Power of Influence

so I want to start off um with a uh just a thought um and we're going to be talking today uh for the next this this entire month we're going to be talking about influence influence um and what that means um and we're going to talk about uh good influences and and you know we have to touch on bad influences as well uh those things that we want to try to stay away from the things that we want but um I uh I asked the media that I've got a series of lessons that that I've had for several years and and I have little clips that that go along with those lessons and I asked the media to do this real for me do you have that key up back there is the okay he's got to make sure something's turned on so as as he as they're getting that ready though um you know we have many influences in our life how many you can say that there has been somebody that's influenced your life and when we say the word influence we mean and this is the definition of that is the capacity or the ability to have the effect on a character the character or development or behavior of somebody or thing um it it is the ability to actually um and and I don't like to use this word very much and we probably won't use it a whole lot in this but uh how many you ever heard of manipulation um that is a very very strong and it is a very powerful thing and uh we have to understand Spirits behind that as well so um and and we won't weade off into that of course many of you know that we we like to uh we like I like to study and I like to study about uh how the spirit flows and because we are a spirit filled church amen am I the Holy Ghost filled church and we we understand that the Holy Ghost leads us and it guides us but um are we ready all righty then I want you to look at this it's only about 40 seconds what causes us to make decisions in life we think the answer is obvious people know what's good for them they weigh their options and make a rational decision when a waiter in a diner asks you if you'd like to order dessert after a meal the answer is easy my belly isn't full plus I love sweets equals of course I'd like dessert yeah in other words you make your own decisions but what if there's four other people sitting at the table with you and each of them already said no thank you and asked if they would like dessert do you change your answer what causes us to make decisions in life we think the answer is obvious that's okay you can turn it but I want you to think about that um you know if you were making the a decision yourself what what you would normally do but then you have somebody that is around you in your life uh that is making other decisions um it it was uh there was a case study done on even this even goes outside of U of humans this will go into animals they even did this with this was done with bugs um they actually did studies that showed that these bugs that when the bugs were watched while they were while they were trying to race bugs that the bugs ran faster than if you weren't if you were just recording them it was it was interesting um but but they they've taken and done these studies based upon the the influence that that we have and that others have on us and and I think it's it's very unique that we as we as humans can be influenced if I was to ask you um I I will have to say this I've never been under influence driving okay that's never happened in my life but I've been around that and and been a part of of what that consist of and and uh my sister one time um she was driving one of my old cars that I had and uh the seat was just Rocky in that the seat was was Rocky and so she actually got pulled over for speeding the officer walks up to her car and and she rolls the window down and when she goes to roll the window down the whole seat kind of did this and so she she fell against the door needless to say you can guess what happened after that he starts asking all of these questions ma'am are you under the influence because it's something that alters uh what we would normally be doing um Solomon puts it this way Solomon did uh he he warns people in the scripture in Proverbs we find this all through the proverb but we've got a couple of scripture I want to read today um Solomon writes this in Proverbs 22 verse 24 and 25 says this make no friendship with an angry man friendship a an acquaintance uh uh somebody that you consider a friend is not somebody that you just see you know once in a blue moon right I mean we've got friends that that are away from us that we consider friends but but I think he was talking about somebody that you talk to on a regular basis a friend he says make no friendship with an angry man or what is that other guy he's wrathful he is he is overwhelmed with anger that he's doing things erratic says don't go that way and the reason for it is verse 23 says this Les you learn his ways and you get this snare in your spirit in your soul when something is done in patterns for a period of time in front of you over a period of time you begin to take on those characteristics don't you I I I think it's very important that as we go through these lessons uh this this month that we take we take note of what the scripture actually has to say about influences and those we influence and those that we have that are that are being influenced by what we do um I'm going to try and stay on this narrow path that I I have I have put myself in because I can chase rabbits okay so we're going to use this as a working training for me but the power of influence is that that we we have a lot of a lot of times we have an understanding and and it's very important that we have people in our life that are wise right right they're wise Proverbs 13: 20 says this he that walketh with wise men shall be what but he but the ones that have these people that he's with all the time there his they they're with him and that particular word means that you're beside them all the time with fools guess what happens to him destroys him companionships is a great that that that is a powerful word um it's a very powerful word to be in companionship with someone and and you and I would look at it as husband and wife or some other type of companionship in maybe work um but there's somebody that you spend a lot of time with Paul is not only Solomon but Paul and different ones in the Bible talk about about this in the scripture Paul talks about it as being in Bad Company when you're a part and you're you're in Bad Company when you have people around you and you're in Bad Company you you're going to do evil things um I I think it's very very important for all of us to really take note of the fact that that we can be influenced by many things um just not many weeks ago um I sat down with u with a device and it wasn't my iPad because I don't use it for anything but but work and church uh but with a device that I carry around in my pocket and I I have