Memorial Day 2023

MEMORIAL DAY 2023

SAVING PRIVATE RYAN PART 1

INTRODUCTION: CURRENTLY, IN THE UNITED STATES A TOTAL OF 24 DAYS ARE REMEMBERED WITH REGARD TO OUR MILITARY. THESE DAYS SPAN FROM THE BIRTHDAY OF THE AIR FORCE TO VETERANS DAY. IN THE LIST I LOCATED, MEMORIAL DAY IS THE 18TH DAY REMEMBERED REGARDING THE MILITARY.

REGARDLESS OF HOW MANY DAYS WE TAKE TIME TO GREATER OR LESSER DEGREES TO REMEMBER PEOPLE AND ACTIVITIES ASSOCIATED WITH OUR MILITARY, THERE ARE A FEW THAT STAND OUT, WITH MEMORIAL DAY BEING ONE OF THEM,

MEMORIAL DAY IS THE DAY WE HAVE SET ASIDE TO REMEMBER THOSE WHO PAID THE ULTIMATE PRICE FOR THE SECURING OF OUR FREEDOMS, THE SECURITY OF OUR FREEDOMS AND THE FUTURE OF OUR FREEDOMS.

MANY OF US WILL CHOOSE TO SPEND TODAY WITH FAMILY AND FRIENDS. TRADITIONALLY THE GRILL IS FIRED UP AND THE AROMA OF A VARIETY OF ITEMS WILL BE EVIDENT TO ANYONE WITH A NOSE.

AND PROPS TO EVERYONE HERE TODAY WHO HAS DECIDED THAT STARTING THE HOLIDAY WITH WORSHIPPING OUR CREATOR.

TRANSITION: WHEN I THINK OF MEMORIAL DAY, THERE ARE THREE IMAGES THAT COME TO MIND VERY VIVIDLY: THE FLAG OF OUR NATION, THE SACRIFICE OF OUR FELLOW AMERICANS, AND THE BENEFIT IT PROVIDED.

IT IS INTERESTING THAT GOD’S WORD HAS THESE SAME IMAGES RECORDED IN ITS PAGES. IT IS THOSE IMAGES; I WOULD LIKE TO SHARE A FEW THOUGHTS ABOUT THIS MORNING.

I. THE IMAGE OF THE FLAG

EXODUS 17:15 MOSES BUILT AN ALTAR AND CALLED IT THE LORD IS MY BANNER.

a. THE BIBLE HAS QUITE A BIT TO SAY ABOUT FLAGS, WHICH FALL INTO THREE GENERAL CATEGORIES. WELL, THERE MAY BE MORE, BUT I AM FOCUSING ON THREE.

b. FIRST IS THE WARNING OF GOD AGAINST PUTTING TOO MUCH EMPHASIS ON IMAGES

i. EXODUS 20:4–5 “YOU SHALL NOT MAKE FOR YOURSELF AN IDOL IN THE FORM OF ANYTHING IN HEAVEN ABOVE OR ON THE EARTH BENEATH OR IN THE WATERS BELOW. 5 YOU SHALL NOT BOW DOWN TO THEM OR WORSHIP THEM; FOR I, THE LORD YOUR GOD, AM A JEALOUS GOD, PUNISHING THE CHILDREN FOR THE SIN OF THE FATHERS TO THE THIRD AND FOURTH GENERATION OF THOSE WHO HATE ME,

1. THE BASIC THOUGHT HERE IS TO NOT HONOR THE IMAGE OF SOMETHING ABOVE WHO THE IMAGE REPRESENTS

2. SPECIFICALLY, GOD WANTS US TO AVOID THAT TAKES AWAY FROM OUR FOCUS AND DEVOTION TOWARDS HIM

3. AND IN REALITY, ANY IMAGE WE COULD CREATE OR CONCEIVE WOULD NOT DO JUSTICE TO GOD

4. SO THEN, WE ARE TO: 1 JOHN 5:21 DEAR CHILDREN, KEEP YOURSELVES FROM IDOLS.

a. THE CONTEXT OF 1 JOHN WAS OUR LOVE FOR CHRIST AND THE VALIDITY OF OUR WALK WITH HIM

ii. WHEN WE THINK ABOUT OUR LIVES AS AMERICANS, WE NEED TO BE CAREFUL WE ARE NOT SWAYED BY FORCES WHICH WILL CAUSE US TO REPLACE WHAT IT MEANS TO BE AN AMERICAN WITH SOMETHING FAR DIFFERENT.

c. IT IS OFTEN EASY TO HAVE OUR ACTIVITIES OF MEMORIAL DAY OVERSHADOW THE REASON FOR MEMORIAL DAY.

i. TAKE A WALK THROUGH OUR CEMETERY

ii. TAKE A WALK TO OUR MEMORIAL AT THE FRONT OF THE PROPERTY

d. FLAGS WERE USED FOR IDENTIFICATION

i. THE TRIBES OF ISRAEL WERE IDENTIFIED BY FLAGS

ii. THESE FLAGS LOCATED THE TRIBE AT REST AND DIRECTED THE TRIBE WHEN THEY MOVED

iii. WHILE MOVING THE LARGER TRIBE WAS IN THE FRONT, THE SECOND LARGEST TRIBE WAS IN THE BACK AND THE SMALLER TRIBES IN THE MIDDLE

iv. WHEN CAMPED, THE ARRANGEMENT OF THE TRIBES IF LOOKED AT FROM ABOVE WOULD RESEMBLE A CROSS. PRETTY COOL!

e. OTHER USES FOR FLAGS

i. THE AWESOME SIGHT OF THE TRIBES OF ISRAEL MOVING WITH THEIR BANNERS WAS LIKENED TO THE BEAUTY OF THE BRIDE OF SOLOMON

ii. BANNERS WERE USED TO DESCRIBE JOYFUL CELEBRATIONS

f. GOD AND BANNERS

i. BANNERS SYMBOLIZED PROTECTION FROM GOD

ii. BANNERS SYMBOLIZED THE COMING OF THE MESSIAH

iii. ONE OF THE NAMES OF GOD IS “THE LORD IS MY BANNER” WHICH SPEAKS OF THE TRIUMPH GOD WILL HAVE

1. REJOICING IN THE SALVATION GOD HAS WON FOR US

II. THE IMAGE OF SACRIFICE

HEBREWS 9:11–14 WHEN CHRIST CAME AS HIGH PRIEST OF THE GOOD THINGS THAT ARE ALREADY HERE, HE WENT THROUGH THE GREATER AND MORE PERFECT TABERNACLE THAT IS NOT MAN-MADE, THAT IS TO SAY, NOT A PART OF THIS CREATION. 12 HE DID NOT ENTER BY MEANS OF THE BLOOD OF GOATS AND CALVES; BUT HE ENTERED THE MOST HOLY PLACE ONCE FOR ALL BY HIS OWN BLOOD, HAVING OBTAINED ETERNAL REDEMPTION. 13 THE BLOOD OF GOATS AND BULLS AND THE ASHES OF A HEIFER SPRINKLED ON THOSE WHO ARE CEREMONIALLY UNCLEAN SANCTIFY THEM SO THAT THEY ARE OUTWARDLY CLEAN. 14 HOW MUCH MORE, THEN, WILL THE BLOOD OF CHRIST, WHO THROUGH THE ETERNAL SPIRIT OFFERED HIMSELF UNBLEMISHED TO GOD, CLEANSE OUR CONSCIENCES FROM ACTS THAT LEAD TO DEATH, SO THAT WE MAY SERVE THE LIVING GOD!