Skip to content A Challenge to Reprioritize Your Priorities Oct 14 · 52 min ...more
A Challenge to Reprioritize Your Priorities
October 14, 2022 · 52 min
Series Overcoming October 14, 2022 · 52 min · Overcoming
...more Show the full description Show less Support this leader Liking this video? Support this ministry.
Support this leader
Liking this video? Support this ministry.
Give
Support this leader Liking this video? Support this ministry.
665K followers
Dr. Tony Evans is the founder and senior pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, founder and president of The Urban Alternative and author of over 100 books, booklets and Bible studies.
665K followers
Comments No comments yet. Start the conversation.
0:00 The Greek word for overcomer is Nikeo. Even if you don't know Greek, you know the word because you know the word Nike.0:13 Nike is from Nikeo. It is the English cognate of that Greek word. Nikeo referred to in Greek the goddess of victory.0:25 So when you see the swish, the logo for Nike, you are actually looking at them borrowing from Greek0:37 Greek mythology, the goddess of victory, and that's where we get the word in the Bible, overcomer. When you look at Nike paraphernalia, they want you to win.0:50 The switch means they want to call you to victory in whatever sport you may be participating in. God wants you to win because1:02 the word means to overcome something, which means there's something that you need to overcome. Something that is seeking to defeat, oppress, to make you a1:14 victim and not allow you to be a victor. The number 7 in the scripture means to come to completion. So when we unpack each 1 of1:25 these 7 messages to the 7 churches, you will have enough to overcome. You can overcome in a number of different ways, but the1:37 principle should be operating in your heart and in your life. The first church we come to is the church at Ephesus. To1:49 appreciate and understand Ephesus, all you have to do is understand New York. Ephesus was the New York of Asia Minor, now known as Turkey.2:02 Ephesus was the center of commerce, of culture, of civic focus, of fashion. If you wanted to go on2:13 vacation, Ephesus was the place to go. It was a tourist city. It was well known throughout Asia as the2:25 place to go. It was an economic boom town. It was like a Wall Street. It dealt in significant financial2:36 matters because of its strategic location. It was also known for idolatry. The temple of Diana was located in2:48 Ephesus, a major idolatrous tourist attraction. Diana would draw people from all over that part of the world.3:01 And so people from all different backgrounds, cultures would come through Ephesus because of all that it had to offer. The church at Ephesus,3:13 where you get the book of Ephesians out of. That's the book written to the church at Ephesus. The story of the church's beginning, feel free to read it sometime, is Acts chapter3:24 19 of how in the midst of sorcery and witchcraft and economics, people got saved and the church was established, and it is expressed to3:36 us in Acts 19 about the energy, excitement, and challenges that face this brand new church. But here in the3:48 book of Revelation, he is not writing because all is well. He is writing because of a situation that needed to be4:00 addressed for people who wanted to be overcomers, as I hope that we do. He makes it clear in the first verse that this was written for4:11 the angel of that house, that is God's messenger, the word angel from the Greek word angalos means messenger, that the messenger, the pastor, if you will,4:23 was to proclaim this message to the congregation at Ephesus Bible fellowship. And if you and I4:35 will hear what he has to say, he that hath an ear, let him hear. Verse 7 says, Then you are on your way to being an overcomer, an overruler4:48 of that which is ruling over you. Now he first wants you to know according to verse 1, that the 1 who holds the 7 stars in his right hand, the 1 who walks among the 75:00 lampstands says this. So before he says anything, he wants to let you know where he's walking. He says he's walking among the 7 lampstands. That's the 7 churches.5:12 So right now, as we gather in our congregational meeting today, there is an unseen visitor. Jesus Christ is5:24 walking up and down the aisles of this worship service. You cannot see him because he's here in spirit, not in body, but he's very much there. And he says, he that walks among the5:36 7 lampstands says this. And the first phrase he says is, I know. So he wants you to know as he passes by your5:47 pew, I know you, and I know you. I know who you are. I know where you came from. I know where you're going. I know where