Building a Strong Spiritual Legacy

What your eulogy is being written right now all the author puts about two is being what I need you to know. It's possible your eulogy reports presented to an audience. What about you kind of eulogy.

Have you written for yourself. So far hello and welcome to this edition of Destin for victory with pastor Paul Sheppard may sound morbid to talk about our eventual demise, but Esther Paul has a very good reason for doing so. He's here to help you like the best possible store. You can as Christian apologist CS Lewis once said, you can't go back and make a new beginning. You can start right now and make a new ending today's message straight ahead so stay with us or visit pastor Paul.net to listen on demand. That's pastor Paul.net. We also encourage you to subscribe to podcast its bona fide or Apple podcast or wherever you get your podcast now your Sebastopol. Today's Destin for victory message. Building a strong spiritual legacy. If you have a Bible with you go with me to Psalm 9090 and with a look at verse 10 and verse 12. The 90th Psalm and this is a song by Moses, not by David.

Many people think about all the songs he did not.

There are few Psalm is one of them is Moses in here in Psalm 90 look at two verses that he gave us verses 10 and 12. If you don't have a Bible with you will put on the screen. Thou shall not sweat it. You can read along with us. The days of our lives are 70 years and if by reason of strength they are 80 years, yet their most is only labor and sorrow for it is soon cut off and we fly away verse 12 so teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

Now, I enjoy opening messages in a way that grabs people's attention and piques their interest. I was taught to do that years ago and Bible school and all that those who are professional speakers have been taught what you say early on is important because you want to arrest people's attention and pique their curiosity or their interest and typically I like doing that, but as a preacher of the truth of God's word. I don't always get to do this is one of those times when what I'm about to say will bless some of you right at the start of the peak your interest in capture your attention. Others may be turned clean off by what I'm get ready to say. If you're in the turned off category.

I just want to ask you stick with me because what I'm going to talk about over the next several minutes is important, even if it's not fun.

Here goes your life here on earth is coming to an end.

In case you haven't thought about it, the mortality rate for human beings is 100% know what that means we all go back is not fun for some full here somebody all tempted to just turn me off you want to know stream and you want to click over and watch somebody else here with me for just a little and it is my last time speaking to you because I got only knows the day and at least give me a chance to thoroughly get on your nerves before you go back to the matter is one day all of us are leaving this earth. You know as well as I do. We are in an earthly house of this tabernacle. Paul said this earthly house of this tabernacle segregates bodies that is dissolving its gone away from here and he said this earthly house is dissolved. Thank God we have another building.

We have a house not made with that is eternal in the habit you want to go now you just need to know so later you're going. Therefore I need to talk to you about that time of you transitioning from the here to the hereafter. Here's what I want to ask you to do. I want you to imagine that they when there is a funeral service or memorial service on hope you like the body so they don't want a funeral and with the body down the front to church and in all that people come in by so some only one memorial service at your call to make. Imagine whichever one you want have a funeral or memorial, but there are people who have gathered because you are gone and the coming to pay their respects. Think about it. I know you have any time soon is going happen about that day.

Here's a question. What are the people who are giving remarks saying about you think about today's common. They don't say so and you will get. You won't get to say they goal say about you, what they say about some may we some may not.

What are they saying about you. Perhaps you verbally tell the story, but I'm sure many haven't heard me tell the story possible until he gets a little real quick. There's a story told of a man who died and was a funeral. His body was there in the front of the chapel eulogy.

This is pastor got up and began to give the eulogy talk about this man and as is the custom of a lot of Christian ministers we are accustomed to eulogizing people, which means the say, praiseworthy things, positive things about people affirming things whatever we can say that is good and paints them in a good light.

That's what we are accustomed to doing, but sometimes you run into a funeral where you say okay Lord, you had to give me some because the person didn't live a wonderful life is one of those occasions that I'm speaking in the religious began to say this man was so upset wonderful husband to his wife Cynthia on the front.

