The things that we are to remember.
Introduction: The things that we are to remember! Something which serves as a reminder. Scripture witnesses to God’s participation in human history for the salvation of God’s people. Memorials to such events reinforce faith and provide opportunities for teaching.
So many places in the Bible drive this point home to us!
Jacob’s Sixth Encounter with God—His Name Changed to Israel – After he had received and after his change had come, examine his actions: 9Then God appeared once more to Jacob after he came back from Paddan Aram, and he blessed him. 10God said to him, “Your name is Jacob. You will no longer be called Jacob, but your name will be Israel.” So he named him Israel. 11God also said to him, “I am God Almighty. Be fertile, and increase in number. A nation and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will come from you. 12I will give you the land that I gave to Abraham and Isaac. I will also give this land to your descendants.” 13Then God went up from him at the place where he had spoken with him. 14So Jacob set up a memorial, a stone marker, to mark the place where God had spoken with him. He poured a wine offering and olive oil on it. 15Jacob named the place where God had spoken with him Bethel [House of God].
From the beginning of the Bible we have a Holy instruction to remember. . .In the verse, God reminded his servant of who he was and all that he did, and all that he was going to do. . .that servant went out and set up something so that the memory of the miracle in his life would live forever teaching all of those who were to come!
This lets us know that one of the things that we can never forget is the place where we personally received the promise!
If you read your Bible, I believe that you will come to find in so many places, we are to honor the gifts from God by remembering them! I submit to you - Lord’s supper, Luke 22:19Then he took a loaf of bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me." 1 Cor. 11:24 In the same way he took the cup also, after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me."
In remembrance of me. . .
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Point 1: So many pages and places in scripture speak to our need for a collective, corporate human recall (Deut 5:15 Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm; therefore the LORD your God commanded you to keep the sabbath day).
As hard as it may be sometimes, as hard as our feelings may feel, according to the word we are to remember the hard times! Now at first reading that instruction might seem a little counter productive to what society tells you is the way that the Christian is supposed to walk. . . Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt. . .is the instruction and the question that comes to my mind whenever I come across that verse, is why should we recollect and revisit hard times and pain full, pain filled yesterdays?
How can I stand up here a preacher of this thing that we call the “good news” gospel and say that one of the things that we should remember is a time when things were not going so well?
How can we gather together united with this family, who have conceived and constructed this mornings memorial service and say to them that according to the example of the Word of God we are to remember the hard times. . .to remember when we were slaves!
We can say to them this morning, what the verse has been saying to so many, for so many years: Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm; therefore the LORD your God commanded you to keep the Sabbath day. . . .there came a moment when that thing that held us in bondage had to let us go. . .we must remember the slavery so that we remember just how we came to be free. . . The Lord our God brought us out with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. . .We must remember everything that was wrong with our yesterdays so that we can always be reminded about the moment when God made moves on our behalf! The verse instructs us to remember and keep the Sabbath day. . . . It was not simply the Sabbath they were to remember, but why a day of rest was commanded: because they had been slaves in the land of Egypt without rest on any particular day, and God brought them out with a strong hand.
Point 2: There is a message for the family and for all of us who are gathered here this morning, it is all about a personal remembrance . . .just like this family we must never forget . . .Jer 15:15 begins like this. . . .O LORD, you know; remember me and visit me. . . Jeremiah could make this request because of his relationship with God. In contrast with the people of Judah who despised God’s Word (8:9), Jeremiah accepted (ate) it and claimed it as his joy and delight (cf. Ps. 1:2). Jeremiah refused to associate with the company of revelers (cf. Ps. 1:1), choosing instead to sit alone and be guided by God’s hand.
We need to note what it is that the prophet prays for, in verse 15.
(1.) That God would consider his case and be mindful of him: "O Lord! remember me; think upon me for good.’’
(2.) That God would communicate strength and comfort to him: "Visit me; not only remember me, but let me know that thou rememberest me, that thou art nigh unto me.’’
There is nothing more comforting to the believer, especially in the hard times, there is nothing more comforting then knowing that God remembers who you are.
God Knows. . . . .and Jesus remembers.
Point 3: Even Jesus encouraged and took part in personal memorial, study the story found in (Mt 26:13) 13 Truly I tell you, wherever this good news is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her.” It was all about the act of the alabaster box. . Mary’s beautiful act prepared His body for burial (Matt. 26:12). Jesus had spoken several times of His coming death (e.g., 16:21; 17:22; 20:18), but the disciples did not seem to believe His words.
