Revelation 12:7-11
7 Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, 8 but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him. 10 And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them day and night before our God. 11 And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and that they have loved not their lives even unto death.

If you have been in church or around Christianity for any amount of time, you probably have heard this first before. But we typically just read that we have conquered by the blood of the lamb and the Word of our testimony.

Any conquering we do in our Christian life is because of the blood of Jesus first and foremost. There is no conquering sin, evil, satan, without the blood of Jesus. There is no reconciliation between God and man without the blood of Jesus. There is no forgiveness of sin without the blood of Jesus. Let's not make the mistake of believing that we can do any of this outside of the blood of Jesus.

Revelation 1:5
Jesus Christ the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of kings on earth. To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood

Let me be clear: The blood of Jesus not only destroyed the enemy, satan, but destroyed the power that sin has over our lives. Then why do we still sin? Because we continue to give sin power when we are disobedient.

But there is another component of our conquering: our testimony. Our testimony in and of itself has no power to conquer, but because of what Jesus has done in us, through us, for us, that testimony is empowered by the Holy Spirit to break chains in peoples’ lives. The Bible talks constantly about recounting his works, remembering what he has done, telling generation to generation. The purpose is so that people can see not just the love and goodness of God, but his restorative power as well.

The fact that our testimony can work in conjunction with the blood of Jesus to conquer evil is proof that God's plan for you is not just to be a part of the family, but a part of the family business. He wants to empower you and your testimony to work with the blood to bring about changing peoples’ heart and lives.

Don't discount the power of your testimony.
Whether you've had a pretty good life and I've been living faithfully for Jesus as long as you can remember, or whether all hell has broken out in your life, and God had to rescue you, miraculously, everyone of us has a testimony. Whether it's redemption or faithfulness, you have a testimony.

There is another component to this verse, to overcoming, that we often skip. “and that they have loved not their lives even unto death.” Now, because there can be some variation on how a translation parses this,
here is the phrase from the original Greek:
καὶ οὐκ ἠγάπησαν τὴν ψυχὴν αὐτῶν ἄχρι θανάτου
"and not they have loved the life of them unto death."

Now what does that mean?

Martyrs. That is typically the first thought that comes to mind. And in the context of the first century, when this was written, that is most likely what we mean here.

Matthew Henry
“When the love of life stood in competition with their loyalty to Christ; they loved not their lives so well but they could give them up to death, could lay them down in Christ's cause; their love to their own lives was overcome by stronger affections of another nature; and this their courage and zeal helped to confound their enemies, to convince many of the spectators, to confirm the souls of the faithful, and so contributed greatly to this victory.”

Now, we live in a world that is completely different from the first century.
While there are places in the world right now where martyrs are still giving their lives for the sake of the cross, we don't really experience that much here in Southeast Texas. But what if loving not your life even into death involved something other than martyrdom alone? Do you have to become a martyr in order to overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of your testimony?

I mentioned before that everyone has a testimony. Sometimes people who haven't had a lot of traumatic experiences think their testimony is not as valid, but I've said it before I'll say it again: God's ability to keep us from sin is just as strong as his ability to save us from sin.

What are some things that might prohibit you from sharing that testimony? I want to skip right past things like "I'm a shy person," etc.

I bet if I were to poll this congregation to find out the main reason why they are hesitant to share their testimony, most people would say it's their past.
They don't want to share the past, and for a variety of reasons.
- They don't want to relive it.
- They feel shame about it.
- They haven't fully dealt with it

And let's be honest, these are valid reasons. So this message is not designed to make you feel bad for not sharing your testimony because you don't want to relive, feel shame about, or haven't fully dealt with your past.

The message today is designed to help you allow the Holy Spirit to do a work inside of you so that you can get past your past and get to the family business of pairing your testimony with the blood of the lamb and loving not your life even unto death so that peoples lives can be changed for eternity.

But we're back to not loving our lives even to the point of death. We still haven't dealt with that part of it.

This is why I asked you about things that keep you from sharing your testimony.

What if God wasn't asking you necessarily to lay down your physical life, but to lay down your life in an intangible way? What if he's asking you:
- to give him the pain that might come from retelling your testimony?
- to reject the shame that comes with some of the things you've done?
- to lay down the fear of people will think after they've heard what you've been through?

What if he's not asking you to make a martyr of your physical flesh, but a martyr of how people might see you after they've learned what you've gone through?

John 4 The Samaritan Woman
Jesus travels to Samaria and stops at Jacob's well. There, a woman comes to draw water in the middle of the day. She is intentionally drawing water at this time because all the other women have rejected her because of her past. Jesus asks for a drink, and she rebuts him, ”Why do you adjust ask me a Samaritan for a drink?"

Jesus goes on to tell her that if she knew who she were talking to, she would ask him for living water. They go into a theological discussion where she wants to know more about worshiping "in spirit, and in truth," as Jesus has told her. Jesus says "Go get your husband and I'll tell you.” She says, "I don't have a husband." Jesus replies, "That's true because you've had five and the one you're living with now is not your husband. “

She continues to question Jesus about all of the chaos surrounding worship, whether it is here or at the temple only, and says, "I know the Messiah will come and explain all things.” Jesus responds, "I am he.”

