Pastor, author and Bible teacher, Alan Wright.
Because each tries his or her best and all the skill and all the intelligence and all the earthly riches and all the physical strength and all of the mortal beauty in the world. No one, no human, no angel can open up the way of salvation because all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Who will open it? That's Pastor Alan Wright. Welcome to another message of good news that will help you see your life in a whole new light.
Merry Christmas. I'm Daniel Britt, excited for you to hear the teaching today in the series, He Alone is Worthy, 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. It can be yours for your donation this month to Alan Wright Ministries.
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 today's program. But now, let's get started with the teaching for today.
Here is Alan Wright. Okay, church, are you ready for some good news? If you're a Christian, you're no longer in the first Adam, the one who sinned. You're in the second or the last Adam, the one who didn't sin.
And that makes all the difference. You're in Christ. You're no longer in Adam. You're in the true, perfect Adam, the man of heaven. I had a friend, Ray, his family was going to go years ago to the production of J.T.
Adams' Worthy is the Lamb. It was ran for many years at the Crystal Coast Amphitheater at the beach, a musical outdoor drama. And they were anticipating it. Their little girl, Lindsay, the youngest in the family, kept hearing them talking about they were going to go see Worthy is the Lamb.
Big night finally came, beautiful night down at the beach. They went to go see. They took their seats and the production began and people began coming out and singing and all the things were happening. And not long into it, little Lindsay looked up at her dad and she said, where's Worthy? And they realized they had to explain to her Worthy was not an actual Lamb that was going to be out there, but was some kind of quality about Jesus.
It's a little bit hard to explain to a child. Worthy isn't a name. Worthy is a description.
It is a definition. It is, it is an apt description of the Savior to say He alone is worthy. Have you ever noticed how many of our stories, movies and novels and legends and fables and fairy tales have a plot that revolves around this idea that there is some worthy one who can rescue the people? Like maybe most famously the famous legend of King Arthur, who most people think was perhaps a real leader in Britain, but whose legendary reputation grew into all these stories, including the one that the magician Merlin recognized that Arthur was the rightful heir to the throne, but that in order to protect him until he was ready to take the throne, that he must keep him somewhere confidentially in anonymity until he was of age. In the meantime, Merlin put a sword into a stone and he put a magic spell on it so that only the rightful heir to the throne could remove the sword. And so the stories went after knights in shining armor and other would-be heroes and leaders and the strong men of the country would come and they would one after the other go to the sword that was in the stone.
And with all their might, they would try to pull it out and they would labor and sweat and no one could pull the sword out until it came time for Arthur to be of age and he went over to the sword one day and just pulled it out as if it were nothing because he alone was the rightful one. And there are lots of stories like that, you know, I mean the Marvel superhero movies, people like Thor, who he's the only one that can lift the huge heavy hammer, no one else. He alone is worthy of the hammer, is this notion. And I think you pay attention when you see themes that keep coming up in our stories of all cultures at all times because it points to something that's a deep longing or awareness within the human soul that we just long for there to be someone who's worthy to rescue us, to protect us, to deliver us. And so we come into Advent season around this theme that he alone is worthy and part of that worthiness is defined in the fact that Jesus is like every other person, like the first Adam, except he's unlike every other person because he is not simply a man of dust, he's a man, but he's a man of heaven. And I want to talk to you today about how Jesus as the second Adam is the incarnate presence of God in the flesh, how this makes him alone worthy. So, the longing for a worthy one, I think it reveals that, well, we yearn for such a person. And I guess it's so important to be in touch with that yearning that I would first pray that if you're under the sound of my voice and you don't really know what you're doing, you're going to be my voice and you don't really know Jesus, you haven't really come to that place of faith yet, could you at least be in touch with the heart cry of humanity who is worthy?
Is there a worthy one? It reveals that longing, it reveals that we ourselves, the ordinary population, we consider ourselves not worthy, flawed, ill-equipped, too immoral, too cowardly, too unqualified, too whatever to really be worthy. And we believe that someone must be worthy, someone who has some intrinsic quality or heritage or something in their bloodline. We must know that in order to be worthy, the hero that we long for cannot be disqualified, cannot at some future occasion, can there be a disclosure that reveals that he or she was not worthy after all.
