TALL SHOULDERS – A MEMORIAL DAY SERMON
TOMORROW IS MEMORIAL DAY, THE DAY WE PAUSE TO REMEMBER ALL THE BRAVE SOULS THROUGHOUT THE YEARS WHO HAVE PAID THE ULTIMATE PRICE … IN THE LINE OF DUTY…. AND GIVEN THEIR LIFE TO PROTECT INNOCENT LIVES, AND TO DEFEND OUR GOD GIVEN RIGHT.. TO BE FREE. WE WILL NEVER KNOW THE NAMES AND FACES OF ALL THE SERVICEMEN WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR FREEDOM’S SAKE…. BUT WE DO KNOW THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST…. WHO DIED TO MAKE ALL OF US TRULY FREE…. FREE FROM DEATH… THE WAGES OF SIN…. FREE FROM FEAR….. FREE FROM OPPRESSION AND CONTROL AGAINST OUR FREE WILL…. JESUS GAVE HIS LIFE…. AND DIED ON THE CROSS…. TO FREE US FROM A PAST OF SIN THAT WE CANNOT ESCAPE…. AND BY FORGIVING US…. HE HAS SET US FREE INDEED. TOMORROW, ALL OVER THE NATION, THERE WILL BE MEMORIAL DAY SERVICES HELD TO HONOR AND REMEMBER…. AND TO THANK… THOSE WHO GAVE ALL THEY HAD… THEIR VERY LIFE. IN THE GOSPEL OF JOHN, CHAPTER 15, VERSE 13, JESUS ONCE SAID: “NO ONE HAS GREATER LOVE THAN THIS, THAT ONE WOULD LAY DOWN ONE’S OWN LIFE FOR ONE’S FRIENDS.” OVER THE YEARS I HAVE HAD THE PRIVILEDGE TO SPEAK WITH VETERANS WHO WERE WOUNDED IN COMBAT, AND SOMEHOW LIVED TO TELL THE STORY… AND IN ADDITION TO RECEIVING THE PURPLE HEART FOR BEING WOUNDED IN ACTION, MANY OF THEM ALSO RECEIVED THE MEDAL OF HONOR FOR THEIR COURAGE AND BRAVERY UNDER FIRE. MOST OF THE ACCOUNTS THAT I LISTENED TO HAD A SIMILAR STORY…. ALMOST ALL OF THE VETERANS SAID THAT THEY NEVER THOUGHT TWICE ABOUT WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN TO THEMSELVES…. THEY SAW A SITUATION THAT REQUIRED THEM TO TAKE ACTION…. AND THEY JUST REACTED. THEY DIDN’T FEEL LIKE HEROES, AND THEY ARE QUICK TO SUGGEST THAT THE REAL HEROES ARE THE ONES WHO DID NOT MAKE IT BACK. AND THEY FEEL THAT ANY OF THEIR FRIENDS WOULD HAVE BEEN WILLING TO RISK THEIR LIVES FOR THEM AS WELL. THEY NEVER TOOK TIME TO DWELL ON THE DANGER….. THERE JUST WASN’T TIME TO THINK ABOUT DOING SOMETHING HEROIC….. THEY DIDN’T STOP TO THINK ABOUT WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN TO THEM AS THEY STEPPED OUT OF THE SAFETY OF THE FOXHOLE AND INTO THE LINE OF FIRE. … THEY WERE DRIVEN MORE BY THE THOUGHT OF WHAT MIGHT HAPPEN ….. TO THEMSELVES… AND THEIR FRIENDS ….. IF THEY DID NOTHING. SO, I ENCOURAGE YOU TO PRAY FOR ALL OUR SERVICE MEN AND WOMEN, AND ALL THOSE IN UNIFORM WHO DAILY PUT THEIR LIVES ON THE LINE TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC. AND HOPEFULLY YOU WILL BE ABLE TO GO TO ONE OF THE MEMORIAL DAY SERVICES…. AND HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY… TO THANK… IN PERSON …. ONE OF THESE RELUCTANT HEROES…. WHO WERE WILLING TO SACRIFIC E EVERYTHING NECESSARY …. FOR THEIR FELLOW MEN AND WOMEN. LET THEM KNOW YOU APPRECIATE THEM FOR BEING WILLING TO SERVE. LET THEM KNOW THAT YOU WILL NEVER FORGET ….. WHAT THEY HAVE DONE FOR ALL OF US.