you've been. I know what you're thinking right now. I know.5:59 So right now, we might as well get off the facade because he knows. He knows what's behind that makeup. He knows what's behind that weave. He knows what's behind6:12 that dress, those slacks. He says, I know. I am fully aware of the church corporate and every6:23 single individual in it because he comes to he that hath an ear. So he's talking to us collectively, the lampstand, and individually, he that hath an ear.6:35 So don't take this only to us. Take it to me. He starts off with a compliment, a6:47 commendation, if you will. He wants to congratulate the church first. He says, I know your deeds. I know what you do.6:59 I know that you are a serving church. I know about your programs, your ministries, your outreaches,7:11 your small groups. I know about your bible classes. I know about the support systems you have to help people get victory. I am well7:22 aware of all of the programs that you do. I see what your deeds are. I know what you do. I'm aware of the ministries7:34 of your church and how you seek to do them, to do them with proficiency, to do them with excellence. I am well aware of what your ministry has7:46 to offer. You are a serving church. You're not only a serving church, but I also know verse 2 says, your toil. The Greek word for toil means to labor7:58 to the point of exhaustion. I see you sweating. I see your overtime. I see you huffing and puffing to get the ministry done. So you don't8:10 only do stuff, you go overboard in the doing of stuff. You are tireless in ministry activity, and I'm I'm very much8:22 aware of that. You're not only a serving church, you are then a sacrificing church. You go overboard. In addition to that, I know, he says, verse 2, your8:33 perseverance. I know that you don't quit when the going gets tough because you are a steadfast church. When times are hard, you keep8:45 going. You don't throw in the towel just because you may not be feeling it today. I'm well aware of your longevity. I'm conscious of your 40 years.8:58 Not only that, I am also well aware that you do not tolerate evil men and you test them who call themselves apostles and are not. You are a separated9:10 church. That is, you are orthodox in theology and doctrine. You you test things to see whether they are consistent or inconsistent with the Bible.9:22 You are a Bible teaching, Bible believing, Bible quote, Bible toting church. And when stuff doesn't agree with the Bible and folk come up with false doctrine, you are9:34 quick to identify it, to ask questions about it, and to address it if it needs addressing because you have separated yourself to truth9:47 because you measure things by the standard of my word. I I know that about you. He says, I know something else about you, and that is that you have perseverance and9:58 have endured for my name's sake. You are a suffering church. You have not grown weary. People talk about you out there. They think you're a cult. They10:10 they oppress you. You you act too Christian on their job, and they will laugh at you. I'm well aware that you've had to endure some downtime because of10:22 your public confession of me. Well, I don't know about you, but this sounds like the church you wanna go to. I mean, Jesus is saying, I10:34 know about you. You've got a reputation, and that reputation is stellar. You're serving. You're sacrificing. You're steadfast. You're separated. You're10:46 suffering. You are a model congregation, and I know it. But but10:57 the commendation now turns to a criticism or a11:09 condemnation. But I have this against you, you have left your first love. Wait a11:21 minute. Jesus, you just told me 5 things that you like about me, about Ephesus Bible Fellowship.11:32 You you would have just told me 5 things. You know how irritated it is for somebody to tell you 5 good things and then come with 1 thing that they can't deal with? Jesus says, I've seen I've11:44 seen your commendable attributes, but I have this 1 thing against you. You have left your first love. So11:56 evidently, you can be a serving church and a serving Christian and have left your first love. Evidently, you can be a12:07 sacrificing church and a sacrificing Christian and have left your first love. You can be a steadfast church and a steadfast Christian and have left your first love. You can12:19 be a separated church and a separated Christian and have left your first love. You can be a suffering church and a suffering Christian and still have left your first love. So12:31 evidently, you can be doing right stuff and be in wrong relationship. I made a graphic mistake12:42 1 day when I was talking to a lady, and I asked her how