Participants: John Bradshaw
Series Code: IIW
Program Code: IIW001232
00:07 It has stood the test of time.
00:09 God's book, the Bible. 00:14 Still relevant in today's complex world. 00:22 It Is Written ... sharing hope around the globe. 00:36 I'm John Bradshaw. 00:37 Thanks for joining me on It Is Written. 00:40 In 1903 the Ford Motor Company was born. 00:43 It was founded by a 40-year-old man named Henry Ford, 00:47 who had tried before to get into the automobile 00:49 manufacturing business but without a lot of success. 00:52 This time around, within ten years Ford had introduced the 00:55 assembly line into his manufacturing process and in 00:58 less than twenty years was producing a million 01:01 cars a year. 01:03 Doubling his employees' pay not only meant they were 01:05 better off but there were a whole lot more people 01:08 who could afford to buy Ford vehicles. 01:11 And that helped Henry Ford. 01:13 Ford produced the famous Model T and the Model A and 01:16 sold millions of each. 01:17 ♪ [Music playing] ♪ The first car I ever owned 01:28 was a Ford - a white 1969 Mark 2 Ford Cortina, 01:34 a thing of beauty that I could start with a screwdriver. 01:37 Unfortunately, it ended up in a wrecker's yard after 01:41 I was hit by a drunk driver, but that's another story. 01:44 Thank the Lord, I walked away unhurt. 01:46 Ford bought Lincoln in 1922 and then he brought the Mercury 01:49 brand into the Ford fold in the 1930s, and down through 01:52 the years Ford has produced some classic vehicles, 01:55 like the Thunderbird and the Mustang. 02:00 ♪[Music]♪ There's been the Falcon 02:03 and the Taurus and the Fiesta and the Explorer 02:07 ♪ [music] ♪ and outside the United States 02:09 the Mondeo... 02:12 and... 02:13 And in the 1950s Ford started work on a car it hoped 02:16 would take the automotive world by storm. 02:18 They poured hundreds of millions of dollars into making 02:21 the car a success, and named it in honor of Henry Ford's 02:24 son - Edsel. 02:27 But a success it was not. 02:30 In 1958, the fst year the Edsel went on the market, 02:33 more than 63,000 Edsels sold - which was way short 02:37 of what was hoped for. 02:38 In 1959 that number dropped by about a third. 02:42 In 1960, less than 3,000 Edsels sold. 02:46 Ford lost a boat load of money - about two billion dollars in 02:51 today's value - and the Edsel became synonymous with failure. 02:55 To be honest with you I'm not really sure why. 02:57 It's said that the car failed because of styling, 02:59 engineering and marketing. 03:01 If you ask me the Edsel wasn't the áugliestá car ever, 03:04 it wasn't even the ugliest Ford ever made. 03:07 The Edsel wasn't that different technologically from 03:09 other cars that were a success, and in fact it boasted 03:12 some improvements. 03:13 The failure of the Edsel might even have had something 03:16 to do with the media. 03:17 Whatever the reasons, the Edsel sank like a rock. 03:22 And what was the ultimate fallout 03:24 of that colossal failure? 03:26 Today, Ford is the fifth-largest maker of 03:29 automobiles in the world, second largest 03:33 in the United States. 03:34 The top-selling vehicle in the United States 03:37 is often a Ford. 03:38 No question the failure of the Edsel hurt Ford at the time, 03:41 but over the years the Ford company - like so many others 03:45 - learned to weather failure and turn it around 03:50 and enjoy success. 03:51 Now, I've got another failure story for you. 03:54 I wonder if you can figure out who I'm talking about. 03:58 This is the story of a young man whose life began with 04:00 great promise, but unlike Henry Ford when this man was 04:05 40 years old his life was falling apart. 04:07 (Don't worry - the story has a happy ending.) As a baby he 04:11 narrowly escaped death, then was raised in privilege, a 04:15 member of the Royal Household of a prominent 04:19 Middle-Eastern country. 04:21 He was given a world-class education. 04:24 He was destined to be a high-ranking member 04:26 of the royal family. 04:27 But then one day as a young man with the world at his feet, 04:31 he witnessed an act of injustice that made him so 04:34 angry that he murdered a man. 04:36 He saw slaves being mistreated, and flew into a rage 04:40 so intense that he murdered the man who was mistreating 04:43 the slaves. 