The Urban Alternative - Tony Evans

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
It is an affront to God for us to live
in a cave.

Speaker 2 (00:04):
Jonathan Evans says, when our response to adversity is to
simply give up, we've actually chosen not to trust God.

Speaker 1 (00:11):
See, the devil has no power unless you respond. If
you don't respond, there's nothing he can do.

Speaker 2 (00:19):
This is the alternative broadcast featuring the timeless Biblical teachings
from the archives of doctor Tony Evans. Have you ever
struggled with a situation that seems so overwhelming you just
wanted to throw in the towel and say, God, I
give up. If so, you're not alone. Even those with
a rock solid faith face those times of hopelessness. Today,

(00:43):
Pastor Jonathan Evans takes us to a Biblical account that
can teach us what to do when our feelings don't
measure up to our faith.

Speaker 1 (00:51):
Let's join him One Kings nineteen to nine. I just
want to read one verse. Then he came there to
a cave and low and behold, the Word of the
Lord came to him and said to him, what are
you doing here, Elijah? Today? I want to talk to

(01:12):
you about surviving Jezebel. Yes, surviving Jezebel. Here, Elijah is
in a cave, and he didn't just check in with it.
He lodged there. And that cave represents depression. That cave represents,
as my dad would often say, that my get up
and go has gotten up and gone. That cave represents

(01:36):
I can't do this anymore. The cave represents I'm putting
down my purpose. My anxiety is too high, my level
of worry is has gone too far. I just can't
do it anymore. Elijah literally is in a place where
he's giving up his ministry. The prophet of God is
really literally trying to lay it down. He said, I've

(01:59):
gone as far where as I can go. And he's
in this cave, and he's there, he's lodging there. He's
got his mattress, his pillow, and his blanket because he
doesn't plan on leaving it. That is the place where
Elijah is in. And I can't tell you how many
calls I've gotten of friends and people in my life
that are in that same cave. They're saying, I cannot

(02:22):
make it anymore. My situation is just too much. I'm
going through something that's just too deep. I quit. I
don't want to do this anymore. I'm throwing in the
towel on my family. I'm throwing in the towel on
my marriage. I'm throwing in the towel even on my children.
They're two way where they've gone too far. I'm throwing
in the towel on my purpose. I'm even considering throwing

(02:45):
in the towel on my faith because I'm in this
cave and it's just too much. Elijah then proceeds to
give God the obvious logical response if you look at
verse ten. He looks at God and he says, I've
been zealous for you, Lord. In other words, I've done

(03:06):
the best that I can. I've been zealous for you.
But the people of God have still forsaken your covenant
and torn down your altars and killed your prophets with
the sword. And I alone am left and watched this,
and they seek my life to take it away. You're
asking me, why am I lodging here? Why do I

(03:28):
want to quit? He literally is telling God Jezebel's chasing me.
When he says they seek to take my life. He's
talking about Jezebel and all of her goons. Jezebel is
literally a replica of the enemy himself. Jezebel hides out

(03:48):
in the background while her outcomes are the main character.
Jezebel literally comes to steal, kill, and destroy, and she
has a track record of success. If you look at
First Kings eighteen four, it literally says when Jezebel had
killed the prophets, oh Badiah hid a hundred of them

(04:11):
in caves by fifties, So those prophets were in caves
just trying to survive this lady named Jezebel. Because Jezebel
is a beast, she literally kills children and sacrifices children
for cultural idols. She sacrifices the whole family dynamic for immorality.

(04:33):
She literally is the definition of evil. She hides out
in the background and you don't even know that it's her,
but all of her outcomes are the main character in
your life. Her job is to kill godliness, and the
way that she kills godliness as a personal strike on
you and many of us in this room. The people

(04:56):
of God, they don't even know it, don't even consider
it because of how she hides out, but they're dealing
with the spirit of Jezebel, the spirit of the enemy.
You think it's that person or this situation. No, it's
Jezebel coming after you because she doesn't want Godliness to
flow through you. You think it's just that kid. No,

(05:20):
it's the spirit of Jezebel, the enemy himself, that wants
to attack that child so that they'll give up godly
truth for cultural idols. Because her job is to attack you.
That's what she does. And she has a track record.
And you asking me why am I in this cave?

