LEST WE FORGET
Come with me for a moment. Come with me as we leave here and drive down Elizabeth Street. At the end of Elizabeth Street, you take a left on Debary Ave. Drive on Debary Ave. until to reach Providence and take a left. Drive down Providence until you reach Saxon. Take a right on Saxon and drive ½ mile and you will see something there on the left side of the road. I’m sure many of you have seen it before. It is a memorial, set up and maintained by the family of an accident victim.
Let me ask you, “Why is that memorial there?” It is there to remind us, to help us remember the person who lost his life there.
In Washington D.C., in Arlington National Cemetery, you will find many graves, headstones, and tombs, but several stand out above all of the rest. They are the tombs of the unknown soldiers. Let me ask you, “Why are those tombs there?” They are there to honor those who have given their lives in the defense of this country, but they are also there as reminders. They remind us of the value of the freedoms we enjoy in this country, and the high price paid for those freedoms.
How many of you are wearing wedding rings this morning? Why do wear a wedding ring? I know, you wife made you, but other than that, why do you wear that ring? Wedding rings are a sign to others that you are married. They are also reminders to us, of the commitments we have made. They are memorial reminders.
Just as we have set up many things in our lives to serve as reminders, God has also established a number of memorials over the years to help us remember as well.
Back in Genesis chapter 9, we find one of the earliest memorials ever established. You may remember, back in the early part of Genesis, God caused a flood to cover the earth and kill every living thing on earth except for Noah, his family, and two of every animal that had been on the ark. After the flood was over, God said, this is a sign of the covenant I am making between Me and every living thing, that I will not destroy the earth again with a flood. I have placed My bow in the clouds. God created rainbows as memorials, to remind us of the covenant He made with us.
You may remember the memorial God set up for the Israelites in the book of Exodus. If you remember, the Israelites had been slaves in Egypt for 400 years. God sent 9 plagues on Egypt to convince Pharaoh to let the Israelites go. Again and again Pharaoh refused. Finally, God said, “I will send a 10th. I will send an angel of death to kill the firstborn of every family and animal in Egypt. But, if you will place the blood of a lamb on your doorpost and over your door, the angel will pass over your home. From this day forward I want you to observe the Passover as a reminder of the time I delivered you out of Egypt and passed over you. It was a memorial, a reminder.
In Numbers, God set up another memorial. In chapter 15 He told the Israelites to place tassels with a blue thread, on the four corners of all of their garments, as a memorial, a sign to remind them to obey all of God’s commands.
Memorials are important and God uses them all through the Bible, but there is no memorial more important, no memorial more significant to Christians than the one Jesus established in the 22nd chapter of Luke. …
- Luke 22:14-20
> Luke 22:19 … Do this in remembrance of Me.
I want you to underline the word “remembrance”. Jesus said,” observe this meal, share in communion in remembrance of Me.” My friend, the Lord’s Supper is a memorial meal. It does not save you. It does not get you into heaven and it does not deal with your sins. You and I share this special meal together to remind us. This meal reminds us of Jesus.
Now, there are two primary parts of this meal, and each of them reminds us of different things about Jesus.
I. THE BODY OF JESUS
- Luke 22:19
This is My body which is given for you. The bread we eat represents Jesus’ body, that was broken for you and me.
1. God hates sin - First I want you to know my friend that God hates sin. God hates sin. Say that with me. “God hates sin.” I don’t think you believe it. Say it with me again. God hates sin.
Listen, God hates sin. He doesn’t dislike it a little bit. He doesn’t frown on it from time to time. He doesn’t wink at it a little bit and understand. God hates sin. He hates sin so much that He said it has to be punished.
> Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.
Everyone has sinned …
> Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, …
2. God loves you – Second, through this meal and Jesus’ sacrifice we are reminded that God loves you. Tell someone, “God hates sin, but God loves you.”
> Isaiah 53:6 We all went astray like sheep; we all have turned to our own way; and the Lord has punished Him for the iniquity of us all.
Did you see that? God has punished Jesus for your sins and mine. …
Over Jesus head, as He hung on the cross, was a sign that listed the crime He was being crucified for. It read in 3 languages, “The King of the Jews”. Oh, but in letters unseen by human eyes, there were other crimes listed there as well. On that sign was written in letters seen only by God, “For the sins of Gene Gregory.” “Also written there was, “For the sins of Drew Gregory”. My friend, if you are a follower of Jesus Christ, your name was written there as well.
> John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Begotten Son. That whosoever believeth on Him should not perish but hath everlasting life.
As we share this meal together, remember, God hates sin. Never make excuses for it. Never accept it, because God hates it. God hates sin, but God loves you. He loves you enough that He sent His only and only Son to pay the price for your sins.
II. THE BLOOD OF JESUS
- Luke 22:20
In this meal, we also share in a drink, a reminder of the shed blood of Jesus Christ.
In verse 20, whom did Jesus say His blood was shed for? He said it was shed for you. Why was His blood shed for you?
> Hebrews 9:22 According to the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.
I want you to underline the word “forgiveness”. Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. However, with the shedding of blood there is forgiveness. In other words, Jesus’ blood was shed so that you and I can be forgiven. Because Jesus died and shed His blood, you and I can be forgiven!
Listen my friend, we share this meal together to remember that God hates sin, to remember that God loves us, and to remember that because of Jesus’ sacrifice you and I can be forgiven!
> 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Underline that word “all”. If we confess our sins, how much of our sins does He clean us of? All of them.
This morning, I don’t care what you have done. I don’t care who you have hurt. I don’t care how far or how long you have run. If you will confess your sins, God will forgive you.
The Devil often tries to convince us that God can never forgive us. He often tries to convince us that what we have done is too bad, or too nasty, or too terrible, or too hurtful, or too whatever, for God to ever forgive us. Some of you are convinced that God can save you, love you, or forgive you. You think you’re too old, too messed up, and that you’ve too much bad for God to ever love or forgive you. Well let me tell you this morning, without reservation, God loves you and will forgive you of whatever you have done. He will welcome you back, welcome you into the family, and call you a child of His if you will only confess you sins and ask Him to become the Lord, the Boss in your life. …
- 1 Corinthians 11:23-28
In just a few minutes we are going to share in the Lord’s Supper. We are going to share this memorial meal. … Some of you need to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior.
Some of you have sins you need to deal with. You’re holding a grudge. You need to forgive. You’ve begun to compromise with sin in your life. You need to ask forgiveness and commit to get it out of your life. … Prayer, Lord’s Supper
