Welcome to PowerPoint with Jack Graham. Success. is knowing and doing the will of God. Our lives. It is the providential hand of God working behind the scenes in our cooperation with God's work in our lives.
On today's PowerPoint, Dr. Graham brings a message that shows you how to receive God's best.
Now here's Dr. Graham with his message. God's Way to Success. I want to talk to you today about success God's way. Because success God's way is the only way...
To live.
Now through the years I've read a number of books on personal development, motivation, success. Many wonderful books. Of course, there are many definitions to success as to what real success is. My friend John Maxwell Christian author and speaker. It gives a wonderful definition of success.
He says, success is knowing your purpose in life. Growing to reach your maximum potential. and sowing seeds that benefit others.
So according to Maxwell, success is knowing. and growing And sewing. Bible teacher and author Charles Stanley writes that success is the continuing achievement of becoming the person God wants you to be. and accomplishing the goals God has helped you. to set.
So Stanley says that success is becoming the person that God made you to be. God designed you to become in Him. I know this: that. Real success is not our clothes, not our cars. Not our clubs.
Not our careers. But it is our character. and our commitment. to what really matters, not fame, not fortune, but the fulfillment of God's purpose and God's plan for our lives. The famed pastor of the First Baptist Church of Dallas for 48 years was a man named Dr.
George W. Truitt. And Truitt gave this definition of success a long time ago. that success is knowing and doing the will of God. in our lives.
And in that Simple and yet Wonderful definition of success. I believe that Truitt has captured the story of Joseph. As we've been looking at his amazing adventures in the Old Testament, the book of Genesis. knowing and doing the will of God. And I would say that success is the progressive realization and then actualization of the will of God in our lives.
It is the providential hand of God working behind the scenes in our cooperation with God's work in our lives. So the defining Issue in success is character and commitment. And of course, the Bible gives us many examples of success. Many people who lived God's way, and God gave them success. Third John, verse 2.
Scripture says, I pray that you would prosper. and be in health, even as your soul. prospers. And so it is God's will. that we prosper according to his plan.
And isn't it interesting? That Our spiritual health is vitally connected with our financial health, our spiritual health. Is connected with our physical health. I would that you would prosper and be in health even as your soul. prosperous.
That doesn't mean that everybody's going to be rich. I'm not speaking of a prosperity theology here. But the fact is that God has promised to give us success and success, God's way, is the only way to live. God is committed to the Christian's success in life. And we're going to see in the message today how Joseph Through many troubles, turmoils.
and difficulties, went from the pit all the way to the pinnacle of power in the greatest nation at that time on the earth, the nation of Egypt. Second in command he became to Pharaoh himself. He became the prime minister. of the land of Egypt. who had blessed him in test of adversity, now is about to bless him in a test of prosperity.
And have you noticed that perhaps the most difficult test in life is not the test of adversity, but rather it is the test of prosperity? Most of us are able to handle adversity in Christ. But many of us Have more difficulty in handling our prosperity when we have been so blessed. in Christ. Paul was able to balance it.
He said, I've learned how to be content whether I have need, whether I am based, and whether I am at the bottom, or whether I am in abundance.
So, what happens when we have abundance? And frankly, folks, compared to the rest of the world, all of us have been given so much. We have an abundance, no matter what the bottom line of your checkbook may say, we have been. blessed in amazing ways, have we not?
Well, what do you do? When you've been given abundance, we can learn so much. From Joseph.
Now remember the last time our hero, we left our hero, he was in jail. forgotten by a friend, the baker, who said, I'll remember you to Pharaoh. I'll tell Pharaoh about you. And so Joseph thoroughly expected to be out of jail. Though falsely accused and maligned, he was there because he had resisted the charms of Potiphar's wife.
And yet God had given him success even in prison. He had risen to prominence there. And yet, for two more years, he waited. He languished in prison. But then Pharaoh had a dream.
In fact, he had two dreams, and these dreams disturbed him so much, he wanted to know the meaning of the dream, that he called the magicians, the sorcerers of Egypt, and they couldn't tell him. And then the baker remembers. He says, oh yes, I forgot to tell you. There's a man in prison, a Hebrew, his name is Joseph. He interprets dreams.
God is with him. And perhaps he can interpret your dream. And so just like that. After these years in prison. From age 17 to age 30.
Joseph had struggled through his life, and his dreams were disappearing, and yet, just like that, he was promoted. He washes his face, he cleans up, shaves his face. He grows from being a scraggly prisoner to appearing before the most powerful man on earth, the Pharaoh. And indeed, he interprets Pharaoh's dreams. He describes seven years of plenty in the land of Egypt, and then ultimately seven years of lien that needed to be prepared for.
