Real Life Radio

David Jay: Today, on Real Life Radio.

Jack Hibbs: I hope you get this. Isn't it funny that all around the world you go, you'll go around the world, and what's everybody trying to do? Who want to reach God. They're working they're working toward it. Everybody. That ought to give you a clue right there. Salvation is of the Lord.

David Jay: This is real life. Welcome to real life radio with pastor Jack Hibbs. I'm David Jay thanking you for joining us today as we listen, learn, and are challenged by God's word, the Bible.

Jack Hibbs: Hey my friends, come with me on our Bold Faith Hawaii cruise June 12th to the 19th 2027. Listen, we're going to set sail for seven unforgettable days with myself, Dr. Frank Turick, and special worship with Gia Lucid. It's going to be a breathtaking trip. This is more than a vacation. It's a time of rest, renewal, fellowship, and spiritual strength in the word of God all centered around the Bible. You can reserve your spot by going to jackhibbs.com.

David Jay: On today's edition of Real Life Radio, pastor Jack now continues his series called The Book of Ephesians and a message titled Master Moses meet father Abraham part two. Ephesians is a letter the apostle Paul wrote to the church in Ephesus showing every believer who they really are in Christ. And here Paul reminds us that our salvation is a free gift and there's nothing we could ever do to earn it. You see so many of us try to work our way to God. We do good deeds when we can, we keep the rules, we hope our good outweighs the bad, but the Bible says it's only by the Lord's unfailing grace that brings us not only to new life, but a relationship with him.

So today pastor Jack teaches us that no one can keep the law perfectly, nobody, no matter how hard they try. That's exactly why God gave us grace, a gift we could never earn or take the credit for. Before we get into the message, I had a chance to sit down with pastor Jack and talk about it with him. So let's get into that. Pastor Jack, it seems like everybody's got a rewards program, right? These days buy nine coffees, we'll give you the 10th for free. I mean I'd be nine in a row.

Jack Hibbs: Right.

David Jay: Right. Um are you a punch card kind of guy? You like that sort of thing?

Jack Hibbs: I'm not. I'm very guilty of not doing that. However, I will confess I'm a real real fan of doing everything possible to earn points on my credit card to fly free. I think it's great. If you listen everybody, if you if you use your credit card right and pay it off every month you'll you'll actually make money. I get free miles and free airline tickets uh because I am using their money to fly me around. Uh so I guess I am a little bit of a different card I take it.

David Jay: So I I watch people like on Instagram and stuff like that and then they'll say, okay, here's the best way to use your card, right? And they go through 82 different steps to get you know you know 80 extra miles. I'm just I'm not that kind of guy. I mean I want to put the card down. You know what I'm saying?

Jack Hibbs: Yeah, I want thing I want to use things that work for me. I mean that's why I use a shovel. I'd hate to dig a hole to plant a tree with my fingernails. That's going to be a long day. But uh a shovel, hey use a shovel when you need a shovel, you know?

David Jay: So in this message pastor Jack, Paul says that we're we're not saved by our works, right? So so nobody really gets a chance to boast. Why does God care so much about you know taking away the bragging rights that you and I might think that we have?

Jack Hibbs: Yeah, first of all God is so good to us and he loves us so much and God is reality and we live in a non reality world and I speak for all of us. No one's exempt from that. We make stuff up. We think that either a we're way worse than we are or that we're way better than we are. Our perspective at best is flawed so terribly. And so uh God provided salvation to us at the expense of his own son Jesus. And by purchasing our salvation, God extends to us his grace. That invitation to know Jesus is based upon the grace of God.

In the moment you begin to think, well I prayed extra hard today, so maybe God likes me more. You're not operating in grace and in fact you are actually offending God. You can actually be sinning like that. If you think that God likes you more because you prayed more today, that's actually a sin, believe it or not. Because you're equating to God based upon performance when he never asked you to base the relationship on performance. He asked you to base that relationship between you and him on the performance of his son Jesus. And you see this is why the gospel's a stumbling block to somebody who's religious.

They hate the gospel. They might claim they like it or love it. But the moment you tamper with their man-made religion, yikes. So that's in fact the the poster child for all of this is the thief on the cross.

David Jay: Yeah.

Jack Hibbs: The thief on the cross who Jesus said today you're going to be with me in paradise, but the guy paid nothing, prayed nothing, uh dressed got dressed for nothing. He was an absolute picture perfect example of how lost we are. And Jesus said today you'll be with me in paradise because that man confessed faith faith in Jesus Christ.

