The Christian Life Is A Marathon

00:00 - Announcer (Announcement)
Real life presents the Jack Hibbs podcast with intention and boldness to proclaim truth, equip the saints and impact our culture.

00:09 - Jack Hibbs (Host)
When the Holy Spirit goes to work in the life of a believer, it is a marathon. And here's the amazing thing it's not the flash in the pan that proves anything, it's who comes across the finish line at the marathon, you know.

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00:52 - Jack Hibbs (Host)
I'm going to give you a string of verses. You guys ready, right? Small Ephesians 2, 222. Watch this, listen up In whom you also are being built together for a dwelling place of God in the spirit. What does that mean? He is writing Paul is to the believers in Ephesus and he's announcing to them that you, mere mortals, humans, can become the dwelling place of Almighty God by the Holy Spirit. It's called being a follower of Christ, or what Jesus again said, being born again.

01:24
And you want to ask yourself do I know that to be true in my life? Just very simple Do I know that that verse is actually true in my life? There are a lot of us who can say absolutely. Second thing is 1 Corinthians 3, verse 16. Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the spirit of God dwells in you? You say, jack, no, come on. If the spirit of God dwells in you, then I want to see you jump 45 feet, or I want to see you shoot lightning bolts out of your fingertips. This is not a circus and God is not a clown and he's not some sideshow. That would accomplish nothing whatsoever of meaning.

02:13
Listen, what will accomplish something of eternal meaning is that when the Holy Spirit goes to work in the life of a believer, it is a marathon. And some of us, when we give our lives to Jesus, some things change instantly. Some of you cussed like a sailor and then you came to Christ and it ended instantly. Or some of you had this pursuit or that desire or this, and there's some things that God you know that right in our lives he took care of instantly. And then there's some things he took care of later and there's some things he's still working on. And here's the amazing thing it's not the flash in the pan that proves anything, it's who comes across the finish line at the marathon. You know, and this thing called Christianity is a life and it's done by the Spirit of God dwelling in you.

03:00
Secondly, under this, you guys, is the spirit of comfort within you, is this, is he the spirit who possesses? He says possesses. I don't like that word. Why don't you like the word? I think of the extra-sist. Possesses like possession. I don't know if you should use that word. No, no, I want to use that word. You want to know why. Everyone who knows that the Lord has saved them knows something, and that is our lives are possessed by God. The Bible tells us he owns us. He bought us at a great price. Some of you might say, oh, I don't like that word because I'm free to live my own life. I'm a free spirit. Yeah, I used to be a free spirit and it doesn't go well. What you want to do is you want to say Lord, here's what you want to know. Dear God, I'm gonna read your book and find out what you're all about.

04:04
As you read this book, you know this is his love letter to you. And as you read it, supernatural. You know somebody wrote you a letter in the eighth grade and you went oh, my goodness, this is a forever love. You called them up after school talk all night, hang up, no, you hang up. No, you hang up. First, I never hang up on you, ever. No, no, you go ahead. You hang up. No, you know that. And then you get a new basketball and it's like all over.

04:41
See this book. God says Jack, yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love. Therefore, it is with my loving kindness that I've drawn you to me. Jesus, you keep talking like that to me and I just might fall in love with this whole person of who you are. Oh, jack, that's not anything. Listen to this. You let me in to your life and I will never leave your, forsake you and remember this and never forget this I am with you always, even to the end of the world.

05:18
Listen, you start reading his book, his love letter to us, and it's like okay, all right, this is amazing what happens. You wind up yielding yourself to this love and the more you do that, the more free you become. So much so, friends, that if the world comes along and says, hey, how about a snort of this or a shot of that or a drink of this? Technically, according to biblical theology, you could do a snort, a sniff. What did I say? A drink, a drop, you could do it. You don't lose your salvation. But you wind up realizing I don't need to do that. Dude, watch, watch my back Right, think of it. Do you listen?

