Participants:
Series Code: IIW
Program Code: IIW017126S
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00:18 >>John Bradshaw: This is It Is Written. I'm John Bradshaw.
00:21 Thanks for joining me. 00:22 In his book “Blink: The Power of Thinking without Thinking,” 00:27 author Malcolm Gladwell shares a fascinating story. 00:30 In 1985, the J. Paul Getty Museum 00:34 in Los Angeles spent $10 million buying a kouros, 00:37 a Greek statue of a young man. 00:39 Of course, before you spend $10 million on a piece of art, 00:42 you want to make sure you're not buying a fake. 00:44 And so the Getty had a team of scientists 00:46 and lawyers check out the statue. 00:49 They said they believed the statue was real. 00:51 It was an original. 00:53 After buying it, the Getty then showed it to art experts 00:57 and historians, and one of them immediately said, 01:00 “It's a fake.” 01:03 One group of experts were so convinced, 01:04 they okayed the museum to spend $10 million. 01:06 In 2018, that's the equivalent of almost $25 million. 01:12 And it turned out to be a phoney. 01:17 How does a museum and its team of experts get taken by a fake? 01:21 Well, it's not always easy to tell something fake 01:26 from something genuine. 01:28 It's one thing to misread a work of art, 01:30 but there are times that people turned out to be 01:33 other than what they claimed. 01:34 Hannah Snell was an English woman in the 18th century who 01:37 faked that she was a man so that she could become a soldier. 01:41 She served three years in the military without anyone ever 01:44 discovering that she was a woman and not a man. 01:48 Women faked being men on occasion 01:50 to fight in the American Civil War. 01:53 In the late 1980s, a German music producer 01:57 named Frank Farian put together a new pop band. 02:00 He hired two dancers named Rob Pilatus and Fabrice Morvan 02:05 to front the band. 02:06 Rob and Fab looked like pop stars, 02:10 and the band, Milli Vanilli, sold millions of records. 02:14 In 1980 they won the Grammy award for Best New Artist. 02:17 Rob and Fab, however, 02:20 didn't sing on any of the band's recordings. 02:22 They didn't even sing at the Grammy awards. 02:24 They mimed everything, 02:27 while other musicians did the real work in the studio. 02:30 Milli Vanilli was not Milli Vanilli. 02:34 It was one of the most notorious cases 02:36 of lip-syncing in pop music history. 02:39 So why is it that nobody noticed? 02:42 Simple answer: 02:43 it's just not that easy. 02:45 Sometimes it's hard to know who's fake and who's genuine, 02:50 or what's fake and what's genuine. 02:54 Jesus spoke to this 02:55 in the parable of the wheat and the tares. 02:56 We look at this today as part of our ongoing series, 02:59 “Lessons for All Time.” 03:01 Let's take our Bibles, let's look at the parable. 03:04 It's found in Matthew, chapter 13, 03:06 and the parable begins in verse 24: 03:10 "Another parable He put forth to them, saying: 03:13 'The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed 03:16 good seed in his field; 03:18 but while men slept, 03:20 his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat 03:23 and went his way. 03:25 But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, 03:28 then the tares also appeared. 03:31 So the servants of the owner came and said to him, 03:34 "Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? 03:38 How then does it have tares?" 03:41 He said to them, "An enemy has done this." 03:44 The servants said to him, 03:45 "Do you want us to go and gather them up?" 03:49 But he said, "No, lest while you gather up the tares 03:52 you also uproot the wheat with them. 03:55 Let both grow together until the harvest, 03:59 and at the time of the harvest I will say to the reapers, 04:02 'First gather together the tares 04:04 and bind them in bundles to burn them, 04:07 but gather the wheat into my barn.'"'" 04:11 Now, this is something that used to happen in Jesus' day. 04:14 Someone would have a field of wheat growing, 04:16 and an enemy, wanting to cause problems, 04:18 might sneak in a spread the seed of weeds. 