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Dr. Tony Evans: God has placed everything under Jesus. Point. Believing in God is not enough.

Guest (Male): Dr. Tony Evans says the world's best theology won't do you a bit of good until it moves from your head into your heart.

Dr. Tony Evans: Unless Jesus Christ is with you, then what you have is insufficient for changing things on earth.

Guest (Male): This is the alternative broadcast featuring the timeless biblical teachings from the archives of Dr. Tony Evans. Many Christians live life playing defense, just trying to fend off the enemy's attacks. Today, Dr. Evans talks about how believers can switch to the offense and start moving toward the goal God has given them. Let's listen as he begins.

Dr. Tony Evans: God had a house called Eden. He put Adam and then Eve in it. And he said, now oversee this. This is not yours as owner. It's yours as manager. From every tree of the garden you may freely eat. We're going to give you the run of the house. That is except this one restriction. The tree in the middle of the garden, don't mess with that. Because if you do, you're going to die. Great freedom, limited restriction, dire consequences. The reason that God put him there was because the earth had become contaminated by the devil. God judged the devil and remodeled the earth and gave it to man because the devil had ruined it.

And told him to manage it on God's behalf. The devil wanted his Eden back. And so he slithered up to Adam in Genesis chapter 3 and got Adam to intentionally rebel against him. The Bible says that Eve was deceived, but Adam went into this with eyes wide open. God had told Adam then along with Eve to expand his kingdom in history through the replication of his image to mirror him all over planet earth. The devil took the lesser creature over which man was created to rule, used the lesser creature, the serpent, to overrule man in order to reclaim the earth.

And so much authority was given to Adam that he could give away the earth. Because that's why the devil could offer the kingdoms of this world to Jesus because Adam had given them over to the devil. 1 Corinthians chapter 15 it says verse 21 for since by a man came death, by a man also came the resurrection from the dead. Verse 22 for as in Adam all died, so also in Christ all will be made alive. Verse 45 So it is written, the first man Adam became a living soul. The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.

If you want to understand all of history, understand one word, Adam. The devil now hears that there is this seed. There is somebody else. He thought he got it with the first Adam, but he hears there is this seed coming. So what he must do is interrupt this seed. He's got to kill this seed before the seed ever has an opportunity to be born. So what he does is he gets Cain to kill Abel. But then the Bible says in Genesis chapter 4 that that Eve had another baby boy named Seth. And when she had Seth, men began to call on the name of the Lord again.

So a new seed pops up. As a result of that, the Bible says the demons in Genesis chapter 6 inhabited men who had relationships with women, creating a demonized race. So God has to destroy the whole world except Noah and his family. But then Satan infiltrates a man named Nimrod. Nimrod builds Babylon and he builds Assyria, two civilizations that rebelled against God. They gather at the tower of Babel in order for man to rule. God comes down, confuses their language, and then he goes over to Ur and finds a man named Abraham and says, I'm going to create through you a new seed.

The new seed through the Abrahamic lineage gets caught up in a place called Egypt with pagan gods who are now holding God's seed people hostage. God then goes to Midian, finds a man named Moses and tells Moses, go tell Pharaoh, let my people go. If you recall when Moses was born, Satan tried to kill the seed by killing all the boys so God could never call Moses. But Satan was aced by grace cuz God came in and created another mechanism even in Pharaoh's house to bring about the deliverance of Moses. You go through the whole Old Testament and you've got this back and forth, back and forth, seed counter seed, seed counter seed.

There is 400 silent years between the end of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New Testament. So we don't know what's going on only to discover in Matthew chapter 1 so and so we got so and so we got so and so we got so and so we got so and so we got so and so. You get down to Matthew chapter 1 verse 16 it says who we got Mary who was married to Joseph through whom was born Jesus Christ. Up until this time God would find a man and use a man.

But when you hit the New Testament, God becomes a man. He says, let me come on down here and take care of this mama myself. And through a virgin birth, through fertilizing a woman's egg with the Holy Spirit, you have the most unique being. He's a man, but he's also God. So heaven and earth get realigned again. If you don't understand the Bible, just understand there are two Adams. There is the first Adam in which all die. But then he says there is this last Adam named Jesus Christ who is, he says, a life-giving spirit.

