Celebration and Contemplation [Part 2]

Pastor author and Bible teacher Alan Wright.

The celebration is not a party over nothing and a celebration of the grantor of the God who came and made this world and then came back and redeemed this world one day will come back. I'm excited for you to hear the teaching in this series word and spirit.

The beauty of balance as presented with an older 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 can be worse for your nation this month to Alan Wright mysteries. So as you listen to today's message go deeper as we send you this resource. Today's special offer.

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More on this later in the program but now let's get started with today's teaching here is Alan Wright now gotten into a celebration. This just for the sake of the celebration. You completely lost sight of why you're even celebrate the city. Don't just celebrate. Think about what you're celebrating the interesting scene moment when Jesus and Lieut. has sent out 72 of his followers, and he authorized them to start doing miracles in his name, and they come back so excited you could hear the celebration in her heart.

The 72 returned with joy, saying, Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name and he said to them, I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.

Behold, I've given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the power the enemy and nothing shall hurt you nevertheless do not rejoice in this, the spirits are subject you, but rejoice that your names are written in heaven. What is he say the disciples are gone, they seem miraculous things happen. They've actually cast out evil spirits facing their power over evil in the darkness. They've seen people be healed and they come back and there just like Wu. I mean, Riley. They should be celebrating a white man we just we go out there and we proclaim the name of Jesus and even the demons are cast out. And they're expecting Jesus to go man that is cool and instead is that you can like that's great, great is about want to understand that's not a big big deal to me for you to understand reason is not a big deal to me. I've already seen Satan fall like lightning from the sky.

I've already seen the ultimate demise of all evil.

I know for sure the ultimate victory that is ours.

I know all of that is fine if I'd be happy about that but here's what I'm really want to to be rejoicing in. Here's where the real substance of the celebration is think about this. Your names are written in heaven. Your names are etched into the book of life. It cannot be that you will ever be plucked from God's hand.

You have been engrafted into me and I into you. You not just using a force field by pronouncing my name you are demonstrating that you're a child of God. I want you to think about the deepest things of this. Don't just celebrate for the sake that you saw a few marvelous things happen. I want to celebrate the whole depth and richness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The role of celebration is so essential because it is a pervasive theme that runs all the way through the Scripture that the kingdom of God is like a party elsewhere. Matthew 22 is about, but the party is a substantive part. It's not an empty one. I can't stand celebrations that are void of any real substance.

I can't get I can't work up a party attitude about the Maybe I'm just an old soul. Even back in high school I just my head friendly like on Friday night. Who's got a party this weekend. You know, and the whole idea going to a party standing around sneaking around to drink beer and get drunk and go throw up somewhere. I just did not.

It is never appealing to me. I could, I couldn't.

I did I'd rather them even as a high school student. I'd rather just have a long conversation with somebody talk about something and they do that they go to party if I was at the party. I just just will find some. I talked to maybe a little bit of the introvert with me, but I think also just can't get all whooped up over something that's nothing.

Example this the one night of the year. I cannot get all excited about it and thereby seems like is a big thing, but I cannot get excited about it and that is New Year's Eve. I do not want to be crowded around in Times Square party and over nothing. I mean play.

What is the celebration watch a ball drop. Emily announces a new year. Nothing to really celebrate something needs to happen, something worthy of commemorating what we even commemorating not even remembering commemorating West celebrate anything in the ancient world.

They thought the time was cyclical, so that's why they have these big new year celebrations like time start all over again. I wish time to start all over again is the same old body. You get the same creek in your hip you got the same stiffness in your neck and you might wake up a little sleep feeling bad. The next day is no party give me a good wedding feast or give me a good birthday celebration or give me some occasion to me on Easter morning.

Give me a Christmas day I'll find something and then will cause the celebration to rise up within me. What I'm saying is celebrations.

The theme of Scripture that runs all the way through the Scriptures, but it is not a celebration that is void of substance. It is the ultimate celebration because it is the celebration that is ultimately deeply celebrating the one thing that can be celebrated and will be celebrated for all eternity. John got a vision of it. In Revelation, this was going on in heaven. My is that after this revelation for Outlook to bold endorsed an open heaven and the first voice which I heard. To me like a trumpet, peer he began to look, and he saw throne in heaven and one seated on the throne. A solid 24 other thrones, and then he saw four living creatures all about the throne, never ceasing night and day to say, holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come, and he saw and cast down their crowns before the throne same worthy are you are Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created. In any saw scroll that no one could open until a little lamb that looked like it had been slain came and they realize that this little lamb is one who would be so weak was going to be able to open up the whole inheritance of the people of God, and they sang a new song of Revelation 5.

