The Legacy We Build…Echoes of Faith: Building a Legacy for Generations to Come

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Good morning everyone, Can you believe we have finally made it to the end of this series? Over the last 5 weeks we have looked at a variety of topics including the importance of our mission and the importance of unity. Then we looked at how we are all equipped to grow and serve in the way God has gifted us, and finally that we are commited to following God’s leading…whatever that may be. I’m not sure about you, but it’s been a pretty encouraging few weeks that we have been able to look at these things. Now this today we are going to turn out focus on to looking at the future and seeing where God might be leading us as a church, and what our goal is in regards to the future.

However, before we do that, it is important that we look again at our memory verse that we have had over the last month. I know it’s a hard verse, and I just know that you have all been looking at this verse every single day so that you were ready to practice today. So…here we go…

Matthew 28:

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Great job everyone…Now I think we should probably practice this verse throughout this year because this verse is our mission as a church. And…if this verse is our mission….we better know it well.

Anyway today like I said we are going to begin looking into the future and where we are heading and why we are heading there. You can go ahead and open your Bibles to Psalms ch. 78 and we will get to that in a moment.

First I want to tell you a story…I like stories. Stories are a great way to share a concept or a truth in a way that will allow others to understand and remember better than simply giving a list of facts. You know what I mean.

Like for instance, I can tell you that this room is inside of an octagon building that was built around 2001. That is a true fact, right. However, I can also tell you the story of a group of believers that were traveling to Byron and they felt led of the Lord to plant a brand new church right here in Leaf River. Then within a year or two the Lord offered them a plot of land here on Mount Morris Rd and they were able to start building a building. Well over the course of the years those few believers grew into a group of more than 200 hundred.

However, it wasn’t always good news…eventually there was some disunity and even an arsonist that burned down everything that group of believers had seen God do. Well, God wasn’t finished with this little group of believers because He maintained a remnant right here in this place and that remnant, after much prayer, saw God raise this very building right here. Why the octagon…well that’s becuase that’s what God wanted built right here in this spot, and we get to see what God is going to do with this place now…

You see, you can learn facts, but when you learn a story it stays with you and you become more invested and more interested in the outcome and in maintaining the story. That’s what the early Israelites did. They told stories to each other. Specifically they told stories to the next generation….to their children and grandchildren. They wanted them to know the truth about what God had been doing for them. They might not have gotten every single detail, or they might not have quoted every single word, but they told the story accurately and passed down the history and what God had down in not only their lives, but in the lives of their fathers and grandfathers.

They did this because when you learn the stories and you connect those stories to real people, then you will learn the truths that are being communicated. For instance, God has always been faithful to his children. We see that throughout all of Biblical history, then we see that throughout our own personal storied history as well. That’s why it’s important to tell your stories of faith and the stories of what God has done in your life, not only in the past, but also in the present.

This morning however we are going to start with the past…That’s becuase sometimes it really is important to

Pay Attention to the Past

Let’s see what the text says together this morning. Go ahead and open up to…

Psalm 78:1–3 ESV

Give ear, O my people, to my teaching; incline your ears to the words of my mouth! I will open my mouth in a parable; I will utter dark sayings from of old, things that we have heard and known, that our fathers have told us.

So what do we have going on here? Well, the first thing we have here is pretty remarkable. You see, this is a Psalm written by a man named Asaph. Asaph was a musician that was employed by King David as one of the three chief musicians in the tabernacle. Psalm 78 is a song that he wrote likely while working in the tabernacle.

Something we know to be true about music is that Music helps to learn theology. That is why having songs that speak about God the way that we do, whether that is in hymn form or more modern music form is so important. That is how Asaph tells the people to Listen to the Lords instruction.

Of course what we also see is that it is incredibly important to pay attention to the testimonies of what God has done in the past. When you listen to those who have gone before you and how God has worked in their lives, your faith grows.

Here we see that the Psalmist uses a bit of a riddle to begin describing Israel’s history. When Asaph says, “I will utter dark sayings from of old” a more clear translation would be “I will make insightful observations about the past”. In other words, You need to learn from and honor the past, then use it to grow into the future.

