Hello, I'm Jack
McIntosh from Weimar Institute.
00:00:29.33\00:00:32.90
And today we're going to talk
about a very important topic.
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That topic is "The
subject of Overcoming."
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In the Book of Revelation
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"The subject of
Overcoming" is mentioned
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not once, but seven times.
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And so if we want to
have a good understanding
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of that we need to go
to that Book of Revelation
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to look at what
the Lord was driving
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at when he encouraged
us seven times to overcome.
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We're going to be looking
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at Chapter 3 verses 14
to the end of the Chapter.
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And we will begin, however,
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with just a brief prayer to
ask for His special blessing
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as we study that is
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very important
topic of Overcoming.
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Let's pray.
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Dear Father in Heaven,
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we know that Your sweet spirit
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is the only true
interpreter of the scriptures.
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And so today as
we open Your word
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to study the
important topic of Overcoming,
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we pray that You would bless us.
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We pray that You would
speak to us, instruct us,
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and teach us in
the way we should go.
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Guide us with Your eye.
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And remember Lord
that You promised us
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through the words of Christ
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that the Holy Spirit
would teach us all things
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and bring all
things to our remembrance
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in His name we pray. Amen.
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All right. So let's look
then at the topic of Overcoming.
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You know, in
most in many sermons
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I should say that I hear today,
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it's almost as if when you
accept the Lord Jesus Christ
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there is really
nothing else for us to do.
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In fact, I've
heard many people say,
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"We really have to
just let go and let God."
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And, in a very real
sense what they're saying is,
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there's really
nothing for us to do.
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God does
everything and we do nothing.
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But the plan of
redemption seems to require us
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to cooperate with God.
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It seems to require us
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to put on the full
armor of God for instance.
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It requires us to do
something about the condition
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of the poor and the
suffering around us.
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And it requires us to do
battle with our sinful nature
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so that we might overcome.
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But in a very, very specific way
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as we will see in a minute.
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We're looking now at
Revelation Chapter 3,
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and we will pick
it up at verse 14,
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the angel addresses or rather
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Jesus addresse
the Laodicean church.
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By the way, the
term Laodicean means
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the judging of the people.
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And so this is clearly being
addressed to the last church
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that will be in existence
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before the Lord Jesus
Christ returns to this earth.
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Notice what it says,
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"These are the
words of the Amen,
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the faithful and true witness,
the ruler of God's creation,"
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clearly an identification
of Christ Himself.
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"I know Your deeds,
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"That You are
neither cold nor hot.
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"I wish You were
either one or the other!
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"So, because You are lukewarm--
neither hot nor cold--
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I am about to reject You
or spit You out of my mouth."
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"You say, 'I am rich,
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I have acquired wealth
and do not need a thing.'
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"But You, meaning the church,
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"Do not realize
that You are wretched,
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pitiful, poor, blind and naked."
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That's a--that's a pretty
revealing indictment there
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of what the church in the
end of time is really like.
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And then He says, "I
counsel you to buy from Me
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"gold refined in the fire,
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"so that you can become rich,
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"and white
clothes or white Raymond,
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as the King James says, to wear,
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"so you can cover
your shameful nakedness."
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This is a pretty
discouraging picture,
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isn't it, of the last church.
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Then it goes on, "And
salve to put on your eyes,
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so that you can see."
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So we've a church that is blind,
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that is wretched, poor,
and miserable and naked,
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a very interesting
description of the last church.
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Now He says in verse 19.
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That was the bad
news. Here is the good news.
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The good news is this,
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"Those whom I love I
rebuke and discipline."
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In other words I
understand your condition,
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but I don't want you
to lose side of the fact
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that I'm in love with you.
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I want you to be
with me in my kingdom.
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And so when I
counsel you to buy new gold,
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fight in the fire,
and fight Raymond's
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and I saw to put on your eyes,
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I'm giving you a prescription
to an affect, remedy,
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this blindness and nakedness
and all of the other things
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that are happened
part of this indictment.
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"Those whom I love I rebuke
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and chosen so be
earnest and repent."
