Do We Remember?

Deuteronomy chapter six is where we'll be beginning this morning with the message. Memorial Day weekend. This is a holiday we set aside in this country to remember those who have served us with their lives, blood, sweat, and tears to defend the freedom to worship God as we choose in this land. Those to whom we very grateful, though I fear not as grateful as we ought to be sometimes. I'd like to just take a moment before we continue and if you've served in any branch of the military, if you would stand for just a moment, if you'd stand for just a moment, you served in any branch of the military.

We have several here and I want to thank you personally for your service to us because of your willingness to put your lives at risk for our freedom that we have the opportunity to sit here today and to worship the Lord and so I want to thank you personally. Let's give him a big hand and and you may be seated. So, thank you very much for your service and for being here to worship with us today. It was upon this promise of God ordained freedom, religious, and otherwise, this nation was founded which brought the blessing of almighty God upon this land and exalted us. To be one of the greatest nations in all of history.

I believe sadly, however, that many of those freedoms for which our forefathers fought for, believed in, and died for. And many others to follow. Many of those freedoms that have brought us great blessing are being eroded away. With the blessing and protection of almighty God upon this land. Why is this happening?

How is this happening? Well, the Bible tells us. We're going to look if you would in Deuteronomy chapter six and a warning and a challenge that God gave to the children of Israel. As great as America is, God has even greater things in store for the nation of Israel. Israel.

They have abandoned their God for the moment but one day, they shall return to him and Christ shall return to set up his kingdom upon this Earth in Jerusalem. Kingdom that we who know Christ Jesus will have an opportunity. Praise God to be part of. And then all eternity. But in Deuteronomy chapter six, it warns us the He's speaking here to the nation nation of of Israel.

Israel. He begins in verse four. Hear oh Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord. That thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy might. And these words which I command thee this day shall be in thine heart.

Thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shall talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. Thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes. Thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and upon thy gates. And it shall be when the Lord thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he swear unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities which thou buildest not, and houses full of all good things which thou fillest not, and wells dig which thou digest not, vineyards and olive trees which thou plantest not. When thou shalt have eaten and be full, then beware, lest thou forget the Lord, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt from the house of bondage.

Let's read that last verse again. It says, then what? Beware. Beware. Lest thou forget the Lord which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt and out of the house of bondage.

Who was it that delivered Israel out of bondage and slavery in Egypt? It was the Lord God Almighty. It was the Lord who brought plagues on Egypt. It was the Lord who put down Pharaoh. It was the Lord who parted the Red Sea.

It was the Lord who brought them safely across the desert. It was the Lord who conquered the cities of Jericho and others. It was the Lord who calls the walls to fall down and the sun to stand still in the sky. It was the Lord who did all that for Israel. It was not by their might, it was by his might.

Look look if you would up on the the screen. Sadly, only a couple generations removed from their conquering of the land, Palestine, Canaan. It says in Judges two ten, and also that generation that gathered under their fathers were gathered under their fathers and there arose another generation after them which knew not the Lord nor yet the works which he had done for Israel. There arose a generation that did not know God. They had done exactly as God had warned them about here in Deuteronomy chapter six.

Lest they forget God. He told them to teach it diligently under their children, to their children's children, to rehearse in their ears the mighty works of God and what he had done for Israel. But they had failed. And there arose a generation that knew not the Lord. And if you read the rest of the book of Judges, you see the results of what happens when a generation forgets God.

Oppression and slavery and misery followed their forgetfulness. Why do we have memorials? Why do we have memorial's days? Why? Because we need to be reminded.

Why do we take communion, have the Lord's Supper? Why did the Lord institute that? Because we need to be reminded of the goodness of God and of those who have lived and served and died that we might have that opportunity to worship and serve him. Have we forgotten? Have we forgotten those who served and died for us that we could live in a free land?

Have we forgotten those who served and died that we might know the gospel, the truest freedom of all that is found only in Jesus Christ? Have we forgotten God, His person, and His works? I hope by your attendance here today that you were saying no, I haven't forgotten God, and indeed you do know Him. But sadly, outside the walls of this church, the masses have forgotten. And I'm afraid that we, to some respect, are at fault at fault for that.

