Graduation 2003

2 Timothy 1:7, Philippians 3:13-14, Hebrews 12:1-3

How To Make It In This World

Introduction

A. Everybody is trying to make it in this world

B. Some people will go to considerable lengthens for success

C. An Athlete might try take steroids, or cork a bat (did he do it on purpose)

D. Someone might try and gain insider trading news to make an extra buck

E. Someone might try and lie on their resume to get a better job

F. All of this going on hoping to make it in this world

G. This stuff obviously will not help you make it in this world

H. So how do you make it in this difficult world

I. The Bible gives us some guidelines that will enable us to make it in this world

a. Face your Fears

b. Forget Your Failures

c. Follow your Faith

I. Face Your Fears (2 Timothy 1:7)

A. Explanation

1. We are all afraid from time to time

2. Even you strongest football players have fears

B. Illustration

1. Ricky Williams was drafted in the first round after New Orleans traded all their draft picks for him. His rookie season was not that great and it was appearing that he would be a complete bust. Part of his problems was that he had social anxiety disorder. Which meant that he was uncomfortable in public. This affects his playing too. He would become so worked up he could not perform on the level he should. He was traded to the Dolphins last year received counseling for the problem and faced his fears.

2. It is not wrong to have fears

3. What is wrong is when we let fears control us

4. When become consumed by fear

5. We live in a constant state of fear

6. WE don’t do stuff because of fear

7. Ill: A university did a survey. They had 10 people in a classroom and the teacher would ask the class which line was the longest. 9 of the people participating were told to choose the 2nd longest. 1 person did not know what was going on. In 75% of the test they did, the 1 person would go along with what everyone else would say. Why? Out of fear. Fear of being wrong. Fear of not being accepted

C. Application

1. How can we overcome this

2. Look at 2 timothy 1:7. (Read it)

3. Keep in mind that when Paul wrote this to timothy he was a young preacher trying to be all that God intended him to be but he had a lot of fear

4. So Paul tells him not to be afraid

5. Paul Tells we have confidence to face our fears

6. Fears will be with you all your life

7. Do not run from you fears, FACE them

8. Be willing to stand against someone

9. Be willing to try something new

10. Be willing to say to your Biology professor, you are Wrong!

11. Be willing to say to society that is not right

12. Be willing to admit that there is absolute right and absolute wrong

13. Be willing to make ethical decisions at work and on test

14. Be willing to be the one in the class who doesn’t cheat

15. You serve a God who gave you the spirit of power of love and of self-discipline!

16. USE IT!

II. Forget Your Failures (Philippians 3:13-14)

A. Explanation

1. I wish we had a better understanding of failure

2. When we hear the word failure it immediately has a very negative connotation attach to it

3. As a society we hate failure

4. You see many people who dwell constantly on their failures

5. Ohh I don’t want to do that because I tried it before and failed

6. Ohh I would teach Sunday School Class but the first time I tried I failed and I will never do it again

7. You know what everyone fails at one point in their life

8. I was reading a book by a very successful pastor. The church had grown from 10 to 15,000. When I saw the book I’m thinking this guy knows what to do, He is not a failure I will learn a lot about success from this book

a) So I start reading the introduction. One of the first things that came out loud and clear was “I would have a lot easier time writing a book about how not to do things then I would writing a book on how to do things right. He said that he experienced more failures then success

9. Failures are not then end of the world

10. They are the beginning of success

B. Application

1. What does this mean for our lives?