By: Alan Northcutt.
This is something new for me to actually sit down and write something that is not for a grade. Yet actually the idea for a Christian to make an impact in someone else’s life would be a new experience to some in and of itself. Before one turns their live over to Christ, they are expected to fully devote all to Christ (Luke 9:57-62). Remember also like Lot’s wife, we are not to be looking back on our previous life where we lived in sin. “(One) looking back is not fit for the kingdom of God.” This stands to reason because the Lord is looking for people who are willing to be moving forward not looking back. How can we ever make an impact in someone else’s life if we keep living in the past? Why would we even want to in the first place? Christ has brought us out of darkness into light. He took our slates and wiped them clean! He doesn’t care where you came from… only where you’re going AND WHO YOUR TAKING WITH YOU! Notice again in the passage in Luke 9, Jesus told the man to “let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.” It is up to us to go teach others about the kingdom of God. Now let’s look at another passage. (Matt. 4:18-22). Jesus here found Peter, Andrew, James, and John and called them to be “fishers of men.” This is what we are talking about, leaving all to follow Christ. Fishing was all these country boys had ever known. It would have been easy to not even give that scruffy looking man on the shore side the time of day and keep on fishing. “What does he know about fishing? My whole family has done this for years and he is going to tell me how to do this?!” Yet they listened and caught fish. Then notice this… Vs. 20 and they Straightway left their nets, and followed him. A lot of times, doing what is best for the Lord/the Church, is neither going to be the easiest nor the most comfortable for us. The Lord puts us where he wants us, doing the jobs where we can be of the most useful to him. Weather that be teaching bible school, leading singing or a prayer, having a bible study with someone, sending a card, visiting the sick, or even preaching the gospel… the list goes on and on. Yet, every job is essential to “teaching of the kingdom of God” Luke 9:60. But now back to our fishermen, think about Peter. He left his comfort zone and everything he knew up to that point in his life to follow a man HE JUST MET. But without him doing so… when you get over to Acts ch.2 it would have not been Peter who preached that gospel sermon, and we know that on that day alone Peter impacted some 3,000 people. (Acts 2:41) So we can sum all this up into three things. 1. From Luke 9 we learn that when we are a Christian we must always be moving forward and not focusing on the past. 2. We learn from Matt. 4 that in order for God to use us properly, we don’t need to be afraid to go out of our comfort zone for Christ. 3. We learn from Acts 2 that God uses us in his own way, in HIS OWN TIME to have an impact on who he wants. All the power is in God’s hands… not ours and if we can master all 3 of these ideas we can have an impact on someone’s life.
This is something new for me to actually sit down and write something that is not for a grade. Yet actually the idea for a Christian to make an impact in someone else’s life would be a new experience to some in and of itself. Before one turns their live over to Christ, they are expected to fully devote all to Christ (Luke 9:57-62). Remember also like Lot’s wife, we are not to be looking back on our previous life where we lived in sin. “(One) looking back is not fit for the kingdom of God.” This stands to reason because the Lord is looking for people who are willing to be moving forward not looking back. How can we ever make an impact in someone else’s life if we keep living in the past? Why would we even want to in the first place? Christ has brought us out of darkness into light. He took our slates and wiped them clean! He doesn’t care where you came from… only where you’re going AND WHO YOUR TAKING WITH YOU! Notice again in the passage in Luke 9, Jesus told the man to “let the dead bury their dead: but go thou and preach the kingdom of God.” It is up to us to go teach others about the kingdom of God. Now let’s look at another passage. (Matt. 4:18-22). Jesus here found Peter, Andrew, James, and John and called them to be “fishers of men.” This is what we are talking about, leaving all to follow Christ. Fishing was all these country boys had ever known. It would have been easy to not even give that scruffy looking man on the shore side the time of day and keep on fishing. “What does he know about fishing? My whole family has done this for years and he is going to tell me how to do this?!” Yet they listened and caught fish. Then notice this… Vs. 20 and they Straightway left their nets, and followed him. A lot of times, doing what is best for the Lord/the Church, is neither going to be the easiest nor the most comfortable for us. The Lord puts us where he wants us, doing the jobs where we can be of the most useful to him. Weather that be teaching bible school, leading singing or a prayer, having a bible study with someone, sending a card, visiting the sick, or even preaching the gospel… the list goes on and on. Yet, every job is essential to “teaching of the kingdom of God” Luke 9:60. But now back to our fishermen, think about Peter. He left his comfort zone and everything he knew up to that point in his life to follow a man HE JUST MET. But without him doing so… when you get over to Acts ch.2 it would have not been Peter who preached that gospel sermon, and we know that on that day alone Peter impacted some 3,000 people. (Acts 2:41) So we can sum all this up into three things. 1. From Luke 9 we learn that when we are a Christian we must always be moving forward and not focusing on the past. 2. We learn from Matt. 4 that in order for God to use us properly, we don’t need to be afraid to go out of our comfort zone for Christ. 3. We learn from Acts 2 that God uses us in his own way, in HIS OWN TIME to have an impact on who he wants. All the power is in God’s hands… not ours and if we can master all 3 of these ideas we can have an impact on someone’s life.
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