Do You Know God?

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 Read the Word, pray the Word out loud, pray it. Read the Word and then pray it out loud, even though you're all alone. Watch what happens, rehearse the presence of God in your life. Are you doing that? Watch this, don't say anything. Are you doing that in your life Today, as a believer? Did you do it yesterday, the day before? The true believer is someone who we're going to meet up with in a moment. That that's their life's event. It is a struggle to meet with God, but they meet with God. They might hit and miss, but they've got to be with God then make sure you leave us one of those five-star ratings. 00:50 - Speaker 1 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. 01:15 - Speaker 2 The just shall live by faith. When your faith is in God, god declares you just and the reality is you're a changed person, your lifestyle's different. You live for the things of God. Nobody has to tell you you should be a Christian now. Nobody has to tell you that you know, you should be a Christian right now. You went forward last week. You should be a Christian right now. No one has to tell you that the Holy Spirit on the inside is saying hey, you're my child, now I'm in you, let's do this. It's amazing. And so in verse nine we also learn this that the security of his sovereign acts, his action, is sovereign, god's actions are sovereign. Verse nine says for this is the word of promise. You should circle the word promise. At this time, I will come and Sarah shall have a son. 02:07 It's all about promise, and here's where, in my opinion, this study gets fun to me. The promise, a very promise, is something that is given by someone. And listen, the promise is given to be believed, everybody. Do you agree with that? You give a promise. It is to be accepted, it is to. Believed is to be believed, everybody. Do you agree with that? You give a promise. It is to be accepted. It is to believed. It's to be believed. In fact, your heart gets broken when a promise is broken and I would say with you right now that if God gives promises, then there's the ability regarding choice. Will you believe him in his promise? Will you trust him in his promise? With what God has said, will you trust him? So listen, here's a little test Regarding selection, regarding being chosen or elected. Remember that, all based on the foreknowledge of God. 02:57 Then listen to this Matthew 11, verse 28. Come to me all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. What is the invitation? Come? Can you refuse? He says come, listen, do all of you. Is every Christian full of rest and peace at all times? No, it's because you didn't go when you should have come. Come to me if you're labored and heavy laden. That's an invitation. The very word means an invitation. Matthew 19, 14. 03:33 Jesus said let the little children what's the word? Come to me. Watch this, do not forbid them. Could they have forbidden them? Of course they could have. Let the little children come to me, for such is the kingdom of heaven. John 6, 37. Jesus said all that the Father gives me will come to me and the one who comes to me I will by no means cast out. Is that beautiful? You say, jack. I don't know if I understand that. Yes, you do. God gives the invitation and you respond to it. You are responding to God's overture. You're exercising your choice by giving your life back to God so that when you get to heaven you're going to thank him, you're not going to pat yourself on the back for getting up there. Boy, did I make the right decision. None of us are going to do that. John 7, 37. 04:32 On the last day, the great day of the feast, jesus stood and cried out saying if anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Are you thirsty? I had somebody tell me after first service today. He said Pastor Jack, I'm thirsty. On the inside, I am so dry. What do I do? And I said press into him, draw yourself, pull yourself into Jesus. And he said how do I do that? And I said start reading in John's gospel. 05:02 John's gospel unpacks the beautiful nature of Jesus like no other gospel. And then he unpacks the beautiful nature of Jesus like no other gospel. And then he asked the question which all humans do Well, what do I do? No, read John's gospel. Yeah, yeah, I got that, but what do I do? I said there's your problem. I said you got to get alone with him. It's like I'm sentencing someone. It's like I'm sentencing someone to prison. Get alone with God. People think what? No, you do that and you have to work at it because you know you get up early in the morning to be alone with God and your mind will go a thousand different places than where it's supposed to be. Read the word, pray the word out loud. Read the word and then pray it out loud even though you're all alone. 