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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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In his book “Blink: The Power
of Thinking without Thinking,”
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author Malcolm Gladwell
shares a fascinating story.
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In 1985, the J.
Paul Getty Museum
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in Los Angeles spent
$10 million buying a kouros,
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a Greek statue of a young man.
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Of course, before you spend
$10 million on a piece of art,
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you want to make sure
you're not buying a fake.
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And so the Getty
had a team of scientists
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and lawyers
check out the statue.
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They said they
believed the statue was real.
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It was an original.
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After buying it, the Getty
then showed it to art experts
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and historians, and one
of them immediately said,
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“It's a fake.”
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One group of
experts were so convinced,
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they okayed the
museum to spend $10 million.
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In 2018, that's the equivalent
of almost $25 million.
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And it turned
out to be a phoney.
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How does a museum and its team
of experts get taken by a fake?
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Well, it's not always
easy to tell something fake
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from something genuine.
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It's one thing to
misread a work of art,
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but there are times
that people turned out to be
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other than what they claimed.
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Hannah Snell was an English
woman in the 18th century who
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faked that she was a man so
that she could become a soldier.
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She served three years in
the military without anyone ever
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discovering that she
was a woman and not a man.
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Women faked
being men on occasion
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to fight in the
American Civil War.
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In the late 1980s, a
German music producer
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named Frank Farian put
together a new pop band.
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He hired two dancers named
Rob Pilatus and Fabrice Morvan
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to front the band.
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Rob and Fab
looked like pop stars,
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and the band, Milli Vanilli,
sold millions of records.
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In 1980 they won the Grammy
award for Best New Artist.
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Rob and Fab, however,
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didn't sing on any of
the band's recordings.
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They didn't even
sing at the Grammy awards.
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They mimed everything,
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while other musicians did
the real work in the studio.
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Milli Vanilli was
not Milli Vanilli.
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It was one of the
most notorious cases
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of lip-syncing in
pop music history.
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So why is it
that nobody noticed?
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Simple answer:
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it's just not that easy.
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Sometimes it's hard to know
who's fake and who's genuine,
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or what's fake
and what's genuine.
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Jesus spoke to this
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in the parable of
the wheat and the tares.
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We look at this today as
part of our ongoing series,
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“Lessons for All Time.”
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Let's take our Bibles,
let's look at the parable.
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It's found in
Matthew, chapter 13,
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and the parable
begins in verse 24:
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"Another parable He
put forth to them, saying:
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'The kingdom of heaven
is like a man who sowed
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good seed in his field;
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but while men slept,
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his enemy came and
sowed tares among the wheat
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and went his way.
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But when the grain had
sprouted and produced a crop,
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then the tares also appeared.
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So the servants of the
owner came and said to him,
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"Sir, did you not sow
good seed in your field?
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How then does it have tares?"
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He said to them, "An
enemy has done this."
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The servants said to him,
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"Do you want us to
go and gather them up?"
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But he said, "No, lest
while you gather up the tares
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you also uproot
the wheat with them.
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Let both grow
together until the harvest,
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and at the time of the harvest
I will say to the reapers,
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'First gather together the tares
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and bind them in
bundles to burn them,
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but gather the
wheat into my barn.'"'"
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Now, this is something that
used to happen in Jesus' day.
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Someone would have a
field of wheat growing,
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and an enemy,
wanting to cause problems,
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might sneak in a
spread the seed of weeds.
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The weeds would grow
and choke the good seed
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and cause all kinds of
problems for the landowner.
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It's thought that
the tare, or the weed,
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mentioned in this parable
is darnel, lolium temulentum,
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sometimes referred
to as "false wheat,"
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which can be
fatal if it's eaten.
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So let's take a look at
the story, this parable.
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And remember what a parable is:
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it's a short story used to teach
a moral or religious lesson.
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Not everything in a parable
has a parallel or a meaning.
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But many of the details of a
parable are shared so that they
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might convey some
important spiritual truth.
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Now, what are
the spiritual truths
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that Jesus is
teaching in this parable?
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Now, keep in mind,
earlier in Matthew, chapter 13,
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there's another
parable dealing with seed.
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It's the parable of the
sower who went forth to sow.
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Here, the kingdom of God, now,
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that's the kingdom of
divine grace on earth;
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you could call it God's work of
salvation on behalf of humanity.
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The kingdom of God is compared
to a man who sowed seed.
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In that parable,
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the seed fell on four
different types of ground:
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first the wayside,
then on stony ground,
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then there was some seed
that was choked by thorns,
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and then there
was the good ground,
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where the seed flourished.
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Now, in the parable of
the wheat and the tares,
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the seed is compromised by weeds
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that threaten it
in a variety of ways.
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Let's look at it now.
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We read that a man
sowed good seed in his field.
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So do we know who that is?
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Well, we do know who that
is, because this is one of those
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very helpful
parables where Jesus explains
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what the various things mean.
