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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. #tonyevans #tonyevanssermon #Scripture
fruit always Bears the character of the
tree of which it is a part you won’t
find apples on orange trees you won’t
find oranges on apple trees so the way
you know you’re bearing fruit is you’re
looking more like Jesus this year than
you did last year your actions and
reactions are more consistently in line
with how he would act and react because
your character is a fruit of his
[Applause]
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
tree
we live in a day
when cancel culture has cancelled God’s
truth not understanding that when you
cancel God’s word God’s word cancels
you in Amos chapter
8 the prophet tells him that there was a
famine in the land he says there is this
famine in the land in verses 11 and 12
he says and it is a famine of God’s
word and because there was a famine in
the Land There was chaos in the
culture so I want to talk to us today
about returning to him through
scripture through the truth of the
Bible
Paul puts it this way in 2 Timothy 3 he
says beginning in verse 13 evil men and
Impostors are going to proceed from bad
to worse deceiving and being deceived
but you continue in the things you have
learned and become convinced of knowing
from whom you have learned them and that
from a
childhood which is why you need to make
sure your children know the word of God
from childhood you have known the sacred
writings the
scriptures which were able to give you
wisdom that leads to Salvation through
faith which is in Jesus
Christ as a child you were introduced to
the Bible so that you could make better
decisions in your
life why why make a big deal about the
Bible about
scripture he tells us in verse 16
all scripture is inspired by
God all scripture is inspired by
God we start off with
Revelation Revelation means divine
disclosure Revelation is what he
discloses inspiration is the record of
that
disclosure and that is in Scripture
so God reveals Revelation men record
inspiration leading to
canonization canonization is that
process where God leads people to
identify what was Inspire that had been
revealed so there is revelation what God
discloses inspiration how it is recorded
then there is canonization how it is
recognized leading to illumination
how it is understood and
applied when Revelation that has been
recorded in Inspiration based on what
has been canonized in canonization
becomes your
illumination then you and I can
experience
transformation all
scripture is inspired by God the Greek
word Theos means to be breathed out to
Exhale scripture is the exhaling of
God it is not merely information about
God it is the voice of God in
print Proverbs 30:5 and 6 says every
word of God has been tested do not add
to it lest you be shown to be a liar yes
Romans 3:4 let God be true and every man
a
liar John chap
10:35 the scripture cannot be broken
meaning
cancelled you can cancel God God can
cancel
you so to reject the word of God is to
hurt you not hurt God or his
word because every word is true if the
Bible is not true Jesus is a
fake because it was Jesus who said in
Matthew
518 that every jot and tit which are the
two
smallest elements of the Hebrew
vocabulary every jot and
of God’s word will be accomplished in
infantes
detail and that is revealed in
scripture all
scripture not only that but scripture is
alive Hebrews 412 and 13 the word of God
is alive and active and it is a scalpel
he says sharper than any two-edged sword
piercing beneath the external into the
soul and the spirit the bone and the
marrow it will turn you inside
out it’s so
sharp it is alive it is a living alive
document because it is the exhaling of
God the voice of God in
print he says all scripture is inspired
of
God and is profitable for teaching
reproof correction training and
righteousness so that the man or woman
of God may be adequately equipped for
every good
work what he’s telling you is that the
scripture is
sufficient for life
for decision making for
choices for guidance for
governance the scripture is sufficient
for you as an individual it’s sufficient
for you and your family it’s sufficient
for this church and every Church it is
sufficient for the
culture you’ve often heard me say if you
came to me personally your life was
falling apart I take the Bible I would
give you what God says give you
practical ways to implement it pray to
the Holy Spirit empowered your obedience
for the transformation of your
circumstance if you brought your family
I take the same Bible do the same thing
if you brought the church cuz the church
was in disarray I take the Bible and do
the same
thing if you brought Congress I wouldn’t
change
[Music]
books a lot of our talk about race and
politics folk change books they go back
to other documents and other things
whether or not it agrees or disagrees
with the word of
God we we change
books the Bible says you do nullify the
word of God with your Traditions you
cancel its benefit to you you don’t
cancel it out you cancel its benefit so
you can actually cancel the benefit of
the Bible to you by not treating it like
it
is Jesus said in Matthew 4:4 man shall
not live by bread alone by what he takes
in physically but by every word all
scripture every word that proceeds out
of the mouth of God inspiration
Revelation that is inspired every
word because the devil is not allergic
to your word he’s allergic to his
word so every time Satan hear you say
well I think he say I got
you I got you cuz if what you said said
and what you just thought disagrees with
God you have invited the devil to
deceive you because God can’t be wrong
on any
subject because he is perfect as the
second half of Psalm 19
