Your Heritage Need Not Be Your Legacy Stephen

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Your Heritage Need Not Be Your Legacy Stephen Mansfield Many feel trapped by family dysfunction that is in the heritage in the family. This is something dark that appears to be intent on destroying peoples’ lives. The family ought to be a source of blessing, yet the enemy wants to make this institution a damaging influence. We are told that the traditional family doesn’t work. While all this seems to be reality on our day, the Bible tells us something very different. Your heritage is what you’ve received; your legacy is what proceeds forward from you. The power of God can change a poor heritage into a legacy that is righteous. We need not have a resignation to the inevitable regarding our future and what family can be. 1. You need to declare yourself to be what you are in contrast to you family. Now do you stand or separate? a. The notion that “my family is “whacked” and I’m going to separate from them” is not a right attitude b. God doesn’t want you to deny or no longer care from you family. As believers, we don’t just walk away. We have to stay engaged. c. We must not deny or leave our tribe; we need to stand in the gap. We need to stand in a posture toward my family that works to see God move on their behalf. d. Some have “pulled away” in your heart from your family and taken a posture of judgment. This is not right. e. “I searched for someone to stand in the gap that I might heal their land.” 2. Make peace – “End the strife” – 2TIM 2:24 – “Be at peace with all men as far as it pertains to you.” a. You don’t want to stand in the way of God so as to prevent Him from working in your family’s life. b. While we can’t change people or take responsibility for our family, but we can take a position in our hearts that is in opposition to God’s work for people. c. We need to forgive and move away. We are not to “strive” with others. 3. Live the Heroic Principle – “the Rudy principle” IS 3 a. The hero in the OT is the one who has broken thru a barrier so as to help others attain another level of attainment

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b. This is the picture of Rudy – who broke thru and made a way for the family that followed. c. He broke thru and made it possible. Do not be angry at your family but aspire to something more. d. Challenge yourself and walk in freedom yourself so as to break thru and set an example for your family. e. If we look at failure in our family, “break thru” and demonstrate what it means to have a life different than others. f. Before you demand something more in others in your family, break thru yourself. Change the culture of your family. Repent for your people – “Strategic Repentance” – DAN 9:2 a. You may need to stand for your people and repent for you people. b. Whatever people your among, you are to identify with your people in prayer and in repentance. c. If we stand with our people ethnically, can we not stand with our people who are our family. d. We need to identify what the sins are that we need to repent on behalf of that we might no longer judge these people, but to “take back the land.” e. Whatever can dominate a family can be repented of on behalf of others in your biological family. f. God wants to raise up people in your family to bring break thru. He wants to give a legacy. Overcome evil with good – “Opposite spirit” – ROM 12:21 a. What ever characterizes your family, walk in the opposite spirit. Get help – “Have the wisdom of a demon” – LK 11:24-26 a. Reach out to others in your family and join with them to bring change in your family. b. To break the spirit in your family, get the help of others to stand with you c. Even demons go get others to invade territory d. Get the gifts of others who can stand with you Find the gems in your family line -- The Redemptive Thread – ACTS 17:22 a. Find the thread of good things in the family and draw upon that. b. Grow out from that “gem” of truth and build a legacy that others can draw from. c. Take a great truth, the one positive thing that can be taken from a life, and build a legacy that can be built on and pass it along.