If fame, fortune, or prestige are your endgame in this life, then you have your priorities messed up. Before we embark upon achievement, we should check out firstly how God defines success, at least from His perspective. Everyone wants success but are they willing to do what God wants to achieve success? In this, the first of a three-part series, Carl embarks upon a thorough outline of the seven traits every successful Christian must master. One of the foundational aspects of success is knowing your identity in Christ. Any identity issues must be resolved before true success can materialize in God’s timing. Join Carl now…
Here is a complete transcript of the broadcast (below)…
Welcome, friend. We are now commencing a new series on God’s perspective of success. Success from His perspective. It’ll be about three parts. And this is me speaking live in our new lower room. We have a new place. Fluffy cushions, fluffy couches, coffee. It’s all good. It’s all good, amen? Come see us. Come visit us. But you know, friend, most people want success, don’t they? But they don’t really think of it as success from His perspective, the Father. We shouldn’t be gunning for something and find out at the end of this life we were gunning for the wrong thing. We want to be precise in what we’re targeting. And the fulfillment we feel is going to be tied to His plan, not our own. Amen? So join me now live in session. Tonight, we’re going to talk about success from God’s perspective.
A lot of people want success in life. Someone said coincidence is God’s way of remaining anonymous. I like that. That was actually Albert Einstein who said that. You know, sometimes we have these coincidences. Totally off topic, but I love the quote. So success, what is it? It’s hard to define sometimes, okay? We want fame and fortune or prestige in this world. Some people do. That’s some people’s end game. But in Matthew 16:26, Jesus said, “whoever gains the world is going to lose his soul.” And there’s an exchange that takes place. If you lose your soul, you have the opportunity to gain the world.
Alright? But the world is going to pass away, amen? We don’t want to gain the world if it’s going to burn up one day, right? Second Peter says the elements will burn up, right? If you read that verse. There’s going to come a point when God is going to recreate the world as we know it for the millennial reign of Christ and we will rule and reign with him. Amen. Sounds like Star Wars. Sounds fantastical. Oh, that just sounds crazy, Pastor. Do you really believe that? Yes, friend. You wouldn’t even know or realize when you get to heaven the things that you’ve done on the earth. They may be small. Jesus said if you give a cup of water to a stranger, you will be rewarded, right? That means that someone’s building up some tabs here, amen? Tonight, Cheryl made the coffee. There’s a reward for that. It was precisely 100.7 degrees Fahrenheit and we got the density correct and so we’re excited about Cheryl’s new calling and so is she.
So, and as a pastor does, he put together seven things we need to be mindful of in order to achieve success in God’s eyes. Amen. Yes, I managed to come up with seven, the glorious perfect number of God and our goal is to seek God’s glorification, not ourselves. It’s the humility aspect. It’s always walking in that humble spirit, being mindful of others. That is success in God’s eyes, all right? And we’re going to cover many different topics. If you had a checklist, these would be the seven. Number one, know who you are in Christ, all right? We always have to get that rooted and grounded inside of us. I keep saying it every week. Don’t go to step two until you’ve passed step one. You’ve got to know who you are in Christ, the things that Jesus won, all right? Then we’re going to move in our designated power and authority because if we don’t move in the power and authority that Christ gave us, it’s effective to no authority at all. Jesus took a big risk on us, okay? So if we don’t use what he’s already bestowed to us, we’re kind of making the body of Christ redundant.
Number three, those who are successful are going to understand that consistent meditation on God’s Word is going to make you put God first in your decision-making. Very important for the bigger decisions in life is that we put the Lord first, right? We have to have context to that. There’s many decisions we can make ourselves, of course. But when it comes to life-changing events, we really need to seek God’s will on that, all right? Because we don’t want to hop into bed with Ishmael or whatever and get into some serious trouble or Hagar or whatever else that analogy was, but we want to seek his will. And then we do not want to compare ourselves to other people. That’s also important.
Some people have more talents and gifts than others, and then we start getting resentful. You know, God, why don’t I have all these gifts and talents like this other person, okay? You’re going to give an account to the Lord for what you have, and you’re going to be measured to your potential. That’s the key. You’re going to be measured to the potential that he gave you. That’s the only judgment you’re going to have. Number five, they put God before things, before substance. Very important that we’re minded towards what he desires rather than the stuff, gaining prestige, riches, whatever it is. Number six, they know the power of their words. Words are important to us. If we’re spirit-filled and we can curse fig trees or we can curse cancer or anything else that Jesus gave examples of, then we in the same way have authority and power over circumstances and obstacles in our life. And that’s very important. Very few people actually believe that in the body of Christ.
They think that’s New Age, in fact. We’re going to cover some scriptures on that. And number seven, finally, are quick to forgive. We have to be quick to forgive. That’s a given, all right? Because, again, the famous 70 times 7 verse when Jesus said to Peter, you know, you need to forgive how many times? 70 times 7. That means that God’s going to forgive you just as much as he wants you to forgive others, right? So our God is a forgiving God. So there’s some definitions here of success. I picked them up randomly, but I like this one by Martin Manser. He said, the achieving of objectives or personal fulfillment. For believers, success depends on faithfulness to God. Success can lead to dependence on one’s own strength instead of upon God. So we can rely on the arm of the flesh. We don’t want to be that person, okay? Now, Winston Churchill said success is going from failure to failure without a loss of enthusiasm.
I like that. And that guy was responsible along with the Allies in winning the Second World War, of course. But there was a dark period for Britain for about two years almost where we were fighting the Third Reich independently and by ourselves, and we really had to dig in and believe that we could do this thing. There’s dark days in our lives, but we have to dig in and say, Lord, regardless of what’s going on, we still believe you’re going to come through for us. Amen? Yes, yes. So this is another one. To be able to carry money without spending it, to be able to bear an injustice without retaliating, to be able to keep on the job until it’s finished, to be able to do one’s duty even when no one is watching you, to be able to accept criticism without letting it whip you. Ooh, it’s a tough one at the end. Amen? But God says, loving me, loving others, serving me in your daily choices and experiencing personal fulfillment as you seek my will for your life.
