Remember and Rejoice
Memorial Day Message - 2001
Joshua 4:1-9
Introduction
I. The USS Arizona
This Memorial Day a new movie hits the theaters; Pearl Harbor. It is a dramtic re-telling of the December 7th battle where the Japanese launched a surprize attack on the US naval base in Hawaii.
In this battle the Japanese damaged or sank 8 battleships and 13 other naval vessels. In addition, nearly 200 airplanes were destroyed and approximately 3,000 military personnel were killed or wounded.
Over the sire where one of the battleships was sunk a memorial was placed to commemorate those who were killed at Pearl Harbor. The USS Arizona monument stands as a reminder of the supreme sacrifice made by those on that December morning.
II. The Importance of Memorials
Memorials are important. They help us to remember the challenges and victories of the past. They help us to renew commitments and sacrifices we have made in this journey we call life. They help us to remain faithful to our heritage and focus on our future.
This morning I believe that it is fitting for us to look at another memorial that was set to help the people of Israel to remember the mighty acts of God
READ TEXT – Joshua 4:1-9
Body – Key lessons we learn
I. Remember where you were in life
A. The Israelites were slaves in Egypt
1. The children of Israel were in a terrible position
a.) Foreigners in a foreign land
b.) They had become a race of slaves forced to do the will of the Egyptians
2. They were in complete bondage
a.) Physical
b.) Spiritual
c.) Emotional
The story is told of a young girl who accepted Christ as her Savior and applied for membership in a local church. "Were you a sinner before you received the Lord Jesus into your Life?" inquired an old deacon. "Yes, sir," she replied. "Well, are you still a sinner?" "To tell you the truth, I feel I’m a greater sinner than ever." "Then what real change have you experienced?" "I don’t quite know how to explain it," she said, "except I used to be a sinner running after sin, but now that I am saved. I’m a sinner running from sin!" she was received into the fellowship of the church, and she proved by her consistent life that she was truly converted.
B. The Israelites wandered in the Wilderness
1. The Israelites were away from God’s plan
2. They were lost and without a home
C. Personal application
1. You had a terrible position in life
a.) Living life dead from the inside out
b.) You were once a slave to your sinful nature
c.) You were living a life of bondage
2. Wandering and lost
a.) You were wandering through life without God
b.) You were without a spiritual home
Q – How has God changed you life?
II. Remember what God has done for you
Dr. Helen Roseveare, missionary to Zaire, told the following story. "A mother at our mission station died after giving birth to a premature baby. We tried to improvise an incubator to keep the infant alive, but the only hot water bottle we had was beyond repair. So we asked the children to pray for the baby and for her sister. One of the girls responded, ’Dear God, please send a hot water bottle today. Tomorrow will be too late because by then the baby will be dead. And dear Lord, send a doll for the sister so she won’t feel so lonely.’
That afternoon a large package arrived from England. The children watched eagerly as we opened it. Much to their surprise, under some clothing was a hot water bottle! Immediately the girl who had prayed so earnestly started to dig deeper, exclaiming, ’If God sent that, I’m sure He also sent a doll!’ And she was right! The heavenly Father knew in advance of that child’s sincere requests, and 5 months earlier He had led a ladies’ group to include both of those specific articles."
A. God performed many miracles for His people
1. While in Egypt
a.) The ten plagues
b.) The bricks without straw
c.) The calling of Moses
2. In the Wilderness
a.) The crossing of the Red Sea
b.) The Manna from heaven
c.) The water from the rock
d.) The military success of the nation
B. God was still working
Percentage of adults who mostly agree or completely agree with the statement, "Even today, miracles are performed by the power of God": 82.
1. The crossing of the Jordan
a.) The waters parted to remind them of God’s power
b.) The people safely crossed to renew their confidence in God’s provision
2. The building of the memorial
a.) The memorial was a symbol of the fact the God wasn’t finished with them
b.) God was going not to quit until His plan was completed
C. Personal application
1. What has God done for you?
a.) The gift of salvation
b.) The power of the Holy Spirit
c.) The offering of true freedom
2. God has a plan for your life
a.) God wants the best for your life
b.) God is still working in your life – Daily God wants to bring His plan a little closer to completion
Q – How has God moved in your life?
III. Remember where you are going in life
A. God was leading His people to the promised land
1. God was the leader of His people
2. God’s purpose was to bring them to a land of freedom
B. God was creating a new future for His people
1. God redeemed His people
2. God set a new future for His people
3. Now was a time to remember
a.) Every act of love that God showed to His people
b.) Every act of power that God displayed to his people
c.) Every act of blessing that God gave to his people
C. Personal application
1. God is leading us into a brighter future
a.) God is running the show – When we surrender complete control to Him miracles will begin to happen
b.) God wants you to live in spiritual freedom
2. God is making a new future for this church
a.) God is on the move here
b.) God’s work is done finished but rather has barely begun
Q- How is God leading your life?
Conclusion
This morning there are some who are still among the spiritually lost. You are wandering through a spiritual wasteland with nowhere to go and nowhere to turn. Today is the day to end that wandering and discover the freedom that can be your in Christ.
There are some who have forgotten all of the many blessings that God has brought into your life. You have settled for living below the level of your blessings. You try to walk with God in your own power forgetting the power of the Holy Spirit.
There are some who have lost hope in the future. God has more blessings waiting for you than you can ever imagine but you must remember Him and seek His blessing to receive them. God is waiting to bless you and our church but we must be willing to follow wherever He leads
