“Do You Want To Succeed?”
Scripture: Joshua 1:1-9 NKJV
Introduction:
In today’s world, how do we measure success? Is it by the education we have? Maybe the things we own? How about in how much money we have? There are a lot of things that measure the success of individuals. We succeed at our careers, our hobbies, our relationships, many, many things. But, what is success? The dictionary says that success is the achievement of intention, or the attainment of wealth, fame or power. With that being said, how would you measure your success? Have you been successful? Do you want to succeed? I know I am throwing many questions out at you today, but they deal with a very important topic for all of us---success. Most of us would agree that we have plans. Maybe you are thinking about a new house, job, relationship, city, ministry….the list goes on and on. Well, today, we are going to talk about success. You see, there was a man named Joshua that also wanted to succeed. He wanted his nation to succeed, and he wanted to succeed as the leader of the nation. He wanted to be a successful leader. But Joshua was warned that in order to be successful he had to do some things in order to succeed. God told Joshua that he would be successful IF he was careful to do three things that we are going to learn from today’s passage. If you want to be successful in your life, I would suggest that you pay attention to today’s message as this is for all of us, including me, that desire success in our life. Turn with me now to Joshua chapter 1 starting at verse 1 and follow as I read:
1. Be Strong And Courageous (v:7).
The first thing in our passage that I want you to notice is that God tells Joshua to be strong and have courage. A question comes to my mind. Why is that? I mean, why does God tell Joshua to be strong and courageous? It is because Joshua was going to have to fight for the lands God promised Israel. Friends, the Christian walk is a great walk, but we too, will sometimes have to fight. Joshua was going to have to fight the enemies of the nation of Israel to take possession of the land. He was going to be fighting the enemies of God. We also are at war with the enemies of God. The enemies of lust, temptation, wicked and selfish desires, personal gain, self-righteousness. As we walk through life, things are going to come at us that are ungodly. We will be tempted to turn to the right or left. If we want to be successful at turning the attacks, we need to be strong in the Word of God. We need to have God’s Word molded into our heart and minds. But, not only that friends, there are times when we are going to have to take risks. We need to have faith that God is with us, and as long as God is with us, nothing can stand against us. (Jer. 29:11-13). Other people’s actions will affect us, but NO ONE can prevent what God wants to do in and through us. There is nothing in this world that is going to stand against the plans of God, and if God’s plans have you as a part of them, then stand on your faith.(Prv 3:25-26). Be bold and realize that fear is no excuse to disobey God. This is why God told Joshua to not only be strong, but courageous as well. There is no reason to live in fear when we have the mighty presence of the Holy Spirit within us.(John 14:17b-18). We need to understand that God will never send us into a situation alone. He always precedes us in any situation we encounter. And not only does God go before us, He also stands beside us and behind us to provide protection and comfort. (Psalm 139:7-12). This is why God told Joshua, and why God tells us to be strong and courageous.
2. Meditate On The Word (v:8).
Not only does God tell us to be strong and courageous, but God instructs us to have His Word planted in us. If we are ever to have success in our life, we must first understand that without the life giving, life sustaining Word of Almighty God as our guide, there can be no success. Listen again as I read verse 8: The dictionary defines meditate this way: to empty the mind of thoughts, or concentrate the mind on one thing, in order to aid mental or spiritual development, contemplation, or relaxation. Friend, it is not enough to just read God’s Word, we are commanded to meditate on God’s Word that it will always be with us to guide us and direct us. (Psalm 1:2). If we are to meditate properly on the Word of God there are some things we need to do.
a. Study.
We need to learn God’s Word. We need to make application of God’s Word. The only way we can do this is by studying the Word. When you study, you investigate it. You research it. No one was ever successful at anything in life until they first researched what it was they wanted to have success at. Through proper study of God’s Word, we will learn the do’s and don’t’s of life and success. (Prv. 2:1-5). Secondly, we must:
b. Ask Questions.
No one in history has ever gotten anywhere without asking questions. The same is true for us as we seek to be successful. If we want a successful relationship with God, if we want success in life, we need to ask questions. (Psalm 119:147). Think on the disciples or the prophets. They were always asking God questions, and God always acknowledged and answered them. Friend, there is no such thing as a stupid question. The only stupid question I know is the question that is not asked. If you have a question about something in God’s Word, ask Him about it. (James 1:5). He will answer you. Nobody ever got very far without asking questions and receiving answers. Check out some of the most powerful men in history and you will find that they all had questions and got answers that helped them get that power. Thirdly, we must:
c. Pray About It.
