Chico Alliance Church
“In Remembrance of Me”
Introduction
MEMORIAL DAY
Memorial Day is a legal holiday, observed annually on the last Monday in May in most of the U.S., in honor of the nation's armed services personnel killed in wartime. The holiday, originally called Decoration Day, is traditionally marked by parades, memorial speeches and ceremonies, and the decoration of graves with flowers and flags, hence the original name. Memorial Day was first observed on May 30, 1868, on the order of Gen. John Alexander Logan for the purpose of decorating the graves of the American Civil War dead. It was observed on May 30 until 1971, when most states changed to a newly established federal schedule of holiday observance.
History is full of memorials. One might say we have an obsession with memorials. From ancient time, memorials have been erected in the form of pyramids, cliffs, statues, slabs of stone, buildings, gardens, and any number of other materials intended to remember a person or event. The United States has the Washington monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the Vietnam Memorial and so many other monuments, to numerous to recite here, erected to remember significant people or events. In our culture of we attend memorial services to remember those who have died. We purchase items in memory of others. Funds given in memory of members of Chico Alliance church have greatly benefited this body. We even have a book of remembrance. The new projector is the results of the generous memorials given to the Bob Dormaier memorial and the Bill Dummer memorial.
Perhaps our love affair with memorials stems from our longing to count for something in this world. Solomon lamented the fact that we live on this earth, die, and no one even remembers what we did or perhaps that we even existed. He concludes that such a fact is empty, meaningless.
Tomorrow is a day to remember particularly those who gave their life in service to our country. I have an uncle who gave his life and World War II to protect our freedom. Tomorrow is a day set aside to remember such sacrifice by individuals on behalf of our nation. But memorials are not just man's idea or invention or obsession. The Bible is full of references to memorials and remembrance some even instituted by God Himself.
The Concept of Remembrance
The Hebrew word for Memorial is a sacrificial term describing the act which brings the offerer into remembrance before God, or which brings God into honorable remembrance with the offerer. The verb form means to trick, pierce, penetrate; pressing on the memory, to keep in mind, remember, to offer a Memorial sacrifice. Memorials are intended to remember a person or significant event.
• Memorial days were instituted so that we would not forget the person and work of God.
• Memorial days were instituted so that we would not forget each others person and work.
• Memorials were instituted so that we would realize God does not forget us or our work.
For God is not unjust so as to forget your work and the love which you have shown toward His name, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints. Hebrews 6:10
Objects used to remember vary
Stones were used to Memorialize things.
Books of remembrance were established. (Lamb’s book of life)
Scrolls or tablets were used to stir the memory.
Certain offerings were intended to stir the memory.
Gold and financial offerings were offered as Memorials.
WE REMEMBER EACH OTHER
• In the book of Esther Mordecai was remembered for his deeds.
• One of the Jewish feast centers around Esther’s courage that resulted in salvation of the Jews.
• Nehemiah asked that his deeds the remembered before God and others.
• The new Testament contains written memorials to Saints who faithfully served God at times to the detriment and loss of their own life.
These were written in the Scripture for all of us to read centuries later.
God memorialized the faithful deeds of people so that we might remember and imitate their walk of faith.
• In Matthew 26:6-13, God memorialized the woman who anointed Jesus’ feet.
This woman was an example of extravagant worship. Against the protests of the disciples Jesus called attention to the heart of this woman whose reputation was not all that good.
“Truly I say to you, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world, what this woman has done shall also be spoken of in memory of her.”
GOD REMEMBERS US
Now I realize that God doesn't forget. He is all knowing. There is nothing that God doesn't know. It seems that God has established memorials so that we would realize that he does not forget us. Memorials have been established by God so that we would realize how important we are to God and how much he really loves us.
Memorial stones
Stones for Israel Exodus 28
The White Stone
Revelation talks about a stone of remembrance.
'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, to him I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, and a new name written on the stone which no one knows but he who receives it.' Rev. 2:17
Our name it is a very important thing to us. We treasure it. We are attuned to. We like to see it in print. We enjoy seeing it engraved. God himself will give every believer a stone on which their name is engraved. It signifies special relationship with the creator and redeemer. God remembers us!
God remembers the righteous Malachi 3:13-18
A powerful passage in Isaiah graphically illustrates God’s remembering the righteous by comparing a mother and her child.
"Can a woman forget her nursing child, And have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, but I will not forget you "Behold, I have inscribed you on the palms of My hands; Your walls are continually before Me.Isaiah 49:15-16
God has established the relationship with you. He declares emphatically I will never leave you nor forsake you. He declared “Lo, I am with you always even into the end of the age.” Even when things seem dark, God has not forgotten you.
God remembers forgiveness through the sacrifices
the offerings and fees were intended as a remembrance for man concerning his relationship with God. Yet there is one aspect of the offering that served as a Memorial to God and his relationship with his people. Leviticus 2:16
It seems that the aroma that came up from the offering presented in obedience to God was a reminder of forgiveness. When God smelled the offering it was a pleasant thing. The smell reminded him of the precious nature of his relationship with the children of Israel.
