Here's Pastor Alan Wright with today's blessing, a biblical faith-filled vision for your life. Feeling faint, God's got power for you. Got no might? God has strength for you. We all have this in common.
We all get tired. Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted. Isaiah 40, 30. The strongest, the fittest, the fastest. I'll grow tired.
Jesus was tempted to give up. Why should we ever be surprised when we feel like throwing in the towel? But as you wait expectantly on the Lord, you will renew your strength. You will mount up with wings like an eagle. You shall run and not be weary.
You shall walk. and not faint. I bless you today. to wait on the next updraft. and to spread your wings.
And a sore. Pastor, author, and Bible teacher Alan Wright. He doesn't teach like other people. The other rabbis, he's different because he seems to teach as one who has authority. He doesn't just talk about it.
He does it. Your teacher, the Holy Spirit. doesn't just talk about How you are to live. He doesn't. 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 Abide, taken from John 14 through 17, as presented at Renolda Church in North Carolina. If you're not able to stay with us throughout the entire broadcast today, I want to make sure you know how to get our special resource right now, which 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. At any point, contact us at pastorallen.org. That's pastorallen.org. Or call 877-544-4860. That's 877-544-4860.
More on this later in the program. But now, let's get started with today's teaching. Here. is Alan Wright. He's your live-in Best friend.
really, really wants to help you. and teach you. And he knows everything. He knows it all. And he's very gracious.
So, this leads to the second point I would want to see from this text about why the Holy Spirit's the best teacher ever, and that is that. He is in it to help you. That's what a good teacher does. The word that Jesus uses for the Holy Spirit. Jesus' favorite word for the Holy Spirit is and it's transliterated as parakletos.
In Greek, this comes from two Two. To a prefix para, like parallel, like coming alongside. And from this verb kaleo, which is to call. The same word from which a voice comes. And so a parakletos.
Sometimes you'll hear it just translated a paraclete, means literally one called alongside.
So this was in the ancient Greek and Roman systems. This was the idea of a lawyer. It's called alongside of a defendant. I get the image of like a coach that comes right alongside to help speak into the athlete. You can do this.
Maybe some of you have had a trainer where it's like You're doing your exercises, and they're like, okay, give me two more of those. And like, if you were on your own, you wouldn't do them. But, you know, there's this voice, like, you can do it. This was right there really near you. It's like the best teacher in the world, an instructor, that's right there with you for this purpose to help you.
And I want to just emphasize this because I think that a lot of people have had some bad teachers. You know, that shamed you for getting an answer wrong, or made you feel intimidated, or made you feel nervous about being in the class, or were just not a good teacher. And the Holy Spirit's not like that. I was thinking about some of my worst teachers.
Now, most teachers are in it for the right reasons, and they're really good. They wanted to help, right? We got a lot of teachers in the church, great teachers. But some are just bad. I had a teacher, and College, I studied literature and it was a poetry class.
This guy was just terrible. He just, he just, he just like he just, his whole point was to just show how dumb we were and how smart he was, you know, that kind of thing. And one of the things he'd do is he'd call students up to read a poem in front of the class.
Well, reading a poem is not easy. Because Reading a poem correctly with the right flow and voice intonations means you have to understand the meaning of that poem or you won't read it right. And then some people just aren't very good at reading in front of other people, right?
Some people are horrified by doing that. It doesn't mean you're not smart, it's just not your thing. But he would call people up reading, and I remember, you know, we were a few weeks in the class, he had a girl up there reading a poem, and she didn't do it right, and he said, not like that, you know, do it again, you know, do it again, until finally she was just in tears. And I just thought You know, I was just so young and insecure, and you know, I couldn't, no way was I going to say anything to him. I mean, he's the authority.
But if I am who I am now. And I was in there, I'd have gone over there and slapped him silly. Sit down. You think this is being a professor, is making girls cry because they didn't do it right? This isn't teaching.
I got I need some therapy about that still, don't I? I tell you, I was thinking about one of the other worst teachers I ever had. I only had one really bad seminary professor, but this guy taught ethics, was just. It was someone right. It just didn't, the class didn't make any sense.
