What Is a Christian 10 Christian Is Influence

We are joyous to see you again this morning, and we just trust the Lord to continue to speak to our heart. Now, please open your Bibles at Matthew, and the fifth chapter. Matthew, chapter five, please.

And I think you remember the theme this morning is the Christian as an influence. So glad some of you are feeling free to come and talk these things over with us, and that's a real pleasure too, because we can share with one another. Sometimes you don't always get what I'm saying from the platform.

I talk far too fast, and so if you don't quite get it, don't be afraid to come and talk things over, and we're only too happy to help we can. Now, Matthew 5, and verse number 13. Now, remember the Lord Jesus is the speaker, and he's saying, ye are the salt of the earth, that is, the salt of lost its favor, wherewith shall it be salted? It is said, for good, for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under the foot of men.

Ye are the light of the world, a city that is set on a hill cannot be hid, neither do men like a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick, and it give us light to all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good work, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. The Lord add his blessing to that reading from your hearts this morning.

The Christian has an influence, and the Lord Jesus says to his own, ye are the salt of the earth, ye are the light of the world. The salt does its work in the dark, because the light shines in the open, and when the light shines, then the darkness is displaced completely, and the light shines brighter and brighter. The Lord says ye are the salt of the earth.

Sometimes you talk about so-and-so, and say why? He, she, they are just the salt of the earth, meaning that nobody likes them, you know, they're just unique in every way. They have such a wonderful influence, there's a fragrance about them, and my friend the Lord says that about you, he says that about me. He says ye are the salt of the earth, just like we were finding out how all is the light is treasured in his own, that we are precious to him.

We are just absolutely everything to him, but now regarding our influence here on earth, he says ye are the salt of the earth. Now remember, salt is a preservative, it is a preservative, and the salt reminds me of purity, of purity. The salt has an also healing virtue, and the salt is used for flavoring.

Now, these thoughts came springing into my heart as I was meditating upon this this morning. The salt, remember, is a preservative. Remember, they put salt upon the meat to preserve the meat, and that is what we are.

While the church is here, we are the salt of the earth, and we're preserving this world from all from God's holy judgment that's going to fall upon it, and as long as we're here, judgment will not come. Thank God one day for us, I say thank God, we're going to be removed from this scene altogether, but I shudder to think of what's going to take place in this old tottering world after the salt has been removed. Secondly, the salt reminds me of purity, and we thank God for the purifying effect and influence of the salt, and we here too are to be a means of purity.

Our influence should be a purifying influence while here on earth. Remember, the Lord says we are in the world, but we are not of the world, and as we go in and out among men and women, there should be a purifying influence. You know, I have been thinking this beautiful morning, and I've been thinking a lot about it, and about six o'clock I could see that sun rising over the lake.

It was just amazing, and I thought of this day in all its purity, all its freshness, and all the sweetness of the aroma all around. Just wonderful to be alive, and I prayed, Imri, Lord grant that nothing from my life will bring any blemish or tarnish or impurity upon the beauty of this day, that your life and my life might be an outshining of the indwelling Christ, reminding our hearts that we're here as a purifying influence. Remember what the Lord says to his servant Paul, rather John, they have this hope set on him, purify themselves even as he is pure, and so we should have a purifying effect and influence upon others.

They should be able to detect and recognize the fact that we are children of God. Then, Father, it has this healing virtue, isn't it wonderful that we go in and out among men and women, that someone needs a little cordial by the way, a little word of cheer, a little word of encouragement. As I said the other morning, I repeat it, often behind a smiling face there is a breaking heart.

We don't always understand what's going on, but that little handshake, that little cheering word by the way, that little smile, all that healing virtue that brings into that dear life, and we can all do that, but we can't all be preachers. We can't all be preachers, but some people got the idea the greatest influence of all is that which is done from the dead, are done from the front, not at all. I believe the greatest influence that carries the most purifying healing in virtue is that which is done in the personal contact.

Now, some people think, well if I can't preach the gospel, if I can't teach God's word, then I'm of no value at all. I won't encourage your heart. I believe the greatest work done is the work done behind the scenes, in that personal contact.

You see, it's as salt does its work in the dark, and one day it's going to be made manifest, the great work your life has done in the lives of others, just that influence, that contact by the way. A simple illustration here. There was a preacher from the old country, he was very uncouth, his grammar was atrocious, and a doctor for philosophy was prepared to go and listen to him.

