Philippians 1:3 (NKJV) 3 I thank my God upon every remembrance of you

MEMORIES Philippians 1:3

Memories  Memories can be one of the most wonderful parts of our lives  That’s why we take pictures, shoot videos, and keep journals or blogs  We speak of going out and “making memories” with those who we love the most

Memories  Paul was no different than any one of us when it comes to memories  Paul wrote the book of Philippians while he was in prison  At that point, he had no idea whether he would ever be able to see those in Philippi again

Memories  So he began the book with these words:  “I thank my God upon every remembrance of you” (v. 3)  Paul was certainly thankful for the memories God had blessed him with  God has blessed us with memories as well

Memories  There are certainly some things that God wants us to keep in our memories  He has told us in His word that there are certain things we need to remember, things that will help us get to heaven  Here is what God wants you and I to “remember”…

Memories  1. Remember God & His Commands  It can be easy to go through a day without giving God much thought or time  If we are not careful, it can become a habit to us  “Remember now your Creator in the days of your youth…” (Ecc. 12:1)

Memories  1. Remember God & His Commands  If God expects us to remember Him in our youth, should we not also remember Him as we get older?  God has even offered ways to remember Him  Numbers 15:37-41

Memories  1. Remember God & His Commands  We do the same thing today to help us remember important things  We have electronic reminders as a modern day version of tying a string around our finger  What about our wedding rings?

Memories  1. Remember God & His Commands  When Jesus was tempted by Satan, He remembered the word of God (Matt. 4)  “Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; but we will remember the name of the Lord our God” (Ps. 20:7)  God needs to have a daily presence in our lives

Memories  2. Remember Jesus’ Sacrifice  “This is my body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me” (Lk. 22:19)  Christ wanted to be sure that we remembered His sacrifice on, at least, a weekly basis  It should help us live more focused lives

Memories  2. Remember Jesus’ Sacrifice  It should help us to be more thankful for what was done on our behalf  It’s something we can think about on Sunday through Saturday  We ought to thank God everyday in our prayers for that sacrifice

Memories  3. Remember God’s Works  How often to we remember the mighty works of our God?  How often do we forget that God is in charge?  Deuteronomy 7:17-19 – God knew these memories would dispel fear

Memories  3. Remember God’s Works  Remembering what God has done for you is proof of His power, might, and love  Doesn’t God answer prayer?  Having these memories gives us the hope and confidence we need to face each day that lies ahead

Memories  4. Remember Lessons Learned  Those who do not learn from the past are doomed to repeat it  Deuteronomy 9:6-7  It’s not about putting anyone on a guilt trip  It’s to help us remember what not to do

Memories  4. Remember Lessons Learned  God also wants us to remember and learn from the mistakes of others (Rom. 15:4)  That’s also why Jesus told us to “Remember Lot’s wife” (Lk. 17:32)  We can also remember and learn from the good we’ve done (Rev. 3:3)

Memories  5. Remember the Source of Blessings  God, and God alone, is the source of our blessings  “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning” (Js. 1:17)

Memories  6. Remember Others  “Therefore watch, and remember that for three years I did not cease to warn everyone night and day with tears” (Acts 20:31)  There are two things that I get from this  One is that we need to be mindful of the needs of others (Matt. 25)

Memories  6. Remember Others  We also need to be mindful of the things that others have done for us  Whether it’s our family, friends, elders, Bible class teacher or anyone else  We should be appreciative of their efforts and thank them often for it

Memories  7. Remember the Elders  “Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct” (Heb. 13:7)  We need to remember those who lead us and rule over us, the elders

Memories  7. Remember the Elders  We need to remember them in our prayers  We should remember what they are trying to do for us and do our best to give them our cooperation  We should follow their faith, “considering the outcome of their conduct…”