WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:11.680 real life presents the Jack Hibbs podcast with intention and boldness to proclaim 2 00:00:11.680 --> 00:00:16.720 truth, equip the saints and impact our culture. If we're going to be an 3 00:00:16.720 --> 00:00:21.880 operational, effective, heaven-approved, new Testament church, we've got to love 4 00:00:21.880 --> 00:00:26.320 God more than anything else. Listen up, team. You got to love God more than this 5 00:00:26.320 --> 00:00:30.200 world. We're living in dark day's church and the only answer is for you and I 6 00:00:30.200 --> 00:00:35.320 according to scripture is to stand up and to resist evil. We are commended to do 7 00:00:35.320 --> 00:00:43.560 that. You can get the outlines of this podcast by going to jackhibbs.com slash 8 00:00:43.560 --> 00:00:49.120 podcast. Today, if this podcast lifts you up and encourages you to live a more 9 00:00:49.120 --> 00:00:53.120 fulfilled life in Christ, then make sure you leave us one of those five star 10 00:00:53.120 --> 00:00:58.880 ratings. To us, that's like saying amen or yes, then that rating will encourage 11 00:00:58.880 --> 00:01:04.760 others to listen. Now open your hearts to what God's word has to say to you. Here is 12 00:01:04.760 --> 00:01:09.680 Jack Hibbs. I love the fact that Genesis chapter 1 verse 1 just 13 00:01:09.680 --> 00:01:15.280 absolutely without apology says in the beginning God created. I mean if there's 14 00:01:15.280 --> 00:01:19.720 ever a mic drop, it's one from heaven right there. The God of the Bible is the 15 00:01:19.720 --> 00:01:25.600 great divine creator. Dr. A. E. Wilder Smith, the great believer scientist who 16 00:01:25.600 --> 00:01:30.720 was now in heaven, a seven earned doctorates out of Einington, Switzerland. Can 17 00:01:30.720 --> 00:01:36.040 you imagine that? He said that God has given us two Bibles, that man is without 18 00:01:36.040 --> 00:01:40.920 escaping the truth of God. He's given us two Bibles. One is printed on paper and 19 00:01:40.920 --> 00:01:45.080 for those who don't have it that might live in the jungles of the Amazon, he said 20 00:01:45.200 --> 00:01:51.000 God has given them his creation. God, the creator, bears witness of the testimony of his 21 00:01:51.000 --> 00:01:56.840 very will, of his power, and of the fact that without apology he is God and this 22 00:01:56.840 --> 00:02:02.240 God of the Bible is a prophetic God. But we would say the God of eschatology, God 23 00:02:02.240 --> 00:02:05.920 knows the future. And then all the way to the end of the Bible in the book of 24 00:02:05.920 --> 00:02:10.520 Revelation, there's a similar mic drop moment that's introduced in its 25 00:02:10.520 --> 00:02:17.040 Revelation one, one, the revelation of Jesus Christ without apology. The answer 26 00:02:17.040 --> 00:02:22.560 is Jesus Christ. The answer is not in politics. The answer is not in wealth. The 27 00:02:22.560 --> 00:02:27.080 answer is not in achievement. The answer is not in some globalization like we 28 00:02:27.080 --> 00:02:31.520 learned last night or some great reset. The answer is in Jesus Christ. The Bible 29 00:02:31.520 --> 00:02:40.600 from Genesis to Revelation is all about mankind knowing Jesus Christ. Jesus, his 30 00:02:40.600 --> 00:02:47.080 name means God saves or God's salvation. Christ, Messiah, the Messiah, the 31 00:02:47.080 --> 00:02:52.480 Savior, the Christ of the world, the Christ for us is none other than Jesus 32 00:02:52.480 --> 00:02:57.720 Christ. And in Revelation 1 verse 19, the Scripture says right down these things 33 00:02:57.760 --> 00:03:03.720 John really, to know and to never forget, but here's the outline for the book of 34 00:03:03.720 --> 00:03:08.600 Revelation, write the things down which you have seen. What have you seen John 35 00:03:08.600 --> 00:03:13.960 this far? And it's chapter 1, the revelation of Jesus Christ, the nature of who he 36 00:03:13.960 --> 00:03:18.200 is. Church