Whenever God is made second to anything, even if they are good things, it's unacceptable. Dr. Tony Evans says it's not only time to reconsider what we're doing, but why we're doing it.
So evidently, you can be doing right stuff and be in wrong relationship. This is the alternative broadcast featuring the timeless biblical teachings from the archives of Dr. Tony Evans. Over time, our love for God either tends to grow more rich or more routine. Today, Dr. Evans explains that when routine becomes the norm, it's time to take a serious look at our priorities.
Let's join him as he helps us do that. The Greek word for overcomer is nakeo. Even if you don't know Greek, you know the word because you know the word Nike. Nike is from nakeo. It is the English cognate of that Greek word. Nakeo referred to in Greek the goddess of victory. So when you see the swish, the logo for Nike, you are actually looking at them borrowing from Greek, Greek mythology, the goddess of victory. And that's where we get the word in the Bible, overcomer. When you look at Nike paraphernalia, they want you to win. The swish means they want to call you to victory in whatever sport you may be participating in. God wants you to win because the word means to overcome something, which means there's something that you need to overcome.
Something that is seeking to defeat, oppress, to make you a victim and not allow you to be a victor. The number seven in the scripture means to come to completion. So when we unpack each one of these seven messages to the seven churches, you will have enough to overcome.
You can overcome in a number of different ways, but the principle should be operating in your heart and in your life. The first church we come to is the church at Ephesus. To appreciate and understand Ephesus, all you have to do is understand New York. Ephesus was the New York of Asia Minor, now known as Turkey. Ephesus was the center of commerce, of culture, of civic focus, of fashion.
If you wanted to go on vacation, Ephesus was the place to go. It was a tourist city. It was well known throughout Asia as the place to go. It was an economic boom town.
It was like a Wall Street. It dealt in significant financial matters because of its strategic location. It was also known for idolatry. The Temple of Diana was located in Ephesus, a major idolatrous tourist attraction.
Diana would draw people from all over that part of the world. And so, people from all different backgrounds, cultures would come through Ephesus because of all that it had to offer. The story of the church's beginning, feel free to read it sometime, is Acts chapter 19, of how in the midst of sorcery and witchcraft and economics, people got saved and the church was established. And it is expressed to us in Acts 19 about the energy, excitement, and challenges that face this brand new church. But here in the book of Revelation, he is not writing because all is well. He is writing because of a situation that needed to be addressed for people who wanted to be overcomers, as I hope that we do. He makes it clear in the first verse that this was written for the angel of that house, that is God's messenger, the word angel from the Greek word angelos means messenger, that the messenger, the pastor, if you will, was to proclaim this message to the congregation at Ephesus Bible Fellowship. And if you and I will hear what he has to say, he that hath an ear, let him hear, verse seven says, then you are on your way to being an overcomer, an overruler of that which is ruling over you. Now he first wants you to know, according to verse one, that the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand, the one who walks among the seven lampstands says this. So before he says anything, he wants to let you know where he's walking. He says he's walking among the seven lampstands, that's the seven churches. So right now, as we gather in our congregational meeting today, there is an unseen visitor. Jesus Christ is walking up and down the aisles of this worship service this morning.
You cannot see him because he's here in spirit, not in body, but he's very much there, and he says he that walks among the seven lampstands says this. And the first phrase he says is, I know. So he wants you to know as he passes by your pew, I know you, and I know you. I know who you are, I know where you came from, I know where you're going, I know where you've been, I know what you're thinking right now, I know. So right now we might as well get off the facade because he knows.
He knows what's behind that makeup, he knows what's behind that weave, he knows what's behind that dress, those slacks. He says, I know. I am fully aware of the church corporate and every single individual in it because he comes to he that hath an ear. So he's talking to us collectively, the lampstand, and individually, he that hath an ear.
So don't take this only to us, take it to me. He starts off with a compliment, a commendation, if you will. He wants to congratulate the church first. He says, I know your deeds, I know what you do, I know that you are a serving church. I know about your programs, your ministries, your outreaches, your small groups. I know about your Bible classes, I know about the support systems you have to help people get victory. I am well aware of all of the programs that you do, I see what your deeds are, I know what you do. I'm aware of the ministries of your church and how you seek to do them, to do them with proficiency, to do them with excellence.
I am well aware of what your ministry has to offer. You are a serving church. You're not only a serving church, but I also know verse two says, you're toil. The Greek word for toil means to labor to the point of exhaustion. I see you sweating, I see you over time, I see you huffing and puffing to get the ministry done.
