Congratulations Graduates.  You are at a turning point in your life.  For the elementary students, the move to High School is huge.  You will be going to new buildings with new teachers and new students.  You will make the transition, but it will be huge.

Those graduating from High School, your future plans may be school, work or marriage.  Please do one or the other.  Many of us here need your help with our social security!

Those graduating from college will be heading out into the workforce, looking for jobs, or continuing your education.  Your choices have expanded greatly from where they were before you entered your first year of school. 

Those who have received your Master’s degrees, I ask you, “What are you going to do with all your free time?”  You have worked hard for years and now the classes, reading, and papers will no longer consume your time.  Congratulations to all.

So why get an education?  Why have you spent time in school?  Some of you will say, “Because I had no choice.  I was forced to go!”  Others may say, “So I can get a good job and make a decent wage.”  Other may be looking for fame.  You are entering a field that makes others respect you.

God in heaven is looking down.  He gave you your mind, your body, your ability to do all that you can do.  God wants you to use your education, your talents, your abilities to promote the kingdom of God on this earth.

Your High School is a mission field.  People there need to know Christ and you know him.  Your task is to live for Him and promote Jesus in what you say and what you do. 

Your college is a mission field.  God is calling you to go there and both learn what you need to learn as well as live out your Christian faith. 

Your workplace is a mission field.  You find that many at your job will never go to a church that preaches the gospel unless they attend a funeral or wedding.  So God is calling you to take the gospel to them. 

Whether or not you respond to God’s call is a heart issue.  Does Jesus have your life?  Are you surrendered to him?

A prominent Japanese Christian leader arrived in San Francisco for an extended lecture tour. A news reporter commented to the man that he had been referred to as “the greatest Christian in the world.” The Japanese visitor responded, “I do not know who is the greatest Christian in God’s sight. It may be a poor, unknown woman living in the slums of Tokyo.” The man knew that in God’s sight greatness is not determined by fame or the conditions under which one lives but by character and surrender to God’s will and purpose.

So I ask the graduates and each one of us here this question.  “What is inside you?  Is Christ being formed in you?  Are you rooted and grounded in the faith?  Do you have this character and have you surrendered to God’s will and purpose in your life?”

If so, it would seem to me that you would have a desire to worship God from your heart.  If so, it would seem to me that you would want to help any Christian you met walk with God.  If so, it would seem to me that you would want to be used by God to bring others to the savior.

While our main purpose in school or work is to get the job done, the higher purpose is to promote the kingdom of God on this earth.

So the bigger question comes down to this.  How do we draw closer to God?  How do we guard our hearts before God?  How do we seek the kingdom of God and his righteousness in our lives?

Let me answer this by speaking about the reality of life.  We all have outside pressures that stick their fingers into our lives.  When these pressures come, we have to respond.  Every time you listen to the radio, you are allowing the outside to come in.  Every time you turn on the tv, you are allowing the outside to come in.  Every time you sit in a class and listen to any teacher, you are allowing the outside to come in.  Every time you read a book, take a seminar, talk to someone else, you are allowing the outside to come in. 

The question is clear:  “What voice speaks the loudest to you?”  Is it your teacher, your parents, your pastor, your boss or your friends? 

The Christian will say, “The voice that speaks the loudest to me is the voice of God.”  But is that true?  It is if the voice of God is on the list as one of the outside voices that are allowed to come in.  But if the voice of God does not come in, then you cannot be influenced by his voice.

If you want to make a difference for God in your school, your job, your community or your home, then you need to hear the voice of God.

When you hear, you need to respond.  Hearing is not enough.  We all need to stand up and do something about what we hear.  My generation complained that the church was all talk and no action.  However, it’s easy to criticize others and not step up to the plate yourself.  I hear two kinds of people.  The first will tell others what they should do and then step in to help and to do what they want others to do.  The second will tell others what they should do and then use the fact that others are not doing whatever “it” is as an excuse not to do what they criticize others for not doing.

If you think the church should reach out to youth, get involved with the youth program.  If you think the church should help the poor, help them yourself.  If you think the church should visit the sick, go to the hospital and visit that sick person.  You are the church.  The church will be what you are.

