I Have Overcome The World

Q: What does the Bible say about finding peace in troubled times?

The Bible teaches that true peace can be found in Christ, who has overcome the world. In John 16:33, Jesus says, 'In the world you shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.' This verse highlights the stark contrast between the tribulations we face in the world and the peace that our Lord offers us in Himself. The word 'peace' here signifies a state of tranquility and exemption from the turmoil that can come from worldly pressures. Even in times of distress, believers are called to find rest in Jesus, recognizing that He has already achieved victory over all that afflicts us.

Q: How do we know that Christ has overcome the world?

Christ's victory over the world is affirmed in Scripture, where He declares this truth and demonstrates it through His resurrection. The assurance of Christ's victory over the world is a central theme in John's Gospel, particularly in John 16:33. Jesus' statement 'I have overcome the world' encompasses His authority over sin, death, and the forces of evil. This victory is ultimately confirmed through His resurrection, affirming that He has conquered all that brings tribulation to His people. Therefore, believers can approach life's challenges with confidence, knowing that Christ has secured their redemption and overcome every adversarial force in this world.

Q: Why is it important for Christians to trust in God's sovereignty?

Trusting in God's sovereignty fosters peace and assurance that He controls all circumstances for our good. Understanding God's sovereignty is vital for Christians because it undergirds our faith during trials. The awareness that God is in control allows us to rest in His promises and avoid the anxiety that comes from trying to manage our own lives. Scriptures like 1 Peter 5:7 remind us to cast our cares upon Him because He cares for us. This trust in His divine plan equips us to face tribulations with a spirit of joy similar to what Jesus spoke of in John 16:33. The sovereignty of God reassures believers that all events, both good and challenging, are orchestrated by His loving hand for our ultimate benefit.

Q: How can believers find comfort in God's mercy?

Believers find comfort in God's mercy as it reflects His readiness to forgive and restore us despite our shortcomings. In the face of our failures and sinfulness, God's mercy stands as a source of great comfort for believers. Our knowledge of how deeply we fall short of His glory makes His compassion all the more compelling. As illustrated in the sermon, the author reflects on his own past ignorance and blasphemy yet celebrates God's merciful intervention. Ephesians 2:4-5 declares, 'But God, who is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us, even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ.' This mercy inspires us to extend grace and compassion to others, recognizing our shared need for redemption.

Turn with me if you would now to John chapter 16. John chapter 16. Verse 33, our Lord Jesus Christ said, these things I have spoken unto you. These things, everything that our Lord said in this chapter And these chapters leading up to this. But everything that our Lord said while he was on this earth. Everything our Lord said in the entirety of his word. Verse 33 says, these things I have spoken unto you that in me you might have peace. The word peace means exemption from rage. That sounds nice, doesn't it? It means quietness. It means rest. It means tranquility of soul. These things I have spoken unto you that in me you might have peace.

In the world you shall have tribulation. That means pressure, anguish, burden, affliction, distress. Verse 33 says, These things I have spoken unto you, that in me you might have peace. In the world you shall have tribulation. But be of good cheer, I have overcome the world. I have overcome The world, the Lord Jesus Christ said to his people, I have overcome.

That means conquered. That means defeated. That means reigned victorious over, subdued. The world, this world, the world and everything in the world that could bring pressure, anguish, burden, affliction and distress to God's people. That covers a lot of things. That covers a lot of things. He said, be of good cheer because I've already overcome it. I have already overcome it. Now, this is our text tonight because a brother sent me an email that a coworker of his had sent out to the company. emailed it out to the company. And it was supposed to be an encouragement. It was a religious daily devotional.

And it was one of the worst things I've ever read in my life. And I have read a lot of things. I've read a lot of things now. It rivaled the most blasphemous thing I have ever read in my life. And it made this brother very angry. And reading it made me very angry. And it made both of us immediately want to rip into this man. It made both of us want to just fire scripture after scripture at this man, exposing him in all of his ignorance and all of his blasphemy of God. It was bad. This man didn't write the devotional, but he was forwarding it along, putting his stamp of approval on it.

And, uh, you know, encouraging everybody to, uh, know and believe these lies on God. And the very first thing that popped into my mind is, I don't know if I have ever seen anyone this ignorant of the scripture. This may top the cake, whoever wrote this. I'm not sure if I've ever seen anyone this ignorant of scripture. You talk about you do err not knowing the scripture that immediately popped into my mind. I thought, oh, this world needs to know the scripture. This world is erring, not knowing the scripture. And it made me and it made this brother so angry. That he was that ignorant of God's word. And that he was promoting that ignorance to other people in the name of God." In the name of the very God that he was blaspheming. And this brother said to me, I'm quite sure I'm going to be confronted with this personally. Everybody else loves it.

