 Good morning, God bless you. Thank you for those songs, brother Nathan, brother Linwood. Second to last verse we sang in that final song says thy saints in all this glorious war shall conquer though they die They see the triumph from afar and sees it with their eye The church that overcomes Satan We've been singing but I'd like to invite you to stand one more time and we're gonna sing one more chorus as we begin Let's go ahead and sing and stand You could just have this mic off. Let's sing together that chorus. We've got the power in the name of Jesus We've got the power In the name of Jesus We've got Enraged we will not be Defeated next verse says for many years now Satan's tried to stop us, but the church of Jesus is still alive Like a mighty army we keep marching onward winning every battle with the Lord by our side Let's sing the second verse. It says so come now. Let's agree together that all our enemies are under our feet So come now Let's agree together That all are under our feet And whatever we bond shall be bound in head and at the name of Jesus Satan has to flee of Jesus I noticed five months ago that a name originally appeared beside the title to this message and then disappeared one year and seven days ago My second youngest brother Was tragically killed in a motorcycle accident throughout the past year intense challenges setbacks difficulties Spiritual warfare was so much part of my journey and actually still is that I wasn't sure I asked the team I said can you find someone else to preach this message? They consented to that and looked for another brother. They knew what I was going through When that brother declined the team came back and said would you reconsider? Here we are by the grace of God today the church that overcomes Satan open your Bibles with me to Revelation chapter 12 we're gonna begin reading in verse 7 verse 7 says and There was war in heaven Michael and his angels fought against the dragon and the dragon fought and his angels and Prevailed not neither was their place found anymore in heaven and The great dragon was cast out that old serpent called the devil and Satan which deceiveth the whole world He was cast out into the earth and his angels were cast out with him and It heard a loud voice saying in heaven now has come salvation and strength in the kingdom of our God and the power of his Christ for the accuser of our brethren is cast down which accused them before our God day and night and They overcame him by the blood of the lamb and by the word of their testimony and they love not their lives unto the death Verse 12 yet therefore rejoiced the heavens and ye that dwell in them whoa Whoa to the inhabitants of the earth and of the sea for the devil is come down unto you having great wrath Because he knows that he hath but a short time This text says they Overcame him Who is the they that this text is referring to it's the saints those who have a A sworn enemy the accuser of the brethren I Would like to call your attention first of all in this verse our key verse here is chapter 12 verse 11 To the second word in this verse it says they Oftentimes we read the passages For a text too quickly. I want us just to pause and think about that plural pronoun for a minute they Overcame together They overcame him It's no secret in both the Spiritual realms of light and of darkness that united we will stand But also the opposite is It's absolutely true as well divided we will fall They overcame him you can have a coal burning on a fire in the hearth And you take that coal and set it out It doesn't matter how hot that coal was initially if it is not with the rest of Those embers it will quickly be extinguished They overcame him Collectively together the scripture says two are better than one Though one may be overpowered it says in the book of Ecclesiastes I'm quoting from a different version now though one may be overpowered two can withstand him and A three-fold cord is not quickly broken they Together overcame him they Let's look at the second word overcame This word is Nikao in the Greek. It means to win to have victory over to defeat. It's a battle word It appears 28 times in the New Testament It's often translated most often in the King James version as overcome or conquer But also as prevail and to get the victory They overcame Another passage where this word is found the same Greek word is Revelation chapter 3 verse 21 It says to him that Overcomes Nikao will I grant to sit with me in my throne even as I also Overcame and I'm set down with my father in his throne again Romans chapter 12 says be not overcome same word of evil But overcome evil with good and finally first John chapter 5 verse 5 for another sampling of how this word is used Who is he that? Overcomes the world, but he that believes that Jesus is the son of God The repetition of this word brothers and sisters in multiple contexts reminds us that the Christian While living in this present fallen world is in a battle They overcame the next word in this phrase is him They overcame him and I want to pause just a minute and consider who it was that they overcame The accuser the devil the one who has come down with great wrath because he knows he has but a little time The dragon who made war in heaven is now come down and this text says whoa unto you The inhabitants of the earth, but it also says they overcame him What do we know about the dominion and power of the enemy from the passage of the scripture that we could look Out this morning. We could glean many things. I want to just look at two more passages We get a brief glimpse into what happens sometimes in the heavenlies a mysterious glimpse in the book of Job in chapter 1 want to read two verses there we're familiar with this context Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord and Satan came also among them And the Lord said unto Satan once come as thou then Satan answered the Lord and said From going to and fro in the earth and from walking up and down in it first Peter chapter 5 says be sober be vigilant because your adversary the devil as a roaring lion walks about seeking whom he made a vow or Whom resists steadfast in the faith knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren, which are in the world our adversary the devil in These passages he's called a great dragon. He's called the old serpent, and he's called a roaring lion But the keys prophetically given by revelation of God to John for us are Given in this passage how we can overcome also those of us upon whom the ends of the world are come Those of us to whom this text says whoa unto you So how did they overcome key number one they overcame him say it with me by the blood of the lamb Praise God friends this morning. There's power There's wonder working power in the blood of the lamb never let anyone cause you to doubt that Would you be free from your burden of sin? There's power in the blood Would you or evil a victory win? There's wonderful power in the blood praise God hallelujah this morning for the blood of Jesus Scripture tells us that we are redeemed by the blood. We are cleansed by the blood and justified by the blood First Peter chapter 1 says for as much as you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things like silver and gold But with the precious blood of Christ redeemed First John chapter 1 says the blood of Jesus Christ his son Cleanses us from all sin Romans chapter 5 says much more than being now justified by his blood. We shall be saved from wrath Through him There's many places we could go in Scripture to think about the power of the blood many texts we could consider But I want to challenge us this morning to recognize That though there are many who believe take our Muslim friends for example I sat with a Muslim young man about two years ago and had this very discussion That God is merciful and he can choose to pardon us if he so desires though there may be many who may believe that The Scripture says the wages of sin The payment or punishment for sin is death God told Adam and Eve in the day that you eat thereof speaking of the forbidden fruit in the day that you eat thereof you shall surely die and We know according to the scriptures that death rain from Adam to Moses to John the Baptist the last prophet of the Old Testament both physically and Spiritually separation from God. We saw that initially in the garden. They no longer could have access in the same way To the very presence of a holy God I believe That the even the Old Testament Saints brothers and sisters could not enter into heaven But through the blood of Jesus Christ by the new and living way that he has consecrated for us through the veil That's to say his flesh scriptures. Tell us. There is no other name Give it under heaven among men whereby we must be saved Hebrews chapter 10 verse 4 says It is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins Hebrews 11 goes on to say these all the Hebrews of faith. These all died in faith not having received the promises First Peter chapter 9. I'm sorry first Peter chapter 1 verse 9 talks about us Bond whom the ends of the world or come receiving the end of our faith even the salvation of our souls verse 10 says of Which salvation the prophets inquired and searched diligently? Searching of which salvation the prophets inquired and searched diligently who prophesied before of the grace of God That should come unto you on to whom it was revealed but not unto themselves But unto us they'd administer the things which are now reported unto you by the Holy Ghost By them that have preached the gospel with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven The prophets inquired and searched diligently who prophesied before of the grace that should come unto you So then consider with me Before the death of Christ where were the souls of the departed who died in faith? Those who had died not having yet received the promises Jesus tells us a story in Luke 16 that gives us maybe just a small glimpse into this reality pre-cross There's a story about a man who died and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom Another man who died and was buried and lifted up his eyes in hell in Hades and saw Abraham and Lazarus across this great golf That was fixed between them and said father Abraham sent Lazarus to come and dip the tip of his finger into water to cool My tongue for I'm tormented in this flame first Peter chapter 4 says For this cause was the gospel preached to them that are dead that they might be judged according to men in the flesh But live according to God in the spirit Ephesians 4 unwraps this mystery just a little further saying when he Jesus ascended up on high He led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men and again now that he ascended What is it? But that he also descended first into the lower parts of the earth The lower parts of the earth what is this talking about and who were the captives who were held there? I believe you scriptures are speaking of the abode of the dead pre-cross before the cross and the resurrection before the New Testament Offering of the blood of Jesus Christ and the rending of the veil Both the temple and tabernacle were only a shadow of the heavenly But now Hebrews says Christ is not entered into holy places made with hands Which are the figures of the true but into heaven itself now to appear in the presence of God for us But this man Hebrews 10 says after he'd offered one sacrifice for sins forever sat