WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:05.840 Real Life presents the Jack Hibbs podcast with intention and boldness to proclaim 2 00:00:05.840 --> 00:00:11.580 truth, equip the saints and impact our culture. How does a sinner like me and a 3 00:00:11.580 --> 00:00:17.040 sinner like you become just one way when Christ rose again from the dead? The Bible 4 00:00:17.040 --> 00:00:21.380 tells us he rose through our justification. Is that amazing? You see what does 5 00:00:21.380 --> 00:00:27.240 that mean? Watch. He paid for your sin and mine at the cross. He paid a death 6 00:00:27.240 --> 00:00:31.360 that you and I couldn't pay. Christian, I'm speaking to you. You've been away 7 00:00:31.360 --> 00:00:34.920 from church for a long time and you've got your arguments. I understand that. 8 00:00:34.920 --> 00:00:39.960 Maybe you were angry at God or maybe some pastor priest or somebody hurt you 9 00:00:39.960 --> 00:00:45.960 years ago and you said that's it. Listen, that wasn't Jesus. 10 00:00:47.360 --> 00:00:53.760 You can get the outlines of this podcast by going to jackhibbs.com slash podcast. 11 00:00:54.320 --> 00:00:59.080 Today, if this podcast lifts you up and encourages you to live a more fulfilled 12 00:00:59.080 --> 00:01:03.960 life in Christ, then make sure you leave us one of those five star ratings. To us, 13 00:01:03.960 --> 00:01:09.080 that's like saying amen or yes, then that rating will encourage others to 14 00:01:09.080 --> 00:01:14.880 listen. Now open your hearts to what God's word has to say to you. Here is Jack Hibbs. 15 00:01:14.880 --> 00:01:20.160 Just church was God's plan from the beginning. Now what should I write that 16 00:01:20.160 --> 00:01:27.120 down? The church was the plan of God. Not man. It was God's plan. Matthew chapter 16, 17 00:01:27.120 --> 00:01:32.560 verse 13. Matthew 16, 13, the Bible says when Jesus came into the region of 18 00:01:32.560 --> 00:01:38.400 Cessaria, Philippi, northern Israel, he asked his disciples saying, who do men say 19 00:01:38.400 --> 00:01:43.160 that I, the son of man am? So they said, some say you're John the Baptist, 20 00:01:43.400 --> 00:01:50.600 some Elijah and others Jeremiah are one of the prophets. And Jesus said, but who do 21 00:01:50.600 --> 00:01:56.920 you say that I am? And Simon Peter, you got to love Peter. Answered and said, you are the Christ, 22 00:01:56.920 --> 00:02:02.000 the son of the living God. Jesus answered and said to him, blessed are you Simon, 23 00:02:02.000 --> 00:02:06.600 Barjona, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my father, which is in heaven. 24 00:02:07.160 --> 00:02:14.840 And I also say to you, you are Peter, that word means a pebble. And on this rock, 25 00:02:14.840 --> 00:02:21.880 Petra, the rock, I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it. Peter, 26 00:02:21.880 --> 00:02:26.760 you may be Peter, but what you just said is what my church is going to be built on. Listen, 27 00:02:26.760 --> 00:02:33.720 the church is not built on Peter or Paul or Mary. The church is built on Jesus Christ. It's built 28 00:02:33.720 --> 00:02:40.280 on him. And if Jesus says that my church being built on the on the fact, the rock being, 29 00:02:40.280 --> 00:02:45.480 that he is the Christ, the son of the living God. Friends, listen, God did not make a mistake by 30 00:02:45.480 --> 00:02:51.960 you being born in an hour like this. You are in the church for such a time as this. And with all 31 00:02:51.960 --> 00:02:57.720 that's going on in the world around us, it's not a time to pull back. The church was God's great 32 00:02:57.720 --> 00:03:04.920 idea. And it's still God's great idea if it's in his hands. Jesus said, I will build my church 33 00:03:04.920 --> 00:03:11.400 and notice the gates of hell will not prevail against it. That means you and I should be galvanized 34 00:03:11.400 --> 00:03:16.520 at this hour. You think about you and I as believers, we should be galvanized full of the Holy 35 00:03:16.520 --> 00:03:22.520 Spirit and the Word of God. What an amazing age we live in, even on our devices and we have the 36 00:03:22.520 --> 00:03:27.320 Bible. You can get the Bible for free anywhere in the world. What an amazing moment it is. 37 00:03:27.320 --> 00:03:32.280 Number two, everybody is this. Where are you? God might be asking you to night down deep inside. 