"Serve God's Purpose: Leave a Legacy"

      Here in the synagogue at Pisidian Antioch Paul preaches his first publically recorded sermon. For some reason, he was invited to speak; perhaps his Pharisaic robes gave him away. The white mantle with its distinctive blue horizontal lines, the fringes, the Pharisaic way Paul held himself. Little did the rabbis know what kind of heart beat under those traditional trappings.

      Paul might have been nervous. He might have been concerned. It was his first missionary trip and his first trip to Antioch since the BIG CHANGE came over his life. Even if he was terrified, God worked through him. His message was so powerful scores of Gentiles and God-fearing Jews came back to hear him give another sermon later in the week. A preacher's dream, but Paul's dream was much larger than simply preaching to large crowds. He wasn't all that interested in being popular, he was driven to bring people to Christ.

      In his sermon (we just heard a portion of it), Paul runs through Israel's history from the Exodus to David. Paul highlights God's promises. He introduces the Jews of Pisidian Antioch to Jesus, the promised Messiah. He tells them of the death and resurrection of Jesus. Finally, he ends with an appeal. "Repent and believe in Jesus! Salvation is through faith in Jesus!"¹

      Paul identifies Jesus as a descendant of David (vv. 16-23). He shows how prophecies were fulfilled in Jesus' death and resurrection (vv. 24-37). He promises forgiveness to those who believe in Jesus (vv. 38-39)²

      Paul delivers an excellent sermon. Well researched. Biblically sound. Convincingly delivered. One thing, though---- the part about Jesus' being descended from David, and his being Messiah? This had to sound really strange to Jewish ears.

      Ah. David. Paul tells us that God will give us blessings just as surely as he gave David blessings. Really? King David? Most of us don't think of ourselves as blessed as the legendary King David. Maybe we need to rethink that. Paul also tells us David served God's purpose in his own generation. David. Let's look at his tombstone. Let's read his obituary.

      First, the tombstone.

David, King of the United Kingdom of Israel
1040 B.C. to 970 B. C.
King, Warrior, Musician, Poet
Beloved husband and father
Servant of God

      Now the obituary. From the Jerusalem Times. David, King of the United Kingdom of Israel, died peacefully in his home at the age of 70. David was the youngest son of Jesse, the great-grandson of Boaz and Ruth, born in 1040 BC in Bethlehem, of the tribe of Judah.

      David rose from obscurity as the youngest shepherd son of Jesse, when he defeated the giant Goliath in hand to hand combat. This battle precipitated a victory of Israel over the Philistines. After killing Goliath, he joined the entourage of King Saul, Israel's first king.

      David's prowess in battle was legendary. He defeated Ishbosheth the son of Saul, King of the northern tribes of Israel. Thereafter, King David united all the tribes and became King of all Israel. He moved the capitol to Jerusalem, and brought the sacred Ark of the Covenant there.

      David's reign was noted for many things. He initiated a cultural and literary revival. He undertook far-reaching reforms in national institutions and administration. He also began preparations for building a central sanctuary in Jerusalem. The worship of the one God became the official state religion, and the priesthood was organized under the chief priests. David also reorganized the army.

      King David is survived by eight wives, 17 children, and scores of grandchildren. King David was pre-deceased by sons Amnon, Absolom, and Adinijah.

      In accord with Jewish law, King David's body has already been buried at a private ceremony. A memorial service will be conducted by the state and will be open to the public, at a date to be determined later.

      That's quite an obituary, quite a life. Yet the most crucial fact about David's life is one that could not have been known at the time of his death. It is one that would only come to light a thousand years later. It is this. King David was an ancestor of Jesus the Christ.

      What do you want written on your tombstone? What will be the highlights of your life, those listed in your obituary? Very few people will be able to generate the kind of obituary of King David---he was after all, a king! Anointed by God. A warrior, poet, musician, and yes, let's not forget the things not mentioned in the obituary----a fallen human. There are some things though, that we do share along with David---we, too, have been blessed by God. We, too, have been promised and given a Savior. We, too, have a purpose for which we are to serve God in OUR generation. We, too, are related to Jesus Christ, not by blood, but by adoption.

      For the last few weeks, we've been talking about how we might outlive our life. We've talked about discovering God's purpose for our life. We have talked about making a difference for Christ with compassion. Today we consider leaving a legacy. For most everyone here today, it is far too late to build a life of accomplishments like David's. I can't think of anyone I know who would be interested in eight spouses or twenty children! There are some ways, though, that we can leave a legacy, and claim our place on God's family tree.

      We can pass the faith on to the next generation, and the generation after that. This is the work of faith development, both tending to our own growing faith, and nurturing faith in those younger than ourselves. This is important! We can also invite others into faith. We can leave a legacy by bringing others to Christ. This is the work of evangelism. Equally important. Finally, we can leave a lasting gift of the resources we have been given, to God's church. This is the work of stewardship.

      The Finance Committee of LHPC encourages you to leave a legacy to the church in your will. I have heard people tell me, "I do not have enough money to do this." If you think this way, please consider the possibility that you may be wrong. We are not a wealthy church. Not by a long shot. There are neither monarchs nor moguls here. However, most church members own a home, or, by the time they retire, they will. If everyone in the church gave a tithe---10% of their estate----to the church, in about ten years the church would accumulate one million dollars for the work of missions and ministry in Lake Highlands. One million dollars. This assumes 10% of a $100,000 estate, with ten legacy gifts per year. This is a pretty conservative estimate. When everyone in the church leaves such a legacy, the impact will much, much larger.

      Imagine the possibilities.

      The ability to impact more lives with the message of Jesus Christ. The legacy of a church even better equipped for missions and education. The legacy of a community no longer burdened with building debt. The ability to truly help people in life-changing ways, people in great spiritual, emotional, or financial need. You can outlive your life through the ongoing life and work of this church. You can even decide how you want your legacy gift to be distributed.

      My husband and I are about to review and revise our wills. We will leave a legacy for the work of this church, and I hope you will, too. No gift is too small. No estate is too modest, because we come together. We join together to create something lasting and large. What God can do through us together is infinitely greater than what we can do alone.

      We have been so blessed, each one of us. This church has been incredibly blessed. We are here because God used the blood, sweat, tears, and material gifts of people we will never know to create this community of faith.

      We stand on the shoulders of people who have gone before us in the faith, people as far back as King David! Today, we are called to be those shoulders for future generations. We are the means by which God does enduring things. God does it! We are simply asked to respond. And when we do, we live in joy, we are transformed into God's very image, and we claim our place on the family tree, that tree that goes all the way back to David.