Participants:
Series Code: IIW
Program Code: IIW019191S
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00:19 >>John Bradshaw: This is It Is Written.
00:21 I'm John Bradshaw. Thanks for joining me. 00:24 In 2019, an athlete running in the men's 5,000 meters 00:28 at a Diamond League event in Lausanne, Switzerland, 00:31 had victory in his sights. 00:33 He was well clear of the rest of the field, 00:35 and when he ran into the home straight, 00:38 he stretched his lead to about 25 meters. 00:41 It was a dominating run. 00:43 He crossed the finish line and raised his arms in victory, 00:46 waving to the crowd. 00:48 But the problem was this: 00:50 If the race had been the 4,600 meters, he would have been fine, 00:54 but he has miscalculated the number of laps to run. 00:58 He finished just as the bell was being sounded. 01:02 There was a lap to go. 01:04 He thought he had it won. 01:06 He got back into the race, but he was spent. 01:10 He ended up finishing 10th. 01:13 He thought he had it won, but he didn't. 01:15 And if you read the Bible, you're going to find out 01:18 that there are people who think they have everlasting life, 01:21 but they don't. 01:23 They come up short for an important reason. 01:25 We look at that today 01:26 as we study another great chapter of the Bible. 01:29 Today: John chapter 3. 01:32 Jesus says in Matthew chapter 7 there will be people 01:35 who say to Him, "Lord, we've prophesied in Your name. 01:38 We've cast out devils. 01:39 We've done many wonderful works." 01:41 And they get the surprise of their lives 01:43 to hear Jesus say in verse 23, "I never knew you; 01:47 depart from me, you who practice lawlessness!" 01:52 They thought they had it won. 01:54 Somehow they thought they'd been honoring God. 01:56 And in Revelation chapter 3, Jesus says to people, 01:59 "You say, 'I am rich, have become wealthy, 02:03 and have need of nothing'-- 02:04 and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, 02:08 poor, blind, and naked." 02:10 He says in verse 16, 02:11 "You are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot," 02:14 and so therefore, "I will vomit you out of my mouth." 02:18 People who thought they were okay, but they weren't. 02:20 Now, they were righteous, all right, 02:23 but they were self-righteous, 02:25 and self-righteousness is deadly. 02:28 We find another individual like that in John chapter 3. 02:32 Now, talk about John 3, 02:33 and it's likely a person's mind 02:35 will automatically go to...John 3:16. 02:40 It's said to be the most famous verse 02:42 of all the 31,000 or so verses in the Bible. 02:46 It's said that John 3:16 encapsulates the gospel 02:49 like no other verse. 02:51 Some athletes will write John 3:16 on themselves 02:53 or their uniforms when they compete. 02:56 Signs saying "John 3:16" are held up at sporting events. 02:59 Even fast-food restaurants have printed John 3:16 03:03 on their paper cups. 03:05 It's a well-known verse for good reason. 03:08 It's easy to memorize. 03:10 "For God so loved the world, 03:11 that He gave His only begotten Son, 03:14 that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, 03:17 but have everlasting life." 03:19 But what's the context of John 3:16? 03:22 What was going on at the time? 03:24 What prompted those words to be said? 03:27 Who said them? 03:28 Now, Jesus spoke those words, but why did He do so? 03:32 And to whom was He speaking? 03:34 Let's look in John chapter 3, and let's begin in verse 1. 03:39 John 3 and verse 1. 03:42 The Bible says this: 03:44 "There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, 03:47 a ruler of the Jews." 03:49 Nicodemus was an important man. 03:51 The Pharisees are mentioned almost a hundred times 03:53 in the New Testament. 03:55 They were a sect, a group of leaders among Judaism 03:58 at the time. 03:59 They were known for their strictness, 04:00 their obedience to the law. 04:02 Which might sound like a good thing, 04:04 except that these individuals-- at least as they're presented 04:07 in the context of Jesus' life and ministry-- 04:10 were very big on tradition, 04:12 not so big on experiencing a change of heart. 04:17 They often opposed Jesus 04:18 because they felt He wasn't giving their traditions 04:21 the respect that those traditions deserved. 04:24 Give you an example. 04:25 It was a group of Pharisees who complained to Jesus 04:27 that His followers were not washing their hands 04:30 in a certain ritualistic way. 04:33 Completely unnecessary, 04:35 but to them it was important that the tradition was followed. 