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The Road to Life

The Urban Alternative / Tony Evans, PhD
The Cross Radio
September 6, 2021 8:00 am

The Road to Life

The Urban Alternative / Tony Evans, PhD

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September 6, 2021 8:00 am

In college, many classes won’t let you in until you’ve taken other classes. They’re called prerequisites. They focus on foundational stuff you have to know before moving on. Join Dr. Tony Evans as he explains why spiritual growth often works the same way. It’s part of what he calls a divine reset.

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One of God is another thing about somebody in his name, Julie Evans says God's love is meant to be shared not stop that you begin to live you cannot come to celebrating 40 years of faithfulness. This is the alternative Dr. Tony Evans offers speaker senior pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas Texas and president of the urban most higher-level college courses require prerequisites in other words, you can advance in your college bath without first having laid the proper foundation today.

Dr. Evans explores the essential elements we must practice in our spiritual path in order to move forward in our journey with God. Let's join him as he talks today about traveling the road to life. We been talking about and reset these pandemics that have been one on top of another is reset the natural order of things and we describe some time ago that when God resets the natural order of things. He creates a disturbance allows a disturbance in order to reformat things in our culture and our church in our lives. And so he's done it globally.

Total global reset but is also wanting us to do it personally so that we are being and not just being worn out by our faith in Luke chapter 10 we have a very familiar event in the life of the Lord. It says in verse 25 and stood up and put into the testing teacher, what shall I do to an average eternal life. Eternal life is more than entering eternal life and how her name is more than entering you eternal life through faith alone in Christ alone is finished work on the cross and your personal trust in him for your forgiveness of sins and the gift of eternal life. You don't learn eternal life so that's not a question. This question is, what must I do, because of eternal life has to do with enjoying and experiencing the benefits of eternal life. He's not asking an entrance question that's not his focus.

His focus is getting the benefits the Bible talks about the benefits of eternal life.

I've come to give you life to give it to you more abundantly in John 1010. Talk about a life on top of entering that were told in verse 25. It was a test. And the reason that he wants to test him is that he wants to justify himself, and said in verse 26 what is written in the law degrees March 12 wants to know what's the greatest commandment, Jesus says the greatest commandment revolves around the word and the word is low, 10 Commandments, the Decalogue, the 10 Commandments are supported by 613 statute Commandments didn't give you the particulars the statutes and ordinances give you the particulars, but there were 613 because they were designed to run the whole nation of Israel. Jesus says if you don't remember the 10 you don't notice the children get to write good because the 10 Commandments were divided between these two. Your relationship with God in relation with people your vertical and horizontal. He says all of the Old Testament can be summed up in the great commandment in the great commandment is summed up in one word, the 10 how to get working for you. You need to learn how to love his problem was not his ability to know Scripture. It was not his ability to quote Scripture wanted to test Jesus over the Bible, the living word about the written word that he wrote I don't know but he wanted to justify himself. He wanted to show that this lawyer knew what he was talking about Jesus, knowing that was where he is going to this as an opportunity to show his strut her stuff in the Bible study what was about to close. He takes back now" because this not found in the same two different passages of Scripture and wetted them together. Deuteronomy 65 love God. Deuteronomy 19 verse 18. Love your neighbor grab Deuteronomy grab from the government and said will Jesus said to him you have answered correctly.

In other words, you got it right you pass Bible class but then he says verse 28 do this you will ask how can I live, how can I inherit eternal life.

Eternal life has to do with quality of life that we know in heaven there is the perfect quality of life quality of life because you get a total life when you go to heaven you get eternal life in Christ storytelling like something you possess on your way to not when you arrive. So what do to get life working for me that's the question. So how do I make life work. Jesus told the lawyer he is. You make it work 613 statute and you narrow them down to the bank to wrap around one word low God of Islam, which means God exists for his greatest glory because God loves himself, is only one way to love God. That is to love God means you are passionately pursuing his pleasure.

