In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of taking note of the word of God and not letting it go in one ear and out the other. He highlights the idea that nothing hidden will remain concealed and that all things will be revealed. The preacher shares a story about three naughty boys who sent telegrams to high-ranking officials, causing them to fear the exposure of their misdeeds. The sermon references Bible verses from Luke 12, 1 Corinthians 4, and Hebrews 4 to emphasize the need to give account for our actions, thoughts, and motives before God.

Today, I'm going to read a text which is a strange one to read at Christmas time. You know what Christmas stands for, where we remember the birth of our Lord Jesus. Now, I had a message which I prepared and I was ready to give it this morning. But I experienced something this morning where I then decided, no, I'm not going to speak on that text, I'm going to bring this message. Even though it is Christmas time, let's now read our text from Luke chapter 12. From verse 1, under these circumstances, after many, so many thousands, after so many thousands of the multitude had gathered together, that they were stepping on one another, he began saying to his disciples, first of all, beware of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. But there's nothing covered up that will not be revealed, and hidden that will not be known. Accordingly, whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in the inner rooms shall be proclaimed upon the housetops. And I say to you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that, have no more power that they can do. But I will warn you whom to fear. Fear the one who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. Read so far. And then also from 1 Corinthians chapter 5, 1 Corinthians chapter 4, from verse 3. But to me, it is a very small thing that I should be examined by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even examine myself. I am conscious of nothing against myself, yet I am not by this acquitted. But the one who examines or judges me is the Lord. And I say to you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that, have no more power that they can do. Now to the important verse here. Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness, and disclose the motives of men's hearts. And then each man's praise will come to him from God. We will stop reading there. Now let me just tell you now why I am reading this text on this day, during this week of Christmas. This morning I woke up, I was awoken by a dream. In this dream, we were at a funeral. It was the funeral of a woman that I know. I was standing at the feet of the coffin. You know, normally when someone is buried, the coffin is there, the minister stands at the head. There were many people at this funeral. There were blacks, but also whites, in fact more whites, and I found myself there too. I don't know who actually took the funeral. But as I stood there and I looked at the deceased, the corpse, I saw that the mouth had been closed. At the top there was an iron plate. And also at the bottom. They had taken then these two plates and they had clamped them, screwed them together, that the mouth was firmly shut, that nothing could come out. And then I thought, well, they probably had done that because she had died two weeks ago, and because of the state of decay, that closed the mouth, that no bad smell would come out the mouth. And as I looked, I thought, well, they had done a very good job of closing this mouth properly. But then I remembered that there were things in this person's life which had not been right. And then the thought came to me that, well, or maybe they had closed the mouth in this way, clamped it shut, that the things that she had done would not come out now and be revealed. But then when I looked next to her, I noticed there was another corpse there. But that was covered with a blanket or a slipper. I couldn't see who that was lying there. And so the service, the funeral service, continued. And that was still in the church. They had not yet gone to the cemetery. And then the service came to an end. The time came to go out to the cemetery. And then I, I don't know how, but I spoke to this person, who I didn't know who it was, and I said, well, is there something you still want to say before we go? And then this person, when I said that, I don't know how, jumped up, very suddenly stood up straight in front of me at such a speed that I thought this person would actually bash into me. And then I noticed that it was still a young person. I don't know, maybe between 16 and 20 years old. Yesterday it happened to me, when our friends from the Eastern Cape came, there were some small children. And then there was, to me, I thought it was a girl who was looking after, I thought she was the nanny looking after the little children. And I came in and I said, hello girl. And then she answered and said, I can't speak Zulu. Yes, I'm not from here. Well, from where are you? Oh, I was born in Nigeria. I studied in England and in the