| Influence:
What does God want us to see?
Influence – a power indirectly or intangibly affecting a person or a
course of events. We all have influence and we are all influenced…so what
does God wants us to see about it? In
the Sermon on the Mount Jesus talked about it (Matt. 5:13-16) and there are
many examples in His word about the affect an influence can have on our
efforts to serve the Living God. A God that asks us to be “transformed (Rom.
12:2) and to live differently than the world (1 Peter 1:14-17) will certainly
use His wisdom to show us the power of influence through the examples,
warnings, and exhortations we can find in the Bible. Let’s search His truth
with open eyes to find the path to victory as He prompts us to walk in the
light. (1 John 1:7)I. Influences
in our Culture: What does God say?a.
Consider the law gave to His people of old. (Deut. 4:44-45) It was
designed to set them apart from those around them (Deut. 12:2-5; 23-25;
29-31; 14:3-21; 18:9-14) b. He still wants us to see the importance of
living differently today – guarding ourselves from the influence of the world
(1 Peter 2:9; Phil. 2:15-16; Titus 2:6-8; 1 Thess. 2:12; 2 Cor. 8:20-21) II.
Influences in our Relationships: What does God say? a.
Think about Solomon – his background, his wisdom, his relationship
with God. He was not immune to the power of the influences he allowed. (1
Kings 11:1-11) b. What can we find in God’s word about our
own relationships and influences today? (1 Cor.15:33; Prov.13:20; 22:4-5;
16:29; Ps 1:1-4; Rom. 16:17; 2 Cor.6:14-15; 1 Cor.5:6,11) III.
Our Influence for Good: What does God say? a.
The example of Jeroboam in the Old Testament shows us the lasting
effect of a poor influence. (1 Kings 12:25-30; 16:26; 21:22; 2 Kings 10:31;
23:15) b. We have a powerful influence, as well. We
interact with so many others in our lives. Which way will we lead them? (Eph.
5:8; Col.4:5; Rom. 12:2; James 1:27; 1 Peter 1:15; Titus 2:12) Romans 13:11-13 helps us see how God wants
us to live. He asks us to “put off” the works of darkness and to “put on”
Christ. There is a constant pull from
the world to live as they do; yet Gods pulls us closer to Him by giving us
Christ. (Rom. 8:32) Which way will you be influenced? Where will you set your
heart? |
