Participants: John Bradshaw
Series Code: IIW
Program Code: IIW001209
00:07 It has stood the test of time.
00:12 God's book. 00:13 The Bible. 00:16 Still relevant in today's complex world. 00:22 It Is Written, sharing hope around the globe. 00:37 Thanks for joining me today. 00:38 A true story. 00:40 A certain pilot - who we will call him Dave - had been flying 00:44 commercial airliners in the United States for almost 00:47 20 years. 00:48 In that time he had seen just about everything. 00:50 And that was just as well. 00:52 To start with, the plane he was piloting this night was delayed, 00:56 the weather was bad, and although the crew were all 00:59 experienced they'd never worked together before, and that slowed 01:01 things down a little bit more. 01:04 And then Dave was given word that a passenger on his plane 01:07 was gravely ill - he'd had a severe heart attack, and 01:11 although a doctor on board was helping, it was obvious the man 01:14 needed urgent medical care. 01:17 The pilot radioed the tower at a nearby airport seeking 01:20 permission to land, but due to the bad weather, 01:24 permission was denied. 01:25 So what should he do? 01:27 If they stayed flying, the passenger would almost 01:29 certainly die. 01:31 It was true the weather was a problem, but Dave was confident 01:34 he could land the plane safely. 01:36 He'd been flying for years, not just for the airlines but in the 01:39 military as well. 01:41 But he didn't feel like he should risk the lives of his 01:43 crew and passengers by trying to land. 01:46 News came again - the passenger was failing. 01:49 And although not everybody on board the plane knew what was 01:52 happening, those who did were unanimous: land the plane and 01:56 try to save the man's life. 01:59 Now Dave had a choice - defy the control tower, risk everyone's 02:04 safety and likely save a man's life, or follow instructions, 02:11 and let the man die. 02:13 A dilemma. 02:15 What would you do? 02:17 I'm going to tell you today that every Christian, every person in 02:21 the world faces a very real dilemma - and far more serious 02:26 than that faced by our pilot. 02:28 Let me tell you what a dilemma is and is not. 02:34 Having to choose between vanilla and strawberry isn't a dilemma, 02:37 that's a choice. 02:39 Running out of gas isn't a dilemma, its a problem (although 02:43 it could introduce a dilemma). 02:46 A dilemma is this: "a problem offering two solutions or 02:49 possibilities, of which neither is acceptable. 02:54 The two options are often described as the HORNS OF A 02:57 DILEMMA, neither of which is comfortable." 03:00 You've got two options, neither of them is really very good. 03:04 You're choosing between bad and bad. 03:06 Or maybe between bad and worse. 03:09 Which brings us to our subject today. 03:11 The Bible begins with these famous words, "In the beginning 03:14 God." 03:17 (Genesis 1:1) And when God created, he crowned creation by 03:20 making the human family. 03:22 A small family to begin with, just Adam and Eve, and God 03:26 intended this family to grow. 03:28 But both family members ate the forbidden fruit. 03:33 That failure to trust God and obey His will was SIN - and Adam 03:36 and Eve discovered that sin, as Isaiah said, separates from God. 03:40 They lost their perfection, and they became subject to death. 03:47 Now, as a result, the image of God in them was marred, and now 03:52 if they were to have children those children would not be born 03:55 with the perfect nature their parents were created with. 03:59 Instead, their any of Adam and Eve's children would be born 04:02 with a FALLEN nature - they'd be bent towards sin, they'd have 04:07 tendencies to sin their parents didn't originally have. 04:10 They would naturally lean in the direction of wrong. 04:14 That's the nature Adam and Eve's descendants have. 04:19 That's us. 04:21 We are born leaning towards doing wrong. 04:26 Naturally selfish. 04:27 Inclined not to want to do God's will, but our own will. 04:32 And that explains a lot, very possibly about things that might 04:35 happen in YOUR life, when you want to live a certain way, but 04:39 find yourself falling into the same old traps. 