You were born to be a Difference Maker; you were born to change the world!
Difference Makers look like anyone who dares to accept God’s call to live for others and shine the light of God’s message of love to the world around them. The Bible teaches us that this is not only the best way to live, but the smartest and wisest way to live.
“Those who are wise will shine like the brightness of the heavens, and those who lead many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.”
— Daniel 12:3 (NIV)
“The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life and he that winneth souls is wise.”
— Prov. 11:30 (KJV)
Reasons why this is the best and smartest way to live
A. You can never defeat darkness by cursing the darkness, but you can by turning up the light.
B. The only way to stand strong is to shine bright.
1. One of the reasons Daniel was unshakeable and thrived in chaos is that he lived to make a difference. He had a bigger goal than survival or even success. His goal was significance to make a difference, save souls, and change lives.
2. You can’t just choose not to be influenced by the world; you can only be not influenced by the world by choosing to influence the world in a positive way. “You must influence them, do not let them influence you!” (Jeremiah 15:19b NLT)
If you don’t evangelize, you will fossilize or compromise. If you don’t activate you will get decimated. (If we stay in salt shaker, we will lose our flavor).
C. We have the ability to bring eternal hope for a dying world. Jesus urges and commands us to shine as brightly and as broadly as we can. We are Jesus’ plan A; He has no plan B!
“How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?”
— Romans 10:14 (NIV)
“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
— Matthew 5:16 (NIV)
Three choices we have towards the world around us:
1. Separate ourselves - stay apart from the world.
2. Compromise ourselves - be part of the world.
3. Position ourselves to love the world to life in Jesus’ name.
D. We will never feel as good about anything we ever did in our life as we will about helping someone know God and knowing people will be in Heaven someday because of us.
Thesis: If you will turn up your light, God will transform your world!
Ways to turn up the light in our life and be Difference Makers/Life Changers for Jesus
A. Change what you believe about yourself. Being a bright, bold witness for Jesus is first something you believe about yourself and become, not something you become and then believe about yourself.
You don’t have to get anointed; you have to boldly admit you are anointed. You are an anointed influencer and difference maker called to change the atmosphere and bring positive change wherever you go!
“You are the light of the world!” — Jesus (Matthew 5:14)
“My dear children, you come from God and belong to God. You have already won a big victory over those false teachers, for the Spirit in you is far stronger than anything in the world.”
—I John 4:4 (MSG)
“Scripture testifies over and over that those who thought themselves the most unlikely to succeed became the most effective in reaching the world around them.” — Chris Hodges
B. Have an eternal mindset. We grow a heart for the lost when we realize the most decisive moment of a person’s whole existence will take place seconds after they die, and will be determined by a decision they made about Jesus. “And as it is appointed unto a man once to die, but after this, judgment...” (Hebrews 9:27 KJV)
C. We turn up the light by having personal daily encounters with Jesus and by staying aware and yielded to His presence. When light is daily shining in you, it is bound to shine out of you!
“When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized they were unschooled and ordinary men, they were astonished and took note that these men had been with Jesus.”
— Acts 4:13 (NIV)
“We can all draw close to Him with the veil removed from our faces. And with no veil, we all become like mirrors who brightly reflect the glory of the Lord Jesus. We are being transfigured into his very image as we move from one brighter level of glory to another. And this glorious transfiguration comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” — 2 Cor. 3:18 (TPT)
D. We turn up the light by winning the respect of outsiders through our integrity, kindness, and our expressions of unconditional love. The greatest asset we could have for Jesus is influence, which comes as we earn the respect of people by the way we treat them and the way we live our lives.
“Use your heads as you live and work among outsiders. Don’t miss a trick. Make the most of every opportunity. Be gracious in your speech. The goal is to bring out the best in others in a conversation, not put them down, not cut them out.”
— Colossians 4:5-6 (MSG)
“And I keep praying that this faith we hold in common keeps showing up in the good things we do, and that people recognize Christ in all of it.”
—Philemon 1:6 (MSG)
“Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.”
—Daniel 6:3 (NIV)
Thoughts:
You win people by relationships, not arguments.
They are to see your good works, so they can glorify your Father in Heaven.
The best chance for someone to listen is if they feel listened to.
“You can’t be persuasive if you are abrasive.” — Rick Warren
You can unconditionally love and accept a person and not agree with their lifestyle.
Seek to make your interactions with people transformational, not just transactional.
Find a need and fill it; find a hurt and heal it.
E. Go out with positive faith that God will impact and intervene. Believe that God is up to something good. Expect Him to use your prayers and input to bring sovereign solutions to human problems. Most people aren’t convinced by an argument, but they can be convinced by an encounter with God.
“...but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits.”
—Daniel 11:32b (NKJV)
F. Join forces with others; our light will shine the brightest when we shine together.