Pastor, author, and Bible teacher, Alan Wright. You just can't make something grow before it's time. It just has to grow.
You just have to let it. Wait on the Lord, and you'll renew your strength and mount up like wings, with wings as eagles. 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 Son of David, as presented at Rinaldin Church in North Carolina. If you're not able to stay with us throughout the 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. 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. Now, more on this later in the program. But now, let's get started with today's teaching.
Here is Alan Wright. What happens is if you get thinking like that, then what you'll do is not only forfeit the future that's in front of you, but you can find yourself forfeiting the ground that you've already gained. You can end up saying, well, if this is all it is, I don't even want it. I had a friend one time who was at a very nice restaurant and left a decent tip for a person, but the server, I don't know if it was in a bad mood or whatever, but did something very dumb. The server said, well, if that's all that you got, I think you'd probably need it worse than I do. And so he said, well, I guess I do.
Now, see, that server was very dumb, because even if somebody only left you a nickel, that's a nickel you didn't have before. You ought to take it, right? Just because something's not all that you thought it was going to be, why would that be a reason to forfeit what it is?
Take what you have. So David is just remarkable in this sense. He just took the throne at Hebron and said, okay, I'll reign here.
And it turned out to be seven and a half years. You could look at it in two ways and say, ah, it was a pitiful throne that he had in Hebron. I mean, that wasn't the whole deal at all.
This wasn't what had been promised at all. Or you could say, well, it was a throne. You know, take the throne that you're given. The fact of the Christian life is that we're already now reigning with Christ. We're already in Christ or positioned in the heavenlies. But don't you know that the best is still yet to come? Because we can say we now reign with Christ, but we can also say, and we will reign with Christ when he returns. We will reign with him, and it's going to be more glorious than the reign that we now have.
But it doesn't remove us from our position of royalty in Christ now. And I've just been really trying to listen to the Lord this week and what all this is, what is the Lord saying to us specifically. And I just want you to receive, this is what I feel like I heard the Lord saying, is thank God for what you have. You're further along than you were. You know more now and you've gained ground that you didn't use to have. You have some skills now that you didn't have. Even through your mistakes, even through your folly, even through the upsetting things in life, you've learned some things that you didn't know before and it positions you in a better position now. You have wisdom that you didn't use to have.
It just means that you're going to go further. I love the story of Elijah where he defeats the prophets of Baal and it's a dramatic moment. The fire of God comes down, consumes the altar and all. But I love the story that follows it.
The story that follows it because this is like real life. It is an incredible miracle. But then in the very next chapter, 1 Kings 19, the very next chapter, what happens is there's one woman that starts chasing the great prophet Elijah. He's just defeated all the pagan prophets of Baal and God's put on this incredible miraculous display. And the next scene, Elijah starts pursuing and says, I'm going to kill you. I'm going to make you like those prophets. And you go, one woman, who cares what she's saying?
You know, just move on. But instead it just strikes fear and despair into the heart of Elijah the prophet. And he finds himself just wilting in the desert ready to die.
He's suicidal. And the angel of the Lord comes and feeds him and has a word for him. But the word that the Lord has for him is very surprising. The Lord doesn't come and say, you know, they're there and I'm so sorry you're going through this difficult time.
Instead the angel comes and says, get up and eat for the journey is great in front of you. And you can look at that one or two ways. You can look and say, oh no, I got further to go. Or you could look at that and go, oh, I got farther to go. I'm going farther than I am now. You're going farther. So go ahead and eat.
It's a great journey. Hebron was not David's final destination. Jerusalem was. But you might as well rain on the throne in Hebron if that's the throne you're given. Don't despair. The second temptation that we can face when we get into those kinds of overtime moments is impatience. So there can be one kind of thought where you are, well, if this is all it is, then I don't want it and I give up. But there's another thought that says this isn't all that there is and I'm going to go and I'm going to grab it myself. This is where you run on before God and rush on to Jerusalem to try to take the throne that God says it's not time for.
That's impatience. That is living in the flesh. That is forms of godliness with no power. That is the deadness of religion. That is doing God's will on our timetable and by our power. See, God may have a plan, but he doesn't just want us to know the plan.
