Memorial Day
Notes
Transcript
Time to Remember
Time to Remember
Ps 33:18-22
This nation was formed with these words.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
We are about the celebrate 250 years of a nation founded on this belief.
No other nation is like it.
Many find this nation very desirable.
But what so few realize even here in the US, is that this nation is blessed because it stands on Christian principles.
Not much of the world was taught that way.,
But we were and many men and women fought to protect that way of living and too many of them did not make it back home alive.
Today we remember them.
One of the amazing stories of this nation was Plymouth Rock and the Pilgrims.
A group of Christians, persecuted by both the Catholic and Protestant churches.
A group who shed their blood to found a land where they could worship in freedom.
So wars have been fought to preserve that freedom
Many did not come home.
Do you ever wonder what Biblical principles uphold this founding thought?
The scripture we read today is one of those passages the founders could have used to base their hope in a loving God to preserve this nation.
18 Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, On those who hope for His lovingkindness, 19 To deliver their soul from death And to keep them alive in famine.
20 Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield. 21 For our heart rejoices in Him, Because we trust in His holy name. 22 Let Your lovingkindness, O Lord, be upon us, According as we have hoped in You.
Some believe Benjamin Franklin said as he signed the Declaration of Independence, “We must hang together or most assuredly we will all hang separately.
Pray
Time to Remember
Time to Remember
Ps 33:18-22
For many years it has been obvious that the Eye of the Lord has been upon this nation.
How else could this nation, a ragtag bunch of colonist, defeat the greatest military power of the world in just a few short years?
Yet we did, or rather, God did through our ancestors.
Then we threatened the European world not to come into our hemisphere and they didn’t. (Monroe Doctrine)
It was more than 100 years between wars with Europe.
Then God gave us victory both in Europe and over Japan.
In so doing this nation became the economic powerhouse of the World.
That brings us to what we see now.
Deviant behavior hailed as courageous.
Lying described as necessary.
Marriage is optional for co-habitation.
Now we are far from the Pilgrims in the 1600s.
God is seldom at the center of legislation anymore.
The Psalmist celebrated the Eye of the Lord being upon them.
So must we.
Today as we turn our attention to this Lord’s supper, let us remember the true costs of our salvation.
We should celebrate those who gave their all for this country to be great.
18 Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear Him, On those who hope for His lovingkindness,
But the real reason this country was ever great is because of the eye of the Lord.
And those whose hope has been in His lovingkindness.
Ask yourself honestly, “Where is my hope?”
Is your hope in the Lord, or something else?
In our day and time the most obvious alternative to trusting God is to trust our reason.
We have money, education and opportunity to do most anything we want to do.
If the hope of the church is anywhere other than God, then our hope is in nothing.
Those of us who have surrendered our lives to God, must trust Him.
19 To deliver their soul from death And to keep them alive in famine.
Often we find ourselves in difficult situations.
The Psalmist speaks of famine but other difficulties arise.
Sickness, Poverty, Wealth.
All these can become great difficulties but we must trust in the Lord God to deliver our souls.
Does your...
20 Our soul waits for the Lord; He is our help and our shield.
Waiting for the Lord is often not our first thought when difficulties arise.
We thank, What do I need to do now.
Who do I need to talk to?
How can I get the money, time or power to correct this trouble?
God alone is our help and our shield.
He is the one to whom we must turn.
Not the wisdom of others though God can use that wisdom.
If God is our help and shield, He should be the first to whom we turn for all our difficulties.
21 For our heart rejoices in Him, Because we trust in His holy name.
Does your heat rejoice in God?
What is more important to you?
Time alone with God? or
Anything else?
Do we really trust His Holy Name?
When God gives us direction
When He gives us His plan
That is when we learn in whom we trust.
When Dawn’s parents moved to Ohio, taking her with them, I thought my heart was being ripped out of me.
But that action taught me to trust in God.
Over the next 5 years God proved over and over that I could trust Him.
We have to look back on life and see how God has proven His trust to us.
This supper before us is proof of this final verse.
22 Let Your lovingkindness, O Lord, be upon us, According as we have hoped in You.
This bread and juice illustrate God’s lovingkindness
He sent His Son to be the sacrifice for our sin.
As we take this cup and bread we want to take it while being worthy of the cup and bread
As Nina and Belinda sing In Remembrance, take time to prayerfully ask God if there is anything in your life that you need to repent of to become worthy of this supper.
Lord’s Supper
Lord’s Supper
23 ... the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; 24 and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me.”
25 In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.”
