Joel Osteen Podcast - Leave A Legacy Of Faith | Joel Osteen

Episode Date: August 8, 2024

The decisions we make should make things easier for those that will come after us. We can store up blessings and favor for our future generations by living a life of excellence and integrity. Your best days are still ahead, and together we can make a difference in this world with the message of God's hope and love. To give visitJoelOsteen.com/GiveHope.Dispel worry and gain newfound hope! This August, we are offeringPower Up: A 21-Day Action Plan to Transformative Thinking.Receive the truth about what God says about you and transform your thoughts from Day 1. Take a step up toward powerful living today, https://bit.ly/46jp0ZX!   Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of the Joel Osteen Podcast ad-free and a whole week early. Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hope you're having a great summer. Know that we're praying for you. We know God has awesome things in store. So great having you with us. Enjoy the message today. God bless you. Always a joy to come into your homes. We love you.

We know God has great things in store for you. And if you're ever in our area, I hope you'll stop by and be a part of one of our services. I promise you we'll make you feel right at home. But thanks so much for tuning in today. And again, thanks for coming out today as well. I like to get started with something funny each week, and I heard about this little girl. She asked her mom how the human race got started.

The mother explained how God created Adam and Eve, and they had children, and on and on, here we are today. A few days later, she asked her father the same question. He explained how many years ago there were monkeys, and little by little, they became more like people, and now here we are. Confused, she went back to her mom and said, Mom, you said, God created people. Dad says we came from monkeys. How can that be? The mom said, oh, honey, that's easy. I told you about my side of the family. Dad told you about his. All right. Hold up your Bible.

Say it like you mean it. This is my Bible. I am what it says I am. I have what it says I have. I can do what it says I can do. Today I will be taught the word of God. I boldly confess my mind is alert. My heart is receptive. I will never be the same. In Jesus' name. God bless you. I want to talk to you today about leaving a legacy of faith. As we celebrate the resurrection of Christ,

one thing we see is how Jesus went before us and paved the way for victory. He was crucified on the cross. They buried him in the grave. But on the third day, he came out of that grave. He said, because I live, you can live also. He won not only so we could win, but so that we could help others to win as well. The life we live, the decisions we make should make it easier on those that come after us.

When we hear the word legacy, a lot of times we think of how we'll be remembered, our accomplishments, and what we'll leave our family. That's all important. But there's also something even more significant. The scripture talks about how we can store up mercy for our children and future generations. We can store up blessings and favor by living a life of excellence and integrity that will affect generations to come. I know I am here today because I had parents that honored God. I had grandparents that prayed for me and modeled a life of excellence. You are where you are because somebody sacrificed, somebody prayed, somebody served, and now God is honoring them by releasing his goodness in your life.

None of us got to where we are on our own. The Apostle Paul said, Timothy, the faith I see in you first dwelt in your grandmother Lois and then your mother Eunice, and now I can see it in you. Paul was saying, Timothy, what I see in you didn't start with you. It started because you had a praying grandmother. That woman honored God with her life. She stored up mercy and it got passed down to your mother. And now I can see it in you.

And the good news is it's not going to stop with you, but it's going to keep going from generation to generation. Well, you say, Joel, not with me. I don't have a godly heritage. My parents, my relatives, they didn't give God the time of day. No, you wouldn't be in church today. You wouldn't be watching right now if somebody somewhere in your family line didn't honor God. It may have been a hundred years ago that you had a cousin, a relative, a great great grandfather. They prayed. They helped

others. It was their faith, their life of excellence that planted the seed. And now God is rewarding them by helping you to live a life of victory. In the scripture, one time Joshua and the people of Israel were in the midst of a great battle. Moses was on a hill holding up the rod of God in the air. And as long as Moses had his hands in the air, Joshua and the people of Israel would win. But when he got tired and put his hands down, the enemy would start winning. Moses realized what was happening. He got a couple men to help him keep his hands in the air.

