“Leadership is not about a title or a designation. It’s about impact, influence and inspiration. Impact involves getting results, influence is about spreading the passion you have for your work, and you have to inspire team-mates and customers.” Robin S. Sharma
Impact: to have a strong effect on someone or something
Synonyms: influence, make an impression on, transform, and shape others
Matthew 1:18-23
18 This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about[a]: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be pregnant through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet[b] did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.
20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,[c] because he will save his people from their sins.”
22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”[d] (which means “God with us”).
Forward Thinkers, Jesus Christ was born to make an impact (save his people from their sins). Christian means Christ-like so if Christ was born to impact his people, we must become impact Christians. Christian must be more than just a title we wear but a lifestyle we live.
Forward Thinkers, we were not born to complain about the ways of the world or to give in to the behavior of the world but we were born to impact and influence the world into becoming more Christ-like. Let’s be honest; we haven’t done a great job impacting lately.
Forward Thinkers, Jesus Christ gave birth to a nation. A nation is simply a large group of people united by a common history, culture, or language. Christianity is a nation of Believers living Christ-like to impact others. It is time we did a better job representing our Kingdom nation and impacting the cultural nation around us.
Psalm 33:12New International Version (NIV)
12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for his inheritance.
Forward Thinkers, Jesus Christ’s birth would be called an accidental birth in today’s society but I come to disagree and reject that negative thought. Yes, it may be true Joseph and Mary didn’t plan the birth of Jesus but God purposed it. God is in control of all things at all times, so every event that occurs has to have God’s permission.
Your mother and father may not have planned your birth either but your birth didn’t catch God by surprise. Your birth was not an accident because God has a purpose and a plan for your life.
Forward Thinkers, today, I declare you discover your purpose and begin to impact the nations. Understand this, we are a nation of Believers surrounded by a nation of non-believers; therefore it’s time for the church to impact the nation of non-believers. Forward Thinkers, we were not created to fit in with the world but to impact the world.
Psalm 86:9New International Version (NIV)
9 All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, Lord; they will bring glory to your name.
Forward Thinkers, before the birth of Jesus, God defined his identity and said his name will be Jesus and his purpose will be to impact the nations. Too many Believers are struggling with identity crisis, walking around defeated with their heads down. Forward Thinkers, pick your head up and walk in your purpose. The nations are waiting on your influence.
Genesis 1:27-28New International Version (NIV)
27 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them.
28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
Forward Thinkers, we were created in God’s image; therefore we should be operating at a level of influence over the world and not be influenced by the ways of the world. Remember when God got tired of the darkness, He didn’t spend time complaining or accepting the darkness but He used His influence to change the darkness to light.
Forward Thinkers, we have God’s blessings; therefore God has backed us up and with God on our side, we can’t fail. Forward Thinkers, the blessings of God places us in a position of influence and it’s time we used our influence to make this nation a better nation.
Forward Thinkers, we are assigned to subdue not surrender. Forward Thinkers, too many of us have allowed the things of this world to defeat us and cause us to quit but God assigned us to dominate and subdue the world. We must get back in our right position and overcome the forces of evil that have been assigned to defeat the nation of Believers.
Forward Thinkers, when we discover our identity in Christ we also discover our area of impact.
Genesis 12:1-3New International Version (NIV)
12 The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.
2 “I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.[a]
3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”[b]
Forward Thinkers, God will make us a great nation.
Forward Thinkers, God will bless us.
Forward Thinkers, God will make our name great.
Forward Thinkers, because God will do what He said He would, we must do our part and that is, we must bless (impact) others as God blesses us.
Forward Thinkers, as we finish 2016 strong and enter into 2017, we must make up our minds. It’s time to do something great in Jesus’ Name and aggressively impact the nation for Christ’s glory.
Pastor E. A. Deckard is the Senior Pastor/Founder of the Green House International Church located, in both Houston, Texas, and the Woodlands, Texas. Pastor Deckard is also the Co-Founder of the No More Bloodshed Movement. To contact Pastor Deckard for speaking engagements contact him at pr.ghic@gmail.com, follow him on Facebook, Instagram and Periscope @ Pastor E A Deckard or the church website www.ghic.net