Remembering God's Faithfulness Through Sacred Moments

Sacred moments are not about the perfection of a day or the magic of a ritual, but about marking the reality that something significant has happened and everything is different because of it. Just as anniversaries and birthdays are set apart—not because the day itself was perfect, but because they mark a turning point—so too are the sacraments of communion and baptism. These are not empty traditions or mystical acts, but sacred reminders that God has acted decisively in history and in our lives.

God knows our tendency to forget the good and focus on the bad. We remember every failure, every disappointment, and every unkind word, but we so easily forget the miracles, the answered prayers, and the faithfulness of God. In his mercy, God gives us tangible reminders—memorials like the twelve stones from the Jordan River, communion, and baptism—so that we can remember what he has done. These reminders are not for God’s sake, but for ours, to anchor us in the truth that we are loved, forgiven, and changed.

Communion is not about the bread or the juice being special in themselves, but about remembering that Christ’s body was broken and his blood was poured out for us. It is a moment to be comforted when we feel unworthy, to be challenged when we are reluctant to obey, and to be reminded that because of Jesus, everything is different now. Baptism, likewise, is not about the water, but about publicly declaring that we belong to Christ, that our old life is gone, and that we have been raised to new life with him.

The heart of it all is this: something happened. Jesus lived the life we could not live, died the death we deserved, and rose again to give us new life. Because of this, no matter our past, our failures, or our doubts, we are welcomed, loved, and changed. The sacraments are sacred because they point us back to this reality, inviting us to remember, to trust, and to live differently because of what Christ has done.

Key Takeaways

• 1. God’s Mercy in Our Forgetfulness God knows our tendency to forget the good and focus on the bad, so he graciously gives us memorials—like the stones from the Jordan, communion, and baptism—to remind us of his faithfulness. These reminders are not burdens but gifts, anchoring us in the truth of what he has done, especially when our memories fail us. In his mercy, God does not demand perfect recollection but meets us in our weakness with tangible signs of his love. [15:15]
• 2. The Power of Sacred Reminders Sacraments are not magical rituals but sacred reminders that something decisive has happened in our lives through Christ. They are set apart because they mark the moment when everything changed, calling us to remember and live in the reality of God’s grace. These practices invite us to return again and again to the foundation of our faith, especially when we feel lost or unworthy. [16:43]
• 3. Communion: Comfort and Challenge Coming to the communion table is not about earning a blessing or proving our worthiness, but about remembering that Christ’s sacrifice has made us new. Communion comforts us when we feel like failures and challenges us to obey when we are reluctant, reminding us that if Jesus gave everything for us, we can trust him with every part of our lives. It is a sacred act that both reassures and calls us deeper. [18:15]
• 4. Baptism: Public Declaration of New Life Baptism is not about the water itself but about publicly declaring that we belong to Christ, that our old life is gone, and that we have been raised to new life. Like a wedding ring, it is an outward sign of an inward reality—a commitment and a declaration of loyalty and faithfulness. Baptism is a step of obedience that proclaims to the world that something has happened, and everything is different now. [20:07]
• 5. The Heart of the Gospel: Something Happened At the center of our faith is the reality that Jesus lived, died, and rose again to reconcile us to God. This is what changes everything—no matter our past, our secrets, or our failures, we are welcomed and loved because of what Christ has done. The sacraments continually point us back to this truth, inviting us to live in the freedom and newness that only Jesus can give. [24:32]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:36] - What Are Sacraments?
• [01:04] - A Week of Distractions and Spiritual Opposition
• [01:58] - Joshua 4: The Memorial Stones
• [03:36] - The Meaning of Anniversaries and Birthdays
• [06:19] - What Makes Something Sacred
• [07:59] - Israel’s Journey and the Jordan River
• [10:04] - The Significance of River Stones
• [11:23] - Our Bad Memory for Good Things
• [13:18] - Forgetting the Good, Remembering the Bad
• [15:15] - God’s Mercy in Giving Reminders
• [16:43] - Communion: Remembering What Happened
• [19:14] - Baptism: A Public Declaration
• [21:17] - Invitation to Baptism
• [23:07] - What Happened: The Heart of the Gospel
• [26:13] - Responding to the Invitation

Bible Reading

Joshua 4:1-7 (ESV) — When all the nation had finished passing over the Jordan, the Lord said to Joshua, “Take twelve men from the people, from each tribe a man, and command them, saying, ‘Take twelve stones from here out of the midst of the Jordan, from the very place where the priests’ feet stood firmly, and bring them over with you and lay them down in the place where you lodge tonight.’”
Then Joshua called the twelve men from the people of Israel, whom he had appointed, a man from each tribe. And Joshua said to them, “Pass on before the ark of the Lord your God into the midst of the Jordan, and take up each of you a stone upon his shoulder, according to the number of the tribes of the people of Israel, that this may be a sign among you. When your children ask in time to come, ‘What do those stones mean to you?’ then you shall tell them that the waters of the Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the Lord. When it passed over the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan were cut off. So these stones shall be to the people of Israel a memorial forever.”

Observation Questions

1. What did God command the Israelites to do after they crossed the Jordan River, and what was the purpose of the twelve stones? ([02:10])
2. According to the sermon, what is the significance of the memorial stones being taken from the middle of the river, rather than from the riverbank? ([10:04])
3. How does the sermon describe the difference between something being “sacred” and something being “magical” or “perfect”? ([06:19])
4. What are the two main sacraments discussed in the sermon, and what do they represent? ([16:00])

Interpretation Questions

1. Why does God give the Israelites (and us) physical reminders like memorial stones, communion, and baptism, instead of just telling us to remember on our own? ([15:15])
2. The sermon says we have a “bad memory for good things.” Why do you think it’s so easy to forget God’s faithfulness and focus on our failures or disappointments? ([13:18])
3. In what ways do communion and baptism serve as “anchors” for our faith, especially during times when we feel unworthy or distant from God? ([17:31])
4. The pastor compares baptism to a wedding ring. What does this analogy help us understand about the public and personal nature of baptism? ([19:42])

Application Questions

1. The Israelites set up stones as a memorial so future generations would ask, “What do these stones mean?” Are there any “memorials” or reminders in your life that help you remember God’s faithfulness? If not, what could you create or do to help you remember? ([10:54])
2. The sermon talks about how we often remember every failure but forget the miracles and answered prayers. Can you think of a recent time when God answered a prayer or showed up in your life, but you quickly moved on or forgot about it? How can you make a habit of remembering these moments? ([14:27])
3. When you come to communion, do you tend to focus on your unworthiness or on what Jesus has done for you? How might your experience of communion change if you focused more on Christ’s sacrifice and less on your failures? ([17:31])
4. Baptism is described as a public declaration that “something happened” and everything is different now. If you have been baptized, how does that moment continue to shape your daily life? If you haven’t, what holds you back from making that public declaration? ([20:07])
5. The sermon says that God’s reminders are gifts, not burdens. Do you ever feel like spiritual practices (like communion, baptism, or even church attendance) are just rituals or obligations? How can you shift your perspective to see them as gifts that anchor you in God’s love? ([15:44])
6. The heart of the gospel is that “something happened”—Jesus lived, died, and rose again. How does this truth impact the way you view your past mistakes, your current struggles, or your future hopes? ([24:32])
7. Is there a specific area of your life where you need to be reminded that “everything is different now” because of what Christ has done? What would it look like to live differently in that area this week? ([18:58])