October 22, 2025 • 25 mins
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Far too many of God's children are satisfied with sermons,
Bible studies, retreats, conferences that have absolutely nothing to do
with transforming your life.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
But doctor Tony Evans says, just knowing about Jesus isn't enough.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
That's why there's a disconnect in many laves between Sunday
and the rest of the week.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
This is the alternative broadcast featuring the timeless Biblical teachings
from the archives of doctor Tony Evans. Connections can open
doors in business, education, or just about any area of life,
but no connection matters more than the one you have
with Jesus. Today, doctor Evans unpacks why we're often slow
(00:41):
to realize that and how everything changes once we do.
Let's join him as he explains.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
We all know what it is to be in a
discouraging scenario or season of life, a season when life
is not working and when God does not seem real.
We know what it is to have a heartache, a headache,
and a life ache because the pain of reality has
(01:07):
set in, and like a life migraine, nothing is healing it.
That's our situation in Luke twenty four and our passage
for today. As we continue to talk about this definition
of faith. We have been bringing the various nuances of
(01:29):
this truth today, slow.
Speaker 3 (01:32):
Of heart to believe.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
This comes after Jesus has risen from the dead, it
says in verse thirteen. And behold, two of them were
going that very day to a village named Emaeas, which
was about seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking
with each other about all the things which had taken place.
While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself approached and
(01:57):
began traveling with them. Their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.
He said to them, what are these words that you
are exchanging with one another as you are walking?
Speaker 3 (02:10):
And they stood still, looking sad.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
So we've got two of Jesus's disciples on their way
back home from Jerusalem, a seven mile walk. Jesus, risen
from the dead, comes alongside of them, but they didn't
recognize him. Now, they had been with Jesus an extended
period of time, but.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
Their emotional situation.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
Was so negative that even though Jesus was standing right
in front of them, they did not recognize him.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
Life can get so bad and.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
Disappointment so deep, that Jesus can be standing up in
your grill, and you don't know its him because the
emotional pain has overridden Christ's reality, and he just doesn't
seem like he's there.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
You can't find him.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
Jesus comes to them, They don't know who he is,
and Jesus says to them, what are you talking about?
What is this thing that you're discussing? And they say
to Jesus in verse eighteen, did you.
Speaker 3 (03:27):
Just arrive here?
Speaker 1 (03:30):
You don't know what's been happening in Jerusalem. He says
in verse nineteen, well, what things are you talking about?
Speaker 3 (03:37):
Pretending not to know? They said to him the.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
Things about Jesus, the Nazarene, the prophet, mighty in word,
indeed in the sight of God and the people. And
then it comes to verse twenty one. We were hoping,
what were you hoping? We were hoping it was he
who was going to redeem Israel. First of all our
hopes dashed. We thought he was going to deliver us.
(04:03):
We thought he was gonna free us. We thought he
was gonna redeem us. We thought he was gonna heal us.
And we are disappointed. You ever been disappointed when you
thought God was gonna do something and he has not
yet done it when you thought he had made a
promise that he himself has not kept.
Speaker 3 (04:23):
Has he ever.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
Disappointed you where you were hoping, you were banking on
the fact that God was going to come through for you.
Speaker 3 (04:32):
Nothing.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
Not only that, not only are we disappointed in a
hope that has not been realized, but they go on
to say in verse twenty four, some of those who
were with us went to the tomb and found it
justice exactly as the women also said, But they did
not see him now they't looking right at him, but
they said, we can't find him. You ever look for God, and,
(04:59):
not being able to locate him, begged for his presence,
and he was nowhere to be found.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
That's the situation.
Speaker 1 (05:08):
We have people disappointed, emotionally sad because their hopes and
dreams have been dashed and they couldn't find the Savior,
and so they were on their long journey home when
Jesus the rhythm Christ shows up and they don't know
(05:34):
it's him.
Speaker 3 (05:36):
When you are.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
Discouraged long enough, it becomes depression. When you are depressed
long enough, it becomes despair because the disappointment is so deep,
the hurt is so replete. That's our situation. Discouraged disciples.
And I'm sure in this house right now there are
(05:57):
some discaraged disciples. If perhaps you're not discouraged, now you've
been discaraged. And if you haven't been discaraged, then I'm
not discaraged. Hang on, something will come up that will
be a downer. Now Jesus speaks, although they don't know
it's Jesus speaking.
Speaker 3 (06:19):
Oh, foolish men, and slow of heart to believe.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
That's where we get our sermon title from slow of
heart to believe. Okay, watch this. First of all, he
tells them, you're fools. Now, why are you gonna tell
a sad person they're fool Yeah, oh foolish, you're foolish.
