Sermon
Lanier Christian Church
May 27, 2018
(My thanks to Bruce Howell for the outline and some illustrations for this message)
Remember! SLIDE #1
Psalm 103:1-14
1 Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
2 Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits-
3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,
5 who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
6 The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.
7 He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel:
8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.
9 He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever;
10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;
14 for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.
Tomorrow marks the national observance of Memorial Day. It’s our way of saying thanks to those who died that we might continue to enjoy our liberties.
From Gettysburg to Chickamauga; from Normandy to Iwo Jima; From Korea to Vietnam, from Afghanistan to Iraq…our soldiers have given their all. The blood of American soldiers is permanently mingled with the soil of countries all over the world.
Memorial Day or Decoration Day emerged from the shadows of the Civil War. In 1865, days after General Robert E Lee surrendered, a group of women in Vicksburg, Mississippi decorated the graves of the war dead. Three years later, May 30 was set aside for the placing of flowers on soldier’s graves throughout America.
The northern version of the day says it began on May 5, 1866, in Waterloo, NY when flowers were placed on the graves of union soldiers, and Waterloo has been recognized by Congress as the official birthplace of Memorial Day. In 1868, Gen. John A. Logan, then president of the Grand Army of the Republic, declared that May 30 would be a day to decorate with “flowers the graves of comrades who died in defense of their country during the late rebellion.”
When one of the first Memorial Days was celebrated, a group of women from Washington D.C. asked the War Department for permission to put flowers on the soldiers’ graves at Arlington Cemetery. After a lot of haggling, permission was finally granted to do so. But a stern order was attached to the permission. No flowers were to be placed on the graves of the Confederate soldiers who were buried in a segregated section of the cemetery. The ladies carried out their task, careful to follow these instructions. Then General James Garfield made a speech. When the crowds left, a strong wind arose. The wind blew almost all the flowers into the Confederate section. After that the separation was never repeated. Many believed that all this was due to divine intervention.
Memorial Day honors the fallen dead of all our wars. We ought to honor those heroes of the past and remember that their lives were sacrificed for our freedom.
Memorial Day is all about REMEMBERING. And yet we do forget! Even important things gradually fade away. That’s one reason why we have days set aside like Memorial Day. They’re memory aids. We need them so that we will not forget those who paid the ultimate sacrifice.
We have memory aids all around us here in Gainesville to commemorate certain people and events:
Bridges – the one here near the church first named after Sidney Lanier, the poet, later named after Jerry Jackson, the state representative.
Buildings – like Pearce auditorium at Brenau named after the early President of the College
Museums – like the North Georgia Museum downtown, that includes a house belonging to Whitepath, a Cherokee Indian leader.
Statues – like that of the Confederate soldier, old Joe on the downtown square.
Monuments – like that honoring George Washington, at the corner of Washington Street and Green Street (Suntrust)
Tombstones – like that of General Longstreet, Robert E. Lee’s “old warhorse” – his right hand man, buried in Alta Vista Cemetery.
Then we have books, Scrapbooks, videos, photo albums, and personal memorabilia to remind us of our family and our heritage.
We are so quick to forget; that’s why monuments are important and necessary. But do you know what is even more disturbing than forgetting our heritage and freedom’s price? It’s forgetting HOW MUCH WE OWE TO GOD! Each Sunday is really a kind of memorial day—a day to remind us of God’s love and kindness to us.
In the Bible we are encouraged to remember what God has done. SL#2
In Psalm 103, David calls upon us not to forget. I counted at least 10 blessings:
(1) forgiveness of sin (vs.3)
(2) healing of diseases (vs.3)
(3) redemption (vs.4)
(4) love (vs.4)
(5) compassion (vs.4,8)
(6) renewal (v.5)
(7) inner satisfaction (vs.5)
(8) righteousness (vs.6)
(9) justice (vs.6)
(10) God is gracious (vs.8)
(11) God is slow to anger (vs.8)
Verse 18 tells us that these are conditional upon our obedience to His commands. Those who “remember to obey His precepts…or commandments.” These blessings are not automatic! They flow to us as we walk in the ways of God. They will keep us on the straight and narrow. They will keep us steady in times of difficulty. And they will heal our emotional scars and hurts.