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His disciples come to
Him in verse 36 and they say,
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“...explain to us the parable
of the tares of the field.”
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And so He told them
that He is the sower.
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He went on to say,
“The field is the world,
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the good seeds are
the sons of the kingdom,
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but the tares are the
sons of the wicked one.
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The enemy who
sowed them is the devil,
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the harvest is
the end of the age,
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and the reapers are the angels.”
That's Matthew 13:38 and 39.
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Now, this is a lesson
in which Jesus talks about
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an attack by an enemy,
where Satan introduces into
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the church people
who are not converted.
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Then Jesus points
to the end of the age
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when angels will separate
the true followers of God from,
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from the pretenders,
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from the Milli
Vanilli Christians.
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So Jesus says
this: here's the reality.
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I sow good seed,
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but the enemy comes
and sows weeds in my field.
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And the challenge is,
when the wheat appears,
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and then the tares
grow among the wheat,
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you can't necessarily
tell the two apart very easily.
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Now, this is a commentary on
what we experience in church.
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Have you ever noticed that?
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In the church you
get the good Christians,
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and then the hypocrites,
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those who aren't
really genuine believers.
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Here's what's interesting;
let me ask you a question.
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Which one are you?
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Now, must of us
are going to say,
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“I'm the real thing.”
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We might humbly
suggest that, well,
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we do have our faults, and well,
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we could do better, but we
like to think that we are wheat,
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while the other ones, some
of them at least, are tares.
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Natural enough, I guess.
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And what does Jesus say here?
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Someone says, “Let
us pull up the tares
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so they don't damage the wheat,”
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which seems like a good idea.
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If there are phonies there,
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why not uproot them
and get rid of them?
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But there's more to
the story, much more.
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I'll be right back.
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¤[Music]¤
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>>Announcer: The greatest
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>>John: Thanks for
joining me on It Is Written.
00:10:07.17\00:10:09.94
In the parable of
the wheat and the tares,
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the servants of a wheat farmer
tell him that there are weeds
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growing in his wheat field.
00:10:16.28\00:10:18.35
They suggest pulling them up.
00:10:18.38\00:10:20.02
He says, “No, don't do that,
because if you attempt to pull
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up the tares you'll
likely pull up wheat with it.”
00:10:23.32\00:10:25.95
And that's a real thing.
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This man knew that
just as it isn't easy
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to tell the difference
between wheat and weeds,
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especially darnel,
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which is indistinguishable
from wheat when it's young,
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it isn't always easy to
tell the difference between a
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genuine believer in God
and someone who is not genuine.
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And it's true that
there's plenty that goes on
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in Christianity
that doesn't represent
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the principles of Christ.
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A number of media outlets
reported that a church meeting
00:10:50.75\00:10:53.92
in Macon, Georgia, being held
to discuss the pastor's future,
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got way out of control.
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As people were preparing
to vote at the meeting,
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voices were
raised; people were pushed;
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chairs were
toppled; punches were thrown.
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It was pandemonium,
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even though there were sheriff's
deputies there at the meeting.
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Bad behavior in church?
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Yes, unfortunately, it happens.
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A church treasurer
stole $415,000 from a church
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in Knoxville, Tennessee.
00:11:23.11\00:11:24.95
A pastor and his wife
in Alexandria, Virginia,
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were convicted of operating
a $2 million fraud scheme
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which allegedly bilked business
investors and church members.
00:11:31.39\00:11:35.89
And we're not surprised
when those who profess Christ
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act as though they
don't possess Christ.
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For one thing,
people are faulty.
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Now, it ought to be remembered
that God isn't faulty.
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Jude, verse 24, says that God
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“is able to keep
you from falling.”
00:11:48.30\00:11:50.84
But if we allow
ourselves to drift,
00:11:50.87\00:11:53.21
if we fail to maintain a
real connection with God,
00:11:53.24\00:11:56.95
in a moment of
weakness or temptation,
00:11:56.98\00:11:58.71
if we don't turn to
God, or if we run from God,
00:11:58.75\00:12:02.18
we're going to get
people, even church members,
00:12:02.22\00:12:05.32
people who know
better, making poor choices.
00:12:05.35\00:12:10.13
In the Bible, you've
got Ananias and Sapphira
00:12:10.16\00:12:12.23
lying about a
pledge they made to God,
00:12:12.26\00:12:14.10
stealing from God.
00:12:14.13\00:12:15.60
Malachi wrote about
people who robbed God
00:12:15.63\00:12:18.00
by failing to return
tithes and offerings.
00:12:18.03\00:12:20.30
Simon Magus tried to buy
the gift of the Holy Spirit
00:12:20.34\00:12:23.20
in Acts, chapter 8.
00:12:23.24\00:12:24.67
Judas was a disciple of Jesus
who ultimately betrayed Jesus,
00:12:24.71\00:12:28.14
while even Peter
denied his Lord and Savior.
