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 --> 00:00:10.960 truth, equip the saints and impact our culture. Wherever Christ is it is the 3 00:00:10.960 --> 00:00:15.840 kingdom of God. The kingdom of God is in your heart for those of you who believe 4 00:00:15.840 --> 00:00:21.640 in you. Isn't that amazing? Many says the kingdom of God is coming. Wow what is it? 5 00:00:21.640 --> 00:00:25.640 Here's the answer. Somebody asked you what's the answer to this kingdom of God 6 00:00:25.640 --> 00:00:31.920 question. The answer is the rule and reign of Christ. In your heart, in your 7 00:00:31.920 --> 00:00:37.040 family, in your mind, the rule and reign of Christ. 8 00:00:38.040 --> 00:00:44.720 You can get the outlines of this podcast by going to Jackhibbs.com slash podcast. 9 00:00:44.720 --> 00:00:50.120 Today if this podcast lifts you up and encourages you to live a more fulfilled 10 00:00:50.120 --> 00:00:54.960 life in Christ then make sure you leave us one of those five star ratings. To us 11 00:00:54.960 --> 00:01:00.560 that's like saying amen or yes. Then that rating will encourage others to listen. 12 00:01:00.560 --> 00:01:06.640 Now open your hearts to what God's word has to say to you. Here is Jackhibbs. 13 00:01:06.640 --> 00:01:12.240 Remember now when the day of Pentecost had fully come what does this mean? It means 14 00:01:12.240 --> 00:01:17.280 that the feast of Pentecost celebrated as one of the seven great feast or 15 00:01:17.280 --> 00:01:21.800 celebrations of the Old Testament given by Moses, given by God to Moses to the 16 00:01:22.120 --> 00:01:30.280 children of Israel, Pentecost. So when the day of Pentecost had fully come when 17 00:01:30.280 --> 00:01:36.760 the celebration is at its apex at the peak something happened that directly 18 00:01:36.760 --> 00:01:43.680 involves you today. They're all in one accord in one place. They're all in one 19 00:01:43.680 --> 00:01:49.460 place with one mind unified. These are the people of God and suddenly there 20 00:01:49.460 --> 00:01:53.940 came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind and it filled the whole 21 00:01:53.940 --> 00:01:59.500 house where they were sitting. Then they're appeared to them divided tongues. This 22 00:01:59.500 --> 00:02:06.460 is a bizarre miraculous manifestation. I mean people saw this strange appearance 23 00:02:06.460 --> 00:02:13.300 what looked like tongues of fire over their heads and once sat upon each of them. 24 00:02:13.300 --> 00:02:18.980 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and they began to speak with 25 00:02:18.980 --> 00:02:23.780 other tongues. Watch what happens. As the Spirit gave them utterance. In other 26 00:02:23.780 --> 00:02:29.580 words as the Holy Spirit directed each of them individually each of these will 27 00:02:29.580 --> 00:02:33.780 find out in a moment their Galileans which means their farmers and fishermen. 28 00:02:33.780 --> 00:02:39.260 That's all it means. Galileans are from the north and they would be what we 29 00:02:39.260 --> 00:02:43.700 would say today they're the country bumpkins. Do you know what that means everybody? 30 00:02:43.700 --> 00:02:48.460 Do we even use that term anymore? These are not city folk. They're not refined 31 00:02:48.460 --> 00:02:53.540 like us. These are farmers and fishermen up in Galilee. You know we're all the 32 00:02:53.540 --> 00:03:03.020 like illiterate people come from. That's who these Galileans are. So how's this 33 00:03:03.020 --> 00:03:09.680 happening? Watch what transpires. And so verse five and they were dwelling in 34 00:03:09.680 --> 00:03:15.220 Jerusalem. So the spectators are these Jews, devout men from every nation 35 00:03:15.260 --> 00:03:19.320 under heaven. Why? Because it's the feast of Pentecost. And when this sound occurred the 36 