Series Title: Book of Jude (http://www.springvalleybiblechurch.org/pages/Jude.htm)
Series Sequence Number: 7
Lesson Title: Pastor Stewart Sichilongo from Zambia (http://www.springvalleybiblechurch.org/Audio/Jude/m3u/20030916Jude7.m3u)
Speaker:Herman Mattox
Date: 2003-09-16

Scripture List: 2 Corinthians 13:5; Genesis 1:27

Lesson Notes:
Visit by Pastor Stewart Sichilongo from Zambia. Raised by his mother who was married 12 times as he grew up. The step fathers were good to him. His mother was Jehovah's Witnesses. He had only a 9th grade education due to lack of support. His wife was Seventh Day Adventists. She visited a christian crusade and returned announcing that she was now a child of God, and invited her husband to visit the crusade with her to hear the word of God.

He was afraid of death. His religeon provided no truth and there was no support in that fear. The crusader began preaching about Christ and a solution. These teachings revealed to Stewart that he was lost, and he discovered his need for Christ and believed.

When they returned home they discovered they had no pastor to look after them. They had a bible in their home. The Jehovah's witnesses came to see why they had not returned to the assembly. They proclaimed their faith and were told they were deceived. Stewart asked that they might have time to prove their life or it's lie. Their friends came by to ask Stewart to go drinking with them, and he was no longer interested in that.

2 Corinthians 13:5 (NASB95)
5 Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you-unless indeed you fail the test? [1]

Genesis 1:27 (NASB95)
27 God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. [1]

God created man with a spirit, a soul, and body. He gave man the freedom to do everything, even to eat of the tree of life, but not to eat of the tree of knowledge. This is where we came from. This is the foundation.

Lucifer was the most beautiful creature God ever created. Lucifer was the worship leader. Gabriel was God's foreign affairs minister. Michael was the commander of the Heavenly Armies. Lucifer wanted all to worship him. He lost the battle with Christ in Heaven, though 1/3 of the Angels joined him.

When man trusted Lucifer instead of God, the spirit of man died. The children of Adam and Eve were then born with only a Soul and Body, but with no Spirit. When the body dies, and the person is without Christ, the Soul is placed in custody and must await judgment. There is no "Rest in Peace", there is no peace without Christ. Those who die and their names are not found in the book of Life will cast into the lake of fire.

God did not wish man to be without hope and to be cast into the lake of fire. So God himself came to be flesh, to live among us, and to live free of sin. "He who knew no sin was made sin for us". He died on the cross at Calvary. He was buried and three days later rose again. Then he commissioned his disciples to carry the truth to all the world.

Jesus returned to Heaven, and sent His Spirit to comfort us and to guide us. He brought to us the word of the Gospel. The spirit of man that was lost in the garden of Eden is recreated, born again by the power of the Spirit of God in those who believe in the finished work of Jesus Christ.

The word of God is preached to a person. It is believed in their heart. Then the Holy Spirit of God Himself produces the spirit of man inside that person. Just as a child is born from parents but the child has no requirement to work in that procreation; so it is that the Spirit of God produces a spiritual inner man through no effort on the part of the man.

A new born child can only cry out and can suckle. The father does not need to teach the child how to suckle; rather the child is driven by the life inside itself to suckle that it might continue to live. When one is born again, the life inside will force them to read the word of God. This desire for the sincere milk of the of God is evidence of the new life inside.

Go to the word of God and feed yourself there each day. The power of the Holy Spirit is found in the word of God. You grow by the word of God. As you feed the body, so also feed the spirit inside you.

A blind man is in Stewart's church. Many times he has gone to the churches and the christian conferences. They have told him many times that he need only to believe and he would be healed. Yet time after time, even with the laying on of hands, and prayer this man was again and again told that it was only his lack of faith which prevented him from being healed.

So many missionaries have gone to Africa and done nothing. They stay in motels and help no one. They do not go to the remotest villages where there are no roads.

The conference was in Amsterdam. Stewart's wife suggested that they sell the corn they had grown to feed them so that he could go to the conference in Amsterdam. From the Amsterdam conference, Jim Cunningham traveled to Stewart's village to see where he came from. Several years later also these people returned and slept where the people slept, and ate the same food the villagers ate, and they encouraged the people and taught them the word of God.

They were motivated to build a school to teach and equip men for the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. The government gave them almost 40 acres and title deeds.The answer to Africa is not the aid from the city, and the millions of dollars from the world bank. Food and medecine have been sent as aid, but the conditions of the people keeps getting worse and worse. The answer to the people of Africa is not the Aid of money, or governments, and presidents, but in the word of God.

The light has come to Africa. There will be missionaries going out from Africa to the rest of the world to preach the truth. When they say they love God in Africa, is is a life where they truly do not know if where the next meal is coming from.

Stewart's desire is to build the training center. This will change the history of Africa. They require our prayers. This small group is known by God. In war there are Generals who are never seen in the front lines to fire a weapon at the enemy, and so those who support missionaries are like generals, and play their part in support to those whose desire it is to carry the battle to the enemy.

Jesus is coming soon.

Don't go to Africa. You are too old. You will be bitten by mosquitoes and die. Send your prayers to God that He might go to Africa and those who He has prepared for Africa might go there and spread His Word.

Closing prayer:
Our Father in heaven we just want to thank you that you alone are God that your are on your thrown, we just want to thank you for Jesus Christ that came to die for our sins and we we just want to thank you for the finished work on the cross of Calvary. I want to thank you for this group who has actually given me time to speak to them and to share with them the experiences that are happening in Africa. Lord I want to recommend them to the word that is Christ that is able to build them up and bring them to the inheritance of the Saints. Father you knew this group from the beginning and I just want to pray for them and let them continue to be active, to learn the scripts and continue to make a difference in this part of the United States. I thank you so much Father that you are going to bless them for your glory. It is in Christ's name that we pray and ask. Amen.

References:

[1] New American Standard Bible : 1995 update. 1995. LaHabra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.