THE REWARDS OF AN OVERCOMER – PART I
Let’s stand together and open your Bible to Revelation 22:12 as we continue our series on the eternal rewards of heaven with today’s message, “The Rewards of an Overcomer.”
Revelation 22:12 "Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. NKJV
PREPARING TO MEET ETERNITY
I have given you this series because I believe time is fast running out and that we are living on the edge of the rapture of the church.
I have given you this series, to show you how to prepare for the most serious moment of your life when you will stand before the Lord Jesus at His judgment seat. I have given you this series so that you are prepared when Jesus calls you to give an account of your life. In all of eternity, there will not be another moment as serious as this.
I have given you this series because Jesus said, He will reward everyone according to what they have done with their life, whether it is good or bad. On that great and glorious day, for all who love Him and have been faithful to Him, He will reward each person with magnificent treasures and eternal crowns of glory that are so indescribable that they are exceedingly abundantly beyond all we could ever imagine.
I have shown you that no act of faithfulness is too small for God to reward. I have shown you how the awesome crowns of heaven are vastly important because they signify our position to rule and reign with Jesus.
My point is this, the list of rewards I have shown you in this series is just a small glimpse of what God is preparing for us in His kingdom. That’s why Paul wrote…
1 Corinthians 2:9 “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” NKJV
What God is preparing for us in His Kingdom is so magnificent and so awe-inspiring that it is worth our very best efforts to live our lives worthy of His calling.
In addition to the mind-bending rewards, the great treasures and the dazzling crowns, there is yet, another division of rewards that is reserved for those who overcome. In the book of Revelation, we find seven promises that are among the greatest promises found anywhere in the Bible. What makes these promises so special is that they are given by Jesus Christ Himself.
To give you the full picture of these promises, I have divided this into two sermons.
Today, in part I, I want to whet your appetite for what God is preparing for us in His great kingdom of glory. If you knew… If you really knew the full weight of these eternal promises, you would make every effort to gain them. And what makes these staggering promises so incredible is that they are available for anyone who loves Jesus and pursues His kingdom. The question is, how badly do you want these great treasures?
THE OVERCOMER
That brings us to this vital point. Before we can claim these wonderful promises, we must first realize these promises are reserved only for those who overcome.
What is an overcomer? John defines an overcomer in I John 5…
1 John 5:5 Who is he who overcomes the world, (And then He gives the answer) but he who believes
that Jesus is the Son of God? NKJV
The first picture of an overcomer is one who overcomes the world’s opinion and believes that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. If you believe Jesus is the Son of God, and the only way of salvation, then you have accomplished the first step of what it means to be an overcomer.
Overcomers are greatly known in heaven. Those who overcome the world will be known for all eternity as those… Who overcame evil with good
Who overcame fear with faith
Who overcame sin through the righteousness of Jesus Christ
Who overcame the world and its evil, by the blood of Jesus and the power of His name.
An overcomer is very special to the heart of God, because they have the faith to believe God, and the courage to conquer anything that would hinder their relationship with Jesus Christ.
Revelation 12:11 also defines an overcomer…
Revelation 12:11 And they overcame him (Satan) by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death. NKJV (3 things here.)
First, the real battles that we fight are not battles of flesh and blood. Our battles are spiritual battles against the world, the flesh, and the devil.
Second, we are overcomers by the blood of Jesus, and by our testimony that we believe Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the only way of salvation. So again, we see that an overcomer is one who overcomes the world by believing in Jesus Christ as the Son of God.
Third, overcomers would rather die than to dishonor, or disown our Savior Jesus Christ.
What is an overcomer…? An overcomer honors God, just as Jesus did in the Garden of Gethsemane when He had the courage to pray, “Not My will, but Your will be done.” (Luke 22:42) Overcomers are special and dear to the heart of Jesus.
One of the best definitions of an overcomer come from Paul in Philippians 1:21…
Philippians 1:21 For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. NKJV
Overcomers are champions who live for Jesus, and never give up fighting the good fight of faith. And that brings me to this very important point.
All Christians are called to be an overcomer, but not all Christians will overcome.
It is God’s divine will, that all believers overcome the world, the flesh, and the devil. But sadly, not all believers are going to do that, because many Christians have allowed the cares and pleasures of this world to have a tight grip on their hearts. That’s the very reason why so many Christians are not prepared for Christ’s return. That’s the very reason why many Christians are not prepared for the Judgment Seat of Christ. That’s why Jesus said, where your heart is, there your treasures will be also. The question is; where are you storing the treasures of your heart? Are they on earth, or are you storing them in heaven?
THE REWARDS AT THE END
In Revelation 2-3, Jesus made seven magnificent promises of great rewards that are reserved only for those who are faithful to overcome. When you read these seven promises, notice that each of these promises came at the very end of His letters. Why at the end? Why not at the beginning or in the
middle; why are they spoken of last?
These promises are last in the letters, because God will not hand out the rewards until the very end at the judgment seat after the rapture. Why?
Why are these rewards not given to us while we live on earth? Why don’t we receive them at the moment of our death? Why do we have to wait until the end to receive them?
The reason is very important.
How your life influences others, does not end the day you die. Your influence, and how you live your life, whether good or bad, will continue way past your death until the very end.
The influence of your life is like a big ripple effect in a pond.
God does not reward us now, or when we die, because the influence of your life, will keep bearing fruit. And when the end of the age is finished, God will then measure every single impact and influence your life had on eternity, and then, He will determine your reward.
Think about it; God will remember every prayer, every spoken word of love; every act of kindness, every determination to forgive, every witness, every sacrifice; every influence that touched other lives. After all is over, God will measure the complete and final outcome of your godly or ungodly influence and then, He will reward you.