00:03:19.320 --> 00:03:23.980 multitude came together and they were confused. Now this work confused doesn't 37 00:03:23.980 --> 00:03:27.140 mean that they were confused like you and I think of confused. They were 38 00:03:27.140 --> 00:03:31.860 absolutely puzzled and mesmerized as to what in the world is going on. Why? 39 00:03:31.860 --> 00:03:36.700 Because it was it was foggy and mysterious. No the exact opposite. They were 40 00:03:36.700 --> 00:03:40.580 completely mind blown because what was happening in front of them was so 41 00:03:40.600 --> 00:03:46.520 crystal clear. They couldn't believe it. Because here's the reason why were you 42 00:03:46.520 --> 00:03:56.600 confused? Because everyone heard them speak in their own language. What? Then they 43 00:03:56.600 --> 00:04:00.660 were all amazed and marveled saying to one another. Look are not all these who 44 00:04:00.660 --> 00:04:07.600 speak Galileeans, country bumpkins, fishermen and farmers. And how is it that we 45 00:04:07.600 --> 00:04:13.240 hear each in our own language in which we were born? Is this awesome? Are you 46 00:04:13.240 --> 00:04:17.200 as excited about this? These are just uneducated people who the Holy Spirit 47 00:04:17.200 --> 00:04:22.760 came upon and they started speaking. Each one started speaking in a language 48 00:04:22.760 --> 00:04:28.400 that is not known to them. But it was known to some of the spectators that were 49 00:04:28.400 --> 00:04:32.680 there from whatever country they were from. Can you imagine Holy Spirit come 50 00:04:32.680 --> 00:04:37.160 in upon you and you start speaking fluent French? You say, I never studied 51 00:04:37.160 --> 00:04:42.600 French. That's the point. The Holy Spirit is announcing to all those who 52 00:04:42.600 --> 00:04:47.960 understand French the wonderful works of God. Look what happens. It says, do we 53 00:04:47.960 --> 00:04:50.880 not hear them in our own language in which we were born? Parthians and 54 00:04:50.880 --> 00:04:57.120 Medes. Elamites. Those dwell in in Mesopotamia, Judea, in Cappadocia, Pontus 55 00:04:57.120 --> 00:05:02.760 and Asia, all of the ancient known world, Phrygium, Pemphilia, Egypt and the 56 00:05:02.760 --> 00:05:08.320 parts of Libya, adjoining Cyrene. Visitors from Rome, both Jews and 57 00:05:08.320 --> 00:05:12.880 cross the lights, Creedons and Arabs. What's the deal? Why are you guys all 58 00:05:12.880 --> 00:05:17.360 excited? We hear them speaking in our own tongues or languages, the wonderful 59 00:05:17.360 --> 00:05:21.760 works of God. Don't you think that the wonderful works of God is that Jesus 60 00:05:21.760 --> 00:05:24.800 died in the cross and rose again from the dead? Don't you think the wonderful 61 00:05:24.800 --> 00:05:29.240 works of God was the gospel? These people had come from all over the known 62 00:05:29.240 --> 00:05:33.520 world to the face of Pentecost and Jerusalem and what do they hear? They hear 63 00:05:33.520 --> 00:05:40.160 the gospel in their own language. Wow. So they were all amazed and 64 00:05:40.160 --> 00:05:45.000 perplexing to one another. Whatever could this mean? Verse 13, others, mocking 65 00:05:45.000 --> 00:05:50.520 said, they're full of new what? They're drunk. But Peter standing up with the 66 00:05:50.560 --> 00:05:55.640 11 raised his voice and said to them, men of Judea and all who dwell in 67 00:05:55.640 --> 00:06:02.280 Jerusalem, let this be known to you and heed my words. And he went on to announce 68 00:06:02.280 --> 00:06:08.600 everybody that Christ had come into the world. They were convicted of their sins. 69 00:06:08.800 --> 00:06:13.160 They gave their lives to Christ. Their lives were changed. They all went back 70 00:06:13.160 --> 00:06:21.200 home and the gospel was spread throughout Asia and into Europe. What an amazing 71 00:06:21.200 --> 00:06:26.640 moment that was of the day of Pentecost. And people were changed. They were 72 00:06:26.640 --> 00:06:33.080 changed. You have to ask yourself, I have to ask myself, with my level of 73 00:06:33.080 --> 00:06:38.760 Christian witness today, am I changing the world? Like they changed the world? 