I couldn't help but thinking
I remember when Matthew was born. And what a blessing that was. Hebrews chapter 13. I've entitled this message. The importance of remembering. The importance of Now, verse 2, like verse 1, was
spoken in the form of a command. This is a command to every one
of us. The first command is in verse
1, let brotherly love continue. That's a command to all God's
children. And the second is a command, be not forgetful, to entertain
Strangers. This word means the love of strangers,
the love of people you don't know, or the love of people you
do know, but to be hospitable. Be not forgetful to entertain
strangers, for thereby some have entertained angels unawares. Now, we are commanded. This is
to every believer. Somebody says, well, I'm just
not given to that. Well, then start giving being given to it.
That's this is a command to every believer to be hospitable. Well, that's not my personality.
We'll ask the Lord to change your personality then, because
every believer is commanded to be hospitable, to be given to
hospitality to strangers. And we're reminded it may be
an angel of God. we're showing hospitality to.
Happened with Abraham, didn't it? He entertained an angel. And remember, we may be entertaining
God's children. And I want you to think of the
significance of this. The Lord said, inasmuch as you've done
it to the least of these, my brethren, you've done it to me. Literally? Literally. That's
how real union with Christ is. How you treat me is how you treat
Jesus Christ the Lord Himself. Be not forgetful to entertain
strangers. Now, when we are hospitable to
one of God's children, opening up our hearts and our homes toward
them, We are doing this to Christ himself, and we all ought to
be doing this. If we do not enjoy hospitality,
especially with the household of faith, something is wrong. Now, I realize some people are
not as social as others. Some people are very private.
I realize that. But this is still a command to
every one of God's children. Be given to hospitality. Romans 12, 13 is one of the gifts
to the church. Be given to hospitality. Peter said in 1 Peter 4, 9, use
hospitality one to another without grudging. I like that. Without looking at it as an imposition
upon my time. Without being unwilling. Find it a great privilege and
a great honor to be hospitable to God's people. Now, this is
actually a requirement for a pastor, isn't it? Remember, when Paul
is listing the requirements for a pastor, he must be given to
hospitality. And if you and I, I'm talking
to everybody in this room, if you and I would look at hospitality
in any way less than a privilege, we have a bad attitude. that
we ought to ask the Lord to forgive us for and to change our hearts
and ask the Lord to cause us to be given to hospitality. You
know, we admire Mary's choice, don't we? Remember how while
Martha was busy doing all the things that are involved in hospitality
and everything and she got mad at Mary and she said, don't you
care that she'd left me alone to serve? Tell her to help me.
She was really doing all the works of hospitality. Mary made
the better choice and we admire her. The Lord said she made the
best choice. He's not going to be taken from
her. But don't you admire Martha too? I do. In John 11, once again,
Martha was one of them that served while our Lord was there in the
house. Now, I want us to zero in for
a moment on this word, be not forgetful. Be not forgetful. Well, we forget easy, don't we?
We forget so many things so easy. Look at verse 3. Remember them. Same thing. Remember them that
are in bonds as bound with them, and them which suffer adversity
as being yourselves also in the body. Remember them. Don't forget
these people who are suffering for Christ's sake. Look in verse
7. He says, Remember them. which
have the rule over you, speaking of your pastor, who has spoken
unto you the word of God, whose faith follow, considering the
end, the goal of their conversation, Jesus Christ the same, yesterday,
today, and forever. Look in verse 16, but to do good,
and to communicate, forgive, forget not. For with such sacrifice
as God is well pleased. Now there are many things that
we could say about preaching. But as much as anything else,
preaching is reminding us of stuff that we know that we so
quickly forget. That's what preaching is. It's
reminding us of things that we already know, but we so quickly
forget. Turn with me to 2 Peter 1. This
is why What we're doing is so necessary to a believer. I need
to be reminded of this over and over again because I forget it
so quickly. And I need to be reminded. Now,
look what Peter says in second Peter, chapter one, verse 12.
