Spot The Difference

The title of my sermon today is taken from the visual puzzle where you are given 2 pictures very similar, but there are a few subtle differences in the pictures. Doubtless you have all at one time in your live done one of these puzzle, probably as a child, and today we are going to do something very similar. I’m going to call this “Christian spot-the-difference”. And the idea is that we are going to look at humanity as a whole and look at how different people groups differ from each other, and what differences, if any, there are between people who profess to be Christian. Then to conclude, I intend to draw some spiritual application as to how we should treat people, whether the same as us, or different from us.

So here’s our first spot the difference, it’s a very easy one: first picture we have is that of the non Christian, he’s out partying every night, he rolls in drunk and starts beating his wife, he has utter hatred for everyone. In our second picture we have a kind-hearted Christian, he cares for other people, he laughs, he smiles, and we see him giving money to a starving African child, he’s just so full of love!

So, SPOT THE DIFFERENCE! The difference is striking the two seem like definite opposites, like love and hate, cold and hot, and like God and Satan. See I told you it was easy!

OK, here’s our second spot the difference: In the first picture again we have our kind hearted Christian who loves everyone and he gives money to the poor. And in our second picture we have another man he look similar, he wears the same kind of clothes, he goes around telling everyone that God is Lord and that God loves you and wants to save you, and that’s so great, I think I’m really starting to like this guy. But then if we take our focus off the man for a moment, we might look at the background and see that he is in a pub drinking beer and having ‘fun’ with his mates.

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE! This one might seem a little harder, the two pictured men look very similar they wear the same clothes, but they are found in different backgrounds. You may remember that I preached a sermon called “Birds of a Feather”, and in it I warned you that if you mix with unbelievers and do the things unbelievers do, however Godly and good you might be, you are bound to fall into sin. This might be the first time the man has been out with his mates having fun and drinking beer, but it makes no difference, if you act like the world you will soon become the world.

So we come to our 3rd Spot the difference: in our first picture we have a young Christian man, he loves God, he smiles, he laughs, he talks about God as if He was a close friend, he sounds like he has recently been called to Grace! Then in our second picture we see a girl of the world wearing sensual clothing, showing of all the curves of her body, but she has a sweet smile on her face. Then if we take a step back and look at both pictures together, the picture of the Christian young man and the worldly girl, we see that the two are holding hands.

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE! The two pictures separately look so different, but are they? The girl is obviously sinning, but maybe the guy is too? I’ll let you think over this one, see what differences there are between the man and the women and pray to God about it and read His Bible!

Now I have got a 4th Spot the difference for you: In out 1st picture we see a mighty preacher, shouting at the congregation below him, exhorting them to forsake the error of their ways, and come to Jesus who is the only way of Salvation, his only desire is that God should be glorified. Then in our second picture we see a quiet lady who is sitting in the congregation, looking up at the preacher smiling, loving all that is spoken.

SPOT THE DIFFERENCE! The two are husband and wife, they love each other. The only difference between the two is the same difference that is between a hand and a foot, both have different functions, but both need each other so much. The preacher would not be able to continue preaching like he does if he wasn’t coming home every night to a wife that loves him and can give all the emotional support that he needs. A minister’s wife is just as important as the minister himself!

Ok, here’s our 5th Spot the difference, are they getting harder? In our first picture we have again our fiery minister, shouting out the Gospel of salvation. And in our second picture we have a young doctor praying for God’s assistance in the upcoming surgery.