Redefining Inheritance by Apostle Joshua Selman: MP3 Download & Sermon Notes

THE FIVE GIFTS EVERY FATHER MUST TRANSFER

Proverbs 13:22 - A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children

Luke 15:11-32 - The Parable of the Prodigal Son

Ephesians 6:1-3 - Honor your father and mother, that it may be well with you

Every father desires to leave something of value for the generations that follow. Across the globe, when an elderly person—especially one who has been blessed in their lifetime—passes away, the familiar pattern unfolds: a period of mourning, followed by the inevitable question of inheritance. What did they leave behind? What will the children receive?

But here is a troubling reality: in many cases, what previous generations called "inheritance" has become the source of family conflict, division, and even violence. Children sit and wish for—sometimes even hasten—the death of their parents, hoping to access what they believe is their inheritance. Estates that took a lifetime to build crumble within a year. Businesses that flourished for decades die the moment the founder transitions.

Why does this happen? Because most people have fundamentally misunderstood what inheritance truly is.

THE PARABLE THAT REDEFINES EVERYTHING

In Luke 15, Jesus tells the story of a father with two sons:

• The Younger Son's Request: He approached his father saying, "Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me." The father agreed and divided his living between them. Notice carefully—the father gave the young man something physical, something tangible that could be gathered and carried away.
• What Happened Next: "Not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, took his journey to a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living. And when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want."
• The Critical Observation: Pay attention to a phrase that appears here but is never used about the father: "spent all." The father, who owned the wealth and the estate, never "spent all." But the son, who received physical inheritance, spent it all. This reveals a critical truth: inheritance is more than physical things, because the son had physical things but lacked something else.

When the son returned home broken and repentant, a feast was prepared in his honor. The elder brother became angry and refused to join. When the father came out to plead with him, the elder brother complained: "All these years I've served you, and you never even gave me a young goat to celebrate with my friends. But when this son of yours who devoured your wealth with prostitutes came back, you killed the fattened calf for him!"

The father's response holds the key to understanding true inheritance: "Son, you are always with me, and all that I have is yours."

All that I have. Not all that I gave him. The younger son received gifts—physical, tangible things. But the elder son had access to "all that I have." There was something more in the father—something beyond the physical estate—that constituted the true inheritance.

WHAT IS INHERITANCE?

• To inherit means to receive by succession or by will as an heir—one who is legally entitled.
• An inheritance is the acquisition of a possession (whether property, condition, or trait) from past generations, especially from parents to offspring.
• God's Standard: When God speaks of a "good man," one of the measurements He uses is whether that person leaves an inheritance—not just to his children, but to his children's children. The minimum point of focus for succession is two generations ahead.
• The Complete Picture: According to Scripture, there are five things that qualify as inheritance. If you receive only four out of five, you have not truly received the inheritance. All five must be transferred for succession to happen, for continuity to be established, for a family line or a vision to perpetuate beyond one generation.

INHERITANCE #1: YOUR CONVICTIONS

The first and most important inheritance is not physical—it is mental and spiritual. You must transfer your convictions: the summation of your philosophies, your beliefs, your mindset.

• God's Trust in Abraham (Genesis 18:19): "For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment, that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which He has spoken of him."

  • God trusted Abraham not just because Abraham was faithful, but because Abraham would transfer that faithfulness to the next generation.
  • Whatever God told Abraham would be preserved because Abraham would pass it on.

• The Command in Deuteronomy 6: God commanded His people to teach His statutes and commandments diligently to their children:

  • When sitting in the house
  • When walking by the way
  • When lying down
  • When rising up
  • And when their children asked, "What do these testimonies and statutes mean?" they were to tell the story: "We were Pharaoh's slaves in Egypt, and the Lord brought us out by a mighty hand."

