Leaving a Legacy

How much do you know about Paul’s disciple, Timothy? One day, Paul decided to go on his second missionary trip and re-visit the towns where they had been before, to check in on the new believers there. He came to the town of Lystra, which is in south central Turkey, which he had been to about a year before and that’s where he met this young Christian named Timothy.

Timothy’s mother was Jewish but his father was a Greek, which unfortunately, left Timothy in that in-between place culturally, not accepted by the Jews because his mother had broken the rules and married a Greek and not accepted by the Greeks because he was too Jewish. But God loves outliers and he had a special plan for Timothy.

Timothy found where he belonged within the people of God. He passionately loved Jesus and served people around him. Everyone spoke well of him and because of this, he caught Paul’s attention. Paul invited Timothy to join him in his missionary journey, teaching him how to follow Jesus deeper and how to preach the gospel. Years later, because of that mentorship, Timothy would become the pastor for the churches in Ephesus and pass on what he learned to others, empowering the church to grow in that area.

But how did Timothy come to know Jesus? Well, through his mother and grandmother.

Although their conversion isn’t mentioned in the scripture, it’s reasonable to assume that Timothy’s grandmother Lois came to faith when Paul first came through Lystra, the year before. She then passed on that faith to her daughter Eunice who then passed it on to Timothy. Timothy’s family had a legacy of faith attached to it, so much so that Paul mentions it in his letter to Timothy when Timothy was pastoring in Ephesus.

2 Timothy 1:5 (NLT)

5 I remember your genuine faith, for you share the faith that first filled your grandmother Lois and your mother, Eunice. And I know that same faith continues strong in you.

This begs the a question for each of us: What kind of legacy will you leave?

In an interview with the Daily Mail in 2011, Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft, said, “Legacy is a stupid thing! I don't want a legacy.” But a legacy isn’t something that we choose to have or not have. We WILL leave one but whether it’s a positive or negative one though is up to us because…

The choices we make today determine the legacy we leave tomorrow.

Today, we are celebrating the 110th Anniversary as a church.

Life here was a lot different back then. World War 1 had just started causing the population to plummet while young men went to war. This whole area was just farmland and people moved here because it was cheap housing with low taxes. Art was just a young man dreaming of mushrooms.

And on October 25th, 1914, at the Howard Avenue School in Capitol Hill, some Christians gathered to host the first church service of what would eventually become Brentwood Park Alliance Church. Those early followers of Jesus have left us a legacy of faith in Jesus and in the hope of the gospel. God is calling each one of us, no matter how old or young we are, to continue that legacy of faith both personally as followers and corporately as the church.

So, today, as we celebrate this momentous milestone, let’s look at three choices that you can make that will empower you to leave a legacy of faith for future generations.

1. Invest in the Next Generation

While our first church service for adults was on October 25, 1914, there was already a significant children’s outreach that was started and led by Miss Minnie Turner out of her home. This church’s very foundation was about helping teach the good news of Jesus to the next generation. In fact, in the 1950’s there were about 60 adults for the church service but the Sunday School had about 120-140 kids in it.

Charles Francis Adams, a 19th century political figure and US diplomat to the UK, who was also the grandson of John Adams and son of John Quincy Adams, kept a diary. One day he entered: "Went fishing with my son today--a total waste of a day." His son, Brooks Adams, also kept a diary, which is still in existence. On that same day, Brook Adams made this entry: "Went fishing with Dad today. Best day ever!"

The choices we make today determine the legacy we leave tomorrow.

We are called and commanded to invest into the next generation of Christians and Christian leaders. And let me be clear, when I say the next generation, I do not exclusively mean children. Yes, we need to invest into our kids, our nieces and nephews, and our grandchildren, but the next generation is simply those a bit younger than you.

Those of you in your 80’s need to invest into those in their 60’s. Those in their 50’s need to invest into those in their 30’s. Those in their 30’s to college students and our college students can invest into others. Additionally, investing in the next generation can simply be building into the lives of people who new to the faith, not necessarily younger than you. But investing in the next generation requires a couple of things:

First, it requires TIME

Charles saw the day spent fishing as a waste. His son saw it differently. Leaving a legacy of faith with the next generation requires spending time with them. It requires dying to you own desires, your own schedule and being present to them.

My Dad and Bekah - took her to the fair and then had her help in the garden.

Jesus spent all day, every day for 3 years with his disciples to help shape them into those who would change the world. Investing in the next generation takes time.

