Praise Chapel Christian Fellowship of Anaheim
”Creating a Legacy”
Pastor Albert Garcia

Sunday, March 29, 2009

TEXT: John 10:39-42

INTRODUCTION: Today I want to speak on “Creating a Legacy”

· I will cover three areas.

o The definition of a legacy.

o The cost associated with creating a legacy.

o The power of a legacy.

Someone once said:

What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.

Lea

I. DEFINITION OF A LEGACY.

a. Webster – “something transmitted by or received from an ancestor or predecessor or from the past”

b. Someone once described it this way:

1. “A legacy is something everyone of us does. Each of us is a living presence. What we do with our lives right now has profound influence on everything and everyone around us- especially those we are close to.

II. THE COST ASSOCIATED WITH CREATING A LEGACY

a. Creating a legacy almost always involves small beginnings.

1. John the Baptist ministry had a very small beginning.

a. He church was in the dessert.

1. Matthew 3:1 “In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, ²And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

2. There was no stain glass windows.

3. There were no pews.

4. There was no air conditioned room.

5. THERE WAS JUST A HEART THAT DESIRED TO LEAVE A LEGACY!

2. If you and I are going to leave a legacy behind we must be willing to endure small beginnings.

a. Continue teaching a Bible study even when no one shows up.

b. Continue being faithful even when there is no fruit.

Illustrate: Billy Graham started preaching to crocodiles in the swamps of Florida. (Today he leaves a legacy)

b. Creating a legacy requires a life self-denial and sacrifice.

1. John lived a life of self-denial.

a. Matthew 3:4 “John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey”

2. Camel’s hair clothing was 400 years outdated.

a. This was the clothing of poor people.

b. The prophets of the O.T. wore camel’s hair clothing.

c. Elijah the prophet wore camel’s hair.

1. 2 Kings 1:8 “He was a man with a garment of hair and with a leather belt around his waist.” The king said, “That was Elijah the Tishbite”

3. Johns food was locusts and wild honey.

a. This was also the food of poor people.

b. Wild honey was extracted from the rocks and hollows of trees.

4. Jesus Himself lived a life of self-denial and sacrifice in order to leave us a legacy.

a. The Bible teaches us that even though He was rich He became poor in order to make us rich.

1. 2 Corinthians 8:9 “For ye know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that, though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, that ye through his poverty might be rich.

b. While Jesus lived on earth He did not even have a place to call His home.

1. Matthew 8:19-20 “And a certain scribe came, and said unto him, Master, I will follow thee whithersoever thou goest. ²⁰And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.

c. If we are going to live a legacy for others we too must be willing to deny ourselves and live a life of sacrifice.

1. Sacrifice our time.

2. Sacrifice our lives.

3. Sacrifice our money.

4. ETC.

c. Creating a legacy always involves times of discouragement and disappointment.

1. Times when you question everything you stand for.

a. Your calling.

b. Your ministry.

c. Your faith.

d. THIS USUALLY HAPPENS WHEN ONE IS EXPERIENCING DIFFICULTY!!!

2. John had a strong faith that Jesus was the Messiah.

a. John 1:29-30 “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. ³⁰This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me.

3. After John was put in prison he became discouraged and began to doubt whether Jesus was truly the Messiah.

a. Matthew 11:2-3 “When John heard in prison what Christ was doing he sent his disciples to ask him, “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?

4. Jesus had to reassure John in times of discouragement.

a. Matthew 11:4 “Jesus replied, “God back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured the deaf hear, the dead are raised, ad the good news is preached to the poor.”

5. Are you in that place today?

III. THE POWER OF A GODLY LEGACY.

a. Creating a legacy will almost always outlive you.

1. One will rarely get to see the legacy he or she creates in their lifetime.

2. John never got to see His legacy come to fruition.

3. He was beheaded while in prison.

a. John 1:27 “the king sent an executioner, and commanded his head to be brought: and he went and beheaded him in the prison”

Application: You and I will not always get to see the legacy we create.

b. Creating a godly legacy will leave a reference point for others to run to and find comfort and strength in times of trial and difficulty.

1. In our text Jesus is being persecuted by the religious jews.

a. John 10:39 “Again they tried to seize him, but he escaped their grasp.”

2. Jesus escapes their grip and runs to the place where John began his ministry in the Jordan.

a. John 10:40 “Then Jesus went back across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing in the early days, Here He stayed”

If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.

Isaac Newton

c. Those who create a godly legacy are great in the eyes of God.

1. Jesus declared John to be the greatest among those born of women.

a. Matthew 11:11 “Verily I say unto you, Among them that are born of women there hath not risen a greater than John the Baptist:

d. A godly legacy will produce spiritual fruit even after one is gone.

1. In our text we see John producing fruit even after his death.

a. While alive John never did a miracle.

b. Now many are coming to Christ because of his legacy.

1. John 10:41-42 “and many people came to him, They said, “Though John never performed a miraculous sign, all that John said about this man was true.” And in that place many believed in Jesus”

Dolly Pardon

If your actions create a legacy that inspires others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, then, you are an excellent leader.

IN CLOSING: What legacy are you leaving behind?

Billy Graham

“Our days are numbered. One of the primary goals in our lives should be to prepare for our last day. The legacy we leave is not just in our possessions, but in the quality of our lives. What preparations should we be making now? The greatest waste in all of our earth, which cannot be recycled or reclaimed, is our waste of the time that God has given us each day.”