Wings for the Weary [Part 1]

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

When we most feel like giving up is often the moment that we most need the grace to not give up, because usually right at that moment, and I think it's a spiritual warfare thing, is right at that moment where you most feel like giving up, you're probably right on the edge of it all breaking through. 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 Second Wind, as presented at Rinaldo 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, a copy of Pastor Alan's book, Lover of My Soul. This can be yours for your donation this month to Allen Wright Ministries. 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 Allen Wright. Are you ready for some good news?

Yes. You might be tired and you might feel like you just can't run another lap, but beloved, if you'll hold on, if you'll wait and hope a little longer, you're going to find your second wind, a second wind. I feel like the Lord has given me just, you know, one word as the seed for a new sermon series, just like been seeking him for weeks and then just finally heard it. And my spirit just heard the word persevere. Isn't that what we are learning? One of the things through a pandemic a long, long time is endure. Don't give up. And there's a tremendous grace available for that.

And I want to learn all about it from, from God's perspective, especially when you go through long seasons that, you know, there's a great temptation to just, to just give up. Sylvester Stallone's movie in the seventies was unlikely to become a big hit. They spent only a million dollars on the original Rocky.

It won best picture. The story of, of Rocky Balboa, who was sort of a two bit fighter and was trying to prove that he's not just a bum and got set up to fight and sort of a, a mock bout with the heavyweight champion of the world, Apollo Creed. And Balboa is too stubborn to just go down and get knocked out like everybody else that Apollo Creed ever fights. And so it's just become iconic and the famous training scenes where he's, he's punching meat in the freezer and he's running up the steps in Philadelphia. And then he comes into the fight and this, this, this big long fight scene that's so dramatic and gets to the, to the round, the second, to the end, the penultimate round. And, and it's, he's been enduring all the way and then he gets knocked down and he's been so beaten and even his managers over there, stay down, stay down, you know, but he pulls himself up on the, on the ropes. And, and he somehow stands up, makes it through the round, sits in the, in his corner and his eyes are so swollen, you know, he's got that famous line, cut me Mick, you know, and he's like, no, you need to give up. You know, even when he had voices saying to give up and then he goes back out and out of nowhere, suddenly he just, he just has like this renewed strength for one final round, starts landing some punches into Creed's midriff and, and he makes it to the end, loses in a split decision. But the point of the movie was he didn't have to win the boxing match. He just needed to endure to the end because that was the victory he was looking for, not to get knocked out, not to give up. And so he's, he, he, he loses, but he wins.

And so all he cares about at the end is his famous beloved Adrian, Adrian, and who could ever forget the iconic thing. There is some time in life where it feels like every voice around you and inside you is saying, give up. But like the story of Rocky and so many others, we know that oftentimes the, the mark of victory, the, the, the real place of fruitfulness, the real success, the real breakthrough, it might just be one more round away. It might just be one more lap.

It might just be one more step. And there's a spiritual principle that seems to just be at work, doesn't it? When, when we most feel like giving up is often the moment that we most need the grace to not give up, because usually right at that moment, and I think it's a spiritual warfare thing, is right that moment where you most feel like giving up, you're probably right on the edge of it all breaking through. And you just read all these stories in the Bible where it's like, what's that about? Where, you know, we're going to look in coming weeks about how God promised to give the promised land to his people little by little, battle after battle. Or he might say, Joshua, march around Jericho seven times. And you know that there's got to be a bunch of people about on the fifth or sixth time going, this is the dumbest thing anybody's ever done.

Nothing is happening. We're just marching around and they're laughing at us. About a, about a Assyrian commander named Naaman who had leprosy and went to visit the prophet of God, who told him the word of the Lord was go dip in the Jordan river seven times. Don't you know what about the fourth or fifth or sixth time that this sophisticated general is like, this is the dumbest thing I've ever done.

How many people didn't quite make it to the seventh lap around Jericho? How many times did we stop and quit and give up right before there was going to be the real breakthrough? And there's something profound about the bearing up underneath a difficult weight and not giving up. There's something happening inside of you. One of our prayer ministers said it's like embedded in the waiting is the blessing.

That's a good way to look. It's like bearing up under a weight that is producing a kind of perseverance in you, an endurance in you that leads to character, steel in your spirit that then builds a whole mentality of hope for the future. Suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character, character, hope, Paul said. So the waiting expectantly, not, not just waiting like, Oh, I'm just waiting. I'm just waiting. Maybe something will happen.

