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	Lecture Notes “Successful Saints” There are four lectures in this course: 1. Seven Habits of Successful Saints 2. The Meaning of Success 3. The Measure of Success 4. The Model of Success 7 Habits of Successful Saints A Successful Saint... 1. ____________ and studies the Bible regularly. 2. ____________ daily. 3. ____________ church weekly. 4. ____________ cheerfully. 5. ____________ enthusiastically. 6. ____________ frequently. 7. ____________ joyfully.   Study Questions 1. What is the difference between reading and studying the Bible? 2. Do you have a regular time to read, study and pray? If so, when is it and how much time is it? Can it or should this time be increased? If you do not have a regular time for Bible reading, study and prayer, schedule that time now and make it a regular part of your day. 3. Check the Yellow Pages or the Internet and find out where the nearest seminary or theological school is to you. Call there and see if they will allow you to have a library card and/or to use their library. Also check out their bookstore. This school will be a good resource for you. 4. Which of the seven habits are you strongest in? Which are you weakest in? What steps can you take to improve on your strengths and strengthen your weaknesses? 5. How do you see the development of these seven habits will help you to be successful in ministry? Successful Saints (Part I - The Meaning of Success) I. Obsessed by Success A. If we are anything in America we are a society ____________ with success. We read ____________ about it. We watch ____________ about it. We listen to ____________ about it. We go to ____________ about it. We ____________ for it. B. Not only do we want success for us, but we want success for ____________ around us. 1. We want our ____________ to be successful, so we play music against the belly while they are still in the womb. We send them to pre school and pre-pre school so they can get a head start. 2. We want our ____________ to be successful - lady who took her dog to the psychiatrist and found out he had separation anxiety. C. Just because you are a ____________ does not mean that you haven’t been bitten by the success bug. we want to belong to a successful ____________ we want to have a successful ____________ we want to have successful ____________ we want to have successful ____________ we want to be successful ____________ Every last one of us wants to be successful II. From Obsession to Depression A. Often this undeniable obsession with success is accompanied by ____________ over success. B. We are 1. Seduced by the ____________ of success 2. Frustrated by the ____________ of success 3. Surprised by the ____________ of success 4. Enslaved by the ____________ of success (Who do you work for? I work for the god of success!) this god has ____________ this god has ____________ this god has holy ____________ this god promises ____________ this god requires ____________ this god is an ____________ C. The more we seek success, we discover that despite our desire to be successful. 1. We still experience ____________. 2. We don’t succeed like we ____________ we should. 3. We don’t get the response from ____________ we were looking for. 4. We aren’t ____________ like we thought we would be. D. Part of this, I believe, is because we don’t really know the ____________ of success. We seek it, but because we don’t know what it is, half the time we don’t know when we have ____________ it. III. The Meaning of the Word “Success” A. Hebrew words used in Joshua 1: 8 1. sakal - used ____________ times 12 - understand 12 - wise 8 - prosper 6 - wisely 5 - understanding 4 - consider 3 - instruct 2 - prudent 2 - skill 2 - teach 7 - misc. “Having understanding which makes you ____________ and qualified to teach.” 2. tsaleach - ____________ times 44 - prosper 6 - come 5 - prosperous 2 - come mightily 2 - effected 1 - good 1 - meet 1 - break out 1 - went over 3 - misc. to prosper or be ____________ B. Greek word used. euodoo - ____________ times 3 - prosper 1 - have a prosperous journey to prosper C. English words 1. success - a ____________ result, accomplishing what is desired or intended. Latin - succedere go after or go near sub (up, near) + cedere (go) 2. prosper - to be successful, to have good ____________, to thrive, to flourish Latin - prosperare pro + spes according to hopes IV. The Meaning of Success in the Word A. Don’t ____________ the “then” 1. Success is always ____________ on some objective 2. Good success at what? Joshua is not promised good success in general, he is promised good success in terms of what he has been ____________ to do. 3. What he was ____________ to do ____________ across the Jordan River ____________ the land ____________ over every enemy B. How I do this? 1. The ____________ is “be” 2. You will have ____________success. Success is what I have ____________ I “be” We short circuit our success when we try to take short cuts to being Success is not something that you “be” ( as in I want to be successful) it is something that you have once you “be” Nicodemus - what must I do to have ____________ life... Jesus “Be” born again. We always want to answer a success ____________ with a do, when the answer is not do, but be! C. God says you will have good success when you... I ____________ be You will be what ____________ will you to be 1. Be ____________ 2. Be ____________ 3. Be ____________ 4. Be ____________ 5. Be ____________ 6. Be ____________ 7. Be ____________ Study Questions 1. Why do you think our society and even our churches seem to be so obsessed with success? 