Because we who do know God haven't done our job as we should have. Have we forgotten His Word and His laws? In many ways, the answer to that in our society and our country in this generation mirrors the image, the intent and meaning of this passage up here on the screen. There arose a generation that did not know the Lord. The writers of the Declaration of Independence against all odds signed their names, pledging their lives, fortunes, and sacred honor to this endeavor of freedom.

Freedom Oh, yeah. Religious freedom. Worship the Lord. Many of our forefathers came here for that very purpose. These men and others like George Washington and Patrick Henry, who said, give me liberty or give me death, gave up their lives to lay claim to this nation and the freedoms which it represents.

Had they lost, were they not killed in battle, they would have been executed likely by Britain. And yet knowing that, they bravely signed a document and sent it to the King of England. It is this courage and bravery and willingness to sacrifice for one's country and one's God that has kept us free and prosperous, though sometimes we forget. These men were followed by hundreds of thousands who served and are serving, hundreds of thousands who died and are dying today so that you and I might remain free here. We sit in a comfortable air conditioned auditorium here today with little fear.

But while we're sitting here, there are others who are in deserts and tents and are in harm's way so that we have this freedom. There are others who are attending funerals for those who have died in harm's way, that we might have this freedom. They embody in some respects this verse, John fifteen thirteen, Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. And we honor them today, and hopefully remember them for what they have laid down for us. Today, they are fighting overseas in many places, Afghanistan against ISIS, that the violence which we experienced on September 11 might not become a regular occurrence on our shores.

They are putting themselves in harm's way that we might be free, free to go about our daily lives activities here without fear that they live in every day, where they stand for us. We remember and honor them today, but they are only, or should be only, half the story of Memorial Day. They are worthy of honor. They are worthy of remembrance. But they are only half the story.

For not only have others sacrificed and died that we might be free, but just as many as not more have sacrificed and died that you and I might be saved and God might be glorified in this world. As much as I love that flag and as much as I love my country, this world is not my home, I'm just passing through. I have treasures laid up and a place reserved for me that fadeth not away. It's incorruptible and undefiled that God has for me someday. Someone asked me this morning, is it a mansion or more like an apartment?

The answer to that question is I don't know. But I know what God has prepared for me is so much better than anything we can have here. One day, we'll have that opportunity to experience. And when you look up here to the screen again, and we're going come back to the verse that we read to start the service this morning. They overcame him by the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony and they loved not their lives until the death.

We don't have time this morning to look at the context in which this is found in Revelation chapter 12. But if you look in the context, you will find this. It says, And they overcame him. The him is the devil. The him is the enemy of Almighty God.

The him is the one that came in the form of the serpent in the Garden Of Eden, who deceived Eve and who led Adam and Eve into sin and all humanity with them. He is the one who is God's enemy, who lost the battle in heaven, who brought the battle to earth, who sought to rob God of everything that was good that he had created. He is God's enemy and if you know Christ, therefore, he is our enemy. And he is the enemy of those who have knew the Lord who lived in the past. He is the enemy of those who will live in the future.

And it says, they, that is the saints, overcame him, the devil, by the blood of the lamb. Now, what lamb is that? It is the lamb of God that taketh away of the world. It is Jesus Christ, our savior, who shed his blood on Calvary's Cross. For there is no victory over sin.

There is no victory over death. There is no victory over hell or Satan. Fellas, fellas, hey, try to keep it down. Thank you. There is no victory over death and hell and Satan without the shed blood of Jesus Christ.

He is the only way, the truth, and the life. He is the only means to come before the father. Through faith in his shed blood on Calvary's Cross. He is only through his blood can we have remission or forgiveness for our sins. Can we have victory over sin in our life?

They overcame him by the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony. By the word of their testimony. What testimony is that? The testimony of their faith in Jesus Christ. The testimony of their lives that backed up the gospel that they preached and the one in whom they proclaimed their salvation.

