'Six Steps To Serving God Successfully' - Sermon Outlines. Org



"Six Steps To Serving God Successfully"

Joshua 1:2-9; text verse: verse 8

INTRO: Someone has said, "The road to success is always under construction" (Albert M. Wells, Jr. Inspiring Quotations-Contemporary & Classical. p. 192). All of us want to be a success at the things we pursue in this life. But when all is said and done what is most important is what we do for the glory of God! God desires our best. Many times our best falls short of our goals and expectations, but if we give it our best then we have not failed!

In 1972, Cathy Rigby was determined to win a gold medal at the Olympic games in Munich. She had trained very hard for many years and did not want to disappoint herself or the United States Gymnastics team. As she began her grueling regiment of performing under Olympic pressure, she prayed for the strength and control to get through her routines without making mistakes. She performed well but did not win. Cathy was crushed by the defeat. When she later joined her parents in the stands, she burst into tears and said, "I'm sorry, I did my best." Her mother gave her these wise words of consolation, "You know that, and I know that, and I'm sure God knows that too. DOING YOUR BEST IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN BEING THE BEST." Doing our best for the Master is all that Jesus has asked. We won't always be the best, but we can always try to do our best." (Raymond McHenry. The Best of In Other Words. pp. 246-247).

A. Moses had died and Joshua stood in a very similar position as each of us face.

B. He stood anxiously gazing across the muddy Jordan River wondering what the next few days, weeks, or months would hold for him and the people of God.

C. He was not able to see into the future but was only to:

1. Wonder about it...

2. Dream about it...

3. Worry about it...

4. Be fearful about it...

5. Or to draw back from it...

D. But as he was pondering his situation, God spoke to Him (v1) and gave him SIX STEPS TO SUCCESS! Let us look at these tonight.

(1) DEVELOP AND PRACTICE A POSITIVE ATTITUDE TOWARD LIFE

JOSHUA 1:2-9—“Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go

over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do

give to them, even to the children of Israel. Every place that the sole

of your foot shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said

unto Moses. From the wilderness and this Lebanon even unto the

great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto

the great sea toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast.

There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of

thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I will not fail

thee, nor forsake thee. Be strong and of a good courage: for unto

this people shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I

swore unto their fathers to give them. Only be thou strong and very

courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law,

which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the

right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever

thou goest. This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth;

but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest

observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou

shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good

success. Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good

courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy

God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.”

PHILIPPIANS 3:13-14—“Brethren, I count not myself to have

apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which

are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I

press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in

Christ Jesus.”

A. Our ATTITUDE Determines Our ALTITUDE! Folks, our ATTITUDE will determine how great we can become for the Lord! “Life is a grindstone. But whether it grinds us down or polishes us up depends on us "-L. Thomas Holdcraft (Albert M. Wells, Jr. Inspiring Quotations-Contemporary & Classical. p. 12). Did you know that many of God’s people are pessimists? "A pessimist is one who feels bad when he feels good for fear he'll feel worse when he feels better."- Unknown - _Instant Quotation Dictionary_, p. 228. Another said, “A pessimist expects nothing on a silver platter except tarnish.” Joshua had a positive attitude and it was nothing new to him. He had had this kind of attitude for a long time. Joshua and Caleb were two of the twelve spies Moses sent out to search the land listen what they tell the people in Numbers 14:8-9—“If the LORD delight in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it us; a land which floweth with milk and honey. Only rebel not ye against the LORD, neither fear ye the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their defense is departed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not.” Friends, with the Lord on our side, we should never see impossible situations but incredible opportunities!

B. Our ALLEGIANCE TO THE PAST Will Determine Our ADVANCEMENT IN THE FUTURE. Many of God's People are so shackled by the past that it keeps them from considering the future and stops them from doing anything in the present. We must rely on the sufficiency we have in Christ to be successful in His work in the present! (Philippians 4:13). Whether it is good or bad, the past is out of our reach, it cannot be changed! If there is a sin in your past you can confess it (1 John 1:9). Many of God's children wallow in failure because of some past unconfessed sin! If you have unconfessed past sins then you must claim the promises of cleansing. God has forgotten it, you need to forget it also and let go of the guilt, so you can serve God!