So you don't only do stuff, you go overboard in the doing of stuff. You are tireless in ministry activity and I'm very much aware of that. You're not only a serving church, you are then a sacrificing church, you go overboard. In addition to that, I know, he says, verse two, your perseverance. I know that you don't quit when the going gets tough because you are a steadfast church. When times are hard, you keep going.
You don't throw in the towel just because you may not be feeling it today. I'm well aware of your longevity. I'm conscious of your 40 years. I am also well aware that you do not tolerate evil men and you test them who call themselves apostles and are not. You are a separated church, that is, you are orthodox in theology and doctrine. You test things to see whether they are consistent or inconsistent with the Bible. You are a Bible-teaching, Bible-believing, Bible-quote, Bible-toting church. And when stuff doesn't agree with the Bible and folks come up with false doctrine, you are quick to identify it, to ask questions about it, and to address it if it needs addressing because you have separated yourself to truth because you measure things by the standard of my word. I know that about you. He says, I know something else about you, and that is that you have perseverance and have been doing it for my name's sake. You are a suffering church.
You have not grown weary. People talk about you out there. They think you're a cult.
They oppress you. You act too Christian on their job and they will laugh at you. I'm well aware that you've had to endure some downtime because of your public confession of me.
Well, I don't know about you, but this sounds like the church you want to go to. I mean, Jesus is saying, I know about you. You've got a reputation, and that reputation is stellar. You're serving. You're sacrificing. You're steadfast. You're separated.
You're suffering. You are a model congregation, and I know it. That's the good news, but there's some bad news to go along with it. And Dr. Evans will examine that when he returns in just a moment to continue our message from this year's special audio compilation, The Top 24 in 2024, two dozen of his most hard-hitting, life-changing lessons presented this past year. It includes messages on unleashing the power of the Word, trusting God in the darkness, replacing worry with contentment and more. It makes the kind of Christmas gift that can literally change a life. And we're offering it right now as our gift to anyone who comes alongside the alternative ministry with a year-end contribution. And for a limited time, when you make that donation, we'll also include The Greatest Gift, the exciting new Christmas album from acclaimed gospel vocalist and musician Anthony Evans. The Greatest Gift and The Top 24 in 2024, yours with our thanks when you visit TonyEvans.org and make a donation, but only for a limited time, so plan to do that right away. Again, that's TonyEvans.org, or call our resource center at 1-800-800-3222. When you do, check out how you can also receive a copy of the Tony Evans Study Bible.
It's available as a special upgrade to this exclusive year-end deal. I'll repeat our contact information for you after Part 2 of today's lesson, and this. Pain, uncertainty, and division seem to be everywhere you turn these days, until you look to Jesus. And now more than ever, the world needs to hear the hopeful story of the kingdom of God transforming hearts. That's why today we're asking for your year-end gift to help meet our year-end challenge amount to keep that hope going out through the Urban Alternative. Your generous support will ensure you and more listeners all over the world can continue to be encouraged by God's Word through the Urban Alternative broadcasts. Please visit TonyEvans.org to give today.
That's TonyEvans.org. The commendation now turns to a criticism or a condemnation. But I have this against you. You have left your first love.
You know how irritated it is for somebody to tell you five good things and then come a one thing that they can't deal with? Jesus says, I've seen your commendable attributes, but I have this one thing against you. You have left your first love. So evidently, you can be a serving church and a serving Christian and have left your first love. Evidently, you can be a sacrificing church and a sacrificing Christian and have left your first love. You can be a steadfast church and a steadfast Christian and have left your first love. You can be a separated church and a separated Christian and have left your first love.
You can be a suffering church and a suffering Christian and still have left your first love. So evidently, you can be doing right stuff and be in wrong relationship. Because you can look the part but have no life.
You can look the part, but the life not be pulsating there. You can be functionally precise and spiritually out of sync. What is this problem that Jesus speaks of that's so big that it wipes out five compliments, that it overrules five affirmations?
He says, I just got one thing, but it's a doozy. You have left your first love. You have left the one you love first. If you've ever left your keys or left a book somewhere, it's not the keys or the book that's lost, it's you. Because the keys in the book haven't moved. The keys didn't get up and start walking.
The book didn't get up and start moving. You moved, I moved, the keys haven't moved. So he doesn't say he left. He says, you left your first love. So if you and God aren't close, it's not cause God moved. It's cause we've moved and we feel like God moved.
When we're the one that's lost, not the keys. He says, you've left your first love. To love is to passionately pursue God's pleasure, to love God is to passionately pursue God's pleasure. To love God is to passionately pursue God's pleasure.
