0:00

God has a lot of Christians that are

0:03

in the stands. They just

0:05

show up to watch the game. But

0:07

Dr. Tony Evans says there are benefits

0:09

for believers who take to the field.

0:12

You are an obedient saint who does

0:14

not deny him. You are an overcomer.

0:17

This is the alternative with Dr. Tony

0:20

Evans, author, speaker, senior

0:22

pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship

0:24

in Dallas, Texas and president of

0:26

the Urban Alternative. When

0:30

faced with adversity, it can become tempting to

0:32

just throw in the towel. But today, Dr.

0:35

Evans explores how we can instead tap

0:37

into God's matchless strength, giving

0:39

us hope and ultimately transforming

0:41

our despair into victory. Let's

0:44

join him as he begins. The

0:46

church at Philadelphia. This

0:50

is the first Philadelphia, the city of

0:52

brotherly love. This

0:55

Philadelphia, in verse 7

0:57

of Revelation 3, is located some

0:59

30 miles southeast of Sardis, a

1:05

great commercial city with a major

1:07

trade route plagued often

1:10

with earthquakes. That was the

1:12

nature of this city. Inside

1:15

this city was a small

1:17

church, a small gathering of believers,

1:20

Philadelphia Bible Fellowship. This

1:24

small gathering of believers found themselves

1:26

in this pagan realm and Jesus,

1:29

who is the spokesperson

1:33

through the shepherd of each one of these

1:35

churches, speaks through

1:38

this leader to the

1:40

saints at Philadelphia Bible

1:42

Fellowship at the church in

1:44

Philadelphia. And notice what he says. Verse

1:48

7, he who is holy, who is true, who

1:51

has the key of David, who opens

1:53

and no one will shut, and

1:56

who shuts and no one opens,

1:59

says this. What

2:01

will we get into Where the

2:03

idiosyncrasies of what else will say

2:05

This church he wants to give

2:07

i'm not are description of himself

2:09

which he has been and he

2:11

to be structures and he described

2:13

himself as he was wholly and

2:15

true. Home I mean

2:18

to be set apart as unique, special,

2:20

or one of a kind. For.

2:22

When I saw him about another name

2:24

or one of the crowd. He

2:27

says I am unique. Therefore

2:29

must be viewed and treated uniquely.

2:32

I am not only holy, I'm

2:34

also prove. True. That to

2:36

do with ultimate reality. On the

2:39

real deal, anything that contradicts me

2:41

is false and his allies and

2:43

cannot be trusted. So

2:45

you are to measure everything but

2:48

the truth. I am but way,

2:50

the truth and the life. So

2:52

everything is to be measured by

2:54

his inconsistency and compatibility to meet

2:56

and if is incompatible an inconsistent

2:59

with me is wrong number he

3:01

told me to you. Know

3:05

with I am truth. I

3:08

am holding and true. Not only

3:10

am I do they can set apart not

3:12

only am I ultimate reality but now he

3:14

gets to the nitty gritty he says I

3:16

have a T of David. Ayer.

3:20

The key. Of David. And

3:22

I say it's up to twenty two vs.

3:24

fifteen to twenty five. The

3:27

sort of the House of David. Between

3:29

the House of David, David was the

3:31

King of Israel. It's use that to

3:33

speak of the kingdom. The.

3:35

T belong to the steward

3:37

but the stored did not

3:39

do the right job so

3:41

he was all fired and

3:43

when he was fired and

3:45

new stored replaced him this

3:47

new store it was a

3:49

lawyer kim and a liar

3:51

Kim was given that see

3:53

to the thing. I'm. not

3:56

given our t was given vaccine jesus

3:58

as high school the key

4:01

of the kingdom of David, that

4:03

is, I have the kingdom key.

4:06

Notice it's a single key because it's

4:08

a master key. Anybody

4:11

who possesses a master key can get

4:13

in any door. All

4:15

the doors are available to him

4:17

because he has a master key.