This was the meaning of the dream. And when Pharaoh saw the incredible personality and character of this man Joseph, he responded. And so, in verse 41, at verse 37, so the advice was good in the eyes of Pharaoh and in the eyes of all of his servants. And Pharaoh said to his servants, Can we find such a one as this? A man in whom is the Spirit of God?
Now, Pharaoh was a pagan. He worshiped many gods, and yet he recognized the uniqueness of this man. He said, The very spirit of God is in. Joseph. Verse 39, then Pharaoh said to Joseph, Inasmuch as God has shown you in all of this, there is no one as discerning and wise as you.
You shall be over my house, and all my people shall be ruled according to your word. Only in regard to the throne will I be greater than you. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, See, I have set you over all the land of Egypt. Amazing, isn't it?
Now He's moved from rags to riches. And he begins to live in prosperity. And success. Rather than wearing A prison uniform, he's wearing beautiful clothes. A gold chain around his neck.
He drives his own private chariot. And everywhere he goes... People say, bow the knee, bow the knee, bow the knee. That's Joseph. And his dreams come true.
What an incredible story. But we know behind the story, we know the rest of the story, don't we? Because this didn't just happen overnight. But this was the process in which God gave Joseph success. Over time, there is no microwave success, but rather God works in the lives of his children in ways that are invisible, yet invincible.
And in spite of the evil that came upon Joseph, God is greater than any evil that he faced or that we face. And so God blessed him. In chapter 39 and verse 2, The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a What? A successful Man. You see that?
That's chapter 39 of Genesis and verse 2. The Lord was with Joseph, and he was a successful man. And then look again in that same chapter 39 and verse 23. The keeper of the prison did not look into anything that was under Joseph's authority because the Lord was with him. And whatever he did, the Lord made it profitable.
Prosper. The Lord was with him. The Lord was blessing him. And in The blessing Joseph was faithful with the prosperity and the success that he. had been given.
So I want to mention to you very briefly the way to success. God's way to success. The way that Joseph achieved success and the way we will achieve success as well. Success God's way produces a life of significance. More important than success, a life of success, is a life of significance.
Joseph was a young man at 17 who knew where he was going. God had given him dreams. These were God-ordained dreams. And therefore, for the rest of his life, he had a purpose. He knew God had a plan for his life.
And the purpose, the man who lives a significant life, understands that there is a reason. The woman knows that there is a reason to get up every day. And there is an exuberance about life, an enthusiasm with life. There is a sense of calling. There is a sense of compelling.
There is a sense of purpose. And the believer's life is worth living because we are cooperating with God and His work in the world and we are living on mission for Him. It is a life of significance, and that life of significance has a direction. Every day we have a reason to get up in the morning, and that is to attack the opportunities that God has given us and to squeeze out of every moment the full life that God has promised. You're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the message.
God's way to success. We are excited to share that we have a new way to connect with us. It's our texting service designed to keep you connected with everything happening here at PowerPoint. You'll be the first to know about upcoming events, special announcements, and truly enriching content. To join, start a new text conversation by texting the word CONNECT to 59789.
Again, text CONNECT to 59-789. Every gift given to PowerPoint Ministries before June 30th will be doubled through a $200,000 matching grant. This is a crucial moment as we close out the financial year. Because your support helps ensure that the truth of Jesus continues reaching people who are searching for something real they can trust. And as our thanks for your gift, we'll send you the Jesus Discoveries by Dr.
Jeremiah Johnston, a resource designed to strengthen your confidence in the truth of the gospel. To give your gift and request your copy, text June to 59789. That's June to 59789.
Now, let's get back to today's message: God's Way to Success. There's a direction. But not only that, there is a dynamic. There is a different spirit in Joseph. Pharaoh noticed it.
Everyone noticed it. This man had a different spirit about him. The Spirit of God was living in him. And so he was empowered. He had a high energy level because of the Spirit of God living in him.
Have you noticed that successful people typically have very high energy levels? They just are motivated. Rather than being slow and lazy or trudging through life, they're trekking through life. People who have high energy levels emotionally and spiritually often have a physical response that is positive. They are generally healthier.
They live at a pace. that is a God-directed pace, not a frantic, not a hurried pace, not stretched out, but the Holy Spirit of God empowers the Christian, changing our day and making us excited about life, excited about our work. Uh We may work long hours, we may work 12 and 15 hours a day, but we do it with life and purpose and joy and exuberance and enthusiasm because we know that we're working to make a difference, not just to make a living. That's the dynamic. The Spirit of God empowers us.