In Jesus Christ heaven and earth were unified. That 's why Herod tried to kill every boy under 2 years of age because Satan had to get rid of this seed. And then he crucified him on the cross not understanding that there would be following a resurrection from the dead. And the whole point of it is reclaiming the kingdom that the first Adam abandoned. That's the whole point of it. Now look at Colossians. Colossians chapter 1 verse 13. For he rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved son in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of creation. Jesus is the image of God. For by him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones and dominions or rulers or authorities. All things have been created through him and for him. He is before all things and in him all things hold together. He is head also of the body, the church, and he is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead so that he himself will come to have first place in everything. So let's get something straight.

Follow this now. With the resurrection and exaltation of Jesus Christ, he has been made head over all rule, all authority, and everything that claims to be in charge. In other words, he is now sitting as the head of state. You, if you have accepted Jesus Christ as your sin bearer, have transferred kingdoms. It says you verse 13 have been removed from the kingdom of darkness, the domain of darkness, into the kingdom of his beloved son. It's like a single woman who walks down the aisle, who gets married, and she is transferred from the kingdom of her father to the kingdom of her husband.

She is now under his home, no longer under her dad's home because homes she's transferred from. Want to have a problem in your family? Let the wife start going to the daddy to overrule the husband and you going to have a conflict of kingdoms. That's because the transfer means that the one you've transferred from no longer has final authority. What God has to deal with is kids who been transferred from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of Jesus Christ who still listening to the old head of the old house who owns the kingdom of darkness called the devil.

It brings you in conflict with the kingdom of his dear son. The Bible says that Jesus Christ has been made all head, all authority, all ruler. Now why do you need to know that? That means the things that look like they're in charge are not the final word. The things that look like they're calling the shots are not the final word. In fact, it gets so down to earth that you are not the final word. It says Jesus Christ is sitting in the oval office of the universe. He won back what the first Adam lost and he is now sitting as king.

He is now the final authority over all rule and all authority. He's the head of state. In fact, chapter 2 verse 14 and 15 says of Colossians, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us which was hostile to us and he has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. When he has disarmed the rulers and authorities, he made a public display of them and have triumphed over them through him. In other words, even the devil doesn't get the final say so anymore. Because if you belong to Jesus Christ, you're under his kingdom.

He's the final ruler. So even the devil doesn't get final say. In fact, Romans chapter 16 verse 20 says the devil is under your feet. Because everything is under Jesus's feet. So in other words, we you and I are supposed to be stomping on the devil. He's not supposed to be stomping on us. The last Adam did what the first Adam could not do. He is now overcome the world. He's overcome the devil. He has been enthroned and all of life is the recognition of Jesus Christ.

Guest (Male): So what difference will that powerful piece of theology make in our day-to-day life? Dr. Evans will return with some thoughts about that in just a moment. Now the principles we've been learning about in this series form the foundation of what the Christian life is all about. And that's why they deserve a second look. I encourage you to get the complete six-part collection, The Kingdom Agenda, so you can review these lessons at your own pace and be better equipped to share these important truths with others. It's a practical look at God's plan for his kingdom and the difference it makes when we begin to see our lives, our relationships, our work, and even our church involvement through that perspective.

We'd like to send you all six full-length lessons on CD, USB flash drive, or instantly downloadable MP3s as our thank you gift when you make a contribution to support the alternative. And as an added bonus, we'll also include Dr. Evans's One Kingdom Under God paperback which goes hand in hand with this teaching and can help you recognize the part you play in God's eternal kingdom. Visit tonyevans.org to make your request or call our resource center at 1-800-800-3222 and let one of our team members assist you. That's 1-800-800-3222. I'll repeat that information after part 2 of today's lesson and this.

Guest (Male): On the Unbound podcast with Dr. Tony Evans, guests bring resonant stories and perspective insights to help you live with clarity and purpose.

