Victim to Victor Part 8 - It Aint Over Part 2

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We've reached the season finale of Victim to Victor, and we're ending exactly where we need to be: standing face to face with the stone that says "The End. Hopeless. It's Over."

In this episode, we return to Lazarus in John 11. He's dead. Four days dead. Mary and Martha have rolled the victimhood gravestone over the door of their faith. They met Jesus not as victors, but as victims: "If you had been here, our brother wouldn't have died."

But Jesus doesn't rebuke them. He speaks to their faith. "Did I not say that if you believed, you would see the glory of God?" The first resurrection that day wasn't Lazarus—it was the faith of Mary and Martha.

Maybe you're looking at your own victimhood gravestone today:

• A marriage hanging by a thread, no spark left.
• A relationship with your child that feels dead.
• Sickness that has ruled the day.
• Financial struggle with no way out.
• A walk with God so cold you don't even feel His presence anymore.

The devil wants you to call it done. Pull the plug. Roll the stone and walk away.

But this is the moment for Holy Ghost paddles. You've been praying and seeing nothing but flatline. Don't quit. One more shock, and you could have conversion—from sickness to health, sorrow to joy, bound to free. You're on the verge of a breakthrough. On the edge of a miracle.

When Jesus finally said, "Take away the stone," Martha wavered: "Lord, by this time he stinks." Translation: We've moved on. We don't want to be victims again. But Jesus jolted them back: I'm not afraid of the stink of victimhood.

Then He cried out, "Lazarus, come forth!" And the dead man came out, still wrapped in grave clothes. Jesus gave the final command: "Loose him, and let him go."

That's what God is saying to you today: Victimhood, loose him and let him go.

We close with the rest of the story—Lazarus sitting at the table with Jesus, and people coming not just to see Jesus, but the man who was dead and raised. They couldn't dispute the miracle. And they believed.

Psalm 126 says, "When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. Then was our mouth filled with laughter, and our tongue with singing." God is about to do something so magnificent, you'll say, "Somebody pinch me—this is too good to be true." No, it's not too good to be true. It's because we serve a too big God, a too much God. Not just the God of enough—the God of too much.

I prophesy: You're next in line.

Say it with me one last time:

• I don't believe it's over.
• I am not a victim.
• I am a victor.

Key Scriptures: John 11:38-44, John 12:1-2, 9-11; Psalm 126:1-3

Transcript

Welcome And Why This Matters

SPEAKER_00 0:08

Hi everyone, Pastor Don Smith here. Welcome to the Talk About It Podcast, where we take relevant topics with a biblical point of view and we talk about it. You know you want to, so do I. Let's talk about it. Well, welcome back, everyone, to season nine, episode eight on the Talk About It Podcast. I am Don Smith, your host for Talk About It. Here's what we're doing: we're taking a relevant topic with a biblical perspective, and we are talking about it. Longtime listeners, you know that's how we roll. That's what we're doing around here, and that's why you're back, and that's why I love you. Thank you so much for all of your support. All of you friends of the Talk About It podcast. You're such an encouragement. And we have all enjoyed this particular topic: Victim to Victor, where we're talking about what it looks like to overcome the victimhood complex. Now, for you first-time listeners, I'm glad that you're here too. Where have you been? We've been waiting for you, but we are so glad that you're here. Here's what we want you to do, though. We want you to push pause on this episode if you're a first-time listener. Go back to the beginning of season nine, episode one, on Victim to Victor, overcoming the victimhood complex. Start there. We will be here waiting for you when you get to episode eight. We're so glad that you are all here. Thank you so much for those of you who support the podcast by sharing it on your social media, by encouraging other people listening, sending the link to other people that you think would benefit from the topic and the conversation. And for those of you who support on a monthly basis, I thank you so much. Did you know you could do that? Did you know about that? Did you know that you could support the Talk About It podcast for as little as $3 a month? If the podcast has blessed you, okay? If you come back each and every week, I would ask you humbly to consider sacrificing one of your cups of coffee during the week and supporting the podcast. You can do that by going to your show notes. Just click support the podcast right there. It'll walk you right through it. I use all of that money to help me get to Africa and train pastors once a year. Uh last time I was there, we trained over a thousand pastors for a week. It was an incredible time. And it was because you guys partnered with me. So I appreciate you so much.

