3/2 Cookies Deuteronomy 6:6-9
Crumbs along the trail that leave a legacy:
1. Make God your boss v.4
2. Love Him with all your heart v.5
3. Soak in His word privately v.6
4. Live out His word publically vv.7-8
5. Pray for His protection over hearts and minds v.9
(start chewing on cookies) We finish our series on Modern Family today. It’s been quite a trek. We’ve looked at God’s operating system for male/female relationships. We’ve looked frankly and maybe embarrassing at this wonderful thing that God created and gave to married folks called sex and how to upgrade our marriages by upgrading our sex lives. We’ve looked at the viruses that sneak into our communication; viruses like criticism and sarcasm and disinterest that destroy intimacy, particularly in marriages. We’ve taken a hard look at what to do with our failures, because honestly, there are no perfect people, no perfect marriages, no perfect families. And sometimes you need to reboot and get a brand new start. We talked about that last week.
Now this week we finish our series by talking about cookies. No, not what I’m eating, but a different kind of cookie. When your computer visits any website, it leaves what is called a cookie on that website. It essentially says to your computer, “Remember me” That’s why when you begin to type in a url of some place you’ve already been, it completes it; or you go to a website and it has information you put in before. It’s kind of a cookie crumb trail between your computer and websites.
Scripture talks about this, believe it or not. The scripture talks about passing the faith down from generation to generation. This is so that God will be glorified and the light of Jesus carried on until He returns.
From a human standpoint, we call this leaving a legacy. If you’re single, you can begin praying now and living now to leave a cookie trail that glorifies God and leaves a legacy amongst those who know you at school or work. If you’re a single parent, you’ve got your work cut out for you alright, but what a great motivation, to leave a cookie trail that speaks for generations: Remember me! Parents and grandparents: we have a chance to invest in our kids and grandkids in such a way that for generations to come, says, “Remember Jesus! And remember me.”
Turn with me to Deuteronomy 6. We finish this series with one of the great passages in all of the Bible. It’s known as The Shemah. It’s called that because of the 1st word shemah: hear or listen. In the Bible, the words hear or listen mean more than just audibly sensing a sound; it’s the concept of hearing something with the desire to respond and obey.
When you tell your kids to clean up the room, they may hear what you said, but if they don’t respond and obey, they didn’t really hear. In the Bible, to hear, to listen, is to do so with a willingness to apply, respond, and obey.
“Listen, Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is One. 5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. 6 These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. 7 Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them be a symbol on your forehead. 9 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.” Deuteronomy 6:4-9
This morning I want us to understand how to leave the right cookie trail, one that will say “Remember Jesus and remember me” for generations to come.
Crumbs along the trail that leave a legacy:
1. Make God your boss v.4 “Listen, Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is One”
Nobody is perfect. We talked about that last week. But if you are a Christ-follower, you have to make a conscious decision as to who is going to run your life. Are you going to be God or are you going to let God be God in your life? If your kids see your job being God or your comfort being God or your money being God, they’ll know it. They may not be able to articulate it; they may not want to. But early on children know who is calling the shots in your life. Is God #1 in your life? If we asked your kids, your grandkids what or who has 1st place in your heart, if their answer is anything or anyone but God, you’re failing at leaving a godly legacy.
2. Love Him with all your heart v.5 “Love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength.”
Interestingly, God’s not just after our obedience, He’s after our love. He loves us and wants us to love Him. Metaphors are used all thru the Bible to depict His love for us: as a hen gathering her chicks under the protection of her wing; as a shepherd feeding and protecting his sheep; as a loving Father longing for the sweetness of relationship with a son. He loves us so much that He gave His son so that if we trust in Jesus, we can live with Him forever. Wayne Cordero story.
That’s how much God loves us. And God wants us to love Him back. Is God your passion above all other passions? If He’s not, your kids and grandkids will pick up on that. What challenges God as your greatest love? Your recreation? Your entertainment? Maybe even your spouse or your family? If we asked your kids/grankids what or who is your greatest love, if the answer is anything or anyone but God, you’re failing at leaving a godly legacy.
3. Soak in His word privately v.6 “These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart.”
Some of my remembrances of my dad was reading and studying his Bible. My mom read hers. My kids saw me reading mine. Do your kids/gkids see you reading your Bible more than your favorite novel or periodical? Yeah. And you wonder why they don’t seem to have any desire for spiritual things. Reading the word makes you hungrier for more of it. If you aren’t soaking in God’s word, you’re failing at leaving a godly legacy.
4. Live out His word publically vv.7-8 “Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them be a symbol on your forehead.”
It’s important that your public life validate your private life, right? Kids can smell hypocrisy a mile away. Do you talk about what you’re learning from Scripture with your kids and grandkids? Here’s a tougher question: do they see you living it out? If there are glaring inconsistencies in what you say you believe and the way you live, then you are failing at leaving a godly legacy.
