scrubbing and people all over the kitchen. And brother Lauren said, for some reason it got to the place in his life through practicing the presence of God, that in the kitchen with all the pots and pans, he was as close to God and as in tender fellowship with God as he was when he was alone. That's precious. To walk with God, not only when you're in the quiet time, but to leave the quiet time, to walk with God through the day. Practicing the presence of God, even in company, even in crowds. To be in touch with Jesus, to be speaking to him, even when you're speaking with others. You must practice that. Andrew Murray, in South Africa, the most loved Christian in the history of South Africa. There's no man that was so loved as Andrew Murray by all of God's people across our land. Though he'd been dead for so many years, our land was so rich spiritually through him. If only God gave us another Andrew Murray. But you know, in his old age, Andrew Murray, of course, had taken the world by that time. The only true revival, our country, when you came through him. And Andrew Murray, in his old age, was known by everyone. The drunk, the wicked. When he walked down a street, everyone stopped. All the visitors from England and Cape Town, under the great Table Mountain. Everyone knew, there's Andrew Murray. And everyone would stop. They say when he walked from the church down the Adderley Street, the main street of our city, a preacher in his church, had that great privilege a number of times. The great pulpit. Oh, but when he walked down that street, everyone stopped. Even the drunks, the down-and-out people. They had to. They even came to a standstill as he walked. But he was oblivious to it. He just walked. One day as he was walking, everyone stopping everywhere. Traffic stopping. Suddenly he fell. He fell. With a gasp. A few began to run, but the first person who was closest to him was a policeman. An English-speaking policeman. And he lifted him up. Upped him back in his seat. The whole crowd came. It was silent in the street. Absolute silence. The policeman said, what is wrong? Why did you fall, doominie? They called him doominies in his old age. Minister, why did you fall? What's wrong? Andrew Murray said, no, just leave me. Please. Leave me be now. This policeman said, I won't let you go. You tell me what's wrong. I won't let go of you, sir. He held him. Andrew Murray looked at him and realized he had to give an answer. Fear came down his face. The whole crowd were listening. And oh, just for a moment, just for a moment, he lost the consciousness of the presence of God. So unaccustomed to that, he literally physically fell down. So many years walked. Conscious, he was walking with God. Enoch walked with God. It was something very holy. It wasn't a superficial testimony. And I think if Enoch could walk so with God and Andrew Murray could walk so with God, you and I can. Even in a crowd, communing with God. Walking with God, conscious of God. So in the nights when you have fellowship, be in touch with God. We know the fellowship is sweet with people. And I don't blame you long for it. I have an apology. It seems a dear godly man spoke to me about one of the appeals I made. And said that there was one or two of you, I hope not many more, who perhaps found that difficult, the first appeal I made. Or the second, I'm not too sure. But I prayed with you and asked you to pray after me and to bow to God. And by thy grace, by thy grace, I will never neglect God's time again. The time I need to be received. The day I die. Well, it seems one or two of you felt better to say I bow. It's a very, very strong word. So I want to ask all of you to understand that from my heart, I know that the most important thing in your life is never to neglect the quiet time. And I so longed to make it so radical that you would find this something you could never, ever lose yourself from. But I didn't mean to make you fear. I want you to know something. I mean this. You don't fear God when you're His child. It might sound wrong. Love Him. Perfect love costs without all fear. See, the fear is not made perfect in love. God's calling you to such a trust. It's a love. You could see Jesus Christ's face. Just for one moment, I wish you could stand in the pulpit and not say one word. Just look at you. All of you would lose your fear. We are Christ's children. We saw the love. All the fears would just vanish. We'd know you're safe. I know there's fear if you're playing the fool. But you really are not right. I don't blame you, even grieving God. But God doesn't stand over us with a rod of iron, you know. I think our brother said that the other day. Smash you if you make a vow and say, Oh God, by thy grace, by thy grace, I'm not going to miss it again that time. Oh, if circumstances come, you find it virtually impossible through circumstances. God doesn't stand there and say, Now, that vow's broken. No, no, no, I don't mean to bring you into that bondage. God doesn't stand over you with a rod of iron. Let me tell you that. He stands over you with arms of love. All the way through. All the way through. No matter what the devil tells you, He loves you. He loves you. But I do. I have prayed that prayer with many, many people, and I don't know anyone that's ever stumbled over it until that's a few of you here that had fear. But I respect your fear. You don't want to make a vow that you can't keep. It was better not to make it at all. So, I was