Escape - Breaking Free From Fear, Sin, And Death

0:00 Real Life presents the Jack Hibbs Podcast, with intention and boldness to proclaim truth, equip the saints, and impact our culture. Christian friend, one of the great comforting facts about our lives is that we're not perfect, and we know it, but he is. And him in us causes us to continue on. 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.

0:42 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 Hibbs. The Hebrew Bible refers to the Messiah being Jesus Hananim. In scripture, put up this Hebrew word if we have this. Hamashiach. This is amazing. Look at this. Yehoshua. That means there's only one savior, one God, one redeemer. And his name, he's announced his name as Yehoshua. It's shortened to Yah in the Bible.

1:24 And some of you may be hearing this for the first time ever, but if you dive into this, you will find out from Genesis to Revelation, it's none other that the Yah is the one that is the Yahhovah, the one that is Hallelujah. That's his name, his actual name. My name's Jack, his name is Yah. The Bible reveals the name of our God. And he's to be praised and he's to be honored. And why do I bring this up? Because he's transparent. He's open to us. And Paul is saying, I'm not going in my own power.

2:05 You guys are going to send me in prayer. But I'm going with God on this. Listen, friends, listen carefully. You go with God, you're not shaken by stuff. You understand that? Amen. Listen, I mean this with all love. The days are very soon coming and you will experience them when your faith is going to be challenged and you're going to choose to listen to God or to man. And as it were, the ground's going to shake underneath you. And I'm not talking about an earthquake. And you'll be called upon to choose whom you will obey. Will it be the Lord Jesus Christ?

2:46 I heard a podcast this last week, Driving Home. I listen to this guy's podcast often. And the guy's a new believer. He's very famous, one of the largest podcasters in the world. He recently came to Christ. And he said, I don't know what's going on with me. I was completely fine. I didn't fear death when I was sleeping with everybody. I was doing all kinds of drugs. I had no fear. And he said, then I accepted Jesus and I've been reading people's books and I've been reading or listening to sermons and I've been going to various churches. And he says, no, I'm scared to death to die. I'm scared to death. I'm absolutely paralyzed by fear. And I was yelling. I was yelling in my truck to the podcaster.

3:31 And my, here's what I was saying. In fact, I got so frustrated. I had to text all the pastors and I just said, you need to pray for me. I'm listening to this podcast right now. I'm not ready to have a heart attack because the guy that he had with them was not answering the question. Dude, if you've, if you've come to Jesus Christ, you've been delivered from the grip of fear and death that if you trust Christ and him alone, he raised you from the dead. Yeah. That he has taken the sting of death, the Bible says in the book of Hebrews, away from us. Do you understand that? Look, nobody wants needles and tubes and all that kind of stuff in suffering. Nobody wants that.

4:11 For the believer, death is not a problem. I'll admit, it's getting to that. It's a problem. It's a problem. But the moment we die, the Bible says, God says precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints. Listen, some of you may not be here next year or next month. Maybe your time is up. If you're a believer, if you trust Christ Jesus, listen, your graduation's coming. And you don't need to fear that. Pastor, don't talk like that. Only a non-believer would be terrified of death. Or, as in this man's case, let's give them a benefit of the doubt. If he came to Christ, notice that his fears came listening to various ministers and reading certain books.

4:58 Answer to the problem. Stop listening to others and stop reading other books. Read God's book and thereby hear him speak. There'll be a great shift, but a lot of people don't want to do that anymore. Why pray when we can ask Alexa? Why pray when we can ask ChatGPT? Yeah. And a lot of people today, a lot of young people today get all their answers from AI. They don't pray. They don't need to pray. You think I'm kidding? Only old people think I'm kidding right now.

5:38 The young people are saying, oh, dude, that hurts. John 14, verse 23. Jesus answered and said to them, If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and he will come to him and make our home with him. The life of the new believer, the life of the Spirit, the ministry of the Spirit. Paul is saying, Will you come with me in spirit? The Bible says in Romans chapter eight, verse 11, Romans 8, 11. But if the spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through the, through his spirit who dwells in you.