I know the preacher, and it so happened that this doctor was invited out for supper, and with the result of getting along to the meeting. That's a good way of getting people to meet, by the way, invite them out for a meal, that other courtesy to come along with you, you see. That's what happened here.

So, here the preacher got started, and he hadn't gone very far when the doctor's intelligence was insulted by the man's language. There's a little motto, probably you've seen it in Niagara Falls, you're better to keep your mouth shut and be thought a fool than to remove all doubt. So, it so happened that this doctor went back a few nights afterward, and then he's back another few nights afterward, and the last night he's there, and the preacher, I'm going to ask this man to be saved.

So, the doctor went up to the preacher and said, good night brother, God bless you. Are you saved doctor? Oh yes, I'm saved, all right. See, when we were saved, the very first night I came to the meeting, I was saved.

Now, the preacher's chest began to swell up. What a wonderful note for the letters of interest. Why, the doctor will not be saved in my meeting.

My, won't that meet wonderful headlines? So, the doctor, what was I preaching on the first night you came? Oh, he said, I don't know. There's never anything you said have brought me to Christ. How deflating some people can be.

Well, we'll say, well what was it? A doctor, he said, it was a handshake I got from the brother giving up the hymn books. I recognized that man had got something I hadn't got. I didn't rest that night till I found his savior is my savior.

Brethren, sisters, when we get home to heaven, we'll see things in their true perspective. We'll see things in their true life, and the great things we thought were done for him will go up a pale wooden stubble, and little things we've forgotten about. That handshake, that smile, that God bless you, that letter written in that dear mystery way not far off land, and that letter just arrived from the moment he was in a state of despondency, or she was being discouraged, a new letter just arrived at the right moment.

Ah, that's going to be a reward in the coming day. I remember Mrs. So-and-so wasn't very well, and you knew she liked egg custard, and you baked her egg custard, and you took that across her in the name of the Lord Jesus. Ah, that's going to be a reward in the coming day.

Mrs. So-and-so has rather a lot of children, and she's not getting on too well with her work, and you've got time on your hands, so what do you do? You say, let me have the children. I'll take them to the park for a while while you get on with your work, doing it in the name of the Lord Jesus. Another point, you think of that dear woman, she hasn't been at all too well, but you've got an automatic washer and dryer, so let me have your washing.

Oh no, she objected. Oh, I'm taking it. You take the washing, you take it home, you iron it, you take it back all in the name of the Lord Jesus.

Brethren and sisters, that's going to be a reward in the coming day. I'm all out for practical Christianity, and we want the influence of this Christ's life lived out and alive day by day. This is what's going to be rewarded.

Now, the Bible says, right here, and I want to help you with this. See, some people say, if only I could preach. May I say this in passing? There's no calling so high, there's no profession so noble, than to be the bond slave of Jesus Christ.

Now, my friend, listen, it's not all done from the dead. I repeat with empathy, I believe the most important work is the influence that God could control and spirit energize must. The life you have upon your associates, your colleagues, your friends, and your neighbors, and upon your own family, this is terrific, and this has with it a healing virtue.

Just think of the healing you can bring to many other lives, just because you're touched by the Lord yourself. Then, that's in this connection, when salt is used for flavoring. My friend, how insipid are potatoes without any salt? They are meat without any salt on them, when it's being cooked.

An egg without any salt. How insipid, how tasteful it seems to be, doesn't it? And so is the life, my friend, without the salt. And so would this world be without you, and without me, for the Lord says, remember ye are the salt of the earth.

May God help us recognize the wonderful influence we should have. Now, notice, we can't energize, and we can't engineer this. We can't work it up, we can't plan this, we can't organize it.

It comes from a life controlled by the Holy Spirit Himself, that with you to the indwelling Spirit, your life and my life becomes an outshining of the indwelling Christ. Something more may help us here now. We are the light of the world, but notice, if the salt lost its flavor, if the salt lost its influence, then man trod it down.

Then we got that, and if you, my friend, were one from the wealth alone, and you've allowed somebody to come in that's taken all that beautiful purity, preservative, and healing influence out of your life, somebody's come in to be clouded that influence, ah, remember the enemy around. The enemy around, men around, they just take their testimony, and they just trod it underfoot. The very same as the branches that are taken from the vine, remember? The men, I said, and men take them and burn them.

