Lest We Forget
Hebrews 12:1-2
Good morning. I want to welcome everyone here today. It is a wonderful day when we all can return to the church were we grew up in and see old friends and family that we may not have seen in a long time. Memorial Day is a tool that we can use to help us remember our past and look forward to our future. We set up our meal and walk around talking to people remembering about our youth and the older generation that has passed on. We think about parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles who have gone on before us. And this is good to remember those faithful who have shown us the paths to walk.
But the truth is that today we are gathered in this house of worship to remember Jesus Christ and what He did for us. On His table in front of this pulpit it is written do this in rememberance of Me. IT is engraved that all may see. But preacher that is just talking about the Lord’s supper. No it is not. Every time we come through the doors of the church we see these letters and they are to remind us that we are to worship and serve Him always. Everything that is done here at this church is to be done in rememberance of Him and everything that we do at home and work should be done in remembrance of what Jesus has done for us. He did not have to do any thing but He died on the cross so that we may have the opportunity for salvation.
Don’t Cross that Line
There is a time, we know not when,
A place, we know not where;
Which marks the destiny of men
To glory or despair.
There is a line, by us unseen,
Which crosses every path,
Which marks the boundary between
God’s mercy and his wrath.
To pass that limit is to die,
To die as if by stealth;
It does not dim the beaming eye,
Nor pale the glow of health.
The conscience may be still at ease,
The spirit light and gay;
And that which pleases still may please,
And care be thrust away.
But on that forehead God hath set
Indelibly a mark;
Unseen by man, for man as yet,
Is blind and in the dark.
He feels perchance that all is well
And every fear is calmed;
He lives, he dies, he walks in hell,
Not only doomed, but damned!
O, where is that mysterious line
That may by men be crossed,
Beyond which God himself hath sworn,
That he who goes is lost?
An answer from the skies repeats,
“Ye who from God depart,”
Today, O hear His voice,
Today repent and harden not your heart.
- Joseph Addison Alexander
Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,
2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
What is the race that is being talked about her. It is the endurance race that we are involved in everyday of our lives. Every moment that we breathe we are in this race. We will never complete this race as long as we live. Just as a runner has to train before He can run in a marathon so must we train to build up our spiritual endurance as well as our physical endurance. How do we do this? Chapter 11 of Hebrews tells us.
Chapter 11 of Hebrews is a roll call of biblical heroes and giants. But I want you to see where their endurance came from their faith in God. Even though they could not see Jesus Christ they believed that one day He would come and do what God said He would do. The Bible says that faith is the reality of what is hoped for. In other words our faith is the outward sign of our salvation through Jesus Christ. This faith is what causes us to want to serve God. It is the proof of that which is not see. This is what many who rest in the graveyards across the nation discovered in their lives and that is what we are to remember today. When we come to Christ as sign does not appear over our heads stating that we have been saved. No what does happen is that our faith is our sign and our faith changes the way we walk in life.
This is what we are to remember. To often we let the world get in the way of our faith. We become wrapped up in worldly things. Our jobs becomes more important than serving God. Our hobbies become more important than coming to church. God wants us to remember that it is He who calls us to worship and fellowship together. He does not never call us to worship only by our selves. He created worship and fellowship as a means of strengthening and supporting each other during times of trouble and sorrows.
I know all the excuses that one can use to avoid group worship and fellowship because up until two years ago I was making them. The main one is I can worship just as well at home as I can in Church so why do I need to go. God had to show me where I was wrong so terribly wrong. I had forgotten the joy of worship. I knew the bible and I knew what the bible said about worship. I studied the Bible but that was not enough. Something was missing and something was a dependence on God. We to often rely only on ourselves and not on God. I did that too often just we all do. I was proud in my knowledge of the Bible but I was not sharing my knowledge of the bible. I had forgotten who was the master and who was the servant.
A servant has to be able to see the master before he can serve. A servant has to set aside his wants and needs and place the wants and needs of the Master before anything else in His life. That is what Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, and Sarah did. They believed in Christ without ever seeing Him and served Him by faith. We who have seen his salvation are to serve by faith. This means serving by raising a Godly family, serving by telling people about Jesus’ saving grace, and we are serve by coming to church and worshipping Him, and finally we are to serve by living our whole life for Him.
Hudson Taylor a great missionary to China in the 1800s live his life for God. He served by faith. He lost his wife and child in China while serving God because of the lack of proper medical care. But He never let his faith waver. The story is told of a time that Hudson was traveling on the South China Sea. The captain of the vessel had been giving Hudson a terrible time because of his faith. One day while the ship was becalmed a pirate ship was spotted approaching. They were able to move because their ships had oars also. The captain of Hudson’s ship called him and said “preacher man you better pray for a wind soon or we are all doomed” Hudson replied raise every bit of sail that the ship has and he would pray. The captain refused on the grounds that his crew would think he was insane. Hudson said that He believed that God answered his prayers and he would not pray until every bit of sail was raised. The pirate ship drew closer and closer and finally out of desperation the captain ordered all sail raised. The crew did look funny at the captain but did as he ordered. Just as soon as the last bit of sail was raised Hudson feel to his knees and prayed. As Hudson said amen there was a puff of wind then a breeze the ship sailed away into safety. That is a serving faith. One that remembers who the master really is.
Hebrews 12:2 tells us that we serve by faith in gratitude for what Christ did on the cross. Today is memorial day what better day to fully remember the sacrifice God made for us. He did not have too. We have never done anything to warrant God saving us but yet He loved us so much that He sent His only begotten son to die on the cross and pay for our sins. Remember it is not about what we want or what we want to believe or want. It is all about Jesus. Remember that as Jesus was being scourged that at any moment He could have ended it but He did not because he loved us. Remember as he carried the cross at any moment He could have ended the humiliation and pain but He did not. While on the cross and having every sin that has been, is now, and will be committed by every human being that has lived, is now living, or will live poured on him He had the authority to end it but He did not. Why, because He loves us so much that He was willing to bear it all to provide for us the only path available to save us from sin. We could never pay that debt but He could.
Are you ready today to serve Him? Maybe you are here today and you have never known Christ as your Lord and savior and the Holy Spirit is striving with you know. It is tugging at your heart don’t wait don’t put off the call of the spirit because you may never again have the opportunity for salvation. We are not promised the next second. Or maybe you are here today and realize that you have not been serving Jesus the way that you should. That you want to rededicate your life to Christ and live the life that Christ has called you to live. Or maybe you are here and you don’t have a home church and you want to make this church your church. Come we would be glad to have you. What ever the reason come don’t let embarrassment stop you if your master is calling it is time to start serving Him surrender you all for the one who gave His all for you.
