Are You Remembering Like God Does?

The title is, Are You Remembering Like God Does?

I'm going to need water, but I don't see any up here. Maybe if someone could...thank you, sir. Are you remembering like God does? We human beings can find it difficult to remember someone or something that was once known. And whether we're young or old, all of us can forget things. Even important things seem to slip from our memory at times, which can frustrate or embarrass us. We might forget someone's name or a familiar phone number. We might...I don't know...forget water? I need water because I always get caught in the mouth, it seems like, when I come up here. Thank you, Mr. Drummond.

No damage. Thank you. So we might forget a name, a familiar phone number. I tend to forget to lock the door at night. Don't go trying my house, though, because we'll sick the dogs we don't have on you. I don't know. But sometimes I get up in the morning and the back door is still unlocked. That's scary. I know in a lot of us sometimes we can't remember where we placed our car keys. We forget our homework sometimes, and it's not always on purpose. And we forget appointments, and sometimes we forget where we put our glasses. I'm not making this up. One day I was going frantic trying to find my reading glasses. They're right here on my nose. I don't get it. I don't get it. Now, researchers tell us that we fail to remember things for some common reasons. These are shared apparently with a lot of people. And most of these reasons, believe it or not, are not related to old age. Old people get accused of forgetting. That is not the way it always goes. My mother doesn't forget a thing.

And the grandkids are finding out. But sometimes we forget things, and it's not related to old age. A lot of times we forget things due to distraction. Sometimes our attention is just not as focused as it should be. Believe it or not, lack of sleep seems to be the most common cause of forgetfulness. And the more I hear about sleep deprivation among so many millions of people in our country, you can imagine there's a lot of forgetting going on as well. Forgetfulness is related to stress and anxiety. Depression has a cause in our forgetfulness. Multitasking. We used to hear a lot about what a wonderful thing that was years ago. But multitasking, doing too many things at once, also makes us prone to forgetfulness. Certain medications, alcohol, an underactive thyroid, and, oh, pregnancy. Pregnancy can also make us forgetful. Some of us will never have to worry about that part of it. Now, to compensate, we try to jog our memories by a variety of helps. We make to-do lists. We keep appointment calendars. We use the nice little apps we have in our smartphones nowadays. We'll tell others to remind us only to have them forget as well. We stick Post-it notes on mirrors, bathroom mirrors, doors, lunch boxes, steering wheels. I put them about everywhere sometimes to help me remember. Just about anywhere. And then there's, of course, there's that oldie but goodie. We may tie a string around our finger. And then, of course, we hope to remember what that was for. It doesn't always work. So, as I said, forgetfulness, the failure to remember things that we once knew, is a common problem. And even the Bible offers evidence of that fact. It even offers evidence of that fact of forgetfulness. For example, let's turn to Matthew 16, verses 5 through 12. Matthew 16, 5 through 12. Now, of course, we may forget, but the disciples, Christ's disciples, were very much human, just like us. And one day, we read in Matthew 16, verse 5, they forgot. They forgot to bring any bread. So, Matthew 16, 5, let's read a little bit about this episode. Matthew 16, 5, The disciples, of course, didn't understand Christ's meaning at that time. And so, in verse 7, they reasoned among themselves, saying, Well, he said it because we have taken no bread. And Jesus, being aware of it, said to them, Oh, you of little faith, Why do you reason among yourselves because you have brought no bread? Do you yet not understand, or remember, See, they forgot something else, or remember the five loaves of the five thousand, and how many baskets you took up, nor the seven loaves of the four thousand, and how many large baskets you took up, How is it you do not understand that I did not speak to you concerning bread, but to beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees? And then they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine, the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Jesus Christ, as a great, truly greatest teacher ever would do, He made of their forgetfulness a teaching moment. I find very interesting. Not only had the disciples forgotten to bring bread, but more importantly, they had failed to remember Christ's two miracles when He had provided more than enough bread for thousands to eat. Physical bread was not what they should have been concerning them, but concerned about then. Christ is pointing them to something far more important, far more worthy of their attention, that was the spiritual leavening or the sinful ways of the Pharisees and others. So, along with being forgetful, they couldn't readily grasp then the spiritual meaning of Christ's warning. Now, let's consider another example of human forgetfulness from the Bible. And that concerns forgetting God. That seems kind of incredible to believe. Over in Deuteronomy 8, verse 11.