38 00:03:33.160 --> 00:03:37.960 Well, just church is God's forever family. You're kind of feeling a little bit of that tonight. 39 00:03:38.760 --> 00:03:42.600 I know we're in this place right now and I don't know about you, but it's freezing or I'm at right now. 40 00:03:43.080 --> 00:03:49.560 I'm convinced heaven's going to be 75 degrees. But um, 41 00:03:51.880 --> 00:03:58.120 regarding his great church, it's a forever family built by Jesus Christ by the blood of Christ. 42 00:03:58.840 --> 00:04:04.360 What an amazing thing. Friend, listen, church family. Can I remind you that God's forever family is 43 00:04:04.360 --> 00:04:10.760 a group of people? Otherwise, we would have never come together. We have different skin color, 44 00:04:10.760 --> 00:04:16.360 different monetary status in life. We've come from different nations. But listen, God wipes all that's 45 00:04:16.360 --> 00:04:22.200 the way and God's forever family is happening because of the blood of Jesus Christ and that one 46 00:04:22.200 --> 00:04:27.480 name Jesus, it's the name of Jesus that every knee will bow, the Bible says, and every tongue will 47 00:04:27.480 --> 00:04:33.320 confess. It's all about Christ and what he's done. And tonight you might be thinking about, well, 48 00:04:33.320 --> 00:04:38.840 how do I get into this family? Well, I can tell you how you can't get in. You cannot get into 49 00:04:38.920 --> 00:04:47.160 God's family by being good. Read your Bible. Nobody good gets into heaven. Does that surprise you? 50 00:04:47.160 --> 00:04:53.080 The Bible says there's only one good and that's God. The Bible says all of us have sinned and come 51 00:04:53.080 --> 00:05:00.040 short of the glory of God. None of us get in on merits. Those of you who may be thinking, I think 52 00:05:00.040 --> 00:05:05.640 that my good might outweigh my bad and then I'll just slip right on into heaven. Oh, you'll slip 53 00:05:05.960 --> 00:05:13.320 all right, but not into heaven. Christ died there at that cross to purchase for himself 54 00:05:13.320 --> 00:05:21.160 a forever family. And he didn't do it because he had any need. He did it because you and I have 55 00:05:21.160 --> 00:05:27.800 need. God knew, all down to the ages of time, God knew that you and I would need forgiveness. 56 00:05:29.560 --> 00:05:34.360 And by the way, think of this, who in human history has that a book called the Bible 57 00:05:34.360 --> 00:05:40.680 from Genesis to Revelation written about one primary character, one primary person. And that is 58 00:05:40.680 --> 00:05:46.440 the Lord Jesus Christ. What an amazing thing. Buddha cannot say that. Confucius cannot say that. 59 00:05:46.440 --> 00:05:55.560 Joseph Smith cannot say that. Karl Marx can't say it. Nobody can say that, but Jesus. The Bible says 60 00:05:55.560 --> 00:06:01.000 that Christ in the book of Hebrews quoting Psalm 40 behold in the volume of the book. It is written 61 00:06:01.080 --> 00:06:06.680 of me. And that was attributed to Jesus Christ. Who in the world has a book written that says you'll 62 00:06:06.680 --> 00:06:13.480 find his birthplace in Bethlehem. Keep your eye on Bethlehem. You'll find Christ. Why? To bring 63 00:06:13.480 --> 00:06:19.400 us into a forever family. And what a family. You know, you might say, well, that's why I stopped 64 00:06:19.400 --> 00:06:24.920 going to church. The people at church drive me nuts. Listen, you probably drive people nuts. 65 00:06:25.400 --> 00:06:33.880 We're a family. But there's people at church I don't like. That's why they're there. That's why 66 00:06:33.880 --> 00:06:39.480 you're there. Seriously, to love them. He said, I can't do that. Listen, let's all be honest 67 00:06:39.480 --> 00:06:45.000 right now. None of us can love others the way that we're supposed to. Right? It's impossible. 