KwaSizabantu Youth Conference
"There is still room for you"
8 - 14 Dec 2006

Service Summaries (for photos go here)

8 Dec 2006, 19:00 - Rev P Botha took the opening service and preached from Luke 13:23, 24, "And He went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem. 23 Then one said to Him, “Lord, are there few who are saved?” And He said to them, 24 “Strive to enter through the narrow gate, for many, I say to you, will seek to enter and will not be able."
There are only a few that will be saved, the Bible teaches. If you don't strive to enter heaven, you won't make it. Once God shuts the door it is too late for you to knock and ask entrance. Some will be inside and some outside.

Some of those outside had been with the Lord Jesus. They ate with Him and He taught on their streets. They even did works in His Name, yet they found themselves excluded. Why? They remained in their sins. Darkness cannot enter heaven. They did not obey God's command to part from their sins and be washed in the precious Blood of Jesus.

But tonight Jesus offers you full forgiveness from sin. When you hear Him speaking to you tonight, obey Him and come to Him. As we read in Hebr 3:15, "Today, if you will hear His voice, do not harden your hearts."

9 Dec 2006, 10:00 - Rev Chauke shared with the young people the importance of remembering their Creator in their youth. A few months ago he had a car accident and was seriously injured and became lame from his legs down. Seeing the Lord did not call him home, he intends to finish the work God still has for him.

Rev E Stegen took the morning service and preached from Luke 14:15-24, the theme being from verse 22, "And the servant said, ‘Master, it is done as you commanded, and still there is room.'"
Jesus said that even if a man should gain the whole world (and all the riches of this world), yet lose his own soul, he has lost absolutely everything. But some are careless spiritually. They neglect coming together with God's children for the smallest reason, and so lose out.
Jesus also commands us to strive to enter heaven. If you take it casually, you won't make it.

However, someone might despair because of all their sins. To such a one Jesus says, "there is still room for you. Today you can still enter in."

Jesus had heavenly wisdom. In fact, He is Wisdom. He spoke with power and authority, and not like the religious leaders of His day. He was able to take the most profound truth and make it understandable even to a child. When the poor widow put in her two mites into the treasury, Jesus said, "Assuredly, I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all those who have given to the treasury; for they all put in out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty put in all that she had, her whole livelihood." (Mark 12:43, 44).

At another time Jesus healed a man who had dropsy, on the sabbath. The sabbath-watchers (the Pharisees), criticized Him, but Jesus answered, "Which of you, having a donkey or an ox that has fallen into a pit, will not immediately pull him out on the Sabbath day?” And they could not answer Him regarding these things. (Luke 14:5)

In Noah's day when God decided to destroy man from off the face of the earth, because of their wickedness, He spared just Noah and shut the door of the ark once he and his family were safely inside. All those outside of the ark perished. Woe to you when judgement comes and you are found outside the Ark, which is Jesus. But today there is still room for you to enter in.

9 Dec 2006, 19:00 - Rev Bill Bathman took the evening service. In Luke 14:1 we read, "as He went into the house of one of the rulers of the Pharisees to eat bread on the Sabbath, that they watched Him closely." They watched Him closely so that they could criticize him if He made a mistake. So too, when you profess to know Jesus Christ, then the world watches you closely to see whether your life is consistent with what you profess.

Jesus did not come to just live a good life, heal the sick, raise the dead and work miracles. No, He came because you and I are sinners and need a Saviour. The Bible says, "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Jesus came so that He could die for our sins and save us from our sins.

If you receive Him tonight, God promises that He will give you the power to become a child of God. He will still receive you tonight if you would come to Him. He wants to make you a new creation, where all the old has passed away. He wants to transform you into one of His disciples and send you out to preach His Word so that others too might find Eternal Life.

10 Dec 2006, 10:00 - The Sunday service was also the engagement of Gert Delport & Jennifer McNeil. Read more here.

10 Dec 2006, 14:00 - The KZN Bach Choir presented the "Messiah" performance by Georg Friedrich Händel under the direction of Lutz Kohrs (here are some photos and audio of the performance)

10 Dec 2006, 19:00 - The film, "The cross and the switchblade" was shown in the evening. The Cross and the Switchblade is the true story of Reverend David Wilkerson's work among New York drug addicts. One of the drug addicts whose conversion to Christianity is shown in the film is Nicky Cruz.

