HOW ARE YOU INFLUENCED?

BIBLE PASSAGE:
My message and my preaching were not with wise and
persuasive words, but with a demonstration of the Spirit’s
power, so that your faith might not rest on human wisdom,
but on God’s power.
(1 Corinthians 2:4-5)

MEDITATION:
Have you ever listened to someone who is very persuasive when
they are speaking? I attended many seminars during my career
and have seen some speakers who had the ability to inspire others,
and some who apparently had not convinced themselves of what
they were presenting.

Some people can be easily influenced and motivated by speakers
with a lot of charisma. If a speaker is entertaining, he can hold
the attention of most of the audience. People can be attracted to
speakers with deep voices. If someone speaks boldly and loudly,
they can attract the attention of many.

The important thing for us to remember is, we need to focus
on the content of what someone is saying, and not on the
attractiveness of their personality, voice, or presentation.

For instance, I attended a seminar on computer hacking from a
security ‘expert’. The presenter had the attention of everyone as
he was throwing out astounding numbers regarding companies
impacted by hackers. But one of the things he said was,
    “Seventy-two percent of the companies we work with
      have been hacked and there is another 15-20 percent
      of companies breached that haven’t even reported
      being hacked”.

The 72% reported is understandable (since they had been reported),
but if the others have not reported, then where in the world did
this 15-20 percent come from? It must have been some arbitrary
numbers he chose to use for impressing the listeners, right?

Personally, I felt that if the speaker could not be trusted on
the numbers for the companies not reporting being hacked,
then he probably wasn’t trustworthy on the reported numbers
either.

It is unfortunate that many can be influenced by the personalities
and voice qualities of the speakers. People can be led to believe or
disbelieve any number of things by the boldness and influential
ability of a speaker.

In contrast, there are some who would not be considered as
dynamic speakers, and who may not be entertaining, but
the content of their messages can be trusted.

We have seen some television evangelists who have duped people
into believing that sending money to their ministry would result
in many blessings for the donors. However, we have witnessed
how some of them have used these donations to create wealth
for themselves (some even served time for abusing contributions).

We have also seen some people who have been very influential
with great speaking abilities and singing voices, who were living
a life in contradiction to the life they were telling others to live.
It wasn’t just some mistakes they made at times; it was a lifestyle
of sin they had chosen to live.

So, what should we expect from speakers when they are sharing
very important matters, like the interpretation of God’s Word
and His gift of salvation? For us to answer this question, we
need to look at what Paul said in the Bible.

Paul’s messages were not shared with others so they would think
he had incredible wisdom, or that he was charismatic and could
persuade others to believe as he did. Paul’s purpose was to let
the Holy Spirit speak through him.

He knew that when the power of the Holy Spirit was in control,
the lives of others would be changed, and their faith would grow
in the right way.

Paul knew that the Holy Spirit’s power would command the
attention of the listeners and direct them past himself to the
wisdom and power of God. With his approach, Paul didn’t
run the risk of getting in the way of the listeners’ focus on God
and His message to them.

If Paul attracted all their attention (or even some of it),
he was afraid they would miss the message God wanted
to communicate specifically to each of them. Paul knew
the power of God’s Spirit, and in fact, he relied on His
Spirit in everything he did as a servant of God.

This approach also took the pressure off Paul when he was
presenting God’s Word. He didn’t feel the need to think of
clever phrases, or entertaining presentations, he could just
share whatever the Lord placed on his heart and mind.

It also meant that Paul didn’t have to decide which message
should be shared with each audience. Paul had a confidence
that God knew what each person, or group of people, needed
to hear, and this allowed him to freely share whatever message
the Lord had given him.

I have been teaching a Bible class for decades, and I believe I
can understand how important these points are when teaching
others about God’s Word. Not only is it important for others to
hear His messages, but He teaches me as well by guiding me in
preparing the lessons, and assists me while presenting them.

There have been many times when God would give me new thoughts
while I was teaching (thoughts that were not in the notes He helped
me prepare during the week). And you know what? It never caused a
loss in concentration or the continuity of the message He wanted to
share with us. I say, us, because I consider our class as a type of group
discussion as opposed to a lecture. We all (including me) learn from
the comments made by each other.

Without the Holy Spirit, man cannot adequately explain the
mysteries of God and His Word. We don’t have the capacity
to fully understand these mysteries in our own wisdom alone.
However, our inability to fully comprehend the mysteries of
God does not inhibit the Christian faith, it enhances it.