down on the right hand of the majesty on high Hebrews chapter 2 verse 14 brother Ken quoted this verse this morning says this for as much then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood He himself also likewise took part of the same that through death. He might destroy him that had the power of death That is the devil Satan had past tense Satan had a rightful hold on all who were ever born from Adam and Eve until the second Adam Jesus Christ The one because of whom the Apostle Paul could say oh Death where is thy sting? Oh grave? Where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the law But thanks be to God who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ The scriptures tell us for this cause For this reason the Son of God was manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil The little boy from the carpenter shop Born in a stable his mother a virgin Raised in a carpenter shop His parents were poor his people were slaves his friends a lonely lot His chances in life were very slim. He's expected to be a slave but people in darkness saw light in him and hope of freedom he gave All of the powers of heaven and earth God had invested in him He's to die on the cross Descend into hell meet the devil and take the keys from him He yielded himself to the death on the cross cried it's finished And slumped to die In the regions of hell the devil celebrated we've destroyed the king he cried But in the midst of the celebration Footsteps were heard Walking the corridors of hell and the shouting stopped and a voice rang out a voice that rang like a bell Satan trembled as he recognized him who had come to deliver his own shut and lock the gates he cried Don't let him ascend to his throne So the gate swung shut in the face of the king to prove God's salvation untrue But he shook hell's gates and he cried lift up your heads the king is coming through Then out of the devil's prison house came a procession led by the king shouting now Grave where is thy victory and death? Where is thy sting? Who is the king of glory the Lord God mighty in battle is he who is the king of glory? Master of hosts of heaven supreme who is the king of glory the one that not even death could stop He is the king of glory That little boy from the carpenter's shop brothers and sisters in Revelation chapter 7 John heard this question. He says them one of the elders answered saying unto me Who are these which are raid and white robes and whence came they this multitude? Unnumerable before the throne and I said to him sir thou knowest And he answered saying to me these are they which came out of great tribulation and have washed their robes And have made them white in the blood of the lamb They overcame him by the blood of the lamb Secondly this text tells us that they overcame him say it with me by the word of their testimony say it again by the word of their testimony Proverbs chapter 18 verse 21 says that death and life are in the power of the tongue We're created in the image of God and as image bearers We have creative potential in the words that we speak both death and life are in the power of the tongue It says in the book of Romans if thou shalt confess with thy mouth That Jesus Christ is Lord If thou shalt confess with thy mouth and believe in thine heart that God is raising from the dead Thou shalt be saved we could talk about the confession that takes place at baptism We sometimes think of testimony in a more traditional sense and I want to talk about that But for just a minute consider the power of spoken words at your confession at baptism or the ordinance of marriage When you speak many of you have had this privilege I stood before the altar one day and the pastor asked me it was Kelsey's husband. It was Kelsey's father She asked me he asked me. I'm sorry, brother Kent asked me He said Joel will you take this woman by your side to be your wedded wife? Will you love and cherish her and keep yourself only unto her as long as you both shall live I will the creative potential and power of those words I don't know what the questions were asked. I don't know what questions were asked to you at your baptism Do you believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God? I do upon this confession of your faith I baptize you the power of the spoken word Margers at their death Were very well known to continue testifying right up to the end They continued praising and thanking God with supernatural grace and power talking of their commitment to Jesus Christ at times As we know their persecutors became so enraged at this testimony that they attempted to silence them by cutting out their tongues or screwing Their tongues to the roof of their mouths They continued praising and thanking God Gospel of Luke Jesus speaking says they shall lay their hands on you and persecute you delivering you up to the synagogues and Into prisons being brought before kings and rulers for my namesake and it shall turn to you for a testimony Settle it therefore in your hearts not to meditate before what you shall answer for I will give you a mouth and wisdom Which all your adversaries should not be able to gain sin or resist starting with Steven in the book of Acts We see the promise fulfilled that Jesus had spoken to disciples just a few years earlier as Steven spoke they could not resist the wisdom or the authority the Holy Spirit was on him and he as he spoke he He quoted scripture and he cut to the heart with the words that the Lord had given him instantaneously in fulfillment of this promise Jesus also when standing before the Sanhedrin as they provoked him to speak Finally before the high priest he quoted Daniel chapter 7 which speaks of the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and