Inquiring Minds

real life presents the Jack Hibbs podcast with intention and boldness to proclaim truth equip the saints and impact our culture if you're not a Christian you are one heartbeat away from hell right now you've hit my heart check that's fine it's strong don't slip on any bananas watch out you know I'm saying you are walking on a bridge of thread over a raging fire and you don't even know it 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 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 in 1st John 418 the Bible tells us there's no fear in love but perfect or complete love cast out fear because fear involves torment boy does it not but he who fears has not been made perfect or complete in love so what does that mean the person that fears as a believer I'm just talking by the way first John's written to Christians only if you're not a Christian you should worry big time you should be in total gut wrenching fear right now tonight if you're not a Christian you are one heartbeat away from hell right now I just have my heart checked it's fine it's strong don't slip on any bananas watch out you know I'm saying you are you are walking on a bridge of thread over a raging fire and you don't even know it William Booth the founder the Salvation Army said if I could take all of my soldiers and show them hell they would never backslide imagine listen first John's written to the Christian we are not to fear because fear always generates torment we are to be an awe of God see you put the Bible say fear God yeah yeah it does say fear God in English the word some maybe some translations I haven't seen it yet but maybe some translations would put it right it's be an awe it's reverential awe of God right like you go to Grand Canyon you stand on the edge it's like what that's how you approach God this is amazing this is too big fear Satan loves fear he loves to rip people off with fear and the Bible says why fear you don't need to fear perfect love meaning God's love realized for you remorse fear Paul knew this you know this when when they said okay we're gonna we're gonna kill you Paul I'm sure this is how it came about we're gonna kill you okay you can kill me bad that'd be good I'll go straight to heaven so go go for it well wait a minute then we're gonna let you live okay that's fantastic to because to I'll just keep living for Jesus so wait a minute can you imagine these guys they don't know if they're gonna give them 20 bucks to catch a cab or an axe to cut his head off they don't know what to do with this guy because Paul the Apostle said to live is Christ to die is gain I'm sure it came out of a situation where Rome said you know what we're gonna kill you you taking your little mouth all around the Empire talking about Jesus we're gonna take you out and I'm certainly just said yeah which way how do you want to I'm good with it well then if you're good with it because we're trying to destroy you if you're good with it we're gonna let you live all right that's good to you can't stop someone like that you understand that that's the Christian life the only reason why you and I are not like that if we are not like that is because of fear that's why the Bible says don't fear what man can do to you know this be honest we can only die so long so what did it torture me what if there's all these start start graving crazy they're gonna chop her heads off that would be pretty quick right think about it you could only die so long and then there's eternal life don't fear number six why me or you why me is a tendency Jeremiah 31 threes is the Lord has appeared of old to me saying yes I have loved you with an everlasting love therefore with loving kindness I have drawn you the love of God draws in the midst of a world that is invented all kinds of things to rattle our minds or what many will think comfort them God says above everything in this world I love you my love is real my love can be experienced today I don't know where you were today but if you had a chance to be outside at all if you were driving maybe some of you working I don't know just even if you went from one office building to the other today today was perfect it was just perfect what and what did you think about that when the breeze breeze coming off the ocean you're feeling on your skin what was amazing if you wanted to be warm if you're in the sun the sun was intense if you wanted to cool off in an instant you just step one foot over into the shade it seemed like nature was responding to today just the sound of it when you think about when you say our ask why me you're forgetting that God loves you absolutely we have to wake up to this because it doesn't come natural for us you might be here today and you're not a Christian God loves you he hates what you're doing is it amazing you don't you enjoy it God hates it because he sees the outcome of it think about it if the God of the Bible wasn't loving then he wouldn't be upset with you for doing wrong he'd say go kill yourself what do I care but because he loves you he doesn't want you to hurt yourself he loves you and then finally why wait I don't know maybe I'm blinded to this but it seems to me it's it should be harder to be an unbeliever nowadays I mean let's end with this why would you not believe in God I would like you to get your Bible out or borrow somebody's Bible and show someone or me where in why here in the it's over here it's this chapter in this verse this is why I can't be a believer oh that's why so it's not it's not because you know believe in God have you noticed that I am convinced I've never met an atheist I'm convinced of it I have learned that people who claim that they're atheist they have the luxury to claim their atheists does it make sense because when life gets rough for the atheist almost all of them