Of Faith and Duty

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Sunday morning, the 28th of October, 2018 at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  Look for the video of this and our other services on our Vimeo channel:  http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]

During the three short years of His ministry on earth, Jesus tried so hard to get folks to understand the truth of our Father God and what He has planned for us.  He kept telling us what is truly important in our life, and too often that was not what we ourselves had made out to be important.  Simple faith is one of those things, and not only the importance of faith but what we should do with it.

Sometimes. it seems that His closest followers - His chosen disciples, His apostles - were the toughest to get the point across to.  Please listen and follow along to one such time when Jesus tried to teach His disciples about faith, as recorded by the Apostle Luke in chapter 17 of his Gospel account, verses 5 through 10, reading from the Modern English Version of our Holy Bible…

5 The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.”

6 The Lord said, “If you had faith as a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and be planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you.

7 “Which of you, having a servant plowing or herding sheep, will say to him when he has come in from the field, ‘Come now and sit down for dinner’? 8 Will he not rather say to him, ‘Prepare my supper, and dress yourself and serve me until I eat and drink. And afterward you will eat and drink’? 9 Does he thank the servant because he did what was commanded? I think not. 10 So you also, when you have done everything commanded you, say, ‘We are unprofitable servants. We have done our duty.’?”

--Luke 17:5-10 (MEV)

Let us pray…  Father God, You give each of us a measure of faith, but it’s up to us to do something with that gift.  Speak to us this morning, Father, with Your message.  Give us clearer insight into the duty our faith requires, into how we might better serve You.  This we pray in the glorious name of Jesus.   Amen.


Keith Miller and Bruce Larson, in their book The Edge of Adventure, wrote this little story:

The following letter was found in a baking-power can wired to the handle of an old pump that offered the only hope of drinking water on a very long and seldom-used trail across Nevada's Amargosa Desert: "This pump is all right as of June 1932.  I put a new sucker washer into it and it ought to last five years.  But the washer dries out and the pump has got to be primed.  Under the white rock I buried a bottle of water, out of the sun and cork end up.  There's enough water in it to prime the pump, but not if you drink some first.  Pour about one-fourth and let her soak to wet the leather.  Then pour in the rest medium fast and pump like crazy.  You'll git water.  The well has never run dry.  Have faith.  When you git watered up, fill the bottle and put it back like you found it for the next feller.  (signed) Desert Pete.  P.S.  Don't go drinking the water first.  Prime the pump with it and you'll git all you can hold."


This little story speaks not only of faith, but of a duty required of that faith.  The person finding the pump and reading the note must have faith that drinking water is available.  And more importantly, they must have faith that the stored bottle of water, when used to prime the pump, will return as much water as they can need as long as they don’t drink any of it first.  The duty required of that faith is that they must do the same for the next person to come along.  They must fill the bottle, cork it and bury it, so that the next person may also drink of their fill.

Every aspect of that scenario would be tough.  Being thirsty, you’d have to exercise discipline and faith to not drink from the bottle, but to use all its precious water to prime the pump.  After slacking your thirst, you’d have to take the time and care to see that the next person can have plenty to drink.  Faith often requires of us some duty to fulfill.


Today is the Sunday before Reformation Day, which is always October 31st.  October 31st, All Hallows' Eve, is the day when Martin Luther effectively began the Great Reformation by nailing his "Ninety-five Theses", his list of grievances against the Catholic church, on the door of the All Saints' Church in Wittenberg, Germany.  Since this is Reformation Sunday, I thought it appropriate to hear what Luther said about a significant and often overlooked way that we serve God in our everyday tasks:

"The maid who sweeps her kitchen is doing the will of God just as much as the monk who prays, not because she may sing a Christian hymn as she sweeps but because God loves clean floors. The Christian shoemaker does his Christian duty not by putting little crosses on the shoes, but by making good shoes, because God is interested in good craftsmanship."

In our scripture reading, Jesus starts out talking about faith because His disciples asked for more.  He answered with one of a number of responses He gave, that even a little faith can do marvelous things.  But then He spoke of duty, and basically saying that we have a duty to serve because of our gift of faith.

