One Who Has a Positive Influence
Bible passage: 1 Kings 18:41-46
“41. And Elijah said to Ahab, "Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain." 42. So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees. 43. "Go and look toward the sea," he told his servant. And he went up and looked. "There is nothing there," he said. Seven times Elijah said, "Go back." 44. The seventh time the servant reported, "A cloud as small as a man's hand is rising from the sea." So Elijah said, "Go and tell Ahab, 'Hitch up your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.'" 45. Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain came on and Ahab rode off to Jezreel. 46. The power of the LORD came upon Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel. ”
Among the new words, there is a term called "game changer." The term "game changer" refers to a person, idea, or event that completely changes an unfavorable situation into a favorable one in games, matches, or various contexts. Originally, it was a term used in sports, but it is now widely used in various fields such as economy, technology, society, and politics.
For example, in a soccer game, it refers to a person who turns the tide of a losing game by scoring a goal to win, or a person who fundamentally changes the industry's landscape with an innovative idea. When we look at the Bible, we see that God always prepares a "game changer" when He works. When the Israelites were living as slaves in Egypt, God called Moses from the wilderness of Midian and, through the event of the Exodus, freed the Israelites and completely changed their circumstances. Here, Moses became the "game changer."
When the Philistines and Israel were at war, and Israel was on the verge of a crisis because of Goliath, who came out from the Philistines, young David appeared, killed the Philistine, and saved Israel from the crisis. In this case, young David was the "game changer." In today’s passage, we also see a game changer. When King Ahab worshiped idols, the faith in God in Israel collapsed, and God’s prophets were killed. However, the prophet Elijah achieved a spiritual victory by receiving an answer with fire on Mount Carmel.
When there was no rain for three years and six months and the people were dying, Elijah prayed to God, and abundant rain fell, solving the problem of drought. King Ahab is not the game changer. The idols they worshiped, ‘Baal’ or ‘Asherah,’ are not the game changers. God’s servant Elijah is the game changer. In this sense, I also pray to become a "game changer" for the revival of the church and for the flock. I hope that the three servants of the Lord, who are being ordained today, and the home cell leaders who are offering their dedication service, will become "game changers" who change the world and bring remarkable revival to the church.
Game changers are those who have a positive influence on their neighbors, the church, society, and the Kingdom of God. The title of today’s message is "One Who Has a Positive Influence." How can we become such people? Let’s look through the scripture and the life of Elijah, who lived a life of positive influence.
1. To become a person who has a positive influence, one must be sensitive to the truth and spiritually strong.
In the previous event before today's passage, Elijah, who won the spiritual battle on Mount Carmel, killed all the false prophets, who were the symbol of evil. He became a spiritual victor, a person who is spiritually strong. Verse 40 says, “Then Elijah commanded them, “Seize the prophets of Baal. Don’t let anyone get away!” They seized them, and Elijah had them brought down to the Kishon Valley and slaughtered there.”
What happened next? King Ahab, who had been furious and sought to kill Elijah, became subdued and followed Elijah's instructions. Verses 41-42, first part, says, “And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go, eat and drink, for there is the sound of a heavy rain.” So Ahab went off to eat and drink.” Elijah advised King Ahab once again, but this time he didn’t speak directly. Instead, he sent his servant to speak on his behalf. Verse 44, second part, says, “So Elijah said, “Go and tell Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot and go down before the rain stops you.’ ”” King Ahab listened to the servant and did as Elijah said. Verse 45, second part, says, “………Ahab rode [in his chariot] and went to Jezreel.”
The flesh is meant to submit to the spirit. Good overcomes evil. Thus, Romans 12:21 says, “…….Overcome evil with good.” This scene depicts the spirit ruling over the flesh and goodness overcoming evil. Elijah became a person who “had a positive influence” that changed the situation. The three years and six months of drought must have been very difficult. But now, finally, the drought ended, and the rain came. When Elijah said in verse 41 that “there is the sound of heavy rain,” what news could be more welcomed by the people who had endured the drought?
However, the rain had not yet come; the rain did not fall until verse 45. Verse 45, first part says, “Meanwhile, the sky grew black with clouds, the wind rose, a heavy rain started falling.” Then, did Elijah lie? He clearly said he heard the “sound of rain,” even the “sound of a heavy rain.” But in reality, the sky was still clear with not a cloud in sight, and the sun was shining brightly. It wasn't until verse 44 that a small cloud the size of a man's hand appeared. Here, the word “sound” in the original Greek is "kol," which means "voice" or "sound." Therefore, Elijah did not hear the sound of rain, but rather, he heard the voice of God saying that the rain would come.
