Godly Grief vs. Worldly Grief [Part 2]

Pastor, author and Bible teacher Alan Wright what God is after is that when you experience the conviction of the Holy Spirit. You do not despair over your failures revel in the grace of God that can transform your life excited for you to hear the teaching today. In the series victorious living is presented in an old church in North Carolina. If you're not able to stay with us throughout the entire program to make sure you know how to get our special resource right now. It's a book written by pastor at called God moments and it can be yours for your donation this month to Alan Wright Ministries as you listen to today's message go deeper as we send you today's special offer.

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More on this later in the program but right now let's get started with today's teaching here is Alan Wright group of people for their correction and becoming insensitive, in which there is a I harm that is done you know the difference between those things that really in the and we wonder sometimes that are cross that line. I know what he feels like know honestly if I would look back over the last 30 years of ministry is there. What are your biggest regrets. It would be without any hesitation. If I were to be transparent with you.

It would be those moments. I wish I could say which is once that it would be in the be a handful of times in which there was needed correction but I brought it in the wrong way the wrong time or the wrong place and hurt somebody in impulse.

Wondering, did he do that and just overjoyed that now Titus is come back and realize God had used it all to his glory, and to their good and so adverse six. He says God comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus and not only by his coming, but also by the comfort with which he was comforted by new, which is to say is kind of like as a parent. If someone loves your kid they've loved you if someone comfort someone that you love. It's like they've comforted you. That's what he saying as he told me of your longing. Your morning, your zeal for me so I still I rejoiced still more they came back and he gave a report of the Lord did an amazing thing through your letter. The people were convicted, they repented they change their way of thinking they had a great longing it. It seems like probably one of the things that needed to happen was they were tolerating perhaps a false teacher. Perhaps they were tolerating sexual immorality is like something and they woke up and they said with this needs to change and in it all. Something was beautifully and wonderfully restored. And so Paul is celebrating. So that's the context of this letter and then he comes here to talk about the godly grief versus the worldly grief and what the difference between these two things are a word that is used here from grief and is a Greek word that can mean distress or suffering or sorrow or pain and grief doesn't exactly sum up what is meant by this word this week were Lupe or its verb form Lupe oh it is a word that is used when the disciples are in Gethsemane and Jesus had asked them to pray, but they fell asleep and says that they were sleeping for sorrow for Lupe is the word that is used in Revelation chapter 21 when we are told in heaven and the new heaven and new earth. There will be no more sorrow. There is no more Lupe and this is a word that is often used only in this sense that the Lupe this sorrow. We have will turn to joy is interesting in my study of the New Testament references to this word, I realize there are no instances in which this idea of grief or sorrow is celebrated as an end unto itself.

In other words, God has no desire for you to be in sorrow for sorrow's sake. There are many instances in which there something good that comes from the sorrow. God takes no delight in his children suffering for sufferings sake. Normally, the way this is interpreted by commentators and preachers is essentially to say the difference between worldly sorrow and godly sorrow is that worldly sorrow worldly grief is where someone is. Sorry and feel sorrowful because they've been caught and now their consequences. Whereas what godly grief is is the kind of grief you have over your sin itself. It is only partially right. But of course there is a very important distinction between those two. We don't want to be like the girl who regretted breaking off her engagement with her boyfriend and she wrote this letter, dearest Tommy, no words could ever express the great unhappiness I have felt since breaking our engagement. Please say you'll take me back. No one could ever take your place in my heart so please forgive me. I love you I love you I love you I love you. Yours forever Marie PS congratulations on winning the state lottery.

Now this is there are times in our lives where we feel sorrow but it's mainly because the consequences of our mistake and there is something much deeper than that. But I don't think that's what Paul is talking about here because it's not a context where the Corinthians would be sorrowful because they been caught and making a mistake or they were going to be punished in some way. He's talking about two different ways of responding to the letter of correction that he had sent. He had sent them a warning he had sent them a correction and, in other words, how they responded to that was the key I get a chuckle this week. Read about a little girl who came to her elementary school teacher and said ma'am, I don't mean to scare you but my daddy said that my grades don't improve somebody's gonna get a spanking. Following written this letter to the Corinthians in society by Kenneth Alan Wright will have more teaching in a moment from today's important series facing a problem when well meaning Christian friends said something like that.

The problem was such an expectation. Of course, is that telling someone I have my faith doesn't actually help the person have more faith once my faith can we do to get my faith in his highly acclaimed book, God mimics Pastor Alan Wright describes when the most important biblical pathways to building your faith, remembering God's presence in your life. You see God's faithfulness yesterday.