He says, wherefore, I will not be negligent to put you always
in remembrance of these things. Though you know them and be established
in the present truth, but I'm going to remind you of them anyway.
I'm going to keep reminding you, yea, I think it neat, I think
it appropriate, as long as I'm in this tabernacle, as long as
I'm alive, to stir you up by putting you in remembrance. You know, we have poor memories.
Now, we can remember evil stuff real well. We can remember when
people did us wrong real well. I mean, we have a hard time forgetting
that, but we have such poor memories regarding what we thought to
have short memories of. I wonder how many people remember
what I preached on this morning. I bet if I asked half of you,
you wouldn't remember. And I'm not being critical when
I say that, because I'm not sure that I could. What did I preach
on? I forget. I'm telling on myself. We have poor memories. Now, one
thing to remember is God's memory. I want us to think, just for
a moment, about God's memory. Remember God's memory. The Lord
said in Luke chapter 12, verse 6, are not five sparrows sold
for two farthings? And not one of them is forgotten
before God. Something as insignificant as
a sparrow sold for a farthing, God knows and God has not forgotten. Never forget. Now somebody says,
what about that scripture which says there's sins and iniquities?
I'll remember no more. Well, there's a reason he doesn't
remember our sins and iniquities anymore. Because there's nothing
there to remember. When Christ said it is finished,
my sin was put away so that I now have no sin in God's sight. And if I have no sin in God's
sight, you know what that means? I have no sin. He doesn't remember
any sin because there's nothing there to remember. Isn't that
wonderful? God has got such a memory. You know, part of the work of
the Holy Spirit, our Lord tells us, is to bring all things to
your remembrance whatsoever I've said to you. Now, I'm going to
give you six or seven scriptures regarding things that we ought
to remember that we quite quickly forget. You can look this up
if you want, but I'm just going to quote it. Ecclesiastes chapter
12 verse 1 says, Remember now thy creator. Remember now thy creator in the
days of thy youth. Remember your creator. God created you. Remember your first creation. You're made by the Lord. Remember
your second creation. You're a new creature in Christ
Jesus. Why is that? God created you. Now how dependent are you upon
the Lord for creation? How much do you help in creation?
How much did you contribute? How much did Did you participate
in this? And he couldn't create unless.
No, this is God's work. Remember how dependent you are
upon him. Remember now thy creator in the
day of thy youth. Turn to Isaiah 46. Verse nine. Here's something that we constantly
forget, and the reason I know that we constantly forget it
is we worry. We worry. Now, if you worry about anything,
that means you forgot about what this passage of Scripture says.
Isaiah chapter 46, verse 9, remember the former things of old, for
I am God. And there's none else. I am God,
and there is none like me, declaring the end from the beginning, and
from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying,
My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure. calling a
ravenous bird from the east, the man that executes my counsel
from a far country. Yeah, yeah, I've spoken it. I
will bring it to pass. I've purposed it. I will also
do it." Now, that's a mighty strong statement regarding the
sovereignty of God. Everything that happens, He's
in control of. Now, I want you to think about
all the stuff you're worried about. It's fruitless. He's in control. Whatever happens
is His will being done. Whatever happens, He purposed
it before time began, and it's His will taking place. Now, when we worry, when we fret,
what we're saying, we're not saying it, we have forgotten
that all things work together for good, to them that love God,
to them who are called according to his purpose. We've forgotten
that. And I need to be reminded that God is sovereign. Turn to Psalm 77. Like I said, preaching Well, you preached on God's sovereignty
last year, last week. Yeah, you forgot that by now,
haven't you? You've forgotten what it means. You wouldn't worry
if you hadn't. I wouldn't worry if I hadn't.
So we need to be reminded again. Look in Psalm 77. Now, this is what Matthew Henry
called the psalm of the melancholy man. He says in verse 1, I cried
unto God with my voice, even to God with my voice, and he
gave ear unto me. In the day of my trouble, I sought
the Lord. My sore ran in the night and
ceased not. My soul refused to be comforted. I remembered God and was troubled. I complained and my spirit was
overwhelmed. Selah. Thou holdest mine eyes
waking. I'm so troubled that I can't
speak. I've considered the days of old, the years of ancient
times. I call to remembrance my song in the night. I commune
with my own heart. My spirit, my diligence hurts.