(05:41):
God is saying, that's exactly what I'm asking you. And
I didn't ask that question because I need a logical answer.
The reason why I'm asking that question is because even
though you're under her threat, don't you realize that I'm
still on the throne. In Jonah chapter four, he said,
why are you angry? Well, you took the tree away.

(06:01):
It was giving me shade. What do you mean why
am I angry? In Mark chapter four, when the disciples
were in the storm and Jesus was sleeping the stern
of the boat, and he said, peace be still, And
he looked at them and said, why are you afraid?
What do you mean? Why am I afraid? I'm about
to die? I don't understand the question I'm not asking

(06:23):
the question for my awareness. I'm asking the question for
your awareness. I already know that you're in a storm,
But don't you know I'm on the boat and he's
asking Elijah why is he in this cave? Because in
chapter seventeen when there was a famine in the land, Elijah,
you don't remember that I fed you with a raven.

(06:43):
You don't remember in chapter eighteen when we took out
and killed four hundred and fifty prophets of bail. Do
you not know that, because of the work that I've
already done, Jezebel was already defeated. Do you not remember
what I've done you out the course of your life?

(07:04):
Do you not remember in chapter eighteen when there was
a storm that was coming and you told King Ahab
to go back to Jezreel, and he went back on
his horse, but I gave you the power to gird
up your lures, and you beat him back to Jezreel
on foot. Do you not remember? Let me ask you

(07:26):
a question. You don't remember the last time you defeated
that diagnosis. You don't remember the last time the bill
got paid. You don't remember when you were awayward kid,
and God brought you back. You don't have any clue
of what God has done in your life. You don't
remember how God made a way out of no way.
You lost sight of the fact of what God has

(07:48):
done in your past to bring you to your present.
Do you remember, well, let me ask you a question.
If you remember, then why are you in that cave?
If you look at one Kings nineteen two, I want
to show you something so that you're aware, it says.

(08:08):
Then Jezebel sent a message to Elijah, saying, so may
the Gods do to me, and even more if I
do not make your life as the life of one
of them by tomorrow. At this time them she's talking
about her prophets that got killed in the previous chapter.

(08:29):
May God do to me? May God take me out
false God? If I don't kill you in twenty four hours,
I got twenty four hours because Jezebel has no ammo. See,

(08:51):
the enemy is a roaring lion seeking whom he may destroy.
But the fact that he's seeking whom he may destroy
means that he can't destroy everyone he seeks. He has
to use tactics because he already lost and Elijah, it says,
in verse three, he feared emotion, he arose haste, and

(09:17):
he ran to save his own life. God had done
everything for Elijah, but as soon as he was under
threat and he felt the time, he was out, and
he said, I will handle this myself. Jessebel I ain't

(09:38):
done nothing. All she's done is made the threat, and
then she got Elijah to do all her dirty work.
The enemy didn't eat the fruit, and he didn't shove
it in eas mouth. He just spoke and took a

(09:58):
step back and let her emotionally do all the dirty work.
If Samson doesn't respond to Delilah, he maintains his power.
If Esau doesn't respond to Jacob, he maintains his birthright.
And I'm sure glad that Jesus didn't respond to the
devil in Matthew chapter four, giving us our righteousness. Jezbel's

(10:27):
already finished. So her goal is to make you feel
like I gotta go do this myself. And then she
stands back and watches you help her be a good
enemy to you. See, the devil has no power unless

(10:48):
you respond. If you don't respond, there's nothing he can do.

Speaker 2 (10:57):
Jonathan will have more on what God did to help
Elija move out of his spiritual slump when he continues
this message in just a moment. First, though, I wanted
to let you know that today's lesson comes from Pastor
Jonathan Evans ten part audio collection entitled Survivor. We're excited
to make these messages available to you in their entirety

(11:18):
on CD, USB, stick or instantly downloadable digital files. Through
Jonathan's Survivor series messages, you'll discover that the God we
serve fights our battles alongside us, and although we face
moments when we feel we can't carry on, God will
continue to equip and grow our faith in Him as

(11:38):
we learn to release our pain, our discouragement, and our
blessings to Him. We'd like to send you the complete
Survivor audio series as our thank you gift when you
make a donation toward the Ministry of the Alternative and.

Speaker 1 (11:52):
If you do it right away.

