A Challenge to Prioritize Your Priorities, Part 1

Dr. Tony Evans visits not only time to reconsider what we're doing why we're doing family stuff. This is the alternative Tony speaker Pastor Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship, Pres., over time, our love for God either tends to grow more rich or more routine today. Dr. Evans explains that when that second one happens, it's time to take a serious look at our priorities must join him as he helps us do that all over, is the Even if you don't know Greek you know the word because you know the word Nike. Nike is from Macao.

It is the English cognate of that Greek word Mikael referred to in Greek, the goddess of victory. So when you see the swish of 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 over, 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 means there's something that you need to overcome something that is seeking to defeat all press to make you a victim and not allow you to be a Victoire. 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 have enough to overcome. You can overcome in a number of different ways but the principal 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 emphasis all you have to do is understand New York emphasis 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 developing significant financial matters because of its strategic location 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 emphasis because of all that it had to offer. The story of the church is beginning to feel free to read it sometime.

His 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 and excitement and challenges that face this brand-new church but here in the book of Revelation. He is not writing because all is well. His writing because of the situation that needed to be addressed for people who wanted to be over commerce, as I hope that we do makes it clear in the first verse that this was written for the angel love that house that is God's messenger of the word angel from the Greek word on the loss means messenger that the messenger the pastor if you will, was to proclaim this message to the congregation at Ephesus Bible Fellowship interview and I will hear what he has to say. He that happened here letting him their sentences, then you are on your way to being an oval, and although of that which is ruling over you may first want you to know, according to verse one that the one who holds the seven stars in his right hand, one who walks among the seven lampstands, so before he says anything you want to let you know where he's walking, he says, is walking along the seven lampstands are the seven churches. So right now as we gather in our congregational meeting today 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 any says he that walks among the seven lampstands says this in the first frame. He said I know you want you to know as he passes by your pew I know you and I know you I know you know where you came from. I know where you going to know where you been I know what you're thinking right now. So right now we might as well get all the façade because he knows he knows what's behind that make up his nose was behind that we know is what's behind that address/he says I know I am fully aware of the church incorporate in every single individual. In it, because he comes to keep it happening so is talking to us collectively. The lampstand and individually that happening. So don't take this only to us to get to me. He starts off with a compliment, a commendation if you will wants to congratulate the church first. He says I know your deeds. I know what you do. I know that you are a starving 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 had to help people get victory. I am well aware of all the programs that you do not see what your deeds are. I know what you do.

I'm aware of the ministry of your church and how you seek to do them to do that with proficiency to do that with excellence.

I am well aware of what your ministry has to offer you all the serving church. You not only a starving church but I also know verse two says your tutorial. The Greek word pictorial means to labor to the point of exhaustion. I see you sweat.

I see you over time. I feel confident to get the ministry done so you know only do stuff you will go aboard doing stuff you are tireless in ministry activity and I'm very much aware not only a starving church and you are been a sacrificing church you go overboard. In addition to that, I know you said to your perseverance. I know that you don't quit when the going gets tough, because you are a steadfast church.

When times are hard to keep going you don't fall in the town. Just because you may not be feeling it today. I'm well aware of your longevity unconscious of you 40 years. I am also well aware that you do not tolerate evil men, and New Testament will call themselves apostles and are not you are a separated church that is you are orthodox in theology and doctrine you you test things the see whether they are consistent or inconsistent with the Bible. You are a Bible teaching Bible believe the Bible Bible church was not agree with the Bible and follow up with falls.

You are quick to identify, ask questions about it and to address it if it needs addressing because you have separated your self to truth because you measure things by the standard of my word about your is that I know something else about you and that is that you have perseverance and have been doing for my namesake. You are a suffering church, you have not grown weary.

People talk about you out there think your call think they will press you you you act to Christian on the job and they will laugh at you mama well aware that you had to endure some down time because of your public confession of me. What I don't know about you but this sound like the church want to go to Jesus and Satan. I know much you got a reputation and that reputation is Stella serving your sacrificing your steadfastness separated suffering. You are a model congregation and I know it.

That's the good news. There's some bad news to go along with it.

Dr. Evans will tell us about that when he returns in just a moment. First, today's message as part of Tony's powerful series.

The Jesus challenge. Look at what the Lord had to say in the book of Revelation to the seven churches and to us. We've assembled a great package of resources as a way to follow up on what will be learning through this series. It includes all eight full-length audio messages to study in depth both on CDs and instantly downloadable MP3s and their yours is or thank you gift when you help us keep Tony's teaching on the station by making a contribution along with it will include two special bonuses that Jesus challenge Bible study guide at a DVD with custom introductions by Tony for each of the sessions. It contains the entire package is yours with our thanks for your contribution, but this special offer is only available for a limited time, so don't wait visit. Tony ever.org today to make the arrangements or call 1-800-800-3222 were members of our resource team are available day and night to help with your request. That's 1-800-800-3222 with Dr. Evans will return right after this review is for Dr. Evans 95 on commentary continued to plan Rachel in the United Kingdom, wrote an excellent companion to maintaining final study explain Scripture in a way that is easy to understand yet deeply profound insights throughout my goal is to know God better and this is a key tool that enables me to teach them get a copy of Dr. Tony having study Bible and commentary today. The Tony Evans study Bible and commentary make a powerful pair of resources to head by your side every time you study God's word. Get copies today.

