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>>John Bradshaw: This is It
Is Written. I'm John Bradshaw.
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Thanks for joining me.
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I was about 11 years
old and spending the weekend
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at my friend Robert's place.
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His parents were dairy farmers,
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a weekend on a farm
was going to be great.
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And it was great.
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I remember a lot about
it today, and you know,
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it's been a few years
since I was 11 years old.
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And one thing I remember,
vividly, is the electric fence.
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Now, I don't know
why an 11-year-old boy
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would want to grab
hold of an electric fence,
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but I can tell you it is not
something you quickly forget.
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It's not the worst
shock you could ever get,
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but let me tell you,
it makes an impression.
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An electric fence on a
dairy farm all those years ago
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didn't look a whole lot
different from any other fence.
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But when you touch it,
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you realize it's different!
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You realize there is
power running through it.
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Now, I didn't generate
the power in that fence.
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It was coming
from somewhere else.
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But I experienced the power
that was in the electric fence,
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because I took
hold of that power.
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Today we're continuing
“Lessons for All Time,”
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a continuing series looking
at the parables of Jesus.
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And today we're looking
together at two prayers:
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two prayers and two pray-ers.
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Or maybe better
said, two worshipers.
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The Bible records a
lot of remarkable prayers
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where God reveals
Himself as a caring God
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who listens when we call on Him
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and delivers and
helps us in so many ways.
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In the days of King
Ahab and the prophet Elijah,
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it didn't rain for
three and a half years.
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One day on Mount Carmel,
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there's a showdown
between the prophets of Baal,
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hundreds of them,
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and Elijah, the one
faithful prophet of God.
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God sends fire from heaven,
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revealing
Himself as the true God.
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But there's still no rain!
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So Elijah prays.
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And after praying seven
times, a downpour follows,
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and God's word is fulfilled.
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Daniel and his friends prayed,
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and God revealed
Nebuchadnezzar's dream
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and outlined 2500
years of human history.
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Jesus prayed and
people were healed.
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Cornelius prayed, and an angel
appeared to him with a message.
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These were prayers of faith,
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prayers that
connected with the power of God.
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And, of course,
there are wonderful stories
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of answered
prayer in modern times.
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George Mueller, the famous
evangelist of the 19th century,
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was on a ship
crossing the Atlantic in 1877.
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He was on his way to
an appointment in Quebec.
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The ship ran into thick fog,
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and when Mueller
explained to the captain
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that he needed to be in
Quebec by a certain time,
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the captain told
Mueller his appointment
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would just have to wait.
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So Mueller asked the
captain if he could use
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the ship's chartroom for prayer,
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so he could ask
God to lift the fog.
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The captain made
clear he thought that
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it was a complete waste of time,
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but he let Mueller
use the chartroom anyway,
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and Mueller knelt to pray.
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Now, the captain, who was not
a believer in the first place,
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started praying when
Mueller was finished.
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Mueller interrupted
him, saying no further prayer
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would be necessary because his
prayer had already been heard.
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He had prayed a prayer of faith.
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The two men
went back up on deck,
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and the fog had lifted,
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just as Mueller
had prayed it would.
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Soon afterward, soon afterward,
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that captain accepted Jesus
Christ as his personal Savior.
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But not all prayers
are prayers of faith.
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Today we listen in
on two men praying,
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men from very
different walks of life.
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One of the men is a
leader in the church,
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the sort of person
others would tend to trust
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and even look up to and admire.
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The other is a man
who's looked down on;
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he's something of an outcast.
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And the content of
the two men's prayers
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gives us a chance to
see what's in their hearts,
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and maybe the chance
to see what‘s in our own.
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We start in Luke, chapter 18,
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and we'll begin in
Luke 18 and verse 9.
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Luke 18 and verse 9,
where the Bible says,
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“And He [that's Christ]
spoke this parable to some
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who trusted in themselves
that they were righteous,
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and despised others.”
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Jesus then tells the story.
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“Two men went up
to the temple to pray,
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one a Pharisee and
the other a tax collector.
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The Pharisee stood and
prayed thus with himself,
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'God, I thank You that
I am not like other men,
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extortioners,
unjust, adulterers,
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or even as this tax collector.
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I fast twice a week; I give
tithes of all that I possess.'
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And the tax
collector, standing afar off,
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would not so much as
raise his eyes to heaven,
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but beat his breast, saying,
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'God be
merciful to me a sinner.'
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I tell you, this man went
down to his house justified
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rather than the other;
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for everyone who exalts
himself will be humbled,
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and he who humbles
himself will be exalted.”
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We just read all the
way through to verse 14.
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Interesting parable, isn't it?
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Can you imagine someone
praying a prayer like that?
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Well, we can take it from
Jesus that self-righteousness
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is a big enough problem
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that a parable was
necessary to address it.
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And not only did that man have
an elevated opinion of himself,
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and an inaccurate opinion,
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but he despised others.
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He looked down on others.
