My Graduation Sermon:Throwing Seven Different Kinds of Smoke

So it’s time for a graduation sermon. My third one here. I said last year, and I feel it is true again this year, that giving a graduation sermon is always a bit intimidating for me. I feel like I may just be one of the least qualified people to give you all advice on going out into the “real world”. Seriously. I mean, my favorite author was a man who wrote books about cats in hats, green eggs and ham, one fox, two foxes and the places you’ll go… I almost exclusively eat cereal with cartoon characters as their main spokesperson, at anytime of any day, there’s a good chance that Looney Tunes will be playing on my TV, and I’m a 25 year old man who regularly wears a Superman t-shirt…in public.

But you know what, I do a lot of thinking when I’m not watching the coyote not catch the roadrunner, and I feel like I know a few things, so forget what I told you about not being qualified and listen up, because y’all are catching me on a day I’m throwing seven different kinds of smoke.

I have been in the “real world” for a little bit now and I’ve learned a few things. What I’ve learned very rarely in fact comes from books. That’s number one. You can’t learn it all from books! I love books, and I love to read. Reading is something that has always been a constant in my life, and I actually go crazy when I don’t have a new book to read. I had a friend come over to my house for the first time awhile back, and he looked at my bookshelf and asked “Have you actually read all of those books, or did you just buy them and put them there to make yourself look smart?” Books and school is a great source of knowledge and information, but, you cannot, let yourself get so wrapped up in a book or a GPA that you don’t see what is going on around you. That may be the last thing your parents want me to say to you but I believe it’s true. Life is happening all around you, and if you have your nose in a book or homework up to your ears, and you never take the time to look around, you’re going to look up in four years and wonder where the heck your college years went. So do what you gotta do, get your work done, but live, at the same time.

Second kind of smoke…forget the timeline. I know there are a lot of people that go to college that got a timeline set up for themselves. I didn’t even do the traditional right after high school college thing, but I still had a timeline set up for myself, certain things that were going to be going on in my life by the time I was twenty-five, and when those things didn’t happen, they were hard to face. I’ll tell you what happens, because I’ve seen it firsthand in my life. You want to make God laugh? Tell Him your plans. God takes what you want for yourself sometimes, and he tells you “Oh yeah? You think you got this figured out? Here’s a curveball for you. Strike out. Sit back down. I got other stuff for you in mind.” But don’t worry though. Because even if you don’t have it figured out, God does. That’s the third kind of smoke. Proverbs 16:9 says it perfectly “A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord determines his steps.”

Fourth kind of smoke that I’m throwing today is if you don’t know what you’re doing out there, that’s ok!!! It’s fine! I still don’t know what I want to do when I grow up! You think I’m worried about it? No way! As you’re going through your life, you have to find your passion, not your job! If you’re out there looking for what job is going to give you the most money, make you the most successful, make you the most powerful…you might find it. But you may also lose a little bit of yourself along the way. In one of our bible studies we talked about what society and our culture and world say about success. Remember? And what did it say? Society’s views of success, and God’s view of success, are most likely to be a lot different. But trust in yourself, and more importantly your God, and you’ll find something. I wake up every day thankful that I get to do what I do. I love it. I have the greatest job in the world. I didn’t plan it to happen this way. But it did. It happened this way because I finally decided to stop fighting God and just go along for the ride, and so far, this is where he’s taken me.

For my fifth! Kind of smoke that I’m throwing out there today, I am going to tell you something that I know you are not going to believe. Sometimes, I don’t believe it myself…but it’s true. Mom and Dad are right. They have always been right, they will always be right. Forever. Till the end of time. I’ll be the first to admit that I didn’t always listen to my parents when I was growing up, but then again what kid does? But seriously, it turns out; they have been right about a lot of things. But not all of them are the things you roll your eyes at. My parents believed in me. They always have. Always will. I remember anytime I didn’t really get as good of grades as I could have, it would be the “We just know you can do better”. And they were right. I could have. I just didn’t want to. Or the “I’m not mad, I’m just disappointed.” Oo, that one was the worst. But still, through everything I have done in my life my parents have always believed in me. That has taken me places! I’m a smart cookie!!! I know things, and I’m good at things. My parents believe it. Your parents believe the same things for you. I know they do. Because I know all of your parents. I talk to your parents sometimes. Sometimes I talk to your parents, not even about you. I know it’s tough to believe that when the Youth Minister and the parents get together sometimes you’re not the only thing on our minds… But most of the times we do talk about you, and I can tell that you’re parents want what’s best for you. They believe in you. And the funny thing about this is, and this is just a personal philosophy, but, I think that if at least one person in the world thinks that you are the greatest thing in the world. Then it’s gotta be true. I think Anna Beth is the cutest girl in the world. Gotta be true. I think my mom and dad are the greatest parents in the world. Gotta be true. I think I’m the best looking guy in the world…ok, maybe that’s not true, but you get the idea. Your parents believe in you and think you are the best Kaitlyn, the best Laura, and the best Alyssa, that there ever was. Gotta be true.

