Participants:
Series Code: IIW
Program Code: IIW020224S
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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 Regrets. We all have them, don't we? 00:28 A doctor once tweeted, "What is your biggest regret?" 00:32 He was expecting a few people to respond with answers like, 00:35 "I regret working too much," 00:37 or "I regret not spending enough time with the kids." 00:40 Serious enough. 00:41 He was surprised when people tweeted back saying 00:43 they regretted not getting enough education, 00:46 not being with loved ones when they died, 00:50 driving when intoxicated and causing the death 00:53 of another person. 00:55 One of the saddest regrets I know of came from a minister 00:58 who was driving late one night and began to feel sleepy. 01:01 He sensed the Holy Spirit telling him to pull over 01:04 and get some rest, but before he could, 01:07 he fell asleep and ran into a car 01:10 being driven by a mother of five children. 01:13 He mourned over those motherless children every day 01:18 for the rest of his life. 01:20 It was a regret he could never get relief from. 01:24 Maybe you have regrets. 01:26 Today in our series, "Great Characters of the Bible," 01:30 I'm going to share with you the story of a man 01:32 who let his wife influence him to make an unwise choice, 01:37 and how that one action began a catastrophic tide of evil 01:42 and resulted in indescribable woe to the human race. 01:46 The man's name is... 01:48 Adam. 01:49 And his story begins in the first book of the Bible, 01:52 during the first week of Creation 01:54 when God made the world. 01:56 Let's read the first part of the verse. 01:59 Genesis 1, verse 26: 02:02 "And God said, 'Let us make man in our image.'" 02:07 Now, we know that God is talking to someone, 02:08 because "us" is plural, 02:11 indicating there's more than one present. 02:14 Paul agreed with this in the New Testament, 02:16 Ephesians 3, verse 9, when he wrote, 02:18 "And to make all see what is the fellowship of the mystery, 02:22 "which from the beginning of the ages has been hidden in God 02:26 who created all things through Jesus Christ." 02:29 Now, did you catch that? 02:30 God created all things through Jesus Christ. 02:34 It had been a mystery throughout all the ages who that "us" was, 02:37 but Paul laid it out for everyone to see and understand. 02:41 The next part of the verse is mind-boggling. 02:44 It says, "according to our likeness." 02:49 To be made in the image of God is an incredible honor. 02:53 How wonderful is that? 02:56 He could have given no greater stamp of love 02:58 than to make a person like Himself. 03:01 The creation of Adam wasn't done on a whim. 03:05 Every feature, every muscle, every organ, 03:08 they were all designed. 03:10 There was a divine blueprint. 03:12 He was made to resemble his Creator, with eyes to see 03:15 and ears to hear and a heart to love and connect with. 03:19 Have you ever seen the intense delight 03:21 on the face of a young child as he or she creates things 03:25 with something like Play-Doh? 03:27 If we can have that much fun creating with Play-Doh, 03:30 imagine the anticipation and the excitement of Jesus 03:33 as He kneels down and forms man out of the dust of the ground. 03:39 The Bible continues the story in Genesis 2, verse 7: 03:43 "And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, 03:47 "and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; 03:50 and man became a living being." 03:54 Imagine this lifeless but beautifully formed body 03:58 fashioned by the hands of God, 04:01 and the Creator of the universe kneeling down 04:04 and performing an act similar to resuscitation 04:07 as He breathes life into dirt, 04:11 and suddenly this being emerges with the intricate system 04:14 of blood and veins and arteries and organs. 04:18 Some people claim this marvelous body evolved, 04:22 but the Bible states that it was designed, 04:25 with an immune system, a brain capable of learning, 04:29 reasoning, loving, and storing more knowledge 04:33 than any computer ever designed. 04:36 With his perfectly clear eyesight, 04:38 Adam looked right into the face of God. 04:42 Can you imagine what that must have been like? 04:44 I've got no doubt at all Jesus was smiling 04:47 as He reached out His hand and, and pulled Adam up. 04:52 They must have had a lot to talk about and a lot to discover. 