How Will the Church Be Made Right? by Overcoming

Will you please turn to the book of Revelation. Revelation chapter two, verse seven. Revelation chapter two, verse seven.

He that has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him that overcomes, I will give to him to eat of the tree of life which is in the paradise of God. And this is repeated seven times in chapters two and three.

And finally, chapter 12. Chapter 12, verse 11. And they have overcome him by reason of the blood of the lamb and by reason of the word of their testimony and have not loved their life even unto death.

Dear Lord, as we continue in thy presence, we want to open our hearts to thee and say, Lord, has thou anything to say to us? Speak, thy servants hear it. Once, Brother Sparks asked Brother Knee a question. He said, what is the hardest thing in the Bible that can be fulfilled? And to this, our Brother Knee answered, Ephesians chapter five, verse 25.

Verse 27. And he might present the church to himself, glorious, having no spot or wrinkle or any of such thing, but that it might be holy and blameless. This, to our brother, is the hardest thing to do.

To be fulfilled, and that is when the church shall be presented to the Lord, glorious, having no spot, no wrinkle, no any of such thought, holy and blameless. Brothers and sisters, as we look at the church today, as we look at ourselves, as we look around us, the more you think of what the church should be, the more you begin to realize it seems more and more impossible. The church has a wonderful past, but today, as we look around, as we look at ourselves, it gives us an impression.

How can ever God's church be perfect? How can the church will be presented to Christ as his bride, holy, blameless, without spot or wrinkle or any of such thought? Humanly speaking, it looks impossible. But dear brothers and sisters, with God, nothing is impossible, and he who has promised, he will fulfill it. But how? We know that the apostle Paul was used by God to write seven letters to seven churches.

And likewise, the apostle John was used by God to write seven letters to seven churches. But when you compare these seven churches, you will find that when Paul wrote letters to these seven churches, in spite of the fact there were many problems, even errors, in some of the churches, and yet the churches were considered at that time as normal. Why? Because he mentioned, for instance, in the Philippines, he mentions elders, deacons.

So you'll find that the churches at that time were considered to be normal, even though there were problems. And as I often say, problems are not normal. Can be a blessing, if they could be solved rightly.

But when you look at the seven letters through John, you'll find that there is no mentioning of elders, no mentioning of deacons, it is only mentioned that to the angel in certain church. And of course, we know there are two kinds of angels, the heavenly and the earthly. And we cannot think of our Lord Jesus right to the heavenly angel about the church on earth.

So the angel here must represent earthly messengers. But we believe it is in collective terms. No more mentioning of elders, no more mentioning of deacons.

All these organizations seems to have gone. But to the angel, those that are spiritually responsible for the spiritual condition of each church. So there is a vast difference when you read these two sets of churches.

And in the seven letters to the seven churches in Asia Minor, you'll find that each of these letters is ended with a call, and the call is personal. He that has an ear, let him hear what the spirit says to the churches. So in other words, you'll find that God has a strategy.

He has a strategy to complete his promise. And the strategy is through overcomers. When the mass, the majority of the people seem to have failed spiritually, God will yet raise up some overcomers, minorities, fewer people that are still faithful to the Lord and maintain the testimony of Jesus in their time.

Now as a matter of fact, this strategy of God was not new at all. Because if we read the Old Testament, you'll find the same principle applied, even though it was a different name. Instead of overcomers, you'll find remnant.

The children of Israel were called by God to bear the testimony of God. But how they failed. But in spite of their failure and being captured to Babylon, Jerusalem was destroyed, the temple was destroyed.

There was no more testimony of God on earth. So while you are reading, for instance, Daniel, you will find that God was called the God of the heavens, but he was no longer called the God of the heavens and of the earth. Why? Because he had no testimony about this earth.

Israel had failed God. But thank God, after 70 years of captivity in Babylon, God stood up the hearts of a remnant. Unfortunately, the majority of the Jews in captivity, they remained in Babylon.

