ALIVE IN THE LORD JESUS

John 11:25-26 KJV Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:  26  And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

Are you alive in Christ...or dead?

A young, ambitious pastor was called to serve in a certain church. He was warned by his predecessor that the congregation was "dead".. But he accepted the call because he believed with God’s guidance he could bring life to that church. He was an optimist and he worked hard, visiting the members, preaching his best sermons enthusiastically, he tried to develop an outreach or lay visiting program so that visits might be done in the homes of the active, the inactive and new people moving into town. The harder he tried, the more he knew that his predecessor was right, this was a dead church.

The spark for ministry, the excitement of preaching and sharing the gospel message was not there.

So one Sunday he made a startling announcement to the few who were gathered for worship. He said, "In as much as you are a dead congregation, unresponsive to resuscitative efforts, unresponsive to any effort of pumping life into the workings of the congregation, in as much as the vital signs of the congregation are dead, I will conduct a funeral for this ’dead ’church next Sunday morning at 10:30."

The members, the few who were there, buzzed with excitement following the service. One said, "What’s he trying to pull anyway?" Another said, "I don’t understand?"

The pastor and his announcement of a funeral for the church was the main talk of the tiny rural town during that week. The phone lines were hot with talk, the coffee shop was filled with men talking about what they expected next Sunday.

Sunday arrived, and as the people gathered, there was an open coffin in the front of the church. As the 10:30 hour approached, the pastor looked out and saw that every pew plus some chairs were filled for this funeral service.

He began the funeral service by reading scripture, he shared prayer, he even gave a very sad sermon on the demise of this over 100 year old church and congregation.

After he finished his sermon, he did something which again startled the membership. He asked the members to please rise and past slowly by the open coffin to pay their last respects to this now dead church. Slowly, they shuffled pass the coffin, their faces assuming disconcerting expressions as each peered inside.

The coffin was empty except for a mirror.

As each person peered into the coffin to view the deceased each looked upon his or her own face.

Do you make up part of that congregation?

What does it mean to be alive in Christ? 

Every living animal behave is a way peculiar to its nature. That is why a dog barks,  not a cat. It's why a horse gallops and a snake slithers. Fishes swim and eagles fly.

If you are ALIVE in Christ then certain traits will be manifest in you a result of being ALIVE in Christ.

There will be:

1. A HUNGER FOR THE WORD!

A baby bawls for food and you know it is alive. A Christian is hungry for the Word of God and willingly puts diligent efforts into studying the Word and finds him/herself in places where the Word of God is taught.

 Job said: Neither have I gone back from the commandment of his lips; I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.  Job 23:12 KJV

Peter admonishes us: Wherefore laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, and envies, and all evil speakings, As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious. 1 Peter 2:1-3 KJV

And Jesus answered him, saying, It is written, That man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.  Luke 4:4 KJV

Paul urges Timothy to: Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.  2 Timothy 2:15 KJV

To have approval from God, we need to study HIS word; God wants us to be familiar with the word so that when the enemy comes our way, we will know how to handle the situation because the Holy Spirit will lift up the Standard of the Word! When we witness to someone our words will flow and the Holy Spirit will give us knowledge to speak the right words. Studying the Word of God is spiritual food to us. The Word is applicable to all of life's affairs. We have to examine the nature of everything that we come in contact with, to determine if it is good or evil. We have to ALWAYS remember that evil will many times look good, however when we study and apply the Word, we will be able to tell the difference. Being a faithful soldier for Christ means we need to be committed to study his Word and not get side-tracked. When we are alive in Christ we should have delight in the Word of God.  To us it is inspiration, fact and it is exciting. We must have faith in God’s word. 

But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.  Psalms 1:2 KJV

I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word.  Psalms 119:16 KJVThy testimonies also are my delight and my counsellors.  Psalms 119:24 KJV

And I will delight myself in thy commandments, which I have loved.  Psalms 119:47 KJV

2. A DESIRE FOR PRAYER 

 Prayer is communicating with God and a person alive in Christ will desire intensely to speak to the Father. Jesus regularly spent all night in communion with His Father and if He found it necessary then so should we who are alive in Him! 

He urges His disciples to: Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.  Matthew 26:41 KJV

Yes, the flesh is weak but when we pray in the name of JESUS, we are VICTORIOUS. There is power in the name of JESUS. Prayer should be a priority for Christians. God answers prayers, but we need to pray wholeheartedly.  

