Graduating with Honors - Message given on 5/20/07
Today in my Morris Church we recognized our high school graduates, two outstanding young women. They garnered a raft of honors, awards and achievements in their high school years. To say we were proud of them is an understatement. We presented them very nice Bibles enscribed with their names. Here is the message I shared with the congregation:
Many prayer pundits suggest praying with Scripture. This morning we’ll use Proverbs 7:4-13. Let us pray: My father told me, "Take my words to heart. Follow my instructions and you will live. Learn to be wise, and develop good judgment. Don't forget or turn away from my words. Don't turn your back on wisdom, for she will protect you. Love her, and she will guard you. Getting wisdom is the most important thing you can do! And whatever else you do, get good judgment. If you prize wisdom, she will exalt you. Embrace her and she will honor you. She will place a lovely wreath on your head; she will present you with a beautiful crown." My child, listen to me and do as I say, and you will have a long, good life. I will teach you wisdom's ways and lead you in straight paths. If you live a life guided by wisdom, you won't limp or stumble as you run. Carry out my instructions; don't forsake them. Guard them, for they will lead you to a fulfilled life. Almighty and gracious God, I pray that each heart here be open to your word this morning and that my words become truly yours in spirit. May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight oh Lord our rock and our redeemer. AMEN
During the next few weeks across the country, in our community, and even in our charge, young people will be celebrating the completion of their studies as they graduate. For some, it will be an observance of escape, that they finally, and just barely, have completed the requirements to get out of school. You can often tell those students. When their names are called, their mothers are the ones who break the dignity of the event by shouting loud “Hallelujahs!” For others, graduation is a recognition of work well done. Those who do exceptional work graduate with honors.
However, most would agree that graduations are rites of passage. But what is that? Passage to what or where? In cases of graduation from ES and MS, it’s never mentioned. It’s assumed that everyone is going on to the next level of schooling. At college graduations the future plans of graduates are hardly ever mentioned. The heavy majority of the graduates are going into the workplace. College degrees are usually terminal degrees. At high school graduations it’s different. The educators proudly point out how many of the graduates are going on to colleges. They do that because college is not a given. HS is the first graduation that may be followed by any number of paths. More school for sure, but also military service or occupational choices.
The fact that graduations are rites of passage assumes that those who are being honored have been prepared for something. The lessons learned in school would be useless unless they can be applied in some meaningful way to situations that may come our way in the future. I’ve shared with you before that I’ve lived almost 61 years, and I’ve never yet encountered a situation where I had to figure out how much a candy mixture should cost if the three different candies I put in it cost 25, 50 and 75 cents a pound.
It reminds me of a time when I was at a symposium (that’s an academic word for bull session) with a number of honors students and professors. One of the math professors was bewailing the attitude of students. He would board a complex formula, go the all the intricacies of solving the equation. The process was so perfect, it almost gave him and academic high just demonstrating it. Then, a student would ruin the moment by asking, “What good is it?” As the lone business person, I posed the question a bit more tactfully. “Wouldn’t the height of the process be to show how that formula could be applied to solve a human need?” I failed to convince the professor.
However, except for the very narrow field of academics where knowledge is treasured as its own reward, most of the rest of us expect some practical use for the knowledge we have learned. In defense of the academics I must allow that in many cases (maybe even the three candy algebra problem) the goal is to hone the skill of problem solving itself. That skill will help us throughout our lives, even if we never own a candy store.
