33 Years -- Eternal Impact

INTRO: The dictionary defines Impact as: “To drive close, fix firmly, pack, wedge.” History has had men who have made an impact upon the world. Hitler made an impact as an insane politician. Lincoln made an impact as a great statesman. He was the first president to be assassinated. Clinton, more recently, made an impact as a president without any moral values or standards.

None of these impacts by these men are lasting. They will soon be forgotten. Only one man has made a lasting impact on our world. He only lived for 33 years, yet He has left an eternal impact.

I. FROM THE BEGINNING OF TIME, THE ETERNAL IMPACT HAS BEEN FELT.

A. Beginning with Adam and Eve.

1. Sin in the garden.

2. Need for a plan of redemption from sin. Since God is great enough to create man, he could give us the plan.

B. The prophets preached, proclaiming the coming of an Eternal King (Isaiah 53:2; 5:7; Jeremiah 33:15-18; Acts 13:26-27).

C. Men have always had the same plan of salvation (Psalms 51:16-17; Hebrews 11).

1. Before Christ-belief in His coming (Amos 5:21-25).

2. After His coming-faith in Him and the Cross (2 Corinthians 5:17-21). Reconciliation supposes a breach of friendship — Sin made the breach, Christ is the mediator.

D. Christ’s life was short but He left an impact for eternity.

1. At age 12 — teaching in the temple.

2. Temptation of Christ — Christ without sin.

a. Temptation of turning stone to bread — “It is written, man shall not live...”

b. Bow down to Satan — “Get thee behind me Satan.” “For it is written, thou shalt worship the Lord God...”

c. Son of God, cast thyself down — “Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.”

3. Cast out demons at Capernaum.

4. Jesus went about teaching and healing.

II. WHAT ABOUT THE IMPACT OF CHRIST ON OUR WORLD TODAY?

A. Where does the world stand today?

1. 1998, statistics show that 80% of the people in the United States believe in God.

Greece 85%

Austria 75%

Great Britain 62%

Sweden 50%

2. On the belief in life after death — 58% of people in US believe in 1998, 65% believe in 1988, 73% believe in 1968, 68% believe in 1948. This was a 5% increase from 1948 to 1968 but a 6% decrease from 1968 to 1988, and a 8% decrease from 1988 to 1998.

3. While 58% believe in the After Life, 80% of people in US don’t believe in Hell (Barna Research Group, 1997).

a. Hell is real — the Bible speaks of Hell (Matthew 25:41-44; Revelation 21:8).

b. Rich man in Hell looked up into Heaven and asked God to let Abraham send Lazarus to dip his finger in water and cool his tongue.

B. Why are College youth rebelling today? They are searching for something. What impact has Christ left on their life?

1. They explain their actions of rebellion by saying they are searching for peace and the good life.

2. If you talk to one of them who has found Christ as his personal Savior, he will tell you he found that peace and joy in Christ.

C. People today seem to be daring God to chastise them.

III. ETERNAL IMPACT FOR THE FUTURE.

A. The only way for salvation of the world is God.

1. The condition of the world today (Jude 7).

2. First, before the world can be changed, man himself must be changed. It doesn’t help to put on clean clothes if you yourself don’t take a bath.

B. What does salvation mean to the individual?

1. If you have it — Eternal security with God.

2. If you don’t — eternal separation from God.

IV. ETERNAL IMPACT ON YOUR LIFE.

A. What impact has Christ made on your life?

1. Are you seeking His will, or are you rejecting Him?

2. Christ makes an impact on each life. You must decide today — right now — what this impact will be.

B. What will your decision, concerning Christ, be today?