Loss or Legacy?

Good morning. It's good to be with you here this morning. I've been blessed so far by the service. Thank you for your prayers on my behalf. I feel that I'm probably I feel unqualified to speak, but I guess my prayer is that what I share this morning can be an inspiration and a challenge to us all.

The title of my message this morning is "Loss or Legacy?" Loss or Legacy. I guess this year I turned 30, and I guess it's been impressed on me more and more, the seriousness of life and just how short life really is.

The verse in James came to mind, James 4:14, "For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away." So it's been good for me to reflect on my life so far as I look back and as I look to the future. What do I want my life to look like? So this message is for me this morning.

I guess I want to look at several examples in the Bible of both a legacy of faithfulness and also what happens when there is a loss of that faithfulness.

I guess some of the inspiration for this message came from a talk I heard recently on this kind of same topic, and the person asked the question, "How do you want your life to look when you're 80?" And I know you can put any age there you want.

Maybe some of us here this morning are closer to that age than others, but we can put any amount of number there. What do I want my life to look at at a certain point in time? I guess the importance of charting a course for our life, it determines our legacy and the importance of having Christ as a reference point. I want that to be a main point of my message this morning so that we're able to chart a straight path. Tavis Smiley said, "The choices we make about our lives we live determine the kind of legacies we live." So what is a legacy?

There's a lot you could say. There's different ways we talk about a legacy. The world uses this term often to describe maybe their business or their wealth, their possessions, however you want to look at it.

Legacy is often described as what an individual leaves behind after they pass away, often in terms of their influence, achievements, or material possessions. And it can also refer to the impact a person has on others or on society as a whole.

The word heritage often goes hand in hand with legacy. Heritage is often referred to as the traditions, values, customs, and cultural elements that are inherited from previous generations. I guess one way to think of it is a legacy is what we give, a heritage is what we receive.

So many of us that here this morning have been blessed by a heritage of faithfulness through the ages of those that have gone before us. The truth is this morning that all of us will leave a legacy. We cannot change that, but we can change the outcome of it.

So I want to look at a couple of examples here. I want to start with an example of a lasting legacy. I want to look at the example and the life of Paul. You can turn to Acts chapter 7. It was interesting when I was studying that people say that Paul was probably, or Saul as he's first mentioned here, was probably around the age of 30. So it's around my age.

Acts chapter 7, starting in verse 58, kind of jumping in the middle of the verse. "And the witnesses laid down their clothes at the feet of a young man named Saul, and they stoned Stephen as he was calling on God and saying, 'Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.' Then he knelt down and cried with a loud voice, 'Lord, do not charge them with this sin.' And when he had said this, he fell asleep. Now Saul was consenting to his death. At that time, a great persecution arose against the church which was at Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria except the apostles. And devout men carried Stephen to his burial and made great lamentation over him.

As for Saul, he made havoc of the church, entering every house and dragging off men and women, committing them to prison. Therefore, those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word. And if that was the end of the story, it would be a sad ending."

When you look at the life of Paul, you see a change of direction, a complete 180. And it's a blessing to see how Christ can change a person's whole being, a complete transformation.

In Galatians, Paul writes, "For you have heard of my former conduct in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God beyond measure and tried to destroy it. And I advanced in Judaism beyond many of my contemporaries in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous for the traditions of my father."

So I want to continue on looking at Paul's transformation. When he met Christ on the road to Damascus, there was a choice that Paul made that altered his direction for the rest of his life. Acts 9, starting in verse 1, "Then Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest and asked from him to the synagogues of Damascus so that if he found any who were of the way, whether men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem. As he journeyed, he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven. Then he fell to the ground, and it heard a voice saying to him, 'Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?'

And he said, 'Who are you, Lord?' Then the Lord said, 'I am Jesus. Whom you are persecuting, it is hard for you to kick against the goads.' So he, trembling and astonished, said, 'Lord, what do you want me to do?' Then the Lord said to him, 'Arise and go into this city, and you will be told what you must do.' And the men who journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice but seeing no one.

Then Saul rose from the ground, and when his eyes were opened, he saw no one. But they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus. And he was there three days without sight, neither ate nor drank.

Now there was a certain disciple at Damascus named Ananias, and to him the Lord said in a vision, 'Ananias,' and he said, 'Here I am, Lord.' So the Lord said to him, 'Arise and go into the street called Straight and inquire at the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus. For behold, he is praying, and in a vision he has seen a man named Ananias coming in and putting his hands on him so that he may receive his sight.' Then Ananias answered, 'Lord, I have heard from many about this man, how much harm he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. And here he has the authority from the chief priest to bind all who call on your name.'