5. Pray for His protection over hearts and minds v.9 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
Do you pray for your kids/gkids every day? Do you have specific issues that you pray for them about? Not just physical issues or social issues, but spiritual issues. No matter how young they are, are you praying for their salvation? Are you praying for their future spouse? Are you praying that they let God be God in their lives? Are you praying that they will put it all on the line for Jesus, no matter what? Are you praying that God protect them from the Evil One who wants to lead them astray? If not, you are failing at leaving a godly legacy.
A godly legacy. That’s what I want. There’s not a one of these areas that I can’t improve in. Through my adult life, I have failed at one or more of these cookie crumbs. My kids could come up here and tell you of how I fall short. But God help me, I want to leave a godly legacy. And by His grace, I intend to.
We all need help in this, don’t we? That’s why we featured this series. And we’ve done all of this to tell you about some new helps we have developed for singles, marrieds including blended families, parents (both single and married), and grandparents.
It’s called AT HOME. We’ve redone the book store so we can put some resources in your hands anytime you need them.
1. Start out with MY AT HOME PLAN (pic) (in seats) This will help you assess how the last 120 days have gone for you with regard to intentionally establishing a legacy. It has questions for you if you’re married, if you’re single, and if you’ve got children/gchildren. On the front of the bookmark, you can check all the areas that you’re interested in so when you go back to the AT HOME CENTER, you can find what you’re looking for. On the back of the bookmark, it suggests two goals you set to help you take your life, your marriage, your parenting to a new level.
You can do this online…3 step….(pics of website) Take the assessment and design a plan
Now, depending on your lifestage or you family season, we have developed some tools to help you navigate those:
2. MAPS (pic of Difficult Marriage map). This one identifies 4 steps you can take that can get your marriage on the right track. It also includes some books you can read that will help. On the back it offers some ministries here that can give you personal attention: our ReEngage ministry, our Divorce Care & DC4 kids, and our professional counseling center. We’ve got MAPS for just about any situation you find yourself (examples).
3. We also have recommended PODCASTS that can help tremendously.
4. We’ve got what’s called FAITH AT HOME. (pic) These are cards that just give you more suggestions and information. One is called Marriage Date Night—very specific suggestions how to maximize your date night. One is called ?????
5. Maybe what excites me the most is a section back there called THE INTENTIONAL FATHER (pic) There is a whole section back there aimed at helping men be the spiritual leaders in their families. Principles to follow, resources to read or watch, all kinds of stuff. More….!!
6. But wait, there's more. Also starting today we will be
launching what is called Right Now Media. This is a Christian "Netflix"
style resource for your home. It includes hundreds of videos on Parenting,
Marriage, Children's programming, Bible Studies, materials for Ladies and
Men, and much more. We have licensed this program as a church and are
offering it to all of you for free. This afternoon, assuming we have your
correct information in our system, you should receive an E-mail from Right
Now. Just sign up and enjoy. If you do not receive an E-mail just go to our
website and you can sign up there as well.
Close with video Marty found: Regrets I’ll Never have
Wayne Cordeiro tells the story about a church member named Bully, a gentle man who got his nickname from his days of barking orders at construction sites. After Cordeiro noticed the scars on Bully's hands, he asked him, "Bully, how'd you get so many cuts?" Bully told the following story about a tsunami that hit the Hawaiian Island in the 1960s:
I was working above the bay that our home overlooks. One morning, the tide receded so much that the children ran out to catch fish in the tide pools left behind. We'd never witnessed the tide so low before, and it gave the kids an unprecedented opportunity to play and romp through the reefs that now protruded above the waterline like newly formed islands in the ocean. But what we didn't know was that the ocean was preparing to unleash the largest tsunami our sleepy little town had ever experienced.
Within minutes, a sixty-foot wave charged our unsuspecting town with a force we'd never seen before. The hungry waters rushed inland. Like bony fingers, the waters scratched and pulled homes, cars, possessions, and people back into a watery grave. The devastating power of that wave left in its wake twisted buildings, shattered windows, splintered homes, and broken dreams. I ran as fast as I could to our home, where I found my wife sobbing uncontrollably. "Robby is missing," she shouted. "I can't find Robby!"
Robby was our six-month-old child who was asleep in the house when the ocean raged against our helpless village. I was frantic as I looked over the shore strewn with the remains of the frail stick houses that were now piled in heaps along the sands. Realizing that another wave may soon be following, I began running on top of the wooden structures, tearing up pieces of twisted corrugated roofs that were ripped like discarded remains of a demolition project. I tore up one piece after another running over boards and broken beams until I heard the whimpering of a child under one of the mattresses that had gotten lodged beneath an overturned car.
I reached under and pulled up my little son, Robby. I tucked him under my arm like a football player running for the end zone, then I sprinted back over the debris until I reached my wife. We ran for higher ground, hugging our child and one another, thanking God for his mercy.
Just then, my wife said, "Bully, your feet and your hands. You're covered in blood!"
I had been wearing tennis shoes, and I didn't realize that as I ran over the wreckage, I was stepping on protruding nails and screws that had been exposed in the rubble. And as I pulled back the torn corrugated roofing looking for Robby, the sharp edges tore into my hand …. I was so intent on finding my boy that nothing else mattered.