04:21 The weeds would grow and choke the good seed 04:24 and cause all kinds of problems for the landowner. 04:25 It's thought that the tare, or the weed, 04:29 mentioned in this parable is darnel, lolium temulentum, 04:33 sometimes referred to as "false wheat," 04:36 which can be fatal if it's eaten. 04:39 So let's take a look at the story, this parable. 04:41 And remember what a parable is: 04:43 it's a short story used to teach a moral or religious lesson. 04:49 Not everything in a parable has a parallel or a meaning. 04:53 But many of the details of a parable are shared so that they 04:55 might convey some important spiritual truth. 04:58 Now, what are the spiritual truths 05:01 that Jesus is teaching in this parable? 05:03 Now, keep in mind, earlier in Matthew, chapter 13, 05:06 there's another parable dealing with seed. 05:09 It's the parable of the sower who went forth to sow. 05:13 Here, the kingdom of God, now, 05:14 that's the kingdom of divine grace on earth; 05:17 you could call it God's work of salvation on behalf of humanity. 05:21 The kingdom of God is compared to a man who sowed seed. 05:25 In that parable, 05:26 the seed fell on four different types of ground: 05:28 first the wayside, then on stony ground, 05:31 then there was some seed that was choked by thorns, 05:34 and then there was the good ground, 05:36 where the seed flourished. 05:38 Now, in the parable of the wheat and the tares, 05:40 the seed is compromised by weeds 05:43 that threaten it in a variety of ways. 05:46 Let's look at it now. 05:47 We read that a man sowed good seed in his field. 05:51 So do we know who that is? 05:53 Well, we do know who that is, because this is one of those 05:56 very helpful parables where Jesus explains 05:59 what the various things mean. 06:01 His disciples come to Him in verse 36 and they say, 06:04 “...explain to us the parable of the tares of the field.” 06:07 And so He told them that He is the sower. 06:11 He went on to say, “The field is the world, 06:13 the good seeds are the sons of the kingdom, 06:16 but the tares are the sons of the wicked one. 06:20 The enemy who sowed them is the devil, 06:22 the harvest is the end of the age, 06:24 and the reapers are the angels.” That's Matthew 13:38 and 39. 06:29 Now, this is a lesson in which Jesus talks about 06:31 an attack by an enemy, where Satan introduces into 06:35 the church people who are not converted. 06:40 Then Jesus points to the end of the age 06:41 when angels will separate the true followers of God from, 06:45 from the pretenders, 06:47 from the Milli Vanilli Christians. 06:49 So Jesus says this: here's the reality. 06:52 I sow good seed, 06:54 but the enemy comes and sows weeds in my field. 06:57 And the challenge is, when the wheat appears, 07:01 and then the tares grow among the wheat, 07:03 you can't necessarily tell the two apart very easily. 07:07 Now, this is a commentary on what we experience in church. 07:10 Have you ever noticed that? 07:11 In the church you get the good Christians, 07:14 and then the hypocrites, 07:17 those who aren't really genuine believers. 07:20 Here's what's interesting; let me ask you a question. 07:22 Which one are you? 07:25 Now, must of us are going to say, 07:26 “I'm the real thing.” 07:27 We might humbly suggest that, well, 07:28 we do have our faults, and well, 07:30 we could do better, but we like to think that we are wheat, 07:33 while the other ones, some of them at least, are tares. 07:39 Natural enough, I guess. 07:41 And what does Jesus say here? 07:42 Someone says, “Let us pull up the tares 07:44 so they don't damage the wheat,” 07:46 which seems like a good idea. 07:48 If there are phonies there, 07:50 why not uproot them and get rid of them? 07:53 But there's more to the story, much more. 07:56 I'll be right back. 07:57 ♪[Music]♪ 08:05 >>Announcer: The greatest event in all of history. 08:08 The Second Coming of Jesus Christ. 