06:06
If Christ is in you, you've got the power to walk away from stuff. Hey, I know your wife's away on a business trip. Why don't you come on over? The Christian starts laughing at that. It's like Satan. Really. Can you like, could you be a little bit discreet? This is ridiculous. Are you hearing me? You walk away. How free is that? Can you walk away from temptations? Listen, if Christ is in you, you can, but if the world is in you, then listen. You're being set up and Satan knows, by the way, he's for real. The Bible says he's real. Jesus says he's real and he's plotting. The Bible says that he's like a lion hunting you down. But I like the fact that the Bible says in Romans 9 here, that if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you, some of your Bibles have a correct translation where it says since the Spirit of God dwells in you. That's the actual translation, since it's a statement of fact. How do we know he's speaking to the Romans? He, just in the earlier part of the verse, gave them the endorsement of the Spirit of God is in you. And since the Spirit of God is in you, how does he do that? He dwells within you, he sets up his home.

07:34
Isn't it amazing that, well, god is so esoteric, he's so removed from us. We could never know Him. Well, is he our Creator? Oh, yeah, yeah, he created us, but we could never know Him. Then, what kind of a Creator is that? You hear Him me, don't you think for a moment? I'm just guessing. I don't know, but years ago we were starting a church in Stuttgart, germany. I had no idea that down the street was the Mercedes-Benz Museum. I would imagine that some guy Mercedes and some guy Benz I'm thinking that they got together and they probably drove the car first. Can you imagine designing a car and finding some guy off the street? Excuse us, you want to try that thing out? No, no, nobody does that. The designer is intimately involved. The Creator is intimately involved. If you invent something, you're going to be involved. Listen, god created you and he's involved, but you and I have to invite Him into our lives. All right, hang on, here we go.

08:36
This is Jesus speaking. If you love me, keep my commandments. Don't worry about that. That's an easy lift. When he's inside of you, you delight in His commandments. He does it and I will pray the Father and he will give you another helper. The word in Greek is para-kleitos or para-kleet, para, one who comes alongside you Kleet or kleetos to comfort you. Isn't that beautiful?

09:02
Jesus said I'm going to send the Holy Spirit to you. He's going to come alongside you to comfort you all along the marathon and I will give you another helper, that he may abide with you forever. Excuse me, but isn't that kind of like? Let's fall in love with God. Words he may abide with you forever. Don't you like that? The Spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive because it neither sees Him nor knows Him. But you know Him, for he dwells with you and shall be in you. Listen to this. I will not leave you orphans, I will come to you. That's Jesus speaking. Did you get that? Everybody, you guys awake. Jesus is saying I've got to go, I'm going back to heaven, I'm going to send the Holy Spirit to you. Notice what he says at the end I'm not going to leave you orphaned, I'm coming to you. What do you say? Which one? Is it Holy Spirit or Jesus? Yes, jesus dwells within you by the person of the Holy Spirit. Listen, for that matter. When you choose to obey God, your mind is submitting to God, the Father. If you think about it, the Spirit's at work in you, jesus is at work in you, the Father's at work in you, all through the Word of God. That's why the Bible is a living, breathing book.

10:25
Next verse, john 14.23,. Jesus answered and said to him If anyone loves me, he will keep my word and my Father will love him and we will come to him and make our home with him, talking about the human existence. Oh, my goodness, people, please know this to be true in your life. When you look at that and say I'm so grateful, god is so awesome, are you looking at saying those are very powerful words. What time's lunch. This is eternal truth. But what Spirit is in you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. You have heard me say to you I'm going away and coming back to you. If you loved me, you would rejoice, because I said I'm going to my Father. Going to the Father, for my Father is greater than I. That's awesome. See, why does it say it that way? If they're co-equal, co-eternal? Because Jesus became a man forever to represent you and I. Isn't that amazing? He was our prototype.

11:33
Next verse John 15, verse 7,. If you abide in me and my words abide in you, you will ask what you desire and it shall be done for you. And this my Father has glorified, that you bear much fruit, so you will be my disciples. Let me qualify this because people I lost them halfway through this verse because they started saying honey, that's how we're going to get our new house right there, baby, or that's how we're going to win the lotto, or that's how we're going to get the whatever. No, no, no, no, no, no. If you abide in me personal relationship and my word, the Bible abides in you. So now you're programmed by the Bible. You're going to have, you're going to can I put it this way You're going to bleed Bible. How's that? You will ask what you desire? Oh, you mean I'm going to. I'm going to actually start desiring the things that God desires. Yep, and God will answer those prayers.

