Foolproof Prosperity [Part 1]

Allen Wright, pastor, Bible teacher and author of his latest book, the power to bless the gospel is about a God of infinite law who saw that we didn't even know how to ask the right question of him, much less come to him so he came to Esther Allen welcome to another message of good news that will help you see your life for no light in the brick excited for you to hear the teaching today. In the series proof is presented in an old church in North Carolina. If you're not able to stay with us throughout the entire program. I will make sure you know how to get our special resource. Right now it can be yours for your donation this month to Allen Wright ministries as you listen to today's message go deeper if are happy to send you today's special offer. Just contact us at pastoralan.org that's Pastor Alan.org or call 877-544-4860 that's 877-544-4860 will have more on this special offer later in the program but now let's get started with today's teaching here is Allen right get wisdom and many other good things will follow.

The priority is the wisdom where learning from the Proverbs, which point is not only to practical insights for skill for daily living, but ultimately point us to the true personification of wisdom, the expression of wisdom is fully in the person of Jesus Christ and today we return to Proverbs chapter 3, four very rich passage that is going to address for us the priority of wisdom and all these other good things that come from God, along with wisdom. Proverbs chapter 3 in our series, we call foolproof Proverbs are I don't know if you're discovering this, but there's so on the multilayered and textured and as I was praying this morning addresses like a sense of the Lord, inviting us into a treasure trove a jeweled cave, someplace where many of the thoughtless people pass by not knowing the treasures everything you come in.

You see such riches and that is to this that I invite you into the Proverbs again today. Proverbs 3 verse 13 Blessed is the one who finds wisdom, and the one who gets understanding for the gain from her is better than gain from silver and or profit better than gold.

She's more precious than jewels.

And nothing you desire can't compare with her long life is in her right hand in her left-hander riches and honor her ways are ways of pleasantness and her paths are peace. She is a tree of life of those who lay hold of her.

Those who hold her fast are called blessed to show you out one verse of another Proverbs this morning, 17 verse one Proverbs 17 better is a dry morsel with quiet than a house full of feasting with strife better that year just scraping by with the barest provision and yet got joy and peace and wisdom that have all the riches of this world and the end strife and chaos and lack discernment.

One of those guys that honestly like a lot of man that I know generally in the morning spent three minutes or less. Thinking about my appearance.

I just don't spend much time thinking about what I've show where my general thought process is especially when it comes to a Sunday morning, did I wear this last week.

Would anybody remember if this is what our last way and then the second question is does it fit and depending on you know when it is does it fit that changes in so those two things have to intersect that at least I didn't wear yesterday and that and to a lesser degree. There also is, is it still clean and so that goes into the mixes well, but I do have some people am I alive who are very close to me, yea, even within my own household who have encouraged me to think a little bit more about it and especially nice that I have a 19-year-old daughter who is fashion conscious and I can encourage you know a little more trendy look and so I will listen to her a little bad but I had to think about it a little bit more this week because though I know I hate doing that and and maybe once every 5 to 10 years. I will do it. I had some photos taken on Friday night for the website and promotional things. All this is going to have some of publicity photos so I had a professional photographer and we went several different locations on Friday night and when we went downtown to take some sort of more urban shots I had, I think, rather classy bluish gray suit with a white crisp shirt, no tie, black belt, black shoes and thought about the brown that I decided to stick with the black and we found a nice spot on trade Street in the art district and there was activity in a light post is a lamppost there had some particular character and I was leaning against it posing for the sixth and along came a man who said as I'm talk research. He said you look and sharpen it and he said are you a model for no but by the time I'm starting to feel pretty good about myself until he said.

He added after that say could you help a homeless guy out to butter me up to try to bag a little bit but he thought for a moment that I was a model I think okay it's an okay thing to think a little bit about your appearance because people have to look at you right and but but thinking about that is of no where near the importance of thinking about your character who you really are what you look like is nowhere near the importance of who you actually are is not to say that thinking a little bit about your parents is not an okay thing is just that is to be more I byproduct or a reflection about who you actually are and if you get those two things backwards.

You gonna really be messed up. I mean if I had thought well you know maybe I will be a model. It would bring poverty upon my family.