We are admonished to: Pray without ceasing.  1 Thessalonians 5:17 KJV

Being alive in Jesus shows our FAITH in Him, we should not doubt who HE is. 

The Bible tells us: But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.  Hebrews 11:6 KJV

    James says: But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed.  James 1:6 KJV

   WE have to constantly be on guard because Satan will be ready to catch us off guard, but of the righteous God say: Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.  Psalms 37:24 KJV

He will forgive us when we confess our sins wholeheartedly. In fact when we are alive in HIM, we will sin less and worship and adore Him with a sincere heart.

3.  A WILL TO WORSHIP

John 4:23-24 KJV But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him.  24  God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

We need to move from the natural light of the outer court past the artificial light  from the lampstands tended by man in the holy place and  onward into the Most Holy Place where the Eternal Heavenly Light of the Shekinah fills the the cube of the Holy of Holies...the perfection of God. Yashua died in order to open an entrance into the Most Holy and we are given the privilege of entering there. 

How do we get in there? Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.  Psalms 100:4 KJV

As we enter in the prescribed manner our hearts sync with heaven’s rhythm and begin to vibrate with Heaven's frequency. As worship builds up in us we are in harmony with the glory of the Holiest Place and bow in reverence in the presence of the Shekinah!  In worship we are taken into the very presence of Yahweh where time ceases to exist for as you:

Turn your eyes upon Jesus,

Look full in His wonderful face,

And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,

In the light of His glory and grace. 

 When we are alive in Jesus, He will bless us, He will supply our needs - Exodus 16:14 KJV  And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground.

When we are alive in Jesus, no matter what the situation we will continue to be thankful to God. We will worship Him in spirit and in truth and He will BLESS us. He provided manna for the children of Israel – the ones who were unthankful and who murmured did not enter into the promise land. Do we want God to see us as unthankful? We all have troubles we are facing, but our God is bigger than any situation – we all tend to see our problems as road blocks but no matter how bad our circumstances are, there are so many things we have that we need to thank God for. When God sees how rooted and grounded we are in Him, He will continue to bless us.

 

When we are alive in Christ – HE satisfies us and through HIM we gain everlasting life.

John 6:35 KJV And Jesus said unto them, I am the bread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never thirst.

When we are alive in Jesus, we will have the Comforter to comfort us. John 14:26 KJV  But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.

When we have the Comforter in us we will have a personal relationship with God; Our bodies are now temples of God. 1 Corinthians 6:19 KJV What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?

We now have a constant companion in Jesus. We are victors over flesh …

Romans 8:2-4 KJV For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.  3  For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:  4  That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

We are living is crucial times but we have the Comforter to guide us, to convict us of sin. He is gentle and will fill our lives with good things. Satan will have no place in our lives. We can also recognize the signs of the time and do our utmost to redeem the time.

When we are alive in Jesus we will be grounded. Ephesians 3:17 KJV That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love,

We are living in a world where there is a lot of hatred and anger but when we are alive in Jesus, no one or nothing can separate us from the love of God. We are going to look at things differently and see the good in others. We will stand firm and no wind will be able to shake us. Our roots will grow deep in the love of God and in His strength. Satan will try to pluck us out but his grace will be more than enough. 2 Peter 3:18 KJV But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.

Being alive in the Jesus will make us love one another. We will put others before ourselves. We will love our brothers and sisters; we will feel each other’s pain and we will also celebrate together. We will pray for each other, and encourage each other in the Lord. We will be able to forgive and show respect to others. Being alive in Jesus will make our lights shine.

Matthew 5:16 KJV Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.

WHEN WE ARE ALIVE IN JESUS, OUR HEAVENLY FATHER WILL BE GLORIFIED.

GET DEEPER WITH OUR LORD

Romans 8:1-18 KJV

1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

3 For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:

4 That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.

5 For they that are after the flesh do mind the things of the flesh; but they that are after the Spirit the things of the Spirit.

6 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

9 But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

10 And if Christ be in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.

11 But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.

12 Therefore, brethren, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live after the flesh.

13 For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live.

14 For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.

15 For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father.

16 The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God:

17 And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together.

18 For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.

    

WE'RE DIFFERENT BUT WE ALL HAVE NEED OF JESUS.

