Participants: John Bradshaw
Series Code: IIW
Program Code: IIW001214
00:06 It has stood the test of time.
00:09 God's book. 00:12 The Bible. 00:16 Still relevant in today's complex world. 00:21 It is written sharing hope 00:25 around the globe. 00:40 I'm John Bradshaw Thanks for joining me today 00:42 on It is Written. 00:43 In March of 2011, life in Japan came 00:47 to a standstill when the largest earthquake 00:50 ever recorded in that country rocketed seismographs 00:54 way up to 9.0. 00:56 However, most of the damage was caused by the tsunami 00:59 that occurred a short while later, 01:02 swallowing everything in it's path, including ships, cars, 01:04 buses, trains, buildings, even airplanes, but most 01:09 tragically, people. 01:11 People who got up in the morning never realizing that 01:14 it would be their last day alive. 01:16 The Associated Press stated that this event resembled 01:20 the scenes of a Hollywood disaster movie. 01:22 Imagine, if your survived, living through all the 01:25 aftershocks, many in the range of 6.0 or higher. 01:29 You never know when the next one is coming and you don't 01:33 know how severe it will be. 01:34 An American living in Japan said this: "The aftershocks 01:38 keep coming. 01:39 It's gotten to the point where I don't know whether it's ME 01:41 shaking or an earthquake." 01:44 Those who live through an event like this that no doubt 01:46 experience fear and worry. 01:48 What is it that causes you to worry? 01:51 What keeps you up at night? 01:53 As child I remember seeing a billboard painted on the 01:56 corner of a building that said: "Why pray 01:59 when you can worry?" 02:00 I thought to myself, that's odd, I'm sure they meant it 02:03 the other way-"Why worry when you can pray." 02:06 So I looked again, but sure enough, the billboard said, 02:08 "Why pray when you can worry." 02:11 Are you a worry wart? 02:13 Today we are going to look at what Jesus had to say 02:16 about worry. 02:18 I'll be right back in a moment. 02:21 Hello. 02:22 I'd like to tell you about an exciting new Internet ministry 02:24 that It Is Written has launched just for kids. 02:28 My Place with Jesus is a series of 14 fun, interactive 02:32 Bible studies. 02:34 At My Place with Jesus.com kids learn so much about the 02:38 Bible and have a lot of fun along the way. 02:41 The 14 lessons cover such topics as creation, how to 02:45 build a healthy devotional life and the soon 02:48 return of Jesus. 02:49 At My Place with Jesus the Bible is the guide. 02:52 The best part about this new ministry is that the 14 Bible 02:57 lessons are not the end. 02:59 There are also Bible games, puzzles and a weekly 03:03 devotional on this site. 03:04 Please visit www.MyplacewithJesus.com. 03:09 Today. 03:11 Tell your children and your grandchildren all about it. 03:14 Learning aboutl the Bible has never been as much fun as it 03:17 is on mpwj.com Recently I got 03:22 an email from a friend that showed a photo of the sign in 03:26 front of a church that read like this: 03:32 Worry is a common human experience. 03:35 Most of us worry about something everyday-small 03:38 things and big things, worries about today, worries about 03:42 tomorrow or the future, and worries about yesterday and 03:45 what is past, worries about the fact that we can't go back 03:48 and change what was said and done. 03:51 But I venture to say that much of what we worry about 03:54 may be unproductive. 03:56 One person said: 04:02 Some of our worries may be legitimate, but 04:06 a lot of our worries are no doubt an unnecessary 04:09 withdrawal from our EMOTIONAL bank account. 04:12 A psychologist friend once told me that we each have a 04:15 daily allotment of emotional energy. 04:18 And just like there are limits to our physical energy before 04:21 we become exhausted, there are limits to our 04:24 emotional energy as well. 04:25 He said, "Think of it this way, picture a glass, like a 04:29 glass full of water, and every day you have a glass 04:34 full of emotional energy. 04:35 Now stop and analyze, what is it that drains your emotional 04:38 energy every day?" 04:39 We each choose how to spend our emotional energy just like 04:44 we choose how to spend our money. 04:46 And like money, our emotional energy can only be spent on 04:49 one thing, meaning you can't get it back, once it's spent. 04:53 So how do you spend your emotional energy everyday? 04:57 How much of your emotional energy is spent on worry? 05:02 I wonder if the person who wrote these words was writing 05:04 from experience: 05:11 Much of what we tend to worry about is 05:15 anticipating things that will never happen. 05:17 It's not the things that actually happen to us, but the 05:19 things we THINK will happen to us. 05:22 Here is how some famous people described it. 05:48 A study was done to discover what we tend to worry about. 