Participants:
Series Code: IIW
Program Code: IIW019187A
00:18 >>John Bradshaw: This is It Is Written.
00:20 I'm John Bradshaw. Thanks for joining me. 00:23 The desert can be a harsh, unforgiving environment. 00:27 The Sahara Desert covers an area of 3.5 million square miles. 00:31 In some places it gets .003 inches of rain a year. 00:36 The Arabian Desert's almost a million square miles, 00:39 and while the Atacama Desert in Chile is much smaller, 00:43 it's incredibly dry. 00:45 The largest deserts in the world 00:46 are the Antarctic and the Arctic deserts, 00:49 both around 5.5 million square miles in area. 00:53 Now, you'll find people who say they love the desert. 00:57 There's no doubt that while a desert isn't the Oregon coast 01:00 or the Swiss Alps, there's a real beauty to the desert, 01:04 a real attractiveness. 01:05 However, there's no getting around the fact 01:08 that the desert is tough. 01:12 One man who found that out the hard way, well, maybe, 01:16 was Everett Ruess. 01:17 Twenty-year-old Everett Ruess from California was an artist 01:21 who often explored the deserts of the American Southwest alone. 01:25 In 1934 he went missing in a remote part of Utah. 01:30 The question became, whatever happened to Everett Ruess? 01:35 Was he injured in a fall? 01:37 Was he murdered? 01:39 Did he engineer his own disappearance? 01:42 Decades after the young man disappeared, 01:44 DNA tests proved 01:46 that bones thought to be those of Everett Ruess... 01:49 were not. 01:51 However, one writer claims the young man's remains 01:54 were indeed found and that markings discovered 01:57 on the wall of a cave were made by the wandering artist 02:01 shortly before he perished. 02:04 Whatever the truth about Ruess, 02:06 whose story has been described by the New York Times 02:08 as "one of the most enduring mysteries of the modern West," 02:12 we know that it proves yet again the desert is a hard place. 02:18 It's not the sort of environment you can afford to take lightly. 02:22 In the Bible, the children of Israel wandered 02:26 in a desert wilderness for 40 years. 02:28 There was no water for them to drink, 02:30 no food for them to eat, 02:31 so God brought water from a rock 02:34 and blanketed the ground with manna. 02:37 And one of the most fascinating encounters 02:39 you read about in all of the New Testament 02:42 takes place in a desert after God actually sends someone 02:48 on a walk for miles through that harsh environment. 02:54 This is Acts chapter 8, and we start in verse 26. 02:58 "Now an angel of the Lord spoke to Philip, saying, 03:01 'Arise and go toward the south along the road which goes... 03:05 from Jerusalem to Gaza.' This is desert." 03:09 It's not clear by looking at the text if God was telling Philip 03:12 it was desert, or if Dr. Luke, who wrote the book of Acts, 03:16 was making it clear for his readers. 03:18 Whoever was telling the story, Philip was dispatched by God 03:22 to walk from Jerusalem to the southwest of Israel. 03:27 Challenging country. 03:29 So why does God send a man into the wilderness? 03:33 He didn't explain to Philip at the time 03:34 what his journey was for, 03:36 but like Abraham journeying across the wilderness 03:39 from Mesopotamia, like Moses leading Israel out of Egypt, 03:44 he simply followed God's direction. 03:46 And that's faith. 03:47 Following where God leads, going where God calls, 03:51 that's faith. 03:52 Philip was a man of faith. 03:55 In Acts chapter 8, an Ethiopian man, 03:58 an official in the government of Queen Candace, 04:01 a man who had been to Jerusalem to worship, 04:04 was riding in a chariot, 04:06 reading from the writings of the prophet Isaiah. 04:10 Philip approached him and asked him if he understood 04:12 what he was reading. 04:14 He said he did not. 04:16 And what was the passage of Scripture 04:18 that he was considering? 04:20 He was reading from the chapter that we're looking at today 04:22 as part of our ongoing series, "Great Chapters of the Bible." 04:26 See if you can recognize this. It's Acts chapter 8:32 and 33. 04:33 "The place in the Scripture [where] he read was this: 04:36 'He was led as a sheep to the slaughter; 04:39 and as a lamb before its shearer is silent, 04:42 so He opened not His mouth. 04:45 In His humiliation His justice was taken away, 04:48 and who will declare His generation? 04:50 For His life is taken from the earth.'" 04:54 The man was reading from Isaiah 53, 04:56 one of the most incredible, 04:58 one of the most moving Old Testament descriptions 05:01 of the sufferings of Jesus. 05:04 Once Philip was seated in the chariot, 05:07 the Ethiopian official turned and asked him, 05:10 "Of whom does the prophet say this, 05:13 of himself or of some other man?" 05:15 That's verse 34. 05:17 Who's Isaiah talking about? 05:19 It's interesting, and I think it's quite phenomenal, 05:22 that in some circles there's actually some debate about this. 05:27 Certain commentators, some of them Christian, 05:29 some of them Jewish, believe that Isaiah 53 05:32 is referring to the nation of Israel. 05:35 Well, let's see what the passage says. 05:38 We'll find out what other Bible writers say, 05:40 whether they agree with that position or not. 05:42 Verse 35 says, 05:44 "Philip opened his mouth, and beginning at this Scripture, 05:48 preached Jesus to him." 05:50 John 12:37 and 38 say, 05:52 "But although He had done so many signs before them, 05:55 they did not believe in Him, 05:57 that the word of Isaiah the prophet might be fulfilled, 05:59 which he spoke: 'Lord, who has believed our report? 06:04 And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?'" 06:08 Which would seem clear. 06:10 Matthew 8:16 and 17 says, 06:12 "And He cast out the spirits with a word, 06:14 and healed all who were sick, 06:16 that it might be fulfilled which was spoken 06:18 by Isaiah the prophet, saying: 06:20 'He Himself took our infirmities and bore our sicknesses.'" 06:25 So from a biblical point of view, 06:27 the burden of Isaiah 53 is clear: 06:29 the suffering Messiah. 06:32 And like no other chapter in the Old Testament 06:34 and like few in the entire Bible, 06:37 Isaiah 53 reveals to us the enormous love of God 06:43 for a sinful world. 06:44 And so we're going to turn to Isaiah chapter 53, 06:47 but before we do, let's look at how Isaiah 52 concludes: 06:53 "Behold, my servant shall deal prudently; 06:57 He shall be exalted and extolled and be very high. 07:01 Just as many were astonished at you, 07:04 so His visage was marred more than any man, 07:08 and His form more than the sons of men; 07:11 so shall He sprinkle many nations. 07:14 Kings shall shut their mouths at Him; 07:16 for what had not been told them they shall see, 07:19 and what they had not heard they shall consider." 07:22 That's Isaiah 52:13-15. 07:25 You could say that's where Isaiah 53 really starts. 07:30 Look at what's almost contradictory in those verses. 07:33 The person being described is said to be exalted 07:36 and extolled very high, yet He'll suffer terribly, 07:39 His face marred by anguish, 07:41 more than any other human being has experienced. 07:45 This was fulfilled in Jesus. 07:47 But what would cause Him to suffer so much? 07:50 And why would He choose to suffer so intensely? 07:54 We'll look at that in just a moment. 07:55 ♪[Music]♪ 08:05 >>Announcer: When will the Messiah come? 08:06 Or has He come already? 08:08 The Bible speaks of a coming Messiah 08:10 who will one day judge the earth. 08:12 And you can find out more when you receive our free guide 08:14 called "The Messiah and the Judgment." 08:17 Simply call 800-253-3000, 08:20 visit us online at iiwoffer.com, 08:23 or write to the address on your screen. 08:26 We'd love for you to receive our free offer, 08:28 "The Messiah and the Judgment." 08:30 Call 800-253-3000. 08:35 >>John Bradshaw: Thanks for joining me today 08:36 on It Is Written. 08:37 Today, another great chapter of the Bible. 08:41 We're looking at Isaiah 53, a sublimely beautiful chapter 08:45 that speaks of the sufferings of Jesus. 08:48 Isaiah looked forward to what Luke would write about 08:51 in Luke 22, where he describes Jesus' agony 08:54 in the Garden of Gethsemane. 08:56 Luke tells us that Jesus poured His heart out to God, 08:59 and "His sweat became like great drops of blood 09:02 falling down to the ground." 09:04 The pain in Jesus' heart was so great that He begged His Father, 09:10 "If it is Your will, [remove] this cup...from me; 09:15 nevertheless not my will, but Yours, be done." 09:20 It's no wonder Jesus suffered so intensely. 09:23 The Bible says that He became sin for us, 09:27 as the sins of the world were placed upon Him. 09:31 Now, here's Isaiah chapter 53, 09:33 and we'll start with the first two verses. 09:36 "Who has believed our report? 