God has a lot of Christians that are in the stands.
They just show up to watch the game. But Dr. Tony Evans says there are benefits for believers who take to the field. If you are an obedient saint who does not deny Him, you are an overcomer. This is the alternative broadcast featuring the timeless biblical teachings from the archives of Dr. Tony Evans. When faced with adversity, it can become tempting to just throw in the towel. But today, Dr. Evans explores how we can instead tap into God's matchless strength to give us hope and ultimately to transform our despair into victory.
Let's join him as he explains. The church at Philadelphia. This is the first Philadelphia, the city of brotherly love. This Philadelphia, in verse 7 of Revelation 3, is located some 30 miles southeast of Sardis, a great commercial city with a major trade route plagued often with earthquakes.
That was the nature of this city. Inside this city was a small church, a small gathering of believers, Philadelphia Bible Fellowship. The small gathering of believers found themselves in this pagan realm, and Jesus, who is the spokesperson through the shepherd of each one of these churches, speaks through this leader to the saints at Philadelphia Bible Fellowship at the church in Philadelphia.
And notice what he says. Verse 7, he who is holy, who is true, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, and who shuts and no one opens, says this. So before we get into all the idiosyncrasies of what he has to say to this church, he wants to give another description of himself, which he has done in each of these churches, and he describes himself as he who is holy and true. Holy means to be set apart as unique, special, or one of a kind.
So we're not just talking about another name or one of the crowd. He says, I am unique and therefore must be viewed and treated uniquely. I am not only holy, I'm also true. Truth has to do with ultimate reality.
I'm the real deal. Anything that contradicts me is false and is a lie and cannot be trusted. So you are to measure everything by the truth. I am the way, the truth, and the life. So everything is to be measured by its inconsistency and compatibility to me.
And if it's incompatible and inconsistent with me, it's wrong no matter who told it to you, how long you believed it, and how well you know it. I am truth. I am holy and true.
Not only am I unique and set apart, not only am I ultimate reality, but now he gets to the nitty-gritty. He says, I have the key of David. I have the key of David.
In Isaiah chapter 22, verses 15 to 25, the steward of the house of David, the kingdom, house of David, David was the king of Israel, it uses that to speak of the kingdom. The key belonged to this steward, but the steward did not do the right job. So he was fired.
And when he was fired, a new steward replaced him. This new steward was Eliakim, and Eliakim was given the key to the kingdom. Not given a key, he was given the key. Jesus says, I possess the key of the kingdom of David. That is, I have the kingdom key.
Notice it's a single key because it's a master key. Anybody who possesses a master key can get in any door. All the doors are available to him because he has a master key. So when the Bible speaks of the key, it speaks of two things, access and authority. So Jesus claims access to any door and authority over every door. Let me say that again. Jesus, the one with the key, the master key, has access to every door, which is what a master key gives you, and authority over every door, which is why he says he can open the doors he wants to open and lock the doors he wants to stay locked, because he is in charge. Now if you and I don't get that, we're gonna think people are in charge.
We're gonna think power brokers are in charge. You know, we have this tendency, we all do, to get self-sufficient. I can make it on my own.
I got VVIM MasterCard, American Express. I can make it on my own. I know people, okay? If you know Jesus Christ, you know somebody, okay? You know people. And he says, and I open the door and nobody will shut a door I open.
I don't care what their name is and how much power they wield and how much money they have. He says in verse 9, you have kept the word of my perseverance and I will also keep you from the hour of testing, the hour that is about to come upon the whole world. He told me in verse 9, behold I've caused those in the synagogue of Satan who say they are Jews and are not, but lie, I will make them come and bow down at your feet and make them know that I have loved you.
Whoa. He said all those false folk out there, synagogue of Satan, they go to church, synagogue, but they of the devil. Just cuz you in church, synagogue doesn't mean you of the Lord. There is a synagogue of Satan.
Religious talk doesn't mean a thing. He says, but I'm gonna let them know that I have loved you. Even though you got a little power, I'm gonna let them know you got more power than you look like you have. Maybe you remember the story about a big dog and little puppy. German Shepherd and a poodle. German Shepherd and a poodle were standing at a door, were standing at a door and big dog, the shepherd, looked at the poodle and said, you, you little puppy.
You can't do much. Look how small you are. Look how short you are. You know, you got that little, little bark. I'm big dog.
Big dog. Say, look at this door. I wonder how long it would take you to get open this door, cuz I could open this door, I can open this door quickly, cuz I'm big and I can reach the knob. You can't even reach the knob.
