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.
America has embassies all around the
world in every major recognized country
there is an American Embassy an American
Embassy is really a little bit of
America a long way from home it is where
the laws of America rule all embassies
are sovereign territories they do not
belong to the country therein they
belong to the country they’re from if
you get in trouble in another country
you want to try to cross that embassy
gate because the moment you cross that
embassy gate the laws of America kick in
not the laws of the country in which the
Embassy is located God has an embassy in
history it’s called the church the
church is God’s Embassy to bring the
values of the homeland into foreign
territory this world is called foreign
territory the Bible makes it over and
over again the assertion that this world
is not home but God has set up shop in
this world and he has done it through an
entity called the church the church is
not to represent the country it’s in
it’s to represent the country it’s from
so the whole point of the church is to
represent heaven in history you know the
Lord’s Prayer thy kingdom come Thy will
be done on earth as it is in heaven
so God orchestrates from heaven the
homeland in history through the church
how he wants us to be present in the
foreign land of the culture one of the
problems today however is that the
church unfortunately has adopted the
worldview and values of the country
rather than representing the homeland
and that is added chaos and confusion to
who we are and what we are to be about
you’ve heard me say it if not once many
times God doesn’t skip the church house
to fix the white house he always looks
to and works through the church first so
when the church is not the church when
it’s really a religious entity in town
when it’s merely adopting the values of
history while they sprinkle a little
Bible in little Jesus on top that make
it seem okay then we shouldn’t be
surprised that the culture deteriorates
because God doesn’t have an embassy that
he can depend on in Matthew 16 we have
the first mention of the word church in
the Bible Jesus Christ mentions it for
the first time the disciples are in
Caesarea Philippi and Jesus asks the
question in verse 13 who do people say
that I am in other words what’s the word
around town about my identity they gave
a lot of compliments they said some say
you’re John the Baptist others Elijah
others Jeremiah one of the prophets all
great men good men but then Jesus asked
a second question but who do you say
that I am in other words are you
parroting what the public says or are
you a little bit more specific about my
own identity the word you there in the
Greek text is plural so if Jesus were a
Texan he would be saying who do y’all
say the Son of Man is he’s asking the
whole group Peter who’s the leader of
the disciples he’s the he’s the
spokesperson this boy must have walked
peppermints socks the way he loved to
keep his foot in his mouth but on this
occasion
Peter hit a bull’s eye he says thou art
the Christ the Son of the Living God in
verse 16 he identifies Jesus as the
Messiah and as a whole sermon we could
do on that the Messiah was the
anticipated king and ruler who would
bring heaven to history and would rule
on earth as the Son of God that is
deity incarnate in the person of Christ
ruling all of history says that’s who
you are
Jesus complements him and he says simon
barjona son of john because flesh and
blood did not reveal this to you but my
father was in heaven this is a divinely
orchestrated declaration that you have
identified me we’ve said it over and
over again you skip Christ you don’t get
a clear hearing from God no Jesus Christ
is the way to get a clarity from God so
don’t skip Jesus and stay generic God
because Jesus is the way to the Father
with this pronunciation of the Christ
Jesus that makes his declaration about
his embassy called the church he says to
Peter upon this rock I will build my
church in verse 18 and the gates of
Hades will not overpower it he says to
Peter upon this rock Peters name was
Simon Simon is a pebble he’s called
Peter which means a stone in other words
he got a promotion he’s now the official
spokesperson he would open the doors of
the church on the day of Pentecost he
says but upon this rock I’m going to
build my church in other words my church
just won’t built be built on a great
personality who’s a great pontificate ER
it’ll be built on a rock the Greek word
is Pietra it meant a collection of
stones that have been hewed together to
form something bigger than any one stone
could be on its own you know what the
church is supposed to be it’s supposed
to be a rock it’s supposed to be a
collection of believers in the name of
Jesus Christ who come together to
represent the kingdom of heaven on earth
the church is not just the social
gathering neither is it merely a
religious gathering it is the gathering
of divinely ordained representatives who
act as a rock a solid location for the
kingdom of God as you’ll see in just a
moment he says upon this rock I will
build my church now the greek word
Church is the word ekklesia that’s how
it’s pronounced and this was an
interesting world word in the New
Testament world if you were walking up
and down the streets of Rome where they
would often speak Greek
you would hear them say ekklesia and
what they meant was the legislative body
of a particular area like you would have
today a city council or a school board
or anyone would have Parliament we would
have Congress it was a legislative body
that was the normal use of the term when
Jesus says I will build my church he
didn’t just mean I’m a I’m a gather some
folks together on Sunday morning for an
hour or two sing praise prayer pray and
worship hear the Word of God all of that
is critical and strategic but he meant
something more he says I’m going to
bring together my legislative body it’s
used that way in the New Testament in
acts 19 he closes out the chapter with
the ekklesia gathering to pass laws
against Christianity but they called the
ekklesia it was a legal gathering so the
church is a legislative body although it
is doing so spiritually the job of the
church is to draw heaven into history
eternity into time the job of the church
is to bring God’s viewpoint into the
