Intro: what if you met someone who gathered a handful of people together and began to talk about this group making an impact on the entire world. What if He made statements like, this message will be told everywhere, even to the ends of the earth. Jesus did exactly this: He said, His church would make an impact on the world until the end of time. Today, we are challenged by Jesus to make an impact as a community. Here are three thoughts on how we become a community of impact.
Community of Impact
Matthew 5:13-16
In the sermon on the mount Jesus talks about the influence a Christian is to make in the world. He gives three distinct things that will happen when the church makes impact on the world.
I. Salt—to create thirst—5:13—many people interpret the example of salt to mean a healing agent in the world, or adding flavor to the lives of others. But in the time of Jesus, salt was added to create thirst. He gives us this admonition, that we are to create a thirst.
a. non-Christians are to desire what we have—our lives are to impact people in such a way that they want what we possess.
b. The un-churched are to be impacted by the community. We aren’t just a building they pass by, but an active influence in their lives.
c. If we lose our ability to create thirst in others, we are good for nothing. When we no longer make an impact on others for Christ, we become useless for God.
II. Light—Giving Direction—v.14-15 the next impact of the community is to shine as lights to give people direction in the darkness of this world.
· As Christians we are to guide people out of darkness. We are to be the lighthouse they see in the storms of life.
· We are to be continually shining. For those in darkness, you may be the only light they will ever see.
· If you hide your light, what good is it to anyone. The church can’t shine inside the walls, our light wasn’t meant to shine where light already exists, our light was specifically made for darkness.
III. Causing Worship-16—our lives are to be so caring, so loving, so compassionate, so Christ like, that people will see God in our lives and begin to worship God because of us.
· The Godly influence is to be so strong that people will be drawn to worship God. Your life should produce worship in others.
· If our lives don’t draw people toward God, then we need to examine our lives to see if we are really salt and light.
Close: on EWTN, the Catholic station they were doing a celebration service in Birmingham. One priest said that the reason why people weren’t being attracted to the Catholic church, was the low state of the Catholics inside the church. He said, we all have a knowledge of God, and even possess expressions of worship to God, but there is little if any deep devotion to God in everyday service. Until the devotion level increases, the church will never impact the society for Christ. I think this is a picture of every church, to become a community of impact, there must be daily doses of salt and light spread for the world.
