God's Love Never Fails

(0:00 - 0:12) Real Life presents the Jack Hibbs Podcast. With intention and boldness to proclaim truth, equip the saints, and impact our culture. Jesus said, a new commandment I give you goes like this. (0:12 - 0:18) The new commandment I give you, this is the one you're going to do. It's not on stone. I'm going to write it on your heart. (0:20 - 0:42) And it's this. When you understand what I'm going to do for you at the cross and rise from the dead, you are going to find out how much you're loved by the Almighty God. You can get the outlines of this podcast by going to Jackhibbs.com slash podcast. (0:42 - 0:57) 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. (0:58 - 1:11) Now open your hearts to what God's word has to say to you. Here is Jack Hibbs. John chapter 13, verse 34, Jesus said, A new commandment I give you, that you love one another as I have loved you. (1:11 - 1:17) Isn't that interesting, by the way? It was not a new commandment the way that you're thinking. The Old Testament had said that. Love one another. (1:17 - 1:29) So what was Jesus saying? A new commandment I give you. Let me tell you. Because Jesus was the one saying it right there and that the Holy Spirit would soon be coming, when Jesus said a new commandment I give you, it goes like this. (1:30 - 1:37) The new commandment I give you, this is the one you're going to do. It's not the one you're going to fail at. It's the one you're going to do. (1:39 - 1:45) It's not on stone. I'm going to write it on your heart. And it's this. (1:45 - 2:10) When you understand what I'm going to do for you at the cross and rise from the dead, you are going to find out how much you're loved by the Almighty God. And you'll be so grateful, you're just going to just blow up into this blossom of love. And you're going to love those that are unlovable. (2:12 - 2:31) Practical, real, biblically based love. And Jesus, again, John chapter 13, I started reading that verse 34 and 35. He says, a new commandment I give to you that you love one another as I have loved you, that you also love one another. (2:31 - 2:41) Verse 35, by this all will know that you are my disciples. Oh my goodness, everybody, listen. By this you're going to know that you belong to me. (2:42 - 2:50) If you have love one for another. Practical, living love. John 15, verse 12. (2:51 - 2:58) I'm asking you to write these down and then we'll move on. John 15, 12, this is my commandment. That you love one another as I have loved you. (2:59 - 3:12) Greater love has no man than this, than a man lay down his life for his friends. We could all say amen to that. But that also means that those that are around you, listen, this is the easiest right now. (3:12 - 3:19) We're in class right now. The people here, they're your neighbor. You say, well, I have neighbors in my neighborhood. (3:19 - 3:30) You have neighbors in your neighborhood, but the love of God starts in the house of God first. You're to love one another. And you need to do that. (3:30 - 3:36) And here's the truth of the matter. Listen, big church, big blessings. Big church, big problems. (3:41 - 3:47) Anybody could come here at any given time. We have no membership. People could just show up, and they do. (3:47 - 4:09) Some people come to cause trouble, and they do. But one of the greatest things, you can't capture this on surveillance camera or anything else, and that is an attitude. There are people who come in and out of this place. (4:09 - 4:19) They might even be faithful to come, but they're as lost as the day is long. They don't care what Jesus has to say to them. They treat their husband like dirt. (4:21 - 5:07) They cheat on their wives. They're all into porn, or they beat their kids, or the kid is sneaking out of the house at night knowing his parents love him, but he loves pleasure more than he loves his parents, and he certainly loves pleasure more than God. People know. Some people do. Some people act in certain ways, and they keep coming to church. Some people say that God told me to tell you it's okay for me to have a woman on the side. (5:09 - 5:21) Don't be surprised over this. You're not a Christian. Really, you're a Christian? I'm a Christian adulterer. (5:22 - 5:36) Really? If you're a Christian adulterer, then you're taking Jesus into your adultery. So just remember this. The next time you're with that girl, open up the door and say, Jesus, come on in, because that's what you've done. (5:37 - 5:52) No, see, you're not really doing that because you're not a Christian. Can a man fall? Can a woman fall? Ask King David. But can you live like that? Christians cannot live like that. (5:53 - 6:05) It's not possible. The Holy Spirit will not allow it. If the Holy Spirit dwells in you, he will make you repulsed at these things. (6:09 - 6:17) And yet there's people that come in and out through the doors of any church, and they think they're fine with God. Listen, they insult his intelligence. They insult his spirit. (6:18 - 6:38) They mock him, and they think that they are okay with God. They're not okay with God. In 1 Peter 1, verse 22, 1 Peter 1, 22, it says, Since you have purified your souls and obeyed the truth through the Spirit and sincere love of the brethren, love one another fervently with a pure heart. (6:38 - 6:46) My goodness, I could go on. 1 Peter 4, 8, And above all things, have fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins. Not point them out. (6:46 - 6:52) Not point them out. Not blame. Not make it the other person's fault. (6:53 - 7:02) But love will cover a multitude of sins. Mark 12, 31, And the second is like it, that is the commandment. You shall love your neighbor as yourself, for there is no other commandment greater than these. (7:02 - 7:10) And then finally right here, Romans 12, verses 9 through 10, Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. (7:10 - 7:30) Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, and honor giving preference to one another. And then church in verse 9, We owe love to one another, because listen, I owe you the proof of His love. And this is both, listen, in the negative and in the positive. (7:31 - 8:00) In a negative article, by the way, I read this week regarding, in preparing for this, in this article, it went on to talk about this, and I'll give you the quote here. It says, The Jesus of their religion, this person was speaking about Christians, the Jesus of their religion emphasized that loving others is as important as loving God. This command is the cornerstone of the Christian faith. (8:00 - 8:05) These guys were laughing about this comment. And the measure of true discipleship. They were mocking. (8:06 - 8:12) They were laughing about that statement right there. But listen, read the statement. Is it not true? 100% true. (8:12 - 8:25) But they were laughing because their particular exposure had taught them that it's not true. This is what they say, but it's not what they do. And Jesus would say to the unbeliever, they're correct. (8:27 - 8:50) They are correct about the assessment of the church at large. Is that loving God and loving one another is the cornerstone of their faith, but is it to be believed? There's a quote by McGee. Of course, he says, Thou shall not commit adultery. (8:50 - 9:04) Now you can almost hear his voice, right? Can I do it? I'll try. Thou shall not commit adultery. Now don't tell me that you love someone and are committing adultery with that one. (9:05 - 9:16) You can call that love if you want to, but it is nothing in the world but sex. It is licentiousness. It is fornication. (9:17 - 9:30) And it is sin in God's sight. God hasn't changed his mind about it. And that is powerfully true. (9:30 - 9:44) If you and I love one another, we cannot be committing adultery. You have to be married to commit adultery. If you're having sex outside of marriage, that's called fornication. (9:47 - 10:13) Sex that breaks up the marriage is called adultery, and you cannot be a Christian and practice adultery. You can be a Christian that falls and commits adultery, but that Christian will be the first one to jump up out of their skin, so to speak, and say, I got my eyes off of Jesus. I fell. I repent. And by the way, when they repent, they have no conditions. Listen up, everybody. (10:13 - 10:26) This is free. This is free what you're about to hear. When somebody comes back to you, when your spouse comes back and says, I'm sorry, what are you sorry for? You know, don't fill in the blanks for them. (10:27 - 10:42) You'll never know if they're repenting. When they say, I'm sorry, you know, it's just sometimes, you know, people do that, you know. Throw them out. (10:43 - 10:51) That's not repentance. That's not repentance. You won't, you won't have to solicit repentance from them. (10:52 - 11:22) They will come on their belly with tears, never to do it again, hating the sin because it offended the holy God because they loved God first. How can you love somebody when he says here in this verse, remarkably, he says, you shall not commit murder. You know, I just, I just love you bunches, but I'm going to kill you. (11:26 - 11:44) You can't, listen, you can't love God and you can't love your neighbor if you're stealing stuff from them. Well, it was only a dollar. It doesn't matter if it was a penny that we are now not going to make anymore as a country. (11:46 - 11:53) It doesn't matter. How can you love somebody and lie about them? They're a false witness. You don't love them. (11:58 - 12:18) How can we love somebody if we covet what they have? They got what? Yeah, did you hear? He