04:42 There's a reason. 04:44 It's due to the way you were born - fallen. 04:50 This is what is behind the high-profile scandals that rock 04:52 churches and lead many people to be highly critical of Christians 04:56 and Christianity. 04:56 A prominent minister, a promoter of family values, caught in the 04:59 middle of a disgraceful scandal. 05:02 A televangelist jailed for this or that misdeed. 05:05 A ministry leader loses his ministry owing to very 05:08 unministerial behaviour. 05:11 Someone high-profile goes off the deep end and you say, "I 05:14 never imagined that he/she was capable of that." 05:18 Well, he or she IS ENTIRELY CAPABLE of that. 05:22 As a matter of fact, that's about all they are capable of! 05:25 Because at a person's core, there isn't much that's any good 05:29 at all. 05:31 Christians often look like hypocrites, because that's all 05:34 they are capable of being. 05:36 Without some serious help. 05:38 Thankfully, there is help available. 05:43 But that's where we begin to understand our dilemma. 05:45 We'll come to grips with our dilemma, and find out what our 05:48 solution is, in just a moment. 06:07 Here's today's Bible question: I've often wondered, How come 06:11 there are four gospels? 06:13 That's right. 06:14 The word 'gospel' means 'good news', but when we talk about 06:17 the ágospelsá we're talking about the books of Matthew, 06:20 Mark, Luke and John - they're accounts of the life of Christ, 06:23 almost like a biography if you like. 06:25 If there was only one gospel, just one account of Jesus' life 06:29 and ministry, that would probably be a very narrow look 06:32 at the life of the Son of God. 06:34 But four gospels give us a more complete, a more rounded view of 06:38 who Jesus was and what His life and ministry were all about. 06:42 And if Jesus really did come to the earth to show us the Father, 06:46 as He said He did, then 4 gospels instead of just one or 06:48 two or three give us a more complete picture of the Father. 06:51 The different gospels are written to different audiences, 06:55 appealing more to Jews in one case and more to Gentiles in 06:58 another. 06:59 You know, God could have just created tulips and not roses, 07:02 but He knew I'm sure that not everybody would be too fired up 07:05 by simply tulips. 07:08 Hence variety, and a greater chance that more people would be 07:10 blessed. 07:12 A similar principle with the Gospels. 07:14 Four different historical perspectives offer us a fuller 07:16 understanding of Jesus. 07:18 Now - are there other gospels we should consider to be important 07:21 for us today? 07:22 You know, I've heard of the gospel of Judas and the gospel 07:26 of Thomas, and every now and then someone will make some 07:31 noise about how important these writings are. 07:33 But neither of them are trustworthy, and they don't 07:34 offer us anything, really, of any value - except evidence that 07:35 they're not to be trusted. 07:37 We're blessed to have four slightly different perspectives 07:43 on the life and ministry of Jesus. 07:45 One from Matthew, one from Mark, one from Dr Luke and one from 07:48 the beloved disciple John. 07:49 If you read them, read them carefully, you'll be greatly 07:52 blessed. 07:54 If you have a Bible question for pastor John Bradshaw, please 07:56 write to It Is Written, Box O, Thousand Oaks, California 91359 08:03 or visit our website itiswritten.com and send us your 08:07 questions on-line. 08:08 We have a dilemma. 08:13 Let's look at Romans 7:14. 08:14 Paul caught in the vice-like grip of something Adam and Eve 08:17 never knew anything about. 08:18 And as he explains his situation, it might resonate 08:25 with you. 08:25 You might find yourself groaning a weary 'Amen' to what Paul is 08:27 saying. 08:30 Rom 7, v 14. 08:31 14 For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold 08:36 under sin. 08:38 The law of God is spiritual in nature. 08:41 It is not a mere letter. 08:42 It is given by God, who is Spirit. 08:45 But Paul says that he is carnal, that means fleshly, and not 08:48 spiritual. 