Living a Life that Lasts, Part 1

Dr. Tony Evans shows too many of us are unwilling to cut our ties to the tangible things we contention that we can see this is the alternative Dr. Tony have speaker senior pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas Texas and president of the alternative getting more of God in your life leaves less room for well different things for different people.

Dr. Evans will tell us about the benefits of making those trade-offs as he brings us today's message less joint time in his life when his life is about to come to an end. It's time to leave a legacy when you make a will you are preparing a legacy for the next generation of your family, usually involving material things, things of substance houses, cars, bank accounts and your transferring what you have accumulated for them to benefit from based on the work that you have done is unfortunate today that there are legacies given related to stuff but if the legacy you give is no supernatural components to it. You may be giving something much less than what the person you're giving it to me and someone to talk to you today about having in transferring a spiritual legacy that possesses supernatural components and God expects you to because in Psalm 7118.

It makes it clear that we ought to transfer the power of God to the next generation not just information about God, but but God's very power is to be transferred to the next generation so that this generation should be able to piggyback off of our experience with God.

Of course, if you don't have one, you can share one, but to be able to talk about the God you know, rather than merely the God but unfortunately, today we have a generation like in the book of Judges who knew not the Lord, and therefore there was nothing to transfer, we come now to the transfer will be like John to Elisha. Elisha makes a request in second Kings chapter 2 verse nine when they crossed over. Elijah said to the live show. That's what I shall do for you before I am taken from you and Eli sure said please let a double portion of your spirit be on me, you will discover, if you read the book of second Kings that Elisha did twice as many miracles as Elijah.

He asked for a double portion of his Berlin answer question is asking you for God that you have when they get anything or would it be a deficit in their account is one twice as much of the experience of God came from Deuteronomy 2117 when the firstborn got a double portion. God said I want to give the firstborn a double portion because the firstborn would have extra responsibility for the right thing because one is for one's spiritual first saw in the life of Elijah the must-see of the spiritual where living in a day when the spiritual is the last and the material in its first we want.

We want things we want property.

We want money we want prestige we want Korea nothing is wrong with wanting those things in their place, but Elisha knew that the main thing he needed was the spiritual first. Or to put it in the words of Matthew 633 CE.

First the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all of these things will be added to you what we have done as we please, things, and this and that's why grandmothers grandchildren. She had, but not as much God as she possessed. The more misery, bigger houses with no nicer cars would know where to go and more misery because we saw the first thing we left the spiritual buddies that I want a double if you get God. God gives you whatever he has for you will add these things if you don't have God you gotta go get it, you'll sell and so is that I want a double portion of the God I see and work in you and so is his request. Now turn your Bibles back only pages that the first Kings 19 first Kings 19. That's where we first meet Eli shopping connected with Elijah. It says in verse 19 on chapter 19, the first Kings so he Elijah departed from there and found Elisha the son of Shabbat while he was going with 12 oxen before him.

Okay, if you oxidize because you live in large Elijah passed over to him and through him thought about the smell and the minute but basically designated Elijah as his successor. I need to turn this over to somebody. I have selected you now a long shot makes a request.

He left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said please let me kiss my mother then I will follow you.

Also says goodbye to his mother and father.

Then he arose, and finally, Elijah administered to him yesterday and you get a double portion of God, you have the kiss goodbye at all this material he was pretty well-to-do. Given 12 oxen. Elijah was nontransferable spiritual to him. But before the transfer. He couldn't. He couldn't stay where he was seeing one of the reasons we don't see the supernatural is went to third to the natural way to to the physical. We don't want off risk giving up 12 oxen. We don't want to risk giving up the things we can touch and thanks for the things that are invisible that we cannot see because we don't want to risk losing that we wind up losing this unanswered prayer last no sense of God showing up and showing off because we are to 12 long as you loosely mother and father had long, but for God to take you to the next double portion, spiritual level, you must be willing to test something goodbye. What is like a mental.

Dr. Evans will tell us more about the valuable sacrifices when he continues her message just a moment with us.

It was my first time meeting Jesus in the Bible Wednesday after studying bibliology to the Tony Evans training center by renowned theologian Dr. Tony Evans. These online courses feature controlling and exclusive video and audio teaching class and interactive scripture based curriculum you can access online or through the mobile app sign up now. Tony happens training January 6, Dr. Evans and exploring the kingdom anytime, anywhere. Tony happens to me and finally driven's teaching today comes to us from his current series. Elijah these messages concentrate on valuable insights gleaned from the life of one of the Bible's greatest prophets.

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I'll repeat that information after Dr. Evans finishes up part two of today's teaching see #Solomon said I will delete this people too great for me to leave today because money because you asked me. But people spiritual insight because you place the spiritual and material, spiritual and photo material and bonus God made him the richest man that ever lived, because his pride please baseball if youdon't want any other bases you missedthe second, third and home play was first all the Bible, God demands to be first, the spiritual is to precede the physical and material not because those are the important never to be first, and because we've got with a much less supernatural.

Not even talk about a double portion.

That's why Paul prayed in Ephesians chapter 1 verse 18 Paul prays that your use of your may be enlightened.

He says that the New Testament Christians. I want you to be open. That's why this next verse is so important in second Kings chapter 2, he says after he makes a request for double portion. He says your last four now when it comes to material for last God to win the lottery. No got a better chance of oil in your backyard and winning the lottery, but people will pray that they will will material the last mass got some big spiritual being spiritually like we do for the physical miracles we want.

He says to him you asked for hard thing. Verse 10 you see me when I am taken from you, and show being so for you, but if it shall not be so. He says double portion, Elijah said Paul what you want you want to be you want to be really cheap manager really works God to double what the supernatural stuff is good for me. That's what I will and unmasking big that's what I will set a meeting. That only God can give you that. But I tell you what he says if you see me when I'm taken from you. Shelby, you'll get a double portion.

So what will determine whether he got a double portion. It would be determined by what he saw or did not see why if you save me you got a double portion. If you don't see me when I'm taken, you will get the double portion because of your spiritual insight will determine what you receive. If you see the spiritual then you spiritual so you won't spiritual unless you live your life saying things from God's perspective, saying the spiritual world Expo against the spiritual what you say. Wilson said is what you get all you see is what you see, you do not see all the rest to be seen unless you can look beyond the physical to seek God's point of view. In fact, the whole nature of spiritual growth. According to Hebrews 5. Spiritual growth is your ability to look at things ritually first and physically. First, Hebrews 1127 says that people of faith who is unseen is when you say working you will see God is when you see God's hand.

You don't think laughing is when you say God you will see muscle beating is when you say God's perspective so your brain because you're looking at things spiritually. One of the reasons that we are both from the supernatural is we have limited ourselves to the five senses.

And if all you see on the five senses. He says I need you need to know before you get a double portion that you got this vacancy meaning spiritualize the driver thinks see Elijah physically means spiritualize and so here we are. He has made a request.

Paul makes the request. I would be open now we are seeing Elijah.

I have given Elijah. The mantle is the transference of the above responsibility we see in chapter 2 for double portion, but between Elijah in chapter 19 verse 19 request in chapter 2 verses nine and that is between those two paths of the Scriptures. There is a process that is put in place to move away from where they met to where he makes the request.

Request gets responded to and the new word for the process that took place is called discipleship. In other words, he had to learn to look at things from God's perspective.

If you admitted in this church or any church life and time. Meaningful competently five years and is remotely five years because the Bible teaches that it takes five years for person to learn to look at things consistently, spiritually, so if you've been saying for five years and you not to look at the spiritual first. That means you not growing in your faith no matter how much church attendance. You do not grow in your discipleship or your spiritual development could just jump to the physical before you ever look at the spiritual to prepare Elijah for the mantle. People like shop for the mantle. Elijah had placed on Elisha chapter 2 verses 1 to 9 show the SS with which Elijah took Elisha to prepare him for the request that Elisha is going to make up Elijah. Hope I don't do these things mixed up chapter 2 verse one and it came about when the Lord was about to take up Elijah by wind in a habit that Elijah went to Elisha Gill gal Elijah said to Elisha stay here please send me as far as Bethel. He says stay here. Don't don't don't come any further, but Elisha said to Elijah, as the Lord lives, and you live not leave you. So they went down to Bethel Elisha say I stand here I go with you now in chapter 19 – they start walking and going on a trip while staying there. One of the to test the level of his commitment. Are you just in this one for the for the name for the press for recognition are you are you in it for the real thing because the phone. What you when I see you got some some but the issue is what I keep going with you when things get tough and things get rough things in the for the long haul. That's discipleship. That's why the Bible says if any man will be my disciple. He must himself take up his cross and follow me and follow Jesus know sometimes it's over rough terrain is not all pretty and stuff down from heaven and no challenges.

He said I told you, would you stay with you, then the sons of the prophets who were at Bethel came out to Elisha and said do you know that the Lord will take away your master from you today and he said yes I know we will Elijah said Jeff please stay here for the Lord and sent me to Jericho, but he said, as the Lord lives and as you live. I will not leave you. So the couple going to want to see if he wanted to go. Do you really want this like Jacob when he wrestled with God all night long and they let me go. Jacobson I'm not going let you go until I get the spiritual bad do you want? The folks at our church have advanced degrees beyond high school. We have most of the folks going to college. Many have gone to got on the Masters. A few have gotten their doctorates how bad did you movement you would fill with the 12, but the reason most didn't quit is because that will some family was shooting for that they were willing to pay for the benefits that would Dr. Tony 11 talking about how to get more of God as we search for more significant life and he'll come back in a moment to wrap up today's program with prayer first so don't forget that his current series. Elijah is available on CD and is an instant download and thanks for your contribution to help keep Tony's broadcasting ministry reaching out to help so many people and if you contact us by tomorrow before the special offer runs out will include the companion DVD Bible study kit you can use to get more out of the messages on your own or with your small group make a point of visiting us today Tony Evans.org to make the arrangements again. It's Tony Evans.org or call our 24 hour resource Center at 1-800-800-3222 and let one of our team members help you. That's 1-800-800-3222.

People are living longer these days. But how do we make those extra months and years matter. Dr. Evans will have more to say about that as he continues his look at the subject of significance. Tomorrow.

Right now though he's back to share a final thought in this important prayer. A lot of people exist, but don't feel like they're living the good news of the gospel as Jesus came to give you life that is the experience of God's reality operating with you. That's what the Bible calls eternal life gives you heaven as a location eternal life is inexperienced and he gives it to you for free. That's what grace is about. It's a gift you can't earn it. You can buy it you can be religious enough to get it, but you can receive it.

And so God offers the opportunity for you right now to receive the forgiveness of sins and the free gift of eternal life, which will set in motion a whole life long experience of growing in the knowledge of God. Let's get this thing started right now by you going to Jesus Christ and saying to him, Lord Jesus. I believe you died on the cross in my place for my sin. I now accept you as my personal substitute come into my life I receive you now as my only Savior I received the gift of eternal life that you promise to give me if I came to you for thank you for your salvation in Jesus name. The alternative with Dr. Tony have proven alternative is made possible by the generous confusion of listeners