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. The first African American to earn a doctorate of theology from Dallas Theological Seminary, he has been named one of the 12 Most Effective Preachers in the English-Speaking World by Baylor University. Dr. Evans holds the honor of writing and publishing the first full-Bible commentary and study Bible by an African American. His radio broadcast, The Alternative with Dr. Tony Evans, can be heard on over 1,400 radio outlets daily and in more than 130 countries. Dr. Evans’ sermons are also streamed and downloaded over 20,000,000 times annually.
what does it look like when you leave
your first life it means that you have
to find time for him when you have time
for other things most folks will have to
find time for for this show or that show
cuz it’s understood that when that time
comes and that show was on I’m there the
reason why we have to find time for God
is cuz he’s not first love he’s when I
get around to your love it has to do
with priority he wants to know he’s
first that he has been relationally
prioritized not just programmatically
included first love is where there is a
fire for him
John is writing to the seven churches of
Asia Minor as you’ll see in a moment
seven is the number of completion so
this is a message to all churches for
all time and he’s talking to the whole
congregation he says I want you to tell
this to the whole congregation but in
each one of those scriptures I read you
he said he who overcomes meaning it’s
possible to be in the church and in the
congregation and not be one of the
overcomers but he tells the whole church
everybody who has come to Christ has
overcome the Greek word overcome the ko
is a word that means to prevail to win
one’s cause or to be victorious in
different and difficult circumstances so
it has to do with being victorious in
the midst of or over or in or through
whatever the circumstances are that are
illegitimately holding you hostage so
right now if you have something that
should not be holding you hostage but
that is holding you hostage then you
need to be an overcomer because that’s
what the word means but why do you tell
me John that I have overcome and then
John you come back in revelation and
tell me well you need to overcome when
John says you have overcome he’s dealing
with your legal status Christ has made
every believer and overcomer
legally but what you have legally does
not mean that’s what you’re experiencing
personally you have overcome spiritually
legally because you come to Christ but
you may not yet have overcome in terms
of it work
out in your life in terms of you
experiencing it in fact the only reason
you need to overcome is there’s
something to overcome to overcome means
to overrule a sin or a set of
circumstances that are illegitimate it
is to overrule them so I want to say to
you as we move forward
whatever is illegitimate in your life
sin and all circumstances God wants you
to overrule and not have it overruling
you particularly on an ongoing basis and
therefore God wants you to experience
overcoming in fact I’m gonna go a little
bit deeper one of the reasons why God
allows some things that he does not
approve is to give you the experience of
being an overcomer the Bible makes it
clear if you are going to be an
overcomer a purveyor
that the link has to be made between
your state and your standing between
your position and your practice between
what’s legal and what you experience
literal to understand stay with me here
to understand the key to being an
overcomer and whatever needs to be
overcome in our lives you have to watch
this begin to look at Jesus differently
okay let me say that again if you really
really really want to be an overcomer
prevail you must begin to
look at Jesus differently before he ever
gets to talking about being an overcomer
in chapters 2 & 3
he gives us chapter 1 he begins in
Chapter 1 of the book of Revelation
verse 1 saying the revelation of Jesus
Christ he says I’m a disclosed Jesus to
you he says in verse 4 I’m writing to
the churches he takes this look at Jesus
in verse 7 behold he is coming with
clouds every eye will see him even those
who pierced him and all the tribes of
the earth will mourn over him so it
shall be
Amen now watch this Jesus is talking in
verse 8 I am Alpha and Omega who was who
is and who was and who is to come the
Almighty he tells John and verse 11
write a book John then says in verse 12
I turned to see the voice that was
speaking to me Jesus speaking to him and
having turned I saw seven golden
lampstands in the middle of the
lampstands I saw one like a son of man
clothed in a robe reaching to his feet
girded across his chest with a golden
sash his head and his hair were white
like white wool like snow his eyes were
like a flame of fire his feet were like
brandished bronze when it had been made
to glow in a furnace his voice was like
the sound of many waters in his right
hand he had seven stars verse 17 when I
saw him I felt with his feet like a dead
man and he placed his right hand on me
and said do not be afraid I am the first
and the last the living one if you and I
are going to be overcomers and practice
not in principle you’re going to have to
see the jesus that john saw this is not
Jesus meek and mild this is not Jesus in
a manger
no no no this is Jesus on fire he says
like the burning of a furnace he says
when he spoke it was like the rushing of
many waters like oceans and seas just
thundering and he says when I saw this
Jesus it knocked the brother off his
feet I fell down like a dead man walking
see we got this man may pam be jesus and
that is nothing not to overcome in jesus
[Applause]
because we really do not understand who
Jesus is since his resurrection and
ascension see when John is writing Jesus
has already died already rose and
already going back to heaven and when he
sees this Jesus who’s now up in heaven
this Jesus is in charge this Jesus is
controlling the agenda Colossians 2:15
says I disarmed them so the reason why
the devil can defeat us is because he
can deceive us into thinking their
