problems as challenges he has to overcome. We need to recognize and acknowledge the problem. The problem is the influence of the world.

Transcription

1 HOW CAN I HAVE THE VICTORY? 1 JOHN 5: 4-5 The one thing that men, women, boys and girls need is victory over the world. Why? Because the world is full of... suffering disease accidents hate bitterness murder war arguments backbiters pride arrogance. immorality destroyed families wickedness drugs drunkenness envy hunger homelessness pain hurt selfishness greedthen there is the most fatal blow of all: corruption and death. Without exception we are all corrupt and we all die. The one thing that man needs above all else is victory over the world with all its corruption and death. How then can we triumph and conquer the world? How can we overcome the world? By believing that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. When a person believes that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, God gives him a new heart. He is "born of God" spiritually born of God. It is his faith that overcomes the world. 1 JOHN 5: 4-5 For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. 5 Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God? PRAY. The followers of Jesus have been given different names over the centuries. At first, they were described as followers of the way. Then at Antioch, they were called Christians which means Christ-ones (Acts 11:26). The most common word for those committed to Jesus is disciple, which means a learner (Matt 5:1). In his epistle, Paul addressed the Christians as Saints, those set apart for God (Rom 1:7) They are also called believers (Acts 5:14) beloved (1 John 3:2) or children of God (Rom 8: 16-17) Each name describes a distinctive characteristic of those who followed Christ. In our text today, John suggests another name for Christians; overcomers. A Christian is one who overcomes. This description of a Christian is confirmed in other places throughout the New Testament. In the book of The Revelation it says this about the saints of God. They overcame him because of the blood of the lamb and because of

2 the word of their testimony. (Rev 12:11) Paul wrote to the Romans; But in all these things, we overwhelmingly conquer through Him that loved us (Rom 8:37) To the Corinthians, Paul urged that they give thanksgiving to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 corth 15:57). God s children are to be overcomers. We are to experience victory in our Christians lives. What does it take to be an overcomer? What does it take to experience that victory? Notice how John answers that question in our text. An overcomer; 1) ACKNOWLEDGES THE PROBLEM First of all, an overcomer is one who acknowledges the problem. The word overcomer implies that something stands in our way. We are confronted by an obstacle. We have problem s that we have to overcome. An overcomer is not one who breezes through life without any opposition or obstacles. An overcomer is one who realizes that each day will present another problem, another barrier, another obstacle that stands in our way, another opponent who criticizes him/her. He recognizes the problem and sets out to deal with it. Weather or not we are overcomers has nothing to do with the level of difficulties from the circumstances around us. It has everything to do with the commitment inside us. Everyone has circumstances. The key is what to do with those circumstances. Things happen to everyone. The key is, what happens when they do happen? These problems must be overcome to win the victory in our Christian lives. What are the problems that Christians have to overcome? Three times in our text, John says that the Christian overcomes the world. Our problem is the world. What is the world? It is satan and his plans. The world is sin and it s pressures. The world is suffering and it s pain. The world is sensuality and it s pleasure. The world is anything and everything that stands in opposition to God.

3 What does the world do? (The word World translates KOSMOS as used in our text, it refers to all forces opposing the new life principle found in Christ. ) The world tries to destroy the Christian witness, our Godly desires, and the world tries to confuse our value system. It tries to dilute our interest in God s Word. It tries to squeeze us into a mold, to draw us away from God and Godly thinking. The problem of a Christian is the world which temps us to forget who we are and whose we are and to live beneath our privileges. A man approached a little boy at a little league game having arrived late. He asked the boy in the dugout, what the score was. The boy said 10 to nothing and we re behind. The man said, boy, I ll bet you are discouraged aren t you? The boy replied, Why should I be, we haven t been up to bat yet? That s the spirit of our text. The true Christian is surrounded by problems but he is not discouraged. He sees those problems as challenges he has to overcome. We need to recognize and acknowledge the problem. The problem is the influence of the world. An overcomer; 2) ACCEPTS THE PROMISE John says in 1 John 5:4, and again in verse 5 for emphasis, that the Christian can overcome the world. That is the promise in God s Word. That means that we do not have to be defeated by the enemy, the devil. We do not have to be disgraced by sin. We do not have to be destroyed by suffering. We do not have to be distracted by sensuality. We can win the victory. We can overcome. That is the promise of God s Word. Let s refocus on that promise and stop walking through our life every day like we are wounded Christians in God s army. God has never been totally defeated in the past nor will HE be in the future. Listen, Joseph was in the dungeon but God released him, (Gen 41). The Hebrews were in slavery but God delivered them (Ex 1-15), David was overwhelmed by the guilt of his sins, but God forgave him, (Ps 51), Daniel was in the lions den but God preserved him (Dan 6) Jonah was in the belly of the fish but God retrieved him (Jonah 2). Peter was in the depths of

