A Challenge Toward Authenticity

Just because you haven't Jesus in 2011 says the Lord knows when were not being a matter how together we appear on the outside got the look that you don't have the worst part about it is you don't even know this is the alternative only have other speaker, pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas Texas and president of the urban alternative is pretty easy to spot a Christian who looks the part. Not as easy to spot one who lives the part a believer who is authentic, through and through you discover how to become a kind of disciple today as Dr. Evans takes us to Revelation 314 for today's lesson will church the final body of Saints seal Bible Fellowship was a wealthy city no for three things lay on the seal was known for its finance industry, its banking industry. It would be akin to common day Wall Street. It was a very wealthy place to live and work and raise a family was also known for its fashion industry in New York you would call it the fashion district where they made fancy clothes that would go out to the retailers to sell to the general public. Not only was it a financial district and a fashion district but the city of Laodicea was a pharmaceutical district was known for its medical industry, particularly when it came to diseases.

It was specializing in this sample the eyes to improve the site of those struggling with seeing that is why you will see three areas finance fashion and pharmaceuticals referred to in Revelation chapter 3 verses 14 to the end of the chapter Jesus as he does in each one of these churches introduces himself as he wants you to see them now.

The ruling came and head of the church, he says in verse 14 to the angel of the church at Laodicea right I am the amen amen means so be it. So that the way it is.

He's basically saying I don't want anybody else, and you okay whatever folk told you what you're telling himself. I am the amen on the final word on the subject.

I am the faithful and true witness, I am the beginning of the creation of God and the one who's responsible for how history operates. Pay close attention because I know what I'm talking about. I am the amen I am the final testimony witness and I am the one who existed prior to you even be he says in verse 15. I know your deeds, that you are neither cold and wish you were cold so because you are moving along and neither hot nor cold. I will spit you out of my mouth, he addresses the problem at Laodicea Bible Fellowship 016. You stand why he is saying this, you have to understand, Leon.

This is unique location on one side of Leo Visio, the city was populous, which was attend to hot Springs, Arkansas. You've ever been a hot Springs, Arkansas. You know, the heated water that comes up from the earth. The steam that shows up because of the heat and that water is used for healing and refreshing propolis was the hot Springs, Arkansas the day and water flowed down the Laodicea but on the side of Laodicea was the city of Colossae where we get the book. Colossians and water came down from the mountains into Laodicea.

When the water came down from Annapolis and the cold water came down from Colossae. They met at Laodicea when the hot and cold water. The water now became movable when reach Leon dyspnea, so Jesus Christ uses this geographical reality to express a spiritual reality operating at Laodicea Bible Fellowship. You are neither nor cold, we can appreciate that some of you want a cold glass of water on a hot summer day.

You want a cold glass of lemonade on a hot summer day one. A cold glass of tea sweet pea because they don't want to be refreshed on a hot summer day, but on a call summer day. You want a couple hot chocolate on the calls couple coffee or tea, it will do well in other words, and cold designed to meet the need to address the situation. Depending upon the weather. I'm sure you don't go to a restaurant and ask you, do you want a cup of coffee do you want a warm glass of tea you wanted cold because it wanted to be refreshing Jesus righteousness charge through its pastor says you tell them know about.

They are neither hot and oak coffee.

They're not call that glassy. They all will. In other words, they are unacceptable glass point.

Even his coffee. What I know loan is lukewarm. This is lukewarmness that is theirs spiritual state there in between Christian commitment their mixture that has made them unusable, unspiritual is unacceptable how unacceptable is Jesus I want to spill my mouth and Jesus says this is the amen talk. This is the one not tell you what you will hear you, tell you like it really is the one with the final witness, making the declaration because you need a little cold to do anything with your spiritual condition reflect your geographical location. It is lukewarmness. It is stagnant and I can do anything with only be a church that makes Jesus sick.

Here's what Jesus says was the problem. Verse 17 because you say I am rich and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing says I have a problem with how you view your self. You say I am rich I am self-sufficient. I got it going on got my job got the money got the call I got my house got my close so on. The church is not stop.

I go to Laodicea Bible followership because that's what Christians do go there because I need Jesus. I don't have to fulfill my religious application you become so successful in your financial district fashion district pharmaceutical district that really made me you just play taking you don't made me you just using me.

You don't need me, you just him and giving the impression that you are close to me and y'all make me sick.

