Are you a hero of faith? This message petitions us to never forget the sacrifices of others and gives us four steps to become heroes of faith.

Memorial Day is a time of remembering the cost and celebrating the freedom we have here in America. It is a day set aside that we never forget the cost and sacrifice others have paid with their lives. As Christians we should take special note of what Memorial Day means to us, the freedom to gather and worship God. Memorial Day is also a day that we might want to remember the sacrifice of those who gave their lives for the sake of the gospel. Many individuals down the ages have stood in the gap and sacrificed in many different ways for the sake of the gospel. And now we should live in such a way that it encourages others. Your faith and actions will speak long after your life here on earth. Your faith in Christ will inspire and encourage others to live by faith and to look to the Lord, which will inspire and encourage even others to remain faithful and press on.

Remain Faithful and Never Forget

Memorial Day Holds a Special Meaning

We recently celebrated Memorial Day. There were parades and celebrations over the weekend. Memorial Day is a time of remembering the cost and celebrating the freedom we have here in America. We have these freedoms because of the sacrifice of people long ago, generations of people who stood in the gap and who fought for liberty and justice for all. We have known national heroes and yet there are also many unknown heroes we can be thankful to for their sacrifice. Many having given their lives for the freedom we have today.

Memorial Day was originally called Decoration Day. It was a day set aside to decorate the graves of those who fought and died in the Civil War. It is a day set aside that we never forget the cost and sacrifice others have paid with their lives. Memorial Day is a day we honor all those who have fallen in the service of this nation. A day of remembering both family and friends, as well as others we do not know, who have gone on before us and fought the good fight; who have kept alive the faith and belief of freedom and liberty for all. Freedom we celebrate and enjoy today in this United States of America.

As Christians we should take special note of what Memorial Day means to us, the freedom to gather and worship God on Sunday and any day of the week. Memorial Day is also a day that we might want to remember the sacrifice of those who gave their lives for the sake of the gospel. Many individuals down the ages have stood in the gap and sacrificed in many different ways for the sake of the gospel, some with their lives. So that the gospel and spiritual freedom be made known to all, to whoever would believe and be forgiven of sin and enjoy heaven’s glory with Christ for all eternity.

Are you a hero of faith?

In Hebrews 11 we can read of people of faith. We read of their faith in God and how some were tortured and died. Some people were imprisoned, flogged, stoned and mistreated all because of their faith in Christ. This has continued down the ages and even today in some countries. Their faith in God, in both life and death, was strong. Each looking forward to the day of salvation and eternity with Christ in glory.

Hebrews 11 is a glimpse into the heritage of the church and heroes of the faith, whom we can be thankful for having been faithful to God even in death. However, there are many other unnamed individuals who are not recorded anywhere here on earth, who were heroes of faith in Christ.

The first person listed in Hebrews chapter 11 is a person named Able. Able is commended for his faith and for being a righteous man who was killed by his brother, Cain, in Genesis 4. It is here in Hebrews 11:4b that inspired me as I began to prepare this Memorial Day message.

“And by faith Abel still speaks, even though he is dead” (Hebrews 11:4b, NIV).

Your faith and actions will speak long after your life here on earth. Your faith in Christ will inspire and encourage others to live by faith and to look to the Lord, which will inspire and encourage even others to remain faithful and press on even in face of opposition. This chain of inspiration and faith in Christ will continue down the ages, encouraging others both in faith and hope in Christ the Lord.

According to the author of Hebrews, faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see (Hebrews 11:1).

How is your faith this Memorial Day weekend? Your faith in what America stands for: liberty and justice for all; your faith in Christ the Lord.

There is a spiritual battle raging all around you. Do not allow your faith to grow cold. Do not allow the enemy of your soul to gain a foothold in your heart. Do not become weary in well-doing. Press on in faith. Be encouraged and encourage others in faith.

As Americans, we set aside one day on the calendar, “Memorial Day,” to honor and celebrate those who gave their blood, sweat and even their lives for our freedom. Many people and businesses fly the American flag all year round, not just on Memorial Day.