(06:47):
Why are you telling me I'm foolish? Because you're slow
to believe. Your foolishness is in your faithlessness, which has
led to your frustration. Follow it, your fools, because you're faithless,
creating frustration. You are so foolish and so faithless and
so frustrated you don't even know I'm standing right.
Speaker 3 (07:09):
In front of you.
Speaker 1 (07:12):
Like the time Michael Jordan went to get married in
Las Vegas at a wedding chapel. He went inside the
wedding chapel with his bride to be, and the guy said, fellow,
you're pretty tall.
Speaker 3 (07:21):
You ever thought about playing basketball?
Speaker 1 (07:25):
The greatness can be standing right in front of your
face and you not recognize it.
Speaker 3 (07:31):
He says, you're foolish because you are slow to be You're.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
Lagging in your faith, not that you don't have any,
but you're lagging in it. And the lagging has created
the frustration because you are feeling, and that feeling is
real of hopelessness. You don't see an answer. What were
they faithless about? All foolish men and slow of hard
(07:58):
to bleed?
Speaker 3 (07:59):
In?
Speaker 1 (07:59):
All the pride has spoken? Was it not necessary for
Christ to suffer these things and to enter into his glory?
In other words, you're not taking the Bible seriously.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
They'll stay with me. We're going somewhere.
Speaker 1 (08:15):
Your faithlessness is because you are slow to believe in
what God said, because what you see and what God
says do not appear to be matching right now, because
what God said in the prophets and what you see
are two totally different things because of the circumstances, and
(08:37):
you can't find Jesus. So what is written and what
is real? Appear not to be matching. You have lagged
behind your faith, which has created a frustration which I
declare to be foolish. Having said that to him Verse
(08:59):
twenty seven. Is then beginning with Moses and all the prophets.
He explained to them the things concerning himself and all
the scriptures.
Speaker 3 (09:07):
Ah. This is interesting.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
Because he tells them from the scriptures about himself. From
Moses and the prophets. That's the Old Testament. In case
you didn't know it, The Old Testament is about Jesus.
In fact, the whole of the Bible is centered on
Jesus Christ. The Old Testament gives you the prediction and
(09:35):
the prophecy. The New Testament gives you the fulfillment. The
Old Testament gives you the type. The New Testament gives
you the fulfillment. So if you miss Jesus, the Bible
won't make sense because Moses and the prophets, the Old
Testament was set up for you to anticipate Jesus. That's
(09:55):
why people who read the Bible but miss Jesus don't
get the Bible. Because the Bible was set up to center.
Speaker 3 (10:04):
On Jesus Christ.
Speaker 1 (10:05):
Old Testament prophetically New Testament in reality, making him the
living Word. This has got to be the greatest Bible
study anybody has ever had because you got the Living
Word teaching the written word. So it doesn't get any
better than that. And nobody can teach like that. This
(10:27):
is perfect teaching from a perfect person about a perfect subject,
from a perfect book. So if you had to go
to church that day, this was the Bible study to
be in because you can't get a better Bible study
than Jesus being the professor. Not only that, but he
(10:49):
takes them through the whole Old Testament most of them.
The prophet means the whole Old Testament. Well, it's a
seven mile walk. Let's give him fifteen minutes of mind.
So I mean, we're talking about hours on the road
having Bible study because you can only walk so fast
and study the Bible at the same time. So they're walking,
(11:12):
he's teaching, they're walking along. He's teaching. He's explaining, it's
about me. It's about me. It's about me. It's about me. Now,
it's not that they didn't know the Bible, because he says,
you are slow to believe what the prophet said. So
it wasn't that they hadn't read it. It wasn't that
they didn't know it, it's that they were slow to
(11:32):
buy it.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
So what do we do when the same is true
of us? Doctor Evans will return to address that in
just a moment. First, though, if you find yourself hesitant
to fully trust God, Tony's current teaching series is just
the resource you need to unlock a faith breakthrough. It's
called Believing is Seeing, and it explores the vital connection
(11:55):
between taking God at his word and seeing that word
make a difference in your life.
Speaker 3 (12:01):
It'll teach you.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
How to stop blocking your own blessings and how to
weather storms that could otherwise wash you away. We want
to help you become a more fully devoted follower of
the Lord, so we're offering all eight lessons in this
series as our thank you gift when you make a
donation to help keep this program coming your way and
for a limited time when you request. This collection will
(12:24):
also include Doctor evans brand new devotional and prayer Guide,
anchored by Faith one hundred and eighty daily readings and
prayers to strengthen your trust in God and help you
stay anchored in His promises no matter what challenges you face.
So visit Tonyevans dot org today, make your donation and
(12:44):
let us send you the complete Believing is Seeing series
along with Anchored by Faith. Again, that's Tonyevans dot org.
Or call one eight hundred, eight hundred thirty two twenty
two where members of our resource team are standing by
around the clock to help you. That's one eight hundred
eight hundred three two two two. Well, dontre Evans returns
(13:07):
now with more of today's lesson The Bible.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
Is the website. Jesus is the past code. In order
for you to get into the website. To understanding the Bible,
you must google Jesus because he is the centerpiece of
divine revelation.
Speaker 3 (13:29):
So you miss Jesus, you're going to miss the Word.
Speaker 1 (13:32):
In fact, in John chapter five, verses thirty nine to forty,
the pharisees Jesus said, you study the Bible because you
think you have eternal life.
Speaker 3 (13:41):
But you have missed me.
Speaker 1 (13:43):
So evidently you can study the Bible and miss the Lord,
as these two disciples had done. They had studied the
Bible and missed the Lord. You can be a biblical
scholar and miss the Lord. When I was in seminary
you study the Bible all day, all day, all day.
They evidently didn't want you to work, because they gave
(14:04):
you not only all day to be in class, but
then you had to spend the rest of your day
studying what you had learned in class. On top of that,
I had to learn Hebrew, I had to learn Greek.
Then I went to a doctoral program. I had to
learn German. I had to learn French because many of
the theological works were in German and French. And I
(14:25):
hearted New English, and I have to learn Hebrew and
Greek and German. And I'm just studying all night long,
burning the candle on both ends. And the more I learned,
the dryer I got. Because you can learn the Bible
and miss the Lord. You can come to church and
hear the Word and never experience the Lord. They were
(14:50):
hearing the Word but didn't know who was teaching them,
even though he had been with them before, and it
had created an emotional turmoil in their lives. So that's
our situation. Man gets interesting because it says in verse
twenty eight, they approached the village where they were going,
and he acted as though he were going.
Speaker 3 (15:13):
Father seven my walk. They come to the house.
Speaker 1 (15:18):
They come to the house and Jesus gives the benediction,
good to be with y'all, God bless you, and he
keeps going. It says, when it came to the place
where they were to go, he acted like he would
keep going. Now, why after a Bible study would Jesus
act like he would keep going? Because what God wants
(15:40):
to know after you have heard the Word is due
you want him. See a lot of folk come to
church for the Word, who don't mind if Jesus keeps
going after the sermon. They want the Word, but not
necessarily wanting him. That's why there's a disconnect and many
lives between Sunday and the rest of the week.
Speaker 3 (16:02):
Give me the Word, Jesus, you keep on rolling.
Speaker 1 (16:07):
Far too many of God's children are satisfied with sermons,
Bible studies, retreats, conferences, and a bunch of other informational
things that have absolutely nothing to do with transforming your life.
Speaker 3 (16:22):
Now, I'm gonna make a.
Speaker 1 (16:23):
Statement right now that may sound like heresy, but you'll
understand it as we go along here, and that is
the Bible is not enough. Now, don't misunderstand me. I
believe in the inerrancy of scripture, that it is the
word of God from Kiver to kive, pillar to post.
But like the Pharisees, if you have the Bible and
(16:45):
miss the Lord, nothing will happen. And a lot of
people are satisfied with academic knowledge about scripture, not the
person of scripture. He took the scripture, and it's as
when he took the scripture, he talked about himself. So
the scripture led to a person, not merely data for
(17:10):
the head information for the next Bible study class. You
can literally be biblically literate and spiritually way off base.
Speaker 3 (17:23):
So he acted like he was keep going do you.
Speaker 1 (17:27):
Want me or are you satisfied with your book knowledge?
Now that I've walked you through the whole Old Testament impeccably.
Speaker 3 (17:36):
We're told here in verse twenty nine.
Speaker 1 (17:39):
They urged him, saying, stay with us, for it is
getting toward evening. The day is nearly over, so it's late.
So he went in to stay with them. Guess what
he only went in when invited. Behold, I stand at
the door and knock. If any man opens the door,
Revelation three, I will come in and up with him.
(18:01):
He will not impose himself on you. He wants to
know whether you want him, and he will only come
if invited to do so. He not only wants to
know where you come to church, he wants to know
can he go home with you afterwards?
Speaker 3 (18:17):
Or are you satisfied to.
Speaker 1 (18:19):
Leave him here while you leave and say, nice Bible study,
nice sermon. But now I'm gonna go on with the
rest of my day. I got some football to watch,
I got some work tomorrow. I got this, I got that,
I got that. I pick you up next week, same time,
same station. Jesus, I know where you're gonna be next week.
