Real Life Radio

Jack Hibbs: But listen, you and I can connect with heaven immediately because God came to us in Jesus to show us and to give us all the help that we need. Why? Because listen, we need a change. You and I need a change in our lives.

David J: This is Real Life. Welcome to Real Life Radio with Pastor Jack Hibbs. I’m David J, thanking you for joining us today as we listen, learn, and are challenged by God’s word, the Bible.

Jack Hibbs: Hey everybody, have you ever thought about what’s after life? Do you know that the Bible teaches life is after life? If you know the Lord Jesus Christ, my good friend Philip De Courcy has written a great book, and that’s the title: Life After Life: Exploring the Bible’s Wonderful Promises About Heaven and Eternity, published by Harvest House Publishers. Get a copy for yourself.

David J: Life After Life by Philip De Courcy: Exploring the Bible's Promises About Heaven and Eternity. It’s available for a gift of any amount at jackhibbs.com. That’s jackhibbs.com.

On today’s very special Easter Passion Week edition of Real Life Radio, Pastor Jack continues with his message called "Live: Jesus Christ is the Only Life to Live." We’re so glad you could spend some of this Easter week with us. This Passion Week of Easter celebrates the coming of the Messiah from his triumphant entry into Jerusalem, to his death on the cross, to his glorious resurrection.

So today, Pastor Jack teaches that there’s a sense of hope and excitement of the resurrection of Jesus when we realize that his return is really closer than ever. Our lives get busy and our direction gets compromised, but one thing is true: our lives need his help, and only Christ can change us and keep us focused on the things that really matter. Now with his Passion Week message called "Live: Jesus Christ is the Only Life to Live," here’s Pastor and Bible teacher, Jack Hibbs.

Pastor Jack, during Passion Week there are a lot of powerful moments in the life of Jesus, but one of the things that really stands out is how clearly he explains who he really is. Now in this message, you focused on one of the most direct statements Jesus ever made. He said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." Now why is that declaration so central to the Christian faith?

Jack Hibbs: You’re referring to John 14:6, and I love the fact that he says it to Thomas, the famous doubter. So Jesus said, "I am the way," definite article by the way, "the." "I am the way," meaning there’s no other way. "I am the truth," meaning there’s no other truth. And "I am the life," the Bible says. That means there’s no other life.

So he says, Jesus does, "No one can come to the Father but through me." All of this is exclusive. All of this is narrow. All of this is one-of-a-kind. He is the actual gateway into the presence of Almighty God and eternity forever, and there is no other way. He is the one, and that’s exactly who the Bible said he would be. He was born in Bethlehem, he would die on a cross, but on the third day be resurrected from the dead because he’s God’s Messiah to all who will believe.

David J: Well we believe that Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life, but what does that mean or how can we convey that to someone who’s searching for that purpose in their own life today?

Jack Hibbs: I love how you just said that because that's not true because we believe it. It is true if we believe it or not. Here's the key: Jesus said it, Jesus did it. So I would ask anyone who’s listening right now, do not put your faith in any man or system, organization, or church. Put your faith in God's word because it is his word that cannot lie. God cannot lie. He has said that to us. "I cannot lie, I'm not like a human who lies." He tells us the truth.

The more you understand what he has communicated to you, the more joyful, the more purposeful, the more meaningful your life will be because you will see God's message to you as you should, personally. Let's get into it.

He’s risen. He is risen indeed. Listen, everybody, why are we so excited? Why is this going on all around the world? Think about it all day. As we approach the end of the continent, beyond the Pacific, in the middle of the Pacific, is the International Date Line, which means we’re nearing the end of Sunday. While you were sleeping, all around the world, people got together by at least a couple billion people to celebrate the fact that Jesus Christ is risen from the dead.

As I said at sunrise service, we’re here today right now. The message that we preach right now is all based upon fact. I love that. Our faith is founded upon fact. Those of us who know Jesus, know the word of God, understand that the Bible is the authority for life. It’s not only the authority for our lives but for the future. What is glorious about what you just saw in that video presentation, numerous times you saw Old Testament passages quoted because Jesus Christ is the one and only ever individual that has had a book written about them before they ever came into the world.

Listen, if you’re a skeptic or a doubter or an atheist, you’ve got to deal with that today. How do you explain a book that has been around for thousands of years, even before Christ himself came, and it was all about him? You’ve got to square with that today. That’s why we’re so excited. It's because this is not just a day for us. It is a great day for us, but for those of us who know him, we have this every day, and we want to make sure that we share that with you.

