Ready, Watch, Pray… Look Up!| Jack Hibbs Sermon
Ready, Watch, Pray… Look Up! | Jack Hibbs Sermon
Well as we’ve been learning Bible prophecy matters, Bible prophecy is what sets the scriptures apart from all other religions throughout all of human history.
In fact, it’s interesting to note that how can you know, for sure that the Bible is true?
That’s a great question. Right. Don’t you wanna know that The answer is Bible prophecy?
100% of the Bible has been accurately fulfilled in the prophecies that pertain To God speaking to us, the ones that remain, we can bank on it, they too will be 100% fulfilled.
Today, we’re gonna be looking at a message that’s going to challenge us.
And in fact, more than anything, how about this friend? That’s gonna be an exhortation.
Exhortation is a great biblical word.
It means that you’re going to hear from the Bible to be challenged and to be as it were prepared, there’s gonna be a strong word of being ready to meet the Lord.
And so words like this, you’re gonna hear a lot of them and you should words like ready?
Are you ready? How do I get ready and watch? How do I go to college?
How do I take care of my family, do my job.
How do I do whatever I do and be watching. We’ll tell you how spiritually ready, spiritually watching.
And then the word pray, we’re gonna be challenged to pray at all times to be in a mindset of prayer.
And if we do those three things, then the last thing will come naturally supernatural.
And that is looking up, we’re gonna be looking up, not physically looking up and you know, parking your self on your rooftop, waiting for Jesus to return spiritually looking up no matter what you’re doing, no matter where you’re at.
From designing something, building a home to vacation.
You’re in the spiritual attitude of being ready because you’re praying, looking up and you’re watching.
So a good friend of mine who is now with Jesus, he said, Dr Ed Heinsohn of Liberty University, he said, God didn’t give us Bible prophesy to scare us.
He gave us Bible prophesy to prepare us. So that’s awesome and exciting. So grab your Bibles, open them up.
Let’s dive into the study of God’s word today.
When you see these things, Jesus challenges us regarding wars and rumors of wars, wars and rumors of wars.
Isn’t it amazing? The Bible says, you see, well, there’s always wars and rumors of wars. Yes.
But in the context of Matthew 24 Jesus is talking about on a global scale, think of it.
Now for a moment, for those of you are skeptics we have an itinerant preacher Who was raised as a carpenter by his stepdad in a little country town up north called Nazareth.
A lot of scandalous talk about his coming into the world and his mother and all that stuff.
But we’ve moved on from that.
It’s been some 30 years and now he comes on the scene and he says, hey, you asked me a question about what’s it going to be like at the end of the world?
Well, one of the things will be that there’s gonna be a global conversation taking place.
It’s gonna be rumored about constantly about wars. Oh, and there will be wars.
And I want to show you a list right now. I think we have this list.
I want you to just look at this.
These are the conversations in news now today, China versus Taiwan unless something happens.
Ladies and gentlemen, which I guess it’s not going, who knows China could swallow up Taiwan and the world would just keep going.
America would do nothing in America, I don’t think can China versus the United States that’s always on the table and, and increasing, believe it or not, Venezuela versus the United States is, are you kidding me?
There have been some serious weapon tree that Iran and Russia has have moved into Venezuela pointed at us right now.
There, there North Korea versus Japan.
This is so sad for Japan because when Japan tried to take over the world and we beat them up.
We said no armies and navies for you will be your protector.
Sign here and you can’t do this anymore because we can’t trust you guys. So we’ll be your protector.
Big old, big brother America. We’re gonna take care of you.
And so now North Korea wants to beat up Japan and Japan is like reaching in its pockets.
Ain’t got nothing to defend itself.
With look into America and North Korea versus United States.
What’s his name has been launching test I C B M s again, Iran versus the United States.
This has been going on for a very long time. Russia versus the United States.
Russia versus Israel.
That’s a constant dynamic because Russia is in an interesting way because it uses, it uses land, that’s north of Israel like Syria and they use possibly areas of Lebanon via Hezbollah will see that in a second.
But if you know the Ezekiel chapter 38, the Bible speaks exactly as to what eventually will happen regarding Russia and Israel.