08:10 What does the Bible say that will be like? 08:13 Find out by getting today's free offer, 08:15 “The Second Coming of Jesus.” 08:17 To receive this free DVD, 08:18 call 800-253-3000, 08:21 or visit us online at iiwoffer.com. 08:25 Find out what the Bible says 08:27 about the Second Coming of Jesus. 08:28 Get the free DVD. 08:30 800-253-3000. 08:32 iiwoffer.com. 08:36 >>John: Thanks for joining me on It Is Written. 08:39 In the parable of the wheat and the tares, 08:41 the servants of a wheat farmer tell him that there are weeds 08:45 growing in his wheat field. 08:47 They suggest pulling them up. 08:49 He says, “No, don't do that, because if you attempt to pull 08:52 up the tares you'll likely pull up wheat with it.” 08:55 And that's a real thing. 08:57 This man knew that just as it isn't easy 09:00 to tell the difference between wheat and weeds, 09:02 especially darnel, 09:03 which is indistinguishable from wheat when it's young, 09:07 it isn't always easy to tell the difference between a 09:09 genuine believer in God and someone who is not genuine. 09:13 And it's true that there's plenty that goes on 09:16 in Christianity that doesn't represent 09:18 the principles of Christ. 09:20 A number of media outlets reported that a church meeting 09:23 in Macon, Georgia, being held to discuss the pastor's future, 09:26 got way out of control. 09:29 As people were preparing to vote at the meeting, 09:31 voices were raised; people were pushed; 09:33 chairs were toppled; punches were thrown. 09:37 It was pandemonium, 09:38 even though there were sheriff's deputies there at the meeting. 09:42 Bad behavior in church? 09:44 Yes, unfortunately, it happens. 09:47 A church treasurer stole $415,000 from a church 09:52 in Knoxville, Tennessee. 09:54 A pastor and his wife in Alexandria, Virginia, 09:56 were convicted of operating a $2 million fraud scheme 10:00 which allegedly bilked business investors and church members. 10:05 And we're not surprised when those who profess Christ 10:08 act as though they don't possess Christ. 10:10 For one thing, people are faulty. 10:13 Now, it ought to be remembered that God isn't faulty. 10:15 Jude, verse 24, says that God 10:17 “is able to keep you from falling.” 10:20 But if we allow ourselves to drift, 10:22 if we fail to maintain a real connection with God, 10:26 in a moment of weakness or temptation, 10:27 if we don't turn to God, or if we run from God, 10:31 we're going to get people, even church members, 10:34 people who know better, making poor choices. 10:39 In the Bible, you've got Ananias and Sapphira 10:41 lying about a pledge they made to God, 10:43 stealing from God. 10:44 Malachi wrote about people who robbed God 10:47 by failing to return tithes and offerings. 10:49 Simon Magus tried to buy the gift of the Holy Spirit 10:52 in Acts, chapter 8. 10:53 Judas was a disciple of Jesus who ultimately betrayed Jesus, 10:57 while even Peter denied his Lord and Savior. 11:02 So there's no shortage of faulty believers. 11:05 So why is Jesus saying, “Don't try to pull up the tares, 11:08 because you'll likely pull up 11:09 some of the wheat along with it”? 11:11 Well, for one thing, 11:13 it is biblical to take a stand against sin, 11:16 where there's open sin, 11:18 open rebellion against God in the church, 11:20 it's sometimes appropriate, in fact, 11:23 you could say often appropriate, 11:24 to take action against the sinner. 11:26 That's true. 11:27 But here, Jesus is saying that in many cases 11:30 you can't really tell who's who, who's genuine and who's not. 11:33 And the danger is that if you try to play God, 11:37 try to decide who the real Christians are, 11:40 you could end up doing some real lasting damage. 11:44 Often happens. 11:46 Often what people need is to be helped up, 11:48 rather than helped out. 11:50 A person has a problem with pride, 11:52 or has some type of substance issue, 11:54 or maybe just doesn't appear to be as Christian 11:57 as some other people wish. 11:58 You know, the person on the fringes, 12:00 maybe one who's inconsistent in coming to church. 