Legacy: A Lasting Impact on the Kingdom of God

Introduction

Well, good morning!

If you have a Bible and I hope that you do, open ‘em up with me to the Book of Psalms. We’re gonna be in the 128th chapter.

This is our last week in our sermon series looking at the biblical model for the home. If you’ve been with us, we looked at marriage…how its meant to be a reflection of the triune God…how its given to us so that we might disciple the next generation well…teaching them exactly who God is and what He’s like.

We looked at instruction…how education, discipleship, how those two things are one in the same…and how ultimately, it falls on the shoulders of dads. Our roles, they were designed so that we might make followers of Jesus. That’s our responsibility…and everything that our children take in, both in the home and outside the home, it shapes the person they’ll become later.

And then, last week…Josh walked us through another aspect of instruction…showing us how its our responsibility, as moms and dads, its our responsibility to model worship in the home. Again, how our kids respond to God…what they think of God…what they think He deserves…the place He belongs in our life…all of that, its shaped by how you instruct them and model for them, this Christian life.

Which again, leads us to this last topic in our series…Our legacy.

The word legacy…its a word in our culture that’s oftentimes associated with things like inheritance, or success…maybe its our reputation after we past…or our achievements. Legacy, when we think about that word…and listen, even when you hear preachers preach about this topic…its more about what we leave behind, right? But listen to me…for believers, legacy, it goes far deeper than that. Its not just what we leave people…its what we leave in them…its about faith, and values, and character, conviction.

And listen, when it comes to things like marriage or family, the stakes, they’re even higher. Every couple builds a legacy, whether they realize it or not. And so, the question’s not, “Will I leave a legacy”…its, “What kind of legacy will it be?”

Listen, when I think about legacies…I think about people like Paul, right?

2 Timothy 4, starting in verse 6…Paul tells Timothy:

2 Timothy 4:6–8 ESV

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 race, I have kept the faith. Henceforth 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.

Paul’s life…his legacy, its continuing to impact people today.

Or what about Timothy’s mother and grandmother?

Paul tells him in 2 Timothy chapter one that it was Lois and Eunice that had impacted Timothy’s faith the most.

When I think about legacies…I think about my grandmother’s faithfulness. She prayed for me daily, but she never got to see the fruit of God’s work in my life. She believed, with every ounce of faith, that God would use me all for His glory. She never got to see the fruit of the legacy she left behind for me or her other grandkids. Her legacy continues to impact me to this day. The life she lived…the words she spoke…the ways she responded to trials in her life.

Legacies of faith, when we live lives worthy of the gospel…knowing and trusting how God’ll use them after we’re gone…our legacies, they have the ability to bless generations to come.

Voddie Bauchman, concerning our roles within the family, especially as moms or dads…or as grandparents…he said, “The most important thing you do may not be something you do, but someone you raise.” Listen, that’s as true for the marriage that shapes those children as it is for the children themselves. A godly marriage and a godly family, those things become the soil in which the next generation of disciples grow.

Alistair Begg, another of my favorite pastors…he said this, “The Bible is very clear that one of the greatest evangelistic tools we have is the Christian family.” Your marriage and your family, is a witness for God. Your relationships with one another, the ways you interact…what you care about within those relationships…those things preach a sermon every single day to the people around you…to your kids, to your neighbors, to your church…to a watching world.

And listen, while your legacy will impact people later, when your earthly life’s done…what they’ll see later, its what they see today…which is why I’ve brought us to Psalm 128 this morning. Its a very compelling, hope-filled picture of what it looks like to build a godly marriage that impacts generations. It’s not a marriage that’s perfect, but its one planted in the fear of the Lord and its one grounded in daily obedience to Christ. And listen, what this passage shows us…when we begin to care about our legacy…when we steward that well today…the blessings God promises in this passage, its not temporary…its generational.

And so, if you’re there with me in Psalm 128…lets stand and read this passage together. It says this, starting in verse 1:

Psalm 128:1–6 ESV

Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways! You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you. Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table. Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord. The Lord bless you from Zion! May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life! May you see your children’s children! Peace be upon Israel!

Thank you, you can be seated.

[Prayer]

If you’re taking notes…I have three points for us as we walk through this passage together…number 1, Legacy begins with reverence…number 2, Legacy is grown in the home…and number 3, Legacy extends beyond your lifetime.

Listen, as we walk through this together…I want you to understand that before we can talk about ministry outside the home…like ministry in the church or on the mission field…we have to consider our ministry within the home. Before we can aim to make a difference in the world, we have to ask ourselves if our marriages and if our families are making a difference in the home.