00:12:28.18\00:12:33.55
So there's no
shortage of faulty believers.
00:12:33.58\00:12:36.22
So why is Jesus saying,
“Don't try to pull up the tares,
00:12:36.25\00:12:39.12
because you'll likely pull up
00:12:39.15\00:12:40.29
some of the
wheat along with it”?
00:12:40.32\00:12:42.82
Well, for one thing,
00:12:42.86\00:12:44.23
it is biblical to
take a stand against sin,
00:12:44.26\00:12:47.73
where there's open sin,
00:12:47.76\00:12:48.96
open rebellion
against God in the church,
00:12:49.00\00:12:51.57
it's sometimes
appropriate, in fact,
00:12:51.60\00:12:54.27
you could say often appropriate,
00:12:54.30\00:12:55.60
to take action
against the sinner.
00:12:55.64\00:12:56.94
That's true.
00:12:56.97\00:12:57.94
But here, Jesus is
saying that in many cases
00:12:57.97\00:13:01.91
you can't really tell who's who,
who's genuine and who's not.
00:13:01.94\00:13:04.55
And the danger is that
if you try to play God,
00:13:04.58\00:13:08.82
try to decide who
the real Christians are,
00:13:08.85\00:13:11.12
you could end up doing
some real lasting damage.
00:13:11.15\00:13:15.29
Often happens.
00:13:15.32\00:13:17.16
Often what people
need is to be helped up,
00:13:17.19\00:13:19.63
rather than helped out.
00:13:19.66\00:13:21.33
A person has a
problem with pride,
00:13:21.36\00:13:23.60
or has some type
of substance issue,
00:13:23.63\00:13:25.43
or maybe just doesn't
appear to be as Christian
00:13:25.47\00:13:28.47
as some other people wish.
00:13:28.50\00:13:29.84
You know, the
person on the fringes,
00:13:29.87\00:13:31.14
maybe one who's inconsistent
in coming to church.
00:13:31.17\00:13:35.08
Too often there's somebody
00:13:35.11\00:13:36.08
looking down their
nose at that person,
00:13:36.11\00:13:37.61
ready to declare that that
person isn't as good a Christian
00:13:37.65\00:13:41.25
as he or she should be.
00:13:41.28\00:13:43.65
A little like the parable of the
two men praying in the temple.
00:13:43.69\00:13:46.82
One recites his
virtues as he sees them,
00:13:46.86\00:13:50.09
and he thanks God that
he's not like the other guy.
00:13:50.13\00:13:52.66
The other one, a
publican, a tax collector,
00:13:52.69\00:13:55.33
simply prays and says,
00:13:55.36\00:13:57.73
“God, be
merciful to me, a sinner.”
00:13:57.77\00:14:00.37
That's Luke 18:13.
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And then Jesus
says, in the next verse,
00:14:01.60\00:14:04.04
“I tell you, this man went
down to his house justified
00:14:04.07\00:14:08.08
rather than the other.”
00:14:08.11\00:14:10.28
It seems sometimes
that there's no shortage
00:14:10.31\00:14:12.71
of judgmental
people in the church,
00:14:12.75\00:14:15.12
and that's not what you
characterize the church.
00:14:15.15\00:14:18.19
It should be that
people feel safe in the church.
00:14:18.22\00:14:20.86
Church should be a place
where people can, can grow.
00:14:20.89\00:14:24.43
If Jesus came into
the world to save sinners,
00:14:24.46\00:14:26.76
sinners ought to
be welcome in church.
00:14:26.80\00:14:30.30
You know, the Bible talks
about a woman out of whom Jesus
00:14:30.33\00:14:32.93
had cast seven demons.
00:14:32.97\00:14:34.80
Imagine if Jesus gave
up on her to begin with.
00:14:34.84\00:14:38.14
One woman was taken in
adultery and brought to Jesus,
00:14:38.17\00:14:40.81
and there were men
there ready to stone her.
00:14:40.84\00:14:43.65
But Jesus says in
John 8 and verse 11,
00:14:43.68\00:14:47.08
“Neither do I condemn
you; go and sin no more.”
00:14:47.12\00:14:52.82
You know, one of the
wonderful things about God
00:14:52.85\00:14:54.26
is that God is not
in a hurry to condemn.
00:14:54.29\00:14:58.76
I think that's the
complete opposite of the picture
00:14:58.79\00:15:00.60
that many people have of God.
00:15:00.63\00:15:02.83
That's what God is really like.
00:15:02.86\00:15:04.83
Psalm 103, verse 8, says,
00:15:04.87\00:15:07.44
“The Lord is
merciful and gracious,
00:15:07.47\00:15:09.64
slow to anger, and
plenteous in mercy.”
00:15:09.67\00:15:12.64
In one psalm alone,
00:15:12.67\00:15:14.94
Psalm 136, it says,
“His mercy endures forever,”
00:15:14.98\00:15:20.75
twenty-six times.
