Participants: John Bradshaw
Series Code: IIW
Program Code: IIW001387A
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00:07 It has stood the test of time,
00:11 God's book -- the Bible. 00:16 Still relevant in today's complex world. 00:21 It Is Written ... 00:24 sharing hope around the globe. 00:35 Thanks for joining me today. I'm John Bradshaw 00:39 and this is It Is Written. Every now and then someone 00:42 appears on the world stage that makes a dramatic 00:45 difference. As the old saying puts it, 00:47 Cometh the hour, cometh the man. 00:50 The 'hour' we're talking about today was the 18th 00:53 Century - a time when England had degenerated, religiously, 00:57 into a tired and formulaic routine. 01:00 The Church of England was now the state church 01:02 in the United Kingdom, and though it had broken 01:05 from Rome, and several of Rome's doctrines had been rejected, 01:08 the forms of Rome had been largely retained 01:11 by the Church of England. And the monarchy had simply 01:14 taken the place of the pope as the head of the church. 01:18 The road to Protestantism had been rocky. 01:21 Men and women had won freedom from Rome at a great cost - 01:25 many lost their lives being murdered, or martyred, 01:28 and persecution was intense. By the 1700s, Protestantism 01:33 in England wasn't the vital force its founders had hoped 01:36 it would be. The vitality had just seeped 01:39 right out of the church. Formalism and nominalism had 01:42 taken over spiritual life. Something was needed. 01:47 Someone was needed. [Folk Melody] 01:54 And in the early 1700s - June 28, 1703, 02:00 the 15th of Samuel and Susanna Wesley's children was born 02:04 here in Epworth, in Lincolnshire, England. 02:09 Epworth is about 45 miles south of York and about 02:12 the same distance from Leeds, and today has a population 02:15 of less than 4000 people. Obviously much smaller 02:18 back then. 02:22 The Wesleys had moved here in 1695. 02:25 Yet from this unassuming place came the man who would 02:28 go on to become one of the great religious reformers of all time. 02:33 He would become the founder of the Methodist Church -- 02:36 and would breathe new life into Christianity in England -- 02:39 and provide inspiration to Christians all over 02:42 the world. 02:46 Only 10 of Samuel and Susanna Wesley's 19 children survived. 02:51 And if you think that was a large family, 02:54 Susanna's father - a dissenter pastor 02:57 who had separated from the established church - 02:59 had 25 children,@ and Susanna was the 25th. 03:06 Samuel Wesley - who went to school with Daniel Defoe, 03:09 the author of Robinson Crusoe - had graduated from Oxford 03:14 and was the church of England pastor here - and this is where 03:17 the Wesley's lived. 03:24 At that time the rectory was a wooden building 03:26 and it had a thatched roof. When John Wesley 03:29 was 5 years old, the Rectory burned down. 03:32 His father would say that he believed the fire was set 03:34 intentionally by discontented church members. 03:37 Little Jacky, as John's mother called him, was rescued 03:40 in dramatic circumstances. John wrote later that he 03:44 was saved 'as a brand plucked from the burning'. 03:48 This new Rectory was built in 1709 at a cost of £184, 03:54 not quite $300 USD. When John Wesley was 13, 03:59 certain events lead people to believe that this Rectory 04:01 was haunted. People urged Samuel Wesley 04:05 to take his family away from here and get them to safety. 04:08 Samuel said that he believed the devil should flee from him, 04:12 and not the other way around... 04:13 ♪ [Pastoral Melody] ♪ 04:28 Samuel Wesley, John's father, 04:30 was the pastor of this church. This is St Andrew's Church, 04:35 the parish church of Epworth. Parts of this building date 04:39 back to the 12th Century. 04:46 And as a young man, John Wesley was the curate 04:50 of the parish church in the little village of Wroot, 04:53 about 5 or 6 miles from Epworth. 