Spirit vs. Flesh [Part 2]

Pastor author and Bible teacher Alan Wright you don't do one single thing to make yourself acceptable to God as a matter your most noble looking person is ever lived are the most heinous center, there's only one way that's faster at right into 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 as 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 I like to know if he preaches in the in jeans and a T-shirt that I don't want to come in a co-entire vice or vice versa. And the reason for that is because of the first place.

I want to be sensitive to the culture of that particular environment because I don't want what I'm wearing to be an obstacle to reaching people but there's something more important than that.

Let's say I went into a church where the pastoral or workout time and I came in in a Hawaiian shirt and flip-flops endlessly preach like that and then the Holy Spirit just fell in God just moved in people's lives were touched. People were saved and deliver people receive in ministry and it just a move of God. Just breaks out in the mid-seventh I wanted to be afterwords that somebody because some I would do this so I would go up to that poem, pastor and sable pastor you are aware, Hawaiian shirt and flip-flops. Usually God moves when somebody preaches wearing a Hawaiian shirt and flip-flops was ridiculous.

You don't move God because you got a Hawaiian shirt on because you got a necktie on you can preach in shorts and sandals. Or you can preach a tux scene of the move of God and the glories of God in the ministry of the Holy Spirit is not dependent upon any such external form, but instead is all rooted in the sufficiency of Christ and what is done.

I know that is somewhat saying here is, it's not circumcision or nor or circumcision or not. It doesn't matter if the problem is that your attaching significance, purpose and power to something that is actually voidable.

Galatians 615, Paul says neither circumcision nor unconcern on circumcision means anything. What counts is a new creation. As soon as someone suggest that you are qualified because you didn't have all the right clothes. Didn't eat the right food because you didn't keep the new festival because you didn't you didn't wear your hair correctly because you didn't do that.

In the lab, then you're robbing the gospel of its power you're qualified by Jesus or you're not qualified at all. You can add any additional qualification. He was perfect he was sinless. He lived a life of perfect obedience unto the father is the son of God is the Son of Man.

He died upon the cross so that anyone who trusts in him would have his sacrifice applied as if you had made it, and would have his righteousness applied as if you had lived it, and there is no other way. So why try to add anything to the Judaizers. Essentially, teach, and if you're Gentile, you become a Christian, you need to get circumcise in order to be fully acceptable to God and and and this is this is this is just Mike and Paul here is he said to the Galatians would you start out in the spirit. This kind of textile fatigue, as if there's some kind of power in that we are the true circumcision is what he saying here. We already are. Want to worship in spirit and glory in Christ, filled with the spirit worship in the spirit and whose boosting incompetence and glory is in Christ and his finished work not in ourselves which is prone beloved to look for external indicators that were on the in crowd were susceptible to that, and thus the Judaizers and it still goes off in many different ways. When I was in high school is so different than it is now teenagers today. It seems like the primary value is on freedom of expression so there's it's it's like the pressure is don't conform anything but one glass come along it with depression was conformed. In fact, you know, if you will be cool. It paid high school in Greensboro you know if you are be in this cool group.

You know what to wear.

You know, will people hang with one thing you knew where to get your hair cut is true, what happened was somebody found out that Ed at the barbershop along Dale did really good haircut and only aside all the cool people want to add cut their hair.

I headed cut my hair. It was very hard to get in with a head you can hardly get an appointment with him, thereby pager by Grimsley about one and he got so popular that he opened up his own barbershop because you wouldn't want to call with some haircut and is haircut.

We just like that desperate to know we so somebody comes sneaking in with a message.

It sounds like with it sounds right. I know circumcision was really important.

Abraham said I know Moses was, I knew the people were persecuted during Antioch to support.

I know with your new stand of anyone reading this in his sounds so saccharine. It sounds so harmless, just add this one little thing you think. What in the world would be such a big deal to Paul. Do you see it. If you add 1% of personal human fleshly righteousness to what you think you need to do in order to be accepted. You have robbed the gospel of its power and you have introduced unlimited capacity for worry that maybe you didn't do enough. And Paul is saying so much is at stake. These are, he says a mutilators of the flesh is catatonic. This is the Greek word that's used in the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament. This is the word that is used in the well-known story and first Kings chapter 18 when maybe you remember the story that Elijah is pitted against the prophets of the pagan God ball all and they are going to see which God is the real God will come down to consume the altar with fire and said the prophets of all go first in their calling on all 11 450 I'm crying out all and nothing happens.

