“Legacy to The Next Generation: The Fifth Gospel”
SERMON Title: Legacy to The Next Generation: The Fifth Gospel
SCRIPTURE: 1 Timothy 3:1-13 ESV
Introduction: Why is Legacy Important to Us?
Pastor John recently spoke on the legacy we pass down as believers. Today, we continue by asking: Why do we care about legacy? Whether for meaning, purpose, or impact, the desire to leave something behind is deeply human—perhaps even divine. We want to believe our lives mattered, to make the world better, and to respond to the brevity of life, “like chaff in the wind.”
Philosophers have weighed in: some say legacy defines our identity—“I do, therefore I am.” Others, like Aristotle, linked it to virtue and human flourishing. Postmodern thought, however, often sees legacy as self-serving nostalgia. But above all, Scripture shows us that legacy matters to God.
Genesis 1:27–28 reveals that God created us in His image and gave us a legacy of dominion and multiplication. The relational nature of our Triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit—shows us that passing down life and truth is a reflection of God’s own being. It is good to leave a legacy because within it we find God’s will and purpose.
For those of us who bear the name of Jesus Christ, passing down a legacy means becoming what I call the “Fifth Gospel.” Now, let me be clear—I don’t mean some secret or hidden gospel, like the so-called gospels of Judas, Barnabas, Thomas, or Mary Magdalene. Those were false writings that claimed apostolic authority but were not true Scripture.
Instead, when I say “Fifth Gospel,” I mean you. You who confess Christ, you who claim citizenship in God’s Kingdom—you are the living testimony that others read and see. Just as the first disciples wrote down what they saw and heard of Jesus, we are now witnesses to the power and truth of the gospel through our own lives.
Our legacy isn’t limited to what we say. As Saint Francis of Assisi said, “Preach the gospel at all times; if necessary, use words.” Words matter, but the gospel is more than words—it is power, action, and transformation.
This is often the harder part: living in such a way that our character and actions reflect Christ’s love, truth, and grace. While teaching and proclaiming the gospel are crucial, the world also watches us carefully. They watch our marriages, our business practices, our responses to conflict, our generosity, our integrity, and our compassion.
For those of us who bear the name of Jesus Christ, passing down a legacy means becoming what I call the “Fifth Gospel.” Now, let me be clear—I don’t mean some secret or hidden gospel, like the so-called gospels of Judas, Barnabas, Thomas, or Mary Magdalene. Those were false writings that claimed apostolic authority but were not true Scripture.
Instead, when I say “Fifth Gospel,” I mean you. You who confess Christ, you who claim citizenship in God’s Kingdom—you are the living testimony that others read and see. Just as the first disciples wrote down what they saw and heard of Jesus, we are now witnesses to the power and truth of the gospel through our own lives.
Our legacy isn’t limited to what we say. As Saint Francis of Assisi said, “Preach the gospel at all times; if necessary, use words.” Words matter, but the gospel is more than words—it is power, action, and transformation.
This is often the harder part: living in such a way that our character and actions reflect Christ’s love, truth, and grace. While teaching and proclaiming the gospel are crucial, the world also watches us carefully. They watch our marriages, our business practices, our responses to conflict, our generosity, our integrity, and our compassion.
And the question they will inevitably ask—the question that measures our witness—is this: “If what God says in the Bible is true, is it true in you?”
And the question they will inevitably ask—the question that measures our witness—is this: “If what God says in the Bible is true, is it true in you?”
While pastors, elders, and deacons must be held to this standard, it isn’t only for leaders—God calls all His people to this.
Above reproach (v.2): God calls us to live lives of integrity—blameless before others, in private, and before God. Just as Jesus was falsely accused but found innocent of any wrongdoing, so our lives should reflect honesty and truthfulness that stands up under scrutiny.
Faithful in marriage (v.2): This is about commitment and loyalty in relationships. Even if unmarried, we are called to show faithfulness and purity, resisting cultural pressures that redefine love on selfish terms. God’s design for love is covenantal, rooted in commitment and sacrifice.
Self-controlled, sober-minded, respectable (v.2): These qualities show the Spirit’s work in our lives. Ephesians 5:18 says, “And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit.” Our actions and words—whether influenced by anger, substances, or passions—should show maturity, restraint, and dignity.
Hospitable (v.2): Hospitality is tangible love. Jesus said in John 13:35, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” Through hospitality—serving others, welcoming strangers—we show the gospel in action.
Able to teach (v.2): Teaching is not just about conveying facts but sharing your passion for God’s Word and passing on truth. The next generation is always learning, and if we don’t teach them the ways of Christ, the world will teach them something else.
Not violent or quarrelsome but gentle (v.3): Jesus showed gentleness, even when surrounded by sin and hostility. He chose grace and mercy over conflict, demonstrating the gospel by winning hearts rather than arguments.
Not a lover of money (v.3): Money can be a tool but must not be the object of our affection. Matthew 6:24 reminds us we cannot serve both God and money—our hearts have room for only one true master.
