Redefining Success

Success is directly to your experience with Dr. Tony Evans says that's just one more reason to be close to God… Would not stand my family like he lets me work through celebrating 40 years of faithfulness. This is the alternative Dr. Tony author, speaker, senior pastor of Oakland Bible Fellowship Dallas, Texas, president of the alternative society's view of success usually boils down to a list of things we ought to have, but spiritual success is becoming what God wants us to be and using that growth to carry out his agenda. Let's join Dr. Evans as he explains where in the time all what I call divine reset coming out of the divine disruption God has allowed a pandemic for purpose and while all of us are focused on the various kinds of pandemics that we have been wrestling with and facing attention is being given to its purpose and through this divine reset. I'm trying to get you made up focus on not only the destruction of God remodeling process.

But what he's trying to do in the remodel to take us to something new and different and fresh, but one of the realities of the situations that we have been going through. You take a virus. For example, how much money is in your bank.

The virus doesn't care whether you GED all PhD virus doesn't care where you work or what position you have arrived to in your employment is an equal opportunity in fact, because what is God's revealed to us the limitations of our humanity. So if you and I really don't look at what we are dealing with from the purposes of God, rather than merely the problems in the world that we will miss it and you know how it is when you you keep failing a test you gotta get a retest. Although I don't know about you but I will learn everything I got to learn, so I'll have to keep going through retesting and Jeremiah chapter 9, we have to powerful versus about divine reset in the area of how your viewing success to be able to learn one of the remodeling lessons about success and how you're looking at your life is very critical.

If we go to get back on track. If Christ be not come. I will read the verses and then set the stage for us.

Verse 23 says the sample more. Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not the rich man boast of his riches, boast, boast of this that he understands and knows me that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness justice and righteousness on the earth.

I delight in these things, declares the Lord. He says there must be a reset of your priority and you must stop defining success by cultural norms and rather replace it by kingdom when your pursuits for your success is driven independently of God, you are losing the God you need to benefit from joy and what you thought you were because all it takes is a bad day, and what you thought you had to be gone overnight. He says you are boasting paperwork for boasting is the word Howdy all, which is the word for hallelujah is talking about your cell phone back is called self praise. He says let not the wise man boast in his wisdom so we need to talk about. First of all, educational progress gone to high school you made at the college you decided to go on for higher degree, get your masters then I thought of going on for their various other graduates degrees PhD's and you feel good about was hanging on the wall. He says don't brag about your degree, not because knowledge is wrong and learning as well, but it can make you cool when you do it independently of God.

The knowledge of God is the beginning of wisdom.

Biblical wisdom is not merely information. Biblical wisdom is your ability to take the right information and apply it to the decisions in life so you can make life decisions you haven't learned much. Even though you may have educated degree is.

He says let not the mighty man boast of his might.

Now like to be personal strife or positional strength.

We spent a lot of time and money on our personal health, only to discover new things can show up there will have medicine for he says don't boast about your mighty power that is independently of God thoroughly says let not the rich man boast of his riches openly talk about this, Psalm 62 verse 10 says if God allowed you to be rich.

Does such a hot though such a hardware don't don't make the accumulation of stuff your identity. That's why in Proverbs. He says don't give me so much that I get you.

I want you to give me enough, but I don't want you to give me so much that I think look at this great wealth that have accumulated he's not downing legitimate success but what is Dowling is where you make what you have defined you to be success that we have addressed were more dependent when you get more you become more independent, even in the church we have whole theologies that are creating evil mindsets and Christians through an illegitimate prosperity theology.

All the time I'm coming for botnets now is that while absolutely not.

You should also be saying and I'm also coming to be a blessing to bridge only had about you often that other one tackle is oncoming to be blessed.

I love the story in Luke chapter 12 verses 13 to 21. This man is arguing about the will about the about the didn't get his share of the money he called Jesus and Jesus fix this problem between you be my brother because when I we fight nobody's money.

Jesus says equipment. You want me to give spiritual support to your greed greed is not having money, greed is having the wrong attitude toward money. He said you want me to help you with your greed.

