After You Die -What Will They Say?

I. Introduction

Have you ever wandered through a cemetery?

Strange question, not something that people do for a night out on the town or even on a first date. It's not something that I have heard teenagers say is top on their list of things to do on a Saturday night.

I perhaps have more opportunity than most people to be in a cemetary.

Sometimes I have the chance to look at some of the headstones. There are two interesting things that I have noticed.

First, most often the headstones only have the person's name on it and when they were born and when they died.

Second, if there is an inscription it often has something to do with family. Not a bad thing to have on a headstone.

But, as I look at these stones I often ask myself the same questions ...

Who was this person?

What did they do with their life?

What did they believe?

What did they stand for?

THIS MAY BE A PLACE TO TALK ABOUT THE DASH

I am reading a very interesting book called, "The Four Seasons of Leadership" by David Neidert. In this book he talks about life and what we do with it. One of the questions he asks in this book is, "What will be your legacy?” Another way of saying that is , “What is it that people will say that you accomplished with your life?”

After you die - what will they say?

For teens this is a question that is seldom asked. After all aren't all teenager’s immortal.

Yet we must ask this question at every stage of our life.

We must always be looking to the future.

We must always be looking down the road to our destination.

We must always be asking ourselves if I want to be a certain place in ten or twenty years what do I need to be doing now.

That was the advice of the author of "The Wealthy Barber". A book on developing your financial future. One of the things that he said over and over again was this, ' If you want financial security at retirement you have to start now.

- use the example of the twins and $6000 investment.

High school students are discovering the truth of working now for the future also. Maclean's magazine publishes their yearly "scoring of universities". One of the articles a number of years ago in their “Universities” edition talked about scholarships. It said that there are literally hundreds of scholarships available, but students need to begin to start in grade 9 to prepare to get them. There is one scholarship that will pay expenses for all of the undergraduate years. Yes, marks are important, but this scholarship also looks at how a student has participated in school and community activities. Have they been taking leadership in things that they do?

(aside - in our upcoming enewsletter I will be posting a great Canadian website offering a large number of scholarships for university and college students. It is still not too late for those going to university or college next year. You can subscribe to our enewsletter by emailing - [e-mail]. In the subject line write - ADD ME TO IN THE LOOP)

Finances, scholarships, careers, retirement all take planning and looking to the future.

So, why is it that we don't put the same effort into reaching our full potential as human beings?

Is it not because we have never taken the time to ask, why are we here? What am I to do with my life? What will be my legacy?

After I die, what will they say I lived for?

Today, I need to set something straight. God has a plan for humanity. God calls us to participate in that plan. But, God has not planned out every second of our lives. He has given us the freedom of choice. We can participate in the greatest purpose of all - participating with God in the renewal of our world. No greater purpose exists. Or we can lower our sights to finances, career, family, and fame

However, if we participate in God's reconciling love it does not mean we can not be successful in finances, career, family or fame.

Think of it this way.

Will your legacy be, "Wow he had a lot of money" or will it be, "Wow, looked how he used his wealth to show God's love!

Will your legacy be, "she was the first female prime minister" or "see how she used her position as Prime Minister to show God's great love for people"!

Will your legacy be, he was the greatest baseball player, or she was the greatest athlete that ever lived, or will it be They used their God given athletic abilities to their fullest.

Will your legacy focus on you or what God has done in and through you?

Today, right now, right this second is the day to decide. It doesn't matter about how or for whom or for what you have been living up to this point. we have a wonderful God of new beginnings.

Today, You can begin to work on a new legacy.

That is exactly what happened to one of Jesus' disciples. He not only had a new beginning, he had a name change to remind him about it.

Listen to our bible reading for today!

Acts 9:10-22

II. Mission Statement

Acts 9:15 ESV

But the Lord said to him, “Go, for he is a chosen instrument of mine to carry my name before the Gentiles and kings and the children of Israel.

Down through the centuries, God has called particular people, at particular times in history, to do particular tasks.

But, generally speaking in the coming of Jesus and the giving of the Holy Spirit, God has done something new.

Yes, He still calls particular people, at particular times to do particular tasks, but today, he has placed a new kind purpose on the hearts of all who believe in Jesus. He has given to all who believe a general mission statement...