Where is GOD in our lives today? We go about our daily lives to take care of our needs for the physical man. We work if we have a job, go to school, some stay at home. Although two individuals work at the same job doing the same activity they would do it different. What I am trying to say is that we are all different as individuals in nature, habits, preferences, likes and dislikes but what is the same in all of us is that we all need Jesus Christ in our lives. Most of us accept this, and our spirit which was dead now comes alive. Those who don’t should get it right before it’s too late. 

But then what next? What do we do from there? Do we sit with that and have contentment or do we want more? Men are always trying to achieve wealth and power in the natural life but yet when it comes to GOD we are contended to be at the same place.

WE SHOULD AIM TO GO HIGHER AND DEEPER IN GOD

Our aim, our desire should be to be more committed to GOD. We should desire to go deeper and higher with our Lord. It is not an overnight experience. We are all unique and we will have our own experience with the LORD. We need to be aware that there are many distractions that can divert our attention away from God sometimes without us even realizing it.

What is it that distracts you from moving towards a deeper relationship with God?

1. A common distraction around us today, which takes away from GOD, is our job and possessions.

We focus so much on our job that we tend to forget our GOD. Have we stopped to think that GOD can make our workload easier if only we can stop to say thank you Lord for providing this job and helping me through it.

Luke 12:15-21 KJV 15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

16 And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth plentifully:

17 And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to bestow my fruits?

18 And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow all my fruits and my goods.

19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease, eat, drink, and be merry.

20 But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall those things be, which thou hast provided?

21 So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

Mark 10:17-22 KJV  And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life?  18 And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God.  19 Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Defraud not, Honour thy father and mother.  20 And he answered and said unto him, Master, all these have I observed from my youth.  21 Then Jesus beholding him loved him, and said unto him, One thing thou lackest: go thy way, sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, take up the cross, and follow me.  22 And he was sad at that saying, and went away grieved: for he had great possessions.

2. Recreation and pleasure can also distract us from seeking after God.

1 John 2:15-16 KJV 15 Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him.

16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.

3. Our children and family.

Matthew 10:37-38 KJV37 He that loveth father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.

4. Church and religion

Unbelievable as it may seem we can become so caught up in church and religion that we forget the purpose of it all. We become busy with meetings and more meetings and it all becomes an effort of self for self, not for God. We get the praises and accolades and God gets no glory. We end up like the Pharisees - religious but lost.

 Mark 7:6-8 KJV6 He answered and said unto them, Well hath Esaias prophesied of you hypocrites, as it is written, This people honoureth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.

7 Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

8 For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.

HOW DO WE GET DEEPER WITH OUR LORD?

This is most important to our well being !

Spending time with GOD - This is what GOD wants from us. He wants fellowship with us. When we spend time with GOD his spirit envelopes us. 2 Corinthians 3:17-18 KJV 17 Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.  18  But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.

We should always stay connected with the spirit of GOD for he lives in us, he dwells in us. But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.  1 Corinthians 2:14 KJV

Staying in touch with GOD – We should keep praying and giving thanks to GOD. The devil will try to stop us from doing this all the time because he knows he is defeated when we get down to pray. Our prayers are very important to GOD. GOD listens and answers us. 1 John 5:14-15 KJV  And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he heareth us:  15  And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him.

This will strengthen us and help us to be victorious. Sometimes we pray and we focus on the things of GOD, but we do not know what to pray for. This is when the Holy Spirit that resides in us helps us. Romans 8:26-27 KJV Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.  27 And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God.

Because we pray and are connected to GOD does not mean that we will not have problems or cares of this world. Daniel was a praying man. The Bible records that he prayed three times a day. The Presidents and Princes did not like this because Daniel had an excellent spirit and as a result of this he was thrown in the lions’ den. But you know what? GOD was with him in his problems. Beloved GOD is with us in our problems. GOD has not change and will not change. Daniel problem lasted one night ours may last more than a night or less, but be assured that GOD will be with us. Daniel never stopped praying. Even King Darius fasted that night. Friends and family who love us will join us in our prayers in times of trouble but it starts with us as the individual.    

Psalms 1:1-6 KJV Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful.  2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.  3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper.  4 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away.  5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous.  6 For the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.

