Here are the extended - and I really do mean EXTENDED NOTES,from yesterday's message (March 20, 2011) at a2 Church. This is Part 2 of our series At The Cross. As always, the downloadable mp3 of the message is available on a2's website or via iTunes.
Jesus Wins My Victory!
AT THE CROSS
Part 2
Extended Notes
March 20, 2011
Revelation 12:1-6 (NIV ’11), A great sign appeared in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet and a crown of twelve stars on her head. 2 She was pregnant and cried out in pain as she was about to give birth. 3 Then another sign appeared in heaven: an enormous red dragon with seven heads and ten horns and seven crowns on its heads. 4 Its tail swept a third of the stars out of the sky and flung them to the earth. The dragon stood in front of the woman who was about to give birth, so that it might devour her child the moment he was born. 5 She gave birth to a son, a male child, who "will rule all the nations with an iron scepter." And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. 6 The woman fled into the wilderness to a place prepared for her by God, where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days.
NOTES: John is using some vivid and even disturbing images to give us a glimpse – a little snapshot – behind the curtain, at the war taking place between God and the evil one. He uses three images.
FIRST IMAGE (vs. 1-2, 4-6): A WOMAN representing the messianic community / the community of faith / the people of God… Israel in the Old Testament and the church of Jesus in the New Testament.
SECOND IMAGE (v. 5): A SON OR MALE CHILD representing the Messiah or Jesus.
THIRD IMAGE – AN ENORMOUS RED DRAGON:
Verse 9 identifies the dragon as “…the ancient serpent called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world…”
QUESTION: What is this dragon attempting to do?
NOTES: This is one of the most horrifying images in the Bible… Here’s the picture… The woman is in intense labor… Her feet are basically in stirrups… She is pushing to give birth to the Messiah… And Satan – this enormous Red Dragon – is standing in front of her, nostrils flaring, drooling; waiting for the baby to be delivered so that he can immediately devour and destroy it… This is vivid and unsettling imagery…
John wants to give us a glimpse of the hostility and rage of Satan… He’s letting us know that Satan means business… He’s out for blood… He was determined to destroy or wipe out the Messiah…
This is the language of war… It’s brutal, obscene and rated “R” material…
Cross Reference the Attacks of Satan on the Life of Jesus:
Matthew 2:13-18 – The rage of Satan working through Herod…
Luke 4:13 – The rage of Satan in the wilderness temptations…
Luke 4:28-30 – The rage of Satan in a group of people in Nazareth…
John 8:59 – The rage of Satan in a group of Jewish opponents…
The rage of Satan in Jesus’ Gethsemane experience, His arrest, trials, torture and crucifixion…
An Ancient Prophecy
Genesis 3:15 (NIV ’11), “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel."
NOTE: God basically said, “Satan, you’ll strike at the Messiah’s heel… But don’t have any doubts about it… He will CRUSH YOUR HEAD… It’s only a matter of time!”
NOTES: Back to Revelation 12… In Revelation 12 John doesn’t mention the triumph of the Messiah… He doesn’t have to… Because he had already thoroughly covered it back in Revelation 4-5.
See Revelation 4
Revelation 5:5 (NIV ‘11), Then one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals."
Revelation 5:6-7 (NIV ’11), Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing at the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. The Lamb had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. 7 He went and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne.
Revelation 5:8-12 (NIV ’11), And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God's people. 9 And they sang a new song, saying: ”You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation.
10 You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth."
11 Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders.12 In a loud voice they were saying: "Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise!"
NOTE: Revelation 4-5 serve as the backdrop for Revelation 12.
Revelation 12:7-10 (NIV ’11), Then war broke out in heaven. Michael and his angels fought against the dragon, and the dragon and his angels fought back. 8 But he was not strong enough, and they lost their place in heaven. 9 The great dragon was hurled down—that ancient serpent called the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray. He was hurled to the earth, and his angels with him. 10 Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: "Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.
