scripture: joshua 4:1-4:9

Sermon audio from Liverpool Baptist Church's morning services.

Tomorrow is Memorial Day in America. For some, it is the end of school and the beginning of Summer. Memorial Day began as decoration day in the years following the Civil War as a way to remember those who lost their lives in that terrible conflict. Over time, the day also became a way to remember soldiers, sailors, and airmen who sacrificed their lives in service to their country. It became an official federal holiday in 1971. Time has a way of erasing the memories of the many men and women who gave their lives defending our nation. Too many have forgotten the reason for the three-day weekend that we will all enjoy each May. Our text today describes a different kind of memorial. God called Joshua to build a monument at the place where God led His people over the Jordan river into the promised land. God knew that future generations would need to know about this critical time in the life of Israel. The question that these future generations would have would not only be “What Does This Mean” but that it would be “What does this mean to YOU?” The memory has to be personal. If it is not personal to the parents, it will never be meaningful to the children. Some people need to know how we got to where we are now. God wants evidence of what remains as a reminder of how He has kept us. Our world and the enemy are trying to convince us that God’s love doesn’t matter. If it stops mattering to us, it will quit mattering to our children and grandchildren.

Tomorrow is Memorial Day in America. For some, it is the end of school and the beginning of Summer. Memorial Day began as decoration day in the years following the Civil War as a way to remember those who lost their lives in that terrible conflict. Over time, the day also became a way to remember soldiers, sailors, and airmen who sacrificed their lives in service to their country. It became an official federal holiday in 1971. Time has a way of erasing the memories of the many men and women who gave their lives defending our nation. Too many have forgotten the reason for the three-day weekend that we will all enjoy each May. Our text today describes a different kind of memorial. God called Joshua to build a monument at the place where God led His people over the Jordan river into the promised land. God knew that future generations would need to know about this critical time in the life of Israel. The question that these future generations would have would not only be “What Does This Mean” but that it would be “What does this mean to YOU?” The memory has to be personal. If it is not personal to the parents, it will never be meaningful to the children. Some people need to know how we got to where we are now. God wants evidence of what remains as a reminder of how He has kept us. Our world and the enemy are trying to convince us that God’s love doesn’t matter. If it stops mattering to us, it will quit mattering to our children and grandchildren.