Saturday

Many more have arrived through the night, in the morning, and throughout the day. Between 5 & 6 thousand young people gathered for the evening service.

6 July 2002, evening service

Preacher – Erlo Stegen

Text Matt 27: 45 – 53

Listen to Him! See how He died!

There is no-one who was born like Jesus (various examples were given such as the angels announcements and other signs at His birth) and, above all, no-one ever died like Him. Even the sun hid itself and could not behold its creator suffering in this manner. It is said that a certain Egyptian, Dionysius, witnessed the darkness (of the 6^th to 9^th hour) in the city of Heliopolus and declared that the “Creator must be suffering.”

And yet, there were people right there witnessing this event who did not see what was happening and did not realize that Jesus was dying for them. We need our eyes opened to see! Yesterday, a person who couldn’t see well received a pair of spectacles and was amazed at the beauty of creation all around him. So too, we need to be enabled to see what Christ has done for us! When we see Him everything else around us, all the things which the world offers, fades into insignificance.

Jesus has come to seek you (in His dying for you on the Cross) just as a shepherd looks for a lost sheep. He has come to heal, restore and wash you. We should have suffered and died but Jesus did it for us.

The way of salvation has been opened by God Himself. Nothing which we can do is of any help and all efforts to stop sinning are in vain. Many try to stop with their sins but cannot. Just as a short person cannot add any height by worry in the same way our own anxiety and efforts will not help us. God did it for us. He tore the veil of separation.

You can come to Him, the One who said (in Matt 11:28) that those who are tired and heavy laden should come to Him.

If you haven’t accepted Him before you can come to Him for victory and salvation!

(at this point Erlo Stegen made an altar call and at least a thousand young people came to the front to kneel and pray to the Lord for salvation.)

Many young people testified of the grace and power of the Lord Jesus to keep a young person faithful, and how He has kept them. Others were very grateful that they were able to come to the youth conference and receive an oppotunity to make peace with God.

Here we find Demas forsaking Paul for the world. He was someone who denied all to follow Jesus. He loved Jesus fervently and was prepared to be Paul's companion, although it was difficult and hard. But something tragic happened in his love. Suddenly the world with its enjoyments started to have a new attraction to him, and eventually its pull was so great that he forsook Jesus and chose the world.

In the same way Satan makes us forget from where we came. We forget the hard bondage we served under him in this world, but the world's temptations start to become attractive again. Why does this happen? Because we do not listen to Him. God comes to us through His Word. If we listen to Him and obey Him, He will be able to use us to lead this country, and spread the Good News of His Gospel. These days He speaks not only to our minds, but to our hearts, addressing our individual problems one by one. That is why we need to listen to Him diligently and obey Him.

He is the only one that can keep you from falling, and give you eternal life. Nothing of this world can take us to heaven, neither can we take anything from here with us to the next world. Neither can the world give you peace, joy and self-control. In 1 Cor 7:31 we read how that the things of this world are passing away.

Jesus gives you everything you need in this life and eternal life hereafter. This life is so short compared to eternity, yet what you do in this life determines where you will spend eternity - heaven or hell.

There was a boy who had a mother who trained him from childhood in the ways of the Lord. As he became a teenager, he turned his back on the things of the Lord and as soon as he was old enough he left home and spent his life in drugs, drinking, smoking and immorality. He despised his mother and never contacted her again. After 20 years he suddenly remembered his mother again and went back with a bit of money to give to her. When he arrived at home, he was told that his mother had died 10 years ago from a broken heart, because of all his ungratefulness and disobedience. He went to the grave, crying and shouting for forgiveness, but all was silent. Remorse filled him, but all was too late.

If you don't want such a life, then listen today what you are told, and listen to Him, the Creator of heaven and earth. He has given you His Word and you can find His will for your life in it, if you will but do what He says.