Changes the attitude, doesn't it? Young Jeb had to get up every morning early and do the chores and then go to school.
So his mother would come in at 5.30 like clockwork every day and wake him up with the words, Jeb, get up. It's going to be a great day. He was so tired of hearing those words. It's going to be a great day. So one morning, when Jeb's mother came in at 5.30, she said, get up.
It's going to be a great day. He turned over and said, Mama, it's not going to be a great day. Said, I don't feel good. My head hurts. I got a cold.
is cold. It's a crummy day, Mama. It's a lousy day. She said, well, son, I didn't know you felt that way. Said You need to go back to bed.
You just need to stay in bed because it's a lousy day. You just stay right there. He thought, man, I should have thought of this earlier. He goes back to sleep for several hours and then he's awakened. The house is warm with the fire and he smells bacon and eggs cooking in the kitchen.
So he gets up and puts on his clothes. He goes into the kitchen and says, well, Mama, I sure would like some of those bacon and eggs. And she said, son, oh, no, no, no, you're sick. You shouldn't eat. Said, you need to get back in bed.
It's a lousy day. It's a crummy day.
Son, get back in bed. Go back into your room. There won't be any food for you until 5:30 in the morning.
So he goes back to his bed, pouting a little bit, and he sleeps for a little while, and he can't sleep anymore. And he's stir-crazy, and he's restless, and he's bored, and he stays in his room, and there's no food, and there's no fun, and he stays there all day. And into the night, he can't sleep because he's tried to sleep all day. And so the next morning, He's up dressed and ready when his mother comes in the room at 5.30 in the morning. And before she could say anything, he says, Mama, it's going to be a great day.
It's all in the attitude. And there was a unique spirit. in the heart and the life of Joseph. One that even the pagan world could see. You know, the believer in Jesus Christ ought to be the best and most effective worker on the job.
Because the Spirit of God is living within us. We ought not to be lagging behind in any good work because we have a dynamic, and not only do we have this direction in this life of significance and a dynamic, but there is a dedication and a discipline. God gives us dreams, desires, and goals, and therefore there is an excellent spirit in the child of God. There was an excellence in Joseph. An excellent spirit in Joseph, the spirit of God.
And there's an excellent spirit in us. There ought to be excellence in our spirit, excellence in our work, excellence in our results. Through it all, you have to be amazed at Joseph's attitude because not one time do we find him carping or complaining or saying this is a lousy day, but rather he kept his dreams alive, his heart was full of God, he was faithful to God, and he disciplined himself in body, mind, and soul to fulfill God's call and dreams for his life. He recognized that success was not a point, but rather a process in life. And the life journey that we have with Christ is a journey in which we are growing day by day.
There are none of us who can get to the point in our lives where we say, okay, I've got it now. I have it all together. I have it made. All the accomplishments are done. I've achieved everything that I want to achieve in life.
The minute we start dreaming, that's the moment we start dying on the inside. We know that we never stop growing in Christ, that we have never reached perfection in Christ until we get on the other side of this life. Even the Apostle Paul, the greatest Christian who ever lived, in my estimation, said, I haven't attained, I haven't accomplished it all, but I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Jesus Christ. And so we keep dreaming. We keep hearing the call.
We keep... responding and that is a life of significance. Because God is working and the Christian life is always onward and onward and forward. He keeps calling us and compelling us and challenging us. And then success, God's way, provides a life of stewardship.
A life of stewardship. Joseph was given a management job. Second command, prime minister, he was a steward to all the possessions of Egypt. And in days of prosperity, He saved and prepared for the future and in days of lean. He provided for those who needed it within the nation.
He was a steward. And you see abundance Blessing, prosperity, success. gives us the opportunity to provide for others, to be stewards. Listen to what the New Testament says. 1 Corinthians 4:7.
This is from the New Living. What do you have that God has not given you? And if all that you have is from God, why boast as though you accomplished something on your own? Joseph said, I don't interpret these dreams. God does it through me.
He didn't take credit. He recognized that success is a gift from God. It's all a gift from God. And then 1 Corinthians 4:2 says, Those who Are trusted with something valuable, must show they are worthy of that trust. And then Jesus said in Matthew 25 verse 21, Well done, good and faithful servant.
You have been faithful over a few things.
Now be faithful over many things. We are stewards of the possessions that we have been given. The question is, are we faithful or unfaithful with this stewardship? Abundance. Life is a stewardship, and we are going to be evaluated when we are given success.
We are going to be evaluated before God Almighty according to the opportunities and privileges and blessings that we've had in life. What have you done with what I have given you? Salvation, new life in Christ is God's gift to us. What we do with what God has given to us is our gift back to Him. And so, in Joseph's case, in genuine success.
