The Greater Way [Part 2]

Pastor author and Bible teacher Alan writing when the Beatles first audition for recording contract in 1962 records rejected the Beatles say we don't like their sound." Good our music is all the way out. Do you see this said pastor welcome to another message of good news that will help you see your life for a whole new light. I'm Daniel Britton excited for you to hear the teaching today.

In the series you'll see as presented in an older 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 Alan Wright Ministries as you listen to today's message go deeper as we send you today's special offer. Contact us at pastoralan.org that's pastor out and.org or call 877-544-4860 that's 877-544-4860. More on that later in the program but right now let's get started with today's teaching here is Alan writing this is Jesus promised Nathaniel I believe you will see greater things this year to see greater things means to see as Jesus sees and you are I are not limited by our own natural site, but we can increasingly have Christ's own vision. We had a new series is called you'll see it is about a simple new spiritual discipline for our growth and for our new way of living in the world assembly asking Jesus to go to see if he sees you see yourself as the others to see the world in a new way because the way you see reality determines how you think how you feel and how you act.

We spent far too much time trying to manage our thoughts or behaviors not seeing things accurately. But when you see is Jesus sees then everything changes in today to look at one of those beautiful stories in the New Testament it's all about.

See it in Luke chapter 7 and verse 36 Luke chapter 7 at verse 36, one of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him, and he went to the Pharisee's house and reclined it about one of the city was a center when she learned that he was reclining a tape in the Pharisee's house brought an alabaster flask appointment and standing behind him at his feet, weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and kissed his feet and anointed them with the ointment. When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said himself if this man were a prophet he would have known who and what sort of woman. This is was touching him for she is a center and Jesus, who was clearly supernaturally reading the Pharisees, thoughts, and Jesus answering said to Simon, I have something to say to you and answers I a teacher certain moneylender had two debtors one owed 500 deny, and the other 50.

A denarius is about a day's wage and when they could not pay he cancel the debt of both which of them will love Simon answer the one I suppose what he cancel the larger debt and Jesus said to him you have just rightly been turning toward the woman he said to Simon, do you see this woman, I handed your house you getting a water for my feet, but she's wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair, giving him a kiss, but from the time he came in. She is not ceased to kiss my feet. You cannot anoint my head with oil, but she's anointed my feet with ointment.

Therefore I tell you first hand which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much use forgiven little loves little Annie said to her, your sins are forgiven those who are table with them began to say among themselves who is this who even forgives hands and he said to the woman, your faith has saved you go in peace is strange how often we have trouble predicting a person's potential. I was reading some articles this week about Steph Curry who twice the NBA most valuable player. Most people would say that the greatest shooter of a basketball in the history of the world's ghostly warriors were led by him to three world championships and was so interesting is he was hardly recruited out of high school at no major basketball school offered him a scholarship. His father's alma mater, Virginia Tech did offer him a walk on position, but the best program that invited him was our own small Davidson liberal arts college here in our own back door. Bob McKillop, the coach saw something in staff that others didn't see was interesting. He said that when he was visiting with Steph Curry was taken by the athleticism, but is in the home he slipped over Steph Curry's bedroom and he said I'm surprised how tight it was for a teenager and somehow that impressed of love that I don't know if that's any indication what kind of basketball players got some eyes going to be.

But as he was speaking to some alumni goes. McKillop said wait to see Steph Curry. He's going to be very very special he is about the only college coach that was saying that his first name, Steph Curry scored 50 points would have 13 turnovers. There was not well I don't know, but the next game. He scored 32 points and he went on to break every record Davidson and in the Southern conference.

He became one of the greatest basketball players of all time in absolute phenomenon and nobody saw it really coming how granted he was only 6 foot a greater 63. So in order to really see has potential. You would have to envision his growth. We struggled to envision others growth.

We tend to see them as they are now, and we miss it so often. Walt Disney was fired from the Kansas City Star 1919 because his editor said, quote he lacked imagination and have no good ideas. After Elvis performing Nashville's grand old Opry. Elvis was told by the concert hall manager that he was better off returning to his old job in Memphis of driving trucks. Thomas Edison was fired from Western Union because he secretly conducted experiments. There in one night spilled some acid and burned a hole that ate through the floor, so they fired him they should of said keep working your experiments on our time. Steven Spielberg was rejected three times from the school of Theatre at the University of Southern California. Later, after he became Bob, the most successful director and producer of all time. They gave him an honorary degree Fred Astaire's first screen test evaluator wrote of Fred Astaire can act, can't saying balding can dance a little (first TV boss of the new station told her that she was too emotional and just not right for television when the Beatles first audition for recording contract in 1962 Decca records rejected the Beatles say we don't like their sound." Guitar music is on the way out. Do you see Jesus said that the center of this story.