04:55 I can imagine God walking with Adam through the garden 04:58 as He pointed out all the animals 05:00 and gave Adam the honor of naming them. 05:03 After a while, Adam's keen mind noticed something. 05:08 All the male animals had a female partner. 05:13 As Adam looked expectantly at Jesus, his Creator smiled, 05:17 and then the first surgery was performed as God took a rib 05:23 from the side of Adam and formed the first woman. 05:27 Later she's named Eve. 05:30 It was the very first marriage. 05:33 And I can tell you this: There was never a better place 05:36 for a honeymoon than the Garden of Eden. 05:39 The happy couple began their life by exploring 05:41 the beautiful garden together. 05:43 I don't know, maybe on the back of a very docile elephant 05:45 or a tall giraffe, who knows. 05:47 All the animals were tame at first. 05:49 There was no fear of wild wolves. 05:52 There was no poison ivy. 05:54 There was no pain. 05:55 As you continue reading the second chapter of Genesis, 05:58 you'll discover that there were gold and precious stones 06:02 on the ground. 06:03 There's no way to describe the pristine beauty of a world 06:06 unmarred by factories, big cities, and poverty. 06:11 "All of this is for you," God tells them, 06:13 "except for one tree." 06:15 Genesis 2:16 says, 06:17 "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; 06:20 "but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil 06:23 "you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it 06:27 you shall surely die." 06:30 Of course, Adam had no real idea what death or evil meant, 06:35 but he did know what love meant. 06:37 God was love. 06:39 God had created him in His own image. 06:41 God had formed him with His own hands 06:43 and breathed into him the breath of life. 06:47 He enjoyed face-to-face conversations with Jesus 06:49 and the angels. 06:51 Adam had every reason to be happy and content with his life. 06:55 He lived in a tropical paradise with all the wealth and beauty 06:59 of the world at his feet. 07:02 Nothing was withheld for him except for one tree. 07:08 You know, many people have wondered why God 07:10 gave Adam and Eve an option. 07:13 Why didn't He just program them to automatically obey, 07:17 like the sun and the moon? 07:19 If God knows the beginning from the end, 07:21 He knew what they'd have done, right? 07:23 When we come back, we'll answer the question: 07:26 Should God have allowed Adam and Eve the privilege of choice? 07:32 That's straight ahead. 07:34 ♪[music swells and ends]♪ 07:43 >>John: Temptation is a fact of life, 07:45 but you can be successful in the face of temptation. 07:48 Be sure you get today's free offer, 07:51 "When the Lion Roars," 07:53 and find out how you can successfully defeat temptation 07:57 instead of being defeated by sin. 07:59 To get your free copy of "When the Lion Roars," 08:02 call us on 800-253-3000. 08:05 You can write to the address on your screen 08:08 or visit us online at iiwoffer.com. 08:14 >>John Bradshaw: Thanks for joining me on It Is Written 08:16 as we begin a new series, "Great Characters of the Bible." 08:21 I've got a question for you. 08:22 If God knew the end from the beginning, 08:25 He knew what Adam and Eve would do, 08:28 so should God have allowed Adam and Eve the privilege of choice? 08:34 No doubt God had a problem on His hands. 08:36 Adam and Eve weren't the only beings on earth. 08:40 Lucifer, who'd once been the highest angel in heaven, 08:44 was there, too. 08:46 The Bible describes the situation 08:47 in Isaiah 14, verse 12: 08:50 "How you are fallen from heaven, O Lucifer, son of the morning! 08:54 "How you are cut down to the ground, 08:56 "you who weakened the nations! 08:58 "For you have said in your heart: 09:00 "'I will ascend into heaven, 09:02 I will exalt my throne above the stars of God.'" 09:07 Instead of being exalted above God, however, 09:11 Lucifer was cast out of heaven. 09:14 Now, if God had killed Lucifer for rebelling against Him, 09:17 the other heavenly beings would have served God out of fear. 09:21 They would have forever questioned God's fairness. 09:24 God wanted beings to love Him freely. 09:27 So He allowed them the ability to exercise freedom of choice, 09:31 even if the choice they made was a bad choice. 