We need to be close to folk who are going to give us Jesus' perspective. Even if they don't have your money, your car, your house, and your clothes. Dr. Tony Evans says: no matter who we are, where we've been, or what we've done, there's no escaping our common dependency. We're all in need of the same grace.
This is the alternative broadcast, featuring the timeless biblical teachings from the archives of Dr. Tony Evans. A lot of us go to great lengths to give the impression that everything is okay and we. We've got it all together. But Dr.
Evans says time spent trying to fake it to make it is meaningless when there's no connection with God and eternity. Let's join him in the book of Revelation as he challenges us to be authentic in our faith. Laodicea was a wealthy city. It would be akin to our common day Wall Street. It was a very wealthy place to live, work and raise a family.
It was also known for its fashion industry. In New York, you would call it the fashion district. where they made fancy clothes. that would go out to the retailers to sell to the general public. Not only was it a financial district.
and a fashion district But the city of Laodicea was a pharmaceutical district. It was known for its medical industry. That is why you will see three areas finance fashion and pharmaceuticals referred to In Revelation chapter 3, verses 14 to the end of the chapter. Jesus, as he does in each one of these churches, introduces himself. as he wants you to see him now.
The ruling king. And head of the church. He says in verse 14 to the angel of the church at Laodicea, write. The Amen. The faithful and the true witness.
The beginning of the creation of God says this. Amen means The final word. on the subject. Pay close attention. Because I know what I'm talking about.
He says in verse 15, I know your deeds. That you are neither hot nor cold. I wish you were hot or cold.
So, because you are lukewarm and neither hot nor cold. I will spit you out of my mouth. Verse 17, because you say, I am rich. and have become wealthy. And have Of nothing.
He says, I have a problem with how you view yourself. You become so Successful in your financial district, your fashion district, your pharmaceutical district.
Now you don't really need me. You just placating me. You don't need me. You're just using me. You don't need me.
You just Acting and giving the impression that you are close to me. And y'all make me sick. They were measuring the spiritual by how things look in the physical. I am wealthy. I got this going on.
So I must be blessed. The fact is The physical And the more of it you have, Camouflages. That's spiritual.
So that you think the spiritual must be okay. Cause we got this Coding. In the physical. And because the coding looks good The inside must be okay because if I wasn't close to God, why would I be blessed like this? If I wasn't close to God, why would I have what I have?
Be where I am, have the education that I have. Why would all this stuff be okay if I wasn't close to God? He says, all that stuff is, is painting a false portrait. You're like a beautiful car on the showroom floor of an automobile dealership with no engine. You got the look.
But you don't have the reality. And the worst part about it is You don't even know it. You're judging yourself By what they are saying out there. Not what I am saying in here. And if what I am saying in here is different than what everybody else is whispering in your ear out there, they are wrong and I am right because I'm the amen.
I made you, not them. I'm the creator. You don't even know it. It's like the man. We drove up to the gas station.
Asked the attendant to clean the windshield. He wiped the windshield. He said, man, you did a bad job. It's still dirty. Clean it.
Man cleaned it again. He said, I don't know why you can't get this clean. You're rubbing it, but it's not clean. Cleaned it again. His wife leaned over, took off his glasses, cleaned his glasses, put his glasses back on.
Now stuff was clean. Cause see if you can't see it Then you need somebody who can see it to show it to you. And not let the world camouflage it. Yes, yes, yes. Because you now have this or have that or have that, so folks start treating you nice and try treating you better, start lying to you, you know?
Stop making you feel good about yourself. Because they want to be attached to it. They don't want to Tell you the real deal. He says, well, I'm going to tell you the real deal. You make me want to vomit.
Well, what do you want me to do, Lord? What do you want me to do? I'll tell you what I want you to do, verse 18. I advise you.
So he's going to give you some advice, me some advice. I advise you to buy from me gold. Because it's a financial district, refined by fire so that you may become rich. Because you're not rich. You think you're rich, but you're not.
and white garments, because it's a fashion district.
