Sermon

Ep 353 | I Can Overcome The World - Frank Brancato 11-29-20

Church of Christ - Bakersfield, Ca

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  1. In John chapter 16 and verse 33. Jesus said these things I have

    John 16 chapter mention

  2. spoken to you that in me, you may have peace in the world.

  3. You will have tribulation, but be of good cheer.

  4. I have overcome the world. I think we can understand today

  5. that we can overcome the world, it is possible and I realized we

  6. all have struggles and we all have things that are weaknesses

  7. and sometimes things pull us in the opposite direction in the

  8. way that we should go. But Jesus so long ago said I

  9. have overcome the world. The question is, can we?

  10. Here's our points and then we will talk about these things

  11. individually very briefly, but I'll give you the Four Points in

  12. the four reasons why we can overcome the world that here.

  13. They They are number one because God has given us the power

  14. number two because Faith gives us the victory.

  15. Number three, the World shows us the alternative.

  16. And number 4, we can because the results of overcoming give us

  17. motivation in our life, my aim for just a little while.

  18. In this lesson is to encourage us to be faithful and be

  19. faithful. Living all the days of our life

  20. showing that we can overcome the world and the rewards Doing so

  21. are great in John chapter 16 though in our passage and your

    John 16 chapter mention

  22. introductory passage. I want to talk about the word

  23. tribulation there for just a moment now.

  24. I realized that sometimes today it is misunderstood about the

  25. days of tribulation. You've heard me preach on this

  26. recently, about tribulation sometimes, people think this

  27. there when the Revelation letter talks about tribulation and so

  28. forth is talking about the last few days before the Lord comes

  29. back. And we're going through the age

  30. or the days of tribulation. Let me ask you a question.

  31. Are we in the days of tribulation today?

  32. Yes, but Jesus was speaking to other people, wasn't he?

  33. He was speaking in John chapter 16 and verse 33.

    John 16 chapter mention

  34. He was talking to his disciples. He said you disciples in ad 33

  35. are going to have tribulation. So when what are the days of

  36. tribulation, it began in a t-33, it is in the church age and it

  37. will last until the Lord comes back and we will have

  38. tribulation in our life. So what he's saying is he says I

  39. have overcome the world and that is the context of our passage.

  40. Jesus overcame the world through his death.

  41. Paul said in Galatians chapter 1 and verse 4.

    Galatians 1 chapter mention

  42. Who gave himself for our sins that he might Deliver Us from

  43. this present evil age, according to the will of God.

  44. Our father in 1st, John Chapter 2, John sums up the power of the

    John 2 chapter mention

  45. world. And he says, do not love the

  46. world or the things that are in the world.

  47. If anyone loves the world, the love of the father is not in him

  48. for all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, the lust

  49. of the eyes and the pride of life is not of the father, but

  50. is of the The world and the world is passing away and the

  51. lust of it, but he who does the will of God abides forever.

  52. So overcoming, the world is overcoming the sin.

  53. That is in the world. Question is, can we do that?

  54. Like Jesus said that he did. Can we overcome the world?

  55. The answer is yes. Reason.

  56. Number one. Because God gives us the power.

  57. I want to make a point here that.

  58. I think it's very important. You've heard me say, And the

  59. older I get, the more I believe this.

  60. The more I'm convinced of this, the older I get.

  61. I do believe we are all broken. But what do I mean?

  62. When I say that what I mean, when I say that is, we're all

  63. imperfect, we all make mistakes, we all sin.

  64. We don't ever get to a point where we Elevate ourselves and

  65. say, you know what, it could never happen to me.

  66. It just happens to the week folks.

  67. Because guess what, we can check all the boxes, and we could be

  68. at all the services. And we could say, we really got

  69. it figured out, but the Bible says, take heed.

  70. He that said that stands lest he fall.

  71. If you think? You stand or don't think hire

  72. yourself than you ought to think sometimes when we think that way

  73. we fell just then because of our arrogance or our pride.

