Leaving Behind A Legacy

Scripture: Dt. 6:6-9; Colossians 3:18-25

Theme: Legacy - A Father' s Legacy

INTRO:

Good morning and to all the Fathers out there in our worship service this morning, Happy Father's Day! Again - Happy Father's Day!

This morning, I am sure that most of our fathers would agree that it is good to be a man. On the internet are all kinds of lists and reasons why it is good to be a man this morning. Here are a few of the reasons that were given:

+Most phone conversations can be done in less than two minutes.

+A five day holiday requires only a single overnight bag.

+You can click through all the TV channels and only stop at sports.

+Car mechanics do not lie to you.

+Grey hair/wrinkles only add character as you age allowing you to save money.

+Bathroom lines are 80% shorter for men than for women.

+You are not expected to know more than five colors. And most of your world will revolve around just three of them - blue, brown and black.

+Three pair of shoes are more than enough.

+If another man wears the same shirt as you have on, they may become your lifelong friend.

+Usually as you age most people lower their expectations concerning your everyday behavior.

Did you know, that one of the busiest days of the year for phone calls is Mother's Day? It is not unusual to find that the lines are so busy that you have to call at another time. That doesn't happen on Father's Day. Historically, Father's Day has been the day when the most collect calls have been made. In this day of cell phones that may be changing,

Did you know that there is significant amount of difference between the gifts that are bought on both days? Father Day gifts average about $ 35 less than Mother's Day gifts. In other words, when you add all the gifts up for mom verses dad, children spend an average of $35.00 less on dad than they do on mom. Ever since we, Americans, have been celebrating both holidays, mom's day is the alpha while dad's day is the beta.

A lot of that behavior is due to the sorry state of fatherhood today. Nearly, 40% of children in our nation are being raised without their biological father in their home or active in their lives. In real numbers, that adds up to more than 24.7 million children across our nation.1 That figure is staggering when we think about it. That is almost as many people as live in the state of Texas ( 24.7 million versus 26.5 million) It is almost four times the number of people that live in our state of Tennessee ( 6.5 million). The absence of a father is becoming an dire epidemic in our nation and is reaping havoc across all racial, cultural and economic lines.2

So, this morning if your father is in your home, then take a moment and praise the LORD and pray for those who are not as fortunate as you. Each Father's Day, I think of my sister and her children, who lost her husband and their dad when the oldest child was only 16 and the youngest one was about six. They were serving as missionaries in Puerto Rico, when he drowned in a horrible accident. His absence devastated their family and to this very day all of them are still affected by his absence.

I miss my dad today, and I know Rebekah misses her dad. Praise the LORD, both of our fathers are in heaven but it still does not take away all of the pain or the loss. Neither one of us thought they would die as soon as they did, and today is always a bittersweet day. I rejoice in the fact that the LORD blessed me to be a father and now, for my son, to be a father, but I still miss my father and I know Rebekah misses her dad.

Let's just take a moment, right now in our service and ask the Lord to be with all of those whose fathers have passed away. Let us pray for peace and comfort and protection in those families. (Prayer)

This morning, I want to talk to you about LEGACY.

A legacy is something that you hand down to the next generation. Usually, when people think about legacy they think of an inheritance. They see legacy as something that one generation passes down to the next generation either in the form of property or money.

But legacy can mean much more than just those two things. We can leave behind more than just tangible things. For example, we can leave behind a witness, a set of principles and a certain lifestyle. We can live behind a life well lived, a godly life.