I’m going to confess right now this morning, today’s going to be a little bit of a different Resurrection Sunrise Service message. I hope it applies mostly to the believer and gets you excited about our near future. And if you’re an unbeliever today, that is, you’re not someone who’s following Jesus, that you get so jealous of what we have that you’re going to have to have it. That’s what we want to experience today. We do have a profound hope, and it's glorious in Christ.

Before we get to today’s passage of reading, I just want to remind you again: all of this week, starting from last Sunday all through the week and today, is the most in-depth, studied, researched, confirmed, scrutinized series of writings ever known to man. Ever. You name the individual and the person Jesus Christ this week in history has received more scrutiny, more examination by believers and unbelievers alike. You’ve come to a day that is proven in the Roman world and in the believer’s world, even in the world of religion. Everyone had to deal with Jesus.

I’m happy to report everyone is still having to deal with Jesus. And for that matter, for all eternity, people will be dealing with Jesus. We just want you to be dealing with him with us in heaven. Right, church? Can you say amen to that? Exactly. So listen, I'm going to ask you to stand right now if you would. I’ll read it all the way through. Normally we would change that up on Sunday mornings, but today’s a day that I want to be a little bit ahead of the clock. You’ve never thought about this passage before relating to Resurrection Sunday morning, but maybe you will after this.

In 1 Thessalonians chapter 4, verse 13, Paul writes to them and says, "And now, dear brothers and sisters, we want you to know what will happen to the believers who have died, so you do not grieve like people who have no hope. For since we believe that Jesus died and was raised to life again, we also believe that when Jesus returns, God will bring with him the believers who have died. We tell you this directly from the Lord. We who are still living when the Lord returns will not meet him ahead of those who have died. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven with a commanding shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God. First, the believers who have died will rise from the graves. Then together with them, we who are still alive and remain on the earth will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. Then we will be with the Lord forever."

Verse 18: "So encourage each other with these words." Wow. Father, we pray that you would absolutely just cause the atmosphere to be energized with your truth. Father, may your truth go out today without apology by the power of your Holy Spirit that the believer might be encouraged and that those who are not with you today would be with you by the end of this service. You want more and more to trust in you. We thank you for this day in history, and we thank you, Lord, for our future. We pray in Jesus’ name. And all God's people said, amen.

You may be seated, everybody. So as we get into this study today, I’m going to remind those of you who normally attend here, I wanted to make this a normal Bible study even though this is a special day. For those of you who do not attend here, today's going to be a good sample if this is your flavor, and that is to know the truth. So get ready to write down Bible verses. We’re nothing without the Bible; we’re nothing without the God of the Bible. God’s word is the authority. It's the one and only authority in all of the earth is God’s word.

I want to give you a little bit of background to the hope of the believer today, and I pray that God touches your heart as well. The introduction to our resurrection celebration begins here. In Acts chapter 1, verse 6, the Bible tells us, "Therefore, when they had come together, they asked him, Jesus, saying, 'Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?' And he said to them, 'It is not for you to know the times or the seasons which the Father has placed in his own authority. But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria and Chino Hills for that matter, and to the ends of the earth.'"

Now when he had spoken these things, while they watched, he was taken up, and a cloud received him out of their sight. What a moment that must have been. And while they looked steadfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel, who also said, "Men of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw him go into heaven."

The hope of the believer. Friends, 2,000 years ago, more specifically 1,993 years ago today, the believers, they were all absolutely sequestered and held bound by fear before they discovered what you already know. They didn’t know that Jesus Christ had risen from the dead. He had said he would. He had told them; he taught them. He showed them the scriptures. And they, being good Jewish students of the Old Testament, they had studied the resurrection verses of the Messiah all their lives, but they failed to remember. They failed to recognize.

And we had talked about that at our Resurrection Sunrise Service this morning. Grief often keeps you from seeing what is true. Grief often veils the truth from us. But the great hope of the believer was not just them discovering the empty tomb in Jerusalem on this day, but the hope of the believer from that moment on is the exact same hope that continues today. Every single one of us around here in this room or out in the courtyard or in the overflow rooms right now, every single one of us have this hope that you sense this morning. I hope and pray this sense of excitement.

Listen, friends, I’ve got to tell you, if you’re visiting, this vibe that you’re feeling all over this campus, it's like this every Sunday. It’s like this every Wednesday. It's like this every time we get together. Why? Because he’s risen. Jesus is alive. We don’t have to say that for it to be true; we’re saying it because it is true. The only founder of a faith movement that had a book written about them in advance, the only one who said, "I love you," the only one who said, "If I’m crucified and I’m buried, I'll be resurrected from the dead."