(18:40):
I'll be there too. You got an hour and forty
five minutes with me. Hey, When you go to a restaurant,
you go in and they hand you a menu. The
menu gives you a written description of what the restaurant offers.
(19:01):
Sometimes you can salivate just reading the menu. In fact,
sometimes you can't figure out what you want because it
all looks good. So you look at the menu say hmm, boy,
well I like that. Boy, I think I might want
that woo. That looks good. Not only do you have
a written description, you have somebody who comes over and
does an exposition of the menu for you. Called a
(19:24):
waiter or a waitress, they explain what is written so
you can understand it. After you have heard the message
proclaimed by the waiter about how good it is, you
do not then say thank you and get up and leave.
(19:45):
The reason you do not say thank you and get
up and leave is that's not.
Speaker 3 (19:48):
Really why you came.
Speaker 1 (19:50):
It's needed because you came, but it's not why you came.
You did not come to read about food, nor did
you for somebody to explain what was written to you.
You came to experience what was written and explained.
Speaker 3 (20:10):
In your taste buds. You came for a meal, not
for a menu.
Speaker 1 (20:16):
You came for an experience, not just a smooth talking waiter.
You came for the reality of what the sign says.
Far too many of God's children are satisfied with the
menu let me read it. Others are satisfied with a
waiter who can explain what's on the menu.
Speaker 3 (20:37):
But that means if.
Speaker 1 (20:38):
All you get is a menu, and all you get
is a waiter, you still leave hungry because you've not
gotten what will satisfy. And what will satisfy is a person,
not merely a page to be read, or taught or explained.
Speaker 3 (20:56):
When you go for a job, you're going to give
them a resume.
Speaker 1 (21:00):
That resume will be a description of your qualifications for
that job. Your potential employer is not just gonna buy
it because you wrote it.
Speaker 3 (21:10):
They want some references.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
They want to know somebody else can validate what you
say about yourself. So you start with a resume, You
give them references, but they're still not satisfied because now
they want an interview. They want to see you for themselves.
God has a thick resume, sixty six books that describe
(21:38):
who he is, what he is like, what he is done,
what you.
Speaker 3 (21:43):
Can trust him to do. And the resume is thick.
Speaker 1 (21:48):
He not only has a thick resume, but throughout this
crowd he's got some references. There are some folk here
who can testify that what is on the resume is
real and he did not lie, because you've seen it
for yourself. But if you're just satisfied with a resume
(22:12):
or somebody else's reference, you don't get it. God wants
you to have an interview so you can see for
yourself what he is like. That goes beyond the resume.
That goes beyond the reference that has to do with
an experience. Because you have met Him for yourself. Many
(22:32):
of us have to piggyback on the faith of somebody
else because we haven't seen Him with our own eyes,
and so we are slow of heart to believe, and
therefore are ruled by things that take place that don't
make sense, especially when we have not seen Him with
(22:53):
our own eyes.
Speaker 2 (22:57):
Doctor Tony Evans on the importance of growth our faith
in order to see God's truth now. Today's message is
part of Tony's current series Believing is Seeing. As I
mentioned earlier, this eight part collection is available right now,
bundled along with a special bonus, Doctor Evans brand new
devotional and prayer guide anchored by Faith. You can receive
(23:20):
both as our gift when you make a contribution toward
the ministry of the Alternative. Take advantage of this limited
time offer today. Just visit Tonyevans dot org or call
our resource center at one eight hundred eight hundred thirty
two twenty two that's one eight hundred eight hundred three
two two two, or online at Tonyevans dot org. Before
(23:44):
we close, I have one more exciting update to share
Beginning next month, the Unbound podcast, hosted by Doctor Evans,
will be bringing honest, insightful, and inspiring conversations to you.
Each weekly episode of this podcast cast, we'll feature Tony
talking with guests from all walks of life about faith, culture, relationships,
(24:07):
and the real life experiences that shape us. These discussions
are designed to inspire, challenge, and deepen your walk with Christ.
Stay tuned. We'll be sharing more details as the November
launch approaches.
Speaker 3 (24:22):
Well.
Speaker 2 (24:22):
As we've been learning there's a huge difference between knowledge
and experience, Doctor Evans will tell us more about maintaining
that balance tomorrow as he talks about the contrast between
religion and relationship. I hope you'll join us
Far too many of God's children are satisfied with sermons,
Bible studies, retreats, conferences that have absolutely nothing to do
with transforming your life.