He was a caring, loving, thoughtful husband in every way. She said then thought I never knew when I could depend on him to do right by me to take good care of me to pay the bills to be sensitive and kind and caring to just do the things that I would've expected the day I got married I thought I was getting some I thought I would get my prize and I ended up with a barley prize. He said there just thought Nelly was a good husband and the preacher went on, knowing he was a great father to his kids and the kids that they own the front next to their mom and he was attentive to them and made sure that they did well in school, he supported them and their extracurricular activities and all of that time to go to college. He made sure that they had everything they needed in the just went on and on. The kids said they thought he never came to any of my events. He didn't care about me that we would check to see if I was doing my homework. He just was an absentee dad in every way and the EULA just went on say that he was a wonderful employee at his job coworkers who sat in the audience said what he was always late and when he got there he still wouldn't give you a full day's work. He goofed off a lot and did not do his job well and the preacher said. And of course as a member of our church. He was just an outstanding wonderful man and the people said well he did work in any of the ministries, the folks who did the stewardship part of things that he wasn't a good giver. He rarely gave it all. And on and on and finally the life just couldn't take it anymore. She leaned over to her oldest son was next there is a baby goat then lift the lid up see if that's your father. I think we came to the Longfellow.

So my question for you what's going to be said about you and will it be true. Now I am pastor let me tell you now I know however you live your life you live your life. I am not going to lie for you. Just know that up front so just forgive me in advance past the trip and telling them all my business number. Go tell your business as a man of God. I can tell in your business, your secrets all your secrets and you confess them and all that I'm taking and having something will be so glad when I basically said now I sure I'm carrying more people stuff that's part of being a man of God I got all kind of I'm taking the migraine with me only classical being relieved that the matter is you were not telling any real secrets or any of that stuff. Neither will I live for you is my point where all writing eulogies right still ahead. The second half of today's Justin for Victor message with pastor Paul Shepherd, senior pastor of destiny Christian Fellowship in Fremont California and we want to take a moment and think all of you who sustained destined for victory with your prayers and financial support, gifts that help pastor Paul share the gospel all over the world destined for victory is a listener supported ministry. So as God leads. Please prayerfully consider making a gift today. You can give online securely@pastorpaul.net that's pastor Paul.net or simply call us at 855-339-5500.

Consider the law of the harvest. God's word says that as a man sows, he shall also reap. If you are reaping the consequences of some work choices today.

There is good news coming your way next the rest of today's destined for Victor message.

Building a strong spiritual legacy once again is pastor Paul eulogy right now. You don't know you never really thought about it, what your eulogy is being written right now and you are the author, the truth about you is being written, but I need you know.

It's possible that your eulogy before it's presented to an audience. So this message is an opportunity for you to begin to think about some things you don't usually think about and make some decisions. You probably need to make not of hope in message I'm not going into E flat. We just go stay right here and talk through this because all of us need to know the day is coming when we are going to leave this earth and therefore it pays to do some work now. Today's harvest is the result of what was so in your yesterday's. Today's harvest came from what you did before the harvest is the reaping of that which was sown so well you so is already in the ground and it's already producing a harvest and your harvest is the result of what you've done so. Thankfully the harvest is still going on, sowing and reaping continues. So this is an opportunity for all of us now to do some sewing perhaps in different ways and better ways there's some stuff that has been sown and needs to be done up and we need to sell some new thing and thank God that's possible. Your tomorrow and your today are directly connected.

When we came to California 1989 as a family. When we got here. Alicia was about to turn five. She was just days from 35 when their flight landed and I picked them up at the Oakland airport, I remember that day picking up my wife and two children. Lisa was forgot to turn five and Aaron was three.

In those days, you know those first few years of being a California for me. Tell the story. I was an old church didn't have much to give me and so I would preach whenever I was invited to preach somewhere, would preach and that was the way I supplemented our our income and what have you in it so I would take trips from time to time ministering and my son missed his dad when I would be out of town and one particular time, Eric told me that every night errands asking me now Wednesday coming home and she would tell him and he would say okay so that's three more sleeps three more sleeps yeah get three more sleeps that he will be home tomorrow. Sleeps one more sleep. One day he asked again on Wednesday, no and she said tomorrow and one morning he woke up and she said he said no mommy is today.

Tomorrow you said tomorrow he's coming I will know that today I want you to know today is tomorrow what you do now what you say now really matters. So we've got to build our legacy very intentionally so when you get where you're going in your life where will you be what you want to do between now and the day you're checking out what result what harvest do you want to be in place. Think about every area of your life. I don't have time to cover them all want you to begin to think about all the areas of your life. I talk often about the seven pillars of our lives. And that's I want you to think about all of the areas of your life what you think first and foremost about your spiritual legacy your legacy is what you believe, behind what technically legacy is often a financial inheritance, but legacy goes beyond financial legacy is everything you leave in the hearts and minds of people. Everything as a result of your life may carry forward at your legacy, your building, your legacy now so get to legacy spiritually. Do you have a sound of strong spiritual legacy. So let's look at Matthew 633 Jesus said seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, all things will be added to you and all these things you have to look earlier in Matthew chapter 6 is talking about. He's talking about your needs, your basic needs. Your what you read and what you drink in and what you're wearing, and all the things you need in your earthly existence and Jesus taught in Matthew six. Don't worry. Don't spend any time fretting and being frustrated about those things because being wondering for instance doesn't help anything.