far along she was.12:54 And she said, I'm not pregnant. She looked pregnant to me, that's why I asked her how far along she was. I mean, looked like she was heavy with13:06 child. So it was a very embarrassing moment for me to hear from her, I'm not pregnant. Because you can look the part but have13:18 no life. You can look the part but the life not be pulsating there. You can be13:30 functionally precise and spiritually out of sync. What is this13:41 problem that Jesus speaks of that's so big that it wipes out 5 compliments, that it overrules 513:54 affirmations? He says, I just got 1 thing, but it's a doozy. You have left your first love.14:09 You have left the 1 you love first. If you've ever left your keys or left a book somewhere,14:22 it's not the keys or the book that's lost. It's you. Because the keys and the book have moved. The key didn't get up and start walking.14:34 The book didn't get up and start moving. You moved. I moved. The keys haven't moved. So he doesn't say he left. He14:46 says, you left your first love. So if you and God aren't close, it's not because God's moved. It's because we've moved, and we feel14:58 like God moved when we're the 1 that's lost, not the keys. He says, you've left your first love.15:09 To love is to passionately pursue God's pleasure. To love God is to15:21 passionately pursue God's pleasure. To love God is to passionately pursue God's pleasure. But here's the problem, because I am15:33 sure there were believers in Ephesus like believers in old Cliff who says, I I love the Lord. Oh, but that's not his complaint that they don't love him.15:45 His complaint is they don't love him first. You have left your first love. Now you may still love me, but you no15:56 longer love me first. Let me explain something about God that we all need to grab. We need to get this 1.16:08 There are certain things God can't do. So let's get this straight. We got this thing. God can do anything. Well, not quite. Certain things he just can't do. God16:20 can't lie, the Bible says. By 2 immutable things, it's impossible for God to lie, so he can't lie. God can't sin. God can't act contrary to His nature,16:32 for then He would no longer be immutable, the unchanging God. God cannot stop existing because He's eternal. So He can't do16:44 that. There are some things He cannot do. Let me tell you something else God can't do. He can't be second. He cannot16:56 be second. Whenever God is made second to anything, even if they are good things, it's unacceptable.17:09 Because he is in a class by himself. In the beginning, God. Before there was anything, there was God.17:21 The Bible says over and over again, what's the first commandment? You shall love the Lord with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your soul. What does it say about Jesus Christ that he might have first place in17:33 everything? Paul says in first Timothy, when you come before God, first of all, raise holy hands men before the Lord. Do it first. When17:45 it comes to giving, God says, give to the Lord the first fruits of what he's given you. All through the Bible, this thing of first, first, first, first, first. Because17:57 God assumes if he's not first, he must not be worthy. Suppose a husband would say to his wife, now look, I18:09 want you to know you're not gonna be first. I'm a fit you in where I can, but nothing's gonna change. I'm still gonna go to work. I'm still gonna bring my money home. I'm still gonna do what I'm supposed to do. I'm gonna18:20 fulfill my job, but you're not going to be my priority. That that's I'll get around to you when I can. When I got a little extra time, I'll give you some of it. When I got a little18:32 extra resources, I'll you some of it. When I got a little extra attention, I'll give you some of it, but but but I'm I'm a do my duty. See, this church and these believers were doing their duty. He gave them18:44 5 compliments, but God was no longer first. In other words, the duty had18:56 trumped the devotion. The regulations was ruining the relationship. And as a result of that, they19:08 had left their first love. In baseball, if you miss first base, the fact that you touch second, touch third, and touch home plate is19:19 meaningless. Because if you miss first, all the other movements, running and base touching becomes a waste of time.19:32 God demands to be first in our affection, in our attention, in our priority. He demands to be first because that's what he is.19:47 And when he is no longer first and has been repositioned with something or someone in place of him, you've just created19:59 an idol because you've made something else first. And whatever is first becomes your God. So now God