Sermon Tone Analysis

Good morning!

How many of you want a life of purpose and success?

Success simply means the accomplishment of an aim or purpose.

In other words, success will always look as different as there are goals and purposes.

I believe the desire for success is a natural desire.

We see it in infants and in the elderly.

Babies cry until you give them what they want – Why do they stop crying, they succeeded in getting what they want.

We are all driven by the desire for success.

Whether it be:

A young man desiring to succeed in a High School football game

Or a grandma successfully finishing a quilt before Christmas

A young man or woman desiring to succeed in a business start-up

Or a grandfather trying to successfully explain the importance of masculinity to his grandson.

We at all levels of life desire to succeed.

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But success is hard and more often we experience failure in our lives than success.

Failure in our marriages

Failure in our relationship with God

Failure in business

Failure in our relationships with one another

Failure in life.

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And here lies the problem with failure.

Failure has a way of knocking us down and demoralizing us to the point we don’t want to get back up.

While failure stinks it does not have the be the end of your story.

Let me give you a list of some incredible failures –

Bill Gates – Had multiple tech stat-ups that failed before he created Microsoft

George Steinbrenner – Sunk a semi-pro basketball team into bankruptcy before be bought the New York Yankees.

After failing as an owner during the 80’s and 90’s.

He was critized for his controversial decisions and the lack of fan support for the team.

And then came 1996-2003 when the Yankees went to the World series 6 times and is now one of the most profitable teams ever in the MLB.

Walt Disney – Fired from a news paper for having no creativity and failing in his first animated film studio -Laugh-O-Gram he persevered and eventually created the most profitable animation studio and company in the world, Disney.

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Maybe today you are experiencing some form of failure and you want to give up.

Maybe today you are experiencing some form of failure and you want to give up.

Failure in your marriage or relationships

Failure in your health

Failure in business or work place

Failure in your dreams or life.

Failure happens to us all, but it does not have to be the end of your story.

Today I want to help you see that there is a way to move past your failures and into success.

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There is an incredible story in the Bible about a young man named Joseph.

This story I hope along with the principles it teaches can give us all hope and a clear path to wading through failure and into success.

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The Dream of Success

The Despair of Failure

Thrown into a pit by his brothers

Thrown into a pit by his brothers

Sold into slavery

Temporary Success

Bought by Potifer

Becomes the manger of all of his masters wealth and home.

Failure for doing what was right.

Accused of rape

Thrown into prison

(Joseph interprets two dreams in prison for the cupbearer and baker who were both thrown into prison for possible attempts at the life of the Pharos.

The baker was killed, and the cupbearer was restored.)

(When the bad just gets worse.)

2 years later……

The worst thing about failure is when you think you come up from it and then you get hit all over again.

Realizing your potential and destiny.

The Pharo has a desturbing dream

Baker remembers Joseph and Joseph is called into interpret the dream.

7 years of plenty

7 years of famine.

Suggests that a wise manger must be brought in to oversee the process of saving grain during the seasons of plenty and distrusting during the famine.

Joseph went from the pit to the palace because he trusted God’s vision for his life and refused to allow failure to be the end of his story.

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Every one of us at some point in time will experience failure and all of us at some point will experience overwhelming failure.

And this is why the Scriptures are so important in all areas of our lives.

The Scriptures are a very practical guide to living life to it’s fullest potential.

Let me share with you 5 Biblical principles that will take your life, marriage, business, and relationships to a new level.

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5 Biblical Principles that will take your life to a new level

See failure as an opportunity

1.

To learn - Every failure Joseph experienced was used by God to prepare Joseph for his potential and destiny.

He learned how to manage plenty in Potifer’s home.

He learned how to manage and distribute little while in prison.

2. To correct a misguided attempts

Joseph started off as an arrogant brat

But God used the failures Joseph experienced to change his heart from self serving to a humble leader.

3.

For a new direction….

Failure is not the end, it is an opportunity for a new beginning.)

3.

For a new direction….

Failure is not the end, it is an opportunity for a new beginning.

Joseph was able to use his failures as guard rails to direct him to his purpose and potential in serving Egypt.

Serve others -

before others will serve your vision you must learn how to serve the vision of others.

Potifer and

Prison guard

Baker and Cup-bearer

Stop walking in fear –

Walk in hopeful expectation

Joseph kept his eyes on God’s vision for his life not on the failures.

Fear will paralyze you and keep you stuck in failure.

You serve a God who conquers death

A God of Life.

Remember you were not given a spirit of fear but of love, power and a sound mind.

Rest – Sabbath -

Our society thinks a busy life is productive but the reality is a restful life is far more productive.

1. Helps you focus on God and His bigger vision for you.

2. Clears your mind so you can clearly see the problem

3. Gives you the clarity and energy to navigate the problem.

Serve a vision bigger than yourself –

Joseph started his journey by focusing on a self-centered vision.

In the end his success came when we focused on a vision that was bigger than himself.