>>John Bradshaw: This is It
Is Written. I'm John Bradshaw.
00:00:18.28\00:00:21.05
Thanks for joining me.
00:00:21.08\00:00:22.38
In his book “Blink: The Power
of Thinking without Thinking,”
00:00:22.42\00:00:27.82
author Malcolm Gladwell
shares a fascinating story.
00:00:27.86\00:00:30.63
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.
00:00:37.93\00:00:39.60
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,
00:01:03.06\00:01:04.73
they okayed the
museum to spend $10 million.
00:01:04.76\00:01:06.59
In 2018, that's the equivalent
of almost $25 million.
00:01:06.63\00:01:12.30
And it turned
out to be a phoney.
00:01:12.33\00:01:14.34
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
00:01:21.81\00:01:26.08
from something genuine.
00:01:26.11\00:01:27.98
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.
00:02:05.22\00:02:06.92
Rob and Fab
looked like pop stars,
00:02:06.96\00:02:10.06
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.
00:02:22.34\00:02:24.21
They mimed everything,
00:02:24.24\00:02:27.14
while other musicians did
the real work in the studio.
00:02:27.18\00:02:30.78
Milli Vanilli was
not Milli Vanilli.
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It was one of the
most notorious cases
00:02:34.22\00:02:36.55
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,
00:02:56.47\00:02:59.71
“Lessons for All Time.”
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Let's take our Bibles,
let's look at the parable.
00:03:01.48\00:03:04.15
It's found in
Matthew, chapter 13,
00:03:04.18\00:03:06.01
and the parable
begins in verse 24:
00:03:06.05\00:03:10.32
"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,
00:03:18.79\00:03:20.43
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.
00:04:36.84\00:04:39.41
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
00:04:53.22\00:04:55.76
might convey some
important spiritual truth.
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Now, what are
the spiritual truths
00:04:58.89\00:05:01.00
that Jesus is
teaching in this parable?
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Now, keep in mind,
earlier in Matthew, chapter 13,
00:05:03.57\00:05:06.80
there's another
parable dealing with seed.
00:05:06.84\00:05:09.67
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
00:05:56.22\00:05:59.29
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
00:06:29.88\00:06:31.92
an attack by an enemy,
where Satan introduces into
00:06:31.95\00:06:35.72
the church people
who are not converted.
00:06:35.76\00:06:40.00
Then Jesus points
to the end of the age
00:06:40.03\00:06:41.86
when angels will separate
the true followers of God from,
00:06:41.90\00:06:45.87
from the pretenders,
00:06:45.90\00:06:47.07
from the Milli
Vanilli Christians.
00:06:47.10\00:06:49.57
So Jesus says
this: here's the reality.
00:06:49.60\00:06:52.81
I sow good seed,
00:06:52.84\00:06:54.31
but the enemy comes
and sows weeds in my field.
00:06:54.34\00:06:57.75
And the challenge is,
when the wheat appears,
00:06:57.78\00:07:01.42
and then the tares
grow among the wheat,
00:07:01.45\00:07:03.69
you can't necessarily
tell the two apart very easily.
00:07:03.72\00:07:07.39
Now, this is a commentary on
what we experience in church.
00:07:07.42\00:07:10.03
Have you ever noticed that?
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In the church you
get the good Christians,
00:07:11.23\00:07:14.93
and then the hypocrites,
00:07:14.96\00:07:17.13
those who aren't
really genuine believers.
00:07:17.17\00:07:20.24
Here's what's interesting;
let me ask you a question.
00:07:20.27\00:07:22.80
Which one are you?
00:07:22.84\00:07:25.07
Now, must of us
are going to say,
00:07:25.11\00:07:26.41
“I'm the real thing.”
00:07:26.44\00:07:27.24
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.
00:07:33.25\00:07:39.09
Natural enough, I guess.
00:07:39.12\00:07:40.99
And what does Jesus say here?
00:07:41.02\00:07:42.92
Someone says, “Let
us pull up the tares
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so they don't damage the wheat,”
00:07:44.86\00:07:46.16
which seems like a good idea.
00:07:46.19\00:07:48.00
If there are phonies there,
00:07:48.03\00:07:50.33
why not uproot them
and get rid of them?
00:07:50.37\00:07:53.64
But there's more to
the story, much more.
00:07:53.67\00:07:56.37
I'll be right back.
00:07:56.40\00:07:57.81
¤[Music]¤
00:07:57.84\00:08:04.88
>>Announcer: The greatest
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>>John: Thanks for
joining me on It Is Written.
00:08:36.38\00:08:39.21
In the parable of
the wheat and the tares,
00:08:39.25\00:08:41.45
the servants of a wheat farmer
tell him that there are weeds
00:08:41.48\00:08:45.52
growing in his wheat field.
00:08:45.55\00:08:47.62
They suggest pulling them up.
00:08:47.66\00:08:49.29
He says, “No, don't do that,
because if you attempt to pull
00:08:49.32\00:08:52.56
up the tares you'll
likely pull up wheat with it.”
00:08:52.59\00:08:55.20
And that's a real thing.
00:08:55.23\00:08:57.23
This man knew that
just as it isn't easy
00:08:57.27\00:09:00.07
to tell the difference
between wheat and weeds,
00:09:00.10\00:09:02.67
especially darnel,
00:09:02.70\00:09:03.87
which is indistinguishable
from wheat when it's young,
00:09:03.91\00:09:07.01
it isn't always easy to
tell the difference between a
00:09:07.04\00:09:09.74
genuine believer in God
and someone who is not genuine.
00:09:09.78\00:09:13.75
And it's true that
there's plenty that goes on
00:09:13.78\00:09:16.72
in Christianity
that doesn't represent
00:09:16.75\00:09:18.85
the principles of Christ.
00:09:18.89\00:09:20.06
A number of media outlets
reported that a church meeting
00:09:20.09\00:09:23.26
in Macon, Georgia, being held
to discuss the pastor's future,
00:09:23.29\00:09:26.56
got way out of control.
00:09:26.59\00:09:29.26
As people were preparing
to vote at the meeting,
00:09:29.30\00:09:31.30
voices were
raised; people were pushed;
00:09:31.33\00:09:33.60
chairs were
toppled; punches were thrown.
00:09:33.64\00:09:37.07
It was pandemonium,
00:09:37.11\00:09:38.61
even though there were sheriff's
deputies there at the meeting.
00:09:38.64\00:09:42.08
Bad behavior in church?
00:09:42.11\00:09:44.15
Yes, unfortunately, it happens.
00:09:44.18\00:09:47.88
A church treasurer
stole $415,000 from a church
00:09:47.92\00:09:52.29
in Knoxville, Tennessee.
00:09:52.32\00:09:54.16
A pastor and his wife
in Alexandria, Virginia,
00:09:54.19\00:09:56.29
were convicted of operating
a $2 million fraud scheme
00:09:56.32\00:10:00.56
which allegedly bilked business
investors and church members.
00:10:00.60\00:10:05.07
And we're not surprised
when those who profess Christ
00:10:05.10\00:10:08.00
act as though they
don't possess Christ.
00:10:08.04\00:10:10.84
For one thing,
people are faulty.
00:10:10.87\00:10:13.04
Now, it ought to be remembered
that God isn't faulty.
00:10:13.07\00:10:15.74
Jude, verse 24, says that God
00:10:15.78\00:10:17.48
“is able to keep
you from falling.”
00:10:17.51\00:10:20.05
But if we allow
ourselves to drift,
00:10:20.08\00:10:22.42
if we fail to maintain a
real connection with God,
00:10:22.45\00:10:26.15
in a moment of
weakness or temptation,
00:10:26.19\00:10:27.92
if we don't turn to
God, or if we run from God,
00:10:27.96\00:10:31.26
we're going to get
people, even church members,
00:10:31.29\00:10:34.36
people who know
better, making poor choices.
00:10:34.40\00:10:39.17
In the Bible, you've
got Ananias and Sapphira
00:10:39.20\00:10:41.27
lying about a
pledge they made to God,
00:10:41.30\00:10:43.17
stealing from God.
00:10:43.20\00:10:44.67
Malachi wrote about
people who robbed God
00:10:44.71\00:10:47.08
by failing to return
tithes and offerings.
00:10:47.11\00:10:49.38
Simon Magus tried to buy
the gift of the Holy Spirit
00:10:49.41\00:10:52.28
in Acts, chapter 8.
00:10:52.31\00:10:53.75
Judas was a disciple of Jesus
who ultimately betrayed Jesus,
00:10:53.78\00:10:57.22
while even Peter
denied his Lord and Savior.
00:10:57.25\00:11:02.69
So there's no
shortage of faulty believers.
00:11:02.72\00:11:05.36
So why is Jesus saying,
“Don't try to pull up the tares,
00:11:05.39\00:11:08.23
because you'll likely pull up
00:11:08.26\00:11:09.40
some of the
wheat along with it”?
00:11:09.43\00:11:11.93
Well, for one thing,
00:11:11.97\00:11:13.34
it is biblical to
take a stand against sin,
00:11:13.37\00:11:16.84
where there's open sin,
00:11:16.87\00:11:18.11
open rebellion
against God in the church,
00:11:18.14\00:11:20.71
it's sometimes
appropriate, in fact,
00:11:20.74\00:11:23.41
you could say often appropriate,
00:11:23.45\00:11:24.75
to take action
against the sinner.
00:11:24.78\00:11:26.08
That's true.
