2 Timothy 4:1-8 "Leaving a Legacy"

we're gonna be in second Timothy chapter four that's great got it just thank you so much for just your word Lord and God that your word is living and active today God in your word is is sharper than any two-edged sword Lord and I pray that your word would pierce our hearts tonight God that you would just teach us Lord that you'd give us wisdom and understanding of your word and God that we would apply it to her life in Jesus name Amen if you need a Bible raise her hand we've got Bibles here for you second Timothy chapter 4 2nd Timothy is the last book from Paul the Apostle they were like his his dying words to his son in the faith 2 Timothy to his beloved son in the faith he's encouraging Timothy before he was executed Paul was in prison under the rule of Emperor Nero and a lot of you know who that Emperor was Emperor Nero he is one of the most infamous and wicked leaders in history in all of history and Paul was awaiting his execution the great there's a you probably remember in history in 80 64 there was the great fire in Rome that occurred 80 64 and Nero himself burned the city Nero himself wanted a greater and grander City so what did he do he set flame to his his whole city burned the whole city down so he could start over he was crazy who's a lunatic but because he set the fire to the city in order to divert suspicion from himself he accused the Christians of burning Rome he accused Christians of burning Rome still to this day this summer my wife and I went on the footsteps of Paul Cruz with Pastor Derek and still to this day they they had in the Roman Colosseum they had this museum that was dedicated to Emperor Nero dedicated to the one that rebuilt the city that saved the city from that great fire from that the Christians started still to this day they're being deceived that they're under the same delusion that that Emperor Nero wasn't the one that started the fire but that the Christians did and so and even on the on the Colosseum they have Nero's name that written in large letters on the side of the Colosseum that's just proclaiming to the world that we support Emperor Nero and everything but Nero knew that that the Christians didn't burn the city he knew that they were not the ones that burned the city but someone had to be blamed for the burning of Rome so Nero accused Christians of burning Rome and ordered their punishment so the multitudes of Christians or multitudes that were arrested and put to death in the cruelest of ways and some of them were crucified as Jesus was crucified was crucified some were tied in the skins of animals and were thrown to the wild dogs are thrown to wild beasts and some were even tied to stakes he would have these large wooden stakes that were put in his garden and they were tied to the stakes and they were lit on fire and he would mock Christians and say hey be the light of the world you are the light of the world now and would light them on fire and mock them he was just wicked wicked wicked Emperor Paul was imprisoned he was in prison waiting his execution under the rule of this wicked this twisted Emperor Nero and so what does he do in his final days what does he choose to do in his last days he writes a letter of encouragement to Timothy that cool that awesome Paul so I love Paul I absolutely love fall his last dying words are to Timothy to encourage him in the faith and encourage him as a minister of the gospel and we seem to heed and cherish the last words of a dying man don't we in our lives we seem to cherish those words more in our life we tend to pay closer attention and listen with listen with eager anticipation to someone's last words like in a like a war movie for example and the guy gets shot and and his last words are what what are usually his last words tell my wife I love her or something like that you know or like in Return of the Jedi when Yoda was on his bed and said there is another Skywalker and everybody's like what and you always listen you're waiting you're anticipating the last words right well these are the last words the last penned words of the man who penned more than half of the New Testament one of the greatest men of faith these are Paul's last known writings his final appeal to Timothy and briefly before as well for context in the previous chapter Paul warns Timothy that the last days are coming and in the last days men will become he says lovers of themselves lovers of money boasters proud blasphemers disobedient to parents unthankful unholy unloving unforgiving slanderers without self-control brutal despisers of good traitors headstrong haughty lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of god having a form of godliness but denying its power Paul says that evil men will grow worse and worse deceiving and being deceived but he encourages Timothy to continue in the things which you have learned and have been assured of why am Tim in Paul says to Timothy in verse 16 and 17 in chapter 3 says all Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine for reproof for correction for instruction and righteousness that the man of God may be complete thoroughly equipped for every good work so Paul continues in chapter 4 and says I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ who will judge the living and the dead at his appearing and his kingdom preach the word be ready in season and out of season convinced rebuke exhort with all longsuffering and teaching so Paul says in light of all of this in light of this the last thing I just said in light of of scripture being given to us for instruction for what does he say for instruction for reproof for that the man of God for correction for that the man of maybe thoroughly equipped he says in light of all this in light of what scripture does in our life I charge you therefore to preach the word he says pastor Timothy preach the word the word charge is a strong word it means to testifier to earnestly affirm to charge it's like a legal term and he says preach which also in the Greek means to Harold or to proclaim proclaim the world the word Harold the word Paul is sharing with Timothy who