In fact, let's have a contest. Let's see who can open the door the quickest. Little puppy said, okay, you go first, big dog. Big dog, you go first. German Shepherd jumped up on the door, got his mouth around the knob, put his mouth all around the knob and started twisting at the knob and after about two and a half minutes of working the knob, he got the door open. Then he pulled his shirt and he said, beat that, little puppy, cuz big dog didn't shown you. You can't even reach the knob.
Your turn. Little puppy came up to the door, gave a small bark, scratched the door. The man on the inside came and opened it, cuz see, when you know who's on the inside, you ain't got to go through all that. So don't, don't let it bother you if you're a little puppy, cuz if you know the Lord, he's got the key and he can open up what the big dogs can't help you with. Say, you got, you got the synagogue of Satan and they messing with you. They calling you holier than thou.
They think, they say, oh you one of them Bible people and you, you bring up Jesus all the time and you got, you one of them, yeah, they can make you feel bad. He says in the synagogue of Satan is making it tough for you, but I can keep, watch this, I can keep you from the hour of testing. He calls it you and a test.
Watch this. So if you're in a situation and the door has not yet opened, he says consider it a test. And he says, and I'm gonna walk you through the test until I reverse it. He says I'm gonna make your enemies your footstool.
Ooh. Nothing makes God real than when he reverses the irreversible. Nothing makes God more real than when he flips something that looked unflippable. Nothing make God so powerful to you when there was no way out.
You were trapped. The devil was looked like he was running the whole show, and then he reverses it. But you may say, but, but I don't see him doing anything. Oh yeah, well look at the next verse. He says you're going through this test and I'm gonna keep you through this hour, but I am coming quickly, hold fast what you have so that no one will take your crown. Oh I love this word.
I am coming quickly. That means suddenly. That means unexpectedly. That means out of nowhere. See, when God is silent, that doesn't mean he's still.
I know you don't see him doing anything. I know it looks like you just waiting for nothing, but God likes to come in suddenly. He likes to break in when you didn't expect it, when you didn't think there was any way that this thing could ever get better, that this trial could ever end. He loves to do something suddenly, and the reason why he likes to do things quickly or suddenly is so that when it happens, there is no debate on who caused it to take place, because it, it came out of nowhere. Quickly.
You wonder where did that come from? And it becomes inextricably clear that this was heaven invading history, and so vroom, he comes through suddenly. He says, and I will come quickly.
So don't worry about it if you don't have all the degrees, and if you don't have all the money, you don't have all the prestige, and you don't have all the power, and people don't applaud you when you walk into the room. Don't worry about it. Just obey him. Don't deny his name, and then wait for the Lord, I say.
Wait upon the Lord, because he comes suddenly. Dr. Evans will share a personal example of how the Lord swooped in to turn things around when he returns 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 much more. 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 do it right away. That's TonyEvans.org, or you can 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 two 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. So folks told us we couldn't meet in the school anymore. We didn't have a place to go. They were gonna vote whether they want to let us stay or to put us out. God calls there to be an accident on the freeway, so the people who were gonna vote against us who arrived in the same car couldn't get off the off-ramp. And when the council couldn't wait for them any longer, they voted without them.
We won five to four. As soon as the vote was over, they came rushing in. It was too late, because God overturned that thing. If you've never seen God do that, if you don't know what God can do, then you're just living with based on what man can do. And men do not have the final say so. That's why, that's why you're free. You're free. You're free. People don't get the final word, because they don't have the master key to your life, to your world, to your family.
They don't, they don't control it. He says, I have the master key. That must be your perspective.
Perspective is everything. So I'm coming quickly. I'm gonna come suddenly.
So what did he tell you to do in verse 11? Hold fast. Hold fast. I know you want to give up. I know you want to quit.
I know you're tired. He says, hold fast. Make sure you're obeying and not denying. You hold fast to your obedience and non-denial, and at his time, suddenly, don't let him take your crown.
That's the right to rule. Even small folk have been called to rule. And now he gives us his final statement. He who overcomes, overcomes what? The tendency to give up. He who overcomes the tendencies to stop obeying and to stop denying. He who overcomes that and says, God, as the old folks say, I'm a hold on till my change come.
You know, it's rough, it's tough, but I believe you and not my circumstances. As the final arbiter of my situation, he says, you hold on. He who overcomes, look at this, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God.
He will not go out from it anymore. I will write on him the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down out of heaven from my God and my new name. You see the word that word?
Name, name, name, name, name. First of all, he says, I'm gonna make you a pillar. A pillar holds a building up. I'm gonna make you a pillar in my temple. A temple is God's house. The pillars are located in God's house. Galatians 2 9 says that Peter, James, and John were the pillar of the church.