So that you may clothe yourself. and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed. And I save Because it's a pharmaceutical district, to anoint your eyes so that you may see.
So, guess what I want to do? I want to make you truly rich. I want to give you real clothes. And I want to open your eyes so that you can see. But the only way you get any of that is from me.
Buy from me. In other words. I'm the only one who can give you what you really need to be what you're supposed to be. All that other stuff. is Fake.
See? Our world has so duped us. And we all are facing this. I face it, you face it, because it dupes us. And so we wind up buying.
Things we don't need with money that we don't have to impress people we don't know. We just get duped, you know? And our world is duping us. And Jesus says, no, I ain't going to dupe you. No, I want you to become truly rich, which means you're spiritually rich.
I want you to become truly clothed, which means you're spiritually attired. I want you to become truly sightful.
So I'm going to remove the blindness so you see things as they really are. But I'm the only one who can do that because I'm not going to lie to you. I'm not going to trick you, nor am I going to be impressed by you. Yes, yes, yes, yes. Any of y'all any anybody here had a root canal?
Anybody had a root canal in here? Oh, good lord, all of you. There's bad teeth everywhere.
So my tooth is starting to hurt and I'm brushing it harder and flossing it and And all that. I'm telling people my tooth hurt. They give me what they think I should do. Yeah. Finally, I woke up.
and went to the dentist. Because could it be? Dr. Dentist had a little bit more inside information to my situation. than me or the folk advising me who thought they know knew what to tell me what to do.
Dentist did all these x-rays and started looking at all up in my mouth. I started drilling in there and they had to give me a root canal. See? The dentist wasn't dealing with what I thought and how I felt and what people said. He was looking at something deeper.
Which required something deeper. See, we live our lives on how we feel and what I think and what people told me, and she told me this, and he told me that, and they told me this. And Jesus says, Yeah, but I'm the great physician, and I'm seeing stuff deeper, and you need to let me give a spiritual assessment of where you are. But see. That's what the saints in Laodicea didn't want.
That's why they didn't know. They didn't want the spiritual perspective. They wanted people to make them feel good about where they are based on the world's perspective. And that's not what the church is supposed to be. Not the Church of Jesus Christ.
The church of Jesus Christ lives on the truth. And it lives on the reality of the Son of God. And it lives on the proclamation of the spiritual. And unless the spiritual is put out front. Of the physical and not the physical, put out front of the spiritual.
You and I will live in deception individually, and we will live in deception as a church, and we will carry on services while Jesus wants to vomit. Unless the spiritual is out front. And that becomes the standard and the gauge. for every area of life. Then Jesus said, I can't do anything with you.
Because you're living based on a facade. Based on a lie. A goldsmith was purifying gold one day and getting the dross out.
Somebody asked him, How do you know when the gold has been purified? Goldsmith says, when I see my reflection in it. And until Jesus sees himself in us, We still deal with all kinds of alloys, mixtures. that is contaminating what God really wants us to be. Dr.
Evans has a simple suggestion that can help us move toward greater authenticity. And he'll share that when he returns in just a moment. But first, I encourage you to check out Tony's Jesus Challenge study package. It includes all eight full-length lessons from the series and focuses on how to develop a stronger faith. healthier priorities, increased commitment, and more.
You'll also receive Dr. Evans' book, Living as an Overcomer. as well as its companion workbook and Bible study video. packed with important teaching segments from Tony. This is the final day we'll be offering this exclusive package, and you can get it now as our gift in appreciation for your contribution in support of the Ministry of the Alternative.
Just visit us online at tonyevans.org. or call our resource center at 1-800-800-3222. Team members are standing by around the clock to help with your request. That's 1-800-800-3222.
Well, Dr. Evans is back now to conclude today's lesson. You need to, I need to, we need to be close to folk who are going to give us Jesus' perspective. Even if they don't have your money, your car, your house, and your clothes. That's why James 2 decries the man who's got stuff.
