(While looking at the balcony)

     I thought I could get you all to look up there

     In all seriousness though, I doubt your life is interesting enough to keep others watching, but I know someone who is watching – and I’m not talking about Santa Claus, cos he only watches you for the month of December. But the person who watches you all year round is God.

     One example to me of this is the bass player from For Amusement only – the legendary Benno. I can clearly remember a night out clubbing where he was dancing around and pointed out to me that Jesus was here too, dancing away with us – and that Jesus is an AWESOME dancer. Benno also shoved me a couple of times cos I was dancing on Jesus or cos I sat in the seat that Jesus was in. - some people always take it to far

      As crazy as that might sound, or as much as it might sound like Benno has an imaginary friend called Jesus. There is truth to it. Jesus does see everything we do. Jesus is watching you when you are asleep, at school, at that party, when your doing things that you are glad I can’t see – Jesus is still watching. Its like Jesus has x-ray vision, and we don’t own any cast iron undies – so everything single thing can be seen.

     Imagine the worst thing you’ve ever done. Picture it in your mind. Aren’t you glad I’m not a mind reader. Or at least not a good one – I can see that someone here has ……Flushed their pet goldfish down the toilet while it was still alive.

     Anyway, as you may guess I’m a Christian, and so I believe in the bible. In the bible it describes these bad things that we’ve done as sin. Sin is doing those stupid wrong things like ; lying, stealing, hurting people, the list goes on I admit that I’ve sinned – and I’m sure you have too. Sometimes when you have that disgusting feeling in your gut which gets called guilt or remorse – that can indicate that you just sinned.

     I’m sure we’ve all had that feeling sometime in our life

     When God made us – he intended to be our friend. He wanted our friendship with him to work out, but no surprise – us humans got selfish, and stuffed things up . Andrew Mcleod might tell you that the word ‘team’ has no ‘I ‘ in it, but I’ll assure you that the word ‘sin’ most certainly does have an ‘I’ in it. It is this ‘sin’ that separates us from God and relationship with him that he created us for. Sin is us being selfish and turning our back on God and doing things that displease him. The good news is He wants to get rid of and free us from the sin in our lives so that we can be friends with him. He did this by sending Jesus, God’s son to come and live a perfect life. Jesus then died and 3 days later came back to life. Though this we can be forgiven for our sins.

     It would suck to be like Truman and have your whole life on video. Thankfully God is not like Christof the mad creator of the Truman’s fake world. God is not watching your life on a video and editing all the bad bits together, so when you die he will replay all the bits you regret over and over again, until you turn into a blubbering mess.

     God is a loving God who wants to forgive us

     He loves you so much that he is willing to erase over all the sins you ever did. If you believe in Jesus and that he came and died for your sins, its like handing God the video tape that is your life. (visual prop)

     Jesus then takes the tape and wipes clean over it, and he continues to wipe over it everytime I stuff up.

     I think it’s so amazing that God can not only forgive your sins but he even forgets them forever –

     E.g. friends forgive but not forget

     E.g. Cricket stump – I can’t forget but God can. That must be why I suck at cricket

     I can never forget this incident, but God can forget the sin you think is your worst, he’s that amazing – that forgiving

     Can anyone tell me who the director of the movie ‘The Truman Show’ was? I don’t just mean that fella you saw on the screen was (prize available)?

     What I want you to take notice of, is that Jim Carey didn’t direct this movie. He was too busy acting, stuck doing his little part. Instead Peter Weir directed the movie cos he could stand back and see it all and realize how it was falling together piece by piece. But he couldn’t see what was going to happen in the editing room or other things in the future could he. Well God is a bit like the director in that he has complete vision to see it all, but unlike a human director he has insight into what will happen in the future as well. That’s why I have Jesus as the director or boss of my life – cos he sees it all and can help me out and direct me through the minefield of life as a young person.

     In the same way as if you decide to have me as a friend you would get the funny side to Scott, but you would also get the grumpy in the morning side to Scott - you can’t just ask for part of me, I’m a whole package. It’s the same with God – you can’t take part of him and choose to leave other bits. If you want Jesus to come into your life and erase your sins for ever, you also get him as the director of you life. Some people would like to have him to wipe away their sins but wouldn’t like Jesus as their director, because he will tell you that you shouldn’t do drugs and stuff like that. Jesus doe this because he loves you. Unlike this fake world which offers you all sorts of supposedly "fun things" some of which aren’t good for you. And that’s why Jesus would advise against doing some of these things. He suggests this because as the all knowing director of life, he knows what is best for you in the long run. Don’t get me wrong, Jesus does want you to have fun - he’s all for cool fun things like moshing and surfing or shopping or sport or eating or burp competitions all sort of fun things like that. Just ask Benno, I bet Jesus was in the midst of that mosh pit. But he wants you to remain in his good, pleasing and perfect will that he has for you life – which is more exciting than any short moment of fake fun than this empty world could offer you.

     I’ve got one last clip for you before I round up

     "Everything slipping away … I’d walk in front of traffic for you"

     Well Truman’s supposed best friend makes the claim that he’d be willing to die for him. I doubt that would be true in that he’s lying to him all the while.

     In the bible there is a passage that says, rarely will someone be willing to die for a good person, but that Jesus has done this even though we aren’t good – we are sinners.

     Jesus came to earth and was perfect, he did nothing wrong – not one sin. Yet he was still willing to die for each and every one of us. That means YOU. He didn’t just die for the people who you might think are "good", but he died for you even though he knows you’re a sinner. He loved you that much that he was willing to endure a painful and humiliating death nailed onto a wooden cross for your sake. The best bit is that he didn’t just love you then and do something noble by dying for you, as a once off, many years ago. Instead He continues to love you right now because he is ALIVE. Not only did Jesus die on the cross, but God rose him from the grave so Jesus is now the risen Savior. He is my Lord and savior, as he is for Lorelie who we heard speak before. He is the Lord and savior of many young people here who can tell you story after story of how God has revolutionized their life and made it better than they ever dreamed.

     Response

     Now is your chance to respond. You’ve heard me speak about how Jesus can bring you the forgiveness and the hope that this world full of fakes could never offer you. Well I’m going to pray a prayer in a moment that gives you the chance to become a Christian. Which is when you ask Jesus to come into your life and forgive you and become the director of your life – like he is for my life and so many others here.

     I’d just like you to all close your eyes and bow your heads now

     And if you’d like to pray that prayer in your head right now, I’d just ask that while no one is looking around you just raise your hand so I can know who I’m praying for and someone can give you a bible latter and answer any questions you might have

     Now is your chance

Raise your hand now if you want to pray the prayer to become a Christian

     Dear Jesus

     I thank you that you came and died and rose from the grave for my sins. I ask now that you come into my life and wipe away my sins. Lead me on Lord Jesus as the director of my life.

     I thank you God

     Now is your chance

     Raise your hand now if you want to pray the prayer to become a Christian

Dear Jesus:
     I thank you that you came and died and rose from the grave for my sins. I ask now that you come into my life and wipe away my sins. Lead me on Lord Jesus as the director of my life. I thank you God. Amen.

Spare Ideas

We accept the reality of the world we are offered.

Whole life is fake.

A true man.

What was life like before you met the real thing – Coke
Jesus is the real thing – he can give you the reality Truman dreamed of.