When you hear this phase : what comes to your mind ?
When I say the term : under the influence, in Brazilian culture , I dare to say it’s similar in Ireland .
When we hear that phrase we immediately think of people are under the influence of a substance, alcohol for example, drugs
When we think about under the influence, we get different pictures in our head.
We think back perhaps to our past before we save , before coming to Christ.
You don’t have to be alive too long to have bumped into someone that’s been under the influence.
I know no one here ever has been in their life before Christ , but people that are under the influence they stand out don’t they
I remember years ago I went to Clones to bring someone and it was 3 morning .
I was cold (-10) I was driving through a nightclub and I saw many women walking down the street that had been out the night before .
I saw this women walking , drunk out of their senses , falling over
When you see , people like that
You know – where they have been because of the way in which they are acting.
When people are walking down on the street they always have a particular walk about them .
They always got a slur in their speech , they walk a bit different , they carry themselves a little bit different.
When you see particular people like this no one has to convince me , or explain to me or tell me where they have been the night before , because it’s all over them !
* My challenge to us this afternoon is : when we leave church , do people know where you have been ?
When we go to someone house after church or when you go to the restaurant after church can people identify those that have just been at Shalom C. Fellowship?
When you go back to your school , When you go back to your Job on Monday do you have to explain about what is church , what it was .or your friends up to you saying: tell me what you were doing last night because I knew you before and now I see you is very different to the person that I saw just before .
One of the biggest problems in Church is we are trying to preach something that people actually don’t see us living !
We preach the love of Jesus Christ but they do not see it on us !
Many are in church on Sunday but they don’t have the influence of God in their lives.
They know you’re going to church but they don’t see God’s love in you
We preach the power but they don’t see this power in us
2 Timothy 3:5
The bible talk about it and says : .“having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.”
Some Christians they have a form of godliness , but they are not under the influence of the Holy Spirit.
What we need is :
we need some Christians that walk out of church carrying a fresh encounter upon them in their walk , in their talk , in their action,
when people see it they identify us straight away as someone that has been in church !
What we have to understand is these : these moments we have in church, the moments where the power of God Falls .
The moments where we sense his presence .
Do you understand that those moments are actually not just to do with us .
Is not about what God is trying to do in you – but about- what God wants to do through you
would carry something out of these services What awesome moment , what awesome encounter people had
but what good are these encounters if they are merely just a moment we have at a church .
What good is the encounter ?
What good is the verse that you read if you close the bible and do not carry what you just read with you
What good is the touch of God that you had in worship if that touch of God didn’t change you ?
We have to understand that God right now is pouring out on me not just that I feel better in this moment
but He is equipping me and empowering you to those who are outside church doors ,
in my community, in my school, in my college, in my family that we are called to affect change . We are called to affect change.
Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.”
We serve a supernatural God and we have to be reminded that way : if we serve a supernatural God than I’m called to walk in the supernatural
Now I’m called to actually carry everything I experience in church , every prayer I pray , every moment I have that it would not be a moment .
How many times have you been in church ….
Listen …. we have heard many sermons ,
We don’t need listen just a sermon ,
We need to have the Encounter with Jesus and walk under his influence
When you have an encounter it will change us forever
it would change the way we walk ,
Change the way we talk – we have to be able to translate what happens in here and take it to a lost and dying world – that’s the message of Jesus
That’s the message of the Gospel , because the Gospel is the power of God in your life !
Thing about people are under influence
In the natural if someone is under influence of a substance , it changes their walk ,
Their flesh can not handle it .
Normally I would walk straight but now I’m under the influence of a substance, so I can not walk straight
3 – when you get under the influence of Jesus Christ and the presence of God that your flesh actually can not handle it . Because you gonna be guided by Holy Spirit
So Where you would normally walk in doubt and fear , you’re under the influence, so now you walk into faith .
Where was fear and doubt now becomes Faith
Where you normally walk in lust now you’re walking in a self-control
Where you would walk defeat now you walk in victory
Because “The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD, And He delights in his way.”
Psalms 37:23
Like : I used to be fearful, I used to walk in depression, but now I find myself stumbling into peace ,
I find myself stumbling into joy
Now what does this look like practically?
Let me show you in Galatians 5:22
But the fruit of the spirit is Love
Galatians tell us the very first fruit of someone living and powered by the spirit will produce itself in love
Do you understand that this is the greatest weapon of warfare !
That we as the church have
How do I know that ? Because it says think about this :
John 3:16
For God so loved the world that He gave his Son
Think about all of the weapons that God could have used !
the weapon that God chose to save mankind with all his power ! The weapon he chose was love !
Do you understand how powerful the love of Jesus Christ is ?
We hear that , then we take it and try and fit it into our earthly understanding and our earthly revelation of what the love is
We think Love means : I need to be nice to people !
No no his love is much bigger than that .
Understand that – the earthly love , the natural love has boundaries
I love people until they hurt me
I will love people until they let me down
I will love People that I am comfortable loving
People that are in my circle , people that are in my clique
People that that are at the same home as me
People that have the same thinking,
There are people that is difficult to love but the love of Jesus Christ will push past any boundary, any people group , any walk ,
Doesn’t matter where you are from
Our Goal , our 2018 theme for Shalom is Love God , Love People and Make disciples
Do you understand how powerful is the power of the Gospel when the people can see that we are under Jesus Influence ?
Billy Graham said this :
Is God’s job to Judge , the Holy Spirit to convict and our job to love[17]
Billy Graham
It’s so sad to see people coming to church every Sunday , they say Love God but they do not love people , do not make disciples!
Love people and watch what the Holy Spirit will do
Because I honestly believe that God is about to break out such a fresh thing across our church
Unfortunately many people are in church but when they get out people they do not carry Jesus influence !
Some people think : if I go to church God is happy with me!
To be in church doesn’t change you !
Obedience to God changes you !
What means to be under Holy Spirit influence ?
Is to live a life of obedience ! To be guided by the Spirit!
Some people come to church than start fighting at home , saying some lies ,
“For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”
So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.”
Galatians 5:14, 16
If you are walking in anger , fight , argument , don’t forgive , cheating , trickery , doing or helping people to do wrong things you are walking by your flesh and not by the spirit!
What influence is driving your life ?
Is the Holy Spirit ? Is your flesh desires ?
Is so sad to see people for years in church but no one can see that they are under God’s influence!
You need to repent from your sins
You need to have a life of obedience to God’s Word
Many are selfish , lazy to seek God , has time for everything but not time for God
Everything you do , are gonna influence your Spirit or your flesh
Where you go , what you listen , what you see , where you spend your free time all of this are gonna influence you and you are gonna be guided by what you are doing
You need to repent , you need to spend time with God , you need to walk in obedience !