Tony Evans - Sep 11 - 7:30 pm

0:00Don't tell me you love Jesus and you as worried as your non-Christian neighbor about how you go make it. Dr. Tony Evans talks about why we still experience anxiety when God promises us peace. The reason why we stay worried as a lifestyle is that first thing is on first. Priorities are out of order. This is the alternative with Dr. Tony Evans, author, speaker, senior pastor of Oaklef Bible Fellowship in Dallas, Texas and president of the Urban Alternative. Dr. Evans says the fact that we're worried can be a bigger problem than whatever we're worried about. Let's join him as he explains. Today, I want to talk to you about another kind of freedom, one that we all need, I need it, you need it. And that's freedom from anxiety, freedom from anxiety or to use the more popular term, freedom from worry.

1:00Some of us worry to death, other people worry others to death. But we are all, all face this snake around our minds and our emotions that immobilize us called worry. And there's plenty to worry about. Some people are worried about the financial situation. That could be their job, their bills, paying the rent, things that have to do with material and financial responsibility and you are worried. Am I going to be able to send my kids to college? Am I going to be able to meet my obligations? There's a financial worry. Of this is worried about health issues. Health issues can produce worry. And now you not only have to worry about what's wrong, you don't have to worry about the medicine you use to make it right.

2:05Because they tell you that the medicine might make you sick in other ways, while it fixes, whatever you took it for, to make better. So you got to worry about the sickness, you got to worry about the stuff to fix for the sickness. We worry about terrorism. You can worry about what people think and you can be controlled by the impressions and impact of others. worry can go on and on and on and on and on and become a vice grip around our mind. One man said, if I have to worry about one more thing, it's going to take me two weeks to get to it. Because I have accumulated so much to worry about. Another gentleman just couldn't take it anymore. He said, I will pay, he said to a friend, I will pay you $1,000. If you will do my worrying for me, the man said, okay, I'll take that, I'll take that, I'll take your worry for you. Where's the $1,000?

3:12The man said, well that's the first thing you got to worry about. So in one form or another, we're all challenged with this thing called worry. In Matthew 6, Jesus wants to tell you something. Can Jesus tell you something? Verse 25, the first line, for this reason I say to you, do not worry. Verse 31, do not worry. Verse 34, so do not worry. Three times in this passage, Jesus wants to tell the family of Oak Cliff and those who gathered in our service today, stop it. Stop it. Look at your neighbor and say, stop it. They can't get mad at you, you just quote in Jesus. Jesus just said, stop it. Stop worrying. Three times, he says, stop worrying.

4:20If Jesus commands you to stop something and you keep doing it, it's a sin. Therefore, it's a sin to worry. If whatever you are worried about today, you are sending against the Savior every time you worry about it. He says, don't do it. Stop it. That raises the first question and that is what is worry. What is worry? Some of us try to make it seem better. We say, I don't know where I'm just concerned. The Greek word used here for worry was a word that used for the unthreading of a garment so that there was a detachment occurring because the threads of the garment were coming out. So it meant to be detached or unraveled. You are worrying when your circumstances are unraveling you.

5:23To worry meant to be controlled by the circumstance so that they dictated to you your well-being. How is that different than concern? The fundamental difference from legitimate concern and illegitimate concern or anxiety or worry is the issue of what's in control. Concern your in control of it. You turn it on, you shut it off. Worry, it's in control of you. Worry tells you whether you're going to sleep tonight or not. Worry tells you whether you're going to have a migraine headache or not. Worry dictates to you whether you're going to stay mad and angry or not. The level of your worry reveals the size of your faith. If you're worried all the time it's because you have faith little of the time.