States. I'm a scientist. And then it came out that she's a doctor. Is that young girl still here? Is she here amongst us today or not? Maybe she hasn't come to the service. Are you here? Just get up that they see I'm not lying. All right, thank you. You see, she looks like a young girl. That's her mistake. I said, you look so young. I thought you were a 16-year-old girl. I didn't know that I was speaking to a doctor and to a scientist. I said, all right, come along. We go to my office and there we can talk. So I'm just telling you that my judgment in age is sometimes wrong. I made a mistake the other day. There was a Lutheran minister here. I greeted him and then I asked him, how old are you? I like to know the age of people. What is 69? He said 69. I said, oh, then I'm still a kid. You are nine years older than what I am. He says, how old are you? I said, I'll be 70 now. So he says, well, then you are older than what I am. I said, what did you say? He said 69. Luckily, I didn't tell him that. So I said, I apologize. I thought you said 79. So when I think you are older than what you really are, don't be upset or that you are younger. That's my weakness. So this young girl in my dream, maybe she was older. Maybe she was even younger. But she didn't have a bad face. She looked very nice. So I don't know why. What prompted me to ask her her age or ask her the question, is there something you want to say? Suddenly, she threw the blanket down and she sat straight up in the bed. But she didn't speak. So I thought, maybe she's coming back from a terrible place. Maybe she's been in hell. She's come back to warn us. That's how I'm trying to come over. Like the Lord Jesus here, there were thousands of people milling around him. And then suddenly he spoke to his disciples and he warned them of hell. He says, beware of hypocrisy and of the one who can reveal himself to them after death and cast them into hell. That's what he told his disciples. And I stood there. She was facing to me. I stood close to her feet. And I was waiting that she should tell us what she wanted to say. But she didn't say a word. Then she looked down. As if she wasn't only ashamed, but shocked. And she didn't speak a word. You know, sometimes when you have a dream, it's as if it is real. As if it is real. That's why I said, I'm going to leave my Christmas message and I'm going to tell you this. And then two ministers that stood at the side of her head behind her. And they told me, they said, in such a case, this girl has got to be taken to where she comes from. And when she's there where she lived and where her home is, then she'll start speaking and revealing all that she and her family has done and said. She won't speak here. Take her back to where she comes from. And there she'll bring to light every secret thing. Every word that was spoken there. And everything that was done there. Take her to her home. Then her mouth will be open and then she can't but speak and reveal hidden things. The undertaker was an African speaking fellow. And he said to me, When this girl will start speaking, what will become of my wife and my family? And she'll know what she has done, when all those secrets come to light. The undertaker then told me, if this girl should start talking and reveal hidden things or such a thing should happen in my family, and he mentioned his family's surname, he says we will be cut to pieces, we'll be slaughtered, and all the things of this family shall be revealed. It will be a terrible day and terrible time when all our hidden things, and then he said the name of his family, if those things shall be revealed. He says I don't know what will happen to us if our secrets will be brought to light. It was a new cemetery, they were to be buried there, there was one tombstone on top and a few further away, so I said to myself I'm in the meantime I'm just going to look at those names that are buried here because their things will be brought to light as well. And as I look to the other graves, said yes your dead bodies are here. I don't know where you are now, where your soul is, in heaven or burning in hell, but one day when Jesus comes you'll come out of the grave, your body will come out and then your spirit will join with your body and then it will be heaven or hell for all eternity. Then your body will burn there as well. I don't know where you are now, where your soul is, in heaven or burning in hell, but one day when Jesus comes you'll come out of the grave, your body will come out and then your spirit will join with your body. Now back to the undertaker, when it was mentioned that she should be taken back to where she comes from, then the undertaker quickly said but my that's going to be impossible because it's so far away, it's such a bad road as well that goes to her place, it will not be possible, it's about one and a half hours drive just to get there, we'll never be able to go back there now. It's too difficult, we won't get there. And then these two ministers said, sir there's no other way out, some things we'll have to face whether we like or we don't like it, this is a must. They took her and they went with the vehicle to go there. And then I said to those who were with me at the funeral, I said let us go along to see what's going to happen there. They had travelled for quite a distance. Before we had travelled very far we caught up to them. And I said well let's follow them. And so we went with them. And that's when I woke up. Well I got a shock. It was not like a dream, it was like real. And then I said well what does the Bible say about men and about God? I said what does the Bible say about the works and the deeds of a person and also what he says, his words? And when I looked in the Bible I found far more than what I had experienced in the dream. But when the Lord comes or before he comes he will bring to light all the hidden things of darkness. And will also disclose the motives of men's hearts. And then each man's praise will come to him from God. So when the Lord comes he will not just reveal the deeds of men and his words but even the motives of his heart, even his thoughts. In Luke 12 the Lord Jesus said to his disciples don't fear men even if men can kill your body. But he said fear him who after he has put you to death can cast you into hell. Do we really understand this? Do we take note of it or does it go in one ear and out the other? Do we know what that implies when the Lord says nothing that is hidden will not be revealed? Imagine what it will be like when our motives, our thoughts and our words that we have spoken there where we come from and all that we have done, when all that comes to light. What will it be like when it goes into fulfillment? When Luke chapter 12 goes into fulfillment. That girl had to face it squarely and we've got to face it squarely. Everyone here present. Maybe you will remember what Dr. Koch wrote about once, that story. There were three young boys, they were naughty and up to mischief. In those days there were no faxes or emails yet so they sent telegrams. They sent three different telegrams to three different people, very important, high ranking officials. They sent the first telegram just with a few words, everything has come to light. They didn't sign who it came from, just an anonymous letter. Everything has come to light. So the first important, well known person got that telegram. Then the second one got that telegram. And then the third man got the telegram. The first man who got that telegram immediately committed suicide. He killed himself. The second man when he got the telegram, he got his wife and children together, they packed their bags. No, he had a wife and children, he just packed his clothes, he did it. Not without the knowing of his wife and children. He didn't tell his wife and children, one doesn't tell the wife everything. He packed his things and he went to the airport and off he went. Nobody knows in the world where he landed, what happened to him. The third one just vanished. What happened to him one doesn't know. To them it was something terrible that what they had done had come to light. What must these men have been up to? What did they do? That they said, I'd rather kill myself, I'd rather leave my children and my wife, my home, my business, everything. I just vanished. And the other one vanished. Now you don't get a telegram this morning. You don't get my dream, you get God's word. Luke 12, 1 Corinthians 4 verse 5. What does it do to you, what does it mean to you? In Hebrews 4, verse 13. For there is no hidden thing from his sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of him with whom we have to do and to whom we have to give account. If this doesn't touch you deep down in your heart, then I pray that God will also give you a dream that will shock you. There is no created thing, nothing that is not open to him and for him to see. Nothing in your life, you, your very self, are open and clear, naked before him, your whole life. All things are open and laid bare to his eyes, to whom we have to give account. We'll have to give account to God of everything, even our thoughts. Every word we have spoken. Why that girl had to go home and speak in the presence of her family and the people with whom she lived, I don't know. But there's a possibility that at home, if you're with your wife, your children, your friends, that you can speak a lot. But remember this, you'll have to face it squarely, one day before heaven and earth, you'll have to give account of everything. You'll have to give account to God of everything. When that woman at Jacob's well met the Lord and said to the Lord, give me of that water that I may not need to come and draw water all the time, but that I may have that water of living water, that I may no longer thirst. Then he says, go and call your husband. She says, I've got no husband. He said, yes, you're speaking the truth. You've had five already. And the one with whom you are living now doesn't belong to you. He's got his wife and his children. He doesn't belong to you. But you are living with him as if you are married. And then she ran, she ran to her town. And she