Why? Because during those 70 years, they were well treated and they were able to build their own houses. They were able to build up their business. So they were well to do in the land of captivity.

They had no desire to leave, to go back to Jerusalem. That was in ruin and go back to rebuild the temple that the testimony of God might be on earth. No, they had no desire for that.

They lived for themselves and they were quite contented. But thank God, a remnant, comparatively few, their spirits were stirred by God and they were willing to go back to Jerusalem, a ruined land, for one purpose, to rebuild the temple, the house of God, that God might have a testimony upon the earth. So this was the remnant principle.

But when you come to the New Testament, you'll find it is the overcomer principle. But actually, they are the same. Brothers and sisters, we are living at the very end of this age.

This age of grace began at the first coming of our Lord Jesus. But it will be ended at the second coming of our Lord Jesus. For at his second coming, he will bring the age of the kingdom, the millennium, the thousand years, that he will reign upon this earth.

And we are living towards the end of this age. But thank God, throughout the ages, you will find God has his overcomers. For instance, here you'll find, in Revelation chapters two and three, these churches existed towards the end of the first century.

And even with these churches, seven churches, we find that only two of these seven churches were without any blame. But the other five, you find the Lord called them to repent. But even with the church in Philadelphia, it seems as if it is an overcoming church.

And yet the Lord still said, be faithful to the end, lest you lose your crown. In other words, they were overcomers as a church. And yet it is still possible that some might lose their crown.

So to be an overcomer, in a sense, is very individual. In other words, individually, we have to be responsible to be either an overcomer or to be overcome. So here you'll find in Revelations chapters two and three, these, among all these churches, whatever their conditions may be, thank God, there were overcomers.

And by overcomers, it simply means they were faithful to the vision that God has given to them. So Revelations two and three told us of the overcomers during the end of the first centuries. But then you turn to Revelation chapter seven.

In Revelation chapter seven, from verse nine through verse 17, you find a great crowd, which no one could number, out of every nation and tribe and people and time, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes and palm branches in their hands. Now these are the overcomers through the centuries. We are now in the 21st century, but these represent overcomers through the centuries.

From the second century on to the 20th century. So therefore you'll find, even though we always think of overcomers as minorities, and yet you'll find there was a number that cannot be counted. In other words, throughout the centuries, no matter what the general condition of the church might be, thank God, they're worthy, those who were faithful to God.

So you had overcomers through the ages. And they stood before the Lord, crying with a loud voice, salvation to our God, who sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb. And here you'll find in verse 14, and he said to me, these are they who come out of the great tribulation and have washed their robes and have made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

Now the great tribulation here is a general term. It is not a great tribulation of three and a half years, because throughout the centuries, the church has been going through great tribulation. Why? Because the church is supposed to be the instrument of God.

So they became the target of the enemy of God. So throughout the centuries, the enemy used all kinds of means to destroy the testimony of the church. Sometimes he used persecution, sometimes he used favor.

Whether it is favor or persecution, you find behind is the tactic of the enemy, trying to destroy the church to be the bearer of the testimony of God, of Jesus. But then, God, you find throughout the centuries, there were overcomers. They came out of the tribulations and washed their robes, made them white in the blood of the Lamb.

Overcomers through the centuries. Then when you turn to chapter 12, you find chapter 12, there was a vision. It was the vision of a woman, clothed with the sun and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of 12 stars, and being with child, he cried being entraveled and in pain to bring forth.

Now that's a vision of the end time. Here you find that woman. That woman represents the church at the end time.

The church is clothed with the sun, that is, it belongs to God, and the moon under her feet, that is the law under her feet, and crown of 12 crowns. That refers to the patriarch age. So that's the church of the ages.

And here you find she was entraveled. To bring forth a man child. That is the situation of the church at the end time.

And then he finds there's another vision, a dragon. Seven heads and 10 horns, and draw third parts of the stars of the heavens. And that dragon represents Satan.

How he dragged third part of the angels to rebel against God. And the dragon stood before the woman. But strangely, you find the dragon was not interested in the woman.