is a pastor so in context Paul is saying pastors preach the word pastor Timothy continue to preach the word and though the application was meant for pastors in context I believe this application can still apply to us as believers as well if if all Scripture is given for reproof for correction for instruction and righteousness if it is given all Scripture is given that we may thoroughly be equipped that the man of God may thoroughly be equipped why would we want to share anything else why would we want to share anything apart from that why would we want to share our own opinion why would we want to share what we think is right or wrong why would we want to share anything apart from the word men I believe this is to us as well that we should desire to preach the word through our life that we should preach the word through counsel as we counsel one another that it should be biblical counseling that through evangelism that we should preach the word as whereas we're sharing the gospel with people that we should be preaching the word and through our life that our life should preach the word but preach has been has become such a negative word hasn't it it's become this like negative word in our life that and maybe your family member when you're talking about Jesus to them maybe your family member is like oh don't don't preach to me please don't be preachy don't you're trying to just preach to me right and even in the Christian realm it has become negative you hear evangelists and many pastors that say things like that that common quote that they say preach the gospel and if necessary use words or they would say just show them ice love just show them the love of God but you don't need to be all preachy to them you don't you don't need to Bible thump them right they would say but I have a problem with that I have a problem with with even that quote that says you know preach the gospel and if necessary use words I have an issue with it because I think it goes against what gospel means what does gospel mean the good news it's the good news and we are to proclaim the good news we are - we are to herald the good news we are to proclaim and to preach the good news of course we are to back up what we preach and we are to show what we preach through our actions of course that's that's a no-brainer we are to do that but we are to proclaim the gospel we are to preach the word and why preach the Word of God why is it important to preach the word because it is God's word that changes man it is God's Word that transforms a man from the inside out it is not man's word that does that it is not the eloquent speech of a man that does that it is not the motivation of a man that does that it is God's Word that that changes us that that renews us from the inside out I remember pastor Derek shared a story a few weeks ago and and when he was sharing with one of his friends and he said that he was this guy was with his it was an atheist and he was sharing all these things with them and trying to convince him that atheism was wrong and trying to share all these things and debate this guy that that what he was doing and he had all these great debates and arguments and finally he was hearing the Lord after I think he said after like a couple hours he was hearing the Lord say to him just show him Romans 1 just have him read Romans chapter 1 and so he opened up Romans and he had him read it and the guy read it looked up to it looked up at him and pastor Derek was like would you like to surrender your life to the Lord now and he's like yeah you know it wasn't the argument it wasn't the it wasn't the convincing that that God was better it was the Word of God that changed him it was word of god that changed him from the inside out if Paul was encouraging Timothy the pastor to preach the word and would say to pastors today preach the word our application as well as believers is that we are to desire the word we are to desire the Word of God if pastors and teachers are supposed to preach the word we are to desire the word we are not to desire man's word we're not to desire the the great orders of man we are not to desire you know whatever we're to desire the the Word of God because and that's that's the whole counsel of the Word of God right that's from Genesis to Revelation not just the New Testament but the Old Testament as well from Genesis to Revelation we were to desire the Word of God he then says be ready in season and out of season we are to be ready at all times we don't know when exactly God will use us we have no idea when when the timing is but God's going to use us and so he says to be ready in season and out of season and how do we prepare to be ready in season and out of season do we are you telling me that I need to prepare a sermon or a devotion each time I read my Bible not necessarily I'm not saying that but we are to just spend time with the Lord we are to just read his scriptures read the Bible I should be able to call on anyone in this room to share what God is doing in their life what God is showing them personally I see a lot of them like - please don't call on me but I should be able to call on anyone to share what God is doing in their life and I'm not talking about what God showed us last week I'm not talking about what God showed us and the days that we were on fire for the Lord I'm talking about today well God showed us today what God is showing in her life this day what God has been speaking to us today a sobering isn't it it's a sobering thought because if I can't if I can't share what God is what God is is ministering to me today that means I need to connect with God I need to spend more time with the I need to be with with the Lord because I should be I should be ready in season and out of season for the Lord to to be prepared for the Lord to use me and I should be be ready to share what it God is teaching me today isn't amazing as well that that God desires to use us I was just so blessed when when Pastor Derek asked me to share again tonight and and I was thinking about it and I was just I was blown away that God would would would use me that God would use me