05:47 Watch what happens, rehearse the presence of God in your life. Are you doing that? Watch this, don't say anything. Are you doing that in your life Today as a believer? Did you do it yesterday, the day before? The true believer is someone who we're going to meet up with in a moment. That that's their life's event. It is a struggle to meet with God, but they meet with God. They might hit and miss, but they've got to be with God. Does that drive your heart? Does that ring true inside of your very soul? Do you recognize yourself in that statement? It's because you're a child of your very soul. You recognize yourself in that statement. It's because you're a child of the living God. 06:27 Third and final arguments in verses 10 to 13,. And that is, the choice is yours, and that is the faithfulness of God's sovereignty. And the first thing is this is that his sovereign call, god is sovereign with his call upon our life. This is going to sound oversimplistic, but it's true nonetheless. So, jack, god is sovereign. 06:55 You just said you read a moment ago that Jesus said all that the Father calls brings them to me. They'll come to me. Jesus said, yes, well, what if I don't want to do that? Then God's not calling you to do that. God is not calling you to come to Christ. Well, what if I don't want anything to do with Jesus? Then God's not calling you into the family. You're not in the family, you're not a child of God. Well, what if I want to be? You see they start having this argument. Well, what if I choose to be? Well, then choose to be. Well, what if I don't want to be? Do you or do you not when given the opportunity, do you want Christ in your life or not? If you do, it's because God is calling you. He knew that you would respond before the universe was ever created, before time was ever made. His calling and, by the way, when he calls he doesn't recall he's not a Tesla maker was ever made His calling. And, by the way, when he calls he doesn't recall he's not a Tesla maker or, for that matter, ford either. 08:13 I have a Ford, you know. If you lease a new vehicle, you now drive a COVID vehicle. I went and looked why is everything falling off, the bumper's falling off, the thing's falling off? And then I looked it was assembled during COVID by who I know by who, people wearing a mask. They couldn't read the instructions because the face shield was fogged up. And then I'm driving this thing and the wheels are coming up. I digress, I vent. Watch this. Watch verse 10. We'll read it together. 08:47 God's sovereign call, and not only this, but when Rebecca also had conceived by one man, even by our father, isaac, parenthetical insert, holy Spirit drops this in for us, for the children not yet being born, listen, the children not yet being born, nor having done any good or evil. Why, what's the deal? Ah, that the purpose of God, according to election, might stand, not of works, but of him who calls. Watch this. As it was said to her, the older shall serve the younger. Listen, in Judaism the older doesn't serve the younger, the younger serves the older. The firstborn, that's king of the hill. Man Firstborn, that's top shelf. But did you know that God has made in his sovereignty the option to be exercised that whichever one of them shows faith in him, the firstborn or the lastborn, that is the issue, not status. Are you tracking? 10:00 This gets kind of deep, gets kind of technical here. You ever heard of a guy by the name of Judah? Of course you have. Jesus is the lion of the tribe of Judah. Well, guess what? Reuben was the older brother, not Judah. That's odd. Have you ever heard of a guy by the name of David? David wasn't the firstborn. Can you name me David's brothers? Probably not, but who's the one you know, david? 10:34 Ishmael was born first, was he not? Then Isaac? Watch, I'm being technical with you. Was that a true statement that I just made a moment ago? Ishmael was born first, but Ishmael was the result of Hagar and Abraham. Was that the promise that God had made? Nope, god said it's got to be impossible for me to be in it. And Isaac is the one that's impossible. He's the son of promise Tracking. He's the baby. He had an older brother All right, from the same father they share. Now, all of a sudden, we've got Rebecca and we've got two boys, jacob and Esau, who are from the same mom and the same dad. So there's no question. What's happening here? Theologically, have you ever used a microscope and then zoomed in? This is what's happening. Are you guys bored? I feel like you're bored, okay, well, we're almost done, if that's any consolation. So watch what happens here. 11:56 When God knows what's in a heart from all time and eternity, he doesn't learn about you as you are born and live your life. He's always known that his purposes would be fulfilled. You read a moment ago the children in the womb not having done any good or any evil. Right, they're babies and so watch, it's not only calling it's love. Verse 13. 