Text: Jude 23
Title: Will you make a difference?
Dominant Thought: Must be willing to make a difference in someone’s life
Introduction:
Does anyone have 57 cents in their pockets, if you don’t ask the people around you for the change they have? 57 cents isn’t much money but it changed a small church for the better and it all started with little Jenny Smith.
Jenny stood just outside of the small church from which she had been turned away because it ’was too crowded.’ "I can’t go to Sunday School," she whimpered just as the pastor walked by. Seeing her shabby, unkempt appearance, the pastor guessed the reason and, taking her by the hand, took her inside and found a place for her in the Sunday school class. When Jenny got home and went to bed that night thinking of the children who have no place to worship Jesus.
Some two years later, Jenny lay dead in one of the poor tenement buildings and the parents called for the kindhearted pastor, who had befriended their daughter, to handle the final arrangements. As her poor little body was being moved, a worn and crumpled purse was found which seemed to have been rummaged from some trash dump. Inside was found 57 cents and a note scribbled in childish handwriting which read, "This is to help build the little church bigger so more children can go to Sunday school." For two years she had saved for this offering of love. When the pastor tearfully read that note, he knew instantly what he would do. Carrying this note and the cracked, red pocketbook to the pulpit, he told the story of her unselfish love and devotion. He challenged his deacons to get busy and raise enough money for the larger building. But the story does not end there! A newspaper learned of the story and published it. It was read by a realtor who offered them a parcel of land worth many thousands. When told that the church could not pay so much, he offered it for 57 cents. Checks came from far and wide. Within five years Jenny’s gift had increased to $250,000.00, a huge sum for that time (near the turn of the century). Her unselfish love had paid large dividends.
If you ever visit the city of Philadelphia, look up Temple Baptist Church, with a seating capacity of 3,300, and Temple University, where hundreds of students are trained. Have a look; too, at the Good Samaritan Hospital and at a Sunday school building which houses hundreds of Sunday scholars, so that no child in the area will ever need to be left outside during Sunday school time. In one of the rooms of this building may be seen the picture of the sweet face of the little girl whose 57 cents, so sacrificially saved, made such remarkable history. Alongside of it is a portrait of her kind pastor.
That story just blows me away. She was willing to give up all she saved simply so more kids could come to Sunday school. She was willing to give 57 cents. How willing are you to make a difference like Jenny?
I sat just outside of a small rundown church camp chapel when I meet Greg. Greg rushed off to the basketball court to get a pick up game going. Now back then I wasn’t the athletic superstar that you see today. I was a skinny 5’4 kid that had not talent at basketball and knew it too. Standing on the out of bounds line like so many times before I knew I had no chance of being picked for this five on five showdown. But to by surprise I was not left to watch on the sideline Greg, one of the sponsors pick me last on his team. As you can imagine I asked like I had won the lottery, screaming, running, yelling the whole time, in fact the other kids on the other team where afraid to guard me because I was acting so wild. Just imagine how much of a difference you can make when you get in the game.
I’m sure most of you have a story of someone that made big difference in your life. And I bet most of us can think of someone in the Bible that made a difference but I bet you forget one guy tucked way back in the back of the New Testament. He is likely the brother of Jesus mention in Mt. 13:55, it is Jesus younger brother of Jude. If you would go ahead and turn in your Bibles to Jude? We’ll find out why we are called to make a difference.
Jude vs. 21-23 gives us two main questions, Will you make a difference in your life to live in God’s love. Secondly, Will you make a difference in those who need to be encouraged and rescued from being pulled way from Christ?
Vs. 21 says that we need to keep ourselves in God’s love as we wait for God’s eternal blessing. So how do you and I keep ourselves in God’s love? Do you have any ideas? Should you have any ideas? Why would we want to live in God’s love? It’s pretty simple if we live outside of God’s love and his son we are lost. Why do you think that Jude says we will receive eternal life if we stay in God’s love and mercy?
What difference in your Christian life do you have to make?
Vs. 22 “Show mercy to those whose faith is wavering”
The word wavering makes me think of teeter-totters going up and down up and down never really sure where they should go. Is your faith like? Could it waver if you get out of touch with God’s son Jesus?
Wavering reminds me of Brian too. Brian just back from a CIY conference decided to go to Ozark and get the one-year Bible knowledge degree before going off to a major university. Everything those first three weeks were great he was reading the word studying on fire for the Lord. He stopped by my room one day and was just tell me how exciting it was for him to be at Ozark. But things for Brian started to change he was staying out late and falling behind on his studies being a pain to his roommate and me and the head RA on the floor started to wonder what was going on with Brian. But sometimes I wonder if it ever got past just wondering what he was doing and how things were going, till one day we found beer on his breathe and in his refrigerator. Instead of showing mercy and love we did nothing. When you and I don’t see someone here for a few weeks it shouldn’t be I wonder where they are to calling them yourself and finding out what is going on and showing God’s love and mercy.
When someone’s faith is wavering don’t just sit back and hope someone will help them you be the one to make a difference in that person’s life.
Vs. 23 “Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment.” As we live our lives in loving submission and obedience to Christ we must also be willing to go into the world and rescue those that don’t know they are on fire and on there way to hell. It is our job to help them it is not there job to come and ask us for help it is our job to go help them when they need the help.
For those I gave a picture to: Do you know who that person is? Most of these people you will not notice. How could you tell if they are in danger of going to hell? Can you tell by just there appearance? No
Do you remember Greg the guy who picked me for his team? Later on that week I was having questions about what I believed in he stood by my side and help make an eternal difference in my life by leading me back to Jesus Christ.
What difference will you make to live in God’s love and what will you do to make a difference in someone else life? If you don’t thing making a difference is important then I wonder if the difference God made for you and I on the Cross really matter that much too you.
For my closing I would like for us to not only sing 515 but I would like for us to find ways to rescue those friends that are on fire and don’t know it.
