Leaving a Legacy

Mike Connell

Legacy (1 of 4)  

Sun 26 Jan 2014 PM « Back to Top

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Throughout the Bible, inheritance is extremely important. It was so important that every 50 years they had the Year of Jubilee - if you lost your inheritance it came back to you, and you had another chance again.

The next generation can receive without paying the price. However, they do pay the price to expand it and increase it. They can walk into that legacy, or they can lose it.

God brings people into your life that you can draw from.

I want to share a series called Legacy - what we leave to the next generation. Genesis 13:15.

Has anyone ever been to the reading of a Will? It's kind of mixed feelings, because you're sort of sad - but there's a good part to it: Something has been left. Whenever there's a Will, someone died, and there's something to receive - and that's what we call the new covenant. The new covenant - someone died and left something for us to receive - so we're all participators in a new covenant.

Jesus said: “To whom much is given, much is expected”. In Genesis 13:14, God spoke to Abram: “Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are - north, south, east and west - for all the land which you see, I give to you and your descendants forever”.

Key words: “Lift up your eyes...” (and look). Get vision!

“... all which you see”. You can never come into something you don't see - you have to see it before you'll enter it.

“...I give it to you and your descendants”. When God is thinking about you, and putting something in your life - it's not just for you.

He's the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob - God thinks generationally. He thinks in terms of: what is given to you growing, and being passed on to the next generation - growing and expanding.

Throughout the Bible, inheritance is extremely important. It was so important that every 50 years they had the Year of Jubilee - if you lost your inheritance it came back to you, and you had another chance again. You were set free. You got your land back, and you got a fresh start.

That's how important inheritance is from God's point of view, and He wants us to understand our inheritance. He wants us to understand the things that have been provided for us through what Jesus did on the cross.

I want to make it quite a lot more personal as we walk through this. So God intended that the inheritance that was to be passed on to Abraham would be passed on and cultivated, so each generation would expand, or receive increase on, what had already been given. That's how God works. He always works that way. He wants to increase

Notice that Abraham had to see it; then he had to arise and walk into it. Its one thing to see what God has provided for you; but it requires a decision to step up and make it your own.

Abraham never had to fight for it. He had to believe God for it; and walk - change his life, to appropriate what God had given him. That's what inheritance is about (spiritual inheritance).

The process of transferring that spiritual inheritance is called Discipleship. Jesus did not say: “Go and build a big church”. He said: “Go and make disciples”.

He didn't say: go - and I'll make you famous; go - and I'll make you rich; go - and I'll give you a comfortable life; go - and I'll promote you, and do all these things. He said: go and make disciples. So the process whereby, what one person has, is passed on to another (spiritually), is called Discipleship

It's precious when someone passes on to us something that cost them, or was an important part of their life.

Deuteronomy 29:29. “Now the secret things belong to God; but the things which are revealed belong to us - and belong to our children forever.

Same principle: if God reveals something to you, it's not just for you - it's for your children. That's literally your own family first.

We have a mindset that: we leave the training our children up to the church - but that's only an hour or two hours a week - it's never going to work. We actually have to take on the responsibility of the discipleship of our family ourselves. God intends that whatever's revealed to you as a parent - it is passed on - it belongs to the children.

It says here: “...belongs to the children, so that we may do the works of this law”.

A legacy is firstly just property, or money, or something that is passed on from one generation to another; or one person to another. You could have a watch that's passed on, that belonged to your grandfather - something that was handed down to you.

Legacies can also be intangible, such as family traditions. You may have a legacy of family traditions - and some of those are good; some may not be very good at all. Family traditions, or family ways of doing things, or family values - these are things that can be transmitted from one generation to the other.

I look at Aaron and Julie, I look at their family, and I see a strong legacy imparted into their children. It didn't just happen. It was intentional, and their children are children to be proud of. They've risen up, and they're achieving at high levels. This is a great thing, to have a legacy passed on like that. That's a great sign of success as a parent.

Revelation is something that God reveals to you, and shows to you - and here's the thing to realise: God reveals it to you - that's free; but growing it and giving it to others will cost you something.

Anything that God reveals to you is intended to change how you live. It's not so you can come in and say: “this is a great teaching - this is great...” No, no, no, no - it's actually to change our life.

The teaching of the word of God needs to change how we live and do life; what you value, what you do. If you walk out of a meeting, but never stopped at some point to say: “God, what are You speaking to me about; and how do You want me to change? What do You want me to do...” – then you're not applying the word of God.

It says in Genesis that the inheritance was something that they should “walk into”. “...that we might do all the words of the law”.

God intends whatever He shows you to be passed on – the next generation can receive without paying the price.

Joy and I travel globally. We touch literally hundreds of thousands of people every year. We minister in many different countries. I have more invitations than I can possibly accept; and have the potential of increasing greatly what we do. That is not an accident; or something that ‘just happened’ because we're ‘special people’. There was a journey we took with God and this is the consequence - so going back to Aaron again...

Aaron has taken a journey with God; and the result of many decisions - Aaron's children are where they're at; and his marriage is where it's at. One of the things I notice about both Aaron and Julie is their faithfulness and diligence in every aspect of their life - it's carried on to their children.

The next generation can receive without paying the price. However, they do pay the price to expand it and increase it.

I can impart to you what God has given to me - I can show you what I've learned. I can show you things in an hour that took me years to learn. If it took me years to learn - and you can get it in an hour, then you've got something given to you, that cost someone else a price. However, for you to carry it, and bring it out to someone else - that will cost you.

So the purpose of inheritance is: God wants inheritance (or legacy) to go to you; and then you increase it, and enlarge it, so that it expands – that will cost you something.

For you to sit in the church, and receive the word of God week after week after week, and never touch a life with it means: you're squandering your legacy. You're not what God called you to do with it - to influence and impact the lives of people.

Jesus said: “Follow Me”. We can follow the world - opinions, offences, culture, values, family, parents; but Jesus said: follow Me.

He said: I will “make you”; or “you will change” – to become a person who is a “fisher of men”. He didn't say: an evangelist; He said: a person who can “impact people's lives”; or “attract people into the kingdom”.

Who am I attracting into the kingdom of God? Who am I intentionally reaching out to - to attract into God's kingdom? That means: the legacy I've been given - I'm starting to expand it; because legacy is expanded, or developed, as you pass it on into the lives of others.

I think of someone like Elaine Morrison, and Elaine doesn't have a high profile in the church, but I know her passion for evangelism, and just so many people over so many years that she has discipled in her home. She's taken what was given to her, and she has expanded it, by sharing it with someone else.

What God gives you is to be passed on; and the process of passing on or expanding what God has given you is called Discipleship and Growth.

Jesus said: “follow Me, and I will make you”. If you'll pursue Me, you will grow; and in your growing, the things which make you unattractive, the things which turn people off, are going to be stripped away from you; and you'll become a person who actually can influence people positively, in a way that helps them change their life for the better. If you're not attracting people to Him, then who or what are you following?

It says that: “the legacy is for children”. That word ‘children’ there is an unusual word, meaning: “the builder of the family”. Inheritance or legacy passes through families from one generation to another; but from a biblical point of view, it passes on to those who are ‘sons’ or will ‘build the house’ or ‘build the family’ of God.

One important foundation for receiving and growing legacy in the things of God is that you are committed to become a builder - become a son. That means to have relationships. That can be a bit of a shock to the church, because we tend to think of church as a place we just come, attend, hide in the crowd and walk away; but actually for legacy to be imparted to you, and to grow - requires connection and relationship.

Have a look at the men in the Bible who received great impartations. Elisha inherited a ‘double portion’, but there was a unique relationship between Him and Elijah, and there was a spiritual discipleship going on.

Think of the apostles who went out - they were discipled by Jesus. Paul and Timothy: Timothy carried the same anointing, same mantle, same flow, same ways that were on Paul - Discipleship. Silas did too.

However, church in the 20th Century has often centred around meetings, rather than around the intentional exchange of life, and changing how we do life; doing life together, and shifting how we do life, so we start to impact people.

That's one of the big shifts that'll take place in the future, because a fatherless generation desperately has needs of fathers and mothers from the body of Christ to help them grow.

Legacy passes on. I have watched hands being laid on people over the years. The conclusion I come to is that, in the majority of cases, whatever they got is gone in less than a week. However, where there's strong connection and relationship, they tend to carry what was given to them - not because of the hands being laid on, but also because of the connection and the relationship.

Timothy had received a gift through the laying on of hands; but his gift had become dormant - and it was his relationship with Paul, which allowed Paul to speak into his life, which got the gift active again. Without someone speaking into your life, it's likely that the gifts in you will become dormant. Even if you receive, it's likely to become dormant without the stimulation of relationships in a small group, and being positioned so someone can speak into your life - so you are stirred in your walk with God, and stirred and activating what God has put in your life. That's how it works!

I've watched people come up (for laying on of hands) - and believe me, it's a great thing to come up and get the hands laid on; but I have seen over the years, very few carry what they went up for - and there's a reason for it. We want to try and overcome that reason, and we want to help you by sharing out of our own journey.

Legacy can be lost. Legacy that was purchased by parents, can be lost in the next generation. Esau lost his inheritance. He was the eldest son, and entitled to inheritance; and the Bible says he lost it, because he did not place a value on what was his by legacy.

I wonder if you understand what God has built into this church, and into our lives; that you could eat of, and take, and it could be your legacy - because if it's not valued, it is lost, just like that. The next generation has to discover it all again. That's a terrible thing to have happen. God wants for us, in our season of life - our greatest challenge is to be able to pass on, and have others carry the things we carry.

Inheritance can be lost. Many children, when they get money from their parents, blow it! Parents have saved up all these years, pass the money on, and the kids’ just blow the dough, and it's a mess. You realise then, that while they were left a physical inheritance, they didn't have the value system needed to make it grow - so they just blew it all away, because they weren't thinking right - hadn't been really discipled or trained.

Next I want to share on some of the movements that God has made (historical movements), to show you that the things are revealed are ours - and then our next generations. If we go back through each major move of God, historically - God revealed things to people, to His church.

He wanted the church to receive it, change, and then carry it to the next generation. When He moved again, the next generation would receive it, change, and take it to the next generation - so God is in a journey of the church receiving; changing; and then moving on to the next flow that God wants to do. That's how it's always been.

Martin Luther came forward, and he spoke forth the truth that was revealed to him - that “the just shall live by faith” - that man is justified by faith, not by works. You've prayed the sinner's prayer, and you got saved - you were justified by faith. So what for him created an upheaval - the threat of prison, fear, the loss of life, and for many people, persecutions and death; for you - you just walk in, walk up the front, and receive it like that. It didn't cost you anything.

Think about the next move of God – Anabaptists. The Anabaptists taught that: after you've been justified by faith, you need to be baptised as a follower of Christ - baptised by immersion. Therefore, ‘infant baptism’ (sprinkling) doesn't count - you need to follow Christ, and express it like that. Many of them died for that truth - but you walked in the church, and no one threatened to kill you if you get baptised.

That was just something that you walked into, because someone paid the price. You walked into the legacy that someone bought - they paid the price. They could have believed it, done it secretly, and never expanded it - but when they started to share it, preach it, proclaim it, and take it out to give it to others - then they paid the price.

Always it's in the expansion of the legacy that you're given, where the price has to be paid. To get it isn't hard; actually to get it's incredibly easy - getting it is part of the legacy, part of your right, when you're connected properly with the Lord.

Consider the Holiness Movement - John Wesley. John Wesley brought a truth about holiness/sanctification - and there was a great move of God. He set up the Methodist Church. He was so hated and banned, that the only place he could stand to preach at one time, was on his father's grave. He stood on his father's grave; hundreds gathered around - and he preached off the father's grave. People fell out of the trees - slain in the spirit - the power of God came, and there was a huge upheaval against him. People paid the price for the holiness movement.

Think about 1906, the move of God; and Pentecost - outpouring of the Holy Spirit. Now you come into the church here, get baptised in the Spirit, speak in tongues - no problem to you at all. No one threw you in jail. No one locked you up in an asylum - but that's what happened to all the people in that move of God. They were criticised, they were told they were mad, they'd gone insane. They were locked up in insane asylums - all kinds of things happened; yet all over the world, there was this move: you'll be baptised in the Holy Ghost; speak in tongues; and flow in the things of the Spirit. For them, they used to wait on God for hours. We can just get it in just a moment's prayer - boom, it's ours! Every one of the generations had to pay a price.

In 1948 there was another move of God. The churches we would know: Apostolic, Assemblies of God, etc, came out of the 1906 move; but another group of churches flowed out of a move of God in 1948. That was called the “Laying-on-of-Hands Revival”. People who were in that laying of hands revival were treated as heretics. They were abused, they were put out of churches, they were criticised.

Nevertheless, God established whole new truths about the laying on of hands; of Fivefold ministry; the restoration of the tabernacle of David; the restoration of sons of God; adoption (spiritual adoption); impartation - a whole range of truths. They paid a price, so we can come into that real easy. However, to grow it - you've got to pay a price; because you've got to take what God has given and develop it.

There have been other moves of God, moves of the Spirit - and most of them have been quite local. There was the charismatic move (which was a global one), and that restored again the flow of the Spirit, the gifts - the home group ministry all fired up under that.

That become a very pastoral movement, and it was meant to change the churches; but in the end, with a lot of these movements when they come - some receive and go on; while others fight it. There's a conflict; then you find a parting of the ways, and something new starts.

In the last 50 years, God has been moving much more quickly; so in the 1950s what He started off (what was birthed out of the 1948 revival) was a restoration of the Five-fold ministries - the truth of it. In the 1950s, a whole group of evangelists began to rise up, globally - all over the world evangelists rose up - healing evangelists, great crusades. In America, and in every kind of country, there were great crusades; evangelists preaching the gospel; people being saved, miracles, wonderful miracles.

In the '60s, there came the whole pastoral movement - cell groups; and some of the charismatic men become the big thing. If you're in church, you went into a small group, you were in a cell group, and there was sharing and so on.

In the '70s there was the teaching movement, so people had teaching. Every church you went to there were teachers, you just got imbedded in teaching. What tends to happen is that church exaggerates the thing that God has given, and then loses perspective, or ends up polarised - that that's the deal and there's no more.

In the 1980s the prophetic movement started, so prophets began to emerge. There were prophetic conferences, prophetic training sessions, all kinds of things like that began to emerge. Then everyone thought the prophets were the big deal.

In the 1990s the apostles started to emerge - church planting, church pioneers; so it's quite clear that God has been doing something over 50 years.

The question you've got to ask is: what next? If you don't look and see what He's been doing, then you won't think He's doing anything. You'll just think: I'll turn up on Sunday; and you'll have no perspective. Without perspective you can't make good decisions.

We need God's perspective to make decisions and choices; so if God has been moving in that kind of way over the last 50 years - what is it moving towards?

Ephesians 4:11 – “He gave those ministries for equipping of the saints for the work of ministry”.

The big shift is not about apostles and prophets and pastors and teaches - it's not about them! It's about the people they're supposed to raise up - it's about you.

