The Importance of Memorials

And if you take your Bibles turn if you would to start with Luke 22. We are going to turn to several passages today. You'll see why as we move along this morning but we'll start in Luke chapter 22. The importance of memorials. Again this is Memorial Day weekend so it seems fitting to talk about the importance of memorials.

Memorials is monuments those kind of things is not just an American thing, not just a government thing, not just a country thing but we'll see this morning from scripture it is also a God thing and there is an importance in memorials particularly those in the scripture that we'll look at this morning. So we'll start in Luke chapter 22. Luke chapter 22 and verse 19. You might recognize this verse verse 19 and he took bread. That is the Lord Jesus Christ and gave thanks and break it and gave it unto them that would be his disciples saying, this is my body which is given for you.

This do in remembrance of me. Let's go to the Lord in prayer once more. Lord, thank you for this day. Thank you for the opportunity you've given us that we might come and worship you and Lord, we pray that Christ would truly be exalted this morning. We pray that we might be reminded this morning of all that you have done for us, of all that you were doing for us, all that you will do for us.

We thank you, Lord. For your grace that you have bestowed upon us. Lord, we pray that as we study and look into your word that we might be conformed to the image of your son. That we might be convicted of sin, challenged, and service to you today and we pray Lord if there's one here that's never trusted you as Lord and savior. We pray Lord that you would open up their heart to receive your word today.

Lord that they might come to you in faith and be saved. In Jesus name, we pray. Amen. Amen. In verse 19 of Luke 22 and of course, this is the Lord's supper that Christ is instituting here.

We'll come back in a few minutes but he says at the end of the first at the end of this verse, he says, this do in what? Remembrance. Remembrance of me. Memorials are about remembrance. That's why we have them is to help us, to remind us to remember very important things that should not slip our mind.

Memorial Day in The USA has been set aside as a day to remember and decorate the graves of those who gave their lives in service to their country. It began after the Civil War as Decoration Day and eventually was declared a national holiday. Why is such a day important? You ask. Why would I interrupt my series in Mark this morning to spend time on something related to a national holiday?

Because the fact is, we learn from history and when a nation or people forget their heritage, when they forget their history, they tend to lose their way. They tend to forget how and who to honor for bringing them thus far. They tend to repeat the same mistakes. That they repeated in the past. It's very important that we remember our history.

As a kid, I wondered why in the world do I need to study history? I have met some adults that still ask, why in the world do I need to study history? You know something? This is a book of what? This is a book of history.

Almost all of what's reported here this other than prophecy is is history. Why is it that God feels it's so important to record all of this for us? Particularly Old Testament. And preserve it for us because history is important. Because we need to know it.

We need to be reminded of it. It will help us to stay on the right track. It will help us to remember who to honor and of course, most of all, the Lord Jesus Christ, our savior, and our God who made us, created us, saved helps us to avoid some of the pitfalls that others others fell into. History is important. Memorials are important.

Remembering is important. We also find, well so in The United States we have set up many memorials. We erect monuments. We sing songs. The Star Spangled Banner.

My Country Tis of thee. America the Beautiful. Those are memorials. We celebrate holidays. Memorial Day.

Fourth of July, Labor Day, we could go on. These are all memorials. Memorials to remind us of the heroic sacrifices made by those before us and of the tragic events and missteps which sometimes led to their necessary sacrifice. In Memorial Day, we remember the sacrifices of those who have given their lives. For us that we might remain free.

But there in many cases are tragic decisions and events which led to their necessary sacrifice and we do not want to forget those things either and so we erect monuments. We sing songs and we celebrate holidays because we need to what? We need to But also we find that God too believes in memorials and stresses in his word the necessity of remembering what has happened before so we may learn to appreciate the God who delivered his people and learn to avoid the traps they fell into. First Corinthians ten eleven, Paul writing the church at Corinth in the New Testament says this, and it's in context talking about Israel and their murmuring and complaining in the wilderness and what it brought them. And he says, Now all these things that happened unto them for example, for in samples and they are written for our admonition, our learning upon whom the ends of the world are come.

