Lifting Your Legacy – Part 2
Legacy is seen in Pericles:
“What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others.”
The Second Coming of Christ
In the New Testament, there are two things we know Jesus will be focused on when He comes. What are they, and why do they matter?
1) The First Focus Of Jesus When He Returns:
Luke 18:1-8:
“Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up. He said: “In a certain town there was a judge who neither feared God nor cared what people thought. And there was a widow in that town who kept coming to him with the plea, ‘Grant me justice against my adversary.’ “For some time he refused. But finally he said to himself, ‘Even though I don’t fear God or care what people think, yet because this widow keeps bothering me, I will see that she gets justice, so that she won’t eventually come and attack me!’”
And the Lord said, “Listen to what the unjust judge says. And will not God bring about justice for his chosen ones, who cry out to him day and night? Will he keep putting them off? I tell you, he will see that they get justice, and quickly. However, when the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?”
As Christians, we know that salvation comes through authentic faith in Christ:
John 1:12 Rom.5:1-2
John 3:16 Eph.2:8-9
Faith Without Works Is
• Meet The Basic Needs Of Others – James 2:15-16,
• Align Our Belief and Conduct - James 2:19-20 – demons believe but don’t live it,
• Sacrifice & Take Risks - James 2:21-24 – i.e. Abraham, Isaac, Rahab.
2) The Second Focus Of Jesus When He Returns:
In the Jesus version, love is not a passive noun but an active verb…
Matthew 24:3 “As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. “Tell us,”
they said, “when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?”
They asked the wrong questions around His return, but Jesus gave them the right answers:
Answer #1 – Until I Come, Do Not Be Deceived Matthew 24:1-31
Answer #2 – Until I Come, No One Knows The Day Or Time Matthew 24:36-51
Answer #3 – Until I Come, Complacency Is Your Enemy Matthew 25:1-13
Answer #4 – Until I Come, Love Is Everything. Love Is Defined As How We Use Our Time, Talent and Treasure Matthew 25:14-30.
Love is the awareness that you are BLESSED TO BE FRUITFUL & MULTIPLY. The very first thing God DID to people after He created us in His image was BLESS US, and the first thing God SAID to people in the entire Bible was: “Be fruitful and multiply…” Genesis 1:26-29
But that wasn’t all. God Himself invented the “Peter Parker Principle”: that with great blessing comes great responsibility > The Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25:14-30:
“14 For the kingdom of heaven is like a man traveling to a far country, who called his own servants and delivered his goods to them. 15 And to one he gave five talents, to another two, and to another one, to each according to his own ability; and immediately he went on a journey.
The Master Has Called You and Given You The Goods!
God Has Gifted You According To Your Capacity!
16 Then he who had received the five talents went and traded with them, and made another five talents. 17 And likewise he who had received two gained two more also. 18 But he who had received one went and dug in the ground, and hid his lord’s money. 19 After a long time the lord of those servants came and settled accounts with them. 20 “So he who had received five talents came and brought five other talents, saying, ‘Lord, you delivered to me five talents; look, I have gained five more talents besides them.’ 21 His lord said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’ 22 He also who had received two talents came and said, ‘Lord, you delivered to me two talents; look, I have gained two more talents besides them.’ 23 His lord said to him, Well done, good and faithful servant; you have been faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord.’
With Great Blessing Comes Great Responsibility > We are accountable for what God has given us > “You gave, I gained…”
We Can Multiply What The Master Has Given Us Or Hide It
If You Increase What You Were Given, God Will Give You More
24 “Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord, I knew you to be a hard man, reaping
where you have not sown, and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 And I was afraid, and went
and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’ 26 “But his lord answered and said to him, ‘You wicked and lazy servant, you knew that I reap where I have not sown, and gather where I have not scattered seed. 27 So you ought to have deposited my money with the bankers, and at my coming I would have received back my own with interest. 28 So take the talent from him, and give it to him who has ten talents. 29 For to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even what he has will be taken away. 30 And cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’”
A Misperception Of God Causes You To Bury What God Gave You > “I knew you to be a hard man…”
Fear Causes You To Hide What God Gave You > “And I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.”