I look at my life and I look at who I am and I'm like God why would you want to use me why would you desire to use me you know it despite in in in light of all that I've done in my life you desired still to use me it's amazing it blows my mind that he desires for us to be prepared so that he can use us so he says to Timothy preached the word look at the word as look at God's Word as his very breath then as you preach the word you are to convince rebuke and exhort with all longsuffering and teaching and he goes on verse 3 says for the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine but according to their own desires because they have itching ears they will heap up for themselves teachers and they will turn their ears away from the truth and be turned aside to fables I truly believe that we are living in the last times does this not sound familiar does it not sound familiar to us I believe that we are living in the last days and people today are being carried about by every wind of doctrine by every wind of doctrine the sad thing is is this is highly prevalent in the young adult generation in my generation this is one of the reasons why young adults are so heavy on my wife and ice heart that one of the reasons we feel God was calling us to the young adult ministry and I think the enemy they he sees the potential that that the generation has that this generation has he sees the potential if they just surrendered their hearts to God he sees the I love how great and how this world would be turned upside down and so he's targeting them he's targeting them from the very beginning from the very beginning stages of life and as they if you notice they as they pursue a career word what do you have to go through before you pursue a career you have to go to college right and go to university and the very teachers that are teaching the the colleges and universities are the ones that are literally mocking the Bible and literally mocking Jesus and Christianity it's and it's hard it's hard to keep the faith through that it's hard to sit under the seat of mockers and to keep your faith through that according to a study that was done by the Barna Group in 2009 listen to this less than one-half of one percent of young adults aged ages 18 to 23 have a biblical worldview less than one-half of one percent one-half of one percent and what was the biblical worldview criteria for the purposes of the survey a biblical worldview was defined as believing that absolute moral truth exists the Bible is totally accurate and all of the principles it teaches Satan is considered to be a real being or force not merely symbolic a person cannot enter their way into heaven by trying to be good or do good works Jesus Christ lived a sinless life on earth and God is the all-knowing all-powerful creator of the world who still rules than universe today if the in the research anyone who held all of those beliefs was said to have a biblical worldview less than less than 1/2 of 1% the study went on and in it shared as well it broke that down each of those categories and it shared the percentage of American adults not just young adults but American adults who hold true to each of those those things and and the statistics are alarming the statistics are incredible and even those they break it down even further and say those who call themselves born-again Christians who believe in those things and it's still who believed that Jesus lived a sinless life that people who call themselves born-again Christians don't even believe in that don't even believe in the infallible Word of God but I was gonna share all those statistics tonight I was I had I there on my notes I have him here but you know as I was thinking and thinking about it and praying and praying through what God wanted me to teach and and I was looking at these statistics and I thought you know what what brings me hope is that God is not a God of statistics that he's not bound by statistics he's not bound by man's law he's not bound by the common law he's not bound by natural law he's not bound by any statistics and that is why my heart is to preach the word that's why my heart is to proclaim the word and and to to preach the word to my generation to preach the word and say there is truth though though they say that there is no truth there is truth though they say there is no moral absolute truth there is truth and that is Jesus Christ and that is his word that's infallible the school system is it is like it is because it needs Jesus the colleges and the universities they are like they are because they need Jesus the government is like it is because it needs Jesus the leaders are like they are because they need Jesus Paul then says that they go after their own desires because they have itching ears because they want that comfort right they want the comfort of their ears they have itching ears because they are searching for what they want to want to hear and that that's a heart check for us isn't it Paul is giving us a heart check and so he would say to us are we searching after our own desires do we have a tching ears are we going after things we know are not true are we going after the counsel we want to hear the counsel that we won't really want to hear even though we know what's right are we listening to the sermons and the sermons that we listen to or at church or whatever and hear only what we want to hear and block out what we don't want to hear or are we reading the word and only searching scriptures to the to the to the places that we just want to read because we know oh my gosh it says over there and I don't really want to read that today I want to read something else are we not confronting our sin are we searching after the yes men in our life that that just agree with even our sin and then it Paul says that they will turn away from truth they will turn away to fables funny isn't it that the very thing that Paul warns us about is the very thing that Satan tries to use against Christianity right he's he's the expert copycat he's the expert liar Satanist and they will tell you in school they will tell you in universities that if