No waiting. Hopefully enduring expectantly. There's something powerful happening. There's a phenomenon that runners especially experienced, but I think many athletes reported. I have, I felt this at times before where you get to where you just feel exhausted and it almost feels like my muscles are going to lock up. Runners experience this and they somehow they press through a little pain and then on the other side of it, there's a strange feeling of rejuvenation and they call it getting their second wind, meaning like I get my breath back and I get, and the scientists study this.

There's a, there's probably a physiological explanation about the something that's happening with lactic acid in the body and the way it's impacting the muscles. I'm not sure about all that, but what I'm saying is that there is likewise something in the spirit where if you'll hold on, if you'll wait expectantly, then there will be a second wind. Those who wait upon the Lord will renew their strength and they will mount up like wings, with wings like eagles. So I can't think of a more beautiful start to a series on what it means to persevere and find your second wind in Isaiah chapter 40. The whole chapter, but these, some of the most beautiful poetic words in Hebrew and all of the Bible. This prophecy, the word of the Lord in Isaiah 40 verse 28, have you not known?

Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the creator of the ends of the earth. He does not faint or grow weary.

His understanding is unsearchable. He gives power to the faint and to him who has no might, he increases strength. Even youths shall faint and be weary and young men shall fall exhausted, but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint. They will in the spirit get their second wind. This long period of pandemic and lots of waiting is not wasted. It's not wasted if indeed persevering through it is doing something inside of us.

And that's worth thinking about, isn't it? That's Alan Wright, and we'll have more teaching in a moment from today's important series. God's love. You've heard about it with your ears.

You've believed it in your mind. Now experience it in your heart with Alan Wright's beloved book, Lover of My Soul. The Bible is a love story from beginning to end. You are the spiritual bride of Christ, the perfect bridegroom. The Bible tells about a God who has gone to unimaginable lengths to woo you, to win you, and to walk with you hand in hand. For any man who has fallen in love with a woman, you've tasted the sweetness of what God's love for you is like. For any woman who has searched for true love, what you long for can only be found fully in God. Gary Chapman, renowned author of the five love languages says, the incredible reality that God pursues us in love comes to life in Lover of My Soul. Ancient biblical accounts explode in the heart. Accept Christ's proposal, enjoy His embrace, revel in His love.

After all, it's a match made in heaven. It's Lover of My Soul by Alan Wright. The gospel is shared when you give to Alan 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 Alan Wright Ministries. 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. It's one of my favorite inspirational stories, hilarious, fun.

I tell it at least every few years. So if you've been around for a long time, you've heard me tell you about Ruben Gonzalez. He was a college soccer player who described himself of average athletic ability, but he aspired to be an Olympic athlete. The problem was that he wasn't that good of an athlete and he didn't have a sport in which he could compete in the Olympics. So he decided that he would look at all the Olympic sports starting with the summer sports. He looked at all the track and field competitions, and he realized he was no way he would ever be athletic enough to run fast enough, jump high enough or far enough, or be strong enough, or do any of the summer activities.

And so he started looking at winter sports, even though he didn't even grow up in an area where there was any snow. And he called up the Olympic Committee, the Winter Olympic Committee, the training facility, and he said, hi, my name's Ruben Gonzalez, I want to compete to become part of the Olympic team. And they said, what is your sport? And he said, well, I don't have a sport yet. And the official said, what are you talking about? He said, everybody that's in the Olympics has been in their sports since they were a child.

What are you talking about? He said, well, he said, no, he said, I'm a little more inclined towards the summer sports, but I'm not good enough for any of those things. So I just want to talk to you about the different sports, you know, in the Olympic, in the winter time, maybe I could do one of those. And the person thought they were just talking to a nut, but they started talking about the different sports. And they finally came to the sport of luge, this skinny little sled that goes down at the unbelievably fast speeds on an icy track. And he got real interested in the luge. And he said, no, no, no, you don't understand. You don't want to do the luge.

It is the most dangerous Olympic sport. And Ruben Gonzalez said, great. So what are you talking about? He said, well, that narrows the field. I think they said, no, you don't understand most people that are very skilled in the luge, come up here and train and break multiple bones while training. He said, awesome. He said, what are you talking about? The official said, you don't understand. He said, nine out of 10 people that come up here to train and try to make the Olympic team in luge quit before they even get to the end of the training.

And he said, perfect. He said, because I'm not a very good athlete, but I never give up. So if nine out of 10 people give up, then that puts me in the top 10%. So ever since Ruben Gonzalez goes around the world saying, if nine out of 10 of people give up before the end, if you just don't give up, no matter how skilled you are, you're already in the top 10%.