08:50 And he says he is 'sold under sin'. 08:57 That is, he's a slave to sin. 08:58 He is under its power. 08:58 Paul said that the carnal mind is enmity with God, because it 09:02 is not subject to the law of God, and it can not be. 09:05 [That's Rom 8: and - I'm paraphrasing that.] Paul is 09:10 describing a real bind here. 09:10 How can a fallen person obey a spiritual law? 09:15 You can't do it with a fallen nature. 09:18 (Now this is not a dilemma, simply a major problem.) Now 09:22 let's look at Verse 15. 09:24 For that which I do I allow not: for what I would, that do I not; 09:29 but what I hate that do I. 09:34 (The RSV translates this passage, "I don't understand my 09:37 own actions.)" The things I want to do I'm powerless to do, but 09:42 the things I don't want to do I find myself doing. 09:46 It is like the man who says to his wife, "I'm sorry, I don't 09:49 want to speak to you that way, but sometimes I just lose it 09:52 even though I'm trying not to." 10:00 It's like the drinker saying, "I don't want it, but before I know 10:03 what's going on I'm drinking again." 10:09 You're not wanting to fall, but your best efforts are no match 10:13 for the power of sin. 10:15 Romans 7:16 If then I do that which I would not, I consent 10:21 unto the law that it is good. 10:24 I'm recognizing that sin is wrong, and I'm recognizing God's 10:29 law is right. 10:30 Now verse 17 Now then it is no more I that do it, but sin that 10:34 dwelleth in me. 10:38 No, Paul isn't saying he's not responsible, simply that the 10:41 power of sin in his life is greater than the power of his 10:45 best efforts to defeat it. 10:47 Have you ever felt that way? 10:49 Verse 18 For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth 10:54 no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to 10:58 perform that which is good I find not. 11:02 The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak. 11:05 There's no good thing in me. 11:07 Paul says that - of oneself - it is impossible for a person to 11:11 live like a Christian should. 11:13 It's impossible for a person to resist evil of himself or 11:17 herself, even if one wants to. 11:20 What's going to come clear is that Paul is describing the 11:24 experience of someone who is under conviction, who wants to 11:28 do what is right, but hasn't fully yielded or surrendered to 11:31 Jesus. 11:33 This is someone who may even be trying hard, BUT IS RELYING ON 11:37 HIS OWN EFFORTS and hasn't yet found the key to spiritual 11:42 success and victory. 11:43 I'm glad he's about to reveal to us what that key is! 11:47 Romans 7:19 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil 11:54 which I would not, that I do. 11:58 That's verse 15 again - my will is no match for the power of 12:02 sin. 12:04 This is the nature I inherited from Adam and Eve. 12:07 Verse 20 is essentially a repeat from earlier, so we'll go to 12:10 verse 21. 12:11 21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present 12:16 with me. 12:18 What he's saying is there's a principle that this fallen 12:21 nature I have overpowers even my strongest desires to do right. 12:26 Why is it that the research tells us that a person's 12:29 Christianity often has little bearing on his moral thoughts 12:33 and behaviours? 12:35 That's the reality - even professed Christians often live 12:39 lives that are not discernibly different to people of no faith. 12:44 Fundamentally decent people live fundamentally indecent lives. 12:49 And this is why. 12:50 22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: 12:57 Really, I want to serve God. 12:59 The problem is... 13:00 Verse 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against 13:06 the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of 13:12 sin which is in my members. 13:14 In my mind I agree that God's law is good. 13:18 But I'm stuck like a fly on one of those sticky fly traps. 13:21 I'm desperate now. 13:23 I want to be free, but this sin thing is more powerful 13:26 than I am. 13:28 So many people are affected by this today. 