>>John Bradshaw:
This is It Is Written.
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I'm John Bradshaw.
Thanks for joining me.
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Few places on earth
have represented evil
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more than Auschwitz-Birkenau.
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¤[Sad music]¤ Located in Poland,
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which was occupied
during World War II by Germany,
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torture and death had
become a science there.
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So many people died, many
from the deadly gas Zyklon B,
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many others from starvation,
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and there were other
reasons besides, so many.
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But on January the 27th, 1945,
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the 7,000-plus inmates
still alive in the camp
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could hear the
distant thunder of artillery.
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Some of the prisoners said
later that they didn't even mind
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getting hit by the
shrapnel coming down on the camp
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from across the Vistula River.
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They knew the booming sounds
they heard were the sounds
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of their liberation.
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The nearer the
liberators got to the camp,
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the louder the
thundering became.
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It was a thunder that brought
joy to the heart of every person
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being held captive behind those
menacing rows of barbed wire.
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That's because it was the,
the thunder of their freedom.
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Three thousand
five hundred years ago,
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God's chosen people,
and the world beyond,
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heard the thunder of a
freedom even more glorious
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than the thundering
artillery of a liberating army.
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The Bible describes this
freedom-heralding thunder
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in the chapter we're going
to consider in this episode
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of our ongoing series,
"Great Chapters of the Bible."
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We're going to look
at Exodus chapter 20.
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It's one of two places
in the Bible where God's
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Ten Commandments are listed.
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And what's unique about the
Ten Commandments in Exodus 20
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is that it is God
Himself who speaks.
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In Deuteronomy chapter 5, where
the commandments are recited
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a second time to
Israel, it's Moses speaking.
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But in Exodus 20, it's God
Himself who declares His will
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for you and me.
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So let's turn to
Exodus chapter 20,
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and let's begin in verse 1:
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"And God spoke all these words,
saying: 'I am the Lord your God,
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who brought you out
of the land of Egypt,
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out of the house of bondage.
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You shall have no
other gods before me.
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You shall not make for
yourself [any] carved image--
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[or] any likeness of anything
that is in heaven above,
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or that is in the earth beneath,
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or that is in the
water under the earth;
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you shall not bow down
to them nor serve them.
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For I, the Lord your God,
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am a jealous God, visiting
the iniquity of the fathers
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on the children to the
third and fourth generations
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of those who hate me,
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but showing mercy to thousands,
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to those who love me
and keep my commandments.
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You shall not take the name
of the Lord your God in vain,
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for the Lord will
not hold him guiltless
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who takes His name in vain.
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Remember the Sabbath
day, to keep it holy.
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Six days you shall
labor and do all your work,
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but the seventh day is the
Sabbath of the Lord your God.
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In it you shall do no work:
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you, nor your
son, nor your daughter,
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nor your [man] servant,
nor your [maid] servant,
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nor your cattle,
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nor your stranger
who is within your gates.
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For in six days the Lord
made the heavens and the earth,
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the sea, and
all that is in them,
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and rested the seventh day.
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Therefore the Lord blessed
the Sabbath day and hallowed it.
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Honor your
father and your mother,
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that your days may
be long upon the land
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which the Lord your
God is giving you.'"
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Now we're down to
commandment number six:
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"You shall not murder."
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Number seven: "You
shall not commit adultery."
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Commandment eight:
"You shall not steal."
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The ninth commandment:
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"You shall not bear false
witness against your neighbor."
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And the tenth commandment:
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"You shall not covet
your neighbor's house;
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you shall not covet
your neighbor's wife,
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nor his [man] servant,
nor his [maid] servant,
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nor his ox, nor his donkey,
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nor anything that
is your neighbor's."
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Those are the first 17
verses of Exodus chapter 20.
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At the time the
commandments were given,
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Israel was encamped
at the base of Mt. Sinai.
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Moses went up to the top
of the mountain to receive
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the Ten Commandments from God.
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And as God
spoke, as God thundered,
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the people were afraid.
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"Now all the people
witnessed the thunderings,
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the lightning flashes,
the sound of the trumpet,
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and the mountain smoking;
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and when the people saw it, they
trembled and stood afar off.
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Then they said to
Moses, 'You speak with us,
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and we will hear;
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but let not God speak
with us, lest we die.'
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And Moses said to
the people, 'Do not fear;
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for God has come to test you,
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and that His fear
[might] be before you,
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so that you may not sin.'
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So the people stood afar off,
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but Moses drew near the
thick darkness where God was."
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Exodus 20:18-21.
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As frightening as it
may have seemed at the time,
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the Ten Commandments
were, and still are,
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the gateway to
freedom, to happiness.
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The people of
Israel didn't know it yet,
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but long and hard
experience would teach them
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that to follow God's way,
follow God's commandments,
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would spare them an
awful lot of trouble.
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So if God gave the
Ten Commandments to Moses
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on Mt. Sinai,
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did the Ten Commandments
exist before God gave them
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on Mt. Sinai?
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Well, of course,
the argument is "yes,"
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unless you can imagine
a time when God was okay
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with people
living in disobedience.
