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Sunday 3 February 2002 - `The Gospel Revealed' - Engagement of Glendon McGill & Beatrice Snyman

(Summary of sermon by Rev Erlo Stegen)

Rev 22:12 & 13; John 3:16; 1 John 1:9

This service will be different in that usually I start with the Scriptures and expound upon them but today I will come from another angle.

The following incident happened very recently at KwaSizabantu. About two weeks ago, a certain young man came to me and asked council. I told him that the matter he related to me was sinful and that he should turn away from it. The young man then replied that he was going to completely follow the advice and will utterly break the friendship and council he had received from another man.

Two days later, this young man was in a certain town, and as he looked up the street he saw a BMW coming towards him and he realized that it was this man. He felt God prompting him that he had to confront the man. So he waved to him to stop and walked up to the driver's window. He then told the man with respect, yet firmly, that the things he had spoken to him had defiled him and that he is breaking with that sinful information. He then told the man to settle his account with Jesus Christ. This elderly man then answered him that he had nothing to do with Christ or Christianity and that he was a thorough communist. The young man, however, then pressed the point that he had to get right with God and turn to Jesus Christ. He then pointed to the sun, that was very hot in those days, and said to him that he was going to meet with Jesus Christ, whose brightness far exceeds the brightness of this sun. As he spoke to him he noticed how the man fiddled in his pocket, and he thought to himself that he was going to shoot him. But then, the man's expression of his face changed to one of extreme evil and fear, and his eyes turned in its sockets. The young man then went over to the passenger's seat and sat down, and again, he stressed the importance of this man turning to Jesus Christ and settling his account of sin with Him. The man then asked him from where he was. He told him that he was from KwaSizabantu and that his minister was pastor Stegen. The man then asked for Stegen's telephone number.

Shortly afterwards, while I was in a meeting, my wife came in and said that there was a man that wanted to speak to me on the telephone. She felt in her heart that she should rather call me out of the meeting. When I answered the phone, the man asked me if I was pastor Stegen. He then went on to tell me that he was a pure-bred communist. He knew no fear and that he often did many shocking things for the cause of communism. He then asked me whether I knew a certain young man. At first I tried to evade the question, as I did not know where he was aiming, but then it became clear that he was speaking of the same young man.  This communist then said that I must look after this young man as he was completely different to other young people whom he had met.. He then related how this young man waved him down in that town and spoke to him. As this young man spoke to him, he saw a "spiritual being" standing next to him (as he was a communist, he did not seem to have known about angels). When the young man pressed the point of making his life right with Christ, this spiritual being had a drawn sword in his hand and pointed it straight at him. The man said that he was still trembling from the experience. He then asked when he could come and visit me soon.

I then corroborated the story with the young man. The two stories clearly agreed.

This past Friday, this young man came to me and told me that he dreamt twice that God told him to use three specific verses to help this communist to find Christ. The verses were Rev 22:12 - 13, John 3:16, and 1 John 1:9. Last night the man phoned again. He said that he still fears greatly, and that he had another visit from this `spiritual being'. This time he had no sword. He then told him to read three verses. The first was Rev 22:12 & 13. I then stopped him and told him the 2nd and 3rd verse. This man was shocked and asked what type of God we served. He said that he knew many Christians, but that they did not live a life that was in accordance with this God. I  read the verses slowly to him, how Jesus says that He is coming quickly, having His reward with Him to give to every man according to his work. When I read the 2nd and 3rd verses, he was completely overwhelmed. He couldn't believe that God loved him so much to die for him and forgive him all his sins.

This man then encouraged me to stay true to God and also to tell the people with me to stay true to God and not to move from Him. He said that there were mountains in front of him, but he was determined to give his whole life to Christ. He then asked me to pray with him.

Each of us must make sure that we understand that we cannot play with God. He is coming quickly, shining brighter than the sun in its strength, having his reward with Him to give to each one according to his work. God gave His one and only Son that those that believe on Him should not perish, but have eternal life. And those that believe on Him, they confess and forsake their sin, and find mercy and eternal life. All hypocrisy and Phariseeism should be done away with, and we should follow Christ with a pure, undivided heart. We must remember with whom we are going to meet on the Judgement Day and live lives accordingly.

Blessed is the one who has an ear to hear.