Why? Because in a sense, the woman was already in his head. The woman has lost the testimony. But he was interested in the woman.

The woman was entraveled. Brothers and sisters, that's the wisdom of God. Even when God allowed the church to go through sufferings, tribulations, entravail, it is to bring forth a man child.

So you find that towards the end of this age, there will be, still be persecution. But the object of the dragon was not the woman anymore. It was the man child.

Now, of course, there are various interpretations. But to us, we feel the right interpretation. Some people think the man child is Christ.

The enemy, of course, was trying to swallow up Christ when he was born. But we all know that how God protected him. But strangely, you find the man child, when he was born, he didn't live on earth.

Immediately after he was born, he was raptured to the third heaven, to the throne. Now, that was what happened to Christ. Because our Lord Jesus spent 33 years on earth.

So most likely, this man child is representing the overcomers at the end of this age. The overcomers before the coming, second coming of the Lord. And he knew that, because he knew that this man child, if he was born, that will be the end of Satan.

So that's why he was so interested, trying to devour the man child as soon as he was born. But thank God, when the man child was born, immediately he was raptured, as the Bible said, to the throne, to God. But this man child, as we find, as we read on, say, as we come to verse 10 and 11, we find this man child actually is a collective term.

It is not one person, because the Bible used the word they. And they overcome, they have overcome. So in other words, this man child represents the overcomers at the coming, second coming of the Lord.

Why? Because immediately after this man child was raptured to the throne, what happened? You find there was war in the air. It is as if this man child, the overcomers, at the end of this age, they will be the welcoming party to the second coming of the Lord. We know where the headquarters of Satan is.

His headquarter is in the air. But here you'll find this man child, he is able to thrust through the air to reach the throne. This seems to speak of overcoming.

They have overcome Satan in their lives. And because of that, they were raptured to the throne. And when you read this, you cannot help but think of what our Lord Jesus said in Matthew 24.

The Lord Jesus said that as he's coming, something will happen. He said two will be grinding, two women will be grinding. But one is taken and one is left.

And two will be working in the field. One is taken, one is left. Two will be sleepy, one will be taken and one is left.

Now what does it mean? It means that at the coming of the Lord, second coming of the Lord, what tells us that our Lord is coming again? This is the sign. Suddenly all over this world, some Christians will disappear. It is not six people, it is two, two, two.

In other words, the two here represents the church, the Christians who are living at the time of the coming of the Lord. It speaks of us because we are living towards the end of this age. Why is it two and not 12? Because 12 is the number of the church, a complete number.

Because in chapter 25, you find 10 virgins. The 10 virgins speaks of Christians who have died through the ages. And the two represents Christians who are still living at the coming of the Lord.

Now why use all these different illustrations? Because the earth is round. In some place, it's in the morning. At the same time, in other place, it's noontime.

At the same time, in other place, it is night. So two are sleepy. But brothers and sisters, the thing is this.

The Bible does not tell us. Any difference between the two. Oddly, they do the same thing.

They are grinding, they are working in the field, they are even sleepy. But the Lord knows who is His. The Lord knows who is waiting for Him.

The Lord knows who is praying and watching and waiting, prepared for His return. The Lord knows. We look at outward appearance, they are the same.

But the Lord knows what is inside. So when the call comes, only those who can respond to the Lord will be raptured. But those who do not respond to the Lord will be left behind for the great tribulation.

So brothers and sisters, that's what you'll find in the promise to the church in Philadelphia. That when this shall come to the whole world, they will be raptured. They will not be there.

Out of the time, at the hour of the great tribulation. These people who are raptured because they have overcome, so they can thrust through the headquarter of Satan and reach the throne to be the welcoming party to the coming of the Lord. And as soon as they are raptured, what happened? In chapter 12, we are told there will be war in the air.

Michael and his angels will fight with Satan and his angels. And the result was Satan and his angels will be thrown upon the earth. In other words, the air will be cleared.

