Spiritually Confused Christians

We got Christians wanting Dr. Tony Evans is doing just what we want to do while ignoring God's interest is exactly what Satan wants from us may seem right. Right.

It may be the thing to do in their celebrating faithfulness. This is the alternative Dr. Tony Evans, author, speaker, senior pastor of Oakland Bible Fellowship Dallas, Texas, president of the Trinity when what we believe to be best. Is it 100% aligned with God's word. How we respond sometimes okay to correct God's will with our own desires with the will of popular opinion today. Dr. Evans looks at what really happens when we give greater prominence to human opinion than to God's thoughts, let's join him as he begins chapter 16 we have spiritual confusion on the part of now to appreciate understand. There is just coming off of a win big win because earlier in the chapter of Matthew 16 verse 15 Jesus said, what will you say that I am Simon predecisional crisis of the living God, the Lord said blessed are you, Simon bar Jonah become flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but my father who is in heaven. But I also say to you that you are Peter upon this rock I will build my church. All Peter had just gotten compliments from the same scoring points for the kingdom. When we come to verse 21. Confusion sets in, because it says from that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem, and suffer many things from the elders she prescribed to be killed be raised up on the third day, Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him say, God forbid, a Lord shall never happen to you, but he Jesus turned and said to Peter, get behind me Satan you are a stumbling block to be for you are not setting your mind on God's interest, but on man interest.

Jesus has been teaching his disciples about the fact that he was going to suffer die and be raised again. Like that. Like the plan of God. Like the purpose of God like the concept of a suffering sea. Whatever your word contradicts God's word you confused. I'm confused.

So Jesus had to help a brother out. Jesus said to put Peter in his theological, biblical and relational place.

Look at what he said. He says get behind me Satan. I would've thought it was to get down the Peter but he says get behind me you devil, the devil was using. The to try to block the plan of God while using God's name.

We live in a day where Christians don't know they been controlled by the because what they think how they feel and what they say contradicts what God says because they sprinkle a little Jesus will sprinkle a little charge on it. They think it's okay to correct the will of God with the will of me says in Proverbs 1412 there is a way that seems right to me it makes sense to your old human understanding.

There is a way that seems right to a man in their August death's destruction.

It may seem right right. It may be the popular thing to do.

One of the problems today in our declining decaying devolving culture is that we got Christians celebrating in worship while working for the wrong team because it just seems right. It feels right. It sounds right in the name of Jim Daly motions that feel real well working for the wrong team.

See what Satan does what he did with Peter is Satan put his thoughts in peters. So Peter began to think Satan's thoughts and what was it his head came out of his mouth. So, the way Satan gets us to get confused if he puts illegitimate thought making them our thoughts so that we either just thinking in contradiction to what God says leaving to spiritual biblical and evangelical confusion. He was using human logic because what Jesus said didn't make sense. Man's interest independently of God is Satan's program and Satan's program is meant to create a stumbling block, but that's what he doesn't trip.

We become confused and that's why so many Christians talking like the world knows what it's talking about because it sounds so good. Sounds so right and you have to deal with rejection. You have to deal with adversity to be reset to the confusion, particularly among believers. Since Peter is a believer so we correct the confusion you want to be a confused Christian no one betrayed by the devil to score points of the kingdom of hell rather than the kingdom of God will be duped like we don't want our children to be duped by the voices of of their peer group is leaving them in the wrong direction because it sounds so good they can become publicly acceptable. Here is verse 24 if anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself, take up his cross and follow me. There is the correction balls down to a decision this. I have discovered a great is the essence of the problem. Christians would not make this decision with trying to disciple people who haven't yet decided to become a disciple. He said again. Our problem is with trying to disciple people who have not made the discipleship decision which means you could be with them for years and they make no spiritual progress because they haven't decided until the decision is made to be one.

You can be developed properly into one so we got a backup think the baptism was supposedly the statement that now I'm going public as a visible verbal follower of Christ, you can accept Christ. Privately you get baptized publicly because you're sad. Now I want to be a disciple, but many people who start off try go down wet and come up the same and so they wind up hurting because of Christ and seeking to trump the will of God. One of the reasons why were in all this cultural mass is we got plenty of Christians and so few disciples. He says if you want to correct the confusion in your life and our families.

The definition of man.

The definition of women.

The definition of marriage, the definition of order.

The definition of government. The definition of all of the stuff is being challenged today. You got start by making the decision notice he says in verse 24.

If everyone guess what that means you. In other words, there are no exceptions to this.

If anyone referring to Christians. Peters already saved his disciples, if anyone wishes to come after me, Thomas did not himself that is when what you want and what God wants does not agree you gotta agree to lose you when what you want and what God wants is not the same.

If you are going to be a disciple.

You must say you know you not know that it is he when you and he agree to say yes all data that if you asked me to eat squash you want to talk me and commentator. If you want me to eat squash that that's cool that's going to require a little conversation a little coaxing that you asked me to eat fried chicken. We do not have a problem Houston there is no problem because me and fried chicken agree. We agree you have to dig me coaxing me talk me into the school with my blue issue them because that's not natural to my design I don't I don't prefer squash it is, even though it's not preferable it's better so we don't believe God knows better, so will roll when God went with the chicken we go with the squash with the stuff we don't like the stuff we don't prefer, but that is being made acceptable and popular by the culture that is trying to get us to join up with the devil because it just seems right and and preferable. He says he must be willing to say no to him self with Dr. Evans will come back shortly with some of the benefits we can enjoy when we take action to move away from spiritual confusion that today's lesson comes from Tony's brand-new series divine reset is a look at how God gets our attention helps us refocus our lives, we can overcome the mistakes pain and problems of our past moving forward with greater clarity and purpose in our future. You learn how to turn confusion into confidence, despair into the termination and defeat into victory.