As Christians we should never forget the blood, sweat and sacrifices of those who gave their lives as servants of Christ to share the gospel of Christ.

• We give thanks to those who, down the ages, looked forward to the birth of the messiah.

• We give thanks for those who gave their lives in faith and in defense of the gospel.

• We should give thanks for those who are our contemporaries, who are sharing the gospel today in America and around the world.

• We should give thanks for those who have encouraged us in our faith by their steadfastness in faith, in the face of spiritual opposition, physical threats and danger.

• And we should live our faith in Christ aloud for all to see and encourage others in faith.

Allow your faith to be seen and speak like Able and other heroes of the faith after you are gone. In doing so, God receives the glory and others are encouraged to have faith and believe.

May we never forget the cost of our freedom and liberty, but most of all may we never forget the cost of our redemption from the bondage of sin and death. Jesus’ death on the cross, his shed blood, his being raised to life on the third day, gives us hope of eternal life with Christ in glory. Allow your faith to grow in the knowledge that Jesus is returning for his church. Allow the steadfast faith of the disciples and other heroes of the faith to encourage you. Allow your faith to grow as you live in anticipation of Jesus’ soon return. Allow your faith to grow and be encouraged that God is faithful and the promises of God are sure.

Allow your faith to grow and never forget to encourage others to grow in faith.

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. 4 In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood” (Hebrews 12:1-4).

When I realized the writer of Hebrews is reminding us of the cloud of witnesses, it caused me to review the heroes of the faith listed in Hebrews 11. Able, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Jacob, Moses, and David were all ordinary, everyday people. People like you and me. Friends, God uses ordinary people and works in their lives to accomplish his will.

Heroes of the faith are everyday people who say yes to God and open their hearts and lives to God, allowing God to do his work in and through them. They each embraced the gift of God, that being faith, and refused to allow themselves to be persuaded by fear or chase after worldly pleasures. We should never forget those people. We should never forget family and friends that the Lord has brought into our lives, to point us to Christ and, by their actions, encourage us in faith. We must never forget the lessons we have learned by watching and listening to the spiritual influences regarding faith that God has given us in our personal lives and through the word of God.

Consider what Paul told Timothy:

“I thank God, whom I serve, as my ancestors did, with a clear conscience, as night and day I constantly remember you in my prayers. 4 Recalling your tears, I long to see you, so that I may be filled with joy. 5 I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. 6 For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands” (2 Timothy 1:3-6).

The Apostle Paul influenced Timothy’s spiritual walk and faith in Christ as well as Timothy’s mother and grandmother—spiritual heroes of faith in Timothy’s life and examples for us to model today.

If we are going to be spiritually faithful to the call of God on our lives, we need to follow in the footsteps of people of faith. We should take notice of their lives: how they lived and what they modeled as faithful followers of Christ.

Paul tells Timothy to fan into flame the gift of God that was modeled to him by both his grandmother and mother. Spiritual heroes focus on God, his power and on encouraging other people of faith.

Let me try to illustrate. You are in a spiritual battle. There are spiritual landmines all around that the enemy of your soul has placed before you. If you are going to maneuver successfully through life, you will need to fan into flame the gift of faith and follow in the footsteps of spiritual heroes that have gone on before you.

We look to David as an example. Saul’s army was struck with fear until David stepped forward in faith and killed Goliath with a simple slingshot and rock. One person of faith encouraged and entire army to move forward in victory. David believed God would give him the victory. David’s act of faith inspired others. David’s faith still speaks today even though he is dead.

Each of those in the cloud of witnesses at one time or another needed to take the lead and move beyond what they knew and travel forward in faith on the path that God set before them. However, they were only spiritually successful as they continued to fan into flame the gift of God in their hearts. The gift of faith.

Four steps to becoming a hero of faith.

1. Never forget to fan into flame the gift of faith.

If we are going to avoid spiritual landmines, we need to avoid spiritual pitfalls and sinful desires. Paul warns us to throw off everything that may hinder us, to run from sin (1 Peter 2:11). This is a reference to runners to get rid of anything that might weigh them down. We need to avoid, and get rid of, anything that might cause the gift of faith to flicker or fade.

