Getting Ready For The Big Day

church in a moment we'll stand to read the scriptures together but before we do that we are looking at our future series and we're looking at future events a little bit differently than perhaps most future events are approached because we have been and we shall look into things that are of current event nature but like our last time together like this morning we will also make it extremely practical those two things must never be separated the fact that christ is coming and that we are to be looking into the future and then look around in the days and the age in which we live and while at the same time we need to know how to meet the lord jesus christ amen we are going to be meeting him as i mentioned last time together and so today we're going to be looking at a message in our future series titled getting ready for the big day getting ready for the big day that conjures up pictures in all of our minds about what that might mean but of course in this context getting ready to meet jesus before we do that i want to set it up this way it's interesting today because it's crystal clear outside it's predominantly i think out outside of 20 days a year right 20 days a year i think in southern california we have cloud cover or rain something like that well it's not one of those days it is a brutal winter day here uh going up to 77 degrees and and yet i would say to you that if i were speaking to you as a as a parent i would want to make sure that before you go out to enjoy your day i would bundle you up i would wrap you up in what is needed for the day for your protection for your comfort and for your safety and in some parts of our nation today people are putting on thick parkas or snowshoes others are putting on flip-flops and board shorts but they are dressed for the atmosphere they are dressed for the occasion if i can put it to you that way and god is getting us ready he's dressing us for heaven and in the process of everything that he puts upon you and i by way of our christian apparel it is to develop our walk with god and so getting ready for the big day i want to give you a couple of verses maybe three to get you introduced to where we're going i want you to listen carefully how you view this is all important the lord gives his instruction regarding the seasons of our lives as believers in hebrews chapter 12 verse 14 for example the bible there tells us pursue peace with all people that means we're to strive to be at peace with all people and holiness without which no one will see the lord the word holiness means determining that you seek peace with everybody in your life that's without compromise and that you pursue holiness meaning that you see to it every one of us see to it that our lives are set apart to what god wants to do that's what that word holiness means to be set apart it doesn't mean to be sinless perfect impossible it means to be dedicated to god and that's why the bible says without that it's impossible to see the lord first peter chapter 1 verse 15 tells us and he who called you is holy and you also behold in all your conduct because it is written be holy for i am holy says the lord holiness again we hear that and we think about being holy as being perfect but it's not true holy meaning that you and i are determining to be solely devoted to god that we are surrendering our lives and yielding to him as a believer and then john 14 verse 15. jesus said if you love me keep my commandments what does that mean his commandments if you read them is to love god and to love one another and here's the great thing about these things that i've just read a moment ago is the fact that whatever god invites you and i to do he doesn't expect us to accomplish those things in the efforts of our flesh in the efforts of our trying he expects us to surrender to him and to let him establish these things in our lives and all of god's people said that is a liberating power i've often said don't do christianity don't do it you'll get hurt let christianity be be done to you the holy spirit will take the word of god today we've gathered for bible study and after you leave this building today the holy spirit will take the word that you've learned and then he will put it into your life and he's the one that will put it into practice he will speak to you he will invite you he will prod you to do what you've heard you'll you'll hear this message in portions of it during this week that you're going to be living isn't that fun he's going to do that you are to just be open and to be willing and to be set apart to do what the lord would have you to do and so we're going to see a similar situation where paul the apostle is bundling up those who he had come to minister to and it's a quite emotional portion of scripture we'll read quite sweet and tender and as he bundles them up he's going to commend them into the hands of the lord so church let's all stand if you would and turn in your bibles to acts chapter 20 acts chapter 20 out of the new king james version bible if you don't have that it'll be on the screens for you acts chapter 20 we'll begin in verse 17 i will read the odd-numbered verses here and if you would pick up in the even acts chapters 20 verse 17 the bible says from my leaders that is modern day by the way stoke today in turkey paul sent to ephesus izmir and called for the elders of the church serving the lord with all humidity humility with many tears and trials which happened to me by the plotting of the jews testifying to jews and also to greeks or gentiles repentance toward god and faith toward our lord jesus christ except that the holy spirit testifies in every city saying that chains and tribulations await me [Applause] verse 25 and indeed now i know that you all among whom i have gone preaching the kingdom of god beautiful isn't it we'll see my face no more for i have not shunned to declare to you the whole council of god for i know this that after my departure savage wolves will come in among you not sparing the flock therefore watch and remember that for three years i did not cease to warn