Revelation 12:11-13 (NAS), "And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.
12 "For this reason, rejoice, O heavens and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and the sea, because the devil has come down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has only a short time."
13 And when the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child.
NOTES: John is letting us know: “There’s a battle going on, and it is a spiritual battle. It is a battle between good and evil, between life and death, between heaven and hell, between our Savior and God – Jesus himself and the evil one – ‘that great dragon and ancient serpent who is called the devil and Satan…’”
IMPORTANT: The reason Satan is so ticked off, frustrated, angry and filled with rage and the battle has become more intense isn’t because Satan’s so incredibly strong and believes that victory is within his reach… According to Verse 12, it’s because he KNOWS he’s DEFEATED… He knows that the CROSS sealed his fate… He knows the END is in sight… He knows the fat lady is about to sing… He knows that in principal he’s already done!
“We should not take it personally when we’re attacked or tired or depressed. Things like that go with the territory. We’re in a spiritual battle. When a soldier is shot at he isn’t shocked. His feelings aren’t hurt. He doesn’t peek over his foxhole at his adversary and shout, ‘Was it something I said?’ He expects it. He plans on it. That’s spiritual realism.” ~ Ben Patterson, The Pastor’s Soul Volume 7: Deepening Your Conversation with God
Three Weapons in the Enemy’s Arsenal:
• Intimidation (vs. 3-4)
NOTES: Throughout the Bible, Satan used intimidation against people who knew better… They knew they could trust God... They knew they could bank on God to have their back… But the moment Satan started talking smack, individuals and entire generations caved under the pressure…
EXAMPLES:
• It was intimidation that caused 10 of the spies to see themselves as grasshoppers and an enemy nation as giants…
• It was intimidation that caused Aaron to cave and create a golden calf for the people of Israel to worship…
• It was intimidation that caused Peter to cave during the trials, interrogation and torture of Jesus…
IMPORTANT: Satan understands that sometimes, the greatest sins in life aren’t the wrong things we do, but the great things that we leave undone… Courageous words that get stuck in our throat… Generous gifts that never leave our pocket… A bold witness that remains silent…
QUESTION: Has the evil one come at you with intimidation… Magnifying your insecurities, inadequacies and idiosyncrasies?
• Deception (v. 9)
NOTES: Deception is Satan’s habitual and continual activity… He is, by nature, a deceiver… Earlier in life, John described Satan like this:
John 8:44b (NLT), He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.
NOTES: Satan’s agenda is to attempt to get you to believe his lies over God’s truth… He knows that every chain of sin begins with a link of deceit… So he attempts to paint false pictures in your mind day in and day out…
Question: What are the false pictures Satan is planting in your mind?
• Accusation (v. 10)
“…the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down…”
NOTES: Satan accuses men to God, God to men, and men to other men… He’s a malicious and relentless prosecutor of God’s people…
In fact, part of what’s probably going on when Satan prowls around like a roaring lion (1 Peter 5:8), is that he’s looking for junk… He’s looking for your dirty laundry… He’s looking for some sin he can use to accuse you before God and accuse you before your own conscience…
There’s something inside all of us that is so vulnerable to the voice of accusation… The accusation of the evil one will make you want to despair, give up, run, hide, give in, give out, throw in the towel, quit…
Question: Are you struggling with accusations? Has Satan pounded you with memories of past sin, mistakes, failures, opportunities to the point of despair?
Three Realities That Assure Your Ultimate Victory:
Revelation 12:10 (NIV ’11) Then I heard a loud voice in heaven say: "Now have come the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Messiah. For the accuser of our brothers and sisters, who accuses them before our God day and night, has been hurled down.”
Revelation 12:11 (NAS), And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.
