The Importance of Remembering

Short Talk (SHT058) The Importance of Remembering © Jane Hulme 2016 SHORT TALK: “THE IMPORTANCE OF REMEMBERING” Aim of Short talk: Main themes: Biblical references: Props: (SHT058) To teach the importance of remembering what both God and other people have done. Remembrance, thankfulness, discipleship 1Samuel 7:10-12, 1Corinthians 11:23-25, John 15:13 Large stone, Chalice of wine, bread roll on paten, poppy ........................................................................................................................ I wonder how many of you here have got a good memory?  Can anyone remember what happened on 3rd September 1939?  That’s right......Germany refused to pull its troops out of Poland and so it was the beginning for us of the 2nd world war. Can anyone remember what began on 20th March 2003?  That’s right....that is the date when the Iraq war began. Now you would have to be very old to be able to remember what began on 28th July 1914.  Would anyone like to guess?  That’s right......it was the start of World War 1. Remembering some events that have happened is really important for all of us,  not just for those people who happen to have a good memory......  and on Remembrance Sunday we remember the brave men and women who fought in the wars we have mentioned and in other conflicts, so that we can enjoy freedom in our country. Some of you might ask why it is so important to remember events that happened a long time ago,  so let’s see if the Bible can help us answer that question. In the Old Testament in a book called 1Samuel......we read about a time when God’s people, the Israelites were about to be attacked by their enemies, the Philistines.  The Israelites were very frightened and Samuel the prophet cried out to God on their behalf, and asked for His help.  God answered Samuel’s prayers and came and sent the Philistines packing, stopping them from harming the Israelites. Samuel then picked up a large stone. (Hold up a large stone)  He set this stone up between two places called Mizpah and Shen, and named it “Ebenezer.”  Do any of you know what Ebenezer means? (Receive answers) Ebenezer means “stone of help,” and Samuel set it up as a reminder to the people that God had helped them.  Every time people walked between Mizpah and Shen, they would see this large stone and remember that God had helped them. © Jane Hulme 2016 2 Seeing the stone would not only encourage them to be thankful to God for what He had done for them,  but it would also encourage them to live differently and put their trust in the living God,  rather than in the idols that they were frequently tempted to trust. In the New Testament, we read of the incredible love that God has shown us by sending Jesus to come and die for our sins;  so that we can be forgiven and become members of His family. To help us remember what God has done for us, Jesus didn’t set up a stone, but He gave us a special meal to remember him by. (Hold up chalice with wine and paten with bread roll) Every time we eat bread and drink wine together, we remember that Jesus went to the cross for us.  As we remember, we are thankful to Jesus for what He has done for us,  but we are also challenged to live differently in light of the great cost of sin. So both parts of the Bible, the Old and New Testaments tell us that remembering events that happened a long time ago is really important.  It is important so that we can learn to be thankful and  It is important so that we can learn to live differently. As I said earlier, today is Remembrance Sunday.  To help us remember the men and women who willingly served their country by fighting in the different wars we wear poppies. (Hold up poppy)  Poppies grew in the fields after the First World War and are a powerful symbol of sacrifice. As we look at the poppy, and remember the love and courage that ordinary men and women showed during the wars so that we can be free,  let us learn from the Bible and be thankful to them and to God for their sacrifice,  and let us also learn to live differently. We may not think that we have anything to do with world wars, but war begins with hate.  Ask the Lord to help you to choose to love rather than to choose hate.  Ask the Lord to help you to choose to forgive others when they hurt you, rather than choosing to look for revenge.  If we all do that then we are playing our part in keeping our nation at peace and we have remembered well. (Move into an act of Remembrance if appropriate) © Jane Hulme 2016 3