“Living Water bringing life”

Summary of sermon by Erlo Stegen, 26 Oct 2014

(Before the service Senzo gave his testimony.
He came to the mission Jan 2013, from Westville prison. He didn’t really want to come, but today is thankful.

He was addicted to different kinds of drugs including dagga and wunga. By God’s grace He not only showed him the evils of drugs, but also the underlying cause, that his life was empty.

God not only delivered him from the drugs but also filled the emptiness with Himself.

In fact he came from a good home where his mom looked well after him, and when he got involved with drugs she did everything in her power to help him. She took him to many rehabilitation centres but nothing helped. She heard of KwaSizabantu and the “Concerned Community” organization. She brought him here against his will; he thought that if this was not a rehabilitation centre then he’s wasting his time. But after uncle Erlo prayed for them suddenly the Word of God became alive and God started to speak to him in the services, convicting him of his sin. He could bring it to the light and God delivered him completely. )

Service:

Nothing can compare to the Gospel, as it is written, “I’m not ashamed of the Gospel for it’s the power of God unto salvation” (Rom 1:16).

John 7:37-38

37 In the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried, saying, If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink.

38 He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water.

From the beginning of the revival this Word was very precious. Since I’ve been converted I longed for God to work among people. But in the beginning of my preaching, many would get converted but before long their conversions came to naught and they were back in their old ways. But in 1966 this Word took hold of me as I read the words, “he who believes in Me out of his innermost being will flow rivers of Living Water”.

However after twelve years of preaching I did not see the rivers in my life. I was at my brother’s place and was in a great struggle at night so much that my pillow was wet with perspiration.

I longed for God’s Living Water like the Samaritan woman at the well. He said to her that if you drink of the Water that He shall give you, you won’t thirst again, but if you drink of the water of the world you will thirst again (John 4:13-14).

All around me I realised how true Jesus’ words were. People claimed to be born again but thirst for the things of the world. God’s rivers of Living Water wasn’t flowing out of their lives, and neither did I see it flowing from my life.

You who say you believe in Jesus, are there rivers of Living Water flowing from your life?

In 1955 my brother and I visited a relative in Namibia. He said they had a beautiful country but no water. They found water on their farm but it was so full of minerals that it was undrinkable. When they tried to use it to water the plants, after awhile the plants wilted and died. When they tried to use it to wash their clothes it ruined the clothes.

I said to myself that that was a picture of my life. I cried to the Lord to come down and work. I went to a service with the congregation (at the place where God came down and the revival started), and asked those who believed to put up their hands. Everyone put up their hands. Then I asked those who experienced rivers of Living Water flowing from their lives to put up their hands. Not a single hand went up.

The Zulu expression for a Christian, a believer, is beautiful. When you sit down at a meal and have finished eating, if the host offer you more you answer, “I’m fully satisfied (ngikholiwe)”, the same expression for being a Christian, a believer, in Zulu. A true Christian is one who doesn’t thirst for the things of the world, for he drank of the Living Water Jesus gives, and is fully satisfied.

Every hidden thing will one day be revealed. Also how often you watched pornography, what you did behind closed doors, how you flirted with the opposite sex and lusted after them. How you speak about others behind their backs and destroy their character through lies and half-truths.

From such a person only dirty water flows.

Do you believe as the Scriptures say? Are rivers of Living Water flowing from your life?

Even if South Africa is a wilderness, if there are those who truly believe, God’s Living Water flowing from their life will transforn this country into a beautiful country!

When the brothers of Jesus urged Him to go to the feast, He replied, ‘you go up to the feast, I won’t go now, for My time is not yet. Your time is always ready’ (John 7:6-8).

They said it because they did not believe, even though they saw His works. It was because they did what they liked. Are you like His brothers whose time was anytime for you do and speak whatever, whenever you like, not waiting on His time? Or do you take after Jesus who only did and spoke what His Father told Him?

As our little group at Maphumulo examined ourselves against God’s Word, our hearts were broken for our shortcomings and sins and we cleansed our lives in His precious Blood and then the Holy Spirit came down. He also went into the homes of the people and brought them.

May you not be satisfied until God’s rivers of Living Water flow from your life, for if you seek Him with all your heart He will be found (Jer 29:13). May you be a doer of God’s Word and not a hearer only, condemning yourself (Matthew 7:24-29).

German Translation

French Translation

Choirs