We Are Overcomers

Finding the Strength

One of the lingering symptoms many of us who have had COVID is the fatigue.

Physical and mental fatigue.

COVID fog is real.

Some of us have lived in a fog for a long time.

For others, it’s age-related.

But, COVID fog is real.

In fact, our daughter who is a speech and language pathologist in the valley is getting certified training to assist her elderly clients deal w/ the fog besides the other issues they may have.

Last Sunday, I was in a fog. It’s a testimony of God’s faithfulness and strength that I made any sense at all to any of you when I was done.

Physically, I’m just now feeling close to 100%.

I have a friend in Dallas who is our age who had it in October and is still struggling to complete 2 mi on his treadmill.

That used t/b nothing for him.

Another friend in Arkansas, young guy, recent med school grad, distance runner and soccer player said it was a full 2 months before he could run again.

The fatigue is real. Finding the strength to do what I need to do is an issue.

I had 101 temp for a week.I hit 103 at first.

I lost 10 lbs just by my body burning the calories w/ the fever and fighting the virus.

I was blessed that the Kaminski family came and brought wood up on my deck while I was sick.

As I got over it, I could do it, but had to pause between each crate.

I had to psych myself up to do the first 1.

Normally, I bring 5 crates up w/out a break. It’s strenuous activity, but I could do.

Even now, I can only do 1 or 2 crates w/out stopping to catch my breath.

I am just starting to get back to where I was before I got sick.

Finding the strength to do what I need to do is as much of a challenge as doing what needs t/b done. It’s strenuous work.

Physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Last week I was wearing myself out mentally just studying, thinking, and writing my sermon.

Physically, I was wearing myself out w/ very little exertion.

These are things I need to do, used to do w/ some effort, but it didn’t wipe me out for the afternoon.

Last Sunday afternoon I turned the football game on and checked out.

We understand what it’s like to live some place where there is hard work t/b done.

We all have to get motivated to bring a bundle of firewood in, or a bag of wood pellets to keep the house warm.

To shovel snow and rake pine needles.

We have to do them.

We’ve got to get the pine needles up b/c of the fire danger.

This is on top of the other chores we have to do to keep the house clean and maintained.

It is physically, mentally, and emotionally taxing just to live here.

Then, things come along that make it even harder. And, we are getting old.

It would be so easy just to check out and let these things go. But we can’t.

That creates more work later. The issue only grows. The house gets colder and the pine needles pile up.

We have to heat our houses, deal w/ the fire danger, get out when it snows, and take care of our stuff so it lasts.

Finding the ability to do all this stuff is as important as doing the stuff.

We have to find the motivation, strength, know-how.

Sometimes we aren’t motivated to get up our of lazy boy to get busy and get it done.

We have to. Our lives depend on it.

There are also some important things that God has for us to do.

We have find the motivation.

We t/b emotionally engaged.

We need the physical strength.

But, above all else, we have t/b spiritually engaged.

And, we have an enemy, a spiritual enemy that will do anything to keep us from getting God’s stuff done.

Our enemy is trying to divide us, overwhelm us, preoccupy us, and convince us we are on our own. We can’t or we should die trying.

He’s doing a pretty good job of it right now.

Our enemy is not flesh and blood. If we think he is, then we will never overcome him.

If we think his/her name is Trump, Biden, Harris, Pence, Pelosi, Schumer, McConnell, Ducey, or anyone else will we will fail miserably in what God has called us to do.

No doubt, some of these ppl are allowing him too much influence in their life, it’s affecting us, and it seems they are the enemy.

They are not. We cannot focus on them as if they are. If we do we will not overcome the enemy.

Yet, the bible says, John says, we are overcomers. We overcome the world.

How do we do this? Especially today?

We have an enemy who wants to divide us.

God wants to unite us.

You see the consequences of the war. You see it on the news, on social media, you see it among friends. Well, those who used t/b friends and should be friends.

But we can’t see the war. So, how do we overcome what we cannot see?

This is where John takes us today.

It takes the power of God for the person of God to overcome the division that the enemy has created and unite what God has created.

