Scriptures: Hebrews 11:1-4 May 24, 2026

Sermon: “Echoes from the Past” Pastor John Young

Established in 1868 as a day to honor the fallen soldiers of the just concluded Civil War, Memorial Day has grown to become a solemn recognition of all of our nation’s war dead and the high price of our freedoms.

There is the sense in which the dead, though silent, still speak—the quality and character of their lives lingering long after they have gone. The writer of Hebrews 11, the great faith chapter, declares this truth regarding one of God’s children. In the last part of verse four it says of Abel, “he being dead yet speaketh.” What do the echoes from the past say? Many things, I’m sure, but I would like for us to concentrate on just three. [One of the things the ‘echoes from the past’ deals with:]I.

Our Heritage!

A. As a Nation.

1. Gettysburg is famous as the site of the decisive Battle of Gettysburg (July 1863), one of the bloodiest encounters of the American Civil War. Subsequently, President Abraham Lincoln delivered his noted speech, the Gettysburg Address, when Gettysburg National Cemetery was dedicated on Nov. 19, 1863. This brief discourse followed a two-hour oration by Edward Everett, one of the most famous speakers of the time. In the contemporary newspaper reports of the dedication ceremonies, Everett’s remarks were lauded highly and given prominence on the front page, while the words of Lincoln were relegated to an inside page. Everett, however, was sufficiently moved by the simple and sincere eloquence of Lincoln to write the following note to him on the day after the dedication: “I wish that I could flatter myself that I had come as near to the central idea of the occasion in two hours as you did in two minutes.”

2. Do you remember the speech? Listen to it carefully. It speaks to our heritage as a nation!a. “Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation or any nation so conceived and so dedicated can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field as a final resting-place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. But in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead who struggle here have consecrated it far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living rather to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.”

—The Gettysburg Address, as given by Abraham Lincoln, November 19, 1863.

3. This is the heritage that makes men and women charge headlong into harm’s way on the battlefield, all the while knowing they’re not likely to survive!

4. This is the heritage that makes men and women proud to wear the uniform of the U.S. of America (whether it is Army, Navy, Air Force, or Marine)!

5. It is a great heritage! One worth dying for!

B. We have an equally great heritage on a Spiritual plain!

1. It is defined in verse one of our text—“Now faith is the substance…”Our heritage is Faith!

2. It is declared in verse six of our text—“But without faith…”The Christian life is lived by faith, NOT sight!

3. And, it is described more than 20 times in this chapter through the experiences of God’s people—“by faith Noah…by faith Abraham…by faith Isaac…by faith Jacob…” etc., etc.Listen to the ‘Gettysburg Address’ of faith in vv. 32-39a!

4. FAITH—it’s a great heritage! One worth living for![Another thing ‘echoes from the past’ deal with is:]

II. Our Opportunity!

A. I entered the Marines in the early summer of 1971. After eighteen grueling weeks of ‘basic training’ and sixteen additional weeks of ‘Advanced infantry training’ I was as physically prepared for combat as anyone could be. They also had effectively transformed me mentally from a rebellion punk with a chip on my shoulder to a young man anxious to defend the freedoms our country was established on! The day before our graduation Sergeant Major Washington (a huge, very assuming, black man) called us into formation. Standing on the platoon platform he paced back and forth for a few moments just staring at us. He was wearing dress blues—they were beautiful! The strips on his coat seem to stretch clear down his arm! His shoes and the bill of his cover were polished to perfection! The medals of commendation and ribbons nearly covered his entire chest above his pocket! The brass of his buttons and belt buckle were polished so perfectly I was momentarily blinded when they reflected the sun’s rays as he paced back and forth! When he stopped, he turned, faced us, and standing at attention spoke. I’ll never forget what he said! “For the past 19 ½ years this country has counted on me to preserve their freedom. I have not let them down! Tomorrow I will pass this responsibility to you. If you fail, everything I have done will have been in vain! You are graduating tomorrow BECAUSE I KNOW you will not fail!” Those words were so powerful; I honestly believe every one of us spontaneously, independently, and secretly gave our oath!

1. When you hear speeches like that from old timers; when you view the depictions of war monuments; or when you walk through the seemingly endless rows of white markers in a military cemetery, you can hear their voices! “It’s your turn! Today is your opportunity!”

B. I hear those same words each time I read down through Hebrews chapter eleven and then I’m confronted with my responsibility in chapter 12:1 (read—“LET US”)—it’s our turn! It’s our opportunity!

1. The writer admonishes us to consider our:

a. Priorities—“let us lay aside every weight.”

b. Purity—“and the sin which doeth so easily beset us.”

c. Perseverance—“and let us run with PATIENCE the race that is set before us!”

d. Abel ran his race! Enoch ran his race! Noah ran his race! Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Moses, and Rahab, they all ran their race! We could go on! They all struggled! They all failed! But they got up and finished the race! Now it’s our turn![The last echo from the past I’d like you to consider deals with:]

III. Our Message!

A. As a nation—it has not changed—it’s FREEDOM!!!!

1. In the first general order to his troops, General George Washington called on: ‘Every officer and man…to live, and act, as becomes a Christian Soldier defending the dearest Rights and Liberties of his country!”

2. Indeed, our very own national anthem ends with the question, “Oh say does that star spangled banner still wave—o’r the land of the free, and the home of the brave!”The message is FREEDOM!

B. The message in the spiritual realm is the same—Freedom!

1. On the cross Jesus became the author of freedom—12:2a.

a. The enemy of spiritual freedom is sin—Romans 6:23, “The wages…”.

b. It is an enemy we all have within us—Romans 3:23, “For all…”.

c. Through His death Jesus became the author of our freedom.

2. On the throne He becomes the perfecter of our freedom—12:2b.

a. In order for Jesus to be sitting “at the right hand of the throne of God” He had to arise from the dead! AMEN?1) Listen to the scriptures (Romans 6:5 & 7), “For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: For he that is dead is freed from sin.”2) The empty grave testifies that we can have spiritual freedom!

3. This is the gospel and it is our message!

a. Abel, the FIRSTBORN son of Adam, reminds us of this message (11:4).1) He “offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice…”—a lamb! His sacrifice was a picture of Christ, the Lamb of God.

In doing so, according to the Holy Ghost, “he being dead yet speaketh!”Conclusion: We are debtors to those who have gone before us. Now it is our turn to offer the same commitment and devotion. Have we? Are we? Will we? These are questions we answer more by our actions than our words!

Let’s pray