I Can't Wait Until I Graduate!

Today as a church we have a special focus on the young adults that have reached the time in their life when even their parents have to acknowledge that their babies are pretty much grown up.

Seniors, don’t be fooled. They will never totally admit that you are, and while it will make you a little uncomfortable from time to time, you will always be their baby to some degree.

So here you are, right at the end of school. You have made it through twelve years of high school; you have faced a number of challenges and choices.

You survived your birth, learned about and adapted to a foreign world. Then there was that first day of school which led to years of learning and adapting and stress and school lunches. The arrival of the teen years not too long ago. Not you are ready the hear grand speech abut how the outcome of the world is up to you.

No pressure.

For the rest of us, well we are a little farther down the road, maybe thinking that our graduation was not so long ago. Sometimes I am thankful for my bad memory that has let the years fly by.

We are honored this morning to have 4 young adults that have reached the ceremonial recognition of their adult hood. “High School Graduation”

Graduation is an exciting time. A time that parents and students have looked forward to for years.

How many times have you said, “I can’t wait until I graduate because then I will be able to…” Fill in your biggest dream….

Guess what? That time is now. You have reached that moment when you are counted as adult and you receive new freedom, however; with freedom comes great responsibility. Now it is up to you to start making those crucial decisions for yourself. You are not kids any more, but that is where I want to take us in the scripture this morning. To the image of Children.

Mark 10:13-16

The Little Children and Jesus

13People were bringing little children to Jesus to have him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. 14When Jesus saw this, he was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 15I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." 16And he took the children in his arms, put his hands on them and blessed them.

Ladies and gentlemen, people will try to prevent you from getting to God all of your lives. The disciples tried to keep the children from coming to Christ. I am sure they thought that Jesus was too busy to be disturbed by children. The word “rebuked” is a strong word. They did not just quietly say, “He is busy right now, can you come at a better time”. Instead they rebuked them. It was a “How dare you even think of doing such a thing!”

If it can happen with disciples, what do you think it is like in the world?

People have a tendency to want to keep you operating at the same level you are. They get an expectation of what you are like and that is it. You either have always got to break every standard or do wonderful things or they think you will never do anything. The world, our teachers and even our family will tend to make the world feel like it is caving in on you. But it is not an attack as much as that is just the way life is.

Wherever you are headed in the next few months, you are probably believing that you are about to be free from the bondage of your home life.

We believe that once we graduate, our life begins. Just as soon as we are out of the reach of our parents, then presto, our lives begin.

We can’t wait until we graduate. We wish our young lives away perhaps not recognizing the freedom we already had.

Independence, and the choices that you life will be offering in the near future may be less freedom than you might think. Your new freedom, no matter witch path you choose will have new obligations and rules. New measurements of success. New levels of failure.

And new people telling you what to do and what is ok and right and good.!

Ok, here comes the preacher talk.

While our scripture today does not reffrence the maturing of yong adults it does reflect how Jesus feels about touching people sith an known future.

In his mission from God, he grew up, went to school and worked, and started his ministry. He never refused anyone that had an honedst desire to meet him to larn about God.