Will the Lord cast off forever? And will he be favorable no more?
Is his mercy clean gone forever? Does his promise fail forevermore? Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has he in anger shut up his tender
mercies? You ever said that? You ever
thought that? Verse 10. And I said, this is
my infirmity. Everything I said comes from
my infirmity, my flesh. But I will remember the years
of the right hand of the Most High. I will remember the works
of the Lord. I will remember thy wonders of
old." Now, here's something that's going to cheer me up. Remembering the works of the
Lord. Now, forget about yourself just
for a moment. Forget about everything about yourself, if you can. And
you remember God creating the universe. Where were you then?
You weren't around. But what mighty power he displayed
when he spaked the world into existence. Remember his works
of creation. Remember his works of providence.
Everything that happens, he's in control of. You can't take
that too far. Even your inclinations, even
the way you think, the king's heart is in the hand of the Lord
as the rivers of water. He turneth it whithersoever he
will. Everything in your mind right
now, he's in control of because he's in control of providence.
Most especially, remember his works of salvation. There isn't anything that does
me any better than to think about our Lord bowing his mighty head
and saying, it is finished. All the pressure is off. All
that God requires of me, I have. And I lack nothing. And how can you forget that?
Every day. But oh, when I'm like the psalmist
describes, oh, to remember the works of the Lord. And even just
to remember his works of old. Did you notice that? I love to
think that everything the Lord does in time, he purposed in
eternity. And when he purposed it in eternity,
it became sure. It became finished. It became
complete. I will remember the works of
the Lord. Verse 12, I will meditate also
of thy work, and talk of thy doings. Thy way, O God, is in
the sanctuary. Who is so great a God as our
God? Thou art the God that doest wonders. Thou hast declared thy strength
among the people. Thou hast with thine arm redeemed
thy people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph. The waters saw thee,
O God, the waters saw thee. They were afraid. The depths
also were troubled. The clouds poured out water.
The sky set out a sound. Thine arrows also went abroad.
The voice of thy thunder was in heaven. The lightnings lighted
the world. The earth trembled and shook.
Thy way is in the sea, and thy paths in the great waters, and
thy footsteps are not known. Thou lettest thy people like
a flock." by the hand of Moses and Aaron. Turn to James 1. James 1, verse 22. For if any be a hearer of the
word, and not a doer, He's like unto a man beholding his natural
face in a glass, in a mirror. He sees what he looks like, for
he beholds himself, and goes his way, and straightway forgetteth
what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect
law of liberty, and continuous therein, he being not a forgetful
here, but a doer of the work, this man should be blessed in
his day. Look at this man who looks in the mirror and he forgets
what manner of man he was. Now this is understood in two
senses. First, when I forget what I am. When I forget that
I'm a sinner. How could you forget that? Because
you're so self-righteous and blind. That's how you forget
it. That's how I forget it. I forget. That's all I can tell
you. If you ask me if I'm a sinner,
I'm sure I am. But I mean, let's put it this way. When I hear
the gospel, if I don't hear the gospel as a sinner, I can't hear
it. I don't get any blessing from it because I'm not hearing
as a sinner. But when I hear as a sinner what
good news free grace is, what good news sovereign grace is,
what good news The effectual redemption of Christ is. The
only way I can hear the gospel is a sinner. The only way I can
understand the gospel is a sinner. And when I get in trouble is
when I forget what manner of man I am. I look in the mirror. I tell you, you look in the mirror
of word and you find out what you are. If you don't see this, it's
because you've never looked at yourself in the mirror of the
word. But not only do we forget what manner of man we were in
this sense, but I think of what Paul said in Colossians 128 that
