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[0:00] Once again, John chapter 16, verses 25 to 33. Jesus is speaking to his disciples before he goes into his prayer in chapter 17.

[0:11] I said these things to you in figures of speech. The hour is coming when I will no longer speak to you in figures of speech, but will tell you plainly about the father.

[0:23] In that day, you will ask in my name and I do not say to you that I will ask the father on your behalf. For the father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.

[0:37] I came from the father and have come into the world and now I am leaving the world and going to the father. His disciples said, oh, yeah, now you are speaking plainly and not using figures of speech.

[0:53] Now we know that you know all things and do not need anyone to question you. This is why we believe that you came from God. Jesus answered them.

[1:04] Do you now believe? Behold, the hour is coming. Indeed, it has come when you will be scattered each to his own home and will leave me alone.

[1:20] Yet I am not alone for the father is with me. I have said these things to you that in me you may have peace.

[1:31] In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart. I have overcome the world.

[1:42] Hallelujah. That is the word of the Lord. Please be seated. Amen.

[1:59] Amen. Amen. This week I was reminded again of that great speech that Winston Churchill gave before the House of Commons on May 13, 1940.

[2:21] Of course, it was the beginning of World War II. This was his first speech as Prime Minister of Great Britain. He said these words, which I find very challenging, very beautiful, and very powerful.

[2:36] He said, we have before us an ordeal of the most grievous kind. We have before us many, many long months of struggle and of suffering.

[2:48] You ask, what is our policy? I can say it is to wage war by sea, land, and air with all of our might and with all the strength that God can give us.

[3:03] To wage war against a monstrous tyranny never surpassed in the dark, lamentable catalog of human crime. This is our policy.

[3:16] You ask, what is our aim? I can answer in one word. It is victory. Victory at all costs.

[3:28] Victory in spite of all terror. Victory. However long and hard the road may be. For without victory, there is no survival.

[3:40] Churchill. Wow. I love that speech. I didn't give you all of it, but I love that speech.

[3:52] But Churchill was wrong. Much as I admire him as a leader, he was wrong. As horrible as that struggle was, and certainly World War II was one of the most horrible struggles in human history.

[4:14] But it was not the greatest or most monstrous. Jesus has won the greatest war humanity has ever faced and will ever face.

[4:32] He fought the war between the world, the flesh, and the devil. These are what produced World War II's and conflicts in the Middle East and in Ukraine and Russia.

[4:49] This is what's animating what Churchill saw as the greatest struggle. There was something beneath it that tanks and bombs and missiles can't touch.

[5:05] Can't touch it. Governments can't touch it. There's something greater in Jesus. Jesus comes for that battle. Because the consequences of the war that Jesus won, the consequences, if not dealt with, the consequences that cause so much pain and suffering in humanity, the consequence is death.

[5:37] Death, not just physical death. Eternal death. Family, we gotta see what the struggle is. Because if we don't see the right struggle, we will use the wrong weapons.

[5:52] Church, I'm talking to the church. Church. Jesus has won the great war for his people.

[6:02] For all those who will trust in him. Jesus is victory. Jesus is our victory.

[6:14] last time as we began to explore this section we noticed that jesus gives victory in revealing the father's love to us for the father himself loves you he says what a wonderful statement i won't go back through all that but that is our eternal security it is that we are loved by the father that is where we ground that's that is the rock under our feet that we are loved by the father but there's something a couple of things jesus says here about this victory second jesus gives us his victory in spite listen in spite of our lack of faith why need this victory i'm so glad this is what he shows us here with with with the disciples now i hope you got your bible in front of you remember i'm encouraging bring your bible i know we put things on the screen bring your bible bring your bible now i want you to notice here and started in verse 29 um the disciples say they get it they say oh now you are speaking plainly and not using figures of speech now we know now we know that you are that you know all things and don't need anyone now we know that you came from god they get it they see they're happy at this moment they're getting their mood has changed remember they were all depressed and down now they're like oh they're coming back again they have confidence they're saying we get it we understand you jesus what you're saying is clear to your to us and then the kicker now we know for sure that you came from god oh my goodness this is beautiful they believe in jesus superior knowledge and understanding i mean he has been reading their minds so you gotta figure they're singing they're saying something's going wrong here they're recognizing that here is great wisdom here is great discernment here's a great the greatest of all teachers and preachers and rabbis but they still didn't really know who jesus was they didn't really know they were on the right track amen let's give some credit they're on the right track they were right jesus does know all things but i don't think they really understood what that really meant he really does know all things they wouldn't have said he was omniscient we know we know because we've we know the story we know him we know he is truly omniscient knowing all things because he created all things they didn't know that either so they get it right no i don't think so they're growing but they're not there yet our lord kind of i the way i read this text i think the lord is kind of making a funny maybe even a little bit sarcastic he says do you now believe do you finally get it really he makes me think of i know i said this before some time ago so forgive me but i just love this captain barbosa and the pirates of the caribbean remember him remember his famous line it's strange credulity it's hard to believe jesus is it's like he's saying to them it's strange credulity you really now you believe now you get it okay he who knows their hearts is telling them that their over the top statement of faith is hard for him to believe

