Remember This Day!

1. Memory Challenges

The man looked a little worried when the doctor came in to administer his annual physical, so the first thing the doctor did was to ask whether anything was troubling him. "Well, to tell the truth, Doc, yes," answered the patient. "You see, I seem to be getting forgetful.

I'm never sure I can remember where I put the car, or whether I answered a letter, or where I'm going, or what it is I'm going to do once I get there -- if I get there. So, I really need your help. What can I do?"

The doctor mused for a moment, and then answered in his kindest tone, "Pay me in advance."

And how is your memory? Do you forget things? Things to do? Or maybe you went to a room in your house to get something and then when you got there, you couldn't remember what you were going to get. It is called the "Great Hereafter" -- what am I here after?

And what about people? How embarrassing it is when you run into someone you haven't seen in ages and you know their face, but you can't think of their name. WHAT DO YOU DO?

2. Memory is important in the Bible

* Remembering is the process of recalling the past, especially the presence and activity of God in the history of his people. The process of remembering is not limited to cognitive recall.

* Remembering implies acting in accordance to what is remembered. Remembering God's work in the past can lead to praise and rejoicing, and to hope for the future.

* God himself remembers.

o His Covenants -- He remembers his covenant forever (Psalm 105.8)

o His Promises

3. Memory Devices in Scripture:

a. Mezuzah

b. Fringes

c. Tefillin

d. Rainbow

e. Passover Meal

f. Lord's Supper

4. 2 Timothy 2.8-10 -- Three Assertions:

I. Remember God's Son

A. Remember Who He Is

1. "Good"

2. Judas -- "Rabbi"

3. Thomas -- My Lord and my God

B. Remember What He Has Done --

Scars, Remembering

John Gordon was a respected general for the South in the Civil War. After the war, he was running for the United States Senate, but a man, who had served under him in the war, angry over some political incident, was determined to see him defeated. Everyone knew this man would fight Gordon's bid to become a senator.

During the convention, he angrily stamped down the aisle with his anti-Gordon vote in hand. As he saw Gordon sitting on the platform, he noticed how his once handsome face was disfigured with the scars of battle -- marks of his willingness to suffer and bleed for a cause he believed in.

The old soldier was stricken with remorse. Overcome with emotion, he exclaimed, "It's no use; I can't do it. Here's my vote for John Gordon." Then, turning to the general, he said, "Forgive me, General. I had forgotten the scars."

What a difference it makes in our lives when we remember the scars! With so many things to distract us, we don't often take time each day to reflect on what Jesus went through on the cross for us. But, when we are tempted to stray, it is a remembrance of Christ's sacrifice that has the power to draw us back to him.

"He was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon him, and by his stripes we are healed." (Isaiah 53:5)

1. Mighty Acts -- 9 Do you still not understand? Don't you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? 10 Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? Matthew 16.9-10

2. DBR Luke 22.17-20

3. Given our only Hope -- One hope of calling

II. Remember God's Word

A collector of rare books ran into an acquaintance who told him he had just thrown away an old Bible that he found in a dusty, old box. He happened to mention that Gluten-somebody-or-other had printed it. "You don't mean Gutenberg?" gasped the collector. "Yes, that was it!"

"I can't believe it! You've thrown away one of the first books ever printed. A copy recently sold at auction for half a million dollars!"

"Oh, I don't think this book would have been worth anything close to that much," replied the man. "It was scribbled all over in the margins by some guy named Martin Luther."

The Bible is valuable but not because it's an old book or because Gutenberg printed it at one time or because Martin Luther may have scribbled his name in it. THE BIBLE IS VALUABLE BECAUSE IT IS THE LIVING, ETERNAL WORD OF GOD! And no other book can be compared to it.