If you had to describe your impact on the people around you in one sentence, what would you say? In this message, Dr. Stanley emphasizes the importance of living according to God’s instructions and how the Lord intends for our lives to make a difference. How we live gives credibility to the message of Jesus, and God wants us to live in a manner that glorifies Him.
next on InTouch living a life that
counts
[Music]
well there lots of voices that they’re
calling for your attention they want
something from you they don’t want your
vote ought you to buy something make you
all kinds of promises usually they have
themselves in mind not you necessarily
so when you think about your life and
you think about how you were living it
out if you had to write down in one
sentence my life is counting in the
following ways
how would you follow that sentence in
what ways what would you write down my
life is counting in the following ways
would you find yourself having to think
up something or can you think right now
will my life’s counting for this for
that or the other whatever it might be
so we’ll give me some illustration know
you think about it is your life counting
in some way making a difference does it
make a difference for example does it
make a difference in your home does it
make a difference for your work does it
make a difference among your friends
does it make any difference at all the
world’s just hawking all kind of things
more – honest – by business by that and
both here and vote there go here and go
then you can’t live without this at
neither the world the world has its
message but listen so do we those of us
who know Jesus Christ as their Savior we
have the real message we have a message
that has to do with eternity so when you
think about your life
and what way does your life count what
way are you making a difference or you
just sort of living every day the words
you get up on Monday morning you know
what you’re gonna do Monday Tuesday
Wednesday Thursday Friday started coming
to church on Sunday afternoons at night
and start all over again Monday Monday
Tuesday Wednesday Thursday and for many
people that’s what life is Monday
Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday sermon
let’s use your mister that’s right sir
and so what happens what difference are
you making other words God never
intended for us to live our life and
just wrote anything but to make a
difference
and there’s a wonderful passage of
scripture that I’ve read many times and
preached many sermons on but I want you
to turn to the 30-second song for a
moment and listen to this awesome
promise of God chapter 32 of Psalms
verse 8 I will instruct you and teach
you in the way which you should go the
way which you should live I will counsel
you with my eye upon you do not be as
the horse or as the mule which have no
understanding whose trappings included
bit and bridle to hold them in check
otherwise they will not come near you
many are the sorrows of the wicked did
you hear that many of the sorrows are
those who reject Jesus Christ as their
Savior but he who trusts in the Lord
loving-kindness shall surround him
missmiss be glad in the Lord and rejoice
you righteous ones and shout for joy all
you who upright in heart we have a
reason to be joyful we have the reason
to be thankful and he says it be glad in
the Lord and rejoice you righteous ones
now let me ask you a question
think about how you would answer this
question if you had to write out an
answer in what way is your life making a
difference in any way is your life
counting in such a way that it makes a
makes a very decided difference and how
you live your life and the impact that
you have the influence the testimony you
have makes a difference or you just sort
of live I will instruct you and teach
you in the way which you should go that
is we have the promise of God that he
will teach every single one of us how we
ought to live our life now watch this he
doesn’t expect us all to do the same
thing some people have more
responsibility than others that’s the
way God created them some people have
less responsibility that’s where he
created
there’s a make them into better than the
other hook to know we’re all different
creations of God but he says and he
intends for us all to read this I will
instruct you and teach you in the way
which you should go and I’ll do better
than that he says I will counsel you
with my eye upon you now when he says I
will counsel to you that’s like God it
personally counts something that is I’m
gonna give you a direction I’ll show you
what to do when you get in trouble I’m
gonna tell you what to do when somebody
is abuse you and misuse you and talked
about you I’m gonna show you what to do
when you fall in some way I’m gonna show
you how to get up I’m gonna help you he
says I will count you you and look at
this with my eye upon you that is God is
not an impersonal God up in heaven
somewhere throwing out blessings and if