4:20

So when the Bible speaks of the key,

4:22

it speaks of two things, access

4:25

and authority. So

4:27

Jesus claims access to

4:29

any door and

4:31

authority over every door. Let me say

4:33

that again. Jesus, the one with the

4:35

key, the master key, has

4:38

access to every door, which is what

4:40

a master key gives you, and authority

4:42

over every door, which is why he

4:45

says he can open the doors he

4:47

wants to open and lock the doors

4:49

he wants to stay locked because

4:52

he is in charge. Now if you and

4:55

I don't get that, we're gonna think people

4:57

are in charge. We're gonna think

4:59

power brokers are in charge. You

5:02

know, we have this tendency, we all do,

5:04

to get self-sufficient. I can make it on

5:06

my own. I

5:08

got VV and MasterCard American Express.

5:11

I can make it on my own. I know people. Okay?

5:15

If you know Jesus Christ, you know somebody. You

5:18

know people. And

5:22

he says, and I open

5:24

the door and nobody will shut

5:26

a door. I open. I

5:29

don't care what their name is and how much power they

5:31

will and how much money they have. He

5:34

says in verse 9, you have

5:37

kept the word of my perseverance

5:40

and I will also keep you from the hour

5:42

of testing, the hour that is about to come

5:44

upon the whole world. He

5:47

told me in verse 9, behold I've caused those in

5:49

the synagogue of Satan who say they are Jews and

5:51

are not but lie, I will make them come and

5:54

bow down at your feet and

5:57

make them know that I have loved you. He

6:01

said, all those false folk out there, synagogue

6:05

of Satan, they go to church, synagogue,

6:07

but they are of the devil. Just

6:10

because you're in church, synagogue, doesn't mean you are

6:12

of the Lord. There is

6:14

a synagogue of Satan. Religious

6:16

talk doesn't mean a thing. He

6:19

says, but I'm going to

6:21

let them know that I have loved

6:23

you. Even though you got a little power, I'm

6:26

going to let them know. You

6:29

got more power than you look like you have. Maybe

6:33

you remember the story about a big

6:35

dog and little puppy, German

6:38

Shepherd and a poodle. German

6:41

Shepherd and a poodle were standing at a door. They

6:43

were standing at a door and

6:45

the big dog, the shepherd, looked at

6:47

the poodle and said, you're a little puppy. You

6:50

can't do much. Look how small you are. Look

6:52

how short you are. You know? You

6:55

got that little bark. You got

6:58

that little bark. I'm a

7:00

big dog. Big

7:02

dog. Say,

7:05

look at this door. I

7:07

wonder how long it would take you to get open

7:10

this door because I can open this door. I can

7:12

open this door quickly because I'm big and I can

7:14

reach the knob. You can't even reach the knob. In

7:16

fact, let's have a contest. Let's see who can open

7:18

the door the quickest. Little

7:21

puppy said, okay, you go

7:23

first, big dog. You

7:26

go first. German Shepherd

7:28

jumped up on the door, got

7:30

his mouth around the knob and

7:33

started twisting at

7:43

the knob. After about two and a half minutes

7:45

of working the knob, he got the door open.

7:51

Then he pulled his shirt and

7:53

he said, beat that. A little

7:56

puppy. Because big

7:58

dog didn't show you. You can't even reach. and

8:00

nod, your turn. Little

8:03

puppy came up to the door, gave

8:06

a small bark, scratch

8:10

the door, the man on

8:12

the inside came and opened it. Because

8:20

see when you know who's on the inside, you

8:23

ain't got to go through all that.

8:30

So don't let it bother you if you're

8:32

a little puppy because if you know

8:34

the Lord, He's got

8:36

the key and He can open

8:38

up what the big dogs can't help you

8:41

with. Say

8:47

you got the synagogue of Satan and

8:49

they messing with you. They

8:52

calling you holier than thou. They

8:54

think they said oh you wanted them Bible people

8:56

and you you bring up Jesus all the time

8:58

and you wanted them and yeah they can make

9:01

you feel bad. He says in the synagogue of

9:03

Satan is making it tough for you but I

9:06

can keep you from the honor

9:08

of testing. He calls it

9:11

you in a test. Watch this. So if you

9:13

in a situation and the door has not yet

9:15

opened, he says consider it

9:17

a test and he says

9:19

and I'm gonna walk you through the test

9:22

until I reverse

9:24

it. He says

9:27

I'm gonna make your enemies

9:29

your footstool. Nothing

9:31

makes God real than when he

9:33

reverses the irreversible. Nothing

9:35

makes God more real than when he

9:38

flips something that look unflippable. Nothing

9:40

make God so powerful to you when

9:43

there was no way out you were

9:45

trapped. The devil would look like he

9:47

was running the whole show and

9:51

then he reverses it but

9:53

you may say but but I don't see

9:55

him doing anything. Oh Yeah,

9:58

well look at the next verse. Go

10:01

along with you. Do this. All

10:03

was but I am coming quickly.

10:06

Holdfast what you have. So.

10:08

That no one would take your crown. Or.

10:11

Loved his words. I am

10:13

coming a quickly. That.

10:15

Means suddenly. That

10:17

means unexpectedly, step

10:20

me outta nowhere.

10:22

see. When God is silent, that

10:24

doesn't mean he's still. On

10:27

know we'll see I'm doing anything

10:29

on know looks like you just

10:31

waiting for nothing but god like

10:33

for comment. sudden. He

10:36

likes a bread in were you

10:38

didn't expected when you didn't say

10:40

that was any way that this

10:42

thing ever get better that this

10:44

fall put Abba n love to

10:46

do some suddenly and reason why

10:48

you like to do things quickly

10:50

or suddenly is so that when

10:53

it happens there is no the

10:55

base also causes to take place

10:57

has it. Came

10:59

out of nowhere. Taking

11:02

you wonder why did I

11:04

come from. And

11:06

it becomes an extra couple.

11:09

A clear that this was

11:11

haven't invaded history And so

11:13

then we consume suddenly. He

11:18

says and I will come quickly. So.

11:20

Don't worry about if you will have

11:23

all the degree that people have. all

11:25

the money, you have all the procedures,

11:27

you have all the power of people.

11:30

Don't applaud you when you walk into

11:32

roof. Don't worry about it's just a

11:34

bedroom. Don't deny your name and his

11:37

wife. For the lord I say wait

11:39

upon the coffee com. Sudden.

11:44

Dr. Evans was here, a personal example

11:46

of how the Lord swooped in to

11:48

turn things around when he continues in

11:50

just a moment. First know, don't miss

11:52

your chance to get a copy of

11:54

all seven messages in our current series

11:56

Lead: Go like God if you contact

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is right away and make it. donation

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We'll say thanks by sending you

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the full-length versions of these messages

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with a special bonus, two of Tony's

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helpful and popular books, 30 Days

12:15

to Overcoming Emotional Strongholds, and

12:18

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Request your copy of this special

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tonyevans.org, or by

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12:41

Evans will return with more of

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our message right after this. Does

12:49

your heart belong to the sea?

12:52

Dr. Tony Evans is inviting you

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on an unforgettable Mexican Riviera cruise,

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setting sail from November 9th through

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the 16th. Join Dr. Evans for

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impactful sermons against the breathtaking backdrop

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of the Mexican Riviera. You'll see

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13:19

Folks, we couldn't meet in the school anymore. We didn't

13:22

have a place to go. They were going to vote whether they

13:24

were going to let us stay or to put us out. God

13:26

calls there to be an accident on the freeway

13:28

so the people who were going to vote against

13:31

us who were riding in the same car couldn't

13:33

get off the off ramp. And

13:35

when the council couldn't wait for them

13:37

any longer, they voted without them. We

13:40

won five to four. As soon as

13:42

the vote was over, they came rushing

13:44

in. It was too late because God

13:46

overturned that thing. And if you've

13:51

never seen God do that, if you

13:53

know what God can do, then you're

13:55

just living with faith

13:57

or what man can do. And

14:00

men do not have the final say so. That's

14:04

why you're free. You're

14:07

free. You're free. People don't get the final

14:09

word because they don't have a master key

14:11

to your life, to your world, to your

14:13

family. They don't control it. He

14:15

says, I have the master key. That

14:19

must be your perspective. Perspective is everything.

14:23

It's like Montana put out a thing

14:25

for catching wolves, they were

14:27

going to pay $5,000 for any trapper

14:29

who caught a wolf, $5,000 per wolf.

14:32

Sam and Jed decided to go wolf hunting then

14:35

because that's $5,000 a wolf. So

14:37

they went wolf hunting in Montana, they put up their tent,

14:39

they got in their tent because the next day

14:41

they were going to hunt for some wolves to get $5,000 a wolf.

