Highest and Best Use of Our Influence (2)
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What is influence?
What is influence?
Influence is the state of being persuaded by an external factor.
Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.”
Iron sharpens iron,
and one man sharpens another.
Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise,
but the companion of fools will suffer harm.
These passages show us that we carry with us the ability to impart something meaniful onto the lives of other. I would call this legacy.
Highest and Best use of our Body, Mind and Stuff.
Highest and Best use of our Body, Mind and Stuff.
These things combine together to create our influence. these things can be a blessing over the lives of others or it can be used as an incredibly wicked thing.
these aspects of our lives can be used to manipulate or influence.
The difference between manipulation and influence.
Manipulation carries an negative connataion,
To manipulate someone is to tamper with a persons perspective, point of view our outlook for some kind of personal gain.
(Im guilty of this with my kids) Airplane mode on my phone. What we watch on TV, I cannot sit though one more viewing of Toy Story 3.
To influence someone is to cause an effect on someone without any direct or apparent efforts. An osmosis of exchange
Peter talks about this.
Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.
lets break down that verse
Just by the sight of your good deeds, they glorify God on they day they stand before God.
let take a second and look at something super practical and a little uncomfortable. Trial of Derek Chauvin was found guilty of unintentional second-degree murder, third-degree murder and second-degree manslaughter. Over the span of couple weeks many professional expert witnesses came to testify about the kind of force that was used and what should have been done. Medical examiners came and testified about the cause of death and there was no shortage of experts who had their opinion about this case.
forensic pathologist and former chief medical examiner
use-of-force expert
medical coordinator for the Minneapolis Police Department
professor at the University of South Carolina School of Law/use-of-force expert
cardiologist at Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Chicago
County medical examiner who performed Floyd's
forensic pathologist
physician in forensic medicine
forensic toxicologist
physician specializing in pulmonary and critical care
What stood out to me though is not the cacophony of experts who came together to create an amalgamation of accusations against this police officer. I think what was the most damming testimony was from the personal appeal of bystanders, and family members. these are the testimonies that got the b-roll on the news each night.
A friend who was seen in the vehicle with him.
his younger brother
his girlfriend
5 diffrent bystanders
a gas station cleark
and the guy who ran a cups foods store.
So when peter talks about our conduct mattering. The way in which we handle our selves and our lives as a means to end, he isnt making an asumtion that a group of people, (EVILDOERS) will speak out. No, remember guys, peter is talking to a group of belivers who are dealing with percuciion on the reguler. Hes telling them and reminding them inspite of their stuggle, to honer God, and in that alone, they will cause a ripple effect that will see people come to know Christ.
At the end of my life, I know for certain, the words I say to my children will only be validated by the means in which I live them. If I tell my kids I love them, but do not sacerfice for them. if I tell them to follow me, and yet I do not move forward, if I tell them to serve Christ, and do not serve him myself. I cannot expect them to duplicate that influence into the lives of others.
We are impressionable individual. Studies show that our time on social media and in front of the TV have a very real impact on the way in which we see the world.
Personal expericne tells me that the way in which I live my life has an impact on the way others live theirs.
Today is the last time I will have the pleasure to be with you all in this capacity. Jackie and I are moving to Afton, NY where I will serve with Josh Clink as the pastor of Youth and Music. Josh and I have a crazy history. we have been friends since elementary school. We played football together, partied together, probably drove way to fast together. Matter of fact, at one point we were going to his house from another buddy of ours and he was late so he was flying down the road, and when he got to his house his brakes were smoking hot. I remember standing behind him as his dad grilled him about why it smelled like brakes. A summer later I would come to know Christ, and Josh and I would still hang out.
in 2008 in the basement of public library, josh and I cried as we talked about the gospel and in that basemenet, he came to know Christ. little did Josh know the future that was waiting and the way in which his faith would be tested. A year later his mother after reciving a double lung and heart transplate, would pass away from pneumonia, and I would see this man who at every turn would give honor and praise to the God who redeemed him.
my last thoughts are this. I cannot tell you in all confidence that you are going to graduate highschool in bit and become a successfull buisnessman or woman or a charismatic politician or a author or artist or anything. But I can tell you this, you will have influence over others, and Christ is calling you to use that influecne to impact the lives of others around you.
Jesus leaves this earth saying this.
But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”
Activity -
Activity -
remove one person from the room (preferably someone young)
Tell the remaining individuals that I will be talking to this person and giving them bits of info that are untrue and that the people in the room are the agree with me even if they know it to be false.
This person will be manipulated to Believe that these things are true.
Twist - all of them are true.
- The shortest commercial flight in the world lasts just 57 seconds.
- Elephants can "hear" with their feet.
- You might soon be able to compost yourself in the U.S.
- The world's largest blanket didn't even fit into an indoor arena.
- The coast of France has had "Garfield" phones washing ashore since the 1980s.
- Shakespeare's parents and children were likely illiterate.
- Canadians wanted to rename the Northwest Territories "Bob."
- An adult's blood vessels could circle the equator four times if they were laid end to end.
- If you tried a new variety of apple every day, it would take more than 20 years to try them all.
- A humpback whale was found in the middle of the Amazon rainforest.
- The remains of the inventor of the Pringles can are in a Pringles can. (they used orginal flavor)
- Fergie voiced Charlie Brown's sister, Sally.
- Cotton candy was invented by a dentist.
- A man once ate an entire airplane.