Into the Future With Jesus part 2 - the "Graduation speech"

 Want to give someone a Biblical name? Better know the Bible. If not, you might open at random, and suddenly your kid’s name is Ecclesiastes.

There are, of course, many better reasons to know the Bible, as we’ve shared. Over 16 months, I shared a lot of important things; let me know if you want past episodes or the whole thing. But, it’s vital to grow on your own, too. And, not just so you avoid giving a kid such a hard name to spell. What could even be the nickname?

Jesus never promised an easy road; delusion is out there. But He said “In this world, ye will have tribulation, but be of good cheer: I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33) We’ve all needed skill at overcoming lately. And, only through Jesus can we overcome. Thankfully, He has words of wisdom for every stage of the journey.

This is for all of you. But, with one family moving & another in church (hopefully others coming to Canton Baptist), as more opens up it’s a good time to share this with you all, even the few who will still get these. It’s like a good speaker addresses a main audience (like graduates) and then anyone else there (family, etc.).

Some may recall a visual I did on following Jesus. Alexis and I walked side by side, then I walked behind her a ways, following very slowly, and the last one was going away or just zig-zagging around. That’s what I want to share “tonight” during this graduation of sorts from a 16-month series of devotionals. 1. How to keep growing; 2. How to grow when things slow down and, 3. What to do if you went off the right path.

I’d be called an “old soul” today. I looked forward more than others my age. Mr. Lang urged us seniors to keep learning all our lives, as I said. I pictured us much older & loving new things like when we were kids. Yet with no idea how much new we’d have.

Learning only helps, of course, on the right path. It’s one thing to go from no cell phones or Internet, & having to own reference books or look things up in a library, to having so much at our fingertips. (That year, 1987, my Uncle Tim, the doctor, got the first cell phone in our area – a brick-size car phone. You can see such phones online.) But beware of being led astray by false things. God gave us His Word so we’d know how to follow Him, side by side. “Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.”(Ps. 119:105) 

1. Walking side by side with the Lord may remind you of a few Bible figures, like Enoch in Gen. 5. He “walked with God. then he was not.” God took him, a type of those who will be Raptured, so Enoch didn’t die like others in that list.

The Bible talks often of life. The law kills, the Spirit makes alive, for instance. We can never be saved by our good works. Instead, the law was made so we’d realize our need for Jesus to save us from our sins. Because we have so many.

Remember, though, Jesus calls us friends. Even when His disciples struggled a lot, like Peter putting his foot in his mouth so much, He called them friends. He called Abraham “friend,” too. Remember how all the great things about friendship apply to Jesus? That’s how it is walking side by side with Him. We just have to keep growing with what I mentioned – read the Bible, pray, give, fellowship with other believers, and share what Jesus has done for you. Be a Godly example, of course, in your actions, not just what you say.

Can we do this all the time? Some things are harder. Jenny Evans, who you “met” in an early devotional, can’t get out or even see to read. But she did those enough over 92 years, she knows God is helping her move forward. He helps her be a greater prayer warrior, remember Scripture she memorized, and so on.

Could she grow without such things when young? Sure. But she’d have missed so much – she played with 2YOs in that department till she was almost 90! She loved to serve God and took every chance she had to grow. Canton Baptist buses run now; masks optional, many vaccinated. If you want, you can call Steve Sauls at 330-575-9467 for a ride.

But, if you can’t get to church, you can still draw close to God. Talk to God about anything. Seek His wisdom and guidance. Ask for help in situations. Intercede for others, etc.

In other words, if you can’t fellowship with others in person, you can still grow in the Lord. Worship online if you must Also, you can still “pray without ceasing,” read the Bible, ask questions – our e-mail is always there, you can share your faith, you can give. Themore you pour into your relationship with God, the more you’ll get.

So, use every chance you have to serve God. Use every chance to love others and show His love. Use every chance to do things needed to bring more people to Jesus – call us for help if you want, get tracts to give out, for instance. But we don’t save them. It’s Jesus working in each heart. He just uses us so we can learn to be like Jesus. He suffered and died for us, so following Him is just our reasonable service.(Rom. 12:1) And, we’ll be much more effective walking side by side with our Lord and Savoiur as we go into the future.

