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Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
[1]
There is a time for everything,
a season for every activity under heaven.
[2]
A time to be born and a time to die.
A time to plant and a time to harvest.
[3]
A time to kill and a time to heal.
A time to tear down and a time to rebuild.
[4]
A time to cry and a time to laugh.
A time to grieve and a time to dance.
[5]
A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones.
A time to embrace and a time to turn away.
[6]
A time to search and a time to lose.
A time to keep and a time to throw away.
[7]
A time to tear and a time to mend.
A time to be quiet and a time to speak up.
[8]
A time to love and a time to hate.
A time for war and a time for peace.
Memorial Day is a day that America sets
aside to remember those who have given their lives in the cause
of gaining and preserving freedom. It's like a monument. The Idea
is that we would have a day off to celebrate liberty and remember
the price of such a blessing.
The Idea of setting up monuments of remembrance or setting aside
a day to remember is not new. God has been doing this for centuries.
God has a good memory.
Genesis 8:1 - God remembered Noah
Genesis 9:15 - God said, "I will remember my covenant"
Genesis 19:29 - God remembered Abraham
Genesis 30:22 - God remember Rachel
Exodus 2:24 - God remembered his covenant with Abraham, Isaac
and Jacob
Exodus 20:8 - God said, "Remember the Sabbath"
210 direct references in the Bible concerning remembering.
Many Verses In The Bible Ask Us to Remember
Here is a short list of some of them:
* Deuteronomy 6:10-12-When you prosper don't forget God.
* Numbers 15:37-41-Tassels were to be put on the garment to remind
them of God's law.
* Deuteronomy 4:9-Don't forget what you have seen or let it slip
out of your mind. Teach it to your children.
* 1 Chronicles 16:12-His Miracles
Some Specific Things God Asks Us To Remember
*Genesis 9:16 And the bow shall be in the cloud; and I will look
upon it, that I may remember the
everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of
all flesh that is upon the earth.
Exodus 20:8-11-We are to remember Creation and our Creator.
1 Corinthians 11:24, 25-We are to remember our Lord's death by
observing the "Lord's Supper."
On this Memorial Day weekend we need to think about people. God
put us here to remember people! We need to think of them in two
ways:
1- remember people in death
2- remember people in life
Rev. 14:13 "Then I heard a voice from
heaven say, "Write: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord
from now on." "Yes," says the Spirit, "they
will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them."
Job 14:14 "If a man dies, will he live
again?"
There are several answers to that question:
- Science says, "He may live again."
- Philosophy says, "He hopes to live again."
- Ethics says, "He ought to live again.
- Atheism says, "He will never live again."
- Jesus Christ says, "He shall
live again." (John 11:25)
Years ago, the Salvation Army was holding an international convention
and their founder, Gen. William Booth, could not attend because
of physical weakness.
He cabled his convention message to them. It was one word:
"OTHERS."
Joshua 4:6-7 "That this may be
a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in
time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones?
[7] Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were
cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it passed
over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and
these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel
for ever."
Joshua 4:21-23 "And he spoke unto
the children of Israel, saying, When your children shall ask their
fathers in time to come, saying, What
mean these stones? [22] Then
ye shall let your children know, saying, Israel came over this
Jordan on dry land. For the LORD your God dried up the waters
of Jordan from before you, until ye were passed over, as the LORD
your God did to the Red sea, which he dried up from before us,
until we were gone over:"
"The King's Chamber of Memory"
A certain Persian king was elevated from a poverty-stricken
home to the glory of a royal throne. After he became king he sent
his servants to the old shack where he was reared, with orders
to gather every relic of those days. They brought fragments of
his home: many broken toys, his patched shirt, a crude wooden
bowl from which he ate, and numerous worthless mementos of his
childhood. All these he arranged in a special room of his palace,
and each day he spent one whole hour sitting among the memories
of his humble past. On the wall hung a prayer: "Lest I Forget."
We have memory aids all around us to commemorate certain people
and events:
Dams
Bridges
Buildings
Museums
Scrapbooks
Diaries
Videos
Photo Albums
Tombstones
Statues
Monuments
Just like the Persian king, we need to call back the past blessings
by surrounding ourselves with the Word of God.