said, come and come and see. There's a man who told me everything. Come and see whether he isn't a Messiah. I said, he was on, was on. The very fact that he told her everything of her past life brought her to the place where she says, that must be the Messiah. Have you met the Messiah? Have you met with Jesus? When you met with him, did he reveal to you everything of your past? Were things exposed? Did you have the feeling everything is laid bare before him? Nothing hidden that hasn't been touched and dealt with. Is that true of your life? Is your Jesus the genuine one? Is it this one? And there's a translation that says, this is the one about whom we talk. When you meet the Messiah, you say, this is the one about whom we talk. But when you meet Jesus, you say, this is the one about whom we talk. This is the one about whom we talk. This is the one about whom we talk. Let one stone, leave one stone unturned. And you turn it as well. Because when he comes, he'll even reveal the thoughts. Is this the Jesus that we know? Is this the Jesus that we find? In his light. Is this the Jesus with whom you walk and talk? With whom you have fellowship? That you are walking in his light. One John 1, verse 9. If we walk in the light as he is in the light. As he is in the light. There's no darkness in him. Then we have fellowship one with another. With him and with each other. And then, and only then, the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin. The blood of the Lord Jesus Christ cleanses us from all sin. Now you can also go through life with your mouth, your lips clamped shut. And where you say, I will die without revealing this thing. I'll go into the grave with it. But remember you'll meet the one then who will open those clamps and open those lips. I've told you about this dream. Which isn't of great importance. The word of God is of greater importance. But still, it's a pointer and a reminder. That when you are dead, Jesus will say, is there something you want to say? And then hidden things will come to light. The things which you've spoken with your best friends or your greatest enemies. Whether you've spoken in confidence. You'll have to give account for those things. Are you walking in perfect fellowship with the Lord? You see what it entails? You see what it means? You see how you get there? Are you walking in that light? But we don't know. Time has gone. Let me close with a story that you know. You know the story of that king of Persia who had a prime minister who was a Jew. They had a very good relationship. They got on very well together. They were almost like twins even though they were from different nations. And then after some years suddenly that friendship just ended. There is unfortunately such a thing that friendships end. You know that even married couples, they promise each other, take an oath that they will stick together through thick and thin. They get married even if the parents weren't in agreement. And everything just seems to be wonderful, like in a dream. All the heavens are filled with violins and harps, etc. Just marvelous. But after some time, they hate each other. They want to kill each other. And they divorce each other. The one buries the other while he or she is still alive. Such things happen. They end up fighting each other like cat and dog and they have to get other people to come and mediate. So friendships do end, even among Christians. And so the king, when this man was no longer in favor with him, spoke to his counselors and he said, this Jew, he now could refer to him just as a Jew, he said, this Jew, I'm sick and tired of him. Don't want to see him anymore. He just spoils everything. When he's around, I can't enjoy a thing anymore. He said, I just don't know what I can do with him. And the counselor said, oh king, that's not a problem. Just chop off his head. Just finish him off. Kill him. Just kill that dog. And the king then said, but it's not so easy. Because we were good friends. The whole nation knows it. And they also like the prime minister. So if I just execute him, then the people won't understand it. And I'll get into trouble for it. But he said, well, I'll give it some thought anyway. So after a while, he went to this Jew and he said to the Jew, you know, you Jews are a clever nation. You get anything right and you also get anything right. And I know that you'd also do anything for me. Everything that you are able to do. You're a nation that can do wonders. Didn't your ancestors go through the Red Sea? And Pharaoh and his army were drowned there? And then he said, my friend. So he still refers to him as my friend. He says to him, my friend, he's just hypocritical. It's like some people also say to people, God bless you. But they actually mean the opposite. You do put on a very friendly face, but your heart is quite different. And the king said to his prime minister, to the Jew, he said, look, you know my dog who accompanies me wherever I travel and wherever I am. Could you please teach my dog to talk like a parrot? He said, show me how capable you are. And he said, look, I'll