the one who led you in that prayer. And you take it from my heart. God isn't going to hold you and whip you. It's somehow in circumstances that you never knew could come upon your life. You were not able to get down and read your chapters. Well, perhaps you could learn what Andrew Murray and Brother Lawrence learned. But even if you're not there behind closed doors, you can still commune with God. Mary Morrison, I think some of you know her, Mary Peckham, she said she was so hard on people about the quiet time until she had her children. And she found she had to be scrubbing the floors with children calling over her while she was praying. That was her quiet time. But she didn't miss it. You see, don't be involved. You're not missing it if you're held up with things. Take what moments you can with both hands. Be amazed how many moments there are, even if circumstances come down on you. But I'll tell you something, if you're right with God and you want God best, you'll be stunned how much time there is. All the time you need. I don't care how busy life becomes. One man actually said to me, Keith, you're a priest, sir. You should come into the hard world and find out. I have no time. You say you're going to give all this time. You want to come and be me, get in my shoes. It's impossible. I don't have time for the God-likeness. I said, you're a liar. You're a liar. And very not lovingly saying it, I said it from my heart, you're a liar. Basically, you're lying to yourself, sir. There's no such a thing as no time for God. You're lying, telling me there's no time for God. If God was first in your life, you'd find all the time you need. And if your work keeps you from God, if you have no time for God, get all of your work. It's not the will of God. It'll kill you. But every single one of us, if God is first, will find amazing time. If God really is first and you're looking for that time, you'll be stunned. How others can sit there wanting to talk in lunchtime, you can find time for God. If you didn't make the time before, find the time, you'll be stunned. So, that's probably the first time I've apologized in 27 years of preaching. But I felt I should, if I don't want anyone, who in their integrity and longing not to grieve God through saying, I vow, needed perhaps to have clarity there. God isn't going to whip you. He'll love you. He'll miss the quiet time. He'll be there waiting. He didn't come. He's not going to whip you, smash you and hate you. You trust now and look for the time. You'll be stunned how much there is. Lord, bless us now in these moments. Thank you for all these young people. For everyone here. For the way they love me. Oh, Lord, I've spoken to so many. And I don't know if anything I've ever said in this pupil could have been any blessing compared with the blessing of everyone I think that I've spoken to. Almost everyone. I don't know if I'm, if anyone could have been so blessed through anything of this week as I have been blessed. Looking in their eyes, seeing their tears. Hearing their words. Integrity and transparency. Longing to be the best they can be for God. I thank you from my heart for this group of people who love God here in America. Come to them, Lord. These young people with such nobleness. To be here for God. To be seeking God. To be laying aside this whole week from God so they can go back there and walk with God. Oh, bless them, Lord. Thank you for the way they've been seeking thee. Meeting after meeting. Some to be saved. And others, be sure to never neglect that. Oh, seeking God so earnestly. May everything we have prayed and sought thee for work out in our lives by thy grace. Oh, God, come. Honor everyone. Every prayer that's been uttered. That we may go back out there and find it worth. God answered the prayer and did in my heart what I asked him to do. Come do it, Lord. Now be with us in this meeting. May we just know thy presence. Stand beside me in the pulpit. Dear Lord Jesus, and speak through me. In Jesus Christ's name, the name we love, the name we live for, we ask this. Amen. If ever I were asked to single out one chapter in the entire Bible, if ever I were asked to single out one chapter in the entire Bible that I believe a Christian should read every day of their lives, then without hesitation, without hesitation, I would say James, chapter 3, where James says, My brethren, my brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation. My brethren, be not many masters. Now you read in the margin, you will find it says, teachers of the oracles of God, those who would teach and preach the word of God. Can you believe this man says this? My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation. When many things we offend all, in many things we offend all. My brethren, be not many masters. John Calvin, John Calvin said this word means self-appointed preachers, self-constituted preachers, men who were never ordained by God, separated by God to preach, to teach. And that is what Calvin says James is speaking of here. My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation. When many things we offend all. The amplified version says, so you know that we teachers will be judged by a higher standard with greater severity than other people. Thus, we assume the greater accountability. We take on ourselves greater accountability to God when we handle the word of God and dare to preach it. The next verse is one of the most staggering verses in the entire