You may ask, “How?”
Consider this:
    We may not understand the pattern of the stars and how they
    are arranged, but we know that the One who created them does.
    Just as He charts the stars and guides their course, He also charts
    our own paths and guides us toward His specific purpose for us.
        Many are the plans in a person’s heart,
        but it is the Lord’s PURPOSE that prevails.
        (Proverbs 19:21)

        But I have raised you up for this very PURPOSE,
        that I might show you my power and that my
        name might be proclaimed in all the earth.
        (Exodus 9:16)

        “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you,
          before you were born I set you apart; I APPOINTED
          you as a prophet to the nations.”
          (Jeremiah 1:5)

        And we know that in all things God works for the good
         of those who love him, who have been called according
        to his PURPOSE.
        (Romans 8:28)

        Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same
        lump of clay some pottery for special PURPOSES and some
        for common use?
        (Romans 9:21)

        for it is God who works in you to will and
        to act in order to fulfill his good PURPOSE.
        (Philippians 2:13)

        He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because
        of anything we have done but because of his own PURPOSE
        and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before
        the beginning of time.
        (2 Timothy 1:9)

From these scriptures, we can clearly see that God has a PURPOSE
for everyone He has created. Since we are born with a ‘sin nature’,
when He blesses us with salvation, we should expect changes in our
lives with our ‘new birth’, right?

Salvation initiates the start of God’s sanctification of our lives. It is His
process for purging us of unrighteousness and ‘backfilling’ the void with
righteousness. That doesn’t happen without significant changes in our lives.

We will have to ‘give up’ some things we want, and ‘embrace’ new things.
He wants for us. We might find that some of these changes are easy, but
we need to realize that some of them are hard. However, to assist us with
the hard ones, God gave us the Holy Spirit to help us navigate His
transformation of us from our ‘old self’ to the ‘new self’ He is creating.

As He changes us, He may have to apply some discipline which might
seem harsh and painful at times, but when we realize His involvement
in our life is confirmation of His amazing love for us, we will accept His
discipline more easily and gratefully, instead of running from it, or trying
to rebel against it. Read (several times) and meditate on these verses.
    Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as
    His children. For what children are not disciplined by
    their father? If you are not disciplined—and everyone
    undergoes discipline—then you are not legitimate, not
    true sons and daughters at all. Moreover, we have all
    had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected
    them for it. How much more should we submit to the
    Father of spirits and live! They disciplined us for a little
    while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our
    good, in order that we may share in His holiness. No
    discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later
    on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and
    peace for those who have been trained by it.
    (Hebrews 12:7-11)

While we are still living on earth, God loves us so much that He
wants to do for us, what we can’t do for ourselves. Many of us
have tried to eliminate sinful habits and attitudes on our own
and have found how difficult it can be. But our all-powerful
Heavenly Father can (and will) transform us.

If I understand His Word correctly, our sanctification becomes
final when He calls us to our Heavenly home. That means it is
a lifelong process from our loving Father who wants to prepare
us for our entry into Heaven.

ACTION:
The bottom line for us as listeners is to not get caught up in the
entertaining ability of any speaker, but to focus on the content
of the message he or she is bringing, and to ask the Lord to give
us wisdom to know when someone is speaking in error.

We need to pray that speakers who are incorrectly sharing God’s
Word will be exposed for the wrong messages they are sharing
with others. We also need to pray for pastors and teachers to
be under the control of the Holy Spirit. Why? Because they
are held accountable by God for what they are teaching.
    Not many of you should become teachers,
    my fellow believers, because you know that
    we who teach will be judged more strictly.
    (James 3:1)

Dedicated and faithful speakers can suffer strong and constant
attacks from Satan. Consequently, we need to pray often for the
protection of those who share God’s Word. Satan attacks all
believers, but he increases his attacks on those in teaching and
preaching positions. Why? Because he knows he can cause many
listeners to be misled when he influences those speaking to them.

In what way are you influenced by speakers? Do you get caught
up in their personalities, or do you focus on the content of their
messages? How often do you pray for those God has placed in
teaching and preaching positions? Do you give them words of
encouragement? Have you ever sent them a card or text for no
particular reason other than you felt the Lord wanted you to
encourage them?

How does your worship experiences compare with your pastor’s?
If his participation record is the same as yours, what would happen
to the church? How many folks would miss out on heaven due to the
pastor’s lack of participation?

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, forgive me if I have allowed the personalities
and charisma of those sharing Your Word to distract me from
the message You want me to hear. Help me to invite the Holy
Spirit into my life so He can warn me whenever someone is
giving me incorrect information about the Bible. Stir my
conscience so I will feel guilty if I do not pray for those in
Your ministry; those whom You have called to share Your
Word faithfully and accurately. Make me aware of how much
my prayers and encouragement can lift the spirits of those
dedicated to sharing the messages You have given them. Thank
You for those who are dedicated to allowing the Holy Spirit to
reveal the mysteries of the Bible through them. Forgive me for
not applying to my own life the things You communicate to me
through others. Lastly, thank You for loving me so much that
You want to transform me into more of a likeness of Jesus.”

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