He's got stuff, he's got money, he's got wealth, he's got recognition, he's got notoriety, he's got power. And then somebody poor comes and sits next to him. This person doesn't have all the finest clothes. This person doesn't have much money. This person doesn't have much to give, but they know God.
But the rich person doesn't want to sit next to the poor person because they got the world standard and they're using the world standard, so he's not in my class.
Well, you're not in Jesus' class, but he accepts you. I'm not in Jesus' class. He accepts me. He says, How dare you, James says, tell the poor man, well, you go into the back. Because we saving the rich folk the seats up front.
He says, don't you know you are evil people with evil motives? You can't have classism in the church of Jesus Christ, because some people have and other people don't. There's no room for that if the spiritual is first. We're all in need of the same grace. So Jesus says, I got some advice.
For folk who put the physical in front of the spiritual. Buy from me. You got to get on my page. You gotta start with me. Not with what they're saying out there, not with what the television is saying, not what the media is saying, not what the pundits are saying.
You start with me. Because I want to be the standard by which you operate. Therefore, I advise you to deal with me, verse 19, those whom I love. If you're a child of God, he loves you. Those who I love, I reprove and discipline.
Therefore be zealous and repent. Mm. Those who I love. I reprove and discipline. Because I love you.
I'm gonna create some situations in your life. It's called discipline. I'm going to bring some corrective measures into your world. I'm gonna put you into situations money can't buy you out of. I'm gonna put you in situations you can't dress up for.
I'm gonna put you in situations to deal with your blindness. I'm gonna bring some discipline into your life. to let you know. That all that stuff that the world applauds and makes you feel wrong about yourself with can't solve your problem. Until I can get your undivided attention.
Now, I'm not trying to be mean because I love you, but I am trying to correct some things that need to be corrected so I don't have to spew you out of my mouth. You remember Joshua and Caleb, when they were going into the promised land, the ten spies, said, We can't go that because look at the physical. The physical says they are giants in the land. Joshua and Caleb said, y'all not seeing. Y'all are blind.
You're not seeing. Because if you were seeing what God is seeing, then you can see. We can go in there and take that. But they were so entranced with the physical. That they miss the spiritual and wind up wondering for 40 years.
In the wilderness. You don't want to spend the rest of your life wandering looking good. wandering around in circles with money in your pocket. wandering, not getting anywhere, but you got a nice house. The spiritual, being able to see things from God's perspective.
First. Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. When the spiritual is put ahead of the physical, then the physical is in its rightful place. Two, all through the Bible, God says, first, Worship me first, give to me first, honor me first, put my kingdom first. Glorify Jesus first.
It's first and first and first. The spiritual must be put in front of the physical. Or we will be all out of sync.
So what do you what do we do?
Okay, watch this now. Verse 20. Behold, I stand at the door. And knock. He's at the door.
Of Laodicea. Bible fellowship. He's knocking. What does that mean? They having church and he not even there.
They singing and praising and waving a hand in the air like you just don't care. They jumping over pews. They shouting, Hallelujah, ain't God good? He's so high you can't get over. He's so low you can't get under.
He's so wide you can't get around him. Ain't God good? Yeah, all the time God is good. They're having a good time. Jesus is outside.
Not, can I come in?
So just because you have in church don't mean Jesus is in the sanctuary. And what keeps him out of the sanctuary is lukewarmness. Christians who are not all in. Who just won a little Religion to make them feel like They've done something. But do not want Jesus Christ to rule in their lives, govern their direction, their decisions, who do not prioritize the spiritual.
And Jesus is saying, Can I come to church too? He goes on in verse 20, he says. If anyone hears my voice, And opens the door.
So the question is, how do you know if you heard? How do you know if you are hearing the knocking on the door? Here's how you know you're hearing the knocking on the door. God is convicting you of your blindness. You feel convicted.
That yes, that's me. Standing in the need of prayer, that you feel this tug of God on your heart. You know, you're playing games with me. You know, you're just going through the religious motions. You know that there is not a full commitment to me.
