What kind of week have you had?
Did every day go as planned?
Were there good days and not so good days or bad days and worse days?
What happened to you this week that you could have easily done without?
What happened to you this week that you wish could happen every day?
Did anything that happened to you make a real difference in your life?
Did you make a difference in someone else’s life?
This month as part of our fresh fire programme We are considering the Holy Spirit in the Book of Acts.
Last week I asked you Are you “acting” or are you acting in the power of the Spirit?
Tonight I want to ask this question: Are you willing to make a difference?
And this evening I want us to consider 2 days in the life of Peter and John.
A couple of days that really made a difference in their lives and the lives of others.
The first day was a typical Sabbath for the disciples - well as typical as it got for them -
I’m sure that this Sabbath began like many other Sabbaths.
Peter’s lying on his bed, and the early morning sun is creeping across the floor of his room.
Somewhere outside a cockerel crows and Peter cracks open one eye, to check its actually morning.
Peter still has a bit of an issue with the sound of a cockerel - although Jesus has forgiven him, he still regrets that night when he denied his lord, not once, not twice, but three times.
In the Temple in Jerusalem, there were three services on a Sabbath, 9.00am, 3.00pm and Sunset.
I don’t know if Peter went back to sleep, or if he decided to have a lie in,
or if he jumped out of bed and started his day right then - but Acts 3 tells us that at 3pm in the afternoon he and John were going to the temple.
You know what happened next, they go through the gate called beautiful and there is a crippled guy begging there.
Peter looks at him and says “Look at us” - Silver or Gold I do not have, but what I have I give to you - in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk”.
And Peter stretches out his hand, helps the man up, and the man’s ankles and feet become strong and he starts jumping, and leaping and running around praising God.
And the people who are there and see this happening are seriously surprised.
Peter just opens his mouth and asks them
“Why are you surprised?”
Then he explains how the man was healed in Jesus name, who Jesus was and why the people needed to repent of their sins and turn to Jesus.
Then the day gets even more interesting - let’s look at Acts 4: Acts 4:1-20
1While Peter and John were speaking to the people, they were confronted by the priests, the captain of the Temple guard, and some of the Sadducees. 2These leaders were very disturbed that Peter and John were teaching the people that through Jesus there is a resurrection of the dead. 3They arrested them and, since it was already evening, put them in jail until morning. 4But many of the people who heard their message believed it, so the number of believers now totalled about 5,000 men, not counting women and children.
5The next day the council of all the rulers and elders and teachers of religious law met in Jerusalem.
6Annas the high priest was there, along with Caiaphas, John, Alexander, and other relatives of the high priest. 7They brought in the two disciples and demanded, “By what power, or in whose name, have you done this?”
8Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them, “Rulers and elders of our people, 9are we being questioned today because we’ve done a good deed for a crippled man? Do you want to know how he was healed? 10Let me clearly state to all of you and to all the people of Israel that he was healed by the powerful name of Jesus Christ the Nazarene, the man you crucified but whom God raised from the dead. 11For Jesus is the one referred to in the Scriptures, where it says, ‘The stone that you builders rejected has now become the cornerstone.’ 12There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.”
13The members of the council were amazed when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, for they could see that they were ordinary men with no special training in the Scriptures. They also recognized them as men who had been with Jesus. 14But since they could see the man who had been healed standing right there among them, there was nothing the council could say. 15So they ordered Peter and John out of the council chamber and conferred among themselves.
16“What should we do with these men?” they asked each other. “We can’t deny that they have performed a miraculous sign, and everybody in Jerusalem knows about it. 17But to keep them from spreading their propaganda any further, we must warn them not to speak to anyone in Jesus’ name again.” 18So they called the apostles back in and commanded them never again to speak or teach in the name of Jesus.
19But Peter and John replied, “Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him? 20We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard.”
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What an amazing couple of days!
Here is Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, speaking words of truth and life.
And the people respond.
Not just one or two, not a handful, many.
It’s not that long since Pentecost, yet there are now around 5,000 men and many women and children who have come to trust Jesus as Lord, Saviour, Messiah.
What I want us to focus on this evening is this “Jesus Christ...There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved...We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard.”
Peter and John were people who had been transformed by the presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives.
These men who were ordinary fishermen,
Jesus called them to follow Him - and follow Him they did.
They were ordinary men - just like the other disciples - people with issues - people with problems - everyday ordinary people.
But God used them to make a difference in the life of others.
God used them to share the truth of Jesus with others.
After Pentecost they were filled by the Spirit and empowered to speak and live as never before.
They spoke with boldness, God gave them a deeper understanding of the truth.
They believed in what they were saying; and their words were alive and real!
They spoke with a passion about who Jesus was, and why people needed to be in a personal relationship with Him.
They used their time to make a difference in peoples lives.
And you should use your time to make a difference too.
Now I know what your thinking:
He’s not talking to me.
He can’t be talking to me.
I’m not skilled.
I don’t know what to say.
It’s not my job - that’s what the ministers are for.
