More...Graduation

All right, some great testimonies. Appreciate that. Young people, turn your Bibles to Psalms chapter 90. I'd like to give them a challenge and hopefully you a challenge as well as they are graduating, moving on to this next place in their life. In Psalms chapter 90 and verses 9 through 12, Psalms chapter 90 and beginning with verse number nine, it says, "For all our days are passed away in the in thy wrath. We spend our years as a tale that is told. The days of our years are three score and 10, and the reason of strength they be four score years, yet is their strength labor and sorrow, for it is soon cut off, and we fly away.

Who knoweth the power of thine anger, even according to thy fear, uh, so is thy wrath. So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom. And so I want to challenge you young people to number your days. take time to really realize that most of your days are ahead of you, not in the past. Uh you've come a long way in your life, but uh 18 years in in the the scheme of things is not as much as you think it is because you got a lot of years to come as well. I was doing some research on Google and I found out that their 18 years, if each each of their days was represented by one penny, then their 18 years would fit in this jar right here.

Uh there's a total of about 6,575 days in their life so far. And uh if they're represented by pennies, it would fill up this jar right here. And I don't know if you collect money in jars like we do. That's our uh kiss jar. Every time we kiss, we put a penny in there. At least we did beginning time. Uh I think I've lost track since then. Uh but uh uh you know, it's important to look back in your life and say, you know, I've had these 18 years of life. But the thing is is that this jar right here represents the rest of your life. It it's a little bit bigger. There's a lot more to come and and that's empty and you're going to be filling it in the years ahead.

And and so we want to be reminded that you have more time to go than you have that you've already finished. See this jar, this uh this jar right here, that's what you have left. That jar is what you finished. Now, I'm kind of reverse of that. Uh, this jar is what I've already lived and that jar is what I've got left. So, you got a lot more left than I do. And you got more time. In Ephesians chapter 5 and verse number 16, it says, "Redeeming the time because the days will days are evil. And you need to redeem the time that you have. You need to redeem each day that's ahead because it will go faster than you think.

Today is always the tomorrow we were waiting for yesterday. You realize that today is always the tomorrow we were waiting for yesterday. James 4 13-17 says, "Go to now, ye that say, today or tomorrow we will go into such a city and continue there and buy and sell and get gain. Whereas you know not what shall be on tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appeared for a little time and then vanishes away. For that you ought to say, if the Lord will, we shall live and do this or that." But now you rejoice in your boastings. All such rejoices evil. Therefore to him that knoweth do good and and and doeth it not.

To him it is sin. And you know you talking about what your plans are for the future. And it's great to have plans is great to have a direction. It's great to have a purpose. But what I thought I would do at 18 years old is not what I'm doing today. And and sometimes those plans change. and and uh and we need to realize that we don't want to put off till tomorrow. What we need to do today because tomorrow is uh today is always the tomorrow we waiting for yesterday and we need to use today wisely. You know, all of us think that we're going to have more time in the future, do we not? Uh you know, back in high school, you thought when I get out of high school, I'm going to have more time.

Then you go to college or you go in military and you find out you don't have more time, you have less time. And then you think, well, when I graduate from college or when I get out of the military and I get a job, I'm going to have more time. And that doesn't always work out, does it? Or when I get married, I'll have more time. Or when I get, you know, and it's always something in the future that I'm going to find more time. And what we [clears throat] need to realize is you're never going to have more time than you have today. And and every day you take one of those pennies out and put it into the other jar and that time is gone.

So you need to take it one day at a time. Uh Matthew 6:es 33 and 34 it says, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. Take there therefore no thought for tomorrow, for tomorrow, tomorrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient day is the evil thereof." You know, if I were to ask one of you young people to come up here and take out the very bottom coin in that jar, that would be difficult to do. Uh you got to take life one day at a time. You got to take it today. and and and realizing that this is the time of your life to make those decisions.

This is the time to do those things that God has called you to do. And and the first thing is this time to get saved. In 2 Corinthians chapter 6 and verse 2, it says, "Now is the accepted time. Behold, now is the day of salvation." And and this is the time. This is the day. If you're not saved, you need to make the decision. And I'm so thankful to hear these young people give testimony getting saved at 6 years old or getting saved a little later on or whenever it was they got saved. But you need to have a time and a place where you get saved. Yeah. The Bible says in Psalms chapter 90 and verse number 10, the days of our year are three score years and 10.

