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 --> 00:00:10.440 truth, equip the saints and impact our culture. He's saying, I don't care what 3 00:00:10.440 --> 00:00:15.680 anybody says on Facebook. I don't care what anybody says on the news about me. I've 4 00:00:15.680 --> 00:00:21.000 lived my life before the Lord. He's been my judge moment by moment, day by day, my 5 00:00:21.000 --> 00:00:26.000 whole life. So much to the point that I let the Lord judge my life and he'll tell 6 00:00:26.000 --> 00:00:30.000 me what to do because he's real. He's alive. This is not religion. It's not a game. 7 00:00:30.000 --> 00:00:33.000 What a way to live. 8 00:00:35.000 --> 00:00:42.000 You can get the outlines of this podcast by going to jackhibbs.com slash podcast. 9 00:00:42.000 --> 00:00:47.000 Today, if this podcast lifts you up and encourages you to live a more fulfilled life 10 00:00:47.000 --> 00:00:52.000 in Christ, then make sure you leave us one of those five star ratings. To us, 11 00:00:52.000 --> 00:00:57.000 that's like saying amen or yes, then that rating will encourage others to listen. 12 00:00:57.000 --> 00:01:03.000 Now, open your hearts to what God's word has to say to you. Here is Jack Hibbs. 13 00:01:03.000 --> 00:01:08.000 I want you to write this down if you would. So you guys know of the man Barnabas 14 00:01:08.000 --> 00:01:13.000 in the book of Acts. Barnabas, what a man. What an amazing guy. Barnabas. He had 15 00:01:13.000 --> 00:01:18.000 a nickname, son of encouragement. He was always encouraging people, Barnabas. 16 00:01:18.000 --> 00:01:23.000 And there's four things that he stands out with scripture reference. 17 00:01:23.000 --> 00:01:27.000 And you'll find that in verse six if you have my notes with you. But Barnabas, 18 00:01:27.000 --> 00:01:32.000 he was a generous giver. Did you know that? We know that about him because in Acts chapter four, 19 00:01:32.000 --> 00:01:37.000 verse 36 and seven, it says so. Barnabas, the Christian man was a generous giver. 20 00:01:37.000 --> 00:01:44.000 Barnabas, also number two, was a faithful friend. We learned that from Acts chapter nine. 21 00:01:44.000 --> 00:01:50.000 The third thing is Barnabas is committed. He's a committed encourager. 22 00:01:50.000 --> 00:01:56.000 He verbalized encouragement to people. I'll come back to this in a moment. 23 00:01:56.000 --> 00:02:03.000 Fourthly, Barnabas, he was a forgiving brother. You see him doing that very same thing in Acts 15. 24 00:02:03.000 --> 00:02:13.000 He's a remarkable man. I point out the sum of it in its verse three or a point three. 25 00:02:13.000 --> 00:02:21.000 He was a committed encourager. Can I encourage all of you to consider this? 26 00:02:21.000 --> 00:02:26.000 That when you see someone in the family of God or somebody in your family at home, 27 00:02:26.000 --> 00:02:37.000 speak up and say it. Encourage them. Can you guys hear me today? 28 00:02:38.000 --> 00:02:44.000 If they've done something, tell them, say, well, why should I... 29 00:02:44.000 --> 00:02:52.000 For example, I moat the lawn yesterday exceptionally awesome. 30 00:02:52.000 --> 00:02:59.000 I'm just saying, all glory to God. He gave me the lawnmower and he gave me the skill 31 00:02:59.000 --> 00:03:06.000 because I cut the lines one way and because it's baseball season, I was thinking, 32 00:03:06.000 --> 00:03:14.000 I'm going to do it this way as well. Perpendicular. So my yard had the diamond cut 33 00:03:14.000 --> 00:03:28.000 or whatever it is. And it's just like, I sensed even the birds in the trees were going. 34 00:03:28.000 --> 00:03:37.000 The squirrels in our trees, they were like nuts over this whole thing. It was amazing. 35 00:03:37.000 --> 00:03:48.000 And I can say this right now because she's not here. Lisa didn't say a thing about it. 36 00:03:48.000 --> 00:03:54.000 Now to her credit, she would say, but that's what you do. That's what you do. 37 00:03:54.000 --> 00:03:59.000 You love it. You love that so much you don't need encouragement. That may be true. 38 00:03:59.000 --> 00:04:04.000 That may be true in your life and those around you. It's still good to say it. 39 00:04:04.000 --> 00:04:11.000 I'll show you a kid that it gets encouragement from his parents versus a kid who doesn't. 40 00:04:11.000 --> 00:04:18.000 One stands up straight. One says things like, I can do that. 41 00:04:18.000 --> 00:04:23.000 He has no idea that he can't, but he thinks he can. Why? Because he's been so encouraged. 