The Power of Influence

Reverend Melissa Williams McLain

Scripture: Ruth 1:14-16

Topic: The Power of Influence

This is the day that the Lord has made let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Oh, magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together.

Giving Honor to my God, who is the strength of my life.

I want to thank Pastor Stevens for giving me another opportunity to stand behind this sacred desk in her absence.

To Minister Grace, the CJAYA family, online worshippers, visitors, and friends, I greet you with Jesus' joy.

Scripture: Ruth 1:16

But Ruth replied, “Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.

PRAY:

Today, church, we are living in a time in which we are heavily influenced. We are influenced by:

1. Culture – 1990’s their was a saying that was put on a braclet

• WWJD- “What would Jesus Do.”

• Culture changes every so often, and whatever the latest things that come into the culture, we all are influenced.

• We went from having one television in our homes, to having a television in every room.

• We went from having a 13” TV to a 70” flat-screen TV.

• One of the latest in sayings in our culture is “Life is lifeing.” Lifeing is not even a word, but we are influenced by our culture.

Not only are we influenced by our culture, but we are also influenced by our families.

2. Family – We are influenced by our families from the first day we’re born and throughout adulthood.

Does anybody remember growing up when your parents disciplined you, and under your breath, you said to yourself, when I grow up, I’m never going to treat my children like this. Then, the very thing we said we weren’t going to do, we caught ourselves doing.

• We said it as our parents said it; we gestured the same way, with the same mannerisms, and the same accent WORDS.

• Anybody tell their children, “This is going to hurt me more than it hurt you.”

• “Do AS I SAY and NOT AS I DO”

• “I BOUGHT YOU IN THIS WORLD AND I WILL TAKE YOU OUT”

• Has anybody ever heard their family members say, “WHAT HAPPENS IN THIS HOUSE STAYS IN THIS HOUSE.”

THIS IS THE POWER OF INFLUENCE.

Today, I would like to tag this text “THE POWER OF INFLUENCE.”

DEFINITION OF INFLUENCE:

The power to change or affect someone or something—especially the power to cause changes without directly forcing those changes to happen.

The power of Influence can lead someone in a positive way or a negative way.

BACKGROUND

That’s what happens in the Book of Ruth, chapter 1. The setting is Bethlehem-Judah. The judges ruled Israel, and families there were suffering from a famine. The family lifted in this text is a man named Elimelech, his wife Naomi, and their sons, Mahlon and Chilion. To escape the famine, they moved to Moab. Once there, Elimelech died, and Naomi was left with her sons.

Mahlon and Chilion later married a woman from Moab. After 10 years, Mahlon and Chilion died also. Leave all three women alone with no husband and no financial support. Naomi’s heart is broken; in a short period of time, her family has been wiped out, and her daughter-in-law is wondering what to do next.

• Naomi heard that the Lord had visited Bethlehem, Judah, and blessed the people. In other words, the famine was over in their hometown.

• Naomi decides to return home, and on her way, she begins to plant the seed of influence.

• Naomi says, to Orpah and Ruth (VERSE 8 NLT)) “Go back to your mother’s home. And may the Lord reward you for your kindness to your husbands and to me.

• While traveling back to Judah Naomi says to her daughter-in-laws

• I’m too old to marry and have more sons for you to marry.

• Return to your mother’s home and find rest. She kissed them and cried.

• Orpah returned to her mother’s home, but Ruth said:

“Don’t ask me to leave you and turn back. Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God.

Ruth was influenced by Naomi in a powerful way:

Although Naomi had nothing to offer Ruth for this level of loyalty.

1. Ruth surrendered her family,

2. Ruth surrendered her Identity as a Moabitess

3. Ruth surrendered her religious practices

This is the power of Influence.

POINT 1-3

1. Influenced to leave her family

2. Influenced to leave the familiar (Idolatry practices) of her faith

3. Influenced to seek new spiritual freedom with GOD

INFLUENCE COMES IN MANY WAYS:

What was it that made RUTH stay with NAOMI?

Maya Angelou said it this way:

• That people will forget what you said.

• People will forget what you did,

• But they will never forget how you make them feel.

Family members don’t always understand when you are experiencing something they have not.

• So Maybe Ruth stayed with NAOMI because she loved her, she was loyal to her, and they could lean on one another. (going through the same thing)

We must remember that the POWER OF INFLUENCE LIVES ON AFTER WE DIE.

Story was told:

• A famous attorney had an alcohol problem. Every day he would go to a bar to get a drink and go to work a little bit lit.

• 1 day he left his home on the way to the bar and it was lightly snowing just enough snow to show his footprints.

• As he was about to enter the bar, he saw out of his peripheral vision his 10-year-old son stepping into his footprints.

• He picked his son up and ran home, took him to the basement, fell to his knees and cried out JESUS SAVE ME! Les my footprints will lead my son straight to HELL with ME.

WE MUST REMEMBER WE ARE INFLUENCERS everywhere we go.

QUESTIONS:

Would your kids have a better chance of being saved if you weren’t their parents?

We see it every day. Our children are out of control because they have been watching us!

• Students go to school disrespecting teachers because parents go to the school and disrespect teachers.

• BOYS wear their pants hanging off their behinds because their parents wear their pants off their behinds.

• Children learn to drink alcohol because they’ve watched their parents, family, and friends drink alcohol.

People learn to use curse words because they are influenced by someone, music, TV, classmates, friends, associates, or enemies.

• We must learn to use the POWER OF INFLUENCE TO REACH THE LOST.

• EUNICE AND LOIS INFLUENCED TIMOTHY

• MOSES INFLUENCED THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL

• DAVID WAS AN INFLUENCER

• PAUL WAS AN INFLUENCER

• THE PROPHETS WERE INFLUENCERS

• LAST AND CERTAINLY NOT LEAST, THERE is A MAN who is the original INFLUENCER. He took 12 people in 33 years, influenced many to come, leave their practices of this world, and seek the LORD while He could still be found.

• HE IS THE ORIGINAL INFLUENCER, What’s his name, JESUS. What’s HIS NAME, JESUS? WHAT’s HIS NAME JESUS?

• USE YOUR POWER OF INFLUENCE to CHANGE SOMEONE’s LIFE!!!!!

• Tell them Romans 3:23 FOR ALL HAVE SINNED, and COME SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD.

• Tell them Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of GOD is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord

• Tell them Romans 10:9 If you confess with your mouth the LORD JESUS, and believe in your heart that GOD raised Jesus from the dead, you shall be saved.

FOR WHAT DOES A MAN IT PROFIT, IF HE GAIN THE WHOLE WORLD, AND LOSE HIS OWN SOUL?

USE YOUR DOOR OF OPPORTUNITY IS OPEN TO USE YOUR POWER OF INFLUENCE TO LEAD SOMEONE TO CHRIST.