People of Destiny – Changing the world one person at a time
Acts 17:26-31 From one man he made every nation of men that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. 27 God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 28 'For in him we live and move and have our being.' As some of your own poets have said, 'We are his offspring.' 29 "Therefore since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone-- an image made by man's design and skill. 30 In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising him from the dead." (NIV)
v One man – why?
o The world was started with one man and that was God’s plan.
§ He knows the end from the beginning, so why? He loves you!
o One man also messed the whole world up for all of us.
Rom 5:12-19 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned-- 13 for before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account when there is no law. 14 Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come. 15 But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man,
v Death reigned over all men even if they did not break a law. This was the sin nature that came to man because of the sin of Adam.
o Adam lost the earth to the devil.
§ Luke 4:6 And he said to him, "I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7 So if you worship me, it will all be yours." (NIV)
v God found a man who would make covenant with him.
o God had to find a way back into the earth.
§ Gen 17:4"As for me, this is my covenant with you: You will be the father of many nations. 5 No longer will you be called Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I have made you a father of many nations. 6 I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you. 7 I will establish my covenant as an everlasting covenant between me and you and your descendants after you for the generations to come, to be your God and the God of your descendants after you. (NIV) Heb.11:11-12…12 And so from this one man, and he as good as dead, came descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as countless as the sand on the seashore. (NIV)
v One man fixed it all for us too.
o Abraham gave Jesus the right to be on the earth without the nature of fallen Adam. The virgin birth gave God the right to be physically present as God and man.
o God was also fulfilling his legal responsibilities in that he was the next relative to Adam so he became responsible to redeem him.
Ro.5:15b..how much more did God's grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! 16 Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man's sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. 17 For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ. 18 Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. 19 For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous. (NIV)
v The first step to be a world changer is Lose your life.
What? Let’s see what we have already seen. One man was to populate the whole world. This one man sinned and ruined the whole world. We by our old natures followed Adam into destruction. We had no choice we were enslaved by our birth into a family that was cursed, and condemned to die. In this condition we served sin and the devil.
Christ, the second Adam, one man came and gave his life to pay the debt created by Adam#1 thereby giving him the rights that the first Adam had and more. But this time we are not forced into this new family, we have a choice. The way into this new nature, is the same as the way into the old one. By Birth! The new Birth, by birth we are brought into a new family, one of blessing and life. Free to serve what is right and God.
Luke 9:23-25 Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. 25 What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self?
v So what is this verse saying? If we keep our OLD dead temporary life that came from Adam#1 we will lose our new living eternal life that comes from Adam#2. We have to deny the old life the rights and give our lives to God. The signs of a changed life will show by WHO WE ARE FOLLOWING! My new nature will follow Christ, not the devil.
I can become a man who can give life to others and begin to change my world around me.
"You and God"
People are often unreasonable, irrational, and self-centered;
Forgive them anyway.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;
Be kind anyway.
If you are successful, you will win some unfaithful friends and some genuine enemies;
Succeed anyway.
If you are honest and sincere people may deceive you;
Be honest and sincere anyway.
What you spend years creating others could destroy overnight;
Create anyway.
If you find serenity and happiness, some may be jealous;
Be happy anyway.
The good you do today, will often be forgotten.
Do good anyway.
Give the best you have, and it may never be enough;
Give your best anyway.
In the final analysis,
it is between you and God;
It was never between you and them anyway.
--Mother Teresa
This was a woman who knew how to give her life away. She found her Destiny and it changed the world.