4 Things You Need to Succeed

Congratulations!! TO STUDENTS AND PARENTS

You are about to enter your first true test of freedom and how you handle that freedom. How you manage it.

Here are the 4 things you must have to be a successful Christian in our world today.

CONTEXT - the birth of the Local Church. This is the starting place of how our society should be organized.

It’s amazing how the Bible lays out the governmental building blocks of our society and culture.

What is a persons responsibility in a society? How are we to interact with one another? This passage gives us insight into that.

As you are being your own man and your own woman — what is it / OR HOW is it that you will contribute to your community? This passage gives us insight.

Acts 2:42–47 ESV

42 And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. 43 And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. 44 And all who believed were together and had all things in common. 45 And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. 46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, 47 praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.

So Jesus died on the Cross, He rose again, He ascended into Heaven, the Holy Spirit then descended onto His Church — and the Local Church was born!

Let me start by saying it is God’s design for every person to know and follow Him. God has a plan for your life. He knows what He’s doing. And He wants to lead you and guide you into all truth.

Your life was not an accident, you are not here by chance, but God has a destiny for your life if you will choose to surrender to His Will and follow Him.

But the first thing we see — “they were devoted to the apostles” the pastors. The Leaders.

1. Find the Right Leader

The first thing you need in order to succeed as a Christian in the world today … You need a Godly pastor in your life!

Do not think you can leave home, you can start living your dream life, and you’re going to do it riding solo.

You are about to enter a season where you will have a lot of different ideas, ways of life, worldviews — all these things are about to hit you. And you need a compass in your life to keep you pointed North.

Every single person in this room has a leader in their life. Every single one of us are following someone.

I think the great theologian Bob Dylan said it best:

“You’re going serve somebody. It might be the devil or it might be the Lord but you’re gonna have to serve somebody.”

And he is absolutely right. We all take our cues from somewhere or something.

And maybe you’re here thinking - “No I’m just going to do me. I march to the beat of my own drum. I’m just living my truth.”

Jeremiah 17:7–10 ESV

7 “Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. 8 He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” 9 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? 10 “I the Lord search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.”

We’re told in our culture today - to follow your heart, follow your dreams, to live your truth.

We must remember that in order to fulfill our dreams, God has to have our heart.

WHY?

Because He made you, He knows your heart, He is the one who tests your heart.

You have a fulfilled life you must have a surrender heart.

So who is your leader? Who are you following?

As you get out on your own, the first step you need to take is to find a Godly Pastor, a Godly man or woman, who’s fought some battles, been through some things, has a love for God’s Word and His truth.

The second thing goes right in line … Acts 2:46

Acts 2:46 ESV

46 And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts,

2. Find the Right Community

You will always been an average of your friends. Always. That is just a fact of life.

MrBeast talks about one of the ways he became so successful on YouTube is he found 4 other dudes that were passionate about YouTube just like him — and every day, for 1,000 days, all they did was talk about YouTube and how to go viral.

He found the right community to get him to where he was trying to go.

Wherever you want to go in life — there is a community that will get you there.

If you’re ready to taste freedom and you want to get out and party. There’s a community that will get you there.

There will be bad influences that will be more than willing to steer you in that direction.

What is it that you really want?

I would encourage you — over this summer — WRITE DOWN who it is you want to BE in the next 5 years.

Not just what you want to do and what you want to accomplish — BUT WHO ARE YOU GOING TO BE?

Are you going to be a man of integrity?

A man or woman of purity?

Someone who is honest

Someone who loves the Lord and wants to serve Him?

Do you want to be a good husband one day?

A good mother one day?

Someone who values hard work and dedication? … WHATEVER

Alright … ^^Right there, you just made your list of the community you need to be in now.

3. Find Favor

Promotion comes from God. God is the one who will lead and guide and direct your life.

When my wife and I decide to move to Crescent — It was a scary risk. It was a risk relationally, we left her family, our community that we had been building for the last 8 years, all our friends.

It was a risk financially, we both had amazing jobs

There was a lot of uncertainty … God is this really what you have for us?

But being obedient to what God was telling us … thing after thing began to *click

Doors opened, houses opened, finances opened, relationships opened.

There was a “favor” — a “blessing” — that God placed on this decision.

If you want favor on your life — Find the right Leader, Find the right Community, and Praise God. Serve God.

4. Follow Christ

Acts 2:38–41 ESV

38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39 For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far off, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to himself.” 40 And with many other words he bore witness and continued to exhort them, saying, “Save yourselves from this crooked generation.” 41 So those who received his word were baptized, and there were added that day about three thousand souls.

GOSPEL PRESENTATION

“Save yourself from this crooked generation”

In order to succeed as a Christian in our world today — you must:

Find the Right Leader

Find the Right Community

Find Favor by putting God first

ON TOP OF EVERYTHING FOLLOW CHRIST

And you will save yourself from this crooked generation