Total Victory [Part 2]

Pastor, author and Bible teacher, Alan Wright. Everything he's saying here in Romans is the kind of biblical blessing and encouragement and exhortation that actually brings transformation.

He's saying like, if you would just think on these things and let it be the primary thought in all of your conscious life and let it abide in your heart, then it will lead inevitably to the conclusion that you're more than a conqueror. 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, More Than Conquerors, a study of Romans 8 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 Alan Wright Ministries. So as you listen to today's message, go deeper as we send you today's special offer. Just contact us at pastoralan.org. That's pastoralan.org or call 877-544-4860.

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

Here is Alan Wright. Instead of saying I'd like to be in better shape, you know, you have to start seeing yourself as the kind of person who is fit and who cares about health. I remember some years ago I was, I don't know, I was bemoaning to my wife about how much I sit around and I've been trying to change that, but nobody told me you sign up to be a pastor and then you sit down and eat fried chicken for the next 35 years.

And so I sit, I sit, I sit in front of a computer, I sit with people, I sit in meetings, I sit in coffee shops. And I told Ann, I said I'm just, I'm just, I'm sedentary, I'm just sitting around. And I looked at her and I was thinking back to former glory. I said I used to be an athlete. She said the thing that's absolutely the very best thing that you could say in that moment. She said, you're still an athlete. I'm like, thank you for that, darlin'.

I'm gonna go lift some weights right now. In other words, if you think of yourself as an athlete, you're likely to do the stuff that athletes do. I asked my son one time who's so diligent studying and I never, ever, ever once to my knowledge ever said, you know, you ought to get in the books and study. You know, he was just diligent about it.

Abby was too. But I asked Bennett one time, I said, why do you do that? He said, well, I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. But I asked Bennett one time, I said, why do you do that?

He said, you thought about it? He said, I think I see myself as an A student and so I just usually study as much as I think would be required to make an A on the thing. You're way better to get your student, your child to see him or herself as an A student than you are to focus merely on the outer layer, the outcomes, or even just the processes. You focus just on the outcomes, you know, I want you to get in a good college and get a good job, you know, so you better study because, you know, again, a little bit of motivation, but not much.

You get to the inner layer and then you got processes that, from, you know, first thing from after school, we're going to set up, you can't do anything else, no video games until you study. Well, that might help bring some change. But the real change comes at the identity level.

Everything that Paul's been building up to in Romans one through eight is so that he can say with authority, you're more than a conqueror. It is important and James Clear says many people begin the process of changing their habits by focusing on what they want to achieve. But the alternative to build identity-based habits, and with this approach, we start by focusing on what we wish to become, identity. And essentially, and I think James Clear says it well, behavior that is incongruent with the self will not last. That's not what A students do, you see.

They don't just not look at the books at all. So everywhere in God's word, we're seeing that he's leading us into the idea that there is victory for us in Christ. First John five, where I think it's the apostle John who's doing so much to crystallize all that he's learned now as a spiritual father and wants to convey under the unction of the Holy Spirit, writes, for everyone who has been born of God overcomes, and that's the word nikao, victory, overcomes the world. And this is the nikai, the victory that has overcome the world, our faith. Who is it that overcomes the world except the one who believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

So the identity is the product of what you believe. He says in First John four, four little children, you're from God, saying this is who you are. You're from God, you're born again by God, you're from God, you're made by God, you're re-created in his image, and have overcome them, speaking of those that are against Christ.

And he put it in the past tense, you've overcome them. For he who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. And the essence of the spiritual battle is to get you to believe the reverse of that. The inverse is to say greater is he in the world than he that is in you, so that your problem problems take priority and they look like the greater thing than the power of the Holy Spirit who is in you. And you and I both, we go through adversities and the problem with that is that it gives fodder to the devil to point to your circumstances as evidence that you're not a winner. And this is why James Clear in his book says if you want a new identity, well he says it plainly, new identities require new evidence. And that's what happens when you get in the gospel.

New evidence comes into your life. It's why people that have just feel like their whole life, they've been victims, their whole life has just been nothing but one disappointment after other. Nothing goes well for me. Things don't turn out right for me. I always tend to come up on the losing end.

I don't have any luck. I have, you know, people like that and they think like that and then the gospel gets in. And what happens with the gospel is you read stuff like Romans one through eight that redefines who you are.