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The Pharisee in Jesus' story
comes to the temple to pray,
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not because he sees himself
as a sinner in need of pardon,
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but because he is satisfied
with his spiritual condition
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and based on his own
goodness (as he sees it),
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hopes to obtain
favor with heaven.
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For him, his worship is an
act of self-generated merit
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that will recommend him to God.
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This man's got a high
opinion of his own character
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and of his good deeds,
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and he hopes that both God and
those around him will notice.
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His coming to the temple to
pray is all about self-interest,
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not about humility,
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or repentance,
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or need of divine
strength to keep him faithful.
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I wonder if there are
people today who come to church
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more for
appearances than anything else.
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They attend the right church
and they sit in the right seats,
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and they're glad
that others notice.
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They wouldn't dream of
staying away from church,
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but surrendering
their heart to God?
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Not their highest priority.
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The Pharisee has
fallen into a trap.
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And it's a trap you
don't want to fall into.
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I'll tell you more
about it in just a moment.
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¤[Music]¤
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>>Announcer: Planning
for your financial future
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is a vital aspect of
Christian stewardship.
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For this reason, It
Is Written is pleased
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to offer free planned
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For information on
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please call 800-992-2219.
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Call today, or
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HisLegacy.com.
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Call 800-992-2219.
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>>Announcer 2: Have you
ever struggled to say no
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to temptation?
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You're not alone.
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Everybody has at some point.
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But there is hope.
00:09:00.50\00:09:02.47
“Taking a Stand”
is a five-part series
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presented by Pastor John
Bradshaw that will help you
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win your spiritual battles.
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>>Announcer 2: To
order your copy of
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call 1-888-664-5573.
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Or download it
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Discover
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¤[Music]¤
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>>John: This is It Is
Written. I'm John Bradshaw.
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I'm glad you've joined me today.
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Today we're looking at one
of the parables Jesus taught,
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as we continue our
series, “Lessons for All Time.”
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Two men, one a
Pharisee, respected by society,
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well educated,
a man of influence
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and a tax collector,
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despised by the Jews for
being an agent of the Romans,
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they've come to
the temple to pray.
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And the Pharisee
falls into a trap.
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He thinks he's good, and
surely by some measures he is.
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You know, it's
good to be educated,
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and to have
leadership abilities,
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to be a person of influence.
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But his good qualities have led
him to believe that HE is good.
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But what he's done
is to compare himself
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with other human beings,
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rather than
with the word of God.
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You see, the standard
of righteousness for you
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and me is Jesus.
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You might even BE better than
the person across the street,
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but that doesn't mean a thing.
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Romans 3, verse 10 says,
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“There is none
righteous, no, not one.”
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And then verse 13 says,
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“There is none that
does good, no not one.”
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Isaiah wrote that
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“our righteousnesses
are as filthy rags.”
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That's Isaiah 64:6.
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You might be the
chairman of the board,
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an accomplished professional,
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a teacher,
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a preacher,
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a lover of literature
or the leader of the choir
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...and you're a sinner.
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So how righteous can
we congratulate ourselves
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for being?
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Self-righteousness is
a really dangerous trap.
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And it isn't hard to fall into.
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You go to church.
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You pray.
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You're not immoral.
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You give tithes and offerings.
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There are certain
things you don't do.
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You're honest... well,
actually, not too honest,
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because if you were
honest you'd remember
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that the Bible
says in Romans 3:23 that
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“all have sinned”
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and you'd realize that
you're not so perfect after all.
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Someone gets put away for some
scandalous crime and you think,
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“Oh, what a scoundrel.”
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A religious leader gets
taken down in a moral fall
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and you say,
“How could he do that?
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What a hypocrite!”
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Well, he might
even be a hypocrite,
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but there's a
hypocrite inside all of us.
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What about your “little” sins?
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White lies.
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Pride.
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Racism that no one can see
but it might lurk in your heart.
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They're not such
little sins at all, are they?
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Lying?
00:11:45.23\00:11:46.27
There's a
commandment about that.
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We hardly ever talk about it,
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but the Bible calls
pride an “abomination.”
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Racism is blind hatred.
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There's a person who wouldn't
actually commit adultery
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but has a mind like a sewer.
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How's that?
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That's what this
Pharisee was like.
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“Look at me, Lord! I'm not
as bad as those other losers.”
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He talked about extortioners,
00:12:07.06\00:12:08.29
people who practiced
injustice, adulterers.
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That's all bad stuff.
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He's thinking, “I'm
not like any of them.”
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And then he starts
reciting his good deeds.
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“I fast twice every week,
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and I return tithes
on everything I earn,
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everything I own.”
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The Pharisee is saying,
in the words of the poet
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not so long ago,
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“Look on my works,
ye mighty, and despair!”
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“Look how good I am,
compared to all those others!”
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He's practicing
righteousness by works.
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Self-righteousness.
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He doesn't even realize that
he's a million miles from God.