authority Jesus and Steven both stood before the councils and they spoke with authority. Not only that they spoke the Word of God Think about that for a minute. They spoke the Word of God the martyrs were known to quote scripture They knew the Word of God. They knew the written Word of God Jesus also overcome overcame as we know the devil in the wilderness Three times he said it is written. It is written. How could he do that? He had the Word of God Written on his heart a challenge. I'd like to leave with us here this morning. We think about the the word of our testimony Yes, let's rely on the power of the Holy Spirit Let's also continue to commit the scripture to memory. That's one of the things I appreciate about Kingdom Fellowship weekend This year. We were memorizing Psalms 127. This is meditating on that I saw that there's a verse here that directly relates to this particular section of this of this topic Speaking of how that our children will be like arrows in the hand of a mighty man the psalmist says they shall speak They shall speak with the enemies in the gate Our children will speak they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate You know, do you ever feel ashamed? Do you ever feel quiet? Even the Apostle Paul in the book of Ephesians? He's sitting in Rome bound and chains and he says pray also for me That utterance may be given unto me that I may open my mouth boldly to make known the witness of the gospel For the witch and I'm ambassador in bonds if even the Apostle Paul needed to ask for prayer that he could be bold for the Gospel how much more do we I know unfortunately what it feels like to be ashamed and to be quiet I Also know by God's grace what it feels like to speak and to testify with boldness May God help us to be ready to be prepared in the book of Acts After the Apostles were beaten. What did they do go back and pull together a circle and pray for God's protection No, they prayed for boldness that they could speak the word of God and the place was shaken Where they were assembled and they were filled again with the Holy Ghost and they went out everywhere proclaiming boldly the word of God They overcame him Though the enemy was trying to silence them they overcame him by the word of their testimony So number one they overcame him by the blood of the lamb number two by the word of their testimony and number three It says in this text they love not their lives unto the death the most powerful The most powerful and the most dangerous people on the planet are those who are living for a cause For which they are not afraid to die Whether a jihadist or a Christian martyr the most powerful and the most dangerous people on the planet are those who are living for a Cause for which they are not afraid to die Hebrews chapter 11 speaks of these kinds of people It says they quench the violence of the fire remember Shadrach Meshach and Abednego They said to the king our God is able to deliver us But if he doesn't choose to deliver us be it known to you oh king We will not bow down no worship the golden image which you have set up and God did choose in that case to deliver them They quench the violence of the fire the text goes on to say they were stoned They were sawn asunder they wondered about in sheepskins and goatskins being destitute Afflicted tormented of whom the world was not worthy. They wondered about in mountains and in dens and in caves of the earth these all died These all died in faith They loved not their lives brothers and sisters unto the death and now they are recorded for us as Examples now we are as it says in Hebrews chapter 12 Encourage to look at their example as a great cloud of witnesses as we continue running the race that's set before us I used to wonder What it would feel like to be a martyr and I honestly had this fear in my heart That if I should be called to give my life to burn the stake or to be Sawn asunder as Isaiah was the intensity of that pain that suffering Lord I don't know how I could could do that. I don't want to draw attention to myself here But I earlier felt led to tell you this story when I was 18 years old I was working on scaffolding at a job and I Remember the scaffolding starting to fall and I remember jumping that's the last thing I remember I was about 25 feet in the eyes the last thing I remember before I woke up laying flat on my back Looking up at the sky and I instantly knew that I had severely injured myself I figured I'd probably broken my back. It actually was the case Remember verbally crying out to Jesus right there laying on the ground just stunned and The peace the tranquility the tangible grace that washed over me in that time was palpable I've never since that time wondered If God can give us the grace in those great and intense times of affliction and suffering As he has been faithful to give the martyrs in times past Actually remember praying and telling the Lord God if you want me to and I meant it be in a wheelchair The rest of my life. That's really okay God's great grace in times of great and intense suffering is real Climb up your golden height Champion of the band of holy souls a light who followed Christ's command we sing this song It's in the back of the Christian Henry. I looked up the history to this song and preparing for this message It was written by the author of the martyrs mirror Tillie man von brought brother Nathan can probably say his name with the German pronunciation translated into English first in 1886 and was then recast in the addition we sing today by the late John Jay overhauled And according to him Mary org and I confirmed this with brother Nathan This recasting was done in 1975 Which marked the 450 year anniversary of the radical reformation