What is prayer? Some think that it is getting God to do what you want. Some think that it is petitioning God about the things we think He doesn’t know about. Friend, let me tell you what prayer is. True prayer is lining yourself up with the will of God. That’s it. Prayer is not only talking to God, but it is also listening to God. Ever try to have a one sided conversation? It just doesn’t work. Listen to (Jeremiah 42:3). You see there. Prayer is getting God’s will. As we meditate on God’s Word, as we study God’s Word, as we ask questions, we are then to pray about it. We ask God to show us His will in the plans we have. (Phil. 4:6). Better yet, we ask God to show us the plan that is BETTER than our plan. Remember, we are talking about being successful. I don’t know of any better success than the success of the blessed. Now, not only does God tell us to be strong and courageous, not only does God tell us to meditate on His Word, God also tell us to:
3. Do What It Says (v:8).
Verse 8 again. We all want to be successful. If I asked you, most of you could do without failure, right? Time and time again, as I am talking with others, it never ceases to amaze me that, as they are telling a story about something that happened to them, somewhere in that story you will always here the following: but if I would have only done this, if I only would have listened to so and so. Sound familiar? Sure it does because all of us have that same “If I would have only done it”. The same is true for the Word of God. James wrote in James 1:22: Right off the bat, you can see that we need to:
a. Be Obedient.
Did you know that to disobey God is to be in rebellion against Him? Any time that God asks us to do something, and we refuse or ignore or just plain don’t do it puts us in rebellion against Him. We become out of God’s will. And folks, God is not a commanding God, He just knows what is best for our lives. God is a loving, patient and just God. Jesus said that to obey Him is to love Him.(John 14:23-24). We don’t obey Him because we have too, we obey Him because He loves us and wants the very best for all of us. We only end up hurting ourselves when we disobey God. Remember when you disobeyed your mother or your father? There were consequences for disobeying them, right? The same is true for our Heavenly Father. (1 Sam. 15:22-23). If we want to be successful, God will lay out the path for us to follow. Then when He does, we need to:
b. Follow God’s Complete Instructions.
I see it happen all the time. God lays out the instructions and then, we think we know better and decide to do it our way. Friend, our way will usually end in disaster. We need to acknowledge that God’s instructions are always the very best, and right on the money. (Prv. 3:5-6). If we were to carry out God’s instructions all of the time, most all of us would enjoy success at the highest levels of whatever it is we hope to accomplish. Don’t be fooled by someone else telling you how to do it their way. Someone comes up to you and says something like, “Oh I see what you are trying to do, but why don’t you try it this way or that way?” Friend, godly counsel is the best counsel provided the person giving you the counsel is giving you godly counsel. How do you know? You go back to what we just talked about. You seek God through His Word and prayer and then you ask questions and let God answer you. And when He gives you the answer, you follow His instructions to the absolute letter. Which brings us to:
c. Don’t Look Back.
When God gives you the plan, when God gives you the instructions--do it! Don’t think on the consequences. You do what God instructed you to do and you let God worry about the consequences. (Psalm 119:46). Imagine if all the disciples and prophets and preachers throughout history thought on the consequences? Just imagine if Jesus had said no way? If God has instructed you, and you carry out His instructions, rest assured, God is going to protect you and bring you through whatever the results of carrying out His instructions are. Jesus told His disciples in the Garden to watch and pray lest they fall into temptation. (Matt. 26:41). What Jesus was saying was don’t start wondering if it’s the right thing to do, keep you eyes, your mind, you heart focused on God and you can never go wrong. God will always stand for those who are obedient, faithful, and carry out His instructions.
Conclusion:
Friend, I want to be successful. You want to be successful. The key to being successful is to put our faith, trust, and hope in God first and let Him guide us into success. Joshua trusted God and look at what God did for Him. God helped him to establish the nation of Israel. God brought Joshua through many battles and trials. Joshua ended his life successful. We can have the same in our life. What is it that you are pursuing today? Don’t tell me, commit it to God. Put God and His Word first. God wants to give us His very best for all of our lives. The only way He can do that is for us to allow Him to guide us, to follow His will and desires for our life. If we would do that, I promise you on the very Word of God, you will have success at whatever you do beyond your wildest imaginations.
Prayer: Lord God, now I ask that you bless and keep us; that you make your face to shine upon us; that your goodness, your mercy, your favor shower every life in this room. Let us know that this week we are grafted into the everlasting, Almighty Vine of the Son of the Living God and that you Father, are watching over us; that you care for us; and that our potential is unlimited so long as we are abiding in you. Lord I ask that this blessing today become a reality in our life; that the fruit it produces would bring glory to God our Father in heaven. In Jesus’ Name, we pray and ask, Amen!