6:24Your expectations are low because you really haven't studied what God has done in nature. And all of nature depends on God. And the means he's provided to provide. You say, okay, I got it. God has already built in. The systems are already working. The birds can testify. The flowers can testify. What do you want me to do? What is God want me to do? Because I'm tired of worrying. I'm tired of, et cetera. I'm tired of, et cetera, and PM so I can go to sleep. I'm tired of that. I'm tired of worrying. Verse 31, do not worry then saying, what will we eat or what will we drink or what will we wear for clothing? For the Gentiles eagerly seek all these things for you heavily father knows that you need all these things. Now watch this we're going somewhere. If you are a warrior you're no better than a pagan.

7:31The word Gentile refers to unbelievers, pagans, the heathen. Don't talk about you love Jesus and you is worried as your coworker about being laid off. Don't tell me you love Jesus and you is worried as your non-Christian neighbor about how you're going to make it. You're no better than the Gentiles. You're no better than the atheists. You're no better than the people who don't know God, don't believe in God. Not looking for God. You are absolutely no better than them because you're talking like them. How am I going to make it? What am I going to do? He says all these things, the Gentiles seek. But your heavenly father knows you have need of these things. Let me say something about these things. What things? The necessities of life. He says don't go around worrying about how the necessities of life are going to be covered.

8:34He's not saying be irresponsible. He's saying don't worry about how the necessities of life are going to be covered. Here's our problem. We have confused the necessities of life with the extras of life. We have confused what God promises to me and what we want him to do. We have transferred needs into wants and then get mad at God because he's not meeting our needs that really are not the needs they're the wants. So we become like the Gentiles and we seek it. Which means we go break out next. We work overtime. We do intend jobs. We can't come to church because we're too tired from working six days or we've got to work seven days and we become like the heathen. Break it on next for stuff God said I would take care of if you had him in the right priority.

9:34But you don't give me a chance to take care of him because you won't operate by my order. And so we're living from hand to mouth week to week trying to exist because we have inverted needs into wants. I need a new car. No. If the one you have is working you won't a new car. And don't get me wrong. Nothing wrong with wanting a new car or wanting a new house. But if there is food in your stomach, clothes on your back and a roof over your head, the needs have been provided for. But if you skip God, God's way and jump to a one and call it a need, then don't be surprised if you're blaming God that he's not meeting your needs. Because he's dealing with the necessities of life. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be added to you.

10:39Key word first first. The reason why we stay worried as a lifestyle is that first things on first. Priority the out of order. And when spiritual priority the out of order, don't expect to see God come through. You are worried because you're not confident, but you're not confident because first things are first. See, he first the kingdom of God and his righteousness that means his standard, his will, his way, his word. He said, you will be amazed what you see when I'm become first. When you stop leaving me to what's left over. Dr. Evans, welcome back with a look at what God wants to start adding to our lives when he continues this message from his series living above the circumstances.

11:39This two-volume 15 message compilation talks about how God cares for you and can meet your needs, even as you're confronted by some of the toughest problems life has to offer. We want to help you experience a deep unshakable piece no matter what's going on. So we're offering this entire collection on CD or downloadable MP3s with our thanks when you make a contribution to help support Tony's ministry. And in addition to the audio messages for a limited time, we're also able to include a copy of Let It Go. Dr. Evans' life-changing booklet packed with wisdom that can help you break the emotional chains of fear and worry. Contact us today at TonyEvans.org to make a contribution and request your copy of this special resource bundle. Or give us a call at 1-800-832-22 to let a friendly resource team member assist. That's 1-800-803-222.

12:39I'll repeat that information for you after part two of today's lesson coming up right after this. The biblical roles of husbands and wives, the source of our authority as believers, understanding the concept of grace, winning spiritual battles. They're all important subjects but seem as different as night and day. Would it surprise you to know there's a common thread running through all four? You can discover what it is by taking the course on Ephesians in the TonyEvans training center. One by one, you'll dig into the powerful themes of this book and make new discoveries about what Jesus' death accomplished, how to maintain unity at home and at church. What spiritual armor is all about? The course includes custom content from Tony, not available anywhere else. Work through it at your own pace, collaborate with other students, get your specific questions answered through our online forum. Connect with the TonyEvans training center at TonyEvans.org. It's like having a seminary on your smartphone or other device. Start today. TonyEvans.org.