00:15:20.78\00:15:23.32
And that ought to
tell us something.
00:15:23.35\00:15:26.25
Now, that's not to say that God
is all mercy and no judgment.
00:15:26.29\00:15:28.66
The parable ends with
some serious judgment.
00:15:28.69\00:15:32.09
But God is saying,
00:15:32.13\00:15:33.86
“You humans can't always tell
who is genuine and who isn't.
00:15:33.90\00:15:37.50
So don't try to.
00:15:37.53\00:15:39.07
Leave the judging with Me.”
00:15:39.10\00:15:40.30
And that is really good advice.
00:15:40.34\00:15:43.37
A friend of mine tells the story
of going to a revival meeting
00:15:43.41\00:15:46.14
when he was
young, looking rough,
00:15:46.17\00:15:48.58
and people thought,
as he found out later,
00:15:48.61\00:15:51.08
there was no way in
the world somebody like him
00:15:51.11\00:15:54.88
could ever become a Christian.
00:15:54.92\00:15:56.18
And, of course, he did.
00:15:56.22\00:15:57.45
He became a
minister of the gospel,
00:15:57.49\00:15:59.65
showing again that
people only know so much about
00:15:59.69\00:16:01.92
what's really going on
inside somebody's heart.
00:16:01.96\00:16:05.43
The time I showed up in
church for the first time,
00:16:05.46\00:16:08.30
you would not have
thought I was going to stay.
00:16:08.33\00:16:10.80
I looked like
somebody who was lost
00:16:10.83\00:16:12.50
and had only stepped inside the
church to shelter from the cold.
00:16:12.53\00:16:15.27
But you know what happened?
00:16:15.30\00:16:17.41
No one judged me.
00:16:17.44\00:16:18.57
No one quizzed me.
00:16:18.61\00:16:19.97
There was no 20 questions.
00:16:20.01\00:16:22.28
No one made me feel unwelcome.
00:16:22.31\00:16:23.68
Instead, I was
loved into the church,
00:16:23.71\00:16:26.65
and loved into the arms of God.
00:16:26.68\00:16:29.62
Remember that kouros that
Getty purchased in the 1980s?
00:16:29.65\00:16:32.42
Ten million dollars at the time,
00:16:32.45\00:16:34.99
and the best
judgment of a group of experts
00:16:35.02\00:16:37.06
was that it was original.
00:16:37.09\00:16:38.46
Genuine.
00:16:38.49\00:16:39.86
When in actuality it was a fake.
00:16:39.89\00:16:43.16
Jesus says, "let both grow
together until the harvest."
00:16:43.20\00:16:46.97
Don't waste your
time trying to determine
00:16:47.00\00:16:49.57
what's going in someone's heart.
00:16:49.60\00:16:52.87
And keep this in mind:
00:16:52.91\00:16:53.94
there are probably a
lot of people in the church
00:16:53.98\00:16:56.18
that you and I think
are model Christians,
00:16:56.21\00:16:58.11
but, perhaps
underneath, that's not the case.
00:16:58.15\00:17:01.68
My expectation is
that you had met the pastor
00:17:01.72\00:17:03.72
of that little church
in Irvington, Indiana,
00:17:03.75\00:17:06.25
you'd have
thought he was a fine man.
00:17:06.29\00:17:07.59
And even if you didn't,
00:17:07.62\00:17:09.02
I doubt that you'd
have suspected him of being
00:17:09.06\00:17:10.79
the kingpin of a
multi-million-dollar
00:17:10.83\00:17:13.06
synthetic drug ring that
manufactured ten tons of drugs.
00:17:13.09\00:17:17.43
We can't tell.
00:17:17.47\00:17:18.97
In trying to do so,
we do a lot of damage.
00:17:19.00\00:17:22.24
Now, again, there
are times that the church
00:17:22.27\00:17:24.14
has to take a stand
about various things.
00:17:24.17\00:17:25.91
Your treasurer
embezzles $415,000,
00:17:25.94\00:17:29.34
that's one thing.
00:17:29.38\00:17:31.15
But trying to figure out
who's genuine and who's not,
00:17:31.18\00:17:33.28
who belongs, who
should be cast out?
00:17:33.31\00:17:35.45
I'll tell you this:
00:17:35.48\00:17:37.02
if the congregation is
doing the work that God
00:17:37.05\00:17:39.72
has given them to do,
ministering in the community,
00:17:39.75\00:17:42.62
making a
difference in people's lives,
00:17:42.66\00:17:44.66
sharing Jesus with
others, sharing the gospel,
00:17:44.69\00:17:47.23
if the congregation
is doing those things,
00:17:47.23\00:17:49.40
there won't be time for judging.
00:17:49.43\00:17:52.33
People who are doing God's work
00:17:52.37\00:17:53.80
typically don't waste
their time being small-minded.
00:17:53.84\00:17:57.77
So does that mean
there'll be less than perfect
00:17:57.81\00:17:59.57
people in the church?