The next great move is the Day of the Saints - it's the day of God's people getting out of the church and doing something. That's where God is moving; that's what God is on!

You could say: “I just want to hold back and have lovely meetings, have prophecies and laying on of hands, and blah blah blah.” Go back to the '80s! If you want to stay there that's fine - but God moves on; and we become irrelevant - totally irrelevant.

Are we blessed? Yes - but we're not in the river of God, not in the flow where God is moving. God is clearly, making it clear globally, that in this hour - it's about visions and dreams; about people being equipped; going into the community; about works of mercy and compassion.

It's about going into the various pillars of society, and starting to make an impact where you are. It's about actually taking the life of God out of the church; so the church is about where you come to worship God and be equipped - and out there is where you do ministry.

There will be ministries - there are always needs in the family, chores to be done in a family; but the great work, is the work you do most of the rest of your life, which is out there with people - engaging with them. Are you a fisher of men, attracting people to Christ?

That's what God is on; so don't hanker for what He was doing. Begin to build on what He's done; start to move forward - start to get a hold of where God's moving, and say: “I want to be fully part of that!”

This is not age-dependent – the young ones resist it just as much as old ones do. The moves of God have never been dependent on age; so when God talks about a ‘new generation’, He's not talking about ‘how old you are’ - He's talking about your thinking!

You can be young, or be old, in your thinking. You can be young; but set in your thinking. You can be old; yet fresh in your thinking, sensitive to God, and say: man, I see what God is doing - bring it on!

Do we need change? Yes; but bring it on! Bring on what God is doing. That's the way we want to live; not fighting what God is doing, and standing against it (because in my opinion – “I don't agree with it”). That's what people do!

The Church is not the Kingdom. The Kingdom of God is bigger than the church - so let me just give you some perspective....

If someone leaves our church, and goes somewhere else - God's kingdom didn't diminish! Wasn't that good?

It may not necessarily be good for them, because where you're a part of is important for your spiritual development. If you don't understand the legacy, and what you can get hold of, and position yourself for it - then it doesn't matter where you go.

When I come back into this church, I just love the presence that comes - and the worship. There is something about it, every time - it's like water to me. I've been in great churches; but when I come here, God does something here for me, that I don't get anywhere else - and I love to be here and be back in it.

I want to share a scripture; then list some key things God has built in our life; and ask firstly whether you've made these part of your life; and secondly whether you're communicating any of these things to anyone.

Hebrews 13:7 - “Remember those who rule over you (or who lead you), who have spoken to you the word of God”.

Bring back into mind (or start to think again) about those who lead you; and who have brought you God's word. That's a pretty clear instruction, isn't it? You may not like that - but God says to “think about it”.

It says: “...whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct (or their life)”. The word ‘consider’ means: take another close look at. God wants you to closely look at people who lead you. Look at the end result of what flows out from the way they live their life. Look at every aspect of their life. It's not about the message - it's about the person.

The Bible commands us to follow people of faith; not people of offence - so how can you tell a person of faith? Do they just say: I love Jesus; I just brought this great prophecy; or preached a great message? No, that's not how you tell a person of faith.

You have to consider their lifestyle; and what, over a period of time, has resulted from it. Then that will indicate whether they're people of faith.

You're not called to necessarily follow a person. We're to follow Jesus Christ; but God works through people, and the thing you look for in the people is their faith. It says: imitate someone's faith - if they're a person of faith.

I was in one season of my life, and I looked around, and I said: God, I don't know where there's any men of faith - because every time I go to this conference, that we're a part of this movement - they all talk about people who: fell in immorality; failed in finance, this happened, that happened - I'm sick of all of that! Where are men of faith?

Someone told me about a man; and I listened, and I heard, and I heard: that's a man of faith. I need to connect - so I can grow in my faith! Faith has to do with you believing God - and experiencing His reality working in your life. So you look not just at whether the person has got a great personality - you look at the outcome of their life.

What has God built into our lives? God put into us is a legacy, which can become part of yours. I remember I was in a meeting in Indonesia, and there were about 2000 people; about 1000 come up in the altar call, it was just Dave and me there, and I'd asked them: please set it up so we do training first. After the training - then we've got leaders - more people to pray in the ministry team, then we'll get going...

There was none. They didn't do it. They just set it up so there's 1000 people there for prayer, just Dave and me. I said: okay Dave - this is your great day! I'm going to pray for half of them - you've got to do the other half. Here's your 500, here's my 500 - there's the line down the middle there.

Anyway I got praying, and there was a great move of God - the power of God came, people were being delivered - all sorts of things happening! I thought: oh Dave - I wonder how Dave's doing? I looked around and WHOA! People are down everywhere; and he's kept up - about the same level I am - and people are going down under the power of God, demons are coming out - people screaming.

I'd never seen him do that before; and I talked to him about it afterwards. He said: I realised three months ago, and began to pray, that what is on your life would become - it's my inheritance and I've a legacy in that. It can be on my life; and so he said: I began to pray for it to rest on my life. He saw the truth of legacy.

It comes not just to natural sons and daughters; it comes to spiritual sons and daughters. It comes to those who are connected in right relationship, who allow God to work through a person (or a man of God) to help them.

You're not to actually copy the person - you have to be yourself. God wants you to be unique; but we need people with skin on, to show us what faith looks like in real life.

We need people who model the life of Christ; so you can say: man, it’s good to be around that person! They're just pumping with faith - and I see the journey they've taken - and boy, there's something there! You can't explain it - it can only be God.

There are people who influence our lives. In another session, I'll talk about who those people were; and what we had to do to receive from them and grow it. I have taken what they gave - and made it bigger, expanded it, and greatly increased it. What they gave me was free to get.

I remember sitting in a meeting with a group of people, and I was the only one who took away what that leader had. It took time, I had to learn what to do, but God showed me what to do. I can share with you how to receive and grow what God wants to put in your life; but your part is to pay the price of developing it, and expanding it to others.

In this new season, my role now has to shift to be an equipper of people, but not leading activities and things in the church. Someone else needs to do that - who can motivate and mobilise. The next season is pulling up all the gifts that everyone has - finding out what God put in you, finding out the dreams and the visions in you, getting you to start to think about what God has put in you - and then to grow up so you can fulfil it.

Just because you've ‘got a dream’ doesn't mean you can do it. You do have to be prepared, and helped, and discipled in that; or grown into that. That is the next season - that's what God is doing.

Saints are being matured - you don't mature on your own. Lone Rangers become unusually weird strangers! They don't usually attract people very easily, because there's something ‘a bit strange’.

We work out our relationship with Jesus in the context of a small group, of connection in the church - that's why we all need to be connected into a group.

There are things which are built into our life, which are part of who we are. If I were to go somewhere else, and have to build another work, these things would all turn up there - because they're in me. It's DNA. It got in; and I want to share about (in another session) how it got in; how it got to grow; and how I managed to keep it, when most people lose it.

You've got to take the legacy. I can share with you what God has in this house for you; but your part is to receive - position yourself to get it; and grow it; and make it become your own.

I look at Pete Kirsten, who was in our church in Dannevirke - and now he goes out with his wife, and he carries strong faith; prophetic flow; and healing in the heart - he carries lots of things. He carries something that goes out into the world. Are they busy doing something in the church? No - because they've got a call into the world, to shape something in nations.

Sandy's up there now in the Philippines, where there's been the big storms. She's ministering up there to people in trauma. They have something to give - but you've got to learn to receive and build.

Here are some of the core things that got built into our lives; and they were built a certain way, they came a certain way.

1) Strong worship and praise; and 2) love for the presence of God. Wherever we go, I'm concerned about the presence of God, and about strong praise and strong worship. This is very high value - and it was built in. Our church has highly valued worship, and the flowing of God; strong prayer, strong and fervent prayer.

I learnt that - It became a part of my life. I got into prayer meetings where people prayed for an hour - and I could only do three minutes and I was gasping - but I stuck with it and learnt. We got it ‘built into us’ to pray strong prayer.

3) Hearing the voice of God become a vital truth. It was imparted - I've learnt how to hear the voice of God; not only how to hear it, but actually how to share with others how to hear it. So that's taking it from: hearing it myself; to actually knowing how to tell, and train, and minister to others. Hearing the voice of God is a crucial part - how can you do God's work, if you don't hear what He's saying?

4) The prophetic ministry. The first thing that I came into was the prophetic ministry. I look back, and every minister I was ever under was: prophetic; hearing the voice of God; or operating in the supernatural. I never served under any ministry that wasn't operating in the supernatural.

That's why the supernatural, the presence of God, hearing the voice of God, worship, praise, prayer; this is why this is important - because we paid a price to build it into our lives. You get the benefit of it, but don't necessarily understand that certain things that were built over time, that have been built into our lives - that's what's flowing in the house.

5) The ‘Father’ heart of God. I got revelation of God's father heart, of His immense love; and now wherever I go in the world, I carry the ‘father heart’ of God.

6) The whole area of kingdom authority, and rewards in eternity is one of the key drivers and motivators in our life. That's an invisible thing, because you don't see that, and I haven't talked a lot about that; but I'll show you that legacy is made up of firstly internal things - the drivers and motivators that make you do what you do, and get you going.

Also the external, which is the ministry - people see the ministry, and eat the fruit of your life - but they don't always know what motivates you to be that kind of person. You can eat the fruit of our ministry; however you need to know what motivates the kind of life, and values, and choices, that undergird being able to carry that.

Many people we've seen over years, they receive something, but they either can't hold it; or they fail, and fall, and go off the rails - because they haven't built a life with God, to hold what God wants to put in them.

That's why Jesus said: “Follow Me” - pursue Him – “I will make you...” I'm going to grow you. My desire is that you influence people, through the power of My Spirit, and the nature of My Spirit - but some things have got to come off your life.

You've got to change and shift and grow. You've got to deal with some stuff. You need to shift, but you don't have to wait until you've shifted to do something. Start now, and on the journey I'll grow you.

7) Developing the inner man. How to cultivate and develop the life of the Spirit - strengthen and develop the inner man for deliverance and healing. Wherever we go I minister on the ‘inner man’; on ‘deliverance and healing’; ‘inner healing’; ‘physical healing’; ‘Heart faith (faith of the heart - not just head knowledge). These are the things we built into our lives.

8) Spiritual warfare. We've had years of spiritual warfare. We've walked through things to build this church, which you would have no idea of, unless you also had engaged in spiritual warfare. I can teach you about those things, how to recognise them, what to do with them.

9) Global mission. Mission was birthed in us before we came here. It was birthed through an encounter and experience with God. It was birthed when I went to India for the first time. Ever since then it's something everywhere - it's in my heart. I love our city, and our community - but I have the world in my heart.

Dave and Kate will focus on the local community; but we still have the world in our heart. It's just not right that we contain our time here, when there are multitudes in need - and they take it and run with it so quickly.

That's why I'm raising the issue of legacy, because I've come to realise my time is short and valuable, and it needs to go where it'll produce. You will be thinking the same way too - especially if you're a bit older!

10) Grace. God has given to me a great understanding of grace - and a measure of grace and generosity. Grace and generosity are a part of our lives.

Here's the thing: those things that I mentioned to you - they are built into our inner make up; so wherever we go, they flow. I don't have to think: shall I do this, or do that?

I'm always thinking: kingdom authority; eternal perspective. I'm concerned about the presence of God, whether it's there or not. I'm concerned about demonic spirits coming in and creating havoc, and causing people problems. I'm concerned about the heart of people, and getting them set free; about people being in faith, and not just being ‘church people’.

All of those things I listed - they are part of who we are; and what is the heritage or legacy for this house. That's what gives it a flavour.

How many times have I run seminars on gifts of the spirits? Heaps of times - but how many of you flow consistently in it? How many times have we taught on Hearing the voice of God - but how many of you actually consistently are hearing the voice of God? How many times have I run a seminar teaching on Healing; and healing of the broken hearted; and deliverance - but how many of you actually are applying it, and are showing these things to someone else? We've taught you about prayer - but is your prayer life is almost non-existent?

Legacy is something you get free - because someone else paid a price. Being productive with what God gave you is where you pay the price.

In the coming season, the church will move from being centred around a strong ministry gift; and into the church arising and emerging into the community - with the saints beginning to arise in their gifts and their callings. This is where God is moving. This is where the life will be. This is where we need to move.

Not everyone will want that. Some prefer church where you've got a little kingdom - and we're important in that little kingdom; but that's not what God wants to build! He's doesn’t want to build important people in the church.

Jesus said: “Follow Me”. He didn't say: I'll make you to become an important person in the church. I'll make you very rich. I'll make you very famous. I'll make you very successful. He said none of those things.

He said: I will make you an attractor of people - someone who attracts people into My kingdom, because they see the life you live. They see the fruit of what God is making you; and they say: that's sweet - I would like some of that! How do I get some of that?

God wants to grow us; and break off our life stuff that causes people to be turned off. People don't want legalism; judgemental, religious people - they don't want any of that stuff.

They want to see Christ in you! That's why the Holy Ghost was put into you. The day is on us now, for the church to begin to arise and say: what has God put in my heart? What is God making me to be? What am I becoming?

God has raised ministries like Peter and Sandy, to help set people free in their hearts - but it's not all about healing. That's just a little bit to get you awakened, so you fulfil what God called you to do.

For some, they're drawn to that - well multiply it! Others will get the benefit of it. Eat it; then find what God called you to do - and passionately do it. Let the kingdom of God grow.

Don't be religious. It's about a life, a hidden life with God, that is impacting people - and you're called to it. It's in you to do it. Take hold of it!

Matthew 6:33 – “Seek first the kingdom of God, and everything else will be added to you”.

Luke 4:18 – “Oh the Spirit has anointed me”.

These are core things in our lives - and we live them; I want you to live them too. If you can't live them, then enjoy the fruit them - and invite someone else to eat the fruit too; but its better if you learn to live them, and reproduce them.

Closing Prayer

Father, we just come before You; we thank You for the great joy - that the Holy Spirit would come and live in our hearts; to make us great people - followers of Jesus; to inspire us, put visions and dreams; begin to empower us - so we can have an influence.

Our life can count - so when we get to the end of our life, we don't look back full of regrets. We look back and say: “Praise God for His faithfulness!”

What legacy are you building? What are you building to impart to someone else?

“A good man leaves an inheritance for his children's children” - so the good man's thinking generationally.

It may be you're just putting some values into your children - but don't wait until you're old. If you're just a young couple, start to think through what legacy you want to build in your marriage. If you've got a first child - begin to think what family values you're wanting to build.

Those children that come into your life are going to leave your life; and when they leave your life, will they look back and say: man, I thank God for mum and dad! They kept us on the right track. They built Godly values into us; or will they shake their fist at you and say: we really resent you for the way you've treated us - put everything else first?

Legacy has got many dimensions to it; and the first place is practical - in the family; it's financial; your values; what you're intentionally putting into your children.

If you're a parent, and your children are growing up, and they're in teenage years - don't leave it to the schools, and the church, to try and do the job God called you to do. Invest in your children.

I'm starting to put time in my grandchildren now, because it's valuable - they're valuable to me. I want them to have relationship; because out of that, there's impartation.