David Jay: So for somebody who's just worn out from trying, right? To be a good enough Christian. I mean the the thief on the cross that you you referenced earlier, he didn't try at all until the last moment of his life, right? Or last few moments of his life.

Jack Hibbs: Well actually technically he didn't even try.

David Jay: Yeah, good point.

Jack Hibbs: He didn't he he did not ask Jesus to save him. He didn't ask Jesus to to take him anywhere. All he asked was Jesus remember me.

David Jay: All right, thanks pastor Jack. So here it is Master Moses meet father Abraham part two.

Jack Hibbs: Listen, once you grab your Bible tonight and open them to Ephesians chapter two and we continue what is really part two of the message called Master Moses meet father Abraham. And I know that's a funny title, but uh it's very important that we understand it. And that is Master Moses, the law giver, Moses the great patriarch of the rules and regulations of God's rule and reign and mandate to humanity concerning what we should do and the standard of God. When God gave Moses the law, he gave to man the standard of what he would accept into heaven.

It was the absolute perfect law. And it's given in Exodus chapter 20 concerning the great 10 commandments that when Jesus came and spoke, he interpreted the law. And when he did that, he said that the law came through Moses, yes. But the truth of the matter is it wasn't just to the Pharisee and the scribe and to the nation of Israel that if they didn't physically do this, but they did physically do the other and they thought they did all of the things right which they really weren't doing but let's say they felt like they were living a right and just life.

I haven't broken the 10 commandments, maybe a good Jew would say I've been really right on about the whole thing. Jesus comes on the scene who in fact is God in human form the son of God, second person of the Holy Trinity of God. Jesus comes on the scene and he says, well let me tell you as we covered last week. The fact and the truth of the matter is it's not what you do or what you don't do. He said the truth is what's in your heart. He said you may never have committed adultery physically, but if you've thought it you're guilty of it.

That's how perfect the law is. You go well that's not you know that's not all that nice, you know that's pretty scary. Well the whole thing was that Jesus Christ was giving to us the law that it was spirit as well as truth and it discerned and revealed the intents of the heart. Very important. Now Abraham comes on the scene much earlier than when the law was given. And God establishes a wonderful relationship with Abraham all through faith and all through this thing of justification by faith alone. Abraham was saved before the law ever came, people.

Listen, those of you we've been mentioning it, those of you struggling in a legalistic relationship with God. I know after last week some of you coming out of some of you still in cults and you're visiting here tonight or you're coming on Wednesday nights. Listen. You're to be commended for your zeal. You are very zealous and you try very hard, but the fact of the matter is you have failed even to meet the standard of somebody like Nicodemus. You've even failed to meet the standard of somebody like Paul the apostle. You look at his of his achievements as a good Jew and we couldn't meet up to his standards and you're not doing it now and we're not going to make it and so what do we do?

The scripture says that by the keeping of the law no flesh shall be justified in God's sight. We're not going to make it by keeping the law because the fact of the matter is the law can't be kept. Well so do we throw it to the wind? No. Paul says we acknowledge that the law it is holy, just and good and it's a great thing. But the law must be used properly. Paul the apostle tells us throughout the book of Romans, but specifically Romans chapter seven, he tells us that it is the law that condemns all men under sin.

Man. Well don't get too wrapped up into that depressing thought because the next chapter after chapter seven in the book of Romans is chapter eight which is one of the most liberating revelations you could ever touch. The law as we mentioned before was to drive you to a place of saying, I can't do this anymore. I've been trying so hard. I was baptized, I was this, I I got my confirmation, I was to communion, all this went through. I I did I went door to door, I knocked on every door I could find. I got my I went through my missionary time, I did my two years, I pumped my bike all over these hills.

And inside there's still an emptiness. There's still a void in my heart and I don't have the assurance that if I died today I'd go to heaven. Well the good news is Jesus Christ has come and to give us that life and it's absolutely abundant in and through him. And it's free. And it cannot be earned. That is why God established a relationship with Abraham by faith before the law ever came along. That's why it's silly, feudal, and frustrating for you and I to try to approach God on a legalistic basis. It doesn't work. So Master Moses really needs to meet father Abraham and here's the deal.

Remember growing up on your block, on your street? Kind of a weird thing. Seems like every street that any of us grew up on there's a bully on the street. And uh some of you were the bully. And uh that's okay. But uh some of us weren't the bully. But on that street if you there was my street there was Bobby Kelly. And he's a great guy cuz he would he was a great guy. I liked him cuz he did everything I asked him to do. So I liked being around him. Then there was Bobby Schroder living next door.

