Do This in Remembrance

in this Joshua chapter 4 verses 1 through 7 in the word of God reads when all the nation had finished passing over the Jordan the Lord said to Joshua take 12 men from the people from each tribe a man and command them saying take 12 stones from here out of the midst of the Jordan from the very place where the priests stood firmly and bring them over with you and lay them down in the place where you lodge tonight in Joshua called the 12 men from the people of Israel from whom he had appointed a man from each tribe and Joshua said to them pass on before the ark of the Lord your guide and to the midst of the Jordan and take up each of you a stone upon his shoulder according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel that this may be assigned among you when your children ask in the time to come what do these stones mean to you then you shall say then you should tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord when it passed over the Jordan the waters of the Jordan were cut off so these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial whatever this is the word of the Lord to us on the morning of September 11 2001 my dad was a commercial electrician in New York city he had since retired on the morning was working in a building across the street from the world trade center while he was working with some of his co-workers he heard an explosion wondering what it was they descended from the building and came outside and saw the mayhem plane as we now know it had struck one of the twin towers in New York city you spent time observing the melee and the confusion that was going on and it became too much new it was time to get out before he left he wanted to go up to the building and get his tools and on his way up to get his tools in order to leave the city the second plane hit he didn't go back to get his tools he descended the building and sought to make his way out of New York city by God's grace he was able to leave the scene before what we know now the towers collapsing last year our family and I had an opportunity to visit ground zero we were able to see the outline and the memorial there of those who tragically lost their lives all of his grandchildren were there and papa got to explain to them and point to where he was on the day that those planes hit the building he was able to show them the route that he took out and was able to escape by God's grace and by God's mercy none of them were born at the time so we reflected yes on the tragedy of those we remember those who lost their lives at day but we were also able to reflect upon the goodness and the mercy of God the papa you know our country is full of memorials calling attention to the to the sad and the tragic but there are some memorials calling attention to the great victory and triumph of our nation our country is full of these memorials well the Bible the Bible is replete with memorials as well when Israel had been delivered out of Egypt God commanded them to hold the feast the feast of unleavened bread we are told this in Exodus 13 and 9 and it shall be as a sign on your hand and as a memorial between your eyes the law of the Lord will be in your mouth but with a strong hand the Lord has brought you out of Egypt as the children of Israel were exiting out of Egypt God gave them the unleavened bread feast to to remind them as a memorial of what he had done in the numbers 31 54 after God had performed a great victory on behalf of the children of Israelites over the Midianites Moses and L.A. Azar the priest received the gold from the commanders of thousands and a hundred and brought it into the tent of meeting as a memorial for the people of Israel before the Lord memorials memorials are helpful because we are a people prone to forget in fact most of us no doubt forgot where we were in Joshua until our brother Donald red description this morning let's refresh a memory God had just performed an incredible miracle on behalf of the people he cut off the flowing waters of the river joining now brothers and sisters this was a miraculous act it was a miraculous act the children of Israel were able to pass through on dry land into the land of Canaan specifically Gilgown now the familiarity of the story causes the wonder of this act to be lost on us but think about it for a moment the the Jordan river some a mile long was cut off the people must have been in awe they were struck with awe at this act shout of praise and feelings of wonder and amazement must have accompanied them as they made their trek across the the dry ground the dry riverbed of the Jordan river saying to themselves oh I will never I will never forget this act that God performed on our behalf but would they would they never forget unfortunately when it comes to the works of God we too often have short term memories showed itself to be true brothers and sisters in our lack of faith reason you and I lack faith is because we we forget if if we would remember if we would just remember all the ways in the past that God has moved on our behalf if we would simply remember his his his character and and the very promises that he gives us in his words then guess what you and I would trust him more we forget we forget because we are for a forgetful people fortunately oh God is gracious and merciful he's gracious and he is merciful and because he is well aware of our proclivities to for yet he helps us he makes provisions provisions to jog our memories and and so that we can can can can remember him and that's what we see in our text this morning after all the nation the past through the river God speaks to Joshua Joshua 4 and verse 2 take 12 men from the people from each tribe a man and command them saying take 12 stones from here out of the midst of the Jordan from the very place where the