Untitled Sermon (15)

REMEMBERING PEOPLE

ILLUSTRATION

There’s a story about a city fellow who was visiting relatives on a farm and the farmer gave a whistle and his dog herded the cattle into the corral, then latched the gate with her paw.

"Wow, that’s some dog. What’s her name?" The forgetful farmer thought a minute, then asked, "What do you call that red flower that smells good and has thorns on the stem?" "A rose?" "That’s it!" The farmer turned to his wife. "Hey Rose, what do we call this dog?"

WE NEVER WANT TO FORGET PEOPLE -- Especially those who have risked their lives, given their lives and set their lives up as examples for us to follow

Did you ever get in your car, reach for your keys and didn’t have them?

Or you couldn’t remember your own phone number or house number?

Or the names of some of your children?!

The Worst Forgetfulness Of All Is To Forget People!

One of the biggest lessons that we need to learn is that God didn’t put us here for us -- God put us here for others!

Philippians 2:3 (NASB77) Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind let each of you regard one another as more important than himself;

2 Corinthians 1:3 (TLB) What a wonderful God we have--he is the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the source of every mercy, and the one who so wonderfully comforts and strengthens us in our hardships and trials. And why does he do this? So that when others are troubled, needing our sympathy and encouragement, we can pass on to them this same help and comfort God has given us.

GOD PUT US HERE FOR OTHERS!

I KNOW SOMETHING GOOD ABOUT YOU

Wouldn’t this old world be better If the folks we met would say, "I know something good about you!" And then treat us just that way?

Wouldn’t it be fine and dandy, If each handclasp, warm and true, Carried with it this assurance, "I know something good about you?"

Wouldn’t life be lots more happy, If the good that’s in us all were the only thing about us That folks bothered to recall?

Wouldn’t life be lots more happy, If we praised the good we see? For there’s such a lot of goodness In the worst of you and me.

Wouldn’t it be nice to practice That fine way of thinking, too, You know something good about me, I know something good about you?

We Need To Look Around And See The Good In Others -- There Is Something Good In Us All And We Need To Look For That Good.

This Memorial Day weekend we need to be concerned about others for their good!

IT’S ALWAYS GOOD TO THINK OF OTHERS, TO LOVE OTHERS, TO REMEMBER OTHERS!

On this Memorial Day weekend we need to think about people. God put us here to remember people! We need to think of them in 3 ways:

[1] REMEMBER THOSE WHO HAVE GONE BEFORE

This Memorial Day weekend we need to look back and remember the deceased -- our deceased veterans and our deceased loved ones.

Originally, Memorial Day was instituted to remember the Civil War dead but over the years it has become a time to remember all our deceased veterans and all our deceased loved ones.

That’s one reason many people still call it, "Decoration Day," because they go out to the graves of their loved ones and decorate them as a sign they haven’t forgotten them.

John 11:5 "Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus."

Jesus loved people!

People count.

People are what life is all about.

People have contributed to our lives and we need to remember them.

All of us have deceased loved ones who have meant a lot to us:

parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, pastors, teachers and some have even lost their mates and some their children.

HOW CAN WE NOT REMEMBER THEM?

It would be a terrible sin not to remember them.

We need to remember people in death. Jesus loved Lazarus who had just died. Jesus loved his sisters as well. Jesus remembered them.

ILLUSTRATION

Here’s a moving story entitled, "Dad’s Glimpse of Heaven."

His last words left us with something to look forward to by Edna Hershberger

I brushed the damp hair from his forehead. "I wonder how it feels to know that you’ll soon see God." "It feels good," Dad said without hesitating. "It’s such a mystery. Tell us what you feel and see and hear, to help us understand what you’re experiencing." "I’ll try," he promised. "Are you scared?" "No," he said, "I feel at peace. I’ve been wishing to go to heaven all day."

That was Tuesday night. In four days, Dad would be transferred to the nursing center where he hoped he’d never have to go. I thought about Dad falling asleep and not waking up. There were some things I wanted to tell him. "Hey, Dad, soon after Dwight and I started dating, he told me what you said about me. You told him he had picked a good one. You told him I was a peach. No one ever called me a peach before. And I’ve loved you ever since."

He squeezed my hand and closed his eyes. "I’d better be quiet and let you sleep," I apologized. "No," he said quickly. "I want you to keep talking. I just can’t keep my eyes open."

Suddenly Dad jumped as though startled by something. I sat up, held both of his hands in mine, and put my face close to his. "Is something wrong, Dad?" His eyes were open, but he didn’t seem to see me.

"I’m leaving," I thought I heard him say in a weak voice. "Did you say, ’I’m leaving?’" I asked quickly. "I’m leaving," he repeated more distinctly. He surely couldn’t mean dying.

Not yet! I tried to think of some appropriate last words to say in case this really was the end, but my mind went blank. I started to say, "I love you," but he interrupted me with one word. It sounded like, "cold."

"Oh! You’re cold!" I tried to reach for the blanket, but he wouldn’t let go of my hand.

