1. Introduction
   1. In my years of growing up, I remember my parents telling me that life has a way of growing you up quickly.
   2. For those who are called and chosen, there are a lot of realities that you and I are faced with from the time we are growing to the time our lives will end.
   3. There are many hard choices in life that we must live through to succeed. There are many lessons that are being taught through life’s experience.
   4. The hard lessons and staunch reality is do we take heed and learn from our mistakes? Do we learn to overcome to succeed in this life?
   5. Prior to accepting Jesus as my own personal savior in 1981, I felt I was just drifting through life, waiting for the next challenge or storm.
   6. I learned that I could be an over comer not just a drifter. I could have reason and purpose to live this life to its fullest to succeed and have what the bible calls the abundant blessing.
   7. It taught me that obedience is equal to sacrifice. Putting things in priority, understanding and learning the lessons that life has to offer.
   8. Going to school and being educated as the two coincide, and work together as a team, molding and shaping one’s life.
   9. We must all take responsibility to live this life to its fullest. We need to learn when we’re not being encouraged, that the One who will always encourage us is Jesus.
   10. We must always remember that we’re never walking alone in this life as a Christian but Jesus is always walking alongside of us.
   11. When someone doesn’t take any responsibility and just drifts through life, his life is meaningless and without purpose.
   12. That’s not what God designed us to be. No matter if you’re homeless, or living in a mansion, we must take responsibility to succeed and know that the successor is watching our every move, helping us make every decision and facing the reality of this life.. Now let us look into our study today.

 

2. When I say we’re facing the reality of this life, what is God saying?
   1. As we face the reality of life, and the challenges, and ups and downs that come our way, God wants us to know that He is always with us. Deuteronomy 31:8: And the Lord, he it is that doth go before thee; he will be with thee, he will not fail thee, neither forsake thee: fear not, neither be dismayed. Wherever this life takes you, you need never to be afraid or dismayed, because you have a friend that goes with you wherever you go.
   2. Whatever responsibilities you take on in this life, you need not to try to do it in your own strength. Philippians 4:13: I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. If you are living to serve Jesus Christ, He will give you the enduement of power from on high, or the strength to carry out His Will.
   3. When thinking about facing the reality of life, think of it as a race that you are called to run. Hebrews 12:1: Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Are you laying aside everything that hinders you in your walk with God and running the race He has called you to?

 

3. What does it mean when I say the reality of life?
   1. The reality of life is the ups, downs, traps, trials, triumphs, and lessons of what we see, hear, and experience in the life we live.
   2. The reality of life is truth, which God tells us we are to stand on not the cosmos fairytale the world is in today. 2nd Timothy 4:4: And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. We face the reality of life by standing on the truth of the gospel, and applying it to our everyday life

 

4. What does it mean to succeed?
   1. The Bible defines success as walking in God’s way, and is motivated by love for God, empowered by the Spirit of God, and obedience to the word ofGod.
   2. It also refers to the advancement of the Kingdom. The Bible says this, “And now, Israel, what doth the Lord thy God require of thee, but to fear the Lord thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul,” (Deuteronomy 10:12). If you are endeavoring to serve God with all of your heart and soul, you will have real success.

 

5. Why does God want us to be responsible for our actions?
   1. God will hold each of us responsible for what we have done in this life when we stand before Him. Romans 14:12: So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. Our choices have long lasting consequences, and we will be accountable in the end.
   2. Even every word we say is stored up and we will give an account of it before God. Matthew 12:36: But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment. Do our words give life, or do they tear down, encourage, or discourage? We will give an account for every word.
   3. None of us are exempt from responsibility as we will all appear before the judgment seat of Christ. 2nd Corinthians 5:10: For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. There we will give account for what we could have done, should have done, and didn’t do at all in this life.

 

6. Maybe you’ve lived a life that in the beginning was meaningless and unfruitful, just drifting.
   1. If this is you, you might have felt like the Preacher in Ecclesiastes. For example, Ecclesiastes 1:2: Vanity of vanities, saith the Preacher, vanity of vanities; all is vanity. If you are just drifting, not finding meaning and purpose, this describes your outlook.

 

 

1. Another verse that the drifter through life can relate to is Ecclesiastes 1:14: I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit. If your life is meaningless and you are drifting along, you need to commit your life to Jesus Christ, get in that Word, and begin to fulfill your calling and destiny.

 

7. When you became a Christian, did anything change?
   1. Did you change? If you sincerely committed your life to Christ, this should be your testimony. 2nd Corinthians 5:17: Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. As one who has been born-again, old sinful desires and habits should be going away, and you will become more and more Christ-like.
   2. Are you responsible? Are you faithful? Proverbs 28:20: A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent. Do you want to succeed? Some do and some don’t. It’s a shame.

 

8. Are you seeking God for your every direction? Do you include God in your every decision?

 

 

1. Jesus encourages us all to seek the kingdom of God and His Righteousness first, and then everything else we need will be provided. Matthew 6:33: But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. When we put God first, we are blessed and lack for nothing.
2. Do we include Him in every decision, and seek His Will and Direction? Isaiah 30:21: And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left. God is not going to hide His Will from us if we are diligently seeking Him and studying His Word? We will hear His Voice saying “this is the way. Walk in it.”

