Dr. Tony Evans is the founder and senior pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, founder and president of The Urban Alternative, chaplain of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks, and author of over 100 books, booklets & Bible studies. His radio broadcast, The Alternative with Dr. Tony Evans, can be heard on more than 1,300 US outlets daily and in more than 130 countries.
we have come through a very turbulent
week it has become clear that if we
didn’t know it before I know we did but
it has become clear of how divided we
are as a nation politically we are
divided racially we’re divided class
wise we divide it culturally we’re
divided gender wise we are divided and
this election has brought that up at a
enormous ly high level what concerns me
is that I hear I hear Christians being
as divided as the world
I can’t control what the non-believing
world does or does not do but when
people of faith get caught up
it means we still don’t get it so let me
start with the premise everything
visible and physical is preceded by that
which is invisible and spiritual so if
you want to address the visible physical
issues you must first address the
invisible spiritual reality behind it
because if you miss that you’ve missed
the route and you’re picking at the
fruit and all of these things that are
trying to solve all these dilemmas are
fruit picking not route addressing so
let’s let’s get something straight about
Elections the Bible says that God puts
up Kings and tear Kings down
so your vote whoever you voted for is
never the final say so the final say-so
is what God either causes or allows now
you are to vote I am to vote we are to
participate but heaven rules
Nebuchadnezzar had to learn that daniel
said heaven rules earth and if you don’t
understand that then you won’t get all
shook up about not liking something on
earth when when heaven is sitting behind
it now what goes into God’s decisions
about what he allows yes our
participation but also what goes into it
is whether he’s allowing it for blessing
or for judgment because he allows what
he allows either to bring blessing or to
bring judgment but one thing is
inextricably clear according to Hebrews
chapter 12 and that is God allows things
to get shaken the author Hebrew says to
reveal his unshakable Kingdom
so regardless of which way you voted God
has created a gap that the church needs
to take advantage of because how do we
expect them to get along out there if we
can’t get along in here however you
voted whether Democrat Republican or
write-in and dependent because God
doesn’t write the backs of donkeys or
elephants however you voted you are now
to be living like a kingdom man and
Kingdom women woman for the Advancement
of the kingdom of God so our job is to
demonstrate what it looks like when
people of God represent the king not the
president the king and how we act react
talk when you see some of the things
that people are saying and some of the
attitudes being displayed and then
attach God’s name to it it’s a
contradiction now that may be racism out
there but there’s not going to be any
racism in here
not not up in here up in here because we
represent another Kingdom
there may be classism out there but no
classism in the church no no big eyes
and little use in the church no our job
is to represent the kingdom of God and
to call God’s people to do the same
because this is spiritual it manifests
itself politically but this is spiritual
much to President Obama’s credit he set
the tone in his address after the
election when he said speaking
politically we’re not first Democrats or
Republicans we are Americans first and
he said we’re going to wish the best for
the president-elect the Bible says honor
the king that’s what the scripture says
says honor the king and the King he told
them mana was Nero and he was horrible
but you honor the position even when you
disagree with the person and just like
President Obama was dishonored in many
many ways and that dishonor should be
rejected any dishonor of the position
even though we must address individual
issues with the person is unbiblical
unchristian and is evil
so do not let anyone here coming out of
your mouth
dishonor even though you may express
disagreement because you represent the
king you represent Jesus Christ and so
whether as an individual and what you
say and how you interact and react what
you treat your train your children to
think and to do you saw some of the
violence out there that’s just
unspeakable we have the right to protest
but we have only the right to protest to
the help of others not to the root of
others then in the church people know
when they walk through this door they
are embraced and welcomed if they hold a
firm to the Lord Jesus who we love and
if they don’t we want to introduce them
regardless of race or color or culture
and then in our community people people
ought to see when you when you step out
and your job or in your school or
wherever you are that you are a kingdom
citizen the kingdom citizen is a man or
woman who is fully committed to Jesus
Christ and their commitment to Christ
seeks to bring heavenly principles into
Earth’s concerns that’s what we do we
bring heaven to bear on it
we don’t just replicate what everybody
else is saying presidents come and go
there’s only one king that stays on the
throne
so it is absolutely critical during this
day of chaos and confusion you go out of
your way we go out of our way the Bible
says in Galatians 6:10 do good to all
men as you have opportunity but
especially to the household of faith so