And he starts tugging you, and you start to feel uncomfortable. You're squirming in your seat, although you're not moving. It's just all on the inside. And you know, God is talking to you. That means you're hearing a knock.
And he's calling your name. He creates the discipline, he says. And then he wants to be invited in. The reason he wants to be invited in is because he wants to help you with the cleanup. He doesn't want more faking.
He already knows the stuff that's not right inside. He wants to watch this dine with you. Guess who's coming to dinner? He wants to dine with you. Dining means fellowship.
It's like when you say somebody, let's have lunch together. You're not just talking about the food, you're talking about the fellowship. He wants this intimate relationship and he already knows the reality because he already told you you're blind, you're naked, and you're poor.
So he already knows what's going on. He wants to be invited in for part of the cleanup. He wants to be part of the cleanup because he's the one who brought a lot of the mess or the discipline to awaken us to the knock. Annie says, if you will invite me in, I will come in and dine with him or her. In other words, he's inviting you into a deeper experiential reality.
of him in your life.
So that you don't have to Fake. spirituality. Fake commitment, fake loving the Lord. Fake loving is where you won't have to fake that anymore because you and Jesus just had dinner together. It's the real deal.
It's the real intimacy. It it ain't about An extension on the building. It's not about programs. It's not about any of that. It is about me and you and us experiencing intimacy with Jesus Christ at a deeper level.
And all that other stuff is extra. Nothing wrong with it, but it's extra. It ain't the definition of who we are. Praise God for it, but that's not who we are. Thank God for it, but that's not what we're here for.
We're here to know Him, love Him, and serve Him. Everything else is a facilitating process for that. But even if we don't get it, even if something downturns and we lose it, it doesn't change who we are because it was never about it. It was about dining. With the Saviour.
And then he goes on and he closes. He says to him who overcomes. There's our word. To him who overcomes, I will grant him to sit down with me on my throne. as I also overcame and sat down.
with my father. On his throne. What did Jesus have to overcome that we had to overcome? Because he said he had to overcome some stuff too. You remember?
When the devil came to Jesus. Satan tried to get Jesus. To be divided from the will of the Father. He's after us trying to be divided. from the will of the Father.
And we must overcome him. as Jesus had to overcome him. And it's hard because Jesus was hungry and Jesus was tired and emotionally he didn't want to deal with the cross. He prayed, let this cup pass from me.
So he had to struggle like we have to struggle. But Jesus said he overcame him. A bird one day was walking on a branch. And then the brand split.
So the bird had to make a decision. Am I going this way or am I going that way? Because if I don't go anywhere, I'm going nowhere. The lukewarm Christian is the one who won't make a decision. Says we had a cold.
But don't be stuck. Don't just be churchified. Don't just be religious. Don't just act the part. Don't just play Christianity.
It's just make a decision. Be all in. Be hot, be cold. That doesn't mean we're perfect, but it means we repent when God reveals our imperfection so that we can get back on the road. And when you do, and Jesus shows up.
He enables us to become overcomers of the things we have to overcome. Because he's dining at the table with us when the devil shows up. Dr. Tony Evans on the importance of genuinely embracing a complete trust in God. If you're ready for that, visit tonyevans.org today.
and follow the link that says Jesus. There, Dr. Evans will explain everything you need to start and grow a new authentic life in Christ. Also, while you're on the website, don't miss out on the special offer that ends today. the Living as an Overcomer book, workbook, and Bible study video.
plus all eight full-length audio messages from the Jesus Challenge series. available to you digitally as well as on either C D or USB flash drive. This powerful, life-changing package of resources is yours with our thanks when you make a donation to help us keep Tony's teaching on this station. Visit us today at tonyevans.org to take advantage of this offer. or call us at 1-800-800-3222-1.
and let one of our resource team members help you. That's 1-800-800-3222.
or online at tonyevans.org. We've all heard stories about the powerful things faith can accomplish. But on Monday, Dr. Evans will explain why unbelief can be powerful too. and in some pretty costly ways.
I hope you'll join us for that.