Speaker 2 (00:09):
But doctor Tony Evans says, just knowing about Jesus isn't enough.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
That's why there's a disconnect in many laves between Sunday
and the rest of the week.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
This is the alternative broadcast featuring the timeless Biblical teachings
from the archives of doctor Tony Evans. Connections can open
doors in business, education, or just about any area of life,
but no connection matters more than the one you have
with Jesus. Today, doctor Evans unpacks why we're often slow
(00:41):
to realize that and how everything changes once we do.
Let's join him as he explains.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
We all know what it is to be in a
discouraging scenario or season of life, a season when life
is not working and when God does not seem real.
We know what it is to have a heartache, a headache,
and a life ache because the pain of reality has
(01:07):
set in, and like a life migraine, nothing is healing it.
That's our situation in Luke twenty four and our passage
for today. As we continue to talk about this definition
of faith. We have been bringing the various nuances of
(01:29):
this truth today, slow.
Speaker 3 (01:32):
Of heart to believe.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
This comes after Jesus has risen from the dead, it
says in verse thirteen. And behold, two of them were
going that very day to a village named Emaeas, which
was about seven miles from Jerusalem, and they were talking
with each other about all the things which had taken place.
While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself approached and
(01:57):
began traveling with them. Their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.
He said to them, what are these words that you
are exchanging with one another as you are walking?
Speaker 3 (02:10):
And they stood still, looking sad.
Speaker 1 (02:15):
So we've got two of Jesus's disciples on their way
back home from Jerusalem, a seven mile walk. Jesus, risen
from the dead, comes alongside of them, but they didn't
recognize him. Now, they had been with Jesus an extended
period of time, but.
Speaker 3 (02:35):
Their emotional situation.
Speaker 1 (02:39):
Was so negative that even though Jesus was standing right
in front of them, they did not recognize him.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
Life can get so bad and.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
Disappointment so deep, that Jesus can be standing up in
your grill, and you don't know its him because the
emotional pain has overridden Christ's reality, and he just doesn't
seem like he's there.
Speaker 3 (03:08):
You can't find him.
Speaker 1 (03:10):
Jesus comes to them, They don't know who he is,
and Jesus says to them, what are you talking about?
What is this thing that you're discussing? And they say
to Jesus in verse eighteen, did you.
Speaker 3 (03:27):
Just arrive here?
Speaker 1 (03:30):
You don't know what's been happening in Jerusalem. He says
in verse nineteen, well, what things are you talking about?
Speaker 3 (03:37):
Pretending not to know? They said to him the.
Speaker 1 (03:40):
Things about Jesus, the Nazarene, the prophet, mighty in word,
indeed in the sight of God and the people. And
then it comes to verse twenty one. We were hoping,
what were you hoping? We were hoping it was he
who was going to redeem Israel. First of all our
hopes dashed. We thought he was going to deliver us.
(04:03):
We thought he was gonna free us. We thought he
was gonna redeem us. We thought he was gonna heal us.
And we are disappointed. You ever been disappointed when you
thought God was gonna do something and he has not
yet done it when you thought he had made a
promise that he himself has not kept.
Speaker 3 (04:23):
Has he ever.
Speaker 1 (04:24):
Disappointed you where you were hoping, you were banking on
the fact that God was going to come through for you.
Speaker 3 (04:32):
Nothing.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
Not only that, not only are we disappointed in a
hope that has not been realized, but they go on
to say in verse twenty four, some of those who
were with us went to the tomb and found it
justice exactly as the women also said, But they did
not see him now they't looking right at him, but
they said, we can't find him. You ever look for God, and,
(04:59):
not being able to locate him, begged for his presence,
and he was nowhere to be found.
Speaker 3 (05:06):
That's the situation.
Speaker 1 (05:08):
We have people disappointed, emotionally sad because their hopes and
dreams have been dashed and they couldn't find the Savior,
and so they were on their long journey home when
Jesus the rhythm Christ shows up and they don't know
(05:34):
it's him.
Speaker 3 (05:36):
When you are.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
Discouraged long enough, it becomes depression. When you are depressed
long enough, it becomes despair because the disappointment is so deep,
the hurt is so replete. That's our situation. Discouraged disciples.
And I'm sure in this house right now there are
(05:57):
some discaraged disciples. If perhaps you're not discouraged, now you've
been discaraged. And if you haven't been discaraged, then I'm
not discaraged. Hang on, something will come up that will
be a downer. Now Jesus speaks, although they don't know
it's Jesus speaking.
Speaker 3 (06:19):
Oh, foolish men, and slow of heart to believe.
Speaker 1 (06:26):
That's where we get our sermon title from slow of
heart to believe. Okay, watch this. First of all, he
tells them, you're fools. Now, why are you gonna tell
a sad person they're fool Yeah, oh foolish, you're foolish.
