Trail Blazers Part 2: The Influence of His Presence
Sunday, March 21, 2021
Pastor Troy Brewer, OpenDoor Church, Burleson, TX
You are either being led by the Spirit or you are being driven by fear.
Romans 8:14
For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.
Break up the fallow ground as Hosea 10:12 says and become a trail blazer that sets a new
norm for others with you and behind you.
DO NOT FEAR WHAT IS FRIGHTENING
1 Peter 3:13;16
Do not fear what they fear; do not be frightened.
…keeping a clear conscience, so that those who speak maliciously against your good behavior
in Christ may be ashamed of their slander.”
The way we are led by the Spirit should influence and change everything God sends us into–the
way we carry the presence of God, the way we carry the promises of God. The courageous
stances we take. Our determination to be
A FEARLESS DEMONSTRATION OF FREEDOM, REDEMPTION AND THE GOODNESS OF
GOD
This is your assignment. This is your purpose.
You are an agent of change. You are a catalyst for the Kingdom.
Open your Bibles to Philippians 1 and 1 Kings 18
Philippians 1:27-30 NKJV
Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or
am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving
together for the faith of the gospel, 28 and not in any way terrified by your adversaries, which is
to them a proof of perdition, but to you of salvation, and that from God.
Unity in courage. It’s living life in a way that looks like Jesus.
Things your mom and dad said that stick:
“Because I said so.”
“Life’s not fair. The fair is in Dallas.”
“Your face is going to freeze like that.”
“If everybody jumped off a cliff would you too?”
“Be on time.”
“Make your bed.”
“If you tell somebody your going to do something, you do it.”
We remember these things because there’s influence in them.
What is influence? John Maxwell says, “Leadership is influence. Nothing more, nothing less.”
Mr. Webster says influence is, “The capacity or power of persons or things to be a compelling
force on or produce effects on the actions, behavior, opinions, etc., of others.”
The reason so many things stick that your parents teach you, is because of relationship. But I
want to tell you another reason that most people miss:
Environment, Atmosphere and Culture
Your parents, positive or negative, for better or worse, consciously or unconsciously, are the
shapers of the environment, atmosphere and culture of the house you grew up in.
God has designed the world so that whoever leads the environment, the atmosphere and the
culture has the greatest influence.
Environment
The surroundings or conditions in which a person, animal, or plant lives or operates.
Genesis 2:15 ESV
The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.
In order for God to build a perfect relationship with a human being that would develop, grow and
produce the fruit of the HOLY spirit, He had to place him in an environment that needed help
developing, growing and producing.
Psalm 23:1-3
The Lord is my shepherd;
I shall not want.
2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
3 He restores my soul;
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
For His name’s sake.
The environment goes hand in hand with influence
Jeremiah 2:7 ESV
And I brought you into a plentiful land to enjoy its fruits and its good things. But when you came
in, you defiled my land and made my heritage an abomination.
God expects us to be stewards of our environments.
Atmosphere
The pervading tone or mood of a place, situation or work of art.
Ephesians 2:2
Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of
the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:
Culture
“The way we do things around here.”
Culture is defined by whoever sets the values.
Proverbs 29:2
When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked rules, the people
mourn.
Environment, Atmosphere and Culture
Courage: the ability to do something that frightens one; strength in the face of pain or grief.
Famous quotes about courage include:
“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the assessment that something else is more
important than fear.” ― Franklin D. Roosevelt
“Courage is being scared to death and saddling up anyway.” – John Wayne
“Fear is actually a healthy thing and not a sign of weakness.”
The word courage appears in Scripture 28 times.
28 is the number for times and seasons.
11 of those times we read the words
“Be strong and of good courage.”
11 is the number for heroes rising. It’s also the number for judgment over disorder.
In God’s economy, strength and courage go together. Not only that, God actually calls courage
“good.”
Deuteronomy 31:6
“Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is
the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”
The other thing we see in scripture is the phrase “take courage” or “took courage.”
In these instances, it seems courage is something God has and we need to grab hold of it just
like Joseph of Arimathea did at the death of Jesus and the universally famous empty tomb:
Mark 15:43
Joseph of Arimathea, a prominent council member, who was himself waiting for the kingdom of
God, coming and taking courage, went in to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.
Matthew 5:13
You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It
is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.
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