We are overcomers. But we have to access the ability that God has made available to be successful at overcoming. Otherwise, we just get caught up in all the mess.

We Can Overcome

1 John 5:1–5 NIV

Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well. This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.

John starts this out w/ a little bit of a twist to what we are used to thinking.

We know that believing in Jesus leads us to be born of God, new life.

But, that’s not exactly what he is saying here.

The Greek construction means that being born of God leads to belief. There is belief that happens after we get the new life.

What’s that about?

Well, when I was 17, I understood enough about Jesus and my situation to know that I needed to believe in and accept Him as my Savior.

I thought I knew a lot about Him.

Now, 43 years later, I know so much more about Jesus and I believe all of what I have learned.

I know the names he goes by in the bible and what they represent about different character traits about him.

I know about the miracles he performed and how they represent object lessons about what He was teaching.

So, after I was born of God as a 17-year old, my education was just beginning. And now I believe so much more about Him.

Sara and I have been married 36 and a half years. I loved her then. I thought I knew her.

But, today, so much more.

For richer or for poorer; when I was a poor seminary student and now I’m a rich pastor.

God has blessed us!

For better or for worse; there has been a lot of better and very little worse.

In sickness and in health. I got COVID first and when I was the worst Sara took care of me. When she came down w/ it I was getting better and able to take care of her.

At the time of the vow, we didn’t know what we didn’t know. Now, we do and we believe it.

Odds are much better today that till death do us part.

John says, b/c we are born of God we are capable of loving God and our fellow believers. That is, regardless of race, country of origin, and political party affiliation.

Love is a verb. That means, we can do good things for each other that cost us something even believers who are different from us.

They look different, worship different, and vote for different candidates.

You know that everything God wants us to do is wrapped up in 2 commands.

Don’t let anything get in the way of your relationship w/ God. And, don’t let anything divide you from any other believer.

Set aside personal agendas and desires to what’s best for each other.

In theory, we should find it easy to act like we love each other. That is, until they express an opinion that is different from yours.

We both worship the same God. But, we may do it in different ways.

Can Baptists love Methodists?

Can Catholics love Protestants?

Can charismatics love non-Charismatics?

Linda?

Can Republicans love Democrats?

Obviously, this is harder than it should be.

It’s not that love is easy. But, we’ve been given all the help we need.

Not only do we have the example of Jesus, who died for us while we were rebellious, we have the power of the HS who lives inside us.

B/C we’ve been born of God we have help.

We are overcomers. We experience victory in this.

But, here’s the catch that John is saying.

The victory we have is the power to overcome not the person who overcomes.

He is not celebrating us and what we do.

He is celebrating God who makes it possible for us to do.

We have an enemy in the world, in this country, who is trying to divide us and destroy us. It appears he is winning.

But, appearances can be deceiving.

It takes the power of God for the person of God to overcome the division that the enemy creates.

And, we can.

We have been rescued from the dominion of darkness and delivered into the kingdom of Light.

We have the power and the ability to not participate in the politics of divisiveness that are being promoted today.

We have the power to not be racist.

Oh, it’s tempting. The urge to mock and belittle those who don’t see things our way.

When they do it does it make you want to join their side?

So, if we do it should we do hoping they will see things our way and join us?

This is the world we live in today. And, John said 3x that we have overcome the world.

Who overcomes?

The one who believes in Jesus. The one who has faith.

Faith is confidence in what we hope will happen and the assurance in what we cannot see.

We are certain God is at work in good ways we cannot see but will one day.

So, when we don’t like what we do see on the news, we are certain that God is working on it.

Since He is at work, we can let Him have the work.

Let Him tell whoever needs to hear it that they, or we, are wrong in our political positions. We just need to love the ppl who love God.

The victory is continuous, not just once.

Jesus was victorious once when He walked out of his grave so we can be be victorious all the time.

Remember, Jesus didn’t come to overthrow the Roman gov’t but to save the ppl who lived under it.

Jesus isn’t calling us to overthrow our gov’t and create a Christian nation.

We are not called t/b a Christian nation but to be a nation of influential Christians who love ea other.

Great stuff, if it’s true. And it is.

How do we know?