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When Cain killed his
brother Abel in Genesis 4,
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God confronted
him, and He asked,
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"What have you done?
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The voice of your
brother's blood cries out to me
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from the ground.
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So now are you
cursed from the earth,
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which has opened its mouth
to receive your brother's blood
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from your hand."
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Genesis 4:10 and 11.
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Now, obviously Cain's act of
murdering his brother was a sin,
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and Cain knew that.
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The same is true with
honoring your parents.
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The sad story of Jacob and his
mother Rebekah deceiving Isaac
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in order to get the birthright
for Jacob shows us that--
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before the giving
of the Ten Commandments
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on Mt. Sinai.
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Idolatry as well-- Genesis 35.
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You read of a great
revival in Jacob's family,
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which included
putting away false gods.
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And adultery--when Joseph
was tempted by Potiphar's wife,
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he asked her this question:
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"How then can I do
this great wickedness,
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and sin against God?"
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The Sabbath, in
the fourth commandment,
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also existed
before the time of Moses.
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From what we read in Genesis,
it was probably the first one
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of the Ten Commandments
that Adam and Eve knew about.
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This is Genesis chapter 2,
and we'll start in verse 1:
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"Thus the heavens and the
earth, and all the host of them,
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were finished.
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And on the seventh
day God ended His work
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which He had done,
00:07:02.38\00:07:03.45
and He rested on the
seventh day from all His work
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which He had done.
00:07:05.92\00:07:07.29
Then God blessed the
seventh day and sanctified it,
00:07:07.32\00:07:10.39
because in it He
rested from all His work
00:07:10.43\00:07:13.53
which God had created and made."
00:07:13.56\00:07:16.33
And you see that
again in Exodus chapter 16--
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before the Ten Commandments
were written on tables of stone.
00:07:19.23\00:07:22.67
Speaking of the manna, God said,
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"'Six days you
shall gather it'"--
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that's the manna--
"'but on the seventh day,
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the Sabbath,
there will be none.'
00:07:28.88\00:07:32.11
Now it happened that
some of the people went out
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on the seventh day to
gather, but they found none.
00:07:33.85\00:07:35.95
And the Lord said to Moses,
00:07:35.98\00:07:37.55
'How long do you refuse to keep
my commandments and my laws?'
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So the people
rested on the seventh day."
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Exodus 16:26-28 and verse 30.
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So we know--it's
clear from the Bible--
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the Ten Commandments
existed and were important
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before God wrote them on stone.
00:07:52.27\00:07:55.24
Now, when God
wrote them on stone,
00:07:55.27\00:07:58.17
who did He
intend them to be for?
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I'll have that in just a moment.
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¤[Music]¤
00:08:03.38\00:08:10.45
¤[Music]¤
00:08:11.99\00:08:12.92
>>John: Many things
in life are here today
00:08:12.95\00:08:15.12
and gone tomorrow.
00:08:15.16\00:08:17.13
But some things
are built to last.
00:08:17.16\00:08:19.93
From the time He
put the earth in place,
00:08:19.96\00:08:21.83
God gave us a sign of His
love that will last eternally.
00:08:21.86\00:08:26.43
I've written a small
book about that sign,
00:08:26.47\00:08:28.40
and I'd like to
send it to you free.
00:08:28.44\00:08:31.21
It's called
"God's Eternal Sign."
00:08:31.24\00:08:34.18
All you need to do
is call 800-253-3000
00:08:34.21\00:08:38.31
and ask for
"God's Eternal Sign."
00:08:38.35\00:08:41.05
>>John: When a
2,000-ton span on a bridge
00:08:42.48\00:08:45.82
in Melbourne, Australia,
collapsed during construction,
00:08:45.85\00:08:49.19
the damage and loss
of life were devastating.
00:08:49.22\00:08:52.63
When a bridge collapsed
in Tasmania five years later,
00:08:52.66\00:08:55.50
it was another catastrophe that
caused disruption and death.
00:08:55.53\00:08:59.10
So what happens when you
fall? When sin takes you down?
00:08:59.13\00:09:03.71
When failure shakes
your experience with God?
00:09:03.74\00:09:06.71
Don't miss "Free Fall," brought
to you by It Is Written TV.
00:09:06.74\00:09:11.38
Find out what you can do
when you've fallen again.
00:09:11.41\00:09:14.52
And find out how God
treats those who have strayed,
00:09:14.55\00:09:17.62
wandered, failed, fallen.
00:09:17.65\00:09:21.26
There is hope
when you've messed up.
00:09:21.29\00:09:23.56
There's a future when life
isn't going like it should.
00:09:23.59\00:09:26.49
There's a way forward
00:09:26.53\00:09:27.83
when you feel like you've
failed God or failed others.
00:09:27.86\00:09:31.77
"Free Fall," filmed
on location in Australia.
00:09:31.80\00:09:35.77
Don't miss "Free
Fall" on It Is Written TV.
00:09:35.80\00:09:40.84
>>John Bradshaw:
Thanks for joining me today
00:09:42.84\00:09:44.28
on It Is Written.
00:09:44.31\00:09:45.15
I'm John Bradshaw.