09:35 Consider this: 09:36 Would you want a robot spouse who does what you say 09:40 because he or she is programmed to do so? 09:43 Or would you prefer a spouse 09:45 who wants to spend the rest of his or her life with you 09:47 simply because he or she adores you? 09:51 Would you prefer a spouse who cowers behind the door 09:54 when you come home? 09:55 Or one who rushes into your arms, 09:57 eager for your embrace? 09:58 A friend of mine works at a shelter for abused spouses. 10:02 Every day, women-- and, and even some men-- 10:05 come in to hide from the very person who pledged to shelter 10:10 and protect them for the rest of their life. 10:13 Their stories are sad, and they're horrific. 10:17 The ending's always the same. 10:19 Eventually love is replaced by fear, because beating someone 10:24 into submission only adds to the problem, doesn't fix it. 10:28 The abused spouse or child will eventually walk away 10:32 and never look back, because love is no longer the foundation 10:36 of the relationship. 10:37 Humans were created with the need to be loved and accepted. 10:41 Freedom of choice is ingrained in each of us 10:44 because the Creator made us that way. 10:47 God will not force anyone to obey Him, 10:50 so He gave humanity the ability to choose. 10:54 He gave Adam and Eve the very simplest test: 10:57 "You shall not eat it, nor shall you touch it, lest you die." 11:01 Genesis 3, verse 3. 11:03 The Bible doesn't say what made Eve approach the tree. 11:07 It could have been curiosity, or it could have been 11:10 that she was following one beautiful flower after another 11:13 and wasn't aware of where she was going. 11:16 Now, it seems as we read the Bible that somehow 11:19 she had separated herself from her husband. 11:22 Had Adam been with Eve when she approached a talking serpent, 11:26 he undoubtedly would have warned her, 11:28 "Honey, could anything be more obvious? 11:30 Something isn't right with this picture." 11:33 But Adam, it seems, wasn't there. 11:35 The devil placed a seed of doubt in Eve's mind 11:38 when he addressed her with this question: 11:41 "Has God indeed said, 11:43 'You shall not eat of every tree of the garden'?" 11:47 His subtle surprise suggests that God was restricting 11:50 or holding something back. 11:53 Eve listened and objected. 11:55 So Satan changed his tactics to flattery and charm, 12:00 hinting that God just didn't want her to be as wise as Him. 12:03 She decided that there was something magical 12:05 about the fruit because the other serpents and animals 12:08 didn't talk, 12:10 and this serpent was holding a conversation with her. 12:13 Eve held the fruit in her hands. 12:16 Since she didn't die immediately, 12:18 she concluded God had made a mistake. 12:21 She ate the fruit, and then she shared it with Adam. 12:26 Adam knew exactly what had happened. 12:28 No doubt God had warned him about the angel Lucifer 12:31 who'd been cast out of heaven. 12:33 Adam knew that the penalty for disobeying God was death. 12:38 So Adam had a decision to make. 12:40 It might be that because he couldn't stand the thought 12:43 of living without Eve that he decided to share her fate. 12:46 He seized the fruit that she offered, 12:49 and he ate it. 12:50 According to 1 Timothy 2:14, Eve was deceived, 12:54 but Adam knew full well what he was doing. 12:58 Immediately the beautiful light of righteousness 13:00 that shrouded them faded away. 13:03 Their eyes were opened, and they both realized they were naked. 13:07 They tried to sew fig leaves together to cover themselves. 13:11 And then they ran to hide. 13:13 You see, these are the behavioral patterns 13:15 that began with Adam and Eve when they sinned, 13:18 and they continue to this day. 13:20 First, the sinner tries to cover up what he or she did wrong. 13:24 And then, they run as far as possible from the consequences. 13:29 The next one is playing the blame game. 13:31 In this case, Adam blamed God and his wife: 13:36 "The woman whom You gave to be with me, 13:39 she gave me of the tree, and I ate." 13:42 God turns to Eve and asks, "What...have [you] done?" 13:46 She replies, "The serpent deceived me." 13:50 God had been very clear. 13:52 Death was the sentence, but not just for Adam and Eve; 13:58 everything in the world began to slowly die. 14:02 Like a fully charged flashlight, it's bright at first, 14:06 so Adam and Eve were full of vitality. 