Praying Through a Crisis

Is based on what you if you got to see Dr. Tony Evans says, your faith is expressed through your actions whether or not your emotions are on for this is the alternative with Dr. Tony at author, speaker, senior pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas Texas and president of the urban alternative when were facing a crisis big or small. We have two choices. Listen to her feelings or listen to our faith today. Dr. Evans takes us to John chapter 11 as he explains our choice affects how we pray and how God answers. We know the story that because it would only be a few days later he would die so it is not just sick, he seriously sick and what ever goal help that Wells was insufficient to resolve the problem of his medical crisis. So what mom and Mary. The sisters of Lazarus is they went to Jesus were to Jesus. You and I will call back today. They prayed they sent word to Jesus. Jesus family member has a crisis is a life-and-death crisis requiring you to resolve the crisis will call him three some of my friend request.

The one you love is sick. When told in verse five now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. But I got a problem. The problem is verse six, when he heard he was sick he stay two days longer in the place where one, known Jesus, I just told you my brother is sick you not going area has God ever delay you when you in a crisis you need it right now. Anyhow I get back for two more days not moving, like you meet in the move wanted to move freely should move cry from the Pope is not moving after two days, Jesus tells his disciples must go guys.

Then he says something else new term for Christians verse 11 he said to them, our friend, remember that is as close to Jesus, our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go so that I may awake him out of his sleep the work. Sleep is only used of Christians in the Bible whether God bring you back in his life will take you to the next life you only transferring consciousness you're not losing existence and you transferring that consciousness in the will of God's new terminology.

Jesus says to her, your brother will rise again. She says that Jesus had no other theology with eschatology class the last day he will rise the Jesus hits her with another theology cannot theology the ground.

He says I am the resurrection and the life. He believes in the live even if you got Jesus changes the conversation.

He says I am present tense, the resurrection. The resurrection is not merely an event.

It's also a person on the Emmaus Road 24 to 24 that's I was on the man's throat. Jesus is that I've been depressed. They walk in us as a stranger came up to them that they did not recognize some stranger came up that it was and why he also said they sent the string to have not been around him she was going on. We thought Jesus was don't deliver us from the cadet recognize Jesus. We thought it was going to the Russian all that and this is a stranger opened up the Bible, Old Testament, and walk them through Moses and the prophets to explain Jesus was Jesus was and what he was supposed to accomplish any walk with him on the Emmaus Road.

Says when they got to their house with the stranger, the stranger did like he would keep going for the stranger Walking could be withdrawn on the road enjoy the Bible study stranger Going but they told the stranger no no no no no that we can stop now you come morning the stranger came in and says the stranger broke bread when he broke the bread of the meal. I saw the nail prints in his head and finally they knew it was Jesus giving them the Bible study on the road it says when they saw Jesus, not the Bible study says that Bernard. They were excited over the Bible study, but it says when they saw Jesus, their eyes were open, and now they saw that there really was. If you read the Bible, but you know CJ is high-stakes cloud even though no Bible study this goal of your life is through the written word to come into an experience of the Holy Spirit office to every believer seeks to do that okay on the resurrection. He says at the end of verse 26. Do you believe this will be critical. This will change your life. Do you believe this. She says yes I believe you are the Christ, the son of God comes into the world that it's Marist or Marinette, the Jesus you to disappoint in the still true sometime just so disappointed with Jesus you don't want to talk to Gary by writing, not moving. He came too late yesterday that come to think social once on so Jesus calls her Mrs. Mary, come talk to me now been since come. She gets up quickly because he invited her and then she tells him verse 32. If you would ability my brother would not now 33 everybody's cry. We got a weeping time because when you're in pain you going to cry if it's been when you have your crisis, it will bring you to two years if it hurt bad enough in your particular situation, but I feel much better in verse 35 is what is verse in the Bible when I read Jesus where he won two big decries something God Jesus cry. Why because he was chapter 4 verses 14 to 16 says that he sympathizes with for he parts with our pain. I have good news when tears were coming down so they come down.

