>>John Bradshaw:
This is It Is Written.
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I'm John Bradshaw.
Thanks for joining me.
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Less than 20 miles from
Leicester and a little less
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from Coventry is the
English town of Lutterworth,
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which is in the
county of Leicestershire.
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It's the town where
Frank Whittle carried out
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much of the development of
the very first turbojet engine
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ever created,
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basically singlehandedly
invented by Whittle.
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In Lutterworth
there's a prominent memorial
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to Frank Whittle, and
there's a road named after him.
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Whittle even made the list
of the 100 greatest Britons
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of all time, at number 42,
way ahead of Tim Berners-Lee,
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the man who
invented the internet,
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and far ahead of
David Livingston,
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the famous missionary.
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But there's another
notable Lutterworth resident
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who didn't make the list, and
you might think he should have.
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John Wycliffe was the
minister at St. Mary's Church
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in Lutterworth, and it was there
in Lutterworth that Wycliffe,
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and likely some assistants,
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completed the first translation
of the Bible into English.
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His work was
absolutely groundbreaking.
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And although the printing
press hadn't been invented
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and just few people
could access the Bible,
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Wycliffe was a reformer
before the Reformation began
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in the 1500s.
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He died in 1384, and he
inspired the Lollard movement,
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which was a reform
movement in England.
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Wycliffe has been called the
Morning Star of the Reformation.
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He heralded the
Reformation, really.
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He was a massive
influence on John Hus,
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the Czech or the
Bohemian reformer.
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Wycliffe campaigned against
abuses and false teachings
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in the church, and he was a
precursor of what was to come
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when Martin Luther stood up
for the teachings of the Bible
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two and a half
centuries or so later.
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We're continuing our series,
"Great Characters of the Bible,"
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and we're looking at one of the
great influential personalities
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of the Bible, someone who,
like Wycliffe from Lutterworth,
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was a forerunner.
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This man was the
herald of the Messiah Himself.
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John the Baptist came into
the world via a miracle birth.
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He met with a tragic death.
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In between times, he lit up
the world as he prepared the way
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for Jesus' ministry.
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His life was a life of
faithfulness and an example
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of faithfulness to God.
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John the Baptist was the
son of a priest, Zachariah,
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and his mother, Elizabeth,
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was related to
Mary, the mother of Jesus.
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The Bible says that
Zachariah and Elizabeth
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"were both righteous before God,
walking in all the commandments
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"and ordinances of
the Lord blameless.
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"...they had no child,
because Elizabeth was barren,
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and they were both
well advanced in years."
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While Zachariah was
ministering in the temple,
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an angel appeared to him.
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The angel said to him,
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"Do not be afraid, Zacharias,
for your prayer is heard;
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"and your wife
Elizabeth will bear you a son,
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and you shall
call his name John."
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The angel said, "He will be
great in the sight of the Lord,
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"and shall drink
neither wine nor strong drink.
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"He will also be
filled with the Holy Spirit,
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"even from his mother's womb.
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"And he will turn many
of the children of Israel
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to the Lord their God."
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This child was set apart
by God for a special mission.
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Zachariah and
Elizabeth took that seriously.
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They raised him a certain way.
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They raised him to
avoid some of the destructive
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lifestyle practices
that are so common today.
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One of the lessons is, if you
want your child to do something
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great for God, raise them
as though you intend for them
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to do something great for God.
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Raise them as though the
service of God is paramount,
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as though nothing
could be more important.
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Raise them knowing
that God has called them,
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that they're set
apart for something special.
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Few people just
stumble into greatness.
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Now, the other
thing I want you to notice
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is the prophetic fulfillment
in John the Baptist's ministry.
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Notice Luke 1, verse 17:
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"He will also go before Him in
the spirit and power of Elijah,
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"'to turn the hearts of
the fathers to the children,'
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"and the disobedient
to the wisdom of the just,
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to make ready a people
prepared for the Lord."
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This is a fulfillment
of Malachi 4, verse 5,
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the last prophecy
of the Old Testament:
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"Behold, I will send
you Elijah the prophet
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"before the coming of the great
and dreadful day of the Lord:
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"and he shall turn the heart
of the fathers to the children,
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"and the heart of the
children to [the] fathers,
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lest I come and smite
the earth with a curse."
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Just as the prophet
Elijah turned the hearts
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of the people of Israel
back towards God--remember?
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How long are you gonna
flip-flop back and forth
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"between two opinions?
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If [God] is God,
follow Him," Elijah said.
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John the Baptist would
turn the hearts of the people
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towards the heart
of the God of heaven.
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John the Baptist
was a modern Elijah,
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coming in the
spirit and power of Elijah,
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bearing Elijah's
message of faithfulness to God.