But the Lord said unto him, 'Go, for he is a chosen vessel of mine to bear my name before Gentiles, kings, and the children of Israel. For I will show him many things he must suffer for my name's sake.' And Ananias went his way and entered the house, and laying his hands on him, he said, 'Brother Saul, the Lord Jesus who appeared to you on the road as you came has sent me that you might receive your sight and be filled with the Holy Spirit.'

Immediately there fell from his eyes something like scales, and he recovered his sight at once, and he arose and was baptized. So when he had received food, he was strengthened. Then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus. Immediately he preached Christ in the synagogues that he is the Son of God. Then all who heard were amazed and said, 'Is this not he who destroyed those who called upon this name in Jerusalem and has come here for that purpose so that he might bring them bound to the chief priest?' But Saul increased all the more in strength and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that this Jesus is the Christ.'

And we know what a blessing the church received because of that and how Christ was preached because of the redeemed life of Paul. During Paul's ministry, he resurrected at least one person from the dead and has resurrected himself after being stoned to death. Paul carries out at least five missionary journeys because it's more than 50 cities in his travels and preached the gospel to Emperor Caesar and his entire household. He also wrote no less than 14 books of the Bible, trained other evangelists and teachers like Titus and Timothy, and endured a total of more than five years in prison.

But he writes in Philippians 1:12 through 21, "But I want you to know, brethren, that the things which happened to me have actually turned out for the furtherances of the gospel, so that it has become evident to the whole palace guard and to all the rest that my chains are in Christ. And most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident in my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear. Some indeed preach Christ even from envy and strife, and some also from goodwill. The former preach Christ from selfish ambition, not sincerely supposing to add affliction to my chains. But the latter, out of love, knowing that I am appointed for the defense of the gospel, what then?

Only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is preached. And in this I rejoice, yes, and will rejoice. For I know that this will turn out for my deliverance through your prayer and the supply of the Spirit of Jesus Christ, according to my earnest expectation and hope that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but with all boldness as always. So know also Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live as Christ and to die is gain."

So I find it kind of interesting that Paul even rejoiced to hear that Christ was preached, even it says, from envy or strife, even though they hoped to add affliction in his chains there. I love his final statement that he gave, "For me to live as Christ and to die is gain." And we know that was his testimony throughout his whole life.

I guess I really love the last two verses of Acts, the last two verses, Acts 28:30 and 31. It says, "Then Paul dwelt two years in his own rented house and received all who came to him, preaching the kingdom of God and teaching the things which concern the Lord Jesus Christ with all confidence, no one forbidding him."

So Paul truly left a legacy of faithfulness.

I want to contrast that with looking at an example of a loss of a legacy. One of the first examples from the Bible that came to my mind was the life of Solomon. His life started so well. He was given so much from the influence of his father David. You can turn to First Kings chapter 2. And I guess I was really impressed this morning how the devotions that Brother Conrad read really go along with what I have to share this morning.

Thinking of the life of Solomon, First Kings 2:1 through 4. "Now the days of David drew nigh that he should die, and he charged Solomon, his son, saying, 'I go the way of all the earth. Be strong, therefore, and prove yourself a man.

And keep the charge of the Lord your God to walk in his ways, to keep his statues, his commandments, his judgments, and his testimonies as it is written in the law of Moses, that you may prosper in all that you do and wherever you turn, that the Lord may fulfill his word which he spake concerning me, saying, 'If your sons take heed to their way, to walk before me in truth with all their heart and with all their soul,' he said, 'You shall not lack a man on the throne of Israel.'" Going a little further, First Kings 3, starting in verse 2. "Meanwhile, the people sacrificed at the high places because there was no house built for the name of the Lord until those days.

And Solomon loved the Lord walking in the statutes of his father David, except that he sacrificed and burnt incense at the high places. Now the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for there was a great high place. Solomon offered a thousand burnt offerings at that altar. At Gibeon, the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, 'Ask, what shall I give you?' And Solomon said, 'You have shown great mercy to your servant David, my father, because he walked before you in truth, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart with you. You have continued this great kindness to him, and you have given him a son to sit on his throne as it is this day.

Now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king instead of my father David. But I am a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in. And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too numerous to be numbered or counted. Therefore, give to your servant an understanding heart to judge your people, that I may discern between good and evil. For who is able to judge this great people of yours?"

The speech pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this thing. Then God said to him, "Because you have asked this thing and have not asked long life of yourself, nor have asked riches for yourself, nor have asked the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern justice. Behold, I have done according to your words. See, I have given you a wise and understanding heart, so that there has not been anyone like you before you, nor shall any arise after you.

