Thank You God for Memories
Thank You God • Sermon • Submitted
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· 17 viewsToday is Memorial Day, a day in America where we honor those fallen soldiers who have sacrificed all so that we can have the freedoms we have. A day like today is a good reminder about the importance of memory. Unfortunately, for some memory fails them, and others fail to remember. Memories are very precious, and we ought to do our best to hold on to them as long as we can. While we live in the present, it is important for us to look to the past to learn from. We find our foundation there, we see God's delivering hand there, it prepares us for our future, and it can help us to more clearly see the sacrifical love of God.
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Transcript
Thank You God for Memories
Thank You God for Memories
Introduction: Ralph Waldo Emerson story. The plow is “that which cultivates the soil.” For some memory is unavoidable. But for others loss of memory is an act of neglecting that which has gone before us. We are inattentive to those who have preceded us. We focus only on our own time and place and act as though the present is all that matters and the past is something that can be cast off and left behind.
I love the phrase, “Yesterday is the past, tomorrow is the future, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present.” Or how about “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift. That is why it is called the present.” The assumption is that today is all we should be concerned about. Certainly, our primary focus of what we can control is today, but if we are honest, we wouldn’t have today without the yesterday. And our todays can be better because of our yesterdays.
It is important to remember our past. Tomorrow is a day where Americans will remember those who have passed giving their lives in service to this country. It is a shame that the day has become nothing more than an extra day off of work to grill, spring clean, and buy-in (quite literally) on the commercialization. Instead, it should be a momentous day. But I am not here to advocate for Memorial Day. Instead, I want us to use it as an example of how much we should be thankful to God for the memories of our history, both personally and biblically. We are thankful because it gives us great insight on how we should live today.
We remember for many reasons, but I would like to share a few with you today from Scripture. When we are done, I hope that we can all be more thankful to God for memories, not neglecting those who have gone before us or the events that have happened in the past, but instead we learn and grow from them as we memorialize each passing day.
Remembering Recognizes our Foundation
Remembering Recognizes our Foundation
A preacher once said, forgetfulness erodes the foundation of our relationship with God. Remember the words of Paul in 2 Timothy 3:14-17
“But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”
Paul tells us the purpose of the sacred writings which were written in the past. They teach us. They are the foundation, the building blocks of our faith.
Furthermore, Paul tells us in Ephesians 2:19-22 that we have become fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God which is built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ Himself being the chief cornerstone. When we remember the foundation of the teachings and practice from where we came, we will serve greater.
If we scan through the pages of the Bible, we can see the importance placed upon remembering. All throughout scriptures we find references to stories that reinforce the memory of the people of God.
The rainbow memorializes God’s covenant with Noah and His people. That he will never destroy the earth with a flood again (Genesis 9)
Through different experiences, Abraham builds four different altars to God for the purpose of worshipping and memorializing the command and covenant God makes with him (Gen 12; 13; 13; 22)
Moses tells the people time and again to remember the Lord was the one who delivered them from Egypt (Exodus 13:3)
Deuteronomy 4:9 says, “Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children’s children”
Judges 8 reminds us of how the people forgot how the Lord delivered the people from their enemies
We see some consequences of forgetting the covenant of the Lord in 2 Kings 17 when the people refused to listen and obey God
The psalmist says in 77:11, “I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember your wonders from old.” And again in 105:5 “Remember the wondrous works that he has done, his miracles, and the judgements he uttered.”
We saw last week how Zerubbabel, Ezra, and Nehemiah charged the people upon their return to Jerusalem to remember the commands of God lest they forget and fall back into the dangers of exile
And of course, we know the importance of remembering the covenant of the Lord through memorializing the Lord’s death each week by partaking of the Lord’s Supper
Remembering helps us to not forget where we are from, where we have been, and how we need to respond today. We see a great act of remembrance and memorializing in Joshua 4. This is an example of the practice of remembering and how beneficial and necessary it is for us today so that we do not forget our foundation.
