REMEMBERING TO REMEMBER

#1 · May 31, 2006, 1:47 pm

Quote from Forum Archives on May 31, 2006, 1:47 pm
Posted by: bhfbc <bhfbc@...>
REMEMBERING TO REMEMBER
May 28, 2006

TEXT: Joshua 23:1-16

With the world famous Indianapolis 500 being run every year on this weekend, local news is filled with reports of the status at the track. Even though this event is significant this weekend, it is not the reason that America has a Memorial Day holiday. Originally known as "Decoration Day," the holiday was established on May 5, 1868, by the Grand Army of the Republic, an organization of Union veterans. Envisioned as an opportunity for the nation to decorate the graves of the Civil War dead, General John Login declared May 30^th as the official date of commemoration because by that time, flowers would be in bloom all across the country. Ceremonies were first held at Arlington National Cemetery with children from the Soldiers' and Sailors' Orphan Home placing flowers on both Union and Confederate graves, all the while reciting prayers and singing hymns.

Since 1868, other wars around the globe have been fought by brave American men and women. The prosperity we share today has been purchased with their blood, sweat and tears. We must not forget the sacrifices of our fellow citizens who have risked and given their lives on hundreds of battlefields around the world. Nor can we forget the ongoing sacrifices of our Armed Forces men and women defending Americas freedoms on battlefields today.

Remembering our heritage is an inherent part of humanity. Without clear reminders of the staggering cost in human life and resources to secure and maintain our freedom, we quickly lose sight of the full value and meaning of our liberty. The veterans of the Civil War armies refused to allow the memory of their sacrifice slip by, and as a result, we still pause to remember the mission and the work of our Armed Forces 138 years later.

Remembering to remember has always been significant in the life of Gods people. The book of Joshua is an account of the epoch struggle of the Israelites to take possession of the land given to them by God. It is filled with the brutality and the totality of warfare. Verse 23 begins, After a long time had passed and the Lord had given Israel rest from their enemies around them For a period of about twenty-five years, the Israelites were engaged in warfare with enemies both within the land they were to possess and with some who neighbored Canaan. That is a long time to have to be at war, and, as they continued to learn, they were not done.

During this pause, Joshua saw fit to summon the people for the purpose of remembering and reflecting upon what had been done, what needed to be done, and how it was going to get done. Throughout this chapter, he calls his people to remember: Remember how I have allotted as an inheritance for your tribes all the land of the nations that remain - the nations I conquered - between the Jordan and the Great Sea in the west. The Lord your God himself will drive them out of your way. He will push them out before you, and you will take possession of their land, as the lord your God promised you. Be very strong; be careful to obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, without turning aside to the right or to the left. Do not associate with these nations that remain among you; do not invoke the names of their gods or swear by them. But you are to hold fast to the Lord your God, as you have until now. The Lord has driven out before you great and powerful nations; to this day no one has been able to withstand you. One of you routs a thousand, because the Lord your God fights for you, just as he promised. So be very careful to love the Lord your God.

No matter how many battles were won; no matter how fierce the conflict; no matter how long the campaign, it was clear to every Israelite that their first duty and responsibility was to remain humble, love the Lord, and obey Him. Without such dedication, the war was lost. In his next sentences, Joshua spoke of what would happen if they did not do this: the Lord your God will no longer drive out these nations before you If you violate the covenant of the Lord your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them, the Lords anger will burn against you, and you will quickly perish from the good land he has given you. It was important for the Israelites to remember all this. Unfortunately, history records what happened when they failed to remember and disobeyed the Lord. They lost what God had given them.

It is not a pleasant affair to speak of war. A war brings untold misery and suffering. I still recall the many photos from World War Two in the Time-Life and other anthologies capturing the images of a world at war. Children sitting nearly naked amidst the rubble of a once primrose European village or wandering amongst the corpses strewn about after a battle. Women, children, and old men struggling to escape the coming onslaught with what few goods they could carry on their backs or in wheelbarrows as they straggled for miles along some clogged road. The sight of executed civilians in front of the wall where they had just been shot. It is not pleasant to speak of war.

But if we do not speak of it, then we will not remember. We will not remember that we cannot afford to give tyranny a head start. We will not remember that we cannot afford to forget to preserve our liberties. We will not remember that we cannot afford to forget the Lord our God who has given to us, just as He gave to Israel their land, our liberties. And we must remember to remember.

It is not a pleasant affair to speak of war because it does not fit our image of Jesus the peacemaker. It is Jesus who commands us to turn the cheek and to bear anothers burden and to go an extra mile and to love our enemy. Going to war does not fit those images well, and there are some who would tell us, therefore, that we are not to fight.