05:01 He is buried here, just yards from where 05:03 he used to preach. John Wesley would come back 05:06 to Epworth and come here to St. Andrews and step up on 05:10 top of his father's tombstone and use it as a pulpit from 05:14 he would preach the Word of God. 05:20 When he'd come back to Epworth to visit his family, 05:24 John Wesley would normally stay right here, 05:27 at the Red Lion Inn, and because he wasn't allowed to 05:30 preach in the churches, he'd preach 05:33 from unorthodox places, such as from right on top of his 05:36 father's tomb and he would preach here, from these very 05:40 steps, in this exact place and from these steps take his 05:45 Bible in his hand, proclaim the Word of God 05:48 and encourage the people of Epworth to follow 05:51 Jesus Christ by faith. 06:00 Every Word is a one minute Bible based daily devotional 06:03 presented by Pastor John Bradshaw and designed 06:06 especially for busy people like you. 06:08 Look for Every Word on selected networks or watch 06:12 it on line every day on our website itiswritten.com. 06:16 [Rythmic Melody] 06:23 There's a great verse in the book of Nehemiah. 06:26 One of the great verses really, full of meaning. 06:28 Nehemiah has returned to Jerusalem and he has set about 06:31 the task of re-establishing Jerusalem society and he's in 06:34 the midst of building the wall around the city. 06:36 Critics and detractors and enemies are trying to distract 06:38 him from that work when he sent a message to them saying, 06:41 "I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down. 06:44 Why should the work cease while I leave it and go down to you?" 06:49 Now let's think: each of us are engaged 06:51 in a great work, the work of sharing Jesus 06:53 or that of living for Him. The devil wants to distract us, 06:57 to get us off base, to get us to spend out 06:59 energies in other areas. And here's God's message 07:02 about that: it's a great work, a great work we're doing. 07:06 and nothing should be allowed to distract us 07:08 from that work. ♪ [Theme Music] ♪ 07:09 I'm John Bradshaw for It Is Written. 07:12 Let's live today by Every Word. 07:16 ♪ [Stately Melody, ♪ String Ensemble] ♪ 07:31 John Wesley studied at Christ Church 07:33 at Oxford University. It was and still 07:36 is a very prestigious school. King Edward the 7th 07:38 was educated here. William Penn, the founder 07:41 of the State of Pennsylvania, and the current Archbishop 07:44 of Canterbury. In fact, Christ Church 07:47 has produced as many Prime Ministers of Great Britain , 13 07:51 as the other 45 Oxford colleges combined. 07:58 And it was while he was here that John Wesley 08:00 began to experience personal spiritual revival. 08:03 Along with his brother, Charles, and others such 08:05 as George Whitefield, or Whitfield, depending on your 08:07 pronunciation, John Wesley formed 08:10 the Holy Club - a group that met regularly 08:13 and were determined to live a holy life dedicated to God, 08:17 in a very systematic way. 08:26 Wesley sought to be holy. So he adopted a very rigid 08:31 approach to his life, often denying himself and following 08:35 certain 'methods' of living that he believed would enable 08:38 him to live that life that he wanted to live. 08:41 This 'methodical' approach to faith in God saw Wesley 08:46 and his fellows in the Holy Club here at Lincoln College 08:50 become branded as "Methodists." To begin with, this term 08:55 "Methodists" was intended as an insult 08:59 but Wesley and his friends came to embrace the term 09:02 as they believed it reflected God's will for their lives. 09:06 ♪[Cello solo-thought provoking]♪ 09:14 When Wesley came to Oxford University, 09:16 he knew full well just what faithfulness to the Word 09:18 of God could cost. He knew that in 1536 09:22 another former Oxford student, William Tyndale, had been 09:25 burned at the stake for his faith in Jesus Christ and for 09:27 daring to disobey the orders of the Roman Catholic Church. 