In John chapter 16 and verse 33. Jesus said these things I have
spoken to you that in me, you may have peace in the world.
You will have tribulation, but be of good cheer.
I have overcome the world. I think we can understand today
that we can overcome the world, it is possible and I realized we
all have struggles and we all have things that are weaknesses
and sometimes things pull us in the opposite direction in the
way that we should go. But Jesus so long ago said I
have overcome the world. The question is, can we?
Here's our points and then we will talk about these things
individually very briefly, but I'll give you the Four Points in
the four reasons why we can overcome the world that here.
They They are number one because God has given us the power
number two because Faith gives us the victory.
Number three, the World shows us the alternative.
And number 4, we can because the results of overcoming give us
motivation in our life, my aim for just a little while.
In this lesson is to encourage us to be faithful and be
faithful. Living all the days of our life
showing that we can overcome the world and the rewards Doing so
are great in John chapter 16 though in our passage and your
introductory passage. I want to talk about the word
tribulation there for just a moment now.
I realized that sometimes today it is misunderstood about the
days of tribulation. You've heard me preach on this
recently, about tribulation sometimes, people think this
there when the Revelation letter talks about tribulation and so
forth is talking about the last few days before the Lord comes
back. And we're going through the age
or the days of tribulation. Let me ask you a question.
Are we in the days of tribulation today?
Yes, but Jesus was speaking to other people, wasn't he?
He was speaking in John chapter 16 and verse 33.
He was talking to his disciples. He said you disciples in ad 33
are going to have tribulation. So when what are the days of
tribulation, it began in a t-33, it is in the church age and it
will last until the Lord comes back and we will have
tribulation in our life. So what he's saying is he says I
have overcome the world and that is the context of our passage.
Jesus overcame the world through his death.
Paul said in Galatians chapter 1 and verse 4.
Who gave himself for our sins that he might Deliver Us from
this present evil age, according to the will of God.
Our father in 1st, John Chapter 2, John sums up the power of the
world. And he says, do not love the
world or the things that are in the world.
If anyone loves the world, the love of the father is not in him
for all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust
of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the father, but
is of the The world and the world is passing away and the
lust of it, but he who does the will of God abides forever.
So overcoming, the world is overcoming the sin.
That is in the world. Question is, can we do that?
Like Jesus said that he did. Can we overcome the world?
The answer is yes. Reason.
Number one. Because God gives us the power.
I want to make a point here that.
I think it's very important. You've heard me say, And the
older I get, the more I believe this.
The more I'm convinced of this, the older I get.
I do believe we are all broken. But what do I mean?
When I say that what I mean, when I say that is, we're all
imperfect, we all make mistakes, we all sin.
We don't ever get to a point where we Elevate ourselves and
say, you know what, it could never happen to me.
It just happens to the week folks.
Because guess what, we can check all the boxes, and we could be
at all the services. And we could say, we really got
it figured out, but the Bible says, take heed.
He that said that stands lest he fall.
If you think? You stand or don't think hire
yourself than you ought to think sometimes when we think that way
we fell just then because of our arrogance or our pride.
So I believe that we are all broken and yet we're going to
talk about the idea of power and God giving power.
I believe this too and again the older I get the more I'm
convinced. when we are vulnerable to God, which I
believe he wants us to be that's when God shows up.
When we say to God, I'm nothing without you.
I can't do this without you. I need your strength.
I need from whatever you can give I need the peace.
That passes all understanding. I need it from you.
I need that when we're vulnerable to God I believe he
wants us to be that way then that's when we have God's
strength and that's how we can persevere and that's how we can
overcome God is in us and he gives us the power to overcome
and first John chapter 4 beginning in verse four.
You are of God little children and have overcome them because
he who is in, you is greater than he who is in the world.
They are of the world, therefore, they speak as of the
world and the world hears them, we are of God, he who knows.
God hears us, he who is not of, God does not hear us but this we
know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error God's power is
in his word in Romans 1:16 for I am not ashamed of the gospel of
Christ. For it is the power of God, to
Salvation to everyone, who believes to the Jew first.
And also, to the Greek or the Gentile, another passage found
in Hebrews 4:12, for the word of God is living and powerful, and
sharper than any two-edged sword piercing.
Even to the division of Soul, and Spirit and of joints.
