There should be a difference between the world and the church. There should be a difference between how they live and how we live. Jonathan Evans says our lives need to reflect Christ, not culture.
We should not be going for sameness with the people who don't even know who He is. This is the alternative broadcast featuring the timeless biblical teachings from the archives of Dr. Tony Evans. Knowing who Jesus is changes everything. When Jesus asked His disciples, who do you say I am, He wasn't just testing their knowledge, He was challenging their faith. Today, Pastor Jonathan Evans unpacks this powerful moment for us, revealing how our answer to that question impacts our identity, our purpose, and our relationship with God.
Let's join him as he begins. Let's read from Matthew chapter 16, verse 13 through 19. It says, Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, He was asking His disciples, Who do people say that the Son of Man is? And they said, Some say John the Baptist and others Elijah, but still others Jeremiah or one of the prophets. And He said to them, But who do you say that I am? Simon Peter answered, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus said to him, Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven. Also, I say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church.
And the gates of Hades will not overpower it. I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven. And whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven.
And whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven. Jesus looked at His disciples. He looked at the people who He was in relationship with. He looked at the people who were in church today. And He said, What is the word around town about Me?
What are they saying about Me? Because you got to understand, Jesus was doing a lot of things that would spark the question. I mean, He was healing and giving sight and healing paralytics, and they were bringing people from far away to get to Jesus so that they can experience the power of Jesus.
And when people were seeing this, they were saying, Man, who is this guy? Who is this Jesus, was the question that was on the table. And not only was He healing, not only was He doing all of those spectacular miracles, but He was also teaching as one with authority in the synagogues. Mark chapter 122 says they marveled at how He would teach with authority. John chapter 7 verse 15 talks about how does He teach with all this knowledge, and He ain't got no formal education. But they kept asking the question, Who is this guy? Even the disciples said, Who is this that even the wind and the seas obey Him at His command?
Who is this? And so He asked His disciples, What is the word around town about Me? Now, I hope you understand that that question back then is still that question today. I hope you understand that He was the topic back then, and He's the headliner now. Whether people believe in Him, they don't believe in Him, they reject Him, they scold you for believing in Him, whatever the case, it's about Him that all things are happening. If you say God, won't nobody start tripping, but if you say Jesus, people's antennas go up. Because it's still He's the headliner.
Think about it. After over 2,000 years, people still talking about Jesus. I know superstars and famous peoples that died two years ago, ain't nobody talking about. But Jesus, over 2,000 years? I mean, my dad used to tell me he never went more than 100 miles from the place of his birth, but there's no place on planet Earth you can't go where they don't know His name. He's never written a song, but there's more songs written about Jesus than anybody who's ever lived.
He never wrote a book, but the book written about Him is the bestseller of all time continuously. So just like it was back then, it is today, 2,000 plus years later, there must be something about the name Jesus. And so he asked his disciples, who do people say that I am, since I know they talking about me? And so his disciples gave the answer. They said, well, some say you're John the Baptist.
Well, that's nice. You know what I mean? John the Baptist was that dude. Or in Matthew 3, I mean, repent, the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Like, John the Baptist, they talked about him in Isaiah that he would make the way of the Lord and cry out in the wilderness.
Like, there's prophecies about John the Baptist. John the Baptist is great, but that's wrong. That's a nice comment, but it's a wrong comment.
They said, well, maybe he's one of the prophets, Elijah or Jeremiah or one of those guys. I mean, that's nice, but it ain't right. Hope you understand that there's a lot of people who say nice things about them that are not right about them. And just because it's nice doesn't mean it's not simultaneously offensive. I had a friend walk up to a couple, it was a young couple, they had her stroller, they had their first newborn baby, I mean, nothing but like, you know, a couple of weeks old, that kind of thing, and they walked up to him and said, oh, look at that little girl, she's so sweet.
They looked at each other. It's a boy. I said, oh, that's nice, but it's kind of offensive. I'll give you one better.
I don't know if I'm going to get in trouble for this or not, but I'll try it. There's another person, I never do this, I always go second to make sure, but there's another person who walked up to a young lady and said, man, you just look so good pregnant. And I was like this smile, and then she went like this. And I said, I got up out of there.
She said, I'm not. I mean, it was a good intention, but because it was wrong, it was offensive. These people had good intentions, but they were totally wrong and offensive. John the Baptist knew who Jesus was. Because in John chapter 129, he says, look, behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. John the Baptist knew who he was.
He said, look, there's one who surpasses me because he existed before me. John the Baptist was clear on who he was. I baptize you with water, but here comes one that baptizes you in the Spirit. John the Baptist was clear, but the community was confused. The sad reality today is that people in the church are just as confused as people who aren't in it. They don't really know who Jesus is. They know that he's, you know, spectacular. They give him credit. They give him honor. But at the same time, if someone were to ask you who Jesus is, you wouldn't be able to tell them about your own faith.
He says, what is the word around town about me? Now, you've got to understand the belief back then that was wrong is still a common belief today. That's why we need to know who he is. That's why we need to be disciples who can stand on the rock of our understanding of Jesus Christ in our faith because the world outside is wrong.