They were, they were holding up the church. In other words, he speaks of these people who overcome the propensity to give up as being in closest proximity to God. And he says, for these folk who are overcomers and who are in close proximity to God, they will have a name. Over and over again, he keeps talking about, name of this, the name of that, name of this, the name of that. He says, you will have a name in the New Jerusalem. Let's get something straight. Everybody is not equal in heaven.
Okay. You can have a 40 watt bulb, a 60 watt bulb, a 75 watt bulb in your house, 100 watt bulb in your house, 150 watt bulb in your house. Now all of them are bulbs, and all of them will light to their capacity, but everybody's capacity isn't the same. A 40 watt can't give you 100 watts because it's not established to be able to produce like that. Well, all Christians are Christians, but they don't have the same watts.
And so they don't exude the same experience because they don't have the same relationship. Jesus said in Saint John chapter 2, verses 23 to 25, it says, many believed on him. Many believed on him, but he would not commit himself to them because he knew what was in them. They got saved, but they had not yet got committed. They were on their way to heaven, but he couldn't use them on earth. They were forgiven for their sins, but they didn't want folk to know that they were Christians. They went to church, but they wouldn't obey the word. So they believed in him, but he would make no commitment to them. There are a lot of Christians who Jesus is just not deeply committed to in a practical way because they want to be 40 watt Christians expecting a hundred watt blessing, and it doesn't work that way. He wants to know that you're all in, that you are a full-time Christian, not a part-time saint.
He wants to know that you will not deny him, and that you will obey what he has commanded. When people go to the cowboy game, there are folks who are sitting in the stands. We don't know their name. Now they're in the location, but we don't know their name.
In fact, that's the majority of the folk who are in the building. The majority of the folk in the building are in the stands, and they're just part of the crowd, and we don't know their names. Now when it comes to the players, we know their names kind of sorta, because if I were to ask you to name the name of the right God, many of you couldn't do that.
If I ask you to name the name of the punter, many of you couldn't do that, because even though they have a name, because they're on the team, you may not know the name because of the position that they play. But now when we upgrade and start talking about wide receivers and quarterbacks and running backs, well you know those names because those names have achieved a greater name in publicity because of the role they play on the team. But then, not only do you have the folk in the crowd and the folks on the team, some more nameless than others, some with a higher name, you got the Ring of Honor. In the Ring of Honor, those are folk who've made a name. You see, the players come and go, but the folks in the Ring of Honor stay there, cuz over time they held fast. Over time they played the game. Over time they didn't quit when they were injured. Over time they stayed committed to the task. In fact, their name is not only in the Ring of Honor, their name is in Canton, Ohio in a bust in the Canton Hall of Fame.
So that generation after generation will know who their name was. God has a lot of Christians that are in the stands. They just show up to watch the game. All they want to see is what the choir is singing and what the preacher is preaching, and they just come for the show. Now folk in the crowd don't get dirty, don't incur responsibility, don't get knocked down, don't get blocked, don't get tackled, cuz they're not there to participate. They're just there to watch the show. But then there are some folk in the kingdom of God who don't want to just stay in the stands.
They want to get on the field. They serve in ministry. They help other people. They give to the advancement of the cause of the Lord. And then you got some superstars.
Those are the Ring of Honors. Oh, it's not just the people who you know their name. It's folk who are the unknown folk, but you can count on them.
You can depend on them because they are forever holding their role, loving the Lord, serving the saints, giving to the Lord, and giving glory and their witness for the Lord. So I want to challenge you today. If you want God to put you in the Ring of Honor, if you want when He hears you and sees you to say, well done, my good and faithful servant, if you want Him to call you out of the crowd and let all of heaven know you're one of His choicest servants, I challenge you to leave the stands, to come on the field.
Now I want to tell you the truth. You're gonna get blocked a little bit on the field. You're gonna get tackled a little bit on the field, but when they start handing out Super Bowl rings, you're gonna get a Super Bowl ring because you are a Super Bowl saint. So let's get busy glorifying the Lord, obeying the Lord, not denying the Lord, because if you are an obedient saint who does not deny Him, you are an overcomer. Dr. Tony Evans, on trusting in the Lord's ability to transform our trials into triumphs, and that begins with a personal relationship with Jesus.
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 want to 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 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 Dr. Evans' lesson called, When You Feel Like Giving Up. Better yet, get this message as a 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. When our circumstances turn sour, we can't wait for them to change. That's only natural. Well, tomorrow Dr. Evans will talk about an unnatural way to think of a crisis and the benefits it will bring to your relationship with the Lord. I hope you'll join us.