If you're not passionately pursuing his pleasure. Since all things exist for the glory of God and the glory of God refers to his self exultation and expression to love God means you are passionately pursuing his glory. Whether you eat or drink whatever you do, do all the glory of God.

God's pleasure and his glory is not your passion, you do not love God, the loving God has to do with the pursuit of his pleasure. So if the question is not ask how I pleasing you are making you happy today than you do… Now you can show you can say amen praise the Lord. Hello you wave your hand in the air like just don't care. But if he is, is not you do not love God says the first commandment is the love of God, you must decide to love God not in Mark 12. He only asking was the greatest commandment singular answer came back.

The second is like it about about one but the tool is so intricately you can have one without the second is like it it's it's it's attached. He says you must love your he said this and you will live. So love is something you do not merely something you feel dubious love involves an action function that expresses itself visibly not just verbally so it's an action concept to please God and my action today. How have I served my main action today. He says if you do this with no way meant he already knew the Bible versus but knowing the Bible will not do this and live just note this so one of the reasons that we are not as of eternal life. One of the reasons that were not experiencing more of the life that we possess. If we are already converted becoming into eternal life not yet learned how to do you much joy toward me. God then you must do it toward your neighbor. One of our problems today in our culture and our lives in our family is no Bible don't do Bible they know Bible that they been exposed to biblical orientation Sunday school day. No Bible like the but they may not do Bible and so they may not be living may not be experiencing eternal life, which is the life of God embedded into the redeemed believer so wishing to justify himself, wishing to say wait a minute, now I'm a good guy.

He raises a probe found question about the horizontal nature of love. Ask verse 29, who is my neighbor Dr. Evans will tell us how Jesus replied what it means for you and me today when he returns with more of our message in just a moment.

Stay with us. God is faithful when the world was topsy-turvy all kind of pandemics, God still touch the heart of donors come alongside of us and keep us strong at a time when the world needed spiritual strength. We were able to maintain and even expand ministry during the pandemic because that's how painful God. So I am not a doubt about the greatness of God's very grateful for 40 years preceding this kind hand of fate. One of the goals of this ministry has always been to provide the tools and resources to help listeners like you dig deep into the subject matter. Dr. Evans presents in these daily broadcasts you can do that right now with the help of 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'll discover ways to develop a better focus on God enabling you to enjoy his presence while living your life free from cultural and worldly confusion. And if you contact us today will send you all 10 messages in the divine reset series and Tony's popular booklet winning your spiritual battles.

This practical guide offers down to earth help on using the tools and tactics. God has provided giving you victory over the spiritual challenges in your life you can get both of these resources as our thank you gift when you make a contribution to help support Tony's ministry today is the last day for this special offer, so visit us right away@tonyevans.org or call our 24 hour resource request line at 1-800-800-3222 for details before time runs out I will have our contact information again after part two of today's lesson and this it's beyond a Sunday sermon a chance to really dig into the Bible and the kingdom in a new way anytime and anywhere because it's all online. Tony have in straining center, in-depth courses, all kinds of topics cultural transformation intro to expository preaching you John, Hebrews, Old Testament, New Testament, and so much more.

These are sermons there teaching courses to help you engage understand Scripture and not just to hear about, but to explore the kingdom of God on your own.

Find out more Tony Evans training.org Tony have in straining.org Jesus does what he does. You know the story of the good Samaritan the famous story that deals with who is now remember why this is critical. This is critical because it has to do with whether you want in life has to do with whether you going to experience God's life must go beyond your knowledge of Scripture. It should be based on your knowledge of Scripture. But functionally empirically must go beyond your knowledge of Scripture. And so this man says who is my neighbor.

This leads to the famous story. Walk with me through the story once more, certain man, a man was going down verse 30 from Jericho among robbers stripped him, beat him, he went away, leaving him happy.