We must be careful how we live and where we step, so we do not step on spiritual landmines or stumble and get spiritually entangled in the enemies lies. We need to pay close attention and not wander off into an area of spiritual landmines such as worldly pleasures, selfish desires, greed or allow pride to fill our hearts. Instead, we need to seek the Holy Spirit’s guidance and avoid stepping outside the safe area and get tangled up in the lies of the enemy causing us to carelessly step on a spiritual landmine.

We also need to endure, persevere, and remain spiritually faithful and focused on how we live our lives. Carefully choosing the path we run and not slowing down or becoming too confident spiritually in our own ability. We are to move forward in faith in such a way to finish the race set before us. As we move forward in faith, we look at those who have gone on before us following in their footsteps of faith in Christ.

2. Remain focused on Jesus.

We are to fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. The way we remain faithful is by focusing on Christ. Understand, as you focus on the Lord, the things of earth will grow dim in the light of his glory and grace.

If we are to avoid spiritual landmines that the enemy lays out to entangle us and cause us to waver in faith, we need to know the truth of God’s word in our hearts and not become distracted from focusing on Jesus and his righteousness.

• We must never get distracted from the truth of the gospel, which sets us free (John 8:32).

• We must never get distracted from faith in Christ.

• We must never get discouraged, no matter how difficult the spiritual battle or storm.

Instead, we need to remember that the battle is won. Jesus’ victory over sin and death is the defeat of the enemy. There are battles yet to be fought, but the enemy has already lost.

The secret of those who are spiritual heroes of the faith is that they focus on God and allow God to use them to encourage others in faith.

“Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us. 13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, 14 or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. 15 For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. 16 Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. 17 Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor” (1 Peter 2:12-17).

Remaining faithful means to not forget or stray from the call of God, we must fix our eyes on Jesus. It means avoiding hindrances that may cause us to grow cold spiritually. It means avoiding entanglements that can cause us to stumble in faith.

3. Feed on the word of God.

We should saturate our minds and hearts with God’s word. We should draw on the promises of God found in the scriptures. We should speak out in faith and stand firm in faith no matter what we see in the natural, for we are in a spiritual battle, and it is only with spiritual weapons that we can battle the enemy.

“And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe” (1 Thessalonians 2:13).

“What you heard from me, keep as the pattern of sound teaching, with faith and love in Christ Jesus. 14 Guard the good deposit that was entrusted to you—guard it with the help of the Holy Spirit who lives in us” (2 Timothy 1:13-14).

Spiritual weapons are the word of God, along with prayer and praising God, the blood of Christ, your personal testimony of faith and the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Allow the word of God to fill your heart. Allow God’s word to feed your spirit. Allow the Holy Spirit to teach you through the scriptures and set your hearts on the things above.

“Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things” (Colossians 3:1-2).

4 Encourage others and endure.

Do not grow weary or lose heart. Keep the faith and encourage others to endure.

“You are witnesses, and so is God, of how holy, righteous and blameless we were among you who believed. 11 For you know that we dealt with each of you as a father deals with his own children, 12 encouraging, comforting and urging you to live lives worthy of God, who calls you into his kingdom and glory” (1 Thessalonians 2:10-12).

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. 2 Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will” (Romans 12:1-2).

Never Forget

Never forget all that Christ has endured for you and encourage others to do the same. Let us remain faithful. Let us never forget, no matter the cost, we are to run the race with perseverance. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus. Let us remove any hindrances and spiritual entanglements that will cause us to stumble.

Let us always remember the faith of those believers who are part of the cloud of witnesses and how their faith speaks and encourages us to press on and fulfill the call of God in our lives.

Let us never think lightly the cost Jesus paid for our redemption from the bondage of sin and death. Never forget the spiritual liberty you enjoy by faith in Christ.

May we never shrink back in faith, and never forget to press forward in faith and victory. “Being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus” (Philippians 1:6).

Keep the Faith knowing that your life and faith in Christ will still speak even after you have died and you are with Christ in glory.

Suggested Praise and Worship

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