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Source: https://www.sermonindex.net/speakers/william-skates/christ-the-overcomer/
I'd like to read with you from the scriptures from John chapter 16, please, first of all. John 16. John 16, we read at verse 33. These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye may have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer.
I have overcome the world. Now that is our text. Be of good cheer. I have overcome the world. Let's link with that some other scriptures. Come now to 2nd Corinthians, please, chapter 2. 2nd Corinthians 2.
2nd Corinthians 2, and we'll read at verse 14. Now thanks be unto God which always causeth us to triumph, or leadeth us in triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savor of his knowledge by us in every place.
For we are unto God a sweet savor of Christ in them that are saved and in them that perish. To the one we are the savor of death unto death, and to the other the savor of life unto life. And who is sufficient for these things?
Now Revelation chapter 3. Revelation 3, please. Revelation 3, and we'll read at verse 21. Verse 21. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame and am sat down with my father in his throne.
Now one more from chapter 17, Revelation 17. Revelation 17, verse 12. And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet, but receive power as kings, one hour with the beast.
These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them. For he is the Lord of lords and King of kings, and they that are with him are called and chosen and faithful.
The Lord will bless to us the reading from his word. Our subject is the person of Christ in the character of the Overcomer. And he speaks to his disciples in his upper room ministry with these words, be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.
Many believers, missionaries, ministers, martyrs, down through the centuries have faced the most difficult of circumstances and tremendous persecution and horrific experiences, and yet have stood firm in their faith and have never wavered, overcoming in it all.
And as you you read some of those things, you would just wonder, how did they ever do it? How were they ever able to stand? How did they overcome in it all? If they were here this afternoon and able to speak to us, they would tell us plainly that they were drawing strength from the great Overcomer himself, our Lord Jesus Christ, who said to his disciples as he went to the cross in the world, ye shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.
The world is the, it's the word cosmos, of course, which is that organized system of men that makes this world tick. That constitution of thought and ambition that arranges this world commercially, industrially, financially, politically, socially, competitively, and in its entertainment.
The world. This world, of course, is dominated by the Wicked One himself. The whole world lieth in the Wicked One. He has it right there in his hand. He directs its course, and it is invariably opposed to the rule of God, the Lord, and his anointed.
The world. Then we have the thought of overcoming that world. It's the, it's the word niko, and you'll be more familiar with that for the sportswear, from the sportswear manufacturer Nike. Same word. It means to be victorious.
It means to conquer, and here is the Lord saying that he is, he is victorious. He has conquered the world and its influences, and so he says to his own, though you're going to face the hostility of sinners, this world hated me.
It's going to hate you. You're going to face not only hostility, but violence, the contradiction of sinners, and in it all, he says, be of good cheer. I have overcome the world. In fact, we see right here in his teaching, he offers peace to his disciples.
The beginning of this chapter 14, he opens it by saying, let not your heart be troubled. And down in verse 27, he says, peace, I leave with you. This world of hostility, this world of persecution, and great as that may be, yet the peace of Christ is greater, and is able to sustain his people, even in the face of most difficult circumstances, be of good cheer.
I have trodden this pathway before you, and I have overcome the world. That's in keeping with the teaching of the New Testament as it is later developed, of course. You remember that Paul in Romans chapter 8, he touches on these very things, and he says, we are more than conquerors in times of tribulation, and distress, and persecution, and all because he overcame the world.
Even as I also overcome, overcame, and I'm sat down with my father in his throne, we read from Revelation 3, and Paul to Timothy, he said, truly if we suffer with him, we shall also reign with him. So there's that consolation, even as you take the long view, that persecution and difficulty here, the problems that we face in life, that's not all there is.
There is that coming day of reward, there is that coming day of eternal blessedness. And so the Lord says, be of good cheer, I've overcome the world. I want to think for a moment with you of the challenges that the Lord overcame.
I want to look at it in three ways. First of all, there is the temptations in the wilderness. Temptations in the wilderness. Then I want you to think of his teachings, the teachings of the Word, overcoming the contradiction of sinners.
And then we want to notice his triumph in the world. We'll take those in turn. First of all, the temptations in the wilderness, Satan's temptations. You remember the scene, huh, that the Lord was driven by the Spirit into the wilderness.
He hungered, 40 days, and Satan comes to him and says, I'll be the Son of God, command these stones that they be made bread. Go on, be independent, use your creative power as the Son of God to make these stones into bread.
Satisfy your body's cravings. Be independent. Then again, takes him into the temple, to the pinnacle of the temple. Cast yourself down. It's written, his angels will bear thee up. So, be imposing. All those people down there in the temple court, put on a big display, a spectacular stunt, something that will wow the crowd, something that will gain their applause.