11 Dec 2006, 10:00 - Before the service a girl from Emseni Care Center gave her testimony. She regularly sat under God's Word and knew the truth, but chose to go into the world and enjoy herself. She ended up with AIDS and   weighed 23kg when she came for help at Emseni Care Center. Here she found God and forgiveness for her sins. At the Youth Conference in June 2006, she could not even walk and had to be pushed in a wheelchair, but at that conference she spoke and expressed faith in God that she would walk by December. God also answered her prayer and touched her. Today she is healthy and she can walk. She could also testify to the youth of the great things God had done for her.

Rev E Stegen then preached on the theme of the conference. God has sent out His servants to call all sinners in the highways and byways to come to the feast that He has prepared. Although many have responded there is still room for you to accept His invitation. But woe to you if you reject His invitation - then hell will be your portion.

Make sure that you are ready when the Lord Jesus returns.

11 Dec 2006, 15:00 - Rev Gideon Jacobs from Smithfield took the afternoon service and preached from Rev 22:14, 15, "Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood."

If you live a doglike life, then this verse refers to you. Let's look at a number of characteristics of dogs.

1) Ticks get onto dogs continually and they are difficult to detect. Dogs also don't like to be treated for ticks, although the ticks harm them and suck their blood. So too a wrong attitude, or evil thoughts could be sapping your spiritual life, and still you hate to bring it to the light that you might be helped.

2) Dogs influence each other, and follow each other into mischief. If you follow after evil friends, then you behave like a dog.

3) Dogs love water, but they don't bath to become clean; they only want to cool off. Likewise if you don't hate your sin and desire to be completely free from it, then you behave like a dog.

4) Some dogs are very sensitive and get irritated very quickly. They will even bite the hand that loves and feeds it. Similarly some people want to become Christians, but they want God to keep His distance. They cannot bear it when God touches them and convicts them of sin.

5) A dog is a greedy animal. When there is food it wants everything for itself and will even overeat in the process. So too if you are greedy and selfish, you behave doglike.

6) Even if dogs receive the best food at home, they still wander off into the field and feast on the decaying meat of a dead animal. Cry to God that you won't be doglike and run after, neither desire the rubbish of this world, when God offers you a daily feast round His table.

7) When female dogs are in heat, they give off a scent which is irresistible to the male dogs. The male dogs lose all self-control and will break through almost any barrier in order to get to the female dogs. Maybe your music, the opposite sex, the fashions or pleasures of this world causes you to lose your self-control, and become doglike.

We are not dogs, but God's creation, made into His likeness to have fellowship with Him. However, because of sin we act like dogs and are outside of God's Kingdom. But when we come to Christ and confess our sins, He changes us and frees us from the slavery to sin.

11 Dec 2006, 19:00 - Rev Joseph Chauke preached from Gen 7:16, "and the Lord shut him in." In Noah's day, even the animals were better than the people, for they obeyed God's command to enter into the ark to be saved, but the people mocked and refused to obey. For 120 years Noah warned them of God's impending judgement because of their wickedness, but none responded (1Pet 3:20; 2Pet 2:5). Only Noah and his direct family was saved.

God has prepared an ark for us too, the Lord Jesus Christ who died on the cross for our sins. He doesn't force anyone to enter, but extends His invitation to everyone who would hear His voice and obey.

You are unique before God. You will have to give account of your own life before God. Your friends won't be there to speak up for you. Therefore choose Christ for yourself and don't listen to what your friends might say.

12 Dec 2006, 10:00 - During the morning service an ex-satanist who has been set free by the Lord Jesus gave her testimony. She related how they as satanists would target Christians who aren't walking in the light and keeping their lives free from sin. Their satanic charms would work on such Christians, but they would have no power over those who confess their sins and walk in the light (1John 1:7).

12 Dec 2006, 15:00 - At the 20th anniversary of Domino Servite School we mentioned that God was working among the school children and that some are even using their school holidays to propagate the Gospel. Some of those "preacher-boys" took the afternoon service and challenged the the youth to completely part from sin.

