Review
Ephesians 2. I've shared two messages on a theme called Legacy.
Legacy is what you leave behind after you. First we shared about legacy, and some aspects of it. Then I spoke on receiving legacy from others, and how that, not only does God directly give to us, but He gives to us indirectly through people, and He brings people into your life that you can draw from.
We shared how to draw from someone, who has obtained something in God, which can give you a head start. You don't have to learn everything from the start; you can get near to people who can impart to you things that they have learned.
Introduction
Now this time I want to speak on Leaving a Legacy, and then lastly Your Legacy in Christ - what Christ has made available, for you and me to take hold of.
Main Message
Ephesians 2:10 – “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them”.
I love this scripture - before you were thought of, before you came into this world, God had already planned some unique things for you, to accomplish with your life. Think about that.
You may have come into a troubled background, difficult circumstances, but God had designed you for some unique things to accomplish with your life. He prepared them for you.
Everyone here has the power to influence people. Everyone can make a mark on the life of other people. Intentionally or unintentionally, you are leaving a mark on the people that you are interacting with day by day.
Your legacy is what you leave behind to others. When you get to the end of your life, you think about your life, and people will say things about you.
At funerals, people say all sorts of wonderful things - sometimes exaggerated. It’s better if you were actually told those things on the way through; and better still, if you thought ahead what kind of legacy you want to leave - what sort of mark you want to make with your life.
I saw one exercise, they said this: Imagine if you were at your own funeral, what do you want your spouse to say about you? What do you want your family to say about you? What would you want your friends to say about you? What would you want your workmates to say about you? In other words what you want left behind? Think about it, then apply yourself to living that kind of life.
We see in this scripture here, that God has created us to accomplish something.
Another scripture in Matthew 28 - Jesus' last words to the church, I'm going to paraphrase it: Leave a legacy of faith.
Leave a legacy of faith - because if you don't, the church will die out.
“Make disciples of all men, teaching them to obey all that I've commanded you”.
The mandate to the church is not a suggestion. This is a mandate to us: leave a legacy, of the life you live, in the lives of others. Be intentional about sharing your life in Christ with those around you.
I want to share three areas you can leave a legacy...
I was reading an article by a nurse, she has done bedside care for dying people, and she recorded the five wishes that were most common in people that she nursed, who were dying.
Over many, many years, she'd cared for people who were dying, and she asked them this question: “If you could live your life again what is it you would change about your life? What regrets do you have; or what do wish that you could change?”
At the end of people's lives, they become clear about what's important; and these five things she recorded were the most common answers. In fact one of them was spoken almost every time by men.