Seeing the Infinite Value of People [Part 1]

Pastor author and Bible teacher Alan Wright.

Jesus was fully God was fully human. As a human being. He didn't take anything to the garden with them but some people that's faster welcome to another message of good news that will help you see your life in a whole new light.

I'm Daniel Britton excited for you to hear the teaching today. In the series you'll see as presented in an older church in North Carolina. If you're not able to stay with us throughout the entire program I want to make sure you know how to get our special resource right now.

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More on that later in the program but right now let's get started with today's teaching here is Alan writing.

Are you ready for some good news. Human beings are the most valuable treasure on earth, and that includes you. My thoughts are still meditative about the recent events of holy week as we thought about the cross, the crucifixion of Jesus and as we continue a series we call you'll see. I want to turn you today to Matthew chapter 26 at verse starting in verse 36 for the. The narrative of him, praying in Gethsemane. Matthew 2636 then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane and he said to his disciples sit here while I go over there and pray and taking with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled, and then he said that my soul is very sorrowful, even to death remain here and watch with me, so his soul is so burdened that he almost could die under the weight of it.

That's what's going on with Jesus and he says remain here and watch with me is 100 pray wants him to to wake fully thoughtfully intercede for the son of God. In verse 39 and going a little father he fell on his face, and prayed saying father if it is possible, let this cup pass from me. Nevertheless, not as I will but as you will.

So we envision a cup of wrath of suffering of hardship that was in front of them didn't want to do it.

He was being tempted not to do it and he wanted his disciples with them. Verse 40 and he came to the disciples and found them sleeping and he said to Peter, so could you not watch with me one hour watch and pray that you may not enter temptation. The spirit indeed is willing but the flesh is weak again for the second time he went away and he prayed my father. If this cannot pass unless I drink it. Your will be done and again he came and found them sleeping for their eyes were heavy, so leaving them again. He went away and prayed for the third time, saying the same words again and then he came to the disciples and he said sleep and take your rest later on. My niece Courtney and her husband Matt Stewart is a worship leader at our Clemens campus have two precious precious I'm biased, of course, but beautiful little children, Wesley and Bethany and the families that are experiencing some sheltering in place.

I know, especially the little ones at some point you just gotta try to figure out something for a change of scenery. When you're all cooped up the playgrounds are closed but the parks are open and so Courtney took the kids to Tanglewood Park. I got out of the house. They went to Tanglewood Park and they went out. I guess for a stroll and it was so precious because Jesus said that all of a sudden Wesley just looked up and he said luck mommy people as if you are like ghetto zoo like a giraffe like some exotic creature that he had spotted out where we are. We are isolated from one another like never before. I know some of you have maybe some difficult people in your workplace.

Some of your coworkers may be that you're like going to get to get to be away from them for a while.

Some wit has posted the three stages of working from home. Pretty funny.

Stage one yeah I get to work from home.

Stage II, it would be nice to talk to some people and stage III. I hope that pigeon sits in the window to get a cell phone. You do the roles of people as dog or a pastor friend of mine and he was at things in a convenience store. He had his mask on and socially distant from another woman in line. She had her mask on and they struck up a conversation to strangers is an end and finally they start laughing he said it you think where we need some be around some people because in that ironic. Most the time in life. If you run into somebody in a convenience store the mask as a stranger you don't talk to you talk a we need. We need people and were all ceiling and maybe this is one of the things that God's going to do is he's going to teach us something not just about the value and majesty of who Christ is, but the value and majesty of who people are.

That's what I want talk to about today we have minimal series call. You'll see because it's about a new spiritual discipline to pause and pray little prayer Jesus had you see this is what we're learning is that if you can see something in a new way then it'll change the way you think of what you feel and all your behaviors will naturally follow what I want to show you today is how Jesus sees people we have in previous weeks, talked about how Jesus views those are called centers and the compassion he had we seen how he looked out the masses of people who were confused and they were like sheep without a shepherd. We we've seen some interactions it has with people but today in a narrative that's very surprising were going to see Jesus was fully God, but also fully human. As a Jesus who really needed people maybe will learn something about who people really are in an it'll make you never look on people the same way ever again.

Our story today is set in the garden.

The garden of Gethsemane and was interesting is that the whole of the Bible narrative starts in a garden that God has created and is interesting in Genesis chapter 1.

As we have seen in previous weeks. There is a refrain in which God after each aspect each day of creation sees it is good and so you see the words and God saw was good and got salt was good and God thought was good. And God saw that it was good but there was one thing that was not good and on about before sin came in the world, even though it's paradise. There was something Genesis 2 verse 18 the Lord God said it is not good that the man should be alone make a helper fit for him. In other words, it was paradise. No sin in the world. And yet there was something that wasn't good is not good for a human being to not be with another human being. Interestingly, in the Genesis narrative.

