Legacy vs. Notoriety
Legacy vs. Notoriety
INTRODUCTION:
With all the modern technology that we have today, it is easy to see how a person could become famous overnight. They could easily gain notoriety, but all too often become notorious. They also have a choice to become a legend or leave a legacy.
When you get notoriety, the documentation starts that puts into words the type of person you are. And depending on who is writing the story will depict how much of it is fact or if it is fabrication to make the story more interesting. (Look at all the stories in the tabloids)
The problem with becoming a legend is once again the stories may have been ‘enhanced’ to make them more exciting. The dictionary defines a legend as “a story coming down from the past, especially one popularly regarded as historical although not verifiable.”
Since Pastor Jerry has started this new series based on Hebrews 11, we have seen those in the Bible whom the world would call notorious and legendary. But we know them to be notable for leaving a legacy. A legacy is defined as “something transmitted by or received from an ancestor or from the past.” This Faithful Hall of Fame roster shows us men and women who were by no means perfect, but rather chose to live a life of faithfulness to God, leaving a legacy for us to see today.
or the time he got drunk and his sons found him naked?
becoming the “father and mother” of a nation,
or the time they lied to a King about their relationship?
The list could go on and on from other examples in the Bible, but I want to bring this to how it applies to us today. While our names may not appear in the holy scriptures, we are told multiple times that we are to live out our lives to bring glory to God in all we say and do.
Psalm 112:1-2
Praise the Lord! How joyful are those who fear the Lord and delight in obeying his commands. Their children will be successful everywhere; an entire generation of godly people will be blessed.
We are given the strategy for a life of legacy right here in this Psalm. But this is not something that comes naturally to us. We must put God first in every area of our lives.
That can be accomplished by doing the following:
- Cultivate the soil of our hearts: by delighting in God’s Word and His commands. (Psalm 1:1-3; Psalm 37:4-5)
- Sow good seeds into the lives of our families and others: with our testimonies. (Psalm 78:4; Psalm 145:4-7)
- Care for the crop of our future legacy: with proper instruction and setting the example by serving and blessing others. (Deut. 6:5-7; Philippians 4:9; 1 Peter 4:10)
- Reap a harvest of blessing: for generations to come. (Psalm 78:6-7)
Legacy building begins when we:
Psalm 1:1-3
Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.
- Keep Christian music playing all day.
- Start and end your day by reading a scripture, maybe even memorizing it.
- Share with family or someone else how God had encouraged you that day.
Psalm 37:4-5
Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart’s desires. Commit everything you do to the Lord. Trust him, and he will help you.
- No longer selfish “what we want”
- We find new found freedom as we fully trust in the Lord.
Psalm 78:4
We will not hide these truths from our children; we will tell the next generation about the glorious deeds of the Lord, about his power and his mighty wonders.
- Consider keeping a journal for both you and others to read.
- Send out a text, email or notecard to family and friends of what God had been doing in your life.
- Give a testimony in church of how God has been transforming your story.
Psalm 145:4-7
Let each generation tell its children of your mighty acts; let them proclaim your power. I will meditate on your majestic, glorious splendor and your wonderful miracles. Your awe-inspiring deeds will be on every tongue; I will proclaim your greatness. Everyone will share the story of your wonderful goodness; they will sing with joy about your righteousness.
- Share the story..be a storykeeper.
- Sing with joy (testimony in song) and praise Him forever!
Deuteronomy 6:5-7
And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength. And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.
- Words matter, because they reveal what’s in your heart.
- Along with teaching the truths of God, you need to use and live these words as well:
- I Love You (John 15:9)
- I Am Sorry (James 5:16)
- I Forgive You (Colossians 3:13)
*Forgiveness is more about freeing yourself that it is about freeing others.
Philippians 4:9
Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me—everything you heard from me and saw me doing. Then the God of peace will be with you.
1 Peter 4:10
God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.
- This is the example that Jesus gave us
- He told the disciples
- He showed the disciples
- He had them go out in pairs and practice then come back with a report
- He sent them out with the power of the Holy Spirit.
- We are all to use our gifts to serve others
What is the outcome?
Psalm 78:6-7
So the next generation might know them—even the children not yet born—and they in turn will teach their own children. So each generation should set its hope anew on God, not forgetting his glorious miracles and obeying his commands.
Conclusion:
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