Only Human [Part 2]

Pastor author and Bible teacher Alan Wright.

Zeus was the king of all the gods and it was the priest the high priest of Zeus who comes rushing out with oxen and garlands is worse observes it's almost comical as an Baha'i breeze thinks that Barnabas he assumes Alan Wright. Another message of good news that will help you see your life in a whole new light. I'm Daniel excited for you to hear the teaching today. In the series limited as presented at renewal of the church, North Carolina.

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More on this later in the program right now. Let's get started with today's teaching here is Alan Wright was made particularly famous by the prominent prominent Roman poet Oved who was writing around the time of the birth of Christ, and he tells or retells one such story in which Zeus and Hermes Jupiter and Mercury come down from Mount Olympus in the form of some poor men.

Human and they interact with all the citizen and nobody treats them with hospitality or kindness, until finally they made an elderly poor couple that show them great hospitality and Zeus and Hermes. According to this myth that was famously retold and Ovitz Metamorphoses took that elderly couple temp Mount Olympus up the top to come up and then brought a huge flood that ravaged the whole village blow killing all those inhospitable people and then Zeus and Hermes went back and built a lavish mansion for the poor, elderly couple is one of the great Stories is very famous because overage recalling of it will. It is said that that valley with the story was told and that people were wiped out because they didn't treat God's right was the very valley of Lister and Derby, where Paul was preaching as though scholars think that part of what was going on here was that everybody had in their minds. The story of Zeus and and Hermes coming down to the valley and people didn't treat them right, and they all got wiped out.

So here comes this miracle is Susan Hermes of the lot. Although we better just worship them and so immediately they began to start lifting up Zeus and Hermes for fear that they too might be wiped out and what happens in verse 14 reveals the apostles parts of astonishment and being appalled at this possible portable Barnabas and Paul heard of it, they tore their garments rushed out into the crowd crying out men. Why are you doing these things you doing this they're astonished there appalled. We also are men of like nature with you where only he saying which is like nature with you. We bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things. All these idols and false gods to a living God who made the heaven and earth and the sea and all that in them.

In past generations, he allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways, yet he did not leave himself without witness, for he did good by giving you reigns from heaven and fruitful seasons satisfy your hearts with food and gladness.

He saying what Paul said in Romans that God's always been revealing his glory through nature. He's always been showing grace even though it's not been the grace that yet you know Jesus it's his common grace given showing you his kindness and his goodness tortured in verse 18. Even with these words, they scarcely restrained the people from offering sacrifice to them is mine all across the landscape of Turkey were these modern-day Turkey with you.

Were these enormous temples to Zeus and we got a couple pictures of a couple of days that are archaeological sites in Turkey. Now here's here's one of the temple, Zeus, here's another one is more inland and you could just get from the archaeological remains that these things work. Huge and Zeus was the king of all the gods and it was the priest the high priest of Zeus who comes rushing out with oxen and garlands is his time to worse, observes it's almost comical as an Baha'i breeze thinks that Barnabas is Zeus and know what to do with this miracle and Paul terraces close is the mark of supreme grief or shock is the mark of humanity to could have been tempted to take advantage of it could've abuse the privilege of being an announcer of the gospel and being use of God for miracles, but it didn't do it would if insofar from any thing they would ever imagine.

Because remember he didn't do something he saw something years ago I was privileged to be in India with Pat Frank Keating and Elder Jeff Eaton and we we were ministering one day at the Bible college that I was pioneered by Pastor Sam shall endure there and all these young Bible students and this church supplanted Ohio at that time, 150 churches in India and so they're always trying to get pastors. That's a hard thing to get pastor because most these young men were from Hindu families and when they became Christian. Many other families rejected them and the other pastors. They have no support and we did so we taught them some and then we waste where there pray for them and just got a beautiful prophetic gap that were speaking words of encouragement to them and they lined up a long line and that the it different in you know are our Western culture.

We got a thing about like personal space, only that other cultures are more or not, are more communal than that and his Arab eyes pressing in trying to listen what words been spoken to this young pastor and trial is all that it is present in there just so so hungry and they were there they were saying it with prayer requests like pray for me. My whole family is rejected me and won't talk to me anymore and I'm trying to pastor this little church out in the village and we only have a dozen people and is tempting to just to just quit should we do and I realize as we were praying and prophesying to them and some I wanted to abuse that because here were these white man from America that were in his position of authority and seemed gifted and just like would have believed almost anything is a very cherished and very holy thing to be used of the Lord is a very holy thing in the proper response when God uses you in some wonderful way is deeper humility than you've ever had before. You know, that is God and it's not here. That's why Paul felt talent right will have more teaching moment from today's important series inspiration and practical help to grasp is that in conjunction with the exciting release of Pastor Alan's new book, the power did lastly put together some tools to get you started on the journey of speaking life empowering the people you that the toolkit includes a message of Pastor Alan's recent sermon on the mysterious pressing after my mama sat gateway to understanding the power of all blessing also included in the kit is a booklet with a list of scriptures that can be spoken directly as blessings blessing Scripture is a pomegranate scene can easily access them for specific situations when you make your gift to Ehrenreich ministries this month will happily send you the power to bless toolkit is our way of saying thanks for your partnership resources are available for immediate digital download or available in CD and a quick partner with us and be inspired and equipped to bless someone's life to the gospel is shared when you get to Ehrenreich 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 thanks from our night ministries, seven 877-544-4860 877-544-4861 come to our website.

