Remembering

Prayer

1 Thessalonians 1:2–3 (LSB) We give thanks to God always for all of you, making mention of you in our prayers; 3 remembering without ceasing your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ before our God and Father,

In his opening words to the church at Thessalonica, the Apostle Paul tells the believers that he remembers them often in his prayers.

As he remembers, he gives thanks to God for them.

For their work of faith in advancing the Kingdom of God.

How they reached out to thee lost, the broken, the hurting, in love.

How they never let go of their hope in Jesus.

This morning I would like for US to remember some folks who worked, who labored in love, who had a steadfast hope anchored in Jesus.

And to give thanks to God that He sent them to be a part of this Body — this local church.

We are richer for having them.

In the last couple of months we have lost 3 members:

Ivan and Majean Browning

Ivan and Majean were here at the beginning of this church 27 years ago next month.

They moved here from West Virginia where Ivan had been an engineer with the state road department.

The reason we are remembering them this morning is because Majean’s son, who cared for them before they died a few weeks ago, said that the family did not want a service of any kind.

Ivan and Majean were both cremated.

But we want to remember them and their legacy of faith in Christ.

We want to remember how special they were to us.

Brother Ivan served on the Board and was the Church Treasurer here at Calvary Assembly Worship Center (as it was originally called).

Those who knew Brother Ivan know that he loved this time of year.

The Brownings lived on the east side of Blairsville in an old farm house off Old Smoky on Jordan Road.

Brother Ivan had fruit trees, lots of flowering shrubs, and huge garden every year.

He loved working the earth — seeing things grow — and eating fresh fruits and vegetables..

But more than that Ivan loved Jesus.

He did what our text speaks of:

Working in faith

Walking in love

Hoping in Jesus

And Majean!

What a character!

It would take days to tell you of just a few of her exploits they were so many!

She loved Jesus and worked for Him in so many ways.

For a few years she led our Senior Ministry.

I still remember a group of us sitting out in front of her house in the shade worshipping Jesus, studying the Bible and then eating ice cream.

I know many of you have different memories of her and her Aristocratic southern accent.

Of her, with her Minnie Pearl hat on, telling us some whoppers.

She loved to get people to laugh!

But at the same time she was serious about prayer and worshipping Jesus.

I know she went to see Him with a smile on her face.

Jim Hartsock and his wife Nancy who lives in Florida, moved there about a year ago.

But they were members here for many years.

The family had a service for Jim in Florida, but since we were unable to attend we are having our own remembrance.

Jim and Nancy both worked in the medical field before they retired — Jim was a pharmacist (in later years, primarily at Walmart)

The Hartsocks felt a strong call to the mission field. They served for many years in Central America and just before covid broke out in 2020 they were in Managua, Nicaragua.

In fact, just before he died, Jim was talking to Nancy about making a trip back to Nicaragua to rekindle ties with ministries that we helped them accomplish with our finances and prayers.

Like Majean, Jim was a cut-up.

Check out these videos at a Valentine’s Banquet we had in 2014.

Video

Photo of Jim- As you can see, with Jim we had an in-house Santa Clause. You’ll also hear the wit of Majean and see Ivan.

Video

Remembering Without Ceasing: Your Work of Faith

Yes, there is value in remembering.

Remembering the exploits of those who have gone before us can inspire us to accomplish our own exploits of faith.

Remembering the works of faith of those who have gone before.

That is what Hebrews chapter 11 is all about.

Read Hebrews 11:1-16

Verses 13-16 tell us of these 3 that we remembered a minute ago:

They died believing in Jesus — believing that He IS — KNOWING that God rewards those who seek Him (vs.6).

They died seeking a country of their own — where Jesus sits at the right hand of the Father.

They are not looking to come back here — NO!

Instead they are in that heavenly country where God is not ashamed to be called their God.

They persevered by faith and have made it to their reward.

I pray that remembering their example of faith encourages us to do the same.

Remembering Without Ceasing: Your Labor of Love

Not only were the Brownings and Jim Hartsock men and women working in faith.

They labored in love.

A few weeks ago we read what love is and what love is not.

