1Chronicles 28:1-21
Legacy
We approach the last of King David’s life. There is not date given for the
events in this chapter, but it is toward the last of David’s life. Solomon has
already been seated upon the throne (he and David co-ruled for a time although by
then it looks like David was pretty weak and probably let Solomon do most of the
duties).
At some point, it probably occurs to every person to ask, "Just what is my life
all about? What I am leaving behind me?" If it doesn’t, it should. The answer
to that question will be that person’s legacy. Everyone leaves a legacy. Some
people leave a good one—some not so good—but everyone leaves a footprint in
the sand. The question becomes, "What kind of legacy will you leave?"
A legacy can fall into three different category. David actually left a legacy
that spanned all three categories. Let’s consider them for a moment.
I. David invested into a secular legacy.
A. By secular legacy, I mean that David, just like you and I, had a
regular job, a regular occupation.
1. David’s regular occupation was that of a king.
2. Granted, that regular job was not so regular.
a. There are a lot less kings than there are bankers, secretaries,
or most any other profession.
b. However, being a king was and is a job that except for the
perks, is not so different than everyone else’s.
c. Kings have duties to perform, responsibilities to live up to,
and because of their position, they are entitled to certain
benefits.
B. By and large, David was a good king.
1. He did some things wrong and he had some regrets.
2. However, he left an impressive legacy.
a. David established Israel’s twelve individual tribes as a single
nation.
b. He organized, trained, and equipped Israel’s army to be one of
the best the world has ever seen.
c. He extended the borders of Israel to a reach that Israel has
never been since.
d. He secured peace, prosperity, and justice for his people.
e. As king, he pointed his people to the one and only true God.
C. Like David, most adults—both men and women—have a secular job.
1. That job is part of your legacy.
2. Working on this message I began to think about some of the
occupations that are represented by our congregation.
a. I thought of Bro. Gaston’s work. He has helped to produce
sheet metal that has been sent all around the globe. If we
could search for them, we would find his fingerprints on
important buildings of several continents that are and will
be used for generations to come.
b. The same could be said for those who have worked at places
like U.S. Steel Mercedes, Jim Walter Mines, and ASIPCO.
c. We have several ladies who do or have worked in daycares or
with small children, again leaving a fingerprint, not on an
object but on a human life, that in turn will be passed down
to other generations.
d. We have had a good many people in our church who are involved
in giving care to others. Some as nurses, senior sitters,
family care givers, some as emergency responders.
e. We have had secretaries who have organized, laborers who have
built, operators who have shipped, repair personal who have
kept things working, and administrators who have kept things
going.
f. Some of our people work with people, some work with things,
some build, some operate, some fix, and some do a mix of
everything.
3. While considering occupations, I don’t want to overlook those
housewives and moms who labor at home. Housewives not only labor
themselves, but they help to organize and prepare their mates so
and children that they can produce as well.
4. I do not know of anyone who attends our church or who has attended
our church in the years I have been here who had a meaningless or
worthless job.
a. I have known of some who were not too happy with their
occupation and so did not FEEL they were accomplishing much,
but that was only their personal perception.
b. In fact, everyone I know who worked has been a cog in producing
or helping to produce products and services that collectively
make life easier and more beneficial, thus making our country
a better place to live and our country men and women better
able to serve God and enjoy the benefits of the life God has
given to them.
D. Now if this part of the message sounds a little like an advertisement
for the laborers of America, so be it.
1. The point I am trying to make is that what you do is part of your
legacy.
2. When you life is over and people remember you, they will remember
your contribution to society by what you did for a job—just like
we remember David’s job as part of his legacy.
E. However, after saying all of that, let me say that what you do for a
job is probably the smallest and least important part of your legacy.
1. For some, that is unfortunate.
2. For some, all they really have is their job, their career, their
occupation.
3. The truth is that whether you are a leader, an organizer, a care
giver or whatever, your occupation is not the only reason you
were put on this planet and it is not all of the legacy you should
be investing in to.
F. David invested into his secular legacy, but he also invested into the
two other legacies.
II. David invested into a holy legacy.
A. By holy legacy, I mean that David invested into his walk with God.
1. The reason we even know there was a King David is because David
invested into his walk with God.
2. We have been studying the successes and failures of this man’s
holy legacy.
3. Although we have spend months studying David’s walk with God from
the historical books, we could easily spend as many if not more
months looking at his walk through the poetical book of Psalms.
4. Here is where things start getting far more important in the lives
of individuals.
a. It is not just what you DO that people will remember. It is
what you DO FOR THE LORD that others will remember.
b. I have spent a great deal of time recognizing that our
occupations are important, but even though they may help
thousands and be used by millions, soon those who built them
will be forgotten.
c. I remember visiting the Hoover Dam.
(1) The Hoover Dam has been one of the largest dams in the
world. It is still the second largest in the US.
(2) At the time it was built (1930’s), it was the largest
concrete structure in the world.
(3) The human effort required to build the dam was very
impressive.
(a) It was an engineering marvel of the world.
(b) It literally required thousands of men to build.
(c) More than 100 men died in the construction of the
Hoover damn.
(d) Once completed, the Colorado River had to be diverted
to the dam.
(4) Today the damn provides electricity for approximately
1.7 million homes throughout Nevada and California.
http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/2089475
(5) In addition, the dam help to turn the parched deserts of
United States into lush, inhabitable landscapes which
has made everything in southern California and Nevada
possible, including Hollywood, Las Vegas, and probably
influencing as far north as the Silicon Valley.
(6) That dam has probably influenced the lives of almost every
human being in the world.
(7) Who can tell me who designed it?
(a) Who can name just one man who died to build it?
(b) Who can name a man that worked on it?