And if by reason of strength and four score years, and that's 80 years, yet is there strength, labor, and sorrow for is soon cut off and we fly away. uh you and I, our life is going to be cut off. Uh that day is going to come. I'm closer to that day than these young people are uh by averages, but it's going to happen. The Bible says in Hebrews chapter 9 and verse 277 is appointed a men once to die, but after this the judgment and and we don't know how much longer we're going to live. You might live another year. You might live another 5 years. You might live another 10 years. You might live another 25 years or 100 years.

But the truth is everyone in this room is going to die. And when that day comes, we need to be ready to go to heaven. And you see, you cannot buy salvation. In 1 Peter 1:es 18 and 19, for as much as you know that you're not redeemed, would corrupt those things as silver and gold from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ as of a lamb without blemish, without spot. You know, uh we cannot buy our salvation. uh we cannot earn it in any way. Uh these young people have earned their diploma. At least I think you did. I I hope you did. But you earned that diploma.

You worked hard for it. But you know, you cannot earn salvation. Ephesians 2:8:9 it says, "For by grace are you saved through faith that not of yourselves." This gift of God, not of works, lest any man should boast. And uh we need to realize that you can earn things like a diploma but you cannot earn your salvation. It is a gift of God and you have to receive it. Uh this last week they tonight we had one got to receive the diploma. These other young people the last couple weeks have received their diplomas and it's a great thing to receive that diploma. And and you've got to receive the gift of God.

You got to receive Jesus Christ. Romans 10:es 9 and 10 that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shall believe in thine heart that God has raised the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. In Romans 10:13 it says, "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." And we need to call upon the Lord. We need to receive that gift of salvation. And I'm thankful that these young people give testimony of that tonight. But you know the Bible says uh not only do we have only a limited amount of time and you need to use that time wisely realizing that every day is a gift from God but we also need to realize that God wants to give us more strength.

Again in Psalms 90 and verse 10 it says the days of our year are three score and 10 years and 10 and by reason of strength they be four score years yet is there strength labor and sorrow for it is soon cut off and we fly away. And God wants us to give strength for our lives. In 1 John 2:14, it says, "I've written unto you fathers because you have known him that is from the beginning. I've written unto you young men because you are strong and the word of God abideth in you and you overcome the wicked one." Uh you have to be strong to carry life. Uh you pick up this jar over here, it's pretty heavy.

And you know what? It just gets heavier and heavy other years as you continue add years onto your life. And and you got to be strong to carry through life. Um there is much labor and there is much sorrow ahead. The Bible says talks about labor and sorrow. Uh you're going to have times where you have to work hard where you're going to be challenged and you're going to also be times where you're going to face sorrow and difficulties in your life. And and you need strength to carry you through those times and you need to use it now while you have it. In Proverbs 20 and verse 29, it says, "The glory of young men is their strength, and the beauty of old men is the gray hair."

The Bible says that I'm better looking than you young people in this room. And so, I want you to remember that. But, you know, uh the the thing is is is what you have right now is you have strength. And as you grow, you'll find that that strength as you get older, you lose some of that strength every year. You lose some of that that ability to carry things every year. And so you need to do it now while you can. Don't wait until later. In John 21 and verse 18, verily, verily, I say unto thee, when thou was young, thou girdest thyself, and walkest whether thou wouldest. But when thou shalt be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another gird shall gird thee also, and carry thee whether thou wouldest.

There's going to come a point in life where somebody else going to kind of carry you around. You know, back when you were little, your mom and dad pushed you in a stroller, and one day you're going to be pushing your mom and dad in a wheelchair. uh that day is going to come and and you need to realize that while you have strength, it's while you're young that's when you need to make the right decisions in life. That's when you need to carry those things and and move forward in life. And and I want to challenge you to use that strength that God has given you. You're going to face challenges as you go into college, as you go into the military.

You're going to face challenges and you're going to have to have the strength to stand up for the Lord and to do what's right and and not to give into the pressure around you and and you need to use that strength now. God wants to give you more time uh and you've got more time coming and use those days wisely. God wants to give you more strength, but also God wants to give you more wisdom. In Psalms chapter 90 and verse number 12, it says, "So teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom." And and God wants to give you wisdom. In Ephesians 5:15-17, it says, "See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time because the days are evil.

Wherefore be not unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is." To walk circumspectly, it's like a circle around you. to pay attention is you're going to have to start paying attention to life. Your parents aren't going to be there to tell you and to warn you. You got to make those right decisions yourself. And you need wisdom from God. And uh you got to use the time you have to gain wisdom. The thing is you will never be smarter than you are today. You say, "Well, I'm going to college. I'm going to go in the military and learn a skill. I I you know, but you'll never be smarter than you are today because what I have learned in life, the older I get, the dumber I get, you know, and and what I mean by that is you begin to learn more and more what you don't know.