  74. So I believe that we are all broken and yet we're going to

  75. talk about the idea of power and God giving power.

  76. I believe this too and again the older I get the more I'm

  77. convinced. when we are vulnerable to God, which I

  78. believe he wants us to be that's when God shows up.

  79. When we say to God, I'm nothing without you.

  80. I can't do this without you. I need your strength.

  81. I need from whatever you can give I need the peace.

  82. That passes all understanding. I need it from you.

  83. I need that when we're vulnerable to God I believe he

  84. wants us to be that way then that's when we have God's

  85. strength and that's how we can persevere and that's how we can

  86. overcome God is in us and he gives us the power to overcome

  87. and first John chapter 4 beginning in verse four.

    1 John 4 chapter mention

  88. You are of God little children and have overcome them because

  89. he who is in, you is greater than he who is in the world.

  90. They are of the world, therefore, they speak as of the

  91. world and the world hears them, we are of God, he who knows.

  92. God hears us, he who is not of, God does not hear us but this we

  93. know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error God's power is

  94. in his word in Romans 1:16 for I am not ashamed of the gospel of

    Romans 1:16

  95. Christ. For it is the power of God, to

  96. Salvation to everyone, who believes to the Jew first.

  97. And also, to the Greek or the Gentile, another passage found

  98. in Hebrews 4:12, for the word of God is living and powerful, and

    Hebrews 4:12

  99. sharper than any two-edged sword piercing.

  100. Even to the division of Soul, and Spirit and of joints.

  101. And Marrow, and is a discerner of Of the thoughts and intents

  102. of the heart. So we overcome by having a

  103. knowledge of God's word. Second Timothy, 3:16 and 17.

  104. All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is

  105. profitable for Doctrine for reproof for correction for

  106. instruction. In righteousness.

  107. That the man of God may be complete thoroughly equipped for

  108. every good work. So can we overcome?

  109. Absolutely? Because God gives us the power

  110. and the power is in his word. Now me just say this to before

  111. we go any further don't ever doubt.

  112. The Fulfillment of what God has promised.

  113. If God has promised something he is promised his power through

  114. his word, he is Promised strength through his word.

  115. Then you have to accept that and believe that don't doubt that

  116. can we overcome absolutely why number one because God gives us

  117. the power but then there's more number two because Faith gives

  118. us the victory. In first John chapter 5

    1 John 5 chapter mention

  119. beginning in verse 44, for whatever is born of God.

  120. Whoever is born of God, Overcomes the world.

  121. And this is the victory that has overcome the world.

  122. Our faith. Who is he?

  123. That overcomes the world but he who believes that Jesus is the

  124. son of God. So interestingly, the one that

  125. gets to overcome the world is the one that is born of God.

  126. That's number one. Okay.

  127. How do you get that? I'll just set the stage.

  128. We know these passages, we know these passages very, very well

  129. and John chapter 3 very briefly. Now When Jesus was talking to

    John 3 chapter mention

  130. Nicodemus and he told, Nicodemus, you have to be born

  131. again. Nicodemus says, how is that

  132. possible? What about an older person?

  133. Can he enter the second time into his mother's womb and be

  134. born? And Jesus said he, that is born

  135. of the flesh is flesh. He that is born of the spirit is

  136. spirit, and then he said, you must be born again.

  137. And then Jesus says, how you do that, he said, it's by being

  138. born of water and the spirit and the That's being baptized.

  139. So stay with me on this. This is a great promise Faith.

  140. Gives us the victory, but the one that overcomes is the one

  141. that is born of God. The one that is born of God is

  142. the one that is born again. And the one that is Born Again,

  143. is the one who is baptized for the remission of sins.

  144. Saying, all of that, notice what Peter says having been born

  145. again not of corruptible seed, but Incorruptible through the

  146. word of God which lives and abides forever.

  147. In First Peter, chapter 1 in verse 3 now.

    1 Peter 1 chapter mention

  148. Blessed. Be the God and father of our

  149. Lord. Jesus Christ.

  150. Who according to His, abundant Mercy, has begotten us again to

  151. a Living Hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ

  152. from the dead. So, We can overcome because

  153. Faith gives us the victory. Notice this, the manifestation

  154. of our faith is being born of God.

