The Urban Alternative - Tony Evans

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
There should be a difference between the world and the Church.
There should be a difference between how they live and
how we live.

Speaker 2 (00:06):
Jonathan Evans says, our lives need to reflect Christ, not culture.

Speaker 1 (00:11):
We should not be going for sameness with the people
who don't even know who is.

Speaker 2 (00:15):
This is the alternative broadcast featuring the timeless Biblical teachings
from the archives of doctor Tony Evans. Knowing who Jesus
is changes everything. When Jesus asked his disciples, who do
you say I am? He wasn't just testing their knowledge,
He was challenging their faith. Today, Pastor Jonathan Evans unpacks

(00:37):
this powerful moment for us, revealing how our answer to
that question impacts our identity, our purpose, and our relationship
with God. Let's join him as he begins.

Speaker 1 (00:48):
Let's read from Matthew chapter sixteen, verse thirteen through nineteen.

Speaker 3 (00:53):
It says, now, when Jesus came into the district of
Cesarea Philippi, he was asking his disciples who do people
say that the Son of Man is? And they said,
some say John the Baptist, and others Elijah, but still
others Jeremiah or one of the prophets. And he said

(01:14):
to them but who do you say that I am Simon?

Speaker 1 (01:20):
Peter answered, you are the Christ, the son of the
Living God. And Jesus said to him, blessed are you,
Simon bar Jonah, Because flesh and blood did not reveal
this to you, But my Father, who is in heaven,
also I say to you that you are Peter. And
upon this rock I will build my church, and the

(01:40):
gates of Hades will not overpower it. I will give
you the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven. And whatever
you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and
whatever you loose on earth shall have been loosed in heaven.
Jesus looked at his disciples, he looked at the people

(02:04):
who he was in relationship with. He looked at the
people who were in church today, and he said, what
is the word around town about me? What are they
saying about me? Because you got to understand, Jesus was
doing a lot of things that would spark the question.
I mean, he was healing and giving sight and healing paralytics,

(02:27):
and they were bringing people from far away to get
to Jesus so that they can experience the power of Jesus.
And when people were seeing this, they were saying man.
Who is this God? Who is this Jesus? Was the
question that was on the table. And not only was
he healing, not only was he doing all of those

(02:48):
spectacular miracles, but he was also teaching as one with authority.
In the synagogues, Mark chapter one, twenty two says they
marveled at how he would teach with authority. John chapter seven,
verse fifteen talks about how does he teach with all
this knowledge? And he ain't got no formal education, But

(03:10):
they kept asking the question, who is this guy? Even
the disciples said, who is this that even the wind
in the seas obey him at his command? Who is this?
And so he asked his disciples, what is the word
around town about me? Now? I hope you understand that

(03:32):
that question back then is still that question today. I
hope you understand that he was the topic back then,
and he's the headliner now. Whether people believe in them,
they don't believe in them, they reject him, they scold
you for believing in them, whatever the case, it's about
him that all things are happening. If you say God,

(03:54):
won't nobody start tripping. But if you say Jesus, people's
intends go up. Because it's still he's the headliner. And
think about it, after over two thousand years, people still
talking about Jesus. I know, superstars and famous peoples that
died two years ago. Ain't nobody talking about but Jesus

(04:17):
over two thousand years. I mean, my dad used to
tell me he never went more than one hundred miles
from the place of his birth. But there's no place
on planet Earth you can't go where they don't know
his name. He's never written a song, but there's more
songs written about Jesus than anybody who's ever lived. He

(04:37):
never wrote a book, but the book written about him
is the bestseller of all time continuously. So just like
it was back then, it is today two thousand plus
years later. There must be something about the name Jesus.
And so he asked his disciples, who do people say

(05:00):
that I am? Since I know they talking about me.
And so his disciples gave the answer. They said, well,
some say you're John the Baptist. Well that's nice, you
know what I mean, John the Baptist? Was that dude,
Aaron Matthew three mean repent the Kingdom of Heaven is
a hand like John the Baptist. They talked about him
in Isaiah that he would make the way of the

(05:22):
Lord and cry out in the wilderness, Like there's prophecies
about John the Baptist. John the Baptist is great, but
that's wrong. That's a nice comment, but it's a wrong comment.
They said, well, maybe he's one of the prophets Elijah
or Jeremiah or one of those guys. I mean, that's nice,

(05:44):
but it ain't right. Hope you understand that there's a
lot of people who say nice things about him that
are not right about him. And just because it's nice
doesn't mean it's not simultaneously offensive. I had a friend
walk up to a couple as a young couple. They
had her stroller, they had their first newborn baby. I