we might present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. Here's something
else I forget. I'm perfect. I'm perfect. I'm lacking nothing. I am perfect in Christ Jesus
so that God himself looks at me and finds nothing but that
which he is pleased with. It's hard to get hold of that,
isn't it? It's hard to remember it. But I am perfect in Christ
Jesus. Look in Ephesians chapter 2. Ephesians chapter 2, beginning
in verse 11. that you being in times past
Gentiles, remember this, you being in times past Gentiles
in the flesh who were called uncircumcised by that which is
called the circumcision of the flesh made by hands, that at
that time you were without Christ. Remember that, being aliens from
the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenant of
promise, having no hope and without God in the world. But remember
this too, but now in Christ Jesus, you who were sometimes afar off,
are made nigh by the blood of Christ, for he is our peace. Turn to 2 Timothy 2. And Paul says to Timothy in verse
14, and these things put them in remembrance. That's what preaching
is. Putting us in remembrance, reminding us of things we already
know. Of these things, put them in remembrance, charging them
before God that they strive not about words to no profit, but
to the subverting of the hearers. Now, of what things put them
in remembrance? Well, look in verse 8 of the
same chapter. Getting verse 7. Consider what
I say. And the Lord give thee understanding
in all things. Remember. that Jesus Christ of
the seed of David was raised from the dead according to my
gospel. Remember the Lord Jesus Christ,
God the Son, the Son of David, walking out of that tomb. He went into that tomb with something. My sins. He went out of that
tomb without something. My sin. Remember that Jesus Christ
of the seed of David was raised from the dead. The Scripture
says He was delivered for our offenses and He was raised again
for our justification. When He was raised from the dead,
I was justified. I was cleared of all guilt. guilty
before God. And even while I'm saying that,
I'm conscious of sin. Yet I know that before God, when
Christ was raised from the dead, I was justified. Go on reading verse 9, wherein
I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even unto bonds, because I preach
this way, because I talk about my justification being accomplished
when Christ was raised from the dead. When I talk about a salvation
accomplished outside of my personal, subjective experience, people
can say, well, that would lead people to sin. That's evil. I
mean, what about good works? What about the human? What about
the things you need to do? That's evil. That's the way people
will respond in the natural man to the gospel. They're going
to accuse you, wherein I suffer trouble as an evildoer, even
under bonds. I could be thrown in jail for this. But the word
of God is not bound. Therefore, I endure all things
for the elect's sake. I'm going to be beat with rods. I'm going to be stoned. I'm going
to be everywhere I go. I know what's waiting on me.
But it doesn't matter. Paul says, I endure all things
for the elect's sake, that they may also obtain the salvation
which is in Christ Jesus with eternal glory. That's a faithful
saying. This is what we're to be reminded
of continually. It's a faithful saying, for if
we be dead with him, we shall also live with him. You know
what that means? That means if Christ died for
me, I must be saved. That's exactly what that means.
If Jesus Christ died for me, my salvation is a divine necessity. Everybody he died for Must be
saved. Verse 12. If we suffer. We shall also reign
with him. That's a necessity. And then he says. If we deny
him. He'll also deny us. If I deny
him before men, he'll deny me before the angels of God. Now,
he says that. If we deny him, he'll deny us. Look at this last statement,
verse 13. If we believe not, yet he abideth
faithful. He cannot deny himself. What's that mean? If I get into a state where I
feel I must not even know the Lord, look at me. Look at my unbelief. Look at
the way I am. How could I even be saved? I don't see anything in myself
that would make me think I even know the Lord. You ever felt that way? If we
believe not, is there ever a time when you don't have unbelief?
