Overcome What? How? Church in Ephesus Revelation 2:1-7 Pros: Works, labor, patience, abhor evil, judgment of imposters. Cons: Left first love To Overcome: Remember/repent/return With overcoming: Given to eat of the Tree of Life Church in Smyrna Revelations 2:8-11 Challenge: Persecutions/prison Overcome: Be faithful With overcoming: Crown of life/unhurt by second death Church in Pergamum – Revelations 2:12-17 Pros: Remained faithful in spite of surrounding worldly idolatry Cons: Allowed permissive doctrines to remain To overcome: Repent With overcoming: Eat of hidden manna/receive unique name on white stone Church in Thyatira Revelations 2:18-29 Pros: Works/love/service/faith/patience Cons: Followed perverted leadership into fornication and idolatry Overcome: Do not be seduced, but hold fast to holiness and purity/God’s works With overcoming: Power over the nations/Morning Star Church in Sardis – Revelations 3:1-6 Cons: Though having received life, acting as if dead Overcome: Watch for what is dying and care for its strengthening/renewal With overcoming: White clothing/name confessed before the Father Church in Philadelphia – Revelations 3:7-13 Pros: Open door/strength/kept Word/not denied Overcome: Hold fast to the Word as a prized possession With overcoming: Become a pillar in the temple of God/the name and city of God written on Church in Laodicea Revelations 3:14-22 Cons: Not hot or cold/lukewarm/no need of God Overcome: Buy fire-purified gold/white clothing/repent/open to His knocking With overcoming: Sit in Jesus’ throne Overcome – our transformation and the declaration of it Revelation 12:10-11 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. 11 They triumphed over him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony; they did not love their lives so much as to shrink from death. Overcoming – believing, acting, emulating 1 John 5:2-5 (NIV) 2 This is how we know that we love the children of God: by loving God and carrying out his commands. 3 In fact, this is love for God: to keep his commands. And his commands are not burdensome, 4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith. 5 Who is it that overcomes the world? Only the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God. With every trial, not only overcome it, but its greater threat Romans 8:37 37 No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. In Christ – His overcoming is ours John 16:33 33 “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” In the revelation of Christ - undefeated Matthew 16:16-18 16 And Simon Peter answered and said, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. 17 Jesus answered and said to him, You are blessed, Simon, son of Jonah, for flesh and blood did not reveal it to you, but My Father in Heaven. 18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.