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Jesus even referred to him
as such, telling His disciples,
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"Elijah [is] already come."
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Now, that was John
that He was talking about.
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A special child
raised for a special purpose.
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Mary spent three months staying
with Elizabeth and Zachariah.
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"And it happened, when Elizabeth
heard the greeting of Mary,
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"that the babe
leaped in her womb;
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and Elizabeth was
filled with the Holy Spirit."
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Elizabeth said that the
baby "leaped...for joy."
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She then said those now
famous but often misused words.
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To Mary she said,
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"Blessed are you among women,
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and blessed is the
fruit of your womb!"
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The Messiah and the forerunner
of the Messiah were together
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those three months
in that Judean town
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before Mary went home again.
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When John's
father named the boy,
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"fear came on all
who dwelt around them;
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"and all these sayings
were discussed throughout
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"all the hill country of Judea.
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"And all those who heard
them kept them in their hearts,
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"saying, 'What kind
of child will this be?'
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And the hand of
the Lord was with him."
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Luke 1 is the longest
chapter in the New Testament,
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and it deals almost
entirely with John the Baptist.
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It concludes with
Zachariah saying these words:
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"'And you, child, will be called
the prophet of the Highest;
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"'for you will go
before the face of the Lord
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"'to prepare His ways,
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"'to give knowledge of
salvation to His people
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"'by the
remission of their sins,
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"'through the
tender mercy of our God,
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"'with which the Dayspring
from on high has visited us;
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"'to give light to
those who sit in darkness
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"'and [in] the shadow of death,
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"to guide our feet
into the way of peace.'
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"So the child grew and
became strong in spirit,
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"and was in the deserts till
the day of his manifestation
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to Israel."
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And what a manifestation it was.
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This is the one who would say,
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"Behold! The Lamb
of God who takes away
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the sins of the world!"
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We'll look at the ministry of
this remarkable Bible character
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when I return.
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¤[music swells and ends]¤
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¤[music, water splashing]¤
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>>Announcer: Baptism
is a well-known symbol
00:07:50.67\00:07:52.67
of dying to self,
burying the old life
00:07:52.70\00:07:55.47
and rising to a
new life in Christ.
00:07:55.50\00:07:58.27
This new life can be yours.
00:07:58.31\00:08:00.24
Our free offer
today is "Buried Alive?"
00:08:00.28\00:08:02.98
To receive this free guide,
00:08:03.01\00:08:04.51
call 800-253-3000
00:08:04.55\00:08:07.58
or visit us
online at iiwoffer.com.
00:08:07.62\00:08:11.45
Learn what the
Bible says about baptism.
00:08:11.49\00:08:13.86
Call 800-253-3000
00:08:13.89\00:08:16.89
or visit iiwoffer.com.
00:08:16.93\00:08:19.59
>>John Bradshaw: Thanks for
joining me on It Is Written.
00:08:20.60\00:08:22.93
We're continuing our series,
"Great Characters of the Bible,"
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and we're looking at
the life and ministry
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of John the Baptist, the
forerunner of the Messiah.
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His was a miracle
birth, born to a woman
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the Bible describes as barren,
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with both parents
being well advanced in years.
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He was born to call
the attention of the people
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to the advent of the Messiah.
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Starting in Matthew
3, verse 1, we read,
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"In those days John the Baptist
came preaching in the wilderness
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"of Judea, and saying,
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"'Repent, for the
kingdom of heaven is at hand!'
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"For this is he who was
spoken of by the prophet Isaiah,
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"saying: 'The voice of
one crying in the wilderness:
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"Prepare the way of the Lord;
make His paths straight."'"
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John announced the
Messiah would soon be revealed,
00:09:09.31\00:09:13.31
and he made an impression.
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"Now John himself was
clothed in camel's hair,
00:09:15.95\00:09:19.19
"with a leather
belt around his waist;
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and his food was
locusts and wild honey."
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Now, what about these locusts?
00:09:25.26\00:09:27.00
Locusts, the
insect, weren't unclean.
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So it wouldn't have been
a problem for John as a Jew
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to eat locusts.
00:09:33.40\00:09:35.44
But looking at the
Greek word used there,
00:09:35.47\00:09:38.41
this could have been carob pods;
that's pods from the carob tree.
00:09:38.44\00:09:43.68
Whatever it was exactly,
probably wasn't insects,
00:09:43.71\00:09:47.02
we know that John ate simply.
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His lifestyle
was not extravagant.
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And we also know that we
are glad that he didn't ask us
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over for dinner.
00:09:55.16\00:09:56.16
But his message is more
vital than his lifestyle,
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although without one he probably
wouldn't have had the other.
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The Bible says,
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"Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and
all the region around the Jordan
00:10:03.73\00:10:08.34
"went out to him and were
baptized by him in the Jordan,
00:10:08.37\00:10:11.47
"confessing their sins.