He wants us to do it by his power and in his timing. It is an acceptance of the fact that there's seasons in life. And we talk about this a lot, but this is one of the most important ingredients if we're ever going to have wisdom in this life is understand everything operates according to seed time and harvest.
See, that wasn't part of the fallen nature of the world. That was part of creation. He created things that have seed time and harvest. He created the seasons. There's seasons. There's winter time and things lie dormant and there's spring where life springs forth and there's a growing season through a verdant summer and there's a harvest time at the beginning of fall and there are seasons in life and you can't do anything about that. That's just the way it is. And so you can't make it be harvest time when it's time to sow. And you can't make it be harvest and you can't make it time to sow when it's actually time for things to lie fallow.
This is just the way God has designed it. I just like growing things, but I don't actually have any growing plants that I've actually cared for that have actually prospered. I have some plants and things if it weren't for, you know, nice people that came around and took my office and all, they die. But when I was a little boy, I had one exciting moment. And I don't remember how it came about, but we planted some watermelon seeds in the backyard.
Our backyard was just hard and clay-like and difficult to grow stuff and the grass didn't even like to grow in that backyard and it was rocky. But we planted these watermelon seeds and I just couldn't wait to see if the little watermelon seed would sprout. And it did. And a watermelon vine, I guess you call it a vine. Anyway, they kind of grow along the ground and it came up and it's like, it's actually growing, you know, and I loved that little watermelon vine. And then the little flowers came out, it blossomed and I just would look at it every day. And then one day there was a little bitty watermelon, one little bitty watermelon. It was the cutest thing I'd ever seen. Just a little watermelon, just about the size of a, it grew about the size of a small oblong golf ball. And I just, I'd go out there, every day I'd go out and look at that little watermelon.
It was just so cute. I was so proud of that watermelon. I had visions of that watermelon being the most delicious watermelon that anybody had ever eaten. I could envision that sweet juices running down my face and I just would talk and I'd go out there and look at that watermelon every day and it just, it was just, it was growing just a little bit. It was just still a little bitty and one day I just couldn't stand it.
I just had to just pet it. And so I petted that watermelon and it fell off. It was the only watermelon that ever grew on that vine and it fell off. It was too small to eat. It was like a cherry tomato.
What good is it? And that was it. Because you can't, you just can't make something grow before it's time. It just has to grow.
And you just have to let it. Wait on the Lord and you will renew your strength and mount up like wings with wings as eagles. There's something that God's doing in your life right now and there's a waiting process.
That's Alan Wright and we'll have more teaching in a moment from today's important series. Got some giants to slay? Need some encouragement in the midst of a trial?
Wondering if God really cares? Meet David. Who can compare to him? He was the ruddy, handsome, youth-tending sheep writing psalms and worshiping God in the humble Bethlehem fields. He was the lone Israelite brave enough to decapitate Goliath and the sole warrior adept enough to cut off the scourge of the Philistines.
He was the stately king who established peace, expanded the borders and reigned in prosperity for 40 years. Who else could be a gentle shepherd, a glorious hero and a noble king? Would there ever be another leader like David? Yes, the son of David. His name is Jesus and he is a better David than David could ever be. He came to be your shepherd, your hero and your king. In a 12-message audio series, Alan Wright takes you on a thrilling adventure with David in order to point you to the answer for your every need, the son of David.
Discover how Christ enables you to face your biggest obstacles, deal with your fiercest persecution and live as an heir of grace. It's an audio series from Alan Wright. As our thanks for your donation, we'll be delighted to send you Pastor Alan's audio messages in either a digital download or a CD album format.
Son of David, shepherd, hero, king. 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. When Abraham and Sarah, they have been promised by God, you're going to have a son, you're going to be a father of a nation. Well, they were, you know, but it tarried. And when they had no son and they're just getting older, it wasn't looking more likely. And so they called in Hagar, the maid servant, to be a surrogate mother.
