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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 #Thankfulness
John 14:21 says the one who loves me I
will let him see me and experience me if
he loves me you want to experience more
of him love him first that’s the
paradise of God that’s where God unveils
himself and lets you see stuff you’ve
never seen before feel stuff you’ve
never felt before experience things
you’ve never experienced before cuz he’s
unveiled
[Applause]
[Music]
himself
did you know one of the greatest sins
noted in the Bible is
ingratitude when we are not
grateful when we are thankless rather
than
thankful we have insulted God Romans
chapter 1 talking about men abandoning
God he says and neither were they
thankful they did not recognize that
every good and perfect gift comes from
above anything good in your life and my
life is a gift of God for which we ought
to be
grateful but we live in a world today of
ingratitude not only are we not grateful
for God we’re not grateful for other
people who benefit us who God has
allowed in our lives and our
circumstances to help our lives be
better you know we we regularly teach
our children to say thank you thank you
thank you thank you thank you we we want
them to develop the habit of being
grateful as a parent I’m sure there have
been times with your children where You’
said I I y’all kids aren’t grateful
y’all just complain all the time and you
don’t recognize what we what we do you
know why because we do it so
consistently you know we feed them
consistently we clothe them consistently
we house them consist consistently we do
all these consistent things and you can
get so used to
consistency that you become
expectant in fact you can even make a a
requirement rather than be grateful for
the consistency now you know whenever
there’s special events the kids will say
thanks you know Christmas toys birthday
gifts you know something special that
they want they’ll give thanks for the
special but Thanksgiving is to be a
lifestyle for every good and perfect
gift whether it’s the regular things we
get or the special things that God gives
us how thankful are you how thankful am
I how thankful are we when we go to God
we’re told when we pray we’re told in
Philippians 4 when we pray to pray with
Thanksgiving now we generally when we
praying we’re asking we’re saying God I
need this I want that uh help me with
this and we’re asking asking God for
something and that’s okay but he says
when you’re asking for something do it
with Thanksgiving in other words don’t
leave Thanksgiving out on an island by
itself make sure you include
Thanksgiving with the request because
God wants to know that we are grateful
for what he has already done not just in
anticipation of what we want him to do
because he has already done so much for
us he’s done so much for us in our being
able to live and breathe and being able
to have food to eat and clothes on our
backs and roof over our head those are
the the the the normal things so to
speak at least for most people some
people in the world have to have to than
that as a special thing because it’s not
automatically guaranteed but at the very
same time God wants us to recognize the
fact that he is responsible for what we
are better benefiting from as a part of
our request to him as you see what’s
happening in the world
today you see what’s happening in the
Middle East for example you see what’s
happening in uh among people who are who
are longing for their next meal or glad
to be alive one more
day you know they have a lot to be
thankful for but you and I never know
what a new day will bring we never know
where the tragedy will strike
sickness will hit an accident will take
place in our lives or the life of a
loved one so we’ve got to be just as
thankful every day for the day because
no other day is guaranteed we can’t we
can’t brag about tomorrow we got to just
make it through today and be grateful
for the grace of God that’s given us
today so let’s make
gratitude a way of life in fact let’s
not be like
Israel God delivered them from Egypt and
they spent all that time in the
wilderness grumbling and
complaining and that complaining was one
of the reasons they didn’t make it to
the promised land because they were so
ungrateful for what God had done that
they weren’t able to get to what God yet
wanted to do don’t block your future
with
ingratitude that’s not recognizing what
God has done with your past and what
he’s doing in your presence now that
does not negate the fact that there
aren’t trials and tribulations there
aren’t difficult times that we’re not
happy about that we’re not you know
really just bouncing off the wall about
those hard times are real and we don’t
ignore them but you know what even to
know you have a hard time you have
something to be thankful for because you
got a brain to know it you’re still
alive so that means you’re experiencing
