A Challenge Toward Authenticity, Part 2

We need to be close to full pool to give us Jesus's perspective, even if they don't have your money, your call you Dr. Tony Evans shows no matter who we are, where we been or what we've done. There's no escaping our common dependency are all in the same place celebrating this is the alternative Dr. Tony Evans, author, speaker, senior pastor of Oakland Bible Fellowship in Dallas Texas and president of the urban alternative. A lot of us go to great length to give the impression that everything is okay. We got it all together. Dr. Evans is time spent trying to fake it to make it is meaningless when there's no connection with God, and eternity. Let's join him in the book of Revelation as he challenges us to be authentic in our faith was a wealthy city no for three things lay all the sale 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, work and raise a family was also known for its fashion industry where they made fancy clothes. Not only was the financial district in 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 the 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 the eight-man, the faithful and the true witness, the beginning of the creation of God, says this before you get to know what he wants to say what you know doing the talk. He says to the church at Laodicea and our church today. I am the amen amen means so be it.

So amen means the final word on the subject. He says in verse 15.

I know your deeds, that you are neither cold and wish you were or cold. So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold. I will spit you out of my mouth, he addresses the problem at Laodicea Bible Fellowship of lukewarmness you are lukewarm. 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 yourself. You say I am rich I am self-sufficient. I got it going on got my job got the money got my car got my house got my close so on.

The church is not stop. I go to Laodicea Bible Fellowship because that's what Christians do go there because I need Jesus.

I don't have to propel my religious obligation you become so successful in your financial district fashion district. Your pharmaceutical district that really made me you just placating me 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 all make me sick. He says to the Laodicea Bible Fellowship that you have allowed what is now the definition 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 dropped the nights of concerts Denies the job that God has you viewed and fallen into this false theology, that stuff must be a blast when actually you know stuff made me sick and you make me want to throw up and spew you out my mouth because you have brought the world into the church instead of letting the church define who you are and how you function in the world. We will be doing what we would want to do what you diversity. I advise you to give you some advice me some advice. I advise you to buy from me gold is a financial district refined by fire so that you may become rich, could you 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 say see our world has so duped us and we all are facing is not things you think it because it due process so we wind up buying things you don't need with money, but we don't have to impress people we don't know we read this week we get do you know how 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 cold with 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 and you had a root canal combined with good Lord, all bad teeth everywhere. This summer to the start and heard him brush and harden Lawson and all that I'm telling people about two thirds they give me what they think I should do. Finally I woke up and went to the dentist because could be that the dentist had a little bit more inside information to my situation then me or the folk advising me thought they know what to tell you what, then, is that all his x-rays and started looking at all all up in my mouth started drilling and then give me a root canal.

See the dentist when dealing with what I thought how I felt what people said it she would looking at something deep which required something deeper, tubular bylaws and how we feel and what I think what people told me and she told me this and he told me that they told me this and Jesus says here, but I'm a great position and I'm seen stuff deeper and you need to let me give a spiritual assessment of where you are with C. That's with the saints and Laodicea didn't want. That's why they didn't know they didn't want the spiritual perspective they wanted people to make them feel good about where they are based on the world's perspective, and that's not what the church is supposed to be not the church of Jesus Christ the church of Jesus Christ lives on the truth is the reality of the son of God, and it lives on the proclamation of the spiritual MLS the spiritual is put out front of the physical and not the physical put out front of the spiritual. You and I will live in deception individually, and we will live in deception of the church will carry on services what Jesus wants the unless the spiritual is out front, and that becomes the standard and the gauge for every hour of life. Jesus said I can't do anything with you because your living based on it.

Based on a lie. Goldsmith was pure Bible one day is a master.

How do you know what the goal is been pure by those present when I see my reflection and until Jesus sees himself as Bill Bill would all kind of alloys, mixtures that is contaminated what God really wants us to be. Dr. Evans will give us a simple suggestion that can help move us toward greater authenticity. When he returns with more of our message just a moment 20 2010 is just around the corner and use them or is vital to meeting our year-end challenge Mountain Senior strong messages of hope like coming to you and others so many right now need hope and truth found in God's word and generous friend like you think that possible you get today will help keep the urban alternatives going strong finding and online with attorney Kevin Southworth to get today that Terry Evans out of the messenger hearing today as part of a brand-new audio compilation called the best of Tony Evans, 20, 21. It contains 20 of Tony's most requested lessons of the past year covering the importance of prophecy or need for spiritual armor how to find freedom from anxiety and much more. Right now we are also making available a special selection of bonus books and devotionals that can be bundled along with these powerful audio messages. The complete best of Tony Evans, 20, 21 collection on CD or digital download plus the custom bonus resource are our gift to you. When you help support Tony's ministry with a year-end contribution get all the details and make the arrangements today when you visit Tony Evans.org or call our resource Center at one 800 832, 22 team members are standing by to help you, day or night.

Again, that's 1-800-800-3222 right now Dr. Evans is back with more of today's message. Let's join him. You need to I need to we need to be close to folk who want to give us Jesus's perspective, even if they don't have your money, your car, your house and your close. That's why James to the cries of the man who's got stuff you got stuff. He's got monies got wealthy got recognition got no erotic he's got power and somebody poor comes and sits next to this person doesn't have all the finest) not have much money. This 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 is not in Jesus of class. Except you and Jesus gladly accepts me is that you James and tell the poor man when you go into the back. Could we savor the rich folk see up front.

