CHOOSING THOSE WHO INFLUENCE YOU

This is the second sermon I have written for you in which God spoke to me from a sermon I heard elsewhere. Rick Warren preached the other sermon I heard. It was titled, Learn How to Recognize God's voice, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-827QmRDjUA . I highly recommend that you find and listen to this whole sermon. It will free you from demonic strongholds, and comfort you as few things you have ever heard. However, I am only focusing on one of his 7 tests for discerning the voice of God.

There is a terrible story in 2nd Samuel 13. The Bible does not sugar-coat the heart of man. Amnon, one of David's sons was driven by desire for his sister, Tamar. And he had a cousin who influenced him to do evil. Is your life driven by desires? And in the light of that, who influences you?

For many years I have loved James 3:13-18. God has spoken to me again and again in this passage. I have always rightly applied these truths to developing wisdom in my own heart. But recently God has spoken to me about using these verses to measure those whom I should or should not allow to influence me. Can we read this passage with this in mind?

“Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.”

The passage begins by asking, “Who is wise and understanding among you?” It goes on to tell us to let them show it in the “meekness of wisdom.”

THE INFLUENCE OF THE WORLDLY

The one question this calls us to ask about those who are seeking to influence us here is, “Are their hearts submissive to God” In this context that is what the word meekness connotes. It is not always easy to determine this. Discerning someone else's heart and mind will require thinking and praying, listening to their words, and watching their behavior. James gives us three hearts signs that will eventually show up in speech and behavior. They are bitterness, jealousy, and selfish ambition.

I have actually known people who were drawn to bitter people because bitterness justified their own self-pity. The devil always wants to plant self-pity in our hearts. And bitter people help him. But of course these same people are swallowed up by it themselves. And they will turn their bitterness on you. They will have obvious or hidden selfish motives. They will not hesitate to manipulate you without any regard to your needs or God's will.

The influence of these people is earthly. It will always see from the point of view of present desires. Their influence is unspiritual. Have you ever known people who couched their selfish ambition as prayerful, spiritual, or even biblical? But their underlying motivations were lies, usually lies they told themselves to effectively manipulate you.

The influence of these people is demonic. Selfishness comes right out of the pit of Hell. And it will produce disorder and every vile practice in their own lives and in yours.

Sometimes these are people that are permanently in your life. And it can be very difficult to sever yourself from their influence, while trying to love them.

One important step when you do recognize worldly influence in your life is to make sure you do not act on what they have been pushing you to do. This is often difficult. They will always give arguments as to why they are right. And they will join your accuser in trying to make you feel guilty.

A more practical application may be to recognize when you have already acted on their advice. Admit that it was sin, and thank God that He has washed you clean from it. At that point He will stretch your faith as you learn to trust Him. God will often use the pain of that circumstance, not as judgment but as discipline, because He loves you and has important things to teach you.

THE INFLUENCE OF THE GODLY

In contrast James shows us the wisdom and grace that comes to us through the influence of those who are godly. The first characteristic of godly influences is pure motives. Ask yourself what they want, what they desire. Do they want something that you believe and the Bible teaches is good? Anything less will do harm in your life and theirs.

The next characteristic James lists is peace. Godly wisdom will always be peaceable. Do the people influencing you bless relationships? Do they want help you love people who are hard to love? Or do they exaggerate, express violence or anger, and degrade others?

Are you being influenced by people who are gentle? Are they open to reason? Can you discuss differences in perspective or understanding with them? I have always loved Isaiah 1:18, that begins, “Come let us reason together says the Lord.” God calls us to reason with Him. Of course, we, like our own children, need God just to tell us some things, simply because we could never understand from our limited perspective. But even in those cases He stretches us so that we might eventually understand His will.

Are the people who are influencing you merciful? Do they call you to be patient with others? Are you being influenced by people who reflect God's mercy in their influence and in their own lives?

James’ climaxes with fruitfulness. Fruit is something only God can produce in you and those around you. You cannot put fruit on a tree in your backyard. You cannot produce in other people's lives what only God can do.

The next two things that James mentions relate to trusting God to bear fruit in the lives of other people. Are your influences leading you to be ‘impartial and sincere?” These characteristics are evidence that you trust God to work in people's lives. Do those who Influence you lead you to trust God? I love the wording of verse 18 in the King James Version.

“The fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.”

You can rest in God who produces spiritual fruit in the lives of those around you.


Here are the fundamentals from which I have drawn this sermon. I pray that God will use them to give you a message that will transform the lives of people by His power.

CENTRAL IDEA OF THE TEXT : James tells us that those who are wise we will speak in the meekness of wisdom.

FOCUS : The wise influence will speak to us from the meekness of godly wisdom.

PEOPLE : Believers who are under pressure from unwise and ungodly influences.

Felt/Need : Dealing with stress of self centered influences

PURPOSE : Consecrative; I want my hearers to free themselves from selfish influences.

THRUST : We must seek to free ourselves from selfish influences.

PICTURE : Fruit that God must produce on a tree.

STORY: 2 Samuel 13; The passion of Amnon, the influence of Jonadab.

INTRODUCTION: The meekness of godly wisdom

POINTS :

I. The Influence of the Worldly

Bitterness

Jealousy

Selfish ambition

No matter how right these may sound, they are fundamentally lies; earthly, unspiritual, and demonic.


II. The Influence of the Godly

Pure

Peaceful

Gentle

Reasonable

Full of Mercy

Producing fruit

Impartial and Sincere

Depending on God to do what only God can do.

The fruit of righteousness is sown in the Peace of them that make peace.

If you have questions about the fundamentals of sermons, feel free to ask me.


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