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Here it is, God
expects us to repent.
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Now of course, we all know that
we cannot repent without God.
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But we've to be at
least willing to repent.
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We're not willing to repent.
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There's no amount
of giving of repentance
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that God can do
that would actually
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move us toward repentance.
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We've to be, we've
to have a willing heart
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to receive His repentance.
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Verse 20, "Here I am, I
stand at the door and knock.
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If anyone hears my voice
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and opens the
door, I will come in.
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Now this is of
course a general invitation
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to every person on
the face of the earth.
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He stands at the door of
every heart and He knocks.
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I heard someone say once
that Christ is a gentleman.
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He doesn't push the door in
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someone else said the
door knob is on the inside
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and you have to open it.
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But, the Lord says, "If
you open the door notice,
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if anyone hears my voice
and opens the door you see,
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the Lord doesn't say
that He opens the door,
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he says you open the door.
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If you hear my
voice and open the door
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I will come in that's a promise.
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If you invite me to
come in that I'll come in,
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and dying with you or
eat with you and he with me."
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Now we come to the last
part of this little discourse,
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this little warning that
the Lord Jesus Christ Himself
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gives to the last
church the seventh church,
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the church of the
judgment, the Laodicean church
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He says to them,
"To him who overcomes,
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I will give the right to
sit with me on my throne."
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Now if you read
carefully the other declarations
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to the other six churches,
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now one of those
churches has the privilege
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the enormous and
wonderful blessing
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and privilege that
the last church has.
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The last church actually
sits with Christ on His throne,
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which is of course
a symbol of rulership.
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Somehow those who
overcome in the end of time
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will be given the opportunity
of rulership with Christ,
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that's a mind
boggling thing to realize.
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That through the
overcomer in the end of time.
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God has made a very,
pardon me, special promise
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that He is going to give them
cold rulership with Himself.
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Notice, "To him who overcomes,
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I will give the right to
sit with me on my throne,
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and then He says something
that is very, very insightful
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and which is
really what stimulated
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this presentation today.
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Here's what He says,
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"Just as I overcame and sat down
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with my father on his throne,
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he who has an ear, let him hear
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what the Spirit
says to the churches."
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So we have then a very
interesting declaration
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there concerning
Overcoming the last one
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that he says to the church.
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But he tells us to
overcome just as he overcame
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and we're going to
deal with that in a minute,
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but come with me
first to Revelation 21
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and let us look
at the New Jerusalem.
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The city of God
coming down out of heaven,
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verse 1 of Chapter 21,
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"And I saw a new
heaven and a new earth,
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the first heaven and the
first earth were passed away,
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and there was
no longer any sea."
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I saw the holy city, listen
to this beautiful description,
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the new Jerusalem,
coming down out of heaven
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from God, prepared as a bride,
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can you picture
it, a beautiful bride,
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a beautiful city
descending slowly,
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slowly down to the earth.
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Shimmer,
beautiful, and it's apparent.
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Prepared as a bride beautifully
dressed for her husband.
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What a picture?
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The earth made new
and I heard a loud voice
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from the throne saying now
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the dwelling of God is with men.
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You know, what that means,
00:10:00.39\00:10:02.33
God Himself is going
to change His address.
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He is going to
change His address
00:10:07.21\00:10:08.65
from heaven to
earth that's what it says,
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doesn't it, doesn't it, notice,
00:10:10.99\00:10:12.94
now the dwelling
of God is with men."
00:10:12.95\00:10:16.51
You see we're going
to dwell on the earth
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and the earth made new
and God has made a promise
00:10:18.55\00:10:21.27
that he's going
to change his address
00:10:21.28\00:10:22.96
and come to dwell with us.
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What an enormous
privilege that we have,
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that we see this beautiful city
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descending and God
Himself coming to be with us.
00:10:29.26\00:10:32.23
And he will live with them,
00:10:32.24\00:10:33.70
they will be his people.
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We're talking about
enormous privileges notice,
00:10:36.62\00:10:39.14
"And God himself will be
with them and be their God."