The Apostle Paul understood what Jesus meant about faith and duty.  In his letter to the Romans, he noted how he was looking forward to coming to Rome to be with them.  In chapter 15 verses 25 through 27 Paul wrote……

25 But before I come, I must go to Jerusalem to take a gift to the believers there. 26 For you see, the believers in Macedonia and Achaia have eagerly taken up an offering for the poor among the believers in Jerusalem. 27 They were glad to do this because they feel they owe a real debt to them. Since the Gentiles received the spiritual blessings of the Good News from the believers in Jerusalem, they feel the least they can do in return is to help them financially.

--Romans 15:25-27 (NLT)

Now, Macedonia and Achaia were the northern and southern regions of Greece.  So basically he’s saying that folks from all over Greece eagerly - not begrudgingly, but eagerly - took up an offering to help see to the needs of the poorer believers in Jerusalem.  These would have mostly been Jewish converts.  And the Greek Gentiles were glad to do it because they saw it as a way to acknowledge their debt to the believers who shared the Gospel with them.  They cheerfully performed a duty as a means of repaying a debt, and a debt that could actually never be repaid.


We can never repay the debt owed to Jesus for His sacrifice, nor to our heavenly Father for His mercy and grace, the God of our salvation.  But don’t we have a duty to acknowledge our debt?  Don’t we have a responsibility to at least try to repay even some small portion, as best we can?

King Solomon, in his Book of Ecclesiastes, chapter 12 verse 13, summed up all his teachings by saying…

13 Now all has been heard.
Let us hear the conclusion of the matter:
Fear God and keep His commandments,
for this is the whole duty of man.

--Ecclesiastes 12:13 (MEV)

Solomon says the whole duty of man is to fear God and keep His commandments.  Jesus is God the Son, and He commanded us to love God and to love one another.  He also commanded that we go into the world sharing the Gospel, the Good News, and making disciples.  By our acceptance of Jesus as our Lord and Master, we also accept that we are His servants.

In the very last of our scripture reading, Jesus speaks for servants in general when He says that, “we have done our duty”.  The New King James Versions translates that as, “we have done what was our duty to do”.  A servant should not expect to be praised or rewarded for simply doing their job, their duty, for fulfilling their responsibility.  But Paul certainly praised the Greek believers for helping the believers in Jerusalem.

And family, we will indeed be rewarded for doing our duty when we get to our true home in heaven.  From my own experience, we are rewarded here on earth when we do our duty by serving God, helping others, loving others.  Our reward isn’t monetary or even tangible.  It’s much greater, much more enjoyable than that.  Our earthly reward is in how doing our duty makes us feel inside.  Our reward is in seeing the smiles on the faces of those whose hearts we touch.  Our reward is in being able to pay forward what we have so generously received ourselves.

So let’s get out there and do our duty.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.


Let us pray…  Father God, You provide for our needs here on earth and promise so much more when we come to live with You for all eternity.  All we have to do is believe in Your Son Jesus and make good use of the faith You give us.  Forgive us, Father, when we fail to recognize and acknowledge the great debt we owe You.  Forgive us when we won’t even try to repay You and Jesus for all You’ve done.  Please help us be good, faithful servants.  Help us more clearly understand what You expect of us and how we might better serve You.  Help us do our duty.

Please hear us now, Father, as we come to You in the silence, speaking from our hearts, promising to turn from our sin, and asking for Your help by our faith to serve You in all we do…

Lord Jesus, the great prophet Isaiah described You as the Good Servant.  You did everything God asked of You here on earth, never once shirking Your duty.  Lord, may we as dutiful and responsible in our service to You.  Thank You, Jesus, for giving Your all for us.  Thank You for being such a good Servant.  Please help us be good servants, too.

This we pray in Your glorious name, Lord Jesus Christ, our Master and our Savior.  Amen.

Of Faith and Sacrifice

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Sunday morning, the 21st of October, 2018 at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  Look for the video of this and our other services on our Vimeo channel:  http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]

Faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen, according to the author of the book of Hebrews.  The Apostle Paul tells us that faith is a gift from God, with a measure given to each of us.  But it is a gift that comes with a certain degree of responsibility, at least to those who truly appreciate it.