The disciples returned and they questioned Jesus, but in the meantime, the Samaritan woman ran into the village telling everyone what had happened.

John 4:39-42
39 Many Samaritans from the village believed in Jesus because the woman had said, “He told me everything I ever did!” 40 When they came out to see him, they begged him to stay in their village. So he stayed for two days, 41 long enough for many more to hear his message and believe. 42 Then they said to the woman, “Now we believe, not just because of what you told us, but because we have heard him ourselves. Now we know that he is indeed the Savior of the world.”

Would we talking about a Samaritan woman today if she’d let her past silence her testimony?

You were made for more than allowing your past to dictate today.

Your past, no matter how good, bad, or ugly, was just a series of events that got you to where you are today. I am not discounting your experiences. I am not saying just get over it and move on. But I am saying that Jesus has a plan for you AND your past. That plan is not for you to stay shackled by what has happened to you, but to loose the chains that bind you and your ability to embrace the more you were made for.

So how can we get past our past so that God can use our testimony to move the Kingdom?

1. It was trauma. Now it’s a tool.
I want to start this point off with the acknowledgment of the first phrase: It was trauma. God has a plan for your past even when it includes trauma. But if you are going to transition that trauma into a tool that you can use to pour out into other people, you have to deal with it.

That first step is to acknowledge what happened.
Trauma often lingers because it’s avoided or suppressed. Recognizing it by saying to yourself, “This happened, and it affected me” can be a starting point. It’s not about dwelling on it, but giving yourself permission to feel what you feel without judgment.

Isaiah 43:18
18 “Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past.

When we linger in the trauma from the past, it not only keeps us in a cycle of reliving it, but it has the power to actually drag us back into those moments. That results in our traumatic thoughts of the past consuming us. Remember, what you think you believe, what you believe you do.

That second step is realizing that if you haven’t been able to deal with it up to this moment, you are probably not equipped to deal with it alone. It isn’t weakness to need help. It is weakness to never ask for it.

A part of why the body of Christ exists is to be a support network around you whenever you cannot deal with things on your own. And this is the point: that you see that you need someone in your life who can help you get past what you can't get past. And that person is probably going to be somebody who has walked the same exact traumatic road you have. The only way that person can help you walk that road is if they themselves have turned their trauma into a tool. What once incapacitated them has now become something that empowers them as they help move the Kingdom and change lives.

This is how you experience more as you engage in these horizontal relationships: God takes what the devil meant to destroy you and uses it for good.

At Freedom, we offer a variety of ways to help you overcome trauma from your past.
- We have something called the Freedom Class that is designed to take a deep dive into a variety of topics like rejection, abuse, sin issues, etc., and allow the Holy Spirit the opportunity to bring freedom to your heart.

- We have meet ups that allow you to connect with other people so, as you hear other stories that you can relate to, you create relationship with people that you can trust enough to share and pray and find healing.
John told us we go to God for forgiveness, but James tells us we go to each other for healing.

- We have opportunities to connect with our pastoral team so that you can dig into trauma and find relief, and we even have a counselor in Mont Belvieu that we recommend if you need professional help, which we advocate.

If you need to engage in one of these opportunities, fill out a connect card right now, and put it in the offering box on your way out. We’ll help.

As I deal with my past trauma, how can that trauma become a tool? The only thing better than the feeling of trauma healing is the chance to use your trauma to help someone else heal, so for it to become a tool, it has to be healed.

That healing has to start with the holy spirit doing a work in you. This is not a spiritual copout. Only the Holy Spirit can change your heart, bring peace, ease your pain, help you forgive. While we have tools and resources that can help you in that process, this is the work that the Holy Spirit does in you to bring freedom.

So just like your testimony works with the blood to overcome the enemy,
the Holy Spirit does the heavy lifting as you engage in processes that help you deal with the trauma you experienced, and the natural byproduct is a deep seated desire to help other people. This is why you often see former AA members leading AA groups.

As you heal, you're going to learn things, understand more deeply. You will have walked the road to forgiveness and restoration. You will understand the pain of withdrawal and dealing with buried hurts. And because you know all of those things, your trauma actually becomes a tool that helps you guide people along as similar path.

If you need some tackling fuel to help you deal with the trauma from your past, consider the fact that the very person you need right now to help you deal is the very person you could become once you get through this. There will be a day when you will sit on the other side of the table and help lead somebody else to freedom.

That's the more you were made for. Your trauma becomes a tool.

2. It was a mess. Now it’s a message.
I'm sure you've heard the old saying that you don't get a testimony without a test! Sometimes this can make people who feel like they've had a pretty sheltered life feel inadequate. Don't let that happen! Every person has a story.

Raise your hand if you have at some point in your life created very messy situations. Every single person who's ever breathed air, other then perhaps Jesus, has experienced this. We are insanely good at creating a mess. The proof is that no one has to teach kids how to make a mess.