And they love not their lives unto the death, being willing to give even of their lives. For the name of Jesus Christ, for the glory of God, and for the proclamation of the gospel, and for lost sinners to be saved. These overcame our adversary and his plan to enslave humanity in his wickedness by their faith in the shed blood of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Turn if you would to Hebrews chapter 12. We'll leave Deuteronomy, turn to the back of the New Testament, find Hebrews chapter 12.

I'll give you a minute. We're going to read verses one and two of Hebrews twelve:one-two. There the Lord tells us, he says, Wherefore seen, we also are compassed or surrounded about with so great a cloud of witnesses. Let us lay aside every weight and the sin which does so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

What are these what is this great cloud of witnesses that's mentioned here? Well, some commentators have had different ideas. Some said these witnesses are those that we live with in society today that are watching our lives to see if we are going to be true, to see if we're real in our faith. Others have said it's those that have gone before that are are watching us from heaven to see if we are going to serve the Lord as they did. But the word witnesses here is not speaking of those who are watching us, but those who have been witnesses in the past as God commanded them to be.

Old and New Testament and others to follow. Those who are witnesses of the grace of God to a lost and dying world. Those who demonstrated their faith in Jesus Christ, as mentioned in Hebrews 11. Who are our examples who have gone before us. Turn back a page to Hebrews 11, look if you would, beginning in verse 32.

Coming up to verse 32, we have several individual examples, Abraham, Noah, Moses. When you get to verse 32, it says this, And what shall I more say? For the time would fail me to tell of Gideon and of Barak and of Samson and of Jephthah, David also and Samuel and of the prophets. Who through faith subdued kingdoms, without righteousness obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the violence of fire, escaped the edge of the sword. Out of weakness were made strong, waxed valiant in fight, turned to flight the armies of the aliens.

Verse 35, women received their dead raised to life again, and others were tortured, not accepting deliverance, that they might obtain a better resurrection. And others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment. They were stoned. They were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword. They wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented, of whom the world was not worthy.

They wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens, and caves of the earth. These all, having obtained a good report through faith, received not the promise. God having provided some better thing for us, that they without us should not be made perfect. What he means there is these Old Testament saints didn't live on this earth to see the day when Christ Jesus came and shed his blood on Calvary's cross for their redemption and ours. But he did and they knew he would.

But they were God's witnesses in Old Testament times. Some of them were delivered from great trials. Others walked through those trials And some of them, many of them face death. They are the witnesses, the examples, the ones who have gone before us that we have to look to. Particularly, verse two, the Lord Jesus Christ.

For he is our ultimate example who endured the cross for us. Not only are we surrounded by these witnesses, but millions since the day of this writing who have given of themselves to spread the gospel of Christ and to live out the Lord's will in their individual lives. They were the ones who answered the call of Acts one eight, but you shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost has come upon you. And you shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem and in all Judea and in Samaria and into the uttermost parts of the earth and to the uttermost parts of the earth they did go. We are the fruit of that because from where they were, we are the uttermost part of the earth.

Beginning with the 12 apostles, James, beheaded in Jerusalem in A. D. Thirty six. Peter, crucified upside down by Nero, at Peter's request. John, exiled at a very old age to the Isle Of Patmos.

Thomas, killed in India. Philip, crucified in Hierapolis, Phrygia, which is Turkey. Andrew, preached in Ethiopia and was crucified in Achaia. Matthew, responsible for a multitude of conversions in Ethiopia and Egypt, was killed by a spear. Simon was crucified after preaching in Mauritania, Africa, and Britain.

Bartholomew translated the Gospel of Matthew in India, was beheaded in Armenia. Now, some of this is fallible church history, but nonetheless, it's clear. They answered the call. They went forth. They preached the gospel.

They told others of the Lord Jesus Christ, whom they had seen and walked with, and had seen him die on a cross for their sins and rise again from the dead. But it doesn't end there. Paul took up the call, preached throughout the Gentile world, and he himself was beheaded during the reign of Nero as well. Great missionaries to follow, from David Livingston and Mary Slessor who went to Africa, and Adoniram Judson to Burma, Hudson Taylor in China, Jim Elliot and his four associates who were killed by Indians in Ecuador. Eric Little, a champion Olympic runner, went back to follow in his parents' footsteps to be a missionary to China and died there.

