Crushing Emotions

00:00 - Speaker 1
Real Life presents the Jack Hibbs Podcast with intention and boldness to proclaim truth, equip the saints and impact our culture.

00:09 - Speaker 2
We don't need to suffer alone in this world. And if you're a Christian, you will not suffer alone in this world. And Paul is saying at this present time we suffer, but we're not alone. We are being conformed from glory to glory. I love that, these things. I've spoken to you that in me you may have peace In the world. You will have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I've overcome the world, isn't that great?

00:41 - Speaker 1
You can get the outlines of this podcast by going to https://jackhibbscom/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 Hibbs.

01:10 - Speaker 2
Friends, listen up, especially men. I don't know what the big deal is with men, guys, listen. We need to take the lead on this, and that is either we need to set our clocks earlier or we need to go to bed later, or we need to adjust something in our life schedule that we're in the word of God so we, or we need to adjust something in our life schedule that we're in the word of God so we can lead our wives or the women in our lives, or the sons in our lives, men, we've got to do this. We have all the excuses. I get it. I got to mow the lawn. I have to mow my neighbor's lawn. I got to change my oil. I got to do it. We've all done that. We've all heard it all. We've all heard it I'm talking about. Can I put it to you this way?

01:47
Jesus says up until now, the kingdom of God has suffered violence, but the violent take it by force. Very few people know what that verse means. The kingdom of God is under attack. But for the kingdom of God to advance, those who have faith won't flinch. You keep moving.

02:08
Our flesh needs to suffer a little bit. It's always yelling at us. I'm hungry, I'm sleepy. I want this. I want that we need to say shut up and sit down. I want to watch. Our flesh says I want to watch golf, which is funny. I always want to watch golf. I've never held a. I'm not sure if I ever held a club, I wouldn't even know which end to hold. I don't know what they're doing, but golfing is important to me at the most inopportune moments, because my thoughts are like this it's time to read my Bible. I wonder if there's any golf programs on.

02:43
What's wrong with me, guys? Please somebody say amen. Am I alone on this? We've got to discipline our bodies to do the right thing and in this life we are going to suffer. Here's the amazing thing for all of us Suffering makes us more like Jesus. There's no other way to achieve that. The world suffers without any purpose. We suffer with a purpose. That doesn't mean please don't do this.

03:18
You know there's those Christians. They mean well, but they go. Praise the Lord. My house burned down. Hallelujah, bless God. Okay, I don't know what you were even talking about. Okay, it would be more convincing if you were kind of crying and tearful. And man, we loved our house, it was so great, but it burned down and I'm sure God's got a plan.

03:41
Okay, now you're talking. I mean, be real, will you? But we will suffer. I mean, you go to Chuck's Hospital in Orange County and you walk down the hallway and there's parents there that don't know God and their child is dying. You can't comfort them. They're beyond being consoled. They're suffering One of the greatest pains a human can suffer without Christ.

04:17
I don't understand that, friends. I guess that's why people drink. I get it. I would grab a bottle also and drown my sorrows.

04:24
Where am I going to go? Well, listen, the actual answer is you go to Jesus, and they'll never know unless we tell them we don't need to suffer alone in this world. And if you're a Christian, you will not suffer alone in this world. And Paul is saying at this present time we suffer, but we're not alone. We are being conformed from glory to glory. I love that.

04:50
Look, I enjoy getting older in Jesus. I should explain that I'm getting older in body too. But the longer you walk with Jesus, it takes, listen, it takes time, and I live in this world like you do, and so that means my body, my body, is not keeping up with the inside of me. This is a problem Because I want to do this, this, this, this and this, and it's all achievable up until about two o'clock in the afternoon, and then something begins to happen. You know, in the morning we've got these grandiose ideas, let's go, we're going to do this. And then it's like want to take a nap? Right, why? What's going on? The body, the body, it's the body.

05:42
But in our culture today, by the way, there are some states in America where they want to get away with the older people. You think about how demonic this is. If that's listen, if we don't live in an age that manifests Satan's presence. Satan wants to kill the young and he wants to kill the old. And isn't it interesting that, let's be honest, the Bible speaks a lot about the young and a lot about the unborn, and the Bible speaks a lot about the old. Did you know? We're supposed to honor the old? Have you seen how gray my hair is getting? That means you're supposed to honor me. Man, be nice, will you?

