1 00:00:00,098 --> 00:00:01,698 Good afternoon, everyone. 2 00:00:02,740 --> 00:00:08,063 Today I want to talk about what type of legacy will we leave behind. 3 00:00:08,424 --> 00:00:15,068 But the question I want to start is, when you're gone, what will people remember about you? 4 00:00:15,869 --> 00:00:20,613 It's a deep thought, but it's also one that is worth considering for our lives. 5 00:00:20,613 --> 00:00:28,598 When we often think about legacy, sometimes our minds go to famous individuals like presidents, athletes, inventors. 6 00:00:28,812 --> 00:00:33,424 Their names live on because of what they stood for or what they accomplished. 7 00:00:33,524 --> 00:00:34,924 But what about you? 8 00:00:35,285 --> 00:00:39,286 What kind of legacy are you building right now? 9 00:00:39,867 --> 00:00:43,888 If today was your last day, what would people say? 10 00:00:44,968 --> 00:00:55,373 It's easy to assume that legacy is something that we often think about later in life, but the truth is we shape it now and how we act, our choices and our daily faith. 11 00:00:55,373 --> 00:00:56,994 The life we live today 12 00:00:56,994 --> 00:01:01,235 The life we live now determines what we leave behind tomorrow. 13 00:01:02,135 --> 00:01:04,476 Think for a second about an old cemetery. 14 00:01:04,896 --> 00:01:05,956 We've all walked through there. 15 00:01:05,956 --> 00:01:08,917 We've read some of the inscriptions on the gravestones. 16 00:01:09,157 --> 00:01:13,278 Some say beloved father, others say faithful servant of God. 17 00:01:13,659 --> 00:01:19,540 Now for a second, imagine with me if your life was summed up in a single sentence, what would it say? 18 00:01:20,020 --> 00:01:25,081 Every person when they leave this world leaves behind something when they're gone. 19 00:01:25,402 --> 00:01:26,880 Some leave behind 20 00:01:26,880 --> 00:01:29,331 wealth, business, or accomplishments. 21 00:01:29,612 --> 00:01:34,855 Others leave behind broken relationships, regrets, or missed opportunities. 22 00:01:34,855 --> 00:01:38,837 But the greatest thing that you can leave behind is not wealth. 23 00:01:38,837 --> 00:01:41,238 It's not business or accomplishments. 24 00:01:41,238 --> 00:01:44,820 It's a legacy of faith and obedience to God. 25 00:01:45,041 --> 00:01:53,445 If you turn with me to Joshua chapter 24 verse 15, that's where we'll start this morning and then we'll go on to other verses. 26 00:01:53,485 --> 00:01:55,146 But in Joshua 27 00:01:56,050 --> 00:02:00,110 Joshua understood what it meant to trust God fully. 28 00:02:00,230 --> 00:02:20,470 he said, Joshua was setting that decision for his entire household. 29 00:02:20,670 --> 00:02:23,107 He knew that the decision that he would make now 30 00:02:23,107 --> 00:02:25,368 would influence generations to come. 31 00:02:25,368 --> 00:02:30,709 That same decision that Joshua made needs to be the decision that we need to make today. 32 00:02:30,929 --> 00:02:37,651 The decisions we make now, whether to serve God or just go through the motions, will have lasting effects in our lives. 33 00:02:37,731 --> 00:02:42,552 Joshua made that defining choice to serve the Lord with all of his heart. 34 00:02:42,752 --> 00:02:51,144 Even when the world around him was filled with false idols, false gods, and distractions, he could have just done what everyone else was doing. 35 00:02:51,372 --> 00:02:56,845 But took him and his family and drew a line in the sand and said, this is where we stand. 36 00:02:57,806 --> 00:03:01,628 Think for a moment about Lot's wife in Genesis 19. 37 00:03:01,628 --> 00:03:08,082 In Genesis 19, Lot's wife had every reason to serve the Lord, to walk with him. 38 00:03:08,082 --> 00:03:12,374 But one decision, one decision cost her everything. 39 00:03:12,875 --> 00:03:19,328 And that one decision of her looking back showed God everything that she really wanted and what she really thought and what was on her mind. 40 00:03:20,994 --> 00:03:25,134 Think about King Saul in 1st Samuel 13. 41 00:03:25,277 --> 00:03:30,901 King Saul was anointed, chosen by God, had every opportunity to do the right things. 