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.
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we’re fighting a major virus aren’t we
this virus has threatened our well-being
our ability to fight this virus
personally it’s tied to our immune
system the stronger the immune system
the better the fight the weaker the
immune system the week of the fight
well there is an immune system that God
has placed in society it’s called the
church the church is God’s immune system
to fight the impact of the virus of sin
and evil that affects our life and our
world and even opens up the door for the
circumstances that we’re facing today
medically because the spiritual
influences and impacts the physical I’ve
said it many times let me repeat it
everything visible and physical is
preceded by something invisible and
spiritual so if you want to rectify the
visible and physical you must identify
and correctly utilize the invisible and
spiritual and so if all you see is what
you see you do not see all there is to
be seen we do not see the virus but we
certainly see its effect we don’t see
God but his effects are very real if the
immune system of society Christians and
the church if that immune system is weak
the door is open for all manner of evil
and yes even disease to infiltrate the
society if you don’t see that then all
you’ll deal with is what you see and
you’ll do the best you can God gave two
analogies in Matthew chapter 5 verses 13
to 16 to talk about the special role of
God’s people and his church
in the society he says in verse 13 you
are the salt of the earth he then goes
on to say in verse 14 15 and 16 you are
the light of the world salt and light
don’t miss read this he doesn’t say
you’re the salt of the Chaika says
you’re the salt of the earth you have
salt and a shaker and it doesn’t do much
for the decay in the meat because it’s
hanging out without the salt one of the
things this virus has done is move the
salt out of the shaker God does this in
the Bible in Acts chapter 8
God created disturbance or allow
disturbance to move his people out of
their comfort zone in Jerusalem so that
they would get out into the broader
society he used inconvenience God is not
just shaking society he’s shaking
Christians he’s shaking the church and
said you’ve been too comfortable in the
shaker hanging out with all the salt
it’s time for you to be salt on some
meat that’s decaying called the earth
you are the salt of the earth you see
back in biblical days salt was used as a
preservative some of your great
grandparents or grandparents in the
country may still do that salting down
the meat because salt acts as an
antibacterial agent and it fights the
gangs decay when you see decay in the
world in the culture moral social racial
decay something is going wrong with the
presence of salt being in the decaying
meat allowing the decay to happen much
more rapidly no we are to stymie the
decay by our presence in the meat not
just in the shaker that is in the church
we are to be in the society making a
difference for God and he says you and
the Greek text literally means you and
nobody else because I work through my
church to affect what happens in society
and in the culture so when you complain
our bad the culture is you got to ask
how salty is the salt and
can we even find the salt or is it
hidden in the shaker inside inside the
cabinet you are the salt of the earth
now only was salt the preservative but
salt creates thirst you know when people
drink salt water they get more thirsty
because salt creates thirst I remember
one day when I was at an airport and I
was in the Admirals Club and they asked
if I wanted something to drink what I
wanted some ginger ale I got some ginger
ale when they brought me the ginger ale
they brought me a cup of snacks peanuts
and pretzels all full of salt I didn’t
ask for that I didn’t order that I just
ordered a ginger ale but they brought
those snacks unrequested and that was on
purpose they did that because it’s full
of salt and they knew that if I drank my
ginger ale and ate the snacks I would
order and pay for another ginger ale
anyone just being kind to me they were
invoking me to another drink that I
would pay for Jesus says you are the
salt of the earth you know what our job
is to preserve to endure the decay in
society and to create thirst for our God
and for his Savior you see it folk
around you are getting thirsty because
your faith is so vibrant so real then
that means that you aren’t creating
thirst I’m not creating thirst the
church is not creating thirst how can we
have all these churches on all these
corners with all these programs and all
these buildings and all these Christians
and all this activity and still have all
this chaos and society the virus of
racism and culturalism and classism the
virus have divorced the virus of of
moral decay how can we have all these
viruses and even pandemics how can all