culture the issue is not letting the
culture get into the church the issue is
this legislative body letting the church
get into the culture he says and I will
build my church so the job of your
church my church our church is should be
bringing legislation down from heaven
based on God’s Word to see it worked out
in and to the church and then through
the church to flush out in society we
would not have the racial problems that
we’ve endured all these years if the
church was being the church we would not
have this class conflict if the church
was being the church or at least we
wouldn’t have it in the church and the
world would see a clearer option for how
things operate because we’re being rich
lady body and how do you know whether
the churches being the church how do you
know in this pandemic that we’re dealing
with whether the church is really up to
snuff he says because I will build my
church and the gates of Hell will not
overpower it the word gates was used in
the Bible of the place where the elders
met to legislate you regularly read the
Old Testament the elders met at the game
that was like City Hall they meant to
what not just the gather not just the
talk but to legislate to bring to bear
the legal renderings on behalf of the
citizenry he says the gates of hell
shall not overpower it please notice
something the church is not playing
defense churches on offense hell is
playing defense the hell is trying to
overpower the church but Jesus says
Church won’t overpower it but it’s got
to be the church I’m building not to
church y’all building I will build my
church
far too many churches now are using the
word church but it’s not Jesus’s Church
it’s our church and we just used Jesus’s
name he says I will build my church in
the way you know is that hell is not
winning it’s not having the last word
it’s not having the final say-so the
members of my church your church in
every church it ought to be
understanding as they develop into
Kingdom disciples that this issue is not
how you were raised
is this you is not first year race class
color it says you is not first what your
friend said or what the teacher said at
school that’s not first all that you
hear must be evaluated by whether heaven
agrees with it
heaven endorses it heaven validates it I
will build my church and the gates of
Hell will not over power it so why do we
have all these churches and still have
all this weakness because we’re not
being the church this coronavirus is
waiting for the church to call on God to
bring down a solution
what happens first to politics politics
has its role its job to care for the
safety and well-being of the citizenry
but they don’t draw down heaven in
history and since these things are
spiritual and we are we are heaven’s
entity we are having embassy that’s our
job to draw the spiritual into this or
whatever part it is pandemic or whatever
pandemic we’re dealing with in the
culture whatever part of that comes from
this spiritual reality we are the ones
to bring about a change but we’ve got to
be doing it his way we got to be his
church doing it his way according to his
will he says when we are his church not
just meeting for singing praising
praying and learning although all of
that is critical we’re his church he
says I will give you the keys to the
kingdom now let me ask you a question
have you ever been in a hurry and not
been able to find your keys you know
what that means you’re not going nowhere
can’t lock your door you can’t start the
car you’re not going on you’re going
anywhere or maybe you’re like me you
have keys on your keychain but you only
remember what they go through our keys
on my keychain I are the slightest idea
what they open so they’re useless they
have authority but I can’t use them cuz
I don’t know what they’re for he says I
will give you the keys notice the word
key is plural keys not a key I’m gonna
give you a key ring why is he giving us
multiple keys only to the church by the
way he’s not giving it to the cultures
only giving it to the church he’s giving
you kids because in the previous verse
gates are plural so for every hellish
gate there is a corresponding Kingdom
key oh don’t forget the word Kingdom
that’s my word that’s the rule of God
that’s the overrule of God that’s when
God has the last say so and that
situation circumstances or even virus is
it’s when God said so that’s why the
most important thing we can do now as a
Church of Jesus Christ has have solemn
assemblies by every
calling on the members to fast and pray
to draw down heavens vaccine into
history’s calamity history’s pandemic
that’s what God told him in the Old
Testament in 2nd chronicles 7 he says
when you call on me from this place even
though I allow the pestilence to come
your way if you will come to me if you
were pray to me if you’ll turn from your
wicked way then I’ll hear and I remove
the calamity from the land so I hope you
see this this church stuff is not just
not just a meeting this is this is this
is exercising kingdom Authority
I will give you the keys to the kingdom
I remember I was in New York one year
and I was at the Marriott hotel I
checked out went to Chicago and went to
the Hilton Hotel for another engagement
it was freezing in the winter I went way
up put the key in the door click click
read like click click read like click
click red light I’m a little frustrated
because I got my luggage I’m way up on
this top floor I’m a key doesn’t work I
went back downstairs and I went to the
to the desk and I said this key doesn’t
work
the man said because that key sir
doesn’t go to this hotel
I had forgotten to throw away my marry I
came from New York and was trying to use
my Marriott key in a Hilton Lock and
those kingdoms don’t mix I can’t open
that door with that key because that’s
the wrong Kingdom far too many
Christians leaders members deacons
elders are trying to unlock heaven using
wrong keys they don’t have Kingdom Keys
Kingdom Keys are the keys that issue in
divine authority that when exercise
based on God’s Word through the
righteousness of his people who are
communicating with him and walking with
him that God hears that means pays
attention to a lot of what we’re doing
even paying attention to because it’s
not what he wants done is what we want
done that we’re asking him to bless and