Psalm 128…its a call and its a promise…for every person…for every couple that longs to leave something eternal behind.

And so, if you’re there with me, let’s dive into this first point together.

I. Legacy Begins with Reverence (v. 1)

Legacy begins with reverence.

Look at verse 1 with me again. It says:

Psalm 128:1 ESV

Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord, who walks in his ways!

Listen, a godly legacy, it doesn’t start with a plan…or success…or even strong family values. A godly legacy, it begins with reverence…a deep and holy fear of the Lord.

Here in the opening verse, the psalmist sets the stage or the foundation, not just for a godly marriage…but for a generational legacy. He says, “Blessed is everyone who fears the Lord.”

That word “blessed” in the Hebrew…its not about receiving anything or about having life go smoothly for us. This word, its describing this deep, God-centered well-being…its a kind of soul-level flourishing that only comes from living a life in alignment with God’s will.

This blessing, its not tied to any kind of circumstances…or wealth…comfort…its a covenantal blessing…a blessing that flows from a genuine relationship with God. It’s not a blessing earned by works or anything we do…its a blessing experienced as we walk in His ways.

Charles Spurgeon, he put it this way:

“[This blessing] It’s not outward prosperity which makes a man blessed; but a quiet conscience and the hope of heaven.”

And so, we have the word “blessed,” and then we have the word “fear.” And listen, this word “fear,” its important to understand, its not about us being scared of God. God’s not unpredictable or cruel. This word, its conveying a holy reverence…its an awe…a deep respect for God. Its the kind of fear that causes someone to bow low, to recognize the majesty and authority of God.

Listen, for you to fear the Lord, its for you to acknowledge His rightful place as King over your life…and its to respond with humility, and obedience, and faith.

In the context of marriage or the family, it means that husbands…and wives…children, all of ‘em, they live under God’s rule…not just individually, but together…in a way God’s designed for them to live.

Fearing the Lord within your family context or within your roles…first, it means you’ve dethroned every other god in your life…which in most cases, its ourselves. It’s getting past what you think is right or just…its getting past what you want or what you desire. It’s focusing on God’s Word…its living your life according to what God’s prescribed…not because its always what you want but because it’s all ultimately come from God. That includes things like what we’ve talked about…things like marriage or instruction…worship. You might disagree, for example, with what the Bible lays out for things like marriage…but having a genuine fear of the Lord…a genuine awe for Him…it means you walk in His ways no matter what…in the ways His Word lays out. Fearing the Lord, its respecting the fact that He knows best even when it fights against everything your flesh says…and listen, its walking in His ways regardless of what you think.

Look, I know I’ve said some things people’ve disagreed with over the past several weeks…especially concerning marriage…and listen, I know some of those things can be divisive. But fearing the Lord, its getting past what you think is right and its submitting yourself to what His Word lays out.

I don’t mean this to sound ugly…because I do care about your feelings…As your pastor, I wanna comfort you through your trials and through your own sanctification…but guys, I want you to understand, its more important for you, as I shepherd you…its more important that I speak God’s truth to you in all areas of your life…especially in things like marriage and family. And some of us, we have problems with things I’ve preached…not because of some Scripture that contradicts what I’ve said, but because we have a problem actually fearing the Lord…we can’t get past our feelings! We make excuses. “Well pastor, you just don’t understand my situation!” It’s like we don’t believe there’s actual power in the gospel and in the Spirit of God to redeem our situations.

And listen, I said this before…I understand a lot of us have walked through difficult things in our past. Some of us are walking through things now. And there’s grace and forgiveness in the gospel, right? We can’t forget there’s nothing Jesus cant’ redeem in our lives. But guys, our freedom in Christ (as Paul says in Galatians 5:1), it doesn’t give us the right to just do what we think is pleasing in our own sight. That’s how the people of Noah’s day acted. Our freedom in Christ, it should cause in us a fear of the Lord…a reverence for Him. And as we fear Him…as we trust Him, it causes us to walk in His ways. It causes us to shed what we think is right and just, and it causes us to put on His righteousness.

Spurgeon said this, “The fear of God is the death of every other fear; like a mighty lion, it chases all the other fears before it. Fear God, and you need fear nothing else…He said, “The fear of God is the cornerstone of all blessedness.”