We call it the Great Commandment and the Great Commission . And we need to engrain it in our minds and post it on our washroom mirrors, tattoo it on the back of our hands - OK TATTOOING MIGHT BE GOING A BIT TOO FAR, but you get what I am saying.

Listen to them again...

Matthew 28:19–20 ESV

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Matthew 22:37–39 ESV

And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

These are foundational for all Christians.

But hear this! God does not say to every person you must become a Pastor or Priest.

He does not say to every man you must become a monk or to every woman you must become a nun.

This is the wonder of the abundant freedom that God has given to us. What he says is this, "Become whatever it is that will use your skills, talents, and abilities to their upmost, and in the middle of that fulfill the great commandment and great commission.

You want to be a doctor or nurse or work in an other area of medicine - go for it, but in the midst of it fulfill the great commandment and the great commission.

You want to be a stay at home parent - go for it, but in the midst of it fulfill the great commandment and the great commission.

You want to be a trades person - go for it, but in the midst of it fulfill the great commandment and the great commission.

You want to have a career - go for it, but in the midst of it fulfill the great commandment and the great commission.

God calls each us to write our own mission statement. He wants each of us to clearly articulate what we are going to do with our lives and where we are going with our lives. And the center core of that mission statement is to be the fulfill the great commandment and the great commission.

If you are not a Christian person then you can wander through life without a personal mission statement.

If you are a Christian, then a personal mission statement is absolutely necessary because it will form the foundation of your legacy.

And I believe this, if you have a clearly articulated mission statement, then after you die when people are at the funeral reception they will be able to quote it!

Yes, I remember her, she strove to be the very best... and in the midst of that she demonstrated an overwhelming love for Jesus. You know it was because of her that I became a Christian.

We have a Mission Statement for our congregation here at St. Paul’s. - do you know it, can you repeat it?

THE REASON WE EXIST AS A CONGREGATION IS:

… to carry on and promote Christ's work of reconciliation in the world by:

1. Introducing Jesus Christ to those who do not know and love Him,

2. Deepening the faith and commitnent of those who already know Him,

3. Demonstrating Christ's way of love and service to the world.

This is what we are about as a congregation. When someone wants to start a new ministry or program here at St. Paul’s, we need to ask only one question, "Does it help us to fulfill our mission statement". If it does then we need to encourage and enable it to happen. If it does not then we need to put it to one side. Nothing should distract us from accomplishing our mission statement as a congregation. Nothing should sidetrack us from accomplishing our personal mission.

You see a mission statement whether it be that of a church or an individual gives the direction in which you move. It helps to focus your energy and effort. It is to function like a telescope, it brings the distant horizon into clear view.

Without a mission statement an organization or an individual is driven by the circumstances of life. They become like the bumper car at the fair that bumps and bangs about but doesn’t really go anywhere.

Within each of us as Christians lies the great commission and the great commandment crying to be released in a particular way in our lives.

We need to set them free in a special way particulary to us.

We need to Liberate them in a way that is unique to us.

The most fulfilling and liberating experience in life is when you discover that reason for being, when you discover your mission statement and most importantly when you begin to live it.

What is it that God has placed on your heart for you to do with your life as you allow him to move in and through you to accomplish the great commandment and the great commission.

When the noise of the crowds and the business of the day fade into darkness, leaving you alone with your own thoughts, what is it that God whispers in your ear that stirs your heart and fills you with passion.

PAUSE

It is never too late to write your personal mission statement (60, 70, 80). Friends, that is part of the grace of God.

And it is never too early to write your mission statement (in your teens or twenties). Details how you will seek to be used by God. And yes it might change as you pas sthrough different chapters of your life or it might remain constant.

Today, begin to write your mission statement and then set one or two goals for the rest of this year to help you move towards living out your mission statement. And it doesn't have to be long.

Mine is to help people reach their full God given potential. I do that as a Pastor.

Norman Vincent Peale talked about Positive Thinking...

Robert Schuller talked about Possibility Thinking.

For me its all about Potential Thinking. Helping others see their potential in Jesus.

What is it that God has placed you here to do for him in order that His purpose might be fulfilled in and through you?

Discover that, live it and you will be writing your legacy and that legacy is what people will say about you after you die.

What will be your legacy?

After you die - what will they say?