They think it's us, but we ought to know better. Let me show you, if you don't know this, you're too churched. If you're shocked by people speaking wrong about Jesus, you in here, but you ain't getting out there. Somebody asked me about Jesus being God, so I just made a little statement on Instagram.
And I must have got 5,000 comments on Instagram about this statement of people laughing and saying how wrong I am about Jesus. We live in a society today who knows about Jesus but doesn't know Jesus. Unfortunately, we live in churches today that know about Jesus and have respect and even will give him credit, but they don't know who he is. And so he asked his disciples, who do people say that I am?
Because you've got to understand, people will be nice and offensive and you might miss it. See, if you don't know who he is, you'll end up in a cult. Because the word around town about Jesus is favorable, but it's not faithful. The word around town about Jesus is okay, but it's not right. You can be right and totally offensive. And so he moves to his disciples and he says, but what do you say about me?
I heard what they say, but I want to know who you say that I am. In other words, he uses the term but, but as a contrast conduction, means what you say and what they say should not be the same thing. You should not agree with them. The fact that they think wrong shouldn't be that you think wrong. There should be a difference between the world and the church. There should be a difference between what they say and what we say. There should be a difference between how they live and how we live.
We should not be going for sameness with the people who don't even know who he is. So he says, but what do you believe about me? Now, this is interesting because this is kind of a setup. So Jesus knew when he asked the first question, he was going to ask the second question. What do the people around the way say about me? Well, they say you this, that, and the other.
What do you say? More on how Jesus cuts straight to the heart of the matter with his followers when Jonathan returns in a moment. First though, as we're learning, true discipleship isn't just about what we believe, it's about how we live. That's the focus of Pastor Jonathan Evans' current teaching series, Discipleship for Every Day. This six-part collection will show you how to move beyond passive faith and start living out your calling with purpose and impact. As you gain practical insights from these messages, you'll discover how to make your relationship with Christ an active force in your daily life.
All six messages are yours for review anytime when you get them on CD or digital download. And you can do that with our thanks when you make a donation to help us keep these Bible-based messages on this station. And as a special bonus right now, we'll also include a copy of Jonathan's inspiring book, Your Time is Now. In it, he challenges believers to stop standing on the sidelines and boldly step into the purpose God has for you.
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Well, let's return now to more from Jonathan Evans. Now, I had a friend in small group who got set up. Now, ladies, I'm only going to say this from a man's perspective. Back in the day when we did the small group, we split up men and women. We were all married, but we split up men and women. So we was talking accountability, and he was talking about, you know, him and his wife, and they were doing all that. And we were just, you know, being accountable to one another. We all knew each other very well.
And so when he got back to his wife, his wife was like, I know y'all was talking and doing all that. What did they say about me? Well, you know, they was just saying this and that. You know, I said this about you. They said that about you. You know, whoopty, whoopty, whoop.
You know what I mean? She said, oh, okay. What did you say about me?
All of a sudden, he starts stuttering. I don't know. I was just there. I didn't say nothing. Oh, because once you say that, there's another follow-up. Why you ain't say nothing? He did the same thing to his disciples. He said, what's the word around town about me?
Let me go ahead and get that. Okay, but most importantly, since we're in relationship and you're a disciple, what do you say about me? And hopefully, we're not stuttering.
Hopefully, we're not still trying to figure it out. Disciples are clear and definitive on who he is. He says, so what do you say about me? Now, if there's anybody in here who's still on the edge or you're still a little confused, I'm going to take a moment just to tell you who he is. He is the way, the truth, and the life. No one gets to the Father except through him.
He is the first and he is the last. Colossians 1 says he is the creator of all things. Colossians 2 says full deity in bodily form. Philippians 2 says God emptied himself, taking on the form of a bondservant, being made in the likeness of man. I'm telling you, he was at the beginning, from the beginning, before the beginning. He is the mediator between God and man.
He is the one. Even in John chapter 14, Philip, one of his disciples, was still trying to figure it out, and he said, Jesus, when are you going to show us the Father? And Jesus looked back at Philip and said, you ain't been with me long enough.
When you have seen me, you have seen the Father. The Pharisees were confused. In John 8, Jesus said, Abraham is glad to see my day. And the Pharisees said, what are you talking about?
You're but 50 years old. How are you going to talk about Abraham? And Jesus looked back at them and said, before Abraham, I am. He is saying two things. He's letting you know, I pre-existed Abraham.
And I also, I am. That is the name for God used in Exodus 3 when he was talking to Moses, and he told Moses, tell them the I am that I am sent you. And then they picked up stones to stone him. Why do you think they were trying to kill him? They were trying to kill him because they viewed it as blasphemy. And people were saying on my Instagram, Jesus never claimed to be God.
Read it again. Even in the prophets, Isaiah 9, 6 says, a child will be born and a son given, and the government will rest on his shoulders, and you will call him Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. That's who he is, and that was 700 years before his birth.
Micah 5 2, 500 years before his birth says he will be born in Bethlehem, and he comes from ancient times. He is your savior. He is your deliverer. He is your redeemer. He is all in all. When you're praying, he's the one who's listening. When you're lost, he's the one who finds you. When you're divisive, he's the one who brings unity. When you stumble, he's the one who stands you up, like he is everything. He is the every in everything.
