THE MAKING OF A MEMORY
JOSHUA 4:4-7
Ill: Bob, good man with a bad memory. He meets up with a friend he hasn’t seen in years. He greets his friend Bill saying, “Remember what a bad memory I had? Well I and my wife went to this seminar and now I have a great memory.” Bill says to him “Really what was the name of that seminar?” Now Bob remembered his wife attended with him, seeing his wife nearby he went to ask her what the name of the seminar was. He turns to Bill and says, “What is the name of the flower with a long stem, red petals and thorns? Bill says, “You mean a rose?” Yeah said Bob thanks, “Hey Rose what was the name of the Seminar we attended?” Memory is a funny thing sometimes it fails us. We tie a string around our finger to remind us of something, we jot down notes, we circle dates on the calendar. Easter reminds us of the Resurrection, Christmas reminds us of the birth of Jesus. Memorial day reminds us of the brave men and women who gave their lives for our freedoms. Some of them died on the battlefield, some were lucky enough to make it home. Some of those are here with us today.
Memorial day started near the end of the civil war. Some people in the south decided to place flowers on the grave of soldiers who had given their lives for the Confederacy. By 1868 the practice of spreading flowers on the graves of soldiers spread to the North as well as the South, it was called “Decoration Day.” After WW1 it became a nationally recognized holiday called Memorial Day. Remembering all those who had sacrificially given all for the freedoms we now celebrate.
Joshua 4:4-7
SO JOSHUA CALLED TOGETHER THE TWELVE MEN HE HAD APPOINTED FROM THE ISRAELITES, ONE FROM EACH TRIBE, AND SAID TO THEM, “GO OVER BEFORE THE ARK OF THE LORD YOUR GOD INTO THE MIDDLE OF THE JORDAN. EACH OF YOU IS TO TAKE UP A STONE ONHIS SHOULDER, ACCORDING TO THE NUMBER OF THE TRIBES OF THE ISRAELITES TO SERVE AS A SIGN AMONG YOU. IN THE FUTURE WHEN YOUR CHILDREN ASK YOU, “WHAT DO THESE STONES MEAN?” TELL THEM THAT THE FLOW OF THE JORDAN WAS CUT OFF BEFORE THE ARK OF THE CONVENATN OF THE LORD. WHEN IT CROSSED THE JORDAN, THE WATERS OF THE JORDAN WERE CUT OFF. THESE STONES ARE TO BE A MEMORIAL TO THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL FOREVER.”
History has a way of being that type of memorial for us. Presently in a town located in the State of Pennsylvania, such a memorial to the civil war exists, the town is called Gettysburg. It serves as a reminder of war that separated this country. Just as those stones were to serve as a reminder, the tombstones and markers remind us of what once was. In Washington D.C. There are several memorials, the Lincoln, the Jefferson, the Vietnam Veterans. In the Bible there are several of these.
THE PASSOVER:
A reminder to all of Israel of how God delivered Israel from the bondage of slavery in Egypt. It serves as a constant reminder of the Great Love of God for his people.
EX 12:14 "This is a day you are to commemorate; for the generations to come you shall celebrate it as a festival to the LORD--a lasting ordinance. 15 For seven days you are to eat bread made without yeast. On the first day remove the yeast from your houses, for whoever eats anything with yeast in it from the first day through the seventh must be cut off from Israel
16 On the first day hold a sacred assembly, and another one on the seventh day. Do no work at all on these days, except to prepare food for everyone to eat--that is all you may do. 17 "Celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread, because it was on this very day that I brought your divisions out of Egypt. Celebrate this day as a lasting ordinance for the generations to come
In the present, the Lord’s Supper replaces the Passover or the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
For the Lord’s Supper is a proclamation of a memory.
24 and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." 25 In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." 26 For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.
Yesterday at the Memorial Day services at the Flag we heard about another table. It was a table with 5 settings to remember those who served in all branches of the service but did not make it home. The Commander from the Vietnam Veterans Association read these words:
THE DAY OF WORSHIP
Ordained in the beginning, God rested on the seventh day. Throughout the history of Israel the Sabbath became more than what it was originally intended. Today it is the celebration of the resurrection of Jesus. It is one day a week we set aside to honor the Lord. Yet that is not all Christians should do, it is the least we can do. God deserves more than our least!!!!
THE CROSS
A constant reminder of what Jesus had done on our behalf. For how can we look at these items and not remember. The same is true when we look at our Flag. How can we look at it and not remember those who gave. All gave some, and some gave all. At the Cross, Jesus gave all so that we might be free, there are those who gave all so that we would remain free.
The Hebrews writer tells us of others who gave sacrificially, just like those who served in the Armed Services. These faithful served so that we could experience the freedoms in Christ.
Hebrews 10:38-11:31
But my righteous one will live by faith and if he shrinks back I will not be pleased with him. But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who believed and are saved. Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for.
The writer of Hebrews then list for as a Memorial for the faithful. 20 times the phrase “by faith” is used. Yet the commendation of their actions comes in the latter part of the chapter. Actions we should emulate (Verses 13-16)
They worked for what we have today, just as those who gave in the Armed Forces. Some who were on the battlefields we fighting before they were eligible to vote, yet they like these heroes gave for our benefit. God commended them for their faith (Verses 32-40)
Today we have that same opportunity; if the future generations were to write about us what would they write?
Would we be commended?
We must leave a legacy for the future generations just as the heroes who served Our Lord and our country.
I would like those present who have or had sons or daughters, husbands or wives, who served in the military who did not come home please stand.
Now those who had loved ones who served, please stand.
Those among us who served either in peacetime or war please stand
These are our heroes
Emulate the heroes!