In Psalm 103, David calls upon us not to forget. I counted at
least 10 blessings:
(1) forgiveness of sin (vs.3)
(2) healing of diseases (vs.3)
(3) redemption (vs.4)
(4) love (vs.4)
(5) compassion (vs.4,8)
(6) inner satisfaction (vs.5)
(7) righteousness (vs.6)
(8) justice (vs.6)
(9) revelation (vs.7)
(10)longsuffering (vs.8,10)
Song: JESUS, I'LL NEVER FORGET WHAT YOU'VE DONE FOR ME
10 Things to Remember this Memorial Day:
1. WE SHOULD REMEMBER THE TIME AND PLACE
OF OUR SALVATION
[Have Some Of Congregation Respond By Giving The Time And Place
Of Salvation.]
2. WE SHOULD REMEMBER THE PIT THAT
WAS PRIOR TO OUR SALVATION.
Psalm 9:15 The heathen are sunk down in the
pit that they made: in the net which they hid is their own foot
taken.
3. WE SHOULD REMEMBER THE PLACE WE
WERE AFTER OUR SALVATION.
Rev. 2:4-5 Nevertheless I have somewhat against
thee, because thou hast left thy first love. [5] Remember therefore
from whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works;
or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick
out of his place, except thou repent.
When a person falls he falls from one level to a lower level.
You never fall upwards; always downward.
Jesus Said:
1. Remember.
2. Repent.
3. Return.
4. WE SHOULD REMEMBER OUR VOWS AND COMMITMENTS.
Eccles. 5:4-5 When thou vowest a vow unto
God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay
that which thou hast vowed. [5] Better is it that thou shouldest
not vow, than that thou shouldest vow and not pay.
Our Vows To God.
Our Vows To Our Spouse.
1. To love.
2. To honor.
3. To cherish.
4. To keep self for the other.
Vows To Others.
1. To pray for a certain need.
2. To offer what help they need.
5. WE ARE TO REMEMBER OUR BRETHREN.
A. (1 Tim 4:6) If thou put the brethren
in remembrance of these things, thou shalt be a good minister
of Jesus Christ…
B. Intercessory Prayer (1 Sam 12:23)
Moreover as for me, God forbid that I should sin against the LORD
in ceasing to pray for you…
C. (2 Tim 1:3) I thank God, whom I
serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing
I have remembrance of thee in
my prayers night and day;
6. WE ARE TO REMEMBER THE TRUTHS OF GOD.
A. (John 14:26) But the Comforter,
which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name,
he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance,
whatsoever I have said unto you.
B. (Rev 3:3) Remember
therefore how thou hast received and heard, and hold fast, and
repent. If therefore thou shalt not watch, I will come on thee
as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon
thee.
7. WE ARE TO REMEMBER OUR PARENTS.
(Eph 6:1) Children, obey your parents in
the Lord: for this is right.
(Psa 71:9) Cast me not off in the time of
old age; forsake me not when my strength faileth.
8. WE ARE TO REMEMBER OUR SOLDIERS AND
HEROES.
The Jewish soldiers were honored as they returned from battle.
"David has slain his 10,000's."
9. WE ARE TO REMEMBER THE OLD PATHS.
(Jer 6:16) Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye
in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the
good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls.
But they said, We will not walk therein.
10. WE ARE TO REMEMBER THE LORD
(Neh 4:14) And I looked, and rose up, and
said unto the nobles, and to the rulers, and to the rest of the
people, Be not ye afraid of them: remember the Lord, which is
great and terrible, and fight for your brethren, your sons, and
your daughters, your wives, and your houses.
A. Remember Him With Our Time.
B. Remember Him With Our Talent.
C. Remember Him With Our Treasure.
D. Remember Him In Our Thoughts.
E. Remember Him In Our Tasks.
F. Remember His Mercy And Goodness.
Let's not forget these things that are so important.
Remember His Dying Love. "Father, forgive them."
Remember His Comforting Call. "Come unto me."
Remember His Charge. "Go ye into all the world and preach."
Remember His Commandments. "If ye love me keep my commandments."
Chinese proverb: "When you drink from the stream, remember
the source."
CONCLUSION
