Graduation

Intro

Absolutely, Jon. Here’s a **revised version of the sermon** that includes both **graduates** and the **entire church body**, showing how **this passage challenges everyone**—not just the young—to live a life of faithful witness as we await Christ’s return.

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## 🎓🏛 **Sermon Title: “Living Ready: A Church That Shines”**

**Text:** 1 Thessalonians 5:12–22

**Occasion:** Graduation Sunday

**Theme:** Paul gives us a rapid-fire list of instructions for living as a gospel-centered community while we wait for Christ’s return. It’s a timely word not only for graduates stepping into a new season, but for the whole church walking beside them.

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### **INTRODUCTION**

Today, we celebrate our graduates. They've worked hard, persevered, and now stand on the edge of new beginnings. But this isn’t just their moment—it’s *our* moment too. As a church, we are called not just to cheer from the sidelines, but to walk with them, model the way of Christ, and live as a gospel-centered community.

In 1 Thessalonians 5:12–22, Paul gives a blueprint for what it means to be a people “ready”—for the return of Christ, for the challenges of life, and for the mission of God. These aren't just graduation tips; they're kingdom marching orders for **all of us**.

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## **Main Point 1: Live in Community with Honor and Humility (vv. 12–15)**

The Christian life is not an individual race—it’s a **relay**, a **family**, a **church body** working together in grace and truth.

### **A. Respect and Support Godly Leadership (vv. 12–13)**

> *“Acknowledge those who work hard among you… hold them in the highest regard in love…”*

* **Graduates**: Find and submit to wise, godly mentors in this next season.

* **Church**: Honor and support those who lead faithfully, especially as they pour into the next generation.

* Let’s be a place where leadership is not ignored or torn down, but uplifted with love and accountability.

### **B. Be a People of Peace and Patience (v. 14)**

> *“Warn the idle… encourage the disheartened… help the weak… be patient with everyone.”*

* The **graduates** need a patient, grace-filled community behind them.

* The **church** must be the kind of place that uplifts, corrects, and walks alongside—not judges or dismisses.

* Our love is tested not in ease, but in how we respond to the weary and wandering.

### **C. Be the Good in a World Gone Harsh (v. 15)**

> *“Always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.”*

* In a world of retaliation, we choose restoration.

* The church must model a better way—responding to offense with grace and to hurt with healing.

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## **Main Point 2: Live with an Attitude of Worship and Gratitude (vv. 16–18)**

Paul gives three power-packed commands that shape the *tone* of our lives.

A. Rejoice Always (v. 16)

Graduates: Your joy must go deeper than circumstance—it must be rooted in Christ.

Church: Let’s model joy that outlasts news cycles, trials, or setbacks. Our graduates are watching.

B. Pray Continually (v. 17)

* Not just a personal habit—this is the posture of a praying church.

* Are we known more for our opinions, or our intercession?

C. Give Thanks in All Circumstances (v. 18)

* **Gratitude is contagious.** When the church is marked by thanksgiving, our young people will see that God is worth trusting no matter the outcome.

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## **Main Point 3: Live with Spiritual Discernment and Bold Faith (vv. 19–22)**

Graduates are heading into a world of noise, doubt, and shifting values. The church must be a compass, not a crowd.

### **A. Don’t Quench the Spirit (v. 19)**

* **Church**: Let’s never become so rigid or routine that we lose sensitivity to the Spirit’s leading.

* **Graduates**: Let God’s fire in you stay lit—don’t let fear or compromise dim His calling.

### **B. Test Everything, Cling to What’s Good (vv. 20–21)**

* The world is loud. So is culture. So are emotions.

* Let’s teach our students—by example—how to filter truth through Scripture, not trends.

### **C. Reject Every Kind of Evil (v. 22)**

* Holiness still matters.

* The church is called to live differently—not out of pride, but because we represent Jesus in a watching world.

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## **Conclusion: A Call to All of Us**

Paul’s closing words aren’t a list of “nice ideas”—they’re *marching orders* for a church that wants to be ready. For a people who want to be faithful. For graduates stepping out, and for the church holding the line.

> **To the graduates**: Don’t just leave with a diploma. Leave with vision. Leave knowing you’re loved, sent, and covered by a church that walks with you.

> **To the church**: Don’t just clap today—commit. These students need more than applause; they need *examples*, *discipleship*, and *intercession*.

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### **Optional Closing Illustration or Quote:**

> “The world needs men and women who will not sell out, burn out, or fizzle out—but live lives that shout out the glory of God.” — *Unknown*

> Or from John Piper:

> “Don’t waste your life. You have one shot. Risk it all for the cause of Christ.”