Free to Know God [Part 2]

Pastor author and Bible teacher Alan Wright. He knows you and for the rest of your life owner and for all eternity. You get to enjoy better. That's faster 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 unbleached is 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, he couldn't think of anything.

He was thankful for, and his anger was too much and the couple needed to separate and they were separated. I tried several occasions to help him and he was he was he would reject most forms of help and it is his heart seemed impenetrable, but I had counseled with him some and little bit a conversation about how to treat a woman and so he started sending her flowers and saying all the right thing and then she said that she wanted him over for dinner and though it was certainly against my counsel was too early for she had them stay the night and the next morning he said I will get my things and she said no, no, were not ready to move in that this was just the right step in that direction, and he quietly walked out, went to his truck, got some wire clippers and clipped the telephone wire to the house and came back and began to strangle her and if the toddler had not happened into the room to distract him, he would've killed her that day but she escaped. He had been saying the right thing sending her flowers doing the right things and at first she was giving a response that he wanted to send her she didn't give the response of the wanted. He wanted to kill her lie, because that was in a relationship without knowing and being known that was some confused arrangement of entitlement mentality's wherein he thought it was about if I do enough of the right is then I will have you and that is not the way relationship works. In fact, any measure of that type of mentality erodes the relationship is wonderful thing men bring your white flour, but if you're doing it because it's just the right thing to do not because you love her and you know her and you want then in some ways it erodes the conspiracy of hell is to lure us away from the simple knowledge of God to performance-based allegiance and is brilliant and beautiful little book, the prodigal God Tim Keller talks as much about the older brother in the famous prodigal son story as he does the younger, but it is really a story about a father who lavishly love to signs and one son went off into abject rebellion and lived amongst the pigs and prostitutes. But the other Sunday older son was at home, dutifully working conforming to all expectation, and Keller makes this dramatic point. The older brother doesn't come into the celebration. Once the younger brother has come home and the reason the older brother doesn't come in as he says to his father. I've never disobeyed you and him enslaving for you and you never done anything for me to have is yours.

Please, never goes in, and Keller makes this point, which I think is remarkable.

The elder brother is missing the father's love, not because of that older brothers moral and behavioral errors. Applicant is bad because he is good his obedience because the way he looked at it as a law actually kept him from the father's heart is with astounding God wants to be known.

Let's be honest about it.

There's only one real reason that I never knew Billy Graham as well. Be honest about it. Okay, let's just say it be done with it. The reason that I didn't know Billy Graham is Billy Graham didn't want to know me.

I felt the main way was in his long and beautiful life.

He never had one moment, not one second of all those years of his life. Not one second that he sit there and go you know I like to invite Alan Wright come up here and have lunch just never went there was mine just didn't know there was mine. You get to know somebody of that stature they need to want to be known by you.

God wants you to know Jeremiah chapter 9 this is what the Lord says let not the wise man boast of his wisdom of the strongman. Most of the strength of the rich man boast of his riches, but let him who boasts boast about this, that he understands and knows me just delighted for somebody to know him, Hosea was given a real life allegorical picture of the love of God when he was told that he was to marry woman of ill repute and then he was to love the wife of unfaithfulness so that he could understand the way God loves us and Hosea 6 verse six the prophecy reads I desired the knowledge of God more than burnt offering God say I never desired a thousand rams on the altar, and I never that's not what I desire. You know me and here's what's even more astounding.

God not only wants you to know him, but he wants it so much that he pursues you. For you to know him. Sounds very strange thing to say but I believe it's absolutely true of what we see in the gospel. God wants to know you experientially. That's in large measure what your prayer life. Your devotional life.

Your worship life, your time with God is a joy to his heart because he I normal thin ice here is you talk about an omniscient being knowing something that he may not currently know because he knows everything about you is absolutely all-knowing, but if you could say that there was something I didn't know it would be someone who doesn't want to submit to him and love him and worship him. You could say in the sense that what God is missing is the experiential knowledge of that person's affection, and indeed fellowship. He said to Moses in Exodus 33 Lord said to Moses, I'm pleased with you and I know you.

I just love the fact that I know you when Adam was hiding from God & came in the world and God set out. Where are you God knew where he was, but he didn't have the fellowship of Adam.

