Jude 22
Posted by: jmichaelwalls <jmichaelwalls@...>
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 Mike Walls
Freedom Baptist Church Smithfield, NC
All scriptures are King James Bible
Isa. 41:10