Sermon Tone Analysis

(OPEN BIBLES & OPENING STATEMENTS)

The topic of today’s message is success.

What exactly does success mean?

In it’s simplest form, success is simply to accomplish a goal.

However, we all know that the idea of being successful is not that simple.

If I were to ask the congregation to raise their hand if they believed they were successful, what do you think would happen?

A lot of looking around.

Pausing.

Hesitation.

Fear.

You all succeeded at something today, but it’s hard to identify as successful.

Depending on culture, success might look different.

If you grew up in America, success might mean moving out by 18, and having a part time job, and your own car.

If you grew up in an Asian-American family, it might mean going to a prestigious university, or having a certain amount of digits in your salary.

Success is a loaded word that provokes a wide array of emotions.

Sometimes it’s positive.

For some of us, we might’ve had a win recently, and we’re feeling successful, but the feeling is often temporary.

We get what we want, and we feel successful until we want something else.

If you wanted a good grade one week.

You get an A. You feel good, until the next test.

On the flip side, most negative emotions come from a lack of success.

Think about it.

What makes us angry?

Anger comes when something blocks us from succeeding at a goal.

You wanted to get to the work on time.

That’s your goal.

You wake up early, make breakfast, do everything in your control, but then you get stuck in traffic.

Your goal was blocked, success wasn’t met, and now you’re angry.

What makes us anxious?

Anxiety comes when success becomes unclear.

Your goal is to go to a good college.

You get good grades.

Play sports.

Do extra curricular activities.

You get accepted, but now you wonder how you can afford it?

How can you leave your parents?

Depression, anxiety, fear, you name it.

Most negative emotions are rooted in us failing to succeed at our goals.

So how do we avoid this?

The problem is not that we don’t understand how to succeed.

That part is simple.

The problem is, we don’t know how to set our goals properly.

If I were to ask you, “What should be the primary goal of every believer?”,

what would we say?

Some might say, “To get to heaven”.

If that were the case, we should all die the second we put our faith in Christ, and there would be no point in living after salvation.

Some might say, “To lead everyone to Christ”.

That’s a great desire, but it’s not one we have much control over.

Since God calls some to plant, some to water, and He gives the increase, that would be an unfair expectation.

Some might say, “Avoid sin.

Don’t smoke, cuss, chew, or hang with those who do!”.

Also a good desire, but still not a healthy goal.

So, what is the primary goal?

What is the key to success for the believer?

Stand in reverence to God’s Word.

Read 3-4

Catch that phrase in verse 4? “Partakers of the divine nature”.

What is the end result of every believer?

To become like Christ!

What should be the ultimate goal of every living believer?

To become more like Christ.

To be transformed from the old flesh, to a new creature in Christ.

This is the goal, but now the question is, how do we accomplish it?

How can we feel successful, knowing that God has put such a daunting task ahead of us.

That’s what were going to talk about this morning.

With the rest of our time, we’re going to look at three truths regarding success in a message we’ve entitled “Am I Successful?”

Opening Prayer.

1.

The Master’s Promise

Before we get any further, let’s make one thing clear.

The purpose of this message is not to leave us feeling challenged or overwhelmed; worried about how to achieve success.

Instead, it is to encourage us with God’s promise, that our success is already being worked out for us.

What ought to be our greatest goal in life, He’s already working on!

First of all, this verse tells us that we already have all of the resources necessary for “success”, given by the author of success.

This would be as if I were an athlete, and my goal in life to was to be like LeBron James.

That would be a daunting task, but the greatest resource I could ever hope for, is if LeBron James himself promised to live in my home with me, 24/7, doing everything he can, and equipping me with every resource I needed to play like him.

Every work out.

Every diet plan.

Every drill.

Imagine if I had that resource!

It wouldn’t happen over night.

It wouldn’t be easy.

I would struggle.

He might be tempted to give up on me, but if he promised to do all of that, in time, any of us could eventually play like him.

We wonder, “How can we possibly become like Christ?”.

Maybe we feel like we’re “too sinful”.

“Too human”.

“Too far from God”.

If you’re a believer, Christ Himself, the greatest resource we could ask for, has already promised to dwell within us, and mold us to become more like Him.

If you’re feeling like you don’t have enough this morning, take confidence knowing that you do.

The one thing that means the most in your life, God has already given you every resource you need to achieve.

We are changed by the Spirit of God.

That’s the master’s promise.

So we’ve established that success comes from our transformation, becoming more like Christ, and that becoming more like Christ only comes through the work and grace of Jesus Christ.

That leaves us wondering, what do we strive for then?

(KJV 1900)

And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.

2. Man’s Priority

There’s a few words to highlight here, one being diligence.

Diligence simply means full effort.

Here’s where our effort comes into the picture.