04:44 Murder, as you know, is a serious business and he 04:47 realized he had to leave town in order to save his own life. 04:51 So he fled the royal household and spent the next 40 years 04:54 living in an arid wilderness. 04:57 This young man had been bound for great things. 05:00 God had especially set him up to be a high-achiever, to be a 05:04 man of great influence in the world. 05:06 And what did he do? 05:08 He took God's gifts and he threw it all away. 05:12 Even his adoptive father was determined to kill him. 05:15 Imagine that. 05:16 Having it all, and then failing so badly 05:20 you lose it all. 05:22 In place of luxury and wealth this man became a fugitive, a 05:27 criminal with a murder charge on his record, on the run 05:31 in a Middle Eastern desert. 05:33 And how do you think this turned out? 05:35 Or let me ask you this: how do you think it 05:39 SHOULD have turned out? 05:40 He was bound for greatness but murdered a man. 05:42 What do you think he deserved? 05:44 Believe it or not, believe it or not ... that man is in 05:48 heaven right now. I'm serious. 05:51 We've got evidence for it. 05:54 This man who was a colossal failure is in heaven. 05:59 How did that happen? 06:00 I'll tell you more in just a moment. 06:18 Thank you for submitting your Bible questions to us 06:20 at It Is Written. 06:22 Here it is: Was Jesus really in the grave for three 06:26 days and three nights? 06:28 You know, what I've learned about this question over the 06:30 years is that some people can be pretty militant about it, 06:34 so if you disagree with my answer, I hope that you will 06:37 remember that we can still be friends... 06:38 In Matthew 12:40, Jesus said, 06:49 For some people, that proves that Jesus had to be in the 06:52 grave for three whole days and three whole nights. 06:55 72 hours. 06:56 How can it be any other way, right? 06:59 Well, a good principle about the Bible is that in trying to 07:02 answer a Bible question you want to consider as much as 07:05 possible of what the Bible says about a subject. 07:09 For example, in Matthew 27:63 they say, We remember He said 07:13 he would rise "AFTER three days." Well, how long 07:17 after three days? 07:18 After three days could be 4 days, or 6 weeks. 07:22 In another place, Jesus said He would be raised on 07:24 "the third day." That could be LESS than 72 hours. 07:28 Two things to consider. 07:30 One is what some scholars call 'inclusive reckoning', where 07:34 any part of a day is called a day and a night. 07:37 So, Jesus goes into the grave Friday afternoon, 07:40 that's one day. 07:42 He spends the Sabbath in the grave, that's two days 07:44 and two nights. 07:45 He spends Saturday night and part of Sunday morning in the 07:48 grave, and that's three days. 07:49 Three days and three nights. 07:51 (A friend of mine was put in jail for three days. 07:54 He told me he was put in there late one night, and that was 07:57 counted as one day. 07:59 He spent the whole next day in jail, that was two days, 08:01 and at about 12:01 the next morning they let him out. 08:04 Three days. 08:05 Now, consider this from Luke chapter 24. 08:09 Verse 1 tells us clearly that what took place was on the 08:12 first day of the week. 08:13 So what we're talking about happened on the first day of 08:16 the week and that is Sunday. 08:18 Now, verse 21, these men are speaking with Jesus and they 08:23 say, "This is the third day since Jesus was crucified and 08:27 put to death." The third day. 08:30 And it was Sunday. 08:31 So, if Sunday was the third day, the Sabbath would have 08:37 been the second day, and Friday would have 08:39 been the first day. 08:41 It's pretty clear if you look at this Biblically, that Jesus 08:44 was crucified on a Friday. 08:47 And three days and three nights represents Friday, 08:49 Saturday (or the Sabbath) and Sunday. 08:53 Three days and three nights. 08:55 There is simply a variety of ways of expressing 08:58 that same thought. 08:59 If you have a question you'd like answered, 09:01 go to itiswritten.com, click on the questions tab 09:05 and submit your question. 