Week 12 - Victory
This week in summary| Day 1 : Jesus vs Death | Daniel 1 |
| Day 2 : A War of Life | Daniel 2 |
| Day 3 : ... But Even If Not | Daniel 3 |
| Day 4 : Prepare | Daniel 4 |
| Day 5 : Planning | Daniel 5-6 |
| Day 1 : Jesus vs Death | Daniel 1 |
| Day 2 : A War of Life | Daniel 2 |
| Day 3 : ... But Even If Not | Daniel 3 |
| Day 4 : Prepare | Daniel 4 |
| Day 5 : Planning | Daniel 5-6 |
History proves that Death has a perfect record, completely undefeated. No matter how much medicine advances, death will claim us. No matter how many toys you have when you die, you still die. Guess what death won again. Science calls this entropy, the idea that everything will eventually be destroyed to a point of being useless.
On the other hand God has a perfect record. The sovereign creator of heaven and earth is also undefeated. So who would win in a fight between the creator of all things and the destroyer of all things?
Jesus' resurrection set the record straight. Death had its chance. Jesus proved that He could overcome the full power of death, heart stopping, brain function ceases, body fluids separate and rigor mortis set in. This is the full power of death, and Jesus got up from it like he was late for school. As 1st Corinthians paraphrases: Jesus is the only who showed death who is really in charge.
26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27 For "God has put all things in subjection under His feet."
...
55 "O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?" 56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 15
[Christ] will swallow up death for all time, And the Lord GOD will wipe tears away from all faces, And He will remove the reproach of His people from all the earth; For the LORD has spoken.
Isaiah 25:8
Most of us can come up with a rudimentary list of sins like lying, theft, cheating, murder and etc. - pretty much anything that we aren't proud of is a sin. This works for a simple understanding of sin.
But the problem of sin is deeper and more sinister than a list of actions or choices. Lying and cheating are the symptoms of sin; the cause of sin is separation from God. A person who is separated from God is a sinner no matter how honorable or debased his life choices. Without access to God's wisdom a sinner is more likely to choose the allure and destruction of sin.
But that isn't an issue now that you are in Jesus. Sin is separation from God. Jesus is connection to God. Being in Jesus means those poor choices no longer separate you from God. We still sin but we are no longer sinners: we are saints.
Being in Jesus doesn't mean you are suddenly perfect and incapable of doing anything morally wrong. More often than not we continue making poor life choices even though we are in Christ. Exposed to God's wisdom the choice to sin becomes a lot less appealing. But without God's influence what hope is there? Sin aims to destroy the sinner. A saint aims to destroy the sin within just like students aims to destroy ignorance within them. We progress and we grow to be more like Jesus. The road is paved with both failure and success but we keep pressing on because Jesus is worth it. A saint isn't perfect, a saint pursues the One who is perfect.
Sin is separation from God. Jesus is connection to God. Jesus conquered sin. Through Jesus the worst of the worst of us has access to God. No matter how bad things have gotten, Jesus connects us to God in a way that nothing can separate.
35 Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? 36 As it is written, "For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered." 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. 38 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, 39 nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 8
For sin will have no dominion over you
Romans 6:14
Humanity is in a struggle against God that He has already won. God is an unconventional warrior. Instead of conquest by cutting down, He creates victory by lifting us up from our depravity. By doing this God converts the His enemies into His adopted children - His victorious children. God fights for our lives. He fights to give us life.
Spoiler alert: He has already won.
I have 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.
-Jesus (John 16:33)
But thank be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. 15 For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, 16 to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life. Who is sufficient for these things? 17 For we are not, like so many, peddlers of God's word, but as men of sincerity, as commissioned by God, in the sight of God we speak in Christ.
2 Corinthians 2:14-17
Little children, you are from God and have overcome them, for he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.
1 John 4:4
And they have conquered by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.
Revelation 12:11
For the Lord your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.'
Deuteronomy 20:4
God has promised us all these big things eternal life, freedom, significance, ultimate victory, etc. and you can rely on Him. But we also face situational struggles as modern life squeezes us and spiritual forces conspire against us. It's these day to day struggles that we meet God in prayer and our faith grows.
There's a story of three men who were faithful to God, but the king was jealous of their loyalty. The king demanded that they worship him instead of God. He even threatened them with execution by fire. The men refused. This is the reply they gave.
If this be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But even if not, be it known to you, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up."
Daniel 3:17-18
The story of three men continues. They were executed by a fire so hot the guards who carried out the execution died from the heat. Yet in the middle of the fire the three men were not burn. Witnesses saw a fourth figure standing beside them in the furnace. After the fire cooled the men stepped out and they didn't even smell of smoke.
Sometimes God takes away the struggles and pain. Sometimes God gives us the strength to overcome. And sometimes we won't see victory in our physical life times. It's hard to tell which outcome God has planned, but the outcome is insignificant compared to the company. God himself stands beside us in the hardships and pain. He proved that He is not a God who avoids hard times. He endured pain, isolation and death to be with us. He stands beside you in your own loneliness. What's more? He can personally relate to your struggle.
We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair
2 Corinthians 4:8
"Even if not"
God inspires faith that isn't contingent on what we can get from Him like He's a cosmic vending machine. God inspires faith because He stands beside us in our struggles. He isn't a lofty leader, pampered and unfamiliar with hardship barking orders from a cushioned thrown. Jesus was homeless, His feet were dirty, His hands were pierced, His face was disfigured, His heart was literally broken because of His faith in us. He believes that we will stand with Him. And we believe that He will always stand with us.
And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets- who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight, women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. Others suffered mocking and flogging and even chains and imprisonment. They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated - of whom the world was no worthy - wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.
And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised, since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.
Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
Hebrews 11:32-12:3
Identify 3 opportunities facing you right now that may advance your purpose and vision
1
2
3
Identify 3 threats facing you right that hinder your purpose and vision
1
2
3
| Strengths | Weaknesses | |
| Strengths - Opportunities | Weaknesses - Opportunities | |
|---|---|---|
Opportunities | Prayer: Plan: | Prayer: Plan: |
| Strengths - Threates | Weaknesses - Threats | |
Threats | Prayer: Plan: | Prayer: Plan: |