Even so, with the exception of ES arithmetic, English and especially typing, I haven’t found much direct application in real life of most of the lessons I learned at school. I can’t say the same thing for the lessons I’ve learned in Sunday School or in the Bible, better known as Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. Let’s hear some wisdom from God’s word now as Jesus himself speaks:
Matthew 7:12-23 NLT 12 "Do for others what you would like them to do for you. This is a summary of all that is taught in the law and the prophets. 13 "You can enter God's Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose the easy way. 14 But the gateway to life is small, and the road is narrow, and only a few ever find it. 15 "Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep, but are really wolves that will tear you apart. 16 You can detect them by the way they act, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit. You don't pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles. 17 A healthy tree produces good fruit, and an unhealthy tree produces bad fruit. 18 A good tree can't produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can't produce good fruit. 19 So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. 20 Yes, the way to identify a tree or a person is by the kind of fruit that is produced. 21 "Not all people who sound religious are really godly. They may refer to me as 'Lord,' but they still won't enter the Kingdom of Heaven. The decisive issue is whether they obey my Father in heaven. 22 On judgment day many will tell me, 'Lord, Lord, we prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.' 23 But I will reply, 'I never knew you. Go away; the things you did were unauthorized.
The Word of God, written for the people of God - Thanks be to God
This passage, unlike some of the lessons you and I learned in school has some specific applications for us. It starts out with one of the most basic teachings we have, but one of the most difficult to follow consistently. “Do for others what you would like them to do for you. This is a summary of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.” In other words, this is the Cliff Notes version. People try to make faith and following God such a complicated matter. It’s not complicated; it’s just difficult. Jesus says treat people nice. It’s not hard to understand, just hard to do.
This passage has some things in it that make me a bit uncomfortable. Perhaps you’ve seen some of those “God signs” on billboards. This passage reminds me of the one that says, “Read the Bible. There will be a test.” We all are going through a preparation process. Our lives are our chance to get it right; but getting it right can be difficult. “The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose the easy way. 14 But the gateway to life is small, and the road is narrow, and only a few ever find it. 15 "Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep, but are really wolves that will tear you apart.”
Many of our high school graduates are going into the most hostile spiritual and moral environment humanity has devised. It’s called college. Moral and faith principles will be challenged and even derided. The very existence of God will be debated. It will be easy to choose the wrong highway. Going along with the crowd will be comfortable-for a while. The trouble in academia is that you can’t prove God rationally. Faith is the hope for things unseen. It’s not God’s desire that He can be proven. But I’d like to share with you again a logical (even if not Biblical) reason for believed. Faith in Jesus Christ can be true or not true. There are only four possible outcomes to this choice.
If you don’t believe in Jesus and the claims He made are not true. There would be no heaven or hell, and when you die, you would rot like a fallen log. If you reject Jesus and His claims are true, you would spend your eternity in hell, separated from God. If you believe in Jesus; but His claims are untrue, there can be no heaven or hell. You will live a life doing good things and have confidence in your eternal future. When you die you will rot like a fallen log; but you will never know that you were wrong because you’ll be dead. Finally, if you believe in Jesus, and His claims are true, there would be a heaven and a hell. And you would spend your eternal future in heaven enjoying the presence of God and all your believing relatives who have gone on before you.
In summary, logically, there are no negatives to believing even if faith is untrue. But the best you can hope for as a nonbeliever is to rot in the grave after living a life that offers no hope. The Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth tell us: “On judgment day many will tell me, 'Lord, Lord, we prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.' 23 But I will reply, 'I never knew you. Go away; the things you did were unauthorized.” Anyone can do good works. The belief in Jesus Christ “authorizes” us to do the good things to His glory. Our belief in Jesus Christ will assure us that on judgment day, He will not say, “I never knew you.” Instead, we will hear, “Well done good and faithful servant. Come and share your master’s happiness.”
So the bottom line is this: We never really graduate in this life. It’s just a manmade rite of passage that says we’ve completed something, and we’re ready to go on to the next step. But we all will graduate from this life. The question is will we graduate with honors? In the name of the father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit. AMEN.
Would you join me in a Graduate’s prayer (found on the internet)?
Father,
I have knowledge, so will You show me now,
How to use it wisely and find a way somehow
To make the world I live in a little better place,
And make life with its problems a little bit easier to face.
Grant me faith and courage and put purpose in my days,
And show me how to serve Thee in effective ways.
So my education, my knowledge and my skill
May find their true fulfillment as I learn to do Thy will.
