For The Love of God

0:00 Real Life presents the Jack Hibbs Podcast, with intention and boldness to proclaim truth, equip the saints, and impact our culture. Christian, when you move in the pursuit of God, God will steer you. Well, what about my motives? What about this? I don't understand. And what about the other? Will you just commit it to God and start on the journey and let Him steer you? Don't be a spectator to this wonderful thing called the Christian life. You can get the outlines of this podcast by going to jackhibbs.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.

0:48 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. For the love of God. Everything that's driving the apostle is rooted and grounded in this tremendous thing for the love of God. You can look at Paul's life over the decades of his ministry life. And you can see and understand and read how he did what he did for the love of God. We see in our first point, verses 22 to 24, is that for the love of God, we go to the ends of the earth.

1:32 We go to the ends, or will we go to the ends of the earth? For the love of God. Listen, what if for a moment, and I'm going to just put it down this way. What if for a moment... Every single one of us in this room really care preeminently, number one, about the most important thing in all of life. And that is what Jesus said regarding each of us. Go, therefore, into all the world and preach this gospel in making disciples, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. And then I love how he closes it out. Behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the world. I love that. What if you and I took that seriously?

2:13 And you might say, I do take that seriously, Pastor Jack. I do as well. But I also find out so many times that I miss opportunities when I could actually fulfill that in my life. Now, some of you are called to be the missionary at Raytheon or the missionary in the public school system. Some of you are missionaries on Delta Airlines. Some of you are missionaries to foreign lands. You know what's fun about what I'm saying? Every single one of us in this room, we are senders and goers of this great missionary venture to tell the world for the love of God. It is the heart of God that everyone hear the gospel.

2:58 And we'll talk about that in our study today. I'm reminded that when the London Missionary Society asked David Livingstone, they asked him, where would you go Or where would you like to go should God call you to go? And Livingston replied, anywhere so long as it is forward. I love that. What a great statement. As a Christian, we must be going forward. In fact, you know, if we're not going forward, what are we doing? We're going forward. We're going backwards. And that is the definition of back sliding. In fact, even as a Christian, when we wait upon the Lord, that is not waiting in a way that is not effective.

3:41 You know, the Bible tells us over and over again to wait upon the Lord. That, listen, by waiting upon the Lord, you can actually advance. But I promise you this, by waiting upon the Lord, you will never go backwards. But those who are not advancing, they're going backwards. And I love his response. London Missionary Society, you send me anywhere as long as it's forward. And that ought to be the attitude of the Christian. And so the first thing that we see regarding this for the love of God, will we go to the ends of the earth? Look at verse 22. If that's true, then we must put up with the challenges. Can you just write that down? that we have to put up with challenges, that there's gonna be difficulties and hardships, and there's gonna be things that often, and maybe sometimes too easily, can set us back when it comes to spiritual advancement.

4:35 Friends, listen. There are things, and go ahead and leave that up if you guys would. There are things in our life that happen to us, and we will not let anything deter us away from whatever that thing is. For example, if you are committed to, really committed to this incredibly, eternally important task of going golfing. Weather will not deter you. Your wife will say, honey, I know it's Southern California, but it's about ready to snow outside and you're going to go golfing. I'm going to go golfing. You're committed. My neighbor golfs.

5:15 I watch him leave to go golf. And then I see him come home after he's golf. He looks the same. Can't tell if he's won or lost or however that goes. But I've noticed that it'll go in any temperature and any weather. Would to God, for the love of God, that you and I would be so undeterred regarding the work that God has called you and I to do. We often pray, oh God, use me. God, I want to have a life that makes a difference. And there's some sort of opposition. There's some sort of what we would cause to say this is resistance. And we give up. You know what? How about adopting this attitude from now on?

5:58 Lord, what I want to do is exalt your name. And I want to do that. And I'm going to finish up here. And I'm going to head to Rome. And then with hopes of getting to Spain... And that's what I sense is a good thing to do. And I'm laying that out to you, God, because I want to advance your name. Church, what if it's not the will of God? See, here's where we lose out on so much, everybody. Well, pastor, that's the thing. I'd love to sign up for that ministry or get involved in that thing or maybe do this deal or the other. And yet you think it, think it and overthink it until you don't do anything about it or the opportunity passes and you missed out on a great blessing all because you played it safe.