A young man by the name of Chet Bitterman. How many of you know the name Chet Bitterman? Rick knows it. I didn't think anybody would. I had a student teacher when I was in high school.

His name was Chris Bitterman. He was studying Bible and teaching at Columbia Bible College. He came and taught some one of our classes for a semester. And he told us about his older brother. Chet Bitterman was a translator with Wycliffe Bible Translators who was kidnapped by terrorists in Columbia, and was wrapped up in a flag and shot and died.

Chad is an example of just one of many scores of names who most of us don't know who have died for the cause of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Some have died by the millions for refusing to recant their faith in Christ down through the centuries. John Mark, who wrote the book of Mark, was the first bishop of Alexandria and was burned. James, the brother of Jesus, was thrown from the top of the temple. He's the one who wrote the book of James.

Ignatius was torn apart by lions in Rome. Polycarp was burned at the stake at the age of 86. In the third century, Emperor Maximus ordered all Christians to be hunted down and killed. The Spanish Inquisition from 1200 to 1800 was responsible for the burning of over 31,000 Christians, mostly Christians, at at the the stake, stake. The imprisonment of over 300,000, John Wycliffe's body was exhumed and burned after his death.

William Tyndale, who was largely responsible for the translation of the scripture into English, was burned at the stake. John Huss, many Anabaptists, Martin Luther was exiled, many others were killed during the reign of Queen Mary. In recent centuries, Soviet and Chinese regimes, Lenin, Stalin, Mao, have been responsible for the deaths of millions, majority of them, or a vast large percentage of whom were Christians. Muslim regimes like ISIS are taking the lives of thousands of Christians today. Christians who refuse to recant their faith, abandon their savior, have died in the name of Jesus, and have gone on to a greater reward.

It's easy to forget about them while we sit here comfortably, luxuriously, in the land of the free and the home of the brave. There was a teenage girl in a high school in Colorado. It was called Columbine. Does that ring a bell? To men, young men, boys, very troubled, decided to attack the school.

They were particularly interested in those that were popular, but also those, it would seem, who were Christians. They knew this one young lady who she claimed to be, what she claimed to be. And they held a gun to her head and they said, do you believe in Jesus? I don't recall the exact quote, but it went something like that. And her last word on this earth was yes.

And they pulled the trigger. Sad story. What a testimony. I had a lesson series that a Christian group published that I taught when I was a youth pastor. It used her life as a testimony.

It said, she said yes on the title. Many others, millions, have done their part in telling their neighbors, their friends, their relatives, their coworkers the love of Christ, despite the ridicule and persecution heaped upon them for being supposedly prejudiced or intolerant because they taught the Bible and they told others that Jesus is the only way for forgiveness and eternal life. Let's take a moment to remember some of these and what they gave that we might live eternally. They are examples of those that overcame Satan by the blood of the lamb, by the word of their testimony, and they love not their lives until the death. If you would look back down at your scripture at Hebrews twelve:one-two again.

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let what's the next word? Us. Us lay aside every weight. That's anything that will weight us down, that will hold us back in serving the Lord, in taking a stand, in telling others of the love of Christ, in living a life glorifying to his name. Let's cast off those weights and the sin which does so easily beset us.

We have to admit sin still easily besets us as Christians. We still live in the flesh, the desires, the things that are contrary to God's Word. But we must not give in. We must not give up. We must cast off the weights.

We must repent of the sins and forsake them which so easily beset us. And we must run with patience the race that is set before what? Us. Now, we've been talking about them, but we're going to finish this morning talking about who? Us.

Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. What is it telling us? These verses tell us this, it's our turn. It's our turn. It's our turn, and we must not fail.

We must not fail to live for Christ our savior, To turn aside from the passions and desires, the temptations and enticements of the world, and live a life glorifying and honoring to the one who saved us and has given us a home in heaven. It is our turn to take a stand for Christ in the face of persecution, in the face of ridicule, in the face of possibly death and imprisonment, you say that will never come here. We don't know that. There are those many powerful those in our country today who would love to strip those freedoms from us and put us in prison and take our life and shut down our churches for preaching the word of God and the gospel of Jesus Christ. Are we willing to take a stand?