14:08 Their eyesight, clear, 14:11 their skin, flawless, no wrinkles. 14:14 But gradually, the flashlight gets dimmer and dimmer 14:18 as the battery uses up its energy. 14:22 So it was with Adam and Eve. 14:24 So it is with us. 14:26 We're born with energy and life, 14:28 but as we get older, the battery gets dimmer and dimmer. 14:32 To Eve, God said, "I will greatly multiply your sorrow 14:37 and your conception; in pain you shall bring forth children." 14:41 To Adam, God declared, "Cursed is the ground for your sake; 14:45 "in toil you shall eat of it all the days of your life. 14:49 "Both thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you, 14:53 and you shall eat the herb of the field." 14:55 After being rejected, God was still looking out for Adam. 14:59 "The ground is cursed for your sake." 15:02 Work was meant to be a blessing. 15:04 It's a physical blessing, 15:06 providing exercise and sunshine, fresh air. 15:09 It's a mental blessing because you have 15:10 a sense of accomplishment. 15:11 That sense of accomplishment brings forth praise 15:14 to the Creator and so, therefore, it becomes 15:16 a spiritual blessing to us as well. 15:19 God continues: 15:21 "In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread 15:23 "till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; 15:27 for dust you are, and to dust you shall return." 15:32 God is never caught by surprise. 15:35 When we come back, God's beautiful plan of redemption 15:38 is to restore Adam back in the Garden of Eden. 15:42 But how would He do that? 15:44 You'll see when we return. 15:45 ♪[music swells and ends]♪ 15:54 >>John: Temptation is a fact of life, 15:57 but you can be successful in the face of temptation. 16:00 Be sure you get today's free offer, 16:02 "When the Lion Roars," 16:05 and find out how you can successfully defeat temptation 16:09 instead of being defeated by sin. 16:11 To get your free copy of "When the Lion Roars," 16:14 call us on 800-253-3000. 16:17 You can write to the address on your screen 16:19 or visit us online at iiwoffer.com. 16:25 >>John: When God created the earth, 16:27 He designed three unique systems: 16:30 the land, the water, and the air. 16:35 These systems functioned in perfect unity, 16:38 and everything in them benefited everything else. 16:41 But if you look at the world now, 16:44 you'll see that each of these systems 16:46 is in significant and accelerating decline. 16:51 Join me for "Earth's Rapid Decline," 16:54 part 4 of It Is Written series "Prequel of the Bible." 16:58 The whole planet groans under the weight of sin. 17:02 The Bible says that "the earth will grow old like a garment." 17:07 We'll explore what this means for us today 17:09 and what it means for the future. 17:12 Don't miss "Earth's Rapid Decline," 17:15 part 4 of our five-part series, "Prequel of the Bible," 17:20 brought to you by It Is Written TV. 17:25 >>John Bradshaw: Adam's story is sad. 17:28 And if it ended with God telling him he would return to dust, 17:31 if it ended that way, it'd be depressing. 17:34 But it doesn't end there. 17:36 God would not leave His children without hope. 17:39 After cursing the serpent, 17:41 He made it to crawl on its belly forever. 17:44 Then God said, "And I will put enmity between you 17:48 "and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed; 17:52 He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel." 17:58 "Enmity" means "hostility or hatred." 18:00 In today's vocabulary, God was saying, 18:03 "I will put hostility between Satan and my children." 18:07 One of Adam and Eve's seed, Jesus, 18:09 would take upon Himself human nature, 18:12 and He would end the power of the serpent known as Satan. 18:16 Satan, like a striking serpent, would try to kill Him. 18:19 Just as a man would crush the head of a poisonous snake 18:22 with his bare heel to save his children, 18:25 so the Savior will sacrifice His own life 18:28 to save those who love Him, 18:30 and He will utterly crush the serpent's head. 18:35 This was the hope of Adam and Eve. 18:39 The remorseful couple was sent out from the Garden of Eden, 18:42 and the gate was guarded by an angel 18:45 holding a sword to protect the tree of life. 18:49 God didn't want them to eat the fruit 18:50 and become immortal sinners. 18:53 It was a huge price to pay for what some might consider to be 18:56 a relatively small sin. 18:58 But life went on. 19:00 It went on, but things were different, 19:03 very different. 