(c) I wonder how many of us could even name the U.S.
President who ignited it?
(8) The sad truth is that we forget so quickly!
d. I am not going to tell you that the world knows who build the
the ark or gave us the Old Testament law or was a missionary
to the known world.
(1) Most of the world will not.
(2) However, those who really know God remember the things
God servants do.
(3) We are still studying some of their lives millenniums
after they have died.
(4) By living a spiritual legacy of your walk with God, you
will leave a powerful legacy that some will remember for
years to come.
B. Not only did David invest into his walk with God, he also invested into
the walk others had with God.
1. We have in this chapter a summary of the legacy David left for
others.
a. \\#2-3\\ In this passage, David reviews his desire to build a
temple for God, a place where all Israel could come and
worship.
b. Of course, David could not. God would not allow him to build
the temple but told David he had shed too much blood to
complete that task.
c. Some men might have considered that was the end of their
spiritual quest, but not David.
d. David wanted to invest into the lives of others and their walk
with God.
2. \\#11, 14-18\\ So David opened his own treasuries of gold and
silver and supplied what was needed for the temple.
a. You have heard the term "a king’s ransom"?
b. That is what David gave and more.
c. There is no way to tell how many billions of dollars worth of
precious minerals David gave.
3. \\#12\\ But even more, through the Holy Spirit, David was able to
discern the exact layout of the temple and the temple’s
instruments.
a. I figure a person is pretty much in tune with God when he can
start discerning measurements from God!
b. No doubt, some of what David passed on to Solomon came from
the days of Moses.
c. But then again, the temple was just a tabernacle.
(1) It was much larger and much different.
(2) Just like Moses received the layout of the tabernacle from
the Lord, so David received the layout of the temple.
4. \\#13, 21\\ And again, David divided the Levites into 24 courses.
a. In Moses’ day, God divided the Levites into three groups.
(1) One to pack the tabernacle.
(2) One to carry the tabernacle.
(3) One to serve in the tabernacle.
b. Once the temple was build, most of those duties became
obsolete.
c. David, under the direction of the Spirit, divided the tribe,
which was far bigger now than in Aaron’s day, into 24 groups
to serve the Lord.
(1) Some helped in the service of the priests.
(2) Some kept the property of the Lord.
(3) Some participated in the music and praise of the Lord.
5. By doing these things, David helped to influence the lives of
billions for his God.
a. In an indirect sense, even you and I have been helped by the
ministry of the temple.
b. The temple is where most of those God used to record the
Scripture were taught the things of God.
c. All of those Jewish disciples and most of the New Testament
missionaries came to know who God was because of the work of
the temple.
6. Can you think of a better legacy to leave than to help others come
to know the true God and to help people to worship Him?
C. I notice somethings that David did that might help us to be more
effective in leaving a holy legacy that will be powerful enough to
impact others.
1. I notice his legacy centered on God.
a. If you want to build something will last, don’t center it
man’s need. Center it on God.
(1) A work done that doesn’t center on God may still be a good
work, but it won’t be a spiritual work.
(2) No matter how successful you are in helping mankind, you
are not going to eliminate man’s problems.
(3) Jesus put it best.
Mark 14:7 For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye will ye may do
them good: but me ye have not always.
b. When you center something on God, you leave it in God’s hands
what to do with it.
2. \\#12\\ I notice his legacy centered on obedience to God.
a. The Holy Spirit was leading which meant David was following
the leadership of God.
b. It is my belief that we live in a age when many people are
doing things which they believe are of God but are not
necessarily in obedience to God.
c. Just because it is big and popular today does not mean it is
God honoring.
d. I hope if you have been around here for awhile you have picked
up on the fact that there are some things we could do to be
bigger.
(1) Our goal is not to be bigger for the sake of being bigger.
(2) Our goal is to do a work that centers on God, is under
His leadership, and then have God honor us by blessing
it.
III. \\#5-10\\ David invested into a family legacy.
A. I have said it before and believe it. David was a failure as a father.
1. That grieve me to say.
2. Too many of David’s family followed a wicked and corrupt path.
3. Sometimes I have to remind myself that I have purposely selected
the path that I and my family are on.
a. I do not mean to poor-mouth.
b. God has been good to my family and God has used you, both as
individuals and a body, to bless us.
c. However, I am not the wealthiest minister in the county.
d. Sometimes I have to stop and remember why.
e. It is because I have chosen to follow God no matter what I
possess or do not possess.
f. I do not regret that decision.
4. I suspect that by the end of David’s life he might have preferred
being a poor sheepherder as opposed to being a powerful king.
a. Being a person with opportunities to do wrong and the power and
wealth to create the illusion that you can get away with it,
is a dangerous thing.
b. To be honest, I think I can handle my status in life a lot
better than I could handle David’s.
B. Regardless of how many children David lost, it appears that he tried
much harder to put Solomon on the right path.
1. Solomon would have been born after the sin with Bathsheba.
2. In fact, Solomon was conceived as David consoled Bathsheba over
the death of their first child.
C. There is no better legacy to leave you family than to point them toward
God.
1. Silver spoons can tarnish and ivy-league educations can go to seed,
but a strong push toward God is a legacy that can do no harm.
2. Some of our family may not take hold of the legacy, but I believe
most will.
3. Solomon had some rough days.
a. He will follow the same corrupt path that David followed and
he will stay on it a lot longer than his father.
b. But it appears that even Solomon realized his error before it
was too late and returned to the legacy that his father had
given him.
I am not certain whether this will be the last message in this series or not, but
if it is, it provides a good thought. When the books are closed on your life,
what will be your legacy? You are building one. Is it just a one-dimensional
legacy? All work and no family? All work and no God? The best legacies are the
one like David’s. They cut across all four categories.
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