Pastor Harold Trent
Scripture: Joshua 1:1-9 NKJV
Introduction:
In today’s world, how do we measure success? Is it by the education we have? Maybe the things we own? How about in how much money we have? There are a lot of things that measure the success of individuals. We succeed at our careers, our hobbies, our relationships, many, many things. But, what is success? The dictionary says that success is the achievement of intention, or the attainment of wealth, fame or power. With that being said, how would you measure your success? Have you been successful? Do you want to succeed? I know I am throwing many questions out at you today, but they deal with a very important topic for all of us---success. Most of us would agree that we have plans. Maybe you are thinking about a new house, job, relationship, city, ministry….the list goes on and on. Well, today, we are going to talk about success. You see, there was a man named Joshua that also wanted to succeed. He wanted his nation to succeed, and he wanted to succeed as the leader of the nation. He wanted to be a successful leader. But Joshua was warned that in order to be successful he had to do some things in order to succeed. God told Joshua that he would be successful IF he was careful to do three things that we are going to learn from today’s passage. If you want to be successful in your life, I would suggest that you pay attention to today’s message as this is for all of us, including me, that desire success in our life. Turn with me now to Joshua chapter 1 starting at verse 1 and follow as I read:
1. Be Strong And Courageous (v:7).
The first thing in our passage that I want you to notice is that God tells Joshua to be strong and have courage. A question comes to my mind. Why is that? I mean, why does God tell Joshua to be strong and courageous? It is because Joshua was going to have to fight for the lands God promised Israel. Friends, the Christian walk is a great walk, but we too, will sometimes have to fight. Joshua was going to have to fight the enemies of the nation of Israel to take possession of the land. He was going to be fighting the enemies of God. We also are at war with the enemies of God. The enemies of lust, temptation, wicked and selfish desires, personal gain, self-righteousness. As we walk through life, things are going to come at us that are ungodly. We will be tempted to turn to the right or left. If we want to be successful at turning the attacks, we need to be strong in the Word of God. We need to have God’s Word molded into our heart and minds. But, not only that friends, there are times when we are going to have to take risks. We need to have faith that God is with us, and as long as God is with us, nothing can stand against us. (Jer. 29:11-13). Other people’s actions will affect us, but NO ONE can prevent what God wants to do in and through us. There is nothing in this world that is going to stand against the plans of God, and if God’s plans have you as a part of them, then stand on your faith.(Prv 3:25-26). Be bold and realize that fear is no excuse to disobey God. This is why God told Joshua to not only be strong, but courageous as well. There is no reason to live in fear when we have the mighty presence of the Holy Spirit within us.(John 14:17b-18). We need to understand that God will never send us into a situation alone. He always precedes us in any situation we encounter. And not only does God go before us, He also stands beside us and behind us to provide protection and comfort. (Psalm 139:7-12). This is why God told Joshua, and why God tells us to be strong and courageous.
2. Meditate On The Word (v:8).
Not only does God tell us to be strong and courageous, but God instructs us to have His Word planted in us. If we are ever to have success in our life, we must first understand that without the life giving, life sustaining Word of Almighty God as our guide, there can be no success. Listen again as I read verse 8: The dictionary defines meditate this way: to empty the mind of thoughts, or concentrate the mind on one thing, in order to aid mental or spiritual development, contemplation, or relaxation. Friend, it is not enough to just read God’s Word, we are commanded to meditate on God’s Word that it will always be with us to guide us and direct us. (Psalm 1:2). If we are to meditate properly on the Word of God there are some things we need to do.
a. Study.
We need to learn God’s Word. We need to make application of God’s Word. The only way we can do this is by studying the Word. When you study, you investigate it. You research it. No one was ever successful at anything in life until they first researched what it was they wanted to have success at. Through proper study of God’s Word, we will learn the do’s and don’t’s of life and success. (Prv. 2:1-5). Secondly, we must:
b. Ask Questions.
No one in history has ever gotten anywhere without asking questions. The same is true for us as we seek to be successful. If we want a successful relationship with God, if we want success in life, we need to ask questions. (Psalm 119:147). Think on the disciples or the prophets. They were always asking God questions, and God always acknowledged and answered them. Friend, there is no such thing as a stupid question. The only stupid question I know is the question that is not asked. If you have a question about something in God’s Word, ask Him about it. (James 1:5). He will answer you. Nobody ever got very far without asking questions and receiving answers. Check out some of the most powerful men in history and you will find that they all had questions and got answers that helped them get that power. Thirdly, we must:
c. Pray About It.
