2 Peter 1: 12 - 16
12 So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. 13 I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, 14 because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. 15 And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things.
Before these verses, Peter was talking about goodness, self control,godliness and love.
If you go to a believer who is already well established and say have self control, have godliness, you know you get bored of hearing the same thing again and again.
In this context he is saying these words which we read.
Lord Jesus revealed to Peter that his death is nearer. And Peter knowing that his death is nearer, started telling the Church - not about mysterious things, but about simple teachings again and again.
He desires to make sure that they follow this teaching even after he leaves.
He is making every effort to make sure they remember these things.
He wants to pass on a legacy.
Passing on legacy.
we all pass on legacy, whether we agree or not.
some pass on their legacy to their children, some to strangers, some to generaitons.
you may be thinking oh i am not that significant to talk about big words like legacy.
it doesn't matter how significant you are,how unknown or how famous you are, you will pass on legacy.
some way or other, somethings related to you will be talked about in next generation after you passon.
In this world, there are many who left legacies and people still talk about them.
whenever you talk about dance, people think about michael jackson.
whenever these is a discussion about freedom struggle - gandhi, mandela.
these people have left legacies in their own fields on the earthly matters.
Some one said "The life that you live is the legacy that you leave"
Jonathan Edwards
Loved the Lord
Made sure his children went to church even when they did not want to go
1877 - 929 desc
430 - ministers
86- profes
13 - univ presodent
75- authors
5- congree
2- state
2- state govers
1 became vice president
tremondous contribution to society
not liable to government
Max Dukes
Didnot believe in the Lord Jesus
Did not allow his children to goto church even when they wanted to attend
1877 - 1026 desc
300 - prison avg 13 years
190 - public prostitues
680 - admiitted alcoholics
27 - murderers
by 1877 - 1.25 million dollars cost to government
none made contribution to society
So we are all responsible on what we pass on.In a relay race, we pass on the stick to the next runner.
Almost all of the people sitting here are quiet established in Word. But what are we passing on to others make big influence and leaves a legacy.
Greatest legacy is of our Lord
Romans 10:9 - 9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved
The work that Lord Jesus did on the earth, left a great a legacy.
you know whoever confesses and believes in him will be saved for eternity.
He endured a humiliation through out his life time.
Jesus was humiliated throughout his lifetime, starting from his own family,leaders,teachers,romans, and his own friends. His situations were difficult. He has to go through death. But His obedience to the calling of His Father left a legacy for generations.
Many people left great legacy in the world, but there is none like our Lord. Any person in this world can leave legacy for only present and future generations, but what Lord Jesus done had left legacy for not only present and future, but also past generations.
There is none like Him. Even after 2 thousand years if a person comes and accepts the Lord , that person is saved for eternity.
Hezekiah's legacy. 2 kings 20- 12-21
John 17:6 - Jesus revealed who the Father is .
The world is in need of people who reflect who the real God is.
Jesus did it in His time, Apostles have done it in their times. Many servants of God did in their time.
But Now it is our turn to show the world who the Father in Heaven is, who the real God is.
Reveal the Father to who the Father has given you.
The key for this is Listening to God.
2) Genuine concern for others
1 kings 2:1
even on death bed, passed on Gods legacy.
be strong and keep the word.
even unbeliever can say be strong.only godly man can say...follow God.
Philippians 2:20 - genuine concern for others
2 Timothy 1:3 - pray for each other
Jesus is example - day and night interceeding for us.
3) Focused life. Matthew 24:44
Jesus always focused on the hour that is coming. he mentioned many times.
he kept teaching his disciples that an hour is coming. He had focus about that hour always.
As a christian, we need to have a focussed life on God and his Kingdom.
For some believers, Christianity is a routine stuff.
come to church on sunday, sing 4 or 5 songs, say hi to everyone, and go.
Sussane wesley had focus on teaching their kids godly lives. Her husband was a pastor and was busy, but it was Sussane who revlead who God is to their children and see how John and Charles Wesley have become.
The greatest legacy parents can pass to children is to love God than all ministries.
your obedience to faith impacts others to live for God.
It is not our glory , but the Glory of God reflected through us.
For one mans disobedience, curse came upon generations
For one man obedience, life came to millions.
Hebrews 11: V32 says
32 And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword;whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. 35 Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. 36 Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment.37 They were put to death by stoning;[e] they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— 38 the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.
For all these saints, The world is not worthy for the people of God. they are longing for eternal life with God.
and God is not ashamed to be called as thier God because they did not live for world.
May the Spirit of God help us to live a life that leaves a legacy for future generations, a legacy not for people to talk about us, but a legacy for the Glory of God.
Amen.
12 So I will always remind you of these things, even though you know them and are firmly established in the truth you now have. 13 I think it is right to refresh your memory as long as I live in the tent of this body, 14 because I know that I will soon put it aside, as our Lord Jesus Christ has made clear to me. 15 And I will make every effort to see that after my departure you will always be able to remember these things.
Before these verses, Peter was talking about goodness, self control,godliness and love.
If you go to a believer who is already well established and say have self control, have godliness, you know you get bored of hearing the same thing again and again.
In this context he is saying these words which we read.
Lord Jesus revealed to Peter that his death is nearer. And Peter knowing that his death is nearer, started telling the Church - not about mysterious things, but about simple teachings again and again.
He desires to make sure that they follow this teaching even after he leaves.
He is making every effort to make sure they remember these things.
He wants to pass on a legacy.
Passing on legacy.
we all pass on legacy, whether we agree or not.
some pass on their legacy to their children, some to strangers, some to generaitons.
you may be thinking oh i am not that significant to talk about big words like legacy.
it doesn't matter how significant you are,how unknown or how famous you are, you will pass on legacy.
some way or other, somethings related to you will be talked about in next generation after you passon.
