THE OVERCOMING LIFE: MESSAGE 1 — REDEEMED BEFORE THE BATTLE

Born to Overcome

“For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith.”— 1 John 5:4

INTRODUCTION — GOD GAVE US A PICTURE

Throughout this series, we are going to follow Israel from Egypt to Canaan.

Because Israel's journey gives us a remarkable picture of truths we experience in the Christian life.

Paul himself tells us concerning Israel:

“Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition...”— 1 Corinthians 10:11

These were real people.

These were real historical events.

Egypt was a real nation.

Pharaoh was a real king.

Moses was a real man.

The Red Sea really opened.

Israel really crossed it.

But God tells us that the things which happened unto them were written “for our admonition.”

And as we follow Israel's journey, several pictures immediately begin to emerge.

EGYPT PICTURES THE WORLD.

PHARAOH PICTURES THE DEVIL — THE CRUEL TASKMASTER.

MOSES PICTURES JESUS CHRIST — GOD'S APPOINTED DELIVERER.

ISRAEL PICTURES A REDEEMED PEOPLE BEING CALLED OUT.

THE PASSOVER LAMB POINTS TO CHRIST.

THE BLOOD SPEAKS OF REDEMPTION.

And later we will encounter the wilderness, Jordan, Canaan, Jericho, Ai, Achan, giants, battles, victories and defeats.

But before we get there, we must begin where Israel began.

IN BONDAGE.

1. EGYPT — A PICTURE OF THE WORLD

Egypt in Scripture repeatedly presents us with a picture of the world and its attraction.

Egypt could feed you.

Egypt could entertain you.

Egypt could enrich you.

Egypt could appeal to your flesh.

But Egypt could never give Israel the inheritance God had promised them.

And here's the problem:

ISRAEL WAS LIVING IN A LAND THAT WAS NOT THEIR HOME.

Does that sound familiar?

Jesus said concerning His disciples:

“They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.”— John 17:16

Paul says:

“For our conversation is in heaven...”— Philippians 3:20

Christian, this world is not our home.

We are living here.

We are working here.

We are witnessing here.

We have a mission here.

But we do not belong to this present evil world.

God called Israel out of Egypt.

And God has called us out from the world's system.

Paul says:

“Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world...”— Galatians 1:4

Egypt represents everything the flesh can see.

Canaan represented what God had promised.

And Israel would repeatedly face this choice:

WILL WE WALK BY WHAT EGYPT OFFERS—

OR BY WHAT GOD HAS PROMISED?

That is still the Christian's battle.

2. PHARAOH — THE CRUEL TASKMASTER

Now look at Pharaoh.

Pharaoh ruled Israel.

Pharaoh enslaved Israel.

Pharaoh oppressed Israel.

Pharaoh increased their burdens.

Pharaoh demanded their service.

And Pharaoh had no intention of voluntarily releasing them.

What a picture of the devil.

Jesus said:

“Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.”— John 8:34

The devil is a cruel taskmaster.

He advertises liberty but produces bondage.

He promises pleasure and produces chains.

He promises satisfaction and creates appetite.

He promises freedom and eventually owns the man who believed him.

Look at Pharaoh's method.

Exodus 5:9 says:

“Let there more work be laid upon the men, that they may labour therein...”

More bricks.

More labour.

More burden.

Less straw.

More demands.

THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT SIN DOES.

Sin never says:

“That's enough.”

It always demands another brick.

Another drink.

Another look.

Another compromise.

Another lie.

Another dollar.

Another experience.

Another step away from God.

And after you have given it what it demanded yesterday, it comes back tomorrow demanding

more.

PHARAOH IS NEVER SATISFIED.

And neither is sin.

3. PHARAOH WANTS YOUR CHILDREN

There is another frightening part of Pharaoh's character.

He wasn't satisfied merely to enslave one generation.

He wanted Israel's children.

Pharaoh commanded:

“Every son that is born ye shall cast into the river...”— Exodus 1:22

The enemy has always wanted the next generation.

And Christian parents had better understand that.

The world isn't neutral concerning our children.

The devil doesn't say:

“You adults belong to God, so I'll leave your children alone.”

He wants their minds.

Their affections.

Their purity.

Their identity.

Their loyalty.

Their future.

That makes Moses' later response to Pharaoh especially powerful.

Pharaoh wanted the adults to go while controlling who or what went with them.

But Moses essentially said:

WE'RE ALL GOING.

And eventually:

“There shall not an hoof be left behind...”— Exodus 10:26

We're not leaving our children in Egypt.

We're not leaving our possessions in Egypt.

We're not leaving our hearts in Egypt.

NOT A HOOF.

4. MOSES — A PICTURE OF CHRIST THE DELIVERER

Then God sends a deliverer.

Moses.

And here we see a beautiful picture pointing us toward Jesus Christ.

Moses was rejected by his brethren at his first appearance.

“Who made thee a prince and a judge over us?”— Exodus 2:14

Stephen later recalls it:

“This Moses whom they refused, saying, Who made thee a ruler and a judge? the same did God

send to be a ruler and a deliverer...”— Acts 7:35

Rejected—

yet appointed by God as deliverer.

And when Moses returns, he doesn't come merely to make Israel more comfortable inside Egypt.

He comes to bring them out.

That is important.

Jesus Christ did not come merely to make us happier slaves.

He came to deliver us.

“Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:”— Colossians 1:13

Moses stood before Pharaoh with God's Word:

“Let my people go.”

And God broke Pharaoh's grip upon His people.