13:31 They say, Christianity doesn't work. 13:34 They're slaves to bad habits and pet sins. 13:37 And they're tired of it. 13:38 Romans 7:24 O wretched man that I am! 13:43 who shall deliver me from the body of this death? 13:48 There's the question we've all asked. 13:50 And here's the answer! 13:52 25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. 13:58 So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with 14:02 the flesh the law of sin. 14:06 Now Paul brings us around. 14:08 Jesus Christ can deliver us from this body of death. 14:13 There is power in Christ, power in Jesus, to deliver us from the 14:17 penalty of sin, and from the power of sin, and then from the 14:22 presence of sin. 14:24 God is so good! 14:27 But where's the dilemma in that? 14:30 Romans 8:1 says this, "There is therefore now no condemnation to 14:36 them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, 14:42 but after the Spirit." 14:45 (Romans 8:1) Wouldn't a person want that? 14:47 But I'd like you to think about how this actually works. 14:50 In Romans 6 Paul speaks of the person who walked in newness of 14:54 life as having "died", as having been crucified. 14:58 That person has died. 15:00 The Bible refers to the old man and the new man. 15:04 Jesus talked to Nicodemus and said people ought to be born 15:06 again. 15:08 And here's the dilemma. 15:11 Remember what a dilemma is. 15:12 It is a situation where the problem offers two solutions, 15:17 and neither of them is comfortable. 15:20 Paul is faced with two options. 15:21 No. 1, he yields to his fallen 15:24 nature and simply allows it to govern his life, and he'll be 15:27 lost. 15:29 We would agree that would not be good. 15:31 So what is option two? 15:33 Option 2 is to accept Jesus and let 15:37 Jesus be the Lord of your life. 15:40 Therein lies the dilemma: to surrender fully to Jesus is to 15:45 DIE: it's to DIE THE DEATH TO SELF and let Jesus govern our 15:51 lives just like we died and we were reborn. 15:56 So why is that an uncomfortable choice? 15:59 Listen: JESUS compares it to crucifixion. 16:03 And that's not pretty. 16:04 You can tell it isn't pretty because so few experience it and 16:09 so many people resist it - but that's what 16:12 God is calling us to. 16:14 So often people find themselves in that Romans 7 situation - 16:17 they know what is right, they want to do right, but before 16:20 they know it they're back into that sin. 16:24 And they don't want to die the death because they've grown to 16:27 love the sin more than they like the thought of Jesus removing it 16:32 from the life. 16:34 So here's the dilemma. 16:35 It's death, or death. 16:39 Find out how to make the right choice straight ahead. 16:47 In Matthew 4:4 the Word of God says "It is written 'Man shall 16:52 not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds out of 16:55 the mouth of God'." 16:57 Every Word is a one minute Bible-based daily devotional 17:00 presented by Pastor John Bradshaw and designed especially 17:03 for busy people like you. 17:05 Look for Every Word on selected networks or watch it on-line 17:08 everyday on our website itiswritten.com. 17:12 Receive a daily spiritual boost. 17:14 Watch Every Word. 17:16 You'll be glad you did. 17:21 Two choices - carry on in the old life, or let Jesus make the 17:26 old life new. 17:28 The old life leads to death, because the wages of sin is 17:31 death. 17:33 To get to the new life means death also. 17:36 And that option is so unattractive that most people 17:39 choose against it. 17:41 Only one thing can free a person to live a true Christian 17:45 experience: choosing Jesus as the Lord of one's whole life. 17:50 If self lives we must die. 17:52 If self dies, then we can live - forever. 17:58 What we are by nature ensures that we are lost without a daily 18:01 connection with Jesus. 18:03 Once you're Christ's there'll still be hard, stern battles 18:07 with self to fight. 18:08 The sinful nature needs to be kept subject to the spiritual 18:11 nature guided by Jesus. 18:13 If you're wanting the spiritual nature to remain in the 18:17 ascendancy, you need to feed that and not feed the old 18:20 nature. 18:22 What are you doing to yourself if you're encouraging and 18:25 feeding the old nature? 