priest put firmly and bring them over with you and lay them down in the place where you lie tonight now before calling attention to what is said here to the command that is given to Joshua we must once again call attention to who says it God in his recounting of these events wants to continue to press upon his readers that this is his show this is his story Joshua is not acting independent of God every every single move that is being made by Joshua is coming at the direction of God oh we can't ever miss that even in our world today brothers and sisters we need to understand that that God is orchestrating it all knowing this is important brothers and sisters and I hope I hope you would know that here at East Point Church that we as leaders brothers and sisters are seeking to move as God said it's moving this this here what we have going here this is no Jesus take the wheel situation brothers and sisters the reality is we never had the wheel to begin with

this is God's work he sets the agenda just as he did with Moses God is directing Joshua because this is his story so Josh for God commands Joshua to a point 12 men one from each tribe to to get stones from the riverbed of the Jordan and take them and lay them where they are to lodge that night in Gilgown the 12 stones were significant the fact that one man from each tribe chose a stone communicated something the 12 stones represented the 12 tribes 12 tribes of Israel the entire people of God in fact we can link these 12 stones back to the statement made in verse 1 when all the nation had finished passing over the Jordan oh God had not left one man woman or thought all the people passed over the Jordan even the sons of Ruben dad and the half tribe of manatha you remember you remember those who were given land in the trans Jordan but but who had promised Moses that they would fight with their brothers and sisters to take the land they were armed and ready to fight is what verses 12 and 13 tells us they all went God said all all were to cross the river and he made sure all cross the river God was faith so Joshua does just as the Lord commanded he chose man and instruct them to get a stone from the riverbed Joshua 5 and 4 5 and 6 Joshua said to them pass on before the arc of the Lord your God into the midst of the Jordan and take up each of you a stone upon his shoulder according to the number of the tribe of the people of Israel that this may be assigned among you here is a here is a helpful principle that Joshua demonstrates obey the word of the Lord no matter how obscure the requestings why why stone were were they special in some regard do they have magical powers no they weren't magical stone but they did have a purpose they were not special stones but they did have a special significance Joshua followed the commands of God and he discovered that God's commands are always full of perfect so we've got a perfect gotta instruct them to gather these stones and set them up as a sign as a sign in the bible signs are associated with with God promises and his his power and his purposes they they signify his covenant faithfulness to his his people after the flood you do remember God promise Noah that he would never destroy the earth again with water and to confirm that promise what did he do God gives him a rainbow reminding him that he would never destroy the earth again by water in Egypt the plays were also a sign a sign of God's power and his might both to Israel and to the Egyptian the sign you and I are probably most familiar with is the sign given to Abraham God promised him that he would be a father to so many nations and that he he would get a land of his very own and he sealed that promise he gave he gave Abraham the promise the sign of circumcision well we can name several other signs that God gave his people throughout the scriptures because this is how God was he enters into covenant with his people and and he gives them signs confirming that he is their God that he is for them and he works on their behalf he stones that Israel set up Joshua tells them to be assigned to them and these 12 memorial stones would serve two important purposes in the life of Israel they would serve as a memorial and a testimonial they would serve as a memorial it would serve they these 12 stones would serve as a reminder for a people that is prone that a prone to again after the battle at Gettysburg during the civil war a battle that was kind of looked back on as the turning point in the war for the union army Abraham Lincoln gave his famous speech the Gettysburg address when there's a line in the Gettysburg address that that Abraham Lincoln gives he understands the proclivity of men to forget and he wants to remind them to to remember what takes took place there he says the the world will little note or long remember what we say here but it can never forget what they did here Abraham Lincoln was appealing to the people to remember to remember not just what was said but to remember what would happen because we are a people that are are quickly that quickly forget oh unfortunately guys people don't have a good track record of remembering not only do we forget what is said we forget what God did right Israel's history God was always reprimanding her for their forgetfulness they would they would forget how God moved on their behalf they would forget his commands and his promises and and here is the issue this is not like forgetting someone's birthday or forgetting to take out the trash forgetting the work of God has severe consequences or forgetting God leads to doubt leads you to doubt who God is joylessness it leads to fear and anxiety and ideology and the list goes on and on and none of it is good but getting God leads to a road littered with struggle and strife listen to just a couple of consequences of