He tensed, and quickly spelled it for me, with emphasis on the g sound, "G-o-l-d, gold. G-o-l-d, gold and silver. G-o-l …"

I was shivering. My heart was pounding. I leaned my head against the cold metal bed rail. "Lord, please carry him gently," I prayed. "We love you, Dad," I kept repeating, as he took four long, shuddering breaths, and then was still. His hands became limp.

I couldn’t move. I sat there in the darkness, holding Dad’s badly bruised hands, My forehead seemed fused to the bed rail. Tears ran down my cheeks.

Six inches from my face, something supernatural had occurred, something far greater than my mind could absorb. I knew God was in the room, but I couldn’t see him or feel him. I longed to be able to see what Dad had seen.

I gently laid Dad’s hands on the bed, and walked out -- I walked down the hall to tell my husband that his father had just gone to heaven, and there really is gold there.

We all need to remember people in death in some form or another. Go to the cemetery where your loved ones are buried and remember! It may shock your heart somewhat, but do it anyway.

Someone said,

"Say goodbye to me, but not to the thought of me."

[2] REMEMBER TO LOVE

ILLUSTRATION

Mark Schultz of Bremerton, Washington, is a fatherless twelve-year-old who likes to fish but who had no adult to take him fishing. When Mark submitted a want ad, asking for adult volunteers to take him fishing, he received twenty phone calls.

SEE WE ALSO NEED TO remember people in life. We need to remember them in any form that shows we care about them, taking them fishing or some other good thing.

ILLUSTRATION

I read the story of a woman in Missouri once said,

"I believe in giving flowers to the living."

WE CAN LOVE PEOPLE BEST WHEN THEY ARE ALIVE!

We all have family members, friends, neighbors, people who have deposited alot of Good & Alot of God into our lives who need our love.

What loving things can you do for them?

Small or large, our love needs to be demonstrated while they are living.

Give Somebody A Gift or Card of Appreciation

Send Them Some Flowers

Take Them Out To Dinner

Take Out Their Garbage

Wash Their Car

Mow Their Grass..... Whatever ....

But do something to demonstrate your love for them NOW -- We may not get a second chance at loving some people. We’d better love them while we can.

Matthew 9:35-36 "Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd."

· Jesus Was A Looker. That Is, He Really Looked At People.

· He Looked At Them Deeply And Could See Their Hurt, Their Pain, Their Sorrow.

· Jesus Was Aware Of The People Around Him. He Was Sensitive To Them.

He didn’t even consider what they had done to Him, Or Would do to Him or what they should do for him - He Just Looked At Them & Saw THEM!

ILLUSTRATION

A man put up a sign in his yard that read: "Puppies for Sale." Among those who came to inquire was a young boy. "Please, Mister," he said, "I’d like to buy one of your puppies if they don’t cost too much." "Well, son, they’re $25 each."

The boy looked crushed. "I’ve only got two dollars and five cents. Could I see them anyway?" "Of course. Maybe we can work something out," said the man. The boy’s eyes danced at the sight of those five little balls of fur. "I heard that one has a bad leg," he said. "Yes, I’m afraid she’ll be crippled for life." "Well, that’s the puppy I want. Could I pay for her a little at a time?" The man responded, "But she’ll always have a limp."

Smiling bravely, the boy pulled up one pant leg, revealing a brace. "I don’t walk good either." Then, looking at the puppy sympathetically, he continued, "I guess she’ll need a lot of love and help. I sure did. It’s not so easy being crippled." "Here, take her," said the man. "I know you’ll give her a good home. And just forget the money."

When we get to the point in our lives that we realize we too HAVE HAD CRIPPLING MOMENTS -- then we will demonstate sympathy and compassion for others in their pain and suffering.

Look Around You. Look At The Crowds. Look At The People, Be Aware, Be Sensitive And Have Compassion. Remember People While They Live.

And there is one other thing we should think about in regard to remembering people ....

[3] REMEMBER TO HONOR

Look up to the Lord and Honor Him on this Memorial Day weekend and every weekend, for that matter! If anybody should be remembered at any time, IT SHOULD BE GOD!

Matt. 22:36-37 "Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the law? Jesus replied, ’Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’"

To love the Lord with our whole being is the greatest thing we can do in life! After all, the Lord gives us life and breath and everything else!

Surely we should remember Him and show Him love!

ILLUSTRATION

At a family reunion a man said that he and his wife overheard some young twin sisters talking about their newborn baby brother. One asked, "But how did God breathe life into our baby brother?" The other pointed at her belly button and said, "I THINK HE USES OUR BIBLICAL CORD."

Cute! Well, it is true that God has breathed the breath of life into every ONE of us and we should be thankful for that.

James 1:17 "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights..." God gives us all kinds of good things, whether it’s lentil soup, a lavish meal, or just a simple roof over our heads.

We need to be thankful to God for every blessing He gives us, both large and small. Significant and insignificant.

Just Like Remembering Those Men & Women Who Gave Their Lives For Our Freedom In America -- Jesus Christ Gave His Life Willingly & Knowingly So That We Could Have & Experience The Greatest Freedom -- "Eternal" Life!

The Worst Forgetfulness Of All Is To Forget People And To Forget The Lord!

We start life with people and with God and we end life that way.

Let’s Not Forget Any Of Them In Between.