What are you remembering? Sermon from Joshua 4:1-7 & Luke 22:14-20

Many things have happened in our lives that we forget. For many, it’s easier to remember the many disappointments that we experience. At the same time, God has said a lot to us throughout the Bible about remembering. My points shared here don’t really matter unless you know God. God doesn’t lie but we do hold onto certain things for various reasons. Let’s take a listen or read a summary here. I’m still learning how to communicate better so feel free to share your thoughts here and any take-aways from this time today.

An example from the Old…

In the Old Testament, in Joshua 4:1-7 God said to Joshua, to choose a leader from each tribe to lift and carry a stone from the middle of the Jordan river as they crossed over to the Promised land. God said also to put these stones in a place where their children, in future times, would see those stones, ask you about it, and then you would share with them all that God had done for them.

Joshua 4:1-7 NIV

” When the whole nation had finished crossing the Jordan, the LORD said to Joshua, “Choose twelve men from among the people, one from each tribe, and tell them to take up twelve stones from the middle of the Jordan, from right where the priests are standing, and carry them over with you and put them down at the place where you stay tonight.” So Joshua called together the twelve men he had appointed from the Israelites, one from each tribe, and said to them, “Go over before the ark of the LORD your God into the middle of the Jordan. Each of you is to take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the Israelites, to serve as a sign among you. In the future, when your children ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ tell them that the flow of the Jordan was cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD. When it crossed the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. These stones are to be a memorial to the people of Israel forever.” https://www.bible.com/bible/111/JOS.4.1-7.NIV

But today, as my children and I go to various places in our travels and we see interesting things, we sadly don’t take time to investigate the history regarding the significance of the things we see and experience. We might notice it, but we just keep moving with our life and don’t take time to check it out and remember.

Often we don’t take time to investigate the things that we see or what we believe. But God said to remember. What are we remembering?

An example from the New…

In the New Testament, Jesus also reminds us to remember in Luke 22:14-20, the Lord’s Supper. Jesus took break and broke it, just like his body, giving it to them (and to us). Jesus says to do this ritual of taking bread and wine/juice to remember God and how he provided through his Son, Jesus, the way to true life. To take time to remember God and to remember all the things that he has done for us. Jesus gave up himself for us.

Luke 22:14-20 NIV

“When the hour came, Jesus and his apostles reclined at the table. And he said to them, “I have eagerly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer. For I tell you, I will not eat it again until it finds fulfillment in the kingdom of God.” After taking the cup, he gave thanks and said, “Take this and divide it among you. For I tell you I will not drink again from the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.” And he took bread, gave thanks and broke it, and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body given for you; do this in remembrance of me.” In the same way, after the supper he took the cup, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in my blood, which is poured out for you.” https://www.bible.com/bible/111/LUK.22.14-20.NIV

Do we take time and slow down enough in life to really think about what God has done for us?

I’m guilty of running around in life so fast and so hard that I don’t take time to consider all that I have. I don’t take time to remember my past. I just keep on going in life and I fail to consider all that God has done for me. What about you? What are you remembering?

My points don’t matter if you don’t know God.

All of these thoughts are pointless if God doesn’t mean anything to you. So, the question is, who is God to you? If we know who God is, do we trust him? How can we really know God if we don’t spend time with Him? Are you satisfied with the amount of time that you spent with God?

Who is your teacher? Where have you been taking your cues in life? What shapes your thinking and your heart? Is it the news? Is it your friends? Is it your paycheck? Your grades? What others say about you? What’s been shaping your mind and your heart? What have you been following after? I don’t know these answers but maybe you do. What are you remembering?

I given up praying for my family member to come to know Christ. I thought that it wasn’t going to happen so I had let it go. But what I realized this summer was God was working long after I had given up. Somehow God was still working in his life. Somehow God sent someone else. Somehow his heart was opened to the truth.
God did not give up on him even after I did.

Thinking back, I’m so glad that God did not give up on me. God made himself known to me even when I wasn’t paying attention. Driving to church today, with thoughts of ‘remembering’ on my mind for this sermon, God reminded me how he revealed himself to me even when I wasn’t looking for it. I specifically remember arguing with my brother in the K-Mart parking lot in Newport News, Virginia, when God brought a stranger in the middle of our yelling to ask if we were okay. Then as she was driving off, she says to us, “Well, God bless you.” Her boldness to intervene and to speak life to us through those simple words and actions has stuck with me for over 25 years. What are we remembering?

God doesn’t lie but we hold onto what we want to believe.

God has never lied to me and I don’t think that he has ever lied to you. But I do think we sometimes manipulate and think we can get what we want out of God, choosing to hold on to certain views of God that fits our plans and agenda. But God is persistent and faithful. In Romans 5:8, God says that he demonstrates his own love for us in this: “While we were still sinners Christ died for us.” We don’t have to be perfect and get everything right all the time. We don’t even have to care for God, before God will show up in our lives and rescue us. The more I know and think about this now, as a believer and follower of the Lord, this is so amazing to me. That God loves me (and you) this much. I hope that people will not trade this love of Christ for anything else. Everything else falls short and falls flat. God is near and here. He has been there for you and provided you you over all these years before. And I believe that God has plans for you today and in the future. Will we tell our children these things? Wil we pass on these truths that others will know? Even if we don’t, just like how I had given up on my family, the Lord doesn’t give up on us. God continues to work. I pray our lives would be lived in such a way that others would want to know who the real God is.

God would you help us, because we cannot do this on my own. Verse 3 of the hymn, “Turn your eyes upon Jesus says, “His words shall not fail you, he promised. Believe him and all will be well. Then go to a world that is dying, his salvation he will tell. “

Prayer

Lord, help us to remember all these ways that you have provided for us and that you love(d) us. Thank you for helping us to know you, helping us to see you, and to recognize what you have graciously given us. Lord forgive us when we are only consumed with thinking about ourselves, what we want and what we are going to do with our lives. We are here because YOU gave us life. All the functions of our body are outside of our own self, we can’t make this happen. It is out of our control. Help us to acknowledge you. Help us to share you with others through our actions. Let it show that we are truly your disciples. Let us follow after you God. If there is anything that you don’t want us to continue in this new year, reveal it to us and help us to change. Help us to be more like you. Help us to live your life like you lived your life here on Earth, even if/when it is undeserved. Lord, we thank you and we ask you that you will continue to be patient and gracious to us. Help us to remember you. Help us to remember you today and this year. Amen.

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This sermon was recorded 2 January 2022 as pulpit supply for Little Deer Creek Baptist Church in Texas. I am a current Masters of Divinity (MDiv) student at George W Truett Theological Seminary in Waco, Texas.

Find other recordings for my pulpit supply here https://sejanashines.com/2021/08/02/pulpit-supply-preaching/.

Find other blogs about my seminary experience here https://sejanashines.com/category/seminary/.

Sincerely,

Sejana Yoo aka @SejanaShines

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