[2020 Series] Legacy: Limited or Launched?Sample

A Future Focus

I love fireworks. They are the perfect combination of loud sounds and colorful impressive lights that collide in the mighty dark skies—indeed, something out of this world. Nothing could make you miss such a fantastic spectacle. The bigger the celebration, the brighter the fireworks. 

When fireworks are launched into the sky, they get our undivided attention. In the same way, when our legacy is not limited but launched, it will cause people to celebrate God. Jesus said: “You are the light of the world. Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14–16). 

Two actions will cause our legacy to be launched: faithfulness and a future focus. King Hezekiah was not only faithful, he was a visionary. He built an engineering marvel, today known as “Hezekiah’s tunnel” or “Siloam tunnel.” He prepared Jerusalem for an upcoming Assyrian siege by blocking the source of the waters of the upper Gihon and leading them straight down on the west to the City of David (2 Chronicles 32). 

The ancient city of Jerusalem, being on a mountain, is naturally defensible from almost all sides, but suffers from the drawback that its major source of freshwater, the Gihon Spring, is on the side of the cliff overlooking the Kidron Valley. This presents a major military weakness as the city walls, if high enough to be defensible, must necessarily leave the Gihon spring outside, thus leaving the city without a freshwater supply in case of siege. 

When King Hezekiah saw his legacy threatened by the enemy (in this case, the Assyrian King Sennacherib), he quickly anticipated a possible future siege and made sure that his people would not suffer from lack of water. 

Every day, we are faced with the opportunity to build and launch our legacy in this world. Each one of us has a mission and a purpose to fulfill. Our faithfulness to God will glorify Him; it will make people look up and recognize that God is with us. And just as Hezekiah brought water to Jerusalem, we too can be recipients of the living water that comes from God to quench the thirst of the cities of this world. 

I pray that your faithfulness and focus on God will launch your legacy in this world. May your life shine like fireworks in the midst of the darkness. 

This devotional plan is based on the 2020 Series, “Legacy: Limited or Launched?”, preached by Pastor Gregg Matte. To watch the whole sermon, please follow this link: https://houstonsfirst.org/message/Legacy-limited-or-launched