There's one other departure from the regular rhythm of and God saw was good and got salt was good this this other departure comes just it. In Genesis 1 2627. The God said, let us make man in our image, after our likeness. So we are made in the image of God in the likeness of God and let them have dominion over the fish of the scene of the birds of the heavens and of the livestock and over all of the earth and over every creeping thing, and he goes on to so God created man in his own image and the image of God he created him male and female he created them and God saw that it was all very good. So there is a refrain that got salt was good. Got salt was good but one thing wasn't good and that was that. That man was alone and there is one thing that God saw that was very good and that was once he had finished and made Adam and Eve so fast forward to our story and it is about Jesus, who is approaching the time of his great agony. The passion of Christ has begun his suffering. He he knows what's coming. He knows that there is what the Bible image is of a cup that he's gonna have to drink it is to say that there is suffering that is in front of him. Alan Wright will have more teaching moment from today's important series. Let us help you give a gift, that money can't buy.

Give someone your blessing positive biblically-based faith filled vision for their life in the beginning God blessed Adam and Eve and then told them to be fruitful and multiply, because in God's design blessing isn't the reward for productivity. It's the fuel for it. Now more than ever, someone you love needs your blessing and we're here to help you craft this month. Special offer from Alan Wright is a beautiful booklet that will teach you how to craft an blessing for easy step-by-step instructions are biblically based, and even include a worksheet that helps you write your blessing. So this Christmas. Give someone you love a present, not found in stores, a gift from your own heart that will encourage and empower write down the blessing and put it in the package under the tree or put it in your Christmas card will never forget it when you make your gift Alan Wright Ministries this month will send you this booklet is our thinking so you can discover the power to bless and we are in our final days of offering the special product. Call us at 877-544-4860 or visit pastor and.org these teaching now can you once again is Alan Wright at the Last Supper, he announced that he would be betrayed.

Judas was there at the Passover meal and then Jesus heads over to the amount of all those which would just down over the valley and up on the next hillside and makes his way to the garden of Gethsemane where these ancient gnarled olive trees in this in this beautiful garden that is become forever associated with the the moment of Jesus is great agony and Gethsemane means all and olive press. It's it's it's going to be a pressing time for him and so here's what we read in Matthew 26 about this. They went and sung to him.

They went out to the Mount of olives and Jesus said to them, you will all fall away because of me this night, for it is written, I'll strike the shepherd and the sheep of the flock will be scattered after I'm raised up a go before you to Galilee and Peter answered them though they all fall away because you I will never fall away. And Jesus said to them, truly I tell you this very night before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times and Peter said to him, even if I must die with you, I will not deny you and all the disciples said the same. Jesus knew Judas had betrayed him that Peter would deny him three times.

He knew that all the been prophesied.

He knew that they would all scatter that when he needed them most. When he was nailed to a cross and suffocating needed their prayer the most. He knew they were all going to be scattered.

He knew all of this he named new health, frail and faithless. They were going to be and he still wanted them to go with him to Gethsemane. I can get that on my mind is just Jesus was fully God was fully human. As a human being. He didn't take anything to the garden with them but some people he longed for that companionship is to say that though marred by sin. Human beings are the most precious treasure on earth. People are the pinnacle of God's creation made in his image and worth the death of his son. Earthly commodities vary in value, but there is no price tag for a human life.

People are infinitely valuable people are infinitely valuable. Jesus was God, but he was human and he wanted he needed people. What is that say about the worth of the human being so fascinating and sociopaths that seem to hate people despise solitary confinement experiments done with mice that are isolated for months have proven that their brains narrow paths diminish in their brains decrease week. We are just not made to be out of survive, isolated, and when we went we not only don't want to be isolated from individuals. We wait we crave to be in society at large. You know when I was growing up we had two main shows every week Brady Bunch and Gilligan's Island, Gilligan Island about this story of of of the skipper and his his mate. Gilligan and how they get stranded on a deserted island that movie star and Mary and Anne and Mr. Ms. Howell and the professor and I just like watching Gilligan's out there all this island and the island honestly is a lowlight paradise because of his palm trees beautiful water. They have a lovely lagoon and that they never seem to be suffering for food. I mean skipper never really lose any weight, and in fact they seem to have no pretty good variety of foods that seems fine.

Their shelter seems okay. It's never too hot never to call them a few storms that come through and and every episode, though one way or another. The discussion the whole point of the show is I want to get off the island they want to get rescued.

They want to get back to civilization and an FUD equation that it comes in my mind is why their limited paradise.

