August 25
Influence
Acts 3:1-10
A life that is surrendered to Jesus is a life that makes an impact for Jesus.
Making an impakt for Jesus is:
1. As you go v.1
“where I live, work, and play.”
2. As you look for needs. vv.2-4
Most people are filled with fear and despair.
3. As you’re willing to help vv. 5-6
4. As God is glorified vv.7-10
(bumper video is a domino effect video with great music behind it)
Do you know who Edward Kimball was? In 1855, a shoe salesman in Chicago by the name of Edward Kimball witnessed to a young man who came into his shoe store. He led the young man to faith in Jesus. The young man’s name D.L. Moody.
D.L. Moody became active in ministry and then began to preach and as a result of his preaching, 100s of thousands of people came to faith of Christ.
One of them was a man named J. Wilber Chapman who later became a pastor and a hymn writer. Chapman was instrumental in leading a major league baseball player by the name of Billy Sunday to the Lord.
Billy Sunday was a fire-brand itinerate preacher who preached around the country in tents and meeting houses. One of his converts was a young man by the name of Mordecai Ham.
Mordecai Ham caught fire for Jesus and saw as many as 300,000 people come to faith in Christ. He was preaching a revival in Charlotte, N.C. in 1934 when a young man responded to the gospel and surrendered his life to Christ.
The young man’s name: Billy Graham, of whom it is estimated that he preached live to over 215 million people in stadiums from 1948 until 1998, plus countless millions on television. Talk about a domino effect. All because a shoe salesman screwed up the courage to talk to a young man about Jesus.
Turn to Acts 3:1-10 We are in a series entitled impact. It’s about the impact Jesus made on the world and the impact we can make for Him. In the book of Acts there are five actions we can take if we’re going to make an impact for Jesus. The 1st one we discussed last week was to Follow. Jesus calls us to follow Him. A life that is surrendered to Jesus is a life that makes an impact for Jesus. Repeat We discussed the difference between fans and followers. Fans only follow when it’s within their comfort zone, when it’s convenient for their schedule, or when it doesn’t cost that much. True followers are empowered by the Spirit and captivated by the call. Followers of Jesus have been making an impact on their world and THE world for 2000 years. We stand on their shoulders (pic). From the moment the Holy Spirit came like a mighty rushing wind to give birth to this thing called the church, men and women, boys and girls have been making an impact for Jesus. And we stand on their shoulders. The question we were left with last week was: Who will stand on our shoulders? Because a life surrendered to Jesus makes an impact for Jesus.
READ Acts 3:1-10 (on screen)
v.1 I’ve been to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. The Temple is no longer there. As Jesus predicted it was totally destroyed. Titus did it in 70 A.D. But the southern steps are still there and some of the foundation blocks are still there (pic). Each of these weighs 80 tons! On the Eastern side of the Temple, the foundation is exposed, called the Wailing Wall (pic), where Jews come and pray and place their prayer requests in the cracks (pic). We’re going to Israel this May… a trip of a lifetime.
v.6 A name carries authority with it. Went to the Ballpark Wed night for my birthday. Watched it from a suite in the upper deck. Talk about an awesome way to watch a game; food, drink, A/C! To tell you the truth, we couldn’t get up there except that some friends of Sue’s from high school have a suite. We could only get up to that level and in that suite because they gave us tickets in their name. Flashed the ticket: Warren Spann suite. The name on the ticket got us access. There is a name that is above every name. There is a name of someone who is more powerful than any disease, any addiction, any struggling marriage. His name is Jesus.
v.8 The text says that he jumped up. The better word here is that he leaped! Yahoo! Yabadabado!!!! I can walk, I can jump. I bet he even boogied (!). Now look what happened as a result…
Because of the name and the power of Jesus, many, many people were impacted for the sake of Jesus.
This was happening all over the place. God was showing off with signs, miracles, and wonders to draw attention to these whose lives had been changed by Jesus.
Folks will ask me, “Pastor, do you believe God still does miracles like this?” And I have to say yes, though this was a special period in the life of the church where God was doing it all the time.
