Intro: Tom mentioned “Faith Day” at the Reds’ game this past Sunday, we actually had an opportunity to attend one of those a few years ago while we were up here for a weekend.
On that particular date Michael W. Smith was performing, a life long Reds fan with Nicole C. Mullen, the daughter of a Cincinnati police officer joining him on stage.
This was probably the one of about 5 times I’ve seen him in concert dating back to about 1994.
The first time was in Jackson, MS during a time when Michael W. Smith and Amy Grant were experiencing some cross-over success as a result of the Christian music labels being bought out by secular companies and them encouraging the artists to “lighten up” on the Gospel message.
They did and for some it worked…and when I saw Smitty the first time around he was touring with DC Talk for 2 reasons: 1) they could sell tickets, and 2) he knew that they were very evangelistic and could “preach” so that he could go about entertaining.
He did just that, entertained.
A couple of years later a record called “My Utmost for His Highest” was released based on Oswald Chamber’s classic devotional book and Michael W. Smith had a song on it…and what a difference a couple of years made.
And during that time I also heard him do an interview and I told Brigitte that God had done something in his life…I wasn’t sure what happened, but something had changed.
A year or so later is when he did that concert at the Reds game and Brig and I decided to go and questions were answered.
We got to old River Front Stadium around game time, wound up with some cheap nose bleed tickets but were allowed to move down after the game for a better seat for the concert.
What I thought a couple years earlier turned out to be true as Michael W. Smith shared with us how God showed him how successful he had been and how much more successful he could be, and he had the gold and platinum records to prove it…but he realized that wasn’t all he wanted to be remembered for.
He came to the conclusion that his legacy had to be more than song writing and record sales.
It had to be more than concerts performed and songs sung.
His legacy had to be something that would honor, glorify God and build His kingdom in order to really matter.
And sitting in that stadium, temp about 100 degrees at field level I realized that I too had to decide also what kind of legacy I want to leave; especially in light of the call God had placed on my life and with my family beginning to grow.
Have you ever thought about your legacy?
If we were to seriously consider the truth of Psalm 39:4-5, I do believe we would have to consider our legacy.
"LORD, make me to know my end
And what is the extent of my days;
Let me know how transient I am.
"Behold, You have made my days as handbreadths,
And my lifetime as nothing in Your sight;
Surely every man at his best is a mere breath.”
If you had 30 days to live…what kind of legacy would you leave?
What kind of legacy do you have as of now?
If you have your Bibles, turn with me to Acts 13:36-37 as we consider what it means to leave a legacy.
Read Acts 13:36, focus on part a, and pray.
We have in this verse a description of the legacy of King David after his life had ended.
He “served the purpose of God in his own generation.”
We have all heard of David being called a “man after God’s own heart”, but on top of that we know that he was a man of great purpose…and was about God’s business and purpose.
And that was the legacy that was remembered by the early church.
What about you today, do you know what your legacy will be?
When your days are over, what will be said about you.
We are all going to leave a legacy, it is up to you to decide what it will be.
It could be one of 4:
1. Good legacy; “Remember Bobby…yeah, those were some good times.”
2. Bad legacy; “Yeah, Bobby…let’s change the subject.”
3. Forgetful legacy; “Bobby who?”
4. A godly legacy; “Did I ever tell you about Bobby? I’m here
today because of his witness.”
What makes the difference in these 4 is what you do with your time here on earth.
Be it 30 days, 30 years or 30 minutes…you are the one building your legacy; you are writing your own story.
In the next generation when people remember you, what will they remember you for?
That is your legacy.
The question then is this: How can we best leave a Godly legacy with our time on earth?
That little dash that you find between 2 dates on a tomb stone, what will fit into it?
This morning I want us to consider 3 keys to building a godly legacy.
First of all you need to…
I. Weave the Best Words
Listen to what Solomon wrote in Proverbs 4:20-24:
“My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. Do not let them depart from your sight; Keep them in the midst of your heart. For they are life to those who find them And health to all their body. Watch over your heart with all diligence, For from it {flow} the springs of life. Put away from you a deceitful mouth And put devious speech far from you.”
Notice it isn’t a matter of just saying the right words, we need to weave the best words.
Anyone wearing clothes here this evening?
How did this clothes get made?
Someone had to weave the cotton or other material into threading and then they took the thread and weaved it into the clothes you are wearing today.
It took time, it took skill and it took patience.
We need to weave out the best words, meaning it isn’t just what we say, but it is also how we say it that matters.
We forget too often how we say things matters just as much as what we say.
You can tell someone exactly what they need to hear, but if it is with the wrong tone…you might as well not have said it.
Words of gold coming out of a mouth of rusty nails will not do anything to build someone up.
ILLUS: Anyone here like mashed potatoes?
1st bowl…left plain.
2nd bowl…a little butter, a little garlic seasoning, a little creole seasoning
3rd bowl…pour in salt, pepper and hot sauce.
Which one would he choose.
Why?
Explain: We need to season our words properly, using the right words at the right time with the right tone and the right attitude.
We need to weave the best words if we are going to leave a godly legacy…because those words you will want to be remembered.
Are you weaving the best words?
Along with weaving the best words, we also need to…
II. Do the Best Deeds
Acts 20:24 "But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God.”
