Participants: Jack McIntosh
Series Code: FC
Program Code: FC000017
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00:29 Hello, I'm Jack McIntosh from Weimar Institute.
00:32 And today we're going to talk about a very important topic. 00:37 That topic is "The subject of Overcoming." 00:42 In the Book of Revelation 00:44 "The subject of Overcoming" is mentioned 00:46 not once, but seven times. 00:50 And so if we want to have a good understanding 00:53 of that we need to go to that Book of Revelation 00:55 to look at what the Lord was driving 00:58 at when he encouraged us seven times to overcome. 01:02 We're going to be looking 01:03 at Chapter 3 verses 14 to the end of the Chapter. 01:10 And we will begin, however, 01:13 with just a brief prayer to ask for His special blessing 01:16 as we study that is 01:17 very important topic of Overcoming. 01:19 Let's pray. 01:22 Dear Father in Heaven, 01:24 we know that Your sweet spirit 01:27 is the only true interpreter of the scriptures. 01:31 And so today as we open Your word 01:34 to study the important topic of Overcoming, 01:37 we pray that You would bless us. 01:38 We pray that You would speak to us, instruct us, 01:43 and teach us in the way we should go. 01:44 Guide us with Your eye. 01:46 And remember Lord that You promised us 01:49 through the words of Christ 01:50 that the Holy Spirit would teach us all things 01:53 and bring all things to our remembrance 01:56 in His name we pray. Amen. 01:59 All right. So let's look then at the topic of Overcoming. 02:05 You know, in most in many sermons 02:09 I should say that I hear today, 02:11 it's almost as if when you accept the Lord Jesus Christ 02:15 there is really nothing else for us to do. 02:18 In fact, I've heard many people say, 02:20 "We really have to just let go and let God." 02:24 And, in a very real sense what they're saying is, 02:27 there's really nothing for us to do. 02:28 God does everything and we do nothing. 02:31 But the plan of redemption seems to require us 02:33 to cooperate with God. 02:35 It seems to require us 02:36 to put on the full armor of God for instance. 02:40 It requires us to do something about the condition 02:43 of the poor and the suffering around us. 02:46 And it requires us to do battle with our sinful nature 02:51 so that we might overcome. 02:54 But in a very, very specific way 02:55 as we will see in a minute. 02:57 We're looking now at Revelation Chapter 3, 03:00 and we will pick it up at verse 14, 03:03 the angel addresses or rather 03:05 Jesus addresse the Laodicean church. 03:09 By the way, the term Laodicean means 03:13 the judging of the people. 03:15 And so this is clearly being addressed to the last church 03:21 that will be in existence 03:22 before the Lord Jesus Christ returns to this earth. 03:26 Notice what it says, 03:28 "These are the words of the Amen, 03:31 the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God's creation," 03:34 clearly an identification of Christ Himself. 03:37 "I know Your deeds, 03:40 "That You are neither cold nor hot. 03:42 "I wish You were either one or the other! 03:44 "So, because You are lukewarm-- neither hot nor cold-- 03:48 I am about to reject You or spit You out of my mouth." 03:54 "You say, 'I am rich, 03:56 I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.' 03:59 "But You, meaning the church, 04:02 "Do not realize that You are wretched, 04:05 pitiful, poor, blind and naked." 04:11 That's a--that's a pretty revealing indictment there 04:15 of what the church in the end of time is really like. 04:18 And then He says, "I counsel you to buy from Me 04:23 "gold refined in the fire, 04:25 "so that you can become rich, 04:28 "and white clothes or white Raymond, 04:30 as the King James says, to wear, 04:32 "so you can cover your shameful nakedness." 04:36 This is a pretty discouraging picture, 04:39 isn't it, of the last church. 04:41 Then it goes on, "And salve to put on your eyes, 04:44 so that you can see." 04:45 So we've a church that is blind, 04:47 that is wretched, poor, and miserable and naked, 04:53 a very interesting description of the last church. 04:57 Now He says in verse 19. 05:00 That was the bad news. Here is the good news. 05:03 The good news is this, 05:05 "Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline." 05:12 In other words I understand your condition, 05:15 but I don't want you to lose side of the fact 05:18 that I'm in love with you. 05:20 I want you to be with me in my kingdom. 05:24 And so when I counsel you to buy new gold, 05:26 fight in the fire, and fight Raymond's 05:28 and I saw to put on your eyes, 05:31 I'm giving you a prescription to an affect, remedy, 05:37 this blindness and nakedness and all of the other things 05:42 that are happened part of this indictment. 05:45 "Those whom I love I rebuke 05:47 and chosen so be earnest and repent." 