This gives us the purpose of Asaph writing this Psalm. Since this is a culture with a tradition of passing on history using oral traditions, these same traditions will be used to pass on the truths of God’s wonderful works. These works should be rehearsed in each new generation, over and over again.

In the same way, for us today, we should be engaging in the same traditions of passing on the stories of faith with each other and passing on the rich history of what God has done right here at LRBC. These are the stories that form the backbone of our legacy in Christ. When we value and share these stories, we are laying a strong foundation for faith in future generations.

When we pay attention to the past we will be able to

Proclaim His Powerful Deeds

As we are paying attention to the past, the other thing we should be doing is sharing what has happened in the past so that we are encouraged to continue in faithfulness. That’s actually what the Psalmist even tells us next, let’s keep reading…

Psalm 78:4–5 ESV

We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord, and his might, and the wonders that he has done. He established a testimony in Jacob and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers to teach to their children,

What we see here is that Declaring God’s deeds and commands is pivotal for passing on faith. That’s why the Psalmist here highlights the necessity of making these truths known. All of this happens through story telling and being hands on with children. This is why children’s ministry is actually important. It’s important to be able to share the stories of faith with kids in a way that makes sense to them.

The Psalmist here points out the concept of using stories to help pass on the truths of the Gospel. He says to tell the coming generation the glorious deeds of the Lord. So for us that means to tell the stories of the Lord from both the ancient days, like the Old Testament, and then the stories of the Gospel in the New Testament as well as the stories of the church through acts an the epistles.

When kids are able to hear those stories and see how those same stories impact their own lives, then their faith will blossom and grow into a strong tower. This is how the Psalmist saw things working, and this is how things are still working today. You see, as Christ fulfills the law and the prophets, our testimonies and our stories of faith should continually point to the Lord working through LRBC.

Paying attention to the past and proclaiming his powerful deeds is how we are able to…

Pass Hope to Posterity

This is where we begin to look forward to the promises that are still waiting to be fulfilled…The promises that God has placed LRBC right here in this place for a purpose and that we have work to do ahead of us. The promises of what eternity holds and the hope we have in the Lord for that eternity. Let’s take a look at what the Psalmist has to say here.

Psalm 78:6–7 ESV

that the next generation might know them, the children yet unborn, and arise and tell them to their children, so that they should set their hope in God and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments;

You see, this is how we have a strong generational faith…by actually sharing with generation after generation after generation. That is what the Psalmist is talking about and that is what we are talking about when we look at the future of LRBC. The desire to build a structure that ensures future generations are being taught the Scriptures boldly and purely.

I love when I read this passage and we see how teaching future generations is so important for the future of faith becuase how can faith continue in our future generations if we never teach them. However, what we read here is that it’s about more than simply telling a story…it’s about teaching the truth of Scripture, and teaching about how Scripture impacts all of the parts of our lives.

Here’s the point…We are called to teach the next generation to set their hope in the Lord. This isn’t just about knowing stories, but stories is where it starts…stories is how faith is built and grows, even in the ancient days according to the Psalmist. Listen, I know there are some of you folks here that are fully engaged and love these younger generation that are growing up here at LRBC. Yet you feel that you aren’t qualified to teach them about Scriptures…however, you are a fully capable of telling a story…and that is what you are called to do.

You see, if we are going to continue serving this next generation the way that God is calling us to, we are going to need your abilities and passions to help tell the stories that brought you to faith in the Lord. We have a growing population of kids that are coming to LRBC and they are in need of caring adults to teach them what it means to have faith.

Christ is the central hope that anchors our faith. Here at LRBC, whether we are looking at the old or new testament we see for Christ in the stories we hear. That is the legacy we desire to leave…that Christ is the central focus in all of Scripture.

Closing

In what ways can the stories of faith shared within a community serve as theological teaching?

Why is it important for you to learn the stories of faith from older generations?

