Prepared

If there was one word that could be the foundation to success, I feel it would be the word “prepared.” I realize there are a lot of words that could come close to the word prepared in success such as the word work.

1. Work

a. Physical work

1) The Bible has a lot to say about work.

2) 1 Timothy 5:8

3) One must prepare before he can be a success in his work.

b. Spiritual work

1) Salvation not by works. Ephesians 2:8-9

2) Works has a great deal to do with our success in our Christian life. 2 Corinthians 5:10; 1 Corinthians 3:12-15

3) You must prepare before you work, salvation. Matthew 7:21; Matthew 25:10; John 14:1-6

2. Luck

a. Some say success is all by luck. Good luck or bad luck.

1) Not luck but God. Romans 13:1

2) Psalm 73:1-17; God lets the wicked prosper.

b. To the saved, not luck, but God, our lives, our future is in the hands of a loving God.

1) Jeremiah 18:4-6

2) Genesis 45:7-8; God set me.

3) Not you but God.

4) In God’s children, He can not and will not bless sin, but if our life lets God He will bless.

c. Our success is not primarily by works, by luck, but I feel the key would be preparation.

d. Not so much concerned about success in the physical life, but the spiritual life.

e. No greater time in which to examine ourselves to see if we have prepared properly, start of the new year.

f. Let’s approach the subject “prepared” in the light of a war, a battle as a soldier.

1) The bible says we are soldiers in a war.

2) 1 Timothy 6:12; 2 Timothy 2:3-4; 2 Corinthians 10:3-4; Ephesians 6:11-12

g. The success of any warfare depends upon how prepared the soldiers are. Luke 14:28

h. Deuteronomy 20:1-8

i. Notice four classes of Christians who are unqualified or unprepared to do battle.

I. The Man Whose Dedication is Incomplete

1. Word means to be narrow to discipline to choke on self to death.

a. In other words, surrender to the Lordship of Jesus.

b. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, we are not our own.

2. People dedicated to other things, jobs, hobbies, recreation, pleasure, but not the things of God.

a. If a person I 50% faithful to the Lord

b. What if you were 50% faithful to your job?

c. What if you were 99% faithful to your mate?

d. What if your car started working 90% of the time?

e. You would say 100% unfaithful.

3. Dedication and faithfulness go hand and hand. You can not have one without the other.

a. Matthew 25:21-23; well done thou good and faithful servant.

b. Faithfulness is no small matter in the eyes of God.

c. You may not be able to do much, but there is not a person here that cannot be faithful to the cause of Christ.

4. Many of our church members are not dedicated to God and it can be seen in our church attendance.

5. 345,000 babies born everyday many live, grow up, die, and never hear, why to many Christians unfit, unprepared to serve God. Judges 2:7-10

II. The Man Who has Never Tasted the Fruit of His own Labors

1. The fruit of Christians are other Christians. We are saved to bear fruit. John 15:16; 15:2-8

2. If I had never produced fruit, I’d be concerned. Luke 13:6-9

3. Do you ever wonder why so many preachers come and go from the state of Wyoming? Could it be they have not tested the fruit of their own vineyard.

4. Wonder why some Christians don’t grow? Wonder why they give up and quit? It is probably because they have never tasted the fruit of one labor.

III. The Man Who has Unfulfilled Obligations to God and Man

1. He promised to marry a woman and has not done it, He needs to fulfill that obligations.

2. Our churches are filled with folks who have made vows to God and have not kept them.

a. Ecclesiastes 5:4-6

b. Deuteronomy 23:21

3. Can you remember some of the vows you have made to the Lord, to the preacher, the church?

a. When your baby was sick.

b. When your home was about to break up.

c. When your finances were bad.

d. May be the job kept you out of Church, Lord give me another one I will come.

4. Some of you have vowed to win souls, to read your bible, to visit your class.

5. You vowed to love one another, some of you hold grudges. Matthew 5:23-24

IV. The Man who is Unprepared, Unfit and Fainthearted.

1. God equips Christians with boldness. Ephesians 3:12

a. Many Christians fear the Devil.