Leaving a Legacy

Our legacy is what we leave behind for people to remember us by. They can be good memories, or they can be bad memories, it all depends upon how we live our lives.

In the book of first kings and the book of second Chronicles, you can read about a king of Judah named King Asa. King Asa started out his reign by trusting God and by being faithful to God.
He was a good king and he did things that were right in the sight of the Lord. but, he died trying to do things on his own. He was succeeded by his son, King Jehoshaphat. King Jehoshaphat had the opportunity to watch his father make good decisions and bad decisions as a king. King Jehoshaphat knew from his father‘s past history that his father started out with God‘s blessings. King Jehoshaphat in his heart knew who God was and he knew what God could do.
King Jehoshaphat knew his kingdom was greatly in need of God’s help. He knew the first thing he had to do was to eliminate the pagan influences in the land and to return the people to following God. The first thing he did was to remove all the idols, just like his father did. Idols don’t have to be made of brass, gold, or wood. They can be anything that takes God’s place.

Our God is a jealous God, so if you have an idol in your life, it will break your relationship with God. Having an idol in your life, leads to a lack of trust and a lack of faith in God and that will ruin your relationship with God.

After King Jehoshaphat removed the pagan influences from the land he sent out princes to represent him and priest from the tribe of Levi to spread the gospel. In that day and time, God only appointed certain people to speak for him and to spread the gospel. But Jesus commissions all of us to spread the gospel.

There is a song called ”You Can Pray”, and in that song, it says you may not be a Preacher, you may not be a Sunday school teacher, you may not be able to sing, but friends there is something that we all can do. We can pray. Pray for yourselves and pray for others. But when you pray, and you ask something from God, you must ask with sincerity and faith and ask in accordance to God‘s will. God knows if you’re being honest with him because he knows what’s in your heart. If you’re not sincere and honest, then you’re just wasting your time.

If you’re asking God to forgive you of your sins and help you to overcome temptations and you ask him sincerely and honestly, then he will hear you. If you ask God to help you to be a witness to others, then he will send someone your way that needs to hear about Jesus. The way you act as a Christian will greatly influence others.

There is a hymn in the Baptist hymnal entitled “Let others see Jesus in you”. The words in that song say that your life‘s a book before their eyes and they’re reading it through and through. Say does it point them to the skies? Do other see Jesus in you?

People are watching you and it does make a difference because good or bad you are making an impression upon them. If you were washing a glass, would you wash the outside and leave the inside dirty? No of course not. You would wash the inside too. Now consider yourself to be a vessel. Are you clean on the inside as well as on the outside? If not, then you need to pray sincerely and honestly for God to make you clean. If you honestly want to serve God, then put all your faith in God. Because like King Asa, we can’t do it alone. We need God. You wouldn’t serve food from a dirty vessel, and God won’t serve the gospel from a dirty vessel. To be a representative of God, you must be pure of heart.

Wealth

What is true wealth?

It Is living your life with godliness and contentment. There’s probably no greater example in our Bible then the apostle Paul. He was someone who was content with whatever he had and he was thankful to God for everything he had. Paul would praise God, no matter what the situation was that he was in, and he always found joy in the Lord. Even when he was in the worst places and being faced with the worst circumstances. Physically, he may have been beaten, but spiritually he was always triumphant.

In Matthew chapter 6 verses 19 through 20 Jesus said, “lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth, and rust does corrupt, and where thieves, breakthrough and steal. But layup for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal.”

The term poor is often used to the define the amount of money you have. Riches on earth aren’t the same as rich as in heaven. Jesus is our king, but Jesus himself said that Satan is the king of this world, and Satan often uses money or the lack of money to entice people to be sinful.

In Mark, 8:36 Jesus said “what prophet of man if he gain the whole world and he loses his soul?” Several songs immediately come to mind. Songs like” I’d rather have Jesus” and “Thank you Lord for your blessings on me.” Simply stating “I’d rather have Jesus than be rich, famous and wealthy” and “I’m content and happy just to have my home and my family and whatever God provides for me”. Not saying that there’s anything wrong with being rich or wealthy but it makes a difference what you do with your wealth and when it’s you managing your money and not it managing you.

We just looked at Matthew chapter 19 verses 16 through 26 last week Sunday School. Here a young man asked Jesus what good thing that he could do to gain eternal life? Jesus told him to keep the Commandments. The young man said I’ve done these things since I was young. Then Jesus told him to sell everything he had and give it to the poor and come and follow Him. The young man went away sad because he had great possessions.

Then Jesus said to his disciples that a rich man can hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. He didn’t say that a rich man couldn’t enter into the kingdom of Heaven, he just said that it was hard for him to. Then in verse 24 he said it would be easier for a camel to go through the eye of the needle, then for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven.

As I stated earlier, it’s not bad to be wealthy, depending on how you use your money. In 1953 Howard Hughes founded the Howard Hughes medical Institute. It is a nonprofit medical research organization located in Chevy Chase, Maryland. It is used for biological and medical research and it has an endowment of 24 Billion dollars.

Howard Hughes chose to go into seclusion and people said that he lived like a homeless person out on the streets. He lived as though he had no money at all, even though he was one of the wealthiest men in the world. Some people said that he went crazy. Maybe because they thought that living like a poor person when you’re rich was just crazy. But, maybe he just didn’t want to live a rich man’s lifestyle. Maybe he realized that the money was overpowering him and he just didn’t want to live his life like that. But, you can’t say he was stingy. Howard Hughes was one of the greatest contributors to charitable organizations that there ever has been. It is said that he gave over 1 and half billion dollars to charity. I guess some people would think that giving away that much money was crazy too.

In parting I’d like to say it’s not what you hold in your hand but what you hold in your heart that has real value.