How To Change The World
April 9, 2022

The Ultimate Purpose of Life Is To Make A Difference

If God Answered All Your Prayers Would It Change The World Or Just Your World?

Just then his disciples returned and were surprised to find him talking with a woman. But no one asked, “What do you want?” or “Why are you talking with her?” Then, leaving her water jar, the woman went back to the town and said to the people,
John 4:27-35 NIV

“Come, see a man who told me everything I ever did. Could this be the Messiah?” They came out of the town and made their way toward him.
Meanwhile his disciples urged him, “Rabbi, eat something.”
But he said to them,
John 4:27-35 NIV

“I have food to eat that you know nothing about.”Then his disciples said to each other, “Could someone have brought him food?” “My food,” said Jesus, “is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work. Don’t you have a saying, ‘It’s still four months until harvest’? I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.
John 4:27-35 NIV

If You Cannot See It, You Will Not Change It

We Have To See It

7.6 Billion People On The Earth
2.4 Billion Are Christians
5.2 Billion Are Unsaved

2014 Malaysia Flight That Disappeared
239 People
80 Yards

911
2996 People
6/10ths of a Mile

Dec 26th 2004
250,000 Tsunami
47 Miles

5.4 Billion People
124 Times Around The Earth

We Cannot Reach, What We Cannot See
Do You See It?
John 4:35b
I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest.

Open Our Eyes To Where They Are

While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”
Matthew 9:10-13

7 Areas of Influence
Church – Only 47 Percent of Christians Come To Church
Government
Entertainment
Education
Business
Media

They Are Out There!

Proverbs 16:9
A man’s heart plans his way, But the Lord directs his steps.

John Maxwell
“Listen For Their Spiritual Spot”
“Listen To How They See God”
A Wall
A Stairway
A Garbage Dump
A Door

Truth Rests On The Bridge of Relationships

To Change The World We Need To Connect, Before We Correct

Open Our Eyes To Who They Are

But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed.
Acts 16:25-31 NIV

And the keeper of the prison, awaking from sleep and seeing the prison doors open, supposing the prisoners had fled, drew his sword and was about to kill himself. But Paul called with a loud voice, saying, “Do yourself no harm, for we are all here.”
Acts 16:25-31 NIV

Then he called for a light, ran in, and fell down trembling before Paul and Silas. And he brought them out and said, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” So they said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household (oikos).”
Acts 16:25-31 NIV

Oikos – “house,”
household, your extended family, neighbors, coworkers, and friends. To put it another way, your “oikos” includes those with whom you have regular contact.

We Must Recognize Our Influence Before We Can Exercise Our Influence

Mark 5:19 NCV
But Jesus would not let him. He said, “Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you and how he has had mercy on you.”

Are You Having A Profound Impact In Your Sphere of Influence

To Change Our World We Don’t Have To Like Them, But We Don’t Have To Be Like Them

Changing The World Starts With Changing My World

Open Our Eyes To What They Need

Truth & Grace
Truth Without Grace Is Mean
Grace Without Truth Is Meaningless

And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
John 1:14

Love
To Change The World Show People The Same Type of Love God Shows Us
Unconditional Love

An Invitation
7 out of 10 Unchurched People Have Never Been Invited To Church In Their Whole Lives

“Eighty-two percent of the unchurched are at least somewhat likely to attend church if invited.” –Dr. Thom Rainer, The Unchurched Next Door

“Only two percent of church members invite an unchurched person to church. Ninety-eighty percent of church-goers never extend an invitation in a given year.”
– Dr Thom Rainer, The Unchurched Next Door

We’ve all used and heard the excuses:
Everyone I know goes to church.
I’ve already asked so many times.
I’m afraid they’ll think I’m being pushy.
What if they say no?

What If They Say Yes?