Make Your Influence Count for Eternity

Entrusted: Using What God Has Given

Everything is a gift from God - health, life, salvation, freedom, friends, family, opportunities, gifts, abilities.

God expects you to make the most of the things he gives you.

He expects us to manage them well and to be generous with them.

Series helping us see that we are not owners of what God gives us, but stewards – using what God has given to change lives.

Today, continue to focus on the stewardship of your gift of influence.

Last week: 5 ways of exercising influence: in small ways like smiling at people, by sympathising with people, by serving people, by speaking up for God and for good, by sacrificing.

If we believe our influence is a gift from God then we must maximise using it

Develop, cultivate, expand it.

In Psalm 72, Solomon prays for more influence:

Psalm 72:1-14

Psalm 72:1–14 NLT

Give your love of justice to the king, O God, and righteousness to the king’s son. Help him judge your people in the right way; let the poor always be treated fairly. May the mountains yield prosperity for all, and may the hills be fruitful. Help him to defend the poor, to rescue the children of the needy, and to crush their oppressors. May they fear you as long as the sun shines, as long as the moon remains in the sky. Yes, forever! May the king’s rule be refreshing like spring rain on freshly cut grass, like the showers that water the earth. May all the godly flourish during his reign. May there be abundant prosperity until the moon is no more. May he reign from sea to sea, and from the Euphrates River to the ends of the earth. Desert nomads will bow before him; his enemies will fall before him in the dust. The western kings of Tarshish and other distant lands will bring him tribute. The eastern kings of Sheba and Seba will bring him gifts. All kings will bow before him, and all nations will serve him. He will rescue the poor when they cry to him; he will help the oppressed, who have no one to defend them. He feels pity for the weak and the needy, and he will rescue them. He will redeem them from oppression and violence, for their lives are precious to him.

MESSAGE NOTES

Bless Me with More Influence

Solomon prays that God will:

Make him a wise judge.

Help him bring economic prosperity.

To put fear into oppressors.

Help him reign from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth.

Ensure that desert nomads will bow before him, and his enemies fall at his feet.

Make kings of other nations give him gifts and money.

Make all kings bow before him, and all nations serve him.

Extend his reign to the whole earth.

Doesn’t this all sound a bit egotistical?

Solomon already the richest man in the world.

Most powerful man in the world.

Ran the biggest kingdom in the world - the kingdom of Israel.

Wisest person in the world.

Most influential person in the world.

And he wants more!

Prays for more!

Who does it make you think of?

Don’t want to be too political - but Donald Trump?

Can you imagine him praying a prayer like this?

Can you imagine praying a prayer like this?

Lord, give me supernatural wisdom.

Lord, make me financially rich.

Lord, make my enemies fear you.

Make them fall at my feet.

Make people give me gifts and money.

Give me more wealth, more power, more influence.

It all sounds pretty selfish, until:

Psalm 72:12–14 NLT

He will rescue the poor when they cry to him; he will help the oppressed, who have no one to defend them. He feels pity for the weak and the needy, and he will rescue them. He will redeem them from oppression and violence, for their lives are precious to him.

That’s why Solomon wants to be blessed with more influence.

He wants to speak up for those with no influence.

He wants to use his influence to help the poor, neglected, widowed, orphaned, homeless, helpless.

Prosperity = shalom

Not just economic success, but peace, harmonious wholeness.

Sense of right relationship with a righteous God.

A kingdom where people are holy and righteous people, loyal to God, treat each other fairly and justly, and as a result, society prospers.

Plenty for all, no need for poverty.

He prays to be given the wisdom to exercise power not to attract more power but on behalf of the powerless.

God wants you to do the same

He wants you to be an influential person for good.

He wants TSA to be an army of influential people in our society.

“I don’t have any influence”

I’m not a king.

Not even a leader!

What influence do I have?

Everyone has influence.

You influence people when:

You keep your word. When you do what you say you’d do, even when it costs you something.

Practise being “slow to speak”. When you pause before you speak. Being calm is contagious!

You’re quick to apologise and seek forgiveness. A simple apology has real power.

You are careful about what you watch, what you click on, and what you hide. What you consume shapes your influence.

You live with margin. Choosing to slow down gives you time to notice people not just tasks.

You encourage people.

Choose to bless people rather than be sarcastic to them.

Speak hope in hard moments. Not just clichés but steady presence: You are not alone.

You exercise generous discipleship by giving quietly and regularly, so that it is a habit.

You’re the peacemaker. When you don’t stir things, choose sides, and seek understanding instead.

Refuse to gossip.

Do relationship repair work. When you send the text, make the call, clear the air.

Put your phone down and look people in the eye.

Turn waiting into prayer. Queues, traffic, walking - pray for the people around you.

Notice what others miss - pick up the litter, return the trolley to the trolley park, help without being asked.

Serve with your strengths. Do the admin, help with the cooking, sit and listen to people, give others lifts in your car.