Bible. God says, if any man, if any man offends not in word, the same is a perfect man. God says, God says, if any man, in this building, offends not in word, the same is a perfect man and able also to bridle the whole body, able to control every part of your character and being. You're in control. That's a statement. The amplified version says, if anyone does not offend in speech, he never says the wrong thing, he is a fully developed character spiritually. He is a perfect man. He's able to control his whole body, the curve, his entire nation, his entire nature. If any man, God speaking about you, offends not in word, the same is a perfect man, not ultimate perfection, in the life you've been given, God says. There's victory here. He's able to control his whole body. He's in control here of his entire nature. More light, of course, comes all the way to the end. But in God's eyes, in the moment you're in, you are what you ought to be. And you know, by one thing, if a man's in control, his entire nature, he's in victory, he's living in a light, by one thing God says, the foremost proof of holiness is a man's ability to refrain from entering into any conversation whereby he becomes defiled in the sight of God. The foremost proof that you're holy. A vital reality with God is a man's ability to refrain from entering into any conversation whereby he becomes defiled in the sight of God. If any man offends not in word, the same is a perfect man, and enable also to bridle the whole body. Behold, we put bits in the horse's mouth that they may obey us, and we turn about their whole body. Behold also the ships, which though they be so great and had driven a fierce wind, yet are they turned about with a very small helm. We'll serve as governors, even so the tongue is a little member. And boast of great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth. And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. So is the tongue among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature, and it is set on fire of hell, where every kind of beasts and of birds and of serpents and of things in the sea is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind. But the tongue can no man tame. It is an unruly evil full of deadly poison. Therewith bless we God, even the Father, and therewith curse we men, which were made up in the similitude of God. Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? So doth no fountain send forth both sweet water and... Oh, can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? Are there divine figs? So can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh. Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge Let him sow out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom doth send us not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. For where envying and strife is, there is confusion in every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without falseality and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of righteousness is shown in peace of them that make peace. The fruit of righteousness is shown in peace of them that make peace. Of all the verses in this staggering chapter, of what you can be sure the tongue will sit, the whole carnal nature will set you aflame. If you're not in control of the tongue, it will set you and fire for everything of evil. Of all the verses in this chapter, one chapter is the foundation. For without this verse, we've got nothing but condemnation on the tongue. But then God says these staggering words, If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man. And able also to bridle the whole body. One of the greatest revelations God ever gave to me of the Christian faith, one of the greatest revelations God ever gave to me of the Christian faith, was when I suddenly was plunged into one of the deepest trials God had entrusted me to endure. Suddenly I was in one of the deepest trials I ever had to endure in my life. But what a revelation God gave to me in that trial. I was sitting in a meeting, like you, listening to a preacher. And this man in the pulpit, suddenly knowing I was in the meeting, turned on me. And from the pulpit, began to lash out at me publicly. Began to undermine my integrity. The work I do for God, even the fruit, all over, its viability. He seemed intent on destroying me. Suddenly something came over that man. It was unbelievable as he stood up there, intent on destroying me in that meeting, forever destroying me. Now I don't know whether being filled with the Spirit of God means you cannot feel hurt. Some people say that. But I was hurt. Oh, I was hurt. My heart sank. I was crushed. I held back the tears. And I looked at this man and thought to myself, oh, how could anyone believe this of me? How could this man believe these things of me? Oh, I was crushed. I was crushed. By the end of that service, I was so crushed I could hardly breathe. And as everyone stood up, I wanted to get out of the door. I didn't want to speak to anyone. I wanted to speak to God. I wanted to speak to God. And I tried to get out before anyone else, but I couldn't. As I looked at the faces all around the piers, they looked at me. I realized a cloud of sorrow had fallen on the whole convention through what this man had done. There was grief. A whole cloud of grief fell upon the whole convention. Everyone was grieving. As I walked the piers, hands just pulled out to me, touching me clean. Don't you worry, King. He's