Be imposing! Then thirdly, he showed him all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them. In a moment of time, all this will be given for one act of homage. So what he was saying here was, just be imperial.
Be important. Take the scepter of world dominion. Just for one act of homage. Rule in power. Be the greatest. Be imperial. Three-fold challenge to the Lord Jesus. These temptations involve various areas of reality.
Various areas of reality. Think of it physically. Bread for the body. Bouquets from the crowd. Bribes from Satan. Think of it materially. It involved the wilderness. It involved the temple heights. It involved the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them.
Morally, he's being tested. Morally. In his obedience to the will of God. And he replies, it is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. He was tested as to his obedience to the will of God.
He was tested as well in his observance of the word of God. Satan immediately begins to quote the scriptures. It is written that he'll give his angels charge concerning thee, and they will bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy feet against the stone.
His observance of the word of God, which also says, it is written, thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. His observance of the word of God. He held it in perfect balance, didn't he? Then we have him being tested in his worship of God.
But you remember how the Lord responded. He said, get thee behind me, Satan. For it is written, thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. The Lord stands firm in his moral purity.
Obedience to the will of God, observance of the word of God, his obedience to the worship of God. Constitutionally as well, there was an appeal to the body, his appetite for bread. There was an appeal for the aspirations of the soul, the applause of the crowd.
Yeah, the applause of the crowd. How appealing to us. The ambitions of the Spirit for authority over the kingdoms. But see, our blessed Savior stand firm for his God. He overcomes. He overcomes. Those temptations were designed to interfere with his true role as a dependent man upon his God.
They called into question God's purpose in relation to his sonship, if thou be the Son, in relation to his headship. Remember, he is the head of all principality and power relative to the angels, and relative to his kingship, all the kingdoms of the world and the glory of them.
Tremendous issues were at stake, and yet the Savior stands firm. Be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. The Lord spoke that, remember, at the end of his public ministry to the disciples there in the room.
That would indicate to us the nature and character of Satan's attacks. They were written into the very world in which he moved in those ensuing three and a half years. They're still written into the world tonight, today, this afternoon.
This world still has its appeal in the character of these. All that Satan offered, all that was opposed to the will of God and the wisdom of God, such as the organized system of the world around us, it hasn't changed.
But we look at our Savior, and we see that he is one who never went along with this pretentious system at any time. He never sought the applause from the world. He never sought its accolades. He never wavered, even though it brought its antagonism against him and the accusations of sinners against him.
He never wavered from a straight line of obedience to his God. Firmly he stood. He was totally unmoved by all that this world brought against him. Never modified the truth to be politically correct or to fit in or to make his audience laugh for the sake of being entertaining.
He never sought the applause of the crowd, and he never gave it. He never gave it. He overcame this world. He remained steadfast and he remained true throughout all of those days, so that at the end he could say to his disciples, be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.
I wonder as we think on those things, I wonder today how much like Christ are we or not? We profess to be Christians, don't we? Christ ones. Are we like Christ? Does the world and its activities, does it have its appeal to us?
It does, doesn't it? Would to God that we had the mind of Christ in these things, brethren and sisters. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus. He overcame the appeal of this world, and he communicates to us and says, be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.
There's resources in him to preserve us, no matter what the world might present us with. There's resources in him to keep us true to his name. I want to come to 2nd Corinthians and link this in, even though we don't have the word overcomer here, but clearly there is the the thought of triumph.
Now, thanks be unto God, says Paul, which always causes us to triumph in Christ, and maketh manifest the savor of his knowledge by us in every place. For we are unto God a sweet savor of Christ, in them that are saved and in them that perish.
Paul is giving thanks here that the gospel everywhere is triumphing in Christ, and Paul is viewing himself as linked with the triumph of Calvary. In this world that is so overflowing with the stench of sin, there is a sweet savor of God's grace in the gospel, yet going out to man.
And we appreciate that. Likely, Paul has in mind here the picture from ancient Rome, where a general returning from a successful campaign in the army, they put on a victory parade for him through the streets of the city.
And as he would move through in his chariot, riding in that victory parade, there would be incense burning on the altars. They would throw incense along the street, and there would be that sweet savor, that sweet smell of perfume that would mask something of the stench of the open sewers that would be found in those ancient cities.
Slaves in the spoils of war would be led in triumph, and the general would be paraded, and be those that are associated with him riding in the chariot alongside of him, you see, in that great victory parade, his sons, his family, what have you.
Paul has that in mind, and he's thinking of Christ riding in triumph, and the gospel going forward in triumph, and taking its captives in grace. Souls that are reached and delivered from the bondage of sin.
Souls that have been brought to appreciate something of the work of Christ on their behalf. And Paul is preaching the gospel, and the Word of God is going out. The teaching concerning Christ is reaching thousands and millions down through the centuries.