So Paul says we record these things, We bring these things back up that God recorded in the Old Testament concerning Israel. They are recorded there for us that we might be reminded of what God did for them but also that we might be reminded of the sins they committed of of the disbelief that led to many consequences that they suffered so that we might fully put our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ that we might fully put our faith in God that we might avoid sin and that we might serve the savior with all our heart because we will see that when we are serving Christ, God brings blessings and peace and joy. The fruit of the spirit into our life but when we are fighting him, he chastens his children whom he loves and so we see these examples in the Old Testament that God's recorded for us and they're important. You say, well, why study the Old Testament? That's the old covenant.

That's just about Israel. No. It's about who? It's about God. It's about how God is a god of love.

It's about how God is a god of holiness. It's about how God is a god of justice. He is a god of mercy. He's also God of judgement. And God has recorded these things for us.

That we might be reminded so that we might learn from their mistakes. You know something? There are some things we have to learn the hard way. But we don't have to learn everything the hard way. God would prefer that we may learn many things the easy way.

And so he's warned us in his word. That we might avoid those traps. And in doing so, we might bring glory to our God as well as being blessing into our life and while God strongly discouraged idols and icons to put it mildly, he did encourage memorials. Memorials in scriptural I think I need some water to drink. My mouth is not working right.

Alright. Memorials in scripture were either physical structures but not graven images or special holidays or religious rites. In some cases songs which celebrated usually a past event of special significance and usually with ongoing relevance to the present and the future. We'll look at some examples in a moment. The first one that pops into my mind is the Passover.

The Passover was such a memorial that Israel was to keep. It reminded them of a past event, their deliverance from Egypt and of ongoing mercy and grace of God and we'll get into more in just a moment but these are the types of memorials that God set up in his word, gave to his people that they might remember. Memorials themselves were never to be venerated in worship, bowed before, prayed to nor were they a means of procuring favor with God. Though in some cases, the refusal to participate obediently was considered a sign of rebellion. Particularly under the law to Israel.

Most of them are Old Testament in origin and many were commanded to be observed by Jews alone. But not all. So, let's take a closer look at a few of them. We'll get to the Passover in just a second but let's start with what I tend to believe is the first memorial. It may not be.

I probably could find one before but let's look in Genesis chapter two. Genesis chapter two and we're going to read verses one through three. Genesis two one through three or one through four. One through three I guess. Genesis two:one through three.

Thus, the heavens and the earth were finished and all the host of them. Finished by who? By God who created them in how many days? Six days. That's chapter one.

And on the seventh day, God ended his work which he had made and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made and God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it. That means he set it apart, gave it a special recognition, okay? Because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made. So God made a memorial of the seventh day. The day on which he rested.

It is the first memorial in scripture that God established. The seventh day remembrance of his rest after having completed his mighty work of creation. Thereby also establishing a seven day week just after he finished creation. And that seven day week has stuck throughout all of human history. A testimony to the work and power and sovereignty of our God.

You can trace the seven day week all back through human history. Eventually, it would seem we have to conclude this is where it began. On the seventh day of human history. A memorial established by our God. Around 1800, the French tried to implement a ten day week.

Guess what happened to that? Didn't work. In the nineteen thirty's and forty's the Soviets tried to implement a five day week. Guess what happened to that? Didn't work.

When this five day week didn't work they tried a six day week. Notice how they're trying to stay away from the seventh day. Guess what happened to the six day week? Didn't work. There are other examples, nations, countries that have tried to alter the weak that God established way back in creation.

In each case they have failed. They have failed. They did not want to honor God, the God who created the world. And so, they tried to help people forget. Forget by changing the seven day week to a five day week or a six day week or a ten day week.

It is important that we remember In Romans, it says that man is without excuse. He's out of without excuse because the heavens declare the glory of God. He's without excuse because all of creation. He's out of was without excuse because the conscience that God has given us that tells us that there's a god and there's a right and wrong. We might add to that the seven day week.