He's all in all. So if you're at Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship, and you're claiming to be a disciple, you stand on who he is, and you say what Peter said in Matthew 16 16. Peter answered the question and said, you are the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Peter stepped up, because when he said, but who do you say that I am to you, there is plural. He was talking to the group. He basically said, who do y'all say that I am?
Peter said, let me handle this one. You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God. Forget about what everybody else is saying.
I know exactly who you are. So let me just make this clear. What we believe about Jesus is exactly what Peter said about Jesus, that he is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, period. We're not still thinking about it. We're not still trying to figure it out. We're not still guessing about it.
We're not still unsure about it. We know exactly who he is, and we're not ashamed of the gospel. We're not ashamed of Jesus Christ. This is our faith. He is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, period.
See, Peter covers the gamut in a few words. As Christ, he's the Messiah, the Deliverer, the Savior, the Anointed One. The Anointed One from Psalms chapter 2, when it first brings up Christ as the Anointed One in Scripture, is back in Psalms chapter 2. And it says, he is my son. I have begotten him in Psalms chapter 2, and he has the whole earth as his inheritance, and he's going to break them with a rod of iron and shatter them like earthenware. But then he says, you are the Son of God, the Son of the Living God.
And many people understand why that's important. Well, it's important because as Christ, he delivers you. As God, he owns you. Some people want to get in on the Christ part and leave out the God part. No. If you're a disciple of Jesus Christ, you're going to be unleashed.
You've got to have that whole thing. I'm saved and ready to be unleashed at your beck and will, at whatever you say. I am your servant, and you are my God. People have to understand that God's Son here is also God the Son here. I had somebody on my social media that said, well, how can he be God's Son and God? That don't make sense.
Well, I understand the logic. Sometimes it won't make sense. You've got to understand that God is God. There's something called the incomprehensibility of God.
You're finite. You can't make sense of everything that God is. But he's God the Son. God the Son is the second member of the Trinity. God is one God who is simultaneously three persons. God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. So you've got to understand that when Genesis 1 26 says, let us make man in our image, who's us in our? If Matthew 28 says, baptize them in the name singular of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, that's bad grammar. Unless it's a singular plural.
That is who he is. If I was holding up a pretzel, you'd only see one pretzel, but you would at the same time see three individual holes. One hole's not that hole. This hole's not that hole. That hole's not that.
There are three individual holes, but you're only looking at one pretzel because they're all connected by the same dough. So yes, Jesus Christ was born of a woman, but he created his mother. He's the Son of God, God the Son, the second member of the Trinity, mediator between God and man, God who emptied himself, taking on the form of a bondservant by choice, to give you grace and mercy that you do not deserve at all. This is who he is, and if you don't know who he is, you can't participate in his future paradise or his current program. But I'm only saying it because the Bible says it. I'm only saying it because in the beginning was the Word. The Word was with God, and the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.
He was with God and he was God and became flesh. I'm just saying that's who he is. And if you don't believe in who he is, well, this is really angering me.
I know. The reality of Jesus is offensive. Well, Jonathan, you're preaching like you don't care.
Well, actually, I do. That's why I'm preaching it. Well, this doesn't sound loving, Jonathan, saying that there's only one way through Jesus Christ. That doesn't sound loving at all. Why wouldn't he give multiple ways? Actually, why would he give sinners any way? You ought to be glad there's one way. It's loving because it's the truth.
That's why it's loving. I want to make sure that you hear it and hear it correctly so that you can go back to your family members and tell them who he is. Peter got it right. He said, you're the Christ, the Son of the Living God. You're my salvation, you're my deliverer, and you are my owner. You are God himself in the flesh. That's who he is. Simon Peter answered correctly. The sad reality is in church, people are still thinking with the culture.
So the reason why we get such little movement is because we're moving with them. Jesus, what do they think about me? Okay, John the Baptist, okay, but I need to get this right. What do you say about me? And if you're my disciple and you're going to be unleashed, I need to not only save you, I need to own you.
You need to understand the reality of who I am. Pastor Jonathan Evans talking today about how truly knowing Christ is the key to living a life that matters. Now what we've been hearing today is part of Jonathan's powerful compilation of messages called Discipleship for Every Day.
As I mentioned earlier, we're making this six-lesson collection available to you on CD or digital download, along with Your Time is Now, Jonathan's book that encourages you to move beyond inaction and embrace the calling God has placed on your life. Both of these resources are our gift to you when you make a donation to support this ministry. Just visit tonyevans.org to get your copy of this exclusive package. You'll find a link with all the details right on the home page. And while you're there, take a moment to sign up for a free weekly email devotional from The Urban Alternative. Again, that's tonyevans.org, or call us at 1-800-800-3222 and let one of our friendly team members assist. Our resource center is open 24-7, so call any time. Again, that's 1-800-800-3222. Well, on Monday, Jonathan will explain how the Church, made up of believers who stand firm in their faith, is an unstoppable force that even hell can't overcome. Be sure to join us for that.
