Heavenly Graduation Ceremony
What gets you excited spiritually? Do you anticipate the day that God calls you by name into your eternal rest. One of the most rewarding and encouraging scripture passages for faithful believers is:
His master said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.†Matthew 25:21, 23
In the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30), a man entrusts different amounts (talents) to his workers. He went away on a trip, but the workers left behind were expected to use the talents that they were given in a responsible way. When the man came back, he inspected what he expected from each of them. He rewarded the faithfulness of those who faithfully managed what they were entrusted. He punished the one who did not faithfully handle what he was given. In the same way, Jesus has entrusted believers with gifts, talents, and resources to use for His Kingdom purposes. When He comes back again (and He is coming), will He find that you’ve been faithful in managing what He has entrusted to us?
This past weekend, I witnessed a graduation ceremony for my future daughter in law in El Paso. She graduated with 2100 other students. Every student marched across the platform with applause from their families across the arena. As the graduates approached the platform, they would hear their name announced, shake hands with the president of the college, have a picture with him, and then shake hands with some other college representatives while exiting the platform. The anticipation of hearing her name announced and seeing her walk across the stage was almost unbearable. We waited and waited, until finally her name was announced, and we released the praise that was trapped inside of us from the last hour and a half.
In the moments following her trek across the stage, I sat contemplating the day that we will hear our name from our heavenly Father. What a day that will be, when my Jesus I will see! As the graduates expected to be handed their diploma, from years of school work, so we too will have an expectation of reward for our labors. Be assured, we don’t enter heaven by our works (it is by grace through faith that we are saved), but we will be rewarded for our works. Will we be found faithful to the Lord’s work? Are we anticipating hearing, “Well done, good and faithful servant?†Let me encourage you today to finish strong in running your race for the King. Allow Christ to use your gifts, talents, and resources to impact others for eternity. The day is coming when we will walk across the stage of heaven (so to speak). What will Jesus say to you?
See you Sunday (as we celebrate graduates and support our youth going to camp),
Pastor Todd
His master said to him, “Well done, good and faithful servant. You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much. Enter into the joy of your master.†Matthew 25:21, 23
In the parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30), a man entrusts different amounts (talents) to his workers. He went away on a trip, but the workers left behind were expected to use the talents that they were given in a responsible way. When the man came back, he inspected what he expected from each of them. He rewarded the faithfulness of those who faithfully managed what they were entrusted. He punished the one who did not faithfully handle what he was given. In the same way, Jesus has entrusted believers with gifts, talents, and resources to use for His Kingdom purposes. When He comes back again (and He is coming), will He find that you’ve been faithful in managing what He has entrusted to us?
This past weekend, I witnessed a graduation ceremony for my future daughter in law in El Paso. She graduated with 2100 other students. Every student marched across the platform with applause from their families across the arena. As the graduates approached the platform, they would hear their name announced, shake hands with the president of the college, have a picture with him, and then shake hands with some other college representatives while exiting the platform. The anticipation of hearing her name announced and seeing her walk across the stage was almost unbearable. We waited and waited, until finally her name was announced, and we released the praise that was trapped inside of us from the last hour and a half.
In the moments following her trek across the stage, I sat contemplating the day that we will hear our name from our heavenly Father. What a day that will be, when my Jesus I will see! As the graduates expected to be handed their diploma, from years of school work, so we too will have an expectation of reward for our labors. Be assured, we don’t enter heaven by our works (it is by grace through faith that we are saved), but we will be rewarded for our works. Will we be found faithful to the Lord’s work? Are we anticipating hearing, “Well done, good and faithful servant?†Let me encourage you today to finish strong in running your race for the King. Allow Christ to use your gifts, talents, and resources to impact others for eternity. The day is coming when we will walk across the stage of heaven (so to speak). What will Jesus say to you?
See you Sunday (as we celebrate graduates and support our youth going to camp),
Pastor Todd
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