Legacy and Leadership: Rising as Kingdom Christians
Summary
In this gathering, we reflect on the profound importance of legacy and the intentionality required to pass it down through generations. As we grow older, the value of family and the legacy left by our parents becomes increasingly significant. Our parents have not only left a legacy for us but have also impacted countless others through their lifelong commitment to ministry. One of the crowning achievements of this legacy is the Tony Evans Study Bible, a resource that combines the Bible with insightful commentary to help individuals leave their own legacy of faith. This tool is invaluable for leaders, parents, and anyone seeking to deepen their understanding of God's Word and pass it on to future generations.
The theme of our summit, "Kingdom Christians Rising," calls for all believers to rise in their God-given capacities. Just as in a game of checkers, where each piece is destined to be crowned, God desires for His kingdom leaders to be crowned both on earth and in eternity. However, there is an enemy that seeks to prevent us from reaching our destiny. To rise as kingdom Christians, we must stand firm in our faith, refusing to compromise with cultural winds. Our tone should be one of love and compassion, but our stance must be unwavering on divine standards.
Peter's journey in Matthew 16 serves as a cautionary tale. He was praised for his faith but quickly faltered by aligning with human interests over God's. This illustrates the danger of switching allegiances unknowingly, much like scoring for the wrong team in a game. As kingdom leaders, we must be vigilant, ensuring our thoughts align with God's will, not man's. Discipleship requires daily commitment, emulating Christ in character and conduct. It's not just about getting to heaven but experiencing heaven on earth through a life fully devoted to Christ.
Key Takeaways:
1. Legacy is a deliberate effort, requiring intentionality to pass down values and faith to future generations. The Tony Evans Study Bible is a tool designed to aid in this endeavor, providing commentary that enriches understanding and facilitates the creation of a personal legacy of faith. [23:12]
2. God desires for His kingdom leaders to be crowned, both on earth and in eternity. However, there is an enemy that seeks to derail us from our destiny. To rise as kingdom Christians, we must stand firm in our faith, refusing to compromise with cultural winds. [26:21]
3. Peter's journey in Matthew 16 serves as a cautionary tale about the danger of unknowingly switching allegiances. As kingdom leaders, we must ensure our thoughts align with God's will, not man's, to avoid scoring for the wrong team. [29:20]
4. Discipleship requires a daily commitment to emulate Christ in character and conduct. It's not just about getting to heaven but experiencing heaven on earth through a life fully devoted to Christ. This involves denying oneself and taking up one's cross. [37:09]
5. Public identification with Christ is essential, even when it has negative repercussions. In a post-Christian age, the willingness to be known as a Christian is crucial, and we must not be ashamed of our faith. [43:03]
Youtube Chapters:
[00:00] - Welcome
[22:21] - The Joy of Legacy
[23:12] - Introducing the Tony Evans Study Bible
[25:06] - Kingdom Christians Rising
[26:21] - The Crown of Kingdom Leadership
[27:14] - Standing Firm in Faith
[28:03] - Peter's Promotion and Fall
[29:20] - The Danger of Switching Teams
[31:01] - Confused Christian Leaders
[32:59] - Aligning with God's Will
[37:09] - The Call to Discipleship
[40:13] - Denying Self and Following Christ
[43:03] - Public Identification with Christ
[46:33] - The Power of Jesus' Name
[51:16] - Kingdom Christians Rising
[56:09] - The Challenge of Public Commitment
Study Guide
Bible Study Discussion Guide: Kingdom Christians Rising
Bible Reading:
1. Matthew 16:17-23
2. Luke 9:23
3. Romans 10:9-10
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Observation Questions:
1. In Matthew 16:17-23, what was the initial commendation Jesus gave to Peter, and how did Peter's actions later lead to a rebuke from Jesus? [28:03]
2. How does the analogy of a checkers game relate to the concept of being crowned as a kingdom leader, as discussed in the sermon? [26:21]
3. What does Jesus mean when He says, "If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross daily and follow Me," in Luke 9:23? How does this relate to the theme of discipleship? [37:09]
4. According to Romans 10:9-10, what is the significance of confessing Jesus as Lord, and how does this relate to the idea of public identification with Christ? [50:19]
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Interpretation Questions:
1. What does Peter's journey in Matthew 16 teach us about the dangers of aligning with human interests over God's will? How can this serve as a warning for kingdom leaders today? [29:20]
2. The sermon mentions the importance of standing firm in faith without compromising with cultural winds. What are some modern cultural challenges that might tempt believers to compromise their faith? [27:14]
3. How does the concept of taking up one's cross daily challenge the common perception of Christianity as merely a path to personal blessing and comfort? [42:47]
4. In what ways does public identification with Christ, as discussed in the sermon, impact a believer's relationships and social standing in a post-Christian age? [43:03]
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Application Questions:
1. Reflect on your own life: Are there areas where you might be unknowingly aligning with human interests over God's will, similar to Peter's experience? How can you realign your focus? [29:20]
2. Identify a specific cultural trend or belief that challenges your faith. How can you stand firm in your beliefs while maintaining a tone of love and compassion? [27:14]
3. What does it mean for you personally to take up your cross daily? Identify one specific way you can deny yourself this week to follow Christ more closely. [37:09]
4. Consider your public identification with Christ. Are there situations where you feel hesitant to express your faith? What steps can you take to be more open about your beliefs? [43:03]
5. The sermon emphasizes the importance of leaving a legacy of faith. What intentional steps can you take to pass down your values and faith to the next generation? [22:41]
6. How can you use resources like the Tony Evans Study Bible to deepen your understanding of God's Word and create a personal legacy of faith? [23:12]
7. Reflect on the analogy of the checkers game. What "moves" can you make in your spiritual life to ensure you reach your God-given destiny and are crowned as a kingdom leader? [26:21]
Devotional
Day 1: Intentional Legacy Building
Legacy is a deliberate effort, requiring intentionality to pass down values and faith to future generations. The Tony Evans Study Bible is a tool designed to aid in this endeavor, providing commentary that enriches understanding and facilitates the creation of a personal legacy of faith. [23:12]
"Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children's children." (Deuteronomy 4:9, ESV)
Reflection: What specific values or teachings do you want to intentionally pass down to the next generation, and how can you start doing that today?
