It is graduation season a time for graduation ceremonies and commencement address.  Commencement means to begin.  It is not finishing, it is starting.  What will we do with what we got and us it for God’s glory?

Ice-breaker:

Q. When did you graduate high school and or college and what were your original plans after graduation (or are you currently a graduate…)?

God’s commencement address to us is in Romans 8.  

There is a lack of Bible knowledge in our culture today.  We need to hear the opposite of what the world is telling us.  We need to elevate Jesus not the world.  We need to let God’s truth fill our brains.

Romans 8:1 (ESV)

Great news, our sins will never ever be counted against us by Almighty God.  He sees us justified.  Our failures don’t define us with our Father in Heaven.  His Spirit set us free from the laws of sin and death.  He came to give us the Holy Spirit wherein we fulfill the true heart of the laws.    

The 5 secrets Christians know about purpose:

1. We know there is SUFFERING NOW, but GLORY LATER.

Romans 8:18–19 (ESV) 

As Christians, we are not caught off guard by struggles.  Suffering is when someone or something has been taken away from us; jobs, people, finances, health.  We cannot stop losing health.  We cannot stop suffering from happening.  If we don’t have this perspective, we will throw up our hands at th e smallest suffering and give up on God’s purposes in our lives.  Suffering is a reality of life. 

God does not give us everything up front, because if we received the whole picture of where we are going, we would not go at all.

Suffering does not negate your calling is substantiates it.

If we are not willing to suffer for it, then it is not our calling.   We need to own our suffering.

Q. What are some struggles you have where you wanted to give up your calling?

1 John 3:2 (ESV); John 16:33 (ESV) 

2. We know the REAL REASON life is so CHALLENGING.

Our bible teaches us to look at the grand narrative of God’s purpose.

 Romans 8:20-21 (ESV) 

 We know why life is hard.  That is what the Bible reveals.  

 Genesis 1:26-28 (ESV); Genesis 3:17-19 (ESV)

We were created to have power and dominion over all the earth.  But then Adam and Eve come along listen to the devil.  The earth is groaning for redemption.  We are born cursed.  We are born-again blessed. Adam surrenders his authority to Satan. Every child is born wrong with a sinful nature. No matter what we try to do to fix it we struggle through and never find an answer. The world is against us because the world is cursed but God sent us a hero, Jesus Christ, He is our second Adam.

Romans 8:22-25 (ESV)

There is more to this story. It is not the last chapter.  Every time we look at the world and say it’s not right it is a reminder God planted in us a vision of something better when Christ returns.  God’s story still has a final chapter. 

Q. What frustrations do you feel as you await Christ’s return?

Q. What counsel would you give another Christians who grows weary of waiting for Christ’s return?

3. We know we are PRAYED for.

We need prayer.  All of us need work in our life.  God is praying for us even if no one else is.

Romans 8:26-27 (ESV) 

There are going to be groans when you don’t know what to pray for. God’s Spirit prays for us when we don’t know what to pray for. 

Hebrews 7:24–25 (NLT)  

Jesus is interceding for us!  His prayers are heard.  Jesus is praying over us, the Holy Spirit is interceding for us.  It is not about our plans it is about what God has planned for us.  

Q. In what circumstances do you find it hard to pray or are not sure how or what to pray (How has the Holy Spirit helped you pray)?

4. We know it’s ACTUALLY God’s PURPOSE, not OURS.

We don’t get to call the shots about our purpose.  It is God’s purpose.

Romans 8:28 (ESV) 

This verse often gets taken out of context.  Not everyone gets this promise.  It is only for those who love God.  When we make a bad move, Jesus will pray for us, the Holy Spirit will intercede for us.  We aim, we try to plan, but ultimately we must know it is what God has planned for us.  We give it to God for His purpose.  

Q. What is an example of a good result God produced out of a bad situation in your life? 

Psalm 91:14 (ESV) 

Out job is to keep loving the Lord. Love God and Let God.

The only requirement is to keep our love for Him primary.  Eliminate things take us away from loving God.

5. We know God’s ULTIMATE PURPOSE is to make us like CHRIST.

Romans 8:29 (ESV) 

We are not just predestined to be saved, but comformed to the image of His Son.  The Lord who calls us shapes us to be more like Christ who died for us.

 Ephesians 1:3–4 (ESV) 

Sermon in a sentence:

Christians KNOW there’s a REAL STRUGGLE that’s BEFORE US, but that God’s purpose IS OVER us so that Christ’s character is FORMED within us.

Challenge: Look at your struggles see how God is using them and allow Him to conform you into the image of Christ through them.