New evidence. And then the Holy Spirit comes and takes up resonance in your heart and Paul has said to us in Romans eight that he is the spirit of adoption wherein we cry Abba Father because he's bearing witness to our spirit that we're children of God and we realize if we're children then we're co-heirs with Christ and it changes the narrative of your life becomes accurate. It becomes true about who you really are and how much God loves you and what he's done in your life. So it's very important to say that the proof is not in your circumstances but in the word of God and in the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit within you because we're going to go through hard things. So as soon as you talk about the victorious Christian life somebody will say oh are you just one of those that says you never have any problems and you're always going to be rich.

No I'm not saying that. I'm saying I'm more like Paul. Here's what Paul he said I wish I can't believe I'm saying these things you know but people that were acting like he was not qualified to be an apostle and they were always talking about how much better they were and sometimes they'd say well I'm so much better because I've suffered so much for and so finally in second Corinthians 11 he just said are they servants of Christ I'm a better one I'm talking like a madman he's like I can't believe I'm having to say this now but I'm just going to go ahead and tell you so with greater labors far more imprisonments countless beatings often near death five times I received at the hands of the Jews the 40 lashes less one. You know why it was the 39 lashes or the called the 40 lashes less one is because it was found to be the case that after 39 lashes people often died that's what that particular torture and beating was to bring people to the brink of death he's experienced it five times he was brought to the brink of death by being beaten by religious authorities three times I was beaten with rods once I was stoned three times I was shipwrecked three times I was shipwrecked night and day I was adrift at sea frequent journeys in danger from rivers robbers my own people gentiles city wilderness sea false brothers in toil and hardship through many a sleepless night and hunger and thirst often without food cold and exposure and apart from these other things there's a daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches so victory and to be an uber victor does not mean the absence of challenge but some kind of overcoming in the midst of great challenge that's what it means that's Alan Wright and we'll have more teaching in a moment from today's important series it has been called the most influential letter ever written every word written by the apostle Paul and his epistle to the Romans is dripping with the astounding news of what God has done for you in Jesus answering the two biggest questions of life what went wrong and how has God made it right discover the richness of those answers and enhance your Bible journey today make a donation to Alan Wright Ministries this month and unlock our Romans reading guide paired with the ESV scripture journal immerse yourself in the word and capture personal insights prayers and reflections directly alongside the powerful text these sleek portable journals amplify your study enrich group sessions and deepen personal reflections elevate your spiritual odyssey and forge a stronger connection with the scriptures help Alan Wright Ministries reach the world with the good news of the gospel with your gift today and receive these essential tools that will elevate your study enrich your prayer life and deepen your understanding of the book of Romans 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 pastorallen.org today's teaching now continues here once again is Alan Wright and this word Nikko is used by Jesus to speak of the essence of this victory in Luke 11 verse 20 if it is he said by the finger of God that I cast out demons then the kingdom of God has come upon you when a strong man fully armed guards his own powers his goods are safe but when one stronger than he attacks and overcomes him there's our word Nikko he takes away his armor in which he trusts and divides his boys you see what Jesus is saying there is a huge cosmic conflict there is a spiritual battle and here is the evidence that the kingdom of God has come you see me taking authority over demonic spirits you know the kingdom of God's come and he said John in John 16 he said I've said these things that in me you may have peace in the world you will have tribulation thankfully I doubt anybody in this room's had any kind of tribulation like the apostle Paul experienced thankfully but we will have tribulation but take heart I have Nikko I have overcome the world so what then he builds on here is this glorious progression starting at verse 31 of if everything I have said to you is true of the gospel if it's true Paul's saying what I wrote to you in the early chapters of Romans that all have sinned and all are in the same predicament and everyone needed a rescue because they could never make it past the flood of their own sin and the consequences of that sin and if God has come in the person of Christ to make that rescue by living a righteous life on your behalf so that anyone who trusts in him is credited with the righteousness of Jesus such that Jesus died in your place taking the penalty meriting you as if you had lived his righteous life so that you who are otherwise unholy would become holy and therefore God would pour out his own presence his own spirit into your heart by faith so that you would become in Romans 8 we learned the dwelling place of God if all of this is true then he says what shall I say to these things if God is for us who can be against us I just I just don't know what to say except if all that's true if he's that much for you then what are you worried about everything he's saying here in Romans is is the kind of biblical blessing and an encouragement and exhortation that actually brings transformation he's saying like if you would just if you would just think on these things and let it be the the the primary thought in all of your conscious life and let it abide in your heart then it will lead inevitably to the conclusion that you're more than a