Time To Cross The River

Anyone ever see one of those commercials?

I remember when progressive first started using them, I would always think yeah right I am not like that.

but then especially once I started having kids, I realized I think I might be starting to look like my parents.

I catch myself saying the jokes that my Dad would say growing up,

I catch myself talking to strangers like my mom would

I catch myself doing all of these things that I always would say I’ll never be like that.

And even since having kids there is this scary thing that I have noticed where my kids have started to already copy the things I do.

Whenever we are driving and we pull up to a stop light, the second that light turns green, Liam and Finn both start yelling “go, the lights green”

I do not know who they got that from

Liam and Finn sometimes after service will come up here and pretend like they are preaching, and its really cute, unless the mic gets slobbery.

But you know the reason for all of this is because each one is a part of a continuing story in our family and world.

And each one of us recieves the legacy of our parents and other around us and then as we grow we leave a legacy behind.

Whether its for better or worese,

And really today we are looking at legacy we receive and the legacy we leave

And today really today we are zeroing in on the legacy of a man named Mosses.

For those of you who do not know Mosses is one of the famous leaders in the Old Testement who God called to lead the Jewish people out of slavery in Egypt and was leading them towards the land that God promised

And at the point where we are today, Mosses has for the most part faithfully led the Jewish people for about 40 years and he is now approaching the end of his life.

we are going to start in Deuteronomy 34:1-5 because it says this:

Deuteronomy 34:1–5 (NIV)

The Death of Moses

34 Then Moses climbed Mount Nebo from the plains of Moab to the top of Pisgah, across from Jericho. There the Lord showed him the whole land—from Gilead to Dan, 2 all of Naphtali, the territory of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Mediterranean Sea, 3 the Negev and the whole region from the Valley of Jericho, the City of Palms, as far as Zoar. 4 Then the Lord said to him, “This is the land I promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob when I said, ‘I will give it to your descendants.’ I have let you see it with your eyes, but you will not cross over into it.”

5 And Moses the servant of the Lord died there in Moab, as the Lord had said.

So like I said, Mosses is at the end of his life and he climbs this mountain and it is right at the edge of the promise land,

This place that they have been trying to get to for the past 40 years

And before I go any further I just want to point out this amazing legacy that Mosses has left on the people, because they went from being slaves, to now being at the edge of this beautiful place that God had promised.

And I just want to emphasize this point one more time because how we live leaves a lasting legacy.

Whether its a good or a bad one.

I do not know about you but there are people in my life who have left a lasting impact on me.

I know I mentioned funnier ones, but my parents have left this amazing legacy of knowing God

I have had people who have poured into my life that have left an amazing legacy for me

And I just want to say this because today as we are celebrating what God has done and is doing in our church today,

Can I just say I am beyond thankful for the amazing legacy of those who have gone before us at our church.

A legacy where for 78 years people have been serving God faithfully

And it has resulted in people coming into a relationship with God

It has resulted in people who have felt like they are in a place where there is no hope experience hope in their lives.

It is a legacy where people sacraficially given and served years and years ago so we could do what we are doing today.

Its because of this faithfulness that we were able to do these remodels.

The legacy of this church has impacted Arika and I’s lives in so many ways and I really hope the legacy of this church has impacted yours.

Some of you know this, but there are plaques when you walk in the church and they have the names of the people of the church that have gone before us and have gone to be with the Lord.

And every-time I see these plaques, I always think that these things are heavy, these things are hard to carry.

Not literally, but I go these are big shoes to fill, because so many of these people reflected Jesus, and I alway think I want to be like that.

If I can reflect Jesus like these people (many who I have never met) that would be amazing, because they have made an impact on me.

Our lives leave a legacy.

And lets get back into the story because Mosses climbs this mountain and he sees all of the land that God had promised their people, but there is something odd because while Mosses saw this beautiful place that God promised he never got to enter it. He saw it but he didn’t get to enter it.

You know he had this amazing legacy, but God was not done with it.