00:10:39.15\00:10:43.30
I mean that says this
in so many different ways,
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God doesn't want
us to misinterpret
00:10:45.48\00:10:47.18
what He is saying here.
00:10:47.19\00:10:48.18
He is going to
change His address.
00:10:48.19\00:10:50.23
He is going to come
and live with human beings.
00:10:50.24\00:10:53.69
That is mind boggling to think
00:10:53.70\00:10:56.43
that the God of the
universe will actually come
00:10:56.44\00:10:58.79
and live with
us, but it goes on,
00:10:58.80\00:11:01.00
"He who was seated
on the throne said,
00:11:01.01\00:11:02.77
I'm making everything new.
00:11:02.78\00:11:04.57
Then he said, write this down,
00:11:04.58\00:11:06.26
for these words are
trustworthy and true."
00:11:06.27\00:11:09.69
And he said it is done,
I'm the Alpha and the Omega,
00:11:09.70\00:11:12.00
the Beginning and the End.
00:11:12.01\00:11:13.07
To him who is thirsty I
will give to drink without cost.
00:11:13.08\00:11:16.43
Then He says in verse 7,
00:11:16.44\00:11:19.25
"He who overcomes
will inherit all this,
00:11:19.26\00:11:25.18
in other words
he will not only sit
00:11:25.19\00:11:27.57
on the throne with God,
00:11:27.58\00:11:29.74
he will be a part
of the new Jerusalem
00:11:29.75\00:11:31.43
and have the privilege
to go into the new Jerusalem
00:11:31.44\00:11:34.64
and it says, he
will inherit all of this,
00:11:34.65\00:11:40.69
and I will be his God
and he will be my son."
00:11:40.70\00:11:47.67
Now what does it take
00:11:47.68\00:11:48.98
then to overcome
as Christ overcame.
00:11:48.99\00:11:52.21
Well, we've a little
clue over in Revelation 22:14,
00:11:52.22\00:11:57.73
we see the following.
00:11:57.74\00:12:00.29
"Blessed are those
who keep His commandments,
00:12:00.30\00:12:05.87
who do His commandments
00:12:05.88\00:12:06.92
that they may have the
right to the tree of life."
00:12:06.93\00:12:10.92
So, apparently
gaining entrance to that city
00:12:10.93\00:12:15.00
has something to do
with Overcoming our own will
00:12:15.01\00:12:19.03
and following the will of God,
00:12:19.04\00:12:20.42
which is of course
expressed in his law.
00:12:20.43\00:12:24.48
Those who enter the city
00:12:24.49\00:12:26.22
or those who keep
the commandments of God.
00:12:26.23\00:12:28.97
Now of course, what
do we have to overcome?
00:12:28.98\00:12:31.10
Well, we've to
overcome ourselves, don't we?
00:12:31.11\00:12:33.21
Our own self willed nature.
00:12:33.22\00:12:35.73
The Apostle
John says it this way
00:12:35.74\00:12:37.47
in First John 2 in verse 17,
00:12:37.48\00:12:42.68
"The world is passing away,
00:12:42.69\00:12:44.26
but he who does the
will of God abides forever."
00:12:44.27\00:12:48.95
So obviously what we have
to overcome is selfishness
00:12:48.96\00:12:54.52
and our own will in
order to do the will of God.
00:12:54.53\00:12:59.47
It's also important to
realize that the Apostle Peter
00:12:59.48\00:13:04.64
in Second Peter
4 presents to us--
00:13:04.65\00:13:11.59
I'm sorry Second
Peter 1 and verse 4
00:13:11.60\00:13:14.28
presents to us the
antidote for this whole business
00:13:14.29\00:13:17.50
of following our own nature.
00:13:17.51\00:13:19.68
He says, "Through these
being his glory and goodness
00:13:19.69\00:13:24.70
he has given us his very
great and precious promises,
00:13:24.71\00:13:28.72
that through them, that
is through these promises,
00:13:28.73\00:13:31.66
you may
participate in James says,
00:13:31.67\00:13:34.98
partake of the divine nature
00:13:34.99\00:13:37.91
and escape the
corruption in the world notice
00:13:37.92\00:13:41.41
caused by evil desires."