Big mistake. Because Ishmael was born and he was called a wild donkey of a man. And it was some real strife in that home because when the promise did come and Isaac was born, there was conflict between Ishmael and Isaac. It's like the people of God when they had crossed the Red Sea and there was so much promise in front of them, Moses went up to meet with the Lord, but he was gone a lot longer than they thought. And they're like, this has taken much longer than we thought. Where is Moses? He should have been back by now.
We better build us a golden calf in the meantime. See, the impatience, it causes us to try to take some kind of shortcut to glory. When Jesus was betrayed and the soldiers and the servants of the high priest had come and they were coming to get him, Peter pulled out his sword and lopped off the ear of one of those servants. And Jesus didn't say, way to go, Peter, let's take these people. Instead, he rebuked Peter. I said he rebuked Peter. Rebuke the people that are getting ready to crucify you.
But no, he rebuked Peter. See, because there wasn't going to be a shortcut, was there? Everything going to be gone according to its time. And I just think the Lord has some very important things to say to us in this. And this is what I heard in my spirit for whoever's feeling that temptation to impatience. I heard God saying, I got this. I got this.
I got this. It's not time to panic. It's not time to panic. It's time to pray. Let God's power shine through. It's his power and it's a process.
It's his power and you're going through a process. First temptation is to despair. If this is all it is, I don't want it. I'll give up the ground I've taken and I'll give up on my future. The second temptation is impatience.
This can't be all there is, so I'm going to go ahead and take it myself. But the third is more subtle and it's what I would call complacency. Complacency is to settle for Hebron and give up on Jerusalem. Complacency is different from contentment. Contentment is being satisfied in the Lord in whatever circumstance you're in, even though you know that there's something better to come. Contentment is not having everything you want, but it is wanting what you have.
Bless is a person that finds him or herself saying, I really like what I have. But liking what you have and appreciating what God has done for you is not an invitation to say that this is all that they're supposed to be. There are ways in which we can deal with our fears that are not at all from God and one of those is complacency. See, when the people of God and the great story of the exodus and the issue of the Promised Land, they sent in 12 spies.
10 came back with a negative report and so the people's hearts melted like wax and they felt like we can't take the land. What that really that fear is a picture of is a picture of complacency. We'd rather settle for the wilderness and just say this is our existence than to go on into the Promised Land because of the fears of what might happen if we do. See, I think that our soul wants to protect itself from any of the potential harms and hurts and disappointments of life and so oftentimes what people do is they just end up, I know the promise was this but I'm going to settle for this because that just makes life simpler for me. And I think what the Lord is saying to us in this is that you were made for much more. You can be content in your circumstances and yet have a heart of faith about what will be. Walk not by sight but by faith.
To be complacent is to want to settle to walking by sight. You might be in Hebron for a while but this is what I hear the Lord saying, you're not going to be there forever. So don't stop now. There's so many instances that you see these unusual stories in the Bible where there's, why don't you just go ahead and do it now, Lord. So why does he tell Joshua and his men walk around the Jericho walls seven times? They'd have to go seven laps around.
Somebody around the fifth lap is going, this is focused. What are we doing? Because it just seems like if the Lord's going to tear these walls down, he could tear them down right now.
Why don't we have seven? And when the walls come tumbling down, the part we want to say, which lap was the important one? Well you know the parable Jesus had of the man who has some unexpected guests come and so he goes to his neighbor's house and he bangs on the door and because he needs to get some you know bread and milk to serve his guests. And the Bible said, even though he may not be inclined to get up and give him what he needs, just because of his persistence, his bold persistence, eventually he gets up and gives it to him. And I just got the opinion on the knocking on the door.
What? Which knock on the door was the important one? Well you say, well it was the last one, that's when he opened it up.
No it was, those other ones bothered him and it was. Jesus is going to come back in the fullness of time the Bible says. That image comes from the idea of a time measuring device, a water clock, that basically consisted simply put of a container that would receive water dripping at a constant rate. And so it's kind of like the hourglass idea with sand, but this is with water. And what would happen is that when it would fill up right to the point that the next drop would spill over, the moment before the next drop when it would spill over, that moment's called the fullness of time. Time is full, the next drop and it spills over. And so it's kind of like the hourglass idea and it spills over.
