Lest We Forget
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
Intro
Intro
Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—
We have such a lot to be thankful for this morning! 2019 has been the year of daring faith for Lightpoint Church.
What is striking is how the children of Israel forgot the Lord and all of the acts that he had performed for them in Egypt, in the wilderness years, and in the initial invasion of Canaan under the leadership of Joshua and the elders who served under him. This forgetfulness served as the context for their depravity, for their worship of other gods and for a cultural assimilation to the ways of Canaan which involved at points both human sacrifice and gang rape.
And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.
Heb 11:6
We’ve outgrown the Point Cook Senior Secondary College facillity
We’ve moved to Saltwater Coast p-9 and launched our first service on 6th Oct
We launched a new location service the week after our Saltwater launch on 13th Oct at Doherty’s Creek p-9 in Truganina
We’ve had an amazing Helping Hand Day
We’ve had an amazing Carols at Featherbrook event with a record crowd of about 6000 people from the community in attendance
I can go on and on
How many of us here can testify to God’s faithfulness and favour here this morning. And I’m aware that some of us had trying times in 2019, but even then, in those circumstances we can still praise God for His faithfulness and steadfast love in this difficult seasons.
If you look the story of Israel in the book of Judges, what is striking is how the children of Israel forgot the Lord and all of the acts that he had performed for them in Egypt, in the wilderness years, and in the initial invasion of Canaan under the leadership of Joshua and the elders who served under him. This forgetfulness served as the context for their depravity, for their worship of other gods and for a cultural assimilation to the ways of Canaan which involved at points both human sacrifice and gang rape.
If you look the story of Israel in the book of Judges, what is striking is how the children of Israel forgot the Lord and all of the acts that he had performed for them in Egypt, in the wilderness years, and in the initial invasion of Canaan under the leadership of Joshua and the elders who served under him. This forgetfulness served as the context for their depravity, for their worship of other gods and for a cultural assimilation to the ways of Canaan which involved at points both human sacrifice and gang rape.
We immigrated to Australia in 2007, and both Helancia’s and my immediate family are still living in South Africa. And so as you can imagine not having our family with us as we started out, was difficult, and so when it really became tough for us in that first year, we’d go back to the photo albums and look at pictures, and relive some of the moments in the pictures as we reminisced, and we’d have a set time in the week where we’d phone back home, sometimes just to hear the voices of our parents and siblings, because we missed them. You see we just couldn’t forget our family back even if we wanted to, because we love and care deeply for them!
Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—
In this context—and, again, forgive the turn of phrase—it is all too easy for us to forget that the act of forgetting is not an act of will.
In this context—and, again, forgive the turn of phrase—it is all too easy for us to forget that the act of forgetting is not an act of will. Forgetfulness is a function of neglect or not caring or, on occasion, ill-health; it is not something which one can willfully engineer. I can want to forget certain miserable obligations which I have to fulfill, but, ironically, the more I dread fulfilling them, the less likely I am to forget them.
Forgetfulness is a function of neglect or not caring or, on occasion, ill-health; it is not something which one can willfully engineer. I can want to forget certain miserable obligations which I have to fulfill, but, ironically, the more I dread fulfilling them, the less likely I am to forget them.
It is really only those things to which we are indifferent, and which can thus shove to the very peripheries of our minds as irrelevant, which we are able to forget.
Throughout the book of Old Testament God instructs Israel to remember that:
He brought them out of Egypt
Sustained them in the wilderness
Defeated their enemies in Canaan (think Jericho)
Brought them into a land overflowing with milk and honey
Remembering the benefits of God is for our own good...
In
Count your blessings, name them one by one;
Count your blessings, see what God hath done;
Count your blessings, name them one by one;
Count your many blessings, see what God hath done
Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—
1. Remembering leads to rejoicing
Remembering leads to rejoicing
Remembering leads to rejoicing
Bless the Lord, O my soul, And forget not all His benefits:
Ps 63:1-
O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land Where there is no water. So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, To see Your power and Your glory. Because Your lovingkindness is better than life, My lips shall praise You. Thus I will bless You while I live; I will lift up my hands in Your name. My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, And my mouth shall praise You with joyful lips. When I remember You on my bed, I meditate on You in the night watches. Because You have been my help, Therefore in the shadow of Your wings I will rejoice. My soul follows close behind You; Your right hand upholds me.
2. Remembering should lead to repentance
“When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have food to spare, and here I am starving to death!
3. Remembering should lead to understanding
John 14:26
But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.
4. Remembering should produce hope for the future
Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.”
La 3:21-24
How do we remember? How do we constantly remind ourselves of God’s goodness?
1. Spend time in God’s Word
Every part of Scripture is God-breathed and useful one way or another—showing us truth, exposing our rebellion, correcting our mistakes, training us to live God’s way. Through the Word we are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for us.
All scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness, in order that the person of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.
2. Stay connected to church
not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.
If you’re new, attend our New Friends Lunch early in 2020
Join a connect group
Start serving (do Next Steps)
“Do not remember the former things, Nor consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing, Now it shall spring forth; Shall you not know it? I will even make a road in the wilderness And rivers in the desert.
Look! I am about to do a new thing! Now it sprouts! Do you not perceive it? Indeed, I will make a way in the wilderness, rivers in the desert.
