Participants: John Bradshaw
Series Code: IIW
Program Code: IIW001350A
00:11 It has stood the test of time. God4s Book, the Bible.
00:21 Still relevant in today4s complex world. 00:26 It Is Written sharing hope around the glo 00:40 I'm John Bradshaw, thanks for joining me on It Is Written. 00:45 This really happened. A computer glitch caused the 00:47 lights to come on and the doors to open at a major 00:50 supermarket at one o'clock in the morning when the 00:53 supermarket was supposed to be closed. 00:55 It didn't take long and in the people came - about 50 00:58 shoppers altogether. And before long it became 01:01 obvious to the shoppers that there were no staff present. 01:04 They were there alone. 25 people left their shopping 01:08 behind when they realized there was nobody there for 01:10 them to actually pay. Twelve shoppers did pay for 01:13 their groceries by using the self-service check-outs. 01:16 But for a dozen or so people, the allure of free groceries 01:20 (and whatever else they managed to jam into their 01:23 shopping carts) was just too much. 01:26 Knowing full well they were stealing, they made off with 01:28 free groceries - not stopping to think that security 01:31 cameras had recorded everything. 01:33 Now that would be a temptation, wouldn't it? 01:35 Some people probably felt like it was a dream come true 01:39 - alone in an open supermarket and nobody there 01:42 to stop you taking home whatever you wanted. 01:45 The temptation proved to be too strong for them. 01:49 And that's temptation for you. 01:51 It comes in many different ways, and if differing 01:53 degrees of seriousness. The temptation to gossip; the 01:56 temptation to take just one more piece of chocolate cake; 02:00 the temptation to get revenge; the temptation to 02:03 cheat. In 1980 a woman crossed the 02:06 line in the Boston marathon in the impressive time of 2 02:08 hours 31 minutes and 56 seconds - the fastest female 02:12 time in history for the Boston marathon and the third 02:15 fastest marathon ever run by a woman. 02:18 But people noticed she didn't look as tired as someone 02:20 ought to look for having just run 26 miles. 02:23 She didn't look as physically fit as a marathon runner 02:26 should either. Her resting heart rate of 76 02:29 was much higher than your typical marathon runner, and 02:33 her time for the Boston was 25 minutes faster than her 02:37 time in the New York marathon six months earlier - a 02:40 massive improvement. Unbelievable, really. 02:43 And then, two university students said they saw the 02:45 woman emerge from a crowd of spectators half a mile from 02:48 the finish and run only the last half-mile of the race. 02:52 It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what 02:55 happened. She wanted the glory, but she 02:58 was never going to be good enough to win a major 03:00 marathon, so she was tempted to fabricate the whole thing. 03:04 And she yielded to the temptation. 03:06 You know, a similar thing happened in October of 2011 03:09 at the Kielder Marathon in northern England, about 60 03:12 miles from Newcastle. It was eventually discovered 03:15 that the 31 year old man who finished third had actually 03:19 got on a bus at the 20-mile mark, got off the bus just 03:23 before the finish and hidden behind a tree, and then 03:26 jumped out into the race and came in in third place. 03:29 Now I get it and you probably do too. 03:32 After running 20 miles YOU might be tempted to take a 03:34 bus too. Now being tempted, though, 03:37 doesn't mean you'd necessarily do it. 03:39 Being tempted and actually doing a certain thing are two 03:42 very different things. You might be tempted to cheat 03:45 on your taxes, fudge an expense report, say you've 03:49 cleaned your room when you haven't, sneak an extra piece 03:52 of pie, not tell the man at the checkout that he's given 03:55 you too much change... Or cheat on your spouse or 04:00 embezzle money. And you might not do any of 04:03 it, but you may be tempted. But temptation is the doorway 04:07 to sin. It doesn't always lead to 04:09 sin, but it so often does, and the consequences can be 04:12 disastrous. I just read a story about a 04:15 teenage girl who killed a child because she said she 04:20 wanted to know what it felt like to kill. 04:22 Now, you'd think this child has got some pretty intense 04:24 issues, but let's be honest - she's not the first person 04:28 who's thought