05:52 Here are the results from a cross section of the 05:55 general public. 05:56 50% on events that will never happen 06:00 25% on things in the past that cannot be changed 06:04 10% about unconfirmed criticism by others 06:09 10% about health (much of it apprehensive) 06:12 and only 5% about the real problems that 06:15 will be faced Now I would hope that Christians have a more 06:20 positive outlook, because we have promises from Scripture 06:22 that should give us hope and security. 06:25 Like this one. 06:26 It's in 1 Peter 5:7. 06:30 1 Peter 5:7. 06:33 It's where the Bible says: 06:40 The Bible says God cares for YOU. 06:45 So, do you surrender all your cares to Jesus? 06:48 Do you BELIEVE God really cares for you? 06:52 God has promised to provide for all our needs, but we must 06:57 ask ourselves: Is what God provides for us, enough? 07:02 Or do we want more? 07:04 If we really believe that God cares for us-in everything and 07:08 all situations, then we really have no need to worry 07:11 about anything. 07:12 When our lives are in God's hands completely, we have 07:16 no reason to worry. 07:17 But there are conditions: (1) We must be completely 07:22 surrendered to God's will, and (2) We must accept 07:25 His plan for our lives. 07:28 Because we are selfish by nature, both of those choices 07:33 are not easy or natural for us and we must choose to do this 07:38 on an on-going basis. 07:40 Everyday we need to make a decision to turn our lives 07:44 over to God for that day. 07:45 Because every day comes with new challenges and 07:49 new opportunities to become anxious or go down 07:52 that road of worry. 07:53 The same person that wrote the Bible text we just looked at, 07:56 had a first hand experience of what it means to cast all our 08:01 care and worry on Jesus. 08:03 Do you remember the story of how Peter walked on water? 08:08 It happened right after the miracle of the feeding 08:10 of the 5,000. 08:12 Jesus had told the disciples to go ahead in their boat and 08:15 that he would follow later. 08:16 It was night time and the disciples were crossing 08:21 the sea Galilee. 08:22 We pick up the story in Matthew 14 and verse 26. 09:14 (You read that in Matthew 14:26-31) 09:16 Earlier in the experience of the disciples another 09:21 similar story had happened and we will look at 09:24 that just ahead. 09:29 Maybe something in today's program has sparked your 09:31 interest in greater Bible Study. 09:33 Why not visit our website itiswritten.com where you will 09:36 find a host of spiritual resources and free 09:40 Bible study guides. 09:47 You'll find a complete archive of past It Is Written programs 09:52 available in script form so you can read or download them. 09:57 Plus, you can watch a program you missed 09:59 via streaming video. 10:01 Why not pay a visit to ItIsWritten.com today. 10:14 Do you remember the Bible story about Jesus 10:16 and the storm? 10:18 The disciples were in their boat crossing the sea of 10:20 Galilee, and this time Jesus was with them. 10:23 In fact, he was in the back of the boat sleeping. 10:26 The story is found in Matthew 8:24-26. 10:57 The disciples were worried about losing their battle 10:59 with the storm, they were worried 11:01 about dying. 11:02 They were uncertain about their immediate future. 11:05 Would they drown right here and now? 11:07 They even forgot that Jesus was on board. 11:10 In the storms of YOUR life, do you ever forget 11:14 that Jesus is on board? 11:15 A lot of what we worry about is not what's happening to us 11:19 today, but what we fear will happen to us tomorrow. 11:23 And much of that fear stems from a lack of faith, do we 11:28 doubt or question whether God will really take care of us? 11:32 In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus gives us assurance 11:36 about a God who loves us. 11:38 In Matthew 6:25, he begins by telling us NOT to worry. 12:42 Could it be that Jesus is asking the same question 12:45 of us today that he asked the disciples during the 12:49 storms in their lives? 12:51 "O you of little faith, -- where is your faith, why do 12:55 you doubt my love for you? 12:57 Why do you fail to trust me completely?" 13:00 When we worry, we are in essence telling God that we 13:05 don't believe the words we've just read. 13:07 When we worry, we are telling God we don't have 13:10 faith in him. 13:12 Now here is an interesting thing about faith found in 13:15 Romans 14:23. 13:26 Sin is the opposite of faith. 13:30 Sin in NOT trusting God. 13:32 Sin is saying, "God I can handle my own life and supply 13:37 my own needs." 13:39 Sin is living a life apart from God. 13:41 Do we really believe that we ourselves are better at 13:45 running our lives than God? 13:46 The difference between the word running and the word 13:51 ruining is only a single letter, and that letter is I. 13:56 For a lot of people "I" gets in the way, and instead of 14:00 running their lives, they end up ruining their lives. 