Men have got no mercy. And my friend, listen, if you've gone on, and somehow or other you've got into a back-spin condition, and you're lucky not having that Christ-like fragrance, that influence upon others, they're not long to detect it. They can see through it immediately.

Let me give you an illustration. A friend of ours back in Britain some years ago was managing a large drug store. Now this dear man, I knew him very, very well.

We were having a gospel tent campaign quite near to where we were then living, just outside Birmingham, England. Each morning at seven o'clock we had an early morning prayer meeting. This tent campaign went on for about nine weeks, night after night, day after day.

And this morning in the prayer meeting, we're sitting on a farm, and I could feel the farm shaking. Now, this around here was my friend, the manager of the drug store, tears rolling down his face, his whole body moving with emotion. I couldn't quite understand this.

So, during the course of the prayer meeting, a young lady got up, quite spontaneously began to sing, shall my, shall my hands be empty when I stand before the everlasting throne, or there'll be nothing but leaves, no fruit, nothing but leaves. That girl went out later to Pakistan as a missionary. After the meeting, I said to this fellow, Tom, what's the matter with you? He said, Jim, it's breaking my heart.

I said, what's breaking your heart? He said, you know, Jim, I have been in that store for 18 months. Now, I've worked in that store, and I've come in contact with a woman twice daily for 18 months, and he said that woman did not realize until only yesterday, and she came to me and said, Tom, I never knew you were a Christian until I saw your name on a placard down the town, going to speak at a young people rally. I didn't realize you're one of those kind of people, and he said, Jim, it's broken my heart.

So, I think I come in contact with that woman twice daily, and she never realized I was a Christian, or the full influence I must have had upon that woman. You see, when I went home that night, I looked over my mantelpiece in my lodging, and I saw the word, the Lord reigneth. So, I took a gun and threw a gun at my desk.

It's not true. He's not reigning in my life. I am preaching to others he's reigning in my life, but he's not reigning at all.

He said, Jim, I'm only a hypocrite. I'm only a hypocrite. I've just gone wrong with a veneer.

Thank God that man was broken down. He recognized the influence, more than the true influence. Let me ask you very lovingly, with my own heart now, because heart to heart, what kind of influence are we having? Remember, Christ says you are the salt of the earth, then he says you're the light of the world.

But, remember in John chapter 8, verse number 12, those wonderful words, Jesus said, I am the light of the world. He that falls, he shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. Now, just as the moon is a reflection of the sun, so beloved, we are the reflectors.

Christ said when he was left, I am the light of the world, but now he says, ye are the light of the world. And remember in Philippians chapter 2, verse number 15, he says we are God's eternal light in the midst of a crooked and generation. I was here to shine as light, but if the reflector is dirty, then the light won't be very bright.

The other night I was coming over in Atlanta, and on the top of a hill, looking down into Atlanta from where I was standing, or driving rather, I could see the beautiful light. There were some really brilliant, some my frame was quite dim, some were quite dark, but they were all shining, they were all shining, and if you're a child of God, you are a light. I am a light, though there's some which are very bright and very brilliant, some my frame may not be quite so bright, some may be very dim, but we're all shining.

You in your small corner, and I in mine. To me, I thought, way back in Britain years ago, we used to have a model T4 car, a 1936, and you know, that car gave us very good service, but sometimes, you know, the reflector in my headlights would get rather dirty, and rather dull, and I had to take the rim off, and take the glass off, and go in and polish up that reflector with all the brass, polish it all up, until I could almost see my face in that reflector. I knew I just longed for the darkness to come.

Why? I wanted to see now, the beam beaming along the highway, how far the light could be thrown along the highway. When the reflector was dirty, I didn't get a very bright light, but once the reflector was all polished up, really shining, oh my friend, I had a real beautiful headlight. So it is with your life and my life.

When the reflector is dirty, you can't expect the light to shine too brightly, can we? And during these days of conference, I don't mean just during this week, but during the weeks that have gone by, I know the men you've had here, the majority of them, that I know exactly the kind of ministry you've been having, have been reaching right down deep into your heart, and down into their own heart, as is your heart with mine this morning. I wonder, has the reflector been cleaned up during these days of conference? Or don't let this just be another spiritual picnic, an intellectual feast? Let it get right down deep into your heart, into my heart. There may be a cleansing effect in all lives, but the influence of a Christian church may be such, others will be attracted to our adorable Lord Jesus Christ.

That's what we're longing for. I was in another city some time ago, going from door to door, inviting people to the meetings in the particular church where I was ministering. I said, I would like you to come along for the services.