Dr. Tony Evans: Whatever you love controls you. Nothing is stable except God that ends his truth.

Guest (Male): Listen to conversations about faith and the Bible in the context of our modern day.

Dr. Tony Evans: Unbound means unhindered. The word of God is not bound.

Guest (Male): Unbound with Dr. Tony Evans. Listen now.

Guest (Male): You can hear the Unbound podcast on your favorite podcast platform. Right now let's get back to Dr. Evans talking about the Lord of the Kingdom Agenda.

Dr. Tony Evans: The question is how does this work? I I hear I hear what some of you are saying there. You're saying, Pastor, okay, I got this. That sound good. First Adam, last Adam, but I can't pay my rent. I got the first Adam, Kingdom of God, Kingdom of the devil. That's fine, but my kids are driving me crazy. What has all this great theology that ties the Bible together, the kingdom and the rule of Jesus Christ as the new king in heavenly places? What what what's that all got to do with me? Let's look at one more passage.

Ephesians chapter 1. Ephesians chapter 1. Paul prays. He says verse 18, I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened. I hope you can see this, Paul says, so that you will know what is the hope of his calling, the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of his power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of his might which he brought about in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at the right hand in heavenly places far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and every name that is named not only in this age, but also in the age to come.

He put all things in subjection under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all. Jesus Christ by virtue of his resurrection ascension is now seated at the right hand of God. That's the power side of God, the right hand. That's the in charge side of God. Now here it is. Here it is. Watch this now. God has placed everything under Jesus. Point. Believing in God is not enough. Believing in God, calling on God's name, all that not enough.

Because God has decided what he's going to do in history based on a man. A man. It's got to be a man. So he has a regent, a person who has been elevated to run history. His name is Jesus Christ which is why when you pray you may not know you mean this, but when you pray you close it with in Jesus name. Because if Jesus doesn't okay it, it doesn't matter that you talk to God about it. It is your relationship with Jesus Christ that determines what happens in history, not your belief in God.

You can believe in God all you want. If Jesus Christ, the head of state, doesn't okay it, it doesn't pass with God. That's why Jesus says, if you want to honor the father, you must recognize the son. It is your connection with Jesus that brings heaven to earth, not your belief in God. So everybody walking around telling me I believe God, I love the Lord and all of that, that's nice and that 's good. It's insufficient. Because all rule has been placed underneath Jesus Christ. Now watch this. In verse 22 and 23 of chapter 1 says and he's been given to the church.

In other words, only Christians have access to Jesus Christ. In other words, just people who believe in God don't have access to Jesus Christ. And since Jesus Christ is the one through whom God works in history cuz he's been placed over all rule and all authority, then that means unless Jesus Christ is with you, then what you have is insufficient for changing things on earth. It takes Jesus Christ to change things on earth. What the devil wants to do is interrupt. If you have Direct TV, you get a signal from way out of space. But if you get static on the line, you can't see the picture.

It says searching for signal. And in a lot of our lives God is searching for signal. It's not that we don't have don't have the setup. It's not that we don't have the hookup. We just got an interruption in the signal. So we wonder why God isn't moving. God isn't giving me victory. God isn't giving me peace cuz he's searching for signal. But we've allowed the enemy to interrupt the flow of the signal. By our disobedience, by our rejection of the word, by our compromise with the world, we've allowed the enemy to stagger the signal so there's no authority from heavenly places being experienced in our lives.

You have been seated with him. Satan has the right to use his power for those who refuse to make Jesus Lord. He does not have the right to use his power for those who insist on making Jesus Lord. And for Jesus to be Lord, he gets the final say so in every situation. The bottom line is that who gets the final say so? Let me put it another way. Does Jesus have veto power in your life? Does he have the right to override? If he does not have the right to override, he does not have veto power.

And if he does not have veto power, you don't have kingdom connection. He's searching for signal. And if you don't have kingdom connection, you don't see kingdom authority, kingdom rule. You don't see the rule of God operating in your life. So you don't see the prayers being answered, the victory, the power, the deliverance. You don't see it because God is still searching for signal. Because there has been the interruption. But for those who make Jesus Lord, that means you're operating in kingdom jurisdiction. You know, if you become a citizen of the United States, whatever country you coming from is now secondary.

