Sermon Central
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Principles Of Continual Success
Contributed by Sunday Adelaja on Jan 16, 2008 (message contributor)
Summary: A child is a fruit brought forth by its mother. Indeed, each of us is a fruit that contains a seed after its kind.
A child is a fruit brought forth by its mother. Indeed, each of us is a fruit that contains a seed after its kind. For instance, an apple seed planted in the ground will produce an apple tree; it will yield a lot of fruit in harvest. The same was true with the seed that God planted into Adam, from whom the entire world population have come.
And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after its kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after its kind: and God saw that it was good.
God’s principle is at work here: The Creator puts a seed in every person. The seed represents our calling, our destiny, and our talents – everything we will need to excel and be productive. We need God’s seed to live a fruitful life; the seed has the ability to reproduce itself. In other words, it can grow, multiply, and fill the earth.
Greatness and fulfillment in life is ‘the lot’ of the chosen. The Lord has prepared these gifts for each of His children.
In a little boy, we can see an adult man who may father many people. There is a woman in every little girl who, like Eve, may become the mother of many nations. Out of one bird came a flock of birds, and one fish gives birth to a school of fish.
God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.
You should believe that becoming a significant success in life is not just for a chosen few. If you believe that God created you after His likeness, and He did (Genesis 1:26), then do not doubt that He has planted a seed of greatness in you. God did not find and call you unto Himself in vain. Remember, greatness and fulfillment in life are the lot of the chosen. The Lord has prepared these gifts for each of His children.
If thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God. Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field. Blessed shall be the fruit of thy body, and the fruit of thy ground, and the fruit of thy cattle, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep.
As we see in this passage, if you heed God’s Word, blessings will pour massively into your life. The lives of some of our pastors prove this. Before their coming to God, they were wretches with no prospects whatsoever for the future. I know a pastor who was an alcoholic with a thirty year drinking record. Another accepted God after three suicide attempts. Still another was on the run from bandits for months. The list can go on. Now these people are leaders and lead others to Christ. Their lives changed the moment they made a decision to follow Jesus. Have no doubt, this will work in your life as well; but it is essential to obey His Word in order to fulfill His plan for you.
That is why I want to help you in this area by getting you acquainted with the four principles of continuous success. Let’s take a look at them.
FOUR PRINCIPLES OF CONTINUNUOUS SUCCESS
1. CONTINUE YOUR MISSION
Principle #1: Never be content with your current state. Admit that you have not achieved perfection and that you are still not the person you want to be. You want to be better, don’t you?
Complacency will lead to self destruction. It is as if you buried yourself alive. He who is dissatisfied with his current position makes progress. Dissatisfaction will compel you to act, to seek something new.
I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.
Although Paul knew about the reward waiting for him in heaven, the apostle continued his mission, doing the will of God.
Like an apple seed that grows into a fruit tree, your talents can make you famous and successful some day. As long as you believe in yourself, believe in God and His Word, and strive for more accomplishments in your life (as the Holy Spirit leads you), success can be your constant companion.
