Defeating the Enemies of Success (Part 1)

This is a message from leading the way with Dr. Michael.

You sat we pray that it will encourage you in your walk of faith. If you would like to learn more about Dr. you Seth for leading the way, please visit LW.the world's definition of success is summarized in the worlds of fall trends when he said the one who dies with the most toys wins. But success God's way is very different.

God evaluate success very differently from the world's evaluation of success and so I want you to turn in your Bible, Genesis 39 verse two, Genesis 39 to and have it open as I will share with you from God's word success God's way.

Not man's way verse two says God was with Joseph and he was successful. Another translation says the Lord was with Joseph and he prospered, when you realize that their very very very very few people in world history have ever reason as high in a short period of time as Joseph did.

You'll have to sit back and take notice. What is the secret of his success. You have to ask the question what is this success God's way all about. Joseph began his career at the ripe old age of 1717.

That's when he started by the age of 30, he became the second most powerful man in the world that is known at that time but that did not happen because Joseph was ambitious, that did not happen because Joseph had drive to succeed, that did not happen because Joseph had first for power and he did everything possible in order to achieve what his mind conceived. We have a lot of politicians are doing that this did not happen because Joseph set his sights on achieving and accomplishing worldly success and being on the pump of his world not know none of that. The Bible said that the secret of his success is that God was with him. Why was God was Joseph because Joseph was with God in fact Joseph did not know that he was placed on the first run of the ladder of success. He didn't really know success was not something that he sought after only dreamed about, and he wanted to accomplish. It is not something that he was striving for. It was not something that he was taught to step on the whomever comes on is in his way. In order to climb up the ladder. No. In fact, had you asked Joseph whether he was in the pit where he was in the dungeons in the prison of Pharaoh and you say Joseph I use successful, he would've sent to you. I think what family is all about success. God's way does not always look like success. It does not look toxics, especially to the world outside.

But Joseph secret to success is a very secret for your success will be the very secret for anyone success God's way. That is, if you want to succeed God's way and that is very simple. That secret is really simple and it is simply this, discovering the will of God in your life and obeying discovering the will of God for your life and obey. Can we say that together discovering the will of God for your life and obey. That is the secret of his success.

I want to give you an illustration from real life. Although Chambers was an absolutely gifted artist and by the age of 18 he was offered several opportunities to go into Europe into the continent and study under some of the great masters of Europe Army not one opportunity, but several came his way. He turned them all down anything you think about this same unfortunate, yeah the animal down, but that's real success. I understand, but to him, success was discovering the will of God and doing what obey, so he chose instead to enroll in a very little-known Bible college in London. Eventually to become a teacher, but that's not all he chose to go to Cairo Egypt to minister to the soldier British soldiers who were stationed. I mean, that was not the hottest place in the world of that time in the first part of the 20th century was in Paris or New York or London. One of the big cities of Europe. That's where the happening. Things were Cairo at that time.

First, by the 20 century.

Who would want to do that. Not only that, he died in his 40s, is this is what the world would call failure vision of the world with call stupidity. Although he has been dead for many years. His legacy continues to bless millions of people around the world that forgot call success. That is success. God's way, but a very young age. God revealed his will to Joseph. It was a very clear it was hazy but he showed it to him in the form of a dream to fulfill the will of God in his life he faced deadly obstacles and let me tell you something if you want to succeed God's way, you will face deadly obstacles. Make no mistake about. There are three in number first. It was the deadly enemy of discouragement is obstacles along the way of success God's way, will threaten to derail you every time the second enemy was detour and distraction from succeeding God's way and the third enemy was doubt. Doubt is the best dream crusher that I know now is the biggest enemy to succeeding God's way and young Joseph face all those three deadly enemies, but I want to tell you at the outset. If you are facing all the three enemies in school, at work in your life in general. Remember that these three enemies will strike hard when you are the closest to achieving success God's way that will really become relentless. Remember again the difference of success God's way. It is discovering the will of God for your life and what obeying Jesus the divine son of God who laid his glory down and came born of a virgin, lived as the poorest of the poor hung on the cross in the world… Crossan said what the failure and God said no success.