so rather than fussing cuss and cry and
create havoc let our good work speak for
us let people see that we we represent
we represent God’s house because trust
me God’s not going to skip the church
house to fix the white house he always
thoughts with his people Ephesians 3:10
says he works through the church to deal
with the principalities and the powers
and things you can do that’s why that
little thing we’re doing where you pick
up from the bookstore the little card
we’ve asked all of our members to be
conscious to do good works to be
conscious when you see a need and God
prick your heart to address it and give
the person you meet the need of a little
card you just experience a random act of
kindness from a person that will clip
Bible fellowship and if you need more
prayer or help contact us because we’re
here to make things better and I just
stare mess up we’re here to make things
better
I gotta get a card in the mail
this is what was written they got a
picture of our car that we hand out when
we do good works I just wanted to let
you know that I was on a plane yesterday
Sunday October 2nd with two of your
members on their way to a 50th class
reunion cruise out of Galveston and they
were two of the kindest and warm-hearted
individuals I have met they gave me the
above card and we had a lovely chat
unfortunately I did not even get their
name and although we didn’t have but an
hour flight together their warmth touch
my heart and the way they spoke of their
church just prompted me to reach out to
you to let you know about them see that
that people ought to be saying that
about us
a week ago an Anglo visitor who had
visited our church stopped me and she
said I came to church and I was hurting
and I sat down then I was just crying
one of your members came over never met
them don’t know who they were and they
wrap their arms around me and they
prayed for me and more than the sermon
or the song having them love on me in my
pain was what changed my day that that’s
being christ-like and being Christian so
don’t don’t
so come to all the noise it’s a lot of
noise a lot of noise on both sides now
we represent another King and another
Kingdom and that’s what should come
forth
one of our members was on the way
yesterday and they were walking up camp
wisdom and then one of the another of
our members was driving and saw this
member carrying two bags walking up the
street and they pull that car over and
said well you don’t have to walk I’ll be
glad to drive you to where you want to
go the member who had the two bags said
no that’s okay I’m I’m almost where I
need to go but thank you the sister
pulled off and then double back around
to the member who was carrying the two
bags and said you know you really don’t
have to walk because I’m a member of Oak
Cliff Bible Fellowship and and I’d love
to serve you and and take it away you
need to go the member with the two bags
said when boy I really fishing put her
head stuck her head in the car and said
you know thank you thank you but I
really almost where I need to go and I
really appreciate it
the member in the car looked through the
member stuck her head in and said sister
Evans I didn’t know that was you it’s
just after yesterday I’m sure glad she
ain’t drive off yes
but I’m talking about the spirit that
comes out of our church everywhere our
members live work play go to state you
represent the King of Kings and yes
fight for your biblically based
political position but fight righteously
and truthfully and with love and
kindness not vitriol and so in this
chaos voices of reason on your job and
wherever you are voices of reason with
truth and with love need the step for
these are dark days with great
opportunity if we take advantage of it
as the people of God so I want to pray
for our nation but I can’t do that
without remembering that veteran if you
are a veteran please stand up so we can
thank you for your service to the United
States of America remain standing
Veterans I want to pray for you even as
we pray for our country I want to thank
God for you and on behalf of Oak Cliff
thank you for how you have served Oh
cliff Bible fellowship and beyond the
United States our beloved nation let’s
pray father we thank you we thank you
thank you Lord for the men and women in
the various parts of the services that
we render to keep us safe and free for
the sacrifice of time talent energy and
well-being that they have given you said
that the purpose of government first and
foremost is to protect its citizens so
thank you that they have been involved
in protecting us and we do not want to
dumb down what they have done by
forgetting to thank you for them Lord we
pray for our president as he plans to
exit his role of commander-in-chief that
you would bless President Obama and his
wife that you will protect them and I
thank you for the years that you’ve
given them to us as our leader but now
we pray for the president-elect because
God’s sovereignty allowed it to happen
and you said pray for them were in
authority
and so I pray for the president-elect
president-elect Trump and his cabinet
may he choose the right people who will
give him the right advice so that we are
experienced well being as a nation most
of all I pray for this church and your
church that we will not become part of
the problem but become part of the
solution and we will give you the honor
and the glory for allowing us to be
participants in a country that gives us
the privilege of casting a vote and
being participants and we’ll give you
the honor and the glory in Jesus name
all God’s people said amen and amen and
amen