Download this sermon (right click and save)

My Soul and Remembrance
(Lk23:39-43)

God is omniscient.
He knows all and remembers all (Ps139:2) and
Perceives man’s thoughts, heart, plan etc (Job21:27) and
He takes those whom He remembers to His house (Lk23:42).
 
Faith is my soul knowing Him (Ps92:5) and
Faith life is a life of remembering the word and the works of God (Ps143:5), and
Moreover, a life of leaving oneself in His memory (Lk23:42)
For those who believe in creation must also believe in God’s power to remember.
 
Memory is an extremely important function, and
It is said that the era of cutting-edge civilization hinges on memory functions,
Demonstrated by the exponential growth of artificial intelligence capabilities today.
Similarly, it is no exaggeration to say that success in life depends on whether or not
One leaves behind good memory within the nation, society, and family to which one belongs.
 
The Bible says that those whom God remembers are those who fear Him (Ps115:13) and
It illustrates how God remembered Abraham the father of faith (Ge18:2-8), and
Delivered his descendants from trouble:
God led Lot’s family out just before the destruction of Sodom (Ge19:29);
He raised Joseph from prison to the second-in-command under the king of Egypt (Ge41:9–15);
He enabled Moses, who had lived in the royal court for 40 years,
To lead the enslaved Israel out of Egypt (Ac7:23) — all these happened because
God remembered His covent with Abraham (Ge15:13; Ex2:24, 12:41).
 
The Law was a law that remembered: By making the suspect drink the biter water that
Brings a curse, it made it impossible for anyone to conceal their guilt (Nu5:12-31).
 
While those who did not remember the deeds of Jehovah in the wildness for 40 years,
His redemption (Ps28:5, 78:42), and rather tried to go back to Egypt,
All died in the wilderness (Nu11:5; Neh9:17),
God nevertheless remembered Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Dt9:27) and
Led Joshua, Caleb and the later generation of Israel born in the wildness into Canaan.
 
When Samson, the mighty warrior whom the LORD remembered, was captured and about to die
Because of his sin, God strengthened him to get revenge on the Philistines (Jdg16:28-30);
King Hezekiah, who was about to die from an illness, received a 15-year extension of his life
After appealing to the LORD that
He had walked before Him faithfully and with wholehearted devotion (2Ki20:3-6; Is38:3).
 
The prophet cried out to Israel, who had forgotten God, to return (Is55:7–8), and
The Temple ensured them to remember and observe the LORD’s feasts (Lev23:2):
(1) The Passover; (2) the Feast of Unleavened Bread; (3) the Feast of Weeks;
(4) the Feast of Tabernacles, and (5) the Sabbath.
 
Yeshua said, “Destroy this temple and I will raise it again in three days,” because
Through the death and the resurrection of the temple of His body (Jn2:19-21):
Jehovah—the Law—the feasts—remembrance—animal/ sacrifice—a long life—the land of Canaan;
Yeshua—the truth—the day of the Son of Man—remember—the body of the only begotten Son/ sacrifice—eternal life—the Father’s house (Ps40:6-8).
 
During His public life, for He only thought of the Father’s works,
The Father remembered Him (Ps42:6-7) for
He is the incarnate Word who was with the Father in the beginning (Jn1:1, 14, 18).
He reminded the disciples who were worried about food of
How He fed 1000s with two fish and five loaves of bread in the wilderness (Mk8:17-19).
Peter, who asserted boldly that he would die with the Lord, denied the Lord in the face of threat,
But later remembering the Lord's words, wept bitterly and turned back (Lk22:31-34, 56-62);
He praised the poor widow who offered all she had to live on (Lk21:1-4),
While to the foolish virgins who ran out of oil and failed to enter the wedding banquet,
He gave the ultimately warning, ”I do not know you” (Mt25:10-12).
One of the thieves crucified next to Him accurately defended Yeshua Christ, and
In response, Yeshua remembered him and granted him to enter paradise (Lk23:42-43).
 
As He died, He said, “It is finished” (Jn19:30),
For He carried out the work of the Son of Man faithfully and wholeheartedly (Lk22:43-47; He5:7):
1)    He died according to the Father’s command (Jn10:18); 2) condemned the liar the devil; and
3)    His death—redeemed all mankind and set them free;
      His blood—souls—> lets them remember God—so they become those whom God remembers.
 
He resurrected and ascended to heaven, and He is the Lamb on the throne.
The Advocate Holy Spirit lets the souls with the blood of Yeshua remember Him (Jn14:26) so
The Christian, whether in word or deed, does it all faithfully and wholeheartedly (Col3:17),
In order to be inscribed in the Lord’s remembrance:
1) With tears prays and repents; 2) Gives all that he has to live on; 3) Cares for the least of these (Mt25:34–46); 4) Proclaims the gospel with all his might (like the thief on the cross); and
5) Fights and overcomes—to keep, defend and teach the truth.
 
O Lord,
In that critical, final moment!
When my soul departs from my body!  When the Lord returns!
Please remember my soul.  Amen.