destroyed himself, not you. Don't worry, King. No one believed a word he said. He's finished. You aren't. He destroyed himself, not you. But I still didn't want to speak. I was so grieved. I just wanted to get out of that building. And I pushed past everyone. I didn't want to speak. I got out of the building and tried to get in the dark of the gardens outside of the center. But there were three preachers who stopped me. They wouldn't let me pass. And in their anger, they began to... in indignation, anger against what this man had done, his cowardice, the unethicalness of taking the pulpit to express his grief that he had against me, the cowardice of it. Oh, they were angry as they were crying out against and anger what he had done to me. And all the people were gathering all around, listening to these men in anger at what the man had done in the meeting. I couldn't get past them. Just as I was about to speak the first words, I was about to, after what was going on in my heart, I was just about to speak. And my father-in-law, Jenny's father, one of the godly men of our country, loved across the land for his preaching. Though he's a farmer, never been to a theological seminar, he's used in the great conventions of South Africa more than most people have ever been used. Loved, loved across the land. My father-in-law, Jenny's father, looking at what was happening. He was in that meeting. He pushed through the crowd. He pushed his way in front of these three men that were so angry, crying out about what a wrong the man had done. And he stood in front of them and he looked at me. A tear came down his face. It had not been easy for my father-in-law to hear what had been said about me that night. He put his hand here on my shoulder. And he said, Keith, boy, we're all in the school of God. The moment you're born of God, you're in the school of God. Some of us are in grade one, some standard one, some standard six, some in matric, some are in university level in the school of God, Keith. Only God knows what level we are. But you're in the school of God, boy. And Keith, I'd learned something through the years. It's exactly the same as secular school. Think, Keith, when you were a boy, when you were still at school as a boy, you had to face tests that were given to you as you learned. You had to face each level with an exam. And if you failed the exam, Keith, of the standard you were in, you would have to go through it again and you'd have to face the same exam again. There's no way of passing it, bypassing it. You fail the exam, you have to face it again until you pass it. Keith, it's exactly the same in the school of God, my boy. Trust me about this, I've seen it, I've learned it, over and over, I've learned it. You're facing an extremely difficult exam here that most of us have never faced. And may never have to. But Keith, if you don't pass it now, in God's eyes and in men's eyes and men are watching you, Keith. Men are watching you, Keith. If you don't pass this exam right now, in God's eyes and men's eyes, I guarantee you you're going to go through it again. I guarantee you you're going to face this again, Keith. Now pass. Pass the exam, boy. Or face it again. And he turned and walked away. You know, every single person these three preachers, everyone else, not a word, utter silence, disappeared. And what my father-in-law said, God, at last I was alone. Oh, suddenly, as I stood there, no one else now but me and God, no one to talk to me, no voice to listen to now. Everything, the whole perspective of what had happened that I had gone through was stained, completely in perspective. The next day, it was arranged at this convention that we would meet at a certain time in the day. All the accommodation where we were in this particular center, we'd all meet in a certain moment. It was all announced. All the cars and combis available must be at disposal to take everyone across to another convention center the other side of the city to join with other people like-minded and combining. And so, the time was given all the combis were to be ready, and we weren't going to get lost going through the city. We'd all travel together and get there on time for the meeting that we were to attend. Well, as I was dressing up, realizing it was time, I suddenly became aware everyone's gone from the building. So I ran out there, all the cars going, all the cars idling, all the combis all over the parking area, everyone sitting in the car. I was the only one. So I ran down knowing I'm keeping everybody now. They're lingering to see if there's anybody. Here I was, the only one. So I rushed around looking for a seat, not one car. Everybody, with all the cars available, squashed in to get everybody there. No. I ran around everywhere, nobody knew it. Suddenly, they pointed back, said, there's a combi back there, it seems, there's a seat. So I ran down keeping everybody. They all want to go. And as I ran and ran, I got close to the combi, there was a seat, but I slowed down and all my heart sank. And I saw the only seat available was next to this man that tried to destroy me the night before. Everybody in that combi, when they saw what was their heart sank also, they realized, he's got to sit next to me. Now that was God. That was no coincidence. That's how God works with us. Well, I got in the combi and we all went off. There was deathly silence. No one spoke. I saw the man in the rear view mirror who was driving. I saw his