(2) RECOGNIZE AND APPRECIATE THE SPECIAL PRESENCE OF GOD’S

HOLY SPIRIT IN YOUR LIFE

JOSHUA 1:5—“There shall not any man be able to stand before thee

all the days of thy life: as I was with Moses, so I will be with thee: I

will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”

1 Corinthians 6:17, 19-20—“But he that is joined unto the Lord is

one spirit. What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the

Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not

your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in

your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.”

A. HIS PRESENCE GIVES US ASSURANCE. Thank God when God saved us He didn't leave us helpless! He gave us a helper (John 14:16-18). One who has been born again has God's Spirit in his life, which gives him the Spiritual power and possibility of overcoming the devil (1 John 4:4). God told Joshua, “There shall not any man be able to stand before thee all the days of thy life.” What a great promise that is! But friends, that promise is true for us also. As long as we are in the center of His will; He will protect us and provide for us as we go about His business!

B. HIS PRESENCE GIVES US ABILITY. With God's special presence one can claim the victory through the power of God (Ephesians 6:10-12)! A man was getting ready to get on an airplane for the first time. He was being consoled by his friends who saw his fear of flying. "Didn't you know that Jesus said, "I will be with you to the end of the world?" "Yes," he responded, "but He also said, 'LOW, I will be with you. . . ' not HIGH!" Many of God’s people are like that. They panic during the “high” times of life: high fear, high frustrations, high uncertainty even though the Lord has promised, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee…” (Hebrews 13:5b).

(3) FIND STRENGTH AND DEVELOP COURAGE BY CLAIMING GOD’S

PROMISES

JOSHUA 1:6—“Be strong and of a good courage: for unto this people

shalt thou divide for an inheritance the land, which I swore unto

their fathers to give them.”

A. HIS FAITHFULNESS GIVES US COURAGE. Life brings many fearful moments yet God promises stand as monuments of courage and fortresses of strength to those who will flee to God for strength and safety! If there are two words that should be said in the same breath and said regularly to ventilate our hope, that should be flamed together, branded as a signature of our faith, they are the words "faith" and "courage." It takes courage to believe, and in order to have that courage, we must believe. -- Fay Angus in Running Around in Spiritual Circles. Christianity Today, Vol. 36, no. 5.

B. HIS FAITHFULNESS GIVES US CONVICTION. The word “conviction” simply means “a firm belief.” The psalmist David expresses the availability of God for strength and safety this way: “He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler” (Psalm 91:1-4)! Psalm 46:1-3 assures us—“ God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.” We have strength and courage to follow and do the will of God because we believe “faithful is he that promised,” and “that he promised, he will perform.” FOLKS, it is our faith that moves us to serve God (1 John 5:4-5).

(4) FOLLOW WITHOUT TURNING THE TEACHINGS OF THE WORD OF GOD

JOSHUA 1:7—“ Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou

mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my

servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the

left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.”

2 TIMOTHY 3:16-17—“ All Scripture is given by inspiration of God,

and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for

instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect,

thoroughly furnished unto all good works.”

A. THE WORD OF GOD GIVES THE ONLY WAY OF SUCCESS. Too many are the teachings of the WORD OF GOD to be mentioned in this message, but in general one must follow God's WORD to have success in life! "No man is uneducated who knows the BIBLE and no one is wise who is ignorant of its teachings." --Samuel Chadwick (Albert M. Wells, Jr. Inspiring Quotations-Contemporary & Classical. p. 14).

B. THE WORD OF GOD IS THE ONLY WISDOM FOR SERVICE. The WORD OF GOD-Infallible, Inerrant, Inspired-is man’s only guide to success! (2 Peter 1:21; Psalm 119:11, 105, 160).

ILLUS: Paul explicitly states that the sword of the Spirit is

Scripture, the word of God. The Scottish pastor and writer

Thomas Guthrie said, "The Bible is an armory of heavenly

weapons, a laboratory of infallible, medicines, a mine of

exhaustless wealth. It is a guidebook for every road, a chart

for every sea, a medicine for every malady, and a balm for

every wound. Rob us of our Bible and our sky has lost its

sun." (Bible Illustrator For Windows. Version 3.0f. Copyright

1990-1998, by Parsons Technology, Inc. All Rights

Reserved).

(5) CAUSE YOUR MIND TO MEDITATE ON HOLY AND WHOLESOME

THOUGHTS

JOSHUA 1:8—“ This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth;

but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest

observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou

shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good

success.”

