Talk

Don’t Waste Your Influence

Louie Giglio

February, 12, 2017

Louie brings a powerful message about what it looks like to have influence everywhere we go. We can have wind in our sails knowing that our purpose and assignment is to glorify God to all the nations.

Key Takeaway

You don't have to be famous to have influence. We all have it. Don't waste your opportunity to be written into the story of God. Make the most of every opportunity God puts before you.

God always works for His glory and your good.

2 Kings 5:1-3, 15

It was a servant girl that led a valiant soldier to his healing. She served his wife after being taken captive and put to work there. However, despite the circumstances, she saw that she had the ability to influence the outcome of the situation around her.

You and I have extraordinary influence. It doesn't matter who we are or where we are. We have the power of influence. One word from you, one act from you, one prayer from you can change someone else's direction, alter their course, and change history. You don't have to be famous to have influence. Fame and influence are not interchangeable. Fame is recognition. Influence is to change something.

Ephesians 5:15-16

Be careful how we live. Make the most of every opportunity. God has put you in the exact position you're in to change the outcome of the situation. It's a setup! People are looking up to you more than you realize. You were put there at the right moment to do the right thing.

Many people have wasted their influence. Pilate had the ability to release Jesus, but he gave into the pressure of the mob and released a known criminal instead. See Mark 15:15. He wasted his influence. Yes, it was God's plan for Jesus to be crucified, but Pilate still could have done the right thing, and God still would have fulfilled His purpose and plan to give His Son for the sins of the world.

Luke 2:7 - The innkeeper lost his influence.

Matthew 26:14-16 - Judas sold out Jesus for cash and lost his influence.

Colossians 4:14, 2 Timothy 4:10 - Demas is a cohort of Paul, but he walked away from the Church and lost his influence. He traded everything God had for him for a party.

Esther was different. She leveraged her influence. Nothing about her life said that she should do anything great. She was a Jew in a foreign land not by her own choosing and an orphan. Mordecai, her cousin, used his influence to take her in and raise her. She would grow up to use her influence to save her people. In Esther 4:14, Mordecai said to her, "And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?" Her decision changed history. Yours may not change history, but it may change one person's destiny. Recalibrations aren't giant, but they give giant results.

Don't waste your influence: by seeing your current station as God's assignment for bringing freedom to others.

The nature of the Church is to be influential. We are the light of the city.

How to be Influential

1) Recognize that God is sovereign over your circumstances.

You are a person ordained by God to be in the moment you are in, and the one thing you have 100% control over is how you use your influence.

Joseph went through all of his suffering for the salvation of others. He knew that God put him there in advance to save people from the famine. He understood that just because the circumstances weren't of his choosing, his influence hadn't been diminished.

Mordecai challenged Esther by saying if she didn't step up and use her influence for the saving of God's people, God was still going to do it, and someone else would step up into that place to fulfill the plan and purpose of God.

God's story is going to go on no matter what, but you can be written into His plans and into that story by not wasting your influence and knowing God is sovereign over your situation. When things go south, think to yourself, "Maybe this is a setup."

2) Be intentional with the influence you have right now.

When you are given a moment, you have stewardship, and when you have stewardship, you have influence. So back your thinking up to before the moment even happens and think about what you want to do with your stewardship and influence.

3) Seek greater influence.

Ask God to increase your influence with the time you have left on the earth. This is accomplished by being faithful to the influence you currently have. See Matthew 25:23. It's seeing little places to influence that inspire God to increase your influence. It's very unlikely that God is going to skyrocket your influence if you haven't stewarded well the influence that you have.

4) Be under the influence of the Spirit.

See Ephesians 5:16. Ask the Holy Spirit to influence you by:

carry a positive belief into every situation.

develop the fruit of the Spirit, especially joy

build up others with your words. Ephesians 4:29

offer forgiveness as Christ forgave you. Ephesians 4:32

speak the truth in love. Ephesians 4:25

look for opportunities to be generous to others. Ephesians 4:28

pray always and everywhere for all people. Ephesians 4:15

Jesus didn't waste his influence. His decision to go to the Cross, to die for your sins, and to be raised on the third day changed everything for you.

