MAKE A DIFFERNCE
October 4, 2000
Jude21 Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
22 And of some have compassion, making a difference:
INTRODUCTION
My sons Clay 14, and Luke 10, are like most brothers in that they are quite different in many ways.
I often talk to them about what they want to be when they grow up. That is when their individuality really shows up. We recently had this conversation again and both of them honestly shared what they wanted to do as an adult. My youngest, always the epitome of passion and deep emotions said, “Dad, I want to be a missionary or a marine biologist”. Well, I thought, sort of divergent career paths but the missionary idea…now there is one any pastor/dad could be proud of. I asked my oldest what he was thinking these days that he would like to be. My 14-year-old, the intellectual and schemer, caught me by surprise and made me laugh. “Dad I really don’t care what I do when I grow up as long as I am rich and famous!”
In all honesty I don’t really care what they choose either as long as they fulfill two things. First, that they devote their life to a personal relationship with God the Father and that they do as the verse above says. MAKE A DIFFERENCE.
Five ways to make a difference—Know your:
Purpose
Principles
Power
Place
Plan
I. HOW TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
1. Know your purpose—vision
"One of the things that really attracts me about mountaineering is its total pointlessness. So I’ve dedicated my life to it."
—Tom Whittaker, mountaineer
Great minds have purposes; others have wishes.
1 John 3:8 He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.
A. Everyone has purpose (not career, desire, obligation, etc.)
B. God has incredible purpose for your life
C. I know my purpose—I plan to make a difference
D. Dedicate your life to your purpose it is the only thing that will bring joy!
British theologian C.S. Lewis described happiness 50 years ago in terms that make even more sense today in our commuter-driven society:
A car is made to run on petrol [gasoline], and it would not run properly on anything else. Now God designed the human machine to run on himself. He himself is the fuel our spirits were designed to burn, or the food our spirits were designed to feed on. There is no other. That is why it is just no good asking God to make us happy in our own way without bothering about religion. God cannot give us a happiness and peace apart from himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing.
Citation: C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity (Harper Collins, 1952) p.50; submitted by Mike Penninga, Kelowna, B.C.
2. Know your principles—sadly missing today—your creed
A. What lies behind you and what lies ahead of you is not as important as what lies within you.
B. Convictions are what you believe in principles are what you would die for.
Security in Values
Whenever there is a separation between principles and practice, things break down. In ancient China, the people desired security from the barbaric, invading hordes to the north. To get this protection, they built the Great Wall of China. It’s 30 feet high, 18 feet thick, and more than 1,500 miles long!
The Chinese goal was to build an absolutely impenetrable defense—too high to climb over, too thick to break down, and too long to go around. But during the first hundred years of the wall’s existence China was successfully invaded three times.
It wasn’t the wall’s fault. During all three invasions, the barbaric hordes never climbed over the wall, broke it down, or went around it; they simply bribed a gatekeeper and then marched right in through an open door. The purpose of the wall failed because of a breakdown in values.
Citation: James Emery White, You Can Experience a Purposeful Life (Nashville: Word, 2000)
C. WHEN OUR PRINCIPLES BREAK DOWN SO DOES OUR OWN LIFE AND SOCIETY AS WELL.
D. Your Principles will help you make a difference
The temptation of Christ in Matthew 4 illustrates his commitment to principles:
3 And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.
4 But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
5 Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple,
6 And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.
7 Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. {tempt: or, try, or, put to trial, or, proof}
8 Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
9 And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
10 Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
E. An unprincipled life will lead to destruction
F. A principled life will guide you when nothing else is left!
3. Know your Power—gifting and what empowers that gifting
A. God’s Spirit empowers my life, not my wife, or church, career, etc.
B. God has given gifts to you to accomplish His purpose in you
C. Even when you feel your gift is unimportant and being squandered
Boasting in God
Ramon Piaguaje, a Secoya Indian born and raised in the rain forest of Ecuador, won the Winsor & Newton Millennium Art Competition, the largest painting competition in the world. His painting "Eternal Amazon" was selected from over 22,000 entries by professionals and amateur artists from 51 countries and was on display at the United Nations this past summer. Ramon, who started drawing as a teenager over 30 years ago, was not introduced to oil painting until 1993 in Quito. The young man who has captured the attention of the art world was first encouraged in his efforts by Orville and Mary Johnson, Wycliffe Bible Translators working in his village.
The Johnsons recognized a God-given ability and had encouraged him to keep drawing. When they left his village in the early seventies, having completed their translation of the New Testament, the belongings they took with them included 30 drawings by Ramon. Since then, Ramon has met the Prince of Wales and the secretary general of the United Nations, and "Eternal Amazon" has been viewed by ambassadors, artists, dignitaries, and members of the press and public from around the world. Ramon is quick to give the Lord credit for the acclaim he has received. "I can’t take pride of the gift that I have as an artist, for it is God that has given me this talent, and I want to use it for his glory."
When the elderly missionary couple heard about the exhibit at the United Nations, they decided to surprise the South American artist. They entered the exhibition hall and found Ramon surrounded by many people. As he looked beyond his admiring fans, he saw the Johnsons and began to cry.
They hugged and wept for several moments. In Secoya, Ramon repeated over and over to Orville and Mary, "You are the ones that should be honored, not me…for you came to give us the gospel, and I believe that is why I now can be here."
Citation: Greg Asimakoupoulos, author and speaker, Naperville, Illinois; source: Hugh Steven, biographer for Wycliffe Bible Translators
Acts 10:38 How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.
--Every one has gifts—Joni Earacson Tada
--Josh—Here In our church, In a wheelchair all of His life but makes a difference in Children’s Church.
4. Know your plan
A. A plan is a thought out purposeful way to fulfill what God is Doing
B. A plan requires change and change requires choice
C. God has a plan for you to fulfill your God given purpose
Luke 4: 18 The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
19 To preach the acceptable year of the Lord.
20 And he closed the book, and he gave it again to the minister, and sat down. And the eyes of all them that were in the synagogue were fastened on him.
21 And he began to say unto them, This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears.
5. Know your place—Where you put your purpose, principles, power and plan into service.
I am convinced here is the place now is the time!
Matthew 9:35 And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people.
