Victory - Thanksgiving

1 John 2:17 NKJV

17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

Good Evening, I’m so glad you are here. Thanksgiving Sunday for this year is rapidly approaching. WOW! This year has flown by. I want to thank everyone for the wonderful cards and gifts. They are truly appreciated. The hugs were amazing and Debbie and I loved them just as much if not more. Tonight I am going to revisit a topic that I have talked about before and my question is rather pointed.

Are You On Spiritual Life Support

Are you on Spiritual Life Support? I have the IV pole from Debbie being sick this last year. We don’t need it anymore and we hope to not ever need it again. But the Question that has been coming to me this week, the week we are to give thanks, Are You On Spiritual Life Support? You see church we are daily in a battle to be overcomers in this life. People who overcome by the Blood of the Lamb and the word of our Testimony.

You see we have talked about

Spiritual Warfare

and the weapons of our warfare. We have talked about

Satan The Defeated Foe

and how that Jesus won that victory for us by dying on the Cross to give up eternal life. We have talked about

Conquering Sinful Desires

and the issues that come with them. We have also talked about having

Spiritual Discipline

Standing firm in our Faith. Letting nothing move us. This morning we are going to talk about having

Victory Over the World

You see we live in a world that hates us.

John 15:18–21 NKJV

18 “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also. 21 But all these things they will do to you for My name’s sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.

You see it was prophesied that we would suffer persecution, but you don’t have to live on Spiritual Life Support. Some people would rather live as the world lives instead of being Sanctified and set apart from the world. You see we are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, but we live like we are second best spiritual and we live a gutter life instead a Victorious Life.

I don’t like being picked on for my faith… Here let be go ahead and hook the Spiritual life support bag up on the pole because you are heading there.

Do you study the Word? No, I’m too busy… You have plenty of time to be on FB or watching the TV or binge watching NetFlix… Here let me hook up your Spiritual life support bag...

You see Jesus had already declared over you that you will be persecuted, but he also said you will be overcomers.

John 17:14 NKJV

14 I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.

Abba, I have made them like me and because they are like me, the world hates them.

John 17:18 NKJV

18 As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world.

Abba, I have sent them into the world, not to be part of the world but to Live Victorious and to be set apart and sanctified Holy. There are some people that the only way they are going to make it to heaven is if we hook up a Spiritual Life Support bag on them. Hook up Spiritual IV if you will. Hook up something too them that will feed the Word to them. Hook up Something that will prompt them to Pray, Hook up something that will prompt them to fast and to Give. We want it all given to us through a trusty Spiritual Life Support IV.

Catch what James the Brother of Jesus said about loving the World.

James 4:4 NKJV

4 Adulterers and adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.

Oh My Goodness. What does he mean by that pastor? I’m glad you ask… When you live like the world Monday through Saturday, but you live all holy on Sunday you are hooking up your own Spiritual Life Support IV. Here let me break this down for you… When you love living like the world more than you like to live Holy, you are setting yourself up to die spiritually. The first thing that I do when I enter a hospital room is look at the vitals on the screen. I look at what meds they have flowing through the IV. I look to see if they are hooked up on a breathing machine. Something that breaths for them. There are many today that their spiritual vital signs are waning. Their Spiritual Blood Pressure is dropping. Their Spiritual Oxygen Level is dropping. Why? Because they love the world and the things of the world more than they love God.

1 John 2:15–17 NKJV

15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. 17 And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

He who does the Will of the Father lives forever. They won’t be on Spiritual Life Support. They may die a physical death but they won’t die that spiritual death. It will be said of them, that they are absent from the body and present with the Lord. They didn’t have a Spiritual IV hooked up. No they loved the Lord their God with all of their Heart, all of their Mind, all of their Soul and all of their Strength. And they love their Neighbor as they loved themselves… Check this out...

John 16:33 NKJV

33 These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

Jesus has overcome the world. We may have periods of troubles and tribulations, but take heart because our big brother Jesus Christ the Righteous. Our advocate, the one of whom we are joint heirs with, the very one who laid down his life for us. You know who I’m talking about. They call him the Great I AM. Jehovah Jireh, Jehovah Nissi, Jehovah Rapha. He is called wonderful, counselor, might God and prince of peace. He is the Rose of Sharon, the Lion of Judah, The Lamb that was Slain. Yes those are just a few names of our Big Brother Jesus. The one that sticks closer than a brother, the one who died on the cross that we may have eternal life, the one that said he was building a mansion for us in heaven, so that we can be where he is. You Know who I’m talking about? He is the way, the Truth and the Life. He is the way to the Father. He is the way maker, Promise Keeper, He is the Light in the Darkness. He is the Chain Break, Yoke Breaker, Ever loving and Only Begotten Son of God. Do you know Who I am Talking about this morning. Do you know Him well enough to stay off of Spiritual Life Support?

1 John 5:3–5 NKJV

3 For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome. 4 For whatever is born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith. 5 Who is he who overcomes the world, but he who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

Oh My! Can Somebody give the Lord Jesus a Shout of Praise in this house?