The man standing by said, is that where Salter goes? Oh yes, do you know him? I, in fact, I'm living on his property. Oh, I won't be there. I've had personal dealings with that man.

I've done business with him, and he twisted me. A very poor influence. Because that same day visitation worked, I went to another house.

They just said, is that where Dr. Salter goes? Oh yes. Oh, I'll be there. Oh, that man's such a wonderful Christian.

What a contrast. Your life as an influence, my life as an influence as a Christian. What kind of influence are we having? You've all got that little booklet, haven't you? How really bad.

So, have you noticed the reading during these past days? Have you? You see how it's dealing with practical Christianity and influence we're having? One little thing I noticed yesterday, I may be allowed to just repeat it, if I may, written by my good friend Paul Van Horn. The closing word says, you are writing each day a letter to men. Take care that the writing is true.

It's the only gospel some men will read, the gospel according to you. Isn't that amazing? Men who won't study the Bible will be living epistles. And something else I noticed here, and this is on the very first day, the little spot at the bottom says, good works is love for Christ made visible.

Isn't that lovely? Now, what does the text say right here now? It says, men shall see your good work, that they're going to glorify your father in heaven. I feel the good work is the love of Christ made visible. Where? Through your life and my life.

All the joy for the practical Christianity. Can I give you an illustration here? I see on the very first note in here, the use of Satan I use very often, that he calls him Dr. Swan. I call him Dr. Jones.

Yes, his may be the revised version, I don't know. You see? Are you the doctor that preaches? Are you the doctor that practices? You see? Can I give you an illustration? A lady went into a church, a visitor went into this particular church, sat down in the very second front row, and the lady came and sat right down beside her. The first lady, as the service was over, turned to the other lady and said, my, isn't that a wonderful message? And isn't he so angelic? The other lady said, yes, he's an angel in the pulpit, but he's a devil in the house.

He was the preacher's wife. Got it? Let us practice what we preach. Let us live just as we pray.

The call this morning, beloved, is for practical Christianity. The Christian is an influence. I wonder what kind of influence we are at this time.

Let's think fallen, shall we? The light shining brighter and brighter and to a perfect day. Good works, the love of Christ made visible. Can I give an illustration here? Two missionaries, one a very eloquent preacher, the other couldn't preach pretending, the one a striking personality, along with his bold oratory, the other no personality whatever.

Two men from Britain, Mr. J.B. Watson, the late editor of The Witness, and Percy Ruoff, went at the invitation of Eccles's service to visit those particular stations. When they got there, they were rather taken aback by seeing so many assemblies there, and also by the love and the appreciation they had, that they had, for the man who was not the great preacher, nor not the wonderful personality, and he had to overshadow the man with the wonderful oratory, and the wonderful personality, that both those men are very well known as North American consonants. And so they got among them, and they began to ask questions.

Why is it that Brother Stonefield, who is not such a wonderful preacher as the other man, who is not the personality of the other man has, yet he's led far more of your people to Christ, he's sent far more assemblies and branches than the other great author, why is it? Do you answer? They said, no, he can preach like Brother Stonefield, but my, doesn't he love us. Did you get it? And what preaching will never do, love will. And Britain is not eloquent of litany today, it's eloquent of love, the love of Christ made visible through you and through me.

This is God's answer. Let's go a little further, shall we? You've got the word influence down across it all, have you? I want to give you a letter for a word for each letter now. The first word I want to give you is an inspiring influence, inspiring.

I want an inspiration. The Christian influence should be among other Christians and among others who know not the Lord Jesus Christ. So turn now with me, will you, to John chapter 20.

Now there you've got the first letter, letter I, and the word is the word inspiring, it is an inspiration. Now you think of this for one minute, the Lord Jesus had gone to the cross, he suffered, he bled, he died, but thank God he's risen again. He's told his own, to meet him there in the upper room.

And they're there to meet him in the upper room, and remember on the first day of the week, we found the Lord Jesus himself appears in their midst, and he says them, peace be unto you. He shows them his hands and his feet. The disciples were made glad when they saw the Lord, and then he says in verse number 21, as my father sent me, even so send I you.

Think of the wonderful inspiration, what a wonderful influence the Lord had upon these dear men. Know this, he's the bringer of peace, he's the prince of peace, he's made peace by the blood of his cross. The bible says he is our peace, and now he brought peace to those troubled breasts.