09:06 I hope very sincerely I'll be able to answer your question. 09:14 If you have a Bible question for pastor John Bradshaw, 09:16 please write to It Is Written, Box O, Thousand Oaks, CA, 09:19 91359 or visit our website itiswritten.com and send us 09:25 your questions on line. 09:28 Thanks for joining me today on It Is Written. 09:31 I'm John Bradshaw. 09:32 Today, Faith and Failure. 09:35 A young man raised in privilege, a young man with 09:38 the world at his feet, a young man raised in a 09:41 Middle Eastern Royal Family... 09:43 murders someone, and leaves behind his life of privilege 09:46 and flees to live in an arid wilderness. 09:49 A classic example of a man throwing his life away. 09:52 You couldn't call the man much other than a failure. 09:56 Yet the Bible tells us that this man is in heaven while 10:00 we're talking here today. Seriously. 10:02 I'll tell you why that is. 10:03 Because God is able to take our failures and turn 10:08 them into victories. 10:09 It's a terrible thing to fall so far, to lose everything you 10:11 have, everything you've worked for, maybe lose everything 10:14 someone else has worked for for you. 10:17 The shame can be unbearable and the disappointment 10:19 can be crushing. 10:20 But God is able to take our messes and somehow get us 10:23 through them and lead us on to a better tomorrow. 10:27 And how can I be so sure about that? 10:29 Because that's what God did for Moses, our young Middle 10:34 Easterner who was raised in Pharaoh's household but fled 10:37 when he murdered someone. 10:38 Now, no matter which way you measure this thing, 10:41 Moses had made a complete mess of his life. 10:43 He had been given so much but had thrown it away. 10:46 Instead of being the success he was raised to be, 10:48 he was an abject failure. 10:50 But God is in the business of working with failures. 10:53 According to the Bible Moses is in heaven right now - 10:57 he appeared with Jesus when Jesus was transfigured, 11:00 and it says this in the book of Jude verse 9, 11:17 Evidently Moses' body was resurrected and he 11:19 was taken to heaven. 11:21 A murderer. 11:22 A failure. 11:23 Resurrected and taken to heaven! 11:26 You see, that's what God can do with our failures - 11:31 if you'll let him. 11:33 Moses is really the Biblical poster boy for failure. 11:37 God miraculously spared his life, and then not only did he 11:41 murder the Egyptian and then spend 40 years in the 11:44 wilderness, but leading God's people for another 40 years, 11:47 on the borders of the Promised Land, after having seen God 11:50 and spoken with God and having stood at the burning bush and 11:52 after leading Israel through the Red Sea and after seeing 11:55 the pillar of cloud and the pillar of fire and after 11:59 eating manna sent from God for four decades - 12:02 he blew it again! 12:04 In a pique of anger he struck the rock to bring out water 12:07 instead of speaking to the rock, and God had to explain 12:10 to Moses that his offense was so serious he couldn't 12:13 enter the Promised Land. 12:15 Two strikes against him. 12:18 And then what? 12:18 Moses was resurrected and taken to the Heavenly 12:23 Promised Land. 12:24 You know, too many people are ready to quit because 12:28 of their failures. 12:29 It happens in everyday life. 12:30 I've heard of people who gambled away 12:33 everything they had - and they killed themselves. 12:38 I know of people who've lost everything due to bad business 12:41 deals or due to a challenging economy, and have ended their 12:44 lives - or have gone nuts on drugs or alcohol and lost 12:46 their family and friends. 12:48 And it happens in church or in a person's relationship 12:50 with God. 12:52 The person will stumble, fall, embarrass themselves or their 12:55 family, and then they feel they aren't worthy of 12:58 God's mercy - which is true, incidentally: we're not worthy 13:01 but God gives it to us anyway - and very often people decide 13:04 to give up on their faith - they give up on God. 13:09 Look: if Moses can murder someone and still be 13:13 commissioned by God to lead the exodus, there has 13:16 to be hope for you. 13:17 If Moses can blow it at the rock and still be resurrected 13:20 and taken to heaven... 