Remembering Recalls the Lord’s Deliverance
Remembering Recalls the Lord’s Deliverance
(Joshua 4:1-9)
The narrative that leads up to this point in chapter 4 tells the story of the Israelites long-awaited entry into the promised land. After 40 years of wilderness wandering the people finally reached their destination. But they had one last huge obstacle to overcome before entering in: the Jordan River. Chapter 3 talks about the great miracle that occurs when the twelve men who were carrying the ark dipped their toes into the Jordan, God caused the river to stop flowing and the people crossed over on dry land.
Now, immediately this would be a reminder to every household and family of what God did in Egypt at the Red Sea. Once again, God allowed the people to pass through the water in order to reach their deliverance!
When everyone had crossed over, the Lord told Joshua to have a monument built. 12 stones that would commemorate the wondrous event. This served to remind the people that their progress, their very existence, was in the hands of the living God. Just like the institution of the Passover feast (Exodus 13) which was in place to commemorate and remember the liberation of the children of Israel from the Egyptians, this was a reminder that it was God and not they themselves who brought them to liberation and deliverance.
These stones served as a memorial forever. Today our cornerstone serves as a memorial forever (Ephesians 5:19-22). God has delivered us from slavery to the old law and slavery to sin into freedom in the Spirit. So, what do we do with this freedom?
Galatians 5:13 says with this freedom we have in Christ we are to serve one another! What a profound and encouraging call. Remembering recalls the deliverance we have in the Lord. How he has promised, provided, and protected in every way. Our response should be much like here in Joshua: let this serve as a remembrance to know that it is God who delivers, not us.
Remembering Points us to the Past & Prepares us for the Future
Remembering Points us to the Past & Prepares us for the Future
(Joshua 4:10-24)
Not only does remembering recall us of the Lord’s deliverance, but it points us to the past and prepares us for the future. When we have a good grasp of our foundation, and we trust in the truth that it is God who delivers and not us, then we will come to a place in our journey where we must prepare ourselves for our lives in Christ.
We must be careful here though. If we forget the past we will fall into thanklessness. It was once said, “If we forget the value of our heritage and the source of our blessings, it will become very easy for us to take for granted all that we have and all that we are. In the blindness of pride, we will very likely begin trusting in our own wisdom and power rather than relying upon the guidance and might of our Maker. Then in our wrong- headed self-confidence we will lose our way. For this reason, it is crucial that we remember.” Remembering helps us lean upon God as He directs our paths (Proverbs 3:5-6; 16:9)
Sometimes dwelling too much on the past can be a means of escaping the problems of the present and the disturbing prospects of the future. I need to learn this more than most! Sometimes we are tempted even to glorify the days that have passed. We all know those people who seem to continually talk about how great things used to be. Life was simpler, relationships were deeper, there was greater purity, morality, ethics. We call this The Golden Age syndrome. The Golden Age is different for everyone, but no matter what our “Golden Age” is the problem is that looking back causes us to distort the past and believe that that best days of life lie behind. This leads us to be disappointed with the present and distressed over the future. Our memories are important but not hopeful. Dwelling on the past and not preparing for the future can prove to be wasteful and untrusting.
Our memories must be hopeful and not bitter. Hopeful memory dos not drag us into the past and lock us there. “Hopeful memory does not tell us that the best of life has already come and gone. Rather it thrusts us into the future. When the prophets of old called upon God’s people and told them to remember the works that the Lord had done in the past, this was to prepare them for the future. They were not called upon to remember the past for its own sake. The practice was not a self-indulgent diversion. Rather they were to remember the wonders of the past so that their lives would be open to the even greater wonders God would do for them in the future.”
For the children of Israel here in Joshua 4:10-24 have this reminder to serve as a hopeful memory. What is so unique about this text is that God did not allow them to stay put in-between the waters. He had them leave stones as a memorial, but that was it. As for the people, the Scripture says the Lord told Joshua to, “Command the priests bearing the ark of the testimony to come up out of the Jordan.” Today, God is commanding us, leave a memorial behind, but as for you COME UP OUT OF THE PAST! And when you look back, when your children look back, when all those who are to come look back and see the memory you have left behind they will know, like they did in Joshua 4:24, that the hand of the Lord is mighty and to be feared, revered, respected, honored, obeyed all forever!