And I would agree with them that I cannot readily imagine Jesus in a combat uniform with his rifle and grenades at the ready. But neither can I readily imagine Jesus standing idly by while tyrants grow in their demonic power to enslave helpless victims. I cannot readily imagine Jesus telling his followers to stand idly by and allow others to suffer so that they can refrain from conducting a war to free them. Jesus calls each follower to suffer for his sake, but I do not find where he calls each follower to allow others to suffer for their sake.

Until such time as God sees fit to cause his peace to reign, I will not refrain from going to war or supporting those who do. At the same time, I want to always monitor to see that our reasons are necessary and just. God has blessed me too much with His gift of liberty to do otherwise. And I believe that, overall, the reasons for our involvement in this current conflict are necessary and just. Consider this reflection from historian Stephen E. Ambrose: Nineteen forty-five was the worst year in human history - more people killed, more buildings destroyed, more high explosives, more fires than ever before or since. In 1945, the sight of a group of teenage Germans or Japanese or Red Army troops, in uniform and armed, brought terror to civilians in France, Belgium, Holland, Korea, the Philippines, China, Germany, Poland, and elsewhere. It brought terror because those squads of teen-age soldiers meant rape, pillage, looting, wanton murder, and senseless destruction. There was an exception: a squad of teen-age soldiers of democracy, in uniform and armed - because they meant candy, C-rations, cigarettes, and freedom. That was true in France, Belgium, Italy, the Philippines, China, even Germany, and, after August 1945, Japan. We had sent the best of our young men halfway around the world, in both directions, not to conquer, not to destroy, not to rule, but to liberate. (Stephen E. Ambrose, The Lasting Legacy of World War II, One of Freedoms Finest Hours, Hillsdale, Michigan: Hillsdale College Press, 2002, p. 6)

I am saddened to think what it must be like for families to honor the military sacrifices of their sons and daughters and husbands and wives and brothers and sisters who fought for a nation that did seek to destroy and conquer and dictate. I do not think it wrong for them to be honored; many combat veterans have expressed a comradeship that war brings even with enemy combatants. But I cannot imagine being as proud to honor our brave fighting men and women if I knew that we were attempting to conquer and not liberate. I am certain, however, that our military missions today are for the purpose of protecting not just America, but the world, from the deadly threats of terrorism, to liberate as many places as we can realistically do so from tyranny, and to rebuild that which our enemies have destroyed. Do I think that Stephen Ambroses depiction of the young, brave American soldiers in 1945 is still alive and well in 2006? Yes I do, very much so. After being able to contact Josh Brooker as soon as possible after his deployment to Iraq, I asked what we might be able to collect and send to him and his unit to help them. He responded with a list of items not for his or his comrades comfort, but for items they could give to the Iraqi children and civilians with whom they come into contact. I am certain that the image of the 1945 American G.I. described by Stephen Ambrose is still alive and well among this generation of G.I.s sacrificing for America today.

In the tradition of Joshua, Memorial Day is a time to remember to remember. You and I here this morning are extremely blessed. This Monday, the day of the actual holiday, we wont be experiencing it in Afghanistan or Iraq dressed in multiple layers of combat gear that make it look like we could be walking on the moon, laden with pounds of weapons and other equipment. Unlike the Israelites, we wont be experiencing this day fighting for our survival in a land overrun with enemies. We will, more than likely, be celebrating it at our homes or with family or friends. We may have cookouts or some other special meals. We may listen to a speech or catch a ballgame or watch highlights from the 500 or play with our children. We are extremely blessed. If we want to continue to be so blessed, then we need to remember to remember what Joshua tells us: Be very strong; be careful to obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, without turning aside to the right or to the left If you violate the covenant of the Lord your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them, the Lords anger will burn against you, and you will quickly perish from the good land he has given you.

A Chaplain of the Civil War wrote of a captain in the Georgia Brigade who was converted at one of the prayer meetings. The captain professed publicly: Men, I have led you into many a battle Alas! I have (also) led you into all manner of wickedness and vice I have enlisted under the banner of the Cross, and mean, by Gods help, to prove a faithful soldier of Jesus I call upon you, my brave boys, to follow me, as I shall try to follow the Captain of our salvation. (Memorial Day, Pastor to Pastor Fact Sheet, Focus on the Family, 1997) Be very strong; be careful to obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, without turning aside to the right or to the left.