What are you building? Who are you sharing your life with - your life in Christ?

Are you in any group; or any connection - people that you share with, and have anyone speak into your life? Have you made it possible for anyone to help you in your journey to grow? Have you got anyone you're intentionally reaching out to?

Will it be said, at the end of the season, that you had such an opportunity to learn so much in God - but you never made any of it your own? What a tragedy!

Some of you may look back, and you made a lot of mistakes. It’s okay - God can redeem your mistakes if you're just honest - confess them to Him, and say: God, I've been so selfish. I've done so many things that were dumb. Lord, there's a lot of pain, but help me now to build a different future.

Think about your workplace. How many of you are thinking about what legacy you will leave in your work? When you finish up in that job; will they say: oh well, he's gone; or will they say: oh, what a loss! He brought such a river of life into this workplace - we loved having him here!

There was something different about him. He's a bit religious - we can't work out that side of him; but there was something really different, and good, and we liked that person. Influence the life of God.

Father, I just pray that in these coming days, that what we've laboured many years to build, will impart progressively and more deeply into people here; and the church will grow out into the community.

We pray Lord for grace on Dave and Kate, as they lead the work, and begin to find their feet and their strength; that Lord they will go much further than we did, and take what we did and take it where it needs to go - out there; that Lord the price we paid wouldn't be in vain, and they'll run with those things, inspire the church, carry a message of hope to our community. Amen.

I'd like you to pray for the person next to you, if you're comfortable to do that. Pray for a need, if they have a need - they could tell you the need; but why don't you pray that they will begin to grow like they've never grown before. That this next season in their life will be a time of growth, expansion, enlargement, increase. That God's hand would be on their life - giving them grace to do it. God bless you.

Summary Notes

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Legacy 28/01/14

1. Introduction
Gen.13:15 " Lift up your eyes now and look from the place where you are….for all the land that you
see, I will give to you and your descendants forever"
God is an intergenerational God…He thinks and plans generationally.
God intended the inheritance that was given to Abraham to be cultivated and passed on
God even established laws that ensuring inheritance was restored if it was lost. Lev.25
Both Old and New Testament abound in references to legacy.
The process of passing on spiritual inheritance is called discipleship 2Tim.2:2

2. Legacy: what is it?
Dt.29:29 "The secret things belong to The Lord, but those things that are revealed belong to us and our
children forever, that we may do all the words of the Law.
God establishes and builds His Kingdom by revelation…whatever He reveals to us ISPs to change that
way we live and to be a legacy to be passed on generationally

2.1 Definition:
Legacy is anything that is handed down from the past as a gift to us
Legacy can be tangible…money, property, buildings, accomplishments
Legacy can be intangible….wisdom, values, beliefs, experiences
Revelation…things that are revealed to us by the Spirit of God are eternal in nature and are intended to
benefit us personally and also for the benefit of others.

2.2 Spiritual legacy
Truths that God reveals are intended to change that way that we live our life
Revelation is not just for us , it is for successive generations
Jesus lived his life with the vision of a legacy left for all generations to come

2.3 Generational building
The next generation can freely receive what the previous generation built by their efforts, sacrifice, and
hard work.
The next generation must pay the price to build on, and enlarge what they receive.
Gods intention is that we give the next generation a head start…they build upon our shoulders

2.4 Legacy is for descendants
Children= OT 1129…. Builder of the family name
Every believer is called to be a builder….to advance the Kingdom of God.
God gifts all believers with spiritual gifts with this in mind 1Cor.12:7
Every believer is called to build our heavenly… fathers family. Sons are builders!
Relationship is foundational to legacy natural and spiritual
You build upon what you have received from being spiritually fathered

2.5 Legacy can be lost
Gen.25:34 "…sold his birthright to Jacob….thus Esau despised his birthright"
Gen.27:34" …he cried with an exceedingly great and bitter cry, and said to his father..Bless me - me
also oh my father"
Financial legacies can by easily lost by neglect or poor management
Spiritual legacy can be despised and traded away when it's value is not recognized.
Many fail to recognize and value the legacy passed on by natural and spiritual parents
They enjoy the blessing but fail to honor the source and build upon what they have been given.
Loss of legacy can lead to great bitterness and grief (Esau)

3. Movements of God in history
Acts3:21 " heaven must receive(Christ) until the times of restoration of all things which God has
spoken by the mouth of all His prophets since the world began"
3.1 Revivals
Progressively through history God has brought revivals. In all the major revivals truth was restored to
the church.
Eg. Martin Luther 1500s ,
Anabaptists. 1700s,
John Wesley1800s
Pentecostals 1906,
Laying on of hands 1948
Charismatic Movement 1960s
Christians paid a price to receive and live out those truths.
Many were tortured and put to death for the very truths that we can accept so very freely
Eg. Salvation by faith, water baptism by immersion, baptism in the Spirit
We need to see what God is doing in our hour and build forward upon the sacrifice of previous
generations of believer

3.2 Restoration
Eph.4:11 "and he himself gave some apostles, some prophets, some,evangelists, and some pastors and
teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of
Christ"

Progressively in the last 50-60 years there has been a restoration and emphasis of different ministries to
the Body of Christ
1950s Evangelists
1960s Pastors
1970s. Teachers
1980s. Prophets
1990s. Apostles
The next great move in the 21st Century is the day of the saints.
God is moving to release his people into the community to bring Heaven to earth in the different
mountains of culture
It means change! It means activating the people of God into their callings
The church is not the kingdom….it is a community that prepares people to represent Christ and to
advance his kingdom
Problems arise when believers:
a) think the church is the kingdom
b) think they have fulfilled Gods requirements by attending church
c) become consumers expecting Church to meet all their needs
d) consume the legacy won by the lives of others instead of being productive and advancing .

4. What God has Built into Us
The things that God has built into our lives over years become our spiritual DNA and legacy
It is made up of the seen and the unseen. What is seen are the blessings and river of gods favor and life
that flows out to touch many
What is unseen is what is built into our life over years choosing to respond to God

4.1 Inward Motivation (Unseen)
Matt.6:33 "Seek first the Kingdom of God…."
Values….beliefs….attitudes….habits

4.2 External ministry (Seen)
Luke 4:18 the Spirit of The Lord is upon me…"
The ministry flow to others that comes from the secret life with God
We paid a price for this to be built into our lives….a price to obtain and to hold and build
It didn't just happen! We made choices some big, but most small and daily.
We received from men of god and build upon what we received and enlarged it
Cf. Matt.25:8-9 " the virgins….go and buy from them that sell"… pay the price

4.3 Dimensions of the Spirit that we carry
Praise and worship Deliverance and healing
Strong prayer Developing the spirit man
Hearing the voice of God Spiritual Warfare
Faith Global missions
Prophetic ministry Grace/generosity
Father heart of God. Kingdom Authority

5. Personal Application
1. What has the Holy Spirit been speaking to you about in this session?
2. What have you received by way of a natural legacy? Eg. From family?
3. How are you building this into your life?
4. What have you received as a spiritual legacy from other believers?
5. How are you developing this, and passing it on to others?
6. What sacrifices have you made to hold and develop spiritual legacy?

Receiving Legacy (2 of 4)  

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A legacy is about creating memories and experiences together. It can be intentional; or it can be just by chance.

Every person is going to leave a legacy. The only thing you can decide on is: what it will be?

Will it be stumbling stones for the next generation; or blessings, and a way that they can go ahead?

Introduction

A legacy is about creating memories and experiences together. It can be intentional; or it can be just by chance.

As a family, we’ve valued building family experience. We've just had a week together, mother and sisters - and it's a bonding experience, an experience which may never repeat, but it'll last a lifetime.

The Bible tells us that good people plan inheritance (or legacy) to leave on to their children; so it can be intentional or unintentional.

I'll just explain legacy again; then I want to talk about how you receive something to pass on; and the ways that we can go about doing that. They're quite easily defined, and I want to share them out of my own experience.

Review

Every person is going to leave a legacy. The only thing you can make a decision on is: what it will be - whether it will be stumbling stones for the next generation; or blessings, and a way that they can go ahead.

Whether you give them a stepping stone, help the next generation forward; or whether your life is a reproach, and an offence - and when your name is mentioned people are embarrassed. We always make decisions about this.

The Bible tells us that a good person (or a righteous man) will plan and consider how he will leave a legacy - not just to his children, but beyond them to the next generation. I want to encourage you, as we're looking through this series, to think about your life; and what you will pass on, or what you will leave, to the next generation. Every one of us will leave something.

A legacy is what you stood for. It's how you lived your life; what you accomplished, or did with your life.

Every person who comes into this world is born with a plan and a purpose, designed by God; that you would leave something in this world, as a result of being here - not just bones in a box buried somewhere, but that your life would count for something - that your life would accomplish something.

The challenge is to discover: why did God place me on this earth; then bring me into relationship with Him? What am I called to accomplish with my life? What legacy will I leave behind me? Every one of us has to answer that decision; no one can decide this for you.

You decide what you will leave for the next generation. What we leave behind for the next generation can be tangible – property; money or shares; or personal items that were a treasure to you. You can leave some things which are tangible.

Maybe you've accomplished some great things - tangible accomplishments. When I depart this world, one accomplishment we have is a building, and a church that was not here, but has been built and established - that's a tangible thing.

The intangible ones are what have been built into lives - that go on and change them, and affect them forever. You can’t see it, but it's there and it's real nevertheless.

It can be values - certain kinds of values you stood for: integrity, honesty, hard work. Those are intangible, but they're very real. You can't see them, but you can see the impact that they leave.

Your reputation, or your character, is an intangible but very real legacy that you leave. Your name, the Bible says: “a good name is more to be desired than silver and gold” - the reputation. When people hear your name what do they think? What words come to mind when they hear your name?

Think about this: when you gossip about someone - you are stealing from them. You are stealing their reputation, and their name. You are a slanderer - and God requires an accounting for those kinds of things; so it's important that we consider the things that we're going to leave, and what we're going to establish in the lives of others.

The intangible things are how you lived your life, the values, the experiences. For us, it has been important in our family that we establish experiences together, that create memories that go on through into life. Things that you buy come and go, but the experiences you have together become lasting memories of shared life. They become a legacy to leave.

God's desire is that every one of us coming into this world leaves a legacy. He has gifted you to do that; and the great movement of God in this coming decade will be God's people arising, and beginning to make a mark with their lives, and leave an imprint in society - an imprint on the lives of others, by bringing the life God gave them creatively into wherever they live.

Main Message

I want to look at how you receive a legacy; and we're going to look at it from two points of view. Firstly, from the perspective of the people that God brings into your life - given to you as a gift, to help you get ahead.

If someone has built up an estate of $1 million, and they leave it to you, you've got a head start in life; so God knits us to people, and connects us to people, who have already obtained something from Him - and we can draw on the legacy, that it cost them something to get.

You don't have to pay the same price as I had to pay, to be able to operate in the things that I can move in. What took me 30 or 40 years to build and develop in my life - this generation can get within a year or two. It doesn't take long to pick it up; but it's the life that I live underneath, that carries, and contains it, and enables it to grow.

Today we want to focus not just on the legacy we leave; but also how you draw from people to actually receive something, that you can then grow and develop - and it becomes a legacy you can leave to others.

Most people think that you just get things straight from the Lord. We get an immense legacy from the Lord; and I want to spend a special session focussing on the legacy Jesus has left you. Whether you get it is another thing; but He has left you a legacy and a most amazing rich legacy - and every believer must discover and reach into and take hold of the legacy, which Jesus paid a price for you to have. It will give you everything you need for life.

God not only gives it to us through a direct relationship with Jesus; He also ministers into our life through other people, who have laid hold of God. We don't have to do the hard work they did - we can get it much easier.

There are two groups of people that you can receive from; and I'm going to focus particularly on the second group, and today we're focussing on receiving.

God has put people in your life to impart something into you; and I’m going to break these into two main groups:

1) People that you just can learn from – information that you're taught; or it's an example you see.

This group of people are not people you're in relationship with; but you can listen to their CDs, and you can learn from them. They share what they learned; and what took them years to learn - you can learn it in one hour.

Learning has to do with putting it into your life. You can go on the internet, and you never have a direct relationship with them, but nevertheless you can draw on their experience that they have in life. The difficulty is in learning how to apply it; so God wants us (and expects us) to learn from people that have gone ahead and to make the effort.

1 Corinthians 10:11 - Jesus said: all of the people in the Bible, all of Israel's journeys - they were written as an example for you and me - forewarning us, or instructing us, about life.

The Bible is full of people who walk with God; and it tells their success, their failures - and God expects you to apply yourself to learn from the people. The Holy Ghost wrote down the story of these people for us to learn from; so very clearly, God expects us, even though we have no relationship with Moses, to learn from Moses.

When Jesus was teaching one group of people, in Luke 16 He said: “they won't listen to Moses; and they won't listen to me either”. He expected people to apply themselves to learn what men of God in other generations had discovered.

So when you go through the Bible - it's not just lots of boring stories; it's actually God's story, in the lives of many, many different people; and the lessons are there of success and failure that you can learn from and draw from.

All of them have left a legacy. This legacy is one that's written down. If you want to find out about King David, what made him great; and about how he fell and failed - it's written in the book. God's grace and mercy to him - it's written in the book.

Without direct connection with anyone, God provides for us the Bible - a huge resource of people that you can learn from, and grow in your life; and leave something from your life to come into the lives of others.

The Holy Spirit will help you to apply what you learn from those people into your life - so we have a coach to help us.

2) People we are in relationship with.

When you sit in a meeting you are taught something; but when you share life with someone - you catch something (or something is caught). So we can either be taught and we get information; or we can be catch something - it can be caught from people. God's plan is that you catch things from people.

You need real life living models, to show you what it looks like when someone is walking with God. Every one of us needs that. People we connect with, who are walking with God; who can show us how the life of God works out in real life - in marriage, family, relationships, finances, the workplace - we need examples.

We can Google information; but to apply it to my life - I need to draw from people with wisdom, experience and vision - to help to get direction for my life; to help to apply what I'm learning. I need to see it, and have it imparted to me - otherwise it's just information; and I can't work out what works in my life, and how to make it work. I need connection with people for this to take place.

So this group of people are the ones that you have a direct relationship with. They could be a father, mother, grandparent, teacher, or someone who's your leader in some area of life – a pastor, or leader of a small group. It could be some person that God has put into your life - a coach or a mentor.

God wants you to be connected to people; and in a place where you are receiving from them for your own life. The purpose is that you ultimately will give out to other people.

Usually in those kinds of relationships there is a bonding, a connecting of some kind - and there's vulnerability. The very same father or mother that you are bonded to, and vulnerable to, can make a huge impact - positively or negatively, in your life. In some families the impact is so negative, and the legacy so destructive, that it can take years for the person to recover; unless they encounter the power and presence of God.

So families always leave a legacy. You've just got to decide what to do with it. No matter what has been left to you - God can turn it for your good, and use it to get you where He wants you to go anyway. God can take the rubbish, and bring life and resurrection out of it; and use the very failure, or the pain or problem to get you where He wants you to go

Hebrews 13:7 – “Remember those who rule over you or who lead you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their conduct or their lives”.