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Today's teaching now continues here once again is Alan Wright when they embrace this moment of discipline and grow from it or would it cause them to withdraw in their own pride and become defensive about it and he so pleased that what happened led to life can give you a couple examples biblically stark examples. The first two very familiar characters in the New Testament, both of whom were given the privilege of being intimately associated with Jesus for three years of intensive ministry training.

Both of home were in special places of privilege, even within that 12 one of whom was the treasurer of the group of disciples and followers of Jesus to fund their ministry was entrusted with all of the other always seem to be a Jesus's side.

Both of these men. However had a moment, and their life were Jesus predicted point-blank that they would betray him and deny him one man, Judas, and one man, Peter ever thought about how similar their stories are Jesus, said Peter.

After Peter had said, Lord, I'm ready to go with you to prison and to dad Jesus and I tell you, Peter, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times and he told Judas whatever you're going to do, do it quickly. He knew it. Judas is going to betray him any forecasted point-blank. Both of them were utterly selfish in their moment of temptation Judas for 30 pieces of silver and Peter so that he would not jeopardize his own well-being. When Jesus was being taken off both. I think Judas and Peter envisioned Jesus becoming an earthly political king is a Messiah they didn't understand it both had a rejection of Jesus that was heinous you think of Judas's offense being so horrible because it led to the crucifixion, but Peter when he denied Jesus. Most scholars agree that third time that he denied him. He swore he cursed there and know that it Peter. The third time he denied Jesus said, I don't know the blank blank man and you might think that Peter had real remorse and Judas didn't and that was the difference between the two, but that's not so tech said in Matthew 26 that after Peter heard the rooster crows. He remembered the saying of Jesus before the rooster crows will deny me three times and the text says and he went out and wept bitterly. Look what happened when Judas Judas was even more remorseful. Judas is betrayer saw that Jesus was condemned, he changed his mind. He changes my and he brought back the 30 pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders thing I have send the training innocent blood you you can't show more remorse than that. But Judas went and hung himself and Peter became the preacher of Pentecost who is used by God to build his church and changed the history of the world is the difference to simply feeling bad about your sin is not what God is after what God is after is it when you feel bad about your sin, you become incredibly hopeful about your future. What God is after is that when you experience the conviction of the Holy Spirit. You do not despair over your failures but revel in the grace of God that can transform your life, what happened to Judas was a worldly grief that led to death and what happened to Peter was godly grief which led to salvation and life, not just for him but for so so many, let me give you another example.

Luke chapter 23 reads like this, starting at verse 32 to others who are criminals were led away to be put to death with him and when they came to the place that is called the skull, there they crucified him, and criminals, one on his right and one on his left one of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, are you not the Christ, save yourself and us with the other rebuked him, saying, do not fear God you not fear God, since your under the same sentence of condemnation, and we indeed justly, for receiving the due reward of our deeds with this man is done nothing wrong and he said Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom and he said to them, truly I say to you today you will be with me I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.

Both were heinous criminals both deserve punishment. Both were next to Jesus in their final moments. Both spoke to Jesus passionately. Both were soon to die.

Both were utterly powerless in their situation and both wanted to be saved but in a different way.

But there are also different. One thing the lineman who spoke to Jesus and the word is actually the translated railing against him is actually the word blaspheming against him. One is just blasting them in railing against them, while the other is in utter humility. So this one thief. Still, even on the cross where he is at his point of absolute humiliation and weakness has no actual humility and is trying to control Jesus by mocking him, but the other. Realizing his brokenness and his need and reaches out to Jesus that one thief expected no gift.

He rejected grace and mock Jesus the other was utterly eager to receive life utterly eager to receive grace, so one thief goes to heaven with Jesus and the other thief gets to go to hell that he desired. You do understand people choose their hell if you ultimately want to say no to the grace of God to let you and you can go live for eternity with other people who want no gift from God would rather that Steve would rather die on that cross than the humble himself next to the Savior of the world how different worldly grief and godly grief. How differently we can receive it. There is a huge difference. Ultimately, I would say it's the same as a different string condemnation and conviction. Let me spell it out. The devil shames and condemns God gives grace and brings conviction to say it again, the devil shames and condemns.

But God brings grace and conviction absolutely essential to know the difference in the voice of hell and the voice of heaven condemnation that is worldly grief says you are a mistake, but what godly grief. What conviction of the Holy Spirit says is you have made a mistake you can change and you can grow. What condemnation says is because you've done wrong you are less love but what conviction says is because you are so loved. I want to tell you how you can grow and change.