you’re lucky you’ll catch one he says I
will counsel you with my eye upon you
and then he gives us a warning don’t
don’t act like this don’t be like a
horse
or as the mule which have no
understanding whose trappings include
bit and bridle to hold them in check
their words otherwise that be while
otherwise they’ll not come near you many
other sorrows of the wicked but he who
trusts in the Lord
loving-kindness shall surround him did
you get that look at that he who trusts
in the Lord
loving-kindness shall surround them now
think about your life do you think about
your life is being surrounded by loving
kindness oh by him or by her about this
about that all the troubles and
heartaches and deaths and all kinds of
things he says he who trusts in the Lord
loving-kindness shall surround them
here’s what this says to me I have the
wonderful privilege I’m looking around
to looking for God’s blessing he says
loving-kindness shall surround if you
trust in the Lord if I should ask you do
you trust in the Lord
you’d probably say yes I do do you think
loving kindness around you well I don’t
know about that
well maybe it’s because you’re not
looking maybe it’s because you’re not
giving him credit David because you’re
not living in such a way that he’s going
to show that he trusts in the Lord
loving-kindness shall surround them be
glad in the Lord rejoice you righteous
ones shout for joy all of you who are
upright in heart that is the Christian
life has a fantastic life did you read
that we have the Lord God surrounding us
keeping us providing for us and he says
not only that we should shout for joy
you who upright in heart now why don’t
people shout for joy because they’re not
upright in heart their words view living
in sin you know gonna shout for joy if
you if you follow the category of people
who don’t feel important and don’t think
your life is worth anything and you see
yourself as if I’m here today and gone
tomorrow who’s gonna care who’s gonna
think about me it depends on how much
I’ll leave them it’s what they’ll think
about and so you don’t see any purpose
in your life you can’t enjoy life when I
read this page description he starts off
saying I promise you this I will
instruct you and teach you how you ought
to live I’m gonna counsel you so
personally I’m gonna have my upon you
not only that you trust in me and
loving-kindness shall surround you that
is the promise of the Living God so ask
yourself this question do I feel like
loving kindness is surrounding me or do
I feel like it’s dead heartache pain
suffering criticism doubt frustration
theater words which do you feel like
loving kindness shell surround you now
listen carefully God intends for your
life in my life to make a difference
people who live around you are watching
you everybody who sees you works with
you knows you lives with you has an
opinion of you
is that good or bad now I’m not saying
is there opinion you get a bad but do
you think it’s good or better they have
an opinion of you you can’t do anything
about it and think about this you have
the privilege of impacting somebody’s
life you have the privilege of of
changing somebody’s life you have you
have the privilege of making a very
specific difference in somebody’s life
for good if you’re wise enough then
listen to what he says and what I want
you to say is this you are influencing
somebody’s life whether you want to or
not but what you said don’t say how you
live and not how you live and here’s
what Jesus said he said he didn’t say
you might be he said yes you are the
light of the world would you say your
light is dim or bright it’s the ball
born it’s clean I was a dirty a city set
on a hill cannot be hidden no does
anyone let a lamp and put it under a
basket but on that lamp stand and it
gives light to all her in the house this
is not a suggestion this is a command of
the Lord Jesus Christ it’s not limited
to any particular group of people
except believers let your light so shine
before men and women in such a way that
they may see your good works and glorify
not you but your father who is in heaven
watch this you and I are reflectors of
the Living God and we reflect him
accurately or we reflect him
inaccurately
by the way we talk by the way we dress
by the way we operate every aspect of
our life we are listen we are reflectors
of the Lord Jesus Christ and so he’s
saying to them and saying to us you have
a personality you have a disposition
about you that’s
thing about you that’s different from
everybody else think about this
the next time you get really bored with
yourself
and you just think well you know what I
just don’t like myself and you talk
about your hair your waist you talk
about all those things and what I want
you to see is this God made you the way
you are he’s made you to reflect him not
by what we physically look like he wants
us to reflect him about who we are on
the inside and every single one of us
