2024-05-26 - Memorial Day Message (Gospel Chapel 2018 Memorial Day Message)

Memorial Day 2024

Introduction: I’m sure we’ve all heard the old proverb, “To err is human; to forgive, divine.” But I have for you a new one today, “To err is human; to forget, routine.”

To err is human, to forgive, divine.

Alexander Pope

Link: This is so true in our lives. How many times have you walked into a room and knew you were supposed to do something, or get something but you couldn’t remember for the life of you what it was?

ILL. 2: Some things really aren’t that important for us to remember but other things are. Sometimes when I get up in the morning and I’m ready to shower, I will remember something I need to do just as soon as I finish getting ready, However I know that I will forget to do it so I will put my glasses in an odd place in the bathroom, this is a memorial for me to remember what thing I need to do right away upon leaving the bathroom.

Paving the Storyboard for the Sermon

· The children of Israel had just finished their wanderings in the wilderness for the past 40 years, it was time to enter the promised land, into Canaan.

· During this particular time of the year the river was at its flood stage. Normally 100 ft wide and now nearly 1 mile wide.

· The Canaanites were not guarding the wide river, thinking no one would be able to cross it to fight them.

· Obviously not remember, caring or believing what had happened 40 years’ prior when the Israelites crossed the Red Sea.

Joshua 4:1-3 And it came to pass, when all the people had completely crossed over the Jordan, that the Lord spoke to Joshua, saying: 2 “Take for yourselves twelve men from the people, one man from every tribe, 3 and command them, saying, ‘Take for yourselves twelve stones from here, out of the midst of the Jordan, from the place where the priests’ feet stood firm. You shall carry them over with you and leave them in the lodging place where you lodge tonight.’ ”

There three things we want to look at this morning folks:

I. There is a purpose for Memorials

Weather for history or for something spiritual, memorials can do a lot!

The purpose for a memorial is for us to remember what has been done, the lives that have been lost during an event and sometimes it is to remind us of the past so we don’t repeat that past in the future.

Joshua 4:4-18 Then Joshua called the twelve men whom he had appointed from the children of Israel, one man from every tribe; 5 and Joshua said to them: “Cross over before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of the Jordan, and each one of you take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, 6 that this may be a sign among you when your children ask in time to come, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ 7 Then you shall answer them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. And these stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever.”

8 And the children of Israel did so, just as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones from the midst of the Jordan, as the Lord had spoken to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them over with them to the place where they lodged, and laid them down there. 9 Then Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests who bore the ark of the covenant stood; and they are there to this day.

10 So the priests who bore the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan until everything was finished that the Lord had commanded Joshua to speak to the people, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua; and the people hurried and crossed over. 11 Then it came to pass, when all the people had completely crossed over, that the ark of the Lord and the priests crossed over in the presence of the people. 12 And the men of Reuben, the men of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh crossed over armed before the children of Israel, as Moses had spoken to them. 13 About forty thousand prepared for war crossed over before the Lord for battle, to the plains of Jericho. 14 On that day the Lord exalted Joshua in the sight of all Israel; and they feared him, as they had feared Moses, all the days of his life.

15 Then the Lord spoke to Joshua, saying, 16 “Command the priests who bear the ark of the Testimony to come up from the Jordan.” 17 Joshua therefore commanded the priests, saying, “Come up from the Jordan.” 18 And it came to pass, when the priests who bore the ark of the covenant of the Lord had come from the midst of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests’ feet touched the dry land, that the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and overflowed all its banks as before.

II. Remembering the Memorial

ILL: 2 Quote: “Those who fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” Sir Winston Churchill”

As Christians, God wants us to have memorials in our lives, to remember where we were and where God has taken us to.

Baptism is a memorial Matthew 28:19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Baptism dramatically portrays what happened spiritually when you received Christ:

Your old self of unbelief and rebellion and idolatry died, and a new you of faith and submission and treasuring Christ came into being.

That’s what you confess to the world and to heaven when you are baptized.

The Lords Supper is a memorial: 1 Cor 11:26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.

The Lords Supper is a memorial, to remember what Jesus did for us, so that we can thank Him and remember to share Him with others.

III. Share the Memorial

ILL: 3 Quote: Unless we teach the next generation the truth about the Lord, they will turn away and start following the world. - Warren Wiersbie.

Joshua 4:19-24 Now the people came up from the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they camped in Gilgal on the east border of Jericho. 20 And those twelve stones which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up in Gilgal. 21 Then he spoke to the children of Israel, saying: “When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, ‘What are these stones?’ 22 then you shall let your children know, saying, ‘Israel crossed over this Jordan on dry land’; 23 for the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed over, 24 that all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever.”

If we don’t share with the next generation the ways of the Lord several things will happen and these are just to name a few:

· The church will pass away

· Our country will go deeper into sin and turmoil

· God wont be happy with us

· Many more people will die and go to hell

· And the list could go on and on and on...

Challenge: As a Christian, what memorials has God put into your life? Focus on them and thank God for them. Remember His goodness and love and His invitation to be part of what He did.

Saved – Christian, don’t stop serving Jesus, don’t forget to continue to love others and share His word, remember the memorials God has allowed us to have in our lives.

This church building

The VBS photo on the wall in the basement entry

These things are testaments to us of who we were and how God worked and that He wants to work in our church and our lives again.

Unsaved - If you don’t know Christ, look to the memorials around you, your family that knows Jesus, the cross up here, communion and know that Jesus wants you to be part of His family too. John 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name.