Paul Tripp: You actually have influence in your job, in your family, in your neighborhood, in your church, in your friendships. You have influence. The question is this...What are you using your influence for?

Kate Crowley: From Paul Tripp Ministries, this is Right Here, Right Now, connecting the transforming power of Jesus Christ to everyday life.

Male Actor: I really didn't think about exercising influence. I wasn't really looking for ways to make a difference; it just bothered me. It was a Christian school for goodness sake, and it was completely racially divided. It just doesn't make any sense. So, I was talking to my friends about it, and we decided to do something. We went to the principle of our school and asked if we could have a room in our school during lunch to have a race relation discussion. He was a little skeptical at first, but then he gave in. He gave us a room and said that we'd have to find teachers to be chaperones.

The first week, about twenty-five kids came; the next week, fifty. The next week, we had to meet in the auditorium because there were so many kids who wanted to participate. For the first time, the different racial groups were actually talking about their experiences. People began asking for forgiveness and becoming friends. I guess we began to see the school change because some of us just decided to do something about what we saw.

Music: "When You Look At The World" by U2-T J Moon

When you look at the world
What is it that you see
People find all kinds of things
That bring them to their knees
I see an expression
So clear and so true
That changes the atmosphere
When you walk to the room
So I try to be like you
Try to feel it like you do
But without you it's no use
I can't see what you see
When I look at the world

Kate Crowley: This is Right Here, Right Now with Paul Tripp. And today, Paul adds to his series, "Survival Skills for a Fallen World" from the Gospel of Matthew.

Thanks for being a part of this new radio outreach from paultrippministries. Remember that you can join Paul each weekday at 11 A.M. on WFIL. His goal is to remind you, every day, that there really is help in Jesus Christ right here, right now.

For more information and a complete list of resources by Paul, go to paultrippministries.org. That's all one word, paultripp, spelled T-R-I-P-P, paultrippministries.org. Right now, more "Survival Skills for a Fallen World," as Right Here, Right Now continues with Paul Tripp.

Why Does God Keep Us Here?

Paul Tripp: I don't know about you, but there are times when I've wondered why in the world God decided to keep me living in this broken world. You know, wouldn't it have been easier for God to save us, and we just disappear, and go immediately to heaven? Wouldn't that just be cool? But that's not what God has called us to; that's not the choice He has made. For some reason, God has decided to leave us in this broken world. And although you could probably give many reasons for that, I want to focus on one reason with you today.

But I'd like to start by asking this question, "Have you ever had that experience in a moment where you've cracked up your car, or you've lost your job, or you've gotten an unexpected bill, or you've had a fight with a friend, or a disagreement with your husband or wife, or trouble with one your children, or a feud with your neighbors, or whatever the experience is...have you asked yourself, 'Why, why, why, why do I have to deal with this stuff? Why do I have to live in this fallen world? Why didn't God just take me out of this place?'"

You see, we're here for a reason. There's a reason, in this painful, broken place, God has chosen for us to live. It's not because God has forgotten you. It's not because God enjoys seeing you suffer difficulty. It's not because He's cold, and calloused, and uncaring. God actually has a very good purpose for you living in this 'here and now' world of brokenness and unpredictability, of difficulty and trial. You see, you are exactly where God wants you.

Your Lord, as you've heard me say before, never gets a wrong address. He's got you where He wants you, and where he wants you is right where you're living, facing the things that you're facing. You see, you are where you are with the people that you're with, dealing with the things that you're dealing with because God wants you, (Get this concept!) to exercise influence. That's one of the most important things to do in a fallen world. And remember, this is the God who is the Light of lights; this is the God who is the Savior; this is the God who's making all things new. And this God calls you to be a light too; He calls you to be, as Paul says in Galatians, "...like a star living in the universe, shining in the darkness of what sin has done to our world."

You see, you were never brought into this wonderful relationship with God so that you could hoard your blessings for yourself, so that you could bask in the throes of His love, and His truth, and His grace, hoarding all of those things for yourself. You see, you were welcomed into God's family so that you could celebrate that position by being part of something bigger than your own little everyday life.

Here's the point; God didn't give you His grace in order to make your little kingdom work. God gave you His grace in order to invite you to a much better kingdom. Do you know what it means to exercise influence where you are right here, right now for the sake of God's bigger kingdom? Are you exercising influence, or are you just living for you?

Music: "Why Me" ...Songwriter: Kris Kristofferson

Why me Lord what have I ever done to deserve even one of the pleasures I've known
Tell me Lord what did I ever do
That was worth loving you or the kindness you've shown
Lord help me Jesus I've wasted it so help me Jesus I know what I am
Now that I know that I've needed you so help me Jesus my soul's in your hand

The Treasure of Influence

Paul Tripp: I don't know why; maybe it's a weakness in my character, but I've always loved pirate movies. I love the intrigue, but I think the thing that I love the most is that search for treasure, that dramatic moment when the treasure chest is uncovered; the map is followed; the code is broken, and it's dugout, and it's opened up, and it bursts with beauty. You know, you and I, we're just a bunch of treasure hunters? Do you know that there's a direct relationship between the treasure that you seek and the amount of influence that you exercise?