that applies to you and I, you've seen this so to speak, right? You've 37 00:03:18.200 --> 00:03:24.420 seen Jesus in the Scriptures. He's this one whose face is brighter than the 38 00:03:24.420 --> 00:03:28.740 sun. He's the one who's going to come back in the great second coming and 39 00:03:28.740 --> 00:03:33.500 establishes kingdom. You read about him just now a moment ago and all of his 40 00:03:33.500 --> 00:03:37.660 grandeur, by the way, all of those descriptions. I love what I'm about to say next. 41 00:03:37.660 --> 00:03:43.700 It's not me saying it. I'm just lifting it from the Bible. He's the first in the 42 00:03:43.700 --> 00:03:48.900 last. That comes from the book of Isaiah. He's the beginning of the end. That also 43 00:03:48.900 --> 00:03:54.300 comes from the book of Isaiah. Jesus Christ is none other than the revelation of 44 00:03:54.300 --> 00:04:01.860 God in flesh and he has a church. He created the church and the church is a 45 00:04:01.860 --> 00:04:09.180 transcendent entity made up of people of faith who believe in him personally and 46 00:04:09.180 --> 00:04:13.460 that's who I trust. All of you are right now here today and those that are 47 00:04:13.460 --> 00:04:19.540 viewing. Write down the things that which you have seen and that covered 48 00:04:19.540 --> 00:04:24.580 verses 10 to 20 in that portion of Scripture. The second thing is write down 49 00:04:24.580 --> 00:04:28.900 the things which are. That's Revelation chapter two and three. The letters to 50 00:04:28.900 --> 00:04:32.500 the seven churches. If you haven't read those, you need to read them. But the 51 00:04:32.500 --> 00:04:36.700 things that are in John's time, watch this. This is fine. When was the book of 52 00:04:36.700 --> 00:04:42.460 Revelation written? Some were around 95-ish AD, right? So here's the deal. The 53 00:04:42.460 --> 00:04:47.260 things that have been seen is the revelation of Christ. Number two, the things 54 00:04:47.260 --> 00:04:54.060 that are started then and continue now to the moment. We are living in those 55 00:04:54.060 --> 00:04:58.900 things that are revealed through the seven letters to the seven churches and 56 00:04:58.900 --> 00:05:04.500 then the third part, the third break of the book of Revelation is found in 57 00:05:04.500 --> 00:05:09.140 chapter four, verse one, all the way to the end of chapter 22 and that is the 58 00:05:09.140 --> 00:05:14.980 things that shall be the future things. So, Jack, why do you say this to us? Number 59 00:05:14.980 --> 00:05:22.180 one is assurance. Christ has been revealed and there's no excuse for any of us to 60 00:05:22.180 --> 00:05:26.540 say today we don't know who he is. The first chapter of the book of Revelation, it's 61 00:05:26.540 --> 00:05:29.380 almost like God said, you know maybe people won't read it. So I'll put this part 62 00:05:29.380 --> 00:05:33.860 up front. Maybe they'll read this one part and they get it or at least they see 63 00:05:33.860 --> 00:05:38.980 it. Jesus is the one. Secondly, the things that are is what you and I living 64 00:05:38.980 --> 00:05:43.100 through right now and I want to submit to you today that we are not only living 65 00:05:43.100 --> 00:05:49.060 in chapters two and three, we are right at the end of chapters two and three. And I 66 00:05:49.060 --> 00:05:52.540 think we can prove that in our study today. Number one, write it down if you would. 67 00:05:52.540 --> 00:05:57.620 The church of the last days must be a church known for its influence of love. 68 00:05:57.620 --> 00:06:04.020 We've got to be known as a church that influences by love. You should write 69 00:06:04.020 --> 00:06:08.780 down love and let me explain and define what we're talking about. Not just the 70 00:06:08.780 --> 00:06:12.820 influence of love for love sake. Oh, we have to love one another. Wait a minute. 