00:09:45.18\00:09:46.51
Today, another great
chapter of the Bible,
00:09:46.55\00:09:49.42
and we're looking at Exodus 20,
00:09:49.45\00:09:51.79
where God spoke
the Ten Commandments
00:09:51.82\00:09:53.76
and wrote them on tables
of stone with His own finger.
00:09:53.79\00:09:58.09
There's no doubt that God
gave the Ten Commandments,
00:09:58.13\00:10:01.16
but who did He give them to?
00:10:01.20\00:10:03.47
It's interesting--you'll
find people who believe
00:10:03.50\00:10:05.23
that the Ten Commandments
were designed by God
00:10:05.27\00:10:07.60
only for the Jewish nation.
00:10:07.64\00:10:09.77
"After all," some will say,
00:10:09.80\00:10:11.21
"I wasn't brought
out of bondage in Egypt,
00:10:11.24\00:10:13.07
like the second verse
of Exodus chapter 20 says."
00:10:13.11\00:10:15.94
So how can you know
that the Ten Commandments
00:10:15.98\00:10:17.65
were intended
for the entire world?
00:10:17.68\00:10:20.75
Well, in the
book of Ecclesiastes,
00:10:20.78\00:10:22.75
which was
written by King Solomon,
00:10:22.78\00:10:24.65
the wisest man
that had ever lived,
00:10:24.69\00:10:27.36
Solomon wrote these
words, Ecclesiastes chapter 12:
00:10:27.39\00:10:30.86
"Let us hear the
conclusion of the whole matter:
00:10:30.89\00:10:34.00
Fear God, and
keep His commandments:
00:10:34.03\00:10:36.70
for this is the
whole duty of man.
00:10:36.73\00:10:38.60
For God will bring
every work into judgment,
00:10:38.63\00:10:41.10
including every secret thing,
00:10:41.14\00:10:43.04
whether [it is] good
[or whether it's] evil."
00:10:43.07\00:10:45.67
Now, notice that Solomon
says to "fear God and keep
00:10:45.71\00:10:49.14
His commandments" is
"the whole duty of man."
00:10:49.18\00:10:52.48
He doesn't say "the
whole duty of a good Israelite"
00:10:52.51\00:10:55.02
or even "the whole
duty of God's people."
00:10:55.05\00:10:57.42
All of
humankind, not just Israel,
00:10:57.45\00:10:59.75
is addressed in this statement.
00:10:59.79\00:11:01.52
And Solomon wrote
that the Ten Commandments
00:11:01.56\00:11:03.22
have a role to
play in the judgment.
00:11:03.26\00:11:06.63
One of the reasons God urges
us to keep the commandments
00:11:06.66\00:11:09.56
is that everything we do is
going to be brought before God
00:11:09.60\00:11:13.47
in judgment.
00:11:13.50\00:11:14.84
The Apostle Paul
quotes these words of Solomon
00:11:14.87\00:11:17.41
in the Second Epistle to
the Corinthians when he says,
00:11:17.44\00:11:19.74
"For we must all appear before
the judgment seat of Christ,
00:11:19.77\00:11:23.04
that each one may
receive the things
00:11:23.08\00:11:24.85
done in the body,
00:11:24.88\00:11:25.98
according to what he has
done, whether good or bad."
00:11:26.01\00:11:29.42
Second Corinthians 5:10.
00:11:29.45\00:11:31.35
The Apostle
James is even clearer.
00:11:31.39\00:11:33.79
Let's look at James
chapter 2, starting in verse 10:
00:11:33.82\00:11:38.73
"For whoever shall
keep the whole law,
00:11:38.76\00:11:41.56
and yet stumble in one
point, he's guilty of all.
00:11:41.60\00:11:45.10
For He who said,
00:11:45.13\00:11:45.97
'Do not commit
adultery,' also said,
00:11:46.00\00:11:47.97
'Do not murder.'
00:11:48.00\00:11:49.67
Now if you do not commit
adultery, but you do murder,
00:11:49.70\00:11:52.81
you've become a
transgressor of the law.
00:11:52.84\00:11:55.68
So speak and so do as
those who will be judged
00:11:55.71\00:11:59.95
by the law of liberty."
00:12:00.05\00:12:02.48
Now, here's an
important distinction,
00:12:02.52\00:12:04.72
because the minute you
talk about the commandments
00:12:04.75\00:12:06.32
being binding,
being important today,
00:12:06.35\00:12:08.79
someone is gonna
make the accusation
00:12:08.82\00:12:10.26
that you're
promoting salvation by works.
00:12:10.29\00:12:13.03
So let's agree that we're gonna
be really clear about this.
00:12:13.06\00:12:15.50
The Bible makes very,
very clear--it's clear:
00:12:15.53\00:12:18.67
A person is saved; a person
passes from death to life;
00:12:18.70\00:12:22.87
that a person has
his or her sins forgiven
00:12:22.90\00:12:25.14
and receives new life from God.
00:12:25.17\00:12:27.11
How does that happen?
00:12:27.14\00:12:28.61
By faith.