Billy Graham tells a story told him by a pastor he met in Glasgow, Scotland. There was a woman in this pastor's parish who was in financial difficulty and behind in her rent. So the pastor took up a collection for this poor woman at church, and then went to her home to give her the money. He knocked and knocked at the door, but there was no answer. Finally, he went away. The next day he encountered the poor woman at the market. "Why, Mrs. Green," he said, "I stopped by your house yesterday, and I was disappointed that there was no answer." The woman's eyes widened as she said, "Oh, was that you? I thought it was the landlord and I was afraid to open the door!" The riches of God have been made available to us in Christ, yet most of us shrink back from receiving all that God eagerly wishes to place in our hands. The riches of God cannot help us until we open the door of our hearts – Ray Stedman

PRESERVING OUR CHRISTIAN LEGACY

 Psalms 78:1-11 KJV  Maschil of Asaph. 

Give ear, O my people, to my law: incline your ears to the words of my mouth.  2  I will open my mouth in a parable: I will utter dark sayings of old:  3  Which we have heard and known, and our fathers have told us.  4 We will not hide them from their children, shewing to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that he hath done.  5  For he established a testimony in Jacob, and appointed a law in Israel, which he commanded our fathers, that they should make them known to their children:  6  That the generation to come might know them, even the children which should be born; who should arise and declare them to their children:  7  That they might set their hope in God, and not forget the works of God, but keep his commandments:  8  And might not be as their fathers, a stubborn and rebellious generation; a generation that set not their heart aright, and whose spirit was not stedfast with God.  9 The children of Ephraim, being armed, and carrying bows, turned back in the day of battle.  10 They kept not the covenant of God, and refused to walk in his law; 11 And forgat his works, and his wonders that he had shewed them.

(Maschil - a psalm to give instruction) 

QUESTION: WHAT LEGACY ARE WE LEAVING TO OUR CHILDREN?

The Bible says: A good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just.  Proverbs 13:22 KJV

Legacy however means much more than just money, land and other possessions

According to Webster’sDictionary, legacy can be:

• Money or property bequeathed to another by will.

• Something handed down from an ancestor, a predecessor, or from the past: (example, a legacy of religious freedom).

• To appoint by a last will, a gift, or property.

• A business with which one is entrusted by another or commissioned.

A legacy is what a person is remembered for. Many graduate from high school or college believing they will impact the world, but then real life sets in.

Two old friends bumped into one another on the street one day.

One of them looked forlorn, almost on the verge of tears. His friend asked, "What has the world done to you, my old friend?"

The sad fellow said, "Let me tell you. Three weeks ago, my uncle died and left me forty thousand dollars."
"That’s a lot of money."

"And, two weeks ago, a cousin I never even knew died, and left me eighty-five thousand dollars."
"Sounds like you’ve been blessed...."

"You don’t understand!" he interrupted. "Last week my great-aunt passed away. I inherited almost a quarter of a million."

Now the friend was really confused. "Then, why do you look so sad?”

"This week... nothing!"

Today we look at the legacy we are leaving our children who will be the men and women of tomorrow, for good or evil.

In William Shakespeare’s play Julius Caesar, Mark Antony says "The evil that men do lives after them; The good is oft interred with their bones" 

My prayer today is that the good will live on, displayed in our children, as we endeavor to give them the right guidelines to live by, and more important, to glorify God by their very lifestyle in thoughts, words and deeds.

Our children are being impacted by a multitude of sights and sounds that weave a siren spell on their minds, luring them away from all that's good and holy.  We constantly need to remind ourselves that we cannot afford to let up in words and MOST importantly DEEDS, in our efforts to so influence them that 

God's Word is full of instructions to erect memorials for the future generations. When we look at some of them we see what God wants our children and future generations to be reminded of:

We read in:

Exodus 13:11-16 KJV And it shall be when the LORD shall bring thee into the land of the Canaanites, as he sware unto thee and to thy fathers, and shall give it thee,  12  That thou shalt set apart unto the LORD all that openeth the matrix, and every firstling that cometh of a beast which thou hast; the males shall be the LORD'S.  13 And every firstling of an ass thou shalt redeem with a lamb; and if thou wilt not redeem it, then thou shalt break his neck: and all the firstborn of man among thy children shalt thou redeem.  14 And it shall be when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What is this? that thou shalt say unto him, By strength of hand the LORD brought us out from Egypt, from the house of bondage:  15  And it came to pass, when Pharaoh would hardly let us go, that the LORD slew all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both the firstborn of man, and the firstborn of beast: therefore I sacrifice to the LORD all that openeth the matrix, being males; but all the firstborn of my children I redeem.  16 And it shall be for a token upon thine hand, and for frontlets between thine eyes: for by strength of hand the LORD brought us forth out of Egypt.

