Freedom for the Captives Through Gospel Proclamation [Part 2]

Pastor, author and Bible teacher Alan Wright your head up posture of being an heir of God and not a slave you're not the product of some human effort like Hagar, you are a product of God's goodness in his lob visit so you and God is going to build his kingdom. Alan will welcome to another message of good news that will help you see your life in a whole new life. I'm excited for you to hear the teaching today. In the series called unleashed as presented at renewal the church in North Carolina. If you're not able to stay with us throughout the entire program today to make sure you know how to get our special resource right now.

You can find out more about it and even receive a copy of your very own for your donation this month to Alan Wright ministry.

So as you listen to today's message go deeper as we send you today's special offer@pastor.org find out more about it and make your request or call 877-544-4860 that's 877-544-4860 begin our website pastor Alan.org. More on this later in the program but now let's get started with today's teaching here is Alan Wright her older brother was abusive towards her and she is all she no, but she under a series of of encouragement from one of her older brothers who had sorta broken out of the system.

She taught herself enough. Enough about reading and arithmetic to eventually take the standardized ACT test and after the second attempt she was admitted to Brigham Young University as she began to study. She said in her first. For example, one of her first courses.

There was some talk about some mention very quick about the Holocaust and she raised her hands. There was a Holocaust.

She was turned out very bright and she studied study study study hard as you could, and eventually one of her professors at Brigham Young said that he wanted her to apply for a Cambridge scholarship and she did and she went to Cambridge to study and she wrote an essay for Prof. that she worked on very very hard and submitted it.

I want to read to you what she wrote.

I finish the essay I sent to Prof. Steinberg.

Two days later when I arrive for our next meeting. He was subdued.

He peered at me from across the table I wanted for him to say the essay was a disaster. The product of an ignorant mind that it had overreached, drawn too many conclusions from too little material. I've been teaching at Cambridge for 30 years. He said this is one the best essays I've read what she wrote.

I was prepared for insults but not for this. Prof. Steinberg must've said more about the essay but I heard nothing.

My mom was consumer. The wrenching need to get out of that room. I could tolerate any form of cruelty better than kindness praise was a poison and he choked on it. One of the professors shout at me. I wanted it so deeply and felt dizzy from the deprivation. The ugliness of me had to be given expression with a mixed message that it is paralyzing because so confusing it introduces fear which brings slavery, but believed long enough it becomes part of your identity made what Paul is most concerned about the Galatian situation was above and beyond all that it means a loss of power. He says elsewhere on this it elsewhere in this epistle is that you start out the spirit and now you return back to works of the flesh, you really are moving in that direction who is bewitched you because the power of the gospel is in this that we knowing that we have no power in ourselves to fulfill righteousness or keep the law that we humbly yield ourselves to the grace of God and count on him and trusted his promises.

And as we do that we trust in Christ therein, and that submission and that and that deep worship. That's where we are empowered. We are filled with the spirit, when we are submitted in worship to God. Inasmuch as we are trying to buy her own effort.

We effectively closed down our hearts to the very gift of the spirit that God wants to continually pour out in our lives so what Paul is saying is that there's not really an in between here because once you in fact the gospel with law-based thinking whether it be. You gotta keep this day a festival regarding certain children. You gotta keep these rituals or whether it be the this strange environment that that Tara Westover Grove grew up in of legalism, whether it be at once you introduce that into it. You have moved, Paul says, instead of relying on the promises of God. You now relying on your own strength and that's anti-gospel to explain this draws upon this poignant familiar image in the Old Testament that all all the Jewish believers would have fully understood immediately we was talking about one the most important stories got income to Abraham and promised that he and his wife Sarah will have a son in their old age.

But they didn't have a son for years after that and in their inpatients. They start thinking will.

Maybe God wants us to do something about this and so they agreed that they would bring in Hagar who was the maidservant a slave woman in the house that she would come to be a surrogate mother and that that she could mother a child for four fragrant and so that's what they did. So here's what happened. We don't turn either. But listen in on this.

Jenna 616.

Sarah why she wasn't yet her name gets changed to Sarah Sarah I Abrams wife bore no choice, yet a female Egyptian servant whose name was Hagar and Sarah said Abram, behold now the Lord is preventing me from bearing children, going to my servant, and maybe I shall obtain children by her and Abram listen to the voice of Sarah so after Abram had lived 10 years and Alanna Canas Sarah Abrams wife took Hagar the Egyptian servant gave Abram her husband as a wife and she conceived, and when she saw that she conceived was of this. She looked with contempt on her mistress, so soon as Hagar the maidservant is is pregnant with Abraham's child. She now starts hating Sarah and Hagar looking down Sarah and versus six of that chapter. Abram said to Sarah behold your sermon is in your power. Do as you please and Sarah dealt harshly with her and she fled from. So now Sarah is retaliating for the bad treatment. The maidservant given her and so there's this terrible conflict. And God said to Abram in chapter 17 verse five. As for Sarah your wife.

You shall not call her name Sarah but Sarah shall be your name.

