Any ability you have to do anything has come from God.
Dr. Tony Evans talks about the importance of acknowledging the source of all goodness and power within your being.
If you don't get that, then your whole philosophy of life will be off.
This is the Alternative broadcast featuring the timeless biblical teachings from the archives of Dr. Tony Evans. It's hard to thank someone for a gift when you don't know who sent it.
Today, Dr. Evans brings us a biblical reminder that every good thing in our lives comes from just one source.Let's listen in as he begins.
One day, an atheist was walking through the woods.And as this atheist was walking through the woods, he was just admiring the beauty that was surrounding him.He was looking at the
greatness of the trees, listening to the singing of the birds, feeling the blowing of the breeze, seeing the various creatures that were out and about in the woods and the beauty of the foliage all around him.
He was admiring all that Mother Nature had to offer, even though he did not believe in God.He heard some rustling behind him, and he turned around and behind him was a seven-foot grizzly bear coming toward him.
He took off running and was terrified, but the grizzly bear was catching up to him ever so closely.As he was running, he tripped and fell.And then as he turned, the grizzly bear was atop of him. with paws lifted up.The atheist cried out, Oh God!
And when he did, everything stopped.The wind stopped blowing, the birds stopped singing, the animals stopped moving, the bear froze, and a light came down from heaven. And there was a voice.The voice said, am I to take it now that you believe in me?
Am I to take it now that you have changed your view about me and my existence?Are you now a believer?The man said, I really don't want to be a hypocrite.I've gone all this time not believing
And I don't just want to say I believe now because I'm in trouble.But if you would just make this a Christian bear.I'll be satisfied with that.The light went out.The breeze began to blow.The birds began to sing.
And the bear clasped his paws and said, for this food I'm about to receive. I give you thanks.It's easy to call on God when you're in trouble.
It's easy to appeal to him when life goes left, to make him an escape valve or an emergency escape hatch, and not recognize him for who he is. to call on him when you need a bailout to forget him when you've been bailed out.
There's a whole system of divine denial at work today called evolution.Evolution is simply fairy tales for adults.It is a academic mechanism for divine denial. because if I can get rid of God, then I don't have to answer to him.
And so this theory runs deep and beyond the creation of the universe, it is not having to answer to the creator of the universe.But in our passage today, David breaks forth with excitement, exuberance, and joy at who God is.
It is the discovery of God for who he declares himself to be, not who you want him to be, that will forever change not only your view of him, but how you function in life.
God said in Luke 12, if you will make the king and his kingdom your focus, then you will experience not only God as creator, but God as daddy. And nothing will make God more real to you than when he shows up as father.
So that he's not this distant being in never never land, he's this personal father up close in the needs and realities of life.
And if you've never experienced the fathering of God, and only settled for the knowledge about God, then you've never seen what it's like when daddy comes through. and meets you.
And one of the things that is a requirement is that you will recognize his king and his kingship first.When David calls this celebration at the dedication of the temple, he cites God as creator, owner, and source of all things.
If you don't get that, then your whole philosophy of life will be off.It will be skewed.Throughout scripture, God affirms he is creator, owner, and source for all things.For example, Psalm 50 verse 10 says, For every beast of the forest is mine.
The cattle on a thousand hills, I know every bird of the mountains, and everything that moves in the field is mine.If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world is mine, and all it contains.
In Psalm 24 verse one, the earth is the Lord's, the fullness thereof, the world, and all they that dwell in it is mine. He says in Revelation chapter four, verse 11, I created all of this and I created it for me.God is the source of all things.
The vehicles through which you get it is merely a resource.Now the reason why you need to know that is because when a resource goes left on you, you don't have to lose your mind because the resource wasn't the source.
The resource was merely the mechanism that the source used to get you whatever you get.When you go shopping, the grocery store is not your source.The grocery store is a resource to distribute what you eat.
Everything in the grocery store is dependent upon something God created. There is no vegetable, there is no meat, there is nothing in the grocery store that isn't dependent upon something that the sauce has provided.
Which is why if one grocery store runs out, you go to another grocery store, all you did was shift resources.You didn't change sauces.But the moment you make your job, your bank, your contacts, your stocks, your bonds, your talent, your gifts.
Once you make that your source, then that means you gotta depend on that to fix itself when it breaks down because it wasn't a resource, you made it a source, so you can't appeal to God because you told him, you're not the source, I'm the source, it's not working, I need to fix.
You gotta fix you because you are your own source. David says, all we give you is what you gave us, because you were the source.
He says in verse 14, he says, we've given you generously because all things come from you and from your hand, we have given you.We gave you what you gave us.
