Touched by an Angel [Part 1]

Pastor, author, and Bible teacher, Allen Wright. I know the voice of shame can lie in the gutter with us when we're in our lowest moments of failure, but what's surprising that we learn from Elijah's story is that the voice of shame can come on the heels of your greatest victory. Please understand this, shame is not relegated to those who have fallen in disgrace.

Shame also comes to those who are at the pinnacle of society. 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, Miracle Man, as presented at Reynolda Church in North Carolina. If you're not able to stay with us throughout the entire program, I'd like 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.

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That's 877-544-4860. More on this later in the program. But now, let's get started with today's teaching.

Here's Allen Wright. You ready for some good news? You ready for some good news? You have a great journey in front of you. Sometimes when you're discouraged, it's just the seed of a thought, the sprinkling of a rain that can let you know that though a drought can seem endless, it is not.

And that God has plans and a future for you, a hope for you. And when you're at your most discouraged, that's what God's Word brings to you. And we have such a word today from 1 Kings chapter 19 as we continue to learn from the life of this miracle man Elijah, whose life in many ways points us to the true miracle man, Jesus. Elijah has won an unbelievable, miraculous victory at Mount Carmel in chapter 18.

And then we come to something that's, well, it's quite surprising in chapter 19. It's the kind of story that almost shocks you that the Lord would be so honest to take His great heroes of faith and show us at their most vulnerable. And here is one such story of the mighty prophet Elijah becoming discouraged to the point of giving up. In 1 Kings chapter 19 verse 1, Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done and how he'd killed all the prophets with the sword. Then Jezebel sent a messenger to Elijah saying, so may the gods do to me and more also if I do not make your life as the life of one of them by this time tomorrow. Then he was afraid and he arose and ran for his life and came to Beersheba which belongs to Judah and left his servant there. But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness and came and sat down under a broom tree and he asked that he might die saying it is enough now oh Lord take away my life for I am no better than my father's and he lay down and slept under a broom tree and behold an angel touched him and said to him arise and eat and he looked and behold there was at his head a cake baked on hot stones and a jar of water and he ate and drank and lay down again and the angel of the Lord came a second time and touched him and said arise and eat for the journey is too great for you and he arose and ate and drank and went in the strength of that food 40 days and 40 nights to Horeb the mount of God. Well my Baylor Bears are struggling to make it to the NCAA playoffs they are on their way to fight to get into the big dance it was looking bleak for the Bears basketball team because they started out the conference play two and seven and then they started winning some games started getting a glimmer of hope maybe they could make it won a few games in a row and on Monday night they had a must-win situation when they were playing the Longhorns in Austin they needed to beat Texas and Texas is beatable and we were on the road so I was listening to the game on ESPN radio and the Bears were leading most of the game got up by as much as nine points and were up by four or five points most of the game and it got down to a just a couple minutes left and I got that worried feeling like they'd lost so many this year at the last minute just you know that feeling of snatching defeat out of the jaws of victory and I was worried about the Bears but they kept hanging in there and they had a lead getting down to two minutes and then even at a minute left they still had a lead and I'm thinking they've got it and then you know how these things go Texas sinks an surprising three-pointer missed shot or two for Baylor and next thing you know you thought you had the game one you know that feeling where you think you've won I've played sports as a kid and it's a very hard thing psychologically when you get close to winning like I played tennis and I won the first set and then I've got the second set and I'm up maybe five three and you start thinking about how nice it's going to be when everybody congratulates you on your good win you know I mean the Bears I'm sure they're starting to think with just 30 seconds left in the game about the bus ride back to Waco how fun it is as a team to go in the locker room what kind of little dance am I going to do of celebration after this to start thinking about the possibilities of making the NCAA playoffs it's hard not to put your mind on there at the end of a game that you think you've won I wonder if they were thinking like that they shouldn't have because like I said a missed shot here or there surprising three-pointer from the Longhorns and clock ends overtime you know what overtime is it's where you thought you'd won and yet you hadn't won yet because they're going to put five more minutes on the clock and you're going to huddle up for a few minutes and then you got to get back out on the court you'd already been dancing in the locker room in your head but now you got to get back out there and play and play harder than you were before and now you got a couple guys in foul trouble overtime you know it happens in life sometimes doesn't it I'm talking about those moments where you think you've arrived only to find out the battle's continuing you know when I'm talking about