04:39 And in that exchange, Jesus pointed out 04:41 that while they were insistent about keeping traditions, 04:44 they themselves were breaking the commandments of God 04:48 in an egregious way. 04:51 Nicodemus was a Pharisee, 04:53 but it's clear that he was a Pharisee with a difference. 04:57 He came to Jesus and engaged Jesus in a spiritual discussion. 05:02 Verse 2: "This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, 05:08 'Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; 05:12 for no one can do these signs that You do 05:15 unless God is with him.'" 05:16 This was an attempt at righteousness by flattery. 05:20 He was drawn to Jesus 05:22 but wasn't ready to consider Jesus as the Messiah. 05:26 And you'll notice that he came to Jesus at night. 05:29 It wouldn't have worked out well for Nicodemus at all 05:32 if he'd been seen talking to Jesus, so he came in secret. 05:36 And here's where John 3 really begins to soar. 05:40 Jesus talks about what it means to be a follower of Christ. 05:44 Now, there were some real gaps 05:45 in Nicodemus's spiritual experience, 05:48 even though he thought he was doing fine. 05:51 In spite of the fact that most people in Jerusalem 05:53 would have thought that Nicodemus 05:54 was a master in Israel, as Jesus called him. 05:58 The tragedy is that even many of Jesus' own followers 06:01 didn't quite understand 06:03 what Jesus told His nocturnal visitor. 06:06 Let's look at what Jesus said. This is John 3 and verse 3: 06:10 "Jesus answered and said to him, 'Most assuredly, 06:14 I say to you, unless one is born again, 06:18 he cannot see the kingdom of God.'" 06:21 That phrase "born again" also means "born from above." 06:25 A person, Jesus said, needs to be born from above, 06:28 which, of course, is to be born again. 06:31 But it seems Nicodemus took the meaning as "again" 06:34 as he tries something you might call 06:36 righteousness by ignorance. 06:39 "How can a man be born when he is old?" Nicodemus asked. 06:42 "Can he enter a second time into his mother's womb and be born?" 06:47 He needn't have been so puzzled. 06:49 In order for a non-Jew in that day to become a Jew, 06:51 it was said that that person had to become a son of Abraham. 06:54 Be born again, as it were. 06:57 He undoubtedly knew that Jesus wasn't suggesting 07:00 a physical impossibility or a physical absurdity. 07:04 But Nicodemus is shocked. 07:06 Jesus is suggesting something far deeper. 07:10 Nicodemus, as righteous as he thought he was, 07:13 as important as he was, as respected as he was, 07:17 now, this is the kind of man who, 07:18 if he went to the local church, would be considered a good man. 07:22 He would be asked, no doubt, 07:23 to serve the church in a leadership position. 07:26 And yet Jesus is telling him, "Nicodemus, 07:28 you're here talking about my miracles, 07:30 you've addressed me respectfully, 07:32 but what you really need to know 07:34 is that you are not as righteous as you think. 07:37 Everything is not okay with you spiritually." 07:41 What a shocking thing for a Pharisee to hear! 07:45 But the fact is, Nicodemus did need to be born again. 07:50 And so does everyone. 07:53 I remember years ago hearing about born-again Christians 07:55 like they were a different breed, 07:57 like they were a separate strain of Christian. 08:00 But Jesus says that anyone at all who intends to be saved 08:04 must be born again. 08:06 And let's put that another way. 08:08 Anyone at all anywhere in the world may be born again, 08:12 and that's really good news. 08:15 More in just a moment. 08:17 ♪[music]♪ 08:26 >>Announcer 1: You want to experience personal peace 08:28 in your life, oneness with God, victory in a place of defeat, 08:32 but how can you have that? 08:33 Today's free offer, "The War Is Over," 08:35 will tell you how. 08:37 To receive "The War Is Over" free, 08:39 contact us at 800-253-3000. 08:43 That's 800-253-3000. 08:46 Or visit us online at iiwoffer.com 08:50 or write to the address on your screen. 08:52 "The War Is Over," free for you right now. 08:56 ♪[soft piano music]♪ 09:01 >>Man 1: What does the Bible say about astrology? 09:08 >>Man 2: Why do bad things happen to good people? 09:16 >>Girl: What color is Jesus? 09:19 >>John Bradshaw: If you have a question, 09:20 we'd love to find an answer 09:21 for you from the Bible. 09:23 Line Upon Line 09:24 from It Is Written TV. 09:26 >>John Bradshaw: Thanks for joining me today 09:28 on It Is Written. 