42 00:03:30,942 --> 00:03:35,005 But over time he let fear and over time he let pride take over in his life. 43 00:03:35,005 --> 00:03:37,626 And later on God took the kingdom from him. 44 00:03:37,707 --> 00:03:39,968 On the other hand we have people like Noah. 45 00:03:39,968 --> 00:03:44,071 In a world where everyone was doing evil, Noah chose to walk with God. 46 00:03:44,091 --> 00:03:48,256 And because of that decision, God blessed him and his entire family. 47 00:03:48,256 --> 00:03:54,028 In Genesis 6-9 it says that Noah was a just man, perfect in his generations. 48 00:03:54,889 --> 00:03:57,990 Think for a moment another reason, Moses. 49 00:03:58,630 --> 00:04:00,391 Moses had everything. 50 00:04:00,591 --> 00:04:10,375 Moses had everything you could ever want, but he decided to suffer with God's people because he knew that the eternal reward was far greater than anything else. 51 00:04:10,755 --> 00:04:15,717 So today I want us to consider what kind of legacy we are leaving behind. 52 00:04:15,897 --> 00:04:18,318 This morning we'll look at three key areas. 53 00:04:18,328 --> 00:04:24,481 the legacy of our choices, the legacy of our faith, and the legacy of Christ. 54 00:04:24,521 --> 00:04:26,802 So what about the legacy of our choices? 55 00:04:26,983 --> 00:04:33,206 Every day we decide how we will spend our time, what words we will speak, and how we will treat others. 56 00:04:33,206 --> 00:04:38,348 We also make choices about our faith, whether or not to serve God wholeheartedly. 57 00:04:38,549 --> 00:04:43,111 But the outcome of these choices forms the legacies that we leave behind. 58 00:04:43,111 --> 00:04:48,424 Joshua made that defining choice when he proclaimed, as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. 59 00:04:49,088 --> 00:04:51,119 Our choices matter. 60 00:04:51,260 --> 00:04:54,041 He didn't base his decision on what was popular. 61 00:04:54,041 --> 00:04:56,443 He didn't wait to see what the crowd would do. 62 00:04:56,443 --> 00:04:59,985 He took a stand and committed himself and his entire family. 63 00:05:00,125 --> 00:05:03,067 Think about the choices that we make daily. 64 00:05:03,067 --> 00:05:07,880 Are they the ones that are drawing us closer to God or are they setting a different example? 65 00:05:09,486 --> 00:05:11,106 Now think about King Solomon. 66 00:05:11,526 --> 00:05:28,626 In 1 Kings chapter 3 verse 9, King Solomon says, Solomon made a wise decision that led to blessings. 67 00:05:29,326 --> 00:05:31,946 He asked God for wisdom rather than riches. 68 00:05:32,246 --> 00:05:34,906 But later on, his choice is changed. 69 00:05:34,926 --> 00:05:39,686 He allowed his heart to be turned away by foreign wives and idolatry. 70 00:05:40,238 --> 00:05:44,858 Solomon's story, though it doesn't end with wisdom, it ends with warning. 71 00:05:45,658 --> 00:05:48,798 And look on to 1 Kings chapter 11 verse 4. 72 00:05:48,798 --> 00:05:49,598 And it says, 73 00:06:08,780 --> 00:06:10,451 built altars for idols. 74 00:06:10,451 --> 00:06:15,496 He wrote proverbs of wisdom, but then later on he lived his later years in compromise. 75 00:06:15,496 --> 00:06:21,080 This teaches us that a strong start does not always guarantee a strong finish. 76 00:06:21,220 --> 00:06:30,007 Every day we must choose to walk with God because one careless step, one careless step can lead us away from the path that we need to be on. 77 00:06:30,328 --> 00:06:33,010 Our choices affect more than just ourselves. 78 00:06:33,010 --> 00:06:35,031 They impact those around us. 79 00:06:35,192 --> 00:06:38,154 What message are we sending with our choices every day? 80 00:06:38,262 --> 00:06:40,863 and our workspace, at school. 81 00:06:41,063 --> 00:06:46,124 If someone wants to sum up our lives right now based upon how we live so far, what would they say? 82 00:06:46,665 --> 00:06:50,766 Would they say we live for Christ or would they say we lived for the world? 83 00:06:51,386 --> 00:07:02,249 There was a man a long time ago, he passed away, but at his funeral, everybody came up not to talk about his achievements or what he accomplished in his life, but they went up there 84 00:07:02,249 --> 00:07:05,290 to say that he always showed up for me when no one else did. 85 00:07:05,734 --> 00:07:11,697 He prayed for me when I was hurting, when I was sick, and he lived what he preached. 86 00:07:12,618 --> 00:07:20,762 He wasn't famous, but he left a legacy because his daily choices was to honor God, his Father. 