LEGACY 4: Legacy Lived

INTRO

Welcome to Authentic Church. We are so honored to have you here with us today. We are passionate about the Presence of God in this house. The vision of our church is that you would have an Encounter with God that changes your world, and that you in turn would go and change the world.

Our Prayer is that every person who comes into Authentic Church would come to Know God, Find Freedom, Discover their Purpose, and that they would use their Time, Talent & Resources to Make a difference in this life.

You were created ON Purpose FOR a purpose.

It’s no accident that you are here today. God is doing something in your life that brought you here, for such a time as this.

He’s planting you in His house,

putting you with a spiritual family

and calling out the significance in your life.

LEGACY

Over the last few weeks we’ve been chatting on the topic of LEGACY “Living In Light of Eternity”.

And we’ve been talking about God’s calling on your life personally and on the church

To live beyond ourselves...

If I were to pass the microphone around the room today and ask you what comes to mind when I say the word Legacy, the majority of the definitions would probably be summarized in the following two statements:

1. Legacy is what we invest in and build with our

lives that will be passed on to others.

2. Legacy is the imprint and impact of our lives

that will outlive us

We’re all leaving some sort of Legacy… My question is, what’s yours?

What are you investing into and building with your life?

What is the imprint and impact you’ve had that’s going to outlive you?

On Wednesday Mornings there’s a group of the Men from Authentic that meets for Coffee & a Bible Study and this past WED I asked them, If today was your last day on earth, what the biggest regret of something you knew was in you to do that you didn’t accomplish this side of Heaven.

That THOUGHT can be pretty sobering for many of us in this room.

CALL A TIMEOUT

Through the years I’ve had the privilege of coaching my boys sports teams… which is a bit like herding cats and controlling chaos. When your coaching, one things that you’re cognoscente of is the flow of the game.

Who has the momentum? What do I need to do to get the momentum and how do I keep that momentum so that we end with a WIN.

And anytime things seemed a bit out of control, as the coach, what do you think I’d do? I’d call a time-out. :)

If I were your spiritual coach right now… and I called a time-out and pulled you over to the side, I would remind you this truth:

LIFE IS SHORT. ETERNITY IS REAL. PEOPLE MATTER MOST.

And although I think I’m a pretty decent coach and disciple maker, I pale in comparison to the Holy Spirit’s ability to coach you and speak into your life.

If I truly believe “LIFE IS SHORT” - Lord how would you have me spend my time?

If I really beleive that there is a Heaven and there is a Hell where I will spend my time for all of Eternity, am I living with that thought… living for that which is ETERNAL? Or that which is “TEMPORAL”?

If Life is Short, and Eternity is Real and People matter most… am I living for me? Or living for others?

Lord Help Me live for Legacy.

Help me make the most of my time.

Help me not to get wrapped up in the things of this world.

Help me to be eternally minded.

Help me to notice people and have the grace, kindness, compassion and Love to serve them well.

There’s an excercise in cultural development within an organization called BEST & WORST… The exercise is simple, and the results can be profound.

I’m at my best when I ____________.

I’m at my worst when I ____________.

For me, I’m at my BEST in life when I’m absolutely obsessed with what’s on God’s heart and what’s on his mind.

I’m at my best as a husband when I’m obsessed with what’s on God’s Heart & Mind for my marriage.

I’m at my best as a Dad, when I’m obsessed…

I’m at my best as a Pastor in stewarding what God is building at Authentic Church when I’m obsessed with what’s on God’s Heart & Mind.

I have a question that I ask myself, that I want to pose to us as as congregation this morning…

“God, What Do You Want To Do Through Me?”

Last week we looked at the words of Jesus out of Matthew 5 “You are the Light of the World” May our lives point people to Jesus.

LIVING EPISTLES

Paul said in 2 Corinthians 3:2-3 that your life is a Living Epistle… Epistles were Letters…

2 Corinthians 3:2-3 MSG

Your very lives are a letter that anyone can read by just looking at you. Christ himself wrote it—not with ink, but with God’s living Spirit; not chiseled into stone, but carved into human lives—and we publish it.

In other words, you’re shining something… you’re portraying and displaying something in life.

You’re either Passively leaving a Legacy or Intentionally leaving a Legacy.

But no matter what, YOU WILL LEAVE A LEGACY.

WHAT LEGACY ARE YOU LEAVING?

MIRACLE CARDS:

Psalm 66:1-5

On the sides of the front of the church, you see these cards hanging up. These are Miracle Cards of what God has done in peoples lives here in the church family this past year.

At the start of 2021, God gave us this scripture…

Psalm 66:5

“Come and see the incredible things God has done;     it will take your breath away!     He multiplies miracles for his people!”

This certainly has been a year of Miracles.

We’ve seen families come back together, marriages healed, young people make decisions for Christ.

