The importance of remembering

• "The most important thing we learn from history is that we never learn from history." (Aldous Huxley )
• "Those who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it." (George Santayana)
• Remembrance Day is a public holiday to underline the importance of remembering those who died that we might enjoy our freedom, and so we'd be inspired by them to preserve that freedom for everyone
• Tragedy of losing your memory
• "Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer, saying, 'Thus far has the LORD helped us.'" (Isaiah 7v12)
• What are you doing to ensure you remember ??

The bible calls us to remember

• The Israelites were told to remember God's commandments
  • "You will have these tassels to look at and so you will remember all the commands of the LORD." (Numbers 15v39)
  • "Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy." (Exodus 20v8)
• They were to remember what God had done for them in history
  • "Remember that you were slaves in Egypt and that the LORD your God brought you out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm." (Deuteronomy 5v15)
• Because failure to remember leads to sin
  • "They refused to listen and failed to remember the miracles you performed among them. They became stiff-necked and in their rebellion appointed a leader in order to return to their slavery…" (Nehemiah 9v17)

Jesus exhorts us to remember

• "The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." "(1 Corinthians 11v23-25)
• "Remember the words I spoke to you: "No servant is greater than his master." If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also." (John 15v20)
• "Remember Lot's wife! Whoever tries to keep his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it." (Luke 17v32-33)
• "Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent." (Revelation 3v3)

The apostles tell us to remember

• "I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things." (2 Peter 1v13-15)
• "Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously. Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver." (2 Corinthians 9v6-7)
• "Remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ." (Ephesians 2v12-13)

We need to remember

• We need to read & absorb the printed bible, but remembering it is still vital !!
• Remember God's word when tempted
  • Example: the command against adultery, which we considered last week (see the talk on this in our series on the 10 commandmants)
• Remember what God has done for you, so you hold firm in times of discouragement
• Remember how God has guided you
• Remember how others have blessed you as an example to follow
• Remember God's promises, so you can claim them
• Share your memories with others