about taking someone's life. 04:30 I imagine most people who would have that thought ever 04:33 would just brush the thought away and say it4s just an 04:36 episode of crazy thinking and then move on and forget about 04:38 it. But temptation comes - and 04:42 unless you know what to do when it does come, you might 04:45 end up as its victim. Stop and think for a moment 04:49 about the things that tempt you. 04:51 Some of them might be minor irritations - the temptation 04:53 to yell at your neighbors and tell them to turn their music 04:56 down. And you might know that 04:58 you're never actually going to do that, but you're 05:00 tempted to... "I would love to do that". 05:03 But maybe you're tempted to sell drugs to get money to do 05:06 whatever. See, if you're having a hard 05:08 time financially that might be a real temptation that 05:12 eats away at you. "Just do this simple thing 05:14 and you'll have all the money you need..." How does a 05:17 person deal with that? Thankfully, the Bible gives 05:22 us the answers. Today, we're going to look at 05:24 the example of Someone who knew what it was to be 05:27 tempted. That Someone is Jesus. 05:29 Jesus was fiercely tempted - and yet He never sinned, not 05:34 even once - not even by a thought. 05:38 How was He able to resist temptation? 05:40 I want to make something crystal clear right from the 05:43 get-go today. The Bible says that you CAN 05:46 resist temptation. You don't HAVE to fall. 05:50 That's not to say you're suddenly going to learn how 05:52 to always get it right and never make a mistake. 05:55 Remember, that as Christians we GROW. 05:58 But what are we growing into? The idea is to grow to become 06:02 more and more like Jesus. So we want to be resisting 06:06 temptation more and more and falling into it less and 06:10 less. In 1 Corinthians 10:13 the 06:14 Bible says this, No temptation has overtaken you 06:18 except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who 06:23 will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are 06:26 able, but with the temptation will also make the way of 06:30 escape, that you may be able to bear it. 06:34 1 Corinthians 10:13, NKJV That means there is a way 06:36 out, and that way out is through faith in God. 06:40 Through Jesus. Today's program could 06:43 absolutely change your life. We4re about to look at how 06:47 Jesus handled temptation. Don't go away. 06:51 I'll be right In Matthew 4:4, the word of 06:57 God says, It is written, man shall not live by bread 07:00 alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of 07:04 God. Every Word is a one minute 07:06 Bible-based daily devotional presented by Pastor John 07:09 Bradshaw and designed especially for busy people 07:12 like you. Look for Every Word on 07:15 selected networks or watch it on line every day on our 07:18 website: itiswritten.com. Receive a daily spiritual 07:22 boost. Watch Every Word. 07:24 You4ll be glad you did. Here4s a sampl 07:36 Thanks for joining me. I wonder if there's a better 07:38 verse to describe a certain problem that afflicts 07:40 the human family. Proverbs 21:2 says that, 07:43 "Every way of a man is right in his own eyes." This 07:47 affects all of us: people have a tremendous capacity to 07:50 convince themselves that their way is right. 07:53 Which is fine, if it IS right. 07:55 In the Garden of Eden Satan tempted Adam and Eve to do 07:57 what THEY thought was right, even if God's will was 08:00 different. Facing Satan in the 08:02 wilderness, Jesus quoted Deuteronomy and said that 08:04 people ought to live "by every word that proceeds from 08:07 the mouth of GOD." Tis good to have opinions and ideas. 08:10 But remember today we can get in a fix doing that which is 08:14 right in our eyes. What we want, is to know, and 08:17 do, that which is right in GOD'S eyes. 08:21 I'm John Bradshaw for It Is Written. 08:24 Let's live today by Every Word 08:31 Planning for your financial future is vital aspect of 08:33 Christian stewardship. For this reason, It Is 08:36 Written is pleased to offer free Planned Giving and 08:38 Estate Services. For information on how we can 08:41 help you, please call 1.800.992.2219. 