Receive [Part 1]

Pastor, author, and Bible teacher, Alan Wright. The best thing about the Gospel and what makes it good news is that though you couldn't keep the law, no matter how good a person you are, Jesus did so perfectly. And to be a Christian is to be a person who has the full power of Jesus' cross and resurrection on your behalf.

It means, therefore, you're fully qualified to receive from God. 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 Higher Power as presented at Rinaldo Church in North Carolina. If you're not able to stay with us throughout our entire program today, 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. So as you listen to today's message, go deeper as we send you today's special offer. Contact us at PastorAlan.org. That's PastorAlan.org.

Or call 877-544-4860, 877-544-4860. More on this later in the program. But right now, let's get started with today's teaching. Here is Alan Wright. Okay, beloved, are you ready for some good news?

Yes. There are no steps to receiving the Holy Spirit. You just receive. We make sometimes things that God meant to be simple really complicated. And I want to talk to you about receiving the Holy Spirit as we continue in a series on the power of God and our lives have called it simply higher power. And I want to begin by a few verses from Galatians where Paul is addressing a big, big problem. And I wish I had a lot more time today to just talk about all the details of this text to the Galatians, but I'm going to preach shorter. And we've got some testimonies today for the Lord's put this on my heart today in coming weeks. We're going to be sharing some stories about how people have experienced the power of the Holy Spirit in their lives.

There's nothing more encouraging than that. And so we're looking forward to that, but I want to show you a few things about this text. It's Galatians chapter three, verse one. Oh, foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified.

Let me ask you only this. Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain, if indeed it was in vain? Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Just as Abraham believed God and it was counted to him as righteousness. Did you receive, you see, that's where we're talking today. The Spirit, was it by works, by something you did, by some steps that you took, or is it simply by faith?

And the answer is it's by faith. It's football season. I like football. I like, uh, I like everything about football, but, uh, I think maybe the most exciting thing in football is the wide receiver position. Uh, I mean, when they throw a 50 yard bomb and just stretch out and catch that, you know, for a big gain, or, I mean, it's amazing the balls that they catch, they get right over to the line, lean out over it and just their toes in the turf just to stay in balance.

It's, it's amazing. Uh, some people don't know that two of our campus pastors played college football. Pastor Brandon at Clements. He was, he played at Elon. He was the long snapper. I told him, I said, you're still blocking the opponent and sending the gospel long. And that's, that's cheesy.

That's cheesy, but it is true. And, but the way a lot of people know pastor Barrett Johnson, our Kernsville campus played wide receiver at Davidson college. I'd always heard that he holds receiving records and so I decided to look it up myself. This picture here, as far as you know, he's in that, um, here's some of the records.

I looked them up. Here is the season receptions number. I know that's kind of small print there, but tied for 10th of most receptions in a season 62 of them in 2003 is tied for 10th and that, uh, career career receptions. He's, uh, I think this is a career. Yeah.

Let's see. Where is he? Number number eight, number eight and career total number of receptions. That's good work. And, um, single season record, um, season single record number six. That's a strong number 980 total yards of receiving a 2003. If he had just caught one more 20 yard pass, that'd be a thousand yards.

I'm a little ashamed of them for not getting a thousand. Uh, and, uh, uh, uh, all right, here he is. Here's where he's tied for number first place number one records. He's tied for most touchdowns in a game right there against number against Butler on September 20th, 2003 called three touchdown passes. Nobody's ever caught more. We all need to be praying in agreement that nobody ever catches four touchdowns. So he can stay out. I thought this lab put one more up there. Career touchdowns, career touchdowns, third, all time, 19 touchdowns.

He caught at Davidson. So I just thought you might want to know we've got, you've got a pastor, uh, at Clemens played football, pastor Barrett played football. And, and of course I played football too. I did.

I did. I played peewee football in Greensboro and I was the running back, uh, for the first Baptist church football team. I don't know if I was best running back, but my dad was the coach. So, you know, I said, put me in at running back. So I like running the ball. But one of the things that I also was my duty was to be the return guy for punts and kickoffs.

Yeah. I heard you groan because you should groan because, uh, you know what happens to those guys? They just get clobbered. That's what happens. Those guys now, every now and then I'd scamper and have some big gain on a return, but I specially dreaded it.

If we're playing police club, the team sponsored by police club, I don't back in that day, they weren't checking birth certificates. I mean, I'm nine years old and I'm like, those guys got beards. I mean, this is not, and I'd be back there, you know, ready to receive. There'd be two of us back there to receive a punt and, and, and I'd be back there. Like, look like I'm ready to receive it. And I'm poised to receive it.

I look like I want to receive it. And I'm actually secretly praying, Jesus, please let it go to the other guy. Let it go out of bounds. Let it go anywhere except for me. Because if I catch this ball, I know what's going to happen.

These guys are going to come barreling down there and I'm going to get hit real hard. It's possible to look like a receiver and something inside of you is like, I don't know that one receive. And I think somehow we've gotten that way when we think about receiving from God, receive the Holy Spirit as the message of the Bible.