it so even in the middle of what you’re
going through there’s is a god worthy to
give thanks so I want you this
Thanksgiving to give thanks to God and
then to stop making Thanksgiving a
holiday and make every day a
Thanksgiving day because every day is a
fresh new opportunity to tell the Lord
thank you thank you for waking me up
thank you for providing me the air that
I’m breathing thank you that I have a
wardrobe I can put on thank you there’ll
be food at the breakfast table thank you
for the health of my family thank you
that you kept me yesterday so I could be
here today you know we can go on and on
and on and on and on I’m not trying to
cover all your bases I’m just saying
make Thanksgiving your way of life I
need to make it my way of life encourage
those in your sphere of influence to
make it their way of life so that God is
being thanks thank as a way of life and
when he sees that we are grateful people
he will will give us the peace of God
that comes with his presence because he
knows we are a grateful grateful people
who love our God God bless you and Happy
Thanksgiving Dr Evans will be right back
after this important
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[Applause]
announcement
[Music]
over and over again in scripture God
requires and demands to be
first one such place for which many of
you are familiar is in Revelation
chapter 2
where John the Revelator
writes about a message to the church at
Ephesus to understand Ephesus think New
York Ephesus was the New York
City of Asia
Minor in the middle of this Metropolitan
City a church was
established Ephesus Bible Fellowship
have been established in this
city and the Lord sends a
letter to the pastor at Ephesus Bible
Fellowship called the angel or the
messenger and he was to deliver that
message to the
congregation I’m going to deliver the
message that he gave to them to us since
it was written for the church
in Ephesians 2 we read to the angel of
the church in Ephesus
write the one who holds the Seven Stars
in his right hand the one who walks
among the seven golden lampstand says
this of course seven is the number of
completion in scripture so what he wants
you to know starting out is Jesus is in
the house right
now he starts out with a Commendation or
a compliment he wants to compliment the
church
first he says in verse two I know your
Deeds your toil your perseverance you
cannot endure evil men you put to the
test those who call themselves Apostles
and they are not and you found them to
be
false he says I want to con commend you
on some great things happening at your
church he says the first thing is I see
see your
Deeds Deeds are activities I see the
work you’re
doing in other words you are a serving
Church you folks are busy you got folks
serving over here and folks serving over
there and folks doing this and folks
doing that you you’ve got the people
engaged in Ministry and I see your
Deeds he says you’re not only a serving
Church you are a sacrificing church
because he says I see you’re toil he
goes on to say I see your steadfastness
because I see your
perseverance when the going gets tough
you don’t quit when the going gets tough
you don’t throw in the towel when the
going gets tough you keep on plowing
through and you don’t easily throw in
the towel quit or give up I see that I I
I like that about
you not only do I see your serving that
you are sacrificing and that you are
steadfast I see you are also separated
because you don’t tolerate evil you you
will call sin a sin you will identify
folks who are who are Renegades who are
who are living an unacceptable lifestyle
and justifying it rather than repenting
of it I I see that there is a standard
that this church operates by and and
that’s great I I commend you for
that and then finally he says I also see
you are a suffering Church because verse
three you have perseverance and have
endured for my name’s sake and have not
grown weary endured for my name’s sake
you’ve gone through some tough times
some hard times you’ve been rejected by
the culture of Ephesus and you are
suffering being a Christian I see that
and and and that’s good I want to
commend you for all the good things
happening at this
church but
verse four
but but I have this against
you you have left your first
love he says I just name five
compliments five things I like
but I have one problem and it’s a
biggie you’ve left your first love now
wait a minute you just gave me Jesus
five compliments and you only finding
one thing
wrong but think about it for a
moment you can serve God and not love
him
first you can sacrifice for God and not
love him
first you can be steadfast for God and
not love him first you
can you can be separated in God’s name
and not love him first you can be
suffering in God’s name and not love him
first watch it he didn’t say you don’t
love me at
all he said you no longer love me
first in the business of life and
Ministry Jesus Christ no longer held the