08:47 Call today or visit our special website 08:49 www.hislegacy. Thanks for joining me today 09:00 on It Is Written. I4m John Bradshaw and today 09:03 we're looking at temptation, specifically, how Jesus 09:06 handled temptation. Before the end of the 09:09 program, I am going to offer you a free resource that 09:11 could be a powerful tool to help you in your faith 09:14 journey, something that will help you deal successfully 09:17 with temptation. When Jesus was 30 years old 09:20 He started His public ministry. 09:22 And He was anointed for His ministry by the Holy Spirit 09:24 when He was baptized at the River Jordan by John the 09:27 Baptist. At His baptism, something 09:29 unusual happened. A voice from heaven rang out 09:33 - the voice of God. He said, This is my beloved 09:36 Son, in whom I am well pleased. 09:39 You read that in Matthew 3:17. 09:41 KJV Now, that's significant for many reasons, not the 09:43 least of which is because of what happened next. 09:46 That was at the end of Matthew 3. 09:48 Matthew 4 opens with Jesus being "tempted" by the devil. 09:54 Jesus fasts for almost six weeks. 09:57 You know He's extremely hungry by then - craving 09:59 food, and He's weak, and Satan comes to Him and says, 10:03 this in Matthew 4, "If you are the Son of God, command 10:10 that these stones become bread." Now was that a 10:15 temptation for Jesus? Of course it was! 10:18 He hadn't eaten in 40 days. He was starving! 10:22 But more than that, Satan said to Him, "IF" you're 10:26 really the Son of God." In other words, Satan said 10:28 "Prove who you really are. It isn't just that you're 10:31 hungry, but I'm calling into question who you really are. 10:35 You're not really the Messiah, are you? 10:37 You're not going to believe what your Father said, are 10:40 you?" Satan was tempting Jesus to doubt God. 10:44 In fact, it's a lot like what Satan said to Eve. 10:47 God had said, Eat the fruit and you shall surely die. 10:50 But Satan said, "Has God said you shall surely die?" "God 10:56 didn't really mean that, did He Eve?" "You're not really 10:59 going to believe the word of God, are you?" And he takes 11:01 the same approach with Jesus. "If you're really the Son of 11:05 God..." No doubt, Jesus was tempted. 11:09 So notice what He did. Jesus quoted the word of God. 11:14 In Matthew 4:4, Jesus says this "It Is Written (and 11:19 you've got to like those verses that start It Is 11:21 Written) Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every 11:26 word that proceeds from the mouth of God." Jesus fled to 11:33 God's word. He quoted it and believed it. 11:36 God's word was the strength in Christ's moment of 11:40 temptation. God's word was Jesus' weapon 11:44 against temptation. Remember, Jesus was tempted 11:47 throughout His entire ministry. 11:49 He had people following Him around, goading Him to sin, 11:52 almost every moment of every day, harassing Him, bothering 11:55 Him and Jesus found His strength in God's word. 11:57 When temptation comes to you, you'll be okay if you do what 12:02 Jesus did and run to the word of God. 12:05 That's where the strength is. Let me give you some examples 12:09 of what I'm talking about. When temptation comes, you 12:12 can quote the verse I mentioned before 1 12:15 Corinthians 10:13. Remember, it says this, 1 12:18 Corinthians 10:13, But God is faithful, who will not allow 12:22 you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the 12:25 temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may 12:29 be able to bear it. 1 Corinthians 10:13 NKJV 12:32 That's God promising you that He's going to give you a way 12:35 out of temptation. Whatever that temptation is 12:38 so what temptation comes you can pray and remind God this 12:41 first, and tell Him you are counting on Him to get you away 12:46 out of temptation. would you do it? 12:50 His Word that he would. I'd like to give you an 12:52 example. A young man told me he was 12:54 walking along a narrow street one day, when he looked up 12:56 and saw a woman a little further up the street 12:59 standing in the middle of the street who was - as he said - 13:01 she was dressed to distract. That's the way he put it. 13:05 And he said that knowing himself, he was going to have 13:08 a difficult time keeping his mind where it ought to be. 13:11 So here is what he did. He prayed and asked God to 13:14 keep His promise and make a way of escape. 13:17 He said he didn't know how God could possibly do that 13:19 because there she was and she didn't seem to be going 13:22 anywhere. But when he looked up from 13:24 having said his prayer as he walked... 