Overcoming Fear [Part 1]

Pastor author and Bible teacher Alan Wright there are negative things. There are positive things and they answer. This is not about his will. That's faster at right to another message of good news that will help you see your life in a whole new light.

I'm Dino Britt excited for you to hear the teaching today. In the series.

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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 knows you can take heart in whatever circumstances you are in because though in this world you will have trouble. Jesus has overcome the world. What my favorite stories that mocks our fears. No I bounded told a number times man every single night of his married life is awakened by his wife in the middle of the night because she hears a bump downstairs and says hi. I heard something upstairs might be a burglar.

Please go check it started the first week of their marriage continued for 20 years, every night I heard about and he would get up Paloma's robe walked down the stairs come back up is nothing there night after night that's in there honey and she would have is well. 20 years later when I heard bump downstairs might be a burglar but so is robe lost answer. And lo and behold there was a burglar in the house.

This is the song he started running out the front door and the man said no, wait, wait, wait, wait, please just stay for just a moment there's a woman observed awaiting 20 years to meet you live about people like to live like it's almost relieved when you finally have your worst fear come true because the only discomfort I worry about a mortgagor you I do this will happen about that passage today in Philippi is in which for many a preacher. This would've been worst fear come true and that is to become incarcerated because of preaching the gospel for Christian to think you might be persecuted or someone might not think is highly of you because your sharing Jesus. But worst case would be you actually are imprisoned with the possibility of being executed and this is come to pass for Paul. We think that is probably in Rome and in and house arrest. Awaiting final trial he had made an appeal to to go to Rome when he had been imprisoned in Caesarea and Paul in our text today were going to see in the midst of prison. What will see everywhere in Philippians is that it's absolutely mindbending attitude that he has, but that is not the right word that something you thought you can just kind of trump up your attitude better. But this is something down deep in the depths of his inmost being that I want to show you today how amazing it is when the gospel is alive within you by the power the Holy Spirit that you really can see Jesus at work even in the midst of the circumstances which you might've feared the most, so we can talk today about some issues of facing suffering as Christians.

Some theological framework for this and then, the second half the message dig into what was actually going on with Paul. Here are some about, broad view of the theological framework for how to Christians and what the Bible really say about suffering and how we move through that and then specifically this amazing work of Paul in Philippians is chapter 1 and were at verse 12. I want you to know brothers what is happened to me has really served to advance the gospel so it is become known throughout the whole Imperial guard and all the rest that my imprisonment is for Christ and most of the brothers and become confident in the Lord by my imprisonment are much more bold to speak the word without fear. Some indeed preach Christ from envy and rivalry, but others from goodwill, the latter do it out of love knowing that I'm put here for the defense of the gospel, the former proclaim Christ out of rivalry, not sincerely thinking to afflict me and my imprisonment. What then only that in every way, whether in pretense or in truth, Christ is proclaimed, and in that I rejoice two things Paul saying first thing I really deeply see that the gospel is advanced in ways that would not of advanced, it had not been imprisoned for that. I rejoice in even though there are some Christian brothers that are preaching out of selfish ambition and are doing so in a way that is afflicting and hurting me personally if Christ is being proclaimed and that I rejoice amazing summation want to just begin today was kind of the bigger picture of all of this and as it relates to some circumstance in one of the things amazing difficult circumvent it amazingly re-Paul is that most of us almost everybody that I would ever speak to would never have in his or her entire life. The amount of suffering that Paul has been through so it's important to remember that it doesn't minimize our suffering and in recent time to been some little problems that have been going through but the real problems there little problem but the real problem. This could keep them in perspective and with Paul is remember this president beaten, flogged, shipwrecked, poisoned, persecuted, imprisoned, and according to tradition, eventually executed her life and he's amazingly for lack of a deeper word positive right to see this throughout, Philippians, and especially as we build up to flipping for a week talks about his practice of thinking only on that which is true and noble and right and pure and how difficult it is in our own lives to corral those negative thoughts.

In fact, negative thoughts can is become like a tape recorder can pay and it's actually a a painful thing and become something very hard to break and yet what Paul demonstrates here is that it possible to be utterly and completely positive in one's attitude and yet not in denial about the difficulty of situation. I think that's the challenge. I think that's invitation the gospel to be positive, but not be in denial about real suffering. Zig Ziglar, the famous motivational speaker said that when he wake up each day. He read his Bible and then the newspaper because he wanted to see what both sides are uptake is important. I think that it is not a law or rule, but what you set your thoughts on first thing in the morning and last thing at night. Pretty important. I find that I mean it when I get into a time in which my mind is getting more negative fine. It's a challenge.