Permit me to explain. I have hinted at this passage in an earlier program, but I really want to detail it with you today. Matthew 6 is a very interesting passage because one of the concepts that Jesus uses to help us to understand what controls our lives, what we live for is this concept of treasure. A treasure is something that has value to you. And what Jesus is trying to say is that you and I, we're all treasure oriented human beings, so the things we do, we do because we think they'll get us the treasure that we're seeking. Every day, you live in pursuit of some kind of treasure, and in Matthew 6, there are these three treasure principles. They are really terribly important.

The first one is this: Everyone lives for some kind of treasure. You have things that are important to you. You have things that are valuable to you, and those values actually shape the way you live every day.

But Jesus goes on. The second principle is: The thing that is your treasure will control your heart. "For where your treasure is," Jesus says, "there will your heart be also." You see, your heart is always ruled by something. Your heart always lives under the control of something. You are always serving something. Your heart seeks treasure, and when your heart finds treasure, your heart is controlled by that treasure.

There's a third principle: What controls your heart will control your behavior. You see, if you look at people's lives, you'll notice that everybody you know, everybody you see, is seeking treasure. Maybe I live for the treasure of physical appearance, and I'll spend all kinds of money; I'll spend all kinds of cost; I'll be willing to pay the sacrifice to look good. Maybe that means I'll spend way too much money on my wardrobe; maybe that means I'll be way too dedicated to physical diet and physical exercise; I'll beat my body in order to be the size I want to be and to look the way I want to look. Maybe that will even mean investing in plastic surgery to restructure my body.

Or maybe my treasure is in acceptance, and I live with huge fear of man. I'm the ultimate people pleaser; I'll say, and do, and decide, and go wherever I need to in order to get people to like me because that's the treasure I live for.

Maybe my treasure is career success, and I'm willing to invest time, and labor, and energy. I'll deal with all the slavery and indignities of making it up the ladder. And I don't spend the time I should with my family. I don't spend the time I should in working the kingdom of God because I'm so focused and dedicated on career success.

Maybe I live for the comfort of physical surroundings; that's my big treasure. And I have worked very hard to make my house a living monument to my decorative ability. And I get pretty uptight when somebody messes it up; I get pretty uptight when something is stained or broken because there's a real way in which I've lived for the beauty of my physical surroundings.

Or maybe my treasure is that I'm living to settle a score, and I'm bitter and I'm vengeful. And I live with that person in my mind all the time, and I think about what I'd like to do to get back at that person.

You see, you're always living for some kind of treasure. Everybody does. The thing that is your treasure will control your heart. And I've already illustrated the third principle: What controls your heart will, in fact, control your behavior.

Jesus says it very powerfully, as He always did, "No one can serve two masters." Master is a term of control. You see, what controls your heart sets the functional agenda for your behavior. What controls your heart determines the how and why of the decisions that you make. What controls your heart has you and controls you. It determines the words that you say and the actions that you make. And in this passage, Jesus does something radical. He essentially reduces it down to two kinds of treasures--the physical treasures of the created world that rust and get destroyed, get old, or break, or somebody can steal--and the eternal treasures of the kingdom of God that never wear out and can never be taken away.

And Jesus does this; He calls us to quit worrying about the basic necessities of life, to quit being engaged in personal wants, and personal needs, and letting them dominate our lives--and to begin seeking His kingdom. Why does He do this? Because Jesus knows that we're always seeking some kind of kingdom. We're either seeking the good of the kingdom of self: my wants, and my needs, and that's what drives my life, and I expend all my energies just taking care of me; that's my full-time job; I work.

My full-time career is taking care of me. Or my life is driven, and shaped, and structured, and motivated by the seeking of the kingdom of God. You see, when I do this, I entrust my needs to a God who is wise, and loving, and good. And because of that, because my heavenly Father is now taking care of me, I'm free to give myself to being part of what He is doing on earth, right here, right now.

No, that doesn't mean you won't have a job. No, that doesn't mean you won't buy groceries. No, it doesn't mean you won't buy a house; it doesn't mean you won't own clothes; it doesn't mean you won't drive a car. What it means is you won't be ruled by those things.

You see, our problem is not that we don't have influence. Our problem is we don't have influence because something else is eating us up; something else is taking that influence away. We all live in positions of influence. You actually have influence...in your job, in your family, in your neighborhood, in your church, in your friendships. You have influence. The question is this: What are you using your influence for? Could it be, perhaps, that your influence is exercised in pursuit of all of the wrong kingdom?

