Leaving A Legacy

Leaving a legacy

Selected verses from Esther

Introduction- Good Morning everyone- Glad you have joined us.

If you would turn to the Old Testament book of Esther-

I want to discuss a moment about leaving a legacy and making an impact.

It’s Mother’s day and for some of us who have lost our mother, it is a time to reflect on the memories and impressions she has made on our life.

I find as I get older that I now have many who have gone before me and think on these special occasions how they have impacted my life.

For me, these days are hard to preach because my mother’s has gone home and my wife who is mother to our children has gone home but their memories and what they said have stood the test of time and still help make me who I am today.

For some of us… because time moves so quickly, we were just worrying about Y2K, worrying if the computers would shut down and cause all kinds of turmoil, and now we are moving everyday with global and personal challenges.

I don’t know about you, but sometimes it is hard to survive the day let alone make an impact or leave a legacy. Anyone relate?

I am ready to shake off those things that have hindered me, my family, my church, my country.

Ecclesiastes Chapter 3 tells us that there is a time for everything-

A time to plant and a time to uproot

A time to gather and a time to scatter.

A time to keep and a time to throw away.

A time to morn and a time to dance.

A time to tear down and a time to build.

A time to heal.

This is the best resolution you could ever make. Amen.

Whatever needs to happen Lord let it be.

Whatever you want from me, may I give it to you.

There has been so many people that have shaped my life over the years. Some of them I have never personally met but one day on the other side of glory I will.

Those people who according to Hebrews chapter 12 are my cloud of witnesses waiting for me to arrive home.

There are people who mentor you and there are those we should be mentoring.

Those People who make or have made an impact in your life and those whom God has placed in your path so you can make an impact in their lives.

What legacy are you going to leave behind once the Lord brings you home?

I believe before we can disciple others, we have to be a disciple of the Lord.

As the Lord has invested in us, we are to invest in others.

We cannot take anything to heaven with us, but we can send things up before we go.

I believe that we must be intentional on allowing the Lord to disciple us and we have a responsibility to disciple and invest in other people lives.

We are not saved to strictly move from earth to heaven.

We are to make an impact and share in the responsibility of evangelizing those around us.

Turn to the book of Esther. I want to show you what a legacy looks like and what taking advantage of where the Lord has you to make an impact.

Background before the text

King Xerxes had a queen who disrespected him in front of all his leaders. He felt that if he did nothing about it, more women would do that and he was advised to cast her out of the kingdom and take her crown.

He was told to look for a new queen from his large kingdom. All the eligible virgins were invited to come to the king for a beauty pageant.

The main characters are king Xerxes, his dethroned queen Vishti, Mordecai, his cousin Hadassah, also known as Esther, and the king’s personal henchmen Haman.

Esther was coached into participating by her cousin Mordacai. He also told her not to let the king know that she was Jewish. Esther found favor with the king and was appointed queen after some drama.

Mordecai standing outside the gate one day heard that there was going to be an assassination of the king and warned the king through Esther.

The king wanted to honor Mordecai and he asked Haman how he would honor a hero.

Haman thought the king was talking about him so he told the king he should parade the hero through the city on a beautiful horse and have everyone bow down to him as second in command.

So the king brings Mordecai in and tells Haman these are the things to do for Mordecai.

You can imagine the rage that was in Haman as he was having to do for someone else what he thought they should be doing for him.