Second, it requires TRAINING

In Luke chapter 9, Jesus sent out the 12 disciples on a missionary trip, giving them power to do heal and drive out demons, and telling them to preach about the good news of the Kingdom of God. So they went out and did their preaching circuit

Luke 9:10 (NLT)

10 When the apostles returned, they told Jesus everything they had done. Then he slipped quietly away with them toward the town of Bethsaida.

We have to impart and teach the next generation skills for living for Jesus. Teaching people how to read the Bible, how to pray, how to manage their finances biblically, how to preach, how to teach, and serve God.

When Pastor Arden Adrian served here, that was a major focus of his - he hired a rotation of interns to serve here, some of whom have gone on to long term service to God, such as our friend Herb who serves overseas. His heart was to train up leaders, a heart that I share deeply.

Third, it requires EMPOWERMENT

Matthew 28:18–20 (NLT)

18 Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. 19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. 20 Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

We need to give space for new leaders to serve, even if they want to do it differently than we did. Pastor Don was great at this. He empowered Brenda, who wanted to start a coffee shop ministry, Anessa, who envisioned a celebration event for Canada Day, Judy, who came up with Harvest Party, and Marja, who created a ministry for those wrestling with mood disorders called Living Room.

So often in Christian ministry, people have dreams and ideas and instead of being empowered to try, they are discouraged because of the cost, the effort or whatever.

The choices we make today determine the legacy we leave tomorrow.

If we want to be a church that continues this legacy we have received, then we need to choose to invest into the next generation. And i you want to be someone who leaves a legacy of faith in others, choose to spend time with people relationally oozing the character of Christ out in that time. Choose someone and train them to live for Jesus by sharing your wisdom. Choose to empower people by providing them with the guidance and resources they need in order to do what God has called them to.

The first way we leave a legacy of faith for others is to invest into the next generation. The second way is to…

2. Model the Spiritual Disciplines

Now, when I’m talking about the disciplines, I’m talking about the spiritual practices - the holy habits - that we do that draw us nearer to God and we are going to look at a few of them in more depth in our next teaching series “Sacred Rhythms” which starts next week. Examples of these holy habits include prayer, reading the scriptures, meditating, serving and more. A great book for those who want to begin looking more at these practices is “The Celebration of Discipline” by Richard Foster.

Most of us have been taught that we aren’t saved by what we do but by the grace of God - and that’s true!! So why do these practices? Because these are the practices that create intimacy with God, that enable us to know his will and follow it, that help us become more like Jesus.

But these things don’t just happen. They are a choice we have to make and

The choices we make today determine the legacy we leave tomorrow.

If we don’t practice the spiritual disciplines and make them a regular part of how we live, those whom we influence won’t do it either. Donald Whitney, in his book, “Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life” says,

By neglecting the Spiritual Disciplines we face the danger of bearing little spiritual fruit. - Donald S. Whitney

These disciplines are crucial for our life as followers. That’s why, for 110 years, we have read the scriptures publicly, we preach the Bible, we pray together, we worship together and we serve together because through these activities is how we bear spiritual fruit and see lives changed and the legacy that was started years before us continue to endure for years after us.

As people, we get so caught up in the rut of life - getting up, having breakfast, going to work or school, coming home, eating, do a couple other things and then go to bed, just to do it all over again. We forget that how we live and what we model will be our legacy, for good or for bad. A church that spiritually remains stuck in the past - in their perceived glory days - leaves a legacy to be forgotten, not one to be passed on. A parent who is always working leaves a legacy that work is more important than their kids. A family that is more focussed on sports than on spiritual things leaves a legacy that says self is more important than God or Christian community.

Sid Koop, who was a youth pastor in Lethbridge for years and a nationally-known youth speaker wrote about the impact his father had on him growing up. He said,

“I don’t think there was anyone in my life that shaped my faith more profoundly than my dad.

Lately, I have found myself spending more and more time reflecting on exactly what my father did that had such a transforming effect on my life.

Here is one thing I know: we did not have a lot of deep spiritual conversations.

There were some, and I believe spiritual conversations are very important when it comes to passing faith on to our kids, but more than anything, what I remember about my father was what he modelled.

I remember dad going through a season of Lent where he stopped watching TV. I remember him awkwardly trying to share his faith with non-Christian friends at the rink after our small community experienced deep tragedy. I remember watching dad openly and authentically respond in tears at church when he spoke of heaven and being with Jesus, and I remember him grieving deeply when we discovered mom had cancer.