There can't be any disclosure of unrighteousness or deceptive practices or some other new information that could disqualify such a worthy person. In other words, we long to know that there's someone who is worthy in this way, that there's some Arthur who can pull the sword out of the stone, there's some Cinderella whose foot alone can fit into the slipper, that there's someone who is worthy and always will be worthy, and we long for that. And I think the reason we long for it is because we're made for that and we need such a rescue, we need such a hero. The biblical scene that most profoundly and passionately portrays our innate longing for a worthy hero is in John's vision that he has on the Isle of Potmos. In Revelation chapter 5, part of the vision, he says, I saw in the right hand of him who was seated on the throne a scroll written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals. Some scholars say this is like a deed, maybe like a picture of a deed to the earth itself. Others say this is the way that last will and testaments were written and sealed, that it's a picture of something that is like that which contains the inheritance for all the people of God, but as a treasure. And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming with a loud voice, who is worthy to open the scroll and break its seals? And no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth was able to open the scroll or to look into it.
And I began to weep loudly because no one was found worthy to open the scroll or to look into it. So this scroll, whatever it might symbolize, the deed to the earth or your spiritual inheritance and mine, it can't be opened, he sees in this, by anyone who tries. And he begins to weep because if there's no opening of this, then there is no inheritance. There is no eternal security. If it can't be opened, then the dragon will have won.
And so he weeps and it's a picture of the yearning of a whole lost world. Is there anyone who's worthy to open up salvation? Is there anyone worthy to open up a way of peace and joy? Is there anyone who's worthy to open up all the spiritual treasures?
Who can? I remember some years ago just reading this and imagining it's a huge angel, maybe an archangel who is shouting out in this vision, who is worthy? Because I imagine that it's as if all the angels had come by and tried to open the scroll. Gabriel couldn't. And maybe one after the other of the great heroes of the faith, maybe the first Adam came, he was the first one. He was made in the image of God.
He was the picture of what humanity was to be. He had lived in paradise like one, he couldn't open it. And I thought about Abraham coming over, the father of the nation. If anybody could open it, surely it would be Abraham, the one who was reckoned to be righteous because he believed and trusted God. But no, he too was a sinner, he couldn't open it. Maybe then I imagine Moses that comes and tries it, the one who had held up his staff and parted a Red Sea can't open up this scroll. And then David, the beloved King of Israel who comes, though he had slain Goliath, though he had been loved and adored, he couldn't open the scroll. And one after the other, the prophets come one after the other. I'm saying is that the world's always been waiting for a worthy one.
And you got to let yourself feel that. That's Alan Wright, and we'll have more teaching in a moment from today's important series. In a world that often feels overwhelming, we all seek moments of encouragement and hope as a heartfelt thank you for becoming a monthly partner with Alan Wright Ministries. We're excited to send you our blessing box featuring twenty four beautifully crafted cards filled with encouraging blessings from Pastor Alan. Each card offers daily inspiration and scripture on themes such as hope, strength, your identity in Christ, Thanksgiving and much more.
These blessings are designed to uplift your spirit, providing encouragement whenever you need a boost. This unique resource can be yours with our thanks as we welcome new monthly partners to the support family of Alan Wright Ministries. 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. Like John, who was letting his soul feel it and the vision, it was so overcoming that he was just weeping. No one. No one. Because each tries his or her best and all the skill and all the intelligence and all the earthly riches and all the physical strength and all of the mortal beauty in the world. No one, no human, no angel can open up the way of salvation because all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
Who will open it but wait? Verse 5 of Revelation 5, one of the elders said to me, weep no more. Behold, the life of the lion of the tribe of Judah, the root of David has conquered so he can open the scroll into seven seals. He saw a lamb, looked like it had been slain.
The language means a little lamb, a lambkin, a bloodied lambkin that took the scroll. The little innocent bloodied lamb was qualified. And then verse 11, I looked and I heard around the throne and the living creatures and the elders, the voice of many angels, numbering myriads of myriads and thousands of thousands saying with a loud voice, worthy is the lamb who was slain to receive power and wealth and wisdom and might and honor and glory and blessing. He alone is worthy.
To long for someone who is worthy and to say who is worthy and to say he alone is worthy is to acknowledge the unworthiness of all of humanity. And this is what the Bible teaches is because of Adam, the first Adam sin, we are all born into that condition and thus unworthy. Look back at the story again, Genesis 3 17. God said to Adam, because you have listened to the voice of your wife and eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, you shall not eat of it. Cursed is the ground because of you.
In pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life. Thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread till you return to the ground for out of it you were taken, but you are dust and to dust you shall return. And I want you to notice that phrase for you are dust and to dust you shall return because this is the link that Paul makes in 1 Corinthians 15 when he is pointing towards just how much we are made, remade in the image of Christ and will one day be like him fully. But he says this in 1 Corinthians 15 47, the first man was from the earth, a man of dust. So you see he's hearkening back to Genesis 3 and the second man he's speaking of Jesus is from heaven as well as the man of dust, Adam. So also are those who are of the dust, all who are born into this world are born from Adam and are likewise. We're of dust and apart from Christ we return to dust and death. And as the man of heaven, Christ, so also are those who are of heaven.