Lazarus And The Faith Shift

SPEAKER_00 2:27

That being said, let's get right back into this because, man, if you were here last week, you know where we left off, right? We left off talking about Lazarus. And I told you what we were going to talk about. Okay. I told you how we were going to finish this season because that's what we're going to do today. We're going to, this is going to be the last episode in our conversation on Victim to Victor, Overcoming the Victimhood Complex. So today I want to get right back into this because we got a lot of ground to cover on this last episode of this topic. Okay. So here we go. I hope you got your Bibles in the same place that you did last week. And you can pick right up there. Now, Lazarus is dead, okay? Here's where we're at. Okay. And Jesus starts speaking to them about their faith. Now remember, I ended last week's episode by saying that's what we're going to talk about, okay? And so he says to Mary and Martha, if you believe, you will see. Now, why is he speaking this way? This is a great question. Now, and I say this all the time that if you're reading your Bible, you should have questions. And I don't care how long you've been reading the Bible. If you've been reading one day, or if you've been reading your Bible for 70 years, if you're reading the Bible, you should have questions. Anybody who tells me they're reading the Bible and don't have questions, I'm gonna challenge whether they really are or not. Because that's what the scripture does. It causes us to examine life, it causes us to look at how we're living, okay, and in the perspective of a biblical context. And we should have questions. And so, why is Jesus speaking this way to Mary and Martha? Doesn't he know that Lazarus is dead? Doesn't he know that it's over? Well, let me tell you what I believe now. This is Pastor Don's podcast. This is my commentary, as I often say, and I'm I'm writing it. You get your own podcast and do your own commentary if you've got a different opinion, and I'm happy to read it and celebrate with you. But here's the reason why I think Jesus is speaking this way. And that is because Mary and Martha had a need. Okay. They need a victory faith, not a victimhood complex. Okay, listen to me. The first resurrection that happened that day was the faith of Mary and Martha. Now, you may be standing today in the same place where Mary and Martha stood. Now remember, if this is your first time listening to talk about it, you're gonna be like, well, what are they talking about? What's going on? That's why I say you've got to go back and catch up with this because this is just a continuing conversation. All right. So you may be standing in the place where Mary and Martha stood. You're you're looking at a victimhood gravestone that says the end. You're looking at a victimhood gravestone that says this is hopeless. You're you're victim, you're looking at a victimhood uh uh situation that just says to you, it's over. All right, let me let me give you some illustrations how I think that could be right now, okay?

When Life Says It’s Over

SPEAKER_00 5:21

And I know we've jumped right in this right away, but hold on because here we go. All right, it could be that your marriage may be hanging by a thread, headed for the rocks, okay? It might be that uh, you know, there's no spark left. And everything you're feeling or not feeling is telling you that your marriage is over. All right, maybe that's not you. Maybe it's a relationship between you and your children, and it's on rocks, and you don't know how to restore it, and you're struggling with that kind of thing. It could be that sickness has ruled the day and that you're dealing with uh chronic illness. And everything is saying to you, give up, pull the plug, it's over. The end of story. Okay, it could be a financial struggle where you're feeling like you you're sunk. It's over. It I mean, it's bankruptcy is on the way. There's no way out of this. It it you can't see any way out of the hole that you're in financially. And let's be honest, we've all been somewhere in one of these scenarios. Somebody say amen or old me. Okay, we've all we've all been in that same position where Mary and Martha are with Lazarus at this moment. It is over. Okay, it is over. And many of you are possibly right there right now. You're listening to this podcast and you're like, finally, somebody actually knows where I'm at at this moment. And see, what I want you to understand is that the enemy is using victimhood to paint a picture of hopelessness in your life. Oh, I'm talking to somebody today. To make things look so bad, this is what he wants to do: that you're gonna roll the victimhood gravestone over the door, you're gonna pull the plug on your faith, and you're gonna walk away and be done.