Nine worthy are you to take the scroll and to open its seals, for you were slain, and by your blood you ransomed people for God from every tribe and language and people and nation. He said verse 11 Outlook and are heard around the thought of living creatures and the elders and the voices of many angels numbered myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands sank in a loud voice warily is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing. I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea and all that is interesting to him who sits on the throne to the Lamb be blessing and honor and glory and might forever and ever tell you there's a celebration is going on in the cosmos. You can get in on you can stay out of it, but the celebrations will happen is going happen for all eternity is not a party over nothing party in a celebration of the grantor of the God who came and made this world and then came back and redeemed this world one day will come back and make it all his own will have more teaching moment from today's important series being filled with the Holy Spirit shutting off your mind hearing for a wonderful surprise God's word and spirit were never meant to be separated spirit always belong together to keep your abundant life in Christ knowing your Bible. The secret is being filled with the spirit, the answer is both word and spirit subjugation studying Scripture, and some traditions emphasize the spirit to real Christian growth both word and spirit as someone once said all word spirit you dry all spirit. No word both word and spirit you Barela you make a gift to support this man will send you Alan Wright's newest album on CD or digital download word and spirit.

The beauty of the highlights embrace the fullness of God's word and his spirit realm like never before with wording spirit realm up helping someone else grow as well.

And remember, when you partner with Alan Wright Ministries to be broadcasting the love of God to thousands every day. The gospel is shared when you get to Alan Wright Ministries. This broadcast is only possible because of listener financial support. When you get today. We will send you a special offer. 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 teaching now can you once again is gotta be a celebration because there's a substance to it, celebrating for nothing, but there also is such so closely linked into it.

There's a contemplation.

The celebration of substance has with a contemplation of what it is that we are celebrating and meditation is something that makes space in your heart and your mind, your soul, your very being, to allow the fullness of all of God's wonder to soak into you, like Michael's sponge just taking federal why this image jumped in my mind many many years ago my wife and I had a wonderful fast-paced trip around Europe and we actually went down in the former Yugoslavia and I remember I'll never forget beautiful is now in Croatia, a beautiful national park.

There she entities gorgeous waterfalls and lakes.

The column descending lakes because it is like one leg is next like you were clear waters just absolutely beautiful. We went there very long at all and are member this Yugoslavian tour guide who is offering up reflections about her perception of Americans that stuck with me is American she said and they all run in indigo where the lakes and they take a picture and then they leave. Went to the Dixie classic fair this week.

As always, I did you fried Oreo but the most fun thing really. It was so unusual was in one exhibit hall in the corner behind submit periodically through the day, you could feed live butterflies you will stick and I will spend thing at the end they dip down in the sugar water and you go in and all these flowers and hundreds of butterflies in their if you take your little spongy thing put in from the face of a butterfly. The butterfly will crawl crawl off of the flower and onto the end of the stick and you can just stay there. You could bring the butterfly right up to face this I just studied the wings of a butterfly.

I just contemplated the eyes and the little tender legs of a butterfly, never been that close to a butterfly and butterfly.

Just let me just staring what was I doing I was contemplating a butterfly. You don't run through a butterfly house crushing butterflies as you go, you go you go slowly through you. Let you let it come in saying, so if you could contemplate a butterfly you could contemplate the word of God. Jesus according to Luke five. In other instances, we are told often pulled apart to a private or desolate place in order to pray and meditate son of God, did when Jesus said in John 15 abide in me and I'll abide in you. Was he inviting us to similarly when he speaks and says stand at the door and knock you speaking to the church, speaking to Christians to God is already omnipresent. He's already here so he saying to abide in him and we have already theologically would been connected with him the abiding the pricing of the presence of God is where you are making space both in time and in your heart for the infilling and awareness of the goodness of God. Richard Foster said in his celebration of discipline. What happens in meditation is that we create the emotional and spiritual space which allows Christ to construct an inner sanctuary in the heart. Keep in mind is a big it's a vast world of difference between Christian contemplation and meditation and what the world thinks of going here word meditation. It is not like Eastern meditation, Eastern meditation is all about emptying your mind, but Christian meditation is about feeling your mind. Eastern meditation is about detachment and becoming impersonal with this kind of sensitive of just being connected to this impersonal force.

But what Christian meditation is about attachment is about growing closer to God is about being filled up with his presence, and it is about becoming more more personal with God and people wonder will how do you meditate. I love what Rick Warren said. He said do you know how to worry. If so, you know how to meditate and everybody knows how to worry is where you get some negative thought in your mind.

Then you toss it over and over in your mind you think about it from all the different angles thing about all the different possibilities you think about all the things that could go wrong. Christian meditation is just the opposite of that in the easiest and best place to start if you want to have a more contemplative life is learning to treasure and ponder the scriptures is that of just reading through a text sometime to stop and envision yourself there. Let your imagination be sanctified by the Holy Spirit. See yourself there is Jesus is teaching next to the Sea of Galilee feel the breeze off of the Galilean shore coming up and brushing across your face, envision what it would be like to be amongst the crowd and those who are hungry to hear from this religious leader who was so different than everyone else watching pickup seeds and scattering say a farmer went out to so see here it for yourself, envision yourself there to see you begin to think about the Scripture this way in a meditative way. You can also meditate upon God's goodness and creation.