What does that have to do with being an overcomer? The answer is, as an overcomer who loves Jesus, what you are doing right now, to leave behind a godly influence, will continue to grow and impact lives long after you step into eternity. And God in His marvelous grace will reward each of us for our godly influence that touched lives for eternity.
Many years ago, a man named Max Jukes lived in New York and became the father of 13 children. He did not believe in Christ, nor did he believe in Christian training. He refused to go to church and he refused to allow his children to attend church, even when others begged him to go. Of his 1026 descendants, 300 were sent prison for an average term of 13 years; 190 were public prostitutes; and 509 were admitted alcoholics and drug addicts. The point is, his negative and ungodly influence on the life of his family, and everyone around him is still going on today, and will continue until the end.
Now, compare that with the life of Jonathan Edwards who also lived in New York at about the same time as Max Jukes. Jonathan Edwards also had 13 children. Jonathan Edwards loved the Lord and served Him to the best of his ability. He saw to it that his children were in church and had a personal relationship with Jesus. Edwards had 929 descendants, of which 430 were ministers of the gospel; 86 became university professors; 13 became university presidents; 75 authored books; 7 were elected to the United States Congress; 3 were governors, and one descendant became Vice-President of the United States. Jonathan Edwards influenced his family and many generations for Christ. And that influence is still producing eternal fruit and will continue to produce fruit until the end of the age.
As an overcomer, who loves Jesus, what are you doing to leave behind a godly influence that will impact eternity? (Point Man – Steve Farrar p. 48)
THE ASSURANCE OF CHRIST’S PROMISES
One of the great truths that an overcomer must never forget, is that God never breaks a promise. His promises never fall short, and they never fail. The Bible says God cannot lie and therefore He cannot break a promise. The keeping of His promises is more certain than the rising of the sun. Seven times, He says I will… I will…
Jesus Christ who holds all authority in heaven and earth will never fail to fulfill His promise to reward anyone who is an overcomer.
There are two things about these great promises that I want you to remember.
First, these promises are based on conditions. For example, Jesus said, “To him who overcomes, I will give a special reward.”
These rewards are available to everyone, but… you must first meet the condition to overcome the cares and pleasures of the world, and to set the focus of your heart on Jesus Christ and His perfect Kingdom of glory.
Second, these promises are two thousand years old, and yet, they are as fresh today as the day He first gave them. His promises are stored in the treasure vault of heaven waiting for that special day when Jesus Christ will reward all who overcome. That’s why Jesus said store your treasures in heaven where they will not rust, corrupt, or fade.
THE ETERNAL VALUE OF YOUR REWARDS
Why should we care about these seven promises? One great reason is because the value of these seven promises, are among the most cherished treasures of heaven. These promises are very dear to the heart of Jesus, and when you hear them next week, you will see why.
Just one of these seven promises by itself is so amazing that it far outweighs all the combined treasures and power of this world.
Imagine this in another way. I personally believe the smallest treasure of heaven is the gift of eternal life. Eternal Life is God’s precious gift to every person who believes in Jesus Christ as the Son of God. Eternal life through Jesus Christ is the ticket that gets you in the door.
My point is… If eternal life is the smallest gift of heaven that gets you in the door, how much greater then are all of the treasures, and beauty, and rewards that God wants to give us?
Believing in Jesus for eternal life is the single greatest decision of your life. It is the decision that gets you into the kingdom, but…, but that’s not all there is. Through the eyes of these seven promises, Jesus gives us a glimpse of what He has in store for those who love Him and overcome the world.
HE WHO HAS AN EAR LET HIM HEAR WHAT THE SPIRIT SAYS…
One other very important point about these seven promises is that Jesus said…
He who has an ear, let Him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
As a believer in Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit gives you the special ability to hear God speaking to your life. Jesus desperately wants you to hear what the Holy Spirit has to say to you regarding these magnificent promises. Its vitally important that you hear these great truths and apply them to your life. Through these seven great promises, Jesus is speaking to you. The question is not if He is speaking; the real question is; are you listening?
The real issue is what you do immediately after you hear His voice. God cannot move in your life until you take that first step of obedience. When you start obeying what you already know in your heart to be the truth, then God can start moving and then He can direct your life.
When you choose to overcome the world and your selfish desires to do things your way, and you
choose to do things God’s way, God promises to reward you with His great rewards reserved for an overcomer.
IN CLOSING…
There is so much waiting for us in heaven. The rewards of what God has in store for those who love Him are so magnificent and so unimaginable, there are no words to describe them.
But most important of all, right now is the only opportunity you have to make your life count for eternity. Right now, is the time to wake up and set your focus on Jesus.
However, God knows we live in a dark and perilous time. He knows the evil that faces us. He knows the hate of the world toward those who love Him. So, how can we live in times like this and be overcomers who reap the awesome promises of God?
Knowing the times, I think there are three things that God is saying to His church in these last days.
First, we must not love the world.
1 John 2:15–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. NKJV
Second, we must not act like the world.
We live in the world, but we must not imitate the world. Jesus said some very stern things about those who loved the world and imitated the world. But for those who overcame the world, He promises great rewards.
Third, live totally for Jesus Christ.
Colossians 1:10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in
every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; NKJV
To be an overcomer in Jesus Christ and reap the great rewards of heaven, you must walk worthy
of the Lord and make every effort to please Him in how you live. Whatever you do, do not compromise your love for Christ with the world. Do not compromise the great rewards of heaven for the sorry trinkets of this world.
If you could see into eternity, you would be shocked at the glory and wonder of what God has in store for you and for all who love Him and overcome the world.
Finally, if you are not ready for eternity, then you must give your life to Jesus Christ. Without Jesus Christ, you will never see the kingdom of God.
Romans 10:9 if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. NKJV