I will bless her. Moreover, I'll give you a son by her. I will bless her, and she shall become nations, kings of peoples will come from her and the text is in verse 17 Abraham fell on his face and laughed and said to himself, shall a child be born to a man is 100 years old, Joel Sarah, who is 90 years old bear child and Abraham said to God, O that Ishmael might live before you. So Abraham says listen we got Ishmael hundred euros on your we try this did not work and and and so want to just let Ishmael be the one through whom all these promises come as what he saying to me. God said verse 19 no, but Sarah your wife shall bear you aside and you shall call his name Isaac and I'll establish my covenant with them is an everlasting covenant for his offspring after him. So verse five of chapter 21 Abraham was 100 years old when his son Isaac was born to him and Sarah said God is made laughter for me and everyone who hears will laugh over it and so that's why Isaac was named Isaac.

It means laughter and she said, who would've said Abram. Sarah would nurse children yet are born of a son is old age. Here's what happened.

Verse eight. The child grew, and was weaned and Abraham made a great feast on the day that Isaac was weaned, but Sarah saw the son of Hagar, the Egyptian, whom she had born to Abraham laughing mocking these much older.

He's mocking this little half-brother of his. So she said Abraham cast out the slave woman with her son for this son of the slave woman shall not be an heir with my son Isaac things very displeasing Abraham, on account of son. God said to Abraham be not displeased because the boy because you are of your slave woman whatever Sarah says do you do it. She tells you for through Isaac shall your offspring be named in so they sent off Hagar and Ishmael and Paul's grab hold of this story that I want to show you something about about the gospel. This is interesting because it seems unfair at first to Hagar and Ishmael may after wall. It wasn't Hagar's idea was Sarah's idea and I Hagar will be put out, and Abraham totally want to print but God's as you do it. Sarah said get rid of that slave woman on your house. The problem with Ishmael is that he wasn't the son of promise and God had given a promise is like the power of my word is the thing that matters here and and when I will put on display not to send for this blessing through any human effort through this slave woman with NC tax story we be so fast.

They talk about all the dimensions that want to jump something out at me.

Isaac means laughter. Abraham and Sarah both at laugh when God had given this message because it was that it was the laughter of the hilarity of the gospel of grace of God doing the impossible. But then there's another place for this laughter and its Ishmael now laughing mockingly placing your either laughing with humility and joy. The gospel you're laughing with pride and disdain. Paul Texas and he he applies is like an allegory, Satan. This all took place so that you could see how important you have no long gospel Greg Zatz and Ellen will have more teaching moment from today's important series. This is what the facts I will restore the fortunes of Jacob's times and have compassion on his dwellings. The city will be rebuilt on Hulu and Harris will stand in its proper place as timeless wakes up in Jeremiah 30 the of the heart of God loves to us the way to time cities would often be read out on top of the ruins of the former city and the city would stand higher with safer walls and a greater perspective and pastor out on right out of the ruins how God can build your life gloriously, yesterday's disappointments you need to get Alan Wright Ministries today.

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These are the final days. This offer is being made available to you this month, seven 877-544-4860 877-544-4861 come to our website pastor out and lick today's teaching now continues here once again is it's like you have Hagar and Sarah and Hagar produces Ishmael, Sarah, Isaac, and he says that Hagar is representative of the old covenant, the covenant of law where is Sarah is representative of the new covenant and therefore Hagar is a picture he saying of law and Sarah is a picture of grace.

Further, what they're saying is that Hagar is a symbol of living by the works of the flesh which Depaul means human effort that still rooted in the sin nature, but Sarah is a picture of living by the power of the spirit because what happened in her is miraculous by the spirit and Hagar is a picture therefore a performance or workspace living and Sarah is a picture of living by the promises of God and what happens with Hagar and with Ishmael and performance-based living is that it introduces as we been speaking about a life of fear.

A life that is continually concerned with the question have I done enough to be acceptable if you're going to make the promise of God come to pass by your own efforts, how will you know if you've done enough to make God's promises come true. And so what Paul is saying is that the whole model of this means that you either be in fear or you're going to be as it symbolized to Sarah you're going to be in faith. Another way to look at this is that Hagar is all about saying I'm in control. Where is Sarah saying God's in control. Isaac is a picture of God's in control of his and he was gonna bring supernaturally.

This child to them.

But as me and God's timing and always in control of it and I think this is worrisome to us. When it doesn't seem to be happening.

We try to take over. It is the appearance and Hagar of blessing, but in a sense she's inwardly just bereft of any real blessing you know that culture where was just such a mark of of blessedness to build a bear a son, and yet Sarah has all these years of having no son appearance of being of being barren and unblessed, but she's actually the one who's blessed in the in what it is a picture of the difference between slavery and freedom. The gospel set you free, and the law will make you a slave. So what Paul says to the Galatians is cast out the slave woman and her son. He is saying. You not only need to recognize what part of your gospel has been infected with law-based mentalities, but you need to actively get rid of it. You need to know that it will never work to invite legalism into bed with the gospel. It will never work because law mocks grace and law fights against grace, they might look alike like there both signs, but they're totally different. They might say well we both want both law and grace are saying we want to live this wonderful and good and righteous life but from totally different men. Motivation.