I don't care how much you loved it. I don't care how long you were raised in it. Once you transfer and become American citizen, your allegiance is back there becomes secondary to your allegiance here even though you're brand new. When you accept the Christ, you not only got a ticket to heaven, you change kingdoms from history. And it's being done by a man. And watch this. You'll be forever reminded of it because when you see Jesus in heaven, there will still be nail prints in his hand, nail prints in his feet, and a scar on his side.

When he rose from the dead, the first thing the disciples saw were the nail prints in his hand. God told Thomas, touch my hand. You see the nail print? Put your finger in the holes in my hand. Why did he keep the holes in his hand even after he was glorified? To let you know there is a man running this thing. The God man to be for sure, but he is fully man. And that's why the Bible says he can sympathize. Because he knows what pain feels like. He knows what loneliness feels like. He knows what abandonment feels like.

He knows what sin feels like. Not his sin. He knows bearing our sin and the consequences of it. He knows what all that feels like. God the father has never had to deal with that. God the son did. He's a man and that's why he died. You and I are dealing with something here. You're dealing with something here. And Jesus Christ is now seated in heaven, managing earth based on the positioning of his people or the lack thereof. You have to be under his jurisdiction if you want to share in his authority as a human being.

If you go to heaven, that'll take care of that. You and I messed up now. It's all about the last Adam bringing back the kingdom of God from Satan, creating a new fumble and a new recovery. So it's time for the defense to get off the field. The ball has been turned over to Christ now. So now you can get to play offense.

Guest (Male): Dr. Evans will return in a moment with an illustration that drives home the difference between the first and second Adam. But first I want to let you know that today's message, The Lord of the Kingdom Agenda is part of that powerful series I told you about earlier, The Kingdom Agenda. Now's the time to get in touch with us to receive the full-length version of all six messages in this collection including material we won't have time to present on the air. We'll send you the complete series on CD, USB flash drive, or digital download as our gift when you make a contribution to support our ministry.

And for a limited time we'll also include Tony's One Kingdom Under God paperback, a resource written to help you see the world through God's eyes as you recognize the part you play in his kingdom. Get the details online at tonyevans.org or call our 24-hour resource center at 1-800-800-3222. That's 1-800-800-3222. A covenant is a promise and then some. Tomorrow Dr. Evans explains how our position within that covenant determines how much kingdom power, provision, and privilege we get to experience in life. You won't want to miss that. Right now though he's back with his final illustration for today.

Dr. Tony Evans: In closing, there were two mountain climbers who wanted to climb a mountain. So they were looking for some guides cuz it was a treacherous climb to the top. And so they found some guides and there were two guides and they said that well we'll take you up the mountain. We'll we'll we'll be your guides. The two men said, well what's what's your guide's name? And the first one said, well my name is Adam. He asked the second one, which which your name? He said, uh my name is Adam too. So we had two Adams trying to lead these two men up the mountain.

As they got up the mountain, the Adam at the bottom slipped. He slipped in a treacherous part of the mountain that oversaw a deep ravine. But he was tied to the other three guides, the two climbers and the Adam at top. When he slipped, he pulled the two climbers with him. When he fell, they fell with him because they were tethered, tied to him. So he's hanging over the cliff. The two people that were counting on him are hanging over the cliff. But the Adam at the top took his axe and dug in to the mountainside and held on and hollered, I got this.

Y'all grab the rope and climb back up cuz I'm going to hold it right here. The Adam that fell began to climb. The two who were counting on the Adam that fell began to climb because the Adam at the top wouldn't let go. Our first Adam fell, but you and I were tied to him. So you and I fell too. But the last Adam dug in and held on. And he says, anybody connected to me who climbs on me, I got this. I will hold you. The first Adam can't help you cuz he fell just like you fell.

But the last Adam has got you covered and can carry you all the way.