6:26 That man who was afraid of dying, he needs to be reminded. This Christian needs to be reminded that's in the Bible. Romans 8, 11. Last time I checked, which was yesterday, it's still in the Bible. God raises the dead. And the Spirit of God, look, the Bible says the Spirit of God rose Jesus Christ from the dead. And the same Spirit will raise you from the dead also. That's the best news in the entire world. Amazing. I have this in notes. It's on page six. And it says, I just called it move in day. Can you say today that the Holy Spirit dwells in you?

7:07 Don't answer. Don't answer. Can you honestly say, remember, forget about everybody in church. Be all alone for a moment. Can you say to yourself, I know the Holy Spirit dwells in me. I'll tell you how you'll know. If the Holy Spirit dwells in you, he will constantly prod you towards things of meaning, of purpose, of good, of hope, of life. Things that matter. You know what? If the Holy Spirit's in you, he will move you toward vision. Vision meaning, I see that vision. I'm not going to wait around for anybody else to do that.

7:50 I'm going to go do that by his power. Just like the apostle Paul. I'm transparent. I'm weak. I'm nothing, but he is all powerful God. And then look, he goes on. Or this goes on. Can you say that the Holy Spirit dwells in you? Let me tell you this. If he dwells within you, then you will know it. Nobody moves into our house or their house where you live and you do not know it. When someone's in the home with you, you know it. When you go into a place, you know it. When someone comes into that place where you're at, you know it.

8:35 We know this as humans. Christian, friend, one of the great comforting facts about our lives is that we're not perfect and we know it. But he is. And him in us causes us to continue on. His presence exists. can be experienced. I'm not going to define how because I'm sure it's in various ways in people's lives. But he's present. Look at verse 30.

9:16 Eager. He's saying, will you please come with me? And as we continue on together, he's talking to us here about being eager. Eager enough to change the world. I hesitated in pointing out that sub-point that underlines the main point, but it's true nonetheless. But we hear about this stuff all the time, but the world doesn't change. Oh, be a change maker. You can change the world, we tell our kids. You can change the world. And it's all true if, right? It's all true if. If we're focused on the things of God and if we're powered and empowered by God that you strive together with me in prayers for God for me.

10:05 This man's precious. Do you hear him? How many men, just look, how many people would say this? How many people would say, it's really important to me, I'm asking all of you to determine to go through whatever pains it takes you to please remember to pray for me. Who says this? We're a strange culture. We are a hard people to bless because we're proud. I'm proud.

10:47 68 years old and I'm so immature that I still get into these loving, cute little debates when we might go out to dinner with friends and I've gotta be the one that gets the bill. It doesn't matter what my motive is. My motive could be spectacularly honest and true. I love them and I want to bless them. So I've got a routine. And I'll either tell the server or the manager in advance. Sometimes I'll call ahead and say, listen, this is a setup. I love my friends. They have a tendency to grab the bill. Don't give it to them.

11:28 I'll come in with a code. You know, I'm the guy, that's the one. And it's done from love, but then I also realize that there's pride in that. And the danger of that is what? Here's the danger. Well, gosh, I guess you're right, Pastor Jack, because there could be pride in whatever I do, so I don't want to do that, so I'll do nothing. Listen. Listen. Together, you guys, listen, together we are so absolutely weak, even together.

12:11 We're weaker when we're apart, but we're weak. And the Bible says, in your weakness, I will perfect my strength. Only God is the one who can say, you know, you've been a horrific sinner. You've been a horrific sinner. Yes, Lord. Let me just show you, Jack, a little brief snapshot of your past. Right. For young people, that was the... That was a... What is it called?

