LIVING A LIFE TO LEAVE A LEGACY

Hello friends, welcome again to today’s broadcast. It’s been a pleasure bringing the Word of GOD to you. And we praise GOD that the messages are being impactful. We have ascertained this from testimonies that have come to us, and the commendations. I pray that our GOD will use these messages to lift you from where you are to another level…in The Mighty Name of JESUS CHRIST. AMEN.

Today, we shall be speaking on, Living a Life to Leave a Legacy.

LIVING A LIFE TO LEAVE A LEGACY

And our bible reading will be taken from Proverbs 13:22.

Proverbs 13:22

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

Let us pray.

PRAYER

Heavenly FATHER, YOU alone are our FATHER. YOU planned for the salvation of mankind. YOU opened the door for our reconciliation with YOU through our LORD JESUS CHRIST. YOU have planned for eternal life for us. Help us to understand our roles as good parents to our children…in JESUS’ Mighty Name I pray. Amen!

Living a Life to Leave a Legacy

In Law, a legacy is something inherited, as by will and testament or covenant. It may refer to arts, media, entertainments, organizations, places, sports, technology or transportation or landed properties or buildings.

Let me ask you a question: What kind of legacy would you like to leave behind for your family and friends when you pass on? How do you want them to remember you? You will like to be remembered as an intelligent, educated man, very articulate, skilled and animated? You will like them to remember you as a well-dressed gentleman or woman well-organized in your disposition?

Our passage rightly said that, a good father thinks of the welfare of his children and perhaps grandchildren. He thinks about the survival of his posterity. This is why we are talking about what kind of legacy you will leave behind. The reality is that every life leaves a legacy; there is basically no option. The question is, what type of legacy do you want to leave? It does not matter if you are aware or not that you are leaving a legacy. The truth is that right now you are working on a legacy you are going to leave behind. Your family will be left in their hands: primarily that which you passed unto them, whether good or bad. That is what they will have. The legacy you leave will become the legacy they will live with, and in turn will become the basis for the legacy they will leave behind.

Prophet Jeremiah in Jeremiah 16:19 cried over the type of legacy left to them by their fathers. Let me read Jeremiah 16:19.

Jeremiah 16:19 (NLT)

¹⁹ Lord, you are my strength and fortress,
my refuge in the day of trouble!
Nations from around the world
will come to you and say,
“Our ancestors left us a foolish heritage,
for they worshiped worthless idols.

What will the next generation say about you? What you are leaving behind, what you are not leaving behind? Is it occult paraphernalia and boast? Worthless idols and talisman? Legacy is not only buildings or landed property, stocks of companies and fat bank accounts. The proper legacy is legacy that will not transmit evil to the generations coming.

In Jeremiah 31:29 the Bible says, and I quote,

Jeremiah 31:29

²⁹ In those days they shall say no more:

‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes,
And the children’s teeth are set on edge.’

Why GOD is a just judge HE will not punish children for the sins of their fathers, but the legacy fathers leave may entrench continuity in vices that will attract GOD’s judgment to their children. There is therefore crisis in generational legacies. Parents must leave a legacy of life that will grow on and on into the future. I will rather request that your focus should not be becoming a legend but live a life to leave a legacy. Your reputation is who you are or what you are supposed to be. Your reputation is who you are, what you are supposed to be – your legacy is who you are.

A single newspaper report can give you reputation, but a life of toil gives you your legacy. Reputation is what men will say about you on your tombstone: that is, near your grave; but legacy is what your children will live with for the rest of their lives.

I want to read some passages from The Book of Timothy.

2 Timothy 4:6-7

⁶ For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. ⁷ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

Did you read that? That’s from Apostle Paul. I’m already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.

Let me read again from 2 Timothy 3, and I will read verse 14 to 16.

2 Timothy 3:14-16

¹⁴ But you must continue in the things which you have learned and been assured of, knowing from whom you have learned them, ¹⁵ and that from childhood you have known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus.

¹⁶ All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness,

Alright. Let me read again from 2 Timothy 1:3-7

2 Timothy 1:3-7

³ I thank God, whom I serve with a pure conscience, as my forefathers did, as without ceasing I remember you in my prayers night and day, ⁴ greatly desiring to see you, being mindful of your tears, that I may be filled with joy, ⁵ when I call to remembrance the genuine faith that is in you, which dwelt first in your grandmother Lois and your mother Eunice, and I am persuaded is in you also. ⁶ Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands. ⁷ For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.

Why have we read all these passages? In all these passages Apostle Paul did not mention how many nation he has visited, how many churches he opened, how many epistles or letters he wrote – rather, he left a legacy of a faithful follower of JESUS. He said he has fought the good fight, he has finished the race; he kept the faith. He said, I want to impress it upon you that you follow me as I am determined to leave a legacy that will be greater than me: a legacy that will impact generations after generations.

Friends, commit yourselves to these three legacies”

1. Fight the good fight of faith. If you want to leave a legacy that will affect generations recognize that each day you are in a war situation. You must choose to stand firm, clothed in your spiritual armor. When you are casual or careless about spiritual things like prayer, bible study, church services, you are leaving a legacy that may not be strong enough for the family and children. When you start compromising standards and indulge in sin, doing things secretly outside your wife, you are weakening your legacy. And Satan is targeting your children and family or even friends.
2. Endeavour to finish the race – the race of life. It is important to begin, but much more important to finish well. Your family will be greatly encouraged when they are certain you finished well.
3. Keep the faith till the end. Your testimony in the community and among the contemporaries is very important. Keeping the faith is sure a legacy for the family and children.

Friends, what is your stake? Determine to live a life that will leave a legacy for your posterity.

Prayer! Let us pray.

PRAYER

Heavenly FATHER, I BLESS YOUR Name for my hearers. Many of my hearers require help to commence a life that will leave a legacy for the family. HOLY SPIRIT, may YOU help them as they commit themselves to YOU…in the Name of The FATHER, in The Name of The SON and in The Name of The HOLY SPIRIT. Amen!