you everyone or to warn everyone night and day with tears i have coveted no one's silver or gold or apparel now we'll go to verse we'll slip to verse 36 let me pick up verse 36 and when he had said these things he knelt down and prayed with them all verse 37 is yours [Music] verse 38 sorry most of all for the words which he spoke that they would see his face no more and they accompanied him to the ship father we pray now for the move of your spirit in jesus name and all god's people said amen you can be seated there's no doubt that this is a touching moment paul is aged by the way now at this time and it is a fact that he's speaking no doubt by the power of the holy spirit he says goodbye to the ephesian elders from that coastline from that dock from that harbor and he makes that announcement to them i will not see you you will not see me any longer that is technically any longer in this world we will not see one another and he's saying goodbye to them you read a moment ago that he made it his life's aim to make sure that they were schooled and grounded in the teaching of the doctrine of god's word and paul said to them i made it sure and certain to you that i didn't shun or withhold or somehow play games with with the scriptures but gave to you the whole council of god you know what that means he gave them the whole council meaning the the happy parts and the convicting parts he gave them full bible studies when he taught them the word of god i think it's charles spurgeon who said we need to get away from the days in which we live in and by the way he said this in the 1860s where pastors go into the pulpits and give sermonettes for christianettes little 15 20-minute words of encouragement that never prepared them for what was to come in life and the preceding years of the pandemic churches had become accustomed to boasting even some of them put it into print as they advertised and i'm not kidding when i tell you many churches across america advertise things like this and i read them come to our gathering you'll be in and out in under 60 minutes it's not even like going to church and i was so offended by that i was so appalled by that and i wondered what heaven thought about that and i wonder what jesus thinks about that but when you just begin to teach the people and instruct them on pablum on cardboard so to speak that when life comes they'll have no firms foundation to stand upon when life hits them and paul was a minister's awesome and his desire was to encourage god's people in the fellowship always giving them life no doubt about it and so one more verse i'm going to read it to you it's really what we're going to draw from today it's really what paul is saying and it's this in fact it's one of the most popular christian verses now when i say christian verses of course there's a lot of bible of verses in the bible that are favorites but when i say christian verses this verse i'm about to read is one of the most popular verses of a disciple of jesus christ it's it's on t-shirts it's on stationary it's on on statements it's not john 3 16 that's a great verse for evangelism but it's galatians 2 verse 20. paul said to the church at galatia i have been crucified with christ it is no longer i who live but christ lives in me and the life which i now live in the flesh i live by faith in the son of god who loved me and gave himself for me you want to get ready to meet jesus you want to get ready for the big day church family this is how we do it that one verse if all of us as believers just in this service alone there's enough people in this first service today that if we memorize this verse and begin to commit it to practice it will so liberate you and so ignite you that you will go about affecting people's lives there's no way that you cannot have that happen it's very very um intoxicating i mean that in a holy way when god possesses you with the meaning of galatians 2 20. you see jack i just i would have loved to have been in that group of elders that paul was speaking to there and might lead us when the ephesian church leaders came together before he said fair i would have loved to we've all said and thought things like that i would have loved to have been with the disciples as they were standing there when jesus began to ascend up into the heavens remember that we'd all love to have been there those are glorious moments but the truth of the matter is in your mind church in your note-taking it's like we're rolling up the sleeves right we're getting comfortable whatever that means and we're going to dive into galatians 2 20 because until we experience that big day we need to get ready for that big day and this is how we do it galatians 2 20. i'm gonna confess right up front this message is for the believer if you're not a christian today this is my desire this is my hope is that you would wind up being so jealous of what we have that you would say what must i do to be saved also okay because we're getting ready for the big day and i hope you uh decide to do the same thing as well so the first thing is this jot it down if you would number one is getting ready for the big day it would be this put on this truth we're going to preface everything today with this put on this truth mark it it's time i die welcome to church it's time that you die see what do you mean by that death dying that that word those words generate all kinds of emotion in us and so it should a sweet family just coming in here the service this morning out in front as i was greeting the people coming in uh this couple said that they've come from a church uh they're here today but their pastor died earlier this week well listen i i didn't know the gentleman but let's make this uh statement the man may have died in the flesh his body may have stopped beating heart okay but he entered into the presence of the lord jesus christ and it's so awesome that if he had a chance to come back today he wouldn't do it do you understand that this is an absolute fact we get so comfortable in this world and you got to thank god for what's going on in our world around us it's