Most of us have experienced being on either side, but when your life comes to an end which will describe your life as a whole?
- Will you be a person who lived a life of influence?
- Will anyone’s life be different because they knew you?
This is the good news…
God wants you to be a person of influence. His whole plan is for us to affect the people around us until eventually our affect touches the whole world!
God wants us - this small group of friends who are gathered in this theater - to influence our neighbors, our co-workers, our friends, and one day the world!
That’s God’s dream for us! And it has been from the beginning.
Have you ever thought about this?
God made us in his own image. Genesis 1:27 says this, “So God created people in his own image; God patterned them after himself; male and female he created them.”
Do you realize one of the things that this implies?
God’s plan from the beginning was that, in all the diversity of his creation, we would stand out as a constant reminder that he exists.
C.E. Orr in his book “How To Live A Holy Life” says it this way…
“In the vast created universe, what place does man occupy? He stands out as a creature that bears the stamp of the divine image, a creature that is endowed with eternity. The heavens shall pass away, but man shall be forever. He was made capable of holding communion with the Creator. He occupies the relationship with God as child with parent. Being made in the likeness of God, he steps out upon the stage of the mighty universe to play the highest and noblest part in the entire drama of createdexistences. The songs of the morning stars as they sing together, pouring their anthems into the ears of God, are not such sweet music as is the voice of praise and adoration from the holy soul of man. Man was created for the very highest purpose in the mind of God. He is chosen to represent the divine character.”
What an amazing part God’s chosen for us! And that was God’s plan from the beginning of creation and it still is now!
There’s a fictional story about Jesus and the Archangel Gabriel that shows how important this plan is to God…
After Jesus returned to heaven, he and the Archangel Gabriel were talking. Even in heaven Jesus bore the marks of the crucifixion.
Gabriel said, “Master, you must have suffered horribly! Do people know and appreciate how you love them and what you did for them?”
Jesus replied, “Oh no; not yet. Right now only a few people in Palestine know.”
Gabriel was perplexed: “Then what have you done to let everyone know about your love?”
Jesus answered, “I have asked Peter, Andrew, James, John and a few more friends to tell others about me. Those who are told will tell others about me, and yet others still others, until the last man and last woman in the farthest corner of the earth will have heard the story of how I gave my life for them because I love them so much.”
Gabriel frowned and looked rather skeptical. “Yes, but what if Peter and the others grow weary? What if the people who come after them forgot? Surely you have made other plans?”
Jesus said, “Gabriel, I haven’t made any other plans. I’m counting on them.”
The events in this story are not true, but the message of it is true!
We are God's main tool to make himself known in the world! Do you realize this?
We are God’s advertisements to the world!
Today, I want begin a two part series called “God’s Marketing Plan”. Over the next two Sundays, I want to look at God’s plan to make himself known and get his message out to the world.
Turn with me in your Bibles to 2 Cor. 5:14-21.
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1 comment:
Thanks for the encouragement Dave. I really appreciate it!
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