But what I want you to see is Joshua is down there winning the battle. He doesn't realize the only reason he's winning is because Moses is on the hill holding up his hands. Without Moses doing his part, Joshua and the people of Israel would have been defeated. And it's easy to think, well, I'm successful today, Joel, because I'm smart. I'm blessed because I'm a hard worker, because I'm talented. that's why I have a great life. And yes, that may be true in part, but you didn't get to where you are on your own. You are smart because you have the wisdom of your fathers. It's been passed down to you. You are talented because your mother and grandmother worked hard to develop their gifts. And then they took time to teach you and to build your confidence.

You got that good break, not because you were lucky, not because they just decided to offer you that position, no, somebody in your family line honored God. Somebody that you can't see is holding up their hands. They won so that you could win. My challenge to us today is live your life in such a way to cause others to win. Every right decision you make, you are holding up your hands. You're making it easier on those that come after you. Every time you resist temptation, you are winning for your children. Every time you are kind and respectful, every time you help someone

in need, every time you come to church, serve and give, you are storing up mercy. It may be for your children, your grandchildren, or even 100 years from now, somebody in your family line will experience God's goodness because

of the life that you've lived. It's interesting in the book of Hebrews, it talks about a man by the name of Levi. I don't don't know that I fully understand it, but it says that Levi gave ties and offerings while he was still in his forefathers loins. In other words, before he was born, before he showed up on planet earth, God credited ties and offerings to him because one of his relatives was a giver. What happened? Somebody went before him and stored up favor. When you give,

God is not going to just bless you, but he's going to credit that giving to your children and to future generations. I have a little notebook of my grandfathers that he kept of all of his giving. Granddaddy died when he was 96 quite a few years ago. But for over 50 years, he wrote down every tithe, every offering. You can go back and look in July of 1963, $7 to the Lakewood Building Fund, $10 to Central Baptist church on and on. No wonder I'm blessed today. No wonder I'm seeing God's favor. Somebody

went before me that was a giver. Now God is honoring my grandfather by honoring me. David talked about this in Psalm 89. He called it a covenant of mercy. Just like a bank account,

every one of us has an account in heaven. By the life we live, we can store up blessings. favor, mercy. How do we make deposits into this account? By making choices that honor God. When you come to church, you're storing up mercy. You made a deposit into your heavenly account today. When you forgive a wrong, when you overlook an insult, you're not just helping yourself, but you're making a deposit of mercy. Maybe you struggle with an addiction. The temptation comes, but instead of giving in, you discipline yourself to resist it, you just made another deposit of mercy.

And God said to David, because you've stored up this mercy, because you've done your best to honor me, I will always look favorably toward your children and future generations. And even if they make mistakes, even if they get off track, I will not give them what they deserve. I will show them mercy because of the life that you've lived. That's what God is saying to all of us. Because you're making right choices, God is going to watch after your children,

your grandchildren, your nieces, and your nephews. And even if they get off course, God's going to help them get back on course because of the life that you're living. Now, I don't know about you, but that helps me to sleep better at night. I know that as long as I'm being my best, as long as I'm keeping my mercy account full,

God is promised he'll not only show me mercy, but he'll take it one step further, and he'll always look favorably toward my children and grandchildren. I want you to understand, you're not just coming to church. You're storing up mercy. You're not just being kind to that stranger. You're not just overlooking an insult. You're not just forgiving a wrong. You are making a deposit of mercy. Somebody says, are you still volunteering at the hospital? Aren't you tired of that? Not at all. I'm keeping my mercy account full. You mean you're still going over to Lakewood, getting there early, singing in the choir, ushering, being a greeter, teaching the children? Yes, I am. I'm making deposits of mercy. And I know God promises he will not only show me favor, but he will be good to my children in future generations. When I was growing up, I had a friend that was a pastor's son like me. And for a while, he started going out and partying

doing all these things he knew he shouldn't be doing. He thought we were too stiff and this other group was having more fun so he started hanging out with them. He told me later, Joel, I was so miserable. In front of them, I acted like I was having fun, but deep down, I just couldn't stand it.

I'd come home at night, almost sick to my stomach. I told him it's because you are ruined for doing wrong. Man, your parents have stored up so much mercy God is going to make you miserable to you get back on the right course. Today, he's the pastor of a very successful church.

