Memorial Day
Gtcotr/ss052707
A memorial is a remembrance of someone who has died. In our nation we understand that freedom and peace have a price. Freedom and peace costs us the lives of our sons and daughters, fathers and mothers, brothers and sisters, friends and neighbors.
In honor of those who gave their lives in sacrifice for our freedom we have set aside a national day of remembrance, we call it Memorial Day, which we celebrate tomorrow, and this is Memorial Day Weekend. Everyone is encouraged to take a moment at 3 p.m. tomorrow and remember those brave souls who chose the course and served the cause, giving their lives in defense of our Nation’s decided best interest.
There are so many heroes in our past who served in one way or another to make
Every day of the year could be a special day commemorating a different segment of our society for their unselfish and sacrificial contribution in making
However, one class of citizen stands out on the front lines of our nation when we think of the heroes of our past, its the American Soldier. Memorial Day is about those who died defending us in war.
Bow your hearts with me as we remember these brave men and women in a prayer of thanksgiving to God for their service and their sacrifice.
Key Scripture: John 15 NKJV
12 "This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.
13 "Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.
One Sunday morning a father and his young son were sitting in church and the young lad noticed a plaque hanging on the wall with several names engraved on it. “What is that father?” the young man asked. It’s the names of all those who died in the service, the father replied. Which service was it, questioned the son, the 9 o’clock or the 11 o’clock.
Turn in your bibles to our text for today … Mark 8 … we will be reading from the NKJV this morning.
Mark 8
34 When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, "Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.
35 "For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.
36 "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
37 "Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?
One of the things we notice about this passage is that it is an open ended invitation entitled, “Whosoever” … Whosoever desires, wills, or wants to … let him …
The greatest journeys of man, (whether imaginary or real, fantasy or fact), begin with desires.
God’s army is an all volunteer army that anyone can join without respect to race, color, creed, national origin, gender, stature, IQ or disability. It begins with a desire but demands commitment.
The requirement of fully following Christ is that we give our lives while we live.
Galatians 2
20 "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.
Jesus speaks to the volunteers in His army as a General would to soldiers in boot camp. In order for a soldier to make the most out of his desire to serve the Lord, he must commit. Jesus said he must:
1. Deny Himself
2. Take Up His Cross
3. Follow Me
Mark 8: 35 "For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.
We have but two choices. Either we will be the Lord’s free man, the Lord’s volunteer, or a slave to the world. There are no other choices.
And by the way, what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses his own soul or what would a man give in exchange for his soul?
This morning lets ask ourselves two questions:
1. What would I give my life for?
People will seldom die for something which they are unwilling to live for.
2. What would I take in exchange for my soul?