1 Kings 18:1 says, “After a long time, in the third year, the word of the LORD came to Elijah: “Go and present yourself to Ahab, and I will send rain on the land.”” Looking at the sea with not a cloud in sight and the sky over Mount Carmel, it seemed like it would not rain at all. However, Elijah was sensitive to the Word of God. He did not look at the circumstances but listened to God’s Word and was sensitive to the truth. Those being ordained today, as well as the home cell leaders, must always be spiritually awake and sensitive to the Word of truth to become people who “have a positive influence” that can change difficult situations and turn the tide.
In short, they need to have spiritual knowledge. There is a saying, "Knowledge is power." However, the knowledge that God speaks of is not worldly knowledge, but the knowledge of God - spiritual knowledge that is realized in Christ. Worldly knowledge belongs to many falsehoods and is not perfect as it changes with the flow of time. Even Moses, who learned all the wisdom of Egypt, was trained by God for 40 years to break down his knowledge, honor, and power, and fill him with spiritual knowledge before he was established as the leader of the Exodus. Because God is the foundation of all knowledge, infinite knowledge that can distinguish good and evil is contained in the word of God.
The reason many of God’s servants and workers today cannot work in the power and wisdom of God is that they do not possess this kind of spiritual knowledge. Therefore, servants of the Lord and home cell leaders must read the Bible with righteous thoughts and hearts before God, study the gospel of sanctification, and enrich themselves with spiritual knowledge to receive God's utmost love and recognition. After the death of the leader Moses, Joshua took the baton. Joshua 1:1 says, “Now it came about after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD, that the LORD spoke to Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ servant,” This is because God prepares someone to prevent the event of Moses's death from leading to negativity and despair. God prepares a person, and the one who was prepared as Moses’s alternative was Joshua. It was shortly after the Israelites had crossed the Red Sea, and, the Amalekites attacked.
A commander was appointed to confront them, and that commander was Joshua. Exodus 17:8-10 says, “Then Amalek came and fought against Israel at Rephidim. So Moses said to Joshua, “Choose men for us and go out, fight against Amalek. Tomorrow I will station myself on the top of the hill with the staff of God in my hand.”” They tasted victory, but what is important is the subsequent follow-up action. God gave specific instructions. Exodus 17:14, first part, says, “Then the LORD said to Moses, “Write this in a book as a memorial and recite it to Joshua,” He commanded that the details of how they won be written in a book and that Joshua study and memorize it.
This way, Joshua could build up spiritual knowledge on how God’s power worked and what the secret of victory was. Only by building up this kind of spiritual knowledge could Joshua continue to win in future battles and conquer Canaan, following in Moses’s footsteps. The Bible says, “The truth will set you free.” John 8:32 says, “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” When armed with the word of truth, one can experience true freedom, true victory, and true happiness through spiritual abundance.
Do not fall into spiritual insensitivity but always remain awake before the Word of truth. Love God, long for the truth, and break through to deeper spiritual stages in every area of your faith journey. God chooses to use those who love Him from the heart and regard the Word of truth as precious to them as life. Home cell leaders must clearly listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit, be armed with the Word of truth, and set an example for their cell members in character and action. When well-armed with the Word of truth, you can teach your cell members, share testimonies of answered prayers and experiences, plant faith in them, and bring them grace.
Do you know why congregants get hurt by pastors and workers? It’s because pastors and workers are not spiritually and personally prepared, failing to impress upon the congregation. When the congregants are not overwhelmed by spiritual authority, they get disappointed and hurt. I hope that, from a young age, you will grow more in character and deepen your spirituality through much prayer and meditation on the Word. In this way, you can possess a spirituality that can influence both the spirit and flesh, becoming workers who have a positive influence.
2. To become a person who has a positive influence, one must lead to the best outcome with the greatest good.
Elijah went up to the top of Mount Carmel, a place higher than where Ahab went to eat and drink, to pray. However, the way he prayed was unique. Verse 42 says, “So Ahab went off to eat and drink, but Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel, bent down to the ground and put his face between his knees.” He knelt on the ground and put his face between his knees. To see a small cloud the size of a man’s hand in the vast sky of the Mediterranean Sea, he prayed in this posture seven times.