to I have to admit this okay but I had a lot of uh I was doing an update on my phone and the update told me says you don't have enough room to do this told me that I had too many apps there was too many things on my phone I said how in the world and I got to look in I pulled up the managing side of it and got to looking in my goodness I had all these app and I said I don't use that and I don't use that I don't use that this right here is past time this is past time you know and I got to looking at all of these things that I had downloaded as far as you know I don't know it was something punch on a little screw and it comes out and move it over here I somebody understood that but but I got to looking at all of the things that I was allowing and and okay now now you get me we're preaching to ourselves today but I got to looking at all of the things that I had on my device that was just just for Pastime and in order for me to do my my upgrade or whatever it was that they were doing to it and I get scared of those you know really I had to delete some things and so a as I'm preparing this these lessons I'm I start thinking about that Pastor and I start thinking about the things that are in my life that I think sometimes we need to have a delete we need to take some things out of it the things that we have that influences us that we really don't think a whole it robs us of time if nothing else it takes away time and you know that's something you can't get back it robs us of things that that we could be doing and we could be preparing more lessons or preparing more time with God or just quiet time with the Lord I think it's very important that we look at a few things and I I I want us to look um if you have your Bibles again open up to uh Deuteronomy the 12th chapter verse 31 there there is some lessons to be learned here um before we read this is Israel has been given um been given a promise been given some things of the Lord and and God's telling them if you will go in and possess the land if you'll go and do what I've asked you to do that that I am going to give you everything that you have that I I want you to have this and I want to say this at the onet of this is there's things that God wants us to have but the enemy has robbed us of that just simply by influencing us through the things that we have in this world he has robbed us of it but this lesson right here of what Israel can teach us I want you to look at the scripture somebody read this for us Israel is said they are told to go to Canaan they're going they go in there to possess the land they're to go there and to take over and Slaughter everything get rid of everything I mean have yourself a bonfire is basically what God was telling them we need you to just just wipe it all out because I've got some things that I want to share with you I've got some things that I promise you but the scripture here this scripture right here kind of leads us back into what really took place is Israel begins to you know down the street from us we've allowed a Canaanite to live there may I tell it in a story form we've allowed a Canaanite to to live there and you know he worships a different God but that's okay it's all right and then before long the Canaanite down the road he he's having a block party down there and I'm invited and what is our very first thought of this man they invited me they invited me so they must be wanting some of Jesus right and so it gets time to go down there and I go down there and I am there with them we're having this party and we're having barbecue them knowing that I'm Israelite they I'm not going that direction but they pull out all and then it gets prayer time okay it's prayer time and they decide they want to pull out the little carpets and different little things that they do to worship with and they pull them out and I'm in the same presence it's not long until my children that I've carried down there they want to go play with with those children over there well that's that's nice let's let them go play and it's not long before your children are bringing these little statues and little things from well this is what those Canaanite people gave me this is what those people down the road gave me and and they they bring this back home and it's not long until it becomes a a focal point in their own home they have allowed because we can see by the scripture that they even start slaughtering for themselves and they start doing things for themselves in the same fashion they start shedding blood and they start shedding the scripture says innocent blood we find this Psalms 106 would you turn there with us Psalms 106 34 through 38 would you turn there somebody start reading that would you uhhuh next verse huh next verse go ahead listen to this out inoc look at this folks something that in we're talking about influence we're talking about influence because you fail to do what God has asked of you these people begin to be influenced by what they had around them and before long not only is Mom Dad starting to indulge then children are starting to indulge and I I want you to get this whole picture of what's taking place here is we live in a world that would love and I know we're here and we fear God we do everything we can to save our children but I want to ask you this question your children are we are we allowing them are we giving them opportunity to be influenced by something else think about it are we are we allowing them to do things that no it may not be harmful to us in our eyes right now but is it going to steal something from them that will cause eternity be stolen think about this now I I I want you to I want you to to to picture this um Hayden come here we'll try to stay over here because we don't have a cameraman and uh that means that that they they want to be able to see you online okay I know it's between that light and that light so we're we're in good spot right now so I've got I've got Hayden and I'm gonna let I'm gonna let you be the good guy okay okay all right you can be the good guy and and I have something let's just say it's a it's a device that will cause a cause a lot of damage okay and name it what you want a grenade let's do that it and and I take this grenade and I lay this grenade let's do this this is the grenade okay I'm gonna lay it right there and Hayden you and I are just we're just talking about life and talking about all all of those things that happen in life and I've just placed that grenade what is your first thoughts and you know that's a grenade first why would you do that and then take it and run that way you're gonna run you're gonna run right yeah and and and here's here's what I want I want you to get is because this is this is something that's harmful you see proximity Is is your in your best interest if you get away from it proximity has a lot to do with the impact right whether it be positive or