00:11:26.11\00:11:27.08
But here, Jesus is
saying that in many cases
00:11:27.12\00:11:30.92
you can't really tell who's who,
who's genuine and who's not.
00:11:30.95\00:11:33.56
And the danger is that
if you try to play God,
00:11:33.59\00:11:37.83
try to decide who
the real Christians are,
00:11:37.86\00:11:40.13
you could end up doing
some real lasting damage.
00:11:40.16\00:11:44.27
Often happens.
00:11:44.30\00:11:46.13
Often what people
need is to be helped up,
00:11:46.17\00:11:48.60
rather than helped out.
00:11:48.64\00:11:50.34
A person has a
problem with pride,
00:11:50.37\00:11:52.61
or has some type
of substance issue,
00:11:52.64\00:11:54.44
or maybe just doesn't
appear to be as Christian
00:11:54.48\00:11:57.48
as some other people wish.
00:11:57.51\00:11:58.85
You know, the
person on the fringes,
00:11:58.88\00:12:00.22
maybe one who's inconsistent
in coming to church.
00:12:00.25\00:12:04.15
Too often there's somebody
00:12:04.19\00:12:05.15
looking down their
nose at that person,
00:12:05.19\00:12:06.69
ready to declare that that
person isn't as good a Christian
00:12:06.72\00:12:10.33
as he or she should be.
00:12:10.36\00:12:12.73
A little like the parable of the
two men praying in the temple.
00:12:12.76\00:12:15.86
One recites his
virtues as he sees them,
00:12:15.90\00:12:19.13
and he thanks God that
he's not like the other guy.
00:12:19.17\00:12:21.70
The other one, a
publican, a tax collector,
00:12:21.74\00:12:24.41
simply prays and says,
00:12:24.44\00:12:26.81
“God, be
merciful to me, a sinner.”
00:12:26.84\00:12:29.38
That's Luke 18:13.
00:12:29.41\00:12:30.51
And then Jesus
says, in the next verse,
00:12:30.55\00:12:32.98
“I tell you, this man went
down to his house justified
00:12:33.01\00:12:37.02
rather than the other.”
00:12:37.05\00:12:39.22
It seems sometimes
that there's no shortage
00:12:39.25\00:12:41.66
of judgmental
people in the church,
00:12:41.69\00:12:44.06
and that's not what you
characterize the church.
00:12:44.09\00:12:47.13
It should be that
people feel safe in the church.
00:12:47.13\00:12:49.76
Church should be a place
where people can, can grow.
00:12:49.80\00:12:53.34
If Jesus came into
the world to save sinners,
00:12:53.37\00:12:55.67
sinners ought to
be welcome in church.
00:12:55.70\00:12:59.24
You know, the Bible talks
about a woman out of whom Jesus
00:12:59.27\00:13:01.94
had cast seven demons.
00:13:01.98\00:13:03.81
Imagine if Jesus gave
up on her to begin with.
00:13:03.85\00:13:07.15
One woman was taken in
adultery and brought to Jesus,
00:13:07.18\00:13:09.82
and there were men
there ready to stone her.
00:13:09.85\00:13:12.65
But Jesus says in
John 8 and verse 11,
00:13:12.69\00:13:16.09
“Neither do I condemn
you; go and sin no more.”
00:13:16.12\00:13:21.80
You know, one of the
wonderful things about God
00:13:21.83\00:13:23.23
is that God is not
in a hurry to condemn.
00:13:23.26\00:13:27.74
I think that's the
complete opposite of the picture
00:13:27.77\00:13:29.50
that many people have of God.
00:13:29.54\00:13:31.71
That's what God is really like.
00:13:31.74\00:13:33.71
Psalm 103, verse 8, says,
00:13:33.74\00:13:36.31
“The Lord is
merciful and gracious,
00:13:36.34\00:13:38.51
slow to anger, and
plenteous in mercy.”
00:13:38.55\00:13:41.52
In one psalm alone,
00:13:41.55\00:13:43.82
Psalm 136, it says,
“His mercy endures forever,”
00:13:43.85\00:13:49.62
twenty-six times.
00:13:49.66\00:13:52.19
And that ought to
tell us something.
00:13:52.23\00:13:55.10
Now, that's not to say that God
is all mercy and no judgment.
00:13:55.13\00:13:57.50
The parable ends with
some serious judgment.
00:13:57.53\00:14:01.00
But God is saying,
00:14:01.04\00:14:02.77
“You humans can't always tell
who is genuine and who isn't.
00:14:02.80\00:14:06.44
So don't try to.
00:14:06.47\00:14:08.01
Leave the judging with Me.”
00:14:08.04\00:14:09.24
And that is really good advice.
