How is your memory?
Notes
Transcript
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“Wonder-whelmed”
“Wonder-whelmed”
How is your memory?
How is your memory?
When is the last time you played the game Memory? It can be a fun game, if you’re good at it. If not, it can be very frustrating. It requires you to focus your attention on the game, especially when it is not your turn. There is no looking away, because you have to see and remember where the pieces are.
Last week we talked about the idea of being submersed in the Wonders of God. In Joshua told the Israelites to consecrate themselves because GOD was going to do “wonders” among them, so they could be assured that He was going to bring them into the land and give it over to them. This would allow them to enter the Promised Land with confidence.
Last week we talked about the idea of being submersed in the Wonders of God. Joshua told the Israelites that GOD was going to do “wonders” among them, so they could be assured that He was going to bring them into the land and give it over to them. This would allow them to enter the Promised Land with confidence.
We should be able to identify the wonders that God has done in our lives and the most important wonder for us to remember is work of Christ who made our salvation possible by shedding His precious blood on the cross and raising to life on the third day. So are you “wonder-whelmed” have you been able to identify and appreciate the work that God has done, and is doing and will do (based upon His promises)?
We have the blessing of God’s Word, which records the events that took place as God led the Israelites into their place of rest and peace.
The record in the book of Joshua contains a number of symbolic pictures of what Christ has done in leading us into His rest/peace, the Promised Land of eternal life. This morning we are going to look into GOD’s Word and we will hopefully be able to identify several key principles that we can apply to our lives.
Turn in your Bibles to - Where we will be turning our attention to today.
I’ll make this easy on you. The principles are- Obedience, Trust, and Remembrance. Primarily our focus will be on the last principle mentioned. More specifically, we will consider what methods can we, should we and will we implement so that not only we can remember God’s Salvation but future generations will be able to remember His Wonders?
How is your memory?
How is your memory?
When is the last time you played the game Memory? It can be a fun game, if you’re good at it. If not, it can be very frustrating. It requires you to focus your attention on the game, especially when it is not your turn. There is no looking away, because you have to see and remember where the pieces are.
This morning I want to challenge us to consider how we can become better “Memory Players”. Of course we are going to use the “God-version” of the game. My daughters had a “Arthur” version that highlighted the different characters from the cartoon “Arthur”. I want us to think about how we can not only remember God and the various characters and happenings of the Bible are, but to be able to remember the Wonders of God, the works that He has done in our lives. Now, I am going to step it up even further.
I want our children, and any future generations of my family (should the Lord not return before they are born) to be able to remember those things as well. You may think I’m a little crazy, but I will show you from Scripture how this isn’t my idea. It is God’s idea. Well, maybe not playing a “God-version” of the memory game, but it is His desire that we remember the works that He has done and He wants us to pass those facts along to our children and grandchildren, so they can trust Him.
There is a pattern in and of anticipation leading to confirmation or commandment leading to fulfillment.
anticipation/confirmation or command/fulfillment
1 When all the nation had finished passing over the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, 2 “Take twelve men from the people, from each tribe a man, 3 and command them, saying, ‘Take twelve stones from here out of the midst of the Jordan, from the very place where the priests’ feet stood firmly, and bring them over with you and lay them down in the place where you lodge tonight.’ ” 4 Then Joshua called the twelve men from the people of Israel, whom he had appointed, a man from each tribe. 5 And Joshua said to them, “Pass on before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take up each of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, 6 that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ 7 then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever.” 8 And the people of Israel did just as Joshua commanded and took up twelve stones out of the midst of the Jordan, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, just as the Lord told Joshua. And they carried them over with them to the place where they lodged and laid them down there. 9 And Joshua set up twelve stones in the midst of the Jordan, in the place where the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the covenant had stood; and they are there to this day. 10 For the priests bearing the ark stood in the midst of the Jordan until everything was finished that the Lord commanded Joshua to tell the people, according to all that Moses had commanded Joshua. The people passed over in haste. 11 And when all the people had finished passing over, the ark of the Lord and the priests passed over before the people. 12 The sons of Reuben and the sons of Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh passed over armed before the people of Israel, as Moses had told them. 13 About 40,000 ready for war passed 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 stood in awe of him just as they had stood in awe of Moses, all the days of his life. 15 And the Lord said to Joshua, 16 “Command the priests bearing the ark of the testimony to come up out of the Jordan.” 17 So Joshua commanded the priests, “Come up out of the Jordan.” 18 And when the priests bearing the ark of the covenant of the Lord came up from the midst of the Jordan, and the soles of the priests’ feet were lifted up on dry ground, the waters of the Jordan returned to their place and overflowed all its banks, as before. 19 The people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and they encamped at Gilgal on the east border of Jericho. 20 And those twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, Joshua set up at Gilgal. 21 And he said to the people of Israel, “When your children ask their fathers in times to come, ‘What do these stones mean?’ 22 then you shall let your children know, ‘Israel passed over this Jordan on dry ground.’ 23 For the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over, as the Lord your God did to the Red Sea, which he dried up for us until we passed over, 24 so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty, that you may fear the Lord your God forever.”
