Remembrance Sunday is an important event in the church calendar because it helps us to not forget why we have the freedom that we enjoy today. It reminds us of the peace we have experienced here in England was not bought cheaply. Remembrance Sunday is more than a reminder of those who died in the First and Second World Wars it is also a reminder of those who have lost their lives in other conflicts like the Falklands War, the Gulf War, Iraq, Afghanistan and many other conflicts.
Remembrance Sunday is set aside to remember those who have given their lives for the freedom of others. Today we have paused to remember the fallen and to say “Thank you” for their sacrifice so we can live in peace. Sadly for some people, today will come and go without them giving any real thought to the meaning of today.
What and why do we need to remember? We remember the reality of what actually happened. We remember the dedication of those who fought and died. Remembering should stir within us a sense of gratitude and appreciation. Remembering the commitment and sacrifice of others should also strengthen our own resolve to do our part in serving God and others.
This month as we continue in our series Hope Found Here and this our theme is Hope in the Conquest: Hope in the Conquest of Sin, Hope in the Conquest of Death, and Hope in the Conquest of Fear. Our hope comes from being in a real relationship with Jesus, He has conquered the power of sin and death.
If we are in Christ, if we have accepted Him as our Lord and Saviour we have no need to fear our past, our present or our future. We are secure in Him, He is with us, Jesus is our certain hope. Jesus is our hope and He brings light into our darkest hours. When we are discouraged by circumstances and situations, Jesus loves you and He is your certain hope.
Listen to the words of Jesus recorded in John 15:9-13, ‘As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love. I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete. My command is this: love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit – fruit that will last – and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: love each other.
Jesus loved us enough to go to the cross. Jesus died so that we might live. Jesus sacrificed Himself so that we could be saved. Jesus paid the price for our freedom from Sin, death and fear. Jesus died for all who place their trust in Him, no greater love can be shown to us. In a way Jesus expects us to die for Him if we are His friend, not a physical death, but by putting to death our sinful nature so that we can become closer to Him.
Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. We need to remember what Christ has done for us. Throughout the Bible, God’s people are instructed to stop and remember what He has done for us. Listen to the opening verses of Psalm 105, Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim His greatness. Let the whole world know what He has done. Sing to Him; yes, sing His praises. Tell everyone about His wonderful deeds. Exult in His holy name; rejoice, you who worship the Lord. Search for the Lord and for His strength; continually seek Him. Remember the wonders He has performed, His miracles, and the rulings He has given. He is the Lord our God. His justice is seen throughout the land. He always stands by His covenant—the commitment He made to a thousand generations. (Psalm 105:1-5,7-8)
Psalm 105 is a song of remembrance of God’s goodness to His beloved ones. It traces His direction, provision and protection through their history and the lives of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, and Moses. For us as believers today, we can look back over history and how God has been active. God has been and continues to be, at work in the daily lives of His people.
How often do you take the time to remember what God has done in your life? How often do you just pause and thank Him for His presence and provision in your life? There is a natural progression in what happens when we pause — when we make time to remember. It’s important that we take the time to thank Him for what He has done.
Do you find your self breaking into songs of worship and praise as you rejoice in His goodness to you? Is the only time you sing is when you are in church? What about when you are at home? Or in the car? Or walking around the supermarket doing your shopping? How often do you take the opportunity to tell others what God has done in your own life?
Maybe you will talk with a few Christian friends in church, or maybe there have even been times when you have come forward and given a testimony about what God has done in your life. But what about to your family and friends who are not Christians - do you tell them what God has done and is doing in your life? Are you telling them about the difference God has made in your life? Are you telling them about the difference God could make in their lives?
All of us have many things to be thankful for. All of us have experienced the love, mercy and grace of God at work in our own lives. All of us should be willing to tell others about His greatness. Maybe if we took more time to remember how God has had His hand upon our lives, then telling others about His love and goodness would come a little more naturally to us.
Perhaps the key for us is not just being able to rejoice in what God has done in the past, we can also remember that in Jesus our future is also secure. Jesus is the promised Messiah. Jesus willingly left the glory of Heaven to come on a rescue mission to save us. Jesus came because of His love for us. Jesus came to restore our relationship with God the Father.
Jesus was incarnated into this world to do more than teach us and tell us how we should live - He came to die on the cross so that by the shedding of His own blood we could be forgiven.
The perfect one died for the imperfect, for us. The shedding of His blood washed away our sins. Christ’s sacrifice on the cross was sufficient to pay the price for the sins of everyone who repents and trusts in Jesus as their Lord and Saviour.
When Jesus rose from the grave, He conquered death, He conquered hell, He conquered the grave. Then He ascended into Heaven and He has gone to prepare a place for those who believe and trust in Him as Saviour. And one day He is coming back.
This morning remember if you have been saved by repenting, by turning away from your sins, by asking God to forgive you and accepting Christ as your Lord and Saviour then you are a disciple of Jesus. Remember His sacrificial love for you has saved you. Remember you are set free from the burden of your sin. Remember that you are now a forgiven child of God. Remember that by trusting in Him and Him alone you are assured of a place in Heaven. Remember God has a perfect plan for your life. Remember, even when life is tough and things don’t seem to make sense to you, remember that God is in control. Remember the words of Deuteronomy 31:6: “Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid and do not panic. For the Lord your God will neither fail you nor abandon you.”
Remember God is with you. He is always with you, there is no place that we can go to escape His loving presence! God is not far off, He is always near to each of us. In Psalm 139 King David declares there is absolutely no place he could go to escape the presence of God. If David goes to heaven, God is there. If David descended into the earth, God is there. David goes on to say that wherever he goes, the hand of the Lord will lead him and hold him. That is an amazing promise we need to remember - Wherever we go, God goes with us!
Listen to Psalm 139:1-4, O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord.
These verses describe an attribute of God theologians call Omniscience. Omniscience simply means all knowing. God knows everything. Remember there is no question God cannot answer, there is no problem that can confuse God. God is never surprised. He’s never shocked. God never says, “I didn’t expect that to happen”. These verses tell us the truth that God does know everything about us, we can not hide our heart, our motivation or our motives from Him.
Remember, God knows everything and He sees deep into our hearts. God is familiar with all our ways. Remember He knows where we are, He knows what we are doing, He knows why we choose to do what we do. Remember He knows all our habits, both the good habits and the bad. Remember He knows our areas of strength and our areas of weakness better than we know them ourselves. Remember He knows when we want to be in church worshipping Him, and He knows when and why we choose to allow other things as a priority over Him in our lives. Remember He knows when we are willing and joyfully serving Him and others, and He also knows when we just can’t be bothered to do anything at all. Remember God knows everything He sees deep into our hearts and He knows our thoughts.
Remember God has a plan for your life. Your past, your present and your future, all the days ordained for you were written in your book before you came into existence. Ephesians 2:10 says “We are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things He planned for us long ago.” Hope is found here, God has a purpose for you. God has a plan for you. You are God’s masterpiece!
Remember we cannot escape God’s presence. God’s presence is always with us, whether we are aware of it or not. Remember He wants us to know Him. He wants us to feel His love. Remember He wants us to be the people He has called us and saved us to be.
Amen.