13:22 What does that say about the hope we have - even when 13:24 we foul things up? 13:25 Let's think about King David. 13:27 Knowing better, he took another man's wife. 13:31 He deliberately had the woman's husband killed in 13:32 battle, he lied about it, he brought calamity 13:36 upon his family... 13:38 If David can go through all that, and STILL be God's man, 13:41 the leader of God's people, that has to reassure you that 13:45 God is in the busins of using broken people to 13:48 accomplish great good. 13:50 Now I want to be careful about something. 13:52 This is not to say that the sins of Moses and David 13:54 weren't of consequence or weren't serious. 13:57 They were! 13:57 The Bible says in Romans 6:23 14:03 Sin is a serious business! 14:05 But what Moses and David did was they repented - and they 14:09 were accepted by God when they saw the seriousness of their 14:12 sin and asked God to ácleanseá them of their sin. 14:17 Look at David's repentance with me. 14:19 We read about it in Psalm 51. 14:22 Remember what David had done. 14:23 Adultery, murder, dishonesty, he'd disgraced his throne and 14:28 sadly misrepresented his God. 14:30 But he comes to God understanding something. 14:34 He understands that God is the God of the new start. 14:37 David knows that he can rely on God to forgive him 14:41 and let him begin again. 14:45 Psalm 51 is where we will read. 14:47 I want you to think about how encouraging this is if YOU'VE 14:49 ever made mistakes, if you've ever done something 14:51 you're not proud of. 14:52 If you've ever failed, even spectacularly. 14:55 This is what David says, 15:17 Then in verse 7 David says this, 15:27 Hyssop was used at the Passover to sprinkle blood upon the 15:30 doorposts of the homes, and it was used in special 15:33 cleansing ceremonies in the Old Testament. 15:35 David saw his need of cleansing. 15:57 And God DID forgive David, to the extent 15:59 that Jesus was referred to as the "Son of David". 16:02 David is quoted in the New Testament and included among 16:06 the great faithful ones in Hebrews 11. 16:09 So if you've failed, there's hope for you. 16:11 Think of some of the other failures in the Bible, people 16:13 who God then worked with and made new. 16:16 There was the woman taken in adultery. 16:19 A group of men were prepared to stone her, 16:21 but what did Jesus do? 16:22 He said to her, " 16:27 He didn't justify her sin, but he understood her 16:29 repentance and accepted it, and sent her on her way 16:34 forgiven and cleansed. 16:36 There was the woman at the well. 16:37 Jesus said to her, 16:41 Hardly a picture of stability and domestic bliss. 16:44 But Jesus sought her out so he could forgive her and give her 16:48 hope - He didn't seek her out to condemn her. 16:52 Now we're familiar, many of us, with John 3:16, "God so 16:56 loved the world", but not as many people are familiar with 16:59 the next verse, John 3:17. 17:04 Even though it's one of the most hopeful verses in the 17:06 Bible, and it talks about God's plan to lift up the 17:08 fallen, to turn around the lives of those who have failed. 17:11 I'll share that hopeful verse with you in just a moment. 17:17 In Matthew 4:4 the Word of God says ... 17:27 Every Word is a one minute Bible-based daily devotional 17:30 presented by Pastor John Bradshaw and designed 17:33 especially for busy people like you. 17:35 Look for Every Word on selected networks or watch it 17:38 on-line everyday on our website itiswritten.com. 17:42 Receive a daily spiritual boost. 17:45 Watch Every Word. 17:47 You'll be glad you did. 17:52 I'm glad you've joined me today. 17:53 I'm John Bradshaw and this is It Is Written. 17:55 Today - Faith and Failure. 17:58 God is so good that even when we fail He is able 18:01 to give us hope. 18:02 I have a good friend who's studying right now 18:05 to be a Christian minister. 18:06 He came to faith in Christ in a jail cell. 18:08 His life was at rock bottom. 18:09 He'd made some terrible errors of judgment, and while he was 18:13 in prison he reached out to God and God lifted Him up. 18:16 Today, very much a free man, his life is dedicated to 18:20 sharing hope with others. 