just got a promotion. He's going to make a million dollars a minute. He's what? And now you get all angst inside. (12:21 - 12:33) What's your problem? Nothing. Oh, I see, I see a little covetous going on there. I see what this is, what this means. (12:34 - 12:40) I don't want him to have it. I want to have what he has. I'm not happy that he has it. (12:40 - 12:56) I should have gotten it. I deserve that. This happens at work all the time when somebody gets a promotion or when somebody gets a pat on the back or when somebody covets someone else's relationship. (12:58 - 13:09) That could lead to dangerous things. If there is any other commandment, they're all summed up in this saying, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. Verse 9 teaches us. (13:11 - 13:24) Very powerful. James chapter 2 verse 8, the Bible tells us if you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. You do well. (13:26 - 13:46) And so I'm going to give you a proof positive as to how it may be difficult for your friends, family, spouse to come back next week. And I don't say this to be funny, but I'd rather expose truth than you deal with it. Verse 10 ends by the Scripture saying to us, love does no harm to a neighbor. (13:47 - 13:58) Therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law, and that is, I owe you everything good. Friends, listen. I, Jack, owe you everything that I can possibly do for you that is good. (14:01 - 14:09) You understand? Watch this. Do the math. You owe me the same. (14:11 - 14:33) But take me out of the picture, put me in the pews, and bring up Susie, and put her here. And that equation's true. Do you see what I'm saying? If we were to bring every single one of you up in this service individually, one at a time, the equation's true. (14:35 - 14:58) We owe you, and he would owe us. You see this beautiful thing? We would not do each other harm. The word means we wouldn't scheme or plot to somehow be up over the other at their expense. (14:59 - 15:24) So yeah, this is church discipline built into this. It's not a happy thing, but it's a reality. It is important for us to make sure that our profession matches our actions, and I am pleading because not only does this church agree with what I'm about to say, but ministers that I know across the United States were all going through the same thing. (15:24 - 15:40) There's a pandemic, and no mask is going to help you like it ever could. No vaccine can help you like it ever could. There's a pandemic that is far worse than anything that can be grown in a Petri dish. (15:41 - 16:22) There's a pandemic of the destruction of marriage. Right now, like never before seen, the gates of hell seem to have been swung open off their hinges from coast to coast, border to border where Christian homes are breaking up. You want to know why? Because somebody in the marriage decided to love themselves more than God, and everybody pays so you can have your jollies, and you have no idea, but you will pay for the damage that it's done to others' lives. (16:23 - 16:30) And we cannot sit idle in this. This has put the fear of God in you. I hope so. (16:31 - 16:44) I'm just a mere little man. I'm nothing. Can you imagine if Jesus were to say, I know you called upon my name. (16:44 - 16:50) I know you even had a Bible study group. You even did miracles. You cast out demons. (16:54 - 16:58) Depart from me. I never knew you. Wow. (17:01 - 17:58) My dear friends, please. Look, let's stand. I'll say it this way, but you have to stand. We're way over it. Listen. I'll put it this way. Here's the thing. You are invited to stop my grandkids. Ask them, who is your papa when he's not on the stage? Stop my kids. Ask them, who's your dad when he's not on the stage? Ask Lisa, who is he? Tell us who he is. I owe you that. You owe me that. (17:59 - 18:36) If I love you, I must stop you and say, how's your husband doing? How are you guys doing? Just stop your kids. How are your parents doing? When a young girl, 16 years old, comes up to me last Wednesday night, she's all nervous, and she starts to talk, and she starts bawling. And I thought, oh boy, this is going to be an ugly story. (18:36 - 18:43) This is going to be sad. Boy, was I surprised. She said, I started coming to this church during COVID. (18:49 - 19:00) The Bible changed my life so much. My dad, tough, LAPD. He saw the change going on in my life. (19:05 - 19:18) My dad started coming to the church. She said, my dad got saved. And I wanted to tell you, Pastor Jack, I'm here to report on my parents. (19:21 - 19:30) This church has changed my parents' marriage. It's changed our home. And it's changed the trajectory of my life, she said. (19:30 - 19:57) That's what's possible if you love God first. In Jesus' name and all God's people said, Amen. Connected.