By Ray Ludik. At St Georges Presbyterian Church. Bluff.

ACTS 16:23 – 34.

Paul made a difference in that family’s life.
Many of us can ask the question, “How can I make a difference?” in the area where you live at
this moment. This is the area in which you should get involved.

Throughout history there have been instances where one man or woman has changed
circumstances in the lives of others.

The Bible is filled with such stories.    History tells the same.

We know how Moses changed the lives of the enslaved Hebrew nation, and led them to
freedom by being obedient to God’s calling.

God wanted Joseph in Egypt to save the lives of His people.    Esther was made queen in a
land that hated the Jews, but God put her there to save His people.

Daniel was put into a den of ferocious lions and came out unscathed as a testimony to God’s
power.

Paul was in prison - but God placed him there to lead a prison guard and his family to
salvation.

Abraham Lincoln changed the lives of slaves in America when he abolished slavery.

You may well ask, “How can I make a difference?” Ask yourself:    Where has God placed me
at this moment? Often we want to make a difference in some other place, but God has
placed you in the area where He knows you can make the best effort.

Let me tell you a story.

A young man was backpacking through France looking at the beauty of the vineyards and
surrounding forests when he came upon a barren valley. There were no large trees, very little
grass, the river was just a trickle, and the houses were in a shocking condition. As it was
getting late he decided to stay the night and lodged with an old shepherd. After supper the
shepherd opened a bag and took out a variety of nuts and started separating them. The next
morning the young man walked with the shepherd looking for grazing for the sheep, and as
they walked along the shepherd planted nuts. He asked the old man why he was doing that.
The old man replied, “One day I hope to see this valley restored to it’s former beauty.”

“You may never live to see that day,” said the young man.

10 years later the young man, now married, took his wife to France and revisited that valley.
He could not believe what he saw. The whole valley was covered with different nut trees.   The
river was flowing again, and the houses had been restored and painted. The whole valley
had come alive again.
He went to enquire about the old shepherd and was told that he was somewhere planting
nut trees. Those nuts had brought wealth to the valley.
That old shepherd changed the whole area of Provence. He had reforested the valley, and
restored something that was dead, because he had foresight, he was diligent, he was
patient, and he had a vision.

There is a saying – take care of the tree and you will enjoy its fruit.
I say, take care of the Lord’s  work,  and you will enjoy His blessings.

HOW CAN WE MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

Why not start with ourselves. Find the things that are restricting us from serving the Lord fully.
Is it our attitude toward others?
Matt.7:12 - do to others what you would have them do to you.

When we live like that often barriers are destroyed. A difference is made and relationships
are mended. We can make a difference with this simple instruction that Jesus gave. He said
– do.

Doing involves action. Some times we cannot control a person’s actions toward us but we
can do the opposite, and control our actions toward another.

We all live in homes, flats, towns or communities. We study together, and work together, and
these are the areas where we can make a difference.

After World War 2, a group of students, in Germany volunteered to rebuild a severely
damaged chapel. A large statue of Jesus, with outstretched arms and the words, “Come unto
me” inscribed on it, had both hands missing. Since it was impossible to re attach the hands
they decided to leave them off, and changed the inscription to read:
“CHRIST HAS NO HANDS BUT OURS.”

What’s stopping you from using your hands.? Is it the fear of being of being laughed at?

God is looking for those who will lift up their eyes and see what is needed around us, and
make a difference.

2 Tim 4: 2.    Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and
encourage-with great patience and careful instruction.
3. For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their
own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their
itching ears want to hear.   4. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to
myths.   5. But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an
evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.

We can make a difference if we preach the Word first in our home, then to our family, our
friends, our work mates, and our neighbours.   That is what Jesus meant when He said, “Go
first to the house of Israel, and then to the gentile.” Start at home.   Our home is our Israel, our
neighbourhood is the gentiles.

The main words here are ‘go preach the word.’

If we can do that we will change a small part of our world.

When you plant a seed in the ground you may not see the results for a while but suddenly
that small seed starts to grow and eventually ends up as a large tree.   In order for that to
happen we have to water and fertilise that seed. So it is with the Christian.    If we witness to
someone and they respond - we cannot leave them to grow without help. If we don’t water
and fertilize that spiritual seed, it will die.