71 00:06:12.820 --> 00:06:16.940 Stop talking like that. What are you talking about when you say love? We live in a 72 00:06:16.940 --> 00:06:21.740 day and an age right now, people are not using the same dictionary anymore. We 73 00:06:21.740 --> 00:06:24.980 don't know what people mean when they say God. When somebody says, I believe in 74 00:06:24.980 --> 00:06:28.980 God, we have to stop his believers and say, time out, can you define who you're 75 00:06:28.980 --> 00:06:35.020 talking about? Because Al Gore believes in God, I just heard him say it. Did you 76 00:06:35.020 --> 00:06:39.900 know that? Oh, praise the Lord. Al Gore is a believer. Oh, excuse me, Al Gore's 77 00:06:39.900 --> 00:06:48.300 God is Gaia. Gaia, the goddess of the earth. That's his God. Gaia, ancient pagan 78 00:06:48.300 --> 00:06:56.260 God. George Soros believes in God. George Soros said, if there was a God, I'm him. 79 00:06:56.260 --> 00:07:05.100 George Soros. Wow. Surely McLean, she's still alive. Is she alive? Anybody know? 80 00:07:05.100 --> 00:07:11.140 Okay. Well, surely McLean believes that she can be a God, right? Which is always 81 00:07:11.140 --> 00:07:14.700 cracks me up. She's standing on the beach in Malibu 20, 30 years ago and she's 82 00:07:14.700 --> 00:07:19.940 going like this on her program. I'm God. I am God. She said, and she said, just 83 00:07:19.940 --> 00:07:24.220 repeat it. I'm God. And she wanted people to join in and say, I'm God. I'm God. 84 00:07:24.220 --> 00:07:28.060 And she's standing there. And I just, when I saw that, I just cracked me up 85 00:07:28.060 --> 00:07:32.620 because I'm thinking, how does that sound from heaven? She's saying, I'm God. And the 86 00:07:32.620 --> 00:07:40.860 robe, the Malibu, the wind is blowing, the robes. She's makeup is perfect. And I'm 87 00:07:40.860 --> 00:07:48.420 wondering if God's going, oh, what does that sound? Gaper, what is that? You know 88 00:07:48.420 --> 00:07:54.100 like there's nails on a chalkboard. And can you imagine God looking over a cloud? 89 00:07:54.100 --> 00:07:58.660 And he looks down on Malibu and there's surely McLean. And he hears, 90 00:07:58.660 --> 00:08:02.580 I'm God. I'm God. I'm God. I'm God. 91 00:08:02.580 --> 00:08:11.380 No, the Bible says God's voice sounds like waters, great waters roaring, not like a 92 00:08:11.380 --> 00:08:16.580 mouse standing on the beach. But everybody notice with all the cults and all the new 93 00:08:16.580 --> 00:08:21.380 religions and the paganism. And again, as we learn last night with the world 94 00:08:21.380 --> 00:08:30.100 economic form and Klaus Schwab, everybody gets to be God except Jesus. Isn't that 95 00:08:30.100 --> 00:08:37.220 convenient? We are to be a church known for love and the love is to be defined by 96 00:08:37.220 --> 00:08:44.460 Jesus Christ himself. God is love. Today, when they talk about love, the world 97 00:08:44.460 --> 00:08:48.180 doesn't know what they're talking about until they are talking about a biblical 98 00:08:48.180 --> 00:08:53.060 orthodox understanding of who Jesus Christ is. Church family, more than ever, 99 00:08:53.060 --> 00:08:57.140 people need to know that we are talking about the love of God. And we need to 100 00:08:57.140 --> 00:09:02.340 speak lovingly, but truthfully. And the hostile world in which we live in, 101 00:09:02.340 --> 00:09:08.740 sometimes that's lovingly, but firmly. When something's wrong, you need to say, 102 00:09:08.740 --> 00:09:12.500 listen, I love you. And because I love you, I'm telling you right now, that is a 103 00:09:12.500 --> 00:09:20.500 dangerous path that you're on. We need to be very strong about that. So the first 104 00:09:20.500 --> 00:09:23.940 thing I want you to realize is in Revelation chapter two, the Bible says, then do 105 00:09:23.940 --> 00:09:28.340 the angel of the church at Ephesus, right? These things who holds the seven stars in 106 00:09:28.340 --> 00:09:32.260 his right hand and who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands. That's 107 00:09:32.260 --> 00:09:36.740 the witness of the