This future is up in the air up for grabs now long Jericho Road comes a priest by Combs Levi. It says in both cases they solve the problem. They saw him pass by on the other side believe I saw passed by on the other side. Think of the past and this is the best and saw him pass by one wanted to come in from church.

First of all on the Jericho Road questionable side of town to begin with. Well, those same robbers could still be in the vicinity. So rather than jeopardize me and wind up like you I'm not on the past because I see decide that you come in contact with death based on Old Testament law was to become ceremonially unclean. So this man is jeopardize my job for. What I'm pretty busy fella I got got places to go people to see. I got to keep going. So the folks leaving church skip the situation. But now, something else happens because we are told in verse 33 but a Samaritan who was on a journey came upon him, and when he saw him, he felt compassion and his line put him on his own beast brought him to an in and took care of him on the next day.

Verse 35. He took out to the Marriott gave them to the innkeeper and said, take care of you whenever you spent when I return I will repay you. Okay, we got a priest we got a Levite now enter 1/3.this is a Samaritan when it comes to experiencing life density is not God's first consumer as long as Satan can keep us illegitimately divided then what we have done is canceled. Life because whenever there is the rejection of the second commandment related to your name and Jesus is saying your name. I did not know what skin color and background culture close my neighbor. That's what the Lord is not the question is what kind of neighbor question your neighbor is the person you see, you feel that you address when we take the mindset that the Holy Spirit of God will lead me to what he wants me to see once made him feel that I can do something about what you invited God to do was give you life because life is tied to loving and if we can get Christians to love like that you ask the Lord today what you want me to speak to somebody you bring across my path that I feel and I don't just I see a lot of homeless but I felt that address about that one and I can help an elderly person or that lonely person or that broken person or that person that lost that job. That person that lost their hope that person is been abandoned by their mate.

That child has been abused by the sea needs come in all shapes inside, but what God wants us to do is be open to see open the field and open to address the one to bring back if you want God to reset your life so that you begin to live you cannot come through the door only site blessed me.

People come Sunday at the sun looking for better blessing. Not understanding that the biblical blessing in the Bible always had to be a conduit medical doctor, I'm going to bless you so that you all the nations of the art will be good.

So if you are not that interested in flowing to.

So when you search however that's formatted in what you see today that you also feel on some level you can Dr. Tony have in stalking today about the road to life.

And if you want to learn more about how you can receive eternal life, and also the enjoyment of God's presence along your journey in this life, and we encourage you to visit Tony Avenue and.org and click on the link that simply says Jesus there. Dr. Evans lays out everything you need to know to accept the gift God is offered and begin living your brand-new life.

That's the Jesus link on the homepage of Tony Evans.org Tony will be back with a closing comment for today's message in just a moment but first, what we been listening to today is the final installment in his powerful series called divine reset and were 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 our thank you gift when you make a donation to help us continue this ministry to the world desperately in need of the knowledge and love of God call us right away at 1-800-800-3222 our resource Center never closes. So don't wait.

That's 1-800-800-3222 or visit Tony Evans.org to make the arrangements.

And while you're there, be sure to sign up for Tony's free weekly email devotional that's Tony Evans.org when the road gets tough. It helps to know how others have successfully navigated the trip tomorrow.

Dr. Evans offers us encouragement as he talks about people who've gone before us on their faith journey. Right now he's back to wrap up today's message is so much pain. You're right. Father one day was walking along the beach with this and thousands of starfish had been washed to the beach this thousands of come how the tide will live everywhere. As they walked along every now and again.

The father would reach down and pick one up throated water walk a little further. He reached out, going up throated water front had a question. He said that there are thousands of starfish.

What does it matter that every few steps you pick up one and throw it back into the water when there's so much excess paid as much it matters to the ones I throw back. There are thousands of these you cannot meet all but if we get enough of God's people pick up one, one here one day off one over here. Christians who no longer live in for me about something to love God enough to love those God brings across the path you will fix about one make all the difference. He says that's the way you live on. Thanks, Mrs.