My own life has been deeply impacted by men of God - both positively and negatively.

It says to “hold in mind” people God has positioned in your life, to bring God's word to you; and it says ‘follow’ (or imitate). That word ‘follow’ meant literally ‘mimic’ or ‘imitate’ - not to imitate them, but imitate their faith. Imitate the life they have in God - that's what we're called to imitate.

God doesn't want you to be a clone of some other person - He wants you to be absolutely unique; but we are called to imitate (or to model) - to use people that we see walking with God, to apply what we see in their life to our own life.

It says: copy their faith; their trust; the life they have with God. It tells you what to look for. Don't look for the gifting or charisma. It says: considering the outcome of their life.

If you're weighing up someone whose faith you want to follow, consider the outcome, or consequence, or outworking of their life. Consider their marriage, family, finances - how they are living out their life in community with people.

The word ‘consider’ means to ‘take a close look at’ and ‘inspect’ it. That's a bit daunting for a leader - and that's why people say: you should not really hurry to be a teacher, because more is required of you. It says: have a look at their lifestyle.

If someone has a broken marriage, broken family, broken finances - it doesn't really matter to me what great gifting they have on their life. Something at the core is not right.

We tend to look for charisma and gifting, and get a bit overwhelmed by how gifted someone may be - without looking for: what is their marriage, family, relationships, finances, and their reputation in the community?

T the reality is of course, that the people that we connect with - no one's perfect. We would love to have someone perfect! The only one who's perfect is Jesus; so we have to find people that we can draw from, and learn how to receive - and over the years I have drawn from some people - I'll just identify them...

Neville Johnson - when I first met him, it was the first church I ever went into where there was a move of the spirit, a move of God. From him, I become aware of, and awakened to, and experienced the supernatural. I'm indebted to what that man did.

Duncan Graham - a Methodist minister, and he showed tremendous love. I learned about love; family and connection; and relationship and small groups. I learned about the prophetic; and about deliverance in that place.

Ross Davies - I was under him for two years; in connection with another man, who had a deep impact on me - and from him I learned about spiritual fathering. I learnt about praise and worship; about the value of (and love for) the word of God. I learnt about the necessity of being non-religious, and to get rid of all the junk. I learnt about strong prayer; about the prophetic gift, and how to work in the flow into it. I received immensely from his life in ministry - and it's still in me, being developed to this day.

Clark Taylor - from him I got faith; I learned what faith is, what it looks like; how people live and move in the dimension of faith. I learned about moving in the supernatural, and the gifts of word of knowledge; and developing the whole area of the power ministry. He made a huge impact in my life.

Mark Virkler gave me a clear understanding about how you hear the voice of God; how you work with God, and listen to His voice. He brought clarity to that for me, and that impacted my life, and I've carried those keys for all of my life.

John and Paula Sandford came to Hastings in 1986, brought in by a Catholic charismatic group; and I went to that ministry, and they deeply impacted me. My life changed being under, and opening my life to, that ministry.

When I look at the ministry I have, which now touches thousands upon thousands of people every year, I can trace elements of what I do back to each of those different people; what I learned, what I drew from them.

Of all their followers, I probably got the most out of every one, because I learned what to do to receive from someone, and to hold it in my life.

Was it all good? No, it wasn't - not at all! The first one I was under fell into immorality, quite extensive immorality. It was a huge shock and a great disappointment to me. A second one fell in immorality, and a total betrayal of the trust - I'd stepped out and taken up a role pastoring, pioneering a school; and the same year I did that - he left the church, abandoned the church, abandoned me, abandoned all the ministry; and went and planted another church, and concealed that the true reason he'd gone was that he was involved in adultery.

I had to face, and work through, abandonment and betrayal by two ministries. Then a third one did the same thing; and not long after we'd committed to become part of Christian Outreach Centre, I discovered that Clark Taylor had fallen in morality, and his ministry was brought into shame and reproach.

Again I faced the same experience of having to deal with the humanity of people; and the challenge that leaders are not perfect - they sometimes fail in little ways, sometimes fail in massive ways - but not one of these people that failed me, did I let it overwhelm me, and stop me going forward in God. I still drew from what they had, and carry what they have until today.

You have to make decisions on that; so I value and honour each of these men. Even though some of them failed in different ways, every one of them added something to my life; and every one of them paid a price for what they had - and I am grateful to them, and honour them, and honour what they have done - what they've put into my life. I maintain a place of honour; not focussing on the failures, but rather focussing on what I see they gave into my life, which has been of immense value to me - which they purchased at a price.

The keys to receive are all heart attitudes.

When Jesus came to His home town, there was no anointing released to do any miracles - the most anointed person, that ever was on this earth, was unable to do miracles (Mark 6:4), because of the heart attitude that the people had to Him.

No matter what person God brings into your life, how you deal with the relationship with that person is crucial for whether you receive anything or not.

God is going to bring people into your life, to help you accomplish what He called you to do. In order for that to happen, you have to choose how you relate to the people God has brought into your life; and the way you relate determines how much you receive.

These are the things that I did, that helped me receive; and I walked away from every one of these ministries, and I received something that affected my life, and it became a legacy to pass on to other people; so I want to share them with you.

1) Honour and Respect people: honour is something you choose to give to someone; respect is an attitude of approaching someone, where you see that person is of value to you, value in your life.

1 Thessalonians 5:12-13 – “I urge you, brethren, to recognise those who labour among you, who are over you in the Lord and admonish you; to esteem them very highly in love for their work's sake. Be at peace among yourselves.”

The attitude that you have towards people will determine what you receive from them. Whatever you disrespect will move away from you.

If you disrespect money, then money will move away from you - poverty will come. If you disrespect people, the relationship will deteriorate. Whether you do it intentionally or unintentionally, disrespect for people shuts down their contribution to your life, stops them giving to you; there's a decrease in relationship, and you can't receive the benefit of that person God put in your life.

Respect or honour is always going to attract people to your life; so each of the men there that I have mentioned to you, I honour them to this day; and I show the honour and respect in different ways, even though I haven't been under Clark's ministry for many, many years - ever since he fell. I've not been under his ministry; nevertheless, after he was restored, we were the first church in New Zealand to receive him back in, and to receive his ministry.

I had an opportunity for the whole breach to be put right. Last year when I was speaking at a conference, he was there - so I publically honoured him, and sowed finance into him - because I respect what he put into my life.

This is a principle of the kingdom. Honour and respect - it's a choice that begins in the heart.

2) Welcome feedback and correction. Welcome the person to input to your life.

1 Thessalonians 5:12 – “we urge you to recognise those who labour among you, and who admonish you”.

God brings people to your life to help you; but also to warn you, or to speak in your life when you're not going right. They can't do that, unless they have relationship with you, or connection with you

Proverbs 15:32 – “The person who refuses correction despises their own soul”.

When people have very low esteem, it's very difficult to correct them; because the moment you try to talk to them about behaviour, they take it as an attack on them personally - and react.

People who are like that cannot prosper, because the feedback they need in their life to help them - they've shut it down by pride, and angry reactions. You need to ask yourself then: do I welcome any kind of correction into my life? Do I make it easy; or do I become defensive?

Each of the men of God that I had relationship with, or connected with, or was under their ministry - at one point in time I opened up my heart to receive their input, correction, adjustment; because it's much easier for someone outside you to see what's going on with you, than it is for you to see it.

That's why it's good to welcome your spouse to give input and correction, because they can see stuff - they live with you. So that's a principle of being open to correction; open to learn about where we're immature, and lack; where our behaviour affects people negatively.

3) Guard and protect the relationship. You need to guard relationships. Relationships are very fragile. They're not static - they change, and they can break down. When they break down there's a huge grief comes with that; so we need to guard and protect our relationships.

Solomon 2:15 – “Catch the little foxes, the little foxes that spoil the vine”.

“Little foxes” are offences. You can get offended with someone, and then shut your heart down. A ‘brother offended’ has got walls in the heart.

Sometimes the people over me made decisions I didn't understand; but I had to learn that whether I understood or not, was irrelevant. All I had to do was just guard my heart attitude; not be offended, or make assumptions or judgements.

Sometimes people who lead you make decisions that you don't have the full information on - and they can't share it either. That's why they're in leadership - they have to make decisions. So guard your heart from making assumptions or judgements. That keeps your relationship open, enables you to receive.

4) A fourth thing I've found, that I did in practice all the time, was: ask questions.

Proverbs 20:5 – “Counsel in the heart of a man is like deep water, and a man of understanding will draw it out”.

People have more in them that you realise, but you've got to draw it out - by asking questions. The disciples did that. Every time Jesus ministered, He would gather with them privately, and they would ask Him questions - they drew stuff out of Him.

I don't know all that I've learnt. If I had to sit down and try and explain what I learnt about this or that, I'd have to rack my brains to try and think.

But I've found that when someone is in a heart attitude, or relationship, of respect and value, they start to enquire - there's an anointing flows, and all the things I've learnt, which are part of my life, start to flow out like a river.

I have found that as you respect and honour what God has put in someone’s life, you can draw on them; and as you start to ask questions, suddenly there's flow of anointing, and all manner of things come out - exactly what you need for where you are. God put them in there for that purpose, and you're now connected, and you're doing the thing that God wants you to do - just what the disciples did to Jesus: asked questions.

It's crazy in church when people don't ask questions. It's even worse if people react when a question is asked, or get evasive and angry and defensive, and shut you down, because questions are the way we learn.

The Hebrew way of learning was by asking questions - that's how you learn. I remember with Ross, I could not get over how he could communicate with people in all different age groups, from teenagers right through to adults, every kind of group. He seemed to be able to get right into their heart, and I'm a teacher at a high school (at the time) - I wanted to learn how to do that.

I used to stand and watch him while he was interacting with people, and afterwards I'd say: why did you do this? Why did you do that? How come you did this? How come you did that? I wanted to learn. I'd just ask questions, and that's how I learnt.

If you don't ask questions then you're missing the opportunity for a unique flow that can come to you out of a person.

Remember, it says that wisdom lies in the heart of a man like a well, but a person of understanding will dip in and draw it out - and you draw it out by honour and value and respect, and by asking questions. You have to ask questions.

Most people don't mind responding to questions; they're glad someone enquired, and you learn.

5) You have to apply the things that you're learning. If you don't apply what you're learning, you don't really learn anything at all. You're no different than a person who didn't hear it at all.

You can be in meetings, and hear words of God preached, all kinds of revelations are preached - but if you don't do anything, it's just the same as if you weren't there at all - never heard it.

James 1:22 – “Be doers of the word, and not just hearers, deceiving yourselves”.

You've got to put it into practice. From a Hebrew perspective, you only know what you're doing; so if you learn how to hear the voice of God, you haven't really learned it until you're doing it - regularly. If you've learned how to prophesy, then you haven't really learned it, unless you're doing it and operating and moving in it. If you've stopped moving in it, then you need to go and relearn it, and get back into it again. Doing the word!

6) The area of serving. I notice that in the Bible, the major occasions where the Bible records a massive impartation and legacy left to someone - the person served.

Joshua received a great legacy from Moses, but it says that Joshua was the servant of Moses. He ministered to him, and served. He was in a serving role, until his time came to enter into his own ministry.

Elisha poured water over the hands of Elijah - meaning he served and he ministered. Serving is the way that you grow into ministry – serving.

Luke 16:12 - If you've not been faithful, in that which is another man's, who will give you your own?

Timothy served Paul; and Paul was able to write it, to say about Timothy: I don't know anyone who would care for you, like I've cared for you, he does - because everyone else (most of the other people) - they want to use you for some purpose; but he said: I know this boy. He's got my heart, and he'll love you like I've loved you.

You don't get that out of a book. You get that out of relationship, and connecting and catching the heart of a person. You can't catch the heart of a person fully in a meeting, where you hear them preaching or ministering, or you're listening to something. You've actually got to connect, and watch, and interact - it's caught, not taught.

The way that we leave legacy to others, is what we share of our life with them, and impart to them. Serving and helping them succeed, without an agenda.

The ones I’ve learnt the most from, served me with no agenda. The ones who had agendas – I seldom learnt anything. Their motive was just to get ahead, rather than their being to learn and honour. You can't get violate the principles of God.

7) You have to deal with the humanity of leaders, or people who you're drawing from. You have to be able to deal in love and truth.

This is the challenge, because God uses imperfect people. With Moses, we think: great man of God. Actually, he blew it so badly with his anger, which he never resolved, that he didn't even get in the Promised Land. Moses - but God has made him a hero of faith, so God can still manage people who are imperfect and use them.

That was a hard thing for me to understand, because I thought when I met someone who's a great man of God, and I saw God working through them - they were almost like they were Jesus Himself - until I got close. Relationship enables you to get close, you suddenly go: oh wow, I don't like that! Whoa! You know? You start to see the imperfections or the humanity of people, and it can create a problem.

David, was a great man of faith (Jesus was the ‘Son of David’), yet David committed adultery, he had a problem with lust, he didn't manage his household well, all kinds of issues. But God calls him a hero of faith.

Paul was a very hard man, and so hard on young Timothy, that Timothy fled, saying: I can't handle it - it's too hard working in your team. Paul said: we're getting rid of that boy, because he's a wimp, and he doesn't handle the tough times. I wouldn't have liked being in Paul's tough times either - he got beaten and whipped, and all kinds of things would happen to him.

Mark left, and Paul said: I'm not having him on my team - he's a quitter; but Barnabas said: let me work with him - he's a good boy. He was able to raise him up, strengthen him, and he was productive later on.

All of these leaders have holes in them. Every one of us has holes in us; so what are the things you have to guard ,and what have you got to handle?

1) Guard against idolatry. No one can take the place of Jesus in your life. It doesn't matter how anointed a person is, how gifted or charismatic, they can never become an idol in your life. You have to deal with idolatry; Jesus must be first.

2) Deal with offense. Sometimes people fail us, and we need to be able to handle offences, and not hold them in our heart.

Absalom, David's son, held offence in his heart; and in the end he betrayed him in a very deep, and personal, and hurtful way. We need to guard that we don't get a rebellious attitude in our heart, a reaction.

In Genesis 9, Ham uncovered his father - and as a result of that, his life became cursed. There were demonic powers unleashed, because he became dishonouring of his father.

1) Keep focus on Jesus Christ. Anyone else pales in comparison. Anyone else that God sends into our life, whether it be a father, mother, teacher, leader, Sunday school teacher, pastor, some kind of person, they're all secondary to Jesus Christ. He is number one. Jesus is the measuring post - however we can learn and draw from Godly men and Godly women.

2) When they do fail, and you see things that are wrong or lacking in their life, make a decision to forgive, and extend grace - just like Jesus extended grace to you. That will keep you in a place of relationship.

3) Look for an opportunity to be able to speak, in love, the truth - to talk into the person, and appeal to them.

I can remember a very, very difficult situation I faced with a leader, but I went to him, and appealed to him, that his reputation was struggling and suffering because of a certain thing he was doing, and just begged him to consider the affect on his ministries. My heart was for him, and his welfare; not to point out a fault - there's a big difference.