church. And nevertheless, I have this against you that you have left 108 00:09:36.740 --> 00:09:42.260 your first love. Remember, therefore, from where you have fallen, repent and do 109 00:09:42.260 --> 00:09:48.500 the first works, the first works of love. Or else I will come upon you quickly and remove 110 00:09:48.500 --> 00:09:53.460 your lampstand from its place, unless you repent. I'm going to remove your witness if you don't 111 00:09:53.460 --> 00:09:58.580 wake up. Verse seven, he who has ears to hear, let him hear what the spirit, that is the holy 112 00:09:58.580 --> 00:10:03.460 spirit, is saying to the churches. And to him who overcomes, I will give to eat from the tree of 113 00:10:03.460 --> 00:10:10.100 life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. When Paul, the apostle wrote his epistle 114 00:10:10.100 --> 00:10:16.900 to the church at Ephesus, they were a strong church. You know it is the book of Ephesians. 115 00:10:16.900 --> 00:10:22.820 They were a strong and mighty church. Paul wrote that earlier and they were tremendous. You 116 00:10:22.820 --> 00:10:28.020 read that book regarding instruction on marriage, don't you? You read that book regarding raising 117 00:10:28.020 --> 00:10:33.220 up your children. It's that book you go to when you learn about Christian armors and fighting 118 00:10:33.220 --> 00:10:41.300 the spiritual warfare. It's a tremendous work. But what happened? Years later they drifted away. 119 00:10:42.740 --> 00:10:48.580 They were a church that got away from love. They got away first of all for their love for God. 120 00:10:49.300 --> 00:10:55.220 If we are going to be an operational, effective, heaven approved, new testament church, we've got 121 00:10:55.220 --> 00:11:00.820 to love God more than anything else. Listen up team, you got to love God more than this world. 122 00:11:01.220 --> 00:11:07.540 You got to love God more than money. You got to love God more than whatever it is in your life. 123 00:11:07.540 --> 00:11:13.300 You got to love God more. I personally believe the greatest fence that you can build around your 124 00:11:13.300 --> 00:11:20.420 walk. The greatest way that you can garrison your witness in your statement for Christ, your 125 00:11:20.420 --> 00:11:24.180 lampstand as it were. Think about right now there's thousands of lampstands in here right now 126 00:11:24.260 --> 00:11:31.860 burning for Christ. To protect that flame, we could wrap you in bubble wrap and 127 00:11:33.860 --> 00:11:40.260 we could build a wall around you and make a monk out of you that you're a Christian but you're 128 00:11:40.260 --> 00:11:47.940 just like this. You're in a vacuum. But I don't read that in the new testament. If you love God more 129 00:11:47.940 --> 00:11:52.580 and we all need to ask God, it isn't funny. God, I love you but every time, but when I say that, 130 00:11:52.580 --> 00:11:56.580 I feel like I don't love you enough so please give me more love for you. That's not like turn 131 00:11:56.580 --> 00:12:03.140 into your wife or husband and saying, can you love me more? They can't do that, but God can do that. 132 00:12:03.700 --> 00:12:08.020 If today you're saying, you know what, maybe Jack, I think I might have left my first love. In fact, 133 00:12:08.020 --> 00:12:13.300 I had to get drug here to this conference. People brought me here and I was kicking and screaming. 