00:10:11.51\00:10:13.58
"But when he saw many of the
Pharisees and Sadducees coming
00:10:13.61\00:10:16.21
"to his baptism, he said
to them, 'Brood of vipers!
00:10:16.24\00:10:20.62
"'Who warned you to
flee from the wrath to come?
00:10:20.65\00:10:23.32
Therefore bear fruits
worthy of repentance.'"
00:10:23.35\00:10:28.82
And this is where the ministry
and message of John the Baptist
00:10:28.86\00:10:32.79
starts to get a little pointed
and very relevant for us today.
00:10:32.83\00:10:39.00
John the Baptist was a reformer
leading a revival in Israel.
00:10:39.03\00:10:44.64
Crowds flocked to
the river to be baptized.
00:10:44.67\00:10:47.81
People came from near and far,
00:10:47.84\00:10:50.41
and John called the
people to repentance.
00:10:50.45\00:10:55.08
The religious
leaders had come to John,
00:10:55.12\00:10:58.32
but it was clear to John that
they were there for appearances,
00:10:58.35\00:11:02.29
and that repentance
wasn't their prime objective.
00:11:02.32\00:11:06.09
John makes something clear here
that a lot of modern revivals
00:11:06.13\00:11:10.07
seem to almost ignore.
00:11:10.10\00:11:12.43
When a person comes to Christ,
00:11:12.47\00:11:14.27
that person comes in
a spirit of repentance,
00:11:14.30\00:11:17.54
not merely to be
filled with the Holy Spirit,
00:11:17.57\00:11:19.97
not just to shout and celebrate,
not only for the healing,
00:11:20.01\00:11:23.31
not only to sing or praise
or to enjoy the praise team.
00:11:23.35\00:11:27.32
God calls a
person to repentance.
00:11:27.35\00:11:30.85
This was Jesus' message.
00:11:30.89\00:11:32.02
He started his
ministry by saying,
00:11:32.05\00:11:34.19
"Repent, for the
kingdom of [God] is at hand!"
00:11:34.22\00:11:37.59
And John was saying it isn't
enough to just look the part;
00:11:37.63\00:11:41.93
it isn't enough to
just go through the motions.
00:11:41.96\00:11:44.27
You know, the privilege
of a believer is to repent,
00:11:44.30\00:11:48.37
to experience sorrow for
sin, and to turn away from sin.
00:11:48.40\00:11:52.97
Back in Luke, John got specific.
00:11:53.01\00:11:55.94
He told them not to say, "'We
have Abraham as our father.'
00:11:55.98\00:12:00.05
"For I say to you that God
is able to raise up children
00:12:00.08\00:12:02.55
to Abraham from
these stones," he said.
00:12:02.58\00:12:06.42
Many people there,
especially among the leadership,
00:12:06.45\00:12:08.82
felt that their Jewishness
somehow qualified them as holy.
00:12:08.86\00:12:12.99
Their genealogy,
their birth certificate,
00:12:13.03\00:12:16.83
that somehow that was enough.
00:12:16.87\00:12:19.13
And it was proof in and
of itself that they were
00:12:19.17\00:12:21.67
God's true people.
00:12:21.70\00:12:23.87
That's just like saying today,
00:12:23.91\00:12:25.31
"I'm a church
member, and so, therefore,
00:12:25.34\00:12:27.94
I'm a genuine Christian."
00:12:27.98\00:12:29.58
John said that "every tree
which does not bear good fruit
00:12:29.61\00:12:33.95
is cut down and
thrown into the fire."
00:12:33.98\00:12:37.22
It's important that the
life of a believer manifests
00:12:37.25\00:12:41.12
the fruit of faith.
00:12:41.16\00:12:43.39
"So the people asked him,
saying, 'What shall we do then?'
00:12:43.43\00:12:46.16
"[And John] answered...,
'He who has two tunics,
00:12:46.19\00:12:48.76
"'let him give
to him who has none;
00:12:48.80\00:12:50.70
and he who has food,
let him do likewise.'"
00:12:50.73\00:12:53.74
To the tax collectors, he said,
00:12:53.77\00:12:55.44
"Collect no more than
what is appointed for you."
00:12:55.47\00:12:58.01
He told the soldiers,
00:12:58.04\00:12:59.44
"Do not intimidate
anyone or accuse falsely,
00:12:59.47\00:13:02.91
and be content with your wages."
00:13:02.94\00:13:05.38
This is what revival looks like.
00:13:05.41\00:13:09.28
John the Baptist was flipping
the script on these folks.
00:13:09.32\00:13:12.29
Tax collectors were cheats.
00:13:12.32\00:13:14.42
Soldiers were rough.