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• What to Transfer:

  • Your story
  • What you've learned
  • What you believe about God
  • What you believe about life, success and failure
  • What you believe about excellence and mediocrity

• The Andrew Carnegie Example: He recognized that many wealthy and successful people were taking their wisdom to the grave while average people remained spectators. So Carnegie commissioned Napoleon Hill to interview the greatest minds of that era and distill their philosophies into principles. The result, after six years of research, was "Think and Grow Rich"—an attempt to preserve convictions for future generations.
• The Core Principle: You never reproduce a person's results until you reproduce their philosophies and belief systems. This is why the Bible says, "Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus." If you want to become like Jesus in experience, you must adopt His convictions, His philosophies, His mindset.
• Your Environment Reflects Your Thinking: Your physical environment is a reflection of the quality of your thinking. If something is wrong in your life, examine your beliefs:

  • What do you believe about God?
  • About failure?
  • About success?
  • About wealth and poverty?
  • About challenges and victory?

  These convictions frame your mindset and inevitably translate to the results you produce.

• Warning About Generational Mindsets: The same mindset that transfers excellence also transfers mediocrity. Many so-called "generational curses" are actually generational mindsets being passed down. The spirit may be involved, but it ensures that the mindset that makes it comfortable also gets transferred. True deliverance is not just casting out a spirit—it requires the renewal of your mind.
• Action Step: If you are a father, a leader, a mentor—do not go to your grave without capturing and preserving your philosophies and beliefs. Give them to your children as a gift. Make sure your convictions produce the right results, because you don't want to transfer a mindset that reproduces your failures.

INHERITANCE #2: YOUR NAME

The second inheritance you must transfer is your name—not the spelling of it, but the power accumulated in it over many years.

• What Your Name Represents:

  • Your credibility
  • Your track record
  • Your impact
  • Your value and contribution

• God's Promise to Abraham (Genesis 12:2): "I will make your name great." Notice the difference: when you are great, you are great for yourself. But when you have a great name, other generations can use it as leverage.
• Modern Examples: Today we buy products not because of the products themselves, but because of the names attached to them. Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Versace—these are the names of people who transferred their reputation through their work.
• Your Name as Key or Padlock: At the end of your life, your name will either be a key or a padlock. There is no neutral ground. Your name will either open doors for those who come after you, or it will lock destinies and multiply hardship.
• The Power Jesus Gave: Even Jesus gave us His name: "In My name, cast out demons. In My name, heal the sick. Whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you." It's not only the name of Jesus that is powerful—the name of any person carries the investment of their track record and credibility.
• The Reality: There are names in every nation that, when mentioned, immediately open doors—even if there's no official vacancy. Why? Because that name carries decades of integrity, faithfulness, and excellence. Conversely, there are names that, when mentioned, cause doors to slam shut because of the pain and trouble associated with them.
• Biblical Wisdom on Names:

  • Proverbs 22:1 - "A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches." Why? Because a good name can buy riches, but riches cannot buy a good name.
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  • Ecclesiastes 7:1 - "A good name is better than precious ointment."

• Daily Investment: Every day of your life, you are making deposits into your name—either adding favor or adding pain. By the time you are 30, 40, 50, or 60, the investment you've made in your name is like a bank account. Some accounts have very little. Others have millions. And some own the bank.
• Action Step: Guard your name. Build it with integrity. Don't sell it cheap. Your children will need it after you're gone.

INHERITANCE #3: YOUR RELATIONSHIPS

The third inheritance is your relationships—the network of connections, mentors, sponsors, and strategic alliances you've built over your lifetime.

• The Power of Access: Success in life is not just about what you know or what you have—it's also about who you know and who knows you. Your relationships represent doors that would otherwise remain closed to the next generation.
• Biblical Example - David and Jonathan: When David became king, he asked, "Is there anyone left of the house of Saul to whom I may show kindness for Jonathan's sake?" He found Mephibosheth, Jonathan's son, and restored to him all the land of Saul and gave him a permanent place at the king's table. Why? Because of the covenant relationship between David and Jonathan. Mephibosheth inherited his father's relationship.
• Strategic Introductions: One of the greatest gifts a father can give is to introduce his children to key people in his network:

  • Business leaders who can open doors
  • Mentors who can provide wisdom
  • Partners who can accelerate progress
  • Influencers who can create opportunities