Like, I thought ethics was really important. You know, we were gonna talk about stuff like abortion and about, you know, all this stuff, and we were gonna, like, fear all this. And instead, it was just, I don't know. And I got to the first exam. I studied really hard.
And I went in and I'm like, what? Is this? And that question, I'm like, literally, this was a question. This is one of the questions. In our third week of class, we watched a video about abortion, and there was a female narrator.
What color dress was she wearing? Yeah, why? What? I don't know. Who cares about that?
And like all the questions were like that. I made like a 50 on the test. I'm like, this doesn't have anything to do with ethics. What is this nonsense? And the second test rolled around, all the students were like, what are you going to do?
I was like, I don't hardly even study for this thing, you know? Went in, made another 50 on that. I mean, like, this is just the same questions, just like that. We got to the final exam. And he says, some of y'all have been complaining about my uh You know, maybe you got better questions, send them to me.
You know, I kind of made some statement like that. And he said, and he did say, if you do better on the final exam, then that can count at your whole grade. And I was like, well, maybe there's some hope of somebody passing this stupid class. We go in to take the final exam. I didn't study for it at all.
Not one second. Not one second. I mean, there's nothing to study. Color of women's dresses? What is that?
I'm sitting there before the class, and I'm sitting next to this girl. I'm like, dude, glad to get this class over. She's like, yeah, this ain't been a jokes. And, you know, I'm like, you know, I said, and what about that thing where he said, why don't you send in some questions? And she's like, yeah.
She said, you know, I did. I like it. You did? I said, he said, yeah. But might as well.
Maybe we'll get some better questions. I don't know. Right then, okay. And I was sitting there waiting on them to pass the exam out and all of a sudden just this light bulb turn on my head and I thought, Would he? He might.
And I turned to her, I said, Would you mind if I look at the questions you turned in? She said, Sure. She had 25 questions she turned in with the answers. They were good questions. I read through them in one minute, 60 seconds.
handed it back to her. Two minutes later, the final exam was handed out. It was 25 questions. And they were all her questions in the exact order. I filled out the correct answer and made 100 and walked out in 10 minutes.
What kind of teacher does that? That's Alan Wright. And we'll have more teaching in a moment from today's important series. Are you ready for some good news? In a world filled with confusion and false advertising, Jesus knew exactly who he was and exactly what his work would accomplish.
He did not leave us guessing. He said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. What if the Christian life is not about striving harder? but about abiding. Living with God, not just under Him or for Him.
But in him. Living as secure, spirit-filled children of God, not as spiritual orphans. Living with the Holy Spirit as our live-in teacher, helper, reminder, and guide, so we do not have to rely only on our own voice. This month's featured resource from Pastor Alan is Abide, Experiencing Jesus in John 14 through 17, a powerful digital audio series that explores Jesus' most intimate words to his disciples. Through teaching from these chapters in John, you will discover the freedom and confidence that come from living in Christ's finished work.
As our thanks when you give today, you will receive digital access to Abide, Experiencing Jesus in John 14 through 17. The gospel is shared when you give to Allen Wright Ministries. This broadcast is only possible because of listener financial support. We are happy to send this to you as our thanks from Allen Wright Ministries.
Now we are in our final days of offering this special product. Call us at 877-544-455-455-455-545. 4860. That's 877. five four four forty eight sixty.
Or come to our website, pastorallen.org. Today's teaching now continues. Here once again is Alan Wright. The Holy Spirit is not the teacher who's going to shame you for not getting it right until you feel bad and cry. And he's also not the teacher who It's just nonsense.
Like not really helping you. What makes a good teacher? Think about the best teachers you've ever had. I was thinking about I was saying about Gerald Unks. Taught education, and there was this class, Ed 41 at Carolina.
Did you do Ed 41? Ed 41. We We did it. Because it was an easy A. But we also did it, right?
Because my college buddy over here, we also did it because he had a reputation of his the best class. Jill Anks was, as an avocation, he was an actor in a local little theater, and he would come in and act out his lectures. It was spectacular. I remember I remember the exact things he said. I remember where he was standing in the room on the day he was teaching about the relationship of socioeconomic class and the emphasis or not on level of education.