you put your your trust and faith in Jesus if you believe in the Bible you're putting your trust and faith in a fable you're putting your faith in a fairy tale and that's childish they would say they're saying you're putting your trust and in a lie and then they would go on to say that but what you need to do is trust in science that's proven and so what you really need to do is put your trust in faith in an explosion that exploded millions and millions of years ago that and that explosion created a complex universe that which also created human beings that are complex as well that would even have the the the capability of thinking of a of a story like that and thinking of a fairy tale doesn't that sound like a fairy tale to you you know and the very thing that Satan says the Satan uses against Christianity is the very thing that Paul warns us to stay away from the fables to stay away from the lies but they are going to turn away from the truth they will turn away to fables so Paul continues in verse 5 he says but you be watchful in all things endure afflictions do the work of an evangelist and fulfill your ministry says be watchful in all things and everything be watchful just because the book is written by a doctor doesn't mean that it's true just because his name the author's name has PhD at the end of it does not mean that it's true just because the guy is a dead philosopher doesn't mean that it's true oh but he's died a long time ago doesn't mean that it's true just because the guy says he's a pastor says he's brother or says that he is a reverend or a bishop just because he says that and in that it says that in front of his name does not mean that it's true we are to test all things we're to be watchful in all things if it does not line up with the word of God it's not truth because God's Word is infallible it's the infallible Word of God if it doesn't line up with his word it is not true it's not true I don't care how dead the philosopher is it's not true I don't care how many peas and h's and Di's it has at the end of you're at the end of your name if it does not line with it line up with the Word of God it's not true it's not true he says to endure afflictions there will be difficult times he says hardships Timothy there will be difficult times there will be hardships that come our way but he says to lean on the strength of the Lord and endure the afflictions God has a purpose and a plan through it all and then he says to do the work of an evangelist to fulfill your ministry a lot of scholars and myself believe that that Timothy probably had the call of an evangelist that he most likely had the call to be an evangelist so Paul is saying fulfill your ministry you're called to be an evangelist fulfill that calling fulfill and do the work of a minute of an evangelist excuse me he says you're called that's your ministry fulfill your ministry and do the work of an evangelist do you know what your calling is do you know what you were called to do in your life Paul's dying words to you would be fulfill your ministry fulfill your ministry what is the ministry that God has called you in what is called God calling you in maybe you know what your ministry is and you know what he's calling you to do but you're hesitant or you're doubtful maybe it's maybe it's your God's calling you to be a missionary and you're like I can't do that maybe God's calling you to to leave a workplace and to pursue ministry I can't do that I don't know if I can do that maybe you're hesitant or doubtful Paul would encourage to encourage you to trust the Lord and to fulfill what God has called you to do God has a calling for us all and that is one of the beautiful things about the body of Christ it's one body but many members right God has a calling for us all a unique specific calling for every single one of us what is your calling is it your family is your calling your family is your calling your workplace is your calling to be a light in the construction world which is a high calling is your calling to be in ministry is your calling to be in children's ministry to be in youth ministry is your calling to be a pastor is your calling to to be a missionary God has a specific calling for you and he says fulfill your ministry and sometimes the ministry God has called you to it excuse me let me say that again sometimes the ministry God has called you to now as preparation for the ministry he is calling you to later I'll say that one more time sometimes the ministry God has called you to now is preparation for the ministry he is calling you to later an array Bentley's book building godly character which is a great book Ray Ray looks at the life of David and how God built his character to be the man of God he desired him to be to be the king he desired David to be and even before he became King God called David to be a shepherd God's God's first calling on his life was to be a shepherd he called him to look after a flock of sheep this showed David how to care for a flock and not just the flock in an in its entirety but each individual sheep God God taught David and David learned how to protect the sheep from harm he learned how to take care of each of them God also put in David's life three men that built his character into the character of a godly king he had Samuel the prophet Samuel he was the man of prayer he was the older the wiser person that was filled with the spirit anointed in following God's leading and able to see something in the person no one else could quite fathom he was that guy that could look at David and say I know I know he's called to this I can see this in his heart even though nobody else can and he was filled with the spirit a man of Prayer God also put in David's life King Saul the iron right the the grinder the one that that sharpened that tool of David he was the one that that taught David to cope with his fear - to cope with failure with depression with betrayal with feeling lonely and so on he taught David all those those hard things and I don't think anyone sharpened David's character more than Saul he was the one it was hard for him right it was the hard