IN TODAY’S SCRIPTURE FROM PSALM 71, DAVID, THE SHEPHERD BOY WHO WOULD ONE DAY BE KING OF ALL O F ISRAEL… DAVID SAYS THAT NOT ONLY WILL HE… REMEMB ER THE MIGHTY DEEDS OF THE LORD, AND OF HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS AND FAITHFULNESS TO DAVID AND THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL. DAVID GOES ON TO SAY THAT FROM HIS YOUTH HE HAS BEEN TAUGHT BY GOD, AND THAT EVEN NOW, HE STILL PROC LAIMS GOD’S HOLY DEEDS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS. THIS IS ONE IMPORTANT WAY WE REMEMBER AND HONOR THOSE WHO WERE INSTRUMENTAL IN SECURING AND DEFENDING OUR RIGHT TO BE FREE. THIS IS HOW WE REMEMBER AND HONOR OUR FALLEN HEROES…. AS WE RECOUNT AND REPEAT THEIR STORIES OF VALOR.. WITH EACH OTHER. THIS IS HOW THEIR MEMORY LIVES ON…. AND CONTINUES TO INSPIRE …. LONG AFTER THEIR SOULS LEAVE THIS EARTH. THIS IS HOW WE REMEMBER AND HONOR AND PRAISE JESUS CHRIST…. LONG AFTER HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN…. WE REMEMBER HIM BY REPEATING AND TEACHING THE GOSPEL ACCOUNTS OF HIS LIFE, DEATH, AND RESSURRECTION THAT WE FIND IN THE HOLY SCRIPTURES OF THE BIBLE, AND THEN LIVING A LIFE WITH THAT EXAMPLE AND IMAGE IN MIND.
THERE IS AN OLD SAYING, THAT THOSE WHO DO NOT LEARN FROM HISTORY ARE DESTINED TO REPEAT IT. BUT THAT IS ONLY HALF THE STORY…. IT IS TRUE THAT IF WE DO NOT LEARN FROM THE HISTORY OF OUR MISTAKES…. THAT WE WILL NOT SEE THEM COMING THE NEXT TIME EITHER…. AND WE JUST MAY END UP FALLING INTO THE SAME TRAP… AND REPEATING OUR MISTAKES. BUT JUST AS WE HAVE LEARNED BY STUDYING WHAT WE HAVE DONE WRONG…. WE CAN ALSO LEARN BY WHAT WE HAVE DONE RIGHT. IF WE CAN COPY OUR SUCCESSES… AND REPEAT WHAT HAS GONE RIGHT IN OUR HISTORY…. THEN IT WOULD NOT BE A BAD THING AT ALL ……. TO END UP REPEATING … THAT HISTORY. IN FACT…. THIS FRAME OF MIND CAN MAKE THE DIFFERENC E BETWEEN LIVING A LIFE OF FEAR AND WORRY…. AND LIVING A LIFE OF TRUST…. AND PEACE. HERE’S WHAT IT MIGHT LOOK LIKE TO FOCUS ONLY ON THE MISTAKES OF THE PAST: LET’S SAY WE ARE DRIVING DOWN INTERSTATE 4, LIKE MANY OF US HAVE DONE A LOT….. AND WE ARE IN A STATE OF APPREHENSION AND ALMOST PANIC AS WE THINK ONLY ABOUT ALL