16 Mar Making a Difference

How many of you really want your life to count for something special, to make a difference?

Jude 1:22 (KJV) “And of some have compassion, making a difference”

I want to talk to you today about doing something worthwhile, being someone that is going to matter in life.

Solomon in the book of Ecclesiastes gives us some information that is not very encouraging, this was written in the later part of Solomon€™s life (Ecclesiastes 1: 1-3). God granted him great wisdom but in the later part of his life he took his eyes off of the Eternal God and focused on the temporal world that he was living in. That is a mistake. God helps us all to finish this race well, not just to start swiftly but to run faithfully, consistently, solidly and we want to finish this race in victory.

This is what Solomon said in Ecclesiastes “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity… Everything under the sun is meaningless”

That is not very encouraging and uplifting.

Solomon also said you work to eat, and you eat to work, and then you die. That is not a happy life. That is not an encouraging picture that Solomon has painted for us.

But I want to remind you this morning that there is more to life than just working, eating and dying. God is eternal. He has always been, and always will be; He will never cease to be God. And He is our Creator, the designer of life itself. He is the Creator of the heaven and the earth, and He is your Creator and my Creator.

All of us is doing what Solomon talked about, we all work, now if you study, that is also work. But there is more to life than working to eat, and eating to work, and then dying.

Our God is a living God, He is a creative God. His name is Elohim, the Creator and the Sustainer of life.

God has placed you in this world at this time for His special purpose. You are not here by chance, you are here by purpose. Life is more that what we just see, life is more than the visible things that we can see, smell, taste, touch or hear. There is an invisible realm that is eternal. We are not only physical beings, we also have a soul, mind, will and emotion, and we are spiritual beings. We will never cease to exist. Our physical body will someday perish, this physical body will not last forever, but you will exist forever because you are a spiritual being.

Life has eternal implications and eternal importance. What is it then that we can do, how is it that we can be in order to make a difference in this life and in the life to come. There are 3 simple things that I want to share with you with regards to making a difference. How do you make a difference in life?

1. Obedience For a father who has children, there many things the children do that can make your heart glad, that brings joy to your heart. But as a father, the thing that really satisfied my life with my two daughters is when they would simply obey my instructions. Simply obedience makes the father€™s heart glad.

If we are not obedience we cannot be God€™s disciple. Jesus said “if you love me, you will keep my commandments”.

Obedience is fundamental and essential in our relationship with God. And obedience is necessary if we desire for our lives to make a difference.

God has raised you up in this place, allow God to use you to testify Christ.
You must be willing to say what He wants you to say, you must be willing to be quiet when He wants to you to be quiet.

One person who obeys God can change an entire nation.

2. Understanding God gives us understanding. In all your achieving, get understanding. Understanding is a precious jewel that we must receive and protect.

When you are high above, you have a better and clearer perspective, a big picture. God wants you to understand the big picture. When you can see the big picture, you can make it through the sufferings.

What is the big picture?

When you see the big picture, a city being changed through Jesus, you can make it through tough times.

God himself has declared what His purpose is. God has a statement of mission.

God spoke His statement of mission to Adam and Eve after He had created everything. “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill all the earth”. That is the mission of God. Now, when you first look at that you might think in terms of filling the earth with more babies. The mission of God is not just about procreation. The purpose of God is that we are to be fruitful and multiply and fill all the earth, and if you read through the entire Bible, you will discover 3 things that God wants to fill the earth with: His image, His name, and His glory.

We are made in the image of God, we reflect the character of God. God fills the earth with his image through you and me.

The big picture will always help you to stay on the right path.

My name is Kenneth Ray Anderson. Kenneth Ray is my given names, and Anderson is my father€™s name, I don€™t have a choice about that, I bear my father€™s name.

You are your father€™s child, and that will never change. You are not an orphan! You are the sons and daughters of the Father God. Your identity is based on His honour and His riches. You bear His name, you are His. When you bear His name, you are His ambassador.

Never forget who you represent! You are an ambassador for Jesus Christ.

Now, we need the glory of God more than ever. The glory of God is the presence of God. When we are in His presence, we are transformed and restored and we are made new. He gives us His joy and fills our hearts with love.

We need to manifest God€™s presence that is His glory. There is joy in God€™s presence.

3. Compassion God makes us compassionate. The Bible says when Jesus saw the multitude He was moved.

God gives Jesus His Son for everyone in this world. He did not leave out anyone out; He did not leave out the women.

One writer said “let my heart be broken by the things that break the heart of God. God gives us compassion for the lost; Jesus came to seek and to save those who are lost. Our mission is to continue the mission of Christ.

Maybe you will be the key to reach one person for Christ that can change this city forever.

If you want to make a difference, we need obedience, understanding and compassion.