Foolproof Prosperity [Part 1]

Allen Wright, pastor, Bible teacher, and author of his latest book, The Power to Bless.

The Gospel is about a God of infinite love who saw that we didn't even know how to ask the right question of Him, much less come to Him, so He came to us. 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, Foolproof, as presented at Reynolda 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 message, go deeper if we're happy to send you today's special offer. Just contact us at pastorallen.org, that's pastorallen.org, or call 877-544-4860.

That's 877-544-4860. We'll have more on this special offer later in the program. But now, let's get started with today's teaching.

Here is Allen Wright. Are you ready for some good news? Get wisdom, and many other good things will follow. The priority is the wisdom. We're learning from the Proverbs, which point us not only to practical insights for skill for daily living, but ultimately point us to the true personification of wisdom, the expression of wisdom most fully in the person of Jesus Christ. And today we return to Proverbs chapter 3 for a very rich passage that is going to address for us the priority of wisdom and all these other good things that come from God along with wisdom. Proverbs chapter 3 in our series we call foolproof. Proverbs are, I don't know if you're discovering this, but they're so multi-layered and textured. And as I was praying this morning, it just was like a sense of the Lord inviting us into a treasure trove, a jeweled cave, some place where many of the thoughtless people pass by not knowing the treasure's there.

But then when you come in, you see such riches. And it is to this that I invite you into the Proverbs again today. Proverbs 3 verse 13.

Bless is the one who finds wisdom and the one who gets understanding. For the gain from her is better than gain from silver, and her profit better than gold. She's more precious than jewels, and nothing you desire can compare with her. Long life is in her right hand, in her left hand are riches and honor. Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and her paths are peace.

And as a tree of life to those who lay hold of her, those who hold her fast are called blessed. Now I just want to show you one verse of another Proverb this morning. Proverbs 17 verse 1. Proverbs 17 verse 1. Better is a dry morsel with quiet than a house full of feasting with strife.

Better that you're just scraping by with the barest provisions and yet got joy and peace and wisdom than to have all the riches of this world and be in strife and chaos and lack discernment. I'm one of those guys that honestly, like a lot of men that I know, generally in the morning spend three minutes or less thinking about my appearance. I just don't spend much time thinking about what I shall wear. My general thought process is, especially when it comes to a Sunday morning, did I wear this last week?

Would anybody remember if this is what I wore last week? And then the second question is, does it fit? And depending on, you know, when it is, does it fit, that changes. And so those two things have to intersect that at least I didn't wear it yesterday.

And to a lesser degree there also is, is it still clean? And so that goes into the mix as well. But I do have some people in my life who are very close to me. Yea, even within my own household who have encouraged me to think a little bit more about it and especially nice that I have a 19 year old daughter who is fashion conscious and can encourage, you know, a little more trendy look. And so I will listen to her a little bit.

But I had to think about it a little bit more this week because though I hate doing it and maybe once every five to ten years I will do it. I had some photos taken on Friday night for the website and promotional things. All of us just got to have some publicity photos. So I had a professional photographer and we went to several different locations on Friday night. And when we went downtown to take some sort of more urban shots, I had, I think, a rather classy bluish gray suit with a white crisp shirt, no tie, black belt, black shoes.

Thought about the brown but I decided to stick with the black. And we found a nice spot on Trade Street in the Arts District and there was activity and a light post. There was a lamp post there.

It had some particular character and I was leaning against it, posing for the different pictures. And so along came a man who said, as I'm, you know, photographer, and he said, you're looking sharp. And he said, are you a model?

I said, no. But by this time I'm starting to feel pretty good about myself. Until he said, he added after that, say, could you help a homeless guy out? He was buttering me up to try to beg a little bit, but he thought for a moment that I was a model, I think. Okay, it's an okay thing to think a little bit about your appearance because people have to look at you, right? But thinking about that is of nowhere near the importance of thinking about your character and who you really are, right? So what you look like is of nowhere near the importance of who you actually are. And it's not to say that thinking a little bit about your appearance is not an okay thing. It's just that is to be more a byproduct or a reflection about who you actually are.

And if you get those two things backwards, you're going to really be messed up. I mean, if I had thought, well, you know, maybe I will be a model. It would bring poverty upon my family.

My daughter would have to drop out of college, and we would have nothing to eat. So it is with wisdom. What Proverbs 3 essentially is saying is that there are so many good things that God has for His children. And many of these things are listed here in Proverbs 3, and we'll look at those things. But riches and honor and long life and even the pleasantness and peace that accompanies all of this is not the primary pursuit. The primary pursuit for the child of God, Proverbs is teaching us over and over, and especially in Proverbs 3, is get wisdom. That's Alan Wright, and we'll have more teaching in a moment from today's important series. Ever feel like something's holding you back, as if you lack an important key that could change everything?