00:12:28.64\00:12:30.05
Ephesians 2, verse 8 is
a verse we love to quote
00:12:30.08\00:12:32.45
because it tells us that we are
saved by grace through faith.
00:12:32.48\00:12:36.72
And that's clear.
00:12:36.75\00:12:38.15
And then in Romans chapter
4, it speaks about Abraham,
00:12:38.19\00:12:41.22
and it says, "He did not
waver at the promise of God
00:12:41.26\00:12:44.69
through unbelief, but
[he] was strengthened in faith,
00:12:44.73\00:12:48.16
giving glory to God,
00:12:48.20\00:12:49.46
and being fully convinced
that what He had promised
00:12:49.50\00:12:52.40
He was also able to perform.
00:12:52.43\00:12:54.20
And therefore 'it was accounted
to him for righteousness.'"
00:12:54.24\00:12:58.57
Romans 4:20-22.
00:12:58.61\00:13:00.71
We believe, and we
receive forgiveness.
00:13:00.74\00:13:03.04
We have faith in what
Jesus has done for us,
00:13:03.08\00:13:05.71
and so we have salvation.
00:13:05.75\00:13:07.12
So when we talk
about the Ten Commandments,
00:13:07.15\00:13:09.72
we are not
suggesting for a moment
00:13:09.75\00:13:11.45
that a person is saved by
works, saved by obedience.
00:13:11.49\00:13:15.29
There's a distinction.
00:13:15.32\00:13:17.33
Let me ask you two questions.
First, how are we saved?
00:13:17.36\00:13:21.10
The answer is, by
faith in Jesus Christ.
00:13:21.13\00:13:24.67
Now, the second question
that follows from the first:
00:13:24.70\00:13:27.84
How should a saved person live?
00:13:27.87\00:13:31.11
The answer is, in
obedience to God--
00:13:31.14\00:13:34.34
not to get salvation, but
because you've been saved.
00:13:34.38\00:13:38.98
In fact, when a person
surrenders his or her life
00:13:39.01\00:13:41.48
to Jesus, obedience
becomes an inevitability.
00:13:41.52\00:13:45.19
The Spirit of
God enters your life.
00:13:45.22\00:13:46.96
Jesus begins to
live His life in you,
00:13:46.99\00:13:49.82
and your life is now the
outworking of the will of God.
00:13:49.86\00:13:53.33
And what is God's will?
00:13:53.36\00:13:54.63
It's certainly not disobedience.
00:13:54.66\00:13:56.80
Salvation is free,
and it changes a person;
00:13:56.83\00:14:00.10
it makes a person new.
00:14:00.14\00:14:01.54
That's why Paul
was able to write,
00:14:01.57\00:14:03.77
"Therefore, if anyone is in
Christ, he is a new creation;
00:14:03.81\00:14:08.91
old things have passed away;
00:14:08.94\00:14:11.18
behold, all
things have become new."
00:14:11.21\00:14:13.85
That's 2 Corinthians
chapter 5 and verse 17.
00:14:13.88\00:14:16.35
So, back to James.
00:14:16.38\00:14:18.15
It's clear that
James is referring
00:14:18.19\00:14:19.82
to the Ten Commandments
when he speaks of the law
00:14:19.85\00:14:22.52
being the
standard of God's judgment.
00:14:22.56\00:14:25.03
He mentions the commandments not
to kill or to commit adultery.
00:14:25.06\00:14:28.50
That's the Ten Commandment law,
00:14:28.53\00:14:29.66
and it's called by
James "the law of liberty."
00:14:29.70\00:14:34.84
Now, this is the freedom
that sounded from divine thunder
00:14:34.87\00:14:38.91
on the slopes of Mt. Sinai.
00:14:38.94\00:14:42.08
Have you ever thought how
much simpler life would be
00:14:42.11\00:14:45.78
if everyone would
keep the Ten Commandments?
00:14:45.81\00:14:48.82
We wouldn't need the police.
00:14:48.85\00:14:50.22
We wouldn't need to
lock our doors at night.
00:14:50.25\00:14:53.15
There wouldn't be
any marital infidelity.
00:14:53.19\00:14:55.09
There'd be no divorce.
00:14:55.12\00:14:56.79
There wouldn't be any thieves.
00:14:56.83\00:14:59.29
People wouldn't tell
lies and confuse the facts.
00:14:59.33\00:15:01.56
We could go on and on.
00:15:01.60\00:15:03.13
Life would be simpler.
00:15:03.16\00:15:05.10
There'd be no hate, no
murder, no terrorism, no racism.
00:15:05.13\00:15:10.81
We have problems
in the world today
00:15:10.84\00:15:12.27
that it seems we can't resolve.
00:15:12.31\00:15:14.14
The truth is, they were all
resolved thousands of years ago
00:15:14.18\00:15:19.45
on Mt. Sinai.
00:15:19.48\00:15:21.75
Jesus Himself made it
clear that saved people
00:15:21.78\00:15:25.25
will live in obedience to God.
00:15:25.29\00:15:27.82
In the story of
the rich young ruler,
00:15:27.86\00:15:29.89
a man comes to Jesus
and asks about salvation.