My friends, those breasts were heaving, their hearts were at breaking point. The Lord came there and he whispered, peace be unto you. There may be a heart here this morning, and my friend you'll need the influence of the prince of peace.

Oh yes, you'll need to hear the Lord saying to you in the choir this morning hour, peace. And as you hear that voice, that voice so full of understanding and sympathy and so full of music, you, my friend, you'll find an inner serenity. Undoubtedly, why? Because of the voice of the Lord himself, the one who procured peace for you through the blood he shed upon the cross at Golgotha, and now he comes to you as the prince of peace and says, peace be unto you.

Peace, perfect peace in this dark world of sin. The blood of Jesus whispers peace and within. He is the prince of peace, and then he is the inspirer of all true joy, and says when they had seen the Lord, their hearts were made glad.

That's what I want you to see during this morning and during these days we are together. The loose side of the servant, but to see the Savior. Look like loose under the channel, but see the Christ.

We want you, my friend, to see him in all his glory and beauty. That's why we pray, may his beauty rest upon us as we seek the lost to win, and may they forget the channel, seeing only him. And as you see him, your heart will be inspired, your heart will be made glad, your heart will be filled with joy.

You can't even be the very same person again. All will change by beholding him. What an influence, what a transforming influence the Lord has in the life that's occupied with him.

Isn't it true? I meant to hear him say, as my father sent me, even so send I you. What an influence he's brought upon those dear ones. But he's going away from them, and the Holy Spirit is joining them.

He wants to influence others through them. He's going to live his life through them now. Then it says in John 14 verse number 12, and greater work for me shall ye do, because I go to my father.

Because I go to my father. You say, how could they do greater work than Christ was doing here on earth? This is the reason. When the Lord Jesus was here on earth, he was localized.

Capernaum, he lived in Capernaum. Jerusalem, he was in Jerusalem. He could not be in two places at once.

But now, but now, he said, if I go, I will send another comforter, and he will be abide with you forever. And he said, and he shall be in you. Now listen, wherever there's a believer, there Christ is.

And now remember, through your good work, the love of Christ made visible through you and through me. I saw my friend now, the life of Christ being reproduced in each and every believer. When Christ was here on earth, he was localized.

But now, wherever there's a Christian, in the factory, in the plant, on the farm, in the college, in the home, in the hostel, as we travel on the plane, the bus, or the train, wherever it may be, wherever there's a Christian Christ is there. And all the mighty works of the risen Lord are possible through you and through me. In the wonderment, let it come over your heart this morning.

What an influence the Christ might in us. Then something more. Remember that particular day Thomas was missing.

Thomas was missing that day, and what happened? I could hear the disciples saying, Thomas, journeyman, why, Thomas, you missed yourself on Lord's day. With a wonder, those times, what happened? The Lord appeared and said, listen, I won't believe that. I won't believe that.

I won't believe it till I've seen the nail prints in his hands and feet, and till I've put my finger into the nail print, till I've thrust my hand into his thigh. I won't believe it. Now, I rather admire Thomas.

Thomas was not going to push off with any imposter. But the dear woman that we yonder in India, they went to her and said, oh come, Christ has come. Christ has come.

He's over in the neighboring village. Come. He's bringing fire down from heaven.

He's doing wonderful miracles. Come. The dear old woman, their simplicity says, has he got the mark from the nails in his hand? That's it.

Has he got the mark from the nails in his hand? And Thomas was not going to put up with any imposter. He wanted to see the mark from the nails. He wanted to see that fear of himself.

May I suggest something to you? The very next Lord's day, Thomas is there first. He's there first, and then they're gathering in the upper room, and what happened? The Lord himself appears in the midst, and he said, peace be unto you. Then he had a personal word with Thomas.

The Lord always does that. He always has a personal word with us. He always deals with the individuals.

And although I may be talking to a group here this morning, he's talking to us personally, isn't he? And he's saying to you, calling you by your own special name. And he said to Thomas, Thomas, behold the nail print. Behold the thigh, Thomas.

Thomas, come closer. Come closer, Thomas. Put your finger in the nail print.

Now, Thomas could behold the mark from the Golgotha from a distance, but to put his finger in the nail print, thrust his hand to his thigh, he had to be very near. We never read Thomas did that. Oh no.

Thomas, my friend, prostrated himself before the Lord in Christ, my Lord and my God. Thomas rode to wonderful heights that day. Beloved, the Lord is here this morning, and the Lord is nearer to us than our neighbor, and he's saying to you and he's saying to me, calling us by our own special name.