Man has not been able to alter and change permanently since creation. Although the church is not commanded to observe the no work on Saturday rule as Israel was, the seven day week still reminds us of God's act of creation, His day of rest and our need to take time out of our week to honor the Lord who made us and to find time to rest these bodies that he created in our service to him. The seventh day, the Sabbath day, and the seven day week are memorials. Established by God to remind us. Him and that we serve him.

Memorial number two, Genesis chapter nine verses 12 to 15. If you turn over there, again, I'm probably skipping a few. I'm if we were going to look at every memorial this morning, we'd be here a while. So, so we're just going to hit a few highlights, alright? Genesis nine twelve to 14.

15. And God said, this is a token of the covenant which I make between me and you. Now, the me is God, the you is Noah and this is right after Noah and his family have come off of the ark after the flood. He says, which I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you for perpetual or ongoing generations. I do set my bow in the cloud and it shall be for a token like a sign or a memorial It shall be for a token of a covenant between me and the earth and it shall come to pass when I bring a cloud over the earth that the bow shall be seen in the cloud and I will remember my covenant which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh and the water shall no more become a flood to destroy all flesh.

So, we see the memorial of the seventh day and the seven day week and then we see the memorial of the rainbow. God wants us to remember. It is important that we do so. And several times a year we walk out of our house, we look out our window and we see that same rainbow out there. Well, not the very same rainbow but you know, a rainbow like unto.

To remind us what God did and what God promised. After the flood, God instituted this memorial to his power and to his trustworthy promise. The remain rainbow is a reminder of God's promise to never again judge humanity with such a worldwide flood. It is his what? It is his promise.

Despite what may happen, we can know that what happened in Genesis six, seven, and eight will not happen in that way again. There is judgement of God coming upon this world. We read about that in scripture. It will happen during the tribulation and at the end of the millennial reign, God will wipe away this heaven and earth and he'll create a new one. But never again will God judge the world with a worldwide flood and that reminds us of his mercy, of his mercy.

Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord and because of God's mercy and because of God's grace, God did not just end humanity right there and say, I'm done with it. But God is a god who have love and grace. Picked out Noah his family he sustained them he instructed them he protected them and so we sit here today worshiping the God of heaven and at times when it rains, we see his rainbow. In the cloud to remind us his mercy towards human It also reminds us that God is in control and that he is sovereign and he will deal with man as the righteous judge and creator of humanity The rainbow reminds us that God will not flood the earth again but it also reminds us that God did flood the earth and that there is consequence for sin and the righteous and holy judge will judge sin. And will judge the earth.

As he sees fit. In Hebrews ten thirty one, it says, it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God and the flood reminds us of that. These people were carrying on. They were doing their own thing. They had no thought for God and no care for God.

Noah was out there building the ark saying, you better get ready. The flood is coming. The judgment is coming and they didn't what? They didn't listen. They didn't turn.

They didn't repent. They didn't come to God. And so the flood came and they drowned and they died. And human civilization started over God is a god of holiness and a god of love and grace and mercy. He's a god of judgement and justice.

So, the rainbow should remind us of that. Also, and remind the world that there is a god who is in control. Be not deceived. God is not mocked. What whatsoever a man soweth that shall he also reap.

The third memorial, Exodus chapter 12, Exodus chapter 12 and we'll read verses one through 14 in Exodus 12 and again, now we're back to the Passover. Now, Israelites had been enslaved in Egypt now for four hundred years. God had provided them a deliverer, Moses. Moses said, how on can I do this thing? God never intended for Moses to free the children of Israel.

God intended for God to free the children of Israel. And that's what he did. Brought 10 plagues upon Egypt and on Pharaoh. Finally, after the tenth plague, the death of the firstborn, Pharaoh, let them go. And they left Egypt.

The Passover feast is a memorial to that. Look if you would in chapter one, I mean, chapter 12 verse one and the Lord spake unto Moses and Aaron in the land of Egypt saying, this month shall be unto you the beginning of months. It shall be the first month of the year to you. Speaking unto all the congregation of Israel saying, in the tenth day of this month, they shall take to them every man a lamb. According to the house of their fathers, a lamb for an house.