42 00:04:23.000 --> 00:04:29.000 He'll try. Or the other one who has the skill to do something, their head's hanging down. 43 00:04:29.000 --> 00:04:35.000 And they just stand back in the shadows because they know they're going to fail at everything. 44 00:04:35.000 --> 00:04:39.000 Why? Because that's what they've been told. 45 00:04:39.000 --> 00:04:45.000 In the church that should never happen and in the Christian home, it's got to stop. 46 00:04:45.000 --> 00:04:51.000 Encourage one another. What a view. 47 00:04:51.000 --> 00:04:58.000 Romans 1 verse 12, the Bible says, that is, that I may be encouraged together with you 48 00:04:58.000 --> 00:05:04.000 by the mutual faith both of you and me. Paul is saying that's encouraged each other. 49 00:05:04.000 --> 00:05:10.000 What about Acts 11 verse 23, when he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad, 50 00:05:10.000 --> 00:05:17.000 and encouraged them all that with purpose of heart they should continue with the Lord. 51 00:05:17.000 --> 00:05:23.000 Wow. Hebrews 12 verse 12, therefore strengthen another word for encourage. 52 00:05:23.000 --> 00:05:30.000 The hands which hang down and the feeble knees and make straight paths for your feet so that 53 00:05:30.000 --> 00:05:36.000 what is lame may not be dislocated but rather healed by encouragement. 54 00:05:36.000 --> 00:05:41.000 You can do it. Listen, church family, I can guarantee you this. I'm encouraging you right now. 55 00:05:41.000 --> 00:05:46.000 If you don't go to this church, whatever church you go to, make sure it's a Bible teaching church 56 00:05:46.000 --> 00:05:51.000 that gives you opportunity to exercise your gift, that God the Spirit's given you, 57 00:05:51.000 --> 00:05:57.000 work out your own salvation of the Bible says with fear and trembling, meaning now that you're saved, go apply it. 58 00:05:57.000 --> 00:06:02.000 Go live it because you're saved. Go do it. 59 00:06:02.000 --> 00:06:08.000 You do that. Here's my encouragement. You're going to finish well. 60 00:06:08.000 --> 00:06:11.000 You are going to have a life that made a difference. 61 00:06:11.000 --> 00:06:15.000 There are Christians who will go into eternity and never made a difference. 62 00:06:15.000 --> 00:06:21.000 The Bible says they're saved, get so by fire. It means they just came in, their Wranglers are their 63 00:06:21.000 --> 00:06:26.000 their Levi's are smoldering because they just made it in because they kind of sat on their Christianity 64 00:06:26.000 --> 00:06:33.000 all their life. And then there are those that their works actually go ahead of them. 65 00:06:33.000 --> 00:06:38.000 Now remember works don't get you into heaven. Jesus does. 66 00:06:38.000 --> 00:06:44.000 And so the Scripture says in the sight of all men, live out your life because that's what we're doing. 67 00:06:44.000 --> 00:06:54.000 We're going to be doing good. We're going to be conducting ourselves because all are watching all can see. 68 00:06:54.000 --> 00:07:00.000 And that word good things is this one word and it means beautiful things, good things, better things, 69 00:07:00.000 --> 00:07:06.000 the best things, commendable things. Do those things. 70 00:07:06.000 --> 00:07:12.000 And then finally church it's this. In verse 18 it says, 71 00:07:12.000 --> 00:07:17.000 if it is possible as much as depends on you, live peaceable with all men. 72 00:07:17.000 --> 00:07:28.000 Wow. So how do we do this? Well, the apologetic is this, the argument is this. 73 00:07:28.000 --> 00:07:37.000 That there's an awesome assertion here by the Bible that when you and I do good and when we do the right thing, 74 00:07:37.000 --> 00:07:50.000 we're engaged. That when that begins to happen, we are spreading, we are communicating good things. 75 00:07:50.000 --> 00:07:56.000 And that winds up affecting this last and final point by this by the way. 76 00:07:56.000 --> 00:08:03.000 And you know it well, Philippians 4 verse 8. This is awesome. This is what we're talking about. 77 00:08:03.000 --> 00:08:12.000 Finally, now in my notes, I have, I wrote in there finale in my notes, not here on the screen, but in my notes. 78 00:08:12.000 --> 00:08:21.000 Do you want to know why? Finally, this is Paul's conclusion to the believers at Philippi, but it's also his finale to them. 79 00:08:21.000 --> 00:08:31.000 It's the crescendo. Oh, you know, you ever go to Disneyland? We used to go to Disneyland. 80 00:08:31.000 --> 00:08:36.000 Yeah, I know. Well, they used to have fireworks at the end of the day. 81 00:08:36.000 --> 00:08:48.000 And what was that was the finale to the day? The fireworks. And then there's the finale to the finale. Right? 