Putting his face between his knees and praying seven times indicates that he prayed with all his might. If you go to a racetrack, you can see the racehorses. Racehorses are fitted with "blinkers." Human eyes are positioned facing forward on the front of the face, but a horse's eyes are on the sides of its head, giving it a very wide field of view of about 350 degrees. Therefore, racehorses can easily be distracted by the horses running in front, beside, and behind them during the race. To prevent this, they wear blinkers to help them focus on running straight ahead and display their best performance. Likewise, Elijah put his face between his knees, which means he did not get distracted by his surroundings but looked only to God and prayed with all his might. When we say we do our best, we usually say, "Do my best." It means to give our utmost effort. However, doing our best in faith means relying on God, who is the greatest good. It is not about striving to use our best abilities and wisdom but about striving to obtain God's greatest power.
This is the true attitude of doing one’s best. The world may say, “Do my best,” but we should say, “Do God’s best.” Elijah did not exert his best efforts to bring heavy rain and end the three-and-ahalf-year drought. Instead, he prayed and received the answer of heavy rain through God’s power. When Jacob, who took the birthright from Esau with a bowl of red stew, tried to return to his homeland after 20 years, he faced a great challenge. His brother Esau heard the news and came with 400 soldiers to kill Jacob. Learning of this through his scouts, Jacob made every effort to avoid the crisis. First, he sent flocks of sheep and cattle as gifts for his brother Esau, put his wives and children behind them, and followed last. The reason for doing this is explained in Genesis 32:20, second part, which says, “I will appease him with these gifts I am sending on ahead; later, when I see him, perhaps he will receive me.”
However, no matter how much effort Jacob put into this human wisdom, it was difficult to escape the crisis. God sent an archangel to wrestle with Jacob so that he would not rely on his own best efforts but rely on God’s best. Genesis 32:24 says, “So Jacob was left alone, and a man wrestled with him till daybreak.” As dawn was breaking, the archangel struck Jacob’s hip socket to leave, but Jacob refused to let go of the angel. Genesis 32:26 says, “Then the man said, “Let me go, for it is daybreak.” But Jacob replied, “I will not let you go unless you bless me.”” In the end, he received the blessing of being called “Israel” from the angel sent by God and let him go. There is something strange in this scene. As dawn was breaking, the angel needed to leave quickly, so he struck Jacob's hip socket. If the angel wanted to leave quickly while wrestling, he should have struck Jacob’s arm and said, “Let go of me,” not his leg. Who strikes a leg and says, "Let go of my hand"?
It’s quite an odd scene. In other words, God was not telling Jacob to stop praying because dawn was breaking. Rather, He was telling him to pray even more earnestly. Since Jacob’s hip socket was injured, he had no choice but to cling more firmly to the angel. If he let go, he would fall since his hip was dislocated. So, he held on even tighter. In the end, Jacob was able to become a game changer who changed the situation not by his best efforts to soften Esau's heart but by God’s best and His power. Elijah put his face between his knees and prayed seven times to bring down God’s best power. By making possible what was impossible with human effort, he became a person who had a positive influence on the Israelites suffering from a three-and-a-halfyear drought. Lately, I have been thinking a lot about the 120 disciples who gathered to pray in Mark’s Upper Room on the day of Pentecost in Acts Chapter 2. The early church was born out of the fiery prayer in Mark’s Upper Room.
Because the 120 disciples in the Upper Room prayed with fiery prayer to bring down God's fundamental power, the gospel spread from Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. Thus, today’s Christianity was able to exist. Therefore, I believe that for our church to grow, for the congregation to be more blessed, and for the success of the African mission, we first need our own "Upper Room." All our worship services, prayer meetings, and home cell gatherings should be as fervently filled with the fire of the Holy Spirit as the Upper Room. In this way, I hope that the pastors who are being ordained today and home cell leaders will become workers who refresh the Lord’s people. Proverbs 25:13 says, “Like a snow-cooled drink at harvest time is a trustworthy messenger to the one who sends him; he refreshes the spirit of his master.” God is looking for workers who can refresh the Lord’s heart like cold water.