But here's the problem, because I am sure there were believers in Ephesus like believers in old Cliff who says, I love the Lord. Oh, but that's not his complaint that they don't love him. His complaint is they don't love him first. You have left your first love. You may still love me, but you no longer love me first. Let me explain something about God that we all need to grab.
We need to get this one. There are certain things God can't do. So let's get this straight, we got this thing, God can do anything.
Well, not quite, certain things he just can't do. God can't lie, the Bible says, by two immutable things, it's impossible for God to lie, so he can't lie. God can't sin, God can't act contrary to his nature, for then he would no longer be immutable, the unchanging God. God cannot stop existing because he's eternal, so he can't do that. Some things he cannot do. Let me tell you something else God can't do.
He can't be second, he cannot be second. Whenever God is made second to anything, even if they are good things, it's unacceptable, because he is in a class by himself. In the beginning, God, before there was anything, there was God. The Bible says over and over again, what's the first commandment? You shall love the Lord with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your soul. What does it say about Jesus Christ that he might have first place in everything?
Paul says in 1 Timothy, when you come before God, first of all, raise holy hands, men, before the Lord, do it first. Suppose a husband would say to his wife, now look, I want you to know, you're not gonna be first, I'm gonna fit you in where I can, but nothing's gonna change. I'm still gonna go to work, I'm still gonna bring my money home, I'm still gonna do what I'm supposed to do, I'm gonna fulfill my job, but you're not going to be my priority. That's, I'll get around to you when I can. When I got a little extra time, I'll give you some of it.
When I got a little extra resources, I'll give you some of it. When I got a little extra attention, I'll give you some of it, but I'm gonna do my duty. See, this church and these believers were doing their duty, he gave them five compliments. But God was no longer first. In other words, the duty had trumped the devotion.
And as a result of that, they had left their first love. In baseball, if you miss first base, the fact that you touch second, touch third, and touch home plate is meaningless. Because if you miss first, all the other movements running and base touching becomes a waste of time. God demands to be first in our affection, in our attention, in our priority. He demands to be first because that's what he is. And when he is no longer first, and has been repositioned with something or someone in place of him, you just created an idol.
Because you've made something else first. And whatever is first becomes your God. So now God has competition in your life. He's not saying, you don't love me, he's saying you don't love me first.
That I am not your priority, and I don't know how to be second. We, individually and corporately, have often committed the sin of making ministry for him more important than relationship with him. And the cost has been great in our spiritual experience of him. He says, you've left your first love, you've compromised religion for relationship. And you know the bad part about it?
We've left him and don't even know we've gone. Because see, religion keeps you busy, religion keeps you active, religion keep you doing stuff. So you think, oh, oh, Lord must be happy with me because look at what I'm doing for the Lord.
Now, don't get me wrong. He's complimenting them on what they're doing, but not at the expense of the relationship. Not if it's costing you the intimacy, not if it's costing you the connectivity. It is where he has been prioritized that will affect whether you become an overcomer.
You've left your first love. If you've never experienced that intimate relationship with Jesus, it's not too late. In fact, I can start today, right now.
Here's Dr. Evans to explain. If you want to know for certain that you're on your way to heaven when you die, then I invite you right now to go to Jesus Christ and let him know that you believe he died for you, that you believe he arose for you, and that you want to put your trust in him alone for the forgiveness of your sins and the gift of eternal life. If you really wanna go to heaven, he'll give you a free ticket there, but you must go to him for it and believe him to give it to you. If you do that, you'll be saved right now.
To learn more about what it means to be a real Christian, visit tonyevans.org and click on the link that says Jesus. Tony will walk you through everything you need to know. Now, if you'd like to have a copy of today's message to review on your own or pass along to a friend, just contact us for details on the title A Challenge to Prioritize Your Priorities. But this message is also part of our year-end audio compilation, The Top 24 of 2024. As I mentioned earlier, we're offering all 24 lessons in this comprehensive collection, bundled along with Anthony Evans' new Christmas album, The Greatest Gift. This exclusive resource package is yours as a thank you gift when you help support the alternative broadcast ministry with a year-end contribution. Get the details before time runs out at tonyevans.org, where you can also find out how to add the Tony Evans Study Bible to this special year-end package. Again, that's tonyevans.org, or call our 24-hour resource center at 1-800-800-3222.
That's 1-800-800-3222. Dr. Evans says what we do with Christ is even more important than what we do for Him. Tomorrow, he'll talk more about the importance of keeping that love at the top of our priority list. I hope you'll join us. We'll see you in the next episode of The Greatest Gift.
