Summary: memorial day sermon with witnessing as the goal.

Tomorrow we celebrate Memorial Day, a day this great country has set aside to remember those that died to maintain this freedom we all enjoy. Just the fact that we can set here today without having to worry about being arrested is a testament to the men and now women also.

One of the reasons our forefathers sacrificed so much to start this country was to get the government out of religion, not to get the religion out of government as the aclu would like us to think.

Did you know

In 1776, 11 of the 13 colonies required that one had to be a Christian to be eligible to run for political office

In 1777, the Continental Congress voted to spend $300,000 to purchase Bibles for distribution in the nation.

94% OF THE WRITINGS OF THE FOUNDING FATHERS OF THE U.S. CONTAINED QUOTATIONS FROM THE HOLY SCRIPTURES

THE STATE CONSTITUTIONS OF ALL 50 STATES MENTION GOD

The famous "Liberty Bell" has part of Leviticus 25:10 inscribed on it: "Proclaim liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof."

The Supreme Court itself begins each of its sessions with the phrase ’God save the United States and this honorable court,’

And yet today our children can’t pray in school

How memorial day started is not certain several places clamed to have been the first my favorite is

In April 1863, in Columbus, Mississippi after decorating the graves of her two sons who served during the Civil War as Confederate soldiers, an elderly woman also decorated two mounds at the corner of the cemetery. An observer asked, “What are you doing? Those are the graves of two Union soldiers.” Her reply was, “I know. I also know that somewhere in the North, a mother or a young wife mourns for them as we do for ours.” [This lady and a few others] set in motion what became known as Memorial Day.

But memorial day should be more than this, instead of just honoring the fallen we should be should use this day to remind us of Christ and to share him with the living so if they join the fallen they will fall into the arms of Christ.

Just as all the freedom we have as Americans required the blood of many to purchase, forgiveness of sin also required blood

Heb 10:1-4

1 For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect.

2 For then would they not have ceased to be offered? because that the worshippers once purged should have had no more conscience of sins.

3 But in those sacrifices there is a remembrance again made of sins every year.

4 For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take

away sins.

For thousands of years man used the blood of animals to try to purchase forgiveness for sins, and every year he had to repeat the sacrifices but they could not secure forgiveness. Thousands of animals died and freedom from sin could not be obtained.

In our countries short 231 years the price of freedom has been 12 wars and JUST OVER 652,696 lives ACORDING TO THE DEPARTMENT OF VETRIN AFFAIRS freedom has not been cheap.

The price of forgiveness of sins was one man, one perfect man, the man of Jesus Christ

Heb 10:10-12

10 By the which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

11 And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins:

12 But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God;

Jesus Christ blood paid our sin debt we could not pay, his one time sacrifice paid for all our sins if we will accept it and he done it willingly when God asked he laid down his life.

Today in our world we are in battles in at least two countries, men and women are still laying down their lives for freedom because our country has asked them to, whether you agree with these wars or not don’t get so caught up in politics you for get the people every one of these solders are someone’s child many are fathers and mothers, no mater what you think of the war these are hero’s and deserve our respect and gratitude for doing all they can to protect our freedoms when called.

The greatest thing we can do as a memorial to our fallen is to share Christ with those who are still here

Today there are

18,155,573 living war veterans in the us

Living Veterans (Periods of War & Peace) 24,387,036

Deployed to Iraq & Afghanistan 185,329

Statistics say that many of these don’t Know Christ but all need Christ

If we are going to ask a man to risk his earthly life we should tell him about eternal life.

While it’s to late to tell those that we honor today it’s not to late to tell our future fighting men and women

We need to get back to a nation that tells everyone about Christ so any solder lost in battle knows Christ and knows they will be reunited in heaven with all their family and all there friends. That would be honoring a soldier.

That would be a legacy we could all be proud of .