Do you see her. Simon, you just see a center and answer causes. He does not seem woman is not see a woman who has been made a little lower than the angels in the image of God that she has been made. He only sees that she has been declared a center of what type we don't know, but was notorious. You see, chances are there somebody in your life right now that you're seeing in accurately there some Steph Curry that you haven't yet to envision can grow some Walt Disney that is being rejected right now somewhere in this, and to a new practice of trying to say Jesus how you see this person and I think that you will find it will change.

Here is the scene Jesus is an emerging increasingly famous Rabbi that people are amazed at his teaching, and some are beginning to suspect he may be the long-awaited Messiah, a Pharisee named Simon. Do not confuse them with Simon who becomes Peter the disciple, but this Pharisee named Simon a religious leader has a dinner gathering and Jesus is our as would be not uncommon to have a visiting Rabbi in your home to these very different about this type of dinner gathering in the way the we would host someone in the first place. The table is not up high with chairs that come underneath it with your feet under the table but the table is low and he reclined the meaning you're essentially on the ground up on your left elbow in your your your your legs behind your feet behind his or revise facing the table to eat with the right hand their feet behind them and their relaxing in that way and so servants in attendance will be can circulate around the table behind the guests feet and there's a potentially a lot of activity that's going on other things very different about this kind gathering the way we do it is also be in the courtyard, and so was sort of semi-private. It was a private gathering but the customs of the lease.

Even today, the idea of someone's personal space and those sorts of matters are not not the same way we view that and so people from the community were sort of welcome to be standing around the outskirts of the courtyard and listening in on the conversation so that a lot of activity going on.

People are listening in. At first no one noticed that this notorious center. We don't know. Tradition says she was a prostitute. We don't know that it was something that was notorious or when new she was able to slip it, even if servants are moving around behind her feet and she comes up behind feet of Jesus, as she has come there are purpose and is very important for the interpretation of the story set this clear when when Jesus is your faith has saved you. He's not saying, because you have cried because you have become emotional because you have given an extravagant gift of anointed my fee because you show your face on it. Therefore, your safe note something already happened in our life where she had met Jesus either through one of his mass teachings or some personal encounter something that happened where in her life had been transformed by the love of Jesus Christ. She was coming not to ask for something, but to say thank you she was coming to worship him right will have more teaching moment from today's important series want to give someone a present this Christmas that they'll never forget. Let us help you give a gift, that money can't buy this Christmas. Give someone your blessing positive biblically-based faith filled vision for their life in the beginning God blessed Adam and Eve and then told them to be fruitful and multiply, because in God's design blessing isn't the reward for productivity. It's the fuel for it.

Now more than ever, someone you love needs your blessing and we're here to help you craft this month. Special offer from Alan Wright is a beautiful booklet that will teach you how to craft an full blessing for easy step-by-step instructions are biblically based, and even include a worksheet that helps you write your blessing. So this Christmas.

Give someone you love a present, not found in stores, a gift from your own heart that will encourage and empower write down the blessing and put it in the package under the tree or put it in your Christmas card. They'll never forget it when you make your gift. Alan Wake ministries this month will send you this booklet is our thank you so you can discover the power to bless call us at 877-544-4860 or visit pastor and.org these teaching now can you once again is Alan Wright she was coming to pour out her heart's expression of gratitude and pour out the most precious ointment this perfume that she had, so the order of events is that Jesus loves you. Jesus saves you Jesus forgives you and your life is changed by the gratitude of someone who has been forgiven so so much. That's what the stories about she comes behind along the servicer moving around and nobody first even realizes that there she is and she just stands behind him and she looks down at his feet.

She's come to anoint him as he does. Emotion overtakes her and she just begins to weep.

The word that is used in one instance here for the way she wet his feet with her tears is used elsewhere in the New Testament for rain. She didn't have a bays and how to wash his feet as servants would do. But as she whacked she realized that her tears were doing the job and not having a Tallassee did something that was unthinkable for a woman in that time and place. She let down her hair. She cared not about protocol or the symbol of disheveled hair, or what an expression it was. She let down her hair because it was only towel that she had and she she began to took to washing Drive feet with her hair and as her gratitude filled the courtyard. She took this alabaster little bottle of perfume that women wore around her neck like like a perfume, it would often be very very costly. She had very little to her name and this was precious to her.

The alabaster jar was designed such that the top was narrow and you can only let a dropper to come out in time and so in order for her to let it all out upon his feet.

She had to break open the jar and then spill out its contents like her own soul. She just spilled it all out on the feet of Jesus in this emotional display. This suddenly arrested the attention of everyone and sign in this religious leader has this thought going on is my that – he was already skeptical.

Jesus disproves that Jesus is no profit because he doesn't even recognize that center is associating with him and defiling him by this sort of inappropriate expression is a story of irony irony is a contrasting statement or situation that on the one hand, seems like it can't be true, but is true and you sometimes use verbal irony.

