HS Day 1

Hi everyone.

For those who don’t know me, I’m Pastor David.

I get the pleasure of sharing with you this week.

Because I’ll be around all week, I’ll get the major get to know me points out of the way right now. That way, I’m not sharing the same stories at meals 50 times.

I was born and raised in Minnesota.

Nice place, very flat

In Minnesota we like to make fun of Wisconsin, because their love of cheese is just a little too weird.

We also like to make fun of Iowa. Though I have in recent years become a fan of Iowa because a person I greatly admire will be born there in on March 22, 2233. More on that later.

In Minnesota we do not make fun of South Dakota. They have one of the greatest national monuments and that alone gets them a free pass. They also have the Sturgis Motorcycle gathering which hosts half a million bikers. So yeah, don’t make fun of the Motorcyclist’s favorite state.

We also don’t make fun of North Dakota. Mostly because there is nothing there to make fun of.

I got married to this beautiful lady in 2004 and we moved to Hong Kong for 1 year where we each taught english, her to kindergarten, me to Junior and Senior High School students.

After that we lived on an island in Alaska called Kodiak Island where we welcomed three kids.

# 1 Undisclosed 16 year old who does not want people to know Dad is speaking at camp.

#2 Tirzah is now 13 and just a joy.

#3 is Thomas and he just turned 10 and has been beating me at chess for almost 2 years, so watch out for him.

After 12 years in Alaska we moved to southern Oregon and had two more kids

#4 Nerys is 7 and is a fire cracker. I think I she’s a firecracker because she was born on July 5th, just a few hours after the fireworks/

# 5 is 4 year old Kaia, who is just adorable.

And last but not least. I pastor a church called standing stone church which in January of 25 looked like this and now looks like this.

That’s the basic’s of me. pretty much all you need to know.

If you want to sit down and chat I like talking about most things, but my three favorite topics are; The Bible, Star Trek, and Video games.

I also have a passing knowledge of all things chess, science fiction and fantasy films and books, Barbies, American Girl dolls and anything pink.

Ok, so now you know me. chat with me at meal times and whenever I’m out and about and I’ll get to know you.

Because the most important thing in our lives is our relationships.

And the most important relationship decision you will ever have to make in your life is the one you have with Jesus Christ.

Now, I didn’t start my relationship with Jesus until I was in High School.

SO there might be some of you here this week that don’t have a relationship with Jesus right now.

ANd I hope this week draws you into that relationship.

And some of you are in a relationship with Jesus but you are new to it. That’s great. This week will help you grow in that relationship with Jesus in many ways.

And some of you have known Jesus for longer than you can remember. I hope this week brings a fresh look at your relationship with Jesus and a growing of your faith in him.

So, let me ask a question. Some of you likely go to a school during the school year. Some are home schooled. But this is a question for those who go to a school.

When I was in High School there were tables at lunch and they were specific. There’s the tables for the jocks, a table for the popular people, a table for the “nerds.” Just by nodding or shaking your head, do those still exist?

Ok good.

And are there, well, we called them floaters. They didn’t belong at anyone table, but they were welcome at most any table? We had one or two of those at my school. Any of those at your school?

Ok.

Then there was my table. Jocks didn’t come to my table, nor the popular, not the nerds, the bullies didn’t even come to my table.

I was in the invisible table. And if your in a big enough school you might have one or two invisible kids.

We were the ones that just molded in. We weren’t seen, we kept our head down. We did our time. Luckily for me there were two of us, so I had company at my table.

All this to say, every human being wants to be in relationship; we are hardwired that. We all yearn to be accepted, loved, sought after.

And there might be a few here who disagree. Because when I was in High School, I would have.

I’m an introvert. I don’t talk to people easily. I’m very approachable, but I don’t approach often. And the thing most people think about Introverts is that we don’t like people and we only like being alone. That’s not the truth at all.

The difference between Introverts and Extroverts is how you spend your energy.