getting more and more uncomfortable for us to be comfortable in this world have you noticed that and i'm a great fan of this listen do we want to have a recliner do we want to have a footstool do we want to have an umbrella yes but can you really live like that come on you can't live like that and none of us that are touched by the holy spirit would be content to be on a perpetual vacation while people are dying and going to hell or the world is suffering or the people in our community are hurting no so what's the answer to all of this paul the apostle instructs us right here right now that put on this truth christian it's time i it's time we die and this is what it means when he says in verse 20 at the front end of it i have been crucified with christ i want you to consider this right now get out your highlighter because you're going gonna need it today when it says here i have been three words that shock i often say this people i think don't like it i'm gonna keep saying it until i go to heaven that you can pursue all other faith movements or religions in the world and none of them offer again i say this every week none of them offer what i'm about to tell you right now when paul the apostle says i have been it's all past tense it's done you cannot get it any more done than what he's about to say he is saying to us today what i'm going to teach you right now paul would say it's already happened it's history know this it means today while you and i are alive we understand something right now that it's time for you and i to die but what do we mean by that oh it's good news i have been those three words the declaration means and there's no greater declaration in faith is the christian proclamation i have been that's our declaration that's the proclamation of the believer i have been filled in the blank changed i have been transformed i have been forgiven i have been set free i have been liberated i have been made alive the bible says over and over again i have been christian get ready for the big day understand something no matter how you feel or what you think if you're following christ if you can confess today that jesus christ is lord to the glory of god the father you can say i have been. and i love that not a has-been oh he's nothing but a has been no you have been number one note this that the statement means positionally you need to know this please that this is a positional declaration of the believer whatever's going on in life know this right now church be reminded you have been declaration of position i have been crucified paul willingly declares here that the life of the believer is a crucified life you say jack how in the world can this be good news because listen to the world crucifixion was a brutal barbaric death yes absolutely and you got to remember paul spoke this truth in the first century when it was a living reality we don't have crucifixions today if paul lived today in the 21st century he would say i have been electrocuted paul would say i have i have been to the electric chair it had that stigma i have been crucified that would have raised the hair and the eyes of a first century believer but paul says it clearly by the way remember this that nobody walked away from a crucifixion just like nobody walks away from the electric chair it's final it's complete it's all effective there's a reason why i'm saying this the word crucified right here in the greek language galatians 2 20 is amazing it means to nail listen not only to nail here's the punch not only to nail but the word means to nail together look you can get nailed and get a nail through your hand oh i remember jumping out of a tree landing in a pile of leaves and there's a board with a nail in it and it went right through it was so sharp and so rusty hello that it went right through my tennis shoe that i didn't even realize i didn't feel a thing until i felt my foot was really warm and when i when i went to pick it up it was the blood from the nail and then it hurt when i saw it then it hurt right listen being crucified doesn't mean you have a hole in you it means that you are nailed to something you say oh yes i see where you're going jesus was nailed to the cross not so i mean yes he was but that's not the point it wasn't that jesus was nailed to a cross which qualifies him being crucified for us oh no jesus christ was nailed to our sins our sins were represented at that cruel cross of christ and jesus was nailed to that cross was it an implement of execution yes but only in the physical realm the greatest implement of execution is sin the bible tells us on the day that the soul sins it shall surely die and the bible says we've all sinned and come short of the glory of god the word means to be nailed together it means to be nailed with another it means to be nailed to something or listen someone that's a hideous thought to be nailed to another person i don't have the time to get into one of the roman sentencing that they had but it was actually sowing a dead person some areas of the roman empire if you committed murder they would take the body of the man you murdered and sew that person's skin to your back do you know what happens i told you i wasn't going to get into it here i am getting into it his rotting decaying flesh began to go inside of you and his death his death killed you [Music] think of it the death of jesus christ at the cross as we shall see today killed you so wait what are you talking about as a christian i told you this message is for christians the old life the old jack that he used to be before i met jesus listen christ killed him at the cross jesus was sinless pure and perfect jesus was nailed to the cross he was nailed to something else and to another and that person was me and he died for me he died for me it's a place of position i've been crucified with christ this means crucifixion was never a solo event in any case how so number one in the roman sense a man that was crucified was crucified for his crimes right think of it he was crucified for his crimes did you know over the top of the head of every roman crucifixion