You cannot only contemplate a butterfly. You can contemplative son said you can contemplate the wonders of it. If your scientist let your heart be filled with the meditation of the God who could make all of this and you can meditate your God moment she can remember what God is done you can tell the stories often. You can let it become the framework of your life that God's faithfulness has been evidenced in your life over and over you meditate on these and other words it's what's feeling you, filling you up and those that experience both celebration and contemplation. They find a rhythm of life in which these are connected in a way that, as I said earlier, the celebration leads in the contemplation and the contemplation leads and erupts into celebration over 31 years ago when I married and unmarried celebration most my life and then contemplation. I was a very serious minded person.

I was suspicious of people who celebrated too much how intelligent could they be do they not understand all the worlds problems. How could they celebrate when there are so many problems and I met and fell in love with her and I thought there some wrong with her, how I could maybe celebrate her birthday a little bit and give me a good Christmas and you know maybe I'll give a nod and a wink to Thanksgiving but other than that we've got serious things we got to get done and I wanted to contemplate. And I like to think about everything in here. I had married celebration. I meant it. I thought it was wrong with the woman everything is celebrated and started to start spilling over into me. I thought now there's joy in the celebration. We had kids. I'm so glad this you know I married celebration before I had kids. Kids need to be celebrated. Celebrate your kids. They need to be celebrated and Bill Bennett Somma Howley was and the use look and learn and make letters and made the C game and he said look I made the C and the old me the old just contemplation. No celebration may it would've said come back when you've written a novel, but no longer, because I had married celebration and she said you made us see that is fantastic that is so awesome now and obit starts celebrating and dancing around is that we have the time a family dance and so I've told you before it inaugurated the family dance in the right family and to this very day you can call for a family dance over any matter that is worthy of celebration and we pull the blinds down and do this via college senior Bennett. No couple months back had something good happen and we just got a text from him and he said family dance we all danced around and videotaped ourselves and cinematheque started. I sure do hope you deleted that there needs to be a wedding marriage between celebration contemplation because I tell you I have learned I learned a lot from my wife but I have learned yet the world has got a lot of bad things in, but we are called and made to run on a fuel of joy. Rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice, rejoice in the Lord always and again I say rejoice. It doesn't mean you need to dance and run up and down and shout out or you can but it it means that there's a attitude of the heart that comes forth in glad celebration. You know it's it's is it is like if you got a Fatima football team that never wins and you just got. Now the practice of ever being able to celebrate it and they finally get a touchdown.

You hardly know what to do with yourself.

Why did they just coordinate a score. I think we just want a way so out. That was nice. That was but instead he got a team that wins all the time. You just come to the game an hour early and you sit there you start shout before anything happened because you anticipate will score soon and win the game and you shout shout shout and say that's with the Christian life is and is a life of contemplation because I'm telling you the victory that has been one is so amazing. His grace is so amazing and makes you wonder makes you think think about his love, whatever is true, and noble and right and pure, lovely, and admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy.

Think about these things tossing about in your heart ponder them like a treasure that you don't want to rush by celebrate and contemplate price celebration in contemplation and Allen Wright will be back here in the studio with us in a moment with additional insight on this for your life in the final word being filled with the Holy Spirit shutting off your mind hearing for a wonderful surprise God's Word and God's spirit were never meant to be separated spirit always belong together to keep your abundant life in Christ knowing your Bible. The secret of being filled with the spirit, the answer is both word and spirit subjugation studying Scripture in some traditions, emphasize the spirit to real Christian growth is both word and spirit as someone once said Pollard spirit you dry all spirit.

No word both word and spirit umbrella. When you make a gift of support. This man will send you Allen Wright's newest album on CD or digital download word and spirit Airlines embrace the fullness of God's word and his spirit realm like never before with wording spirit realm up helping someone else grow as well.

And remember, when you partner with Allen Wright ministries to be broadcasting the love of God to thousands every day. The gospel is shared when you get Allen Wright ministries this broadcast is only possible because of listener financial support.

When you get today. We will send you a special offer. We are happy to send this to you as I thanks from Allen Wright ministries, seven 877-544-4860 877-544-4861 come to our website past Rowan.elect celebration and contemplation to the applause. There it is.

You're listening to the series. The beauty of balance and aliment love how you painted a picture there.

I think that's our take away for today really is that because of the finished work of Jesus Christ.

There is victory. Celebrate, but in that celebrating. You have the momentum to keep moving forward. Your thinking about his love.

What is that do for your tomorrow, what is that due for next week how you live your life in that I think is celebration leads to contemplation, contemplation to celebration unless we get a distorted image of the either of them, and always was thinking well I'm more a meditative person I met my wife and who she sell it celebrate. And that's what led me to think really what God wants is a marriage of celebration contemplation in our hearts every single today's good news message is a listener supported production Allen Wright ministries