Sermon Central
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Leaving An Impression
Contributed by Lloyd Grubbs on Sep 10, 2008 (message contributor)
Summary: Every Christian is leaving their mark on society. Even after were gone our lives will still be making an impact.
She thought she had gotten away with it.
Francisca Rojas of Buenos Aires, Argentina, had murdered two of her own sons.
In an attempt to deflect the blame, she had cut her own throat as well, then blamed the attack on a nearby ranch worker named Velasquez.
Though the poor man proclaimed his innocence, he was arrested.
An Argentine police official named Juan Vucetich, however, had been experimenting with a new-fangled system of criminal identity-fingerprints.
It was 1891, and fingerprints had never been used in a criminal trial.
Revisiting the scene of the attack, Vucetich studied the bloody handprint on the doorframe of Francisca’s house.
It matched the prints of Francisca’s own fingers.
As a result, Francisca became the first person in history to be convicted of a crime based on fingerprint identification.
Today the FBI’s Integrated Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IAFIS) electronically stores millions of known fingerprints.
In this world of six billion people, every person leaves his own unique mark.
There’s also another way we leave our mark.
Every one of us leaves our fingerprints on the lives of other people, especially on our children.
We don’t stay on earth forever; but after we’re gone, our imprint remains.
One example is of John Geddie, Canadian missionary to the New Hebrides. He found a wild tribe of cannibals.
Violence, theft, and warfare were common.
After he died, a commemorative tablet in his island church read: "In memory of John Geddie. . . . When he landed in 1848, there were no Christians here, and when he left in 1872, there were no heathen."
You and I may not be responsible for converting an entire island, but the world will be different for our having lived a faithful life.
Everyday we leave an impression:
One day a person was leaving an parking lot.
As they were backing out. They scraped the car next to them
They jumped from their car to see the damage.
Realizing that there were people watch near by,
This person returned to their car …took out a piece of paper & wrote these words
(a number of people think I am leaving you a note with my name & address on it …I am not)
Then they carefully folded the note…placed it under the windshield & left…
Impression
That word means to stamp or form, or figure by impressing…imprint…
Another meaning is a character trait or feature resulting from the influence of another
We have learned …what we see, may not always be what is true.
You cannot judge a book by its cover.
Looks are deceiving.
So the question tonight is…what kind of impression are we leaving
In the hearts & minds of those we come into contact with.
Whether we realize it or not. We are impacting peoples lives…we are leaving an impression
Negative or positive
Carnal Or spiritual
Worldly or Godly
One might say… well I don’t care what people think about me…
WE HAD BETTER CARE
Because as children of God we not only represent this church, but we represent the kingdom of God…we also represent the one who shed his blood for us on Calvary.
WE BETTER CARE
Paul said
1 Tim 4:12
12 Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.
KJV
It was Paul who wrote to the Christians at Corinth & challenged them saying…
1 Cor 4:16 Wherefore I beseech you, be ye followers of me.
KJV
Then in
1 Cor 11:1
11 Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.
KJV
Through out the writing of Paul we read over & over again…Paul urging others to follow after Him, his teaching, His example an a Christian
What was it Jesus said in
14 Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.
15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house.
16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.
KJV
But notice with me
12 Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.
KJV
I ask you was Jesus contradicting himself?
Is the Word contradicting itself?
Jesus says You are the light of the world…..But then he says I am the light of the world
How can we be the light, if He is the light…simple
John called him in John 1 THE TRUE LIGHT
There is only one light…That is Jesus!