(06:04):
mean nothing but like, you know, a couple of weeks old,
that kind of thing. And they walked up to him
and said, oh, look at that little girl. She's so sweet.
They looked at each other. It's a boy. I said, Oh,
that's nice, but it's kind of offensive. I give you
one better. I don't know I'm gonna get in trouble

(06:26):
for this or not, but I'll try it. There's another person.
I never do this. I always go second to make sure,
but it's Another person walked up to a young lady
and said, man, you just look so good pregnant. And
I was like this, smiling, and then you went like this,
and I said, I got up out of there. She said,

(06:53):
I'm not. I mean, it was a good intention, but
because it was wrong, it was offensive. These people had
good intentions, but they were totally wrong and offensive. John
the Baptists knew who Jesus was because in John chapter one,

(07:14):
twenty nine he says, look behold the lamb of God
who takes away the sins of the world. John the
Baptists knew who he was. He said, look, there's one
who surpasses me, because he existed before me. John the
Baptist was clear on who he was. I baptize you
with water, but here comes one that baptizes you in
the spirit. John the Baptist was clear, but the community

(07:38):
was confused. The sad reality today is that people in
the church are just as confused as people who aren't
in it. They don't really know who Jesus is. They
know that he's, you know, spectacular, They give him credit,
they give him honor, But at the same time, if
someone were to ask you who Jesus is, you wouldn't

(07:58):
be able to tell him about you. Your own faith says,
what is the word around town about me? Now, you
got to understand the belief back then that was wrong
is still a common belief today. That's why we need
to know who he is. That's why we need to
be disciples who can stand on the rock of our

(08:23):
understanding of Jesus Christ in our faith because the world
outside is wrong. They think it's us, but we ought
to know better. Let me show you if you don't.
If you don't know this, you two churched. If you're
shocked by people speaking wrong about Jesus, you in here,

(08:47):
but you ain't getting out there. Somebody asked me about
Jesus being God, So I just made a little statement
on Instagram, and I must have got five thousand comments
on Instagram about this statement of people laughing and saying
how wrong I am about Jesus. We live in a

(09:10):
society today who knows about Jesus but doesn't know Jesus. Unfortunately,
we live in churches today that know about Jesus and
have respect and even will give him credit, but they
don't know who he is. And So he asks his disciples,

(09:31):
who do people say that I am? Because you got
to understand people will be nice and offensive and you
might miss it. See, if you don't know who he is,
you'll end up in a cult. Because the word around
town about Jesus is favorable, but it's not faithful. The

(09:53):
word around town about Jesus is okay, but it's not right.
You can be right and totally offensive. So he moves
to his disciples and he says, but what do you
say about me? I heard what they say, but I
want to know who you say that I am. In
other words, he uses the term but as a contrast,

(10:15):
condunction means what you say and what they say should
not be the same thing. You should not agree with them.
The fact that they think wrong shouldn't be that you
think wrong. There should be a difference between the world
and the Church. There should be a difference between what
they say and what we say. There should be a
difference between how they live and how we live. We
should not be going for sameness with the people who

(10:38):
don't even know who it is. So he says, but
what do you believe about me? Now? This is interesting
because this is kind of a setup so Jesus knew
when he asked the first question he was going to
ask the second question. What are the people around the
way say around me about me? Where they say this,
that and the other? Uh huh? What do you say?

Speaker 2 (11:01):
More on how Jesus cuts straight to the heart of
the matter with his followers when Jonathan returns in a
moment First though, as we're learning, true discipleship isn't just
about what we believe, It's about how we live. That's
the focus of Pastor Jonathan Evans current teaching series, Discipleship
for every Day. This six part collection will show you

(11:23):
how to move beyond passive faith and start living out
your calling with purpose and impact. As you gain practical
insights from these messages, you'll discover how to make your
relationship with Christ an active force in your daily life.
All six messages are yours for review any time when
you get them on CD or digital download, and you

(11:44):
can do that with our thanks when you make a
donation to help us keep these Bible based messages on
this station, and as a special bonus right now will
also include a copy of Jonathan's inspiring book, Your Time
Is Now. In it, he challenges believers to stop standing
on the sidelines and boldly step into the purpose God
has for you. It's a motivating resource that'll help you

(12:07):
embrace your calling and live with confidence and courage. Don't wait.
Make a donation online at Tonyevans dot org and let
us send you this powerful resource package today with our thanks. Again,
that's Tonyevans dot org. Or you can reach out to
one of our friendly team members at one eight hundred,
eight hundred thirty two twenty two where they're ready to

(12:31):
assist with your resource request anytime. Again. That's one eight
hundred eight hundred three two two two. Well, let's return
now to more from Jonathan Evans.