I believe, help thou mine unbelief. If we believe not, yet he abideth
faithful. Because he can't deny himself. And if I'm united to him, if
I'm one with him, I'm himself. If he would deny me, that would
be he would be denying himself. And he will not do that. So, if I believe not, that's
not going to take away my salvation in that sense. Because he cannot
deny himself. And then I thought of Luke chapter
17, verse 32, when the Lord said, remember Lot's wife. Remember Lot's wife. Now you
remember what happened? Lot and his wife and family, they're
in Sodom. God says, get out. I'm going
to destroy that place. Lot lingers. The angel grabs
him by the hand and yanks him out. And while they were running,
Lot's wife turned around and looked at Sodom. And she turned
into a pillar of salt. Now, I want you to try to put
yourself in her place. If I was running out of Sodom and I knew
fire and brimstone came down on that place, I'd be tempted
to turn around and look at the smoke, wouldn't you? Matter of
fact, I don't think I can keep from it. Now, that's not the
point. that she turned around and looked
at the fire and the smoke and the destruction. The fact of
the matter is, her heart had never left this place. That's
what it is. Her heart had never left. She was one of those people that
just got carried on. She'd rather stayed there. She
loved Sodom. I mean, that was where her life
was. And she was longingly disturbed that her life, what she loved
and what she'd enjoyed, was being destroyed. And she turned back,
longing, kind of like going back to Egypt. And what happened to
her? She turned to a pillar of salt. Don't look back. Look to Christ. The only way
you won't look back is by looking to Christ. Remember Lot's wife. Turn to Acts chapter 20. Paul says in verse 33, when he's
ending up the summary of the ministry, that's such a powerful
passage of Scripture beginning in verse 17, but he ends up by
saying, I've coveted no man's silver or gold or apparel. Well, not many so-called preachers
can say that, could they? I've coveted no man's silver
or gold or apparel. This is not about me making a
living. Verse 34, Yea, ye yourself know that these hands have ministered
to my necessities and to them that were with me. I have showed
you all things, how that so laboring you ought to support the weak
and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus. Now, he said
it's more blessed to give than to receive. Now, I need to be
reminded of that. It's more blessed to give than
to receive. We want to be receivers, and
we strive to make sure so that we will be able to receive what
we perceive we need, and we make ourselves and everybody else
miserable when we do that. It's more blessed to give than to
receive. Lord, make me a giver. Not a
receiver, but a giver. Now, in salvation, all we are
is receivers, right? He's the more blessed. He's the
more blessed. He's not receiving anything new.
He's the giver. So he's the more blessed. But
in our relationships with each other, It's more, but we need
to remember these words, be reminded of these words. It's more blessed
to give than to receive. Look back in Hebrews 13. We're
going to come back to verse two in just a second, make a couple
of comments, but he says, remember them. Verse three. Remember them that are in bonds
as bound with them, and them that suffer adversity as being
yourself also in the body. You know, I want to be identified
with whoever's being persecuted for the gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ. I want to cast my lot in with them, don't you? That's
who I want to be identified with. Somebody that is preaching the
gospel, that's Being persecuted for the book. So let's put the
death. Oh, I want to. I want to cast
my law with him, don't you? That's who I want to be identified
with. He says, remember them that are in bondage, bound with
them, and then would suffer adversity as being yourselves also in the
body. Verse seven, remember them which have the rule over you,
which are your guides who have spoken unto you the word of God. Remember them whose faith follow. Follow me, as I follow Christ. Someone says, I'm not going to
follow any man. You won't follow Christ, then. You follow me, as I follow
the Lord Jesus Christ. Remember them, which had the
rule over you, who spoke unto you the word of God, whose faith
followed, considering the end of their conversation. And then,
verse 16, but to do good and to communicate, that means to
give. forget not. For with such sacrifices,
God is well pleased. And then there's verse two, be
not forgetful to entertain strangers. For thereby some have entertained
angels unawares. Don't forget to entertain strangers.
Now, what does that mean? Entertain strangers? Maybe you've
entertained an angel unawares. Now, I dare say that We've come
across angels. I dare say we have. Now, I don't
know a whole lot about angels. I know they're greater and mightier
than we are as far as beings. They're more powerful. I know
they can change forms. I know they're servants of the
Lord Jesus Christ, and they're sent forth to be ministering
spirits to them who are the heirs of salvation. We know that about
angels. The good angels are called elect
angels. The reason they're not bad angels
is because God chose them to be. They're just as dependent
on election as we are. Did you know that? Elect angels. I love that phrase. Elect angels. What's it mean to entertain angels?