 

9. Who in the bible faced the harsh realities of life?
   1. Ananias and Sapphira made a choice to lie and deceive, and faced the harsh reality of their life coming to an abrupt end. Acts 5:1-2: But a certain man named Ananias, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles’ feet. Peter confronted them with their deception and instead of living a victorious Christian life, their lives came to a sudden end.
   2. Job faced the harsh reality of life, in that he was greatly blessed, and one day, everything was taken from him. Here’s just a small portion of what happened to Job. Job 1:18-20: While he was yet speaking, there came also another, and said, Thy sons and thy daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house: And, behold, there came a great wind from the wilderness, and smote the four corners of the house, and it fell upon the young men, and they are dead; and I only am escaped alone to tell thee. Then Job arose, and rent his mantle, and shaved his head, and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped, Notice that Job responded to all of the difficulties that came on this day, not by getting upset with God, but by worshipping. Job had a long road ahead of him, but he faced the reality of life with worship. How about you?
   3. Peter faced the harsh realities of life, and did not always make the best choices. For example,he would deny the very Lord he swore he would die for. Matthew 26:73-75: And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely thou also art one of them; for thy speech betrayeth thee. Then began he to curse and to swear, saying,    I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew. And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And he went out, and wept bitterly. Now Peter was restored, and was used mightily by God later on, but again would have to be rebuked by Paul.
   4. Moses had a burden to free his people from the bondage in Egypt. One day he saw an Egyptian hitting one of his brothers. Moses killed the Egyptian. Then the next day, 2 of his people were in conflict, and he tried to intervene. Exodus 2:14-15: And he said, Who made thee a prince and a judge over us? intendest thou to kill me, as thou killedst the Egyptian? And Moses feared, and said, Surely this thing is known. Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian: and he sat down by a well. He would later come back to free his people, but in God’s Way and Time, not his own.

 

10. Who succeeded and finished, who made the sacrifice and stood the test of time and fought the good fight of faith until the end?

 

 

1. Apostle Paul had this as his testimony as he neared the finish line of the race He was called to run. 2nd Timothy 4:7: I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: As you face the realities of life every day, is this your testimony?
2. Paul said he fought a good fight. We are called to fight the good fight of faith. 1st Timothy 4:12: Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses. Have you laid hold on eternal life and professed your testimony of salvation before many witnesses?
3. Paul said that he finished his course. This Christian life is often referred to as a race that we run. 1st Corinthians 9:24: Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. The prize is the blessing of our Lord Jesus Christ, when He will one day say “well done, my good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of the Lord.” Paul said “I have kept the faith.” Is this true of you, as you face the reality of life?

 

11. Stop and think about this for a minute.
    1. Through all the realities, twists and turns that this life brings us, are you standing? 1st Thessalonians 3:8: For now we live, if ye stand fast in the Lord. Are you standing fast on the inerrant Word of our Lord, living by it every day?
    2. Are you relying on the King? Proverbs 3:5-6: Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Are you consulting with him on a daily basis in your every decision?
    3. Are you walking with him daily? 1st Peter 5:7: Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you. Are you praying?
    4. Are you reading and studying? Psalm 119:11: Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. If you are doing these things I’ve spoken of, you can face the realities of life and be an overcomer, serving God right on to eternity!

 

12. Story: Jimmy’s Story
    1. I was born and raised in rural Georgia. I was the youngest of six siblings.
    2. It was a turbulent childhood—there were many alcoholics in my family. I come from a long line of addicts.
    3. When I was 12, one of my cousins got killed by a drunk driver, and then two years later, the same thing happened to one of my brothers.
    4. I never really dealt with the trauma from either of those deaths, and I had a lot of anger.
    5. I ended up using drugs as a teenager in the 1980s. I hated alcohol because of what it had done my family, the way it killed my brother.
    6. I kept using drugs and going in and out of unhealthy relationships. I got married, divorced, and lost my kids because of the drug use.
    7. I ended up going to jail, going to a couple of rehabs, but I kept holding a grudge against the man that killed my brother. In 2019, I stopped the drugs.
    8. That same year, my other brother dies on me. I went to clean his house out, and he had alcohol there, and I started drinking it.
    9. I started drinking real heavy. Alcohol was my drug of choice from 2019 to 2022. I was stuck in a vicious cycle of addiction.
    10. I came to the end of my rope when I realized that I had no one left to turn to, to help me.
    11. I decided I wanted a change. On March 7, 2022, I came to this House. Since then, I’ve been through the 12 steps.
    12. Meeting with the counselors and advocates has really shown me what my problems are.
    13. I just don’t suffer from one addiction, I suffer from multiple addictions. I learned that I had to forgive the man that killed my brother.
    14. I did that, and God started working on me. You can’t change one thing about your life, you’ve got to change your whole outlook.
    15. I don’t go on social media anymore. I don’t listen to the same songs I listened to. I don’t hang around the people I hung around with.
    16. God has really changed my entire outlook on life. I’ve learned to have healthy boundaries with my family.
    17. Many of them are still in their addictions, but I don’t judge them. Last Thanksgiving, I went home and showed them how God changed me.
    18. I prayed aloud and said, “God, thank you for taking the chain of addiction off my family, and thank you for the ones that you ain’t done yet.
    19. I am now serving as a Servant Leader at the House, which is like a mentor for the new guys coming in.
    20. I want to become a Certified Peer Specialist and help other men suffering from addiction.
    21. Jesus has saved my life, and I’m a different person than I was. God’s all in this place.
    22. God set me down here, and opened my eyes here, and showed me. You can feel his presence here. I know I have a bright future ahead.
    23. The man in this story started out trying to escape the reality of life, but at the end, he became successful as an overcomer, sold out to Jesus Christ. What about you today?

 

13. Maybe you don’t know this but God wants you to succeed more than you’ll ever want to succeed yourself.
    1. When facing the reality of life, what have you learned as a Christian? What have you done as a Christian?
    2. Who have you led to the Lord?
    3. What are the great lessons that life has given you to share with the world when those are facing the harsh realities of life?