THE PAST BAD INCIDENCES THAT WE HAVE HAD WHILE DRIVING DOWN 1-4. BAD THOUGHTS ARE RACING THROUGH OUR MIND….. WHAT IF I HAVE A BLOWOUT LIKE LAST YEAR AND END UP ALMOST SWERVING INTO THE CAR NEXT TO ME…. WHAT IF A MOTORCYCLE COMES RACING BY ME AT 100 MILES PER HOUR AND ALMOST MAKES ME CHANGE LANES….. WHAT IF THAT TRUCK I’M PASSING FORGETS I AM HERE AND STARTS TO COME INTO MY LANE? WHAT IF MY CAR BREAKS DOWN AND I HAVE TO TRY TO COAST OVER TO THE EMERGENCY LANE AND WAIT FOR HELP? IF WE BECOME CONSUMED BY ALL THESE NEGATIVE THINGS FROM OUR PAST….. AND TRY OUR BEST NOT TO REPEAT THEM….. THEN WE WILL BE LIVING IN A STATE OF A FEAR OF FAILURE…. INSTEAD OF LOOKING FOR WHAT TO DO RIGHT…. WE WILL BE SPENDING ALL OUR ENERGY AND THOUGHT…. ON JUST TRYING NOT TO MESS UP. BELIEVE IT OR NOT….. SOMETIMES PLAYING IT SAFE….. CAN ACTUALLY BE DANGEROUS…. IF WE END UP BEING PARALYZED BY THE FEAR OF WHAT MIGHT GO WRONG. SO, WHAT IF WE ARE ABLE TO THINK IN A POSITIVE MANNER ABOUT PAST HISTORY….. WE WOULD BE ABLE TO REASSURE OURSELVES TO OVERCOME OUR FEARS…. WE WOULD BE ABLE TO SAY: I CHECKED MY TIRES AND AIR PRESSURE TODAY SO THE CHANCES OF A BLOWOUT ARE SLIM…. BUT IF IT DOES HAPPEN, I WILL BE OK AS LONG AS I HAVE BOTH HANDS ON THE WHEEL AND DON’T PANIC. AND I NEED TO BE CHECKING MY MIRRORS…. AND TURNIN G MY HEAD BACK TO LOOK BEFORE CHANGING LANES TO MAKE SURE THAT THERE IS NOT A MOTORCYCLE COMING UP FAST THAT MIGHT GET IN MY BLIND SPOT. AND I NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT I KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON THE TRUCKS I PASS, AND DON’T HANG OUT IN THEIR BLIND SPOT FOR LONG BY EITHER PASSING THEM QUICKLY OR WAITING FOR A BETTER MOMENT TO PASS. AND IF MY CAR BREAKS DOWN…. I HAVE BEEN THERE BEFORE…. AND I JUST NEED TO KEEP MY HEAD TOGETHER, TURN ON MY EMERGENCY FLASHERS… AND SLOWLY AND SMOOTHLY MAKE MY WAY TO THE SAFETY OF THE EMERGENCY LANE. WE CAN LEARN FROM PAST HISTORY OF OVERCOMING THESE CHALLENGES THAT THEY ARE NOT THE END OF IT ALL…. AND THAT WE CAN SURVIVE IF WE ARE ABLE TO CALL TO MIND THE SUCCESSFUL RECOVERIES ….. OF OUR HISTORY…. AND REPEAT THE STEPS THAT HAVE GOTTEN US THROUGH BEFORE. HISTORY CAN BE