I remember dad reading his Bible, and fighting to live with integrity and justice. And I remember my father authentically enjoying all people in our community, without compromising his relationship with Jesus Christ. What my dad modelled moved me.”

When we model the spiritual disciplines in an authentic way, we leave a legacy of faith. I remember, on my first day of my summer internship at my church. I remember not knowing how to spend my time. Then the youth pastor who was supervising me pulled me into his office and invited me into his daily devotional time. He read a scripture out loud and he prayed. And I don’t remember the content of his prayer, but the way he prayed, the depth that he brought to it, helped shape how I pray, even to this day.

The Apostle Paul wrote,

Philippians 4:9 (NLT)

9 Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.

Paul modelled faith and the spiritual practices everywhere he went as he planted churches and preached the gospel, leaving a legacy of faith wherever he went that endures throughout time to us today. When we practice the spiritual disciplines something amazing happens: We strengthen our relationship with God and tune our minds and hearts to hear him better, which in turn helps us to live the gospel life in a way that will inspire others and leave a legacy of faith. And when we pass on the value of those disciplines to others, we empower them to connect deeply with Jesus themselves.

The choices we make today determine the legacy we leave tomorrow.

To leave a legacy of faith, we need to invest in the next generation and model the spiritual disciplines. We also need to

3. Embody the Fruit of the Spirit

When someone comes to faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit comes and lives in them. The Spirit give us abilities to build up the kingdom of God, he illuminates the Bible so we can understand it, and he convicts us of sin so we can repent and relationally get right with God again. The Spirit also leads us and when we follow the Holy Spirit, he produces something that we call the fruit of the Spirit in us.

Galatians 5:19–21 (NLT)

19 When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, 21 envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

When we follow our own sinful desires - those desires that are opposite of the revealed will of God for our lives - we leave a legacy of destruction and pain. How many people have been hurt by pastors and leaders giving in to sexual immorality and sin? How many churches have idolized megachurches and power and in the process pushed people aside for programs? How many people have left the church because there was so much dissension and division the church that the mission got lost?

But that’s not how it’s supposed to be. We are supposed to be filled with the Holy Spirit and walking in step with the Holy Spirit. And look at what happens when we do. The next verse in Galatians says

Galatians 5:22–23 (NLT)

22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!

Now, Paul is not telling us that we should go out and be more loving (although we should) or more joyful or more peaceful or anything like that. In this passage, Paul is not telling us to be better. He is challenging us to walk closer with the Holy Spirit - to invite the Holy Spirit to fill us. When the Spirit fills us, he produces in us these attributes that Paul is talking about. Our calling is similar to what John the Baptist says of Christ - He must become greater, and I must become less.

Jesus said…

Luke 9:23 (NLT)

23 Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.

Our daily spiritual work is to deny our sinful natures and be filled with Spirit so we can serve Jesus and embody the fruit that he produces in us.

The choices we make today determine the legacy we leave tomorrow.

We are the recipients of the legacy formed by the choices that those that have come before us, for good or bad. Will we now choose to daily be filled with the Holy Spirit and allow the fruit of the spirit to overflow into all our relationships so we can leave a legacy of faith?

Conclusion

Your legacy is the wisdom you have gained, the people you have influenced, and the convictions you modelled which inspire subsequent generations. Leaving a living legacy is more important than leaving a monument. - Jeff Iorg (Seasons of A Leader’s Life)

In the late 80’s or early 90’s a man named Mel, who taught at a small Bible college in Northern Alberta took the time to invest into a young man named Tim. In the late 90’s and early 2000’s Tim took the time to invest into me. I am a pastor today because of those who came before me. And earlier this week, I received this message from a former student of mine: “Hi Kirk. I was thinking about you today. One of my atheist friends asked me how I came to Christ and you were a big topic of the discussion. I’ll never forget the moment you baptized me. I’ve gone through a lot of stuff in the past couple of years and fell out of my faith. I moved back to Kelowna in August and found a church here. I’d love to talk on the phone and catch up one of these days!”

Brentwood Park Alliance, as it is today, is the beneficiary of the legacy of those that have come before us - men and women of faith who believed that this neighbourhood needs the good news of Jesus.

Every church and every person is going to leave a legacy. Some will leave a legacy of grumpiness, absence or selfishness. But

The choices we make today determine the legacy we leave tomorrow.

We can choose to leave a legacy of faith that invests in the future generation, that models the life of Christ through spiritual disciplines and that embodies the fruit of the Spirit.

Invite people to the front to pray.

Pray.