Saturday Sermon: Remember

Psalm 119:49-56

This portion of scripture teaches us that remembrance is a powerful weapon and defense for the Christian. Remembering is proactive; we need to do this now not wait till its too late. Remembrance of God and His Word will give us hope and help to strengthen us in affliction, stoke us in adversity, and secure us from apostasy. We need this message now and always.

Hebrews 12:26-29 – As we get closer to Christ returning, through many means God will be shaking everything that can be shaken, but we have a sure foundation.

Three new challenges to Christian faith are in today’s world. However, Satan’s three-pronged attack is really just resurrecting old lies. This three-tiered tactic is coming against the same areas, just with new items. We must remember this, and remember God’s prescription is the same also.

Secular community (The Secret – New Book) – People want to act like God because they don’t believe in His holiness. They are chasing after fads because they haven’t found God.

Scholarly community (The Tomb – New Discovery) – People want to disprove God because they don’t believe in His power. They listen to any lie because they are starved for truth.

Sacred community (The Apostasy – New Tolerance) – People want to speak for God because they don’t believe what He said. They abandon the faith because they have no anchor.

Let us look at God’s plan to give us perspective in these and all troubled times.

(49-50) He prays for God to remember His Word when he is in pain and it gives him hope

49 – we remind Him in prayer, praying His will (hope)
50 – when we are getting killed out there in the world the Word brings life

(Romans 15:4 / 2 Corinthians 4:16-18)

Instead of looking for some new secret we look to God and His Word for encouragement

(51-53) He remembers the Word of God in times of persecution and it brings him righteous fire

51 – when the fire gets hot don’t douse the flame – they scorn you down it spurs you on
52 – we can stoke the fires of remembrance to keep us warm (testimony)
53 – we burn hot with righteous indignation, and we wax bold against their cold

(Psalm 27:11-14 / Luke 24:32 / 2 Timothy 3:12-17)

Instead of listening to the fear and doubts we listen to His Word and it fans our desire

(54-56) He remembers the God of the Word and it keeps him persevering and growing in grace

54 – when all is against us God is for us
55 – God is true to His character and we will survive the coldest night if we keep His Word
56 – we can keep the fire burning if we keep His Word in our hearts

(Psalm 119:11 / Colossians 2:6-10)

Instead of leaning overboard to see what is out there we drop anchor and get grounded

Just as in David’s day there will always be challenges. We must remember, as David did, that just as sure as God acted back then, He will do now. We remember how He has brought us through, and we will see Him triumph. This is how we have hope in God’s providence because of this perspective, we see with God’s eyes as we continue to hold on to Him through His Word.

Now these latest challenges are actually all easily dismissed especially for the informed and grounded Christian. To help us in the battle, by God’s grace there are still many good preachers, good scholars and good churches in the world today. We still have plenty of help.

But what if we turned into just me?

What happens when there are no good preachers? What happens when there is no one to tell you that this latest fad is just a repackaged heresy? You know this is happening already; there are many in pulpits today that promote the type of error that is in this book, and more are climbing on the backsliding bus every day, what happens when they are the vast majority? Will you be counting on God and His Word, or will your hope be in some new thing? John 6:63-68

What happens when there are no good scholars? What happens when there is no one to stand up and defend the faith in public? What happens when everywhere you go you are met with intellectual scorn and worse, physical force? It is going to get worse and worse, will you stand for Christ at all costs, or will you listen to the lies of the learned? Psalm 115:1-3

What happens when there are no good churches? What happens when there is no one to fellowship with and no Christian community because believers are so scarce? When friends and family turn against God, where will you turn? Will you fall overboard or will you hunker down and hang on? Psalm 27:10

We need to remember the song of our salvation when we see the weapons of the world. When the world is bringing it we need to be singing it. Now is not the time to chase after every fad that feeds our feelings. Now is the time to be praying for God’s will with God’s Word. Now is not the time to listen to those who feed our doubts. Now is the time to fan the flames of a holy desire. Now is not the time to abandon ship. Now is the time to get in the ark.

The waters of this world are going to get rough – remember what God has said, remember who God is, and remember what God said to do.