I wake up might be a negative thought if there's something you really are struggling with an egg night for your bed. You don't watch it is via negative thought and I think that there's something that's absolutely important about building a sense of attuning your heart to God's word early and late and in the midst of it, though we know that we have negative things in the world. So some people become super optimistic. Some people become super pessimists for Jerry here about the man you had to five-year-old twin boys and one was the total optimist. The mom was a total pessimists and he got so concerned because he liked optimist couldn't think of anything but positive. The pessimist could think anything but negative. So I took him to the psychiatrist and psychiatrist had a plan. He took the pessimistic child and took him into a room which is full of toys just to see how we react in this pessimistic Phibro when in the room and he merely began crying. What is it said the psychiatrist and little boy said all I want to play with all these toys but I'll probably break them and get in trouble if I do so little boy was totally optimistic. They took him into another room and there was anything in there except a big pile of manure and I'll send the boy let out a yelp of delight, grabbed a shovel start shoveling psychiatrist. So what are you doing and the boy said all this.

Here, there must be a pony in here somewhere that if I had to. I would rather be the one with the shovel in life right is gotta be a pony here somewhere. 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 assume that some people are just born with a joyful personality, so get ready for some good news. Julie is afraid 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 explanation of Philippians. When you make a gift to sharing and light ministries today Singin the new CD album the secret and unspeakable joy as 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. Julie is either present in the spirit to become a partner today and discover joint like never before. 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 in.like today's teaching now continues here once again is there is the pessimist would say a potential downside to be in only optimistic and that is that you could find yourself just shuffling the filth all the time and never owning up to the fact that it really does stink in there and so what is this I would just be optimistic and kind of ignore life's problems. No in fact of the matter. I have to admit that I am so for being positive. There can be a way in which you can go a little too far. If you ignore reality so I don't want to ignore reality and I'm alive and are a 17-year-old daughter been in Oklahoma this week at a speech tournament and in order to facilitate this very very busy schedule. It's best to stay on the campus at the University where this term is being hosted and so instead of being a hotel. My wife and Abby are in a dormitory room. Imagine my wife's dismay, and he had to know my wife to understand the level of dismay when she got there and realized it was only bunkbeds. I don't mean you could be a lower bunk. I mean, it was just the upper bunk and underneath the desk and that was all that was in there and so and there was no real either you like to keep you from falling off. So I talked to the next day I said had to sleep.

She said not much. She said I was hugging the wall the whole night. So I said well I to go to Walmart and get the very best blowup air mattress you can get put it on the floor, pray to get a better nights sleep. The next day I taught us that how'd you sleep.

She said it's a funny story. I said what she said well I didn't like was slept very well. Both Abby and I we cannot toss and turn.

She said I felt like in the she said it to the mill than I was that I thought I heard someone's alarm going off and there were some rummaging around next door.

She's out of Dragon sleep very well. Abby didn't sleep very well.

Does exhibit that we got up the next morning and everybody determine real tired and soon we saw an incident where were you last night, using what would what you mean when we're in our room trying to get some sleep is what would you tell that she's you know we didn't see you she's it's you wear during the evacuation of Marshall and don't there was smoke or something a little dormant during my wife and daughter just slept all they had a better nights sleep with anybody or buyouts without their pajamas at 3 AM standing outside the door. I want to be that positive person and I want to be like Paul, but there is this part of it has to say. If there's a fire. You need to wake up and get the building. It doesn't do to say. I'm sure it is not a fire but I know my door is not really needing me to do anything of any other man like this, but call it positive, but actually being lazy. If I'm sleeping in the mill and I will rationalize anything that my wife said I think the house burning down a bit like it'll be all right honey. We almost had our second child at home because she said I think I may have a contract and I'm sure you're not simply with the positive. Let's have the mindset of Paul the mindset of Christ and also can we be honest there are negative things in this world we do with some people have their brains and forcefully just wired towards the negative wise. The bad news sells and why is it that it's so easy to think up negative things and so hard to think of positive things one is that why is that active I sit with a group of 10 people say we had a prayer request but start popping out the needs as they were getting praise reports. It's a nice day else is about the brain I just we are very prone to build get wired for negative thinking. Some people are just pessimist tragedies cell F. Scott Fitzgerald said show me a hero and I will write you a tragedy.