Moses could lead Israel out of physical bondage.

But Jesus Christ accomplishes the greater deliverance.

He delivers sinners from sin.

From condemnation.

From the power of darkness.

From death.

And ultimately from the presence of sin itself.

MOSES WAS A DELIVERER.

JESUS CHRIST IS THE DELIVERER.

5. BUT DELIVERANCE REQUIRED BLOOD

Yet notice something.

Moses could confront Pharaoh.

Moses could perform signs.

Moses could speak God's Word.

Plague after plague could fall upon Egypt.

But before Israel finally walked free, something had to happen.

A LAMB HAD TO DIE.

That takes us directly to Calvary.

John the Baptist saw Jesus and cried:

“Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”— John 1:29

Paul removes any doubt concerning the picture:

“For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us:”— 1 Corinthians 5:7

There was a lamb.

There was blood.

There was judgment.

And there was only one place of safety.

UNDER THE BLOOD.

God said:

“...when I see the blood, I will pass over you...”— Exodus 12:13

And now we encounter something else.

The one particularly under judgment that night was:

THE FIRSTBORN.

And that opens another tremendous biblical picture.

6. THE FIRST BIRTH CANNOT DELIVER YOU

Throughout Scripture we repeatedly encounter the first giving way to the second.

Cain—then Abel.

Ishmael—then Isaac.

Esau—then Jacob.

Aaron—then Moses.

Manasseh—then Ephraim receiving the greater blessing.

Then Paul says:

“The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.”— 1 Corinthians 15:47

THE FIRST MAN — ADAM.

THE SECOND MAN — JESUS CHRIST.

And:

“For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.”— 1 Corinthians 15:22

Your first birth put you in Adam.

And Adam's race is fallen.

That is why Jesus did not tell Nicodemus:

“Become more religious.”

Nicodemus was already religious.

Jesus didn't say:

“Try harder.”

He said:

“Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”— John 3:3

THE FIRST BIRTH ISN'T ENOUGH.

You don't need Adam polished.

You don't need Adam educated.

You don't need Adam baptized.

You don't need Adam religious.

YOU NEED ANOTHER BIRTH.

“That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”— John 3:6

And now look again at the verse upon which this entire series is built:

“For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world...”— 1 John 5:4

There it is.

YOU CANNOT LIVE THE OVERCOMING LIFE UNTIL YOU HAVE RECEIVED

OVERCOMING LIFE.

And that life comes through the new birth.

7. LOOK AT THE WHOLE PICTURE

Now put it together.

EGYPT — THE WORLD.

Holding men in bondage.

PHARAOH — THE DEVIL.

The cruel taskmaster who refuses to release his slaves.

ISRAEL — A PEOPLE IN BONDAGE.

Unable to deliver themselves.

MOSES — THE DELIVERER.

Pointing us toward the greater Deliverer, Jesus Christ.

THE LAMB — CHRIST OUR PASSOVER.

THE BLOOD — THE PRICE OF REDEMPTION.

THE FIRSTBORN — UNDER THE SENTENCE OF DEATH.

THE NEW BIRTH — LIFE IN CHRIST.

And then:

EXODUS.

COMING OUT.

That's where the overcoming life begins.

Not in Canaan.

Not at Jericho.

Not with Joshua's sword.

AT THE DOORPOST COVERED WITH BLOOD.

First:

Redemption.

Then:

Deliverance.

Then:

Separation.

Then:

The journey.

Then:

The battle.

Then:

Possession.

Then:

Watchfulness.

AND HERE IS THE WARNING

Getting Israel out of Egypt was one thing.

Getting Egypt out of Israel would prove to be another.

They would later say:

“We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely...”— Numbers 11:5

They remembered Egypt's food.

They forgot Pharaoh's whip.

They remembered the melons.

They forgot the bondage.

THAT'S THE FLESH.

God had delivered them from Egypt—

but their appetites still remembered Egypt.

And that is where we are headed next.

Because once a man has been redeemed by the blood and born again, he discovers another

enemy.

Not merely the world around him.

Not merely the devil against him.

But:

THE FLESH.

“For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.” Romans 7:18

THE OVERCOMING LIFE BEGINS HERE

You cannot overcome Egypt while you still belong to Pharaoh.

You cannot fight Canaan's battles while you're still a slave.

You cannot reform the first Adam into the second Man.

YOU MUST BE BORN AGAIN.

And once you have been born again:

DON'T LOOK BACK TO EGYPT.

God didn't redeem Israel so they could spend forty years wishing they were slaves again.

He brought them out because He intended to bring them in.

Out of bondage.

Into promise.

Out from Pharaoh.

Unto God.

Out of Egypt.

Toward Canaan.

And Christian:

GOD DIDN'T SAVE YOU JUST TO GET YOU OUT.

HE INTENDS TO LEAD YOU ON.

There is still Jordan ahead.

There is still Jericho ahead.

There are still giants ahead.

There are still mountains to possess.

And there will be victories.

There will be failures.

There will be lessons.

There will be battles.

But never forget where the journey began:

THE BLOOD ON THE DOORPOST.

And never forget where we're headed:

SWORD IN THE HAND.

FAITH IN THE WORD.

EYES OPEN.

WATCHING UNTO THE END.

“For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world...”— 1 John 5:4

REDEEMED BY THE BLOOD.

CALLED OUT OF THE WORLD.

DELIVERED FROM THE TASKMASTER.

BORN OF GOD.

CALLED TO THE BATTLE.

AND BORN TO OVERCOME.