Pastor Alan.work days teaching you once again is verse 19 how quickly all very very quickly. It turned Jews from Antioch and I count him. This is where Paul had been previously and had been persecuted there.

They came from there and having persuaded the crowds know how they persuaded him but it was probably the longest line that once Paul and Barnabas that were not gods, then these wicked religious leaders that we felt so threatened by Paul Barnes began poisoning the minds of people saying all kinds of untrue things about Paul and Barnabas.

Maybe they were just calling schemers force scam artists or tricksters or who knows what, but it turned and they stoned Paul and they drag him out of the city, supposing he was dad. It is very important, not just read over this verse there. All they stoned him unopposed stoning was a form of execution be placed down into a ravine.

Sometime they would first roll of very large large rock down intended to render unconscious the stoning victim and then the crowds angry with throw stone after stone it would gouge the flash it wouldn't inflict internal damage render the victim unconscious damage the brain. They left him for dead because I thought they'd finish the job. But he must've had a miracle as we read in verse 20 when the disciples gathered about him, he rose up and enter the city and on the next day he went on with Barnabas to derby and when they preach the gospel to that city and he made many disciples they return to Lester anti-chromium and Antioch strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith is saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. So I think he clearly had a miracle detonate when people of God came in gathered around and they pray for the minister to them. He was healed because you can't be stoned and left for dead in the next day traveled by foot to another city and start preaching the gospel so he was healed and and and and he goes in God uses a minute and in a fruitful a fruitful life isn't life just isn't it amazing, as were seeing in the book of acts, the more I study it more arise acts is a series of stories of miracles that is interspersed with admission of real humanity and real suffering. Just like life just like life. The real story of the miracle but interspersed in the midst of it or all of these reminders of our humanity and the more that we can really understand that except that the happier we would all be in the more that you could really be used by God or face the criticism of others and keep it all in its proper perspective.

I had an eventful week.

Many years ago that was really the week I would say that think it was 2008 that we would say essentially launched conference ministry and written some books and a book called shame off you and we start doing conferences on the healing of shame and think this might be the first church went to his in multi-Georgia and will actually end up going there several times and have real affection for that church a great church there at the time they had many many people there had read the book image done small groups, and so they were ready to receive this message and we had a great great conference.

I preach there on Sunday morning and when I preached on the Sunday morning I preached on one my favorite things on the power blessing and afterwords ministered a long time, along with others that were traveling with me minister for a long time blessing people in the church individually and and it was just a wonderful time people were where their lives were touched by God, and it was so it was just so anointed and and and afterwords it was a Sunday that the Sunday we were lying back one of our elders on his plane and we, but we had lunch and the kind of fellowship all church and as we were leaving to get the car go to the airport. A young man came in frantic and he said that he had been there for the service and receive blessing, but his wife is young life had not been able to be there. She had to work and he said he so wanted. She needs as he said she needs to be blessed. Would you speak a blessing over her life. He said we drove around to every restaurant and mold tree trying to find and finally we came back here and we said, of course, we will and we pray for her and blessed her minister and she just wept, and God just touched her heart is a wonderful thing to be used by God and we got in the car to go to the airport and we just sat there for a long moment, the three of us were four of us actually on that trip and we just sat there and wept for joy and thank God for what it was holding. We got in the airplane. There was bad weather. My family was at the beach on vacation and I was going to go join them and so we couldn't get to drop me off at the beach instead was stopped somewhere in middle South Carolina and I rented a car one way drove it to the beach I was missing the evening meal at the boundary house restaurant at calabash and all the cousins were there, the whole big family.

It was there and I'm just coming off of a mountaintop where everybody was like oh Pastor Alan, would you pray for me back down. Would you sign this book back down what you do, you know, and I'm just all dismount out then God do that and I walked in and there's there's all my family and all the cousins and you know what happened. Nobody ran over and grabbed me by the leg and said daddy you're the most wonderful daddy and all the world.

