WHY?
Graduation Sunday
Young people, as a child and teenager you have been told to do many things by your parents, by your pastor, by your teachers, and by adults in general. Often your response to such a command or the denial of a request that you have made you made has been, “Why?”
“Clean Your Room!” - “Why?”
“Eat your vegetables.
“Why?”
“You have to be in tonight by 10:00 P.M.”
“Why?”
“I don’t want you hanging around with that guy.
“Why?”
“No, you can’t go to that movie with your friends.”
“Why?”
“I don’t want you riding when she’s driving.”
“Why?”
“You can’t die your hair purple.”
“Why?”
More often than not, I believe people should be given reasons for the rules they are given to obey. There are times however when a parent’s answer can only be, “Because I said so, that’s why!”
There are things that all of us have been told in church in a sermon or in a Sunday School Class that have us prompted to ask, “But, why?”
You have been told that you should lean on the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior, and that the life you live after being saved should be by faith; but why?
You have been told that you should love God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind; but why?
You have been told that you should learn about the Bible and its teachings; but why?
You have been told that you should listen to your parents, your Sunday School Teacher, and the Pastor; but why?
You have been told that you should live your life totally sold out for the Lord Jesus Christ; but why?
This morning I’m going to try to answer these questions that you might have asked at one time or another.
WHY LEAN?
You have been told that you should lean on the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior; but why?
Probably the answer most of us would give to that question is, “You want to lean on Jesus as your Savior, because you don’t want to go to hell.”
Indeed, this true.
John 3:36 - He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.
But are there any other reasons to trust Christ, besides being afraid of going to hell?
Try this reason: Jesus has done for you what you couldn’t do for yourself.
When you were a baby, your parents did for you what you couldn’t do for yourself.
They fed you, changed your diapers because you couldn’t use the toilet, clothed you, carried you, and protected you.
As you got older, you started to do these things for yourself.
But there is at least one thing you can’t do for yourself.
You can not atone or pay for your sins.
The Bible tells us:
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Romans 3:23
…the soul that sinneth, it shall die. Ezekiel 18:4
People have tried to be good to pay for their sins.
People have gone to church to pay for their sins.
People have been baptized to pay for their sins.
People have given money to pay for sins.
And none of it works.
Jesus has done for you, what you can’t do for yourself.
2 Corinthians 5:21 - For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
Here is another reason for leaning on Jesus as your Savior: Why pay for what is already paid for?
If Jesus already died for my sins, why should I try to pay for them too?
If someone pays my bill at a restaurant, I’m not going to insist on paying for it too. I will just say, “Thank you.”
Ephesians 2:8-9 - For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: [9] Not of works, lest any man should boast.
One more reason why I should lean on Christ as my Savior: God has loved me so much that his very Son came from Heaven, suffered, and died for me. Shouldn’t I accept that great love?
John 3:16 - For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
These are a few reasons for leaning on Jesus as your Savior.
Most of you all profess to know Christ as your Savior.
Why should you lean on Him now by faith? That is, why should you live in dependence upon God’s help, and not wing it on your own?
First of all, if you haven’t discovered it already, you will find that it is impossible to live a Godly life without dependence upon God.
We all have good intentions, and we fail
We all want to do right and we fail.
We all want to avoid doing what is wrong and we fail.
Romans 7:19 - For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do.
But God gives us a better way. He tells us to live the Christian life by faith, leaning on His Son for victory.
Galatians 2:20 - I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.
Philippians 4:13 - I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
You did nothing good to save yourself. Don’t expect to be able to do good on your own to live a Christian life.
Let’s answer another question.
WHY LEAN?
WHY LOVE?
You have been told that you should love God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind; but why?
There are very few of us who would ever claim not to love God. It is not the love of God that is actually in question. It is the degree of that love.
That we should love God is understandable. But why should we love Him above all others, to the point of always choosing Him and His way no matter what?
The answer is really quite simple and is summed up in
1 John 4:19 - We love him, because he first loved us.
Let’s think about that love.
He loved you enough to create you and to make you unique. There is no other individual quite like you.
Psalm 139:14 - I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.
He also loved you enough to accept you.
Ephesians 1:5-6 - Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, [6] To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
If you have trusted Jesus as your Savior, He has accepted you. I hate rejection of any kind.
