What Is Your Legacy Going To Be ?

Scripture Reading: Matthew 16:13-19

Another week without a sermon until yesterday. Again, one word, Legacy. What was God trying to tell me this week? Legacy: “anything handed down from the past, as from an ancestor or predecessor: the legacy of ancient Rome” What we do in life is our legacy, what people see in us, what we have, and how we act, becomes our legacy. What do you want to be your legacy to be? Yesterday at Joes memorial service I saw Joe’s legacy, one of a man who led a life of up’s and down’s, but one who accepted Jesus into his heart. Joe’s legacy to some may be one of drug and alcohol addiction but to others who really knew and loved him, one of a man changed. Tonight we look into the legacy of two men, two very important men of the Bible.

The Life of Moses:

The most prominent figure in the Old Testament, chosen to bring redemption to his people. God chose Moses to lead the Israelites from captivity to salvation in the Promised Land. In Exodus 2, we see Moses’ mother placing him in a basket and putting it into the Nile to save his life. Found by Pharaoh’s daughter, and she adopts him as her own and raises him in the palace of the Pharaoh himself.

A major incident in Moses’ life is his encounter with God in the burning bush (Exodus 3) where God calls Moses to be the savior of his people. The rest of the story is well known, Moses and his brother Aaron go to Pharaoh in God’s name and demand that he let the people go to worship their God. Pharaoh refuses and ten plagues fall upon the people and the land, the final plague being the slaying of the first born. Prior to this final plague, God commands Moses to institute the Passover, which is commemorative of God’s saving act in redeeming His people from bondage in Egypt.

Moses leads the people to the Red Sea, God provides another saving miracle by parting the waters and allowing passage to the other side while drowning the Egyptian army (Exodus 14). Moses brings the people to the foot of Mount Sinai where the Law is given and the old covenant established between God and the newly formed nation of Israel (Exodus 19 - 24).

Moses’ life is broken down into three 40-year periods. The first was his life in the court of Pharaoh, as the adopted son of Pharaoh’s daughter, Moses would have been given access to all of the perks and privileges of a prince of Egypt. He was instructed Acts 7:22 “in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and he was mighty in his words and deeds” The second was his 40 years in the land of Midian, where he learned the simple life of a shepherd, a husband, and a father. The final chapter in Moses’ life is the chapter that Scripture spends the most time chronicling, namely his role in the redemption of Israel.

Moses was a man of action, he possessed a hot temper and was prone to rash actions. Did God want to save his people? Yes. Did God want to use Moses as his chosen instrument of salvation? Yes, but Moses, acted rashly and impulsively. He tried to accomplish things in his timing not God’s.

The lesson is obvious: We must be aware of not only doing God’s will, but doing God’s will in His timing. When we attempt to do God’s will in our timing, we make a bigger mess than originally existed. Moses needed time to grow and mature and learn to be meek and humble before God. Moses never set foot in the Promised Land during his lifetime, he was given an opportunity to enter the Promised Land after his death. On the mount or transfiguration, when Jesus gave His disciples a taste of His full glory, He was accompanied by two Old Testament figures, Moses and Elijah, who represented the Law and the Prophets.

The Life of Jesus Christ:

Key events in Jesus’ life:

His birth: Luke 2:1-20 No room, Sheppard's, manger, virgin birth, all these things make up the amazing story of the birth of the Savior two thousand years ago. Isaiah foretold of a virgin who would conceive and bear a son and call His name Emmanuel, which means “God with us” Isaiah 7:14

His Baptism: Matthew 3:13-17 The Father’s command, the Son’s obedience, and the Holy Spirit’s empowerment present a beautiful picture of the life and ministry of Christ.

His First miracle: John 2:1-11 The divine, glorified nature of Christ was hidden when He assumed human form. Through this miracle, His true nature burst out and manifested to all who had eyes to see Matthew 13:16. The disciples always believed in Jesus, but the miracles helped to strengthen their faith and prepare them for the difficult times that laid ahead.

His Sermon on the Mount: Matthew 5:1-7:29 He ends the sermon with a call to true faith for salvation and a warning that the way to that salvation is narrow and few find it.

His Triumphal entry: Matthew 21:1–11, 14–17 Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem the week before the crucifixion is the basis of what is known as Palm Sunday.

The Last Supper: Matthew 26:1-29 Jesus instituted the New Covenant in His blood, a new command that those who follow Him are to love one another and live by the power of the Holy Spirit. We remember this act each time we enter into the Christian sacrament of communion, celebrating Christ’s body which was broken for us and His blood, which was shed for us.

His Crucifixion and burial: Matthew 27:27-66 Jesus has risen from the dead in His glorified state and would appear to many to prove that death had no hold over Him.

His Ascension: Mark 16:19-20 Jesus’ final act on earth was His ascension into heaven. Jesus sits at the right hand of God the Father in heaven. The act of sitting down signifies that His work is done. He affirmed this before dying on the cross when He said, “It is finished.”. There is nothing more to be done to secure the salvation of those who believe in Him. His life on earth is over, the price is paid, the victory is won. Death has been defeated.

Two men, two legacy’s. Two different approaches at life but with one common cause, deliverance. Moses delivered God’s people to the promised land, he had his trials and troubles along the way. His legacy is one of trial and tribulations but one of victory as he grew in the Lord. This week we focus on the legacy of Jesus Christ, the one who delivered us from sin. Christ’s legacy was one of obedience to the Father, kindness, peace, wisdom, love and servitude. Through Jesus Christ we can make our legacy one of goodness, kindness, peace, love, and servitude. Who is going to be at your funeral? Will they remember you as a man or woman of God? Will your legacy reflect one of a righteous person?