13:46You know, the Sabbath was established to give one day where you didn't try to earn money. That was the one day where you couldn't try to earn money. It's called the Sabbath. In the New Testament it says you can choose whatever day you want to be the Sabbath. It doesn't have to be Saturday. Even God didn't skip this on the seventh day he rested. He didn't rest because he was tired. He rest because he wasn't going to do nothing else. He was finished. He enjoyed the work of his hand. God says, six days you can labor. You can work hard. You can go out there and do your thing for six days. But that has got to be this one day. Well, you're not trying to make anything happen. You're not trying to cut any deals. You are just resting in what God has allowed you to do in those other six days and you're trusting him to work it out to multiply it. Because one of the things the Scripture says on 1, 20, this evening he gives his beloved sleep. For he knows that you have needed these things and look at what he says in verse 33 and 35 and all these things will be added to you. Oh, did you get that? Added to you. In other words, he'll make the connection. He'll add what you're trying to force. He'll add what you're trying to make happen.

14:56He'll bring it to you. He'll connect it to you. Many of us are blocking God's hook up. Blocking God's addition and the extra stuff we're doing is creating subtraction. Because then we got bad attitudes. We mad at people all the time. We're frustrated. We're causing people out. We're doing all this because I just got too much on my mind. You know, we can't handle it. But we're doing everything we know to do. And we're doing all more of it. And more of it. And more of it. And more of it. And God's not adding anything. Because we're not doing it his way. We're doing it our way and asking him the blessed. In other words, as though we're the king of the kingdom. And we're set the standards. He driving your car. And you see somebody on the side of the road hungry, hungry. Please for some money for something to eat. We've all seen that. Most of us probably from time to time helps somebody.

16:00But everybody would sign up. Doesn't mean you ought to do something for them. Because there's always a question that has to be answered. What are you hungry for? See, if I give you money without knowing what you hungry for, then that may be a bad investment. See, because if you're hungry for food, then it ought to be okay if I say, let's go to McDonald's. See, that ought to be good. Because that's money, but it's money for food. But if you only use the word hungry and you don't put nothing in it, you could be hungry for drugs. And I don't want to give you money if that's what you're hungry for because you only told me you're hungry. You gave me a fact, but you didn't tell me the truth. You just said, I'm hungry. That's a fact. But I didn't get the truth. I didn't get what you were hungry for. So until I get the rest of the story, I don't know whether to invest in that time. Because I need to know what we're going to do with what I consider valuable. That is my money.

17:01See, God sees signs every Sunday from Christians coming to the church. I need the oil. I need the air. I need the air. And we got the sign of church. Jesus, I need you. We wave in the hair. I need you. God said, for what? I want the rest of the story here. You just need me so you can use me up. You just need me. So I can bless you so you can skip me. You just need me so I can do more for you. So you can do less for me. You just need me. You what for what? What's the rest of the story? Are you talking to a king? Are you talking to Santa Claus? God says in Jeremiah, Scripture, you should read when you're prone to worry. Chapter 17, verses 7 to 8. Jeremiah 17, 7 to 8, God says, and I will remove your anxiety in a drought. You know what drought means? Let me have no rain. No rain, no agriculture, no agriculture, no food, no food. You starve.

18:08So when it's not raining for a long period of time, you can get scared. You can panic when it has rain for a long period of time. But God says, I'll remove your worry in a recession, in a depression. When you don't know where the stuff is coming from, I will calm your mind. Or as it says in Isaiah, chapter 26, verses 3 and 4, I will keep him with a steadfast mind whose mind is stayed upon me. See when your company sends you somewhere, they pay for it. We want to do our own thing, but we want to know why the king won't pick up the tab. Because God is saying, that's not where I sent you. That's not what I want done. That's not how I want it done. That's not when I want it done. That's not my thing. I'm not picking it up. Now you mad at me. Tell me, I don't believe you answer prayer. He says, so do not worry about tomorrow. Most of us are being crucified between two thieves yesterday in the morning.