The Bible says you your pain. He feels what you feel when you're in a crisis. So now Jesus raises the question where they where is a very, so they come to take Jesus the way was bearish and he started up verse 38 says he's deeply moved with his mood that the sin and the pain that the world offers that create sickness in the first place without sin, that would be no sickness without that, not personal senescence Road atmospherics since the germs the viruses the bacteria's that infiltrate our body. The toxins, all of that is the environmental repercussions of saying that he was start up the crisis that they were in and the reasons for it and so he says stay with me about starting on March the remove the stone. She says let me give you a lesson in mortuary science base, so I know Jesus, you can go to college. I know you go to medical school so let me give you a little help. Jesus is what Jesus let me bring you into reality. To be there four days and he stinks Jesus said the stone.

She says that's not reality. So Jesus utters words that I want every one to catch right now, starting with me as a preacher to me as I'm preaching to us. He says to her did not say to you okay Karen's parents know what that phrase means you say one thing to you. Okay comes back what they think and you say you hear what I said don't you give me a lecture much worse. I'm talking too much. I asked you all that is. As you move the stone you make this thing more complicated and instruction into a conversation and one of the reasons why some of our crises on the dress is God gives instructions.

We want to have conversations I told you move the stone you going back to what they taught you in college you going back to what they taught you, you going back to what your friend but my friend said my girlfriend said but my neighbors say, but this is what I read in this book, you'll going back to what you know mom was absolutely correct. She did not have wrong information.

When that happened four days begin the snake that was absolutely correct but had nothing to do with divine revelation sing. Don't let what they taught you in school keep you from experiencing the supernatural.

One of the worst things about secular education does not spiritually base it will limit you to secular education, you won't know what the supernatural is because you can type your degree human understanding what the Bible calls human wisdom man's approach may install this church if not life wants to experience the supernatural. It will be following God when it contradicts what you thought including your mom and know that when it contradicts what Jesus said remove the stone and what is said not, I say to you, if you believe you would see the glory of God. In other words, to reduce faith must always precede site once you put site in front of bankers were from Missouri. Once you put site in front of faith, dictated faith. Faith is based on what you do not see if you will gotta see if know and how it should demonstrate faith, not by a feeling, but by removing the stone because faith is not a feeling it's an action has represented that faith is acting like God is telling the truth is acting like it is. So it was not so in order that it might be social because God said so. So you move in faith even when you don't feel it sometimes will be a big fish Faith. Although sometimes you will ever feel pinkish, but you can know you operating in faith to the stone so some of us have situations that have not changed because we still have a conversations and have not touched the stone. Dr. Evans will come back shortly to wrap up this final lesson from a series igniting kingdom. Prayer over the last couple of weeks, we've learned how to pray with the power that can move mountains, solve problems, heal relationships and even change God's mind, so now's the time to get a copy of this to volume 12, message audio collection to reviewing your own or to share with your church or small group. Contact us today is yours with our thanks when you make a contribution to help keep the alternative, coming your way on the station make the arrangements. When you visit Tony Evans.org or reach out to our resource Center for some in person help at 1-800-800-3222 that's 1-800-800-3222 will get back to her message right after this I'm standing here in Alaska.

One of the most glorious places in God's great creation and I want to invite you to join me permit alternative for the Alaskan cruise we going to have a magnificent time in God's word in God's creation we going to enjoy great fellowship. Great great and I'm looking forward to meeting and greeting on our QA Alaskan cruise registered.

Can't wait to be with more unforgettable Alaskan cruise, visit Tony Evans.org Tony Evans.org so they removed the stone Jesus raised his eyes and said I thank you that you have heard me crisis you are talking to God, which will you want Jesus talking to God for you got to talk to him first, but what you want is Jesus to ditto the request not until there was an act of faith. Jesus says to his father, I thank you that you have heard me oh so you can admit Jesus does not waste words.

