Ceilings and Floors

INTRODUCTION

Rising senior class: I’m going to be honest with you tonight. Soon, you’re going to be completely done with your high school career. Its true: they say that 1 out of every 1 person who meets the criteria for graduation, actually receives their diploma and graduates from high school. And then you’re done. Your time at Faith Christian will more than likely officially be over and done.

This has been my experience, your teacher’s experiences, and more than likely, many of your parent’s experiences as well. But if you’ll allow me to quote from Gandalf the Grey from everyone’s favorite movie about Lords and Rings: “All we have to decide is what to do with the time that’s given us.”

See: you and I have the exact same time as Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, or anyone else. But how are we using that time to actually make a difference in the lives of those around us?

This is where I want to start the conversation tonight: and I hope that by the end of tonight, you leave inspired, encouraged, and ready to start your senior year at Faith Christian stronger than any other year in your high school career.

If you’ve got a bible with you tonight, go ahead and make your way over to Deuteronomy chapter 31. While you’re turning there, I want to set this moment up for us: Moses has been leading the children of Israel for quite a few years, and had some understanding that soon, he was going to be completely done with his days here on the earth. He knew that 1 out of every 1 person eventually dies and then he would be done. So he made a decision. He decided that what God had begun doing in him and through him would not stop with him. So for the next 40 years, he spends quite a bit of time with a guy named Joshua.

They become very close because of all the time they spent together. I like to think that Moses would have a bunch of the guys over to watch the game and afterwards, he would pull Joshua close and say things like: “Hey, did you notice how John was really quiet tonight. You know he’s been really having a hard time with his family, and he could really use nights like this or an encouraging text every now and then”. I think he broke down principles and truths and helped groom Joshua for this moment right here.

SCRIPTURE

Deuteronomy 31:14-15;23

Deuteronomy 31:14–15 ESV

And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, the days approach when you must die. Call Joshua and present yourselves in the tent of meeting, that I may commission him.” And Moses and Joshua went and presented themselves in the tent of meeting. And the Lord appeared in the tent in a pillar of cloud. And the pillar of cloud stood over the entrance of the tent.

Deuteronomy 31:23 ESV

And the Lord commissioned Joshua the son of Nun and said, “Be strong and courageous, for you shall bring the people of Israel into the land that I swore to give them. I will be with you.”

OPENING PRAYER

Open our hearts to hear you tonight…stir us to action tonight…

TRANSITION

Everybody look up… what do you call that metal thing that’s right above our heads (ceiling)? Alright, now look down… what do you call that thing that the carpet’s covering (floor)?

In our passage, we see a glimpse into this amazing transfer of leadership and from this kind of perspective, it’s easy to miss some great things we can learn from it for our lives. So let’s dive into We have to remember that…

You Won’t Do What You Do Forever

14- “And the Lord said to Moses, “Behold, the days approach when you must die.”

You were created by God and for God. When he places gifts in your life, He gives you the grace to steward them well. And when you do, He gets the glory!

But the truth is, you won’t do what you do forever. We all have gifts and talents, and I hope that we use them! I try to live my life as though these are the glory days and I try to be fully present in the moment. I don’t claim to know much, I can confidently say this: the sooner that we understand this fact, the sooner we will living our lives with others, rather than simply for ourselves.

TRANSITION

Ok, so I’m not going to be at FCS forever. That’s great and really encouraging. Now what? I bet this is what Moses was thinking right after God dropped that truth-bomb on him. Once we realize that we won’t do what we do forever, that’s when we get to look to the left and to the right and see that…

There Are Others Who Can Do What You Do

14- Call Joshua and present yourselves in the tent of meeting, that I may commission him.”

CEILING TILE IMAGE

I want to illustrate this another way for you. Grab the tile and write “top” on one side. Moses had had some amazing moments: parting the Red Sea, seeing the protection of God during the plagues in Egypt, receiving the 10 commandments. He followed after here God had him, and experienced some great things. God has expanded his life and his influence in a great way. He felt like he was at the top!

I bet you’re in the same place. I’m sure that over the past few years of High School, you’ve had some pretty amazing moments. I bet you’ve laughed, cried, and everything in between.

But there’s another side of this tile. Write “bottom” on the back. Joshua had the invaluable opportunity to start where Moses had left off. In fact, we read later that he actually got to lead the children of Israel into the promised land. Something that Moses only dreamed of accomplishing! Suddenly the most interesting thing happened: Moses’s ceiling became Joshua’s floor.

There are Joshua’s all around you and they all have the same opportunity: to start where you left off. We all know how it feels to start from scratch. You’re shaping your entire identity and skillset. It’s really bad if you’re new to some place! You don’t know the culture, how things work, what’s expected or anything.

But now imagine that you help someone get on your shoulders and start where you leave off. Imagine the head-start that they could get and what they could achieve!

TRANSITION

Joshua had seen many of the miracles and knew that God was moving. He knew this because Moses had pointed it out. It was through intentional and I think even informal time spent together that built this relationship. Moses demonstrates something that I think we could greatly benefit from. He knew that God had called him to…

Encourage Others To Do What They Dream To Do

23- “Be strong and courageous, for you shall bring the people of Israel into the land that I swore to give them. I will be with you.”

I’m sure you’ve heard the expression “how do you eat an elephant- one bite at a time” at some point in your life. Encouraging others to do what they dream of doing sounds like an enormous and overwhelming concept, but it’s actually really simplistic. It starts with small opportunities.

STORY

I remember my freshman year here at FCS. Not everything, but one specific moment sticks in my mind like glue. I had seen him on stage leading worship at every chapel service. Red hair, tall and sorta lanky, kind of like me, and man was he passionate. After a while, I learned that his name was Aaron and he and Karlee led worship with our entirely student-led chase worship times. I played guitar, and so naturally, I dreamed of being up there with him and playing with that crew.

It was probably halfway through the school year, and school had just let out, so everybody was heading down the stairs when Aaron grabbed me near the top and introduced himself. He said that he heard that I played, and wanted to see if I wanted to come to their practice times. I’m pretty sure I held my cool and agreed and started going to the practices. Then eventually, I started playing on the team. Fast forward a year, and now I’m singing and playing a couple songs every now and then. Fast forward to my senior year, and I’m on stage at North Greenville University leading worship for their college chapel. All because Aaron grabbed me in the stairwell and invited me to be a part of what they were doing.

WHAT ABOUT ME

This is just one small example of how to put this into practice. Sometimes, it’s inviting them to sit with you at a football game. They see you cheering on the team and talking with your friends, and the small things that make you, you begin to help them see a picture of what they could be.

We’re much more inspirational than we give ourselves credit for. I think you’re living someones dream life. Why not help them get a little closer to where they feel God is taking them? There are great pillars of the Faith that I remember looking at years ago and thinking to myself: “I hope I can pray as hard as him when I grow up” or “I hope I can sing like them one day”. Those are God dreams! God put those dreams in their heart! Psalm 37 says: “Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart.” What if the time you spend with someone helps them unlock the future that God is calling them to?

NOW WHAT

Three simple reminders for you tonight as you step into this exciting season: (1) You Won’t Do What You Do Forever, (2) There Are Others Who Can Do What You Do, and (3) Encourage Others To Do What They Dream To Do. I’m not going to promise you that this will be the easiest year of your life, but I want you to always remember that there are incredible people around you- some are freshman, some are sophomores, and some are where you found yourself last year- juniors. How can you help make sure that your floor is their ceiling? I want to close tonight in prayer.

RESPONSE

Grace over this new year… simple opportunities to invite others to step up and make a difference