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Self-righteousness
is self-deception.
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The minute you
think your own goodness
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somehow earns you
merit in the sight of God,
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or, or makes you
better than someone else,
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you're no longer looking
to Jesus like you should be.
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As Jesus said, this
parable is about people
00:12:54.67\00:12:56.54
who trusted to themselves
that they were righteous.
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But then there's
another man in the parable.
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He's praying not too
far from the Pharisee,
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close enough to
be noticed by him.
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What a contrast.
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Perhaps the Pharisee knew him.
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Most likely, seeing as
the tax collectors were hated,
00:13:10.92\00:13:14.46
because though they were
Jews they acted as agents
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of the Roman government.
00:13:16.62\00:13:18.09
They were revenue
collectors for the enemy.
00:13:18.13\00:13:19.93
And so the Pharisee thanks God,
00:13:19.96\00:13:21.50
not only that he
avoids extortion,
00:13:21.53\00:13:23.26
injustice, and adultery,
00:13:23.30\00:13:24.60
but that he's not “even as
this tax collector” (verse 11).
00:13:24.63\00:13:28.47
He says, “I'm especially
not like that guy over there,”
00:13:28.50\00:13:33.11
pointing in the direction of
where the tax collector stood
00:13:33.14\00:13:35.21
with his head bowed,
hoping others didn't notice him.
00:13:35.24\00:13:39.55
The Pharisee wasn't aware of
how dangerous his situation was.
00:13:39.58\00:13:42.45
He congratulated himself that
at least he wasn't like others.
00:13:42.48\00:13:47.52
But he was forgetting
that the wages of sin is death,
00:13:47.56\00:13:50.89
not just the wages of
extortion and adultery.
00:13:50.93\00:13:55.53
It only took one sin for
Adam and Eve to be evicted
00:13:55.56\00:13:57.97
from the Garden of Eden,
00:13:58.00\00:13:59.70
and it wasn't
murder or grand larceny.
00:13:59.73\00:14:02.54
James wrote this in James,
chapter 2, and this is solemn.
00:14:02.57\00:14:06.04
James 2 and verse 10:
00:14:06.07\00:14:09.01
“For whoever shall
keep the whole law,
00:14:09.04\00:14:11.45
and yet stumble in one point;
00:14:11.48\00:14:13.28
he [or she, I might
add] is guilty of all.”
00:14:13.31\00:14:18.62
It isn't that one person's sins
aren't as bad as the next guy's.
00:14:18.65\00:14:22.82
Sin is sin,
00:14:22.86\00:14:24.03
and sin separates from God
according to the prophet Isaiah.
00:14:24.06\00:14:27.23
There's nothing to
be gained from thinking
00:14:27.30\00:14:28.76
you're better than someone else
00:14:28.80\00:14:29.83
and deceiving yourself
about your true condition.
00:14:29.86\00:14:32.90
There's only
something to be gained
00:14:32.93\00:14:34.24
from being connected to Jesus.
00:14:34.27\00:14:36.64
In a moment, someone who
experienced highs and lows
00:14:36.67\00:14:40.68
in his walk with God.
00:14:40.71\00:14:41.74
The highs were high, and
the lows were really low,
00:14:41.78\00:14:46.98
Who was that?
00:14:47.02\00:14:48.25
I'll be right back.
00:14:48.28\00:14:49.58
¤[Music]¤
00:14:49.62\00:14:56.42
>>Announcer: In Matthew
4:4, the Word of God says,
00:14:58.66\00:15:01.26
“It is written,
00:15:01.30\00:15:02.33
‘Man shall not
live by bead alone,
00:15:02.36\00:15:04.30
but by every word that proceeds
from the mouth of God.'”
00:15:04.33\00:15:08.34
“Every Word”
00:15:08.37\00:15:09.30
is a one-minute,
Bible-based daily devotional
00:15:09.34\00:15:11.57
presented by
Pastor John Bradshaw,
00:15:11.61\00:15:13.31
and designed especially
for busy people like you.
00:15:13.34\00:15:16.44
Look for Every Word
on selected networks,
00:15:16.48\00:15:19.18
or watch it online
every day on our website,
00:15:19.21\00:15:21.98
ItIsWritten.com.
00:15:22.02\00:15:24.05
Receive a daily spiritual boost.
00:15:24.09\00:15:26.12
Watch “Every Word.”
00:15:26.15\00:15:27.49
You'll be glad you did.
00:15:27.52\00:15:29.06
Here's a sample.
00:15:29.09\00:15:31.93
¤[Theme music]¤
00:15:32.66\00:15:37.17
>>John: In the parable of the
Pharisee and the tax collector,
00:15:37.20\00:15:39.33
Jesus opens up the
subject of self-righteousness.
00:15:39.37\00:15:42.54
Luke 18:9 says,
00:15:42.57\00:15:43.91
“And he spake this
parable unto certain
00:15:43.94\00:15:45.84
which trusted in themselves
that they were righteous,
00:15:45.87\00:15:48.98
and despised others.”