So Jesus says to him, says a is a let me tell you about a man. He says that was this man was a successful farmer and he built a big fall and he was so success we had to build bigger bonds to handle all of the stuff he was producing in this man business was going up up up up up and he said I'm going to tie he said I got enough to retire and I'm going to live the rest of my life in C says that I got it made.

In other words, unsuccessful about my 401 is working for me, but you know about my retirement accounts by investments by buy down stock market you know is is is my demands that all of that is working for. I'm good to go. Is says and then heaven opened, and guess what happens in heaven, said you beautiful big bank account, you fool your retirement is intact, you fool your company is successful, full tonight. Your soul is required of you now have what you built see when you accumulate wealth independently of God. Not accumulating it but when God is on the back shelf says you're nothing but a fool and then the story concludes by saying how foolish it is to live your life accumulating thing and not be rich toward God. In other words, the question is how spiritually rich are we so that's not the issue here, the boasting for hallelujah to yourself and not recognizing the need for dependency. So Jeremiah chapter 9 affect the whole book is weeping because everything is falling apart and I don't know about you but if you look at the news long enough it doesn't take long to see everything falling apart not only outside the church, but inside the church. He's resetting things the same spiritual got lost here out on the back burner. I think I want to create something where you believe me a little bit. So where do we go from here with Dr. Evans will come back with the answer for us when he continues her message shortly. The first, as you've heard the urban alternative for celebrating 40 years of ministry this year. In a recent conversation, Tony recalled how God opened doors leading to a path that would ultimately better prepare him for the work that lay ahead.

Well, I was so excited about learning the Scripture studying the Scripture that I decided to go to seminary and I plan to go to Grace theological seminary, Winona Lake, Indiana.

We went up there found a place to live. I had been accepted, and so that was when we were going to go until a professor named Doug McIntosh asked me one day and I ever considered Dallas theological seminary, and I hadn't I thought it was good be too difficult to get into the air and even though I studied from many of the professors of DTS and some of my courses in college so he said if I pay your application fee.

Would you at least apply and fill out their pride and expect to receive anything because it was late in my year of graduation. So would been too late to be accepted, but when he painted. I applied they provisionally accepted me and made in consultation with my wife.

It was decided that it would be better for me healthwise as well as communitywide because Winona Lake is a little small community is supposed to Dallas a big city urban city where I could interact more with the reality of issues of the day because I was acquainted with so many of the professors they approved my study in the reading of the books we decided to go to Dallas so in 1972. We got in our green overtime drove from Atlanta to Dallas theological seminary to continue our biblical training through thick and thin. Dr. Evans in the urban alternative ministry have always endeavored to put together resources relevant to the times were living in and beneficial to our list your spiritual growth and kingdom impact in today's offer is no exception. The message you been hearing today redefining success comes from Tony's brand-new teaching series divine reset look at how to respond to God's reminders to focus on the truly important to leave the past behind and to live a life consistent with your identity in Christ you discover ways to develop a tighter focus on God enabling you to enjoy his presence more as you live a life with crystal-clear clarity, free from cultural and worldly confusion along with that we are including Tony's popular booklet winning your spiritual battles.

This quick read offers down-to-earth guidance on using the tools and tactics.

God is provided to give you victory over the spiritual challenges in your life will send you all 10 messages in the divine reset series and the winning your spiritual battles booklet as a thank you gift when you make a contribution to help support Tony's ministry.

