Sunday 10/01/2021 Praise Baptist Church Ndongo-Buea

Remember to Remember (Luke 22:18-20)

Summary​: How quickly we forget the Lord after He has rescued us from sure destruction. Or
how we take credit for our own deliverance and forget to give God thanks and glory. This is a
short message that encourages believers to Remember the Lord for all of His goodness towards
them.
ill. Looking for food ...

Do you remember a time when you cried out to God, asking Him to help you out of your
situation? Maybe you were in a time of desperation, depression, addiction, homelessness,
financial distress, marital problems etc. ... and God heard your cry and rescued you out of it. I’ve
certainly been there.
In my distress I cried unto the Lord, and he heard me. (​Psalm 120:1)
Isn’t it amazing how after our situation improves just how quickly we forget the pain of where
we came from and how God delivered us out of it. There's nothing more heartbreaking than
watching men and women whom God knowingly rescued from sure destruction forget where
they came from and how they got to where they are. Even more sad is when they no longer
acknowledge or even give thanks to God for answering their cries. Some even go so far as to say,
“Look at what I did, I pulled myself out of my situation”. Unfortunately, this usually doesn’t end
very well.
Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall. (Proverbs 16:3)

Remember to Remember
To remember is to keep something in mind. “Re” means again and “memor” is Latin for
mindful.

The Passover ceremony was instituted by God when He delivered the children of Israel from
Egyptian bondage(Exo. 12:14-28). His chosen people were to remember this deliverance on a
regular basis.
Prophetically, this celebration pointed to “the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world”
(John 1:29). Jesus will be sacrificed on the cross in order to deliver all believers from the
bondage of sin. Though Jesus knew this painful and humiliating event was near, He was glad the
time had come for him to eat the Passover with the apostles.

Why should we remember?

Some believe that indulging in memories is a waste of time, that past events have no meaning for
the present. We live in the present, we dream of the future, but we learn eternal truths from the
past .

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When we include God in our remembering:
1- ​We gain a sense of perspective.
Even difficult times are part of God’s plan. Sometimes, with the gift of hindsight, we catch a
glimpse of his purpose later.
2- ​We acquire wisdom for today.
“Reflective thinking turns experience into insight.”
(John Maxwell)
3- ​We build a foundation of stability for today as we remember God’s grace and
faithfulness in the past.
But memories easily fade. So some believers keep a book of remembrance or a praise journal, as
a way to savor God’s faithfulness.
4- ​We foster gratitude in our hearts.
5- ​We can turn remembering into a beautiful act of worship.
That’s exactly what scripture invites us to do:
“​Rejoice in all the good which the Lord your God has given to you and your house”
​ euteronomy 26:11).
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Praise the name of the Lord your God, who has done wondrously with you” ​(​Joel 2:26b)​.
“​You make me glad by your deeds, O Lord; I sing for joy at the works of your hands” (​Psalm
92:4)​.
Remembering God’s wonderful deeds of the past turns our hearts to worship, which causes a
powerful, positive impact on the present.
6- ​We can tell our stories of God’s miracles and mercies, to encourage the faith of others
and refresh our own.
Scripture invites us to do that too:
“I will tell of the kindness of the Lord, the deeds for which he is to be praised, according to all
he has done for us”​ (​Isaiah 63:7)​.

If God has ever heard your cries, answered your prayers and rescued you from your situation:
-Don’t ever forget where you came from
-Be thankful you’re no longer there
-Give God thanks
-Give God the glory
-Only look back to see how far you’ve come
-Don’t go back
Psalm 107:23-32
The Old Rugged Cross