(06:47):
Why are you telling me I'm foolish? Because you're slow
to believe. Your foolishness is in your faithlessness, which has
led to your frustration. Follow it, your fools, because you're faithless,
creating frustration. You are so foolish and so faithless and
so frustrated you don't even know I'm standing right.
Speaker 3 (07:09):
In front of you.
Speaker 1 (07:12):
Like the time Michael Jordan went to get married in
Las Vegas at a wedding chapel. He went inside the
wedding chapel with his bride to be, and the guy said, fellow,
you're pretty tall.
Speaker 3 (07:21):
You ever thought about playing basketball?
Speaker 1 (07:25):
The greatness can be standing right in front of your
face and you not recognize it.
Speaker 3 (07:31):
He says, you're foolish because you are slow to be You're.
Speaker 1 (07:36):
Lagging in your faith, not that you don't have any,
but you're lagging in it. And the lagging has created
the frustration because you are feeling, and that feeling is
real of hopelessness. You don't see an answer. What were
they faithless about? All foolish men and slow of hard
(07:58):
to bleed?
Speaker 3 (07:59):
In?
Speaker 1 (07:59):
All the pride has spoken? Was it not necessary for
Christ to suffer these things and to enter into his glory?
In other words, you're not taking the Bible seriously.
Speaker 3 (08:12):
They'll stay with me. We're going somewhere.
Speaker 1 (08:15):
Your faithlessness is because you are slow to believe in
what God said, because what you see and what God
says do not appear to be matching right now, because
what God said in the prophets and what you see
are two totally different things because of the circumstances, and
(08:37):
you can't find Jesus. So what is written and what
is real? Appear not to be matching. You have lagged
behind your faith, which has created a frustration which I
declare to be foolish. Having said that to him Verse
(08:59):
twenty seven. Is then beginning with Moses and all the prophets.
He explained to them the things concerning himself and all
the scriptures.
Speaker 3 (09:07):
Ah. This is interesting.
Speaker 1 (09:10):
Because he tells them from the scriptures about himself. From
Moses and the prophets. That's the Old Testament. In case
you didn't know it, The Old Testament is about Jesus.
In fact, the whole of the Bible is centered on
Jesus Christ. The Old Testament gives you the prediction and
(09:35):
the prophecy. The New Testament gives you the fulfillment. The
Old Testament gives you the type. The New Testament gives
you the fulfillment. So if you miss Jesus, the Bible
won't make sense because Moses and the prophets, the Old
Testament was set up for you to anticipate Jesus. That's
(09:55):
why people who read the Bible but miss Jesus don't
get the Bible. Because the Bible was set up to center.
Speaker 3 (10:04):
On Jesus Christ.
Speaker 1 (10:05):
Old Testament prophetically New Testament in reality, making him the
living Word. This has got to be the greatest Bible
study anybody has ever had because you got the Living
Word teaching the written word. So it doesn't get any
better than that. And nobody can teach like that. This
(10:27):
is perfect teaching from a perfect person about a perfect subject,
from a perfect book. So if you had to go
to church that day, this was the Bible study to
be in because you can't get a better Bible study
than Jesus being the professor. Not only that, but he
(10:49):
takes them through the whole Old Testament most of them.
The prophet means the whole Old Testament. Well, it's a
seven mile walk. Let's give him fifteen minutes of mind.
So I mean, we're talking about hours on the road
having Bible study because you can only walk so fast
and study the Bible at the same time. So they're walking,
(11:12):
he's teaching, they're walking along. He's teaching. He's explaining, it's
about me. It's about me. It's about me. It's about me. Now,
it's not that they didn't know the Bible, because he says,
you are slow to believe what the prophet said. So
it wasn't that they hadn't read it. It wasn't that
they didn't know it, it's that they were slow to
(11:32):
buy it.
Speaker 2 (11:34):
So what do we do when the same is true
of us? Doctor Evans will return to address that in
just a moment. First, though, if you find yourself hesitant
to fully trust God, Tony's current teaching series is just
the resource you need to unlock a faith breakthrough. It's
called Believing is Seeing, and it explores the vital connection
(11:55):
between taking God at his word and seeing that word
make a difference in your life.
Speaker 3 (12:01):
It'll teach you.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
How to stop blocking your own blessings and how to
weather storms that could otherwise wash you away. We want
to help you become a more fully devoted follower of
the Lord, so we're offering all eight lessons in this
series as our thank you gift when you make a
donation to help keep this program coming your way and
for a limited time when you request. This collection will
(12:24):
also include Doctor evans brand new devotional and prayer Guide,
anchored by Faith one hundred and eighty daily readings and
prayers to strengthen your trust in God and help you
stay anchored in His promises no matter what challenges you face.