And I want to talk to you about receiving. There's not a, there's not some process or some step or some complicated thing about receiving the Holy Spirit. The problem in the Galatian church was that they had begun in the power of the Holy Spirit, the gospel that they heard, they received with joy, the Holy Spirit began moving in their midst. They had healing miracles. They had wonderful joy in the Holy Spirit.

They had all this. And then some false teachers came into the Galatian church and they were essentially teaching that if you really want to be powerfully spirit filled, super Christian, you want to really be in, then not only do you need Jesus, which you do, but you also need to need to keep a few Jewish laws. And particularly they emphasize the Jewish ritualistic law of circumcision as this historical traditional mark of include, including people, these in Judaism, the boys were circumcised as infants and so forth. Well, Paul is so upset about this that if we had time, we'd look through the Galatian epistle, he says things that you almost can't believe Paul would say that because Paul's the teacher of grace. But I mean, he says, he says things like, who has bewitched you?

He even says, this is the preacher of grace, but he said, if anybody preaches a gospel other than this pure gospel of grace, I wish they'd just be accursed. He says that this is so important to him. Why, why, why, what was the big deal?

Some little Jewish ritual. Why, why can't you start? Because if you have a gift and then you put even a tiny little condition upon it is no longer a gift.

That's Alan, right? And we'll have more teaching in a moment from today's important series. Would you love a better marriage? You don't need more good advice.

You need more good news. Marriages like people aren't changed by human effort or even by applying principles. Marriages are changed by the gospel of grace. In six video sessions, pastor Alan and his wife and lead you and your spouse into a fresh encounter with the God of grace. You'll learn a simple grace-filled process that makes great communication easy. You'll discover the freedom of forgiveness and the power of celebration. You'll also learn how to pray for your spouse and how to bless one another with a faith-filled vision for the future.

To help you grow, when you order the video series, we'll also send you two copies of the accompanying study guide. Whether your marriage is going through some special challenges or your marriage is in a season of health, you'll find powerful, transformational truth in good news for your marriage. Make your gift to Alan Wright Ministries today and fill your marriage with the grace of God. 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. If it's a gift and it's 99% gift, but 1% strings attached, it's not a gift. Because if there's 1% of law mixed into grace, 1% of condition mixed into gift, then isn't there an unlimited capacity for you to worry about whether you have fulfilled that 1%?

And you never really can totally enjoy it. And Paul's saying, you started in the Spirit and now that these Judaizers come, it's robbing the gospel of its power. In other words, let me put it as plainly as I can, if you want to be more filled with the Holy Spirit, if today you want to have God breathe on you afresh and receive more of the Holy Spirit, the biggest obstacle to that is to think that there might be something that you need to add to the gospel other than Jesus Christ, crucified, dead, buried, and raised. Because the best thing about the gospel and what makes it good news is that though you couldn't keep the law, no matter how good a person you are, Jesus did so perfectly. And to be a Christian is to be a person who has the full power of Jesus's cross and resurrection on your behalf.

It means therefore you're fully qualified to receive from God. My first experience in really the things of the Spirit, I was a senior in college and well, honestly, there was this girl in my Bible study named Amy, she was a Christian, there was this girl in my Bible study named Anne, and I was intrigued by her. She was beautiful and deep and spiritual and fun. And she came to our Bible study and she said that she had been, there was some visiting speaker on campus and some kind of healing meetings and all, and she had gone and she said, I think that our Bible study, we should go. We were all kind of getting interested in who's the Holy Spirit. And so she talked us into going. And so we went, it was the first time I'd ever been in a meeting where people were really worshiping passionately, lifting their hands to the Lord and all that. I just hadn't, you know, I grew up in a Lutheran church and then I'd been in a great evangelical non-denominational church, but I'd never seen this kind of, honestly, I wasn't comfortable with it, but I was thinking they do seem happy, you know?

And that was appealing to me. And so we sat there and we listened and there was prayer for healing and it looked like God was doing things. And I felt like God was there. And so at one point this evangelist, he said, every head bowed, every eye closed, you know, and we all bowed our head. He said, now who wants to be filled with the Holy Spirit? And you know, our heads are bowed and I'm just kind of peeking a little bit left and right, you know, like, you know, and, and finally I said, well, sure I do.

And all of a sudden he says, there are a whole row of them. And the only people that raised their hand were our Bible study. We just stuck out like a sore thumb. I guess we're the only people who didn't have the Holy Spirit.

I don't know. But anyway, we went on for prayer. I'll tell you the rest of that story sometime, but my experience was not good when that night I was like, I didn't feel uncomfortable. People, all these people around me laying hands on me and they weren't polite. Like we teach our people be polite, ask somebody before you go throwing your hands all over them. You know, can I lay my hand gently on your shoulder or something? You know, when I went forward, I mean, these are good people, but this is what was going on in their mind.

Fresh meat. You know, I mean, it was just like, I was, we're going to get you some Holy Spirit today. And, and I, I just was like, that's not the way I received from God. You know, if I feel manipulated or anything, I just, I shut down. And so I was all shut down. The rest of the Bible study, we all came outside that school auditorium and we're all going, Oh, that was uncomfortable.

