But It Depends On How I Define Success Series

INTRODUCTION:

Get up…eat breakfast…head to work…work all day… return home…eat some supper…watch a little tv…go to bed… and then repeat those same steps tomorrow.

Some of us may have a few more steps; some of us may have a few fewer steps. No wonder people ask the question: “Is this all there is to life?” And it’s not just unbelievers who ask that question; there are many who know Christ as their Savior that ask that same question.

God tells us in John 10:10 (NKJV)

10 … I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

God says there is more; and if we don’t see it; or more so, if we are not living that way then we are missing something. And so we began looking at places in our life where we miss the “more.” We talked about our daily routines being so fixed that God can not break in and get us to do something He wants. In week two, we saw the world wants to keep us under a spiritual fog because the “more” can be found when we see with spiritual clarity.

In week three, Jesus showed us that there is a script for our life, and it is called the will of God for our life. Our scripts are different, and we have the free will not to follow them, but the “more” can be found if you chose to follow the script.

And then in week four, we looked at giving God control; if you can take your hands off the way you think it should be done, and let God do it the way that He wants to do it then you will find the “more” of the Christian life.

Today, I want to tell you the “more” of life can be found if we can find the right definition of success. Unfortunately, too many Christians miss the “more” of life because they spend all their time and energies pursuing the wrong definition of success.

In 1980, Johnny Lee sang the song “Looking for Love in all the Wrong Places. “ You may remember it. It was about a guy‘s search for love that ended without success because he was looking for love in all the wrong places. I remind you of that song because just like love, many people, including Christians, are looking for success in all the wrong places and never find success.

Men, if you are looking for success by developing the body of Arnold Schwarzenegger, the athletic prowess of Drew Brees, the brains of Albert Einstien or the money of Bill Gates, you will not find success. You are looking in all the wrong places.

It is not fair if I pick on the men without picking on you, ladies. Ladies, if you are looking for success by having the body of one of today's hottest fashion models, or the money of an Oprah Winfrey or if you buy into the lie that the world tells you that you are superwoman and you can do it all, you will not find success. You are looking in all the wrong places.

Success is found by looking for it in the right place. And that right place is the Word of God. No other place is the right place. And so let’s see what God has to say about success.

SCRIPTURE READINGS

JOSHUA 1:8 (NIV)

8 DO NOT LET THIS BOOK OF THE LAW DEPART FROM YOUR MOUTH; MEDITATE ON IT DAY AND NIGHT, SO THAT YOU MAY BE CAREFUL TO DO EVERYTHING WRITTEN IN IT. THEN YOU WILL BE PROSPEROUS AND SUCCESSFUL.

POINT #1

THE RIGHT PLACE TELLS ME SUCCESS CAN ONLY BE FOUND BY SPEAKING THE LANGUAGE OF THE BOOK.

I took eight years of Spanish, but cannot hold a small conversation in Spanish. I speak English, and some of you would probably say not very well.

Look what Joshua speaks: Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth…

He is telling us that He speaks the language of the Book. Let me ask you a question: “Do you speak the language of the Book?” What do you mean, Bro Dave?

Well, this Book is a source of healing. You are not speaking the language of the Book if you are tearing someone down.

This Book is a source of truth. You are not speaking the language of the Book if you are spreading lies about someone.

This Book is a source of encouragement. You are not speaking the language of the Book if you discourage or kick someone when they are down.

This Book is a source of faith. You are not speaking the language of the Book; if you are telling others, God is probably not going to come through for me. Oh, God works in other peoples’ lives, but He usually doesn’t work in my life.