John 15:13 (ESV) – “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”
Church, today isn’t just another Sunday. This weekend isn’t just another long weekend.
While grills are heating up and families are heading to the lake, across this land, flags are flying a little lower… and hearts are feeling a little heavier. And for good reason. Memorial Day isn’t about sales at Walmart or a summer kick-off. It’s about sacrifice.
It’s about remembering that the freedoms we enjoy—the freedom to worship, to gather, to speak, to live and to dream—those freedoms came at a price... And that price wasn’t cheap.
Somewhere in a quiet cemetery, a mother kneels beside a stone. A father clutches a folded flag.
A child grows up with only a photograph and a name... We owe them more than a passing thought.
We owe them gratitude, remembrance, and action.
And as we reflect on the cost of our country's freedom, we’re also reminded of an even greater freedom—purchased on a different battlefield: a hill called Calvary.
1. Freedom Is Never Free
Jesus said in John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.”
Behind every freedom we enjoy, there’s been a battlefield... And the price of freedom isn’t paid with paper—it’s paid with blood.
It's seen in boots lined up on a parade ground... In names etched in granite... In dog tags returned to grieving families.
Men and women—some barely out of high school—signed up and said,
“If it costs me everything, so be it.”
And Church, as grateful as we are for them, we must not miss the spiritual truth:
Jesus didn’t just talk about love… He demonstrated it.
He laid down His life so we could be free—not from foreign enemies, but from sin.
From death. From eternal separation from God.
Isaiah 53:5 says:
“He was pierced for our transgressions… the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him.”
We didn’t earn that salvation.
We couldn’t...You didn’t pay for your freedom in Christ… it was paid in full by the only One who could afford it.
If you're saved today, it’s because Jesus didn’t just write a check with His words—He cashed it with His life.
2. Freedom Calls for Remembrance
We are forgetful people. The Israelites crossed the Red Sea, and three days later—they were grumbling.
That’s why God had them build altars… pile stones… leave markers—so they’d remember.
Memorial Day is our altar... It’s a day to pause and say:
“This freedom wasn’t free. Somebody paid for this.”
If you’ve ever been to a military cemetery, you don’t run through it laughing. You walk slowly. You speak softly.
There’s weight there. Reverence. Because every stone tells a story… and every story ends in sacrifice.
And Church—can I say this plainly?
We need to approach the cross the same way.
When Jesus said, “This is my body, broken for you…” He wasn’t being poetic.
He was preparing to be crushed—so we could be made whole.
We can’t afford to forget that. Not in the noise of our schedules... Not in the chaos of culture.
Let me ask you something:
When’s the last time you felt the weight of your salvation?
Not just sang about it—but let it sink in deep?
3. Freedom Demands a Response
Laying down your life isn’t passive. It’s not theoretical. It’s action.
The soldiers we honor didn’t just feel patriotic. They acted. They wore the uniform. They shipped out.
They didn’t just say they loved their country—they proved it.
And Jesus didn’t just post encouragement from Heaven.He climbed Calvary’s hill. He took the nails. He bore the shame... And with His dying breath, He declared: “It is finished.”
Romans 5:8 says:
“God demonstrated His love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Here’s the hard truth:
If we truly understand the price that was paid… how can we live like it doesn’t matter?
It’s time to start living like it matters. That means forgiving when it’s hard.
Serving when it’s inconvenient. Speaking truth even when it costs you. It means letting your life tell the story of grace—not just your lips.
Let me tell you a story:
One night, years ago, I went out jogging around the streets near the firehouse. I ran a little longer than usual. My heart was heavy. My soul was searching. When I finally stopped, I sat on an old glider in front of the station. The flag was flying at half-staff. No music. No speeches. Just me… God… and that flag waving in silence. And in that moment, the Holy Spirit whispered to my heart:
“Some things are still worth dying for. And some things are worth living for.”
That night, I started running with Jesus again. and he's still my running partner today...
So let me ask you plainly—how are you living? Are you living a life that honors the cost?
Are you living for the One who died for you?
(The Boy and the Wall)
A little boy sat in church, staring at a plaque on the wall with names on it.
He asked his dad, “What are those names for?”
His dad leaned in and whispered, “Those are the people who died in the service.”
The boy’s eyes got wide and he asked,
“The 9:00 or the 10:30?”
Church—listen to me:
Let’s not die in the service.
Let’s live out what this service is all about.
This Memorial Day, don’t just celebrate—consecrate.
• Consecrate your heart to remember.
• Consecrate your life to honor.
• Consecrate your days to serve.
Because there are two things that have changed the world forever:
1. A flag—that reminds us of the price of freedom in this life.
2. A cross—that reminds us of the price of freedom for eternity.
(Altar Call / Response)
If you’ve never received the freedom Jesus paid for… Come.
If you’ve forgotten the cost and want to remember again… Come.
If you just want to say “thank you”—to the Lord, to a loved one, to your Savior—
This altar is open.
Freedom isn’t free…
But praise God—the price has been paid in full.