13:27 the woman was actually walking away and disappeared 13:30 around a corner! God had kept His promise. 13:35 Here's another verse that you will want to remember in your 13:37 battle with temptation. It's Jude 24. 13:40 You'll find it right before the Book of Revelation. 13:45 The Bible says, Now unto him that is able to keep you from 13:49 falling, and to present you faultless before the presence 13:52 of his glory with exceeding joy. 13:56 Jude 1:24, KJV Did you catch that? 13:58 God is able to keep you from falling. 14:01 And when you find yourself in the midst of temptation, if 14:04 you'll bring that promise to Jesus you can be certain He 14:08 will keep it, and that He will keep you from falling. 14:11 You know what a big part of the problem is? 14:14 It isn't just that temptation comes. 14:16 That's simply the price we pay for living in a sinful 14:18 world. It's that we don't have the 14:21 word of God in our minds when temptation comes. 14:24 We can get distracted to the point that we're not getting 14:27 God's word into our mind. And we can be blinded to the 14:32 danger of sin by this world that celebrates sin and has 14:35 normalized in. Remember - the wages of sin 14:39 is death. Sin separates a person from 14:42 God (Isaiah 59:9) We ought to run from temptation as though 14:46 our life depends on it, because - spiritually 14:48 speaking - it does. I'll be back with more about 14:52 how you can resist temptation in just a mome 15:03 Eyes for India is giving sight to the blind and you 15:07 can be a part of this amazing work that God is doing. 15:11 Fifteen million blind people live in India, more than any 15:14 other country in the world. And many of the blind in 15:17 India could see again, if only they could have simple 15:20 cataract surgery. It Is Written is making that 15:23 happen. Would you support Eyes for 15:26 India? For just $75 you'll be giving 15:30 the gift of sight to someone who desperately wants to see. 15:34 Here's all you need to do. Call 1.800.253.3000. 15:39 That's 1.800.253.3000 to donate and support Eyes for 15:45 India. Or, you can write to It Is 15:48 Written, Box O, Thousand Oaks, California 91359. 15:53 You'll also find Eyes for India on-line at 15:57 ItIsWritten.com. Every $75 you give gives 16:00 someone the precious gift of sight. 16:03 Eyes for India, doing the work of Jesus in opening the 16:07 eyes of the blind and opening hearts to the love of God. 16:10 Call 1.800.253.3000 or write to Box O, Thousand Oaks, 16:15 California, 91359. Or visit itiswritten.c 16:25 I'm glad you are with me today on It Is Written 16:27 Today, how can we successfully handle 16:30 temptation? It's everywhere. 16:34 Now, keep this in mind. All Satan can do is tempt you 16:37 to sin. He cannot force you to sin. 16:40 He tempts, you choose. There is always a choice 16:44 available to us to make, and that choice is to go with God 16:48 or go it alone. To say Yes to Jesus, or to 16:49 say Yes to self. When it comes to fending off 16:53 temptation, the best thing we can do is imitate what Jesus 16:57 did when He was tempted in the wilderness. 16:59 Satan tempted Him to turn stones into bread, and to 17:02 doubt His Father. Remember, the Father had told 17:04 Jesus that He was God's Son. Satan says this, he said "If 17:08 you're the Son of God, do this." And Jesus met him with 17:13 that great Bible verse when He said, It is written, 'Man 17:18 shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that 17:22 proceeds from the mouth of God. 17:24 Matthew 4:4 I'm going to believe my Father. 17:28 Even if it doesn't look like I'm the Son of God out here 17:30 in the wilderness, I'll believe God's word before I 17:34 believe even appearances." So Satan tried twice more. 17:38 "Jump off this high place, because the angels will catch 17:41 you and you'll be okay!" And Jesus said, It is written 17:45 again, 'You shall not tempt the LORD your God." Matthew 17:49 4:7, NKJV "Bow down and worship me, and I'll give you 17:53 all the kingdoms of the world," and Jesus said in 17:56 Matthew 4:10, You shall worship the LORD your God, 17:58 and Him only you shall serve. Matthew 4:10 NKJV 18:05 The devil was defeated. Temptation has no power over 18:08 the word of God. The promises of God are 18:11 enough to see off the foe - Satan is no match for the 18:14 weakest sinner armed with simple faith in the promises 18:18 of God's word. Now, before I look at more 18:20 promises with you, let me make a couple of practical 18:23 suggestions. If you want to resist 18:25 temptation, you can start by not putting yourself in its 18:28 way. If lust is a problem, don't 18:31 go down to the beach on a hot summer's day. 18:33 If alcohol is a problem, don't meet a friend at the 18:36 bar. If you get frazzled rushing 18:38 off to work each morning, give yourself more time in 18:41 the morning by getting up a little earlier. 