eyes like this. What am I going to do to him? Well, I looked out the window and I prayed. I prayed from my heart, Oh God, give me the grace I don't have. Give me the grace I don't have, Lord, to pass this exam. To pass this exam in God's eyes and men's eyes. And men are watching me, Lord. I want to so pass this exam that I will never ever have to face it again. It's behind me. Please, God, I don't want to face this again. Give me the grace, God, to pass now. I turned and I looked at this man. He looked at me with such fear. By this time, the Holy Spirit had smitten him. He knew his whole assessment was wrong. He was feeling terrible. Oh, he was in a state to be looking. I took him by the arm. I looked him in the eyes and I said, Sir, I want you to know that I love you. I love you. I want you to know from this time on would I be praying earnestly for you and God will bless you. He knew as he looked in my eyes that I was not being obnoxious. He knew I said it integrally from my heart and I meant it. And I saw something in that man's eyes that I shall treasure for all eternity. One of the most precious moments of life was what I saw right then. I saw in the eyes of a man who so hated me, whatever the reasons the devil had given him, I don't know to this day, that he tried literally to end me off in the ministry. I saw in the same man who tried to destroy. I saw respect in those eyes one day later. I saw respect so deep that it stunned me as I looked in his eyes. I might never have ever had that treasure to hold on to of what I saw in that man's eyes if I had defended myself, if I had given him what he needed in the eyes of the world, given him back what he needed, tell him what he is, this coward, the wrong, the unethical, this is all I, I would have lost having seen in man that was an enemy maiden, made me then to see that man now looking at me with respect in one moment. Why? Because I looked to God for grace I knew I didn't have to pass this exam in God's eyes and man's eyes and I've learned something. I've learned that no matter what difficulties you're going through, no matter what trials you're going through, no matter what tests or exams you're facing, no matter how hard they are, God will always give you the grace if you look to him to pass. I don't care what the devil's doing against you or men. I don't care how trying. I guarantee you you look to this God for grace to pass the exam in God's eyes and man, he will give you all the grace you need, all the grace you need if you just look up from your heart, cry for it before you react. I often, from that time, had occasion to think of the words my father-in-law said. I remember thinking of it after that incident shortly after sitting and thinking about what he said about the school of God is the same as secular school. You're in standards and you have to face exams and unless you pass until you pass you can't go and if you fail you're going to have to go to them again so pass! It's exactly the same as secular school and I thought back after that incident to when I was at school a boy at school I remember that I failed one standard. That's terrible to admit isn't it? I thought being at school was for sport. I had no idea I was there for academics. My mother and father didn't know what to do with me I was very unsaved it would be terrible but I really loved sport. I lived for sport most South Africans do it it's a tragedy of our land. Sport and fun that's what I was at school for. My mummy and daddy didn't quite know what to do to get the message it was all caught up to me you know it all catches up and I failed and I failed terribly one year oh my I remember as I sat there thinking back suddenly after all those years I'm not even thinking of it suddenly like a vengeance it came back it struck on me the horror that had gripped me as a boy the horror that just whizzled through me when I realised I failed do you know what it was that caused the horror it all came back though I'd forgotten the horror that gripped me as a boy was when I was conscious the consciousness that I had been left behind when we started school we all walked out of the same neighbourhood the same school even the same preschool here we were all enrolled in sub A sub B 101 we all learned the same things we all faced the same exams we all went to the next standard we were all there ninety something percent ninety nine percent it's the same boys and girls right up here up here next standard and suddenly all these that started with me I was suddenly for the first time oh it was a horrific feeling I was conscious I was left behind they were going ahead they were conscious they were leaving me behind but I failed so they who had passed were going on they were conscious I was literally left behind you can't not know everyone knows it was grief in their hearts too I'm sure but all my grief my grief suddenly I saw all those who started going ahead and I'm left behind I was a failure that's all there was to it I failed do you know in the bible Paul rebukes people who fail like that isn't it what Paul says he speaks with rebuke to those who he says by now you should be able to be fed with strong meat but here I am having to take you through the first principles of the faith all over things you should have left behind before here I'm having to go over them all again with you feed you as babes still with milk when you should have been strong meats to men by now and they were failures