12:34 As it is written Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated. And if I stopped right there, you'd say I'm done with this. God, haven't you always thought that when you've read that Jacob have I loved, esau have I hated? That God has favorites? Well, look at there. Oh boy, if he's sovereign, that's pretty painful. Yikes, he picked one and dumped the other. Poor Esau. Wait a minute, this is fun. Don't miss this. 13:02 Paul is quoting Malachi. Put that up on the screen, if you would. Paul is quoting Malachi, or, if you're Italian, malachi, chapter one, verse two. It's the only Italian prophet in the Bible. I'm kidding. Watch this, don't miss it. 13:21 God is speaking to Israel and Israel speaks back I have loved you, says the Lord. Yet you say in what way have you loved us? God says to Israel I love you, and Israel says, yeah, how, really you know? Like a spoiled kid. Was not Esau Jacob's brother, says the Lord. Yet Jacob I have loved, but Esau I have hated. What in the world is going on here? Ah, two nations. Number one, what nation? In fact? His name was changed, jacob. His name was changed to Israel. From Jacob came Israel. By the way, jacob, now look, be honest. 14:10 When you read the Old Testament, you read about Jacob's life, you read about Esau's life. I guarantee you you would not hang out with Jacob. If you're going to hang out with anybody, you'd hang out with Esau. You want to know why? Jacob was a creep, a bonafide creep, in fact. His name means that he is a crook. His name means crooked heel catcher, supplanter, manipulator. That's what his name means. Jacob means manipulator. And when you read about his life and when you see his life in the Bible. What's he doing to people? Manipulating them. 14:51 This looks really bad in the moment and then does a switcheroo. It's like a movie. You can't figure it out. Watch how this goes. Esau, esau's, esau. You don't hear Esau having any spiritual struggles in the Bible. He's not wrestling with God. You don't see any spiritual events with Esau. 15:11 Esau is just Esau. He's a man's man, burly, dude. It seems Rugged. He was a hunter and he came from the field, the Bible says, and he was starving and exaggerating. I think he comes into the house and he says Jacob, make me some of your stew, your special soup. I'm going to die. 15:43 Jacob, being the manipulator, says well, what are you going to give me for it? I don't know. I want your birthright, esau. Are you hearing me, people? I want your birthright. You're the firstborn. Watch this. He says what good is a birthright when I'm hungry? I'll give you my birthright, just give me the soup, will you? I'll give you my birthright, just give me the soup, will you? Jacob connives and manipulates the birthright away from Esau. But what do we know about Esau? Esau has no passion for God. He has no inclination toward God. In fact, esau winds up becoming the very father of the Edomite kingdom. Enemies of Israel. They're brothers. 16:44 One had a heart to worship God eventually. Did you know that Jacob, the one that, if you saw Jacob coming today, wait, hey everybody. Here comes Jacob. Put your wallet in the front of your pocket. That dude, here comes Jacob. Hey Jacob, how you doing? You're like, watch out, somehow that guy will wind up on top every time. But he's the one struggling with God, battling with God. He had a heart for God. When did God know that? Before he was ever born, before the children ever did good or evil? 17:24 The man that gives away his birthright for some porridge, what is he saying? What I pray? None of you are saying. Man, this is nuts. What good is this? I want to live it up. Give me another pot of porridge, another drink, give me another million, give me another fill in the blank. What good is this stuff? I want it all. 17:48 Now that's Esau. Do you see why? Now Watch Malachi. We read it a moment ago. 17:54 Guess what that was written after Jacob and Esau were born. They lived their lives, they were dead, and hundreds and hundreds of years later, Malachi makes that pronouncement. God speaks to Malachi and says Jacob, have I loved, esau, have I hated? What does this mean? Jacob chose the right way in the end. In the end, esau chose the wrong way. So God says I'm with Jacob, based on what God my foreknowledge? I have always known this. I didn't learn it. You see, we're the ones learning it now. Oh, I just think that's so unfair of God. 18:40 That prophecy was given long after the boys had died of old age. God says I knew both their hearts, and one had a heart for me and the other one didn't. Isn't that amazing, see, I don't know if I like that, because Jacob, he is quite a conniver, you know, I know, isn't it something? Because Jacob, he is quite a conniver, you know, I know. Isn't it something Some people have said? I can't believe that. God, you know, didn't love Esau. Well, first of all, god's nature he did love Esau. He's responding to Esau's decision, for God so loved the. Yeah, god is not willing that any should perish. God weeps over the death of the wicked. God wants you to come and live with him. But here's the thing what's amazing to me is how much love and grace and mercy God expressed and gave to Jacob, the guy that didn't deserve it. 19:39 - Speaker 1 This Jack Hibbs podcast, as well as all the broadcast outreach opportunities, are listener supported. 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