But let me ask you: which is the greater miracle, that a foot be healed or a heart be changed? That a person’s cancer be cured or a person’s soul be saved? These miracles, signs and wonders had one purpose: to show the glory of God in the person of Jesus. Every time there was a physical miracle, it was to draw a crowd so the early apostles could preach Jesus to them.
Jesus wants to perform miracles all right: the miracle of being born again, the miracle of selfless surrender, the miracle of a life impacting others for Him. A life that is surrendered to Jesus is a life that makes an impact for Jesus.
Making an impakt (like logo) for Jesus is:
1. As you go v.1 (on screen)
Peter and John, as kosher Jews, were heading up to the Temple for their daily prayers. Jews prayed 3 times a day, and those in Jerusalem headed to the Temple to pray. This was a part of their daily routine.
Around here we use the phrase, “where I live, work, and play.” Say that with me: where I live, work, and play. As you go about your daily routine, make an impact for Jesus where you live, work and play.
How many of you were invited here by someone who was already going here? Work related? Neighborhood? Kids on same teams? Just friends?
Same question, different way. How many of you came to Christ thru the influence of someone where you live, work, or play?
Now, let me get three volunteers to come up on stage with me. I’ve asked 3 folks this morning who are on Facebook to assist me in making a point about impact.
How many friends do you have? Do you know what the average friend count is for a FB user? 190 So that’s _____ x 190= _______ How about you? _____ x 190 = ____ How about you? _____ x 190 = _______ let’s add up. But of course, that’s not the whole picture, because each of those 190 have another 190 and each of those 190 have another 190. So you can see that with just 3 of you, you have an amazing social network. If there are 1000 people here in this service… (need my tablet/markers)
Now, your personal, not virtual friends may be less, but the impact is still incredible. Your impact in your world is incredible.
2. As you look for needs. vv.2-4 (on screen)
This man was lame from birth. Can you imagine someone’s life that had to be carried everywhere they went? Today, there are wheel chairs and lifts that can help the lame. But here there were no wheel chairs; no lifts. Some friends or relatives carried him to the Temple every day to beg. There was no Compassion Center, no food stamps, not social welfare system. If he didn’t beg, he didn’t eat. I can’t imagine the fear and despair this man felt his whole life.
What I’ve learned about people around me is this: Most people are filled with fear and despair. I read your prayer requests each week, I hear my staff talk about the pain and suffering many of your are going through. When I ask a waiter or waitress how I can pray for them, I listen as they share fear, despair, pain, and suffering. It’s all around us. People are hurting.
v.4 says that Peter and John looked intently. If you take time to look at people closely, if you take time to engage them on any meaningful level, you’ll see what I’m talking about. And the thing is, you have the power in Jesus name to bring healing to them.
(Video of girl hearing 1st time) When you ask if you can pray for someone, when you share with someone they don’t have to be wracked with fear or guilt or hopelessness, when you share the hope of Jesus with those God has brought into your life, you can bring such incredible joy to them. If only you’ll look.
3. As you’re willing to help vv. 5-6 (on screen)
This guy thought he needed money. What he really needed was the healing touch of Jesus. Just like Jesus, Peter and John met the physical need before they met the spiritual need.
It takes effort to pause when they bring you your food and ask if you can pray for them. It takes effort to ask a workmate or classmate if you can pray for them. It takes effort to go pick them up and bring them to church.
Story of someone who saw someone in need and didn’t help (bus driver????)
If you have Jesus, you can help. But you’ve got to be willing.
4. As God is glorified vv.7-10 (on screen)
That’s what it’s all about. It’s not about our comfort. It’s not about our convenience. It’s not about how little we can sacrifice. It’s about God’s pleasure, God’s desire, God’s glory.
Until you want God’s glory more than anything else, you’ll never have the impact you should. You’ll be hedging your bets; playing it safe; choosing personal preference.
Impakt: forceful/intentional contact, to influence or alter the direction of something or someone
Crater cards
Is there anyone here this morning that has come to Christ in the past 6 months or so? Someone who has become a follower of Jesus since the 1st of the year? Raise your hand. Who had an influence on you? Are they here? Who had an influence on you? Are they here?
The impact for Jesus in this room is mind-boggling. What glory God would get if we would use our influence for Him.