14:05 The difference between going in our own direction and 14:08 having God in the pilot seat is that God already knows 14:11 where things are headed. 14:13 God knew the earthquake would hit Japan. 14:16 He also knows when and where the next "big one" will hit. 14:19 He knows the end from the beginning and he knows the 14:23 next storm you will be facing. 14:25 So would you rather worry about the road ahead of you, 14:29 or travel with someone in the driver's seat who 14:32 knows the road ahead? 14:33 Someone once commented that if God is your co-pilot, 14:36 you need to change seats! 14:38 So the question we all need to answer is, will I allow God 14:42 to pilot my life? 14:44 Will I quit worrying? 14:47 Jesus is saying here in Matthew 6 that it's not 14:50 necessary for Christians to spend time and emotional 14:53 energy worrying about the future or the things 14:57 of this world. 14:58 He goes on in Matthew 6 verse 31 with these words: 15:21 God knows exactly what we need and he has 15:26 promised to provide it. 15:28 The Apostle Paul writes in Philippians 4:19. 15:39 If the Bible says it, all we need to do 15:42 is believe it. 15:44 God will supply all our needs. 15:45 But it's important to keep in mind that every Bible 15:49 promise has a condition. 15:50 So far, Jesus has been describing God's great love 15:55 and care for us, but he adds that in order for us to 15:58 receive that love and care, it's only possible when we 16:02 meet the condition he outlines in the next verse. 16:17 We can expect God to provide for us and to 16:20 care for us, but only if our lives are positioned to 16:24 allow him to do that. 16:26 If any part of us is hanging onto the world, or following 16:29 the devil, then God is prevented from doing for us 16:33 what Jesus describes here in the sermon on the mount. 16:37 Only when we give God permission to intervene in our 16:39 lives can he do so. 16:41 Remember the glass described by my psychologist friend, and 16:45 how we each have a limited daily supply of 16:48 emotional energy. 16:49 Well how does a glass of water get filled? 16:52 If you put the glass upside down, you can pour water 16:56 over it all day long, but it will stay empty. 16:59 Only when the glass is facing the source of water 17:04 will it begin to fill. 17:06 The same is true with our lives. 17:08 If we desire God to supply our needs and fill our lives with 17:12 his love, we must be sure that our glass is face UP 17:18 and not face down. 17:20 Our lives must be open to receiving the blessings of God. 17:24 And according to Jesus the way we position our lives for 17:28 receiving God's blessing is by seeking first the kingdom of 17:32 God and His righteousness. 17:35 If we do that, THEN all those things shall be added. 17:39 What does Jesus mean by "seek first his kingdom and his 17:44 righteousness."? 17:46 It's very simple. 17:47 Jesus is saying that you and I are caught in a cosmic 17:50 conflict between good and evil and we have to choose sides. 17:53 Who will we be loyal to? 17:55 God or the devil? 17:58 Jesus says in order for God to be able to bless us, we need 18:02 to choose to be loyal to the kingdom of heaven and live 18:05 according to the principles of heaven as outlined 18:08 in the law of love. 18:09 It's as simple as that. 18:10 You can choose every day to make the kingdom of God 18:14 first in your life. 18:15 We have each been given freedom of choice and no one 18:19 can violate what we think, or what we believe and what we 18:23 hold most dear in our heart and soul, not even 18:26 the devil himself. 18:28 You can choose right now to GIVE yourself to God and allow 18:32 him to pilot your life. 18:34 You can choose to consecrate yourself to God every morning, 18:38 and surrender all your plans to him who already knows the 18:42 end from the beginning. 18:43 God already knows what your day will hold in store, he 18:48 already knows if it will be your last day, just like those 18:51 who were unexpectedly swept out to sea during 18:54 the tsunami in Japan. 18:56 You know, if you want to discover what's most important 18:59 to people, just can just take a look at what's stuck on the 19:02 front of their refrigerator. 19:03 That's where you find the grocery list, the drawings 19:07 done by children or grandchildren, the photos of 19:09 recent and past events, the love notes, the calendar of 19:13 important appointments and usually a newspaper clipping 19:17 or two or comment on how to lose weight. 19:19 But where is God on your refrigerator door? 19:22 Is God important enough in your life that you'd put him 19:25 in front of your refrigerator? 19:27 Let me suggest that you put a Bible text on your 19:31 refrigerator door, to help remind you to turn your life 19:33 over to God's control, daily. 