those moments where you've been through the chemotherapy and you think you're done and the doctor says there's one spot I'm still concerned about we should do radiation also over time where you have raised your kids and you take a deep breath only to have your daughter call and say my marriage is in trouble can I come home for a while you know over time moments in life where maybe you've reached the pinnacle and you think that because you have that everything should be smooth sailing downhill coast from there only to find out the spiritual battle is still at hand that's what happened to Elijah in first kings chapter 18 we see him in one of the great miracles of all the old testament where he having prayed that there would be a drought and seeing God's faithfulness and he having seen God come down in fire of judgment upon the altar to expose the folly of idolatry and the phoniness of baal he saw God move so mightily and validate his own prophetic ministry ministry that indeed he was speaking the word of God and those 450 prophets that had been rebelling against God they died that day it was a powerful unbelievable mountaintop experience and how then can it be we come to the very next scene in his life the next chapter and he's running in fear from one woman I want to talk to you about those overtime moments in life about the nature of discouragement some plain talk about depression but mainly I want to point you to how God ministers to the discouraged so that all of us today would have that hope erupt in us afresh just walk through the story with me verse one Ahab told Jezebel all that Elijah had done and how he'd killed all the prophets with the sword I think the problem here you know it's hard you can't read the tone of these words but I think the problem with Ahab was he was too mousy and his wife was the one who was ruling the roost and she was pagan I mean if ever there was a time where Ahab should have come home and said I've just found out who the true God is this was the time right I mean he had just seen miracle on top of mount Carmel but he also had seen the prophetic ministry of Elijah he had heard of the wonders God was working through Elijah and now he saw it with his own eyes and this awesome powerful God who had manifest himself and the people the own prophets that Jezebel had sponsored those prophets of Baal they have said the Lord he is God and if ever there was a time it should have been now that Ahab came home and said honey good news I have discovered the one true living God honey I know you love Baal but I need to tell you he's phony we got to get these idols out of here we're going to tear down the Asherah poles we're going to eliminate the fertility rights on the high places I'm the king I tell you and I'm going to tell you right now we need to make some changes around here honey and he just I don't think that's what he did I think he came over he said Jezebel Elijah just killed all our prophets and I don't know what we're going to do now that's Alan Wright and we'll have more teaching in a moment from today's important series it's a great idea to start each day with a dose of good news and we'd like to help you'll love Pastor Alan's devotional journal Every Day Miracles it's a one-month journey through the stories of Elijah and his successor Elisha that include daily devotionals from Pastor Alan questions for reflection space for journaling and a daily prayer of faith this beautiful spiral bound book is the perfect tool to get you into the word and to build your faith day by day when you make a gift this month we'll send you Alan Wright's new devotional journal Every Day Miracles as our way of saying thanks for your partnership also free digital access to all the Elijah messages currently airing so please make your gift today and start looking for miracles all around you 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 pastor alan.org today's teaching now continues here once again is Alan Wright Jezebel because she's Jezebel she decided to take matters into her own hands Jezebel verse 2 sent a messenger to Elijah saying so may the gods do to me and more also if I do not make your life is the life of one of them by this time tomorrow it is a voice of threat and shame that comes on the heels of Elijah's great victory see when sin entered the world so did shame no sooner had Adam and Eve disobeyed God then there was this diabolical voice that slithered in next to them and said look at you now now you're flawed so you should cover yourselves hide from God hide from each other because you're just not acceptable anymore you don't measure up you've messed up and so you're a failure you are unworthy of anything good in your life so you might as well just start covering it all so they did they hid from each other they hid from God the voice of shame is so gnawing and poisonous because it it conveys a message of hopelessness and doom because I am hopelessly flawed I am therefore doomed and cannot be fully accepted and therefore I need to cover up and not let anybody know how flawed I am that's the voice of shame and we try to cover ourselves in all these different ways maybe with a substance maybe this will make you feel less ashamed for a little while maybe it's an activity might do the trick for just a little while and for many and I think this has been more the camp I've tended to be in we try to cover it by answering the voice that says you're not enough by saying I'll prove to you I am enough I'll do more I'll be better this is the this is the seed of perfectionism I will perform well enough to be accepted and here becomes a particularly dangerous point for anybody who's ever had that feeling what do you do when you feel like that you've had your Mount Carmel and you've done your best and that voice is still there trying to shame you