00:15:29.92\00:15:33.60
And he says this to Jesus--
it's in Matthew chapter 19--
00:15:33.63\00:15:37.60
he says, "'Good Teacher,
what good thing shall I do
00:15:37.63\00:15:41.67
that I may have eternal life?'
00:15:41.70\00:15:44.17
So He [Jesus] said
to him [the young man],
00:15:44.21\00:15:46.71
'Why do you call me good?
00:15:46.74\00:15:48.68
No one is good
but One, that is, God.
00:15:48.71\00:15:51.78
But if you want
to enter into life,
00:15:51.81\00:15:53.58
keep the commandments.'
00:15:53.62\00:15:55.55
He said to Him, 'Which ones?'
00:15:55.58\00:15:57.12
Jesus said, '"You
shall not murder,"
00:15:57.15\00:15:59.39
"You shall not commit adultery,"
"You shall not steal,"
00:15:59.42\00:16:02.22
"You shall not
bear false witness,"
00:16:02.26\00:16:04.33
"Honor your
father and your mother,"
00:16:04.36\00:16:05.93
and, "You shall love
your neighbor as yourself."'"
00:16:05.96\00:16:08.60
Matthew 19:16-19.
00:16:08.63\00:16:11.97
The young man, of
course, went on to tell Jesus
00:16:12.00\00:16:14.30
he had been observing
all of those commandments,
00:16:14.34\00:16:18.17
and so he asked Jesus,
"What do I still lack?"
00:16:18.21\00:16:23.41
Jesus went on to tell
him that his material wealth
00:16:23.45\00:16:25.98
had become his god.
00:16:26.01\00:16:27.98
So he was there for already
breaking the first commandment
00:16:28.02\00:16:30.52
that says, "You shall
have no other gods before me."
00:16:30.55\00:16:33.32
Jesus told the young man--
now, now, He told him straight.
00:16:33.36\00:16:36.52
He told him he'd need
to sell his possessions
00:16:36.56\00:16:38.63
and give to the poor in
order to be right with God.
00:16:38.66\00:16:42.40
Now, it wasn't a matter
of there being anything wrong
00:16:42.43\00:16:44.67
with wealth or possessions.
00:16:44.70\00:16:46.63
It's just that in this case, the
man's goods had become his god.
00:16:46.67\00:16:52.31
And sadly...have
you thought about this?
00:16:52.34\00:16:56.04
Jesus told the man
exactly what he needed to do
00:16:56.08\00:17:00.28
in order to be in the
right relationship with God.
00:17:00.32\00:17:02.25
Jesus said, "You do
this, and you're good."
00:17:02.28\00:17:05.19
And still the young man refused.
00:17:05.22\00:17:09.22
So how can we make sure
that when we're obeying God,
00:17:09.26\00:17:12.43
we don't descend into legalism?
00:17:12.46\00:17:15.20
It's important. I'll
tell you that straight ahead.
00:17:15.23\00:17:18.13
¤[Music]¤
00:17:18.17\00:17:26.17
>>John: Thank
you for remembering
00:17:27.18\00:17:28.28
that It Is Written exists
00:17:28.31\00:17:29.81
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00:17:29.84\00:17:32.61
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00:17:32.65\00:17:35.88
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00:17:35.92\00:17:40.12
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00:17:41.66\00:17:43.09
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00:17:43.12\00:17:46.90
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00:17:46.93\00:17:49.70
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00:17:49.73\00:17:53.87
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00:17:53.90\00:17:57.01
¤[Music]¤
00:17:57.51\00:18:01.98
>>Man 1: What does the
Bible say about astrology?
00:18:02.01\00:18:05.01
>>Man 2: Why do bad
things happen to good people?
00:18:09.08\00:18:12.49
>>Girl: What color is Jesus?
00:18:17.86\00:18:20.16
>>John Bradshaw: If
you have a question,
00:18:20.20\00:18:21.56
we'd love to find an
answer for you from the Bible.
00:18:21.60\00:18:24.20
Line Upon Line
from It Is Written TV.
00:18:24.23\00:18:26.90
>>John Bradshaw: Thanks for
joining me on It Is Written.
00:18:27.74\00:18:30.21
The story of the rich young
ruler really helps us to see
00:18:30.24\00:18:33.61
the difference between legalism
00:18:33.64\00:18:35.74
and obedience which
comes from the heart.
00:18:35.78\00:18:38.95
See, legalism is
a surface religion.
00:18:38.98\00:18:41.52
It doesn't go any
deeper than outward conformity
00:18:41.55\00:18:44.25
to what is right.
00:18:44.29\00:18:45.72
When the young ruler told Jesus
he kept all the commandments
00:18:45.75\00:18:48.39
from his youth, he was
more than likely thinking,
00:18:48.42\00:18:49.89
"Well, I haven't killed anyone.
00:18:49.92\00:18:51.79
I've only got one wife,
not two or three or four.
00:18:51.83\00:18:54.10
I didn't acquire my
wealth by dishonest means.
00:18:54.10\00:18:57.00
I've been
respectful towards my parents."
