Making a Difference
May 2, 2021 / Covenant Life ChurchMaking a Difference
05 02 21
At the end of my life on earth, will my life have counted? What impact will my life have had upon this world and even more importantly – Eternity? My experience with people who are in their last days, last moments of life…they are not thinking about what they have accomplished, what they have amassed in wealth or things…they are thinking about their own lives and the relationships they have had…did their lives make a difference?
@ CLC our heart for every person is…
To meet people where they are that they would Know God, Find Freedom, Discover their Purpose and Make a Difference. This is not simply a vision statement or words to live by but this truly is our passion. Today I want to focus on Making a Difference.
You have heard from Larry Squires and you have heard from Mike & Noritta Hemmerlein and how through CMA they are making a difference.
We are all called to Make a Difference in this world. You and I will never enjoy fulfillment until we are making a difference.
Scripture Text:
Matthew 5:13-16 (NKJV)
13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.
14 “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lamp stand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.
In light of this passage, let’s examine what it means to make a difference and how our lives can be lived in such a way to make a difference for the Kingdom of God.
- A Difference.
What does it mean to Make a Difference?
Difference Defined –
– The state of being unlike or distinct.
– Distinction
Isaiah 44:6 (NKJV)
6 “Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel,
And his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts:
I am the First and I am the Last;
Besides Me there is no God.
Isaiah 45 – There is no other God
Psalms 71:19 (NKJV)
19 Also Your righteousness, O God, is very high,
You who have done great things;
O God, who is like You?
Our God, the one whom we are created in the image of – there is no God one like Him.
- Salt & Light.
Matthew 5:13-16; Mark 9:50; Luke 14:34,35
We are the salt and light of the world. We are to make a distinction between light and dark, this world and the Kingdom of Heaven.
- Revealing Christ.
We are to reveal Jesus Christ. We are the body of Christ in the earth. We are no longer a reflection of this world but of Jesus Christ. We make a distinction between this world and the body of Christ.
We are the body of Christ.
We are the body of Christ. So all that we do in this world reflects who Christ is. We are in Christ and one with Christ.
1 Corinthians 12:27 (NKJV)
27 Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.
Romans 12:5 (NKJV)
5 so we, being many, are one body in Christ, and individually members of one another.
We are to Love like Christ.
Christ’s love in us distinguishes us from this world. This world cannot love the way that Christ does. It is impossible, because that love is from God Himself and cannot be replicated outside of a life in union with Jesus Christ.
1 John 4:7-8 (NKJV)
7 Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. 8 He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.
John 13:35 (NKJV)
35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Created for Good Works.
Our works are a reflection of a life lived in Christ. Every person is gifted and those gifts are evident in every walk of life in this world. What distinguishes us is that when we employ the gifts of God, through His love, His power – they produce supernatural results. Results that cannot be produced without Jesus Christ.
Ephesians 2:10 (TPT)
10 We have become his poetry, a re-created people that will fulfill the destiny he has given each of us, for we are joined to Jesus, the Anointed One. Even before we were born, God planned in advance our destiny and the good works we would do to fulfill it!
1 Peter 4:10 (NLT)
10 God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.