09:39 And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? 09:42 For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, 09:45 and as a root out of dry ground. 09:47 He has no form [nor] comeliness; and when we see Him, 09:52 there is no beauty that we should desire Him." 09:56 Now, that's an evocative way to start a chapter. 09:59 "Who has believed"--or who would have believed this? 10:02 This isn't what you might expect from the Messiah, 10:05 from the Deliverer of Israel, from the Savior of the world. 10:09 This Jesus was a tender plant and, at the same time, 10:13 "as a root out of dry ground," 10:15 with nothing about Him that would necessarily attract 10:19 a person's attention. 10:20 It's important to realize 10:21 Jesus didn't come to the earth to attract attention 10:24 to Himself. 10:25 He didn't come imbued with the beauty or attractiveness 10:28 that society places such a high value on. 10:31 If people were going to appreciate Jesus, 10:33 they were going to be drawn to His character, 10:37 to what was on the inside. 10:39 They'd be attracted to the way that He represented His Father. 10:43 If you've seen me, you've seen the Father, said Jesus. 10:46 And that was the purpose of His mission to this earth: 10:49 to reveal to the world what His Father was truly like. 10:54 Really, the purpose of the believer in this world 10:57 is exactly the same. 10:59 The human desire is often to attract attention, 11:02 to get praise, to gain notoriety. 11:04 In our age, pretty much anyone with an internet connection 11:07 can communicate with millions of people at once. 11:11 And there's never been an age like this 11:12 for attracting attention, for having people notice you. 11:16 That can be a really dangerous way to go. 11:19 But Jesus didn't come to the earth to attract attention 11:22 to Himself. 11:24 There's a lesson there for all of us. 11:26 That's not to say that Jesus was physically 11:28 or personally unattractive, 11:30 but people weren't drawn to Jesus because of how He looked 11:33 or because He was rich and powerful. 11:35 In fact, when someone came to Him wanting to be His disciple, 11:38 Jesus made it clear that that person wasn't about to gain 11:42 any worldly advantage. 11:44 As He said in Matthew 8, verse 20, 11:46 "Foxes have holes and birds of the air have nests, 11:50 but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head." 11:54 But what Jesus can give you is what really matters. 12:00 Now, let's look together in Isaiah chapter 53 and verse 3. 12:04 "He is despised and rejected by men, 12:07 a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. 12:11 And we hid, as it were, or faces from Him; 12:15 He was despised, and we did not esteem Him." 12:19 John 1, verse 11 says that Jesus "came unto His own, 12:23 and His own received Him not." 12:25 Try getting your mind around that. 12:27 He created the universe. 12:29 He's responsible for every single life 12:33 that has ever been lived. 12:34 His power upholds every living soul. 12:39 And yet when He came to the earth, 12:40 those He created especially to be saved, 12:44 despised Him and rejected Him. 12:49 Would a person really do that? 12:51 Here was Jesus coming to the earth to give life, 12:54 and yet people rejected Him and chose death. 13:00 Let me ask you: What are you choosing? 13:04 Isaiah chapter 53 and verse 4 says, 13:07 "Surely He has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; 13:10 yet we esteemed Him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted." 13:15 That's what Jesus came to the earth to do: 13:18 to bear your griefs and carry your sorrows. 13:23 Think about that. What does that suggest? 13:27 What kind of God does that speak of? 13:29 It reminds me of Isaiah 66:13, which says, 13:32 "As one whom his mother comforts, 13:35 so I will comfort you." 13:37 What a picture. 13:39 As tender as a mother's comfort is the comfort of God. 13:44 You can lean on Him. 13:45 You can fall into His arms. 13:48 When you need comfort, God says, "I'll comfort you." 13:50 Jesus said, "Come to me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, 13:54 and I will give you rest." 13:55 That's Matthew 11, verse 28. 13:57 Are you getting the picture here? 13:59 All this talk you hear about God being cruel and unkind and hard, 14:03 you want to forget that as quickly as possible. 14:06 The God of heaven bears your griefs and carries your sorrows. 14:12 It was in His suffering and death that we saw Jesus 14:15 stricken, smitten, and afflicted as Isaiah described. 14:21 "Likewise the chief priests also, 14:23 mocking with the scribes and elders, said, 14:25 'He saved others; Himself He cannot save. 14:28 If He is the king of Israel, 14:29 let Him now come down from the cross, and we will believe Him. 14:33 He trusted in God; 14:34 let Him deliver Him now if He will have Him; 14:37 for He said, "I am the Son of God."'" 14:39 That's Matthew 27:41-43. 14:42 David forecast this when he wrote in Psalm 22, 14:45 "All [those who] see me laugh me to scorn: 14:49 they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying, 14:52 'He trusted in the Lord, let Him rescue Him; 14:55 let Him deliver Him, since He delights in Him!'" 14:58 Psalm 22, verses 7 and 8. 15:02 The Bible says that "the wages of sin is death." 15:06 Sin separates from God, and because we've chosen sin, 15:12 death is our lot. 15:14 We have earned it. 15:16 But Jesus, thank God, Jesus wouldn't leave it at that. 15:22 He did all He could to deliver us from death. 15:26 "But He was wounded for our transgressions, 15:29 He was bruised for our iniquities; 15:32 the chastisement for our peace was upon Him, 15:35 and by His stripes we are healed. 15:40 All we like sheep have gone astray; 15:42 we have turned, every one, to his own way; 15:44 and the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all." 15:48 Those are verses 5 and 6. 15:51 Paul wrote that "all have sinned and come short 15:53 of the glory of God." 15:54 We rebelled, we sinned, 15:56 we deserve to be separated from God forever, 15:59 and yet He was wounded for our transgressions 16:03 when He died on the cross. 16:05 It's by His stripes that we're healed, 16:07 through His death that we have life. 16:10 Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 15, verse 3, 16:12 "Christ died for our sins." 16:15 Where Isaiah writes, "By His stripes we are healed," 16:19 you see a clear prediction of the kind of punishment 16:21 that Jesus would suffer when He was scourged by the Romans 16:24 before Pontius Pilate. 16:26 I imagine there are times you look at the, the sin 16:30 in your life, the rottenness in your own heart. 16:33 Often people do that, and they'll say, 16:35 "How can somebody like me be saved? 16:37 How can I possibly be forgiven?" 16:40 Well, here's your answer. 16:41 Jesus died so that you could live. 16:44 When you couldn't save yourself, Jesus said, 16:46 "I'll save you." 16:48 No, we don't deserve it, 16:49 but God offers us everlasting life all the same, freely. 16:54 He saves us. 16:56 "By His stripes we are healed." 17:01 I'll be back with more in a moment. 17:03 ♪[Music]♪ 17:11 >>John: Thank you for remembering that It Is Written 17:13 exists because of the kindness of people just like you. 17:17 To support this international life-changing ministry, 17:20 please call us now at 800-253-3000. 17:24 You can send your tax-deductible gift 17:26 to the address on your screen, 17:27 or you can visit us online at itiswritten.com. 17:31 Thank you for your prayers and for your financial support. 17:34 Our number again is 800-253-3000, 17:38 or you can visit us online at itiswritten.com. 17:42 [Artillery fires] 17:43 >>John: Just hours after the attack on Pearl Harbor 17:45 in December of 1941, Japan attacked the Philippines. 17:51 In the midst of the death and destruction, 17:54 tens of thousands of American and Filipino soldiers 17:57 were captured and forced to march 18:00 on what would become known as the Bataan Death March. 18:04 The horror of that march is almost impossible 18:07 for people living in peacetime to imagine. 18:10 And so we ask ourselves, why? 18:14 Why does a loving God allow such horrors to take place? 18:19 The answers don't come easy. 18:22 Join It Is Written on location in the Philippines 18:24 for "The March of Death" 18:27 as we explore together that challenging question: why? 18:31 Why me? 18:33 "The March of Death." 18:35 Watch now on It Is Written TV. 18:42 >>John Bradshaw: Thanks for joining me today 18:44 on It Is Written. 18:45 Isaiah chapter 53 is truly one of the great chapters 18:49 of the Bible. 18:51 It tells the story of the death of Christ Jesus for sinners. 18:55 It's the gospel story beautifully told 18:57 by the one often referred to as the gospel prophet. 19:01 The chapter tells us that Jesus died as humanity's substitute. 19:06 He took the penalty of sin for every person. 19:09 The New Testament speaks of how this prophecy was fulfilled. 19:13 Remember, God told Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden 19:16 that if they ate the forbidden fruit, they would die. 19:19 So why didn't they die that very day? 19:21 Because Jesus stepped in and said, 19:23 "I will die instead." 19:25 That's why the book of Revelation calls Jesus 19:27 "the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world" 19:30 in Revelation 13, verse 8. 19:33 The Apostle Paul writes that just as Adam led 19:35 the entire world into sin, 19:38 Jesus took the penalty of all our sins, and because of this, 19:43 He is able, if we confess and forsake our sins, 19:46 to forgive our sins and impart to us His righteousness. 19:49 In the words of the Apostle Paul, 19:51 "For as by one man's disobedience 19:53 many were made sinners, 19:55 so also by one Man's obedience many will be made righteous." 19:59 That's Romans 5, verse 19. 20:01 "For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, 20:06 that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." 20:10 Second Corinthians 5, verse 21. 20:13 When the movie "The Passion of the Christ" 20:15 was released in 2004, 20:17 some said that the film was anti-Semitic 20:19 because it blamed Jewish people for putting Jesus to death. 20:24 But the fact is that according to the prophet Isaiah, 20:27 according to the entire Bible, we all put Him to death. 20:31 That's why Isaiah declares, 20:33 "The Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all." 20:38 Isaiah 53, verse 6. 20:41 And now verse 7: 20:43 "He was oppressed, and He was afflicted, 20:45 yet He opened not His mouth: 20:47 He [was led] as a lamb to the slaughter, 20:49 and as a sheep before [its] shearers is dumb, 20:52 so He opened not His mouth." 20:55 Seven or eight hundred years in advance, 20:57 Isaiah described how Jesus would handle the abuse 21:00 heaped upon Him. 21:02 He never retaliated. 21:04 The Savior of the world was being cruelly treated 21:07 by the wickedest of men, and as Peter wrote, 21:10 "When He was reviled, [He] reviled not again." 21:14 When the high priest accused Jesus, 21:16 the Bible says Jesus kept silent. 21:18 When Pilate quizzed Him, John 19, verse 9 says, 21:21 "Jesus gave...no answer." 21:23 He didn't even attempt to defend Himself. 21:27 Isaiah 53, verse 9: 21:29 "And they made His grave with the wicked-- 21:31 but with the rich [in] His death, 21:34 because He had done no violence, 21:36 nor was any deceit in His mouth." 21:38 He died between two thieves, among the wicked, 21:40 and He was buried in the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea-- 21:44 "with the rich in His death." 21:47 And yet Isaiah 53 is a chapter with a triumphant ending. 21:50 Jesus died for our sins, but that was a triumph. 21:54 Jesus was victorious. Satan couldn't break Him. 21:57 He didn't fall into sin, and He secured our salvation. 22:01 We pick it up in verse 10: 22:03 "Yet it pleased the Lord to bruise Him." 22:06 Oh, not that God delighted in the suffering of His Son, 22:10 but it pleased Him inasmuch that through the death of Jesus 22:13 you could have eternal life. 22:15 The thought goes further in verse 11: 22:18 "He shall see...the travail of His soul, 22:20 and...be satisfied: 22:22 by His knowledge...my righteous Servant [shall] justify many; 22:25 for He shall bear their iniquities." 22:28 Now, you notice that? 22:29 Jesus looked forward, beyond His death, 22:34 and was satisfied. 22:36 Now, He knew that the cross would be horrendous, 22:40 but He considered it all worth it because you would be saved. 22:44 How's that? 22:45 Jesus was faced with death, 22:48 but He considered it all worthwhile 22:50 because you could be justified and sanctified 22:53 and live with Him forever. 22:57 Verse 12: 22:58 "Therefore I will divide [with] Him a portion with the great, 23:01 and He shall divide the spoil with the strong, 23:03 because He poured out His soul unto death, 23:07 and He was numbered with the transgressors, 23:09 and He bore the sin of many, 23:11 and made intercession for the transgressors." 23:14 Jesus bore the sins of the whole world so that all who desire 23:19 can have their sins forgiven. 23:20 The Apostle John speaks of how 23:22 "the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin." 23:25 First John 1 and verse 7. 