What an awesome four weeks we’ve had at Liberty! I thank God for all that He’s done through the Life Track series. Hearing of so many of you starting to have daily devotions, joining Connect Groups, and figuring out your spiritual gift in order to serve, has been awesome! This Sunday was nothing short of a miracle… watching so many of you follow the Lord and make your faith public through baptism! Praise the Lord for such a great day!
The final message in the Life Track series is on leaving a legacy. Legacy is not just about dying and leaving money! It is about living a legacy and pouring into the next generation right now.
Look at this story from Matthew 28:16-20: “Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted. And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.’ Amen.” Notice in this passage that there are two groups of people. There are those who see and respond in worship and obedience, and there are those who doubt. Which group are you in?
Give to the Mission
One day we will all die and give an account of our lives. God owns everything. We own nothing. Everything we have is on loan from God. When you think about responding to the Lord in worship and obedience, it is first and foremost about giving yourself wholeheartedly to God.
Think about the people who have most influenced your life to this point. You don’t have to die to make a difference! I think about those who’ve loved me, invested in me, and given me opportunities. The gospel travels on the tracks of relationships. A true legacy cannot be washed away or erased. You never forget it and, most of all, God never forgets it. Each of you have the capacity to live and leave that kind of legacy. Paul lists names of people throughout his writings. Who is on your list? Whose list are you on?
John Maxwell gives three ways to pursue a lasting legacy. He says first, you have to choose to pursue significance over success. Success is not bad, but it’s not enough. There is more to life than a profit and loss statement. We can all choose to do something meaningful and make a difference. Second, he says that you have to choose influence over awards. When you focus on developing people rather than chasing achievement, you will discover personal fulfillment. Finally, he says to focus on impact over income. There are people who could make more money, but love the impact they make on the lives of others. Think of the things you value. Are they helping you to live and leave a legacy?
Go on the Mission
In addition to giving ourselves to the Lord, we can also go intentionally on the mission. In the story from Matthew 28, we read that we are to go and make disciples, baptizing them and teaching them. We can certainly go on mission trips, but we can live on mission right where we are as well. Have gospel conversations with people. Tell your story. Here are two easy acrostics to help. The first is FIRE. You can talk to people about their Family, Interests, Religious Background, and then Eternity. You can use FAITH to talk to them about eternity – Forgiveness, Available, Impossible, Turn, Heaven. It doesn’t matter how you do it, but that you do it.
Life Track is the pathway to make disciples. Are you a disciple? Is your life leading others to be disciples?
