They're only Two words in life. What God says versus what man says. Dr. Tony Evans points out the difference between peace and pressure comes down to whose voice you trust. If you don't stick with God's word, you don't get God's rest.
This is the alternative broadcast, featuring the timeless biblical teachings from the archives of Dr. Tony Evans. When life wears you down, Giving up can feel like the only option. But today, Dr. Evans explains why staying rooted in God's Word is the key to pressing forward and how Scripture becomes the doorway to experiencing God's purpose, peace, and power even in the middle of life's hardest seasons.
Let's listen. The book of Hebrews was written to Christians. who were stuck or who were regressing. in their faith. Yeah.
Times have become hard, difficult, challenging. including persecution. And they were raising the question. Is it worth keeping? going.
The book of Hebrews has one simple theme made up of three words. Never give up. It is a call for Christians not to quit. pursuing their faith and following Christ. during the hard times.
In Hebrews chapter four, verse two, he says, For indeed. We had the good news preached to us, just as they also But the word they heard did not profit them because it was not united by faith in those who heard. He said they had good news preached to them, the promised land. But the good news preached to them did not profit them.
So you can have preaching that does not profit. That is, you can have preaching that does not benefit. And he says, the reason that the good news did not benefit them is that it was not united by faith. Yeah. So the good news.
For them was the promised land. The good news for you is the purpose. Destiny that God has pre-planned for your life. That's the good news. But you can have the good news without experiencing it.
You can have the information without entering into it, like they heard the good news about the promised land, but never arrived in it. He says, because it was not united by faith. He comes in verse 6 of chapter 4 and says it a different way. Therefore, since it remains for some to enter it, and those who formerly had good news preached to them failed to enter it because of disobedience.
So he says in verse 2, they didn't enter it because they didn't connect it with faith. In verse 6, he says the same thing. They had good news, but they didn't enter it because of disobedience.
So the reason they didn't enter it is they didn't have a faith that functioned. They did not have a belief system that acted. They did not have a belief system that moved on what God said, even though they may have said amen. to what God said. See, there were a lot of amens in the wilderness.
But there wasn't a lot of foot movement. In other words, they were talking while regressing. He's writing New Testament believers in the book of Hebrews. You and me? To say Never give up.
Whatever you're going through, whatever you're challenged with, whatever is affecting you negatively, don't throw in the spiritual towel. You may be tempted to, you may be encouraged to, you may want to, but he says don't do it because. Of the circumstances you're in so that you don't miss your rest.
Now, in order to make sure. That you enter your rest. Your zone of pre-prepared purpose. He says you're going to have to Hold on to the word of God. That's where verses 12 and 13 come in.
It's part of this same chapter. He's talking about rest and then he starts with the word for. In other words, in light of this rest. that God has for the people of God. He then says in verse 12, for the word of God.
Is living. Why does he now bring in the word of God? Because the thing that will keep you from the rest. is the word of man. They're all Only two words.
in life. God's word and man's word. Those are the only two words that exist. There are no other words. What God says versus what man says.
What God says versus what people think. What God says versus how you were raised. What God says versus what your professors told you at school. What God says versus what the media says. What God says versus what's on the internet.
What God says versus what's on TikTok. What God says versus what's on Snapchat. What God says versus whatever other medium you are listening to, there are only two words. If you Don't stick with God's word. You don't get God's rest.
So he talks about rest and then brings in the word of God to say, This is the word that takes you to rest. Because Israel didn't get to the promised land because they listened to people. And because they were listening to people, man's word, and they did not take seriously God's word, they did not enter into God's word. Purpose. Destiny.
Favor. They missed it because of man's word. And what we all have done, I'm sure, at some time in our lives is try to make rest and find rest because we don't know what his rest is. Over and over in chapter three and chapter four, they shall enter my rest. They shall not enter my rest.
It's my rest. It's my rest because it's been pre-done. pre-prepared for them to enter into. But they must be willing. To have a faith that functions.
Not just believing it in the head, they must. Function on the thing they say they believe. Have you ever put? A dollar in the machine because you wanted a soda or you wanted potato chips or you wanted a candy bar.
So this is a vending machine and So you put your money in because you want to get something, you put it in, and then it went. Spit it back out. And you put it in again and went, zzzzzzz. Spit it back out, put it back in, you maybe wrinkled, you try to straighten it out, you put it back in, and then it goes and it brings it back out. In other words, it didn't accept it.
Not because you didn't put it in, but it rejected it. For whatever the reason was, it rejected it.
Well, what has happened is a lot of people want purpose, destiny, God's involvement. And nothing seems to be happening. That's because they're putting in human opinion. They're putting in man's perspective. They're putting in secular thought, but wanting a divine result.
to drop. And he says that that won't work. That will not work. You don't get his rest. Unless the basis of it is his word.
