God’s Pathway to Success - Part 1

Mount MTV intensified Catherine town family for Wednesday, January 5 often think the Bible says that the rules today, you'll see how it's more like a treasure chest full of riches waiting to be discovered. What would you have to do in life or to accomplish in life to consider yourself to have been successful. Is it will.

I'm just a homemaker, just this. I'm just out of just the other. Well it does make a difference. What you do. The question is what would you have to do what would you need to accomplish in life to be able to the at the end of your life. Look back and say at least I think I was a success and what I did in life what would it have to be well across the world has its idea of success in God has his idea of success and there's nothing wrong with being successful. Wanting to be if it were certainly God would never have said and he's the one who said that Joshua listen, he said, this book of the law shall not depart from your mouth but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do according to all that is written in it, you'll make your way prosperous, and then you have success.

That's what God told him that he said to him, also, be strong and very courageous.

Be careful to do according to all the law which Moses my servant commanded you don't turn from it to the right onto the left so that you may have success wherever you go. The issue is, what is the difference between God's view of success and the world's view of success. Well, if you ask the world what their idea of success is our all you have to do is look around you'll have to ask anybody just look around to see who we consider as successful well that need to be wealthy. They need to be prominent already to be famous related to accomplish some impossible feet. It seems we call those people successful. You know there's not a single thing in the Bible about any of that.

The Bible doesn't say in order to be successful you have to be wealthy. All you had to be great or famous, or to have accomplished anything this supernatural God has a very, very clear design about what success is all about. And so when we think about it read. Think about it from God's viewpoint versus the world's viewpoint because many people are successful at what they do. But when you put their name up against someone's name in this country who is famous for all kinds of things they would consider far from being successful. But the issue is this. When you not stand the presence of God. What difference is it going to make what the world thought about you versus what God thinks about you someone you turn to the passage of Scripture in the Bible that gives us God's pathway to true genuine success. It's found in the very first song that it's interesting that usually when you think in terms of success.

The attitude is always a positive attitude that words that's one of the absolute requirements of someone would say.

But listen to how this first Psalm begins. How blessed is the man all the woman who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked negative nor stand in the pathway of sinners, nor sit in the seat of the scoffers.

But his delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law he meditates day and night.

He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water which yields its fruit in its season and its leaf does not wither and whatever he does he prosper now.

The two things I want us to notice here that are very clear. First of all, he gives us some absolute very clear requirements for success and secondly he gives as the rewards like in these first of all these requirements and I want you notice these words, if you will. In this first verse he says walk stand and sit. That is the person who is going to succeed in God's fashion, they will avoid several things there one I want you notice is the first thing and that is the first requirement for success is to be careful about our relationships to be careful about our relationship and notice what he says. He says how blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the ungodly, what is he referring to is talking about those who listen to ungodly counsel and follow it. He says a man is going to be successful is not going to listen to ungodly counsel and follow. I believe that's when the primary reasons that many people fail in their business.

They found their personal life they felt now there is of their life because they listen to ungodly counsel. Now why is it that even Christians go to ungodly counsel, listen to ungodly counsel to make supposedly wise decision will first of all, usually ungodly counsel appeals of the flesh. Ungodly counsel usually is very self-centered, ungodly counsel, usually will tell us what we want to know but ungodly counsel is very deceiving.

It is very very deceiving because it lays traps for us if you want to succeed his what you do you always have to compare the counsel you received to the teaching the word of God if it contradicts in any way the teaching of God you last the counsel. He says now the person is going to succeed the first thing they going to do is there going to avoid walking after on godly counsel. Why because ungodly councils can lead you away from God and so therefore what happens. You find yourself entwined and entangled with the philosophy that absolutely is a contradiction in the word of God.

Therefore, when he says this is how you begin blessed or happy, successful is the man who does not walk after or in the counsel of the wicked.

That is followed ungodly counsel. So there's that first word walk second word stand no law does that successful person stand in the path of sin is what is he talking about that is, he does not or she does not participate in the activities of those who are evil or sinful or wicked on God.

They 70, wait a minute, does the Bible say that we are to have unbelieving friends and came we have friends or unbelievers absolute what he saying he's not saying that you and I cannot have unbelieving friends, but what he saying is this, he says don't stand in the path of sinners.