My daughter would have to drop out of college and we would have nothing to eat so it is with wisdom, but Proverbs 3 is essentially a thing is that there are so many good things that God has for his children and many of these things are listed here in Proverbs 3 will look at those things but riches and honor, and long life and even the pleasantness and peace that accompanies all of this is not the primary pursuit. The primary pursuit for the child of God. Proverbs teaches over and over, especially in Proverbs 3 is get wisdom challenge right will have more teaching moment from today's important series like something is holding you back if you can important see what could change everything. Is there someone you refuse in stock now. What's missing blessing on this and spoken over you can learn how to embrace who practice a blessing to Pastor Ehrenreich's new book, which quickly became an enzyme number one bestseller after 370s until now the hardcover book has only been available through retail sales this month right ministries once send you the I thank you for your demo send this not only receive your best selling also receive a free session video place in which Pastor Alan teaches how to blast and covers contact video course includes a study guide perfect for personal growth or small group discussion. Make your gift today discovered the power to blast Collison 877-544-4860 877-544-4861 come to our website Pastor.like today's teaching now continues once again is draw yourself nearer into the heart of God and with a discerning, listening, heart draw yourself into relationship with this God who loves to give wisdom and saturate your life without wisdom, let it be the ruling priority of your life that you care far more about gaining wisdom, then you do all of these other good things. And when you do get this in the right order.

You might be surprised how many of these other good things are added unto you. And that's really what we're going to look at today and in a world aware of church world where we have so many sort of competing ways of expressing the gospel. There is real confusion over this one because you listen to.

Not sure whether God wants us to prosper or whether God wants us to suffer and what I want you to see is within. Proverbs 3, but also the context of the Scriptures that God does want for his children to prosper in the very best sense of the word, but the aim of the Christian life is God himself, and I want to try to show you some of those connections from this marvelous proverb know. Maybe the best place to begin an understanding. Proverbs 3, or understanding. Most of the proverb since they were mostly written by Solomon is to look at Solomon's story, and if you want to follow along. It's in first Kings chapter 3 where Solomon who is the son of King David is made King and there had been a promise to David from God.

This unilateral covenant wherein God said I will never remove Mike has said my steadfast love my covenantal love.

I'll never take it from you, David, and I'll never take it from your family and someone from your lineage will forever be on the throne will Solomon is the first king to follow and David's lineage and God comes to Solomon with a question in first Kings three at verse 360 read Solomon love the Lord walking in the statutes of David his father only sacrifice and made offerings at the high places so Solomon loved the Lord he walked in the word of the Lord that have been entrusted to David since he did sacrifice a high places which is not something that your God written pukes. But is essentially saying there was no temple. And there were various places of worship and at times that these places of worship. There was some mixing in of ancient Canaanite religious practices but is not making the accusation Solomon here, but just drawing that distinction. David never did that in verse four of the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice therefore that was the Great High Pl., Solomon used. To offer a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. Probably a figure speech to say a thousand. In most the time in the Bible. Thousands means a lot of offerings at the expression of his love for God and say verse five it Gibeon. The Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night and God said, ask what I shall give you an Solomon said.

You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant David my father because they want before you in faithfulness and righteousness and uprightness of heart toward you, and you've For him this great and steadfast love, and it given him a son to sit on his throne this day.

And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father although I'm but a little child, I do not know how to go out or come in and your servant is in the midst of your people whom you've chosen a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people that I may discern between good and evil.

For who is able to govern this your great people.

So he calls himself a little child I was a grown man he saying I'm humble and teachable and is and I don't know how to go out or come in its tedium and size of figures we say I don't know how to do my job.

I don't know how to lead this people, I need your help. In verse 10 it please the Lord. This Solomon asked this and God said to him, because you pass this and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right.

Hold on now, do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you have been before you and not like you shall arise after you. I give you. Also what you've not asked both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you all your days if you walk in my ways.

Keep my statutes and my commandments as your father David walk that I will link then your days so you see the same phrases, riches, honor, and long life is what is held in the left and right hands of wisdom, according to Proverbs 3 and Solomon wrote Proverbs 3. So he rode it out of his own experience at verse 15 Solomon awoke, and behold, it was a dream. They came to Jerusalem and is something startling here. He stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, a place normally only for the high priest, and he offered up, burnt offerings and peace offerings. He made a feast for all the servants came in just risked it all and came into the very presence of God and worship him and he did what he knew to do with his wealth and just honor the Lord with burnt offerings and peace offerings, which are purely voluntary offerings and the peace offerings when you offer it, then the people themselves could partake of its weight offered lavish peace offerings and then there was a feast for all the people. It was this glorious celebration because of what God had shown him and what God had spoken to him is important to me to understand this is who Solomon is and this is what shaped his life and all of these Proverbs that he wrote a coming out his experience where he saw the priority was the wisdom and all these other good things.