Tools of Remembrance
Tools of Remembrance
12 Stones-
Passover Feast
Feast of Unleavened Bread, etc. . .
The Ark of the Covenant
Aaron’s Staff
The Brass Serpent
The Rainbow
The Book of the Law (Day & Night)
What do these memorialize?
What do these memorialize?
These things are all set in place or utilized to remember the SIGNS & WONDERS of God. They served to remind them of God’s Presence, Power and Promises.
Last week I encouraged us to think about the Wonderful things that God has done in our lives. Today, I want to challenge each of us to make a way for us to remember those signs and wonders.
Ways that help us to remember
Ways that help us to remember
Communion
Baptism
Regular worship gatherings
Memorizing Scripture
Highlighting/Notes in our Bibles (passed on from generation to generation)
E-Bibles may not get passed on!
Journaling- extremely helpful in my life.
The problem is that each of these things can become habitual and not meaningful and then they do not accomplish their intended purpose.
WWJD Bracelets and other jewelry that has religious significance/meaning
Verbal communication to pass on the testimonies of new and exciting things that God is doing.
Covenant Statement
We recognize the unfailing love of God poured out on our individual lives. By His grace, God has entered into a covenant with each of us whereby, through the blood of Christ, we have obtained redemption. For this we praise Him and affirm our desire to worship and serve Him faithfully together in this local church.
We have a special identity! We are children of God who are blessed to worship Him, fellowship with Him, serve Him and one another as one body.
Statues/Memorials to the Lord (Modern Day piles of stones) Ebenezer
Personal letters/notes of testimony, books
12 Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen and called its name Ebenezer; for he said, “Till now the Lord has helped us.”
Sam
Ebenezer means “Stone of Help”
CAUTION! Sometimes these can become idols so caution is necessary
The problem is that each of these things can also become habitual (compulsive) and not meaningful and then they do not actually remind of God’s Work, they simply become our work.
Be creative- as you have decided in your heart.
Be creative- as you have decided in your heart.
1 As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. 2 One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 3 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. 4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. 5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God. 7 For none of us lives to himself, and none of us dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord, and if we die, we die to the Lord. So then, whether we live or whether we die, we are the Lord’s. 9 For to this end Christ died and lived again, that he might be Lord both of the dead and of the living. 10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God; 11 for it is written, “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.” 12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God. 13 Therefore let us not pass judgment on one another any longer, but rather decide never to put a stumbling block or hindrance in the way of a brother. 14 I know and am persuaded in the Lord Jesus that nothing is unclean in itself, but it is unclean for anyone who thinks it unclean. 15 For if your brother is grieved by what you eat, you are no longer walking in love. By what you eat, do not destroy the one for whom Christ died. 16 So do not let what you regard as good be spoken of as evil. 17 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking but of righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 Whoever thus serves Christ is acceptable to God and approved by men. 19 So then let us pursue what makes for peace and for mutual upbuilding. 20 Do not, for the sake of food, destroy the work of God. Everything is indeed clean, but it is wrong for anyone to make another stumble by what he eats. 21 It is good not to eat meat or drink wine or do anything that causes your brother to stumble. 22 The faith that you have, keep between yourself and God. Blessed is the one who has no reason to pass judgment on himself for what he approves. 23 But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin.
1 As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions. 2 One person believes he may eat anything, while the weak person eats only vegetables. 3 Let not the one who eats despise the one who abstains, and let not the one who abstains pass judgment on the one who eats, for God has welcomed him. 4 Who are you to pass judgment on the servant of another? It is before his own master that he stands or falls. And he will be upheld, for the Lord is able to make him stand. 5 One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind. 6 The one who observes the day, observes it in honor of the Lord. The one who eats, eats in honor of the Lord, since he gives thanks to God, while the one who abstains, abstains in honor of the Lord and gives thanks to God.
17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
31 So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
My “Jordan River” / “Faith and Wonder” experiences-
My “Jordan River” / “Faith and Wonder” experiences-
Moving to MMR- (began by a time of consecration in my life on a men’s canoe trip)
Moving to MMR- (began by a time of consecration in my life on a men’s canoe trip)
100% Sunday at Trinity Baptist Church- Witnessed family after family seeing God provide a way for them to partner in replacing a badly needed roof.
100% Sunday at Trinity Baptist Church- Witnessed family after family seeing God provide a way for them to partner in replacing a badly needed roof.
I will look for ways to tell the next generation of my family what God has done in my life and sharing that story with a lot of other people too. Because God is worthy of PRAISE! He is the Ever Present, All Powerful, Promise Keeper of Great Promises.