was the man's offenses did you know that over the top they nailed that the guy was sentenced a guy wrote somebody else maybe it was a bailiff so to speak right wrote down what he was accused of and then you were led out to golgotha you were thrown down on that cross and as they nailed you to the cross one of the magistrates of the law would hammer a plaque to the top of the cross and it said what you were guilty of do you know what by the way there was a sign over jesus's head too wasn't there do you know what he was you know what he was guilty of it says that he was king of the jews they didn't want a king they didn't want king jesus they wanted a politician that never goes well politician jesus politician always go with jesus always go with jesus yeah we know that more than ever now but there's another way that you were crucified in the roman empire and over the top of your cross it didn't it didn't have murder or thievery or whatever it was tens of thousands of people were crucified in the roman world and over the top of their head was the word nazarene nazarene did you know that nazarene is what the world called believers who followed jesus oh that's a nazarene you said no no i'm born in judea you're a nazarene no no no i was born in bethlehem nope you're a nazarene what made you a nazarene to follow christ jesus was from nazareth they said and so even today in the middle east when they're beheading and crucifying christians do you know they put that you i should have gotten it for you on the screen have you seen that you noon noon what is this they go to listen muslims go down the streets jihadists go down the streets and they mark a christian home in syria or in some parts of the muslim world and they get some paint and they put a u on the front door and that means a nazarene lives here a follower of jesus lives here they are to be punished they are to be cursed there to be killed and so when when a martyr was put on the cross for following christ his guilt was for following jesus those days by the way seem to be advancing in the world more than ever but no one is crucified for crucifixion's sake there's always a reason there's always a reason why people are going to attempt to crucify you so to speak at work there's always going to be a reason why someone wants to crucify you and your family or in the community dear friends listen let them crucify you for the right reasons the right reasons need to be that you are a follower of jesus and you think about that get ready for the big day church because unless the lord if jesus doesn't come back soon we're going to go through persecution i saw in the news this last week that a pastor in canada has been arrested for having his church open he's been found guilty and he's going to be sentenced listen don't think that can only happen in canada there's an antichrist spirit going across the globe around the world right now but the truth of the matter is there's great liberty put on this truth it's time i die and that means i'm dying to the old jack to the old me galatians chapter 5 verse 24 5 24 says and those who are christ have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires you know what that means this is awesome this is what i'm talking about us dying it means this that here i am i'm a believer listen everybody please don't assume i'm a believer i'm a follower of jesus and i'm going to walk with jesus i hope that's one of your prayers i hope that's one of your profound prayers oh jesus draw me closer this morning i got up and one of the things that i did was uh when i got done finalizing the message uh i put on you anybody remember maranatha singers i put on maranatha singers and one of the songs that popped up immediately was uh a song that said that i've i've i'm here to follow you i've come to follow you and if that's true and when that when i heard that i said out loud because nobody was around i said out loud lord jesus please make me cause me put me in a headlock if need be to get me to follow you more and more closer jesus closer closer to thee please is that not your prayer as a believer i don't want to get closer to this world have you not listen any non-christians in here come on join the team that wins here's the team that wins read the book of revelation at the end of the book we win will it get tough for us yes is it going to be difficult yes are we going to be hated in this world yes here's the truth of the matter man listen go for the long pass go for the long haul go go for the finish line because short-term pleasure short-term rewards do nothing but rip you off it's not going to be worth it it's like a sugar rush when you're hungry give me a tootsie roll you're going to get sick you're going to get all charged up for three minutes and then you're gonna come down and you're gonna listen you're gonna be just as hungry with a headache that's what the world does never satisfy listen jesus walks you through the difficulties of this world and it's satisfying and he gets us to the end and it's victorious why i have been crucified the bible says with christ and when jesus died on the cross the bible tells me this is heavy stuff listen this is heavy because it sounds so basic but it's so heavy because few of us apply this when the bible says i have been crucified with christ it means that when jesus christ died there he died for you personally greg he died for you mike he died for you karen he personally died for you and that's something he did two thousand years ago listen it's done you see yeah but that was two thousand years ago that's listen yes he did the job then so that when you hear this gospel preached you wake up to the reality of what has been and walk into it receive it so that it is now true with you and your life it's absolutely awesome you can say today i have been crucified with christ why because when those desires of the flesh here's the thing just because jesus died on the cross for jack 2000 years ago doesn't mean that jack walks around every day all day long with with sinless thoughts and perfect thoughts and perfect motives no i