The old shepherd in our story was in that valley to make a difference. Why?

1. HE HAD FORESIGHT.

Foresight is the ability to anticipate and provide for the future.
Why do we have retirement policies? - To provide for our future. That is foresight.

The old shepherd saw a future in the valley and decided he would do something about it.
Although the other villages had given up hope he would persevere.

Do you know of someone who has given up on the Lord? Who is at this moment on their way
to hell? Perhaps a back-slidden friend. You could make a difference in their lives by showing
them that you care about their future, and so does Jesus.

SING: THE LOST SHEEP

Paul writing to Timothy says, “Stand steady and don’t be afraid to suffer for the Lord. Bring
others to Christ and leave nothing undone that you ought to do. Don’t forget to share Christ
with others for this pleases God.

THE OLD SHEPHERD WAS DILIGENT.

Diligent means to be careful and persevere in carrying out your duties.

Don’t ever say ‘What can I do?’    All the old shepherd was doing was planting nuts.

ROMANS 12: 6-8

You can do things in the church like making tea, or doing the flowers. There are many small
duties that don’t seem important to man but are important to God.

You don’t have to be in the music team, or be a preacher. Those duties are for those with the
talents that God has given them who carry out their duties diligently.

A minister at a funeral commented to the widow on how exciting her husband’s job must
have been. She replied, “Although he worked on Boeings all he did was work on a little box
half the size of a loaf of bread, but that box kept the Boeing in the air. He did that for 10 years
and never complained, and he was happy in his job”.

It’s not only the people outside the church that need their world changed; there are people
inside the church that could need counselling, sympathy, prayer, and encouragement.

Be a Barnabas. His name means - encourager. He supported Paul. He assisted in the
church at Antioch. He carried relief to Jerusalem at the time of the famine. He did all these
things joyfully for the Lord .

The old shepherd went about daily planting seeds never knowing if he would live to see his
trees grow.  He received no encouragement from the other people in the valley.

There are times when we feel very low and dispirited.   That’s when God lifts us with a verse
of scripture.

God granted him that day when he did see the trees.   Because he was diligent, he
persevered, and most of all he had a vision.

WHAT IS YOUR VISION?

A grandson took his grandmother to the Worlds Fair in Montreal. At the Russian stand they
met a young Russian boy who offered Gran a wheelchair and pushed her around the exhibit
centre explaining all the goods on view. Her grandson had gone away to look at some other
exhibits.   When he returned the Russian thanked the old lady and asked her to come again.
The grandson was curious and asked what he meant. Oh nothing much, said Gran.   Five
months later Gran died and a letter arrived for her from Russia.

It read;
Dear lady,
I have been thinking these past months about what you told me of Jesus and have been
reading the little book you gave me. I have now accepted Jesus as my Saviour.   It is very
difficult to be a  Christian here but I am trying to convince my whole family to be Christians as
well.
Please write to me more about this Lord. Bless you and
Thank you.

One old lady, with the love of Jesus in her heart, changed the life of a man in a far country.
She planted a seed which took five months to take root.
Her vision was to tell the world about Jesus.

Jesus told us to go into all the world and make disciples of all men.

Love wasn’t put in your heart to stay
Love isn’t love till you give it away

Whatever you sow you will reap. If you sow love you will reap love because God is love, and
you will make a difference if you sow love into your little world.

The shepherd and his little bag of nuts made a difference to a whole valley.
What do you have in your little bag? You have eyes, a mouth, hands, and feet. Use them for
God’s glory.

You can make a difference. Why not start by asking God to show you what He needs you to
do. Plant a seed of love in everyone you meet. Tell them that Jesus is the only way to God.

If you take Christ out of Christian you end up with Ian, and Ian can’t save you.
Jesus said “I came not to condemn the world but to save it.”

Friends do you have a vision like that old man?
Do you want to make a difference on the Bluff.
It’s your world to change.
If we disobey the Lord’s commandments the world will never change, and He feels it.

Sing. The nails.

Let us pray.
Church on the Way.
YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE.  Sermon - week 8 - 2008
St. Georges Presbyterian Church  Bluff, Durban, South Africa.