23:28 And Jesus would make intercession 23:30 for the transgressors. 23:32 The book of Hebrews in the New Testament says the same thing, 23:35 declaring that "He ever lives to make intercession for us." 23:39 That's Hebrews 7:25. 23:40 Jesus intercedes for you with God, 23:43 and secures for you, if you want it, 23:47 pardon and power. 23:48 Through Christ you're forgiven, 23:51 and then sin doesn't have dominion over you. 23:54 Filled with the presence of Jesus, 23:55 you're empowered by the Holy Spirit 23:58 to live an entirely new life. 24:02 The government official from Ethiopia 24:03 read the story of Christ in Isaiah 53, 24:06 and he came face to face with this incredible gift. 24:11 He'd witnessed the sacrifices in the temple; 24:13 now he knew what they meant. 24:15 Jesus came to the world as the true Lamb, 24:19 the sacrifice for sin, so that through faith in Him 24:22 we could live, forgiven, pardoned, cleansed, 24:28 not guilty, made new. 24:32 So how did our friend from Ethiopia respond 24:34 to the gospel story in Isaiah 53? 24:37 In Acts 8 and verse 36, the man suggests that he be baptized. 24:43 Now, here's Acts 8:37 and on. 24:47 "Then Philip said, 24:48 'If you believe with all your heart, you may.' 24:50 And he answered and said, 24:52 'I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.' 24:55 So he commanded the chariot to stand still. 24:58 And both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water, 25:02 and he baptized him. 25:04 Now when they came up out of the water, 25:05 the Spirit of the Lord caught Philip away, 25:08 so that the eunuch saw him no more; 25:10 and he went on his way rejoicing." 25:14 There's a Rembrandt depicting the baptism 25:16 of the Ethiopian man, a fine painting, 25:19 but inaccurate because it shows Philip sprinkling a little water 25:23 on the Ethiopian man's head. 25:25 The text says that he "came up out of the water." 25:28 He'd been in the water being baptized. 25:31 But even more importantly, 25:33 the man who had surrendered his life to Jesus 25:36 went on his way rejoicing. 25:40 Now, I want to encourage you to read Isaiah chapter 53. 25:42 You'll see Jesus there, your Savior, 25:45 offering you forgiveness of sin and the promise of a new life. 25:49 And if you welcome that Jesus into your heart, 25:53 you'll go on your way rejoicing. 25:57 >>Announcer: When will the Messiah come? 25:59 Or has He come already? 26:01 The Bible speaks of a coming Messiah 26:03 who will one day judge the earth. 26:04 And you can find out more when you receive our free guide 26:07 called "The Messiah and the Judgment." 26:10 Simply call 800-253-3000, 26:13 visit us online at iiwoffer.com, 26:16 or write to the address on your screen. 26:18 We'd love for you to receive our free offer, 26:21 "The Messiah and the Judgment." 26:23 Call 800-253-3000. 26:28 >>John Bradshaw: Let's pray together now. 26:30 Our Father in heaven, we're grateful today for Jesus, 26:33 "despised and rejected of men; 26:36 a Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief," 26:39 He died that terrible death on an old rugged cross, 26:44 but He beheld "the travail of His soul" and was satisfied. 26:49 When Jesus was nailed to the cross, 26:51 He was satisfied. 26:52 As His life was draining out of Him, He was satisfied, 26:56 because He looked forward to this day 26:59 and saw people all around the world 27:01 saying yes to Jesus and no to an old life, 27:06 yes to Jesus and no to sin. 27:10 Oh, dear Father, Your love for this earth is so great 27:13 You allowed Your only begotten Son to die that we might live. 27:18 Friend, would you accept that life from Jesus today? 27:22 Would you open up your heart to the God of heaven and say, 27:24 "I want that life; I want that Savior to be my Savior"? 27:28 As you do, you have salvation. 27:30 As you do, you have everlasting life. 27:32 As you do, you can go forward confident 27:34 that you're a child of God. 27:36 Heavenly Father, we thank You today for Jesus, 27:39 who died that we might live. 27:41 In Jesus' name we pray. 27:44 Amen. 27:46 Thank you so much for joining me. 27:47 I'm looking forward to seeing you again next time. 27:49 Until then, remember: 27:52 "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, 27:55 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'" 28:00 ♪[Theme music]♪ |
Revised 2019-07-30