front position in their lives and in the
life of this church
so you can be spiritually
busy and Jesus not be
happy because you’ve left your first
love what God is complaining about is
that things have replaced his Primacy in
their lives so that Jesus Christ is no
longer first he has to
compete with all the stones even though
you declare him to be the
rock one of the bad things about
religion is it can camouflage
relationship so that you think you have
relationship because you have religion
because I go to church because I serve
in the ministry because I do this but I
must I must have him first cuz look at
what I’m
doing he says you have left your first
love you don’t love me first you love
what I can do for you you love the
blessings I can give you you love the
money you want from me the jobs you want
from me the better lifestyle you want
from me you love what I can give you but
you don’t want me and you don’t want me
first because you’ll fit me in when you
can what God is saying is yes you still
love me but you love me down the line
you love me second third fourth fifth
ninth 10th when I demand to be
first well God what do you mean by that
well the Lord says in Matthew chapter
10 he says in Matthew chapter 10 verse
37 and 38 he
says anyone who loves his mother father
son or daughter more than me is not
worthy of me so let me tell you what he
means by First Matthew 10:37 and 38 he
says I want your commitment to me to
outweigh your commitment to your
family in other words I want to be he I
want to come in front of your family
your mother your father your sisters
your
brothers your daughter your son your
mate I want to be
first not not second not third and the
reason why I want to be first is I am
first I am Alpha and Omega God does not
want us to do with him what we do with
human
relationships he wants to be
first that is top
priority not relegated to a secondary
position much that is missing in our
lives is because God has been relegated
he’s not been forgotten we’ll come to
church he’s not been forgotten he’ll be
referenced but he’s been forgotten in
terms of his placement
in our lives and he demands being
first you have left your first love
you’ve left me as
first you love me down the
line so after commending the Christians
at Ephesus and the Christians
here
where is he
positioned in your life in your schedule
in your plans in our
priorities okay you say well I want him
to be
first what do I do to get him
first well he tells you he tells you
three things to do to reposition God in
your life to make him
first therefore verse 5 remember from
where you have fallen
Fallen he says the first thing to do to
reposition God is
remember to
recall from where you have
fallen we think of people falling
committing some great sin he says
remember when I was priority in your
life remember from where you have fallen
remember when you were excited just to
know your sins were forgiven remember
when you were excited that that that
eternal life was imparted to you and you
you ain’t have all this stuff but you
had me and you had fire with me and for
me and about me because I was the main
thing and then he says repent he says
remember from where you have fallen and
repent now there’s only one thing you
repent of in the Bible and that’s
sin so guess what
losing your first love is sin it’s not a
bad habit it’s not even a mistake God
looks at you and me in spiritual
Rebellion when he’s not first and that
explains everything so many of God’s
people are living in spiritual Rebellion
not because they’re necessarily doing
some overt popular sin God is just no
longer
first and why does God tell us to repent
the only purpose God tells us to repent
is to restore relationship and limit
consequences he wants to restore
relationship that’s not just I’m sorry
that’s adjusting the schedule that’s
deciding yeah I’m going to get up 15
minutes earlier so that I spend time
with God or block out uh some time
during the day when I’m alert and awake
to give some time with God I am going to
prioritize this I’m going to restructure
this now you have
repented anything else is confession
which precedes repentance but it’s not
equal to the full definition of
it and God is calling us to repent to
repent of what what great sin you just
complimented me five times the sin of
putting me in any other place but
first that
sin repent of that
sin change directions get off at the
next exit don’t just be discussing I’m
going the wrong way let me keep
driving thirdly he says and
repeat because he says what I want you
to
do is I want you to do the Deeds you did
at
first
repeat he says I want you to go back to
what you
did when it was just me and
you when it was just me and
you when you didn’t have all these
distractions and all these people and
all these issues and all this agenda and
all this schedule and all this business
it was just me and you it was just me
and
you and we did
