2024 Memorial Day Remembering For The Future

2024 Memorial Day

Remembering the Past to Live Forward into the Future

Joshua 4:18-24

I have had precious times sitting with loved ones, family and or friends… who will tell the stories of the past. “This is where we were. This was what was going on. This is what happened.” I have been inspired and have learned from them so much...

Memorial Day is a time to remember. Memorial Day reminds us of true sacrifice—a willingness to lay down one’s life.

Memorial Day is a time to honor. This day of remembrance is a chance for us to give the next generation a picture of true honor.

And Part of remembering today is sharing history, sharing what we remember, with the next generation.

We must remember, and take time today to tell your children or grandchildren about what we remember on Memorial Day. We must tell them and explain to them how is it that we live in a country where religious liberty exists.

The next generation needs to know religious liberty is worth sacrifice. The next generation needs to know freedom comes with a cost.

We need to do some things for our young generation: Point to the flag and teach the next generation our history. It’s more than just a day that we get out of school and go to the pool…

Point to the graves and the memorial sites and tell them where have come from, what was done, what was gained, and what was lost. Tell the children, and remind others, what these signs and symbols mean to us… lest the memory be lost in time.

A memorial is a good thing. A memorial is established to remind people of something. The Bible has several such memorials. In the Old Testament, the Passover was established as a memorial of God’s deliverance. Different feasts commemorated different events. Stones were erected, alters were built, and wells were dug to communicate something that happened, to remember what God did.

In the New Testament, the Lord’s Supper was established as a way to remember Christ’s sacrifice. For in every meal together, we remember the Person, work, and promises of Christ.

**We need to remember. We must remember.

There is so much to be gained by looking back… not to live in the past, but to learn from the past.

Many people make plans for their future, without learning from their past. Many folks do not have the proper perspective of the present or have wise direction for the future… Why? Because they do not know their history, they have bad information about the past, or they have forgotten the past.

Here, in this text… There is a command: Pile up these memorial stones. God is going to stop the waters of the Jordan, and the people of God are going to walk over into the land God has provided.

And the Lord is going to command Joshua to take 12 men, one from each tribe, and each one will take a stone on their shoulder, and they will be placed in such a way to serve as a reminder to the people of God.

Within the chapter, it could be that there are two different sites of stones… But they are to serve in this way:

Verse 6 and 21– “This may be a sign among you when your children ask in time to come, saying, “What do these stones mean to you?” Then you are to tell them what God has done for you… 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, and these stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever.”

1. Church - We need some Memorial Stones today.

a. The church must remember so that we can move forward. The church needs to look back and remember today so that we can have courage, today and have a hope for our future.

The people of God in the Old Testament, are going into the Promised Land, and they will have to fight many fights. They will have to face giant walls and giant people. They will face enemies that will make anyone tremble and fear. And God will tell them to fight in very unusual ways…

What will the people need back then. They will need to remember the God of their past. They will need to remember the God that set them free from Egypt. They will need to remember the God Who does the supernatural, the God that divide rivers and seas, the God that can feed them and water them in desert places… They will need to remember!

They are about to face Jericho and the giants before them. What was going to have to do? Remember as they went forward.

Church we are facing walls and giants that we cannot conquer on our own. We are faced with a mandate and a Great Commission that we cannot do in our own strength. We are facing beasts that we cannot bring down in our own strength. Salvation is impossible. Life is hard.

What do we need every single day? The memory of Who God is and what He has done in the past.

We need the memory of God creating everything out of nothing, speaking all things into existence. We need the memory or God providing for His people over and over again, splitting seas, providing manna from heaven, water from rocks, Jericho Walls falling down, giants being defeated, and the promises of God prevailing…

And we have 66 books, called the Bible, that we can look to every single day… to be reminded of the Person, power, and perseverance of God. And we need it!

As ministers, disciple makers, and encouragers… We are always reminding ourselves and others of God’s Story.

b. Secondly… You have a Testimony to Remember.

Christian, you have a past to remember and a God Who has redeemed you.

Remember where you were. Remember how you use to live. Remember when and where God found you, delivered you, brought you up out of the pit and set your feet on a solid rock… ?

Remember when He provided for you when you couldn’t take another step, when you were cast down, broken down, were washed up, depressed, didn’t know how you could make another day… Do you remember?!

You have been through test after test… and here you are. Can you remember that God has provided? Do you remember that you are not the same person?

And He is the same God who is working in you today.

Oh, if you can’t remember… You will not move forward. You will lose your confidence,courage, and hope...