You might know, like when I splashed some spaghetti sauce on my new white shirt recently is no great why did mean was great this terrible but it was ironic to say great, or the situation that has irony like Samuel Coleridge's famous rhyme of the ancient mariner where the seafarers are about to die of thirst in the middle of the ocean. Then refrain that says water water everywhere, but not a drop to drink.

It's ironic, or surrounded by water, but we can't drink any of our our Disney and they made a movie about monsters cues could be in which it revealed that the monsters are actually really scared of little children, and the little children are really scared of monsters, so is a dramatic irony that we know is the audience if only they knew this about each other. Whether this is a story. This is full of situational and dramatic irony is as layer upon layer of ironing business first is that there is irony that the religious leader Simon who has been trained in the Scriptures and who should be able to recognize the Messiah. Best of all, doesn't recognize him at all.

The ones who should be able to interpret the prophecies about the Messiah actually don't see Jesus at all and this woman whose quote is the center is one who sees Jesus second irony is layered and here Simon thinks he knows what's going on in the mind. Jesus, he thinks that he knows that Jesus is just sitting there being ignorant of the fact that this woman is a center and because he is new to town. He doesn't know this is one of our most notorious sinners in the city and obviously he's no profit is he doesn't even know that he's allowing this to go on. Simon thinks he knows what Jesus is thinking, but he has no idea what Jesus is thinking because Jesus knows full well that this quote center is worshiping him and he is allowing at because he knows he has already forgiven her and that this is the reason for which he is, and irony is that Simon thinks he knows what Jesus is thinking, but he doesn't know it at all and that Simon thinks that Jesus has no idea what Simon is thinking Simon is keeping his job, no thought to himself, but he's thinking it has no idea that Jesus knows exactly what Simon think that is great and is another layer of irony that Simon is singing the fact is man's not rebuking the woman proves that there is nothing special or divine about this man is no profit can't be divine because he he is allowing this and irony is that the fact that Jesus is forgiving her and receiving our worship is the proof that he's the Messiah because he alone can forgive sins and across the great irony that underlies it all is that Simon is convinced that the woman is the great center, but in reality who's the real center in this story Simon who condemns her in his heart he is offense of Judge mentalism and condemnation is by far the greater offense because the woman, though she has sinned greatly is experiencing the love of Jesus in a very close and intimate way, but the judgment that's in the Pharisees heart keeps him far away from God. The irony is that the religious person who thinks he is doing everything right and is therefore better than other people and therefore should have a place of privilege in the heart of God is the one who is farthest from the kingdom of God and the one who is been a great center and knows it and is experienced the mercy of God is at the very throne room of grace story. You see this woman Simon is his woman. I see if center say no do you see a woman is valid right. Today's good news, message title, you'll see the forgiveness of Christ in a greater way and are greater series you'll see pastor out his back in the studio with our parting good news thought for the day. In just a moment, stick with this one I give someone a present this Christmas that they'll never forget. Let us help you give a gift, that money can't buy this Christmas. Give someone your blessing positive biblically-based faith filled vision for their life in the beginning God blessed Adam and Eve and then told them to be fruitful and multiply, because in God's design blessing isn't the reward for productivity. It's the fuel for it.

Now more than ever, someone you love needs your blessing and we're here to help you craft this month. Special offer from Alan Wright is a beautiful booklet that will teach you how to craft an blessing for easy step-by-step instructions are biblically based, and even include a worksheet that helps you write your blessing.

So this Christmas. Give someone you love a present, not found in stores, a gift from your own heart that will encourage and empower write down the blessing and put it in the package under the tree or put it in your Christmas card.

They'll never forget it when you make your gift Alan Wright Ministries this month will send you this booklet as our thank you so you can discover the power to bless 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 pastor and got a whack anchor in the studio as your pastor out and sporting good news thought for the day in our series, you'll see in the forgiveness of Christ.

This is something that is life-changing grasp well in this whole scene that were studying is all about seeing thought about whether was seen it accurately and so here it's hosted by a Pharisee and the Pharisee thinks he sees it accurately and thus are any of the story is he doesn't see it at all. He's thinks that he Pharisee is close to God and that the woman whose quote center must be very far from God and women were looked down upon. She was looked down upon for her sinful lifestyle and so forth. And yet she is very very close to Jesus. So this is loaded with these ironies, and I think that life is like the Daniel that when you get Jesus's eyes. You start seeing what you didn't see before. And you'll see people differently now just save our listeners think of somebody in your life right now that maybe you feel like you've given up. Will Jesus sees potential in them that maybe you can't see right now asking if asked Jesus how do you see thanks for listening today. Visit us online@pastor.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.

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