HOW TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE
Jude 20-25 (text v. 22)

God makes a difference! Exodus 11:7— "But against any of the children of Israel shall not a dog move his tongue, against man or beast: that ye may know how that the LORD doth put a difference between the Egyptians and Israel."

The local church is here to make a difference. Church is not a social club or a game you play. The church is like a military "boot camp."

We are to be "change agents." We may not change the world, we should be making a difference in the lives of individuals within our sphere of influence.

One of the greatest compliments anyone has ever paid me was a letter I received from Dr. Ruckman after he concluded a meeting for the church I pastored in Vermont. He wrote, "Keep up the great work Brother Hughes. You’re making a dent!"

If being a Christian makes no difference, what reason does a person have to embrace it?
CONVERSION ought to make a difference in a person’s life (2 Cor. 5:17).

What does it take to MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

I. CONDITIONS THAT DO NOT SATISFY (v. 12)— As long as you are satisfied with the way things are, you will never change anything.
A. We should never be content with our level of devotion to God. Philippians 3:12-13
B. We need a vision of something better! Inventing a better mouse trap
Competition is the mother of invention.
C. Are you satisfied with your own spiritual condition?
D. Are you satisfied with your friends and loved one’s spiritual condition?
E. Are you satisfied with the condition of your ministry to God?
F. Are you satisfied with the condition of your employment in life?
G. Are you satisfied with the condition of your country/community?

II. CONVICTIONS THAT DO NOT SHIFT (v. 20). It makes a difference what you believe. What you believe determines the decisions you make.
A. Convictions about the power of prayer to change things (v. 20).
B. Convictions about the coming of the Lord (v. 14).
C. Convictions about hell (v. 23)
D. Convictions about the worth and potential of a single soul.

III. COMMITMENT THAT DOES NOT STAGGER (v. 21).

A. Commitment to STAND ALONE.
1. Like Esther
2. Like Martin Luther
B. Commitment to the power of the Gospel to change lives.
ILLUS— A Gospel tract can make a big difference in a person’s life.
C. Commitment to invest in eternity.

IV. COMPASSION THAT DOES NOT STAND STILL (v. 22). Charity never faileth. Compassion should MOVE US (Mt. 9:36).

A. What are your feelings towards the lost? Do you CARE?
B. ILLUS of David Gibbs:
David Gibbs had been scheduled to preach in a local church for three years. When the time was drawing close, the church pulled out all the stops to get people to church for a special day when David Gibbs would be there.

The Saturday before the special day, the pastor of the church called David Gibbs to inform him a tragedy had taken place at the church that morning. Two the church’s best men had come to the church to get some visitation cards to go invite people to come to the special day. After leaving the church to make the visits they were in a car accident. Both men were killed instantly. The preacher asked Brother Gibbs if he still wanted to come and preach under these circumstances. Brother Gibbs said he would still like to come.

On the next day when Brother Gibbs arrived prior to the service, the pastor met him with great excitement. He told Brother Gibbs something incredible had happened. When the police officer went to inform the two wives of their husbands being killed, the wives wanted to be taken to the scene of the accident. When they arrived they went to the wrecked car and found the visitation cards scattered on the floor. They gathered them up and went out to make those visits. When they went to a house, they invited the people to come to church Sunday, saying, "Our husbands were on their way to deliver this invitation to you when they were killed in an accident. They died trying to get this invitation to you. Won’t you please come to church tomorrow?" As a result of those widows making the visits their husbands were going to make, over 100 visitors attended that Sunday with half of them coming to get saved at the invitation.

Those two men and their wives made a difference!

 

SERMON OUTLINE By Al Hughes, Pastor,

Bible Baptist Church, Port Orchard, WA
<avhughes@kjv.com>