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How to Use Your God-given Influence to Be a Kingdom Builder (Part 1)

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Everyone has influence. We all influence someone. And God expects us to be good stewards of that influence for His kingdom's sake. He didn't give us our influence for selfish purposes on our part, but so that we might share the good news about him - so that we could be Kingdom builders. What exactly is a "kingdom builder?" It's someone who has...

A great purpose to live for. And for the Christian, we have the greatest purpose of all - to rescue people for eternity through Jesus. Kingdom builders demonstrate a great commitment to the Great Commission and the Great Commandment.
Great principles to live by. A Kingdom builder is one who has a different source from which to draw wisdom - God's eternal truth revealed in the Bible.
Great power to live on. A Kingdom builder operates in a different power that the rest of the world - the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit who offers guidance every step of the way.
Great people to live with. A Kingdom builder gathers with God's people and joins up with a small group for encouragement and accountability.

There are at least a dozen principles we learn from Scripture about how to use our influence as a Kingdom builder. I'm going to share six this week and six next week. First of all, 1. Everybody has influence. What you do with the influence you currently have will determine whether or not your influence grows more. And you have far more influence than you realize. You influence people everyday through your smile, conversation, email, voting, etc. In order to understand what influence is, it's helpful to understand what influence is NOT.

Influence is not a position.
Influence is not authority.
Influence is not fame.
Influence is not wealth.

You can have any one of those and not actually have influence. 2. God expects me to use the influence he's given to me. Influence is like a muscle. The more you use it, the more it grows. It takes courage. You'll have to get out of your comfort zone, speak up when you're intimidated, and serve others when you don't feel like it. Jesus challenged us to let our light shine and to be like salt that preserves and flavors the world around us. In other words, you have to decide to put your influence to use. 3. My influence is for the benefit of others. When God gives you influence, it isn't for the purpose of making you rich or famous, especially for your own pleasure. He gives you influence because He uses people to help other people. It's about others. And the blessings of your influence are not for you to consume but for you to share. 4. If i'm not influencing them, they're influencing me. This is one of those truths naive leaders miss. Not only do we all influence others, but we're all influenced by others as well. And when we're unaware of the power that others have to influence us, we'll allow our hearts to compromise. Just as Lot failed to influence the cities of the plain in Genesis, we too can become attached to the values of the culture we're hoping to change. 5. The purpose of influence is to speak up for those that have no influence. Psalm 72 is a prayer for leaders, and it says, "Please stand up for the poor, help the children of the needy, come down hard on the cruel tyrants." In other words, God, please help leaders to use their influence on behalf of those who have little voice or platform of their own - the poor, the fatherless, the diseased and isolated, the slave and the oppressed. 6. I will answer to God for how I used my influence. I am eternally accountable for how I used the influence God gave me in this life. What I do with my influence in the temporary world matters forever, and the Bible is filled with proof of this. The question God will ask every human being in His judgment is, "What did you do with my Son, Jesus?" And the question He will ask everyone who is a member of His family is, "What did you do with the time and the resources and the influence I gave you?" I want to influence this world in light of the next. That's our calling as Kingdom builders!

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Remember Your Gospel Mission

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Preach to Build People Up

Pastor, people need to hear the truth. They also need to see the life God is calling them to live. I want my preaching to build people and help them believe they can take the next step.The Bible says, “Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ” (Ephesians 4:15 NIV).Speaking the truth in love means telling people what they need to hear for their growth and caring about them as we say it. Kindness gives people what they need, not what they deserve. In preaching, that means challenging people and correcting them with their growth in mind.Give people a personal challengePaul writes, “I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received” (Ephesians 4:1 NIV). He is challenging believers to make their lives count. We all need a cause or purpose that calls forth the best in us. Preach toward a cause bigger than self-interest. Call people to use their strengths to serve others and make their lives count. Challenge the best in them, then give them a clear next step.Give people confidenceWhen somebody believes in you, it brings out the best in you. Jesus gave Simon a new name and told him what he could become. Simon was impulsive, but Jesus saw his potential.People need encouragement. Our words can reinforce labels they already carry, or point them toward what God can develop in them. Help them see their potential and take a next faithful step.Give people honest counselThere is no progress without learning, and no learning without feedback. Proverbs says, “People learn from one another, just as iron sharpens iron” (Proverbs 27:17 GNT). People need someone who cares enough to tell them the truth, even when it hurts. When correction is needed, name it plainly.Aim to help a person change without condemning them. Affirm the person and correct the behavior. Speak the truth in love. That kind of correction can build people up.As you prepare this week, think of one person who needs a challenge, encouragement, or honest correction. Ask how your words can help that person grow. Build people up with kindness. Speak the truth in love.