And really we have a beautiful legacy at Buchanan Naz, but it is one that is not finished, because God is still calling us to be a part of it

Look at this piece of pottery. You can tell its been worked on right? but you can also tell its jest getting started.

It still needs to be shaped and have pieces added to it, it needs to be painted, placed in the furnace

and you can probably make some guesses on how it will end up looking , but ultimately, it not finished yet

And I think this is where the Israelites and we are, There story has been beautifully sculpted, God has done amazing things, they see all the potential right in front of them but He is not done working

If you are breathing and alive, God is still moving in your life,

And regardless of if your life looks messy or smooth, the beautiful thing is God doesn’t go look how messed up this is (pointing at the pot) but he goes wow look how beautiful.

And let me get to this next part because Mosses has now died and the question becomes “what now?”

Because there is a beautiful legacy, God is not done with it, but now the question becomes who is going to continue this beautiful story?

And Buchanan Naz family, we have a beautiful legacy, its not finished and I think the question that as I was preparing this message (that kept coming back to my head) is who are the people (not just the pastor) that are going to continue this amazing legacy.

And will you look at Joshua 1:1-2 because in this story God is already working on someone pick up what what Mosses was doing.

Look what it says:

Joshua 1:1–2 (ESV)

God Commissions Joshua

1 After the death of Moses the servant of the Lord, the Lord said to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ assistant, 2 “Moses my servant is dead. Now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, you and all this people, into the land that I am giving to them, to the people of Israel.

So God comes to Joshua and He is speaking to him and I want to zero in on these three words

Will you read this out-loud with me?

“Now therefore arise”

Basically God is saying Joshua Mosses by being faithful to God has brought you all to this amazing place.

And you can see all the possibilities

And God says “Now Therefore Arise”

This is your time to carry on what Mosses had faithfully done for 40 years.

You know this morning my prayer is this is what we will do,

That we will arise into where God is calling us as individuals

But also as a church.

Where we see where we have been led to this amazing place and we go wow, I want to find my place in God’s story.

I think a lot of times its easy to get this mindset of well someone else will do it.

Someone else will help with this ministry in the community

Someone else will help with teens, someone else can lead a small group, someone else can visit someone in the hospital or help out a family in need, someone else will give, someone else will tell people about this hope that we have, someone else will keep this legacy going.

And can I just say I know for many of us, we are rising into where God is calling us, but I think for a lot of us God is saying those three words “Now therefore arise”

Arise into this beautiful story, and I hope you are not hearing this from the perspective of this sounds like a burden, but this is something where God is saying you get to be a part of this beautiful story!

Church family, can I just ask you what does it look like for this legacy we have inherited to be passed to us?

I thought about finishing the service this morning by buying everyone a button and each one of us would get to grab one, but that was really expensive and I want to do something a little more accurate (and cheaper)

Because up front there are a bunch of paint brushes, and these paint brushes and these things are old, I mean they have been used for years for crafts or projects that people have done in the church and drawn people closer to God and each other.

They have literly been used by those who have gone before us to paint pictures in our church.

And this morning as we get ready to close I think of the beautiful picture that God has painted over the past 78 years here.

I see the beauty of this picture, I see the occasional slip up (because people can be messy)

And I feel like we are at this place where we can see all the amazing things God can do. All the potential of where He can lead us as His church.

But what I want us to ask ourselves this morning is who will continue painting this picture?

This morning I want to give us a chance to ask ourselves is God calling me to pick up the paint brush?

Is God calling me to continue the picture that He is painting here at Buchanan Naz.

And you might not know what that looks like, but you are willing to say yes when God calls.

If your there we will be closing on this song that you have probably heard called “Available”

And it talks about following God’s call, and this morning I imagine there are some of us who have said yes and theres some of us who are ready to make that commitment.

And if thats you will you come forward during this song and grab a paint brush.

God has done something beautiful and I don’t know about you, but I want to be a part of it and grab the paint brush!

And I want to continue this story.

Who will take us across the Jordon?

Who will continue God’s story at Buchanan Naz?

“Now therefore arise”

Will you pray with me?