In Remembrance Of Me

I CORINTHIANS 11: 17-33

MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND MAY 26, 2002

INTRODUCTION: MEMORIAL DAY AND SEPTEMBER 11, 2001

U.S. holiday. Originally held in commemoration of soldiers killed in the Amer. Civil War (1868), its observance later extended to all U.S. war dead. Most states conform to the federal practice of observing it on the last Monday in May, but some retain the traditional day of celebration, May 30. National observance is marked by the placing of a wreath on the Tomb of the Unknowns in Arlington National Cemetery.

Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning) AS SUNG BY ALAN JACKSON

Where were you when the world stopped turning on that September day

were you in the yard with your wife and children

Or working on some stage in L.A.

Did you stand there in shock at the sight of that black smoke

Rising against that blue sky

Did you shout out in anger, in fear for your neighbor

Or did you just sit down and cry

VERSE

Did you weep for the children who lost there dear loved ones

And pray for the ones who don’t know

Did you rejoice for the people who walked from the rubble

And sob for the ones left below

Did you burst out with pride for the red, white and blue

And the heros who died just doin’ what they do

Did you look up to heaven for some kind of answer

And look at yourself and what really matters

CHORUS

I’m just a singer of simple songs

I,m not a real political man

I watch CNN but I’m not sure I can tell you

The difference in Iraq and Iran

But I know Jesus, and I talk to God

And I remember this from when I was young.

Faith, hope and love are some good things he gave us

And the greatest is love.

VERSE

Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day

Teaching a class full of innocent children

Or driving down some cold interstate

Did you feel guilty cause your a survivor

In a crowded room did you feel alone?

Did you call up your mother to tell her you loved her

Did you dust off that bible at home

Did you open your eyes and hope it never happened

Close your eyes and not go to sleep

Did you notice the sunset for the first time in ages

Speak to some stranger on the street

Did you lay down at night and think of tomorrow

Go out and buy you a gun

Did you turn off that violent old movie your watchin

And turn on I Love Lucy reruns

Did you go to a church and hold hands with some strangers

or stand in line and give your own blood

Did you just stay home and cling tight to your family

And thank god you had somebody to love

Chorus x2

And the greatest is love.

And the greatest is love.

TRANSITION THOUGHT: Memorial Day and The Lord’s Supper have one major thing in common. They both call us to remember that all we have is a gift from those who gave of themselves that we might enjoy all that for which they sacrificed themselves. Our text speaks to us of the reality of humanity and the struggle that we as a Nation have experienced in the past and present. The struggle is truly a lack of remembrance! We forget so quickly and fail to realize that nothing of value comes with out great sacrifice!

THESIS SENTENCE: Forgetting what lies behind cripples us from attaining what lies ahead.

So what is it that our text speaks of that will help us in our struggle of forgetfulness? FIRST, WE ARE CALLED TO…

I. REMEMBER UNITY (VV. 17-22)

A. UNITY: Coming together and coming apart

1. What’s the problem? The Church is getting together to worship and celebrate the Lord’s Supper, so why this rebuke?

2. The culture, of course, is different than ours. Church was in homes and the Lord’s Supper was not just bread and juice, but as it was with Jesus and His disciples, a whole meal.

3. The word the Apostle Paul shares is that this group was only together in location, but not in heart. Disunity was the key word!

B. DISUNITY: Corporate or Private

1. As the group came together there was a disunity of economic status. The problem was that a wealthier member would open their house for worship and meals, but then would segregate the group based on economic status.

2. The poor of the group would come to the pot luck only to get the scraps of the wealthier. Instead of being unified around the Table of the Lord, this group was set up as clicks! Did you know there could be clicks in a church?