WORLD-CHANGERS

Acts 17:1-9
1 They came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2 As his custom was, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that the Christ had to suffer and rise from the dead. "This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Christ," he said. 4 Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and not a few prominent women. 5 But the Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason's house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd. 6 But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other brothers before the city officials, shouting: "These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here, 7 and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar's decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus." 8 When they heard this, the crowd and the city officials were thrown into turmoil. 9 Then they made Jason and the others post bond and let them go.

Wilbur and his younger brother Orville were unlikely candidates to change the world. Although both went through high school, neither received a diploma. They were interested in mechanics, not academics, and after a few years in the printing business, they began renting, selling, and manufacturing bicycles. But their growing interest in aviation led them to Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, where they made the world's first flight in a power-driven, heavier-than-air machine 100 years ago today.

At the time, hardly anyone noticed. Only five other people witnessed the flight. The Dayton Journal in their hometown ignored it and the only three newspapers that reported the story got the facts wrong. It's obvious that no one at that time could foresee how much the airplane would alter our entire way of life.

Are you doing anything today that is likely to change the world? At first, the answer may seem to be "no." But if you're a follower of Jesus, your obedience to Him each day plants the seeds of the gospel, which is "the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes" (Romans 1:16).

The early followers of Jesus were accused of having "caused trouble all over the world" (Acts 17:6). One translation calls them--"these that have turned the world upside down" (KJV). In Greek, this means "to stir up, excite, or unsettle." Whether it's Paul and Silas in Thessalonica or a young person living unselfishly in a pleasure-seeking culture, to follow Jesus challenges every system of belief that doesn't acknowledge Him as Savior and Lord.

When our witness for Jesus stirs up the people around us, we should follow Paul's example of focusing on Him, not ourselves. His goal was to show that Jesus was the Christ (Messiah), who has the power to make people new when they turn to Him.

You are a world-changer if you follow Jesus and remain true to Him in every situation of life. You can't imagine the far-reaching results of your daily obedience to the Lord. --Dave McCasland

DESTINATION POINTS

* Why can an ordinary Christian be considered a world-changer?
* What makes it difficult for me to understand the effect of my words and actions?
* What have I done to change the world today?

bottom line: Live for Jesus to reach a dying world.

soul journey