Sermon Tone Analysis

Title: Remember to NOT Forget!

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Introduction - I had a very disconcerting even happen to me recently, at least I think it happened to me.

I absolutely, positively forgot a conversation that my wife adamantly claims we had.

To this very minute, I still have no recollection of the conversation.

It’s not that I don’t want to remember, honestly it was not a big deal.

But the fact that she swears we had the conversation and I have no memory of it really bothers me!

Am I losing my mind?

I’ve shared this story with a few of my “older” friends and the response is always the same, “Well Mark, it’s only going to get worse!”

Worse?

Really?

How disappointing!

It’s not good to forget.

Forgetting can be innocent, but most of the time, when we forget something, it is because we other thoughts to crowd our “less important” memories out of the way.

We tend to focus on the immediacy of the here and now, the ternary of the urgent takes over and we forget the important things that can save us from making unwise and even harmful choices.

As the writer and philosopher George Santayana wrote, "Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

Over and over throughout the Scriptures, God tells us to not forget but to remember...

This morning, however I have a two-pronged purpose for our time together.

First, I would like to share a chapter of the Bible that gives great warrant for God’s children to not forget but to purposely remember all that the Lord has done for them.

The passage I am referring to is the one that Tim read for us just a while ago, .

Secondly, I would like to share with you some things that we, as a local church should be purposed in remembering so that we can give adequate praise and worship to our Heavenly Father.

It is good for us to remember how God has worked in our midst.

Remembering keeps us from becoming complacent curmudgeons...

Sometimes it’s hard to see God moving when we look forward.

But it is far easier to look back and clearly see all that He has done.

Do you remember that old hymn written by Johnson Oatman wrote that challenges all Christians to catalog the blessings that God has bestowed on us?

Count Your Blessings

When upon life’s billows you are tempest-tossed,

When you are discouraged, thinking all is lost,

Count your many blessings, name them one by one,

And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.

Refrain:

Count your blessings, name them one by one,

Count your blessings, see what God has done!

Count your blessings, name them one by one,

*Count your many blessings, see what God has done.

[*And it will surprise you what the Lord has done.]

It shouldn’t surprise us, but it often does.

God delights to give His children good gifts.

We should express our gratitude regularly as individuals as well as a local congregation.

I will list off many of the things that God has done and then we can publicly thank him for His gracious and kind hand in our midst.

It shouldn’t surprise us, but it often does.

God delights to give His children good gifts.

We should express our gratitude regularly as individuals as well as a local congregation.

I will list off many of the things that God has done and then we can publicly thank him for His gracious and kind hand in our midst.

So, before we get to our list, I’ll make some observations regarding that will help motivate us to be a people who always remember.

Observations from

Give brief Background of this book - Deuteronomy (literally the second law) was given by Moses as his Swan Song Sermon Series.

He preached God’s Law to them one last time to that it would be impressed on their hearts.

He desired for the children of Israel to renew the covenant they made with God at Sinai.

He wanted them to make a fresh commitment to the Lord.

Their fathers failed, they could not if they wanted to “take possession of the land...

They were not to be afraid of their enemies like their fathers were...

Deut

This was their inheritance...

D

God had given them an oath that it was theirs!

D

They were to remember what God had already done fo them and fear Him!

Deut

To love Him

And hold fast to Him...

Deut

God would never forget!

Moses overarching goal with this grandiose, swan song sermon?

He wanted them to never forget so that God could bless them with the promised land!

This chapter deals with the Israelites pride and how God graciously deals with them

God demands obedience from His children.

Their obedience becomes the conduit for their blessing

God challenged them in order to show them their heart...

Food: He allowed them to experience hunger that He might show them His amazing provision of mana (there is a spiritual significance to this provision as man does not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.

- Clothing: (vs.

4)

Clothing: (vs.

4)

- Discipline: (vs.

5-6)

Discipline: (vs.

5-6)

- Land: (vs.

7-10)

Land: (vs.

7-10)

God was preparing His people for a major blessing (vs.

7-10).

But with this blessing comes a major warning.

Be careful to Remember To Not forget!

Do not forget about the gracious, giving hand of the Lord.

How would they forget about their God?

Verse 11 tells us!

Remember what “Deuteronomy” means?

“Second Law”

- Remember what “Deuteronomy” means?

“Second Law”

What can cause the tragedy of not keeping God’s law?

Ironically, the gifts themselves.

Well, not the gifts per se, but over reliance on the gifts and the lack of appreciation for the One who gave the gifts in the first place.

God’s gracious gifts can, if we are not careful, become more important to us than the One who created that gift.

What can cause the tragedy of not keeping God’s law?

Ironically, the gifts themselves.

Well, not the gifts per se, but over reliance on the gifts and the lack of appreciation for the One who gave the gifts in the first place.

Food - They would be full of plenty of food

Shelter - They would have beautiful homes

- They would have beautiful homes

Employment - Their flocks of sheep would multiply

Resources - Their riches would multiply