19:35 Here's the text, we read it a moment ago. 19:49 Why do we visit our refrigerators 19:53 on a regular basis? 19:55 It's to seek physical sustenance. 19:58 But where do you go for spiritual sustenance? 20:02 Your soul needs spiritual food, just like your body 20:05 needs physical food. 20:07 If you're serious about wanting to experience the 20:10 goodness of God in your life as described in Matthew 20:13 chapter 6, then make God first in your life by making verse 20:17 33 a reality in your heart. 20:21 Finally, the last verse of Matthew chapter 6 brings us 20:24 back to where we began in verse 25. 20:26 Jesus again tells us not to worry. 20:41 Jesus says for us to live one day at a time, 20:44 and each day put the kingdom of heaven first by getting our 20:50 daily supply of spiritual nutrition. 20:53 If we do that, it will build our faith and trust in God and 20:59 therefore we will have no need to worry, no matter what 21:02 troubles the day my bring. 21:03 Someone once said: 21:10 Life is not about where I am, it's about where I'm going. 21:14 The pain of this life is nothing compared to the peace 21:18 and joy of eternity. 21:20 But we can experience the peace and joy of heaven 21:23 right here and now. 21:25 There is only one single requirement, --keep your eyes 21:29 on Jesus, make him first every day and surrender all of your 21:33 heart and life to him. 21:35 And you can do that right now, as we pray together. 21:39 Let's pray. 21:40 Our father in heaven we thank you that we can cast our cares 21:44 upon you knowing that you care for us. 21:48 I pray that you will give us peace in the place of our 21:52 worry and give us the joy of entering into that 21:56 relationship with you where we yield to you our hearts, where 22:00 we surrender fully and in trust completely and believe 22:04 in the promises of your word. 22:07 Lord please fill our hearts every day and be bigger, and 22:11 bigger and bigger in our lives so that before long, it's all 22:14 you and none of us. 22:16 We thank you today. 22:18 We give you our worries and concerns and we pray in Jesus' 22:21 name, Amen. 22:40 ♪ Amazing grace, oh how sweet ♪ ♪ the sound that saved ♪ 22:57 ♪ a wretch like me. ♪ ♪ I once was lost, ♪ 23:14 ♪ and now I am found. ♪ ♪ I was blind,♪ 23:19 ♪oh but now I see. ♪ Violin Solo 24:27 ♪ Through many dangers, toils ♪ ♪ and snares ♪ 24:36 ♪ I have already come. ♪ ♪Tis grace that brought♪ 24:47 ♪me safe thus far♪ ♪ and gracewill lead ♪ 24:57 me home. ♪ ♪ Amazing grace, ♪ 25:14 ♪ how sweet the sound. ♪ 25:38 Perhaps our program today has touched your heart and 25:41 impressed you with a personal need for deeper Bible Study. 25:44 Do you desire to listen to God and follow where he leads? 25:47 We've got a wonderful resource that can help you do that 25:50 in a systemic way. 25:52 The Discover Bible Guides. 25:53 These Study guides will take you through the essential 25:56 truths taught in scripture. 25:57 They give you the big picture showing how it 26:00 all fits together. 26:02 The Discover Bible Guides are a wonderful way for you to 26:04 become grounded in the Word of God and to see how Jesus 26:07 Christ relates to all the areas of our lives. 26:10 So please call or write us and the Discover Bible guides will 26:14 be on their way to you and the entire course is 26:17 absolutely free. 26:19 For even easier access you can obtain these wonderful Bible 26:22 lessons on-line at our website. 26:23 Here's the information you need. 26:30 You may request today's offer, The Discover Bible Guides, by 26:33 calling our toll free number 1 800 253 3000. 26:36 Call right now. 26:37 The operator needs only your name, address and phone 26:39 number, plus the name of today's offer, The Discover 26:41 Bible Guides. 26:43 Lines are open 24 hours daily. 26:44 They may be busy so keep trying. 26:47 You may also request today's offer by writing to 26:49 It Is Written, Box O, Thousand Oaks, 26:52 CA 91359. 26:54 Our free offer is for an address in North America only. 26:58 The Discover Bible Guides are also available on the Internet. 27:01 Just visit our website itiswritten.com. 27:05 Also on line is a complete script of today's program. 27:07 If you wish to help the worldwide outreach of It is 27:10 Written, your tax deductible gift may be sent to the same 27:13 address or you may make a gift on line. 27:16 at itiswritten.com Thank you for your letters and 27:19 continued support. 27:20 Our toll free number is 1800 253 3000 and our web address 27:25 itiswritten.com 27:30 Thanks for joining me today. 27:32 I'm looking forward to seeing you again next time. 27:34 Until then, remember - It Is Written: 27:36 man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word 27:42 that proceeds from the mouth of God. |
Revised 2015-02-05