Day 2: Standing Firm Against Cultural Winds
God desires for His kingdom leaders to be crowned, both on earth and in eternity. However, there is an enemy that seeks to derail us from our destiny. To rise as kingdom Christians, we must stand firm in our faith, refusing to compromise with cultural winds. [26:21]
"Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain." (1 Corinthians 15:58, ESV)
Reflection: Identify a cultural trend or belief that challenges your faith. How can you stand firm in your beliefs while engaging with love and compassion?
Day 3: Aligning with God's Will
Peter's journey in Matthew 16 serves as a cautionary tale about the danger of unknowingly switching allegiances. As kingdom leaders, we must ensure our thoughts align with God's will, not man's, to avoid scoring for the wrong team. [29:20]
"Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect." (Romans 12:2, ESV)
Reflection: In what areas of your life do you find it challenging to align with God's will, and what steps can you take to ensure your thoughts and actions are in harmony with His desires?
Day 4: Daily Commitment to Discipleship
Discipleship requires a daily commitment to emulate Christ in character and conduct. It's not just about getting to heaven but experiencing heaven on earth through a life fully devoted to Christ. This involves denying oneself and taking up one's cross. [37:09]
"And he said to all, 'If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.'" (Luke 9:23, ESV)
Reflection: What is one specific way you can deny yourself today to follow Christ more closely, and how can this become a daily practice?
Day 5: Public Identification with Christ
Public identification with Christ is essential, even when it has negative repercussions. In a post-Christian age, the willingness to be known as a Christian is crucial, and we must not be ashamed of our faith. [43:03]
"For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words, of him will the Son of Man be ashamed when he comes in his glory and the glory of the Father and of the holy angels." (Luke 9:26, ESV)
Reflection: Consider a situation where you have hesitated to identify as a Christian. How can you courageously and lovingly declare your faith in similar situations in the future?
Quotes
As I get older, the more I appreciate family and legacy because you realize how intentional you have to be to actually pass down the kind of legacy that you want to see unfold in your children and grandchildren. I'm really grateful for our parents and everything that they've done to leave legacy with us but also to leave legacy for tons of other people as well. [00:22:26]
One of the things that we're really excited about, the legacy project really, it's kind of a life's work, is the Tony Evans Study Bible. We know many of you have heard about this book. We are so very excited to have our own copies, our children and everything. The good thing about this part of our program is we get to remind you about this resource. [00:23:12]
God wants to see all of his kingdom leaders crowned, not only crowned on earth but crowned in eternity for the work you did on earth. We got work to do but there's an enemy out there that wants to jump us, knock us off the board so that we don't get to the other side because when you get to be crowned, you get a lot more movement, don't you? [00:26:21]
It's time now for kingdom Christians to rise up and to say no, we're not compromising our faith. Our tone will be one of love and compassion, but our voice will be clear on the divine standards on every issue, and we do not acquiesce the word of God to the thoughts of men. [00:27:14]
Peter just got a promotion right because he took his stand with Jesus Christ, but then something happened a few verses later in the same chapter. Peter went left and he got congratulated because he took his ecclesiastical church stand and kingdom assignment seriously, but look at what happens in verse 21. [00:28:03]
He says you are a stumbling block. You're trying to trip me up from the will of God, for you are not setting your mind on God's interest but on man. So watch this, whenever a Christian leader disagrees with Christ, they have joined Satan because they've adopted man's thinking. [00:32:59]
Jesus then speaks to them and he gives them a clarion call to discipleship. Here's our problem: we got a lot of Christians, we have very few disciples. We have very few men and women who are full-time followers. They've settled to be part-time saints, and we haven't allowed it, encouraged it, and yielded to it. [00:37:09]
Discipleship has a price tag. It is where you decide on a daily basis, Luke chapter 9 verse 23, he says you make your discipleship commitment daily to follow Jesus Christ's lead, to emulate him according to Matthew chapter 10, verses 24 and 25. It says to be a disciple is to be like his teacher. [00:37:49]
If you're going to be a kingdom leader, if you're going to be a kingdom Christian rising and raising up other kingdom followers of Christ, to take up that cross it means that you will be publicly identifiable as a follower of Christ, not a private in-church Christian. It has to do with public identification even when that identification has negative repercussions. [00:43:03]
If you were condemned to be a follower of Christ, would there be enough evidence to convict you or would you be found innocent of all charges at work, at home, in your neighborhood? Would they say, well no, I see how you roll and you don't follow Christ except Sundays when you're in church? [00:44:30]
We want to see a generation today of kingdom Christians rising who are not ashamed to be identified with Christ and who are sold out to him. No, we're not perfect, and God has given us repentance as a means of getting back into fellowship with him, but let's get back in alignment. [00:51:16]
So I challenge you in the days to come to take the theme of this conference, kingdom Christians rising, and decide no more secret age of Christian and no more secret agent influence. We're going to be visible verbal followers of Christ. We're going to repent for where we failed and we're going to reboot, renew, and bring glory to our great God. [00:56:09]
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