74 00:06:39.160 --> 00:06:45.880 What are we doing to change the world? It doesn't fall upon one person. Listen, 75 00:06:45.880 --> 00:06:51.880 it falls upon the body. We're all made up of the individual members. Some of us are 76 00:06:51.880 --> 00:06:56.840 mouths. Some of us are feet. Some of us are knees. Do you get that? It's not, 77 00:06:56.840 --> 00:07:02.040 listen, church should never be a show. That's what's wrong with the church in 78 00:07:02.040 --> 00:07:12.360 America. It's become a production. No. And we must get this right. There's too 79 00:07:12.360 --> 00:07:18.000 much at stake here. Are we truly believers? Are we truly followers of Jesus? 80 00:07:18.000 --> 00:07:24.080 Number one, if it's true, we're going to love our brothers and sisters. And we're 81 00:07:24.080 --> 00:07:29.080 going to love our enemies. We're going to love those who hate us. You might 82 00:07:29.080 --> 00:07:33.880 know why? Because we're playing for keeps, people. We're playing for keeps. By 83 00:07:33.880 --> 00:07:38.320 the way, our friends and our enemies may not be playing for keeps. They may not 84 00:07:38.320 --> 00:07:42.400 understand it. But the Satan, the devil that is blind to them, he is playing for 85 00:07:42.400 --> 00:07:46.600 keeps. He wants their souls forever because he knows that's how he can inflict 86 00:07:46.600 --> 00:07:53.160 pain in the heart of God. We are God's ambassadors to go out and rescue them. You 87 00:07:53.160 --> 00:07:56.720 say, wait a minute, the person, I can't stand that person. I'd rather just see 88 00:07:56.720 --> 00:08:02.400 them burn up and hell. You can't, you cannot know Jesus and think like that. It's 89 00:08:02.400 --> 00:08:07.040 impossible on that person. I just, I don't want them in heaven. Oh, it ruined 90 00:08:07.040 --> 00:08:12.560 everything. Let me be the first to tell you because nobody, look, nobody told me 91 00:08:12.560 --> 00:08:15.280 you were going to be here today. So I'm not picking on you. I mean, you're telling 92 00:08:15.280 --> 00:08:18.680 you right now, you do not know God if that's your attitude toward those who hate 93 00:08:18.680 --> 00:08:27.880 you. That is our attitude in our natural man. That's how we naturally think. 94 00:08:27.880 --> 00:08:32.960 Supernaturally, the Holy Spirit causes us to think and to love and to be 95 00:08:32.960 --> 00:08:39.600 supernaturally. That's why none of us can walk around and say, hi everyone. Yes, 96 00:08:39.600 --> 00:08:49.200 it's true. I love like God. Can't help it. No, none of us are going to do that 97 00:08:49.200 --> 00:08:53.360 because we're the ones. It's like, what's happening to me? What is happening to me? 98 00:08:53.360 --> 00:08:59.320 I never liked that person before. And now I care about their welfare. Now I care 99 00:08:59.320 --> 00:09:03.480 about their end. I think it's safe to say that all of us as Christians, we care 100 00:09:03.480 --> 00:09:14.200 more about our enemies, eternal soul than they do. And this is why it's important. 