The Path to Joy and Peace [Part 1]

Pastor author and Bible teacher Alan Wright all truth is God's truth. Just because someone in the know God is saying something done mean is, not all truths God somebody might have a piece of that semester. As of right to another message of good news that will help you see your life in a whole new life. I'm Dino Britt excited for you to hear the teaching today.

In the series.

Unspeakable joy is presented at renewal the 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. It can be yours for your donation this month to Alan Wright Ministry as you listen to today's message go deeper as we send you today's special offer. Contact us at pastor@an.org or call 877-544-4860 that's 877-544-4860. More on that later in the program but now let's get started with today's teaching here is Alan Wright are you ready for some good news. The Scripture says rejoice in the Lord always must be possible if the Scripture says that whenever you pray, do so during Thanksgiving and must be possible if we are exhorted that we are to think only those things which are true, noble and right and pure and lovely, and admirable, excellent, praiseworthy, it must be possible it must be possible that every thought of our minds can be set upon positive things that are generated from the heart and the mind of God while Philippians chapter 4 when the most marvelous tax in all of the New Testament and capitalizes so much of the explanation of how it is that the apostle Paul could be filled with joy and be the encourager of the others. Even though he is imprisoned and possibly going to face execution. This is explanation that goes far to help us understand how it is that some people in terrible circumstances seem to have amazing joy that will have a peace that passes understanding, while others who seem to have everything are as miserable as can be.

Philippians chapter 4 is revolutionary and for all of us today will be a word that will radically encourage us remind us of the pathway to peace and the mind of Christ.

But for some under the sound of my voice today. I promise you if you will let these words of the Lord come into your heart it will rock your world change everything and you will discover a joint piece.

You never had before. Philippians chapter 4 verse four rejoice in the Lord always again I say rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be known to God and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you've learned and received and heard and seen in me practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you, but people who know me now and maybe people have even know me of the past couple decades so would probably hardly believe it when I say that I must be honest and confess that I was once a negative thinker. I'm not saying that I owed perfectly positive thinker. Now I'm saying it is been the battle of my life and it still is a battle that there was a time in my life. I was just flat out negative thinker. I don't know why my wife married me. She's almost positive people I've ever been around my life. I was so drawn to her because I could calm in the wind like ER and she would just continue to bounce like Tigger and I just thousand mega I was, I was just a negative thinker. I worried a lot.

I worried about the what if so worried about failing in the way that I would try to deal with all my worries is I would just decide that I will be so good and I will be able to perform at such a high level that I'll just make sure that none of the things that I worry could go wrong will go wrong is the illusion of control. The people have the illusion of control, and are always constantly performing have a different anxiety because you wonder whether your performance won't be enough. So you really just exchanging one form of worry for another and it kept me this negative thinking from aspiring and reaching higher levels that I know for sure that God had for me and I know for a fact today that this would apply to almost all was in his room in one way or another are negative thinking is keeping us and be able to receive her flow in the very things that God wants us to as a tennis player my whole life and I got a pretty good level and tennis but I was always restricted by negative thinking. I'm tired of the true champions don't think negatively that I get to that very important moment in the match and out hi, I just battle it not have the thought come in whatever you do don't double fault now that is not what you want to be thinking when the match is on the line don't double fault now. It is like when you're playing golf. If the last thought your mind is, don't pull it left into the lake you going to hit that ball into the lake. I had an amazing capacity to go several steps down the line into the future. Thinking about subsequent events, how they might unfold and play it out of my mind and put myself mentally into that future negative scenario and I remember catching myself even thinking about what I would say or do ones that negative scenario happened. That is a bad situation because God does not provide grace for hypothetical situations. You know what I'm talking about the mind is an amazing thing is if we could go into the future and we can figure out all the negative things that could happen and try to deal with them in our mind before they ever happened. And then they never do happen. I was talking to Brian with the group yesterday before preaching were talking about this and she said she said the bad thing about hypothetical negative situations. It never happened is you waste all that energy worrying about it.

When a real problem comes and slapped upside the head from some direction. You never saw it.that's pretty funny.

In actuality, the real problems that you face. You probably never saw it coming. But then when it actually came God gave you grace for it, actually caused me to not only play out the negative scenarios, but sigh get trapped in it. The worst thing about negative thinking and just to get trapped in the negative thought process and you just is just might be the little things alive lab. My wife, when the boys that manifest removed his earlier marriage.

We get ready go on vacation & as I checked the weather prevented competitors bootlegger might regularly and we battle our hedges, so the weather can change the literary little frog going through. It is like really my vacation before it even started it because of our return out some negative image of the worst thing of all, I hate to confess this but it's true.

When I was a negative thinker. I kind of despise the positive thinkers considered them to be simpletons.

I mean if you don't understand if you smile a lot. Are you laugh a lot.

Are you celebrate a lot, then obviously you're too simpleminded to understand how much pain and frustration. There is a world leaders obviously don't understand.

I didn't like going to church is where they clapped didn't want as a Christian I thought well know they should change. All this right it didn't.

