And the Answer Is

real life presents the Jack Kibs podcast with intention and boldness to proclaim truth equip the saints and impact our culture there are sinners who are lost and there are sinners who are saved the sinners who are lost love their sin the sinners who are saved hate their sin but they both still sin think of it you can get the outlines of this podcast by going to Jack Kibs.com slash podcast today if this podcast lifts you up and encourages you to live a more fulfilled life in Christ then make sure you leave us one of those five star ratings to us that's like saying amen or yes then that rating will encourage others to listen now open your hearts to what God's word has to say to you here is Jack Kibs and so as we look at our study church remember it's titled and the answer is we look at this number one the answer is just when you thought there was no hope just when you thought there was no hope the answer is can you write down your notes that way just when you thought there was no hope the answer is and the answer is that the Bible tells us what we already know let's be honest we need to take an honest pill right now the Bible tells us exactly what we already knew verse 9 says what then are we better than they pulses not at all he just got done arguing between the Gentile who doesn't know God but by nature within his heart does what is right versus the Jew who knows what to do and disobeys it and covers it up Paul's announcement is either watch there's two answers a the Jews are no better off than the Gentiles or the Gentiles are no better off than the Jews or collectively we no one's better off than the other that we've all been brought to this place of recognizing exactly what the Bible says and it is this that we already know this that according to God he doesn't have favorites there's there's no special group that's acceptable to God earlier the argument was I'm a Jew I'm acceptable to God based on what on my circumcision God says no you're not well I'm a Gentile and I'm a very moral person in fact my morality is even more moral than many of the Jews I know I'm accepted no you're not and then collectively as humanity we would say we're all good you know a lot of songs a lot of songwriters write songs like that about how great we are if we were so great why is the world in the condition that it is and there's this this philosophy that's out there it's humanism and it's wrapped in velvet and it sounds like this I believe humanity is good in the heart I believe that man is good at the core the Bible says the exact opposite did you know that so that's the first offense some of your offended that's number one we'll have many more to follow but it's from remarkable declaration according to the Bible there's this general operating procedure in the scripture and it's the uniformity or the mutual code of conduct that the Bible speaks is of man and that is a simple nature and so we're not better than anybody else and the moment you begin to think that you're better because of something you know there's people who think they're better because they're rich there's people who think they're better because they're cute there's people who think they're better because they're talented there's nothing worse there's nothing worse than all of that than somebody who thinks they're better because of their religion have you noticed that there's the snobbery that somebody has because they're a great singer hey you know what at least they're a great singer you know what or somebody's snooty because they're rich hey you know what they're rich I see why he's a snob but when somebody says I know God and you're a snob you are the ultimate weirdo how can you say that you know God and you have that level of arrogance within you I told you guys before years ago but I'll repeat it because Lisa and I will never forget it we actually saw a preacher very famous say make sure you tune in next week I'm gonna be given the best message I've ever heard on humility and you're not gonna want to miss it no I'm serious that was for real he's gonna teach us on humility next week so tune in it's the best message I've ever heard that is so bizarre I'm a Christian with a big head hi I'm I follow Jesus and I am I'm so amazing and you need to know me and boy aren't you glad for having me you know in your family or at your church how can that possibly be where a Christian's head is blown up in pride when God says I have no favorites and all have been found out to be guilty in front of me everyone needs salvation and you don't hide behind the fact that you go to Calvary Chapel or you go to first Baptist or you are assembly of God you're hearing me well that's okay Pastor you let him have it I'm a Catholic you need salvation if your relationship with Jesus is preempted by some sort of a title I'm a fill-in-the-blank Christian you're messed up you and I need him desperately the Bible tells us on Ecclesiastes chapter 7 verse 20 for there is not a just man on earth none are just wow who does good none do good and does not sin the Bible says there's nobody on earth who doesn't sin now you say pastor I thought you were gonna say something about hope here I am if you're listening carefully if we're all unable to muster up some form of acceptable religiosity before God and God's word announces to us that there are none that have advantage over the other that should cause hope to spring up within you if the entire world is condemned by God and his holiness but Jesus came to the cross to die there for us and rose again from the dead then I see hope on the horizon don't miss God's gospel Romans chapter 7 verse 18 for I know says Paul God bless Paul listen to him for I know that in me that is in my flesh nothing good dwells for to will is present with me he he knows what to do that's good and he wants to do good don't you want to do good every single one of us were believers we wake up in the morning wanting to be our best for Jesus Paul says amen I know exactly how that is that's exactly the life of the of the believer but he continues but how to perform what is good I do not find the struggle within the believer's life first John chapter one verses 8 through 10 first John watch this and mark this if we say that we have no sin if you think that you're sinless by the way first John's written to Christians only by the way first second and third John written to believers not nonbelievers very important you know that but people don't realize that if we say that we have no sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us wow verse nine we all love verse nine if we confess our sins he's faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and the cleanse us from all unrighteousness verse 10 if we say that we have not sinned we make God a liar and his word is not in us now look at that verse everybody listen do you see hope in there those three verses are pregnant with hope number one I agree that I'm a sinner number two I rejoice in the fact that when I confess my sin to God at home a legato say the same thing about my sin that God says about it then he's gonna forgive me of my sin and I would be a fool to think that I have no sin because to say that I have no sin is to announce that God wasted his time on the cross that this entire Bible is a joke and no church the answer is to recognize hope in your life is to recognize that you and I need the saving power of God to rescue us from ourselves just when you and I thought that there