READ: 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 “Love is patient, love is kind, is not jealous, does not brag, is not puffed up; 5 it does not act unbecomingly, does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered; 6 it does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 it bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.”

These 3 who have gone before us labored for Jesus because they had the heart of Jesus.

The heart of Jesus is to love people and lay down your life for them.

May the Lord put within us a heart of love for people.

So that we will be willing to do what Ephesians 4:15 (NLT) “… we will speak the truth in love… “

Jesus not only told the woman caught in the very act of adultery:

I see your sorrow and I see your shame for this sin and I don’t condemn you — I forgive you.

He also lovingly said in: John 8:11 (LSB) … Go, and from now on sin no more.”

Labors of love in this fallen, sinful world means getting outside our comfort zone and LOVINGLY telling people:

What their heart has already told them

What the Holy Spirit is telling them.

They are sinners in need of a Savior.

Jesus is that Savior.

Only He has the power to not only forgive their sins, but cleanse them of their sin, their shame and their condemnation.

And if they cuss us, and spit on us, or even have us thrown in jail because we offend them — we don’t hate them, but we continue to love them, we continue to pray for their salvation.

That is a labor of love.

Remembering Without Ceasing: Steadfastness of Hope In Jesus

And we labor in love, because we HOPE in Jesus.

Romans 8:24–25 (LSB) For in hope we were saved, but hope that is seen is not hope, for who hopes for what he already sees? 25 But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we eagerly wait for it.

Do you remember what I said hope was?

Last year I reminded us that Biblical hope is very different than the world’s hope.

The world’s hope is an ethereal wish that something might happen.

Biblical hope is a confident expectation.

Jim Hartsock and the Brownings hoped in Jesus.

They had a confident expectation of what the Apostle Paul said in 2 Timothy 1:12 (TPT) The confidence of my calling enables me to overcome every difficulty without shame, for I have an intimate revelation of this God. And my faith in him convinces me that He is more than able to keep all that I’ve placed in His hands safe and secure until the fullness of His appearing.

Are YOU Inspired?

Sister Carol would you come to the piano?

This morning I pray that you are inspired as we have remembered the lives of these 3 members who have gone to be with Jesus.

Have you put your faith in Jesus?

Do you have a confident expectation of His reward when you enter eternity?

If not, I want to invite you to come and pray with me.

What, in front of all these people?

Yes!

They know you need what most of them have done — you need confess your sins, you need to surrender control of your life to God. You need to put your faith in Jesus.

As Sister carol plays, will you come do that?

Will you obey the voice of the Holy Spirit who is telling you to get out of your seat and go pray with the pastor?

(Remember Blood) The Lord’s Supper

A. If you have repented of your sins.

If Jesus is Lord of your life.

I invite us all to remember what our salvation cost Jesus by partaking of the Lord’s Supper together.

B.But before we do that, those who didn’t just pray with me a few minutes ago, where are you in your relationship with Jesus?

1. 1 John 1:6–9 (NASB95) If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; 7 but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. 8 If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

C. Self-examination

1 Corinthians 11:27–28 (NASB95) … whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. 28 But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup.

Let’s not partake unworthily!

Prayer

D. Distribute elements:

1. Sing: Lamb of God

E. Bread

1. John 6:48–51 (NASB95) “I am the bread of life. 49 “Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. 50 “This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. 51 “I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh.”

2. Prayer

3. End prayer with prayer from Seder:

i. Blessed are you, O Lord our God, who brings forth bread from the earth.

4. Partake

F. Cup

1. John 6:53–56 (NASB95) So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink His blood, you have no life in yourselves. 54 “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. 55 “For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. 56 “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him.

2. Prayer

3. End prayer with prayer from Seder:

i. Blessed are you, O Lord our God, King of the Universe, who creates the fruit of the vine.

4. Partake

G. Jesus is coming back.

1. 1 Corinthians 11:26 (NASB95) For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.

2. Jesus is coming back for those He has redeemed with His Blood. He will take us to be where He is — and what a day of rejoicing that will be!

3. Sing: When We All Get to Heaven