18:27 Starve it and it will die. 18:29 Feed it and it will get strong and rule your life. 18:34 Paul asked the question, Who shall deliver me from this body 18:37 of death? 18:38 He gave the answer in a different way in 2 Corinthians 18:42 5:17: "If any man be in Christ he is a new creature. 18:49 Old things are passed away, behold all things are become 18:52 new." (2 Corinthians 5:17 KJV) Before Jesus, 18:55 the Bible says we are, "By nature, the children of 18:58 wrath." 18:59 That's Ephesians 2:3, KVJ. 19:01 We inherited that sinful nature from Adam and Eve. 19:05 When youind yourself full of hate, remember you are just 19:09 doing what comes naturally. 19:10 That's who and what you are, by nature. 19:13 People say, "Oh Mac, he's a good-natured sort of a guy." 19:17 I know what they're getting at, but No he's not! 19:20 Mac, by nature, is a child of wrath. 19:23 When you're yelling at somebody, you're doing what comes 19:25 naturally. 19:27 That's who you are, by nature. 19:28 When you're looking for a way to rip someone off, when you're 19:33 shaking your fist at someone in traffic, when you're seeking 19:35 everyone's attention, when you're flirting or arguing or 19:39 leaving the house without praying in the morning, you're 19:43 just letting nature take its course! 19:46 It surprised me to learn that in this country it is quite easy 19:49 and really rather inexpensive to buy yourself a pet lion or 19:52 tiger. 19:54 People buy them as babies - not terribly cheap. 19:57 But those babies get big, and they're man-eaters! 20:01 So folks sell them, cheap. 20:03 For a reason! 20:04 By nature they want to eat you. 20:07 But you can't blame them, can you? 20:10 That's just how they are, by nature. 20:14 But you don't have to have the lion nature. 20:17 Instead, you can have the Lamb nature. 20:21 Through the power of Jesus, God promises to give us a new 20:24 nature. 20:27 If you surrender to Him, God will bring you to the place that 20:32 when you're obeying Him you'll be just carrying out your own 20:36 impulses. 20:37 You see, when God really gets hold of you, your highest 20:40 delight will be doing God's will. 20:44 When we know God as it is our privilege to know God, our lives 20:48 will be lives of obedience, and sin will become hateful to us. 20:53 That's the new nature God has given us. 20:56 It says this in Galations 2:20, Galations 2:20, and Paul says 21:05 the same thing when it says, "I am crucified with Christ, 21:07 nevertheless I live. 21:09 Yet not I, but Christ liveth in me." 21:12 Some people are ready to give up. 21:14 They can't keep their mind clean, can't keep certain things 21:17 out of their lives, can't stop saying certain things. 21:21 It's a battle they're tired of fighting. 21:23 Slaves to addictions, servants of sin. 21:26 Ready to quit. 21:28 "I'm just a bad mother". 21:29 "I guess I'll always be this way. 21:31 I'll never be good enough." 21:32 But you forget something. 21:35 God doesn't fault anyone for being bad or bent! 21:40 You're forgetting what the Bible says! 21:42 Back in the Psalms, Psalms 103. 21:46 Here is what God said: "The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow 21:52 to anger and plenteous in mercy." 21:58 (Psalm 103:8) And a few verses later, we read this: "For He 22:01 knoweth our frame, He remembereth that we are dust." 22:05 (Ps 103:14). 22:06 God knows exactly what you are, and what you're made of. 22:11 And He doesn't expect the impossible from you. 22:17 No way, instead, He'll do the impossible in you. 22:22 He doesn't fault you for being dirty. 22:24 Grandpa Adam was made from dirt. 22:26 But God says, You come to me and I'll make you clean. 22:31 Come to me and I'll give you a new heart. 22:34 If you give it all to me, I'll make it all new. 22:39 You see, the Christian's life is not a modification or an 22:43 improvement of the old, but a complete transformation of 22:45 nature. 22:47 There is a death to self and sin, and a new life altogether. 22:52 Instead of feeling hopeless about what you are, it is time 22:55 to feel hopeful about what Jesus wants to do in your life. 23:01 Remember He died for people with a fallen nature. 