Created To Influence: Utilizing God’s Gifts To Influence

Introduction

Last week we learned that since we have been made in God’s image and we are the crown of his creation, we were created with the capacity and responsibility to influence.

Tonight, we will focus on the specific gifts that God has given each one of us to enable us to influence others for his kingdom.

The three gifts God has freely chosen to give us to influence others for his glory are. . .

Freedom.

Relationships.

Creativity.

Key Point: Through the gifts of freedom, relationships, and creativity, God has equipped us with the tools we need to influence others to follow Jesus.

We discover the bestowal of these gifts in Genesis 2:15-24, which is where we will be tonight.

1. Freedom (Genesis 2:15-17).

Genesis 2:15–17 ESV

15 The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. 16 And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

When you think about the word “freedom” how would you define it?

How does the world define freedom?

Being able to do whatever you want with no consequences.

But is this really freedom. . . or is it enslavement?

To understand freedom and use it to influence others, we must know how God defines freedom.

Freedom must be seen as gift. . . Freedom is not something we should feel entitled to.

In Genesis 2:16-17, God articulates three distinguishing components of how we should understand the gift of freedom. . .

1. Respect

Freedom has a respect for God’s authority and his words.

“And the LORD God commanded man, saying. . .”

2. Responsibility

Freedom takes responsibility to stay within the boundaries outlined by the words of God.

“Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat. . .”

3. Consequences

Freedom understands the consequences for crossing the stated boundaries.

“for in the day you eat of it you shall surely die. . .”

Freedom is the ability to do what we were created to do. . . glorify and enjoy God by obeying his commands.

Understanding our freedom is essential to making moral and God-honoring decisions.

Our influence is thoroughly affected by our decision making, so the ability to make decisions rightly is part of a bridge to healthy leadership.

2. Relationships (Genesis 2:18, 21-24).

Genesis 2:18 ESV

18 Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”

It was not good for Adam to be alone. . . not because he was “lonely” and just needed companionship. . . but because he did not have anyone to help him fulfill God’s command to “work and keep” the garden (v. 15).

It was impossible for Adam to fulfill God’s command to “multiply and fill the earth and have dominion over it” without a helpmate that was made different from him but also corresponding to him.

Eve was Adam’s equal, but called to lead in a different role than Adam as his helper.

But, they both needed one another and could not obey God’s command to work and keep the garden apart from one another.

Genesis 2:21–24 ESV

21 So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and while he slept took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. 22 And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. 23 Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man.” 24 Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

God made us for relationships and to depend upon others to fulfill his mission.

God created us as relational beings because he is relational within the Godhead, and we are made in his image.

These verses describe the relationship of the first marriage and family.

The family is connected with leadership because families are the original creators of culture.

“Culture is both a ‘hear and now’ dynamic phenomenon and a coercive background structure that influences us in multiple ways. . . When we are influential in shaping the behavior and values of others, we think of that as ‘leadership.’” -Edgar H. Schein

Our values and behaviors are shaped by our relationships with others.

These values and behaviors then create the culture that we live in the ‘here and now.’

Therefore, the gift of relationships enables us with the capacity to form and shape culture. . . this ability to form and shape culture is essential to any leader.

3. Creativity (Genesis 2:19-20).

Do you think we all have creative ability?

Even if you don’t think you are creative, the truth is that God has created all of us with imaginations to create things for his glory to influence others.

We were made to be creative because we are made in the image of a creative God.

Finally, as we indicated above, we can wholeheartedly enjoy creative activities (artistic, musical, athletic, domestic, literary, etc.) with an attitude of thanksgiving that our Creator God enables us to imitate him in our creativity.

Wayne Grudem

Genesis 2:19–20 ESV

19 Now out of the ground the Lord God had formed every beast of the field and every bird of the heavens and brought them to the man to see what he would call them. And whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. 20 The man gave names to all livestock and to the birds of the heavens and to every beast of the field. But for Adam there was not found a helper fit for him.

God knows all things. . .

Isaiah 46:9–10 ESV

9 remember the former things of old; for I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me, 10 declaring the end from the beginning and from ancient times things not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will accomplish all my purpose,’

But simply wanted Adam to use his creativity to accomplish the task of naming the animals.