12:04 Too often there's somebody 12:05 looking down their nose at that person, 12:06 ready to declare that that person isn't as good a Christian 12:10 as he or she should be. 12:12 A little like the parable of the two men praying in the temple. 12:15 One recites his virtues as he sees them, 12:19 and he thanks God that he's not like the other guy. 12:21 The other one, a publican, a tax collector, 12:24 simply prays and says, 12:26 “God, be merciful to me, a sinner.” 12:29 That's Luke 18:13. 12:30 And then Jesus says, in the next verse, 12:33 “I tell you, this man went down to his house justified 12:37 rather than the other.” 12:39 It seems sometimes that there's no shortage 12:41 of judgmental people in the church, 12:44 and that's not what you characterize the church. 12:47 It should be that people feel safe in the church. 12:49 Church should be a place where people can, can grow. 12:53 If Jesus came into the world to save sinners, 12:55 sinners ought to be welcome in church. 12:59 You know, the Bible talks about a woman out of whom Jesus 13:01 had cast seven demons. 13:03 Imagine if Jesus gave up on her to begin with. 13:07 One woman was taken in adultery and brought to Jesus, 13:09 and there were men there ready to stone her. 13:12 But Jesus says in John 8 and verse 11, 13:16 “Neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more.” 13:21 You know, one of the wonderful things about God 13:23 is that God is not in a hurry to condemn. 13:27 I think that's the complete opposite of the picture 13:29 that many people have of God. 13:31 That's what God is really like. 13:33 Psalm 103, verse 8, says, 13:36 “The Lord is merciful and gracious, 13:38 slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.” 13:41 In one psalm alone, 13:43 Psalm 136, it says, “His mercy endures forever,” 13:49 twenty-six times. 13:52 And that ought to tell us something. 13:55 Now, that's not to say that God is all mercy and no judgment. 13:57 The parable ends with some serious judgment. 14:01 But God is saying, 14:02 “You humans can't always tell who is genuine and who isn't. 14:06 So don't try to. 14:08 Leave the judging with Me.” 14:09 And that is really good advice. 14:12 A friend of mine tells the story of going to a revival meeting 14:15 when he was young, looking rough, 14:17 and people thought, as he found out later, 14:20 there was no way in the world somebody like him 14:23 could ever become a Christian. 14:25 And, of course, he did. 14:26 He became a minister of the gospel, 14:28 showing again that people only know so much about 14:30 what's really going on inside somebody's heart. 14:34 The time I showed up in church for the first time, 14:37 you would not have thought I was going to stay. 14:39 I looked like somebody who was lost 14:41 and had only stepped inside the church to shelter from the cold. 14:44 But you know what happened? 14:46 No one judged me. 14:47 No one quizzed me. 14:48 There was no 20 questions. 14:51 No one made me feel unwelcome. 14:52 Instead, I was loved into the church, 14:55 and loved into the arms of God. 14:58 Remember that kouros that Getty purchased in the 1980s? 15:01 Ten million dollars at the time, 15:03 and the best judgment of a group of experts 15:05 was that it was original. 15:07 Genuine. 15:08 When in actuality it was a fake. 15:12 Jesus says, "let both grow together until the harvest." 15:15 Don't waste your time trying to determine 15:18 what's going in someone's heart. 15:21 And keep this in mind: 15:22 there are probably a lot of people in the church 15:25 that you and I think are model Christians, 15:27 but, perhaps underneath, that's not the case. 15:30 My expectation is that you had met the pastor 15:32 of that little church in Irvington, Indiana, 15:35 you'd have thought he was a fine man. 15:36 And even if you didn't, 15:37 I doubt that you'd have suspected him of being 15:39 the kingpin of a multi-million-dollar 15:41 synthetic drug ring that manufactured ten tons of drugs. 15:46 We can't tell. 15:47 In trying to do so, we do a lot of damage. 