00:15:49.01\00:15:50.58
The Pharisee, a religious man,
trusted that he was righteous.
00:15:50.61\00:15:55.02
But he wasn't.
00:15:55.05\00:15:56.12
The tax collector was
a deceitful scoundrel,
00:15:56.15\00:15:58.25
hated by his fellow
Jews because he was an agent
00:15:58.29\00:16:01.16
for the Roman government.
00:16:01.19\00:16:02.62
But it was the tax collector
who went away forgiven.
00:16:02.66\00:16:05.63
God forgives tax collectors.
00:16:05.66\00:16:07.00
He forgives sinners.
00:16:07.03\00:16:08.63
He forgives the faulty.
00:16:08.66\00:16:09.93
He forgives people at
the bottom of the heap.
00:16:09.96\00:16:12.73
If you've been in a tough spot,
00:16:12.77\00:16:14.17
or if you have
family in one right now,
00:16:14.20\00:16:16.54
take heart, because
Jesus makes a point of saying
00:16:16.57\00:16:19.21
the tax collector was forgiven.
00:16:19.24\00:16:20.78
God forgives failures.
00:16:20.81\00:16:22.24
If you needed
something today to cheer you up.
00:16:22.28\00:16:24.25
That was it right there.
00:16:24.28\00:16:25.45
I'm John Bradshaw
for It Is Written.
00:16:25.48\00:16:27.18
Let's live today by every word.
00:16:27.22\00:16:28.92
¤[Music]¤
00:16:28.95\00:16:39.56
>>John: Today on It Is Written,
00:16:39.59\00:16:41.36
two men with two
very different attitudes.
00:16:41.40\00:16:43.53
One of them was self-righteous,
00:16:43.57\00:16:45.53
thanking God
that he wasn't “as bad
00:16:45.57\00:16:47.77
as that publican over there.”
00:16:47.80\00:16:49.90
Now, if you want a case study
00:16:49.94\00:16:50.97
on the dangers of
self-righteousness,
00:16:51.01\00:16:52.81
all you need to do is
look in the Bible at Peter.
00:16:52.84\00:16:57.91
As a disciple of our Lord,
00:16:57.95\00:16:59.25
Peter considered himself
to be spiritually strong,
00:16:59.28\00:17:01.85
like the
Pharisee in the parable.
00:17:01.88\00:17:04.42
Earlier on the
night he was arrested,
00:17:04.45\00:17:05.85
Jesus said to His disciples,
00:17:05.89\00:17:07.69
“All of you will
be made to stumble
00:17:07.72\00:17:09.06
because of Me this
night” (Mark 14:27).
00:17:09.09\00:17:11.23
But Peter said in verse 29,
00:17:11.26\00:17:14.30
“Even if all are made to
stumble, yet I will not be.”
00:17:14.30\00:17:18.20
But Jesus told
him what he'd be doing
00:17:18.23\00:17:20.07
in just a few
short hours from then.
00:17:20.10\00:17:21.84
He said, “Assuredly, I say
to you today, even this night,
00:17:21.87\00:17:25.57
that before the
rooster crows twice,
00:17:25.61\00:17:27.81
you will deny Me
three times” (verse 30).
00:17:27.84\00:17:31.48
But sadly, Peter
didn't know his own danger.
00:17:31.51\00:17:33.95
He was extremely
self-confident, self-assured.
00:17:33.98\00:17:37.35
Physically, he
could look after himself.
00:17:37.39\00:17:39.39
When the soldiers
came to arrest Jesus
00:17:39.42\00:17:41.12
in the Garden of Gethsemane,
00:17:41.16\00:17:42.22
Peter came out
swinging and cut off the ear
00:17:42.26\00:17:44.89
of one of the
high priest's servants.
00:17:44.93\00:17:46.63
Physical warfare was
something Peter found easy.
00:17:46.66\00:17:49.36
But spiritual warfare, now,
that was a different matter.
00:17:49.40\00:17:54.40
When he's in the courtyard
of the high priest's palace,
00:17:54.44\00:17:56.47
and he's asked whether or not
he is one of Jesus' followers,
00:17:56.50\00:17:59.31
he denies it with
cursing and swearing.
00:17:59.34\00:18:02.24
Before he knows what's happened,
00:18:02.28\00:18:04.25
Peter has denied
Jesus three times.
00:18:04.28\00:18:07.55
He hears the rooster crowing,
00:18:07.58\00:18:08.75
and then it all
comes back to him,
00:18:08.78\00:18:10.09
along with the
horrifying realization
00:18:10.12\00:18:13.52
that he has denied Jesus.
00:18:13.56\00:18:16.26
Now, Jesus had warned
Peter, and James and John.
00:18:16.29\00:18:18.89
He told them to “watch and pray,
lest you enter into temptation.”