brother Nathan said yes Joel He wrote me an email. I wanted to see if this was actually true. I said he said I can remember going around brother Nathan Are you in here this morning? How old were you? 1975 Nine years old brother Nathan said I can remember traveling around the United States with my family My dad would preach and we would sing that song in 1975 praise God This song was originally written as a tribute to a martyr named Gerardus who quote for the testimony of Jesus Went singing before his companions Five other men two women and a girl on their way to burning at the stake They love not their lives Climb up your golden height champion of the ban of holy souls alight who followed Christ's command This hero went before them. He did fight his way through the straight gate to heaven Through Christ's living way, can you see him singing as he marches before his companions? to burning God's banner God's banner read in blood Oppression misery where smoke and vapor stood burnt Sacrificially the sacrificial fire ascending to the skies of dreadful human offerings who there won the prize Nor makes it them a shame to bear the name of Christ until they are consumed and meet the Lord They prize Lord our thanks for blood of martyrs and for prophets slain This thy heritage still offers Christ's Eternal gain in the famous words of Jim Elliot He is no fool brothers and sisters who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose This light affliction said the Apostle Paul and he knew what affliction was about we read of him being beaten Many times with rods shipwrecked left for dead and yet he said this light Affliction which is but for a moment Works for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory Hallelujah Jesus Through his death conquered the enemy and destroyed him that had the power of death and thereby he left us an example That we should follow in his steps Take up your cross Are you a soldier am I a soldier of the cross the Calvary Road the way of the cross through the straight gate to heaven? This is Christ's living way Philippians says he humbled himself and became obedient unto death Even the death of the cross Wherefore God also that wasn't the end God also has highly exalted him and given him a name Which is above every name that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow What a landslide victory Was won at the cross Corinthians tells us had the princes of this world known it they would not have crucified the Lord of glory The power the wisdom the mystery of the cross They overcame him by the blood of the lamb by the word of their testimony, and they love not their lives Unto the death in conclusion. I Want to challenge us to recognize this morning that after we've done all within our power We're still humanly speaking no match for the enemy But Romans chapter 8 says if God if God before us then who can be against us. We're not the right man on our side hallelujah The scripture says it's not by might nor by power But by my spirits saw him 46 I was speaking earlier this weekend to brother Makai about this song And he reminded me that in the context of this famous word that he said we often see framed in pretty mottos on The wall be still and know that I am God. It's a battle context He breaketh the bow and cuts the spear and thunder he burns the chariot in the fire The waters are roaring the heathen are raging Be still and Know that I am God brothers and sisters. There is a battle. It's real But the scripture tells us there are more with us than with them Greater is he that is in us than he that is in the world keep that connection to him Guard it above all else in heavenly armor will enter the land the battle belongs to the Lord No weapon that's fashioned against us can stand the battle belongs to the Lord When the power of darkness comes in like a flood the battle belongs to the Lord Let's not forget that the battle belongs to the Lord He's raised up a standard the power of his blood the battle belongs to the Lord so we can sing glory Honor power and strength to the Lord glory honor power and strength to the Lord Though the accuser of the brethren stands ready to accuse us according to this text we read before the throne day and night We have an advocate with the father a mediator Jesus Christ the righteous Romans 8 goes on to say who shall lay anything so there's an accuser But the scripture says who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect. It is God who justifies Who is he that condemns it is Christ that died. Yes, rather that has risen again Who is even at the right hand of God who also makes intercession for you and I for us praise God and Finally thinking of overcoming Through our willingness to love not our lives into the death the scripture says who shall separate us from the love of Christ Shall tribulation or distress or persecution or sword as it is written for thy sake. We are killed all the day long We are counted as sheep for the slaughter No in all of these things. We are more than Conquerors through these things. We are more than conquerors Overcomers through him that loved us We are more than conquerors through him that loved us Praise God. Jesus said in the world you will have tribulation Aren't you thankful he didn't stop there But be of good cheer we can sing joyful joyful I adore thee for the joy of the Lord is our strength be of good cheer. I have Nikao I have overcome the world and Again Jesus said I will build my church and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it brothers and sisters We will Overcome the scripture says they overcame him how? Let's say it together by the blood of the lamb by the word of their testimony and they loved not their lives unto the death Thanks be to God