Memorial Day

Memorial Day - Short history lesson

• Originally called "Decoration Day" for the practice of decorating soldiers' graves, it was first observed nationally in 1868.
• By the 1950s, the day became a day not only to honor the fallen, but to celebrate America
• 1967 - the name was formerly recognized as "Memorial Day" by Federal Law.
• 1968 - Federal Law changed the date from May 30th to the last Monday of the month, along with Washington's Birthday and Veterans' Day, largely for the convenience of a three-day weekend.
• In the last 100 years alone, over 600,000 people have died defending the freedoms we enjoy and so often take for granted.

Jesus said, "There is no greater love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends." (John 15:13)  Paul expounded upon Christ's sacrifice in his letter to the Romans, saying, "Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good." (Romans 5:7)

As we prepare to observe Memorial Day, and to remember the sacrifices made by those who willingly laid down their lives that we may live ours, it is fitting that we should remember the greatest sacrifice made on our behalf, and how the cross of Christ stands as the ultimate reminder of God's great love toward us.

First, let us consider what the Old Testament tells us about what God does NOT remember.

God Himself declares “I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more." (Isaiah 43:25 NIV)

Micah 7:18-19 - The sea of forgetfulness

Psalm 103:8-18 - "He remembers we are only dust..."

The author of Hebrews reminds the reader of the Old Testament words concerning the new covenant to come, fulfilled in Jesus, and sealed by the Holy Spirit,"And the Holy Spirit also testifies that this is so. For he says, “This is the new covenant I will make with my people on that day, says the Lord: I will put my laws in their hearts, and I will write them on their minds.”  Then he says, “I will never again remember their sins and lawless deeds.” (Hebrews 10:15-17)

In Psalm 111, we read, "He causes us to remember his wonderful works." (v.4)  Jesus told his disciples, and by extension, us, that the Holy Spirit "will teach you everything and will remind you of everything I have told you." (John 14:26)  Just a couple of lines down, the Psalmist assures us that God "always remembers his covenant." (v.5)  In fact, God says, "See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands..." (Isaiah 49:16) 

2 Peter 3:1-2 - In order to be reminded, we must become intimately familiar with the word.

In the midst of mourning the fall and destruction of Jerusalem in the hands of the Babylonians as a result of the judgment of God, the prophet Jeremiah yet declared, "Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the Lord never ends!  His mercies never cease.  Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning." (Lamentations 3:21-23)

Isaiah wrote, "You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you!" (Isaiah 26:3)  As we take time to remember the brave, selfless soldiers who purchased our freedoms with their own blood, let us also remember to keep our eyes firmly fixed upon Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith (Hebrews 12:2), and to endeavor to increasingly understand and grasp the freedom God Himself has graced us with. 

Let's make every day a memorial day.

Great Disappointment, Blessed Hope

"The End is Near!  Jesus is coming on..."

• Harold Camping - May 21st, 2011 (also 1994)
• Edgar Whisenant - September 12, 1988
• William Miller - October 22, 1844 (also 3/21/43-3/21/44) -- aka "The Great Disappointment"

Easter messages - Remember, people of Jesus' day also expected Him to come in His glory.  "Hosanna!" cries of hope, of justice, of deliverance.  "Crucify Him!" cries of disappointment, of disillusionment, of anger.  Today, same expectation, same misguided hope. 

What are the signs of His coming?

Matthew 24:3-51  

Mark 13:32-37  

John 14:3 "When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. "

• Be ready.  Think insurance, seat belts, fire detectors, preparedness plans (CDC?)

• The Wedding Procession 

  • The bridegroom’s friends went, usually by night, to fetch the bride and her attendants to the home of the groom

  • The joyousness of it all is witnessed by the proverbial “voice of the bridegroom” and the cry, “Behold the bridegroom cometh!”

• The Wedding Supper 

  • Held at the home of the groom / parents of the groom

  • It is the bringing home of an already accredited bride to her covenanted husband

  • The bridegroom is absent at the house of a relative or friend, where men congregate in the evening for the purpose of escorting him home. When he indicates that it is time to go, all rise up, and candles and torches are supplied to those who are to form the procession, and they move off. 

  • As at the house where the bridegroom receives his friends before starting some come late, and speeches of congratulation have to be made, and poems have to be recited or sung in praise of the groom, and to the honor of his family, it is often near midnight when the procession begins.

  • The women take up the peculiar cry of wedding joy that tells those farther along that the pageant has started. This cry is taken up all along the route, and gives warning to those who are waiting with the bride that it is time to arise and light up the approach, and welcome the bridegroom with honor. 

  • Meanwhile, as the night wears on, and the duties of robing the bride and adorning the house are all done, a period of relaxing and drowsy waiting sets in.

  • (upon the bridegroom’s arrival) the doors would be closed, leaving within the relatives and invited guests

The Bridegroom Comes

Acts 1:11 "Men of Galilee,” they said, “why are you standing here staring into heaven? Jesus has been taken from you into heaven, but someday he will return from heaven in the same way you saw him go!”  