has20:10 competition in your life. He's not saying you don't love me. He's saying you don't love me first. That I am not your20:22 priority, and I don't know how to be second. We all know in Luke 10 verses 38 to 42, the20:34 the really enjoyable story of Martha and Mary. Martha and Mary invite Jesus and the disciples over for a chicken dinner,20:47 Fried chicken. Because they're preachers. They can't eat pork because they're Jewish, so it had to be chicken. Potato salad, green beans,21:00 cornbread iced tea. K? So Martha, if in the kitchen cooking, it says, she's21:12 in the kitchen cooking, and she's getting hot and bothered. No air conditioning, cooking up a storm, fixing it for Jesus and the disciples, and21:24 she's getting hot and bothered. And she notices that Mary, her sister, is not helping her. In fact, she peeks out of the kitchen into the den, and Mary and Jesus21:36 are fellowshipping with each other out in the den while she's doing all this cooking for Jesus. She21:47 storms out of the kitchen into the den, looks at Mary, and then talks to Jesus.22:00 Jesus, tell my sister who I'm not talking to right now, because she doesn't talk to Mary, she talks to Jesus, to come and help me because she's left me to22:12 do all the serving alone. And I'm working hard for you, Jesus. I'm killing myself in this kitchen for you, Jesus. And she's out here talking. I mean, we agreed22:24 to invite you over, so I don't know why she got me in the kitchen by myself while she out here fraternizing with you. It's hot in that kitchen.22:36 Jesus says to her, Martha, Martha. When Jesus calls your name twice, you're in trouble. Martha, Martha.22:49 You are disturbed by too many things. Only 1 thing is necessary, a casserole will do. For23:01 Mary has chosen the better part, and I won't take it from her. I would rather have a casserole and you with Mary in the den23:14 than a fried chicken dinner with 2 frustrated women in the kitchen. I'd rather you do less for23:25 me and spend more time with me than you do more for me and spend less time with me. She's chosen the better part. We,23:39 individually and corporately, have often committed the sin of making ministry for him more important than relationship with him,23:51 and the cost has been great in our spiritual experience of him. He says you've left your first love. You've compromised24:03 religion for relationship, and you've left me. And you know the bad part about it? We've left him and don't even know we've24:15 gone. Because see, religion keeps you busy. Religion keeps you active. Religion keeps you doing stuff. So you think, oh, 0, Lord must be happy with me because look at what I do for the Lord.24:27 Now don't get me wrong. He's complimenting them on what they're doing, but not at the expense of the relationship. Not not not if it's costing you the intimacy, not if it's24:38 costing you the connectivity, because as you'll see in a moment, it is where he has been prioritized that will affect whether you become an overcomer.24:52 You've left your first love. Everybody who knows me knows that I am a connoisseur of hot sauce. I'm a connoisseur of25:04 hot sauce. I got all kind of hot sauces, and I love to try new and different hot sauces on my food. They know when we have a meal here at the church, to bring25:16 pastor his hot sauce, because I'm a smother it with hot sauce. Because I love fire. I I I love fire. So I'm I'm a put put my hot sauce25:28 down on it. K? God wants to know where's the fire. Where's the fire? Where's the fire for me?25:39 Now you got fire for what you want from me. Oh, you got fire for that. You got fire when you're asking for your blessing.25:50 You get fire for when you're asking for divine favor. You get fire when you want me to deliver you. You got fire when you want my support. You got fire when you want me to pay26:02 your bills. I see fire there. But where is the fire for me? Where's the fire?26:14 I I don't I don't see the pepper. I don't see the passion for me, for the relationship. But you're busy. You're out there doing it. You're doing26:26 programs. You're doing procedures. You got you got all this stuff going on, and that's fine as long as it doesn't take you from what's first. And so he says, you26:38 have left your first love. Reminds me of the human story of the guy playing golf, and he's playing golf, and all of a sudden a funeral procession comes by.26:51 And in the middle, when he sees the funeral procession comes by, he stops, drops down his club, drops on his knees, bows his head, and pays homage. The funeral session finishes, he27:02 stands back up, the guy playing golf with him and said, boy, was really respectful. The funeral procession