Will you take a stand? Will I take a stand? We must take a stand. Not only for the gospel, but for the word of God and for what is right and wrong. For what is the truth?

Jesus said, you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free. We cannot be. We cannot be made to be silent when the truth is at stake. It is our turn to live for Christ. It is our turn to take a stand.

And it is our turn to tell others of the one who died to make us free, of the one who gave his life willingly, purposefully to take our place, to take the punishment for our sins, to redeem us from Satan's power, to defeat the enemy, the devil, and to restore to us that which was taken from us, The image of Jesus Christ, eternal life. Would you be willing to say to the Lord this morning by the grace of God, I will do my part. I will not be excluded. I will live for Christ. I will run the race that is set before me.

I will take a stand. I will tell others. I won't be satisfied to let it be them. I will be included in those that overcame him by the blood of the lamb, by the word of their testimony and who loved not their lives unto the death. Revelation two:five, the Lord writes to the church at Ephesus that had lost their first love.

He says, remember therefore from whence thou art fallen and repent and do the first works or else I will come into thee quickly and remove thy candlestick out of his place except thou repent. It's easy for us to look at the world and say, yes, they've forgotten God. They deserve what they're getting. But don't forget, we deserve the same thing. It is only because of what Jesus Christ did for us on Calvary's Cross and the grace of God that has been offered to us and the redemption that we have received through faith in him that we have something better here and awaiting us in heaven.

And this message this morning is not so much for them because they are here. You are. We are. Amen. The message this morning is for you.

Have we done our part to be a light? Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father in heaven. Or have we dropped the ball in more areas than one? Have we not taken the stand that we should? Have have we not thrown off the weights and sins and allowed them to fester and remain?

Have we been lax in telling others the gospel of Jesus Christ? Have we left our first love? If so, what is left is to remember, remember. Remember those that have gone before us. Remember the works of our savior.

Remember what he did in your life when he saved your soul. Remember when you were serving him like you should and return. Repent. Maybe this morning you realize that you haven't been doing your part. You would like to ask God's forgiveness this morning and recommit yourself to his cause.

We give a hymn of invitation this morning. If that's the case, don't sing. Just bow your head and pray where you are. Whatever God has laid on your heart. And then the second question, maybe this morning you can't say either because you aren't a Christian yourself.

You've never been saved. Your sins have not been forgiven under the blood of Jesus Christ. You've never repented. You've never turned to him in faith for salvation. You're still living in your sin and apart from the savior trying to get to heaven your way by your works.

You can't get to heaven by good works. You can't get to heaven by coming to church alone. You can't go to heaven by getting baptized. You can't get to heaven by giving to others. You can't be get to heaven by being kind to those who are down and out.

You can't get to heaven. Amen. Except through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and repenting of your sins and humbly yielding yourself to him. To be your savior and your Lord. Romans ten nine, that if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.

Do not lay let Satan have the victory in your life. As we give this hymn of invitation this morning, if you've never trusted Christ as savior, would you come? We'd love to show you from God's word how you can be saved today and know it. Because if you reject God's offer, then the devil will win in your life. But Christ came that he wouldn't and he doesn't have to.

Would you trust him today? Let's pray. Dear God, thank you example who came and lived and died on a cross and rose again from the dead, who is awaiting us in heaven, where you intercede in behalf of all those who put their faith and trust in you. We pray Lord if there's one here today that's never trusted Christ for salvation, that if they're trusting in their own goodness, their own good works that today that they would realize that there is only one way to heaven, through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ and that they would come. And Lord, I pray that we who do know you, if we have dropped the ball, if we have grown complacent in our service for Christ, that we would be encouraged today to be those who the next generation will look to as witnesses of the grace of God, the power of God in saving the lost, changing lives, conforming people to the image of Jesus Christ.

Lord, help us to be those people today. Forgive us of our failures. Forgive us of taking our eyes off of Jesus, putting our eyes on the things of the world. Help us today, we pray. In Jesus name, amen.