09:29 John 3:16 is said to be the best-known, most loved verse 09:34 in the entire Bible. 09:36 Today we're looking at the chapter it comes from 09:38 in our ongoing series, "Great Chapters of the Bible." 09:41 This is John chapter 3. 09:44 Jesus spoke to a man named Nicodemus, 09:46 a leader in Israel, and He said in verse 4, 09:50 "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water 09:56 and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God." 10:00 He went on to say, "That which is born of the flesh is flesh, 10:04 and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit." 10:08 Now, it's one thing to be born once, 10:09 but it is imperative that a person be born twice. 10:13 You know how you hear people say, "I was born this way"? 10:16 Well, okay. 10:18 Heredity maybe gave you certain tendencies or leanings 10:20 or weaknesses or characteristics. 10:23 Your father was an angry man; you have a short fuse. 10:26 Your mother was an alcoholic; 10:28 you're born with a weakness for alcohol. 10:30 Your parents or your grandparents were immoral, 10:32 and so immorality comes easy to you. 10:35 The truth is, we're all born with a fallen nature. 10:39 Once Adam sinned way back then, the best we could hope for 10:42 was a nature that was bent towards sin. 10:45 And that weakened nature can only bend in one direction. 10:48 It's like water that runs downhill. 10:51 You can be born this way or that way, 10:53 but the beauty of what Jesus tells Nicodemus 10:56 is that a person can be born again. 10:59 That means the old you may die and a new you may be born 11:04 and then exist in the place of the old you. 11:07 Paul wrote to the Romans about the "old man" being crucified 11:10 so that we no longer serve sin. 11:12 He wrote to the Ephesians about putting on the "new man, 11:16 which after God is created in righteousness 11:18 and true holiness." 11:20 Like Jesus, Paul is talking about being born again. 11:25 Now, you can look at this as a requirement, 11:26 but if you did, you'd be doing yourself a disservice. 11:30 Jesus is talking about a privilege, a blessing. 11:35 We must be, we may be born again, born from above. 11:40 Born of water? 11:41 Now, that's Bible baptism, baptism by immersion. 11:44 Born of the Spirit? Conversion. 11:48 Jesus said in John 3 in verse 8, 11:50 "The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, 11:54 but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. 11:58 So is everyone who is born of the Spirit." 12:02 Just like you can't see the wind, 12:03 but you can see its effect, you cannot see the Holy Spirit, 12:06 but you can see the way it impacts a life. 12:09 When you're born again, 12:10 the Holy Spirit comes into your life and changes you. 12:14 The Holy Spirit brings the presence of Jesus 12:17 into your life. 12:18 This is the power of God, the righteousness of God, 12:23 the strength of God in your life. 12:28 When you're born again, things change. 12:31 I remember as a kid spending the weekend 12:33 staying at a friend's farm. 12:35 It was a dairy farm. 12:37 We were walking out there around the farm, 12:38 and he told me I should grab hold of an electric fence. 12:42 I said, "Man, even though I'm from town, I'm not crazy." 12:45 So he grabbed hold of the electric fence, 12:47 and nothing happened. 12:49 He told me I should do the same thing; 12:50 I'd see that there was nothing to it. 12:53 So like a...gullible person, 12:57 I grabbed hold of the electric fence. 13:00 Of course, he'd been holding a wire that wasn't live. 13:03 I held a wire that was very much live. 13:07 Did I feel it? 13:08 Well, what do you think? 13:09 Oh yes, I did! 13:10 Did it have an impact on me? 13:12 Oh yes, it did! 13:13 Did it change me? 13:14 Very much changed me, 13:16 as long as I was holding onto it. 13:18 The Holy Spirit is like that. 13:20 When the Holy Spirit comes into your life, 13:22 your life can no longer be the same. 13:25 No, it doesn't mean that all of a sudden you're an Enoch 13:28 or a Daniel, and you've got everything figured out. 13:30 But it does mean God has you, and you're growing, 13:34 and you're becoming more and more like Jesus, 13:36 and the old habits are falling off you 13:39 like those last stubborn dead leaves fall off a tree 13:43 at the beginning of spring 13:44 when new life starts coursing through its limbs. 