Oh, yeah, great. That's great. I'm quite sure I'm going to be confronted with this personally, directly. And I said to him, I'm quite sure you are too. And in that moment, you might as well have called us, James and John. We were ready to call down fire from heaven. I hear I'm preaching a message on it. I was just bound and determined. I'm about to just dissect this thing. We were ready to call down fire from heaven, and all of a sudden, this thought came to my mind.

I'm so glad my God didn't do that to me. I'm so, so thankful. Now listen to this. I am so thankful for the fact that my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, did not come into this world to do that to me. I'm so glad he did not leave his high and holy throne of judgment and righteousness so moved and so angry that he got up off of his throne and came all the way down here to earth to do that to me. I am so, so thankful, and I mean that.

Oh, the ignorance that was in me. Some of you all had the real blessing of knowing me as a young person. Oh, the ignorance. Oh, the blasphemy. Oh, the blindness. Oh, the death that was in me. Oh, the mercy that was in Christ. Oh, the grace. Oh, the compassion. I'm telling you, in this moment, this all happened fairly quickly in me. In this moment, I realized how great the compassion of Christ was. What it took to have that kind of compassion. The forgiveness, the merciful forgiveness that was in Christ. The mercy that was in the saving, redeeming cross of the Lord Jesus Christ.

That he would say, he would take something like that and say, lay that on me. You just, that's bad. That's about as bad as it gets. That's chief sinner right there. That's chief blasphemy right there. You take that and you lay that on me and then I'm gonna go stand before the judgment of God with it. All that blasphemy, all those lies. You lay that on me and I'll take care of it. Oh, the mercy. I told this brother, I do believe you're going to be confronted personally.

And I pray when that time comes that the Lord will give you the words of the Spirit of Christ. I pray the Lord will give you the ability to very lovingly, very gently, very patiently, in meekness, in compassion, in concern for that man's soul. I pray God will give you the words of his spirit to point you point that man to Christ, to point that man to Christ, to point that man to the truth. Of God's word concerning Christ, how high and lifted up he is.

How sovereignly in control of all things. Even this thing. Who allowed this thing to happen? Whose providence was it? Whose predestination was it that sent this thing to this brother and then to me? I pray God will give us the ability to point men to Christ. Just turn men to Christ. In that moment, these scriptures started coming to my mind. James 1 verse 20 says, the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God.

Do I think he needs me to take care of this? Well, I tell you what, I'll take care of this. Is that what I think? Do I think he needs for me to take care of this? Hebrews 10 verse 30, he said, vengeance belongs to me. I will recompense. I will take care of this world. I will take care of this world. I will overcome this world. First Peter five verse seven says, cast all your care upon him. Whatever could fall under the, the, um, Canopy of care, whatever brings, makes you full of care. Cast all your care upon him.

He is the one who overruled me. He did it. He is the one who subdued me. He is the one who broke me and taught me and turned me. I didn't do it. He did it. And if anything is going to be done, he's gonna have to do it. anyone. If it were not for the grace of God, we say that phrase very loosely. Oh by the grace of God. If it was not for the grace of God, I would still be in the same boat with that man. That's where I would be. The same boat with that poor man.

Why am I so mad at him? Why do I, what could I possibly have to glory in over him? What could I have to glory in over him? He's to be pitied. He needs the pity of God just like I do. I'm to be pitied. I need to be pitied. Without the pitiful hand of the Lord Jesus Christ, All of us are going to remain goats before God, not sheep, but goats. And our Lord, he didn't tell Peter, if you love me, you get out there and you start whipping you some goats. Not what he said. He said, if you love me, you focus on my sheep. You spend your time and your effort feeding my sheep. You preach the gospel as though you're speaking to God's sheep.

You tell them that in the world, they're going to have trouble. They're going to have tribulation. They're going to have pressure and anguish and burden and affliction and distress from the world. But you tell them to be of good cheer. Be of good cheer.

Because they're not of this world even as I'm not of this world. My people are not of this world even as I'm not of this world because I have delivered them out of this world. I have plucked them. I have spared them. I have redeemed them out of this world. And everything now that wars against them spiritually, I've already overcome it. Everything that comes to him, I've already overcome it. I have already overcome it. It's already overcome.

Verse 33 says, these things I have spoken unto you that in me you might have peace. In me you might have peace. You tell them when these moments come, turn to me. Turn to me. Look to me. You know, James and John were the ones, they called them sons of thunder, man.