05:52 Here it is, God expects us to repent. 05:56 Now of course, we all know that we cannot repent without God. 06:00 But we've to be at least willing to repent. 06:03 We're not willing to repent. 06:04 There's no amount of giving of repentance 06:06 that God can do that would actually 06:08 move us toward repentance. 06:09 We've to be, we've to have a willing heart 06:12 to receive His repentance. 06:14 Verse 20, "Here I am, I stand at the door and knock. 06:19 If anyone hears my voice 06:23 and opens the door, I will come in. 06:25 Now this is of course a general invitation 06:27 to every person on the face of the earth. 06:30 He stands at the door of every heart and He knocks. 06:33 I heard someone say once that Christ is a gentleman. 06:36 He doesn't push the door in 06:38 someone else said the door knob is on the inside 06:41 and you have to open it. 06:43 But, the Lord says, "If you open the door notice, 06:46 if anyone hears my voice and opens the door you see, 06:50 the Lord doesn't say that He opens the door, 06:52 he says you open the door. 06:54 If you hear my voice and open the door 06:57 I will come in that's a promise. 07:00 If you invite me to come in that I'll come in, 07:05 and dying with you or eat with you and he with me." 07:08 Now we come to the last part of this little discourse, 07:14 this little warning that the Lord Jesus Christ Himself 07:18 gives to the last church the seventh church, 07:21 the church of the judgment, the Laodicean church 07:24 He says to them, "To him who overcomes, 07:28 I will give the right to sit with me on my throne." 07:32 Now if you read carefully the other declarations 07:36 to the other six churches, 07:38 now one of those churches has the privilege 07:42 the enormous and wonderful blessing 07:45 and privilege that the last church has. 07:47 The last church actually sits with Christ on His throne, 07:51 which is of course a symbol of rulership. 07:54 Somehow those who overcome in the end of time 07:58 will be given the opportunity of rulership with Christ, 08:02 that's a mind boggling thing to realize. 08:05 That through the overcomer in the end of time. 08:09 God has made a very, pardon me, special promise 08:13 that He is going to give them cold rulership with Himself. 08:17 Notice, "To him who overcomes, 08:19 I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, 08:25 and then He says something that is very, very insightful 08:28 and which is really what stimulated 08:30 this presentation today. 08:31 Here's what He says, 08:34 "Just as I overcame and sat down 08:38 with my father on his throne, 08:42 he who has an ear, let him hear 08:44 what the Spirit says to the churches." 08:48 So we have then a very interesting declaration 08:52 there concerning Overcoming the last one 08:54 that he says to the church. 08:56 But he tells us to overcome just as he overcame 09:00 and we're going to deal with that in a minute, 09:02 but come with me first to Revelation 21 09:05 and let us look at the New Jerusalem. 09:11 The city of God coming down out of heaven, 09:14 verse 1 of Chapter 21, 09:17 "And I saw a new heaven and a new earth, 09:19 the first heaven and the first earth were passed away, 09:21 and there was no longer any sea." 09:23 I saw the holy city, listen to this beautiful description, 09:27 the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven 09:30 from God, prepared as a bride, 09:34 can you picture it, a beautiful bride, 09:37 a beautiful city descending slowly, 09:41 slowly down to the earth. 09:42 Shimmer, beautiful, and it's apparent. 09:46 Prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 09:51 What a picture? 09:53 The earth made new and I heard a loud voice 09:56 from the throne saying now 09:57 the dwelling of God is with men. 10:00 You know, what that means, 10:02 God Himself is going to change His address. 10:07 He is going to change His address 10:08 from heaven to earth that's what it says, 10:11 doesn't it, doesn't it, notice, 10:12 now the dwelling of God is with men." 10:16 You see we're going to dwell on the earth 10:18 and the earth made new and God has made a promise 10:21 that he's going to change his address 10:23 and come to dwell with us. 10:24 What an enormous privilege that we have, 10:26 that we see this beautiful city 10:29 descending and God Himself coming to be with us. 10:32 And he will live with them, 10:33 they will be his people. 10:36 We're talking about enormous privileges notice, 10:39 "And God himself will be with them and be their God." 10:43 I mean that says this in so many different ways, 10:45 God doesn't want us to misinterpret 10:47 what He is saying here. 10:48 He is going to change His address. 10:50 He is going to come and live with human beings. 