00:18:18.93\00:18:21.73
Jesus said, “The
spirit indeed is willing,
00:18:21.76\00:18:23.43
but the flesh is
weak” (Matthew 26:41).
00:18:23.47\00:18:26.03
If Peter had only listened
to the warning of Jesus,
00:18:26.07\00:18:29.44
and had watched and
prayed with His Lord,
00:18:29.47\00:18:32.21
you can be sure he
would not have failed
00:18:32.24\00:18:35.18
when the great test came.
00:18:35.21\00:18:37.35
But, you see, there
was power available.
00:18:37.38\00:18:40.32
True prayer from the heart
is the greatest source of power
00:18:40.35\00:18:44.09
in moments of
trial and temptation.
00:18:44.12\00:18:45.85
But because Peter
failed to watch and pray,
00:18:45.89\00:18:49.49
he buckled under the
pressure of the moment,
00:18:49.52\00:18:51.99
and he denied
His Savior and Lord.
00:18:52.03\00:18:54.56
From the time
Peter denied Jesus,
00:18:54.56\00:18:57.03
his self-confidence was gone.
00:18:57.07\00:18:58.80
He was bold when it
came to preaching Jesus,
00:18:58.83\00:19:00.84
but he never again boasted about
how faithful to God he would be.
00:19:00.87\00:19:04.67
I doubt he ever
cursed again, either.
00:19:04.71\00:19:06.64
He took hold of
the power of God,
00:19:06.68\00:19:08.44
the power of the
Holy Spirit in his life.
00:19:08.48\00:19:11.68
Peter started out
like the Pharisee.
00:19:11.71\00:19:13.68
He thought his own
strength was good enough
00:19:13.72\00:19:15.32
to resist evil and
do the right thing.
00:19:15.35\00:19:17.55
But through that painful,
00:19:17.59\00:19:18.69
humiliating
experience at Jesus' trial,
00:19:18.72\00:19:22.02
he was forced to
confront his weakness.
00:19:22.06\00:19:23.63
That's not easy for a person
who thinks he or she is strong.
00:19:23.66\00:19:28.20
Of course, at the bottom line,
all of us are spiritually weak,
00:19:28.23\00:19:32.70
even if our
weaknesses are different
00:19:32.73\00:19:35.00
from the weaknesses of others.
00:19:35.04\00:19:36.77
And you know something?
00:19:36.81\00:19:37.44
Let me tell you this.
00:19:37.47\00:19:38.91
It's okay to be weak.
00:19:38.94\00:19:40.34
Listen to what
the Lord told Paul.
00:19:40.38\00:19:42.01
This is Second
Corinthians 12 and verse 9.
00:19:42.04\00:19:45.11
“My grace is sufficient for you,
00:19:45.15\00:19:47.88
for My strength is
made perfect in weakness.”
00:19:47.92\00:19:51.99
Isn't that something?
00:19:52.02\00:19:53.39
It's when we
recognize our weakness
00:19:53.42\00:19:55.09
that we can rely
on Christ's strength.
00:19:55.12\00:19:58.09
And success in
your spiritual life
00:19:58.13\00:20:00.06
comes when you lean heavily,
when you lean only on Jesus.
00:20:00.10\00:20:04.70
If you can come to
Jesus aware of your weakness,
00:20:04.73\00:20:07.20
you'll know that you need God in
your life to keep you upright.
00:20:07.24\00:20:11.11
The tax collector in
the parable recognized this.
00:20:11.14\00:20:14.81
Luke 18, verse 13.
00:20:14.84\00:20:17.08
It says, “And the tax collector,
00:20:17.11\00:20:20.35
standing afar off,
00:20:20.38\00:20:22.15
would not so much as
raise his eyes to heaven,
00:20:22.18\00:20:25.82
but beat his breast, saying,
00:20:25.85\00:20:27.86
'God be merciful
to me a sinner.'”
00:20:27.89\00:20:30.86
This is how
David could be restored
00:20:30.89\00:20:32.19
after his
colossal fall into sin.
00:20:32.23\00:20:34.36
Psalm 51, verse 2:
00:20:34.36\00:20:35.70
“Wash me
thoroughly from my iniquity,
00:20:35.73\00:20:37.90
and cleanse me from my sin.”
00:20:37.93\00:20:40.14
Verse 3 says,
00:20:40.17\00:20:41.24
“For I
acknowledge my transgressions,
00:20:41.27\00:20:43.61
and my sin is always before me.”
00:20:43.64\00:20:46.57
When we
recognize our sinfulness,
00:20:46.61\00:20:48.21
when we see
ourselves as we really are,
00:20:48.24\00:20:51.08
then God can help us.
00:20:51.11\00:20:52.75
When we admit our
sin, God can forgive us.
00:20:52.78\00:20:55.85
When we stop
trusting in ourselves,
00:20:55.88\00:20:58.39
we can trust in Jesus.
00:20:58.42\00:21:00.26
Listen to what Jesus says.