While most people who deal with trauma have that trauma perpetrated upon them, often, when we make our life a mess, it's our doing.

Is there any evidence in the Bible that God can still make something out of a mess? To find that evidence, you basically just have to flip your Bible open to a random spot and put your finger on the page and you'll find a Bible character who has made a mess of something that God has made beautiful. He’s done that with humanity from the beginning!

I realize you once were addicted to drugs.
I realize you once were a cheater.
I understand you hated God and refused to acknowledge him.
I understand you were sexually immoral and it drove you to brokenness.

Your life has been a mess. And because of that, you’ve decided there’s no more for you.

Let me show you what God does with a mess.

He heals your brokenness.
Psalm 147:3
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

He redeems what was lost.
Joel 2:25
I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten

He makes you new.
Ezekiel 36:26
I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you

He turns messes into purpose.
Romans 8:28
God works all things for the good

Why would God do this? Because he loves you. He believes in you. And no matter how messy life has been, he has a plan to make it a message.

Listen to me: there is MORE to your story than a mess.

But how?
How God makes a message out of your mess begins with repentance. Ask God to forgive you for your role in the mess. Receive his forgiveness. Pay attention as God allows you opportunities to share your story. And then watch how he makes beauty from ashes.

It was trauma, now its a tool. It was a mess, now its a message.

3. It was stumbling block. Now it’s a stepping stone.
In Genesis 37, we find the beginning of the story of Joseph. He was clearly his father's favorite, and his father gave him a coat of many colors. This created some pride in Joseph's heart, so when God gave him a series of two dreams indicating what was going to happen with Joseph in the future, he announced it to his family. They took this poorly and believed Joseph was arrogantly predicting he would rule over them. As a result, they sold him into slavery rather than kill him, which was their first idea.

He was bought by Potiphar and he found Joseph to be gifted at managing his household. So he set him over everything. Potiphar's wife also noticed Joseph and threw herself at him, but Joseph refused. That got him thrown in jail.

While in jail, he met the cupbearer and baker to Pharaoh. They both had dreams that Joseph interpreted. The cupbearer had a dream where he was restored to his position, so Joseph said, “Remember me!” The cupbearer was restored, but he forgot about Joseph for two years.

At that time, Pharaoh had a series of dreams that were troubling, and none of his wisemen could interpret the dream. The cupbearer remembered Joseph and he was able to interpret Pharaoh’s dreams, so Pharaoh elevated Joseph to second in command.

The dreams were God forewarning Pharaoh of a famine that would come after seven years of plenty. God gave Joseph the ability to manage the grain supplies of Pharaoh in the first seven years so that the entire nation would have sufficient grain in the seven years of famine.

By the way, Joseph’s dreams were correct and he DID end up having authority over his family, which he used for restoration and provision for his family.

POINT: Joseph could have capitulated when his brothers sold him into slavery. He could've been belligerent and fought back in Potiphar’s house. He could've given up while he was left in jail, forgotten.

But every single moment of Joseph's life God allowed because that step would get Joseph to where God wanted him to be. He would've never met Potiphar had he not been sold into slavery. He would've never met the cupbearer had not been sent to jail.

Every event satan designed as a stumbling block, but every stumbling block God turned into a stepping stone.

You’d never see a lowly Israelite slave boy become second in command of Egypt unless God had a plan for every trial.

Are you allowing those negative moments to become stumbling blocks, or are you allowing God to turn them into stepping stones? What if your greatest ministry came from your greatest misery?

One last thing here:
You have to go read this story and pay attention to how Joseph responded. You never see him get angry at God or curse him. He never griped and complained and played the victim. But he ALWAYS made the most of whatever he was facing. He learned. he grew, he developed, he stayed faithful. This is how God knew he could trust Joseph with the next step.

What about you?
Have you allowed your past to become a stumbling block keeping you from God’s best? Or are you allowing God to take the trauma, the mess, the struggle, the pain, and create from them a stepping stone into what GOD has for you?

Only in God’s Kingdom can traumas become tools, messes become messages, and stumbling blocks become stepping stones.

I know your past is real and has had an impact on you. But God has more for you and it is going to take you getting past your past.

Some of you, your past has been so difficult, it's kept you from embracing everything God has for you. I genuinely believe that for some of you, God wants to deal with that today.

This doesn't mean that we are going to snap our fingers and magically the past won't hurt anymore, but I do believe that God by his miraculous power can change how you see your past so that it stops becoming trauma and a mess and stumbling block, but becomes something that God can use to move the Kingdom and change lives.

Maybe you need to forgive some people who have hurt you and created trauma.
Maybe you need to ask for forgiveness for some things that you felt are unforgivable.
Maybe you need to look at your past and recognize that God really was working.

You can get past your past. You can embrace the more you were made for. You can overcome by the blood of the lamb, but not loving your life to death, and your testimony.

Let’s pray.

What is the Holy Spirit saying to you through this message?

How does he want you to respond?