came by, and you paid homage to that. What made you do that? Oh, he said, well, I was married to her for 3527:14 years.27:26 See, you can pay homage and then not be real. See, you can come to church and he not be your first love. This just may be27:38 paying homage because it's Sunday. I'm supposed to pay homage, But let me go back to my golf game because it's really not about a relationship. It's about27:49 fulfilling a program because my mother raised me to do it. He says you've left your first love.28:03 What does it look like when you leave your first love? It means that you have to find time28:15 for him when you have time for other things. Well Most folk don't have to find time for for this show or that show because it's28:26 understood that when that time comes and that show is on, I'm there. And if there is an emergency and I can't be there, it's gonna be28:38 recorded because I'm a catch up what I missed. So when we want it, the time28:50 is there for it. The reason why we have to find time for God is because we don't want that time. So we gotta fit it in when nothing29:02 else is competing with it. That's because He's not first love. He's when I get around to you, love. When I get around to you, I'll spend some time in29:13 prayer. When I get around to you, I'll spend some time in your word just meditating on you. When I get around to it, I'll spend some time just giving thanks for what you've already done and not just asking you for what I29:25 want you to do. I'm gonna do it because you are first. And that mean may mean I have to get up a little earlier for you to be first with my day.29:37 You know he's not first loved on Sunday morning. When all you care about is the sermon, you don't care whether you're singing praises to his name. People say, I gotta get there for the sermon. Well, that's what29:49 he's given you. He's waiting for what you're gonna give to him in your worship and praise and adoration and celebration because he's first.30:03 It has to do with priority. He he wants to know he's first, that he has been relationally prioritized, not just30:13 programmatically included. He's not against the program, but he wants to make sure30:25 that you do not allow religion to pacify you. Religion religion is a pacifier. Like a baby sucking on a pacifier, giving them the impression30:37 they're getting something when there is no milk. And going to church can be a pacifier. You think you're getting something, but when you30:49 leave, it won't be long before it's clear you're hungry. Because there was no relationship, you just opened a bulletin and looked at a program.31:05 The first message to the first church about being an overcomer is about being relationally driven over programmatically driven. He doesn't want a program per31:16 se. He wants a relationship that leads to a program. So what do we do about this, and why will it matter? Verse31:28 5 tells you what to do. 3 things. He says, remember from where you have fallen. The 3 r's. The first 1 he says, I want you to remember.31:43 Remember. Remember how it was, old Cliff, when you didn't have all these buildings, all these programs, and all these members,31:55 and remember back there when you were just in a house, and you had to depend on me for everything. I mean, you didn't have a 2 nickels to rub together. You couldn't afford32:07 the paper to print something more. You had was me, so I mattered most. You you remember. You you go back to that time when you didn't have to manage32:19 all this and have all this, and all you had was me. You you remember that. You remember, saint, when you first got saved, you didn't know anything but John32:31 3 16, and you just knew 1 little hymn, you couldn't you couldn't wave your hand in the air like you just don't care. You didn't have all of that. All you knew was your sins were forgiven. You were on32:42 your way to heaven because you had come to Jesus Christ. You didn't have much. You you all you had was me. You better remember. Remember when you were as a couple in that32:54 apartment when you couldn't afford a house and all you had was each other, but that was enough. He says, remember from where you have fallen. Remember where33:06 you came from. Because you ain't always been up here. You haven't always been doing this. You weren't always blessed like you are now. He says, remember.33:19 Remember when I'm the 1 that mattered most. Second r, he says, repent. Okay? There's only 1 thing you repent of in the bible, and that's33:31 sin. The only thing you're ever called to repent of, and that's sin. So guess what? Leaving your first love is sin. It's not just a bad habit. It's not just a mistake. When33:43 the