1. The finished work of the cross!
Revelation 12:11 (NAS), …they overcame (defeated – NLT; triumphed – NIV ’11; conquered – Holman) him because of the blood of the Lamb…
NOTES: The redemptive act that freed us from our sin (1:5), and gave us the right to reign as priests and kings (5:9), is also the act that gives us authority over Satan and enables us to overcome very attempt he makes at intimidation, deception and accusation…
You can bet, Satan will continue to accuse us… This chapter says that he accuses us day and night… He’s relentless in his assault… He wants us to feel dirty, guilty, weak, ugly, defeated, depressed, and discouraged… And sometimes his accusations are spot on…
QUESTION: How do we respond to his accusations and lies? Do we buy the line of popular self-help books and say, “Oh, I’m not that bad… I’m okay… You’re okay…” Not if we want to defeat him!
Instead, we look him in the eye and say, “Satan, I’m even worse than you can think… But the amazing thing is that God loves and accepts me anyway… Not on the basis of what I’ve done, but because of the blood of the Lamb… Because of what Jesus accomplished on the cross when he died for my sin, in my place…”
IMPORTANT: Get this: Every blessing, resource and good thing we enjoy as the people of God is grounded in the blood of the Lamb… It’s all been secured by Jesus’ cross of Christ!
Colossians 2:13-14 (NIV ’11), When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.
Colossians 2:15 (NIV ’11), And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
Colossians 2:15 (MSG), [God] stripped all the spiritual tyrants in the universe of their sham authority at the Cross and marched them naked through the streets.
2. The bold declaration of God’s Word.
Revelation 12:11 (NAS), And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony…
NOTES: This is a reference to the only offensive weapon we have… It’s the Word of God… The sword of the Spirit…
How do we activate the Word of God in our personal lives?
Four Practical Ways to Declare God’s Word:
• Share the gospel!
NOTES: “The word of our testimony” is a reference to the gospel or good news about Jesus! The ongoing proclamation of the gospel is a means of taking back territory from the evil one.
• Affirm your identity in Christ!
NOTES: One of Satan’s primary weapons is the lie or deception… He’s committed to deceiving you into believing that you are not what, in fact, you are… He wants you to believe that you can’t do what, in fact, you can…
In his book, Victory Over the Darkness, Neil Anderson writes: “No person can consistently behave in a way that is inconsistent with the way he perceives himself.” ~ Neil Anderson, Victory Over The Darkness
That’s why Satan uses deception and accusation to attempt to convince you that you’re a failure, a fool, of no use to God or His church, worthless, an embarrassment to Christ, inferior to others, inadequate to the task, helpless to change, a pathetic excuse for a Christian, you’ll always be what you are right now, things will never change…
Instead of listening to his accusations, remind yourself of the truth of God’s Word! Affirm what God’s Word says about you on a regular basis… Affirm your identity in Christ…
Who Am I?
Our Identity In Christ
I am completely accepted...
• I am a child of God... I can call God “my Father”... (John 1:12; Romans 8:14, 15; Galatians 3:26; 4:6)
• Because I’m God’s child, I am an heir of God and I am a coheir with Jesus Christ... (Romans 8:17; Galatians 4:6-7)
• I am a friend of God... (John 15:15)
• I have been justified by faith have peace with God through Jesus Christ... (Romans 5:1)
• I am united with the Lord, and I am one with Him in spirit... (1 Corinthians 6:17)
• I have been bought with a price and I belong to God... (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
• I am a member of Christ’s body... (1 Corinthians 12:27)
• I have been chosen by God and adopted as God’s child... (Ephesians 1:3-8)
• I have been redeemed and forgiven of all my sins... (Colossians 1:13- 14)
• I am a new creation. The old is gone. The new is come. The past is forgiven. The old life is forgotten. Everything is new... (2 Corinthians 5:17)
• I have been rescued from the kingdom of darkness and translated into God’s wonderful kingdom of light... (Colossians 1:13)
• I am complete in Christ... (Colossians 2:9-10)
• I have direct access to the throne of grace through Jesus Christ and can be confident that He will hear me when I pray... (Hebrews 4:16)
• I am a member of a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people... (1 Peter 2:9-10)
• I am a saint... (Romans 1:7; 1 Corinthians 1:2)
I am totally secure...