When it comes to the legacy that will be left at LRBC, the Purpose Discovery Team is seeking to solidify that as a boldly Biblical legacy, no matter what the future culture might look like. That is why we are looking to update things and create new things in order to ensure the future legacy of LRBC for our children and grandchildren and even great grandchildren. That is the job we have before us today.

The Psalmist we read today gives us the guidance to be prepared to pass the legacy of the hope of Christ down to all generations that will follow us, and that is what we are looking to do. Of course we have to share with more than kids, we have to share with all that we come into contact with..That is why we have talked about evangelism and missions previously.

You see, Jesus gave us out marching orders and so we have to apply those orders to every aspect of ministry. That means that you, wherever you are, need to engage in conversations about faith. That means that we need to be creating environments where both children and adults can learn about God’s love, law, and promises. That means that you need to be ready to share your personal testimony of what God has done in your life in order to help shape the faith of younger generations.

Christ fulfilled every story and every promise of the Old Testament and he shows us that in the New Testament. Through the teachings and life of Jesus we are able to build a foundation of faith that can withstand every every temptation and every hardship that will ever come after you.

The question is…will you be a part of building that legacy…or will you stand back and watch? The truth is that God has placed everyone in this place because it will take everyone in this place in order to do what God is calling us as a church to do. So what is your role? How are you going to help shape the faith of the coming generations? You can volunteer to teach a class, anywhere from kids to adults…you can volunteer to host a small group….you can volunteer to be a mentor to someone who needs a mentor…you can volunteer to disciple someone officially…you can even volunteer to be a part of what is done on Sunday mornings.

All of those things are a part of building the legacy that God is calling us to build and preparing to share your story of faith with someone.

This morning, I want to invite you to actively respond to what God is doing in your life. Every single one of us has a next step to take, and today is an opportunity to commit to that step.

First, and most importantly, if you have never placed your faith in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, I invite you to do that today.

God created you to know Him, but sin separates us from Him. Jesus Christ died for your sins and rose again, and if you turn to Him in faith—trusting Him as your Savior and Lord—you will be forgiven and receive eternal life.

The greatest decision you will ever make is to surrender your life to Him.

For others, maybe you have drifted. You know you haven’t been living as the Lord has called you to live, and it’s time to recommit your life to Him.

You were created to walk closely with God, but if you've drifted away, His grace is still waiting for you. Turn back to Him today—His arms are open, His mercy is endless, and He is ready to renew your heart and walk forward with you. This is your moment to say, "Lord, I am yours. I will follow You."

But beyond our personal relationship with Christ, we also have a responsibility to those who come after us. Remember, The faith we live out today will shape the next generation. So, what kind of legacy are we leaving? Will our children and grandchildren know Christ because of the way we lived? Will our church be stronger for those who come after us?

I want every person to take the card on your seat and respond to the following questions:

1. Have you accepted Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior today? (Yes/No) 2. Are you recommitting your life to Christ today? (Yes/No) 3. What is one step of faith or commitment you are making to grow in Christ? (This could be prayer, Bible reading, serving, joining a small group, sharing your faith, or another step of obedience.) 4. How will you invest in the next generation of faith? (This could be through mentoring, serving in children’s or youth ministry, modeling a faithful walk, or praying for the next generation.)

As we respond, I want us to do something different this morning. We are going to take communion together in a moment, and as we do that, I want to invite you to come forward as a step of commitment.

Everyone, as you are ready, come and place your card in the basket up front. Then, take your communion elements and return to your seat.

If you are making a commitment today to follow Christ for the first time or to recommit your life to Him, I ask you to come directly to me so I can pray with you personally.

Additionally, the altar will also be open for anyone who wants to come and pray about anything you have going on, or pray for the church as well.

As we end this series, let this be a moment of real surrender, real commitment, and real faith. Let’s not just live for today—let’s leave a legacy of faith that will stand for generations to come.

Let’s Pray: Pray for the commitments that God is placing on people’s hearts. Pray that God will break our hearts for the legacy that he is building here at LRBC, and each of our parts for that legacy.