The Forever Experience

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
As a Christian, god is pursuing you and I as a believer. Every day, every day, god's pursuing. He meets us when we wake up. He's pursuing us, but if you're not a Christian, he is pursuing you to get you out of hell's grip and safely into His arms. He will pursue you until the day of your death, but just make sure you don't die without Jesus.

00:32 - Speaker 1
You can get the outlines of this podcast by going to https://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.

01:01 - Speaker 2
We are His children. The Bible says that Heirs and join heirs with Christ. Galatians, chapter 4, verse 5, says and to redeem those who were under the law. Remember the law cannot save you. The law just said you were bad, that you might receive the adoption as sons In Roman law. You could bear, naturally, five kids and you could be Elon Musk. Think about it. You could be worth billions and billions of dollars and you got five kids. But you look at them and you realize, even though these are my kids, I don't think they should receive what I have for them because they can't handle it for whatever reason. They don't care, they can't handle it for whatever reason, they don't care, they can't handle it, they ain't got it, whatever the deal is. But Elon looks over here and he sees Billy and Elon in the first century says Billy, come with me. And he walks Billy down to the forum in Rome with the seven witnesses of the seven testimonies. They're there, seven eyewitnesses, and Elon Musk would stand there and say this is my only son, publicly, and in that moment is bestowed upon this kid all the billions of dollars of Elon Musk, while his natural born family has nothing. They get nothing.

02:27
Why? Because God positioned biblical adoption to be lived out in the Roman Empire as an example. You can, and many of us know this is true. You know, we have family in the flesh, do we not? And then we have family in the spirit, which is us. Many of us in some way shape or form. Our family in the spirit is closer than our family in the flesh. There's things that I would tell you that I wouldn't. Well, I mean, my brother's a believer, so that's fine. I can tell him he's in the family, in the family, but do you know what I mean by that, though? There's family members, you wouldn't give them the keys to your car, especially if they're 16 and they live in your own house, right, but isn't it amazing how there's people in the family of God and that you can share your guts with them and be safe? It's amazing. Well, god takes you and I in into his family, and it's a beautiful thing.

03:27
Listen John, chapter 10,. John 10, verse 2. John 10, starting at verse 2, listen to this. And, by the way, as I read this, I want you to ask yourself if this describes your life. But he, jesus, says who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. He's speaking about himself versus those who are false To him. The doorkeeper opens and the sheep hear his voice and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. And when he brings out his own sheep, he goes before them and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice. Verse 5. This is very beautiful.

04:10
Yet they will by no means follow a stranger, but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers. Stop right there. You know what's great about this. You guys, those of us who are Christians, we know his voice. We know his voice. We know his voice. I've never heard his voice like audibly, but I know his voice through this. It's amazing. But when somebody who is not his voice speaks, you recognize that immediately. Ask yourself am I the kind of Christian? That's for real, that when I read the Bible it just becomes more and more alive to me, and that is actually. I understand now Jesus speaking to me, and then, as I live my life, during the day he's speaking and somebody might say something and I just don't know why, but it's wrong. You know that's called discernment. Do you know that's God speaking to you and protecting you? Do you know his voice. Yet they will by no means follow a stranger but will flee from him, for they do not know the voice of strangers.

05:18
Verse 6, jesus used this illustration, but they did not understand the things which he spoke to them. Then Jesus said to them again, most assuredly, I say to you, I am the door of the sheep. I am the door. If anyone enters by me, he will be saved. Does that sound a little vague to you? And we'll go in and out and find pasture.

05:44
Verse 11. I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives his life for the sheep. Verse 14. I am the good shepherd and I know my sheep. Here you go and am known by my own, as the father knows me. Even so, I know the father and I lay down my life for the sheep and other sheep I have, which I believe he's talking to the Gentile world because he's speaking to a bunch of Jews at this moment, but look what he says right here. And other sheep I have which are not of this fold. Them also I must bring and they will hear my voice, and there will be one flock and one shepherd. That's Jesus speaking. Those letters are in red in your Bible. What a beautiful thing.

