Participants: John Bradshaw
Series Code: IIW
Program Code: IIW001423A
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01:30 [epic theme music]
01:52 Thanks for joining me today on It Is Written. 01:54 I'm John Bradshaw, great to have you with me. 01:57 In the small town where I grew up there was a jeweler's 01:59 shop, it was the place where you could buy a gift or jewelry 02:02 or the place you went to get your clock 02:05 or your watch fixed - and at the jeweler's shop 02:07 they sold watches. There was always a display 02:10 of watches in the store window - nice watches. 02:13 Expensive watches - especially when you're a kid 02:16 of 10 or 11 year-old kid. Many times I looked through 02:19 the window of that store and dreamed about owning 02:21 one of those beautiful, grown-up watches. 02:24 At about that same time I had a job as a paperboy. 02:27 I'd load my bicycle with papers and ride around town 02:29 for an hour or so 6 days a week delivering between 50 and 60 02:33 newspapers - all for the princely sum of 6 and 7 02:36 dollars a week. Just before 6 o'clock 02:39 in the morning Mr. Pharo would open up his newsstand 02:41 and we'd go to work. Early one morning as I rode 02:45 along Jesmond Street with some time to spare before Mr. 02:49 Pharo opened up I rode by that jeweler's store window. 02:53 And you'd never believe it - there was a hole smashed in 02:58 the shop window in the watch display, and someone had 03:01 stolen some of the watches! But most of them were 03:04 still there. There was no alarm so nobody 03:07 was alerted. The street was dead quiet, 03:11 not a soul anywhere to be seen - and a boy of 11 or 12 03:15 years old stood inches from the very watches he had long 03:19 admired and long wanted to have. 03:23 I looked around, and there was nobody. 03:27 And something said, "Take one. 03:30 This is your big chance. Nobody will ever know!" 03:35 And you know what I did? I actually put my hand 03:37 through the hole in that window to show myself that 03:40 I really could take one of those watches if I wanted to. 03:43 And a wrestling match began - me versus temptation. 03:49 Temptation. It's a powerful thing. 03:55 The dictionary I looked at defined temptation 03:58 as "something that tempts, entices or allures." 04:02 And we're all challenged by temptation 04:03 - on a daily basis. And when it overtakes you 04:08 the results can be devastating. For so many people, 04:11 temptation leads to absolute ruin, and defeat, and shame, 04:14 and loss, and disgrace, and pain. 04:17 So what do you do when you're confronted by temptation? 04:22 Irish writer Oscar Wilde famously said, "I can resist 04:26 everything except temptation." Screen siren Mae West said, 04:30 "I generally avoid temptation unless I can't resist it." 04:34 And that's cute, I guess, except that 04:37 temptation's no joke. Temptation is Satan's way 04:40 of trying to break us down, to get us away from the will 04:43 of God - because he knows that if he can do that, 04:46 he's got us, and we MAY be LOST eternally. 04:51 Temptation comes in all shapes and sizes. 04:53 For some people, it's chocolate or M & Ms 04:55 or hamburgers. For others, alcohol or drugs 04:58 or cigarettes. Some are tempted by anger, 05:02 others by lust, some are tempted to steal, tempted 05:05 by pride, tempted to call in sick or tempted to stay out 05:07 all night or to waste money. I imagine you can easily 05:12 think of what tempts you most. 05:15 But I'd like you to keep something in mind today. 05:17 Temptation and sin are two different things. 05:22 You don't want to think that being tempted makes you 05:24 guilty of committing sin. When someone cuts you off 05:27 in traffic and the impulse rises to shake your fist and shout 05:31 something inappropriate, that's not sin. 05:33 That's temptation. When you see an attractive 05:36 person and something within you suggests you take 05:40 a lingering second look, that's not "sin" either - 05:43 that's TEMPTATION. But you can see how 05:47 temptation is so dangerous. All it takes is yielding, 05:50 and you're caught in its trap. Here's what the Bible says 05:53 in James 1:14 & 15. The Bible says, But each one 06:01 