1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 

2 Thessalonians  1:7-10, 2:1-12  

Luke 12:35-40  

Personal Application

Hebrews 9:28 "He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him."  

James 5:7-8 "Dear brothers and sisters,[c] be patient as you wait for the Lord’s return. Consider the farmers who patiently wait for the rains in the fall and in the spring. They eagerly look for the valuable harvest to ripen. 8 You, too, must be patient. Take courage, for the coming of the Lord is near." 

2 Peter 3:3-15  

Romans 5:5 And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because he has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with his love.  

Titus 2:11-14 "For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with wisdom, righteousness, and devotion to God, while we look forward with hope to that wonderful day when the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, will be revealed.  He gave his life to free us from every kind of sin, to cleanse us, and to make us his very own people, totally committed to doing good deeds. " 

1 Peter 3:15-16 And if someone asks about your Christian hope, always be ready to explain it.  But do this in a gentle and respectful way.  

Rev 22:17,20 "The Spirit and the bride say, “Come.” Let anyone who hears this say, “Come.” Let anyone who is thirsty come. Let anyone who desires drink freely from the water of life. …  He who is the faithful witness to all these things says, “Yes, I am coming soon!” Amen! Come, Lord Jesus!"

Mother’s Day

Happy Mother's Day!

I'm going to start this morning by talking about fear.  Now, if you're wondering what fear has to do with Mother's Day, all you have to do is conjure up a memory of "that look," and you'll know the kind of gut-wrenching, bone-chilling fear that only mothers can convey. 

But, no, that's not the kind of fear that I'm talking about.  THIS fear is "the fear of the Lord."  Rather than get into a in-depth study on the term, I simply want to preface this morning's message with a general understanding of "the fear of the Lord."  The book of Proverbs begins by telling us, "fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge."  It is the cornerstone of wisdom.

"Fear" in reference to God, for the believer, has nothing to do with terror.  In fact, 1 John 4:17-18 says, "And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world.  Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love."

No, "fear," in this respect, involves awe and respect, a healthy acknowledgement that we are not dealing with an ancient historical figure, or the "big guy upstairs."  It is recognizing that He is the One who created all things, the One who holds all things together, the One who formed us in our mothers' wombs, the One who knows us by name, the One who knows the number of hairs on our heads, the One who knows the precise number of our days, the One who alone can perceive the hidden motivations and attitudes of our hearts, and who loves us anyway, the One who sent His son to a brutal, bloody death in our place, the One who the Psalms say places the lonely in families.  I could go on and on, but the point here is that when you stop to consider all these specific aspects of Who God is, you should be provoked to a deeper sense of awe, reverence, and respect .  THIS is the fear of the Lord.  Keep that in mind, because I will return to it later.

I want to draw your attention to three separate snapshots of mothers in the Bible, and to touch upon just a handful of characteristics of a godly mother.  If I were to possibly try to paint even a mediocre picture of the traits and qualities inherent in motherhood, I would be doomed to failure, for mere words simply cannot convey such a thing.  So, we will take a brief look at these mothers, and will attempt to discern the common theme that unites these women from different cultures and different eras with the mothers of the "enlightened" 21st century in the western world.

Moses' Mothers - Exodus 1:6-2:10

• A mother has her child's best interest at heart, even above her own (also see 1 Kings 3:16-27)

Samuel's Mother - 1 Samuel 1, 2:1-11,18-21

• A mother remembers that her children are "a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him."  (Psalm 127:3)
• A mother entrusts her children to the Lord, giving them back to Him in her heart.

Jesus' Mother - Luke 1:26-2:56

• A mother trusts God that He is able to do exceedingly, abundantly, more than she could ever ask or imagine.

Conclusion

The common denominator for these mothers is a total, unconditional love for their children undergirded by a "fear of the Lord," not a fear of punishment or of rejection, but of awe and wonder at the One who carefully and purposely formed their babies in the womb, the One who entrusted them with the responsibility and honor of loving and nurturing this precious life.  I believe that it takes nothing more than to gaze into the face of a new-born baby to evoke that sense of awe and wonder.  But think about this…  God Himself loved us so much that He took on that experience Himself, and in doing so, entrusted Himself into the hands of women and men so that He could be fully identify with us.

The common denominator is that kind of fear of the Lord.  Proverbs 31 tells us of the wife of noble character, and concludes with fitting words for the observance of Mother's Day, "Her children stand and bless her.  Her husband praises her: “There are many virtuous and capable women in the world, but you surpass them all!”  Charm is deceptive, and beauty does not last; but a woman who fears the Lord will be greatly praised.  Reward her for all she has done.  Let her deeds publicly declare her praise."

Happy Mother's Day to each and every of the mothers, grandmothers, godmothers, aunts, as well as to all those women who have given selflessly of themselves to invest in the lives of children.  You have been, as Stephen Curtis Chapman sings, changing the world one little heartbeat at a time, ministering God's unconditional love to the next generation.