What is prayer? Some think that it is getting God to do what you want. Some think that it is petitioning God about the things we think He doesn’t know about. Friend, let me tell you what prayer is. True prayer is lining yourself up with the will of God. That’s it. Prayer is not only talking to God, but it is also listening to God. Ever try to have a one sided conversation? It just doesn’t work. Listen to (Jeremiah 42:3). You see there. Prayer is getting God’s will. As we meditate on God’s Word, as we study God’s Word, as we ask questions, we are then to pray about it. We ask God to show us His will in the plans we have. (Phil. 4:6). Better yet, we ask God to show us the plan that is BETTER than our plan. Remember, we are talking about being successful. I don’t know of any better success than the success of the blessed. Now, not only does God tell us to be strong and courageous, not only does God tell us to meditate on His Word, God also tell us to:
3. Do What It Says (v:8).
Verse 8 again. We all want to be successful. If I asked you, most of you could do without failure, right? Time and time again, as I am talking with others, it never ceases to amaze me that, as they are telling a story about something that happened to them, somewhere in that story you will always here the following: but if I would have only done this, if I only would have listened to so and so. Sound familiar? Sure it does because all of us have that same “If I would have only done it”. The same is true for the Word of God. James wrote in James 1:22: Right off the bat, you can see that we need to:
a. Be Obedient.
Did you know that to disobey God is to be in rebellion against Him? Any time that God asks us to do something, and we refuse or ignore or just plain don’t do it puts us in rebellion against Him. We become out of God’s will. And folks, God is not a commanding God, He just knows what is best for our lives. God is a loving, patient and just God. Jesus said that to obey Him is to love Him.(John 14:23-24). We don’t obey Him because we have too, we obey Him because He loves us and wants the very best for all of us. We only end up hurting ourselves when we disobey God. Remember when you disobeyed your mother or your father? There were consequences for disobeying them, right? The same is true for our Heavenly Father. (1 Sam. 15:22-23). If we want to be successful, God will lay out the path for us to follow. Then when He does, we need to:
b. Follow God’s Complete Instructions.
I see it happen all the time. God lays out the instructions and then, we think we know better and decide to do it our way. Friend, our way will usually end in disaster. We need to acknowledge that God’s instructions are always the very best, and right on the money. (Prv. 3:5-6). If we were to carry out God’s instructions all of the time, most all of us would enjoy success at the highest levels of whatever it is we hope to accomplish. Don’t be fooled by someone else telling you how to do it their way. Someone comes up to you and says something like, “Oh I see what you are trying to do, but why don’t you try it this way or that way?” Friend, godly counsel is the best counsel provided the person giving you the counsel is giving you godly counsel. How do you know? You go back to what we just talked about. You seek God through His Word and prayer and then you ask questions and let God answer you. And when He gives you the answer, you follow His instructions to the absolute letter. Which brings us to:
c. Don’t Look Back.
When God gives you the plan, when God gives you the instructions--do it! Don’t think on the consequences. You do what God instructed you to do and you let God worry about the consequences. (Psalm 119:46). Imagine if all the disciples and prophets and preachers throughout history thought on the consequences? Just imagine if Jesus had said no way? If God has instructed you, and you carry out His instructions, rest assured, God is going to protect you and bring you through whatever the results of carrying out His instructions are. Jesus told His disciples in the Garden to watch and pray lest they fall into temptation. (Matt. 26:41). What Jesus was saying was don’t start wondering if it’s the right thing to do, keep you eyes, your mind, you heart focused on God and you can never go wrong. God will always stand for those who are obedient, faithful, and carry out His instructions.
Conclusion:
Friend, I want to be successful. You want to be successful. The key to being successful is to put our faith, trust, and hope in God first and let Him guide us into success. Joshua trusted God and look at what God did for Him. God helped him to establish the nation of Israel. God brought Joshua through many battles and trials. Joshua ended his life successful. We can have the same in our life. What is it that you are pursuing today? Don’t tell me, commit it to God. Put God and His Word first. God wants to give us His very best for all of our lives. The only way He can do that is for us to allow Him to guide us, to follow His will and desires for our life. If we would do that, I promise you on the very Word of God, you will have success at whatever you do beyond your wildest imaginations.
Prayer: Lord God, now I ask that you bless and keep us; that you make your face to shine upon us; that your goodness, your mercy, your favor shower every life in this room. Let us know that this week we are grafted into the everlasting, Almighty Vine of the Son of the Living God and that you Father, are watching over us; that you care for us; and that our potential is unlimited so long as we are abiding in you. Lord I ask that this blessing today become a reality in our life; that the fruit it produces would bring glory to God our Father in heaven. In Jesus’ Name, we pray and ask, Amen!
Pastor Harold Trent
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