this stuff be maybe it’s because the
salt can’t be located it’s a great
biblical illustration of the importance
of God’s presence in society with sodom
and gomorrah these were two cities
located side by side where God
pronounced in Genesis 18
judgment because they had decayed so
badly but then Abraham came to God and
said will you destroy the righteous with
the wicked he cut a deal with God he
said if I can find 50 righteous will you
save the city for the sake of the fifty
and God agreed with the deal he says if
you can find 50 folk who do things my
way not their way then I’ll spare the
five hundred thousand or however many
were living there for the sake of the
fifty Abraham couldn’t find fifty he
said what about forty couldn’t locate
forty he said what about thirty couldn’t
locate thirty he said what about twenty
he even went down to ten and God said
I’d still do the deal so why was Sodom
and Gomorrha destroyed it wasn’t just
for its moral decay or its oppression of
the poor both of which were present in
that society no it was destroyed because
the righteous couldn’t be located they
had a good man in town named lot but lot
suffered from our disease of personal
peace and affluence he was so into his
life his world his economics that he
missed the purpose of why God had him
there in fact he lost his own family
when he was about to leave town his wife
remembered Neiman Marcus and Saks and
the mall and she looked back and became
a pillar of guess what song his two
daughters left with him because his two
sons and laws refused to go they had an
incestuous relationship with their
father
I mean if light would have won his own
family that would have been six people
if they would have won one each that
would have been twelve Abraham would
have found ten and Sodom and Gomorrah
would still be on the map why is our
nation decayed
our nation is decaying not just because
of the evil and the viruses that are
plaguing it it’s decaying because the
righteous can’t be located he says you
are the salt of the earth and if the
salt loses its saltiness he says it
becomes tasteless and when it becomes
tasteless he says who can make it salty
again it is no longer good for anything
except to be thrown out and trampled
under the foot of men what does he mean
well in Israel most of the homes of flat
in biblical days people would do things
like we do on
porch’s they would have receptions on
the roof weddings on the roof they would
do things on the rooftop so there would
be a lot of trotting walking on the roof
after a while that would create holes in
the roof so it would rain in the house
so they had to patch up the roof the way
they would do that with gypsum they
would mix gypsum with water turn it into
a paste coagulated with salt so it
became like a clay put it over the holes
on the roof that had been tried known
for so long the Sun would bake the
gypsum that’s now mixed with water tied
tightened by salt and hardened it to be
a sealant like tar on top of the roof so
water wouldn’t get into the house the
problem was now the salt was good for
nothing because gypsum is bitter and so
you couldn’t get the salt in this little
salt because they’d gotten mixed and
watered down by being mixed with gypsum
so it was good for nothing except to be
walked on do you know the world is
walking on Christians and walking on the
church do you know it’s ignoring us not
paying attention to us and not taking us
seriously because we’ve gotten too
worldly we’ve gotten too mixed up with
secularism the secular way of thinking
the non-christian approach to human
definition human sexuality to the
definition of marriage to the meaning of
parenting to the role of children to
what it looks like to be God’s
representative in the workplace see we
we have we have adopted the media’s
definitions the secular definitions and
we wonder why the viruses are getting
worse in our society that’s because
we’ve gotten too mixed up with gypsum
and so we’re finding decay instead of
development spiritually in our lives in
our families in our churches and of
course in the broader society you are
the salt of the earth so if you want to
save the culture Jesus is saying it’s up
to you not just being a Christian but
being a disciple because he’s talking to
his disciples that that means you’re a
full time follower not a part-time saint
you’re a seven-day-a-week er not a to
our Sunday visitor no you are the salt
of the earth he goes on to say and you
are the light of the world he says and
you’re not
be hidden your city on the hill you’re
not a lamp that’s under a bed or under a
basket he says what good is that you are
the light last time I checked light only
has one job one roll one responsibility
and that is to shine light goes public
light that’s off is not a value light
always overrides darkness what does he
mean you are the light of the world it
means you’re the influencer you’d
suppose be the influencer Christians are
