Graduating through Faith
Notes
Transcript
Graduating through Faith
Graduating through Faith
Today, we are going to honor some folks who have made the slog through school and are graduating.
In a few weeks, many will move from the grade they are in to the next grade
Some have completed school and are considering going further
Others listening may have completed college and are continuing their pursuit of a career.
So, we all understand how this works.
You go through school
You graduate
You go to work (hopefully!)
You create a life outside home
Now, some of you have or will start a beginners job
You might consider it low pay or low skill
But I want you to think about this…
Whatever you do, no one can just step into that role and do it.
Ultimately the goal of an learning is to do something with that knowledge.
If you ask my children my thoughts on school
(if they remember)
They will tell you my theory on education is that you are there to learn
Facts and Data
How to think
How to challenge
How to function with others
How to handle conflict
How to handle dating
And more…
So make the most of this time.
My oldest daughter, who is now working, will tell you that education becomes more difficult when you get a job.
So relish this time you have where you don’t have to work
Make the most of your learning.
Knowledge begins with an opportunity to learn.
Everyone learns something as they grow older.
Ideally one learns from parents, older siblings, other family
Then close community
It’s not just facts and data that one learns, but the most important thing you can learn is how to live with and among others.
How you can work for, with, and over others.
Paul wrote to a young man named Timothy something that might be of interest if you are just starting out:
Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe.
Let me tell you the situation:
Paul is high educated, think of someone who is a native speaker of every biblical language
He has had access to all the important writings and teaching
Hebrew
ANE
Greco-Roman
He had a famous scholar as a teacher
He has been a teacher as well
Like someone who has the equivalent of multiple PhD’s
Timothy is a young man, who has a good mother and grandmother.
He was raised in a Jewish house
He is likely immersed in scripture
So he knows many quotations
He may be able to ‘see’ how all of this connects
But he lacks the life experience
So, until he can gain the necessary knowledge…
He must behave in a way that comports with a good human being.
I have told my daughters that you can go far in life by simply…
Showing up
Doing the job
Following instructions
Working well with others
People want to teach you when you are a pleasant and good person
And this is Paul’s teaching to Timothy.
Show yourself an example
In other words, PROVE what you know
Walk your wisdom with grace
Know it? Show it—but don’t blow it!
Wisdom without love is just noise.
Don’t flex your facts if you can’t back it with love.
Everything I have said applies to every area of life
You take this to work
You will be just fine
However, in Christianity, we seem to have flipped this on its head.
We let others down—searchers, newbies, children—
when we disconnect the wisdom of Scripture
from the action it calls for.
And yes, scripture calls for action:
500+ years ago there were some scholars who worked to reform Christianity
Their goal was to return it to a former state
What emerged from that period with a new approach to what we call salvation:
Justification through faith, not works.
Rom 3:28, Rom 5:1, Gal 2:16, Gal 3:24
I won’t lay all the blame at the feet of the reformers:
Christians have been separating good works from faith since Christ departed into the heavens!
How can I make such a statement?
and let’s consider how to encourage one another in love and good deeds, not abandoning our own meeting together, as is the habit of some people, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.
There are two things that precede this verse:
Approach God through full assurance of faith
Hold fast to the confession of our hope
And this, Love
Faith, Hope, & Love.
But to the point…of today…
Encouraging one another in love and good deeds
We don’t hear about that ‘good deeds’ often.
Children: You don’t know much, yet
Demonstrate your wisdom by how you behave
Parents: You are a congregation of a family before the LORD
Demonstrate your wisdom by provoking love and good deeds
Elders: You are the living wisdom of the LORD before the congregation
Demonstrate your wisdom by provoking love and good deeds
Graduates:
It will never be about what you know
How much you know
How far you go
It will always be about the good deeds you do.
I want to share a secret with you about scripture:
When judgment is discussed…
It does not matter what you know
It only matters what you did (good or bad)
2 Cor 5:10, Rom 2:6-8, 1 Cor 3:12-15
The verse I put on the screen is often used to beat people over the head with going to church.
I am not going to do that.
We opened with…
Knowledge begins with an opportunity to learn.
Everyone learns something as they grow older.
I will encourage you to go to church, somewhere, because here is where another voice can provoke you to love and good deeds.
As you move into adulthood, you have to decide if…
Knowing scripture is a value to your service to God
My hope and prayer is that you all pursue good deeds in your life
and that you give the God of scripture due credit for those good deeds
And that you put other believers in and around your life
making time to meet with them in one way or another
It is the greatest witness we have to the world.
Graduating through Faith
Graduating through Faith
