Sunday: Christ's Memorial Day

         Memorial Day is an American holiday meant to honor those who gave their lives for their country. We enjoy our freedoms because of their great sacrifice. It is a day to say thank you, not only to the soldier, but the family and friends who lost a loved one. Sadly, we do not even know the names of the vast majority of those that died for us.

         However, the meaning of Memorial Day is often lost because of our selfishness. It becomes about our cookouts, camping, family gatherings, shopping for deals, or whatever else we want to do. We forget about those who died for us. That is perhaps one of the most tragic statements we can make about our society.

         In Christianity, we also have a memorial day. It is a memorial for Jesus Christ. It is not Easter or Christmas; instead it is every Sunday. You see Sunday is the day that Jesus resurrected from the dead.

Matthew 28 Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. ² And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. ³ His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. ⁴ And for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. ⁵ But the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. ⁶ He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. ⁷ Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.”

         During the first century, the church met together on the first day of the week. One of the reasons they gathered was to take of the Lord's Supper. This act is often referred to in the Bible as the breaking of bread.

Acts 20: ⁷ On the first day of the week, when we were gathered together to break bread, Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day, and he prolonged his speech until midnight.

         The purpose of the Lord's Supper is to remember the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. He died for our sins. He paid our price of lawlessness. He paid for our home in heaven. He asked us to remember Him during His meal.

Luke 22:¹⁹ And he took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and gave it to them, saying, “This is my body, which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me.” ²⁰ And likewise the cup after they had eaten, saying, “This cup that is poured out for you is the new covenant in my blood.

         Jesus' sacrifice is worthy of remembrance and it is deserving to remember it as often as the church gets together every Sunday. We often forget the real purpose of the Sunday morning service. This is not a time to put on a show to attract a crowd. It is not a time to feed the ego's of people. It is not a time to tell people what they want to hear to make them feel better. No, it is a time for Christ. It is a time to say thank you for the cross. It is a time to celebrate the fact that we have eternal life. It is a time to celebrate the victory over death and sin. It is a time to gather as a church family to say thank you to the Father for sending His Son to die for us. It is all about Christ. It is not about the preacher, it is not about the church, it is not about how many people come to a building or about how much money is in the offering. If it is anything else but Jesus Christ, then it is idolatry.

         Sadly, for too many Christians, Sunday has been taken for granted. I hear the excuses from Christians all the time. They say, "It is the only day I can sleep in." I am glad Christ did not want to sleep in when it was time to go to the cross. Other says, "There are ball games my kids or my favorite team is playing." I am glad that Christ did not let sports come ahead of our salvation. Still some say, "People at the church made me mad and I do not want to be around other Christians." I am glad that Jesus did not let others stop Him from His act of service.

         Every Sunday is the Lord's Day. It is a memorial for Him. We need to set aside our selfish desires and remember Him as He asked to: around His table, for His Supper, with His church, and to honor His sacrifice. This coming Sunday is not about you but it is about your Savior. Please remember Christ's memorial day next Sunday.

What is Grace?

Ephesians 2:⁸ For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, ⁹ not a result of works, so that no one may boast. (ESV).

         Ephesians 2 explains what our situation is before God. We have violated His law and therefore we are deserving of punishment. Since God loved us, He sent Jesus to pay the price for our sins. The text explains that Christians (those who submitted to Christ) have been saved by grace. What does it mean to be saved by grace?

         In the Bible, the word grace means gift. A gift, by its own definition, is something given to us that we do not deserve. If we deserved it, then that object becomes a wage. Grace is something that we do not deserve but is given because of someone's love.

         As sinners, we have earned something: punishment. The book of Romans explains that all people are sinners, whether they know it or not. Have you violated God's commandment? Have you ever lied, stole, used God's name inappropriately, lusted, coveted another person's property, or failed to worship God? Then you are a sinner. You have earned a wage. One of the key passages of Romans explains this. 

         Romans 6:²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

         The punishment of death is twofold. First, there is physical death. Physical death entered into this world when Adam and Eve sinned. Second, there is spiritual death, which is hell.

         Some will protest that this is cruel. How can one sin actually send me to hell? First, we are rebelling against the Creator, the one who gave us life and sustains our life. As the Creator, He has absolute right as owner to make the rules. Our sins are a violation against the highest authority in existence. Second, you have actually committed more than one sin. If one sins an average of once a month (which we would consider a good person) for 50 years that person has at least 600 violations against the King of the universe. If we go before an earthly judge today for 600 violations against an earthly kingdom/nation, would we expect mercy or the full force of punishment? 600 violations against any law demonstrate that we do not respect the authority and choose to rebel against it. Now imagine that those 600 violations were not just violations against the law but siding with the enemy of the state. That would be considered treason! And that is what our sin is, siding with the enemy of God, Satan! Should we expect mercy?

         Not only does God grant us mercy (not giving us the punishment, which would be hell) but He gives us a gift. The gift of God, according to Romans 6, is life. This life is heaven. You see, Jesus' sacrifice pays the price for our sin. Here is what happens. We are legally and morally in violation to a just judge, God. His holiness demands that our sins be punished. When we become a Christian, Jesus pays the price for our sins. The gift that is given is the fact that the payment of our sins has been made and we gain eternal life in heaven.

         Many believe that they can go to heaven because they are a good person. Would we be considered a good citizen before the eyes of our nation if we had over 600 acts of breaking the law? No, of course not. As a sinner, you are not considered a good person but a guilty person. You need to be rescued. Your good deeds cannot be used as a bribe to forget about your violations before God. 10 good deeds do not erase one bad deed. If you missed paying taxes for 2 years but did pay taxes for 10, the IRS will still demand payment for those 2 missed years. Your good deeds will not erase your failure before the eyes of the government. The same is true for God. We cannot earn our way into heaven; the price must be paid.

         This is true for all people. Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. My sin may or may not be the same as yours but I am equally a sinner. I need to be rescued. All of the sermons I preached, all the baptisms I performed, all the money I gave to the poor, and all the prayers that I said will not rescue me. If so, that would be a wage. My salvation is a gift, I cannot boast about my salvation. I do not deserve it.

         Grace is one of the most beautiful words in our language. One of the most popular songs today is still Amazing Grace. We should celebrate this grace. After all, it is a gift and the polite thing to do is to say thank you for a gift you appreciate. And, if we truly love the gift, we would want others to receive it to. This gift can be yours if you believe Jesus is the Son of God, confess Him as Savior, repent of your sins, and be baptized starting a new life with Christ. All sin can be forgiven but not all will accept the gift given by God. Will you accept a free gift to heaven?