OceanSide church of Christ

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Memorial Day
by: Dalton Gilreath

I.              Introduction

A.   Memorial day is about remembering those who have given their life fighting for our freedoms

                                          i.    We certainly want to give honor where honor is due

                                        ii.    This lesson, however, I want to gear towards a different memorial

B.   The mind is a powerful tool

                                          i.    When something happens we have the capability to think on it over and over again well into the future

                                        ii.    The more we repetitively think on something the longer we will remember it

C.   The Bible discusses memorials and remembrances over 200 times in the Bible

                                          i.    God used man’s memory to motivate their obedience

                                        ii.    Consider some memorials God ordained and how they apply to us today

II.            Examples of Memorials

A.   The final plague was the death of the firstborn

                                          i.    For those who had the blood properly used on the doorpost God passed over and spared their home

                                        ii.    God wanted them to remember that night forever and so He set up the Passover feast to memorialize it (Ex 12:14-17)

B.   Another example is found when the Israelites crossed the Jordan into Canaan’s Land (Jos 4:5-7)

                                          i.    God had them pick up twelve stones and place them together where they lodged

                                        ii.    This would remind them of how God brought them to this wonderful land as He promised

C.   Why are these memorials significant?

                                          i.    Focusing on the Passover memorial again we notice an interesting connection between this memorial and their obedience (Ex 13:9)

                                        ii.    God knew that if they were reminded of the blessings He gave them they would love Him and serve Him as they ought

                                       iii.    It is natural to want to give back to those who are good to us

III.           God Remembers You

A.   Knowing God’s blessings motivate our obedience, let’s focus on how God remembers us now

                                          i.    Recall that Samson finally gave up his secret to Delilah and she had his head shaved with a razer

                                        ii.    Samson’s strength left him and he became a prisoner of the Philistines

                                       iii.    When Samson prayed to God to have his strength returned he asked God to “remember” him (Judg 16:28)

1.    The term remember is used in the sense of having a relationship or the opposite of being a stranger to someone

2.    Samson wanted to be close to God again and only then did God grant his wish

                                       iv.    You might also note Hannah who prayed a similar prayer desiring to have a baby boy (1 Sam 1:11)

B.   Now consider how God remembers you as He did Samson and Hannah (Deut 8:2-6)

                                          i.    He blesses us with large things like He did them

                                        ii.    However, God doesn’t forget us when we don’t have “big” blessings

1.    Notice Israel was blessed to have food, clothing, and growth (Deut 8:2-6)

2.    When things are hard but you have food to eat, clothes to wear, etc, then God didn’t forget you

                                       iii.    Considering how much we are blessed by God don’t you want to serve Him better?

IV.          Remember God

A.   Today God wants us to remember Him as He remembers us

                                          i.    A major example of remembering Him is seen in the memorial of the Lord’s death (1 Cor 11:24-26)

                                        ii.    Every time we partake of the Lord’s Supper we are remembering God’s sacrifice which motivates us more than anything else

B.   We should also remember the Word every day

                                          i.    Christ emphasized remembering the words He spoke to the apostles (John 14:26)

                                        ii.    Peter discussed the importance of remembering the knowledge you gain (2 Pet 1:8-12)

1.    Remembering something means repetition

2.    If we don’t consistently study it we will forget it and thereby disobey it

C.   We should also remember the examples in that word (Luke 17:32, cf. 1 Cor 10:11)

                                          i.    We sometimes focus on the commands only

                                        ii.    We also learn by example and should not make the same mistakes we see others making in the Word

D.   Finally, we should also remember God’s wrath (Deut 9:1-7)

                                          i.    God is love

                                        ii.    However, God is also just

1.    If we fail to remember God then we will be served justice

2.    That is, we will experience His wrath eternally

E.   Remember God as He remembers you this memorial day and every day