says the word of God is pure it says
Flawless he says the word of God is
sufficient for every good work
everything you ought to
do every decision you have to
make so the Bible is God’s word
it is we use this theological term
inherent that is it is without
error when it was given to men our job
is to read it understand it and apply
it but not challenge
it because it’s offer is
perfect so God is insulted
he pronounces a blessing on the one I
believe it is Isaiah
662 uh he pronounced a blessing on the
one who trembles at his word that is he
wants you to approach the Bible like
this because it’s it’s so it has the
life of God it has God’s presence he
says to the one who trembles at my
word you’re really shaken because you’re
in his Pres presence and he’s getting
ready to
talk to return to God means to return
the scripture so the next question then
is how does this work and maybe you’re
sitting here and you’re saying well it
hasn’t worked for
me hasn’t done what you just described
for
me Luke 8 tells a
story
about a sewer who went out to
sew a farmer is planting
seeds and he talks about the seeds that
the farmer planted fell on different
soils so Jesus the great Storyteller
that he that he is tells this
story and he tells them I’m talking to
you about the kingdom he
says and I’m going talk to you about the
kingdom and how the word works with the
kingdom and the kingdom is the rule of
God so he tells them this story and when
he tells them this
story verse 10 he says to you it has
been granted to know the mysteries of
the kingdom of God but to the rest of it
it is in Parables so that seeing they
may not see and hearing they may not
understand now let me let me just pause
there he says I told you this story
talking to his disciples I told you the
his this story
uh so that you can learn the mystery of
the Kingdom so that you’ll understand
something that the general public won’t
know so he says I want you to understand
because you belong to my people I want
you to get the benefit of this so he
tells this story and he says now the
parable is this the seed is the word of
God the word of God comes to you in seed
form First Peter chapter 1
verses 23 to 25 talks about the word of
God has the DNA in it of God but it
comes in seed form some of the seed fell
by the roadside he says just fell by the
roadside and the Devil comes and takes
it away the word before it gets to their
heart so Satan is the original
abortionist he want
wants to take away the seed of
life some fell on rocky
soil those they heard it they received
it with joy during the time of
testing they fall away because it didn’t
get
rooted calls that rocky
soil he says then there the seed verse
14 and fell among
Thorns these are the ones who have
heard they go on their way they are
choked with worries and riches and
pleasures of this life and bring no
fruit to
maturity so these are the choke
seeds these are the secular
Christians they get so involved with
their education so involved with their
profession so involved with making money
they become worldly
Saints verse 15 but the seed in the good
soil these are the ones who have heard
the word and in an honest and good heart
hold it fast and bear fruit with
perseverance he says these are the
mature
seeds and you know their mature
seeds because of their fruit
bearing they bear fruit not not a little
tiny fruit full
fruit fruit has to do with the
productivity of your life okay if you
have
fruit three there three things that
happen with
fruit number one fruit always Bears the
character of the tree of which it is a
part the second aspect of
fruit
is fruit is always
visible you’ve never seen invisible
fruit you know what kind of tree it is
cuz you see what kind of fruit it is
even if you’re not familiar with the
with the bark of the tree you can see
the fruit no that’s an orange tree apple
tree because it’s visible so fruit
is reflects the character Tre part it’s
visible it’s beneficial yeah
the only fruit that eats itself is
rotten
fruit if fruit is eating itself it’s
rotten fruit is always designed for
somebody else to eat
it so who is taking a bite out of your
life who’s wanting to be like you follow
you who’s wanting you to disciple them
who are you benefiting in the Name of
Christ if you are only benefiting you
you are an immature Christian
if you want to be served but can never
serve if you want to be helped but you
can never be a
helper and you’re not beneficial you’re
just a fruit hanging out eating yourself
and if you are a selfish fruit you will
self-destruct he says but to the fruit
fruit that goes to
maturity well well how did I get there I
want to be there how do I get there well
there was nothing wrong with the
seed the problem was always with the
soil if God’s word isn’t working he
doesn’t have good soil to work with
yes if God’s word is not working if it’s
not doing in you to you through you for
you by you from you what it says it can
do because it is the life and DNA of God
there is either no soil rocky soil or
choke soil not good
soil it is the soil of the life that
determines the benefit of the seed so
that raises a
question how do you get better
soil since there’s nothing wrong with
the
seed nothing wrong with the seed it
comes seed form that means it’s got to
grow but it needs the right
environment in which to
grow so we got a perfect seed but we
have imperfect soil but we want to be
better soil so that we can grow to
maturity question is how do we do
that James chapter 1 this will give you
a sense
of what you need to do to get the word
to
work verse 19 of James one this you know
my beloved Brethren fellow
Christians everyone must be quick to
hear slow to speak and slow to
anger quick to hear what God thinks slow
