Well hello, folks.
Tony Evans here and seated in my kitchen
at my kitchen table. This is the table
where a lot of the life of the Evans
family has been lived. We would gather
around this table daily to eat, to talk,
to pray, to correct, to encourage, to bless,
to have devotions. This was a
centerpiece of the Evans household as
our four children grew up here. We also
had to deal with issues from this table,
issues that our kids were facing at
school or issues that were happening in
the world. So, I guess it's appropriate
that it's from this table I talked to you
today about issues. Coronavirus is an
issue. It has captivated the mind and the
attention of the whole world
collectively and each of us individually.
As you gather in your home, as I'm in
mine, because now Dallas County where I
live is under a state home
Edict. So, we we need to be in our homes.
But you know, it's also an opportunity.
It's an opportunity to take this space
and time away from the hustle and bustle
of everyday life and reevaluate:
reevaluate what matters most, reevaluate
the importance of family, reevaluate
life. Because now everything has been
turned topsy-turvy and we should never
let a good crisis go to waste.
That's what Winston Churchill said. This
really is a time
to draw near to God, to draw near to one
another, and to see what he wants to say to us
through this trial that we're all facing.
Now, the great danger is that we will turn
legitimate concern into illegitimate
fear. You know, we got enough virus to
worry about, Corona, then to turn fear
into another kind of a virus. In fact, it
may be more people who are being
affected by the virus of fear than by
the virus of Corona. Because of the
uncertainty involved. And yet, the Bible
makes it clear that we are not to be
controlled by fear. Yes, we ought to be
responsibly concerned, but don't let fear
own your emotions or own your decisions
or own your choices. No, God is too big
for that, our heavenly father is too
awesome for that and it doesn't do you
any good to live in fear. You know, second
Corinthians chapter 10, the first five
verses, says that you and I ought to take
every thought captive to obedience to
Christ. We're being bombarded by the
news, right? And they are affecting our
thinking. You know, we look at the stats,
we look at the spread, we look at the
difficulties people are facing, we look
at the warnings, we look at the edicts, we
look at the confusion, we look at the
uncertainty, and if you let that news
consume you, it will own not only what
you think, but as a result, how you feel.
Oh, but second Corinthians 10 says to
take every thought captive to Christ. So
instead of spending all of your time
listening to what the news media
has to say, let's spend a lot more time
listening to what God has to say so that
He affects our emotions more than the
news media.
After all, God is not operating with
question marks. He's not operating with
uncertainty, He's not operating in
confusion, that's what people are doing.
He operates and confidence and certainty
and stability.
You've never need God, your family has
never needed God, the Church of Jesus
Christ has never needed God, and the
culture has never needed God any more
than we need Him right now. And by the
way, that's the point. God is saying, "You
really do need Me, don't you?" So let's not
ignore Him who speaks because He is
screaming right now. I'm at my table, why
don't you go to your table, gather with
your loved ones who are near and dear
to you and sit around and talk about the
things that really matter. Cecause all of
a sudden, a lot of things that we thought
mattered, really doesn't matter that much
anymore, does it?
If you've got a roof over your head and
clothes on your back and food in your
stomach, this is a time for
thanksgiving, to think on the things you
are grateful for, to thank God that you
are okay, and to pray for those who are
not okay and those were working with
those who are not okay. It shifts the
equation of our priorities. So I'm at my
table, why don't you go to your table? Why
don't you give thanks to your Father and
mine and why don't you do what you can
do to show compassion to those here? Our
Church in Dallas, we're reaching out to
the elderly, we're reaching out to the
sick, we're reaching out to the needs of
the community as we're able. Everybody
can do something in a responsible way to
say, "You know, God matters, people matter."
Everything else should support those two.
Anything else has to be put in its
proper place down the line.
So I'm going back to my table, you go
back to your table and let's all let God
know that he is the centerpiece on the
table as we trade our fears for trust in
a God who loves us even when we're going
through a trial. God bless you.