00:13:14.46\00:13:16.29
John was calling people to
reorder their lives in a way
00:13:16.32\00:13:19.26
that measured with
the will of Almighty God.
00:13:19.29\00:13:22.90
Now, it's true: God
accepts you as you are. Amen!
00:13:22.93\00:13:27.14
He accepts the worst sinner.
00:13:27.17\00:13:29.87
He welcomes all
the prodigal sons
00:13:29.90\00:13:32.17
and all the prodigal daughters.
00:13:32.21\00:13:34.01
In the Bible, Jesus accepted the
immoral, the demon-possessed,
00:13:34.04\00:13:38.61
the wasteful, the irresponsible.
00:13:38.65\00:13:41.38
He accepted people of His
race and people of other races.
00:13:41.42\00:13:45.35
But what happened next was that
Jesus shone light on the pathway
00:13:45.39\00:13:50.36
they were walking,
and did two things.
00:13:50.39\00:13:52.69
He urged them to live new lives,
00:13:52.73\00:13:55.66
and He empowered
them to live new lives.
00:13:55.70\00:13:59.57
The first chapter of the New
Testament says that Jesus came
00:13:59.60\00:14:02.34
into the world to "save
His people from their sins."
00:14:02.37\00:14:06.94
Not just from the
penalty of those sins,
00:14:06.98\00:14:10.41
but also from the
power of those sins.
00:14:10.45\00:14:14.28
Jesus came into the world
00:14:14.32\00:14:15.68
so that sin does
not have to rule you.
00:14:15.72\00:14:19.25
That message is all the
way through the New Testament.
00:14:19.29\00:14:21.92
"Sin shall not
have dominion over you."
00:14:21.96\00:14:24.63
Romans 6:14.
00:14:24.66\00:14:26.03
"Put off...the old man...and...
put on...the new man...
00:14:26.06\00:14:28.66
in true
righteousness and holiness."
00:14:28.70\00:14:30.73
Ephesians, chapter 4.
00:14:30.77\00:14:32.53
"Therefore, if
anyone is in Christ,
00:14:32.57\00:14:34.87
"he is a new creation;
old things have passed away;
00:14:34.90\00:14:38.41
behold, all
things have become new."
00:14:38.44\00:14:40.38
That's 2
Corinthians 5 and verse 17.
00:14:40.41\00:14:42.91
We can't forgot this:
00:14:42.94\00:14:44.85
"The wages of sin is death."
00:14:44.88\00:14:47.98
Sin separates a person from God.
00:14:48.02\00:14:52.02
Christianity isn't a
cover for your sinful heart.
00:14:52.05\00:14:56.69
It's the remedy
for your sinful heart.
00:14:56.73\00:14:59.79
And that's liberating.
00:14:59.83\00:15:02.23
Most people really
don't want to live in sin.
00:15:02.26\00:15:05.23
Most people don't want to go on
acting the fool in their lives,
00:15:05.27\00:15:08.30
letting other people down,
00:15:08.34\00:15:10.57
embarrassing
themselves and their family,
00:15:10.61\00:15:13.34
hurting other people.
00:15:13.38\00:15:15.54
Yet anyone with any
experience at all in church
00:15:15.58\00:15:17.88
realizes there's a lot of
sin hidden away even in church.
00:15:17.91\00:15:23.18
There's a lot that's not hidden.
00:15:24.19\00:15:26.55
Now, there's a balance.
00:15:26.59\00:15:27.66
God welcomes the sinner,
but once you come to Christ,
00:15:27.69\00:15:31.76
there's some growing to do.
00:15:31.79\00:15:33.33
The religious
leaders John was addressing
00:15:33.36\00:15:35.80
weren't
inexperienced baby Christians;
00:15:35.83\00:15:39.27
they were
hypocrites who knew better,
00:15:39.30\00:15:42.04
but they were using their
religion to enrich themselves
00:15:42.07\00:15:45.21
and to lift themselves
up at the expense of others.
00:15:45.24\00:15:49.44
John the Baptist was a reformer,
00:15:49.48\00:15:51.88
and inherent in his
call to be made new by God
00:15:51.91\00:15:56.32
is the promise that God
can make any person new.
00:15:56.35\00:16:01.32
He's one of the great
characters of the Bible,
00:16:01.36\00:16:03.43
John the Baptist.
00:16:03.46\00:16:05.73
Unfortunately, he had one
of the most unfortunate ends.
00:16:05.76\00:16:10.57
More on John the
Baptist in just a moment.
00:16:10.60\00:16:13.17
¤[music swells and ends]¤
00:16:13.20\00:16:20.11
¤[music, water splashing]¤
00:16:22.11\00:16:23.04
>>Announcer: Baptism
is a well-known symbol
00:16:23.08\00:16:25.05
of dying to self,
burying the old life
00:16:25.08\00:16:27.88
and rising to a
new life in Christ.