10:53 That is mind boggling to think 10:56 that the God of the universe will actually come 10:58 and live with us, but it goes on, 11:01 "He who was seated on the throne said, 11:02 I'm making everything new. 11:04 Then he said, write this down, 11:06 for these words are trustworthy and true." 11:09 And he said it is done, I'm the Alpha and the Omega, 11:12 the Beginning and the End. 11:13 To him who is thirsty I will give to drink without cost. 11:16 Then He says in verse 7, 11:19 "He who overcomes will inherit all this, 11:25 in other words he will not only sit 11:27 on the throne with God, 11:29 he will be a part of the new Jerusalem 11:31 and have the privilege to go into the new Jerusalem 11:34 and it says, he will inherit all of this, 11:40 and I will be his God and he will be my son." 11:47 Now what does it take 11:49 then to overcome as Christ overcame. 11:52 Well, we've a little clue over in Revelation 22:14, 11:57 we see the following. 12:00 "Blessed are those who keep His commandments, 12:05 who do His commandments 12:06 that they may have the right to the tree of life." 12:10 So, apparently gaining entrance to that city 12:15 has something to do with Overcoming our own will 12:19 and following the will of God, 12:20 which is of course expressed in his law. 12:24 Those who enter the city 12:26 or those who keep the commandments of God. 12:29 Now of course, what do we have to overcome? 12:31 Well, we've to overcome ourselves, don't we? 12:33 Our own self willed nature. 12:35 The Apostle John says it this way 12:37 in First John 2 in verse 17, 12:42 "The world is passing away, 12:44 but he who does the will of God abides forever." 12:48 So obviously what we have to overcome is selfishness 12:54 and our own will in order to do the will of God. 12:59 It's also important to realize that the Apostle Peter 13:04 in Second Peter 4 presents to us-- 13:11 I'm sorry Second Peter 1 and verse 4 13:14 presents to us the antidote for this whole business 13:17 of following our own nature. 13:19 He says, "Through these being his glory and goodness 13:24 he has given us his very great and precious promises, 13:28 that through them, that is through these promises, 13:31 you may participate in James says, 13:35 partake of the divine nature 13:37 and escape the corruption in the world notice 13:41 caused by evil desires." 13:43 So, the corruption in the world 13:45 is caused by the evil desires with men 13:48 and we've to overcome our evil desires. 13:51 Now it's very obvious that Christians have evil desires. 13:53 We have two natures. 13:55 We've a divine nature given to us by God, 13:57 but we've a second nature 14:00 that we were born with that we inherited 14:03 from Adam and Galatians Chapter 5 says 14:06 these two are in conflict 14:08 and the question is which nature is going to win. 14:11 That's the question at the end of time. 14:13 Which of our two natures is going to win in this contest 14:19 and which nature will overcome the selfish nature 14:23 or the new nature of love that is the question. 14:26 Now let's go back to Revelation 3:4 a moment 14:29 because Jesus in his last declaration to the last church 14:34 the seventh church the church of the judgment 14:38 gives us that little clue that tells us how to overcome. 14:43 Remember, He says in verse 21, 14:45 "To him who overcomes I will give the right to sit 14:48 with me on my throne, just as I overcame." 14:55 I remember in my devotional time 14:57 one morning reading that and the spirit said to me 15:02 how did Jesus overcome. 15:05 And so I started to search to find out 15:08 how he overcame and immediately 15:10 my mind went to of course a very fresh conflict 15:14 that Jesus had, hand to hand conflict 15:17 I should say that is with the devil 15:20 and we find that in Matthew Chapter 4. 15:24 Jesus is telling us about Overcoming, 15:26 but He is telling us that we're to overcome 15:29 just the way he overcame. 15:30 So, if we're going to be successful 15:33 at this business of Overcoming 15:35 we've to follow what Jesus did. 15:37 And if you notice in Matthew Chapter 4, 15:41 we pick it up at the very first verse, 15:44 Jesus is led by the spirit into the desert 15:46 to be tempted by the devil. 15:49 After fasting 40 days and 40 nights, he was hungry. 15:53 The tempter came to Him and said, 15:55 if You're the son of God tell these stones to become bread. 15:59 Now of course the tempter 16:02 knows a little bit about history 16:04 and He knew that the way 16:07 that He got access to the human race was how? 16:10 Through man's appetite 16:12 and here is Jesus the creator of heaven and earth 16:16 He knows who He is the son of God 16:19 and He presents with little challenge. 16:22 So, so you're little hungry, are you Jesus? 16:26 Well, why don't you make some of these stones into bread? 