What is Your Legacy?

I want to invite you to open your bibles back to Luke chapter 5. This is the fourth message in our series called, into the deep. We’ve been walking through this incredible moment between Jesus and Simon Peter, watching how an ordinary fishing trip turns into an extraordinary calling. In week one, we asked, “Can He use your boat?”—and we talked about what it means to make ourselves available to Jesus. In week two, we looked at Jesus’ invitation to go deeper, and we asked, “Will you go?”—recognizing that deep faith means trusting Him beyond the shallows of comfort. In week three, we wrestled with the tension between our way and God’s way, learning that obedience to Jesus will often challenge our logic and stretch our surrender. And now, here we are—at a turning point. Today we’re asking a question that I believe will shape how we live, how we give, and how we leave a mark in this world: What’s your legacy? What kind of life are you building? And I want to ask you one more question to get us started today—something that gets personal really quickly. If I handed you a piece of paper and asked you to answer this: “How do you make disciples?”—what would you write? What does that actually look like in your life? Or maybe, honestly, you’d say, “I don’t know if I’ve ever made a disciple.” If that’s you—let me just offer a word of encouragement: You are not disqualified. You’re not behind. But you are called. Jesus commanded every single one of His followers to go and make disciples. This isn’t optional. It’s not just for pastors or missionaries. This command is for every Christian, in every nation, in every generation.

This past week, our staff and board gathered together for a retreat at Glen Eyrie, and we prayed and worshiped and sat with the Lord together. And as we listened for His voice, it was like the presence of God settled on us like a fog—thick, gentle, and unmistakable. And as we talked, we asked a deeper question: Who are we? How do we be a church that honors our Nazarene heritage, but also obeys the unique calling God has for us here in Falcon? And what began to rise to the surface—over and over again—was this: we must be a church that makes disciples. Not just attenders. Not just consumers. Disciples. And I can’t help but to ask this piercing question… how are you being discipled to go and make disciples? How does that look for you as a fellowship member? Or as a full member of a church? Because here’s the truth—we don’t want to get to the end of our lives and realize we missed the one thing Jesus explicitly told us to do. Think about it. If the only purpose of salvation was to know Him, He could’ve taken you to heaven the moment you believed. But He left you here. He left me here. Why? In a world full of injustice and pain and brokenness… what’s the point? The point is this: He gave us a mission. And that mission is to make disciples. So how do we do that? What does it look like? To answer that, we’re going to start in Luke chapter 5—where we see the beginning of Peter’s calling. And then we’ll turn to Matthew 28 to see the continuation of that same call—the call that belongs to every follower of Jesus. Let’s read all of Luke 5, verse 1-11:

So did we witness as the beginning of discipleship for Peter. Well first we see, Availability. Let’s look again at Luke 5:3: “He got into one of the boats, the one belonging to Simon, and asked him to put out a little from shore. Then he sat down and taught the people from the boat.” (Luke 5:3, NIV) Now I want you to notice something really simple but incredibly powerful: Jesus got into Peter’s boat. Peter didn’t go searching for Jesus—Jesus came looking for him. And Peter’s response? He let Him in. He made his boat available. Can I just say something to you this morning? Before God ever calls you to do something great, He’s going to ask you to give Him something ordinary. Something simple. Something that you already have. It might be your time. Your talents. Your resources. Your kitchen table. Your willingness to listen. Whatever it is—Jesus will start with what’s already in your hands. Think about it: Peter’s boat wasn’t a temple. It wasn’t a church building. It was his workplace. It was messy, smelly, and probably still had fish guts on the floorboards. But that’s what Jesus chose to step into. So, Here’s the truth: Jesus doesn’t wait for your life to be spotless before He uses it. He just wants you to open the door. Romans 12:1, of course is one of my favorite verses for God asking for what’s in our hands. (NLT) says: “And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all He has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind He will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship Him.” I always think the message version teaches us this in easier understanding.. it says, (MSG) So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. You don’t need to be spectacular. You just need to be surrendered. That’s worship. Worship is availability. Let’s be honest—we live in a culture that praises busyness. If your calendar isn’t packed, people assume you’re unimportant. But what if God’s greatest invitation this week isn’t to add something big, but to be available for something small? Like helping your neighbor carry groceries. Or mentoring a teenager. Or inviting a co-worker to coffee just to check in. A few weeks ago, I was at Glen Eryie on a Monday, and I was sitting there, and these older couple pulled up and they were unloading their car to their meeting room. And I notices that they were.. well struggling. So, I got up, and asked, can I help? And of course, they said yes. What does it take for you to just see someone coming into a door, and just wait or slow down for a moment to hold the door for someone. What does it take to just walk pass someone in the grocer store and say, hey, I love your blouse, or shoes or hey, keep smiling, your smile made my day. If God can use a fishing boat, He can use your life. Availability is the very beginning of every spiritual legacy. Listen, Church, God doesn’t need your ability. He’s already got plenty of that. What He’s looking for is availability. Let’s keep going in the story. Luke 5:4–5 says: “When he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, ‘Put out into deep water, and let down the nets for a catch.’ Simon answered, ‘Master, we’ve worked hard all night and haven’t caught anything. But because you say so, I will let down the nets.’” The is obedience: Now this is where it gets real. Jesus tells Peter to do something that makes absolutely no sense. Peter’s a professional fisherman. He knows the water. He’s already put in a full shift—he’s tired, discouraged, and probably just wants to go home and rest. But instead, he obeys. Think of what Isaiah says, For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the Lord. How many times does God ask us to do something that doesn’t make sense? Isn’t it hard to understand God sometimes? Forgive someone who hurt you… even though they didn’t say sorry. Tithe when your finances already feel tight. Share your faith when you're scared of being rejected. Stay in a hard relationship or step out into a new ministry when the outcome is unclear. Most of us want to understand first and then obey. We want to see how it all works out before we say yes. Its true isn it… What about our desperate prayers. God, help me, then I will do. Help me get through this moment, and I promise I will tithe, or go to church, or be a better christian. But that’s not how God works. God says, “Trust Me first. Obey Me now. And understanding will come later.” Why? Because obedience is always a test of faith. When you obey even when you don’t understand, you're saying, “God, I trust You more than I trust myself.” You're saying, “Your ways are higher than my ways. Your thoughts are better than mine.” That’s faith in action. Faith is believing what you can’t see. Obedience is doing what God says even when it doesn’t make sense. So here’s the big question: Where does the joy come in? How do we get from obedience to joyful obedience? Because let’s be honest, sometimes obedience feels hard, sometimes it costs us something. Sometimes it’s painful. So where does the joy come in? The answer is simple: Joy comes when you remember who you’re obeying. You’re not obeying a distant God. You’re obeying a loving Father. The God who made you. The God who sees the big picture. The God who is always working for your good. That changes everything. Suddenly obedience isn’t a burden—it’s a blessing. It’s not just about doing the right thing; it’s about walking closely with the One who knows what’s best for you. And here’s what I’ve found over and over again—joy always follows obedience. Not always immediately, but eventually. You obey in faith, and somewhere along the way, joy sneaks in. Peace shows up. You look back and realize, “Wow… God really did know what He was doing.” Obedience positions you to see His hand, experience His faithfulness, and live in His blessing. Luke wild later write these words of Jesus…., “Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and obey it” (Luke 11:28). Blessed. Joyful. Fulfilled. That’s the fruit of faith-filled obedience. I think of Peter and Pua. Peter stepped out, by faith. He had a heart, or a nudge to take the picture of Pua’s resume and then send me a text to say, I think I may have found someone that would fit in perfectly with the church. Now, his family is a major part of our church family. So, Here’s the deal: Delayed obedience is disobedience. And partial obedience is still disobedience. But when we obey—even when we’re unsure, even when it feels like the deep waters—God meets us there. That’s where the miracle happens. listen, God doesn’t require you to understand fully. He just asks you to obey faithfully.