00:13:41.42\00:13:43.66
So, the corruption in the world
00:13:43.67\00:13:45.25
is caused by the
evil desires with men
00:13:45.26\00:13:48.28
and we've to
overcome our evil desires.
00:13:48.29\00:13:51.09
Now it's very obvious that
Christians have evil desires.
00:13:51.10\00:13:53.72
We have two natures.
00:13:53.73\00:13:55.30
We've a divine
nature given to us by God,
00:13:55.31\00:13:57.73
but we've a second nature
00:13:57.74\00:14:00.09
that we were born
with that we inherited
00:14:00.10\00:14:03.48
from Adam and
Galatians Chapter 5 says
00:14:03.49\00:14:06.10
these two are in conflict
00:14:06.11\00:14:08.40
and the question is
which nature is going to win.
00:14:08.41\00:14:11.85
That's the
question at the end of time.
00:14:11.86\00:14:13.62
Which of our two natures is
going to win in this contest
00:14:13.63\00:14:19.29
and which nature will
overcome the selfish nature
00:14:19.30\00:14:23.15
or the new nature of
love that is the question.
00:14:23.16\00:14:26.93
Now let's go back to
Revelation 3:4 a moment
00:14:26.94\00:14:29.57
because Jesus in his last
declaration to the last church
00:14:29.58\00:14:34.28
the seventh church
the church of the judgment
00:14:34.29\00:14:38.29
gives us that little clue
that tells us how to overcome.
00:14:38.30\00:14:43.73
Remember, He says in verse 21,
00:14:43.74\00:14:45.75
"To him who overcomes I
will give the right to sit
00:14:45.76\00:14:48.33
with me on my
throne, just as I overcame."
00:14:48.34\00:14:55.24
I remember in my devotional time
00:14:55.25\00:14:57.69
one morning reading that
and the spirit said to me
00:14:57.70\00:15:02.60
how did Jesus overcome.
00:15:02.61\00:15:05.67
And so I started
to search to find out
00:15:05.68\00:15:08.19
how he overcame and immediately
00:15:08.20\00:15:10.28
my mind went to of
course a very fresh conflict
00:15:10.29\00:15:14.03
that Jesus had,
hand to hand conflict
00:15:14.04\00:15:17.42
I should say
that is with the devil
00:15:17.43\00:15:20.37
and we find that
in Matthew Chapter 4.
00:15:20.38\00:15:24.45
Jesus is telling
us about Overcoming,
00:15:24.46\00:15:26.75
but He is telling us
that we're to overcome
00:15:26.76\00:15:29.00
just the way he overcame.
00:15:29.01\00:15:30.93
So, if we're
going to be successful
00:15:30.94\00:15:33.22
at this business of Overcoming
00:15:33.23\00:15:34.97
we've to follow what Jesus did.
00:15:34.98\00:15:37.18
And if you notice
in Matthew Chapter 4,
00:15:37.19\00:15:41.13
we pick it up at
the very first verse,
00:15:41.14\00:15:44.44
Jesus is led by the
spirit into the desert
00:15:44.45\00:15:46.92
to be tempted by the devil.
00:15:46.93\00:15:49.04
After fasting 40 days
and 40 nights, he was hungry.
00:15:49.05\00:15:53.77
The tempter
came to Him and said,
00:15:53.78\00:15:55.67
if You're the son of God tell
these stones to become bread.
00:15:55.68\00:15:59.78
Now of course the tempter
00:15:59.79\00:16:02.29
knows a little bit about history
00:16:02.30\00:16:04.92
and He knew that the way
00:16:04.93\00:16:07.17
that He got access to
the human race was how?
00:16:07.18\00:16:10.40
Through man's appetite
00:16:10.41\00:16:12.54
and here is Jesus the
creator of heaven and earth
00:16:12.55\00:16:16.02
He knows who He
is the son of God
00:16:16.03\00:16:19.73
and He presents
with little challenge.
00:16:19.74\00:16:22.75
So, so you're little
hungry, are you Jesus?
