Introduction

Good morning, church family. Today, we're going to be diving deep into a message that I pray will stir our hearts and challenge our spirits. We're going to explore the theme of the legacy we leave behind.

Rightly did Ravi Zacharias say, "Beginning well is a momentary thing; finishing well is a lifelong thing."

Our key scripture today is from 1 Chronicles 28:2-6. It reads,

"Then King David rose to his feet and said: “Hear me, my brothers and my people. I had it in my heart to build a house as a place of rest for the ark of the covenant of the LORD, for the footstool of our God, and I made plans to build it. But God said to me, ‘You are not to build a house for my Name, because you are a warrior and have shed blood.’ “Yet the LORD, the God of Israel, chose me from my whole family to be king over Israel forever. He chose Judah as leader, and from the house of Judah he chose my family, and from my father’s sons he was pleased to make me king over all Israel. Of all my sons—and the LORD has given me many—he has chosen my son Solomon to sit on the throne of the kingdom of the LORD over Israel. He said to me: ‘Solomon your son is the one who will build my house and my courts, for I have chosen him to be my son, and I will be his father."

The Call

The call to leave a legacy is a call that echoes through the corridors of time, resonating with a profound significance that is both personal and communal. It is a call that transcends the temporal and touches the eternal, a call that is deeply rooted in our spiritual identity and purpose.

King David: We see a man after God's own heart, grappling with this call. He had a burning desire to build a house for the Lord, a place of rest for the Ark of the Covenant. This was not just a project or a task for David; it was a passion, a vision, a legacy he wanted to leave behind. But God had other plans. He had chosen Solomon, David's son, to build His house.

Not about our plans, but God's plans: It is not about our glory, but God's glory. It is not about our desires, but God's desires. It is not about what we want to do for God, but what God wants to do through us. This is a humbling truth that challenges our self-centeredness and invites us to surrender our dreams, ambitions, and plans to God's sovereign will.

A call to invest in the next generation: David could have been disappointed or even bitter that he was not the one to build the house of the Lord. But instead, he embraced God's plan and invested his resources, wisdom, and blessings into Solomon, preparing him for the task ahead. He understood that his legacy was not about building a physical structure, but about building a spiritual heritage, a legacy of faith, obedience, and devotion to God that would be passed on to his son and the generations to come.

A call to live a life of significance: It is a call to make a difference, to impact lives, to influence society, to shape history. It is a call to live a life that matters, a life that counts, a life that leaves a mark. It is a call to live a life that reflects the character, values, and purposes of God, a life that points others to Him.

A call to stewardship: It is a call to recognize that everything we have - our time, talents, treasures, relationships, opportunities - are gifts from God, entrusted to us for a purpose. It is a call to use these gifts wisely, faithfully, and generously, not for our own benefit, but for the benefit of others and for the glory of God.

A call to endurance: Back to what Ravi Zacharias said, "Beginning well is a momentary thing; finishing well is a lifelong thing." Leaving a legacy is not a sprint, but a marathon. It requires perseverance, resilience, and faithfulness. It requires a commitment to stay the course, to keep the faith, to fight the good fight, even in the face of challenges, setbacks, and disappointments.

The Characteristic

A legacy is not merely a material inheritance or a name that we leave behind ... View this full PRO sermon free with PRO