09:31 And Wesley had another very graphic reminder of what 09:34 faithfulness cost. You see, right here behind me 09:38 is the very spot in which Hugh Latimer, Nicholas Ridley 09:43 and Thomas were burned at the stake for their faith 09:45 in the Word of God. Latimer and Ridley in 1555 09:48 and Cranmer, who had been the the Archbishop of Canterbury 09:51 - in 1556. It is said that Latimer said 09:55 to Ridley as they were about to be burned, 09:58 "Be of good comfort." "We shall this day light such 10:01 a candle, by God's grace, in England, as I trust 10:05 shall never be put out." Now Cranmer, on the other 10:09 hand, recanted his opposition to the Roman Catholic Church 10:12 several times but then he recanted his recantations. 10:17 He was brought to this spot on Broad Street in Oxford 10:20 and burned at the stake. And when he was, he did what 10:23 he said he would do. He took the very hand that 10:26 had written the recantations and thrust it into 10:29 the flames. Today, a cross commemorates 10:34 the spot at which these men gave their lives for their 10:36 faith in Christ, while near this sport stands the Oxford 10:40 Martyrs' Memorial, in remembrance of Latimer, 10:43 Ridley and Cranmer. The inscription on the base 10:46 of the memorial says this: "To the Glory of God, 10:51 and in grateful commemoration of His servants, Thomas Cranmer, 10:55 Nicholas Ridley, Hugh Latimer, 10:57 Prelates of the Church of England, who near this spot 11:01 yielded their bodies to be burned, bearing 11:04 witness to the sacred truths which they had affirmed 11:07 and maintained against the errors of the Church 11:10 of Rome, and rejoicing that to them it was given not only 11:14 to believe in Christ, but also to suffer 11:18 for His sake." 11:23 John Wesley knew that the road to reform 11:25 would not be easy. He understood what opposition 11:28 to truth could look like. But he was determined. 11:32 He was determined to live a life of faith. 11:34 A life to the glory of God. A life that would result 11:38 in personal transformation. But just as the road 11:42 to reform in the church would no be easy, 11:45 Wesley discovered that the road to reform in his own personal 11:48 life would not be easy either. You see, 11:52 like most people, John Wesley had to learn 11:54 the secret of living a life of faith. 11:57 So what was it that John Wesley learned that changed 12:00 his life? And could it change 12:02 your life? More in just a moment. 12:06 [Thoughful Melody] 12:15 But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost 12:18 is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses 12:21 unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, 12:24 and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part 12:27 of the earth. 12:30 The uttermost part of the earth seems like an appropriate way to 12:34 describe Mongolia, sandwiched between China and Siberia. 12:40 About two and a half percent of Mongolians are Christians. 12:45 Or to put it another way, Mongolia is 97.5 percent 12:51 non-Christian. 12:54 The church hasn't made real inroads here. 12:57 And according to the Bible, somehow or other, 13:01 Mongolians will all be given an opportunity to known Jesus. 13:07 It Is Written's Mission Mongolia is bringing the Good News 13:10 of Jesus Christ to the people of Mongolia. 13:13 Your support of Mission Mongolia will make it possible for 13:16 It Is Written to send teams of missionaries to Mongolia, 13:20 to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. 13:23 Bibles are needed in the Mongolian language. 13:26 And your help will make it possible for people to own their 13:28 very own Bible for the first time, and learn of Jesus. 13:33 Other humanitarian needs will also be met, as Mission Mongolia 13:37 provides for many people who are being left behind by a society 13:42 relentlessly rushing forward. Don't leave Mongolians 13:46 in the dark. Your help will make it possible 13:49 for Mission Mongolia to introduce people to Jesus. 13:54 Call now, 1-800-253-3000. That's 1-800-253-3000, 14:03 to support Mission Mongolia. Or visit us online at 14:07 www.itiswritten.com. Or you can support this work or 14:12 learn more about it by writing to It Is Written, P O Box 6, 14:17 Chattanooga, Tennessee 37401. 