2. Jesus doesn’t want us to just follow at a distance. But He knows we’re human and we struggle. And, He’s there to help us draw closer when we struggle. He doesn’t force us to follow Him, He lovingly guides us to where, if we listen, we’ll want to follow Him. We’ll sense how much greater His love is than what the world has.

Some of us start off on fire for God, then we cool off. Or, maybe we trust Jesus to save us and then life slows us down. It may seem like we’re okay, but remember, anything we put ahead of God is an idol. The Bible says “lay aside every weight and the sin which doth so easily beset us.” (Heb. 12:1) Weights slow us down. We all have them. But, the more we can give to  God, the faster we’ll be. We’ll keep up with God better.

Some things – like work or school - can’t be totally stopped. But some can make choices, like not working Sunday mornings. Others might need to work then and be like Jenny and use work as prayer time, finding other ways to grow that relationship. We can tithe from what we make, for instance. Tithing helps us grow in faith.

The key for the future is, don’t let the world influence you away from God. Don’t be the person who takes a new job for better pay but moves the family away from where they grow in and serve God, and never gets them back into Godly things. Remember, you influence others. Pray God enlarges your coasts like Jabez, and use the chances you have to be a Godly influence. If you can’t get a family to church, find friends who will or a church that has a van ministry. Use resources like the Internet and Cool Kids Ministries if you don’t have a good church in your area. You can even start your own church. It doesn’t have to be on Sunday. God will direct yoru paths when you trust Him.(Prov. 3:5-6)

All that is to say: Consider your choice; Compare it to God’s Word; Commit to Godly principles; and, Count on God’s protection and provision. If you find yourself slowing down and burdened by weights, commit to shedding those weights or working around them in a way that shows God’s love to others. Maybe that promotion and move is wrong for you, but when you turn it down, God will have a better plan a few months later that will let you keep serving Him and let your family stay committed to Him. Remember, Jesus isn’t going to ask a believer how many awards they won, money they made, etc. when they appear at the judgement seat of Christ. He’ll ask what they did with the chances He gave.

But, maybe a change is really God’s will, like when a friend, Josh Steward, quit his job as a plumber to be a missionary to Ireland. Just remember, it’s not about our plans, it’s about God’s perfect plan for our lives.

So, if you are influenced by things that could turn you away from God, give those over to Him. He may give back what you dedicate to Him. My friend Rick dedicated Packers fandom. Through that fandom, he met lots of people who never went to church with him. He was faithful in using his Packers fandom for the glory of God. He never drank & allowed no alcohol in his house and always had good, clean fun, he loved to laugh and be silly. At his funeral, the Gospel was preached, how he lived not to get saved but to glorify God because he’d been saved from his sin by grace through faith. Well over a dozen people trusted Christ as Saviour because Rick was Christlike in his attitude and actions. But, if God leads you to get rid of that weight, He’s got something far better in store for you.

3. And, if you mess up? What if you totally blew it and went away from God? He’s always there, waiting with open arms to love you and give you a fresh start when you dedicate yourself to Him. Just like the Prodigal Son’s father( Luke 15).

 Going the wrong way, of course, has worse real-life consequences than just a kid with a silly nickname. (Even that’s not too bad: Hall of Fame pitcher Dennis Eckersley was nicknamed “Eck”; he or she could use that.) But, no matter what happens, remember Jesus Christ is risen from the dead. (2 Tim. 2:8) Paul tells Timothy – and us – to always recall that because there can be very trying times. Even when we follow God closely, they can come. Following God closely just means we can get through them easier.

 If you’re not, turn from your sin & run into His open arms. Let Him forgive you and give you a fresh start. He has already forgiven us; He is just waiting for us to confess and forsake that sin.(1 John 1:9) Is it one of omission? Just start doing what God says. Rely on Him for help. Is it one you did? Confess it and let Him help you stop. Do your duty to make things as right as you can, like Zaccheus (Luke 19) promising to repay people. God will give you strength to help those people, support that family, etc.. My birth dad died when I was 16. I never saw him after age 1.5. But he was always faithful to send support. And, he sobered up & he left enough to help me get to college a lot easier. He could still help, but had to accept we couldn’t be around him. As Jesus’ followers, we have a duty to help those we’ve hurt. It’s not so we can get saved. It’s to show them God’s love. Always be willing to say you’re sorry.