give you a whole year to do this. I'll give you 12 months, but after 12 months, this dog must talk. And so the king made a public announcement for everyone to hear that he had given his prime minister this commission to teach his dog to talk. For 12 months. But the king said, I expect him to teach my dog to speak within a year. If he doesn't, he'll be executed. The whole nation was shocked. They couldn't believe that the king could be so unreasonable. And they saw through it. They saw through it. They could see that the king's motives were. So the people had much sympathy for the prime minister and they spoke to him. They said, but what are you going to do now? How are you going to get this right? How are you going to get out of this one? He said to them, don't you worry. The king's given me a whole year, 12 full months. So much can happen. They noticed. King. And the prime minister was not perturbed in any way. He said to the people, anything can happen. It's 12 months, 365 days. So much can happen. The king can die. I can die. The dog can die. After three months with only nine months left, they went to the prime minister and said, well, are you making any progress? He said, no, the dog still doesn't talk. After six months. Can the dog talk? No, it doesn't talk yet, but he was quite happy. They said, but can't the dog at least say one word? Can't it even just say no? Or yes. And they said, well, it can't say a word. Well, and then they thought, well, it's such an old dog. It's also difficult to teach an old dog new tricks. And then one month was left. Can it talk? No, it can't. And they said, well, we also noticed that it can't talk yet. And then eventually one day was left. The king called the man and said, prime minister, can my dog talk now? He said, no, it can't. He said, well, it's such an old dog. It's also difficult to teach an old dog new tricks. Can it talk? No, it can't. The king said, tell me, does my dog talk? And the prime minister said, oh, king, the dog is talking non-stop, like some woman. It says he just doesn't stop. He just talks non-stop. The king was surprised. And then the prime minister continued. He said, but king, there's one problem. Which shocks me. The king said, well, it's such an old dog. The dog is now talking to such an extent it doesn't want to stop. And the problem is, oh king, that the dog is talking about all the disgraceful things that the king has done. Everything the king has done, he's talking about. He says, king, for example. He says, king, for example. He says, king, for example, when you went to Paris, in France, and you went to those prostitutes, those brothels, wherever you went, the dog was with you. And now he's talking about everything you did and every detail. And the king got angry. He said, kill the dog. If you can't get the dog to stop talking right now, then kill it. Kill it. And the prime minister said, oh king, don't worry. I've already killed it. I've killed the dog this morning already. We are born. You see, a person doesn't like it when the things he's done come to light and are revealed. He says, have you come to the Lord Jesus Christ with all the hidden things in your life? Have you come to the cross for him to forgive you, that you be cleansed in his blood? The Bible says, if you hide your sin, you will not prosper. You can stand on your head. You will not prosper. And if you covet, but if you confess that sin and forsake it, you will receive mercy. Do you see how you receive mercy? But if you come to Jesus and you say, Lord Jesus, I come to you and I want to confess that I have had four husbands, four men in my life. But he knows that you've had five. Do you think you'll receive forgiveness? Aren't you now a liar? You are now sinning again. Now I'm closing. Everything, but everything, have you brought it to the light? Jesus said, do not fear man who can just kill the body, but fear him who can kill the body and then has the authority to cast you into hell. That's what he spoke when thousands were milling around him, but then he addressed his disciples. This is what I'm telling you. He looked at you. He looked at you. Well, I'm Now I'm thankful I've given you a wonderful Christmas message because now you can come to the child to the Christ child with your sin confess it and receive mercy and grace. I hope that now you know what you've got to do. I hope that this is plain enough. We have to face it squarely. Whether we like or not, those untouched things have got to be touched. Unturned have got to be turned. Those unconfessed sins have got to be confessed. If you want to prosper in the future, if you want things to go well with you, if you want to experience revival in your life, that is the way. There's no other way. If you don't go that way, undoubtedly you'll end in the wrong place. Then things will be exposed before the judgment throne, which is not the throne of grace. Let us pray. Lord, I pray that through your Holy Spirit and through your Holy Word, you will touch every heart, that all hypocrisy will stop now, and that the truth will come to light. Amen.