13:47 When new life runs through you, the new life Jesus brings, 13:52 the old, dead things in your life start to fall off 13:56 because you have possession of Jesus by faith 13:59 and because He has possession of you. 14:02 You are new. You are born again. 14:06 And to explain this even further, 14:08 Jesus took Nicodemus back to an Old Testament story 14:13 to explain what it means to be born again. 14:16 Jesus said this: 14:17 "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, 14:21 even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, 14:25 that whoever believes in Him should not perish 14:28 but have eternal life." 14:30 Now, keep in mind, before John 3:16, 14:33 Jesus explains what it is to be born again. 14:36 Really, He's explaining 14:37 what that "whosoever believeth in Him" means. 14:41 And He goes back to that curious story in Numbers 21 14:47 when Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness. 14:50 Remember that story? 14:52 They'd come out of Egypt; the people began to complain. 14:55 "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die 14:58 in the wilderness? 14:58 For there is no food and no water, 15:00 and our soul loathes this worthless bread." 15:05 Ouch! 15:06 That's about as ungrateful as you can get. 15:09 They literally say, "We hate the manna God is giving us to eat." 15:15 And to get their attention away from their complaints, 15:17 away from their hardships, as they saw it, 15:20 God sent venomous snakes into their midst. 15:24 Many people were bitten, and they came to Moses 15:28 and asked him to pray that God would take away the snakes. 15:32 "We have sinned," they said. 15:34 God instructed Moses to make a serpent out of brass 15:38 and put it on a pole. 15:41 Now, who did that serpent represent? 15:43 It represented Jesus. Now, why a serpent? 15:46 That's because Jesus was, according to the Bible writer, 15:49 made "to be sin for us." 15:52 And God said in Numbers 21 in verse 8, 15:55 "And it shall be that everyone who is bitten, 15:58 when he looks at it, shall live." 16:02 And this is important 16:03 because this is what Jesus used to illustrate 16:06 what it means to be born again. 16:09 You've been infected by venom? 16:11 Look to the representation of the crucified Jesus and live. 16:14 Or, you've been infected by sin. Look to Jesus and live. 16:20 To be born again is to look and live. 16:23 To really look to Jesus, to look to Him in faith, 16:26 to claim Him as your Savior, to keep Him in view. 16:30 Peter looked to Jesus, and walked on water. 16:33 He took his eyes off Jesus, and he sank. 16:37 Listen, if you keep your eyes on Jesus, 16:39 the Holy Spirit will do great things in your life. 16:42 The power of God will flow through your existence. 16:45 You wonder why you sink? 16:47 It's because you're not keeping Jesus in view. 16:50 You look to Jesus, and you'll live. 16:54 You'll be born again. 16:56 Back with more in just a moment. 16:58 ♪[music]♪ 17:06 >>Announcer 2: Have you ever wondered 17:08 if you're good enough to be saved? 17:09 It's a common question that has discouraged many people, 17:12 but it doesn't have to discourage you. 17:14 "Taking a Stand" is a powerful five-part series 17:17 presented by Pastor John Bradshaw 17:18 that will help you discover the assurance of salvation. 17:22 >>Announcer 3: Call 1-888-664-5573 17:25 to order the "Taking a Stand" DVD 17:27 or download it from our web store 17:28 at www.itiswritten.shop. 17:32 Jesus offers salvation as a free gift to everyone, 17:35 including you. 17:37 >>John Bradshaw: Thursday, August the 5th, 2010, 17:40 was not a happy day for 33 men 17:44 when a collapse in a mine in Chile 17:47 buried them 2,300 feet below ground. 17:52 No matter how much they tried to escape, 17:54 there was no way out. 17:56 Rescue would have to come from above. 18:01 On the outskirts of the San José Mine, 18:03 over two-and-a-half thousand people gathered, 18:07 and with each failed rescue attempt, despair increased. 18:11 And families gathered together to pray for a miracle. 18:17 From the Atacama Desert comes a story of tragedy, 18:20 a story of uncertainty, yet a story of courage, 18:24 hope, and ultimately, a story of salvation. 18:28 Wait on the Lord, and the miracle will come. 18:32 "Camp Hope." 18:33 Watch now on It Is Written TV. 18:38 >>John Bradshaw: When Nicodemus came to Jesus 18:39 under the cover of darkness, Jesus saw sincerity in him. 18:44 So He laid it all out for Nicodemus: 18:46 Nicodemus, you're not as holy as you think. 