The Flatline And The Conversion Moment

SPEAKER_00 6:53

Have you have you ever watched that? There used to be this old TV show, okay? Uh now, if you're listening outside the United States, you're just gonna have to get a picture of this. But this TV show used to be called, I think, emergency. And it was about uh it was about uh what happens in the emergency room of a hospital, how patients come in and how the emergency crew and the doctors have to have to wrestle and go right away because uh someone has this mortal wound, or you know, the they're in the emergency room for some reason. And many times they would treat a patient in cardiac arrest or having a heart attack, and and and they don't say, Oh, that's too bad. Well, we lost another one. No, you know what they do? They get out the electric paddles, okay, and they shock the heart of that patient until that patient's heart starts beating again. Those patients live because the paramedics didn't quit. Come on, somebody. They don't look at the evidence on the screen and see the flat line and call it done, okay? No, they keep working, they keep working. And then all of a sudden, that flat line jumps, and then something starts happening that these emergency doctors call conversion. Everybody say it with me. Conversion, okay? That's what we that's what they say. They say we have conversion. Now that's amazing to me because it's encouragement. Now, you may have been praying for your spouse or your children for years, and all you see is a flat line. Hello, somebody. Come on, talk about it. No response. And the devil wants you to call it done. He wants you to say it's over. He wants you to roll a stone of victimhood over the door. But you need to get those Holy Ghost paddles out, okay? And you need to keep praying because it could be just one more Holy Ghost shock. And then you could say we have conversion. Come on, someone. See, I love this word conversion. It's interesting to me that they used it in this context because the word literally means to process of change or causing something to change from one form to another. Hello, talk about it. Conversion from sickness to health, conversion from sorrow to joy, conversion from anxiety and stress to peace and rest. Conversion from lost to found. Am I talking to somebody here today on the podcast? Conversion from bound to drugs and addiction to being free in Jesus. Conversion from fretful and fearfulness to faithfulness and courage. Conversion from discouraged and depression to happy and blessed. Oh, I'm helping you today. I feel like the Spirit of God is telling me right now that someone who's listening to this podcast at this moment is on the verge of conversion. I'm talking to you. Come on, you know you feel it right where you're at, too. You're on the verge of conversion. You're on the edge of breakthrough, the brink of a miracle. Don't give up now. Listen to PD, listen to Pastor Don on Talk About It Today. Don't give up now. Don't turn the switch of faith off now. You're getting ready to see something that looked impossible because in your own eyes and strength, it is that way. But in God's strength and in God's ability, the impossible becomes possible. Like God's getting ready to show up. Let me tell you something, talk about it. You don't have to be a victim because you're already a victor. The Bible says, I am more than a conqueror in Christ. Don't put the shock paddles away. In other words, don't quit praying. Turn up the voltage on your prayer time. Some situations are really stubborn and they require a little more voltage. Hello, somebody. Come on, Doug about it. Let's be honest about it. Some people are a little more stubborn and need a little more voltage. Hello, you know some people that you wish you could put some shock paddles on. I'm talking to you because we're in the same boat. See, the point is here, talk about it, that no matter what it looks like or feels like, don't give in to victimhood. I don't believe it's over. Some people have criticized me over the fact that I never, I never give up, I never quit. I never, it's hard, man. I hate to lose. I'm gonna just be honest with you. I am a terrible loser. I want to win. I hate to lose. I want to win. And so I refuse to submit to victimization. The victimization of fear, the victimization of doubt, the victimization of discouragement, the victimization of depression. It doesn't mean that I don't experience those things. Okay? I've experienced all of those. Even lately, I've experienced those things. But I refuse to become angry at God, to become critical of God or be resentful at God because of it. I refuse to give the devil one crumb to rejoice over in my life. Why? Because my hope is in God. My hope for my family, my hope for healing, my hope for deliverance, my hope for breakthrough, my hope for my miracle, my hope is in God, and I don't believe that it's over if my hope is in God. Come on, talk about it. You know, finally there's a spark of faith that comes back alive in Mary and Martha.