23:04 Remember when Jesus was about to die? 23:06 He died, and someone went free. 23:08 Remember that man's name? 23:11 Barabbas. 23:14 "Bar" means "son". 23:16 "Abba" means "father". 23:19 It is likely his name means "Son of the Father." 23:23 Son of the Father? 23:25 That would be all of us, wouldn't it? 23:27 We're all someone's son or daughter - Barabbas represents 23:31 all of us. 23:33 Jesus died, Barrabas went free. 23:36 Jesus died for us, so we can go free. 23:40 So we can be free, free from sin and its power, and free from 23:45 that old nature that embarrasses us and causes us pain... 23:50 Would you like to be fretoday? 23:51 Free from slavery to an old nature that doesn't want to 23:58 follow God? 24:00 Would you like a new nature today - and deliverance from 24:02 that old person who can't keep things straight? 24:04 God can give you that. 24:07 And he will give you that and you'll be free and you'll 24:11 experience power and you'll be new and you won't feel terrible 24:15 about who you are when you put your pillow at night. 24:17 You'll be able to put your head on the pillow and say "I am the 24:20 child of God and he has given me a new nature". 24:30 Let's pray and ask for that right now. 24:32 Our Father in heaven, we thank you that you would give us a new 24:35 nature and free us from the grip of slavery to an old nature 24:41 determined to go against you. 24:44 Free us Lord by coming into our lives and living in us. 24:49 Free us, Lord, by giving us a new heart, a new nature and new 24:52 desires. 24:55 We have tried to beat our sins on our own, we have tried to get 25:01 the victory on our own and we keep on falling flat. 25:03 Lord, give us a new nature. 25:07 Implant in us a desire that your will be done and then come and 25:13 live your life in us. 25:15 Thank you for doing that. 25:16 We pray this by faith, we pray in Jesus' name and we say Amen. 25:49 Perhaps our program today has touched your heart and impressed 25:53 you with a personal need for deeper Bible study. 25:56 Do you desire to listen to God and follow where he leads? 25:59 We've got a wonderful resource that can help you do that in a 26:02 systemic way, the Discover Bible Guides. 26:05 These study guides will take you through the essential truths 26:08 taught in Scripture. 26:09 They give you the big picture showing how it all fits 26:12 together. 26:13 The Discover Bible Guides are a wonderful way for you to become 26:16 grounded in the Word of God and to see how Jesus Christ relates 26:20 to all the areas of our lives. 26:22 So please call or write us and the Discover Bible Guides will 26:26 be on their way to you and the entire course is absolutely 26:28 free. 26:30 For even easier access, you can obtain these wonderful Bible 26:33 lessons on-line on our website. 26:35 Here's the information you need. 26:37 You may request today's offer, The Discover Bible Guides, by 26:43 calling our toll free number 1 800 253 3000. 26:46 Call right now. 26:47 The operator needs only your name, address and phone number, 26:50 plus the name of today's offer, The Discover Bible Guides. 26:53 Lines are open 24 hours daily. 26:55 They may be busy so keep trying. 26:57 You may also request today's offer by writing to It Is 27:00 Written, Box O, Thousand Oaks, CA 91359. 27:04 Our free offer is for an address in North America only. 27:08 The Discover Bible Guides are also available on the Internet. 27:12 Just visit our website itiswritten.com. 27:15 Also on line is a complete script of today's program. 27:18 If you wish to help the worldwide outreach of It is 27:21 Written, your tax deductible gift may be sent to the same 27:24 address or you may make a gift on line at itiswritten.com Thank 27:28 you for your letters and continued support. 27:31 Our toll free number is 1800 253 3000 and our web address 27:36 itiswritten.com Thanks for joining me today. 27:43 I hope you'll join me again next time and until then, remember 27:48 the Bible says: "It Is Written: man shall not live by bread 27:52 alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God." |
Revised 2015-02-06