19:04 Food had been free in the garden; 19:06 it was theirs for the picking. 19:08 But now they had to grow it for themselves. 19:10 Adam could deal with the hard work. 19:12 He knew that he deserved it. 19:13 But now animals began to prey on each other. 19:18 Once friendly, they began to slink away from Adam's presence 19:22 in fear, as if they, too, knew he was responsible 19:25 for their plight. 19:27 Flowers lost their petals. 19:29 Trees lost their leaves. 19:31 Eve cried in pain as she delivered sons and daughters. 19:35 It was almost too much. 19:37 The only thing that kept Adam going was the hope 19:39 that one of these sons would be the Seed 19:42 to crush the serpent's head and restore their once-happy lives. 19:48 But it wasn't to be. 19:49 At least, at least it wasn't to be in Adam's lifetime. 19:53 His first son, Cain, became the world's first murderer. 19:56 In a fit of temper he slew his brother Abel. 19:59 Death had come to Adam's family. 20:02 Adam lost two sons that day, as Cain fled, a marked man. 20:08 Imagine the grief and guilt that this first set of parents felt 20:12 as they buried the lifeless form of their beloved son, 20:16 knowing that sin and death came about because of their decision 20:21 to disobey God. 20:23 Do you remember how Adam was made in the image of God, 20:26 completely sinless? 20:28 That image changed as sin left its mark on his countenance, 20:31 in his thoughts, and in his body. 20:33 Genesis 5, verse 3 says, 20:35 "And Adam lived a hundred and thirty years, 20:38 "and begat a son in his own likeness, 20:41 after his image; and called his name Seth." 20:46 Adam's children inherited the fallen nature of their parents. 20:51 As the years ticked by, Adam lived to be 930 years old. 20:56 Remember, he was made perfect by the hands of God. 20:59 There were no bad genetics passed down to him. 21:01 Also there were no diseases prevalent, not like now. 21:04 There was no diabetes. There was no cancer. 21:07 Adam saw his children grow up to be parents. 21:10 He saw his grandchildren grow up to be parents. 21:12 Each generation, however, grew a little more rebellious 21:17 as the curse of sin penetrated the earth. 21:21 Adam did what he could to stay the tide of evil. 21:24 He told the story of his creation and his fall 21:27 to everyone who would listen. 21:30 That's when God did something truly spectacular 21:33 to encourage everyone. 21:36 Enoch was born, a descendant of Adam's son Seth. 21:39 Adam was still living and telling everyone 21:41 about his wonderful Creator and the promise to one day restore 21:45 the Garden of Eden through his descendant. 21:47 Adam would have told the story to Enoch. 21:50 Enoch lived 65 years and then begat a son. 21:54 It was after holding his little boy in his arms 21:58 that Enoch's heart understood the sacrifice 22:01 that God would one day make in giving His own Son 22:05 to save the human family. 22:06 Day and night he communed with God and grew in faith. 22:10 This was the relationship that God craved with Adam 22:13 in the garden. 22:15 For 300 years, this relationship grew so strong 22:20 between God and Enoch that the Bible says, 22:23 "And Enoch walked with God; and he was not, for God took him." 22:29 Enoch's translation into heaven was stirring. 22:32 It was indisputable encouragement 22:34 to all who chose to follow God. 22:36 God was declaring that "He is, 22:39 and that He is a rewarder of them that diligently seek Him." 22:41 That's Hebrews 11 and verse 6. 22:43 Think about this. 22:45 Adam was born in a perfect world and chose to sin. 22:50 Enoch was born in a sinful world and chose not to sin. 22:55 We all have that choice. 22:57 God's grace will be there for anyone who chooses Him. 23:03 At one time Adam was the happiest man alive, 23:06 but he also became the saddest man alive 23:09 because he saw the terrible consequences of sin. 23:12 Fortunately he died before the Flood. 23:15 It may well have been too much for him to see 23:17 the beautiful world God had created for him 23:19 totally destroyed by water. 23:21 But the condition of the world had become so deplorable 23:24 that the Bible says, 23:25 "The wickedness of man was great in the earth, 23:28 "and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart 23:30 "was only evil continually. 