00:16:22.76\00:16:26.17
Well, why don't you make
some of these stones into bread?
00:16:26.18\00:16:30.55
The devil was being
very, very sure you see.
00:16:30.56\00:16:34.44
Jesus was now a man,
00:16:34.45\00:16:36.04
remember that
Jesus referred to himself
00:16:36.05\00:16:38.10
many times as the son of man,
00:16:38.11\00:16:41.15
which means of course
that he had a human nature.
00:16:41.16\00:16:43.94
And he was very hungry.
00:16:43.95\00:16:45.97
You would be very
hungry yourself after 40 days.
00:16:45.98\00:16:48.04
I get hungry after five or
six hours as much of 40 days.
00:16:48.05\00:16:52.18
But, here he was hungry
and the devil says listen,
00:16:52.19\00:16:55.87
"I know you're
hungry, why don't you--
00:16:55.88\00:16:58.24
why don't you make some
bread out of these stones.
00:16:58.25\00:17:00.13
You're the son of God,
you've that kind of power,
00:17:00.14\00:17:01.93
go ahead and
make some bread here
00:17:01.94\00:17:05.60
and let's see if
you're really the son of God.
00:17:05.61\00:17:08.46
You see, the devil had
him on his ground, didn't he?
00:17:08.47\00:17:12.33
He is human, he is hungry.
00:17:12.34\00:17:15.18
Now, Jesus could have
resorted to his divinity,
00:17:15.19\00:17:18.57
but remember what He says
in Revelation 3, verse 21.
00:17:18.58\00:17:21.90
He says we're to
overcome as I overcame.
00:17:21.91\00:17:25.93
Now, we've Jesus
at the weakest point
00:17:25.94\00:17:28.98
probably in his earthly
existence up to that time.
00:17:28.99\00:17:33.87
Here is the devil
himself in front of him,
00:17:33.88\00:17:36.67
now He has a decision to make
00:17:36.68\00:17:39.46
and I'm going to
satisfy my human appetite,
00:17:39.47\00:17:42.61
which is the way the world fell
00:17:42.62\00:17:43.90
and to send in the first place.
00:17:43.91\00:17:45.91
Or am I going to follow
00:17:45.92\00:17:47.27
the will of God
that was the question.
00:17:47.28\00:17:50.31
And whole human race,
00:17:50.32\00:17:52.55
the whole human race
our destiny depended on
00:17:52.56\00:17:55.87
how Jesus responded
to this one question.
00:17:55.88\00:17:59.02
This one
challenge from the devil.
00:17:59.03\00:18:00.96
And here's how Jesus overcame,
00:18:00.97\00:18:03.58
"Jesus answered, it is written,
00:18:03.59\00:18:09.04
man shall not
live on bread alone,
00:18:09.05\00:18:11.77
but on every word that
comes from the mouth of God."
00:18:11.78\00:18:14.55
By the way, there
was no new testament
00:18:14.56\00:18:16.86
there for him to draw from,
00:18:16.87\00:18:20.72
he only had the old testament.
00:18:20.73\00:18:22.73
And so, all he could do is quote
00:18:22.74\00:18:24.98
from the Book of
Deuteronomy there
00:18:24.99\00:18:26.91
Chapter 8 and verse 3,
is what he was quoting from,
00:18:26.92\00:18:30.81
he was quoting
from the word of God,
00:18:30.82\00:18:33.02
the very word that
he had given to Moses.
00:18:33.03\00:18:35.12
It is written and he overcame
the enemy using it is written.
00:18:35.13\00:18:40.86
And of course if you're
a student of the scripture
00:18:40.87\00:18:43.38
as you know, that the
devil came three times
00:18:43.39\00:18:47.59
and three times the
Lord said it is written.
00:18:47.60\00:18:55.61
Over in Romans, Chapter 13
or rather Romans Chapter 8,
00:18:55.62\00:19:00.15
verse 13 rather, the
Apostle Paul gives us
00:19:00.16\00:19:04.22
some very interesting
advice about Overcoming.
