Leave a Legacy

Prepare for your final exam - 1Cor 3:10-15

Introduction

Bishop's 60th birthday party

Thompson Family - I want what they have

You can have it if you pay the price

Elijah ----> Elisha

Introducing Elijah - 1Kings 17:1-6

Elijah on Mt. Carmel - 1Kings 18:15-40

Elijah and Elisha - 2Kings 2:1-15

Desire the right legacy

God must be the source of your legacy

Elijah was on God's mission

Only what you do for Christ will last

God must shape the details of your legacy

Pursue God's agenda, not your own

Understand specifically what God has called you to do

Know your purpose

If you aim at nothing in particular you'll hit it every time

Be part of someone else's legacy

Be under authority - Luke 7:1-10

Be faithful with someone else's property - Luke 16:10-12

Find a mentor / coach

Follow the leader

Elisha refused to leave Elijah at:

Gilgal - Josh 4:19 - 5:12

First camp after crossing the Jordan

Circumcision - the covenant renewed, reproach rolled away

First Passover in Canaan

First experience of the produce of the land

Bethel

Originally dedicated to God - Gen 28:10-22; Gen 31:10-13

Subsequently defiled - 1Kings 12:25 - 13:6

Later reclaimed under Josiah

Jericho

Originally destroyed and cursed - Josh 6:20-27

Subsequently rebuilt - 1Kings 16:34

Stay with your leader through all the stages of your relationship

New beginnings

Examining defilements in your "house of God"

Examining "resurrected" issues

Eat the meat and spit out the bones

Eli ----> Samuel

Introducing Eli - 1Sam 1:1-3

Eli's Sons - 1Sam 2:10-25

Prophetic Warning - 1Sam 2:27-36; 1Sam 3:1-18

Samuel comes into his own - 1Sam 3:19-21

Prophetic Fulfillment against Eli - 1Sam 4:10-22

Samuel's Sons - 1Sam 8:1-9

Recognize the negative traits that you need to avoid

Pay attention

Elisha had to see Elijah taken up to heaven

Jordan

They crossed the Jordan out of Canaan

Their final moments were on the "wilderness" side of Jordan

Catching the transition

Everyone probably expected Elijah to die

No one expected chariots and horses of fire and a whirlwind

Elijah had a reputation for "disappearing" - 1Kings 18:1-15

Keep your eye on your leader in the wilderness

See and recognize your leader's "promotion"

His/her promotion is your promotion

Don't waste time longing for the "good old days"

Know what's going on in the ministry to which you belong

Know the power of God

River splitting power

Resurrection Power - Eph 1:15-23

Leave a Legacy (continued)

Move beyond discouragement - 1Kings 19:1-21

Sulking, pouting, and pampering are not God's will for us

Elijah went "backwards" to Mt. Horeb (Sinai)

"What are you doing here?"

Discouragement distorts your perception - 1Kings 19:10-14

Go back the way you came - 1Kings 19:15

Handle your next assignment - 1Kings 19:15-21

Make the transition to commitment - 1Kings 19:19-21

Don't miss God's invitation

Say goodbye to your old life

Jesus did this at his baptism

Be faithful - 1Kings 19:19-21; 2Kings 2:1-18; 2Kings 3:11

Faithfulness is a lifestyle

Begin with faithfulness

End with faithfulness

No mystery about the intervening years

Work on your stuff

Examine yourself - 1Cor 11:28-32; 2Cor 13:5

Count the cost - Luke 14:28-33

Conquer your fears

Feed on God's Word - Job 23:12; Jer 15:16; Mat 4:4

Pray

Worship

Prostrate yourself

Personally

With your resources

Excel at giving - 2Cor 8:1-9; 2Cor 9:6-7

Examples - Gen 14:17-20; Gen 28:10-22; Prov 3:9-10

Fellowship

Put others ahead of yourself Philip 2:4-5

Glorify God in your everyday life

At school

On your job

Be a faithful worker

Understand the big picture

Solve problems - don't leave them in someone else's lap

Be a Kingdom strategist

Operate strategically

Beware the tyranny of the urgent

Q1 (Important & Urgent); Q2 (Important & Not Urgent)

Q3 (Unimportant & Urgent); Q4 (Unimportant & Not Urgent)

Operate in Quadrant 2

Put the big rocks in first

Make a plan

Daily, weekly, monthly, yearly, 5 year, etc.

Follow the plan

Keep it updated

Put God's Kingdom first - Mat 6:19-34

Organize your life around the Kingdom - not "worldly success"

Resist Satan's efforts to make us preoccupied with ourselves and with our own families only.

Our deliberate efforts at unity and connecting to our brothers and sisters help to release God's power - John 17:20-23

Make disciples - 2Tim 2:2

You have to pull someone in close

They have to be close enough to understand what you have

They have to want what you have

The whole counsel of God - Acts 20:22-27

Be a strategic connector

We must design everything we do so that it advances the great commission - winning and making disciples.

The earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord - Isa 11:9

Connect people to the Kingdom

Use any godly means necessary

Invite to Sunday service - occasionally works

Invite to life group - appropriate for some

Invite to a life group activity - appropriate for most

Invite to lunch with one to two brothers/sisters - great strategy

Pray first and expect God to produce results - 1Cor 3:1-15

Be an expert builder

Build quality

Don't be someone who escapes through the flames

Summary

Reflect on 1Kings 19:1-18

Considering vs. 1-4, have you ever experienced a major disappointment after a spiritual success? What happened?

Considering vs. 9-10, have your ever "sulked" or "pouted" in your conversation with God? What happened?

Has the Lord ever spoken to you in a gentle whisper? What did he say?

Describe a time when you were at the point of despair and later realized that God still had everything under control.

Reflect on 1Kings 19:19-21

Describe a time when God called you to a new area of activity.

How did you say goodbye to your former way of life?

Have you ever served as someone's assistant or apprentice in ministry?

Reflect on 2Kings 2:1-15 (some questions repeated from last week)

Have you ever persistently followed anyone the way Elisha followed Elijah?

Describe some areas of your life in which you exhibit faithfulness.

Describe some areas of your life in which you want to be more faithful.

Have you ever wanted a double portion of someone else's spirit?

Who is currently mentoring you? In what ways?

In what ways has the power of God flowed in your life as a result of your relationship with a leader?

Reflect on 2Cor 8:1-9; 2Cor 9:6-7; Prov 3:9-10; Gen 14:17-20; Gen 28:10-22; Luke 21:1-4

We worship God with our words, our actions, and with our resources. How would you evaluate the quality of your worship in all three areas?

Do you excel in giving? In what ways do you or don't you?

What is your plan for excelling in the area of giving?

How do the stories of Abram and Jacob in Genesis affect your giving?

How does the story of the widow in Luke affect your giving?

General Questions

In what ways does your everyday life glorify God?

Are you known as someone who gets things done and solves problems?

Do you understand the "big picture" at work or do you focus only on your own job?

How do your coworkers/fellow students view Jesus based on knowing you?

Reflect on Mat 6:19-34

Are you putting God first in your life? In what ways?

How is your time balanced among the four categories:

Important & Urgent?

Important & Not Urgent?

Not Important & Urgent?

Not Important & Not Urgent?

How much time do your spend planning a week ahead, a month ahead, a year ahead, etc?

What are you planning to do for God's Kingdom this coming week, this coming month, this coming year, etc?

Leave a Legacy (Part 2)

Pastor Rocklyn E. Clarke - Sunday May 21, 2006