negative proximity Is is in your best interest to where know where you're at what's around you so my very first we we've got that here and I know that this is going to be something that destroys you but you are wise enough to know that that's going to hurt me and so you take and you run you you create a distance between you and that why because I'm getting ready ready it if I if I'm out there it's not going to affect me as much as if I'm right here making putting that distance between you and it you you have got to we've got to learn that when bad things start happening and bad influences start taking place you put distance between you and it yes you you make your you know I've had people in my life that I called friends and you know and there was distance that was put between us why because at that point in time I realized that this is not a friendship that I want I'll still call you my friend but it's not something I want in my life 247 why because I realize and that that is the beauty of understand in what the spirit does for us is God help me to understand you see proximity and that would be one of the key words tonight proximity Is is in your interest to know where is that danger where is it at what what is it that's going to if it's going to hurt me I am going to do my best to put a distance between me and it we must learn and and and I'll be honest with you that is that is that is an art that is an art that is something that that we all must learn is is what is it that that is affecting me what is it I don't know about you but when I get heavy and I get I get burdened about things and things start happening to me I'm immediately taking evaluate I'm evaluating everything around me I I want to know there's something that is causing me to feel this way it could be something or somebody and I'm going to do my best to distance myself God help us you see that was one of the problems that Israel had was they they they were too close they were too close to it not only was they too they were they too close but they also they they started respecting that they started looking up to that they started looking at it and and started saying well hey we can just integrate this into our lives let it become a part of us folks there there is nothing that can replace the presence of God nothing there is nothing that you can do that will replace that feeling that you felt in his presence nothing here's here's one right here Proverbs 22 verse1 Proverbs 22 and verse one I I know this that probably some of you can quote this but this was something that uh my dad and uh more than likely he will watch this at some point hi Dad um but my dad this is one of the scriptures that he would teach me somebody let's read it together a good name yes Sil and gold a good name is rather to be chosen than great riches one one of the things that would what my dad would drive home to me is is son you don't forget that whatever you do you're carrying my name and and I think that could be said about the Lord Jesus that you are representing him and when you do things that is unpleasing to him it brings a reproach upon him it it it brings it brings things out to oh well he was you know he's one of those you know it's interesting how that uh you can do good do good do good and the first time you do something wrong isn't that something it it it's amazing how that that happens it just oh man you're done your reputation I I think it's it's very important that we keep a good name about us Peter one of those that Jesus is walking along the sea line and he sees these men fishing and he's walking along the shoreline and they they they have they have fished all night caught nothing really frustrated about what they're doing have you ever been frustrated with life and and just don't know what to do next and Jesus looks at them in the Book of Luke the fth chapter Jesus looks at them and says hey guys cast your nets out again cast them on the other side scripture said that that net and and there was this guy named Peter that really was frustrated remember that guy have you ever been that guy he was frustrated and he he's like yes let's go ahead and do it through them Nets over scripture said that they filled up Peter at that point in verse 8 he looks at the Lord and he say says I Lord turn away I'm a sinful man says I'm a sinful man I I I've done wrong but we later find out this three and a half years that Jes Jesus has called them out of out of what they were doing and says come follow me I I'm going to make you Fishers of Men He they're following him for three and a half years they spent time with Jesus right they have spent spent time with Jesus and Jesus has poured into them now that proximity that influence all of that that Jesus was pouring into them Peter's Peter's mind's made up he says Lord I'll go wherever you want me to go just tell me what I'm supposed to say just tell me what I'm supposed to do and and that that's the difference between what God can do in the middle of a frustrating life and what's going on in your life and all of the things that's happening in your life and you get under the influence of An Almighty God and he begins to do a work inside of you and he changes all of that he changes it all he he brings things back to life in you how many you ever remember how many how many you have been in the Holy you been with the Lord Walking with God had the Holy Ghost a long time and I'm not going to say I'm not going to say how long cuz we start looking at gray hair then but you've been walking for the Lord walking with the Lord a long time how many remember the night that you Reed the Holy Ghost oh yes amen how many you can say that that night you be you were influenced yes you came under influence that night and it was something that you could not explain and you'll never go back to that how many of you have been living for the Lord just a few years a year or so got some how many you remember the night that God filled you with the Holy Ghost of the morning do you remember that can you say you were under the influence God was doing a work inside of you and you felt that under the influence of the Holy Ghost choose to be influenced by the that truth washing away cleansing your of those foolish things asking God to infill you with his Spirit asking him to empower you how many you know that when the Holy Ghost comes inside of you you're empowered and so in saying that when we begin to be a part of this world that we're in may I ask you a question are they influencing you or are you influencing them we must surround ourselves with good people we must surround ourselves with wise people people that that we know that will not steer us wrong let the Holy Ghost lead you to those people that can influence you I have asked uh years ago I asked the Lord said God put put those people in my life there were men and women in my life that that influenced me