Elijah mocks them as is. Maybe you need to cry louder. Maybe he's asleep using the bathroom so they cry louder and then in the next scene they begin to cut themselves lacerating themselves mutilating their flesh as if it's going to make ball all new the word that is used there for them, cutting lashing themselves is cut Paul says to the Judaizers your doing the same thing you are teaching people. You can move God by cutting some flesh you don't move God by your acts of circumcision. You don't move God by your acts of righteousness listen beloved God was moved on your behalf when you didn't even know how to call upon his name. This is the gospel that Christ came and died for the ungodly. While they were still in there said you think your little righteousness is going to add one single thing to the sufficiency of the finished work of Christ himself. The battle is for the mind. You see, the devil cannot disqualify you from your inheritance in the Saints.

The devil cannot disqualify you from using your gifts. The devil cannot disqualify you from the fruit of the spirit of love and joy and peace devil can't steal your joy.

The devil Put you down the devil You of the spiritual blessings that are yours in Christ. So where's the battleground is the mind because you cannot disqualify yourself if you start believing that the gospel is Jesus plus something out of yourself from the things that you would cheapen the work of Jesus by trying to adhere peddling little circumcision little righteous acts of goodness and think in your religious single thing you could do something to the majesty and glory and richness that Jesus Christ is Jesus plus nothing, nothing will list all of these fleshly credentials, essentially in the New Testament. Sometimes the flesh, which is always a reference to the kind of sinful nature of humanity right not talk about the physical flesh and bones, not about the flesh mean the sinful nature of humanity that part of us.

This is flesh and not the redeemed spirit and sometimes flesh is used to talk about how we're so easily lured into rebellion how you will lured into fleshly temptation, but in this case Paul refers the flesh and he's referencing all the wonderful things that they've done is a list all these credentials of his life is not saying look at me. I was in such miserable state.

I was on drugs. I was in the gutter. I was penniless and then I met Jesus.

There is no way saying I was actually the one that everybody thought had everything I'm telling you, that's just as much flash is somebody out there was an rebellion.

You do understand that religious living where you think that somehow you are the one that's bringing about your right standing with God is just as much flash as is the utmost rebellion ASAP. Tanya, it's nothing that's Alan Wright will have more teaching moment.

Today's important series is not actually reserved for those who have no problems or have you ever seen that some people are just born with a joyful personality, so get ready for some joy 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 and right e.g. through a life building! Philippians when you make a get to sharing a right ministry said I was thinking a 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 that Julie ever present in spirit to become a partner to discover joy like never before. We are happy to send this to you as I thanks from Alan Wright ministry, seven 877-544-4860 877-544-4861 come to our website pastor at work.

Today's teaching here once again is a comes out here to this closing section of verse 10 saying that. Here's why so important to know that your righteousness is found in Christ from God through faith. I love telling us that I was just I was found. This way you say it is his absence on the II made happen and he says this in verse 10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death by any means possible I may attain the resurrection of the dead was he saying he saying that the more that you realize the power and purity and sufficiency in finality of what Jesus is done without any addition from you. The more you will know God and the more you know the power of his resurrection. He starts with the power, the resurrection and the ends with the power of the resurrection. The resurrection power. The same power. However, we would describe this mysterious glorious power of God.

This power that raised Jesus from the dead is at work in you toward you and through you. Somebody probably on the sound of my voice right now and something is beginning to burn inside of your heart something is beginning to will feel like a light start to shine into darkness something that is making a sleeping, dormant part of you feel like you're starting to wake up.

Something inside of you that might even begin, go insane. One of everything I believe is wrong.

One of Jesus is real. If you begin sprinting something like I'm telling you what you're experiencing is the power of the resurrection that people don't give life themselves in blind people don't give sight to themselves. God does this so he starts with the resurrection and the ends with the resurrection he saying the resurrection power is what saves you in the resurrection power is what will glorify you and in the midst of this, he says, the more that we know the sufficiency of the gospel and the gift of Jesus Christ.

He saying what will know is we will have a share in his sufferings is not just talking about all I'm suffering things. I'm in prison when he saying to something more exquisite than that.