OUR FRIEND….. IF WE LEARN FROM IT…. NOT ONLY ABOUT ALL THE MISTAKES AND PITFALLS THAT MIGHT HAPPEN SOMEDAY AS HISTORY REPEATS ITSELF….. BUT TO LEARN HOW TO TRY TO AVOID THE SITUATIONS…. AND MOST IMPORTANTLY…. HOW TO SURVIVE THEM… BY REMEMBERING AND PRACTICING TECHNIQUES THAT HAVE WORKED BEFORE…. HISTORY CAN EITHER BE OUR ENEMY…. OR OUR COMFORT…. AND WE CAN EITHER LIVE IN FEAR OF PAST MISTAKES COMING BACK….. OR WE CAN LIVE IN THE CONFIDENCE THAT WE HAVE SURVIVED HISTORY BEFORE…. AND WE HAVE LEARNED WHAT TO DO IF AND WHEN THINGS GO SOUTH….. AND THEN WE REPEAT THE POSITIVE HISTORY OF HOW WE HAVE SURVIVED THUS FAR. IN OUR SCRIPTURE TODAY, DAVID IS RECALLING HOW GOD’S GREAT DEEDS OF HIS PAST HISTORY HAVE PROTECTED AND SAVED HIM, AND HOW HE WILL REMEMBER HOW THE LORD’S WAYS ARE THE RIGHT WAYS… THE SOLUTIONS THAT LAST…. AND HE TALKS ABOUT HOW GOD HAS BEEN TEACHING HIM SINCE HE WAS A YOUNG MAN…. BY HELPING HIM SEE…. HIS MISTAKES…. AND THE WAY GOD’S GRACE HAS HELPED HIM RECOVER FROM THE UNRIGHTEOUS EFFECTS HIS POOR DECISIONS HAVE HAD ON HIS LIFE. THEN DAVID PRAYS TO GOD FOR THE FUTURE WHEN HE SAYS TO GOD IN VERSE 18: “SO EVEN TO OLD AGE AND GRAY HAIRS, O GOD, DO NOT FORSAKE ME, UNTIL I PROCLAIM YOUR MIGHT TO ANOTHER GENERATION, YOUR POWER TO ALL THOSE TO COME.” DAVID DOES NOT SEEK TO PASS ON ONLY THE HISTORY OF MISTAKES TO AVOID WHEN HE SHARES HIS LIFETIME OF WISDOM WITH A YOUNGER GENERATION…… HE WANTS MOSTLY TO REMEMBER AND SHARE THE HISTORY OF GOD’S POWER AND MIGHT TO OVERCOME ANY OBSTACLE….. AND ANY MISTAKE OR ACCIDENT THAT WE MAY SLIP INTO. HE SAYS IT OVER AND OVER IN THIS PSALM….. THAT HE WILL REMEMBER THAT GOD HAS AN ANSWER TO EVERY POSSIBLE PROBLEM THAT MIGHT HAPPEN IN THIS LIFE…. AND HE WILL BE ABLE TO SHARE HIS STORY…. THE ACTUAL EVENTS OF HIS LIFE…. AS A TESTIMONY TO HOW GOD HAS DELIVERED HIM FROM EVEN HIS OWN WORST MISTAKES. WHAT A PEACE IT CAN GIVE US…. WHEN WE TRULY TRUST AND BELIEVE THAT THERE IS NOTHING THAT GOD CANNOT FIX…. OUR LIVES ARE NEVER BROKEN BEYOND HIS REPAIR…. AND THAT EVEN IF HISTORY DOES REPEAT ITSELF IN A DAMAGING WAY…. GOD IS ABLE TO CREATE A NEW HISTORY …. OF HEALING AND RESTORATION…. THAT WILL REPEAT ETERNALLY.