14:23 It was in 1735 that John Wesley 14:26 and his brother Charles, newly ordained to ministry, 14:29 left England bound for the province of Georgia 14:32 in the American colonies. They left from Gravesend, 14:36 near where the River Thames runs into the English Channel, 14:38 on a ship called The Simmonds. And it was on that journey 14:42 that John Wesley came face to face with what he perceived 14:45 to be his own great spiritual lack. 14:49 While crossing the Atlantic Ocean, a terrible storm arose. 14:53 Wesley believed that he was going to die - 14:55 and he was terrified. 14:59 But also aboard the ship were a number of German Moravian 15:01 believers, members of a religious group that had 15:04 its origins in the teachings of John Huss - who himself 15:08 was strongly influenced by another English reformer, 15:11 John Wycliffe, the Morning Star of the Reformation. 15:16 During this storm the Moravians remained calm - no panic, 15:20 and they had a peace that Wesley didn't possess. 15:24 In fact, they sang as the storm raged around them. 15:29 Wesley later asked them if they had been afraid to die. 15:32 No, they said, we were not afraid to die. 15:34 And it was then that Wesley realized that in spite of his 15:38 methodical approach to his religious life, he was 15:41 missing something tremendously important. 15:45 His brother Charles had a similar experience. 15:47 It was thought at one time@ that Charles was going 15:50 to die. He had become so ill 15:52 and somebody asked him upon which he rested his hope 15:55 of salvation. Charles answered by saying, 15:58 "I have used my best endeavors to serve God." 16:02 Led to believe his answer might have been lacking just 16:05 a little bit, Charles thought, "Are not my endeavors 16:09 a sufficient ground of hope? I have nothing else 16:13 to trust to!" The Wesleys had thought 16:17 that living a virtuous life and observing all the right 16:19 forms would bring them to the place where they 16:22 had peace with God. But they came to understand 16:26 that genuine Christian living involves an inward change 16:29 that affects the thoughts and the feelings, not just 16:32 the words and the actions. They came to understand that 16:35 this inward transformation was an integral part of 16:38 genuine Christian living. Up until now, they had been 16:41 trying to achieve righteousness by works but 16:44 now they began to understand that great foundational 16:48 teaching of Christianity - righteousness by faith 16:51 in Jesus Christ. In 1738, John Wesley, now 35, 17:00 and his brother Charles, 31, returned to England. 17:04 And it was that year that something remarkable 17:06 happened, something that would change 17:09 the world. On May 24, 1738, 17:12 John was attended a Moravian meeting in London, right here 17:16 on Aldersgate Street. This is what he would later 17:20 write about what happened here that night. 17:23 "In the evening I went very unwillingly to a society 17:27 in Aldersgate Street, where one was reading Luther's preface 17:31 to the Epistle to the Romans. About a quarter before nine, 17:35 while the leader was describing the change which God 17:37 works in the heart through faith in Christ, 17:40 I felt my heart strangely warmed. 17:43 I felt I did trust in Christ alone for salvation; 17:47 and an assurance was given me that He had taken away my sins, 17:51 even mine, and saved me from the law of sin and death." 17:58 ♪ [Poignant Musical score] ♪ 18:07 John Wesley would never be the same again - 18:10 and nor would the world. He continued to live 18:13 his methodical, self-denying life, but now as the result 18:17 of his faith in God, and not the ground 18:20 of his faith. Wesley came to understand 18:23 that the grace of God is the foundation 18:25 of a believer's existence and he realized that grace 18:29 resulted in obedience. 18:31 Wesley dedicated his life to preaching these great truths 18:35 - justification through faith in the blood of Jesus, 18:38 and the transforming power of the Holy Spirit 18:41 in a person's life. 18:49 ♪ [Patriotic Theme] ♪ World history has 18:50 taught us to associate the word surrender with thoughts of 18:53 defeat, shame and loss, But what if it were the road 18:57 to ultimate victory? What if surrender meant letting 18:59 go of your sin or dysfunction in exchange for freedom 19:03 and integrity? What if your conqueror 19:07 offered you healing, wholeness and power? 