1

Fun in the Son 2014

Week One // Night Two


Living life as a missionary is such an adventure in so many ways
We live in South Africa, but its not like the kind of Africa you think of
When you imagine Africa, what kind of things do you think of?
We have roads, and grocery stores, and cars, and TVs and most of the same
stuff you have here
But one thing that is different in Africa is that there is a lot more poverty
than what you see in America, and its really hard for people often to get
even their basic needs met
In the 1950s in South Africa, the Dutch had taken over the county and
decided it would be best to move all the people of race to hidden parts of
each city and use the best areas for only the white people. It was called
apartheid, which literally means separateness. So people were forced out of
their homes, like a crazy eviction, only their only crime was the color of
their skin. In 1994 people of any race were given freedom, but many people
today are still stuck in poverty and feel helpless to get out.
Because of this theft and robberies are a BIG problem in South Africa.
People get robbed on the street, robbed in their homes, robbed in their car,
robbed even at church. It is so commonplace that it happens to everyone.
Living inside one of the poor communities in South Africa means we see
this sort of thing all the time because we are neighbors and friends with the
robbers. We know people who literally say its their job to just steal; they
have absolutely no plans to get a job.
We have had our house broken into many times, but you dont even have to
break in to steal stuff. All you need is a hanger and someone will stick it in
an open window and fish out what they want.

About a year ago, I was sitting in my bed reading a book on a hot night and
the windows were open because we dont have air conditioning and we
needed to let the breeze in.
All of a sudden I look over and I see an arm, with a bright tribal shirt, a
hand that is holding a wire trying to grab something off my dresser.
My reaction wasnt fear but I immediately yelled WHAT ARE YOU
DOING!?! and jumped out of bed. The arm pulled out of the window and
its body ran out of our yard
2
Afterwards Casey was so mad at me because he said I should have grabbed
his arm so he couldnt get away. Other people told me what they would
have done. Think about what you would have done in that situation?!
This unfortunately is normal to us we are use to people always literally
trying to steal things from our lives and home, but its not something you
think much about here
But its something that is actually happening in our lives all the time. There
is an enemy who is trying to steal away the things of God in our life
and He is often successful in robbing us.
This is why we are spending this week gazing upon Jesus because its not an
easy thing to keep our hearts and minds focused on God. We are
constantly being robbed of the fullness of God in our lives. Which is why
God sent Jesus.

Scripture tells us this:
The Word became flesh and lived among us. We gazed on his glory, the
kind of glory that belongs to the Father's unique Son, who is full of grace
and truth. John 1:14 (International Standard Version)

So this week we are focusing our gaze and our hearts on Jesus to learn
about who He really is

God gave us Jesus Christ so we could always gaze at the glory of God and
bring His grace and truth into our heart
But constantly there is an enemy that is on the prowl trying to take away
what God wants to do.
We have on interesting enemy that prowls in Ocean View, and that is
something that everyone is scared of, even the gangsters are scared of them.
And those are BABOONS
** GO THROUGH PICTURES OF BABOONS ***
1. Cute baboon and baby
2. Baboons break into homes and steal
3. Baboons are seriously terrifying

But since you dont have to worry about killer baboons here, I do want to
open your eyes to something that is trying to rob your life, and that is the
devil.
3
John 10:10 lays it out very clearly that you have an enemy in the spiritual
world and he is trying to take from you. The thief comes only to steal
and kill and destroy
Now I dont say this to frighten you but its the truth. The problem is, that
we dont see our enemy as clearly as the terrible baboons prowling around
South Africa
In our lives the enemy doesnt look at all like a robber, but instead the
enemy is exactly that which looks like fun.
I see this in Ocean View. We have a very vibrant and lively community.
People are outside all the time, walking the streets, talking, buying fruits and
veggies, and sharing life together. But on the weekends is when our
community truly comes to life and people are out but it looks different.
There are drugs being done on the street, young and old are stumbling
around drunk, people are laughing and shouting and whistling.
To the outside eye all this looks fun, and that is what is happening in your
world too. People in your life, your school, on the television and movies are
creating a picture of this world that is full of FUN and LIFE. And when
you are not a part of that world you think you are missing out on all the fun.
But let me give you a peek to the inside world of the worlds fun. It always
ends. The party always comes to an end, the bar always closes, the one
night stand turns into an awkward morning, and the buzz ends and leaves
you in pain and alone.
The LIFE that the world is offering is just a mirage. It is a trick. It is a lie.
What the world is telling you is fun and full of life is a lie. It is fun for a
moment but it ends in heartbreak and pain.
We see this time and time again in Ocean View, and I now have friends
who use to have beautiful lives but started to dip into the fun of the world
and eventually it tore up their entire lives.
You see the devil is at work and on the prowl in our lives looking to steal
and kill and destroy us. But the devil isnt in a baboon suit but rather in the
midst of a party, in the dream of a perfect body, at the end of that drug
binge, or when the lust ends. What the world says is life is only going to
bring you death, and eventually that always becomes clear. If you dont
believe me walk around with me for one hour in Ocean View and I will
introduce you to hundreds of my friends whose lives are ruined because of
the promise of the world

But there is someone else offering you a promise and a picture of a life that
will not end in death but will lead you to TRUE life and that is Jesus Christ
4
John 10:10 continues to give us the most glorious promise ever
The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that
they may have life, and have it to the full.
Jesus has a plan and a promise for your life and it is for LIFE and FULL
LIFE!
John 1 says Jesus himself was that life and came to give us that life, and in
the Gospel stories we see Jesus actually doing that. Taking people who are
broken and alone from the enemy stealing everything from them and then
receiving the true LIFE in GOD

Luke 19:1-10
He entered Jericho and was passing through. 2 And there was a man
called by the name of Zaccheus; he was a chief tax collector and he
was rich. 3 Zaccheus was trying to see who Jesus was, and was unable
because of the crowd, for he was small in stature. 4 So he ran on
ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree in order to see Him, for
He was about to pass through that way. 5 When Jesus came to the
place, He looked up and said to him, Zaccheus, hurry and come
down, for today I must stay at your house. 6 And he hurried and
came down and received Him gladly. 7 When they saw it, they all
began to grumble, saying, He has gone to be the guest of a man who
is a sinner. 8 Zaccheus stopped and said to the Lord, Behold, Lord,
half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded
anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much. 9 And Jesus
said to him, Today salvation has come to this house, because he,
too, is a son of Abraham. 10 For the Son of Man has come to seek and
to save that which was lost.

This is how it is with Jesus. He doesnt wait for us to get it together to enter
our world. If we are ready for him, he wants to come to us NOW.
Jesus sees us just as we are and he sees that the thief has already stolen so
much from us.
Some of you have lost so much. You have lost innocence, you have lost
purity, you have lost your childhood, you have lost friends, you have lost
HOPE. But Jesus sees what has been stolen and is here to tell you its time
to stop looking for life where it can never be truly found.
When Jesus looks at you he doesnt want to shame you, he doesnt just
throw everything you cared about before out the window, he meets with
you and he changes the atmosphere
5
And when you allow Jesus to give you His life He can restore your broken
heart and give you so much more life than you ever thought possible
Jesus is an atmosphere changer and he changes our world to LIFE
The life of a Christian is filled with true joy and true happiness and true
relationships and true blessing and TRUE LIFE
Jesus is offering you this life tonight and we gaze upon that true life in God
when we look at Jesus
But Jesus truly is LIFE and he enters our world, we dont have to get
ourselves together first.
Are you ready to gaze upon Jesus Christ and receive the TRUE LIFE that
He offers you?

PRAY