07 7th Sunday of Easter Ephesians 6.10

            Well, I must say that I am quite proud of us.  I mean the last two years have been a real learning experience, but not just for you, but also for me.  After all, it’s not like either of us have done the whole two years before, so this is a first for both you and me.  And with that in mind, I have just a few more things that I want to share with you while I still have the chance…You may want to get comfortable, this could take awhile.

            Now obviously I did that as a joke.  Do you know why?  Because I wanted to illustrate to you what today is not.  Today is not a graduation.  Today does not mark that you have demonstrated enough theology to be sent on your own and to never have to pick it up again.  You’re not done.  You don’t know all there is to know.  I don’t know all there is to know.  No one in this room knows all there is to know about being a Christian.  Not even Pr. Hinchey.  Because there is more to being a Christian than just knowing the right stuff. 

            To be sure, the right stuff is important.  It is good to know the truth, and that truth will serve you well throughout the rest of your lives.  It is a truth that is vast and deep, the more you dig into it, the more you will realize you have to learn.  So it is a good thing, to always be working at this task of knowing the truth.  But that is only one side of the coin.  Because you see it doesn’t do you much good to know this stuff if you don’t live it.  You can know something without believing it.  Knowledge stops right here.  But when you believe something, it moves from here to here.  And if it is here, then you will see it in your actions.  If you want to know what someone really believes all you have to do is look at their lives.  The way that we choose to live, the decisions that we make, those are the things that show what we believe. 

            And with that in mind we come to your verses for this very special day.  Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power.  What a cool verse.  This is really important, and do you know why?  Because on our own, apart from the Holy Spirit we spiritually dead.  We cannot by our own reason or strength believe in our Lord Jesus Christ, or come to him.  But the Holy Spirit calls, gathers, enlightens and makes us holy by his gifts.  In other words the Holy Spirit enables us to believe, and also to live out what we believe.  So in order to believe and live what you believe you must be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 

            You could not have picked a better verse, because this verse is all about living the Christian life.  Well let’s set up the context shall we?  Chapter five verses 1 and 2 read like this, “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and a sacrifice to God.”  So what does Paul mean when he tells us to live in love?  Well the rest of chapter five and the beginning of chapter six answer that question for us.  (READ VERSES)

            Are you feeling a little overwhelmed by all this?  Seems like a pretty tall order doesn’t it?  How are we able to do those things?  How are we able to live this way?  That is where your verse comes in.  So keeping in mind the verses that we just heard listen again to yours.  Be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his power.  These verses get to what it is to live life as members of the Christian community. 

            We are not here to hide from the world and make ourselves feel good because we know more than anyone else.  We are not here to puff ourselves up because we do more than anyone else.  We are not here to argue and bicker with one another.  We are not here by ourselves as individuals or individual households.  Rather we are here together as the people of God.  We, who are sinners deserving nothing but God’s wrath, instead have been given forgiveness and life through the death and resurrection of Jesus.  He has restored us, and the lives that we live together are to be marked by the things we just read.  Why?

            It’s not because God likes us to be miserable and so he tells us to do all the things we see other people not doing, like loving one another, and putting each other before ourselves.  It’s not because God likes us to be miserable and so he tells us not to do all the things we see others doing like drugs and drinking before you turn 21 or having sex outside of marriage.  It’s because God knows what it is to experience life to its fullest, and so that is what he wants you to experience too. 

            Now here is the thing.  He doesn’t want you to experience life for your own sake.  Even though he does rejoice over you and loves you more than you could ever imagine.  But he wants you to experience life for the sake of your neighbors.   He wants you to experience life, a life that is a life with God, so that as others see your life, they will know what it is to live with God and to be in relationship with him.  You have been blessed, so that you can go out and be a blessing. 

            You have been blessed, and this community has been blessed, not so that we can live for ourselves, but so that we can go out and live the good news of God’s love in Jesus in our lives.  We who have been reconciled to God are to go out and to be his agents of reconciliation in the world.  Now this is not a task that you can do on your own.  This is not something that you can do without God’s help.  Be strong in the Lord and in his glorious might.

            What is the easiest way to do that?  Coming to church, receiving the sacraments, living as an active member of a community of faith where we live together as children of the same heavenly father, daily prayer and bible reading.  These are all ways to help you to be strong in the Lord.  You come here to this place and God works to care of you.  He forgives you all your sins, and gives you the assurance of that.  He strengthens your faith and gives you the encouragement and support that can only come from a family.  He reminds you that you are greatly loved by him, and extremely important to him.  He challenges you to follow him in faith and to grow in your relationship with him.  And then he sends you out, to share those things with the world. 

            Now the world doesn’t always want to hear this message.  They may take advantage of you, they may hurt and mock you, they may outright reject you, but that doesn’t matter.  You and we are to go anyway and to love and serve and share this good news.  We do it because we have a God who loves us no matter what we do, and he wants us to show others that he loves them no matter what.  Historically the church has not always done a very good job at this, but that can change with you.  And not just in the future, but right now, starting today. 

            Today is the day that you say the faith I was baptized into is my own faith and I will live it.  Well this is what is to live it.  But you never have to go at it alone.  God is with you, and he will never leave you or forsake you.  He has placed you into this community and we all work together to carry out God’s mission in this.  And Together we communicate to the world the good news of God’s love in Jesus.  Go.  Serve your God.  Serve your neighbor.  And as you do Be strong in the Lord and in his glorious strength.  Now and always.  Amen.