The Art of Remembering
Hebrews 12:1-4
Intro: Tomorrow we will be celebrating Memorial Day and many of you have made plans for the day. Maybe a picnic or going to a parade. Maybe a big party or just a quiet afternoon with family. Maybe you’re just going to enjoy that extra day off of work. Why do we celebrate Memorial Day in the first place?
-Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day and began as a day to decorate the graves of the fallen soldiers from the Civil War. The purpose was to never forget the sacrifices made by those courageous men who gave so much to serve their nation. Today, we still celebrate Memorial Day to remember those who have given their lives in the service of our nation and we also remember our friends and loved ones who have passed away.
-The key to Memorial Day is remembering. We all probably have certain individuals we will remember. The fact is that we remember the impact people have made upon our lives. What kind of impact are you making on the world around you? How will you be remembered when you leave this earth?
-As Christians we want to leave a lasting legacy when we leave this earth because the difference we have made will be of eternal value. The Bible encourages us to continue to make a difference in the world around us and to leave a lasting legacy behind. One place we can read about it is in Hebrews 12:1-4.
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. 4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.
What do you need to Remember, if you want to gain a lasting legacy?
I. Remember to Move Forward (1)
-The author of Hebrews calls us to remember the fact that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. The writer opens this passage with the word therefore and intentionally means to refer back to the previous statements on the heroes of the faith in chapter 11. Think about it like this we are meant to remember those who would inspire us to live more fully for Christ.
Examples from Chapter 11
Before the covenant
• Abel - The one who brought the appropriate sacrifice to God
• Enoch - The man who walked so close to God that he just went to heaven w/o dying
• Noah - The builder of the ark and the survivor of the flood
Patriarchs
• Abraham - The one who was known for following God by faith
• Jacob - God changed his name to Israel and become the source of the 12 tribes
Great Leaders
• Moses - The one who led God’s people out of Egyptian captivity
• David - The killer of Goliath and the greatest king of all Israel’s history
-We so often forget the fact that God does His best work in the lives of ordinary people. God makes it a habit of doing the impossible through people who are not that much different from you and I. The only difference is that those heroes of the faith opened their lives up to allow God to do His work.
-The secret to having a life that leaves a legacy is understanding that it is not what you do for yourself but rather it is what you allow God to do for others through you. This is how we make a difference in this world and this is how we make a lasting impact.
-We are all human and we are none perfect but the reality is that most of the sinful choices that we make are exactly that, a choice. The writer of Hebrews understood that fact and makes it clear that if we are ever going to move forward in our walk with God it is through the daily choices that we make. Discipleship is not a one day matter but rather a daily matter.
“Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul.” 1 Peter 2:11
• Hindrances - This refers to a runner who removes bulky clothing or anything that would slow him down. Anything that keeps you from being able to give your best for God and His service.
• Entanglements – These are things that might cause a runner to fall or to stumble. Anything that causes us to lose ground in our walk with Christ has got to go. Examples: Worldly pleasure, pride, wrong desires and more. What is it in your life that causes you to stumble the most? Figure it out, ask for God’s help and do your best to get rid of it.
• Endurance - This refers to being consistent, courageous and capable. We are called to live an active life for Christ and make a difference in the world around us. There are times that this calls for a dogged determination and a desire to never give up.
-As we run this race of life, our goal as Christians must be to stay on course. Remember Jesus is the one who sets the course for us and the Holy Spirit acts as our guide. We must therefore listen to the Spirit’s guidance to stay on track.
II. Remember to Remain Focused (2)
-One of the greatest problems many Christians face today is taking their focus off of Jesus and placing it where it does not belong. Jesus is the beginning of our faith because He started us on this journey. Faith starts and ends with Jesus!
-We get focused on possessions and more money - we have blessings from God that can get in the way of our walk with Him. We get focused on problems - we have hardships that have to be faced. We get focused on public appearance - we hide secret sins from everyone but God
-Until we get our focus where it needs to be, we will never have a deep relationship with Christ. We will continually get ourselves off course and off track. The truth is that once you place Jesus at the center of your life, everything else falls into place.
-Keep your focus on the cross. Just as we remember the sacrifices of those who have valiantly served our nation, we too should remember the sacrifice of Jesus to give us life. Jesus endured the suffering of the cross willingly for each of us. His sacrifice is worth remembering because in it we find forgiveness of sins.
-He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. 1 Peter 2:24
-When you fix your eyes on the cross of Christ the things of the world no longer seem so significant because the cross forces us to forget ourselves and focus on Jesus. When this happens, we begin to look outward to those around us who need hope and encouragement. We begin to see people through the eyes of Jesus, and begin to identify His image in them.
-Jesus already ran this race; he marked the course for us, so we could follow in His steps. If we stay focused on His life and example, running an undistracted race, we can look forward to His welcome when we cross the finish line- Well done! Well done!
III. Remember to Stay Faithful (3-4)
3 Keys to Staying Faithful
1. Endurance: Jesus endured the cross so we could gain an inheritance in heaven. If Jesus endured such suffering on our behalf, shouldn’t we endure for Him? Some Christians stop growing spiritually when the going gets tough, or when they are asked to give up their way of thinking and living.
-What price are you willing to pay to go deeper in your relationship with Christ? He asks for total and unconditional surrender of your life. Once this happens Jesus fills us with a strength that nothing can take away and nothing can replace.
2. Encouragement: Jesus went through difficulties and hardships, so why should our lives be any different? Jesus is our model for living and He is the one we are to be like. The aim of our lives is to be more and more like Jesus. The more we become like Him, the greater our impact on those around us. Jesus fills us with an encouragement that we need to press on.
3. Empowerment: Jesus lived a human life and understands the reality of our struggle. He has been there and lived His life without sin.
“For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” Hebrews 4:15-16
-Our strength is not what will get us through this race but rather it is the strength of Christ that we must rely upon.
Conclusion
Remember to Move Forward, to Remain Focused, and to Stay Faithful
-Today, if you don’t have a personal relationship with Jesus, these principles will not work very well in your life. However, if you choose to do life with God, you’ll find the traction you need to move forward; you’ll find the ability to remain focused on Jesus; and, you’ll find the strength you need to be faithful.
A – Admit B – Believe C - Commit
-Today, maybe your relationship with Christ is not where it needs to be. Take responsibility for that and get things back on course with Christ.
[Some thoughts borrowed from various sermons on sermoncentral.com.]