00:14:09.28\00:14:12.31
A friend of mine tells the story
of going to a revival meeting
00:14:12.35\00:14:15.08
when he was
young, looking rough,
00:14:15.12\00:14:17.52
and people thought,
as he found out later,
00:14:17.55\00:14:20.02
there was no way in
the world somebody like him
00:14:20.06\00:14:23.83
could ever become a Christian.
00:14:23.86\00:14:25.13
And, of course, he did.
00:14:25.16\00:14:26.39
He became a
minister of the gospel,
00:14:26.43\00:14:28.56
showing again that
people only know so much about
00:14:28.60\00:14:30.70
what's really going on
inside somebody's heart.
00:14:30.73\00:14:34.20
The time I showed up in
church for the first time,
00:14:34.24\00:14:37.11
you would not have
thought I was going to stay.
00:14:37.14\00:14:39.61
I looked like
somebody who was lost
00:14:39.64\00:14:41.31
and had only stepped inside the
church to shelter from the cold.
00:14:41.34\00:14:44.08
But you know what happened?
00:14:44.11\00:14:46.21
No one judged me.
00:14:46.25\00:14:47.38
No one quizzed me.
00:14:47.42\00:14:48.78
There was no 20 questions.
00:14:48.82\00:14:51.09
No one made me feel unwelcome.
00:14:51.12\00:14:52.49
Instead, I was
loved into the church,
00:14:52.52\00:14:55.46
and loved into the arms of God.
00:14:55.49\00:14:58.43
Remember that kouros that
Getty purchased in the 1980s?
00:14:58.46\00:15:01.26
Ten million dollars at the time,
00:15:01.30\00:15:03.83
and the best
judgment of a group of experts
00:15:03.87\00:15:05.90
was that it was original.
00:15:05.93\00:15:07.30
Genuine.
00:15:07.34\00:15:08.70
When in actuality it was a fake.
00:15:08.74\00:15:12.04
Jesus says, "let both grow
together until the harvest."
00:15:12.07\00:15:15.84
Don't waste your
time trying to determine
00:15:15.88\00:15:18.45
what's going in someone's heart.
00:15:18.48\00:15:21.75
And keep this in mind:
00:15:21.78\00:15:22.82
there are probably a
lot of people in the church
00:15:22.85\00:15:25.05
that you and I think
are model Christians,
00:15:25.09\00:15:26.99
but, perhaps
underneath, that's not the case.
00:15:27.02\00:15:30.43
My expectation is
that you had met the pastor
00:15:30.46\00:15:32.46
of that little church
in Irvington, Indiana,
00:15:32.49\00:15:34.96
you'd have
thought he was a fine man.
00:15:35.00\00:15:36.30
And even if you didn't,
00:15:36.33\00:15:37.73
I doubt that you'd
have suspected him of being
00:15:37.77\00:15:39.50
the kingpin of a
multi-million-dollar
00:15:39.53\00:15:41.77
synthetic drug ring that
manufactured ten tons of drugs.
00:15:41.80\00:15:46.17
We can't tell.
00:15:46.21\00:15:47.71
In trying to do so,
we do a lot of damage.
00:15:47.74\00:15:50.98
Now, again, there
are times that the church
00:15:51.01\00:15:52.88
has to take a stand
about various things.
00:15:52.91\00:15:54.65
Your treasurer
embezzles $415,000,
00:15:54.68\00:15:58.09
that's one thing.
00:15:58.12\00:15:59.89
But trying to figure out
who's genuine and who's not,
00:15:59.92\00:16:02.09
who belongs, who
should be cast out?
00:16:02.12\00:16:04.26
I'll tell you this:
00:16:04.29\00:16:05.83
if the congregation is
doing the work that God
00:16:05.86\00:16:08.50
has given them to do,
ministering in the community,
00:16:08.53\00:16:11.40
making a
difference in people's lives,
00:16:11.43\00:16:13.44
sharing Jesus with
others, sharing the gospel,
00:16:13.47\00:16:16.00
if the congregation
is doing those things,
00:16:16.04\00:16:18.21
there won't be time for judging.
00:16:18.24\00:16:21.14
People who are doing God's work
00:16:21.18\00:16:22.61
typically don't waste
their time being small-minded.
00:16:22.64\00:16:26.58
So does that mean
there'll be less than perfect
00:16:26.61\00:16:28.38
people in the church?
00:16:28.42\00:16:29.72
Well, if you're in the church,
00:16:29.75\00:16:30.82
you already know that
there are less-than-perfect
00:16:30.85\00:16:32.25
people in the church,
00:16:32.29\00:16:33.09
because you are in it.
00:16:33.12\00:16:35.59
But what the parable tells
us is that beyond the imperfect,
00:16:35.62\00:16:38.89
“growing slowly but
surely” people in church,
00:16:38.93\00:16:42.03
Satan loves to crowd unconverted
people into the church,
00:16:42.06\00:16:45.40
because it makes
the church look bad.
