Have any of you ever seen something like this - not in a picture, I mean. But in real life. Have you ever seen a mountain?
[show a slide with mountain scene]

        Perhaps you've gone camping somewhere in huge hills or mountains. Or hiking. Standing at the bottom and looking waaaaaaay up. Ever had that? What's the biggest hill or mountain you've ever seen? Can you remember what it looked like?
        And perhaps when you were standing there mom or dad suggested, "Let's hike to the top of that mountain." My goodness - your legs get tired just thinking about it. There's no way you'd make it.
        Even more crazy would be the idea - "Let's pick up that mountain and move it out of the way so we can hike through to the other side." Would your parents says something like that to you?
        Impossible!!
        Way too big.

Stand near a mountain and do you ever feel small!
What a rock!
Couldn't fit that one into a slingshot, could you.

Did you know that the Bible speaks of mountains, hills and rocks quite a bit?
Two of them I want to talk about this morning:
        - trouble..... a mountain of trouble.
        - safety...... safe on a mountain top; on a rock.

Trouble..... and safety.

Trouble first.
Ever been in trouble? Not you, right. But maybe your brother or sister. Especially brothers.
        Trouble.
        Big trouble.
        A huge pile of trouble.
        A mountain of trouble.
        So much trouble that you thought it would never go away. That you'd never be able to get rid of it. That it would smoonch you flat.

That's the kind of trouble that the opening words of our worship service spoke about, in Psalm 121 -
        I look to the mountains. Where will my help come from?

Gulp.

Perhaps it was trouble at school.
        Having problems in class.
        No friends.
        Or a bully who said he would get you next time he saw you.
Perhaps at home.
        Things not going well with mom or dad.
        Fighting with a brother or sister.

Big, big problems.
Or maybe a whole bunch of little problems that kept piling up until you had a pile of them as big as a mountain.

That happens to lots of people.
Most people, as a matter of fact - somewhere along the way.
Ask your mom or dad. They've probably had it. Or Grandma & Grandpa.
All these people that are sitting here with you this morning. Some of them, even though they're smiling on the outside – inside they're struggling with mountains of problems. Worried. Unsure.

What's the biggest problem you've ever faced?
Are you worrying about a big problem now?

Mountains of problems.
That's the first thing I think of when I see a picture of mountains.
It's one of the things the Bible speaks of.

And so........ what do we do about that?
        Where do we go with it?

Cadets, Gems - your counsellors have been with you this year for two important reasons.
        One is to have a good time with you in club events. Doing things, going places - and having a good time together.
        The other is to help remind you of Someone who is there to help us, to be with us, to guide and care for us. Someone that the Bible speaks of as a mountain,
        as a great
                big
                        strong
                                solid
                                        ROCK.

We read in Isaiah 44:
        "Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other....ROCK."

The other reading, from 1 Peter 2 in the New Testament, speaks of Jesus as a solid stone, a rock.

You know, something about great big rocks, about mountains:
        - they don't move
        - they last a long, long time
        - they are safe to be on. In the olden days, when people were looking for safe places to build their villages or castles or forts, they tried to build on top of a big rock, a hill or a mountain. It was the safest spot - hard for enemies to sneak up on, safe from floods. Secure place.

Which is what the writer of Psalm 71 was thinking about when he wrote this prayer to God:

"Rescue me..... save me.... Be my rock of refuge to which I can go; give the command to save me, for you are my rock and my fortress."

Which is where the Cadets got their theme for the year - "The Rock, My Rock."

When things change in our lives and become uncomfortable.
When we're not sure what's going to come next, and feel nervous about it
When we're feeling unsafe
        The Bible's promise is that we can always go to God.
                He never changes. Secure.
                He is forever, and knows everything.
                He is safe to be with - protecting His children.
                        Strong as a Rock. A secure mountain.

The Message that we want every one of you to know is that we don't have to climb the mountains of trouble and worry in life all by ourselves.
        We go to the Rock, the Mountain called Jesus.
        We mountain climb with Jesus.

Praying.
        That He would be our friend. With us.
        That He would take care of us. For us.

A young fellow named, Danny, 8 years old, from Chula Visa California, did a homework assignment for his third grade teacher telling what he believed about God. Let me read it for you:

"One of God's main jobs is making people. He makes them to replace the ones that die so there will be enough people to take care of things on earth. He doesn't make grown-ups, just babies. I think because they are smaller and easier to make. That way, He doesn't have to take up His valuable time teaching them to talk and walk. He can just leave that to mothers and fathers.