one to go through and finally God put in David's life a beloved friend who was closer than the brother Jonathan Ray said Ray Bentley said in his book if we are truly fortunate we will be blessed with a Jonathan in our lives God will put in our lives so on who brings balance through love commitment loyalty and Trust that's what Jonathan taught David Jonathan taught him about love about about compassion for people and Jonathan taught David about commitment about staying committed to somebody even through hardships even through those difficult times that Saul was trying to murder David that he was committed to him and Jonathan taught him about loyalty because who who is next in line to be king Jonathan was I wasn't though David though God called David technically Jonathan was in line because he was Saul's son but Jonathan was not the one going to David saying no it's my crown that's my crown Jonathan was the one that was that was supporting David that was their supporting and loving on David remember God called David to be Kings to be king years before he actually fulfilled that calling it was years it was when he was a young boy he samuel was the one that gave that that was was used to give David that calling and he was called to be king and it took him years for that to actually be fulfilled but before God made him King he was a shepherd before he was a king he was an instrument player a harp player for King Saul for the iron for that grinder he was he was a harp player for Saul Paul would say fulfill your ministry what is your ministry today what does God called you to today maybe it's something hard maybe maybe you're under the leadership of a king Saul and and this guy is teaching you you know to teaching you to be patient maybe he's teaching you to cope with with fear or with failure with maybe you're feeling lonely but God is God is there God is there he's with you he's with you he's never left you nor forsaken you what is your calling today what does God called you today fulfill it do your best do the very very best work your hardest no matter what it is no matter even if you don't get the recognition that you deserve you do it unto the Lord you do all things unto the Lord because he sees it he knows he knows what you're doing he sees it and maybe God is preparing you right now for the ministry he has called you to later on in life maybe he's maybe he's preparing you maybe he's sharpening and defining that tool so he can use you later on in life so this first this first half of it Paul Paul gives all these things to Timothy these are his final his final exhortation his final encouragement to Timothy Paul Paul had the the option and he had the ability to choose what he wanted to say to Timothy these were his last words death was in sight and and and Paul chose to put these words and penned these words to Timothy why why did Paul do that why was Paul sharing this with Timothy what was Paul getting at what was why were these his last words what was he getting at here well he continues in verse 6 for I'm already being poured out as a drink offering and the time of my departure is at hand I have fought the good fight I have finished the race I have kept the faith finally there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous judge will give to me on that day and not only me but also to all who have loved his appearing Paul is so amazing Paul is truly someone who lived what he preached the counsel he gives Timothy is the counsel that he lived by himself he would say I have done all of this I encourage you to preach the word to not be turned away from the truth I encourage you to to to live for Jesus because I did that because I finished the race because I fulfilled the ministry God had called me to he's saying you know I'm given I've done all of this and I'm giving it to you because it's your turn it's your turn I finished that race and it is your turn to pick that up and to to continue with that he poured himself out for the Gospels sake as a drink offering and so he's telling Timothy man pour yourself out for Jesus live for Jesus the drink offering is first mentioned in Genesis 35 and that's when God tells Jacob that he will no longer be called Jacob but Israel which means governed by God and Jacob then he set up a pillar of stone he set up this altar made of stone and he poured on it a drink offering a drink offering had the idea of a complete giving right giving something completely pouring out the content until the cup is dry there is no reservation it is given completely to God Paul is saying my death sentence it's at hand my departure is at hand I'm waiting to be to be executed I'm on the verge of death my liquid is almost out of the cup if you will I'm giving myself completely for the for the sake of the gospel for Jesus Paul then says I have fought the good fight I have finished the race I have kept the faith what a bold statement from Paul what an amazing testimony what a legacy Paul left for Timothy Paul lived his faith he practiced what he preached in his perspective was eternal his eyes were on the heavens he was living for the heavenlies he knew what this life was all about he said earlier in the book of Philippians to live as Christ and to die is gain to live as Christ this life is about Christ and even in death it is gain because we are with Christ to live as Christ and to die is gain I think Paul is encouraging Timothy to leave a legacy the legacy Paul left to Timothy was Jesus and he's encouraging him leave a legacy I fought the good fight I finished the race continue do this live for Jesus Paul had the blessing of looking at he had the blessing of living a long life a long full life and looking back he had the blessing too and the chance to look back at his life and to say I fought the good fight I finished that race he had that he had that that blessing to examine his entire life the entirety of his life and to say men I fought that good fight I finished the race but we all don't have that same promise none of us are promised tomorrow not one of us are promised tomorrow we don't know when we will we will breathe our last breath