6:44 When you failed, most importantly, you failed to experience the hearing of the voice of God. Friends, listen. Pastor Chuck Smith told us years ago, it's really hard to drive a car when it's not rolling. Listen, I'm telling you right now, I have two old vehicles, both of them. One of them you can almost pick up and walk away with, and that's a 67 Volkswagen. I've had it. I dated my wife in that car. I've had that car forever. But you know what? That little thing, try to turn the steering wheel when it's not rolling. There's no power steering.

7:25 And then, of course, I've got the most beautiful pickup truck the world has ever seen. Everybody asks me, when are you going to get that thing painted? That thing's a piece of junk. You paid money for that? I love pushing shopping carts out of the way in the shopping center to park my... I love pulling up next to a Porsche or a Ferrari. And they cringe thinking, that truck is going to open its door on me. I would never do that. I don't want that truck to get hurt. But... When it's parked, try to turn the wheel. You're not going to do it. But when it's moving ever so little bit, you can steer it.

8:07 Christian, when you move in the pursuit of God, God will steer you. Well, what about my motives? What about this? I don't understand. And what about the other? Will you just commit it to God and start on the journey and let him steer you? Don't be a spectator to this wonderful thing called the Christian life. Don't let it happen to you. No, listen, challenges and all, we'll take it. And that's what we learned from the apostle. In chapter 15, verse 22, he says, I also have been much hindered from coming to you. He throws us back to Romans right here, the two preceding verses, verses 20 and 21.

8:49 And what does he say there? He announces this. And so I have made it my aim. That's it, everybody. Everybody. I am targeting this to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build on another man's foundation, but as it is written, to whom he has not announced, they shall see, and those who have not heard shall understand. He is quoting, I love this, he's quoting from Isaiah, the Apostle Paul, New Testament, quoting from the book of Isaiah to be his ministry motive and... And point of action. Paul, what are you doing? I am going to go preach where Jesus has not been heard.

9:29 Where do you get off doing that? The book of Isaiah. That's how we're supposed to live. It's thrilling. It's exciting. Remember, I've told you before, if your Christianity is boring, you're doing it wrong. And so we get a great, great insight by the apostle. By the way, for your note takers, it's Isaiah 52 verse 15 is what he was quoting. But we go on in verse 22 and he says, for this reason, I also have been much hindered. That word hindered is resisted, yes, but please put it in order. He's got a reason. He's got a reason. He says, for this reason, look, it's all, listen, if you have a reason, then the hindrances, hear me out, If you have a vision, dad, fathers, think about your family.

10:20 Does your family have a vision for your family? Does your family have a purpose? Are you just existing? We get up, we go, we come home. Same thing every day. Listen, that's just stuff that puts bread on the table and the kid goes to school. That's not living. What is the vision? What is the purpose of that? What is the reason for your family, for your marriage, for your existence? A lot of young people today are losing hope. That's so tragic because this is the greatest time to have hope. We look around at the world and the world's got no answers.

11:03 God's got the answer. We need to be giving young people the answer. We need to be giving young people the Bible like never before. But we got to, listen, to endure the challenges, we must have a reason. And this is true in life, and it's super true, of course, regarding spiritual life. And so the word reason means this, if you'd write this down. The Greek word reason, it means this is why. If somebody asks you, the answer is not, well, because. Why are you doing this? Because. That's not an answer. By the way, your five-year-old kid knows that. When you say, why are you doing that? Why? Because answer is not an answer.

11:43 This is why. On the account of, for this purpose, for, listen, for this is the motive. Why are we here today as a church? I want to grow deeper with Jesus should be our motive, right? I hope that's our motive. I want to get closer to him. I want to be faithful. Right? I want to be more like him. That's what we want to be as believers. And then we see regarding this reason. He gave it way back at the beginning of Romans chapter 1 verse 13. This is what he said. This is his reason. Now I do not want you to be unaware brethren that I often plan to come to you. Remember he's writing.

12:23 He's in Corinth Greece writing to them in Rome. But was hindered until now. that I might have some fruit among you also, just as among the other Gentiles. I want to get to Rome. He's got this reason. I want to meet you. I want to see you. What I love about the apostle is that these are believers that he has never met before. It's not like he's going to have a reunion. Wouldn't it be fun? What if we could do this? What if we could say in the next two hours, meet me down at LAX, And we are going to take off and we are going to fly to Papua New Guinea.