If the household be too little for the lamb, let him and his neighbor. Next unto his house, take it according to the number of the souls. Every man according to his eating shall make your count for the lamb. Your lamb shall be without blemish. A male of the first year, you shall take it out from the sheep or from the goats and you shall keep it up until the fourteenth day of the same month and the whole assembly of the congregation of Israel shall kill it in the evening and they shall take the blood and strike it on the two sideposts and on the upper doorpost of the houses wherein they shall eat it and they shall eat the flesh in that night roast with fire and unleavened bread and with bitter herbs, they shall eat it.

Eat not of it raw nor sodden at all with water, boiled, but roast with fire, his head with his legs, and with the pertinence thereof, and you shall let nothing of it remain until the morning, and that which remaineth of it until the morning, you shall burn with fire. And thus shall you eat it with your loins girded, with your shoes on your feet, and your staff in your hand, and you shall eat it in haste. It is the Lord's Passover. Why? Because they needed to be ready to march out of the land.

Verse 12, for I will pass through the land of Egypt this night and I will smite all the firstborn of the land of Egypt, both man and beast and against all the gods of Egypt, I will execute my judgment. I am the Lord. And the blood shall be to you for a token. On the houses where you are and when I see the blood, I will pass over you and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you when I smite the land of Egypt and this day shall be unto you for a memorial and you shall keep it a feast to the Lord throughout all your throughout your generations. You shall keep it a feast by an ordinance forever.

Thus, the Passover was instituted and established by the Lord. The Passover feast was a memorial. He even says it here in his word, ascribed by God to be kept by Israel every year at the same time to remind them of God's mighty hand in delivering them from Egypt and also of his mercy in sparing the firstborn in their homes. Their homes upon which the lamb's blood was on the doorpost and the lintel. A memorial, reminder of God's power, of God's grace, and of God's mercy.

Israel kept it at least for a while. As they were commanded At times, they didn't. At those times, they tended to what? They tended to forget and they tended to stray. Forgetting where they were and what God had delivered them from.

It is also of course looks forward to the day when Jesus Christ, the son of God, the lamb of God without what, without spot, and without blemish of sin. Would take the place of the sinner on the cross of Calvary to deliver us from sin and hell. When Jesus Christ died on that cross and his blood flowed down that cross, staying that cross with the precious blood of Christ. It was a token It was a sign It was the grace of God and the promise of God to redeem those bound in sin and condemn to hell to redeem us from that condemnation and from that slavery that we might be saved By the shedding of the blood of the lamb of God who takes away the sin not just of Israel but the sin of the what? The sin of the world.

For he became sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. Second Corinthians five twenty one. The Passover, look back as Israel kept it but the Passover also looked what? Forward, ahead to what Jesus Christ, the lamb of God, would do when he shed his blood on Calvary's Cross. For all who come to him by faith.

Memorial number four, Joshua chapter four. Turn if you would to Joshua chapter four. Memorial number four Joshua four one through nine. Now, the first memorial was the Sabbath day. It was a day and a week that they were to remember.

The second memorial was a rainbow in the sky. The third memorial is a Passover feast that they were to keep like a holiday and memorial number four is a pile of stones. So, we see different memorials in different ways that God did this to help us to remember. Joshua chapter four. Now, Joshua was leading Israel into the promised land.

Moses had led them out of Egypt across the Red Sea after the Passover but they refused to go in the land and so that generation all died and God said, I'll take the next generation in. So, now here Joshua is upon the brink of taking the second generation into the land of Canaan. He is standing at the side of the Jordan River that forms a boundary on the East of Israel and also a barrier. It was the time of the flood. It was flood season and it had overflowed the banks and there was no bridge nearby to cross especially with over 2,000,000 people.

How were they going to get across? Well, you know, some of the men, they probably could've swam across the raging river but they also had women and children to take across the Jordan River. How were they going to get across there? Well, when Moses left Egypt, God divided the what? The Red Sea and they walked across on dry ground.

