STILL Undefeated ...
Apocalypse, 2nd Intermission • Sermon • Submitted
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· 10 viewsCIT: While Satan and his deceived world might celebrate because they think they have defeated God's purpose, they learn the hard way that God is undefeated
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Boxing is an intriguing study
Well-known boxers
Jack Johnson
Joe Louis
Muhammad Ali
Sugar Ray Robinson
Sugar Ray Leonard
Oscar de la Hoya
Manny Pacquiao
All had suffered defeat
Few were undefeated in their entire career
Rocky Marciano
Floyd Mayweather Jr
Thing about being undefeated
Everyone is aiming for you
Seems utterly foolish to me
Seems utterly foolish to me
To do battle with the Creator of the Universe
Yet that is what Satan attempts to do here
What we tend to forget as Christ followers
What we tend to forget as Christ followers
Is Who it is that is for us
Ro 8:31 “What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?”
Why we have that tendency to forget this
Why we have that tendency to forget this
We evaluate Him based on how things have been going
Things go well—easier to accept God is conquering
Things not going well—not so much
This passage serves as a great example of this:
This passage serves as a great example of this:
Revelation 11:7-14
7 When they finish their testimony, the beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit will make war against them, overcome them, and kill them.
8 And their dead bodies will lie in the street of the great city which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.
9 Then those from the peoples, tribes, tongues, and nations will see their dead bodies three-and-a-half days, and not allow their dead bodies to be put into graves.
10 And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth.
11 Now after the three-and-a-half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them.
12 And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, “Come up here.” And they ascended to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies saw them.
13 In the same hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. In the earthquake seven thousand people were killed, and the rest were afraid and gave glory to the God of heaven.
14 The second woe is past. Behold, the third woe is coming quickly.
Timeline
Jesus is still undefeated even when...
Jesus is still undefeated even when...
1. The Enemy Seems to Be Winning the War
1. The Enemy Seems to Be Winning the War
Identifying the enemy
Identifying the enemy
V.7
Beast that ascends out of the bottomless pit
Some hold that to be Satan
Saying he is the beast from the abyss
Perhaps thinking of the scene in Re 9:1 “Then the fifth angel sounded: And I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. To him was given the key to the bottomless pit.”
Problem with that viewpoint:
Satan is the “star fallen from heaven”
He is then given the key to the abyss
Same Beast that is in Re 13:1
Coming from the sea
Yet make no mistake:
He in inextricably connected to Satan
Makes war against God’s two witnesses
Conquers them
Kills them
Most Meaningless Statistic
Most Meaningless Statistic
The score at halftime
Even when it seems that the enemy is winning
Game’s not over yet
Remember: Jesus is STILL undefeated
Remember: Jesus is STILL undefeated
2. You Feel All Alone
2. You Feel All Alone
The dead bodies of the two witnesses lay in the streets of Jerusalem 3 1/2 days
The dead bodies of the two witnesses lay in the streets of Jerusalem 3 1/2 days
Vv.8-9
Great city
Sodom
Because of its pride and iniquity
Ge 13:13 “But the men of Sodom were exceedingly wicked and sinful against the Lord.”
Eze 16:49 “Look, this was the iniquity of your sister Sodom: She and her daughter had pride, fullness of food, and abundance of idleness; neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.”
Egypt
Because of its oppression of God’s people
Ex 3:7 “And the Lord said: “I have surely seen the oppression of My people who are in Egypt, and have heard their cry because of their taskmasters, for I know their sorrows.”
Where our Lord was crucified
Making it clear this is Jerusalem
No one came to honor them by a funeral or burial or anything of the sort
No one came to honor them by a funeral or burial or anything of the sort
Point: they were alone
They died “alone”
Yet they weren’t “alone”
You won’t experience a greater understanding of God’s presence until it feels like He’s absent
You won’t experience a greater understanding of God’s presence until it feels like He’s absent
Examples in Scripture:
Examples in Scripture:
Job
Noah
Abram/Abraham
Moses
David
Elijah
Jeremiah
Jesus
Paul
Yet in each of these examples, God was not absent
He was very present
Yet perhaps Job said it best:
Job 42:5 “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear, But now my eye sees You.”
Even though Job did not “see” God (Job 38:1) “Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind, and said:”
Do not mistake feelings of loneliness and being alone for defeat
Do not mistake feelings of loneliness and being alone for defeat
That you have been abandoned
That God could do great things in everyone’s life but yours
Jesus is STILL undefeated
3. The Enemy Celebrates Your Misery
3. The Enemy Celebrates Your Misery
You can almost hear Andy Williams sing it
You can almost hear Andy Williams sing it
“It’s the Most Wonderful time of the year”
V.10
People rejoicing over their dead bodies
Making merry
Sending gifts to one another
Never fun watching someone or a group of people celebrating over your misfortune
Never fun watching someone or a group of people celebrating over your misfortune
Yet even in the midst of this celebration, the enemy made a terrible mistake
Started celebrating before the fight was over
What Happens Next?
What Happens Next?
It is now Jesus’ turn
It is now Jesus’ turn
V.11
Breath of life…from God…entered them
Stood on their feet
Great fear falling on all who saw them
V.12
Loud voice from heaven
“Come up here”
Ascend to heaven in a cloud
Seen by those who had been celebrating
V.13
Another great earthquake
10% of Jerusalem destroyed
7,000 people killed
Terrified the survivors
Acknowledged it as an “Act of God”
Nothing is over until God says that it is
Nothing is over until God says that it is
That would include death
Because Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life
And…STILL undefeated
Now What?
Now What?
Why is this important?
Why is this important?
You are in a “Season of Life”
Means you cannot control when it begins
Means you cannot control when it ends
Means you cannot control its intensity
Means it isn’t forever
God alone controls time AND seasons
God alone controls time AND seasons
AND He is undefeated when it comes to Satan’s attempts to destroy you
How you survive in your season
How you thrive in your season
Will be proportionate to how confident you are that God controls this season of your life
What will you choose?
What will you choose?
Begin a new journey of life in and with Jesus Christ?
Begin a new journey of life in and with Jesus Christ?
Jn 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
Text LIFE to 858.210.0291
Text LIFE to 858.210.0291
Trust Him again in this season of life?
Trust Him again in this season of life?
Text TRUST to 858.210.0291
Text TRUST to 858.210.0291
Move with Jesus as He works IN you?
Move with Jesus as He works IN you?
Let Him work THROUGH you in a church family
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Text NEXT STEP to 858.210.0291