forgetting God the scripture is lit you think you 23 35 therefore thus says the Lord God because you have forgotten you and cast me behind your back you yourself must bear the consequences of your ludeness and warning because they forgot God there was severe consequences judges 3 and 7 they're common refrain that we see in the book of judges and the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord why they forgot the Lord their God and served bale and the ashram forgetful people getting God lead to severe consequences because again because God is gracious because he knows this is the characteristic of fallen humanity he provides signs to jog our memories memorials are so that we don't forget what he has done God gave them a physical reminder children of Israel 12 stones set in a heat to guard against their forgetfulness in fact these 12 stones would be the first of seven other memorial stones that are gathered and put together in the book of Joshua how good is God he helped us when we can't help ourselves

all of Israel every time they walk past the Jordan whenever they travel to Gilgal and would see these 12 stones their their memories would be done and what would they remember they would remember that their God is awesome and not awesome in the in the in how we flippantly use it today but also mean like the guy that we serve cut off the river he stopped it up so that we could walk on dry land they they would recall how how God kept his promises to be with them and to fight for them something something ever jobs your memory and you are instantly transported back to the place and time in your mind ever happened to you sometimes that's that's not a good thing I've had my memory job by a song a couple weeks ago and that was not a good thing right sometimes a mind a job to something to something good and these 12 stones would have jogged the people of Israel's mind they would have they would have seen them and instantly been transported back to sitting on the banks of the river waiting to see if God would ask how would we how would we cross the Jordan wondering wondering how God was going to show up how was he going to work and they would remember the feeling of awe and wonder it's got stop the river and allow them to pass on dry this is this is what time do they cause us to remember a God who is more who fights for us to remember of God who is strong on our behalf of God who is faithful to his promises listen you and I are no different than Israel when it comes to our memory we are prone to forget to when we struggle with doubt and fear and anxiety and an idolatry you know what's going on we are not remembering our God who is for us just like God gave Israel's time he gives us signs as well we know these signs to be baptism and the Lord stop the sacraments are gods just to us they they are not some traditional exercise that we engage in for tradition sake no God commands us to partake in these sacraments because he is being gracious and merciful to a forgetful people we for take of the Lord we see someone enter the waters of baptism we are reminded that our God is awesome we remember that we once were dead in our trespasses and sin but the God made us alive in Christ Jesus no no no we did not have the Jordan in front of us but we had a a sea of sin and strife and enmity God was gracious and he sent Jesus he sent Jesus to pay the penalty to close the gap to bring to him God showed himself strong on our behalf to the person in work of his son Jesus sacraments they caused us their signs they caught us to remember Luke 22 and 19 and he took the bread and when he had given thanks he broke it and gave it to them saying this is my body which is broken for you do this do this in remembrance of me oh brothers and sisters there is a lot that happens at the communion table in terms of of God meeting us and strengthening us by his grace but there is no denying that one aspect of coming to the Lord's table is that our memories are being jobs the world and it cares while the week has caused us to forget or to remember coming to the table each week reminds us that God is for us he is a big God he is a God who who has saved the God who saves and a God who will continue to save as much all remind yourself and first Corinthians 15 one again knowing that we would be prone to forget now I would remind you brothers of the gospel I preach to you which you receive and which you stand and by which you are being saved

sign God gives us a job hour memory the memorial the memorials but they also they also serve as a testimony they testify to the work of God the signs the the signs point others to the work of God specifically the next generation and the nation broke stones that God commanded Joshua to set up on before the people in Gilgal were to testify to the next generation look at what Joshua 4.79 5.7 say Joshua said to them pass on before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of the Jordan and take up each of you a stone upon a shoulder according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel but this may be a sign among you when your children ask in the time to come what do these stones mean to you then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord when it passed over the Jordan river the waters of the Jordan were cut off or these stones shall be to the people of Israel I'm a memorial these 12 stones were not going to be just for those who passed through the Jordan not just for those who saw the waters cut off but it would be for their children and their children children when they ask when they ask were told when they ask as they're they're they're taking a walk going for a stroll along the Jordan and come to the the these these 12 stones they would they would say daddy daddy what do those stones mean when they ask what do these