Behold the nail print. Come closer. Just like Joseph of old said to his brethren, come near to me.

Come near to me. And somehow I feel the Lord saying that to you this morning. He's saying it to me.

Just come near to me. I want you close to me. Did we not sing in that lovely hymn, close to thee, close to thee? Oh, he wants to be so near, and he says, beloved, it was for you.

Don't forget all about your neighbor. Forget all about what you're going to do after this meeting, and just remember you're here in the upper room, and the Lord is saying to you, behold the nail print. Behold the steel-driven side.

Beloved, it was for you, and I know what's going to happen. You're going to prostrate yourself before me. You're going to cry, thy wounds, thy wounds, Lord Jesus.

Those deep, deep wounds will tell. The sacrifice that frees us from sin and filth and hell. Wounded for me, wounded for me.

There on the cross, he was wounded for me. Gone my transgressions, and now I am free. All because Jesus was wounded for me, amidst us, I do not withstand.

Amidst this view, his putrid hand, poised to his wounded feet and side, blessed emblem of the crucified. What influence is this having on you, and on me this morning? A year ago, we were in the upper room in Jerusalem, and I'll never be able to describe to you the influence of Christ upon my own life that particular day. Almost 2,000 years since the thing I'm repeating to you from the Holy Scripture taking place, but my friend, the influence of the Christ is still there.

We have a similar influence as we're going across Lake Galilee. Our guide told us, it's not the historical buildings, not so much the places, but instead the influence, the atmosphere, and it's true. Now you may see pictures, I may show your pictures next week, by the way, on this trip to Jerusalem.

You may see pictures, you may listen to lectures, but these, my friend, will never take the place of being there. To appreciate, you've got to experience it. I'm going across Lake Galilee.

Our boat stopped, and our guide, in beautiful diction and in perfect English, he read the narrative of Christ crossing the lake, how a storm broke up, how he said, peace be still, and there was a great calm. Then he asked one of the dear men to pray, a very gallant young man from Amanda, Georgia, and as he prayed, the Lord drew so very, very close to each one of us, the tears began to roll down our faces. We were conscious the Lord was with us, right there.

As he was saying, were those fishermen days gone by, and the fishermen were working all around us, casting their nets, just as in the days of Lord Jesus. Then I stopped in the chorus while on Lake Galilee. By blue Galilee, Jesus walked of old, by blue Galilee, wondrous things he told, Jesus still our teacher be, showing wondrous things to me, as of old by Galilee, blue Galilee.

And friend, the emotion and the influence was so real and so vital, we could almost put our hand and touch him. But never more so than in that upper room, Mrs. Boswell and others had left their upper room by this particular time, I'm thinking of. I want, it's the only place I ever wanted to go to in the whole trip was that upper room.

It's the place I want, and I want to stay there. Others were gathered there, men, women. The pastor of the Mystery Alliance Church from Atlanta said, Jim, let us pray.

Who are you praying? And I said, now before we pray, we're going to sing. I'm very fond of singing. I can't sing, but I love to sing.

And Mrs. our beloved stands right there in the upper room, and bids us view his pierced hand. And as we went on singing that, the tears began to roll, and some of those men were great big, strong, muscular men. But the tears rolled down all our faces.

All we were influenced were so conscious of the Lord's presence. Right there, just as we are here this morning, the Lord is here. You know it, don't you? He's nearer to you than your neighbor this morning, and he's whispering, behold the nail prints.

As we came to this point, and I pray, we're reminded of the heart again of Christ the Prince of Peace, bringing peace to our hearts. We again reminded of the heart of him being the inspirer of all through joy, and again we gazed upon those wounds, and then we recognized he was the commissioner of his people. And then when he said to Thomas, behold the nail prints, cross thy hand into my side, we remind our heart it must be an awful gash in the Son of the Lord Jesus.

And we also remind our heart that very spear that pierced his side drew forth the blood to save. And then we have the word, the dispeller of all our doubts. When Thomas had seen the Lord, his doubts forever gone, and he cried, remember my Lord and my God.

And in that upper room there was a murmur of dedication, and we've never been the same sin. And I'm praying these murmurs together on parts of Pam's conference campus. He's going to have a terrific influence in your life, and in my life, we're not going to be the same men, not women again.