00:19:04.23\00:19:08.71
And that's Romans time,
00:19:08.72\00:19:14.76
I'm in trouble
finding Romans today.
00:19:14.77\00:19:17.49
Romans 8 and verse 13,
00:19:17.50\00:19:21.02
the Apostle Paul is talking
00:19:21.03\00:19:22.49
about the whole
business of Overcoming
00:19:22.50\00:19:24.78
and he says in verse 13,
00:19:24.79\00:19:28.20
"If you live
according to the sinful nature,
00:19:28.21\00:19:31.93
you will die."
00:19:31.94\00:19:34.01
Now just before we said
that there are two natures
00:19:34.02\00:19:37.87
we've a loving
nature given to us by God.
00:19:37.88\00:19:40.39
God is love and He imparts
this divine nature to us.
00:19:40.40\00:19:45.52
But we've a sinful nature
00:19:45.53\00:19:48.50
the very essence of
which is selfishness.
00:19:48.51\00:19:52.18
You realize that, don't you?
00:19:52.19\00:19:54.09
The very essence of the
sinful nature is selfishness.
00:19:54.10\00:19:57.83
And the Apostle Paul
in Romans 8:13 says to us,
00:19:57.84\00:20:03.35
"If you live
according to the sinful nature,
00:20:03.36\00:20:06.65
you will die."
00:20:06.66\00:20:09.00
That's a very plain declaration.
00:20:09.01\00:20:11.36
You cannot allow
the sinful nature
00:20:11.37\00:20:13.63
to have control of
you or you will die.
00:20:13.64\00:20:17.06
Now he says,
but if by the spirit
00:20:17.07\00:20:22.07
you put to death
the deeds of the body,
00:20:22.08\00:20:25.51
the misdeeds of body
you will let in other words
00:20:25.52\00:20:30.12
there's something for
you to do in this conflict.
00:20:30.13\00:20:34.80
And Paul uses military terms
00:20:34.81\00:20:37.35
to describe this something
00:20:37.36\00:20:41.73
that you must do
in order to overcome.
00:20:41.74\00:20:44.89
What is that, that you've to do,
00:20:44.90\00:20:46.57
he says by the spirit
00:20:46.58\00:20:50.02
you're to put to
death the deeds of the body.
00:20:50.03\00:20:54.20
Now, what is he
talking about by the spirit
00:20:54.21\00:20:56.47
put to death the
deeds of the body?
00:20:56.48\00:20:58.41
Well, in order to put
to death something remember
00:20:58.42\00:21:02.23
these are military
terms in order to put to death
00:21:02.24\00:21:05.10
something you've
to have a weapon.
00:21:05.11\00:21:07.87
And the definition of the weapon
00:21:07.88\00:21:10.56
and notice that the
spirit it says by the spirit
00:21:10.57\00:21:13.23
so obviously this weapon
00:21:13.24\00:21:15.83
has to have something
to do with the spirit.
00:21:15.84\00:21:18.43
What could it be?
00:21:18.44\00:21:19.82
Well, over in
Ephesians 6 and verse 17,
00:21:19.83\00:21:23.66
we find the
definition of this weapon
00:21:23.67\00:21:28.85
that is given to
us by the Holy Spirit.
00:21:28.86\00:21:30.72
Remember what Paul says,
00:21:30.73\00:21:31.97
if by the
spirit you put to death
00:21:31.98\00:21:34.83
the misdeeds of the
body you would live.
00:21:34.84\00:21:37.47
So this is a
spirit generated weapon
00:21:37.48\00:21:41.13
if you will and notice
00:21:41.14\00:21:43.68
what the Apostle Paul
over in Ephesians 6 says,
00:21:43.69\00:21:49.44
"Take the helmet of salvation
00:21:49.45\00:21:52.12
and the sword of the spirit,
00:21:52.13\00:21:55.01
which is the word of God."
00:21:55.02\00:21:57.90
You see there is such
beautiful harmony here.
00:21:57.91\00:22:01.13
Here we've the
Apostle Paul telling us
00:22:01.14\00:22:03.44
that we can stab the
sinful nature with that sword,
00:22:03.45\00:22:08.05
the sword of the spirit.