Last week we mentioned that we should exercise our faith, to help it grow stronger.  So what are some of the ways we can do that?  Please listen and follow along to the exhortation the Apostle Paul gives us all through his letter to the Romans, chapter 12, verses 1 through 8, reading from the New King James Version of our Holy Bible…

1 I urge you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith. 4 For as we have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the same function, 5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another. 6 Having then gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; 7 or ministry, let us use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; 8 he who exhorts, in exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.

--Romans 12:1-8 (NKJV)

Let us pray…  Father God, You give us so much, including our faith.  Speak to us this morning, Father, with Your message.  Show us how each of us might strengthen our faith and better serve You.  This we pray in the blessed name of Jesus.   Amen.


Dr. David Livingstone, the famous missionary to Africa, once wrote:

"People talk of the sacrifice I have made in spending so much of my life in Africa.  Can that be called a sacrifice which is simply acknowledging a great debt we owe to our God, which we can never repay?  Is that a sacrifice which brings its own reward in healthful activity, the consciousness of doing good, peace of mind, and a bright hope of a glorious destiny?  It is emphatically no sacrifice.  Rather it is a privilege.  Anxiety, sickness, suffering, danger, foregoing the common conveniences of this life - these may make us pause, and cause the spirit to waver, and the soul to sink; but let this only be for a moment.  All these are nothing compared with the glory which shall later be revealed in and through us.  I never made a sacrifice.  Of this we ought not to talk, when we remember the great sacrifice which He made who left His Father's throne on high to give Himself for us."


John Henry Jowett, an influential British Protestant preacher at the turn of the 19th to 20th century adds:

“Ministry that costs nothing, accomplishes nothing.”


To make a sacrifice is to give up something that is important to us, that is dear to us.  If it’s something we don’t care all that much about, then giving it up is no real sacrifice.  If it’s worthless to us, then giving it up costs us nothing.  If our ministry is based on that kind of “sacrifice”, then it accomplishes nothing, according to Rev. Jowett.

Contrast that to Dr. Livingstone’s attitude.  Although he gave up so much in service to our Lord, he himself did not consider it a sacrifice.  He thought of it as simply repaying a debt he owed to God.  He made of himself a living sacrifice to God.  So did Paul and the other Apostles.  They gave so much of themselves, of their resources, of their time, of their love.  The Apostles certainly gave far more than most Christians today ever give, or that many would even consider giving.

Our Bible is full of sacrifices, especially in the Old Testament, with blood sacrifices being necessary for the forgiveness of sins.  Jesus sacrificed Himself for the forgiveness of sin of all who would believe.  His blood sacrifice was once, for all time - no more blood sacrifices are required.

So how much of a sacrifice are we called to give, and of what kind?  Paul says we are to make of ourselves a living sacrifice.  And he gives some examples, including speaking for God, ministering to His people, teaching them, encouraging them, leading them, showing them mercy, even with cheerfulness.  We don’t have to give up our lives to offer reasonable service to God, but we can live our lives for Him.

The author of the Book of Hebrews, in chapter 13 verses 15 and 16 tells us yet another sacrifice we can easily, freely make…

15 Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name. 16 But do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

--Hebrews 13:15-16 (NKJV)

Have you ever thought that our worship here on Sunday mornings is a form of sacrifice?  When we worship God, we are offering up a sacrifice of praise, the fruit of our lips, especially when we give thanks for all He has done for us.

Of course, we’re also told not to forget to do good things and to share in the bounty God has given us.  Those sacrifices, of our time and our resources, also please God.  Our tithes and offerings are a sacrifice of our monetary resources, our working on church and community projects is a sacrifice of our time.

But not everyone can tithe; some struggle to give even a little back to the Lord due to financial constraints.  And many good folk simply cannot work at projects.  Paul says even they can still make of themselves a sacrifice, as he tells us in his letter to the Ephesians, chapter 5 verses 1 and 2…

1 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. 2 And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.