14:45

They go to sleep, Jed wakes up first in

14:47

the morning. When Jed wakes up, there

14:49

are 50 wolves, hungry wolves,

14:51

surrounding their tent with

14:54

blood red eyes, with saliva dripping

14:56

down the side of their mouth, with

14:58

them growling and those sharp teeth, 50 wolves

15:03

right there at their tent,

15:05

hungry wolves. Jed

15:07

woke up Sam, said, Sam,

15:09

Sam, get up. Sam

15:12

said, what? Jed said,

15:14

we're rich. See,

15:18

it all depends on your perspective. It

15:20

all depends on how you see things. I

15:26

know the devil may be nipping at you, the synagogue

15:28

of Satan may be nipping at you, but

15:31

when you've got God's perspective, it changes

15:33

what you're looking at. So,

15:43

I'm coming quickly, I'm

15:45

going to come suddenly. So what

15:48

did he tell you to do in verse 11? Hold fast,

15:51

hold fast. I know you want to give up, I know

15:53

you want to quit, I know you're tired. He says hold

15:55

fast. Make sure you're

15:58

obeying and not denying. You

16:01

hold fast to your obedience

16:03

and non-denial and at

16:05

his time, suddenly. Don't

16:10

let him take your crown. That's the right

16:12

to rule. Even small

16:14

folk have been called to rule. And

16:17

now he gives us his final

16:19

statement. He who overcomes,

16:22

overcomes what? The tendency

16:25

to give up. He

16:28

who overcomes the tendencies

16:30

to stop obeying and to stop

16:32

denying. He who overcomes

16:34

that and says, God, as

16:36

the old folks say, I'm going to hold on until my

16:38

change comes. You

16:40

know, it's rough, it's tough, but I

16:43

believe you and not my circumstances. As

16:45

the final arbiter of

16:47

my situation, he says, you hold

16:50

on. He who

16:52

overcomes, look at this, I will make him a pillar in

16:54

the temple of my God. He will

16:56

not go out from it anymore. I

16:58

will write on him the name of my

17:00

God and the name of the city of

17:02

my God, the New Jerusalem, which comes down

17:04

out of heaven from my God and

17:07

my new name. You see the word that word,

17:09

name, name, name, name. First

17:11

of all, he says, I'm going to make you a pillar. A

17:14

pillar holds a building up. I'm going

17:16

to make you a pillar in my temple. A temple is

17:18

God's house. The pillars

17:20

are located in God's house. Galatians

17:23

2.9 says that Peter, James, and John were the

17:26

pillar of the church. They were

17:28

holding up the church. In other

17:30

words, he speaks of these people

17:32

who overcome the propensity to give

17:35

up as being in closest proximity

17:37

to God. And

17:40

he says, for these folk who are

17:43

overcomers and who are in close proximity

17:45

to God, they will have a name.

17:49

Over and over again, he keeps talking about name of this and name of

17:51

that, he

17:53

says, you won't have a name in the New Jerusalem. Let's

17:55

get something straight. Everybody

17:58

is not equal in heaven. Okay,

18:02

you can have a 40 watt bulb, a 60 watt

18:04

bulb, a 75 watt

18:06

bulb in your house, a hundred watt bulb in your

18:09

house, a hundred and fifty watt bulb in your house.

18:11

Now all of them are both and

18:13

all of them will light to their

18:15

capacity but everybody's capacity isn't the same.

18:17

A 40 watt can give you a hundred

18:20

watts because it's not established to

18:22

be able to produce like that.

18:24

Well, all Christians are Christians

18:27

but they don't have the same watts and

18:30

so they don't exude the

18:32

same experience because they don't

18:34

have the same relationship. Jesus

18:37

said in St. John chapter 2 verses

18:39

23 to 25 it says many

18:42

believed on him many believed

18:44

on him but he would not commit

18:46

himself to them because he knew what

18:48

was in them. They got saved but

18:51

they had not yet got committed. They

18:53

were on their way to heaven but he

18:55

couldn't use them on earth. They were forgiven

18:57

for their sins but they didn't want

18:59

folks to know that they were Christians. They went

19:02

to church but they wouldn't obey

19:04

the Word so they believed in

19:06

him but he would make no

19:08

commitment to them. There are a

19:10

lot of Christians who Jesus is

19:12

just not deeply committed to in

19:15

a practical way because they want

19:17

to be 40 watt Christians expecting

19:19

a hundred watt blessing and it

19:21

doesn't work that way. He

19:24

wants to know that you're all in.

