The Successful Christian

I want to talk this morning about being a successful Christian

Many people would define being a successful Christian as being a Christian that makes it to heaven.

Do you know what the definition of success is in our dictionary?

“Desirable Outcome” or “one that succeeds”

I want you to think about “success” for a moment – not so much in a “Christian” way but how you would define “success”

Go to a high school graduation – think back to your high school graduation and you are going to find a Who’s who of idealistic kids who have vision of grandeur for their lives.

Go to a 20 year reunion and the majority of people are lying about their lives trying to impress those they graduated with.

In reality very few people live life to the extent of their dreamed success.

I don’t remember the statistic but something like 60-70% of people hates their job

If you asked those graduates on their graduation, “what are you going to do if you get a job and you hate it?”

The majority would probably tell, “I’d quit and go find another one!”

But that’s not reality – in reality most people settle for what comes along.

And because our natural tendency is to settle for what comes along when it comes to our Christian lives we do the exact same thing!

I stated a minute a go to think about the word “success” and how we would define it.

If we were to give a motivational speech on “success” and you were preparing your speech and looking for examples to use to motivate people I doubt you are going to pick someone living paycheck to paycheck.

You are going to get facts on Bill Gates, Sam Walton, Dave Thomas, the Rockefeller’s…

People who have achieved something beyond the normal because that is success.

Hebrews 12:1 talks about how there is a great cloud of witnesses watching us – standing with us – but I wonder how many of those who have gone on to be with the Lord barely got by because they were only focused on their reward in heaven.

Ps 23:5-6

5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies [no enemies in heaven]; you anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over [living in overflow].

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life… (NKJ)

There is something here on earth – now – that we have been given that causes us to be successful - here!

And then when our time on earth is over we have eternity with our Lord in heaven to look forward to…

But there are too many Christian walking around saying how God is so good – how God takes care of them – how God watches over them

Yet they’re pumping multitudes of medicines into their body

They are living paycheck to paycheck

They are fearful of events going on around them

That is not successful Christian living –

The scriptures found in:

Heb 4:16

16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. (KJV)

2 Cor 9:8

8 And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: (KJV)

Eph 3:20

20 Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, (NKJ)

These scriptures mean something and we have a right as Heb 4:16 said to come boldly to the throne of grace –

We should expect to be “successful” as a Christian!

But have to realize there is responsibility on our parts.

The very first thing is obviously fear – people are fearful to trust the God they say is watching over them

It’s amazing how we believe what is in the newspaper, but don’t believe what is in the Bible

We believe what is told us on TV but we don’t believe what God has said

We believe the doctor can do what he says he will do, but we don’t be God will do what He said He will do.

People do not trust God because of fear – because they cannot see with the natural what God is saying.

It doesn’t matter what you are talking about in terms of being successful – whether as a Christian or as a business person or just in life in general

If you operate in fear you will never experience success

You have got to get rid of fear if you are going to operate in faith –

But let me move this out of the supernatural power of God for just a moment and look at some natural circumstances: