Overcomers

Followers of Jesus have been given different names over the centuries.

1. First, they were described as followers of the way.

2. At Antioch, they were called Christians which means Christ ones. Acts 14:26

3. Perhaps the most common word for those committed to Jesus, is disciple. Disciple means learner or follower.

4. Paul addressed the Christians as saints or those set apart for God. Romans 1:7

5. Followers were also called believers. Acts 5:14

6. Followers are also called beloved. 1 John 3:2

7. Followers are called children of God. Romans 8:16-17

8. There are a number of other names such as salt and light.

a. Each name describes a distinctive characteristic of those who follow Christ.

b. For example, a soldier.

9. In 1 John 5, Christians are called overcomers. A Christian is one who overcomes.

10. As God's children, we are to be overcomers. We are to experience victory in our Christian lives. John 16:33; 2 Corinthians 2:14

11. The question is, are we experiencing victory?

12. What does it take to be an overcomer?

13. John gives us the answer in 1 John 5:4-5

14. Three thoughts today.

I. Acknowledge the Problem

1. The word overcome implies that something stands in our way. We're confronted by an obstacle.

2. We all have problems which we have to overcome.

3. Each day brings new problems.

4. John says, “our main source of problems come from the world.”

5. What is the world?

a. Sin and it's pressure.

b. Suffering and pain.

c. Sensuality and its pleasures.

d. The world is anything and everything which stands in opposition to God. 1 John 2:14-17

6. What does the world do?

a. It tries to distort our desires.

b. It tries to confuse our value system.

c. Luke 12:15

d. mark 8:34-37

e. It tries to dilute our interest in God’s word. 1 Peter 2:2

f. It tries to squeeze us into its mold.

g. In short, it tries to draw us away from God.

7. The problem of the Christian is the world which tempts us to forget who we are and whose we are, and to live beneath our privileges.

a. Little League baseball game.

b. Down 18-0.

c. Were we discouraged? No!

d. We hadn’t even been up to bat yet.

e. That is the spirit of our text.

f. The Christian is surrounded by problems, but we are not discouraged!

g. We see problems as challenges we must overcome.

II. Accept the Promise

1. An overcomer also accepts the promise in 1 John 5:4-5

a. That is the promise of God’s word.

b. This means we don’t have to be defeated by the Devil. John 10:10

c. We don’t have to be disgraced by sin.

d. We don’t have to be destroyed by suffering.

2. We can win the victory. We can overcome.

3. Many Christians need to refocus on that promise.

a. There are many walking wounded in God’s army.

b. Many need to remember, God has never been totally defeated by the events of the past not will He ever be by the events of the present or future.

4. Let me list men who were overcomers in the past.

a. Paul; Philippians 1:13-21

b. Joseph; Jail, Genesis 39-41

c. Hebrews were in slavery; Exodus 1-15

d. David was overwhelmed by the guilt of his sin. But God forgave him. Psalm 51

e. Daniel was in the lion’s den. Daniel 6

f. Jonah was in the belly of the fish; Jonah 2

g. Jesus was in the tomb.

1) Acts 2:36

2) Acts 4: 10

3) Acts 5:29-31

4) Acts 10:39-40

5) Acts 13:27-30

6) Philippians 2:9

5. Can I say to you, “God has never left with man the final say so in anything?”

6. No problem has been so great that God in His Power has not overcome.

7. That is God’s promise to all.

8. A young man in a wheelchair, crippled by an accident, asked his friends, “Do I have a future?” His friends responded, “As a pole vaulter, No. As a man, yes.”

9. An overcomer accepts the promise of God’s word that, no matter how great the problem, he can overcome. He has a future.

III. Apply the Principle

1. The question is, “What is the principle?”

a. Our faith. We can overcome by applying the principle of faith.

b. What is faith?

c. All of life is lived on faith and every person has faith in something.

1) Can of food we eat.

2) Plane we fly in.

3) In the prescriptions we get from the doctor.

2. The general meaning of faith is to “Trust”

3. John says, “the one who overcomes is the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God.”

What will faith in Jesus do for you?