WEBVTT - Tony Evans - Oct 12 - 7:30 pm 0:00:00.689 --> 0:00:03.340 The church's job is to remind Christians of their kingdom 0:00:03.420 --> 0:00:07.220 keys so that we are kingdom citizens, making kingdom votes. 0:00:07.460 --> 0:00:07.740 Dr. 0:00:07.780 --> 0:00:11.160 Tony Evans says Christians have a duty to help redeem 0:00:11.260 --> 0:00:12.860 and sustain our society. 0:00:12.980 --> 0:00:15.190 You are the salt of the earth. You are the 0:00:15.270 --> 0:00:18.630 light of the world. We should be leveraging influence. 0:00:19.710 --> 0:00:24.010 This is The Alternative with Dr. Tony Evans, author, speaker, 0:00:24.210 --> 0:00:28.050 senior pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship in Dallas, Texas, 0:00:28.360 --> 0:00:33.970 and president of The Urban Alternative. The Constitution says government 0:00:34.010 --> 0:00:37.870 can't institute religion, but nowhere does it say religion is 0:00:37.909 --> 0:00:40.850 to be outlawed. Today, Dr. Evans points out that God 0:00:40.909 --> 0:00:44.810 established government to act on his behalf in promoting good 0:00:44.950 --> 0:00:47.770 and limiting evil. And as Christians, we have a part 0:00:47.930 --> 0:00:51.250 in helping make that happen. Let's join him as he explains. 0:00:51.830 --> 0:00:56.470 Politics can be a trap. It can bring division. 0:00:57.690 --> 0:01:01.330 It can bring conflict as people argue back and forth 0:01:01.370 --> 0:01:06.429 which way to go. What we're calling on Christians to 0:01:06.470 --> 0:01:12.170 do is to become kingdom voters. A kingdom voter is 0:01:12.209 --> 0:01:18.510 a Christian, a serious Christian, who accepts the responsibility and 0:01:18.569 --> 0:01:25.170 takes advantage of the opportunity to participate and partner with 0:01:25.220 --> 0:01:31.280 God to expand his rule in society through civil government. 0:01:32.940 --> 0:01:35.570 We have argued that If you're going to be a 0:01:35.910 --> 0:01:40.440 kingdom voter, then you must be a kingdom independent voter. 0:01:41.360 --> 0:01:43.700 In other words, you cannot give full allegiance to any 0:01:44.100 --> 0:01:48.620 earthly party because no earthly party represents the kingdom of God. 0:01:49.020 --> 0:01:54.410 And your ultimate commitment is to that kingdom. The biblical 0:01:54.440 --> 0:01:59.420 role of civil government is to maintain a safe, just, righteous, 0:01:59.480 --> 0:02:03.620 and compassionately responsible environment for freedom to flourish. That's what 0:02:03.670 --> 0:02:08.170 you vote for because God created government. You leave God 0:02:08.230 --> 0:02:11.990 out of government and it becomes something other than what 0:02:12.030 --> 0:02:15.450 it was created to be. Just like when you leave 0:02:15.490 --> 0:02:18.750 him out of your life, your family, and any other 0:02:18.910 --> 0:02:24.500 aspect of your existence. We're like an alarm clock or 0:02:24.520 --> 0:02:29.380 a red light. We say, hold it. Holy Democrats, holy Republicans, 0:02:29.880 --> 0:02:33.360 you're right here, but you're wrong there. God has spoken 0:02:33.400 --> 0:02:36.980 and he has not stuttered. But because we've got such 0:02:37.020 --> 0:02:40.600 a low view of God and the levees have broken, 0:02:40.710 --> 0:02:46.149 they have broken. God told him in 2 Chronicles 15, 0:02:46.150 --> 0:02:49.530 verses 3 to 6, because you left me out, your 0:02:49.690 --> 0:02:53.310 culture is in conflict. And until you get back to me, 0:02:53.740 --> 0:02:57.360 your culture will never find peace. That's what it says. 0:02:57.380 --> 0:03:00.480 It says there will be no peace until I'm on 0:03:00.500 --> 0:03:02.720 the front page. I do not want to be in 0:03:02.760 --> 0:03:08.160 the editorial section, including in the church that does not 0:03:08.660 --> 0:03:14.510 vote for me. This is collective Christianity to promote me, 0:03:15.190 --> 0:03:20.270 my system, my rules, my laws. Now I hear what 0:03:20.330 --> 0:03:22.410 some people are saying. I can hear you saying, wait 0:03:22.430 --> 0:03:26.139 a minute, wait a minute. You say, that was in 0:03:26.160 --> 0:03:29.779 the Old Testament. The temple controlled all of life. We're 0:03:29.800 --> 0:03:30.760 not the temple today. 0:03:30.840 --> 0:03:34.070 Oh, yeah, we are. Yes, we are. Guess why? 0:03:34.590 --> 0:03:41.530 Because the Bible says in Ephesians chapter 1, he says 0:03:41.610 --> 0:03:44.980 in verses 21 to 23 that the powers that be 0:03:45.440 --> 0:03:48.860 are subject to the church. And Jesus is over all things. 0:03:50.080 --> 0:03:53.380 And he's been given to the church. And then he 0:03:53.420 --> 0:03:56.840 says in chapter 2, He comes to the close of 0:03:56.880 --> 0:04:00.050 the chapter. And in chapter 2, he makes it clear. 0:04:00.370 --> 0:04:04.950 He says, and you are the temple of the living God. 0:04:04.970 --> 0:04:10.340 The church is the temple. He says, you're the temple 0:04:10.380 --> 0:04:12.860 of God. So there is a temple in the New Testament. 0:04:14.080 --> 0:04:17.550 And it affects all of life. There's no part of life. 0:04:17.570 --> 0:04:20.340 There's no policy. There's no view of taxes. There's no 0:04:20.360 --> 0:04:24.099 view of immigration. There's no view of globalization. There's no 0:04:24.160 --> 0:04:28.020 view of war that's not covered in scripture. But we're 0:04:28.060 --> 0:04:33.840 so lazy. Unfortunately, we're so secular. We don't want to 0:04:33.860 --> 0:04:36.320 take the time to find that out. Now, we'll go 0:04:36.380 --> 0:04:38.600 to school and find out everything else, but we don't 0:04:38.620 --> 0:04:42.050 want to take the time to find out, okay. You say, 0:04:42.060 --> 0:04:43.650 but I don't know what the Bible says. Well, you 0:04:43.690 --> 0:04:46.850 don't know algebra until you go to school and learn it. Well, 0:04:46.870 --> 0:04:48.969 I don't know what the Bible says. Well, you don't 0:04:49.029 --> 0:04:53.230 know macroeconomics unless you go study it. I don't know 0:04:53.250 --> 0:04:56.150 what the Bible says about this and that. Okay, find 0:04:56.170 --> 0:04:59.130 somebody who can teach you. Go learn it so you 0:04:59.210 --> 0:05:05.130 know how to vote or argue political positions from a bibliocentric, theocentric, 0:05:05.380 --> 0:05:13.820 Christocentric worldview. It's time that Christians stop apologizing and start 0:05:13.880 --> 0:05:19.230 taking a biblical stand. on all issues and all matters 0:05:20.430 --> 0:05:24.710 so that God's standard and God's glory comes back to 0:05:24.750 --> 0:05:29.290 the temple. It's been removed by the kings, by our politics. 0:05:30.529 --> 0:05:34.650 And so the church is critical. Freedom of religion is critical. 0:05:34.670 --> 0:05:37.789 That's why he tells us to pray for peace for 0:05:37.830 --> 0:05:40.110 the church. He tells Timothy, the pastor of the church 0:05:40.130 --> 0:05:43.630 at Ephesus, 1 Timothy 2.2, you pray so that you 0:05:43.750 --> 0:05:47.620 are free You're released to do what the church is 0:05:47.660 --> 0:05:52.089 designed to do. So anything that hints at holding the 0:05:52.130 --> 0:05:55.950 church hostage should be resisted, rejected. 0:05:57.270 --> 0:05:57.609 Why? 0:05:58.510 --> 0:06:02.690 You should not be made to abandon your conscience because 0:06:02.710 --> 0:06:06.800 of your faith, to abandon the word of God because 0:06:06.839 --> 0:06:12.320 of political expediency by any party, either party, because the 0:06:12.339 --> 0:06:16.920 church is unique and the church is exists for the kingdom. 0:06:17.360 --> 0:06:20.900 That's what Matthew chapter 16, verse 18 and 19. I 0:06:20.920 --> 0:06:23.500 will build my church. The gates of hell will not 0:06:23.560 --> 0:06:25.980 prevail against it. And I will give the church the 0:06:26.000 --> 0:06:28.830 keys to the kingdom of heaven. It means I'll give 0:06:28.850 --> 0:06:32.349 you authority. You know, when the ref throws out the flag, 0:06:33.870 --> 0:06:38.330 they may be outnumbered, but they got authority. They got 0:06:38.370 --> 0:06:40.550 authority from the kingdom in New York. 0:06:40.650 --> 0:06:40.929 Why? 0:06:41.410 --> 0:06:43.739 Because they represent the kingdom in New York on the 0:06:43.770 --> 0:06:46.460 playing field. So they got the whistle, they got the 0:06:46.500 --> 0:06:49.140 yellow flag, and they can level some influence. 0:06:51.050 --> 0:06:52.170 Where's our influence? 0:06:52.190 --> 0:06:53.950 How can we have all these churches on all these 0:06:53.990 --> 0:06:56.450 corners with all these programs, all these ministries, all these ministers, 0:06:56.510 --> 0:06:58.810 all these buildings, all this activity and still have all 0:06:58.830 --> 0:06:59.289 this mess? 0:06:59.470 --> 0:07:05.630 Why? Because we aren't the church. We're religious gatherings. 0:07:06.490 --> 0:07:10.140 You know, what good is a sports team with brand 0:07:10.180 --> 0:07:14.760 new uniforms, a brand new stadium, and they keep losing? 0:07:16.100 --> 0:07:18.440 What good is a sports team? Everything new. 0:07:19.440 --> 0:07:21.020 They just spent a lot of money to build a 0:07:21.060 --> 0:07:25.420 complex and all they do is lose. What good is 0:07:25.460 --> 0:07:32.010 a church with brand new pews, nice choir robes, exciting programs, 0:07:32.930 --> 0:07:37.010 but we keep losing? We don't see our impact. We 0:07:37.030 --> 0:07:40.330 don't see our influence. We don't see lives being changed. 0:07:40.950 --> 0:07:44.700 We don't see communities being upgraded. We don't see economic justice, 0:07:44.760 --> 0:07:48.830 racial justice. We don't see the things that the church 0:07:48.850 --> 0:07:52.370 should be influencing society taking place. But we're getting our 0:07:52.410 --> 0:07:54.910 praise on. We're waving our hands in the air like 0:07:54.950 --> 0:07:58.350 we just don't care. We say, hallelujah, praise the Lord, preacher, pastor. 0:08:00.010 --> 0:08:04.900 But we keep losing. That means something is wrong. We're 0:08:04.940 --> 0:08:09.340 not being the church. We're being a social agency with 0:08:09.360 --> 0:08:14.119 a little Jesus sprinkled on top. No, God is calling 0:08:14.200 --> 0:08:17.739 us to a new level. God says in Ephesians 3, 0:08:17.740 --> 0:08:21.610 verse 10, he checks with the church before he deals 0:08:21.650 --> 0:08:23.330 with the principalities and powers. 0:08:24.290 --> 0:08:24.850 Did you get that? 0:08:25.550 --> 0:08:28.050 He sees what the church is up to before he 0:08:28.090 --> 0:08:29.710 decides what he's going to do with the powers and 0:08:29.730 --> 0:08:32.970 the culture. We're spending all our time on the White House. 0:08:33.580 --> 0:08:37.660 We better get this house straight, our house straight. Judgment 0:08:37.679 --> 0:08:41.260 starts in the household of God. It starts with our 0:08:41.320 --> 0:08:44.760 decisions and our positions based on the word of God. 0:08:46.360 --> 0:08:50.380 I love Ezekiel chapter 47. We won't go through it, 0:08:50.400 --> 0:08:53.940 but when you read the first 12 verses, he says 0:08:54.000 --> 0:08:55.980 there was water in God's house. 0:08:57.480 --> 0:09:00.140 And it began to flow. Now, water is. 0:09:00.140 --> 0:09:05.900 The life-giving substance, okay? It says the water in God's 0:09:05.950 --> 0:09:10.210 house began to flow. And then the water in God's house, 0:09:10.250 --> 0:09:14.380 when it began to flow, began to rise, okay? And 0:09:14.460 --> 0:09:17.080 as the water flowed in God's house and began to rise, 0:09:17.580 --> 0:09:21.560 it flowed outside of God's house into the street. And 0:09:21.580 --> 0:09:24.020 when it flowed outside of God's house into the street, 0:09:24.340 --> 0:09:28.680 it flowed into the community. That's how God meant it 0:09:28.720 --> 0:09:35.150 to be. God meant that the life-giving essence that comes 0:09:35.210 --> 0:09:40.750 from him flows to the church, then flows through the church, 0:09:41.950 --> 0:09:47.079 out into the streets. out into the community, out into 0:09:47.120 --> 0:09:50.020 the racial divide, social divide, political divide. 0:09:50.280 --> 0:09:52.910 It begins to flow from the sanctuary. 0:09:53.910 --> 0:09:56.670 And then there was life giving in the community because 0:09:56.730 --> 0:09:59.970 it flowed from the church. The greatest illustration of biblical 0:10:00.040 --> 0:10:03.880 Christianity in the history of America was the black church 0:10:03.920 --> 0:10:04.500 in slavery. 0:10:05.320 --> 0:10:06.990 Because when there were no government grants. 0:10:07.140 --> 0:10:11.750 No federal programs, no cultural support, it not only hewed 0:10:11.830 --> 0:10:19.080 out a religious order, It healed out schools, social service agencies, newspapers. 0:10:19.620 --> 0:10:21.420 Colleges, banks. 0:10:22.120 --> 0:10:25.300 It did all of that from the temple when the 0:10:25.370 --> 0:10:29.070 government was resisting it. Now, if God was able to 0:10:29.130 --> 0:10:34.250 do that through the black church that had no governmental, 0:10:34.550 --> 0:10:40.030 limited government support, was being resisted in every way, and 0:10:40.130 --> 0:10:46.020 God entered the temple, of that restricted entity and still 0:10:46.160 --> 0:10:51.860 built a society that was being politicized against in every 0:10:51.960 --> 0:10:56.870 possible way. What do you think that God in heaven 0:10:56.950 --> 0:11:00.230 can do today if he can ever get the church 0:11:00.910 --> 0:11:04.410 to be salt and light? Not for the church, you 0:11:04.490 --> 0:11:06.790 are the salt of the earth. You are the light 0:11:06.890 --> 0:11:10.510 of the world. We should be leveraging influence. 0:11:11.230 --> 0:11:14.310 Dr. Evans will have more on being a positive influence 0:11:14.350 --> 0:11:16.910 for our world when he returns in just a moment. 0:11:17.429 --> 0:11:19.809 You know, there's a lot at stake in the coming elections, 0:11:20.290 --> 0:11:22.530 far too much to boil down to just a choice 0:11:22.570 --> 0:11:25.010 between political parties and platforms. 0:11:25.809 --> 0:11:26.209 In Dr. 0:11:26.250 --> 0:11:30.130 Evans' book and brand new Bible study, Kingdom Politics, he 0:11:30.200 --> 0:11:33.360 explores the biblical principles that can help us make godly 0:11:33.420 --> 0:11:38.280 decisions on election day. Understanding and making those wise choices 0:11:38.809 --> 0:11:42.510 is an ability every believer should possess, which is why 0:11:42.530 --> 0:11:45.990 we're making the Kingdom Politics package available as our gift 0:11:46.390 --> 0:11:49.860 when you make a donation toward Tony's ministry. Along with 0:11:49.890 --> 0:11:52.980 the book and Bible study, you'll also receive access to 0:11:53.020 --> 0:11:56.720 special video streaming content from Dr. Evans, as well as 0:11:56.760 --> 0:11:59.660 the full-length audio versions of all 10 lessons in his 0:11:59.700 --> 0:12:03.850 current series, Returning God to Government. You can get them 0:12:03.910 --> 0:12:08.210 on CDs or downloadable MP3s. The choice is yours. But 0:12:08.230 --> 0:12:10.910 this offer is only good for a limited time, so 0:12:10.970 --> 0:12:13.689 I encourage you to request it right away. You can 0:12:13.730 --> 0:12:17.870 do that at TonyEvans.org or by calling our resource request 0:12:17.910 --> 0:12:20.170 line at 1-800-800-3222. That's online at TonyEvans.org or by phone 0:12:20.190 --> 0:12:23.390 at 1-800-800-3222. I'll repeat that contact information for you after 0:12:23.429 --> 0:12:24.590 Part 2 of today's lesson and this. 0:12:36.280 --> 0:12:39.040 Are you looking to embark on a unique spiritual journey? 0:12:39.360 --> 0:12:42.700 This fall, you can cruise the Mexican Riviera with Dr. 0:12:42.740 --> 0:12:46.300 Tony Evans and set your sails towards faith. Renew your 0:12:46.400 --> 0:12:50.850 soul amidst the waves when you explore Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, 0:12:51.070 --> 0:12:54.390 and Puerto Vallarta. Join the Evans family from November 9th 0:12:54.610 --> 0:12:58.110 through the 16th for a journey of renewal and exploration. 0:12:58.850 --> 0:13:03.770 Book your adventure today at TonyEvans.org. Enjoy and explore. 0:13:06.270 --> 0:13:09.830 When the Dallas Cowboys play, they play on Sunday, but 0:13:09.850 --> 0:13:15.030 they influence the atmosphere on Monday. People talk about them. 0:13:15.650 --> 0:13:17.860 Win or lose, we're going to talk about them. We're 0:13:17.880 --> 0:13:20.660 going to discuss them around the water cooler. We're going 0:13:20.679 --> 0:13:24.020 to plan for what's happening next week. We make meals 0:13:24.080 --> 0:13:27.000 around when they're going to be playing. We decide whether 0:13:27.020 --> 0:13:29.020 we're going to have company or not. In other words, 0:13:29.300 --> 0:13:33.500 they not only play on Sunday, they inform the atmosphere 0:13:33.700 --> 0:13:34.400 all week long. 0:13:35.200 --> 0:13:38.450 Why? Because that's our team if you live in Dallas. 0:13:39.270 --> 0:13:41.530 In fact, for many people, if you live in America, 0:13:41.840 --> 0:13:44.860 since it's called America's team. But the point is, is 0:13:44.940 --> 0:13:48.780 it influences the environment. If the church is not influencing 0:13:48.800 --> 0:13:51.800 the environment, it's not being the church. You're gathering and 0:13:51.820 --> 0:13:54.620 you're not doing. We're not doing what we've been called 0:13:54.640 --> 0:13:57.220 to do because we've made church members, but we haven't 0:13:57.240 --> 0:14:01.719 made disciples. Men and women who are not secret agent Christians, 0:14:01.760 --> 0:14:05.950 but public displayers of the glory of God. and who 0:14:05.990 --> 0:14:08.349 take it to the marketplace and take it to the 0:14:08.410 --> 0:14:12.660 voting booth and do it without being ashamed because you 0:14:12.700 --> 0:14:16.040 represent another king in another kingdom. Does that mean everybody 0:14:16.059 --> 0:14:18.240 will vote the same? No, but everybody should be voting 0:14:18.280 --> 0:14:22.700 with the same worldview as a kingdom independent because they're 0:14:22.720 --> 0:14:27.060 a kingdom voter, because they're a kingdom disciple functioning as 0:14:27.100 --> 0:14:31.840 a kingdom citizen. Yep, it's all kingdomized because the church 0:14:32.160 --> 0:14:36.230 exists to promote the kingdom. I was in New York 0:14:36.850 --> 0:14:43.250 at the Marriott Hotel and I checked out. And I 0:14:43.290 --> 0:14:45.510 flew to Chicago where I went to the Hilton Hotel. 0:14:46.590 --> 0:14:50.190 Went up to the 30th floor or something, downtown Chicago. 0:14:51.130 --> 0:14:53.890 And I put my key in the lock, red light. 0:14:54.880 --> 0:14:56.620 I put my key back in the lock, red light. 0:14:57.760 --> 0:14:59.520 So I'm a little bit flustered. It's the dead of winter. 0:14:59.540 --> 0:15:02.040 It's cold outside. Got my luggage and the key doesn't work. 0:15:02.100 --> 0:15:06.020 I go back downstairs and I say, excuse me. This 0:15:06.080 --> 0:15:09.780 key does not work. Person at the registration desk said, 0:15:10.100 --> 0:15:15.660 I guess not, sir. That key doesn't go to this hotel. See, 0:15:15.700 --> 0:15:17.840 I hadn't thrown away my Marriott key from New York 0:15:18.360 --> 0:15:21.000 and was trying to use a Marriott key in a 0:15:21.040 --> 0:15:25.740 Hilton lock and that key won't work because the Hilton 0:15:25.800 --> 0:15:29.620 is a different kingdom than the Marriott. See, what we 0:15:29.640 --> 0:15:39.190 got is we got kingdom citizens using False keys, political keys, 0:15:39.750 --> 0:15:44.090 Democratic keys, Republican keys, and wonder why those keys aren't working. 0:15:44.990 --> 0:15:47.489 Wonder why we're not seeing change, why we're not overriding 0:15:47.850 --> 0:15:50.850 evil laws or evil people who make evil laws. 0:15:50.910 --> 0:15:54.540 Why are we doing that? Because we're using the wrong key. 0:15:54.980 --> 0:15:57.840 We're using the key from the old kingdom, not the 0:15:57.900 --> 0:16:01.960 kingdom of God and his Christ that's been handed to 0:16:02.080 --> 0:16:05.980 every Christian through the church. Church's job is to remind 0:16:06.020 --> 0:16:10.400 Christians of their kingdom keys so that we are kingdom citizens, 0:16:11.460 --> 0:16:14.980 making kingdom votes. I've been chaplain for the Cowboys for 0:16:15.020 --> 0:16:18.360 many years. For five years under Tom Landry, I came 0:16:18.420 --> 0:16:23.470 back and did it a few years ago before my 0:16:23.530 --> 0:16:26.130 son Jonathan took my place as chaplain of the Cowboys. 0:16:28.150 --> 0:16:30.450 But back in the Tom Landry days when I was 0:16:31.250 --> 0:16:35.290 a lot younger, with a lot more energy, Before the 0:16:35.370 --> 0:16:38.720 official workout, I would go out and work out with 0:16:38.740 --> 0:16:43.820 the team. So I'd catch passes from Roger Starback and 0:16:43.860 --> 0:16:47.700 Danny White, along with the players before we did the chapel. 0:16:48.840 --> 0:16:54.530 I'd go running routes. I was out there participating. So 0:16:54.570 --> 0:16:57.150 I got to know some of the plays. One of 0:16:57.190 --> 0:17:02.990 the plays was a simple fly pattern. Now, for you 0:17:03.030 --> 0:17:06.949 non-football people, a fly pattern is where the wide receiver 0:17:08.890 --> 0:17:12.830 just speeds and runs straight down the field in order 0:17:12.890 --> 0:17:16.689 for the quarterback to throw a long pass so that 0:17:16.730 --> 0:17:20.409 he could catch it and score a touchdown in one play. 0:17:20.430 --> 0:17:22.129 In other words. 0:17:22.150 --> 0:17:24.490 The fly pattern wasn't trying to get a bunch of 0:17:24.510 --> 0:17:26.650 first downs. They were trying to go for the big 0:17:26.710 --> 0:17:30.490 thing in one play. That's why the receivers had to 0:17:30.530 --> 0:17:33.090 be speedy because they had to try to outrun that 0:17:33.150 --> 0:17:35.770 guy covering them so that the quarterback could throw him 0:17:35.790 --> 0:17:40.370 the ball and he could catch the ball in one play. Now, 0:17:40.410 --> 0:17:43.350 the problem with that play is it takes just a 0:17:43.430 --> 0:17:46.379 teensy bit longer to unravel because the guy's got to 0:17:46.410 --> 0:17:53.679 get downfield. Sometimes the other team would blitz the play. Now, 0:17:53.720 --> 0:17:57.340 for you non-football players, a blitz, is where the linebacker 0:17:57.640 --> 0:18:02.699 for the other team or defensive back shoots in to 0:18:02.760 --> 0:18:06.280 try to tackle the quarterback before he has a chance 0:18:06.700 --> 0:18:12.900 to throw the fly pattern, the long pass, down the field. Well, 0:18:13.000 --> 0:18:16.050 one of the plays I learned was when they called 0:18:16.290 --> 0:18:18.730 the fly pattern, they would also. 0:18:18.480 --> 0:18:19.890 Call a waggle. 0:18:21.190 --> 0:18:26.900 Now, a waggle was where the running back peeled off 0:18:26.980 --> 0:18:33.270 to the side just in case the quarterback got in 0:18:33.369 --> 0:18:36.710 trouble and was not able to throw the long ball 0:18:36.750 --> 0:18:40.190 down the field because he didn't have time due to 0:18:40.250 --> 0:18:43.810 the blitz that came from the other side that was 0:18:43.850 --> 0:18:46.030 trying to tackle him. So he didn't have time to 0:18:46.090 --> 0:18:48.449 throw it down. So he would turn to the side 0:18:48.550 --> 0:18:53.390 and toss it to the halfback because the halfback waggled 0:18:53.619 --> 0:18:58.890 or moved over to the side. as a safety plan. Now, 0:18:58.970 --> 0:19:01.949 when he threw the ball to the halfback, the halfback 0:19:01.990 --> 0:19:04.730 was still trying to score a touchdown, but he became 0:19:04.770 --> 0:19:11.149 an option because the original play could not work. God 0:19:11.230 --> 0:19:13.820 called a touchdown pass to Israel. 0:19:14.380 --> 0:19:15.520 He said, Israel, you're. 0:19:15.420 --> 0:19:19.790 Going to be my kingdom agency. And I'm going to 0:19:20.010 --> 0:19:23.830 come back and I'm going to throw the kingdom to you. 0:19:24.170 --> 0:19:27.109 You are to catch the ball and bring in the 0:19:27.170 --> 0:19:31.209 kingdom of Jesus Christ and his rule on earth. The 0:19:31.310 --> 0:19:36.469 problem was Satan blitzed the play. Satan got into the 0:19:36.550 --> 0:19:40.929 backfield in order to stop the program of God. And 0:19:40.970 --> 0:19:46.570 they got Jesus Christ to crucify him on Good Friday. 0:19:47.109 --> 0:19:50.980 But what they didn't realize was there was a waggle 0:19:51.140 --> 0:19:55.780 in the play. God had created an option. The option 0:19:55.820 --> 0:19:59.830 was the church. He said, even though Israel has rejected me, 0:20:00.420 --> 0:20:03.850 I'm still going to have another receiver. I'm going to 0:20:03.869 --> 0:20:06.760 build my church And they're going to waggle off to 0:20:06.780 --> 0:20:10.709 the side. So even though Israel cannot receive the ball 0:20:11.150 --> 0:20:15.030 because of satanic blitz, I've got another group I'm tossing 0:20:15.070 --> 0:20:17.970 the ball to, the church of the living God. 0:20:18.390 --> 0:20:20.450 And I want them to grab the kingdom. 0:20:20.990 --> 0:20:24.270 And still score a touchdown for the rule of God, 0:20:24.570 --> 0:20:28.310 the glory of God, the greatness of God, the exaltation 0:20:28.350 --> 0:20:31.359 of Jesus Christ, the building of the disciples, and the 0:20:31.560 --> 0:20:37.200 influence in society, including influence on government. You and I 0:20:37.260 --> 0:20:40.040 have been given the kingdom ball, and the key when 0:20:40.080 --> 0:20:43.220 you have that ball is not drop it, not fumble it, 0:20:43.320 --> 0:20:46.830 and not hand it to the other team. Now, in 0:20:47.010 --> 0:20:50.530 order to To be used in the kingdom, you have 0:20:50.570 --> 0:20:54.270 to be part of the kingdom. And to be part 0:20:54.369 --> 0:20:57.369 of the kingdom, you've got to become a Christian. And 0:20:57.390 --> 0:20:59.750 you have to do that by coming to Jesus Christ 0:21:00.520 --> 0:21:03.150 for the forgiveness of your sins and for the free gift. 0:21:03.210 --> 0:21:03.680 It's free. 0:21:04.160 --> 0:21:08.100 The free gift of eternal life. He promises to give 0:21:08.180 --> 0:21:10.840 that gift to anyone who comes to him for it 0:21:11.540 --> 0:21:15.680 by faith. That is, you trust Jesus Christ as your 0:21:15.800 --> 0:21:21.359 personal substitute. He died on the cross for your sin 0:21:21.380 --> 0:21:25.960 in your place. The Lord Jesus Christ wants to enter 0:21:26.020 --> 0:21:28.900 your life, forgive you of your sins, start your life 0:21:29.060 --> 0:21:31.640 all over again, and then use you until he takes 0:21:31.680 --> 0:21:32.140 you to heaven. 0:21:32.660 --> 0:21:35.090 He wants to do all that. But you have to 0:21:35.170 --> 0:21:37.850 come to him to receive it. Would you come to him? 0:21:38.869 --> 0:21:42.310 You simply, by an act of faith, say, Lord Jesus, 0:21:43.450 --> 0:21:45.949 I need a savior because I am a sinner. He 0:21:46.010 --> 0:21:49.929 only saves sinners. So you've got to acknowledge your sinfulness 0:21:50.230 --> 0:21:53.150 before a holy God. And if you will place faith 0:21:53.210 --> 0:21:56.709 alone in Christ alone for the forgiveness of your sins, 0:21:56.750 --> 0:22:00.040 he will wipe your slate clean, start your life all 0:22:00.119 --> 0:22:04.120 over again, and then take you to the next level 0:22:04.160 --> 0:22:07.239 of living. Would you do that right now? Would you 0:22:07.280 --> 0:22:10.580 go to him in a simple prayer? You just got 0:22:10.600 --> 0:22:11.520 to mean it for yourself. 0:22:12.460 --> 0:22:14.330 I'm a sinner. I need a savior. 0:22:15.210 --> 0:22:17.930 I choose you to be that savior. I entrust my 0:22:17.990 --> 0:22:22.670 eternal destiny to you. And then, if you're already a Christian, 0:22:23.490 --> 0:22:25.650 then would you renew your commitment to Christ? That's what 0:22:25.670 --> 0:22:26.570 communion does. 0:22:27.050 --> 0:22:28.030 It's a renewal time. 0:22:28.790 --> 0:22:31.889 It's where you're telling God, God, yep, I'm not going 0:22:31.910 --> 0:22:34.889 to be a Democrat first, a Republican first. I may 0:22:34.950 --> 0:22:36.310 talk about it, but I'm not going to let them 0:22:36.410 --> 0:22:41.570 trick me, trap me into leaving God out. That's where 0:22:41.590 --> 0:22:43.990 you take your stand. Let the Lord know that that's 0:22:44.030 --> 0:22:46.010 how you're going to live your life, at work, at play, 0:22:47.090 --> 0:22:51.169 in your community, in your relationships, that you belong to 0:22:51.230 --> 0:22:53.750 another kingdom and you submit to another king. 0:22:54.710 --> 0:22:57.690 Jesus died for you and me to own us, not 0:22:57.770 --> 0:23:02.850 just be in us. Can he own you? Even when 0:23:02.890 --> 0:23:04.800 it comes to your vote. 0:23:08.000 --> 0:23:11.320 Dr. Tony Evans with an important question on where we 0:23:11.400 --> 0:23:15.129 place our true allegiance. Now, before we wrap up, I 0:23:15.150 --> 0:23:17.409 want to remind you that today's message is part of 0:23:17.450 --> 0:23:22.110 Tony's current series, Returning God to Government, a practical look 0:23:22.150 --> 0:23:25.129 at how God's kingdom agenda ought to shape the decisions 0:23:25.170 --> 0:23:28.439 we'll be making on election day. We're offering the complete 0:23:28.460 --> 0:23:32.280 10-part collection on CD or digital download as our thank 0:23:32.300 --> 0:23:35.119 you gift when you make a contribution to help us 0:23:35.160 --> 0:23:38.629 keep Dr. Evans' teaching on this station. And as I 0:23:38.670 --> 0:23:41.330 mentioned earlier, it'll come your way bundled with a copy 0:23:41.350 --> 0:23:44.120 of his book, and brand new Bible study with video 0:23:44.140 --> 0:23:49.420 streaming content, Kingdom Politics. It's the perfect package of resources 0:23:49.530 --> 0:23:51.810 to review on your own or to share with your 0:23:51.850 --> 0:23:55.530 small group before going to the polls in November. Don't wait. 0:23:55.590 --> 0:23:59.970 Get the details right now at TonyEvans.org or give us 0:24:00.030 --> 0:24:05.609 a call at 1-800-800-3222 where members of our resource team 0:24:05.670 --> 0:24:07.570 are standing by to help you day and night. 0:24:08.190 --> 0:24:08.720 Again, that's 1-800-800-3222. 0:24:12.810 --> 0:24:17.469 Do politics and religion mix? Perhaps the better question is, 0:24:17.830 --> 0:24:18.650 how do they mix? 0:24:19.470 --> 0:24:19.730 Dr. 0:24:19.790 --> 0:24:22.230 Evans says one of the main problems we face today 0:24:22.770 --> 0:24:25.840 is that we've allowed politics or the kingdom of man 0:24:26.380 --> 0:24:29.340 to dictate to the kingdom of God. Be sure to 0:24:29.380 --> 0:24:31.240 join him tomorrow as he takes a look at what 0:24:31.300 --> 0:24:35.910 we need to do to rectify that mistake. The Alternative 0:24:36.010 --> 0:24:38.410 with Dr. Tony Evans is brought to you by The 0:24:38.510 --> 0:24:42.379 Urban Alternative, and is made possible by the generous contributions 0:24:42.480 --> 0:24:43.480 of listeners like you.