Paul is linked with it. And every believer in the Lord Jesus, that is an interest in souls being saved, is linked with it too. And share something of that triumph, when souls that are delivered from the world.
There's that work of overcoming that goes on. The gospel has its triumph. We're praying that the Lord will be working in a mighty way here in Waukesha at this time, aren't we? And in all the assemblies represented, that his hand would be seen in deliverance, and that there might be many that would be saved at this time.
But I wonder just now again, personally, let's just apply that to our hearts. How's our testimony in the world? Do we carry something of the perfume of Christ to others? If they were in our company, would they discern that we've been with Jesus?
We are linked with him by bonds that will never be severed, but can others recognize it in us? I think it's beneficial for us to take that home to our hearts and to apply it to our own souls. Would they know that we're Christians by our love?
Love to one another, and love to those that we meet and come in contact with. I think of another scene where there was that smell of perfume. I was thinking about Mary, you know, she listened to the teaching of Christ, and she took that, she was motivated to take that that pound of ointment, that 12-ounce jar of expensive perfume of nard, pure nard, and she anointed Jesus' feet with it.
She was a woman who was expressing her gratitude to the Savior, her adoration of him, how her heart was one. And we read that the house was filled with the perfume of the ointment. Her ear was open to his teaching.
It touched her heart. Her adoration became known, and all around couldn't deny it. Here was a woman whose love for the Lord was unmistakably sweet. Judas objected, but the Lord appreciated it, didn't he?
And so there we see that that overcoming again. She overcame that reluctance, perhaps in her heart, to take such an expensive pound of ointment and break it open. Cardinal Judas, he saw how wasteful that was in his estimation.
But not to Mary. She was overcome by love divine, and she demonstrated that in her actions. It was against the day of his burial that she did it. His victory in crucifixion over the rejection of this world.
I want to think of this world and his triumph over the world that we've read from Revelation chapter 17. This world hasn't changed one bit, nor will it, until Christ is manifest in his glory as the overcomer.
And I tell you, he'll overcome in that day, won't he? Seem to be what he is. The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of the Lord and of his Christ. First they will unite in their allegiance against him, and they will own their allegiance to Satan's man, the beast, the Antichrist.
Interesting to notice that every savage characteristic that is found in the various empires of history will be headed up in that coming world empire, where this features as a leopard and a bear and a lion, the wild beast, the ten heads, the ten horns, rather, seven heads, ten horns.
Characteristically, a wild beast. It rises up out of the sea, Revelation 13, and the devil gives him his power and his seat and his great authority, and he makes war with the Lamb, chapter 17, and the Lamb shall overcome them.
The Lamb! Think of it! A lamb pitted against that which is savage in its character! And you'd think, naturally speaking, you'd think, the Lamb doesn't stand a chance. But listen to what we read. The Lamb shall overcome them, for he is the Lord of lords and the King of kings, and they that are with him are called and chosen and faithful.
So here's the ultimate challenge of the world in its organized rebellion against the Lord and against his anointed, but the Lamb shall overcome them, for he is the Lord of lords, he is the King of kings.
How shall he overcome them? He overcomes them by right of redemption, by virtue of his finished work at Calvary. This is what John saw at the beginning of the book, the Lamb, as it were, freshly slain.
He alone prevailed to take the book and open the seals and reclaim planet Earth again for God. That shows that the spiritual power of the Lamb is far above the satanically energized power of the wild beasts of the earth.
And all that this world can throw against God and against his anointed, as it reaches its high watermark, as it were, in its most ferocious expression of it, in that coming beastly empire, yet the Lamb shall overcome them.
Now that's who we're linked with, our Lord Jesus Christ. We're redeemed by the very blood of the Lamb. We have been called. Yes, we have. We are chosen. Yes, we are. But notice this as well, the faithful.
Tell me, how faithful are we to him? How faithful are we to him? Do we give in to all that this world offers, its applause? And do we give it the applause that it wants? Are we like Christ in that regard?
Listen to it. To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame and sat down with my father in his throne. There is reward promised to those that are Christ-like in these things.
The degree of kingdom glory that we will enjoy eternally will be determined right now by our allegiance and faithfulness to the Lamb that was slain for us. What is it that overcomes the world, even our faith?
By faith we grasp the fact that this world is headed for the judgment of God. We grasp the fact that soon he'll come in his manifest glory and in his power as the King of kings and as the Lord of lords, riding out from heaven upon that white horse.
And when he appears in glory, we also shall appear with him in glory. With such a hope in view, we would more wholly be, wouldn't we? And he that hath this hope set upon him purifieth himself even as he is pure.
What is it that overcomes the world? Even our faith. As we have Christ in our vision, as we look to him, the one who said to his disciples, be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. May the Lord bless his word, then, to our hearts.