87 00:07:21,643 --> 00:07:25,064 You don't have to be famous to be faithful. 88 00:07:25,145 --> 00:07:29,306 You don't even need a platform to leave a legacy. 89 00:07:30,027 --> 00:07:33,869 You don't have to be a preacher to make an impact in other people's lives. 90 00:07:34,801 --> 00:07:39,561 You just have to be a faithful servant of God and willing to work. 91 00:07:40,041 --> 00:07:44,781 Proverbs 3, 5 through 6 gives us the key to making the right decisions. 92 00:07:44,801 --> 00:07:54,221 When it says, in the Lord with all thine heart and lean not unto thine own understanding, in all thy ways acknowledge him and he shall direct thy paths. 93 00:07:54,241 --> 00:08:00,521 If we seek God in every decision that we make, he will lead us toward a legacy that is worth leaving behind. 94 00:08:00,861 --> 00:08:03,849 Our choices reveal who we really are. 95 00:08:04,613 --> 00:08:09,855 The things we choose, especially when no one else is watching, shows the condition of our hearts. 96 00:08:09,855 --> 00:08:13,836 Jesus said in Matthew 5-16 that you should know them by their fruits. 97 00:08:13,996 --> 00:08:19,037 Our choices are the fruit of our hearts, what we really believe, value, and love. 98 00:08:19,037 --> 00:08:24,739 Anyone can talk about following God when things are good, but our decisions show whether or not that is true. 99 00:08:24,939 --> 00:08:30,520 You can say anything with your mouth and carry the Bible and sit in the pew all you want. 100 00:08:30,861 --> 00:08:32,163 But if your life 101 00:08:32,163 --> 00:08:34,980 is not one that is stuck in God's Word. 102 00:08:35,364 --> 00:08:37,410 You're living a false life. 103 00:08:37,410 --> 00:08:38,793 uh 104 00:08:40,739 --> 00:08:46,071 It's when, we're sorry, he knows, God knows when we're just playing church. 105 00:08:46,611 --> 00:08:49,772 He knows when we're saying one thing but then choosing another. 106 00:08:50,013 --> 00:08:54,855 He knows when we come here and sit and why our reasons are that we're here. 107 00:08:55,655 --> 00:09:00,477 But it's also when we're tempted to look at something we know we're not supposed to. 108 00:09:00,637 --> 00:09:07,180 It's when we're a room full of gossip and have every opportunity to speak up or stay quiet. 109 00:09:07,340 --> 00:09:10,507 It's when we're tired, frustrated and no one else would blame you 110 00:09:10,507 --> 00:09:14,959 losing your cool, but you choose to be patient anyways. 111 00:09:15,200 --> 00:09:19,102 These moments are when our legacies are really being written. 112 00:09:19,182 --> 00:09:30,549 That's when God wants us to choose Him, to choose Him when it's hard, to choose Him when others persecute you, to obey when it costs us something, because the truth is what you 113 00:09:30,549 --> 00:09:35,012 choose now, what you choose today, determines what you become tomorrow. 114 00:09:35,052 --> 00:09:37,013 What about the legacy of our faith? 115 00:09:37,521 --> 00:09:41,521 Beyond the choice is another powerful thing that we leave behind is our faith. 116 00:09:41,580 --> 00:09:45,821 Our faith isn't just for ourselves, it's for everyone around us. 117 00:09:45,821 --> 00:09:49,281 It's not something that's supposed to be hiding or kept away. 118 00:09:49,461 --> 00:09:53,521 Jesus said in Matthew 5, 14 through 16, you are the light of the world. 119 00:09:53,541 --> 00:09:56,701 A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. 120 00:09:56,701 --> 00:10:01,581 Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but under a candlestick. 121 00:10:01,581 --> 00:10:06,577 And let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works, which glorify your Father. 122 00:10:06,577 --> 00:10:08,017 which is in heaven. 123 00:10:08,117 --> 00:10:13,697 Our faith should speak so loudly that when others are not around, people still remember it. 124 00:10:13,717 --> 00:10:17,977 Faith is one of the most powerful things that we can leave behind in this world. 125 00:10:17,997 --> 00:10:29,497 In Hebrews chapter 11, verse 4, says, faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than came, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of 126 00:10:29,497 --> 00:10:33,297 his gifts, and by yet he being dead, yet speaketh. 