To become such workers, we must pray fervently, dedicate ourselves to evangelism, and home cell leaders must nurture the souls won through evangelism to grow into church workers. They should set an example of obedience and be role models for the flock, always being workers and servants of the Lord who have a positive influence.
3. To become a person who has a positive influence, you must be someone who runs ahead of Ahab’s chariot in the rain.
When Elijah saw a small cloud the size of a man’s hand rising from the sea, he sent his servant to tell Ahab to go down the mountain in his chariot because a heavy rain was coming. Just as Elijah said, in verses 45 and 46, clouds and winds arose, the sky grew dark, and heavy rain began to fall. Then, an unbelievable and amazing event took place. Elijah ran down the mountain faster than Ahab's chariot. Verse 46 says, “The power of the LORD came on Elijah and, tucking his cloak into his belt, he ran ahead of Ahab all the way to Jezreel.” Ahab was an evil king. He brought the idols 'Baal' and 'Asherah' into Israel and fostered false prophets, filling Israel with sin. Ahab represents sin, and his chariot symbolizes the evil trends of this world.
1 Peter 4:2 explains why God has called us to be His children: 1 Peter 4:2-3 says, “As a result, they do not live the rest of their earthly lives for evil human desires, but rather for the will of God. For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do - living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry.” So how should we live? In 1 Corinthians 9:23 and the following verses, God tells us how to run. 1 Corinthians 9:24-26 says, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.” Just as Elijah outran Ahab’s chariot, we too must outrun the sinful and corrupt trends of this world, run faster toward goodness, and run faster toward the light, so that we may shine as pure and blameless children of glory. Imagine Elijah running faster than the chariot through the pouring rain. Just thinking about it feels refreshing, and isn’t that image inspiring?
How was Elijah able to run faster than the chariot? In verse 46, it says, “The power of the Lord came upon Elijah.” This means that a three-dimensional spiritual space was bestowed upon him. While Ahab's chariot was moving in the one-dimensional physical space, Elijah was running in the three-dimensional spiritual space at that moment. The three-dimensional spiritual space is where angels dwell. Thus, even though Elijah ran just as he usually would, to those in the physical space, it appeared as if he was running incredibly fast like an angel, due to the overlay of the three-dimensional space. This is not an optical illusion, and it can be easily understood by studying the "space and dimension" that our emeritus senior pastor taught us. How could Aaron's rod sprout, grow, and bear fruit in just one night, as recorded in Numbers Chapter 17?
How was Moses able to part the Red Sea and cross it as on dry land in Exodus? How did the wise men follow a moving star to find Jesus in Bethlehem? These and many other spiritual events recorded in the Bible become easier to believe and understand. The pastors being ordained today and the home cell leaders participating in the dedication service must continue to build up spiritual knowledge. You should study the words of the spirit at our church's Academy, MIS. Only then can you properly teach the truth to the congregation and firmly establish the cell members on the foundation of the Word and faith. To become someone who runs in the rain like Elijah, you must overcome and transcend the sins of the world, your own conditions, and the circumstances around you.
While living in this world, we often attach many reasons and conditions when difficulties arise. We give numerous negative reasons and excuses for why we cannot do this or that. If we made excuses, there would be no way to do it. How could a person possibly run faster than a chariot in the pouring rain? However, if we strive to live according to the Word, God will help with the rest. He will clothe us with His power and overlay us with the spiritual space. To become a person who has a positive influence, like Elijah who ran ahead of Ahab's chariot in the rain, we must always remember why the Lord was crucified for us. 2 Corinthians 5:15 says, “and He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf.” The most significant trait of a person living under Christ’s influence is that they no longer live for themselves. Apostle Paul confessed the following in order to practice the Lord’s words: Colossians 1:24 says, “Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of His body, which is the church.” Paul speaks of two kinds of "for": the first is "for you." He thoroughly lived a life "for you." This principle is why even in my old age, I keep going. What wealth and glory would one seek to enjoy in this fleeting world by trying to live longer?
However, if there is a reason for me to live, it is like Paul's conclusion: "To remain in the body is more necessary for you." The second life of "for" is a life "for the church." Let’s read it again. Colossians 1:24: “Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of His body, which is the church.” The suffering that remains of Christ is for the church. I wish to dedicate all my remaining life for the church. We must have this mindset. We need to have this realization and make a firm resolution to cherish and uphold the church. This is the spirit of Colossians 1:24. This is the spirit of the home cell leaders and pastors who are giving this dedication service today. We must live with this spirit, considering it the mission God has given us.