00:16:27.92\00:16:30.55
This new life can be yours.
00:16:30.59\00:16:32.69
Our free offer
today is "Buried Alive?"
00:16:32.72\00:16:35.42
To receive this free guide,
00:16:35.46\00:16:36.89
call 800-253-3000
00:16:36.93\00:16:40.00
or visit us
online at iiwoffer.com.
00:16:40.03\00:16:43.63
Learn what the
Bible says about baptism.
00:16:43.67\00:16:46.23
Call 800-253-3000
00:16:46.27\00:16:49.27
or visit iiwoffer.com.
00:16:49.30\00:16:51.87
¤[somber music]¤
00:16:52.71\00:16:54.51
>>John: The Bible is
filled with stories of people
00:16:54.54\00:16:57.31
who took a leap of faith.
00:16:57.35\00:17:00.12
Gideon was asked by God
to lead an army of just 300
00:17:00.15\00:17:04.75
against an innumerable foe.
00:17:04.79\00:17:07.12
And he did, and
he was triumphant.
00:17:07.16\00:17:10.09
Noah was asked by God
to build an ark, a boat,
00:17:10.13\00:17:13.29
so he and his family
could ride out a storm
00:17:13.33\00:17:15.46
in a world where rain
had never before fallen.
00:17:15.50\00:17:18.83
And he did, and he and his
family and the world was saved.
00:17:18.87\00:17:23.47
¤[soft music]¤
00:17:23.51\00:17:24.47
Life can be like that.
00:17:24.51\00:17:27.14
Sometimes you have
to take a leap of faith.
00:17:27.18\00:17:30.35
¤[dramatic music]¤
00:17:31.35\00:17:32.61
After you've received all
the necessary instructions,
00:17:32.65\00:17:36.28
after the
equipment has been checked,
00:17:36.32\00:17:39.05
you take a leap of faith.
00:17:39.09\00:17:41.82
Grow your faith in
God and in His Word.
00:17:41.86\00:17:45.69
Don't miss "The Leap of Faith,"
00:17:45.73\00:17:48.60
brought to you
by It Is Written TV.
00:17:48.63\00:17:51.30
>>John Bradshaw: Jesus
said that John the Baptist
00:17:53.40\00:17:55.27
was more than a prophet.
00:17:55.30\00:17:57.34
He asked one day,
00:17:57.37\00:17:58.84
"What did you go out
into the wilderness to see?
00:17:58.87\00:18:01.48
A reed shaken by the wind?"
00:18:01.51\00:18:04.25
The tall reeds that grew on
the banks of the Jordan River
00:18:04.28\00:18:07.42
would bend in the
direction of the wind.
00:18:07.45\00:18:09.65
John the Baptist
wasn't like that.
00:18:09.68\00:18:12.42
He wasn't like the politician
who finds the will of the people
00:18:12.45\00:18:15.49
and yields to that, even
if it isn't the right course.
00:18:15.52\00:18:19.69
John the Baptist
was true to principle,
00:18:19.73\00:18:22.10
and that conviction was what
ultimately cost him his life.
00:18:22.13\00:18:26.00
Herod Antipas was
familiar with John.
00:18:26.03\00:18:29.67
Herod ruled over
Galilee for Rome.
00:18:29.70\00:18:33.34
He'd likely heard John preach.
00:18:33.38\00:18:35.38
John had said to him,
00:18:35.41\00:18:37.01
"It is not lawful for you
to have your brother's wife."
00:18:37.05\00:18:40.68
Herod seemed to have been able
to tolerate John's directness,
00:18:40.72\00:18:44.69
but his wife, actually
his brother Philip's wife--
00:18:44.72\00:18:47.96
at least in the
first place--was livid.
00:18:47.99\00:18:51.03
Both of them,
that's Herod and Herodias,
00:18:51.06\00:18:54.20
had divorced their spouses.
00:18:54.20\00:18:57.07
Their living
arrangement was well and truly
00:18:57.10\00:19:00.07
against Jewish law.
00:19:00.10\00:19:02.37
John rebuked the king, but
the king's wife was furious.
00:19:02.40\00:19:07.41
While "Herod feared John,
knowing that he was a just
00:19:07.44\00:19:11.08
"and holy man, and he protected
him. And when he heard him,
00:19:11.11\00:19:14.95
"he did many things,
and heard his gladly.
00:19:14.98\00:19:18.19
Herodias held it against
him and wanted to kill him."
00:19:18.22\00:19:23.09
John the Baptist was imprisoned.
00:19:23.12\00:19:25.66
And it's interesting to
see that doubt even crept
00:19:25.69\00:19:27.76
into the experience
of John the Baptist.
