MEMORIAL STONESMemorial Day is a time to be

reminded of the sacrifices others made for us to enjoy

what we have today.

MEMORIAL DAY

• Background and history• The old name was “Decoration Day”• Now it is one of the “Monday holidays”• I want to think about the:– Need for memorials– Use of memorials– Nature of memorials

• AND the Christian’s memorial stones

THE NEED FOR MEMORIALS

• Deuteronomy 6:12-15 12 then beware, lest you forget the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage. 13 You shall fear the LORD your God and serve Him, and shall take oaths in His name. 14 You shall not go after other gods, the gods of the peoples who are all around you 15 (for the LORD your God is a jealous God among you), lest the anger of the LORD your God be aroused against you and destroy you from the face of the earth.

THE NEED FOR MEMORIALS

• WE HAVE SHORT MEMORIES– Church attendance spike after 9/11– 3 months later – attendance was back to pre 9/11

• When in danger we turn to God• When the danger is over – we soon forget the

God who helped us

THE USE OF MEMORIALS

• TEACH OUR CHILDREN OF GOD’S POWER• Joshua 4:6-7 6 that this may be a sign among you

when your children ask in time to come, saying, 'What do these stones mean to you?‘ 7 Then you shall answer them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. And these stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever."

THE USE OF MEMORIALS

• TEACH OUR CHILDREN OF GOD’S POWER• Joshua 4:21-23 21 Then he spoke to the children

of Israel, saying: "When your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, 'What are these stones?' 22 then you shall let your children know, saying, 'Israel crossed over this Jordan on dry land'; 23 for the LORD your God dried up the waters of the Jordan before you until you had crossed over, as the LORD your God did to the Red Sea, which He dried up before us until we had crossed over,

THE USE OF MEMORIALS

• TEACH OUR CHILDREN OF GOD’S POWER

• Memorial stones serve as a basis of sharing our faith with our children.

• Christianity is never more than one generation away from extinction.

THE USE OF MEMORIALS

• TEACH OUR CHILDREN OF GOD’S POWER• REACH OTHERS WITH OUR MESSAGE• Joshua 4:24 that all the peoples of the

earth may know the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty, that you may fear the LORD your God forever.

THE USE OF MEMORIALS

• TEACH OUR CHILDREN OF GOD’S POWER• REACH OTHERS WITH OUR MESSAGE• God wanted ALL people on earth to know

that He alone is God.• While we teach our children, we should

also teach all men on earth.

THE USE OF MEMORIALS

• TEACH OUR CHILDREN OF GOD’S POWER• REACH OTHERS WITH OUR MESSAGE• Matthew 5:16 Let your light so shine before

men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.

• Philippians 2:15 that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world,

THE NATURE OF MEMORIALS

• ENDURING• Joshua 4:7 Then you shall answer them

that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. And these stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever."

THE NATURE OF MEMORIALS

• ENDURING• The memorial must be a perpetual

declaration of the power of God.

• Proverbs 22:28 Do not remove the ancient landmark which your fathers have set.

• NOTE: Some are now seeking to remove the “ancient landmarks” from America.

THE NATURE OF MEMORIALS

• ENDURING• UNMISTAKABLE• Joshua 4:8 And the children of Israel did so,

just as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones from the midst of the Jordan, as the LORD had spoken to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them over with them to the place where they lodged, and laid them down there.

THE NATURE OF MEMORIALS

• ENDURING• UNMISTAKABLE• The 12 stones represented the 12 tribes• The stones from the Jordan River bottom

showed the power of God• The pile of stones demonstrated the

deliverance by God.

CHRISTIAN’S MEMORIALS

• BAPTISM Romans 6:3-4 3 Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.

CHRISTIAN’S MEMORIALS

• BAPTISM Romans 6:3-4

• THE CHURCH 1 Peter 2:9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

CHRISTIAN’S MEMORIALS

• BAPTISM Romans 6:3-4 • THE CHURCH 1 Peter 2:9

• THE LORD’S SUPPER 1 Corinthians 11:26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.

CHRISTIAN’S MEMORIALS

• BAPTISM Romans 6:3-4 • THE CHURCH 1 Peter 2:9 • THE LORD’S SUPPER 1 Corinthians 11:26

• OUR LIVES• 1 Peter 2:5 you also, as living stones, are being

built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

• 2 Corinthians 3:2

CHRISTIAN’S MEMORIALS

• BAPTISM Romans 6:3-4 • THE CHURCH 1 Peter 2:9 • THE LORD’S SUPPER 1 Corinthians 11:26

• OUR LIVES• 1 Peter 2:5• 2 Corinthians 3:2 You are our epistle written in

our hearts, known and read by all men.

REMEMBER

• Just as Israel was to remember the pile of stones, we must remember:

1.To have faith in God2.To obey His commands in baptism3.To remember Christ’s death in communion4.To live faithful to God every day