Passages
1 John 3:16-20
16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. 17 If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? 18 Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. 19 This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence 20 whenever our hearts condemn us. For God is greater than our hearts, and he knows everything.
Message
Introduction
It is great to be back in here in Tassie; although I also liked where I have been for the first 6 months of this year.
[Slide show]
For those who didn’t know I have only 6 weeks ago returned from Mexico. I have a few images that will tell about some of the experiences I had. The time away was special
Going via Japan and Canada I arrived in Mexico city at the airport
I rang some friends and stayed with them for the first few days.
I then jumped on a bus that travelled for 12 hours to a place on the coast called Puerto Escondido. If you find Acapulco on a map and follow the coast down; about 600kms away you’ll find Porto
It is a nice little community with the rich and not at all rich living together.
The meaning of the name Puerto Escondido is port hidden.
In the port is a little boating marina; and lovely tranquil beaches for those who are after a good resting holiday.
Many boats are moored here at night and to be a fisherman can be a good little business.
Tourism is another big business; as the waves are BIG and very surfable. Many folk come here just to go surfing. The place in the surfing community is labelled Mex Pipe – or the Mexican pipeline.
Apart from the surfing I also went to work an live here at El Refugio. This place is like a small campsite and often has short term teams come through.
The leader of the ministry is Ronne & Sherry Jones
Another couple Mando & Myra Velasquez joined them 2 years ago
The 3rd staff member is Mia Olmstead. She runs a the Christian caf at the main surf beach
When Mia joined the team, there wasn’t much to the restaurant but soon after a lot of work her and another girl got the place really happening.
The caf is named Aroma Divino an is right on the beach. All the other are on the other side of the road so it is in prime position.
Once inside one will see some great waves and people riding them.
All of the staff are Christians and they work hard both in keeping the food coming and in relating to the clients.
Many of the local guys come in and just hang out. The local surfers are really good at what they do but many have messed up lives.
During the 4 months I got to meet these 3 Mexicans. (The young boy is Ronne’s oldest son.) The other two, Celi and Motor come from hard family backgrounds…
We do use this caf to reach the locals and tourists alike.
Many people come to surf and the waves are often big. To reach a surfer it is best to become a surfer; so I did.
This is Mando one of the other staff workers taking off
Lining it up
And about to get barrelled.
I gave it a bit of a go too. Quite fun but at times it can be scary.
Apart form surfing El Refugio is a place for short term missions to come. Many groups come through out the year and at the moment there is one from Hawaii. This team was from California and they came for the week after Easter.
This team of Mexicans had been doing a 9 month course in evangelism and came for 12 days to practise what they had learned. I especially enjoyed having them around.
This and other groups would do kids clubs and reach out to those in the community who had not yet heard the truth of Jesus Christ.
I spent much time with the teams and also with this older man Alejo. This guy had smoked for 50 years and not too surprising he now has emphysema…
I along with Andy, another short termer worker got involved in the local Baptist church. I did heaps of great things with these guys and they took me in as one of their own.
On my first Sunday at the Baptist church I meet this lovely girl named Lucy and the Christian family she worked for. Her and others helped me learn the Spanish language and the culture…
Also on my first Sunday at this church this guy Saul came and invited me to visit him the next day. And so I did, nearly everyday after as well.
He along with other family members or relatives run this little corner store and a few other shops nearby. They were so generous and helpful…
The Baptist church also does outreaches and is helping to plant more churches is nearby places. Some things are similar but other things are very Mexican.
Other highlights was getting to witness some of my new friends being baptised – either in a lagoon or in quite fresh mountain streams.
God is working in Puerto Escondido and He wants to do more in the surfing community.
For this year for me in Puerto Escondido, the sun might have set.
I have retuned to college to study until the end of the year, in preparation to heading back.
The head of the Christian Surfers ministry Brett Davis, is keen to see me return to Puerto and establish a Christian Surfers base there. There is something happening now, but it isn’t much.
I am planning then to jump in next year and get back to the fun and adventures that is the missionary life.
So since I have been away – what have you been doing?
Now this question is rhetorical and I’m not asking it so that I can put a guilt trip on you, but answer the question honestly; in the past six months what have you been doing with your life?
I want to suggest that, what you have been doing is putting the most important things in your life first. So the next question:
What is important to you?
Work, career, job security, possessions, house, car, clothes, family, children’s education, health,
How about other people you know and their walk with the Lord.
If a high priority isn’t to see people around you coming to salvation in Christ, then what does you salvation really mean to you?
Why are you saved?
Ticket to heaven; scared of a fiery place called hell; Jesus was offering what you were missing from your life – life eternal; you know that you can’t win God's favour no matter how hard you try, or how good you are.
How do you know you’re saved?
Well I want to say that for me, I became a child of God when I repented of my rejection of God (sin), asked him to forgive me for this self-centredness, (even though I didn’t deserve it at all), and ask him to come in, change my life, giving Him complete reign, and stop being my own boss and stuffing things up; That’s what being saved is for me.
For you though, if you can’t identify with and experience such as what I just described then I would take a pretty strong bet that you aren’t saved.
Please don’t come to church and kid yourself and other that things are alright between you and God when deep down you know that you have unresolved issues with the God of the universe, and these issues will prevent you from living with him in heaven after you physically die.
Be pleased; very pleased that if you are still breathing i.e. alive, then you still have time to come back to God. Let today be the day of your salvation.
Tuesday night Bible study
At El Refugio every Tuesday night a drunkard would come and hear the word being preached and of his need of salvation. He just couldn’t seem to give his life over to God. Sadly, one day for him there won’t be another opportunity. The case will be the same for you too.
Make a decision to follow Christ today.
What’s your answer
What on earth have you been doing?
I trust that it has been living daily for Jesus.
If not, get into the centre of God's will. Live knowing that you are saved and help others from not going to a Christless eternity by sharing the truth of Jesus that you already know.
SONG: Reach out
The days are coming
When some of our friends will go to hell
And we will disappear into the clouds
Then we’ll realise we did not tell them
We kept eternity to ourselves
Oh Lord help us see the situation
Help us open up our eyes
We must reach out
To the people of this nation
(Tell the peoples of this nation)
Tell them all before they die
