Give Your Life Away

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 He's saying I don't care what anybody says on Facebook, I don't care what anybody says on the news about me. I've lived my life before the Lord. He's been my judge, moment by moment, day by day, my whole life, so much to the point that I let the Lord judge my life and he'll tell me what to do, because he's real, he's alive. This is not religion, it's not a game. What a way to live. 00:35 - Speaker 1 You can get the outlines of this podcast by going to jackhibbs.com/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. 01:03 - Speaker 2 I want you to write this down, if you would, so you guys know the man, barnabas in the book of Acts. Barnabas, what a man, what an amazing guy. Barnabas. He had a nickname son of encouragement. He was always encouraging people. Barnabas, and there's four things that he stands out with with scripture reference, and you'll find that in verse six if you have my notes with you. But Barnabas, he was a with scripture reference and you'll find that in verse 6 if you have my notes with you. But Barnabas, he was a generous giver. Did you know that? We know that about him because in Acts, chapter 4, verse 36 and 7, it says so. Barnabas, the Christian man, was a generous giver. Barnabas also number 2, was a faithful friend. We learn that from Acts, chapter 9. The third thing is Barnabas is committed. He's a committed encourager. He verbalized encouragement to people. I'll come back to this in a moment. Fourthly, barnabas, he was a forgiving brother. You see him doing that very same thing in Acts 15. He's a remarkable man. I point out the sum of it in verse 3, or point 3. He was a committed encourager. 02:17 Can I encourage all of you to consider this, that when you see someone in the family of God or somebody in your family at home, speak up and say it, encourage them. Can you guys hear me today? If they've done something, tell them. Say well, why should I Like? For example, I mowed the lawn yesterday exceptionally awesome. I'm just saying all glory to God, he gave me the lawn mower and he gave me the skill. Because I cut the lines one way and because it's baseball season, I was thinking I'm going to do it this way as well perpendicular. Because I cut the lines one way and because it's baseball season, I was thinking I'm going to do it this way as well perpendicular. So my yard had the what do you call it? Diamond cut or whatever it is, and it's just like. Oh, even I sensed. I sensed even the birds in the trees were going, the squirrels in our trees, they were like nuts over this whole thing. It was amazing and I can say this right now because she's not here. 03:41 Lisa didn't say a thing about it. Now, to her credit, she would say but that's what you do, that's what you do, you love it. You love that so much. You don't need encouragement. That may be true. That may be true in your life and those around you. It's still good to say it be true in your life and those around you. It's still good to say it. 04:08 I'll show you a kid that gets encouragement from his parents versus a kid who doesn't. One stands up straight. One says things like I can do that he has no idea that he can't but he thinks he can. Why? Because he's been so encouraged. He'll try. Where the other one who has the skill to do something, their head's hanging down and they just stand back in the shadows because they know they're going to fail at everything. Why? Because that's what they've been told In the church. That should never happen and in the Christian home it's got to stop. 04:45 Encourage one another. What of you? Romans, chapter 1, verse 12. The Bible says that is that I may be encouraged, together with you, by the mutual faith both of you and me. Paul is saying let's encourage each other. 05:04 What about Acts, chapter 11, verse 23? When he came and had seen the grace of God, he was glad and encouraged them all that, with purpose of heart, they should continue with the Lord, wow. Hebrews 12, verse 12. Therefore, strengthen another word for encourage the hands which hang down and the feeble knees and make straight paths for your feet so that what is lame may not be dislocated, but rather healed by encouragement. You can do it. Listen, church, family, I can guarantee you this. I'm encouraging you right now. I'm encouraging you right now. 05:41 If you don't go to this church, whatever church you go, to make sure it's a Bible teaching church that gives you opportunity to exercise your gift that God, the Spirit's, given you. Work out your own salvation. The Bible says, with fear and trembling meaning now that you're saved, go apply it, go live it because you're saved, go do it. You do that. Here's my encouragement. You're going to finish well. You are going to have a life that made a difference. 06:11 There are Christians who will go into eternity. They never made a difference. The Bible says they're saved. Get so by fire. It means they just came in. Their wranglers or their Levites are smoldering because they just made it in, because they kind of sat on their Christianity all their life. And then there are those that their works actually go ahead of them. Now remember works don't get you into heaven. Jesus does. 06:38 And so the scripture says, in the sight of all men, live out your life, because that's what we're doing. We're going to be doing good. We're going to be doing good. We're going to be conducting ourselves, because all are watching, all can see, and that word, good things is this one word, and it means beautiful things, good things, better things, the best things, commendable things, do those things. And then, finally, church. It's this In verse 18, it says if it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceable with all men. Wow, so how do we do this? Well, the apologetic is this. The argument is this that there's an awesome assertion here by the Bible that when you and I do good and when we do the right thing, we're engaged, that when that begins to happen, we are spreading, we are communicating good things. And that winds up affecting this last and final point. By this, by the way, and you know it well, philippians 4, verse 8. This is awesome. This is what we're talking about. 08:03 Finally, now, in my notes I have I wrote in their finale in my notes, not here on the screen, but in my notes. Do you want to know why? Finally, this is Paul's conclusion to the believers at Philippi, but it's also his finale to them. It's the crescendo Ooh, you know? You ever go to Disneyland? We used to go to Disneyland, yeah, I know. Well, they used to have fireworks at the end of the day. And what was that? That was the finale to the day the fireworks. And then there's the finale to the finale, right? So think of it this way, finally. 