00:17:59.61\00:18:00.98
Well, if you're in the church,
00:18:01.01\00:18:02.08
you already know that
there are less-than-perfect
00:18:02.11\00:18:03.58
people in the church,
00:18:03.61\00:18:04.41
because you are in it.
00:18:04.45\00:18:06.92
But what the parable tells
us is that beyond the imperfect,
00:18:06.95\00:18:10.22
“growing slowly but
surely” people in church,
00:18:10.25\00:18:13.39
Satan loves to crowd unconverted
people into the church,
00:18:13.42\00:18:16.76
because it makes
the church look bad.
00:18:16.79\00:18:18.86
It reflects
negatively on Christ,
00:18:18.89\00:18:20.60
causes people to say, “If
that's what Christians are like,
00:18:20.63\00:18:23.10
then I don't want to be one.”
00:18:23.13\00:18:25.13
That's too bad.
00:18:25.17\00:18:26.94
Of course, there's some
weakness in that thinking.
00:18:26.97\00:18:28.80
In fact, there's considerable
weakness in that thinking.
00:18:28.84\00:18:32.44
I'll share more
in just a moment.
00:18:32.47\00:18:34.64
¤[Music]¤
00:18:34.68\00:18:41.68
¤[Theme music]¤
00:18:42.52\00:18:44.05
>>Announcer: In Matthew
4:4, the Word of God says,
00:18:44.09\00:18:46.65
“It is Written,
00:18:46.69\00:18:47.69
‘Man shall not
live by bread alone,
00:18:47.72\00:18:49.49
but by every word that proceeds
from the mouth of God.'”
00:18:49.52\00:18:53.63
“Every Word”
00:18:53.66\00:18:54.63
is a one -minute,
Bible-based daily devotional
00:18:54.66\00:18:56.83
presented by
Pastor John Bradshaw,
00:18:56.87\00:18:58.57
and designed especially
for busy people like you.
00:18:58.60\00:19:01.84
Look for Every Word
on selected networks,
00:19:01.87\00:19:04.57
or watch it online
every day on our website,
00:19:04.61\00:19:07.08
itiswritten.com.
00:19:07.11\00:19:09.38
Receive a daily spiritual boost.
00:19:09.41\00:19:11.51
Watch “Every Word.”
00:19:11.55\00:19:12.88
You'll be glad you did.
00:19:12.91\00:19:17.19
>>Girl: My mom woke up at
11:45, and she smelled smoke.
00:19:18.69\00:19:24.09
>>Man: About maybe
1:30 in the morning,
00:19:24.13\00:19:26.16
the, uh, my wife
got a phone call,
00:19:26.19\00:19:29.96
and I could hear the voice
on the other end of the line,
00:19:30.00\00:19:32.47
and she was basically screaming,
00:19:32.50\00:19:35.24
“There's a fire. It's massive.
00:19:35.27\00:19:36.87
It's headed your way.
00:19:36.91\00:19:38.34
You need to get
out and get out now.”
00:19:38.37\00:19:40.78
>>Woman: After I hear fire,
00:19:40.81\00:19:41.71
I hear in the background,
00:19:41.74\00:19:43.45
the fire is two to four
blocks away from your house.
00:19:43.48\00:19:46.05
And I panicked.
00:19:46.08\00:19:47.52
We started praying.
00:19:47.55\00:19:48.48
Our prayers didn't last long.
00:19:48.52\00:19:50.25
They were desperate,
they were, they were rushed.
00:19:50.29\00:19:54.19
There was a need; it was urgent;
00:19:54.22\00:19:56.02
it was very, very urgent.
00:19:56.06\00:19:57.59
I said, please save my children.
00:19:57.63\00:20:01.03
>>John: Where was God
when the fires burned?
00:20:03.13\00:20:04.77
Where was God
as people suffered?
00:20:04.80\00:20:06.67
Where was God
while people were dying?
00:20:06.70\00:20:09.47
Where was God in the
midst of the devastation?
00:20:09.50\00:20:11.87
>>John: Thanks for joining
me today on It Is Written.
00:20:19.25\00:20:20.95
I'm John Bradshaw.
00:20:20.98\00:20:22.65
In the parable of
the wheat and the tares,
00:20:22.68\00:20:24.59
an enemy plants weeds
in a man's wheat field.
00:20:24.62\00:20:28.76
And because you
can't tell the difference
00:20:28.79\00:20:30.16
between wheat and darnel,
00:20:30.19\00:20:31.73
the field owner
can't weed out the tares
00:20:31.76\00:20:34.40
without
jeopardizing the actual wheat.
00:20:34.46\00:20:37.33
There's a danger that
in pulling up the weeds,
00:20:37.37\00:20:39.83
you'll pull up a
good amount of the wheat.
00:20:39.87\00:20:41.60
And I think it's important
we notice something here.
