Participants: John Bradshaw
Series Code: IIW
Program Code: IIW001331
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00:07 It has stood the test of time,
00:12 God's book -- the Bible. 00:16 Still relevant in today's complex world. 00:22 It Is Written ... 00:25 sharing hope around the globe. 00:36 Thanks for joining me today. 00:37 I'm John Bradshaw and this is It Is Written. 00:41 Every now and then someone appears on the world stage 00:44 that makes a dramatic difference. 00:46 As the old saying puts it, Cometh the hour, 00:49 cometh the man. 00:50 The 'hour' we're talking about today was the 18th 00:53 Century - a time when England had degenerated, religiously, 00:58 into a tired and formulaic routine. 01:00 The Church of England was now the state church 01:02 in the United Kingdom, and though it had broken 01:04 from Rome, and several of Rome's doctrines had been rejected, 01:07 the forms of Rome had been largely retained 01:10 by the Church of England. 01:13 And the monarchy had simply taken the place of the pope 01:16 as the head of the church. 01:18 The road to Protestantism had been rocky. 01:21 Men and women had won freedom from Rome at a great cost - 01:25 many lost their lives being murdered, or martyred, 01:29 and persecution was intense. 01:32 By the 1700s, Protestantism in England wasn't the vital 01:35 force its founders had hoped it would be. 01:37 The vitality had just seeped right out of the church. 01:40 Formalism and nominalism had taken over spiritual life. 01:45 Something was needed. 01:47 Someone was needed. 01:50 [Music] And in the early 1700s - June 28, 1703, 02:01 the 15th of Samuel and Susanna Wesley's children was born 02:05 here in Epworth, in Lincolnshire, England. 02:09 Epworth is about 45 miles south of York and about 02:12 the same distance from Leeds, and today has a population 02:15 of less than 4000 people. 02:17 Obviously much smaller back then. 02:22 The Wesleys had moved here in 1695. 02:25 Yet from this unassuming place came the man who would 02:28 go on to become one of the great religious reformers of all time. 02:33 He would become the founder of the Methodist Church -- 02:36 and would breathe new life into Christianity in England -- 02:39 and provide inspiration to Christians all over 02:42 the world. 02:46 Only 10 of Samuel and Susanna Wesley's 19 children survived. 02:50 And if you think that was a large family, Susanna's 02:54 father - a dissenter pastor who had separated from 02:57 the established church - had 25 children, and Susanna 03:02 was the 25th. 03:06 Samuel Wesley - who went to school with Daniel Defoe, 03:10 the author of Robinson Crusoe - had graduated from Oxford 03:14 and was the church of England pastor here - and this is where 03:17 the Wesley's lived. 03:24 At that time the rectory was a wooden building 03:26 and it had a thatched roof. 03:28 When John Wesley was 5 years old, the Rectory burned down. 03:32 His father would say that he believed the fire was set 03:34 intentionally by discontented church members. 03:38 Little Jacky (as his mother called him) was rescued 03:41 in dramatic circumstances. 03:43 John wrote later that he was saved 'as a brand 03:46 plucked from the burning'. 03:48 This new Rectory was built in 1709 at a cost of £184, 03:55 not quite $300 USD. 03:58 When John Wesley was about 13, certain events lead people 04:00 to believe that this Rectory was haunted. 04:03 People urged Samuel Wesley to take his family away from 04:06 here and get them to safety. 04:08 Samuel said that he believed the devil should flee from him, 04:11 and not the other way round... 04:28 [Music] Samuel Wesley, John's father, was the pastor 04:32 of this church. 04:33 This is St Andrew's Church, the parish church of Epworth. 04:38 Parts of this building date back to the 12th Century. 04:46 And as a young man, John Wesley was the curate of the parish 04:50 church in the little village of Wroot, about 5 or 6 miles 04:54 from Epworth. 05:01 He is buried here, just yards from where he used to preach. 