The Sting of the Hidden Hornet [Part 2]

Pastor author and Bible teacher Alan Wright have to keep that hit it hidden hornet stinging you all the time you can be a real excited for you to hear the teaching today. In the series for yourself yourself. I want to make sure you know how to get our special resource right now could be yours for your donation this month to Helen Wright ministries as you listen to today's message go deeper as we send you today's special offer. Contact us at pastoralan.org or call 877-544-4860 that's 877-544-4860. More on that later in the program. Now let's get started with today's teaching here Alan Wright only thing we know about a marriage in paradise as they were naked and and then you know the story as soon as sin enters into the world.

What happens is that in verse eight of chapter 3. They heard the sound of the Lord walking in the garden in the cool of the day and the man his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among all the trees of the garden. The Lord God called Amanda said where are you, because the sovereign omniscient Lord didn't know where they were. It was because he was highlighting through his question the fact the silliness of them trying to hide but they were hiding. I heard the sound of you. Adam said, and I was afraid because I was naked and I hid myself and he said, who told you you were naked. Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat, and the man said the woman you gave to be with me. She gave me for the tree and I ate so the only thing we know about a relationship before sin entered the world, is it that they were naked and they knew no shame in the first thing we learn about a relationship after sin and the world is that they became ashamed. And with that, shame came fear and with that fear. They began to cover themselves up and then immediately Adam started becoming laming and trying to shift all of the shame because you see if you if you become aware.

If you suddenly become self-conscious and you feel exposed, then your instinct is to just cover up close up and and ole buddy see you left the story my friend and mentor Dudley Hall has told about the old days, where sometimes there were churches that had that the baptismal pool like under the platform and they would just move pulp and stuff out of the way when it came time for the baptisms and then they open up the pool and they just stepped in there and they would baptize people in the pool right under the platform and oftentimes they just have some curtains that were set up on the side of the platform with the baptismal candidates could go in they could change their clothes and come either close and put on a baptismal Gannon and be baptized but and in one instance, one evening at this little little church. It came time is woman was being baptized and while she was being baptized, there was a man he is behind the curtain he was changing his clothes and as the woman was getting out of the pool. She reached up and she grabbed hold of the of the. The poll, the curtain that was hanging on and when she did she pull down the curtain accidentally and there and all his nakedness to this man who was ready to put on his gown to be baptized and all he could do was he saw there was a chair so just grab this chair and hid behind it like this was some wise deacon ran back in the room. Cut out the lights so that was dark and they just left the lights out for what seemed to be an eternity, you know, to give the guy plenty of time to get out of there, get his gal argues close on or something and finally when it seems safe to cut the light back on and there was the man still behind the chair is never new when the light would come back on you know that if a chair is all you got a hold chair all that's that's when Adam and Eve they felt. He suddenly felt like that.

Winston came into into the world and the Lord is so gracious. That right there in the opening chapters of Genesis. When you begin to see is that though sin is, the world and though shame has come into the world. What is the Lord do does he say when you're just going to have to just stand there and all of your nakedness and just feel the weight of the shame what he does instead.

Instead the text says that the Lord makes make clothing out of skins for them.

They had make clothing for themselves out of some kind of leaves are somewhat, but the Lord in the first sacrifice the first blood offering the Lord let blood be shed so that clothing could be made so that their shame could be covered never forget this. The Lord has from the beginning intended through blood to cover our shame. Well, this began the plight of humanity where their sin and their shame and there is a pattern that we've been learning about that builds when you have shame start working in your mindset and it is rightly called a stronghold. The words of Paul, the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh, but have divine power to destroy strongholds.

We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God and take every thought captive to obey Christ Wednesday. Talk about a stronghold that maybe you're like me, I'd heard of strongholds on heard of this mention of spiritual circles, but I didn't really know what this what this is all about, but I begin to think about strongholds reading the Old Testament references to strongholds in which he realizes it, literally, a stronghold is a strategic fortress wall gets built, usually at a high place so that would give advantage over an enemy. So here's idea and it would find I find some tell Laura mountain or hill build up a fortress build a strong, high wall, and then the enemy is is say there's enemy going to be attacking you. The enemy can hide behind that wall and therefore you can't see the enemy but the enemy has a strategic advantage of firing the arrows you and is like you could fire arrows back but it just hits the wall and bounces off hits the wall and bounces off really know what you're shooting at and and so many people that I've prayed with an counsel with over the years that find that there near the same for setting problems the same same kinds of patterns is like you know you feeling there something you want to overcome it. But you thought you tried everything you you you study the Scriptures are you quoted the Scripture you been held accountable. You mind if you had counseling you had prayer you know it but it just like that.