So many opportunities to influence for God and for good.

All he asks is that you start where you are.

Ephesians 5:16 NLT

Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days.

At home

Bless on purpose. Speak one clear sentence of life over each person each day: “I’m proud of how you kept going today.”

The two-minute reset. Before dinner or bed, ask: “What was hard? What was good? Where did you notice God?”

A “peace corner”. A chair, a Bible, a notebook. Anyone can sit there to breathe, pray, or be quiet.

Micro-hospitality. Keep a “spare seat” mindset. I know at least one family in our corps who already practice this! Invite someone into normal life, not a perfect house.

At work

Be the calmest person in the room. Pray before meetings. Then bring peace through your tone and patience.

Raise others in public. Praise colleagues by name when they’re not present. That’s rare. It changes a culture.

The “three asks” habit. “How are you really?” “What’s heavy right now?” “How can I help this week?”

A quiet prayer offer. When someone shares a struggle: “I’ll pray for you. Would you like me to pray now, or later?” (Gentle, not pushy.)

Redemptive excellence. Do your work well, on time, with integrity - especially when nobody is watching.

In your neighbourhood

Be the first to wave. Simple, but it opens doors. Always grateful that walking Harley gives me the perfect excuse to say hello people. No one ever refuses to say hello to a dog walker! Familiarity builds trust.

Sketch your street. Pray for one household a day by name if you know it.

Borrow and return. Ask for help (a ladder, a tool). Returning it with thanks builds real connection.

Amongst friends

Be the friend who remembers. Keep notes. Follow up: “How did that appointment go?”

Start a “good news” rhythm. At meals: “What’s one thing you’re grateful for?” It gently shifts the atmosphere.

Tell short God stories. Not sermons. Thirty seconds: “I was anxious, I prayed, and I felt steadier.”

The honest apology. When you get it wrong, say sorry quickly. Humility has weight.

Choose one friend to mentor. Monthly walk. Ask: “What’s God teaching you? Where do you need courage?”

In social situations

Practice holy curiosity. Ask thoughtful questions. Listen like it matters. Most people feel unseen.

Be the “bridge” person. Introduce people on the edge into the circle. Jesus notices the overlooked.

Carry a “rescue line”. When gossip starts: “I wonder if there’s more to the story.” Then change the subject.

Pray in the car before you arrive. Ask: “Lord, who needs encouragement tonight?”

In your wider community

Do one “invisible good deed” weekly. Leave it anonymous. God shapes your heart through hidden faithfulness.

Skill-based serving. Offer what you already have: CV help, cooking, budgeting, DIY, tutoring, tech support.

Neighbourhood prayer walk with purpose. Not spooky. Just walking, blessing, and noticing needs.

Show the love of God for all people by working for justice and righteousness. Get involved in Community Kitchen or providing a warm space in our Hub Community Cafe.

God’s promise is that if we exercise our influence and seek to maximise it, then he will give you more influence

Psalm 72:6 NLT

May the king’s rule be refreshing like spring rain on freshly cut grass, like the showers that water the earth.

Your influence will be a sweet and spreading fragrance around those you come into contact with.

2 Corinthians 2:14 NLT

But thank God! He has made us his captives and continues to lead us along in Christ’s triumphal procession. Now he uses us to spread the knowledge of Christ everywhere, like a sweet perfume.

Being an influencer for God may seem like an impossible standard to meet

We all struggle to live according to God’s standards and living for our own interests and gains.

We live with a tension between our best intentions and our baser intentions.

Even Solomon both succeeded and failed to live up to his intentions in this psalm.

After all, it is an impossible standard.

Mirroring the justice and mercy of God himself is something no human being can hope to achieve.

At his best, Solomon wanted to reign by God’s definition of justice and mercy, to desire and work for peace, shalom, and to fill the land.

But the world’s agenda - power and honour - is corrupting.

But we remember this psalm isn’t just a dream, or a list of good intentions, it is a prayer.

We pray to be a good influence for God and for good, we pray for more influence, even though we know we will fail to fully live up to the task.

We pray for opportunities for Christ.

And we remember that influence is not about us.

It’s about him.

Prayer

Father, thank you that everything I have is a gift from you.

I confess I have often thought, “I’m not really an influential person.” But you place me where I am for a reason. You call me to bring good into the lives around me, and to point people towards you.

So help me be more intentional each day. Help me to notice people. Help me to smile. Help me to listen well. Help me to show kindness and sympathy. Help me to serve with joy. And when I need to speak up, give me courage and grace.

And if love costs me something, help me not to hold back. Whether it is my time, my money, my comfort, or my privacy - teach me to offer it gladly when it helps someone and honours you.

Lord, take the influence you have already given me, however small it feels, and use it for your purposes. Let my words and actions make a real difference in this world.

Jesus, thank you for giving your life for me. I trust you, and I want my life to reflect your love.

In Jesus’ name, Amen.