82 00:08:48.000 --> 00:08:56.000 So think of it this way. Finally, well, the finale is brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, 83 00:08:56.000 --> 00:09:04.000 whatever things are just, now apply this to yourself, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely. 84 00:09:04.000 --> 00:09:14.000 Wow, this is like, this is a great passage to apply to a lot of, if not all the problems in our lives. 85 00:09:14.000 --> 00:09:22.000 The temptations that come against us? Hey, the temptations we allow. This is how you counter it. 86 00:09:22.000 --> 00:09:31.000 Whatever things are good report or of a good report, if there is any virtue, if there is anything praiseworthy, meditate on these things. 87 00:09:31.000 --> 00:09:40.000 Do you know what? Then don't meditate on things that are not noble. Do not meditate on things that are not pure. Are you hearing me, everybody? 88 00:09:40.000 --> 00:09:47.000 Things that are not loving. Don't give it one moment of thought in your mind. Fight it off. 89 00:09:47.000 --> 00:10:03.000 Because, verse 18, we need to stop being the winner in everything. If it is possible live, if it is possible as much as depends upon you live peaceably with all men, it means this simply, the word virtue. 90 00:10:03.000 --> 00:10:14.000 I found this in closing just amazing. So in Roman history, in Greco, Roman history, there was a deity. I did not know that because there's so many gods. 91 00:10:14.000 --> 00:10:27.000 It's hard to study them all. But there was a deity by the name Virtuous. I didn't know that. 92 00:10:27.000 --> 00:10:43.000 The Greco-Roman world worshiped Virtuous because Virtuous in Latin is the word that means, listen, masculine. Is that interesting? 93 00:10:43.000 --> 00:10:55.000 I need your attention now. We're almost done. According to paganism, a man should be Virtuous. 94 00:10:55.000 --> 00:11:09.000 That's like a rebuke to the church from paganism. In other words, paganism is saying, all men should be Virtuous. 95 00:11:09.000 --> 00:11:21.000 Certainly, that was true of the arguments of Aristotle and Socrates, Plato, certainly. 96 00:11:21.000 --> 00:11:39.000 Marcus Aurelius, if you've ever read his book and get a Barnes Noble, I just saw it last night. It's there. Remarkable. I wonder if he became, say that at some point, about 135-ish, Emperor, anyway. Virtuous. Listen. 97 00:11:39.000 --> 00:11:54.000 It means masculine. It means excellent or valor. It means courageous by nature and conduct. All of Virtuous characteristics were masculine strengths in the Greco-Roman world. 98 00:11:54.000 --> 00:12:14.000 It was thus a frequently stated virtue of the Roman emperors which were to be personified or incarnate spirit of Virtuous. They were supposed to be noble. They may not have been noble, but they were supposed to act noble because of the God Virtuous. Wow. That was a pagan deity. 99 00:12:14.000 --> 00:12:40.000 You and I know the real living deity. We know the truth. And friends, it's going to take humility for you and I not to be the winner all the time and let others went out and to let others know that we are making overtures to be Virtuous to live peaceable with them. 100 00:12:40.000 --> 00:12:53.000 This is a strong end in my opinion. It is not an endorsement for being a pacifist. A pacifist has no place in Scripture. 101 00:12:53.000 --> 00:13:13.000 I would argue that a pacifist is a self-deluded theoretical coward. Think that through for a moment. Self-deluded coward. Because it's not true. 102 00:13:14.000 --> 00:13:32.000 But to be a virtuous believer and to be a believer who is okay with humbling themselves and healing the situation makes them a peacemaker. 103 00:13:32.000 --> 00:13:40.000 And that's completely in line with Scripture. So I want to leave you with this in your mind. 104 00:13:40.000 --> 00:13:49.000 I am, this is an odd way to learn, I think, but let's look at it like a parable, but it's not. 105 00:13:49.000 --> 00:14:15.000 So it turns out that in King David's life, when you look at his life, in King David's life that turned out from start to finish, it was way easier to kill giants than it was for him to control his emotions. 