Take Away The Stone Anyway

SPEAKER_00 12:14

All right. They say, I believe that you're the Christ, I believe that you're the Son of God, which is supposed to come into the world. And this is what Jesus needs. Because victory, faith is the determining factor for everything. Say it with me again. Victory, faith is the determining factor for everything. See, Jesus instructs them in this moment. Now you can go back and look at it, okay? But Jesus instructs them in this moment. He says, Take away the stone. So Mary and Martha's faith wavers. Lord, he's been dead for four days. You know the story. And I love the next part of it. What do they say? They said, Lord, by now he stinks, okay? So he says, take away the stone. And Mary and Martha, their faith begins to waver. They said, Lord, he's been dead for four days. He stinks at this point. Listen to me talk about it. This is for those of you who are scared to try one more time. I just felt that. I just I've right now, it's someone's listening to the podcast, and you're like, I'm done. I'm not trying again. I'm not gonna press in again. I'm not going to push forward anymore. I'm just done. This is for those of you who are scared to try one more time. This is like saying, Okay, Lord, we got it. We believe you can do this, but to tell you the truth, we kind of moved on. Oh my. Mary and Martha are saying, Lord, he's dead. He's been dead four days. By now he stinks. What they're basically saying is, Jesus, we believe you could do it, but to tell you the truth, we have pretty much moved on. We don't really want to be victims again, Jesus. You know what? That's I think that's a legitimate place. I think that's an honest place that a lot of people who've been wrestling over some things are at. It's not that you don't want victory. It's not that you don't want to be victorious. It's not that you really want to live as a victim or be someone who is susceptible to victimhood. I don't believe that at all. But I believe what you've done is saying, I'm tired of being a victim and I don't want to be a victim again. Watch what happens here, talk about it. Jesus jolts them back to their faith confession. He says this, did I not say that if you believed, you would see the glory of God? See, what Jesus is saying is I'm not afraid of the stink of victimhood. Oh my. Who is honest enough to say that you're glad that Jesus didn't let the stink of victimhood stop him? Come on, somebody. Then Jesus cries with a loud voice. You know the story, Lazarus come forth. He says this with a loud voice. And he came forth bound hand in foot with grave clothes, and his face was bound about with a napkin. And Jesus said unto them, loose him and let him go. Victimhood, loose him and let him go. Now I don't know what Lazarus means to you today. It could be a relationship that looks and feels like it's dead, it's died. It could be your hopes and dreams for a future that you desired and planned for all your life. It could be your walk with God right now in this moment. You you may be so far away from God that you don't even feel his presence anymore. And the list, my friends, today can go on and on, but we've only got about 25 minutes with you on the podcast. Let me tell you what I see in this story. Again, this is my perspective. Here's what I see there's a situation that's screaming hopeless. There's a situation that's screaming the end. There's a situation that is screaming game over. And Jesus is saying, do not say it's over. And my friends, that's why Pastor Don doesn't believe it's over. Not because I don't want it to be, but because Jesus is saying it isn't over. I'm gonna say it again. I don't believe it's over. Wherever you're at right now, whatever you're going through, I don't know who this season on the podcast has been for. And if it's been for you, would you send me an email? Would you send me a text right in your show notes? Send a text, send an email. It is super easy. Would you would you send me that and say, PD, this was for me? Right there in your show notes. It's so easy to do it. Because I don't I don't really know who this series is, but I know it's for someone. I'm just the messenger and I've just delivered this message over the last eight episodes in this season. If you know this message is for you, I want to agree with you for a victory, resurrection, anointing to be released on your behalf. I believe the reason God wanted me to do this season on the Talk About It podcast was because it was prophetic. And we've we've we've spent eight episodes to get to this moment. There are some situations in your life that are looking hopeless, and the devil's pushing hard to get you to say it's over, to roll a stone of victimization across the door and post a no-trespassing sign on it. But I really hear the Spirit of the Lord saying, if you will believe, if you will agree with me that you're not a victim, you'll see the glory of God. Oh, I want you to receive that right now in the name of Jesus. If you'll believe, if you'll agree with God that you're not a victim, my friends, you will see the glory of God. You need to know that this victory is much bigger than you. Can I prove it to you today? I can prove it to you. Talk about it.

