Here's Pastor Alan Wright with today's blessing, a biblical faith-filled vision for your life. Receive today's blessing is based on Ephesians 3:20 and 21. Beloved, In Jesus Christ, you're blessed beyond what your mind can now conceive. In that sense, you're blessed beyond belief. God is at work in and through you and for you in ways that are exceedingly, abundantly, above, all you can currently ask or think.
Therefore, I believe this is a season for your vision of God's glory to grow. your experience of God's greatness to grow, and your assurance of God's goodness to grow. You are blessed. beyond belief. And that's the gospel.
Pastor, author, and Bible teacher Alan Wright. To be filled with the Holy Spirit is a person, the third person of the Trinity, who has increasingly more of us.
So, the real question is not: do you have the Holy Spirit? The real question is: does the Holy Spirit have you? 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 Phil, 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 today. It can be yours for your donation this month to Allen Wright Ministries.
So as you listen to today's message, go deeper as we send you today's special offer. Contact us at pastorallen.org. That's pastorallen.org. Or call 877-544-4860. That's 877-544-4860.
More on that later in the program. But now, let's get started with today's teaching. Here is Alan Wright. To conserve his energy and efforts to break the four-minute barrier, he would try it at another meet.
However, right before the race, the winds died down. And he decided that he would run. Two other runners, Brasher and Chettaway, were running, and they provided a pace. For the race, both went on to establish their own track careers. And the race was broadcast live by BBC Radio and was commented on by Harold Abrams.
who you may remember from the well-known movie Chariots of Fire. And here's what the commentators said. Ladies and gentlemen, here's the end of the race. Here is the result of event nine: the one mile. First, Number forty one, R.
G. Bannister, Amateur Athletic Association and formerly of Exeter and Merton Colleges, Oxford. with a time which is a new meeting and track record and which, subject to ratification, will be a new English native, British national, all commerce, European, British Empire and world record.
Sounded like a heavyweight boxing match introduced, and the announcer's just enjoying it because he knows what he's going to do, he's going to drag it out. And he says the time was Three And that's what had never been spoken in the history of humanity. And they said that the 3,000 spectators, when they heard the word three, They broke into an uproarious applause and drowned out the rest of the announcement. The bannister's time was 3 minutes, 59.4 seconds. Yeah.
He'd done it. He broke in the four-minute mile, the bear many people had thought was impossible. And What happened? After that was what was fascinating about it. Just forty-six days later, Nobody ever broke the four-minute mile, but then 46 days later, Jim Landry of Australia broke through.
Broke the mile, broke the record. And just two months after that, both Landry and Bannister Both broke four minutes. in the same race. And then after that, it's like everybody's running a four-minute mile. Thousands of people.
High school students have run. A four minute mile. A Kenyan in 1997 ran two miles in less than eight minutes. In fact, there have been since 1954 many a race. where the field was so competitive that everybody in the race broke the four minute mile.
We're like that, though. The thing that seems impossible, and then someone in your presence does the impossible. There's a champion, an advocate, a helper, and somehow we just are filled with courage. And faith. Oh, it can be done.
Okay, well let's all go to outer space then. He makes me think of Marvelous story of David and Goliath. What a story. David Is Israel's champion. Goliath is The Philistines champion.
And You know the story. David's the youth. Mm. He wasn't even in the army. And he goes with Provisions for his brothers.
But while he's there, he sees this Philistine giant taunting the army of Israel. Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that taunts the armies of the living God?
Well, he's Goliath and he's giant and he's going to kill us all. I said, well, what will be done for the person that kills the giant.
Well, The king will give his daughter in marriage and much riches, and there'll be no taxes.
Well, that was more than enough right there. Tax-free living. And David says, I'll fight him. Saul sends out David in his armor. David Says, I can't go in these, I'm not used to them.
So he takes five smooth stones from the stream. And he takes a slingshot and The Philistine. looked at David and saw he was only a boy, ruddy and handsome. and despised him. And Goliath said to David, Am I a dog that you come at me with sticks?
and the Philistine cursed David by his gods. Come here, he said, I'll give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field. And all the Israelites we know are back cowering and going, Oh, poor David. But David said to the Philistine, You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will hand you over to me, and I'll strike you down and cut off your head.
That was a bold boy, wasn't it? And he says, Today. This day. All the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. You see what he's saying?
David realizes there's something more important than just killing this one giant. What's more important is the whole world's gonna know. God has power. The whole army that's been cowering in fear is going to be changed today. And sure enough.
David killed him with a stone. and then ran stood over him. And took The Philistine sword. cut off Goliath's head with Goliath's own sort.
Now that's plundering the enemy. Yeah. Yeah. Here's my favorite part of the story. What happened next?
When the Philistines saw That their hero was dead? They turned and ran. They ran for their lives. What had happened? It was just one soldier, Goliath.
Oh, he's a giant, so what? Thousands of soldiers, a great army that had been confident the days before, suddenly their hearts melt like wax. They turn and they run. And what Do the Israelites do? the men of Israel and Judah surged forward with a shout.