15:51 Now, again, there are times that the church 15:52 has to take a stand about various things. 15:54 Your treasurer embezzles $415,000, 15:58 that's one thing. 15:59 But trying to figure out who's genuine and who's not, 16:02 who belongs, who should be cast out? 16:04 I'll tell you this: 16:05 if the congregation is doing the work that God 16:08 has given them to do, ministering in the community, 16:11 making a difference in people's lives, 16:13 sharing Jesus with others, sharing the gospel, 16:16 if the congregation is doing those things, 16:18 there won't be time for judging. 16:21 People who are doing God's work 16:22 typically don't waste their time being small-minded. 16:26 So does that mean there'll be less than perfect 16:28 people in the church? 16:29 Well, if you're in the church, 16:30 you already know that there are less-than-perfect 16:32 people in the church, 16:33 because you are in it. 16:35 But what the parable tells us is that beyond the imperfect, 16:38 “growing slowly but surely” people in church, 16:42 Satan loves to crowd unconverted people into the church, 16:45 because it makes the church look bad. 16:47 It reflects negatively on Christ, 16:49 causes people to say, “If that's what Christians are like, 16:51 then I don't want to be one.” 16:53 That's too bad. 16:55 Of course, there's some weakness in that thinking. 16:57 In fact, there's considerable weakness in that thinking. 17:01 I'll share more in just a moment. 17:03 ♪[Music]♪ 17:11 ♪[Theme music]♪ 17:12 >>Announcer: In Matthew 4:4, the Word of God says, 17:15 “It is Written, 17:16 ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, 17:18 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'” 17:22 “Every Word” 17:23 is a one -minute, Bible-based daily devotional 17:25 presented by Pastor John Bradshaw, 17:27 and designed especially for busy people like you. 17:30 Look for Every Word on selected networks, 17:33 or watch it online every day on our website, 17:35 itiswritten.com. 17:38 Receive a daily spiritual boost. 17:40 Watch “Every Word.” 17:41 You'll be glad you did. 17:47 >>Girl: My mom woke up at 11:45, and she smelled smoke. 17:52 >>Man: About maybe 1:30 in the morning, 17:54 the, uh, my wife got a phone call, 17:58 and I could hear the voice on the other end of the line, 18:01 and she was basically screaming, 18:03 “There's a fire. It's massive. 18:05 It's headed your way. 18:07 You need to get out and get out now.” 18:09 >>Woman: After I hear fire, 18:10 I hear in the background, 18:12 the fire is two to four blocks away from your house. 18:14 And I panicked. 18:16 We started praying. 18:17 Our prayers didn't last long. 18:18 They were desperate, they were, they were rushed. 18:22 There was a need; it was urgent; 18:24 it was very, very urgent. 18:26 I said, please save my children. 18:31 >>John: Where was God when the fires burned? 18:33 Where was God as people suffered? 18:35 Where was God while people were dying? 18:38 Where was God in the midst of the devastation? 18:47 >>John: Thanks for joining me today on It Is Written. 18:49 I'm John Bradshaw. 18:51 In the parable of the wheat and the tares, 18:53 an enemy plants weeds in a man's wheat field. 18:57 And because you can't tell the difference 18:58 between wheat and darnel, 19:00 the field owner can't weed out the tares 19:03 without jeopardizing the actual wheat. 19:06 There's a danger that in pulling up the weeds, 19:08 you'll pull up a good amount of the wheat. 19:10 And I think it's important we notice something here. 19:13 Jesus isn't saying that the weeds can't be dealt with. 19:15 He's simply saying there's a wrong time and a right time. 19:20 He says He will leave it to angels to finally separate 19:23 the genuine from the phony. 19:24 But I'll tell you this: 19:26 it's important to notice that Jesus is very clear 19:29 when He says the wheat and the tares 19:32 will definitely be separated. 19:35 Now, notice what Jesus said. 19:36 Jesus said this in Matthew, chapter 13. 