God moved us into this beautiful chapel just 7 months ago, allowing us room to grow and get more established in this community.

We’ve seen baptisms upon baptisms here in the courtyard.

This has been a Foundational Year for Authentic Church.

I would say it’s been a Legacy Building Year.

AND YOU’RE PART OF THAT LEGACY!

SPECIAL SUNDAY: LEGACY OFFERING

And Today is a special day for our church, because today is our Legacy Offering.

If you’re new to Authentic Church, I want to tell you, you came on a great Sunday.

Today is a special day. You’re going to witness people making a difference in the lives of people they don’t know yet.

You’re going to see a Spiritual Family making an investment into the next generation, into those in our Community that we’ve never met, and into building for the future so that we can serve more people who need the love of Jesus.

If you are a guest, I want you to know that there’s no expectation for you today… just don’t check out.

If this concept is new to you, let me give you a bit of the backstory…

Proverbs 13:22

“A good person leaves an inheritance to their children's children, but the sinner's wealth is stored up for the righteous.”

3 Generations Listed.

A WISE PERSON leaves an inheritance to multiple generations.

God is a generational God.

Just like a wise man is one who thinks Generationally,

I believe a WISE CHURCH is one that thinks generationally.

That’s why on any given Sunday or Wednesday Night, our Young People are involved in not just serving, but in leading in aspects of the Church.

On Wednesday Night,

God is passionate about bringing Generations together.

Rhythms (Deuteronomy 16:16-17)

One of the rhythms that was practiced by Jesus which he observed with his disciples was the rhythms of observing the feasts that God instituted.

Deuteronomy 16:16–17 (ESV)

“Three times a year all your males shall appear before the Lord your God at the place that he will choose: at the Feast of Unleavened Bread, at the Feast of Weeks, and at the Feast of Booths. They shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed. Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord your God that he has given you.

3x Per Year - Special Offerings: 3 times a year it is our practice here at Authentic Church to have a time of special offerings.

While we will certainly teach on stewardship throughout the year, and in reverenace to God we follow the outline of His word with our Tithes, we will make a special call 3x a year for offerings, similar to the 3x/year that God would call the children of Israel out to present themselves before him.

1. ISRAEL: January - Israel - based on the biblical principle found throughout the bible that the Gospel is to the Jew first, then to the Gentiles. God promises to bless you when you honor that principle:

Genesis 12:3 “I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

How many of you would agree that it’s a good thing when God blesses us? Yes. This is one of the reasons why I truly believe our Church has been so blessed in just a little over a year old… becuase the first check that leaves this house… the first offering we send out every year is to bless Israel.

2. HEART FOR THE HOUSE: Spring Time - Heart for the House Offering - Many of you gave in that offering last Spring… and your generosity helped us make financial strides that paved the way for us to be here in Needham Chapel.

Your Generosity, brought us to THIS PLACE.

3. LEGACY OFFERING: Every December, before we close out the year, we’ll have a Legacy Offering - Key Initiatives God is asking us to stretch for that will leave a Legacy.

This offering isn’t about keeping the lights on…

It isn’t about maintenance…

your tithes throughout the year take care of that…

Our Legacy Offering is about reaching people we’re not reaching…

It’s about preparing for the future…

it’s about making strides now so that we are as prepared as possible for the Harvest that is coming,

Because more people are going to come to know Jesus!

Because LIFE IS SHORT. ETERNITY IS REAL. And PEOPLE MATTER MOST!

LEGACY OFFERING:

We have 3 Lanes of Legacy, that we are asking you to prayerfully consider giving towards, and I’m going to take a moment to recap each one of them Here this morning:

Since God is a generational God, the first lane of Legacy we highlighted is GENERATIONS.

Generations

Psalm 145:4 ESV

One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts.

+ A recent poll by Barna Research Group found that 94% of adult Christians in America came to christ before the age of 18.

+ Churches begin to die when they focus more on keeping current generation, rather than reaching the next generation.

+ Authentic Church is committed to reaching the next generation and equipping them for lifestyle Christianity where they know their purpose and live out their calling.

+ Giving to the Generations lane of Legacy will help us purchase new Curriculum, Resources, and provide great Pastoral Care to our Kids & Youth Ministries of Authentic Church.

The next Lane of Legacy listed is Evangelism. What is evangelism you ask? Put simply, Evangelism, or to be evangelistic is to reach those far from God with the message of Christ that they may “Call on the name of the Lord and be saved” (like the Apostle Paul stated in Romans 10:13

Romans 10:13 ESV

For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

Evangelism

Out of 3.2M people in OC, the latest statistic was that only 7% attend a Christian church on a regular basis. Not even 1/4 of a million people… 224k people.

If you took all the great churches of this area and filled them to capacity on a Sunday Morning, only 10% would be able to physically attend a church service.

