His name is greater than the human names you're looking at to fix the issues in your life. Dr. Tony Evans talks about connecting with the power in Jesus' name. And when you get that name right, then you'll get to see heaven, visit earth, addressing sin, and changing circumstances. This is the alternative broadcast featuring the timeless biblical teachings from the archives of Dr. Tony Evans. It's one of those things Christians do but don't always understand. I'm talking about wrapping up a prayer with the words, In Jesus' Name. Well, today Dr. Evans sheds light on connecting with the power in that name when we use it the way God intended.
Let's join him. The primary reason why God became a man and named his son Jesus is because he wanted to rescue people from their sin. One of the things that got Jesus in trouble was his claim to be God in the flesh.
And one of those claims was made by his ability to forgive sins. In Mark chapter 3, there's a paralyzed man, and he's brought to Jesus for healing. And Jesus heals him, but then says, and your sins are forgiven. What Jesus was saying is, your paralysis is connected to your sin. I'm going to fix your paralysis because I'm going to address your sin. And my forgiveness is the cure. So you're going to be a better person now.
You're going to be able to take up your bed and walk because I dealt with the spiritual that now frees me up to do something about the physical. When Jesus did that, the leaders got mad at him because they said, only God can forgive sins. Basically, Jesus says, I heard that.
You're absolutely correct. Jesus is God's representative to deal with sin, and as a result, address, based on his will, circumstances in life. Sin has one overarching goal. Romans 6 23 says, the wages of sin is death.
Because of Adam's sin, death went to the whole human race. It's like in football, when a lineman is called for an infraction, the lineman isn't given five-yard penalty. The whole team is given five-yard penalty because they are connected to one another. So he doesn't say, lineman, because you jumped offside, go back five yards. No, whole team go back five yards, because they are interrelated, because they are a team. So the sin of the lineman is imputed to the other 10 men on the field, even though they may not have jumped offside, because they are connected. The Bible declares all of us are connected to the human race through Adam, and because Adam sinned, then the whole human race was credited with the consequence of that sin and penalized with death. Now, I know what you're saying.
That ain't fair. So let's go to the next level of sin. One sin is imputation, but the next sin is inherited sin.
This is what you got from your mama and your daddy, and what you gave to your childrens. It's called inherited sin. You not only gave to your children your good looks, in some cases, you gave to your children your sin nature.
You see, we were born with a nature. That's why some folk can be called born liars, because that's how they came out the womb. That's why you don't have to teach your child how to not be, how to be selfish. You have to teach them how to share, because you don't have to not be, how to be selfish. You have to teach them how to share, because they borrowed from you your sin nature. That's why you see children repeating some of the same sins that their parents did, because they have inherited a sin nature. And while some people can manage that nature better than others, some people do it. Other folk just wish they could do it, because it is all being born out of the same inherited nature.
Now you may still object. You may say, it's not fair that I got this from Adam. It's not fair, because I didn't ask to be my mother's child. I didn't ask that.
So that's not fair either. All right, let's go to the third level of sin. There's sin imputed, there's sin inherited, but then there's sin practiced. So let's forget Adam. Let's forget your mama and your daddy.
Let's just talk about you, and me, and us. Let's talk about the stuff you knew was wrong. You knew you shouldn't do it, and you went ahead and did it anyway. So now, if there was no Adam, and if there was no mama and daddy, you still a sinner by what you chose to do on your own. So you see, there's nowhere that you can run from the complications and the reality of sin, and therefore its consequence, which is death. But not only does it produce physical death, it produces death in our lives until we die. It produces emotional death. That's when we can't get along with ourselves.
Anybody here don't like themselves, folks searching for themselves, first not able to make meaning of their life for themselves? It separates you from you. Sin separates you from being the full you you were created to be. It not only establishes emotional death, it establishes relational death. So people can't get along with each other.
In their families, they can't get along with each other. Across racial lines, it produces that kind of death, because death, remember, is a separation. And then ultimately, it will produce eternal death.
That is where people are separated from God forever. So sin has as its goal to bring death. The wages of sin is always death.
So guess why Jesus came? He came so you wouldn't die, and you pick the category of death. You say, but wait a minute, aren't I gonna die physically?
