Success is no accident !

2. Success is no accident ! Many volumes have been written to tell us how to be successful: How to Dress for Success, How To Succeed In Business, ad infinitum.

3. Joshua chapter one tells of Moses dying and Joshua’s call to work with the people of Israel. • The Lord laid down seven great rules for Spiritual Success in Joshua 1:7-9. • We will examine each of these in detail over the meeting.

4. SEVEN RULES FOR SPIRITUAL SUCCESS Joshua 1:7-9

5. Josh 1:7-9 • 7 Only be strong and very courageous, that you may observe to do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you; do not turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may prosper wherever you go.

6. 8 This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.

7. 9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid,nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."

8. THE FIRST OF THESE IS “BE STRONG” • chazaq (khaw‑zak'); to fasten upon; seize, be strong ; to bind, restrain, conquer: • This verb is found 290 times in the O.T. • This word describes the physical and moral strength of man and society. • God communicates strength to men, even to the enemies of His people as chastisement for His own. - 2 Chr 16:9 • Yet, men may turn still their strength into stubbornness against God. "For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him...

9. The famine was over all the face of the earth, and Joseph opened all the storehouses and sold to the Egyptians. And the famine became severe in the land of Egypt. • The word first occurs in Gen. 41:56 • In the sense of personal strength, chazaq(khaw‑zak'), is first used in Deut. 11:8 then Deut. 31:6 in the context of the covenant. • David displayed personal strength when he prevailed over Goliath. • The same encouragement was given to the returned captives as they renewed the work of rebuilding the temple. Deut 11:8 "Therefore you shall keep every commandment which I command you today, that you may be strong, and go in and possess the land which you cross over to possess, Deut 31:6 "Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the LORD your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you." 1 Sam 17:50 So David prevailed over the Philistine with a sling and a stone, and struck the Philistine and killed him. But there was no sword in the hand of David. Zech 8:9 "Thus says the LORD of hosts: 'Let your hands be strong, you who have been hearing in these days these words by the mouth of the prophets, who spoke in the day the foundation was laid for the house of the LORD of hosts, that the temple might be built.

10. HOW CAN WE BE STRONG TODAY? This is the PRIMARY commandment! KEEP His commandments! This is how we SHOW our love ! LOVE GOD! Mark 12:28-30 Then one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, perceiving that He had answered them well, asked Him, "Which is the first commandment of all?" 29 Jesus answered him, "The first of all the commandments is: 'Hear, O Israel, the LORD our God, the LORD is one. 30 And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment. 2 John 6 This is love, that we walk according to His commandments. This is the commandment, that as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it. 1 John 5:3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome.

11. LOVE YOUR BROTHER This is the second great command. Mk 12:31 And the second, like it, is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these."

12. LOVE YOUR BROTHER This is the second great command. Mk 12:31 We don’t love God unless we do. 1 Jn 4:20-21 If someone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? 21 And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also.

13. LOVE YOUR BROTHER This is the second great command. Mk 12:31 We don’t love God unless we do. 1 Jn 4:20-21 Help one another. Gal 6:1-2 Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted. 2 Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

14. LOVE YOUR BROTHER This is the second great command. Mk 12:31 We don’t love God unless we do. 1 Jn 4:20-21 Help one another. Gal 6:1-2 Be like minded. Rom 15:5-7

15. Rom 15:5-7 Now may the God of patience and comfort grant you to be like-minded toward one another, according to Christ Jesus, 6 that you may with one mind and one mouth glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. 7 Therefore receive one another, just as Christ also received us, to the glory of God.

16. LOVE YOUR BROTHER This is the second great command. Mk 12:31 We don’t love God unless we do. 1 Jn 4:20-21 Help one another. Gal 6:1-2 Be like minded. Rom 15:5-7 This love shows our discipleship. Jn 13:34-35

17. John 13:34-35 A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. 35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

18. LOVE YOUR BROTHER This is the second great command. Mk 12:31 We don’t love God unless we do. 1 Jn 4:20-21 Help one another. Gal 6:1-2 Be like minded. Rom 15:5-7 This love shows our discipleship. Jn 13:34-35 Love must increase over time. 1 Thes 4:9-10

19. 1 Thes 4:9-10 But concerning brotherly love you have no need that I should write to you, for you yourselves are taught by God to love one another; 10 and indeed you do so toward all the brethren who are in all Macedonia. But we urge you, brethren, that you increase more and more;

20. LOVE YOUR BROTHER This is the second great command. Mk 12:31 We don’t love God unless we do. 1 Jn 4:20-21 Help one another. Gal 6:1-2 Be like minded. Rom 15:5-7 This love shows our discipleship. Jn 13:34-35 Love must increase over time. 1 Thes 4:9-10 This love must be pure. 1 Pet 1:22-23