4) Sometimes we need to establish personal boundaries, to protect our heart. With one leader, I could see a major difficulty and a disagreement I had, over the pathway he was taking. I took a stand and said: I'm sorry - I love you, and respect you, but I can't walk down this path with you. This is the path God wants me to take.

I didn't go saying all the things I could see that were wrong, and why it was so; I just said: I can't agree to go down that route with you. This is the path God's called me, and I need to follow God's path for my life.

So I put a boundary. It was very, very painful, because instead of allowing me to do it, there was a huge reaction, and a shock of grief and breached relationship, which I suffered from for quite some time, until I got ministered and free of it.

So God brings people to our lives to help us, and without those people, we're going to have to learn everything from start; but with those people, we can get a head start - so welcome the people that God puts in your life, who can impart to you, and help you go to another level in fulfilling your destiny.

I've given you the six or seven keys on how you connect, relate, and what you do to draw from that person's life. Also the boundary you need to guard, and the things to watch against: idolatry's probably the worst. In the Book of Acts, it says that when the people saw the miracles that Paul and Barnabas did - they called them gods, and wanted to sacrifice to them.

We don't do that! We just think that this person is almost like Jesus Himself, and when something happens that disappoints us, we get very angry - and our whole faith stumbles.

Jesus will never tolerate idolatry. Whatever is an idol in our life, whether it's a person, a child, a ministry, a business - whatever it is, God will always confront it. He loves us, and wants us centred back on Jesus Christ, so every one of us can receive.

The question is, whether you intentionally are making it your purpose to receive what you need for your life, and your call, and your ministry; and to outwork it in your life, so you have something to give.

I am where I am today because of these great men of God who loved me, imparted to my life, who I connected. Where there was a personal relationship, they imparted something to me that changed my life.

I encourage you to consider who, around you, God has put in your life, which you could draw from. Here we have many gifted people who can add something to your life. They won't add everything you need; they will add something you need.

Your responsibility is to look for them, connect with them, build the relationship, and honour them; and by questioning, draw out what God has put in them, that can help you move forward.

Closing Prayer

Father, we just thank You for the great price You paid, that each of us would come into an inheritance. Help us Lord to value the people that You've placed in our lives.

As I've preached and spoken, is there someone that imparted to your life, that God is speaking to you to appreciate them, to thank them for what they did? To express the appreciation for what they put in your life?

It's no use holding gratitude in your heart - it needs to be expressed. When you express it, you actually show value that you place on what that person gave.

Is there someone in your life that you've become offended with, and drawn back from, that you need to deal with that quickly? It doesn't matter who's right or wrong; what matters is the relationship is kept open, so you can receive.

Is there someone in your life that is (or has been) in leadership around you, and you need to place a boundary because what you see is flowing from that person's life would hurt you, hurt your life, and your call in God?

Politely and respectfully set the boundary, so you protect what God has put in your life. That can happen in a family, it can happen in a marriage, it can happen in a ministry, it can happen in the workplace. We need to be responsible to protect our heart and our future.

What is the Holy Spirit saying to you right now? Are there people that you need to draw to, that would help you go forward in your life? Make the decision, take the initiative. Who are those people; and what initiative will you take?

Sometimes people just can't invest the time you'd like, but just over a cup of coffee... When I came to Clark, the first thing I ever had was a cup of coffee with him. I took him out for a meal, when no one else was available. It was answer to a prayer, and I sat down and I just said: God, I want to draw from this man, and the faith he has, and the anointing he has. Let me use this time well.

I've done that with a number of people, sat down and had a meal or a coffee with them, and asked them questions that helped me. I went away, wrote it down, kept notes, tried to put it into practice in my life. Some I got it from a CD. I just listened to the CD until I caught the spirit and the heart of this man, and then my life changed.

Every one of you is leaving a legacy. You just decide what it is you'll leave - a legacy of offences; broken promises; things that you quit on - or a legacy of standing firm in God, walking before the Lord honourably with Him, and influencing your family, your relations, your people around you for the kingdom of God.

Father, I just thank You for this moment right now. Father, I pray everyone here would in this coming year come to a whole new level in You, new relationships form, new connections form, existing ones strengthened and valued and Lord, a release of anointing, in Jesus' mighty name.

Summary Notes

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Receiving Legacy 02/03/14

1. Introduction
• Prov.13:22 a good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children
• Every person on this earth leaves a legacy…like a footprint in the sand
• Legacy=what you stood for!what you accomplished with your life
= what you leave behind for others
a) tangible: money, property,possessions, personal items,
b) intangible: values,reputation,character, family traditions,
ie how you lived your life and the impact that it made on people
• You can choose whether you are a blessing or a burden, stepping stone or a stumbling block
• Eph.2:10 " …you are created in Christ Jesus for good works…." To leave a legacy!
• Gods purpose for every person is to know Him, represent Him and leave a great legacy
2. People we can receive from
The primary person we must position ourself to receive from is Jesus Christ
God places people in our lives that we can learn from and receive from
2.1 People who teach us. (Taught…information)
There may be little or no personal relationship with this group
We can learn from their lives, and their teachings or writings what they have learned
Eg. Meetings, CD's, DVD's, books , articles, testimonies.
God expects us to learn from people that we may have no personal relationship with.
1Cor.10:11 " All these things happened to them for examples and they are written for
our admonition…"
Jesus himself learned from Bible examples and expects up us to do the same
Holy Spirit is given to help us apply the lessons of others lives to our own.
2.2 People we are in relationship with (Caught…formation)
These are people we are in direct personal relationship with
Eg. Father, mother, family, teachers,leaders, pastor, coach
Usually the is a bonding and vulnerability because of relationship
We can see and observe the persons lifestyle and relationships…how truth looks
This group of people powerfully impact us, positively or negatively

The Bible instructs us to seek out and observe godly lives and learn from them
Heb.13:7 " …whose faith follow, considering the outcome of their lives"
Follow= NT. 3401 to imitate, to mimic,
Consider= NT.333. To look again closely at, to be a spectator
Notice it is their faith we are called to imitate, their trust in God and his Word
We are to observe closely not their gifts or charisma or personality, but how their relationship with God is expressed in their personal life, marriage, family, work.

3. Keys to Receiving from a Man of God
3.1 Honor and Respect
1Thess.5:13 " and esteem them very highly in love for their works sake
Your attitude to people determines what you are able to receive from them.
People in Jesus hometown were unable to receive anything from Him because of their judgments and attitudes towards Him(Mark 6)
Respect will attract people towards you…disrespect will always repel people
Honor and respect is a choice…it begins in the heart and shows in attitude, words and actions
Familiarity can breed disrespect that then chokes your ability to receive from that person

3.2 Welcome feedback and correction
1Thess.5:12 "Know them which labour among you, and are over you in The Lord, and who admonish
you "
Admonish= NT3560 = to caution, gently reprove, warn
Make it easy for others to speak into your life…those who love and value you
Resist the tendency to be defensive…be open to receive,enquire, evaluate
Prov.15:31-33 "He who disdains correction despises his own soul"

3.3 Guard and Protect the Relationship
Song.2:5 "Catch us the little foxes…the little foxes that spoil the vines"
Relationships are vital to personal growth and must be guarded from damage and erosion
Little foxes= misunderstandings, assumptions, offenses,disappointments
Place value on key relationships…some are vital for you to fulfill your destiny

3.4 Enquire- Ask Questions
Prov.20:5 "Counsel in the heart of a man is like deep water, a man of understanding will draw it out."
Make a point of asking questions….this is how you draw out what people know.
Ask questions that probe for insight,motives, reasons, experience learned.
Jesus asked questions…………..Lk.2:46
The disciples asked questions Mk.9:28
When you ask questions you can draw out from the person a flow of the Spirit of god that gives exactly
the wisdom that you need for that time

3.5 Apply what you learn
Jam.1:22 " be doers of the Word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.
Put into practice what you learn or you haven't learned it at all
You only know what you live out in your life. If you stop doing it you have to learn again.
1Tim.4:15 Paul exhorted Timothy to meditate on and apply what he had received
3.6 Serve- help them succeed
Lk.16:12" If you have not been faithful in that which is another mans who will give you your own?"
Serving is foundational to progress and greatness in the Kingdom of God
Eg. Joshua served Ex.24:13, Elisha served2K3:11, Timothy served 1Cor.4:17
Serving was foundational to them receiving and emerging in their own destiny

3.7 Deal with their humanity in love and truth
God uses imperfect and flawed people to advance his Kingdom. The Bible reveals their flaws
Eg. Moses..anger, Samson..lust, David ..adultery, Elijah..fear, Peter…fear
When you get near to a leader in relationship, their personal flaws become more visible

Three areas to guard your heart against:
a) Idolatory…Acts14:11 Lystra…putting the person in a place that only Jesus can occupy, expecting that they will be perfect and will meet the needs that you have.
b) Offense….2Sam.15 Absalom….holding personal hurt or grudges in the heart, and becoming critical and fault finding
c) Rebellion…Gen.9:20-25 Ham….delighting in uncovering and exposing the leaders weaknesses or failures to others, eroding their reputation

How do you Guard your Heart?
a) Focus……………Keep the focus of your heart and faith on the person of Christ
b) Grace……………Extend grace…forgive and withhold judgments
c) Truth……………Look for opportunity to speak truth in love
d) Boundaries….Establish personal boundaries to protect your heart

Personal Application
1. What is the Holy Spirit speaking to you through this message?
2. Are there people who impacted you, you need to appreciate?
3. How do you respond to feedback or correction?
4. Do you enquire, or do you hold back and tend to make assumptions?
5. How is your passion for serving? Where are you serving?
6. Do you have issues with leaders that you need to resolve? What are they? How will you resolve these?

Leaving a Legacy (3 of 4)  

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One of the greatest legacies you can leave your children is to unconditionally love and value every one of them.

Bless them - speak words over every child. Connect emotionally. Leave a legacy of Faith - prayer, devotions, a relationship with God.

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom - Psalm 111:10

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.

1) I wish I had the courage to be true to myself, and not live the life others expected of me. I wish I had the courage to be true to myself.

Most people live their life to fulfil the expectations of others, and never stop to examine the dreams, desires, and the destiny that God put in their hearts.

When you get to the end of your life, if you've never discovered what God put in your heart, and fulfilled it, one of the regrets you will have is: I wish I had lived my life, to fulfil what God put in my heart, and I hadn't lived just to please people and their expectations of me.

2) This was the one universal of all men: I wish I hadn't worked so hard - that I'd spent more time with my wife and my family.

I wish I hadn't worked so hard, or poured so much of my life into work, and trying to get money and resources and so on. I wish that I'd spent more time with my wife and my spouse.

3) This was a very common one: I wish I'd had the courage to express my feelings; instead of living my life just to keep peace with everyone.

I wish I had had authentic relationships; instead of just being shallow; and connecting, rather than building relationships, yet never sharing my life with people.

4) I wish I'd stayed in touch with friends, because now I see the value of these people in my life, and I regret that I never followed through the friendships, and made time to keep them up, and to be with them.

5) Last, and also a very common one: I wish I'd let myself be happy. I wish I'd let myself be happy; or had more fun.

People realised that happiness or joy is a matter of choice. No matter what comes in life, you can choose to rejoice; or you can let it come on top of you, and live under the feelings, and the circumstance.

They said: I just wish I'd had more fun. I wished I lived a happy life - or chosen to be happy.

At the end of their life, they've come to the stage: I've got this regret, and I wish I had done that.

You and I don't need to get to the end of our life and say “I wish”. We can get to the end of our life - because we've still got life left in us - and we can make some decisions today that we're going to live differently, and choose our life to be different than what it was.

I want you to consider three possible areas that you could leave a legacy:

Proverbs 13:22 – “A good man (or a good woman) leaves an inheritance to his children's children”.

A good person considers how to leave an inheritance to their grandchildren; so very clearly in the Bible, the Bible affirms that you should think generationally; think ahead concerning your family, your children, and your grandchildren, and consider what you would leave to them.

1) You can leave finances, or leave some kind of asset, or resources.

Some people don't leave assets - they leave debts! When the person dies, the family is burdened - they've got to pay debts before they can even celebrate.

2) Family - you can leave a legacy of family. What will your family remember you for? What have you invested in their life?

3) A legacy of faith.

A legacy of finances; a legacy of family, which can mean natural and spiritual; and a legacy of faith - how will your relationship with God be remembered?

Some of you are thinking: I'm past being able to do anything about that now... No one is ever past making a change!

That's the great hope of the gospel: you can change today! The past can be overcome.

We still have time to do some things in the future, so I want to just give some practical things on developing a legacy for your family.

Proverbs 19:14 - “A house, and riches, are the inheritance from a father”.

Isn't that interesting? One of the biblical guidelines, or one of the things that the Bible talks to us about, is that fathers would leave something behind financially for their children.

So how do you manage your finances? A lot of people live just week or week, or don't even think about how they're living their life. We've been concerned, as we've travelled a bit and met with people, how many baby boomers just want to spend up all their money - and leave nothing for the next generation.

They're not thinking about how they could use their assets to help the next generation forward - not to meet all their needs, but to just give them a step forward. So in thinking about that, every one of us can consider what we will leave in the area of physical assets, or physical wealth, or finances, or whatever. I'll bring some balance to this in a moment, but here are a few thoughts about it...

It's never going to happen if you don't plan, and manage it; so if you're young, why don't you think now - think ahead about growing wealth and having something that you can invest in the next generation?

Because there will be, for you, a next generation. All these old people here were once young like you, and if they were to look back they'd say: I wish I'd handled my money better - I would have a different life now; I'd have more to give.

When the Bible's thinking about wealth, and the gathering of resources - it's not just that we accumulate it for its own good, but rather that we can invest in others, invest in family, and invest also in advancing the gospel. So plan and manage it.

Think about this: one of the best things you could do would be to just take a percentage, whatever it is, of everything you get coming in, and put it aside to save, and you will have a legacy to leave for the next generation.

Shane spoke of how his father talked to him about putting 10% aside, from when he first earned; and that 10% was always for investment. At this stage in his life, he is now quite wealthy, because he's built investments for a next generation – from putting aside a percentage.

Think about: guarding the issue of debt. One of the greatest issues that people have to face today is the pressure to have everything now, and to get into debt to do it. Most people, when they get into debt, don't think what it really costs them.

I remember talking to one young guy who'd bought a car; I said: what did it cost you? He told me the price; but when we worked out what it was going to cost him - it was unbelievable. He was paying nearly twice what it had on the lot, when he took into account all his time-payments.

So as much as it's possible, live without debt; or reduce debt, or get rid of debt. Live a simple lifestyle. We've found that if you just live a simple lifestyle, you'll find in the simple lifestyle, you can make tremendous savings in all kinds of ways.

We've observed different people, how they run their family, how they run their finances; some people I can think of right now have a lot of money coming in, but it all goes, because they don't think about just living simply, doing things simply.

Honour God in your finances; it helps bring it all into a place of godly order. It's not the only thing to do, the regular giving to the Lord, but it's a part of building finances in our life.

Don't think you can't do that; believe God you can - that you could leave a legacy in some way, by applying yourself.