His word is the only way to arrive at his rest, his pre prepared. purpose that you're walking into.
So that's why he says in verse 11. Leading up to this verse, therefore let us be diligent to enter that rest, so that no one will fall through following the same examples of disobedience. We ended last time with the word diligent. Meaning, some versions say labor to enter his rest. That's an oxymoron.
Why would I labor to rest? Why would I have to work hard to rest? Because it takes a lot of work to reject how you were raised. It takes a lot of work to reject what everybody else is saying and you only have the minority report. It takes a lot of work to reject what the culture is pressuring you with to do, what your peeps are pressuring you with to do, what your family members are pressuring with you to do.
It takes a lot of work to say no to them. You have to labor sometimes to get to the rest. Because you gotta work against systems, people, and perspectives that are trying to take you away from the word. And when they are taking you away from the word, you need to know they're taking you away from rest. That is God slowing you into what he's pre-done.
And so he says, You be diligent, you work hard. Paul says in 1 Corinthians 15 verse 10, he says, I had to work hard. I had to work hard. And as I worked hard to enter into what God has, God was working in me.
So as I pressed With God's thing, then God was pressing. For as Philippians chapter 4 says, he says, For it is God who works in you both to will and to do his good pleasure.
So God is doing the work if you're presenting based on his word. And that must be met with functional face. Not just theoretical. Belief systems. And Dr.
Evans will explain what that looks like when he returns in just a moment. First, though, the lesson you're hearing today is part of Tony's four-part sermon series called Ready, Set, Rest, focused on the rest and renewal God offers us even in seasons of challenge. In today's message, Truth That Cuts and Heals, we're learning how God's Word confronts us not to harm us, but to heal us. It's a powerful truth, and we'd love to send you this complete series to encourage and equip you. And as a special bonus, we'll also include Dr.
Evans' book, Kingdom Stewardship, an insightful resource that'll help you see your possessions, problems, and purpose in a whole new way. Both the book and the full Ready, Set, Rest series are yours with our thanks when you support this ministry. Just visit tonyevans.org or call our resource team, any time of the day or night, at 1-800-800-32-22. I'll repeat that information after part two of today's message. Let's join Dr.
Evans once again. Hebrews chapter 4. Verse 12, for the word of God is living. The book is alive. He says, The book is alive.
And the reason the book is alive is because he's alive. The Bible is not like a newspaper. Or a news feed. Because You're getting new information. The the news tomorrow is different than the news today.
And you certainly don't go back to last year's newspaper or news feed for today. The Bible don't have to go through all that. Because It's alive. and therefore never outdated. It is always relevant.
to life because it is alive. It is a living instrument. Because it is alive, it imparts life. For example, 1 Peter puts it this way. 1 Peter chapter 1.
He says in verse 23, for you have been born again, not of seed which is perishable, but imperishable, that is, through the living and enduring word of God. The word of God is alive. And the reason why the Word of God is alive Is because Psalm 138, verse 2 says, God and his word are the same. God and his word are the same. There is no separation between who he is and what he says.
And since he is alive, what he says has life. Second thing he says about the word of God is that it is... Active. The word of God Is alive and active. The word active comes from the word that means energized or energetic.
That is, it produces an effect. It is active. It's not only alive, but it's alive to do something. to produce an energy. Remembering creation.
God said Yeah. Let there be light. The next phrase is, and there was light.
Okay. Let there be, and it was so. Let there be, and it was so. He wasn't just talking. He was talking to make something happen.
So when God speaks, he speaks with Purpose. Isaiah 55. Puts it this way. In verse 11. He wants to say a word about the word of God.
And he says, So will my word be, which goes forth from my mouth. It will not return to me empty. Without accomplishing what I desire and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it. In other words, when I send it, it's to do something.
Okay. Now, what it does or does not do can be affected by what we do with it. But it does not affect what it was designed to do. Because God's living word is to always be energized to have an effect. He goes on.
He says it is able to judge. The thoughts and intense of the heart. It discerns. Judge meant to discern or evaluate. We're always evaluating something.
We're trying to know if this is right, this is wrong, if this is legit, if this is illegit. It probes the innermost recesses of our being. It it it looks at What is What is my motive? Ah, the intents of your heart are your motives. He says the word of God goes so deep.
That it will unravel why you did what you just did.
So it gets down to your motivation. What was behind the action? God, why you getting all in my grill? To challenge my motivation because he wants to separate anything that will keep you from your rest. See, he's only after your rest.