[10:16] and can't we relate to this over the top we tend to think more highly of ourselves spiritually than we ought we think more highly of ourselves intellectually physically we think more highly of our abilities than we ought to think don't we i know i know it's just me i just i'm the sinner here you guys are just wonderful and paul warns us about he actually warns the church about this very kind of thing romans 12 3 for by the grace given to me i say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think but to think with sober judgment each according to the measure of faith that god has assigned and then he talks about spiritual gifts how gifted people are don't think i don't care how gifted you are don't think more highly i don't care what your assets are i don't care what your ability is i don't care how smart you are don't think more highly of yourself than you ought to think especially when it comes to spiritual matters now okay i gotta prove my point right how do i know that this is what's happening in this text it's what jesus says next the very next thing he says you heard me read it behold the hour is coming indeed has come when you will be scattered east to his own home and will leave me alone they just make this great statement of faith and jesus says you're about to be scattered you really get it huh but you're gonna run for your lives he's telling them you're not as strong as you think you are he's telling them oh yeah yeah okay be careful here all your confidence and your understanding and your ability he already did this with peter didn't he he had the same conversation with peter when peter says i'll go with you to death i'll go with you wherever you go and jesus says no you won't not now anyway not yet you ain't there yet he's telling them the same thing as a group now don't think more highly of yourself because you really don't got what you think you got you got much growing to do in the words of yoda you have much to learn you have much to learn okay how long you been a christian 40 50 years i'm in the 40s now but 40 50 60 years you still have much to learn because if they really believed if they really understood they would have stood with him when the soldiers come to arrest him they wouldn't have run they would have stood there and said jesus handle your business they would have known he has all the power and all the they would have known but they don't know they don't know he says you're going to leave me but that's okay because i'm i won't be alone he doesn't turn his back on them this is the beautiful thing about this saints he knows that they're puffing smoke he knows they're talking above their heads he knows they think more highly of themselves but he doesn't turn his back he still gives victory to those who are weak in understanding and weak in faith how is that possible because our victory is not dependent on us how can he take this ragtag group of 11 men now judas is gone 11 men and turn them into dynamos for the kingdom how can he do that because the victory is not dependent on them he wins our victory is secure

[14:17] not because we have it all together not because we get it right all the time not because we're smarter or more theologically attuned no our victory is assured because he won it not because even we have great faith this is where the faith prosperity teachers drive me insane with their foolishness they put they put so much confidence in their own faith and tell you to do the same thing and if you don't see that's why you messed up that's why you poor that's why you got financial troubles that's why you sick that's why you can't win because you won't have enough faith they're saying the victory depends on us that is not the gospel run from that teaching saints and tell your family and friends to run from it it is man centered it's faith in faith if anything but we're called to faith in the victory of Jesus he is all powerful here's the thing when we will admit our lack of faith and our lack of understanding we are in the best possible position to receive the victory from Jesus they're going to run and scatter when he's arrested because they never admitted they didn't get it when you think you got it you better get on your face before God and say

[16:03] Lord help me see and you don't need a lot of faith Jesus told him that faith as small as a mustard seed could move mountains how is that possible?