God is trying to teach me that because I am in Christ I am accepted by Him, no matter who else may reject me.
And here’s another wonderful reason for loving Him.
Jeremiah 31:3 - The Lord hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.
He has loved you forever and always will love you.
He has loved you enough to draw you to Himself for salvation.
He has loved you enough to promise that you can never be separated from that love.
Romans 8:38-39 - For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, [39] Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Of course, God loved us enough to send His Son, Jesus Christ, God in the flesh, to die for us.
1 John 4:10 - Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
God loves us.
Isn’t that enough reason to love Him totally in return?
WHY LEAN?
WHY LOVE?
WHY LEARN?
You have been told that you should learn about the Bible and its teachings; but why?
I loved my Dad. I still do.
He was a good man. He loved me.
I learned from Him.
A lot that I learned from Him was good.
I learned to work hard from him.
I learned to be a conversationalist from him.
I learned the importance of family from him.
I learned to be involved in church from him.
Not all that I learned from Him was good. In fact, some of it was pretty bad. He taught me how to get angry, how to lose my temper and how to yell. He taught me how to feel rejected. He did it by example.
Yes, he loved me, but unwittingly taught me some bad things. I taught my children some of the same things both the good and the bad.
Am I forgiven? Yes!
Is Dad forgiven? Yes!
You and I have a Heavenly Father. He’s the one that loves us with an everlasting love.
Although you do not or did not have perfect earthly parents, you do have a perfect Heavenly Parent.
And just as your parents have taught you, He wants to teach you.
He wants to teach you Spiritual things.
He wants to teach you moral things.
He wants to teach you about Himself.
He wants to teach you about yourself.
He wants to teach you how to live.
Your earthly parents have and will fail you.
He will never fail you.
Learn from Him.
He has given His Word.
He has given us preachers and teachers of that Word.
Ephesians 4:11-12 - And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; [12] For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ:
Did you ever learn something so you could please someone else? Why not learn so you can please God?
2 Timothy 2:15 - Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
We should also learn because we want to know God better.
Philippians 3:10 - That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;
You teens and college students have a wonderful opportunity over the summer. You have an opportunity to learn in a way which you have never learned before through a special book study. Adam will be taking you men on an adventure called “Wild at Heart”. Jennifer will be taking you ladies on a similar adventure called, “Captivating”.
I challenge you to participate in this great adventure.
You will learn to know God.
You will learn to know others.
You will learn to know yourself.
WHY LEAN?
WHY LOVE?
WHY LEARN?
WHY LISTEN?
You have been told that you should listen to your parents, your Sunday School Teacher, and the Pastor; but why?
Your parents have been given you an awesome job.
They have been commissioned by God to raise you.
They have been commissioned by God to train you.
They have been commissioned by God to teach you.
Proverbs 22:6 - Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.
Ephesians 6:4 - And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.
God knew that your parents would be less than perfect.
And God knows that some of you have received undeserved grief from your parents.
But God has chosen your parents for you for whatever reason.
When they are not teaching you to disobey God, you are to listen to them and obey them.
Proverbs 6:20 - My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother:
Colossians 3:20 - Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.
What about listening to your Sunday School Teachers and Pastor when they teach? It’s so easy to tune us out and consider us irrelevant.
God has given us the important job of teaching you. This is a job that we will answer to God for.
You can help us by realizing that we have a job to do.
You help us do our jobs when you pay attention and try to obey what God’s Word is teaching.
WHY LISTEN?
WHY LIVE?
You have been told that you should live your life totally sold out for the Lord Jesus Christ; but why?
Of course we should live a life totally sold out to Jesus Christ because we are leaning on Him, loving Him, learning from Him and listening to Him.
There is one more reason that I’d like to add to this list.
You should live a live totally sold out to Jesus Christ because He says to live such a life.
Luke 9:23-24 - And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. [24] For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it.
Matthew 10:39 - He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.
Luke 14:26-27 - If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. [27] And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
THERE ARE REASONS TO LEAN!
THERE ARE REASONS TO LOVE!
THERE ARE REASONS TO LEARN!
THERE ARE REASONS TO LISTEN!
THERE ARE REASONS TO LIVE! – SO DO IT!