The Importance of Influence
Everyone of us have been influenced by someone else. The Bible has a lot to say about influence and the importance of influence.
We have to recognize our influence before we can exercise our influence. My goal today is to help us see the opportunities of influence God places before us and encourage you to sink yourself into that influence.
If you believe on the Lord Jesus, you will be saved, and you will have a profound impact on your sphere of influence. We often leave this up to the church to do, but God wants every born again believer to use their influence to win their family to the Lord, their coworkers, their neighbors their friends.
There are three areas where the importance of influence is to be used.
My People
Our people is our sphere of influence. That’s not very big for most of us. Our influence is to tell them what a difference God has made in my life.
Mark 5:19
Go home to our own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how He has had mercy on you.
My Place
Each one of us live in a different place in society. Our opportunity of influence is different for everyone.
Church-Only 47% will ever come to a church
Government-Separation of church and state was meant to keep government out of the church.
Sports and activities-Coach those kids to know more than how to play the sport.
Business-Use the opportunities you have to show your workers and customers that God is the one who has placed you where you are and you owe everything to Him.
Media-Use the avenues you have to reach the ones following you with the encouraging word of God.
Family-The decline of the family is reflected in the decline in our society.
1 Peter 3:15
But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason of the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect.
My Passion
God has put in your heart an area that you are passionate about. Your passion causes you to see things differently than other people see them.
Ephesians 4:1-16
As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. 7 But to each one of us grace has been given as Christ apportioned it. 8 This is why it says:
“When he ascended on high,
he took many captives
and gave gifts to his people.”
9 (What does “he ascended” mean except that he also descended to the lower, earthly regions? 10 He who descended is the very one who ascended higher than all the heavens, in order to fill the whole universe.) 11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13 until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ. 14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
If we do what God has called us to do, be the church, be the influence, God has blessings to pour out on you.
Pub 7-16-22