Leaving a Legacy

We just celebrated my grandson’s birthday in July and will celebrate my granddaughter’s birthday in a couple of weeks. They are getting to the age where they know Grammy and Pops. They are getting to the age where who we are will be remembered by them. So what am I going to leave them? What will be the legacy I leave my children and grandchildren and the faith families I have pastored?

The word legacy means anything handed down to you from the previous generation. So what will my legacy be?

First let me share with you what it won’t be. It will not be:
material wealth, success, fame, or really anything that the culture would notice. It won’t be those because I have none of those to leave them. It also won’t be those because those things are not eternally important.

What I want to leave my biological and faith families is found in some passages from God’s Word.

Luke 9:23
Then He said to them all: “If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me.”

I want to leave them a picture of a person who died to his desires and followed Jesus wholeheartedly.

Philippians 3:10
I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in His sufferings, becoming like Him in His death.

I want to leave them a person who knew Jesus, who lived based on His power not my own. A person who knew they were a recovering sinner and was broken over sin, mine and the sin that dominates our world and who was being transformed into the image of Jesus.

2 Chronicles 7:14
If My people, who are called by My name, will humble themselves and pray and seek My face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.

I want to leave them a person who knew and lived like he really belonged to God, who was humble, who prayed and in praying sought the presence of God, not the blessings, and had a repentant heart.

Acts 20:24
However, I consider my life nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me - the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.

I want to leave them a person who sought to run the race of life with holiness and integrity. Who shared his Jesus story and talked and lived grace. Who always put Jesus first above anything.

Philippians 4:8
Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable - if anything is excellent or praiseworthy - think about such things.

I want to leave them a person who saw the good and the right and lived that because it was Jesus.

Galatians 6:9
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we don’t give up.

I want to leave them a person who did not give up. Who pursued God and served God until his last breath.

That is the legacy I want to leave my family. It is not about wealth or achievement or fame. The legacy I want to leave them is of someone who loved Jesus passionately, served Jesus steadfastly and loved them like Jesus did.

I want my legacy to be Jesus.
How can I make Jesus my legacy?
How can you make Jesus your legacy?

It starts with letting Jesus be your everything right with you are.

It has to start with you and me!

Tim Timmons has a song that expresses the truth that it has to begin with you and me personally.

Starts With Me
What could I do to leave a legacy?
How can I speak with authority?
When I can’t see You, I can’t see You
How can I know the dreams You have for me?
How can I believe beyond what I seen?
When I can’t hear You, I can’t hear You
No, No, No

You’re my revival song, You start where I belong
On my knees, on my knees
When I am weak or strong You meet me here
When I’m on my knees, on my knees
Oh, it starts with me

Why do I try to work outside of You?
Knocking down doors I should not be going through
But I’m so tired, I’m so tired
You take my burdens off my shoulders
You break the lies that hold me back
I’m not sure enough

I really wanna change the world
I really wanna sing Your song
But I know revival’s got to start with me
I really wanna change the world
I really wanna sing Your song
But I know revival’s got to start with me



For those verses to be my legacy I need to be revived.
For those verses to be your legacy you need to be revived.
For those verses to be the legacy of the church of Jesus we need to be revived.

Revival begins on our knees seeking God.

Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

If our legacy is going to be Jesus, then His kingdom and His righteous is what we have to seek - First and Only!

With Jesus as My Legacy Raising the Roof and Removing the Walls
Joe