Now, why? Why should the air be cleared? Because our Lord Jesus, he will descend from the throne with the overcomers to the air. That's why. So that's the reason why.

You'll find those Christians who are not prepared, who are not ready. Who will overcome instead of overcoming. They had to go through great tribulation.

But remember, even when they went through, go through great tribulation, it is the mercy of God. Why? Because God gave them another chance. When you are in the great tribulation, that's your wake of everybody.

So there will be overcomers coming out of the great tribulation. And they shall reign with Christ. Now, this you'll find in chapter 15.

Because in chapter 15, John saw another sign. And he said, I saw another sign in the heaven. Great and wonderful.

Seven angels having seven plagues, the last. And in them the fury of God is completed. And I saw as a glass sea mingle with fire and those that had gained a victory over the beast and over the image and over the number of his name standing upon the glass sea having harps of gold.

Harps of God. Now, these are overcomers through the great tribulation. So in other words, you see the mercy of God.

He's given us chance after chance. Why? Because his heart is for us to be overcomers and not to be overcome. So these will be the overcomers in chapter 15.

Overcomers during the great tribulation. Then you come to chapter 19. Now, in chapter 19, you have the marriage feast of the Lamb.

And his wife has made herself ready. Strangely, you find when you read the Bible, it not only begins with a marriage as you find in Genesis chapter two. But the Bible ends with marriage.

But strangely, you find towards the end of the book of Revelation, there are two marriages of the Lamb. One in chapter 19 and one in chapter 21 and 22. Because in chapter 19, you'll find I heard a voice of a great crowd and a voice of many waters and a voice of great thunder saying hallelujah for the Lord our God, the Almighty has taken to himself kingly power.

Let us rejoin in his own and give him glory for the marriage of the Lamb has come and his wife has made herself ready. And he was given to her that she should be clothed in fine linen, bright and pure for the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints. So you have a marriage of the Lamb in chapter 19.

But then again, in chapter 21 and 22, you have another marriage. I saw the new heaven and the new earth. And I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

Now, why two marriages? What's the difference? Are they the same? If you read carefully, you'll find these are 1,000 years apart. Chapter 19 is a marriage of the Lamb at the beginning of the millennium. And chapter 21, 22 is the marriage of the Lamb in eternity to come.

In other words, 1,000 years are over. An eternity. So if you read carefully, you will find there is a difference between the two marriages.

In chapter 19, who is the bride? The bride is not represented by the whole church. The bride is only represented by the overcomers of the ages. How do we know? Because it is described.

They are clothed in fine linen, bright and pure, for the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints. In other words, we who believe in the Lord Jesus, all of us are clothed with Christ, who is our righteousness. But over and above that clothing, because that clothing gave us standing before God, but over and above that, there will be another clothing, wedding garment.

And the wedding garment is the righteousness of the saints. The basic clothing of a Christian is the righteousness, Christ, our righteousness. But the wedding garment is the righteousness of the saints.

In other words, after we are clothed with Christ, how we should in our daily life allow the life of Christ to live in and through us. And out of that comes the righteousness of the saints. When you read Psalm 45, you will see that the bride, the queen, is clothed with two garments, the golden one and the linen one.

The golden one represents Christ, our righteousness, and the linen one represents how the Holy Spirit has worked in our lives, stitches by stitches, until it becomes a wedding garment. Do we have the righteousness of the saints? Is the righteousness of Christ being lived out through us? So here you'll find in chapter 19 of Revelation, there's a wedding before the millennium. In other words, it begins the millennium.

We do not know how long this wedding will go on, maybe a thousand years. And this, you can find why the five foolish virgins cannot enter into the veil in darkness. But brothers and sisters, God can never fail.

We may fail, but God will never fail. Once he has saved us, he will save us to the uttermost. This is what you find in Romans.

Whom he has foreordained, he has called. Whom he has called, he has justified. Whom he has justified, he has glorified.