Now, we're aware that the children of Israel were human. They, too, were just like us. They, too, were prone to forget. As I started out earlier, we are prone to forget things as human beings. In Deuteronomy 8, 11, God had commanded Moses to warn Israel with these words. He said, And then continuing on in verses 18-19.

It's pretty clear.

And yet, although warned by Moses and continually, decades and centuries later by God's prophets, the children of Israel did forget to obey God. Let's turn over to Daniel, chapter 9. Daniel, chapter 9, verses 4-7 now.

Daniel 9, verses 4-7. Let's read what Daniel wrote here with regard to this very fact. Daniel 9, verse 4.

Daniel says, We have sinned and committed iniquity. We have done wickedly and rebelled, even by departing from your precepts and your judgments. Neither have we heeded your servants, the prophets, who spoke in your name to our kings and our princes, to our fathers and all the people of the land. O Lord, righteousness belongs to you, but to us, shame of face, as it is this day, to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and all Israel, those near and those far off, and all the countries to which you have driven them, because of the unfaithfulness which they have committed against you. And then verse 11. Yes, all Israel has transgressed your law, and has departed so as not to obey your voice. Therefore the curse and the oath written in the law of Moses, the servant of God, have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against him, against you, God. So quite clearly, Daniel and many understood, that just as God had forewarned them through Moses, indeed Israel forgot God. They had not kept his commandments, and they brought upon themselves God's just punishment for sin. Now why didn't they remember God? Why didn't they remember God? Well, back in Deuteronomy 29, verse 4, what we read there, we've read before, they lacked the heart to believe and to obey God.

Deuteronomy 29, verse 4, God inspired Moses to write these words, to record these words. Moses wrote, The Lord has not given you a heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, to this very day. What we recognize now is that the children of Israel did not have within them the help of God's Holy Spirit. And God's words through Moses are also echoed by the prophet Ezekiel, over in Ezekiel 36. Ezekiel 36, verse 26 through 27.

Ezekiel was, like Daniel, an exile in Babylon. And referring to a future time about Israel, God inspired Ezekiel to write this. Ezekiel 36, verse 26 and 27. We read, I will give you a new heart, and put a new spirit within you. I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh, and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and you will keep my judgments and do them. So as the Bible reveals Ezekiel's prophecy, we understand and anticipate the time when God will pour out his Holy Spirit generously, generously, and upon all who will hear him, and practically everybody will in the future time. But now, still in this present age prior to Christ's return, God gives his Holy Spirit to comparatively few people. Now this first grand giving of God's Holy Spirit occurred at Pentecost, 31 A.D., and you can be turning with me to Acts 2. I just want to read briefly there. And we read of that incident in Acts 2 and verses 2-4, just by means of reminder. In Acts 2-4, we find described this absolutely astounding event. It truly is astounding in the history of humanity. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven, as if a rushing mighty wind, and it filled the whole house where they were sitting. Then there appeared to them divided tongues as of fire, and one sat on each of them. They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. Now, of course, there are many other people in the area, and they had gathered there. And they witnessed this event, and they did not understand what was happening. So Peter, down in verses 17-18, explained to them what was happening. He explained to them with the words of the prophet Joel, and we'll read it here in Acts 2, 17-18. This references to Joel 2, verses 28-29. Peter quotes Joel, saying, And so Israel had failed. They had failed to remember God and to keep His commandments, again because they lacked the help of God's Holy Spirit. But those who follow Jesus Christ, and who have received God's Holy Spirit, have a great advantage. The great advantage is that they do not battle alone against their carnal human nature. They can better keep God's commandments. They have help to battle their carnal human nature, that old man, as Paul calls it. Paul called it the old man. We understand that we must yield ourselves to God's Holy Spirit with the help of that new man of Christ in us. Let's turn to Ephesians 4, verses 17-24. Let's read that admonition here by Paul, Ephesians 4, 17-24, where he mentions the old man and the new man.