06:26
I don't worry about getting deceived by some cult movement or something else. Why? Because his word is in me. The Holy Spirit is like radar, and when something pops up, the word of God chapter verse, so to speak files over here and says that's bizarre, right? When somebody says hey, thanks for tuning in and watching. Hey, god just spoke to me to tell you write a check for $100 or send us a $100 bill, tear off a little corner of it. You keep that little corner, but make sure you send the $100 bill to us and God will bless your life. You keep that little corner, but make sure you send the $100 bill to us and God will bless your life Inside the believer's life. Are you with me, right? Somebody right? If you have enough faith, send me all your money. Excuse me, what? Wait, if you have faith, I'll keep my money and let's see what your faith can do for you. He tells us he has faith and then he's got faith and if you have faith, you'll send him all your money. Let me tell you, you know who's going to listen to that guy? Somebody who's not a sheep. Jesus would never say that. Does that make sense? Really quick, we're gonna run through these.

07:47
Enjoy this Number one desire God's desire, god's desire, his desire listen is to both know and you to be known by you. God wants to know you and he wants you to know him. The Bible declares this. That should excite you His willingness to pursue To me this is remarkable Until the end of your life. Number one as a Christian, god is pursuing you and I as a believer. Every day, every day, god's pursuing. He meets us when we wake up. He's pursuing us. But if you're not a Christian, he is pursuing you to get you out of hell's grip and safely into his arms. He will pursue you until the day of your death, but just make sure you don't die without Jesus. Enjoy this fact his mission to rescue you from out of this world. He's on a mission to rescue you from this world of destruction, world of decay. Enjoy this his power to seal you because you belong to him. I love that.

08:47
In fact, I want to read this Song of Solomon In Israel. I don't know if you know this or not, but in many groups, song of Solomon guys are not supposed to read it until they're 30 because it's too erotic. I don't know if you've ever read it, but anyway, it's pretty intense. But then some people will say, no, it's all typological, he's not really talking about his fiance and then his wife. It's about God and Israel. Okay, so all right, whatever. And then some people say, no, no, it's about Jesus and his church. Well, okay, if you want to spiritualize it, fine, however you take it.

09:35
Listen to this Song of Solomon, 8, verse 6. You set me as a seal upon your heart. Now, this every woman in the church should go oh, as a seal upon your arm. The seal upon your arm is not going anywhere. That's the point, for love is as strong as death. Jealousy this is a good jealousy. This is where I love you and you cannot be shared with others. You're mine. I love you that much. As demanding as the grave, its flashes are flashes of fire, the very flame of the Lord. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can flood drown it. That is a spectacular description.

10:29
And you think about God's love for you. God's love for you cannot be stopped. Jesus said so much. I'll lay down my life for you why. He has got a remarkable and an amazing agreement with the Father and the Holy Spirit to get you to heaven, and God wants you in heaven, but in the meantime, he wants you to be more and more like Jesus, to bring more and more people to heaven. Isn't that amazing? It's just God's plan.

10:58
Why would he use us to do this? Well, he became a human to communicate God's truth to us. Then he turns around and he tells us to do this. Well, he became a human to communicate God's truth to us. Then he turns around and he tells us, as redeemed humans, go tell others who are lost. Makes sense to me, if you put it that way. Remarkable Next is this church enjoy it, because he has made you rich. He has made you rich. Indeed, we suffer with him. If indeed. Now you say, jack, how in the world does that work, if indeed, we suffer with him? This is pretty cool.

11:27
Number one, you do understand we're not talking about earthly riches. Okay, earthly riches. The Bible says they can sprout wings and fly away. Okay, we're not talking about that. By the way, you know those of us who are Christians, we are the richest people in the world and you know we're only going to get richer. I'm not talking about currencies of this world. I'm not talking about stock and options, and I'm not talking about silver, gold and commodities. Those are all physical things that are going to be gone in a second, the riches that God offers to the believer.

12:04
Didn't Jesus say the kingdom of God is in you, it's both in us as believers, and it's where we're going. You say, yeah, but what's with the word suffer? Listen, suffer translated means this the day-to-day pressures, difficulties, hardships of life, day-to-day, day-to-day. Every single one of us have pressures, day-to-day hardships, day-to-day. But for the Christian, everything you and I go through matters in eternity. There's an exchange of currency, so to speak.

