Randall Caselman
Bella Vista Church of Christ
2/22/98 am
Becoming Living Memorials
Reading – Joshua 4.1-9, 20-24 & 5.13-15
How is your memory? What we remember is no trivial matter. What we remember to a large extent, determines who we are and what we become. Can I say that again? What we remember determines who we are and what we will become.
You see, what we remember is critical.
- Skeletons in our closet haunt us.
- Guilt burdens us.
- Remembering past failures depresses us.
I believe this is why childhood is so carefree and refreshing, there are few if any bad memories. Parents... Grandparents, if you want your children to have a joyous childhood, hedge them, protect them from bad memories.
Our question this morning is this, what should we remember? This is important... It effects all of life. For instance, if you remember hateful things, if we focus on the mistakes and failures of a brother, we will treat him hateful. But, if we focus on his good, on his spiritual gifts, then we will be more likely to encourage and support him and his daily walk. Do we feel good about ourselves or do we always dwell on the negative? What we remember has a lot to do with determining who we are and what we will become.
The Bible is replete with instructions and encouragement, even commands to remember the right things. Listen to these admonitions:
- Numbers 15.40, Remember all My commandments and be Holy.
- Deuteronomy 5.15, Remember you were slaves in Egypt and the Lord brought you out.
- Ecclesiastes 12.1, Remember your Creator in the days of your youth.
- Isaiah 40.8-9, Remember I am God, there is no other before Me and My ways will not be throated.
You see church, how we live our life daily depends upon how we deal with God and His commandments.
- Paul told Timothy, Remember Jesus Christ raised from the dead. How we deal with death and dying, to a large extent, depends upon whether we believe Jesus is risen from the dead and that we will also.
- Jesus tells us that memory plays a part in our worship, This do in remembrance of Me.
Judaism had its feast days, Passover, Pentecost, Purim and Tabernacles. These celebration days called the Hebrew people to remember what God had done for them.
Christianity has its memorials too, in the Lord’s Supper. This communion event calls us to:
- Remember His body broken for us.
- Remember His blood shed for our sins.
- It calls us to remember what we are doing by examining ourselves.
- It demands we remember His promised return.
Yes, who we are, how we live our lives, what we will become tomorrow, to a large extent are dependant upon what we remember. The secret to victorious living is remembering the right things.
OK — Let’s look at this historical narrative from our text.
The Israelite people were ready to cross the Jordan. It was spring, and the Jordan was flooded, every waddie was full. The river was out of its banks... That’s verse 18 of chapter 4. As the priest stepped into the waters, they parted. And all the people marched across safely. As a memorial of this great event, made possible by the hand of God, Joshua was instructed to carry 12 stones, one for each tribe, from the middle of the Jordan and to place him in Gilgal as a monument. Let this be a sign, a monument, a memorial to your children.
Now from this text, let’s see what stones we may need in order to be a living memorial to God. Peter uses this concept, when he writes, we are to be living stones in God’s house. We are to be living memorials to our children, to our neighbors, to our friends, and to the world. Is this what you want to be? I hope it is. I want my children, my grandchildren, you in this church, to remember me as a living memorial, a walking, talking remembrance of God. I want others to see what God can do with, to, for and through a sinner unclean, who is willing to become a living sacrifice, a living memorial.
This morning, if we will become a living memorial for God, we must:
FIRST, BE INVOLVED IN A GODLY PROJECT.
Read verse one through 1-6. God commanded... Joshua obeyed. Joshua involved himself in God’s project of building a monument of remembrance.
The challenge to us this morning is this:
- Do something spiritual.
- Take time to work for Jesus.
- Be willing to be about the Father’s business.
Isn’t it time we took on some responsibility for Christ’s sake. You see, it’s time we stopped making all our efforts selfish ones. We do that so much, don’t we? It’s: my work, my hobbies, my entertainment, my spare time, my house, my money, my career, my education, my golf game, my friends.
Do we not understand that none of these things would be ours, if it were not for God blessing us? Many of us are doing little in the Kingdom of God... Just coming to services and warming a pew. What are we doing for Christ’s sake... What are we doing for Jesus? What project have I taken on for Him?
- Speaking to others in His name?
- Teaching a class?
- Agreeing to go on a mission trip or campaign?
- Calling on the sick?
- Giving to the poor?
- Cooking a special dish for a shut-in?
- Working one day a week in the church office?
- Volunteering at the hospital?
- Raising our children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord?
There are so many potential Godly projects available, surely we can find one or more.
Now, I know what you’re thinking... Isn’t this the same sermon you preached last week? It sure is... and I make no apologizes until we find our place, our project in this church and begin to work on it. I had a Godly lady say to me last week, your sermon helped me make up my mind, can I work in the church library. How many of us will be like Jamie Willmon and make up our mind today to become a living memorial in this church? Folk, when life is done, what will you and your preacher be remembered for? Will we be remembered for a Godly project or for some worldly project?
Jesus said, I came to do the will of the Father. You see, Jesus came to work on a GODLY PROJECT! Jesus’ life is remembered for His burning passion to do the will of the Father. Question!... Would we be here this morning enjoying the spiritual blessing we have if Jesus had not taken on this project?... Or if He had been OVERLY concerned with:
- His education,
- A career in carpentry,
- His spare time,
- His investments,
- His golf game... etc?