Instead, I cannot hear the message about what miserable sinners, we are now thought that's the point and focus of all theology. We are sinners yes were saved by the grace of God was get back to the main point were sinners immature blessed yeah yeah but you don't know much of sin so I have one problem that was I had to admit the positive thinkers they were a lot happier than I was only show you today how while a lot of what you might hear positive thinking gurus say in their motivational speeches really is true because all truth is God's truth. Just because somebody didn't know God is saying something done mean it's not true. All truth.

God's truth. Somebody might have a piece of the truth but I want to show you today that there's something deeper and richer and far more powerful than just deciding to be a positive thinker. I want to speak to you today about how you can be renewed in the spirit of your mind how the spirit of the living God communing with you is a spiritual living being communing with your born-again spirit can become the instructor of all your thoughts and your mind can become subservient to the holy and pure things of God and everything in your life will change when your thoughts change because the first thing to say is that in the spiritual battle that we face day in and day out in the spiritual battle is real 11 heaven is real hell is real Angels a real dark fallen angels are real spiritual warfare is real. Some days it's more intense some seasons is more intent some seasons is less intense but every single day of our life. We are exhorted to put on the whole armor of God. Foolish is the person who gets up in the morning and thinks that the day I don't have to put on the armor today. There's no spiritual battle today. There's no battleground foolish is such a person. There's a real spiritual battle. Where is the battleground. The battleground is in the mind that JAlan Wright will have more teaching moment from today's important series is not actually reserved for those who have no problems or have you ever assume that some people are just born with a joyful personality, so get ready for some good news. Julie is a fruit of the spirit available to all in Christ, no matter the circumstances of life there. Paul was in jail when he read his epistle to the Philippians he spoke of joy 16 times matter what you're going through. You too can discover the secret to unspeakable joy as pastor at NYPD through a life building exploration of Philippians. When you make a gift to sharing in night ministries today will send you the new CD album the secret and unspeakable joy our way of saying thank you for your partnership.

Your gifts are the only way we are able to continue broadcasting the message of grace all over the nation. Happiness may rise and fall with happenstance, but Julie ever present in the spirit to become a partner today and discover joint like never before. We are happy to send this to you outside thanks from Alan night ministries were in the final days of this special offer being made available to you, seven 877-544-4861 come to our website pastor at work. Today's teaching now continues here once again is Alan writing I don't know about you, I have been mesmerized watching Michael Phelps, the most decorated Olympian in all of history.

He is 123 gold medals in swimming and nobody will ever have that many ever again. The next closest is nine gold medals. Some historians and sports analyst would say resolutely. This makes him the best athlete that has ever lived is remarkable. It is beyond words.

What he has done in 2012. He finished the Olympics and he was thinking of retirement and he announced such and his life became dismantled. After that, he said in an ESPN interview quote that it was struggling. He struggled to figure out who I was outside the pool.

He said quote I was a train wreck is like a time bomb waiting to go off. I had no self-esteem and self-worth. There were times when I didn't want to be here.

It was not good. I felt lost and so like very many people who are having those kinds of despairing and negative thoughts. He self medicated. He was caught with marijuana.

He was arrested twice in drunken driving, and after he had been speeding 81 mph through Baltimore tunnel while intoxicated and arrested. He cut himself off from family and friends, and he said quote I thought the world would just be better off without me. I figured that was the best thing to do. Just in my life is most decorated Olympian in history and all the money you get everyone had every opportunity, and he thought the world would be better without vision just end his life. The mind is the battleground. The mind is the battleground. Thankfully, former All-Pro linebacker Baltimore Ravens Ray Lewis reached out to him and urged him to get into rehab and while Phelps was in rehab. Lewis gave him a book to read is the best-selling nonfiction hardback book of all time is called the purpose driven life by Rick Warren and he holed up with that book and got back to Ray Lewis soon and said this is changing everything and I don't know how far really Phelps has, in his spiritual journey, but I do know the said this, that reading that book turned me into believing there's a power greater than myself and there's a purpose for me on this planet battleground is in the mind.

Your thoughts are determining how you feel. In determining what you do. Some people suggest theologically that the Scriptures speak of us really is bipartite spiritual part of ourselves soul and in our body, but throughout the years and the more I read the Scriptures and I see how this plays out theologically and helps me more to understand that we really are spirit, soul and body, and part of the reason this is important for me is that I know that the Scriptures tell us that when we accept Christ we are a new creature in Christ we are made new, and it's described in totality and in past tense. We are made new, but at the same time we are told to be renewed. So what happens is that when you are away from God and you don't know God, the Bible describes it metaphorically.

But in some real way.

Also as being dead. It's like a giant golf between us and God and we are spiritual artists. Spiritual nature spiritual being is dead to God. That means the same things that you would say of a dead person. They have no sense.

They have no responsiveness.