We’re committed to a Legacy that puts a dent in that number!

For this Lane of Legacy, we have vision to curate content that will share testimonies of what God has done of people from all walks of life, sharing how Jesus transformed their life. Then we are going to take that content, package it in a way that speaks to those far from God with the hope of Christ, and then we’re going to pay to promote that post so that we blast their smart phone and tablet with the Good News of Jesus whenever and wherever they might be accessing it.

God is Jehova Jireh - the great provider… but I’ve found he’s also Jehova Sneeky… we’re going to do whatever we can (short of sin), to win as many as we can to Christ.

+ $3 = 1700 people impacted w/in 10 miles of our church

LIFE IS SHORT. ETERNITY IS REAL. And PEOPLE MATTER MOST!

+ $6 = 3,400 people impacted

+ $12 = 6,800 people impacted

Rather than some boring mailer that is thrown in the trash, we feel that this is the most effective way to provide an introduction to people we may never meet.

Please hear me… we are not looking to build a brand. We are lifting the name of Jesus high and showing the world that the greatest life lived is one that is lived for Jesus. We’re not out to obtain followers on a social media platform. We’re simply leveraging the technology that’s out there to win more people to Christ.

As we win more people to Christ, we’ll need more room for Kids & Youth Ministry and our own building… which leads me to the 3rd Lane of Legacy… our Building Fund.

Building Fund

+ God moves beyond buildings. We started at the beach, then went to a park, then a Hotel and now in Needham Chapel on this gorgeous campus. The New Testament Church met in large gatherings in the Temple and from house to house.

+ We have secured this chapel through March of 2022.

+ Vanguard would like us to remain on campus if we desire… we are praying into what that would look like.

+ We love Vanguard, but there’s massive benefits to having your own location where you don’t have to set up and tear down every Sunday.

+ We have vision for a Ministry Center (a more permanent location), where we could have access 24/7 to serve the community, equip the body of Christ and launch ministries from in an effort to reach those who are far from God with the authentic love of Jesus.

Encounneters

+ Giving a One-Time offering or a recurring monthly gift positions us to be financially strong if/when an opportunity arises.

+ It’s not about a building… it’s about making room for more.

+ This is about more space for Kids & Youth Ministries

+ This is about a space where we could host Marketplace Ministry functions for business people and Young Professionals.

+ This is about room where we could have late night prayer and worship nights, counseling space, spiritual formation and growth.

+ This is about making room for more people because there are more Miracle Cards that need to be filled out.

Because…

LIFE IS SHORT. ETERNITY IS REAL. AND PEOPLE MATTER MOST.

PRAY & OBEY

THERE’S NO pressure… Corinthians says let everyone give in your heart to give.

2 Corinthians 9:7 You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. “For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.”

GOD WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO THROUGH ME? (PUT ON A SLIDE)

Key Scripture Text:

1 Chronicles 28:9-10

Know God

Serve God

Seek Him

Consider Now!

Be Strong & Do the Work!

Soren Kirkagaard

was credited with this quote:

Life can only be lived moving forward… but it can only be understood looking backwards.

So here’s David, as the older wiser King, looking back on his life.

Passing the baton to the next generation.

He leaves these pearls of wisdom that speak to leaving a Godly legacy:

Know God (Not just know about Him, but truly KNOW HIM - Gnosko - intimate knowledge). Jesus isn’t some figure in History that I read about… he’s someone I know personally.

Serve Him (Serve literally means to WORSHIP)

Seek Him (well worn path) - for decisions I make, for my friends and family… I have a well worn path into the Presence of God for my daily sustenance… because He truly is My Daily Bread.

Passionate about Prayer in this church - because a prayerless church is a pridefilled church.

If you’re not operating from a place of His Presence, then you’re leaning on your own understanding.

We want to lean on His Presence, His Wisdom, His Heart, His Love His Grace… we want a WELL WORN PATH of Seeking God Daily. That’s a Legacy I want to live.

4. CONSIDER NOW - Take Seriously!

On this Legacy Sunday… CONSIDER NOW THE OPPORTUNITY BEFORE US… CONSIDER NOW THE AGE OF OUR CHURCH… CONSIDER NOW THE GENERATIONS WE’RE EQUIPPING… CONSIDER NOW THE PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF THE FOUR WALLS… CONSIDER NOW THE FOUNDATION YOU’RE ABLE TO LAY.

BECAUSE LIFE IS SHORT. ETERNITY IS REAL. PEOPLE MATTER MOST.

As we continue on in the text, as David is passing Legacy on to his son… The Entire Nation is there listening and taking notice.

DAVID gave an OUCH OFFERING:

1 Chronicles 29:1–30 29 And David the king said to all the assembly, “Solomon my son, whom alone God has chosen, is young and inexperienced, and the work is great, for the palace will not be for man but for the Lord God. 2 So I have provided for the house of my God, so far as I was able...