00:18:57.03\00:18:59.77
But Jesus wanted the young
man to understand that anything
00:18:59.80\00:19:02.90
in his life that he
thought was more important
00:19:02.94\00:19:06.31
than a complete surrender to God
00:19:06.34\00:19:09.21
would keep him
out of God's kingdom.
00:19:09.24\00:19:12.08
And when the
young man walked away,
00:19:12.11\00:19:13.55
Jesus' disciples
were obviously perplexed.
00:19:13.58\00:19:15.82
They asked the Lord,
"Who then can be saved?"
00:19:15.85\00:19:18.79
And that is a fair question.
00:19:18.82\00:19:21.82
Have you ever
looked into your heart
00:19:22.59\00:19:23.83
and thought that you
don't like what you see?
00:19:23.86\00:19:26.16
Have you ever tried to do
the right thing and failed?
00:19:26.19\00:19:29.30
Paul wrote about
this in Romans chapter 7.
00:19:29.33\00:19:31.87
He talked about that experience
where you try to do good,
00:19:31.90\00:19:35.07
but you can't do the
good that you want to do.
00:19:35.10\00:19:37.14
He talked about
wanting not to do evil
00:19:37.17\00:19:39.07
but finding it
impossible to do what's right.
00:19:39.11\00:19:42.01
And he expressed it in the most
desperate terms in Romans 7:24--
00:19:42.04\00:19:46.11
"O wretched man that I am!
00:19:46.15\00:19:48.72
Who will deliver me
from this body of death?"
00:19:48.75\00:19:52.12
And then came the
answer, the incredible answer:
00:19:52.15\00:19:55.19
"I thank God--through
Jesus Christ our Lord!"
00:19:55.22\00:19:59.69
He was saying, "I can't do
it, but God can do it in me."
00:19:59.73\00:20:03.70
You see, there's hope
for a believer today--
00:20:03.73\00:20:05.63
a faulty, sinful believer--
00:20:05.67\00:20:08.20
because God can do in you
what you can't do in yourself.
00:20:08.24\00:20:12.47
As Jesus answered His disciples,
00:20:12.51\00:20:14.38
"With men this is impossible;
00:20:14.41\00:20:16.88
but with God all
things are possible."
00:20:16.91\00:20:20.48
Jesus said in John chapter 15,
00:20:20.52\00:20:22.45
"Without me you can do nothing."
00:20:22.48\00:20:25.62
God spoke on Mt.
Sinai, and He said,
00:20:25.65\00:20:28.09
"Thou shalt" and
"Thou shalt not,"
00:20:28.12\00:20:30.49
and He meant it.
00:20:30.53\00:20:32.83
Now, the problem we have today
isn't with the commandments.
00:20:32.86\00:20:36.26
Many people would like
to see them done away with.
00:20:36.30\00:20:38.30
And why might that be?
00:20:38.33\00:20:39.37
Because they could
then go on breaking them
00:20:39.40\00:20:41.97
and feel better
about themselves.
00:20:42.00\00:20:43.30
The man living a double life?
00:20:43.34\00:20:45.41
He wants there to be
no seventh commandment
00:20:45.44\00:20:47.28
because "Thou shalt not
commit adultery" condemns him.
00:20:47.31\00:20:50.48
The preacher who says God's
law has been done away with
00:20:50.51\00:20:53.01
becomes this
man's favorite preacher.
00:20:53.05\00:20:55.32
You don't want to believe it's
wrong to covet if you're greedy.
00:20:55.35\00:20:58.95
You want to believe God doesn't
have an issue with stealing
00:20:58.99\00:21:01.49
if you're a thief.
00:21:01.52\00:21:03.53
But here's the thing, instead
of changing the commandments,
00:21:03.56\00:21:07.40
God's commandments, how about
changing the heart instead?
00:21:07.40\00:21:11.90
"But, John, I
can't change my heart.
00:21:11.93\00:21:13.40
I've tried, and I've failed."
00:21:13.44\00:21:15.00
Amen to that.
00:21:15.04\00:21:16.91
So you surrender
your heart to Jesus,
00:21:16.94\00:21:18.74
and you let Him change it.
00:21:18.77\00:21:21.48
And He will--
from the inside out.
00:21:21.51\00:21:25.05
It's what He does.
00:21:25.08\00:21:27.25
Anyone trying to live a godly
life without the power of God
00:21:27.28\00:21:30.25
is attempting an impossibility.
00:21:30.29\00:21:32.52
You might be
able to put on a show,
00:21:32.55\00:21:33.92
but sooner or later,
like that rich young man,
00:21:33.96\00:21:36.62
you'll find
yourself falling short.
00:21:36.66\00:21:39.63
You might have good motivation.
00:21:39.66\00:21:41.46
Obey the seventh commandment
and protect your marriage.
00:21:41.50\00:21:43.67
That's good.
00:21:43.70\00:21:44.70
Obey the sixth
commandment to keep out of jail.
00:21:44.73\00:21:47.14
Now, that's good, too.
00:21:47.17\00:21:48.37
Obey the second commandment
because your family and friends
00:21:48.40\00:21:50.71
would think that you are crazy
bowing down before an idol.
00:21:50.74\00:21:53.91
Yeah, but those
aren't good enough reasons.