Some famous pessimists, while this Joan Rivers is she still alive. Now she she she she lived a long time though she was. She was pessimist you find. She said trust her husband, adore your husband and get as much you can in your own name them just as pessimistic. Here's the bottom line. There are negative things there positive things and they answer. This is not a bumper sticker years ago adverts our Saturday evening ministry of the coffeehouse in I would preach casually around coffee tables and try to reach as we did primarily young people in their 20s married and single and one night I was going to be speaking about the healing ministry of Jesus and why believe that the healing ministry of Jesus continues to this very day. I also needed to address issues about the sovereignty of God, it becomes very complicated right when people start asking full why. If Jesus still heals some people not healed and we pray for them and some people are and what about the sovereignty of God. If he's good in these powerful, why doesn't he just do what he's going to do what is in heal everybody. And so I was talking about some of the complexity of these issues and I wanted to make a very persuasive case for why believe so much of Jesus heals today. On this particular night I just thought you know I'm to try something I never tried before.

I'm going to just pause towards the end of this message and just say now I know that normally when you get a sermon is a one-way thing in all and I can present and we all go home.

Exhibit really just of raising questions so we could much like a dialogue and only see you have any questions.

I thought that a the likelihood, nobody would ask the question and be off the hook and DI thought if they do ask a question. How hard could it be so. As soon as had any questions about these matters immediately hand went up in the back and I said yes and this individual said what about precious Joni Erickson taught a wonderful lady is beautiful, powerful ministry.

She's a paralyzed many years in a wheelchair from a diving accident and she's written she speaks and she's prayed for so much to be healed. Several was in and physically healed. Mashita speaks about knowing the love of God in the midst of her affliction so so what about her and she not been healed and will she's usually glorifying God in the life okay so I mumbled a few words of answer to that.

Then the next person raised a hand and this is the guy had never met before and he had multiple degenerative diseases and his body and he said even though I've been going through this and it had five surgeries and he said that I don't feel unblessed. It almost sounds like you're saying I'm not blessed if had been healed.

What about me and Ila's life. Okay I mumbled a few more words and then I took one more question, and it was about double predestination and I said that were out of time tonight and have you noticed it ever since then I don't take questions at the end. My point being, if you really willing to dig into these things flow more complicated than the bumper stickers is you can get some understanding of how people who have suffered a lot can start asking the questions, I got a letter this week from a very dear Christian counselor who attends our church and us. Her deep and wise thinker. After I had spoken from Philippians about experiencing the affections of Christ, even in our afflictions. She wrote me and she said that that night, after hearing that measure she woke up a couple hours later and kind of startle response with the thought. I didn't really know her letter with her permission. By the way, pushing out of my mind all day staring me in the face that it makes me dread going to work tomorrow because I know I'll be trying to answer the question all day long of if God loves me so much why my going through this and why hasn't he done anything to help me most the people I see every day have been walking the walk and talk the talk for decades and horrible things are happening and I don't always have a satisfactory answer even for things in my own life as a solicited your sermon today which of course was great. She said, but I had asked myself, how can you separate the love of God in the affections of Christ from his willingness or unwillingness to use his mighty power in our behalf will not go there question working. I have the answer to that in our conclusion of this particular teaching overcoming your worst fears unspeakable joy as the series and Alan Wright, our teacher is back your in a moment with additional insight on this for your life and define the word you sold it seriously and constantly desires to label 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 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 he spoke of Julie 16 Ehrenreich's newest album, the secretive unspeakable joy chapter by chapter 3 Paul's explanation of the secret of joy when you make a gift to data sharing a light beacon light of the new CD out on my way. Thanks for your partners come apart and discover the secret unspeakable joy.

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 past Rowan.work as were talking in the series about joy. I would imagine it would be one of the blocks to joy is living at a figure when you have fear and you think about the negative things in life and you think about it over and over all of us and has at least tasted of how crippling that can be in some of our listeners to live with a lot of daily fear and a lot of angst and this message is one that is straight from the heart of Scripture and from my heart to those who do suffer, and that way I do think it is important is just as we were coming on that segment there Daniel did we. We need to say it's okay to wrestle with some of these deepest questions about something like it's okay with that. And there are some things that are important in today's message about the biblical perspective on on suffering and in hope that some of that comes across with some real real clarity what we can learn from Paul something powerful about the sovereign care of God for his children.

Their confusing and difficult circumstances. And that's where the joy comes from the neck that's the power of the gospel. Today's good news message is a listener supported production Alan Wright Ministries