The Influence You Can have On Others Jn. 1:40-42 CLICK TITLE FOR AUDIO
You must remember to consider how you influence others in their walk with the Lord. You can influence others to:
Receive Christ – Jn 1:40-42, Jn 4:39. Consider how you influence others to trust Christ. Andrew influenced Peter and the woman at the well influenced numerous men in her city to come to Jesus. With your words and with your behavior, you can influence others to trust Christ. When they see good changes in your life they are going to want to know how they can have what you have. Tell them.
Be bold – Phil 1:14. Paul’s imprisonment encouraged Paul’s friends to preach Christ . It was like, “if he can take it so can we”. Consider how you influence others to be bold. You can influence others by your boldness to be bold for Christ. So, speak up and don’t back down.
Live for God – 1 Tim 4:12; 1 Cor 16:13-16. Timothy was an example to the believers; the house of Stephanas was exemplary in their addiction to the ministry. Consider how you influence others to be zealous in faith and in purity. Otherwise you may be one about whom others say, “There are just too many hypocrites in the church”. Be a good example.
Quit – 2 Tim 4:10. Demas forsook Paul because he loved the world. If you quit, no telling how many other people may quit along with you. But if you stand and don’t quit, you may be the very reason someone else doesn’t quit either. Consider how you influence others to stand or to quit.
Oppose the Lord – Titus 1:9-11; Acts 20:30. There are many gainsayers and there are many proud and arrogant “Christians” who love to get a following. They prey on ministries because there is already a group of people from whom these predators can pick off followers. If you oppose the Lord, no telling how many other people you can get to follow your pernicious ways. Consider how you influence others to oppose God. If you want to be a strange duck, go swim in your own pond and leave others alone.
Sin – 1 Cor 5:6-7. Paul had to instruct the Corinthians to kick the fornicator out of the church for the sake of the rest of the flock. A little leaven leavens the whole lump. If you sin openly in the church and claim that you have the liberty in Christ to do so, you will put a stumbling block in the way of many others who may be emboldened to sin, as well. Do everyone else a favor and just voluntarily remove yourself from the flock so that you don’t influence others to sin. There’s enough of that going on without others being influenced to sin because of your bad example!
Conclusion: be mindful always that the good things you do can be an encouragement to others to follow your zeal and the bad things you do can be an influence for evil. Consider how you influence others.