Overcomers -- Making Changes

The Book of Revelation is famous for its pictures of evil and disaster. There is another set of pictures in the book that deserve to be equally famous: these are snapshots of God’s people.

John does not write a lot about the people of God, the saints, but when he does, when he brings them out on stage, he always presents them as winners.

In chapter 6, the saints are getting weary of the struggle. They cry out to God, “How long . . .?” God tells them to hang on, then gives them white robes–markers of victory. They are still in the struggle but God already marks them as victors.

In chapter 7, John sees a crowd of people so immense he cannot give even an estimate of their number. When he asks who they are, the angel tells him they are the ones who have passed through the great tribulation. They have triumphed.

(These people are introduced as the 144,000. To us that sounds like a select group, a small number compared to the hundreds of thousands that surround us in almost every city. To John’s audience, 144,000 was code for a huge group. It would have sounded to them like an immense crowd that could scarcely be counted.)

In chapter 14 John again sees the saints. Again they are described as victors. The devil has thrown his worst at them. They have stood triumphant.

In chapter 19, the saints are riding into battle behind Jesus–the triumphant one. They are winners because they are riding with Jesus.

In chapter 20, the saints are those who have been faithful even through martyrdom. (Poor devil. He can’t win for losing. He kills off God’s people and in the process turns them into heroes!)

In chapters 21 and 22, the saints are finally given their reward. They have triumphed and now they enjoy the benefits of the victorious.

If you are a Christian Revelation is good news. Revelation announces a fantastic future, an incomprehensibly rich reward for all the overcomers. And it assumes that as a Christian, you are an overcomer! You are a winner. That is one of the definitions of “Christian.”

Christians are servants, disciples, born again children of God, baptized into the new life of Christ. They are winners. That’s you.

Now someone is sure to ask, but what if I make mistakes? What if I’m not flawless? What then?

You might ask this question because you recall the words of Revelation 2 and 3. In those chapters John records messages from Jesus to seven churches–congregations that represent all of God’s people across the centuries and around the world. Each message ends with a promise to the person who overcomes.

The first message ends this way: “To him who overcomes, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is the paradise of God” (Revelation 2:7). The last messages ends with this promise: To him who overcomes I will grant to sit with me on my throne even as I overcame and am seated on the Father’s throne. (Revelation 3:20).

Wow! Access to the tree of life! A place on with Jesus on his throne!
But it looks like there’s a catch. The promise is for persons who overcome. I wish John had written that these promises were for people who believe or people who have been baptized or people who have been born again.

When I was younger these words about overcoming scared me. I was painfully aware of my imperfections. I heard these words as a threat: If you don’t get with the program, if you don’t triumph over every sin right now, you’re going to miss out. And I would try harder, but I was never good enough.

But that’s not the way John meant those words. He meant them as encouragement. He wanted his readers–whom he assumed were overcomers–to understand that God was paying attention to their engagement in the struggle. God was pleased with their efforts and had a grand reward prepared for them.

Again, let me emphasize: John saw his readers as overcomers. He was writing the book to people he had confidence in. Overcoming is not some impossible dream. It is a pattern of life that God makes available to his children. To his servants. To his followers. To his friends. To all of us.

Notice these words from his second epistle:

“It has given me great joy to find some of your children walking in the truth, just as the Father commanded us” (2 John 1:4). .

“Your children” refers to church members in the town he was writing to.“Hey,” John says, “I hear some of you are actually doing it. You are actually putting your faith into practice. You are keeping Jesus’ command to love. Good for you. Way to go!”

We find a similar affirmation in the third epistle: “It gave me great joy to have some brothers come and tell about your faithfulness to the truth and how you continue to walk in the truth. I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth (3 John 1:3).

They were doing it. John saw Christians as winners. Their Master Jesus was a winner. And they were winners. They were overcomers.

“I have told you these things that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John16:33).

John was realistic. He understood the reality of struggle, pain, trouble, temptation. The very word “overcome” or “victor” implies we are in a challenging situation. When you wake up in the morning, spy the clock and see you have another half hour before you have to get up . . . We do not call it overcoming when you snuggle back into the covers! Overcoming is getting out of bed when you’re tired and the bed is warm and the floor is cold and the house is dark and the wind is blowing and it’s raining.

John rebuked people who thought of themselves as completed, perfected, in need of no further improvement. (1 John 1:8-10). John did not regard struggle or even failure as proof that a person was not walking with Jesus. A person can fail and still overcome because overcoming is not creating a perfect record. Overcoming means turning our lives to line up with Jesus. Overcoming is choosing a direction. (This is the meaning of repentance–turning in the right direction. Repentance is a perpetual function of the Christian life. Like the constant adjustment of the steering wheel that is essential to driving a car. You don’t ever “get it right” and just hold the steering wheel in one place. Driving means constantly adjusting the wheel. That is what repentance is–adjusting our direction. Overcoming is synonymous with repentance. It means turning again in the right direction.)

We’re not out on the road by ourselves. Jesus has overcome the world. So may we.

Notice this passage in the First Epistle: “You dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).

The “them” in this passage includes evil spirits and false prophets. I think it would be legitimate to say it means the forces of evil. “You dear children are from God and have overcome the forces of evil because the one who is in you is greater than the evil one.”