And Marrow, and is a discerner of Of the thoughts and intents
of the heart. So we overcome by having a
knowledge of God's word. Second Timothy, 3:16 and 17.
All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is
profitable for Doctrine for reproof for correction for
instruction. In righteousness.
That the man of God may be complete thoroughly equipped for
every good work. So can we overcome?
Absolutely? Because God gives us the power
and the power is in his word. Now me just say this to before
we go any further don't ever doubt.
The Fulfillment of what God has promised.
If God has promised something he is promised his power through
his word, he is Promised strength through his word.
Then you have to accept that and believe that don't doubt that
can we overcome absolutely why number one because God gives us
the power but then there's more number two because Faith gives
us the victory. In first John chapter 5
beginning in verse 44, for whatever is born of God.
Whoever is born of God, Overcomes the world.
And this is the victory that has overcome the world.
Our faith. Who is he?
That overcomes the world but he who believes that Jesus is the
son of God. So interestingly, the one that
gets to overcome the world is the one that is born of God.
That's number one. Okay.
How do you get that? I'll just set the stage.
We know these passages, we know these passages very, very well
and John chapter 3 very briefly. Now When Jesus was talking to
Nicodemus and he told, Nicodemus, you have to be born
again. Nicodemus says, how is that
possible? What about an older person?
Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb and be
born? And Jesus said he, that is born
of the flesh is flesh. He that is born of the spirit is
spirit, and then he said, you must be born again.
And then Jesus says, how you do that, he said, it's by being
born of water and the spirit and the That's being baptized.
So stay with me on this. This is a great promise Faith.
Gives us the victory, but the one that overcomes is the one
that is born of God. The one that is born of God is
the one that is born again. And the one that is Born Again,
is the one who is baptized for the remission of sins.
Saying, all of that, notice what Peter says having been born
again not of corruptible seed, but Incorruptible through the
word of God which lives and abides forever.
In First Peter, chapter 1 in verse 3 now.
Blessed. Be the God and father of our
Lord. Jesus Christ.
Who according to His, abundant Mercy, has begotten us again to
a Living Hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ
from the dead. So, We can overcome because
Faith gives us the victory. Notice this, the manifestation
of our faith is being born of God.
That's first and foremost. And that happens when we're born
again or baptized for the remission of sins, K, the object
of our faith is Jesus Christ. And Faith gives us the victory
like that song use. We used to sing that overcomes
the world. Number three, we can overcome
because the world gives the alternative.
I think it's important to understand who the enemy is.
Don't you? We don't wrestle with flesh and
blood. We don't do that, but we are in
a spiritual battle. We really are In fact, Satan is
trying to get us every day. He is the great tempter and I
think it's important to remember who the enemy is, if you're
going to be in any kind of battle, the enemy is the devil.
Satan is the one who controls the world.
He's the one that does that in first John chapter 5 and verse
19. We know that we are of God and
the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.
There's nothing good about Satan.
You know, people say that there's good in everybody, maybe
that's true in some sort of way, I don't know.
But I will tell you this, there's no good and Satan at
all. And when Satan in the third of
the hosts of Heaven were cast out because of sinful pride and
thrown down or cast down into pits of Darkness, awaiting the
resurrection. I'm telling you, there's no good
answer. Satan at all and he wants to
take as many people with them to the Lake of Fire one day as he
can. He's the father of lives in
John. 8:44, you are of your father, the devil and the
desires of your father. You want to do, he was a
murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth
because there's no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks
from his own resources for he is a liar and the father of it.
Satan is the adversary and the Devourer or two and First Peter,
chapter 5 and verse 8, be sober be vigilant because your
adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion seeking whom
he may devour. He's a deceiver to 2nd
Corinthians 11:14 and no wonder for Satan himself, transforms
himself into an angel of Light. What's that mean?
Does that mean when Satan transforms himself?
Into an angel of Light. What's that talking about?
You can read a number of commentaries where they would
offer a number of explanations. But I think what we can do is to
be really safe, is look at the context in which Paul wrote this
Paul is writing to them and speaking about false Apostles
and just right before this, he speaking about these false
Apostles and he said they actually transformed himself.
False Apostles into the picture of a real Apostle.
And then he says this but it's no wonder because even Satan
transforms himself into an angel of Light.