Now, when I say Lebanon versus Israel, this is not Lebanon, the nation that you would know, this is Hezbollah who has taken, who has commandeered Lebanon and they are sworn enemies of Israel to wipe it off the face of the earth.
Iran versus Israel, Iran versus Saudi Arabia, did you know that these two are constantly pointing weapons at each other to annihilate each other?
Did you know that they can’t stand each other. They are the two different houses of Islam.
Did you say Jack? Why do you point these things out? Jesus said there’ll be days like this.
Jesus said, there’ll be days like this. There’ll be days like this.
My Jesus said it inspired a song. I’m kidding. No, I’m just kidding.
Here’s one thing right now in the news happening now, Syrian Kurds suspend anti Isis operations to brace for Turkish invasion.
This is a big deal. It’s been announced to Turkey that Turkey is about to invade Syria.
Most likely it’s gonna involve the United States.
You see what we just got done fighting decades of war, you said?
Well, why, why is this even being discussed? Why would we help in this situation? Remember all of this?
Flies under the banner of wars and rumors of wars? Do you know when your economy is in bad condition?
Do you know what you do when your economy thinks you start a war?
Why did Hitler stir up Europe and start a war because their economy was in the tank?
Whenever your economy stinks start a war, it does wonders for your economy.
Why would we get involved in this? Because our economy is in the tank?
Pretty weird. Isn’t it pretty strange?
So, as a skeptic, you’ve got to be thinking, do I believe in the Bible or not?
Jesus said there’d be wars and rumors of wars Before the end? # seven.
Regarding a world in rebellion to Christ that would be increasing.
And I’m gonna give you three passages of scripture that you’re gonna want to remember and write them down in your Bibles, especially in your margins of your Bibles.
First John chapter two verse 18. 1st John 2, 18 little Children. It is the last hour guy love John.
He’s not even talking about last days.
John looked at his sundial on his wrist and said, man, we’re done. It’s like the last hour.
I love that. It is the last hour.
And as you have heard that the antichrist is coming, even now many anti Christs have come by which we know that it is the last hour.
2000 years ago, John had his eyes open as it were in his head looking up next verse, check this out.
First John 2 22 who was a liar, but he who denies that Jesus is the Christ.
He is antichrist who denies the father and the son. Listen, that’s a reference to the Trinity.
If you think about it, if you deny the deity of Jesus Christ, the Bible says that’s because you have a spirit of antichrist governing your life.
Well, I believe in Jesus, but I don’t believe that he’s who he says he was or who the Bible says he was.
That thinking comes from the spirit, the atmosphere of antichrist remarkable, isn’t it?
Look at second John, second John seven says, but many deceivers have gone out into the world who do not confess Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh.
This is a deceiver and an antichrist friends.
Many of your colts that you encounter with friends are at your doorstep holding this view. Remarkable.
I just find it fascinating.
Always fascinating that once somebody denies Jesus Christ, they become a denier of all things. God.
It’s remarkable. What’s next on the world scene? People want to know.
that’s what your newsstands are saying in the grocery stores.
What’s next makes me, I don’t know. I, I don’t think normal.
I, if, if I, if I were a computer hacker, this is how I spend my time.
You know, people always look for directions at P F Chang’s.
It’s the Fortune cookie.
And it’s funny because after you’re done eating, it’s like, are you gonna, are you gonna eat your cookie?
Everybody? What are you gonna do? Your cookie? You’re gonna throw it out.
Are, you know, you like them? No, they’re horrible. I want to see what’s inside. Have you noticed that?
Are you like that? You, by the way, have you noticed Fortune cookies are amazing.
You’re so awesome. You open it up, you’re gonna meet somebody really interesting tomorrow.
It’s always just this stuff, wouldn’t you?
Like if I was a hacker, I’d like to hack into the machine that makes those things and put Bible verses in there.
Can you imagine? And then I’d chip them all to China can you imagine they open up all these cookies?
Billion cookies. You start seeing people getting saved all across China because they’re reading a fortune cookie.
That cookie for God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son.
That whosoever could be me would believe in him would not perish but have everlasting life.
Give me that cookie. Right. Amazing.
Everybody wants to know what does the New Year hold?
