Change Your World

t Jesus Christ wants to transform the world. His message, life, and power is the only force that can.

To do this takes a healthy balance of Christian discipleship and influence. Many are familiar with Micah 6:8, which says, “What does the Lord require of you? That we act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with our God”. That’s discipleship. But the verse doesn’t end there; it continues (verse 9), “Quick, go, the Lord is calling you to the city.”  That’s influence. We must be people of continued growth and increasing spiritual influence to make a difference in the world.
As I reflect on many churches, especially Christians, I see them fitting into one of the following four categories.

1. No discipleship or spiritual influence – This is sad and almost sub-Christian.
2. No discipleship, but spiritual influence – This is very scary.
3. Discipleship, but no spiritual influence – Something breaks down somewhere because Jesus grows us to serve and lovingly influence others.
4.  Increasing discipleship and increasing influence – This is the stage I think that the Church needs to get to.

Which one of these categories are you in? What needs to happen for you to move to level four? Let me quickly provide some practical thoughts on partnering with Jesus to transform the world as we grow in our discipleship and influence. These thoughts are taken from Acts 17, where Paul, a growing disciple, is invited to extend in effect within Athens. As we look at what happened through Paul here, there are some things that we can learn to further our growth and influence our world. I’ll call these thoughts “Plan Be,” which is ironic because we, the church, are actually “Plan A” to extend the gospel's transformative power.

Be Convicted – Share God’s Heart (Acts 17:16)
As Paul entered Athens, he quickly became distressed. Why? Not just because he saw a city that needed transforming because it was drowning in idols but because these idols were robbing God of His glory.

Be Involved – Engage the Interested (Acts 17:18-19)
There were primarily three spaces that Paul moved to as he ministered: The Temple, the marketplace, and among the influencers.  Primarily he engaged two groups of people: The Epicureans and the Stoics. The Epicureans said, “Enjoy Life,” and the Stoics said, “Endure Life.” Neither of these systems works because life does not function at the exclusivity of the other! How does life work? Paul tells them that the answer is found in the resurrection of Christ. The same conclusion should be reached today.

Paul is given influence before the cultural shapers to provide a reason for his hope. As he speaks, he is crystal clear about what and Who it is that can transform the world. He tells them of:Some laughed, some put off the decision, but some believed. And one who believed, Dionysius, later became the Bishop of Athens, meaning that from Paul’s ministry, several Churches were started. Jesus wants to change the world, and He wants to do it through you! As you grow in your relationship with Jesus, grow in your spiritual influence in the world!

Be Convicted, Be Involved, Be Clear, and Be Bold!