And so, what’s this gotta do with our legacy? Psalm 128, it begins with the individual, right? “Blessed is EVERYONE who fears the Lord.” But understand the foundation the Psalmist is laying here…the effects of that reverence, it ripples outward into the home (v. 3), it impacts our community (v. 5), it impacts the next generation (v. 6). A marriage and a family rooted in the fear of the Lord, it becomes blessed…not because it’s easy…but because it’s anchored in something eternal.

Guys, that’s where legacy begins. It’s not great parenting techniques…its not some five-year plan…its a shared fear of the Lord…a holy reverence that leads to faithful living.

Listen, here’s one more quote from Charles Spurgeon. He said, “Where the Lord rules the heart, the home will soon feel the benefit.”

I want you to ask yourself this before we move on…In fact, I want you to write this down and just pray over this throughout the week, “Is your life…is your marriage…are those things marked by a shared reverence for the Lord?” Like, do you seek His Word? Are you praying together? Are you submitting to His Will? Again, not just individually, but as one flesh?

If you wanna leave behind a godly legacy, you have to start by living in holy awe of the God who writes that legacy.

Which moves us into our second point.

II. Legacy Is Grown in the Home (vv. 2-3)

As you begin to fear God, in a biblical way…your legacy, its grown in the home.

Listen, God’s design for legacy, its not just some spiritual theory…its take root in the everyday, practical life of the home.

After the psalmist kind of lays the foundation of having reverence for the Lord in verse 1, he shifts to describe how that reverence is played out in our daily lives…in our marriages, our parenting, our work.

Look at verse 2 and 3 with me again. It says:

Psalm 128:2–3 ESV

You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands; you shall be blessed, and it shall be well with you. Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children will be like olive shoots around your table.

Guys, pay attention to these verses…its talking about the home. This is where your legacy’s grown. Its not just in the big decisions you have to make…or the provision you provide…its not about your kids being happy…look at this passage, its through the quiet, faithful cultivation of God’s presence in your home.

We see a metaphor here, right? Verse 2, it says, “You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands.” And then it says the wife, she’s a like a fruitful vine…the children, they’re like olive shoots. The psalmist, he’s talking about the fruit of the legacy you build in the home.

Let’s look at this a little deeper…Verse 2, its not this promise of luxury. Its a promise of provision. When God’s honored in the home, He blesses the work of your hands…and that comes through contentment, and sufficiency…peace. It’s the complete opposite of how most of us live in this American culture…a lifestyle of anxiety where we hope to obtain things or achieve things by our own effort. A godly legacy, its one in which we see God for who He is…where we steward our labor in such a way that recognizes the gifts that God blesses us with. Its not one where we turn everything else into the gods of our life.

The psalmist says, “When you do this…when you steward the fruit of your labor…when you give God the rightful place in your life…when you remove all the other gods in your life and your family’s life…it will go well with you.”

Listen, some of us…it might not be going well with us…not because God’s necessarily punishing us…but because there’s no fear of the Lord, and as a result, God’s kind of taken the backseat in your life, right? And if that’s you…if you’re honest, you’ve probably not stewarded your responsibility as dad or mom, husband, wife…you’ve probably not stewarded that well, you’re reaping what you’ve sown…The blessings that the psalmist is talking here…it being well with you…you walking in God’s will…it takes you, going back to verse 1, walking in His ways…prioritizing Him.

Look at the next verse…continuing with this fruit metaphor.

“Your wife, [she] will be like a fruitful vine within your house…”

The vine, all throughout the Old Testament…in the Hebrew culture…it symbolized life and beauty, abundance. A lot of times…Israel was referred to as the vine. Only through them, could you have life abundant because only through them was there the ability to have a relationship with the one true God.

That’s why Jesus says in John 15:1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.”

And listen, if you’re a gardener yourself…I’m not, I had to research this stuff…but a fruitful vine, it doesn’t just produce fruit…it nurtures, it supports, it gives life to the fruit. And so, in the context of the home, a fruitful vine…the wife, because if you’re paying attention…nurturing and supporting in this way, that’s the woman’s responsibility in the home. It’s a divine responsibility…In the context of the home, a fruitful vine, it fills the house with joy. The wife in this picture, she’s central to the home…she’s flourishing in this role…And this fruitfulness, its the result of her husband honoring her…a husband who’s blessed because he fears the Lord…because He’s building a foundation around God and His precepts.

And so, in speaking to dad’s and mom’s this morning about your legacy…understand that how you act out your role in the home, as husband and wife…it’s not just building your legacy…its shaping your children.