This offer is only available for a short time, so visit us right away at Tony heaven's.org or call her 24 hour resource Center at 1-800-800-3222 for details before time runs out. I'll have her contact information again after part two of today's lesson and this when you're facing a decision or a dilemma it's like to ask what would Jesus do, but first you have to know what Jesus did and what God has to say about the situation you face wealth building your biblical foundation is your goal to help you need is as close as your computer or mobile device. Thanks to Tony ever's training center is packed with online courses covering core concepts of faith and in that scripture studies you can work through anytime you want at any place you want along the way you'll explore key teachings and learn how to apply them in real world situations. There's lots of exclusive content interested and motivated in an online forum. We can ask questions, get answers and collaborate with other students. It's almost like having a seminary on your smart phone. Tony Evans.org today and connect with Tony ever's training center. We can explore the kingdom anytime, anywhere. So what's the solution he says in verse 24 but let him who boasts boast all guess we just said it's okay to break, let him boast he tells her verse 23. Don't boast about your degree about your position of power don't boast habit, but don't don't hallelujah it someone hundred verse three said no, that the Lord is God. Exodus 15 verse 11 says, who was like the Lord is the song says nobody says I want to give you some the brag about that hello Braggs brag about this, that he understands and knows me so he is giving you and me. The secret to success. He wants us to reset our definition of success. So here it is your success is directly tied to your experiential knowledge of God to get your authentic success, not fake success is directly tied to your experiential knowledge of God. When that happens. That's what God does. He reveals things to you. He shows he thinks that you see things that you would not otherwise see and understand in your personal life, family life position in life he let you see things let you work through things. I have a very simple spiritual experience. I have written a check to pay for something and I had the then just left the checkbook and moved on with my day.

I came back at the end of the day looking for my checkbook and write another check and I couldn't find it I gone a couple of places that day so I wondering did I take it that I leave it wet so I'm scurrying around the house for what seemed like hours on shore.

I think the only one who's done this but I am scaring around five hours looking at this checkbook to other people and miles searching for this checkbook. I called the places that I had gone no site for this checkbook and so then I was told to hold by keeping to get all fixed up so so I decided to go to bed. It's like midnight, I decide to get up and look this checkbook will monitor some looking and looking and I'm looking I'm looking at places that even a checkbook could get lost. I mean I'm just looking for all I know.

I'm just because I knew had to be somewhere so I stop and pause and I said, Holy Spirit, you know where this checkbook. I turned the checkbook into a primitive as a Holy Ghost you know where this or you know all things. And Lord, if this checkbook is here and I am not seeing it. I need your spirit to show me where this checkbook is so the trip is not that I didn't use my own human ability to find, I may wait a minute. I haven't heard.the Greek find a checkbook.

I got a position on senior pastor open Bible Fellowship president from 11 alternative my position should say I should be a father checkbook and I had some money in the check, which is the reason I'm looking for the checkbook. But what my education. My position and my money that was in the checking account. I could brag because I couldn't find it.

But then I consulted Holy Spirit you got so I went back after this midnight looking forward and as I laid down a functional shot through my hair thought I had bought up all day because if I would've thought of it all day. I wouldn't spend all my day using my doctorate degree my position. What was in the checkbook I thought shutting it simply said when you wrote the check this morning you put it in a nominal test is also when you wrote the check this morning you put when I thought shot through my head. I set up in the big because what I had not checked, was the drawer that held the envelopes I tell you I ran to my house to that to that kitchen drawer that houses the envelope sitting on top of the envelope was my checkbook and I just simply looked up the gods that you bad you Beth you bad that my praise on the but the written why was so great that it showed me God is so good that even little things are big things to him when I put him hadn't been so so independent and prideful. I should talk to him on the Friday and not at midnight and then I would not have the pull out because I could've invoked his presence earlier if you want to know God bring them in all the details recommend on the small things because success is tied to the growth of the intimacy of our Dr. Tony Evans was your final word on success when he returns in just a moment the first.

As I mentioned earlier, today's lesson is part of a brand-new series called divine reset.

Don't forget, for a limited time we are offering the full-length version of all 10 lessons in this series on CD and digital download along with Tony's booklet winning your spiritual battles there. Yours is or thank you gift when you make a donation to help us continue this ministry to a world desperately in need of the good news of Jesus Christ. Call us right away at 1-800-800-3222 our resource Center never closes. So don't wait again, dial 1-800-800-3222 or visit Tony have and start or to make the arrangements.

And while you're there, be sure to sign up for Tony's free weekly email devotional again that's Tony have and just.org when what we believe to be best isn't 100% aligned with God's word.

How do we respond is it sometimes okay to correct God's will with our own desires or with the will of popular opinion will tomorrow. Dr. Evans will take a look at what really happens when greater prominence is given to human opinion into God's thoughts right now though he's back to wrap up today's message so I want you to be successful, but not because of the world's definition allow for resetting your life by making your experiential pursuit of God through his word. The focus of your definition and reset of success. 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