I'm the good Shepherd Jesus said I know my sheep and my sheep know me it's not just about you. Knowing God, it's about God knowing you and here's what's even more extraordinary. God has so wanted you to know him and him to know you that he has made it possible and it would be absolutely possible except for the fact that he has made it possible. It means that you can buy ticket to get to know God.

Given this vets will have more teaching moment from today's important series I will restore the fortunes of Jacob's times have compassion on his dwellings.

The city will be rebuilt on her powers.

In its proper place as timeless words from Jeremiah 30 for the heart of God loves to restore way time cities would often be read out on top of the ruins of the former city would stand higher with social walls and a greater perspective pastor right out of the ruins how God can build your life gloriously, yesterday's disappointments to get to 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. Call us at 877-544-4860 877-544-4861 come to our website pastor work.

Today's teaching now continues here once again is my wife and I had amazing privilege your mission into sent to two illustration one sermon didn't sit near the Hornets game and then another one. Don't think it is only happened twice in the last 10 years to make, but this was a wonderful privilege that that my wife gets a week and 1/2 ago a friend who plays the guitar is one best guitarist in the world.

Ron block plays and Alison Krauss is Dan Alison Krauss one more Graham is anybody alive probably was beautiful, versatile voice of any any woman alive and easy mutations that were to be in Charlotte to show he said I got a couple company tickets.

If you and want to come in with. I said yeah and so I will see if Aaron and I looked online I looked. I also Krauss website to see what time the show was and where the address and so forth. And it wasn't listed on her website and an outlook venue at the performing arts center downtown Charlotte theater, glowing theater in that center out on their website. It was on website so I had to take Ron back in and see the show listed. John, like it really a show and I said what time is the show that's a way out, but I didn't say are you really gonna be here.

I said what times a show. He said that he text me back and said always that I just talk to her manager.

I didn't realize if it's a private show. He said it's at 730. I said I would forward to seeing you so we got there and beautiful place downtown Charlotte maybe been there and there's a whole bunch of people in this lobby and they're eating shrimp in primary and we go into this table and I said I think there's some tickets here for us and the lady said all here they are in his VIP corridors Alison Krauss on it and and I said what is this, she said this is a a music club and I came to realize that what is a private club of people. I guess they pay dues and they a few times a year, bringing in world-renowned musicians to come perform in this small 730 seat venue in downtown Charlotte because they love great music and love the intimacy of that environment. And surely there's your plan a premium for this and they have a big gathering with food before and a big party at so I just kind of look that said, so she said yeah this is the pre-gathering things that help yourselves to anything and I like what are we doing here. I quickly overcame my imposter syndrome. When I saw all the shrimp on ice and the man carving the prom ribbon making little sandwiches, and I was like the shrimp in the prime rib is here and I'm tell you we win and I think it might've been when was beautiful events I've ever been Alison Singh so beautifully.

Ron, the band played just as the acoustics is an old church venue just gorgeous and was so moving and at the at the at the end, these people that appreciated music have paid so much for the privilege of this intimate environment stood to their feet and clap clap clap and so she came back out to do an encore just silence and she just started a cappella. Her voice previous voice voice of an angel and she just started and saying it is well with my soul. It was gorgeous so the lady at the table had said you know there's a note here says go to the red steps. Afterword and so what you know and I thought long and busy Ron and so after the show I go to show my VIP card to usher and I said that I think I'm a go meet people in the band of friends and is only thing about that said, there's an after party that's gonna be at such and such building downtown said no.

As I said and I asked another. She said no vitals anything about that going back to meet Ron and Allison after the show. There was some Nelson red steps he said with a big, red steps around there so we went over walked up the big red steps and went through some glass doors and then there was Ron Botkin set a rind and we went in and and talked and caught up a little bit and he said hey Congo elevators. I know Allison was they had to. We just met her a few times at different conferences and she's as sweet as can be and went up there and hugged her nagging thought about her sign in each of the picture of our kids and talk a little bit and is walking back to the car that night and and I was just thinking of these people that just live music so much. Here we just came in just 3 Beat Our Way into this thing and an end and every single person here would love to go up there and just chat with Alice and Krauss is, but you can't. I don't care how much you spent on the clip, you can't.