05:05 John Wesley would come back to Epworth and come here 05:08 to St. Andrews and step up on top of his father's tombstone 05:12 and use it as a pulpit from he would preach the Word 05:15 of God. 05:21 When he'd come back to Epworth to visit his family, 05:24 John Wesley would normally stay right here, at the Red Lion 05:28 Inn, and because he wasn't allowed to preach in 05:31 the churches, he'd preach from unorthodox places, 05:34 such as from right on top of his father's tomb and he would 05:38 preach here, from these very steps, in this exact place 05:43 and from these steps take his Bible in his hand, proclaim 05:47 the Word of God and encourage the people of Epworth to follow 05:50 Jesus Christ by faith. 06:01 In Matthew 4:4 the Word of God says, "It is written, man 06:05 shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds 06:09 from the mouth of God. 06:11 Every Word is a one minute Bible based daily devotional 06:14 presented by Pastor John Bradshaw and designed 06:17 especially for busy people like you. 06:19 Look for Every Word on selected networks or watch 06:23 it on line every day on our website itiswritten.com. 06:27 Receive a daily spiritual boost. 06:29 Watch Every Word. 06:30 You'll be glad you did. 06:32 Here's a sample. 06:42 I read an article recently that investigated why 06:45 it is that kids in other countries seem to take 06:48 on responsibility more readily than American kids. 06:51 The article said that children in many other parts 06:53 of the world seemed to be more disciplined, and that 06:56 Western kids -- Surprise! 06:57 Surprise! 06:58 -- are indulged. 06:59 Parents seem to coddle and spoil them, the story said. 07:02 But look at what Solomon wrote in Proverbs 29:17, 07:05 "Correct your son, and he will give you rest; yes, he 07:08 will give delight to your soul." Not cruelty, 07:11 discipline - which is virtually the same word as "disciple". 07:15 Many parents want to be their kids' buddy, 07:16 but not their parent. 07:17 And maybe it's because self-discipline is slipping 07:20 slowly away. 07:21 Sometimes you've got to put your foot down. 07:23 Parents with children, absolutely. 07:25 But also put your foot down in your own life. 07:28 Our parent, God, might want to correct us. 07:30 And when he does, we need to let Him do so. 07:32 Let's live today by Every Word. 07:35 ♪ [music] ♪ John Wesley studied 07:51 at Christ Church at Oxford University. 07:53 It was and still is a very prestigious school. 07:57 King Edward the 7th was educated here. 07:59 William Penn, the founder of the State of Pennsylvania, 08:01 and the current Archbishop of Canterbury. 08:05 In fact, Christ Church has produced as many Prime 08:07 Ministers of Great Britain - 13 - as the other 45 Oxford 08:11 colleges combined. 08:12 And it was while he was here that John Wesley 08:20 began to experience personal spiritual revival. 08:23 Along with his brother, Charles, and others such 08:25 as George Whitefield, or Whitfield, depending on your 08:27 pronunciation, John Wesley formed the Holy Club - 08:30 a group that met regularly and were determined to live 08:34 a holy life dedicated to God, in a very systematic way. 08:45 Wesley sought to be holy. 08:48 So he adopted a very rigid approach to his life, often 08:52 denying himself and following certain 'methods' of living 08:56 that he believed would enable him to live that life 08:59 that he wanted to live. 09:01 This 'methodical' approach to faith in God saw Wesley 09:05 and his fellows in the Holy Club here at Lincoln College 09:09 become branded as "Methodists." 09:11 To begin with, this term "Methodists" was intended 09:15 as an insult but Wesley and his friends came to embrace 09:19 the term as they believed it reflected God's will 09:24 for their lives. 09:27 [Music] 09:34 When Wesley came to Oxford University, he knew 09:36 full well just what faithfulness to the Word 09:38 of God could cost. 09:39 He knew that in 1536 another former Oxford student, 09:42 William Tyndale, had been burned at the stake for his 09:45 faith in Jesus Christ and for daring to disobey the orders 09:48 of the Roman Catholic Church. 