So please, don’t forget to thank your parents the day you graduate, the day you graduate college, the day you get that first awesome job, the day you get married, and the day you have your first kids. Your parents won’t always be around forever, take it from me, so make sure you tell them how awesome they are.

Sixth kind of smoke that I’m throwing out there today, man, we’re getting close to being done. No applause please. The sixth kind of smoke is something that I wish more people would say to you. If you were at the Feed Store basketball fundraiser, the speaker kind of touched on it, and I’m glad he did. Now, you guys that know me, you know I don’t hold any punches with you, and I’m always really honest, but I try to do it in a loving way, but there isn’t just a real loving way to say this. Sometimes, out in the real world, life sucks. Sorry. Hate to be the one that has to tell you that, and if you haven’t heard it already, sorry it’s coming from me. But it does. Sometimes, it’s just a day. Sometimes your day just doesn’t go the way it should. Like you bomb a test, forget your homework, then you go to work and your boss is a jerk to you and you have to put up with rude customers then you go back to your dorm or apartment and your roommate is playing weird music and smells like potatoes. But then, the next day, everything readjusts itself, gets back on a more even kilt, you realize the potato smell was just coming from next door, and everything is better. But sometimes, the bad sticks around for awhile. It’s bound to happen. I’m pretty sure if you asked all of these adults in this room, I doubt any one of them could say they have never hit a bad spot in their lives. I’m gonna go Biblical for a minute, because there’s some pretty good stuff in here. Book of Job. Now let me tell you about Job. Job had it all. Yeah. Job was living the life. Look at the Book of Job. Chapter one, verse 2. ² He had seven sons and three daughters. ³ His estate included 7,000 sheep, 3,000 camels, 500 yoke of oxen, 500 female donkeys, and a very large number of servants. Job was the greatest man among all the people of the east.

Yeah, Job has it all, until the Lord decides to let Satan test him. Look at verse 6 now, because that’s important too.

“From roaming the earth and walking around on it.” That’s what the devil says. Yeah, you don’t believe he’s out there, read it again. So, the devil and God have a little feud going on here with Job. God says that Job is the best there is, and Satan says well yeah, that’s because you gave him everything. Who wouldn’t be happy and praise you as long as he’s successful? Let me take away some of his stuff and see what happens. So God says ok, take away everything he owns, but don’t lay a hand on Job. So look now with me at chapter one, verse 13.

¹³ One day when Job's sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother's house, ¹⁴ a messenger came to Job and said, "The oxen were plowing and the donkeys were grazing nearby, ¹⁵ and the Sabeans attacked and carried them off. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"

¹⁶ While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, "The fire of God fell from the sky and burned up the sheep and the servants, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"

¹⁷ While he was still speaking, another messenger came and said, "The Chaldeans formed three raiding parties and swept down on your camels and carried them off. They put the servants to the sword, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"

¹⁸ While he was still speaking, yet another messenger came and said, "Your sons and daughters were feasting and drinking wine at the oldest brother's house, ¹⁹ when suddenly a mighty wind swept in from the desert and struck the four corners of the house. It collapsed on them and they are dead, and I am the only one who has escaped to tell you!"

²⁰ At this, Job got up and tore his robe and shaved his head. Then he fell to the ground in worship ²¹ and said:
"Naked I came from my mother's womb,
and naked I will depart. ^[c]
The LORD gave and the LORD has taken away;
may the name of the LORD be praised."

²² In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing.

Man, bad day for Job. But what is his response? Look at verse 20. He worshiped. He fell to the ground…and worshiped. Man, Job is one tough dude. All that stuff happens to me in one day, I’m gonna have a hard time worshipping God.

So after this, Satan is mad. Because Job doesn’t even think of him yet. The devil is over here, hey look at me, look at me, I did this to you Job, and Job isn’t having it. So God and the Devil up the ante a little bit. God says to the devil, ok, you can do whatever you want to Job, just don’t kill him. So the devil puts these boils on Job from head to foot and STILL, Job didn’t sin or curse the Lord in what he said or did.

So at this point in the story, three of Job’s buddies come along because they had heard about all this trouble he was having. Chapter 2 verse 12. And what’s in chapter 2 verse 12 is the seventh kind of smoke I’m throwing, but we’ll get to that in a little bit.

