My first Chapel Sermon at a Lutheran High School

How Do You Fit In?
Chapel for October 25th 2005 @ Valley Lutheran High School Saginaw, MI

Main Text—Ephesians 4:1-4, 7-14
Goal—That the hearers may be able to see that we are all equal in Christ Jesus, all have one and the same LORD being in the same body of Christ. No one is left out in Christ’s body and it is important as believers to build one another up in Christ rather than tear down.

1. How do you fit in? That may be a question that’s hard for you to answer. Maybe you’re a jock, an actor or actress, a scholar, a band member, computer geek or party animal. I’m sure many of you are into different types of music, different sports, different after school activities. I know when I was in High School I was in many of these cliques or groups of people. I was in band, involved in theatre, a Boy Scout, Cross Country and Track and I had a job at a grocery store. That was 7 years ago. But, things haven’t changed. We all feel the need to fit in. We don’t want to be left out of the crowd. Many of you know the pressure that your peers can place on you. Believe me. I was in high school once just like you. In fact it was a Lutheran High School in Mayer, MN. I had a lot of good times there, but I also had a lot of bad times. Even though I was involved in a lot of these school activities I didn’t always feel that was I fitting in with the crowd. Maybe you’ve felt that way too sometimes.

2. The apostle Paul says in his letter to the Ephesians 4:1-4 & 7-14 “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit-- just as you were called to one hope when you were called-- one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.

3. Here the apostle Paul tells us that we’re all one united in the body of Christ. Even though each of us have been given different gifts we’re all still one in the LORD. We were all given this at our baptism. Christ called us out of darkness into His wonderful light so that we may be made a child of God. Paul does say that because we’ve been called out by the Gospel we’re no longer infants tossed to and fro by the ways of the world. That means that we as Christians have a higher calling. We’re to be in the world, but not of the world. That can be hard. Especially in High School when people want you to do things you don’t want to do such as doing drugs, having sex before marriage, making fun of others to become popular, stealing or doing whatever thing you can do to fit into the crowd that surrounds you.

4. There’s a song by the rock group Fall Out Boy called “Sugar We’re Going Down.” Some of the words to the song go like this, “Am I more than you bargained for yet, I’ve been dying to tell you anything you want to hear, Cause that’s just who I am this week…They go on later to say, “Drop a heart break a name, we’re always sleeping in, and sleeping for the wrong team. And Sugar, we’re going down swinging (take back what you said) I’ll be your number one with a bullet (take aim at myself) A loaded God complex, cock it and pull it. These words are sad when we realize that this is how the way people think and act today. The song seems to imply that if we don’t fit in then all is lost and we’re not worth living. But, I pray that none of you will ever feel this way. Some people feel that they don’t fit in and because they don’t some take their own life. I had a friend I knew in school at Mayer Lutheran who killed himself because he felt that all his life was a loss, that no one loved him. He felt that he didn’t fit in. But, he was a baptized child of God. I believe that he’s in heaven, because of the grace found in baptism and in the Word of God that was still a part of His life even though he tragically took his life. Sometimes life makes us want to take aim at ourselves. The devil wants us to feel like we are totally alone and that no one, not even God loves us. But, it’s not true. God does love you and He loves you so much that He sent His Son Jesus Christ to die for you. In Him you do fit in.

5. There’s pressure in today’s world to fit in. No one wants to be left out. That’s partly what the lyrics to Fall Out Boy talk about. Some people may try to act like different people week to week. But, you may say that it’s boring to be who we are in Christ Jesus. The truth is that Jesus always accepts us no matter who we are. Some people may think that Christians are a bunch of boring people. They can’t have sexual relations outside of marriage, we can’t get drunk, smoke drugs, God doesn’t want us to steal, swear or gossip. Where’s the fun in being a Christian? I’m here to tell you that there’s a lot of fun in being a Christian. Because God has set laws to keep us safe from the pain that this lawless world brings. God gives us these boundaries for a reason. He wants us to keep away from sex before marriage because He doesn’t want us to deal with the pain and heartache that comes with it. He doesn’t want us to hurt our body by using drugs or getting drunk. He wants us to build one another up, not tear each other down by swearing at one another or gossiping. In fact Jesus says that the devil, the thief comes to steal and take us away from God. The devil doesn’t want us to fit in with Christ and His flock. Jesus says in John 10:7-10 “Therefore Jesus said again, "I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. All who ever came before me were thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” In Jesus we do have life to the full and we will have a wonderful life in Him. Not some boring one.

6. Have you seen the movie Napoleon Dynamite? I think that it gives to us a wonderful example of how we try to fit into the various groups of people that we’re surrounded by. The film is about a social outcast named Napoleon. Every high school has them: those kids who seem lost in their own world, tragically unhip and excluded from the ranks of the beautiful and athletic. Napoleon Dynamite paints a strange, humorous portrait of "them" as they try to make the most of their low-key lives in the rural community of Preston, Idaho. The skinny, bespectacled and nerdy Napoleon proceeds to wander through a random series of scenes involving his friends, Deb and Pedro and his older brother, Kip. Each character is focused on a particular goal and each must endure the mockery of those who oppose them. In addition to the jocks and popular kids, Napoleon also squares off against his Uncle Rico, a sadly misguided character who's living in the past and who seems determined to spoil Napoleon's best efforts. One hilarious scene has Napoleon lamenting his inability to attract girls because he lacks "skills": "Girls only want boyfriends who have great skills. You know, like nunchuck skills, bow hunting skills, computer hacking skills." Pedro reminds him that he likes to draw, and suggests that Napoleon sketch a portrait of the girl he wants to ask to the dance—putting his skills to work.

7. Yes, the movie Napoleon Dynamite is fun to laugh at and watch. But it does have a message for us as Christians about how we are to treat others who don’t seem to fit in with the popular crowd. In the movie we all can relate to these characters in different ways. We know people who are like Napoleon, Pedro, Deb, Kip and Uncle Rico. We also know people who act like the jocks and other popular kids in the school Napoleon goes to. Napoleon Dynamite is someone we can all relate to. We laugh at his idiosyncrasies even as we realize that we may be blind to some of our own. We're not invited into the film's world to mock these characters, but to relate to them and use them to reflect on our own weirdness, dreams and goals.

8. Jesus has given to us that special knowledge of Him through the power of His Word. We’re now enabled through the power of the Holy Spirit to get along with one another. Even if we have a little bit of Napoleon Dynamite within us. All of us were created equal in the sight of God. It’s awesome to know that we have a God who came down to us in human form so that we may be united in Him today and everyday. Apostle Paul says in Philippians 2:6-11, “Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death-- even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." The truth is that in Jesus we do fit in and He continues to give us strength to follow Him each and everyday of our lives. He became nothing, taking the form of a servant, so that we may have the hope and joy of eternal life both today and everyday of our lives. May God continue to enable us to follow Him and treat others with respect so that we may be able to continue to build each other up in the body of Christ. Remember. In Jesus you do fit in!!! AMEN.