18:43 If you're tempted to eat junk food, stop at a store that 18:46 sells healthy good. Get more sleep. 18:49 Get more exercise. These two things will help 18:52 you feel better and help your brain to function better. 18:55 Now I'm not saying these are the big keys, they're not - 18:58 but they'll help. The big key is claiming the 19:02 promises of God. In fact, you could broaden 19:05 that a little to emphasize how important it is that we 19:08 keep in touch with God. When I became a Christian, I 19:11 knew my life had really changed when one day I hit my 19:15 thumb with a hammer, and instead of saying something I 19:18 would regret I said a prayer. Now, now I don't mean I 19:21 whacked my thumb and then bowed my head and said, 19:23 Father in heaven... I don't mean that. 19:25 I mean, when I hit my thumb, my first instinct was to talk 19:28 to God. And when I reflected on that 19:30 I thought, Wow, God is really working. 19:33 Why was he working? Because I was in touch with 19:36 him and being in touch with Him kept me from sin. 19:39 He gave me strength in the face of temptation. 19:42 If you let your devotional life slip, if you're not 19:45 reading the Bible, if you're not connecting with God in 19:48 prayer, you'll have little power to resist temptation. 19:52 Little or none. The power comes from abiding 19:56 in Christ, by having the power of the Holy Spirit in 19:59 your life. Jesus said to His disciples 20:02 one day, "Watch and pray that you enter not into 20:05 temptation." It will come to you, but you don't have to 20:09 enter into it. If you watch and pray. 20:12 We're told in the Lord's prayer to pray this way: 20:15 "Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." 20:19 This thing is a part of our daily existence. 20:22 Billy Sunday once said, "Temptation is the devil 20:25 looking through the keyhole. Yielding is opening the door 20:29 and inviting him in." The devil can tempt. 20:32 He will. He knows your weak points, 20:35 and he'll do everything he can to exploit them. 20:38 He'll try to make you late and harried in the morning. 20:41 He'll jab the neighbor's dog to bark at 4.30 in the 20:45 morning so you'll wake up cranky. 20:47 He'll encourage you to think that when your spouse said, 20:49 Hi, honey, how was your day?, that what he or she was 20:51 really thinking was, "I really don't like you very 20:54 much anymore." He'll play mind games with you. 20:56 But if you'll learn to run to God - and lean on His word - 21:00 you'll be okay. If you're tempted to say 21:03 things you shouldn't, take this Bible verse to God. 21:07 Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of my 21:10 lips. Psalms 141:3 You're asking 21:14 God to take over when you take that verse to Him - 21:17 you're surrendering to God. And remember what James 21:19 wrote, Submit yourselves therefore to God. 21:24 Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 21:28 James 4:7, KJV You submit, you resist through the Word, 21:34 and the devil flees. It works. 21:37 Hebrews 2:18 says, For in that he himself hath suffered 21:42 being tempted, he is able to aid those that are tempted. 21:45 Hebrews 2:18, KJV See that? Jesus knows what it is like 21:49 to be tempted, and so He's able to help you when you're 21:52 tempted. "Lord, I'm tempted to think 21:55 you've abandoned me!" I will never leave you nor forsake 21:59 you. Hebrews 13:5 NKJV "Lord, I'm 22:01 so weak!" My strength is made perfect in weakness. 22:05 2 Corinthians 12:9 It is God who works in you both to will 22:10 and to do for His good pleasure. 22:13 Philippians 2:13, NKJV The promises of God were Jesus' 22:16 way out of temptation, and they'll deliver you too. 22:19 And one thought I want to make sure I share with you 22:22 today - If you have fallen into temptation, remember 22:25 another one of God's promises. 