Text: Genesis 25:27-34

One day a meat packer was asked, "What kind of business are you in?" He answered, "I am a Christian." Rather puzzled and perplexed over the answer the inquisitive man persisted, "I don't think you understood me, what is your occupation?" "My business, or occupation, is to be a Christian." The worker replied. "I just pack meat to pay the expenses."

What kind of business occupies your life? It's very easy for us to get so caught up in our job, or career, that the business of being a Christian is left to the one or two hours spent in church on Sunday mornings. Who of us hasn't allowed earthly work to become an excuse for not doing the heavenly work Christ has given each of us? This is a warning for all of us, but especially for you – the graduating class.

Today some of you are thinking about the end of school and of course graduation. Tomorrow you might be thinking about sleeping in and finding a part-time job. The next day you might be thinking about summer sports camps or Six Flags. The next day it might be your girlfriend or boyfriend that’s on your mind. Before you realize it, Jesus has taken a back seat in your life; everything else seems to get your attention more than Jesus does.

Sadly, as adults we do the same thing. Today we are thinking about our jobs, later we will be thinking about going fishing or shopping. Tomorrow it will be about all the things around the house that need to be done. You may even be thinking about those things right now instead of paying attention to the sermon. If we aren’t careful we can push Jesus out of our busy lives.

Crowding Jesus out of your life is being disloyal to your faith, but there is a deeper disloyalty that I want to discuss this evening. As a young person, or as a graduate, or as an adult, you can become so distracted that you are willing to trade the riches of your faith for a bowl of artificial and momentary happiness.

Esau did just that. He traded the riches of his birthright for a bowl of artificial and momentary happiness. "The boys [Jacob and Esau] grew up, and Esau became a skillful hunter, a man of the open country, while Jacob was a quiet man, staying among the tents. ²⁸ Isaac [their dad], who had a taste for wild game, loved Esau, but Rebekah [their mom] loved Jacob. ²⁹ Once when Jacob was cooking some stew, Esau came in from the open country, famished. ³⁰ He said to Jacob, "Quick, let me have some of that red stew! I'm famished!" (That is why he was also called Edom.) ³¹ Jacob replied, "First sell me your birthright." ³² "Look, I am about to die," Esau said. "What good is the birthright to me?" ³³ But Jacob said, "Swear to me first." So he swore an oath to him, selling his birthright to Jacob. ³⁴ Then Jacob gave Esau some bread and some lentil stew. He ate and drank, and then got up and left. So Esau despised his birthright." (Genesis 25:27-34)

One day Esau came home from a big safari hunt where he found Jacob brewing some of that famous home- cooked lentil stew. Esau was so hungry that he was willing to trade anything for a hot meal. He was convinced that he had to have something to eat or he would die.

Esau thought with his belly. Instead of thinking with his head he let his desire control his actions. What did he trade? He traded his birthright. To you and me that might not seem like much, but the birthright was the inheritance given to the eldest son. It was a big deal in Bible times. The birthright was a privilege given to the first-born son of the family. The eldest son succeeded to his father’s rank and position as the head of the family or tribe. He became the leader at the death of the father. He also inherited a double portion of his father’s property.

Esau traded all of the privileges that were his inheritance for a short-lived moment of pleasure. Pleasure meant more to him than anything else. The moral of the story is – you and I had better check out what’s really important before we make any hasty deals. When Esau pigged out on Jacob’s famous recipe, he was making a decision that would affect him the rest of his life.

You, the graduating class, and the rest of you, too, I want you to know that the devil and the world have a similar kettle cooking for you. If you allow your appetite to get strong enough for the pleasures of this world, you will be tempted to cash in the riches and fullness of Christ for a morsel of temporary happiness. You will be tempted to trade in your eternal inheritance, your faith, your principles you were taught at WLS, your values your parents instilled in you – all for a taste of the devil and the world’s stew.

It looks good. It smells good. But don’t be deceived. It may taste good going down but eventually it will sour and spoil, maybe not immediately but eventually it will. And then you may lose out on everything – everything Jesus won for you.

There are young women who have given up their virginity and lost their inheritance for a moment of passion. There are young men and women who have messed up their future because they have to raise a child now and support a family. Many young men and women have given up their future of happiness for a moment of pleasure by getting drunk with their friends. These young people gave up their inheritance for a moment of pleasure. It’s not worth it!

Adults have done the same thing. Men have given up their inheritance for a moment of pleasure in pornography. Women have given up their inheritance because their husband wasn’t showing them the affection they needed and so they went looking for love elsewhere. Many people have traded their heavenly treasures for earthly baubles. They traded their eternal inheritance for trinkets and desires.

Your class verse speaks of your inheritance and its value to you. "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." (Hebrews 11:1) Though you cannot see heaven, it is there. Though you have never seen Jesus, you have met him and he is inside you. Though you cannot see the power in baptism, your heavenly Father washed your sins away with that water and Word. Though you cannot see Christ’s body or blood in the Lord’s Supper that you are not taking for the first time, it is present and powerful to forgive and strengthen. Though you may not always notice God’s abiding love, he is there for you – now and always.

Each one of you have been given a hope, a faith – a faith in Christ that you cannot see, but you can feel. A faith that makes itself visible when you play soccer or go out on a date or sit in a high school classroom. A faith that is certain that God forgives, that Jesus saves, and that the Holy Spirit sanctifies you.

God has given each of you a birthright. Your birthright is to be called and claimed as a child of God. Christ won you back from the devil. He paid the ransom price with his precious blood and innocent suffering and death. There is nothing better or more precious than being a child of God. You are a child of God that will one day claim your birthright and receive your inheritance in the kingdom of heaven.

I pray that your faith is not like Esau, but more like the apostle Paul. Paul stayed loyal to God through the most awful circumstances. At the end of his life he sat in a lonely dungeon, waiting to be executed, and wrote these words: "The time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day-- and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing." (2 Timothy 4:6-8)

Notice what Paul said: "I have kept the faith." That means he didn’t sell out. At the lowest moments he would not swap the splendor of being a Christian for a second’s worth of the devil’s lentil soup. Paul had been promised an inheritance and he wasn’t willing to give it up for anything.

As you depart for "work" tomorrow, remember the negative example of Esau. Remember the faith of Paul. Recall your wonderful class verse. And remember the example of that Christian who just happened to be a meat packer on the side. We're called to be about the business of our heavenly Father 24 hours a day/ 7 days a week. Love that work and be devoted to nothing else. For everything else is just done to pay the expenses.

Remember that your birthright is to be a child of God. Don’t ever sell your birthright for a moment of pleasure. Instead cherish that birthright until you finally receive your glorious inheritance in heaven. Amen.

To God be the glory. Great things he has done. Amen.