is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires 06:03 and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, 06:07 it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, 06:10 brings forth death. Nobody ever sinned 06:17 without first being tempted. Which means if the person who 06:21 sinned had known how to deal with temptation - the sin 06:25 would never had happened. You know how it goes - "I know 06:28 I shouldn't but it won't hurt me to stop into that 06:31 casino just once..." - and that one decision can end 06:35 in disaster. "Hmmm, I know I probably 06:38 shouldn't but why don't I message that old boyfriend 06:40 of mine on Facebook. I'll just say hi. 06:43 Nothing more than that." Two years later the house 06:46 has been sold and visitation rights are being worked out. 06:49 Temptation draws us, it plays on our desires, it entices us. 06:54 Temptation stalks us. Peter wrote that Satan walks 06:58 about as a roaring lion seeking who he can devour. 07:00 That's how dangerous temptation is. 07:03 It separates us from the will of God - it separates us from 07:07 righteousness and holiness, that is, IF WE LET IT. 07:11 So what do you do when you're tempted? 07:14 How can you overcome temptation? 07:17 Today, let's look at examples of people in the Bible who 07:21 were tempted, at what God says about temptation, and see 07:24 if we can figure out how to experience victory and not 07:27 defeat when temptation comes. Oh - and what did I do when I 07:32 was a young boy tempted to steal a beautiful new watch? 07:35 I'll tell you in just a moment. 07:37 [Music] 07:48 World history has taught us to associate the word 07:50 "surrender" with thoughts of defeat, shame and loss. 07:54 But what if it were the road to ultimate victory? 07:57 What if surrender meant letting go of your sin or 08:00 your dysfunction in exchange for freedom and integrity? 08:04 What if your conqueror offered you healing, wholeness and 08:08 power? When you're used to being in 08:11 charge, surrender to God may be a struggle. 08:13 But I guarantee you surrender to God is the greatest victory 08:17 you'll ever win. If you'd like to understand 08:19 more, request our free booklet, "The War is Over." 08:23 Simply call 800-253-3000 and ask for your free copy of 08:28 "The War is Over." If the line's busy, please try 08:31 again. Or you can write to 08:33 It Is Written at P O Box 6, Chattanooga, 08:35 Tennessee, 37401. We'll mail a free copy to your 08:40 address in North America. It Is Written is a faith-based 08:44 ministry, and your support makes it possible for us to 08:47 share God's good news with the world. 08:50 Your tax-deductible gift can be sent to address on 08:52 your screen, or through our website at: ItIsWritten.com 08:56 Thank you for your continued prayerful support. 08:59 Again, you can call toll-free (800)253-3000 or visit our 09:03 website: ItIsWritten.com. 09:09 It Is Written is a ministry dedicated to sharing the gospel 09:13 around the world. God is using It Is Written to 09:16 impact the world. Our television program is only 09:19 one aspect of how we accomplish that goal. 09:21 To discover more about It Is Written, visit our 09:24 website: ItIsWritten.com. Browse the dozens of pages that 09:28 describe what we do and how we're doing it. 09:30 You'll find an archive of past programs in script form and 09:34 streaming video and audio files along with many other helpful, 09:38 inspirational resources. Let's get to know each other 09:41 better, visit our website: ItIsWritten.com today and 09:45 follow us online at Facebook and Twitter. 09:51 Thanks for joining me today on It Is Written. 09:53 Today we're talking about something that's a fact 09:54 of our daily lives, something that brings destruction 09:58 to lives, ruin to homes and chaos to marriages. 10:03 Temptation. Well - it isn't the 10:05 temptation itself that ruins lives and homes and marriages, 10:08 but the way we often respond to it. 10:11 So, how should we respond to temptation? 10:14 I mentioned a few minutes ago that when I was a boy I had 10:16 a golden opportunity to steal a beautiful watch. 