Creating a Legacy

Whether we realize it or not, we are all leaving a legacy. It may be noble and lasting, or it may be poor and fleeting, but the mark we leave is being formed by our choices today. In this 5-part series, Chuck Swindoll guides us on a journey toward building a legacy of character motivated by a clear calling from God. By looking back at where we’ve been and looking into God’s Word for where we are going, we can discover how to overcome obstacles and avoid tragic falls, ensuring our lives benefit those who come after us.

Message 1: Creating a Legacy of Remembrance

Sermon Overview Every person leaves a legacy, whether good or bad, and it is inescapably vital to the next generation. Creating a legacy does not happen by accident; it requires deliberate thought, preparation, and action, beginning with looking back at where we came from. Charles R. Swindoll examines the book of Deuteronomy, where Moses challenges the Israelites to remember how God led them through the wilderness for forty years to humble and test them. Swindoll also highlights Joshua’s leadership as he guided the Israelites across the Jordan River and commanded them to set up twelve memorial stones at Gilgal. These stones served three vital purposes: to inform the children of God’s miraculous work, to instruct the nations of His sovereignty, and to instill a deep reverence for the Lord.

Key Facts

• Preparation is Essential: Legacies don’t just tumble into place; they are the result of conscious preparation and having one’s earthly affairs in order.
• The Purpose of the Wilderness: Wilderness experiences are deliberately designed by God to humble believers, test their character, and reveal what is in their hearts.
• Erecting Memorials: Believers must intentionally erect “memorial stones”—whether an ongoing journal, a photograph, or a physical object—to prevent themselves and their families from forgetting God’s past faithfulness and provision.

Scripture References

• Deuteronomy 8:1–2, 11–20
• Deuteronomy 9:7
• Deuteronomy 34:1–8
• Joshua 1:1–2, 10–17
• Joshua 3:1–17
• Joshua 4:1–24

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Message 2: Creating a Legacy of Personal Mission

Sermon Overview A leader without a personal mission is like a ship without a captain, drifting aimlessly and making decisions based on popular opinion rather than principle. In this message, Swindoll emphasizes the necessity of having a clear personal and corporate mission, using the early church in Acts 2 and the Apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 9 as primary examples. The first church in Jerusalem established a corporate mission focused on four core elements: teaching, fellowship, ordinances (breaking bread/baptism), and prayer. Furthermore, Paul’s personal mission was to become all things to all men so that he might save some. To establish a meaningful legacy of personal mission, believers must embrace sacrifice, vision, flexibility, courage, and direct involvement with the lost.

Key Facts

• Core Church Pillars: Without teaching, fellowship, ordinances, and prayer, a gathering is not a biblical church; mere entertainment cannot replace these core pillars.
• The Mark of Flexibility: Paul modeled flexibility by adjusting his lifestyle to build bridges with Jews, Gentiles, the meticulous, and the weak, all without compromising God’s law.
• Courageous Truth: Living out a personal mission requires the courage to stand for the truth of the Gospel in a pluralistic world without apologizing for Christ’s exclusivity.

Scripture References

• 1 Corinthians 9:19–23
• Acts 2:41–47
• Acts 4:4; Acts 5:14; Acts 6:7; Acts 9:31

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Message 3: Creating a Legacy of Responsibility

Sermon Overview There is a vast difference between a prediction, which is based on opinions and assumptions, and a resolution, which is a firm determination built on convictions and purpose. Highlighting the life of Jonathan Edwards, who wrote 70 life-guiding resolutions before age twenty, Swindoll challenges believers to take full responsibility for their lives and choices. The message centers on God’s call to Joshua after the death of Moses, tasking the eighty-year-old leader with guiding Israel into the Promised Land. Despite facing massive obstacles, Joshua was commanded to be strong and courageous because he had the confidence of God’s calling, the wisdom of God’s written Word, and the promise of God’s personal presence.

Key Facts

• Resolutions Over Predictions: A resolution is a declaration of personal responsibility, firmly stating, “I take full responsibility for this occurring”.
• Getting Past Realities: Age, physical disabilities, the loss of a mentor, and past failures are realities we must get beyond rather than using them as excuses to quit.
• The Power of the Written Word: Success in leadership and life demands meditating on and obeying God’s written Word day and night to avoid being swallowed by a secular culture that rejects biblical values.

Scripture References

• Joshua 1:1–9
• Psalm 27:1-3

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Message 4: Creating a Legacy of Moral Purity

Sermon Overview King David’s tragic affair with Bathsheba proves that no one suddenly becomes base; rather, a moral fall is the culmination of unchecked weaknesses and a series of compromises. Swindoll performs a spiritual autopsy on David’s failure, noting that long before he committed adultery, the king was weakened by his polygamy, his pride in unmitigated success, and his indulgence in lazy leisure. Temptation does not necessarily fill a person with a hatred of God, but it envelops the mind in a dangerous forgetfulness of God, stripping away clear discrimination. To build a legacy of moral purity, believers are urged to acknowledge their inherent weakness, strictly guard their leisure time, remain in close accountability, and continually rehearse the devastating consequences of a moral tumble.

Key Facts

• The Danger of Prosperity: Long periods of unhindered prosperity or middle-aged adversity provide excellent campaigning weather for the devil.
• Idleness is Perilous: Unguarded leisure time—such as David staying home from war and pacing his roof in the evening—makes a person highly vulnerable to sexual temptation.
• Accountability and Consequences: Accountability requires meeting frequently with a small group to ask hard, truthful questions about integrity, while resisting temptation requires rehearsing the devastating consequences before the fact.

Scripture References

• 2 Samuel 11:1–5
• 2 Samuel 1:25
• Psalm 55:17–18
• Psalm 141:2–4

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Message 5: Creating a Legacy of Mentoring

Sermon Overview As in a relay race, the moment of passing the baton to the next generation is the most critical point of a legacy. Mentoring is not a brief interaction, but a lifelong attitude of tutoring, guiding, and coaching others. Using the relational dynamics between Paul, Priscilla, Aquila, and Apollos in Acts 18, Swindoll identifies six indispensable marks of a good mentor. A biblical mentor cares enough to stay close, speaks truth by remaining devoted to the Scriptures, takes the long view by hanging in during tough times, trusts the mentee even when absent, uses discernment to address weaknesses, and consistently encourages and endorses the gifts of the one being trained.

Key Facts

• Up-Close Investment: Mentoring cannot be done effectively from a distance or by proxy; it requires up-close, face-to-face investment and shared time.
• Servant-Hearted Release: Good mentors are not insecure or controlling; they model servanthood and take joy in releasing those they train to go further.
• Gracious Correction: When Priscilla and Aquila heard the eloquent but theologically incomplete Apollos, they did not publicly shame him; they invited him home and gracefully explained the way of God more accurately.
• Addressing Arrogance: An arrogant young leader is typically someone who has never submitted to the correction of a faithful, discerning mentor.

Scripture References

• Acts 18:1–11, 18–28