KWASIZABANTU MINISTERS' CONFERENCE 2003

3 March 2003, 19:00

"Go forth" - Erlo Stegen

Matt 28: 19

The Lord's last words were to "go forth". With the loss of my wife at the end of last year I have a new appreciation for last words (my wife Kay's last words were "The King has come!")

"Go forth" indicates that the Gospel is not static but dynamic and always advancing. It is not to be contained and held back. How about your own spiritual life? Is it stagnant or is it going forward?

On the night of my wife's death I read the words of Matthew 9:35 regarding the Lord's going forth into the surrounding cities and was reminded of all that I still needed to do in going forth.

Jonathan Goforth (who lived true to his name "go forth" – he was a missionary to Mongolia) said: "If revival is being withheld from us it is because some idol remains still enthroned; because we still insist in placing our reliance in human schemes; because we still refuse to face the unchangeable truth that 'It is not by might, but by My Spirit."

Are we doing God's work in His way or is it our own way? Are we too busy with our own work? We need to do His work as He commanded.

Regarding your family: If you're not a `keeper of the Word' then why do you expect your wife, children and congregation to keep the Word? We are commanded to go forth and teach others to "keep all" that He has commanded us. Men have a great responsibility towards their wives, according to Eph 5. They should love their wives as Christ loves the church and gave himself for her. You should ensure that your wife is presented as a cleansed vessel without spot or blemish to God. Your children should be believing and obedient, else how will you be able to lead the church of God?

Let every idol be broken down in our lives, as Jonathan Goforth said. Let us pray to the Lord that He would break down all that is not of Him.

Martin Luther said that hell's streets would be paved with the skulls of ministers. We esteem reformers like Luther very highly but it may be that if we had lived in their era we would be found resisting them. Will Luther have to retract his words about preacher's skulls being paving for hell?

In Namibia there's the Luderitz train with the following inscription of Martin Luther's words, "Here I stand - I can no other - so help me God!" That train got stuck there for years now and is immoveable. It's a play on Luther's words, but search your life if maybe you are not stagnant spiritually.

This is the crux of the matter: Are you winning souls for Christ, teaching them to do and to keep all that Christ has commanded you? Or are you busy with politics, tradition and building your church? How can you command others what Christ has commanded, if He did not command you? Plead with God to search you tonight and see if your life is according to God's Word or not.