09:50 And Wesley had another very graphic reminder of what 09:53 faithfulness cost. 09:54 You see, right here behind me is the very spot in which 09:59 Hugh Latimer, Nicholas Ridley and Thomas were burned 10:03 at the stake for their faith in the Word of God. 10:05 Latimer and Ridley in 1555 and Cranmer, who had been 10:08 the the Archbishop of Canterbury - in 1556. 10:12 It is said that Latimer said to Ridley as they were 10:15 about to be burned, "Be of good comfort." 10:18 "We shall this day light such a candle, by God's grace, 10:22 in England, as I trust shall never be put out." 10:26 Now Cranmer, on the other hand, recanted his opposition 10:29 to the Roman Catholic Church several times but then 10:33 he recanted his recantations. 10:35 He was brought to this spot on Broad Street in Oxford 10:39 and burned at the stake. 10:40 And when he was, he did what he said he would do. 10:43 He took the very hand that had written the recantations 10:46 and thrust it into the flames. 10:50 Today, a cross commemorates the spot at which these men 10:54 gave their lives for their faith in Christ, while near 10:57 this sport stands the Oxford Martyrs' Memorial, 11:00 in remembrance of Latimer, Ridley and Cranmer. 11:03 The inscription on the base of the memorial says this: 11:08 "To the Glory of God, and in grateful commemoration 11:11 of His servants, Thomas Cranmer, Nicholas Ridley, Hugh 11:15 Latimer, Prelates of the Church of England, who near this spot 11:19 yielded their bodies to be burned, bearing 11:22 witness to the sacred truths which they had affirmed 11:25 and maintained against the errors of the Church 11:28 of Rome, and rejoicing that to them it was given not only 11:32 to believe in Christ, but also to suffer 11:37 for His sake." John Wesley knew that the road to reform 11:44 would not be easy. 11:45 He understood what opposition to truth could look like. 11:49 But he was determined. 11:50 He was determined to live a life of faith. 11:53 A life to the glory of God. 11:54 A life that would result in personal transformation. 11:59 But just as the road to reform in the church would 12:02 no be easy, Wesley discovered that the road to reform in his 12:06 own personal life would not be easy either. 12:10 You see, like most people, John Wesley had to learn 12:13 the secret of living a life of faith. 12:16 So what was it that John Wesley learned that changed 12:19 his life? 12:20 And could it change your life? 12:23 More in just a moment. 12:26 It Is Written is dedicated to sharing the gospel 12:28 around the world. 12:30 To discover more about It Is Written, I invite you 12:32 to visit our website: itiswritten.com and browse 12:35 the dozens of pages that describe what we do 12:38 and how we do it. 12:39 Let's get to know each other better. 12:41 Visit our website itiswritten.com today. 12:46 [Music] Eyes for India is giving sight 12:49 to the blind and you can be a part 12:52 of this amazing work that God is doing. 12:54 Fifteen million blind people live in India, more than any 12:58 other country in the world. 12:59 And many of the blind in India could see again, 13:02 if only they could have simple cataract surgery. 13:06 It is Written is making that happen. 13:09 Would you support Eyes for India? 13:12 For just $75 you'll be giving the gift of sight to someone 13:16 who desperately wants to see. 13:18 Here's all you need to do. 13:20 Call 1.800.253.3000. 13:23 That's 1.800.253.3000 to donate and support Eyes for 13:30 India or you can write to It Is Written, Box O, 13:34 Thousand Oaks, California 91359. 13:37 You'll also find Eyes for India online at itiswritten.com. 13:42 Every $75 you give gives someone the precious gift 13:46 of sight. 13:47 Eyes for India, doing the work of Jesus in opening the eyes 13:51 of the blind and opening hearts to the love of God. 13:56 Call 1.800.253.3000 or write to Box O, Thousand Oaks, 14:00 California, 91359 or visit itiswritten.com. 14:08 It was in 1735 that John Wesley and his brother 14:11 Charles, newly ordained to ministry, left England bound 14:15 for the province of Georgia in the American colonies. 14:18 They left from Gravesend, near where the River Thames 14:21 runs into the English Channel, on a ship called 14:24 The Simmonds. 