World Changer
God did not call everyone to be full time ministers
He called all of us to work with our hands to make life better for others
So they might see the Life Giver
What you do for a living is what God uses for you to be His hands and feet
So parents train up your children to be world changers
“Thy Kingdom come they will be done in earth as it is in heaven”
Will there be streets in heaven?
Will there be gardens in heaven?
Will there be houses in heaven?
So build those things in earth, manage those things in earth
Yes, you and your children are training for the reigning
You are here to be a world changer
Demonstrate the Kingdom of God in all you do
World Changer
My parents failed at marriage
and that hindered the training
I needed as a child.
But they did a lot of things right.
There were two great things they did
for me and my siblings…
One, they taught us a love for God
and kept us in church.
The second was a love for family.
I can remember many times when I was tempted
to go astray or went the wrong way in life…
I knew God was watching me.
It was His presence that kept me
or helped me get back on the right path.
I could hide things from mom or dad
but never from the eyes of God.
I knew that there are lines you don’t cross.
On one side of the line is acceptance and peace.
On the other side, rejection and turmoil.
We all like the provisions of love.
The hugs and gifts to show we are special
or approval for achievements.
The smile just because we are
known by someone else.
But love also has the ability to come with disapproval.
Hebrews 12:5-6…
"My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline,
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
6 because the Lord disciplines those he loves,
and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son."
It takes discipline to be successful in life.
There is something about the child on the athletic field
who when they have given their all is…
Encouraged to give more when hearing
the voice on the sidelines, “You can do it!”
In professional sports when the team is playing at home
and their fans are cheering the team plays better.
Encouragement is so vital to discipline.
Whether you feel like quitting to go the wrong way
or you just need to give more then you want to.
To excel we need encouragement.
Excelling is an everyday challenge all through life.
All my childhood life I knew God loved me.
But as a young adult, God let me know
He wanted me to be a world changer.
It was not good enough just to be loved by God.
God did not delight in my insecurities and weaknesses.
God challenged me to be a world changer.
He made Philippians 4:13 real to me.
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.
NKJV
I felt God’s empowerment as
I stopped focusing on the little I had,
and focused on the lot God has.
I remember being so poor and out of work,,
I went to welfare for food stamps
and they said, “you can’t afford your lot rent,
how can you afford food stamps?”
As it turned out…
I did not need the governments food stamps
because God supplied my needs…
And the needs for my wife and child at the time.
My mother did not get a driver’s license
until I was married and out on my own.
I had only seen Toledo, Ohio,
the boarder of Indiana, and Michigan.
My world was my backyard
and I was terrified to walk the streets of Toledo.
Yes, I felt God’s call on my life as a young boy.
I thought the call was to Africa
and was asked to go by two different ministers.
I went and was left alone in Africa,
terrified I would never get back home.
God, at that time, gave me a vision…
Of a sewing thimble and He poured me into it
with all my pride and personal strength.
After He had poured me into the thimble…
God put His finger in the thimble.
God had showed me it was not by my strength or pride
I could be a world changer, but by Him.
All I needed was His Spirit
and I could do all things…
And that would mean He would get all the credit.
I have had the opportunity to make a difference
in several countries but…
The greatest differences have
taking place right where I live.
God had taken this uneducated boy
and made him a pastor, serving over 30 years.
He had taken me down the path to zero
several times only to show me…
“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens.”
I have been terrified many times
as I faced many losses in life but…
God has shown me His strength is always with me.
God wants us all to be world changers.
If you are a parent,
your children are to be world changers.
Yes, it is important to lead people
in a pray of surrender to God.
But it is important to change
the world every day of your life.
Each day brings new opportunities.
Maybe you are a carpenter and you build houses…
Maybe you are a factory worker and you make products...
Maybe you are a manager or consultant…
Maybe a house wife or mother…
All these jobs make life better for someone else.
This is the reason God has you there.
The fact that you receive a paycheck is not the reason.
The reason is making the world a better place.
Your paycheck is God’s way of supporting
your missionary calling.
A calling to go into all the world
and preach the gospel.
But it does not stop with sharing God’s message
of love and redemption.
Signs of God’s power are to flow through your hands…
In spiritual ways of healing and deliverance.
And natural ways of making life better for others.
God did not call everyone to be full time ministers.
He called all of us to work with our hands
to make life better for others…
So they might see the Life Giver.
What you do for a living is what God uses
for you to be His hands and feet.
So parents train up your children to be world changers.
“Thy Kingdom come they will be done in earth as it is in heaven.”
Will there be streets in heaven?
Will there be gardens in heaven?
Will there be houses in heaven?
So build those things in earth.
Manage those things in earth.
Yes, you and your children are training for the reigning.
You are here to be a world changer.
Demonstrate the Kingdom of God in all you do.
Scripture Reading NIV
Philippians 4:11-13
11 I am not saying this because I am in need, for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do everything through him who gives me strength.
Matthew 28:18-20
18 Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Matthew 25:37-40
37 "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
40 "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
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