Building Your Legacy – Pillar 4 ® Priorities
By: Pastor George Lehman
This is such an important pillar in our lives.
You show me a committed person, I’ll show you a sting of priorities.
(Commitment is the showcase of our priorities.)
If you fail to plan you plan to fail
Pillar -1 Prayer: If I’m not a praying Christian, I’m a straying Christian.
Pillar -2 Purity: There is always an open door to God when the channel of Purity is open.
Pillar -3 Persona: Its who you are your Gifts, Talents, Preferences, thoughts, your Attitude.
We live in a world where life is incredibly busy.
Endless things pull at us and beg for our attention.
It’s easy to have a non-stop busy life full of activities.
For the most you would think we have much to show for our busy activities – right??
When we look back at our busy days, we often struggle to identify any worthwhile accomplishments.
Culturally; people have more luxuries and less time. – We seem to get busier
More social connections – but fewer relationships.
More biblical education and less intelligence.–All the information, so little application
We have taller buildings and shorter tempers.
Wider freeways but narrower viewpoints.
We spend more but enjoy it less.
We plan more but accomplish less.
The problem is that we can get sucked into lifestyles that don’t bring God glory.
Charles E. Hummel wrote a booklet titled: The Tyranny of the Urgent”.
He said, “We live in a constant tension between the Urgent and the Important. Urgent things scream for our attention, but truly important things – Time for bible study, prayer, reading motivational and uplifting and books, and sharing our faith – DON’T”.
Important daily disciplines neglected become urgent.
In his book of 1967, Hummel describes how telephones installed on the walls of homes robbed people of a quite place that was free from interruptions, where they could focus on and accomplish the important tasks.
Imagine what Hummel would say about today’s world where most people have a cell phone, access to the internet, Facebook, twitter, Instagram.
That’s why getting our Priorities right is an important part of becoming a legacy minded person.
Jesus had this word for the End time Laodicean Church:
Revelation 3:15-16(Amp) – I know your [record of] works and what you are doing; you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were cold or hot! So, because you are lukewarm and neither cold nor hot, I will spew* you out of My mouth!
*spew = vomit
It’s not a nice idea, but this is God’s radical call to us to check our Priorities.
1 John 4:9 (Amp) – In this the love of God was made manifest (displayed) where we are concerned: in that God sent His Son, the only begotten or unique [Son] into the world so that we might live through Him.
The fact is Jesus saw our worth and gave His “All”.
Don’t you think it’s time we refresh – re-look and refocus on our Priorities
Hebrews 12:1-2 (Message) – Do you see what this means – all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we’d better get on with it. Strip down, start running-and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins. Keep your eyes on Jesus, who both began and finished this race we’re in. Study how He did it.
You have the baton in your hand your Priorities determine how your running will create your Legacy? We don’t want to pass on a luke-warm halfhearted mediocre legacy!
Jesus our example as to His legacy leaving priorities; –
His Courage, His Servant heart, His Love, His sacrifice on the cross giving His “All”.
Let us give our All for His All.
Our priorities are always where our treasure is, what our values are, and the things we truly love. Those are the things we give our priority too.
Jesus said: Matthew 6:21 – Where our heart is our treasure will be also.
Jesus, our hero, our motivator, our encourager. He was totally committed to His Father’s will – even unto death.
Philippians 2:8(NIV) – And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross![so we can be free]
Free from what, if we persist in an empty, lukewarm life?
Commitment is the showcase of our priorities.
That means your greatest commitment goes to your greatest priority.
The flow of your affection through your Time and Resources will prove WHERE your commitment lies.
When God saved you and called you to a life of service to Him. You were bought at a price you do not belong to yourself anymore.
Where do you stand regarding your Priority when it is much easier to?
Stay at home rather than go to church.
Go to your place of work than to the House of God.
Read all sorts of magazines other than the Bible.
Be critical than kind.
Hold grudges than to forgive.
Grumble than to praise.
Gossip than to be a witness of His Grace.
Condemn souls than to pray for their salvation.
Be worldly than holy.
Withhold our tithes and offerings than to pay them into the storehouse.
You see, godly priorities, really have to do with a heart condition.
John 3:30 – He must increase, but I must decrease.
Most of our problems come from ourselves, not from anyone else, our lack of, or un-willingness to surrender our Prioritise fully to Jesus,
Leaves us lukewarm, critical, always finding fault with everything and everyone except with ourselves.
Sadly, many people in this condition think they are just fine and aren’t at fault.
To be a real Christian disciple is not for the faint-hearted:
Missionaries, pastors, children of God all over the world are being raided and arrested: their bibles and music equipment, places of worship are being confiscated, they are literally being beaten and threatened and killed.
They don’t have the liberty to praise and worship freely as we do.
2 Timothy 3:12 – All who live Godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution.
Persecution separates the real from the phoney.
Let’s get past our excuses, disappointments, blaming others, slack discipline.
Stop searching for the comfortable, easy and convenient. Decide to Prioritize.
If you do:
This will manifest God’s power, God’s glory, God’s blessing and God’s awesome favour on your life.
The gift of faith was never given to feather our nest of comfort for ourselves.
It was given so we would make sacrifices for others.
“True fruitfulness is a hallmark(standard) of a totally committed disciple of Jesus Christ.”
Committed to love Jesus, love others and obey His word.
A ‘sold out to Jesus’ life will set a standard for the world.
Galatians 6:9 (Amp) – And let us not lose heart and grow weary and faint* in acting nobly and doing right, for in due time and at the appointed season we shall reap, if we do not loosen and relax our courage and faint.
*faint = loose consciousness; indistinct
Question: What do you want your legacy to look like?
To ensure a godly legacy you will need the Pillar of Priority build on the sure foundation.
Here is a final verse to measure your true priority:
Matthew 6:33 (Amp) – But see (aim at, and strive after) first of all His kingdom and His righteousness (His way of doing and being right), and then all these things taken together will be given you besides.