19:11 When you're used to being in charge, surrender to God may be 19:13 a struggle, but I guarantee you surrender to God is the greatest 19:17 victory you'll ever win! If you'd like to understand 19:20 more, request our FREE booklet, "The War is Over." 19:24 Simply call (800) 253-3000 and ask for your free copy of 19:29 "The War is Over." If the line's busy, 19:31 please try again, or you can write to 19:34 It Is Written, at P.O. Box 6, Chattanooga, TN 37401. 19:39 We'll mail a free copy to your address in North America. 19:43 It Is Written is a faith-based ministry and your support makes 19:47 it possible for us to share God's good news with the world. 19:51 Your tax-deductible gift can be sent to the address on your 19:53 screen, or through our website at ItIsWritten.com. 19:57 Thank you for your continued prayerful support.@ 20:00 Again, you can call toll free, (800) 253-3000, 20:04 or visit our website, ItIsWritten.com. 20:08 [Fountain splashing] Like many reformers, 20:11 John Wesley had no intention of starting a new denomination 20:13 when he founded Methodism. It's interesting - 20:17 Catholicism had been the state religion, and it 20:19 needed serious reformation. Out of that milieu came 20:22 the Church of England - which itself came to the place 20:25 where IT needed to be reformed. To begin with, John Wesley 20:29 wanted to teach and preach within the confines 20:31 of the Church of England. But it wasn't long and he wasn't 20:34 welcome in the Church of England. 20:36 He was ardently opposed to the Calvinist teaching 20:38 of predestination, believing instead that people were free 20:42 to choose whether they wanted to accept or reject salvation. 20:46 This pitted him against his good friend, 20:48 George Whitefield, with Wesley saying that he believed 20:52 Calvinism represented "God to be worse 20:55 than the devil." After Whitefield died, 20:58 John Wesley wrote that "in some things, 21:01 people might agree to disagree". That's the first time we know 21:04 of that the phrase "agree to disagree" 21:07 ever appeared in print. 21:13 And John Wesley was a committed abolitionist. 21:16 He was friends with William Wilberforce and with John 21:19 Newton who wrote the hymn Amazing Grace. 21:22 So this was another point where he differed from 21:24 his friend George Whitefield, who had argued in favor 21:27 of slavery. John Wesley usually travelled 21:30 on horseback, and he preached two or three times a day. 21:33 Stephen Tomkins wrote that Wesley traveled "more 21:35 than 250,000 miles, he gave away 30,000 pounds, ... 21:40 and preached more than 40,000 sermons. 21:44 Now all this travel was not especially good for Wesley's 21:47 marriage. When he was 48 years old 21:50 he married Mary, a 40-year-old widow. 21:53 Wesley's philosophy was pretty simple. 21:55 He wrote, 'I cannot see 21:58 how a Methodist preacher can answer it to God 22:00 to preach one sermon or travel one day less, 22:03 in a married than in a single state.' 22:06 Mary had a hard time seeing it that way. 22:09 She grew weary of his relentless travel schedule, 22:12 and she become jealous of the attention that Wesley 22:15 was getting from other women. Now it cannot be said 22:18 that John Wesley handled all of the pressure 22:21 on his marriage like a saint. He actually wrote and said 22:24 some pretty scathing things to Mary. 22:26 Biographer Robert Southey wrote 'There are few stomachs 22:29 which could bear to have humility administered 22:31 in such doses.' Mary actually left Wesley 22:34 several times, but after he would beg her 22:36 to return, she'd come back. But things were not good 22:40 at home. Writer John Pollock wrote 22:43 that Mary was actually seen dragging Wesley 22:45 across the floor by his hair. No wonder, then, that after 22:49 15 years of marriage, Mary left. 22:52 And when she did, Wesley wrote, 22:54 "I did not forsake her, I did not dismiss her, 22:58 I will not recall her." 23:01 ♪ [Acoustic Guitar- ♪ ♪ Melacholic Melody] ♪ 23:06 Wesley's Chapel