Influence

INFLUENCE

• BRIEFLY TALK ABOUT INFLUENCE AND OUR TESTS WE TOOK LAST WEEK

• ASK IF ANYONE WAS HAPPY ABOUT THERE NUMBERS FROM LAST WEEK

• HAS ANYONE DONE ANYTHING TO CHANGE THEIR DAILY INFLUENCES FROM DAY TO DAY

1 Corinthians 15:33 (NIV)

33 Do not be misled:(A) “Bad company corrupts good character.”

How many of you have or have friends who always seem to be talking you into things? It seems like whenever you talk they are trying to tell you do something…. “why don’t YOU go and ask my mom if I can stay over?” “ Why don’t YOU bring YOUR football to play” “Why don’t YOU give me the answers to the test?” “Why don’t YOU put this in your pocket and walk out of the store.” It always seems like this person is always trying to talk you into doing something, but to whose benefit is it for? Its certainly not your benefit if they are trying to get you to cheat on a test or to steal. It only seems to benefit the person who is trying to manipulate you into doing what they want. Lets give that person a name. That person, we will call him Lucifer or Lucy for you the girls, Luci is just looking out for number one. On the exterior, they are all about you. They are telling you how much fun it would be if you would just do what they say. They are filling your thoughts with doubts and questions. Doubts and questions about things you should already know the answers to, but your letting your uncertainty and lack of positive INFLUENCE control your decision making. Your letting your INFLUENCE speak for you.

Titus 1:10 (NLT)

10 For there are many rebellious people who engage in useless talk and deceive others.

I want to read two Bible stories and I want to show you some things about influence today…

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Genesis 3:1-6 (NIV)

The Fall

3 Now the serpent(A) was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?(B)”

2 The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden,(C) 3 but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’”(D)

4 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman.(E) 5 “For God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God,(F) knowing good and evil.”

6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable(G) for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband,(H) who was with her, and he ate it.

Now everyone pretty much knows this story but I want you to examine it and examine this story as well……

Matthew 4:1-11 (NIV)

Jesus Is Tested in the Wilderness(A)

4 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted[a](B) by the devil.(C) 2 After fasting forty days and forty nights,(D) he was hungry. 3 The tempter(E) came to him and said, “If you are the Son of God,(F) tell these stones to become bread.”

4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’[b]”(G)

5 Then the devil took him to the holy city(H) and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. 6 “If you are the Son of God,”(I) he said, “throw yourself down. For it is written:

“‘He will command his angels concerning you,

and they will lift you up in their hands,

so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’[c]”(J)

7 Jesus answered him, “It is also written: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’[d]”(K)

8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 “All this I will give you,” he said, “if you will bow down and worship me.”

10 Jesus said to him, “Away from me, Satan!(L) For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’[e]”(M)

11 Then the devil left him,(N) and angels came and attended him.

Now in the first story Satan talked Adam and Eve into doing something they were told not to do. Eve ate the fruit that the serpent told her to eat and she then shared the fruit with Adam. Satans influence corrupted Eves heart and she influenced Adam into one big horrible mess. Now did it benefit Adam and Eve to eat the fruit? NO …Satan is the father of lies and deception. He knew there would be consequences for disobeying God. He just wanted to cause destruction. Now lets fast forward a lot to Matthew. Satan tries to do the same thing with Jesus! Satan tries to INFLUENCE Jesus by talking him into problems and out of his promises. Satan had to influence with words and lies. Since he has no authority over us, his main “attack” is for us to be influenced, to hand over our promises.