who he is writing to in the school of God the children that went ahead they were gaining new knowledge learning new things applying sitting through new tests new exams going higher here I was going over the same things all over again that I've been through before because I didn't pass stuck with the same things unable to learn further unable to grasp deeper knowledge the terrible thing you know to fail in secular school it's a terrible thing to fail in the school of God it's a terrible thing I wonder how many there are those who name the name of Jesus who failed as any test anything anything that is imperfect in circumstances they failed all to fail and fail and fail and fail and fail I remember as a boy my uncle my mother when my my granny and grandfather died my mother was the one that the whole family rallied around my mother had eight nine brothers and one died nine brothers and sisters and they were all married Sunday night we went to a religious family we weren't saved Sunday night all the family would come to mommy when granny died oh it was wonderful to have all my cousins all my uncles and aunts both sides of the family here was the home ground we all meet as families once right through the years oh that was the night for the family Sunday night they all rallied around my darling mother well one of my uncles his name was moon you might think that's a terrible name to call a person he was a very big man and he had no hair this is round shining face so they called him moon everyone called him moon it was late in life when i found out what his real name was my uncle moon was what we call the black sheep of the family i hope you are not calling him black sheep of the family the rest of the brothers and sisters were achievers they achieved in everything in their businesses in their sports there were a few of them who were South African champions in sports my brothers and sisters they were achievers but uncle moon was the black sheep of the family he was quite content to be by the by all uncle moon wanted it seemed all he lived for and i don't think there was anything else he lived for was to make people laugh and that's terrible but that's all he did and he certainly where we just had to look at uncle moon and we laughed we didn't have to listen to anything he really was hilarious and he was so loved you couldn't believe him walking through a city you can't believe everybody knew moon and the moment they see him they just start laughing and that's true you know when i say everybody i mean not too many well on sunday nights there the grown up the children were never allowed with the grown up that's something about south african society when you small anyway all the grown ups would go in the lounge and the children were never allowed in the lounge all the cousins we just played outside until darkness then we went to the bedroom we so enjoyed it but there always came a point we'd go to the lounge and there in the lounge of course the grown up they would never speak of two things politics and sports nothing else was ever discussed most south african homes it's a terrible thing politics south africa where we were heading what was going to happen sports they dared not speak of anything else but there they were all the grown up politics fighting about sports we always at some point every sunday night would go all the children saying uncle moon come it didn't take much temptation to make him leave the grown up there he comes wants to be with the children we'd get in the room and all sit around the floor and all over the bed around him our arms around him tell us stories tell us jokes tell us about the war he was a prisoner of war you know with the germans we felt sorry for the germans to be honest with you when he told us things that he did well most of those things i couldn't do wouldn't believe what he did in the prison of war camps even there uncle moon oh we used to laugh and laugh one night we were talking about this thing of failing school you know failing at school i think one or two of us had done it by then and uncle moon looked and said oh don't worry about failing uncle moon used to fail all the time at school terrible you know when i went to school look at the size of me when i went to school i was bigger than all the other boys and girls i just had to look down on them you know same age but then i failed then the next year i started bigger than all the small little boys and i failed again you know what they did they pushed me up they were so embarrassed i didn't have to pass fancy that getting through school like that even i failed and failed and failed and i failed and failed oh i failed so much at school you know it came a problem to the government to the education department they had to think of how to work out a pension scheme for someone still at school that was terrible at least i hope he was joking there when i tell you something it's a terrible thing in the school of god if someone's like that all you do is fail every single exam you fail with the lips if things aren't perfect you fail in your church to others who just aren't perfect to you anything goes wrong you fail with the lips you fail terrible thing you know the saddest and most tragic moments the saddest and most tragic moments in your and my life in the school of god when i realize and everyone else realizes i just failed the exam god and trust the test i was i just failed god and that moment is realized more than anything