Ephesians 4, 17, This I say, Paul writes, Therefore, And I testify in the Lord that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk. As the rest of the world walks, in the futility of their mind, having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart, who, being past feeling, have given themselves over deludedness, to work all uncleanness with greediness. But Paul stresses, But you have not learned so Christ, if indeed you have heard him, and have been taught by him, as the truth is in Jesus, that you put off concerning your former conduct, the old man, which grows corrupt according to deceitful lust, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man, which is created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness. And so we are to be putting on a new way of thinking, a new way of being. In the many sermons and recent years we've been admonished over time and again to put on the mind of Christ. And I'd like for us to turn to Philippians 2, verse 5 through 8, to read those very important scriptures. Again, Paul is speaking here, and Philippians 2, 5 through 8, Paul admonishes us, still let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, considered unfair, but made himself of no reputation, no reputation taking the form of a bondservant and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself. It's like the song we heard today. He humbled himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. And so it is that we can overcome our old carnal, sinful self, because God has given us the necessary help of His Holy Spirit. It's necessary in order to overcome sin, in order to become a new creation in Christ. But for our part, we must not be negligent to forget to use that precious gift. We mustn't forget to use that precious gift as much as we absolutely can, because it's that gift of His Holy Spirit that God has given us that will help to ensure a success in overcoming sin.

Now, I began the sermon with reference to how we often forget to remember things. Forgetting phone numbers, birthdays, anniversaries, someone's name, where we place things. Of course, that kind of forgetfulness is very aggravating, and it's terribly embarrassing at times. Sometimes I've neglected the names of people I know very well at the wrong moment, and I stand there mortified. I can't believe I did that. So that can be embarrassing. But how far worse it is not to remember God in His ways? And since we are admonished to put on the mind of Christ to think and behave in accordance with God, it would seem beneficial to understand more about God, more about His mind. Specifically, what can we learn from understanding how God remembers?

What can we learn from understanding how God remembers? Now, perhaps we've never really thought about that before. So I agree with you, the concept may sound a bit strange to our ears. But if we're to remember God in His ways, it would seem to me to be helpful to look at Scripture to better understand what remembering means to God. What I think is remembering might not be what God considers remembering. So we need to look at Scripture. So the Bible does use several Hebrew or Greek words that mean to remember.

We've already read some of them today in the English. And all these different words that were translated as remember, they also share many similar synonyms, such as to recall, to call to mind, to be brought to remembrance, to be thought of, to be brought to mind. All these mean remember. It's also interesting to learn that the act of remembering, as it appears in the Bible, the act of remembering is applicable to human beings and to God.

Both can and do remember. But of course, I would hasten to add, and I think you'd agree with me, I'm quite sure God's remembering exceeds our own feeble capabilities, I would say in comparison and comparative light years of difference. Unlike us, God has perfect memory. At this point, we've got to look at Luke 12.6. Please turn there with me. It's a little Scripture, but it's very insightful about God's memory. Luke 12.6. When you read it just for what it says, it gives us pause to thought.

We've got to read Luke 12.6. Here's what Jesus said. Jesus said... Make sure I'm here at the right place. Yes. Luke 12.6. Jesus said, Are not five sparrows sold for two copper coins, and not one of them is forgotten before God? Not one of those sparrows is forgotten before God. I'm a curious guy sometimes. So I looked up. I did some web surfing, right?

Internet surfing. I found in an article from the American Museum of Natural History on their website, a little over ten years ago, apparently, two scientists tried to estimate the total number of birds on the planet. Would you like to know? Curious minds. I want to know these things, right? They estimated at that time that they were anywhere between 200 to 400 billion individual birds. Jesus said, God didn't forget any of these five sparrows there.