cry out for God and those who don't I was so sad the day that Christopher Hitchens died he was my favorite atheist I liked him a lot was he foul foul bad mouth bad mouth but you ever listen to his arguments he's gene brilliant man you know you I can't recommend you listening to him because he cusses a lot in his debates but you know his problem was he claimed to be the most famous atheist in the world he was problem was he was an atheist because every time he gave a presentation all over the world when he was given it he attacked the God of the Bible for the way God does things he was furious at God and he would say so and you listen to him and you listen and you realize he is a he does believe it's twisted it's wrong but how can you be upset with someone who doesn't exist you don't yell at the fire hydrant for getting in your way right there are no atheists I'm convinced that doesn't happen everyone's pagan or Christian well pastor I just I find that only offensive it's because I got you that's why I got you I did I made you think didn't I made you think because if if you claim to be an atheist it's because you have the luxury to complain about the God of the universe and by you say so you're actually grumbling about the one you don't believe in you can't be you can't do that it's illogical in fact I think the Puritans used to use the word insane the word ensainment a man who thinks without God if you think without God you're insane isn't that great I love that I don't believe in God you are not right so why wait because you know if you're not a believer tonight are you wouldn't want to be a believer many times I've heard people say well where was God when I was nine years old we grieve with you in that by the way but why don't you direct your anger at the right one Jesus told you in this book Satan has come to rob kill and destroy I have come to give you life well you know what I married this man or this woman and she was a Christian and then she ran out on God yeah that's a heartbreak and that happens all the time God doesn't make robots he's not gonna make you believe and he's not gonna make somebody keep believing in the whole question comes down to was that individual really in the family of God or not here's the deal tonight and every one of our lives tonight I don't care how young you are it's how it's expressed newborn baby to a man or woman is 99 years old we have to we have to experience love two ways because we've been creating the image of God we have to receive love we have to have it we'll die without it and we have to give it so what you were designed to do because you've been created the image of God and tonight your life has been not all that healthy as a non-believer because you've not allowed the love of God to love you like you just was to be loved you're not gonna find love in sex you understand that sex is one of the ingredients that God gave regarding love but sex is not love power is not love wealth is not love does it make sense why are some people poor as dirt and happy I was gonna say happy as a clam I don't know what that means but we you know what I'm saying why is what is that why listen 45 minutes at this time of the day we can be we could be in Brentwood or Bell Air right in 45 minutes right here straight down the 60 some of the richest people in the world who are stoning themselves out of their minds right now sleeping around trying to figure out what the meaning of the life is and their idols in our world and nobody if they knew would want to live like them it's all the show but every one of us want love they they need the love of God and they need to give I'll leave you with this illustration I've said it a zillion times I love it you think of God being merciful for 120 years while Noah was proclaiming truth and building an ark in his front yard can you imagine and then God says get in the get in the boat and the family gets in the boat and the Bible says God shut the door I'd like to have seen that he mentioned all the neighbors say Noah what are you doing and the door about self just goes and didn't it rain like a week later was in a long time it's like it like it door didn't shut in the art pull away can you imagine the people outside hey Noah where's the water remember that it had not the Bible said it had not rained on the earth yet and then can you imagine a cloud comes what is that and it starts dropping on rain at some point in time I bet you know I could hear them crying on the ark just getting open the door open the door open the door so Lisa and I run a cruise ship in Alaska in a honeymoon couple we found out later they're a honeymoon couple they tell you you know the boat leaves it for but beyond the boat at three don't be late if you're late here's the information for you to figure out how to get to the next stop for this ship don't be late and so before an hour before the ship's going it's letting you know man you can just be trying on something there and it's like come on let's go why cuz the ship's leaving and away everybody gets on board and the attendance are taking the gangway off the dock and you see this uber car pull up and these young couple with shopping bags and stuff and they're going and the ship just starts going like this and they're standing like this I'm serious we watched the whole thing happen we did we're just like this I'm sorry but we did we're just like this don't tell me there's nothing you can do hey look that's merciful because there's no second stop when that ship leaves when Jesus comes it's over or when your heart stops it's over there's no second chance this jack hips podcast as well as all the broadcast out reach opportunities are listener supported will you consider partnering with us through a special gift go to jack hips dot com to learn more and stay connected