The Power of Influence
Genesis 39
1 And Joseph was brought down to Egypt; and Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh, captain of the guard, an Egyptian, bought him of the hands of the Ishmeelites, which had brought him down thither.
2 And the LORD was with Joseph, and he was a prosperous man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian.
3 And his master saw that the LORD was with him, and that the LORD made all that he did to prosper in his hand.
4 And Joseph found grace in his sight, and he served him: and he made him overseer over his house, and all that he had he put into his hand.
5 And it came to pass from the time that he had made him overseer in his house, and over all that he had, that the LORD blessed the Egyptian’s house for Joseph’s sake; and the blessing of the LORD was upon all that he had in the house, and in the field.
6 And he left all that he had in Joseph’s hand; and he knew not ought he had, save the bread which he did eat. And Joseph was a goodly person, and well favoured.
· What makes a person become a person of Influence?
· The business world is set by people who have influence.
· In our area it’s not who you are but whom you know.
· Who influences you? Why do they influence you? How do they influence you?
· Why will nobody take me serious? Why won’t they listen to me?
I. To be a person of Influence requires a good work ethic.
It requires a servant’s heart.
It requires sacrifice.
It requires submission.
Daniel
Daniel 1
19 And the king communed with them; and among them all was found none like Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah: therefore stood they before the king.
Joseph, Daniel, Hebrew Boys, Abraham, Esther, Ruth, David, Elijah
I want to take a moment and mention a few of the must influential people of our time.
Mother Teresa
1910: Born Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu on August 26 in Skopje, in what is now Macedonia. The youngest of three children of an Albanian builder. Baptized on August 27.
1928: Becomes novitiate in Loretto order, which ran mission schools in India, and takes name Sister Teresa.
1929: Arrives in Calcutta to teach at St. Mary’s High School.
1937: Takes final vows as a nun.
1946: While riding a train to the mountain town of Darjeeling to recover from suspected tuberculosis, she said she received a calling from God "to serve him among the poorest of the poor."
1947: Permitted to leave her order and moves to Calcutta’s slums to set up her first school.
1950: Founds the order of Missionaries of Charity.
1952: Opens Nirmal Hriday, or "Pure Heart," a home for the dying, followed next year by her first orphanage.
1962: Wins her first prize for her humanitarian work: the Padma Shri award for distinguished service. Over the years, she uses the money from such prizes to found dozens of new homes.
1979: Wins Nobel Peace Prize.
1982: Persuades Israelis and Palestinians to stop shooting long enough to rescue 37 retarded children from a hospital in besieged Beirut.
1983: Has a heart attack while in Rome visiting Pope John Paul II.
1985: Awarded Medal of Freedom, the highest U.S. civilian award.
1989: Has a second and nearly fatal attack. Doctors implant a pacemaker.
1990: Announces her intention to resign, and a conclave of sisters is called to choose successor. In a secret ballot, Mother Teresa is re-elected with only one dissenting vote -- her own -- and withdraws request to step down.
1991: Suffers pneumonia in Tijuana, Mexico, leading to congestive heart failure, and is hospitalized in La Jolla, California.
1993: Breaks three ribs in fall in May in Rome; hospitalized for malaria in August in New Delhi; undergoes surgery to clear blocked blood vessel in Calcutta in September.
1996: November 16, receives honorary U.S. citizenship.
1996: Falls and breaks collarbone in April; suffers malarial fever and failure of the left heart ventricle in August; treated for a chest infection and recurring heart problems in September. Readmitted to hospital with chest pains and breathing problems November 22.
1997: March 13, steps down as head of her order.
1997: September 5, Mother Teresa, dies at 87
Tiger Woods
Became a pro in 1997. Won 4 tournaments that year. Tiger called his coach Butch Harmen and said, “Something’s not right…I can do better.”
The next 19 months he only won 1 tournament. One night he called Butch Harmen and said, “I found it.”
He went on to win 10 of the next 14 tournaments including 6 in a row BECAUSE HE WAS NOT CONTENT WHERE HE WAS AND SAID I WANT MORE.
Michael Jordan
He played in 1,072 games, playing an amazing 41,011 minutes and finished his career with 32,292 points, 5,633 assists and 6,672 rebounds. Won six World Championships. 5 MVP’s. Ten time All-Star. Holds over 40 NBA records.
In 1978 tried out as a sophomore for his high school basketball team. The coach told him, “You have no skill.” He was 6’1, 150 pounds.
