Make A Difference
And Do It This Week
At the end of the day, Christianity is not just about our personal journey. That is important, but individual discipleship is fuel for making a difference in the world around us. That world is different for each one of us. Some are in the marketplace daily, others are in the neighborhood. Some of you are wielding influence over your family and others are encountering others in the workplace. It doesn’t matter where we are … on the sports field or in the classroom or in the grocery … the kind of life to which Jesus calls us is one that makes a difference.
I want to encourage you to think about three habits that will help each of us make a difference in intentional ways. They are simple ideas - and all of us can put them into practice in one way or another.
INVITE
Never underestimate the power of one invitation. Consistently over the years, surveys have indicated that the reason most people attend a church for the first time is due to the invitation of a friend.
Then the master told his servant, ‘Go out to the roads and country lanes and compel them to come in, so that my house will be full.’ - Luke 14:23
In Jesus’ parable, a great banquet is prepared and many are invited. The ones who were initially invited did not show interest. They made excuses - weak excuses for the most part - and they didn’t come. We have had that experience, haven’t we? So often we feel defeated by this and decide not to ask anyone else. But the one giving the banquet in this parable sends his servants out to fill up the hall.
I think it’s clear that there is room in the Kingdom for everyone who would come. Everyone is invited. For them to know that they are invited, there must be inviters. There may be a shadow of this parable in what the angel said to John the Revelator:
Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” And he added, “These are the true words of God.” - Revelation 19:9
So, invite someone along the journey to heaven with you. Invite them to church or to a church gathering. Invite them to read the Bible with you. It doesn’t have to be complex, or special, or highly pressured. Just an invitation.
INTERCEDE
Never underestimate the power of one invitation, and never underestimate the power of one prayer. Intercession is prayer on behalf of others. We have faith that God is moved by our prayers. The Bible is filled with prayers of great people of faith. These examples travel throughout the Scriptures … from Noah to Abraham to the Prophets and through the ministry of the Apostles. Paul wrote to the Colossians:
And pray for us, too, that God may open a door for our message, so that we may proclaim the mystery of Christ, for which I am in chains. - Colossians 4:3
This is a prayer we should be praying for one another. Praying that we can make a difference in the lives of others, that doors would be open for the Gospel, and that we would be willing to speak it. It is wonderful to pray for the the health of people we love. Please also pray for the lost - for their hearts to be open and for the opportunity to put in a good word for Jesus when we are with them. When we pray for others we may not always know the result, but we know the One to whom we pray. Keeping people in your prayers keeps them on your mind. That will help us with the third way to make a difference this week.
INVEST
Invest yourself in reaching out to others. The time you have is an investment - and how much of our time are we investing in helping other people become disciples of Jesus Christ? We do not necessarily have to go out and find a stranger to spend time with! I would guess that many of us are already friends and acquaintances with those who do not know the Lord. If we will invite and intercede for them, we can also invest some time with them and make sure that some of our conversations veer toward some spiritual truths.
This doesn’t mean we have to do anything different than we do now. God has already placed some people in your path who may be seeking Him. We just have to open the doors of conversation and expressions of friendship. The truth is, whatever we are doing when others are around, we have opportunities. Paul said it this way:
And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. Colossians 3:17
It is so important for us to just be aware that God is already using us to reach out to the world around us. We just need to open our eyes and see Him working. We can do that if we invite, intercede, and invest. Discipleship isn’t just for us - it is to equip us to bring others into the Kingdom.
In this room right now is a vast storehouse of talent assembled by the Lord. Partner together, brainstorm, share in a ministry, reach out as partners, and use your abilities to encourage others to follow Jesus.
Listen to Paul’s perspective:
I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now - Philippians 1:3-5
Partnership in the gospel! That’s what we’re talking about.
In 1936 William Henry Houghton was a minister, author, and one-time President of Moody Bible Institute. He wrote this little song that remained in songbooks for many years.
Lead me to some soul today,
O teach me, Lord, just what to say;
Friends of mine are lost in sin,
And cannot find their way.
Few there are who seem to care,
And few there are who pray;
Melt my heart, and fill my life,
Give me one soul today.
Invite, Intercede, Invest. And God will use us to make a difference this week in someone’s life