• I am free from condemnation... (Romans 8:1)
• I am sure that God works all things for my ultimate good, regardless of my present circumstances... (Romans 8:28)
• I cannot be separated from the love of God in Jesus Christ... (Romans 8:31-39)
• I have been established, anointed and sealed by God... (2 Corinthians 1:21-22)
• I am hidden with Christ in God... (Colossians 3:1-4)
• I am confident that God will complete the good work He started in me... (Philippians 1:6)
• I am a citizen of heaven... (Philippians 3:20)
• I have not received a spirit of fear... I have received a spirit of power, love and of a sound mind... (2 Timothy 1:7)
• I am born again in Jesus Christ – and the evil one can’t possibly touch me... (1 John 5:18)
I am deeply significant...
• I am the salt of the earth... (Matthew 5:13)
• I am the light of the world... (Matthew 5:14)
• I am part of the true vine - Christ’s life flow in, through and out of me... (John 15:1, 5)
• I have been blessed with every spiritual blessing... (Ephesians 1:3)
• I am chosen and appointed by Jesus Christ to bear fruit... (John 15:16)
• I have the mind of Christ. He enables me to make right and wise choices... (1 Corinthians 2:16)
• I am a Holy Spirit empowered agent and witness of Jesus Christ giving the mission and assignment of telling everyone possible the good news of the Gospel... (Acts 1:8)
• I am a temple of God... God’s Spirit lives in me... (1 Corinthians 3:16)
• I am a minister of reconciliation... (2 Corinthians 5:17-21)
• I have been raised up and seated with Christ in heavenly places... (Ephesians 2:6)
• I am God’s workmanship... (Ephesians 2:10)
• I can approach God with freedom and confidence... (Ephesians 3:12)
• I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me... (Philippians 4:13)
• I am right now a child of God, you can’t yet see what I will be, but when He appears I will be like Him. I will see Him just as He is... (1 John 3:1-2)
• I can overcome the enemy by the blood of the lamb, through the word of my testimony and because I don’t love life so much that I shrink back in my commitment when I’m faced with death... (Revelation 12:11)
• Greater is who lives in me than He who is in the world... (1 John 4:4)
• I am a king and priest unto our God... (Revelation 5:10)
“The more you reaffirm who you are in Christ, the more your behavior will begin to reflect your true identity.” (Dr. Neil Anderson, Victory Over the Darkness)
• Go audible with your praise and worship!
See Psalm 50:23; 2 Chronicles 20; Jonah 2:9; Acts 16:25
• Remember that prayer is a big part of the battlefield.
See Ephesians 6:10-20
3. A “fasted” lifestyle.
Revelation 12:11 (NAS), And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.
(NLT), …and they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die.
NOTES: What’s being described in the last part of Verse 11 is a value judgment… It’s the description of a guy or gal who has made Jesus the ultimate priority of their life, and this decision has affected every area of their lives…
They love Jesus more than their job, more than pleasure, more than convenience, peace, prosperity, comfort, you name it…
They’re willing to give up good things for the sake of better things? They’re willing to sacrifice it all, because what’s most valuable to them is not their life… Instead, they would rather die than yield one inch of their hearts to the world or Satan…
POSSIBLE APPLICATION: a2 Observes Lent 2011
QUESTION: Has the evil one come against you with deception, intimidation, or accusation? Do you wonder whether or not you’ll make it?
Revelation 12:11 (NAS), And they overcame him because of the blood of the Lamb and because of the word of their testimony, and they did not love their life even when faced with death.
Death By Love Recommended Reading
Chapter 1 – “Demons Are Tormenting Me”; Jesus Is Katie’s Christus Victor
Pages 37 – 56
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