Beware Of Distorted Views

For youth Sunday - August 7, 2022

John 10:9-11 “9 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. 10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly. 11 “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep.”

Introduction

Young people God loves and cherishes you...

He has great plans for your life and He wants you to succeed...

But there is someone who wants to distort your view of God and the world we’re living in...

Illustration - I want you to take the mirror I gave you. Before you look in that mirror, I want you to remember how you looked a second ago. Now look at yourself in the mirror. See how different you look? The closer you get to the mirror, the more distorted you are. Your head looks bigger, nose looks bigger, and so forth.

The mirrors I gave you came from an idea the Lord gave me while I was driving to work last week. As I looked in the passenger mirror before I made a lane change, I saw the print on the mirror. It read; “Objects Are Closer Than They Appear.”

These mirrors were made to give you a wide view of the lane to the right, but they also make the cars you see closer than they really are.

The enemy comes to steal, and to kill, and destroy you and he uses a tactic that distorts your view on what’s right and what’s wrong. He distorts your view so what you see isn’t really what you see.

The Devil Gives Distorted Views

The devil comes to steal from you, kill you, and destroy you...

There are some things he doesn’t want you to see because he wants to steal your blessings God has for you, he wants kill you - your plans, hopes and dreams, and he wants to destroy you by any means necessary.

He distorts what God says about sex before marriage. The devil has many thinking that it’s okay. But it will only bring emotional and mental stress. Financial difficulties. Medical difficulties.

He distorts what God says about lying. The devil has many thinking it’s okay to tell a lie on someone, to get out of trouble.

He distorts what God says about sin. The devil has many thinking that God didn’t say don’t do it, or God doesn’t know what He’s talking about - He just don’t want you to have any fun.

Jesus Gives The Correct View

Jesus is saying to you at this moment that He has come to give you life and give you a life that’s abundant.

Read and memorize what’s in your bible about the things you’re going to face in this school year.

When you’re faced with a decision, remember what you’ve read and put it into action...

If you can’t remember ask someone older in the church so they will give you a correct answer, and not a distorted answer like the devil gives.

We all have to die someday and then we will be judged. It’s not over once death comes to us. After death we will spend an eternity with or without God, heaven or hell…

Jesus gives the correct view. He is the door to the way into eternal life, and the Good Shepherd who will guide us until we get there.