They're all covered in the set of 10 full-length lessons that includes material.

We won't have time to bring you on the air right now. We like to send you a copy of divine reset is our gift when you make a donation to help support our work here on the air, and around the world. This special offer is only available for a limited time we hear from you right away will also include a special bonus. Tony's powerful booklet winning your spiritual battles. A handy pocket reference that will help you push past barriers.

The enemy places in your life. Just visit us today@tonyevans.org for details or call our resource request line at 1-800-800-3222 again that's 1-800-800-3222 Tony will come back with more of today's lesson right after this coming to theaters this November Church of the birth of Jesus Christ travel with Dr. Tony heaven since he retraces the life and human journey of the greatest being to ever walk this earth over here in Capernaum place where Jesus did most of his miracles is in this place. Demonstrated he truly is the son of God traveled the streets and synagogues think Jesus want and physical locations were some of the most powerful events recorded in the Bible took place like that much of what we read about in Galilee heaven right here journey with Jesus in theaters November 15, 16th and 17th. Dr. Tony Evans.org patient showtimes the second thing he says is if you decide to be a disciple you must take up your cross, take up your cross crosses to be popular. People went around the neck hiding up in the house is a symbol of spirituality.

The cross is not popular tool in the back. It was a divisive execution. Too bad the cross is to go to the gray Jesus was carrying his cross to Golgotha was carrying his cross to the place of death. He says you must take up your cross, what everybody the book of Hebrews chapter 12 verse two says to consider Jesus was willing to endure the shame you would say to walk through the Roman road carrying the cross. I was a shameful thing you were convicted of a crime worthy of capital punishment. The cross is the shame, the rejection the hearts of the persecution that comes with your public identification with Jesus Christ. That is the cross. The third thing he says is that you must follow me, follow me. He's talking to the disciples who he just said I'm going I'm going to cross and follow me when you are committed to Christ.

He will sometime take you to places you don't want the question is am I willing to identify with him. Jesus does not want to be in your life. He wants to be your life so what will you get out of this decision. What you get out of a divine reset says I don't want to be duped by Satan anymore because many of us, a messed up because Satan tricked us with some singing right at the time.

Let's look at some something that you can count on. Once a decision is made. Verse 25 full level wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it for what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul or what will a man give in exchange for his soul. You make the decision to become a disciple, give you your life and secondly he says 27 for the Son of Man is going to come in the glory of his Father with his angels will then repay every man according to his deeds, so he says I will give you life now, you will experience more of my reality. If you will make this discipleship decision is stopping a confused state.

You see my supernatural into your natural and when I come back I will reward you for your commitment and finally it makes an astounding statement to his disciples.

Verse 28. Truly I say to you, there are some of those was standing here who will not taste death until they see the sun of man coming in his glory without some reference to Matthew 17 versus 18 on the Mount of Transfiguration. That's when Jesus on the mountain and stripped away his humanity, so that the GOP burst forth in bright lights that took them to the they were blown away by the glory of the son of God, to 12 three because the closer you want to hear the morpheme you got to see any says you will see before you die for, says first of all give you life your soul so you have all of the bring back reward but that is. And before you die. For those of you who were the closest to be, you will see the manifestation of the son of God. That's what happened in acts chapter 7 when Stephen was about, says while he was still alive. He looked up and he saw heaven opened, and Jesus standing on the right giving him a standing ovation as he was about the transition from Dr. Tony Evans will come back in just a minute to share a powerful and personal story of Lois's wife's final moments on this earth. Stay with us. In the meantime there's more to today's message. Then we were able to bring you on the air, but as always full-length copies are available.

Just check with us for information on the title, spiritually confused Christians, or better yet, ask about getting a copy of Tony's complete new series divine reset, a collection of 10 messages that will help you break free from your current spiritual and emotional challenges as you reset your focus and attention on God and his priorities. As I mentioned earlier, it's yours.

With our thanks when you make a donation toward Tony's ministry and will also include a copy of his practical booklet winning your spiritual battles. Visit us today@20of.org to get all the details before time runs out you can make your contribution and your request online again that's Tony Evans.org or call her 24 hour resource request line at 1-800-800-3222 and let one of our team members help you again dial 1-800-800-3222. Have you ever sat down for your morning coffee, only to discover you've waited too long and that piping hot 1st cup is now lukewarm disappointment when the Bible says some Christians can be like that tomorrow.

Dr. Evans will tell us how we can turn up the heat on our faith and make sure Christianity has meaning and impact right now though he's back to share this powerful yet intimate moment in his life. As we get into the final days of cyst Evans life God gave her this was getting closer to her transition to heaven became clearer and clearer that there would be no supernatural healing that we pray for and delete him for there were a number of incidences.

I'll tell you 31 is when she said to me, the voices are telling me.

I only have a few days left. Secondly, number of us were standing in the bedroom and she says I see my mother Cantrell Cedar. I see my father Cantrell see him because we couldn't. She asked me to write the name Jesus down. I said why she said you you gotta write it down so I took a big sheet of paper, not understanding the request and I wrote down Jesus JS US big letters so she could see it melted over. She took a deep breath and she said yes yes and then a little bit later. She said they're coming to give me my reward there just waiting for the so it's time for my reward there waiting for this. A few minutes later, a song came on, no radio or whatever, but it was the song victory in Jesus, and she rang out with a loud voice asked because of her closeness to Jesus she got to see before she transition where she was going. I don't know how it's going to be for you or me or us.

All I know is that you get your soul you get your reward in in some way unique to each of us.

There are those who get to see heaven before the applicant, but only those who do not let the world confused trick them would make the decision to be at the site of the alternative with Dr. Tony have brought to you by the urban alternative celebrating 40 years of faithfulness, thanks to the generous contributions of listeners like you