Rev. David Holwick O (not part of original series)
First Baptist Church
Ledgewood, New Jersey
April 27, 2003
Matthew 5:14-16
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I. How much of difference have you made in this world?
A. Old story of a bucket with your fist in it. (use clear bucket)
1) Take fist out, hole fills in immediately.
a) (At least I can make it slosh around some)
2) That is how much impact you have made.
a) Good for humility, but rather cynical.
b) In reality, each human does make a difference.
3) Jesus says it is inevitable.
B. The real question is: what kind of a difference?
1) Some of you will be bad examples for us to avoid.
2) Others will be awesome examples we will want to emulate.
II. Light on a stand.
A. It is not always obvious.
1) "Places in the Heart" movie.
Bank officer brings his blind brother-in-law to
Sally Fields' house.
It is during the Depression, her husband recently died,
and he knows she is having trouble making the
payments on her home.
His brother-in-law has troubles too - his mom has died and
he has to live with the banker.
As a "Christian and a deacon" the banker has a duty to
help them both out.
So he asks her to take the blind man in as a tenant.
She hesitates - this would be a big change in her
household.
The banker darkly hints that her refusal would color the
bank's attitude toward her.
She has to cave in, and asks when the young man can move
in.
No problem - the banker has his brother-in-law's stuff in
the car...
2) We say to ourselves - "I know someone just like that."
B. Real Christians have something positive to offer.
1) Assumption by Jesus is that we WILL be light.
a) William Barclay: it is the ultimate complement.
Jesus is asking us to be what he himself claimed to be.
"I am the light of the world." John 9:5
b) By telling us to be the light of the world, he demands
nothing less than that we should be like himself.
2) Jesus commands us to let it shine.
a) Not to draw attention to ourselves, but to draw
attention to God. Matt 5:16
1> Our light is a borrowed light.
b) Real light is hard to hide, anyway.
1> My brother Jeb and his basement photo darkroom.
2> If your influence isn't positive, are you genuine?
III. Christians who have made an impact on our world.
A. Bush.
1) Grew up in a church-going family, but wasn't too religious.
He was a party animal in school.
When he married his wife, Laura, he settled down a little
but he still drank too much.
His oil company was losing so much money they were afraid
it would fail.
A friend of his was having the same problems and got
really depressed.
The friend started going to a Bible study and it changed
his life.
He invited George Bush to come, too.
For one year they studied a single book of the Bible,
chapter by chapter.
They didn't just read it, but they had discussions and did
research.
When they got to the part of the Bible that talks about
the Apostle Paul becoming a Christian, George Bush
became interested.
He wanted to know Jesus as his friend, just like Paul did.
The Bible study made a big difference in Bush's life.
He stopped drinking and spent more time with his family.
He also spent more time with other Christians.
2) Everyone agrees he is strongly motivated by his faith.
After the September 11 attack, his faith was center stage.
He visited those who were grieving.
He tried to bring the whole country together.
And he told us that in the battle of good and evil, good
wins in the end.
Some of his speeches use religious imagery not heard
since Abraham Lincoln:
"Behind all of life and all history there is a dedication
and purpose, set by the hand of a just and faithful
God."
At this State of The Union address this past January:
"The liberty we prize is not America's gift to the
world, it is God's gift to humanity."
#22597
B. Bono.
1) He is the leader of the most popular rock band in world.
No Irishman is more famous.
In 2002 the Superbowl half-time concert was done by U-2.
They have not only sold a bizillion albums, their work
is respected by critics.
What you may not know is that Bono is a committed Christian.
He reads Eugene Peterson's "The Message" Bible.
He attends a charismatic church.
Many of the band members are believers.
Many Biblical references and a Christian worldview are
woven into their music.
2) His activism is becoming more famous than his music.
Bono is passionate about poverty in the Third World and
AIDS in Africa.
He once lobbied a congressman who went into the meeting
thinking Bono was a typical rock-n-roll airhead.
- by the end of the meeting the congressman had committed
tens of millions of dollars to Third World relief.
3) His impact on a spiritual level.
The London Sunday Times ran an article about a rock singer
named Noel Gallagher from a British band called "Oasis".
In the article he spoke of his personal friendship with
Bono and how they spent two hours talking about faith.
Gallagher asked Bono question after question about what he
believed.