Which drops the important drop? The first one? The last one? They're just all part of the fullness of time.
Complacency is an allure from the enemy. God is not finished. He who began a good work in you is going to bring it to its completion. It'll be completed fully and finally one day in the glory of heaven, but here and now in this earth there's more.
There's more. I'm just saying I'm glad David took the throne at Hebron without despairing of it or becoming impatient and running beyond it, but aren't you glad he also didn't just become complacent and say well I'll just stay here in Hebron with the tribes of Judah. Instead what happened was that David went on to become the king of all of Israel. He became king and when it happened it was a beautiful thing.
If you look at chapter five, you'll see it. In second Samuel chapter five in verse one, all the tribes of Israel came to David at Hebron and said behold we are your bone and flesh. They've been fallen one of Saul's people, but after seven and a half years all the events have taken place. They finally came to him all the tribes of the north and they said in times past when Saul was king over us it was you who led out and brought in Israel and the Lord said to you you shall be shepherd of my people Israel and you shall be prince over Israel. So all the elders of Israel came to king at Hebron and king David made a covenant with them at Hebron before the Lord and they came to him and they came to him with them at Hebron before the Lord and they anointed David king over Israel. David was 30 years old when he began to reign and he reigned 40 years. At Hebron he reigned over Judah seven years and six months and at Jerusalem he reigned over all Israel and Judah 33 years. There's a point in the gospel of Luke where everything shifts. It's in chapter 9 verse 51 and what happens is that at this point everything changes and starts being oriented towards Jerusalem.
When the days drew near for him to be taken up Jesus set his face to go to Jerusalem and he sent messengers ahead of him and went and entered a village of the Samaritans to make preparations for him but the people did not receive him because his face was set toward Jerusalem and when the disciples James and John saw it they said Lord do you want us to tell fire to come down from heaven and consume them but he turned and rebuked them and they went on. Alan Wright placing a bookmark right here to pick up the conclusion of this particular teaching overtime when you think you've won and find out the game's not over. Our next broadcast is where that conclusion can be found.
It's in the series Son of David and Alan is back with us in the studio here in just a moment as he shares his parting good news thought for the day. Stick with us. Got some giants to slay? Need some encouragement in the midst of a trial?
Wondering if God really cares? Meet David. Who can compare to him? He was the ruddy handsome youth tending sheep writing psalms and worshiping God in the humble Bethlehem fields. He was the lone Israelite brave enough to decapitate Goliath and the sole warrior adept enough to cut off the scourge of the Philistines.
He was the stately king who established peace expanded the borders and reigned in prosperity for 40 years. Who else could be a gentle shepherd, a glorious hero and a noble king? Would there ever be another leader like David? Yes, the Son of David. His name is Jesus and he is a better David than David could ever be. He came to be your shepherd, your hero and your king. In a 12 message audio series, Alan Wright takes you on a thrilling adventure with David in order to point you to the answer for your every need, the Son of David.
Discover how Christ enables you to face your biggest obstacles, deal with your fiercest persecution and live as an heir of grace. It's an audio series from Alan Wright. As our thanks for your donation, we'll be delighted to send you Pastor Alan's audio messages in either a digital download or a CD album format.
Son of David, shepherd, hero, king. 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. Alan, we're back here in the studio and you've got your parting good news thought for the day. And there's a reality, kind of this splash of cold water that we will face some of these moments in life. But there's good news to be had. Here's the good news. Though there's so much unfinished in life, there is in Jesus Christ that which has been finished and you can count on it.
We're going to see this tomorrow, Daniel, but here's a preview. This is finished. The need for sacrifice for my sin, that's finished.
Jesus paid it off. The tyranny of my sin, that's finished. The reign of evil. Yes, he still allows bad things to happen. He still allows a measure of influence of evil in the world. But the reign of evil is over. And the possibility of anyone in Christ being separated from God, that's finished. You're his forever. So the way to deal with the unfinished, the overtime, is remember and focus on what has been finished and that will sustain you. Today's good news message is a listener supported production of Allen Wright Ministries.