21. 1 Peter 1:22-23 Since you have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit in sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart, 23 having been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever,

22. LOVE YOUR BROTHER This is the second great command. Mk 12:31 We don’t love God unless we do. 1 Jn 4:20-21 Help one another. Gal 6:1-2 Be like minded. Rom 15:1-7 This love shows our discipleship. Jn 13:34-36 Love must increase over time. 1 Thes 4:9-10 This love must be pure. 1 Pet 1:22-23 Jesus commanded this from the start. 2 J n 5

23. 2 John 5 And now I plead with you, lady, not as though I wrote a new commandment to you, but that which we have had from the beginning: that we love one another.

24. BE PREPARED TO FIGHT SATAN • 1 Cor 16:13 Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong. • No soldier goes to war unprepared - intensive training, battle gear Eph 6:10‑17

25. TEACH YOUR CHILDREN GOD’S WORD • It’s in your job description. Eph 6:4 And you, fathers, do not provoke your children to wrath, but bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord.

26. TEACH YOUR CHILDREN GOD’S WORD • It’s in your job description. Eph 6:4 • No slackness is allowed. Deut 6:6-7 • "And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. 7 You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up.

27. TEACH YOUR CHILDREN GOD’S WORD • It’s in your job description. Eph 6:4 • No slackness is allowed. Deut 6:6-7 • Encourage your children to marry Christians • Ezra 9:10‑15

28. Ezra 9:10- 15 And now, O our God, what shall we say after this? For we have forsaken Your commandments, which You commanded by Your servants the prophets, saying, 'The land which you are entering to possess is an unclean land, with the uncleanness of the peoples of the lands, with their abominations which have filled it from one end to another with their impurity. • Now therefore, do not give your daughters as wives for their sons, nor take their daughters to your sons; and never seek their peace or prosperity, that you may be strong and eat the good of the land, and leave it as an inheritance to your children forever.'

29. And after all that has come upon us for our evil deeds and for our great guilt, since You our God have punished us less than our iniquities deserve, and have given us such deliverance as this, should we again break Your commandments, and join in marriage with the people committing these abominations? Would You not be angry with us until You had consumed us, so that there would be no remnant or survivor? • O LORD God of Israel, You are righteous, for we are left as a remnant, as it is this day. Here we are before You, in our guilt, though no one can stand before You because of this!"

30. TEACH YOUR CHILDREN GOD’S WORD • It’s in your job description. Eph 6:4 • No slackness is allowed. Deut 6:6-7 • Encourage your children to marry Christians • Ezra 9:10‑15 • 2 Cor 6:14

31. 2 Cor 6:14 Do not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. For what fellowship has righteousness with lawlessness? And what communion has light with darkness?

32. RECOGNIZE THE POWER AND PURPOSE OF THE CHURCH Dan 2:40‑45

33. Dan 2:44-45 And in the days of these kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed; and the kingdom shall not be left to other people; it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever. • 45 Inasmuch as you saw that the stone was cut out of the mountain without hands, and that it broke in pieces the iron, the bronze, the clay, the silver, and the gold -- the great God has made known to the king what will come to pass after this. The dream is certain, and its interpretation is sure."

34. RECOGNIZE THE POWER AND PURPOSE OF THE CHURCH Dan 2:40‑45 Acts 20:28

35. Acts 20:28 Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own blood.

36. APPLICATION • HOW STRONG ARE YOU? • Do you love God? • Do you love your brother? • Are you prepared to fight Satan? • Are you teaching your children God’s word? • Do you understand the power and purpose of the church?

37. Become strong through your faith in Christ. • Believe and obey him. Acts 3:11‑19 (Let’s Read together)

38. Acts 3:11-20 • Now as the lame man who was healed held on to Peter and John, all the people ran together to them in the porch which is called Solomon's, greatly amazed. • So when Peter saw it, he responded to the people: "Men of Israel, why do you marvel at this? Or why look so intently at us, as though by our own power or godliness we had made this man walk?

39. The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the God of our fathers, glorified His Servant Jesus, whom you delivered up and denied in the presence of Pilate, when he was determined to let Him go. • But you denied the Holy One and the Just, and asked for a murderer to be granted to you, 1and killed the Prince of life, whom God raised from the dead, of which we are witnesses.

40. And His name, through faith in His name, has made this man strong, whom you see and know. Yes, the faith which comes through Him has given him this perfect soundness in the presence of you all. • "Yet now, brethren, I know that you did it in ignorance, as did also your rulers. • But those things which God foretold by the mouth of all His prophets, that the Christ would suffer, He has thus fulfilled.

41. Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord,

42. Have the strength to obey Him NOW !