But this is the way our God is. Even if our children, our grandchildren, get off course, God's going to make sure they're uncomfortable. He's going to give them an unrest that will eventually stir them out of those wrong places. It may not happen overnight, but God will keep working on them

and working on them, all because of the life of excellence that you have lived. This is what happened with David's children. 23 years after David died, his son Solomon, was making very poor choices. He had married these foreign wives and now he was starting to worship their idols. In First Kings, God said to him, Solomon, normally I would take the kingdom away from you. You've done wrong in my sight. However, I will not do it for your father, David's sake. God was saying, Solomon, you deserve judgment. You've done wrong, but I am a loyal God. And your father, David,

even though he lived 23 years ago, he stored up mercy for you. And I'm not going to give you what you deserve. I'm going to show favor on you because of the life your father has lived. There's no telling how many things we've been spared because somebody in our family line made a deposit of mercy. All of a sudden, we get a good break. A problem resolved, and we think, man, I sure was lucky. That could have turned out bad. No, luck didn't have anything to do with it. It was because you had a grandmother that was praying.

Or you had a great, great uncle that you never even met. He honored God. And now God is honoring him by helping you to get out of that trouble. Solomon eventually died. And his son took over the throne, Ria Bowen. This was David's grandson. You would have thought he had learned to do what's right. but he didn't honor God.

He was in the midst of all this turmoil. This was 57 years after David's death. God basically said the same thing to him. Rehoboam, I should send judgment for the wrong that you've done. Nevertheless, for my servant David's sake, I will not do it. Notice how this mercy is being passed from generation to generation, all because one man chose to honor God. You can be that man.

you can be that woman. You can be that young person that will affect generations to come. I can't think of anything I'd rather leave my children more than the blessings and favor of God. Living a life of excellence and integrity is worth more than leaving your children, houses and cars and money. The scripture puts it this way. A godly heritage is better than a heritage of great wealth. Let me challenge you. Keep being your. best each day. You are sowing seeds for future generations. Keep doing the right thing even when it's hard. Keep serving, keep giving, keep loving. You are storing up blessings and favor not only for you, but for generations to come. Think about this. 305 years after David was dead. One of his great, great,

great grandchildren was on the throne. His name was King Hezekiah. A huge army had surrounded Jerusalem, It looked like Hezekiah and the people were doomed. Looked like they didn't have a chance. But all the sudden, the angel of the Lord showed up and in a split second destroyed 180,000 of the enemy troops. Hezekiah's life and city was spared. Not long after that, Hezekiah said, God, what did we do to deserve this favor in such a way?

God said in effect, Hezekiah, there's a man that's been in the grave 305 years. He honored me. He loved me, and I'm a faithful God. And yes, Hezekiah, I love you, but I'm not doing this for your sake. I'm doing it because a man named David established a covenant of mercy, and I will always watch after his seed. That's the promise God makes to us. If we will keep him first, he will make sure that our seed is taken care of. We may not even be around, but I love to think about the fact the decisions I make today can affect my descendants for the good for years and years to come. I want God to be able to say to my relatives that may need help many years from now. I'm not doing this for your sake, but way back in 2010, there was a young

good-looking minister that lived. He did his best to honor me, and because of the life he he lived, I'm going to show you mercy, not for your sake, but for his sake. How that ought to stir us up to make our lives count. The scripture talks about how an iniquity can be passed down for three or four generations. An iniquity is something destructive, addictions, bad habits, sicknesses, low self-esteem, depression, those things can get passed down three or four generations. but it says in Deuteronomy 7.9, God will keep his covenant of mercy

with those that love him for a thousand generations. That means the fact that you're in church today, the fact that you're watching right now, a thousand generations from now, God will not forget about this. You are making a lasting difference. It's one thing to leave your family, material resources, and that's good.

But let me challenge you to leave, to leave them something greater than money, greater than houses, greater than cars, leave them this covenant of mercy, leave them a legacy of faith. When times get tough and you think, oh man, I don't feel like going to church. I don't feel like being good to these people. They're aggravating me. I don't even feel like trying to overcome this addiction. I don't see anything happening.