In this world, there are many who left legacies and people still talk about them.
whenever you talk about dance, people think about michael jackson.
whenever these is a discussion about freedom struggle - gandhi, mandela.
these people have left legacies in their own fields on the earthly matters.
Some one said "The life that you live is the legacy that you leave"
Jonathan Edwards
Loved the Lord
Made sure his children went to church even when they did not want to go
1877 - 929 desc
430 - ministers
86- profes
13 - univ presodent
75- authors
5- congree
2- state
2- state govers
1 became vice president
tremondous contribution to society
not liable to government
Max Dukes
Didnot believe in the Lord Jesus
Did not allow his children to goto church even when they wanted to attend
1877 - 1026 desc
300 - prison avg 13 years
190 - public prostitues
680 - admiitted alcoholics
27 - murderers
by 1877 - 1.25 million dollars cost to government
none made contribution to society
So we are all responsible on what we pass on.In a relay race, we pass on the stick to the next runner.
Almost all of the people sitting here are quiet established in Word. But what are we passing on to others make big influence and leaves a legacy.
Greatest legacy is of our Lord
Romans 10:9 - 9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved
The work that Lord Jesus did on the earth, left a great a legacy.
you know whoever confesses and believes in him will be saved for eternity.
He endured a humiliation through out his life time.
Jesus was humiliated throughout his lifetime, starting from his own family,leaders,teachers,romans, and his own friends. His situations were difficult. He has to go through death. But His obedience to the calling of His Father left a legacy for generations.
Many people left great legacy in the world, but there is none like our Lord. Any person in this world can leave legacy for only present and future generations, but what Lord Jesus done had left legacy for not only present and future, but also past generations.
There is none like Him. Even after 2 thousand years if a person comes and accepts the Lord , that person is saved for eternity.
Hezekiah's legacy. 2 kings 20- 12-21
Hezekiah was given extra 15 years of life. and at the end he says what is it for me.
Instead of being thankful, he did not care about his future generations.
Hezekiah's inheritance is from David. But he forgot about what his ancestors passed on and he did not care for future generations.
look in the 15 years that God had given him, he produced Mannessah.
look in the 15 years that God had given him, he produced Mannessah.
Remember how many servants of God sacrificed their lives for our lives.
William Carey and many other missionaries.
Are we like Hezekiah saying its not happening to me, i am saved, not concerning about others.
Have concern about everyone whom you come in contact with.
My friend wherever he goes, and whomever he gets in contact with , he will share the gospel.
Noah's legacy
Genesis 6:5-8
5 The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. 6 The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. 7 So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.
Do you think you are so insignificant that you can not have legacy.
After Jesus, if there is one man who had biggest legacies, it is Noah.
Just because of him, the whole world, humans, all creatures are living.
How to leave a good legacy.
1) Revealing the FatherAre we like Hezekiah saying its not happening to me, i am saved, not concerning about others.
Have concern about everyone whom you come in contact with.
My friend wherever he goes, and whomever he gets in contact with , he will share the gospel.
Noah's legacy
Genesis 6:5-8
5 The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. 6 The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. 7 So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.” 8 But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord.
Do you think you are so insignificant that you can not have legacy.
After Jesus, if there is one man who had biggest legacies, it is Noah.
Just because of him, the whole world, humans, all creatures are living.
How to leave a good legacy.
John 17:6 - Jesus revealed who the Father is .
The world is in need of people who reflect who the real God is.
Jesus did it in His time, Apostles have done it in their times. Many servants of God did in their time.
But Now it is our turn to show the world who the Father in Heaven is, who the real God is.
Reveal the Father to who the Father has given you.
The key for this is Listening to God.
2) Genuine concern for others
1 kings 2:1
even on death bed, passed on Gods legacy.
be strong and keep the word.
even unbeliever can say be strong.only godly man can say...follow God.
Philippians 2:20 - genuine concern for others
2 Timothy 1:3 - pray for each other
Jesus is example - day and night interceeding for us.
3) Focused life. Matthew 24:44
Jesus always focused on the hour that is coming. he mentioned many times.
he kept teaching his disciples that an hour is coming. He had focus about that hour always.
As a christian, we need to have a focussed life on God and his Kingdom.
For some believers, Christianity is a routine stuff.
come to church on sunday, sing 4 or 5 songs, say hi to everyone, and go.
but they lose focus as soon as they go out into the world.
Sussane wesley had focus on teaching their kids godly lives. Her husband was a pastor and was busy, but it was Sussane who revlead who God is to their children and see how John and Charles Wesley have become.
Deuteronomy 6:6-9
Speak to your children about God all times.
Speak to your children about God all times.
your obedience to faith impacts others to live for God.
It is not our glory , but the Glory of God reflected through us.
For one mans disobedience, curse came upon generations
For one man obedience, life came to millions.
Hebrews 11: V32 says
32 And what more shall I say? I do not have time to tell about Gideon, Barak, Samson and Jephthah, about David and Samuel and the prophets, 33 who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34 quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword;whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies. 35 Women received back their dead, raised to life again. There were others who were tortured, refusing to be released so that they might gain an even better resurrection. 36 Some faced jeers and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment.37 They were put to death by stoning;[e] they were sawed in two; they were killed by the sword. They went about in sheepskins and goatskins, destitute, persecuted and mistreated— 38 the world was not worthy of them. They wandered in deserts and mountains, living in caves and in holes in the ground.
For all these saints, The world is not worthy for the people of God. they are longing for eternal life with God.
and God is not ashamed to be called as thier God because they did not live for world.
May the Spirit of God help us to live a life that leaves a legacy for future generations, a legacy not for people to talk about us, but a legacy for the Glory of God.
Amen.
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