"Memories, Prayers And A Bright Future"

West Greeley Baptist Church

August 11 2002

Philippians 1: 1-3

“Memories, prayers and a bright future”

By Pastor Mark Hensley

3I thank my God every time I remember you. 4In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Introduction: A man by the name of Von Neumann was a brilliant mathematician. He also had an incredible memory, His feats of memory are described by Herman Goldstine:

As far as I could tell, Von Neumann was able on once reading a book or article to quote it back verbatim; moreover he could do it years later without hesitation. He could also translate it from its original language into English. On one occasion I tested his ability by asking him to tell me how the ’Tale of Two Cities’ started. Whereupon, without pause, he immediately began to recite the first chapter and continued until asked to stop after about ten or fifteen minutes.

How’s your memory? Von Neumann’s ability is not only amazing but intimidating! Though we may never be able to retain every word we read or perform complex math problems we all can make the most of our memory!

The ability to recall events that have happened years before is an incredible gift!

With memory your children can be two again….check that, that may not be the best use of memory! Memories allow us someone said, to “Have Roses in winter”

Memories of the major events of life come to us, and the smell of freshly mowed grass or Old spice cologne and it’s as if we have stepped back in time, however briefly through the gift of memory!

Transition: The memories of a wonderful ministry and the joy of service with God’s people are what were on the mind of the Apostle Paul when he wrote Philippians.

The epistle to the Philippians has long been called the Epistle of Joy. "Joy is the music that runs through this epistle, the sunshine that spreads over all of it" (Lenski, p. 691).

Paul and his companions had laid the foundations for the church in Philippi with the conversion of Lydia and the jailer (Acts 16). Philippi, known as "the gateway to Europe" thus became the birthplace of European Christianity. Philippians is considered the most personal of Paul’s writings. As compared with other epistles there is a marked absence of formal doctrine presented in a thematic format. It breathes of a strong personal attachment and joy in Gospel partnership shared between pastor and people.

Today in a message titled “Memories, prayers and a bright future”

We will be privileged to look inside the great heart of the Apostle Paul and his deepest hope for the people of God in Philippi and the people of God today in Greeley and the world. Philippians 1: 3-6

3I thank my God every time I remember you. 4In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

I. Memories: 3I thank my God every time I remember you.

If there’s one thing this difficult summer of 2002 has taught me it’s that relationships should be a priority as we journey through this life! Memories are forged and created in the way we react and interact with those we meet, those we know and those we love. When people meet you, what memory begins to take shape? I am afraid that for too many they see us as hurried people who are pleasant enough, but who move to quickly to ever be able to get to know!

God wants more from us, He expects us to walk through this life and take the time to build friendships, friendships that will be of particular help to each of us when we face a dark day! Would you be willing to risk being vulnerable and having your own personal schedule altered if it meant establishing relationships that have real depth? Paul needed the people from the church in Philippi. And we need each other!

Quecreek Miners Kept Each Other Alive

In what the news called "The Miracle at Quecreek," nine miners trapped for three days 240 feet underground in a water-filled mine shaft "decided early on they were either going to live or

die as a group."

The 55 degree (Fahrenheit) water threatened to kill them slowly by hypothermia, so according to one news report "When one would get cold, the other eight would huddle around theperson and warm that person, and when another person got cold, the favor was returned."