It provides an opportunity for stewardship. What has God given you? Family? A job, an education, a house. Time, resources.
Whatever he has given each of us, we are responsible to use what God has given us responsibly. Because real success is a life of significance and it is also a life. of stewardship. Joseph was a good steward. Are you?
And then finally. A life of success is one that prepares for the future. Joseph prepared for the future of Egypt, for the future of the world, for the future of his family who would ultimately be saved because of Joseph's preparation. Joseph prepared for the future and so should we. Jesus said, Do not lay up treasures on earth, but treasures in heaven.
He stored up in advance. For lean times, for difficult times. He saved people from death. And we are to do the same. Isn't that our mission?
Isn't that our ministry? To so live and to so give, to so prepare for the future, to help people from dying without Christ? It is a fatal flaw, a mistake, to assume that God's goal for your life is material success or prosperity. God looks at your life not based upon your net worth, but upon your real worth. And your real worth is based upon what you are, who you are in Christ.
And success is not in our trophies. It's not in the stuff that we accumulate, the achievements, the applause, the accolades. There are two kinds of people in the world. One People who are building their own kingdom, and two, the people who are building the kingdom of God. Because ultimately, that's what it is.
We're either building our own personal kingdoms for our own glory, or we're partnering with God in building His kingdom for His glory. And so life prepares for the future. The successful life prepares for the future and doesn't waste a day. And doesn't Mortgage the future. By living a life that's without God.
When we get to heaven, we're going to be surprised. as to whom God says is a success and who's a failure. I know this. That it's impossible to live a successful life. without Jesus Christ.
You can achieve material wealth, you can acquire fame, you can have degrees, award status, privilege, position, power, prestige, but life without God is a big, fat zero. And you can live, you can try to live without him. But you will fail, or else you will succeed even more miserably. Without God. And so, my plea, my prayer is that if you want to find lasting fulfillment and peace, if you want to achieve God's success, success God's way, then the first thing you need to do is to receive Jesus Christ into your life as your Lord and your Savior.
You're listening to PowerPoint with Jack Graham and the message: God's Way to Success. When you support PowerPoint ministries, you help share God's word with people around the world through programs just like this one. And as a thank you for your gift this month, we'll send you the Jesus Discoveries by Dr. Jeremiah Johnston as our thanks. This powerful resource walks through real historical evidence that points directly to Jesus, helping strengthen your faith and giving you confidence in the truth of God's Word.
And right now, every gift given before June 30th will be doubled through a $200,000 matching grant. This is a crucial moment as we close out the financial year. because your support helps ensure that PowerPoint Ministries continues reaching people with the gospel in the months ahead. To give your gift and request your copy, text June to 59789. That's June to 59789.
We are excited to share that we have a new way to connect with us. It's our texting service designed to keep you connected with everything happening here at PowerPoint. You'll be the first to know about upcoming events, special announcements, and truly enriching content. To join, start a new text conversation by texting the word CONNECT to 59-789. Again, text CONNECT to 59-789.
Pastor, what is your PowerPoint for today? Natural desire has been given to us by our wonderful Creator, the desire to succeed. But as we've learned today, he desires that our souls and our hearts are successful. What good is earthly achievement if we lose our souls and harden our hearts against God? You know, in the late 90s and early into 2000, we experienced some of the most prosperous years in the history of our country.
God blessed us tremendously through inventions like the Internet and e-commerce and the advancement of these technologies. But we've seen, we've seen it even in our own congregation: men and women who have gained tremendous wealth and prestige during the Internet boom and then. They lost it overnight. It's been proven time and time again that we can't count on the things that are temporary. Our status can change in the blink of an eye.
God's plan for success is the everlasting kind. He wants to create hearts of compassion and character, integrity. He wants souls that can endure adversity, men and women who are willing to wait on Him and His Providence to carry them through. Success is knowing and doing the will of God in our lives. It's His plan, His success, and He desires that we achieve that kind of success.
Reflect on your life for just a moment. Think back on all the ways God has Blessed you. And ask Him to continue to guide you so that you can live a purposeful, passionate life as a man, a woman of God. A life full of character and integrity, a life that honors Jesus Christ in a pressure cooker world. And that is Today's PowerPoint.
Remember, when you give a gift to PowerPoint, we'll send you Dr. Jeremiah Johnston's book, The Jesus Discoveries. Just text June to 59-789. And join us again next time as Dr. Graham brings a message about the legacy that lives long after we're gone.
That's next time on PowerPoint with Jack Graham. PowerPoint with Jack Graham is sponsored by PowerPoint Ministries.