God didn’t say that. The pastor said it, but he put God on the end because that’s God’s perspective, right? He wants us rather to love him, and then we love other people, and then we’re serving him in daily choices, and then we’re going to have personal fulfillment because success, friend, is really personal fulfillment. All those people out there who are gunning for fame, fortune, and prestige, they want to be fulfilled, but you can have those things and still not be fulfilled on the inside, right? How much is enough? How much money is enough? For some people, it’s $100,000. For some, it’s $1 million. For some, it’s $5 million. Whatever. Pick your number. How much is enough? I remember a movie that Brad Pitt was in, and he said a profound statement. It doesn’t happen very often, but it was Troy. That’s right. He’s in the tent, and he said, What do you want? He said, I want what every other man wants. He’s like, What’s that? Just a little bit more. That’s what I want. And that’s profound because that’s true. Are we ever satisfied with what we get? As soon as we get it, we’re like, I just want that little bit more. That’s cool with you. Amen? Oh, I’m just the only guy saying this, right? No one else has felt that out there. So, we go back to knowing our identity.
When we get saved, we commence a transformation within our soul to be conformed to Christ’s image. The word sanctification is mentioned five times in the New Testament. It’s our character being transformed into Christ’s, and it’s a gradual process within our soul over time. Whenever you’re saved, you’re born again instantaneously. Your spirit man goes from death into life. You then begin the sanctification process. And so, that’s a soul thing. That’s not a spirit thing, right? That’s a mind, will, and emotions choice to walk in God’s character. But he’s helping us to do it, right? Because he’s living on the inside of us, and he’s giving us an instruction manual.
So, we can do it. Now, if we don’t have an identity of Christ inside of us, we then identify ourselves with our wounds and our past experience and then our shortcomings. This is who I am based on what has happened to me. Therefore, I am X, Y, and Z. Whenever you’re born again, you’re a new creature. So, instead of looking at the old roadmap, you need to start declaring the truth over your situation and life, right? We’re going to do that right now. Repeat after me. I am more than a conqueror through Christ Jesus. I am seated in heavenly places right now. Say it like you mean it. Greater is he that is in me than he that is in this world. My God shall supply some of my needs. Very good. That was so tricky. The love of God is shed abroad in my heart. I always promise to laugh at pastor’s jokes. Thank you. Thank you very much for your sincerity. Success is moving in God’s designated power and authority. Luke 10:19, “Behold, I give unto you power and authority over all the power of the enemy.” Who’s my enemy? My neighbor? No.
It’s the spiritual forces. That is your enemy. The machinations of evil working against you. Okay? We do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the spirit realm. That is where the opposition comes from. All right? Now, I’m not saying that every single flat tire is a demon and every time the coffee machine doesn’t work, we got to cast out the spirit of whatever. Okay? I’m not saying that either. But some people have obstacles in their life that they need to speak to. Okay? We cannot be passive. If you’re passive, you’re going to lose the battle. All right? Now, again, there’s a fine line here. We need to be humble, but we also need to be aggressive in the spirit realm.
It’s like a balance. Jesus did not back down from confrontation. When the Pharisees raised up their religious spirit, he confronted them. Right? And it’s the same in our lives. If we encounter opposition in our body that’s physical or some resistance even in our finances or whatever it is, we need to speak to it. Amen? The dunamis power of Acts 1:8 was given to us. The power of God defined is miraculous ability working within a believer to see the power of God released in a situation. Many times it’s dependent on our faith. Okay? Our faith has a lot that comes into play with the outcome of God’s ability to move in our lives.
All right? That’s the truth, friend. 75% of the healings in the Gospels had a statement effectively of be it unto you according to your faith or in some wording that’s similar to that. So we cannot say everything’s up to God. I’m just going to sit here and if it happens, that’s great. And if it doesn’t, it doesn’t. That’s cool. That’s not the attitude of faith. Faith engages. It believes. Right? It’s always involved. So you may be this person, but that’s the real you. Okay? You are jacked. You’re buff. You’re all those things. All right? Because Jesus is living on the inside of you. And you say, well, I’ve never encountered a demon, etc. You know, I’m a civilized person. You know, I understand that attitude. But sometimes the spiritual opposition is real. We don’t even gauge it. We don’t even discern it.
Several times in my life, I’ve had some opposition and spoken to it and it’s been released. Not always immediately. Sometimes you’ve got to stand on that word. All right? I remember Dodie Osteen in Houston in 1981. She was healed of cancer and she went through chemo. She went through many things. But every day, she would literally stand on her Bible. She would stand on the Bible literally and then start reciting, I am healed by the stripes of Jesus Christ. Now, at the time, she felt very, very sick. She did not feel good. But we’re not going by our feelings, right? We’re going by what the Word says. That’s the stand that you have to take. Now, the new age is big on meditation. Stare at a wall. Close your eyes. Om. Feel the peace. All those things. Meditation is not those things, friend. Meditation, according to the Hebrew tradition, is filling the Word of God in your mind. Constantly thinking about it, visualizing it, seeing yourself in the Scripture.
All right? So, let’s read this verse right now. This book of the law shall not depart out of your mouth, but you shall meditate therein day and night, that you may observe to do all according to that is written therein. For then you shall make your way prosperous, and then you shall have good success. There’s a lot of ‘you’s’ in that verse, isn’t there? Friend, achieving success, as far as God’s concerned, has a lot to do with you.
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