23:32 And it repented the Lord that He had made man on the earth." 23:36 Genesis 6, verses 5 and 6. 23:38 Adam could have lived in a perfect world, 23:41 but for the lack of faith he showed 23:43 when he and his wife ate the forbidden fruit. 23:46 But the seed of Abraham, Jesus, came to this imperfect earth, 23:51 and Jesus became "the second Adam." 23:55 He was attacked from every side by Lucifer 23:58 and Lucifer's wicked angels, 24:00 but He chose not to succumb to Satan. 24:02 He took the sentence of death so that you and I can have 24:06 the gift of life. 24:07 He has promised to restore Eden again. 24:10 It's written in Isaiah 51, verse 3, 24:12 "For the Lord will comfort Zion, 24:14 "He will comfort all her waste places; 24:17 "He will make her wilderness like Eden, 24:19 and her desert like the garden of the Lord." 24:22 It is written in the last chapter of the Bible, 24:24 "Blessed are those who do His commandments, 24:26 "that they may have... right to the tree of life, 24:29 and may enter through the gates into the city." 24:32 Today we stand on the brink of eternity, 24:35 confronted every day with the choice Adam had to make. 24:39 You could choose to ignore God's Word, 24:42 or like Enoch, you could choose to walk with God every day. 24:47 Adam repented of his sin, and God has promised to restore him 24:51 to the Garden of Eden. 24:53 I want to be there when the two Adams come face to face again. 24:58 How about you? 24:59 It's as easy as lifting up your eyes to heaven and saying, 25:03 "God, I want to walk with You. 25:06 Take my heart and make it Yours." 25:10 Can you do that? 25:11 ♪[soft piano music]♪ 25:12 Can you look in the direction of heaven right now? 25:14 One thing about Adam's story is it gives us encouragement 25:18 to know that God is a forgiving God, 25:21 and if Adam can be saved after what he did, 25:25 God definitely has a plan for you. 25:28 Trust God with that plan. 25:30 Let Him forgive you and remake you. 25:33 Walk with Him every day, 25:35 and know for certain that God will walk with you. 25:42 >>John: Thank you for remembering that It Is Written 25:44 exists because of the kindness of people just like you. 25:48 To support this international life-changing ministry, 25:51 please call us now at 800-253-3000. 25:55 You can send your tax-deductible gift 25:57 to the address on your screen, 25:58 or you can visit us online at itiswritten.com. 26:02 Thank you for your prayers and for your financial support. 26:05 Our number again is 800-253-3000, 26:09 or you can visit us online at itiswritten.com. 26:13 >>John Bradshaw: Let's pray together. 26:15 Our Father in heaven, we have much to learn 26:18 from the story of Adam. 26:19 We have much to learn about ourselves 26:21 and much to learn about You. 26:23 We recognize that in our humanity we are weak. 26:27 ♪[soft music]♪ 26:28 We recognize that of ourselves we can do nothing. 26:32 But we recognize that You are merciful and gracious, 26:36 willing to forgive, and so now we repent, 26:39 we repent of our sins, recognizing it was our sins 26:44 that nailed Jesus to the old rugged cross. 26:47 We believe that one day Jesus will come back to this earth, 26:51 and that with Adam we can stand on the circle of the earth 26:55 and say, "Lo, this is our God. 26:58 We have waited for Him, and He will save us." 27:02 Friend, if there's any doubt in your mind 27:04 about your relationship with God, your standing with God, 27:07 invite Him now into your heart. 27:09 Father, for that person, I pray the gift of salvation, 27:12 the assurance of salvation. 27:14 I pray that now You'd speak to that heart, 27:16 that heart might open up to You, 27:19 and that you might live Your life in even the weakest sinner, 27:24 making him or her strong in the grace of our Lord Jesus. 27:28 Our Father, we thank You that there is a way back 27:31 through Jesus. 27:32 We thank You that You chose to restore Adam, 27:35 and that You will indeed restore us. 27:38 Bless us now. 27:39 Keep us close to Your heart always. 27:43 We pray in Jesus' name. 27:46 Amen. 27:48 Thanks so much for joining me. 27:49 I'm looking forward to seeing you again next time. 27:51 Until then, remember: 27:53 "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, 27:57 but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.'" 28:02 ♪[dramatic theme music]♪ |
Revised 2020-10-28