Not really. If you're a Christian, John 11 26 says, he that believeth in me shall never die. So if you're a Christian, death is a moot word. Now I know what we mean when we talk about it physically, but if you are a Christian, the Bible says, to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. So you won't be dead long enough to know you died, because you are immediately transferred. The Bible proclaims that when you die, you immediately go into the presence of the Lord.
Luke 16, when Lazarus died, he was immediately taken into the presence of the Lord. So the reason you shouldn't fear death is you won't be dead long enough to experience it, because Jesus came to deal with the penalty of sin, and the penalty of sin is addressed when you trust Jesus Christ to be your personal Savior. The penalty of sin, which is always the same death, has been addressed once and for all the moment you come to Christ. But not only did he come to do with the penalty of sin—stay with me here, because his name is Jesus and that means he's a rescuer—he came to deal with the power of sin. The penalty of sin secures your eternal destiny, but the power of sin messes up your life now—my life now. All you have to do is look in the mirror, and you will see who sin has messed up. So don't look over here, don't look over there. Just look in the mirror, and the mirror will show you who sin has done a number on.
Not the same number, but he's done a number on us all. Many of us are still dealing as adults with things that affected us as a child. Many of us are dealing with things related to emotions, things related to finances. If we wouldn't have sinned with our finances, we wouldn't be paying MasterCard for the rest of our lives. See, because, see, we just say, I can't pay my bills. God says you sinned with your money.
See, those are two different answers. And if you just look at it, I can't pay my bills, and you don't deal with the sin of financial disobedience, then you've not addressed the root. You're just simply trying to be delivered from the consequence of the fruit. What killed Jesus? Sin. He who knew no sin became sin for us. And because he bore our sin, our sin, sin killed Jesus. But when he rose on Sunday morning, he overrode what killed him. What killed him was sin. But the resurrection says I can beat it.
So I don't care what the sin is, he can beat he can beat it by virtue of his resurrection, which is why Romans 5 verse 10 says that we are saved by his life. Saved means to be rescued. That Jesus is alive right now to rescue you, not first and foremost from your circumstances. Dr. Evans will take a closer look at how Jesus overcomes sin and death when he returns in just a moment. First though, this message we're hearing today is part of the alternative special audio compilation, The Top 24 in 2024, two dozen of Tony's most impactful, 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.
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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. I love 1st Corinthians 15, talking about the resurrection. In verse 51 he says, "'Brother, I tell you a mystery. We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet, for the trumpet will sound and the dead will be raved imperishable and will be changed. For this perishable must put on the imperishable, and this mortal must put on immortality. But when the perishable will have put on the imperishable, and the mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, death is swallowed up in victory.'"
So watch this now. I love verse 55, "'O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?' The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."
He says that Jesus Christ is victory over sin, which means he's victory over whatever is killing you, whatever death-dealing blow you face, because his resurrection and the fact he lives now in you, if you've accepted him as your Savior, gives him the ability to overrule whatever sin is bringing about damage in your life, if he's free to use his name. Now you may say, well I call on Jesus name all the time. Most of us in our prayers with this phrase, in Jesus name, amen. And that's an appropriate way to end a prayer, kinda. That sounds like it's a spiritual prayer, and it certainly sounds like we're concluding it appropriately.
But we don't hear from Jesus. But we ended the prayer in Jesus name, because we say there's power in the name, so where's the power? Because I'm using the name. When you have a power of attorney, that means somebody has given you permission to use their name. They've given you permission to act on their behalf because they've given you their power with their name. In other words, if you have their name but have not been given permission to use it, then you don't have legal right for its use. A lot of folk throw out Jesus's name who've not been given permission to use it.
They have not been granted power of attorney. But because they think using the name will give them this magical power, they use the name without the backing of the person. A great illustration of this is Acts chapter 19, verses 11 and following, when there's this demon-possessed person. Paul has been casting out demons. He's been getting demons out of folk. And the seven sons of Sceva watch what Paul is doing, and they say, we can do that.
We can do that. Because they notice that every time Paul did it, he did it in Jesus's name. So Paul would go up to some folk, and in the name of Jesus, come out of them. The demons would come out.