No, you have to keep reminding yourself, you are storing up mercy. Every time you leave this building, you should say to yourself, I just made another deposit of mercy. My account got a little bit fuller. Every time you get up early to read your Bible and pray, every time you're kind to someone, every time you resist temptation, you're not only making it easier for yourself, but you're making it easier for generations to come. You are affecting your bloodline. And some of you today need some new blood. there are things you're dealing with right now that keep getting passed from generation to generations.

And if you don't draw the line in the sand and say no more, this is a new day, I'm going to break these addictions, I'm not going to live negative, bitter, angry, upset. If you don't put a stop to it, it'll continue to linger in your family line for generations and generations. One time in the Old Testament, God told King Saul to go and totally destroy. the Amalekites. Saul went out and defeated the enemy, but he spared the king, King Agag. He captured him, and when he brought him back, the prophet Samuel saw it. He says, Saul, what in the world have you done? God gave you the power to totally defeat this enemy, but you've spared the king. Fast forward now, hundreds of years later, Esther is in the palace. There's a man by the name of Haman that is trying to

get rid of her and all of her people. The scripture says that Haman was an agite. An agite was a descendant of King Agag. Here's my point. If Saul would have taken care of the enemy, when God gave him the power to do it, Esther wouldn't be having this problem 500 years later. Could it be that there are issues that you're dealing with right now, that if you don't rise up and put a stop to it, someone in your family line, we'll still be struggling with it 500 years from now. God is saying, this is your time. This is your moment. Your destiny is calling out to you.

You can either put up with it, let it conquer you and like Saul, let good enough be good enough, or you can put your foot down and say, no way. The same power that raised Jesus from the dead is on the inside of me, and I am going to totally defeat this enemy. I'm going to conquer this addiction, this anger, this. low self-esteem, this depression, I am not going to let it linger in my family line any longer. Friends, you've got to rise up and fight the good fight of faith. You are anointed, you are equipped, you are empowered.

The forces that are for you are greater than the forces that are against you. My declaration is we are putting a stop to every negative thing in our family line. Every curse is being broken. no sickness, no addictions, no bad habits, no depression, no low self-esteem is going to be past any further. Today, the tide of the battle is turning. I read a story about Al Capone's lawyer. His name was Easy Eddie. Of course, Al Capone was the leader of the mafia in Chicago many, many years ago. Easy Eddie had no integrity. He did whatever he had to to keep Capone out of jail. He was extremely successful and compensated greatly for it. But Easy Eddie had a young son.

Even though with all of his wealth and influence, he could give his boy the houses and cars and the best of everything, there were two things he could not give his young son. And it really bothered him. He could not give him a good name or a good example. He got to where he couldn't live with himself. Although he knew the consequences would be extreme, one day he went to the authorities and he told everything he knew about Capone and he confessed to all the wrong that he had done. He was trying in some way to salvage his reputation and to teach his young boy that integrity and honor and excellence was so important. He ended up having to testify against the mob. And as most people expected within a year, his life ended.

in a hell of gunfire outside his home. Many years later, during World War II, there was a young U.S. airmen flying his fighter plane on a mission in the South Pacific. Not long after takeoff, he realized someone had forgotten to fill his fuel tanks. He couldn't complete the mission. He dropped out a formation, headed back to the mother ship. On the way, he saw a squadron of enemy planes speeding toward his fleet, the one he just left. Without him, his fleet was totally defenseless.

He had no way to contact them. The only thing he could do was to try to distract these planes and keep them from going after his friends. Even though he was outnumbered 10 to 1, he charged toward them darting in and out like a madman. He

dove at their wings and tried to clip their tails, doing everything he could. The whole time he was being hit with bullets. Smoke was everywhere. Looked like he didn't have a chance. At one point, these enemy pilots got so confused and so frustrated, they turned around, gave up, and went back. He spared his fleet all by himself. For this incredible act of bravery, he became the Navy's first pilot to receive the Medal of Honor Award for the highest act of bravery and heroism. A year later, this young man, Butch O'Hare, was killed in aerial combat at the age of 29.

His hometown city would not let his heroics be forgotten. Today, O'Hare Airport in Chicago is named after him. But what makes this story more significant is Butch O'Hare was Easy Eddie's son. He was the young man that Easy Eddie changed his life for. Do you see the difference one person can make in a family line? When one man, when one woman, when one young person rises up and says, you know what, I'm going to live a life that honors God. I'm going to be a person of excellence and integrity.

