INTRODUCTION

1. Our memories of the past are wonderful gifts from God.

   1. Our memories allow us to replay events that can never be recreated.

   2. They allow us to recall people who have departed from this life.

   3. They allow us to learn and grow as they teach us lessons about what to do and what not to do.

   4. They are the foundation for gratitude, for we are made thankful when we remember blessings that have already been given.

   5. They also give us reason for hope, for when we recall past blessings and answered prayers, we are reminded of God's love and care for us. As Romans 8:32 says, "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things?"

2. We should use this gift to its full, godly advantages as God intended.

   1. When we have done all the Lord requires for repentance and forgiveness, let us not dwell on our past sins, failures, and lost opportunities.

   2. Likewise, when others have repented and sought forgiveness, let us not dwell on their shortcomings and hold grudges against them.

   3. Instead, our memories should be governed by the instructions of Philippians 4:8:

      Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.

   4. Therefore, when our minds dwell on things of the past, let us thoughtfully find the good parts of every memory and joyfully meditate on them.

3. We should also count it as a great blessing to be in the memories of others.

   1. An old song says, "Tis sweet to be remembered."  Indeed, it is a joy to know that others are thinking of us.

   2. Most importantly, let us be aware that God always retains us in His memory.  For those of us who have entered into the new covenant of Christ, God has forgotten our sins, and He remembers only that we are His forgiven people (Heb. 8:8-13).

       

REMEMBERING THE LORD

1. Our sweetest memories begin with one whom we never saw with our own eyes, the Lord Jesus, our Savior.

   1. The memory of Jesus Christ should be ever-present in the mind of every Christian.  In 2Timothy 2:8 Paul wrote, "Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descendant of David, according to my gospel."  Truly, He should always be on our minds.

   2. Of course, the only way we can remember Jesus is according to the gospel, for our knowledge of Christ comes from the word of God and not from personally witnessing Him.

   3. Although we have not seen Christ, our memory of Him is not diminished at all.  Consider 1Peter 1:8, which says, "...and though you have not seen Him, you love Him, and though you do not see Him now, but believe in Him, you greatly rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory."

   4. Indeed, we love Him and believe in Him without seeing because we have heard the gospel from those who did see Him (Heb. 1:1; 1John 1:1-4).

2. Each week the assembled church observes the memorial to Christ in the Lord's Supper because we remember Him.

   1. Jesus ordained this memorial Himself.  Consider 1Corinthians 11:23-25:

      ²³For I received from the Lord that which I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus in the night in which He was betrayed took bread; ²⁴and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, "This is My body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of Me."  ²⁵In the same way He took the cup also after supper, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in My blood; do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me."

   2. This memorial is not observed because we would otherwise forget the Lord, but rather it demonstrates that we remember Him always. "For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until He comes" (1Cor. 11:26).

   3. By this memorial, we remember the Lord's anguish on the cross, His tortured body, His shed blood, His resurrection, and His promise to come again.  We remember that He "died for our sins according to the Scriptures" (1Cor. 15:3) and that we therefore have hope by faith in Him.

       

REMEMBERING FELLOW CHRISTIANS

1. In addition to remembering the Lord, we should also remember our brothers and sisters in Christ.

   1. When we remember Christ, we must remember that He died for all of us.  Consider 1John 4:10-11:

      ¹⁰In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.  ¹¹Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

   2. In our Christ-based love for one another, we ought always to remember one another.

2. The assembly of ourselves creates memories of one another when we are apart.

   1. The encouragement we receive while together carries over to the times we are apart.  Notice Hebrews 10:24-25:

      ²⁴And let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds, ²⁵not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near.

   2. It is a blessing to remember one another fondly and to know that we are in one another's thoughts and prayers.

3. We must also remember those who cannot assemble with us.

   1. In Hebrews 13:3, the Scripture says, "Remember the prisoners, as though in prison with them, and those who are ill-treated, since you yourselves also are in the body."  We may not know any members of the body of Christ who are in prison, but this message has applications to others we do know.

      1. Some of our brothers and sisters in Christ are virtually imprisoned due to sickness, disease, the infirmities of age, and other physical ailments.  We must not forget them.

      2. These Christians are still part of the local church.  Their inability to assemble with us does not at all diminish their place in the body.

   2. Our memories of those who are homebound and cannot assemble with us must be more than mere thoughts.

      1. Our memory of these Christians must be empathetic "as though in prison with them."  As fellow members of the body of Christ, "if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it" (1Cor. 12:26).

      2. The way we remember such Christians is a defining quality of our religion, for James 1:27 says, "Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world."

      3. Just as James says we cannot have faith and John says we cannot have love unless we help our brethren in need (Jas. 2:15-16; 1John 3:17), so also we cannot rightly remember our shut-in brethren unless we do what we can to help them.

4. Furthermore, we should remember our fellow Christians who are separated from us by distance.

   1. When Paul was imprisoned and unable to be with the Philippian Christians, he wrote in Philippians 1:3-4, "³I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, ⁴always offering prayer with joy in my every prayer for you all."

   2. Likewise, when Paul had never been able to go to Colossae, he wrote to the Christians there, saying, "For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ" (Col. 2:5).  See also Romans 1:8-11; 1Corinthians 1:4; Ephesians 1:15-16; 1Thessalonians 1:2-3; 2Timothy 1:3.

   3. Like Paul, we should remember our fellow Christians who live away from us and keep them in our prayers.  Distance separates us, but our hearts remain close in fellowship through Christ Jesus.

       

CONCLUSION -- GOD REMEMBERS YOU

1. As we endeavor to remember the Lord and one another, let us realize that God always remembers us. Notice Isaiah 49:15 -- "Can a woman forget her nursing child and have no compassion on the son of her womb?  Even these may forget, but I will not forget you."

2. The evidence of God's memory is all around, for He gives us rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying our hearts with food and gladness (Acts 14:17).

3. Most importantly, we know He remembers us because He gave His Son for us, and He will raise us from the dead.  He always remembers us, but will we remember Him?