Extroverts really like being in the crowds. My lovely wife is an Extrovert. She likes talking and asking questions, and being around everyone.

I didn’t go to High School with her, but I bet she was a floater, welcome at most every table.

Introverts on the other hand recharge our batteries by being alone or with one or two people.

We can do well in big crowds, but it spends out energy. We get tired and sometimes really quick.

So, if this week, you have a question for me and can’t find me. I’m hiding. I’m plugged in somewhere recharging my batteries. Reading a book or studying my Bible. But don’t worry, I’m looking forward to getting to know many of you and hope you do come and find me with your questions.

Now, I hope you all have your Bibles with you tonight. If you don’t scoot up to a neighbor and share, because I’m going to this week show you some really cool things in the Bible.

Because like I said, A relationship with Jesus is the most important relationship any of can have, because if Jesus went to your High School there would only be two tables, the ones who wanted to sit with Jesus and the ones who didn’t and he would spend most of his lunch time inviting the other table over.

So, this week we are going to learn as much about Jesus as we can from the first 8 Books of the Bible.

Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Joshua, Judges and Ruth.

I know some might be thinking right now, wait a sec. I might not know much, but Jesus doesn’t show up until the NEW Testament.

Well, if you’re thinking that, then this week will be crazy for you.

Jesus is all over the Bible, from Genesis 1:1 all the way Revelation 22:21.

Let me show you.

Genesis 1:1 ESV

1 In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

Ok, so right away in the beginning God was there.

Now, God isn’t like Human beings in his essence. He is one God, but since relationship is what he is all about he is in relationship with himself.

One God, one essence. 3 persons. Father, Son, Holy Spirit.

So how was Jesus there?

John 17:5 ESV

5 And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.

These words are from a prayer Jesus spoke shortly before his crucifixion.

He confirmed he was with the Father before any creation happened.

Jesus is not created. He is God and the crazy thing about all of this is God wants to be in relationship with you.

In human terms that’s weird. If you think of the most powerful human being in the world. A person everyone knows about. Do you think that person even knows you exist?

We could take it lower. Do you even think the Governor of Oregon knows you exist ?Or the County Commissioners?

Why would I think God, the creator of the whole universe has a spare moment to think about me?

He does and he knows you well and wants you to know him too.

There are a great deal of places that Jesus shows up in the Old Testament.

In fact, when I started sharing this with my church last year, I spent 15 or 16 weeks in Genesis. We’re just going to overview each of the first 8 books and we got one out of Genesis already.

But I got one more for you before we break for the night.

Open up to Genesis 15

This is the story of how a guy named Abram entered into a relationship with Jesus.

Now, the way we join in relationships hasn’t actually changed much since the creation of the world.

Two people make promises and each agrees to uphold their end. Those are the basics, but the procedure has had many forms through the years.

Like when you sign up for a class or club, you are entering into a relationship with that class or club and agreeing to do your best to represent that class or club through your efforts of school work. The teacher enters into a relationship with you and agrees to impart their knowledge and experience to you.

And if either of the people break their agreement then there are consequences. In a student teacher scenario that can be suspension, expulsion, termination of employment or something in between.

Relationships are VERY important and we should take them all seriously.

In Genesis 15 God is entering into a relationship with Abram and their method of entering this agreement is something we don’t do today, but was very common in Abram’s time.

It’s called a cutting covenant and this is how it all went down.

Now, pay attention, because tonight in your cabin a few of you are going to retell this story without your Bible.

I like this activity, because here in America we all have the Bible at our fingertips. But in some areas of the world a town might have one Bible or a series of towns have one that circulates, so they memorize, as best they can the stories, so they can share and tell others about the relationship they have with Jesus.