18:50 You need to be born again, born from above, 18:53 born of water and born of the Spirit, 18:56 the Holy Spirit taking over your life 18:59 as you surrender your life to God. 19:02 And today, far too many people, 19:05 even people who call themselves believers, 19:08 haven't learned the meaning of surrender. 19:11 You can call yourself whatever you want, 19:14 but when you're looking at websites 19:16 you shouldn't be looking at, 19:17 when you're getting drunk, 19:19 when you're yelling at your spouse out of anger, 19:21 when you're cheating on your taxes, 19:22 when you're...whatever, 19:25 it's evidence that there's something not quite right. 19:29 It's more than likely evidence that you are not born again. 19:33 I'm not talking about the occasional mistake 19:35 a person might make when he or she is growing in God 19:39 and learning more of what it is to be kept by God's grace-- 19:41 not that. 19:43 When this is the tenor of your life, 19:46 Jesus would say to you just what He said to Nicodemus: 19:49 "You must be born again." 19:52 But the great thing is Jesus is saying, 19:53 whatever your issues are, whatever they are, 19:57 you may be born again; you can be. 19:59 He'll do in your life what you cannot do in yourself. 20:02 When you surrender and say, "Not my will but Your will be done." 20:08 After taking Nicodemus back to that story in Numbers 21, 20:11 Jesus, talking about what it is to be born again, 20:15 said these famous words: 20:18 "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, 20:23 that whoever believes in Him should not perish 20:27 but have everlasting life." 20:30 Believe. 20:31 Believe in Jesus as your Savior. 20:33 The alternative is to perish. Lost people will be lost. 20:37 Those who don't want to be saved 20:38 won't be dragged to heaven against their will. 20:41 But if you're willing to believe, 20:44 you're willing to trust God, 20:45 if you're willing to allow God into your life, 20:47 if you're willing to be born again... 20:51 And notice John 3:17. 20:53 It's as powerful as John 3:16. 20:57 "For God did not send His Son into the world 20:59 to condemn the world, 21:01 but that the world through Him might be saved." 21:05 What fantastic words! 21:06 Jesus didn't come to condemn but to save. 21:10 How's that working out for you? 21:12 Sin is deadly, but Jesus didn't come to this world 21:15 to condemn you or me or anyone else. 21:18 He came to...save. 21:21 And if we want to be saved, we'll be saved. 21:26 Now, notice what Jesus said in verse 19: 21:29 "And this is the condemnation, 21:31 that the light has come into the world, 21:33 and men loved darkness rather than light, 21:36 because their deeds were evil." 21:38 In John 3, Jesus offers the world life. 21:41 And He really tells us that salvation 21:43 is a matter of the heart. 21:45 If we love darkness when light has come, 21:47 that's a dead end. 21:50 And let's be honest. Sin is darkness. 21:53 A self-centered life, where we want what we want 21:56 and take what we take and have what we have 21:57 and live how we want to live 21:59 without reference to the God who created the world, 22:02 just doesn't buy happiness. 22:05 And it definitely has eternal consequences. 22:08 From verse 22 down to the end of the chapter, 22:10 John the Baptist features. 22:12 It's no coincidence that early in John 3, 22:15 Jesus speaks about being born of water, 22:17 as now we see John baptizing where there was much water, 22:22 baptizing by immersion, the biblical practice. 22:26 A dispute arises. 22:27 And like Jesus, John isn't getting bogged down in it. 22:30 This is interesting: 22:31 They tell John that everyone is following after Jesus now. 22:35 An earthly-minded person might be worried 22:37 about the number of followers that he or she has. 22:40 "John, Jesus is getting more likes than you." 22:43 But John is humble, not proud. 22:46 He calls himself the friend of the bridegroom, 22:50 and says that he's glad people are being attracted to Jesus. 22:53 That's all any of us are on this earth to do: 22:56 to point people to Jesus, 22:57 to attract people, not to ourselves, but to Him. 23:02 You know, these are the last recorded words we have of John 23:06 before he was imprisoned a year or so later. 23:09 John's last words in Scripture, and they are powerful. 23:14 John 3, verse 30: 23:16 "He must increase, but I must decrease." 23:20 How's that? 23:22 John says, "It isn't about me. I'm to become smaller. 23:26 It's Jesus who's to get bigger." 