00:21:00.29\00:21:02.89
“I tell you, this man
went down to his house
00:21:02.92\00:21:04.69
justified rather than the other,
00:21:04.73\00:21:06.86
for everyone who exalts
himself will be humbled,
00:21:06.90\00:21:10.10
and he who humbles himself
will be exalted” (Luke 18:14).
00:21:10.13\00:21:15.07
The tax collector was justified,
00:21:15.10\00:21:16.37
that's pardoned or forgiven,
because he acknowledged his sin.
00:21:16.40\00:21:20.18
Grace cannot be
experienced by someone
00:21:20.21\00:21:22.88
who doesn't
think they need grace.
00:21:22.91\00:21:25.11
Pride and self-sufficiency are
some of the worst sins of all,
00:21:25.15\00:21:29.62
because those with
that attitude feel no need.
00:21:29.65\00:21:32.89
And unless we feel our need of
forgiveness and internal change,
00:21:32.92\00:21:37.23
we can't experience that change.
00:21:37.26\00:21:40.06
There's power in Jesus.
00:21:40.10\00:21:42.06
Grace is God's power
at work in your life.
00:21:42.10\00:21:44.93
But the Pharisee, in
a temple of all places,
00:21:44.97\00:21:48.20
doesn't experience the
power of God in his life.
00:21:48.24\00:21:51.04
He comes to the temple a sinner,
00:21:51.07\00:21:52.41
and he leaves a sinner.
00:21:52.44\00:21:54.28
The power was available to him,
00:21:54.31\00:21:56.11
but he remained unaffected.
00:21:56.14\00:21:59.05
The tax collector,
the “bad one” of the two
00:21:59.08\00:22:02.32
he's undeserving and a scoundrel
and people look down on him.
00:22:02.35\00:22:04.92
But he grabs hold
of the electric fence.
00:22:04.95\00:22:07.92
See, if you get
connected to the power,
00:22:07.96\00:22:10.23
you can't help it, you
must experience that power.
00:22:10.26\00:22:14.03
If you take hold of the power,
the power runs through you.
00:22:14.10\00:22:19.17
You can experience the
forgiving and transforming power
00:22:19.20\00:22:21.74
of God in your life.
00:22:21.77\00:22:22.97
It doesn't matter what
kind of a life you've lived;
00:22:23.00\00:22:24.67
you can experience God's power
simply by taking hold of it.
00:22:24.71\00:22:29.44
The tax collector did that.
00:22:29.48\00:22:30.68
The Pharisee did not.
00:22:30.71\00:22:32.45
Do you think the Pharisee
00:22:32.48\00:22:34.05
thought that he
was self-righteousness?
00:22:34.08\00:22:35.82
I don't think he did.
00:22:35.85\00:22:37.42
But that's the
problem with the human heart.
00:22:37.45\00:22:39.32
We can deceive ourselves.
00:22:39.35\00:22:41.16
Jeremiah said,
00:22:41.19\00:22:42.32
“The heart is
deceitful above all things,
00:22:42.36\00:22:44.09
and desperately wicked.
00:22:44.13\00:22:45.69
Who can know it?”
00:22:45.73\00:22:46.59
That's Jeremiah 17:9.
00:22:46.63\00:22:48.53
In Revelation 3:17,
00:22:48.56\00:22:49.93
Jesus talks about a
group of people who say,
00:22:49.96\00:22:52.27
“I am rich, have become wealthy,
and have need of nothing,”
00:22:52.30\00:22:55.94
but they don't know
that they're actually
00:22:55.97\00:22:57.51
“wretched, miserable,
poor, blind, and naked.”
00:22:57.54\00:23:01.04
Friend, there's
power on offer from God,
00:23:01.08\00:23:03.48
power to forgive you,
00:23:03.51\00:23:05.18
to cleanse you,
00:23:05.21\00:23:05.85
to transform you,
00:23:05.88\00:23:07.48
to keep you walking in
the footsteps of Jesus.
00:23:07.52\00:23:09.55
If you think you're strong,
00:23:09.58\00:23:10.65
if you think you're good,
00:23:10.69\00:23:11.65
if you think you're all right...
00:23:11.69\00:23:13.69
But if you'll be honest
with God about your weakness,
00:23:15.92\00:23:18.36
about your sin,
00:23:18.39\00:23:19.03
about your struggles,
00:23:19.06\00:23:20.63
honest with God
about your challenges,
00:23:20.66\00:23:22.10
your failures,
00:23:22.13\00:23:23.73
and take hold of the
power that God offers,
00:23:23.77\00:23:25.53
God will do a great thing.
00:23:25.57\00:23:27.24
You and I can't
manufacture spiritual power,
00:23:27.27\00:23:30.27
but just like grabbing
hold of an electric fence,
00:23:30.31\00:23:34.08
when you put your
faith and trust in Jesus,
00:23:34.11\00:23:36.98
His power will
surge through your life.
