Mere Stones/Reminders-4 Series

MERE STONES/Reminders-IV—Joshua 4:1-24

Reminder/Recall/Memorial/Symbol/Post-it notes/String on finger

Attention:

Little reminders can make all the difference in a person’s life!

And little things can make all the difference in your Christian life!

Need:

Joshua had twelve stones removed from the Jordan River as a memorial to the crossing.

Memorials or Spiritual Reminders hold a great deal of significance to God’s people.

What is significant about spiritual reminders?

The potential of spiritual reminders.

Mere Stones/Reminders can transport us to a Position of...

1. UNIQUE ACCOMPLISHMENT(:1-3a, 5b)

2. BLESSING(:3)

3. IMMINENT DANGER(:4-5)

4. RESPONSIBILITY(:5)

5—Mere Stones/Reminders can transport us To a Position of...

INFLUENCE(:6)

Explanation:(:6)Distance/Envision

:6—“that this may be a sign among you when your children ask in time to come, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ ”

The gathering of the 12 stones was to be a sign among the Israelites.

The stones held “meaning” for the generation that set them up. That meaning was intended to be shared with succeeding generations.

The sign was specifically provided for the sake of future generations; the children of those involved in the Jordan crossing. The crossing was to be publicly memorialized thru the stones being used as a monument(:20).

Our influence is passed on from faith to faith to faith. If one link in the chain is broken, the faith is failed.

Rom. 1:16-17—“For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first & also for the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”

*Our children are of first priority for Spiritual Reminders.

—Parents are responsible for that which makes them ‘parents’ in the first place...Our children!

*Future generations are also considered ‘your spiritual children.’

We are Responsible for keeping the real, the genuine, the unbiased, picture & INFLUENCE of Jesus Christ before others!

“Sign”—twa ‘owth—Noun Fem.—1) Sign, signal—1a) A distinguishing mark, 1b) Banner, 1c) Remembrance, 1d) Miraculous sign, 1e) Omen, 1f) Warning; 2) Token, ensign, standard, miracle, proof. Strong—probably from twa[to come, assent](in the sense of appearing); A signal(literally or figuratively), as A flag, beacon, monument, omen, prodigy, evidence, etc..

“Memorial”—Nwrkz zik-rown’—Noun Masc.—1) Memorial, reminder, remembrance. Strong—A memento(or memorable thing, day or writing). Used 24X.

From—rkz—a primitive root; properly--To mark(so as to be recognized), i.e. To remember; by implication--To mention; also (as denominative from rkz)--To be male.

Argumentation:

NEGATIVE:

*1Kgs. 21:25-26—“But there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do wickedness in the sight of the LORD, because Jezebel his wife stirred him up. And he behaved very abominably in following idols, according to all that the Amorites had done, whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel.”

*Gen. 3:9-13—“Then the LORD God called to Adam & said to him, “Where are you?” So he said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, & I was afraid because I was naked; & I hid myself.” And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you that you should not eat?” Then the man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, & I ate.” And the LORD God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, & I ate.”

*Acts 13:50—“But the Jews stirred up the devout & prominent women & the chief men of the city, raised up persecution against Paul & Barnabas, & expelled them from their region.”

POSITIVE:

1Tim. 1:18-19—“This charge I commit to you, son Timothy, according to the prophecies previously made concerning you, that by them you may wage the good warfare, having faith & a good conscience, which some having rejected, concerning the faith have suffered shipwreck,”

Rev. 21:7—“He who overcomes shall inherit all things, & I will be his God & he shall be My son.”

Jn. 1:12-13—“But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

**Deut. 6:6-7—“And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, & shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, & when you rise up.”

**2Cor. 5:19-20—“...God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, & has committed to us the word of reconciliation. Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.”