00:19:27.76\00:19:29.53
Luke 7:19.
00:19:29.56\00:19:30.70
"And John, calling two
of his disciples to him,
00:19:30.73\00:19:33.13
"sent them to Jesus,
saying, 'Are You the Coming One,
00:19:33.17\00:19:36.24
or do we look for another?'"
00:19:36.27\00:19:37.91
But instead of sitting them
down and helping them to see
00:19:37.94\00:19:40.28
how Jesus was the
fulfillment of prophecy,
00:19:40.31\00:19:43.35
Jesus simply let
His actions speak.
00:19:43.38\00:19:46.35
"He cured many of infirmities,
afflictions, and evil spirits;
00:19:46.38\00:19:49.98
and to many
blind He gave sight."
00:19:50.02\00:19:52.65
And then Jesus told
them to go and tell John
00:19:52.69\00:19:55.19
what they had seen and heard.
00:19:55.22\00:19:58.16
And that was enough for John.
00:19:58.19\00:20:01.23
One day Herod threw
himself a big birthday party
00:20:01.26\00:20:04.87
and invited a who's
who of Galilee to attend.
00:20:04.90\00:20:09.80
Herodias' daughter was brought
in to dance for the gathering,
00:20:09.84\00:20:13.78
and Herod made the first of
a series of colossal mistakes.
00:20:13.81\00:20:20.22
He promised to give
her whatever she wanted,
00:20:20.25\00:20:23.49
"up to half [of]
my kingdom," he said.
00:20:23.52\00:20:25.09
Now, that was a
seriously rash promise.
00:20:25.12\00:20:28.56
Herod the big talker, showing
off in front of his friends.
00:20:28.59\00:20:32.99
Now, the young lady did
what any young woman would do.
00:20:33.03\00:20:35.70
When given the opportunity
to acquire a fortune,
00:20:35.73\00:20:37.93
she asked her mother.
00:20:37.97\00:20:39.50
College tuition, Mother?
00:20:39.53\00:20:41.20
A nice new car? Land?
00:20:41.24\00:20:43.10
A home? Homes?
00:20:43.14\00:20:44.87
What should I ask for?
00:20:44.91\00:20:46.64
This was her big opportunity.
00:20:46.68\00:20:48.18
She could set
herself up for life.
00:20:48.21\00:20:52.81
She was shocked to
hear her mother's reply,
00:20:52.85\00:20:56.35
but not as shocked as Herod.
00:20:56.38\00:20:58.32
And here's where he
made another mistake.
00:20:58.35\00:21:00.82
When the girl said,
00:21:00.86\00:21:02.06
"I want you to give me at once
the head of John the Baptist
00:21:02.09\00:21:05.36
on a platter,"
00:21:05.39\00:21:06.49
Herod should have said,
"Oh, no, I didn't mean that."
00:21:06.53\00:21:09.56
Everyone at the party
would have understood.
00:21:09.60\00:21:11.80
They'd have said, "Oh,
for sure, you can't go asking
00:21:11.83\00:21:13.84
for something
like that, no way."
00:21:13.87\00:21:16.57
But Herod was a coward.
00:21:16.60\00:21:19.64
The Bible says he
"was exceedingly sorry,"
00:21:19.67\00:21:22.98
but he dispatched an
executioner just the same,
00:21:23.01\00:21:25.85
and John's head
was brought on a plate.
00:21:25.88\00:21:29.98
Do you think
silencing the voice of John
00:21:30.02\00:21:32.12
settled Herod's heart any?
00:21:32.15\00:21:35.32
Guilt would have
eaten away at him.
00:21:35.36\00:21:38.13
That's what guilt does.
00:21:38.16\00:21:39.96
That's why you need to
make your peace with God.
00:21:40.00\00:21:43.23
A man in California who
was involved in the death
00:21:43.26\00:21:45.37
of a 19-year-old
man, 25 years before,
00:21:45.40\00:21:49.37
went to a television station
and confessed what he had done.
00:21:49.40\00:21:52.71
He said that since that
time he felt absolutely horrible
00:21:52.74\00:21:56.38
every day.
00:21:56.41\00:21:57.45
"Every minute of every
day has been a nightmare."
00:21:57.48\00:22:00.58
He said that the
19-year-old who died
00:22:00.62\00:22:02.92
"never even got to have
a life, and neither did I."
00:22:02.95\00:22:07.32
That's what guilt will do.
00:22:07.36\00:22:08.69
Do you think you
get away with it?
00:22:08.72\00:22:10.26
It'll eat you up.
00:22:10.29\00:22:11.69
In 2016, a 91-year-old man
in Canada confessed to murdering
00:22:11.73\00:22:17.87
a young woman in London,
England, 70 years before,
00:22:17.90\00:22:21.64
in 1946.