Does that mean everybody we come across? I never will forget. This stands out in my mind. I
used to pick up thumbers all the time. None of y'all do that.
That's not a good thing to do. But back 30 years ago, it wasn't
that big a deal. I thumbed all the time. I thumbed
all over the place when I was a kid. If I was going to go somewhere,
if I was going to get there, I'd thumb. I'd pick up thumbers, see guys
on the highway, pick them up, and always kind of enjoyed doing
that. Seeing some kind of bum on the road, pick him up. I was
in Moorhead once, and I stopped for a cup of coffee, and this
guy, a real scraggly looking guy, he said, could I get a ride
with you? I said, sure. And he didn't know
where he was going. He was kind of a homeless guy.
And I remember when I was in the car, the smell of that knocked
me out. I mean, I thought I was going
to die while I was in that car. And so we pulled over on Maxwell
Street. I lived over on East Maxwell
at the time. And he said, well, can I spend the night with you?
And I looked at the guy and I thought, maybe this guy will knock me
in the head and steal whatever I got. I felt really bad about
it. I thought, well, what if he's an angel? And I was thinking,
I thought, what if he's an angel? And I thought to myself, an angel
couldn't smell that bad. I don't think. I mean, so I just
went ahead and I didn't, I didn't let him stay with me. But still,
thereby some have entertained angels unawares. This puts a
little bit of excitement and a little bit of significance
to everything we do. You might be entertaining an
angel. You might be entertaining one of God's children. So be
aware of that. Abraham did. You know the story
in Genesis chapter 18. Now, this thing of remembering. We're getting ready to take the
Lord's table. What did the Lord say to do with
regard to the Lord's table? He said, this do in remembrance
of me. And, you know. To me, that is
one of the saddest verses of scripture in the Bible. The fact
that we can forget. The fact that our Lord. Can do so much for us. And we will forget him. And he
has to tell us, this do in remembrance of me. As we get ready to take
the Lord's Table, remember who he is. He's God. He's the man, Christ
Jesus. Remember his obedience. 33 years he walked upon this
earth and he never sinned. Remember his kindness. Remember
his graciousness, the only holy man to ever live. And yet sinners
could come into his presence and not feel threatened and not
feel judged and not feel condemned. And they wanted to hear what
he had to say. What a glorious person is the Lord Jesus Christ. Don't you want to be like Him?
Remember His obedience. That perfect life of 33 years
is your life before God. Remember Him being nailed to
that cross. The bread. represents his broken
body. What that's a reference to is
all the full equivalent of hell he endured. I don't understand
that. But I know this, hell is forever.
Because God can never be satisfied with the death of the sinner.
It never pays the debt. But he, by virtue of who he is,
paid the debt. He experienced the full equivalent
of hell. That's what that broken body
tells us. My sin became his sin so that
he became guilty of it. But we also have the wine, the
shed blood. What that represents is what
he accomplished by that death. What did he accomplish by that
death? Paul put it this way. Who shall lay anything to the
charge of God's elect? It's God that justifies. Who
is he that can condemn? I can think of all kinds of people
that can condemn. The law. Anybody that's seen me or been
around me a couple of weeks or even five minutes. My own conscience. Yet Paul says, who is he that
condemns? What answer? It's Christ that
died. No other answer is needed. Yea, brethren, it's risen again.
It's even at the right hand of God who also makes intercession
for us. Remember his resurrection when
he walked out of that tomb? Without your sin? Your sin having
been separated from you at that time, and it's no more. Remember
His ascension back into glory. Remember that even right now,
there's a man in glory representing you. And remember His return. This do in remembrance of me. And oh, that when we take the
bread and take the wine, that we might be enabled by His grace
truly to do this in remembrance of our Redeemer. The glorious
Lord Jesus Christ.