23:30 Be good for us to remember that, wouldn't it? 23:32 He says, "He who comes from above is above all." 23:36 And then he goes on to say this: 23:38 "For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, 23:42 for God does not give the Spirit by measure." 23:46 That's verse 34. 23:48 Now, don't miss that. 23:49 God doesn't give the Spirit sparingly. 23:53 I want you to remember that. 23:55 There are a lot of people who are discouraged. 23:57 "I know I'm falling short." 23:59 "I know I need to be born again." 24:00 Well, now's your chance to do something about it. 24:02 "Me?" someone asks. 24:03 Yes, you. 24:05 What did Jesus say? 24:07 "...that whosoever believes in Him..."--anyone. 24:11 That's what makes John 3 so beautiful. 24:13 It's what makes John 3:16 so beloved. 24:17 The invitation is to all. 24:19 If you believe in Jesus as your Savior, 24:21 yes, God will forgive your sins. 24:24 But don't leave it there. God will do more. 24:27 He'll change you. 24:29 He wants you to be born again. 24:32 And you can be. 24:33 See, we can't change ourselves. But we need to be changed. 24:36 You can't change your temper, your thoughts, your disposition. 24:40 But God can change you. 24:42 Born this way? 24:44 Okay. But you can be reborn, born again, born from above. 24:49 "I've gone too far." 24:51 Jesus didn't come into the world to condemn anyone. 24:53 And that would be you He's referring to. 24:56 He didn't come to condemn you but to save. 24:59 This great chapter of the Bible 25:01 ends with John the Baptist saying, 25:03 "He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; 25:08 and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, 25:12 but the wrath of God abides on him." 25:15 This Savior who came to the earth to save, 25:17 this Savior who healed, who uplifted, who loved, 25:21 who helped, who gave hope, He wants to be your hope. 25:27 And this is real hope, the real thing, 25:30 a blessed life in this world and, through faith in Jesus, 25:35 eternal life in the world to come. 25:39 >>Announcer 1: You want to experience personal peace 25:42 in your life, oneness with God, victory in the place of defeat, 25:46 but how can you have that? 25:47 Today's free offer, "The War Is Over," 25:49 will tell you how. 25:51 To receive "The War Is Over" free, 25:53 contact us at 800-253-3000. 25:57 That's 800-253-3000. 26:00 Or visit us online at iiwoffer.com 26:04 or write to the address on your screen. 26:06 "The War Is Over," free for you right now. 26:10 >>John Bradshaw: Thank you for remembering that It Is Written 26:12 exists because of the kindness of people just like you. 26:15 To support this international life-changing ministry, 26:19 please call us now at 800-253-3000. 26:23 You can send your tax-deductible gift 26:24 to the address on your screen, 26:26 or you can visit us online at itiswritten.com. 26:30 Thank you for your prayers and for your financial support. 26:32 Our number again is 800-253-3000, 26:37 or you can visit us online at itiswritten.com. 26:41 >>John Bradshaw: Let me pray with you now. 26:42 ♪[soft music]♪ Our Father in heaven, 26:43 we thank You today for the beauty of John chapter 3. 26:47 We thank You for the wonderful promise 26:48 and promises it contains. 26:52 We thank You that You so loved the world 26:53 that You gave Your only begotten Son. 26:55 Therefore, give us grace to believe. 26:57 Friend, can you believe now? 26:59 There's sin in your life, but believe. 27:02 You need a changed heart, but believe. 27:05 You might feel hopeless, but if you believe, 27:08 if you trust that Jesus died for you-- 27:10 yes, you-- then you can be saved. 27:13 You can live now with the promise 27:15 that God is your best friend, that Jesus is your Savior, 27:20 and that eternity stretches ahead. 27:22 Friend, would you choose Jesus now? Would you? 27:25 Would you say to God, 27:26 "I want this Jesus as my Lord and Savior. 27:29 I choose to live with hope. 27:30 I choose to believe that what You did, You did for me." 27:34 We thank You today. 27:35 We choose to live in this hope. 27:37 Grow us. Change us all the more. 27:41 Ready us for that wonderful day 27:43 when Jesus comes back to take us home, 27:45 we pray in Jesus' name. 27:48 Amen. 27:49 Thank you so much for joining me. 27:51 I'm looking forward to seeing you again next time. 27:53 Until then, remember: 27:55 "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, 27:59 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'" 28:04 ♪[theme music]♪ |
Revised 2019-12-18