--Ephesians 5:1-2 (NKJV)

Walk in love.  That doesn’t sound like too tough a sacrifice, does it?  Be imitators of God and walk in love.  Love others, as Jesus loves us, remembering the sacrifice He made for us.  Walk in love, loving all others, and God will receive and accept this as a sacrifice, a sweet-smelling aroma.

Yes, it is hard to love all others, especially those who wish us harm.  There are people that are just difficult to love.  But that’s what makes loving them a sacrifice.  And that’s what makes it pleasing to God.


No matter what method or means we choose to make of ourselves a sacrifice, no matter what we choose to do, Paul says we should do it for the eyes of God and not those of men.  We shouldn’t do anything just to get personal glory or recognition.  What we do, what we sacrifice, must be for the glory of God alone, otherwise it’s no sacrifice.

Preach, teach, minister, encourage, praise God, walk in love – do what we each do best.  Let’s just make of ourselves a living sacrifice, to the God of our salvation.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.


Let us pray…  Father God, You blessed us all with a measure of faith.  Forgive us, Father, when we don’t take the time to exercise it and strengthen it by our service to You.  Forgive us when we ignore opportunities to offer living sacrifices of ourselves, of our time, energy, and resources.  Please help us to nourish and grow this wonderful gift.  Help us better understand Your ways and better serve You.

Please hear us now, Father, as we come to You in the silence, speaking from our hearts, promising to turn from our sin, and asking for Your help by our faith to serve You in all we do…

Lord Jesus, Your faith and service to God never wavered.  Lord, may we be strong in our faith and willing to serve You as we are called.  Thank You, Jesus, for sacrificing so much for us.  Thank You for giving Your all.  Please help us put our faith to good use, to the purpose for which God calls us, in better service to You and Him.

This we pray in Your glorious name, Lord Jesus Christ, our Master and our Savior.  Amen.

Of Faith

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Sunday morning, the 14th of October, 2018 at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  Look for the video of this and our other services on our Vimeo channel:  http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]

Today I’m going to begin a new little series that’s all about faith.  We use that word quite a bit, even in our normal day-to-day life.  We Christians express our faith in God, whether we actually act like we truly believe in what we’re saying we have faith in or not.

It’s easy to be faithful when everything is going good, isn’t it?  But what about when the world starts falling apart all around us?  The prophet Habakkuk understood faith, even without speaking the word.  Listen to his “Hymn of Faith”, from chapter 3, verses 17 and 18, reading from the Modern English Version of our Holy Bible…

17 Though the fig tree does not blossom,
nor fruit be on the vines;
though the yield of the olive fails,
and the fields produce no food;
though the flocks are cut off from the fold,
and there be no herd in the stalls—

18 yet I will rejoice in the Lord;
I will exult in the God of my salvation.

--Habakkuk 3:17-18 (MEV)

Let us pray…  Father God, Habakkuk knew that anything and everything of this life is transient and temporary.  The bad things that happen to us will pass.  A better day awaits us in Your paradise.  And for that we can rejoice, for You are our only hope, our only salvation.  Speak to us this morning, Father, with the message You need us to hear.  Show us more of Your will and how each of us can carry out our part in it.  This we pray in the blessed name of Jesus.   Amen.


John Emmons of the Faith & Freedom Coalition writes:

The African impala can jump to a height of over 10 feet and cover a distance of greater than 30 feet.  Yet these magnificent creatures can be kept in an enclosure in any zoo with a 3-foot wall.  The animals will not jump if they cannot see where their feet will fall.  Faith is the ability to trust what we cannot see, and with faith we are freed from the flimsy enclosures of life that only fear allows to entrap us.


With faith, we can put our trust in what we have no proof of, in that which we have no reason to trust, other than by faith.  Faith sets us free from what we let our fears close us off with.  Faith gives us the strength of conviction that God is alive and loves us, takes care of us, and wants us to be with Him forever.  Faith gives us wings to fly, and the courage to plod through this crazy life.