If you only confess your sin half-heartedly that doesn't help and you won't get deliverance. But if you confess and forsake your sins in truth, then the devil has no more power over you. Every sin has a demon attached to it, and if you don't walk in the light and part from sin properly, the remaining sins will even bring other sins into your life, which were never a problem to you before (See Matt 12:43-45).

During this conference God has spoken so clearly and provided liberally for all your needs. He has decked the table full of the best Life-Giving food to give you Eternal Life. If you should leave without receiving help you would be like a man who attends a wedding and immediately afterwards complains that he's hungry. One would think that such a person must be mad.

In Matt 11:28 Jesus invites all who labour and are heavy laden to come to Him for rest. Whether you're bound by lust, lies, or whatever oppresses you, Jesus can give you rest. God might remain silent for a long time while you continue in your sin. But the day of judgement will surely come if you don't repent.

You might rebuke others for their sins while you indulge in the very same sins. Imagine what the shame and guilt will be like when you're exposed here on earth. How much more terrible will it therefore be on the Judgement Day, when you stand before God and He exposes your life?

Rather fear God and part from sin today. The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom (Prov 9:10). You might not even get another opportunity. You might seek the Lord on your deathbed but not find Him, as we read in Amos 8:11, "'Behold the days are coming', says the Lord God, 'that I will send a famine on the land of hearing the words of the Lord.'" Grasp the opportunity while there is still room.

12 Dec 2006, 19:00 - "True Love Waits" (TLW) and "The Naked Truth about drugs and alcohol" (TNT) took the evening service. TLW presented a play where a couple got married. After they had made their marriage vows, the minister asked the congregation whether there were any objections to the marriage. Suddenly two girls got up and stood next to the bridegroom. They were furious that he had promised to marry them and promised them many other things besides, but he never lived up to it. The bride, the bride's father and the whole congregation were shocked, and the marriage ceremony was stopped right there.

It is therefore of utmost importance that you respect your future spouse and live an upright, pure life even before your marriage.

TNT showed the film, "In Your Face", which warns the youth about the dangers of sleeping around. The only way to be free from STDs is to remain sexually abstinent until marriage and faithful in marriage.

13 Dec 2006, 10:00 - Rev E Stegen took the morning service

13 Dec 2006, 15:00 - Rec J Chauke preached from Ps 23. The Lord supplies the needs of those that trust in Him. Even in the most difficult time He gives them power to overcome.

13 Dec 2006, 19:00 - Rev Bill Bathman took the evening service and preached from 2Ki 4:1-7. This woman had a need and cried to the man of God for help. It was a desperate situation. Humanly there was nothing that could be done. Her creditor was on his way and her sons would become slaves. But God does that which is humanly impossible if only we would cry unto Him for help.

14 Dec 2006, 10:00 - Before the service an ex-lesbian gave her testimony of how she got involved in the occult and the homosexual lifestyle. However, when the Word of God arrested her at the mission she confessed her sins and Jesus delivered her.

Rev E Stegen then preached from the theme text, Luke 14:16-24, "Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in." This parable was aimed directly at the pharisees for they would only invite the sophisticated and educated to their feasts. However, God invites everyone to enter in. He has prepared everything; you only need to accept His invitation.

You don't have to pray for Jesus to die again for your sins, for He has already died for your sins. You don't have to pray that He would work in His resurrection power and be raised from the dead, for He has already risen from the dead and has ascended to the right hand of the Father. He already has the keys of death and hell.

Richard Weaver, a preacher from Scotland, once noticed that a certain girl listened intently to his sermon, but she looked greatly troubled. After the sermon he spoke to her and urged her to accept Christ. She said that she would do it at another time and left. He remembered God's Word, "compel them to come in", and so he ran after her and reasoned with her that she might not have another opportunity. This time she rudely rejected his offer. However, when she got home, she had remorse and told her mother everything that had happened. Her mother comforted her and told her that she could accept Christ the following Sunday. She was still speaking to her mother when she suddenly collapsed and was declared dead before she could reach the hospital. It was forever too late.

Jesus Christ has done everything necessary for your salvation. Will you accept his offer now?