18:22 I've come to know men in prison on murder charges, 18:25 men who have realized that a failure in this world doesn't 18:28 have to mean eternal failure. 18:30 They've learned that God is able to change a life 18:32 and change a heart. 18:33 And while that in no way means that God condones the crimes 18:36 that were committed, there are people in prisons all over the 18:39 world who know that God has given them new life. 18:42 Their spiritual failures have been turned 18:45 into spiritual victory. 18:47 One night Jesus spoke with a man named Nicodemus 18:51 and He said this to him. 18:52 You'll find it in John 3:17. 18:56 Here is what Jesus said to Nicodemus, 19:09 If Jesus wanted to condemn you for your mistakes 19:13 He surely could! 19:13 Paul wrote in Romans 3:23, 19:19 But what God wants to do is forgive, He wants to 19:21 remake, He wants to recreate and transform. 19:24 Think of some of the great failures in the Bible. 19:27 Peter denied Jesus. 19:30 Outright denied Him. 19:32 And what did Jesus do? 19:33 After His resurrection He sent a special message to Peter. 19:37 Remember? 19:38 An angel said to Mary at the tomb in Mark 16:7, 19:56 There was reassurance for Peter. 19:58 "Peter, I'm not done with you. 19:59 You're still special to me. 20:00 I still love you and I've still got a plan for you." 20:04 Imagine how Peter must have felt to get that message 20:07 from Jesus! 20:08 There's no doubt he felt terrible for what he had done, 20:10 and he probably was beating himself up badly. 20:13 But Jesus reassures him. 20:15 "I haven't forgotten you, Peter." Even though 20:18 you failed. 20:19 Think of King Manasseh. 20:21 The Bible says a lot about him - and almost all of it is very 20:25 uncomplimentary. 20:27 It says he sinned more than the heathen nations that the 20:31 Lord destroyed; it says he did abominations, he made Israel 20:33 sin with his idols; he shed innocent blood so that he 20:37 filled Jerusalem from one end to the other. 20:40 That's what the Bible says. 20:41 And what became of Manasseh? 20:43 2 Chronicles 33 tells us he repented and he died 20:48 a saved man. 20:50 Manasseh was a failure, a disgrace. 20:53 He was a despicable individual - but he came back from his 20:57 failures and found faith in the God of heaven. 21:02 There was Solomon had all those wives and concubines - 21:05 hundreds of them - and worshiped pagan gods, 21:08 and yet God forgave him when he repented. 21:10 I think about Abraham lying about Sarah, saying she was 21:13 his sister and not his wife. 21:17 His son Isaac did the same thing, lying about 21:20 Rebekah, his wife. 21:21 saying that Rebekah was his sister 21:23 Both men almost lost their way because they 21:26 were cowardly and lied. 21:28 Yet God forgave their spiritual failures. 21:32 It's a wonder, but it seems their wives forgave them too! 21:34 There was Aaron, the brother of Moses, made an idol of gold 21:39 - a golden calf - when Moses was up on the mountain 21:42 receiving the ten commandments. 21:43 I mean - what was he thinking?! 21:46 And he comes up with a lame excuse saying that, oh, we 21:48 just threw a bunch of gold in the fire and what do you know? 21:51 This calf just came out? 21:54 I mean... that's ridiculous. 21:56 And yet Aaron served God as God's high priest. 22:01 The good news is, Spiritual failure doesn't need to mean 22:06 the end for you and me. 22:07 Now again, I'm not minimizing the danger of sin or of 22:10 dishonoring God. 22:12 There's a high price to pay for that. 22:15 Our spiritual failures may come back and cause us 22:17 trouble in our lives. 22:18 That's true. 22:19 But it is good to know that failing spiritually once, 22:22 or twice, OR over a period of years, doesn't mean that God 22:26 is done with us and can't use us. 22:28 And that we cannot enjoy everlasting life. 22:30 We all need to hear that. 22:32 We all have our issues, some more than others, 22:35 and every day there are people crashing 22:38 and burning spiritually. 22:39 And the devil wants those people to think that God 22:43 is finished with them. 22:45 Well, He isn't. 22:47 Now, I'll mention some other Bible characters. 22:49 Judas. Sold Jesus to His murderers. 22:53 King Saul, just fell apart, really, and lost his way 22:55 spiritually. 