Like I mentioned at the start, we use the word “faith” quite often.  We say we have faith in someone doing something or being able to do it based on their past performances.  We might even express faith in things, like that our car will start when we get in it.  Or even something as nebulous as saying, “I have faith I can make my doctor’s appointment on time.”

But do any of those really depend on faith?  For that matter, what is faith?  Let’s go to our textbook for the answer.  And by textbook I mean our Holy Bible.  The author of the Book of Hebrews, in chapter 11 verses 1 and 3, tells us…

1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

3 By faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that the things which are seen were not made of things which are visible.

--Hebrews 11:1, 3 (NKJV)

Can we see God with our own eyes?  Does He look like the kindly wise old white-haired man we see painted on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel?  We can’t even see Jesus in the flesh anymore, now that He has returned to heaven and the spiritual realm.

No, we accept our “proof” of God in the very world around us and how it functions.  Our “proof” of both God and Jesus is contained in the words of our Holy Bible.  Non-believers would tell you that’s all rubbish, that everything in this world can be explained by science.  There’s no need for faith.

If there is no need for faith, then what is there to hope for?  If there is no hope, what is the point of life?  Faith, as defined by the author of the Book of Hebrews, is what really separates us from the world.  Our Faith gives us hope, and our hope gives us a purpose to live.


So we Christians have faith and the rest of the world doesn’t, right?  Maybe, maybe not.  Where do we get this faith we have?  Where does it come from?  The Apostle Paul answers that one, in his letter to the Romans, chapter 12 verse 3…

3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.

--Romans 12:3 (NKJV)

Paul says there’s no reason for us to be thinking ourselves extra special because we have faith since God gave everyone faith.

Martin Luther, the man who basically started the Great Reformation, once said that “God our Father has made all things depend on faith so that whoever has faith will have everything, and whoever does not have faith will have nothing.”  But Paul tells us that God has given each person a measure of faith.  Each of us, believer and non-believer alike, was bestowed some amount of faith as a gift from God.  So how could some come to have no faith, and thus have nothing as Martin Luther claims?

The answer is easy: we can lose our faith, lose that precious gift from God, especially if we refuse to believe in His Son Jesus.  Think of faith as a muscle.  If for whatever reason a muscle is never used, never receives any stimulation whatsoever, it will atrophy and die.  We have to actually use our faith, exercise it, to keep it healthy and alive, and to help it grow ever stronger.

And we have to be faithful to God not only in the good times, but the bad as well.  Like Habakkuk, we must rejoice in the Lord no matter what may happen around us.  We must exult in the God of our salvation because of our salvation!


And that points out one last aspect about faith in general I’d like to bring out.  It isn’t enough that we have faith in God, we must have faith in what He does.  We must have faith in what God does.

Have you ever heard someone say, or said yourself, “I don’t know how God could have allowed that to happen!”, when talking about some horrific event?  First off we need to understand that if God is indeed God, then He can do no evil – everything He does is righteous and holy.  Next we need to understand that if we are to have free will, then He must allow some of us to do bad things.  We also need to realize that bad things happening test us and help make us stronger, like when God allowed Satan to beat up on Job.

But most of all, we need to remember what Paul told us, that God works all things to the good for those who love Him and are called to His purpose.  These are all things we say we believe.  Faith and belief go hand in hand.  St. Augustine said, and I’m paraphrasing a little here, “Understanding is the reward of faith.  Therefore seek not to understand that we may believe, but believe that we may understand.”  Have faith in God and in what He does, so we might better understand why, so we might have hope, so we might see the purpose of our life.


And now that we hopefully have a little better understanding of faith itself, we’ll begin looking at how our faith relates to other aspects of the Christian life.  We’ll examine our duty resulting from our faith, including sacrifices that may be required.  Wealth and works and forgiveness, seemingly unconnected, all have a place in faith, as do healing and thankfulness and vision.

I have faith that God will strengthen and revitalize our faith during this series, as He shows us a greater purpose and renews our hope for a wonderful future.  For now, be of good cheer, for by our faith we know that Jesus washed us clean with His precious blood and our sins are forgiven.  Rejoice in the Lord, and exult in the God of our salvation.  For those who follow Christ, it’s all a matter of faith.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.


