Creating a Legacy of Remembrance

Message Summary:

In this inspiring message, Chuck Swindoll explores the vital importance of intentionally creating a spiritual legacy. Swindoll argues that legacies do not just “happen” or fall from the sky; they are the result of thought, preparation, and action taken today to influence tomorrow. He emphasizes that the most profound legacies often begin by looking backward—understanding where we came from and how God has led us through the wilderness.

Using the Israelites’ journey in Deuteronomy 8 and Joshua 3–4 as a roadmap, Swindoll identifies the necessity of remembering God’s faithfulness during both times of scarcity and times of wealth. He highlights four specific things believers must remember: the way God led, the Word God gave, the wealth God provided, and the wrath God withheld.

The message culminates with the dramatic crossing of the Jordan River. Swindoll focuses on Joshua’s command to take twelve stones from the riverbed to build a memorial at Gilgal. These “stones of remembrance” were not just for the current generation but were intended to prompt future children to ask, “What do these stones mean to you?”. Swindoll challenges listeners to identify their own “stones”—journals, mementos, or recorded memories—that will inform their children, instruct the world, and instill a fear of the Lord in generations to come.

Message Key Facts:

• The Definition of Legacy: A legacy is not accidental; it is created. Swindoll notes, “What we do today becomes our legacy tomorrow,” and it requires looking back at the past to understand how we became who we are.
• The Purpose of the Wilderness: Swindoll explains that God leads us through “wilderness” experiences for two primary reasons: to humble us (bringing back reality) and to test us (revealing what is in our hearts). He clarifies that God tests us not so He can learn, but so we can learn how to react.
• Four Things to Remember (Deuteronomy 8–9):
  1. Remember the Way: Recall how God led you through the wilderness.
  2. Remember the Word: Do not forget God’s commandments.
  3. Remember the Wealth: Acknowledge that it is God who gives the power to make wealth.
  4. Remember the Wrath: Do not forget the consequences of provoking the Lord.
• The Transition of Leadership: Using the shift from Moses to Joshua, Swindoll illustrates that “when a man of God dies, nothing of God dies.” God always has a “Joshua” waiting in the wings to carry the legacy forward.
• The Twelve Stones at Gilgal: After crossing the Jordan on dry ground, the Israelites were commanded to stack twelve stones. Swindoll outlines three purposes for these stones:
  1. To Inform the Children: Answering the question, “What do these stones mean?”.
  2. To Instruct the Nations: Showing the world that God’s hand is mighty.
  3. To Instill Fear: Encouraging a deep respect and reverence for the Lord forever.
• Practical Application: Swindoll encourages keeping a journal (“a stone serving as a mile post”) to record what God is doing, noting that written history provides the foundation for loved ones to build upon.

Message References:

• Deuteronomy 8:1–2: The call to remember how the Lord led Israel through the wilderness for 40 years to humble and test them.
• Deuteronomy 8:11–18: The warning not to forget the Lord during times of prosperity and the reminder that He gives the power to make wealth.
• Deuteronomy 34:1–8: The death of Moses on Mount Nebo and the mourning of the people.
• Joshua 1:1–5, 16–18: God’s commission to Joshua to cross the Jordan and the people’s pledge of obedience (“All that you have commanded, we will do”).
• Joshua 3:1–17: The miraculous crossing of the Jordan River as the waters were “cut off” before the Ark of the Covenant.
• Joshua 4:1–24: The command to take twelve stones from the river and set them up as a memorial at Gilgal.

Message Speaker:

Pastor Chuck Swindoll