[16:16] because it trusts in the one who created the mountains Jesus gives us victory even even when our faith is small now the big point here is where I'm landing today Jesus gives us victory in all of our hardships in all of our trials and tribulations Jesus gives us his victory and that's how he ends this section verse 33 the last thing he says before he goes to prayer it's very fitting that he prays after he says this verse 33 he comes and he says I have said these things everything he's been saying beginning in chapter 13 all the way through everything he's been saying I said these things to you that in me you may have peace in the world you will have tribulation but take heart I have overcome the world this is kind of like his final statement and his teaching before the cross to his disciples now his prayer is going to teach too but I'm just this is truly just straight teaching he summarizes his entire teaching everything he's been saying to them how the spirit how they are to serve one another washing one another's feet how he goes to prepare a place for them how he talks about talked about the coming of the spirit to take his place how he taught them that they must live in dependence upon him as the vine and they are the branches talked about their lives bearing fruit for his glory his promise to answer our prayers which he says several times in this section his laying down his life for his friends in love the spirit's work who will come upon them who will do all the heavy lifting to help them bear witness he will convict the world through us he will and then he says the world will hate you hate you because of my presence because of my spirit in you then you will be hated talks about how our sorrows will be turned to joy and then of course his plain speaking to make it clear all of these things are so because Jesus has overcome the world the world being as you know following humanity's way of living and thinking and rebellion against God this includes the devil who is called the God of this world and all who reject Jesus the word overcome here in the text is where we is where the largest and most profitable shoe company in the world gets its name

[18:58] Nike it means to be victorious to conquer to triumph to overpower or to overcome isn't what it's called in Greek the perfect tense I say that not to impress you because if you knew how much I knew you wouldn't be impressed it's in the perfect tense meaning a completed past act with continuing results in the present Jesus was victorious at the cross in the past in the past and he says and that victory that overcoming continues continues even into our time I love Greek it's a great language wish I knew more he overcame the world through his perfect life his death resurrection and ascension back to the father's right hand in glory he overcame and he says these things to us and he tells us because he makes some promises in this in verse 33 he makes two promises one peace in

[20:07] I have said these things to you that in me in me you may have peace the peace that Jesus is offering is connected to him it is being in Christ it's being joined to him it's abiding in the vine it's that connection to Christ that is spiritual that causes his life to be in us by his spirit's presence in me you will have peace peace as meaning that tranquil state of soul assured of his salvation through Christ and so fearing nothing from God and content with his earthly lot of whatever sort that earthly lot is see this kind of peace leads to contentment it leads to being able to go forward and not be crushed when things aren't working out just the way you want because you recognize that the war between you and God is over you see that's the

[21:10] I mean that's the big one y'all the war between humanity and God it's not an equal fight not a fair fight we don't even have a chance take all the weaponry of this nation combined with Russia and Israel and North and South Korea you know take all of our power of all these nations and we wouldn't even come close to defeating God it wouldn't even it's not a fair fight but we are at war a war that we can't win unless a war that only demands one thing surrender our surrender he overcame he's overcome the world and now he gives us his peace if the world hates us not my preference but okay if the enemy trips us up and we get sucker punched by the devil into temptation and we fall not my preference but okay if my own desires get me into trouble because you know let's be honest

[22:37] I'm still growing in my sanctification and so are you and sometimes we get into trouble but that's not our preference we don't want that but okay if my body and my finances and my family all fall apart not my preference but if it happens okay Job said it so well in chapter 13 verse 15 in the King James in particular it says it so well in the King James though he slay me yet will I trust him that's peace that's shalom that's what God gives his people that kind of peace that in spite of whatever is happening it is well with my soul Job said that trembling y'all I don't think he stood up and said that I don't think don't picture Job standing up on a rock wind blowing cape behind him though he slay me yet don't no no that's cartoon land

[23:41] Job was a human being picture Job weeping and on his knees and his head is bowed and maybe he's just weeping he's just heaving and he says gritting his teeth because he means it gritting his teeth against the pain and loss though he slay me yet will I trust him that's Job and that might be us a hard fought hallelujah right but still hallelujah it's not it's not stoicism step up for a lip don't claim it now speak words of life no it's real human emotion and pain but yet faith and yet peace it's not look at the bright side theology either you know I call that anti-theology the sun will come out tomorrow it might be a long time before the sun comes out again but in me you will have peace he said it earlier my peace

[25:28] I give you not as the world gives my peace in me you see where we're going it's focused on Jesus this shalom meaning peace wholeness and well-being it reflects a state of harmony with God and even with yourself and others it emphasizes reconciliation and forgiveness as pathways to true peace Christians are encouraged to be peacemakers in a time in our country when we need some Christians who really understand who they are to be peacemakers because they have the peace of God here's the problem we're part of the problem the church is battling I know I've said this I'm not apologizing I'm just saying I know I do we are so busy fighting political battles against each other that we forgot where the real war is you've forgotten some of you in this room I know some of you in this room right now you are so busy being political I'm not saying politics we shouldn't be involved