Lets look again to the next part. Because if you think obedience is hard, this next part is even harder. Look with me in verse 8: “When Simon Peter saw this, he fell at Jesus’ knees and said, ‘Go away from me, Lord; I am a sinful man!’” Now remember, Peter just saw the biggest catch of fish he’d ever experienced. This was a moment of breakthrough. But instead of celebrating, he hits the ground in brokenness. Why? Because when you come face to face with the power and purity of Jesus, you also come face to face with the mess in your own heart. Have you ever noticed in your faith, that God’s goodness has a way of exposing our need. When I think of this part of Peter’s story, I’m struck by what he didn’t do. It would’ve been so easy for Peter to be mesmerized by the catch. He could’ve said, “Wow, this is it! Let’s haul these fish in, get them to market, and cash in. We’re set for life! Look at what this man just did for us—I can finally live in comfort.” That’s how most of us would think, right? In our flesh, we default to self—self-focus, self-gain, self-security. But Peter didn’t do that. In that moment, he fell to his knees. He confessed. Why? Because God’s goodness has a way of exposing our deepest need. The Bible shows us this over and over again. Think of Isaiah’s vision of God’s glory in Isaiah 6:5. The moment he sees the Lord high and lifted up, what does he say? “Woe to me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the LORD Almighty.” Isaiah sees God’s holiness, and suddenly his own sin is undeniable. Or think of Paul in Romans 2:4 where he writes, “Don’t you see that the kindness of God is meant to lead you to repentance?” God’s kindness, His mercy, His goodness—they aren’t just meant to bless us. They are meant to break us, to wake us up, to lead us back to Him. Peter’s response on that boat was the same as Isaiah’s and Paul’s. When he saw the power of Jesus, he saw his own heart. And I wonder—when’s the last time God’s goodness stopped you in your tracks? When’s the last time you looked past the blessing to see the One who gave it? Because your greatest need has never been a bigger catch. It’s always been Jesus. Always. And can I tell you something important? That’s not a bad place to be. That moment when the weight of your sin hits you… that’s not condemnation. That’s invitation. That’s Jesus saying, “Now that you see your need, let me show you my grace.” 1 John 1:9 (NIV) says: “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” Notice the promise: Confession leads to cleansing. Honesty opens the door to healing.Maybe you’ve had one of those moments—where you’re in worship, or you’re praying, or reading your Bible—and all of a sudden, the conviction sets in. You realize, “God, I’ve been pretending. I’ve been going through the motions. I’ve been holding back.” That’s not God trying to shame you. That’s His Spirit trying to free you. You can’t be filled until you’re emptied. You can’t be commissioned until you’ve been cleansed. Peter said, “Go away from me, Lord. I’m a sinful man.” But Jesus didn’t walk away. He leaned in. Because that’s what Jesus does when you confess—He doesn’t cancel you. He calls you. Listen Church, Jesus isn’t looking for perfect people. He’s looking for honest ones. And confession is where true discipleship begins.

Now, look at what happens after the confession, Luke 5:10–11: “Then Jesus said to Simon, ‘Don’t be afraid; from now on you will fish for people.’ So they pulled their boats up on shore, left everything and followed him.” I love this moment. Because Jesus doesn’t end the story with Peter’s confession—He gives him a commission. Jesus says, “You were a fisherman… but from now on, you’re going to catch people.” That phrase—“from now on”—signals a new identity, a new direction, a new legacy. Peter’s life just changed forever. How many times have you confessed and went right back into your old life? Be honest. We all have done it. There had been moments where our hearts were warmed by the very presence of Christ, we confessed our sin, and …. Well just fell back into our old life again. Its a struggle, I get it. And I also get Peter could have fallen to his knees in confession and then when Jesus says get up, he could have went right back to cleaning his nets. But he didn’t… he followed Jesus. And notice—Jesus doesn’t say, “Go get your act together first.” He says, “Let’s go. Right now.” Because when Jesus calls you, He also equips you. Ephesians 2:10 (NIV) says: For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” DO you realize what this is saying… you’re new life, in Jesus. Through availability, obedience, and confession is saying this… you are God’s poem. Thats the greek word for handiwork in Ephesians. It means you’ve bene made new and crafted for purpose and with purpose. It means you’re not random. You’re not accidental. You’re not mass-produced. You were intentionally created by God. Designed. Shaped. Formed by His hands for a reason. You’re not junk. You’re not a mistake. You are God’s work of art and a living poem. You’re life is being created in Jesus Christ to do good works. Do you hear that? You weren’t just saved from something. You were saved for something. Some of you think God could never use you because of your past. But can I remind you? Peter was impulsive. He denied Jesus three times. He sank in the water. And yet—Jesus used him to preach at Pentecost and lead the early church. Why? Because Jesus doesn’t call the qualified. He qualifies the called. This is what happens when we say yes to the call: we leave behind what’s temporary so we can step into what’s eternal. Peter left his boats, his nets, and his biggest catch ever—not because he was reckless, but because he had found something better. He had found a purpose worth living for. And more than that—a Savior worth following. As a pastor friend of mine would put it, If you ain't fishing, you ain't following. That’ll preach.

