Influencing The Culture Of The Day

 Influencing The Culture Of The Day

By Apostle Felix

13  Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. 

14  Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. 

15  Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 

16  Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. 

Matthew 5: 13 – 16

31  Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field: 

32  Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof. 

33  Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened. 

Matthew 13: 31 – 33

14  Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 

15  And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 

16  And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 

17  Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 

18  And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty. 

2 Corinthians 6: 14 – 18

 14  I have given them thy word; and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 

15  I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil. 

16  They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. 

17  Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth. 

John 17: 14 – 17

We are not supposed to leave the world, but influence the world with the kingdom of God’s culture.  Our presence in the world should be like salt, light, seed and yeast.

How To Influence Our World

1. Like salt:

In most cases, salt is used for two purposes: preservation and seasoning. Your presence should preserve the lives of people with love. Do not be a legalist and break people with the law. Instead, allow grace to season your outreach to them. Season your approach with grace. Paul said, let your words impart grace upon the hearers.

29  Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers. 

Ephesians 4: 29

Be firm and yet gracious.

2. Be the light.

Light illuminates its environment. Do not hide the light of Christ from the people around you. Let your light shine. Bring understanding in any place. Be a person to whom people will come for counsel. Exemplify a life of wisdom. Let your life reflect the character of Jesus. Share the gospel with people. Pray with people.

3. Be a Seed.

Your life should be like a seed, and every seed must die before it can produce fruit. In the same way, you must decide to die to self before you can truly impact the lives of others. Die to your selfish desires and to the appetites that do not honour the Lord. Daniel and his friends famously chose to starve their appetite for royal delicacies for the sake of honouring God. In return, God granted them unprecedented favour and influence in Babylon.

1  If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. 
2  Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. 
3  For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 

7  In the which ye also walked some time, when ye lived in them. 
8  But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth. 

Colossians 3: 1 – 3, 7, 8

4. Be Yeast.

Yeast transforms the entire batch of dough by infiltrating it and causing it to expand. Our responsibility is to infiltrate the culture of this world with the culture of the Kingdom, allowing it to expand within people’s lives. Although the amount of yeast added to dough is tiny by comparison, its influence is massive and cannot be ignored. At your workplace, within your family household, and throughout your community, you are that small amount of yeast meant to be mixed into the dough to influence it. Never allow anyone to despise or look down on you.

12  Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity. 

1 Timothy 4: 12