“

"One word from you, one act from you, one prayer from you can change someone else's direction, alter their course, and change history."

”

Louie Giglio

Discussion Questions

What lies have you believed about your influence?
How have you seen your influence change circumstances and people around you?
What does Ephesians 5:15 have to do with the theme of influence?
Who in the Bible and in your current life wasted their influence? Leveraged their influence?
Mordecai said in Esther 4:14, "and who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this." Where are your Esther 4:14 moments of the day?
Pastor Louie said that recalibrations aren't giant, but they give giant results. What did he mean by that?
Do you believe God is sovereign over your circumstances? How are you choosing to be written into His story?
How are you being intentional with the influence that you have right now?
How can you come under the influence of the Holy Spirit?
How has Jesus influenced you?

Scripture References

1Now Naaman was commander of the army of the king of Aram. He was a great man in the sight of his master and highly regarded, because through him the

Lord

had given victory to Aram. He was a valiant soldier, but he had leprosy.

2Now bands of raiders from Aram had gone out and had taken captive a young girl from Israel, and she served Naaman’s wife.

3She said to her mistress, “If only my master would see the prophet who is in Samaria! He would cure him of his leprosy.”

15Then Naaman and all his attendants went back to the man of God. He stood before him and said, “Now I know that there is no God in all the world except in Israel. So please accept a gift from your servant.”

15Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise,

16making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil.

14Our dear friend Luke, the doctor, and Demas send greetings.

23Epaphras, my fellow prisoner in Christ Jesus, sends you greetings.

10for Demas, because he loved this world, has deserted me and has gone to Thessalonica. Crescens has gone to Galatia, and Titus to Dalmatia.

14For if you remain silent at this time, relief and deliverance for the Jews will arise from another place, but you and your father’s family will perish. And who knows but that you have come to your royal position for such a time as this?”

“His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’

14Then one of the Twelve—the one called Judas Iscariot—went to the chief priests

15and asked, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver him over to you?” So they counted out for him thirty pieces of silver.

16From then on Judas watched for an opportunity to hand him over.

The Birth of Jesus

1In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2(This was the first census that took place while Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3And everyone went to their own town to register.

4So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them.

8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

14“Glory to God in the highest heaven,

and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”

15When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.”

16So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

21On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise the child, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he was conceived.

Jesus Presented in the Temple

22When the time came for the purification rites required by the Law of Moses, Joseph and Mary took him to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23(as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male is to be consecrated to the Lord”), 24and to offer a sacrifice in keeping with what is said in the Law of the Lord: “a pair of doves or two young pigeons.”

25Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. 26It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. 27Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying:

29“Sovereign Lord, as you have promised,

you may now dismiss your servant in peace.

30For my eyes have seen your salvation,

31which you have prepared in the sight of all nations:

32a light for revelation to the Gentiles,

and the glory of your people Israel.”

33The child’s father and mother marveled at what was said about him. 34Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary, his mother: “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, 35so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed. And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”

36There was also a prophet, Anna, the daughter of Penuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, 37and then was a widow until she was eighty-four. She never left the temple but worshiped night and day, fasting and praying. 38Coming up to them at that very moment, she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward to the redemption of Jerusalem.

39When Joseph and Mary had done everything required by the Law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee to their own town of Nazareth. 40And the child grew and became strong; he was filled with wisdom, and the grace of God was on him.

The Boy Jesus at the Temple

41Every year Jesus’ parents went to Jerusalem for the Festival of the Passover. 42When he was twelve years old, they went up to the festival, according to the custom. 43After the festival was over, while his parents were returning home, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but they were unaware of it. 44Thinking he was in their company, they traveled on for a day. Then they began looking for him among their relatives and friends. 45When they did not find him, they went back to Jerusalem to look for him. 46After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.”

“Why were you searching for me?”

he asked.

“Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?”

50But they did not understand what he was saying to them.

51Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. 52And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man.

Louie Giglio

Louie Giglio is the Visionary Architect and Director of the Passion Movement, comprised of Passion Conferences, Passion City Church, Passion Publishing and sixstepsrecords, and the founder of Passion Institute.