00:16:45.43\00:16:47.50
It reflects
negatively on Christ,
00:16:47.54\00:16:49.24
causes people to say, “If
that's what Christians are like,
00:16:49.27\00:16:51.77
then I don't want to be one.”
00:16:51.81\00:16:53.81
That's too bad.
00:16:53.84\00:16:55.61
Of course, there's some
weakness in that thinking.
00:16:55.64\00:16:57.48
In fact, there's considerable
weakness in that thinking.
00:16:57.51\00:17:01.18
I'll share more
in just a moment.
00:17:01.22\00:17:03.39
¤[Music]¤
00:17:03.42\00:17:10.43
¤[Theme music]¤
00:17:11.26\00:17:12.79
>>Announcer: In Matthew
4:4, the Word of God says,
00:17:12.83\00:17:15.36
“It is Written,
00:17:15.40\00:17:16.40
‘Man shall not
live by bread alone,
00:17:16.43\00:17:18.20
but by every word that proceeds
from the mouth of God.'”
00:17:18.23\00:17:22.34
“Every Word”
00:17:22.37\00:17:23.37
is a one -minute,
Bible-based daily devotional
00:17:23.41\00:17:25.57
presented by
Pastor John Bradshaw,
00:17:25.61\00:17:27.31
and designed especially
for busy people like you.
00:17:27.34\00:17:30.45
Look for Every Word
on selected networks,
00:17:30.48\00:17:33.18
or watch it online
every day on our website,
00:17:33.21\00:17:35.68
itiswritten.com.
00:17:35.72\00:17:37.99
Receive a daily spiritual boost.
00:17:38.02\00:17:40.12
Watch “Every Word.”
00:17:40.16\00:17:41.49
You'll be glad you did.
00:17:41.52\00:17:45.79
>>Girl: My mom woke up at
11:45, and she smelled smoke.
00:17:47.30\00:17:52.67
>>Man: About maybe
1:30 in the morning,
00:17:52.70\00:17:54.74
the, uh, my wife
got a phone call,
00:17:54.77\00:17:58.57
and I could hear the voice
on the other end of the line,
00:17:58.61\00:18:01.14
and she was basically screaming,
00:18:01.18\00:18:03.91
“There's a fire. It's massive.
00:18:03.95\00:18:05.55
It's headed your way.
00:18:05.58\00:18:07.02
You need to get
out and get out now.”
00:18:07.05\00:18:09.45
>>Woman: After I hear fire,
00:18:09.48\00:18:10.39
I hear in the background,
00:18:10.42\00:18:12.12
the fire is two to four
blocks away from your house.
00:18:12.15\00:18:14.72
And I panicked.
00:18:14.76\00:18:16.19
We started praying.
00:18:16.22\00:18:17.16
Our prayers didn't last long.
00:18:17.19\00:18:18.93
They were desperate,
they were, they were rushed.
00:18:18.96\00:18:22.83
There was a need; it was urgent;
00:18:22.86\00:18:24.67
it was very, very urgent.
00:18:24.70\00:18:26.23
I said, please save my children.
00:18:26.27\00:18:29.70
>>John: Where was God
when the fires burned?
00:18:31.81\00:18:33.44
Where was God
as people suffered?
00:18:33.48\00:18:35.34
Where was God
while people were dying?
00:18:35.38\00:18:38.15
Where was God in the
midst of the devastation?
00:18:38.18\00:18:40.55
>>John: Thanks for joining
me today on It Is Written.
00:18:47.92\00:18:49.62
I'm John Bradshaw.
00:18:49.66\00:18:51.33
In the parable of
the wheat and the tares,
00:18:51.36\00:18:53.26
an enemy plants weeds
in a man's wheat field.
00:18:53.29\00:18:57.40
And because you
can't tell the difference
00:18:57.43\00:18:58.80
between wheat and darnel,
00:18:58.83\00:19:00.44
the field owner
can't weed out the tares
00:19:00.47\00:19:03.14
without
jeopardizing the actual wheat.
00:19:03.17\00:19:06.07
There's a danger that
in pulling up the weeds,
00:19:06.11\00:19:08.58
you'll pull up a
good amount of the wheat.
00:19:08.61\00:19:10.35
And I think it's important
we notice something here.
00:19:10.38\00:19:12.98
Jesus isn't saying that
the weeds can't be dealt with.
00:19:13.01\00:19:15.82
He's simply saying there's
a wrong time and a right time.
00:19:15.85\00:19:20.12
He says He will leave it
to angels to finally separate
00:19:20.16\00:19:23.12
the genuine from the phony.