supposed to be influencing every segment
of society not just influencing church
services would it be God’s
representatives if you’re doctor you’re
not just a doctor you’re God’s
representative in the medical field so
the medical field sees what God looks
like when God helps hurting patients if
you’re a lawyer you’re not just a lawyer
you know you’re God’s representative in
the Bar Association
so the Bar Association sees what God
looks like when God tries the case if
you’re a business person and not just a
business person you’re God’s
representative in business so the
business world sees what God looks like
when God cuts a deal if you’re a teacher
you’re not just a teacher you’re God’s
representative in education so education
sees with God what God looks like when
he teaches truth if you’re a housewife
you’re not just a housewife you’re a
demonstrating what God looks like when
God is managing a well-ordered home if
you’re a trash collector you’re not just
a trash collector you’re God’s
representative and cleanliness and
stopping disease by the way you empty
the trash and everything you do wherever
you go you’re to be the light that is
the divine influence representing God we
call that being a kingdom representative
you are a kingdom representative who has
built a relationship with God who is
drawing near to him and close this
relationship and then publicly
representing him you are the light of
the world what good is a light that
stays off if you’re in a dark room and
it’s pitch black and you’re bumping into
things and your family’s bumping into
things and you’re any visitors or
bumping anything why because they can’t
see clearly but if you turn on a
flashlight you’ve changed the equation
haven’t you because the darkness now
must submit to you and the people
following you know where to
our world is dark the problem is we’ve
got Christians as dark as the world so
they don’t know where to go cuz we don’t
know where to go
we bumping into stuff they bombing in
the stuff we complain in the day bubble
in the stuff they complain that we bump
in as much as they’re bumping so
everybody’s living in darkness when God
says you’re supposed to be the light
folks are supposed to know which way to
go because they see you know where to go
why because you are following the light
of the world he says what good is the
light that’s hidden what good is the
light private no this is not a time for
secret agent Christian spiritual ci8
representatives and covert operatives
know this is the time when Christians go
public and they demonstrate they don’t
mind being known as followers of Jesus
Christ I was invited in Dallas some
years ago to open up in prayer for the
City Council meeting and they sent me a
note they said just don’t mention Jesus
because we have people here who are not
into religion and so just stay general
God well I went down there and my prayer
was basically in their Lord the City
Council has asked me to come to you
today to contact you about their
decision making you told me if I wanted
to get to you that the best way to do
that is through the name of Jesus so
since they want me to get to you I come
to you in Jesus’s name first of all I
thank you for creating the City Council
because if you didn’t create them then
they couldn’t be here to make decisions
and according to your word everything
that was created was created by Christ
Jesus so I have to thank Jesus that they
here then I want to thank you for
government because you created
government it’s supposed to be a
Ministry of God and that was written by
Paul the Apostle that apostle that met
Jesus on the Damascus Road so lord I
pray that you bless their
decision-making that you give them
wisdom and I ask all of this in Jesus
name Amen you say if you don’t want to
hear about Jesus don’t invite me because
when you invite me Jesus comes with me
and he should come with you and
everybody who claims to be a Christian
why we close our prayers in the name of
Jesus because that is the mechanism God
has given for us to access him and so
the Father in Heaven says how you treat
in the son because how you treat in the
Sun affects how the
the views your discussion with him so
the question is are you an influencer or
do you stay generic God because that’s
safe you don’t want to be too Christian
now we’re not talking about being
bombastic but we are talking about being
clear not being like an undecided voter
you know we’re in this political season
and people deciding who they’re voting
on well you know we got to under to many
undecided Christians when person decides
who they vote on they put it on their
bumper they put it in their yard
they got placards going on why they
declaring who they’re voting for I’m
asking who you’re voting for
you’re the salt a there you’re the light
of the world
can we see your vote and put it another
way on your job when you can get back to
it on your job if they accused you of