So after Abram has a few adventures this happens:

Genesis 15 ESV

1 After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.” 2 But Abram said, “O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?” 3 And Abram said, “Behold, you have given me no offspring, and a member of my household will be my heir.” 4 And behold, the word of the Lord came to him: “This man shall not be your heir; your very own son shall be your heir.” 5 And he brought him outside and said, “Look toward heaven, and number the stars, if you are able to number them.” Then he said to him, “So shall your offspring be.” 6 And he believed the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness. 7 And he said to him, “I am the Lord who brought you out from Ur of the Chaldeans to give you this land to possess.” 8 But he said, “O Lord God, how am I to know that I shall possess it?” 9 He said to him, “Bring me a heifer three years old, a female goat three years old, a ram three years old, a turtledove, and a young pigeon.” 10 And he brought him all these, cut them in half, and laid each half over against the other. But he did not cut the birds in half. 11 And when birds of prey came down on the carcasses, Abram drove them away. 12 As the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell on Abram. And behold, dreadful and great darkness fell upon him. 13 Then the Lord said to Abram, “Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years. 14 But I will bring judgment on the nation that they serve, and afterward they shall come out with great possessions. 15 As for you, you shall go to your fathers in peace; you shall be buried in a good old age. 16 And they shall come back here in the fourth generation, for the iniquity of the Amorites is not yet complete.” 17 When the sun had gone down and it was dark, behold, a smoking fire pot and a flaming torch passed between these pieces. 18 On that day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, “To your offspring I give this land, from the river of Egypt to the great river, the river Euphrates, 19 the land of the Kenites, the Kenizzites, the Kadmonites, 20 the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Rephaim, 21 the Amorites, the Canaanites, the Girgashites and the Jebusites.”

So God gave a promise to Abram. You are going to have kids.

Abram was in his 90’s at this point, which was just past middle age at this point, but still too old to parent a new child. Especially with his wife, who was not only past child bearing age, never had a child before.

Go enters into relationship with Abram and they go through this ceremony.

They cut covenant.

And in the culture the two parties make an agreement.

God says he will provide Abram with a child and Abram’s job is to believe God.

Then Abram prepares the site with a bunch of cut up animals and it is the job of each party to walk through the blood.

So God would go through the blood and say, if I break my word, you can do to me what was done to these animals.

And then Abram would walk through to say, if he ever didn’t believe God that God could do to him what was done to the animals.

Here’s the problem.

Abram didn’t walk through, only God did.

This means that only God bears the consequence if either of them break their word.

If God does not provide and Son for Abram then God gives his life.

If Abram doesn’t believe, even for a second, then God gives his life.

Anyone see Jesus there?

John 10:17–18 ESV

17 For this reason the Father loves me, because I lay down my life that I may take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down, and I have authority to take it up again. This charge I have received from my Father.”

Ever since the beginning God has called us to him to be in relationship. I want all of you to have that relationship.

We all have sin, each and every one, we’ve all broken the agreement. But Jesus said he gave his life for us.

Our response is crucial. Do we enter into relationship with him, or do we reject his work in our life.

There is a gift each of you is going to get tonight.

It’s a bookmark with a simple prayer on it.

IF you are in a relationship with Jesus it’s one that I encourage you to pray.

IF you are not in a relationship with Jesus I want you to deeply consider what the prayer means and what it would mean if you said it to him.

And if you’re not sure about Jesus or God or any of it and you’re here this week because you’re curious or because someone made you. Then I ask you to just ask God if he’s there. Earnestly seek his presence.

But your bookmark says,

God, do in me all that you need to do, so that you can do through me all that you want to do.

It’s a hard prayer.

1st God doesn’t need any of us. He didn’t need Abram, he doesn’t NEED me or the counselors or you. And if that kinda hurts to hear get this. HE WANTS YOU.

It’s nice to be needed, but it’s next level to be wanted. Even when you bring nothing to the game.

It’s like picking teams and picking the invisible kid first to be on your team.

It happened to me once and boy did it feel good. We lost, but I got picked first, not because I brought anything to the team, I didn’t. But because I was wanted.

God wants you. ANd you need him.

So you ask him to do what he needs so he can can do what he wants.

And in the Morning, we’ll take a brief look at Jesus in Exodus.

Let’s pray