HOW TO REALLY SUCEED
Pastor Ti
m P. Blaisure – 05/21/23 – Morning Message
Intro:
The most successful person that ever walked this earth was Jesus! How did Jesus come to the place where He was and is still today a success? You could almost see and hear the decision God the Father and God the Son had to make to succeed with the human race. Before we were created God knew man would fail, so He made a plan that would succeed in spite of all the odds against it.
Jesus had to lay down all that He had in heaven and His divinity in order to take on the form of a baby and go through everything you and I face in this life in order to succeed with us and bring us the Kingdom of God.
He (The Word) took on flesh so that he could show us how to live in this life successfully and to be restored to our rightful place in the family of God.
The cost of this success was all that He had, He willingly gave to each of us so that we could succeed in this life and in the one to come, doing things and living in the Kingdom of God way of doing things instead of the worlds way of doing things.
Foundation Scriptures:
Matthew 16:24-26 NLT
“Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me.
25 If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it.
26 And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul?”
I. THE FIRST STEP TO REALLY SUCEED IS: (vs. 24)
1. DENY OURSELVES
– Don’t get so involved with the pleasures of this life for a time, that we fail to succeed in God’s way and the life He intended for each of us. In the last days – our time.
2 Timothy 3:3-5
“They will be unloving and unforgiving; they will slander others and have no self-control. They will be cruel and hate what is good.
4 They will betray their friends, be reckless, be puffed up with pride, and love pleasure rather than God.
5 They will act religious, but they will reject the power that could make them godly. Stay away from people like that!”
2. TAKE UP OUR CROSS
Luke 9:23
“Then he said to the crowd, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross daily, and follow me.”
3. FOLLOW JESUS
Matthew 4:19-20
“Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!”
20 And they left their nets at once and followed him.”
II. THE SECOND STEP TO REALLY SUCEED IS: (vs. 25)
1. If we try to save our lives (Be self-sufficient) – we will lose our lives.
2. If we lose our lives (for Christ) – we will save them.
3. Matthew 13:45-46
“Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls.
46 When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!”
III. THE THIRD STEP TO REALLY SUCEED IS: (vs. 26)
1. Is gaining all this world has to offer us success?
Cost is losing our souls (Spirit).
2. What will we give in exchange for our souls (mind, will, emotions, conscience, and personality) (Spirit- Heart)?
The Body – is a covering for the real you. (like you put on your clothes)
3. John 14:1-3
“Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust also in me.
2 There is more than enough room in my Father’s home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?
3 When everything is ready, I WILL COME AND GET YOU, so that you will always be with me where I am.
IV. EXAMPLES OF SUCCESSFUL PEOPLE IN THE BIBLE:
1. Samson – Had his mind and life on the pleasures of this life and beat his enemies, had the girl, lost it all, then got his heart right again and gave it all to succeed in the end.
2. Stephen – A man who gave it all to follow Jesus, succeeded by serving tables (taking care of people’s physical needs) was used of God to reach people also with their spiritual needs. He gave up his life for the Lord and succeeded in getting it all.
3. Jesus – Gave all that He had and came to earth, was obedient to His parents, went through 30 years of preparation for ministry, faced His and our enemy and won, did what His Father told Him to do and say, gave up His earthly life as well and went to hell and took the keys to death and the grave and rose from the dead and succeeded in taking His rightful place on the right hand of the Father. He succeeded in restoring all mankind to their rightful place; all we need to do is accept it.
Conclusion:
If it cost Jesus everything to become successful in His mission of life, then who are we to think and act like we should succeed without it costing us all.
ARE YOU READY TO SUCCEED WITH JESUS?
Mark 16:15-16
“And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone.
16 Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned.
If you are ready to succeed, are you ready to give your all to receive all that He has instore for you?