else when out of these lips come words that should never have come from the child of god the saddest and most tragic moment in the school of god is that moment when i suddenly realize that everyone else suddenly realized i failed god and that moment is realized more than anything else when out of these lips come words that should never have come from the child of god oh it's a tragic moment it's a tragic moment when you realize that everyone else realizes you've just failed you've just failed the test god allowed you to face the test god put you in loud in your circumstances you just failed and if it isn't tragic to you if it isn't tragic to you when you realize and everyone then that is a greater tragedy if it isn't tragic when you know you fail with a lip then that is a great tragedy written out of your life by god alone i was once sitting in a convention like you hundreds of people lunchtime in the dining hall all around the tables i was sitting with a number of preachers and missionaries in this great convention and there opposite me sat a lady a missionary who i had revered from when i was first saved above most christians her godliness her integrity her example she had said these words to me when i was a young believer she looked at me in the eyes and said keith what you cannot say to a person's faith in love and for the glory of god you cannot say at all because if you do you're a coward and a grief to god what you cannot say to a person's faith in love and for the glory of god you cannot say at all because if you do you're a coward and a grief to god there this woman was sitting at this table with all these preachers and i was sitting we were eating two preachers sitting beside me began to speak about someone who wasn't there to defend themselves these two men suddenly decided they were gonna destroy this person's testimony his honor they were talking things that i knew weren't true because i knew this person better than they did and i knew this isn't true they're destroying destroying the trust that could be ever shown toward him again from everyone at this table by something that's a lie they were scandaling and destroying with the tongue of deadly poison oh the damage the tongue has done i know of nothing that has done more damage to the work of god and cause more hurt among the people of god than the tongue of christians i know of nothing that has done more damage to god's work and god's people than the tongue of christians the deadly poison an unruly evil full of deadly god doesn't say that if it isn't it destroys it murders men you don't have to take a knife and stab a man in the back to destroy him to kill him no you might lose your testimony doing that oh many a man has been murdered more cruelly by the tongue of christians many a man's honor many a man's integrity many a man's usefulness destroying forever in one moment by the tongue of christians here they were doing it i could hardly swallow my food i was in such a state praying oh god i don't want to offend them i've got to stop them what can i say to stop them doing destroying this man before i could say anything this godly woman who had been the example to many men what words she had uttered to me i had striven to attain in life this woman not realizing that sitting with such men was an exam this being in the company of scandal mongers is a test a difficult test and she failed caught up in the atmosphere she suddenly started talking also saying things she could never have said to the person's face in love and for the glory of god never would she be able to do you know these men had been a terrible grief to me but this woman the shock i put my knife and fork down i sat back so shocked she looked at me silence came on the table tears swelled up in his eyes her eyes she looked at me going down her face i didn't mean to make her feel bad i didn't mean to condemn her but one look at me and she was weeping i knew why she was weeping the others trying to say what's wrong what is it as he began to weep louder and louder at the table so i knew i knew why she wept you see it's a tragic thing it's a tragic moment it's a tragic moment when we realize and others realize that we failed god and if it isn't tragic to you then that's a greater tragedy if it isn't tragic if you don't weep when you know you failed god it was unruly evil when deadly poison came out and destroyed someone undermined someone oh it's a tragic thing she wept so loud she got up and as she walked the tables stood up because of the reverence of her life in our country looking at her no one knowing why she just sobbed broke and walked out the dining hall she failed in the school of god i have had many teachers i have learned many lessons from many teachers oh such godly people that god gave me to see men and women who themselves were students in the school of god but because they so excelled in passing every exam they faced no matter how much difficulties came on them they became examples of the believers they became examples of the believers because they excelled in passing no matter what test they faced do you know god doesn't turn to the old in the bible and say be an example of the believers paul wrote to timothy and said that no man despised thy youth be thou an example of the believers in words from today no man despised thy youth be thou an example of the believers in words stand please come no appeal no appeal i want our brother to come and close in prayer