Memories of God’s goodness and blessings do not always come easily. But the Spirit of God is at work in us to remind us. He uses several memory aids, such as: the cross (reminding us of Jesus’ sacrifice and love); Music and Songs (praising our God); the Scriptures (Our Bibles are a great memory aid of God’s work); the lives of others…who have shown by their example how to depend upon God, especially in times of difficulty. And then, of course, perhaps one of the greatest memorials of all…the Communion Service each week. Our table is inscribed with the words of Jesus: “This do in remembrance of me.”
BUT REMEMBERING IS NOT ENOUGH! It must result in some specific responses. Let me suggest three things we can do as we remember the mercies of God.
1. Give Thanks SL#3
Dr. David Soper, in “God is Inescapable,” suggests that basically the difference between a prison and a monastery is only the difference between griping and gratitude. Prisoners spend every waking moment griping, whereas monks spend every waking moment giving thanks. They are both imprisoned, in a sense, but what a difference! Dr. Soper goes on to say that when a prisoner becomes a saint, a prison becomes a monastery; when a saint gives up gratitude, a monastery may become a prison.
Someone well said that: “The hardest arithmetic to master is that which enables us to count our blessings.”
There is also an old Chinese proverb which says: “When you drink from the stream, remember the source.” Let’s always remember to give thanks.
2. Resolve to Walk in God’s Ways SL#4
Next to the one who doesn’t pay his bills, the doctor’s most annoying patient is the one who refuses to follow the doctor’s advice. Recently it was estimated that between 60 to 90 per cent of all patients leave half-empty pill bottles, cheat on diets, continue to smoke, or never return for checkups—despite careful prescriptions and cautious advice.
There are many today who are spiritually ill—weak and anemic; they lack stamina and power to resist temptation. It’s because they fail to heed God’s Word. Instead, they walk in disobedience.
The memory of God’s grace and forgiveness and love should spur each of us on to a firm determination to do His will and quit trying to do life in our own way. The memories of our failures when we tackle life in our own strength ought to be enough to move us toward doing things God’s way, but when we look in the Bible, when we look at the lives of other believers, when we see God at work in our own lives, it hopefully serves as a reminder, that God’s will is the best way.
3. Teach Our Children SL#5
I have tried to teach my children about history…..to remember the past. Years ago, the family toured the Hunley museum in Charleston. The Hunley was the first submarine
to sink an enemy ship. That trip went OK because it didn’t last that long and you could see the actual submarine. About 20 years ago we took John and Joy to the Etowah Indian Mounds on an all day trip. I still don’t think they’ve forgiven me for that one!
But, what is even more important, is to teach our children and grandchildren about the goodness of God. How do we keep the memory of God alive in their hearts?
Well, one way is by relating our personal experience with God to them. Talk with your family about how God has worked in your life. When you tell your stories don’t say things like: “Well, as fate would have it…” or, “I was lucky, I guess….” But fill your stories with references to God. God led me, God blessed me, God was there for me. Because Jesus is Lord of my life, etc.
Talk about your prayers and your Bible with them. Let your children/grandchildren know where your strength comes from. It should be obvious to them that you are a Christian. Don’t make them guess!
Lastly, live before them in such a way that they will also hunger for God. Live the wisdom of God out before them. Be an example of what it is like to depend on God and not self. When you do that, then you will know the truth of Psalm 103:17 SLIDE #6
“But from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children – with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts.”
Our children won’t forget…in fact they will remember to obey our Lord and His ways, if they see us living out the truth of God each day.
Yes, memory is a great gift from God. Use it in the most positive way that you can. May the past mercies of God serve as a help for the present and a hope for the future. And on this memorial day weekend, as we remember our fallen soldiers, may we also remember our glorious Lord who gave His life for our sins. May we always be those who remember, and never forget!
Adapted from Bruce Howell Sermon – The Gift of Memory – May 16, 2001; with revisions and additional info from D. Simpson
