Leaving a Legacy

Introduction

Proverbs 13:22 ESV

A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the sinner’s wealth is laid up for the righteous.

Legacy is the mark you leave on someone’s life when your life is over.

Have you ever walked around a cemetery late at night to look at the names on the gravestones? Of course not, that would be extremely creepy?

Have you ever walked around a cemetery during the day to look at the names on the gravestones? Only slightly less creepy, but I have a point.

ILLUST - A tale of two tombstones.

One day our family walked through Fairview Cemetery in Boyertown. I was struck by how old some of the gravestones were. We noticed a pattern - Jan 13, 1908 - Rhoads Opera House Fire.

I began to wonder who these people were? What were their stories? Did I know any of their family members? How had their lives impacted them / our community?

This caused me to think hard about legacy.

What will your story be? How will you be remembered? What marks will you leave on the lives of those in your sphere of influence - your children, your friends, coworkers?

It’s never too early or too late to begin thinking about the legacy we will leave.

In the book of 2 Timothy, we have the account of Paul’s last correspondence. He wrote this letter while awaiting his execution and most likely from a Roman prison cell. He was writing to Timothy, his son in the faith, who is leading the church at Ephesus, the church Paul founded during one of his missionary journeys.

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.

2 Timothy 4:6–7 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.

Leaving a Legacy

We all leave a legacy. (6)

2 Timothy 4:6 ESV

For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come.

Death is inevitable and a legacy is lasting.

The question is not will you leave a legacy the question is, “What legacy are you leaving?”

American Author James Cabell:

“While it is well enough to leave footprints on the sands of time, it is even more important to make sure they point in a commendable direction.” ~ - James Cabell

**If you had to pick one word by which you would be remembered by those with whom you’ve had an impact - one word to describe your legacy, what would it be?

• You reputation is who you are supposed to be; Your legacy is who you are.

• Your reputation is what you have when you come to a new community; Your legacy is what you leave behind when you go.

• A reputation is made in a moment; A legacy is built in a lifetime.

• A single newspaper report or careless gossip can give you your reputation; but a life of toil gives you your legacy.

• Reputation is what men say about you on your tombstone; Legacy is what your children will live with for the rest of their lives.

Your life makes a difference.

Maybe for you, that statement alone is worth the price of the sermon. I know there are some of you that feel like you could be gone and not missed.

Every life matters and everyone has the potential to leave a legacy that makes a lasting impact for the gospel of Jesus and the good of others.

Hebrews 11:4 ESV

By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks.

Hebrews 11.

The Letter to the Hebrews The Faith of the Acceptable Offering (Hebrews 11:4)

So, the writer to the Hebrews says: ‘Although he died for his faith, he is still speaking to us.’ Moffatt comments: ‘Death is never the last word in the life of a righteous man.’ When people leave this world, they leave something in it. They may leave something which will grow and spread like a disease; or they may leave something fine which continues always to blossom and flourish. They leave an influence of good or ill; everyone who dies goes on speaking. May God grant that we leave behind not a germ of evil but a lovely thing in which the lives of those who come afterwards will find blessing.

**Will those around you be better off for having known you? Will your spouse be more flourished and fulfilled for having been married to you? What memories, stories, and lessons will your children be left with? Will following Jesus look more attractive to people because they knew you?

“While it is well enough to leave footprints on the sands of time, it is even more important to make sure they point in a commendable direction.” ~ - James Cabell

A good legacy requires intentionality. (7a)

2 Timothy 4:7 ESV

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

2 Tim 4

‘Fought the fight’, ‘finished the race’

These are not statements of accident.

Military

Sports

2

2 Timothy 2:3–5 ESV

3 Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus. 4 No soldier gets entangled in civilian pursuits, since his aim is to please the one who enlisted him. 5 An athlete is not crowned unless he competes according to the rules.

Paul is at the end of his life stating he has accomplished that which he set out to do.

Acts 20:24 ESV

24 But I do not account my life of any value nor as precious to myself, if only I may finish my course and the ministry that I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of the grace of God.

** Have you ever thought about what the aim of you life is?

If you aim for nothing you are bound to hit it.

Our default is to live life for ourselves.

“What we do for ourselves dies with us. What we do for others and the world remains and is immortal.” ― Albert Pine

To live simply for my story is small-minded and temporary. To live for God’s story is to be a part of something world-shaping and eternal.

ILLUST - no one ever accidentally has a retirement plan / inheritance

You can’t leave an inheritance if you spend it all on yourself - you need to intentionally be making deposits.

What happens when we are not intentional?

Judges 2:6–12 ESV

6 When Joshua dismissed the people, the people of Israel went each to his inheritance to take possession of the land. 7 And the people served the Lord all the days of Joshua, and all the days of the elders who outlived Joshua, who had seen all the great work that the Lord had done for Israel. 8 And Joshua the son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of 110 years. 9 And they buried him within the boundaries of his inheritance in Timnath-heres, in the hill country of Ephraim, north of the mountain of Gaash. 10 And all that generation also were gathered to their fathers. And there arose another generation after them who did not know the Lord or the work that he had done for Israel. 11 And the people of Israel did what was evil in the sight of the Lord and served the Baals. 12 And they abandoned the Lord, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt. They went after other gods, from among the gods of the peoples who were around them, and bowed down to them. And they provoked the Lord to anger.

** What are you intentionally doing to ensure that which has had a positive impact on your life - the Gospel - will have a lasting effect on the lives of those around you. What deposits are you intentionally making?

An intentional legacy requires a new scorecard. (7b)

2 Timothy 4:7 ESV

I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

Faithfulness is the new scorecard

Notice how Paul mentions nothing about his pedigree, his education, his religious accomplishments as a Pharisee. All that he has counted as garbage.

Philippians 3:7–8 ESV

But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ. Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ

Phil 3:7-

Not only does Paul NOT mention the accomplishments he had prior to becoming a follower of Christ, but at the end of his life when he is speaking about the success of his life, he does not even mention his accomplishments as a missionary, the miracles he performed in the name of Jesus, the churches he planted, or the souls won for Christ.

Instead, he says he has ‘kept the faith.’ Success for Paul was faithfulness.

Two observations:

Success is faithfulness.

Faithfulness is the new scorecard.

Legacy is not based on buildings or bank accounts it’s based on influence and people

The legacy built with material things will dies the same as you, but the legacy left with spiritual impact will have eternal effect.

Legacy is not left with landmarks it’s left with life Marks

Faithfulness does not always look like success.

**Paul was a church planter the first half of his ministry - are any of those churches still standing? The second half of Paul’s ministry was spent in prison - all he could do was write to those churches - how he must have felt that the wheels came off. Instead, he wrote - the BIBLE. In the dark places of pain Paul was able to leave the greatest legacy. 

**When faithfulness is the mark of success for life, it can redeem the stumbles, trials, and sufferings you’ve experienced and take what would otherwise be seen as failure and make it a God-glorifying success.

We are not rewarded when we Enter heaven we are rewarded at the end of the age when our legacy has had time to compile. Some of the least known on earth can leave the greatest legacy for heaven I even the first shall be last and the last shall be first

**What did you previously write down was the one word you hoped would describe your legacy? Would faithfulness fit?

Conclusion

Recognize your legacy.

Become intentional about the legacy you leave.

Change the scorecard.