00:20:41.64\00:20:44.24
Jesus isn't saying that
the weeds can't be dealt with.
00:20:44.27\00:20:47.08
He's simply saying there's
a wrong time and a right time.
00:20:47.11\00:20:51.38
He says He will leave it
to angels to finally separate
00:20:51.41\00:20:54.38
the genuine from the phony.
00:20:54.42\00:20:55.75
But I'll tell you this:
00:20:55.78\00:20:57.75
it's important to
notice that Jesus is very clear
00:20:57.79\00:21:01.26
when He says the
wheat and the tares
00:21:01.29\00:21:03.46
will definitely be separated.
00:21:03.49\00:21:06.39
Now, notice what Jesus said.
00:21:06.43\00:21:08.00
Jesus said this in
Matthew, chapter 13.
00:21:08.03\00:21:11.10
He said, “Let both grow
together until the harvest,
00:21:11.13\00:21:15.17
and at the time of harvest
I will say to the reapers,
00:21:15.20\00:21:18.14
‘First gather together the
tares and bind them in bundles
00:21:18.17\00:21:22.08
to burn them, but gather
the wheat into my barn.'”
00:21:22.11\00:21:26.95
That's Matthew 13, verse 30.
00:21:26.98\00:21:28.85
This is where it gets serious.
00:21:28.88\00:21:31.22
Notice this: while
Jesus says we shouldn't judge,
00:21:31.25\00:21:33.89
while we shouldn't try to
do the work of the Holy Spirit
00:21:33.92\00:21:36.22
and decide who's a true
Christian and who's not,
00:21:36.26\00:21:39.09
He tells us just as plainly
that there's coming a time
00:21:39.13\00:21:41.20
of separation, a
time of gathering as well.
00:21:41.23\00:21:45.47
There's coming a time
when there will be no more
00:21:45.50\00:21:47.47
opportunity to repent.
00:21:47.50\00:21:49.34
The tares will be
tares, and that's that.
00:21:49.37\00:21:53.27
You know, the
gospel's so wonderful.
00:21:53.31\00:21:54.81
You can be the worst sinner,
00:21:54.84\00:21:56.44
and God is
willing to forgive you.
00:21:56.48\00:21:58.05
More than willing.
00:21:58.08\00:21:58.95
God really wants to forgive you.
00:21:58.98\00:22:02.18
God wants to see you
come to Him in faith.
00:22:02.22\00:22:04.79
Jesus said in
Luke 19 and verse 10,
00:22:04.82\00:22:07.29
“For the Son of
Man is come to seek
00:22:07.32\00:22:09.22
and to save
that which was lost.”
00:22:09.26\00:22:11.29
Isn't that outstanding?
00:22:11.33\00:22:13.26
And so what does God do?
00:22:13.29\00:22:14.76
He calls you; He
reveals His love to you;
00:22:14.83\00:22:18.07
He blesses you.
00:22:18.10\00:22:18.97
He says, “If
you're carrying guilt,
00:22:19.00\00:22:21.44
shame, sin, if you're
carrying condemnation,
00:22:21.47\00:22:25.77
give it to Me.”
00:22:25.81\00:22:26.64
God says, “Jesus died for you.”
00:22:26.68\00:22:29.44
God tells you that He
wants you to be saved.
00:22:29.48\00:22:33.25
But that separation-it's final.
00:22:33.28\00:22:36.38
Today we can repent.
00:22:36.42\00:22:38.62
Tomorrow might well be too late.
00:22:38.65\00:22:41.82
One of those
tomorrows, one soon tomorrow,
00:22:41.86\00:22:44.63
I believe, it's going to
be too late for everyone.
00:22:44.66\00:22:48.36
In Revelation
chapter 22, verses 11 and 12,
00:22:48.40\00:22:51.57
Jesus put it this way:
00:22:51.60\00:22:53.07
“He that is unjust,
let him be unjust still:
00:22:53.10\00:22:57.07
and he which is filthy,
00:22:57.11\00:22:58.71
let him be filthy still:
and he that is righteous,
00:22:58.74\00:23:02.44
let him be righteous
still: and he that is holy,
00:23:02.48\00:23:05.28
let him be holy still.
00:23:05.31\00:23:07.68
And, behold, I come quickly;
and My reward is with Me,
00:23:07.72\00:23:12.12
to give every man
according as his work shall be.”
00:23:12.15\00:23:16.09
Now, that's not a fear thing.
00:23:16.12\00:23:19.36
That's just reality.
00:23:19.39\00:23:21.96
One day there's
going to be a harvest,
00:23:22.00\00:23:24.50
spiritually speaking.
00:23:24.53\00:23:26.20
Today, the lost have
the opportunity to repent.
00:23:26.23\00:23:29.40
On that day, they won't.
00:23:29.44\00:23:31.67
So let me ask you,
how is it with you?
00:23:31.71\00:23:36.44
You know what the devil does.