Let us pray…  Father God, our faith in You is based on Your word in our Holy Bible and on the things we see in Your creation all around us.  But still we need to be more like Habakkuk, rejoicing even in our trials.  Forgive us, Father, when we have our doubts.  Forgive us when we question what You do or have allowed to happen.  Please help us remember that You are God and that You are holy and righteous.  Help us exercise and strengthen our faith.  Help us grow ever closer to You and to Jesus.  Help us better understand Your ways.  Give us clearer vision into Your plan for each of us.

Please hear us now, Father, as we come to You in the silence, speaking from our hearts, promising to turn from our sin, and asking for Your help to remain faithful to You and to Jesus no matter what may happen…

Lord Jesus, as You walked this earth, You looked into the hearts of people and saw their faith.  For some, You commented on how little faith they had.  But for others, You saw the strength of their faith and answered their prayers, and forgave their sins.  Lord Jesus, may we be in that latter group, strong of faith and willing to serve You as we are called.  Thank You, Jesus, for washing us clean with Your blood.  Thank You for searching our hearts.  Please help us put our faith to good use, to the purpose for which God calls us.  And help us grow in our faith, and better understand God’s will for our lives.

This we pray in Your glorious name, Lord Jesus Christ, our Master and our Savior.  Amen.

Remember Me

[The following is a manuscript of my message delivered on Sunday morning, the 7th of September, 2018 at Pilgrim Reformed Church.  Our service today also included the observance of Holy Communion.  Look for the video of this and our other services on our Vimeo channel:  http://vimeo.com/pilgrimreformedchurch.]

There’s a tradition in our prison system where a condemned person gets whatever lavish dinner they want for their last meal before being put to death.  Our Lord’s last supper on this earth was a bit different.  He gathered His closest followers, His closest friends, together for a simple meal.

The menu may have been plain, but the ramifications of that supper and the events that followed still have great impact today.  For it was that night when Jesus told us of God’s new covenant with us sealed by Jesus’ blood.  And it was that night in which our Lord was betrayed by one of those eating at His table.

Though he was not present, the Apostle Paul accurately shares with us what Jesus said at supper.  Paul also includes a warning to us, about what must be in our hearts when we join Jesus at His table.  Please listen and follow along as I read from Paul’s 1st letter to the Corinthians, chapter 11, verses 23 through 32, from the New King James Version of God’s Bible…

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

26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death till He comes.

27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body. 30 For this reason many are weak and sick among you, and many are dead. 31 For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may not be condemned with the world. 

--1 Corinthians 11:23-32 (NKJV)

Let us pray…  Father God, Your plan for our salvation came at a great cost, one we could never pay.  Only Your Son Jesus was spotless and free from sin.  Only His sacrifice could atone for our sin.  Only His blood could wash us clean in Your eyes.  Help us to always remember not only the sacrifice Jesus made on our behalf, but also the example He set for how we should live our own lives.  Help us to never forget.  In the blessed name of Jesus we pray.   Amen.


I wish I could tell you who wrote this, but some now unknown person left us with these poetic instructions:

Forget each kindness that you do as soon as you have done it. Forget the praise that falls to you the moment you have won it. Forget the slander that you hear before you can repeat it. Forget each slight, each spite, each sneer, whenever you may meet it. Remember every promise made and keep it to the letter. Remember those who lend you aid and be a grateful debtor. Remember all the happiness that comes your way in living. Forget each worry and distress; be hopeful and forgiving. Remember good, remember truth, remember heaven is above you. And you will find, through age and youth, that many will love you.


Doesn’t that sound a lot like how we, as Christians, should live our life?  It pretty well describes the humble life Jesus lived.  Some of the lessons He taught are included there.  Forget the worries, show love and be loved.

Sadly, though, when things get really tough, many of us tend to forget that God is always good and faithful.  We see only the hard road ahead, and fail to remember how He got us through all the bad times in the past.  God never leaves us, never forsakes us, never forgets us.


