The Art of Remembrance
Hebrews 12:1-4
May 29, 2005
Memorial Day Message
Introduction
Tomorrow we will be celebrating Memorial Day and many of have made plans for the day. Maybe a picnic or going to a parade. Maybe a big party or just a quiet afternoon with family. Maybe you’re just going to enjoy that extra day off of work.
Why do we celebrate Memorial Day in the first place?
Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day and was established as a day to decorate the graves of the fallen soldiers from the Civil War. The purpose was to never forget the sacrifices made by those courageous men who gave their all and their everything in the service of their nation. Today, we still celebrate Memorial Day to remember those who have given their lives in the service of our nation and we also remember our friends and loved ones who have passed away.
The key to Memorial Day is remembering and I am sure that all of us have specific individuals we will remember. The fact is that we remember the impact people have made upon our lives.
What kind of impact are you making on the world around you? How will you be remembered when you leave this earth?
As Christians we want to leave a lasting legacy behind when we leave this earth because the difference we have made will be of eternal value. This morning I want to look at a passage that encourages us to continue to make a difference in the world around us and to leave a lasting legacy behind. Open your Bibles to Hebrews 12:1-4.
1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. 4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.
What do you need to Remember, if you want to gain a lasting legacy?
I. Remember to Move Forward (1)
The reason to move forward
The author of Hebrews calls us to remember the fact that we are surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses. The write opens this passage with the word therefore and intentionally means to refer back to the previous statements on the heroes of the faith in chapter 11. Think about it like this we are meant to remember those who would inspire us to live more fully for Christ.
Examples from Chapter 11
Pre-covenant
• Abel - The one who brought the appropriate sacrifice to God
• Enoch - The man who walked so close to God that he just went to heaven without dying
• Noah - The builder of the ark and the survivor of the flood
Patriarchs
• Abraham - The one who was known for following God by faith
• Jacob - God changed his name to Israel and become the source of the 12 tribes
Great Leaders
• Moses - The one who led God’s people out of Egyptian captivity
• David - The killer of Goliath and the greatest king of all Israel’s history
We so often forget the fact that God does His best work in the lives of ordinary people. God makes it a habit of doing the impossible through people who are not that much different from you and I. The only difference is that those heroes of the faith opened their lives up to allow God to do His work.
The secret to having a life that leaves a legacy is understanding that it is not what you do for yourself but rather it is what you allow God to do for others through you. This is how we make a difference in this world and this is how we make a lasting impact.
The right to move forward
We are all human and we are none perfect but the reality is that most of the sinful choices that we make are exactly that, a choice. The writer of Hebrews understood that fact and makes it clear that if we are ever going to move forward in our walk with God it is through the daily choices that we make. Discipleship is not a one day matter but rather a daily matter.
Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. 1 Peter 2:11
We earn the right to move forward with God through the way that we live.
• Hindrances - This refers to removing excess weight such as packs or heavy clothing. Anything that draws you away from being able to give your best for God and His service.
• Entanglements - This refers to things that might cause a runner to fall or to stumble. Anything that causes us to lose ground in our walk with Christ has got to go. Examples: pleasure, pride, the tongue, worldly desires and the list could go on. What is it in your life that causes you to stumble the most? Figure it out, ask for God’s help and do your best to get rid of it.
• Endurance - This refers to being consistent, courageous and capable. We are called to live an active life for Christ and make a difference in the world around us. There are times that this calls for a dogged determination and a desire to never give up.
The rigors of moving forward
The task that has been set before is to get into the race and our calling is to run. There is no point in being in a race if you never run. The key is to get started and then never stop. You get into the Christian race by coming to know Jesus as your personal savior and you stay in the race by building a personal relationship with Him.
When I was on my high school cross country team we went to a meet at a neighboring school and prior to the race we were shown the course. I was not listening very well to the instructions and during the race I got lost by making a wrong turn on a wrong path.