Rev. Charles A. Layne
First Baptist Church
Bunker Hill, Indiana
-- To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: abesermons-unsubscribe@welovegod.org   

Posted by: bhfbc <bhfbc@...>

REMEMBERING TO REMEMBER
May 28, 2006

TEXT: Joshua 23:1-16

With the world famous Indianapolis 500 being run every year on this weekend, local news is filled with reports of the status at the track. Even though this event is significant this weekend, it is not the reason that America has a Memorial Day holiday. Originally known as "Decoration Day," the holiday was established on May 5, 1868, by the Grand Army of the Republic, an organization of Union veterans. Envisioned as an opportunity for the nation to decorate the graves of the Civil War dead, General John Login declared May 30^th as the official date of commemoration because by that time, flowers would be in bloom all across the country. Ceremonies were first held at Arlington National Cemetery with children from the Soldiers' and Sailors' Orphan Home placing flowers on both Union and Confederate graves, all the while reciting prayers and singing hymns.

Since 1868, other wars around the globe have been fought by brave American men and women. The prosperity we share today has been purchased with their blood, sweat and tears. We must not forget the sacrifices of our fellow citizens who have risked and given their lives on hundreds of battlefields around the world. Nor can we forget the ongoing sacrifices of our Armed Forces men and women defending Americas freedoms on battlefields today.

Remembering our heritage is an inherent part of humanity. Without clear reminders of the staggering cost in human life and resources to secure and maintain our freedom, we quickly lose sight of the full value and meaning of our liberty. The veterans of the Civil War armies refused to allow the memory of their sacrifice slip by, and as a result, we still pause to remember the mission and the work of our Armed Forces 138 years later.

Remembering to remember has always been significant in the life of Gods people. The book of Joshua is an account of the epoch struggle of the Israelites to take possession of the land given to them by God. It is filled with the brutality and the totality of warfare. Verse 23 begins, After a long time had passed and the Lord had given Israel rest from their enemies around them For a period of about twenty-five years, the Israelites were engaged in warfare with enemies both within the land they were to possess and with some who neighbored Canaan. That is a long time to have to be at war, and, as they continued to learn, they were not done.

During this pause, Joshua saw fit to summon the people for the purpose of remembering and reflecting upon what had been done, what needed to be done, and how it was going to get done. Throughout this chapter, he calls his people to remember: Remember how I have allotted as an inheritance for your tribes all the land of the nations that remain - the nations I conquered - between the Jordan and the Great Sea in the west. The Lord your God himself will drive them out of your way. He will push them out before you, and you will take possession of their land, as the lord your God promised you. Be very strong; be careful to obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, without turning aside to the right or to the left. Do not associate with these nations that remain among you; do not invoke the names of their gods or swear by them. But you are to hold fast to the Lord your God, as you have until now. The Lord has driven out before you great and powerful nations; to this day no one has been able to withstand you. One of you routs a thousand, because the Lord your God fights for you, just as he promised. So be very careful to love the Lord your God.

No matter how many battles were won; no matter how fierce the conflict; no matter how long the campaign, it was clear to every Israelite that their first duty and responsibility was to remain humble, love the Lord, and obey Him. Without such dedication, the war was lost. In his next sentences, Joshua spoke of what would happen if they did not do this: the Lord your God will no longer drive out these nations before you If you violate the covenant of the Lord your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them, the Lords anger will burn against you, and you will quickly perish from the good land he has given you. It was important for the Israelites to remember all this. Unfortunately, history records what happened when they failed to remember and disobeyed the Lord. They lost what God had given them.

It is not a pleasant affair to speak of war. A war brings untold misery and suffering. I still recall the many photos from World War Two in the Time-Life and other anthologies capturing the images of a world at war. Children sitting nearly naked amidst the rubble of a once primrose European village or wandering amongst the corpses strewn about after a battle. Women, children, and old men struggling to escape the coming onslaught with what few goods they could carry on their backs or in wheelbarrows as they straggled for miles along some clogged road. The sight of executed civilians in front of the wall where they had just been shot. It is not pleasant to speak of war.

But if we do not speak of it, then we will not remember. We will not remember that we cannot afford to give tyranny a head start. We will not remember that we cannot afford to forget to preserve our liberties. We will not remember that we cannot afford to forget the Lord our God who has given to us, just as He gave to Israel their land, our liberties. And we must remember to remember.

It is not a pleasant affair to speak of war because it does not fit our image of Jesus the peacemaker. It is Jesus who commands us to turn the cheek and to bear anothers burden and to go an extra mile and to love our enemy. Going to war does not fit those images well, and there are some who would tell us, therefore, that we are not to fight.