19:39 He said, “Let both grow together until the harvest, 19:43 and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, 19:46 ‘First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles 19:50 to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.'” 19:55 That's Matthew 13, verse 30. 19:57 This is where it gets serious. 19:59 Notice this: while Jesus says we shouldn't judge, 20:02 while we shouldn't try to do the work of the Holy Spirit 20:04 and decide who's a true Christian and who's not, 20:07 He tells us just as plainly that there's coming a time 20:09 of separation, a time of gathering as well. 20:14 There's coming a time when there will be no more 20:16 opportunity to repent. 20:17 The tares will be tares, and that's that. 20:21 You know, the gospel's so wonderful. 20:23 You can be the worst sinner, 20:25 and God is willing to forgive you. 20:26 More than willing. 20:27 God really wants to forgive you. 20:30 God wants to see you come to Him in faith. 20:33 Jesus said in Luke 19 and verse 10, 20:35 “For the Son of Man is come to seek 20:37 and to save that which was lost.” 20:39 Isn't that outstanding? 20:41 And so what does God do? 20:43 He calls you; He reveals His love to you; 20:46 He blesses you. 20:47 He says, “If you're carrying guilt, 20:49 shame, sin, if you're carrying condemnation, 20:54 give it to Me.” 20:55 God says, “Jesus died for you.” 20:57 God tells you that He wants you to be saved. 21:01 But that separation-it's final. 21:04 Today we can repent. 21:07 Tomorrow might well be too late. 21:10 One of those tomorrows, one soon tomorrow, 21:13 I believe, it's going to be too late for everyone. 21:16 In Revelation chapter 22, verses 11 and 12, 21:20 Jesus put it this way: 21:21 “He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: 21:25 and he which is filthy, 21:27 let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, 21:30 let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, 21:33 let him be holy still. 21:36 And, behold, I come quickly; and My reward is with Me, 21:40 to give every man according as his work shall be.” 21:44 Now, that's not a fear thing. 21:47 That's just reality. 21:50 One day there's going to be a harvest, 21:52 spiritually speaking. 21:54 Today, the lost have the opportunity to repent. 21:57 On that day, they won't. 22:00 So let me ask you, how is it with you? 22:04 You know what the devil does. 22:06 You know, there are tons of people in the world today who 22:08 are living entirely without reference to God. 22:12 Not necessarily bad people; they're just not saved people. 22:15 They're just busy with life, with work, 22:18 with sport, with doing their own thing. 22:22 Culturally they were never Christians, 22:23 and they just never found a reason to be. 22:26 But then there's another group of people 22:28 who know something about God. 22:30 They're not willing to let God into their heart. 22:33 They might pray occasionally; they might agree that the Bible, 22:37 might even tell you the Bible is a good book. 22:39 They might even say God's book. 22:41 They might go to church. 22:43 And then, or even often, they might go to church 22:47 but they've not surrendered their lives to Jesus. 22:50 Is that you? 22:51 If you haven't, when will you do so? 22:56 Friend, God loves you. 22:57 More than anything, God wants you to be saved, 22:59 to be with Him forever. 23:01 There'll be a harvest one day. 23:04 The lost, lost forever. 23:07 What's going to happen is this: 23:08 between now and the return of Jesus, 23:10 the world is going to plunge deeper and deeper 23:12 and deeper into dysfunction. 23:13 And that separation between right and wrong 23:16 is going to become more pronounced. 23:17 There'll be a shifting. 23:21 Where are you being shifting? 23:24 The good news is that the wheat is going to be gathered 23:27 into His barn, Jesus said. 23:30 One day soon, we'll be safe from sin. 23:32 One day soon we'll be out of the reach of temptation. 23:36 One day soon we'll be in a place with no rejection 23:38 or marginalization or mistreatment 23:41 or injustice or indignity. 