And he ascended back into heaven. He’s also the same one that said, "I'll be back." You think Schwarzenegger thought that one up? Schwarzenegger got that from Jesus. "I'll be back." Jesus Christ is coming back, folks. When? Well, we don’t know when. The Bible only tells us that you’ll see indicators within the world that will tell you about the times and the seasons. The Bible says that right before the return of Christ, there’s going to be global wars. Matthew chapter 24. The Bible tells us that there’s going to be diseases and pestilence on a global scale that no man can cure. Matthew chapter 24, Luke chapter 17.

The Bible tells us that there’s going to be an increase of earthquakes and the reawakening of volcanoes, the Bible says. Say what? Volcanoes? That’s what the Bible says. So be watching for volcanoes. The last days' events are an indicator that Christ’s near return is coming. But listen, you don’t have to be debating that in your own mind. There’s going to be a time when you and I meet Jesus just by way of death. If Christ doesn’t come for us and receive us to himself as we read about in our passage today, what if you die? How are you going to meet Jesus? On what grounds will you be meeting him? The Bible’s very clear about this.

So number one, write it down if you're taking notes today. It's this: Jesus Christ is the only life to live. We think about this. It's because you and I in our lives, we need help. Can we just come to that grip right now? I need help. I’m going to say it for you even though you might be saying, "I’m not going to admit it." I'll admit it for you. We all need help. We all need help. We’re humans; we need help. In fact, listen to this. I read this the other day in what is known as the positivesychology.com website.

And it says, "Positive psychology explores the meaning of life by focusing on personal strengths." I stopped right there. Wait, I don't have any personal strengths. The moment I thought I did, yes, I had personal strengths. I used to be 16. And then I was 19, and then I was 25. I had personal strengths. So I’m reading this, and this website’s supposed to give me the answer to the meaning of life. That’s what I Googled just to see what Google would tell me. I mean, I already know the meaning of life, but I wanted to know if Google knew.

And so this is what came up: that we can explore the meaning of life by focusing on personal strengths. Well, you better have some. Purpose, or the pursuit of fulfilling experiences you might have, enhancing overall well-being. What if you’re lacking these things? Identifying one’s values, engaging in activities that align with these principles can cultivate a deeper sense of purpose and direction. These are all great words, but they can't help me. Building meaningful connections. What if I can’t? What if I’m a weirdo and I don't know how to do that? What if I'm not good at building personal relationships?

Contributing to something larger than oneself enriches life, promoting happiness and satisfaction. They said a lot, but they didn’t tell me anything. I’m going to tell you right now before anything happens: Jesus is the purpose. Jesus is the reason. Jesus Christ, living for him, gives you a reason to get out of bed and to go to the office or to go to the site or to deal with those kids of yours. It’s Jesus. It’s Jesus. Satisfaction. To have satisfaction in your life.

And so because my house is wired and Alexa’s listening to everything, she thought at that moment when I was reading this out loud that Mick Jagger had his philosophy to share. And so he said, "I can’t get no satisfaction." Have you ever had your system listening to you and all the words pop up? Wow, what in the world’s going on? And of course, I had to instruct Alexa in my home that only Jesus Christ can give satisfaction. She said, "I have no opinion of this." She is godless. She is a pagan. She doesn't know.

But you can know. Solomon, the wisest man that’s ever lived, Solomon in Ecclesiastes, boy, what a writing that is. The book of Ecclesiastes. He wrote about himself, King Solomon, the man given all wisdom from God, winds up getting bored with it all and wanders off the trail. Maybe you are here today and you’ve wandered off the trail. And Solomon says this, listen to this, Ecclesiastes chapter 2, verse 10: "Whatever my eyes desired, I did not keep from them." Look, he had the money and the power to get anything he wanted. This is scary. What would you do if you had all power to get whatever you wanted? He did. I don't want that power.

"I did not withhold my heart from any pleasure, for my heart rejoiced in all my labor, and this was my reward from all my labor. Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done and on the labor in which I had toiled, and indeed, all was vanity and grasping for the wind. There was no profit under the sun," said one. In fact, for those of you who don’t know, not only was he the richest man in the world at the time, but he was the wisest man in the world at the time, the king of Israel, King Solomon. And he was also probably the most handsome man in the world at the time. What a combination for destruction without God.

