Qualities of Leaven in Our Influence: Silent, Unceasing, Transformative!
Leaven symbolizes the Christian's influence - working silently, persistently against odds, influencing without being influenced, requiring personal contact for impact to spread from within. Through humility, perseverance, and genuine connection, Christians can transform the world, spreading Christ's message authentically and consistently.
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Presentation Transcript
13 Qualities of Leaven in Our Influence Matthew 13:33 From Wendell Winkler s The Christian and Influence
Leaven Is a Silently Working Force Christians are to avoid doing things just to be seen of men (Matt. 6:1-8) Christians are to avoid boasting (Rom. 1:30) Christians are to lead lives of humility, gentleness and quietness (1 Thess. 4:11; 1 Tim. 2:2; 1 Pet. 3:4; Gal. 5:22- 23; Jas. 3:17; 2 Tim. 2:24; Tit. 3:2)
Leaven Influences, and Is Not Influenced Leaven does not cease to be leaven when hid in the meal Christians must guard against losing their identity in the world Christians are to influence the world to become Christlike! Christians are not to conform; we are to transform (Rom. 12:2; 2 Cor. 6:17-18) Christians are to overcome the world, not be overcome of the world (1 John 5:4-5; Rom. 12:21; Jas. 1:27; 4:4; 1 John 2:15-17; John 17:16)
Leaven Works Persistently and Unceasingly, Though the Majority Is Against It Quitters never win, and winners never quit! Jesus did not quit (Heb. 12:2) Paul never quit (2 Cor. 4:8-11; 2 Tim. 4:6-8) We are never to quit (1 Cor. 15:58; Gal. 6:9; Rev. 2:10)
Leaven Must Be Mixed with the Substance to Be Influenced Jesus made contact with the sinners (Matt. 9:9-12) Jesus prayed for His disciples, I do not pray that You should take them out of the world, but that You should keep them from the evil one (John 17:15) In the parable, the meal would have remained unleavened unless the leaven had been placed therein And, so many will remain non-Christian unless we contact them! God works for men through men (Acts 8:26-40; 9:10-19; 2 Cor. 4:7)! If men ever hear the gospel and are saved (Rom. 16:16), it will be because we contacted them and taught them.
Leaven Works from Within to Without Conversion and reformation must spring from the heart, from within (Rom. 6:16-18; Matt. 15:8) Life and its deeds issue from the heart (Prov. 4:23; 23:7; Matt. 5:21-32; 15:17-20) Thus, we must not, like the Pharisees, give emphasis to the external to the neglect of the internal (Matt. 23:25-28)
Leaven Exerts Its Peculiar Influence By Virtue of the Fact That It Is Leaven The point is this: be leaven and you will leaven Be a Christian and you will Christianize Be a real Christian in thought, word and deed, and influence will follow
Leaven Changes the Substance into Which It Is Placed into the Nature of Leaven Itself Are you willing for your friends, children, neighbors, fellow- workers, etc., to be changed into the same type person you are? Suppose every person: Was a soul-winner like me? Read the Bible like me? Prayed like me? Talked like me? Visited like me? Had an attitude like me?
Leaven Multiplies; It Is Contagious The early church multiplied (Acts 2:47; 4:4; 5:14; 6:7; 9:31; 16:5; 19:20) God s people were so evangelistic, that the gospel was preached to every creature under heaven (Col. 1:23; 1:6) In multiplying, leaven influences the meal part by part One of the most effective ways to influence the whole world for Christ is through individual or personal evangelism Each one tell one (John 1:40-51; 2 Tim. 2:2)
Leaven Causes the Mass into Which It Is Inserted to Swell and Bubble; Yea, to Seethe Leaven (Greek, zume) in Matthew 13:33 is from the Greek zeo, which means to boil or seethe as in fermentation The Christian and his influence can sometimes be disturbing (cf. 1 Kgs. 18:17; Acts 16:20; 17:6)
Leaven Renders Palatable That Which It Influences Under the influence of Christ: John, one of the sons of thunder (Mark 3:17), was transformed into the apostle of love (see First John) Peter, a fickle and vacillating character, was changed into a stone- like personality (John 1:42) Under the influence of Barnabas: John Mark, who had turned back on the first missionary tour (Acts 13:13), became profitable to the ministry (2 Tim. 4:11) Under the influence of Christians: Others will have their characters enriched, their attitudes improved, and their outlooks brightened (and perhaps be more open to Christ)
Leaven Works Slowly Sometimes it takes considerable time to influence and win a soul for Christ Let us not grow weary (Gal. 6:9) Let us keep on keeping on!
LeavenJust a Little of ItCan Add Its Qualities to Much It is amazing what great good can be done by just one person or by a few The preaching of one man saved a city of near one million (Jonah 3:1-4:11) Starting with 12 men, Christ inaugurated a system which revolutionized society and changed the course of the world Let us never as individuals say, I don t mean much or I can t do much Let us never as a congregation think we are insignificant Let us be strong, fighting and influencing for Christ (Eph. 6:10)
Leaven Changes the Substance with Which It Comes in Contact Christians should effect the following changes in the home: hate to love, strife to peace, selfishness to selflessness, harshness to kindness Christians should effect the following changes in the church: turmoil to peace, pessimism to faith, indifference to zeal, defeat to victory Christians should effect the following changes in the community, workplace or school: dishonesty to integrity, impure speech to wholesome language, indolence to activity, immorality to purity
The only way for the leaven of the gospel to reach and influence the world is for each member of the church to have within themselves the qualities of leaven 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. Leaven Is a Silently Working Force Leaven Influences, and Is Not Influenced Leaven Works Persistently and Unceasingly, Though the Majority Is Against It Leaven Works from Within to Without Leaven Must Be Mixed with the Substance to Be Influenced Leaven Exerts Its Peculiar Influence By Virtue of the Fact That It Is Leaven Leaven Changes the Substance into Which It Is Placed into the Nature of Leaven Itself Leaven Multiplies: It Is Contagious Leaven Causes the Mass into Which It Is Inserted to Swell and Bubble; Yea, to Seethe Leaven Renders Palatable That Which It Influences Leaven Works Slowly Leaven Just a Little of It Can Add Its Qualities to Much Leaven Changes the Substance with Which It Comes in Contact
