Tomorrow is Memorial Day; therefore, we will observe this very special day with a message from the Word. I wish to begin by sharing some of the history behind Memorial Day; however, I have encountered two separate versions of the story on how this holiday began, and so, I am going to present both accounts for you this morning. One story reads like this:
In April 1863, in Columbus, Mississippi after decorating the graves of her two sons who served during the Civil War as Confederate soldiers, an elderly woman also decorated two mounds at the corner of the cemetery. An observer asked, “What are you doing? Those are the graves of two Union soldiers.” Her reply, “I know. I also know that somewhere in the North, a mother or a young wife mourns for them as we do for ours.” [This lady and a few others] set in motion what became known as Memorial Day.(1)
The other version of the story reads as follows:
The custom of placing flowers on the graves of the war began on May 5, 1866 in Waterloo, New York, and Waterloo has been recognized by Congress as the official birthplace of Memorial Day. In 1868, General 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.” After World War I the day was set aside to honor all of the American wars, and the custom was extended to pay homage to deceased relatives and friends, both military and civilian.(2)
Memorial Day is a day of remembrance of lost loved ones. We don’t just remember the day of their death, but we remember the precious lives they lived. We remember both the good and hard times we shared with them, and we contemplate how they lived their lives and the things they taught us. It is a day when we remember the individuals whose graves we visit.
Memorial Day can be a day when we reflect upon any individual who has had an impact on our lives, and today I want us to reflect upon and remember how both God and His Son, Jesus Christ, have touched our lives. Let us never fail to remember God’s goodness to each of us, for whenever we fail to remember what God has done for us then we fall astray from the path of righteousness.
Account of the Memorial Stones (Joshua 4:1-7)
1 And it came to pass, when all the people had completely crossed over the Jordan, that the Lord spoke to Joshua, saying: 2 “Take for yourselves twelve men from the people, one man from every tribe, 3 and command them, saying, ‘Take for yourselves twelve stones from here, out of the midst of the Jordan, from the place where the priests’ feet stood firm. You shall carry them over with you and leave them in the lodging place where you lodge tonight’.”
4 Then Joshua called the twelve men whom he had appointed from the children of Israel, one man from every tribe; 5 and Joshua said to them: “Cross over before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of the Jordan, and each one of you take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, 6 that this may be a sign among you when your children ask in time to come, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ 7 Then you shall answer them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. And these stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever.”
If we look back at Joshua chapter 3, we can see that the Israelites needed to cross the Jordan River in order to enter the Promised Land, but they could not ford this normally gentle stream because it was at flood stage. In chapter 3, verse 3, God told Joshua that as soon as the priests stepped out in faith and dipped their feet into the water that the river would recede and stop flowing, and then the people would be able to cross over on dry land.
Here, in chapter 4, verses 1-7, we see that God came through, and then each of the twelve tribes of Israel crossed the Jordan River. When they did, they gathered up one stone per tribe from the bottom of the riverbed, making twelve stones in all (vv. 2-3). They took these stones to the river bank and laid them down, and they did this in order to show anyone who later passed by that these stones had indeed come from the bottom of the river (v. 5-6). People would see these stones and wonder and question how something of such great weight could have landed so far upon the shore.
In verses 6-7, Joshua informed the Israelites that when people asked them about these stones then they were to share with them the story of how God had parted the flooding Jordan and allowed them to cross over on dry land. These stones served as a memorial of God’s glory to remind the Israelites, and anyone else for that matter, of how God cared enough for His people, that He came into this world and intervened on their behalf.
The Bible tells us that it is very important to remember all the marvelous things that God has done for us. Deuteronomy 6:12 says, “Beware, lest you forget the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.” Why were the Israelites (and why are we) commanded to remember what God has done for us? Well, immediately following Deuteronomy 6:12, we read, “You shall fear the Lord your God and serve Him . . . You shall not go after other gods, the gods of the peoples who are all around you” (Deuteronomy 6:13-14).
Immediately after the Israelites were advised to remember God’s great works, they were told not to serve other gods or other religions. You see, if they failed to remember what the Lord had done for them, then they could easily forget about God altogether and do their own thing (and so can we).
Failing to Remember the Works of the Lord
It is very important for those of us who have experienced God’s working in our lives to remember and tell all whom we know, about how the Lord has made Himself real to us. It is especially important for us to set up spiritual memorials for our children and grandchildren, because if we don’t then the future generations could go astray from the Lord.
In his “Principle of the Three Chairs,” Bruce Wilkinson compares our lives and the generations that follow us to three different chairs; three different generations altogether. He says that Christians who sit in chair number one are whole-heartedly “committed” to the Lord; believers who sit in chair number two make many “compromises” in their faith; and Christians who sit in chair number three are living lives full of immense spiritual “conflict.” He observes that there is often a pattern of spiritual degeneration among the generations: from commitment, to compromise, to conflict.(3)
Wilkinson says that this pattern can be identified in the lives of many of the great figures in the Bible such as Joshua, Abraham, and David. For instance Joshua, who represents a first chair believer, served the Lord with all of his heart and drove out from Canaan all those who did not worship the Lord. However, in Judges 1:27-30, we read of the second chair generation that followed Joshua that, although they worshipped God, they failed to drive out from Canaan the inhabitants that did not worship the Lord. And when we come to the third chair generation, we read in Judges 2:10, “Another generation arose after them who did not know the Lord, nor the work which He had done for Israel.”(4)
The primary point we can draw from Judges 2:10, is that the third chair generation did not know God because they had not been told of “the work which He had done for Israel.” It’s great that we love God and have a relationship with Him, but if we really and truly care about the generations that follow us then we must share our passion for the Lord with our children and grandchildren. We must share with them about the great things that God has done in our lives; or else, they will see no need for the Lord, and they will go astray and seek fulfillment elsewhere.