They were ready to get out there and really beat somebody up with the gospel. And the Lord said to them, you do not know what spirit you're coming in. And that's Gabe Stoniker. When Gabe Stoniker in the flesh, he's, I don't know what spirit I'm coming in. Look to me.

Wait on me, you tell them, cast their all on me, because I've already determined, I've already accomplished the outcome of all these things. You know, when something like that happens to you, it was purposed to happen to you. Well, Lord, now, aren't we supposed to say something in your honor? Isn't there a time to speak? A time to be silent? A time to speak? Aren't we supposed to stand for your truth? Yes. Yes. But if I don't send my spirit of honor and put those words of truth in you, if I don't do this, You have nothing to stand on but your own fleshly will and your own fleshly words and your own fleshly pride and your own self-righteous arrogance.

Come to me. Come to me. Go to him. Go to him. In all these things, our Lord says, your peace is in me. Come to me. Now, with this peaceful calming that came over me, I went from hot to cool. With this calming that came over me, I ended up responding to this brother by sending him this scripture. Turn with me to Psalm 37. Psalm 37, this right here is peace. This is peace. Our Lord said, in me you shall have peace. And that's the thing that really blessed my heart. And this is what really caused me to want to write a message and bring a message out of this. We can have peace. No matter what it is, we can have peace. We can have peace in it. This is such peace.

Verse one, he says, fret not thyself because of evildoers. Neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity. Fret not means do not be hot. Do not be furious. Do not burn, and again, all we have to do is hold the mirror up and look at our own sin and think, well, what do we have to be furious about? The word fret not means do not become angry, do not become incensed against. Evildoers, sinners in this world. Sinners. You know, you're a sinner! Well, so am I. So am I. He goes on to say, neither be envious. That means zealous. It means excited to jealous anger. That's so calming to me.

Just turn to the Lord, you know, any rebuking that needs to be done, the Lord will rebuke. Any teaching that needs to be done, the Lord will teach. Neither be envious against the workers of iniquity, the sinners in this world that God has left alone. He's chosen to leave them to themselves. They're there to be pitied. Verse two says, For they shall soon be cut down like the grass and wither as the green herb.

If if our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ was not cut down like the grass for us on the cross of Calvary, that's exactly what would happen to me and you. On the cross of Calvary, God Almighty took care of it. That's what happened on the cross. You know what happened on the cross of Calvary? God took care of it. God Almighty took care and he'll take care of it. He'll take care of everything.

It's not our concern. Our Lord sent his disciples out to preach. He said, if your message is not received, he didn't say, now you stand there and argue with them and you go to war with them. He said, wipe the dust from your feet and move on. This is in God's hands. This is in the Lord's hands. Verse two, it says, they shall soon be cut down like the grass and wither as the green herb. Verse 3 says, trust in the Lord and do good. And I always ask you when a statement like that comes, what is doing good? Trust in the Lord and do good. What is doing good? Trusting in the Lord. Trust in the Lord and do good.

Leave everything in his hands. I want to do that. I would love to learn to do that. Leave everything in his hands. It's already in his hands. Just leave it there. Not that we can take it out of his hands, but we can sure create a lot of frustration for ourselves. Nobody's going to pluck anything out of his hand. Leave it there. Leave it in his hands.

Trust in the Lord. Trust means be confident in, be secure in. It means run for refuge in. The Lord, the Lord, turn to the Lord. Verse three says, trust in the Lord and do good, so shalt thou dwell in the land. And verily thou shalt be fed. You and all of God's people. Trust in the Lord, truly.

Everything is secure, everything in the end is secure. Verse four says, delight thyself also in the Lord. Delight means be happy. You know, James is the one who said rejoice when when all trials come, counted all joy when all this these trials and tribulations come. And you think, what? But you know, if we really will turn to the Lord, we really will be happy. We truly will. Delight means be happy.

It means be at ease. You remember when Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were about to be thrown into the fiery furnace. You know what they said? They said, Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful about this. And what that means is, what they said was, we are not full of care. We are not anxiously full of care.

If our God is pleased to deliver us from this situation, he will deliver us. If he is pleased to throw us into that fire, he will throw us into that fire and then deliver us. Either way, He's going to deliver us. Delight yourself. Be happy. Be at ease.

Even in the midst of all these fretful times, this is peace. This is true peace. In the world, there's not going to hardly ever be a time without fretfulness. There's not hardly ever going to be a time where you are not fretting over something. But in the Lord, we can still be of good cheer. We can still delight ourselves in Him because there is so much peace in Him. There's so much peace. Do you want peace? Just go to Him. Run to Him. Fret in the world, peace in Him.