Your Victory Points Others To Jesus

SPEAKER_00 18:27

Because I want you to look at some verses here. Let me prove it to you. John chapter 12, verse 1 and 2. Listen to this. Then Jesus, six days before the Passover, came to Bethany, where Lazarus was and had been dead, whom he raised from the dead. There they made a supper. And Martha served, but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the table with him. Now scroll down to verse 9. Much people of the Jews therefore knew that he, Lazarus, was there. And they came not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also. Oh my goodness. They came because they wanted to see the man who was dead but now is alive. They came because they personally wanted to see the man that had been resurrected from the dead. Now listen to this. Watch this. We're continuing. Whom he had raised from the dead, Lazarus. Watch this, but everybody say but. But the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death, because that by reason of him many Jews went away and believed on Jesus. Oh my gosh. Have you ever read that scripture? There's a dinner that's being hosted. The resurrected Lazarus is there. Jesus is there to eat a meal, and people came not to see Jesus. They came to see Lazarus for them for their own self. And the religious people of the day, they were coming, not in denial that Lazarus had been raised from the dead. They were coming because they wanted to kill him again to stop people from believing in Jesus. They couldn't deny the resurrection, so what did they do? They want to kill the one who represented that victimhood does not have to exist. Oh my gosh. What? Have you ever read this scripture? You should read John chapter 12, verses 1 through 11. They wanted to kill what Jesus had resurrected so they could keep people a victim. Oh my gosh. You should really read this book sometime. I promise you, this is amazing. And what is this saying? Okay, God is setting the stage for something that will be indisputable and undeniable in your life. Many that would listen to your words will not be able to defy or dispute the miracle that God is doing in you. See, you once were a victim. But because you refuse to live in victimhood, you are now a victor. And many, many are going to come and not be able to dispute what God has done in your life if you don't give up, if you refuse to live as a victim. Many came to see not just Jesus, but also Lazarus, the miracle man, the one whom was dead and for four days was dead and was raised from the dead, and they left believing in Jesus. Say it with me. I don't believe it's over. Say it with me. I don't believe it's over. Oh my gosh, talk

Declare It And Refuse Victimhood

SPEAKER_00 21:54

about it. What a way to end this season. I believe it's Psalms chapter. 126. When the Lord turned again the captivity of Zion, we were like them that dream. Then was our mouth filled with laughter and our tongue with singing. Then said they among the heathen, The Lord hath done great things for them, the Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad. See, I believe that God is going to do something in our lives that is so unbelievably magnificent that we're going to say, somebody pinch me. I think I'm dreaming. This is too good to be true. No, it's not too good to be true. Talk about it. It's because we serve a too big God and a too much God, and He's not just the God of enough, He's the God of too much. Come on, talk about it. It can happen. And I want to speak that over your life right now. If you've pressed into these eight episodes, I want to preach this to you. In the name of Jesus, you are next in line if you refuse to live in victimhood. Say it one more time with me. I don't believe it's over. Come on, say it with me. I don't believe it's over. I'm not a victim. I'm a victor. You need to tell yourself that a hundred times a day because what you're doing is you're agreeing with the word of God. And that's what we've got to do in our lives. We have to put ourselves in a place where we agree with the word of God about our life. Man, victim to victor. It's not denying that something's happened to you. I have been a victim of many things, but I'm not staying a victim because God has called me to be a victor. And so I refuse to live in the victimhood complex. Too many people are living there. This is a call. This is an anthem for us to stop living in victimhood because of who you are and who God is greater. The God of the world or the God who came and died for us so that we could live ever more with Him. Oh my gosh. Talk about

Share Support And Final Blessing

SPEAKER_00 24:12

it. Wow. I have enjoyed the season. I hope you have as well. Will you do me a favor? Share this. Somebody needs to hear it. Somebody needs to hear it. What a way to end this season. Now, next week we're going to have a new topic. It's going to be amazing. You're going to be here. And again, I thank you for your support. Hey, share, like, subscribe, do all the things. Give the podcast a rating on the platform that you you listen to the podcast on. Just give it a rating. That helps everything. Think and pray about supporting it on a monthly basis. Any way you do it. I don't care because I love you and I'm going to be back here each and every week. Thank you so much for who you are and for being here. Until next week, I want you to understand something. I love you, but Jesus loves you more. I'll see you next week.