A Legacy Of Faith Series

1. Overview and Review

a. Last week I began my December sermon series on what it means to leave a legacy.

i. I talked about how we all leave a legacy, good or bad, whether we want to or not.

ii. Legacies are what one generation leaves to another, what one ancestor passes on to his

descendents.

b. Legacies are important because

i. Every one of us wants to be remembered.

ii. Everybody wants to leave something behind, something that said we passed through this

life.

iii. I believe that people want to live a life that matters or makes a difference.

c. Many of us here may have an ancestor who has passed down to us a genetic legacy.

i. They have given us the legacy of the color of our eyes, or the height that we stand.

ii. Our ancestors have unwittingly given us genes that lead us to be prone to high

cholesterol, heart disease, arthritis, or bad teeth.

iii. Some of us have even worse genetics, leading some to have a serious, painful or life

threatening disease.

iv. And there is nothing we can do about that health legacy.

1. It is passed down to us in spite of all of our good intentions and the healthy

lifestyles we strive for.

2. This is the legacy of health and genetics.

d. But there are other legacies that are passed down as well.

i. Last week we looked at how Adam, the first created human being, left a legacy that has

been a curse for every one of his descendents.

1. It is the curse of sin and separation from God who had created mankind for the

purpose of an intimate relationship.

2. I shared how God remedied that curse, that legacy, in Jesus Christ, and how Jesus

took our sins and their penalty on himself on the Cross.

a. But unlike our genes which we have no choice in, each of us has a choice

that allows us to receive that change in legacy.

b. We make that choice by faith…by placing our trust in Christ (and not in

ourselves) and receive the gift of forgiveness and eternal life.

e. Our parents have left each one of us a legacy, just as you will leave a legacy to your children.

i. That legacy may be temporary in the form of a financial inheritance, or property.

ii. Or that legacy may be more lasting and of eternal value. They may have given a legacy

of faith.

iii. Bill Hill, come up here just for a moment and tell us about the man who led you to faith

in Christ. That is a “lasting legacy.”

Let’s look at two legacies:

2. Legacy of Terah:

a. Anyone heard of Terah? (Not Tara) – He is the father of Abraham.

b. Genesis 11:26-32 Terah lived seventy years, and became the father of Abram, Nahor and

Haran. Now these are the records of the generations of Terah. Terah became the father of

Abram, Nahor and Haran. v31 Terah took Abram his son, and Lot the son of Haran, his

grandson, and Sarai his daughter-in-law, his son Abram’s wife; and they went out together from

Ur of the Chaldeans in order to enter the land of Canaan; and they went as far as Haran, and

settled there. The days of Terah were two hundred and five years; and Terah died in Haran.

c. For whatever reason, Terah left his country “in order to enter the land of Canaan.” So far so

good, but it says, “They went as far as Haran and settled there.”

d. The bible says that Terah never reached his goal of Canaan (which is modern day Palestine).

i. He had 135 years to achieve this goal, from the time he left Ur to enter the land of

Canaan, but he only went so far.

ii. He settled for something less. He settled for Haran, a village he named after his deceased

son and father of Lot.

e. Was he sent by God there?

i. We have to believe so, because some years later, Abram (his son) is given the EXACT

same goal (as we will see in a few minutes). That is no coincidence.

f. Because Terah doesn’t finish his journey, he is symbolic of some of us here in this room.

i. Terah’s legacy is a journey incomplete.

ii. Terah’s legacy is a project unfinished.

iii. Terah’s legacy is a calling spurned for comfort or convenience.

g. Has God called you to a task, a project, a mission or a journey?

i. Has He called you to go to school so that you can serve Him in a special way?

ii. Has He called you to minister to someone or somewhere?

iii. What excuses have you been giving Him for not acting on that call or for giving up on it?