I didn't, I didn't like that. Everybody's saying all that except this girl named Ann. And she's just quiet. And we're like, well, it was bad for you too. And she was like, well, wait, did something happen to you?

And she's like, well, yeah. And that, and, and, and I think I started falling in love with her from that day on, because I was so intrigued by what was going on this mysterious Ann who had begun experiencing the Holy Spirit. It actually set me on a road of becoming thirsty to receive from God. And I've looked back so often on that experience and that evangelist saying, who wants to be filled with the Holy Spirit? And I almost just chuckle at the question, because now that I know the Holy Spirit so well, it seems to me the silliest question in the world to say, who wants to be filled with the Holy Spirit? The question's not who wants to be filled with the Holy Spirit.

The question is who wouldn't want to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Do you know who he is? He is the third person of the triune God. He is act 16, seven, the spirit of Jesus. You love Jesus. The Holy Spirit is Jesus's own spirit. It's like saying who wants to have lunch with Jesus today? I do. Who would like to have Jesus lead your Bible study tomorrow?

I'd like that. The Holy Spirit is the person of Jesus in the spirit to us. He's the spirit of Jesus.

Who wouldn't want to be filled with him? He's the greatest teacher in the world. John 16, 13, Jesus said, when the spirit of truth comes, he'll guide you into all the truth. Jesus said, when the Holy Spirit comes, he will guide you into all truth. He is the greatest teacher in the world.

He is the all knowing God. I think of him as the best coach you could ever have. You know, a coach makes all the difference.

I mean, I was, I just had to check. I was like, you know who the highest paid college football coaches are? Nick Saban at Alabama and Dabo Sweeney at Clemson.

Both make over $9 million a year. We will pay for a good coach, or at least somebody will pay for a good job. The Holy Spirit is an omniscient, all loving, all wise coach who knows what you're ready for. He doesn't put you into a training program that you're not ready for. He takes you step by step. He's beautiful.

He's wonderful. He's the one who brings spiritual fruit, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Who doesn't want that? He brings gifts, supernatural gifts. We're going to talk next week about an overview of the spiritual gifts, variety of gifts. Who wouldn't want to be able to have mercy instead of judgment for people? Who wouldn't want to be powerful in your inner session? Who wouldn't want to be able to hear secrets from heaven and share them so that people's lives are changed? Who wouldn't want to have the joy of generosity rather than stinginess? Who wouldn't want to be able to join hands with someone and speak words of healing and they be healed?

I want that. And he is the deposit, a guarantee of our inheritance. Ephesians 1 13, in him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel, your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promise of the Holy Spirit. Who's the guarantee of our inheritance? It's like the image of selling a house and someone gives you earnest money.

It's like, I'm going to pay you the whole amount, but I'm going to give you some now, a non-refundable prepayment that is proof that I will finish this. And so what Paul's saying here is the Holy Spirit is a deposit that guarantees to you that the entire spiritual inheritance is yours. All of heaven is yours. And so I'm giving you the Spirit so you will have a guarantee that that's who you are. Alan Wright, our Good News message today, it's titled Receiving from the series Higher Power. Stick with us, Pastor Alan is back here in the studio sharing a parting Good News thought for the day before we close out.

Coming back here in just a moment. Would you love a better marriage? You don't need more good advice.

You need more good news. Marriages like people aren't changed by human effort or even by applying principles. Marriages are changed by the gospel of grace. In six video sessions, Pastor Alan and his wife, Ann, lead you and your spouse into a fresh encounter with the God of grace. You'll learn a simple grace-filled process that makes great communication easy. You'll discover the freedom of forgiveness and the power of celebration. You'll also learn how to pray for your spouse and how to bless one another with a faith-filled vision for the future.

To help you grow, when you order the video series, we'll also send you two copies of the accompanying study guide. Whether your marriage is going through some special challenges or your marriage is in a season of health, you'll find powerful, transformational truth in good news for your marriage. Make your gift to Alan Wright Ministries today and fill your marriage with the grace of God. 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. 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. Back now with Pastor Alan and our parting good news thought for the day in today's teaching, receiving, receiving the power of the Holy Spirit. I think so often that I talk to Christians who are maybe a little worried or a little reluctant about being filled with the Holy Spirit. And today and tomorrow, we are exposing some of the myths or potential obstacles to receiving. And I think that once we really know how wonderful the Holy Spirit is, the third person of the Trinity, the Spirit of Jesus, the greatest teacher in the world who leads and guides and produces fruit in our lives, the real question is not who wants to be filled with the Holy Spirit, but the real question is who wouldn't want to be filled with the Holy Spirit?

He's wonderful. So we're learning about the Holy Spirit. And if you are new to learning about the Holy Spirit, then welcome.

If these things aren't new to you, then be refreshed. But by any means, be filled in Jesus' name. Thanks for listening today. Visit us online at PastorAlan.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 PastorAlan.org. That's PastorAlan.org. Today's good news message is a listener supported production of Alan Wright Ministries.