He's only after getting you in the zone. And so he will place judgment on that if he's allowed. To go there. But then he says In verse 13, and there is no creature hidden from his sight. But all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
The word of God Exposes the secrets of the soul. It uncovers what's behind the curtain of our lives. It's God's X-ray machine, CT scanner, and MRI. It's like walking through a Magnetometer at the airport undressing you. It's night goggles that is seeing in the dark.
It separates reality from fantasy because. It uncovers stuff. But why? Why do I need the word? No, the word of God is doing all of that because God is trying to take us somewhere.
Yes, yes. This is all about entering his rest. He hasn't changed subjects. He's trying to take us somewhere. Screw.
But to do that, it's got to be on his terms. It can't be on your terms, he says, and you do nullify the word of God by your traditions. Scripture says you can cancel out what God wants to do because you sow into who you are, what you think, what you were taught, how you were raised, what the culture is saying. You sow into that. That you don't even see.
I don't even see what he's exposing. We're blind to it. What he is saying is, there is a zone out there. There is a place of pre-planned. Destiny.
purpose. And I have already set it up. but you must walk into it and you must walk into it by a functional faith on my word. When you're the only one believing it, you better hang on to it. When you're not getting support for it, but it's really my word.
You better stick with it. Because I'm true no matter what everybody else is saying. Everybody else just lied. Because God cannot be false in any area or any subject matter he cannot be wrong We are the ones wrong. Never him.
James 1. James 1 talks about the word. He says, this you know, verse 19, my beloved brethren, Christians. Yeah. Everyone must be quick to hear, quick to hear what?
God's point of view. Slow to speak, slow to speak what? Man's point of view. And slow the anger. What am I angry about?
God's point of view didn't agree with man's point of view. And I like what man had to say. Instead, he says, putting aside all filthiness and all the remains of wickedness in humility, receive the word implanted. Which is able to save your souls. But he's writing to Christians.
So he's not talking about saved for heaven, he's talking about delivered for earth. But prove yourselves to be doers of the word and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror. For once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, responds to it, not having become a forgetful hearer, but an effectual doer, this man shall be blessed in what he does.
That man will find rest. He says, the way you approach the word of God is you treat it like a bear. You treat it like a mirror. No. What do you do with a mirror?
You see yourself. That's what you do with the mirror. No matter what you think about how You look. I mean, you may think you look like Hile Berry. You may think you look like Denzel Washington.
But the mirror will tell you you are deceived. The mirror. It's going to tell you the truth. The mirror is going to tell you your hair is all out of place. Your mirror is gonna tell you the way you slept, you got wrinkles on the side of your face.
Because the mirror is designed to reveal. That's what it's designed for. A mirror is glass with silver in it. In New Testament days, they didn't have glass with silver in it. That's not how you saw your face.
In New Testament days, they had brass. And what they would do is they would wipe it off. And then they would hold it up to a candle, or if it's a daytime, hold it up to the sun and move it around until they got the reflection on the brass to let them get a look at their face.
So they had to keep moving it until it hit just right so they could get a good reflection of themselves. He says in James 1, if you look intently at the law of liberty. In other words, just don't look at it, move it around until you see you.
So until you see you in the book, you haven't looked at it long enough. You haven't paid attention to it long enough. You haven't focused on it long enough because you still don't see you. That's why people think they're all right when other folk tell them they're all right because they haven't looked in their own mirror. Because somebody could tell you you look good, people be lying like that all the time.
Oh girl, you look good today. Good today. And then you turn and say, she a hot mess.
Now, other folk won't give you all the mirror, especially from the inside. Yeah. But he says that's not what the word does. He says what the word of God is a mirror. And what it's done is designed, is to let you see you as you really are.
And when you see you, when I see me, when we see us as we really are, God's not trying to be mean. He's just trying to get things fixed up that the mirror is designed to show so that you can keep moving towards your rest. Dr. Tony Evans on the power of God's truth to cut through the clutter in our lives, allowing us to move forward to the peace He's promised.
Now, before we go, don't forget to take advantage of that limited-time offer I mentioned earlier. Tony's four-part audio series, Ready, Set, Rest, plus his life-changing book, Kingdom Stewardship. In it, Dr. Evans helps you take a fresh look at your resources, your responsibilities, and your relationship with God. This combo package is our thank-you gift when you make a donation to support the Ministry of the Alternative.
Just visit tonyevans.org to make your contribution and request, or call 1-800-800-3222. Again, that's tonyevans.org, or reach us by phone anytime at 1-800-800-3222. Believing God has a purpose for your life is one thing, but pressing toward it when life gets hard is another. Tomorrow, Dr. Evans explains how God goes before us and meets us right where we are, offering exactly what we need to keep moving forward.
I hope you'll join us.