Speaker 2 (11:53):
As an added bonus, will include a copy of doctor
Tony Evans's daily devotional book called Life under God. This
popular resource will challenge, encourage, and inspire you each day
to live your life in harmony with God's will. Visit
us today at Tonyevans dot org or give us a
call at one eight hundred eight hundred thirty two twenty two.

(12:16):
Make your contribution and let us send you the Life
under God devotional book as well as the Complete Survivor
audio series. All the details are waiting for you online
at Tonyevans dot org. Or give us a phone call
at one eight hundred eight hundred thirty two twenty two
and let one of our team members help you. I'll

(12:37):
have those contact details for you again after part two
of today's message. Let's get back to Jonathan now. In
First King's chapter nineteen.

Speaker 1 (12:46):
The Angel finds Elijah. In verse five he Elijah laid
down and slept under a juniper tree. Then behold there
was an angel touching him and said to him, arise eat.
Then he looked, and behold there was at his head
a bread cake on hot stones and a jar of water.

(13:10):
So he ate, and he drank and laid down again.
The Angel of the Lord came to him again a
second time and touched him and said, arise, eat, because
the journey is too great for you. You've been taking
care of everybody else. This is not a request. I'm

(13:32):
commanding you to rest. He says, Arise and eat that
means position yourself to take in for yourself. Rest does
not come based on happenstance and I'm just randomly gonna
find it. No, you have to schedule it. You have

(13:53):
to position yourself for it. If you don't position yourself,
you're gonna choke. You're gonna see how awesome God is
when he moves and you rest. So you are commanded
to rest. John six teaches us that He is the

(14:15):
bread of life. If you come to me, you won't
hunger again. He is the living water. If you come
to me, you won't thirst again. You literally have to
get up in the morning, take a walk, put the
music on in your ears, your playlist, and take a
walk with the Lord and stilledness and rest and take
in the bread and the water. While you're waiting at

(14:37):
the doctor's office, get your playlist on, put it in
your ear, pull your word out and take in his work.
You're using your own hands, and God is saying, stop
that I need you to do something for me. Pause
and eat. The Bible says, be still and know that

(14:58):
I am God. Run and know that I am God.
Not fight, and know that I am God. God will
allow the Jezebel seasons in your life. Why because he
wants to make you lie down in green pastures. Why
so he can restore your soul, so that even though
you walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
you will fear no evil. Why because God is with you.

(15:22):
Not your work hard is with you. Not your effort
is with you. Not your know how is with you.
Not your finances are with you, not your friends are
with you, not your followers are with you. It doesn't
matter who's with you unless God is with you. And
where is he with you when you're lying down, when
you're in the still place. He wants to do it
for you, and you're waiting on him and he's watching

(15:43):
you like this, Come to me. Why because I will
give you. I got kids, y'all know, I got babies,
five of them. They'll be fussing and angry because some
kid won't share, well, Johnny won't share. I'm frustrated and

(16:09):
they start acting up. It's not fair. I can't do.
But you look at you, and you know what, I say, Oh,
you need a nap. Tell me I'm lying there. And
as soon as I say that, they say, what, I

(16:32):
don't need a nap. What does that have to do
with the fact that Johnny won't share. Parents understand what
they don't understand. I know that Johnny won't share, but
I'm looking at your response, and your response lets me
know I don't need to deal with Johnny in the threat.

(16:53):
You need a nap. And in their immaturity, they can't
understand that there is a connection between nap time and
my threat time. They don't get the correlation. But in

(17:13):
the parents' maturity, they understand that if you just get
some rest, you'll respond differently to the threat. That kid
goes away, goes to sleep, wakes up with the same
threat and says, well, I'll just play with something else,

(17:37):
because even though there was a threat, there's a bigger problem.
You're out of gas and the people of God are exhausted,
and you think your value is in your work, not
realizing your power is in your rest. Yes, you're supposed

(18:04):
to be teaching me on how to survive Jezebel, Well,
she already lost. You forgot And as long as you
keep fighting with no gas and you don't do what
the Bible commands you to do, you're not less because
you rest. You're just gonna see God do more when

(18:26):
you rest, He says, the journey is too great for you.
I need you to arise. Take in for yourself. You
know that's not a bad thing. People feel bad when

(18:49):
they're resting for themselves. No, you're being obit. It is
a biblical command. Thou shall have no other guys before me.
Thou shall not make ano the any graven image that's
going to take the name of the Lord that got
in vain. Remember the Sabbath, and you need to keep
it holy. Finally, he tells him to remember rest, and

(19:15):
then in First Kings nine fifteen, he says, now return,
I want you to remember. I want you to rest.
And then after you have your retreat of sorts that
you plan that you do on purpose. You take every
opportunity to eat and drink. You know what God wants

(19:37):
you to do. Go back, return to what I've called
you to. You told me I called you to it before.
But now you're tired or my will didn't change, you
just changed in my will. You need to retreat. You
take it, you eat, you get the nourishment that you need.

