“My Dream for the Church…Be Difference-Makers”

Austin Johnson is the Youth Minister for the Calvert City, KY church.

He is a young man of much ability and love for the Lord.Anthony Davis, Kent Brantley, and Santa Claus.  What do they all have in common?  They are Difference-Makers!  Anthony Davis blocks shots in basketball.  Kent Brantley was blessed with an opportunity to speak to the world about his belief in Christ.  And we all know that Santa Claus makes dreams come true!

The Dream I hope comes true this year is for the Church to become a group of Difference-Makers.  Jesus made a statement that has been resonating through pulpits, buildings, and hearts for years when he said, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:10)  True Difference-Makers will find time, inspiration, and open doors to put Jesus’ words into action.Think about it.  What are the three most common excuses Christians use to not seek out lost souls to save?  In my opinion they are: 1) “I am really busy,” 2) “I don’t know”, or 3) “All my friends are Christians—who will I talk to”.  If we are going to be Difference-Makers on this side of eternity then we need to wipe those excuses away.

There will always be tasks that require our attention and focus, but if the Lord’s people lose sight of being Difference-Makers, we lose sight of our identity.In Acts 11:26, Luke records about the disciples in Antioch, that they “were first called Christians.”

After many conversions (Acts 11:19-24), the church in Antioch was growing.  Not only were they growing, but they were gaining – gaining attention!  There was something different about the disciples in Antioch that warranted the nickname “Christians.”

Was it something they said?  Maybe it was what they were teaching?  Could it have been how they were interacting with people in town?  Possibly the way they served the community in which they lived?  We do not know specifically how the Christians acted, but what we do know is that they were difference-makers!The Bible says two things about their conversion, Jesus was preached (v. 20) and God was active (v. 21).  Combining the powerful message of Jesus with the wonderful working of God we have found the Difference-Maker.  Not only have we found the Difference-Maker but we have tapped into the attention getter.  Jesus is the message we should be speaking about every day.

The Christians in Thessalonica were known for turning the world upside down (Acts 17:6).  Paul and Silas were gaining attention because they reasoned that Jesus was the Christ and it was necessary for him to suffer and die for us (Acts 17:2-3).  If The Church is going to make a difference in the lives of the lost today, her people need to stand out for being different and tell the world of Christ and him crucified.No, we will probably never garner the fame and recognition that Anthony Davis, Kent Brantley, or Santa Claus have gained but we can make a difference.  God needs us to be Difference-Makers.  Are you making a difference for God?