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SUCCESS Re-Defined

AM I SUCCESSFUL??

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BICF

23rd February 2025

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What it Takes ---

Prof CV Service --> 2% Succeed!

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To Ponder On ---

  • Who is a successful person? Names?
  • Who is the most successful person in the Bible?
  • Greatest of Israelite kings - David & Solomon - successful??
  • Who was a successful prophet - Isaiah? Jeremiah?
  • Are YOU successful? IF so, by which definition??
  • Definition of SUCCESS
    • The accomplishment of an aim or purpose
    • The attainment of fame, wealth or social status
  • DOES GOD WANT YOU TO BE SUCCESSFUL???

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SCRIPTURE Related to ---

SUCCESS

  • Psalm 20:4
  • Gen 39:23
  • 1 Sam 18:14
  • 1 Chron 12:18 / 22:13
  • 2 Chron 20:20 / 26:5
  • Josh 1:7,8
  • 2 Kings 18:7

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SUFFERING

  • Job 36 / Isaiah 53 / Psalm 22
  • Mark 8:31
  • Luke 24:26 / 24:46
  • Acts 5:41
  • Rom 5:3 / 8:17,18
  • 1 Cor 12:26 / 2 Cor 1:5,6
  • Phil 1:29 / 3:10
  • 2 Tim 1:8 / 2:3
  • Heb 2:9,10,18 / 9:26 / 10:34 / 13:3
  • 1 Pet 2:21 / 3:17,18 / 4:1, 13 / 5:9

NEW TESTAMENT REF = ZERO!

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OT (NT Concealed) vs NT (OT revealed)

OLD TESTAMENT

  • Superficial (seen on the outside)
  • Matters of the body
  • Focus on the physical blessings
  • Success
  • God dwelling externally
  • God’s character revealed
  • God spoke in various ways

NEW TESTAMENT

  • Deep (change needed within)
  • Matters of the heart
  • Focus on the spiritual blessings
  • Suffering!
  • God dwelling internally (Spirit)
  • God’s character imputed in us!
  • God speaks through His SON

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Surrogates for SUCCESS (Brian Tracy)

  • Purpose / Goal
    • DESIRE - How much do you really want it??
  • Plan / Process
    • Knowledge & Skills
    • People to come alongside
  • Perseverance / Ploughing through obstacles
    • Eyes always on the goal
    • Never give up

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1 Peter 1 - A Recipe for Success

  • Purpose or Goal
    • The SALVATION OF YOUR SOULS (v9)
    • (Becoming like JESUS - 2 Cor 3:18 / Eph 3:19 & 4:13 / 1 Jn 3:2)
  • Process
    • Knowledge of New Birth, Living Hope, Genuine Faith, God’s grace
    • Skills of preparing mind for action, self-control, holiness (obedience & transcending natural evil desires), Deep Love
  • Persistence
    • Living Hope of resurrection & indestructible inheritance
    • Genuine Faith that accesses God’s shielding power

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The KEY ADDITIONAL Ingredient to Success

  • Our IDENTITY in Christ - Elected & chosen (Baptism of REPENTANCE) :
    • to BELONG to Him (1 Cor 6:19,20) - His family, His Kingdom
    • to BE SAINTS (Rom 1:6,7) - Priests (Rev 1:6)

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  • Our OBLIGATION in Christ - (Baptism by the HOLY SPIRIT)
    • Obedience to Him (v2) that comes through faith (Rom 1:6)
    • Subject to continuous sanctification (v2)
    • Sprinkling by His blood - made holy, to honour Him with our bodies (1 Cor 6)
    • Saved to serve (Rev 1;5,6 / Eph 2:10 / Matt 5:16)

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Practical Successful Living (vs 3-9, 22 & 23)

  • New birth through the Word, repentance & reliance on the Spirit
  • Shielded by God’s power as we exhibit faithful obedience to Him
  • Inevitably ‘suffer grief in all kinds of trials’
  • Faith to be proved genuine - far more valuable than our possessions!
  • Exhibiting love for (unseen) God & believers gives us an inexpressible joy!

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  • Focus on our Living Hope - resurrection is sure!
  • An indestructible inheritance reserved for us in heaven
  • The joyful completion of our salvation to look forward to with certainty!
  • Will result in us receiving praise, glory & honour when Christ comes again!
  • One day we shall BEHOLD Him! - His unadulterated Presence (1 Jn 3:2)

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Being HEAVENLY Minded & of EARTHLY Use

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A ‘Successful’ Christian (Suggestions) ---

“Success” is

    • living with PURPOSE, PLAN & PERSEVERANCE under our IDENTITY & OBLIGATIONS
    • one step, one situation, one relationship at a time
  • Discerning the WILL OF GOD (on the basis of His Word) and doing it, obediently & faithfully
  • Based on PROCESS - NOT the results nor the cost (John the Baptist)
  • Being GODLY - submissive to the Spirit, counter-intuitive living (Jewish sabbaths, Psalm 119)
  • Growing in maturity & persevering
  • Applying Old Testament PRINCIPLES to New Testament DEFINITIONS
  • Focus on CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT more than ‘victory’ over CIRCUMSTANCES - 2 Peter 1:1-11

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Pinnacle of our ‘Success’ as Believers

  • When we ‘arrive’
  • Safely HOME
  • In the very PRESENCE of Almighty God, our Creator
  • Basking in His glory
  • Recognized & Rewarded for every act done in His Name

(1 Jn 3:2 / Rev 21:3-5 / Mk 10:17-30)

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Value of the Old Testament

  • Full meaning of the Old Testament found in the New Testament
  • Not advisable to derive application from OT incidences without referencing the NT
  • They are EXAMPLES for us - 1 Cor 10:6-11
  • OT reveals the character & heart of God through direct interaction

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