10:19 That temptation was "strong" - in the end, I couldn't 10:24 bring myself to take it. I knew it was wrong, and besides 10:27 - how would I explain to my father where this 10:31 beautiful new watch had come from, a watch that 10:34 coincidentally would've turned up on my wrist the day 10:36 the jeweler's store was burgled? 10:39 I got rode my bike across the street to Mr. Pharo's store 10:42 and he called the police and that was that. 10:45 Now I wish I could say I always dealt 10:48 with temptation like that. But that's not always the case. 10:51 Think of how temptation works in the lives of people and 10:54 how it so often brings people to do completely 10:56 irrational things. Temptation leads people 10:59 to become slaves to the substances that tempt them. 11:02 Temptation can be tough stuff. 11:08 But you know that before this program is over, I'm going 11:10 to share with you some key tools that are temptation busters - 11:15 some tools that will help you get over temptation, tools 11:17 that will help you find strength in the moment 11:21 of temptation. Temptation doesn't have 11:24 to ruin your life. One thing about temptation 11:27 is that it's everywhere these days. 11:30 Once up on a time there were certain sins you had to go 11:32 out looking for, but now you can pull them up on your 11:35 computer screen without even leaving your house - nobody 11:39 knows. And society seems to 11:41 encourage sin like never before. 11:44 Have what you want. Have "who" you want. 11:46 Bad behavior is often rewarded with celebrity 11:49 and fame. Sin is applauded. 11:52 I saw a billboard advertising a nightclub and the billboard 11:55 said, "Just the right amount of wrong." Sin is cool. 12:01 Temptation's everywhere. So what do you do? 12:04 Let's look at some case studies. 12:07 Come with me all the way back to the beginning. 12:10 Adam and Eve had been placed into the Garden of Eden 12:12 by a loving God. As long as they obeyed God, 12:15 the enemy couldn't harm them. But Satan knew that if they 12:18 yielded to temptation it would corrupt them and cause 12:22 separation between them and God. 12:24 Now Satan couldn't FORCE Adam and Eve to sin, but he could 12:27 TEMPT them. He could allure them, 12:31 he could entice them. He could cloak sin in a covering 12:34 that would make it seem too good to refuse. 12:37 So while Eve was in the Garden of Eden, Satan spoke to her. 12:41 Using a beautiful snake as a medium - and remember, 12:45 this was way back then, before people were afraid of snakes 12:48 - Satan said this ...we look in Geneses 3, "Has God indeed 12:54 said, You shall not eat of every tree of the Garden?" 12:59 Remember - God told Adam and Eve not to eat the fruit 13:02 that grew on the tree of the knowledge of good 13:04 and evil. And they could only be happy 13:06 as they stayed in harmony with God. 13:08 And now - they're being tempted. 13:11 Eve made a crucial mistake: she lingered, instead 13:16 of fleeing temptation. And curious, she engaged 13:20 the devil in a discussion. And she said to the serpent 13:25 in Genesis 3:2 and 3, We may eat the fruit of the trees 13:30 of the garden; but of the fruit of the tree which is 13:33 in the midst of the garden, God has said, 'You shall not 13:36 eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die. 13:41 So Eve knew the score. She knew God's will and she 13:45 knew what was at stake. And that's when the devil 13:48 upped the ante. Verses 4 through 6. 13:50 He said to Eve, You will not surely die. 13:54 For God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will 13:56 be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good 14:00 and evil." So when the woman saw that the tree was good 14:04 for food, that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree 14:08 desirable to make one wise, she took of its fruit 14:12 and ate. She also gave to her husband 14:15 with her, and he ate. That's Genesis 3 verses 4-6. 14:20 And that was that. They ate - and sin came 14:25 into the world, with all its attendant misery. 14:28 And its easy to criticize them for eating the fruit - 14:30 I mean, a talking snake?! What Eve SHOULD have done 14:34 seems obvious. But it can't be that simple 14:37 or you and I would do it all the time and we'd never fall 14:39 into sin. What should Eve have done? 14:43 First, she should have called to God. 14:46 Second, she should not have lingered in the presence 14:50 of temptation. Eve allowed herself to 14:52 be "beguiled" as Paul writes later in the Bible - 14:56 enchanted, or tricked. Now some lessons for us. 14:59 When temptation comes, call on God, right away. 15:03 Pray! And, don't linger or hang 15:08 around temptation. When the enemy comes calling, 15:10 close the avenue of communication. 15:12 If it's something on a computer or a TV, pray and turn it off. 15:17 If it's a person driving you nuts, pray and if possible, 15:20 get out of there. Eve hung around the temptation 15:23 when she should have fled the temptation. 15:27 And we're still paying the price for her indiscretion 15:30 today. I think we both know 15:33 temptation is a powerful thing. 15:35 An image on a billboard, a drink in a glass, 15:38 an attractive face or the chance to get easy money - powerful 15:43 temptations, for all kinds of reasons. 15:47 In a moment, we'll look at two people and how they 15:50 reacted - very differently - to temptation when it came. 15:54 And I am going to give you three tools for beating 15:57 temptation. We'll have them next. 16:01 [Music] Every Word is a one minute 16:03 Bible-based daily devotional presented by Pastor John 16:06 Bradshaw and designed especially for busy people 16:09 like you. Look for Every Word on selected 16:12 networks or watch it on-line everyday on our website 16:14 itiswritten.com. 16:19 [upbeat music] 16:26 What a great example Jacob gave us. 16:28 He'd made plenty of mistakes but late one night he wrestled with 16:31 God and said to God in Genesis 32:26, "I will not let you go 16:35 unless you bless me." Now there's the right attitude. 16:38 "Lord, I must have your blessing and I'm going to hang on to you 16:42 until I get it." You can pray that way: 16:44 "Lord, I must be delivered, I have to know your will, 16:47 I have to have your power in my life." 16:49 Jacob showed us what to do when you fall. 16:51 Instead of running FROM God, he ran TO God. 16:54 Instead of giving up he took hold of God believing that God 16:58 was willing and able to bless. Don't let your falls and 17:02 failures keep you away from God. 17:04 Be like Jacob - knowing he had made mistakes he took hold of 17:07 God, and wouldn't let go until God had blessed him. 17:10 I'm John Bradshaw for It Is Written. 17:12 Let's live today by Every Word. 17:15 [Music] 17:23 Planning for your financial future is a vital aspect of 17:25 Christian stewardship. For this reason, It Is Written 17:29 is pleased to offer free planned giving and estate services. 17:33 For information on how we can help you, please call 17:35 1.800.992.2219. To receive additional material 17:40 on the advantages of life-income plans, such as a charitable gift 17:44 annuity, which could provide you with tax benefits and income for 17:48 life, call today or visit our special website 17:51 www.hislegacy.com. You could also write to: 17:57 It Is Written, Planned Giving & Trust Services, 18:00 P O Box 6, Chattanooga, Tennessee 37401. 18:05 Our toll-free number again 1.800.992.2219 and our web 18:10 address www.hislegacy.com. 18:20 I'm John Bradshaw. Thanks for joining me today 18:22 on It Is Written. In a few minutes I'm going to 18:25 offer you a free resource to help you deal with temptation. 18:28 I hope you'll get that information so I can send 18:30 this free resource to you. Right now, let's look at two 18:34 people who were faced with the same temptation, and who 18:37 handled it very differently. One, successfully, 18:41 and the other, disastrously. In 2 Samuel chapter 11 18:47 you read these words- 2nd Samuel chapter 11- 18:51 Then it happened one evening that David arose from 18:55 his bed and walked on the roof of the king's house. 18:59 And from the roof he saw a woman bathing, and the woman 19:03 was very beautiful to behold. Now let me ask you - 19:08 has David done anything wrong here? 19:10 Anything sinful? Anything immoral? 19:12 The answer is, No he hasn't. He's out walking one evening 19:15 - no sin there - and he sees a beautiful woman. 19:18 Maybe he couldn't help that. But something takes place here. 19:22 He's tempted. He has seen something he 19:25 likes - frankly, it's something he was created 19:28 to appreciate - in the right context, of course. 19:31 And when something within David said to him, "This 19:34 is good!" David didn't react in the way he should have. 19:39 He was tempted. That's fine. 19:41 But then he started to imagine what it would 19:43 be like to... get to know this woman better. 19:47 As James wrote, "he was drawn away of his own lusts, 19:52 and enticed." The Bible says that David sent and inquired 19:57 about the woman. Now, let me ask you: 20:01 anything wrong with that? Was inquiring about the woman 20:05 contravening any societal conventions? 20:08 Strictly speaking, No! Nothing wrong with asking 20:10 who a person was. You do it. 20:13 But what was David really doing? 20:16 He was opening the door to temptation, wasn't he? 20:19 Now he was on dangerous ground. 20:23 We read this in 2 Samuel 11, And someone said, Is this not 20:27 Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah 20:29 the Hittite? No, David, don't do it. 20:34 You're already married, she's married, 20:37 this just isn't necessary. Put the idea out of your mind. 20:41 Pray, go back to your room, read a good book... 20:46 This isn't going to lead to anything good. 20:49 Verse 4 says, Then David sent messengers, and took her; 20:53 and she came to him. and... so on. 20:59 By the time this thing was over, David had committed a litany 21:02 of terrible sins - adultery, dishonesty, 21:04 murder... Judgment came swiftly. 21:08 What a mess. But if he had handled that 21:11 temptation better, it would have all been different. 21:14 What should David have done? To find that out, look 21:18 at someone who found himself in a similar situation. 21:21 Joseph had been unjustly sold as a slave to Egypt. 21:25 He might have been tempted to think that God 21:27 had forsaken him. The man who purchased him 21:29 made Joseph the ruler over his entire household. 21:33 The man's wife decides that this handsome young man 21:36 (as the Bible describes him) is her cup of tea, and she acts 21:40 on her desires. Genesis 39:7, the Bible says 21:47 this, His master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; 21:52 and she said, Lie with me. Temptation? 21:59 I'm not trying to say Joseph welcomed it, 22:03 but it was certainly a temptation for him. 22:06 So what did he do? But he refused and said 22:09 to his master's wife, "Look, my master does not know what 22:13 is with me in the house, and he has committed all that he has 22:16 to my hand. There is no one greater 22:19 in this house than I, nor has he kept back anything from me 22:23 but you, because you are his wife. 22:28 Joseph was moved by a sense of right, 22:31 and a sense of duty and loyalty. 22:33 He was governed by principle rather than desire. 22:37 He said to the temptress, "How then can I do this great 22:40 wickedness, and sin against God?" 22:46 Moved by honor for God, Joseph wouldn't cave in 22:49 to the temptation. So the woman started coming 22:52 on to Joseph every day. And he "still" didn't cave. 22:56 Joseph made God's desires more important than his own. 23:00 In the short term he paid a terrible price. 23:02 But God says, "Them that honor me I will honor." And Joseph 23:06 became second only to Pharaoh in the greatest kingdom 23:11 in the world. Temptation didn't have to bring 23:13 down David, but it did. When the door of temptation 23:17 right there before him, he walked clear through. 23:22 Joseph, on the other hand, slammed the door shut. 23:25 Joseph decided ahead of time that by God's grace he would 23:28 honor God in what He did. And God honored him for that. 23:32 Alright now - let me give you three Cs for dealing 23:37 with temptation. And I'm telling you, his can 23:39 revolutionize your life. 1 - Call on God. 23:46 That means pray. Eve evidently didn't do that. 23:48 Neither did David. In the midst of their 23:50 temptation, if they had called on God and asked 23:52 for guidance and strength, things would have turned out 23:55 a lot different. It's mighty hard to pray and 23:58 sin at the same time. And C, No. 2 - Trust Completely. 24:05 James said this in James 4:7. Therefore submit to God. 24:14 Resist the devil and he will flee from you. 24:19 See, what that means is that God has said you can be victorious. 24:22 You don't have to fall. This idea, this "I guess 24:27 I'm just too weak...You might be, but God is strong. 24:32 He can keep you. If you resist the devil while 24:35 submitting to God, the devil will flee. 24:39 How do I know that? Because God has said so. 24:42 And C, No. 3 - Claim God's Promises. 24:48 Here's a powerful verse. 1 Corinthians 10:13, 24:55 here's what the Bible says, No temptation has overtaken you 24:59 except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who 25:03 will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, 25:07 but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, 25:11 that you may be able to bear it. Gather up the promises 25:17 of God, so that when you're tempted by impurity you can 25:19 say, Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see 25:23 God. Matthew 5:8. Or, you might say, 25:27 I will set nothing wicked before my eyes. 25:29 Psalm 101:3 Or you could claim 2 Peter 2:9 25:34 whatever the temptation is you find yourself beset 25:37 by, 2 Peter 2:9, The Lord knows how to deliver 25:43 the godly out of temptations. That's what the Bible says 25:48 in 2 Peter 2:9. You don't have to fall when 25:51 temptation comes. No, I'm not suggesting 25:54 this is easy. It is simple - 25:56 but not always easy. Temptation can be a struggle, 25:59 but if you'll take it to God every time, you can know that 26:04 God will deliver you. Remember that line 26:07 in the Lord's Prayer? "Lead us not into temptation, 26:09 but deliver us from evil." It's real. 26:12 God will deliver you. Remember those Three C's, 26:16 C #1, Call on God, C#2, Trust Completely in God, 26:22 and C#3, Claim God's promises. God will give you victory. 26:30 This can revolutionize your life. 26:32 [Music] What if surrender meant letting 26:45 go of your sin or your dysfunction in exchange 26:47 for freedom and integrity? If you'd like to understand 26:51 more, request our free booklet, "The War is Over." 26:55 Simply call 800-253-3000 and ask for your free copy of 26:59 "The War is Over." If the line's busy, 27:02 please try again. Or you can write to 27:05 It Is Written at P O Box 6, Chattanooga, 27:08 Tennessee, 37401. We'll mail a free copy to your 27:12 address in North America. It Is Written is a faith-based 27:16 ministry, and your support makes it possible for us to 27:19 share God's good news with the world. 27:22 Your tax-deductible gift can be sent to the address 27:24 on your screen, or through our website 27:27 at ItIsWritten.com. Thank you for your continued 27:29 prayerful support. Again, our toll-free number is 27:33 800-253-3000, and our web address is ItIsWritten.com. 27:43 I'd like to pray with you right now and ask that God 27:45 would strengthen you in your battle against temptation, 27:48 whatever that temptation is. Let's pray. 27:51 Our Father in heaven, we thank you that you have 27:54 promised that you will give us a way of escape. 27:57 Oh Lord, in our lives day by day so often temptation 28:01 comes and before we know what has happened, 28:03 we find that we have fallen when we did not 28:05 want to fall. I pray that you would help us 28:09 in the midst of temptation to call on you, to pray, 28:12 to trust completely in you, to believe that you can deliver 28:15 us and to claim your promises knowing there is power 28:18 in your word. Lord, as we pray 28:22 in the Lord's prayer, lead us not into temptation, 28:25 but deliver us from evil. Let that be our experience, 28:28 we pray. There are some people right 28:31 now, someone right now who knows they are in 28:33 a terrible struggle. Oh Lord, bring deliverance 28:36 to that person and let them find strength in you. 28:39 I pray in Jesus' name, amen. 28:47 [Prayer Music] 29:12 Thanks for joining me today. I look forward to seeing 29:14 you next time. Until then, remember, 29:16 It is written, man shall not live by bread alone but by every 29:21 word that proceeds from the mouth of God. 29:27 [music] |
Revised 2017-01-05