Is there someone you love who seems stuck? You'd like to help them, but how? What's missing? Blessing. We all need a positive, faith-filled vision spoken over our lives. You can learn how to embrace the biblical practice of blessing through Pastor Alan Wright's new book, The Power to Bless, which quickly became an Amazon number one bestseller after its recent release. Until now, the hardcover book has only been available through retail sales, but this month, Alan Wright Ministries wants to send you the book as our thank you for your donation. When you give this month, you'll not only receive the bestselling book, but you'll also receive a free five-session video course in which Pastor Alan teaches how to bless and covers content not found in the book.

The video course includes a detailed study guide perfect for personal growth or small group discussion. Make your gift today and discover the power to bless. Call us at 877-544-4860.

That's 877-544-4860. Or come to our website, PastorAlan.org. Today's teaching now continues.

Here once again is Alan Wright. Draw yourself near into the heart of God and with a discerning, listening heart. Draw yourself into relationship with this God who loves to give wisdom. And saturate your life with that wisdom.

Let it be the ruling priority of your life. But you care far more about gaining wisdom than you do all of these other good things. And when you do get this in the right order, you might be surprised how many of these other good things are added unto you.

And that's really what we're going to look at today. In any world of church world where we have so many sort of competing ways of expressing the gospel, there is real confusion over this one. Because depending on who you listen to, you're not sure whether God wants us to prosper or whether God wants us to suffer. And what I want you to see is within Proverbs 3, but also the context of the Scriptures, that God does want for His children to prosper in the very best sense of the word.

But the aim of the Christian life is God Himself. And I want to try to show you some of those connections from this marvelous proverb. Now maybe the best place to begin in understanding Proverbs 3, or understanding most of the Proverbs since they were mostly written by Solomon, is to look at Solomon's story. And if you want to follow along, it's in 1 Kings 3, where Solomon, who is the son of King David, is made king. And there had been a promise to David from God, this unilateral covenant, wherein God said, I will never remove my chesed, my steadfast love, my covenantal love. I'll never take it from you David, and I'll never take it from your family.

And someone from your lineage will forever be on the throne. Well, Solomon is the first king to follow in David's lineage. And God comes to Solomon with a question. In 1 Kings 3, at verse 3, this is what we read, Solomon loved the Lord, walking in the statutes of David his father, only he sacrificed and made offerings at the high places. So Solomon loved the Lord. He walked in the word of the Lord that had been entrusted to David. It says he did sacrifice at high places, which is not something that here God rebukes, but is essentially saying there was no temple, and there were various places of worship, and at times at these places of worship there was some mixing in of ancient Canaanite religious practices, but it's not making that accusation of Solomon here, but just drawing that distinction.

David never did that. And verse 4, the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place. And Solomon used to offer a thousand burnt offerings on that altar, probably a figure of speech to say a thousand, and most of the time in the Bible a thousand just means a lot of offerings as expression of his love for God, you see.

Verse 5, at Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night. And God said, ask what I shall give you. And Solomon said, you have shown great and steadfast love to your servant David my father, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you. And you've kept for him this great and steadfast love, and have given him a son to sit on his throne this day. And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child.

I do not know how to go out or come in. And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude. Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this, your great people?

So, he calls himself a little child, though he's a grown man. He's saying I'm humble, I'm teachable, and he's saying I don't know how to go out or come in. It's an idiom, it's a figure of speech saying I don't know how to do my job. I don't know how to lead this people.

I need your help. In verse 10, it pleased the Lord that Psalm had asked this. And God said to him, because you've asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right. Behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you. I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you all your days. And if you walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.

So, do you see these same phrases? Riches, honor, and long life is what is held in the left and right hands of wisdom according to Proverbs 3. And Solomon wrote Proverbs 3.

So he wrote it out of his own experience. At verse 15, Solomon awoke, and behold, it was a dream. And he came to Jerusalem, and he did something startling here. He stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, a place normally only for the high priest. And he offered up burnt offerings and peace offerings. And he made a feast for all his servants. He just came and he just risked it all and came into the very presence of God and just worshiped Him. And he did what he knew to do with his wealth and just honored the Lord with burnt offerings and peace offerings, which are purely voluntary offerings.

And the peace offering is that when you offer it, then the people themselves could partake of it. So he offered lavish peace offerings, and then there was a feast for all the people. It was this glorious celebration because of what God had shown him and what God had spoken to him. It's important to me to understand this is who Solomon is, and this is what shaped his life.