Mary believed and performed this act as a testimony of her devotion to Him. As a result her sacrificial act is often proclaimed throughout the world.
Remember the Devotion: the anointing was an eternal memorial. Christ honored Mary because she had so greatly honored Him. Several things about Mary stand as an ideal for all: her deep love and faith in Christ, her sacrificial gift, her courage in proclaiming her strong love and faith by anointing Jesus before a room full of men.
Jesus remembers and he instructed us to remember to! Such devotion and love could not be allowed to fade from history. Christ memorialized it. He will memorialize the faith and love of any believer who so sacrifices for Him—throughout all of eternity.
We stand united in faith with the family this morning, they have gone through so much, they have planned, prepared, and prayed for this day all the while remembering a yesterday of not so long ago. Just like Jesus we have seen your efforts we encourage you to keep this thing going, in spite of anything and anyone that comes against your efforts, even when it seems like you labor in vain, keep the vision alive! God will honor your sacrifice. Keep making the sacrifice. . . Sacrifice is sometimes more important than common sense.
Sometimes sacrifice should take precedence over common sense. Sometimes common sense must be stretched into sacrifice. Sacrifice is what brings about enlarged horizons, growth, development, advancement, more and more of whatever we are doing. In fact, the more we sacrifice under God's care, the more growth, development, and advancement we see. Name the field, name the area, name the work—the principle holds truth. The more we (or society) sacrifice under God's care, the more advancement we witness.
There is a place for common sense, but there is a greater place for sacrifice.
To the natural man, the actions of Jesus made no sense and yet we remember his sacrifice! We remember the name of our God!
God has instructed us never to forget! We can’t even pray without remembering God has issued instructions concerning his name.
Point 4: God’s covenant name (Yahweh) was to be a “memorial name” (Exod. 3:15 15 God also said to Moses, "Thus you shall say to the Israelites, 'The LORD, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you': This is my name forever, and this my title for all generations. NASB),
He is to be remembered by that name forever, a reminder of God’s liberation of God’s people. Do you remember the verse that we started out with a little earlier? Deut 5:15 Remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God brought you out from there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm;. . . can you see the connection within the instructions within the verses?
Moses was to declare God's memorial to the people: His name—the LORD God—is His memorial, the name by which He is to be remembered forever.
Point 5: The message to the family this morning, is nothing but a little bit of Bible based truth! It is a truth unending and unchanging, a message for the memory that is still speaking to the believers centuries after it saw the light of day!
From the Hebrew noun zeker the concept of “memorial” is drawn from the call for “remembrance.” זֵכֶר zeker - remembrance, memorial:— memorial-name(1), memory(12), mention(1), name(4), remembered(2), remembrance(2), renown(1).
The Bible holds a call to remembrance.
Biblical remembrance always focuses on people.
Conclusion: If we are to move forward in the direction that God wants us to go in, then we must never forget the things and the people who have been such a large part of our yesterday.
Never forget because. . .1) Opportunities do pass. In fact, they pass ever so rapidly. If we do not act and act immediately, we miss the chance forever. The privilege of witnessing, helping, growing, advancing, improving, and discovering—on and on the opportunities arise. If we fail to act, the opportunities might pass on never to return, and we lose the chance to ever reach out and help and improve.
Never forget because . . .2) The great tragedy of most lives can be summed up in two simple words: missed opportunity.
Keep the vision alive in spite of everything. . .3) What others think, even their condemnation and censorship, should never keep us from showing our love and faith in the Lord Jesus. Our witness should always be strong for Christ, just as strong as Mary of the alabaster box was: strong in grace and kindness, in courage and unashamedness.
Never forget. . . .4) Our works and gifts should first of all be given to Christ personally. Our thoughts should be upon Him, concentrating and not wandering as we serve and give. They should be performed and given as though they were being laid at His feet.
We should not overlook the obvious: people forget what they do not call to remembrance (any teacher will agree with Samuel Johnson’s observation that we need more often to be reminded than to be informed).
To the family who put this service together. . . .
To the family of faith that carries the name of Christ. . .
Our God never forgets. . .
Our God remembers. . .
The Lord says, "Can a woman forget her nursing child, or show no compassion for the child of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you. See, I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands." - Isaiah 49:15-16 (NRSV).
Let Us Pray!
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cf. confer, compare
e.g. exempli gratia, for example