just recently walking through some of the processes of uh my my grandmother's journey and and Pastor I think you inspired me when you started talking about the pictures that you had found and so we started making some notes and and I've asked uh my dad you know he's getting right there around the 80 Mark and he's he's got all these these things and and he's got all these things of my mother's and I'm asking okay I I I've got to put this stuff together because I've got children that are coming up and and so um and and again Pastor inspired me to do this but I I I was thinking about that Journey that my my grandmother took my great grandmother um I shared a little bit with pastors is there was there was this sheep Barn that um they went in her and her sister went in and they started cleaning this old sheep barn out it was a little shotgun actually it was a Barrack that came off of a military uh base and they had turned it into a sheep born but it it they cleaned it out because sheep were no longer there but they scraped it all out and they started having prayer meeting because my grandmothers and her sister thought that would be a perfect place for a church for that community and so they began to pray they just having prayer meeting and know before long there was a few more ladies that joined having prayer and and uh all of them were women praying and then they had a what they call a circuit preacher that came through and and he only was there x amount of time you know and then he would make his round to another and then he'd come back through and it was one of those things and and and all of these all of these valuable things that I began to think about how that in the influence of that one and the influence of this one and one of the old one of the old ministers that went through there was a man by the uh by the name of Red Turner and he was one of those one of those uh those guys that that hundreds of people knew about uh after after he'd done past hey he was he was here and you know in the 40s and you know they they talked about those things and I thought about the influence after influence after influence and then as we began to put all those things together uh my grandmother was having this prayer meeting and uh my mother was born what they called blue baby she was she was dead they literally put her over on the side but sister Nona Freeman was she was an actual nurse at that time and she went over to that table where my mother was laying and began to pray and dip her in cold water hot water and pray the doctor kept telling leave that baby alone just leave that baby alone she came she kept back and forth back and forth finally my my mother came too so if there's any mental problems here you can see where all that came from but they began to she began to talk and so sister Freeman being who she was and many people know her as a missionary but at that time she was just a young nurse she needed to go pray somewhere too and so she goes out to this old sheep Barn prays with my grandmother you know and and we're talking about influence after influence years later I'm in Bible school and I'm standing in Pasadena at a church and I am frustrated want to go home I'm done don't want no more of this and that night sister Freeman was speaking and she walked and I'll never forget it the platform kind of went in us at sort of a half moon and I'm standing over here I I'm just saying God I'm I'm really going through the routines here I have to admit this to you because I I was at one of those points in my life I just really was I didn't want to go back to school didn't she walked over to that side she didn't know who I was and she started speaking into my life she started telling me she said she she said you were called she began to talk about how that from my mother's womb she was and I'm like wow you know and she I knew who she was she didn't really know who I was but she was speaking into my life I'll never forget the night that I turned around and walked away and I said God if there was ever a night you spoke to me you spoke to me we're talking about influence one thing after another influences after another folks you just don't know who you're teaching and who you're reaching you don't know the people that you are reaching for you see we've got we've got to understand something is those little things like that the things that are dropped into our lives those things affect our children and our children's children you may have wanted to give up but that prayer meeting came along where you knelt at an altar your child was over there watching you pray he or she sees you praying and there there's something that's going on in that child's life he's being and she's being developed and they see that it's called influence what a powerful tool that we have in our hands what a powerful tool I I hope you get what I'm talking about tonight is these are things that that changes lives they they they're not just there for us and at the on the same token I want you understand this is it could be used wrong too God help me to guard my influence God help me to guard the influence that I have on others help me God that I don't I don't put this out there and and I mess somebody's life up because of something that I say or something that I do remember your name represents God it represents the kingdom of God not only that but it represents this church I think I could speak on behalf of Pastor is that whatever you do under the name of Cornerstone Apostolic Church let it be done in good decent and in order amen amen won't you lift your hands with us right now would you lift your hands God we love you we thank you Lord we thank you for your goodness and your mercy thank you for the things God that you have prepared for us the things that you're doing in each and every one of our Lives Lord that you speak words of wisdom to us help us God to speak into other lives help us to influence in a good way in a Godly way help us Lord Jesus that we carry this gospel to the to the whole world help us God that we use this powerful tool for your kingdom and For Your Glory in the name of Jesus in the name of Jesus Oh hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah lift your hands with with you with us right now would you lift your hands to the heaven in the name of Jesus God we love you we thank you Lord we thank you for your goodness and your mercy thank you Lord Jesus thank you Lord Jesus hallelujah hallelujah you are Mighty you're wonderful Lord Jesus hallelujah hallelujah hallelujah choose good influences amen choose those wise wiely in the name of Jesus God you're so good to us you're so good to us give him one more hand clap of Praise In The Name of Jesus Hallelujah would you stand with me as we uh come together and the other classes are coming in um we're going to just take a moment in Love on the Lord are you thankful for what you heard