No worries. Be happy.

What does it mean in our experience? How do we live this overcoming?

1. Overcoming means we actually make a choice. We say yes to Jesus. We point our faces in the right direction.

For the thief on the cross overcoming meant literally turning toward his fellow thief and telling him to shut up and turning toward Jesus and making a request: Lord, remember me when you come in your kingdom. (Luke 23:39-43).

For Nicodemus it meant speaking up in Jesus’ defense in the hostile Sanhedrin. John 7:50.

For Naaman, it meant dunking in the Jordan River. 2 Kings 5.

For some nameless young lad, it meant giving Jesus his lunch. John 6.

For Mary, it meant dumping perfume on Jesus’ feet. John 12

For each person the specifics vary. Overcoming means moving, reorienting.

What is Jesus calling you to do? His work was to bring light, hope, healing to people. What can you do to cooperate with Jesus in that work?

Manage your money to avoid debt and stress and make available a few dollars to giving to others?

Change the habits at your house so your children regularly hear a bed time story or regularly get some exercise?

Get rid of juice and soda from your house?

Get help to overcome an addition–alcohol, anger, pornography?

Speaking up when Jesus is misrepresented by Christians who portray him as angry, vengeful and harsh.

What are you overcoming? What is the barrier to moving with Jesus in a good direction? The Devil, someone may say. I think the way we experience it more often is inertia. We don’t move forward with Jesus because it’s so hard to let go of what we are already doing. We tend to keep doing what we have been doing.
Overcoming means making a change. Change is hard. Change is possible. The message of Revelation is that Jesus sees his people as overcomers. Jesus believes you can do it. He will help you.

2. Overcoming means living in a community of people who are friends of Jesus. These friends help one another see the road and make the corrections in direction.

Awhile back I was visiting with a counselor. He made an observation about the way I engage with life (or don’t) that totally shocked me. I questioned him to make sure I understood what he just said. Sure enough, I had understood. He was flatly contradicting something that I was sure of. I was tempted to dismiss what he said, but Karin has told me the same thing. So has my daughter, Bonnie.

How they could all be so wrong?! (Of course, I know better than to say this out loud.) :-)

Part of overcoming means living in the community of Jesus and allowing Jesus to speak to us through the people around us. I would have never even considered making any change in this area of my life had not three different people, all Christians, pointed out the fact that I was headed for the ditch. I couldn’t see it. They could.

What is God saying to you through the people around you?

Just this week I received an email from one of my sisters about a couple of girls brought into the hospital where she works. One of them died. The other is still recovering. From a beating they received at home.

The parents are Christians. They are home schoolers. If you ask the parents, my guess is they would explain they were simply following the Bible counsel to spare the rod and spoil the child. I think others would see they had problems with anger. These girls’ failure to perform up to standards infuriated the parents. So they beat them. And killed them.

Do you have a problem with anger? Of course, not! When you get angry, it’s always for good reason. At least that’s the way it seems to you. But what does your spouse say? What do the people you work with say? What do your children say?

Don’t dismiss the input other people give you. Let God talk to your through them. Then make a correction. Become an overcomer

You do not have to stay trapped in the tangle of anger. There are ways out. And Jesus wants you to experience that victory. Not because Jesus won’t love you if you are constantly getting angry. Not because Jesus won’t love you if you say a few choice words. Jesus wants you to step out of the swamp of anger because he wants you to experience freedom. And he has some loving he needs you to do and the anger is getting in the way.

Do not settle for the excuse that being angry is“just the way you are.” Sure it is rooted deep in your identity. Sure you have good reasons for getting angry. Sure there is probably a genetic component. Still Jesus invites you to experience the joy of victory. He has some rich promises for you, to offer you encouragement.

Go for it. Get the help you need. Discover the joy and satisfaction of living beyond the hair trigger temper that has been disrupting your life for so long. Jesus has good things in mind for you. He sees you as an overcomer.

There is special category of overcoming for parents. As parents we want the best for our kids. We give them advice and rules and discipline. The best gift we can give them beyond affection is overcoming. As we shape our lives to be more in tune with mission of God, our kids will pick that up.

My mother had a deadly fear of water. I never knew it until I was in my late teens. She sent all of us to swimming lessons. She encouraged my dad when he was planning to purchase a boat. All of us kids are avid swimmers. Mom helped step higher.

My dad was the first in his family to graduate from college. Most of his kids have doctorates. He set a new pattern. All of us have weaknesses and habits that come from our family of origin. Jesus invites us to imagine a better future for our kids and to take any steps we can to set them up for a better life. So parents, to you especially, I extend the call of Jesus: Be overcomers. Just be sure you require far more of yourself than you do of your kids.

Now for everyone: The Book of Revelation pictures you as an overcomer, as someone dressed in the white robe of victory. So step into the picture.

Of course, there will be a struggle. That’s okay. Of course, sometimes you may be discouraged. That’s natural. Keeping turning your attention back to the picture Jesus has painted in Revelation. Overcomers. That’s us. Overcomer. That’s you.



A footnote. Sometimes, overcoming means just hanging on. It is not a change. Just remaining faithful is sufficient. (Revelation 2:25) But that is another sermon.