Legacy

Introduction:

This evening I have the immense privilege and pleasure to share the opening message for this years Winter Camp.

Our theme is Legacy and wether we like it or not you will leave behind a legacy.

Legacy: The long-lasting impact of particular events, actions, etc. that took place in the past, or of a person’s life.

This weekend you will take a deep dive into the nation of Israel’s forefathers, our spiritual forefathers: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. I have the privilege again to open up this weekend with the introduction, setting the stage so to speak.

The Call of God:

Legacies left can either be good or bad. It all depends on the actions of the individual. My hope is that your desire this evening, at the very least to make you aware of it, is to see the importance of leaving a godly legacy. And this isn’t something that should be thought of as future. A future problem to deal with, it actually started at the moment of your birth.

The premise of our study and the title of my message is: “The Call of God” only through the call of God can someone leave a godly legacy.

Let us begin, turn in your Bibles to Genesis 12:1. Let’s look at our first spiritual forefather, Abraham.

Genesis 12:1 (NKJV)

1 Now the Lord had said to Abram:

Throughout the Bible we see men and women receive a calling from God in various forms. Here Abram, latter having his name changed to Abraham, was called by God.

And if you read through Genesis you will see that Abraham wasn’t perfect, and that is because God doesn’t call the perfect… but He perfects the called that is the teaching of sanctification.

Testimony:

Born and adopted into a Christian family

Taught what Christ accomplished for me on the cross, and what it means to love Him.

Truly saved and accepted the Lord between 5-7 years old. Prayed and confessed Jesus to be Lord. Sunday school teacher scared the hell out of me.

Knew from a very early age that I wanted to spend my life serving Him in ministry. I received a calling from the Lord.

Like most, unfortunately, in my early teens I was more concerned with how people saw me than what was my identity in Christ.

It was at this time I believed a most dangerous lie. Latter in life I could live sold out for the Lord, but for the time being I wanted to see what the world had to offer.

It wouldn’t be until my senior year of high school that I would attempt a bitter war against God in my life. It started when my girlfriend at the time cheated on me, that I knew I had two options. I could use this to the benefit of my flesh, or move on.

I would end up sleeping with her, a terrible choice. You see being saved I was convicted.

I had to much of the world to find peace and rest in Christ, and to much of Christ to find peace in world.

This action lead me to use drugs to cope. Rather than repenting I turned to anything to numb the pain.

May of 2009 I was arrested and was charged with a ton of different things. I remember that night, knowing my actions were receiving a just consequence. While in handcuffs I surrendered my life again to Christ.

Through a sequence of divine appointments and God’s intervention He graciously kept me from going to jail.

Despite all the stupid things I had done in my life, God still had a calling on my life. Yes there were consequences for my choices. Yes I had to pee in a cup for 3 months in front of a big ol’ black guy (don’t do drugs).

I had a calling on my life. Just like Abram.

“Out of your country:”

Genesis 12:1 (NKJV)

1 Now the Lord had said to Abram:

“Get out of your country,

God’s call on my life was to get out of Black Canyon City and go to CCBC. Where I would spend 2 1/2 years there.

While God might not call you out of your town, he is calling you out of your sinful lifestyle. He is calling you to leave your identity behind and embrace that new Identity you have been given or will be given if you are not saved, through Christ.

2 Corinthians 5:17 NKJV

17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

Listen to me. No one wants to waste their life, I’m sure you want your life to have meaning a purpose. That can only come through submission to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Do not believe the lie that you can live rightly for God latter in life, because while you live for yourself making a hell of your life you will reap the consequences.

You get to choose your actions, but you do not get to choose your consequences.

“From your family:”

Genesis 12:1 (NKJV)

1 Now the Lord had said to Abram:

“Get out of your country,

From your family

And from your father’s house,

To a land that I will show you.

God called Abraham from his family and his father’s house. This faith in Christ cannot be contingent upon your parents faith. You might be able to bank on the fact that your parents will come and bail you out of x, y, or z. But you will not be able to say to Christ on judgment day, “I was a Christian because my parents were…” That isn’t good enough you need to have a person relationship with Christ.

I also take this calling to mean that the call of God often calls us from our friends too.

God’s call on my own life called me to leave different relationships that was not glorifying Him.

The blessing of obedience:

Genesis 12:2–3 NKJV

2 I will make you a great nation; I will bless you And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

For Abraham there was a blessing for obedience to the call of God.