00:22:21.67\00:22:23.20
He didn't even know
the young woman's name.
00:22:23.24\00:22:25.44
But a newspaper reported that
he wrestled with his conscience
00:22:25.47\00:22:29.48
and wanted to clear his
conscience before he died.
00:22:29.51\00:22:33.25
No confession had ever
come so long after a crime
00:22:33.28\00:22:36.32
in British legal history.
00:22:36.35\00:22:38.29
That's what guilt
does. It's hard to live with.
00:22:38.32\00:22:42.89
It's important to
settle things with God.
00:22:42.92\00:22:45.59
And you know what God says:
00:22:45.63\00:22:47.40
"Let the wicked forsake his way,
00:22:47.46\00:22:49.83
"and the
unrighteous man his thoughts;
00:22:49.86\00:22:52.10
"let him return to the Lord,
and He will have mercy on him;
00:22:52.13\00:22:55.64
and to our God, for He
will abundantly pardon."
00:22:55.67\00:22:59.04
Isaiah 55 and verse 7.
00:22:59.07\00:23:00.81
Now, you might wonder
why Jesus didn't intervene
00:23:01.38\00:23:04.11
to deliver John.
00:23:04.15\00:23:06.48
Jesus knew that
John would come through,
00:23:06.51\00:23:09.52
and He knew that John's example
would be an encouragement
00:23:09.55\00:23:11.89
for thousands upon thousands
who would walk the same road
00:23:11.92\00:23:16.52
in later years.
00:23:16.56\00:23:18.46
It had to be a comfort
to John Hus as he languished
00:23:18.49\00:23:21.60
in a prison cell in Constance,
in what's now Germany;
00:23:21.63\00:23:25.47
to William Tyndale,
the great Bible translator,
00:23:25.50\00:23:28.57
who was executed for his
faith just outside of Brussels
00:23:28.60\00:23:31.41
in Belgium in 1536.
00:23:31.44\00:23:33.98
John's example was a, a
comfort to Ridley and Latimer,
00:23:34.01\00:23:37.15
who were martyred
in Oxford, England.
00:23:37.18\00:23:39.65
It's said that
Latimer said to Ridley,
00:23:39.68\00:23:41.85
"Play the man, Master Ridley:
00:23:41.88\00:23:43.75
"we shall this day light
such a candle by God's grace
00:23:43.79\00:23:46.29
in England, as, I
trust, shall never be put out."
00:23:46.32\00:23:50.53
They were going where
John had already been.
00:23:50.56\00:23:53.76
Patrick Hamilton, who
was burned at the stake
00:23:53.80\00:23:55.56
in St. Andrews, Scotland.
00:23:55.60\00:23:57.17
The martyrs' memorials
you see around the world,
00:23:57.20\00:24:00.77
they commemorate that
people really gave their lives
00:24:00.80\00:24:03.67
for their faithfulness to Jesus,
00:24:03.71\00:24:06.24
and the experience of John the
Baptist would have encouraged
00:24:06.27\00:24:10.11
every one of them.
00:24:10.15\00:24:12.45
John the Baptist's experience
shows us that sometimes,
00:24:12.48\00:24:15.92
well, sometimes it just
doesn't work out in this world
00:24:15.95\00:24:18.85
as we would like it to work
out, or as we think it should.
00:24:18.89\00:24:22.89
John the Baptist accepted
the call to herald the Messiah.
00:24:22.92\00:24:26.86
He did just that.
00:24:26.90\00:24:28.70
Was it a
disappointment that he died?
00:24:28.73\00:24:30.90
Of course.
00:24:30.93\00:24:32.67
But God never leads you anywhere
that you wouldn't choose to go
00:24:32.70\00:24:36.67
if you could see the
end from the beginning.
00:24:36.71\00:24:39.94
His was a lonely life.
00:24:39.97\00:24:41.84
His was "the voice of one
crying in the wilderness."
00:24:41.88\00:24:44.71
He never filled a
hall or a stadium,
00:24:44.75\00:24:46.65
didn't write a
best-selling book.
00:24:46.68\00:24:49.18
He didn't see the
blind receive their sight.
00:24:49.22\00:24:50.99
He didn't see the,
the dead raised to life.
00:24:51.02\00:24:54.66
But he was an example of what a
life of faithfulness looks like.
00:24:54.69\00:24:58.66
John the Baptist
was committed to God.
00:24:58.69\00:25:01.13
God was honored by his life.
00:25:01.16\00:25:04.33
And if you embrace God's
special call for your life,
00:25:04.37\00:25:07.87
whatever that
is, wherever you are,
00:25:07.90\00:25:11.31
your life can be a
life of faithfulness,
00:25:11.34\00:25:14.91
carrying out
God's purposes for you.