14:25 And it was on that journey that John Wesley came face 14:28 to face with what he perceived to be his own 14:31 great spiritual lack. 14:33 While crossing the Atlantic Ocean, a terrible storm arose. 14:37 Wesley believed that he was going to die - and he 14:40 was terrified. 14:43 But also aboard the ship were a number of German Moravian 14:46 believers, members of a religious group that had 14:48 its origins in the teachings of John Huss - who himself 14:52 was strongly influenced by another English reformer, 14:55 John Wycliffe, the Morning Star of the Reformation. 15:01 During this storm the Moravians remained calm - no panic, 15:05 and they had a peace that Wesley didn't possess. 15:08 In fact, they sang as the storm raged around them. 15:13 Wesley later asked them if they had been afraid to die. 15:16 No, they said, we were not afraid to die. 15:19 And it was then that Wesley realized that in spite of his 15:23 methodical approach to his religious life, he was 15:26 missing something tremendously important. 15:29 His brother Charles had a similar experience. 15:32 It was thought at one time that Charles was going 15:34 to die. 15:35 He had become so ill and somebody asked him upon 15:38 which he rested his hope of salvation. 15:41 Charles answered by saying, "I have used my best 15:44 endeavors to serve God." Led to believe his answer might 15:48 have been lacking just a little bit, Charles thought, 15:51 "Are not my endeavors a sufficient ground of hope? 15:55 I have nothing else to trust to!" The Wesleys had thought 16:01 that living a virtuous life and observing all the right 16:04 forms would bring them to the place where they 16:06 had peace with God. 16:07 But they came to understand that genuine Christian living 16:11 involves an inward change that affects the thoughts 16:15 and the feelings, not just the words and the actions. 16:18 They came to understand that this inward transformation 16:21 was an integral part of genuine Christian living. 16:24 Up until now, they had been trying to achieve 16:27 righteousness by works but now they began to understand 16:30 that great foundational teaching of Christianity - 16:34 righteousness by faith in Jesus Christ alone. 16:38 By 1738, John Wesley, now 35, and his brother Charles, 31, 16:46 returned to England. 16:47 And it was that year that something remarkable 16:51 happened, something that would the world. 16:54 On May 24, 1738, John was attended a Moravian meeting 16:59 in London, right here on Aldersgate Street. 17:03 This is what he would later write about what happened 17:05 here that night. 17:08 "In the evening I went very unwillingly to a society 17:11 in Aldersgate Street, where one was reading Luther's preface 17:15 to the Epistle to the Romans. 17:17 About a quarter before nine, while the leader was describing 17:20 the change which God works in the heart through faith 17:22 in Christ, I felt my heart strangely warmed. 17:27 I felt I did trust in Christ alone for salvation; 17:31 and an assurance was given me that He had taken away my sins, 17:35 even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death." 17:42 [Music] 17:51 John Wesley would never be the same again - 17:54 and nor would the world. 17:56 He continued to live his methodical, self-denying 17:59 life, but now as the result of his faith in God, 18:03 and not the ground of his faith in God. 18:06 Wesley came to understand that the grace of God 18:07 is the foundation of a believer's existence 18:10 and he realized that grace resulted in obedience. 18:15 Wesley dedicated his life to preaching these great truths 18:19 - justification through faith in the blood of Jesus, 18:23 and the transforming power of the Holy Spirit 18:26 in a person's life. 18:28 Today we've looked at individuals whose lives were 18:30 changed because of the power of the Word of God. 18:33 And I want to share with you how the Bible can bring joy 18:36 and victory into your life. 18:38 There is a special Bible study guide I want you to have. 18:41 It's called The Secret of Happiness. 