to say what you think and don’t get mad
when what God thinks and what you think
aren’t the same
cuz God’s way will tick you
off and your soul will throw a temper
tantrum so I’mma tell you that now when
you start with
God your soul is going to have issues
because it’s not how you AR raised it’s
not what you think it’s not how you feel
it’s not what you
want you know and so your soul is going
no
no
for the anger of man does not achieve
the righteousness of God so getting mad
at God it hasn’t going to change nothing
not going to change the thing because
he’s not going to change his word to
make you happy or to make me happy or to
make us happy or to make the world Happy
therefore in light of this putting aside
all filthiness and all that remains of
wickedness in humility receive the word
implanted which is able to save your
soul if you want the soil to be made
right to receive the
seed we must be willing to address
sin God won’t do his work if you’re
unwilling to get a
colonoscopy he said filthiness
if you are unwilling for him to address
sin we have to we have it there because
he says it’s there but you must be
willing to address it
because he won’t do his work if you are
refusing that’s different than
struggling
refusing to address sin he said
says All That Remains of wickedness in
humility
receive the word
implanted which is able to save your
soul but guess what he not talking about
going to heaven CU he says my beloved
Brethren these are people already going
to
heaven when you accepted Jesus Christ
your soul didn’t get saved your spirit
got
saved your soul still needed to be saved
okay let’s let’s let’s break down 1
Thessalonians
5:23 you you are made of three
parts body Soul and
Spirit your body enables you to
communicate with the physical world
through your five
senses your soul is your self life your
personhood your personality that’s your
soul your soul enables you to
communicate with yourself the reason you
know you’re alive the reason you know
you’re sitting here is not cuz you have
a body cuz a dead person has a body but
nothing can happen because they no
longer have a soul your soul is your
self life that’s the real you is your
soul the body is the frame for this
physical world so you have a
soul then you have a
spirit we’re born with our Spirits
separated from God dead the Bible says
the spirit is designed to communicate
with
God the body your environment the soul
yourself the spirit with
God the spirit is perfect it’s the seed
it’s Perfection the seed is God there is
no flaw in the
spirit but the soul is
distorted the
self-life everybody soul in here is
distorted so we’re distorted okay we got
we’re distorted all of us to VAR
degrees he said
receive the
word
implanted which is able to save rescue
deliver your distorted Soul so the way
life is supposed to work is your spirit
is supposed to inform your soul your
soul is supposed to inform your body so
your body does what the soul says but if
you got a distorted distorted Soul
you’re going to do wrong things with
your body so to fix your body you need
to improve your
soul but the tool to improve your soul
is the
spirit and the spirit operates on the
seed that’s why the spirit of God is
called the spirit of truth because the
spirit will only use God’s truth to
address your soul so once you leave
God’s truth the tool for your soul has
been
disregarded he says receive the word
implanted notice an ed on the word
implant not implant
implanted when you accepted
Christ the spirit is waiting for the
word
the seed of the spirit is waiting for
the word like a seed in farming is
waiting for water when it sees that you
are taking in the word the seed absorbs
it when the seed absorbs the word it
expands in the soul like the popcorn
expand you would have never thought the
popcorn was holding all that Soft Stuff
hust
you know this big big ball comes out out
of this little seed cuz it was being
held hostage what we’re doing is holding
God
hostage cuz we’re keeping him in seed
form he says You must receive I love the
way 1 Thessalonians 2:3 says he says you
believe the word and you received it so
that it could perform its work so it can
do what it was meant to do and trust me
the seed will not perform his work if
you’re eating cultural
Donuts it may taste good but it has no
nutritional value if you just buying
what social media says what the culture
says all that it will be of no
benefit he
says prove yourselves to be doers of the
word and not merely hearers who delude
themselves okay how do you know if
you’re receiving the word not just
believing what it says but embracing it
and welcoming it he says you know you
have received it when it affects your
action doer of the
word when you act on it even if you
don’t feel it even if you don’t emote
with it but you act on it you are now a
doer of the word verse 23 for if anyone
is a hearer of the word not a doer he’s
like the man who looks at his natural
face in a mirror for once he has looked
at himself and gone away he has
immediately forgotten what kind of
person he was but the one who looks
intently at the perfect law because it’s
perfect the law of Liberty that set you
free and hangs out in it abides in it
not having become a forgetful hearer
hearing the sermon and leaving it but an
effectual doer this man will be blessed
in what he does he says to the one who
hangs out in the word they don’t just
come and hear a sermon they get the
study guide they look at the scriptures
they they want to spend time with God
they want to hear what God has to say
they talk to people who are going to
give them God’s perspective so my
challenge today is let’s return to his
word as a way of life and a lifestyle
not a Sunday event alone
let’s return to God through his
word