101 00:09:14.200 --> 00:09:19.200 Luke chapter 6, verse 46, I'm going to give you a long line here, but just watch 102 00:09:19.200 --> 00:09:25.560 this. You see that picture on the left? This is shocking. Hear me out. On the left 103 00:09:25.560 --> 00:09:32.800 is the Broadway. Notice the sign. It says, I believe in God. Notice the sign on 104 00:09:32.800 --> 00:09:44.000 the right, the narrow way. I obey God. It is probably safe to say that no matter who 105 00:09:44.000 --> 00:09:48.360 you might stop in the street or at the beach or at the fair or on the mountain that you 106 00:09:48.360 --> 00:09:53.240 might ask them, hey, do you believe in God? What do you think their answer is going to be? 107 00:09:53.240 --> 00:09:58.440 90 plus percent of the people are going to tell you according to statistics. Yes, I believe 108 00:09:58.440 --> 00:10:07.000 in God. And we walk away thinking all as well. And we know nothing about what they believe. 109 00:10:07.000 --> 00:10:16.480 God who? Which one? The Bible says in the book of James, Satan believes in Christ and 110 00:10:16.480 --> 00:10:33.200 so do the demons and they tremble. But Satan and the demons are going to hell. The answer 111 00:10:33.200 --> 00:10:42.960 is I obey God. Do all of us obey God perfectly? Of course not. That's why we have grace. Jesus 112 00:10:42.960 --> 00:10:48.800 said it this way, but why do you call me Lord, Lord, and do not do the things which I say? Whoever 113 00:10:48.800 --> 00:10:54.560 comes to me, by the way, you have to come to him to get to heaven. You got to come to him. 114 00:10:54.560 --> 00:11:02.400 And here's my sayings and does them. I will show him, show you whom he is like. He is like a man 115 00:11:02.400 --> 00:11:07.840 built in a house who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, 116 00:11:07.840 --> 00:11:12.960 the stream beat vehemently against that house and could not shake it for it was founded on the 117 00:11:12.960 --> 00:11:19.920 rock. Isn't this who you want to be? It's who I want to be. But he who heard and did not or did 118 00:11:19.920 --> 00:11:27.920 nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation against which the stream 119 00:11:27.920 --> 00:11:34.880 beat vehemently and immediately it fell in the ruin of that house was great. It's a profound 120 00:11:34.880 --> 00:11:42.640 morning. No doubt about it. Question is what are you building on? Well, how do I know? Is God 121 00:11:42.640 --> 00:11:49.280 prompting your heart to love your brothers and sisters? To give yourself to him to live like him 122 00:11:49.840 --> 00:11:57.040 where he can use you. Next slide here. This is Matthew's account. Enter by the narrow gate 123 00:11:57.680 --> 00:12:03.760 for why does the gate Jesus said, broad is the way Jesus said that leads to destruction. And there 124 00:12:03.760 --> 00:12:11.360 are many who go in by it. Wow. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life 125 00:12:11.360 --> 00:12:16.960 and there are few who find it. Verse 15, Beware false prophets who come to you in sheep's clothing 126 00:12:16.960 --> 00:12:22.640 but inwardly they're ravenous wolves. They'll eat you up. You will know them by their fruits. Do men 127 00:12:22.640 --> 00:12:28.560 gather grapes from thorn bushes or figs from fissiles? The answer is no. Even so every good tree bear 128 00:12:28.560 --> 00:12:34.720 is good fruit but a bad tree bears bad fruits. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit nor can a bad tree 129 00:12:34.720 --> 00:12:40.000 bear good fruit. Verse 19, every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the 130 00:12:40.000 --> 00:12:48.080 fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them. So how do people know us? How do people know me? 131 00:12:49.520 --> 00:12:56.560 Not everyone who says to me, Lord, Lord shall enter the kingdom of heaven but he who does the will 132 00:12:56.560 --> 00:13:02.800 of my father in heaven. Many will say, oh my goodness church listen, will this be me? Will this be you? 133 00:13:04.000 --> 00:13:10.160 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord have we not prophesied in your name? Cast out demons in 134 00:13:10.160 --> 00:13:15.360 your name. Done many wonders in your name. Verse 23 and then Jesus