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Erlo Stegen
Erlo Hartwig Stegen (1935 - 2023). South African missionary and revivalist of German descent, born on Mbalane farm near Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, to Hermannsburg missionary descendants. Raised Lutheran, he left school after grade 10 to farm but felt called to ministry in 1952, evangelizing rural Zulus under apartheid. After 12 years of preaching with few lasting conversions, he experienced a transformative revival in 1966 at Maphumulo, marked by repentance and reported miracles. In 1970, he founded KwaSizabantu Mission (“place where people are helped”) in Kranskop, which grew into a self-sustaining hub with farms, a water bottling plant, and schools, serving thousands. Stegen authored Revival Among the Zulus and preached globally, establishing churches in Europe by 1980. Married with four daughters, he mentored Zulu leaders and collaborated with theologian Kurt Koch. His bold preaching drew 3 million visitors to KwaSizabantu over decades.
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Sermon Summary
Erlo Stegen emphasizes the call to imitate God and reflect His qualities in our lives, highlighting that as children of God, we are expected to embody His love and righteousness. He explains that true imitation is not superficial but a deep-rooted expression of our identity as part of God's family, urging believers to perform good works that align with their divine heritage. Stegen illustrates this with examples of access and relationship, showing that as God's children, we have the privilege to approach Him freely. He stresses the importance of walking in love, as Christ did, and living a life that is a sweet fragrance to God, embodying the essence of love described in 1 Corinthians 13.
Scriptures
Reflecting Godly Qualities
Eph 5:1, 2 1 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma. To be a follower of God is described in two Greek in the Bible. They are only used in a positive way and not, for example, like a monkey would imitate or ape around. To be a follower of God is to imitate Him and reproduce Godly qualities in our lives. The reading also speaks of dear children. The Greek word means a child in relation to its parent. This is important. We are a part of God's family and we are born of God. If we are His children, we need to do the works of God. The pharisees came to Jesus and said they were children of Abraham but they didn't do the works of Abraham. If we call ourselves children of God, then we will do His works. We won't lie, kill and slander which are the works of the devil. It took an important man three months to see President Kennedy, but his little boy just walked in when he liked because he was the president's son. Samuel Morris, a black boy from Africa, was shown all the churches when he went to America but he said that he hadn't come to see churches but to seek the Holy Spirit. That is how our heart must be. Jesus said that if we do as He says then we are His friends. We have to walk in love as Christ has loved us. In 1 Corinthians 13 it says that love is patient and kind. It covers a multitude of sins and always perseveres. The disciples forsook Christ but He loved them to the end. May our lives be a sweet fragrance to Him
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Erlo Hartwig Stegen (1935 - 2023). South African missionary and revivalist of German descent, born on Mbalane farm near Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, to Hermannsburg missionary descendants. Raised Lutheran, he left school after grade 10 to farm but felt called to ministry in 1952, evangelizing rural Zulus under apartheid. After 12 years of preaching with few lasting conversions, he experienced a transformative revival in 1966 at Maphumulo, marked by repentance and reported miracles. In 1970, he founded KwaSizabantu Mission (“place where people are helped”) in Kranskop, which grew into a self-sustaining hub with farms, a water bottling plant, and schools, serving thousands. Stegen authored Revival Among the Zulus and preached globally, establishing churches in Europe by 1980. Married with four daughters, he mentored Zulu leaders and collaborated with theologian Kurt Koch. His bold preaching drew 3 million visitors to KwaSizabantu over decades.