19:15The regrets of yesterday, the uncertainty of tomorrow, and we still got to deal with the trouble of today. He says, don't borrow from tomorrow. In other words, all these things might happen tomorrow. How am I going to make it tomorrow? He says, when you borrow from, when you withdraw from the bank of tomorrow, you've increased the burden of today. So that means you reached into tomorrow, brought it back to today. So now you've got to deal with what you already had on your plate today, and what tomorrow just added to that plate. And you've got to pay interest on both. So you've added to yourself a burden you were never meant to have. Listen to me. Listen to me. It's okay to plan for tomorrow. The Bible talks about planning. You can plan for tomorrow. What you can't do is get unraveled about tomorrow. You can't worry about tomorrow. Why?

20:18Because the only thing God is promising you is enough of the day. Lamentations 323. His mercies are new every day. Give us this day our daily bread. God is only guaranteeing you today. So when you start thinking about tomorrow, you've gone further than God has promised. He's only supporting you today. Well, what about tomorrow? He'll meet you there. Today is the tomorrow that you worried about yesterday. Today is the tomorrow that you were worried about yesterday. And now you today. Today has enough trouble of its own. And you know if you can't even deal with the stuff in your face today, you're not going to be able to handle that plus tomorrow stuff today.

21:22Don't worry. Tomorrow stuff will be there when you get there. Because when you get there tomorrow will be today. He says, do not worry about tomorrow. I'm trying to tell you something. Look at your name and say, stop it. It's a sin to worry. You've insulted your father when you were. Because you said to your father, the birds can trust you. The flowers can trust you. But I can't trust you. You've insulted God. But if we had a testimony service here today, and if we could invite the children of Israel, the children of Israel would testify. We were in a wilderness and we didn't know where we were going to get water and where we were going to get food. But God had food in Iraq and rained down cornflakes from above. If the widow of Zarafah was here this morning, she would testify. I was down to my last meal. And me and my son had only one meal left.

22:23But when I put God first with Elijah, God took that bread. He took that oil. He multiplied it and gave us enough to retire. If the disciples were here to testify this morning, they could tell you they were with 5,000 men, not counting women and children. And they didn't know how they were going to feed them. But a little boy with some sightings and crackers gave it to Jesus first. And Jesus multiplied it. That 5,000 women and children had 12 baskets full left over. If Jesus were here, he could testify from John 6. I am the bread of life. He said, well not first. And I will give him living water. And I will feed him the bread of life. Somebody ought to bless his name up in here. That God can be trusted even when you don't know how he's going to do it. When you put him first. Dr. Tony Evans with the most powerful antidote for anxiety are trusting God.

23:25Now if you'd like to review this lesson on your own or pass it along to someone you care about, get in touch with us for details on the message titled Freedom from Anxiety. You'll get the full-length version that includes content we didn't have time to bring you on the air. Better yet, get it as a part of Tony's current two-volume 15-message audio compilation called Living Above the Circumstances. As I mentioned earlier, we're bundling it together with his popular booklet Let It Go. And making both of these resources available to you as our thank you gift for your donation to the ministry of the alternative. Just visit TonyEvans.org today to get all the details. Again, that's TonyEvans.org. Or give us a call at 1-800-800-3222. That's 1-800-832-222. Most of us know God has the power to deliver us. But when we're caught in a difficult situation or circumstance, we sometimes wonder if he'll actually do it. On Monday, Dr. Evans will talk about how we can develop the faith we need to feel completely confident. I hope you'll join us.

24:34The alternative with Dr. Tony Evans is brought to you by the Urban Alternative, and is made possible by the generous contribution, so listeners like you. Thank you.