Here's Pastor Alan Wright with Today's Blessing: a Biblical Faith-Filled Vision. for your life. You don't need to know where all the greenest fields flourish and where all the freshest waters babble and where the wisest paths run. You just need to know the shepherd. Who knows all the fields and brooks?
and trails. The sheep hear his voice, And he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. The sheep follow him, for they know his voice. A stranger they will not follow, for they do not know the voice of strangers. The words of Jesus in John 10.
So, I bless you today to recognize the shepherd's voice, to hear the sound of love and truth. and to follow his every word. Little lamb, child of God, You can follow your shepherd. every step. of the way.
Pastor, author, and Bible teacher Alan Wright. See them. Bigger fear of God overtook the lesser fears and my awe of God healed me of my fear. That's Pastor Alan Wright. Welcome to another message of good news that will help you see your life in a whole new light.
I'm Daniel Britt. Excited for you to hear the teaching today in the series, The Untroubled Heart, as presented at Renolda Church in North Carolina. If you're not able to stay with us throughout the entire program, I want to 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.
So, as you listen to today's teaching, today's message, go deeper as we send you today's special offer. Just contact us at pastoralen.org. That's pastoralen.org. or call 877-544-4860. That's 877-544-4860.
More on this later in the program. But right now. Let's get started with today's teaching. Here is Pastor Alan Wright. The beginning point of healing.
is when you start feeling whatever that stress reaction does to you and Now you're being short with somebody or you're retreating and becoming reclusive or you're getting outright angry or you're starting to get depressed and you don't know why or you're Got all this self-righteousness and smugness coming out, or whatever, however, it squirts out in you. to just Be mature enough in the Lord to just stop and say, What am I really feeling? Just I feel stressed. I feel anxious. What is this and what is causing the anxiety right now?
About what am I anxious? What am I worried about right now? All the way. help you so much. Why are you afraid, Jesus said?
Sometimes I think Jesus You know, he's fully God, but he's fully human. And he didn't always use his divinity to take a shortcut and get around the things that humans have to go through because he wanted to be a great high priest who understands us.
So sometimes he didn't understand everything because he's a human being, also. And maybe he's also just a little bit curious, like wondering, what is it like to be so afraid like that? I don't really get that, you know, because he. Heaven, the environment is faith, not fear. Earth, the environment, is fear, not faith.
God is faith. And Jesus... Don't know fear, and maybe part of him is like, what's that like? Why do you feel so afraid? It's just a storm.
Why are you so worried? You know, I was thinking, if the disciples Had been able to Take a deep Breath. And get in touch enough with their own souls to give an honest answer. What would have their honest answer been? Why are you so afraid?
I mean, deeper than just a giant storm is getting ready to kill us. I mean, what's the deeper answer?
Well, wouldn't it be something like? We're afraid, Jesus, because we think naturally, not supernaturally. We're afraid because we operate from a mindset of limitations. And We don't expect miracles and we don't assume divine intervention. And if we're painfully honest, Jesus, we admire you, but we don't yet see you as sovereign.
We don't understand yet that you are the one through whom all things were made and had no concept, therefore, that even the wind and the waves are at your command. We do not fully appreciate or understand that you. Messiah or the Lord of all creation. And maybe If they even could dig deeper into their own psyche, they might have confessed, we're afraid, Jesus, because we're convinced, we're not convinced yet. that it would be okay.
if the storm overtook us. Because we'd still be okay in you. Really, we're afraid because we don't yet believe down deep in our bones. that not even death can separate us from the love of God that is in you, Christ Jesus. We don't have a strong enough certainty of our eternity.
We don't yet have enough heaven in our hearts. We have not the deposit of the Holy Spirit, which is a guarantee of our inheritance amongst the saints. We do not yet know. What it is to feel the certainty of having been blessed with every spiritual blessing in you, Christ. This is why we're afraid.
And I like that Jesus just spoke right directly to nature itself. Because there's something that's just increased. the majesty of the Savior. I mean, if he had gone over into the stern of the boat and gotten down and started talking to the father and making a request and all that, and then the storm saw, it would have been fine. But instead, he just said, hush.
R. C. Sproll said: The wind heard the voice of its creator, and the sea recognized the command of its Lord. Yeah, yeah, at this moment. that the story takes this incredible twist.
which is probably the real importance of the story. Is verse 41. Look what happens. After Jesus calms the storm. And they were filled with great fear, mega fear.
And said to one another, Who then is this that even the wind and the sea obey him? You see, you would think. That once the storm was calmed, then they would be very calm. But instead Though they were terrified of the storm, they're now more afraid of Jesus. Which maybe is the point of the whole story.
They were overawed. At the one who was stronger than one of the worst storms they'd ever seen. Whoa. Who is this? And they were Fray.
Now you're starting to move into the wonder of what we mean by the fear of the Lord. R. C. Sproll, in his wonderful chapter in his classic book, The Holiness of God, talks about this story. And he makes this comment about father of modern psychiatry, Sigmund Freud, and others who have espoused a theory that people invent religion out of fear of nature.