we don't know when our last breath on this earth will be what are we living for what have we made this life about right now what are we living for what legacy are we leaving behind a teacher of Nicki and eyes my wife and eyes in in Bible College and he was a beloved friend of ours Brent yen he went home to be with the Lord last week he was one of our close friends Andreya was was one of Nicky's real real close friends and mentors in Bible College and and pastor brent was one of my mentors as well and he went home to be with the Lord last week on Tuesday he was a pastor in a church in a small church in Temecula and he was also a principal of a small Christian elementary school that was there as well he's a husband and he was a father of two boys two small boys a five year old and a two year old and he had been battling brain cancer for the last year and he entered into the presence of God Tuesday May 8th Brent yam was a unique man of God Brent um was one of those guys that that ministered to me more than so many people I have Bible College he was one of those teachers that I highly regarded and looked up to and one of my friends came down and went to it went to his memorial service and he and his wife came down there from Lake Tahoe and we were in we were talking about it this weekend and talking about Brenton and Brent was one of those guys those unique guys that that you know the Bible says if you've been forgiven little you love little but if you've been forgiven much you love much and he was one of those guys that truly knew he'd been forgiven of much and so he had the love of Jesus within his heart and he was one of those guys that when you talked to him he was he was popular man he was popular guy he was really good-looking guy and and you know his friends called him God's gift to women and he was an amazing amazing guy and ever he was real like a likable guy and a lot of people would come up to him and and in Bible College and I know he didn't even know who the person was probably never seen him in their life and they would be like oh Brent yeah I wanted to tell you about my week and or my weekend or anything and Brent was one of those guys that when someone came up to him everything else stopped and his you you knew that he cared about you you knew that he cared about every word that you said you knew you knew from his whole demeanor would change his whole facial expressions everything would change and he would literally you I would see him literally press into that conversation because he cared about that person because the love of God was so was so evident in his life that you could see it through through everything in this guy's life he cared for that person and the amazing thing was was he impacted so many people in his life and and over a thousand people came to his memorial service and the they had a time to share you know a time of sharing about Brenton and the the testimony was the same the testimony from other people was the same that they were like man when he came to me and I talked to him I he I knew he cared about me I knew that when I was looking into his eyes I was looking to the eyes of Jesus I knew that he cared about me and it was it's amazing that those are those are the stories it rings true for for so many different people and this week I was was watching a message it was his last his very last message that he shared on a Sunday morning it's very last message it was almost like the the the dying words of Paul right it was his last message to to his church Brent and Pastor Brent and his his message was amazing he was he was at the end of himself he was told about a year ago that he had 52 weeks to live and this was probably week 40 so he was looking at the end was inside he was literally counting down the days and he sees he's leaving away he's leaving his family you know if he passes away he's leaving his wife he's leaving jadynn his five-year-old Micah his two-year-old his church family his his elementary school his family his friends and with the end in sight he was talking about how God ministered to him five words and it was sanctification salvation strength stamina and sympathy those five words that God spoke to him in in in his hospital room and and you know he said he broke down at the beginning the first one he said was strength and he was like you know this guy's a big guy - he was like 6-4 6-3 or something a big big guy and you know athletic guy and he was like the first word that God spoke to me with strength and he's like the he spoke to me strength who can't get even get out of my bed to use the restroom myself who can't even lift my head on my own because I'm so weak and God spoke to him strength and and he gave him that scripture that Paul says in 2nd Corinthians that that even in my weakness you were strong for your grace is sufficient for me and Jesus brought Brent through that and he shared all these different things and and all these he was really he was real and he wind was just sharing his heart you know and and finally at the end of his message he said this this amazing thing and he was he was looking back at all the hardships and he's looking back at what is to come and what he's seeing and he said you know what at the end of the day even though that there's these hardships and and despite all of these things in light of all these things at the end of the day I need more of Jesus he said at the end of the day I need more of Jesus his eternal perspective was humbling to me right his eternal perspective was convicting from he even at the end of his life with with death in his highs he said man the end of the day I need Jesus that's what it's about I need Jesus I need more of Jesus had the memorial service as well his mom and his his wife and and his sister got up on stage and his mom shared with with the Congress with the everybody share everybody that was there and and shared with them he says she said I know I had to she had to cut it short and said I had know that you all have a story about Brent and she said I want you you you all too if you could she's like I wouldn't ask that you guys would write that