Condemnation always drives you away from God. But conviction draws you near God condemnation, you believe something is taken from you, but the conviction of God, something is given to you.

It's a gift to you an absolute gift to you. Condemnation makes you feel doomed, but conviction from God makes you feel hopeful.

Listen if you are under conviction of the Holy Spirit.

You can find yourself maybe being really really really sorry for your sin, but so so hopeful about your future. Because God cares enough to move you on in his grace. He's transforming you, and condemnation. There is no repentance.

There is no change of mind because when you come under a spirit of condemnation, beloved, whether you're in the presence of God or just talk into your spouse or coworker if what happens inside of you and the only thing that happened inside of you that comes through a filter of shame you're immediately going to be put on the defensive and your insecurities are going to cause you.

Do you want to get away or to try to attack and you wanting a bill to sift through it to see is there truth here for me. But when you have a deep security in the love of God when you have the assurances by the indwelling presence of the Holy Spirit that you're his child and nothing could ever separate you from the love of God in Jesus Christ, you begin to look toward your future in your life with God such that you realize that you can be change.

You can be conformed more more every day to the image of Christ and who wouldn't want that. I was thinking of this years ago and I am much I love golf and I'm not very good at it, not as try and advise if I get away from her little bit as I got forgotten how to play, but I still and I was as I was just reading years and years ago when Greg Norman was the number one golfer in the I saw this article and all the magazines that Greg Moore would come into a corporate outing, but he charged $200,000 for one day with your business to come in just hit balls with vintage and fraternize with people. That was a long time ago I met a lot of money not try to research at that time how much would it cost to get Tiger Woods who is the pinnacle of his game and I wrote you could even get him he would be doing a be $1 million. If you could get back to you who I want to come and spend the day with me right now is Jordan's faith, me and Jordan this get together would talk about the British Open and I and I and and I says say let's say I spent $1 million. Say I had it, and let's say a blue and I want to give it to Jordan speeded up, but he will come coach me for a day and he said I now need to let me see a line out there in our lives and I and also income there is is way.

Second, let me see that grip, while others turn the right hand here make that little bit stronger grip. Can you imagine I'm with the greatest golfer in the world spend $1 million to have a midterm site and don't tell me how to hold a golf club is ridiculous trying to get the greatest coach the greatest teacher greatest player in the world don't you want to open up every party or thinking every correction that he could bring to you the Holy Spirit. Jesus called the helper he wants to help you not hurt you worldly grief and godly grief is not about a turtle's death.

It's about the deepest transforming life-giving power of God coming into your heart by faith. You can come into the presence of God without fear of condemnation and let them change everything NS in the hospital and today's teaching godly grief versus worldly grief. As we continue in our series on second Corinthians saw about Victoria's living in Allen is back here in a moment with additional insight on what we've just heard for our life in today's final word in every moment nearly escaped from danger and having them you were surprised by blessing and every moment just knew the direction to take you life is different moments of God's grace.

Perhaps they been covered by the sands of time just gone unnoticed in the rush of life. Your life is full of God moments when you make a gift to sharing the right ministry think I will send you a special bundle of pastor I went hearts during both God moments feeding them containing all his idea messages on the subject.

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We will send you today's special affect happy send this to you as I banks from sharing the right ministries, 877-544-4860 or come to my website sharing the right leg and I know that you have a big hard for for healing and that in grief has to be a big part of of life. I think it's something we can escape. But there is a proper way to do that and that he is and I think you see here it's all in our response, but I think that you know anytime, especially as regards today's message anytime that there's been the kind grief of where you've messed up right will you grieve that and then you have remorse over rent and that's going to be a natural thing, but what condemnation does is it pushes you away from God. Where is conviction of the Holy Spirit, or what we might call godly grief. What that does. It draws you near got the powers of hell are always at work in this spiritual battle to try to drive us away from God and he calls us to condemn ourselves where's the Holy Spirit is always at work drawing you unto the father. So if you're hearing the voice I would say all is that if you're hearing a voice and is making you feel condemned and doomed and is if you have no right to get the presence of God. That's not God's voice to you. God is on a mission to bring you closer to his own heart and so with the spirit of condemnation. There's no real change that takes place there just inward shame, but in the connection Holy Spirit godly grief is transformation and that's what God wants in your life. He's the greatest teacher in the world and he wants to show you a better way. That's what godly grief is. Thanks for listening today. Visit us online at pastor at.org or call 877-544-4860 that's 877-544-4860 if you only caught part of today's teaching.

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