13:07 And now for some of you are carnal. You're thinking, but there's mosquitoes. Or they don't wear much clothes there. This is true. All of it's true. But I say we're going to Papua New Guinea because we have the opportunity to give the gospel to a hundred natives in the jungle. Amen. It's all paid. All expenses paid. Did you know that some of you, I'm just making, I'm not throwing you under the bus at all. I'm just hypothetically saying, did you know that some of you still won't go? It's all paid for. In fact, I even got permission from your boss. Your boss said, yes, please take him, get him out of here.

13:51 And you don't want to go. I want you to know that God has paid the price. The expenses have all been covered for you and I to get the gospel out to those that are around us and to those that are beyond us. But there's gonna be hindrances because God has given us a reason, a vision. And that word hindered, mark it down if you would. I love this and I'll tell you why in a moment. To cut in line. Isn't that an interesting word? In Greek language means, we've got this reason to do a really, really good thing.

14:32 But something or someone keeps cutting in line. Right? The word means to stop up or to impede, to retard or thwart, to make weary. The word means, and it can refer to either demonic resistance and or human limitations. In other words, whatever excuse, oh, I don't have what it takes to... To share the gospel or to be involved, watch, or to be involved in the gospel or to support the gospel. I don't have what it takes. Listen, don't lie to yourself like that. God called you for a purpose, friend. Don't raise your hand, but are you a Christian? Why did God save you?

15:13 Think about it. Why am I saved? Why are you saved? Sometimes you think we get saved and we just, well, now that I'm saved, I guess I'll just wait for the next 65 years until I drop over. And then go to heaven. No. God has saved you. And he's saying, come on, let's go. I want to send you places. Follow me. Let's go. And we do it for the love of God. Not for the comfort of our flesh. Or for anything else. But it's quite remarkable. But that word to be hindered. I'll honestly tell you. That I may be weird.

15:56 But attacks, criticisms, hindrances that come to me, I view them as profound, watch, two things, profound indicators and assurances. Number one, I have noticed in my Christian life that every time God is going to do something, There's going to be some tremendous opposition to my life in some way, shape, or form. It could be I find a lump on my neck or a person attacks or somebody does something physical, whatever it might be. And it's like, wait a minute.

16:39 This just happened? That's unusual. Listen, when something unusual happens in the way of hindrance because you're a Christian... what's coming? What's coming, Lord? That was intense. That person cussed me out up one side, down the other. When you, listen, when you have a hindrance, you don't give up. You should say, wait a minute. Number one, it's possible that God is hindering me from going forward. That's awesome. Lord, you do it. If it's the enemy or my flesh hindering me, that's awesome.

17:21 Lord, defeat it. Anything but stagnant is remarkable. Look at 2 Corinthians 12, verse 7 says, And lest I should be exalted above measure, this is Paul speaking about the remarkable ministry God had given him, by the abundance of the revelations, A thorn in the flesh was given to me. What was it, Paul? A messenger of Satan to buffet me lest I be exalted above measure. Two things about this. Number one, Paul was given so much revelation and insight and clarity regarding the gospel that Paul understood, okay, it makes sense.

18:06 It makes sense for me to be buffeted like this by the enemy to keep me usable, right? Isn't that a good word? Men, listen up. Keep yourself usable. And all the women said, Amen. See? But sometimes, and this is the way my brain works, a messenger of Satan to buffet? What? Wait. Wait, Satan's going to eat me alive? I am the buffet? No, no, no. Sometimes God will allow... Satan to do things for God's glory, because you and I are the instruments by which God is glorified.

18:49 In fact, the men and women of the church, you guys have just embarked upon the study of Job. And this is a great verse that backs all that up. And Paul said, I'm good with it. Because my fleshly problems that I have these ailments or these sicknesses or these issues keep me from trusting in my own strength and powers. It weakens me to lean on God. That's always a good day, everybody. And then the other thing is this. I can't take any credit for what God is doing. It's not my life. It's God that's doing it. So it's all of him. It has nothing to do with me.

19:29 I'm just an instrument. That's what Paul is saying. And don't you want to live like that? I want to live like that. It's thrilling. 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 jackhibbs.com to learn more and stay connected.