And so the theory goes that people, primitive peoples always, and people still. Have a great fear over the earthquakes and the storms and the tornadoes and the hurricanes and the droughts and all. And so they invent gods. with whom they can interact. and bargain with and and pray to and sacrifice to To give them the illusion that therefore they could have some sway or some sense of control over the elements of nature.
That's one of the theories that people have about why religion exists. But R. C. Sprawl makes this wonderful point. He says, In the power of Christ, they, the disciples, met something more frightening than they'd ever met in nature.
They were in the presence of the holy. We wonder what Freud would have said about that. Why would the disciples invent a God whose holiness was more terrifying than the forces of nature that provoked them to invent a God in the first place? Who is this then that even the wind and the sea obey him? The old King James in this instance says it.
with a precision that Is eye-opening. It says. They feared exceedingly. and said to one another, What manner of man is this? That even the wind and the sea obey him.
manner of man. is this. Sproul says we like to categorize people. We got tall people and short people and rich people and poor people and old people and young people and American people and Asian people and black people and white people and smart people and dumb people and educated people and uneducated people we got all we categorize people And sometimes we do so because that makes it safer. Because once we know what box you're in, then we can keep you sort of in that.
Box, what manner of man is this? Is to say, what category is this? Where we just watched a man Tell a Hurricane to stop, and it stopped. What category is this? And the answer is There is no category for this.
We don't have a category for the manner of man who can tell storms to stop. We don't have that category. That's Alan Wright. And we'll have more teaching in a moment from today's important series. Do you ever feel like your heart just can't rest?
Like no matter how much you try, peace always seems just out of reach.
So many of us wrestle with anxious what-ifs. leaving our hearts restless and unsettled. But Jesus offers us something the world cannot give. His own peace. the calm of his very heart.
This month's featured resource from Pastor Alan is the untroubled heart. A powerful digital bundle, including audio messages and a digital study guide. In this series, Pastor Alan unpacks Jesus' promise from John 14, 27. I leave you peace. My peace I give you.
I do not give it to you as the world does.
So don't let your hearts be troubled or afraid. With practical insight and biblical encouragement, You'll discover how to quiet anxious thoughts and rest in Christ's peace that endures. When you give today to support Allen Wright Ministries, we'll send you the Untroubled Heart digital bundle as our thanks. The gospel is shared when you give to Allen Wright Ministries. This broadcast is only possible because of listener financial support.
When you give today, we will send you today's special offer. We are happy to send this to you as our thanks from Allen Wright Ministries. Call us at 877-500. Five four four. 4860.
That's 877. Five four four four four four four four four four four four four. 4860. or come to our website. PastorAllen.org.
Today's teaching now continues. Here once again. is Alan Wright. He is beyond our categories. And that is awesome.
It is fear inspiring Awe-inducing, marvel-producing mystery. Why? That's what the Bible means by the fear of the Lord. And what happens in the story, and I want you to see. Is that the fear of the Lord erased all their other fear.
Interestingly, I read this week that Jonathan Edwards, the famous Great Awakening preacher, was for most of his life terribly afraid of thunderstorms. But then, in his deep meeting of Jesus and experiencing the affections of Christ that he wrote so famously about. He became not only healed of his fear of thunderstorms, but he came to really like them. Look what he wrote. Scarce anything among all the works of nature was so sweet to me as the thunder and lightning.
Formerly nothing had been so terrible to me.
Now, on the contrary, it rejoiced me. I felt God. At the first appearance of a thunderstorm, I heard the majestic and awful voice of God's thunder, which oftentimes was exceedingly entertaining, leading me to sweet contemplations of my great and glorious God. See him. Bigger fear of God overtook the lesser fears, and my awe of God healed me of my fear.
Yeah. Author John Eldrus was once approached at a conference by a man in his 60s. He was a judge. He was dressed in a pinstripe suit, spoke elegantly. And I think Eldridge had told some sailing story, and this man came up to tell about his love for sailing.
And he said, there came then a twinkle in his eye. He writes, The man said, we were sailing off the coast of Bermuda a few years ago when we were hit by a northeasterly raging storm. Really, it came up out of nowhere. 20-foot swells in a 30-foot homemade boat. I thought we were all going to die.
And then a pause for dramatic effect, and he confessed. It was the best time of my life. Wonder.
Something that takes you outside of yourself in your own little world. and your own little worries that feel in the mental chatter of your mind as if they're everything. And then God comes. Yeah. into the midst of it.
Science is actually proving out all of this. Recent empirical studies prove it. Read a lot of them this week: How Awe Changes Us. A 2020 study in UC Berkeley. Had older adults take weekly 15-minute awe walks.
where they were not just to stroll like normal, but were deliberately to notice vast or novel things. Tall trees, open skies, sweeping landscapes, And after the eight-week study, they reported Lower stress. But it wasn't just how they reported it. They were assigned to take selfies throughout. And during the course of their time of these taking these all walks, their faces changed and their selfies, their smiles became bigger and broader, and they began to take pictures in which they were smaller and their surroundings were bigger.