It will tell you why is because not only do we not will be isolated from individuals. We don't want to be isolated from civilization at large and were discovering that our all of this leads me just to ask you how is it that Jesus sees people how does it how does he really look at human beings. I think if you asked that question of him. He'll show you will give you his eyes it, if you can see people as Jesus sees them is going to change the way you think about people is going to change the level of patient you have with people that tend to frustrate you is going change what you parent certainly change marriages and the workplace and our friendships and change all.

How does Jesus see people with what sorta eyes open for suit is that he sees every person with the eyes of a creator because he is Jesus is the one. According to John chapter 1 all things were made.

John chapter 1 verse one in the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was with was God. He was in the beginning with God in all things were made through him without him was not anything made that was made so Jesus is the agency of father God's creative force in the world and what that means is it every person. Jesus saw he saw them through the perspective of the creator and when you have made something is your creation. Don't you look at that differently, so I like every other American. I've been clean out the garage that I have it. I hold stuff off you go to the dump you but I there tell me that that the trash the landfills of their backed up people way the latter buys Clay think after their closets and their addicts and their their their their storage rooms. I've been in the garage LOI years ago we moved yes and I'm knuckle stuff things in this garage and in their just boxes of stuff I never even unloaded some wrote about and find some good treasures in thereof… It's hard yeah you gotta get into a mode that my words as I am throwing things out. I'm throwing things out. But every night you come because I will not, but that I found some slide slides like you put in a slide projector and projected up onto a screen. I found some old slides that were photos of my sis where the senior in high school at the AP Art yes AP Art and him and I and our part art project at the end what you got great on was you had all this portfolio and the way we send it in. Further, the national grading of it was, we took slides out and I found the slides I found the slide. I had my artwork had been an emphasis on Mountain mountain landscapes and our family through my slides, I got distracted looking almost larger sum of stuff that is not too bad, you know, and I wanted to tell you I kept my slides. I can't decide if it had been any pictures of anybody else's is not that good and they want to go right into the trash bag, but that was that was something I made right and that some going through boxes and and I realize you know it's not just the things that you've made that you treasure more highly but also if there's someone you love and it's something they made then you look on that differently. Don't you so I think it was probably an older preschool that Abby, our daughter Abby made a little sculpture.

Now she might be a little upset with me for putting this image up, but it was dear Pastor Chris is a fine message last week that there was a picture of me.

My high school graduation and my my seminary graduation and Abby I believe was the one who furnished those photos soak in the good spirit of that.

I want to show you this wonderful sculpture that Abby made when she was a child in preschool and you can see here is is beautiful and you you may be wondering what what what what is it, well, let's zoom in on it annual bill to see there there that looks to be a face.

I think that's a face and it well. I think maybe there's a miserly name. It may be enough. It is saved, it could throw it out. You know all that if you found out on the street is your you found it in your garage out the sound it goes.

My point is this beloved.

How does Jesus see people.

He sees people to the eyes of the one who made the people. If there's something that you've made you treasure in a different way. If there's someone that you love who has made some and then you treasure what they Alan Wright in today's good news message seeing the infinite value of will have the conclusion to this teaching coming up at our next broadcast in the series you'll see Pastor out in his back with us here in just a moment with a parting good news thought for the day.

Stick with this. Let us help you give a gift, that money can't buy. Give someone your blessing positive biblically-based faith filled vision for their life in the beginning God blessed Adam and Eve and then told them to be fruitful and multiply, because in God's design blessing isn't the reward for productivity. It's the fuel for it. Now more than ever, someone you love needs your blessing and we're here to help you craft this month. Special offer from Alan Wright is a beautiful booklet that will teach you how to craft an full blessing for easy step-by-step instructions are biblically based, and even include a worksheet that helps you write your blessing. So this Christmas.

Give someone you love a present, not found in stores, a gift from your own heart that will encourage and empower write down the blessing and put it in the package under the tree or put it in your Christmas card billed never forget it when you make your gift. Alan Wake ministries this month will send you this booklet is our thinking so you can discover the power to bless and we are in our final days of offering the special product. Call us at 877-544-4860 or visit pastor and.org like you're in the studio as your pastor and in sporting good news thought for the day and someone's listening right now who is filled with negativity all around and and were talking about the good news here so what's the encouraging good news is the take away every single human being is infinitely valuable. I think that maybe one of the things that we realize and especially in the earlier days of a global pandemic and social distancing is just how much we need other people and sometimes we walk around and we just take it all for granted and we take other people for granted. We take it for granted that they'll be there. We take it granite that will be on the interactions and in loving relationships and we are frustrated with people they don't do what we want all the time and yet Jesus sees people in a way that is unique because every person was made through him, so he sees the eyes of a creator and a Redeemer and he sees in the eyes of the co-heir to share his own life with him and I just think it's important one of the things we should take away from such adversity of a pandemic is never look on people the same again. Every single person to God is infinitely valuable and worthy of the price of the son of God on the cross.

Wonder if you saw change.

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