listen the fact that jesus died on the cross for my sins secured my inheritance it's done ain't nobody tampering with that reality i am forgiven in christ but because the holy spirit takes his truth check it out this is what makes us believers and disciples in this day is when it says i've been crucified with christ paul is telling us this because you've got to tell yourself that every day when those old desires pop up that's why he's wrote galatians 5 verse 24. when when a mean thought comes up or i'm going to do this i'll forget about that i'm going to go for it i want it i'm going for it and you stop thinking about the ramifications or or the sinfulness of your desire you're in trouble but the person that sins or the back the backslider or the unbeliever or the obedient believer the same temptations come to all men every one of us think what can what tempts me tempts you listen let me pick on someone i'm gonna have you stand up and tell tell the church what you're tempted why do you laugh nobody would do that and for good reason but i got to tell you even but the moment you said well my my big temptation is this as soon as you say it people are going to go oh that's ridiculous they can relate in an instant oh that's terrible oh golly people can relate to an instant to that reality why because it's us it's our human nature but here's the difference the believer says nope uh uh nope no i know where this goes i listen i know he died on the cross for me this is an antithesis to what god wants to do in my life listen my flesh is going let's do it but i know in my will it's not the right thing to do and it's not gut honoring i refuse to do this in fact i'm going to walk away i'm going to close my eyes i'm going to shut the blinds i'm going to speed away that's the difference between a believer and a non-believer or a believer and a backslidden believer that's that's the big difference you've got to see this and you would say to yourself i'm crucified with christ it's so vitally important colossians chapter 2 verse 14 says listen to this regarding the cross having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us remember that plaque over the head that's it that's the log that's the syn log in heaven it's removed which was contrary to us and he has taken it out of the way having nailed it to the cross you see that do you see do you hear god nailed it to the cross so according to god in one hour of one moment of one day one second all of jack hibbs's sins were dealt with at the cross 2000 years ago that doesn't mean i'm automatically saved nor you what it means is god paid the price what kind of a fool would reject what he's done you see that's what sends a person to hell it's not that you reached maybe in the what is it 88 sins 88 if you hit if you hit number 89 you fall into hell the scale tips and you just slide into the abyss that's not how it works jesus died for all the sins of the world every every sin you say well why don't we all just get to go to heaven then by default because there's one sin he didn't die for one sins called blasphemy of the holy spirit what is it it means to reject the gospel to reject what he did freely to reject what he's given to you freely you reject it you push it away you don't want it in other words you're telling christ that he died on the cross for nothing that he wasted his time no listen for the believer it's always the right time for us to die because when we're in charge when we're living when we're calling the shots christ is not in control number two getting ready for the big day put on this truth and that is it's the end of me coming to the end of me is good news look at galatians 2 20 says it is no longer i who live would you love that look i'm pumped up i know this is the first service we've got a long day here to go but i'm excited about this it's no longer i who live man that uh look honestly that that verse should just cause someone to have a brain freeze what a statement it is no longer i who live i'm sure if you went to a psychologist or at a a a therapy session and they asked you questions and you were to say to them you know i'm a christian and it's no longer i who live they're going to make a phone call they're going to call for backup or get you a pill [Applause] what do you mean what do you mean you no longer it's no longer you who live that's christ living in me okay i'm gonna get a few more doctors in this room the world cannot understand this listen but in the old testament you had the priests and the priesthood you know they were ordained by god the bible tells us that they were commissioned by god to prepare watch in this order themselves as priests on the day of sacrifice so that they could be sanctified to the work of god so that god might anoint their offering that they're going to present and the bible tells us that they were to bathe clean they were to put upon themselves uh fresh garments listen and they were take to take the blood of innocence and they were to put it on their right thumb or on their right earlobe and the big on the right toe isn't that funny see what that's kind of all kind of weird it's all reminders of authority right toe right ear right thumb is speaking of sanctification this priest now has been sanctified by the blood of innocents then god says now you're ready to come in and do the duties for the nation for the people they had to be prepared all of that that they did was to put on a display with fresh clothes with blood with with all of this in the human sense church there they were like a new person for a moment and they went and offered a sacrifice for the nation so that it might be acceptable to god listen jesus the bible says is our high priest he's the one listen he didn't put his thumb in the blood and his big toe in the blood the bible says in the book of isaiah that he was marred more than any man did you know that the bible says in isaiah 53 that jesus christ at the cross was so disfigured and mutilated he did not resemble a human you think mel gibson did a gruesome job on passion of the christ no that's a joke compared to what