He says to the Laodicea Bible Fellowship that you have allowed what is now the mission of success in the world to give you the definition of success in the church. You think because you got money in your wallet. You think because you have a nicer close the Knights of because the nicer job that God has you wouldn't fall into this false theology, that stuff not to be a blast when actually know stuff made me sick and you make me want to throw and spew you out my mouth because you have brought the world into the church instead of letting the charge.

Define who you are and how you function in the world you will allow the world to tell you whether your success. You allowed to tell you whether your successful you allowed to graze on the wall to tell you if your successful promotion in the marketplace to tell you whether your successful but I'm a man, and I would tell you like it is like it is you all made me want to throw up. They were valuing the spiritual how things look in the physical. I am wealthy, I got this going on so I must be the last that is the physical and the more you have, camouflages the spirit so that you, the spiritual must be okay because we got this coping in the physical and because the coating looks good. The inside must be okay because I wasn't close to God's likeness. If I wasn't close to God be where I am at the education that I have be okay if I wasn't close to God.

His portrait second verse 17 you do not know you are wretched and and Paul Blanc and make says well you to a close genetic so you see the district finances, fashion, pharmaceutical what you think you can see what your expensive glasses on your block to be blind to be blind to not know it's bad to be active but it's worse to be negative and not know you undressed the people what it says you don't know what it's bad to be messed up and you don't know how messed up you all messed up you while you're so messed up you don't know how messed up you will stop is that you to erase the spiritual and so because you will see things from my perspective. You don't see things correctly, you want on the phone telling you you so you successful.

You accomplish so that you believe in them and they are not the amen they are not the faithful witness in the world.

You are not telling you the truth. God says I don't play those games to tell you what I see and what is not good like a beautiful call.

The showroom floor of an automobile dealership with no engine you got the look, but you don't have them yet. And the worst part about it is you don't even know you know anybody was messed up deluded messed up. Are you messed up. I don't know you miss this is the bad part because you will not accept the spiritual perspective.

First, you would judge yourself by what they say not what I'm saying India and what I am saying in here is different than what everybody else is whispered in your mail along and I am right because the amen. I'm a Jew, not the creator. So what we do once we make that realization. Dr. Evans will come back with the answer just a moment. First I want to let you know that the lesson your hearing today is being highlighted and bundled with 19 other powerful messages from Dr. Evans. If you make a donation to help us keep Tony's teaching coming your way we'd like to send you this new collection.

We're calling it the best of Tony Evans 2020 and it's our way of saying thanks for your investment in us which enables us to continue investing in you and for a limited time to those who donate and request the best of Tony Evans 2020 will also include a copy of his popular devotional book called for a purpose. It will help you learn how your past experience, personal development, and giftedness all fit into your calling and will encourage you to allow God to shape your destiny, get Tony's best so you can be your best 20 messages to end 2020+ his powerful devotional book. Just visit Tony Evans.org for details. Before this limited time offer runs out. That's Tony Evans.org or call us at 1-800-800-3222 our resource center is open 24 71 more time. That's 1-800-800-3222. I'll repeat all that information for you later. Right now, let's get back to today's lesson we want to do law would want to do what you do. Verse 18 advise you to buy from me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich because you're not rich you think you rich, but you not in white garments because it's a fashion district so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed because of the pharmaceutical district to anoint your eyes so that you may see.

So guess what I want to do. I want to make you truly rich. I want to give you real close and I want to open your eyes so that you can see, but the only way you get any of that is from me by from me. In other words only one who can give you what you really need to be which is supposed to be all that other stuff is world pencil and we all facing things you think because it due process so we wind up buying things you don't need money, but we don't have to impress people we don't know this week we get to know world is stupid. Nothing.

Jesus says no I'm going to know I want you to become truly rich with major spiritually rich. I want to become truly covert major spiritually apply. I want to become truly spiteful so I'm going to remove the blindness. So you see things as they really are, but I'm the only one who can do that to you trick you will be impressed by you. You need to I need to we need to be close to full cooling to give us Jesus's perspective, even if they don't have your money, your car, your house will close. That's why James two decries the man who's got stuff you got stuff. He's got monies got wealthy got recognition got no erotic got power and somebody poor comes and sits next to this person don't have all the finest) none help much money a person don't have much to give. But they know God, but the rich person don't want to sit next to a poor person because they got the world standard world standard so not in my class what Jesus was classically accept you and Jesus gladly accepts me is that you James and tell the poor man when you go into the back because we favor the rich folk this up front.

He says don't you know you are evil people with evil motives of classism and the church of Jesus Christ because some people have other people don't know that the spiritual is first.