Yeah. We always knew we could do it. Go get him. They're on the run And they pursued the Philistines to the entrance of Gath. and to the gates of Ekron.
In other words, they ran him a long way. And they killed a bunch of them. Their dead were stream along the road. And when the Israelites returned from chasing the Philistines, They're coming back, high fiving each other. And it says they plundered their camp.
So they got rich on the way back, taking everything out of the Philistine camp. Because they had A paraclete. And David An advocate. who would represent them. who would help them.
who would champion them Because of that help, They were given courage to do what they always would have been able to do anyway. By the power of God. Such is the ministry of the Park Latos. The Holy Spirit. He comes to encourage us.
As long as the disciples had Jesus there with them, they were encouraged. They might get afraid, but Jesus wasn't afraid. The storm was raging at the sea, but Jesus was sleeping in the boat, and he could calm the wind and the waves. They might be hungry, the crowds might be hungry, but Jesus could feed them. They might be confused, but Jesus could teach them.
And when they were persecuted, they'd look over and they'd see Jesus, their advocate, and they'd realize that he was not. Afraid nor daunted in any way by the taunts and persecutions that were leveled against him and the disciples. But as soon as Jesus was gone, They're cowering. For fear of the Jews locked up in a room.
Soon as Jesus is crucified, they're terrified again. They feel alone. And their hearts have melted, and they are Confused? But Jesus said, I'm not going to leave you alone. There's going to be another advocate, another helper that's going to come alongside of you, and on Pentecost Day, What happened to these disciples was incredible.
Because, how can you go from being courageous with Jesus and then cowardly without Jesus and then suddenly? They are filled with more courage than they ever had while they were with Jesus in person. It's because Jesus had returned to them. He had returned in the power and presence of the third person of the triune God. The Holy Spirit had come and had come upon them and filled their lives to abide within them.
And he began teaching them and reminding them of everything that Jesus had ever taught them. And everything started making sense to them. And they're saying to each other, oh, so this is what Jesus meant when he said, if you just had the faith of a mustard seed. Oh, so this is how Jesus was instructing us not to live by bread alone, but by every word. Oh, I understand.
understand it now. Oh, I see it now. And they got filled with a boldness. This suddenly a people that were locked up in a room for fear, didn't even want anybody to find them, now stand out in the open and proclaim Jesus Christ as the risen Son of God. And thousands of people start coming to Christ.
And the people all around them, they're fearful of this. The Jews, they begin to persecute him, but the disciples don't even care. They might be persecuted, you might be killed, but there's something that has happened inside of them. What has happened? Jesus has come back to them in a way that they could have never imagined.
It was greater than what they had when they were with him on the earth. That's Alan Wright. And we'll have more teaching in a moment from today's important series. The life-changing message of good news has been taught over radio from Alan Wright Ministries for quite some time now, and God has used every one of those messages. But some broadcasts have really hit home in special ways.
In gratitude of more than a decade of radio, we have assembled the most powerful, best-loved messages from each year of the first 10 and put them together in one special album. When you make a gift to Alan Wright Ministries this month, we want to give you Alan Wright's top 10 CD album or digital download. Are you ready for some good news? Make your gift today and discover God's grace afresh with Alan Wright's top 10 of the first decade. When you give today, we will send you today's special offer.
We are happy to send this to you as our thanks from Allan Wright Ministries. Call us at eight seven seven five four four forty eight sixty. That's eight seven seven five four four forty eight sixty. Or come to our website, pastorallen. org Today's teaching now continues.
Here once again. is Alan Wright. Because you get an advocate? Who's with you all the time? A helper who's showing you, a champion who's in front of you.
You're just saying, well, the four-minute mile can be broken. Yeah. Let's run! You're saying, yeah, cancer can be healed. Let's pray.
Yeah, depression can lift lifts Move on in worship. You see what happens is The advocate Is with us, loving us, comforting us, but he is Jesus' presence to us, championing. Who we are in Christ. What a glorious Fought.
Now from these Three simple theological affirmations that Jesus has come in the Holy Spirit. He's the Spirit of Jesus. which says to us that he is a person. which says to us that He is Jesus present to us. and which says to us that He is another helper in the way that Jesus was.
Of all the other theology that we must do, that's a good beginning point for the Holy Spirit. To understand who he is. But from this, I want to just point you simply to three incredible, mind-staggering possibilities. That simply must be true. Yeah.
What I have said about the Holy Spirit is accurate. Number one. That The Holy Spirit As the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Is present to us as Jesus, it must mean this. You and I Can be In the same way, and even more so, discipled by Jesus.
just as Mark and Matthew and Luke were. That the seemingly special privilege that they had of walking with Jesus for three years on the earth, seeing how he thought, how he taught, how he worked, how he ministered, how he loved. By being with him, they were being discipled. That's the way Jesus discipled. And by the presence of the Holy Spirit.
We have The opportunity to be discipled by Jesus every moment. And every day. He will take from what is mine and he will give it to you. In fact, he is saying.