12:38
Always pray. That's why, by the way, the model the thing that sums it up perfectly when Jesus cries out to his father and says father, if there's really, if there's any other way, this cup can pass from me before I go to the cross. If there's some other way man can be saved, let's do it. And then what did Jesus say? Nevertheless, not my will, but thy will be done. That's exactly what that means. I've prayed my prayer, god, but what's not of your word? Take it out. And I tell you, friend, you can pray with confidence.

13:11
Next verse you did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should remain, that, whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you Beautiful. Why would he do that? Fruit bearing a godly, holy, powerful, awesome, dynamic Christian life. Next verse John 15, 26,. But when the helper comes, whom I shall send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, he, that is the Spirit, will testify of me. Isn't that amazing? John 16, 5,.

13:49
But now I go away to Him who sent me, and none of you ask me where are you going? But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless, I tell you the truth it is to your advantage that I go away. Can you imagine Jesus saying that to you? It's gonna be really good for you if I leave, for if I do not go away, the helper will not come to you. But if I depart I will send him to you and when he comes he will convict the world of sin. Did you know that, conscious, the Holy Spirit's job all around the world is to tell people you shouldn't be doing, that you need Jesus. And he says of righteousness and of judgment, of sin because they do not believe in me and of righteousness, because I go to my Father and you will see me. No more Of judgment, because the ruler this is Satan of this world is judged, amen. Right, I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when he, the spirit of truth, has come here's what he's doing right now, here in this building he will guide you into all truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears, he will speak and he will tell you things to come. He will glorify me, for he will take of what is mine and declare it to you. Bible wow.

15:08
In John, chapter 14, verse 17,. It starts out by saying you know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you. Verse 18, I will not leave you orphans, I will come to you. What assurance God is so good. How does he reveal himself to us? In all kinds of ways Depends on where you're at in life. Do you believe or are you not a believer? There's a different way that he speaks. God speaks sometimes through circumstances, not always, but sometimes you gotta ask him Lord, are you in this? Is this what you want or is this what your word says? But he reveals himself.

15:51
I blew it, by the way, this week. I should have known that God was revealing his goodness to me. God's been very good to me. That's an understatement, but it was my annual visit to my doctor and he's amazing, he's just amazing. He's a nice guy. He's not only a genius, he's a nice guy and he's way up in LA and it just takes you, you know, forever to get there and forever to get home, but you know what? Just like once a year, maybe twice a year.

16:31
So I go and it's amazing, but it's just an amazing place. Everything's done right there. You do this, you put that there, you do this thing. They grab this, they pull on this, they put you upside down the inside out. They do this. There's people in line with their machines. I mean it's amazing.

16:48
I was in and out in less than an hour and out I come, and the last thing was this. The last thing was when my doctor comes and he's got all the data that these machines have spit out, and the technicians bring them and he comes and he walks in and this is so cool. Thank you for praying, by the way, thank you for praying. Watch this. He comes in and he goes, okay, so here's what we have. So you came to me a year and a half ago. Here's your numbers in these categories. So he's showing me the numbers of my chemistry.

17:30
Then, six months after that, this is your chemistry. Six months after that, this was your chemistry. And here's your chemistry today, right now, just moments ago. And I go, okay, and he goes. I know how old you are. He said chemically, you've gotten younger. He said your whole chart is reversing. And I said what's this? I felt. But then I go, it's because I have a great doctor.

18:08
And he goes now, look, this guy is a renown, he's very well known, he's a big deal. He went, he goes you have a great God. And I, exactly, I went. Oh yeah, that's what I meant to say. He said you should have said what I said and I should have said what you said. I got busted.

18:43
But God reveals himself to you. He's not a private God, he takes a residence and of all things he says, I'll live inside of you. Try to listen, search all the cults in the world, search all of the world religions, and not one of them claim that their God will move inside of you. And the Bible tells us that he marks us down and seals us unto the day of redemption. Wow, if you trust Christ today, that's how saved you are from hell and from the power of the grave. For us, the believer, death is just a release. The Bible tells us in the book of Hebrews that men have worried and lamented about death for all these thousands of years until Christ came, because he took death on and he broke the grave. And Jesus said if somebody were to die, believe it in me yet shall he live forever. What an awesome God we have.

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