Faith's Legacy

FAITH’S LEGACY

HEB 11:20-22

I. FAITH’S LEGACY

A. Faith that grows is living faith

-anyone who says they have faith should have the evidence of that faith in their life and it should be growing

B. Faith is important in many ways

-living, prayer, winning battles, overcoming temptation, etc

C. Faith is a legacy

-legacy - money or property left to someone by a will; bequest. Anything handed down from an ancestor

D. Heb 11:20a (Amplified) With eyes of faith Isaac, looking far into the future, invoked blessings upon Jacob and Esau.

E. Many are living for the pleasure of the moment, the here and now, the instant gratification, a temporary win

F. People of faith are not just concerned with the here and now but also for the future

-faith is constantly looking to the future, proceeding generations,

G. Faith prompted Isaac, Jacob and Joseph to leave a legacy of faith for future generations

-their legacy of faith is still being looked up to and followed today by believers

II. ISAAC - FAITH’S LEGACY TO THE INDIVIDUAL

A. Men surveyed with the question - How will you be remembered?

B. Men were asked to describe with one word how they remembered their father

-drunk, absent, detached, honest, busy, Godly, strong, wise, immoral, cheat, proud, humble, caring, hard, angry, abusive, unreasonable, unfair, tyrant, loving, etc.

C. They were then asked to choose one word they would like their children to remember them by

-two top choices - loving, Godly

D. Being remembered in such a way is no accident. A life of faith is a life with purpose

-It will be because of choices and decisions on our part to be people of faith and faithfulness. It will be because allowed faith to guide our choices and commitments

E. Regardless of Jacob and Esau’s choices, they still had a legacy of faith to follow

F. Faith will enable you to be a blessing to others on an individual, one-on-one basis

-it will leave a legacy behind for friends, neighbors and co-workers

III. JACOB - FAITH’S LEGACY TO THE FAMILY

A. Heb 11:21 (Amplified) Prompted by faith Jacob, when he was dying, BLESSED each of Joseph’s sons, and bowed in prayer over the top of his staff.

-Jacob was dying. Two things are important in this moment as eternity slips closer. One is God and worshiping Him. The other is the family.

B. Jacob had not always lived with these priorities.

-At times he followed his own agenda, his own desires, his own welfare, his own comfort and gain. Self-indulgence had been his god.

-At times he had stumbled in his faith, tried to bargain with God, mad choices out of fear not faith

C. Through it all God wrestled with Jacob until he became a man of faith

-Jacob became a man who’s greatest concern was for his family

-Jacob blessed his own children and the children of Joseph

D. As parents our life can be a blessing and example of faith to our children and grandchildren

-we must walk the walk, not just talk the talk

-our motto cannot be “Do as I say, but not as I do” (parents who send their kids to church but don’t go themselves, drink, cuss, etc but tell the kids not to)

E. We may think we got a late start in life but its never too late to start

F. Husbands and wives can leave a legacy of faith for each other

G. Our life of faith serves as a legacy for unsaved family members

-E. V. Hill, Pastor of Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church in South Central Los Angeles, while speaking to men at a Promise Keepers event he asked: "How many members of your family are into drugs?" "In my family, we have five drug addicts, but we used to have twelve. We’re cleaning them up, one by one." And then he asks: "How many prostitutes are in your family? At one time we had two. Now we have one."

IV. JOSEPH - FAITH’S LEGACY FOR A NATION

A. Heb 11:22 - (Amplified) - Actuated by faith Joseph, when nearing the end of his life, referred to the promise of God for the departure of the Israelites out of Egypt, and gave instructions concerning the burial of his own bones.

B. By making mention of his bones Joseph was reminding Israel of their covenant with God and God’s promises to them. He left behind a legacy of faith for his nation

-every time Israel talked about coming out of Egypt they had to remember Joseph and his example of faith

-after you have left this world people will not be able think about you with remembering your example of living and you’re faith in God

C. Our nation is in trouble, crime and violence, abuse and addiction, perversion and lawlessness are running rampant