has the privilege of reflecting the very
life of the Lord Jesus Christ to some
degree not the same to everybody they’re
people who’ve been Christians years and
years and years people of any Christian
a short period of time but you know what
we all reflect him in some way so you
say well I that’s not my choice don’t
have to be your choice it’s his choice
let your light so shine listen let your
light so shine you are the light of the
world God says that you and I are the
light of the world whether you like it
or not whether you want it or not
whether you’d like to do something about
it you can’t you are reflecting
something everybody who knows you he
says let your light shine before men in
such a way they may see your good works
and he girl or if I your father was in
heaven in other words he says I want you
to so live that people say you did a
good job
you’re a really fun person and he to
Laura find your father which is in
heaven which simply means this if I live
like the devil if I live in sin if I
tolerate things in my life that
shouldn’t be there sin against God what
am i doing I’m sending a false message
about who God
yes you live you choose to live in sin
you’re sending a false message that’s
not who God is
he says glorify your father who is in
heaven that is we should be reflectors
of the righteousness and the holiness
our Almighty God somebody’s Israel
I’m not holy yes you are be cut saved
you you became a holy child of God
doesn’t mean that you have sinned this
imperfect but you’re still holy your
name is written in the Lamb’s Book of
Life you are one of his children what I
want you to see is you cannot escape
this awesome opportunity God has given
you to be somebody you can’t escape it
he says you’re the light of the world
you may be a birthday candle you may be
a gigantic beam of light but your light
some kind of light you’re the light of
the world Jesus has left us here to do
what be the light of the world to shine
forth the light that listen
he didn’t say bring ourselves glory
glorify your father who is in heaven so
think about this if you’re not
glorifying him what are you doing I’m
either gonna be a good reflection or a
poor one there’s no middle ground
think about this you have the awesome
privilege of being in twelve by God in
the person of the Holy Spirit you have
the privilege and the awesome power of
God working within you to accomplish
through you more than you could ever
dream to be in you and through you and
to you and for you more than you would
even ask that’s who he is in you that’s
who we are we’re the children of the
Living God who have purpose in our life
a sense of direction and a life we make
a difference in life we may not make a
difference with more than ten or fifteen
people in our thinking but you may be
making a difference with far more people
than that now think about this
God didn’t leave a few gifted
individuals to do his work he left the
church who believed the word of God who
have filled from the Spirit of God who
make mistakes who sin against God who
confess and who repent and who keep
living the Christian life and struggling
at times and failing at times for doing
what getting up and moving on and God
absolutely using them in the most
awesome way when he says you are he
didn’t say you might be he says you are
the light of the world
not you might be you say well I’m not
shining very bright he didn’t talk about
that you are the light of the world it
can be a dirty light or a bright light
what I want you to see is you are
whether you want to be or not there is
no escape once you trust the Lord Jesus
Christ as your Savior you’re under
divine obligation not to do this and do
that to the other but to be but to be a
true follower of Jesus to be a light
where people when people whatever meet
you they should see something within us
that absolutely cannot be explained and
that somebody is Jesus what I want you
to see is we have responsibility to be
the person God called us to be we have
the Holy Spirit living within us and
remember this God will never ask you or
command you to do anything that he
doesn’t promise and equip and help and
see to it that you get it done so we
cannot blame God for anything and that
we and watch this you can’t escape once
you trust Jesus Christ as your personal
Savior you’re part of the light you say
well I’m gonna go do something that’s
part of the light you listen you watch
this you have become a possession of
Jesus Christ
I love this yeah you become a possession
of Jesus Christ and he’s the battery he
is the thing that makes it shine he in
you is what makes the difference with
the people around you you’re somebody
very special eyes of God and we exist
for the purpose of the Living God to
express the life of Jesus through our
life that’s why we’re here we may have
all counted out the gold that’s why
we’re here and that being our
responsibility there’s no escape you say
well I trusted Jesus Christ as my savior