(20:00):
You rest, recover and restore on purpose, and then return
to what I've called you to do, Elijah, go anoint
a new king of Arab. Go anoint the new king
of Israel. Get your mantle and prepare it for Elisha.
Because my kingdom must advance. And if you don't advance

(20:20):
with my kingdom, then you've circumbed to Jezebel's threat. Let
me tell you about God's plans for Elijah. Jezebel makes
a threat in twenty four hours, I'm taking you out. Well.
In chapter twenty there's a battle between Arab and Israel.
Has nothing to do with Elijah. He's still alive. Chapter

(20:42):
twenty one, Jezebel's doing her dirty work and takes a
vineyard from Nabeth. Has nothing to do with Elijah. He's
still alive. In chapter twenty two, Ahb dies, but Elijah,
he's still alive. In chapter one, a half Sun dies,
but Elijah he's alive. In Second King's chapter two, verse eleven,

(21:07):
a chariot of fire comes and takes Elijah up. Wait
a minute, you mean to tell me Elijah never died. Yes,
because while Jezebel had a plan to take him out,
God had a plan to take him up. Don't you

(21:30):
know that the enemy cannot thwart God's plans. You can
stand up and give him praise in the middle of
the threat because you know that God has a plan
that can't be thwarted. That even though I'm under threat,
God is still on the throne. Don't you realize that
you can remember rest in return because God is not
going to fail with the plan he has in his life.

(21:51):
And because of Jesus Christ, do you know that you
will never die? So if death has been defeated, then
why am I in a cave because of this threat?
If I'm gonna be taken up, then why am I
in a cave because of this problem? If God has
a plan for me to live eternally, then why am
I afraid? In this life? God has a plan that
cannot be thwarted by the enemy, So we should not

(22:12):
thwart God's plan by succumbing to the enemy. That's how
you survive, Jezbel, You remember, you rest, and then you
return to what He's called you to do. Somebody give
him praise because you can keep going, you can keep moving,
you can keep fighting. You don't have to stop because
you will never die. You will be taken up, you

(22:34):
won't be taken out because God's plan is greater than
Jezebel's plan. Somebody say Amen, love otom and give him glory.

Speaker 2 (22:44):
Pastor Jonathan Evans with an encouraging word from God on
successfully enduring discouraging times. Now, don't miss your chance to
get doctor Tony Evans Life under God three hundred and
sixty five day devotional book along with all ten full
length messages from Jonathan's powerful audio series called Survivor. These

(23:05):
resources are our gift to you when you support this
ministry with the financial contribution helping us continue bringing God's
Word your way each day. Just visit Tonyevans dot org
to make your request. You'll find the details for this
special offer right on the homepage. Or call us anytime
at one eight hundred eight hundred thirty two twenty two.

(23:27):
Our resource team is ready to assist you anytime of
the day or night. That's one eight hundred eight hundred
three two two two. And then before I share what's
coming up on the broadcast tomorrow, I want to remind
you about the special Easter episode of Stories from the
Storyteller In Kyler's Crazy School Day, Kyler's first day of

(23:48):
school doesn't go as planned. Her siblings promises to support
her fall short, much like Peter's denial of Christ. It's
a powerful kid friendly way to explore them meaning of Easter,
and you can get the details on how to watch
it right now at tonyevanstv dot com. Again, that's tonyevanstv

(24:09):
dot com. As parents, we are eager to nurture and
protect our children, doing whatever is necessary to make sure
they come to no harm. But the reality we eventually
face is that we can control everything, no matter how
hard we try. Tomorrow, Pastor Evans will explore why putting
our blessings into God's hands is far safer and wiser

(24:33):
than trying to hang onto them with their own strength.
I hope you'll join us for that