Not only does he not waste words he does not waste tenses of words say I thank you that you hear me. I thank you that you heard me, which means we've already discussed this crisis that is when they pray the first time at the beginning of chapter 11 you and father had a conversation very sick brother. They want us to do some damage mop emeritus came to me and the conversation they want to do some about the brother Lazarus socialist talk about how we will handle it well. So what we can actually use this crisis as an opportunity for me to have greater glory so son son you as soon as they demonstrate that this thing will not come out when you first talk to God a year ago about the problem he and the son have already discussed that discussed that the sun is not praying for the implementation until has been demonstrate is been demonstrated. So now Jesus prays I thank you and me. I know that you always hear me because of the people standing around. I said it so that they might believe that you sent me. Jesus holds all on answering the prayer because he wants to use the crisis to bring a lot of people to salvation. So now there is a spiritual reason for a crisis delay. In spite of a prayer being pray because there's a bigger kingdom purpose at work just the feeling of that if you're in a crisis in God is not move and you operating Bob all that means is tied to a bigger point that God wants to accomplish glory of the name of the son and the advancement of his so you keep praying to a crisis if you've not heard no you keep running so so Jesus prays: intercession Hebrews 724 25 when Jesus intercedes as a counselor, he goes before us, and he delivers us out of a sticky situation because guess what he says in verse 43 that come all now that is in conformity just to come forth all the data but you see, this is a personal crisis that you personally about their personal problem because when you want a crisis you need specifics yet bless everybody and that'll work now. No no no no no, bless me. I need you to call mommy come, let us walk kind and exiting the two men went down I came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings. His face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, unbind him and let him go. Lazarus has life but what he didn't have his freedom is his hands were bound his feet was bound. He was wrapped like a mummy wrap a moment.

He's wrap all the way to to talk so he has a life, but no liberty this morning was a Christian, you have liked, but not everybody is a Christian liberty, you may be bound by an addiction bound by an emotional struggle found by health situation, something may be holding you hostage.

Even though you have life.

Watch this, Jesus gave him life but Jesus did not directly give him the pretty.

He said he called them to lose him and let him go and explain some Jesus Christ.

Once again, every single person eternal life. He offers life through his blood, but he's set free through his people through his people. That's why God wants every Christian to be a part of a local church so that you can be unwrapped if you trap. Also, you can unwrap somebody else. If you unwrapped himself God never meant for you to come once a week to hear somebody preach the Bible alone. Once you part of the family so you can be the unwrapping on so that you can be helping somebody else somebody helps you, you can bet your bottom dollar if you don't need to be unwrapped now that will be a day when you will need to be unwrapped so you better be investing in on the phone or small group ministries but that ought to be a meaningful connection when we are dealing with one another Scripture where you are engaged in the life of the family of God, because while Jesus gives life uses people from that which is holding them hostage he wants is unbound from this habit that had just said that this circumstance.

That's what the church is supposed to be a weekly. It is a family relationship with the big moves and set free.

That's why that's why the book of Matthew chapter 10 said you been three free somebody else. Galatians chapter 5 verse 13 says through the liberty that you have sent somebody else and if you're not serving others in the family of faith. But you're only coming to starve yourself does not call worship service, worship, selfish because what you get out and you will always limit what God does for you if you can't work through you to do it for somebody else.

So Dr. Evans will come back in a moment with a final thought about how God's power can be accessed, but first I want to let you know that the popular film journey with Jesus, starring Dr. Evans, Crystal Priscilla and Anthony Evans is now available to stream online for a limited time journey with Jesus previously only shown in theaters was filmed on location in Israel and follows the steps of Jesus through the holy land. Get more information on how you can stream this powerful film. When you visit Tony Evans.org I don't forget today's the final day of Tony's current igniting kingdom prayer series, which makes it a perfect time to get the complete two-volume collection for yourself, you can receive all 12 full-length messages on CD or digital download. This collection includes quite a bit of material we didn't have time to present on the year and at yours with our thanks when you make a donation to help continue this listener supported ministry, just request the igniting kingdom prayer series when you call 1-800-800-3222 that's 1-800-800-3222 or visit Tony Evans.org or you can also sign up for Tony's free weekly email devotional will next time Dr. Evans will show how the success or failure you experience in this world is determined by what goes on in a different world sure to join him as he begins a powerful teaching series exploring the reality of spiritual warfare.

Right now though he's back with a final thought for today. I know many crisis pray through it, even if it's gotten worse and not better because I want to let you know right now that God can turn things around for his own purpose of the alternatives with Dr. Tony is made possible by the generous contributions listeners like