“Making a Difference!”
📖 Jude 1:14–23
✝️ Town East Baptist Church – October 12, 2025
👤 Pastor Bill Allred
Introduction: Our Big God and His Big Plan
Have you ever stopped to think about how big our God really is?
- He’s omnipotent — so powerful He holds billions of planets, moons, and stars in perfect balance.
- He’s omnipresent — so vast that there’s no place in the universe He cannot see.
- He’s omniscient — so wise that nothing escapes His knowledge.
And yet, as big and mighty as He is, God still chooses to use us — ordinary people made from clay — to accomplish His work.
He’s not a respecter of persons; He will use any saved person who is willing to submit to Him. But in a world so filled with evil, corruption, and despair, it’s easy for believers to wonder:
“Can I really make a difference?”
The answer is yes! With God’s help, anyone can make a difference.
In the book of Jude, Jesus’ half-brother teaches us how we can do just that — by learning to:
- Recognize
- Remember
- Reinforce
- Remain
- Remove
Let’s take a closer look.
1️⃣ Recognize — That He’s Coming Back
📖 Jude 1:14–15
“Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,
To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly…”
The first step to making a difference is recognizing that Jesus is coming again.
Just look around — wickedness abounds. Satan is destroying homes, families, and morals.
- Over 70% of marriages fail.
- Even half of Christian marriages fall apart.
- Drugs, alcohol, and immorality have replaced decency and respect.
Parents want to be their kids’ friends more than their guides, and now we have a generation filled with rebellion, entitlement, and disrespect.
But Jesus is coming to set things right — to “execute judgment upon all ungodliness.”
His return should motivate us to live in the light of His truth and to share the gospel while there’s still time.
Luke 12:2–3 — “For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed... that which ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light.”
💡 Truth: When we recognize that Christ’s return is near, it stirs us to live righteously and reach others for Him.
2️⃣ Remember — God’s Word
📖 Jude 1:17–19
“But, beloved, remember ye the words which were spoken before of the apostles… how that they told you there should be mockers in the last time.”
Don’t be surprised when people mock your faith — the Bible told us it would happen!
Mockers follow their own lusts and separate themselves from God’s Spirit. Paul warned that before Christ returns, there would be a great falling away (2 Thessalonians 2:3).
So don’t be discouraged when:
- The world laughs at your faith — the Word says they will.
- People walk away from ministry — the Word says they will.
- Others prefer religion over relationship — the Word says they will.
These are all signs of prophecy being fulfilled before our eyes.
💡 Truth: When we remember God’s Word, we walk in confidence, not confusion. Nothing that happens surprises the believer who knows Scripture.
3️⃣ Reinforce — Your Spiritual Life
📖 Jude 1:20
“But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost.”
If we want to make a difference, we must grow in our faith.
Peter lays out the spiritual blueprint in 2 Peter 1:5–10:
“Add to your faith virtue; to virtue knowledge; to knowledge temperance; to temperance patience; to patience godliness; to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.”
When these qualities grow in us, we won’t be “barren nor unfruitful” — and we’ll stand firm in our calling.
If we are not growing, we can’t make a difference.
If we are not growing, we can’t even be sure of our spiritual footing.
💡 Truth: A strong faith leads to strong influence. If you want to make a difference, start by building up your spiritual life.
4️⃣ Remain — In the Love of God
📖 Jude 1:21
“Keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.”
To “remain” in God’s love means to stay close to Him and away from the world’s system.
We cannot make a difference if there’s no difference between us and the world.
1 John 2:15 — “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world.”
Romans 12:2 — “Be not conformed to this world, but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.”
📖 Illustration:
A poacher once shot a mighty eagle and discovered a steel trap chained to one of its legs. The bird had carried the extra weight for miles before it finally grew too weary to fly.
Just like that eagle, believers who carry the weight of sin and worldliness eventually fall. The devil, the “poacher of God’s children,” waits for that very moment.
Hebrews 12:1–2 reminds us to “lay aside every weight” and keep our eyes on Jesus.
💡 Truth: You can’t soar for God while chained to the world. Remain in His love, and you’ll rise higher than ever before.
5️⃣ Remove — Someone from the Fire
📖 Jude 1:22–23
“And of some have compassion, making a difference: and others save with fear, pulling them out of the fire…”
The greatest way to make a difference is to lead someone to Christ — to literally pull them out of the flames of hell.
That might mean sharing your testimony, praying for the lost, or helping someone hear the gospel. Don’t give up on them — even if Satan has spent years hardening their hearts.
When you lead a soul to Christ, you rescue them from eternal torment — a place of weeping, thirst, regret, and hopelessness.
💡 Truth: Nothing makes a greater difference than helping someone find salvation in Jesus.
Conclusion: You Can Make a Difference
We serve a big God — but He delights in using ordinary people like you and me.
You can make a difference if you choose to:
- Recognize that He’s coming back.
- Remember His Word.
- Reinforce your faith.
- Remain in His love.
- Remove someone from the fire.
“And of some have compassion, making a difference.” — Jude 1:22
✨ Question:
Do you want to make a difference for God?
Start today. It begins with a willing heart and ends with eternal impact.