I would believe that God remembers, if he wants to, he can remember every one of these 200 to 400 billion birds. If you read a little further there in Luke, we'll also notice that he has the hairs on our head, number two.

I didn't look that one up. If you want to look up something, look up how many hair total on all human beings. I don't know. You get the idea? Now, I'd also like to say this about God's remembering. And I'm absolutely confident. I'm absolutely confident in this. That God is never distracted. Would you like to be giving a prayer to God? Oh, sorry. I'm over here doing this.

No. God is never distracted. God is never inattentive due to stress. He's never inattentive due to anxiety. He doesn't worry. And I am most confident that God absolutely has no problem with multitasking. He's absolute best at multitasking. God perfectly remembers exactly what He chooses to remember. He remembers perfectly what He chooses to remember. So with all of this kind of background, let's turn now. Turn with me, please. We're going to look at a few things. I'd like for us now to consider some specific examples where the Bible actually describes God remembering.

I want to know what He means by it, so I and all of us understand what we're to be doing when we're remembering. And so my intent is more or less to go through some of these scriptures, look at the examples, and for most of them, I'm just going to let the scripture speak for itself, maybe a little bit of comment.

But I think the message is pretty clear in these scriptures about remembering. Let's turn to Genesis 8 to begin with. Back in Genesis 8, one of the earliest references to God remembering has to do with Noah.

Genesis 8. Of course, we're going to read Genesis 8, verse 1, but a little backstory here. It's at this point that Noah, his family, and all the creatures on the ark, they're all there together in the ark, and they were all that remained alive from the earth. And they had been afloat on the water for many weeks. Many weeks. In Genesis 8.1, we find God remembering. This is what we read. Then God remembered Noah. God remembered Noah and every living thing and all the animals that were with him in the ark. And God made a wind to pass over the earth, and the water subsided. Then in Genesis 9, next chapter, verses 14 through 16. Again, pay attention to what God is doing when he remembers. Genesis 9, 14 through 16, here we read, It shall be when I bring a cloud over the earth that the rainbow shall be seen in the cloud, and I will remember my covenant, which is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh. The water shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh. The rainbow shall be in the cloud, and I will look on it to remember the everlasting covenant between God and every living creature of all flesh that is on the earth. Samson, Judges 16, Samson was remembered by God. Judges 16, verses 28 through 30. Let's read about Samson here just briefly.

Judges 16, verses 20 through 30. This is at the very end of Samson's life, and I trust that we all remember the story, the account. Judges 16, 28, Then Samson called to the Lord, saying, O Lord God, remember me, I pray, strengthen me, I pray, just this once, O God, that I may with one blow take vengeance on the Philistines from my two eyes. And Samson took hold of the two middle pillars which supported the temple, and he braced himself against them, one on his right and the other on his left. Then Samson said, Let me die with the Philistines. And he pushed with all his might, and the temple fell on the Lord's and all the people who were in it. So the dead that he killed at his death were more than he had killed in his life. God remembered. 1 Samuel chapter 1, verse 10 through 11. 1 Samuel 1, I'm sure many of your teens will remember what's in 1 Samuel 1, from our teen Bible jeopardy. 1 Samuel 1, verse 10 through 11, we find that God remembered Hannah. 1 Samuel 1, verses chapter 10 and 11. And she, Hannah, was in bitterness of soul, and prayed to the Lord, and wept in anguish. And then she made a vow, and she said, O Lord of Hosts, if you will indeed look on the affliction of your maidservant, and remember me, and do not forget your maidservant, but will give your maidservant a male child, then I will give him to the Lord all the days of his life, and no razor shall come upon his head. And then continuing in verse 19. Then they rose early in the morning, Hannah, her husband, and family members, they rose early in the morning and worshipped before the Lord, and returned and came to their house at Ramah. And Elkanah knew Hannah, his wife, and the Lord remembered her. And so it came to pass, in the process of time, that Hannah conceived in Boris' son, and called his name Samuel, saying, Because I have asked for him from the Lord. 2 Kings 20 2 Kings 20, verses 1-5 In 2 Kings 20, verses 1-5, we read how God remembered Hezekiah. Here we read, In those days Hezekiah was sick and near death. And Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amos, went to him and said to him, Thus says the Lord, Set your house in order, for you shall die, not live. Then Hezekiah turned his face toward the wall, and he prayed to the Lord, saying, Remember now, O Lord, I pray, how I have walked before you in truth, and with a loyal heart, and have done what was good in your sight. And Hezekiah wept bitterly. And it happened before Isaiah had gone out into the middle court, that the word of the Lord came to him, saying, Return, and tell Hezekiah the leader of my people. Thus says the Lord, The God of David, your father, I have heard your prayer. I have seen your tears. Surely I will heal you.