I remember, I don't remember which kid was, but many years ago, one of the kids asked me for money so they could buy me a gift. They asked me for money so they could buy me a gift, okay?
In other words, they were buying me a gift from which I gave them the ability to do that.Any ability you have to do anything has come from God.He is the source.And you know what that means?It means you're free.
Because that means nobody can own you now. No structure can own you now.If your job illegitimately fires you or because it will come back on the workforce, you don't know.That company was never your source.
That was merely the mechanism God was using at that time for your ability to earn money.
But since it was never your source, it was only one resource that God happens to be using now, you can go back to your source, says, God, that resource didn't work, so now that you're my source, what's the new resource that you want me to take advantage of?
Because now you have gone to the source.It changes your perspective.It means you don't have to lose your mind. When the resources don't work out, when that bank turned you down, well, that was one source.But that was resource.
That was just a resource.God's got a bunch of other resources.
When we return to Dr. Evans in just a moment, he'll give us an enlightening Old Testament history lesson on the Jewish temple.
Before we get to that, though, I want to let you know that today's message is part of a powerful series Tony presented earlier this year called Unleashing the Kingdom.
This is the first time we brought the 12 messages in this sermon collection to our listeners here at the Alternative Broadcast. And we're excited to make them available to you now.
In this series, Dr. Evans takes you deep into scripture to help you recognize that the kingdom of God is waiting for you to access all it has to offer when you live life as it ought to be lived.
You can receive the 12 full-length messages in this two-volume collection on either CD or digital download when you make a donation toward keeping this Bible-based teaching here on this station.
We rely completely on the generous support of listeners like you. to allow us to carry these messages to a world desperately in need of God.
And as our way of thanking you for that support, we'll send you the Unleashing the Kingdom audio series, along with an added bonus, One Kingdom Under God, a powerful paperback Dr. Evans has written that embodies the central theme of these messages.
All the details are waiting for you at tonyevans.org.Or you can call our Resource Center any time of the day or night at 1-800-637-8255. That's TonyEvans.org or by phone at 1-800-800-3222.
Well, Dr. Evans, we'll come back with more of today's lesson right after 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.The Tony Evans Training Center, in-depth courses on all kinds of topics, cultural transformation.
Intro to expository preaching, Jude, John, Hebrews, Old Testament, New Testament, and so much more.These aren't sermons.
They're 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 at TonyEvansTraining.org.TonyEvansTraining.org.
The context of this passage is the temple. A number of times he refers to the temple.So I want to take a brief moment, since that's the context, and it's the context of God's rule, to kind of clarify the temple.
It started off as a tabernacle, which was a mobile temple, because they were wanderers through the wilderness, so they pitched the tabernacle, and the tabernacle sat in the middle of the 12 tribes. So the 12 tribes circled the tabernacle.
When they got to a permanent location, then they built a permanent building and the permanent building was called the temple.So it was the mobile tent tabernacle which became the permanent facility called the temple.
The temple was designed to do three things.Number one, it was designed to provide spiritual guidance for the nation of Israel. based on the statutes, commandments, and guidelines of God.
So the temple was the basis for spiritual instruction, spiritual knowledge, to apply heaven's principles in earth's realities.So that's what the temple did.
Secondly, the temple was designed to provide an environment for care for the well-being of the people.
So, the temple was designed so that the poor and the needy and the hurting and the struggling, it would be the centerpiece from which ministry would flow.
That's where the priests and the Levites and those who were to serve the people were to function from based on the truth of the word in order to infiltrate the needs of the people coming out of the centerpiece of the temple.The third thing.
The temple was designed to influence the culture.
Moses says that when the people see around us how wise our God is with the way we operate based on the governance and guidelines of the temple, they will say, what kind of God is this that can raise up a people like that who operate in this way?
You are to be influential from the temple into the culture to bring God's perspective to the society. so that the society gets to see God's point of view at work through his people.So let me tell you what else is called the temple.
The Bible calls your body the temple, 1 Corinthians chapter six.It says your body is a house.It's a God hangout spot.So how does God influence the culture?Because when the benediction is given and we leave this house, the church house,
but you still are a house because God dwells in you and your body, if you're a Christian, is a hangout of God.When you go to work, they should be running into the church.When you're in your neighborhood, they should be running into the church.
Everybody you run into ought to be running into the church, because the Bible says your body is a house of God, your body is a temple, and the way you influence the culture is not leave the church at church, but be the church when you leave church, so that everybody keeps running into the church.
Because you represent the presence of God wherever you go, because God hangs out in your house. So it's a temple issue, it's a house issue.
