OUR CHRISTIAN INFLUENCE
Posted by: preacher30673 <preacher30673@...>
King Solomon was the wisest man who ever lived. In the story before us he had just come to power but already his name and fame were becoming known, for he excelled in wisdom, power, and influence. In fact, it was on this very account that the Arabian queen visited him.
The question at once arises as to how the far-off queen ever came to hear of Solomon. The answer to that question gives us the secret of personal influence; and we must learn this secret if we would influence men and women for the Lord Jesus.
Let us consider three movements of this story and its practical application in our life.
I. How She Was Interested
"…the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon…[and] she came to prove him with hard questions" (1 Kings 10:1).
The details of how she came to be interested might be summed up in the words heard, came and prove.
A. Her Interest Was Engaged
"…the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the Lord…" (1 Kings 10:1). Solomon's servants were so full of the glories and virtues of their king that they talked about him wherever they went, and this captured the interest of this faraway queen.
The fame of the king and his great undertakings was so widely spread that curiosity arose in a queen of Arabia. The Queen of Sheba was an interested inquirer. She was not content with the reports which she had heard in her own land.
There is no doubt in mind that she dismissed the accounts as the exaggerations of overworked imaginations to begin with. The palace of the queen of Sheba must have become a center of
animated debate, as each new merchant repeated his claim. Ultimately the challenge of the message overcame the unbelief of the woman, and she finally determine to check out the story for herself.
In a similar way, only as others hear, by our life and lip, of the glories of our heavenly King will we engage the interest of people in spiritual things. We must remember that this is the way the early church exalted the name and extended the fame of the Lord Jesus. It is recorded that "…those who were scattered went everywhere preaching the word" (Acts 8:4).
A poor scrub woman who was partially blind
was wonderfully saved. She lost no opportunity to tell others about it. One day a back-slid Christian heckled her, "Aren't you carrying your religion a bit too far? Yesterday I saw you witnessing to the wooden Indian in front of a drugstore!"
"Maybe I am. My eyes are getting poor, so I
take no chances. I'd rather be guilty of witnessing to a wooden Indian than being a like wooden Indian who never tells anyone about Jesus!"
B. Her Interest Was Excited
"she came" (1 Kings 10:1). Having gained her interest, these servants, in their excitement and enthusiasm, convinced this woman—though an unbeliever—to undertake the long, wearisome, and dangerous journey to visit King Solomon.
Sheba probably refers to the south-western tip of Arabia (modern Yemen) 1,400 miles from Jerusalem, but she came because of what she heard. Nothing would serve her but she would go herself and know the truth of what she had heard. She travels a journey of some 75 days because her interest has been excited.
Such is the outworking of interest when rightly excited. To learn this secret will solve the problem of bringing friends through insurmountable difficulties to meet the King of kings.
C. Her Interest Was Exercised
"…she came to prove him with hard questions" (1 Kings 10:1). A person whose interest is genuinely excited always seeks a proof; so "…she came…with hard questions" (1 Kings 10:1).
Honest interest is never disappointed where there is reality.
I. How She Was Interested
II. How She Was IMPRESSED
"So Solomon told her all her questions.…and when the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, and the meat of his table, and the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his ministers, and their apparel, and his cupbearers, and his ascent by which he went up to the house of the Lord, there was no more spirit in her" (1 Kings 10:3-5). Having been interested enough to hear, come, and prove Solomon, the queen was now impressed with what she saw.
It was the quality of life with which she was confronted in the king's palace that impressed her—a life above the common. Though a queen herself and acquainted with life as conducted in a royal palace, she was nevertheless convinced that the life of Solomon and his servants was on a higher plane.
What kind of impression are you making upon the people you associate with?
A. She observed the Shrewdness of the King's Life
She saw "…all the wisdom of Solomon…" (1 Kings 10:4). Notice that it was not his knowledge that impressed her, but his wisdom; there is a difference. Wisdom is the right use of knowledge. It was the use to which Solomon put his knowledge that impressed the queen. He had God-given knowledge rightly related to everyday life.