So Job has all of his friends there and so he starts talking. He starts cursing the day he was born, and he gets pretty intense in Chapter 3. So he goes on and on, cursing everything about his life, and two of his three friends respond, and they go back and forth and back and forth until the third friend, who is younger, gets angry and can’t take it anymore. ⁴ Now Elihu had waited to speak to Job because they were [all] older than he. ⁵ But when he saw that the three men could not answer Job, he became angry.

⁶ So Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite replied:
I am young in years,
while you are old;
therefore I was timid and afraid
to tell ^(D) you what I know.

⁷ I thought that age should speak
and maturity should teach wisdom.

⁸ But it is a spirit in man ^[a]
and the breath ^(E) of the Almighty
that give him understanding.

⁹ It is not [only] the old who are wise
or the elderly who understand how to judge.

¹⁰ Therefore I say, "Listen to me.
I too will declare what I know."

So then Elihu starts getting mad at Job and asks him “Hey, who are you to be questioning God? You think just because you were a righteous man and you had everything you can question God. And you expect an answer from God? Man are you dumb! God doesn’t have to answer you! God does speak sometime, we just don’t hear it. Boom! Wait a minute! What was the Fourth kind of smoke? That if you don’t know, it’s okay because God does? Yeah. And God is gonna speak to you but you have to listen! So anyways, Elihu goes on and on telling Job how foolish he is for questioning God and whatnot, and God must’ve liked it because here he comes, and he’s coming in a whirlwind. And man, he comes in hot! He’s mad at Job, and he’s gonna let Job know it. Chapter 38. Job 38

The LORD Speaks

¹ Then the LORD answered Job from the whirlwind. ^(A) He said:

² Who is this who obscures [My] counsel
with ignorant words? ^(B)

³ Get ready to answer Me like a man;
when I question ^(C) you, you will inform Me.

⁴ Where were you when I established ^(D) the earth?
Tell [Me], if you have ^[a] understanding.

⁵ Who fixed its dimensions? Certainly you know!
Who stretched a measuring line across it?

Oh man, if you’ve never read Job you need to check it out because I love how the Lord is talking in it.

³⁵ Can you send out lightning ^(Q) bolts, and they go?
Do they report to you: "Here we are"?

³⁶ Who put wisdom ^(R) in the heart ^[m]
or gave the mind understanding?

³⁷ Who has the wisdom to number the clouds?
Or who can tilt the water jars of heaven

³⁸ when the dust hardens like cast metal
and the clods [of dirt] stick together?

And the Lord goes on for awhile about how awesome he is. And it’s not really a “Look at me how big and great I am” kind of way, but it’s more like a “Come on Job, I’m disappointed in you. Do you know how great I am and what I’ve done? Who are you to tell me I don’t know what I’m doing” kind of way.

Now at this point, Job has to be feeling small. He just got scolded, by GOD! God just came down in a whirlwind and told Job what’s up! Job can’t be feeling good right now…

So what does Job do? He apologizes. He mans up. He tells God he’s sorry, and he tells God “You know what, youre right. I am sorry. I had heard rumors about you, but now that I’ve seen you, I take back my words, and repent.”

Bad times are gonna happen. They’re bound to. They happen to everybody. Sometimes, it’s because of bad mistakes you’re gonna make. Sometimes, just for no reason. Christian author Stephen M. Miller sums it up better than I could when he says “You may never know why you suffer. Perhaps it’s to strengthen your faith. Perhaps it’s to show God’s power, which is why a man that Jesus healed was born blind. Or maybe you suffer because of the effects of someone else’s sin. Whatever the reason, God will see you through the suffering. He’s also an expert at turning tragedy into blessing. “

I’ve seen it happen. I’ve seen what at the time, looks like a tragedy, be turned into a blessing that I never could’ve or would’ve imagined. God’s got a better imagination than I do.

Seventh kind of smoke. Go back to Job. Chapter 2. Verse 12. ¹² When they saw him from a distance, they could hardly recognize him; they began to weep aloud, and they tore their robes and sprinkled dust on their heads. ¹³ Then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was. I want you to look next to you. Look left. Look right. Turn around. Look at those people out there. The friends, the family. These are the people, that are gonna be there for you in those troubling times. The friend who can be silent with us in a moment of despair or confusion, who can stay with us in an hour of grief, who can tolerate not knowing not healing, not curing, that, is a friend who cares. Not just in times of trouble, but in times of happiness. I know some of you are best friends. Stay that way. You don’t realize it yet, but those are the people that are going to be with you for the rest of your life. At stuff like graduations, parties, weddings, funerals, births. The whole thing.

I know that I call you, my friends, and I hope you can do the same about me.