00:21:53.94\00:21:56.61
The greatest motivation
you can have for obeying God,
00:21:56.64\00:22:00.28
the only motivation
that will really work,
00:22:00.32\00:22:03.39
is love for God.
00:22:03.42\00:22:05.82
Look at Calvary.
See Jesus on the cross.
00:22:05.85\00:22:10.23
Know that He
suffered and died for you.
00:22:10.26\00:22:13.33
Know that the God of
heaven so loved the world.
00:22:13.36\00:22:15.80
Remember that there's
a God with a perfect plan
00:22:15.83\00:22:18.27
for you and your family.
00:22:18.30\00:22:20.50
You keep those things in mind,
and the grace of God will work
00:22:20.54\00:22:23.17
in your heart, make a
whole new person out of you.
00:22:23.20\00:22:27.91
You see the
wrong approach clearly
00:22:27.94\00:22:30.15
in the experience of Israel.
00:22:30.18\00:22:32.11
When they were at
Sinai, God asked them
00:22:32.15\00:22:33.72
if they would serve
Him and be His people,
00:22:33.75\00:22:35.62
and they answered by saying,
00:22:35.65\00:22:37.45
"All that the Lord
has spoken we will do."
00:22:37.49\00:22:40.46
Exodus 19:8.
00:22:40.49\00:22:42.06
Just before the
Ten Commandments.
00:22:42.09\00:22:44.06
Now, that's admirable, right?
00:22:44.09\00:22:45.49
"All the Lord
has said we will do."
00:22:45.53\00:22:46.83
Good?
00:22:46.86\00:22:48.13
No! No, it might
sound like the right answer,
00:22:48.16\00:22:50.37
but it's catastrophic.
00:22:50.40\00:22:52.20
They didn't understand the
sinfulness of their own hearts.
00:22:52.23\00:22:55.24
They didn't understand
what Jeremiah would write
00:22:55.27\00:22:57.41
years later:
00:22:57.44\00:22:58.44
"The heart is
deceitful above all things,
00:22:58.47\00:23:00.71
and desperately
wicked; who can know it?"
00:23:00.74\00:23:03.08
Jeremiah 17:9.
00:23:03.11\00:23:05.38
They didn't realize that
without God's converting power
00:23:05.41\00:23:07.88
in their lives, it was
impossible for them to obey.
00:23:07.92\00:23:11.22
Their vow of
obedience lasted just 40 days.
00:23:11.25\00:23:14.79
When Moses came
down from the mountain
00:23:14.82\00:23:16.79
carrying the Ten Commandments
written by God on stone
00:23:16.83\00:23:20.30
with God's own finger,
00:23:20.33\00:23:21.80
he found God's people
dancing around a golden calf,
00:23:21.83\00:23:25.77
and his brother
Aaron was leading the way.
00:23:25.80\00:23:29.00
Now, we can't be
too hard on Israel.
00:23:29.04\00:23:30.67
Forty days is a lot longer
00:23:30.71\00:23:31.81
than many New
Year's resolutions last.
00:23:31.84\00:23:34.68
But 40 days after they had
heard the thunder of freedom,
00:23:34.71\00:23:38.55
40 days after they had vowed
to do all the Lord had spoken,
00:23:38.58\00:23:42.88
God looked down and
found them dancing naked
00:23:42.92\00:23:45.69
around a golden calf.
00:23:45.72\00:23:48.39
This pattern of promising to
obey God and then falling short
00:23:50.06\00:23:55.13
was repeated throughout
Israel's entire history.
00:23:55.16\00:23:58.43
You might even be
able to relate to that.
00:23:58.47\00:24:00.94
Whenever you trust your
own strength to serve God,
00:24:00.97\00:24:03.41
you are going to
fail, plain and simple.
00:24:03.44\00:24:07.44
This is why the
old covenant failed.
00:24:07.48\00:24:09.44
It didn't fail because God's
commandments were the problem;
00:24:09.48\00:24:11.68
it failed because the
people were the problem.
00:24:11.71\00:24:15.38
So the book of Hebrews
takes us back to the words
00:24:15.42\00:24:18.12
of the prophet Jeremiah,
who spoke of a new covenant,
00:24:18.15\00:24:21.29
in which motives
would be transformed,
00:24:21.32\00:24:23.99
and a life of faithfulness
to God would be made possible:
00:24:24.03\00:24:26.86
"For if that first
covenant had been faultless,
00:24:27.50\00:24:30.67
then no place would have
been sought for a second.
00:24:30.70\00:24:34.10
Because finding
fault with them, He says:
00:24:34.14\00:24:36.60
'For this is the
covenant that I will make
00:24:36.64\00:24:38.91
with the house of Israel
after those days, says the Lord:
00:24:38.94\00:24:42.24
I will put my laws in their mind
and write them on their hearts;
00:24:42.28\00:24:46.72
and I will be their God,
and they shall be my people.'"
00:24:46.75\00:24:50.59
That's in Hebrews 8.
00:24:50.62\00:24:52.52
Years ago, God wrote
His law on tables of stone.