Just to balance that up, I want to bring another scripture...

Proverbs 22:1 – “A good name is to be chosen, rather than silver or gold”.

There are two things that are more precious in God's eyes than silver and gold: a good name; and good favour.

In that verse, a good name is to be chosen, rather than great riches; and loving favour, rather than silver or gold.

A good name means your reputation - how you lived your life, your character, what people say about you. The Bible says that a good name is more important than money.

Many people compromise their reputation and character; they cheat, they lie, do all kinds of things, and in the end they have neither a good name, nor money; because there's something about corrupt behaviour that causes money to flee from you.

When your name is mentioned, what do people think?

When you think of Abraham, immediately you think: faith. With Moses, we think: deliverance; or bringing the nation of Israel free. Noah lived a godly life in his generation, and had an impact. Paul – when you think of these names, you think of something.

Mother Theresa - you think of some things; not about her life, and all that she lived, but what she did with her life that left her great reputation - because she did what she could to advance the kingdom of God.

Nelson Mandela, every one of these names, the moment the name is mentioned - something about that person comes into your mind.

Notice it's not the money? Abraham was extremely rich, but when we think of Abraham we don't think of the money. We think of what got him the money - his faith.

Mandela, he was President of South Africa - but it was more than that. At the mention of his name, you think of his character - that coming out of prison he had a spirit of forgiveness and reconciliation.

Oscar Pistorius - that's a guy accused of killed his wife; so associated with a name is usually some kind of characteristic. If you think of Hitler, immediately you think of someone who committed genocide.

So your name, when it's mentioned, will conjure up something in people's minds. They'll have thoughts of what you were like, or how they have experienced you. So when people talk about you, and your name is mentioned, what comes up?

Is it your godly lifestyle and godly choices that come up? Not everyone's happy about that of course, but does it come up?

Apart from a good name, the second thing to be desired is: favour; or: loving kindness with God and with people.

Luke 2:52 – “Jesus increased in favour with God and with man”.

That is to be valued more than silver and gold: loving kindness; and favour with God and with people. He increased.

Philippians 2:9-10 – “God has exalted Jesus, and given Him a name which is above every other name”.

At the end of His life, Jesus had a good name, and loving favour. He sought out a good name, by obedience to God and living the life of faith; and He sought out loving favour by walking with God. He found favour with God, and favour with man.

Did people hate Him? Yes, they did. Did they put Him to death? Yes, they did. But what name gets you into heaven? The name of Jesus!

What do we remember when we think of the name Jesus? We think about the things that He did, the life He lived, what He left, and the legacy that He has left us.

The second one is family experiences...

Proverbs 24:3 – “Through wisdom is a house built”.

Making good and godly decisions is how you build a family life. The Bible says, concerning a house: “unless the Lord builds the house, they labour in vain that build it”.

Trying to build family life is incredibly difficult. Bringing God into the centre of it makes a huge difference to the outcome.

One of the things that I learnt from my father-in-law was: the value of family experiences - of building experiences into your family that leave memories, and thereby leave a legacy.

When you think about your parents that went before you, most people don't think of the house or the money that was left to them. They think of the experiences, how they experienced that person.

When you have left this world people will remember how they experienced you. Were you known for kindness, faith, serving God faithfully; for integrity?

So we can build some experiences into family life. Here are a few things that you can do

1) One of the greatest legacies you can leave your children is to unconditionally love and value every one of them.

They're all different - they've all got different personalities, different challenges; but if you can find ways of expressing that you love them unconditionally, and they're of great value - that is a huge legacy to leave behind.

A small house, with love in it, is much better than a big house, if everyone's in conflict and tension. So building or sharing a heart that just accepts each of the children, and sees their uniqueness and their value.

2) Words spoken. Bless them - speak words over every child.

I remember an encounter with the Lord one time, and He spoke to me about a particular man in the church, who was dying. He said: tell him how much I love him; and speak to him to bless each of his children, and speak words into their life.

It's never too late to speak words of value over each of your children, your spouse - to use your gift of language to say what people mean, and how you see them. It's an incredible thing, especially if you’re a father - it has power to change lives and to leave a huge legacy, if you can speak: I believe in you, I'm with you, I'm for you.

3) Another way you can build a family legacy is to connect emotionally.

I work with many Asians, and one of the biggest challenges is for the fathers to connect emotionally. To connect emotionally, you've got to share your feelings and your heart with your family; you share what you feel - to be able to connect when they're going through times that are difficult; to be able to put your arm around them and speak into their life and heart.

That sort of thing builds family experience. Why not plan some family experiences together?

So here are some very simple things again: why not turn the TV off and the phone off and have a meal together - every day? In that meal together, talk and connect and interact, and build family experience together.

Many people just don't understand the value of that - they've let it all go. But what happens is, they've left no legacy of family meal, eating together, laughing together and having fun - everyone trying to talk together.

Family holidays together. It doesn't have to be complex. At one stage we had no car, but it didn't stop us going on a family holiday. Joy's family had a place on the beach. We caught a train, and got help to get there and help back. We found a way to do it, and those family experiences were all without anyone else there, so we could just connect as a family. When you do that, you leave memories, you leave a legacy.

Think about celebrating events. We have a tradition of celebrating birthdays, and Christmas - and make it a big fuss, make it something that people remember, because it communicates value. The value's not in the birthday cake, or in singing Happy Birthday, but in placing value on that person - letting them know you are special, we love you, we value you, and you're a great part of our family.

It's in the internal things, not the external. It's how can I place value on my family? What can I do?

So laughing together, having fun together. I remember we made a conscious decision for a season to have no television. What do you do with no TV? Well, every Friday night I'd cook fish and chips - couldn't afford to buy them, so I cooked them myself. We wrapped them all up, like you'd by them from town, so they'd look the same as anyone else; and we had an area in our lounge which was a big one with a bay window.

So every Friday night was family time, and there was acting. We'd act out Bible stories, and there were puppets, and all kinds of things like that.

It was part of building family experiences together. You don't need a lot of money to have a lot of fun. It's all in making the best with what you have, and making the focus on the togetherness; not on whether you've got something, or not got something; and then affirming the value and uniqueness of every child.

You actually speak into their heart their value, and so we're doing that now with our grandchildren. We're intentionally building a legacy of memories and experiences with grandchildren. Why? Because at the end of our life we want them to have known us, caught our heart, and been able to have an ability to speak into their lives and help them.

You can be intentional about leaving a legacy. Jesus wants us to leave a legacy!

4) Finally, the legacy of faith - and this is the one that really counts.

Psalm 111:10 – “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

The fear of the Lord... The greatest legacy you can leave is the legacy of how you walked with God; whether you were a person of faith, or just religious.

A religious person comes to church on Sunday, makes the kids all go to Sunday school; but there's no substance in their life, relationship with God - and kids see the hypocrisy quickly, and that's why they turn off God.

People turn off God because what they see is very religious, and lacking being authentic - so be authentic in your faith. Cultivate your own life with God. Cultivate your walk with God. Cultivate a passionate life with God, because when you do that, you'll leave a legacy that nothing else can substitute for - your legacy with God.

What is your prayer life? How do you handle prayer? Kids will watch this in your life. Do you pray? They watch you praying.

My kids would hear me praying, because you can't pray out loud the way we pray - in strong prayer, so people don't hear you. When people hear you pray, they hear your heart for God. They hear how you pray; and learn how you pray. Often in homes, we don't hear prayer at all.

How do you worship? Do you engage in worship? Do your family see you engaging with God, and absolutely being a lover of God?

What about the word of God, the Bible - do they see you engaging in the word of God, and sharing the things that you have learnt?

Your family watch how you handle people, how you treat people, how you talk about people. Those are the kinds of things that leave a legacy.

One of the things when I went to Joys family was, I noticed that Joys mum seemed to gather up all kinds of unusual people, and she just loved them all - and I see it's a legacy. It's a legacy, just to show kindness to people, that perhaps were having a struggle in life - and that's a legacy that's been passed from Joy's mother to Joy - and she carries that. She loves people, and so she's always helping people, all kinds of people. It's a legacy passed on.

I drew from the legacy of Joy's dad quite heavily, because I saw how he did family devotions. I saw how he had family time with the grandchildren - family holidays. I learned a lot from just watching him, and drew from what he built over years.

Your family watch your life with God. You cannot hide from your family, the life you have with God. They see it, and what they see, they'll either want it; or they'll look at it and say: it isn't real, it's not there.

A second thing you can do, in building a legacy of faith in your family, is deal with generational inequity. The Bible says in Exodus 20 that generational curses and sin have an impact and an influence in the family - so take responsibility and deal with it in your own life, so the legacy of blessing continues to be passed on to your family.

A third thing you could do, to build a legacy of faith, is cultivate your family spiritual life. Don't leave it to the church to raise your children. Your children are your children. You invest in them - so start by setting up a family devotion. Have a time to read the Bible and pray together.

We used to do it every morning, without fail, every day. Read and pray together; and in the evening time, pray when children go to bed. These are simple things, but it's only in the doing of them that you see the blessing.

Have times of worship in the family, times to share what God has been showing you. Teach them how to hear the voice of God, and share what God is speaking to them. This is how you build an atmosphere in the home. Use your home for hospitality, so your family see other people coming in, and there being a generosity with what you have. That helps build and cultivate something godly in your family.

Have people in who are men of God, who can share and pray with your kids. Take them on a personal experience to mission somewhere. Almost all of our children have gone with me to the mission field at some time. It didn't happen by accident, it cost us, but it was intentional to help them see what God is doing on a global scale.

Think about praying for them when they have a need; teach them to pray about their needs, and pray for one another. These are simple things, but if you don't intentionally do it, you'll drift into leaving church to fill the needs that only you can. The church, in one or two hours, can never substitute for a spiritual life, and an atmosphere in the home.

If you're going to build a successful spiritual life, you'll need to actually set some boundaries in the home. My children didn't always like the boundaries - I remember one time, one of my teenagers said: you've ruined my life; you've ruined my life completely! I said: no, I haven't ruined your life. I just said ‘you can't go there’ - and we rung up to make sure that there were some boundaries around it. We did those kinds of things.

And here's the last one: be connected, and committed into the local church. Why? Because it's God's family, and your family watch how you interact and talk about the church.

I have observed this: when people love the church, and are engaged in it, something is imparted to their family. We've actually got three generations serving in the church at the moment. It didn't happen by accident. It's an intentional thing.

They worked on building a love for the house of God, and they showed it by example. People listen when you start to talk, and criticise, and run down - they quietly listen, and they make a decision: I'm having nothing to do with this. They become offended, in a way that they need to be protected from.

Are there difficulties in church? Of course there are difficulties, but don't let your children be offended and defiled by difficulties that they're not up to handling. You've got to teach them a great attitude.

Jesus loves His church. Even if it's imperfect, He's committed to make it perfect, and He's going to do it, so we need to just keep great attitudes.

You can intentionally leave a legacy by considering: finances; family experiences; and building a life of faith in the family, and in your own life. Those are some key areas that every one of us could consider.

For those who perhaps say: my family's grown up, and I missed all of that. I should have had this 20, 30 years ago. Nevertheless, here's the great thing about the gospel: we always get a new chance.

Maybe we've lost some old ones, but if we pray, we can put many things right where we failed. Sometimes it's a matter of prayer, and when you get your heart right with God over the areas of failure, and you start to believe God, something happens in the children that turns their heart.

It's never too late. It's never too late to do something - and for all of us, we have people in our community, waiting for us to impart a legacy of our faith into them. It's called discipleship. It's called advancing the kingdom, and every believer is called to build at home, in the local church, and into the community where God has called us to be.

For those of you who've come from a family where actually it was just a total mess, and a disaster, and you've been left with tremendous pain, think about this: that God can restore you and heal you. You can recover from that damage, and there are still people you can leave a great legacy to.

There are people you can choose to invest your life in. We'll get on to that a little bit later – first, I want to talk about what Jesus has given to us; so no matter what was left to us from our family, you and I can rise up, and we can make a difference with our life. Our life can be different. Our life can leave a legacy.

Some of the greatest men of God came from some of the most disastrous situations, but God is great in mercy; and His great love, with which He loved us, can raise us up and give us new chances.

That's the great message of the gospel. Next time I'm going to share about the legacy Jesus left to us. One of the biggest things is: you all get a second chance - and another second chance, and another second chance. Everyone gets a chance to get it go again - and we should take that chance.

Closing Prayer

Father, I just thank you for every person here. I pray for those who are parents; I pray Lord, that the impact of what I've shared would touch their heart, and their life; and that they would begin to resolve, and think through, and plan how to grow a great legacy for their family.

Father, I just pray for those who have wrestled with family failure, family damage, family wreckage, the iniquity of previous generations bringing destruction. Father, I pray that peace would come to them, that Lord you give them a new day, a new chance, a new opportunity.

Father, I pray for each of us that we would not live for the moment, and live for this day and live for ourself, our life being just one selfie after another; but rather we would begin to catch a vision of a next generation needing to hear the gospel, people around us in desperate need.

Father, I pray that there'd come a fresh revelation: that we have what we have, because men died and gave their life for it. Help us honour the roots of our faith, and leave a great legacy for the next generation.

Just as we finish tonight, now I just ask you to identify what the Holy Spirit is speaking to you about. What did God challenge you on today? What will you do about it? Is there something to repent of, something to put right? Is there something to decide to do? When will you do it? Make the decision: today is a new day.

Our Legacy in Christ (4 of 4)  

Sun 6 Apr 2014 « Back to Top

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"Go make disciples..".

Leave a legacy of your walk in Christ. Impart what you have to other people, intentionally.

You are created for good works. God has designed you to accomplish something meaningful with your life.

Introduction

Deuteronomy 15:4. I want to finish the series I've been doing on Legacy. I want to talk about our Legacy in Christ.

Review

We talked about legacy; and about intentionally constructing a legacy for the next generation; thinking about what kind of life you live, what impact you'll make.

We saw that legacy was what you leave behind for others. Legacy is the imprint you left in this life, because you were here.

Yesterday at the funeral, we heard many different people talking about the legacy that Graham had left, and not all of it was good; but in the latter years as he came to Christ, he was able to intentionally work to overcome many things that had happened earlier in his life - and there was just great honour on him yesterday.

Everyone will leave a legacy - in fact we're called to. The Bible says: you are created for good works. God has designed you to accomplish something meaningful with your life; so when we connect with God, and begin to start to outwork His plan in our life, we start to begin to form a spiritual legacy - something that is from God - for others.

So legacy is visible and tangible; or intangible. If we think about Jesus' last mandate, His last words, which is the first priority for the church: “Go make disciples - teaching them to obey all things that I've commanded you.”

I'm going to rephrase it: He's saying to the church: this is not an option; this is a mandate: Leave a legacy of your walk in Christ. Impart what you have to other people, intentionally.

Main Message

Another word that the Bible uses, which is like legacy, but not the same word, is the word inheritance, inheritance.

Legacy consists of everything you leave behind, which is intangible as well as tangible. When we think of inheritance, we think then of property, that is passed on from a person who has now died, and goes to their rightful heir, or those that are mentioned in their Will or testament.