00:22:08.06\00:22:10.14
We can stab our
evil desires with it.
00:22:10.15\00:22:12.34
We can stop the
suggestions of the enemy
00:22:12.35\00:22:16.05
simply by using the word of God
00:22:16.06\00:22:18.69
and that agrees perfectly
00:22:18.70\00:22:20.97
with what Jesus did
when he stop the enemies.
00:22:20.98\00:22:24.64
Three times the enemy came,
00:22:24.65\00:22:26.40
three times he used,
00:22:26.41\00:22:27.86
he hold out the
sword of the spirit
00:22:27.87\00:22:31.46
and stabbed his
selfish inclinations to death.
00:22:31.47\00:22:36.41
And thereby put to
death the deeds of the body.
00:22:36.42\00:22:41.29
Well of course, those desires
were Christ desired himself,
00:22:41.30\00:22:45.72
but rather
suggestions from the enemy.
00:22:45.73\00:22:47.94
We've simple desires
00:22:47.95\00:22:50.90
and difference was
that his human nature
00:22:50.91\00:22:56.38
by depending on God
was able to overcome
00:22:56.39\00:22:59.11
any suggestion of
evil from the enemy.
00:22:59.12\00:23:03.66
In any event we see then,
00:23:03.67\00:23:07.18
that through this
partaking of the divine nature,
00:23:07.19\00:23:10.12
Jesus was able to
put to flight the enemy
00:23:10.13\00:23:13.67
simply by using the
sword of the spirit,
00:23:13.68\00:23:16.21
which is the word of God.
00:23:16.22\00:23:17.86
So if we're going to
overcome in conclusion
00:23:17.87\00:23:20.96
we've to follow
the example of Christ.
00:23:20.97\00:23:24.73
You know, there are two things
00:23:24.74\00:23:26.55
that I pray for
on the daily basis
00:23:26.56\00:23:30.49
that has really helped me
to overcome the sinful nature
00:23:30.50\00:23:35.14
and to stay on the
track that God wants me to.
00:23:35.15\00:23:39.39
I've evil desires and if you
noticed you've been a Christian
00:23:39.40\00:23:45.51
more than ten
minutes you probably notice
00:23:45.52\00:23:47.89
that you've evil desires too.
00:23:47.90\00:23:50.45
And the question is,
how can you overcome that?
00:23:50.46\00:23:53.38
Well one of the things
that I pray for everyday
00:23:53.39\00:23:55.92
of my life is that God will
give me the gift of repentance.
00:23:55.93\00:23:59.12
Now we said earlier
that if you don't have
00:23:59.13\00:24:01.71
a willing heart to
receive his repentance
00:24:01.72\00:24:04.90
you'll never have
truly have repentance.
00:24:04.91\00:24:07.75
So there must be a willing
00:24:07.76\00:24:08.99
heart to
receive this repentance.
00:24:09.00\00:24:11.87
So the other
thing that I ask God
00:24:11.88\00:24:13.53
for is to give
me a willing heart.
00:24:13.54\00:24:16.41
If you've a willing heart
00:24:16.42\00:24:18.06
and you open your heart
to receive that repentance
00:24:18.07\00:24:20.78
than you really truly
do have this repentance.
00:24:20.79\00:24:23.85
God made a promise over
00:24:23.86\00:24:25.37
in Philippians Chapter
2 I believe it is there,
00:24:25.38\00:24:32.42
and in Philippians Chapter 2,
00:24:32.43\00:24:34.96
he made a promise to us,
notice what he says there,"
00:24:34.97\00:24:40.06
therefore, my friends,
00:24:40.07\00:24:43.31
as you have always
obeyed not only in my presence,
00:24:43.32\00:24:47.00
but now much more in my
absence continue to work out
00:24:47.01\00:24:52.06
your salvation
with fear and trembling.
00:24:52.07\00:24:55.85
You see there is
something for us to do,
00:24:55.86\00:24:58.58
but the something that
we do is not on our own
00:24:58.59\00:25:01.08
it is in fact cooperation,
co-operation with God.
