Remembering without ceasing your work of faith, labour of love, and patience of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the sight of our God and Father 1 Thess. 1:3
We are to remember three things without ceasing:
- Work – Significant achievement
- Labour – Physical or mental exertion that is difficult and exhausting
- Patience – exhibiting calm endurance in the midst of pain, difficulty, provocation and annoyance.
Maintain an inner peace while exhausting yourself in a difficult, frustrating endeavour which will eventually produce a significant outcome and eternal reward.
Memory shapes our thinking and gives meaning to life.
Memory: the power to recall and process what has been learned and experienced. If past events could not be remembered, it would be impossible for language, relationships, and personal identity to develop.
There are horrific consequences of Spiritual Alzheimer’s Disease.
Natural Effects:
- Apathy & Depression
- Social withdrawal
- Distrust in others
- Wandering
- Loss of inhibitions
- Delusions
Spiritual Effects:
- Indifferent, no enthusiasm
- Down on the Church
- Lack of connection
- Distrust in other Christians
- Not planted in the church
- Worldly attitude
- Deceived – believe lies
Set up memorials.
Jesus … took bread; and when He had given thanks, He broke it and said, “Take, eat; this is My body which is broken for you; do this in remembrance of Me.” In the same manner He also took the cup after supper, saying, “This cup is the new covenant in My blood. This do, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of Me.” 1 Cor. 11:23-25
Then Joshua called the twelve men … and Joshua said to them: “Cross over before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of the Jordan, and each one of you take up a stone on his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, 6 that this may be a sign among you when your children ask in time to come, saying, ‘What do these stones mean to you?’ 7 Then you shall answer them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord; when it crossed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. And these stones shall be for a memorial to the children of Israel forever.” Jos. 4:4-7