He is Risen! … Now What?

In the forty days immediately following the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Bible speaks of several of His appearances.  In 1 Corinthians 15:5-8, written about 20-25 years afterward, Paul attests to the eyewitness testimonies of those who personally saw the risen Lord during those forty days.  Such people, including himself, who encountered Jesus some time after the ascension, lent veracity to the message of the Good News which was rapidly spreading.

We discussed the first two appearances last week, but we will briefly revisit the accounts.

To Mary Magdalene and another Mary (Matthew 28:9-10)

• They were the first to see Him on that Sunday.  Women in the first century were second-class citizens.  It is telling, then, that Jesus would choose to be seen by them first.
• He instructed them to tell the disciples.

To Cleopas and his companion on the road to Emmaus / To Peter (Luke 24:13-35)

• Like Mary, they didn't immediately recognize Jesus in His glorified body.
• Jesus spoke to them of the Old Testament prophecies concerning the Messiah.
• Jesus broke bread with them, at which point their eyes were opened.
• Upon sharing the news with the disciples, they also learned that Jesus had appeared to Peter.

To the disciples in Jerusalem (John 20:19-23)

• The disciples had sequestered themselves away behind closed doors.  They had been in hiding since Jesus' arrest, and the sheer horror of the crucifixion would have provided a sobering reminder of the dangers of challenging the Romans, of angering the Jewish leaders.
• The joy they experienced at His tangible presence among them emboldened them. ( "The joy of the Lord is my strength."  "For the joy set before Him, he endured the cross.")
• Jesus was now sending them out.  No more closed doors.  No more fear of man.
• Jesus prepared them for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost.

To the disciples and Thomas (John 20:24-29)

• "Doubting Thomas" has gotten a bad reputation, but the truth is, almost all the disciples wrestled with doubt.  John was convinced upon seeing the empty tomb, but others needed a little more time and proof.
• Jesus was patient with Thomas' desire to see and feel for Himself, but then admonished him to "be faithless no longer!  Believe!"
• We are blessed because, although we have not personally seen Jesus, we have believed the testimonies of those early eyewitnesses who did, and who shared their stories with others.  Had the disciples stayed locked away behind those closed doors out of fear of man, the Gospel never would have made it past the first century.

To seven of the disciples at the Sea of Galilee (John 21:1-23)

• Again, the disciples didn't immediately recognize Jesus (for it was dark), but when they were rewarded for obeying  His instruction to cast their nets again, John realized Who it was.  Peter, upon the news, now rushed to Jesus.
• Jesus gave Peter two instructions: "Follow me," and "Feed my sheep."  The one who had publicly denied knowing Jesus was now publicly restored and commissioned.

To the disciples at the mountain in Galilee for the Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20)

• Some continued to doubt.  Is it any surprise, then, that we in the 21st century, who have not personally seen Jesus wrestle with doubt?  Yet, more has been written about Jesus than any other historical figure, most of whom we accept without question.

• Do we doubt perhaps because of the claims of Jesus?  Because of the implications of what it would mean if He was Who He said He was?
• Jesus “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations,[a] baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

To the disciples at the Mount of Olives, where He ascended (Luke 24:50-55)

• Jesus blesses His disciples ("supremely blessed; by extension fortunate, well off, blessed, happy.")
• The ascension from the Mount of Olives was significant, too, as it had marked the start of Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, and it was prophesied in Zechariah 14 that the Messiah would set foot upon the mountain upon his coming.

Luke begins the book of Acts where his Gospel ended with a recap of the forty days between the resurrection and the ascension, expositing upon the purposes of those specific events.

• 2 - To give His disciples further instructions through the Holy Spirit.

• 3 - To prove to His disciples "in many ways" (the empty tomb, explaining Scripture, breaking bread, disappearing, appearing in a locked room, the wounds, the fishing tips, etc.) that He was alive.

• 3 - To talk with them about the Kingdom of God.  Luke relates in his Gospel (Luke 24:45) that Jesus "opened their minds to understand the Scriptures."  They had heard many of His teachings prior to His crucifixion, but now Jesus enabled them to fully understand all that He had taught.

• 4-5 - To prepare them for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, who would teach them everything and remind them of everything He had told them, who would testify all about him, who would convict the world of its sin, of God's righteousness, and of the coming judgment (John 14, 15, 16).

• 8 - To prepare them for the next phase of their mission - To be His witnesses to Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

The question has been asked, "Why doesn't the Bible record the specific teachings of Jesus during those 40 days?"  The answer is simple, and is found in three words in John's gospel -- "It is finished!"

So, as another Easter fades into our memories, we are also challenged with the question -- "He is Risen!  Now what?"

• Open up the doors!  Live joyously in Him, with no fear of man.

• Banish doubt!  Blessed are you who believe without having seen Him!

• Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.

• Be taught and led by the Holy Spirit.  Become intimately familiar with Christ through His word.

• Go, and be His witnesses, in word and deed!

• Remember Jesus said, "I am with you always, even to the end of the age."