Leave Some Room to Listen

“Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace.” Matthew 6:6 (MSG)Pastor, by Monday morning, you may already be thinking about next Sunday’s sermon. Your phone already has messages waiting, and someone needs you to make a decision. Finding a few quiet minutes can feel like one more task you’re behind on.But look at Jesus’ invitation above. He asks you to come honestly, without playing a part. You don’t have to arrive with a lesson prepared or something helpful to say. You can tell God what’s really going on with you.You spend much of your week helping other people know him. He wants time with you, too.That can be easy to forget when every open moment fills with sound. You listen to a podcast in the car. You check your phone between appointments. Even when you’re alone, someone else’s words keep coming.There’s nothing wrong with listening and learning. But leave some room to listen to God. The sermon you’re studying won’t take the place of bringing your own heart to him.You may not have a quiet office or an uninterrupted morning. Could you close the door for a few minutes before returning calls? Or take a short walk and leave your phone behind?The point is to meet with God. Tell him what you’re carrying. Give your attention to his Word. Let there be a little silence without rushing to fill it.Before you open the next message today, take a few quiet minutes with him. You have people to care for this week, and your Father welcomes you into his care.

What Jesus Does When You Fail

"The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:22-23 (ESV)Maybe you blew it last week, Pastor. A decision that hurt someone. A harsh word in a meeting. A weakness you swore you'd beaten, back again. And now it's Monday, and Sunday is already coming.Failure is isolating. When you're in the middle of a failure, you feel ashamed and just want to be alone. That's doubly true when you lead a church. You're supposed to be the person who’s whole.But Jesus is with you always, even in your greatest failure. To help you through your failures, he is doing three things:Jesus prays for you. Even before Peter had failed, Jesus told him, "I have prayed for you, that your faith will not fail" (Luke 22:32 NASB).Even at this very moment, Jesus is interceding—praying—for you. The Bible says, "He is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf" (Hebrews 7:25 NLT).Jesus believes in you. In fact, he expects you to heal and recover. That's why, before Peter’s big failure, Jesus told him, "When you have repented and turned to me again . . ." (Luke 22:32 NLT). Jesus knew Peter would sin and fail and eventually come back to him.And Jesus knows the same about you. We all fail, and we fail repeatedly. Your biggest weaknesses are often habitual. The same one, again and again. But God isn't only there for the big, one-time failure. He's there for the mistakes you make over and over.Jesus shows you mercy. Jesus is more willing to show mercy than you are willing to ask for it. When you're down, he doesn't beat you up or add to your guilt. He saves you.In John 21, not long after Peter denied him, Jesus found Peter back in his fishing boat. Empty nets. A failed night. At dawn Jesus called from the shore and told Peter and the other fishermen where to cast. "So they did, and they couldn't haul in the net because there were so many fish in it" (John 21:6 NLT).That catch was Jesus' answer to Peter's failure. He is ready to do the same for you. He can do more in five minutes than you can do in 50 years of planning.And God's mercy toward you is not dependent on your performance. His mercies never come to an end. They are new every morning—including this Monday morning.You may be ready to give up on yourself, Pastor. Jesus isn't. He is praying for you, believes in you, and will always show you mercy. He has never been more faithful to you than he is today.

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