Sunday, November 5, 2017

MEN - Influence

As a male, cater to your audience. They look up to you and they will be influenced by you. Ezra had an audience – Jews in Israel.

Nehemiah 8:5-6 (NIV)
Ezra opened the book. All the people could see him because he was standing above them; and as he opened it, the people all stood up. Ezra praised the LORD, the great God; and all the people lifted their hands and responded, Amen! Amen!” Then they bowed down to worship the LORD with their faces to the ground.
Emphasis Mine


Therefore, when we study the life of Ezra, he had a very structured life. Influence and structure work together. A structured life is a productive life.
Ezra;
Position (teacher of the Word – a position of influence)
Location (Israel)
Population (Israelites)
Activity (devoted study and observance of the Law of the LORD)
Direction (By God the Father alone).

Ezra 7:10 (NIV)
 Ezra had devoted himself to the study and observance of the Law of the Lord, and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel.
Emphasis Mine

Where you come from does not determine how much influence you will or will not have on where the Lord is assigning you to. Your gender and race are not pre-determinants either.
When God gives you responsibilities and specific directions, you need to obey. How far you influence will be determined by how well you obey.
The Bible says…

Ezra 7:6a (NIV)
…this Ezra came up from Babylon
Emphasis Mine

Yet he was a Jewish scribe and priest and Ezra 7:10 (NIV) tells us of where God had called him to – “…and to teaching its decrees and laws in Israel”
Emphasis Mine

Understand God is your helper. Fine tune your influential ability by living in full obedience to God. By so doing, you will cater to your audience- your audience could be your wife, son, daughter, co-worker, your boss at work, your church family, etc.

There is a relationship between influence and obedience. Amen.



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