00:25:14.94\00:25:17.91
John approached life
with a certain attitude.
00:25:17.95\00:25:20.95
You might remember that John
once said, speaking of Jesus,
00:25:20.98\00:25:25.09
"He must increase,
but I must decrease."
00:25:25.12\00:25:29.56
John the Baptist
came to lift Jesus up,
00:25:29.59\00:25:32.09
to direct people to Jesus.
00:25:32.13\00:25:34.30
Now, how is it with you?
00:25:34.30\00:25:36.80
Have you reached
out to that same Jesus?
00:25:36.83\00:25:40.24
Have you
surrendered your life to Him?
00:25:40.27\00:25:42.44
Oh, no, don't think that
Jesus wants to take anything
00:25:42.47\00:25:45.07
away from you.
00:25:45.11\00:25:46.47
He wants to add:
00:25:46.51\00:25:48.41
peace, real
happiness, confidence, eternity.
00:25:48.44\00:25:54.15
He wants to forgive you
and give you everlasting life.
00:25:54.18\00:25:58.19
Jesus said that there was none
"greater than John the Baptist."
00:25:58.22\00:26:02.99
One day you'll get to
meet him for yourself,
00:26:03.02\00:26:05.69
if you'll take hold of Jesus
and believe that God's grace
00:26:05.73\00:26:10.47
is for you today.
00:26:10.50\00:26:12.80
>>John: Thank you for
remembering that It Is Written
00:26:13.80\00:26:15.80
exists because of the kindness
of people just like you.
00:26:15.84\00:26:19.24
To support this international
life-changing ministry,
00:26:19.27\00:26:22.48
please call us
now at 800-253-3000.
00:26:22.51\00:26:26.61
You can send your
tax-deductible gift
00:26:26.65\00:26:28.15
to the address on your screen,
00:26:28.18\00:26:29.58
or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:26:29.62\00:26:33.52
Thank you for your prayers
and for your financial support.
00:26:33.56\00:26:36.26
Our number
again is 800-253-3000,
00:26:36.29\00:26:40.50
or you can visit us
online at itiswritten.com.
00:26:40.53\00:26:43.37
>>John Bradshaw:
Let's pray together now.
00:26:44.37\00:26:46.27
Our Father in heaven,
the life of John the Baptist
00:26:46.30\00:26:48.64
stands as an example,
00:26:48.67\00:26:50.97
a life cut short, tragically,
00:26:51.01\00:26:53.81
but a life dedicated to You.
00:26:53.84\00:26:55.14
We learn from John the Baptist.
00:26:55.18\00:26:57.31
We learn from his doubt;
00:26:57.35\00:26:59.38
we learn from
Your patience with him
00:26:59.41\00:27:01.95
that God knows that
sometimes our faith gets shaken.
00:27:01.98\00:27:05.52
But as long as we
trust in the living Christ,
00:27:05.55\00:27:08.69
things will be okay.
00:27:08.72\00:27:10.49
We learn from the
message of John the Baptist,
00:27:10.53\00:27:13.13
who called people
to repent of their sin
00:27:13.16\00:27:16.30
and to live
lives of faithfulness.
00:27:16.33\00:27:19.43
Friend, let me ask you today,
how is it with you and the Lord?
00:27:19.47\00:27:22.70
How are things
between you and God?
00:27:22.74\00:27:24.71
If they're not great, why don't
you pray a prayer right now
00:27:24.74\00:27:27.41
that says, "Lord,
let's fix things."
00:27:27.44\00:27:29.61
If you aren't standing in
the right relationship with God,
00:27:29.64\00:27:32.21
how about we say
to God right now,
00:27:32.25\00:27:34.02
"Lord, save me, change me,
00:27:34.05\00:27:35.45
"pick me up, transform me,
00:27:35.48\00:27:37.22
give me a repentant spirit."
00:27:37.25\00:27:38.62
Lord, we pray
for those things now.
00:27:38.65\00:27:40.79
And we can go from this
place, from this moment,
00:27:40.82\00:27:42.56
knowing that You hear
us, that You would change us,
00:27:42.59\00:27:45.23
that eternity is ours
through faith in Jesus Christ.
00:27:45.26\00:27:48.30
In Jesus' name we pray,
00:27:48.33\00:27:50.53
amen.
00:27:50.57\00:27:51.90
Thanks so much for joining me.
00:27:51.93\00:27:53.40
Looking forward to
seeing you again next time.
00:27:53.44\00:27:55.40
Until then, remember:
00:27:55.44\00:27:57.47
"It is written, 'Man
shall not live by bread alone,
00:27:57.51\00:28:01.68
but by every word that proceeds
from the mouth of God.'"
00:28:01.71\00:28:05.21
¤[dramatic theme music]¤
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