23:44 One day soon, the wheat will be with Jesus. 23:46 The saved will be with Jesus. 23:48 One day soon. 23:51 You choose Jesus today, 23:53 and you can believe that you'll be with Him then. 23:56 Be with Him now, and you'll be with Him forever. 24:01 What does Jesus tell us in this parable? 24:03 Don't do His work of judging. 24:05 Don't worry about that. 24:07 God will take care of that. 24:10 But He will take care of that. 24:12 One day, finally, sinners and saints will be separated. 24:15 You'll be either on one side or the other. 24:18 What side are you on? 24:18 Can we settle it? 24:21 Jesus is on the side of the saved. 24:24 Jesus is with the redeemed. 24:25 Jesus is on the side of eternity. 24:27 And Jesus is on your side. 24:29 That's why He came from heaven to earth. 24:31 He came for you, to call you, to reach out to you, 24:35 to show you in His life what God was like to convince you that 24:38 He'd taken care of your sins, and to invite you to choose Him, 24:44 to team up with Him, 24:45 to welcome Him into your heart. 24:46 Can you do that now? 24:49 One day this world ends. 24:50 One day Jesus comes back. 24:52 One day there's no tomorrow. 24:53 On that day, you can be safe with Jesus, 24:58 by being safe with Jesus now. 25:03 ♪[Music]♪ 25:12 >>John: The greatest event in all of history. 25:14 The Second Coming of Jesus Christ. 25:17 What does the Bible say that will be like? 25:20 Find out by getting today's free offer, 25:22 “The Second Coming of Jesus.” 25:23 To receive this free DVD, 25:25 call 800-253-3000, 25:28 or visit us online at iiwoffer.com. 25:32 Find out what the Bible says 25:33 about the Second Coming of Jesus. 25:35 Get the free DVD. 25:36 800-253-3000, 25:39 iiwoffer.com. 25:42 >>John: Thank you for remembering that It Is Written 25:44 exists because of the kindness of people just like you. 25:48 To support this international life-changing ministry, 25:51 please call us now at 800-253-3000. 25:55 You can send your tax-deductible gift 25:57 to the address on your screen, 25:58 or you can visit us online at itiswritten.com. 26:02 Thank you for your prayers and for your financial support. 26:05 Our number again is 800-253-3000. 26:09 Or you can visit us online at itiswritten.com. 26:13 >>John: Let me pray with you now. 26:14 Our Father in Heaven, 26:16 we thank You that one day 26:18 You're going to gather all those that are Yours, 26:20 and nevermore will they be touched by sin 26:22 or temptation or trial or discouragement. 26:25 And so we want to choose Jesus today, 26:29 so we can know now that we are Yours, 26:31 You are ours, and we can know that throughout eternity 26:34 we'll be with You where You are. 26:36 For now we are in this world, this world tainted by sin. 26:40 In the parable, Jesus taught us an enemy has done this. 26:45 The reason for sin in the world is the enemy has done it. 26:49 The reason for people who are separated from You, 26:51 an enemy has done it. 26:52 The reason for sin and death and sickness and sadness, 26:55 an enemy has done it. 26:59 You present us with a choice between the enemy and You, 27:04 the one who loves this world immeasurably. 27:07 Friend, could you choose Jesus now? 27:09 Would you do that? 27:10 Will you say in your heart, or even out loud, 27:12 wherever you are, 27:13 Jesus, I choose You as my Lord and Savior. 27:16 I want You in my heart. 27:17 Live Your life in me. 27:21 That's our prayer, friend, and as we pray it, 27:23 know that you are a child of God. 27:25 God wants you to grow with Him forever and ever. 27:30 We thank You, Father. 27:31 We trust in You, we believe in You, 27:33 and we give our lives to You again. 27:35 In Jesus' name, 27:37 Amen. 27:39 Thanks for joining me today. 27:40 I'm looking forward to seeing you again next time. 27:43 Until then, remember: 27:43 "It is written: 27:45 'Man shall not live by bread alone, 27:48 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'" 27:52 ♪[Theme music]♪ |
Revised 2024-01-03