22:27 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just 22:35 to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all 22:39 unrighteousness.1 John 1:9 As much as you don't want to 22:42 fall into temptation, should you do so you can afford to 22:46 remember that God is a forgiving God. 22:58 [Music] What would you do if you found $45,000 that wasn't 23:03 yours - would you be tempted to keep it? 23:07 What if nobody knew, and if nobody could possibly know 23:17 you'd found the money - what if there would be no 23:24 questions asked? When a Utah man named Josh 23:27 Ferrin bought his first house he started looking around in 23:30 the attic, where he found a number of metal boxes [music 23:45 that turned out to be stuffed full with about $45,000. 23:53 [Music.] Here's what he said in the news story. 24:01 "I'm not perfect, and I wish I could say there was never 24:07 any doubt in my mind. We knew we had to give it 24:11 back, but it doesn't mean I didn't think about our car in 24:14 need of repairs, how we would love to adopt a child and 24:17 aren't' able to do that right now, or fix up our outdated 24:21 house that we just bought." He was tempted. 24:26 Strongly. But he said, "But the money 24:30 wasn't ours... and this is a lesson I hope 24:33 to teach my children." He could have caved in to the 24:36 temptation, but he didn't. And you don't have to. 24:40 And I don't have to, as long as we stay connected to 24:44 Jesus, and claim the promises of His word. 24:49 There's something I'd like to offer you this week that I 24:51 believe will be a real blessing to you as you seek 24:54 to live a life of integrity before God. 24:57 "God's Promises" is a little book containing a number of 25:00 the powerful promises of God that will help you be 25:03 successful against temptation. 25:05 Just call or write and I'll send you "God's Promises". 25:08 There's no cost or obligation. 25:10 It's absolutely free. Just call this 25:14 number,1-800-253-3000, ask for "God's Promises". 25:18 You can call 24-hours a day. If the lines are busy, please 25:21 just keep on trying. You can also request your 25:24 free copy of "God's Promises" by writing to: It Is Written, 25:27 Box O, Thousand Oaks, CA 91359, and we will mail a 25:32 copy to your address in North America. 25:35 Please note that this free book is limited to the supply 25:39 on hand. For immediate access, you can 25:41 download a FREE electronic version of the book God's 25:44 Promises from our website: itiswritten.com It Is Written 25:47 is a faith-based ministry made possible by viewers like 25:50 you. I want to say "thank you" to 25:52 you for your support of It Is Written. 25:55 To support the worldwide outreach of It Is Written, to 25:58 make it possible for people to continue receiving this 26:00 broadcast, your tax-deductible gift may be 26:02 sent to the same address. Or you can give online at: 26:06 itiswritten.com. Thank you for your continued 26:09 support. Our toll-free number is: 26:12 1-800-253-3000. And our web address is: 26:15 itiswritten.co Temptations are serious 26:20 business. Understanding how to defeat 26:22 it rather than be defeated by it can revolutionize your 26:25 life. Let's pray together. 26:27 I'd like to ask God to give you victory whenever 26:30 temptation comes. Our Father in heaven, we 26:33 thank you that we serve a Saviour who is victorious and 26:36 who will give us His victory so that we don't need to 26:39 experience defeat. Lord, make us sensible to 26:42 temptation when it comes. Alert us to call to you, to 26:45 trust in you, to claim your word. 26:48 Help us Father to put your word in our mind so that when 26:51 temptation comes our mind will go to you and to the 26:54 promises that are found in the Bible. 26:57 We thank you for a way out of temptation and for victory 26:59 through Christ and we pray in Jesus' name, amen. 27:09 Mu It is Written is dedicated 27:23 to sharing the gospel around the world. 27:26 Our dream is to impact the world for God. 27:28 Our television program is only one aspect of how we try 27:31 to accomplish that. To discover more about It Is 27:33 Written, I invite you to visit our website, 27:36 itiswritten.com, and browse the dozens of pages that 27:40 describe what we do and how we do it. 27:42 Let's get to know each other better. 27:44 Visit our website itiswritten.com today. 27:48 Thanks for joining me today. Look forward to seeing you 27:51 next time. Until then, remember It Is 27:53 Written, man shall not live by bread alone 27:56 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. |
Revised 2015-07-08