bullets still in the gun but what Jesus
did on the cross the scripture says is
he disarmed them he took away the
authority so now you’re beaten by
deception that feels like reality looks
like reality seemed like reality that’s
why the scripture says in Romans 8:37
you are more than conquerors and him who
loved us and gave himself for us that’s
why John 16:33
says in me you’re gonna have peace
because I have already overcome the
world he speaks in these superlatives
because it is your connecting with this
risen Christ Romans 5:10 after he says
God demonstrated his love toward us that
while we were sinners Christ died for us
and verse 8 he comes to verse 10 and
he’s
and we are saved or delivered by his
wife what do you want you to know is
when you begin to look at him
differently and relate to him as the
risen Christ who is ascended who’s now
functioning with fire in his eyes not
soft skin but hair like wool and in a
voice like sunder
that’s who you’re dealing with and
that’s who you must relate to you say
but my problem is so big and it’s been
there so long my problem is so big you
don’t know how long I’ve been dealing
with this addiction you don’t know how
long I’ve been dealing with this
circumstance you don’t know how long if
my problem is so big let me explain
something on the cross Jesus Christ
lifted the sins of the whole world for
all men for all time on Calvary so what
did you tell me the size of your problem
was you’re dealing with somebody who
handled the world and it’s sin and its
accompanying circumstances so it may be
bad but it ain’t that bad but if you’re
connecting it to the wrong Jesus that is
a misconception of the biblical risen
Jesus then you’re applying it to
somebody that’s too weak to handle it
and so your view my view of Jesus has
got to be adjusted if we’re going to
experience the victory of this exalted
Christ look at chapter 12 of Revelation
verse 11 and they overcame him there’s a
word because of the blood of the Lamb
because of the word of their testimony
and they did not love their life even
when faced with death mmm at one verse
will shift how you relate to Jesus
when you shift how you relate to Jesus
he shifts how he relates to you because
now you’re relating to him as he is not
as you want him to be because a lot of
folk come to church worshipping of Jesus
as they want him to be not as he
declares himself to be so Jesus says let
me explain this to you
it says they overcame him referring to
Satan in that context they overruled him
they prevailed against him when three
things were in place these three things
can be summed up in one word their
identification with Christ now follow me
closely here when they properly
identified with Christ they prevailed
let me say this as I get into this God
places victory in your reach not in your
hand big difference what does that mean
it means that they begin by the blood he
says to understand that the cross 2,000
years ago was relevant right now see for
many people the cross is a historical
event if what Jesus did 2,000 years ago
which is why he left us with communion
you don’t make it relevant today it
becomes a two thousand year old event
that you’ll benefit from eternity and
I’ll be useless in time in other words
the reality of what Jesus accomplished
on the cross which was why he said when
he got up from the dead Matthew 28:19
all Authority has been given to me in
heaven and on earth translation I’m in
charge now
I’m in charge now I haven’t come to take
sides I’ve come to take over I’m and I’m
in charge now
I call the shots so if he’s not calling
the shots you don’t get to overcome
he says secondly they overcame him by
the word of their testimony you will not
overcome whatever you’re needing to
overcome if you are a secret agent
Christian so let’s get that straight
okay
trying to camouflage it by talking about
I believe in God won’t cut it okay God
using God name won’t cut it God has
placed everything in the hand of his son
at the name of Jesus every knee will bow
every tongue will confess that Jesus is
Lord to the glory of the Father
so the father is glorified when Jesus is
the superstar oh and then he hits us
with a zinger here’s his with a zinger
number three because he says number
three and they did not love their life
even when faced with death oh they
overcame him because of a love
relationship that they possessed with
him that transcended dying now that’s
some serious love when it transcends
dying but it’s not unusual most parents
if they had to would give their life for
their children most parents because of
the depth of their love you’re at men
who would give their lives for their
mates because of the death of their love
it was a choice between the two so in
the human level we know what it is to
sacrifice the life
for love right he says to be an
overcomer cuz cuz he got fire in his
eyes to see an overcomer that’s why
that’s why Paul says I look now he said
I die daily everyday when I get up in
the morning I said I am dead to me and
I’m alive to you
you are my life you’re not just a place
I go on Sunday
you’re my defining definition you are my
life If any man would be my disciple he
must design deny himself take up his
cross and follow me is that that there
is this understanding that I am pursuing
a relationship with somebody that I want
to fall in love with more than life
itself in other words this is serious
commitment but you probably got some
serious stuff to overcome so this is not
casual Christianity here that’s what I
love what Paul says Paul says Paul says
for me to live is Christ and to die is
gain
now you don’t go looking for death you
don’t go wishing death but he says but
he says for me to live is Christ and to
die is gain
Paul says I don’t know whether to stay
here or to go home to be with Christ
he said I’m betwixt in between if I if I
stay here it’s to serve Christ
if I die is to go be with Christ and if
I suffer he says I reckon that the
sufferings of this present time is not
be worthy to be compared with the glory
that shall be revealed unto me so he’s
saying basically I’m in a no-lose deal