PHILIPPIANS 4:8—“Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true,

whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just,

whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely,

whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if

there be any praise, think on these things.”

A. OUR MINDS MUST BE GUARDED. Daily our minds are bombarded

with images and ideas of this evil world. The human mind is a

seedbed for things that corrupt (Genesis 6:5). Proverbs 23:7 says of

man, "As he thinketh in his heart so is he." Folks, it is SO IMPORTANT

that we guard what enters our minds! God told Joshua, “This book of

the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate

therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all

that is written therein…”. What was God instructing Joshua to do?

He wanted him to keep focused on God’s Word and commandments

not on his inabilities nor his doubts. Satan will bombard our minds

with all manner of doubts, deceits, and lies to keep us from following

God’s will for our lives!

B. OUR MINDS MUST BE GUIDED. All the actions of man are controlled

by the mind. Woodrow Wilson said, “He that will not command his

thoughts will soon lose command of his actions." (Albert M. Wells, Jr.

Inspiring Quotations-Contemporary & Classical. p. 133). We cannot

measure spiritual force by rules of philosophy or definitions of theology

any more than by a carpenter's rule or chemist's scales. It is "with the

heart man believeth unto righteousness." And yet, the character of a

man's thoughts has much to do with success or failure in the spiritual

life. He is influenced by what he thinks. -- T. Henry Howard in Fuel

for Sacred Flame. Christianity Today, Vol. 36, no. 10. Folks, our

minds MUST BE GUIDED by the WORD OF GOD if we expect to

succeed in the task God has given us to do! Paul in Philippians 4:8

gives us a list of things to think upon. These things “Let them be the

object of your careful attention and study, so as to practice them.

Think what they are; think on the obligation to observe them; think on

the influence which they would have on the world around you.” (Albert

Barnes’ Notes On The Bible. e-Sword. Version 7.6.1. Copyright 2000-

2005. Rick Meyers. All Rights Reserved Worldwide).

(6) DON’T ALLOW YOURSELF TO BE DISCOURAGED

JOSHUA 1:9—“ Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good

courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy

God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.”

2 CORINTHIANS 4:8-10—“ We are troubled on every side, yet not

distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not

forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed; Always bearing about in the

body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life also of Jesus might be

made manifest in our body.”

A. DISCOURAGEMENT IS ONE OF THE POWERFUL TOOLS OF SATAN

TO STOP THE WORK OF GOD (Joshua 7:7-10).

ILLUS: During the Boer War (1899-1902), a man was convicted of a

very unusual crime. He was found guilty of being a

"discourager." The South African town of Ladysmith was

under attack, and this traitor would move up and down the

lines of soldiers who were defending the city and do

everything he could to discourage them. He would point out

the enemy's strength, the difficulty of defending against them,

and the inevitable capture of the city. He didn't use a gun in

his attack. It wasn't necessary. His weapon was the power of

discouragement.

Encouragement, on the other hand, can be a powerful friend.

It strengthens the weak, imparts courage to the fainthearted,

and gives hope to the faltering. One of the greatest ministries

we can have is to lift the spirits of fellow believers. –

Encyclopedia of 7700 Illustrations (Bible Illustrator For

Windows. Version 3.0f. Copyright 1990-1998, by Parsons

Technology, Inc. All Rights Reserved).

B. DISCOURAGEMENT IS BEST DISPELLED BY A STRONG FAITH (1

John 5:4-5). God told Joshua, “for the LORD thy God is with thee

whithersoever thou goest.” What an ENCOURAGEMENT that is!

Someone has said, “You can usually determine the caliber of a man by

ascertaining the amount of opposition it takes to discourage him.” The

weaker our faith the easier we are discouraged but the strong our faith

the more we overcome discouragement.

CLOSING: Joshua had a great task before him. He could have easily gained a negative attitude, lost faith, and became discouraged; but he trusted God and God greatly used him! He was a success! Do you want to be a success in God's work? Then you must: Maintain a positive Attitude, rely on the presence of the Holy Spirit, Strengthen yourself in God's promises, Follow God's Word without question, Meditate on Holy things, and Don't become discouraged!

If you will do that, even if you’re not the best, but have done your

best, then you will be a success!

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