Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction:

Yet again we find ourselves, not only approaching a new year but now also a new decade.

Life is temporal and there is no guarantee of another day.

YHWH, in His divine providence, does not promise us tomorrow, but we are here today.

Therefore, we are presented with a just cause to be responsive to God, who has kept us by His power.

He has already kept us this last decade and we should not so quickly forget.

We cannot remember the things that we must remember if we do not take a look back.

Of all the things that have transpired over this year, of all the things that come to my mind, nothing happened this year that I could really go back and change, no matter how much I might want it to change.

For some of us, as we look back, we recall things that we don’t like.

For others, we can recall happy times.

But, it is far easier to recall negative things.

Somehow, the negative things stick better in our brains than positive things.

One Christian author wrote about the end of the year going into the new year and he said, “The new year seems to add a little encouragement to the winter season, especially after all the effort and emotions that go along with Christmas.”

In our generation today, looking back requires more effort to remember.

We seem to always be too busy to take a moment and reflect on things past.

Yet, in that practice of looking back, we can rediscover the ability to remember both the good and the bad on a regular basis; and that's what I want to close this decade with, just encouraging you with a year that is worth remembering.

I know some of you might be saying, “I don't want to remember this year!”

Some of us have a hard time remembering yesterday.

Memories do fail us in some respects--and boy do I know that! but there are things that we are actually commanded to bring back to our minds and I think that's important to bring it back and we have to work to bring it back bring certain things, bring back the highlights and the lows of this year.

And so it is prudent of us to reflect, as a Church, what we’ve done this year and ask, “was it worth it?”

So, let me take a couple minute to reflect on this year.

This year has been yet again one of the most dynamic years of Grace Baptist Church with a pruning and a resurgence of God’s people.

But this is not the only thing that has happened!

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So what is worthy to recall?

Well, we can look at the Scriptures to tell us!

As the late Professor, Allen Verhey, succinctly put it:

"In Scripture, […] Memory is typically constitutive of identity and determinative of conduct”

He then went on with the example of when our Lord healed the lepers and how when Jesus healed them, immediately they left.

It is as if they were healed and then, “Okay that’s done!”

That is just characteristic of us today!

YHWH does that great thing in our lives, YHWH does that specific work, YHWH calls us out of eternal damnation and touches our lives to live with Him for Eternity, YHWH answers our prayers!

We look back and all these things that have gone on and we move on and don't remember.

And in no other time is this so true then immediately after we had been delivered from some terrible situation.

Our memories are more than only a recollection of the past.

A few years back, Dr. Wynne Kimbrough said:

“Our memories actually shape us, and they make us into the person that we are, and the person that we will become…So your time of remembering will shape you and make you into the person that you will be ”

So your time in remembering will make you into the person that you will be in 2020.

What does the Bible actually say about this?

The Bible actually tells us to remember.

In fact there are several passages that guide us in helping us to remember specific things and, in turn, those memories will help us as we grow this coming year.

Throughout the Bible, there are numerous commands for us to not forget.

The repeating repetition that we find throughout the whole Bible is for us to not forget.

There are many memories of ours that would fit into these biblical categories-- perhaps you will let this be the beginning of a further personal extended study of yours-- but I want to give you a few points this morning with the confidence that the Bible has us remember certain, specific things.

Transition:

We will look at a few passages mostly from Deuteronomy this morning.

The English title "Deuteronomy" comes from the Greek Δευτερονόμιον, meaning "second law."

This Greek phrase is itself a translation of the Hebrew mishneh haTorah hazoth, or in literal English "a copy of this law".

It is titled this because the Hebrew peoples had already forgotten the first law.

So you can see by just the title alone, that this book is about remembering/recalling the past/looking back In Deuteronomy 6, we find the “Shema” -- The declaration of who YHWH is and then the rest of the chapter is about teaching constantly as to not forget generation to generation, but what do we see happen again and again?

The Israelites easily forget and had already forgotten.

Then, in Chapter 32:

​Deuteronomy 32:7–9

When was the last time you have asked your father about the generation before you?

The Bible really does say a lot about the need to look back:​

Deuteronomy 4:9

Then a few Chapters later, Moses adds a new level:​

Deuteronomy 9:7

Here this is a confrontation of something specific that they did against our Lord.

What’s the message?

Don't even forget how you treated YHWH over the years—something very negative that Moses commands the Israelites not to forget.

Look with me now at

1 Kings 2:1–4

David, even at the very end of his life, is still teaching his son Solomon who is about to become king, “Don’t forget everything I've ever told you: Walk in the ways of YHWH, follow the commandments of YHWH, know the testimonies of YHWH.

Those are things that David taught Solomon--he said, “don't go away from those things.

One commentator observed something.

We will readily talk about remembering and repeating things that are important to us.

But what about what is important to our Lord?

and the need for repeating what is important to Him.

This commentator observed in the Old Testament there are over 15 chapters devoted simply to retelling the same story of redemption.

In other words, you read the Bible and there are far more than 15 chapters that just repeat the same themes, the same Messiah in scripture.

And really when you look at the Bible, it isn't that long to begin with--The Sears catalog is long! and yet the Holy Spirit has a complete retelling of the same story is just a reminder of how important it was when YHWH said, “I want you to remember and I don't want you to forget, and I want to make sure that you pass this on and on and on.”

All of these repetitions that the Messiah/Redeemer is coming is the Holy Spirit’s way of making a strong emphasis on remembering.

Repetition is the mother of learning!

We need to repeat certain things over and over and over again!

As we close out 2019 and as we think about another year, let’s ponder these few memory aids: first off, you need to remember that

I. YHWH Remembers

It is important for you to understand that YHWH remembers.

Of course, that is not much of a surprise.

This YHWH is God.

God, by nature and by definition is eternal.

YHWH is omniscient--He knows all things past, present, & future.

For all of eternity God has known all there is.

There is nothing outside of YHWH's attention.

There is nothing that He does not know.

But it's important for us to keep that concept in mind, and it is especially important to people who think that God has somehow forgotten, or has forsaken them.

There are several people in several situations in scripture in which in their prayers, they are feeling forgotten.

Those prayers and examples are given to us as recorded in scripture, because it illustrates and reminds us that there are people who love the Lord, and at times they feel forgotten, forsaken and by YHWH.

They forget that YHWH made a promise, and that He is a promise-keeping God.

When we forget this, we can get a false thought that YHWH is not faithful to His word.

Turn to Psalm 77.

I want to look at Psalm 77 because Ps 77 will take you through the rut of that kind of thinking -- going from feeling left out: "My God forsook me" to a right response.

This Psalm can illustrate and be repeated over and over again

​Psalm 77:1–5

v.5 “I consider the days of all the years long ago" He's looking back to more favorable times.

​Psalm 77:6

v.6 So again this is the power of remembering because he says now with the Lord-- The Lord will never again be favorable.

His steadfast love has forever ceased.

All his promises are at an end for all time.

Has God forgotten to be gracious?