being a visible verbal follower of
Christ would you be convicted of all
charges or would you be found innocent
of any charge because you’re not clear
you’re a vague follower of Christ no I’m
gonna tell my whether you go to church
I meant to my whether you believe in God
I’m telling my whether you are a visible
verbal follower of Christ because that
will affect how much of Christ you
experience and how much of impact you
make when you decide I want to get close
to you Lord Jesus and then I want to
publicly represent you now you’ve gotten
God the Father and Jesus the sons
undivided attention he says in verse 16
to now let men see your good works not
just hearing your good words because
anybody can talk a good game let them
see your good works let them see the
things you do that are consistent with
my will that’s a good work that’s not a
good thing
atheist can do a good thing and atheists
can be a philanthropist and atheists can
build orphanages and atheists can build
hospital you don’t have to believe in
God to do a good thing but we’re not
discussing doing good things we’re
talking about doing good work a good
work is a god-ordained activity that he
can authorize for which he gets the
credit in other words if God can’t be
connected to it it’s not a good work
it’s a good thing he wants to be
connected to it he wants it to be clear
that he is standing with you in it and
standing behind you for it therefore you
can’t exclude him you can’t push him off
to the sidelines
you can’t ignore him no he says let men
see your good works you know when you
turn on your television you don’t just
want the sound you want the site you
want sight and sound you want what is
being said to be supported by what is
being seen so if you’ve not been a
quality representative of God it’s time
to repent God accepts repentance that’s
where you just you make it known I am
turning from my secret agent status I’m
turning from just being salt in the
shaker
I’m turning from just being a SMO Sunday
morning only
I’m turning from being a bedside Baptist
or mattress Methodist I’m turning from
just being a casual Saint to being a
committed Christian and yes I’m going to
return to your word I’m going to return
on my knees and I’m gonna return to
getting to know you intimately and then
representing you publicly as your
kingdom representative yes I’m gonna I’m
gonna turn because one of the reasons
for this pandemic is to wake up the
church now yes he wants to wake up the
world but he wants to do it through a
awakened Church he wants us to stop
sleeping he wants us to return to our
first love and he wants to be that first
love which means passionately pursuing
him and then publicly representing him
let men see you good works and then he
says and glorify your father who is in
heaven and glorify your father who is in
heaven that word glory is found
throughout the Bible the theme of the
Bible is the glory of God through the
advancement of his kingdom that is the
whole theme of all 66 books of the Bible
the glory of God through the advancement
of his kingdom so the question is what
does
the word glory mean let’s talk about
glory the word glory comes from a
concept that means waiting remember
growing up in the day back in the day
old school you you would say boy that
dude sure is heavy now you weren’t
talking about his weight
you were talking about how deep they
were in a particular area maybe they
were real smart you say I do to show he
show his heavy you were talking about
the greatness of somebody when you
talked about their heaviness their way
teenis
well when the Bible talks about the
glory of God is talking about his waning
that’s how heavy he is it’s talking
about giving him the weight that his
name is due treating him like he is and
for what he’s worth to glorify God means
to put him on advertisement to put him
on display to create a banner where he
is clearly seen you and I are God’s
advertisement agency Christians
individually and the church corporately
we’re the ad campaign for the God of the
Bible through his son the Lord Jesus
Christ where is that agency so the
question is what kind of advertisement
are we giving about our great God how
are we advertising him through the
influence that we are making in a
corrupt in a secular and in a godless
society as salt and light and through
the good works we’re demonstrating those
good works come in a lot of different
ways it comes in ministering to the
homeless ministering to the poor helping
the widow and the orphan it comes
through supporting the up and out and
the down-and-out with the good news of
sharing our faith when’s the last time
you witness to somebody and ask them
about their eternal destiny what is the
last time you’ve inconvenience yourself
to make life better for somebody else
and our Church in Dallas we’ve handed
our cards these cards people can pick up
for free at the bookstore that’s simply