18:44 In just a few pages, you'll discover what the Bible 18:46 has to say on this vital subject and it's our free gift to you. 18:51 The secret of happiness explains just how the Word 18:53 of God has the power to transform your life and give 18:57 you abundant joy. 18:58 Right now, it's available free from It Is Written. 19:01 Just call 1.800.253.3000 and ask for The Secret 19:06 of Happiness. 19:07 You can also get the Secret of Happiness by writing to 19:09 It Is Written, Box O, Thousand Oaks, 19:12 California 91359. 19:15 And we will send a copy to your address 19:17 in North America. 19:18 I want you to have this booklet. 19:20 It could absolutely change your life or the life 19:23 of someone you care about. 19:25 Be sure also to visit our website itiswritten.com 19:26 where you will discover additional helpful resources 19:30 on a host of life-changing topics. 19:33 It Is Written is a faith-based outreach made possible 19:36 by viewers like you. 19:38 Thank you for your letters and emails and thank you 19:42 for your continued financial support. 19:44 It's your support that enables us to present 19:47 clear Bible truth all over the world. 19:49 Our toll-free number is 1.800.253.3000 and our web 19:54 address is itiswritten.com 19:59 Like many reformers, John Wesley had no intention 20:02 of starting a new denomination when he founded Methodism. 20:06 It's interesting - Catholicism had been 20:08 the state religion, and it needed serious reformation. 20:11 Out of that milieu came the Church of England - which 20:14 itself came to the place where IT needed to be reformed. 20:18 To begin with, John Wesley wanted to teach and preach 20:20 within the confines of the Church of England. 20:22 But it wasn't long and he wasn't welcome in the Church 20:25 of England. 20:26 He was ardently opposed to the Calvinist teaching 20:29 of predestination, believing instead that people were free 20:32 to choose whether they wanted to accept or reject salvation. 20:36 This pitted him against his good friend, 20:39 George Whitefield, with Wesley saying that he believed 20:42 Calvinism represented "God to be worse than the devil." 20:46 After Whitefield died, John Wesley wrote that "in some 20:50 things, people might agree to disagree". 20:54 That's the first time we know of that the phrase "agree 20:56 to disagree" ever appeared in print. 21:03 And John Wesley was a committed abolitionist. 21:06 He was friends with William Wilberforce and with John 21:09 Newton who wrote the hymn Amazing Grace. 21:12 So this was another point where he differed from 21:14 his friend George Whitefield, who had argued in favor 21:17 of slavery. 21:19 John Wesley usually travelled on horseback, and he preached 21:21 two or three times a day. 21:23 Stephen Tomkins wrote that Wesley traveled "more 21:26 than 250,000 miles, he gave away 30,000 pounds, ... 21:31 and preached more than 40,000 sermons. 21:34 Now all this travel was not especially good for Wesley's 21:37 marriage. 21:38 When he was 48 he married Mary, a 40-year-old widow. 21:43 Wesley's philosophy was pretty simple. 21:45 He wrote, 'I cannot understand how a Methodist 21:48 preacher can answer it to God to preach one sermon 21:52 or travel one day less, in a married than in a single 21:55 state.' Mary had a hard time seeing it that time. 21:59 She grew weary of his relentless travel schedule, 22:02 and she become jealous of the attention that Wesley 22:05 was getting from other women. 22:07 Now it cannot be said that John Wesley handled all 22:10 of the pressure on his marriage like a saint. 22:13 He actually wrote and said some pretty scathing things 22:15 to Mary. 22:16 Biographer Robert Southey wrote 'There are few stomachs 22:19 which could bear to have humility administered in such 22:22 doses.' Molly actually left Wesley several times, 22:25 but after he would beg her to return, she'd come back. 22:29 But things were not good at home. 22:31 Writer John Pollock wrote that Mary was actually seen 22:34 dragging Wesley across the floor by his hair. 22:38 No wonder, then, that after 15 years of marriage, 22:41 Mary left. 22:42 And when she did, Wesley wrote, ", 'I did not forsake 22:45 her, I did not dismiss her, I will not recall her.' 22:52 [Music] 22:57 Wesley's Chapel here on City Road in London 23:00 was built in 1778. 