00:24:52.55\00:24:56.96
Today, He wants to
write it in your heart,
00:24:56.99\00:25:01.30
and when He does,
you'll experience victory;
00:25:01.33\00:25:04.33
you'll experience
peace and freedom.
00:25:04.37\00:25:07.97
If the principles of God's
character stay on the surface,
00:25:08.00\00:25:11.51
the best you can
do is put on a show,
00:25:11.54\00:25:12.87
and that show
won't even last long.
00:25:12.91\00:25:15.71
When we ignore what
God gave us in Exodus 20,
00:25:15.74\00:25:18.11
we don't only break His law;
00:25:18.15\00:25:20.92
the truth is we break His heart.
00:25:20.95\00:25:24.65
With God's help, we can
live as God wants us to live.
00:25:24.69\00:25:28.16
You wouldn't
want it any other way.
00:25:28.19\00:25:30.53
Jesus can change
you from the inside out.
00:25:30.56\00:25:33.40
So, is that happening?
00:25:33.43\00:25:36.43
Are you experiencing
that kind of conversion,
00:25:36.46\00:25:38.93
that kind of transformation?
00:25:38.97\00:25:41.47
Or is life a life of
succeed and then fail?
00:25:41.50\00:25:45.27
Try and then fall?
00:25:45.31\00:25:47.01
Do my best, but
it's not good enough, so,
00:25:47.04\00:25:49.18
so then I'll, I'll do my new
best, and I'll try even harder?
00:25:49.21\00:25:53.15
No, that's no way to live.
00:25:53.18\00:25:54.58
You want God to write
His law in your heart.
00:25:54.62\00:25:58.65
When God gave Exodus chapter 20
00:25:58.69\00:26:02.32
and delivered in this
great chapter of the Bible
00:26:02.36\00:26:06.09
the Ten Commandment
law to His people, He said,
00:26:06.13\00:26:08.73
"This is a law of protection.
This is a law of freedom.
00:26:08.76\00:26:13.54
This is because I love you.
00:26:13.57\00:26:15.64
And when it's
written in your heart,
00:26:15.67\00:26:18.57
this is what your life will
look like because you love me."
00:26:18.61\00:26:23.18
¤[Music]¤
00:26:24.31\00:26:25.25
>>John: Many things
in life are here today
00:26:25.28\00:26:27.52
and gone tomorrow.
00:26:27.55\00:26:29.52
But some things
are built to last.
00:26:29.55\00:26:32.32
From the time He
put the earth in place,
00:26:32.35\00:26:34.26
God gave us a sign of His
love that will last eternally.
00:26:34.29\00:26:38.83
I've written a small
book about that sign,
00:26:38.86\00:26:40.83
and I'd like to
send it to you free.
00:26:40.86\00:26:43.57
It's called
"God's Eternal Sign."
00:26:43.60\00:26:46.53
All you need to do
is call 800-253-3000
00:26:46.57\00:26:50.71
and ask for
"God's Eternal Sign."
00:26:50.74\00:26:53.44
>>John Bradshaw: Let's
pray together now, shall we?
00:26:55.58\00:26:57.81
Our Father in
heaven, we're grateful today
00:26:57.85\00:26:59.35
for this great chapter of
the Bible, Exodus chapter 20.
00:26:59.38\00:27:02.75
You're a God who loves us
enough to give us guidance,
00:27:02.78\00:27:05.09
who loves us
enough to make us whole,
00:27:05.12\00:27:07.06
who loves us
enough that when we fail,
00:27:07.09\00:27:09.76
You will forgive us and then
enter our life and live in us
00:27:09.79\00:27:13.60
to bring us to
spiritual success and victory.
00:27:13.63\00:27:16.30
Friend, would you
like that victory?
00:27:16.33\00:27:17.90
Would you say to Jesus now,
"Lord, give me that victory.
00:27:17.93\00:27:20.04
Give me new life.
00:27:20.07\00:27:21.44
Write Your law in my heart.
00:27:21.47\00:27:23.00
Uh, Jesus, live in me so
that my life can be everything
00:27:23.04\00:27:26.04
You want it to be"?
00:27:26.07\00:27:27.91
Father, that's our prayer.
00:27:27.94\00:27:29.61
We believe You'll do it;
we believe You've done it.
00:27:29.64\00:27:32.55
Take our hearts now.
Friend, offer God your heart.
00:27:32.58\00:27:35.62
Take our heart, make it Yours,
00:27:35.65\00:27:36.92
and we believe
salvation is ours.
00:27:36.95\00:27:40.36
And we believe,
praying in Jesus' name.
00:27:40.39\00:27:46.09
Amen.
00:27:46.13\00:27:47.83
Thank you so
much for joining me.
00:27:47.86\00:27:49.53
I'm looking forward
to seeing you next time.
00:27:49.56\00:27:51.20
Until then, remember:
00:27:51.23\00:27:53.13
"It is written, 'Man
shall not live by bread alone,
00:27:53.17\00:27:57.04
but by every word that proceeds
from the mouth of God.'"
00:27:57.07\00:28:02.41
¤[Theme music]¤
00:28:02.44\00:28:12.45