22:56 Achan, who stole the gold and the clothing from the enemy 22:59 and died as a result. 23:01 You know, God could have forgiven them. 23:03 God áwould haveá forgiven them, except they never came 23:06 to God to be forgiven. 23:08 They didn't repent. 23:10 And so they owned their failures and weren't forgiven. 23:15 The greatest basketball player to ever play the game was 23:18 Michael Jordan. 23:21 An NBA champion 6 times and won two Olympic gold medals. 23:26 Yet here's what he says. 23:49 And basketball's just a game that doesn't mean a thing in 23:51 the final analysis. 23:53 But that's the attitude of a winner. 23:54 And it's the attitude of a Christian who trusts in Jesus. 23:57 I might have failed over and over again, but I know God 24:01 isn't finished with me and I'm pushing forward. 24:05 I'm hanging on. 24:07 Reminds me of Thomas Edison. 24:08 He said, 24:15 ♪ [Music] ♪ He said, 24:28 I hope you'll remember today that God doesn't cast off 24:31 those who stumble and fall. 24:34 He is not finished with you when you fail, but welcomes 24:38 you back to forgive you and give you a new start. 24:43 In fact, He has promised to do so. 24:46 Today, I want to offer you this special free book on the 24:49 subject of God's promises, including some of the very 24:53 promises God makes to us to reassure us that He is there 24:56 for us even when we fall. 24:58 You'll find it very encouraging. 25:00 It's called, "God's Promises", dozens of promises from the 25:03 word of God with encouragement for you to know God and grow 25:07 in His grace. 25:08 This is going to help you in your daily walk with Jesus. 25:11 Just call or write and I'll send you "God's Promises". 25:14 There's no cost or obligation. 25:15 It's absolutely free. 25:17 Just call 1-800-253-3000, ask for "God's Promises". 25:24 You can call 24 hours a day. 25:26 If the lines are busy, please just keep trying. 25:28 You can also request your free copy of "God's Promises" by 25:31 writing to: It Is Written, Box O, Thousand Oaks, CA 91359, 25:37 and we will mail a copy to your address in North America. 25:41 Please note: this free book is limited to the supply on hand. 25:45 For immediate access, you can download a FREE electronic 25:49 version of this book God's Promises from our website: 25:52 itiswritten.com It Is Written is a faith-based ministry made 25:55 possible by viewers like you. 25:57 I want to say Thank you to you for your support 26:00 of It Is Written. 26:00 To support the worldwide outreach of It Is Written 26:03 and to make it possible for people to continue 26:05 receiving this broadcast, your tax-deductible gift 26:08 may be sent to the same address. 26:10 Or you can give online at: itiswritten.com. 26:13 Thank you for your continued support. 26:15 Our toll-free number is: 1-800-253-3000. 26:18 And our web address is: itiswritten.com. 26:24 Today we've talked about faith and failure. 26:26 I imagine if you're anything like me, it's not hard 26:29 to remember your spiritual failures. 26:33 I want to pray with you right now and ask that God will give 26:35 you success in the place of defeat and disappointment. 26:39 Let's pray. 26:42 Our Father in heaven, we thank you that you are the God of 26:45 the new start. 26:46 We thank you that you are able to take a failure and turn 26:50 that person into a spiritual success. 26:52 We thank you that you see beyond our mistakes, beyond 26:55 our shortcomings, beyond our weaknesses, and you see what 26:58 we can be through faith in Christ. 27:01 So at least to day, Lord, let that be in our lives. 27:04 Give us the grace not to repeat our past errors 27:07 and give us the encouragement we need 27:09 that when we are low because of our stumbles and 27:11 falls, to look up and remember that you welcome us into your 27:16 arms and that you will cleanse us and forgive us. 27:19 We thank you today that there is victory in Jesus and we 27:23 pray in Jesus' name, Amen. 27:33 ♪ [Music] ♪ 27:46 Thank you for joining me today. 27:48 Until then, remember the Bible says 27:52 It is written, man shall not live by bread alone but by 27:56 every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. 28:02 ♪ Theme Music ♪ |
Revised 2015-02-06