Who Influences You Most? | Psalm 1

Series: Psalms

Title: “Who Influences You Most?”

Scripture: Psalm 1

(Commentary helps listed at the end)

Opening story: Who influenced me most growing up? (Parents, Anita, Mr. Moody)

BQ: Who influences you most today?

Bottom line: Let God influence you more than anyone else, so that whatever you do you prosper.

Paul is more interested in who is influencing you most today.

  1. Ask yourself: Who’s influencing me most? People or God?

  2. Who do you wish would be influencing you most today?

  3. Ask yourself: Why don’t you value God’s word more than you do?

BQ: Why does God care who influences you most?

  1. Because it affects your prosperity, and

  2. Because it affect you eternity.

2 truths—no lie.

  1. Blessed are those who delight in the Lord. Why? Because by allowing God to influence them more than anyone else, they receive wisdom, power, peace, joy and more that leads to blessings.

  2. Blessed are those who meditate on his word day and night. Why? Because they’re listening to him and taking his truths, principles, lessons and commands to heart based on their belief that his blessings will follow when they do.

    1. Day and night—end your day in the word,

      1. Surrendering what you can’t control

      2. Praying for God to intercede on the things you will work on tomorrow

He illustrates these then follows with the principle.

  1. Like a tree planted by streams of water…

    1. Which yields its fruit in season (accounts for seasons)

    2. It’s leaf doesn’t whither (even during droughts) because it’s roots go deep and it’s near a good water source it can count on.

The principle: Whatever they do prospers

Why?

  1. Because they delight in God’s influence.

  2. Because they meditate on God’s word regularly.

  3. This implies that:

    1. They don’t just do it as a discipline

    2. They do it with an attitude towards God and his word that says they gladly submit to his authority in their life because they believe he is for their good

  1. God uses this illustration to show that just like a tree planted by this water source will prosper in all conditions, those who plant themselves in God’s word (delighting, meditating) and obey it will prosper in whatever they do.

  2. Which leads us to the principle: Whatever they do prospers.

    1. Doesn’t mean that you never fail or experience setbacks.

    2. Means that the pattern in your life will be success in the things that matter most.

The flip-side.

Q: Why don’t people who neglect God’s word prosper?

A: Well, because they don’t trust the Lord and walk in his ways.

  1. God may bless them for a season to let them feel how little the things of this world really satisfy.

    1. Just because someone looks successful on the outside doesn’t mean they are successful on the inside. See the 5 capitals:

    2. Spiritual capital is >> Financial capital. Flip the chart from how the world sees it to how God sees it. Like Joseph, Pivot from a worldly view to a heavenly one.

  2. God doesn’t bless them long-term.

    1. “Will not stand in judgment”

    2. “The way of the wicked leads to destruction”

Who is influencing you most?

Who do you spend time with…

  • That you have no control over?

    1. Work

    2. School

    3. Online that you happen to see

  • How do we respond? Delight yourself in the word meditating on it day and night.

  • That you do have control over?

    1. Play-time

    2. Online time that you choose to see

    3. Roommates

    4. Significant others

Principle: “Bad company corrupts good character” 1 Cor 15:33

Applications:

  1. Ask yourself: Who’s influencing me most? People or God?

  2. Maybe the wrong order, but, who are you influencing?

  3. Ask yourself: Why don’t you value God’s word more than you do?

    1. Is it worth discipling yourself to be in it day and night?

    2. Is God who you want influencing you more than anyone?

  4. Start a bible reading plan today.

Next steps:

  1. Youversion.com or YouVersion Bible app has hundreds of reading plans.

  2. Learn how to S.O.A.P. Through scripture. (Or some equivalent)

  3. Find someone to hold you accountable and start meeting each week.

  4. Be intentional about who you are influencing and to what are you influencing them to?

Lord’s Supper 1Cor 11:17-26

Other thoughts:

5 Capitals are all areas God wants to bless you in:

5 Capitals that we are in charge of stewarding for God's kingdom as disciples of Jesus:

  1. Spiritual Capital

    1. How much spiritual equity do we have to invest?

    2. The currency is wisdom and power.

  2. Relational Capital

    1. How much relational equity do we have to invest?

    2. The currency is family and friends.

  3. Physical Capital

    1. How much time and energy do we have to invest?

    2. The currency is hours and health.

  4. Intellectual Capital

    1. How much creativity and knowledge do we have to invest?

    2. The currency is concepts and ideas.

  5. Financial Capital

    1. How much treasure do we have to invest?

    2. The currency is money.

God has given you the key to prospering in whatever you do. The key is letting him influence you more than anyone else. He does this through his word, his spirit and his people.

God: You want to influence them with the things of this world. I want you to influence them with what’s not of this world.

Another story: The one thing God used most to draw me to him was my desire to make a real difference. That is to influence others for their good; so that they’ll prosper.

But I will only influence as I’m influenced. So who is influencing me most?

BQ = Better Questions

Darien GabrielGrace Christian FellowshipPsalm 1, non-denominational church, Bible-believing, Darien Gabriel, Grace Christian Fellowship, Ladson, SC, Psalms, influence