IMPACT!
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Make an impact slide here
Make an impact slide here
Illustration: There was an article with pictures showing a tragic story. A woman in Western Kansas was hanging clothes on clothes line and her 4-year old son wandered off it would seem somewhere in the adjoining wheatfield. The parents looked all day for the child, but to no avail, anxiety, worry came upon them. Dozens of friends, neighbors heard of the boy’s plight and joined hands early the next morning to make a long human chain as they walked through the field searching together. Later in the day the heartbroken father comes out of the field carrying the lifeless body of his 4-year old son who died of the exposure. The final picture in the article had a heading “O God, if only we had joined hands sooner!”
Opening/Introduction
Opening/Introduction
Impact, I think that we all are familiar with the basics of physics. When one object impacts another there is a counter action, or an impression that is made. Impact. We have seen many an accidents, impacts those have. Here we have seen the violence, the sin of this world impact even the church.
2024 theme: Making an impact for Jesus.
A Christian is to be a influencer, an influencer for the kingdom of God, the kingdom of heaven, the kingdom of the beloved Son.
A Christian is to make an impact, Jesus expects us to make an impact, turn with me to Mt5:13-16 and let’s see Jesus instructions to kingdom dwellers.
Matthew 5:13–16 “13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. 14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 15 nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”
Jesus uses two metaphors - Light, Salt to help paint the picture of the kind of impact, influence kingdom dwellers are to have!
First, YOU ARE SALT!
First, YOU ARE SALT!
By saying this Jesus is implying that this world is decaying, deteriorating. There is a sin problem, and to slow the problem salt is needed, and that is what YOU are. (expand)
Jesus statement is also implying that YOU as salt can impact, influence the world. You were made salt when you were saved (expand). By being salt, due to your relationship with him are purified by Him, salt is a purifier meaning you have the qualities (Christ in YOU) to help bring someone to be purified, Salt adds flavor (expand) and it is a preservative (expand)
As salt, think of this, impact through being a preservative. Kingdom dwellers can impact the world by -here is the application for this- standing up for God, for what the Bible says, for good morals, morality, values and principles.
Get involved in the body (the church) and the community by your life, by your actions, by your votes.
You can make a difference, an impact, does “Engel v. Vitale” mean anything to you? This is the 1962 Supreme Court case that one man brought about that took prayer out of schools. YOU can make an impact for Jesus, for the kingdom (Expand)
Jesus statement also reveals that you can lose saltiness. When we allow impurities to be added to the salt, the salt is diluted. lessening the preserving factors God had called the kingdom dwellers to be. That is what happened in Engel v. Vitale, the church was still the church, the church still met, but did little to stop, influence, impact the world and prayer was taken out of schools.
Don’t lose your saltiness
You are the light of the world
You are the light of the world
Read Mt5:14-16 again!
As kingdom dwellers, called to be an influencer, called to impact the world. We are the light of the world. Jesus statement makes some great observations.
There is darkness in this world (expand)
Next, Kingdom dwellers are light and can dispel darkness
Light illuminates, dispels and reveals (expand)
Here is some application as kingdom dwellers are to do: illuminate the darkness around us, shed the light of Christ on the darkness of this world, and dispel the darkness by the truth of God’s word, with the Good News and by our love for one another. - you can shine also in your prayers, in your bible study in your living a godly lifestyle; live in such a transparent way that people can see your love, devotion, dedication to Christ and the kingdom of heaven.
Impact: Don’t hide your light! Let it shine before men. Let it be seen before men and it will glorify your father who is in heaven!
Jesus statement reveals that kingdom dwellers can hide their light. God does not want undercover Christians (expand)
Impact the conclusion
Impact the conclusion
Our passage, Jesus statement emphasize responsibility and action on behalf of the kingdom.
YOU are salt, YOU are light (expand)
You, the use of the world in this passage is actually plural (y’all). We need each other, we need to do it together. Remember the illustration I started with, two looked, but when many came they found the child. Let’s not wait until it is too late. Let us commit 2024 to making an impact for Jesus. Let us join together, hand in hand, arm in arm to be a preserving force for the kingdom!
Invitation (Gospel influence) picture inserted here
(song) (Prayer) (Exit)