Because throughout his earthly life. Jesus said about my father's business. I must obey the father. I must fulfill the father's vision for my life. Satan came and tried to derail limp and try to give them shortcuts and he said no. I must obey the will of the father in my life we share with you an antidote to fight all of these enemies, but before I explain each one of them examined and get to each one of those three effective something that I really wish somebody talk me when I was younger in my walk with the Lord. In fact, if you read my book, empowered by price zero no that I wrote the book out of experience of God taught me to praise him in the tough times of life and you go to fighting all these three enemies overcoming and being victorious is to be appraised for personnel, not about singing necessarily thinking is part of it. But I'm talking about a life of praise I live that's constantly praising the Lord, and learning how to praise the Lord. Beloved, listen to me this is not a gimmick. This is not a cheap formula for success but because praise actually sharpens your soul. Praise transform your mind. Praise ignite your heart. Praise will help you keep God's dream alive even when the deadly enemies are out to get you. Now let's look at those three deadly enemies to success God's way. First one is discouragement. Did you know that discouragement is really one of Satan's most valuable tool in his toolbox event is a fable that I read many many years ago I remember exact details about Satan was auctioning his tools from his toolbox when the cancer discouragement is allowed never sell that for all the money in the world because various is most valuable to that's what keeps them in business. This is his powerful tool and he uses it with impunity against the children's of the living God.

Remember, Joseph was given a dream he didn't understand everything about it but he knew that God has a plan for his life that God is guiding the steps that God is with him. God chose to reveal his will to Joseph and the will of God was to preserve a remnant from certain inhalation because hardly news plan through the loins of some of them will be the seed of the birth of the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ. That was God's vision in his dream for his life feeling understand it all up at that time, but meanwhile nothing was going right. Nothing. Nothing was going the way it should go nothing indicated that Joseph was even close to achieving God's will and God's vision is like nothing.

His brothers were filled with envy and hatred and malice, they took him and they threw him in a pit at the age of 17 that was not enough, they took his coat of many, they killed an animal they dip that code in the blood, and they took that code and allied to the father and they said your son is dead and his father lived for many years in total sorrow and broken heart, thinking his son is dead and devoured by wild animals. But that was not enough for them. They actually sold them to Arab traders in the caravan were crossing that part of the world and these government traders would pick Joseph and put them on the auction block in Cairo Square to sell him as a slave. Tickets purchased by the head of Secret Service for Pharaoh's palace.

Let me tell you about this guy part of everything that got a guide, if you look in the wrong way. He would drop your head off and Joseph ends up being a slave in his house, walk out of the successes that nothing was going right.

Have you been there and if you haven't, you will be when you face the thought of discouragement.

When you find yourself or Joseph was at this point in his life. Remember what I'm telling you from this guy who has been there many times. The first thing you want to do when you're discouraged you really got it.

You know what it is. Give up give up Job fear, discouragement came upon him a lot just discouragement caused him to think of death is better than life. The older brother in the particle story allow discouragement to turn them into a bitter and angry and resentful man. Moses fumed and fussed about his discouragement. Jonah wanted to flee out of discouragement. But Joseph faced his discouragement by being more faithful to the Lord. He said I trust in the Lord. I trust in the sovereign God I trust them not only that he works behind the scenes, but he moves all of the scenes that he works behind clean the floor. Joseph yes sir I have a dream, the bedpan's Joseph Esser 500 wash the sheets. Joseph yes ma'am see the flop shows that with pleasure as if you're discouraged, of course, but God gave me a dream Joseph I resentful toward your brothers, what good would that do students I wanted to remember this when the teacher and the professor marks your face, remember this, remember this when a fellow student presents you because of your righteousness.

Remember this. Remember this when the programs are designed to actually cause you to fall. Remember this.

Remember when the pressure makes it so unbearable for you that keeps on tempting you in order to compromise and fall.

Remember remember Joseph, Genesis 39 through the Lord was with him gave him success in everything he did. Verse five God even blessed Egyptian house because of Joseph, and I want to be honest with you I thought about this. If I were Joseph, so don't bless him think it was because of me displays me. Discouragement can either cause you to quit or become a gateway to succeeding God's way and then second enemy of success. God's way is detours and distractions and Joseph life when things really began to just get on an even keel. Having maybe rougher a long time and just now. He got promoted and become the chief slave trade calling the shots were just things getting a little better having overcome the enemy of discouragement. Here comes Mrs. Potiphar in this folks was a biggie I'm in this is big this is big Mrs. Potiphar began to seduce Joseph. Not once but twice a day after day after day. In other words, she was nagging him imitate something pornography illicit sex, alcohol, drugs, any chemical substance. Everything you can think off all these things that are designed to derail you all these things are designed to give you a detour from succeeding God's way of going to dog you.

I don't about evil days someone was telling me the other day that her 13-year-old daughter was doing up project a school project on the Internet and pop comes on the pornographic site. These are evil days with Genesis 39, eight. The Bible said Joseph refused underline that in your Bible, please just underline it because if you read through the Bible quickly and so well you know is not nice.

He refused on going on the step. This is a big deal.