Speaker 1 (12:42):
Now, I had a friend in small group who got
set up. Now, ladies, I'm only going to save this
from a man's perspective. Back in the day, when we
did the small group, we split up men and women.
We were all married, but we split up many women.
So we was talking accountability, and he was talking about
you know, him and his wife, and they were doing
all that were just you know, accountable to one another.
We all knew each other very well. And so when

(13:04):
he got back to his wife, his wife was like,
I know y'all's talking and doing all that. What did
they say about me? Well, you know, they was just
saying this and that. You know, I said this about you.
They said that about you. You know, whoop, the whooped,
the womb, you know what I mean? She said, Oh, okay,
what did you say about me? All of a sudden,

(13:27):
he starts stuttering. I don't know. I was just there.
I didn't say nothing. Oh, because once you say that,
there's another follow up. Why you ain't say nothing. He
did the same thing to his disciples. He said, what's
the word around town about me? Let me go ahead
and get that. Okay, But most importantly, since we're in

(13:52):
relationship and you're a disciple, what do you say about me?
And hopefully we're not stuttering, hopefully we're not still trying
to figure it out. Disciples are clear and definitive on
who he is. He says, so what do you say
about me? Now? If there's anybody in here who's still

(14:13):
on the edge or you're still a little confused, I'm
gonna take a moment just to tell you who he is.
He is the way, the truth, and the life. No
one gets to the Father except through him. He is
the first, and he is the last. Colossians one says
he is the creator of all things. Colossians two says

(14:34):
full deity and bodily form. Philippians two says God emptied himself,
taking on the form of a bond servant, being made
in the likeness of man. I'm telling you he was
at the beginning, from the beginning, before the beginning. He
is the mediator between God and Man. He is the one.
Even in John chapter fourteen, Philip, one of his disciples,

(14:57):
was still trying to figure it out, and he said, jez,
when are you gonna show us the Father? And Jesus
looked back at Philip and said, you ain't been with
me long enough. When you have seen me, you have
seen the Father. The Pharisees were confused, and John eight
Jesus said, Abraham is glad to see my day. And
the Pharisees said, what are you talking about. You're but

(15:18):
fifty years old. How are you gonna talk about Abraham?
And Jesus looked back at them and said, before Abraham,
I am. He is saying two things. He's letting you
know I pre existed Abraham, and I also I am.
That is the name for God used in Exodus three
when he was talking to Moses, and he told Moses,

(15:40):
tell them the I am that I am sent you,
And then they picked up stones to stone them. Why
do you think they were trying to kill them. They
were trying to kill them because they viewed it as blasphemy.
And people were saying on my Instagram, Jesus never claimed
to be God. Read it again. Even in the prophets,

(16:04):
Isaiah nine to six says a child will be born
and a son given, and the government will rest on
his shoulders, and you will call him wonderful counselor Mighty God,
eternal Father, Prince of peace. That's who he is. And
that was seven hundred years before his birth. Michaeh five

(16:24):
to two, five hundred years before his birth, says he
will be born in Bethlehem, and he comes from ancient times.
He is your savior. He is your deliverer, he is
your redeemer. He is all in all when you're praying.
He's the one who's listening when you're lost. He's the

(16:46):
one who finds you when you're divisive. He's the one
who brings unity when you stumble. He's the one who
stands you up like he is everything. He is the
every and everything he's all in. So if you're in
Oakcliffe Bible Fellowship and you're claiming to be a disciple,
you stand on who he is and you say what

(17:08):
Peter said in Matthew sixteen sixteen. Peter answered the question
and said, you are the Christ, the Son of the
Living God. Peter stepped up because when he said, but
who do you say that I am? To you? There
is plural. He was talking to the group. He basically said,
who do y'all say that I am? Peter said, let

(17:28):
me handle this one. You are the Christ, the son
of the Living God. Forget about what everybody else is saying.
I know exactly who you are. So let me just
make this clear. What we believe about Jesus is exactly
what Peter said about Jesus, that he is the Christ,
the son of the Living God. Period. We're not still

(17:51):
thinking about it, we're not still trying to figure it out,
we're not still guessing about it, we're not still unsure
about it. We know exactly who he is, and we're
not a shamed of the Gospel. We're not a shame
of Jesus Christ. This is our faith. He is the Christ,
the son of the Living God period see Peter covers

(18:12):
the Gamut in a few words. As Christ, he's the Messiah,
the Deliverer, the Savior, the anointed one, the anointed one
from Psalms chapter two, when it first brings up Christ
as the anointed one in scripture is back in Psalms
chapter two, and it says he is my son. I