Verse four says, delight thyself also in the Lord, and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. You delight in the Lord, and he'll give you the desires of your heart. What are the desires of the believer's heart? Now I'm not talking about the flesh. I'm talking about the true desire of a believer's heart. Here it is.

Christ, I wrote down 10 things, but I could just say Christ, Christ, and Christ. Christ, the will of Christ, the salvation of Christ, forgiveness in the blood of Christ, the grace and mercy of Christ, the peace of Christ which passes understanding. How can you be at such peace in a moment like this? The righteousness of Christ, the holiness of Christ, eternity with Christ, the eternal worship and glory and praise of the Lord Jesus Christ. Believer, what do you truly want in your heart? I want Jesus Christ to be glorified. I want him to be honored. I want him to be praised and I want everything to bow before him. Get happy. That's what's going to happen. That's what's going to happen.

Verse four says, delight thyself also in the Lord and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. Commit thy way unto the Lord. If you have a center margin in your Bible, you'll see that commit thy way means roll thy way upon. roll thy way upon. The song says, at the cross, at the cross, where I first saw the light and the burden of my heart rolled away. Verse five says, commit thy way unto the Lord, trust also in him, and he shall bring it to pass. I wanna break, let me just break, take a break. All right, we're gonna break in the message for a minute. I'm gonna tell you something, and I mean this with all of my heart.

It has been my experience that normally, you know, problems come all the time. And the first thing that I do is I try to figure out how am I going to fix it. And I normally have a minute of wallowing in my misery until at some point the Lord in mercy causes me to say, would you handle this? Would you please handle this? I don't know what to do.

Whatever you do, you're right. You're going to be right in it. I'm telling you. The Lord has never forsaken me. He's always handled whatever it is. It has always gone the best way it could possibly go, not always the way I want it to go. But his word is true. His word is so true.

We don't in the flesh believe him. We don't believe him. Yeah, that sounds good and all you just you just take care of it. The flesh doesn't want to believe him. I still think I need to. I'm telling you, I'm telling you, his word will not return void to you. You commit your way unto the Lord and you trust in him, he'll bring it to pass. He will bring it to pass.

Verse six says, and he shall bring forth thy righteousness as the light. That's Christ. That's Christ. Christ is our righteousness. Christ is our light. And thy judgment as the noon day. That's Christ. Christ is our judgment. Christ bore our judgment. Think about this. The judge of the earth judged us rightly in himself by judging himself on the cross of Calvary. The judge of the earth did that. Shall not the judge of the earth do right?

That's what he did on his own cross in his own suffering. The judgment is finished. The work is complete. Christ left nothing undone. Verse 7 says, rest in the Lord. Christ left nothing undone, nothing spiritually. He's left nothing physically. He's left nothing eternally, nothing temporally. He has left nothing undone. Our Lord has left nothing undone. Verse 7 says, rest in the Lord. And rest means be silent. Be silent in the Lord. Just wait to hear what he has to say. Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for him.

Fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass. And that's that's what false religion seems like it's doing. False religion, you know, everybody loves it, everybody thrives on it. Great, great. You know, just flood the internet with it and flood the churches with it. False religion is just prospering and prospering and the lies are just prospering while the truth seems to be so sparse.

Don't fret over those who seem to be prospering in their own self-righteous blasphemous, false religion, the Lord your God will take care of every bit of it. He'll take care of every bit of it. Just be thankful that he, in mercy, took care of you. Be thankful he took care of you. Be thankful he broke you. Be thankful he turned you from your self-righteous, blasphemous, false religion.

Me. Me. Verse eight, cease from anger and forsake wrath. Fret not thyself in any wise to do evil. For evildoers shall be cut off, but those that wait upon the Lord, they shall inherit the earth. Just wait on the Lord. He has everything and everyone under his control. Everything. Everything. These things. Has he spoken unto us? That in him, we might have peace. In the world, we shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer. He's overcome the world. He's overcome this world. Lord, overcome me. Overcome me, give me peace. Amen.

I Have Overcome The World

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about finding peace in troubled times?

How do we know that Christ has overcome the world?

Why is it important for Christians to trust in God's sovereignty?

How can believers find comfort in God's mercy?

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I Have Overcome The World

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about finding peace in troubled times?

How do we know that Christ has overcome the world?

Why is it important for Christians to trust in God's sovereignty?

How can believers find comfort in God's mercy?

Sermon Transcript

About Gabe Stalnaker

Comments

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