16:30 The devil was being very, very sure you see. 16:34 Jesus was now a man, 16:36 remember that Jesus referred to himself 16:38 many times as the son of man, 16:41 which means of course that he had a human nature. 16:43 And he was very hungry. 16:46 You would be very hungry yourself after 40 days. 16:48 I get hungry after five or six hours as much of 40 days. 16:52 But, here he was hungry and the devil says listen, 16:55 "I know you're hungry, why don't you-- 16:58 why don't you make some bread out of these stones. 17:00 You're the son of God, you've that kind of power, 17:01 go ahead and make some bread here 17:05 and let's see if you're really the son of God. 17:08 You see, the devil had him on his ground, didn't he? 17:12 He is human, he is hungry. 17:15 Now, Jesus could have resorted to his divinity, 17:18 but remember what He says in Revelation 3, verse 21. 17:21 He says we're to overcome as I overcame. 17:25 Now, we've Jesus at the weakest point 17:29 probably in his earthly existence up to that time. 17:33 Here is the devil himself in front of him, 17:36 now He has a decision to make 17:39 and I'm going to satisfy my human appetite, 17:42 which is the way the world fell 17:43 and to send in the first place. 17:45 Or am I going to follow 17:47 the will of God that was the question. 17:50 And whole human race, 17:52 the whole human race our destiny depended on 17:55 how Jesus responded to this one question. 17:59 This one challenge from the devil. 18:00 And here's how Jesus overcame, 18:03 "Jesus answered, it is written, 18:09 man shall not live on bread alone, 18:11 but on every word that comes from the mouth of God." 18:14 By the way, there was no new testament 18:16 there for him to draw from, 18:20 he only had the old testament. 18:22 And so, all he could do is quote 18:25 from the Book of Deuteronomy there 18:26 Chapter 8 and verse 3, is what he was quoting from, 18:30 he was quoting from the word of God, 18:33 the very word that he had given to Moses. 18:35 It is written and he overcame the enemy using it is written. 18:40 And of course if you're a student of the scripture 18:43 as you know, that the devil came three times 18:47 and three times the Lord said it is written. 18:55 Over in Romans, Chapter 13 or rather Romans Chapter 8, 19:00 verse 13 rather, the Apostle Paul gives us 19:04 some very interesting advice about Overcoming. 19:08 And that's Romans time, 19:14 I'm in trouble finding Romans today. 19:17 Romans 8 and verse 13, 19:21 the Apostle Paul is talking 19:22 about the whole business of Overcoming 19:24 and he says in verse 13, 19:28 "If you live according to the sinful nature, 19:31 you will die." 19:34 Now just before we said that there are two natures 19:37 we've a loving nature given to us by God. 19:40 God is love and He imparts this divine nature to us. 19:45 But we've a sinful nature 19:48 the very essence of which is selfishness. 19:52 You realize that, don't you? 19:54 The very essence of the sinful nature is selfishness. 19:57 And the Apostle Paul in Romans 8:13 says to us, 20:03 "If you live according to the sinful nature, 20:06 you will die." 20:09 That's a very plain declaration. 20:11 You cannot allow the sinful nature 20:13 to have control of you or you will die. 20:17 Now he says, but if by the spirit 20:22 you put to death the deeds of the body, 20:25 the misdeeds of body you will let in other words 20:30 there's something for you to do in this conflict. 20:34 And Paul uses military terms 20:37 to describe this something 20:41 that you must do in order to overcome. 20:44 What is that, that you've to do, 20:46 he says by the spirit 20:50 you're to put to death the deeds of the body. 20:54 Now, what is he talking about by the spirit 20:56 put to death the deeds of the body? 20:58 Well, in order to put to death something remember 21:02 these are military terms in order to put to death 21:05 something you've to have a weapon. 21:07 And the definition of the weapon 21:10 and notice that the spirit it says by the spirit 21:13 so obviously this weapon 21:15 has to have something to do with the spirit. 21:18 What could it be? 21:19 Well, over in Ephesians 6 and verse 17, 21:23 we find the definition of this weapon 21:28 that is given to us by the Holy Spirit. 21:30 Remember what Paul says, 21:32 if by the spirit you put to death 21:34 the misdeeds of the body you would live. 21:37 So this is a spirit generated weapon 21:41 if you will and notice 21:43 what the Apostle Paul over in Ephesians 6 says, 21:49 "Take the helmet of salvation 21:52 and the sword of the spirit, 21:55 which is the word of God." 21:57 You see there is such beautiful harmony here. 22:01 Here we've the Apostle Paul telling us 22:03 that we can stab the sinful nature with that sword, 22:08 the sword of the spirit. 22:10 We can stab our evil desires with it. 22:12 We can stop the suggestions of the enemy 22:16 simply by using the word of God 22:18 and that agrees perfectly 22:21 with what Jesus did when he stop the enemies. 