Your kids and grand-kids may never know… the next generation may never hear of know the wonderful workings of God. If you will never tell them, if your will never point them, they will never be directed towards God…

Do you remember the goodness of God today? DO you remember the love of God, the faithfulness of God, the mercy of God? Do you remember those moments where you should have died? Do you remember that He has saved you from death, and hell?

*You are going to face the wall and the giants of today, and you will go through them by looking back at the God who got you through the last ones...

“This is where I was… and God… This is where I was, and this happened… and then God, but God, somehow God… I remember...”

You will not have hope for tomorrow if you are forgetting the faithfulness of God today. You will not have courage, confidence, and conviction today… if you have forgotten the One who has saved you, the One Who sustained you, and the One Who has protected you.

c. Church, you are to be walking Remembrance Stones.

The Bible calls believers “living stones.” 1 Peter 2:5 – You, God’s chosen people, are living stones, and you are being built up into a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

1 Corinthians 6:8-11 – Paul, the apostle, as well as all these other Christians had a past. They lived lifestyles of sin. They were known for their sin. But they were washed, sanctified, justified, in Christ, and they are now walking a new kind of life.

This is what and where we were… God’s people are walking, living reminders, living stones, who point others to God and His faithfulness.

They are and we are walking reminders of God’s power and faithfulness...

Everywhere you walk today, people who knew you back then, has memories of you back then. What do they see then and what do they see now? What is the memory of you back then and what is the difference today?

There are people in every church that has a past.

That is all of us, by the way. But, does the memory of you communicate something about the reality of God today?

To tell our story is to tell of Him.

To walk our walk is to point to Him.

How many times have you heard this statement, “Boy, he sure has changed. She sure has changed. I knew them back in the day, and the person I knew back then is different than the person I know now. They don’t act the same; they don’t talk the same… God has done a work in their lives.

I remember when they were in the hospital and the doctors couldn’t do anything; I remember when they were on their last leg, when the marriage was on its last leg; I remember when they were about to fall apart… But God… But God…”

Look at them now… Look at them go… Look at the Goodness of God… Look...

Church, you are walking memorial stones that remind others of the power, the love, the mercy, and faithfulness of God.

We are walking and talking memorial stones that remember and help others to remember. We are walking, talking, and testifying Children of God, who point people forward towards a God who is with us today… So that we can have confidence and courage today, and a hope for the future.

This generation needs help. This generation needs to know. This generation needs to see and experience the power and faithfulness of God themselves. They need to experience and know the fear of the Lord, which is the beginning of wisdom…

We have a generation that does not know God, that does not have a healthy fear of the Lord, and they do not honor and respect the Lord as they should.

But there are some living stones in here that can help them. There is a generation in here today that can help shape and generation for tomorrow...

But will happen if we don’t???

What will happen to Israel? What will happen to God’s people over and over again? They will forget. They will forget the Lord and go their own way, and reap destruction over and over again.

They will refuse to remember. They will forge their own testiomony. They will go their own way and not teach the next generation… And the nation will be destroyed over and over again...

Listen: Young generation America, the flag is more that fabric and colors. It is more than just stars and bars. It represents, sacrifice, honor and freedom. It represents lives being laid down. It represents purity, valor, justice, and perseverance.

It represents unity, and it draws us all in to a united pledge and anthem, because of the love hat we have for our country, and for our men and women who defend her.

Remember these things. Learn and remember your history. Use your memorials to teach the next generation, the good, the bad and the ugly of it all… lest we repeat the same mistakes over and over again. Thank a soldier and pray for all of them that serve and their families…

Don’t ever forget where have come from. Do not ever forget the sacrifice. Do not forget to honor them.

As Christians: Do not forget where you have come from. Do not forget what God has done for you, Do not forget the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Do not forget His provision, His power, His provision… Do not forget His kindness, His holiness, and faithfulness…

Never forget the Cross that was given so that you could cross over into eternity with God… Never forget that sign and symbol that communicates the power and love of God…

Look to the Rock of Ages, the One Who died for you, Who shall never be moved...

But HE may be forgotten...

But don’t you ever forget!

Never forget. Never forget. We shall never forget to honor and respect God… Oh that all the peoples of the earth may know the hand of the Lord, that it is mighty, that all may fear the Lord and take refuge in Him...

1. Remember God’s Story. 2. Remember your Testimony. 3. Be Living Stones, and help someone to Remember today.

God is so good. Tell them. Tell them God’s Story. Tell them Your Story. Even Rocks can cry out and testify!

God can use physical stones. But, God has some living stones that He wants to use today. Don’t let a dumb rock testify better than you.

Remember today, Open up your months and testify.