Well, God's going to do it again. For the second generation. Not so they can exit the land of bondage but so they can enter the land of what? The land of promise. So, Joshua four verse one, it came to pass when all the people were clean passed over Jordan that the Lord spake unto Joshua saying, now, they were passed over Jordan because God said to Joshua, you have the priest carrying the ark to stick their toes in the water and when it did, it did one in front of them.

It receded. They walked out into the middle where they held the ark there and as they did, the waters of Jordan receded and the all of Israel marched across and then when all were across, the priest carrying the ark, they went across and what happened to the water behind them? They came back together. Verse two, take you 12 men out of the people, one out of every tribe, and command them saying, take you hence out of the midst of Jordan, out of the place where the priest feet stood firm, 12 stones, and you shall carry them over with you, and leave them in the lodging place where you shall lodge this night. Then, Joshua called the 12 men whom he had prepared of the children of Israel out of every tribe of man and Joshua said unto them, pass over before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of Jordan.

Take you up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel. That this may be a sign among you that when your children ask their fathers in time to come saying, what you mean you by these stones, then you shall answer them, that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off and these stones shall be for a memorial. Unto the children of Israel forever. And the children of Israel did so as Joshua commanded took up 12 stones out of the midst of the Jordan as the Lord spake unto Joshua according to the number of the tribes of Israel, of the children of Israel, and carried them over with them unto the place where they lodged and laid them down there and Joshua set up 12 stones in the midst or the middle of Jordan in the place where the feet of the priest which bear the ark of the covenant stood and they are there unto this day.

So, memorial number four is a stack of stones. A stack of stones that were taken out of the middle of the Jordan River and stacked in the place where Israel lodged that night to remind them what God did to bring them into the land of promise that they might claim that which had been given them by the grace of God. It is a reminder to them was to be reminder to them. Generation by generation as they looked on that memorial. Of the power and grace.

And love. Of God. 12 stones carried by 12 men and then a stack in the middle that mirrored that which was on the outside. Made by Joshua. This very simple monument stood for many years to remind Israel that God what God had done in delivering them from Egypt and in keeping his promise.

You know, God always keeps his what? Always keeps his promises. He kept his promises for Israel. He will keep his promises for you. Paul said, I am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I've committed unto him against that day.

We are told that we are kept by the power of God to an inheritance, incorruptible, and undefiled, and faded not away. Reserved in heaven. For us. God always keeps his promises. I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that he is able to keep that.

And he will we just need to be reminded to trust him Israel sadly we needed to look at those stones and remember to trust him. Sad to say in generations following, they what? They still forgot. And they suffered greatly because of it. The memorials that God has given us are not just there, just to be there.

They're there. To remind us to trust in him because he wants great blessing in our lives. That he might be glor ified therein. If we will remember who he is and what he has done for us. You say, pastor, those are all old testament.

Okay, let's let's conclude by looking at one in the New Testament. Look if you would over to Mark chapter 14. Mark chapter 14 if you would. Verses 22 to 24. Mark fourteen twenty two through 24.

Did Christ institute any memorials in the New Testament? Yes, he did. The Lord's supper. He is a memorial to remind us. A matter of fact, as we read in Luke twenty two nineteen, as we'll read here in Mark chapter 14, it is specifically to remind us, to help us remember.

Who we are in Christ Jesus and what Christ did for us. Mark chapter 14 verse 22 and as they did eat, Jesus took bread and blessed it and break it and gave it to them and said, take eat, this is my body and he took the cup and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them and they all drank of it and he said unto them, this is my blood of the New Testament which is shed for many. Barely I say, I will drink no more of the fruit of the vine until the day that I drink it new in the kingdom of God. This is Mark's record of Jesus instituting the Lord's supper. The night before he died on the cross of Calvary and shed his blood.

Just like those stones had no power to deliver. The children of Israel, when we partake of the Lord's supper, the juice and the bread have no power to deliver us. From sins bondage. Or pass on to us the grace of God. Those only come through the shed blood of Jesus Christ by God's grace and mercy upon those who put their faith in him.

