Remember

Preliminary:

When 2020 began, I had no clue what was going to happen. While there were rumor’s beginning to circulate (It is called COVID-19 remember) I couldn’t imagine how it would play out.

I had felt drawn this year to the theme or word “remember’ while we will definitly remember 2020 that is not what i had in mind.

I wanted to remind us of where we came from. Some of the saints who used to darken these doors, and fill these seats. Who’s voices used to fill this building with their singing, prayers, testimonies, and shouts of praise.”

While many of them I didn’t know personally some of them I did.

2020’s Covid didn’t allow me to see my plan come ot fruition I still think it is good every once in a while to stop and remember, look at what God has done in the past - to give hope, confidence, and assurance that He has more to do in the future.

Read: Hebrews 13:7

Hebrews 13:7 KJV 1900

7 Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.

Remember them:

While we can’t know for certain the author of Hebrews - or even all of the circumstances provoking it’s being written - there was obviously a spiritual generation gap taking place.

The author begins at Hebrews 11 and continues on to Hebrews 13 listing names and types of people to remember.

We are given many positives about the Hebrew audience, we are also given some very serious negatives:

They were second-generation Christians (that’s actually a positive)

but they were second-generation Christians who had as Ryrie put it, “failed to grow spiritually in proportion to the time that they had been believers. (Hebrews 5:12;6:1; 10:25)

While I don’t believe that you all aren’t growing - I am afraid - I’m afraid of the disconnect I see between the ones who have gone on those who were pastors, leaders, saints here but have gone on to their reward - and those of us here today.

I know you can’t progress forward by constantly looking back - but the Bible and the writer of Hebrews places great importance on remembering those from the past.

Hebrews 13:7 KJV 1900

7 Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.

To remember means to recall, to be mindful of, to retain in one’s memory, to think about again.

Hebrews 11-13 deals with the concept of remembering and following the former saints.

Spiritual leaders are very important in any congregation. They usually set the tone of the worship services and provide motivation for the growth of the church, spiritually and numerically, individually and collectively. W. Stanley Outlaw

Now not all “leaders” or guides are those who fill official positions. They are the ones who are close enough to God to make a difference in our lives.

While I could talk about those who have done that in my life, from where I came from I want to spend a few minutes tonight talking about those from where you have come.

From right here in Wichita, KS. Right here on 3rd and Bebe some amazing things have happened to those who have gone on now - that I think we ought to pause every once in a while and remember.

I’ve talked with different ones and found some interesting stories:

Sis. Della told me when she way young she would sit with her dad (brother Turner and her Uncle ) in the back, and remembers sitting on the lap of her Uncle Claude & Earle Shaw’s laps and to keep her quiet they would give her an ink pen and she would draw on the lines in their hands.

She also told me they used to have slat benches so instead of solid wood pews. So there were gaps in the back and the seat. Sis. Della would sit on one bench and Sis. Willa would sit behind her. If Sis. Della started acting up or didn’t do something just right - Sis. Willa would kind of kick her through those slats.

It’s good to remember...

A story I have heard several times since I have been here is the story of Goldie Jaynes.

Goldie Jaynes had holiness family, but hadn’t taken the way herself. She ran a bar downtown - Brother Turner (Willa’s Dad) saw her throw big full sized men out of the bar by herself. The pastor at that time was able to make connection with Goldie and she came to church and got saved and was faithful as far as I know to the end.

Alot of people have come and gone through those doors over the years many of them changed by the power of the Holy Spirit -

Maybe Tom Wade

Sister Turner would play the guitar right up here. When we had the old carpet, years after she had to give up playing the guitar at church was a mark she had rubbed in the carpet from patting her foot while she played.

Brother Robert Davolt

Sister Atteberry, Sister Chance, Brother Broadway, Brother Bob Hazelwood remember them,

These all died in faith - they have gone on before - the writer of Hebrews tells us to look at their life and the way they died and to follow them as they followed Christ.

Hebrews 13:7 KJV 1900

7 Remember them which have the rule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation.