Based on two books by Tom Holland

Based on two books by Tom Holland

The Power of Remembering Remembering is the God-given ability through which past events in our lives may be present experiences Through the ages the Lord has emphasized the importance of remembering (Ex. 12:21-27; Deut. 5:15; Luke 22:19) In appealing to His people, God pleaded, “Remember the former days” (10:32) Memory of former days can be practical, powerful and precious

Remember the Enlightenment (Heb. 10:32a) God’s people have been informed (by God’s Word) with “special spiritual insights” About God, His love for people, His plan to save man About the deceptive nature of sin and its power to overpower Contrast: the ignorance of the world causes people to lose sensitivity to sin and openly live in it (Eph. 4:17-19)

Remember the Enlightenment (Heb. 10:32a) To a wayward sheep: Remember when you learned the truth about a life that gave you a clean conscience, integrity, self-respect, joy, peace, purpose, hope Remember when you learned of God’s love for you and the sacrifice of God’s Son for you Remember the time when you loved the Lord enough to trust Him with your life and your eternity Remember when you learned that God’s Word has every answer we need to every problem of life Remember when you learned that God’s Word is the only lamp and light we need to get to heaven

Remember Your Courage (Heb. 10:32b) God wants His erring children to remember the days of courage When they “endured a great conflict of sufferings” (Heb. 10:32) The N.T. has several examples of Christians who were beaten, imprisoned, put to death (because they were Christians) Even today, Christians are faced with ridicule, jeers, criticisms of people who don’t know or love God

Remember Your Courage (Heb. 10:32b) To a wayward sheep: Remember the hurtful words and the rejection you experienced Remember when your devotion was being put to the test Remember the courage you felt and exhibited Remember how you were not deterred in your determination to live the Christian life Remember how you gladly bore your cross Remember how real and precious Jesus was to you at that time Remember how nothing could keep you from attending services faithfully Remember that spirit of sacrifice in knowing you were enduring these things for Him Remember the satisfaction of knowing that your response of courage, conviction, devotion and love for the Lord is exactly what He wanted

Remember Your Values (Heb. 10:34) Christians are called to understand the temporal nature of earthly things (Matt. 6:19-21) However, it is fairly easy to forget in a world that is so controlled by materialism

Remember Your Values (Heb. 10:34) To a wayward sheep: Remember the former days of your conversion to Christ Remember when you came to a properly balanced relationship to material things Remember when you were truly “rich toward God” (Luke 12:21) Remember when you were so enthralled with serving the Lord that “things” didn’t seem to matter much Remember when life seemed so much simpler and the blessings of God seemed so much “fuller” in your life

A Personal Call (to Wayward Sheep) to Remember Remember the day your mind embraced God’s truth about Jesus? Remember when you decided that you would let Jesus be your Savior? You believed in Him. You trusted Him. You were willing to obey Him. You wanted to follow Him. You turned to Him and away from your former life. Remember when you obeyed the Lord’s command to be baptized for the remission of all of your sins? Remember the joy, the happiness, the peace, the hope? Were those precious moments in your life? Would you not love to have that back?

A Personal Call (to Wayward Sheep) to Remember Memories of a Father’s riches, a Father’s love and a Father’s acceptance pulled a young man out of a pig pen and prompted him to resolve in his heart: “I will arise and go to my father” (Luke 15:18-20) There is great power for good in remembering! Remembering the joy of becoming a child of God and the blessings of being a child of God can be the lever of repentance There is great reward in remembering! The possibility of turning away from the darkness of the world The possibility of overcoming the deception of sin and Satan The possibility of coming home to God the Father