God's second most important job is listening to prayers. An awful lot of this goes on, since some people, like preachers and things, pray at times besides bedtime. God doesn't have time to listen to the radio or TV because of this. Because He hears everything there must be a terrible lot of noise in His ears, unless He has thought of a way to turn it off. God sees everything and hears everything and is everywhere, which keeps Him pretty busy. So you shouldn't go wasting His time by going over your mom and dad's head asking for something they said you couldn't have.

Atheists are people who don't believe in God. I don t think there are any in Chula Vista. At least there aren't any who come to our church.

Jesus is God's Son. He used to do all the hard work like walking on water and performing miracles and trying to teach the people who didn't want to learn about God. They finally got tired of Him preaching to them and they crucified Him. But He was good and kind like His Father and He told His Father that they didn't know what they were doing and to forgive them and God said OK. His Dad (God) appreciated everything that He had done and all His hard work on earth so He told Him He didn't have to go out on the road anymore, He could stay in heaven. So He did.

And now He helps His Dad out by listening to prayers and seeing things which are important for God to take care of and which ones He can take care of Himself without having to bother God. Like a secretary only more important.

You can pray anytime you want and they are sure to hear you because they got it worked out so one of them is on duty all the times.

You should always go to Church on Sunday because it makes God happy, and if there's anybody you want to make happy, it's God. Don't skip church to do something you think will be more fun like going to the beach. This is wrong! And, besides, the sun doesn't come out at the beach until noon anyway.

If you don't believe in God, besides being an atheist, you will be very lonely, because your parents can't go everywhere with you, like to camp, but God can. It is good to know He's around you when you're scared in the dark or when you can't swim very good and you get thrown into real deep water by big kids.

But you shouldn't just always think of what God can do for you. I figure God put me here and He can take me back anytime He pleases.
And that's why I believe in God."

A strong, solid Rock.
Bigger, stronger than any mountain you could ever find.

Your counsellors have been telling you this because it's so very important to know it. And believe it.
        Not just when you're old, like Grandma and Grandpa.
        But even now. When you're young.
                That you give your heart to Jesus, the Rock.
                        Love Him. Obey Him.

Which brings me to my last point.
Counsellors, you've been sacrificing of your time to be with these cadets and gems. Just like the Church School teachers and youth club workers, who sacrifice of their time to be with our children and young people.
        And not everyone may understand why - why you do this. After all, there's nothing in it for you. Not directly, anyway.
        It costs you, in time, in energy, in money - away from home & family.
                So many other things you could be doing.

Why bother?

Answer, again, relates to mountains.
        Experienced mountain travellers tell me that it's not terribly smart to go into the mountains alone. Do it, like swimming, with a buddy. And if you're climbing a particularly dangerous mountain, make sure you're tied together by ropes. That way if one falls, the other can stop the fall and pull them back up.
        In the mountain climb of life we need buddies.
        In the climb of faith, too, we need buddies. And guides. And teachers.

Our commemorative reading took words from Psalm 71. It is sometimes titled, "The Prayer Of An Old Man." May I add to that - "The Prayer of a WISE Old Man".
        Let me remind you of some of the words you spoke. They come from verse 18. "Even when I am old and grey, do not forsake me, O God...." Which was one way for the writer of this piece to say, "Keep me alive, O God...." ......keep me alive...... till....... "I declare your power to the next generation, Your might to all who are to come."

We live, you see, as part of a long, long unfolding story.
        A true, wonderful story.
        The account and history of the mighty working of God in this world and among His people.
                None of us live in that story alone.
                None of us die in that history alone.

God places an obligation on those who are living in the security of His Rock-Like Fortress to pass this life of salvation along to others.
        To the next generation.
        And with them to all who have yet to hear.

Which was what the Gems were learning about. How important it is to tell other people about how safe and good and right life is when lived with Jesus Christ. We rescue them by bringing them to Jesus. Their theme was: Danger Ahead! Join the Rescue Squad.

Counsellors - your sacrifice is not in vain.
Parents - when you entrust your children to their care, that is not in vain.
Members of Calvin - when you support youth ministry, and outreach activities of various sorts, it is in obedience to the Lord.
        It is part of fulfilling our baptismal vows and obligations.
        It is in the spirit of the writer of Psalm 71.
        Pleading - Lord, let me be part of the effort to spread this Word.
                Even though it costs.
                Even though the benefits may never be seen by me.
                Use me to help the next generation learn of and live in you.

For ultimately - it's the only way to live.
When we face the mountains and troubles of life -
        Where will our help come from?

Join me in saying,

"Our help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth....
He will protect us as we come and go -
Now and forever." (Ps 121)

"Lord, you are my rock and my fortress." (Ps 71)

"The one who trusts in Him will never be put to shame." (1 Peter 2)