He saying that as Jesus suffered on my behalf. Through faith in Christ. I am engrafted into Christ, and it is as if I had suffered those things in the same way that Jesus was crucified. It is as if my old nature. My sin nature. My being that was under tyranny to sin, and fear of death, all of that has been crucified with Jesus as well just so much is at stake for Paul is so insistent over this.

It is about the power of the gospel and in what he saying is I want your beloved. The go all in hundred percent with Jesus alone.

Whether circumcised nonsense you wear jacket you wear white shirt. These things are happening as long as you can understand this is not Jesus. 99% and you 1% is Jesus 100% you'll pay for any of your own sin you do not pay for any of your own sin you don't do one single thing to make yourself acceptable to God. Jesus did that matter your most noble looking person is ever lived are the most heinous center, there's only one way Christ himself hundred percent payroll so you are made very till this years ago but I've been married for couple years at most. We were in Atlanta we were living at the time I was a seminary student. She was a kindergarten teacher.

The budget was not hefty. We were shopping at Christmas time and we went to the Brookstone store with got all those fun gadgets and those big marvelous chairs that massage you cost $3000 and you always wanted a telescope only have a small one but I was one of those like they have these telescopes in their house, looking at him while we're walking around $5000 telescopes. All of this stuff in Outlook."

We're just in there to get some little stocking stuffers and my wife saw a hairbrush had some sort of fancy chrome handle or something and it was I remember is 25 or $30 she wanted for Christmas. I said honey $25 for a hairbrush. We can get it at Walmart for 499 no hairbrush. She asked me a couple times she really like the hairbrush hairbrush running on the budget.

Here we get our fuel gifts here.

When we walked into the store. A lady handed me this card as it is our promotional said you could get a discount on what you purchase today. Don't scratch this gray circle until after you buy your stuff and then he scratch it off and it'll have a percentage on your 10%, 15, 20% you'll get off your total purchase. Today I put in my pocket didn't say that. We walked around and we shopped and I looked at the chairs and I looked at the telescopes. She looked at the chrome handled hairbrush and we went up finally with $12 of stocking stuffers to counter Bynum and Lacey did you get one of those cards is that all you did put out handed it to her and she scratched it off and she looked at it and she looked she looked at her and she looked at us and she said part of me just a moment as she went got the manager and the manager I can hurt hear them talk at each other and the manager said well I guess I heard that there was such a thing. She said all I'm looking handed me the card and she said congratulations looked at it is 100% paid for that day. Massage chair didn't even charge us and we will use you made. It was more limited to, the gospel is good news.

Jesus plus nothing Jesus will dollars were used with him, Lord, I do so, we thank you. We did have in one day but we thank you also. We are now in this moment already errors of the righteousness of Christ is our everything in the conclusion of today's teaching living by the spirit rather than the flesh in unspeakable joy.

We get Alan back here in a moment with additional insight on this for your life and today's final word you sold it seriously and constantly desires to waive the rights. Julie is an elusive dream reserve for select who have no problems or for those who were born with a joyful disposition actually enjoys 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 Ehrenreich's newest speakable Julie chapter by chapter 3 Paul's explanation of the secret of joy when you make a gift to data sharing a light will be delighted you see, I thanks for your partners come apart and discover the secret unspeakable joy happy to send this to you as I thanks from Alan Wright ministry, set 877-544-4860 877-544-4861 come to our website pastor at work. As we were just talking about the little living by rules how the illusion of many things that could be happening there.

When I'm done making a checklist I'm checking them off on progress being made, there would you say that when you live by the law and you live by the rules and that's all you're living by its possibly giving you an illusion of joy, but not true joy.

Well, I think we want to convince ourselves that we've done enough and therefore no we should get blessed and if you feel like you're being blessed and things working out great and you will look see God blessed me because I did so well but soon as something goes wrong when he left with his formula for self-condemnation on not you either guess I will understand to do more for your site wouldn't work, give in the Gospels, neither of those. That's why you just laughing there in about our little escapade at the Brixham store in Atlanta. But if you know ahead of time. It was all free.

What I'm trying to find a thousand ways to say Daniel is it you actually do all and we have sometimes illusion that people aren't going to try not going to words or not to be energized if they find out the Gospels totally free. I think the different I think that it is weight thinking is not free. It's up to us, wears us out Jesus and makes it worse. Best Way, Christ today's good news message is a listener supported production Alan Wright ministry