here on City Road in London 23:09 was built in 1778. Wesley preached 23:13 in this very chapel - continuing to proclaim 23:16 the powerful grace of God that is able to forgive sins 23:20 and change a human heart. Wesley taught a lot about 23:23 the Holy Spirit, and the infilling 23:26 of the Holy Spirit, which he believed to be the privilege 23:29 of a believer to receive. He taught on the doctrine 23:32 of sanctification, how a person could have the "mind which 23:37 was in Christ, enabling us to walk as He walked" 23:40 as Wesley said. He taught that a person 23:43 is restored "not only to the favor, 23:46 but likewise to the image of God." 23:50 ♪ [Melody continues] ♪ 23:54 Wesley died in 1791, almost 87 years old. 23:59 His emphasis on personal revival based on the power 24:02 of the Bible and the work of the Holy Spirit in a person's 24:04 life saw him leave behind 135,000 Methodist Church 24:09 members and over 500 itinerant Methodist preachers. 24:13 And he died poor. Virtually everything he owned 24:17 or had earned he had given to the cause of God. 24:22 When he was dying, he took hold of the hands of those 24:25 with him in his room and said again and again, 24:27 "Farewell, farewell." And finally he said, 24:31 "The best of all is, God is with us". 24:35 And he said it again: "The best of all, 24:37 God is with us." And then, he died. 24:46 He's buried here, just behind this chapel. 24:50 His Godly mother, Susanna, is buried just across the street 24:53 in Bunhill Fields cemetery as is John Bunyan, 24:57 the writer of one of the most magnificent and famous 25:00 literary works in the history of Christianity - 25:02 Pilgrim's Progress. 25:05 His brother Charles is buried about two miles from here. 25:08 Charles is famous for writing some of Christianity's 25:10 best-loved hymns. Hymns such as 25:13 "And Can it Be"; "O For a Thousand Tongues 25:16 to Sing"; "Christ the Lord 25:18 is Risen Today"; and "Soldiers of Christ Arise." 25:24 What an active place this is going to be on the morning 25:26 of the resurrection, when "the dead in Christ shall rise." 25:31 Like so many of us, John Wesley had a religion that was 25:34 all about the forms or religion but didn't have the power 25:38 of living faith. His belief system didn't 25:41 change his heart or give him assurance of salvation. 25:45 But everything changed because John Wesley met Jesus 25:50 - the real Jesus, a personal Saviour, 25:53 and a close friend. John Wesley discovered 25:57 the power of the presence of Christ in his life. 26:01 I want you to know that the same Jesus 26:04 that changed John Wesley's life can change your life today. 26:09 The same Bible that brought such power into John Wesley's 26:12 daily existence can bring power to where you 26:15 are right now. And the same Holy Spirit 26:19 that brought transformation and assurance of forgiveness 26:23 of sins and the life of Jesus lived out in John Wesley's 26:27 life can bring all those things into your life right now. 26:33 Just one man - John Wesley - and the world was changed. 26:38 Just one man - Jesus - and you're life 26:42 can be changed, today. Let me pray with you... 26:46 Our father in heaven, from this really rather sacred 26:50 spot, I want to thank you today for Jesus, the Jesus 26:54 that John Wesley met, the Jesus who changed his heart 26:57 and changed his life. And the Jesus who can come 27:00 into our lives right now and make them everything 27:03 they ought to be. I thank you today 27:05 for assurance. I thank you that you forgive 27:08 us for our sins and I thank you that Jesus will live his 27:11 life in us and make us completely new. 27:16 Let us live now believing and knowing and leaning on you 27:20 and trusting in Christ for our salvation. 27:22 We pray and thank you in Jesus' name, Amen. 27:33 ♪ [Musical Interlude- Gentle Melody] ♪ 27:46 ♪ [It Is Written Theme] ♪ I want to thank you 27:47 for joining me today and until next time, 27:50 remember: It is written, man shall not live by bread 27:54 alone, but by every word that proceeds 27:57 from the mouth of God. 27:59 ♪ [Theme Music Swells] ♪ |
Revised 2016-04-14