He's just fun guy. He's crazy. And uh it's funny because when when I wanted to have it when I was in a certain mood, I'd play with Bobby. And then when I was in a when I was in a certain mood I'd play with Bobby Kelly uh or Bobby Schroder or Bobby or Danny up the street and and but on the street always on the street there's somebody. And I had one on my street where the guy was just like the monkeys at the zoo with the monkeys picking on the other monkeys backing. What do you got there?

What do you got there? You got You ever seen those monkeys on the thing? You know what I'm talking about? Where you go to the zoo and the monkeys they're swinging around having a great time. There's always a couple off in the corner. And then one guy's like trying to relax and eat his banana and kick back and the other monkey's picking on his back, taking the little fleas off of him. What do you got to And there's there's somebody like that on every street growing up. And maybe in every house. You know what you know you you know you got this wrong with you right here.

And you know what and they're picking again. What is it? And that's how Moses I think had a tendency by revelation to maybe be like. You know what? You you stepped at what is that's number nine. That's eight. You stepped at a line over there on that one right there. Moses knew the law. God had given them the law and the holiness of the law was so great on the mountain. And it was so vivid in his eyes and there's a tendency to be so consumed with the law that rather than applying it to your life, Romans chapter two talks about Romans three, you'll wind up self justifying and imposing on on others and you're wondering how come you're not doing that, huh?

And that's how Moses might have been on his street, but then Abraham comes along. And Abraham and Moses I don't know if they would have gotten along though they were loved by God. And they're totally different kind of ministries. Maybe a very legalistic ministry. Maybe a very gracious ministry over here on this side. The beautiful thing is the Lord's calling us to a relationship and grace with him. So we are in Ephesians chapter two. I just remembered that just now. The whole chapter by the way is in relation to grace that saves us. And so we covered last time verse eight and then we'll hit nine right now.

But in verse eight he says, for by grace you have been past tense, it's done, saved through faith. And no it goes on to say, and that not of yourselves, that's true. But there's some people that you and I might know or maybe we've come out of an uh a denomination or a background or something where it says for by grace you have been saved through faith and baptism. No, that's not what the Bible teaches. By grace you have been saved, but now that you've been saved you got to work your tail off, partner, to keep it that way.

To keep it safe. No, that's not what the Bible says. For by grace you have been saved plus in Portuguese it's not a not a Then that sounds like nothing, doesn't it? Nothing. And Southern California slang it's zip. In Russian it's That sounds like no, nothing, doesn't it? Faith plus no way nothing. The moment we begin to attach some works onto that thing, we have to take an eraser and erase faith off the formula. Don't you dare do that. Because it is faith in Jesus Christ alone, people. Alone. It's faith in Jesus Christ alone that will get you into heaven.

Thank God that's why for some few precious privileged folk who live their lives alienated from Christ for some few there is still the death bed conversion situation that happens and it's a great thing to see. How can it happen? By faith in Jesus Christ alone. But Jack, I'm I'm an okay kind of person. I'm okay. Don't ever think like that because you're not okay. You need him so desperately.

Guest (Male): You're listening to real life with pastor Jack Hibbs. To learn more about this ministry or to catch up on some previous episodes, go to jackhibbs.com. That's jackhibbs.com. And now let's get back to today's message. Once again, here's pastor Jack.

Jack Hibbs: For by grace you have been saved through faith and that not of yourselves, it is a gift of God. And here's the text for tonight, verse nine, not of works lest anyone should boast. Not of works. You see the law was given to expose us our shortcoming of works. You can't do it. And you would back up and try again, you'd fail. You ever gone through those airport detector deals? They drive you nuts. You now you know though you like them because of the security thing, but it's crazy. And you you walk through there, beep.

Can you please step out Mr. Can you step out? Okay, and you pull out put your key. You going through your pockets. Okay, step through again, please. Beep. Okay, try one more time. So you walk through there again. And you you go through and that thing just searches you and picks just right right there. And then if they if it goes off and they can't and your pockets are empty, what do they do? Can you step over here, please? And then they do this one thing. Up your armpits. You know it's like oh man and you're like this.

It's kind of it's weird. It's just weird, but you know they got to do it. And that thing is scanning scanning and you're going out of there's nothing on me. I don't know you maybe your machine's broke. This is a true story. I was somewhere and and uh and we're all running to get on this airplane. We flew from uh uh Estonia to Stockholm, from Tallinn to Stockholm. And we get there and everybody's getting on the plane. And so I'm getting on the plane, beep. Can you step there? And I'm like everything's off of me.