[26:29] I'm saying you've got to understand how you do politics when you recognize you're in the kingdom of God and how we can do politics with those we disagree with without being evil and mean and nasty why because we have his peace see we don't have the peace and that's why we are angry and we're ready to pull down statues and kill people and we're ready to do all kinds of mean things we're all lying saying things you would never say to the person if they were in front of you because you'd be too chicken I hope you'd be too sensitive I hope that's the truth we don't know we're fighting the wrong battles and you're not going to win you're not going to win because you're not fighting it the way Jesus wants you to in his peace you're not going to win even if you quote unquote do win you lose because you're being worldly we're fighting with the way the world fights not the way

[27:41] Jesus wants us to fight his peace living in his peace you see he's contrasting his peace with tribulation in me you have peace in the world you have tribulation we we don't want the tribulation we're going we're going to do everything we can to get rid of the tribulation and so we're not compromising the peace accept the peace and you can live through the tribulation trust in the peace and you'll get through this tribulation in the world is that's what we should expect it's what we should expect he didn't say you might have tribulation he said you will you will that means you will I know it's in the Greek he said he said the world will hate him and hate his father and hate followers and hate his followers he said that already so therefore expect tribulation that's a big bible word we don't use it in American English

[28:51] I'm not sure anyone uses it but we don't use it in American English it speaks of trouble in the form of pressure suffering oppression affliction distress persecution straits I like that word straits like dire straits okay that just aged myself big time anybody remember dire straits oh my goodness thank you for being here you know the hall of fame rock British rock group you know they came out in the 70s they started in 1977 do you know okay here's a question do you know why they called themselves dire straits anybody out there why they call themselves dire straits you don't know because they were broke when the band started they were broke they were in dire straits again we're going to be in dire straits brothers and sisters it's okay Jesus is overcome this can happen because you're vocal about your commitment to Christ you could be in dire straits because well you live in a fallen world and guess what you get sick you get diseases bad things happen accidents cancers and things dire straits but I think for the most part he's thinking about the fact that we his people will be will be persecuted and attacked because we are his people because we name his name and we walk in his peace and his word and his light live in us that's that's ultimately why we're in dire straits and in light of that the second promise is one of victory now he talks about his victory but it's really ours too that's what I'm saying it's a promise he says listen you're going to have trouble you're going to have tribulation but take heart get up don't stay down don't let it crush you get up take heart because I have overcome the world his victory becomes our victory the world can't stop him it tried already it threw the world threw everything it had at Jesus stuff that you and I will never have to face it threw everything the devil and his forces of darkness threw everything they used government politics that's what happened that's why he was killed by the way he was a political dissident he was seen that way anyway he wasn't fighting that battle but they thought that that's why politics will fail you they tried it against

[31:47] Jesus and it failed miserably they thought they had him they threw everything they had and yet he overcame and he's prophesying he's going to overcome he said it before it even happened he said it he knew that death the cross would not be the end he knew what Hebrews 2 says since therefore the children share in flesh and blood he himself likewise partook of the same things we're the children by the way he became one of us that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death that is the devil and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery that's one of my favorite passages in the whole Bible he defeated the very thing that we are afraid of the most he did it by dying he defeats death by dying only God his victory is for us that he might deliver us from the power of death from the devil from the world from the power of our own fallen flesh he might deliver us but then he did it in our place for us and in our place the victory that you could not win he wins in your place for you because you and I how can we defeat what we're of we're born of the world we can't defeat what we affirm so Jesus had to take us out of the world he said we've been talking about that before took us out of the world puts us in him dies in our place and for us rises again and ascends to heaven so that when he goes up we go up we're in him we're connected his victory his resurrection and ascension is ours that's why we can say we have his victory that's why what Paul can say in Romans 8 we are more than conquerors through him who loved us more than more than that means more than that means that's a weak

[34:08] Paul is saying the word conquerors weak is too weak we're more than that we've overcome so then well Pastor Kevin okay time is running out and I gotta finish up so how do we how do we walk in this thing right how do we how do we live this out what do we I mean I get it I get it theologically I get it positionally how do we walk in it well here's one thing 1st John 1 5 John's writing again this is still John from gospel John to 1st John it's all connected chapter 5 for everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world watch this who overcomes the world those who are born of God that means born again or have you been born again have the spirit of God taken up residence in you and changed your life so that now you want to love God and follow Jesus that's born again and this is the victory that's overcome the world our faith who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the son of God we overcome the world by every day walking in faith in Jesus walking in dependence upon