In other words, when God's hand come upon you, thank God it is towards perfection. He will never leave anything undone. If you cooperate, it's sooner.

If you do not, sooner or later, you will, by his grace, be perfected. But maybe, during the millennium time, you will be in darkness. That is discipline.

If you are not disciplined today, in the millennium time, you will still be disciplined. Why? Because he wants you to be like him. So eventually, you'll find, when you come to Revelation chapter 21, 22, then you'll find it is the consummation of all the marvelous work of God, both in the Old Testament time and the New Testament time.

Because the foundations are the foundations of the 12 apostles, New Testament. But the gates are the names of the 12 tribes, of Israel. So in other words, it is the consummation of all the work of God.

And everyone will be king, seeing the face of our Lord constantly. But brothers and sisters, that's in the future. How about today? We are still living.

We are on the verge of that rapture. Are we prepared? Are we ready? No one knows who is ready. Only God knows.

But how can we be ready? How can we live an overcoming life? Now the secret is in Revelation chapter 12. Verse, and they have overcome him by reason of the blood of the Lamb and by reason of the word of their testimony and have not loved their life even unto death. That's the secret.

How can we overcome Satan? In our lives. Number one, by the blood of the Lamb. Brothers and sisters, do not think that we need the blood of the Lamb only when we are saved.

It is the blood of the Lamb that has saved us. But here you find the blood of the Lamb and that is for our lifetime. How we need his blood, every day, every moment.

The more you are closer to the Lord, the more you realize you need the blood. Even the tears of our repentance needs his blood. We will never come to a time when we do not need the blood of the Lamb.

No one is perfect. We all have our failures, imperfections, and the Lord is drawing us to be like him. And the only way through it is the blood of the Lamb.

We need his cleansing all the time. By reason of the word of their testimony. They have a testimony.

What is the testimony? It's the testimony of Jesus. In other words, they can bear the testimony of Jesus. They can speak the word of the testimony.

They can speak the word, Jesus is Lord. And when they speak that word, that word is powerful. It works.

It defeats the enemy. You remember the story in Acts chapter 18? When Paul was in Ephesus, there were seven sons of the Jewish high priest, Sceva. They were exorcists.

They tried to drive out the demons in people. And when they saw Paul was so successful in the name of the Lord Jesus, the demons were driven out. So two of them tried to use that formula.

They think it was a formula. So they said, by Jesus of Paul has preached, we command you demons to leave. But the demons say, Jesus I knew, Paul I'm acquainted with, who are you? And the demon overcame two of them.

And they were naked, fleeing, wounded. Brothers and sisters, the word of the testimony is real. I mean, if you do not have the reality behind it, it doesn't work.

But if you have the reality behind it, it works. The demon will be drawn out. Word of their testimony.

Brothers and sisters, like John, the apostle, he had the testimony of Jesus. Even though he had to be exiled, but he had the testimony of Jesus. Do we have the testimony of Jesus? When we say Jesus is Lord, is he really Lord of our life? How are we still our own Lord? The word of their testimony.

And number three, they love not their life, even unto death. The life here is soul life. In other words, they are willing to lay down their soul life to follow the Lord.

The Lord said, if you love your soul life, you will lose it. If you lose it for my sake, you'll gain it to eternity. That's the salvation of the soul.

And do we have such spirit? We are willing to lay down ourselves and allow the Lord to be really Lord over us. Now, these are the secrets of the overcomers. They are open secrets.

They are for every one of us. And we all can become overcomers by the grace of God. So dear brothers and sisters, are we ready? Are we ready? If tonight the call comes, will we go? May the Lord.

Dear Lord, how we praise and thank thee that thou art still waiting. Thou art still patiently waiting for us. Lord, do not allow us to miss the opportunity.

Do touch our hearts. Enable us to really give ourselves totally back to thee and allow thee to have full authority over our lives. Make us ready and use us as those who prepare thy imminent return.

We commit one another into your hand. None of us can boast of ourselves, but we all humbly put ourselves in your hand and pray that none of us will miss.