2. What is the difference between “having” success and “being” a success? 3. What is your definition of success based on this lesson and the Bible? 4. Why do you think that God never mentions material things as a criterion for Joshua’s success? 5. As you consider yourself, what must you “be” in order to be a success in God’s sight?  Successful Saints (Part II - The Measures of Success) I. Mixed Up Disciples A. We should not be at all surprised to find that Christians today are mixed up about how to ____________ success. B. That is because the original twelve____________ had the same problem. C. They were... personally ____________ individually ____________ divinely ____________ and yet they were mixed up they ____________ with Jesus they ____________ miracles first hand they ____________ on water and yet they were ____________ up II. What They Were Mixed Up About A. They kept on ____________ the side-effects of success with the standards of success. B. The side - effects are what goes along with success while the standards of success are the ____________ and ____________ which constitute success whether or not you ever see any side effects. C. This means that you can have side-effects ____________ meeting the standards of success. For example: If I inherit money and have nice things I have the side-effects of success, but that does not mean that I am successful. I could be a complete failure. D. Then, on the other hand, I could show none of the visible socially acceptable ____________ of success and yet because I meet the standards, be a complete success. For example: John the baptist lived in the wilderness and ate wild honey and insects, but Jesus said there was none greater than John the Baptist. III. It Won’t Be Like That With You A. Being a ____________ does not exclude you from the visible material side-effects of success. B. In fact the biblical record is replete with people who were both ____________and ____________. ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ C. So for us, it is not that we can’t have the stuff. It is only that the stuff cannot be our ____________! IV. How to Measure Success 1. You don’t measure success by your sensationalism, but by your ____________. The greatest among you shall be your minister - Matthew 20: 25-28 When I was hungry you fed me... (Matthew 25: 31-46) Not every one that cries Lord Lord shall enter in. Many shall say, we cast out demons in your name, But Jesus will say depart from me. I never knew you. (Matthew 7: 21-23) 2. You don’t measure success by how big your ____________ is, but by how long it will stand. “And as he went out of the temple, one of his disciples saith unto him, Master, see what manner of stones and what buildingsare here! And Jesus answering said unto him, Seest thou these great buildings? there shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down.” (Mark 13:1-2 AV) Time is filled with swift transition... 3. You don’t measure success by the size of the crowd you can ____________, but by the size of the crowd you can ____________. They are hungry - you feed them! (Matthew 14: 13-21) 4. You don’t measure success by how many ____________ you can cast out, but whether or not when it comes to the kingdom of God you have been ____________ in. Not that demons are subject to you, but that your name is written in the lambs book of life. (Luke 10: 17-20) 5. You don’t measure success by the status of your bank ____________, but the status of your ____________. What will it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his own soul. (Mark 8: 34- 38) The man with barns, this night your soul is required of you (Luke 12:13-21) I wish that you prosper and be in health even as your soul prospers (3 John 1: 2) 6. You don’t measure success by how many people you can ____________ out from getting to Christ, but by how many you can ____________ to Christ. We saw some men casting out demons in your name and we stopped them. (Mark 9: 38-41) People brought their children to be touched by Jesus and the disciples rebuked them. (Mark 10: 13-16) 7. You don’t measure success by ____________ you live, but by ____________ lives in you. “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.” (John 15:7 AV) “Greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world.” (I John 4: 4) 8. You don’t measure success by your ____________, but by your ____________. “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” (John 13:35 AV) You’re nobody till somebody loves you - Frank Sinatra Who love you baby? - Telly Salvales - Kojack 9. You don’t measure success by being secularly ____________, but by being personally ____________. Paul to Timothy in II Timothy 4: 6-8 I fought a good fight - I didn’t say I won I finished my course. I didn’t say I finished first, but I did finish. I kept the faith - I didn’t add to it or improve upon it, I just kept it.   10. You don’t measure success by your ____________ alone, but by your exousia and your ____________. This kind only comes out with prayer and fasting. (Mark 9: 28-29) The disciples received exousia in Mark 3: 13-15 But it wasn’t until after Jesus died and they had prayed that they received the dunamis on the day of Pentecost. (Acts 1; 12-14; 2: 1-4) 11. You don’t measure success by what excites the ____________, but by what Christ commends. Centurion’s faith - I have never seen such faith in Israel (Matthew 8: 5-13) Widow’s mite - She has given more - (Mark 12: 41-44) Servants investment - Well Done (Matthew 25: 14-30) Study Questions 1. Explain the difference between the “side-effects” of success and the “standards” of success. 2. Of the ten measures listed in this lecture, which one speaks most to you? 3. Suppose you were to start a church. After the first year of its existence, how would you know whether or not it had been a success? 4. What pressure does the world put on people in ministry to be successful? How should people in ministry respond to that pressure? 5. Describe the characteristics of a successful preacher, pastor, church and/or ministry. Successful Saints (Part III - The Model of Success) I. Jesus As a Model of Failure A. I would like to propose for your consideration that Jesus Christ is the ideal and perfect ____________ of success. B. However, before I do, so I must acknowledge the fact that based on the Bible itself, it could very well be argued that instead of being a model of success, he is a model of ____________. C. He might be seen as a model of failure because: 1. Born in a ____________ without health care, credit card, reservation. 2. Had to ____________ for his life. 3. Was supposed to know what his life was about at 12 and yet it took him 18 ____________ to get busy doing it. 4. ____________ 5. Run out of ____________ all the time. 6. ____________ by his own disciple and denied by his right hand man. 7. Didn’t have a ____________ to wear. It was gambled for. 8. Convicted ____________. 9. Died the most excrutiating and humiliating ____________. 10. Had to borrow a tomb to lay in. III. Jesus as a Model of Success A. Still, I don’t care what others may say or suggest. Jesus is a ____________ model of success. B. Not just because he is the lily of the valley rock in a weary land shelter in the time of storm C. Here are ten reasons why Jesus is a perfect model of success 1. Successful people are not ____________ by humble beginnings. 2. Successful people are motivated by a sense of ____________ or calling. Jeremiah - like fire shut up in my bones. 3. Successful people ____________ over temptation. 4. Successful people can turn a ____________ bit into a whole lot. 5. Successful people ____________ disciples. 6. Successful people ____________ responsibility. 7. Successful people meet a ____________ others miss. 8. Successful people are ____________ by narrow minded critics. 9. Successful people have ____________ power. 10. Successful people ____________ die. Study Questions 1. Can you understand how some people might consider Jesus a failure? Explain. 2. If you model your notion of success after Jesus, what, if anything, will that change in terms of what you seek in life? 3. Why is it so critical to be clear on the Biblical concept of success as you do ministry? 4. Are you prepared to appear to be a failure in the eyes of people even though you may be a success in the eyes of God? Think about it before you respond! If not, why not? If so, how much do you think you can stand? 5. Of the ten ways in which Jesus models success, which speak most directly to you? Which are you already practicing? Which will you have to work on? After you have typed the answers to the Study Questions for all of the lectures in the boxes above, you will be ready to take your Final Exam:
	Final Exam   Drawing on the information you have gleaned from this course, write an essay of 300-500 words which responds to the following: "Being a Christian means being prosperous." In your answer, be sure to define "being Christian and being prosperous.   Type your Final Exam in the box below. (If you like, you can type it offline in another word processing program, then paste it in the box.) Once you have typed in your answers to the Study Questions above and have typed your Final Exam in this box, make sure that your personal information at the very top is complete and accurate, then click the "Submit" button below. This will send your work to TWSM for your grade and credit.