  155. That's first and foremost. And that happens when we're born

  156. again or baptized for the remission of sins, K, the object

  157. of our faith is Jesus Christ. And Faith gives us the victory

  158. like that song use. We used to sing that overcomes

  159. the world. Number three, we can overcome

  160. because the world gives the alternative.

  161. I think it's important to understand who the enemy is.

  162. Don't you? We don't wrestle with flesh and

  163. blood. We don't do that, but we are in

  164. a spiritual battle. We really are In fact, Satan is

  165. trying to get us every day. He is the great tempter and I

  166. think it's important to remember who the enemy is, if you're

  167. going to be in any kind of battle, the enemy is the devil.

  168. Satan is the one who controls the world.

  169. He's the one that does that in first John chapter 5 and verse

    1 John 5 chapter mention

  170. 19. We know that we are of God and

  171. the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.

  172. There's nothing good about Satan.

  173. You know, people say that there's good in everybody, maybe

  174. that's true in some sort of way, I don't know.

  175. But I will tell you this, there's no good and Satan at

  176. all. And when Satan in the third of

  177. the hosts of Heaven were cast out because of sinful pride and

  178. thrown down or cast down into pits of Darkness, awaiting the

  179. resurrection. I'm telling you, there's no good

  180. answer. Satan at all and he wants to

  181. take as many people with them to the Lake of Fire one day as he

  182. can. He's the father of lives in

  183. John. 8:44, you are of your father, the devil and the

    John 8:44

  184. desires of your father. You want to do, he was a

  185. murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth

  186. because there's no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks

  187. from his own resources for he is a liar and the father of it.

  188. Satan is the adversary and the Devourer or two and First Peter,

    1 Peter 5 chapter mention

  189. chapter 5 and verse 8, be sober be vigilant because your

  190. adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion seeking whom

  191. he may devour. He's a deceiver to 2nd

  192. Corinthians 11:14 and no wonder for Satan himself, transforms

  193. himself into an angel of Light. What's that mean?

  194. Does that mean when Satan transforms himself?

  195. Into an angel of Light. What's that talking about?

  196. You can read a number of commentaries where they would

  197. offer a number of explanations. But I think what we can do is to

  198. be really safe, is look at the context in which Paul wrote this

  199. Paul is writing to them and speaking about false Apostles

  200. and just right before this, he speaking about these false

  201. Apostles and he said they actually transformed himself.

  202. False Apostles into the picture of a real Apostle.

  203. And then he says this but it's no wonder because even Satan

  204. transforms himself into an angel of Light.

  205. Now, Paul was not saying that a false Apostle actually

  206. transforms himself and becomes a good Apostle or apostle from

  207. God. And he's not saying that the

  208. devil is transforming himself and literally becoming an angel

  209. of Light, what he's talking. Body is they do what they do and

  210. appear to be good or appear to be from God when really they're

  211. not. Remember this to Satan has three

  212. forms to Temp, man, three forms. And he is cunning and crafty,

  213. but the three forms in which he tempts.

  214. Man, is as a son at a, as a subtle serpent as a roaring lion

  215. and an angel of Light. And you know sometimes sometimes

  216. a false teacher for example could appear like what he's

  217. saying is good or he's from God. You know the world is filled

  218. with in history is filled with men that have said that they

  219. have some new revelation or this is something new that came from

  220. God. All they're doing is acting as

  221. though, they're from God, but they're not and Satan would love

  222. that. Satan would love us to think

  223. that what's being, were being tempted with is from God, and

  224. it's really for our own good, when it's not.

  225. So saying all of that, I'll just say one final statement.

  226. Along that line, if it violates the word of God, and it doesn't

  227. come from the word of God, from a religious perspective.

  228. It cannot be from God regardless of the good that we might think

  229. it is doing now. Also remember this, too.