But it is an important memorial to remind us. God wants us, Jesus wanted them to be reminded. You know, you say, pastor, but we don't need to be reminded. We should remember every day what Christ did and we should and hopefully we do. But but God knows God knows our frame.

That we are but dust. And we need a reminder to help us and so we instituted the Lord's supper. Look if you would over to first Corinthians chapter 11. First Corinthians chapter 11. And there Paul explains this to the church at Corinth concerning this memorial that Christ instituted.

You look in verse 23 of first Corinthians 11. Paul writes, for I have received to the Lord that which also I delivered unto you that the Lord Jesus the same night in which he was betrayed took bread and when he had given thanks, he break it and said, take eat. This is my body which is broken for you this do in what? Remembrance of me. After the same manner, he also took the cup and when he had supped saying, this cup is the New Testament, my blood, this do you as often as you drink it in remembrance of me.

For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you do show the Lord's death till he come. The memorial of the new covenant instituted by the Lord Jesus to be observed by all his subsequent believers was fittingly instituted on or near the same day as the memorial of the old covenant which was the what? The Passover. And it is neither the blood of bulls nor goats nor the grape juice of the cup. By which we are saved.

It is by the Lord Jesus Christ. His person and his sacrifice and his resurrection from the dead that assures us eternal life through faith in him. Alone. But in both cases, Israel in the old, the church, and the new. Needs a reminder.

A reminder that we do not come to God. Through the works of our hands That we do not come to God through our effort We come to God alone through the shed blood of Jesus Christ. Which in this case he shed on the next day. A reminder of God's great work of redemption in Jesus Christ that leads to the deliverance of men by faith not from the mud pits of Egypt but from the penalty and eternal slavery of sin in hell. If you sit here today and you have never trusted and cried out unto God through faith in Christ to forgive you of your sins.

Based on what he did for you on Calvary's Cross. Then, you are still bound in sin. And under its condemnation. But you do not have to be. God loves you.

Christ died for you. He will save you. But only if you will put your faith and trust in him alone. Only if you will come to him for salvation. The Bible says, that whosoever calls upon him in faith shall be saved.

I did that when I was nine years old. I wasn't a theologian. I knew very little but what I did know was I was a sinner and I was going to spend eternity in hell. God didn't want me to go there. Jesus came and died for me.

And if I would call unto him out of faith to be my savior and Lord, he would save me. And he did. Doesn't hurt for me to be reminded every now and then by celebrating the Lord's supper. Doesn't hurt us to be reminded when we pick up God's word and read it. Of the fellowship that we have with God and with each other because of what Jesus did for us.

Therefore, we keep it. It is also a reminder that one day, Christ is coming back. He's coming back to take his children home. We belong to him through his blood. We have been sealed by his spirit as part of his family.

And one day, we will live with him. Question this morning is this, are you ready? Are you ready for that day when he comes back? Are you ready for the day when you die and meet your maker? Is appointed on a man once to die but after this to judgement.

Are you prepared? Because the day of judgement is coming. Upon all the lost like it was coming upon the firstborn of Egypt. And it is only if we have the blood of Christ on our hearts by faith that that judgment will what? Will pass over you.

And so God reminds us and so today we pray that if you're here and you're not saved that you'd come as we give this hymn of invitation and we also pray that we who know Christ would be reminded today and every day who we belong to, of the blessings that we enjoy, and of the promise of better things to come. That God has given to us. Thus, Memorial Day, in The United States Of America, should remind us of those who sacrificed their lives that we might joy the freedom to worship him. But even more so as Christians, it should remind us of the one who gave his life. That we might know him.

And know his salvation. Let's pray. Dear heavenly father, thank you Lord. For your mercy and grace Lord, thank you for setting up reminders to help us Lord, to remember and also to testify of the grace and the mercy and love of God. Lord, we pray that our lives, our testimony would too be a memorial to the grace and power of God who has saved us from our sins and seated us in heavenly places.

Who has changed our lives and given us a purpose which is in heaven. And we pray we pray Lord that if there's one here today that's never trusted Christ as savior that as we give this hymn of invitation this morning that they might come. In Jesus name