What Is Failure? Success?

WHAT IS FAILURE?

By Wade Martin Hughes, Sr. Kyfingers@aol.com

Hebrews 12:15 Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness

springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;

I. I HAVE OFTEN TRIED TO DEFINE SUCCESS?

A. I have asked many spiritual leaders could they give me the time to help me consider:

WHAT IS SUCCESS? Not what is success by the world's standards? But what is real

Biblical success? If I don't know what success is how can I ever evaluate where I really

am?

B. FAIL:

To not succeed?, To be unsuccessful in tests, examinations, interviews...

To be rejected, to not pass,

To be lacking or insufficient

To be weaker, to cease from functioning, to come to nothing...

Bankrupt...

C. FAILURE:

LACK OF SUCCESS, to breakdown, to flop- sway heavily

To not be able to complete or perform task,

To be disqualified,

D. THERE ARE SEVERAL KISSING COUSINS OF FAILURE:

FAILURE --- DEPRESSION --- FEAR --- QUITTING

II. WE OFTEN MEASURE SUCCESS/FAILURE BY WHO HAS THE MUST TOYS...

MATERIALISM IS THE TENDANCY TP PREFER MATERIAL POSSESSIONSAND PHYSICAL

COMFORT OVER SPIRITUAL VALUES?

A. There is a philosophy theory that states nothing really exists but matter, the movement of the matter,

and modifications to matter.

B. Jesus builds a differing kind of VALUE SYSTEM...

GODLY VALUES WARN LIFE IS MUCH MORE THAN THE ABUNDANCE OF THINGS...

C. IF WE MEASURE BY PLENTIFUL... how much is enough...

Rockefeller was asked: HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH?

He answered: ONE MORE DOLLAR!

Luke 12:15 And he said unto them, Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man's life

consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.

[16] And he spake a parable unto them, saying, The ground of a certain rich man brought forth

plentifully:

[17] And he thought within himself, saying, What shall I do, because I have no room where to

bestow my fruits?

[18] And he said, This will I do: I will pull down my barns, and build greater; and there will I bestow

all my fruits and my goods.

[19] And I will say to my soul, Soul, thou hast much goods laid up for many years; take thine ease,

eat, drink, and be merry.

[20] But God said unto him, Thou fool, this night thy soul shall be required of thee: then whose shall

those things be, which thou hast provided?

[21] So is he that layeth up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God.

D. What does your VALUE SYSTEM use to DICTATE SUCCESS?

Is your VALUE SYSTEM your own THINKING PATTERN? Do we think within OURSELF?

E. Himself, I, my, 12x's in 2 verses... THIS MAN CONSIDERED HIMSELF A GREAT SUCCESS...

G. HOW DID THIS MAN EVALUATE HIMSELF?

HOW DID THE PREACHER EVALUATE HIM?

H. HOW DID GOD EVALUATE THE RICH MAN...

I. ONE OF THE EVALUATION SYSTEM OF SUCCESS OR FAILURE MUST BE A

CONSIDERATION OF TREASURE? WHAT IS YOUR TREASURE?

III. THERE WAS A MAN WITH A NATIONAL MINISTRY IN HIS LAP...

HIS NAME MEANS: LORD OF THE PEOPLE... LATER BECAME KNOWN A GLUTTON...

2 Peter 2:15 Which have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam

the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness;

[16] But was rebuked for his iniquity: the dumb ass speaking with man's voice forbad the madness

of the prophet.

A. Balaam was the son of BEOR...

BEOR WAS A HIGH RANKING MIDIANITE...

B. BALAAM LOVED APPLAUSE, POPULARITY, AND BIG OFFERINGS...

C. This family loved to live among the IDOL WORSHIPPERS...

D. BALAAM MAY HAVE BEEN POPULAR WITH THE CROWDS, GOD HATED HIS

MINISTRY...

IV. SODOM AND GOMORRHA WERE HUGE AREA'S OF SUCCESS NEAR THE DEAD SEA?

HOW GREAT? MONEY AND PROSPERITY RULED... THE TWIN CITIES WERE KNOWN

FOR THEIR SENSUAL PLEASURES...

IS SUCCESS ON THE SOCIETY? OR THE INDIVIUAL?

A. LOT HAD EVERYING...

HE LEARNED TO LINGER... PROCRASTINATE...

Genesis 19:16 And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his

wife, and upon the hand of his two daughters; the Lord being merciful unto him: and they brought

him forth, and set him without the city.

B. LOT WAS TOLD GET TO THE MOUNTAIN, HE ASKED FOR ZOAR...

ZOAR MEANS LITTLE...

Luke 17:32 Remember Lot's wife.

C. IF LOT TASTED SUCCESS IT WAS AT A DEAR PRICE...

WHAT WAS IN THEIR HEARTS?

V. COULD A MAN THAT WON LESS THAN ONE SOUL A DECADE BE A SUCCESS...

WAS THERE A LOT OF STINK ON THE ARK?

EVALUATE THE BEST SHIP AFLOAT?

A. NOAH MEANS REST... comfort...

Noah was the grandson of METHUSELA...

B. At 500 years old started having kids: SHEM, HAM, JAPHETH

C. Noah was a just, faithful man that WALKED WITH GOD...