(18:32):
have begotten him in Psalms chapter two. And he has
the whole earth as his inheritance, and he's going to
break them with a rod of iron and shatter them
like earth andwere. But then he says, you are the
son of God, the son of the Living God. And
many people understand why that's important. Was important because as Christ,

(18:55):
he delivers you. As God he owns you. Some people
want to get in on the Christ part and leave
out the God part. No, if you're a disciple of
Jesus Christ, you're gonna be unleashed. You gotta have that
whole thing. I'm saved and ready to be unleashed at

(19:16):
your becking will, at whatever you say. I am your
servant and you are my God. People have to understand
that God's son here is also God the Son here
That had somebody on my social media that said, well,
how can he be God's Son and God? That don't
make sense? Well, I understand the logic. Sometimes it won't

(19:40):
make sense. You got to understand that God is God.
There's something called the incomprehensibility of God. You're finite. You
can't make sense of everything that God is. But he's
God the Son. God, the Son is the second member
of the trinity. God is one God who is simultaneously
three persons, God, God the Father, God the Son, and

(20:01):
God the Holy Spirit. So you got to understand that.
When Genesis won twenty six says, let us make man
in our image, who's us in our if? Matthew twenty
eight says, baptize them in the name singular of the Father,
the Son, and the Holy Spirit. That's bad grammar unless
it's a singular plural. That is who he is. If

(20:23):
I was holding up a pretzel, you'd only see one pretzel,
but you would at the same time see three individual holes.
One hole's not that hole, this hole's not that whole.
That hold's not that There are three individual holes, but
you're only looking at one pretzel because they're all connected.
By the same dough. So yes, Jesus Christ was born
of a woman, but he created his mother. He's the

(20:43):
son of God, God, the son, the second member of
the trendy mediator between God and man, God who emptied himself,
taking on the form of a bond servant by choice,
to give you grace and mercy that you do not
deserve at all. This is who he is. And if
you don't know who he is, you can't participate in

(21:06):
his future paradise or his current program. But I'm only
saying it because the Bible says it. I'm only saying
it because in the beginning was the Word. The Word
was with God, and the Word became flesh and dwelt
among us. He was with God and he was God
and became flesh. I'm just saying that's who he is.

(21:32):
And if you don't believe in who he is, well,
this is really angering me. I know the reality of
Jesus is offensive. Well, Jonathan, you're preaching like you don't care. Well,
actually I do. That's why I'm preaching it. Well, this
doesn't sound loving, Jonathan saying that there's only one way

(21:54):
through Jesus Christ. That doesn't sound loving at all, why
wouldn't he give multiple ways? Why wouldn't he actually why
would he give sinners anyway? You ought to be glad.
There's one way. It's loving because it's the truth. That's
why it's loving. I want to make sure that you

(22:14):
hear it and hear it correctly, so that you can
go back to your family members and tell them who
he is. Peter got it right. He said, you're the Christ,
the son of the Living God. You're my salvation, you're
my deliverer, and you are my owner. You are God
himself in the flesh. That's who he is. Simon Peter

(22:35):
answered correctly, sad. Reality is in church people are still
thinking with the culture. So the reason why we get
such little movement is because we're moving with them. Jesus,
it was a set of Jesus knows, what do they
think about me? Okay? They John the Baptist, Okay, But

(22:58):
I need to get this right. What do you say
about me? And if you're my disciple and you're going
to be unleashed, I need to not only save you,
I need to own you. Need to understand the reality
of who I am.

Speaker 2 (23:13):
Pastor Jonathan Evans talking today about how Truly knowing Christ
is the key to living a life that matters now.
What we've been hearing today is part of Jonathan's powerful
compilation of messages called Discipleship for every Day. As I
mentioned earlier, we're making this sixth lesson collection available to
you on CD or digital download along with Your Time

(23:36):
is Now, Jonathan's book that encourages you to move beyond
in action and embrace the calling God has placed on
your life. Both of these resources are our gift to
you when you make a donation to support this ministry.
Just visit Tonyevans dot org to get your copy of
this exclusive package. You'll find a link with all the

(23:56):
details right on the homepage. And while you're there, take
a moment to sign up for a free weekly email
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Or call us at one eight hundred eight hundred thirty
two twenty two and let one of our friendly team
members assist. Our resource center is open twenty four to seven,

(24:18):
so call any time again. That's one eight hundred eight
hundred three two two two. Well. On Monday, Jonathan will
explain how the church made up of believers who stand
firm in their faith is an unstoppable force that even
Hell can't overcome. Be sure to join us for that