Memorial Day Observances

INTRO.- Memorial day weekend means “fun day” to most people! Play, pleasure, cookouts, etc.

ILL.- If you want to go to Garden Grove, CA, here is what you can do on Memorial Day weekend. Garden Grove Strawberry Festival: Four day festival celebrating everything to do with the humble strawberry. Carnival rides, pageants, Strawberry Idol karaoke contest, Red-Head Roundup Contest, Berry Beautiful Baby Pageant, and, of course, a strawberry-themed parade on Saturday.

Or if you prefer Miami, FL, for your Memorial Day weekend, here’s the testimony of one young man from Wisconsin who was there last year.

ILL.- Ola Awosika, 23, Milwaukee , WI , Urban Beach Weekend Miami , FL. “I arrived on the sandy beach of Miami , FL on Thursday May 21, 2009! As soon as our cab pulled up to the hotel I knew I was in for a good time! There were beautiful people everywhere!!!!!! I mean the streets were packed from dawn until dusk! The weather was perfect 85 and sunny! It rained off and on all weekend but the weather did not damper the party in the streets.

“Ladies, if you want to see FINE men with the ripped abs, then Miami is the place to be! The girls and I partied the nights away. We danced on the club poles in the middle of the dance floor. We turned the city out and truly represented for the Midwest !!!! Over all I enjoyed myself and would go back again!" SOUNDS WILD TO ME!

ILL.- Or how about Sin City, Las Vegas? Here is how some are advertising Memorial Day weekend packed with major entertainment, pool parties, the hottest DJs at local clubs and even some Shakespeare.

A long weekend in Vegas wouldn’t be complete without taking in a show and some of the Strip’s biggest headliners will be in town entertaining the masses over Memorial Day weekend. Catch Barry Manilow at the Las Vegas Hilton, David Copperfield at MGM Grand and Cher at Caesars Palace.

What’s your Memorial Day weekend thing? Jonesboro Christian Church and perhaps a family gathering? A Church gathering and a family gathering? Maybe a cemetery visit?

PROP.- Let me suggest to you that we observe or do Memorial day from the past to the present and on to the future.

I. MEMORIAL DAY - THE PAST

ILL.- At a commuter train station a policeman noticed a woman driver with her head bowed over the steering wheel in obvious discomfort. The police officer asked her, "Is there anything wrong?"

Half crying and half laughing, she said, "For ten years I have been driving my husband to this station every morning to catch this train. THIS MORNING I FORGOT HIM!"

Brothers and sisters, the worst forgetfulness of all is to forget people! One of the biggest lessons that we need to learn is that God didn’t put us here for us! God put us here for others!

- We remember our deceased loved ones. We look back and remember.

I Thessalonians 4:13-14 “Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him.”

Those who have fallen asleep are Christians who have passed on to the next life. And to be absent from the body is to be at home with the Lord! THAT’S OUR HOPE! THAT’S OUR PROMISE!

Paul doesn’t refer to these people as having died, but rather as “fallen asleep.” They are not dead. They are only gone from this life to a better life.

Obviously, when our loved ones believed in Christ and were in Him, it gives us hope that some day we’ll see them again.

Consequently, on Memorial Day weekend we remember our loved ones who have gone before us. And we don’t grieve over people like those who have no hope, because our hope is in Jesus! We may shed some tears but it’s not the same as those who have no hope. (Those who don’t have Christ)

We all have lost loved ones death and we hurt. Some more than others. The closer they are, the stronger the hurt. And it

doesn’t get better with age, we just learn to deal with it better. Hopefully, with age also comes spiritual maturity and this makes a difference.

ILL.- There are many answers posed to the question of Job: “If a man dies, shall he live again?” (Job 14:14)

l Science says, “He may live again.”

l Philosophy says, “He hopes to live again.”

l Ethics says, “He ought to live again.”

l Atheism says, “He will never live again.”

l Jesus says, “He shall live again.”