3 provable facts that function as witnesses that testify that we can overcome the divisiveness of our culture.

3 Witnesses

1 John 5:6–12 NIV

This is the one who came by water and blood—Jesus Christ. He did not come by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth. For there are three that testify: the Spirit, the water and the blood; and the three are in agreement. We accept human testimony, but God’s testimony is greater because it is the testimony of God, which he has given about his Son. Whoever believes in the Son of God accepts this testimony. Whoever does not believe God has made him out to be a liar, because they have not believed the testimony God has given about his Son. And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life.

There are 3 witnesses to prove faith in Jesus is well-placed.

Each of these 3 are historically proven facts. Faith has a basis in fact w/out explaining everything. In those gaps is where faith does its work

The 3 witnesses are the water, the blood, and the Spirit.

The water is when Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordon when the Father said, “This is my son. I am pleased w/ Him.”

Everyone who was there heard it.

That marked the beginning of his ministry.

From that moment he began to teach and demonstrate Who He Is and What He came to do.

For 3 years he worked so we know what to believe about Him.

The things He said and did all point to His uniqueness and His role as our Savior.

He is the only One who can do this and if we believe in Him, in all that he is and came to do, we will receive new life and live it forever.

The blood represents his crux. It’s when his ministry ended. He bled and died.

But, it is so much more that just the end of his earthly ministry.

His death broke the bonds of the bad habits that destroy our lives and relationships.

That is the moment he delivered us from the domain of darkness and into the kingdom of Light.

He broke the bonds that divide us and gave us the life that unites us.

But, even after these first 2 witnesses the proof is lacking something.

Jesus lived, taught, and demonstrated that He is the Savior. But, if He stayed dead and didn’t show us that He can give us life after we die, our faith would lack an important piece to the puzzle.

It is the Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead.

When Jesus walked out of his grave he was victorious over the ultimate divider. That which divides the dead from the living.

By the power of God He overcame what the enemy thought was his final victory to show the world who the ultimate victor is.

It is the Spirit who gives us new life and the ability understand more about Jesus and believe it.

He is the source of the power that gives us the ability to overcome the divisiveness of our world.

If a person who claims to be Christian is a Baptist but cannot love a Methodist...

Or, is not charismatic but mocks those who are...

If a person claims t/b Christian but is also racist and cannot love someone of a different skin color...

If they claim t/b of one political party and cannot love someone of the other...

Then, they make Jesus out t/b a liar. B/C He says we not only have the ability to love each other, but the responsibility to love ea other.

We don’t have to spiral into these situations that end up destroying so much. In fact, we can be the ones who lead this nation out of it.

And we can begin be keeping Munds Park unified.

We are overcomers. We are victors. The victory is in the power to overcome not in the ppl who do.

The million dollar question is, since you have access to the ability, will take advantage of it?

Applications

Love all believers?

Is there an individual or group of believers that you do not, can not act like you love?

I would seek them out and do something about it.

Overcome?

Are you overcoming the world or is it overcoming you?

Do you feel overwhelmed by what you are watching on the news or that is coming across your social media newsfeed?

We can overcome it by being proactive and doing something that makes a positive difference in the world by maintaining our unity.

Start here in Munds Park be an overcomer.

3 witnesses

Do you believe the 3 witnesses?

What else do you need to believe and receive new life from God.

He will take what’s dead inside you and make it alive. You will feel the difference.

Everything begins here.

New life. Learn to believe. Learn to love God and every other believer who isn’t like you.

We cannot allow ourselves to believe that ppl are the enemy.

They are not. We cannot focus on them as if they are. If we do we will not overcome the enemy.

Yet, the bible says, John says, we are overcomers. We overcome the world.

We have an enemy who wants to divide us.

God wants to unite us.

You see the consequences of the war. You see it on the news, on social media, you see it among friends. Well, those who used t/b friends and should be friends.

But we can’t see the war. So, how do we overcome what we cannot see?

It takes the power of God for the person of God to overcome the division that the enemy has created and unite what God has created.

We are overcomers. But we have to access the ability that God has made available to be successful at overcoming. Otherwise, we just get caught up in all the mess.