OUR CHILDREN NEED TO BE REMINDED OF THE DELIVERING HAND OF YAHWEH!

We read again in:

Deuteronomy 6:4-12 KJV Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:  5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.  6  And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:  7  And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.  8  And thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes.  9 And thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates.  10  And it shall be, when the LORD thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not,  11  And houses full of all good things, which thou filledst not, and wells digged, which thou diggedst not, vineyards and olive trees, which thou plantedst not; when thou shalt have eaten and be full;  12  Then beware lest thou forget the LORD, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.

OUR CHILDREN NEED TO BE REMINDED OF THE WORDS AND COMMANDS OF YAHWEH

We also read in:

Joshua 4:1-7 KJV  And it came to pass, when all the people were clean passed over Jordan, that the LORD spake unto Joshua, saying,  2  Take you twelve men out of the people, out of every tribe a man,  3  And command ye them, saying, Take you hence out of the midst of Jordan, out of the place where the priests' feet stood firm, twelve stones, and ye shall carry them over with you, and leave them in the lodging place, where ye shall lodge this night.  4  Then Joshua called the twelve men, whom he had prepared of the children of Israel, out of every tribe a man:  5  And Joshua said unto them, Pass over before the ark of the LORD your God into the midst of Jordan, and take ye up every man of you a stone upon his shoulder, according unto the number of the tribes of the children of Israel:  6  That this may be a sign among you, that when your children ask their fathers in time to come, saying, What mean ye by these stones?  7  Then ye shall answer them, That the waters of Jordan were cut off before the ark of the covenant of the LORD; when it passed over Jordan, the waters of Jordan were cut off: and these stones shall be for a memorial unto the children of Israel for ever.

OUR CHILDREN NEED TO BE REMINDED OF THE MIGHT AND POWER YAHWEH.

When we look in the Bible we see people who left a lasting legacy to their children. Moses’ mother only had a short time with Moses before delivering him up to Pharaoh’s daughter,r but she did her utmost to instill into the child the best teaching so that it would remain with him even to adulthood.

1. GOD ACKNOWLEDGED ABRAHAM'S COMMITMENT TO PASS  ON A LEGACY OF RIGHTEOUSNESS AND FAITH.

  

Genesis 18:17-19 KJV  And the LORD said, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I do;  18  Seeing that Abraham shall surely become a great and mighty nation, and all the nations of the earth shall be blessed in him?  19  For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.

God was willing to reveal his plans to Abraham because he knew Abraham would leave a righteous legacy of justice and judgment and keep the way of Yahweh!

2. TIMOTHY'S GRANDMOTHER PASSED ON A LEGACY TO HER DAUGHTER AND HER GRANDSON!

Timothy's grandmother left a legacy unfeigned faith which was passed on through his mother to himself. It brought him to the attention of Paul who took up the mentoring of Timothy who inherited a lasting faith from his mother and grandmother. No mention of any input from his father who was Greek.

Acts 16:1-3 KJV  Then came he to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek:  2  Which was well reported of by the brethren that were at Lystra and Iconium.  3 Him would Paul have to go forth with him; and took and circumcised him because of the Jews which were in those quarters: for they knew all that his father was a Greek.

2 Timothy 1:3-5 KJV I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day; 4 Greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy; 5 When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.

  

3. ELI FAILED WITH HIS SONS AND SO DID SAMUEL

In 1 Samuel we find Eli the priest of God, a good man, had sons who God caused to be slain because of their wickedness.

Samuel in turn became one of the greatest prophets of God but also failed to bring up godly sons.

1 Samuel 2:12-17 KJV Now the sons of Eli were sons of Belial; they knew not the LORD.  13  And the priests' custom with the people was, that, when any man offered sacrifice, the priest's servant came, while the flesh was in seething, with a fleshhook of three teeth in his hand;  14  And he struck it into the pan, or kettle, or caldron, or pot; all that the fleshhook brought up the priest took for himself. So they did in Shiloh unto all the Israelites that came thither.  15  Also before they burnt the fat, the priest's servant came, and said to the man that sacrificed, Give flesh to roast for the priest; for he will not have sodden flesh of thee, but raw.  16  And if any man said unto him, Let them not fail to burn the fat presently, and then take as much as thy soul desireth; then he would answer him, Nay; but thou shalt give it me now: and if not, I will take it by force.  17 Wherefore the sin of the young men was very great before the LORD: for men abhorred the offering of the LORD.