He was teaching about this and standing over at the window and saying, You know, the ultra-rich, they actually don't have as big an emphasis on education. You know why? And he started acting out a Texas oil man standing next to the things saying, Bubba, one day all these old rigs are going to be yours and acting the whole thing out. And Bubba going, Good, I don't have to go to school. You know, I mean, I remember he just made it come to life with these vivid images.
And then he encouraged us to go. You'd get extra credit if you'd go and mentor a student in the local school system, which I did. I learned so much in that. Who cares? It was an EZA, yeah, but I never forgot.
Why? Because he was relating the material to the student. Because it's for the student. A good teacher is for you getting it. That's why Jesus painted pictures with words.
He wanted farmers to understand the word of God.
So he said, the farmer went out and he sowed seed.
Some fell on good souls, some on. Bad souls, some got rocky, some birds ate that, and all the farmers are going, yeah, we've had that happen before, I know what that's like. It's like the word of God's like that. And your heart's like soil, and it can find good soil, and then it'll produce. and exponential fruit when it finds a good sword.
Oh yeah, I understand that. He taught like that. He painted pictures. Why? Because though he had all knowledge and all understanding, he's not trying to lord that over, he's actually trying to help.
He's the parakletos, the one who comes alongside to help. I was thinking about Grant Wacker, my favorite professor in college, who taught church history, and I ended up doing a senior project under him. My freshman year, and I was so, can you believe it? I was so insecure. I couldn't speak up in class.
I never said a word. Y'all are like, what? That was true. And I got back an exam in that blue book. I'd written this essay, and he sent it back with red.
ink at the top and he said Alan Anybody could write an exam like this. He said, you've got so much that we need to hear. Please speak up in class. And he blessed me. And I didn't start speaking up right away, but I have now.
Teachers want you to see it and get it, and then they want to bless you, not shame you, not curse you, bless you. This is who you can be. This is how you can grow. This is where I see you going. I believe you can do it.
You see, your teacher. If they're a good teacher. They know what you're ready for. And they believe that you can take the next step. They know you can take the next step.
And they're telling you you can, and that's how you get empowered to do it. Wow. This is who the Holy Spirit is. I was thinking about Carl Harris. I finished college and I was going to go to seminary.
I was doing youth ministry in Winston and I needed to learn Greek before I went and so I got permission to go and study Greek at Wake Forest and I got Carl Harris. He'd been teaching there for decades, teaching Greek, teaching classics, and he loved this old language. And he loved his students. And everybody would say he was the gentlest He would just stay patient and gentle and just keep repeating things that you needed to know. And he loved the words, and he loved Greek.
And I'll never forget the day that he started talking about the Greek word logos. And he began to explain how it was in ancient Greece the ordering rational principle of the whole cosmos. And then he showed us John chapter 1, verse 1, enarche en hologos. And he began to talk about it. And when he did, it was like he'd opened up double doors to me.
And said, there's a whole other world on the other side of this in your New Testament. And. I kept up with Carl Harris until his death. Think about the good teachers in your life. What were they like?
They were gentle. They cared about you. They had a capacity to take complicated things and paint a vivid picture so you could get it. This is the Holy Spirit. But much more so.
His all knowledge. And he wants you to have his help. He's a helper. It's not a wrong thing to think of him being your helper. Remember, Jesus washing feet on this very night.
And he comes to Peter and Peter says, You'll never wash my feet. And Jesus said, Oh, Peter. If I don't wash you, you have no part of me. And he was using inheritance language there. If you want to be an heir, You gotta let me wash you.
And Peter goes, okay, then watch all of me, not just my feet. He was saying Peter Let me do this little thing, washing mud off your feet. Because I'm showing you a bigger picture of the whole reason I came. If you won't let me wash your feet, how are you going to let me? Wash your soul.
by dying in your place. I came to die for you. I came to help you. I came to do for you. What you can't do for yourself.
This morning, our early morning prayer time, we just wonderful prayer time before our first service. This phrase just came to me, oh Lord, help us to let you help us. Because there's something in us that's like Peter's like, no, you can't. But the Holy Spirit, Jesus calls him, a helper. And that's part of letting him be your teacher is just saying, I really want to learn from you.