Friends, God expects all - yes all - all of His children to share the truth about Him.
God expects all of his people to open their mouths and tell others what Jesus really means to them.
God expects us to share the truth of the Gospel with the people we meet, with our friends, with our family, with the people we say we love.
God wants us to help make a difference.
And the Holy Spirit will help you to make a difference when you allow Him to operate in you and through you.
Every week God gives us an opportunity
Every day you and I are given a day to make a difference.
24 hours to make a difference.
1,440 minutes to make a difference.
28,800 seconds to make a difference!
“Jesus Christ...There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved...
We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard.”
Peter and John could not stop telling others about Jesus...
How much time did you spend telling people about Him last week?
...
How many days did you speak about Him?
...
How many hours did you spend talking to others?
...
How many of your minutes did you use to tell someone about Him?
...
How many seconds did you use this week to tell someone about Jesus?
...
How many seconds did you spare from your week to tell someone the most important truth they could ever hear - that Jesus loves them,
died for them,
and that if they place their trust in Him they will be forgiven?
How many? ...
Shall I tell you how many?
The answer is really simple.
In fact the answer is the same for everyone of us.
How many?...... Not enough!
None of us spend enough time telling others about Jesus.
None of us allow the Holy Spirit full access to our lives.
None of us are willing to fully surrender control of our moments and days to the leading of God.
None of us.
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Every second someone steps into eternity.
Either an eternity with God or an eternity without God.
Every second of every day we have an opportunity to make a difference.
Every second of every day we have an opportunity to show the love of God.
Every second of every day we have an opportunity
to speak words of truth and life.
Every second of every day we have an opportunity to share the truth of the Gospel.
Yet there are people who say they love God,
people who say they care about other people,
people who say they love their friends and families,
people who say that Jesus is their Saviour
but second after second,
minute after minute,
hour after hour,
day after day,
week after week,
month after month,
year after year,
they will never speak to anyone about Jesus.
They never say a word - just in case they upset someone.
Just in case they offend someone.
Just in case someone thinks they are stupid to believe what the Bible says is true.
Just in case...
and they will never allow God to use them to make a difference in someone else’s life.
They... I... you...
I hope I am not speaking about you.
I hope you are willing to make a difference.
I hope you are willing to be used by God that others will be saved.
I hope you are willing to share the truth that Jesus is the only way, that There is salvation in no one else!
I hope that you cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard.
I hope that you are willing to make a difference - not just once or twice in your lifetime -
with God’s enabling you can make a difference every day.
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Do you believe that your relationship with Father God has changed you?
The Bible says it should.
Do you believe that your relationship with Jesus has saved you?
The Bible promises it does.
Do you believe that your relationship with the Holy Spirit is transforming you?
God’s word says you must allow the Holy Spirit to transform you!
Romans 12:2 in the New Living Translation says this: Don’t copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
God desires to transform your life!
He wants you to be different so that you can make a difference.
God deserves your first and best not your last and worst.
The world will tell you - make time for yourself - the Bible tells you to make time for God and to make time for others.
The world we live in is anti-God, anti-Christian, anti-Jesus, anti-Bible.
Romans 12:2 again - Don’t copy the behaviour and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
Don’t be someone who never makes a difference!
The World will try to convince you to believe the lie that Jesus is only “one of the many possible ways to Spiritual truth.”
Political correctness expects you to “Believe what you will but keep your faith to yourself!”
God has called us, God has called you, to be Biblically Correct not Politically Correct.
God calls you to be different and speak the truth.
God has not called you to live in isolation,
God has never said that His church should build itself a little Spiritual cocoon and hide away.
No where in God’s word does it say God’s people are to build a cozy little comfort zone that they never venture out of.
Friends we are not called to live in intimidation.
We are not called to live like we have no confidence in God.
We are not called to be afraid of the challenges.
We are not called to worry about change.
We are not called to live in fear.
We are not called to hide in our comfort zone.
We are not called to dumb down or hide the Gospel.
We are not called to hide the cross.
We are not called to ignore the prompting of the Holy Spirit on our lives.
We are called to share the truth.
We are called to be Salt and Light.
We are called to open our mouths.
We are called to serve God.
We are called to make a difference.
Are you willing to allow the Holy Spirit to help you make a difference?
Are you willing to be different?
Let me close with the same verse we looked at last week: Jesus speaking in Acts 1:8 says “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
In our own strength we can’t be different.
But with the power of the Holy Spirit we are transformed.
Empowered to make a difference.
Are you willing to be different?
Transformed for His purpose - Transformed to make a difference.
......
This week will you allow the power of the Spirit make a difference in you?
In His power Will you give your testimony?
In His power Will you make an impact on your family?
In His power Will you influence your friends?
In His power will you allow the fruit of the Spirit to develop in your life?
In His power will you be shaken out of your comfort zone?
God wants to do amazing things through you.
God wants to use you to make a difference.
Are you willing to be different?
Are you willing to make a difference?