I'm not going to compromise. I'm not going to take the easy way out. When you make an effort to honor God like that, when you do what you can to make things right, you are starting this covenant of mercy. And God will not only honor you, he will honor your children. This family went from no reputation, no integrity, no respect. One generation later, to incredible respect, honor, and admiration. And some of you today are one generation away from seeing God honor your family like you've never even dreamed of.

It may not be to have your name on something big, but God is going to honor your children with incredible success. with amazing opportunities. God is going to show you an Ephesians 320 decade exceedingly abundantly above and beyond. You may have some things in your past like Easy Eddie that you're not proud

of. But God is not interested in where you've been. He's interested in where you're going. Today can be a new day. You can be the one to set a new standard. You can be the one to fill your account of mercy full. You may

come from what we call these long lines of generational curses. But the good news is there's something else called a generational blessing. And just as sicknesses and addictions can be passed down, how much more can faith, integrity,

favor be passed down? Now I've learned this. The blessing will always override the curse. As we celebrate the resurrection of Christ, one promise we can stand on is that Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law. Let that inspire you to rise higher, to break every bondage, and to become everything God's created you to be. Jesus won the victory. Now let's take the

power, the authority he's given us, and not only win for ourselves, but let's help someone else win. Let's make decisions that honor God and make it easier on those that come after us. After all, I don't want my relatives to serve God in spite of me. I want them to serve God because of me. I want them to be challenged by my faith, inspired by the excellence and integrity that they see. Remember, none of us got to where we are by ourselves. Somebody went before us to make it easier. Somebody held up their hands like Moses did for Joshua.

I'm asking you today to hold up your hands and help somebody. else win. Leave this legacy of faith. If you do this, you are storing up mercy. And God promises he will not only be good to your family line for a thousand generations, but God will be good to you. He'll pour out his blessings in favor. And I believe and declare you will become everything God's created you to be. And you will see in Ephesians 320 decade exceedingly abundantly above and beyond. Amen and amen. Do you receive that today? We never like to close our broadcast without giving you an opportunity to make Jesus the Lord of your life. Would you pray with me? Just say, Lord Jesus, I repent of my sins. Come into my heart. I make you, my Lord and Savior.

Friends, if you prayed that simple prayer, we believe you got born again. Get in a good Bible-based church. Keep God first place. He's going to take your places that you've never dreamed of. Our negative thinking can short-circuit God's power and blessing in our lives. When you say, I always seem to worry. I can't forgive what was done to me. I pray, but it feels like God doesn't hear. I won't have enough to provide for me and my family. How do you overcome this type of negative thinking that limits you from God's best?

Our thinking sets the limits for our life. Every morning you have to power up your mind, get it going in the right, direction by dwelling on what God says about you. When you think thoughts of faith, hope, and victory, you'll tap into blessing and favor that belongs to you. I'd love to send you my newest book. It's called Power Up. I'll show you how to delete negative thoughts and focus on the promises rather than the problems. You can discover God's unprecedented power in your life. As our way of saying thank you for your gift of any amount to the ministry this month, Joel and Victoria would like to send you this life-altering resource. Power up, a 21-day action plan to transformative thinking.

God wants to power up every area of your life. Your relationships, career, finances, health. He wants to bless it all. But sometimes negative thinking can short-circuit the truth. This resource reconnects those power lines, providing the free flow of God's eternal promises. Remember, wherever you're at, whatever you're facing, you can make the choice to power up and access God's promises. When your mind is going in the right direction, your life will go in the right direction. Start powering up each day and watch what God will do. Victoria and I want you to know that we pray for you and your family.

We appreciate your prayer and support. Your generosity is impacting so many lives. Remember, you can watch the services live online every Sunday morning. Download our daily podcast, watch our YouTube channel. Listen on Sirius XM, but until we meet again, may the Lord bless you and keep you. Be sure to request your copy of Power Up, a 21-day action plan to transformative thinking. Today, visit Joel Osteen.com or call us toll-free.