134 00:12:13.940 --> 00:12:18.420 Maybe you're watching right now and you're like, well, whatever. Listen, God wants to take that well, 135 00:12:18.500 --> 00:12:25.220 whatever and have you catch fire again for Jesus. If you love him more, you won't have to have 136 00:12:25.220 --> 00:12:32.100 bubble wrap and walls built around you. You will be a new testament church in the 21st century that 137 00:12:32.100 --> 00:12:39.380 is galvanized to go out into this world of absolute darkness and insanity and affect this culture 138 00:12:39.380 --> 00:12:46.260 for the glory of Christ. That's who we need to be. No more hiding, no more running, no more pulling the 139 00:12:46.340 --> 00:12:51.140 blanket over our heads and waiting for it to go back. It's not going to be a hurricane like Ian. 140 00:12:51.140 --> 00:12:56.500 It's not going to come and do its destruction and leave. We're living in dark day's church and 141 00:12:56.500 --> 00:13:01.540 the only answer is for you and I, according to scripture, is to stand up and to resist evil. 142 00:13:02.340 --> 00:13:08.420 We are commended to do that and we need to be engaging in that, but it needs to be loving 143 00:13:09.300 --> 00:13:14.580 always, of course. But I love the fact that it says here that Jesus holds the seven stars and 144 00:13:14.580 --> 00:13:20.500 his hand and that Jesus watched the midst of the seven landstams. It simply means this, that Jesus 145 00:13:20.500 --> 00:13:27.700 holds the pastors of those churches in his hand. I love that. And he walks to the midst of the seven 146 00:13:27.700 --> 00:13:33.380 landstams. The seven landstams represent the seven churches of Asia Minor, which each of them 147 00:13:33.380 --> 00:13:38.260 represent even in chronological order. Watch this everybody. Am I going too fast? 148 00:13:39.140 --> 00:13:44.980 Yes. Number one, it marks every believer at any given time of their season of life. 149 00:13:44.980 --> 00:13:49.780 Any one of us could be any one of the descriptions of the seven letters of the seven churches, 150 00:13:49.780 --> 00:13:56.340 so we need to be careful about that. The second thing is this, it actually spans the book of 151 00:13:56.340 --> 00:14:01.860 Revelation, chapters two and three, spans the history of the church age these last 2,000 years. 152 00:14:02.740 --> 00:14:07.220 I have no doubt whatsoever that we are living as we'll see as I end the message later 153 00:14:07.220 --> 00:14:14.260 that we're living in a laodicean period. But we are to be Philadelphiaians, right? 154 00:14:14.260 --> 00:14:21.780 Loving God. We want to be careful that we don't fall into the Ephesian model of having been so 155 00:14:21.780 --> 00:14:30.980 busy about ministry that we stopped loving God. Ministry becomes a job. Look, I've been doing 156 00:14:30.980 --> 00:14:37.780 this for over 32 years now, and I still can't say it. I can't say on Monday or Tuesday morning, 157 00:14:37.780 --> 00:14:44.580 hey, Lisa, I'll be right back. I got to go to work. I can't say it. I think that's an offense to God. 158 00:14:46.420 --> 00:14:53.860 Is it work? Of course, it's work, but it's not work. It's a church. It's a love affair between 159 00:14:53.860 --> 00:15:01.140 God's people and God himself. This is why we had to take such a stand against the government 160 00:15:01.140 --> 00:15:05.140 in the state because they don't understand. I don't expect them to understand. Well, let me see 161 00:15:05.140 --> 00:15:09.140 if the church is essential or non-essential. That's for you to figure out. God has already made it 162 00:15:09.140 --> 00:15:15.380 clear. It's the church of the living God. He bought it with his blood. It is a living breathing 163 00:15:15.380 --> 00:15:21.620 entity. It's not essential or non-essential. The church is wholly transcendent. It is absolutely 164 00:15:21.620 --> 00:15:26.740 awesome, but we must influence our culture with love, but just know. It's a biblical love. 165 00:15:26.740 --> 00:15:34.900 It's beautiful. It's strong. It's not weak. It's a love that tells the truth. It's a love that 166 00:15:34.900 --> 00:15:39.940 will invite people out of the darkness and into the light. We're a church of the last days. 167 00:15:39.940 --> 00:15:45.540 Oh, it's so rough out there. Are you kidding me? Those are opportunities. What's coming next? 168 00:15:45.540 --> 00:15:53.860 What's going to happen next? I don't know. He knows. I just know this. I'm supposed to be known 169 00:15:55.220 --> 00:16:00.260 to be sharing the love of Christ with people and that evidence should be overwhelming. 