We're not just being entertained, not amused. We've come to do business. We've come that there may be transactions in your life, and in my life that's going to have eternal value, and influence is going to be felt to the uttermost part of the earth.

Ah yes, it is an inspiring influence. Then there's the next part, because I was right. At the end, the letter N, it is a new influence.

Do correct me, but did you get those four points, did you not? From John chapter 20, he's a prince of peace. He's the inspirer of all true joy. He is the commissioner of his people.

And may I say in passing, he's commissioned you, and he's commissioned me, and he's saying, as my father sent me, so send I you. And all of us have been sent by the risen Lord, and we're in this world, we're all for one purpose alone. We're here that all lives might be an outshining, a representation of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Oh, what a privilege is ours, isn't it? Now, let's take our instance, please, in chapter five. Take our instance in chapter five. Now, I want us to read, if we may, at verse number 16.

I think we might read verse 14. 2 Corinthians 5, and verse 14, For the love of Christ constrains us, because he does judge that if one died for all, they were all dead, and that he died for all that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him that died for them and rose again. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh, yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more.

Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creation. All things are passed away, because all things are become new. Thank God for that glorious fact.

They once knew him while he was here in the flesh, know him no more after the flesh, they know him now risen, conquering, victorious Lord. And now it says right here, and it clears my soul, why all that are in Christ were a new creation, and that's what we are, aren't we children of God? Today, because we're Christians, we're a new creation all together. All things have passed away, but all things have become new.

Now, wonder at all, my friend, a new creation, and my friend, all the damage, the nature, it says all things have passed away. So in God's economy, that has been dealt with and finished forever. He sees us no longer in Adam.

He sees us now in Christ, holding without blame before him and love. My beloved brother leaving last night, he said these words. Now, that's not true.

Every time he leaves, he's got something to say to me, and it just clinches the matters in my mind. Night after night, morning by morning, he says something, and just as I meant to say, he didn't know that. Now, I meant to finish last night with a little verse, and he did it for me going through the door.

What was it? So near, so very near, more nearer I cannot be, for in that person of God's dear Son, I am as near as he. Isn't that lovely? I'm finding all his delight in his Son, and because we're in the Son, he finds all his delight in you and in me this morning. And so, dear child of God, lift up your heart.

We're a new creation all together. As in Adam all die, so in Christ shall all be made alive. May we go forth into this new day.

May your life and my life be such, such an influence upon others. The Christ-like being manifest. Now, may I repeat this? We can't engineer this.

We can't work it up. Oh no, we can't act it out. It's a spontaneity.

It's not a Christmas tree on which we hang nice gifts. It's a fruit tree that brings forth food according to its species. And so, now we've got this new life in Christ Jesus, a new creation all together, and this new life is going to have a little, probably more of some conscious ways where we are concerned, but others are going to take note that we are with Christ.

Isn't that true? Two little points we're gaining this morning. We go on from there tonight. What are they? The Christian influence is an inspiration.

The Christian influence is a new influence, and may we go forth and manifest the joy of walking in Christ, and Christ's walking in us. Let us just think together. Not to hear my ready children, because I forgot further this morning about hymn number 278.

272, I think it is. 272. Again, I'll get it right.

273. 273, Mr. Ernest Tatum declares, this is the finest hymn in the book, and I'm inclined to underscore what he says. God in heaven of a treasure, which is none may counter tell the deep eternal pleasure Christ's son he loved well.

God hath here on earth a treasure, none but he is Christ may know the unfathomable treasure. Now, get it? Christ revealed in saying below. We are just stating the first and last verse of 273.

These are wonderful words. Let us sing from our heart all together. We thank thee for the quietness of this moment, and for these few moments that we spent together.

We've been very conscious, blessed Lord, of thy presence with us, and we still are. As we go forth in this new day to walk out on the campus, make contact here and there, grant that God's influence of this little moment may go with us, characterized in all ways, that our lives may truly be an outshining of the indwelling Christ. We thank thee for one another, for all we mean to each other in Christ Jesus.

We thank thee for all on the campus. Some can't get here because of old age and infirmity, some because of weakness. O God, we do recognize we're members of the one body, and because we're members one of another, we are precious to thee, and we're precious to each other.

Help us, O God, to be considerate. Help us, O God, to be understanding, and sympathetic, and loving. Naturally, we're not this, but we depend upon the indwelling Spirit to live the life of Christ, who is just everything through us to the life of others.

In this purest name, Amen.