therefore the absence of authority says
I will give you the keys to the kingdom
I will give you access to heaven for the
legislation I want you to rule with on
earth
I’ll give you the keys to the kingdom
that’s what we need today we need some
kingdom keys that’s why we have this
whole kingdom series kingdom man Kingdom
women Kingdom marriage kingdoms singles
kingdom parenting Kingdom stewardship
Kingdom discipleship Kingdom prayer
because God’s whole word is tied to this
theme of the kingdom and until we become
these kind of Kingdom representatives
where God can rule and overrule well
what you think becomes irrelevant once
you hear what he says that disagrees
with what you think too many Christians
and yes too many Christian leaders are
going by what they feel going by the
emotions of the moment or what they
think too much secular education and
secular work entrepreneurial
perspectives marketplace ideas are
contradicting the Word of God and we
wonder why either it’s not successful or
if it is successful it brings it brings
deterioration and it brings destruction
rather than blessing that’s because we
have walked too far away from kingdom
keys and notice he says I’m gonna give
you the keys to the kingdom he offers
the church let’s get this straight only
the church has these keys okay only the
church has been given collective
authority to draw heaven into history
why because it’s God’s official Embassy
that’s why every Christian ought to be
an active part of a local church and
doesn’t mean of being a smoke any more
than only how that mean just you know no
no you to be a contributing Kingdom
person by becoming a disciple a disciple
is a person who verily invisibly
reflects the rule of Christ in every
area of their lives because they are so
close to the Savior so intimate with him
he determines what they do what they
think how they act how they react what
they say he influences all of life
because they are so connected to him
that he even overrules them and if we
can get enough Christians in churches
depending on the scope of the need some
scopes of impersonal some scopes are in
your own local community but right now
we’ve been dealing with the national
scope so we need a national collective
gathering of people who will be as
disciples through his legislative agency
called the church and reflect that in
the culture I will give you the keys to
the kingdom what happens when he gives
you these keys well here’s what verse 19
says he says whatever if you were
sitting in front of me I would ask you
to say back to me whatever whatever
whatever you bind on earth shall have
been bound in heaven and whatever you
loose on earth shall have been loosed in
heaven
binding and loosing to bind and loose
means to restrict by like you tie
somebody up or loose release what is
happening today as we’ve gotten bound
haven’t we we’ve gotten bound by this
virus we told to stay in or limit it how
we can go out we’ve got bound in our
culture and in our conflict between
police and citizens before this virus
came that gave us a reprieve from that
controversy we’re still bound by
political division we’ve been bound well
if you’ve been bound that means you will
not be in the church that night if the
church is bound to whatever is
restricted holding you back will be
released binding and loosing can be
summed up to me I’m going to give you
Kingdom authority whatever you buy
notice you doing the binding will have
been bound from heaven in other words
you got back up I’m gonna back you up
I’m gonna support you
I’m going to bring my intervention into
history on your behalf because I’m going
to delegate authority to you we all know
what delegated authority is delegated
authority is when somebody higher than
you gives you the right to exercise
something on their behalf God has given
the church the right to exercise
heaven’s decisions on his behalf in
history’s need but he’s only giving it
to the church that’s why I have you more
committed to a political party than you
are to the Church of Jesus Christ
you’re a Benedict Arnold to the kingdom
of God because that is not where the
binding and loosing is so now it’s time
it’s time for Christians to become part
of local churches where they’re being
discipled if you’re not being discipled
either you’re not being the right kind
of member or you’re not in the right
kind of church because the goal is
discipleship not just membership where
you being conformed to the image of
jesus christ relationally and
representatively but once that is
happening once you are taking that stand
to reflect as part of the collective
body of christ because some things God
will do for you just because you’re an
individual Christian so you get certain
benefits if you’ve accepted Christ
simply because you’re here but we’re
talking about now his Collective
presence because the churches are stones
that have become a rock that’s why first
Peter chapter 2 says ye all living
stones come together to form one
spiritual house God will do things
collectively for you that he will not do
if you’re disconnected my hand is
disconnected from my body my hand can’t
do too much cuz it’s not connected with
the rest of me when you are a
disconnected Church you are you remember
the movie the television show The
Munsters right you may be a hand going
all over the place but you’re not
connected to anything
well well God wants you to be connected
and in that connection you’ll see God do
things that you’ll never see
individually
so my challenge to you is to see the
importance of the church that we are
God’s legislative body in history and
until we do that till we’re serious
about that we will not see heaven and
intervene in history will not see the
power of God reside in our midst so it’s
time now for the church to rise up this
crisis has opened a fresh door for the
church God has set the stage like no
other cuz nobody knows what to do nobody
knows how long that people are afraid
people are nervous people are scared
there’s economic issues and medical
issues emotional issues and everybody is
in the situation at some level step in
church it’s time for the kingdom of God
to go public and to say God has an
answer and we don’t draw it down for the
culture so that King Jesus will be made
great through us by us for us and from
us for the well-being of a society in
chaos