It just it just keeps defeating you what this could be because of a stronghold will what what a stronghold really is. In the words of one writer is a house of thoughts. It is like an argument.

The gets built up against the gospel. We don't realize that is being built up against the gospel and and shame is one of the major strongholds that built in our souls is like an invisible house of thoughts in the soul and we don't even realize that it got built there but again, for the enemy of your soul for the powers of hell and all of temptation against you in life there is always an attempt to get a stronghold, a negative stronghold built up in your thinking so that it would give the enemy a strategic advantage against you and to be able to hide from you how I'm saying here is that this is the nature of spiritual warfare. This is the nature of of what goes on in temptation itself and also to give you an example of how at least one simple example of how a stronghold could could be built right will have more teaching moment from today's important series to be accepted perfectly free to be yourself with no fear of injection. The last know my anxious feeling that you feel like the pressure is always on longing for life, with the notion in paradise before sin came into the world's relationship notion since the foundation has been to the temple some condescending small tiny perfect in order to meet others to decide to measure at them as well. Right now it is pleasing shame and there is only the grace of God in Jesus Christ. How we cleaned look for yourself yourself exposes the shame he leads you into a revolution of God's love that heals your cell discover freedom joy as you shall performance-based living shame a few for good life-changing full-length book from Alan Wright for yourself. The gospel is shared when you get Alan Wright Ministries. This broadcast is only possible because of listener financial support. When you get today. We will send you a special offer. We are happy to send this to you as I banks from Alan Wright Ministries, seven 877-544-4860 877-544-4861 come to our website past Rowan.work days teaching now is give you an example of how at least one simple example of how a stronghold could could be built and it it starts it starts with something that's actually true. It starts with the idea that I I know I'm sinful and therefore it's tortuous to I am flawed. Now, as we have been discussing that that is true, that is a true statement. It is, is not to say that we are say oh we do in our of ourselves measure up. Not saying that shame is the idea that I don't measure up.

But now it's up to me to fix it and make myself acceptable so it starts with something that's actually true that says I am flawed.

But here's at least how I would analyze it in my life. Here's how it got started. Here's where the lie starts right here is because I am flawed, therefore I am less loved. See that's that's the beginning point of the stronghold right there if you can become convinced by all the snares of the of the of the powers of darkness.

However, temptation and wrong thinking gets into our thoughts and the things that we experience the wounds of our childhood. The things that people say to us the way people treated as whatever it might be if that little lie starts right there. I'm flawed and therefore I'm less loved. If that stone gets set in place than the stronghold is going to get built. It starts right there because if I'm less loved.

Because I'm flawed. Then of course I don't want anybody to know my flaws. I would never want somebody to know them because if you love me less because I'm flawed that I'm gonna open up with you. I want to close up the picture of hiding I might be hurting but I'm I'm I'm good to let you on to my pain because I'm afraid that you love me less if you see my flaws. Beloved one of the things you must say it right this point is that one of the great problems.

Therefore, for relationships is you can't have intimacy you can have a relationship if you can open up about your pain and about your flaws. If you can't be real.

How can you ever know that somebody does love you so we close up and for me what this meant was, not only product close so nobody can know all of your problems, but for me it also came with and what I need to do is I need to be better. I need to do more. I need to be more than I am that if you if you would love me less because my flaws. Maybe you would love me more if I could be more if I could do more in the wall starts getting built and you see that as it starts getting built if you could imagine. There could be an enemy to be a predator to be a voice to be a temptation that begins to hide behind it. The problem with this kind of of wall is least for my life and for many, many people to go down this particular path is that the message is not just be more the message never stops. And it finally becomes what you really need to be is the final stone gets laid to the wall is you need to be perfect. You need to never rest until you get everything just right and there's a stronghold and what happens when there's a stronghold is that you don't even realize. But there is now a whole nest of little lies that comes and can hide behind that wall. You can't get to it and you can't seem to stop it you can't seem to stop that little nagging voice even when you get into a good relationship then is a little voice that little voice because that yeah find out who you really are is to go so well for little voice can come in behind us and and is called covetousness and it can start saying you know your problem is you don't have as much as so-and-so lost can hide behind this wall. Yeah, this anxiety would go away. You just need to satisfy those urges you have this addiction can lie behind this because the answer is just to mask all this all these voices the hide behind stronghold. I think what happens. Beloved is sometimes what we do is we are so busy trying to attack our behaviors or try to to mold our behaviors were trying to live a better life and try to be a better Christian were wondering why am I not getting more success. Why, why is this why am always beset with the same thoughts one always beset with the same issues and it's it's oftentimes because there's a strong will and what Paul says about the stronghold is that the gospel is the power of the gospel is is released for the demolishing of a stronghold. Think about it. How would you go about tearing down this little wall that has been built here will the first thing to say about it is that really since they were my thoughts and I built them I can tear them down and you tear it down by replacing the first lie because that's the foundation. So this this first lie that says that I am less loved. If something dawns on you because of the announcement of the gospel inside your heart and what you realize is that in Jesus Christ. I don't care all my mistakes.

