Introduction To Leaving A Legacy Series

Leaving a Godly Legacy – Part One

Joke: Two old friends bumped into one another on the street one day. One of them looked forlorn, almost on

the verge of tears. His friend asked him, "What has the world done to you, my old friend?" The sad fellow said,

"Let me tell you. Three weeks ago, my uncle died and left me forty thousand dollars." "That’s a lot of money."

"And, two weeks ago, a cousin I never even knew died, and left me eighty-five thousand dollars.""Sounds like

you’ve been blessed...." "You don’t understand!" he interrupted. "Last week my great-aunt passed away. I

inherited almost a quarter of a million." Now the friend was really confused. "Then, why do you look so

sad?” "This week... nothing!"

1. Introduction

a. This month I am preaching on the power of a legacy.

b. A legacy is something you leave behind for someone else, like an inheritance. The character in

the joke I just told was getting used to receiving them on a weekly basis.

c. The difficult truth is that we are fortunate to receive a legacy once or twice in a lifetime.

d. Why this subject?

i. It all started with our trip to Houston last week. My father-in-law is getting up there in

years and his health is uncertain. The whole family was together for the first time in 3

years. It was quite a scene.

ii. My father in law spent some time talking alone with me, telling me what he thought of

me (it was good stuff), and I realized that in a very real way, he was giving me a blessing.

He was passing a piece of his legacy on to me. I treasured our conversation.

iii. It made me think, what am I passing on to others? What influence will I have had when

my life is through? Will I have made a difference?

iv. These are hard questions that we all need to ask ourselves from time to time.

2. So what is a legacy? Have you ever received a legacy from someone? And why is having one to pass

on so important?

a. A legacy can be money or property left to someone by a will; bequest or financial inheritance.

b. In fact, a legacy can be anything handed down from an ancestor.

c. Legacy is also defined as something from the past; something handed down or that remains from

a previous generation.

d. I want to talk about your personal legacy; the something of who you are that will be left behind

after your life is over.

i. What will remain of your faith, your character, your personhood when this life is over?

e. Our parent’s generation tried to leave something for the next generation in the form of wealth.

We must do better.

i. If all we live for is to accumulate more possessions than the previous generation, then we

will be the poorest generation of all.

ii. 1 John 2:15-17 Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the

world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh

and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from

the world. The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of

God lives forever.

iii. Living forever…that’s is a legacy. Living for God lead us to our legacy that lasts.

1. Living for this world…it is passing away.

2. Loving this world…is futile.

3. All we work for will someday be gone.

4. That is why Jesus put it in perspective when He said, “For what does it profit a

man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul?” Matthew 8:36.

3. As your pastor, I have a responsibility, an important duty, a spiritual obligation to see that you leave a

legacy, a Godly legacy, a legacy that lasts!

a. If I fail to lead you to this end, if I fail to help you accomplish this, then I fail as a pastor and

spiritual leader.

b. Everything else I do, teach, preach, visit, it all must focus upon one thing. Enabling, equipping,

empowering each one of you to leave a Godly legacy.

c. You see, you exist on this earth to leave something that will last.

i. And since only two things last forever, (the word of God and the souls of men), then you

have an awesome responsibility to leave a legacy that is eternal.

ii. If you can’t point to someone in the recent past who came to Jesus as a result of your

influence, then I hope you’re deep in prayer asking the Lord what’s wrong with your life