Manages household well: Faith should be lived consistently at home and in public. Joshua declared in Joshua 24:15, “But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” A godly legacy begins with our families.
Well thought of by outsiders (v.7): Gandhi once said he admired Christ but struggled with Christians. Our lives should reflect the goodness of God so that even those outside the church can see and say, “God is good because I see how you live.”
Legacy as a Living Witness
Your legacy as the fifth gospel is about living a life that points people to Christ, not merely through words but through your example, actions, and character. It is about becoming the evidence of God’s love and truth in a world longing for something real.
You may be the first or only gospel someone encounters:
Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 3:3, “And you show that you are a letter from Christ delivered by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.”
Many people never read the Bible or set foot in church, but they encounter you. Through your kindness, patience, compassion, and integrity, they glimpse the character of Christ. Your everyday choices — how you handle conflict, how you extend grace, how you serve others — may be the only gospel message someone sees.
Your life teaches the next generation how to follow Jesus:
Paul tells Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:14, “But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it.”
Timothy learned the faith not just through instruction, but by watching Paul’s life. Likewise, your legacy is not simply in what you say, but in what you embody. When you forgive those who hurt you, when you stay humble in success, when you hold on to hope in suffering — you show the next generation that faith is real, strong, and worth holding onto.
The world needs a genuine witness now more than ever:
Many people have been disappointed by hypocrisy in the church. They’ve seen believers speak of love but live in bitterness, talk about grace but show judgment. The next generation is watching — they long to see authenticity.
Will they see forgiveness when you’ve been wronged? Will they see joy even in hardship? Will they see generosity with your time and resources? Will they see a steady trust in God that is not shaken by the ups and downs of life?
When they see you, will they see a reason to believe that the God you follow is worth following too?
Brothers and sisters, being the fifth gospel means your life is a living testimony that points to Jesus. Like Paul said in 1 Corinthians 11:1, “Imitate me as I imitate Christ.” The legacy you leave is not built in one day, but day by day, choice by choice, as you walk faithfully with the Lord and let His Spirit transform you.
May you be a gospel that the world reads and finds hope in. May your life reflect the grace, truth, and love of Christ so that the next generation might say, “I want to follow the God they follow.”
Brothers and sisters, you are the first page of the gospel that many in the next generation, whether by age or spiritual maturity, will read before they ever open a Bible. Your life speaks loudly. As citizens of the kingdom of Heaven, God has entrusted us with the sacred responsibility of passing on a legacy so that Christ will be known to those who come after us. This isn’t just about programs or formal teaching—it’s about who you are every day, in big moments and small, in how you treat others, how you love, how you forgive, and how you live out the truth of the gospel in both word and deed.
Paul says in 1 Corinthians 11:1, “Imitate me as I imitate Christ.” He was inviting others to follow his example because he himself was following Jesus. This isn’t about surface-level copying or mimicking religious behavior. It’s about making the life of Christ your own, letting His Spirit so transform you that your life becomes a faithful testimony of God’s grace and truth.
One of the most powerful ways to build your legacy as the fifth gospel is to serve, just as Christ served. Jesus laid aside His own glory and rights to wash feet, heal the broken, feed the hungry, and ultimately lay down His life for us. Service is not glamorous or easy, but it is central to following Christ.
Perhaps you’ve felt content to simply receive from the church without stepping into deeper commitment. Perhaps you’ve wrestled with feelings of inadequacy, fear, or unworthiness. Maybe you think you need to get your life perfectly together first, or you compare yourself to others who seem to do it all so well. Maybe there is sin or failure in your past that makes you feel disqualified.
Yet, here is the good news: none of us measure up to God’s perfect standard on our own. Every single one of us would fall short if we relied on our own strength or merit. That’s the very heart of the gospel—Jesus paid the price for us. He took our place, bore our guilt, and gives us new life. He calls us to serve, not because we are already worthy, but because through Him, God makes us worthy.
So brothers and sisters, do not look inward at your own limitations, and do not fear what you might lose. For what you give up for Christ, you will gain abundantly in Him. God is calling you to step forward in faith, to trust Him with your life, to allow Him to work through you so that His message will be written clearly on your heart for others to see and read.
If you sense a desire to serve, respond to that stirring—it is God’s Spirit at work within you. If you long to be the fifth gospel, the living witness of His truth, then God will provide the strength and grace you need. Trust Him. Step forward. Live in a way that the next generation will see your faith and want to know the God you follow. In this way, your legacy will not just be words on a page but a living gospel that proclaims Christ to a world desperate for hope. Seek Him and you will be part of His legacy!
Conclusion
The legacy that the writers of the Gospel left for us are not just the pages of the Bible, but it was their very life itself where they were all willing to die for the gospel and they did die for the gospel and their life demonstrated that the word of God was true in them. May you step forward, so that it may now be true in you. God calls you to leave a legacy that is not about simply doing what is written in a book, but living out the gospel that is written in your heart.