I'm not less love, I am so love and what you do is you just come in and you just say you just say no. I want to take that stone out and you know what if you just could replace that very forcefully it will happen is always fun to go falling down the sky like that in your soul if you can find out you get hold of some of the foundational lies of the enemy's use against you and you just pull that thing out of your thinking you know what begins to happen is is feels like the way the world falls and all of a sudden now you find yourself wait a minute. The enemy has no place to hide.

I'm living in the light as he's in the life I start seeing the gospel for all the truth that all the power of it. The fact of the matter is that the Proverbs Proverbs 18 to says the name of the Lord is a strong tower and the righteous run into it and the fact of the matter is that there can be a whole no will built up but this one is by the gospel. This is the strong tower of the righteousness of Jesus Christ and in the name of the Lord. We can run into that and there we are safe. So instead of saying that because I am I am but I am flawed.

I'm less love what the gospel says is that yes I am flawed, but I am so love and what that means, therefore, is I don't have to close up. I can just open up and I don't have to always be more and more I can begin to just accept who I am.

But knowing that I am accepted in the Lord and instead will ultimately just have to become perfect. My life becomes more one of worship where I'm able to surrender my life to God and and and except accept circumstances as they come.

Knowing the God is my strong refuge that God himself through the shed blood of the Lord Jesus Christ has made the way possible for me to be set free in other words, beloved, you don't have to keep that hit it hidden hornet stinging you all the time you can be real because as you open up and this is what can happen.

It could happen in your small group. It can happen in the body of Christ anywhere can happen in your encounter with God as you open up what you find that your loved and when you taste the love of God that is unconditional is paradise is paradise. Alan Wright in today's good news teaching and the skiing of the hidden hornet from the series for yourself. Be yourself. Pastor Ellen is back with us in the studio in just a moment with today's parting good news though accepted perfectly free to be yourself with no fear of injection rolled her eyes, letting last no more anxious feeling that you feel like the pressure is always on longing for life with no show paradise before sin came into the world and this relationship is ever since the fall of the human heart has been around until you can't be too soon. Condescend tiny perfect in order to meet others to decide who listens on the measure at them as well. Right now the road ahead is pleasing fashion. And there's only the grace of God in Jesus Christ. How we cleaned look for yourself yourself exposes the lies of shame. He leads you into a revolution of God's love that heals your cell discover freedom joy as you shall performance be spreading shame a few for good life-changing full-length book from Alan Wright for yourself. The gospel is shared when you get Alan Wright Ministries.

This broadcast is only possible because of listener financial support. When you get today.

We will send you a special offer. We are happy to send this to you as I banks from Alan Wright Ministries, seven 877-544-4860 877-544-4861 come to our website pastoralan.org with Pastor at all, and in our parting good news thought today. I'm sure it has something to do with honesty and being you know it's not just that we start with being on is that hey something in stinging me but it is in replacing the lies that have gotten built on top of the live shame and at our conference. We actually set up these boxes it look like stones and does not come down when you pull out that foundational lie that says I can't be accepted as I am, and destroy that lie because not true. The fact of the matter is, Christ died for us, knowing full well all of our sin, and so were accepted not because we're without sin, but because were loved and because of the mercies and sacrifice of Jesus. Once you correct that with even though I sin I am so loved by God. Now you build a whole new wall of strength. That to me that's the that's the fortress of grace and that's what the righteous run into.

So you don't have to keep being stung, and you don't have to let your life get built up on a series of of wrong thoughts. You can tear it all down and you can start building it right now on the grace of God. Have you ever felt an inward sting that you felt like you just didn't want to tell anybody about or maybe it's time to tell somebody. Maybe it's time to find somebody you really trust and say my soul has been stung and I feel ashamed and I need to talk to someone about it because I can't keep it hidden anymore. You don't have to wait until the pain is so bad you can do it now find somebody and somehow you trust to understand the grace of God and share with them.

Pray together and watch the healing begin. Thanks for listening today.

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