relationship becomes secondary to the program, you're living in sin. I'm living in sin. We collectively are living in sin when the33:54 relationship is secondary to the program. He's not just calling it, oh, my. I gotta get my priorities together. No. You gotta get your sin fixed. Because he says34:05 repent. You only repent of sin. So he doesn't review this just as a scheduling issue. He views it as a sin issue. That34:17 I am no longer the priority in your life. You have programmed me to be second, and all the programs are wonderful. He says, you34:29 must repent. You must turn. You must turn. He says, and then you must repeat. Do your first works over34:41 again, verse 5 says. Do what you did when all you had was Me. Because when all you had was Me, you had time for prayer.34:53 When all you had was Me, you had time for spending time in my word, when all you had was me, you found out that I was kinda all you needed. Because35:05 I kept coming through for you, and you found out how real I could be. But now you're a little spiritually sedate.35:17 You can do it without me. You can do it on your own. You can be your independent self while carrying on the program. Repent35:32 program. And go back and do your first works over again. You remember when you were first married, if you're married, how hot the relationship was. You you on the phone, don't wanna hang up, nobody talking, but nobody35:41 wants to go. Just just on the phone. Just hang out on the phone. Can't wait to to to connect the next day or whatever. I mean, you you know, you're talking about you know, you you didn't35:53 have to be begged to talk about that person. You whipping out pictures when folk don't wanna see it. Why? Because the connection was hot. You couldn't36:05 afford McDonald's, but it didn't matter because the relationship trumped the location. You36:19 know, we spend money on this, we spend money on that, nothing nothing technically wrong with that, but but new screens don't give you a first love. And a nicer podium and better carpet, that has its36:31 place, but that does not give you first love. That's just like it. That's just like making a brand new house look good for folk who don't wanna be together in it.36:41 That's that's just that's just spending money on programs, on on externals that have absolutely nothing to do with36:52 first love. First love is where there is a fire for him, and everything else surrounds that. He's37:04 not just fitted in when we have an extra moment or 2. John 14 21, it's a powerful verse. He says,37:16 if you love me, you will keep my commandments. And to the 1 who loves me, watch this, I will disclose myself37:28 to him. Woah. I will talk to him. I will show him or her. I will reveal myself. The reason why we're not hearing from37:40 God, the reason why we're not getting guidance from God, the reason why we're not experiencing victory from God is because he doesn't feel free to disclose himself to somebody who gonna treat him second.37:52 Why should I unveil my plan for you when you gonna kick me to the curb after you get it and replace me with something else?38:05 But I will disclose myself to the 1 who loves me. He drives it home now. He says, now, I do have to compliment you because,38:17 verse 6, you hate the deeds of the Nicolaitans. Now they're gonna come up again, and so I'm not gonna spend time on them now. The Nicolaitans were Christians who were abusing, professing Christians who were38:29 abusing grace. They thought grace was an excuse to sin. Because I have grace, can just go do anything. He says, I know you hate that, so I want to commend you. I want to commend you,38:41 but this first love thing, watch this, He that hath an ear, let him hear. Pay attention now. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the38:52 spirit is saying to the churches. So I'm talking to the churches, but are you listening as an individual? He that hath an ear, she that hath an ear. So forget your neighbor39:04 right now. The question is, what are your ears picking up? He that hath an ear. So now it's an individual question, but being delivered to the whole congregation.39:16 Do you have an ear to ear? Well, everybody in here has ears, but you can have ears and not hear. He wants to know, are you paying attention to what is being said here about the39:28 primacy and prioritization of God in your life? And if you have an ear that is willing to hear and to reprioritize39:39 relationship over religion, devotion over duty. He says, if you have an ear, this is what happens to him who overcomes.39:51 It's our word. Nike, Nike, Swish. Victory. That's the word means victory.Show more
Comments
Keep it kind. Comments are public.