06:25
But the Bible says there's wisdom that comes with that, and we need to get older people to start speaking to junior hires. Can you imagine? Can you imagine an older person saying listen, we used to have a horse and buggy. Am I going too far back? Something like that? You know, I don't know, but that needs to happen, that needs to share.

06:55
But as we get older, it's a funny thing because, you know, the Bible says he's written eternity in our hearts and we want to be with him. We really do the true. We want to be with him. We really do the true believer wants to be with God and we're only hanging around here right now because he's using us in people's lives and we all pray Lord. Are we done? Yet? I mean let's go.

07:20
But there's grace in all of this. As the body ages, I have seen the grace of God because I, for me, I wake up, I look in the mirror and I'm actually starting to look better the older I get, and I'll explain why. My eyes are fading. I get up. Now. Listen, 10 years ago I'd get up and I'd go what's that? Now I get up and it's like hey. And then Lisa goes what are you doing? Where are you going? I got to go to Home Depot. She goes no, you're not going outside like that. Have you seen your hair? Have you seen your face? I look fine. Why? Because my eyes are out of focus. But that's the mercy of God. Do you remember?

08:10
I grew up I was very picky about what I ate. I don't know about you. When you're young, it's like I don't want that, I don't want that, I don't want that, uh. But have you noticed God is so good? As you get older, it's like what is it now? You don't even ask, just shovel it in. Everything tastes good. Now have you noticed that Everything tastes great and that's not good, because then you start to gain weight. So then you gain weight. But then God, in his mercy, he intervenes and your teeth start getting loose so you can't eat the stuff you used to eat. So you start to lose weight. So by the time you look in the mirror, you look great man. The outward body is perishing, but the inside of us, as believers, are growing toward glory and ultimately, ultimately, heaven.

09:05
That word suffering, by the way, let's put that word up In the Greek language, the word suffering is this plathema. It's that which befalls one, technically, that which befalls everyone in this world. Everyone has sufferings. Watch this. The word means hard passions. So what does that mean? Hard passions? The word hard passions is something that is so grievous to you. Maybe you know.

09:34
Each of us have our own definition of what that is. It could be a broken relationship, it could be a marriage. Broken relationship, it could be a marriage. It could be the death of a parent or a son or a daughter, and it causes us, it grabs us. At times we could be in the middle of the most wonderful moment and our minds you know what I'm saying Our minds, for a moment, pause and it goes to that moment when we heard of their passing, or the moment of the accident or the crash. Are you with me? And that wear is on you? And the word means it's hard, it's there, it will be there for all of your life, but the good news is, according to the scriptures, you can manage it with Jesus. The believer has this assurance.

10:26
The word also means crushing emotions, emotions that crush. You See what do you mean by that? It's this Emotions that keep you from catching your breath. The picture is a plank. Imagine laying flat on your back and a big plank is put on your chest and then somebody starts stacking bricks on it. Do you ever feel like that? Have you ever been in a condition, a situation, with news or something that's happened, that's come to you and you have a hard time catching your breath, your shallow breathing. You're not even aware of it until you realize, man, I got a headache and your temples are pounding. And then you realize, wait, I got a headache and your temples are pounding. And then you realize, wait a minute, this is so painful I'm not even breathing right. My heart's racing over this news. I'm so glad that the Bible is so honest. This is the book that addresses these issues of life crushing emotions, listen.

11:26
Layered pressures of life, layered Job experienced layered pressures of life. Hey, job, yes, all your donkeys are dead. Oh man, what am I going to do In that day and age? Having all your donkeys die is like having all your work trucks blow up. Oh Job. Next guy comes all of your sheep are dead. What, oh Job? You know all your camels have died. Well, what in the world's going on? Then the next guy comes Job, there was a storm last night. All your kids were having a beautiful get-together, all your family and all of your sons and daughters were killed in this horrific storm.

12:22
And Job just sat down and wept and I think she meant this with compassion. I know people want to beat up on Job's wife for saying this. I don't think it's right. I think that's armchair quarterbacking. She sees him weeping in the loss of everything and she says Job, why don't you just curse God and die? And then he tells her listen, naked I've come into this world and naked I leave. Blessed be the name of the Lord. What an attitude. What has he seen? He's seen suffering in the right perspective. God's got a plan in this. I can't explain it. I can't put the pieces together. You've got layered pressures weighing you down. I think she said that out of compassion for him. I think she didn't want to see him weeping anymore in bereavement.