4 despair but God renewed him (Mark 14:72& John 21). Jesus was in the tomb but God raised him (John 20). No problem has ever been so great that God in His power could not overcome it. That is His promise to each of us too. What He has done in the past, He will do again today. Through the power of God in us, we can overcome. A young man in a wheel chair asked, do I have a future?. A friend answered, as a pole vaulter, no, as a man, yes. An overcomer accepts the promise of God that we can overcome and live in victory. An overcomer, 3) APPLIES THE PRINCIPLE. The promise of victory applies to those who apply the principle. What principle you ask? John answers that when he stated, This is the victory that has overcome the world, our faith. What is faith? All of life is lived by faith and every person has faith in something. We open a can of food and eat it because we have faith that it is preserved and is good, we have faith that when we get on an airplane, the pilot that is flying the plane (who we don t even know,) knows what he or she is doing.(on a plane that by the way was built by the lowest bidder) We have faith in a dr whose name often we cannot even pronounce, he gives us a prescription we cannot even read, we take it to pharmacist we don t even know, he gives us medicine that we do not understand, yet, we take it all on faith, right???? Faith means to trust in someone or something. That is the general kind of faith. John is not talking about this general kind of faith but rather a particular kind and is described in vs 5. He who overcomes the world, John explains, is he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. Christian faith means to put our faith in Jesus Christ. A faith in Jesus which causes us to believe in Him, talk to Him, walk with Him, and abide in Him- that faith is the key to overcoming the world. What does faith do?

5 First, faith makes available to us the presence of God. Because of our faith, we know that God is with us every step of the way, and the promise of His presence provides the victory. What else does faith do? Faith opens the power of God. Many years ago, a man went to a worlds fair and he saw a man at a distance that appeared to be pumping a hand water pump rapidly and lots of water gushing out. As he got closer, he saw that the man was really a wooden make up of a man and that actually, the water flowing was caused by an electric pump that brought the wooden man to action. The man was not pumping the water, the water was pumping the man. ] So it is with us as Christians, some may look at us and say they sure have the power, just look at the way he/she lives for God. When they get closer to us, they should see that the power is actually God living in us. His power is ample and available. Through faith, we plug into that power and it begins to move through us. That power provides victory, because 1 John 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. What else does Faith do? Faith reminds us of the plan of God. In the book of the Revelation, John describes a time in the future when the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and He will reign forever and ever. (Rev 11:15). God has initiated a plan for the world that is permanent and eternal. The things of the world will someday fade away and every knee will bow before Christ. Faith reminds us that the final victory belongs to God, and therefore faith encourages us to keep on going. Ga 6:9 And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. 2Th 3:13 But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing. Phil 4:13I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. The road to success is not straight There is a curve called failure A loop called confusion

6 Speed bumps called friends Red lights called enemies Caution lights called family You will have flats called Jobs But, if you have a spare called determination An engine called perserverence Insurance called faith And a driver whose name is JESUS You will make IT TO A PLACE CALLED SUCCESS!!! Do you believe that God is with you everywhere you go? Do you believe that God is able to provide for all your needs? Do you believe the things of God are permanent and eternal and that God will ultimately win the victory? Do you really have faith? ARE YOU WILLING TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE PROBLEM, ACCEPT THE PROMISE, APPLY THE PRINCIPLE? If you said yes and believe it, then you too can be an overcomer. If you couldn t say yes, why not trust in Him by faith right now? He has promises that include you if you will believe in Him. WILL YOU NOW? Simply believe Him in your heart. Ask Him to save you and be willing to tell others about that experience.