What does it mean to be world-changers for Christ? How do you WALK with God? Those ultimately will be the questions we discuss this evening.

[Opening illustration: This is one of my favorites, "Telemachus Goes to Rome" (Hot Illustrations, p. 196)]

Telemachus changed the course of history by being obedient to the call upon his life by the power of God. I have to believe that you can make a difference as well. I have to believe that because I believe in the incredible, unfathomable, matchless power of God. That power is available to me and to you. I can say that for a couple of reasons, but first let's pray.

Turn with me in your Bibles, if you will, to Genesis, the fifth chapter.

[READ verses 21–24 about Enoch.]

Now follow me here, Enoch became a world-changer for Christ because no one had ever before been taken away. Mankind was destined to die at this point after sin and the fall of man in Genesis 3. Enoch changed the world order of things. How did he do it?

By walking with God (verse 24a)!

Now keep a thumb here and turn to Hebrews 11:5.

[READ Hebrews 11:5]

Notice the end of verse 5, "He was commended as one who pleased God." Enoch pleased God, why? Because he walked with him! So, if Enoch was a world-changer for Christ, it was because he pleased God—because he walked with him.

So, let's take a look at how you and I can WALK with God today. I've put it in the form of an acrostic to make it easy to remember.

1. Our first characteristic to WALK with God is to WORSHIP him. The W is for worship.
   
   Man was created to desire communion with God and this is done through some form of worship. You see, when God moves in someone's life, before his Spirit can change a life, worship happens. Think of the biblical examples of Elijah, David, Moses, and many more. Worship was a key component to everything that happened with them in having a relationship with God.
   
   When St. Paul's Cathedral was being built in London, it was supposed to be one of the most magnificent buildings of all time and especially its time. Many visitors and tourists went by to see what was going on, and they often asked the builders what they were doing. Day after day of answering that question with "laying bricks" or "cementing stones" often made the men edgy and, well, testy, except for one man who was mixing the mortar. He recognized that the small part he played was going to be building a wonderful cathedral and that was his answer whenever he was questioned.
   
   Worship is the beginning part of building the grand cathedral, setting the table to be in the presence of GOD.
2. The second world-changing characteristic we must use is to be ACCOUNTABLE.
   
   This works in two ways:
   1) We must be accountable for our actions, not looking to blame someone or something else for our problems.
   2) The second part comes from the recognition that we are ultimately accountable to Christ.
   
   Being held accountable causes us to grow in character and model integrity. It's what you do and who you are when nobody is around to see. It's having not only an understanding of Jesus Christ, but being that beacon of light and salting the earth because he LIVES in you.
   
   [Martin Luther King Illustration: "I'm anticipating the day when people will be judged by the quality of their character and not the color of their skin..." (Paraphrase)]
3. The third world-changing characteristic is L. What do you think that stands for? It's LOVE, of course.
   
   Realize, people, these two very important things: No one has more love for you and is more concerned for your well being than Jesus Christ. He has more invested in you and your future than even you have or will.
   
   Psalm 139 tells us that God was there and he touched us and formed us in our mother's womb. The God who cares so much about us, who more than knew us from the very instant of our beginning, is the same God that died on the cross for you and for me. That's a God of Love, and he loves me and cares about the things that concern me. His desire is always for us to succeed, which is why he invested in our future. Our God is the same God who was and is and is to come. Our future is totally vested in our relationship with Christ.
   
   Also, there is no one you have seen or will see with your own eyes that Jesus doesn't love the very same way. Your actions and your faith are held accountable to them too. But it's loving people the way God loves us. Look at all those people, and every one of them is precious to God. That's why he is interceding on our behalf (Romans 8), speaking in the Father's ear and saying, "I know this guy, and he is one of mine."
4. Fourth and finally, our last characteristic to being a world-changer for Christ and WALKing with him is the K, which stands for Christ's KINDNESS.
   
   Do you realize just how KIND our Lord and Savior Jesus is? Do you practice unconditional and unplanned acts of kindness and compassion? For when you do, you do so in Jesus' name.
   
   In Matthew 10: 42 (NIV), Jesus says, "And if anyone gives even a cup of cold water to one of these little ones because he is my disciple, I tell you the truth, he will certainly not lose his reward."

Now that brings us to the here and the now. I worry about those that are just going through the motions. How many people are saying to themselves right now that I'll never be a world-changer for Christ, I'll never really WALK with God. Some people have played at Christianity so long that they have no concept of what it means to WALK with God!

If that is you, I want to tell you tonight that there is hope for you. His name is Jesus! The same Jesus you might have met long ago is still there calling out your name, desiring to have a relationship with you.

Get your relationship with him in the right place first and WALK with God, side-by-side and arm-in-arm, then you'll be on the road to becoming a world-changer for Christ!

Review & Close:

Remember Telemachus? Do you think he believed he was going to change history? NO! He was just obedient to God, WALKing with him.

How about Enoch? Do you think he ever believed he would not die but would merely just walk right off the world with God? NO! He just was obedient, pleasing God because he WALKed with him.

So it comes down to this, are you willing to WALK with GOD?

• Do you WORSHIP the one, true, living, risen Lord?
• Are you ACCOUNTABLE to GOD for who you are and whose you are?
• Do you LOVE with a godly, unconditional kind of love?
• Do you extend the KINDNESS of Christ to all that come in contact with you?

If not, now is always the time to start.