22:24 Three times the enemy came, 22:26 three times he used, 22:27 he hold out the sword of the spirit 22:31 and stabbed his selfish inclinations to death. 22:36 And thereby put to death the deeds of the body. 22:41 Well of course, those desires were Christ desired himself, 22:45 but rather suggestions from the enemy. 22:47 We've simple desires 22:50 and difference was that his human nature 22:56 by depending on God was able to overcome 22:59 any suggestion of evil from the enemy. 23:03 In any event we see then, 23:07 that through this partaking of the divine nature, 23:10 Jesus was able to put to flight the enemy 23:13 simply by using the sword of the spirit, 23:16 which is the word of God. 23:17 So if we're going to overcome in conclusion 23:20 we've to follow the example of Christ. 23:24 You know, there are two things 23:26 that I pray for on the daily basis 23:30 that has really helped me to overcome the sinful nature 23:35 and to stay on the track that God wants me to. 23:39 I've evil desires and if you noticed you've been a Christian 23:45 more than ten minutes you probably notice 23:47 that you've evil desires too. 23:50 And the question is, how can you overcome that? 23:53 Well one of the things that I pray for everyday 23:55 of my life is that God will give me the gift of repentance. 23:59 Now we said earlier that if you don't have 24:01 a willing heart to receive his repentance 24:04 you'll never have truly have repentance. 24:07 So there must be a willing 24:09 heart to receive this repentance. 24:11 So the other thing that I ask God 24:13 for is to give me a willing heart. 24:16 If you've a willing heart 24:18 and you open your heart to receive that repentance 24:20 than you really truly do have this repentance. 24:23 God made a promise over 24:25 in Philippians Chapter 2 I believe it is there, 24:32 and in Philippians Chapter 2, 24:34 he made a promise to us, notice what he says there," 24:40 therefore, my friends, 24:43 as you have always obeyed not only in my presence, 24:47 but now much more in my absence continue to work out 24:52 your salvation with fear and trembling. 24:55 You see there is something for us to do, 24:58 but the something that we do is not on our own 25:01 it is in fact cooperation, co-operation with God. 25:06 We open our hearts to receive his repentance. 25:09 We pray for a willing heart to receive his repentance. 25:13 Sometimes, you know, we bolt the heart, 25:15 the door of the heart shut, 25:17 and we don't want to listen to what God has to say. 25:20 But, by praying that God will give us willing hearts 25:24 we truly can work out our own salvation notice, 25:27 continue to work out your salvation 25:30 with fear and trembling, why for it is God 25:37 who works in you to will 25:41 and to act according to his good purpose. 25:43 There it is, that is in fact 25:46 the secret of having a willing heart. 25:49 It is in fact to ask God to make a change 25:52 in your will because as I said, 25:55 if you've been a Christian for more than ten minutes 25:58 you must have noticed that you've a perverse nature 26:03 and that perverse nature needs to be brought 26:06 under the control of Christ. 26:09 There is a wonderful text that says 26:11 that we can bring every thought into captivity 26:15 to the obedience of Christ. That's over there in-- 26:21 let's see I forgot the book that's in now, 26:23 but we know that it is possible that even our thoughts, 26:28 I believe Second Corinthians, 26:29 even our thoughts can be brought 26:32 into obedience to the will of Christ. 26:35 You know the term Christian means like Christ. 26:40 And we can either adhere to our own selfishness, 26:43 our own ideals that we created 26:46 or we can follow the will of God. 26:48 My favorite author says it this way, in terms of idolatry, 26:52 they're joined to their idols let them alone 26:55 and they pass on to their work leaving deeds 26:58 with their sinful traits 26:59 unsubdued to the control of evil angels. 27:04 Those who come up to every point and stand every test 27:08 and overcome be with Christ what it made 27:11 as he did the counsel of the true witness 27:14 we got the reference through Revelation 3 27:16 and they will receive the later reign 27:19 and thus be fitted or translation. 27:22 These are the overcomers, 27:24 if we're wedded to our idols 27:26 God will have to leave us alone, 27:30 but if we come up to every point 27:32 and stand every test, 27:34 if we overcome God will truly be our aid 27:38 in this process of Overcoming 27:41 and we will truly have what he wants us to have. 27:44 In conclusion remember what the Apostle John said, 27:50 "He that does the will of God abides forever." 27:56 We want to abide with Him 27:57 forever in the earth made new. |
Revised 2014-12-17