He says don't you know you are evil people with evil motives of classism in the church of Jesus Christ because some people have other people don't have no room for that. If the spiritual is first. That's why we help people on the back give a lot of money because you know better than the widow give off a fixed income. Security law is the law is classism and racism rates in the church of Jesus Christ says to the church.

God make me stand dealing with Joe you bring in that world jumped into the family of God. You're better than somebody else. Did you have more than somebody else went back somebody got Matt would you have. Maybe the project I want to speak into your life. Praise God that you got BA and MA MVA PhD is not what you know better than the high school graduate who was in love with God is God is God that which God has entrusted you by what you know better than the garbage collector who loves God and serves God and honors God can speak God's way into your life. It I have chosen the poor of this world to be the speaker into the life those. Therefore, no matter what God does open Bible Fellowship. You are never to be an elitist church that only response the big-name people with big-name monies and big-name homes. A big-name car is at the cross cross cross were all in need of the same grace. So Jesus says I got some advice for focal 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 and I've been out with the television is not with the media saying that the pundits say if you start with me because I want to be the standard by which you operate. Therefore, I value to deal with me. Verse 19 those whom I love your child.

God loves you those one love, I reprove and discipline.

Therefore be zealous and repent. Okay, stay with me here you go to sleep, sleep, those who I love, I reprove and discipline because I love you but you don't really know you because you think you all at the bag of chips so you blinded you, but I'm not blind to you but I love you and I want to get you right. 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. I will put you in situations you can dress up for. I will put you in situations to deal with your blindness, I'm gonna bring some discipline into your life that she'll know that all that stuff that the world applauds.

It makes you feel wrong about your self with can solve your problem until I can get your undivided attention.

Not trying to be mean but I am trying to correct some things that need to be corrected, so I don't have to do you of my love to do with you, but is because I love you because I don't want to be divided from you.

I got to give you the right view of you like the Lexus commercial with two domains in the Congress to dummies to dummies in the car, but then suits I got to dress… And nice, but what they do is crash the car, so I got to dummies living just nice. On the way to disaster and that's what the world.it'll make you look good until the crash is what God is saying complaining against the clock not complaining against the nice calls is completely against you being a dummy to make more than it is now make a suggestion for me.

You. Us all of us sometime sometime in the next two months.

Go visit a junkyard because that's where stuff lines up this world and its physical benefits committee physical benefits consultant is real but is temporary. Don't act like it's forever because it's not wealth goes away, close get to this is to put the physical first using the bottles is used when God gives you. But don't abuse it. To put it like it's all that because you lose me because I will have to spew you what I can use you life, I can't connect with you because you're not in concert with me. Remember Joshua and Caleb when they were going to the promised land transpires that we can go that could look at the physical physical says there giants in the land Joshua and Caleb sent you not see all the blind you not seen because if you will see what 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 put money in your pocket, wondering not getting anywhere but you got a nice house the spiritual being able to see things from God's perspective focused, seeking first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. When the spiritual is put ahead of the physical bulletins rightful place in about an extension of the building is not about programs is not about any of it is about me and you and us experiencing intimacy with Jesus Christ at a deeper level and all that other stuff is extra not wrong with it but is extra innate. The definition of who we are. Praise God for nothing.

We thank God for. But that's not what we're here for where you get to know him and serve him. Everything else is a facilitative process that but even if we don't get it.

Even if some downturns and we lose it change we off because it was never about was about diving with the same medicals on the closings. He says to him who overcomes the word to him overcomes I will grant him to sit down with me on my throne, as I also overcame and sat down with my father on his throne. A bird one day was walking on a branch in the branch split for the burn advocacy is swimmable in that way I don't go anywhere going nowhere.

The lukewarm Christian is one who will make a decision to become a cult stuck unjustly church a five unjustly religious just the parts don't just play Christianity. She's make a decision. We all recall that we were perfect but it means we repent. When God reveals our imperfection so we can get back on the road and when you go in. Jesus shows up to become all the commas of the things we have Dr. Tony Evans wrapping up his message called a challenge toward authenticity.

You can request your own CD or digital copy as a standalone lesson or as a part of his new compilation the best of Tony Evans, 20, 21, as I mentioned earlier, this giant collection is available for a limited time is our gift when you help support Tony's ministry with a generous year-end contribution. In addition to the 20 audio messages. If you contact us right away will also include a special bonus choose from the powerful kingdom men rising devotional made by guidebook for children or Tony's newest release kingdom race theology. Just visit Tony Evans.org today to get the details and make the arrangements or call our resource Center at 1-800-800-3222 were team members are ready to help you, day or night.

Again, that's 1-800-800-3222. It's common practice for movies and TV series to show previews of coming attractions and God is done the same for us in the Bible, giving us a taste of what's coming in the time between now and eternity on Monday. Dr. Evans will talk about humankind's longing for a perfect world what's kept us from living there. So far, be sure to join us, the alternative with Dr. Tony Evans is brought to you by think of an alternative celebrating 40 years of faithfulness, thanks to the generous contributions of listeners like you