You know, when you're 18 and just graduating college for high school or when you're 21 and just graduating college, you think, I know everything now. But the truth is the the longer you live, the more you realize how much you don't know. In Proverbs 30:es 1-3, it says, "The words of Agar the son of Jacob, even the prophecy, the man speaketh unto Ethl, even unto Ethl and Yule. Surely I am more brutish than any man, and I have not under this understanding of a man. I neither learned wisdom nor have the knowledge of the holy." Here's a man that finally came to that point in life. He realized that I don't know everything.

It's amazing that the older you get, the smarter your parents become. Uh because you realize they knew more than you thought they knew. And and it's just realizing that God wants you to get more wisdom. And and that's your goal in life. Don't stop learning just because you graduate from high school. In 1 Timothy 4 12-16, it says, "Let no man despise thy youth, but be thou an example of the believers in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, and purity, till I come, give attendance to reading, to exertation, to doctrine. Neglect not the gift that is in thee, which was given thee by prophecy, with laying on of the hands and presbyter.

Meditate upon these things. Give thyself holy to them, that thy prophet may appear to all. take heed unto thyself and unto the doctrine. Continue in them. For in doing this, thou shalt both save thyself and them that hear thee. And and God wants you to keep learning. Uh you may not be in class anymore. You may not be in school anymore. Uh you may go into a career or the job field, but you need to continue to learn in life to learn the wisdom of God and apply that to get not only knowledge, but to get wisdom and understanding. In Proverbs 4:es 5-7, it says, "Get wisdom and get understanding, forget it not, neither decline from the words of my mouth.

Forsake her not and she shall preserve thee. Love her and she shall keep thee." Wisdom is the principle thing. Therefore, get wisdom with all thy getting. Get understanding. As you may have heard me in the past preaching on that pyramid of learning, how that the the base of the pyramid is knowledge. And and the broader the base, the higher the pyramid could go. And and the more you learn in life, the more you learn from what you're taught by your teachers and by your parents and by others in your life, the you the greater your knowledge, the greater the heights that you can reach. And and then the next level is wisdom.

And wisdom is the skill to use the knowledge that you have. It it's a skill to use that knowledge in life and to and and to know how to how to do things. And then with that wisdom also has to come instruction. And instruction is a discipline to use the knowledge that you have. And then finally, understanding. He said that the greatest of these is is to get understanding. And understanding is when you get to that point, you begin to see how that you can take what you've learned in one area and apply it to something totally different. But God wants you to get wisdom. God wants you to get understanding in life.

You're you're no longer a child. In 1 Corinthians chapter 14 and verse number 20 it says, "Brethren, be not children in understanding. How be it mouthless be you children but understanding be men." And God wants you to grow in your understanding of applying the word of God in my life. You're going to face new situations. You're going to face new challenges and and your parents aren't going to be there and and your church uh your home church is not going to be there. And uh you need to be ready to make the right decisions to be able to take what you've learned in these years up to now. Take what you've been taught through the word of God and use it to apply to these new situations.

In Psalms 119:9, it says, "I have more understanding than all my teachers, for thy testimonies are my meditation." You young people are standing on the shoulders of giants. You are taking what others before you have learned and they've taught you and now you can take it to another level because you're starting at a higher place than they started. You're starting with the knowledge that they have. Whether it's your parents or whether it's your teachers or whether it's your Sunday school teachers or the or the other spiritual leaders in your life. They have taught you what they have learned in life.

What they have been taught and what they have experienced for themselves. And now what they're challenging you to do is take what they've taught you and to go further, to become smarter than your teachers, to have more uh understanding than they did because you are starting at a higher level. And so I want to challenge you young people to realize that that even though you've come a long way and 18 years and graduating from high school is a great accomplishment in and the reality is it's only a a little bit and you've got a lot more to go and and so it's making those right choices in life and it's choosing to take every day and as you plop it into that jar as you as you take every day number that day and count this as a day which the Lord hath made and you'll rejoice and be glad.

glad in it. It's a day where you have an opportunity to grow in knowledge and wisdom. It's a day where you have to to apply understanding. It's a day where you going to have you're going to take the time that you have redeeming the time because the days are evil. In other words, those days are going to go away quick. And and it's it's also realizing that what we need to do is we need to take that strength that God has given us and as you're young to realize that that you're never going to be stronger than you are today. And and if you can't make the right decisions, you're going to have to live with those wrong decisions for the rest of your life. So make the right decisions and ask God to give you the strength to do what's right as you face the challenges of life. and ask God to give you wisdom and understanding.