So visit Tonyevans dot org today, make your donation and
(12:44):
let us send you the complete Believing is Seeing series
along with Anchored by Faith. Again, that's Tonyevans dot org.
Or call one eight hundred, eight hundred thirty two twenty
two where members of our resource team are standing by
around the clock to help you. That's one eight hundred
eight hundred three two two two. Well, dontre Evans returns
(13:07):
now with more of today's lesson The Bible.
Speaker 1 (13:10):
Is the website. Jesus is the past code. In order
for you to get into the website. To understanding the Bible,
you must google Jesus because he is the centerpiece of
divine revelation.
Speaker 3 (13:29):
So you miss Jesus, you're going to miss the Word.
Speaker 1 (13:32):
In fact, in John chapter five, verses thirty nine to forty,
the pharisees Jesus said, you study the Bible because you
think you have eternal life.
Speaker 3 (13:41):
But you have missed me.
Speaker 1 (13:43):
So evidently you can study the Bible and miss the Lord,
as these two disciples had done. They had studied the
Bible and missed the Lord. You can be a biblical
scholar and miss the Lord. When I was in seminary
you study the Bible all day, all day, all day.
They evidently didn't want you to work, because they gave
(14:04):
you not only all day to be in class, but
then you had to spend the rest of your day
studying what you had learned in class. On top of that,
I had to learn Hebrew, I had to learn Greek.
Then I went to a doctoral program. I had to
learn German. I had to learn French because many of
the theological works were in German and French. And I
(14:25):
hearted New English, and I have to learn Hebrew and
Greek and German. And I'm just studying all night long,
burning the candle on both ends. And the more I learned,
the dryer I got. Because you can learn the Bible
and miss the Lord. You can come to church and
hear the Word and never experience the Lord. They were
(14:50):
hearing the Word but didn't know who was teaching them,
even though he had been with them before, and it
had created an emotional turmoil in their lives. So that's
our situation. Man gets interesting because it says in verse
twenty eight, they approached the village where they were going,
and he acted as though he were going.
Speaker 3 (15:13):
Father seven my walk. They come to the house.
Speaker 1 (15:18):
They come to the house and Jesus gives the benediction,
good to be with y'all, God bless you, and he
keeps going. It says, when it came to the place
where they were to go, he acted like he would
keep going. Now, why after a Bible study would Jesus
act like he would keep going? Because what God wants
(15:40):
to know after you have heard the Word is due
you want him. See a lot of folk come to
church for the Word, who don't mind if Jesus keeps
going after the sermon. They want the Word, but not
necessarily wanting him. That's why there's a disconnect and many
lives between Sunday and the rest of the week.
Speaker 3 (16:02):
Give me the Word, Jesus, you keep on rolling.
Speaker 1 (16:07):
Far too many of God's children are satisfied with sermons,
Bible studies, retreats, conferences, and a bunch of other informational
things that have absolutely nothing to do with transforming your life.
Speaker 3 (16:22):
Now, I'm gonna make a.
Speaker 1 (16:23):
Statement right now that may sound like heresy, but you'll
understand it as we go along here, and that is
the Bible is not enough. Now, don't misunderstand me. I
believe in the inerrancy of scripture, that it is the
word of God from Kiver to kive, pillar to post.
But like the Pharisees, if you have the Bible and
(16:45):
miss the Lord, nothing will happen. And a lot of
people are satisfied with academic knowledge about scripture, not the
person of scripture. He took the scripture, and it's as
when he took the scripture, he talked about himself. So
the scripture led to a person, not merely data for
(17:10):
the head information for the next Bible study class. You
can literally be biblically literate and spiritually way off base.
Speaker 3 (17:23):
So he acted like he was keep going do you.
Speaker 1 (17:27):
Want me or are you satisfied with your book knowledge?
Now that I've walked you through the whole Old Testament impeccably.
Speaker 3 (17:36):
We're told here in verse twenty nine.
Speaker 1 (17:39):
They urged him, saying, stay with us, for it is
getting toward evening. The day is nearly over, so it's late.
So he went in to stay with them. Guess what
he only went in when invited. Behold, I stand at
the door and knock. If any man opens the door,
Revelation three, I will come in and up with him.
(18:01):
He will not impose himself on you. He wants to
know whether you want him, and he will only come
if invited to do so. He not only wants to
know where you come to church, he wants to know
can he go home with you afterwards?
Speaker 3 (18:17):
Or are you satisfied to.