God Looks For Increase, Not Maintenance > “Unprofitable” Means “Without Utility, Useless”.
The Creator Wants You To Use and Multiply What He Gave You!
Then to illustrate that when Jesus returns, He is looking for love, He rolls from that parable into a description of
the actual judgment Matthew 25:31-46:
“31 “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 34 “Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ 37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ 41 “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’ 44 “They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ 45 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’ 46 “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.”
When Jesus Comes Back, His Will Evaluate Our Legacy. First He Will Look At Our Faith. Then, He Will Look At Our Love: Was LOVE a “noun” or “verb” for you?
1) Love Is How We
“Love” is not an abstract concept. Love is all about perspectives “…whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’ (Matthew 25:40)
2) Love Is How We
Love is all about how we treat people: “…whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me’ (Matthew 25:40):
• I was hungry and you fed me,
• I was thirsty and you gave me drink,
• I was a stranger, and you took me in,
• I was needed clothes and you clothed me,
• I was sick and you visited me,
• I was in prison, and you visited me.
3) Love Is How We
“Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.” Matthew 25:45
Ultimately In God’s Kingdom, Your Legacy Is About How You SERVE People:
1. With Your
2. With Your
3. With Your
Tithing:
Tithing refers to systematically giving 10% of your income to God for His work - Matthew 6:19-21,24:
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also…No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.”
Top 7 Truths About Tithing:
1) Tithing Applies In 2024:
o Tithing Was Practiced Voluntarily Before The Law – Genesis 14:17-24; Genesis 28:22
o Tithing Was Commanded In The Law – Leviticus 27:30-33; Numbers 18:21-32
o Tithing Was Confirmed By Jesus And Apostles In The New Testament – Matthew 23:23; Luke 11:42; I Corinthians 9:7-14; I Corinthians 16:1-2; Acts 2:40-47; Acts 4:32-37; Matthew 5:17-20.
2) We Bring The WHOLE Tithe To The Local Church – Malachi 3:6-12. The “storehouse” is where the food is: your local church. The tithe goes to the storehouse:
o ABRAHAM TITHED TO THE PRIEST – Gen.14:18-24.
o THE TITHE WENT TO THE LEVITES AND PRIESTS UNDER THE LAW – Numbers 18:21-32; Nehemiah 10:35-39.
o IN THE NEW TESTAMENT, PEOPLE BROUGHT THEIR GIFTS TO THE ELDERS AND APOSTLES - Acts 4:32-37; Acts 5:1-11.
o JESUS COMMANDED US TO SUPPORT WORKERS - Luke 10:7; Matthew 10:10
o THE EARLY CHURCH SUPPORTED LEADERS - I Corinthians 9:1-14; I Timothy 5:17,18
The whole tithe goes to the storehouse, the local church God has led you to be part of. Then the church can
support different ministries, missionaries and help the poor.
3) Under The New Covenant, Tithing Is The Start – Matthew 5:17-20; Romans 8:1-4; Acts 2:42-47; Acts 4:32-37; Jeremiah 31:31-34. The amount doesn’t change, only the motivation.
4) Tithing Provides Food For God’s House – Malachi 3:7-12. When we tithe, we free our spiritual leaders to minister to the flock - I Corinthians 9:7-14; Jeremiah 3:15. We tithe so there will be “food” in God’s House.
5) Tithing Is A “Provision Protector” – Malachi 3:7-12. Tithing protects the provision of God in our lives from the devourer. Tithing 10% multiplies the remaining 90% so that it is like having more than 100%!
6) Tithing Is A Key That Opens The Floodgates Of Heaven – Malachi 3:7-12
7) Tithes And Offerings Bring The Blessing Of God – Malachi 3:6-12. Aim to give more than just a basic 10%. The principle is this: You Reap What You Sow! Offerings go to things like Missions, Buildings, Benevolence, etc.