God allowed us to be born into this world because there is a mission worthy of our lives here. I want to introduce someone who lives a life of mission, realizing that life is not just thrown away, but has a reason to live. That person is Oprah Winfrey, an American woman. Now, she is a world-renowned figure. One year, TIME magazine conducted a survey of the 100 most influential people moving America, and Oprah Winfrey topped the list. However, her teenage years were very miserable. She was born in the slums as the illegitimate child of a single mother. She was sexually assaulted as a young teenager and became pregnant. She gave birth prematurely. Her misfortune continued. The premature baby died after only two weeks. Young Oprah Winfrey found the world too overwhelming. She became a drug addict and spent her teenage years in darkness. Looking at such a situation, what hope could there be? Then, who turned Oprah Winfrey's life around completely?
The most influential factor was the thoughts brought by faith. She spoke of four sayings related to her mission: First, having more than others is not a blessing but a mission. Having a prestigious university degree or a large house is not a blessing but a mission. To whom much is given, much is required. Second, if you have more pain than others, it is not suffering but a mission. The fact that she could spring up like a coil despite her miserable teenage years was because of this thought. Third, if you have a more thrilling dream than others, it is not an illusion but a mission. If she had said, "I will become the number one person moving America," people would have called it an illusion and sent her to a mental hospital. So, it is better to keep the dream inside.
Fourth, if you have something that burdens you more than others, that is a mission. What enabled her to do so? It was her faith in God. She said that her life model was Moses from the Old Testament. She confessed that neither poverty nor wealth, nor dreams nor worries, nor anything that confronted her could determine her future. Instead, she accepted everything as a mission, and this sense of mission made her who she is today. We should not follow Ahab, who symbolizes the sins of this world, or the dazzling chariot that represents the corrupted worldly trends. Instead, we should follow Elijah, who ran ahead of Ahab’s chariot, becoming people of mission who have a positive influence.
Conclusion The true game changer who leads our lives to victory is Jesus Christ. He is the one who genuinely has a positive influence on our lives. Romans 8:36 says, “As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”” However, a great reversal occurs. Verse 37 says, “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us.” How can such a great reversal happen? It says, "Through Him who loved us." In verse 46, Elijah also experienced the power of the LORD coming upon him. Even though the reality showed nothing but a cloud the size of a man’s hand, he did not focus on that. Instead, he looked to God, who would bring the heavy rain. This is why he proclaimed that we can be more than conquerors and ran through the rain.
There is a saying: “One answer to 100 questions.” No matter how many questions there are, the answer is one. That one answer is Jesus Christ, the game changer who has a positive influence on us. Now, let's have the pastors being ordained and the home cell leaders who are dedicating themselves today stand up. No matter what question I ask, clench your fist and answer loudly, "Jesus Christ." We don't have time for all 100, so let’s try just a few. Let’s practice once. What is the reason for our lives? ~ "Jesus Christ." When I ask, "What is the reason for our lives?" you answer, "Jesus Christ!" Yes, that's how you do it. Let’s begin.
1. Who is the Lord of your life?
2. What is the goal of your life?
3. What is the reason for your life?
4. Who called you to this church?
5. Who gave you your precious position and mission?
6. Who will have a positive influence on your life?
7. For whom will you be loyal to the point of death in the future?
8. Who will you become, "a person of positive influence," like? Great job.
Now, I would like everyone in the congregation to stand up. Those worshiping through YouTube, our online congregation, please stand up. All students at each school, please stand up, and everyone worshiping through YouTube, please stand. When I ask a question, clench your fist and answer loudly, "Jesus Christ." The correct answer is "Jesus Christ." There is no other answer in our lives than Jesus Christ.
Let's begin.
1. Who do we believe in to receive forgiveness of sins and eternal life?
2. Who will turn our despair into hope and blessings?
3. Who holds the key to the revival of our church?
4. Who will restore your family?
5. Who has an amazing plan for you?
6. Who raised us from death?
7. Who gives us dreams and hope when we are discouraged?
8. Who is the one whose name we call without growing weary?
9. For whom will you live from now on?
10. Who is the one who has a positive influence on us? Well done.
Now, let’s greet the person next to you: "Jesus Christ has a positive influence on us." One more time: "Let’s become people who have a positive influence,"