68 00:06:45.640 --> 00:06:50.760 That's why we love people. We don't like a church by the power of the Holy Spirit. We need to be 69 00:06:50.840 --> 00:06:56.120 honest and say, God, I need help to love that brother or that sister of mine. You got to do it to 70 00:06:56.120 --> 00:07:00.360 me now, God, because I don't know how heaven's going to work out with them up there and me at the 71 00:07:00.360 --> 00:07:06.280 same time. Oh, listen, friend, give that up and give it to him and know that you are in a forever 72 00:07:06.280 --> 00:07:13.080 family. And we need to treat each other like it. We need to love each other like it. This stuff 73 00:07:13.080 --> 00:07:20.920 that the world is talking about, racism, status, our love for each other like in the first century 74 00:07:20.920 --> 00:07:26.760 Roman Empire can deal with that in a moment. If this group of people, you here tonight, this church 75 00:07:27.720 --> 00:07:33.240 goes outside and starts loving one another and on others as God would have us. You know what? 76 00:07:33.240 --> 00:07:39.560 It would change the narrative. It would change the direction of this nation. It would honor God 77 00:07:39.560 --> 00:07:45.720 and silence the critics. God has a forever family. And Matthew 18 verse 11, the Bible says, 78 00:07:45.720 --> 00:07:52.840 for the son of man has come to seek and to save that which is lost. Jesus left that 99 in that 79 00:07:52.840 --> 00:07:59.640 parable and goes after the one in John chapter 12 verse 26 and John 12 verse 26, the Bible says, 80 00:07:59.640 --> 00:08:05.480 Jesus said, if anyone serves me, let him follow me. That wherever I am there, my servant will be 81 00:08:05.480 --> 00:08:11.880 also. If anyone serves me, him, my father will honor. Verse 32 says, and I, if I am lifted up 82 00:08:12.600 --> 00:08:19.480 from the earth, I will draw all peoples to myself. Jesus signified by what manner of death he would 83 00:08:19.480 --> 00:08:28.440 purchase his forever family by the cross, the cross all around the world. The cross is the symbol 84 00:08:28.520 --> 00:08:36.760 of what Christ did for us, the cross. But we are the church. Ephesians 4 verse 15 says, Paul is 85 00:08:36.760 --> 00:08:43.800 speaking, but speaking the truth in love so that we may grow in all things into him who is the head 86 00:08:43.800 --> 00:08:52.120 Christ, from whom the whole body joined together, knit together by what every joint supplies according 87 00:08:52.120 --> 00:08:58.200 to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the 88 00:08:58.200 --> 00:09:04.840 edifying of itself in love. That's an extremely dynamic statement. Paul is saying this, the body of 89 00:09:04.840 --> 00:09:11.880 Christ is made up of all different kinds of working parts that comes together and were to be unified 90 00:09:11.880 --> 00:09:19.720 as a family. Number three is just churches exactly that, a church that is listen, a church that is 91 00:09:19.720 --> 00:09:29.880 just. What do you mean by that? Well, just church is a group of people who have been justified by 92 00:09:30.600 --> 00:09:36.440 Christ having been resurrected from the dead. That's how we're justified. Listen, if you don't believe 93 00:09:36.440 --> 00:09:44.520 in the resurrection from Jesus Christ from the dead, you're in deep trouble. You're in a dangerous 94 00:09:44.520 --> 00:09:51.160 place because if Christ died for that, listen, a lot of people have died in the name of religion. 95 00:09:54.120 --> 00:10:00.760 But Jesus said, if you kill me three days later, I'll be resurrected from the dead. Now friends, 96 00:10:00.760 --> 00:10:07.560 listen up, if this is new to you or if you have forgotten, that's pretty radical statement there. 97 00:10:07.640 --> 00:10:16.440 That's where J.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis were debating there at the eagle and the child that 98 00:10:16.440 --> 00:10:24.520 pub in Oxford, England. We were just there recently where Tolkien would witness to C.S. Lewis 99 00:10:26.520 --> 00:10:33.160 and he's the one that mentions to him with all that Christ has said in the Bible. He's either, 100 00:10:33.800 --> 00:10:42.440 the Lord or he's a lunatic or he's a liar and C.S. Lewis was so troubled by that 101 00:10:44.440 --> 00:10:50.040 that eventually led him to Christ. The things that Jesus said, he's either extremely, 102 00:10:50.040 --> 00:10:56.440 extremely wicked in cruel or he's telling the truth. He says, if somebody dies, believe in 103 00:10:56.520 --> 00:11:02.200 me, they shall live forever. Who says that kind of stuff? Everything Jesus said. 104 00:11:05.080 --> 00:11:11.720 He said, I am the bread of life. If you eat the bread I give you, you'll never hunger again. 105 00:11:11.720 --> 00:11:16.120 And I am the living water. If you drink of the water I give you, you'll never thirst again. 106 00:11:16.120 --> 00:11:22.120 Listen, that's insane unless he was. Think about it. Who says that stuff? 107 00:11:23.080 --> 00:11:30.200 No one is ever in the audacity of mankind. No one has ever had the hoots fun to do such a thing. 