  230. Very sobering, it's possible for the world to overcome us.

  231. It really is to overcome us. If we're not careful a very

  232. familiar passage found in 2nd Peter chapter 2 beginning in

  233. verse 19, while they promise them Liberty, they themselves

  234. are slaves of corruption for by whom a person is overcome by

  235. him. Also, he is brought into

  236. bondage, for if, after they have escaped, the pollutions of the

  237. world, through the knowledge of the Lord and Savior, Jesus

  238. Christ. They are again, entangled in

  239. them and overcome. The latter end is worse for them

  240. than the beginning for. It would have been better for

  241. them to not have known the way of righteousness than having

  242. known it, and turn from the holy commandment delivered to them.

  243. But it has happened to them. According to the true proverb, a

  244. dog returns to his own vomit and a cell having washed to her

  245. wallowing in the mire. Now, I'll tell you, I don't

  246. think, I don't think that. it's a worse punishment for somebody

  247. that Turns their back. On the Lord.

  248. End of that person is lost. I don't think there's a worse

  249. punishment in for that person in somebody that never knew.

  250. That is lost. I think if you're lost, you're

  251. lost. And I think he'll was just hell.

  252. But I think when it talks about, it's better for them not to

  253. know, or to worse for them to have known and then gone back.

  254. I think it's the memory that you didn't have to be there for

  255. eternity, it's the memory that you had the truth.

  256. You had the word of God, you had salvation, but you've gone back

  257. and I think that feeling or that thought forever, it's worse than

  258. somebody that never knew. And I think that's what he's

  259. talking about to know forever. You know one of the great things

  260. about Heaven. I believe we lose our memories

  261. of all the bad things we ever knew.

  262. Wouldn't that be great? What it be great to go to heaven

  263. and no longer have heartache, or have memories of all the

  264. terrible things that perhaps we've gone through in Life, or

  265. are in life. The Bible says there's no tears

  266. in heaven, so we can't have sorrowful thoughts.

  267. But I think there's one thing for a person that has lost that

  268. they never lose and that's their memory.

  269. Remember that the rich man knew exactly his fate and he knew

  270. where his brothers were too and he wanted to warn them, but it

  271. was too late. It was too late for him to say

  272. anything from where he was. So can we overcome absolutely?

  273. And one of the reasons is because the World shows the

  274. alternative and Satan is the great temperature of that but

  275. fourthly and finally we can overcome because the results of

  276. overcoming gives us motivation and I'm just going to give five

  277. passages. And I'm not going to comment on

  278. these passages, this this will actually make the point that I

  279. want to make. So here is the results of

  280. overcoming and it gives us motivation.

  281. He who has an ear Revelation, 2 and 7.

  282. Let him hear what the spirit says, to the churches to him who

  283. overcomes, I will give to eat from the Tree of Life.

  284. Number two, he that overcomes according to Revelation 2 and 11

  285. shall not be hurt by the second death.

  286. He who overcomes Revelation 3 and 5.

  287. Jesus says, I will confess his name before my father, and

  288. before his angels, we can overcome because in Revelation,

  289. 3:21, he who overcomes, I will grant to sit with me on my

  290. throne. And finally Revelation 21 and 7,

  291. he who overcomes shall inherit all things.

  292. And I will be his God and he shall be my son.

  293. So finally in conclusion, Do we desire?

  294. These wonderful blessings. Do we despise the awfulness of

  295. the world? Do we desire to be victorious?

  296. Through faithful living. Do we desire God's power in our

  297. lives? If this is your desire, you can

  298. overcome. And so can I we can overcome the

  299. world by God's power. And God's power is revealed

  300. through his word, we can do. So by our Victorious Faith,

  301. where Jesus is the object of that, and by rejecting the

  302. alternative Satan's in charge of the world and the world offers

  303. absolutely nothing. And finally, we can overcome I'm

  304. by allowing the results of Victory to motivate us in our

  305. life and we can overcome the sinful things of the world.

  306. We thank you for listening to our podcast, put on by the

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