That is, don't associate fellowship with them and participate in those activities that you know absolutely ungodly and un-Christlike. He says don't participate, you may have to be friends. The people you work and so but you don't have to participate in the things they participate in because he says if you do you not going to be successful there. People who genuinely believe if you can be successful in life you gotta drink a cocktail and you gotta go to the partisan. You gotta see the things that they see you got a practice in the way they practice meditates something God is absolutely sovereign.

He'll make you a success no matter what and where you work on where you live because God will enable you to live a godly life no matter what.

And those who may criticize you in the beginning will sooner or later becoming back to you and say no look. Tell me again why you believe what you believe. You see, that's why since we to be the light of the world.

God puts us among people who are unbelievers in order to show them the truth and what he does he will use you in a difficult situation to demonstrate to them that your God is adequate and whatever the situation may be, you may be overlooked at a particular job and somebody may climb out of you to the top and you know what, if you obey God. God's gonna put you where he wants you no matter who climbs over you on the you are around you.

God will put you where he wants you because he's in control. He says the way of the wicked. In it he says is not so I watch this.

First of all, he says, watch what you walk. Watch who you walk with that is what use counsel you listen to. Secondly he says don't let yourself participate in those works of darkness, those evil things with those people who will save if you stick with me I'll make you success. You stick with God, he'll make your success, your third word, nor sit in the seat of the scoffers know what is he referring to here. He's referring here when he says see the scoffers he says don't fellowship with those people who scoff at who ridicule who criticized things that a sacred and holy. Somewhere you have to draw your line on your relationships, people who scoff at the word of God are people who deny the word of God people scoff at Jesus people who ridicule the things that a hold in sacred with our foul mouth that file storage, their dirty language and their awesome criticism of things that you not consider holy.

We may have to work around the most. Some people may even have deliver on the but you don't have to participate.

You don't have to agree and he says don't sit in the seat of the skull is the scoffers God never honors those who scoff at things that a sacred God is under no obligation to bless anyone St. RRR center who scoffs at things in a holy and this is true in all you have to do is turn on the television and you can hear that and see that but you know what I discovered people sit in the seat of the stone all the scoffer in the religious world the broadcasting world. The medical world, the science world united in every aspect of society those people out there who ridicule the word of God and deny the truth of it.

Ridicule Jesus. The church and those Christians in Sobel.

He says you want to be successful. Watch your relationships. Watch be careful about the counsel you listen to be careful about participating with those who are. You work with in a friends with. Don't let yourself get caught up in those who are critics of those things that are holy and sacred before God, because God's not going on, they may make a lot of money.

They may have a lot of pain but they will not be a success. Now, as of God disabled, then please define for me what is success is the simplest answer. I know success is discovering the will of God for your life, and following it. Success is discovering the will of God for your life, and following you know what, then you will be headed in the right direction you be achieving accomplishing things that God is set for you. He will show you how to set goals for your life. He will work in your faith increase your faith to accomplish those goals. He will enable you to be determined.

He will enable you to persevere. He will enable you to stick to it when things get rough. He will able enable you to believe him when everything around you looks dark, God will enable you to be a success. Success is discovering the will of God for your life and pursuing it. Following that will when you do that you going to succeed at whatever God is called you to do. You may be very wealthy. Are you may not be. You may be very famous so you may not be as you may have little prominence or none whatsoever.

But you know what if your name is written in the Lamb's book of life friend that's a real problem when God sees your name in the Lamb's book of life. That's prominence. And so what you have to decide is this the you want to spend your life. Invest your time trying to achieve and to accomplish and to become something that God never intended.

I will tell you this, the devil help you do it is why he will help you do it because if he can help you to succeed enough in the eyes of the world. He knows that he can drift you run away from the will and purpose and plan of God for your life and I'm here to tell you many of God's people have been bought off with money.

Many of God's people been bought off with position and prominence and prestige. Satan, the bottom all gave them enough of what the world considers success to get them out of the will of God doing those things that they think will make them look better in the eyes of their friends have a bigger car bigger house, bigger income, bigger this looking more prominent bigger position and all the rest totally on the will of God that is not success from God's viewpoint. He says now be careful. Number one who you relationships are because if you follow ungodly counsel participate in those things that are ungodly and score on those things that are holding God in righteous. You have absolutely no support from Almighty God.

Well, look at this not only he says here are the some things we are to be careful about, but the second thing is this the recent first requirement is be careful of is relationship. The second requirement calls for a commitment.