 1 Samuel 2:22-25 KJV Now Eli was very old, and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel; and how they lay with the women that assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.  23 And he said unto them, Why do ye such things? for I hear of your evil dealings by all this people.  24 Nay, my sons; for it is no good report that I hear: ye make the LORD'S people to transgress.  25 If one man sin against another, the judge shall judge him: but if a man sin against the LORD, who shall intreat for him? Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto the voice of their father, because the LORD would slay them.

1 Samuel 8:1-5 KJV And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel.  2 Now the name of his firstborn was Joel; and the name of his second, Abiah: they were judges in Beersheba.  3 And his sons walked not in his ways, but turned aside after lucre, and took bribes, and perverted judgment.  4  Then all the elders of Israel gathered themselves together, and came to Samuel unto Ramah,  5  And said unto him, Behold, thou art old, and thy sons walk not in thy ways: now make us a king to judge us like all the nations.

This should not serve as an excuse for us but a warning. Today we seek to justify and excuse ourselves by pointing to the children of our leaders but we need to understand that God holds US, and not our neighbors, responsible for OUR children! 

WHAT LEGACY ARE YOU LEAVING TO YOUR CHILDREN?

In addition to teaching them righteousness and faith which should be our unending duty what about :

THE WAY WE BEHAVE IN OUR HOMES.

Do we say one thing and do another. Remember our children see and hear even when we think they do not. We may express hypocritical concern about the evil influences outside our impacting them but totally ignore the in your face blasting we give them by our own manner of living. If we believe they are not aware then we are more of a moron than we seem!

Actions speak louder than words and an example is still the best teacher. Do as I say and not as I do will simply not work.

How about family quarrels?

Ephesians 4:25-32 KJV Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.  26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:  27 Neither give place to the devil.  28 Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth.  29 Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.  30 And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.  31  Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:  32  And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you.

Ephesians 5:22-25 KJV Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.  23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the saviour of the body.  24 Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in every thing.  25 Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

THE PRIORITY WE GIVE TO GOD

Do they see us making all excuses ad giving all reason why we are unable to meet with God and the brethren in fellowship? Do they see us placing our relationship with God way down in the list as we pursue pleasure, treasure and fame in full measure? What new excuses do we invent each day, each week each month, each year? Maybe we should let the Word of God speak for itself!

Matthew 6:24-33 KJV NO MAN CAN SERVE TWO MASTERS: FOR EITHER HE WILL HATE THE ONE, AND LOVE THE OTHER; OR ELSE HE WILL HOLD TO THE ONE, AND DESPISE THE OTHER. YE CANNOT SERVE GOD AND MAMMON.  25  Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?  26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?  27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?  28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:  29  And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  30  Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?  31 Therefore take no thought, saying, what shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?  32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.  33 BUT SEEK YE FIRST THE KINGDOM OF GOD, AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS; AND ALL THESE THINGS SHALL BE ADDED UNTO YOU.

OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE BRETHREN

Yes! They will hear when you speak ill about the brethren and family. They will form an opinion and behave likewise or if being smart they see for themselves your lies and slander, they will tell on you!

James 4:11-12 KJV  Speak not evil one of another, brethren. He that speaketh evil of his brother, and judgeth his brother, speaketh evil of the law, and judgeth the law: but if thou judge the law, thou art not a doer of the law, but a judge.  12  There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judgest another?

WE CAN GO ON BUT THIS SHOULD BE ENOUGH FOR US TO PONDER ON!

In a certain mountain village in Europe several centuries ago, a nobleman wondered what legacy he should leave to his townspeople. Finally, he decided to build a church for a legacy. The complete plans for the church were kept secret. When the people gathered, they marveled at the church’s beauty and completeness. Following many comments of praise, an astute observer inquired, “But where are the lamps? How will the church be lighted?”

Without answer, the nobleman pointed to some brackets in the wall; he then gave to each family a lamp to be carried to the worship service and hung on the wall. “Each time you are here, the area where you are seated will be lighted,” the nobleman explained. “Each time you are not here, that area will be dark. Whenever you fail to come to church some part of God’s house will be dark.

Let us likewise bring our lights brightly lit so that we can help light the way to our future generations!