A graduation sermon: A sermon for graduates

What.Will.You.Choose?.
Deut..39:19:.KW—05.23.10.
Intro:.
A...Ex:..I.can.remember.the.first.week.I.attended.Freed-Hardeman.as.a.freshman..
......1...I.moved.in.on.a.Thursday,.but.it.wasn't.until.Sunday.morning.that.it.really.hit.me..
......2...I.was.free.to.decide.for.myself.what.I.would.do...(Would.I.sleep.in?..Find.some.other.form.of.recreation.and.slip.
...........into.the.evening.services.of.the.church.just.off.campus)?.
B...This.is.significant.time.for.those.in.our.assembly.who.are.senior.high.school.students....
......1...You.must.make.the.transition.from.following.your.parent's.faith.to.having.your.own.faith..
......2...Warning:..You.will.make.some.of.the.most.important.decisions.of.your.life.in.the.coming.months.and.years..
...........a...And.if.you.blow.these.decisions,.you.could.not.only.suffer.in.this.life,.but.in.eternity..
...........b...Sometimes,.when.freedom.to.choose.begins,.so.also.does.apostasy..
...................I.have.observed.college.students.away.from.home.who.stopped.attending.morning.services.because.they..
...................were.up.far.too.late.on.Saturday.night....
...................They.acted.bored.and.uninterested.during.the.Sunday.evening.assembly,.took.the.LS,.and.left.the.assembly.
...................as.quickly.as.they.could..
...................They.are.on.the.fast.track.to.leaving.the.Lord.and.His.church..
C...What.will.you.choose?..Deut..39:19.
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I...Will.you.choose.TRUTH?..Psm..119:30,.173.
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.....A...College.is.often.a.time.when.faith.most.comes.under.attack.by.both.peers.and.instructors....
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...........1...Some.of.your.peers.may.seek.to.lead.you.away.from.the.Lord...(That.danger.is.not.limited.to.those.who.
................attend.a.secular.school)...Ex:.....
...........2...Some.of.your.instructors.will.endorse.and.propagate.outright.error.in.the.name.of.enlightenment.and.
................higher.education...Ex:..Beginning,.evolution,.morals,.etc...Rom..10:17.
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.....B...Will.you.choose.truth.over.speculation.and.feeling?...
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II...Will.you.choose.PRAYER?..Job.9:1-14.
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......A...Note:.."How.then.can.I.answer.Him,.and.choose.my.words.to.reason.with.Him?"..v..14.
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............1...Will.there.ever.be.difficult.times.for.your.faith—in.college.and.afterwards?..Yes....
............2...How.will.you.reason.with.God.on.those.occasions.where.the.pain.is.so.intense.you.can.scarcely.articulate.it?.
.................(The.deepest.form.of.communication.with.God.is.when.we.are.reasoning,.begging,.and.pleading.with.Him)..
...............................a...God.answered.Job.in.what.we.might.consider.an.odd.way...Job.38:3ff.
..............................b...God.didn't.solve.all.of.the.mysteries,.nor.really.answer.any.of.Job's.questions,.He.simply.reminded.Job.of.
......................who..He.was..
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......B...Will.you.choose.to.develop.and.maintain.a.strong.prayer.life.with.God?.
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III...Will.you.choose.A.SOUND.PLACE.TO.WORSHIP?..Isa..56:4-5.
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......A...Ex:..When.I.graduated.from.HS.in.1979,.with.just.a.few.exceptions,.you.could.find.a.sound.congregation.in.
............virtually.any.city.you.happened.to.move.to..
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............1...That.is.simply.not.true.anymore..
............2...Many.congregations.have.loosed.where.God.has.bound.and.completely.abandoned.the.restoration.
.................principle..
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.................a...Today.there.are.congregations.which.allow.women.to.lead.in.the.assembly,.employ.mechanical..
......................instruments.of.music.in.worship,.employ.praise.teams,.completely.ignore.what.the.Bible.teaches.on.MDR,.
......................and.questions.the.necessity.of.baptism..
.................b...I.have.heard.more.than.one.individual.condone.the.philosophy.which.says,."We.ought.to.have.a.choice.of.
.......................what.kind.of.church.of.Christ.to.attend.in.our.community."..Lk..8:11.
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......B...Will.you.choose.the.congregation.which.pleases.God,.or.what.pleases.you?.
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IV...Will.you.choose.WHAT.IS.REALLY.VALUABLE?.
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.......A...Some.things.are.more.valuable.than.money..
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.............1...Wisdom...Prov..16:16.
..................a...It.is.possible.to.pursue.and.receive.an.education.and.not.have.wisdom..
..................b...There.is.usually.a.profound.difference.between.what.we.feel.like.doing.and.what.is.wise...Ex:...
.............2...Good.name...Prov..22:1.
..................a...Some.people.say,."I.don't.care.what.others.think.of.me."..(Jesus.didn't)...Mk..8:27.
..................b...Each.of.you.has.two.names—the.one.your.parents.gave.you,.and.the.one.you.have.by.virtue.of.your.
........................actions?..What.will.your.name.be?.
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........B...Will.you.choose.valuable.stuff.over.stuff.that.won't.last?.
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Concl:.
A...Each.of.you.is.a.free-moral.agent.with.the.ability.to.choose.and.decide..
B...What.will.you.decide?.
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.--Mike Benson
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