Had Tony heaven's.org. Dr. Evans is back with more of today's lesson. Let's join him nation now turns to criticism or a condemnation, but I have this against you, you have left your first love Bentley you can be us serving church and are serving Christian and have left your first love Bentley you can be a pricing chart facing Christian and The first love you give me a step faster and less Christian and had leftovers. Not to be a somewhat related charge separated Christian and have left your first love. You can be a suffering child suffering Christian and still have left your first love Bentley you could be doing right stuff and be in long relationship.

I made a graphic mistake. One day when I was talking to a lady and I asked her how far along she was and she said I'm not pregnant. She looked pregnant for me. That's why ask you how far along she was on the looked like she was having with child, so it was a very embarrassing moment for me to hear from her. I'm not pregnant because you can look department have no life. You can look the part, but the life not be pulsating you can be functionally precise and spiritually autosync this problem that Jesus speaks up, that's so big that it wipes out Clement's that it will affirmations.

He says one thing but is a doozy you have in your first love. You have left the one you love. First, if you've ever left your keys on a book somewhere, if not the keys or the book that lost is you because the keys in the book have moved to the start walking the book didn't get up and start moving you moved I moved the keys have been moved so he doesn't say that they said so in viewing God on close if not because God moved his cousin and we feel like God when you have a oneness loss, not the keys. He said you 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 Eau Claire.

I love the Lord's complaint that they don't love it is complaint is that 11 first you have left your first love. But you no longer love me first let me explain something about God that we all need to grasp. We need to get this, 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 something.

He just can't do God can live by the 6 x 2 immutable things, it's impossible for God to live so we can, God can't stand God can't act contrary to his nature that he would no longer be immutable. The unchanging God God not stop existing because he's eternal so we can do that. Some things you cannot do. Let me tell you something else you can do. He can be second, he cannot be second with God is made second to anything, even if they are good things is unacceptable because he is in a class by himself in the beginning God before that was anything that 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 him I would argue so what is it say about Jesus Christ, that he might have first place in everything when you come before God.

First of all, raise holy and before the Lord with first thing to his wife, I want you know you're not going to be first in the future and where I can but nothing's going change presumably work to bring the money home to do what I'm supposed to do.

I'm going to fulfill my job, but you're not going to be my priority that that's I get around to you when I can when I got a little extra time I give you some of it I don't like you resource will give you some of the yellow lecture to give you some of it but but but I do my duty see this church and believes believers were doing their duty and gave him five compliments, but God was no longer first in aboard the duty had the devotion and as a result of that, they had their first love baseball. If you, the fact that you taught second touchdown in touch home plate is meaningless because it deals with all other movements and running based touching becomes a waste of time.

God demands to be parsed in our section and our attention in our priority. The man, because that's what he is no longer first session with something in place help you.

You just created because you make something else, and what becomes your God. So now God has competition in your life you will let me let me just I am not your priority and I don't know how to be second will be totally and corporately have committed the sin of making ministry more important in relationship with him has been great in our spiritual experience.

He says you love you've compromised religion relationship and you left me.

The bad part about.

We met them and don't even know we going to see religion keep you busy. Religion keeps activity keep doing stuff so you think Lord must be happy with me.

Look at what I do for the look not every row, letting them know what they are doing but not at the expense of the relationship not it's costing you the intimacy it's costing you the connectivity. It is where he has been pride that will affect whether you become noble, left your first love.

If you never intimate relationship with Jesus is not too late.

In fact, you 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. And I invite you right now to go to Jesus Christ and let him know that you believe he died for you that you believe your roles 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 will 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 will be saved right now to learn more about what it means to be a real Christian tone 11's.org and click on the link that says Jesus. Tony will walk you through everything you need to know when you do check into getting a copy of his current series, the Jesus challenge.

As I mentioned earlier, you can get instant digital downloads followed up with the CD version of this eight message collection as our gift when you help us keep this program coming your way with a contribution to Tony's ministry along with it.

You get the Jesus challenge Bible study guide and DVD, but this special offer won't last long to make a point of requesting it today when you visit us at Tony Avenue and's.org again@stonyavenueandis.org. Our resource center is open 24 seven to assist you with your request and you can reach one of our team members there at 1-800-800-3222. That's 1-800-800-3222 tomorrow. More from Dr. Evans on keeping our spiritual priorities, including a look at why what we do with Christ is even more important than what we do hope to be with the alternative with Dr. Tony is made possible by the general