And Ruben Gonzalez went on to compete, not only in the 1988 Olympics, but also in 1992, 2002. And he made a comeback in 2010, 90% of people give up before they get to the end. So if you don't give up, then you're already in the top 10%. That's part of the promise of blessing for those who persevere. There's a great promise that runs through the scripture. It isn't interesting once you begin to see something in the word of God, and then you look for it and then you see it everywhere. And that's the way it is with perseverance.

Let me just give you some sampling. Galatians 6, 9, let us not grow weary of doing good for in due season, we will reap. We will reap.

Say that with me. We will reap. That's a promise. Don't give up because we will reap. Don't quit sowing the seed. Don't quit sowing seed. Don't quit sowing seed just because you haven't seen it sprout yet. Don't quit praying for the person that you love. Don't stop blessing the person who doesn't yet get keep sowing in due season. We will reap. There are so many blessings of fruitfulness that just take time. People give up way too early. Romans 5, I've already mentioned.

Look at it again. We rejoice in our sufferings. How can you rejoice in suffering?

Because there's a process. Knowing is because of what we know about it. Suffering produces endurance and endurance produces character and character produces hope. And hope does not put us to shame. Does not disappoint the NIV says because God's love has been poured on our hearts. So you're moving towards a character that abides in hope, which is expectant certainty of good things from God. That's where we're aiming is that we live in that kind of character and the more you endure through difficult times, the more that character gets built in you.

That's what God's saying here. James 1 12, blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial for when he has stood the test, he'll receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him. A huge promise for those who persevere.

2 Timothy 2, verse 11, the saying is trustworthy for if we have died with him, we also live with him. If we endure, we will also reign with him. If we just endure, that's all it is. Just keep going. Hebrews 10 36 for you have need of endurance so that when you've done the will of God, you may receive what is promised. You see the theme over and over and over. So many of the promises of God are made manifest in our life simply by our capacity to persevere. Hebrews 10, I mean, Revelation 2, though, in fact, the whole of Revelation in many ways, the whole of Revelation, which little parentheses to whet your appetite this summer, we're going to preach the book of Revelation. That's going to be fun.

And everybody's like, Ooh, like, you know, you wear your hip like what? Okay. But the whole book of Revelation is really written to a people that are suffering under a heavy weight of adversity to say endure. And Revelation 2 is one example, verse 25, hold fast what you have until I come. The one who conquers and keeps my works until the end. Listen to this. I will give authority over the nations.

Wow. Isaiah 40. Here's our verse. They who wait for the Lord. Here's the promise shall renew their strength.

Now Mount up with wings like Eagles. Alan Wright. His good news message wings for the weary in our series, Second Wind. And Pastor Alan is back with us in the studio sharing his parting good news thought for the day.

Just a moment. God's love. You've heard about it with your ears.

You believed it in your mind. Now experience it in your heart with Alan Wright's beloved book, Lover of My Soul. The Bible is a love story from beginning to end. You are the spiritual bride of Christ, the perfect bridegroom. The Bible tells about a God who has gone to unimaginable lengths to woo you, to win you, and to walk with you hand in hand. For any man who has fallen in love with a woman, you've tasted the sweetness of what God's love for you is like. For any woman who has searched for true love, what you long for can only be found fully in God. Gary Chapman, renowned author of the five love languages says, the incredible reality that God pursues us in love comes to life in Lover of My Soul. Ancient biblical accounts explode in the heart. Accept Christ's proposal, enjoy his embrace, revel in his love.

After all, it's a match made in heaven. It's Lover of My Soul by Alan Wright. The gospel is shared when you give to Alan 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 Alan Wright Ministries. Call us at 877-544-4860.

That's 877-544-4860. Or come to our website, PastorAlan.org. Back here in the studio to share Pastor Alan's parting good news thought for the day as we begin this new series. And I think we could all use a second wind spiritually speaking right about now.

Pastor Alan, what's your parting good news? Well, I just want to bless our listeners today that you'll receive your second wind like a runner. I'm envisioning you being like a runner.

You can come to the final lap and feel like as a runner, the muscles are freezing up and you're not going to be able to make it. And yet with a few more steps, there's something happens and scientists study it and there's a process that happens in the body where there's rejuvenation. We call it getting a second wind. You find your breath again, you find your stride again and as though you have a whole fresh new energy. And I just think that God wants to do this for you, that there's a way in which as we come out of a wearisome pandemic and people have been through various kinds of travail and difficulties and people are tired everywhere. So if you're feeling tired, you're not alone, but here's what I bless you with. May you find in Christ a rejuvenation, a second wind and mount up with wings like an eagle because God has not abandoned you and get ready for your second wind. 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 pastorallen.org. Today's good news message is a listener supported production of Allen Wright Ministries.