Church, it’s not so much that we don’t know the will of God. We just don’t have that burning passion to do it! Living memorials begin with:
- Finding our place in the Kingdom.
- Doing God’s will.
- By being involved in God’s project.
SECONDLY, WE MUST FINISH THE WORK, BE PATIENT, PERSEVERE, KEEP ON KEEPING ON.
Once saved always saved is not a Bible concept. We must persevere. Look, if you will, at verse ten. The priest stood in the middle of the Jordan until everything was finished. I’ll bet that wasn’t easy, standing in the middle of a flood ravaged river with a wall of turbulent water boiling around. This took courage. Courage is most often displayed in our life by patience. I don’t know what your struggles are, but you can be a living memorial by your patients.
Think about it...
- Abraham waiting for God to fulfill His promise of a Son.
- Joseph waiting for God to work things out in Egypt.
- Israel waiting for the Promise Land of milk and honey.
God never gets in a hurry... His timing is always perfect... So be patient. Church, life is a seventy to eighty year project. I used to think, when I reached thirty, I will know enough. And in my teen years, I knew that must be true, because I was so smart then. But now that I’m almost sixty... Note Mary I said almost... I’m not there yet. Now that I’m almost sixty, I understand that God is not through with me yet. He still has things He wants to teach me... He still has things He wants me to do.
James said something about this in his writings, Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops (WHAT?) Perseverance. (Listen now!) And Perseverance must finish its work (WHY)) so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. You see, Life is a seventy to eighty year project.
By the way, do you know what the reward is for Patience and Perseverance? Hebrews 10.36 tells us, You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised... That you might receive the reward.
Becoming a living memorial means that we must be willing:
- To stand in the flood,
- Be patient in the difficult times.
- Persevere in God’s project.
We must let God finish the work He began in us so that we can claim the reward.
THIRDLY, WE MUST FOLLOW THE BIBLICAL PATTERN.
Note verse five, verse eight, nine and twenty. Joshua built this memorial as God instructed. Living memorials must be built according to the pattern.
There is a big argument today about whether or not the New Testament contains a pattern for right, correct living.... Of course it does. And when we follow the pattern, we are blessed by God. When we do not we fall under His curse.
Listen to His warning, Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book. My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. And if anyone takes words away from this book of prophecy, God will take away from him his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. Does this sound to you like God has given us a pattern to be followed? Paul admonishes us to, follow him, even as he had followed Christ. To become a living memorial, we must follow the pattern.
NUMBER FOUR, WE MUST UNDERSTAND THAT WE ARE BUILDING TWO MEMORIALS.
When we read this text, we realize that there were actually two monuments constructed. Did you notice that?
- One was at Gilgal... Read verse twenty with me. And Joshua set up at Gilgal the twelve stones they had taken out of the Jordan.
- Then there was another constructed in the middle of the Jordan river... Note verse nine. And Joshua set up twelve stones in the mist of Jordan. In the place where the feet of the priest stood with the Ark of the Covenant.
So, we have one memorial that is seen and one that is not seen. One in Gilgal and one in the flooded Jordan river.
Follow me now... If we are going to be a living memorial some of our greatest work, some of our greatest service, to God will be: covered, unseen, known only to Him and to us.
Georgia used to have a devotional calendar with this thought printed on it, Perhaps at the Last Day, all that will remain worth recalling of a life full of activity will be those things done solely beneath the eyes of God.
Folk, bottom line is this, Living Memorials are being constructed when we follow the Biblical pattern, both publicly and privately. Doing what God asks when no one is watching... Except God. I hope we are as much God’s person in private as we are in public. I don’t know about you, but this is the hard part isn’t it?
FIFTHLY, WE MUST BOW IN REVERENCE TO GOD.
Look at verses thirteen through fifteen of chapter 5. As Joshua looks over the city of Jericho, he sees a Man with a drawn sword in His hand. This is one of the theophanies of the Bible... The appearance of the pre-incarnate Jesus in the Old Testament... Joshua sees Jesus.
- Like Abraham on the plains of Mamre.
- Hagar in the wilderness.
- Moses in the burning bush on Sinai.
- And the Son of God in the fiery furnace of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.
Now Joshua does what any right thinking individual would do when He sees God... Falls on His face in reverence. Listen to me church, some of us here this morning need to fall on our face before God in TOTAL... TOTAL... TOTAL submission to Him. The voice echoes from Sinai... No other god’s before me. Question!... What is standing in our way of becoming a living memorial? What is standing in your way of becoming a child of God this morning? What are we placing before God that keeps us from total submission to Him?
On his face on the Damascus road, Paul heard this same Jesus say:
- Why are you kicking against the pricks.
- Why are you kicking against the goads?
- Paul, why are you resisting me.
Jesus is here this morning goading us, encouraging us, and He is asking WHY?
- Why are we not placing Him first and foremost in our lives.
- Why are we not obeying what we know to be right?
- Why are we resisting becoming a living memorial?
The invitation is for each of us to become a living memorial.
- If you need to become a child of God, do so by faith, repentance and baptism today.
- If you need to find your place to work in the church, do it today.
- If you need to make some things right with God and others, don’t put it off.
- If you need the prayers of the church... Ask for them.
- If you need to confess some faults, this is your opportunity.
- If you are a baptized believer and are looking for a church home, you are welcome here.
Come to Jesus, become a living memorial, as we stand and sing this invitation song.... Will you come?