23:02 Wesley preached in this very chapel - continuing 23:05 to proclaim the powerful grace of God that is able to forgive 23:09 sins and change a human heart. 23:12 Wesley taught a lot about the Holy Spirit, 23:14 and the infilling of the Holy Spirit, which he 23:17 believed to be the privilege of a believer to receive. 23:21 He taught on the doctrine of sanctification, how a person 23:25 could have the "mind which was in Christ, enabling us 23:28 to walk as He walked" as Wesley said. 23:31 He taught that a person is restored "not only 23:33 to the favor, but likewise to the image 23:38 of God." 23:40 [Music] 23:45 Wesley died in 1791, almost 87 years old. 23:48 His emphasis on personal revival based on the power 23:52 of the Bible and the work of the Holy Spirit in a person's 23:54 life saw him leave behind 135,000 Methodist Church 23:59 members and over 500 itinerant Methodist preachers. 24:03 And he died poor. 24:06 Virtually everything he owned or had earned he had given 24:09 to the cause of God. 24:12 When he was dying, he took hold of the hands of those 24:15 with him in his room and said again and again, "Farewell, 24:18 farewell." And finally he said, "The best of all is, 24:23 God is with us". 24:24 And he said it again: "The best of all, 24:26 God is with us." 24:29 And then, he died. 24:36 He's buried here, just behind this chapel. 24:40 His Godly mother, Susanna, is buried just across the street 24:43 in Bunhill Fields cemetery as is John Bunyan, the writer 24:48 of one of the most magnificent and famous literary works 24:51 in the history of Christianity - Pilgrim's Progress. 24:55 His brother Charles is buried about two miles from here. 24:58 Charles is famous for writing some of Christianity's 25:00 best-loved hymns. 25:02 Hymns such as "And Can it Be"; "O For a Thousand Tongues 25:06 to Sing"; "Christ the Lord is Risen 25:08 Today"; "Soldiers of Christ Arise." 25:14 What an active place this is going to be on the morning 25:16 of the resurrection, when "the dead in Christ shall rise." 25:21 Like so many of us, John Wesley had a religion that was 25:24 all about the forms or religion but didn't have the power 25:27 of living faith. 25:29 His belief system didn't change his heart or give him 25:32 assurance of salvation. 25:35 But everything changed because John Wesley met Jesus 25:40 - the real Jesus, a personal Saviour, a close friend. 25:45 John Wesley discovered the power of the presence 25:49 of Christ in his life. 25:51 I want you to know that the same Jesus 25:55 that changed John Wesley's life can change your life. 25:59 The same Bible that brought such power into John Wesley's 26:02 daily existence can bring power to where you 26:06 are right now. 26:07 And the same Holy Spirit that brought transformation 26:12 and assurance of forgiveness of sins and the life of Jesus 26:15 lived out in John Wesley's life can bring all those things 26:20 into your life right now. 26:23 Just one man - John Wesley - and the world was changed. 26:28 Just one man - Jesus - and you're life 26:32 can be changed, today. 26:35 Let me pray with you... 26:37 Our father in heaven, from this really rather sacred 26:40 spot, I want to thank you today for Jesus, the Jesus 26:43 that John Wesley met, the Jesus who changed his heart 26:46 and changed his life. 26:49 And the Jesus who can come into our lives right now 26:51 and make them everything they ought to be. 26:54 I thank you today for assurance. 26:57 I thank you that you forgive us for our sins and I thank 27:00 you that Jesus will live his life in us and make us 27:04 completely new. 27:05 Let us live now believing and knowing and leaning on you 27:10 and trusting in Christ for our salvation. 27:12 We pray and thank you in Jesus' name, Amen. 27:19 [Music] 27:41 I want to thank you for joining me today 27:43 and until next time, remember: It is written, 27:46 man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word 27:50 that proceeds from the mouth of God. |
Revised 2015-02-05