That's why we don't people on the back give a lot of money because you know better than the widow of a fixed income. Security law and the law of classism and racism rates in the church of Jesus Christ says to the church make can't stand world jump into the family of God better than somebody else. Did you have more than somebody else when somebody got that what you have. Maybe the present God that you gotta be MBA, PhD.but you know better than a high school graduate with God is not as God, that God has entrusted, but you know better than its collective concerns. God is God who can speak God's way into your life. I have chosen the poor of this world to be the speaker into the life what God does no good to be an elitist church that only response the big-name people with big-name monies and big-name homes a big name, because at the cross cross cross were all in need of the same grace.

So Jesus says I got some advice for folks who put the physical in front of the spiritual back for me. You got to get all my page.

You gotta start with me, not what they say or not. Not with the television is not with the media saying the pundits say if you start with me. Verse 19 those whom I love your child the God who loves you those one love, I reprove and discipline, I will create some situations in your life is called discipline. I'm going to bring some corrective measures into your world.

I will put you in the situations money can buy you out of I will put you in situations you can dress up for, put you in situations to deal with blindness don't bring some plan into your life. No, that all that stuff that the world applauds. It makes you feel wrong about your self with no problem until I can get so undivided attention to be named but I am trying to correct some things that need to be corrected, so I don't have to do you of my to do with you is because I love you because I don't want to be divided from you when you and I can't see the spiritual because we let the physical block world ideology block, then you will not be able to see what God wants to do the member Joshua and Caleb when they were going to the promised land. 10 spots that we can go that could look at the physical physical says their giants in the land Joshua and Caleb sent not seen, but I you not seen because if you were sitting with God to see when you can see we can go in and take that, but they were so entranced with the physical that they missed the spiritual and wind up wondering for 40 years in the wilderness. You don't want to spend the rest of your life wondering looking good. Wondering around in circles with money in your pocket, wondering not getting anywhere got a nice house the spiritual being able to see things from God's perspective seeking the kingdom of God and his righteousness. When the spiritual is put ahead of the physical place throughout the Bible God says. First, worship me first bars on my kingdom glorify Jesus and the spiritual must be put in front of the physical. So what would we do okay what. Behold, I stand at the door and knock. Behold, I said at the door and knock all of Leo Bible Fellowship is knocking me down in charge of United jumping over up. You shall not good so you can get all the things I wanted to get around and they got yeah all the time.not just because you have been charged only and what came out of the sanctuary is lukewarmness. Christians who are not all just one a little religion to make them feel like something, but do not want Jesus Christ to rule in their lives governed the direction their decisions do not. The spiritual energy cannot. So how do you know for sure what you're hearing is really Jesus knocking on the door of your heart. Dr. Evans will have a final thought about that when he comes back in just a moment to read about this message. Called a challenge toward authenticity.

If you like to hear the full-length version comes as a part of our current series the best of Tony Evans 2020.

As I mentioned earlier, all 20 messages in this collection are a gift to you. When you make a contribution to help us keep Toni's teaching on the station and for a limited time. We are also including a copy of his devotional book called for a purpose.

Just drop by Tony Evans.org you can get all the details and make your donation online again that's Tony Evans.org or you can call her 24 hour resource Center at 1-800-800-3222 let one of our team members help you with your request. Dr. Evans is back now with the question for us to consider. So the question is how do you know if you heard here's how you know the knocking on the door God is convicting you of your blindness you feel convicted that yes that's me standing in the need of prayer you feel this child of God on your heart you know you playing games with me.

You know you just going through the religious motions you know that there is not a full commitment to me and he starts talking you start to feel uncomfortable squirming in your seat.

Although he did not move this just called on the inside you know God is talking to you. That means you hearing and he's calling your name.

He says if anyone hears my voice cannot disturb you world I messed up your situation that you had money and I keep things breaking down that you can pay for college about nice clothes and you lost your job. You know how to create a disciplinary situations and now you never made the connection between what's going on in the stuff you have from the world. But now you see that as a possible link you just heard on if you're ready to open the door and let God in go to Tony Evans.org right now, and click the link on the homepage that simply says Jesus there. Dr. Evans has what could be the most important message you've ever heard.

It's a quick explanation of how you can find God's forgiveness for everything you've ever done wrong to be 100% sure that you have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ that guarantees you a place in heaven. You can also download some free follow-up resources, so check it out today. Again that's Tony Evans.org in modern culture, the truth has been replaced by my truth for your truth but next time Dr. Evans explains why the path to unity begins when we recognize the authority of God's true I hope you join the alternative with Dr. Tony have brought to you by the urban alternate is made possible by the generous contributions of listeners