127 00:10:33,297 --> 00:10:36,069 Even though Abel died long ago, 128 00:10:36,069 --> 00:10:43,519 his faith still lives on today because his faith was real and his faith left an impact in everybody's lives around him. 129 00:10:43,519 --> 00:10:46,261 Think about the people who influenced your faith. 130 00:10:46,563 --> 00:10:51,008 Maybe it was a parent, a teacher, or even a fellow preacher. 131 00:10:51,249 --> 00:10:55,083 But what if they never took the time to sit down with you and study God's Word? 132 00:10:56,997 --> 00:11:01,339 What if they never took the time to show you love and patience? 133 00:11:02,199 --> 00:11:06,721 Their faith shaped yours the same way yours should be shaping those around you. 134 00:11:07,021 --> 00:11:14,564 Paul said in 2 Timothy chapter 4 verse 7 through 8, as he neared the end of his life, he said, have fought a good fight. 135 00:11:14,704 --> 00:11:15,755 I have finished the course. 136 00:11:15,755 --> 00:11:17,225 I have kept the faith. 137 00:11:17,245 --> 00:11:25,448 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, not for me also, but also unto them that also love is appearing. 138 00:11:25,689 --> 00:11:26,479 Paul 139 00:11:26,479 --> 00:11:29,592 left behind the legacy of faithfulness unto God. 140 00:11:29,592 --> 00:11:34,335 His writing still encourages us and his writing still convicts us today because it was real. 141 00:11:35,036 --> 00:11:39,199 by leaving a legacy of faith, requires endurance. 142 00:11:39,460 --> 00:11:42,522 Faith that lasts is not built overnight. 143 00:11:42,962 --> 00:11:45,725 It's not a sprint, it's a marathon. 144 00:11:45,725 --> 00:11:49,707 It's something that we continue to do every single day we get the chance. 145 00:11:49,788 --> 00:11:56,533 Anyone can believe in God when things are going great, but real faith, real enduring faith shows up when life gets hard. 146 00:11:56,825 --> 00:12:00,266 It's when you keep showing up to worship even when your heart is pricked. 147 00:12:00,266 --> 00:12:05,727 It's when you keep doing the right thing even when no one else is watching and there's no reward in sight. 148 00:12:05,847 --> 00:12:07,708 Paul didn't just say, had faith. 149 00:12:07,708 --> 00:12:10,029 Paul said, I have kept the faith. 150 00:12:10,029 --> 00:12:15,450 The word kept means he held on with everything that he had and he didn't let go no matter what happened. 151 00:12:15,570 --> 00:12:21,471 He kept pressing and he kept going forward even when everything around him was falling apart in his life. 152 00:12:21,732 --> 00:12:26,973 And because of that, when he says, he said, henceforth there's laid up for me a crown of righteousness. 153 00:12:27,149 --> 00:12:31,291 Leaving behind real faith means putting God first above anything else. 154 00:12:31,552 --> 00:12:35,654 It speaks louder than words and louder than anything that we could ever say. 155 00:12:35,954 --> 00:12:38,135 That's the reward for endurance. 156 00:12:38,135 --> 00:12:44,398 That's what we're living for every single day, not just to be remembered, but to hear the words, well done. 157 00:12:44,879 --> 00:12:49,421 When you endure, your faith becomes a roadmap for someone else's life. 158 00:12:49,642 --> 00:12:55,735 You may never preach a sermon or write a book like Paul, but you can certainly live a life that says Jesus is worth it. 159 00:12:56,281 --> 00:13:03,366 Sometimes we hear lessons like this and think, one day I'll start living that kind of legacy. 160 00:13:03,547 --> 00:13:04,908 One day I'll be more faithful. 161 00:13:04,908 --> 00:13:10,552 One day I'll be more bold to speak out and be able to preach God's word. 162 00:13:11,233 --> 00:13:13,755 But we know that kind of thinking is dangerous. 163 00:13:13,855 --> 00:13:15,977 It's not something that should be on our minds. 164 00:13:15,977 --> 00:13:21,762 Because James 4.14 reminds us that, you know what shall be on tomorrow, for what is your life? 165 00:13:21,762 --> 00:13:26,455 Is even a vapor that appeared for a little time and vanished at the way. 166 00:13:27,043 --> 00:13:30,234 Legacy is not something you prepare for. 167 00:13:30,374 --> 00:13:33,795 It's something you shape every single day you get the opportunity. 168 00:13:34,175 --> 00:13:37,376 You're building it right now in how you live. 169 00:13:37,536 --> 00:13:40,097 You're building it right now in how you love people. 