00:23:37.01\00:23:41.12
¤[Music]¤
00:23:41.15\00:23:47.92
>>John: Fasting.
00:23:50.09\00:23:51.53
It's a very biblical concept,
00:23:51.56\00:23:53.93
but it's also
very misunderstood.
00:23:53.96\00:23:57.27
Jesus fasted, we know that.
00:23:57.30\00:23:58.87
But does He want
people to fast today?
00:23:58.90\00:24:02.57
And what does God
intend that fasting should be?
00:24:02.60\00:24:04.87
And, how can it benefit you?
00:24:04.91\00:24:07.64
I'd like to send you a book from
our Healing Insights series,
00:24:07.68\00:24:10.58
called "Fasting and Prayer."
00:24:10.61\00:24:12.95
This book is absolutely free.
00:24:12.98\00:24:14.98
Just call (800) 253-3000,
00:24:15.02\00:24:18.49
and ask for
"Fasting and Prayer."
00:24:18.52\00:24:21.52
You can write to us at
00:24:21.56\00:24:22.99
It Is Written, PO Box
6, Chattanooga, TN 37401,
00:24:23.02\00:24:28.56
and we'll mail a free copy to
your address in North America.
00:24:28.60\00:24:31.63
You can also download a free
digital copy at ItIsWritten.com.
00:24:31.67\00:24:36.77
It Is Written exists because
of the kindness of people
00:24:36.81\00:24:39.61
just like you.
00:24:39.64\00:24:41.08
Your
tax-deductible gift can be sent
00:24:41.11\00:24:42.88
to the address on your screen,
00:24:42.91\00:24:44.41
or you can support us online at
00:24:44.45\00:24:46.75
ItIsWritten.com.
00:24:46.78\00:24:48.88
Thank you for your
continued prayerful support.
00:24:48.92\00:24:52.85
>>John: A few moments
ago I mentioned to you
00:24:53.92\00:24:55.29
one of history's most, really
most remarkable characters,
00:24:55.32\00:24:58.66
I think, a man
named George Mueller,
00:24:58.69\00:25:00.86
a German man who
relocated to England
00:25:00.90\00:25:03.57
and embarked on
a journey of faith
00:25:03.60\00:25:05.93
which continues to
inspire people around the world.
00:25:05.97\00:25:09.64
Mueller, to begin with,
was a bit of a scoundrel,
00:25:09.67\00:25:11.64
actually, got
himself in a heap of trouble.
00:25:11.67\00:25:13.68
But he found faith in God,
and then he found his calling.
00:25:13.71\00:25:18.85
In a suburb of Bristol,
00:25:18.88\00:25:21.02
that city in England
close to the river Severn,
00:25:21.05\00:25:24.69
where the Severn dumps
into the Bristol Channel,
00:25:24.72\00:25:27.66
two hours or so west of England
and near the border with Wales,
00:25:27.69\00:25:31.36
yes, that Bristol.
00:25:31.39\00:25:32.43
George Mueller
established orphanages,
00:25:32.46\00:25:35.63
in fact, in a place
called Ashley Downs,
00:25:35.66\00:25:37.57
on the north side of Bristol.
00:25:37.60\00:25:40.30
A number of homes were built,
00:25:40.34\00:25:42.60
and thousands of orphans
were housed and cared for.
00:25:42.64\00:25:46.61
He established many
schools, 117, I am told,
00:25:46.64\00:25:52.18
where tens of
thousands of children,
00:25:52.21\00:25:54.18
many of them orphans,
00:25:54.22\00:25:55.32
were educated.
00:25:55.35\00:25:57.32
And here's what's so remarkable.
00:25:57.35\00:25:58.69
Not once, never, ever,
00:25:58.72\00:26:01.76
did George
Mueller appeal for money.
00:26:01.79\00:26:05.29
How then, was he able
to carry on this work?
00:26:05.33\00:26:08.13
His approach, not that
it's the only approach,
00:26:08.16\00:26:10.53
but his approach was
to pray and expect God
00:26:10.57\00:26:14.97
to provide his
needs in answer to prayer.
00:26:15.00\00:26:18.31
Now, before,
that incredible story
00:26:18.34\00:26:20.24
about the prayer on the boat,
00:26:20.28\00:26:21.58
there are many stories
of Mueller sitting down
00:26:21.61\00:26:24.18
with the children at
the orphanage, saying,
00:26:24.21\00:26:26.25
“We have no food.
00:26:26.28\00:26:28.25
And so let's now pray and
ask the blessing on our food.”
00:26:28.28\00:26:32.59
And there, there,
there were numerous times.
00:26:32.62\00:26:35.22
I visited the headquarters
of the George Mueller ministry
00:26:35.26\00:26:39.29
today, not very many months ago.
00:26:39.33\00:26:41.46
They reiterated
the story for me.
00:26:41.50\00:26:43.33
Yes, it happened.