story down and to send it to us because she wanted to compile all these stories into a book to gift her to his sons to give to Micah and to Jaden so when they grow up they get to read about their father they get to read about who their father was knew who their daddy was you know it's really cool really beautiful and I was thinking about that and if your family and your friends wrote a book about you oh thanks if your family and your friends wrote a book about you what would it be about what would your story be if your loved ones the people around you wrote your story what would your book be about we're not promised tomorrow we could breathe our last breath at on this earth at any time my friend Brent was 33 years old it was 33 years old you're not promised tomorrow you're not promised next week you're not promised next month what would your story be right now would your story would your story be Man you were successful in your business that you climbed the corporate ladder with that you that you left a name for yourself in your business would your story be man that person had such a great sense of humor he was joyful about everything his laugh was infectious with would it be about that would it be you know man he left a legacy of music and his name is still even though he's passed away his music lives on what would it be about your philanthropy oh man he was he he gave so much money to this organization to that to the church even he he just gave so much to everybody or would your pages literally illustrate Jesus would your book exemplify Jesus the person of Jesus Christ would your pages literally illustrate the person of Jesus the face of Jesus because I know it won't be long before Brent's two boys begin to see that even in Brent's book that he bowed down low that Jesus would be lifted high it won't be long before they begin to see that Brent's life was about Jesus it won't be long before they see that that the reason why he loved people was because Jesus loved him and that he made his life his Eternals perspective was on Jesus the legacy Brent left to his kids was Jesus I want to share one last thing with you I know I'm going a little bit over but a lot of you you probably don't know my own story but I was raised in a Christian home and I grew up in Seattle Washington I've gone to church ever since I can remember my dad has been in ministry ever since I can remember he's been a worship leader ever since I can remember and my mom used to be a secretary at our church that covered Shapley set up in Washington my mom left to me one of the greatest legacies of Jesus and really is one of the reasons I have I have such a heart for worship my mom was the one that left to me that heart of worship and when I was about 11 years old my mom was feeling sick one day and went into the to the to the emergency room and they did all these tests and and make a long story short they found out that she had inoperable colon cancer and that and we had no idea it reached the final stage it was in the last stage and she they were yet they gave her two months to live and she lived for two months she lived two months after that and and I it was my dad myself who was 11 and my sister who was nine years old and and it was it was really hard for my family it's really hard for me and for my sister obviously and but you know my my mom about a month into it was was going through chemotherapy and one of the things that that it did to her it kind of did the opposite effect and didn't help her but it hurt her a little more and she was she developed these sores and her throat and so for the last month she couldn't even speak and she she had to write everything down she had to write everything down for us and about two weeks before she passed away they moved her into a hospice and into a hospice room and and so again my mom is literally sitting on her deathbed she's literally on her very deathbed and my my pastor and his wife and at the time and and my my dad went into the her room and they just started doing worship and just started singing worship and my mom though she saw death and sight and though she was on her very deathbed though she had not the strength to lift herself off of that bed though she didn't even have the ability to speak anymore found the ability to raise her hands in worship she found the ability to days before she passed away to raise her hands in worship her perspective was eternal like Brent yemm's her life was about Jesus to her to live was Christ into died was gained nothing mattered to her more than her Savior Jesus in that picture it has been embedded in my mind I wasn't even there wasn't there because you know I went when she first moved in and it was really hard for my sister and I to see her like that she asked if we wouldn't be in there anymore so that we would remember her as she was and not as she before she went into the hospital him before she got sick and and it was good because that's all I remember I don't even remember the hospice room or and what it looked like or anything but I know that that picture is embedded in my head of my mom raising her hands of the Lord and that that that you know gave me the desire to want to live my life in worship to want to worship the Lord with my life sorry my mom she left to me a legacy of Jesus she left me a legacy of Jesus Christ and I remember a lot about my mom I remember a lot I was 11 years old so I remember quite a bit about my mom and it'll be 13 years ago in June when she entered into the presence of God but what I will remember most about her is the legacy she left of Jesus Christ nothing matters more than Jesus Christ in this life there's nothing on this earth that compares to Jesus there's nothing that matters more and he closes in verse 8 says finally there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord the righteous judge will give to me on that day and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing to all those that have loved his appearing this is a promise to us to all of us that loved his appearing that surrendered their life to Jesus will receive the crown of righteousness