For spiritual guidance based on his word, for ministry to people, particularly his people, and for influence in the culture.One of the reasons we've lost our influence is that the church has decided it wants to be more cultural than Christian.
It wants to please the society rather than please the Lord. It wants to operate on secular thinking rather than biblical thought.It is more tied to the kingdoms of this world than the kingdoms of our God and his Christ.
And so God steps back, because he said, this is mine, and you're making it yours.We have issues.He says in Deuteronomy chapter 8, talking to the people and their ability to forget who their source is,
Verse 11, beware that you do not forget the Lord your God by not keeping His commandments, ordinance, statutes, which I'm commanding you today.
Otherwise, when you have eaten and are satisfied and have built good houses and lived in them, when your herds and flock multiply and your silver and gold multiply and all that you have multiplies, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
He then goes on to say, otherwise, verse 17, you may say in your heart, my power and strength of my hand has made me this wealth. but you shall remember the Lord your God.
It is he who has given you the power to make wealth, that he may confirm his covenant which he swore to your fathers.He says, if you don't get up, you don't get to do nothing.
If I don't give you the life to live, the breath to breathe, the strength to move, nothing else matters.Don't you forget the Lord your God.I am your source because he knows
when you move from a bicycle to a car, or from an old car to a new car, or from an apartment to a nice house, and from a nice house to a nicer house.
He knows when you get up and going, when you move to your own platinum cards, and now you can now do, live at large, and you can do your own thing, you might forget that I am the Lord your God.I am your source.
And the reason that that's important is when you forget, he knows how to remind you.He knows how to let something happen to let you know you ain't all that no bag of chips.It says they responded generously, but not only with money, but with praise.
It says they broke out in praise.When you read through the Psalms, You see praise after praise.I will bless the Lord at all times.And his praise will continually be in my mouth.
Look, I don't know if this is what you call it, but you're looking at your computer and you get these pop-ups.Is that what they call pop-ups?Okay, I don't know much about this stuff, but stuff be popping up, okay?
So you're looking at the computer and stuff pops up.These are advertisements, usually advertising something wanted you to know about something, wanted you to buy something.
You're doing this, but there's a pop-up out of nowhere that comes in the middle of what you're doing.
As you live your life every day, doing the normal things of life, and you recognize it's but the goodness of God, God ought to get some pop-up praise.He ought to go, God, I thank you, I'm feeling okay today. I thank you that I could eat today.
I just, just pop up praise.I just, I just want to thank you that you've been faithful to me today.Pop up.I thank you.I got a job to go to tomorrow.You give him pop up praise.That means you're praising him at all times.
Praising Him when it's not a church service.You're praising Him when it's not a, when you're not saying grace.You're praising Him when nothing special is going on.You're just letting Him know, I know you my owner.I know you my source.
I know you my supply.I know you my sufficiency.I know you.I just wanna know, I know you.Give God some pop-up praise.So they broke out in generosity. with their praise, with their celebration, with their giving.
And it says they did it willingly and with joy.They didn't think they were losing, they thought they were excited.That we have the privilege of letting God know how we feel about it.
Because we have a king and he's our kingdom and we want to put that king in his kingdom first.And I do it gladly.Because I knew who my source is.
Dr. Evans will return with a closing prayer to finish out this broadcast week in just a moment.
But first, a quick reminder about that special resource package I mentioned earlier, the complete Unleashing the Kingdom audio series, along with the One Kingdom Under God paperback from Dr. Evans.
We'll send the entire collection to you as our gift, in appreciation for your contribution to the alternative broadcast.Just visit tonyevans.org to make your donation and request today. That's tonyevans.org.
Or call 1-800-800-3222, where members of our resource team are always ready to help.Again, that's 1-800-800-3222.A ship's rudder is crucial for the safety of the vessel and its crew.
Without it, the ship is at the mercy of the wind, waves, and currents.On Monday, we'll hear from Dr. Evans on the importance of kingdom values and how they serve as the rudder for God's people, directing us to safe harbor.
Right now, though, he's back to finish out our week with this closing prayer.
Father, I thank you for the Word of God that goes forth through this ministry and for every ear that hears it.
I pray that you will use the word in the life of each person individually so that they know that they are hearing from you and are transformed by what they hear.
I pray that that transformation touches them at their place of need, wherever they're hurting, struggling, wherever they're in pain or wherever they're celebrating.
May you be the center of that and may they be able to say because of the word that they've heard and because of the true God that they're interacting with right now, that you have showed up
and shown off on their behalf, doing good by them no matter what their circumstances happen to be.Thank you for how you're going to touch every listener today in your own special way.In Jesus' name, amen.
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