our acts of kindness card we say
whenever you run across somebody that
has a need
you see and God prompts you to meet that
need in some way whether it’s helping an
old lady across the street picking up
groceries or somebody helping a homeless
person get a meal it can come in two
million different ways after you do that
act of kindness you hand them a card a
card says this is an act of kindness
from a member of Oakland Bible
fellowship here in Dallas and if you
need anything else here’s how you can
contact us then we say you pray with
that person then after you pray with
that person if there is an opportunity
you share the gospel with that person so
we have hundreds and hundreds of people
from our congregation all over handing
out these cards doing good work in fact
one lady who I ran into who one of our
members had helped and given a car to
because she was in a wheelchair and they
had served her when she when the member
gave him a card she said oh you must be
from from that church Oakland Bible
fellowship because y’all everywhere oh
that’s what we want to hear God’s people
are everywhere cuz we’re supposed to be
everywhere doing good stuff good works
not just good things because we bring
God into it and we bring the gospel into
it but we don’t just tell people how to
get to heaven we tell them how we can
help make their life better on earth on
our way to heaven that’s what good works
do you know you can look good as a
bowler you can look sophisticated as a
bowler
you know they got bowling pants bowling
shirts polish shoes bowling socks fancy
bowling bags fancier bowling balls you
put your three-ball fingers in there you
can spin that thing but if that ball is
rolling down the gutter you’re a
good-lookin failure because how good you
look is it relevant to the impact you’re
making the goal of Ebola is to knock
down pins that look good now if you can
look good while you’re knock down pins
good but make sure you’re knocking down
pins how many pins are you knocking down
how many pins will you knock down when
this pandemic is over the virus has
ceased and the world goes back to normal
are you gonna knock down some pins or
you just gonna look good in a bowling
alley of church oh no this is the time
for impact this is the time for Kingdom
people to make Kingdom impact because
you’re influencers salt light because
you represent the king you know in
television and movies they show you
previews
attractions those are the hot clips of
the upcoming show night scene chase
scene now the movie may be terrible but
you never know about Eclipse because the
clips are always hot clips well that’s a
big show coming to town
God is the producer of the holy spirit
of the director Jesus is the superstar
and it will be a worldwide production
it’s called the kingdom of God in the
meantime he’s left you and me here as
previews of coming attractions we’re
supposed to be the hot clips of the
upcoming show so that when people see
the clips of our impact they raise the
question how much does it cost to watch
the show that’s what we can tell them it
doesn’t cost anything the price is
already paid
one of the great offers of our Savior
Jesus Christ is life plus abundant life
that means a fulfilled life so many
people are existing because they don’t
possess the life of God if you don’t
know that you possess the life of God
let’s get that fixed right now Jesus
Christ is offering you his life the
Bible says he that hath the son had life
so if you want life not existence the
forgiveness of sins the the guarantee of
heaven and having Jesus Christ involved
with your life on earth all of that is
in this package called life and he’s
offering it to you for free well not a
lot is for free today but this is life
for free how do you get it you simply go
to Jesus Christ and trust him alone for
it you don’t work for it you don’t earn
it you don’t go to church for the Canada
none of that can give you life only the
person of Christ can give you life so
I’m gonna pray a prayer you pray it
after me you just have to meet it for
yourself well Jesus I know I’m a sinner
I know I can’t save myself but you’ve
offered me the free gift of eternal life
in exchange for myself so I place my sin
next to your house believing you died as
my substitute and I received now the
eternal life that you say you would give
me for free if I came to you for it so I
received that now and thank you for my
new salvation in Jesus name Amen
today you can go deeper find answers and
grow your personal impact with the Tony
Evans Study Bible and commentary being
the first African American to write a
Study Bible in commentary this historic
addition to dr. Evans’s library is part
of the pinnacle of his life and ministry
are you ready to go to another level in
God’s Word request your Study Bible and
commentary today at Tony Evans dot org
or pick up a copy where Christian books
are sold
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