So we all know that by the way about your life. While he has never served you well and it never will.

I want to tell somebody who is a warrior if you're here in the sanctuary. Look around, see if you can spot a warrior you so you they just look like a warrior right there right there. But since some of us are warriors and that's just sort of our natural habitat. Some people just live in the land of worry. Jesus said in Matthew six don't know that. He said it won't help you and has never added anything positive to your life. He said do not worry it all to me.

It's not but it ought to be the 11th commandment thou shalt not we all say worry.

I say sweat it now. So that's what it does pray can help the situation by worrying about the situation and he talked about things like that.

He talked about how to handle your money which I'll talk about in a little bit but he said you gotta make sure to have the right priorities and that whole chapter by saying seek first the kingdom of God with God. It is where God is in charge, where God reigns and will. God is in charge.

We know that he is the sovereign, but the kingdom is where his sovereignty is recognized and celebrated. I am a citizen of the kingdom because I not only know he is the Solberg, but I have asked him to be sovereign over my life. I have asked him to live in my heart and in my life.

Some of you have done that as well, but I don't want to assume everybody watching this message had done that. So let me ask you, are you seeking first the kingdom legacy conference, the kingdom, then what he says here is going to be a promise you can latch onto, which is all the things you need God will lead them to you. In other words, if you put him first and you let him in your life. Everything you need, he will see to it. Those needs are everybody seeking first the kingdom some poker seeking pleasure, their existence is all about having fun is fine, but it's gotta be in the context of doing the will of God. If you are looking for pleasure at the expense of doing the will of God, you're out of sync and it's time for you to rewrite your legacy seek first the kingdom and sink his righteousness. Things according to the well and the way so how you doing with building a part of the spiritual legacy or second Corinthians 59 Paul says therefore we make it our aim whether present in the flesh or absent have died my name, he says, is to be well pleasing to God's master question, since where, go to rewrite our legacies here is that your ultimate aim to please God and that somebody else you're really looking to please cell number was nobody here but me and you is that somebody else is never a name I could call and ask who you really want to please.

I mean you hope in God OBI but you really want somebody else to be happy for some people the happiness of the object of their attention and affections is of utmost importance is that you is that somebody who when they don't look into when they don't want to be involved with you when they are unhappy with you that rocks your entire world. I met people like that money all here, but that people when some world is destroyed.

You'll need to shift your eulogy and create see where on that day will be mama allies are still alive. People say you know what that woman sought to please God that man pleasing God was everything Omar happy as long as God was then that person was doing all we've all made poor choices and we reap the consequences of those choices, but isn't it great to be reminded that we could edit our own story starting today, we can begin sewing new seed and start changing her own personal narrative. Now if you need prayer today if you want to start writing a new story but you're not quite sure how to do it. The destiny for Victor ministry team would like to join you in prayer, visit Pastor Paul.net and use the contact us feature to share your prayer request with us while you're there, be sure to sign up for Pastor Paul's monthly letter of encouragement which comes at no cost or obligation. And we have a brand-new resource to share with you today.

Not that long ago. Pastor Paul and his wife Meredith conducted a fireside chat after church. Destiny Christian Fellowship in California and for three days. Pastor Paul and Meredith shared wisdom about how to improve and strengthen our personal relationships today would like to offer you a booklet that highlights the major themes of your message. It's called creating a relational legacy. It is our gift to you this month by request for your generous gift to Destin for victory.

Just call 855-339-5500 or visit Pastor Paul.net to make a safe and secure donation online. You can also mail your gift to Destin for victory PO Box 1767, Fremont, CA 94538. Again, the address is Destin for victory. Box 1767, Fremont, CA 94538. All you will hear much about suffering in today's candy store theology were we love talk about blessings all, we just thought blessings generation God, but sometime before he blesses you. He's got a ticket to Gethsemane tomorrow in Pastor Paul Sheppard shares his message. Building a strong spiritual legacy. Until then, remember he who began a good working you will bring it to completion in Christ, you are destined for victory