Listen to the principles of Scripture. The second requirement calls for a commitment to the principles of Scripture look at this. He says beginning in verse two, not having done those other things. But his delight is in the law of the Lord and in his law he meditates day and night. He'll be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water which yields its fruit in the season and its leaf does not wither and in what so ever. What ever he does he or she prospers. They will succeed at it now, when we say it calls for commitment to scriptural principles. Notice what he says, but his delight is in the law of the Lord is a minimalist of succeed is on who wants to succeed in life. Whatever God's call. You do first of all, he says, is something very positive.

His delight, his desire that which brings him or her real genuine satisfaction.

I delight to them that which they long for the living word of God. That which satisfies them.

They love the word they come to God's word seeking and searching, he says the successful man, a woman is going to have a delight in the law of the Lord, you don't have to beg that met a woman to read the Scriptures you have to say at least a bring about the church. No you know what those people they bring their Bible church. They have a notepad and a pencil, and they gonna write down every visit their wives that will succeed in life. They gonna write down those principles given out from the pulpit that they know that are absolute scriptural and you know thing under the gun to come home and they going to meditate on God speak to my heart work this into my thinking. Help me to think the way you think about this. Let me just absolve as let me soak in this. If this is the truth of your word and not follow your truth in all your power is behind what I'm doing and you will enable me to succeed no matter what his delight or her delight is in the law of the Lord and notice what he says.

And in that law that person what what is he say meditates upon the word of God day and night. What is it mean to meditate. What it doesn't mean just to read to the Bible once a year. You can read the Bible. Once you miss God if that's all your motivators with to read it carefully when you think about it, which applied to the heart and we might ask several questions like these.

For example, we might ask this question. Is there any sin in this passage that I am to avoid. Secondly, is there any truth that you will need to comprehend and understand that maybe I have not understood before. Is there any promise here that I have been unwilling or have not enable in my lack of faith to believe evil and to accept as true in my own life.

Is there some victory on the have in my life according this passage of Scripture is there some blessing that I'm to enjoy. And so what happens is you just go right down the stretch of Scripture, and you might ask yourself the question, is there some truth that I have missed what you doing is this here. You have these if you limited these three verses.

For example, and you began to read you read it today. Tomorrow the next day each day don't go beyond that to stick with one passage of notepad and use asked the Lord, the Lord, I want you to speak to my heart. I want you to show me in this passage. What you need to say to me about my life. You may have picked up this passage a new civil slicks like the pathway to real genuine success. That's what I want so what are you saying to me a lot about success in my life.

Or it may be that you are asking yourself other questions in which you come to this passage listen, don't just read in seven not get much out of the many times I read a passage now think well and I'll go back over is what happens when you begin to say Lord, what are you saying to me. You know what happens.

Words jump off the page word, the meaning of words begin to become very important you begin to see relationships and you begin to see things in a passage that you not seen before.

You see the problem with most people as they never learn to meditate upon the world got to go to the whole Christian life and they have Sunday school lessons they teach our sermons men preach are our Bible readings that have they never learn to meditate God, what are you saying to me, is there some sin. Here's a something him to avoid some truth you want to get some principle you turn a plot of my life is some warning some caution you're trying to give me are you saying something to me that that Lord. Maybe I'm just not getting it. God how do you discover those principles that get on the inside of you and absolutely and radically change your circumstance. Your life you meditate. He says, but his delight is in the law of the Lord in his law he meditates day and night.

Go back to Joshua one if you want to promote and listen exactly what he said. He said had seven verse be strong. Joshua very courageous. Be careful to do according all the law which Moses my servant commanded you don't turn from to the right or to the left. How would he not do that he'd have to be meditating, then you have success. This book of the law shall not depart from your mouth but you shall meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful listen careful to do according to all that is written in it.

Then you make your way prosperous, then you have success. He says be careful. That's why you can't just skim over a passage on what was happening in your life where you are.

You may be feeling a real like a real failure.

You meditate on this passage.

You follow what it says God will transform your listen your discouraging moments. All of a sudden when you begin to delight in the law of God, delight in the word of God delight in the principles of God is what's going to happen you going to get excited about whatever's challenging you and you going to get so excited you're going to say God I want you to show me, show me how to follow these principles in order to demonstrate to me that you can do exactly what you promise to God. Take that kind of challenge anytime. Thank you for listening to part one and God's pathway to think that if you like to know more about Charles Stanley are intact ministries intact start OIG is not the presentation intact ministries Atlanta, Georgia