• The Danger of Isolation: Many successful people take their relationships to the grave. They never formally introduce their children, never pass on the connections that took decades to build. As a result, the next generation starts from zero, struggling to access the very people their parents knew personally.
• More Than Business Cards: Transferring relationships isn't just about exchanging contact information. It's about:

  • Vouching for your children's character
  • Recommending them based on your credibility
  • Opening doors that your name can unlock
  • Creating pathways through your established trust

• Action Step: Before you transition, deliberately and strategically introduce your children to the people who matter in your world. Give them access to your network. Let your relationships become their inheritance.

INHERITANCE #4: YOUR PHYSICAL ASSETS

The fourth inheritance is your physical assets—money, property, businesses, and tangible resources.

• The Commonly Understood Inheritance: This is what most people think of when they hear the word "inheritance"—the physical, material things left behind:

  • Real estate and property
  • Bank accounts and investments
  • Businesses and companies
  • Vehicles and possessions
  • Intellectual property and patents

• Why It's Fourth, Not First: Physical assets are important, but notice they come fourth on this list—not first. Without the first three inheritances (convictions, name, and relationships), physical assets often become a curse rather than a blessing. History is filled with stories of:

  • Lottery winners who go bankrupt within years
  • Inherited businesses that collapse within months

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  • Family wealth that destroys relationships
  • Trust funds that produce entitled, unproductive heirs

• The Prodigal Son Principle: Remember: the prodigal son received physical inheritance but lacked the wisdom to manage it. He "spent all" because he never received his father's convictions, never valued his father's name, and abandoned his father's relationships. Physical assets without the other inheritances lead to destruction.
• Biblical Instruction on Physical Assets:

  • Proverbs 13:22 - "A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children, but the wealth of the sinner is stored up for the righteous."
  • Proverbs 20:21 - "An inheritance gained hastily at the beginning will not be blessed at the end."
  • Luke 12:15 - "One's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses."

• The Right Order: Physical assets become powerful when they come after:

  1. The convictions to manage them wisely
  2. The name to multiply them honorably
  3. The relationships to leverage them strategically

• Action Step: Yes, plan your estate. Put your affairs in order. But don't stop there. Make sure your children have received the first three inheritances before—or alongside—the physical assets. Otherwise, you're setting them up for failure.

INHERITANCE #5: YOUR MANTLE AND ANOINTING

This is the master inheritance—the one most overlooked and yet most powerful.

• The Spiritual Dimension: Beyond anything physical that makes a person great, there are spiritual qualities that men and women carry that distinguish them in life and destiny. Every person who is genuinely successful has a spiritual factor responsible for what you see manifested. There is no one who lasts in relevance and makes constructive impact using only the resources of this physical realm.
• Abraham's Eight Sons (Genesis 25): Abraham had eight children total:

  • Six from Keturah (after Sarah died)
  • One from Sarah (Isaac)
  • One from Hagar (Ishmael)

  But look at what happened: "Abraham gave all that he had to Isaac. But to the sons of the concubines which Abraham had, Abraham gave gifts, and sent them away from Isaac his son while he yet lived." He gave the others gifts. He gave Isaac everything.

• What Isaac Received: After Abraham died, the Bible says in Genesis 25:11: "And it came to pass, after the death of Abraham, that God blessed his son Isaac." What about the rest? What did Isaac receive that the others didn't?
• Isaac's Prosperity (Genesis 26): Isaac sowed in the land and reaped in the same year a hundredfold, "and the Lord blessed him. The man began to prosper, and continued prospering until he became very prosperous." He had:

  • Flocks of herds
  • Possessions of great wealth
  • A great number of servants

  The Philistines envied him and stopped up the wells his father's servants had dug. Then Abimelech said to Isaac: "Go away from us, for you are much mightier than we."