even in the middle of your success I know the voice of shame can lie in the gutter with us when we're in our lowest moments of failure but what's surprising that we learn from Elijah's story is that the voice of shame can come on the heels of your greatest victory please understand this shame is not relegated to those who have fallen in disgrace shame also comes to those who are at the pinnacle of society and here is Elijah with this voice let's be clear you could rise up to the presidency of the third grade or of the PTA or the presidency of the bank or the presidency of the United States the voice of shame is not going to leave you alone there will always be a Jezebel she lives by idols and vows may the gods deal with me ever so severely if I don't make Elijah your life like one of those prophets that's been slain hell operates by vows demonic commitments and this is Jezebel she is seething with hate she eats and feeds upon fear and dispenses fear she's a picture of the diabolical nature of all shame this is where we think okay that's fine this is Jezebel she's threatened him one woman so what Elijah will just flicker away like a flea he just defeated 450 prophets of Baal he's the man of God he's gonna just ignore her he's gonna keep dancing his victory dance he'll just mock her gods the way he mocked the prophets when Baal didn't show up but that's not what happens isn't it surprising in the next verse verse three then Elijah was afraid and he arose and ran for his life forget her Elijah she's a flea she's a nothing she's a gnat squatter let her bluster let her rant and rave but just dismiss her take a little vacation go down to the Dead Sea get a little sign float in the water drink some pineapple juice you'll be fine you just need a little rest instead this prophet who James says is the model for miraculous prayer doesn't pray that weird sometimes the mighty people of prayer don't pray when they most need to this man who was the voice of God to the people who lived by the word of the Lord this man instead began living by the word of Jezebel note it well and don't be astonished in your own life or someone else's how much things shift if you move from living by the word of God to living by the word of some Jezebel it changes everything and it did for Elijah and he was exhausted and he was drained and this man who had said atop Mount Carmel with full faith answer me Oh God and come down in fire now has no answers at all and instead of taking his shame exhaustion and fear to the Lord he decides to try to bear it himself in isolation verse 3 said he was afraid he rose he ran for his life came to Beersheba which belongs to Judah and left his servant there that's strange why is it when we most need people we most don't want to be with people I've seen this for 30 years if there's somebody I don't see all of a sudden in the body of Christ chances are something's wrong the times where you most need the body of Christ there's some powerful temptation to pull away and Elijah did that he even took his servant he felt so alone that he just wanted to make himself alone sometimes what you do is you have such feelings of isolation that you want your life to actually mirror what you're feeling on the inside even though we need to do the opposite and he left him there and he went out some distance away by himself and author Gordon Dolby's words the effort to hide the truth of your inadequacy and bear your shame consumes you and sabotages your destiny when all your energies focus on an enemy you have no energy or vision left to discern and fulfill your calling in life the enemy thereby begins to define you hell therefore could aptly be described as trying to bear your own shame is living a lie forever sandbagging against the rising tide of truth and eternally exhausting distraction from your holy destiny Alan Wright today's teaching touched by an angel from the series miracle man Alan is back in a moment with additional insight on this for your life and a final word 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 pastor Alan org it's a great idea to start each day with a dose of good news and we'd like to help you'll love pastor Alan's devotional journal everyday miracles it's a one-month journey through the stories of Elijah and his successor Elisha that include daily devotionals from pastor Alan questions for reflection space for journaling and a daily prayer of faith this beautiful spiral bound book is the perfect tool to get you into the word and to build your faith day by day when you make a gift this month we'll send you Alan Wright's new devotional journal everyday miracles as our way of saying thanks for your partnership also free digital access to all the Elijah messages currently airing so please make your gift today and start looking for miracles all around you 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 eight seven seven five four four forty eight sixty that's eight seven seven five four four forty eight sixty or come to our website pastor Alan org Alan if we need that touch today if we're praying for a miracle in our life whatever's whatever's wrong whatever's broken God is there and and we may be longing for that touch what's next well Elijah who was used by God in such a dramatic way at Mount Carmel and then finds himself running and depressed and discouraged and the great man of God is ready to give up well I think there's some part of that in it Daniel that's encouraging us to say listen it don't matter how long you've walked with God you can go through times of profound discouragement but God is ready to bring encouragement to you open up your heart he's ready to comfort you and encourage you and strengthen you because there's still a journey in front of you today's good news message is a listener supported production of Alan Wright Ministries