And then beep. So they go can you come over here, please? Oh man, okay. So I go in this room and they're just going all over and then they hit my boots and my boots have got metal toes on them and they're going beep beep beep. So then and they still weren't going to let me go and they started asking me questions. So I'm thinking well I know I'm not some kind of a you know maniac bomb guy or something, but somebody could have planted something somewhere and maybe it's on my bags. I don't know, but you know I'm not freaking because I'm not guilty.

Well you know what happened? In my bags I had a in my carry in my check-in bag I had a a metal clipboard and a rubber band around my metal clipboard. That well that's not a crime. Well I had a tape recorder strapped to the metal clipboard with batteries in it and wires. And when that thing went through the x-ray machine, it looked like a bomb. And so they're talking asking me all this stuff. And then they started asking me stuff that really got me what's your mother's maiden name? Well how if I told you how would you know?

I mean your Delta Airlines, what is this? Like and you know I'm a long way from home. How are you going to know this? It's really weird. We'll come to find out they went through my bags and everything was fine and I get on the airplane and everyone's like waiting, you know. Sit down and we leave and it's just a crazy thing. The law goes and searches and scans and looks at Right here is an impure thought. Just one. Well now we are going to become religious people and we're going to have a relationship with God and we're going to now live a new life.

We're going to work really good at it. And that's okay. But don't for a moment, people, if anybody's in this room, please don't for a moment think that you're going to get to heaven because you don't set the detector off. Because that thing picks up certain things, but God's detector picks up even the thought. And even if we're trying to be good and work good at it, the thing is that we can't do it and it's not by works. Why not? And and I I hope you get this. Isn't it funny that all around the world you go you'll go around the world and what's everybody trying to do?

Who want to reach God? They're working they're working toward it. Everybody. That ought to give you a clue right there. Salvation is of the Lord. It's freely given. Yeah you go and you go around where the gospel of Jesus Christ is not presented to people freely. And what are they doing? Man they're working for it, not by works lest any man should boast. That means if there's works involved then we'll boast. We're so good at it. I'm going to lead all of you into a deeper life with God. It's through the simple path of humility.

And I've written my book 100 ways to be humble. I saw a guy on TV. I won't mention your his name cuz you'll get upset with me. This guy well he wrote he did a message and we happened to have caught him on TV. We came home one day. I was very depressed after a Sunday morning message and so I just came home and I sat down and I just thought, Lord I just like blew it, man. I blew the message. It was the worst. And uh I'm not the guy to be around after a Sunday service.

And uh cuz you know that there's the message you preach in front of the people, then there's the message you preach all the way home. And the one on the way home is always better than the one that you give to the people. And he goes you send $29.95 in, the greatest message that I have this is that I've ever heard, he said. And he said you just send in writer, the phone number's on the screen. And that message was just delivered recently and he said that message was on humility. And it was the greatest message I have ever given them.

I kid you not. That fixed my whole day. I felt great after that.

David Jay: Pastor and Bible teacher Jack Hibbs here on Real Life Radio and his message called Master Moses meet father Abraham part two. Thanks for spending part of your day with us today. You know this message is part of pastor Jack's series called The Book of Ephesians. It's a series through Paul's letter to the Ephesians discovering the riches, the walk, and the triumph of every believer. And we'll continue on the next edition of Real Life Radio.

Guest (Male): One nation born in liberty, rooted in faith, sustained by providence. That's the American story. A new documentary film from pastor Jack Hibbs and historian Tim Barton filmed at the very places where it happened. Preorder today ahead of its Thanksgiving day release and receive a free Thanksgiving kids guide with your gift to real life. Visit jackhibbs.com or call 877-777-2346 to preorder yours now. Once again that website jackhibbs.com.

Jack Hibbs: Hey thank you again so much for listening and if you'd like to hear or see more of what we do here, you can always go to jackhibbs.com for all the latest on what's going on with this ministry. And please if you're ever in the Southern California area, come see us at Calvary Chapel Chino Hills. We'd love to see you there in person. It has been so good to be with you today and I pray you find yourself in the grace and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ. See you on the next episode.

David Jay: This program is made possible by the generous contributions of you our listeners. Visit us at jackhibbs.com. That's jackhibbs.com. Until next time, pastor Jack Hibbs and all of us here at Real Life Radio wish for you solid and steady growth in Christ and in his word. We'll see you next time here on Real Life Radio.