And may I ever be aware in everything I do,
That knowledge comes from learning, and wisdom comes from You.
In Jesus’ name AMEN.
Many prayer pundits suggest praying with Scripture. This morning we’ll use Proverbs 7:4-13. Let us pray: My father told me, "Take my words to heart. Follow my instructions and you will live. Learn to be wise, and develop good judgment. Don't forget or turn away from my words. Don't turn your back on wisdom, for she will protect you. Love her, and she will guard you. Getting wisdom is the most important thing you can do! And whatever else you do, get good judgment. If you prize wisdom, she will exalt you. Embrace her and she will honor you. She will place a lovely wreath on your head; she will present you with a beautiful crown." My child, listen to me and do as I say, and you will have a long, good life. I will teach you wisdom's ways and lead you in straight paths. If you live a life guided by wisdom, you won't limp or stumble as you run. Carry out my instructions; don't forsake them. Guard them, for they will lead you to a fulfilled life. Almighty and gracious God, I pray that each heart here be open to your word this morning and that my words become truly yours in spirit. May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be acceptable in your sight oh Lord our rock and our redeemer. AMEN
During the next few weeks across the country, in our community, and even in our charge, young people will be celebrating the completion of their studies as they graduate. For some, it will be an observance of escape, that they finally, and just barely, have completed the requirements to get out of school. You can often tell those students. When their names are called, their mothers are the ones who break the dignity of the event by shouting loud “Hallelujahs!” For others, graduation is a recognition of work well done. Those who do exceptional work graduate with honors.
However, most would agree that graduations are rites of passage. But what is that? Passage to what or where? In cases of graduation from ES and MS, it’s never mentioned. It’s assumed that everyone is going on to the next level of schooling. At college graduations the future plans of graduates are hardly ever mentioned. The heavy majority of the graduates are going into the workplace. College degrees are usually terminal degrees. At high school graduations it’s different. The educators proudly point out how many of the graduates are going on to colleges. They do that because college is not a given. HS is the first graduation that may be followed by any number of paths. More school for sure, but also military service or occupational choices.
The fact that graduations are rites of passage assumes that those who are being honored have been prepared for something. The lessons learned in school would be useless unless they can be applied in some meaningful way to situations that may come our way in the future. I’ve shared with you before that I’ve lived almost 61 years, and I’ve never yet encountered a situation where I had to figure out how much a candy mixture should cost if the three different candies I put in it cost 25, 50 and 75 cents a pound.
It reminds me of a time when I was at a symposium (that’s an academic word for bull session) with a number of honors students and professors. One of the math professors was bewailing the attitude of students. He would board a complex formula, go the all the intricacies of solving the equation. The process was so perfect, it almost gave him and academic high just demonstrating it. Then, a student would ruin the moment by asking, “What good is it?” As the lone business person, I posed the question a bit more tactfully. “Wouldn’t the height of the process be to show how that formula could be applied to solve a human need?” I failed to convince the professor.
However, except for the very narrow field of academics where knowledge is treasured as its own reward, most of the rest of us expect some practical use for the knowledge we have learned. In defense of the academics I must allow that in many cases (maybe even the three candy algebra problem) the goal is to hone the skill of problem solving itself. That skill will help us throughout our lives, even if we never own a candy store.
Even so, with the exception of ES arithmetic, English and especially typing, I haven’t found much direct application in real life of most of the lessons I learned at school. I can’t say the same thing for the lessons I’ve learned in Sunday School or in the Bible, better known as Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. Let’s hear some wisdom from God’s word now as Jesus himself speaks:
Matthew 7:12-23 NLT 12 "Do for others what you would like them to do for you. This is a summary of all that is taught in the law and the prophets. 13 "You can enter God's Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose the easy way. 14 But the gateway to life is small, and the road is narrow, and only a few ever find it. 15 "Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep, but are really wolves that will tear you apart. 16 You can detect them by the way they act, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit. You don't pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles. 17 A healthy tree produces good fruit, and an unhealthy tree produces bad fruit. 18 A good tree can't produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can't produce good fruit. 19 So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. 20 Yes, the way to identify a tree or a person is by the kind of fruit that is produced. 21 "Not all people who sound religious are really godly. They may refer to me as 'Lord,' but they still won't enter the Kingdom of Heaven. The decisive issue is whether they obey my Father in heaven. 22 On judgment day many will tell me, 'Lord, Lord, we prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.' 23 But I will reply, 'I never knew you. Go away; the things you did were unauthorized.