So inheritance is part of a legacy; but a legacy is bigger than just the inheritance. The inheritance is the part that you give to someone else.

For example, if I was to die, and I own a house, that house is an inheritance for family. It's passed on to family. It's something tangible, but my legacy is much bigger than the house. My legacy consists of my life, and the impact it's made for Christ.

Deuteronomy 15:4, in the second part of the verse: “the Lord will greatly bless you, in the land the Lord your God is giving you, to possess as an inheritance”.

He's saying: “the Lord your God will give you…” - there's the first word, ‘give’; “…the land for you to possess”.

We're talking about a physical inheritance - in the Old Testament, the inheritance given to God's people was a physical piece of land in the Middle East. Notice it was given to Abraham, and all his descendants.

1) It is given.

2) It is an inheritance. It is part of something Abraham passed on, because God gave it to him.

3) They were required to possess it.

To possess means you have to arise, and drive out something that occupies it, or resists you getting what God wants. If you think about the Middle East, contention has been there for hundreds upon hundreds of years, over the piece of land God gave to Abraham. There's been a contention to possess it, for the people of Israel - who are model for us.

God said: there's the land, your inheritance - it is yours by right, I have given it to you. You own it, it is yours, your possession - but you can't just sit back. You have to arise, and by faith, displace what holds you back from enjoying it. That's the story of the Old Testament.

It will be the same when we define the inheritance is that Jesus has left for us – you will begin to find the same things….

1) It's something that comes to us by inheritance - the death of Jesus Christ makes it possible for us to receive something, if we are connected to God, through faith in Christ. So when you give your life to Christ, you become joined to Jesus Christ, and therefore you become an heir of everything He took hold of. Everything given to Him, becomes part of the inheritance you and I can receive. Jesus obtained for us an inheritance, as a representative of humanity, and in Him we are entitled to it.

2) God gives it to us, but you can't just sit around hoping good things are going to come. You have to make a decision to believe, and arise, and take hold of what Jesus purchased for us, and left for us.

Nothing in the kingdom of God comes and just drops in your lap. It's given, but a response is required. God will do His part, and He's done His part; everything you and I have need of, for life, is now provided for us. We are not beggars; we are rich in Christ. However, much of the church as a whole lives as a beggar, and do not appreciate, or take hold of, the treasures of the inheritance available.

So Jesus wants us to stir up and possess. I want to have a look in John 14…

What is this inheritance He's given us? The more I looked into it, the bigger it got; so I'm going to take one part of it, which is the important part, and if we will take hold of this part of it: treasure, possess and use what we have been given - then you'll get everything else.

John 14:16. Jesus' come to the end of His ministry. Jesus has been filled with the Holy Spirit, and He has lived out three years of His life, demonstrating what God is like. Jesus said: if you've seen Me, you've seen what God is like. Look at My life. If you want to know what God is like, don't keep praying that God will reveal Himself. He already revealed Himself in Jesus Christ - do some work; get into the Bible - read what Jesus is like, and you'll begin to see what God is like; and choose to believe that applies to you as well.

So in John 14:16 He says: “I will pray the Father”. He said: “I'm about to leave you”, and He says: “it's a good thing I leave you”. Here's why it's a good deal: because I'm going to go to My Father. I'm going to obtain an inheritance - and you'll get what I've got. I'll buy it all for you.

He says He's going give. He said: “I will pray, and the Father will give you another Helper, or comforter, who will abide with you forever. You'll never lose this. The Spirit of truth”. He identifies it's the Holy Spirit, whom the world can't receive.

Here's one of the key purposes that Jesus came into this world. I know we focus on the cross - Jesus came in and died on the cross; and when He died on the cross, it was actually to remove something, that's a problem to us getting something. It's the getting something that really counts.

Imagine if you had a block to receiving something; getting rid of the block is not the big deal. That's to prepare you to get something - but what a tragedy if you didn't get it see?

Jesus came, He died on the cross, to deal with the issue of sin. He arose from the dead, showing the power of God over sin, that sin's power's broken. He ascended into heaven, so we now have a representative, our representative in the very throne room.

He went there, and He had this in mind: that He would send His Holy Spirit to you, “…that where I am, you will be there also”.

So the inheritance, the legacy of Jesus, is bigger than this; but the inheritance He speaks of - and I'm going to show you two or three scriptures that make it absolutely clear, that part of your inheritance in Christ - is the Holy Ghost. It's the Holy Spirit.

Jesus' legacy consists of a number of things, so I'll explain what they are, but we're going to focus on one of them….

1) His legacy was His example. He lived a life that we model our life on. I like to be like Him. God wants me to be like Him. God's plan is for you and me to be like Him; so He left an example, rather than a book, or anything else.

He actually came and He lived out a life. He showed us how a man filled with the Holy Ghost lives their life! Don't you go fussing over what other Christians are doing - they do all kinds of stuff. If you focus on them, you'll be offended, disheartened, discouraged.

What you're called to do is: to be a follower of Christ, who set us an example: that we would follow in His footsteps, be imitators of Him.

So one of the greatest legacies, He shows what it looks like, on earth. Read the gospels again, and see what it looks like to be a man filled with the spirit - how you treat people, how you relate to God, how you handle pressures, how you handle conflicts, how you live out the life of the kingdom.

So the first thing is: He left us an example. An example leaves an impression!

2) He left us His words.

A powerful part of your legacy is what you say. One of the things I encourage people to do: speak words into your children - words that impart destiny, and hope, and life into them. It's a powerful legacy you can leave to your children: what you see in them.

Jesus left us pages of His words, which outline the principles of the kingdom He was living in. Nicodemus came to Him, and He said: no one's ascended into heaven, except the Son of man, who was in heaven. That's a weird statement.

He's saying listen: even though I'm physically standing in front of you, I'm connected by the Spirit of God to the unlimited resources of heaven; and as I speak ,I share with you the words, the life, the values, the attitudes, the principles of that kingdom – His words. That's why some Bibles have them marked in red, they're that important.

3) He left us His Holy Spirit. He left us the power to live and become like Him.

Without that power, without the person of the Holy Ghost, you have religion. Religion is what is left when the Holy Ghost is gone.

A lot of people striving and struggling, working hard, frustrated, failing, and feeling guilty about it - and trying to smile, “praise the Lord, brother”; but there's no life, in reality. The only way you can get the life, in reality, is through the life and reality of someone in you. That's why He's called our inheritance! How about that?

So Jesus' legacy was simply: His example; His lifestyle; the words He spoke; His death and resurrection, which set us free from sin; and here it is: the gift of the Holy Ghost.

In Galatians 3:13-14 it says this: “Now He has redeemed us, or purchased us - paid the full price to redeem us from all the curse of the law…” What for? He paid the price of the cross, but it's all to get something else to happen. It's the ‘something else happened’, that's the big deal.

The death and resurrection is to remove the problem of sin. God is not worried about your sin; you are, and religion is, the devil is - he will hound you about your sin, and your failures, and your lacks, and try to get you to live like you're not born again. But Jesus said: “the word says: He's redeemed us”, totally redeemed or purchased us, rescued us out of the curse, out of all the consequences of sin - and now we're positioned to get something.

“…that the blessing of Abraham”. I thought the blessing of Abraham was some land. No, no, no - that's just a prophetic picture. The land was a gift to be possessed.

Now there's another gift to be possessed. He is called the Holy Spirit, and we are to take hold of this gift that God has given us, that we might receive the blessing of Abraham, even the promise of the Spirit.

So what did Abraham get? He got the power of the Holy Ghost on him - that's why he got all the other stuff. You look at all the land, and the silver, and the gold, and the riches and everything else - that's the outworking of something else.

That's just the tangibles in his life showing up, because he had blessing on his life. He was blessed! Are you a blessed person? Some are not sure - because we're living out of the old life before Christ, which was a life of struggle, and lack, and scarcity, and pain, and setbacks.

But the Bible says that when you come to Christ, and identify with Christ - one way you do it is you get baptised into Him, and when you're baptised, now I've got a new life, and it says: now I am blessed! I am blessed.

It doesn't say: I'm blessed if I pray. Yeah, that'll happen as well, but blessing is about what Jesus has positioned me for. I don't, and you don't, have to fight to be blessed. You are a blessed person. It’s time you started to say it: I am blessed - blessed in the morning, blessed in the evening, I am blessed! When I fall over, I'm blessed, because God will pick me up. Make a mistake - I'm blessed, because I'm already forgiven!

You see you've got to think like that. It's a way of seeing your new life. If you don't see it that way, you live out of the old: I'm still a mess. Pray for me, deliver me, do something to me. But when I declare: I AM BLESSED! I'm repositioned for something great.

Now I want you to have a look with me in Ephesians 1. Let's get excited about the Holy Ghost. I am excited about the Spirit of God! Living years in religion, condemned, ashamed, beaten up - oh! Then the Holy Ghost oh-ho-ho! I wouldn't go back to that other stuff. Dear me!

Ephesians 1:13-14 – “In Him you trusted (Jesus Christ), after you heard the word of truth, and that was the gospel of your salvation”. He's saying: you heard the gospel, and then you trusted in Jesus.

He said – “…in whom, after you believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of Promise, who is the earnest of our inheritance, until the redemption of the purchased possession, to the praise of His glory.”

After you responded to Christ, something was put on you. In Acts 19, Paul come to the church and said: “I know you believe, and you've been baptised - did you get the Holy Ghost”? And they said: “no, we didn't even know about the Holy Ghost”. He said: “well watch this, and he laid hands on them, prayed, they were filled with the Holy Ghost, began to speak in tongues”.

They were sealed with the Spirit of promise. That word ‘seal’ - he said: you are sealed. When you come to Christ, you are sealed. In those days they used a signet ring, or they had an engraving, and it was the seal of ownership. Tey would get some wax, put it on it, and then stamp the seal on it; then everyone who saw that stamp would know who owns it.

You are sealed, or stamped, with a mark - that's why the demonic world knows exactly who you are. You can't hide it, because there's a mark on you - you are marked! People all get wound up about being marked with the Beast, but I'm mostly preoccupied with being marked with the mark of God - on my life, in my mind, and in my works.

He said you were sealed with the Holy Spirit - which is the earnest of your inheritance. Our inheritance is the Holy Spirit. God Himself is your inheritance. You say: well I kind of wanted silver, and gold, and jewels and promotion… Listen, in Christ you get everything you need. Colossians 2:10 – “you are complete in Him”. So when you're in Christ you have access to all you need. If you don't feel like that, it’s because your perspective and way of looking and thinking and speaking is not right.

Most people, they say: yes, oh that's great preaching, oh that was good; but actually the reality doesn't become established in their life. You are sealed with the earnest of your inheritance, the Holy Ghost.

Notice the word ‘earnest’. It means simply this… Say you go and buy a house, and you decide: that's the house - I want to own it. They say: that's good, but you have to front up with a deposit. The word ‘earnest’ means ‘a deposit’, something given as a guarantee that there's more coming. There will come a day when they will ask you pay the full price, and the house will then be yours - that is the language of this passage.

You are sealed with the Spirit of God, the earnest of your inheritance, until the day of redeeming of the purchased possession. God wants to stamp you, and mark you, and distinguish you from every other person in this world. The way He does it is, He stamps you with the anointing and presence of His Holy Spirit; and what you get is just the down-payment, of all of the rest of the payment, which is more of what you got.

So if we paid a deposit on a house, and its $1,000 then he's got to front up with the balance, which is all the rest of the money. So he gave money; but there's more money to come. That's what the scripture's saying - when you got the Holy Ghost, you got the pledge, you got the down payment, the first instalment.

If there's a ‘first instalment’, then there's got to be second, third, fourth - and then one great final pay off. This is what God wants you to be excited about!

For most people, their baptism in the spirit happened years ago, and it's not very relevant to what they're doing now, because they don't understand the value of what you have, and how to draw on what you have, so you overcome in life.

Jesus was so excited about giving you the Holy Spirit, because He said: this is what you will need to win in life. Greater is he that is in you, than he that's in the world. You don't have to live fearful of devils and demons and beasts and marks and all kinds of stuff…. This is just a lot of nonsense, coming out of Christians who ought to know better - breeding fear in the sale of books.

What is needed is that we capture God's vision for a people arising, filled with the Spirit of God! You've got to get a hold of what this is. In the Old Testament, you read about Moses, and we say: man, I'd love to go back there, the glory came down and filled that tabernacle with shimmering glory of God. Isn't that amazing! Oh - and they couldn't stand up, they all fell over - but that wasn't God's plan, that's only a bit of it. That's just a heads-up that something better is coming.

David had a tabernacle, and it was tent. They had worship going on all around it, and the presence of God like a shimmering glory came into it, and people fell over and got touched by the presence of God. And God said: that's pretty good isn't it aye? But He said: that's not it... But wait, there's more!

Solomon's temple, they put the temple up, they began to pray, and oh the glory of God came out of heaven, came into that temple. There it was. They fell over. How wonderful. They were impressed; and God said: but wait, there's more. This is not it! This is just to give you pictures, so you might get it.

Then Jesus came, and oh! He said: this is the temple of God! God don't live in a house. He doesn't live in buildings anymore. Hey, they're nice, but this isn't the house of God. He said: the house of God, and God's resting place, can never be a building, because it can't handle it.

The only suitable resting place for God is a person, and a body of people related to Christ, and connected to one another. He demonstrated what that looked like, and they followed Him around - miracles, presence/power of God, people being touched by that - and then He said: I'm going! I'm leaving here, I'm going.

They said: You can't! We're just on a roll. He says: but wait, there's more… He said: if I stay, then you can't get what I got; and God's plan has always been to give you what I've got. I've just modelled for you. I've left you an example. I've taught you about it. I've shown you the life, I've revealed what the Father's like.

Now I've got two more things to do; 1) go to the cross, and remove this problem of sin that you worry about so much; 2) get you back to where we've always intended you to be, from before time began - filled with the Holy Ghost, filled with all the fullness of God, rooted in His love, demonstrating His life and His power.

That is what He said: “that glory that was in the Old Testament came and went, but this one will not go”.

Notice what we read in John 14. “He will abide with you and not leave you”.

In the Old Testament, it was always habitation. God would come, and they would pray for God to come, and God would come and show up. Now Jesus says: “I am the temple”. This is what it looks like. Everywhere I go, God is coming with me. Everywhere I go, because the glory is inside. He took him up on a mount one day, and He prayed. Then suddenly He turned into this brilliant searchlight - face began to go white, His clothes grew brilliant, and they saw the glory.

Why didn't they see it before? Because it was hidden in an earthen vessel. The earthen vessel just concealed what was in Him, the treasure. Here's the thing: did you get anything different to that? That's why God came. He gave them a glimpse.

You know what they wanted to do? Why don't we stop, and build a building, and stay here in this place of glory? No, no, no, no! No Son. We've got to go down there! There's work to be done! There's a whole world to get this. I don't want You to stay up here enjoying this glory. I want You to get out there, because shortly, I'm going to commission You, and before I commission You wait!