It sounds simple, but I just refuse now this is powerful. In this context, Joseph understood that a fire that involves the house doesn't just happen sexually and morally. Things don't just happen there is first a slow leak and then a slow leak when you get used to the smell of the leak. Somebody comes from the outside as it was that smell, you got some gas known and another that's okay don't worry about it on. Think of it, everything is fine. You got used to the smell happen suddenly when you strike a match to light the stove and the house goes up in flames and then you find yourself weeping bitter tears. That's how sexual temptation works worker diversion a detour from success God's way. In fact if you look at these Mrs. Potiphar or David or Samson or if you look at the examples of the Bible for those who did not stop the leak when it's will slow.

There are four steps every time. Works like a charm. You know, I'm convinced Satan is not a very smart fella. He really not very smart.

He just keep repeating the same strategy she really yes four steps leave Mrs. Potiphar four steps. First, she cast lustful.

I verse seven of Genesis 39 second she nagged him on every side.

Verse 10/3 she took know what evening she looked she lusted she took and that she hated us a four step she took verse 12. Then she hid covering up her sin by false accusation verse 40 when Joseph ran away with his coat in Harahan that was the second time he lost his coat.

Did you know that, but he kept his integrity. It's okay to lose your coat deep integrity. These are the four steps that ruined Eve in the garden and cause her and Adam to be thrown out of paradise, amused paradise that was the same four steps that ruined David's life and caused him to ruin his sterling leadership. Beloved, listen to me whether you're single or married, listen to me when it comes to sexual temptation. There is only one way to deal with it is only one way to deal with it and that is put on your running shoes and one and one. No, don't fight it, don't negotiate with it, don't experiment whether just one when Joseph faced the enemy of discouragement. He trusted God when he faced the enemy over detour. He ran for the enemy for success. God's way is dealt dealt if you look at the same chapter 39 Genesis 39. Look at verses 19 all the way to 23. Now Joseph being falsely accused to get thrown into Pharaoh's dungeon. This is not just a prisonlike nice prisons have visited dungeon is a miserable place. You know I read the Bible every year and every time I come to that part, I became absolutely convinced can prove it to you can give you chapter and verse.

Just my personal opinion I'm convinced that Mr. Potiphar did not believe his wife finishes light. He watched Joseph day in and day out here. That's beneath him to do this but he ends up in prison. False accusation will not false accusation is going to go home but not for dinner says got to do somebody puts a man in prison. I want to tell your dad set being tempted to doubt is not a sin. Being tempted to doubt is not a sin.

Staying in doubt is going to lead you to sin, continuing in doubt will lead you to sin, you can be sure that Joseph had some doubts and it comes out in his words, and in prison more things is the reward of my faithful as that's okay that is not going to fall off his throne. When you ask a question like that.

It's all right, Laura girl is this how you get paid for my purity Lord. Is this a consequence of my righteousness, Lord, how you can fulfill your vision and your plan for my life when I'm in this stinking dungeon of Pharaoh question how the Joseph faces the powerful enemy of success. God's way to become more faithful in the prison if that's possible. The Lord was with Joseph and he gave him success.

Even in the dungeon.

Even Pharaoh's prison. First Satan attack Joseph's body Joseph one. Now he attacks his mind hereto. Ultimately he won, but be very careful. Be very careful when Satan attacks your mind without the very, very careful. You know why because it is a secret known only to you and God. Of course, it takes place between you two years, then the selling of what else will know about it.

Be very careful because doubt happens in secret. But if you allow doubt to succeed you will end up living a double life, I've heard enough testimonies, particularly people when they testify about the life in college later on and they talk about these days in college and they testify to the fact that they lived a double life, they may go to campus ministries and I may go to church and then I go here and there may go there but privately they live a different life. There are different person to put on the Christian faith. When they got to the Christian meetings but privately they are somebody else what happened what happened to then have allowed doubt to defeat them that allow doubt to succeed secretly, inwardly, they have allowed doubt to flourish inside of them that allow doubt to grow inside of every one of the great men of God who tempted with that lead Bible men went don't tempted with that is outsold experiencing the temptation for doubt is not a sin. It is sitting in nursing doubt that is going to get into trouble. Living with doubt will damage not only your spirit is going to damage your psyche.

Listen to Joshua secret of success. God's way and defeating doubt in chapter 1 verse eight is what Joshua said do not let this book of the law depart from your shelf. Do not let that book of the law depart from your credenza. Do not let this book of the law depart from your library from your mouth. Mark told about price being appraising person meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it that you will be prosperous and successful at success. God's way is not prosperity theology at success. God's way.

Spurgeon used to say a Bible that is falling apart belongs to a person whose life is not falling apart. Moody used to say. Sin will keep you from this book, but this book will keep you from sin succeed God's way. God wants you to succeed you want to be with you and therefore you be successful his way discouragement down detour in doubt, it will come to all of but saturating your mind and your heart with the word of God is going to give you victory every time every time