And all of these Proverbs that he wrote are coming out of his experience where he saw the priority was the wisdom, and that all these other good things that followed in his life were byproducts. So you learn from this, Solomon loved the Lord, he worshiped with great passion, and he understood that the good things that had come into his life that had flowed down from his father David, that this had all come by God's grace. And this grace made him a worshiper.

And he was profoundly, profoundly grateful. And what you see in the story is God came to Solomon. Solomon didn't go to God with the question. It's not a story about Solomon coming to God and saying, What do you want me to do for you? It's a story about God coming to Solomon and saying, Solomon, what do you want me to do for you? And let me just say this, the gospel is not about you going to God and saying, What is it you want me to do for you, though God has many important things for you to do. The gospel is about a God of infinite love who saw that we didn't even know how to ask the right question of Him, much less come to Him, so He came to us with the question, Will you receive eternal life?

He came to us with the gift of His grace. And it's interesting that God, an omniscient being, who knows everything asks a question of Solomon. Watch out when an omniscient being asks you a question.

It means he's not looking to find out the answer for himself as much as he's looking for you to find out the answer for yourself. What is it that you want? The question in the end was not about what Solomon could give but the question, like the question of the gospel, is what is it that God has to give?

And it's everything. And Solomon had a beautiful response. He said, What I want is wisdom. The literal phrase here in the Hebrew is a listening heart.

A heart that hears. The word for hear, Shema, is famous in Israel because of Deuteronomy 6 which says, Hear, O Israel, the Lord your God is one God, and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and mind and strength. Hear, O Israel, Shema. And that's why it's called the Shema.

Hear. And the word hear in Hebrew, Shema, that means to listen, also means to obey. Because if you've really heard something that's truth, then you obey it.

They're just that closely linked. And so what Solomon says is, I want a heart of Shema. I want a heart that listens to you. Give me the capacity to be drawn near unto heavenly wisdom and hear at every moment from you about the wise path. He's so humble about all of this because he calls himself a little child.

He's a grown man at this point. But what he means by this is that my spirit is humbled before you. You get the sense that there is no limit to how much God can and may exalt someone who is authentically humble. There is no limit to how much God will teach a person who is teachable. And probably the greatest limitation upon us learning from God is simply our submission to God.

But the spirit of Solomon is not only worshipful, but it's teachable. And that's what he wants. And he doesn't, if you noticed in the story, he doesn't want the wisdom for the sake of wisdom itself. He wants it because he says, I don't know how to come or go.

I want to govern your people well. He wants wisdom so that he can carry out the calling that God has given to him. Alan Wright.

And today's teaching from the series, Full Proof, it's Full Proof Prosperity. Alan is back with us in the studio as he shares his parting good news thought for the day in just a moment. Ever feel like something's holding you back, as if you lack an important key that could change everything? Is there someone you love who seems stuck? You'd like to help them, but how? What's missing? Blessing. We all need a positive faith-filled vision spoken over our lives. You can learn how to embrace the biblical practice of blessing through Pastor Alan Wright's new book, The Power to Bless, which quickly became an Amazon number one bestseller after its recent release. Until now, the hardcover book has only been available through retail sales, but this month, Alan Wright Ministries wants to send you the book as our thank you for your donation. When you give this month, you'll not only receive the bestselling book, but you'll also receive a free five-session video course in which Pastor Alan teaches how to bless and covers content not found in the book.

The video course includes a detailed study guide perfect for personal growth or small group discussion. Make your gift today and discover the power to bless. Call us at 877-544-4860.

That's 877-544-4860. Or come to our website, PastorAlan.org. Alan, here in the studio, we have a good news thought for the day at the conclusion of each program. And as we've kicked off this new teaching in this ongoing series, Foolproof Prosperity, what is that thought? Well, prosperity is a word that I think a lot of people associate only with, oh, that means, you know, financial riches and so on. But really, the idea of prospering is about well-being, about flourishing. And this is God's desire for us, for us to prosper in that sense.

It doesn't mean that you have no problems. It doesn't mean that everyone's going to be rich. That's not what the Bible teaches. But our desires for total and complete peace and well-being, these are good desires. And even, Daniel, the idea of money itself, money's good, it's not bad. It's the love, it's the wrong love, obsession with money that is the root of so many different kinds of evil. And so I think it's a good thing to expect and ask God for prosperity of spirit, soul, and body. That's what we're talking about. Today's Good News message is a listener-supported production of Allen Wright Ministries.