Our goal as Christians must be to stay on course. Remember Jesus is the one who sets the course for us and the Holy Spirit acts as our guide. We must therefore listen to the Spirit’s guidance to stay on track.
II. Remember to Remain Focused (2)
Keep your focus on Christ
One of the greatest problems in churches today is that too many people take their focus off of Jesus and place it where it does not belong. Jesus is the beginning of our faith because He is the author. Faith must start with Jesus because He is the right foundation, the only foundation.
We get focused on possessions - we have blessings from God that can get in the way of our walk with Him
We get focused on problems - we have hardships that have to be faced
We get focused on public appearance - we hide secret sins from everyone but God
Until we get our focus where it needs to be, we will never have a deep relationship with Christ. We will continually get ourselves off course and off track. The truth is that once you place Jesus at the center of your life, everything else falls into place.
Keep your focus on the cross
Just as we remember the sacrifices of those who have valiantly served our nation, we too should remember the sacrifices of Jesus to redeem the church. Jesus endured the suffering of the cross and did so willingly for you and I. I think it is worthy of remembering because it is through the shed blood of Jesus that we gain the forgiveness of sins.
He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; by his wounds you have been healed. 1 Peter 2:24
When you fix your eyes on the cross of Christ the things of the world no longer seem so significant because the cross forces us to forget ourselves and focus on Jesus. When this happens, reaching a lost world, will become one of the chief goals of your personal life and the life of the church.
Keep your focus on the conquest
Far too often we forget the fact that we are engaged in a spiritual struggle. This struggle takes a toll on us spiritually, physically and emotionally. There will always be times in our lives when we feel like we have lost the struggle and in those times we need to remember that through Jesus we have victory.
"Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ."
Acts 2:36
Jesus has already ran this race, he has marked the course and has won a victory that every believer shares. We may lose a few battles here and there but in the end with Jesus we will win the war.
III. Remember to Stay Faithful (3-4)
Be enduring
Jesus endured the cross so you could gain an inheritance in heaven. If Jesus endured such suffering on your behalf, should you not also endure in service for His kingdom? Christians stop growing spiritually when the price gets too high.
What price are you willing to pay to become deeper in your relationship with Christ. He is calling for total and unconditional surrender of your life. Once this happens Jesus fills us with a strength that nothing can take away and nothing can replace.
Be encouraged
Jesus went through difficulties and hardships, why do we think that our lives will be any different? Jesus is our model for living and He is the one we are to be like. Our lives are to be spent trying to be more and more like Jesus and by doing so we make an impact on those around us.
Jesus fills us with an encouragement that we need to press on.
Be empowered
Jesus lived a human life and understands the reality of our struggle. He has been there and lived His life without sin.
For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are--yet was without sin. Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need. Hebrews 4:15-16
Our strength is not what will get us through this race but rather it is the strength of Christ that we must rely upon.
Conclusion
Remember to Move Forward
1. Reason - Follow the living example of Jesus and be a living example for others to follow.
2. Right - Live for Jesus each and every day that you draw breath
3. Rigors - Put everything that you are and all that you will become into serving Jesus
Remember to Remain Focused
1. Christ - He is the source of everything we need to live a life that makes a difference
2. Cross - Our hope flows out of the fact that Jesus died for us and lives today
3. Conquest - We can have a share in the victory that Jesus has won.
Remember to Stay Faithful
1. Enduring - Stay on track with a patient persistence and a confidence that Jesus will assist you in life
2. Encouraged - Jesus wants to lift you up and carry you through the hard times of life
3. Empowered - Jesus wants to give you strength beyond your deepest needs. All you have to do is accept it.
Today, if you don’t have a personal relationship with Jesus, none of these promises can truly be applied to your life.
A - Admit
B - Believe
C - Commit
Today, maybe your relationship with Christ is not where it needs to be. Take responsibility and make your way here to the altar and get things back on course with Christ.