J.C. Ryle, he wrote this, “Fathers and mothers, you are training your children for heaven…or for hell.” He said, “[Things like] instruction, example, habits, prayers…none of these are to be lightly esteemed as instruments in the hands of the Holy Spirit…Let it be a settled principle in our minds that the home is the chief place where character is formed—and that the godly home is the best and earliest school for Christian life.”

Which moves us into this verse 3, “Your children will be olive shoots around your table.”

When I first looked at this, I had no idea what an olive shoot even was…but an olive shoot, it takes years to mature and it takes years to actually become fruitful. The metaphor here, its showing children surrounding the table…they’re not scattered, they’re not distant…they’re gathered in the warmth, and the discipline, and the love of the husband and the wife.

But even more than that…these shoots, they’re surrounding a more aged and decaying tree…the moms and dads, right? They’re upholding, they’re protecting, they’re embracing the main vine from which they bear fruit.

Guys, pay attention to this…going back to husbands and wives for just a moment…because that’s the foundation of this passage…a godly marriage, it doesn’t just provide stability in the home…it gives spiritual nourishment to the next generation.

Legacy, its not just something you build out in the world. It’s something you grow at the table, in the home, day by day, with faithfulness and intentionality as husbands and wives…taking your roles and responsibilities seriously…because ultimately you care about what your children and what others think about God…and you care about what they’ll remember when your life’s over; hoping that your life points them to Jesus.

Listen, I want you to write this down with the other question I just gave you. “What kind of spiritual culture are you cultivating in your home?” Like, is the Word present in your conversations with each other? Do your children see you living faith…and not just on Sunday mornings? If you died today, have you built a godly legacy in your home? Would it impact the people God’s called you to?

Your legacy, its so important not just to yourself…its important for the next generation.

Which moves us into our last point.

III. Legacy Extends Beyond Your Lifetime (vv. 4-6)

Legacy, it extends beyond your lifetime.

Guys, I just wanna say something before we dive into this last passage…, “We have to stop being selfish with our life.” This life, its not about us…its was a gift given to us by the Creator of the universe…and it was meant to be stewarded well.

You hear the phrase “words have power” all the time, right? I would argue, your life and your legacy…that’s where your power lies.

Look at verses 4 through 6 with me again. It says:

Psalm 128:4–6 ESV

Behold, thus shall the man be blessed who fears the Lord. The Lord bless you from Zion! May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life! May you see your children’s children! Peace be upon Israel!

Listen, the psalmist here, he closes this psalm with a pretty awesome picture. He’s giving us a picture of legacy…a godly legacy that extends beyond the individual and even beyond the family. The person who fears the Lord, not only are they gonna see blessing in the home…but according to the text, they’re gonna see it in their community…they’re gonna see it in their nation…and guys, they’re gonna see it in the generations yet to come.

Listen, its a legacy that outlives you! God’s design, its not just to bless your marriage or your family for your own enjoyment…He means to multiply that blessing, outside the home, all for His glory.

Guys, that’s just the fingerprints of God. Its what we see all throughout Scripture. We saw it in Genesis 12, right? Where God told Abraham that He was gonna bless the nations through him and his family.

We see it in our memory verse, Deuteronomy chapter 6:

Deuteronomy 6:5–9 ESV

You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise (Right? All in your home!). You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates (So outside the home).

It’s God’s design…its His fingerprints, all throughout Scripture!

The psalmist says, “May you see your children’s children…”

Guys, this is more than just a poetic phrase…its a promise of continuity…its a promise of seeing faith carried forward…to the next generation and the next generation. A godly legacy, its aim…its not just about a happy retirement…its aim is for righteousness, for God’s glory!

Augustine, he said this, “He that teaches his son teaches not only his son, but his son's son, and so onward to all generations.”

When you raise your children in the fear of the Lord and when love your spouse with Christlike faithfulness, you’re influencing people you may never meet…that’s the point of our legacy! And just like everything else God gives us…its meant to be stewarded well.

Do you care how your life will impact people you may never meet?

Going backwards here…the psalmist says, “May you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life!”

The idea of Jerusalem here, its meant to remind us that our private walk with God, the spiritual health of our families…those things aren’t isolated. God intends the fruit of our obedience, He intends for that to overflow into the life of the church and into the life our community.

Origen of Alexandria, he wrote this, “If each of us fulfills his duties in his own household, the whole Church will flourish. For the peace of the Church begins in the peace of each Christian home.”