So what Paul say the big enemy of the grace of God and his power at work is not really a particular sin is not your luster, your deception, your gospel, you can deal with that you can, but with the real enemy is is a legalism itself. The human attempt to keep the law will result in either pride says look how righteous I am. Look what I've done or condemnation. Look what I haven't done I'm doomed Obama sin. Paul takes all this and it says to the Galatians as you does understand who you are as a Christian you are not in Ishmael urine Isaac is who you are, how were you born again by your own effort know you were born by the promise of God you were born by the spirit of God, you are born again by the grace of God, you are as a Christian, a supernatural miracle every bit as much is Isaac was a miracle you as a Christian you are is supernatural miracle and evidence of the grace of God, urine and unshakable covenant of grace.

You're in your aunt' being an heir of God, not a slave you're not the product of some human effort. Like Hagar, you are a product of God's goodness in his love.

This is who you are and God is going to build his kingdom through you get rid of the slave so you can welcome every day your life. The work of the spirit so you can live by the promises of God in that proclamation that announcement that announcement of the good news of what God is done for us in Jesus Christ.

That is what it means to preach, preach means to tell somebody a good news and it is the great joy of our lives. And that's what we do as a church that's one support here and all around the world.

I say, but it wouldn't only, ran through the airport this week. I had a I had a time it was more anxiety producing running the airport all the way down the motor Georgia y'all almost missed my flight and the bad thing about it was. There was no plan B there were no other flights to get me down to Tallahassee in time. I couldn't jump in the car and drive eight hours down there in time. I was just going to miss it. If I missed the flight and it was a rough day.

I left a little later from home to go to Raleigh-Durham airport than I should have an put on GPS in my heart just absolutely St. Michael's or some kind of trapper Jim 40 and if there's will take a half-hour longer than I thought Anne Hathaway will clear up. It didn't clear up. I had to be rerouted through derma down the Durham Freeway and I got there I literally part as far away from terminal two is I could be and I ran from my car to security check and saying please only belong. Please only to be long and all is about as long as I've ever seen it before, and I stood there in line is a terrible feeling to sit there and think I am the program tonight, and all these people gathering for this big banquet and there is no plan B and I might miss this flight. It is terrible feeling. I made it by literally one minute they're closing the door behind me and kind of you know, and so I did the whole trip.

I'm just like back but I'm just so what this stuff I didn't get to go by Starbucks and get me a coffee there. The terminal you know and all this and I've been bemoaning all week how grueling my my flights were getting back and forth to mow tree and then yesterday I got email from Stephen Vanda who is pastor missionary. We support Emma Lowey for the better part of a couple decades.

He said pray for him said he was going to go and and preach in Mozambique and so we prayed for them and they sent word back and said it went really well. He said just pray for me that I'll get a better bus going back. He mentioned offhandedly that he had to stand for seven hours on the bus going because there were no seats so there's a little difference there between our travel problems and he loves to preach is interesting that the idea of you on the lives of my the proclamation of the good news was often used to speak of the message of victory in a battle, and the one who carried that message the one who shared that good news was much celebrated how blessed are the feet of him who brings good news.

The word you ungulates are my means there's a message as coming from the battle scene to tell us that we want and that is the message of the good news of the victory of Jesus Christ for us.

We just preach it and say 1000 right in today's teaching freedom for the captives through gospel proclamation in our series titled unleased and we get Alan back in the studio here in just a moment cheering the parting good news thought for the day.

Stick with what that I will restore the fortunes of Jacob times and have compassion on his dwellings will be rebuilt on Hulu and Harris will stand in its proper place as timeless wakes up in Jeremiah 30 for the heart of God loves to us the way. Time cities would often be rebuilt on top of the ruins of the former city city would stand higher with central walls and a greater perspective pastor Mike Billings help document build your life gloriously, yesterday's disappointments to get Alan Wright Ministries to listen to Pastor Alan's messages, and attractive. See through digital download as our way of saying thanks for your partnership. We are in our final days of offering to special product. Call us at 877-544-4860 877-544-4861 come to our website pastor at work and blessing your life is governed. Grace filled vision for your rights, free grace and encouragement for every blessing. It's free.

Just a click away. Pastor I got away was listening right now.

I maybe really identified a fuel held captive and how they can find the freedom whether you're hanging on every word today's message. Here's what you need to hear again. You were born of God's love and power and promise.

That's that's what the Christian is that means your you're not in Ishmael and Isaac.

You were born supernaturally means your miracle means that you are in an unshakable confidence with God through Jesus Christ means you and Aaron. Honestly, it means that your life is full of promise and full of the Holy Spirit. It means this. That is a Christian God wants to build his kingdom through you and so there's a be a great temptation. This sort of religious spirit, the sort of idea that it's all up to me and and my own flesh is attempt will that's what produces Ishmael you are not in Ishmael and Isaac.

Today's good news message is a listener supported production Alan Wright Ministries