Are we beginning to see a pattern in what God does when He remembers?

Let's turn to Jeremiah 14.10. Jeremiah 14.10.

Now, God's remembering here is slightly different from what we've seen so far, just very slightly. Jeremiah 14.10. Jeremiah the prophet, speaking as inspired by the eternal God, Thus says the Lord to this people, Thus they have loved to wander, they have not restrained their feet. Therefore the Lord does not accept them. He will remember their iniquity now and punish their sins. Of course Judah, remember, went into captivity in Babylon, and Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed. Finally, now, to Ezekiel 18.

Here we're going to be reading from verses 23-24.

In my reference here to Ezekiel, as you read, I will add a little more commentary here.

In Ezekiel 18, verses 23-24, we see how God remembers the good works of the righteous man who turns to wickedness. Verse 23-24, Do I have any pleasure at all that the wicked should die, says the Lord God, and not that he should turn from his ways and live? But when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and does according to all the abominations that the wicked man does, shall he live? All the righteousness which he has done shall not be remembered, because of the unfaithfulness of which he is guilty and the sin which he has committed. Because of them he shall die. Now conversely, notice how God remembers the works of a wicked man who turns from sinning. Verses 21-22 now. But if a wicked man turns from all his sins which he has committed, keeps all my statutes, and does what is lawful and right, he shall surely live. He shall not die. None of the transgressions which he has committed shall be remembered against him. Because of the righteousness which he has done, he shall live. Now what we find here is God's mercy expressed towards those who repent. And so we also learn that God can choose not to remember. He can choose not to remember. God can forget, but, I'll hasten to add, God can forget, but it's an intentional choice he makes. His intentional choice to forget is not the same as our human forgetfulness by any means. God chooses to forget the sins of those who repent and submit to him. Their sins are forgotten. It's as if they never existed.

We need to think long and hard about that. It's a good thing to meditate on. God's mercy in choosing not to remember is truly awesome. It really is awesome.

But why is God so compassionate? Why is he so compassionate and so merciful? Well, it's because he remembers. He remembers. Turn with me to Psalm 103. God remembers. Psalm 103, verses 11-18. Psalm 103, verses 11-18. What does God remember? What does God remember? Well, he mercifully remembers our weakness. He remembers our nature. Verse 11, Psalm 103.

We revere him, we worship him, we obey him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. Verse 13.

For he knows because he knows our frame. He remembers that we are dust. He remembers that we are dust. As for man, his days are like the grass, as a flower of the field, so he flourishes. We grow one day, the next day it's as if we weren't here. The wind passes over it and is gone, and its place remembers it no more. But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children's children, to such as keep his covenant, and to those who remember his commandments to do them.

And did we catch that? God's merciful to those who remember to keep his commandments.

And now, how should people respond to God's mercy? Psalm 145. How should people respond to God's mercy? By remembering. By remembering God. Let's look at Psalm 145, verses 7-9.

Here we read the praise of David.

Psalm 145, verse 7. They shall utter the memory of your great goodness. They shall sing of your righteousness. The Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger, and great in mercy. The Lord is good to all, and his tender mercies are over all his works.