conqueror and he's using courtroom imagery if God's for us and it has right from the beginning the idea of like the gavels come down and the ruling is gone in your favor a rule for you are you guilty or not guilty do you deserve heaven or not do you deserve to be blessed or not uh a rule for you and if God's ruled for us if he's for us then it doesn't matter what else happens in the courtroom and all these other statements are judicial statements he would not spare his son but gave him up for us all how he not also graciously give us all things an argument from the greater to the lesser verse 33 who shall bring any charge against God's elect judicial language because God justifies who can bring a charge who can accuse who shall verse 33 bring any charge against the elect in verse 34 who is to condemn this is the way God is remember when Jesus liberated a woman who had been accused of adultery because the Pharisees had gathered around to stone her in accordance with old antiquated laws and Jesus wrote in the dirt we don't know what he wrote really fun to speculate what he wrote because somebody speculated he was writing down the names of the mistresses of the Pharisees we don't know but then their stones start dropping to the ground when he says any of you that's without sin you throw the first stone and they start letting go of their stones and when they're all gone they're all gone and they're all gone and they're all gone he said where are your accusers is there no one left to condemn you because Jesus didn't come just to prove you rescued in the midst of accusation he came to silence the accusations this is that's his aim for you in spiritual maturity that's where he's aiming for you who's to condemn there's nobody left and Paul says Christ Jesus is the one who died more than that who was raised who's at the right hand of God who's interceding for us the only one who is in the rightful place to be your judge has died for you and is interceding for you and who shall separate us from the love of Christ tribulation or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger of sort there's no bailiff that can come in the courtroom and separate you now nobody's going to escort you out and take you away to a prison cell can't happen it is logic on fire it is the inevitable conclusion of all of Romans that you in Christ are more than a conqueror and I think this is where so much of spiritual maturity comes is when it gets so deep within us that we're not having this same mental conversation all the time right the same old shame buttons and the same old things that leave us feeling condemned the more we grow the more that's just not even the conversation anymore we don't give there's just not a foothold to the devil anymore in that I was thinking this week about years ago 07 and 08 our church was sued it was a very painful time we were excited about new construction project I was showing talking to some elders that weren't here at that time just yesterday and was describing to them what number of you wouldn't ever know this too but before we did this construction project that prayer room exit that that door right there was the exit to the to the educational building it was the only place you could only way you could get there and went back in the day we'd flash up a number of a child in a nursery or something like that and every picture had to make the walk of shame down the thing I'd be up here preaching sighs hey here comes somebody walking around and had to go out the door there was no way you couldn't get there there was no door that connected there was no hallway over there and so we didn't just build all this new educational space we said we got to build a way to get connected so that it doesn't have to be right there you had to get up go to the bathroom you had to go out that door thank god for these facilities alan wright today's teaching total victory from the series more than conquerors a study of romans eight hey pastor alan is in the studio here in just a moment to share a parting good news thought for the day don't go anywhere it has been called the most influential letter ever written every word written by the apostle paul and his epistle to the romans is dripping with the astounding news of what god has done for you in jesus answering the two biggest questions of life what went wrong and how has god made it right discover the richness of those answers and enhance your bible journey today make a donation to Alan Wright Ministries this month and unlock our romans reading guide paired with the esv scripture journal immerse yourself in the word and capture personal insights prayers and reflections directly alongside the powerful text these sleek portable journals amplify your study enrich group sessions and deepen personal reflections elevate your spiritual odyssey and forge a stronger connection with the scriptures help Alan Wright Ministries reach the world with the good news of the gospel with your gift today and receive these essential tools that will elevate your study enrich your prayer life and deepen your understanding of the book of romans 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 back here now with pastor alan as we place a bookmark in this teaching total victory in our good news thought for the day being victorious let's be clear it doesn't mean having no adversities in fact let's remember the one who's pinning these beautiful remarks the apostle paul who elsewhere has listed all the adversities that he has faced five times the hands the jews received the 40 lashes minus one three times beaten with rods stoned shipwreck on on the list goes so for paul to think of the christian life as one in which we are more than conquerors obviously does not mean that you don't have adversities and great challenges it means instead that there's a kind of overcoming in the midst of challenge in the midst of adversity that's the victory that we have in christ is no matter what you're going through god is with you in it and you can be assured of the final ultimate victory in christ so thanks for listening today visit us online at pastor alan.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 pastor alan.org that's pastor alan.org today's good news message is a listener-supported production of Alan Wright Ministries