Remember Mark 16:7 - “Go tell His disciples, and Peter, that He is risen.” Jesus didn’t forget Peter. Jesus still wanted Peter to serve Him, even after Peter had denied the Lord before the crucifixion. He knew Peter thought he was finished. But till we die, God’s not done with us

That’s why it’s important to stay on the right path to begin with, so we don’t have those problems, though. So we don’tblow chances. So we don’t face awful consequences. It’s vital to treat others with love and respect, to be gentle and not cruel, to never lash out in anger but are instead kind. We must ask Jesus to help us use the Fruit of the Spirit to be Godly ambassadors, as we’re called to be. We must represent Jesus to a lost and dying world that needs to know there is hope. And, you may be the only example of Jesus someone will see.

Even if they won’t listen, though, you can pray. That relationship with Jesus is one which will last forever. Eternal life begins the moment you trust Jesus as your Saviour. He is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother. He will never leave you, nor forsake you. Jesus will not give up on you, so don’t give up on yourself.

As we end of this “commencement,” and you all guess when I’ll get teary-eyed, I’m reminded of the fact that a commencement isn’t an end. To commence means to start. Those 16 months of devotionals were to prepare you for the start of the rest of your walk with God, the rest of your life with Jesus as your faithful friend.

If you haven’t made that decision, do it now. If you’re a kid or just someone hearing & saying, “I don’t recall if I’ve called on Jesus to save me; forgive maybe, but not to save.” Please, do it so you can know for sure you’re going to Heaven. Just simple words from your own heart like: “Lord Jesus, I know I’m a sinner and not perfect. I don’t deserve your perfect Heaven. But, I know you are God in flesh. You died for my sins and rose from the dead. Lord Jesus, I call on you today to save me from my sins. I choose to receive you by faith into my heart. Jesus make me new inside, so I can go to Heaven and live with you forever starting now. I confess you as my Lord and Saviour, and believe with my whole heart you have saved me, not by work I have done, but all by your grace. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”

Whether you just got born again, or were for a while, this commencement can begin a wonderful new life. (Have questions? Ask us or ask at gotquestions.org, gqkidz.org, 412teens.org or Godlife.com/gospel, the last & likely middle 2 have much shorter wait times.)

Some of you are in church now that things are reopening and don’t need these – for those moving, we’ll try to refer you to a church in your new area. Some, like those going on to trade school or college my senior year, will be choose to continue these. No matter what, though, I hope you strive to keep growing in the Lord your whole lives.

God wants to give you peace, hope, comfort, so much more. He wants you to strive to keep learning your whole life. Learning about the awesome world He made. And, about the wonderful plan He has for you. Learning to keep your eyes on Jesus, so when life’s storms come, you’ll feel secure. Learning to be more like Jesus, and how to serve Him better by serving others. Learning to be a mightier prayer warrior, and how to hear the Spirit’s still, small voice – which always agrees with His Word – so you can follow the Lord’s leading in your prayers and actions, when He calls you to act on those prayers. Learning to share your faith, so others know there is hope, peace, comfort, and salvation for them, too. Learning to love like Jesus loved, so others are drawn to you and – because of your words - to Him.

So that whether we meet again here, there, or in the air, you’ll not only know you have eternal life, you’ll be able to celebrate the Lord’s victories, and look forward to one day hearing our Lord Himself say to you: “Well done, thou good and faithful servant.” 

Cue pomp and circumstance. If you don’t have a hat with a tassel to turn, throw a cap or something in the air. 😊 Thanks for reading, & God bless. And, don’t worry. A few I know watch Canton Baptist online & will want these. If you can please give your e-mail at dfowler955 at gmail.com. These might come slower, I don’t know; I’ll try to keep sending even without it.