Real Success - God's Way

Real Success – Gods’ way Sermon by Paddick van Zyl 25-Apr-2010

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Joshua 1:7-8

7 Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

In 1966, about a year before he died, the brilliant physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer said, "I am a complete failure!" This man had been the director of the Los Alamos Project, a research team that produced the atomic bomb, and he had also served as the head of the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton. Yet, in looking back, he saw his achievements as meaningless. When asked about them, he replied, "They leave on the tongue only the taste of ashes."

The story is told of a new bank president who met with his predecessor and said, "I would like to know what have been the keys to your success." The older gentleman looked at him and replied, "Young man, I can sum it up in two words: Good decisions." To that the young man responded, "I thank you immensely for that advice, sir, but how does one come to know which are the good decisions?" "One word, young man," replied the sage. "Experience." "That's all well and good," said the younger, "but how does one get experience?" "Two words," said the elder. "Bad decisions."

Today In The Word, November, 1989, p.23.

A How does the world view success:

• *Great job, money, prestige, status, fame,

• *Misplaced not trusting in God but in self /I

• *Step on those on your way up the ladder

• *Get all you can, can it and sit on the can

• *More is the answer

• *Use any means you can to reach your goal (bribery, blackmail etc)

• *Live it up

Success may mean, but is not limited to:

*a level of social status

*achievement of an objective/goal

*the opposite of failure

*the succession of successfully executed tasks and successes

*You made it

*You reached the set or approved mark/goal

*Failure is just the opposite: Not reaching the goal,

B Where does success originate from/ who invented it?

From God!! He made Adam and Eve with the view to be successful in the garden of Eden. Their choice was to disobey and fail.

Gen 1:31 Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good. So the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Gen 39:2

The LORD was with Joseph, and he was a successful man; and he was in the house of his master the Egyptian

Gen 24:12

12 Then he said, “O LORD God of my master Abraham, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham.

C Some facts to ponder on about success:

*Success is not like an instant pudding ‘Just add milk and whisk for 5min and enjoy’ (take with and show packet of instant pudding

Yet so many people try this method thinking it will accomplish results

 It can not be bought

 inherited

 transferred

 comes by knowing God

 walking with God

 spending time in His presence

 doing His will

 being sold out to Him/word/purpose.

*We can not live in or operate in someone else’s success/anointing

*True success has a vision in mind. Tower of Babel, they had one vision but God confused their language and they lost the vision and their goal : Building the tower.

Proverbs 29:18 (Amplified Bible)

18Where there is no vision [no redemptive revelation of God], the people perish; but he who keeps the law [of God, which includes that of man]--blessed (happy, fortunate, and enviable) is he.

Success does not mean never having failures /setbacks but learning from these setbacks.

*Do not mistake activity for achievement

*If I am through learning, I am through

*Be quick but don’t be in a hurry

Let’s look briefly at 4 people in the Bible and their success in life:

1 * Daniels life:

*He was favored together with his 3 companions by the guards and the king

*He was successful even in the furnace because he gave God all the glory for the revealing of the dream of Nebuchadnezzar. He did not take the glory. He acknowledged God before men.

Dan 2:30

But as for me, this secret has not been revealed to me because I have more wisdom than anyone living, but for our sakes who make known the interpretation to the king, and that you may know the thoughts of your heart.