12:50
The Bible says all of you who love God are gonna suffer persecution in this world. Bible says it. So I don't know if I like that. Yes, you do, yes, you do. Here's the reason why If you associate with Jesus, you're going to be in trouble. If, on the other hand, you think you're a Christian, but listen, when time comes for you to speak up and say that you're a believer, or respond to some challenge about being a believer, you don't. You're ashamed of him. And isn't it amazing Jesus said, on the day of judgment, those that are ashamed of me, I will be ashamed of them, and on the day of judgment, those who are with me or for me, I will be with them or for them.

13:45
In all of life there's difficulties. The believer has Christ, with meaning. The unbeliever has a pill, maybe cocaine, maybe it's drugs, maybe, listen, maybe you can't function in this world without that drink. At the end of the day, listen, maybe we were like that before we met Jesus. But after we met Jesus, jesus eventually says you know what and he'll say it to you. You know what, before you pour that, can you talk to me? And when he starts talking to you, my friend, please listen. If you've never experienced this kind of being set free, embrace him. When he says listen, in fact he won't even say, he won't even say put it down, I'm going to strangle you. He just says hey, before you do that, can you just talk to me for a moment? And you feel this sense of God wanting to speak to you. God, what's going on? And he starts talking to you, either from the Bible or in your thoughts, and it's not your thoughts. You know it's not you and it's amazing. And you start getting comfort from him and peace. And you know what happens you wind up walking away from that line or from that cup or from whatever it is. He winds up removing it.

15:04
Galatians 5, verse 1, says it's a liberty that Christ has given you that sets you free, absolutely amazing Rich. Rich in Jesus, rich in the things of God, but the word suffer. I want to get in line, but then I find out I am. The word suffer is this that when we suffer it's through suffering. That takes the truth of God okay, and God comes in with his answer. It takes us through. The problem Could be marriage, could be business, finance, could be health. Whatever it is, it's not bigger than God. Just include him and, as you've suffered through something, give God a chance. And here's what is the point Is your faithfulness to God in the midst of suffering. We're not talking about battling cancer, but that's included. I'm not talking about getting hit by a truck, but that's included.

16:06
Day-to-day life stuff. You know the grind, you know the daily grind. As a believer, we go through that every day and if we go through it with Christ, whatever we go through translates into eternity and the riches that God has in store for us. I don't know how that's going to work out, I just know the Bible says it, but what an amazing future we have. So if you're going through something, just know this. God has got you in this thing and he wants to walk you through it and there's benefits.

16:41
At the end, in eternal life, the ultimate's gonna be determined and it's this Were you faithful? Did you know that? Were you faithful? That's how we're gonna be judged as believers. Listen, the Lord is not asking you to be like Billy Graham. He's not saying you know, you should be like Charles Stanley, you should be like Chuck Smith. He didn't listen. Your life, christian, your life, is to be what he called you to be, not what someone else is.

17:17
On the day of judgment, god is not going to say Mike, come forward, mike. Okay, mike, I see what you did as a believer, but I had you set up to repeat Billy Graham's life. What were you doing? God's not going to do that. He's going to say Mike, step on up. Good to see you, mike, great, you were faithful. When opportunities came, you were faithful. You're going to be judged on faithfulness. God bless you. I'm going to come up, jack. I can just see the Lord. Jack, holy Spirit, good job. I know he would give you a hard time. Here he is. It's amazing, holy Spirit, great job. He's not going to say to me now, Jack, I expect you to live out the Charles Stanley routine. You failed miserably. I mean, you're in heaven and stuff Good for you, right, but you weren't faithful. No, no, no, no, no, no.

18:24
Each and every single one of us to receive as an heir the inheritance he has established for us means that you are to drive in your lane, if that's the terminology. Be in your wheelhouse, if that's the terminology. Do what he's told you to do, not what somebody else is doing. He's going to call you and evaluate you on what he's, because that's part of his great redemptive plan. It's beautiful to live your life. Can you imagine knowing you're living your life for the purposes of God that he engineered for you? There's nothing greater.

19:05 - Speaker 1
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