It's wonderful.

So now, those are the examples of God remembering. We also get some very powerful advice as to what our part is, where to remember God and to keep his commandments. Now that we've reviewed these examples of God remembering, and how people called upon God to remember, have you, have we, found that beautiful consistency in how God remembers? Because you notice what happens each time God remembers. Some of you are nodding your head. When God remembers, action follows. When God remembers, action follows. And God's action always brings about a change that is righteous and merciful and just. That's how God remembers. It's connected. He remembers there's action. And God's way would be a great way for us to remember. Wouldn't you agree? Our own remembering should be followed by action leading to change. Preferably, repentance. That's a change we really need to be focused on. Our own remembering should be followed by action leading to change, meaning repentance. Remembering, as we find examples of God doing it, seems to follow a rather simple, but it's not simple. We know how life is. It looks simple. In principle it is. It's a simple principle of cause and effect. You remember? God remembers. He takes action. There's change. We remember, take action, change. Sounds simple. And it is for God who only does what is righteous. He can only do what is good and just. But for those struggling against human nature, especially without the help of God's Spirit, without the help of God's Spirit, the change that God calls repentance cannot fully be accomplished. We can't change fully and completely as God desires and repentance without the help of God's Holy Spirit. Remembering, in an active sense, is so much more than what we may think of remembering as a mere recollecting of memories, of pulling back to, in front of our eyes, so to speak, information. It's much more than what's computer jargon, information retrieval. Something like that.

And so to be more like God or to put on the mind of Christ, we really need to be remembering God's instruction. We need to follow through with repentant action, and then we need to make a change in our conduct, our thought and attitude. For example, just a really short scripture. You should know it. You can write it down. An example, Exodus 20, verse 8. It's in the Ten Commandments, and it's a very simple command. Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Very simple. Very direct. Here God commands all human beings to remember the Sabbath day. And then notice how God even makes clear what action to take when we remember the Sabbath. We must treat it as holy time. Keep it holy. That means we must make it unique, as He tells us. Make it unique from all other days of the week. How wrong we would be then to simply recall to mind to retrieve the fact, Oh, today is the Sabbath. I remember. How nice. And then we take no action whatsoever. Not really. To keep it holy, as God instructs. That's a failure, in our part, to remember.

Now, when we turn our attention to other scriptures where we find instructions to remember, or sometimes a phrase might be to remind or to not forget, we are going to find similar expectations. Remembering should be followed by actions that bring about significant change in how we live. And so now we're going to look at a number of these remembering statements from the New Testament. We all have to-do lists. I'm going to give you a new one. We might call these scriptures a to-remember and to-do list. A to-remember and to-do list. And again, I'm going to move through these, let the scriptures speak for themselves, a little bit of commentary. Let's look at Matthew 5, verse 23, Matthew 5, 23-24. Matthew 5, verse 23-24. We might call this one Remember and Be Reconciled, Matthew 5, 23-24. A little title, Remember and Be Reconciled.

Dear Christ, instructs us, Therefore, if you bring your gift to the altar, and there, remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go your way. First, be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Though we remember our requirement to be reconciled or at peace with our brother and sister, we might remember it. We might recall that. It's the taking of actions that's necessary for reconciliation to occur.

It's no good to say, Oh, I wish we could be reconciled. Well, have you done all you can? I hope you've brought God into the equation. Speaking of equations, God will help us with the reconciling as much as we can. Being reconciled can be among the most challenging, and I would also say the most courageous thing we can do. It takes great courage to go to your brother or sister to work things out. And God will help us in our way when we humble ourselves before God and trust Him and do all we can to be reconciled with our brother or sister, someone, anyone.

Now let's turn to Acts 20.35. Acts 20.35. For this point, we need to remember and be generous. Remember and be generous.