So you've changed, Christian, you've changed your position, you've changed your inheritance, you've changed who you are. Our earliest Father, the first human sin, and ever since we've all been born in that sin. Let me just show you again in Romans 5.
This is what Paul is hearkening to. Verse 12, just as sin came in the world through one man, that's Adam, and death through sin. So it wasn't God's plan, it was in paradise.
It wasn't planned for him just to return to the dust, but in his disobedience that's what he brought into the world, death. So death spread to all because all sinned. Same thing in verse 15, many died through one man's trespass. Verse 16, the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation. Verse 17, because a one man's trespass, death rained through that one man. Verse 18, one trespass led to condemnation for all men. Verse 19, one man's disobedient, the many were made sinners.
This is just what it is. God made a paradise, put humanity into the midst of it. They would live and eat of the tree of life and every other good thing, and instead they disobeyed. And with it came, just as God had said, as God had said came death, and thus all are born into that. We're all born into that broken world. We're all born into that which has borne the fruit of Adam's first sin. It doesn't mean that we ourselves are not culpable for sin because we also all sin. Therefore Paul had taught in Romans 3 23, all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. So we're culpable, we're all guilty, but we were indeed born in a condition of sin because of Adam's sin.
So you were born in that first Adam. And this is an offensive idea to the individualistic philosophy of Western civilization. We think that we are islands, individuals that are disconnected from others, and we're masters of our own fate.
And we're just not. Beloved, as much as we might dislike it, the first thing I would say about this is that it is what it is. It's the world we're born into. And others' sin affects us, doesn't it?
Every day. The whole brokenness of the world is affecting us, and sometimes someone else's unique sin, either against us or just in our vicinity, affects us. That's why every time we get in the car to take a trip, I, Lord, bless and watch over and put angels around this car, and then my prayer really shifts. And Lord, let everybody that drives anywhere near me be on their best behavior, not texting, not looking around, not looking down. Let them be safe, Lord, because that's what, you know, it's like, I know I'm going to drive safe, but what about everybody else?
I was sitting at a stoplight just this week, and I just, you know, in the South, we don't toot our horn unless we absolutely have to. But I absolutely had to because he was at a left green arrow that we were going to miss if he didn't move on because he was sitting there texting or something, you know? And so finally I just sat on the, you know, didn't sit on it, just tooted the horn.
There's no light. He turned left. He made his turn, and I thought, well, that'll teach him to be texting, sitting there. And y'all, within a hundred yards, he ran into the curb on the right, just ran right into it, almost ran up and ran into a tree, but he yanked himself back.
He'd just been honked at 10 seconds earlier, and he's all ready. I'm telling you, everybody else sin affects us. It's all connected, isn't it? And if you trace everything back to your father, your grandfather, your grandfather's grandfather, your grandfather's grandfather, your grandfather, great-great-great-grandfather, the great-grandfather, you go far about, guess what?
We all descended from Adam who sinned, and we don't like that idea, but it's just the fact we're connected. Listen, we reap benefits from the righteous that have gone before us, pain from the unrighteousness that's gone before us. Alan Wright, our Good News message, Worthy is the Man of Heaven.
From the series, He Alone is Worthy. Please stay with us. Pastor Alan is back joining me in the studio, sharing his parting Good News thought for the day in just a moment. In a world that often feels overwhelming, we all seek moments of encouragement and hope. As a heartfelt thank you for becoming a monthly partner with Alan Wright Ministries, we're excited to send you our blessing box featuring 24 beautifully crafted cards filled with encouraging blessings from Pastor Alan. Each card offers daily inspiration and scripture on themes such as hope, strength, your identity in Christ, Thanksgiving, and much more.
These blessings are designed to uplift your spirit, providing encouragement whenever you need a boost. This unique resource can be yours with our thanks as we welcome new monthly partners to the support family of Alan Wright Ministries. 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 now with Pastor Alan in the studio with our parting good news thought for the day. I guess I should say Merry Christmas, Pastor Alan. We're getting closer and closer every day. Yes, indeed.
Merry Christmas to you as well, Daniel. And what a great series as we lead up to the day itself with He alone is worthy and worthy is the man of heaven. Well, it's like all of creation has been yearning and longing for someone that's worthy. And this is what makes the gospel so wonderful is that we have a worthy man. Jesus was God and Jesus was human. So we had a human being who was worthy. So we have a first Adam who sinned, but we have a second Adam who didn't sin. And because of this new Adam, this man who is just like us, just like us, but yet he's God and he is worthy, he was able to do for us what we couldn't do.
And just all of humanity has been yearning for a worthy hero. And in Christ, we have him. 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.
