Priorities

To the graduating class of 2016 homeschool and Bible Baptist Academy

1 Corinthians 11:1-3 (KJV)

Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.

Now I praise you, brethren, that ye remember me in all things, and keep the ordinances, as I delivered them to you.

But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ; and the head of the woman is the man; and the head of Christ is God.

Graduation – oftentimes and more appropriately also called Commencement.

In so very many ways things are just beginning for you, and I suspect you have already figured that out.

·   This is when you will begin to look at a career

·   This is when you will begin to look at a spouse

·   This is when you will begin to look at who you are as an individual being

To your parents it feels like an ending. From here on out:

·   Their guidance over you begins to end

·   Their authority above you begins to end

They may wish it were not so.

They may wish they could make you turn back into that little boy or girl they cherished and coddled for so long.

But all that is quickly coming to an end as you look ahead of you into the deep blue skies endless potential.

Tell you what…

You are going to get a lot of advice over the next few years.

·   Some of it is going to come from well meaning friends and people you work around.

·   Some of it will come from guidance counselors

·   Some of it is going to come from a boss you have at a job you don’t know you’ll have just yet

You are going to meet people your parents have fought to protect you from, and every one of those people will have some opinion of what you ought to do with your life.

I just want to help you set a compass in front of your eyes to help you wade through all of that “advice.”

I opened with 1 Corinthians 11:3 to point out that there is

·   A priority with God 

·   A chain of authority

·   A principle of order

But from there I want to remind you of three priorities God’s Word gives to you and me.

I. STRIVE TO KEEP THE UNITY OF THE FAITH

Ephesians 4:3 (KJV)

Endeavouring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

It doesn’t see like it would be that difficult to get along but, the older you get, you will discover that it is much more challenging than you can imagine.

A. I think there are a number of reasons for that:

1. The devil doesn’t want us unified

It’s not good for man to be alone.

The devil knows it so he’s going to fight to isolate you.

2. The corrupt nature of man doesn’t want to rally around authority (unless it is their own)

You are going to find every sort of cause and faction imaginable in this world because everyone wants to create something that gets people to follow them rather than the Lord.

3. The longer you live, the more opinionated you will become.

You’re going to

·   See things and

·   Hear things

in your lifetime that will in turn make you start to,

·   Think things

Some of those things you think and the conclusions you draw, won’t be Biblically correct.

So I want to challenge you to a second priority

II. STUDY TO SHOW THYSELF APPROVED UNTO GOD

2 Timothy 2:15 (KJV)

Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

It will be a good idea to study out a lot of things:

·   Study to learn a good career choice

·   Study to learn to be a great mate

·   Study carefully political choices

But this passage urges you to study the Word of God.

You will never be able to rally around everybody and every cause.

You won’t even be able to unify around every Christian.

Let me tell you how to get along with unity and in the bond of peace…

Study the Word of God until you know it – then rally around a church that preaches it like you know it.

One final priority I want to point out is,

III. SEEK TO ADD TO YOUR FAITH

2 Peter 1:5-8 (KJV)

And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;

And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;

And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

When I was in Bible College I heard a preacher say, “If you’re not green and growing, you’re ripe and rotting.”

The surest way to spoil as a Christian is to quit adding to your faith.

Conclusion:

You’ve finished High School but this is just the beginning.

Starting just about now forces you never knew existed will begin to tug and pull you every kind of direction.

If you will set these three priorities above them all – you’ll find that life is fruitful and well lived.

Congratulations graduates of 2016!