They have no capacity to interact and that's the way we were unto God. Because of this giant separation. It's come about because of our sin is on a very real sense we say that we were dead. But God in his glory and his grace does a miracle. God is so wonderful and his love is from everlasting to everlasting. The reason, in the manner in the mystery by which you came to faith. If you trust him now this is how it happened. He quickened within you a life that came about and was received by grace through faith alone. He made you alive and that's why we say I was blind but now I see if I was say I was dead but now I'm alive and so Paul says, anyone who's in Christ is a new creature if you're a baby Christian and you accept Jesus today.

If you just accept them today and your baby Christian. You are totally new creature. It applies to you, but you know you're on a journey and you're going to grow as I hear something we all know to be true. If you weren't a Christian yesterday new payment Christian this morning accepted Christ your new creature and so the Bible says your new but you looked at your hand you get that same freckle you might have that same pain in your back because your body didn't change EE what was made new.

Didn't mean that all of a sudden all your thoughts are different and all of a sudden all you only think about are the true, noble and wonderful things no, you're spiritually new your body right now is aging will one day be made known one that you can be given a new body of God is wonderful miracles here and he heals and he does wonderful things and we pray for one another every week, but our bodies are aging and one day we can get a brand-new body hallelujah. So I'm new in spirit, my body will one day be made new. So what is it that is being made.

What is it that is changing and growing and being transformed. His soul was an interest because the suitcase the psyche the mind. It is that you are being renewed as you submit to God's spirit into his word. That's where the battleground is in Romans eight verse five Paul says those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the spirit for to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace to set the mind to be in accord to be submitted to to be aligned with and tuned in with the Spirit is life and peace. But to have the mind set upon the things of the sinful nature and the carnal things of this world, all the negative things. The world is death and destruction also says in Romans chapter 12. I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God which is your spiritual worship. And he says it. Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewal of your mind. He says also in second Corinthians chapter 10 this is what the gospel does. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God and take every thought captive to obey Christ being ready to punish every disobedience is the mind, the battleground in the mind.

It's it say when Jesus came he said that the message is this repent for the kingdom of God is at hand. And he told his disciples go and preach this repent for the kingdom of God is at hand. You don't repent means.

It means change your mind. The word for mind is in that word change your way of thinking, change your thoughts. That's what repent means. People often essay will board about our feelings or feelings or feelings reliable. What we do with our feelings will be the one hand feelings are absolutely reliable feelings tell you in a reliable way exactly what you're thinking. I guarantee if your heart starts pounding your eyes dilate you feel like screaming or running or fighting your thinking is there's a danger nearby and your feelings a reliable indicator that thank God for feelings, your feelings are are an instrument gauge may tell you what you're thinking is a growing body of research on the human brain, and I know there are some emotional responses that seem to pass the conscious thought level but our feelings are always based on our perceptions and God wants our thoughts to be instructed of him to have his mind he wants us to have it in a process of growth were increasingly everything we think is be instructed by our spirit which communes with the living God, the mind is to be subservient to the spirit of the new part of you that communes with God's spirit. God wants to tell you how to think. Having this is why it's so important.

I don't know why this is on my mind, it must be for someone but was on my mind several times in preparing this message I want to say that is that the Bible is so so God is so so against all the cultic activity right today's teaching the path to joy and peace. At the conclusion to this in our next broadcast is were coming up towards close to the end of the unspeakable joy series interest is been a blessing to you.

Stay with us though Alan is back in a moment with additional insight on this for your life in our final word today that you sold it seriously and constantly desires joy in other words, Julie is an elusive dream reserve for select who have no problems or for those who were born with a joyful disposition actually joins the fruit of the spirit available to all in Christ, no matter what you're facing. You can have the joy of the Lord in the midst the apostle Paul.even his epistle to the Philippians.

While in prison Julie 16 times in Wright's newest album, the secretive and speakable Julie chapter by chapter house explanation of the secretive joy when you make a gift to data sharing and right will be delighted you see, I think come apart and discovered the secret unspeakable joy were in the final days of this special offer being made available to you.

We are happy to see Misty Banks from Allen Wright ministries, seven 877-544-4861 come to our website past Rowan.work calendars we are closed out. You did have a word say you know they're there some you will say there are many paths to finding peace many paths to finding joy. Of course we're going to stand here and and boldly proclaim his will and the path through Jesus and no interest in the outcome. It was weird breaking there from where you have nothing do with the occult. Why is this so important to God is not the center of this message today but it's an important moment in a do believe there is a spiritual reality go all around us were in a spiritual warfare and I think the occult things open us to the dark forces in the demonic, so we don't have anything to do with astrology don't have anything to do with the occult and but I think here's a more important thing in this is why the pause at this moment they know say is that if you could have the morning you look at the astrology intent to tell you days and belying what is what what what God hates about that is your letting some else someone else, some other ideology.

Determine your way of thinking, other than God. God wants his word promises spirit he wants to be the sole dispenser of the vision of your life.

One who shapes your identity is essential.

If you have joy and peace in this world you live a life that is fueled by the word of God. Today's good news message is a listener supported production Allen Wright ministries