00:25:01.09\00:25:06.02
We open our hearts to
receive his repentance.
00:25:06.03\00:25:09.40
We pray for a willing
heart to receive his repentance.
00:25:09.41\00:25:13.16
Sometimes, you
know, we bolt the heart,
00:25:13.17\00:25:15.19
the door of the heart shut,
00:25:15.20\00:25:17.21
and we don't want to
listen to what God has to say.
00:25:17.22\00:25:20.46
But, by praying that God
will give us willing hearts
00:25:20.47\00:25:24.09
we truly can work out
our own salvation notice,
00:25:24.10\00:25:27.41
continue to work
out your salvation
00:25:27.42\00:25:30.21
with fear and
trembling, why for it is God
00:25:30.22\00:25:37.44
who works in you to will
00:25:37.45\00:25:40.99
and to act
according to his good purpose.
00:25:41.00\00:25:43.70
There it is, that is in fact
00:25:43.71\00:25:46.53
the secret of
having a willing heart.
00:25:46.54\00:25:49.69
It is in fact to
ask God to make a change
00:25:49.70\00:25:52.43
in your will because as I said,
00:25:52.44\00:25:55.66
if you've been a Christian
for more than ten minutes
00:25:55.67\00:25:58.11
you must have noticed
that you've a perverse nature
00:25:58.12\00:26:03.07
and that perverse
nature needs to be brought
00:26:03.08\00:26:06.67
under the control of Christ.
00:26:06.68\00:26:09.59
There is a
wonderful text that says
00:26:09.60\00:26:11.40
that we can bring
every thought into captivity
00:26:11.41\00:26:15.33
to the obedience of
Christ. That's over there in--
00:26:15.34\00:26:21.23
let's see I forgot
the book that's in now,
00:26:21.24\00:26:23.53
but we know that it is
possible that even our thoughts,
00:26:23.54\00:26:28.20
I believe Second Corinthians,
00:26:28.21\00:26:29.52
even our thoughts can be brought
00:26:29.53\00:26:32.65
into obedience to
the will of Christ.
00:26:32.66\00:26:35.80
You know the term
Christian means like Christ.
00:26:35.81\00:26:40.38
And we can either
adhere to our own selfishness,
00:26:40.39\00:26:43.82
our own ideals that we created
00:26:43.83\00:26:45.97
or we can
follow the will of God.
00:26:45.98\00:26:48.77
My favorite author says it
this way, in terms of idolatry,
00:26:48.78\00:26:52.49
they're joined to
their idols let them alone
00:26:52.50\00:26:55.73
and they pass on to
their work leaving deeds
00:26:55.74\00:26:58.20
with their sinful traits
00:26:58.21\00:26:59.48
unsubdued to the
control of evil angels.
00:26:59.49\00:27:04.25
Those who come up to
every point and stand every test
00:27:04.26\00:27:08.25
and overcome be
with Christ what it made
00:27:08.26\00:27:11.45
as he did the
counsel of the true witness
00:27:11.46\00:27:14.19
we got the
reference through Revelation 3
00:27:14.20\00:27:16.96
and they will
receive the later reign
00:27:16.97\00:27:19.47
and thus be
fitted or translation.
00:27:19.48\00:27:22.14
These are the overcomers,
00:27:22.15\00:27:24.24
if we're wedded to our idols
00:27:24.25\00:27:26.84
God will have to leave us alone,
00:27:26.85\00:27:30.06
but if we come up to every point
00:27:30.07\00:27:32.36
and stand every test,
00:27:32.37\00:27:34.10
if we overcome God
will truly be our aid
00:27:34.11\00:27:38.69
in this process of Overcoming
00:27:38.70\00:27:41.37
and we will truly have
what he wants us to have.
00:27:41.38\00:27:44.76
In conclusion remember
what the Apostle John said,
00:27:44.77\00:27:50.63
"He that does the will
of God abides forever."
00:27:50.64\00:27:56.51
We want to abide with Him
00:27:56.52\00:27:57.83
forever in the earth made new.
00:27:57.84\00:27:59.95