00:23:36.48\00:23:37.68
You know, there are tons of
people in the world today who
00:23:37.71\00:23:39.91
are living entirely
without reference to God.
00:23:39.95\00:23:43.62
Not necessarily bad people;
they're just not saved people.
00:23:43.65\00:23:47.16
They're just busy
with life, with work,
00:23:47.19\00:23:50.29
with sport, with
doing their own thing.
00:23:50.33\00:23:53.60
Culturally they
were never Christians,
00:23:53.63\00:23:55.33
and they just never
found a reason to be.
00:23:55.36\00:23:58.40
But then there's
another group of people
00:23:58.43\00:23:59.73
who know something about God.
00:23:59.77\00:24:01.87
They're not willing to
let God into their heart.
00:24:01.90\00:24:04.77
They might pray occasionally;
they might agree that the Bible,
00:24:04.81\00:24:09.08
might even tell you
the Bible is a good book.
00:24:09.11\00:24:10.68
They might even say God's book.
00:24:10.71\00:24:13.15
They might go to church.
00:24:13.18\00:24:15.35
And then, or even
often, they might go to church
00:24:15.38\00:24:18.65
but they've not surrendered
their lives to Jesus.
00:24:18.69\00:24:21.79
Is that you?
00:24:21.82\00:24:23.16
If you haven't,
when will you do so?
00:24:23.19\00:24:28.06
Friend, God loves you.
00:24:28.10\00:24:29.36
More than anything,
God wants you to be saved,
00:24:29.40\00:24:31.57
to be with Him forever.
00:24:31.60\00:24:33.27
There'll be a harvest one day.
00:24:33.30\00:24:35.60
The lost, lost forever.
00:24:35.64\00:24:38.84
What's going to happen is this:
00:24:38.87\00:24:39.94
between now and
the return of Jesus,
00:24:39.97\00:24:42.21
the world is going to
plunge deeper and deeper
00:24:42.24\00:24:44.08
and deeper into dysfunction.
00:24:44.11\00:24:45.28
And that separation
between right and wrong
00:24:45.31\00:24:47.92
is going to
become more pronounced.
00:24:47.95\00:24:49.38
There'll be a shifting.
00:24:49.42\00:24:52.99
Where are you being shifting?
00:24:53.02\00:24:55.82
The good news is that the
wheat is going to be gathered
00:24:55.86\00:24:58.89
into His barn, Jesus said.
00:24:58.93\00:25:01.96
One day soon,
we'll be safe from sin.
00:25:02.00\00:25:04.60
One day soon we'll be out
of the reach of temptation.
00:25:04.63\00:25:07.84
One day soon we'll be in
a place with no rejection
00:25:07.87\00:25:10.31
or
marginalization or mistreatment
00:25:10.34\00:25:12.77
or injustice or indignity.
00:25:12.81\00:25:15.84
One day soon, the
wheat will be with Jesus.
00:25:15.88\00:25:18.45
The saved will be with Jesus.
00:25:18.48\00:25:20.25
One day soon.
00:25:20.28\00:25:23.05
You choose Jesus today,
00:25:23.08\00:25:25.45
and you can believe
that you'll be with Him then.
00:25:25.49\00:25:28.02
Be with Him now, and
you'll be with Him forever.
00:25:28.06\00:25:32.89
What does Jesus
tell us in this parable?
00:25:32.93\00:25:35.36
Don't do His work of judging.
00:25:35.40\00:25:36.70
Don't worry about that.
00:25:36.73\00:25:39.37
God will take care of that.
00:25:39.40\00:25:41.67
But He will take care of that.
00:25:41.70\00:25:43.81
One day, finally, sinners
and saints will be separated.
00:25:43.84\00:25:47.14
You'll be either on
one side or the other.
00:25:47.18\00:25:49.74
What side are you on?
00:25:49.78\00:25:50.58
Can we settle it?
00:25:50.61\00:25:52.78
Jesus is on the
side of the saved.
00:25:52.81\00:25:56.08
Jesus is with the redeemed.
00:25:56.12\00:25:57.49
Jesus is on the
side of eternity.
00:25:57.52\00:25:59.15
And Jesus is on your side.
00:25:59.19\00:26:01.56
That's why He came
from heaven to earth.
00:26:01.59\00:26:03.39
He came for you, to call
you, to reach out to you,
00:26:03.43\00:26:06.93
to show you in His life what God
was like to convince you that
00:26:06.96\00:26:10.37
He'd taken care of your sins,
and to invite you to choose Him,
00:26:10.40\00:26:15.94
to team up with Him,
00:26:15.97\00:26:16.94
to welcome Him into your heart.
00:26:16.97\00:26:18.67
Can you do that now?
00:26:18.71\00:26:20.81
One day this world ends.
00:26:20.84\00:26:22.51
One day Jesus comes back.
00:26:22.54\00:26:23.85
One day there's no tomorrow.