The Apostle Paul finished what he needed to finish, he didn’t leave anything undone.
What about in your life…do have anything left undone?
Is it what God has called you to do?
Remember what Paul said in Eph. 2:10…we are saved by grace through faith and not by works in the preceding verses, but we are created to do good works in Christ according to verse 10.
God has saved you to do a job.
In Matthew 25 Jesus tells us a parable, we know it as the sheep and the goats.
You may be familiar with…Jesus separates the sheep from the goats on judgment day and each is judged based on what he does and doesn’t do.
He says to the sheep that when they served others, they did this to Him.
And to those who didn’t serve others…it was Jesus that they neglected.
Some will look at this and say, “Well, isn’t Jesus just saying you have to work your way into heaven?”…no, not at all.
Think about it, he separates the sheep from the goats…there is a biological difference between the two.
A goat can’t become a sheep simply because he wants to be a sheep.
He might run around with the sheep, act like the sheep and even speak like the sheep…but his nature is that of a goat.
Just like going to church, reading your Bible and being baptized doesn’t make you a Christian; or like Keith Green used to say going to church makes you a Christian as much as going to McDonalds makes you a hamburger.
But the God who speaks life out of death is able to change the nature of a sinner into that of a saint…He alone makes sheep, He is the one who creates that DNA difference between sheep and goats.
This change that God brings then should result in good works taking place…works of righteousness.
Are you doing the good deeds that God has intended for you to do as a result of your salvation?
If not, let me ask you…have you accepted the gift of salvation?
It is not by works, because none of us are ever going to be good enough.
God has set a standard of holiness that is Him…and unless we meet that standard, we have no hope of entering into His presence.
And none of us have met that standard.
Simply look at God’s moral law to see that we have lied, we have stolen, we have dishonored our parents, we have placed other things before God…and by listing just 4 of the 10 commandments we all stand guilty and wanting before God.
But while we were yet sinners according to Romans 5:8, God showed His great love toward us by sending His Son to pay the price for our sins.
He who knew no sin became my sin and your sin on the cross and paid the price of redemption so that we can be forgiven and enter into the presence of God.
And that gift should result in a changed life as a result of repentance, and lead to us doing works of righteousness.
Have you received this gift?
Are you doing the best deeds?
Do you have any thing unfinished?
If so, do you want that to be your legacy?
To leave a Godly legacy you need to weave the best words, do the best deeds and finally we need to…
III. Live the Best Life
Let me just say this, you may have seen this sweet natured preacher on Larry King promoting a book…that isn’t what I’m talking about.
In fact, if you look at Scriptures, the best life now you see offered on TV is not the best life you find in the lives of those who we read about in the Word of God.
Think about the Apostle Paul when he sat in a dungy Roman prison between a couple of soldiers just waiting for the word to take this guys head off…would you call that “the best life now”?
No…just the opposite.
Consider what Paul said in 2 Tim. 4:6-8
“For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.”
Living the best life isn’t about getting all you can get now and “living it up”…it’s about building a legacy while you are here that will impact future generations.
And then it is about preparing yourself for the eternity that comes after this short life ends.
We need to live the life that God wants us to live in the here and now so that we can appreciate it all the more when we enter into glory.
Does that mean you will have it easy? No…because God’s word said to expect tough times.
When Jesus said in Matthew 11:30, “For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”…He didn’t promise for us to not have a yoke or a burden.
We still have a cross to carry as disciples according to Luke 9:23.
Life is not all lollipops and rainbows, in case you haven’t noticed.
And if you put on the name of Christ as a born again believer, you may actually find it even more difficult…but well worth it.
Jesus promised to give us life and life more abundantly if we are willing by faith to live the best life possible.
Are you living the best life possible?
What are you doing with your faith in Christ?
• Keeping it to yourself? (Black widow on Memorial Day in jar)
• Not serving Him in the local church?
What about with your family, what are you doing with your life?
At your job, or in your classroom?
At the local store, bank, or where ever it is you may find yourself day to day…are you living the best life?
Your legacy depends upon it.
What is your legacy?
It is how you live your life.
Conclusion: A few weeks ago we went out to Texarkana and in our little town on Hwy 82 I noticed some new looking flowers next to a sign at the power substation and I told Brigitte, “I guess that is where they had that motorcycle accident”…a husband died, his wife was seriously injured after hitting a semi-truck.
I’ll be honest with you, I’m not a fan of roadside memorials, and before you write me off…let me explain why.
When you see one of these memorials, what does it tell you?
Where someone died, and quite possibly how someone died.
If my life comes to a tragic end, I don’t want to be remembered for where and how I died.
That is not what I want my legacy to be.
Instead I want people to remember how I lived.
I want to know that what I do today will not only effect those I come into contact with today, but can have a kingdom impact on the next generation and possibly beyond.
What is your legacy?
What are you writing today that will be remembered when you are gone?
When you are remembered what will people say?
Will they be able to say with very little doubt, “He or she was a born again believer who lived the best life, did the best deeds, and weaved the best words.”
Will they say, “Their faith was in Christ and they lived it out.”…or will they say, “I just don’t know, I hope…”
You are the deciding factor in what they will say…begin (or again today)