And I would agree with them that I cannot readily imagine Jesus in a combat uniform with his rifle and grenades at the ready. But neither can I readily imagine Jesus standing idly by while tyrants grow in their demonic power to enslave helpless victims. I cannot readily imagine Jesus telling his followers to stand idly by and allow others to suffer so that they can refrain from conducting a war to free them. Jesus calls each follower to suffer for his sake, but I do not find where he calls each follower to allow others to suffer for their sake.

Until such time as God sees fit to cause his peace to reign, I will not refrain from going to war or supporting those who do. At the same time, I want to always monitor to see that our reasons are necessary and just. God has blessed me too much with His gift of liberty to do otherwise. And I believe that, overall, the reasons for our involvement in this current conflict are necessary and just. Consider this reflection from historian Stephen E. Ambrose: Nineteen forty-five was the worst year in human history - more people killed, more buildings destroyed, more high explosives, more fires than ever before or since. In 1945, the sight of a group of teenage Germans or Japanese or Red Army troops, in uniform and armed, brought terror to civilians in France, Belgium, Holland, Korea, the Philippines, China, Germany, Poland, and elsewhere. It brought terror because those squads of teen-age soldiers meant rape, pillage, looting, wanton murder, and senseless destruction. There was an exception: a squad of teen-age soldiers of democracy, in uniform and armed - because they meant candy, C-rations, cigarettes, and freedom. That was true in France, Belgium, Italy, the Philippines, China, even Germany, and, after August 1945, Japan. We had sent the best of our young men halfway around the world, in both directions, not to conquer, not to destroy, not to rule, but to liberate. (Stephen E. Ambrose, The Lasting Legacy of World War II, One of Freedoms Finest Hours, Hillsdale, Michigan: Hillsdale College Press, 2002, p. 6)

I am saddened to think what it must be like for families to honor the military sacrifices of their sons and daughters and husbands and wives and brothers and sisters who fought for a nation that did seek to destroy and conquer and dictate. I do not think it wrong for them to be honored; many combat veterans have expressed a comradeship that war brings even with enemy combatants. But I cannot imagine being as proud to honor our brave fighting men and women if I knew that we were attempting to conquer and not liberate. I am certain, however, that our military missions today are for the purpose of protecting not just America, but the world, from the deadly threats of terrorism, to liberate as many places as we can realistically do so from tyranny, and to rebuild that which our enemies have destroyed. Do I think that Stephen Ambroses depiction of the young, brave American soldiers in 1945 is still alive and well in 2006? Yes I do, very much so. After being able to contact Josh Brooker as soon as possible after his deployment to Iraq, I asked what we might be able to collect and send to him and his unit to help them. He responded with a list of items not for his or his comrades comfort, but for items they could give to the Iraqi children and civilians with whom they come into contact. I am certain that the image of the 1945 American G.I. described by Stephen Ambrose is still alive and well among this generation of G.I.s sacrificing for America today.

In the tradition of Joshua, Memorial Day is a time to remember to remember. You and I here this morning are extremely blessed. This Monday, the day of the actual holiday, we wont be experiencing it in Afghanistan or Iraq dressed in multiple layers of combat gear that make it look like we could be walking on the moon, laden with pounds of weapons and other equipment. Unlike the Israelites, we wont be experiencing this day fighting for our survival in a land overrun with enemies. We will, more than likely, be celebrating it at our homes or with family or friends. We may have cookouts or some other special meals. We may listen to a speech or catch a ballgame or watch highlights from the 500 or play with our children. We are extremely blessed. If we want to continue to be so blessed, then we need to remember to remember what Joshua tells us: Be very strong; be careful to obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, without turning aside to the right or to the left If you violate the covenant of the Lord your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods and bow down to them, the Lords anger will burn against you, and you will quickly perish from the good land he has given you.

A Chaplain of the Civil War wrote of a captain in the Georgia Brigade who was converted at one of the prayer meetings. The captain professed publicly: Men, I have led you into many a battle Alas! I have (also) led you into all manner of wickedness and vice I have enlisted under the banner of the Cross, and mean, by Gods help, to prove a faithful soldier of Jesus I call upon you, my brave boys, to follow me, as I shall try to follow the Captain of our salvation. (Memorial Day, Pastor to Pastor Fact Sheet, Focus on the Family, 1997) Be very strong; be careful to obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, without turning aside to the right or to the left.

Rev. Charles A. Layne
First Baptist Church
Bunker Hill, Indiana

-- To unsubscribe, send ANY message to: abesermons-unsubscribe@welovegod.org