19:26

That you are a full-time Christian not

19:28

a part-time saint. He wants

19:30

to know that you will not deny him

19:32

and that you will obey what he has

19:34

commanded and he says to that one I

19:36

will give him a name. You know when

19:39

you when people go to the cowboy game

19:41

there are folks who are sitting in the

19:43

stands we don't know their name. Now they're

19:46

in the location but we don't know their

19:48

name. In fact that's the

19:50

majority of the folks who are in the

19:52

building. The majority of the folks

19:54

in the building are in the stands

19:57

and they're just part of the crowd

19:59

and we don't their names. Now

20:01

when it comes to the players, we

20:04

know their names kind of sorta. Because

20:07

if I were to ask you to

20:10

name the name of the right God,

20:12

many of you couldn't do that. If

20:14

I asked you to name the name

20:16

of the punter, many of you couldn't

20:18

do that because even though they have

20:20

a name because they're on the team,

20:22

you may not know the name because

20:24

of the position that they play. But

20:26

now when we upgrade and start talking

20:28

about wide receivers and quarterbacks and running

20:31

backs, well you know those names because

20:33

those names have achieved a greater

20:35

name in publicity because of the

20:37

role they play on the team.

20:39

But then not only do

20:41

you have the folk in the crowd and

20:44

the folks on the team, some

20:46

more nameless than others, some with

20:48

a higher name, you got the

20:50

Ring of Honor. In the

20:52

Ring of Honor, those are folk

20:54

who made a name. You see

20:56

the players come and go, but

20:58

the folks in the Ring of

21:00

Honor stay there because over time

21:03

they held fast. Over time

21:05

they played the game. Over

21:07

time they didn't quit when they

21:09

were injured. Over time they stayed

21:11

committed to the task. In fact,

21:13

their name is not only in

21:15

the Ring of Honor, their name

21:17

is in Canton, Ohio in a

21:19

bust in the Canton Hall of

21:21

Fame. So the generation after generation

21:24

will know who

21:26

their name was. God has a

21:28

lot of Christians that are in the stands.

21:31

They just show up to watch the game.

21:34

All they want to see is what the

21:36

choir is singing and what the preacher is

21:38

preaching and they just come for the show.

21:41

Now folk in the crowd don't

21:43

get dirty, don't get hurt responsibility,

21:46

don't get knocked down, don't get

21:48

blocked, don't get tackled because they're

21:50

not there to participate, they're just

21:53

there to watch the show. But

21:55

then there are some folk In

21:58

the kingdom of God Who don't want to just. No

22:01

want to get on the feel

22:04

very sad and ministry may help

22:06

other people to be advancement of

22:08

because of the law. Got some

22:10

super Saw Those are the ring

22:13

of on hold for people who

22:15

you know their names, his folks

22:17

who are the unknown but you

22:19

can count on him. You could

22:22

depend on us because they offer

22:24

Adam Carolla now roles nothing the

22:26

longest serving the sense given to

22:28

the lord said. Giving glaring a

22:31

bear witness for the last one. I

22:33

challenge you to day if you want

22:35

God to put you in the ring

22:37

of honor if you want when he

22:39

he has you and sees you say

22:41

well done my good and faithful service.

22:44

Simply want him to call you out

22:46

of the clouds and that observe and

22:48

know you're one of his choice as

22:50

servants. Ah challenge you to leave the

22:52

Spain's to come on the field. Wanna

22:55

tell you the truth? You go get

22:57

blocked. a little bit on the field

22:59

gets a. Little bit on the

23:01

field when I saw have an

23:03

hour raise get a group of

23:06

already. You are a group of

23:08

friends. Glorified

23:11

the most or bangalore not the

23:13

laws in the laws because if

23:15

you are not really of says

23:17

he does not mean you and

23:19

I bought some. Dr.

23:24

Tony evidence on trusting in

23:26

a large ability to transform

23:28

our trials into triumphs. Now.

23:30

Before till you were Tony has in store for

23:32

us tomorrow. I want to quickly

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encourage you to take advantage of our

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23:41

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To overcoming emotional strongholds. And

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23:52

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24:12

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or by phone. One Eight Hundred

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