In the next few weeks we will be looking at some steps you can take in your life to walk close to God.  Some of these steps will strengthen you.  Some of these steps will help you promote the kingdom of God.

The first step you can take in your life to walk closer to God is to develop a prayer life.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 tells us to pray without ceasing to pray continually.  Unceasing prayer is what God wants.  If Jesus has your life, then the bond you have with Jesus will be close enough that you will talk to God continually. 

How much time do you spend texting or talking to your friends on your cell phone?  You do this because there is a bond.  As you talk to them the bond grows stronger.

This summer make a practice of bonding with Jesus, of talking to God.  Carry that through into your school or work.  Pray before meals.  Pray in the morning.  Pray as you face different situation.  Give praise for the good that comes in your life.  Thank God for all your blessing.  Be specific.  Don’t thank him for all the blessings, thank him for your health, the beauty of his creation that you enjoy, the love you feel from God, from your family and friends.  Pray and give praise to God.

The second step you can take in your life to walk closer to God is to commit yourself to be a life-long learner of the Bible.

Psalm 119:9–12 (NIV84) 9How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word. 10I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands. 11I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you. 12Praise be to you, O Lord; teach me your decrees.

Here we find David telling all of us that the way to moral purity, the way to intimacy with God, the way to overcoming sin is by knowing the Bible.

Some of you know the Bible well.  Your parents read it to you when you were young.  You have been in church and you have heard all the stories.  I say you know the Bible well, but I am not sure.  Some people know a lot about the Bible but don’t know the Bible.  I have heard young children tell their teachers, “We already know about David and Goliath.”  What you don’t understand is that the Bible is not really about David and Goliath, it is about God and you.  You don’t know the Bible well until you read it and see yourself in it.  When the Bible becomes a mirror, then you are getting a grasp on really knowing the Bible.

A life-long learner, and we have several in this church, are people who read the Bible every day.  They set aside time while they are eating breakfast, or at a break on their job, or at some other point in the day to spend time in the word.  Every day they read the Daily Bread and the scripture that is with it.  Some have reading plans and are reading through the Bible in a year.

Underlying this idea of a commitment to be a life-long learner is a desire to know what God wants them to do and to understand how he wants it done.  The attitude is this: If God says it, I will do it.  Here is the person who is seeking the Lord with all his heart, who does not want to stray from his commands.

The third step you can take in your life to walk closer to God is to be involved in a local church.

The New Testament is all about Jesus.  The New Testament is all about the church.  Every believer in Jesus Christ is part of the church.  When you put your faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit came to live in you and you were immersed into the body of Christ, the church.

God has chosen the church to help you walk closer to God. 

Two highlights! 

Ephesians 4:11–12 (NIV84) 11 It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, 12 to prepare God’s people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up

I hear people who say that all they need is the word of God.  Give me the Bible and I am good to go.  But the very Bible that they say they need tells us that we need more than that.  The “he” in this verse is God.  God gave spiritual leaders to prepare God’s people for works of service.  If God gave spiritual leaders to prepare his people for works of service, then we must need that spiritual help.

Find a building where the preachers are giving the message that the apostles and prophets gave.  Find a building where the preachers are reinforcing what the evangelist say.  When we try to go it alone, we are cutting off a major resource that God has given to help us spiritually.

When you go to school or move away, the first thing you should find is a church where the word of God is preached.  Pray to God.  Read your Bible on your own.  But supplement this by sitting under sound teaching.  Don’t ever let your ego get so big that you don’t think you need the help that God offers to you.

The second highlight is found in 1 Corinthians 12. Here Paul is speaking about spiritual realities.  Every believer is given a gift, a place to use it and a unique way of presenting what they have been given.  We are not clones.  But God has gifted everyone of us in different ways.  Why?

1 Corinthians 12:7 (NIV84)7 Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.

You are gifted for my good.  I am gifted for your good.  How can you deny yourself the opportunity to receive what God wants to give you through other members of his body?  Can you say you don’t need other Christians to follow Christ?  You are arguing with Christ when you say that.  The manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good.  That means that the gifts are given to others for your good. 