Establishing Our Spiritual Stones or Markers
Like the Israelites who crossed the Jordan, we need to set up spiritual stones or markers that help us reflect on how God has come through for us and has cared for us. One of the great spiritual markers that Israel set up that helped the people to remember their deliverance from bondage in Egypt was the yearly celebration of the Passover; and we as Christians remember Jesus’ great sacrifice for us whenever we observe the Lord’s Supper. This is what I mean when I speak of setting up spiritual markers.
Our very lives should also be a testimony to all generations of the reality of God and His work of grace in our heart through His Son, Jesus Christ. In 1 Peter 2:5 we read how we are to become as “living stones” to the entire world. Let us live in such a way that people see something different from the rest of the scenery, like those stones that were out of place on the river bank. Then they will look at us and ask, “What do these stones mean?” or “What does this change in your life mean?” And then we will be able to share with them concerning the love and forgiveness that we have found in Jesus Christ. We will be able to share of that one glorious moment when Jesus came into our heart. The day of our salvation is a memorial stone that we should never forget; and one that should be declared to all!
The cross of Jesus Christ is the greatest stone of memorial in the history of the world concerning God’s great love for us. However, there are many people who do not believe that Jesus died on the cross and rose again from the grave to conquer sin and death for all who believe in Him. Therefore, we must be willing to share with others of how Jesus became personally real to us when He rescued us from spiritual death on the day of our salvation.
Our personal testimony about the day of our salvation is a powerful stone of memorial that we can share with those around us. When we reflect on our salvation, it will reignite a passion within us for Jesus Christ that will shine for all to see, and cause people to be drawn to experience the love of Jesus for themselves. We must declare to the world what we read in the lyrics of the old gospel hymn “He Lives”: “You ask me how I know He lives: He lives within my heart.”(5)
Remembering That Great Day of Our Salvation
There are some of us here today who have at some time in our life accepted Jesus Christ as our Savior and Lord, but we have failed to remember that wonderful day when Jesus came into our heart; and because we have failed to cherish that day, we have lost our passion and zeal for the Lord, and our lives have become just “ho-hum.” Unfortunately, that’s the message we are communicating to our children and grandchildren, and to all whom we encounter on a daily basis – that God is “ho-hum,” and that He’s not worth our time.
We need to remember God’s love for us and yield our hearts unto Him once again. Christian singer Sarah Groves wrote a song entitled, “Remember, Surrender,” in which she sang about remembering the day of our salvation; and I want to read some of the lyrics for you:
Remember, surrender; remember the rest. Remember that weight lifting off of your chest. And realizing that it’s not up to you and it never was. Remember, surrender; remember relief. Remember how tears rolled down both of your cheeks, as the warmth of a heavenly Father came closing in. I want to do that again. Why can’t I live there and make my home in sweet surrender. I want to do so much more than remember.(6)
Do you remember the day of your salvation? As Sarah Groves said, do you remember that weight lifting off of your chest? Do you remember the feeling of release and freedom you felt that is far greater than any words can describe? Do you remember the feeling of love’s warm embrace as Jesus reached down and wrapped His loving arms around you? Do you remember how Jesus spoke to your heart and said, “Come unto Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest?” (Matthew 11:28)?
Time of Reflection
There are many Christians who have grown weary in this world, because they have forgotten that Jesus “bore our grief and carried our sorrows” (Isaiah 53:4) when we accepted the price that He paid for us on the cross. Because we are not looking back at the day of our freedom and remembering, we are not sharing with others the freedom that they too can have in Christ. Let us never forget that glorious moment in our lives. And let us be certain to help others find their own day of salvation in Jesus Christ, that they too may look back and never forget God’s amazing grace. Let us be certain to cry out as King David and declare, “Restore unto me the joy of your salvation” (Psalm 51:12).
If you are someone who has never accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior and Lord, then you are truly missing out on the greatest blessing of your entire life. When Jesus comes into your heart then you will feel the deepest sense of love, warmth and acceptance you have ever felt; and when you receive Jesus into your heart it will be a day you will never forget. If you allow yourself to be transformed by the power of love, then you will remember and declare your salvation all the days of your life; and I pray that today will be that day of remembrance for all who are gathered in this place; that it will be the day in which you can recall and take joy in your salvation. Will you come and receive Jesus?
NOTES
(1) Gerald Flury, “Memorial Stones,” Sermon Central: www.sermoncentral.com (Accessed May 2003).
(2) David Whitten, “Every Sunday is a Memorial Day,” Sermon Central: www.sermoncentral.com (Accessed May 2003).
(3) Bruce Wilkinson, Experiencing Spiritual Breakthroughs (Sisters, OR: Multnomah, 1999), pp. 28-30.
(4) Ibid., pp. 31-49.
(5) Alfred Ackley, “He Lives,” The Baptist Hymnal (Nashville, TN: Convention, 1991), hymn # 533.
(6) Sarah Groves, “Remember Surrender,” www.saragroves.com/projects/allrighthere/arh07.html (Accessed May 2003).