fine in fact because it was me and you
that’s why a lot of this other stuff
happened a lot of this other stuff
happened cuz it was just us
but now that it’s no longer just us and
you just fit me in where you can no
wonder you’re losing your
mind no wonder prayers aren’t being
answered no wonder there’s no experience
of my presence or no experience of my
power cuz it’s not just me and you
now I’m not first yes you’ve got more
work yes you’ve got more responsibility
yes you’ve got kids yes you’ve got more
responsibility at work I’ve got that so
what that means is you’ve got to
position me as first cuz if you ever
position me as first you will discover I
can help you handle all that other stuff
I can help you with the stones if you’ll
keep me the
rock but I but I can’t be one among many
I must be
first and when you make him first he
says I I I he says I like this verse six
you hate the Deeds of the nickas I like
that I like that you you you you you
hate folks who in Rebellion you their
deeds you hate what they’re doing but he
who hath an ear let him hear okay listen
to that he that hath an ear let him hear
he that hath an ear let him hear he’s
talking to the whole church but then he
says even if the rest of the church is
not listening he that hath an ear so if
nobody else is listening but you that’s
enough even though he’s talking to the
church he knows everybody doesn’t have
an ear to
hear there’s some people here who going
to say God look I’mma give you what I
give you that’s the best I’m gonna give
you and you gonna have to accept that so
you don’t have an ear to hear the others
who don’t have an ear to hear look I got
too much on my plate I’m too busy I’m
too tired I’m too stressed so I I this
sermon is not for me they don’t have an
ear to
hear but he that’s the individual that
have an ear to hear he’s not talking
about your physical ear to hear what I’m
saying everybody hears that he’s talking
about your spiritual ear the heart that
is that is he that have to ear what the
spirit is saying to the church I’m
talking to the church but I’m looking
for some listening ears in the heart who
says you know what
God I’m going to reorder my priorities
so that you’re no longer fitted in or
forced in your
first that means getting up a few
minutes earlier fine that means carving
out uh uh taking a portion of my
lunchtime fine but but time when it’s
meaningful I’m alert and I’m focused on
you and you don’t you don’t you don’t
have to start with an hour you don’t
have to start with two hours you start
with five
hours start with five minutes just make
it
real cuz it’s hard to walk 10 miles
until you take the first step so stop
start somewhere cuz I guarantee you when
you start to feel this thing it’s going
to
grow when you start to feel his presence
when you start to feel his reality when
when you know that you you’re not only
relating to him but he’s relating back
to you and you’re seeing prayers
answered power given restoration taking
place when you get to see him do his
thing oh you’re going to extend your
time some of you some of us will never
extend it because we’ll never see it
because he won’t be first but he that
hath an ear let him hear and he closes
with this to him who overcomes I will
grant to eat of the tree of life which
is in the paradise of
God
H to he who
hears he will overcome and I will grant
to him to eat in the paradise of God now
what was the paradise of God it was
Eden it was where Adam and Eve were they
were in Paradise they were in
Eden in Eden was the Tree of
Life they got to walk with God during
the cool of the day God was talking to
them and guiding them until they sinned
and rebelled guess what he says he says
that the one who puts me first is an
overcomer okay now in order to be an
overcomer you got have something to
overcome he says the one who puts me
first will be an overcomer and they will
eat in the paradise of
God let me give you a great
verse it’s in John Chapter 14 verse 21
John Chapter 14 verse 21 John Chapter 14
verse 21 because John 1421 says the one
who loves
me I will disclose myself to
him the one who loves me I will unveil
myself to I will let him see me feel me
and experience me if he loves me you
want to experience more of him love him
first he says I will unveil myself
that’s the paradise of God that’s where
God unveils himself and lets you see
stuff you’ve never seen before feel
stuff you’ve never felt before
experience things you’ve never
experienced before cuz he’s unveiled
himself but how do I know if I really
love him oh it’s
simple he says because you will choose
first to please me says you’ll keep my
Commandments you will seek first to
please me that will be that will and
here’s how you know because when you
have to choose between him and something
or someone else he
wins he says now you love
me
and I will unveil myself to that man
that woman that boy or girl who loves
[Music]
[Applause]
[Music]
me
he