That's the Acts 20.35. Paul, speaking here, I have shown you in every way by laboring like this that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus that He said, and here's the quote, It is more blessed to give than to receive. Paul says, Remember the words of the Lord Jesus. It is more blessed to give than to receive. Now that is one of the most powerful action statements we might find. This is one of the most basic life principles that we need to remember. And it really should be among the earliest lessons we teach our children. And it's one of those lessons that we must be practicing ourselves until the day we die. It's a whole way of Christ and of God to be generous, to practice the giveaway. Number 3 is Titus chapter 3, verses 1-2.

Titus 3, verses 1-2. Remember and practice humility. Another to remember and to do. Remember and practice humility. Titus 3, verses 1-2, remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one. Wow. Speak evil of no one, to be peaceful, gentle, showing all humility to all people.

Now I read this and I think about what it's getting to be like in society. Perhaps more than ever before in our lifetimes, we may find ourselves gravely challenged to be humble, to not lash out, to not have a cross thing to think and say to people. But God expects us to rule over our carnal nature. He expects us to strive to love all people, and especially those who hate us, in spitefully use us. We know that. But again, God gives us the help of His Spirit and we can do it. Let's turn next to 2 Timothy 1, back a few pages. 2 Timothy 1, verse 6. We might call this, Remember and Stir up the Holy Spirit. Remember and stir up the Holy Spirit. 2 Timothy 1, verse 6. Therefore, I remind you, Paul is writing Timothy and all of us, I remind you to stir up the gift of God. If you're thinking of a batch of cookies stirring up, that's not quite the stirring. The New International Version puts it this way, and I think it's much more effective. They say, Therefore, I remind you to fan into flame, fan into flame, the gift of God, which is within you. Maybe it's become a bit of an ember. Maybe it's just become a little ember. We need to stir it up. We need to fan it into flame. It's a gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of hands.

So, it would seem we need to courageously believe and obey God. We need that courage to practice faith. We must be close to God. This is part of fanning the flame. We have to stay close to God through our sincere and fervent prayers, not those little sleepy bedtime prayers. I remember being warned about many years ago, and I've given a few of those. Our prayers need to be fervent. We need to be dutiful in studying God's inspired words, these words of life, eternal life. We need to be diligent in repentance and obedience. Procrastination is a pretty deadly thing for us when it comes to repentance and obeying. Diligence is the opposite of procrastination. We need to be humble in forgiving others. We also need to be humble in seeking forgiveness from God and in seeking forgiveness from others.

We find another to remember in Hebrews 12 verses 3-6. We might call this one, this would be number 5. Remember and welcome God's correction. Welcome God's correction.

Hebrews 12 verses 3-6. For consider him who endured such hostility from sinners against himself lest you become weary and discouraged in your souls. You have not resisted the bloodshed striving against sin, and you have forgotten the exhortation, meaning we should remember, the exhortation which speaks to you as sons. My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by him, for whom the Lord loves, he chastens, and whom he scourges, and scourges every son whom he receives. We need to understand this more profoundly. Discipline from God can be difficult and challenging. It is part of the trials we face in life. It is all for our good. It makes us better. We must welcome God's loving correction, because that is what it really is. We must welcome God's loving correction and allow him to help us develop more of his righteous character. That is why we are being corrected. He likes what we are doing so far. He wants us to do more. He wants us to do more. Hebrews 13, verse 2. Remember and be hospitable. Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by doing so, some have unwittingly entertained angels. How about that? The point here is we must graciously welcome others to our personal acquaintance and let people get to know us. It is the first step in hospitality. And also welcome others to our homes. Spend time with people, welcoming them. I think this would mean not just our close friends and family. That is easy. Welcome to strangers. Welcome to people we do not know. And you know, who knows? Is it possible that we might share a sweet tea with angels? We are in Texas. We drink sweet tea for you on Cybercast. Can't find sweet tea far north. You've got to make your own. It's possible, it seems.

Hebrews 13, 7. Remember and respect those who lead in Christ. Remember and respect those who lead in Christ. Something the writer of Hebrews stresses here. We read, Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the Word of God to you, who teach you, whose faith follow considering the outcome of their conduct.

