Is Something Blocking You from Seeing More of God? | Dr Tony Evans | Sermon Notes — Hello Pastor

Sermon Notes

Is Something Blocking You from Seeing More of God?

Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship • Jun 8, 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 challenges believers to examine their priorities and reposition God as the primary focus of their lives. Using the church of Ephesus in Revelation 2 as an example, he highlights how easy it is to remain spiritually active and hardworking while still losing your 'first love.' By remembering where we have fallen, repenting of our misaligned priorities, and repeating our initial acts of devotion, God promises to unveil Himself and grant us a deeper experience of His presence and power.

Themes

Prioritizing GodFirst LoveSpiritual IntimacyRepentance and RestorationRelationship vs. Religion

Pastor's Points

1.

Remember: Recall from where you have fallen

2.

Repent: Reverse your course and turn around

3.

Repeat: Do the deeds you did at first

Key Points

1.
The jar illustration shows that if you fill your life with little stones first, there is no room left for the big rock; God must be the big rock put in place first.
2.
Busyness with work, play, television, and even church activity can easily displace God from His rightful, primary position in our lives.
3.
Like the church at Ephesus, a church or believer can be serving, sacrificing, steadfast, separated, and suffering, yet still fail by leaving their first love.
4.
Spiritual activity and religion can easily camouflage a lack of personal intimacy with God.
5.
Putting God first means your commitment to Him outweighs your commitment to everything else, including your family, career, and personal agenda.
6.
Remembering requires recalling the early passion and simple joy you had when you first realized your sins were forgiven.
7.
True repentance is not just confessing that you are on the wrong path, but turning around, adjusting your calendar, and changing your direction.
8.

Sermon Moments

“The object lesson of the jar filled with pebbles where the big rock could only fit when put in first.”

“Comparing ancient Ephesus to modern New York City to emphasize how believers must stand out in a busy, metropolitan culture.”

“The warning that religious busyness can camouflage a lack of intimate relationship with God.”

“The personal illustration of driving 25 hours straight to Baltimore, showing how performance can cause you to lose the actual purpose of the trip.”

“Defining confession versus repentance through the highway metaphor: confession is admitting you're driving south instead of north; repentance is taking the exit and turning around.”

“Explaining that losing your first love is not a simple mistake, but a sin of spiritual rebellion before God.”

“Differentiating between physical ears and spiritual ears ('he who has an ear') when responding to God's Word.”

This Week

Audit your daily schedule to identify 'stones' (entertainment, social media, work) that may be crowding out time for 'the Rock.'

Block out 5 to 15 uninterrupted minutes first thing in the morning or during a peak alert time to spend in prayer and reading God's Word.

Examine your heart to see if you are seeking God for who He is rather than just for the blessings He can provide.

Practice biblical repentance by adjusting your weekly calendar to intentionally prioritize devotional time and church gathering.

Reflect on your early days of salvation to remember the initial joy and love you felt for Christ.

Evaluate any personal relationships or family commitments that may have taken higher priority than your commitment to God.

Re-engage in foundational spiritual habits (such as daily quiet time, prayer, and scripture meditation) that you used to practice regularly.

Remember This

God demands and deserves to be first in your life, not just fitted into whatever leftover time you have after pursuing everything else.

A Challenge for You

The one who loves me, I will disclose myself to him... You want to experience more of Him, love Him first. When you choose first to please Him, He will unveil Himself to you.

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