God wants us to use our imagination in creative ways to obey his commands to glorify and enjoy him.

By utilizing the gift of creativity properly in the context of God’s creation through obeying his commands, we can influence others for God’s kingdom.

We can show God’s creativity and beauty when we create beautiful things.

The joy we bring to others through our creativity should point them to worship the one true Creator.

So, God has given us the gifts of freedom, relationships, and creativity to influence others to follow Jesus. . . but. . . are we actually doing this? Are we actually utilizing these gifts properly?

The Misuse of Gifts (Genesis 3:1-7).

Genesis 3:1–7 (ESV)

1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” 2 And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3 but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’ ” 4 But the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die. 5 For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

6 So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. And they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loincloths.

God gave us the gifts of freedom, relationships, and creativity to use for his glory. . . but unfortunately, we have chosen to use them for our own glory instead.

From Genesis 3, we see three ways we misuse God’s gifts. . .

1. Pride

Adam and Eve rejected God’s goodness and authority over their lives and did not respect or obey God’s word.

They disregarded the responsibility to execute freedom within the good boundaries God designed.

They disregarded the consequences God gave them and believed their version of freedom had none.

Since the Fall, we no longer have the freedom to obey God and live for him.

Instead, we are enslaved to our sin and it is impossible for us to please God (Romans 8:6-8).

2. Selfishness

Instead of depending on one another to work and protect the garden, Adam and Eve thought only of themselves.

Adam sat idly by and watched his wife be deceived by the serpent.

Eve forsook her husbands guidance and wisdom and listened to her own desires because she believed she did not need Adam.

Since the Fall, we no longer use the gift of relationships because we want to be independent and live for ourselves instead of working with and alongside others.

3. Wasteful

Instead of creatively using the gifts and the roles God had given Adam to lead and Eve to help in obeying God’s commands. . . they wasted God’s gifts and did not utilize them.

Instead of glorifying God with their creative gifts, they sought to glorify themselves.

Since the Fall, we no longer use our gift of creativity to magnify the Lord, but seek to use his gifts to magnify us instead.

The Perfect Use of Gifts

Jesus used his freedom to obey God perfectly.

John 17:4 “I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do.”

Through repentance and faith in Christ, we can be set free from sin and have the power and freedom to make wise and God-honoring decisions to influence others for Jesus.

Galatians 5:1 “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.”

Jesus utilized the gift of relationships.

He invested his life in service to others.

Through repentance and faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit will give us the power to serve others and surround ourselves with wise counselors.

Philippians 2:3–7 ESV

3 Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. 4 Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. 5 Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 6 who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men.

Jesus used his creativity and imagination to glorify the Father and point people to God.

When Jesus healed and performed miracles, he always gave glory to God and people worshipped God as a result.

Through repentance and faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit will give us the power to utilize our creativity to glorify God and not ourselves.

Matthew 5:16 “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.”

1 Corinthians 10:31 “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

Application

Freedom

Establish guardrails in your decision making that equip you to consistently choose what is right so that your decisions will influence others for Jesus.

Decision Making Guide.

Relationships

Know that you were not made to be autonomous. . . but were made to depend on God and others.

Surround yourself with godly friendships.

Without counselors, our plans will fail but an abundance of counselors brings success, safety, and victory (Proverbs 11:14; 15:22; 24:6).

Don’t settle for popularity over purpose.

Your friends will determine the direction and quality of your life.

“The next best thing to being wise oneself is to live in the circle of those who are wise.” -C.S. Lewis

Creativity

Use your creativity and imagination to make a big deal about Jesus!

Always give God the praise and glory for your accomplishments.

Utilize your skills to create opportunities to share the gospel and make disciples with others.

God has not called us to influence others and then left us to figure it out on our own. . . rather, being made in his image, he has equipped us with the gifts of freedom, relationships, and creativity to influence others for his glory.

The question is. . . will we trust in Jesus to utilize these gifts properly, or will we trust in ourselves and misuse these gifts for our glory?