said, I will declare to them, 135 00:13:15.360 --> 00:13:20.800 I never knew you. Depart from me, you who practice lawlessness. This is the Bible and not only the 136 00:13:20.800 --> 00:13:29.920 Bible. Those letters are in red. It's Jesus speaking. Serious stuff. There's a high probability that 137 00:13:31.600 --> 00:13:36.560 you haven't heard such verses in a long time if ever in a church setting because this causes 138 00:13:36.560 --> 00:13:45.280 reality to hit you right in the nose. Am I in hot pursuit of God? If I am, God wants to love other 139 00:13:45.280 --> 00:13:52.400 people through my life and that means I'm to give up me. I'm to surrender myself to him 140 00:13:53.920 --> 00:13:59.680 and say to him, Lord do what you want with me but this one thing I know I want to be on the 141 00:13:59.680 --> 00:14:07.120 straight and narrow and if I'm not pick me up and put me on it because I don't want to live my life 142 00:14:07.120 --> 00:14:15.040 and come to the end of it all and I'm lost. Notice they called him Lord Lord but never did the things 143 00:14:15.280 --> 00:14:24.720 he said, do you believe in God or do you have a heart to obey God? Only you know the answer to that. 144 00:14:27.040 --> 00:14:34.480 Only I know the answer to that. In public and in private is my heart hot 145 00:14:36.320 --> 00:14:42.480 and wanting to please God and with the few moments remaining verses 16 to 18 we see that we're in 146 00:14:42.480 --> 00:14:48.720 hot pursuit of the kingdom of God. Hallelujah for this. Folks listen, this is where we're going. 147 00:14:48.720 --> 00:14:55.200 Now let me explain. Jesus said the kingdom of God is among you. What was that all about? When Jesus 148 00:14:55.200 --> 00:15:00.560 was on earth he brought the kingdom of God around him. That's why the dead was raised up from the dead. 149 00:15:00.560 --> 00:15:05.600 That's why the lepers were cleansed. That's why those that were blind and couldn't speak or hear 150 00:15:05.600 --> 00:15:11.680 were healed. The kingdom of God was present in Christ. How about this? Wherever Christ is it is 151 00:15:11.680 --> 00:15:18.320 the kingdom of God. And then he says the kingdom of God is in your heart for those of you who 152 00:15:18.320 --> 00:15:24.640 believe in you. Isn't that amazing? And then he says the kingdom of God is coming. Wow what is it? 153 00:15:24.640 --> 00:15:29.280 Here's the answer if somebody asks you what's the answer to this kingdom of God question? 154 00:15:29.280 --> 00:15:37.680 The answer is the rule and reign of Christ. Are you guys awake? The rule and reign of Christ 155 00:15:37.680 --> 00:15:43.760 in your heart, in your family, in your mind, your home. 156 00:15:48.320 --> 00:15:53.040 Is he the one we're following? Now I'm going to say something that's going to upset people. How do I 157 00:15:53.040 --> 00:15:57.680 know? I'm not a prophet. I just did it last service and I know how it goes. 158 00:15:58.400 --> 00:16:06.960 You do know that the kingdom of God is not lined with American flags. 159 00:16:09.040 --> 00:16:14.560 You do know that God is not in heaven and there's the throne with the angels and there's the 160 00:16:14.560 --> 00:16:19.200 Constitution of the United States behind the throne of God. I mean I'm not making fun of our 161 00:16:19.200 --> 00:16:23.680 Constitution. It's the greatest document that man has ever crafted on earth. There's no doubt 162 00:16:23.680 --> 00:16:30.080 about it. I got to tell you this. God's not a Republican and he's absolutely not a Democrat. 