106 00:14:15.000 --> 00:14:23.000 I'm not so concerned about the external world around us as I am concerned about the internal world within me. 107 00:14:23.000 --> 00:14:35.000 Because out of my mouth can fly blessings and praise or out of my mouth can fly cursines and hate. 108 00:14:35.000 --> 00:14:51.000 When people are spouting off all over the world right now and being godless, where's it coming from? Friends listen, our government can't do anything about the human heart. Only the church can do that. 109 00:14:51.000 --> 00:15:03.000 Do you think the government is going to do anything for you? What if they cut taxes? What if they actually pave our roads in California? What if they're able to keep the lights on? 110 00:15:03.000 --> 00:15:16.000 That's not going to change human heart. That's where the church comes in. I'm really concerned about that right now. Government's doing its thing, securing the borders. 111 00:15:16.000 --> 00:15:26.000 All this stuff that's going on, good! What's the church doing? I don't mean you. You guys are amazing. I mean the church in America. 112 00:15:26.000 --> 00:15:37.000 But David at the pinnacle of his attention, in fact at this moment David had more followers than at any other time. 113 00:15:37.000 --> 00:15:49.000 And in the springtime when the nations go to war the Bible says in springtime, David instead of going to war stayed home. 114 00:15:49.000 --> 00:16:02.000 He sent his troops out, David stayed home. Probably got up late, slept in every day, got a little flabby. I don't know. At least flabby on the inside. 115 00:16:02.000 --> 00:16:12.000 This is the man who had killed a giant and a lion and a bear when he was a kid. Walking around, looking around. 116 00:16:12.000 --> 00:16:22.000 Whoa! Whoa! Wait! Now that didn't come out of him, but that's what was going on on the inside. 117 00:16:22.000 --> 00:16:30.000 Bathsheba was on her roof, but her roof was below his roof and he's watching her take a bath. 118 00:16:30.000 --> 00:16:37.000 And you know how Satan works, she had to be something. Satan sought to that. 119 00:16:37.000 --> 00:16:45.000 And instead of him saying, yo Lord I should have went to battle, please forgive me. 120 00:16:45.000 --> 00:16:50.000 Walked away, he could have said, somebody put a shower curtain around her tub. 121 00:16:50.000 --> 00:17:01.000 You know, let's build a defense against that. Or David might say, hey guys, don't let me on the roof at this time of the day. 122 00:17:01.000 --> 00:17:10.000 Nope. He tells Joab, I want you to go tell her to, I don't want to talk to her. 123 00:17:11.000 --> 00:17:25.000 Joab's not stupid. He goes and tells her, she comes to see the king, they make a baby. 124 00:17:25.000 --> 00:17:34.000 And David finds out she's pregnant. So he says, who's her husband? Oh, you're right, he's an awesome man. 125 00:17:34.000 --> 00:17:41.000 He's so devoted to you, David. He's an incredible commander of his unit. He's an awesome commando. 126 00:17:41.000 --> 00:17:53.000 Bring him back from war. Have him eat, get drunk. He'll sleep with his wife. He'll think it's his baby. I'm good. 127 00:17:53.000 --> 00:18:02.000 All that happens except he says to himself, how can I enjoy my wife? Well, my guys are out in battle. I can't do that. 128 00:18:02.000 --> 00:18:09.000 He didn't go home. He like slept at the Veterans Administration building. And David finds out about it. 129 00:18:09.000 --> 00:18:17.000 What's wrong with this guy? That baby is there and he's not going to be, what's he crazy? 130 00:18:17.000 --> 00:18:23.000 So then he tells Joab put him in the front of the battle, up front, and then call the retreat, 131 00:18:23.000 --> 00:18:29.000 but don't tell him that we're retreating and let the enemy forces kill him. 132 00:18:29.000 --> 00:18:42.000 This is David. David is a murderer. He's an adulterer. And he's a manipulator. 133 00:18:42.000 --> 00:18:53.000 He did all that after killing a giant. And the rest of his life, read it in the Bible, is a disaster. 134 00:18:53.000 --> 00:19:07.000 His kids are a disaster. His life's a disaster. The kingdom's a mess. His private sin engulfed the nation. 135 00:19:07.000 --> 00:19:20.000 All because he had to be the winner. I'm asking you today to give your life away. Just give it up. Stop it. 136 00:19:20.000 --> 00:19:31.000 Take the wheel. Hand it to Jesus. Because by doing so, you're saying, I repent of my sins. I am that man. 137 00:19:31.000 --> 00:19:42.000 So you take control, Lord God. I receive your forgiveness. Thank you for your atonement at the cross. And I want to live a new life. 138 00:19:43.000 --> 00:19:52.000 This Jack Hibbs podcast as well as all the broadcast outreach opportunities are listener supported. Will you consider partnering with us through a special gift? 139 00:19:52.000 --> 00:19:57.000 Go to jackhibbs.com to learn more and stay connected.