09/11/2025
Happy Sunday to you all.
Here’s the script of my sermon this Remembrance Sunday, 9th November 2025
Sermon Title: Lest We Forget: The Price of Freedom
Scripture: John 15:13; Colossians 3:15; Galatians 5:13
Introduction
Today we gather to remember those who gave their lives so we could live free, and we also remember Jesus, who gave His life so we could live eternally free. Former US President Ronald Reagan. once said, “Freedom is one of the most precious gifts we enjoy, yet it came at an incredible cost — both in war and at Calvary.” Freedom, whether considered in a political or a spiritual context, is a concept often associated with significant sacrifice.
In a secular and historical sense, the freedoms and liberties enjoyed by many people around the world were secured through the immense cost of wars, where countless individuals sacrificed their lives to fight against oppression and tyranny. In a Christian theological context, the "cost at Calvary" refers to the belief that Jesus Christ's crucifixion and death was a voluntary sacrifice (atonement) made to redeem humanity from sin and offer spiritual salvation and freedom from its eternal consequences.
Both perspectives highlight the value placed on freedom, purchased at a very high price.
The theme of this short sermon is remembering the sacrifices that purchased our freedom — both on the battlefield and on the cross, and the purpose is to help us remember with gratitude, live responsibly, and honour both human and divine sacrifices.
1. Remember the Cost of Your Freedom
John 15:13 - “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”
Freedom never comes cheap. Every flag we raise and every prayer we pray in peace came through someone’s sacrifice - the soldiers who left home, family, and comfort, not knowing if they would return.
Jesus did the same — He left the comfort of heaven and gave His life on the battlefield of sin. The medals of honour and the scars of the Cross should always be in our sight.
Remembering keeps us humble and thankful. Forgetting makes us careless; but our gratitude grows when we remember the price that was paid.
2. Respond By Living in Gratitude
Colossians 3:15 - “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts… and be thankful.”
Gratitude isn’t just a feeling; it’s a way of living. People who understand the price of freedom live with humility, kindness, and generosity. While those who take freedom for granted complain about what’s missing, those who value it thank God for what they have.
Those who died on the battlefield would have died in vain if we do not live in ways that show that we are grateful for their sacrifice. Jesus set us free from sin, not so we could do whatever we want, but so we could live thankful, holy lives. Gratitude turns remembrance into an act of worship.
3. Use Your Freedom for Good
Galatians 5:13 - “Serve one another humbly in love.”
Freedom is not a license for selfishness but a platform for service. Those who fought for freedom didn’t do it so we could live recklessly, but so we could live purposefully.
How are we using our freedom — to build up or to tear down? To serve or to be served? Christ set us free so we could love and serve others in His name.
When we build communities helping veterans, when we become neighbours supporting one another — that’s freedom used rightly.
The best way to honour those who died for freedom is to live free for others.
CONCLUSION
As I conclude, I want us to reflect on these words by Jacinda Ardern, the former Prime Minister of New Zealand, who said, “Every poppy we wear, every silence we keep, every prayer we lift — it all says, ‘We remember.’ But remembrance must move us to action.”
We must remember the cost, we must live in gratitude, and we must use our freedom for good. Let us make our freedom worthy of the price that was paid for it, as we apply these words attributed to Kofi Annan, the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations, who said, “let’s live in such a way that when future generations look back, they’ll say we used our freedom well.”
Today, as we honour those who gave their lives for our freedom on the battlefield, may we also honour Christ who gave us eternal life. Amen.
Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father,
Today we pause to remember.
We remember the men and women who gave their lives so that we might live in freedom.
We remember the families who waited, the hearts that broke, and the generations forever changed by their courage.
Lord, help us never to take for granted the peace and liberty we enjoy. May our remembrance not end with words or silence, but overflow into lives that honour their sacrifice, lives marked by gratitude, compassion, and service.
And above all, we thank You for Jesus Christ,
who paid the greatest price to set us free from sin and death. May His cross remind us that freedom, both earthly and eternal, always comes at a cost.
Teach us to use our freedom well — to love, to forgive, to build up, and to shine Your light in a dark world.
As we go from this place,
let our hearts be filled with peace,
our steps be guided by Your truth,
and our lives be worthy of the price that was paid.
In Jesus’ precious name we pray,
Amen.
Benediction
May the peace of Christ guard your hearts,
the love of God guide your steps,
and the Spirit of truth empower you
to live freely, serve humbly, and love deeply.
Go now, as people who remember,
as people who are grateful,
and as people who live for something greater.
In the name of the Father,
and of the Son,
and of the Holy Spirit.
Amen.
“Go in Freedom, Live in Gratitude” and may the peace of the Lord be with you.
