Remembrance and Renewal

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0><tr> <td valign="top" colspan=2 height=50 BGCOLOR="#333366" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>Remembrance and Renewal</B></div> <div> </div> </td> </tr><tr> <td valign="top" width=165 BGCOLOR="#CCCC99" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="1" WIDTH="132" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="VOID" RULES="NONE" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 35 ><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id186.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Why and How We Worship"><U><B><IMG SRC="007151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <A HREF="id199.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Worship: A LifeChanging Experience"><U><B><IMG SRC="008151d0.gif" border=0 width="21" height="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></B></U></A></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP WIDTH="20"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="35" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="20" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="13"></div> </NOBR></tD> <tD VALIGN=TOP><NOBR><div> <IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="29" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" WIDTH="27"></div> </NOBR></tD> </tR> </TABLE></B></div> <div> Previous/Next Sermon</div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="www.stanbaker.org"><U><B>Home</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id2.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Biblical and Theological Studies"><U><B>Biblical and Theological Studies</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id3.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Church Ministry"><U><B>Church Ministry</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id15.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Sermon Notes"><U>Sermon Notes</U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id4.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links"><U><B>Links</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id5.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Personal"><U><B>Personal</B></U></A></div> <bR> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> <div> <A HREF="mailto:stan@stanbaker.org" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:stan@stanbaker.org"><U>stan@stanbaker.org</U></A></div> </td> <td valign="top" height=430 BGCOLOR="#FFFFFF" TEXT="#080000"> <div> <B>“Remembrance and Renewal” April 1, 2001am, Berean Bible Church</B></div> <bR> <div> <I>     </I>A good marriage relationship requires reminders of the covenant that was made (rings serve as this kind of reminder). We have pictures of ourselves, of our wedding day. We talk about our shared experiences together. We look ahead to what we anticipate in the future, knowing that the future is founded upon the past. We must regularly reaffirm our love and renew our covenant commitment to each other. A couple’s marriage relationship can grow and develop and become better with the passing of time. But it can also diminish, and grow weaker, and more superficial.</div> <div>      There is the tendency for our worship to diminish, to become external, rote, a mere habit. It can cease to be the living, energizing experience it was meant to be.</div> <div>      Our worship of God, and our relationship with him, do not have to get old and mundane with the passing of time. We can grow in our delight of God.</div> <bR> <div> I. 2 Kings 17:35-41: Israel failed to reflect and be renewed in their covenant withGod. They quit worshiping properly and being loyal to God alone. Not even the judgment by Assyria was able to challenge them to worship God fully and worship him alone.</div> <bR> <div> II. Actively Participate in Worship by Looking Backward, Inward, Forward.</div> <div>      1 Corinthians 11:17-34: The Lord’s Table is central in Christian worship because helps us reflect on God’s work in the past, our response in the present, and his promises for the future. For early church, it was celebrated weekly, more of a meal.</div> <div> A. A time of <U>reflection</U> (vss. 23-25). We should reflect on the cross of Christ, the Passover connection, and God’s faithfulness. Andrew Murray said, “It is when we face ourselves and face Christ, that we are lost in wonder, love and praise. We need to rediscover the almost lost discipline of self-examination; and then a re-awakened sense of sin will [bring out] a re-awakened sense of wonder.”</div> <div> B. A time of <U>renewal</U> (vss. 17-22, 27-34). We are reminded of our covenant with God, and our commitment to worship God alone, to live in unity with others, to walk in personal holiness. At issue in 1 Cor 11:17ff. was the disunity of the Corinthians believers. How they treated one another was an expression of the quality of their commitment to God.</div> <div> C. A time of <U>expectation</U> (vs. 26). Our worship points to God’s promises for us in the future, including Christ’s coming again for us.</div> <bR> <div> All worship calls for active participation. It looks back, it look in, and it looks ahead.</div> <bR> <div>      Three times a month, Jermaine Washington and Michelle Stevens get together for what they call a "gratitude lunch." With good reason! Washington donated a kidney to Stevens, whom he described as "just a friend." They met at work where they used to have lunch together. One day Michelle wept as she spoke about waiting on a kidney donor list for 11 months. She was being sustained by kidney dialysis, but suffered chronic fatigue and blackouts and was plagued by joint pain. Because Washington couldn't stand the thought of watching his friend die, he gave her one of his kidneys. When you've got something great to be thankful for, having a "gratitude lunch" is a great way to celebrate” (<I>Today in the Word</I>, November 14, 1993).</div> <bR> <DIV ALIGN="LEFT"></DIV> <div> copyright, 2001, Stanley Baker</div> <div> www.stanbaker.org</div> </td> </tr></table></body>