David takes it up a notch… and infront of the entire assembly, He gives what I call an “OUCH OFFERING”

Every have one of those moments?

Ouch offering is one you feel… It’s one you really sacrafice for.

3 Moreover, in addition to all that I have provided for the holy house, I have a treasure of my own of gold and silver, and because of my devotion to the house of my God I give it to the house of my God:

LEGACY.

The longer that I’m a parent, the more I realize that your children don’t do as you say as much as they do as you do…

I want to live my life in a way that what I pass along in my actions was better than what I said in my words.

9 Then the people rejoiced because they had given willingly, for with a whole heart they had offered freely to the Lord. David the king also rejoiced greatly.

Here’s a Key.... Generosity is a gateway to Joy.

It really is.

Jesus said it’s more blessed to give than to receive.

Generosity is in the charactar of God.

Joy is what we experience when we partake of His Nature.

The act of GENEROSITY releases Joy.

Through the years, I’ve literally hired and managed hundreds of people.

One of the most emotional bunch of people to manage is sales people.

Anyone in the Sales & Marketing world knows… there’s a lot of emotion involved.

One of the tools I would give sales people is to begin there day doing something for others.... even if it was just openeing the door to someone else at Starbucks… or buying the coffee for the person behind them in the drivethrough whom they’ll never meet… that small act of generosity, released JOY in their lives.

So David leads the way for his son Solomon and the entire nation…

This is David’s Swan Song… this is the LEGACY MOMENT… the passing of the baton…

David passed along the Legacy:

Knowing God Intimately

Serving Him Worshipfully

Seeking Him Prayerfully

Took the Work Seriously

Gave Sacrificially

Finished Honorably

Left a Legacy

1 Chronicles 29:26-28 NIV

26 David son of Jesse was king over all Israel. 27 He ruled over Israel forty years—seven in Hebron and thirty-three in Jerusalem. 28 He died at a good old age, having enjoyed long life, wealth and honor. His son Solomon succeeded him as king.

LIFE IS SHORT.

ETERNITY IS REAL.

PEOPLE MATTER MOST.

That’s the LEGACY I want to leave my kids.

HONORING MY PARENTS

My Mom & Dad are here this morning. I’m blessed to have them staying with us. They’ve been married now for 48yrs. LEGACY.

Retired now, my parents modeled a life of hard work, dilligence, and caring for others.

I remember us playing secret santa for a family in need one year, they bought a bunch of presents for a family in need, wrapped them up and we loaded htem into the back of our old Suburban. We got out of the car and snuck the presents up to the door late at night like we were TP’ing the house. We wrang the doorbell, raced to the car, and my Dad sped off… LEGACY.

I remember my parents investing into marriages in business and making sure that when we were in town, they made us go to Mass… and it was so boring. Yet it instilled a Legacy of us getting into the House of God every week.

LEGACY.

Judges 2:10 (ESV)

And all that generation also were gathered to their fathers. And there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel.

There was a transfer of a Spiritual Baton that did not occur.

At Authentic Church, we are commited to leaving a LEGACY that invests in the Next Generation.

We’re committed to being a church that is Evangelistic - reaching the lost with the Authentic Love of Jesus that’s built by beautiful relationship.

We’re commited to being a church that builds for the future.

My Question to you today… what is yours? What’s your Legacy?

Jesus said in Matthew 6 to shine a light and pass the baton of faith by focusing on the eternal (not the temporal)

Matthew 6:19–21 (ESV)

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Life is Short. Eternity is Real. People Matter Most.

GOD, WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO THROUGH ME?

ENVELOPES

Today we’re going to do something a little bit different.

On your seats are envelopes with the 3 Lanes of Legacy listed out.

If you consider this house, your church, I’m asking you to prayerfully ask GOD this question…

GOD, What do you want to do through me?

Faith is not just something we have, but it is activated with action.

There was the widow who God told to put out the Empty Jars.

God told Moses, wave your staff over the Water

Isaac sowed during a Famine, when there was a drought…

The little boy who gave up his loaves and fishes… He gave what he had and the Miracle took place as what he gave was distributed to those He didn’t even know.

GOD, WHAT DO YOU WANT TO DO THROUGH ME?

If you haven’t had time to pray about what God would have you give, we’re going to take a few minutes now.

If you’re giving online, please feel free to do so, and just write on the Envelope “ONLINE” and put the amount down that you gave.

There are 3 Ways to Give: 1. In the Envelope 2. Via Text 3. Online

And in a few minutes, we’re going to come together as a Church Family and bring our Offering to the Lord.

We have recpeticals up front for you. I’ll tell you when, but right now, let’s just all ask that question - GOD, What do you want to do through me?

PRAY & OBEY

ENDING