The Lord’s Supper serves as this hopeful memory for us today. It does not falsely glorify the past. When we partake of the bread and cup, we remember the body and blood of Jesus while he hung upon that cross. We vividly remember the deceit, betrayal, cruelty. We are confronted with the disquieting truth that we humans are all capable horrific acts of unholiness and unrighteousness. We do not like this memory, but it reminds us of the sacrificial love of God.
Remembering Reminds us of the Sacrificial Love of God
Remembering Reminds us of the Sacrificial Love of God
The greatest memorial that has ever been is that of the Lord’s Supper. As we end this lesson and go into that sacred time of taking that bread which represents the body, and that cup which represents the blood, I want to share with you a bulletin article written by a preacher of the church named David Stafford. I think it serves as a good help-aid to this weekly memorial.
A Weekly Memorial
Remembering Christ’s Death
David Stafford
Memorials are designed to preserve precious memories of a departed loved one, a person’s achievement, or a fallen soldier. They are to encourage others to never forget! There are times in which a loved one, a person’s achievement, or a fallen soldier receives recognition. Memorial Day, for example, is a yearly recognition of fall soldiers that is observed on the last Monday in May. God has specified a weekly memorial to be observed on the first day of the week, and it is the Lord’s Supper (Acts 20:7). The Lord’s Supper is a command of God designed for Christians to remember Christ’s death until He returns (1 Corinthians 1:26). Let us notice some specific things that we are to remember of Christ’s death when we partake the Lord’s Supper.
Remember His suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane (Luke 22:39-46).
And he came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. And when he came to the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, and he said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation.”
Though Jesus had not yet been arrested and crucified, He suffered in anticipation of knowing that He would be betrayed, arrested, scourged, humiliated, and crucified as though He was a criminal. We are told, “And being in an agony He prayed more earnestly: and His sweat was as it were great drops of blood falling down to the ground” (Luke 22:44).
Remember His scourging (Matthew 27:26; John 19:1).
Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified.
Then Pilate took Jesus and flogged him.
Scourging was accomplished through a leather whip with shar points. It was preliminary to the crucifixion, but it was an agonizing experience which took the outer flesh from the back.
Remember the shame (Matthew 27:27-30).
Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole battalion before him. And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head.
Jesus was mocked when the soldiers stripped Him, placed the crown of thorns on His head, put on a scarlet robe, spit on Him, and struck Him with the reed they had given Him.
Remember His saying.
“Father forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).
“Verily, I say unto you, today thou shalt be with me in paradise” (Luke 23:43).
“Woman, behold your son.” “Behold your mother” (John 19:26-27).
“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me” (Matthew 27:46; Mark 25:34).
“I thirst” (John 19:28).
“It is finished” (John 19:30).
“Father, into your hands, I commend my spirit” (Luke 23:46).
Remember His sacrifice.
His sacrifice provided reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18-21)
All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
redemption (Ephesians 1:7; Colossians 1:14; 1 Peter 1:18-19)
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace,
in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot.
and remission (Matthew 26:28).
for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins.
He is the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world (John 1:29)
The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
His sacrifice was once and for all (Hebrews 9:28; 10:12)!
so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him.
But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God,
Let us consider the following lyrics from the hymn “Lead Me to Calvary” (Jennie Evelyn Hussey, 1921) to assist in NEVER forgetting Christ’s suffering and death:
King of my life I crown thee now - -
Thine shall the glory be;
Lest I forget thy thorn-crowned brow,
Lead me to Calvary,
Lest I forget Gethsemane,
Lest I forget thine agony,
Lest I forget thy love for me,
Lead me to Calvary.
Christians are to remember Christ’s sacrificial love (John 3:26; Romans 5:8)
And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.”
but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
which was demonstrated through His suffering, scourging, shame, sayings, and sacrifice. Let us NEVER forget Christ’s love for us! Let us do our best to remember at least one of these aspects of Christ’s death as we join together in sweet communion!
Thank You God for Memories
Thank You God for Memories
Conclusion: So, as we remember the Lord and the sacrificial love of God let us make a decision today. What kind of memory will you leave behind? Will your life speak of Christ? Will you commit body and soul to the Savior and Lord? What memory will you leave?