Memorial Stones Joshua 4:1-9; 19-24

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Memorial Stones Joshua 41-9 19-24
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April 1863Columbus, Mississippi

• After decorating graves of her two sons killed
  serving in the Civil War, an elderly woman also
  decorated two graves of Union soldiers in the
  corner of the cemetery
• "I also know that somewhere in the North, a
  mother or a young wife mourns for them as we do
  for ours"
• These ladies set in motion what became Memorial
  Day
• May 30 officially recognized in 1868, as a day to
  honor those who died in the Civil War
• Later changed to honor all those who gave their
  lives in the armed forces
• Changed to the last Monday in May
• Today - a day set aside to honor any individual
  who has an impact on our life, but especially
  those who died to protect our freedom and
  democracy in this country

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• World War II Memorial
• Washington, D. C.

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World War II Memorial Washington, D. C.
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• Field of Stars
• WWII - gold star was the symbol of family
  sacrifice
• 4000 Gold Stars 400,000 Americans who gave
  their lives

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Memorials - Pillars of StoneA Biblical Concept
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Memorials - Pillars of StoneA Biblical Concept

• Joshua 41-24
• Israel crossed the Jordan River to enter the
  Promised Land
• God instructed Joshua to set up a MEMORIAL of
  stones, as a VISUAL REMINDER to all who passed
  that way
• Memorial Stones are a VISUAL SERMON
• These stones were to become a memorial to the
  sons of Israel forever

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Our Need for Memorials

• Gods warning - Deuteronomy 612-15
• beware, lest you forget the LORD who brought you
  out of the land of Egypt, from the house of
  bondage.
• You shall fear the LORD your God and serve Him,
  and shall take oaths in His name.
• You shall not go after other gods, the gods of
  the peoples who are all around you
• (for the LORD your God is a jealous God among
  you), lest the anger of the LORD your God be
  aroused against you and destroy you from the face
  of the earth.

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Our Need for Memorials

• Our short memories
• Our lives are and our world is filled with
  memorials, things to help us remember
• Plaques
• Wedding bands
• Tombstones
• Lincoln Memorial, Washington Memorial
• The Lords Supper
• Baptism
• Why? Because we have short memories and we need
  to be reminded lest we forget!

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Our Need for Memorials

• When the danger is past, we often forget the God
  who helped us
• In Christ, we can move out of our past into a
  meaningful present and a future with purpose
• But we should never forget what we were and where
  we were headed before Christ redeemed us
• These stones were there to REMIND them of what
  God did for them at the Jordan River
• What are some stones that we can erect to help
  remember what God has done in our lives?

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Use of Memorials

• Write it down - Joshua 2426-27
• Then Joshua wrote these words in the Book of the
  Law of God. And he took a large stone, and set it
  up there under the oak that was by the sanctuary
  of the LORD.
• And Joshua said to all the people, Behold, this
  stone shall be a witness to us, for it has heard
  all the words of the LORD which He spoke to us.
  It shall therefore be a witness to you, lest you
  deny your God.

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Write it down

• God likes to write things down
• All the names of the redeemed in the Lambs Book
  Of Life
• The works of the lost, and at the Great White
  Throne Judgment, the books will be opened, and
  they will be judged out of those books
• A book of remembrance, where He has written
  down those who faithfully worship Him - Malachi
  316
• A book where He records our tears - Psalm 568
• God wrote the 10 Commandments on 2 stone tablets
  Exodus 20
• It is important to God so it ought to be
  important to us
• The Bible The Word of God
• Keep a journal of the blessings of God in our
  lives

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Teach Our Children

• Joshua 46-7
• that this may be a sign among you when your
  children ask in time to come, saying, What do
  these stones mean to you?
• Then you shall answer them that the waters of the
  Jordan were cut off before the ark of the
  covenant of the LORD when it crossed over the
  Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off.
  And these stones shall be for a memorial to the
  children of Israel forever.
• Memorial stones were to serve as a basis of
  sharing faith with their children

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Teach Our Children

• Proverbs 226
• "Train up a child in the way he should go
  and when he is old, he will not depart from it"
• British poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge

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Use It As A Guide

• Romans 154
• For whatever things were written before were
  written for our learning, that we through the
  patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have
  hope
• God uses our past to guide us into our future
• God wants us to remember the past our past
  failures, as well as our past victories
• We tend to forget
• Thats why Memorial Day is important
• We need some stones of remembrance in our lives
  to remember what a great God we have!

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Reach Others with Our Message

• Joshua 424
• 24 that all the peoples of the earth may know
  the hand of the LORD, that it is mighty, that you
  may fear the LORD your God forever
• Matthew 514-16
• You are the light of the world. A city that is
  set on a hill cannot be hidden.
• Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a
  basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to
  all who are in the house.
• Let your light so shine before men, that they may
  see your good works and glorify your Father in
  heaven.

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Reach Others with Our Message

• W. A. Criswell
• You cannot hide a city set on a hill, nor can you
  hide a noble, worthy, steadfast Christian life"
• We need to publicly share how God has blessed us!
• To remember the blessings
• To re-live them
• To rejoice in them
• To encourage others

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The Nature of Memorials

• They should endure forever - Joshua 47
• 7 Then you shall answer them that the waters
  of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the
  covenant of the LORD when it crossed over the
  Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off.
  And these stones shall be for a memorial to the
  children of Israel forever
• Secular America is seeking to remove Christian
  landmarks
• 1962 - Prayer in schools was declared illegal
• 1963 - Bible reading in Schools was declared
  illegal
• 1980 - declared illegal to post the Ten
  Commandments in the schools
• Removal of any Christian meaning to our holidays

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The Nature of Memorials

• Clear and Unmistakable - Joshua 48
• 8 And the children of Israel did so, just as
  Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones from
  the midst of the Jordan, as the LORD had spoken
  to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes
  of the children of Israel, and carried them over
  with them to the place where they lodged, and
  laid them down there.
• The 12 stones represented each of the tribes -
  deliverance was for all Israel
• The stones came from the river bottom declaring
  the miraculous deliverance and power of God
• 1 Corinthians 147-8

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Christians Memorial Stones

• Baptism - Romans 64-5
• Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism
  into death, that just as Christ was raised from
  the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we
  also should walk in newness of life.
• For if we have been united together in the
  likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be
  in the likeness of His resurrection
• Lords Supper - 1 Corinthians 1126
• 26 For as often as you eat this bread and
  drink this cup, you proclaim the Lords death
  till He comes.
• To remind us and to show others the Lords death
  until He comes

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Christians Memorial Stones

• Identification with The Church - 1 Peter 29
• 9 But you are a chosen generation, a royal
  priesthood, a holy nation, His own special
  people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him
  who called you out of darkness into His marvelous
  light
• The Church is a body or collection of persons
  who
• Believe what Christ teaches
• Do what Christ commands
• Imitate His example
• Make known His gospel to others

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Christians Memorial Stones

• Our lives - 1 Peter 25
• 5 you also, as living stones, are being
  built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to
  offer up spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God
  through Jesus Christ
• We are living stones
• When they looked at the stones by the Jordan
  River, the question was asked, What do these
  mean?
• What does this change in your life mean?
• Has there been a change in your life since you
  were saved?
• Do you remember the day you were saved?
• Thats the greatest memorial stone you have!

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We Have a Tendency to Forget

• Thats why we need
• Memorial Day
• Souvenirs from vacations
• To write things down
• To observing the Lords Supper
• Lest We Forget
• All around us are stones that we set up as
  memorials
• They remind us of how great and mighty God is
• We need to look for them recognize them
• God can use YOU, as a living stone to be a
  blessing in someone elses life

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