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Jan 20, 2019

Passing the Baton

Passing the Baton

Speaker: Dennis Gallaher

Series: Moving Forward

Category: Sunday Morning

Leaving a legacy is the heritage, endowment, heirloom, and birthright that is passed from one generation to another. The proper handling of legacy should be viewed as God's plan, then passing the baton becomes a joy.

Follow these steps to the legacy path that God has for us at Freedom Fellowship Church. 

1) Leaving Behind! Consider Israel. As God's people crossed through the parted Red Sea on dry ground, they saw the waves crash behind them on their enemies. They were free - free indeed! and they held a mighty praise meeting. 

Moses, who had carried the greatest burden of shepherding a man could know, was not to cross into the Promised Land. Instead, he died. Duet. 34:5-8 Joshua had known Moses all of his life. Now, Joshua was 100 years old and Moses was dead. Imagine the grief and then to have to carry on the legacy of this giant of a man.

Joshua 1:2 Instead of compassion, God says, "Moses is dead. Get up and go. . . I'm not done giving and blessing . . . " In leaving a legacy, the first step is "leaving behind" in order to enter into. 

2) Leaning Into. In order to move beyond our borders, we must learn to lean into Jesus.

Matt 17:14-18 This father is shaken and heartbroken over his child. Jesus response is basically "you faithless and perverted bunch of rascals. Just bring him here and let Me heal him." The problem? They wanted the hand of Jesus but didn't want to know His heart.

John 13:23 John was leaning and Jesus was loving. When the church returns to wanting to know God's heart instead of His hand, then the world will know the love of God through His servants who are loved. 

3) Loving Like Jesus. I John 4:10-11

I love the Lord, but how useless are my words if I do not follow His voice. How powerless my actions if I do not respond to His heart!

Therefore:

  • Move beyond this world, leave behind the temporary and live for eternity!
  • Stop expecting God to "do stuff" and desire more to be with Him!
  • Let the world experience a church that loves like Jesus loves. 

Then legacy - passing the baton - becomes a joy!

With the proper handling of legacy as God's plan, we'll see the vision God gives be refreshed, deepened and full of life. The next generation of servant leaders will humble you by their depth of character and commitment to the kingdom, and greater grace will go out from these walls than you have ever known. 

Deut 2:31 The Lord said to me, ‘See, I have begun to deliver Sihon and his land over to you. Begin to occupy, that you may possess his land.’

It's time to cross the Jordan. Write this down . . . 

     "I have begun to give . . .

                 . . . Begin to possess!"

Do you see God's delight in your deliverance?

Do you see how He desires to be with you and be your friend?

When you see and receive that, He removes every barrier between you and Him. Everything in your past has been judged and wiped away.

Do you desire to move on with your life?

What does "leaning into Jesus" mean to you?