happened to jesus imagine meat but being put in a blender and then having it shaped in the human and then put on a cross he was mutilated the bible says marred more than any man why because it wasn't his thumb it wasn't his ear it wasn't his big toe it was all of god on the cross for your sin and mine all of us were paid for there at that moment and it's not father son holy spirit in me it's father son holy spirit and woe unto me oh my god my lord my king have mercy upon me almighty god and forgive me of my sins that's why the bible said it is no longer i who live just like the priesthood would appear before god in jerusalem it's as though they didn't live but they did they needed a savior too but the priesthood in a sense listen mimicked what christ would do coming in the future they acted it out and this my friend is a declaration of practicality it's no longer i who live romans 6 verse 6. are you guys okay romans 6 verse 6 tells us knowing this i love when the bible says knowing this you know what it means it means every believer knows this knowing this he's reminding you we would say today you know this don't be dumb you already know this is basic that our old man was crucified with christ with him now some people try to wiggle out of that thing that's talking about your dad that's not about your dad it's you your old man jeb listen june 20th 1977 monday night around 9 p.m at night calvary chapel costa mesa in that moment when i responded to the gospel reality the truth hit me in the face my old man died i was 19 years old but in that moment old jack died and i here's here's the number one reason how i know that because from that moment on there was nothing but struggle in my life no i mean that in a good way struggle i never had a conflict of myself whatever myself wanted i got it i didn't withhold i think it's like solomon said i didn't withhold anything from me neither did i neither did you don't look at me like that you didn't whatever you wanted you manipulate it around to get it that's what unbelievers do i don't blame them that's all they're living for and then jesus walks into the picture and can i say happily ruins everything he just shakes it all up oh we don't do this anymore what and we're not doing that not just and maybe a little bit no not at all how about this got to go and jesus moves into your life and listen he doesn't take out everything at once he goes from room to room he's like a chip and joanna gaines you know they they they work on the house and they get each room done at a time but they all work off a blueprint do they not and that blueprint is jesus christ in you that's what god's doing to the life of the believer that's why you're alive right now in the 21st century that's why you're here there's a blueprint that god is working and best you die to you and accept that reality so that he can get the job done it's a beautiful thing to die to yourself it's a beautiful thing to come to the end of you no longer having to control it all this means that our new lives are now being animated i love that word animated by the indwelling presence of the holy spirit ezekiel 36 verse 27 says ezekiel 36 27 says i will put my spirit within you this is god speaking this is awesome i will put my spirit within you and cause see the word cause this is a big word if you look it up later the word cause here in ezekiel 36 27 the definition and application of this word cause is huge it's so broad but it means this accomplish i will put my spirit within you and accomplish administer carve into you i like that to carve into you that's powerful to bestow upon you here's another word i love to celebrate that's what it means let's read it again i will put my spirit within you and cause you to celebrate as you walk in my statutes and you will keep my judgments and do them what an awesome statement see i told you earlier in the beginning god doesn't call us to do anything that we are to do in our own effort notice what god said there in ezekiel you're going to do my judgments you're going to keep them so it's impossible yes it is aren't you glad it's impossible it's frustrating it's horrible yes it is you need to come to the end of you but it's killing me amen [Applause] what do i do hallelujah you mean i can't save myself celebrate how does this make sense i've been trying i've been a good boy a good girl all my life i've been trying to just cross all the t's and dot all the ice give it up look be a good citizen don't get me wrong keep the speed limit keep your trash in your own car will ya but when it comes to salvation you can't do any of that stuff no the good news is god says i will put my spirit in you i will cause you to walk in my statutes and keep my judgments god will do it the implications of this are profound and liberating it's great when you come to the end of yourself look we're talking about dying to self this true story well i say it's a true story i read it in a book written by jay vernon mcgee so it better be true i trust that guy especially now that he's dead i really trust him you can't trust living people they could change their mind tomorrow but dead people they don't change their minds in fact it's dawning on me that almost every book i read is written by a bunch of dead old people i feel safe in that but uh mcgee talks about this guy who uh whose dad died in texas west texas but his dad was born in southern california and the old man died a cowboy and so his son uh rented a cadillac his dad always wanted to ride in a cadillac convertible his son rented a cadillac convertible put a put his cowboy hat on put his dead dad in the passenger seat of the car put a cowboy hat on him and drove him from texas to southern california to be buried here somewhere and the guy was pulled over by a patrolman and that he thought it'd be good just to slip the cowboy hat a little lower on his dad's head and uh the guy was talking to the you're going a little too fast but i know you're in a convertible then it's hot so i'm going to give you a warning this time and i hope you guys are comfortable talk to you later see