The Keys to a Successful Christian Life
Matthew 16. 18 – 19
And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.”
• How many people are already successful?
• Every Christian wants to be successful in life: in ministry, at work/profession, family etc and be able to meet your obligations.
• Matthew 6. 9 - 11: The Lord’s Prayer. First request was for provisions and blessings!
9 In this manner, therefore, pray:
11 give us this day our daily bread
• God therefore wants us all to succeed and do well. Let’s look at the lives of some successful Bible characters to confirm this:
• Job 1.3: There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil. 2 And seven sons and three daughters were born to him. 3 Also, his possessions were seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five hundred yoke of oxen, five hundred female donkeys, and a very large household, so that this man was the greatest of all the people of the East.
• Genesis 12. 1-3: 7 extraordinary blessings for Abraham
Now the LORD had said to Abram: “Get out of your country, From your family And from your father’s house, To a land that I will show you. 1. I will make you a great nation; 2. I will bless you, 3. And make your name great; 4. And you shall be a blessing. 5. I will bless those who bless you, 6. And I will curse him who curses you; 7. And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”
• Gen 26.12 – 14: Then Isaac sowed in that land, and reaped in the same year a hundredfold; and the LORD blessed him. The man began to prosper, and continued prospering until he became very prosperous; for he had possessions of flocks and possessions of herds and a great number of servants. So the Philistines envied him.
• Jacob: same thing for Jacob
• 1 Kings 10.1-8: Now when the queen of Sheba heard of the fame of Solomon concerning the name of the LORD, she came to test him with hard questions. 2 She came to Jerusalem with a very great retinue, with camels that bore spices, very much gold, and precious stones; and when she came to Solomon, she spoke with him about all that was in her heart. 3 So Solomon answered all her questions; there was nothing so difficult for the king that he could not explain it to her. 4 And when the queen of Sheba had seen all the wisdom of Solomon, the house that he had built, 5 the food on his table, the seating of his servants, the service of his waiters and their apparel, his cupbearers, and his entryway by which he went up to the house of the LORD, there was no more spirit in her. 6 Then she said to the king: “It was a true report which I heard in my own land about your words and your wisdom. 7 However I did not believe the words until I came and saw with my own eyes; and indeed the half was not told me. Your wisdom and prosperity exceed the fame of which I heard.
• 10.18-25: Moreover the king made a great throne of ivory, and overlaid it with pure gold. 19 The throne had six steps, and the top of the throne was round at the back; there were armrests on either side of the place of the seat, and two lions stood beside the armrests. 20 Twelve lions stood there, one on each side of the six steps; nothing like this had been made for any other kingdom.
21 All King Solomon’s drinking vessels were gold, and all the vessels of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. Not one was silver, for this was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon. 22 For the king had merchant ships[b] at sea with the fleet of Hiram. Once every three years the merchant ships came bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and monkeys.[c] 23 So King Solomon surpassed all the kings of the earth in riches and wisdom.
24 Now all the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom, which God had put in his heart. 25 Each man brought his present: articles of silver and gold, garments, armor, spices, horses, and mules, at a set rate year by year.
• 10.27-29: The king made silver as common in Jerusalem as stones, and he made cedar trees as abundant as the sycamores which are in the lowland.
28 Also Solomon had horses imported from Egypt and Keveh; the king’s merchants bought them in Keveh at the current price. 29 Now a chariot that was imported from Egypt cost six hundred shekels of silver, and a horse one hundred and fifty; and thus, through their agents,[e] they exported them to all the kings of the Hittites and the kings of Syria.
Matthew 16.19: And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind (lock, decree, establish) on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose (open, release) on earth will be loosed in heaven.
• What is the kingdom of heaven? The authority and power to live the life of heaven on earth
• What is a key?
1. Symbol of authority
Isaiah 22. 20 -23: ‘Then it shall be in that day,
That I will call My servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah;
21 I will clothe him with your robe
And strengthen him with your belt;
I will commit your responsibility into his hand.
He shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem
And to the house of Judah.
22 The key of the house of David
I will lay on his shoulder;
So he shall open, and no one shall shut;
And he shall shut, and no one shall open.
23 I will fasten him as a peg in a secure place,
And he will become a glorious throne to his father’s house.
2. Give access (either through a door, gate, handcuffs etc).
3. It represents breakthrough
4. Liberty and deliverance
5. Opportunities etc.
So a key is essential, otherwise Jesus would not have declared it as a gift.
• There are many keys you need, but the master key is OBEDIENCE. YOU CANNOT SUCCEED OR GO FAR AS A CHRISTIAN WITHOUT IT. Everything else hangs on it
• John 2.5: Whatever He tells you, DO IT. Of the 37 miracles recorded from Jesus, many happened as a result of obedience:
1. Luke 5.1-6: the draught of fish: So it was, as the multitude pressed about Him to hear the word of God, that He stood by the Lake of Gennesaret, 2 and saw two boats standing by the lake; but the fishermen had gone from them and were washing their nets. 3 Then He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little from the land. And He sat down and taught the multitudes from the boat.
4 When He had stopped speaking, He said to Simon, “Launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.”
5 But Simon answered and said to Him, “Master, we have toiled all night and caught nothing; nevertheless at Your word I will let down the net.” 6 And when they had done this, they caught a great number of fish, and their net was breaking.