Well, they said, we like that. So they want to get rid of the demon. So they go up to the demon-possessed person and say, in Jesus's name, come out of him.
Okay, they used the right name. But when they called for the demon to come out, in Jesus's name, the demon spoke up. Demons responded. And according to Acts 19, the demon said now, Jesus, we know. Paul, we know. Who are you?
We'll know you. And then it goes on to say, the demons left the demon-possessed person and jumped on them while they're using Jesus's name. In other words, just because you know the name, and just because you use the name, does not mean you've been given legitimate rights and authority that belongs to the name. That's why 1 John chapter 5 verses 15 and 16 wants you to know it says that you can only use His name if you are doing His will. God's not gonna respond to your use of His name if you are not equally concerned with doing His will, because then you're using His name illegitimately. You're using His name apart from His goal, which is dealing with sin. He says don't bother at calling on my name if you're not committed to my will and committed to my person. So you got everybody calling on Jesus and the demons are saying, who y'all?
I will know you. So you can use His name without His authorization. And then He has no obligation to respond. So if you're gonna end your prayer in Jesus's name, I need you to rescue me, then He has to have the freedom to identify if there is a sin, what sin that needs to be addressed, which frees Him up to number one, forgive the sin or address the sin, and then, based on His will, to address the circumstance. But if you skip His will in the matter spiritually, you've wasted your time with the tagline. In Saint John chapter 16, he says in verse 23 and 24, if you ask in my name, in Saint John 14 verses 13 and 14, if you ask in my name, if you ask in my name, but right in the context of that, if you ask in my name, we better have a relationship. You just can't throw out the word Jesus. The Bible says at the judgment of the goats and the sheep, people gonna say, well, we did this in your name. We did this in your name. We did this in your name. We said Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus in the morning, Jesus at noontime, Jesus when the sun go down.
We had Jesus all over the place. And it says that Jesus is gonna say, I never knew you. I never knew you. You used my name, but we had no relationship. There was no commitment to me. There was no walking with me. There was no seeking my will for your life. You were just throwing out my name. So it's a special name when used appropriately. Philippians chapter 2 verse 9 says, for this reason also, God highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name. So that at the name of Jesus, every knee will bow of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth.
And every tongue will confess Jesus Christ as Lord to the glory of the Father. Now I don't know who you know. I don't know who the Mr. Big stuff is in your life. I don't know who the names are that make you a name dropper, but I know one name that is above every name. You may know your doctor's name, but I know a healer whose name is bigger than him. You may need an attorney, but I know an attorney who's bigger than that name.
You may need a friend, but I know a friend who's bigger than that friend as long as you keep the meaning of his name. And if you keep the meaning of his name, you will discover that he will invade your life, address the sin according to his will, determine what he will address in the circumstance, and you will discover that his name is greater than every other name. And I love the way he closes by saying at the name of Jesus, every knee bows and every tongue confesses that Jesus is Lord.
So he wants you to do two things with this name. He wants you to take a knee. If you really want to take a knee, take a knee for that one. He says every knee shall bow.
But while you're going down on your knee, he says open your mouth. Confess with your mouth you know somebody. You talk about everybody else, you better bring up the name Jesus. You talk about the big people in your life, you better bring up the name Jesus because his name is greater than the human names you're looking at to fix the issues in your life. And when you get that name right, then you'll get to see heaven, visit earth, addressing sin, and changing circumstances, because it's all about the name Jesus. And as we've learned, that name describes a person, a person you can know. The Bible talks of Jesus standing at the door of your heart, knocking.
Once you let him in, that relationship begins. But what does that mean? How do you do that? Well, Tony would love to tell you. Visit tonyevans.org today and click on the link at the top of the page that says Jesus. You'll find answers to your questions, a simple prayer that can change your life, and free follow-up resources. 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 Jesus the Savior. 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 package. Again, that's tonyevans.org, or call our 24-hour resource center at 1-800-800-3222. Tomorrow on the Christmas Day edition of the broadcast, Dr. Evans will share some encouraging truth about the way Jesus illuminates our lives as he brings us a message called The True Light of Christmas. I hope you'll make plans to join us.