00:19:23.16\00:19:24.49
But I'll tell you this:
00:19:24.53\00:19:26.49
it's important to
notice that Jesus is very clear
00:19:26.53\00:19:29.90
when He says the
wheat and the tares
00:19:29.93\00:19:32.03
will definitely be separated.
00:19:32.07\00:19:34.97
Now, notice what Jesus said.
00:19:35.00\00:19:36.60
Jesus said this in
Matthew, chapter 13.
00:19:36.64\00:19:39.71
He said, “Let both grow
together until the harvest,
00:19:39.74\00:19:43.78
and at the time of harvest
I will say to the reapers,
00:19:43.81\00:19:46.75
‘First gather together the
tares and bind them in bundles
00:19:46.78\00:19:50.69
to burn them, but gather
the wheat into my barn.'”
00:19:50.72\00:19:55.56
That's Matthew 13, verse 30.
00:19:55.59\00:19:57.46
This is where it gets serious.
00:19:57.49\00:19:59.83
Notice this: while
Jesus says we shouldn't judge,
00:19:59.86\00:20:02.46
while we shouldn't try to
do the work of the Holy Spirit
00:20:02.50\00:20:04.80
and decide who's a true
Christian and who's not,
00:20:04.83\00:20:07.67
He tells us just as plainly
that there's coming a time
00:20:07.70\00:20:09.80
of separation, a
time of gathering as well.
00:20:09.84\00:20:14.08
There's coming a time
when there will be no more
00:20:14.11\00:20:16.08
opportunity to repent.
00:20:16.11\00:20:17.95
The tares will be
tares, and that's that.
00:20:17.98\00:20:21.88
You know, the
gospel's so wonderful.
00:20:21.92\00:20:23.42
You can be the worst sinner,
00:20:23.45\00:20:25.05
and God is
willing to forgive you.
00:20:25.09\00:20:26.65
More than willing.
00:20:26.69\00:20:27.56
God really wants to forgive you.
00:20:27.59\00:20:30.66
God wants to see you
come to Him in faith.
00:20:30.69\00:20:33.26
Jesus said in
Luke 19 and verse 10,
00:20:33.29\00:20:35.73
“For the Son of
Man is come to seek
00:20:35.76\00:20:37.67
and to save
that which was lost.”
00:20:37.70\00:20:39.73
Isn't that outstanding?
00:20:39.77\00:20:41.70
And so what does God do?
00:20:41.74\00:20:43.24
He calls you; He
reveals His love to you;
00:20:43.27\00:20:46.54
He blesses you.
00:20:46.57\00:20:47.44
He says, “If
you're carrying guilt,
00:20:47.48\00:20:49.91
shame, sin, if you're
carrying condemnation,
00:20:49.94\00:20:54.25
give it to Me.”
00:20:54.28\00:20:55.12
God says, “Jesus died for you.”
00:20:55.15\00:20:57.92
God tells you that He
wants you to be saved.
00:20:57.95\00:21:01.79
But that separation-it's final.
00:21:01.82\00:21:04.93
Today we can repent.
00:21:04.96\00:21:07.13
Tomorrow might well be too late.
00:21:07.20\00:21:10.33
One of those
tomorrows, one soon tomorrow,
00:21:10.37\00:21:13.13
I believe, it's going to
be too late for everyone.
00:21:13.17\00:21:16.91
In Revelation
chapter 22, verses 11 and 12,
00:21:16.94\00:21:20.11
Jesus put it this way:
00:21:20.14\00:21:21.61
“He that is unjust,
let him be unjust still:
00:21:21.64\00:21:25.61
and he which is filthy,
00:21:25.65\00:21:27.25
let him be filthy still:
and he that is righteous,
00:21:27.28\00:21:30.85
let him be righteous
still: and he that is holy,
00:21:30.89\00:21:33.69
let him be holy still.
00:21:33.72\00:21:36.09
And, behold, I come quickly;
and My reward is with Me,
00:21:36.12\00:21:40.53
to give every man
according as his work shall be.”
00:21:40.56\00:21:44.47
Now, that's not a fear thing.
00:21:44.50\00:21:47.74
That's just reality.
00:21:47.77\00:21:50.37
One day there's
going to be a harvest,
00:21:50.41\00:21:52.91
spiritually speaking.
00:21:52.94\00:21:54.61
Today, the lost have
the opportunity to repent.
00:21:54.64\00:21:57.81
On that day, they won't.
00:21:57.85\00:22:00.15
So let me ask you,
how is it with you?
00:22:00.18\00:22:04.92
You know what the devil does.
00:22:04.95\00:22:06.15
You know, there are tons of
people in the world today who
00:22:06.19\00:22:08.39
are living entirely
without reference to God.
00:22:08.42\00:22:12.09
Not necessarily bad people;
they're just not saved people.