And I have given you what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that there shall not be anyone like you among the kings all their days." And this is an important verse here, verse 14. "So if you walk in my ways and keep my statutes and my commandments as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days." Then Solomon arose, and indeed it had been a dream. And he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, offered up peace offerings and made a feast for all his servants.

And we know Solomon's fame and wealth and wisdom because of that blessing became quite a spectacle, and people came from all over to listen to Solomon. And Solomon built a beautiful temple for God to dwell with his people. First Kings 8:10 through 13. "And it came to pass when the priests came out of the holy place that the cloud filled the house of the Lord, so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud. For the glory of the Lord filled the house of the Lord. Then Solomon spoke, 'The Lord said, 'He will dwell in the dark cloud. And I have surely built you an exalted house and a place for you to dwell in forever.'" And they all lived happily ever after.

Unfortunately, not. Let's keep reading First Kings 9:1 through 9. "And it came to pass when Solomon had finished building the house of the Lord in the king's house, and all Solomon's desire, which he wanted to do, that the Lord appeared to Solomon the second time as he had appeared to him in Gibeon. And the Lord said to him, 'I have heard your prayer and your supplication that you have made before me. I have consecrated this house which you have built to put my name there forever, and my eyes and my heart will be there perpetually. Now, if you walk before me as your father David walked, in integrity of heart and in uprightness, to do according to all that I have commanded you, and if you keep my statutes and my judgments, then will I establish the throne of your kingdom over Israel forever, as I promised David, your father, saying, 'You shall not fail me to have a man on the throne of Israel.'

But if you or your sons at all turn from following me and do not keep my commandments and my statutes which I have set before you, but go and serve other gods and worship them, then will I cut off Israel from the land which I have given them, and this house which I have consecrated by my name I will cast out of my sight. Israel will be a proverb and a byword among all the peoples.

And as for this house which is exalted, everyone passes by it will be astonished and will hiss and say, 'Why has the Lord done this to this land and to this house?' Then they will answer, 'Because they forsook the Lord their God who brought their fathers out of the land of Egypt and embraced other gods and worshiped them and served them. Therefore, the Lord has brought all this calamity on them.'" So we see what God has the promise that God has given Solomon here.

First Kings 11. We're continuing through Solomon's life. Solomon had written wrote a couple of books. We have the proverbs. We have Song of Solomon.

But there came a point in Solomon's life that it changed. First Kings 11:1 through 14. "But King Solomon loved many foreign women as well as the daughters of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians, and Hittites. And the nations of whom the Lord had said to the children of Israel, 'You shall not intermarry with them, nor they with you,' surely they will turn away your hearts after their gods."

Solomon clung to these in love. And he had 700 wise, princesses, and 300 concubines, and his wives turned away his heart. For it was so when Solomon was old that his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not loyal to the Lord his God as was the heart of his father David. For Solomon, when after Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milkon, the abomination of the Ammonites, Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord and did not fully follow the Lord as did his father David.

Then Solomon built a high place for Shemosh, the abomination of Moab, on the hill that is east of Jerusalem, and for Moloch, the abomination of the people of Ammon. And he did likewise for all his foreign wives who burned incense and sacrificed to their gods.

So the Lord became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the Lord God of Israel who had appeared to him twice and had commanded him concerning these things that he should not go after other gods, but he did not keep what the Lord had commanded.

Therefore, the Lord said to Solomon, "Because you have done this and have not kept my covenants and my statutes which I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to your servant.

Nevertheless, I will not do it in your days for the sake of your father David. I will not tear it out of the hand of your son. However, I will not tear away the whole kingdom. I will give one tribe to your son for the sake of my servant David and for the sake of Jerusalem which I have chosen."

Now the Lord raised up an adversary against Solomon, Hadad, the Edomite. He was a descendant of the king in Edom.

So we see here what a loss of a legacy that he had been given, a heritage of his father David because Solomon's heart was turned away from God and his promises. And we know that God's promises are sure. We don't have to read much farther to to to see the downfall that that became of because of this disobedience. And Brother Conrad read some of that here this morning.

As we continue reading through the books of Kings and their kingdoms, we continue that continually forgot God's promises. You know, it's a sobering reminder to us this morning that we can be easily distracted by every weight and sin which so easily ensnares us, as Hebrews says.

We are called to throw these away and run the race that is set before us. I guess another example that I thought about when thinking of a loss of a legacy, a loss of faithfulness. We think of Judas in the Bible as a disciple of Jesus. He lived, walked, talked with Jesus.