For example, if my treasure is human acceptance, I will use my influence to get human acceptance; if my treasure is career success, I'll use my influence to get career success; if my treasure is possessions, I'll use my influence to get possessions. There is a direct relationship between the thing that is your treasure and the way you exercise the influence that God has given you. God has positioned each of us in particular places of influence. There are people in your life; there are situations in your life; there are issues in your life where God is calling you to not be satisfied to exercise influence for the kingdom of God. And yet, I can be exercising my influence for the kingdom of self, day after day, forgetting my call to be part of what God is doing on earth.

Music: "Take My Hands (Praise)" by Newsboys

Take my hands, take my feet
Take the music to the street
Hear the prayers, feel the sound
A generation Kingdom bound
Great and glorious
Is my Savior
Praises on my tongue
From my heart
For our God who became flesh
For us all
Unto You
I will sing your praises
Sing forever

What Are You Using Your Influence For?

Paul Tripp: Maybe as you've been listening today, you're thinking, "Okay, Paul, I get it. I get the fact that we always have influence; God has created us to be influential human beings. And I get the fact that it's very tempting to exercise my influence for my purposes and my plans, to exercise my influence to get what I want. And, Paul, I'll admit the fact; I actually see that in my life. I see places where I very selfishly exercise influence to get people or situations to be what I want them to be for my own pleasure, my own purposes, my own comfort.

And I get the fact that I'm supposed to be committed to a greater kingdom than my own little claustrophobic kingdom of self, that God has called me to be interested in the purposes of the kingdom of God, God's purposes on earth. And I get the fact that I shouldn't be satisfied with the world the way it is, that this world is a broken place, and God has placed me in this world to be part of this work of redemption, this work of restoration, this work of radical change, that God is working on in this broken world that we live in. But, Paul, the thing that confuses me is I just don't know what it looks like. I don't know what it actually looks like to exercise influence for the kingdom of God where I live right here, right now."

Well, let me explain. I think exercising influence for the kingdom of God means these three things. First, influence is a way of thinking. It's a whole different way of looking at and interpreting life. You see, in this way of thinking, I don't start with my kingdom. I start with God's kingdom. I force myself to think that I have now been welcomed into the big sky, transcendent purposes of the kingdom of God. And those purposes now become my purposes, my identity, my meaning, and purpose, and I think from that perspective where I am, every day.

Second, influence is an attitude; it's about moving into the world now with compassion, and love, and mercy, and justice. It's about being gentle, and patient, and kind. It's about being humble, and giving, and forgiving. It's about loving your neighbor as yourself. Influence is an attitude; it's a way of responding to life that's filled with love and filled with compassion that cares about other people.

And then, influence is an action. If you think this way and you feel these things, then you will burst into action; you will want to be involved; you will ask yourself the question, "Where are acts of compassion, and love, and mercy, and justice and gentleness, and kindness needed; where is forgiveness needed; where is justice needed? Where has God given me the opportunity to quit being self-focused and coldhearted and uninvolved, and jump in and be part of the radical changes, the radical good things that only a Redeemer can produce in His world?" I will want to act.

(Music Interlude)

Paul Tripp: Do you remember those boys that you heard about in the beginning of this program today, those boys who changed their high school for the good? I don't think any of those boys woke up in the morning and said, "Do you know what I am going to do today? I'm going to change my school forever." But that's exactly what happened. You see, what they decided to do is step out of the regular confines of personal safety, the regular confines of self-focus; they decided to move beyond their comfort. They decided to look around and be dissatisfied. The Puritans called it this; they called it 'holy frustration'. That's when I'm frustrated at what is, but it's a good frustration. It's a frustration that drives me to be part of something good. Listen! God doesn't want you to be satisfied.

For most of us, our problem is not that we're dissatisfied. Our problem is we're all too satisfied with life in this fallen world. We're all too comfortable with the things that we do every day. We're all too blind to the condition of the world that's around us. We're all too satisfied with restricting our influence to getting what we want and getting what we have told ourselves that we need.

I would ask you this question; I think it is a very important question, "What kingdom controls your influence right here, right now?" Jesus has come to you, in His grace, to give you the ability, by His grace, to be free from your prison to you, and to live for Him, and to be salt and light, exercising powerful influence as you have contact with this fallen world that you live in every day.

Kate Crowley: "Learning to Help Others Find Hope," Paul Tripp with an important reminder. This is Right Here, Right Now from Paul Tripp Ministries and the series, "Survival Skills for a Fallen World."

If you are searching for the hope Paul talked about, you can go on line and take a look at Lost In The Middle, the new book by Paul Tripp. In it, he explains how moments of pain can also be moments of God's grace. That's Lost In The Middle.

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Tomorrow, Paul shares how you can fall in love all over again from the series, "Survival Skills for a Fallen World." I'm Kate Crowley. Be sure and join us tomorrow for more hope and encouragement from Paul Tripp Ministries here on Right Here, Right Now.