The Power Of Influence

SLIDE: 2 Timothy 1:1-5 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the will of God, according to the promise of life which is in Christ Jesus, 2 To Timothy, my dearly beloved son: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. 3 I thank God, whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience, that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day; 4 Greatly desiring to see thee, being mindful of thy tears, that I may be filled with joy; 5 When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.

OPENING

What is influence?

Influence is the ability of a person to compel others to think, feel or behave in a specific manner.

ILLUST: Tyler and Courtney's Message to their Mother for Mother's Day

Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”

Mom, thank you for helping us embrace our future. We would not have chased our dreams if it wasn’t for your support each step of the way.

Through every set back, struggle, or unexpected twist, you have encouraged us to press on and persevere.

You supported us even before we knew what our dreams were as you painstakingly helped us with things like sight words or long division.

Most importantly, you taught us the importance of having spiritual dreams and necessity of making our relationship with God the very center of our future.

Thank you so much for helping us to become the individuals that we are today.

We both love you more than words can say.

Each of us are continuously being bombarded by people and things trying to influence us.

• Companies want us to purchase their products or visit their business through

o Billboards; Junk mail; Radio; Newspaper

• Doctors try to influence us to take care of ourselves

• Traffic signs/Police

• Employer

• Politicians

• The list goes on, but how about…

o Grandmother/Grandfather

o Mother/Father

o Yes, Even your Pastor! I hope and pray that my message today will influence you in a positive way and encourage you in your walk with the Lord!

INFLUENCE IN TIMOTHY’S LIFE

1. Influence Inside of Family (His Grandmother, Mother and His Father)

Paul wrote to Timothy, “I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that in thee also.”

But we read something else in scripture that is very important concerning influence in Timothy’s life.

SLIDE: In Acts 16:1 Luke wrote. “Then came he (Paul) to Derbe and Lystra: and, behold, a certain disciple was there, named Timotheus, the son of a certain woman, which was a Jewess, and believed; but his father was a Greek:”

Luke says Timothy’s father was a Greek indicating he was most likely an unbeliever.

In 2 Timothy, Paul mentions Timothy’s grandmother and mother but doesn’t mention his father, which further suggests that his father was either not saved, or was no longer alive.

So, it’s very possible that in addition to having the influence of a godly grandmother and mother, Timothy also may have had the influence of an unsaved and ungodly father.

DIVIDED HOMES ARE NOT NEW TO OUR TIME AND CULTURE AND WE KNOW THE EFFECTS OF THEM!

Lois and Eunice are both Grecian, and heathen names. We are led to conclude that, although Timothy’s mother was a Jewess according to Luke, she was Grecian by birth.

• Lois, Timothy’s grandmother, appears to have been the first one to convert to Christianity

• Her life influenced her daughter Eunice, and both attempted to raise Timothy in the Christian faith;

Because of the influence of Timothy’s mother and grandmother, he had a general knowledge of Christianity before meeting Paul at Lystra, but apparently had not yet been baptized or filled with the Holy Spirit.

WE HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO BE GODLY INFLUENCES IN THE LIVES OF THOSE IN OUR FAMILY!

WE MAY NOT SEE THEM SAVED BY OUR INFLUENCE ALONE, BUT WE CAN PLANT THE SEEDS OF FAITH!

2. The Influence Outside of Family (Paul)

It appears that it was the apostle Paul that was the ultimate person that led Timothy to Christ.

1 Timothy 1:1-2 Paul, an apostle of Jesus Christ by the commandment of God our Saviour, and Lord Jesus Christ, which is our hope; 2 Unto Timothy, my own son in the faith: Grace, mercy, and peace, from God our Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.

There were many influences in Timothy’s life, both godly and ungodly.

His mother and grandmother planted the seeds of faith. The Apostle Paul watered those seeds and Jesus Christ brought the increase that empowered him to surrender his life to the Lord!