stones mean of course they were going to ask that's what children do they ask questions sometimes too many questions but God knew they would ask God wanted a generation to know what he had done with the Jordan River they were called as a people to testify about the works of God today so that God God is always exhorting the people of God to tell the next generation and brothers and sisters right you do you do realize that this is not just a word to the parents this is a word to the community of faith that we are to be a people that is telling the next generation about the works of the Lord and what he has done words and judges two ten to scare us you have a responsibility these words scare me every time I read and all that generation after Joshua had done also were gathered to their father and there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord or the work he had done for Israel now now certainly we can indict the the generation that that did not know the Lord but you do understand that the rock responsibility falls on the generation that failed to teach their children who failed to tell them about the works of Yahweh and brothers and sisters made that never made that never be said of our generation about the generation coming behind us now we have a responsibility to teach them about the God who's God who's for you do you know what I mean six command us six seven and nine you shall teach them diligently to your children when God when Moses gives the shaman and you shall talk of them when you sit in your house and when you walk by the way and when you lie down and when you rise you you shall bind them as a sign on your hand or they shall be as frontlets between your eyes you shall write them on the doorpost of your house and on your gate we should be always teaching our children telling them of the works of the Lord and all that he has done brothers and sisters remember remember they're gonna ask the children of Israel are no different than the children today they're going to ask when they see you take the the elements of the bread and the wine and they ask mommy and daddy what do those signs mean may you tell them about the works that the Lord has done I will need to make sure we tell them about the God that we serve if you are your child here this morning you you don't have to ask because I'm gonna tell you this morning your child here if you you are a teenager you need to listen to me very clearly that's all that we say God is real listen to me God is real he's he's not a superhero he's got some character uh that you read in a in a fiction book God is real and I can tell you he's real I can name several instances where God showed up in my life and it's true that I can feel him deep in my soul that God is real if you hear nothing else today know that God is real the world is gonna tell you that he's fake that he doesn't exist listen to me God is real and it's not just because I know I'm deep down in my soul but because I've got a sign that assures me that Christ was went to Calvary on my behalf and he has secured salvation for me oh children God is real oh may we may we be always telling our children about the works that the Lord has done pointing that pointing them to the side tell us that assures that Jesus was strong on our behalf the stones were to be a testimony to the children they also meant to be a testimony of proclamation proclamation to the nation Joshua 421 to 24 and he said to the people of Israel when your children asked their fathers in the time to come what do these stones mean then then you shall let them know Israel passed over on dry land and when the Lord your God dried up the waters of the Jordan for you until you passed over as the Lord your God did to the red sea which he dried up for us until we passed over so that all the peoples of the earth may know that the hand of the Lord is mighty God didn't act just so Israel would know who he was he wanted the nation to know just how powerful he was do you remember you remember when Ray have said when she encountered the spies when the spies came into the land she was fearful because she said we heard we heard what your God what Yahweh did at the red sea God the mighty and Egypt was known in Canaan do you do you think the people in Canaan would know what the Lord did at the Jordan of course they would they wouldn't know that the God of Israel was mighty and look at what we read in verse 5 of Joshua chapter 2 as all the kings of the Amorites who were beyond the Jordan to the west and all the kings of the Canaanites who were by the sea heard that the Lord had dried up the waters of the Jordan for the people of Israel until they had crossed over their hearts melted and there was no longer any spirit in them because of the people of Israel as an assistant God cutting off the waters of the river Jordan struck fear in the enemy of Israel their hearts their hearts melted Israel's victory was guaranteed the enemy of the people of God didn't know Chang that's what those 12 stones signify and therefore therefore when Israel saw the 12 stone generation after generation they could remember when they saw those those 12 stones that they had no one to fear except God himself no one to fear except God himself and that fear that they were to exhibit was a holy fear it was a reverential fear for for God was with them to get versed the end of verse 24 that you may fear the Lord your God forever it would be a holy reference because of what God had done for Jordan our brothers and sisters we are forgetful

we often we often cannot help ourselves we we would just remember we would trust God

God is gracious to give us signs to remind us of how good and how mighty he is have you forgotten this morning have you forgotten look to the sign that points us to Christ and all that he has done