But because of his love of money, it overcame his love for Christ. He betrayed Jesus for 30 pieces of silver with a kiss. Matthew 27:3 through 10 says, "Then Judas, his betrayer, seeing that he had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the 30 pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, 'I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.' And they said, 'What is it that to us? You see to it.' Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed and went and hanged himself. But the chief priests took the silver pieces and said, 'It is not lawful for them to put them in the treasury because they are the price of blood.'

And they consulted together and bought with them the potter's field to bury strangers in. Therefore, that field has been called the field of blood to this day. Then was fulfilled that was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, 'And they took the 30 pieces of silver, the value of him who was priced, whom they of the children of Israel priced, and gave them for the potter's field as the Lord directed me.'" And we see another sad end, a life of loss.

Even though he recognized his sin, he did not turn from it.

And you know, there are many examples, more examples that we could look of of loss in the Bible and throughout history. You know, many people have maybe started out their lives right, but did not make the necessary changes, the necessary steps to change.

And there are probably people that come to your mind here this morning thinking about what legacy they left behind. You know, our loves will determine our legacy.

I guess I'm most thankful for the legacies of faithfulness, though, most of all for Jesus and his example. Kevin Harris put it this way. "When Jesus invited the disciples to follow me, fishermen and tax collectors alike dropped their nets and left their livelihoods. As they journeyed together, Jesus showed them what it looked like to follow him by transparently modeling his faith, teaching them along the way of life, and then finally asking them to do the same thing for others. And the world was never the same. That's a legacy."

And you know, because of that life that Christ lived out, we are now part of Christ's living legacy, the church. And that inspires me this morning. We can be part of Christ's lasting legacy. And I do want to bless those of you here this morning that are older and living faithful lives. I feel like I have been extremely blessed to have grown up in a church and a family that lives this out. And I especially want to thank my parents and grandparents for that living example of faithfulness. So how do we leave a lasting legacy? I guess this brings me to the last part, thinking about some things that we can do, how we live our life.

How do we live our life that leaves a lasting legacy to those who come after us? And that can be whether it's children or people that we interact with each and every day. We will all leave a legacy of some kind to those that come after us. What will that be?

You know, our life's trajectory determines that legacy. So I have five things that I thought of that determine how we leave a lasting legacy. Number one, we need a vision. Proverbs 28:18 says, "Where there is no vision, the people perish, but he that keepeth the law happy is he."

You know, vision is a big topic in of itself. But I do want to note the importance that we will perish if we don't have a vision for our lives. I was blessed by a comment that Brother Harvey made in his message last Sunday. He was reading there in Acts 2 on the day of Pentecost.

Peter says there that the men were not drunk with wine, but that they were filled with a vision. And I really liked that. I think it's important. It's an important thing for us to think, especially when we are younger. You know, what do I want my life to look like in 10, 20, 50 years? Number two, we need to live lives of repentance. You know, repentance is the ability to change our direction, our trajectory in life. If we are headed in the wrong direction, repentance can change that. John the Baptist, when he went, when he was preparing the way of Jesus, his message was, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." You know, none of us here this morning know when our last day on this earth will be.

But we need to see the important part repentance plays in our lives. Number three, we need to live lives of obedience. We have the perfect example of this in the life of Jesus. John 6:38, this is Jesus talking, "For I have come down from heaven not to do my own will, but to do the will of him who sent me." And we see that Jesus did the will of his father from even a very young age up until his death on the cross, a surrendered life of obedience to God's will.

Number four, we need to live our lives loosely with an open hand, realizing that God is the one who gives us blessings, possessions, and even our own families. The verse in Matthew 10:37 through 39 came to mind. "He who loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me, and he who loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me. And he who does not take up his cross and follow after me is not worthy of me. He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for my sake will find it."

And the last one here, we need to live lives of service. Matthew 20:25 through 28. "But Jesus called them to himself and said, 'You know that the rulers of the Gentiles lorded over them, and to those who are great exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you. But whosoever desires to become great among you, let him be your servant. And whoever desires to be first among you, let him be your slave, just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life a ransom for many.'" We are called this morning to live lives of service for others.

If we want to have a great legacy, Jesus says, "Serve." You know, when I think of my grandma Wadle, I think of her quiet, sometimes unspoken service to her children, to her grandchildren, and to others around her. What a beautiful legacy to leave behind. We are called to be servants this morning.

There are probably many other parts that we could look at about leaving a lasting legacy behind. But I guess my challenge here this morning for all of us is how you live your life today determines your legacy. Our choices determine it, our loves determine it, and our lives determine our legacy. May we live lives of faithfulness that produce a lasting legacy and not of loss.

I guess that's the desire for myself here this morning and for everyone here that God would, that we would be faithful until the end. May God bless you. Does anyone have any response to the message?