Well, I don’t know we can speculate, but I have this little list.
First of all, the imminent and sudden appearing of Jesus Christ, that’s what I’m rooting for or a rush toward worldwide economic solution because the world is in trouble and it’s increasingly in debt or an aggressive attempt to reinstate some form of global fear tactic like what’s happening right now in China right now, as I speak, the poor Chinese people in Shanghai in other places, the brutality that’s taking place right now.
There’s there stirring up the next wave to get you messed up and vac stup in something new and they’re starting it now because the first pass didn’t work or the imminent and sudden appearing of Jesus Christ that doesn’t happen.
Then you can maybe look forward to an obscure but yet fulfilled destruction of Damascus, say what and there’s something right out of the blue.
Listen, a lot of biblical scholars in Isaiah chapter 17, they have a hard time placing this particular prophecy in the Bible because the Bible says that regarding Damascus in conjunction with Jeremiah, that Damascus, it says in the walls of Damascus, there’s going to be a fire that begins and it is going to consume Damascus and it’s going to be so bad.
It says that Damascus will never be inhabited again by a human being.
And when that happens, it says Israel will suffer from it.
Israel and Damascus so close together that city to the border.
Is that an interesting, that’s Isaiah 17.
And scholars don’t know is that possibly the trigger to the Ezekiel 38 battle.
But one thing we know for sure right now, Damascus is very well populated, but the Bible says there’s coming a day when it’s going to be uninhabitable, somebody could in this day and age, somebody could trip over something and set off a nuke, set off something who knows?
Wow. Or the imminent and sudden appearing of Jesus Christ or a Russian led Islamic coalition to destroy Israel, Ezekiel 38 or the imminent or sudden appearance of Jesus Christ or an increased global destabilization of laws and rules and order the world’s losing control of itself or the imminent and sudden appearance of Jesus Christ or an utter collapse of Europe as we know it today, you guys Europe is hanging on a thread like this.
Europe is godless, leaderless and that’s in trouble or the imminent and sudden appearance of Jesus Christ.
You say, what do you keep saying that for because he could come at any moment before any of these things happen.
So, very quickly, we end with these last two regarding the preparing of his church.
I believe God is preparing his church.
I believe God’s people are gonna be doing their jobs, getting married, going to school, doing what you’re supposed to do occupy until he comes live your life.
But at the exact same time, you got your head as it were spiritually up.
You’re looking for him all the while you’re doing the hardest thing of all.
And that is discipline in your life to stay the course. You gotta be ready to meet him today.
But plan for the next 100 years, you think about that, but we need to do this for sure.
Jude chapter one verse 20 starts there by saying, but you beloved this is it.
But you beloved building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, keep yourselves in the love of God.
That’s a great marching order. Keep yourselves in the love of God.
Looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life. What a great statement.
And then finally, number 10, when you see these things regarding living out our lives until he comes, you and I are going to choose how we’re gonna, how we’re gonna live out the rest of our days.
And I want to give you this verse and then a commissioning and who is He who will harm you if you become followers of what is good.
But even if you should suffer for righteousness sake, you are blessed and do not be afraid of their threats, nor be troubled.
But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts, always be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you and you do that with meekness and with fear or with honor and respect as you share Christ with others.
So church honestly stand, I’m gonna give you some marching orders.
These are things that we need to have in our lives active from this moment on.
I just wrote down in my notes to myself.
I just called them countermeasures, whatever the enemy is throwing at you, your home, your life, your business, your health, God in his word gives us countermeasures.
Number one, having the right attitude, have the right attitude about what’s going on.
Listen, if you’re gonna follow Jesus, it’s gonna be tough. Can somebody say amen to this? It’s gonna be tough.
This is so tough time. We have to fight and get our minds and our attitudes right in line with scripture because our emotions are so strong and we are so opinionated with our emotions.
Watch out measure countermeasure. Number one, having the right attitude.
Number two, countermeasure, keep yourself ready, keep yourself ready.
Watch out for things that would cause you to get sloppy about your life.
Spiritually speaking, I’ve been going to church for six months now. I’m gonna take the next six months off.
Don’t do that. This church stinks. Then go to a church that doesn’t stink but don’t stop.