08:49 Well, the finale is brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are, just now, apply this to yourself. Whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely Wow, this is like. This is a great passage to apply to a lot of, if not all, the problems in our lives. The temptations that come against us hey, the temptations we allow. This is how you counter it. Whatever things are good, report, or of a good report. If there is any virtue, if there is anything praiseworthy, meditate on these things. Do you know what? Then? Don't meditate on things that are not noble. Do not meditate on things that are not pure Are you hearing me? Everybody? Things that are not loving, don't give it one moment of thought in your mind. Fight it off, because verse 18, we need to stop being the winner in everything. If it is possible, as much as it depends upon you, live peaceably with all men. It means this, simply the word virtue. 10:03 I found this, in closing, just amazing. So in Roman history, in Greco-Roman history, there was a deity. I did not know that because there's so many gods they're hard to, it's hard to study them all. So but there was a deity by the name Virtuous. I didn't know that and the Greco-Roman world worshipped virtuous, because virtuous, in Latin is the word that means listen, masculine. Isn't that interesting? I need your attention. Now we're almost done. 10:46 According to paganism, a man should be virtuous. I mean, that's like a rebuke to the church from paganism. In other words, paganism is saying all men should be virtuous. Certainly that was true of the arguments of Aristotle and Socrates, plato, certainly Marcus Aurelius. If you've ever read his book you can get it at Barnes Noble, I just saw it last night. It's there. Remarkable, I wonder. I wonder if he became saved at some point. How about 135-ish emperor anyway? 11:36 Virtuous, listen means masculine. It means excellent or valor. It means courageous by nature and conduct. All of virtuous characteristics were masculine strengths in the greco-roman world. It was thus a frequently stated virtue of the roman emperors, which were to be personified or incarnate spirit of virtuous. They were supposed to be noble. They or incarnate spirit of virtuous. They were supposed to be noble. They may not have been noble, but they were supposed to act noble because of the God virtuous Wow, that was a pagan deity. 12:16 You and I know the real, living deity. We know the truth and friends, it's going to take humility for you and I not to be the winner all the time and let others win out, and to let others know that we are making overtures to be virtuous, to live peaceable with them. This is a strong end in my opinion. It is not an endorsement for being a pacifist. A pacifist has no place in scripture. I would argue that a pacifist is a self-deluded theoretical coward. Think that through for a moment. Self-deluded coward Because it's not true. But to be a virtuous believer and to be a believer who is okay with humbling themselves and healing the situation makes them a peacemaker, and that's completely in line with scripture. So I want to leave you with this in your mind. I am. This is an odd way to learn, I think, but let's look at it like a parable, but it's not. So. 13:50 It turns out that in King David's life, when you look at his life in King David's life, it turned out from start to finish it was way easier to kill giants than it was for him to control his emotions. I'm not so concerned about the external world around us as I am concerned about the internal world within me, because out of my mouth can fly blessings and praise, or out of my mouth can fly cursings and hate. When people are spouting off all over the world right now and being godless, where's it coming from, friends, listen, our government can't do anything about the human heart. Only the church can do that. You think the government's going to do anything for you? What if they cut taxes? What if they actually pave our roads in California? What if they're able to keep the lights on? That's not going to change the human heart. That's where the church comes in. I'm really concerned about that. Right now, government's doing its thing securing the borders, all this stuff. That's going on Good. What's the church doing? I don't mean you, you guys are amazing. I mean the church in America. 15:27 But David at the pinnacle of his attention. In fact, at this moment David had more followers than at any other time. And in the springtime, when Israel or when the nations go to war, the Bible says in springtime, david, instead of going to war, stayed home. He sent his troops out. And David stayed home. Probably got up late, slept in every day, got a little flabby, I don't know, at least flabby on the inside. This is the man who had killed a giant and a lion and a bear when he was a kid, walking around, looking around, whoa, woo-wee. Now that didn't come out of him, but that's what was going on on the inside. 16:22 Bathsheba was on her roof, but her roof was below his roof and he's watching her take a bath. And you know how Satan works. She had to be something. Satan sought to that and instead of him saying yo, Lord, I should have went to battle, please forgive me, walked away. He could have said somebody put a shower curtain around her tub. You know, let's build a defense against that. Or David might say hey guys, don't let me on the roof at this time of the day, nope. Or David might say, hey guys, don't let me on the roof at this time of the day, nope. He tells Joab I want you to go tell her to. 17:11 - Speaker 1 I don't want to talk to her. 17:16 - Speaker 2 Joab's not stupid. He goes and tells her she comes to see the king. They make a baby. And David finds out she's pregnant. So he says who's her husband? Oh, Uriah, he's an awesome man. He's so devoted to you, David. He's an incredible commander of his unit. He's an awesome commando. He's bringing back from war. Have him eat, get drunk. He'll sleep with his wife. He'll think it's his baby. I'm good All that happens. Except he says to himself how can I enjoy my wife while my guys are out in battle? I can't do that. So he didn't go home. He like slept at the Veterans Administration building. And David finds out about it. What's wrong with this guy? That babe is there and he's not going to be. What's he crazy? So then he tells Joab, put him in the front of the battle, up front, and then call the retreat, but don't tell him that we're retreating and let the enemy forces kill him. This is David. 18:32 David is a murderer, he's an adulterer and he's a manipulator. He did all that after killing a giant, and the rest of his life read it in the Bible is a disaster. His kids are a disaster. His life's a disaster. The kingdom's a mess. His private sin engulfed the nation, All because he had to be the winner. I'm asking you today to give your life away. Just give it up, Stop it, Take the wheel, hand it to Jesus, Because by doing so you're saying I repent of my sins. I am that man, so you take control. Lord God, I receive your forgiveness. Thank you for your atonement at the cross and I want to live a new life. Thank you for your atonement at the cross. 19:54 - Speaker 1 And I want to live a new life.