Wait! Wait, wait, wait! They said wait? We want to get going now. No, no, no. He said: you need this glory within you. You need the glory of My Spirit within you. This man that God created to carry His glory, and manifest His glory in life, now by faith in Christ is restored back into His presence, back into relationship, and the glory comes again to reside within us.

That's why it says in 2 Corinthians: “we have this treasure, Christ in an earthen vessel”.

If you can only see how bad you are, and where your problems are, and all that's wrong with you, then you can't experience the glory within. You have to make changes. God intends us not to be waiting around for Him to come, but to understand who we are in Him, and what He's put in us that's so valuable. Christ in you, the hope of glory.

Christ - that's the glory of God, is in you, but that's only the down-payment; there's more to come. More, more, more, more! Why don't you treasure that? Why don't you get to know that, and understand it? The New Testament church didn't have a Bible; they just had the glory within, and they lived from that glorious Holy Spirit working within them - a personal relationship. God connected that with never going to go away.

If you're lonely, rejected, depressed, struggling with all kinds of things, then you're living out of the old man that Jesus said: He crucified it, He buried it. There is a new man, and there's glory inside you. Why live like you're not saved! That's what He's saying.

1 Corinthians 2:11-13 says: “you have been given, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit of God.

You're given the Spirit of God. Why does He give it to you? So He can explain to you, everything God has made available to give to you.

You say: well I don't feel like God's got much for me. It's because you're living out of the bondages of your old life, and you're not living out of the new man in Christ. You actually need a renovation in the mind; and in the heart, a change - and that's what we want to do. If you don't shift in your heart beliefs, then you can't realise it; you just hear it, get excited, and then walk away.

So why is it we have so little? Why is it, if God has given so much, most believers have so very little? There's a number of reasons, I won't develop them, but let me just throw some out for you.

1) Despising our inheritance. Esau despised it. He just sold out, because he despised the gift of God, and just did stuff that made him feel good at the time. Now isn't that a lot of Christians? Despising the Holy Ghost. It's about a person, and having right attitudes to Him. You know when we speak evil of others, we grieve Him. That's definitely not respecting Him, and definitely doesn't help us get filled.

2) We don't see it. We actually live out of a wrong perspective. We live thinking we're still unsaved, and we've got hang-ups. You say: well the reality of them is there. Yeah, but there's another reality there too; that is Christ is in you. The treasures of Christ are in you. You've got the bank full of money, and yet you're standing there saying: I'm broke. The treasure house is full, but you're saying I've got nothing.

You've got to actually see what God says about you - that you're a new creation! That the DNA of God is in you! God's life is in you. I've got to confess and declare that! I want to hold in my vision who I am in Him now, I've changed. I'm a new person.

So one issue is our perspective, we just don't see it, and so the Holy Ghost work is to help reveal it, but you've got to choose to shift your perspective.

3) We've got mindsets. We think out of old ways, so if someone comes and they hurt you, immediately - there's a stronghold in your life erupts, demons start to operate, feelings start to come, and thoughts start to come. You're in a place of deep rejection, deep depression.

The truth is: I'm accepted in Christ! People can accept me, or reject me, but I'm accepted by God! I am accepted in the Beloved! But oh, I feel so depressed. They're so nasty to me, they hurt me. Well, don't live agreeing with that. Resolve it! Deal with the issues of the heart, the strongholds, belief systems that stop you accessing what God says.

If it's a choice between what God says, and what you're feeling - choose what God says, and ask the question: how do I move from where I am, to what God says? How do I bring my experience up to what God says, instead of: ‘God can't be true’ or ‘the word can't be true’ because this is not what I'm experiencing.

This is what the life of faith - this is why it's something to possess. The life of God is in you, but you must make a decision: I will learn how to draw and live from that life. Jesus said: “I'm the vine, you're the branches. If My words abide in you, then you will ask what you will.” In other words, there's this issue of drawing on the life within.

You say: well I don't feel like that. No, you're living out of your feelings, rather than living out of what's the reality, which is true: God's spirit is in you. There's an overcoming spirit in you. The same spirit that raised Christ from the dead lives within you!

I don't feel it. No, you won't either, until you start to decide I will agree with what God says: body, stop whinging; Spirit, start rising…. and begin to draw on that life. If there's something I can't overcome, something that continually disempowers me, then Holy Ghost: show me what the block is, because that's part of your job description.

Show me where the block is. Show me what's in the heart. Show me what the thing is I need to deal with, someone I need to forgive, something I need to renounce. Whatever it is, I need to remove out of my heart - Holy Ghost show me.

If you don't hear from the Holy Spirit, just go to someone who can help you find it, and then remove the block, and get on with where you're supposed to be, rather than accepting that's how it is. That is not how God has planned for you and I to live our life; plan to live our lives full of the Holy Ghost, full of the Spirit of God.

First step: receive Christ, and become joined one spirit to the Lord; get water baptised, so that old life has passed away. You're a new person, a new creation. The DNA of God is in you. Greater is he in you than he that's in the world. Then make a decision: I need to get filled with the Holy Ghost. I need to be stamped with that sign of God's ownership on me! I want the Holy Ghost, so I need to come and ask Him: Holy Ghost, come!

John the Baptist, the greatest prophet (end-time prophet in fact) - the spirit of Elijah was on him. You know the two revelations he had of Jesus? The first one was: oh! Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world!

He saw Jesus as the lamb who would remove this issue of sin. Most people carry on like that's all he said, but this next bit is the important bit, because this is where it gets to…

He said: he will baptise you, immerse you, dip you, plunge you, put you into the whole realm of Holy Ghost living - and that's why he's come.

We get caught the other side of the cross, hung up with condemnation, hang-ups, failures, guilt and all that. That's all demonic, and it's all the flesh just moaning and groaning - and we live under that, we're defeated. Jesus said: “he's the Lamb of God, who removes the sins of the world”. If He's removed your sins and failures, why live like you're still living in them?

If you're a new person, why live like the old person? “I don't feel very happy…” However, I'm a new man, a new creation in Christ. Therefore I will rejoice in the Lord always. Today I choose to rejoice.

Coming into church, I come here to meet with God, so I turn up on time, because it's an appointment with God; and I don't come waiting, drawing on all the musicians and everything they have. I come to bring something from my temple. I want to flow with the Holy Ghost.

We were singing a song, something about being overcome by the Holy Ghost. Most of you wouldn't become overcome by the Holy Ghost, because of attitudes in the soul and the heart. It's easy to be overcome by the Holy Ghost. It's all about just being able to yield, and release, and let go. It's only the things in our mind and heart that stop us from receiving. He's here. How about if we were to just worship in His presence and just start to let go trying to control our world, and allow this loving God to fill us.

1) Come to Christ

2) Get filled with the Holy Ghost

3) Sustain the life in the Spirit.

We've got to learn to live from our spirit. When I come in here, I'm not always in the best place to tell the truth. Sometimes I've had a lot of things go on in my life - pastors have these things happen to them, but I've determined: whenever I come in, I've come here to worship God, so therefore I will front up on time. I'll stand up inside, and I'll give my very best.

I've found an interesting thing happens all the time: that as I give my best, the anointing flows. If you wait until you feel like it - nothing will happen. Do what you need to do, and let the Holy Spirit come on that.

I know we need to address issues of the heart, but there's a whole area of decisions - of the will to do what God says to do. Let's come and offer Him a sacrifice of thanksgiving, and then begin to enter and participate - take what you have, and make it available to God.

You say: I'm not like you; but you just have no idea how hung up I was before God got a hold of me. You see, I've still got stuff to get over, but at least I'm aware of it now, and I'm working to live out of the new man; instead of out of that old man, who was so totally rejected.

When you live out of the old man, you don't realise and experience that I'm a new person – that was not me! This is who I am: I'm a loving person. I'm a kind person. I'm a generous person. I've got the nature of God in me. I'm a persevering person, because I've got the nature of God in me. I'm an overcoming person, because I've got the nature of God in me.

It's living out of who God says I am, and what I choose; not out of reactions to life. When you live out of reactions to life, you live in the flesh. You have to choose to live out of your spirit.

You say: but I don't feel like loving that person. That's true, but the Holy Spirit has love for them, which you can manifest, if you choose to draw on it.

You say: well I don't feel very happy about this situation. No, but the Holy Ghost is full of joy, so if you'll draw on that well within - joy can flow. Even though your feelings are down - they will change, as you let the Spirit of God flow through you.

Well I don't feel like forgiving them - in fact actually quite the opposite! I feel like laying in wait for them. However, the Holy Ghost, who's a forgiving spirit, will say: forgive, and let My forgiveness flow, let My love flow. Begin to see them as I see them - that's drawing on the life of the Spirit. We're all called to do that.

It's a glory within, so don't keep waiting for some great thing to happen one day, when God has put His glory inside you - let it rise up! Begin to change how you see things, so you see from God's point of view; how you think about it, so you think God's way.

Begin to change how you speak. Speak in tongues a lot more, and then learn to speak God's word. I thank You Lord, Your word declares this… Begin to hold that word, and picture that word, and see that my life will align to what God has to say.

If there's anything inside you that resists it, then face it - find out what it is, and root it out, and become filled with the Holy Ghost!

Don't be drunk with wine! It's actually a good feeling to be drunk with wine - it's actually very nice, especially if you have a lot of problems. Sit down and drink some wine, and before you know it, you're very happy. You laugh a lot; but you wake up with a headache - that's not so good; and you lose control - which is even worse.

Here's the thing: it's pleasurable, because it provides a release from the pressures of life. The Bible says: “Don't be filled with wine, wherein there's excess, and all kinds of bad behaviour. Rather be filled with the Holy Ghost!” Halleluiah! Give way to the Holy Ghost! Let Him have room in your life - by speaking, and singing, and magnifying the Lord in your heart - that's how you get filled with the Holy Ghost!

I think there are people need to get saved and filled with the Holy Ghost today. I think a lot of people need to get filled with the Holy Ghost - get a lot more life in them; a lot more joy in them; and a lot more happiness in them; and a lot more wholeness in them. If you want some of that, come on out….

Thank You Holy Ghost, You're here. Are we the temple of the Holy Ghost; or not? Therefore, if I just take her hand like, then the power of God should just flow into her. Isn't that amazing?

Now are you full of the Holy Ghost? We're called to be carriers of God! Carriers of the life of God! Have we forgotten our roots? Have we forgotten where we've come from? It's like Cinderella - needs a kiss to wake her up! We need the kiss of God to wake up again, to remember who we are.

Closing Prayer

Is there any person here that needs to receive Christ, to give their life to Christ, and make the first step out of sin, and to forgiveness of sin?

We need some more people filled with joy before we finish. I wonder how many people here today not been stamped with the Spirit, marked with the Holy Ghost - speaking in tongues?

If you're here today, and you say: God, I want that, I want that stamp on me! I want to get filled with the Holy Ghost. If that's you today, just put your hand up right now, wherever you are.

Summary Notes

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Our Legacy in Christ
6 April 2014

1. Introduction
· Legacy = What you leave behind for others – the imprint and impact of your life.
- Can be physical/tangible or intangible = example, values, experiences, teaching.
· Every person has the power to influence others, to leave a legacy.
· Mathew 28:19 “Go therefore, make disciples!”
· Inheritance = property passing at owner’s death to the heir, those entitled to succeed.
· DT.15:4 “… the Lord will greatly bless you in the land which the Lord your God is giving you to possess as an inheritance”
OT - The land of Canaan was given to Abraham by God and to his heirs.
The land was an inheritance – part of Abraham’s legacy to successive
generations”
The land given, had to be possessed, and then held onto and cultivated.
· “Possess” =OT3423= to occupy by driving out, overcoming previous occupants.
· Jesus also left us a legacy, an inheritance as a gift to be possessed by faith.

2. Jesus Promise to Each of Us
Jn 14:16-18 “I will pray to the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever, even the Spirit of Truth …”
· One of the key purposes of Jesus coming was to send forth the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit would bring unlimited access to the presence, life and power of God.
· Jesus Legacy (i) His Example – Demonstrated what man filled with the Holy Spirit is like.
(ii) His Words – Shared insights to the Kingdom of God.
(iii) His Death/Resurrection – Broke the power of sin, death, curses.
(iv) His Gift – the Holy Spirit – God in us – we become house of God.
· Gal. 3:13-14 “Redeemed … so that the blessing of Abraham might come upon the Gentiles in Jesus Christ, that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith”.
· The land Abraham received is a picture of the true inheritance we receive – the Holy Spirit.

3. God Himself is Our Inheritance
· Eph. 1:13-14 “… you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise who is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession.
· “Sealed” = NT4972 = to ??? with a signal or private mark for security.
· “Earnest” = NT728 = pledge, deposit, part of the purchase money given in advance as a security of the rest of the payment.
· “Inheritance” =NT2817 Heir-ship, to receive a legacy.
· Sealed with the Spirit = the baptism of the Holy Spirit – power of God coming upon us and filling us with the life of God.
· Eph. 1:18 “That eyes of understanding being enlightened, that you might know what is the hope of your calling, what are the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the Church.
The inheritance is within us – the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.
· 2 Cor. 4:7 “We have this treasure, Christ, in earthen vessels …”
· OT Num.18:20 The priests did not receive land – God was their inheritance.



· Our Inheritance
(1) Given to us by promise (2) Holy Spirit indwelling and empowering (3) To be possessed – there is resistance we must overcome to access this inheritance.
· 1 Cor.2:11-14 “We have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.
- One work of the indwelling Holy Spirit is to reveal and to give us access to all the things God has provided for us in Christ.
- Why do Christians have so little when given so much?
(i) Despise the spiritual realities e.g. Esau Gen 25:34
(ii) Carnal, natural mind – tend to think as we did before we came to Christ
(iii) Walls and barriers of unbelief in heart – reactions to being hurt.
(iv) Demonic resistance and pressure to live out of old nature.

4. Obtaining Our Inheritance
· Everything in the Kingdom of God is obtained by faith.
· Rom.5:2 “Through whom we also have access by faith into this grace”.
(a) Receive Jesus Christ as Saviour
Jn.3:3 “…unless one is born again, he cannot see the Kingdom of God.”
(b) Receive the Promise of the Holy Spirit
Act.19:2-6 “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” When Paul laid hands on them the Holy Spirit came upon them and they spoke with tongues and prophesised.
Mk.11:22 Keys to receiving the Holy Spirit:
(1) Desire, (2) Ask, (3) Believe, (4) Receive, (5) Respond by praying in tongues.
(c) Constant filling of the Holy Spirit
· Place love and value upon the Holy Spirit person and presence in your life.
· Must by a deliberate act of will to choose to draw upon the life of God within you – 1Cor.6:17 “You are one spirit with the Lord”.
· Jn 7:38 “Out of your innermost being shall flow rivers …”


(1) See differently - Perspective! New creation, God within, Treasure, DNA.
(2) Think differently – Mind sets! Complete in Christ, have all things.
(3) Speak Differently – Words! Pray in tongues – speak the Word of God, don’t grieve the Holy Spirit.
(4) Act Differently – Actions! Intentionally stretch to serve people.

http://mikeconnellministries.com

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