170 00:16:00.980 --> 00:16:04.820 The church of the last days must be a church known for its faithfulness to God, 171 00:16:06.580 --> 00:16:11.700 faithfulness to God. By the way, as we look at this, it's Revelation chapter 2, verse 8, 172 00:16:11.700 --> 00:16:17.620 enter the angel of the church at Smyrna. These things says the first and the last, this is 173 00:16:17.620 --> 00:16:23.220 important, who was dead and came back to life. Hey, listen, if you're involved in a cult, 174 00:16:23.220 --> 00:16:29.620 guess what? You need to know. Our God is so awesome that he can die and come back to life for us. 175 00:16:33.780 --> 00:16:38.900 Verse 9 says, I know your works, your tribulation. Be faithful unto death and I will give you the 176 00:16:38.900 --> 00:16:43.700 crown of life. Verse 11 says, he was in here to hear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the 177 00:16:43.700 --> 00:16:49.060 churches and he who overcomes shall not be hurt by the second death. In other words, if you're born 178 00:16:49.060 --> 00:16:53.300 again, listen up, everybody. If you're born again, remember you have to be born again 179 00:16:53.300 --> 00:16:57.780 to enter the kingdom of heaven. You'll know that. If you don't know that, Jesus said to Nicodemus, 180 00:16:57.780 --> 00:17:04.180 a Jew, who was the chief teacher over Israel, the guy, Jesus said to him, unless you're born 181 00:17:04.260 --> 00:17:08.580 again, you're not going to enter the kingdom of heaven. So first of all, don't think that your 182 00:17:08.580 --> 00:17:12.660 Jewish are going to go to heaven automatically because your God wrote the Bible. That's not how you 183 00:17:12.660 --> 00:17:18.420 get to heaven by being Jewish. Thank God. And don't think because you're a Gentile, you get to go to 184 00:17:18.420 --> 00:17:32.340 heaven. You got to be born again. That call is ethnic free. It's cultural free. That invitation 185 00:17:32.820 --> 00:17:38.100 goes to anyone who will have the ear to hear. You must be born of the Spirit. We say born again. 186 00:17:38.900 --> 00:17:43.780 The Greek is born from above. You had an earthly birth. You need a heavenly birth. 187 00:17:44.740 --> 00:17:48.740 So all of us were born once into this world, but for those of us who have been born again, 188 00:17:49.460 --> 00:17:55.300 we only die once. Isn't that cool? If you're not born again, the second death, that holds power 189 00:17:55.300 --> 00:18:01.220 over you. You were born into this world. You not only die physically. We all die physically, 190 00:18:01.220 --> 00:18:08.260 unless the rapture happens. So we all die physically, but for the believer, that's all we do. 191 00:18:10.580 --> 00:18:14.260 That's all we do. Tonight, you're going to lay down. You're going to fall asleep. 192 00:18:14.980 --> 00:18:18.740 For the believer, there's going to come a day when your body, you're going to fall asleep. 193 00:18:18.740 --> 00:18:22.340 You're going to open your eyes in the next second. You're going to be in the presence of the Lord. 194 00:18:22.340 --> 00:18:27.300 Listen, how was that possible? Because listen, you were born twice, so you only die once. 195 00:18:27.460 --> 00:18:32.260 You were born into this world, and then you were born into the heavenly kingdom by the 196 00:18:32.820 --> 00:18:37.380 salvation of Jesus Christ. So when you die, you only die physically. But if you're not born again, 197 00:18:37.380 --> 00:18:43.060 listen, you're born once, and you have to die twice. You die physically, and then you die spiritually 198 00:18:43.060 --> 00:18:43.700 for eternity. 199 00:18:48.420 --> 00:18:52.820 This Jack Kibb's podcast, as well as all the broadcast out reach opportunities, are 200 00:18:52.820 --> 00:18:57.300 listener supported. Will you consider partnering with us through a special gift? 201 00:18:58.020 --> 00:19:09.700 Go to jackhibbs.com to learn more and stay connected.