00:26:23.88\00:26:25.21
On that day, you
can be safe with Jesus,
00:26:25.25\00:26:30.62
by being safe with Jesus now.
00:26:30.65\00:26:34.92
¤[Music]¤
00:26:34.96\00:26:42.96
>>John: The greatest
event in all of history.
00:26:44.17\00:26:46.53
The Second
Coming of Jesus Christ.
00:26:46.57\00:26:48.74
What does the Bible
say that will be like?
00:26:48.77\00:26:51.84
Find out by
getting today's free offer,
00:26:51.87\00:26:53.91
“The Second Coming of Jesus.”
00:26:53.94\00:26:55.54
To receive this free DVD,
00:26:55.58\00:26:57.01
call 800-253-3000,
00:26:57.05\00:27:00.15
or visit us
online at iiwoffer.com.
00:27:00.18\00:27:04.35
Find out what the Bible says
00:27:04.39\00:27:05.72
about the
Second Coming of Jesus.
00:27:05.75\00:27:07.32
Get the free DVD.
00:27:07.36\00:27:08.79
800-253-3000,
00:27:08.82\00:27:10.93
iiwoffer.com.
00:27:10.96\00:27:14.00
>>John: Thank you for
remembering that It Is Written
00:27:14.46\00:27:16.40
exists because of the kindness
of people just like you.
00:27:16.43\00:27:19.87
To support this international
life-changing ministry,
00:27:19.90\00:27:23.10
please call us
now at 800-253-3000.
00:27:23.14\00:27:27.38
You can send your
tax-deductible gift
00:27:27.41\00:27:28.84
to the address on your screen,
00:27:28.88\00:27:30.31
or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:27:30.35\00:27:34.08
Thank you for your prayers
and for your financial support.
00:27:34.12\00:27:36.92
Our number
again is 800-253-3000.
00:27:36.95\00:27:40.99
Or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:27:41.02\00:27:44.23
>>John: Let me
pray with you now.
00:27:45.39\00:27:46.53
Our Father in Heaven,
00:27:46.56\00:27:47.96
we thank You that one day
00:27:48.00\00:27:50.23
You're going to gather
all those that are Yours,
00:27:50.27\00:27:52.33
and nevermore will
they be touched by sin
00:27:52.37\00:27:54.50
or temptation or
trial or discouragement.
00:27:54.54\00:27:57.11
And so we want to
choose Jesus today,
00:27:57.14\00:28:01.28
so we can know
now that we are Yours,
00:28:01.31\00:28:03.14
You are ours, and we can
know that throughout eternity
00:28:03.18\00:28:06.51
we'll be with You where You are.
00:28:06.55\00:28:08.12
For now we are in this world,
this world tainted by sin.
00:28:08.15\00:28:11.99
In the parable, Jesus taught
us an enemy has done this.
00:28:12.02\00:28:17.59
The reason for sin in the
world is the enemy has done it.
00:28:17.63\00:28:21.16
The reason for people
who are separated from You,
00:28:21.20\00:28:23.03
an enemy has done it.
00:28:23.06\00:28:24.63
The reason for sin and
death and sickness and sadness,
00:28:24.67\00:28:27.70
an enemy has done it.
00:28:27.74\00:28:31.71
You present us with a choice
between the enemy and You,
00:28:31.74\00:28:36.08
the one who loves
this world immeasurably.
00:28:36.11\00:28:39.38
Friend, could
you choose Jesus now?
00:28:39.41\00:28:40.92
Would you do that?
00:28:40.95\00:28:42.42
Will you say in your
heart, or even out loud,
00:28:42.45\00:28:43.99
wherever you are,
00:28:44.02\00:28:45.59
Jesus, I choose You
as my Lord and Savior.
00:28:45.62\00:28:48.26
I want You in my heart.
00:28:48.29\00:28:49.49
Live Your life in me.
00:28:49.52\00:28:53.73
That's our prayer,
friend, and as we pray it,
00:28:53.76\00:28:55.63
know that you
are a child of God.
00:28:55.66\00:28:57.53
God wants you to grow
with Him forever and ever.
00:28:57.57\00:29:02.07
We thank You, Father.
00:29:02.10\00:29:03.81
We trust in You,
we believe in You,
00:29:03.84\00:29:05.41
and we give our
lives to You again.
00:29:05.44\00:29:07.71
In Jesus' name,
00:29:07.74\00:29:09.54
Amen.
00:29:09.58\00:29:11.65
Thanks for joining me today.
00:29:11.68\00:29:12.75
I'm looking forward to
seeing you again next time.
00:29:12.78\00:29:15.08
Until then, remember:
00:29:15.12\00:29:15.92
"It is written:
00:29:15.95\00:29:17.92
'Man shall not
live by bread alone,
00:29:17.95\00:29:20.02
but by every word that proceeds
from the mouth of God.'"
00:29:20.06\00:29:24.13
¤[Theme music]¤
00:29:24.16\00:29:39.14