you goodbye and then the guy drives away the whole point was whenever that guy stopped for gas whenever the guy stopped for ice cream whenever he stopped for a coffee his dad didn't have anything and in fact his dad never said i could sure go for a lemonade right about now you want to know why dead people don't demand anything dead people listen they're only along for the ride jesus is driving we're the ones who are dead to our demands now and the truth of the matter is that dead people listen uh when someone's dead you do not you can you can you can pass you can pass in and out double double animal style in front of them they don't do anything you can pass in front of them a number two fish tacos black beans white rice they don't do anything they don't even move banana split not a budge you can't tempt a dead man and the bible says i've been crucified with christ but it's no longer eyes it's it's no longer me who lives somebody's living let's find out who that is number three put on this truth it's time i live it's time that you and i live galatians 2 20 goes on and says but christ lives in me i didn't know how to say this on my notes the word but is in red and it's underlined and i in my in my notes and i'm preaching this in my head i need to say but it doesn't sound right but this but here is very significant this is a very big here this is a very powerful this but is all important it is a qualifying decoration declaration but christ it's it's a firework show at the end of the day but christ it's the answer to everything your life's issue but christ the doctor said but christ my husband said but christ my wife my kids my work but christ the government said but christ oh my goodness but christ lives in me what a statement church we're talking about the bible here people wake up this is the bible it's not a fairy tale this is not a story book christ lives in the believer this is the fact of almighty god and don't think for a moment if that's true you're gonna have goosebumps you're gonna feel really full all the time that somehow there's no room in you because christ lives in you no listen it's spirit it's a spiritual truth which i'm grateful about because spiritual truths outlast physical i believe though i think it's the old king james version that puts it this way some of you can check i'm crucified with christ nevertheless i live yet not i i like that yet not i that's a great t-shirt yet not i yet not i wow paul had such a clear cut understanding that in his life when he was living that when he sinned he would declare wait a minute that's not me read romans chapter 7 and 8 later that's your homework wait a minute paul would say can you imagine paul's walking along he's walking and he's a bad thought that's not me i've been crucified with christ nevertheless i live yet it's not i but christ lives in me i am reckoning now that thought that i would never have normally ever in my past life grabbed hold of and hated like i do now i hate it now and because i hate it now it's proof that the spirit of god lives in me and so what i'm doing right now is i'm grabbing that thought and i'm throwing it to the back and i'm saying right now that thought's under the captivity of christ because paul died years ago the new paul lives and thank you jesus for taking care of that i'll talk to you soon and he'd walk and that's what you do that's what a believer does because it's no longer you it's christ living in you but a glorious truth and so yet not i in romans chapter 8 verse 11 the bible says if the spirit of him who raised jesus from the dead dwells in you he who raised christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his spirit who dwells in you again philippians 3 10. this is awesome that i may know him and the power of his resurrection stop right there at the comma raise your hand if you want to know the power of his resurrection yeah let's keep reading and the fellowship of his sufferings raise your hand again no if we really knew if we really knew the benefits of suffering in christ with christ we'd all say you know what yes to that yes because let me die let me diminish that he might increase why because you'll be conformed to his death conformed to his meaning this that again the dead man is not tempted by this world he's set free glorious number four put on this truth it's the beginning of me it's not only time to live it's the beginning of me and the life which i now live in the flesh i live by faith in the son of god what a statement hey what are you doing over there paul i'm living by faith in the son of god it's the new life that i'm living people who are dead they don't understand that christians walk around whoa praise the lord god is awesome issues happen in life the christian goes god's got this i don't understand it he's got it i get it he's got it well come on and all your unbelieving friends and family say come on freak out with us worry about it will you choose some mail get some gut pain and get sick you should worry like the rest of us no i'm not going to go there god's got this i can't explain it but the lord's in control i listen friends i can't go anywhere i'm a believer i can't go anywhere without him being with me i don't understand what's happening that accident that incident i don't get it but i know this i'm here that means he's here and then somehow in a way it's going to take some time maybe the answer is going to come your friends can't handle that why because listen they're dead they're dead because they're spiritually dead you are alive because you're physically dead think of it when your hand says i want some of that in jesus name that has been crucified with christ your friends your your unbelieving friends they can't do that they're just walking around like this you're just going to lose i mean i don't mean to insult your friends out of here right now but this is kind of how it is they just go like this and the hand goes the hand goes like this and they just go and then and then another and then go like this whatever the body's demanding their slave to it they're not free no it's the