2. Luke 17. 11-14: cleansing of the ten lepers: Now it happened as He went to Jerusalem that He passed through the midst of Samaria and Galilee. 12 Then as He entered a certain village, there met Him ten men who were lepers, who stood afar off. 13 And they lifted up their voices and said, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!”
14 So when He saw them, He said to them, “Go, show yourselves to the priests.” And so it was that as they went, they were cleansed.
3. Matthew 14. 13-21: feeding 5,000 (He was only repeating what He saw God do when He fed 2 million people in the wilderness). Ditto Mark 8. 4-10
4. Mark 10. 46 – 52: Healing of blind Bartimaeus: So Jesus answered and said to him, “What do you want Me to do for you?”
The blind man said to Him, “Rabboni, that I may receive my sight.”
52 Then Jesus said to him, “Go your way; your faith has made you well.” And immediately he received his sight and followed Jesus on the road.
5. Matthew 17.24 - 27: Money from the mouth of the fish: When they had come to Capernaum, those who received the temple tax came to Peter and said, “Does your Teacher not pay the temple tax?”
25 He said, “Yes.”
And when he had come into the house, Jesus anticipated him, saying, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do the kings of the earth take customs or taxes, from their sons or from strangers?”
26 Peter said to Him, “From strangers.”
Jesus said to him, “Then the sons are free. 27 Nevertheless, lest we offend them, go to the sea, cast in a hook, and take the fish that comes up first. And when you have opened its mouth, you will find a piece of money; take that and give it to them for Me and you.”
6. Matthew 14.22 - 29: Peter walking on the sea: Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. 26 And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear.
27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.”
28 And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.”
29 So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus
OTHER KEYS
Key # 2: Vision
• Vision is divine revelation, and is received from God when He opens our eyes:
Gen 13.14: And the LORD said to Abram, after Lot had separated from him: “Lift your eyes now and look from the place where you are—northward, southward, eastward, and westward; for all the land which you see I give to you and your descendants forever. And I will make your descendants as the dust of the earth; so that if a man could number the dust of the earth, then your descendants also could be numbered. Arise, walk in the land through its length and its width, for I give it to you.”
• Psalm 121. I will lift up my eyes to the hills, from whence comes my help? My help comes from the LORD, Who made heaven and earth
• VISION DISTINGUISHES ONE LIFE, MINISTRY, BUSINESS etc FROM THE OTHER.
• Vision helps you to be focused
• Vision prepares you for success
Key # 3: Integrity and Lack of Compromise:
• Genesis 17.1 When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “I am Almighty God; walk before Me and be blameless.
• Settlement, bribery, appreciation, family support. It will work, but will not last
• Psalm 37.1 – 4: Do not fret because of evildoers,
Nor be envious of the workers of iniquity.
For they shall soon be cut down like the grass,
And wither as the green herb.
• Don’t copy them. Don’t cheat; don’t bribe; don’t use unjust scales. Don’t compromise. Your prosperity will not last.
• Keep to your promise. Be a Christian in DEED. Let your yes be yes. Don’t lie and deceive people. Pay your tithe regularly. Honour your vow.
• Song of Solomon 2.15: Catch us the foxes,
The little foxes that spoil the vines,
For our vines have tender grapes.
Key #4. Perseverance
• Steadfastness in the face of challenges, which MUST come to you as a Christian. It describes the capacity to bear up under difficult circumstances, not with a passive complacency, but with a hopeful fortitude, that resists weariness and defeat.
• Hebrews 10.35 - 38: You must not give up: Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise: “ For yet a little while, And He who is coming will come and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back, My soul has no pleasure in him.”
• (Matthew 7.24: parable of the wise builder: the storm, rain etc MUST come to test your foundation). Challenges will come in the Christian experience, but God will make a way of escape:
• 1 Cor 10.13: No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but will with the same temptation, make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.
• Psalm 23.4: yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I shall fear no evil. For You are with me; your rod* and your staff they comfort me
• Psalm 91: He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High
Shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.”
Key # 5: Wisdom
• WISDOM: Knowledge guided by understanding.
• Two processes involved:
1. You access the knowledge by studying: 2 Tim. 3.16 -17. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work
2 Tim. 2.15: Study to show yourself approved, a workman who needs not be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth
2. You must pray and ask God for wisdom to apply the knowledge like Solomon did: 1 Kings 3. 5-10
• God loves for us to ask for wisdom (Vs. 12)
• Wisdom gives access to riches and wealth and success (Vs. 14)
Key # 6: Prayer
• Simply a request to God. Two things you must know:
• How to pray
• What to pray about
• Matthew 6. 9 – 13: Jesus taught the disciples how to pray, not how to perform miracles; not even how to speak in tongues. Shows the importance of praying.
• Apart from rising early to pray, Jesus did not do anything important without praying:
1. he prayed and fasted in the wilderness for 40 days before facing the devil
2. At His baptism
3. Before selecting the disciples
4. At His transfiguration
5. After the last supper
6. In Gethsemane
• 5 Steps in Prayer:
1. Adoration (Praise & Worship);
2. Confession of your sin (1 John 1.9)
3. Supplication (1 Tim 2. 1-3; Philippians 4.6)
4. Intercession (James 5.14-15)
5. Thanksgiving (Phil 4.6)
• Altar call
• Prayer points
