Under the Influence: In God We Trust Part 2

Under God, Not Under Culture

Scripture References

• 1 Peter 5:6
• Daniel 1:3
• Daniel 1:8

Overview

On the eve of a charged national election, the message contrasts living “under God” with living under the sway of modern culture. Using 1 Peter 5:6 and Daniel’s captivity narrative, the sermon urges believers to humble themselves beneath God’s mighty hand, identify where culture is shaping them, and make one clear, pre-decided resolution that turns them back toward God’s influence.

Main Points

1. What Are You Under?

• Place yourself on a 1–10 scale: 1 = fully under culture’s influence; 10 = Jesus (no one else scores a 10).
• Examine four everyday arenas: entertainment, money, words, and self-worth.
  • Entertainment: Do I ask, “Will this please God?” or do I just click “next episode”?
  • Money: Do I worship with the first portion, or spend first and tip God later—if at all?
  • Words: Are my conversations life-giving or full of complaint, gossip, and partisan contempt?
  • Self-worth: Is my value anchored in Christ or in likes, labels, and other people’s opinions?
• Many people are so acclimated to culture’s “intoxication” that they no longer notice its control.

2. The Drunk Illustration

• Illustration: A person under alcohol’s influence thinks, speaks, and acts differently—yet often insists, “I’m not drunk!” Likewise, we can be under culture’s influence and deny it.
  • Alcohol changes thoughts, speech, perception of attractiveness, and lowers defenses.
  • Culture does the same: it rewires thinking, belief, and behavior while disguising the shift.

3. Daniel: A Model of Living Under God

• Babylon changed the captives’ language, education, names, and diet to pull them under its values.
• The strategy: change how they think → change what they believe → change how they behave.
• Daniel resisted at the food line:

  “But Daniel resolved not to defile himself with the royal food and wine.” (Daniel 1:8)

• He did not fight over an outward label (his new name) but stood firm when God’s honor was at stake.

4. Predetermined Resolutions

• You never “stumble into righteousness.” Half-heart devotion drifts toward culture every time.
• Decide in advance—before the heat of temptation—where you will draw the line.
• Pastor’s personal examples:
  • Daily time with God: First activity each morning—Scripture in the YouVersion Bible App, then prayer.
  • Sexual purity: As a single man, he disclosed in advance that he would not be intimate until marriage.
  • Tithing: The first portion of every increase is returned to God, not the leftovers.
  • Church commitment: The family never asks, “Are we going to church?”—they are the church.
• Challenge: ask the Holy Spirit for ONE concrete decision that shifts you back under God’s hand.

5. Culture vs. Kingdom

• Culture: promote self, consume, hate enemies, pursue things & happiness.
• Jesus: deny self, give, bless enemies, pursue eternity & holiness.
• The difference is night and day; humility under God keeps believers anchored when society grows hostile.

Key Truths

• You cannot halfway follow Jesus; partial devotion drifts toward culture.
• If the enemy can change how you think, he will change what you believe and how you behave.
• Predetermined resolutions—made before the moment—protect you from cultural compromise.
• God still lifts the humble in “due time,” regardless of which earthly leaders are in power.
• Christian identity transcends political allegiance; believers are citizens of heaven under God’s rule.

Response

• Examine your daily choices; locate where culture is shaping you.
• Ask the Holy Spirit for one specific resolution and record it today.
• Discuss your decision with family, friends, or life group for accountability.
• Replace cultural intake with Scripture and prayer as your first influence each day.
• Speak life-giving words, especially toward those who differ from you politically.
• Pray faithfully for elected leaders—whoever wins—while keeping ultimate trust in God.

Closing

The week ahead may leave some thrilled and others distressed, but followers of Jesus remain the same people: citizens of another kingdom. The preacher repeated a clear confession:

“We are under God.”
With humble dependence on His mighty hand, the church resolves to shine brighter as the world grows darker. Election outcomes change governments; they do not change the Lord who holds the world.

Prayer

“Heavenly Father, I humble myself and come to You, asking Jesus to save me, to forgive all of my sins. Fill me with Your Spirit so I can know You and live for You—not under culture, but under God. Direct my steps. My life is not my own; I give it all to You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.”