So what does this all have to do with the question: What is your legacy? It’s this—what began in Luke 5 with Peter’s calling is fulfilled in Matthew 28 with our commission. That day by the lake wasn’t just Peter’s moment; it was the beginning of a pattern. Jesus calls. We respond. And then He sends us. He doesn’t just save us from something—He saves us for something. And that something is this: Go and make disciples. You see, we are a part of Peters legacy. That began with Jesus. That began at the first words in Genesis. In the beginning was God. We a re a part of the story of God. I siad this at our retreat. At Falcon community chgruhc, I want you to envision this… all kinds of people here, from many nations, or ethiciityies, and cultures, and here God is making this beautiful tapestry of different lives, from different places, and different generations, all in one place, while weaving the gospel message us to share with others. And if we’re going to take that command seriously, we need to pay attention to the four core actions Jesus gives us in these final verses. They’re not optional. They’re not suggestions. They are the very legacy we are meant to live and leave behind. First, we are called to Share the Word. Jesus says, “Go…” That’s movement. That’s mission. That’s a refusal to stay in comfort or convenience while the world lives and dies without the gospel. This is not a call just for missionaries or pastors—it’s for every single follower of Christ. Share the Word. Tell people the story of what He’s done in you. Evangelism is not a personality type. It’s obedience. And it starts with the people already around you. Who has God placed in your life right now who needs to hear the good news? You don’t need a platform—you just need to open your mouth and trust that the power is in the message, not the messenger.

Second, we are called to Show the Word. Jesus said to baptize them. Baptism isn’t just a ritual; it’s a declaration. A public statement that someone’s old life is gone and their new life is in Christ. But it doesn’t stop at the water. We show the Word by modeling what it means to follow Jesus daily. You don’t have to be perfect—you just need to be real. Invite someone into your rhythms. Show them how you study the Bible. Let them hear you pray. Let them see what it looks like to walk with Jesus when you’re tired, when you’re tempted, when you’re full of joy, and when you’re in pain. Discipleship is not about information—it’s about imitation. Paul said, “Follow me as I follow Christ.” That’s our role, too.

Third, we are called to Teach the Word. Jesus said, “Teach them to obey everything I’ve commanded.” Notice—He didn’t say teach them to know everything. He said to obey. That’s a big difference. Obedience is the goal of discipleship, not just knowledge. So we don’t teach for entertainment or applause—we teach for transformation. And this can happen over coffee, at the dinner table, or in a text thread. It’s teaching truth through relationship. And it only happens when the Word of God isn’t just something we hear—it’s something we live.

And finally, we are called to Serve the World. Jesus said, “Make disciples of all nations.” That’s not poetic language. That’s International strategy. There are still over 3 billion people who haven’t heard the name of Jesus. And while not all of us are called to go overseas, we are all called to care. To pray. To give. To be open to the possibility that God might send us somewhere beyond what we expected. Because the Great Commission is not just about your neighborhood—it’s about the nations. We are not just a local church—we are a global church, part of God’s unstoppable movement to bring the gospel to every tribe, tongue, and nation. That’s the legacy. Not success. Not status. Not safety. Disciples. That’s what we leave behind. That’s what we live for. And here’s the promise: “I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” When you open your mouth to share the Word, He is with you. When you walk with someone through the ups and downs of discipleship, He is with you. When you teach truth, and when you serve beyond your comfort zone—He is with you. His presence is the power behind your obedience. So let me ask you one last time: What legacy are you living for? Are you building something that will last only for this life? Or are you pouring your life into people who will carry the gospel into eternity? Let’s be a church that doesn’t just attend services but makes disciples. Let’s build a legacy not of comfort, but of calling. *