170 00:13:40,097 --> 00:13:43,758 You're building it right now in how seriously you take your walk with God. 171 00:13:43,898 --> 00:13:46,698 It's not about perfection, it's about direction. 172 00:13:47,173 --> 00:13:50,680 Now are we moving toward God or are we setting a different example? 173 00:13:50,840 --> 00:13:55,681 Are we growing on our faith because even small steps toward God, they matter. 174 00:13:56,165 --> 00:13:59,307 But how does the legacy of faith look like in everyday life? 175 00:14:00,088 --> 00:14:04,690 It's a young man choosing to follow God even when it costs him popularity in school. 176 00:14:05,271 --> 00:14:10,314 It's a mother who keeps praying for her children even when they're far away from God. 177 00:14:10,415 --> 00:14:17,300 It's a grandfather opening his Bible every day not to impress anyone but because he knows that God is worth knowing. 178 00:14:17,300 --> 00:14:23,343 It's a friend who sends you a verse every day to help encourage you when he knows that you're going through something. 179 00:14:23,384 --> 00:14:25,477 You don't have to be a preacher 180 00:14:25,477 --> 00:14:26,937 to make an impact. 181 00:14:27,278 --> 00:14:32,621 You don't have to tell a perfect story, you just have to be faithful where you are. 182 00:14:32,881 --> 00:14:40,425 Your quiet obedience to God in the ordinary moments might be the very thing that helps someone else in their life. 183 00:14:41,306 --> 00:14:43,367 What about the legacy of Christ? 184 00:14:44,307 --> 00:14:51,151 One of the greatest examples of a living faithful legacy is found in Christ. 185 00:14:51,151 --> 00:14:54,923 Someone who never traveled a hundred miles from where he was born. 186 00:14:55,547 --> 00:14:57,738 but changed the world forever. 187 00:14:58,038 --> 00:15:00,479 He showed us how to love our enemies. 188 00:15:00,640 --> 00:15:06,843 He showed us how to forgive even when it was hard and how to put the will of God above our own. 189 00:15:07,163 --> 00:15:15,568 Jesus laid his life for sinners, for his friends, but also for everyone here. 190 00:15:16,228 --> 00:15:21,231 His legacy wasn't just in how we live, but it was also how we died and rose again. 191 00:15:21,351 --> 00:15:25,049 And now because of his legacy, we have a chance to live 192 00:15:25,049 --> 00:15:27,831 and to leave a legacy that honors him. 193 00:15:28,251 --> 00:15:35,596 So as I end this morning, there's an old story about a man who faithfully laid stones every single day up a mountain. 194 00:15:35,837 --> 00:15:40,560 Every day, day by day, he laid one stone at a time even when no one noticed. 195 00:15:40,660 --> 00:15:46,224 Even when storms came and even when it felt like the mountain would never be climbed, he still laid stones. 196 00:15:47,125 --> 00:15:50,227 But soon later, he wasn't able to climb that mountain. 197 00:15:50,728 --> 00:15:53,099 But some other stranger started climbing it. 198 00:15:53,221 --> 00:16:00,103 And because there was a path that was faithfully already laid there, he was able to climb that mountain and reach the top. 199 00:16:01,003 --> 00:16:03,184 That's what enduring faith does. 200 00:16:03,684 --> 00:16:06,845 You may not see all the results in your life. 201 00:16:06,865 --> 00:16:13,546 You may not get all the recognition you think you deserve, but every time you live faithful, you're laying stones and you're building a path. 202 00:16:13,727 --> 00:16:19,648 So today, keep laying the stones, keep running the race, and keep the faith. 203 00:16:19,808 --> 00:16:23,149 The legacy you build right now, people will remember. 204 00:16:23,697 --> 00:16:30,377 But will people look at your life and say they love their God and chose Him every day? 205 00:16:30,377 --> 00:16:35,177 Or would they say, or would they find any struggle to see that at all? 206 00:16:35,637 --> 00:16:37,517 Jesus doesn't want part of your life. 207 00:16:37,517 --> 00:16:38,957 He wants it all. 208 00:16:38,997 --> 00:16:44,597 And if you give it to Him, your time, your heart, your future, you'll leave behind something that this world can never take away. 209 00:16:44,657 --> 00:16:47,837 A legacy of faith and a path that leads to heaven. 210 00:16:48,097 --> 00:16:50,557 So today, if there's any way that we can help you, come now. 211 00:16:50,557 --> 00:16:51,029 Let's together we stand.