The Word of God, written for the people of God - Thanks be to God
This passage, unlike some of the lessons you and I learned in school has some specific applications for us. It starts out with one of the most basic teachings we have, but one of the most difficult to follow consistently. “Do for others what you would like them to do for you. This is a summary of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.” In other words, this is the Cliff Notes version. People try to make faith and following God such a complicated matter. It’s not complicated; it’s just difficult. Jesus says treat people nice. It’s not hard to understand, just hard to do.
This passage has some things in it that make me a bit uncomfortable. Perhaps you’ve seen some of those “God signs” on billboards. This passage reminds me of the one that says, “Read the Bible. There will be a test.” We all are going through a preparation process. Our lives are our chance to get it right; but getting it right can be difficult. “The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose the easy way. 14 But the gateway to life is small, and the road is narrow, and only a few ever find it. 15 "Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep, but are really wolves that will tear you apart.”
Many of our high school graduates are going into the most hostile spiritual and moral environment humanity has devised. It’s called college. Moral and faith principles will be challenged and even derided. The very existence of God will be debated. It will be easy to choose the wrong highway. Going along with the crowd will be comfortable-for a while. The trouble in academia is that you can’t prove God rationally. Faith is the hope for things unseen. It’s not God’s desire that He can be proven. But I’d like to share with you again a logical (even if not Biblical) reason for believed. Faith in Jesus Christ can be true or not true. There are only four possible outcomes to this choice.
If you don’t believe in Jesus and the claims He made are not true. There would be no heaven or hell, and when you die, you would rot like a fallen log. If you reject Jesus and His claims are true, you would spend your eternity in hell, separated from God. If you believe in Jesus; but His claims are untrue, there can be no heaven or hell. You will live a life doing good things and have confidence in your eternal future. When you die you will rot like a fallen log; but you will never know that you were wrong because you’ll be dead. Finally, if you believe in Jesus, and His claims are true, there would be a heaven and a hell. And you would spend your eternal future in heaven enjoying the presence of God and all your believing relatives who have gone on before you.
In summary, logically, there are no negatives to believing even if faith is untrue. But the best you can hope for as a nonbeliever is to rot in the grave after living a life that offers no hope. The Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth tell us: “On judgment day many will tell me, 'Lord, Lord, we prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.' 23 But I will reply, 'I never knew you. Go away; the things you did were unauthorized.” Anyone can do good works. The belief in Jesus Christ “authorizes” us to do the good things to His glory. Our belief in Jesus Christ will assure us that on judgment day, He will not say, “I never knew you.” Instead, we will hear, “Well done good and faithful servant. Come and share your master’s happiness.”
So the bottom line is this: We never really graduate in this life. It’s just a manmade rite of passage that says we’ve completed something, and we’re ready to go on to the next step. But we all will graduate from this life. The question is will we graduate with honors? In the name of the father, and the Son and the Holy Spirit. AMEN.
Would you join me in a Graduate’s prayer (found on the internet)?
Father,
I have knowledge, so will You show me now,
How to use it wisely and find a way somehow
To make the world I live in a little better place,
And make life with its problems a little bit easier to face.
Grant me faith and courage and put purpose in my days,
And show me how to serve Thee in effective ways.
So my education, my knowledge and my skill
May find their true fulfillment as I learn to do Thy will.
And may I ever be aware in everything I do,
That knowledge comes from learning, and wisdom comes from You.
In Jesus’ name AMEN.