They were Experiencing what researchers call the small self effect. In which awe helps us see ourselves as small but meaningful, as part of something much bigger. This is God's truth. There is a study in 2019 that looked at. MRIs of brains.
while people were watching awe-inspiring videos. and it showed decreased activity. In the parts of the brain, the medial prefrontal cortex, where we experience so much of mental wandering. and worrisome chatter You know that thing where it's like, I can't seem to get that to stop.
Well, this is happening in that part of the brain, but when they watched awe-inspiring videos, it decreased it and quietened it. People in Yosemite National Park were. In a study, we're prompted to view giant trees. and later draw pictures of themselves. And they drew these pictures and they were really small.
And the trees were really big. And other people who weren't looking at the big trees drew pictures in which they hadn't shrunk theirselves and also reported much more worry than those who had. What I'm saying is that In the plan of God. There is a way that anxiety Diminishes to the extent that all increases. This goes far to the right.
To explain the intriguing and at first disturbing words of Jesus in Matthew 10. Where Jesus says at verse 28, do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. And I pause here to say When Jesus said, do not fear, talking about the persecution that Christians might experience or the troubles of this world, when he says, do not fear those who can kill the body. you would kind of want him to say, Because I'll always be there and will protect you and no harm will come to you. He doesn't say that.
He said elsewhere, you'll experience trouble in this world. We'd kind of like for them to say, do not fear those that can Kill the body because you know what? They can't really do much, and they probably won't ever do anything to you anyway. That's not what he says. He says this is the part that's troubling, but uh I think maybe it'll start making sense to you now.
Rather, fear him who can destroy both body and soul in hell. But immediately then You realize he's saying this not for the purpose. of making people scared as if God's unkind. but he's leading them into peace. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?
And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your father? But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. He says it again, Fear not, therefore, you are of more value than many sparrows. What he's saying is... God treasures you.
So much that you could just observe the tiniest sparrow. And know this. That God doesn't allow one to fall to the ground without His providential oversight. He knows every hair on your head. This is his consuming passion, and love is to watch over you.
Pastor Alan Wright. Today's good news message: awe over anxiety from our series, The Untroubled Heart. Hey, stick with us. Pastor Alan is back here in the studio sharing a parting good news thought for the day in just a moment. Unlock the power of blessing your life.
Discover God's grace-filled vision for your life by signing up for Alan Wright's free daily blessing. If you want to fill your heart with grace and encouragement, get Alan Wright's Daily Blessing. It's free, and just to click away at pastoralen.org. Do you ever feel like your heart just can't rest? Like no matter how much you try, peace always seems just out of reach.
So many of us wrestle with anxious what-ifs. leaving our hearts restless and unsettled. But Jesus offers us something the world cannot give. His own peace. The calm of his very heart.
This month's featured resource from Pastor Alan is the Untroubled Heart, a powerful digital bundle including audio messages and a digital study guide. In this series, however, Pastor Alan unpacks Jesus' promise from John 14, 27. I leave you peace. My peace I give you. I do not give it to you as the world does.
So don't let your hearts be troubled or afraid. With practical insight and biblical encouragement, You'll discover how to quiet anxious thoughts and rest in Christ's peace that endures. When you give today to support Alan Wright Ministries, we'll send you the Untroubled Heart digital bundle as our thanks. The gospel is shared when you give to Allen Wright Ministries. This broadcast is only possible because of listener financial support.
When you give today, we will send you today's special offer. We are happy to send this to you as our thanks from Allen Wright Ministries. Call us at 877-500. Five four four. 4860.
That's 877. Five four four four four four four four four four four four four. 4860. Or come to our website. PastorAllen.org.
Back here now in the studio with Pastor Alan, as we continue to place a bookmark in this great teaching, awe over anxiety. Do you think maybe the hymn writer who wrote, you know, his eye is on the sparrow and he watches me, and that comes from scripture about don't worry, you know, he's feeding the, he's causing the flowers to bloom. Do you think that maybe? Those thoughts came out of the realization that this is an amazing God and an amazing creation, and He's gonna take care of you and me. If you can get more amazed at anything in this world around you.
That's a beginning point. of having your anxiety lift. Yeah. So even like This is awesome. to think.
That He knows every sparrow. Yeah. intricacies of beautiful things that he's made. But there also is just the grandeur of it all. Which is why the disciples could be at a storm at sea.
And they're afraid of the storm, but then they're more afraid of Jesus. And this goes far, Danger, to explain what the fear of the Lord really is. It's more like awe. This lifts our anxiety when our attention shifts. to the awesome nature.
of a holy and good God. It takes us out. Of the kind of self-absorbed thoughts, that cycle that so many of us can identify with, where it's like, I can't seem to shut down that worry cycle.
Well, try some more all. We've learned it even just taking a good walk in nature and pausing and thanking God and looking at the beauty of a tree. It'll help you. How much more so to actually experience the awesome presence of the Savior? Thanks for listening today.
Visit us online at pastorallen.org. Or call 877. five four four four four four four four four four four four four forty eight sixty. That's 877-544-4860. If you only caught part of today's teaching, 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.
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