live in Diana it’s is all Christ so if
I’ve got to be rejected because of
Christ I’ve got to be misunderstood
because of Christ I’ve got to be not
like because of Christ not because of
not foolishness but because of Christ
then that’s the way it is once you have
now identified with Christ you have
positioned yourself to be an overcomer
you have positioned yourself to see the
move of God overrule in the
circumstances of life there must now be
a shift in perspective you must change
your look you must look at Jesus now
differently as the sovereign on fire
Lord who now rules and you must look at
everything else you know we all believe
in the son s UN we believe in the son
right I believe this but I know too many
people go around do this all day looking
at the Sun just walking yeah I believe
in the Sun because I’m looking at the
Sun all day let me think the main reason
you believe in the Son I believe in the
Sun we believe in the SU in the main
reason we believe in asks you in is
because because of it we see everything
else we don’t go looking at the Sun all
day but we look at everything else all
day but because of the Sun you see
everything else
well what’s true in the physical world
because of the S Oh n you’re supposed to
look at everything else
everything else is supposed to be
because of him shining whether you see
him or not and therefore brought in line
with him now the main thing I do is the
treadmill the main exercise is a
treadmill I will admit to you I am
unmotivated
that’s not something like I look forward
to do it okay
me myself and I have to have a meeting
in the morning at 5:30 or 6 o’clock or
we meet myself and I we’ve got to have a
congregational gathering I am laying
there in bed and I am saying do I want
to do this today say yeah I know what
you’re talking about so it’s all struck
do I’m not really gonna do this today we
we have to have a we have to meet it cuz
it’s not something I want to do but do
you want to get healthier and I do want
to lose some weight so the goal of
overcoming the weight affects the
getting up to get on the treadmill but
it’s still it’s still a problem because
walking and going nowhere is just a
struggle so I drag myself out of bed
walk into the room where the treadmill
is right in front of the treadmill is a
chair
I sit in that chair and try to talk
myself to getting up out of that chair
to get on that treadmill the problem is
or Dannette treadmill I sweat on that
treadmill I’m huffing and puffing on
that treadmill I’m struggling because I
got this goal in mind but I’m struggling
on this tread nuts a struggle so what I
always do to mitigate the struggle of
overcoming the treadmill and the fact
that I don’t want to do it is that turn
on the news so right in front of me I
stare at the news for 45 minutes it has
my undivided attention that news does
not take away the sweat I don’t sweat
let’s go I’m looking at the news it
doesn’t take away the breathing it
distracts me it gives me something else
to focus on
and I discover I can go longer when I’m
focusing on that than when I’m focusing
on this I got to do this but I try not
to make this my focus I try to make that
my focus because when I make that my
focus it affects how well I do this if
you really want to overcome bad enough
then Jesus says you got to do this but
the way you do this is by focusing on
that and if you understand that I have
already overcome and you walking through
this thing you need to overcome it’s sin
or circumstance but you’re looking at me
and you say okay Jesus I thank you are
you already overcome this you’ve already
overcome my emotions you’ve already
overcome my circumstance you’ve already
overcome my pain you’ve already come out
overcome my addiction I just want to
thank you that you’ve already overcome
it I’m sweating and I’m tired but I’m
more than a conqueror in Jesus Christ
who loved me and gave himself from
and I just want to give you glory cuz
I’m a focus on the news of heaven during
my struggle on earth I know the devil’s
been slamming you
I know circumstances have been beating
you I know sins have been owning you I
know it looks like the evil one is
controlling you but Jesus Christ on the
cross has already pre-scripted that you
are a winner
he’s already pre-scripted that my
relationship to him your overcomer
he’s already pre-scripted that Satan has
no longer any control over you
he’s already prescriptive that greater
is He that’s in you than he that’s in
the world
he’s already prescriptive that those
folk don’t control you anymore
he’s already prescriptive that’s that
circumstance doesn’t control you anymore
I know you’re being thrown down I know
you’re being beaten up but you can now
look at it and declare I am an overcomer
and I’m coming back at you in the name
of the Lord Jesus Christ
[Music]
did you know you are an overcomer God
says you are every believer in Jesus
Christ is an overcomer because you have
become one with the one who has overcome
the issue is learning to act like an
overcomer because you’ve learned to
think like an overcomer and that is
affected how you function the problem is
if you don’t know who you are then you
won’t fulfill the destiny of what the
Lord Jesus Christ has given you and me
now in order to be an overcomer that
means you have to have something to
overcome there’s going to be a challenge
there’s going to be a trial it’s gonna
be a difficulty the key is learning what
it means to overcome a hindrance to you
doing and becoming what God has created
you to do and become that’s what God
wants from you that’s what God wants
from us and there’s no greater feeling
than the feeling and the sense of
victory that you get when there was an
obstacle in your way and you were able
to override it and not have it override
you it’s one thing to be in the
circumstance it’s another thing to be
under the circumstance but the best
thing of all is to be on top of the
circumstance and that’s what overcoming
enables you to do
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you
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you