Needless to say, it is such wisdom that impresses the outsider today. Knowledge alone irritates them and makes him feel resentfully inferior and ignorant, and, therefore, drives them away. Many Christians have plenty of knowledge, but little wisdom. Wisdom is the sane and balanced application of knowledge to everyday life—a lifestyle which impresses the unbeliever.
B. She observed the Superiority of the King's Life
"And when the queen of Sheba had seen ......there was no more spirit in her" (1 Kings 10:4-5). She saw nothing slipshod or second-rate about Solomon, his palace, or his servants.
1. The House
"…the house that he had built" (1 Kings 10:4). No doubt she lived in a splendid palace herself, but she saw something superior about Solomon's house which impressed her. It was a house which justified his income, means, and position.
Are people impressed with that superior touch about your home because it is a Christian home?
2. The Food
"the food on his table…" (1 Kings 10:5). Are people impressed with what they see on your table? Is it such that you can ask the Lord's blessing?
3. The Service
"…the sitting of his servants, and the attendance of his minsiters…" (1 Kings 10:5). The willingness, patience, and faithfulness of all service done impressed the queen.
According to verse 7 she was impressed with the happiness of the servants. She noticed the joy with which they served.
Is there that superiority about the way you serve the King or are you content with haphazard, half-hearted, and unimpressive service that is all too common today?
4. The Apparel
"their apparel" (1 Kings 10:5). The clothes and the way they were worn impressed this woman.
How often are people impressed for good by seeing the way a Christian is dressed? Do you really think that the non-Christian is attracted by the characteristic extremes to which most Christians go? Surely, the New Testament standard for men and women is "modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety …" (1 Timothy 2:9).
5. The Extras
"his cupbearers" [or butlers] (1 Kings 10:5). These individuals are "the extras" because they represent that special touch which makes for a superiority of life. This passage tells us that even the cupbearers impressed her. So often it is the little extras which does most to impress others of what we have in Christ
C. She observed the Spirituality of the King's Life
"…his ascent by which he went up to the house of the Lord" (1 Kings 10:5). The third thing that impressed this woman was the spirituality of his life.
The queen was profoundly impressed with the meaning, reality, and sincerity of the king's spiritual life.
Are people genuinely impressed with the reality of our spiritual life?
I. How She Was Interested
II. How She Was IMPRESSED
III. How She Was InFLUENCED
So in this threefold way such an impression was made on the Queen of Sheba that we read "…there was no more spirit in her" (1 Kings 10:5). "…I believe not their words until I came and mine eyes had seen it; and behold the one half........ was not told me.…" (1 Kings 10:6). Her whole soul was won; that is to say, her mind, heart, and will. Notice carefully:
A. Her Mind Was Satisfied
"…I believe not their words until I came and mine eyes had seen it..." (1 Kings 10:7). Her mind was influenced. Seeing was believing.
B. Her Heart Was Stirred
"Blessed be the Lord your God, which delighted in thee, to set thee on the throne of Israel!…" (1 Kings 10:8). She was moved with emotion and devotion. Her heart was influenced.
C. Her Will was Surrendered
"…she gave the king…gold, and.....spices…and precious stones" (1 Kings 10:9). Gold was very precious in those days; but that was not her greatest gift. The most precious was the spices—spices that Solomon could never acquire elsewhere. This country was famous for spices What a sweet note on which to conclude our story!
The evidence that a soul has been truly influenced is that the mind has been satisfied, the heart has been stirred, and the will has been surrendered.
Conclusion
They who find their way to Jesus Him, and tell Him all that is in their hearts, will have all their questions (2) solved because He is a greater than Solomon.
In response to her generosity, Solomon "…gave the queen of Sheba all her desire, whatever she asked, besides that which she had brought unto the king...." (1 Kings 10:13). He reciprocated in a measure which far exceeded all that she ever gave. This is what the heavenly King always does to the soul that is prepared to give all to Him.
May we follow the example of our text and set out to influence people for Jesus as this Queen of Sheba was influenced about Solomon.
IN HIS ETERNAL GRIP,
Pastor Jimmy Chapman
Victory Baptist Church
706-678-1855
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