00:22:12.13\00:22:15.60
They're just busy
with life, with work,
00:22:15.63\00:22:18.73
with sport, with
doing their own thing.
00:22:18.77\00:22:22.04
Culturally they
were never Christians,
00:22:22.07\00:22:23.81
and they just never
found a reason to be.
00:22:23.84\00:22:26.88
But then there's
another group of people
00:22:26.91\00:22:28.21
who know something about God.
00:22:28.24\00:22:30.21
They're not willing to
let God into their heart.
00:22:30.25\00:22:33.11
They might pray occasionally;
they might agree that the Bible,
00:22:33.15\00:22:37.42
might even tell you
the Bible is a good book.
00:22:37.45\00:22:39.02
They might even say God's book.
00:22:39.05\00:22:41.49
They might go to church.
00:22:41.52\00:22:43.69
And then, or even
often, they might go to church
00:22:43.73\00:22:47.00
but they've not surrendered
their lives to Jesus.
00:22:47.03\00:22:50.10
Is that you?
00:22:50.13\00:22:51.47
If you haven't,
when will you do so?
00:22:51.50\00:22:56.40
Friend, God loves you.
00:22:56.44\00:22:57.71
More than anything,
God wants you to be saved,
00:22:57.74\00:22:59.91
to be with Him forever.
00:22:59.94\00:23:01.68
There'll be a harvest one day.
00:23:01.71\00:23:04.01
The lost, lost forever.
00:23:04.05\00:23:07.25
What's going to happen is this:
00:23:07.28\00:23:08.35
between now and
the return of Jesus,
00:23:08.38\00:23:10.62
the world is going to
plunge deeper and deeper
00:23:10.65\00:23:12.49
and deeper into dysfunction.
00:23:12.52\00:23:13.69
And that separation
between right and wrong
00:23:13.72\00:23:16.32
is going to
become more pronounced.
00:23:16.36\00:23:17.79
There'll be a shifting.
00:23:17.83\00:23:21.36
Where are you being shifting?
00:23:21.40\00:23:24.20
The good news is that the
wheat is going to be gathered
00:23:24.23\00:23:27.27
into His barn, Jesus said.
00:23:27.30\00:23:30.24
One day soon,
we'll be safe from sin.
00:23:30.27\00:23:32.87
One day soon we'll be out
of the reach of temptation.
00:23:32.91\00:23:36.11
One day soon we'll be in
a place with no rejection
00:23:36.14\00:23:38.58
or
marginalization or mistreatment
00:23:38.61\00:23:41.05
or injustice or indignity.
00:23:41.08\00:23:44.12
One day soon, the
wheat will be with Jesus.
00:23:44.15\00:23:46.72
The saved will be with Jesus.
00:23:46.76\00:23:48.52
One day soon.
00:23:48.56\00:23:51.33
You choose Jesus today,
00:23:51.36\00:23:53.73
and you can believe
that you'll be with Him then.
00:23:53.76\00:23:56.26
Be with Him now, and
you'll be with Him forever.
00:23:56.30\00:24:01.20
What does Jesus
tell us in this parable?
00:24:01.24\00:24:03.71
Don't do His work of judging.
00:24:03.74\00:24:05.04
Don't worry about that.
00:24:05.07\00:24:07.71
God will take care of that.
00:24:07.74\00:24:10.01
But He will take care of that.
00:24:10.05\00:24:12.15
One day, finally, sinners
and saints will be separated.
00:24:12.18\00:24:15.48
You'll be either on
one side or the other.
00:24:15.52\00:24:18.09
What side are you on?
00:24:18.12\00:24:18.92
Can we settle it?
00:24:18.95\00:24:21.12
Jesus is on the
side of the saved.
00:24:21.16\00:24:24.43
Jesus is with the redeemed.
00:24:24.46\00:24:25.83
Jesus is on the
side of eternity.
00:24:25.86\00:24:27.50
And Jesus is on your side.
00:24:27.50\00:24:29.80
That's why He came
from heaven to earth.
00:24:29.83\00:24:31.57
He came for you, to call
you, to reach out to you,
00:24:31.60\00:24:35.10
to show you in His life what God
was like to convince you that
00:24:35.14\00:24:38.57
He'd taken care of your sins,
and to invite you to choose Him,
00:24:38.61\00:24:44.15
to team up with Him,
00:24:44.18\00:24:45.15
to welcome Him into your heart.
00:24:45.18\00:24:46.88
Can you do that now?
00:24:46.92\00:24:49.02
One day this world ends.
00:24:49.05\00:24:50.72
One day Jesus comes back.
00:24:50.75\00:24:52.05
One day there's no tomorrow.
00:24:52.09\00:24:53.42
On that day, you
can be safe with Jesus,
00:24:53.46\00:24:58.83
by being safe with Jesus now.