12:54 See, look, I don't even know. That was the camera, the projector. And it sees you, you know, you're getting into trouble. And God says, I have it all on record. You know, the Bible says it. It writes everything down. And you're mortified. And just, listen, just when your chin gets welded to your chest because of shame, he picks you up and he says, but I died on the cross for that. If... If you're willing to invite me in, I died on the cross.

13:35 I already paid the price for that, but it doesn't benefit you at all, Jack. The price has been paid, but you have no benefit from that price I paid unless you apply what I gave or made available for your own life. Will you accept me? Will you receive? No, it's okay, Lord. I called ahead. I paid the bill in advance. I told the server to bring it to me. That's human works. I prayed three times. I did this. I prayed five times. I gave this much money. I'm good. Little do you know that the film is still running. And God is saying, by the works of the law, you cannot come to me.

14:17 You can't see me. You could be so pure in your eyes. But I... I'm talking like him. He said, I already told you in the book of Isaiah that your righteousness is as filthy rags. The word in Hebrew is your righteousness are as menstrual cloths. Yeah, yeah. It's like, really? Really? That's gross. And God says, that's right. So what do I do about this? Take all of this and hand it to me. Wait, wait. The eternal God, who's pure, who came into this world to show us the way, died on the cross for me, rose again from the dead, to empower all of these promises, you will take it from, you want me to hand it to you?

15:12 That's right. I can't believe you would even touch me. I can't believe you would even take this from me. Give it to me. That's the struggle. Pride immediately erupts with stupid things like this. I'll come back next week. I'll think about it. Or I'll tell you what I'll do. I'm going to clean up my act, and then I'll give my heart to Jesus. You'll never be saved. You'll be lost for all eternity that way. Have you noticed one of Satan's greatest tactics is to tell you tomorrow?

15:57 You know, you're going to clean the garage tomorrow. I've been telling myself that for years. The thing is, if you keep telling yourself that long enough, you actually enjoy it. Lisa will say the garage looks horrific, but I've told myself so many times I'll do it tomorrow that it looks fine to me today. Listen, Satan does that. Don't become a fanatic. You don't want to be one of those Jesus freaks, do you? A little later. You're young. There's so much of life to live.

16:39 Translation? We're terrified that you're listening to the love of God. You better run away from that because, listen, we want to shorten your life as fast as possible by keeping you blinded and suck you into the pit of hell so we can inflict pain into the heart of God. Because we hate him because he made you humans in his image. And he loves you. And he redeemed you. And we will do everything to stop that. So they do everything to tempt you to stay drugged, to stay sexed up, to stay pursuing money, whatever the distractions are, trinkets, glitter.

17:20 Let's pray. Father God in heaven. I'm asking you, Lord, enough has been said. It's decision time. Lord, I pray for every person that's hearing this message. Only Bible, only verses, only your Holy Spirit. They're brought into the valley of decision right now. Yes or no for Jesus. You gonna stand on the dock or you gonna get on board? You gonna stand on the platform or you gonna get on? You gonna stay in your religion or you gonna meet God?

18:04 Are you gonna try to keep convincing yourself that you're okay? Instead of giving up your life to him. Wherever you're at, whoever you may be, you know enough right now from this message to respond to Jesus. Tell him right now in your own words, I'm asking you, Jesus, to forgive me of my sins You know everything that I've ever done. You know the things that I thought I had kept secret.

18:45 And you're exposing them right now. And I'm mortified. If that ever got out, my friend, it's all coming out unless it's covered by the blood of the lamb Jesus died on the cross for you. And the only way that you can survive death is by putting your faith in Christ Jesus now to say to him, I believe you died on the cross for my sins and you rose again from the dead. And I receive you as my Lord and Savior.

19:28 I decide today to walk with you, Jesus. I want to go with you. And we say to you, come with us. Come with us, brand new brother or sister. Come with us, for at the end of our journey, we enter into his very presence of glory. Because Jesus has paid it all, and all to him we owe. In his name we pray, and all God's people said, Amen. God bless you, church.

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