Keep yourself ready. Third countermeasure, avoid compromising situations. Well, you know.
No, no, no. I was just curious. Stop it.
I just want to see what it be like. Get over here.
Countermeasure. Number four. Resist complacency and spiritual laziness.
Hmm. This is dangerous for all of us, complacency and spiritual laziness.
It’s like uh again, number five, exercise extreme judgment regarding information.
Simply put, don’t believe it. Well, what if you’re saying it?
Don’t believe it You’re supposed to do in acts 1711 on people test everything you hear against the scripture.
Well, you hear this guy said, I don’t want to hear it or if I have to hear it, I want to judge it through the Bible.
And then finally this galvanize yourself with the Bible.
I like the word galvanize. I like that.
Why do you galvanize something to keep it from rusting, galvanized your stuff galvanized.
It’s not pretty. Have you noticed that? That thing is so shiny over there. It’s not galvanized.
That’s the way I understand it anyway. It’s so, so glittery and shiny. That’s great.
But you know what, for the long haul, I’ll take the one that’s galvanized.
It means it has been treated in such a way that it’s impervious to the environment around it, it can snow, rain, hail heat, it’s just there.
And to me that’s a picture of the Christian. We’ve been galvanized.
The world looks at us and throws heat at us.
It throws cold, it throws hail and mud at us.
And we’re like this, it’s, I mean, it hits us but it doesn’t stick.
And how does that happen?
We are galvanized with the word of God, know the word and be safe.
You’re watching real life with Jack Hips.
So that’s the key. Think about it, that challenge.
I just gave you those marching orders or countermeasures to what the world is trying to do to us.
What do we do as believers? How do I live out my practical Christianity in a way that matters. Friends.
I’ve often said, and I’ll say it again if you claim to be a Christian today and you’re following Jesus and your board.
Something’s very wrong. Seriously to follow Christ is to live the most exciting dynamic and effective life possible in this world.
I cannot imagine living without him.
And so listen, friends that last challenge kind of sums them all up, doesn’t it? To be galvanized?
I kind of spent a little bit more time on that one than anything else to be galvanized.
To take something that is subject, listen to decay and to rot, to have it coded, to have it protected, to have it galvanized in such a way that now it’s very properties are resilient to this world.
That’s the Christian life to live in every aspect of our lives, no matter where they’re at.
The believer is to be not only galvanized, but we go into a corrosive world and it has no effect on us, but we have total effect on it.
That’s the key. So friends listen so much more to give you at jack Hibbs dot com.
So much there to learn in teaching.
But listen, if these studies are being a blessing to you, can you let us know?
Can you reach out and let us know, pray, always please for us and then pray about the Lord speaking to your heart if he wants you to help support what we’re doing so that we can get into more homes around the world.
Let’s do this together. If you want to be a sender, I’ll be the go er as it were in teaching the word of God and making disciples.
God bless you guys. What does the American church of today have in common with the German church that allowed Hitler’s evil empire to come to power unchecked more than you realize.
And letter to the American church, Eric Metaxas warns of the haunting similarities between today’s complacency and yesterday’s mistakes, giving prophetic insight into the fate of America.
If modern believers don’t step up to combat the evil that threatens our nation’s future.
Silence is no law longer an option.
God calls us to defend the unborn to confront the lives of cultural Marxism and to battle the globalist tyranny that crushes human freedom.
It’s time to fight before it’s too late.
Find out what that looks like in a letter to the American Church.
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Welcome to Real Life Radio with Jack Hibbs.
God’s word never will return. Void God’s word is spirit, its power and it has its effect.
Mhm.
So I want to encourage you to grab your Bibles, open them up and get ready to learn from God’s word.
God did not give us Bible prophesy to scare us but to prepare us.
But I think you’re gonna get a lot out of it.
And one of the great reasons you are the light of the world.
Jesus said you are the salt of the earth. How does that happen by the power of the Holy Spirit?
You’re going to get excited about what Jesus Christ wants to do in and free you, Jack Hibbs truly believes we are living in some of the most exciting days in history which brings some great opportunities to share with the world, a powerful no nonsense presentation of the gospel to this generation who are searching for answers and truth.
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