The importance of going to church is to get the supplement of teaching to your own study of the Bible and to receive the support of people with gifts of teaching, gifts of helps, gifts of mercy, gifts of understanding. 

I do need to add here that the other part of this is that your gifts were given to you by God to benefit me.  If you don’t add your gift to the mix, you are hurting the other Christians.  Your gift was given to you for the common good and you are not using it.

Get involved in a local church.  Do it the first week you are at school or move to a new community.  It is important for your spiritual health.  If you want to develop the character of Christ walk with others who are on the same path.

The fourth step you can take I your life to walk closer to God is to develop a plan to reach those who need Christ.

When you walk into High School, onto a college campus or into your job, you will be surrounded by people who need Christ.  It would be wonderful if you could take the eight or ten hours they give you and spend it talking to others about Jesus. 

But you can’t!  You are being paid to do a job and you have to do the job.  Some companies have rules about religious talk, symbols or books.  You may be under a gag order when it comes to your Christian faith. 

Your savior has commanded you to share your faith wherever you go.  Your school or job has made it hard to just share.  So what do you do?

You come up with a plan.  Jesus had a plan.  He could have come anywhere in the world, but he came to Israel.  He could have spoken to anyone, but he chose to focus on Jewish people.  He could have set up schools and training sites, but he worked with twelve disciples. 

Why did Jesus do that?  He did that because he had a plan.  The plan was to infiltrate the world, work with a small group of people, and through those people, change the world.  He has a future plan that in the dispensation of the fullness of times he will gather in one all things in Christ.  God has a plan.

Some suggestions on the plan.

First, pray.  Don’t try to do anything without God.  Let God head your team.

Second, network.  Find other believers in your classes, on your campus, at your workplace and build relationships with them.

Third, plan.  Under God’s leadership, work with your co-laborers to seek God’s will on how to reach and help others.

Why do this?  The apostle Paul wrote, Romans 1:16 (NIV84)

16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile.

Salvation is a broad term.  You can be saved from a lot of things and this word includes most of them.  We are saved from sins penalty by the cross of Christ.  We are saved from sins effect when we follow Christ.

Do you know someone who is at wits end?  What do you have to help them?  You have Jesus.  Do you know someone grieving a death?  What do you have to help them?  You have Jesus. Do you know a marriage in trouble?  What do you have to help them?  You have Jesus. 

If you are ashamed of the gospel, you will be quiet.  If you have confidence in the good news, you will speak up.

God has put you into that school, into that home, into that family or job so that through you, they can be helped by God.  Pray to God that he will show you how to be the friend that brings your friend and Jesus together.

The fifth step you can take in your life to walk closer to God is to give financially.

 I mention this because of something Jesus said. Matthew 6:19–21 (NIV84)

19 “Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Notice verse 21.  The place you put your treasure indicates where your heart is.  If you put your money into education, that indicates that you treasure education.  If you put your money into sports, that indicates that you treasure sports.  If you put your money into investments, that indicates that you treasure the process of making money.  If you put your money into the kingdom of God, that indicates you treasure the kingdom of God.

Some people will say this.  “I treasure God’s kingdom, but I am so poor that I can’t afford to put anything in now, I will do it later.”  A widow walks into the temple and she puts a few pennies into the offering.  Jesus commends her, not for the amount, but for the percentage.  He saw that her gift indicated a heart that treasured God.

You have graduated.  You are ready to take the next step.  Picture yourself four years from now.  Will you be a person of prayer?  Will you be a person who knows the Bible better?  Will you be involved in a local church, listening to the word of God and giving and receiving from the spiritual gifts of others?  Will you have executed the plan you made for reaching others for Christ?  Will you have given cheerfully and consistently to the Lord’s work?

The answer lies in your heart.  If you have a heart for God, if you trust Jesus, four years from now will be a time you recognize that your faith has deepened and that God is using you in a wonderful way.

We pray this will be true for you.  We wish you nothing but the very best.  We hope to hear testimonies of how God has used you with your gifts and talents for his glory.

Hobbs, H. H. (1990). My favorite illustrations (43). Nashville, TN: Broadman Press.