Please help me. I need your help. And here's how he teaches. He teaches by reminding. This is what good teachers do.
They don't grow impatient with you because you forgot something. They're there to help bring it to your remembrance. Verse 26, the helper. The Parakletos, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name. He'll teach you all things.
And look at this. Bring to your remembrance all that I've said to you. This word, it means... Not just like remind you like a sticky note, you know? Like Ann and I saying, remind me after church, I need to stop by and get some milk.
You know, it's not that. It's not like, like, remind me, you know, she said to me yesterday, remind me that I need to call so-and-so. I'm like, I can't even remember the people I'm supposed to call. I can't, no, no, we got to write these things down. You know, okay, I'll put it on a list.
He's not a sticky note, although he'll do that. I mean. I've had plenty of times where it's like, oh, thank you for just that, thank you for reminding me of that, Holy Spirit. There's no way I would have thought of that. Have you ever had that?
But he's talking about something much deeper and more active than that. He's talking about bringing to your remembrance what is necessary for you to have abundant life and godliness in that given moment. This is a very active kind of word. It's like stirring your thoughts in the right direction. Again, it's like a good coach or trainer who's there with you, and you're doing it wrong, and that voice says, No, let me show you, you're getting off here, do it this way, right?
And this is who the Holy Spirit is. The Holy Spirit isn't bringing a nice reminder. The Holy Spirit is interested in transforming everything in your life. That you're going down a path of destruction and he wants you going towards life. That things are falling apart in this way of thinking, but if you come to this way of thinking, it's going to cause you joy.
And where you've become an ungrateful person and is bringing to your remembrance all the blessings of God so that you could become grateful, so that you could have joy, so that you could be strong. Pastor Alan Wright, our good news message, best teacher ever from the series, Abide. Please stay with us. Pastor Alan is back here in the studio sharing his 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. Are you ready for some good news? In a world filled with confusion and false advertising, Jesus knew exactly who he was and exactly what his work would accomplish.
He did not leave us guessing. He said, I am the way, the truth, and the life. What if the Christian life is not about striving harder? but about abiding. Living with God, not just under Him or for Him.
but in him. Living as secure, spirit-filled children of God, not as spiritual orphans. Living with the Holy Spirit as our live-in teacher, helper, reminder, and guide, so we do not have to rely only on our own voice. This month's featured resource from Pastor Alan is Abide, Experiencing Jesus in John 14 through 17, a powerful digital audio series that explores Jesus' most intimate words to his disciples. Through teaching from these chapters in John, you will discover the freedom and confidence that come from living in Christ's finished work.
As our thanks when you give today, you will receive digital access to Abide, Experiencing Jesus in John 14 through 17. 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.
Now, we are in our final days of offering this special product. Call us at 877-544-455-555-555-545. 4860. That's 877-544-4860. or come to our website, pastorallen.org.
Back here now in the studio with Pastor Alan and placing the bookmark here, best teacher ever. You know, most of us probably think of our eternal graduation when we pass and go to heaven. But when Jesus left the disciples, I suppose that probably felt like, okay, is my learning done, teacher?
Well, remember, you know, he was a rabbi and the phrase was, you know, being covered with the dust of your rabbi, meaning that you're so with them, right? And I think that maybe John Mark Comer and his writings, building on what Dallas Willard used the phrase, to think of ourselves as apprentices of Jesus. You know, maybe it's a better word than disciple because that's what an apprentice does. It's like you follow closely and you're with someone very closely who knows it, and then you learn it by being with them. That's what John 14 to 17 is all about.
So you can imagine that when Jesus is announcing to them, I'm going to be gone for a while. But I'm going to come back to you, right? That this caused them anxiety and confusion. He didn't want to have anxiety, he wanted to be at peace. That's why he's sharing these things with them: that the teacher is not leaving.
The teacher is going to come back to you, but in a better way than before.
So that's who the Holy Spirit is: the best teacher ever. Thanks for listening today. Visit us online at pastorallen.org or call 877-544-4860. 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.
Find out more about these and other resources at pastorallen.org. That's pastoralan.org. Today's good news message is a listener-supported production of Alan Wright Ministries.
