THE COST OF LOVE
Memorial Day Sunday
MEMORIAL DAY
In April 1863, in Columbus, Mississippi, after decorating graves of her two sons who died representing their beloved southland, an elderly woman walked to two mounds of dirt at the corner of the cemetery to place memorial flowers there also. "What are you doing?" friends shouted, "Those are the graves of two union soldiers." Softly that compassionate mother said, "I know. I also know that somewhere in the North, a mother or a young wife mourns for them as we do for ours."
That loving deed set in motion our celebration which has become known as Memorial Day. We honor the war dead once a year, but their sacrifice is evident every single day of the year! Today, we want to honor the memory of all those who have sacrificed their lives on the altar of freedom. Those thousands of sacrificed lives were not given in vain! Because of their sacrifice, we are free today and have the right to assemble ourselves together and worship our God.
In honor and recognition of all of our fallen service members, the Congress, by a joint resolution approved May 11, 1950, has requested that the President issue a proclamation calling on the people of the United States to observe each Memorial Day as a day of prayer for permanent peace and designating a period on that day when the people of the United States might unite in prayer and reflection, on that day as a time for all Americans to observe, in their own way, the National Moment of Remembrance.
This Sunday before Memorial Day, we honor their memories and support the families, caregivers, and survivors left behind.
As we honor the memories of our fallen heroes, we are grateful for the future they made possible for us and rededicate ourselves to seeking enduring peace. Our heroes gave their lives for our country, and they live forever in our hearts — forever proud, forever honorable, and forever American.
Memorial Day Scripture:
2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
Psalm 67:1-7 To the chief Musician on Neginoth, A Psalm or Song. God be merciful unto us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us; Selah. (2) That thy way may be known upon earth, thy saving health among all nations. (3) Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. (4) O let the nations be glad and sing for joy: for thou shalt judge the people righteously, and govern the nations upon earth. Selah. (5) Let the people praise thee, O God; let all the people praise thee. (6) Then shall the earth yield her increase; and God, even our own God, shall bless us. (7) God shall bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him.
1 Timothy 2:1-6 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; (2) For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. (3) For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; (4) Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. (5) For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; (6) Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.
Memorial Day Prayer:
Heavenly Father, today and every day, we ask You to protect our troops, to bring to our remembrance the fallen, those who sacrificed and gave all; we ask for You to bring comfort to their families. We pray for those who mourn a loved one, we pray for those families who have lost a loved one in conflict, our thoughts and prayers are for you. Our Nation owes you and those you have lost a tremendous debt that we can never fully repay. Forgive us Father for taking for granted, even for a second the sacrifice given for our freedom. God bless those families; God bless our churches and May God bless the USA!
THE COST OF LOVE
“Greater Love”
Congregational Reading:
(13) Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
The passage before us today is one of the most highly referred to in Scripture, as it relates to the sacrifice of love.
If we are familiar with the words of Jesus, “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends,” then our minds often think of someone such as a soldier who has given their life for their country.
Read Text: The Gospel of John 15:12-17
(12) This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. (13) Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. (14) Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. (15) Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
(16) Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you. (17) These things I command you, that ye love one another.
I. The Example of Greater Love: (John 15:13)
When we speak of love, today we get a mixture of everything form a warm, oozy feeling which is fueled by emotionalism, to nothing more than an exchange of favors from one person to the next.
When we understand the Biblical love, the love Jesus was referring to her, one cannot help but see the great “Cost of Love.”
Greater love hath: Albert Barnes “No higher expression of love could be given. Life is the most valuable object we possess; and when a man is willing to lay that down for his friends or his country, it shows the utmost extent of love. Even this love for friends has been rarely witnessed.”
1. Christ Loved the Saint
1Jn 4:9-10 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. (10) Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.
Eph 5:2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.
2. Christ Loved the Sinners
Christ’s love for the Saint is so amazing, but what makes it even more amazing is that fact that He would die for sinners, for enemies.
Rom 5:6-10 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly. (7) For scarcely for a righteous man will one die: yet peradventure for a good man some would even dare to die. (8) But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. (9) Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him. (10) For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
II. The Challenge Greater Love: (John 15:12, 17)
1. Christ is calling us to a higher love than just emotional or feeling.
Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends
2. Christ is calling us to the same type of love He had for us.
This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
A FRIEND’S LOVE
During the Civil war in America, a farmer was drawn to be a soldier. He was much grieved about it, not because he was a coward, but because of his motherless family, who would have no breadwinner or caretaker in his absence.
The day before he had to march to the town where the conscripts’ names were called over, and their clothing and weapons given to them for the campaign, young Mr. Charles Durham, a neighbor, came, saying, “Farmer Blake, I will go instead of you.”
The Civil War Conscription Act Law of Substitution, during the Civil War 1861-1865
The farmer was astonished so much to be unable to reply for some time. He stood leaning one hand on his spade and wiping the sweat from his brow with the other. It seemed too good to be true! At length, he took in the deliverance, as if it were an angel of light in a dark dungeon, and he grasped the hand of young Durham and praised God.
The young fellow went, feeling that he was doing a noble thing, and all the village came out and bid him “God speed.”
It may be that he had “glory” before him—the sash of a general, the chair of the President. Whatever his ideas, he nobly took the place of his fellow man; but alas! in the first battle he was shot and killed!
When the farmer saw in the newspaper the name of Charles Durham in the list of “missing,” he at once saddled his old horse and went off to the battlefield, and after searching for some time, found the body of his friend. He brought it to his village, to the little churchyard in which they had so often walked together to the house of God; and from the quarry up on the hill he cut out a plain marble tablet, on which he carved an inscription with his own hand. It was roughly done, but with every blow there fell a tear from his eyes. There, in the little churchyard, he placed the body of his devoted friend and substitute and covered the grave with grass sods from his garden.
Then, while his tears dropped, he put the marble tablet on the grave, and when the villagers stooped to see the little monument, they also wept. It did not say much, but it really touched them; it said, “C.D. He died for me.” (New Testament Anecdotes.)
III. The Example of Greater love? Is that of Christ and His love for Saint and sinner.
Verse 13: Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
IV. The Challenge of Greater love? Is to learn of that love and to practice that love to others!
Verse 12: This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
Verse 17: These things I command you, that ye love one another.
Poem I wrote for the occasion:
Because He Loved Them
They tried to shame Him.
They tried to destroy Him.
They tried to ruin Him.
He died for them!
They despised Him.
They mocked Him.
They humiliated Him.
He died for them!
They stripped Him.
They spat in His face.
They beat Him.
He died for them!
They made Him bear the cross.
They nailed His hands and feet.
They broke His precious body.
He died for them!
Why did He die?
Why did He suffer?
Why did He endure the cross?
He died. He was crucified.
Why? Why? Because He loved them!
© May 2017, Loyd C Taylor, SR.
CONCLUSION:
Christ said, “Greater love hath no man than this…”
Christ supported His words through His actions.
He died for you! He died for me!
INVITATION:
Would you now accept that gift of love? Receive salvation!
Would you also be an example of “Great Love” to others?
Disclaimer: This sermon is a collection of several sources and I claim no originality to all, only as I have tried to tailor it to develop the sermon. I have sought to acknowledge credit to whom credit is due. I hope it will bless you.