will receive our crown of righteousness from the righteous judge and how I long to - how I longed for that day to hear those words well done good and faithful servant as Brent and my mom heard have already heard well done good and faithful servant enter in to the joy of the Lord along for that day and even as our reward in heaven will be the crown of righteousness even even as we will receive that crown of righteousness for those who surrender their life to the Lord our perspective will not change in heaven our perspective will not change our because what are we going to do with those crowns of righteousness we're gonna cast them before the feet of Jesus we're gonna cast even our treasure that we receive the reward that we that we receive we are going to cast that at the righteous feet of Jesus at the holy and righteous feet of Jesus our perspective will not change so I ask you tonight what legacy are you leaving behind what legacy are we leaving behind what do people see when they see our life what legacy do we want to leave behind because I know for me I want people to see Jesus when they see me I want people to see when people look at me I want them to see the face of Jesus I don't want them to see my face I want them to see the face of Jesus I don't want my name to to be known when I die I don't want my legacy to live on and my name to live on when I die I want the name of Jesus to live on and I want I want his legacy to be left when I when I die I want my life to be the impression of Jesus fingerprint right to be that impression of Jesus fingerprint is say I was there I was with him I want my legacy to be Jesus let's pray lord I thank you so much for your word God and thank you so much Jesus just for all that you do Lord for us that for your love for us Lord we love you God because you first loved us because Lord you literally showed us what love is because Jesus you gave yourself for us you sacrificed yourself for us on the cross because Jesus you you took upon our sin can you nailed that sin to the cross and that you conquered death you rose again on the third day Jesus you conquered death that we may have life with you that we may conquer death with you if we put our faith and trust in you Jesus you showed us what true love is God I confess Lord that I need more of you I confess God that I am desperate for you Jesus that I need more and more and more and more and more of you in my life that you would empty me of myself of my pride of my selfishness of all that is within me if that is me that is me and I want to be filled with you I want Lord to leave a legacy of of Jesus I want my story to be Jesus I want my book to be about Jesus to illustrate the face of Jesus to literally drip of the blood of Jesus with our heads bowed and our eyes closed maybe you've come here tonight and and you know you've you've lived a life that was of yourself you've lived a life that that is that is after your own desires that you may be you've turned away from truth may be you've you've you've gone after things that you know is not true maybe you look at your life right now and you think man my legacy is not a very good one my legacy is is is something I do not want to leave I want to encourage you that it's not too late to start now that it's not too late to start right now to live for Jesus it might be too late tomorrow it could be too late in a week from now it could be too late a month from now but it's not too late right now to surrender your life to Jesus to live for him and to say man nothing compares nothing matters on this life but you Jesus there's nothing in this world that compares to you it's not too late to say that right now I want to give you that opportunity to say that and and to surrender your life to Jesus and God I just asked that you would give give my brothers and sisters here the strength to stand up and to and to follow you and to come forward and receive Jesus in your name amen if if you are that person that wants to surrender your life to the Lord you know Jesus called his disciples publicly and said come follow me and I want to give you the opportunity jesus took a stand for you he was hung on that cross for you and I want to give you the opportunity to come forward and to receive Jesus to come forward to the front right up front here I know it's it's a lot to ask and that's gonna take boldness but if we confess our mouth and believe in a heart that God raised him from the dead we shall be saved and I want to give you the opportunity to come forward and receive Jesus you may feel your heart beating like man I don't want people to know that I need Jesus to know who I am you're surrounded by family that loves you surround it you're surrounded by a church family who loves you don't leave tonight without receiving Jesus I know there's somebody out there praise God crazy Tracy so anymore maybe maybe you surrendered your life I'll praise God praise God maybe if you gave your life to the Lord a long time ago and you want to to rededicate your life you've been walking away you would like to rededicate your life I want to give you the opportunity as well to come forward rededicate your life for Jesus well you three let's come up close in the middle come up here in the middle I just want you to pray this prayer is and it's not it's not you know these words that are going to save you it's your heart before the Lord but I just want to lead you in a prayer dear Jesus Lord I confess that I am sinner I confess Lord that I need more of you Jesus I I believe that you died on the cross from my sin that you rose again on the third day and that you are living today Jesus I want to live for you today give me the strength Lord to live for you Jesus teach me to live for you I give you my life in Jesus name

Channel: Calvary Chapel Las Vegas, Nevada

Views: 12,198

Rating: 4.7431192 out of 5

Keywords: God, Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, truth, salvation, Bible, church, Christianity, Calvary, Spring Valley, Las Vegas, Nevada, Tony Monto, 2 Timothy, Leaving a Legacy

Id: a7YnvtwNCko

Length: 59min 49sec (3589 seconds)

Published: Fri May 18 2012