163 00:16:32.480 --> 00:16:44.640 God, listen, God is a monarchist. Did you know that? He's king and heaven, the kingdom of God, 164 00:16:44.640 --> 00:16:49.200 yeah, the kingdom of God is never going to come in any political party and I said this year's 165 00:16:49.200 --> 00:16:53.920 ago and it kind of got well known and it is this. The Messiah is not coming. He's not going to 166 00:16:53.920 --> 00:17:01.440 arrive on Air Force One. We need to remember that folks. Look, am I grateful for the incredible 167 00:17:01.440 --> 00:17:06.720 stuff that's going on in our country right now? Yes, I am, but we need a spiritual awakening. 168 00:17:07.680 --> 00:17:13.840 And no politician, no human is going to pull that off. It's got to be the work of God 169 00:17:14.240 --> 00:17:22.000 and the kingdom of God. You and I are ambassadors. The Bible says of his kingdom. You and I walk, live, 170 00:17:22.000 --> 00:17:30.480 move everything about us is the politic of heaven. And America is not going to bring in the kingdom 171 00:17:30.480 --> 00:17:38.560 of God. Should we do the right thing? Of course. Should we be good citizens? Should we love 172 00:17:38.640 --> 00:17:44.320 yes, all that, but don't think that the kingdom is going to come by some political power. 173 00:17:46.160 --> 00:17:55.680 That is wrong thinking. It says in verse 16, therefore, do not let your good be spoken of as evil 174 00:17:55.680 --> 00:18:01.520 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking. I love it. Watch, but righteousness, peace, 175 00:18:01.520 --> 00:18:10.000 and joy in the Holy Spirit, for he who serves Christ in these things is accepted to God and 176 00:18:10.000 --> 00:18:15.440 approved by men very quickly. I'll wrap it up this way with the few moments we have left. It is 177 00:18:15.440 --> 00:18:24.240 this that don't let your good be spoken evil of it means this. Whatever you do, good. What is 178 00:18:24.240 --> 00:18:31.600 what is that saying? No good deed ever goes unpunished. In this world, when you do the right thing, 179 00:18:31.600 --> 00:18:38.800 it's going to be rejected and hated by people. That's okay. Don't let that stop you from continuing 180 00:18:38.800 --> 00:18:44.160 on doing the good thing. Just because people criticize you and they try and they'll label you 181 00:18:44.160 --> 00:18:48.480 and make fun of you and say all kinds of evil against you doesn't mean that you're supposed to stop 182 00:18:48.560 --> 00:18:53.200 doing the right thing. In fact, if anything, I should encourage you to keep doing the right thing. 183 00:18:54.320 --> 00:18:58.640 Right? You can know a lot about somebody if you know who their enemies are. 184 00:19:00.960 --> 00:19:03.760 So don't let that critel or 185 00:19:05.280 --> 00:19:10.960 happy withhold doing good. Don't allow your good to be spoken evil of it. It doesn't mean you 186 00:19:10.960 --> 00:19:17.440 punch somebody in those who disapproves. No, it means you keep doing the good thing. Look, 187 00:19:17.440 --> 00:19:22.240 you can contact your senator and do a good thing by protecting children's lives. If you don't want 188 00:19:22.240 --> 00:19:27.760 to do that, that's on you. I blew the trumpet warning you. I invited you. We gave it. You gave 189 00:19:27.760 --> 00:19:33.680 you a QR code for credit. I love it. But God, I didn't see the QR code. It was right in your face on 190 00:19:33.680 --> 00:19:40.160 the screen. Do you care enough? Do you care enough to love the things that God loves and God loves 191 00:19:40.160 --> 00:19:46.000 the innocence of children? And he wants them protected. This is an opportunity for you to do church 192 00:19:46.000 --> 00:19:51.600 in the sense of righteousness is simply doing the right thing. Righteousness. 193 00:19:56.320 --> 00:20:02.240 This Jack Hibbs podcast as well as all the broadcast outreach opportunities are listener supported. 194 00:20:02.240 --> 00:20:09.440 Will you consider partnering with us through a special gift? Go to jackhibbs.com to learn more 195 00:20:09.440 --> 00:20:11.520 and stay connected.