Are You Delaying What God Called You to Do? | Dr Tony Evans | Sermon Notes — Hello Pastor

Sermon Notes

Are You Delaying What God Called You to Do?

Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship • Nov 23, 2025 • 28 min

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Take this message with you through a journey of Scripture, reflection, and prayer.

Summary

In this message, Dr. Tony Evans addresses the danger of being an 'auditing Christian' who consumes God's Word without applying it or giving Him first place. Examining Luke 9, Dr. Evans reveals three common barriers to true discipleship: preferring convenience over hardship, delaying spiritual priorities for worldly security, and allowing double-mindedness or family expectations to pull us away from Christ. Believers are called to stop delaying their divine assignment and wholeheartedly follow Jesus without looking back.

Themes

Discipleship and Cost of Following ChristPutting God FirstOvercoming Procrastination and DelayProsperity Theology vs. True SacrificeDouble-Mindedness and Single-Minded Focus

Pastor's Points

1.

Man Number One: The Scribe who wanted to follow Christ during popular times, but was challenged on whether he would endure inconvenience and lack when blessings weren't flowing.

2.

Man Number Two: The man invited by Jesus who requested to 'bury his father first,' delaying spiritual obedience to secure his financial inheritance and worldly security.

3.

Man Number Three: The man who promised to follow Jesus but requested to bid farewell to his family first, struggling with double-mindedness by looking back while hand was on the plow.

Key Points

1.
An auditing Christian comes to church for information and enjoyments, but has no intention of applying God's Word to daily choices.
2.
While salvation is entirely free through faith in Jesus Christ, true discipleship and experiencing God's power on earth requires sacrifice.
3.
Believers should give to give rather than give to get, avoiding turning God into a spiritual slot machine or cosmic Santa Claus.
4.
Jesus tests the sincerity of our commitment by allowing difficult seasons to reveal whether we love Him or merely what He can do for us.
5.
The second man in Luke 9 used the obligation of burying his father as an excuse to delay following Jesus until his worldly security was settled.
6.
Spiritual priorities must never be placed on the back burner while waiting for financial, career, or life circumstances to align.
7.
The third man demonstrated double-mindedness by putting his hand to the plow while looking back toward home and former attachments.

Sermon Moments

“We'll call it audit church because they don't intend on doing anything with it.”

“Heaven has been covered by the blood. Earth requires a price.”

“You don't give to God to get... You give to give, and then you get.”

“Foxes have holes, birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head.”

“Let the spiritually dead bury the physically dead.”

“Don't spend your lifetime waiting to get security before you make a decision to follow me.”

“cuz if you got your hand on the plow and you're looking back, that means you're going crooked. Cuz you can't go straight looking back.”

This Week

Stop 'auditing' weekly sermon messages; write down one clear action step from God's Word to put into practice immediately.

Evaluate your motives for serving and giving to ensure you are giving out of pure service rather than transactional expectation.

Identify any area in your life where you are delaying obedience to God until your financial or temporal situation improves.

Refuse to let family opinions, social pressures, or past commitments overrule God's clear calling on your life.

Set aside time this week to establish God as your primary priority in your morning routine, schedule, and financial choices.

When facing challenging or uncomfortable seasons, choose to remain steadfast in following Christ rather than departing when convenience fades.

Let go of past regrets, old comforts, or former attachments that cause you to look back instead of plowing forward for the Kingdom.

Remember This

Experiencing the full presence and power of God requires placing Him first in every decision without delaying obedience for worldly security or looking back at past comforts.

A Challenge for You

Do not let the physical world cause you to delay the spiritual world. Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and give Him the rightful first place in your choices today.

These are personal sermon notes shared to help you remember the message — not a replacement for Scripture, your church, or your pastors.