Revision as of 17:20, 12 August 2022

Theological Proposition/Focus: God has done things worth remembering.

Homiletical Proposition/Application: Take advantage of the divine memorial that God has set up by practicing those memorials.

Introduction:

Image: Why take so many pictures? So you can remember

Emily loves to take pictures. I checked the other day and she has 41,000 photos saved. When we were on vacation as she was taking pictures I asked her, "why do you take so many pictures." She told me "because I know I will forget these things but if I have a picture then I will remember." You see we all have a tendency to forget and so we do things to remind ourselves of significant items. We need reminding!

Preview: We are going to look at Joshua 8:30-35 and see that God's promises are worth recounting. Then we will practice the two ordained memorials that God has provided for his people.

Text: Joshua 8:30-35; 1 Cor. 11:23-29; Acts 2:36-41

Setting the Stage:

Body

God's words, promises, and acts are worth recounting (30-35).

Joshua led the people in covenant renewal.

Defeating Ai essentially opened up the region for Joshua to begin a major military campaign. The foothold had been established and a military leader would likely have thought it appropriate to push the advantage and secure the entire central region. However, Joshua did something different.

The Significance

In Deuteronomy 27:1-8 Moses commanded Israel to perform a covenant renewal ceremony on Mt. Ebal upon entering the land.

With the entryway cities in ruin Israel could now perform this important ceremony.

The march from the camp at Gilgal northward would have been about 30 miles through sparsely populated areas.

Why here? because from these centrally located peaks most of the promised land can be seen.

The Process

The alter was erected

Sacrifices made

The law duplicated

Joshua led the people in corporate reading of the Law.

A huge natural amphitheater still exists in this place today.

The reading, as described/commanded in Deut. 27:15-26 would have included going over all the curses.

Verse 34 indicates that Joshua covered both blessings and curses.

MTR: Commit to reading your Bible daily this week (5 min., 10 min. 30 min. 60 min.)

Christ's payment for sins is worth recounting (11:23-29)

The proclamation of the Lord's Supper is significant (26).

The seriousness of the Lord's Supper demands attention (27-29).

MTR: Corporate prayer of confession

The memorial of the Lord's Supper should be celebrated (23-26).

The broken Body (23-24)

The covenant of the blood (25)

MTR: Let's practice the Lord's supper together.

Your personal decision to place your complete faith in Christ is worth recounting (Acts 2:36-41)

The nagging question we each must answer is that of what do we do with our sin (36-37).

The solution you need is to repent and believe in Christ's atonement (38-39).

The natural next step is baptism (40-41).

MTR: As we baptize today, recall your own commitment to trust Christ.