Pastor Tom Pileggi

A legacy is something that you hand down to the next generation. Usually, when people think about legacy they think of an inheritance. They see legacy as something that one generation passes down to the next generation either in the form of property or money.

But legacy can mean much more than just those two things. We can leave behind more than just tangible things. For example, we can leave behind a witness, a set of principles and a certain lifestyle. We can leave behind a life well lived, a Godly life. To live in such a way that this world is changed because you touched someone’s life with your life, committed to Christ.

Hebrews 12:1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author  and finisher of our faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinners, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Leaving a legacy

1. throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.
2. run with perseverance the race marked out for us
3. fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher  of faith.

To leave a Godly legacy, you must change yourself

Jesus Christ modeled this so effectively. Phil. 2:5-8

⁵ Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, ⁶ who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, ⁷ but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bond servant, and coming in the likeness of men. ⁸ And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

Jesus knew that in order to change this world, he needed to change his.

He left the splendors of heaven, knowing his destiny, It was the lonely hill of Golgotha, there to lay down his life for us

Jesus left us a legacy to follow humility servant hood 

Humility – the quality or state of not thinking you are better than other people.  Others first.

Servant – a person who is devoted to or guided by something. Jesus was devoted to do the will of his father.

What about the Legacy of His unconditional love, grace, mercy, we could go on and on about Jesus. 

Jesus legacy still lives on two thousand years later.

The question to be asked is how long will your Godly legacy live on after you are gone?  To be only answered by everyone else. 

The great thing about a Godly legacy you leave its not determined by how many people you knew or by all the works you have done. 

It is only contingent on knowing one person JESUS CHRIST and through this relationship everything is build from. He is the author and finisher of our faith.  

It seems that man is always trying to invent ways to get to God or to be spiritual. New religions pop up everyday. Scripture is clear that salvation is found in no other than Jesus Christ.

Acts 4:12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved

John 10:9 I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. 

Jesus is the exclusive  door of access our way and only passage into the kingdom of God

Jesus door of salvation, Door of provision, Door of protection, door of abundant life

Jesus the Doorway to: Love in a world of hatred, Peace in a world of turmoil, Joy in a world where happiness comes and goes, Purpose in a world that doesn’t make sense, Wisdom in a world that is ever learning but never coming to the truth of the word of God, Grace in a world defined by works, Forgiveness in a world that says I will forgive you when I feel you deserve forgiveness, Faith in a world that lives by sight, Humility in a world that thrives on self-glorification and pride.

Jesus is the doorway to the Kingdom of Heaven, Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake for theirs is the Kingdom of God. Matt 5:10  

Philippians 1:27-30

²⁷ Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel, ²⁸ and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation,^[a] and that from God. ²⁹ For to you it has been granted on behalf of Christ, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake, ³⁰ having the same conflict which you saw in me and now hear is in me.

I Thess. 5:18 “Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

Ps 100:1-5  Shout for joy to the Lord, all the earth.2 Worship the Lord with gladness;come before him with joyful songs.3 Know that the Lord is God.  It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture.4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.5 For the Lord is good and his love endures forever;his faithfulness continues through all generations.

Psalm 100 a “Psalm of Praise” some called it a Psalm of thanksgiving

There is not one single note of sadness in the entire Psalm. This Psalm is full of  gratitude and thanksgiving. It is a command for everyone to worship the Lord.

In verse 1, it mentions the Lord. In verse 2, it mentions the Lord. In verse 3, it mentions the Lord. In verse 4, it tells us to enter His gates, The Lord, with thanksgiving and His courts with praise. And again in verse 5, it mentions the Lord.

We need to get our attention back on God, and away from ourselves and the world around us. A heart completely given to God is a heart of thanksgiving

that everything we have has been given to us by God, and that He is our only true Provider.

David declared God’s greatness when he said, “Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in His holy mountain”

In Psalm 145:3, God’s greatness is described by the words “Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable” (NKJV).

Psalm 147:5 declares, “Great is our LORD, and mighty in power; His understanding is infinite” (NKJV).

The greatness of God’s person, power, and provisions should bring praise and thanksgiving from the heart of the Christian.

Joshua 5:13-14 

¹³ Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?” ¹⁴ “Neither,” he replied, “but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” Then Joshua fell face down to the ground in reverence, and asked him, “What message does my Lord  have for his servant?”

Here Joshua was looking out over Jericho probably planning his strategy for attack on the city. First we tend to see the battles we face as our battles. We try to come up with a battle plan. We need to know the battle belongs to the the Lord. It is not our plans that makes us victorious it is what Jesus has already done for us on the cross. We need to seek Gods plan and his wisdom for our circumstances. Second thing  we learn from this passage. Not to ask God are you for me or against me. God does not pick sides. The secret to victory is not to assume God is on your side, but to make sure you are on His side. Sometimes we say God you must be on my side. I go to church, sing songs, even pray once in a while I am a good person. 

Jesus says  No! NO! church I’m not with you nor against you, there’s something we have to get straight. I am here to defend righteousness and carry out my plan. The question church, are you on my side or the side of my enemies will you TRUST ME for what I have for you. 

We need to respond to Jesus like Joshua did,  Then Joshua fell face down to the ground in reverence, and asked him, “What message does my Lord  have for his servant?” We need to worship, submit, and just be a servant.  

John 15:5  “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you abide in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.

If the life you are living is empty, meaningless, depressed, full of anxiety and fear, you can stay the way you are, or you can choose to be grafted into the living vine Jesus Christ.  As long as we are connected to the true living vine Christ we are spiritually alive. The power of the Holy Spirit can run in us and keep us spiritually alive producing fruit and through us touching and impacting the world around us. 

The most common substitute for fruit is performance. 

Trying does not produce fruit but  Trusting produces fruit. 

The command is not to try to produce fruit the command is to abide in Christ. 

We cannot conform to His image we cannot produce His likeness unless we abide in the true vine unless we abide in Jesus.

When we abide in Him, we have the mind of Christ. 

Obedience to Christ is not optional it is at the very foundation of the Christian life 

Luke 6: 46-49 ⁴⁶ “But why do you call Me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do the things which I say?⁴⁷ Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: ⁴⁸ He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock.^{[a] 49} But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell.^[b] And the ruin of that house was great.”

1 Co. 3:11 For no one can lay a foundation other than the one already laid which is Christ Jesus 

Comes to Him as Savior, Hears Him as Teacher, Obeys Him as master

Comes daily to Jesus. Jesus said if anyone would come after me he would have to take up his cross daily to follow Him. Die to self.

Hears with understanding  Prov. 8:34 Blessed is the man that listens to  me watching daily at my gates waiting at the post of my doors

Obeys puts into practice John 8:31-32 If you hold to my teachings, you are really my disciples then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free

We ask people “How’s it going?”  They  say, “Oh, pretty good under the circumstances

we need to get out from under the circumstances!”

As a believer in Christ we need to remind ourselves we are not under circumstances, we are covered by  God’s Grace, His Mercy , His Love. Get out from under your circumstance and begin to walk and live in the power and authority  God has given you through His Son Jesus Christ. 

The size of your faith does not determine the size of your miracle.

And Jesus said unto them, Because of your unbelief: for verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you. Matthew 17:20

Galatians 5:1 Stand fast therefore in the liberty where with Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

Jesus + anything else = bondage 

Jesus + 0 = freedom 

We can not add to what Christ has already done for us.  He has done it all at the cross.