Three P’s of Success as Christians

John 21:15-19

1. Introduction
   1. I recently got to hear Homer Hickam (author of Rocket Boys) speak
      1. He spoke about being successful, and he is qualified to be able to speak about success
      2. From his own experiences he identified three crucial qualities that make for success.
      3. Though he spoke from his own experience, he assured us the formula works in all pursuits.
   2. He described the three P’s of success: Passion, Plan, Perseverance
   3. To be successful in living the Christian life, we need the same three P’s.
      1. The principle is the true in general, and in our spiritual lives as well.
      2. In John 21:15-19, Jesus calls Peter to these same P’s of success.
      3. Let’s look at these three P’s of success and what they mean for disciples of Christ.
2. Passion
   1. Jesus asked Peter: “Do you love me?”
      1. Why ask this question? In short, because the answer is pivotal.
      2. Jesus knows that disciples must be motivated to follow by love. (Mark 12:30)
      3. A deep love is essential for effective service (Matt. 6:24)
   2. A Christians spiritual success requires passion
      1. Christians must have a passion for God (Jude 1:21)
      2. We must have a passion for a heavenly home (Luke 13:24; Heb. 4:11)
      3. We must have a passion for our kingdom to thrive, for our side to gain others
3. Plan
   1. Jesus revealed that He had two plans as a result of Peter’s affirmation.
      1. Jesus had a plan for Peter: to proclaim His message (Acts 2:14,ff)
      2. Jesus had a plan for His sheep: to receive the knowledge of salvation
   2. Christians must follow Jesus’ plan for our lives in order to succeed
      1. We must know of Jesus’ plan in order to reach heaven. (Jas 1:21; Rom 10:17); Eph. 3:4-5)
      2. We must apply our knowledge in a practical way
         1. The plan of good news is meant to be obeyed (2 Thes. 1:8; 1 Pet. 4:17; Rom 10:16)
         2. We must apply the plan to ourselves so that we can live godly lives ( 2 Tim 3:16-17)
         3. We impart a knowledge of the plan to others (Romans 10:14-15)
4. Perseverance
   1. Jesus warned that Peter must persevere as a disciple.
      1. Peter’s painful denial was his reaction to intimidation; Jesus stated he would face it again
      2. Could Peter have withstood this challenge to his discipleship without perseverance? (Acts 5:29;40-41)
   2. Christians must persevere in the face of opposition to following Jesus
      1. We will be opposed by those who want us to go a different direction. (Matt. 10:34-37)
      2. We must look past failures, keep looking at the goal. (Phil. 3;8-14)
5. Conclusion
   1. We wouldn’t have gotten to space without those who had passion, a plan, and perseverance.
   2. Peter would not have been a successful apostle without the three P’s
   3. We won’t achieve our journey to heaven without passion for God, obedience to His plan, and a persevering faith.

August 23, 2009