Make an Impact

INTRODUCTION

It has been said that there are three types of people:

Those who make things happen,

Those who watch things happen, and

Those who have no idea what’s happening.

As followers of Christ, we are called to be world changers.

But in order to be world changers we must be like the men of Issachar in the Old Testament:

1 Chronicles 12:32 KJV 1900

32 And of the children of Issachar, which were men that had understanding of the times, to know what Israel ought to do; the heads of them were two hundred; and all their brethren were at their commandment.

We need to be men and women of God:

Who understand the times we are living in,

Who know what to do, and

Who will step out by faith and make things happen by making an impact for the Kingdom of God.

We’re going to look at an examples in Acts 17 of some men who were considered world changers because they made an impact for the Kingdom of God everywhere that they went.

SCRIPTURE

Acts 17:1–6 KJV 1900

1 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue of the Jews: 2 And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them out of the scriptures, 3 Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is Christ. 4 And some of them believed, and consorted with Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great multitude, and of the chief women not a few. 5 But the Jews which believed not, moved with envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of Jason, and sought to bring them out to the people. 6 And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also;

MESSAGE

Three Characteristics of World Changers

Courage

Paul and Silas

Had just come from Phillipi, where:

They were persecuted,

Arrested, and

Essentially run out of town.

Everywhere that Paul went:

He would first go to the synagogue and preach, and

Persecution always seemed to follow.

You would think Paul would be hesitant to repeat this process.

However in Thessalonica, the first thing Paul does is go to the synagogue and begins to preach.

This took tremendous courage on Paul’s part.

Turning the world right-side up takes courage.

We must be willing to:

Speak up when others are silent,

Stand up when others are backing down,

Advance when others retreat, and

Keep going when faced with persecution.

God told Joshua that he must be strong and very courageous:

God promised to be with him wherever he went.

God will also be with us wherever we go.

We must just be strong and very courageous!

Conviction

Paul and Silas

Knew what they believed and why they believed it.

They were convinced of who Jesus was and what He had done.

They knew the Scriptures and they proclaimed them with boldness.

Turning the world right-side up takes conviction.

We must know in whom we have believed.

We must know why we believe what we believe.

We must be ready to give a defense for the hope that is in us.

We must be willing to share that conviction with anyone that will listen.

We must live our lives in a way that confirms our convictions.

Commitment

Paul and Silas

Did not just preach one time and hope it stuck.

They kept preaching again and again until people were convinced to respond to the Gospel message.

They also did not give up in the face of rejection and persecution.

Even when they got ran out of town, they dusted off their feet and moved on to the next town.

They were on a mission, and no one or nothing was going to stop them.

Turning the world right-side up takes commitment.

We must be willing to keep going and not give up.

We are going to face rejection.

We are going to face persecution.

The apostles got excited when they faced persecution because they had the honor of sharing in the suffering of Jesus Christ.

Too many times we either don’t move at all or stop just short of the goal because we are afraid of rejection or persecution.

Let’s have the same attitude as Paul and the apostles.

Let’s look at our persecution as a measure of our commitment to making an impact for the Kingdom of God.

Making an Impact

Make an impact by living out your Christianity every day!

“When a stone is dropped into a lake, it quickly disappears from sight - but its impact leaves behind a series of ripples that broaden and reach across the water. In the same way, the impact of one life lived for Christ will leave behind an influence for good that will reach the lives of many others” (Roy Lessin)

Think of the lives that Cody Cobb touched!

Think of the lives that Bro. Kenny Jenks touched!

How many lives will you touch?

Make an impact by living empowered by the Holy Spirit!

“We are not going to move this world by criticism of it nor conformity to it, but by the combustion within it of lives ignited by the Spirit of God.” (Vance Havner)

Acts 1:8

Don’t be ashamed of the Gospel.

Share the Gospel with someone every opportunity you get.

Make an impact by turning the world right-side up!

“Organized Christianity which fails to make a disturbance is dead.” (G. Campbell Morgan)

If we are not making an impact on the world, then we are not living out our Christianity the way Christ intended.

The world is upside down and needs to be turned right-side up!

When we are living out our Christianity with courage, conviction, and commitment, we will leave a wake of the Holy Spirit in the lives of everyone we come in contact with.

CONCLUSION

Which one of these categories best describes your current status in the Kingdom of God?

Are you making things happen?

Are you making an impact for the Kingdom of God?

Could it be said of you that you are turning the world upside down through the power of the Gospel?

Are you watching things happen?

Are you content with sitting back and watching others making an impact?

Are you a spectator instead of a participator?

Or are you not even sure what’s happening?

Are you still unsure of your purpose in the Kingdom of God?

Do you understand the times and know what to do?

Do you have the characteristics of a world changer?

Courage,

Conviction, and

Commitment.

Is your life making an impact for the Kingdom of God?

Are you actively living out your Christianity?

Have you been empowered by the Holy Spirit?

Could it be said of you that you are turning the world upside down, when in reality you are turning the world right-side up?