beginning of you when you come to the end of yourself colossians 1 26 says that the mystery which has been hidden from ages and from generations but now has been revealed to his saints to them god willed to make known what are the riches of the glory of this mystery among the gentiles which is this which is christ in you the hope of glory good news i love that one more verse before we get to the closing argument is in romans 13 14 romans 13 14 says but put on the lord jesus christ and make no provision for the flesh to fulfill its lust see you're going to be surrounded by the lust of this world how do you combat it please listen put on jesus put on the lord jesus put him on so i'm if you've got to do this do this if you've got a if you've got to get your mind conditioned by acting it out tomorrow morning do it i know many of us many huge majority of us have been to israel and one of the things i encourage people to do is get a beautiful authentic they're not cheap uh hebrew uh prayer shawl they're fantastic but you know what's cool about it in the morning no one's looking who cares only god's only god's with you in the morning it's dark it's early wrap yourself up in that thing get on your knees if you want to or go stand out in the backyard with that thing all over you and say lord i'm here to be with you do it watch what happens listen another thing i don't want to be you know sound like some legalistic monk or something but and i'm not but i got to tell you you want if you ever pray right when if you ever pray and your focus wanders away you know there's a cure for that get on your knees and pray and you when i'm i'm talking i'm talking like this it is very uncomfortable see this this is very uncomfortable it's okay right now but 10 minutes from now 30 minutes from now your prayer life will become much more efficient because i don't know what it is about this but you will not wonder when is disneyland gonna open up that won't happen the pain that starts to happen in your thighs and the your hamstrings and your your rear end it's intense your lower back sometimes will begin to spasm you say are you insane no what i'm doing is i'm telling my flesh you're dead i don't listen to you in fact i'm going to use you to connect with god you are going to obey this moment we're going to talk to god and you are going to comply and if you don't i'll make you stay here another 30 minutes begin to think and exercise the separation this is just the tool you and i have we dress it all up i put extra cologne on this morning because i'm older you stink as you get older you just start to stink i'm discovering this more cologne why i'm dying you got to cover up the stench they should have formaldehyde that you start it's very important [Music] but that word to put on jesus the word means to be enveloped or to actually sink into the word means sink listen to this the greek word means to sink into jesus and then finally put on this truth it's about time it's about time it's he who loved me and gave himself for me let's remember in closing what real love is it's the very essence in the spirit of sacrifice did you know that love there's no such thing as a sacrifice without love if you're listen if you're making a sacrifice without love it's called religion god's not in it if your sacrifice is because of love god's in it he's blessed we can learn a lot if we sanctify things that we see in this world when when you love someone it's remember it starts out in phases and it develops into a deep powerful river starts out like a splash love starts first maybe it's attraction emotionally or physically you're all giddy crazy do all these stupid things why love the person doesn't matter what they smell like doesn't matter their hair doesn't matter it doesn't matter that they snort when they laugh it doesn't matter everybody around everybody is annoyed in the entire room but because you love that person they're just perfect they s you know slopping when they eat their food and people are cringing and you're going isn't she amazing [Applause] and then it grows on gets deeper and it gets deeper and it gets deeper and then things things change and the maturing of the love never stops sacrificing starts out with sacrifice and it matures and a sacrifice that matures is a sacrifice that is well pleasing to the lord it's about time that we put on this truth why do we make this so hard is that he loves you and he gave himself for you all all all of your life's problems are answered in the closing end of this verse he gave himself for you but no uh-uh today in the sanctuary you will decide you are deciding if you're going to be people of faith or not people of faith will offer up an excuse i'll hear it right after service i promise you people will come to me after service and say well i heard what you said today but what you don't know is that there's a judge and he said this and this and it's just like what planet were you on for this last hour every this works for everybody else but you and you're calling god a liar no there's no fine print that excludes you if you come to him by faith and he's telling you today he loves you and he gave himself for you well hey thanks for listening and uh we appreciate you and of course we do in this time and in this age us being together and linking up together to get the word of god out is actually ministry being fulfilled and in fact if you would like to subscribe please do so hit the subscribe button tell your friends about us and listen if you'd like to help us get this out on a broader scale you can support us by hitting on the give now button and look we're going to continue on with or without you we're inviting you to join us no pressure but if you'd like to link arms in this venture you'd be greatly appreciated so listen keep praying for us we're praying for you god bless you and we'll see you back here real soon

Channel: Real Life with Jack Hibbs

Views: 177,394

Rating: 4.9362607 out of 5

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Id: vLf7Q1Xlu6w

Length: 62min 3sec (3723 seconds)

Published: Sun Feb 21 2021