[35:21] Jesus walking in the way of Jesus we overcome every day by coming to Jesus saying Lord if you don't help me I will fall we get you don't leave the house until you acknowledge the fact that you are weak and you need the vine to give you strength you affirm your faith every day you walk in trust in him that whatever comes your way he will be with you and give you the strength to go through it no matter what it is the victory that overcomes the world is our faith our faith in Jesus but there's another thing 1st John again 1st John 2 15 and 17 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 for all that is in the world the desires

[36:29] I'm expanding the desires lust cravings of the flesh sinful nature the desires lust cravings of the eyes and the pride of life is not from the father but is from the world and the world is passing away along with its desires but whoever does the will of God abides forever listen how how do we walk in his victory how do we walk every day we recognize because he says when he says do not it's like stop loving the world he's recognizing that the people of God before we came to Christ we love the world the system of thinking and desires we love the way the world does we wanted more of the riches and the wealth and the popularity and all the entertainment and the comforts the world could give us we live for those things and now he's saying stop that why because you have a greater love the love of the father read that first time is it up there yeah either you love the world or you love the father if you love the father it drives out more of the love of the world and we love the father because he first loved us right so we're responding to the love of

[37:55] God and he's saying that when you respond to God's love by coming to him in love recognizing all that he has done for you in Christ that will last for eternity that cannot be touched that neither moth nor rust your treasure is safe the bank of heaven never has a recession never has a run on it you are secure everything that he has won for you all the gifts all the destiny everything is secure you will not miss your flight you have a strong connection can you hear me now all that he's done should draw out of us when we think about these things and come to him it draws out of love for him for all he is for us in Christ Jesus we can't help but love him for all that he's done and he won't let us go even though we lack faith we lack understanding we lack commitment and yet we're his that should draw us in and when it does the things in the world the lust of the flesh the lust of the eyes the pride the pride of life the pride and boasting of life that we have things that we have and do it loses its grip it's not so important because you have better treasure and better love that's how every day you fight this battle and walk in victory and it will be a battle it will be a fight and it will be a struggle because you're going uphill a lot of times sometimes you're going downhill and God lets you coast it's beautiful that's the beautiful times but a lot of times it's you're trudging through the quagmire but that's okay he's overcome the world what are you trudging through right now what are you what grief what pain whatever he's overcome the world he's overcome it do you believe him don't believe me do you believe him but that struggle is key you need it because it causes you to let go of the world more and look more to him you've heard the story about the imperial moth right some guy found in a pure moth cocoon and he was just watching it and he took it home with him because he wanted to see it come out and so he's watching it and he a crack appears and a little moth wing and whatever kind of pokes out and it's a big struggle and so the guy says man well let me help it out so he he puts a little slit gets a little razor slits it and makes it in and the moth comes out of the cocoon much easier but it comes out bloated small and his wings are all shriveled and it never changes it drags this bloated shriveled body around all the time he's waiting he's like how come it didn't become this beautiful beautiful imperial moth you know but then a friend educated him dodo he says by cutting it by cutting the cocoon and making it easier you actually harm this moth you see the struggle and pain necessary to pass through the tiny opening is God's way in creation of helping that moth develop you see

[41:55] it's through the struggle and coming through the cocoon that all the internal juices flow throughout the moth's wings and body and dissipate and gives it lean and mean kind of thing it was the struggle that was needed to produce the beauty and the strength and the life and family that's our story it's the struggle in faith trusting in Jesus I said in faith trust because if you're not trusting him the struggle will make you shrivel too but as you trust him in the midst of all the pain and tribulation you're going through you will find that you come out looking better than you ever thought possible in this world you will have tribulation but be of good cheer I've overcome the world father thank you for sending your son and thank you

[43:02] Jesus oh lord our savior that you overcame for us holy spirit we thank you that you live in us so that we may have the power of the risen christ in us help us oh god father son holy spirit help us oh god to be faithful to walk in the victory that Jesus has won help us oh lord to not be of the world even though we must be in it help us to fight with the weapons of righteousness not with the weapons of the world that are that seem helpful but in the end they fail help us oh lord to fight with the love and the faith and the gospel to fight on our knees to fight even as we pursue justice and care for those around us help us to do it knowing that we are not of this world but of another kingdom help us to know that our destiny is not this current edition of the world of the earth of the universe but the one to come so lord help us and may you get all the glory in

[44:20]  Jesus name amen