Listen, the mention of Jerusalem here in verse 5, its shifting the focus outward. A marriage and a family that’s rooted in the fear of the Lord…it doesn’t just bless them, it contributes to the prosperity of the wider community, it contributes to the covenant people of God. When dad’s are leading in their homes…when they’re loving their wives like Christ loves the church…When wives are submitting to the leadership of their husbands…when they’re respecting their husbands…When kids are honoring mom and dad…all of us, as a whole, we’re blessed because of that!

When our individual homes reflect Christ, the church becomes stronger…our communities become more stable…and listen, as we do that…and as we begin to care about the legacy we’ll leave behind, the gospel gains creditability to a watching world.

Listen, the psalmist…he ends with the word peace (shalom in the Hebrew)…which isn’t just the absence of conflict…its the presence of wholeness…of justice…harmony…its us flourishing, together, under God’s reign. When a marriage and when a family, when they’re built on the fear of the Lord…it leaves behind not chaos or confusion…but (shalom) peace.

Psalm 128, its not just ending with a blessing…its showing us a great vision. A vision showing us what a godly legacy builds…It builds something eternal. If your marriage honors Christ…if your family is grounded in the fear of the Lord…your home and eventually your legacy, it becomes a channel of divine blessing for generations to come.

Closing

And so, listen as we close…I have one more question I want you to write down… “Are you investing, right now…in a legacy that’s gonna outlive you?”

Are we praying not only for our kids…but for their marriages…their faith…their impact…their kids and grandkids? Are we helping to build the church, right now…through our homes?

Are you investing in a legacy that’s gonna outlive you?

Guys, don’t chase after temporary happiness…don’t settle for those things…Build, right now, for eternal impact. Leave behind more than just possessions…leave a pattern of godliness.

Would you bow your head and close your eyes with me?

Psalm 128, it doesn’t just give us a poetic picture of family life—it gives us a spiritual blueprint for legacy. It reminds us that a marriage rooted in the fear of the Lord, it becomes a wellspring of blessing, shaping future generations and even the world around us.

The truth is, everyone leaves a legacy. But the question is: Will yours lead people closer to Christ, or farther away from Him? Will your marriage model covenant love? Or will it be that of cultural convenience? Will your children and grandchildren inherit faith—or will it just be furniture?

Listen, you may never write a book, you may not preach a sermon, you might not plant a church. But if you raise godly children, if your marriage reflects Christ’s love, if your home is a place of peace and prayer—you are leaving a legacy that echoes in eternity.

And so, ask yourself this today: What will my children remember about my faith? What will my grandchildren inherit from my legacy? What story is my marriage telling about God?

Let Psalm 128 be your vision. (I love that hymn “Be Thou My Vision,” right?) Build for the generations yet to come.

But listen, maybe you’re listening this morning and you're just feeling the weight of regret. Maybe your home hasn’t looked like Psalm 128. Maybe your marriage is broken, maybe your past just feels too messy to leave behind anything but pain.

Here’s the gospel—through four simple words:

Bad: We were made to walk with God, to reflect His image, to leave behind a legacy of worship. But we’ve rebelled. We’ve chosen independence over intimacy. We’ve sinned—and that separates us from the life we were made for. And according to the Bible…all have sinned…and wages of that sin, its death. That’s the bad news.

Worse: We can’t fix it ourselves. No amount of moral behavior, or religious effort, family success…none of it can erase our guilt or change our hearts. If we leave it to ourselves, our legacy, its nothing but death. That’s the worse news.

Good: But God…God in His mercy, sent Jesus — the only perfectly obedient Son, the only sinless Bridegroom — who lived the life we couldn’t live, He died the death we deserved, He rose again to give us new life. He came to do what we could never do and He took on sin and death for us. That’s the good news.

Best: When we turn from sin and trust in Jesus, we’re forgiven, we’re adopted, we’re made new. And not only that — God begins writing a new legacy through us. One of grace. One of generational hope. One that no failure or past sin can erase.

The gospel doesn’t just save your soul — it transforms your story. And through Christ, your legacy, it can begin today.

And so listen, whether you’ve walked with Jesus for decades or you’re just now realizing your need for Him, the invitation is the same: Start building your legacy today — on the foundation of the fear of the Lord and the grace of Christ.

Let your marriage be a testimony. Let your home be a light. Let your legacy bring glory to the One who gives it all meaning — Jesus.

And so, you take this time…respond as the Spirit leads…and I’ll close us in just a moment. I’ll be at the back of the sanctuary, if you need me…the deacons’ll respond if you’d like to pray up front.

And so, you take this time to respond to the Word of God!

[Prayer]