You don't get a ticket for that right. There's only one way you get it and that is if she Ron gives it trying to say is God not only can be known. He wants to be known because he wants to know you and therefore he by his own sovereign grace came in the person of Jesus Christ to stand in your place and take your penalties so that your sin would be paid for it has been tight for and that you could be reckoned to be the righteousness of Jesus because your sin is gone and he looks upon you with the same regard video looks upon his son. We are praying for this morning service at one of our elders. Just thanking the Lord for what he's done for us and he said Lord help us to really take this to heart that you love us as much as you love Jesus and I dared to add to NSA the Lord help us know this even greater astonishing true that we have the same access to you that Jesus does because we're either reckoned 100% righteous and holy, or where not in the gospel says you have been you may not feel it. You may not know what you might feel a whole lot like an idea like what are we here, what red stamps where is what but the fact of the matter is if you have been given such a ticket. You might as well embrace it, because God has done this for you and he is honored to know you I and with the words of JI Packer, in his classic knowing God would matter supremely. He writes, therefore, is not in the last analysis the fact that I know God, but the larger fact which underlies it. The fact that he knows me. I am graven on the palms of his hands. I'm never out of his mind. All my knowledge of him depends on his sustained initiative and knowing me I know him because he first knew me and continues to know me. He knows me as a friend, one who loves me, and there is no moment when his eyes off me or's attention distracted from me. And no moment. Therefore when his care falters. This is momentous knowledge, there's unspeakable comfort in knowing that God is constantly taking knowledge of me in love and watching over me for my good. There is tremendous relief in knowing that his love to me is utterly realistic based at every point on prior knowledge of the worst about me, so that no discovering now can dissolution. It's a wonderful to be known by God, our dear brother missionary in our denomination pastor in our Presbytery.

Andrew Brunson was released on Friday after two years of wrongful incarceration and false accusations that have been leveled against him for participating in a conspiracy of a coup against the government and we have been praying for him and receiving secret communications from the head of our denomination about strategies to pray for him man. All of the efforts of two years were realized and he was set free and he came home and this morning's paper had a picture of him, praying for the president of the United States in the Oval Office and the president said that's quite something in 24 hours ago from a Turkish prison to the Oval Office and I thought about Andrew and the witness of his life now and wondered about all the ways that God was going to use him and I thought of that image of how everything can turn from the moment of slavery in the enslavement to two hostile persecutors and in the next moment being invited into the highest place of privilege and power and how like our gospel what Paul's saying is that you once were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world and that legalism of your life and religiosity like it was just slavery but you came through the blood of the Lord Jesus into an intimate knowledge of God.

He knows you and for the rest of your life on earth and for all eternity. You get to enjoy knowing him better. And that's the gospel right these teachings freed to know God is in our series unleashed and I encourage you stay with us out of his back in the studio here in a moment sharing his parting good news thought for the day.

I will restore the fortunes of Jacob's times and have compassion on his dwellings. The city will be rebuilt on her powers. In its proper place as timeless words from Jeremiah 30 for the heart of God to restore way time cities would often be read out on top of the ruins of the former city city would stand higher with social walls and a greater perspective pastor right out of the rulings help document build your life gloriously, yesterday's disappointments to get to Alan Wright Ministries to listen to Pastor Alan's messages and attractive CD album through digital download as our way of saying thanks for your partnership, six 877-544-4860 877-544-4861 come to our website pastor work blessing your life.

Grace filled vision for your rights, free grace and encouragement for the blessing it's free. Just a click away. Pastor I got away studio alum I hear what you're saying to God knows us intimately and there's freedom for us to know the God of the universe. It living up just absolutely bends my mind and I just encourage every listener. Just think about this again that the only way that you would be able to ever know some famous celebrity or some great world leader are your favorite sports figure. Whatever it might be of someone you would really want to know, but is beyond you only way would be if that person wanted to know you and so God wants not only for you to know him. He wants to be no and so he came here in the person of Jesus and this is the greatest freedom in our life is we are free actually know personally create estimates. Not only can you listen again online but also get a daily email devotional that matches today's teaching delivered right to your email inbox free.

Find out more about these and other resources@pastorout.org that's pastor out and.org. Today's good news message is a listener supported production Alan Wright Ministries