was no hope the answer is number two if you look at this that the Bible tells us the honest truth look at this for we have verse nine continues previously charged both Jews and Greeks are Gentiles that they or we are all under sin the scriptures declare watch this the word charge it's a legal term literally a legal courtroom first century term and I'm going to show you it's a huge definition of this when God says we have been charged and Paul includes himself it means to stand accused beforehand in other words before you even before you and I even commit the crime God knows that we're gonna be charged with that crime because he knows what's in us before we even do it I'll keep reading in a moment in law a person becomes a horse thief when they steal the horse right you got to commit the crime before you can be charged God he doesn't wait for the crime to be committed you want to know why you know why right a horse thief does not become a horse thief when he commits the crime of stealing a horse a horse thief becomes a horse thief because he's a horse thief you but what if he didn't commit the crime that's in the human court in God's court you're already guilty people who take robars and break into Apple stores and and Nordstroms they listen according to God the crime was already in them the according to God the crime was already committed before they ever broke into the home depot and get the crowbar to go break into Nordstroms at what point are they criminals the the system says now wait get the camera going this is a sting operation they haven't crossed the line yet hang on oh we got so close he almost he almost committed a crime God says guilty God says guilty because it was in them right to stand accused beforehand to be charged with a crime before committing the crime the thought being what is hidden inside will come out the sin nature dwelling within humanity will come out we are charged as guilty because he knows God knows what we are and what we are going to do at the first opportunity meaning no one's looking question in the heart can I get away with this the human heart exactly both of you are right you said no and you said yes because in the human mind the mind is saying I can do this I can get away with this but God is saying no you're not but you can this is very important listen judge yourself judge yourself does God speak to you like this is he speaking to you when he speaks as he say I see what you're thinking see some of you might be thinking thoughts and you think you're the only one who knows this and there's no conviction your thoughts are yours you think they're their secret you think nobody knows and maybe on earth nobody does know but God knows you see listen there's no concept of God in your life because God doesn't live in your life and so you plot and plan sin and you doesn't it doesn't phase you one moment to the believer and to the person that is being drawn to the Lord there is that fear of sinning against God but the Bible tells us the honest truth when it says understand we'll combine these two words when the definition is that previously God has charged us both you and Gentile that we're all understand this is a remarkable statement again church I'm giving you pure truth I know all of you got up early to come today you pecked out the house and I'm not here to abuse you I'm here to tell you the God honest truth because that's what the Bible says to us and if we can take it then there's life on the other end of this okay to be under sin hoopo awesome word hoopo under you guys remember way back in some book we were studying some back I think it was in Peter the hoopo retes that the under rower a Roman ship had two sets of rowers they had the rowers on top and they had the rowers on the bottom and the rowers were slaves or criminals and wrong would take you if you were condemned if you had physical capabilities and they would if you didn't they would just kill you or in slave you to something if you if you had some form of physique they would put you on one of the Roman galleys and you would be either on the top or the bottom and you would row and let me tell you they they would sit you know you know you know two by fours are there are two two by fours spaced four inches apart and your cheeks your bum BUM would sit on two rails that rail would be 75 feet long and you'd sit there on that and you would row and your naked below the waist and below you is the other set of rowers and the bottom row is called the hoopo radies and under rower by the way the Bible tells us that as this in church we on staff us on staff here to serve you Paul refers to us as hoopo radies we are under rowers we're not to have a reputation we are not to have specialties we are not supposed to be above you and you serve us we're supposed to be down below making sure that you stay afloat this word to be under meaning to be held under hoopo by hand or by the power of someone else or something to pin down to be in the grip of and then the word sin is to miss the mark or to be off course or to be in the wrong trajectory you're being held down listen sin will hold you down sin pins you down and you have to be honest the God honest truth is the Bible tells me the truth and whenever sin is allowed in our lives we have to agree with Paul that pins us down to the ground and I want to read this to you the imagery is that of someone striving to hit a target but everything about the effort is hindered and inadequate to fall or to come up short the lack or to lack the power to hit the target within the time allowed it thus every time missing the target altogether not even coming close to be under sin is to never be able to get up above sin apart from Jesus Christ I'm gonna tell you right now doesn't matter how religious you are it doesn't matter how many happy points you have it doesn't matter the heritage of your upbringing unless you're born again by the spirit of God you are being pinned down by sins in your life that hold you and its grip that's why Christians Christians air quotes need to wake up and ask this question why is it that I constantly fall to this sin is that an area of life that you're not letting Jesus in on if it is you need to let him have control of it or is it indication that you're not a Christian at all just a very religious person nobody can determine that but you before God but God wants you to know the truth Proverbs chapter 14 verse 12 Proverbs 14 verse 12 says there is a way that seems right to a man but it's end is the way of death see Jack you know wow this is very brutal this next verse will make you feel better next one Jeremiah 17 Jeremiah 17 verses 9 and 10 the heart is deceitfully the heart is deceitful above all things God said so I'm just I'm just asking you know you're gonna be verbal about it just ask yourself is that sure and desperately wicked who could know it well of course the answer is nobody first tense is I the Lord search the heart I test the mind even to give to every man according to his ways according to the fruit of his doing wow so you see the answer is that there is hope when God's word speaks to us and says there's none that do good man's heart's wicked he's deceitfully corrupt within it answers truthfully who we are as humans because God's got the answer the answer to such a generation to such an individual is God this Jack Hibbs podcast as well as all the broadcasts out reach opportunities are 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