So here we're to remember to respect the instruction, the counsel, and the leadership of our brethren, and respecting the people themselves. Respect the instruction, counsel, and leadership of our brethren who guide us in following Christ, even as they imitate Christ.

Everyone needs to be following somebody. We all need to be following Christ. Hebrews 13, 16. A lot of reminders here in the book of Hebrews. Remember and serve. Remember and serve. Hebrews 13, 16. But do not forget to do good and to share, for such sacrifice as God is well pleased. I'd also like to pair this scripture with Hebrews 6.10.

Hebrews 6.10 reads, For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love. He's going to remember all the good things, that good labor we do. He is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love, which you have shown toward His name. In that, you have ministered to His saints. And do minister. You're continually doing it. You're not stopping. This reminder tells us that we need to be laying down our lives for others. Part of the lesson we remember at the foot washing. We must be laying down our lives for others, and especially for our brethren in Christ. Though no one else may ever see or know what you and I do. We don't want the left hand to know what the right hand does, right? In serving. Sometimes we can't help it. We're out there in front of everybody. But God notices is a point. God notices what we do. And God remembers. He remembers the good that we do. In serving, sometimes you might feel it's thankless, I'm not appreciated. Feeling a little bit of sad for ourselves. We've got to stop that. Remember, God is watching. He knows your heart. He knows what we're doing. And now James 1, verses 20-25. James 1, verses 22-25. Remember and be a doer of God's Word. This takes us back to keeping his commandments. But be doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the Word, let's say if you only remember it, but not a doer, you don't act on it. Well, he is like a man observing, I would say a woman too. He is like someone observing his natural face in a mirror. And he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, that's Scripture, and is not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.

So this reminds us that we gain nothing when we know God's Word, even when we remember it, but then fail to take action, to live by it, to repent and keep God's commandments.

Now I'll stop there with the list, because these are just a few. There are others, and I have to leave you with something to do in your own study. I'll look for more of these, remember, remind, do not forget type statements. These are just a few of the specific instances where we are called upon by God and his ministers, and the others he's inspired here, to live according to God's law and way of life. We have much to remember and much to do to bring about real change in our lives. But again, God is with us. God helps us accomplish these things when we obey his instruction with the help of his Holy Spirit. He helps us. It's there. We just have to remember to ask for his help. Sometimes we forget the simplest things. Ask. God remembers. God remembers. He remembers what we do and what we do not do, both the good and the sinful. Yet if we remember to always be obedient to repent of sin, he promises to forgive us and to forget our sin. He can't. He can do that. And he does it. How wonderful that promise is. That truly is something worth remembering, isn't it? His mercy. And if we remember that, that should really motivate us to practice his commandments, to live them as a way of life, to practice forgiveness, to practice being merciful to people, even as God has been merciful and so forgiving to us. God remembers. If you turn back with me to Malachi 3.16, I'm sure a lot of you knew. I'd have to go here. We know this very important scripture. Matthew, excuse me, I said that wrong. Malachi, I hope I said that right. Malachi 3.16.

In Malachi 3.16, we're told that God records the righteousness we practice in his book of remembrance. It's uninteresting. Let's read about that. Malachi 3.16. Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord listened, and he heard them. And so a book of remembrance was written before him for those who fear the Lord and who meditate on his name. Brethren, we need to be remembered in that book. We need to be remembered in that book. And it sounds very much like another book. It sounds like the book of life. It's mentioned back in Revelation 20. Let's look back there, too. Revelation 20, verses 11-12.

Revelation 20, verses 11-12. We're going to read this, too. Then I saw a great white throne, and him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God. And books were opened, and another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. Verse 15. And anyone not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire. Why do we need to remember and to obey God? Why do we need to remember and to obey God? It's because of what we learned from Ezekiel 18. How we end our lives matters. How we end our lives matters. If we want to be forever remembered by God, well, brethren, then we need to be remembering like God does.