108 00:11:30.200 --> 00:11:34.680 Jesus not only said it, it was recorded and then you can look throughout history. If you don't 109 00:11:34.680 --> 00:11:41.240 like the Bible read history and the Roman Empire had to cope with the resurrection of Jesus. 110 00:11:41.240 --> 00:11:47.240 How does a sinner like me and a sinner like you become just one way when Christ rose 111 00:11:47.240 --> 00:11:52.600 again from the dead. The Bible tells us he rose for our justification. Is that amazing? 112 00:11:52.600 --> 00:11:57.000 He said, what does that mean? Watch. He paid for your sin and mine at the cross. 113 00:11:58.280 --> 00:12:03.400 He paid a debt that you and I couldn't pay. Christian, I'm speaking to you, you've been away from 114 00:12:03.400 --> 00:12:08.680 church for a long time and you've got your arguments. I understand that. Maybe you were angry at God 115 00:12:08.680 --> 00:12:13.800 or maybe some pastor priest or somebody hurt you years ago and you said that's it. 116 00:12:14.120 --> 00:12:16.600 Listen, that wasn't Jesus. 117 00:12:19.880 --> 00:12:23.960 Listen, it may have been done in the name of the church. It may have been done in the name of God. 118 00:12:25.240 --> 00:12:30.760 But those were destroyers that were using their office to hurt you and to injure you. 119 00:12:32.520 --> 00:12:38.520 You cannot say anything tonight that Jesus has done to you that has hurt you. It's what man has done 120 00:12:39.080 --> 00:12:43.080 in the name of Jesus. In the name of Christ is what man has done. 121 00:12:44.040 --> 00:12:50.280 Listen, when Christ rose again from the dead, that justification means this. What he purchased 122 00:12:50.280 --> 00:13:00.200 for us, he hands or gives to us and that is the word simply put, theologically, just if I'd never 123 00:13:00.200 --> 00:13:06.440 sinned. He justified you by being resurrected from the dead. Listen, that's not by your works. 124 00:13:07.080 --> 00:13:11.400 The Bible says that by the works of the flesh, no flesh shall be justified before God. 125 00:13:12.440 --> 00:13:17.720 By the works of the law, no flesh can stand up in the presence of God and say, look what I've done. 126 00:13:19.400 --> 00:13:23.800 No, listen, the true believer knows exactly who he or she is. 127 00:13:24.760 --> 00:13:29.000 That, there we go, but for the grace of God. Is that not true? Think about that. 128 00:13:29.800 --> 00:13:33.480 Look at what God has done in your life. She has been a long time. Well, let me tell you, 129 00:13:33.480 --> 00:13:39.000 God wants to start working in your life again. He wants to go to work again. I want to encourage you 130 00:13:39.000 --> 00:13:47.000 about that. But according to the Bible, listen to what he says, Luke 15 verse 4, what man among you 131 00:13:48.200 --> 00:13:55.720 having a hundred sheep if he loses one of them does not leave the 99 in the wilderness and go after 132 00:13:55.800 --> 00:14:03.320 the one which is lost until he finds it. I love that. That's what our passage says. 133 00:14:05.080 --> 00:14:12.840 Jesus is saying, God's love for you is this way. There are 99 sheep that the shepherd knows about 134 00:14:12.840 --> 00:14:22.040 that are safe, but one is missing. Maybe that one has been you and you've been saying, I'm just 135 00:14:22.040 --> 00:14:27.880 going to do church at home. I understand that. Listen, I'm with you on that. I'm just going to 136 00:14:27.880 --> 00:14:34.280 do church at home. You and I can listen to sermons on the radio. We can read books. We could, uh, 137 00:14:35.560 --> 00:14:40.520 you know, stream a sermon, but let's be honest. What we're doing is that we're learning. We're 138 00:14:40.520 --> 00:14:46.040 studying, but we're not doing the church to do the church. My friends listen, you got to do the 139 00:14:46.040 --> 00:14:49.960 uncomfortable thing and that means you got to rub shoulders with other people. You got to find a 140 00:14:49.960 --> 00:15:00.360 parking spot. Right? You say, I don't like that. It's hard. It's early. Church is early. Well, 141 00:15:00.360 --> 00:15:08.040 that depends on what time you go to bed. But, Son, you know, it's uncomfortable to go to church. 