13:16
The Bible tells us, though, at the end of the book of Job which is an awesome book we should all read the book of Job. People avoid it. You shouldn't avoid it. It's kind of like. It's like like Christian voodoo. Well, if I read the book of Job, then it's going to happen to me. Listen, you have better luck getting a fortune cookie down at PF Chang's for crying out loud. What is that? That's crazy. There's great theology in the book of Job. The Bible tells us that at the end, job's life was restored better than it was at the beginning. I don't know how you do that, but God does that. He makes the end of your life better than the beginning. That's what he said to us, and I think God loves the fact that we hold him to his word and say Lord, you did it to Job, I need you to do it to me.

14:02
Everything's falling apart. We were with the youth yesterday evening, last night at Huntington Beach for the junior hires, and this one young boy came up to me and he said Pastor Jack, will you pray for me in my home? Yeah, what's up? And he said my dad's divorcing my mom. And here's this little guy standing on the shore, concerned about his mom and dad. Little kids should not have to be concerned about their moms and dads. Well, you don't know the things I've suffered. Listen, the Bible says you've gone through nothing. That such as is common to mankind. Oh, but you don't know, though.

14:49
I married a witch man. Really, okay, if you married a witch, then you were stupid in the beginning. Who marries witches? So the truth is she wasn't a witch, was she no? Then how did she become one? Oh, no, no, yes, you do. Here's how she became one. You created her. The world tells us. Divorce is the answer. God says I hate divorce Because, listen, the only one who benefits from divorce is the attorney. In fact, I'm sure every attorney is bowing down to some statue of the God of attorneys and saying you know, let's have some more divorce. The kids pay the price. Now, what do you mean? Kids pay the price? I wrote the check. Oh, that's nothing. The kids pay the price. And so here's the deal.

15:56
Women, you may or may not be aware of the fact that, according to God's design, god created man, your husband, to protect you, to love you, to watch over you and to make sure that you become the woman that God created you to be. It doesn't mean that that's machoism. Machoism is a sin. I'm talking about biblical masculinity, which is this hey, babe, you're really bright in this area, or that you should do something about that. You should read Proverbs 31 and go for it. Hey, you know what? And you build her up.

16:34
Guys, listen, god has ordained the man to be listen the head of the home. What do you think that means? I'm the head of the house. I'm the head of the house. No, that doesn't mean that. It doesn't mean that the word actually means that you're the first one to the block. Did you know that? To the block, the chopping block, you're the first one, the man, the husband's the first one to be sacrificed for the preservation of the home.

17:01
The Bible says if a man does not provide for his home, he's worse than a non-believer. Think of that. You want to save your marriage. Commit yourself to doing Jesus stuff. Listen, wear her down with love and overtures and actions of love. If that's not her language, find out what it is. Does she like to sit around and read books? You say, yes, I hate it. Then get some comics for yourself and go deep while she reads your book, whatever it. Husbands are to dwell with their wives, according to understanding.

17:42
I have no idea why we're even talking about this now. Suffering, that's it, suffering? You're gonna be shocked, guys. It's a lot less complicated than you made it up to feel, and you start doing those things. And then she starts getting happy. You'd be shocked, guys. It's a lot less complicated than you made it up to feel and you start doing those things, and then she starts getting happy, which makes you happy, slams the door on Satan's face, by the way, which is beautiful, I hope, and his tail at the same time and God begins to move. But I wonder how much suffering's brought in upon our lives unnecessarily. The suffering I want you and I to go through is the suffering that comes about obviously naturally from this world. But I hope we experience suffering because we've upset the kingdom of hell. How about that? Wouldn't that be great if hell got all upset at something that you did? That's awesome. So what's going on? Satan's really upset with you. Are you kidding me? Do I get a badge? Where's the trophy for that? But if we get in trouble because we're dumb, that's not a good thing.

18:56
John 16, verse 32, john 16,. Jesus said Indeed, the hour is coming. Yes, it has now come that you will be scattered, each to his own and will leave me alone. And yet I'm not alone, because the Father is with me. By the way, the Father's with you now too. These things I have spoken to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation, but be of good cheer. I've overcome the world. Isn't that great man? I love that.

19:37 - Speaker 1
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? Go to https://jackhibbs.com to learn more and stay connected.