How Will You Be Remembered?

The Big Idea

Will you leave a lasting legacy?

Key Verse

Matthew 26:13 NRSV

Truly I tell you, wherever this good news is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her.”

We

Will you leave a lasting legacy?

I wonder what you hope people will remember about you when they look back on your life years from now?

Will you leave a lasting legacy?

I looked at some of the famous epitaphs in the world, and wondered whether any of these would be the kind of thing you were after.

I am ready to meet my Maker. Whether my Maker is prepared for the great ordeal of meeting me is another matter (Winston Churchill).

She did it the hard way (Bette Davis).

I told you I was sick! (In a Georgia cemetery / Spike Milligan)

The children of Israel wanted bread

And the Lord sent them manna,

Old clerk Wallace wanted a wife,

And the Devil sent him Anna.

(In a Ribbesford, England, cemetery)

Here lies

Ezekiel Aikle

Age 102

The Good

Die Young

Here lies Ann Mann,

Who lived an old maid

But died an old Mann

Dec. 8, 1767

What do you think?

Maybe not.

And perhaps none of us will have our names in the history books of the future.

But hopefully we will be remembered by those whose lives we touched.

We can leave a lasting legacy.

The legacy of the supreme sacrifice

Today, we remember those who demonstrated their priorities in life by giving the supreme sacrifice.

We remember the men and women of our Armed Forces who fought and died so that we might have freedom.

Their lives are lasting legacy in our lives and in the life of our nation.

We also take the opportunity to remember those who are still fighting on our behalf and for our continued freedom.

The reality is that our freedom came at a great cost.

That’s why today, as a nation, we have paused to express our recognition to those who gave their lives and collectively say that we will never forget.

That we will ensure their lives remain a lasting legacy.

As we remember them, we should also remember that it is Jesus who gives us the finest example of the supreme sacrifice.

Christ’s body was broken for each one of us.

Our freedom, from sin and darkness, also came at a great cost.

So we should be prepared to pause and remember Jesus’ supreme act of love and salvation.

How do we ensure his love and sacrifice are a lasting legacy in our lives and in our world?

Well we are called to use our lives in his service and for his sake.

We are called to give, to share, to die and to live again:

Let us do all that we do in remembrance of his dying love. Every act of our life ought to be religious. Every day ought to be a Sabbath in the sense of its being sacred and devoted to the glory of God (William Booth).

Is that what you will be remembered for?

Whose lives are you touching today?

Where will you leave a lasting legacy?

The Bible tells the story of a woman who touched the life of Jesus.

Someone who left a lasting legacy in his life:

God

Matthew 26:6-13, p.996

Matthew 26:6–13 NIV

6 While Jesus was in Bethany in the home of Simon the Leper, 7 a woman came to him with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, which she poured on his head as he was reclining at the table. 8 When the disciples saw this, they were indignant. “Why this waste?” they asked. 9 “This perfume could have been sold at a high price and the money given to the poor.” 10 Aware of this, Jesus said to them, “Why are you bothering this woman? She has done a beautiful thing to me. 11 The poor you will always have with you, but you will not always have me. 12 When she poured this perfume on my body, she did it to prepare me for burial. 13 Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world, what she has done will also be told, in memory of her.”

A legacy of devotion

Matthew 26:13 NRSV

Truly I tell you, wherever this good news is proclaimed in the whole world, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her.”

Jesus says that what this woman did for him will be a lasting legacy.

And here we are, over 2,000 years later proving that he was right.

Here we are, studying her act and wrestling with what it has to say to us today.

First, I think it teaches us the importance of perceiving the true value of things.

The woman took a very expensive jar of perfume and lavished it on Jesus.

Her act proves that she knew the importance of showing her love to Jesus rather than simply vocalising it or taking it for granted.

To her there was no question that Jesus the person was more valuable than the perfume, the thing, or the price she paid for it.

The act of anointing Jesus with the perfume was simply an act of worship.

It was her way of showing her love and devotion to Jesus.

She was putting Jesus first.

In return, she received more than she ever imagined for the gift she gave.

Because of her love and devotion to Jesus, she leaves a lasting legacy.

Will your worship leave a lasting legacy?

Will your sacrifice and ministry be remembered?

A legacy of action

Mary anointed both Jesus’ head and feet with expensive fragrance.

She showed Jesus extravagant love.

In a very real sense, she gave all she had for her Saviour.

And in contrast to the disciples, Jesus sees her sacrificial act as something beautiful.

Why?

Because it is clear that Mary gave from the heart.

Yes, the perfume cost a lot of money.

But clearly, that is not an issue for her.

What was important to her was that she showed her love to Jesus.

You see, love is a verb; it is an action.

It should be your top priority.

It should be your primary objective.

It is love that leaves a lasting legacy.

A couple of week’s ago I attended the funeral of one of our Lunch Club members.

What struck me as I listened to the tribute to someone who I only met a handful of times is that what people remembered about her wasn’t her academic achievements, it wasn’t what she did as a job, it was how she loved.

What people will remember about her for years to come was the relationship they had with her.

The love that they shared.

It is love that people will remember about you in years to come.

But it has to be more than mere words.

It is how you treat people that has the most enduring impact from your life on earth.

It’s not what you do, but how much love you put into it that matters. (Mother Teresa).

Whenever you are serving others in any way, you’re actually serving Jesus and fulfilling part of God’s plan for your life.

And if you do so in love for Jesus and in love for the person you are serving, then you will leave a lasting legacy.

You

Leave a legacy of love

In the end, God doesn’t ask us to do any more than Jesus did.

1 John 4:10–12 The Message

This is the kind of love we are talking about—not that we once upon a time loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to clear away our sins and the damage they’ve done to our relationship with God. My dear, dear friends, if God loved us like this, we certainly ought to love each other. No one has seen God, ever. But if we love one another, God dwells deeply within us, and his love becomes complete in us—perfect love!

Many of you are very familiar with:

John 3:16 NRSV

“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him may not perish but may have eternal life.

But if we are to leave a lasting legacy on earth, if people are to remember us in years to come then we need to be just as familiar with:

1 John 3:16 NRSV

We know love by this, that he laid down his life for us—and we ought to lay down our lives for one another.

Service cannot be separated from sacrifice.

You have to be willing to sacrifice any and all that may be required to help others.

We benefit today because of the supreme sacrifice given by members of our Armed Forces to maintain our freedom.

Now is the time for you to do the same for others.

To leave a lasting legacy in the world.

So, my challenge to you this evening is to go and do something beautiful for someone else today.

Next Steps

SB 766 - In the secret of thy presence

In the secret of thy presence, Where the pure in heart may dwell, Are the springs of sacred service And a power that none can tell. There my love must bring its offering, There my heart must yield its praise, And the Lord will come, revealing All the secrets of his ways. In the secret of thy presence, In the hiding of thy power, Let me love thee, let me serve thee, Every consecrated hour. 2 More than all my lips may utter, More than all I do or bring, Is the depth of my devotion To my Saviour, Lord and King. Nothing less will keep me tender; Nothing less will keep me true; Nothing less will keep the fragrance And the bloom on all I do! 3 Blessèd Lord, to see thee truly, Then to tell as I have seen, This shall rule my life supremely, This shall be the sacred gleam. Sealed again is all the sealing, Pledged again my willing heart, First to know thee, then to serve thee, Then to see thee as thou art. Albert Orsborn (1886-1967) © The General of The Salvation Army. Used By Permission. CCL Licence No. 30158 Copied from The Song Book of The Salvation Army Song Number 766