God remembers genuine worship
Philippians speaks of the aroma produced by the sacrificial giving to Paul's need.
The worship of Cornelius, a Gentile, became a Memorial before God.
"What is it, Lord?" And he said to him, "Your prayers and alms have ascended as a memorial before God. Acts 10:1-4
Here we have a non-Jew finding favor before God due to the genuineness of his prayer and the purity of his offerings before God. These offerings of prayer and money rose to the nose of God like a sweet perfume. God responded to a heart who worshipped God in spirit and in truth.
MAN REMEMBERS GOD
Remember Creation
God instituted the Sabbath remember creation.
Remember His promise never to flood the earth
Remember His Words
The words of God were carefully written down and preserved so that they might be forever memorialized and serve as a continual light to our path.
Remember His work with Israel
the major feasts of Israel were intended to cause the children of Israel to remember God's work among them. In this way the history of Israel is memorialized.
• Passover remembers the exodus and deliverance from centuries of bondage.
• Pentecost brings to remembrance that the first fruits belong to God.
• Booths or Tabernacles remembers the wandering as homeless in the wilderness.
• Day of Atonement brings to remember its the need for a substitute.
• Trumpets or new year remembers new beginnings.
The Jews added later two other major holidays commemorating the events in their history.
Purim commemorates Esther’s courageous salvation.
Chanukah commemorates the dedication of the restored Temple.
Remember His name
God gave Israel a memorial name so that they would forever remember that he is a covenant keeping God.
Isaiah 26:8 Lord, we wait for you; your Memorial name is the desire of our soul.
The name Yahweh signifies the eternity of God as applied to the need of temporal man. He is the “I AM”.
Remember the deliverance from Egypt
God instructed Israel to celebrate the Passover as a means to continually commemorate the significant deliverance from years of bondage to Egypt. The deliverance from Egypt was accomplished by the powerful hand of God against all the hosts of hell.
Remember His promise of victory Exodus 17:8-16
We are very forgetful people. We need to write things down. God wanted Joshua to remember his promise of judgment against his enemies.
God has promised to crush Satan under our feet. It has been written as a Memorial and will come to pass. Hallelujah!
In another case Israel gave offerings so that they would remember where the victory came from.
So Moses and Eleazar the priest took the gold from the captains of thousands and of hundreds, and brought it to the tent of meeting as a memorial for the sons of Israel before the LORD. Numbers 31:54
Actually, every time we give to Lord it is a memorial to the fact that everything we own comes from him. It is a reminder to us that it is he who gives us the ability to even make a living and that everything we own not just 10 percent or two percent is rightfully is.
Remember your redemption Exodus 30:11-16
This prescribed offering pictures the fact that we have been redeemed by God and belong to God. It was a token illustration that our very life is in His hands.
Remember the milestones Joshua 4:2-7
It seems so easy to forget God’s wonderful work in our life. We need to remember how great our God is. When life seems dark the memory fades. Because of our forgetfulness it would be good to journal our journey on this earth. It would be good to memorialize God’s great work in our life. It is good remember that God does remove obstacles that stand in the way of our journey toward the promise. When he does, it is good to find ways to memorialize the event so that when our way seems dark or when we face the next obstacle we will remember.
Remember the God of restoration
I would like to read a fairly long passage. The reason I read the passage is that it illustrates the powerful point that when God restores a life or a land that individual stands as an eternal memorial to his power, his love, and his longing for relationship with the restored.
Isaiah 55:1-13
Remember the sacrifice of Christ Luke 22:19 1 Cor. 11:24-25
The Lord’s supper continually reminds us of the great sacrifice Christ made for our redemption. Christ's work on the cross fulfilled all of the previous pictures and feasts and the celebrations pointing to the long-awaited Messiah who would restore relationship between fallen man and Holy God. This is a work that cannot ever be forgotten. This is a work that will be the theme of worship throughout all eternity. “Worthy is the lamb that was slain!”
Conclusions
I challenge you to take some time to remember this weekend. Not only remember those who gave their life for our freedom but take time to remember those individuals who have impacted your life.
If they are still alive, drop them a note of thanks for their contribution to your life.
If they are no longer alive, tell someone about their impact.
But most of all, sometime during this weekend, take some time to remember the God who loves you.
• Remember him as creator.
• Remember the significance of the rainbow.
• Remember to spend sometime in his written book of remembrance.
• Remember some of the highlights of his wonderful work with Israel.
• Remember his name and its significance to his relationship with us.
• Remember his promise of victory.
• Remember who you along to and offer up an offering showing that you remember.
• Remember some of the milestones in your walk with him.
• Remember He is the God of eternal restoration.
• Remember the work of Christ on your behalf.
And don't forget, that we remember God because he first remembers us.
• He knows our name.
• He writes our name on the palm of his hand and on a wonderful white stone.
• He never forgets.
• We stand as an eternal Memorial to his redemptive, restorative work.