Now, Paul was not saying that a false Apostle actually
transforms himself and becomes a good Apostle or apostle from
God. And he's not saying that the
devil is transforming himself and literally becoming an angel
of Light, what he's talking. Body is they do what they do and
appear to be good or appear to be from God when really they're
not. Remember this to Satan has three
forms to Temp, man, three forms. And he is cunning and crafty,
but the three forms in which he tempts.
Man, is as a son at a, as a subtle serpent as a roaring lion
and an angel of Light. And you know sometimes sometimes
a false teacher for example could appear like what he's
saying is good or he's from God. You know the world is filled
with in history is filled with men that have said that they
have some new revelation or this is something new that came from
God. All they're doing is acting as
though, they're from God, but they're not and Satan would love
that. Satan would love us to think
that what's being, were being tempted with is from God, and
it's really for our own good, when it's not.
So saying all of that, I'll just say one final statement.
Along that line, if it violates the word of God, and it doesn't
come from the word of God, from a religious perspective.
It cannot be from God regardless of the good that we might think
it is doing now. Also remember this, too.
Very sobering, it's possible for the world to overcome us.
It really is to overcome us. If we're not careful a very
familiar passage found in 2nd Peter chapter 2 beginning in
verse 19, while they promise them Liberty, they themselves
are slaves of corruption for by whom a person is overcome by
him. Also, he is brought into
bondage, for if, after they have escaped, the pollutions of the
world, through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior, Jesus
Christ. They are again, entangled in
them and overcome. The latter end is worse for them
than the beginning for. It would have been better for
them to not have known the way of righteousness than having
known it, and turn from the holy commandment delivered to them.
But it has happened to them. According to the true proverb, a
dog returns to his own vomit and a cell having washed to her
wallowing in the mire. Now, I'll tell you, I don't
think, I don't think that. it's a worse punishment for somebody
that Turns their back. On the Lord.
End of that person is lost. I don't think there's a worse
punishment in for that person in somebody that never knew.
That is lost. I think if you're lost, you're
lost. And I think he'll was just hell.
But I think when it talks about, it's better for them not to
know, or to worse for them to have known and then gone back.
I think it's the memory that you didn't have to be there for
eternity, it's the memory that you had the truth.
You had the word of God, you had salvation, but you've gone back
and I think that feeling or that thought forever, it's worse than
somebody that never knew. And I think that's what he's
talking about to know forever. You know one of the great things
about Heaven. I believe we lose our memories
of all the bad things we ever knew.
Wouldn't that be great? What it be great to go to heaven
and no longer have heartache, or have memories of all the
terrible things that perhaps we've gone through in Life, or
are in life. The Bible says there's no tears
in heaven, so we can't have sorrowful thoughts.
But I think there's one thing for a person that has lost that
they never lose and that's their memory.
Remember that the rich man knew exactly his fate and he knew
where his brothers were too and he wanted to warn them, but it
was too late. It was too late for him to say
anything from where he was. So can we overcome absolutely?
And one of the reasons is because the World shows the
alternative and Satan is the great temperature of that but
fourthly and finally we can overcome because the results of
overcoming gives us motivation and I'm just going to give five
passages. And I'm not going to comment on
these passages, this this will actually make the point that I
want to make. So here is the results of
overcoming and it gives us motivation.
He who has an ear Revelation, 2 and 7.
Let him hear what the spirit says, to the churches to him who
overcomes, I will give to eat from the Tree of Life.
Number two, he that overcomes according to Revelation 2 and 11
shall not be hurt by the second death.
He who overcomes Revelation 3 and 5.
Jesus says, I will confess his name before my father, and
before his angels, we can overcome because in Revelation,
3:21, he who overcomes, I will grant to sit with me on my
throne. And finally Revelation 21 and 7,
he who overcomes shall inherit all things.
And I will be his God and he shall be my son.
So finally in conclusion, Do we desire?
These wonderful blessings. Do we despise the awfulness of
the world? Do we desire to be victorious?
Through faithful living. Do we desire God's power in our
lives? If this is your desire, you can
overcome. And so can I we can overcome the
world by God's power. And God's power is revealed
through his word, we can do. So by our Victorious Faith,
where Jesus is the object of that, and by rejecting the
alternative Satan's in charge of the world and the world offers
absolutely nothing. And finally, we can overcome I'm
by allowing the results of Victory to motivate us in our
life and we can overcome the sinful things of the world.
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