It followed in his life were were byproducts so you learn from this. Solomon loves the Lord he worship with great passion and he understood that the good things he did come into his life.

They did flow down from his father David that this should all come by God's grace and this grace made him a worshiper and he was profoundly profoundly grateful what you see in the story is God came to Solomon. Solomon didn't go to God with the question is not a story about Solomon coming to God and say what you want me to do for you. It's a story about God coming to Solomon and St. Solomon what you want me to do for you and me just say this, the gospel is not about you going to God and say what is it you want me to do for you though God has many important things for you to do. The gospel is about a God of infinite love who saw that we didn't even know how to ask the right question of him, much less come to him so he came to us with the question will you receive eternal life. He came to us with the gift of his grace, and it's interesting that God is omniscient being who knows everything asked the question of Solomon. Watch out when and omniscient being asked you a question, it means he's not looking to find out the answer for himself as much as is looking for you to find out the answer for your self. What is it that you want the question. In the end was not about what Solomon could give the question like the question of the gospel is what is it that God has to give and it's everything Solomon had beautiful response is that what I want is wisdom. The literal phrase here in the Hebrew is a listening heart a heart that hears the word for here Shema is famous in Israel because of Deuteronomy 6 where it says here oh Israel, the Lord your God is one God, and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and mind, and strength here oh Israel sure math Shema and that's why it's called the Shema here and the word here in Hebrew, Shema that means to listen also means to obey because if you really heard something, then that's truth and you obey it.

There just are closely linked and so what Solomon says it. I want a heart of Shema I want to own a heart that listens to you, give me the capacity to be drawn near to heavenly wisdom and here are in every moment from you about the wise path is so humble about all of this because he is called himself a little child is a grown man.

At this point, but what he means by this is that my spirit is humbled before you. You get the sense that there is no limit to how much God can and may exalt someone who is authentically humble. There is no limit to how much God will teach a person who is teachable and probably the greatest limitation upon us and learning from God is simply our submission to God, but the that the spirit of Solomon is not only worshipful but it's teachable and that's what he wants and he doesn't. If you noticed in the story. He doesn't want the wisdom for the sake of wisdom itself. He wants it because he said I don't know how to, go, I want to govern your people well. He wants wisdom so that he can carry out the calling that God is given to him right in today's teaching series foolproof. It's foolproof prosperity is back with us in the studio as he fears his parting good news thought for the day.

Just a moment feel like something is holding you back if you can important see that could change everything.

Is there someone you love hissing stock to help them out what's missing.

Blessing on faith filled vision spoken over, I learned you can learn how to embrace who practice a blessing to Pastor Alan writes new, but it's a brass which became an Amazon number one bestseller after 370s until now the hardcover book has only been available through retail sales this month right ministries once send you the I think for your donation did this not only receive the best-selling but also receive a free session video place in which Pastor Alan teaches how to blast and covers content not the video course includes a detailed study guide perfect for personal growth or small group discussion. Make your gift today discovered the power to bless Collison 877-544-4860 877-544-4861 come to our website pastor at work, Allen here. The studio we have a good news thought for the day.

At the conclusion of each program.

As we kicked off this new teaching in this ongoing series, foolproof prosperity.

What is that thought well. Prosperity is a word that I think a lot of people associate only with all that means you know financial riches, and so but really the idea prospering is about well-being about about flourishing and this this is God's desire for us for us to prosper in that sense, it doesn't mean that you have no problems.

It doesn't mean that everyone can be rich. That's not what the Bible teaches.

But our desires for total and complete peace and well-being. This is these are good desires and and even Daniel Heidi of money itself. It is good is not bad. It's the love it's the wrong law session with money is the root of so many different kinds of and so I think is a good thing to expect and ask God for prosperity of spirit so and body for today's good news message is a listener supported production Allen right ministries