Gallagher said, "It made tons of sense."
Afterwards, Bono mailed him a copy of Philip Yancey's book,
"What's So Amazing About Grace?".
(It's one of my favorites, too.)
#18054
IV. How we can make an impact.
A. Consistently positive lifestyle.
1) A moral lifestyle that others will want to emulate.
a) Paul asks them to imitate his way of life. 1 Cor 4:16f
2) Positive in its tone.
a) Don't be a negative whiner.
B. Genuine spirituality.
1) People admire faith that is not phony.
a) They admire those who have knowledge.
b) They want to see a faith that is lived out every day.
2) You cannot influence others for the good, unless you
yourself have been changed.
A Chinese general put it this way: #1436
"If the world is to be brought to order, my nation must
first be changed.
If my nation is to be changed, my hometown must be made
over.
If my hometown is to be reordered, my family must first
be set right.
If my family is to be regenerated, I myself must first be."
C. Concern for people.
1) The Parable of the Good Samaritan is a classic example.
2) Documentary on New York City's history.
One of most influential citizens: Robert Moses.
Built bridges, highways, Jones Beach, World Trade Center.
An associate said he loved the city but despised people.
3) Make people your focus.
D. Intentional involvement.
1) Get out there and do something.
2) Set goals.
V. Where we can make an impact.
A. In your family.
1) Leaving a legacy for your kids to follow. #15750
According to a recent study, when both parents are
faithful and active in church, 93% of their children
remained faithful to their religious training.
When only one parent is faithful and active, the
percentage drops to 73%.
When parents were only "reasonably active" (attended
services, but that's all), their kids remained
faithful only 53% of the time.
And finally, when the parents attended church only
infrequently, the children endured at a mere 6% level.
2) The way we love our spouse.
a) Kids pick up patterns of affection and communication
from how we deal with each other.
B. At work.
1) Work hard and take pride in what you do.
2) The "bottom line" should never be dollars and cents.
C. In the world.
1) Many volunteer-oriented groups, like Amnesty International,
have made a big impact.
2) Have you considered going on a mission trip?
3) Adopt-a-child in a foreign land.
VI. Your legacy is ticking....
A. The tale of two dynasties.
In 1874 the New York Prison Commission employed Richard
Dugdale in 1874 to study state prisons.
Dugdale was surprised to find criminals in several prisons who
were all descended from the same family unit, that of
"Max Juke" [not his real name], born about 1720.
Juke had been an alcoholic and a low-life.
The study was later expanded at Yale and Princeton to include
about 1,200 of Juke descendents.
The tally: 300 convicts, 27 murderers, 190 prostitutes, 509
alcoholics and drug addicts, and so on.
They estimated the state of New York had spent $1.3 million
to support this family (in 1870's dollars).
Another researcher decided to look at the family of Jonathan
Edwards.
He had lived in New York at about the same time, and at age
17 was the youngest Presbyterian minister the city had seen.
He would become a missionary to Indians, one of the greatest
theologians in American history, and the president of
Princeton University.
1,300 of his descendents were traced.
The tally: 430 ministers, 130 lawyers and judges, 99 college
professors, 13 university presidents, 60 physicians,
11 congressmen and governors, and a Vice President.
#21120
B. What influence will you leave?
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SOURCES FOR ILLUSTRATIONS USED IN THIS SERMON:
# 1436 "What Must Be Changed," A. Purnell Baily, Reader's Digest,
"Points to Ponder," March 1991, page 161.
#15750 "SHOW Your Kids the Right Way," by Greg Gwin, Fredericksburg
Collection, from the files of Rev. David Lemmons, LemmonsAid.
#18054 "A Modern-Day St. Patrick," from a sermon by Rev. Douglas G.
Pratt, Memorial Park Presbyterian Church; Allison Park,
Pennsylvania, March 16, 2002;
http://www.memorialparkchurch.org/sermontext/sermon-03-17-02.html
#21120 "The Legacies of Two Men," put together was several sources.
#22597 "President Bush And God - From Reveler To Revelation," Howard
Fineman (adapted by David Holwick), Newsweek magazine,
http://www.msnbc.com/news/878520.asp?cp1=1
These and 23,000 others are part of a database that can be downloaded,
absolutely free, at http://www.holwick.com/database.html
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