Some of the limitations that we have In interacting in the flesh are going to be overcome because this is going to become A spirit unto spirit, revelation. He'll remind you of everything I've said. And he'll show you what it's all been about. And you keep getting discipled by Jesus. To me, that is.
Pure bliss. to think that there is a sense in which. The disciples didn't really know Jesus. that well until Pentecost when the Holy Spirit came and then they really knew Jesus. The Holy Spirit has come so that every day You can get to know Jesus.
Better. Follow him. In every way. Secondly, He is the same spirit who filled, anointed Jesus. And so The same spirit that enabled Jesus to sleep in a boat during a storm and have peace.
The same Spirit by which Jesus received words of knowledge, released miracles, and proclaimed the word of God with authority. He is the same Spirit who indwells and fills every believer. Luke chapter 4, verse 1 says, Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan. and was led by the Spirit in the desert. Luke 4:14, Jesus returned to Galilee in the power of the Spirit, and news about him spread.
through the whole countryside. Luke chapter 10. At that time, Jesus, full of joy through the Holy Spirit, even the joy of Jesus was accredited to the presence of the Holy Spirit. that filled him.
So, when you read the New Testament, it doesn't really appear that Jesus ministered miraculously, nor even the supernatural joy that he had. came because he was positionally the Son of God. But instead he lived fully human, fully God. But he lived with the Holy Spirit without measure. Accompanying him and empowering him.
In other words, Jesus did. His miracles, and Jesus had. The fruit In his life of joy and peace. Because Of the presence of the Holy Spirit. And without sin, Jesus had no distraction.
He had no confusion. He had no chaos nor any deception that ever pulled him away from perfect fellowship with the Holy Spirit who was upon him and in him. But this is tremendously encouraging to us as believers because what this says to us. Is that the same Holy Spirit? By whom Jesus walked on water, fed five thousand, and raised the dead.
This is the same Holy Spirit. who indwells us. Which is to say, believers, nothing He is impossible. We are to live reminded that He is not a power that we go and grab and somehow manipulate.
So, still, the gifts of the Spirit are as the gift. as the Spirit wills. But In relationship to the Holy Spirit. we live and move with a confidence that there is no difference from the way that miracles were worked In Jesus' ministry and the way in which miracles are worked in. Jesus' body on earth today.
through the church. And the disciples started discovering that right away. As they began ministering the gospel. Nothing's impossible. And the final staggering thought that is the most precious of them all.
Is that if the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Jesus, then that means that the whole character and nature of Jesus is empowered and released by the Holy Spirit within us. which is to say Though it is staggering, to think of it. that every single day Damn. We can by the Holy Spirit. be conformed more and more into the very character of Jesus.
Until one day it's perfected in us in heaven. The love, the joy, the patience, the peace, the kindness, the goodness. The faithfulness, the gentleness, the self-control. All the fruit. that form the character of Jesus's spirit-filled life.
All of that. The very character of Christ is available to us. Because The Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Jesus. That's good news. Alan Wright.
And today's teaching on Filled with the Holy Spirit. And Alan is back here in a moment with additional insight on this for your life and our final word today. 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 a click away at pastoralan.org. The life-changing message of good news has been taught over radio from Allen Wright Ministries for quite some time now, and God has used every one of those messages. But some broadcasts have really hit home in special ways. In gratitude of more than a decade of radio, we have assembled the most powerful, best-love messages from each year of the first 10 and put them together in one special album. When you make a gift to Alan Wright Ministries this month, we want to give you Alan Wright's top 10 CD album or digital download.
Are you ready for some good news? Make your gift today and discover God's grace afresh with Alan Wright's top 10 of the first decade. When you give today, we will send you to Day's special offer. We are happy to send this to you as our thanks from Allen Wright Ministries. Call us at eight seven seven five four four forty eight sixty.
That's eight seven seven five four four forty eight sixty. Or come to our website, pastorallen.org. Alan, as we've listened to your teaching, that being filled with the Holy Spirit doesn't require jumping through a lot of hoops. It's simply receiving. The Spirit of Jesus.
It is. And one of my favorite terms biblically for the person of the Holy Spirit is the Spirit of Jesus. or the Spirit of Jesus Christ. Because when we talk about having Jesus in my heart, we're really talking about not having Jesus in the flesh in our heart. We're talking about the Spirit of Jesus.
That's who the Holy Spirit is.
So we put together a booklet, Daniel, because so many people are always asking the question, what does it mean to be filled with the Holy Spirit? But more importantly, how can I be filled with the Holy Spirit? We are not designed as Christians to live the Christian life by our own power. I always thought it was one of the most cruel things we could ever do to people is say, listen, here's what a Christian is. They love people.
They have joy. They have peace. They do good things for other people. They follow God and all of his commands. And then not tell them that this comes not by your own power, but by the power of the Holy Spirit.
And so I very much want people to understand, put away some of the misconceptions about this, and hear a good, solid, balanced biblical perspective how anyone can be filled with the Holy Spirit. Holy Spirit. Today's good news message is a listener-supported production of Alan Wright Ministries.