00:26:43.37\00:26:43.97
He bowed his head to pray,
00:26:44.00\00:26:46.57
and thanked God for
the food, said “Amen,”
00:26:46.60\00:26:50.47
and then there was
a knock at the door.
00:26:50.51\00:26:53.81
A milk deliveryman's
van had broken down.
00:26:53.84\00:26:56.91
“Would you take the milk?”
00:26:56.95\00:26:58.05
A bread van broke down.
00:26:58.08\00:26:59.48
“Would you take the bread?”
00:26:59.51\00:27:02.02
Okay, but what happens
when that doesn't happen?
00:27:02.05\00:27:04.15
When you pray to be
healed, and it doesn't happen?
00:27:04.19\00:27:06.22
When you pray for
Grandma, and Grandma dies?
00:27:06.25\00:27:08.29
You pray for the cat;
the cat doesn't come back?
00:27:08.32\00:27:09.76
You pray for a job, and...
00:27:09.79\00:27:11.79
It's important to
understand that God
00:27:13.13\00:27:14.93
doesn't always
give us what we want.
00:27:14.93\00:27:17.67
No amount of faith
is going to convince God
00:27:17.70\00:27:19.77
to do what He
doesn't want to do,
00:27:19.80\00:27:21.10
or what ultimately He knows
00:27:21.14\00:27:22.27
would not be best
for you in many cases.
00:27:22.30\00:27:24.81
So here's what we learn to do:
00:27:24.84\00:27:27.44
we learn to trust God anyway.
00:27:27.48\00:27:31.65
God is God,
00:27:31.68\00:27:32.71
not only because He
answered George Mueller's
00:27:32.75\00:27:34.78
prayers miraculously,
00:27:34.82\00:27:35.75
not only because He
does the great things.
00:27:35.78\00:27:37.99
But God is God
because God is God.
00:27:38.02\00:27:39.82
And there will be
times when you will pray
00:27:39.85\00:27:41.69
and you will meet
with disappointment.
00:27:41.72\00:27:43.09
What do you do then?
00:27:43.12\00:27:44.89
You trust.
00:27:44.93\00:27:46.70
You have faith.
00:27:46.73\00:27:48.43
You believe anyway.
00:27:48.46\00:27:49.40
And you claim God's promises,
00:27:49.43\00:27:51.37
because
regardless of what God does,
00:27:51.40\00:27:54.60
God is still God.
00:27:54.64\00:27:55.40
¤[Music]¤
00:27:55.44\00:28:05.01
>>John: Let's pray
together, shall we?
00:28:06.58\00:28:07.58
Let's pray.
00:28:07.62\00:28:09.05
Father in heaven,
00:28:09.08\00:28:11.29
we see today two individuals,
00:28:11.32\00:28:12.82
both sinners,
00:28:12.85\00:28:14.09
one forgiven,
00:28:14.12\00:28:16.26
and one was unforgiven,
00:28:16.29\00:28:18.26
because he not only
failed to see his need,
00:28:18.29\00:28:20.33
but he manifested
a, a judgmental spirit,
00:28:20.36\00:28:24.37
seeing himself as
better than others.
00:28:24.40\00:28:27.40
Today, Lord, I thank
you that you're willing
00:28:27.44\00:28:28.90
to forgive the undeserving,
00:28:28.94\00:28:31.61
that you'll give
new life to the sinful,
00:28:31.64\00:28:34.21
that you'll justify the faulty
00:28:34.24\00:28:35.98
as they recognize their weakness
00:28:36.01\00:28:37.75
and take hold of the
power of the forgiveness
00:28:37.78\00:28:40.08
and grace of Jesus.
00:28:40.12\00:28:41.78
Friend, as we pray,
00:28:41.82\00:28:43.55
if you need to be
honest like the tax collector,
00:28:43.59\00:28:46.76
take the opportunity now to
look to Jesus and trust Him.
00:28:46.79\00:28:50.03
Can you pray that prayer,
00:28:50.06\00:28:50.96
“Lord, be
merciful to me, a sinner?”
00:28:50.99\00:28:54.10
Say it with me now.
00:28:54.10\00:28:54.86
Lord, be
merciful to me, a sinner.
00:28:54.93\00:28:59.73
And know that God
forgives you and justifies you.
00:28:59.77\00:29:02.97
Dear Father, we thank you,
00:29:03.00\00:29:05.11
and we pray in Jesus' name,
00:29:05.14\00:29:08.94
Amen.
00:29:08.98\00:29:10.68
Thank you so
much for joining me.
00:29:10.71\00:29:12.25
I'm looking forward to
seeing you again next time.
00:29:12.28\00:29:14.72
Until then, remember:
00:29:14.75\00:29:16.08
It Is Written.
00:29:16.12\00:29:18.35
Man shall not
live by bread alone,
00:29:18.39\00:29:20.89
but by every word that
proceeds from the mouth of God.
00:29:20.92\00:29:24.66
¤[Theme music]¤
00:29:24.69\00:29:39.67