• The Mystery: There was something Isaac received that made him mighty—even when his hands were still empty, even when his bank account was still zero. Destiny began to rejoice: "You got something more than money, more than relationships, more than just a name." This is the mystery behind why sons often cannot reproduce what was on their fathers. They look for physical things but never learn to carry the one factor that made the difference.
• Jacob and Esau (Genesis 27): Isaac, now old and blind, called his eldest son Esau to prepare food so he could bless him before he died. But Rebecca overheard and helped Jacob deceive his father to receive the blessing meant for Esau.

  • When Esau returned and realized what had happened, he cried with "an exceedingly great and bitter cry" and said, "Bless me—me also, O my father!"
  • But Isaac said, "Your brother came with deceit and has taken away your blessing."
  • Esau's response: "Is he not rightly named Jacob? For he has supplanted me these two times: he took away my birthright, and now he has taken away my blessing!"

• The Irreversible Transfer: This was not just words being spoken. Something transferred from Isaac to Jacob in that moment—something spiritual, something powerful, something that could not be taken back. Isaac trembled when he realized what he'd done, and said of Jacob: "I have blessed him—and yes, he shall be blessed." That blessing couldn't be retrieved because it wasn't physical—it was a mantle, an anointing, a spiritual inheritance.

TWO KEYS FOR RECEIVING FROM FATHERS

If you want to receive true inheritance from fathers—whether spiritual, physical, financial, or political—there are two essential keys:

1. Honor

   • Malachi 1:6: "A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If then I am the Father, where is My honor?"
   • What Honor Is: Honor is not just outward show—it is genuine, heartfelt recognition of the value of those who have gone before you. The prodigal son's father asked for honor demonstrated through effort: "Take your weapons and go hunt game for me to eat." He had flocks at home, but he wanted what came from his son's effort—because that blessing from his spirit would only be released to honor demonstrated through sacrifice.
   • The Cost of Dishonor: There are many young people today carrying curses from their parents—not because of demons, but because they have spent their lives causing pain to those who gave them life. This generation has institutionalized dishonor. We see it as a sign of sophistication to disrespect elders, to criticize everyone, to mock authority.
   • Noah's Example: Noah's sons saw their father's nakedness. One mocked him and called his brothers to laugh. The others moved backward and covered him. When Noah awoke, he blessed some and cursed others.
   • Heart Over Posture: You can kneel down physically and still be standing up in your heart. It's not the posture—it's the genuine heart attitude of honor that opens the door for impartation.

2. Service and Support

   • Jacob and Laban (Genesis 30:26-30): Jacob spoke to Laban: "Give me my wives and children, for whom I have served you, and let me go; for you know my service which I have done for you." Laban responded: "Please stay, if I have found favor in your eyes, for I have learned by experience that the Lord has blessed me for your sake."
   • The Climate You Carry: When you carry certain mantles, people will give you opportunities not because of your physical effort alone, but because they've noticed that wherever you go, things change. The spiritual climate you carry defines possibilities.
   • Connection, Not Casualness: Inheritance is not for casual supporters or well-wishers. Inheritance is for those who are genuinely connected by blood, by covenant, or by revelation. You must be committed, not just interested.

CONCLUSION: WHAT WILL YOU LEAVE?

A good man leaves an inheritance to his children's children. But that inheritance must include all five elements:

1. Your convictions—what you believe and why
2. Your name—the credibility and track record you've built
3. Your relationships—the strategic connections that open doors
4. Your physical assets—the tangible resources that provide leverage
5. Your mantle and anointing—the spiritual grace that makes the difference

If you only transfer physical things, you will produce a generation like the prodigal son—people who spend it all and end up in shame. But if you transfer all five, you create true succession, genuine continuity, and lasting impact that extends beyond your lifetime.

The next time your child comes asking for their inheritance, don't point them to your garage or your bank account. Sit them down with a clean sheet of paper and transfer your inheritance:

• Tell them your story
• Share your beliefs
• Open your relationships to them
• Give them access to your resources
• And most importantly, speak blessing over their lives—transfer the mantle that made you who you are

This is how generations are built. This is how impact continues. This is how a good man truly leaves an inheritance to his children's children.