My own wife. I don't think got up from the table. He buys it all. They are what took so long and so well there was storms and thunderstorms. We dodged I had to stop and rent a car, drive you, but I did go and all that because they're too busy eating Hush Puppies and just live in their normal lives. And you realize in it. Instead of just how normal you are, you know I'm talking about and then later I came back to church. I have an appointment had been dreading was someone that was unhappy and and I had an appointment now for a long hour was someone that criticized almost everything about the way I was leaving and doing ministry all in a weeks time. So what are you going to let shape your life.

Who are we really know a holy or are we just human. We people that are used miraculously by God. Are we people who are just frail well were just some of all that artfully destroy few actually five principles a minute you could draw from this story, but as regards these questions number one this is clear, neither great praise nor great persecution is an accurate measurement of your faithfulness, success, or worse, and don't ever be duped into thinking that it is we can't live by the praise of people or by the persecution of people sent when people bless you authentically and have something firming to say to you that is not intended to be undue worship of you, or mere flattery. When people bless you and affirm you take it into your being and let God use that to build you up. We all need encouragement, and when people criticize you, I say. Ask the Lord and ask 123 people that you didn't know you very well and trust you.

Is this something that I should pay attention to, and if it is, then, though it hurts grow through it but don't let your life. I think the story says be shaped by the fickle crowd that might want to worship you or wallop you should have or know which it's going to be to be shaped by God.

There's something about you humility in this story number two humility.

I think originally this was said by CS Lewis. Humility is in thinking less of yourself.

Humility is thinking of yourself less you read a story like this.

What you realize about Paul and Barnabas is when they were ministering to this man that was crippled from birth and this is all going to happen. Paul never even went through his mind. One of the crowds going to think of me when I do this and never went through his mind of Uganda look really good if I can do this.

Healing miracle got a lot better if I'd never went through his mind like Ono I might get persecuted by this what the point of the story was Paul when thinking about himself at all.

He just saw in the spirit. This man had faith to be made well. As we spoke it because that was what God was doing at that moment.

And that's what matter.

Humility is not. It is not going to acting like we don't have gifts or that we can't be used wonderful, this is Paul who said we been chosen in Christ for the foundation of the world. This is Paul who said, we are more than conquerors. This is policies I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength. Humility is not a good at anything.

Humility just we not want him to think of yourself for little and number three.

Likewise, pride isn't a heightened sense of worth. Wonderful to know you're worth, that's not pride but pride is a diminished view of God.

Pride is when you start thinking in some degree you are God. There's 1/4 thing is the identity is the thing that God wants to shape our destiny and identity comes from Christ, not from the crowns. I just wish I could just somehow take this great huge truth and deposited into every child and every young person every teenager. This is the shape of your life as well. We need a parent toward identity for our kids because that's the struggle thereby trying to figure out who am I and that's what's going to shape how we live our lives can't be what the crowds are say can't be what social media say is so fickle who we are in Christ that determines all Bill Bright, who founded campus Crusade always like to say God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life but some wit once quipped by adjusting it and said yes is also true that God loves you and everyone else has a wonderful plan for your life and it is true that if you let them everybody else. I'll tell you what you should do with your life and only God can we measure one final thing.

This story shows that every Christian is holy and can be used for miracles.

That means you and me. It also reveals every Christian is human and is therefore inherently know better than anybody else. What this means beloved is that you are holy and your human. It means you are holy human Alan Wright news message only human in the series. Pastor Alan is coming back here in the studio sharing a parting good news thought for the day agreed to stick around inspiration and practical help to bless those who live in conjunction with the exciting really suppressed Allen's new book the power of last three put together some tools to get you started on the journey of speaking life empowering the people you that the toolkit includes message of Pastor Alan's recent sermon on the mysterious blessing from them the marks at the gateway to understanding the power of all blessing also included in the kit is a booklet with a list of scriptures can be spoken directly expressing blessing scriptures are probably pricing can easily access them for specific situations when you make your gift right ministries this month will happily send you the power to bless toolkit is our way of saying thanks for your partnership resources are available for immediate digital download or available in CD and click partner with us and be inspired and equipped to bless someone's life to 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 thanks from Alan Wright Ministries, seven 877-544-4860 877-544-4861 come to our website.

Pastor our and data work, as your pastor at a sporting good news thought for the day. And those two truths you are holy and your human so my question will how can you be both, but that's the beauty of God's creation. Your human being and as such, you're absolutely limited and God's God and you're not in so you can build your life and trusting him. But in Christ, he is set you apart so your holy and it's very closely related to saying you're only human to say your holy and human. Because is not by our own power that we would ever do the works of God.

But you can't be disqualified if you're in Christ you have been qualified in God can move through you every bit as much as he did Peter or Paula Barnett and that's an extraordinary thought.

So yeah, your human your limited which are holy and therefore God can use you in remarkable ways.

Today's good news message is a listener supported production of Alan Wright Ministries