Speaker 1 (18:19):
Leave him here while you leave and say, nice Bible study,
nice sermon. But now I'm gonna go on with the
rest of my day. I got some football to watch,
I got some work tomorrow. I got this, I got that,
I got that. I pick you up next week, same time,
same station. Jesus, I know where you're gonna be next week.
(18:40):
I'll be there too. You got an hour and forty
five minutes with me. Hey, When you go to a restaurant,
you go in and they hand you a menu. The
menu gives you a written description of what the restaurant offers.
(19:01):
Sometimes you can salivate just reading the menu. In fact,
sometimes you can't figure out what you want because it
all looks good. So you look at the menu say hmm, boy,
well I like that. Boy, I think I might want
that woo. That looks good. Not only do you have
a written description, you have somebody who comes over and
does an exposition of the menu for you. Called a
(19:24):
waiter or a waitress, they explain what is written so
you can understand it. After you have heard the message
proclaimed by the waiter about how good it is, you
do not then say thank you and get up and leave.
(19:45):
The reason you do not say thank you and get
up and leave is that's not.
Speaker 3 (19:48):
Really why you came.
Speaker 1 (19:50):
It's needed because you came, but it's not why you came.
You did not come to read about food, nor did
you for somebody to explain what was written to you.
You came to experience what was written and explained.
Speaker 3 (20:10):
In your taste buds. You came for a meal, not
for a menu.
Speaker 1 (20:16):
You came for an experience, not just a smooth talking waiter.
You came for the reality of what the sign says.
Far too many of God's children are satisfied with the
menu let me read it. Others are satisfied with a
waiter who can explain what's on the menu.
Speaker 3 (20:37):
But that means if.
Speaker 1 (20:38):
All you get is a menu, and all you get
is a waiter, you still leave hungry because you've not
gotten what will satisfy. And what will satisfy is a person,
not merely a page to be read, or taught or explained.
Speaker 3 (20:56):
When you go for a job, you're going to give
them a resume.
Speaker 1 (21:00):
That resume will be a description of your qualifications for
that job. Your potential employer is not just gonna buy
it because you wrote it.
Speaker 3 (21:10):
They want some references.
Speaker 1 (21:13):
They want to know somebody else can validate what you
say about yourself. So you start with a resume, You
give them references, but they're still not satisfied because now
they want an interview. They want to see you for themselves.
God has a thick resume, sixty six books that describe
(21:38):
who he is, what he is like, what he is done,
what you.
Speaker 3 (21:43):
Can trust him to do. And the resume is thick.
Speaker 1 (21:48):
He not only has a thick resume, but throughout this
crowd he's got some references. There are some folk here
who can testify that what is on the resume is
real and he did not lie, because you've seen it
for yourself. But if you're just satisfied with a resume
(22:12):
or somebody else's reference, you don't get it. God wants
you to have an interview so you can see for
yourself what he is like. That goes beyond the resume.
That goes beyond the reference that has to do with
an experience. Because you have met Him for yourself. Many
(22:32):
of us have to piggyback on the faith of somebody
else because we haven't seen Him with our own eyes,
and so we are slow of heart to believe, and
therefore are ruled by things that take place that don't
make sense, especially when we have not seen Him with
(22:53):
our own eyes.
Speaker 2 (22:57):
Doctor Tony Evans on the importance of growth our faith
in order to see God's truth now. Today's message is
part of Tony's current series Believing is Seeing. As I
mentioned earlier, this eight part collection is available right now,
bundled along with a special bonus, Doctor Evans brand new
devotional and prayer guide anchored by Faith. You can receive
(23:20):
both as our gift when you make a contribution toward
the ministry of the Alternative. Take advantage of this limited
time offer today. Just visit Tonyevans dot org or call
our resource center at one eight hundred eight hundred thirty
two twenty two that's one eight hundred eight hundred three
two two two, or online at Tonyevans dot org. Before
(23:44):
we close, I have one more exciting update to share
Beginning next month, the Unbound podcast, hosted by Doctor Evans,
will be bringing honest, insightful, and inspiring conversations to you.
Each weekly episode of this podcast cast, we'll feature Tony
talking with guests from all walks of life about faith, culture, relationships,
(24:07):
and the real life experiences that shape us. These discussions
are designed to inspire, challenge, and deepen your walk with Christ.
Stay tuned. We'll be sharing more details as the November
launch approaches.
Speaker 3 (24:22):
Well.
Speaker 2 (24:22):
As we've been learning there's a huge difference between knowledge
and experience, Doctor Evans will tell us more about maintaining
that balance tomorrow as he talks about the contrast between
religion and relationship. I hope you'll join us
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