142 00:15:08.040 --> 00:15:14.600 Are you a Christian? Yes. The Bible says in Hebrews 10, 25, go to church. You say, well, church 143 00:15:14.680 --> 00:15:20.760 can't save me. You are correct. It has nothing to do about salvation. You say, Pastor, I'm a member of 144 00:15:20.760 --> 00:15:27.080 the first Baptist of the church of LA. That doesn't matter. Nothing. You can't take that card and say, 145 00:15:27.080 --> 00:15:35.240 God, look, I've got my church card that doesn't work. You listen, God would call you to go to church 146 00:15:35.240 --> 00:15:42.760 because He wants you to grow. You can learn, but that doesn't mean you're growing. We need to 147 00:15:42.760 --> 00:15:50.280 get back to being one again, but don't be alone. You have been justified by the blood of Christ. 148 00:15:51.720 --> 00:15:56.920 God has washed away your sins, Christian. The world should be knocking on your door saying, 149 00:15:56.920 --> 00:16:03.480 what's with you? What's with all your joy? How can you be happy at a time like this? Well, 150 00:16:03.480 --> 00:16:10.360 because we know the one who's holding these times. That's how this works. Romans 8. Don't you love 151 00:16:10.360 --> 00:16:15.880 Romans 8? Everybody? I mean, come on, Romans 8. Sometimes you got to go and check to see if it's 152 00:16:15.880 --> 00:16:22.600 still in the Bible. It's so amazing. Romans 8, 28 says, and we know that all things work together for 153 00:16:22.600 --> 00:16:29.000 good to those who love God, to those who are the call, according to his purposes, for whom he for new. 154 00:16:29.000 --> 00:16:36.200 Listen to this. I love it. For knowledge. God knows tonight the decision you're going to make about 155 00:16:36.200 --> 00:16:40.920 this challenge to the believer you to get plugged into a New Testament church tonight. 156 00:16:42.040 --> 00:16:46.680 But listen, maybe you're not a Christian tonight. Well, listen, this is a church service, 157 00:16:46.680 --> 00:16:51.560 but we're inviting you to know Jesus. But you, it's amazing about all that. God knows exactly 158 00:16:51.560 --> 00:16:56.600 what you're going to decide. And he's not going to make you decide, by the way. He'll cast all the 159 00:16:56.600 --> 00:17:05.480 truth out alongside you. What you do with it is your business. But it's serious business. 160 00:17:05.480 --> 00:17:11.640 For whom he for new, he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son. Then he might be 161 00:17:11.640 --> 00:17:16.840 the first born or the preeminent one among his brethren. Moreover, whom he predestined, these 162 00:17:16.840 --> 00:17:22.920 he also called and whom he called. These he also, there's our word justified and whom he justified. 163 00:17:22.920 --> 00:17:30.360 These he glorified. This is great. Written down in God's book in the Bible is our glorification. 164 00:17:30.360 --> 00:17:38.680 Did you know that? Can you guys hear me? According to the Bible, the believer will one day experience 165 00:17:38.680 --> 00:17:43.960 that glorification. According to God's word, we have been glorified, but brother, I'm waiting for 166 00:17:43.960 --> 00:17:49.320 the ultimate fulfillment of that. I want a new body. I want to see Jesus. I want to get out of this 167 00:17:49.400 --> 00:17:57.960 place. Heaven is awesome. And that's where our home is going to be. But on the inside of the true 168 00:17:57.960 --> 00:18:03.240 believer, the kingdom lives inside of you, doesn't it? And you long to go home. How is that that you 169 00:18:03.240 --> 00:18:08.360 long to go home to heaven? And you've never been there before. You've never seen Jesus as face, 170 00:18:08.360 --> 00:18:14.040 but you miss Him. What an amazing thing. If that's not true in your life, and I encourage you to 171 00:18:14.040 --> 00:18:24.680 become a follower of Christ tonight. Very personal. But he goes on. These he also glorified, 172 00:18:24.680 --> 00:18:30.920 what shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? What an amazing thing. 173 00:18:30.920 --> 00:18:39.240 Didn't Jesus say to us to be salt and light? To go and be salt and light is, that means we've got to 174 00:18:39.240 --> 00:18:46.440 go to the places where there's plus, infection and sickness that's what salt's for. And light is 175 00:18:46.440 --> 00:18:57.000 only powerful where there's darkness. This Jack Kibs podcast, as well as all the broadcasts 176 00:18:57.000 --> 00:19:02.120 outreach opportunities, are listener supported. Will you consider partnering with us through a 177 00:19:02.120 --> 00:19:09.160 special gift? Go to jackhibs.com to learn more and stay connected.