Introduction
Two part series- based on two teaching- Mike Bickle.
Helping Others Overcome by the Word of Our Testimony
Righteous Judgment in a Culture of Honor
We live in an age when the onslaught of the enemy against the people of God is growing more intense.
If is important we understand- we have been called into a corporate, many-membered body.
God has created us to live this life together w/others.
How do we overcome?
Rev 12:10-11
Verses speak of- end of the age- perhaps the most difficult time in human history to be alive.
We see how believers face adversity/overcome.
Overcome- conquer, prevail, to get the victory.
Not a word that describes survival, but …
living life fully and experiencing victory.
If believers living during the most intense time in human history can overcome- so can we today.
The believers overcame the devil by …
1. Blood of the Lamb
2. The word of their testimony
3. Not loving their lives
What does it mean they overcame Satan?
They overcame the …
power and the affect
of his accusations against them.
If you boil it down-overcome means-they did not quit.
Satan’s goal- get us to quit, to get us out of the game.
People constantly struggle w/temptation to quit.
Quit- not necessarily giving up on God, but …
settling for much less than God has for us.
Devil- constantly accusing us and trying to get us to look at our failures, mistakes, weaknesses.
Believers at the end of the age- able to overcome the power of the accusation of the enemy to give up.
Examine how they overcame- first two- briefly.
1. The Blood of the Lamb
Basis of our victory- the finished work of the cross.
Jesus paid our debt for our failures on the cross.
Therefore-devil no longer has-legal right to accuse us.
The problem w/accusations of the devil …
they cause us to relate to God based on how well we have lived/not lived our lives.
One week-feel good about our lives-next week do not.
We must understand what Christ did for us on- cross.
We must relate to God based on what He did …
not what we do or how we live.
2 Cor 5:17
The case God had against us in our rebellion- no longer applies because of what Jesus did for us.
2 Cor 5:21
The only way we can resist the accusations of the enemy is to have an understanding of the cross.
2. Not loving their lives
These were people that abandoned their lives to God.
They learned the meaning of taking up the cross daily.
The life they lived was not their own- it was Christ living in them.
They were pursuing a 100 fold obedience before God.
This is not possible w/o- proper understanding of the blood of the lamb and Jesus work on the cross.
3. The word of their testimony
The word of our testimony is much bigger than how we met the Lord ten years ago.
Our testimony is …
what we believe about Jesus today and
how we live out those truths today.
Satan is speaking accusations against God’s people.
For our testimony to be effective it must be verbalized to counter the accusations of the devil.
Not in the sense of speaking to the devil, but declaring the reality of what God says is true about our lives.
Now, our testimony- even broader than verbalizing who Jesus is and what He has done for us.
It includes what you believe Jesus thinks about others.
It is not just that I overcome by giving my testimony.
I can help you overcome- devil’s accusations when I testify to you about what God is doing in your life.
Eph 4:29 Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. NASU
Part of my success depends on you encouraging and affirming me- because we are interconnected.
As we understand what Jesus has done for us and what His plans are for us, we can be successful.
Where do we get this understanding from …
God’s Word/personal prayer,
but also through those who encourage us.
Important-we learn-value of encouraging one another.
Rom 10:17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ. NASU
Faith is awakened as we hear the Word of God.
We hear the Word by …
studying it, confessing it, singing it, and when someone speaks God’s truth over our lives.
The devil accuses us day and night.
God is raising up a body of people to speak words of encouragement over one another day and night.
Living a Lifestyle of Encouragement
Encouragement is testifying to others what God is saying about them.
Not some deep prophetic insight, but helping them understand how God feels about them.
It is not just speaking positive things about them, it is speaking over them what God says is true.
How can we do this? By looking for character traits and virtues that might be in seed form in their lives
Encouragement puts courage in the hearts of others. Mike Bickle
We speak to others what is obvious, but what the devil obscures from them because of his accusations.
Heb 10:24 and let us consider how to stimulate one another to love and good deeds,
25 not forsaking our own assembling together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another; and all the more as you see the day drawing near. NASU
You cannot encourage someone if you are not w/them
Encouragement-not flattery-affirmation rooted in truth
Acts 4:36 Now Joseph, a Levite of Cyprian birth, who was also called Barnabas by the apostles (which translated means Son of Encouragement), NASU
We can set our hearts to be sons of encouragement.
Learning to Honor One Another
God requires that in our corporate life we live together is such a way as to love and honor one another.
Not only should we honor other individuals, but also other ministers and ministries.
Eph 3:14-19
There is a sense here that we will not fully comprehend the love of God until we do it together
Our comprehension of God’s love will increase as we honor other believers, ministers, ministries.
Perhaps we could commit to never speak negative about another person/ministry in our homes.
Rom 12:10-18
I want COTRM to be a place known because we honor other people, ministers, ministries.
I want people in our leadership team to never speak negative word about another ministry.
Question: How do we bless others when we see deficiencies in their lives/ministries?
We bless them by asking God to show us those virtues He is developing in them that may be in seed form.
We learn to bless what God is doing in them.
Let me bring a balance to this.
There is a place to bring correction, address issues, discern things that need to be fixed, etc.
There is a right process and a right spirit to address deficiencies in other people and ministries.
There is a righteous judgment that balances righteous encouragement.
We will be talking about this next week.
It requires a real work of God in our hearts to be able to bring righteous judgment to others.
Rom 12:16 Be of the same mind toward one another; do not be haughty in mind, but associate with the lowly. Do not be wise in your own estimation. NASU
We see deficiencies in people before we see- assets.
When we can celebrate their virtues, then we will feel differently about their deficiencies.
Pray for others and find out what is it about them that pleases God, even with their deficiencies.
Learn to celebrate w/others what God sees in them.
We will never understand what others mean to God until we are willing to love/pray for them.
Do not be wise in your own opinion- in other words- do not presume to understand all God sees in them.
COTRM- do not want us to verbalize the deficiencies of other people, ministers, or ministries.
Learn to look for and find the virtue in others.
Conclusion
Who are you called to encourage in your life?
Make a list right now- write down their names.
Are there any people, ministers, ministries you have spoken negative of in the past month?
Ask God to forgive you and show you what He sees in them that pleases Him.
In a moment- pair off w/someone- ask God what He sees in them- speak a word of blessing over them.
