10-02-22 “My memory is what it used to be!”

Scripture      1 Corinthians 11:23-26

 

          You have heard it said, “My memory isn’t what it used to be!” but I say unto you, “My memory is what it used to be!” BAD! Why do I preach? Not to tell you something new. Rather, to REMIND you of what you already know but have forgotten. Think carefully, how many of you sinned during this past week? Everyone. Apparently you forgot what I preached two weeks ago or what Aaron Osterbrock preached last week or you would not have sinned, but because you (And I) don’t remember very well, I will preach again this week, and next and next.

          Those who say I don’t need to go to church to be a Christian (true statement but biblically and theologically an incorrect way to live), are the people who have forgotten that they need to be reminded. Not going to church to worship and hear the word of God preached is like having an alarm clock and forgetting to set it to wake you up on time.
          In our relationship with Jesus and His word, we are all forgetful, not one of us has a good memory, we have all fallen short of what we knew before.
          It is not only being reminded but being reminded in a new, different, innovative and fresh way. What you knew before means something different at age 72 than it did at 22 or means something different when you were married than it does when you are widowed or divorced. The word you knew before has not changed, but you have and you need reminded of that word and will receive it in a whole new light.
          In every church people (including myself sometimes) want to do things the way we used too. By that, we really don’t mean just do that activity or say that prayer or sing that song, because any of us can do those things on our own if they are that important to us. What we mean is I want the experience of what it was like 30 years ago. The problem is, we are now 30 years older and not only perceive things differently, we experience them differently.  How many of you used to go to church every Sunday morning, Sunday night and Wed night, as well as other times through the week? How many still do that today? One of the big things we used to do to experience church and fellowship were potlucks – we had them several times a year and most of us went to all of them. How many just came to the picnic potluck this past Sunday? If we don’t do all the same things the same way, it will never be the same, and even if we did the same things the same way (which would be tragic to not grow and develop new practices at all) it won’t be the same because we are no longer the same. Instead we have to be reminded of God’s goodness, faithfulness and love and have that reinterpreted for the life situation in which we now live.  The vital part is to allow ourselves to be reminded, that even though we have changed, even though the church has changed, that according to Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.

          Is this just a preacher doing promotion to get people to come to worship and hear preaching more regularly? NO!!!  God calling us to remember is throughout the OT and the NT.

REMEMBER THE LAW
Genesis 3:8-11
          Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the Lord God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man, "Where are you?" He answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid." And he said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?" In other words, I just told you not to eat of that tree or you will die. Do you not remember?
 
REMEMBER THE SABBATH
Exodus 20:8-11
          Through Moses, in the 10 commandments, God said; Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. 11 For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy. Remember the Law & the Sabbath.
REMEMBER THE EXODUS
Deuteronomy16:2-3
          Sacrifice as the Passover to the Lord your God an animal from your flock or herd at the place the Lord will choose as a dwelling for his Name. Do not eat it with bread made with yeast, but for seven days eat unleavened bread, the bread of affliction, because you left Egypt in haste — so that all the days of your life you may remember the time of your departure from Egypt. Remember the Law & the Sabbath & the Exodus.
REMEMBER THE BREAD
Matthew 16:8-10
          Aware of their discussion, Jesus asked, You of little faith, why are you talking among yourselves about having no bread? Do you still not understand? Don't you remember the five loaves for the five thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? Or the seven loaves for the four thousand, and how many basketfuls you gathered? Remember the Law & the Sabbath & the Exodus & the Bread.
REMEMBER WHAT HE SAID
Luke 24:5-8
          "Why do you look for the living among the dead? He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee:  'The Son of Man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.'"  8 Then they remembered his words. Remember the Law & the Sabbath & the Exodus & the Bread & what Jesus said.
 
REMEMBER WHAT JESUS DID & WHO HE IS
1 Corinthians 11:23-26
          For I (emphasis of Paul over the Corinthians) received (reinterpreted [new] tradition) from the Lord what I also passed (tradition unbroken from the last supper to now) on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed (the betrayal is still going on), took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my (Emphasis ‘Jesus’ body) body, which is for you (was given on your behalf and continues to be given); do this in remembrance (to call back again into memory a vivid experience) of me."  In the same way, after supper he took the cup (the final cup – the cup of blessing which was held up), saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood (Blood indicated a life given up in death which was the penalty for breaking the covenant with God); do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me."  For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim (make a sincere announcement) the Lord's death until he comes (the second coming). Remember the Law & the Sabbath & the Exodus & the Bread & what Jesus said, what Jesus did & who Jesus is.
 

ILLUSTRATION OF JESUS AT THE CENTER OF COMMUNION
It was a cold Christmas Eve a few years ago.  Will Willimon, Dean of the Chapel at Duke University, was rushing his family to get in the car.  They were running late for the communion service.  "Where are the sermon notes?  Where is the pulpit robe?  Don't forget to turn off the lights.  Everybody get in the car and be quiet!"
On the way to the church… rushing through the traffic, their 5-year-old- daughter, Harriet, got sick to her stomach and she up-chucked all over the car.  "Great!"  Will Willimon thought, "If people only knew what preachers go through."  He wheeled into the church parking lot and jumped out of the car, leaving his wife, Patsy, to clean up the car and get the kids into the church… and he thought, "If people only knew what preachers' spouses go through."
His wife, Patsy, led a still unsteady and pale Harriet into the church.  They sat on the back pew in the darkness…just in case Harriet got sick again.  Their son, William, age seven, ran down to the front of the church to sit with his grandparents.  Will Willimon threw on his robe, took a deep breath, and joined the choir for the processional.  He made it through the first part of the service… and the sermon.  Then came Holy Communion.  Will Willimon's wife, Patsy, came down to the altar to receive the sacrament, but she left 5 year old Harriet on the back pew.  Harriet was still so pale and so weak and so sick.  But then something beautiful happened.  Seven-year-old William got up and came back to the communion rail.  "What on earth is he doing?" wondered his parents.  "He's already received communion once.  What is he up to?"  They watched him race to the back of the church and scoot down the pew toward his sister.  He opened his hands… revealing a small piece of bread.  "Harriet," he said, "This is the body of Christ given for you."  Without hesitation, little Harriet picked the bread out of her brother's hands and plopped it into her mouth and said, "Amen."  And in that moment Holy Communion had never been more holy.  Then 7-year-old William patted his 5-year-old sister Harriet on the head.  He smiled.  She smiled.  And then he turned and ran back down to the front of the church to re-join his grandparents.  (The Christian Ministry, July-August 1989, p. 47)
Think of that. Her 7-year-old brother William thought to include her.  Either because she wasn't being included or he thought it might help her feel better he reached out to his sister with what really mattered—the body of Christ in the form of communion.  There's a name for that…it's called LOVE!  What a beautiful thing it is when our children rise to the occasion and teach us once again the power of love, the wonder of love, the miracle of love.
          My grandson, Gideon did the very same thing for his mom, my daughter Gretchen, when she wasn’t feeing well, he went and got communion elements and served them to his mother. It shows that children understand something that we sometimes forget – Jesus is at the center of this table. He invites us all to come to the table – the rich, the poor, the successful, those who often fail, the victor and the victim, the educated and uneducated, the old and young, the male and female. All are invited to his table and today – World Communion Sunday Jesus is at the center of the longest table in the world. (PIB boasts the longest bar in the world) Our God boasts of the longest table which is reaching around the entire world today and Jesus Jesus Jesus is at the center and we are invited to bring our sin, our struggles, our hopes and dreams to the table where we find forgiveness, restitution, renewal, and above all, love.

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