my name is written in the Lamb’s Book of
Life and I think I saw a responsibility
I have no it isn’t when I look at the
Christian life and thinking about how
absolutely awesome it is and somebody
says yeah but you don’t know what
trouble is right I wouldn’t think I
wouldn’t take the time to tell you how
much trouble heartache suffering pain
and on and on you can’t look at somebody
else’s their what they’ve been through
you can’t but I can tell you this he has
always been there every time I need him
did you say it’s not my life it’s his
life and so we don’t give up we don’t
quit we just keep moving Trustin yard
what I want you to see is there’s no
such thing is an unimportant person you
can’t find one verse in the Bible to
prove that you’re unimportant not one
now you say well somewhere in there
there ought to be no somewhere in there
there ought to be a verse or two that
says that people like me who are not
very gifted and so forth we’ll look
through all the pages of the Bible
you’re important watch this when Jesus
died who did he die for we all agreed
that he died for all of us but the whole
world
then he has a right to live his life
through us and all he wants to do is to
shine forth let your light so shine and
then I want to go back I will instruct
you and teach you the way you should go
I’ll counsel you with my upon you I will
be to you who you need to be I’ll do for
you through you what needs to be done in
and through you you the salt of the
earth you’re gonna make a difference I’m
gonna instruction I’m gonna teach and
I’m gonna be with you but you gonna
shine and we’re not thinking about I
think about it this way we have this
awesome wonderful opportunity that has
this uncertainty we never know what
second Atlanta what’s second it’ll end
we have no idea wind and have no control
over it but we are chosen children of
God a name is written in the Lamb’s Book
of Life we have the promise of his
presence and whatever power is necessary
to enable us to live a godly life he
promised to be with us provide our needs
he didn’t promise that we would have an
easy time he didn’t promise that he
would give us this or give us that that
we have a responsibility and that’s the
shine shine shine shine shine because
when Jesus talked about all this he said
in the way that nobody could miss it let
your light shine before men in such a
way he says this is where you’d shine
they will see your good works and
glorify your father in heaven this is
not for us this is for him
so think about all the people you work
with the people who know you people in
your family people who your friends
people who your enemies when they think
about you what do they think about
here’s what yard thinks I’m living
within her I’m living within him and I’m
expressing my life through them all I
ask of them is just follow me trust me
just depend upon I’ll be there just
trust me just follow me now watch this
you can’t escape it if you live to be
100 you can’t escape it
that’s who we are we’re the children of
the Living God who will never die we may
pass on this life to the next sent but
we’ll never die and he who is in us will
never die rose from the grave every sin
that you and I have ever committed I
will commit has been paid for in full at
the cross and all the proof the world
needed God gave us that in the
resurrection we’re the children of the
Living God followers of Jesus Christ
with the message that’s life-changing
and eternal blessed by God’s kept by God
a judge by God helps by God and honed by
God personally and he thinks you’re
important amen
well if you’ve never trusted Jesus as
your Savior whether you seated here or
sit somewhere else I want to invite you
to make the most awesome important
eternal decision in your life that’s a
surrender yourself the Jesus Christ
confessing your sins repenting of your
sins turning away from them and turn
your life in the direction it needs
being that’s told him and watch God work
amen
father we bless you we praise you praise
your Holy Name for being who you are
thank you Lord for loving us thank you
for always being everything you promised
to be thank you for the privilege of
life thank you for the privilege of
eternal life and for Jesus and for the
cross and the resurrection and that
awesome unbreakable promise that you’re
coming again
to receive us either in death
individually or one of these days when
you said the trumpet is going to blow
and all heavens are going to break loose
and we’re going to see what the world
has never seen
thank you thank you thank you Jesus but
be who you are and it’s in your precious
name we pray amen
if you’ve been blessed by today’s
program please visit us at intouch.org e
in touch leading people worldwide into a
growing relationship with Jesus Christ
and strengthening the local church this
program is sponsored by in touch
ministries and is made possible by the
grace of God and your faithful prayers
and gifts