For you this evening there is a blessing in being obedient and listening to the call of God.

Christ is calling us to follow Him:

I know that for some of you in this room, you might be tempted to say that you’ve never received a call like this from God.

You know what? you are probably right. However God has given us His Word. A 66 book love letter for you to get to know your God better, to understand what He wants you to do, and the things to avoid.

While we are not likely to receive a calling in the same way as Abraham God has sent His Son Jesus Christ with a calling for you today.

Mark 1:16–20 NKJV

16 And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. 17 Then Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” 18 They immediately left their nets and followed Him. 19 When He had gone a little farther from there, He saw James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, who also were in the boat mending their nets. 20 And immediately He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants, and went after Him.

The calling is the same for you this evening. Jesus is saying, “__________ follow me.”

You are not confronted with a choice. Listen and follow or reject the call. This statement in Mark is not an invitation. This was a command.

Jesus is showing us what Christianity is all about: its all about following Jesus. At its root, Christianity is not about theological systems, rules, or even the call to help other first—It is all about a person. Jesus Christ the Son of God.

A huge misconception that many have of these disciples are that they old men. They are not, they are somewhere between the ages of 13 and 30.

The call of Christ comes with a cost to consider…

Simon (Peter), Andrew, James, and John were called to leave their careers, connections, and comforts.

They left their careers. They had a lucrative business.

They left their connections, their families and friends to follow Jesus.

They left their comforts, what they knew and were comfortable with.

Jesus is wild here. Because He calls these men in the midst of their every day life, and calls them to leave their agendas aside.

Does Jesus have the authority to interrupt your life tonight. He is not going to force you to follow Him.

Following Jesus isn’t getting Him to help you with what you want to do. What it means to follow Jesus is aligning your entire life in submission to His agenda.

Are you willing to follow Christ?

Ruth 1:1–18 NKJV

1 Now it came to pass, in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehem, Judah, went to dwell in the country of Moab, he and his wife and his two sons. 2 The name of the man was Elimelech, the name of his wife was Naomi, and the names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion—Ephrathites of Bethlehem, Judah. And they went to the country of Moab and remained there. 3 Then Elimelech, Naomi’s husband, died; and she was left, and her two sons. 4 Now they took wives of the women of Moab: the name of the one was Orpah, and the name of the other Ruth. And they dwelt there about ten years. 5 Then both Mahlon and Chilion also died; so the woman survived her two sons and her husband. 6 Then she arose with her daughters-in-law that she might return from the country of Moab, for she had heard in the country of Moab that the Lord had visited His people by giving them bread. 7 Therefore she went out from the place where she was, and her two daughters-in-law with her; and they went on the way to return to the land of Judah. 8 And Naomi said to her two daughters-in-law, “Go, return each to her mother’s house. The Lord deal kindly with you, as you have dealt with the dead and with me. 9 The Lord grant that you may find rest, each in the house of her husband.” So she kissed them, and they lifted up their voices and wept. 10 And they said to her, “Surely we will return with you to your people.” 11 But Naomi said, “Turn back, my daughters; why will you go with me? Are there still sons in my womb, that they may be your husbands? 12 Turn back, my daughters, go—for I am too old to have a husband. If I should say I have hope, if I should have a husband tonight and should also bear sons, 13 would you wait for them till they were grown? Would you restrain yourselves from having husbands? No, my daughters; for it grieves me very much for your sakes that the hand of the Lord has gone out against me!” 14 Then they lifted up their voices and wept again; and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her. 15 And she said, “Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods; return after your sister-in-law.” 16 But Ruth said: “Entreat me not to leave you, Or to turn back from following after you; For wherever you go, I will go; And wherever you lodge, I will lodge; Your people shall be my people, And your God, my God. 17 Where you die, I will die, And there will I be buried. The Lord do so to me, and more also, If anything but death parts you and me.” 18 When she saw that she was determined to go with her, she stopped speaking to her.

Ruth is a perfect example of someone who forsook all to follow the God of Naomi.

The first calling of Christ is the call unto salvation:

Accountable

Bad News

Good News

How will you respond?

Welcome to the family of God!

Are you willing to follow God?

Submission is key. Submit to the Word of God. Submit to the Lordship of Christ.

*Stand up and make that declaration*