WITH MEMORIAL DAY, AND THE FOURTH OF JULY, WE MAY SEE SOME PARADES IN OUR STREETS…. AND MAYBE YOU CAN REMEMBER WAY BACK….. WHEN YOU WERE KNEE HIGH TO A GRASSHOPPER AS THEY SAY…. AND YOU COULD N’T SEE THE PARADE FOR ALL THE GIANTS IN FRONT OF YOU…. AND IF YOU WERE LUCKY, YOUR DAD OR MOM OR BIG BROTHER OR SISTER MIGHT PUT YOU UP ON THEIR SHOULDERS SO THAT YOU COULD SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON. VISION WORKS MUCH BETTER IF WE HAVE A CLEAR LINE OF SIGHT! ISSAC NEWTON…. THE GREAT SCIENTIST WHO IS CREDITED WITH HIS STUDIES OF THE FORCE OF GRAVITY…. YOU KNOW, THE APPLE FELL OUT OF THE TREE…. AND WHEN IT HIT HIM IN THE HEAD…. IT KNOCKED A NEW IDEA LOOSE IN THERE… HE HAS ALWAYS BEEN CONSIDERED A GIANT IN THE EARLY STUDY OF PHYSICS. BUT HERE IS WHAT ISSAC NEWTON SAID ABOUT HIS ACCOMPLISHMENTS: “IF I HAVE SEEN FURTHER, IT IS BY STANDING ON THE SHOULDERS OF GIANTS”. WHAT HE WAS SAYING WAS THAT HE MAY HAVE HAD A FEW NEW IDEAS…. BUT THAT THOSE NEW IDEAS WERE BUILT UPON THE FOUNDATION OF ALL THE WORK OF ALL THE GIANTS OF SCIENCE WHO HAD BROUGHT US THUS FAR. WE CAN STAND TALL AND FREE IN THIS GREAT COUNTRY BECAUSE OF ALL THE TALL SHOULDERS WE ARE STANDING UPON. THE SHOULDERS OF THOSE WHO HAVE GONE BEFORE US, AND RISKED MUCH…. AND GIVEN THEIR VERY LIVES…. TO BUILD A FOUNDATION OF OUR NATION…. INDIVISIBLE….. UNDER GOD … WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. AND WE STAND ON THE TALL SHOULDERS OF JESUS …. AND THE DISCIPLES OF CHRIST AND ALL THE SAINTS WHO DEDICATED THEIR LIVES TO KEEP THE MESSAGE OF THE GOSPEL ALIVE FOR OVER 2018 YEARS SO THAT WE COULD HEAR IT AND READ IT FOR OURSELVES. WE OWE SO MUCH TO SO MANY, AND NONE OF US CAN CLAIM TO BE “SELF MADE”. WE ARE HAND MADE…. PERSONALLY AND INDIVIDUALLY BY THE GOD WHO LOVES ALL HIS CREATIONS…. AND IF WE ARE TO HAVE ANY CHANCE OF ACTUALLY SEEING GOD IN THE CROWD OF THE WORLD AS IT PARADES BY US….. WE WILL HAVE TO STAND UPON THE TALL SHOULDERS OF THE ONE WHO SHOWED US WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE TO SHARE THE GREATEST LOVE OF ALL…. BY GIVING HIS LIFE … OUT OF HIS GREAT LOVE FOR US …. HE HAS SAVED OUR LIVES… AND THROUGH HIM WE ARE TRULY FREE. AND AS WE ENVISION JESUS REACHING DOWN AND LIFTING US UP ON HIS TALL SHOULDERS …. WE MIGHT BETTER UNDERSTAND WHAT DAVID WROTE IN THE LAST VERSE OF TODAY’S SCRIPTURE….
YOUR RIGHTEOUSNESS, O GOD,
REACHES THE HIGH HEAVENS.
YOU WHO HAVE DONE GREAT THINGS,
O GOD, WHO IS LIKE YOU?
REMEMBER ALL THE SHOULDERS WE HAVE BEEN LIFTED UP ONTO …. TO BETTER SEE THE LOVE OF GOD THAT LIVES IN EACH OF US AND IS EVIDENT IN OUR ACTIONS…. AND WHEN WE SEE A LITTLE ONE STRAINING TO CATCH A GLIMPSE OF GOD’S GLORY…. LET US REACH DOWN AND LIFT THEM HIGH UPON OUR SHOULDERS… SO THEY CAN HAVE A CLEAR VIEW…. MAYBE FOR THE FIRST TIME…. OF THE LOVE OF OUR SAVIOR.
THANK YOU JESUS , AMEN