Title: Living a Winning Life
“I have called this to you, that you may find peace in me. In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
<John 16:33>
Last Sunday was Easter Sunday.
Resurrection was a victory over death.
Because we believe in the Lord who overcame the fear of death, His resurrection has provided a new foundation for our members to live in.
By allowing those who knew death to be the end and death as the basis for all solutions to the world beyond death, they broadened the scope of their actions in this world. Among them, the biggest change appeared in the disciples. He had the disciples, who were surrounded by fear, face that fear head-on.
1. Those who have faith in the resurrection will overcome all kinds of persecution.
Officials and religious leaders of the world forbade the news of Jesus of Nazareth for fear of spreading it. Just as the Yushin Constitution was promulgated during the military regime in the past and was banned as an emergency measure by the president, a decree was issued to arrest all those who spoke this or that about ‘Jesus of Nazareth’.
However, the disciples were not afraid of the world's official words. How did those with low education and low social status have such courage? This was by no means their willpower.
It was the power I received from the resurrected Lord.
The resurrection soon led to power.
With this power, he went further and preached.
As a result, the persecution of the Jerusalem church finally began.
And the first martyrs came.
With the death of Deacon Stephen, all believers began to scatter.
If a person threatens with a gun or knife, they are bound to scatter.
But it wasn't just fear.
In a higher level sense, this is also a part of God's work of salvation.
It is a fact that faith grew through this persecution. Faith is difficult to grow in the midst of comfort and leisure.
When a person is at ease, he is prone to indolence, and in his indolence, he is prone to sin.
If the news of the resurrection of Jesus had been in the absence of persecution and persecution, it probably would not have spread so far.
It is a fact that the news of the resurrection spread more and more because there was such a heightened enthusiasm that zealous people like Saul, who were poor in life, had to arrest all of Jesus' crowds. He felt that it was natural for the Sanhedrin council to arrest the crowds of Jesus of Nazareth, so he was given the authority and went to the arrest himself.
In this way, Christianity began as persecution and spread to persecution.
On the other hand, the Roman Empire deified the emperor in order to rule over a large territory as one, and forced the emperor worship to the conquered countries. All those who opposed it were arrested. Therefore, believers in the early church had to suffer doubly. One was religiously and the other was politically persecuted. So, they had to be informed by the Jews, and they were not spared detention and imprisonment from the Roman authorities for blasphemy.
In this way, many believers in the Early Church lost their lives due to external and physical forces. But because of this, the news of the resurrection of Jesus Christ spread more and more.
This is still the case today.
When we are in persecution, our faith grows stronger.
Those who believe without persecution still have to go through a hurdle.
Socially, personally, and physically, financially, when difficulties arise, it is embarrassing. But only after overcoming it can you stand on strong faith.
Listen to those who testify.
They are all words that experienced grace in the midst of persecution and suffering.
Are there some of us who are suffering persecution and suffering right now?
Please know that it is the foundation for spiritual growth.
2. Those who live with faith in the resurrection overcome the world.
To conquer the world means to overcome all the unrighteous forces in the world. In the world, <truth> is always pushed by non-truth. In the world, <justice> is always pushed by injustice. In our religious life, the forces of darkness of the world always surround us.
You cannot overcome this dark force alone. In a strict sense, it is not an exaggeration to say that no one can win.
Only Jesus Christ has overcome the world.
What is that Jesus saying to us?
“In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” That only Jesus has overcome the world. Therefore, even if all kinds of injustice in the world prevail, and even if it controls it, in the end the victory belongs to the Lord.
But we believers are bound to face tribulation. Because we are always going to be challenged by unrighteous forces.
In 1 Peter 3:14-17, “But blessed are those who suffer for the sake of righteousness. Do not fear their fear, nor be troubled, but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, and ask the reason for the hope that is in you. Always be prepared to give an answer to the righteous, but with meekness and fear, having a good conscience, so that those who revile your good works in Christ may be put to shame in their slander. If it is the will of God to suffer for doing good, then It is better than suffering for doing it.”
We suffer not because our deeds are wrong, but because darkness hates light.
Those of darkness inherently hate children of light. When we look around us, there are people who dislike those who believe in Jesus to a strange degree. I don't know why. There are people who just don't like it. It is because when you look at such people, there are unrighteous things hidden in your heart.
Dear saints,
May we never be discouraged when we suffer in the world. Because there is a winner. We didn't win, but Jesus won. Although we won, we didn't win with the sword, but with the cross. This is the only power of a believer. 1 Peter 2:11-12 says, “Beloved, I urge you, as strangers and passersby, to abstain from the lusts of the flesh, which fight against the soul, that you among the Gentiles have good conduct, and those who accuse you of doing evil do your good work. so that God may be glorified on the day he sees and recommends.”
There is a saying that where there is no cross there is no victory. Only the cross has the power to overcome the world.
Threats of injustice and lies seem to triumph for a while, but they are not real triumphs. True victory comes in the Lord.
3. Those who live by faith in the resurrection overcome themselves.
Who is the most difficult person to deal with in your religious life? self. There are far more times when God's will and one's thoughts do not agree with each other than when they agree.
To be honest, who in this world can beat him? The Lord told us to deny ourselves and follow us.
And he told him to take up his cross and follow him. To deny oneself means that one overcomes oneself in a battle with oneself.
In other words, it means giving up my will and following God's will in a conflict between God's will and mine.
The fact that believers do not have peace in their hearts is evidence that they are losing their battles.
But the moment we return to the resurrection faith, we regain our lost position.
I don't know how many people in history have won this battle against themselves.
All are those who have followed in the footsteps of Christ and won their battles.
<Henri Nuwen> was born in Holland. After graduating from college in Holland, he went to America to study, and then became a pastor and university professor.
He became a competent professor of psychology and religion at Notre Dame University, Yale University, and Harvard University.
Born into a poor family, he became a clergyman, a professor, and a writer. So socially, economically, with honor, he was a successful man in any way.
Then a meeting came to him. He became a successful man that everyone could admire, but how successful was his relationship with God as a spiritual man? meeting took place.
If he knew and taught him, he should have been a 'little Jesus' by now. He decided. After leaving college, he went to a camp for the disabled in Toronto, Canada, and served them, where he died of a heart attack.
He confesses his own story like this in a book called 『In the name for Jesus』.
Those who live with faith in the resurrection will eventually win the battle against themselves.
Even though there are cases where I still can't overcome myself right now, there will be times when we will all deny ourselves at some point.
In today's society, I want you to see all the people who work quietly in the shadows, doing things that no one else does. What kind of people are they all?
There are many Christians who believe.
They are the ones who have overcome themselves in their battles.
Those who have a lot of money beat themselves in the fight for money.
Those who have a lot of knowledge overcome themselves in the fight against knowledge.
Those who have a lot of talent win themselves in the fight against talent.
Those who have a lot of honor win themselves in the battle for honor.
All of them are victorious in their battles.
Because the power of the risen Lord makes it possible.
Those who live with the Lord of the Resurrection in this way can overcome all suffering, the world's persecution, and themselves. May we all receive the power of resurrection and become victors. ♣