I did a quick count and found 262 instances of the words “remember” and “remembrance” in the New King James Version of our Holy Bible.  The phrase “remember me” can be found 15 times.  Almost every one of those instances is mankind asking God to remember us, primarily in our times of need.

But God Himself used the word “remember” when talking about something we often see: a rainbow.  In chapter 9 of Genesis, God says He will place a rainbow in the sky after each rain so that He will remember not to destroy the earth by flood ever again.  Do you think maybe God has a memory like mine and has to constantly be reminded of things?  Isn’t it more likely that the rainbow appears so that we will remember the covenant He made with mankind and with the earth?  This is our little reminder, not His.


But usually when we see “remember” or “remember me” in the Bible, it is man asking God to remember us, to not forget about us, to help us.  A good example can be found as Jesus hung on that cruel cross, from the Gospel account of the Apostle Luke, chapter 23, verses 32, 33, and 39 through 43…

32 There were also two others, criminals, led with Him to be put to death. 33 And when they had come to the place called Calvary, there they crucified Him, and the criminals, one on the right hand and the other on the left.

39 Then one of the criminals who were hanged blasphemed Him, saying, “If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us.”

40 But the other, answering, rebuked him, saying, “Do you not even fear God, seeing you are under the same condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly, for we receive the due reward of our deeds; but this Man has done nothing wrong.” 42 Then he said to Jesus, “Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.”

43 And Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.”

--Luke 23:32-33, 39-43 (NKJV)

“Lord, remember me.”  Was this just the plea of a criminal seeking mercy, or a man humbled in the presence of the One he now recognized as the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of God?

“Lord, remember me.”  Jesus saw the man’s heart, his faith, and promised him a home in heaven.


“Remember me.”  We don’t want to be forgotten, do we?  We’d like to think that we’ve done something important enough, that someone loved us enough, that we will be remembered after we’ve left this earth.  Jesus, while fully God, was also fully man, so maybe He felt this way too, that He wanted to be remembered after He returned to heaven.  When He passed around the bread and the wine and said to His friends, “Remember Me”, couldn’t He have been trying to sear His image in their memory?  We know, though, that His words were not only for the benefit of those present that night, but for all mankind down through the ages.  He said “Remember Me” to anyone who will pick up this book and read it.

I think the whole point is that Jesus didn’t want us so much to remember Him, as to remember what He did, what He told us, what He showed us.  By the very example of how He lived, He showed us how we, as Christians, should live.  We should love everyone, as He loved everyone.  We should carry out God’s will, no matter the personal cost.  Just as He sacrificed in service to God, we should be willing to sacrifice, too.  Jesus told us how to live, in words and in deeds.  We just need to follow His example.


The second part of our scripture passage contains the warning Paul leaves us, that we must be right with God before coming to our Lord’s table.  This is how we are worthy to commune with Jesus, by being righteous in God’s eyes.  We need to look deep inside and judge ourselves, knowing what is expected of us, and repent of any sin we find.

Look closely at what’s in our heart, in how we live.  Repent, and be worthy to come to the Lord’s table.  Remember Jesus – all that He did, all that He taught and showed, and all that He wants us to do.  Do this, in remembrance of Him.  In the blessed name of Christ Jesus our Lord.  Amen.


Let us pray…  Father God, You want all of us to be reunited with You and live with You forever in heaven.  So You sent Your own Son to take on our sin, to take our punishment.  And all we have to do to be given that great gift of salvation is to believe in Jesus and follow His voice.  Forgive us, Father, when we have trouble doing something so simple.  Please help us be worthy in Your sight to come to Jesus’ table today.

Please hear us now, Father, as we come to You in the silence, speaking from our hearts, promising to turn from our sin, and asking for Your help so that You might see us as worthy…

Lord Jesus, You gave it all up for us.  Thank You, Jesus, for redeeming us with Your blood sacrifice so that we can be with You and our Father God forever!  Please help us never forget what You did for us.  And help us remember and learn from the example You set.

This we pray in Your glorious name, Lord Jesus Christ, our Master and our Savior.  Amen.