Sermon Series: Investigating Faith

Title: Did Jesus actually change the world?

Scripture: John 8: 12-19

Focus: If Jesus really was the messiah and really God on earth, would he not have a profound impact upon this world that we can still see today? Today we will focus on this impact.

 If Jesus really was the Messiah, he would have impacted this world. Can we tangibly see the impact of Jesus in the world around us?

“Today, from countless paintings, statues, and buildings, from literature and history, from personality and institution, from profanity, popular song, and entertainment media, from confession and controversy, from legend and ritual – Jesus stands quietly at the center of the contemporary world, as he himself predicted.” 

                                                                                             – Dallas Willard

“I am the light of the world.”

                                                                                                     - John 8:12

127 of the first 138 colleges and universities founded in America were begun by followers of Jesus.

“Do you think that anyone is happy who is in the condition of a servant, and who cannot do what he likes?”

                                                                                                           - Plato

 “The greatest amongst you will be your servant.” 

                                                                                             – Matthew 23:11

“For 1,900 years, Christians Christianized the pagan world they were a part of. We have now shifted course, and we have begun to paganize the Christian world we live in.”

                                                                                                – Jerry Sittser

Questions to Consider

•      What parts of the impact of Jesus surprised you?
•     How have you seen the impact of Jesus in the world around you that was not covered in the message today?
•     The church has not been perfect. In what ways have you seen the Christian church negatively affect the world? How do you reconcile this negative effect?
•       How do you sense God is leading you to continue applying the way of Jesus in your corner of the world?