Lest We Forget

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Lest We Forget

On this Memorial Day weekend, Pastor Jeff McNicol leads us to reflect on the importance of remembering—not just the sacrifices of those who served our country, but the faithfulness of God in our lives. In this sermon, we explore the biblical call to remember God’s provision, repent of our forgetfulness, and live in obedience to His purposes. Drawing from Deuteronomy 8 and the Lord’s Supper, we’re reminded that true remembrance goes beyond recalling facts—it’s about living a life devoted to God.

The Power of Memory in Our Lives

We all have moments that stick with us—flashbulb memories that define where we were when significant events happened. Pastor Jeff shares personal examples, like seeing the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster on a bookstore television 39 years ago, the tragedy of 9/11, and proposing to his wife, Carolyn. These vivid memories contrast with our tendency to forget everyday things:

• Forgetting names, appointments, or where we parked our car.

• Misplacing items like cell phones, purses, or wallets.

• Walking into a room and forgetting why we’re there.

Surveys show 66% of people use phone reminders to stay on track, highlighting our forgetfulness. Just as we set reminders for daily tasks, we also need prompts to remember significant sacrifices—like those honored during Memorial Day or at a recent law enforcement memorial service in Beaver. The phrase “lest we forget” is used to ensure we honor these sacrifices, and it’s a call echoed in Scripture.

The Biblical Call to Remember

The Bible frequently urges us not to forget God. In Deuteronomy 8, as the Israelites prepared to enter the Promised Land, Moses warned them against forgetting God amid their blessings. This sermon, a pause from the “I Believe” series, explores three key steps to avoid spiritual forgetfulness and live faithfully.

1. Reflect on What God Has Done

The Israelites were prone to grumbling and forgetting God, leading to 40 years of wandering in the wilderness. As they stood on the edge of the Promised Land, Moses gave them a pep talk in Deuteronomy 8:10-14:

When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the Lord your God for the good land he has given you. Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.

Moses knew human nature. He warned that prosperity, not hardship, often leads to forgetting God. When life is good—when we’re satisfied, living in fine houses, with wealth and abundance—we risk becoming complacent. This contentment breeds complacency, dulling our urgency to seek God. In contrast, when we’re struggling, we’re quick to pray, “Lord, help me.” But in comfort, we may drift away without noticing.

Key Principle: Remembering is not just recall. It’s living in a way that honors the Provider through obedience to His commands (Deuteronomy 8:11). Reflecting on God’s goodness should spur us to action, not just gratitude.

2. Repent of Forgetfulness

Forgetting God isn’t just absent-mindedness, like Pastor Jeff’s college professor who forgot assignments, tests, or even where he parked his car. Biblical forgetfulness is rooted in pride, as Deuteronomy 8:14 warns: “Your heart will become proud, and you will forget the Lord your God.” When we attribute our blessings to our own efforts, saying, “My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me” (Deuteronomy 8:17), we forget God’s provision.

Moses counters this in verse 18: “But remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth.” Our talents, opportunities, and successes come from God, not ourselves. Forgetting this leads to:

• Pride: Believing we’re the source of our blessings, which distances us from God.

• Lethargy: A spiritual apathy where we recognize God’s call but choose not to act. Pastor Jeff notes a troubling trend in the church: people acknowledging what they should do but being okay with not doing it.

• Fear: Drifting from God leaves us unprepared for life’s challenges. When crises hit—financial trouble, broken relationships, or job loss—we lack the confidence of God’s presence because we’ve neglected Him.

The Israelites’ cycle in Judges 8 illustrates this: they forgot God, fell into idolatry, faced judgment, cried out, were delivered, then grew complacent and forgot again. We’re not so different. Repentance means turning back to God, examining our lives, and recommitting to His will through faithful obedience.

3. Remember Jesus’ Provision

The ultimate reminder of God’s faithfulness is Jesus’ sacrifice. The disciples, like us, were forgetful, so Jesus instituted the Lord’s Supper, saying, “Do this in remembrance of me” (Luke 22:19). Was Jesus worried they’d forget the crucifixion? No—it was their flashbulb moment, unforgettable. Instead, He was concerned they’d lose focus, devotion, and their “first love.”

Communion isn’t just about recalling Jesus’ death—it’s about living in response to it. It prompts us to examine our lives:

• Are we living in obedience to Jesus’ call?

• Have we drifted into complacency or apathy?

• Does our life reflect gratitude for His sacrifice?

Pastor Jeff challenges us: you can vividly remember Jesus on the cross yet be far from Him. Biblical remembering means living “fully sold out” to Jesus, aligning our lives with His purposes.

Living Lest We Forget

As we approach the Lord’s Supper, let it be more than a ritual. Let it be a moment of reflection and repentance, a recommitment to live for the One who gave everything for us. Deuteronomy 8 and the Lord’s Supper call us to remember God’s goodness not just by looking back, but by looking inward and living obediently. Lest we forget, let’s run toward God, honoring Him with our lives.

SERMON DETAILS

Speaker: Jeff McNicol
Sermon Title: Lest We Forget
Date: May 25, 2025

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES

• Deuteronomy 8

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