00:24:58.86\00:25:03.16
¤[Music]¤
00:25:03.20\00:25:11.24
>>John: The greatest
event in all of history.
00:25:12.44\00:25:14.81
The Second
Coming of Jesus Christ.
00:25:14.84\00:25:17.01
What does the Bible
say that will be like?
00:25:17.05\00:25:20.12
Find out by
getting today's free offer,
00:25:20.15\00:25:22.18
“The Second Coming of Jesus.”
00:25:22.22\00:25:23.82
To receive this free DVD,
00:25:23.85\00:25:25.29
call 800-253-3000,
00:25:25.32\00:25:28.36
or visit us
online at iiwoffer.com.
00:25:28.39\00:25:32.49
Find out what the Bible says
00:25:32.53\00:25:33.86
about the
Second Coming of Jesus.
00:25:33.90\00:25:35.43
Get the free DVD.
00:25:35.46\00:25:36.90
800-253-3000,
00:25:36.93\00:25:39.03
iiwoffer.com.
00:25:39.07\00:25:42.10
>>John: Thank you for
remembering that It Is Written
00:25:42.60\00:25:44.54
exists because of the kindness
of people just like you.
00:25:44.57\00:25:48.01
To support this international
life-changing ministry,
00:25:48.04\00:25:51.25
please call us
now at 800-253-3000.
00:25:51.28\00:25:55.52
You can send your
tax-deductible gift
00:25:55.55\00:25:56.99
to the address on your screen,
00:25:57.02\00:25:58.45
or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:25:58.49\00:26:02.29
Thank you for your prayers
and for your financial support.
00:26:02.32\00:26:05.13
Our number
again is 800-253-3000.
00:26:05.16\00:26:09.16
Or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:26:09.20\00:26:12.40
>>John: Let me
pray with you now.
00:26:13.57\00:26:14.70
Our Father in Heaven,
00:26:14.74\00:26:16.17
we thank You that one day
00:26:16.20\00:26:18.44
You're going to gather
all those that are Yours,
00:26:18.47\00:26:20.54
and nevermore will
they be touched by sin
00:26:20.58\00:26:22.71
or temptation or
trial or discouragement.
00:26:22.74\00:26:25.31
And so we want to
choose Jesus today,
00:26:25.35\00:26:29.42
so we can know
now that we are Yours,
00:26:29.45\00:26:31.22
You are ours, and we can
know that throughout eternity
00:26:31.25\00:26:34.59
we'll be with You where You are.
00:26:34.62\00:26:36.19
For now we are in this world,
this world tainted by sin.
00:26:36.22\00:26:40.06
In the parable, Jesus taught
us an enemy has done this.
00:26:40.10\00:26:45.63
The reason for sin in the
world is the enemy has done it.
00:26:45.67\00:26:49.24
The reason for people
who are separated from You,
00:26:49.27\00:26:51.11
an enemy has done it.
00:26:51.14\00:26:52.71
The reason for sin and
death and sickness and sadness,
00:26:52.74\00:26:55.78
an enemy has done it.
00:26:55.81\00:26:59.78
You present us with a choice
between the enemy and You,
00:26:59.81\00:27:04.22
the one who loves
this world immeasurably.
00:27:04.25\00:27:07.52
Friend, could
you choose Jesus now?
00:27:07.56\00:27:09.06
Would you do that?
00:27:09.09\00:27:10.56
Will you say in your
heart, or even out loud,
00:27:10.59\00:27:12.13
wherever you are,
00:27:12.16\00:27:13.73
Jesus, I choose You
as my Lord and Savior.
00:27:13.76\00:27:16.36
I want You in my heart.
00:27:16.40\00:27:17.60
Live Your life in me.
00:27:17.63\00:27:21.84
That's our prayer,
friend, and as we pray it,
00:27:21.87\00:27:23.77
know that you
are a child of God.
00:27:23.81\00:27:25.67
God wants you to grow
with Him forever and ever.
00:27:25.71\00:27:30.08
We thank You, Father.
00:27:30.11\00:27:31.81
We trust in You,
we believe in You,
00:27:31.85\00:27:33.42
and we give our
lives to You again.
00:27:33.45\00:27:35.72
In Jesus' name,
00:27:35.75\00:27:37.55
Amen.
00:27:37.59\00:27:39.65
Thanks for joining me today.
00:27:39.69\00:27:40.76
I'm looking forward to
seeing you again next time.
00:27:40.79\00:27:43.09
Until then, remember:
00:27:43.12\00:27:43.93
"It is written:
00:27:43.96\00:27:45.93
'Man shall not
live by bread alone,
00:27:45.96\00:27:48.00
but by every word that proceeds
from the mouth of God.'"
00:27:48.03\00:27:52.10
¤[Theme music]¤
00:27:52.13\00:27:57.14