Without God. And he said it's all vanity. Solomon discovered yet again, he needed the help of God. In Mark’s gospel chapter 8, verse 36, the Bible says, Jesus said it, "For what will it profit a man if he gains the entire world and loses his own soul? And what will a man give in exchange for his soul?" You know what’s amazing today? Falcon 9 was launched this morning right at sunrise service. And what a day, right? We had sunrise service, we had red-tail hawks buzzing the heads of the people at the service. That was fun. We didn't even order that and it happened.

And then the rocket goes streaking across the sky, and all of that incredible glory of it all. And I appreciate Elon Musk for scheduling it for Easter Resurrection Sunrise Service, but listen: he’s the richest man in the world. But without Jesus Christ, he’s actually the poorest man in the world because, listen, he can't send his money—even if he put all of his money in a rocket, he can't send it to heaven. But listen, you and I can connect with heaven immediately because God came to us in Jesus to show us and to give us all the help that we need. Why? Because listen, we need a change. You and I need a change in our lives.

Our lives need to be changed. That’s the help we begin with. How can I help you? Well, number one, I need a change. Be honest, you need a change in your life. Some of us have experienced that change, but the change that Jesus does is this: he starts with you and you know he's doing it because you can’t do it, and he won’t stop doing it until you drop dead. When the believer dies, you know what happens? It's when we outgrow our body. We go home to heaven.

The Bible says he begins a work in you that he will not stop until the day that he finishes it. If you’re not a Christian today, you need to experience this. We’re not perfect, but he’s working on us. We’re under construction. He’s working on us. Only Christ can do that. And the Bible teaches, let’s be honest, everybody, I don’t want to mess this up. Many times today in our world around us, you’ll see churches on their marquee say, "Come as you are, come as you are." This is true. You can come as you are. Jesus says you come to me, come as you are.

But what does that mean? I don't know, whatever it means to you. Just come. Come as you are, but know this: the Bible says you’re going to leave somebody totally different. God says come as you are, just know this: when you come to him, he says, "I love you so much, I’m not going to have you leave the same way you came. I’m going to transform your life. I'm going to change the way that you think. I’m going to change the way that you live." So listen, if you don't want to have a life change, then tune me out. Because I’m going to be giving you arguments for God helping you and me by changing our lives.

The Bible says in 2 Corinthians chapter 5, verse 17, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ," I love that word, what it means, in Christ, "he’s a new creation. Old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new." Do you want that in your life? I want that in my life. I don’t know if you guys ever go to Balboa Island, but you should go every Sunday afternoon. I’ll meet you down there. Balboa Island. Why? What's it worth going for? They have this block of vanilla ice cream on a stick. It’s all it is; it’s just vanilla. And I don’t get excited until I say, "One Balboa Bar, please." And they’ll say, "Do you want it dipped in chocolate?" "Yes." "Do you want nuts on it?" "Lots of nuts on it."

And you watch them, and they grab that boring vanilla bar and they dip it once and twice, three times it’s dipped. And then it’s rolled around in the nuts, and then they hand it to you and you just wander off to some private spot away from the grandkids and you start eating this thing. Nobody, I mean, that’s an act of war if somebody tries to take that from you. A boring life, as it were, dipped in the glories of what Jesus offers. "I will give you life," he said, "I will give it to you more abundantly." God will transform your life.

We see these things in life that we recognize. What a sweet, beautiful pleasure that is. And the Bible says it’s the goodness of God that leads a man to repentance. When you and I see the morning come like we did this morning, we should say, "There is a God in heaven." Every day that morning greets you, and God says in his Bible, "Every morning morning's going to happen," and he says, "Every evening evening’s going to happen," because he said, "I say so. That’s why." Don’t you love when he talks like that? My God is strong. In John chapter 6, verse 37, Jesus said, "All that the Father gives me will come to me." God knows you. God might speak to you today.

David J: Pastor and Bible teacher Jack Hibbs here on Real Life Radio with his special Easter Passion Week message called "Live: Jesus Christ is the Only Life to Live." Thanks for spending this part of your Easter season with us. Our prayer is that in celebrating Passion Week, you’ll come to realize the urgency to come to Christ, knowing that he is the only way to eternal life. And we'll continue on the next edition of Real Life Radio.

Daniel Cohen here from Israel. If you love Pastor Jack Hibbs' fearless approach to teaching God’s word, you’ll love the Real Life Network. It’s built for warriors who want the truth: God's truth. On the Daniel Cohen Show, we bring you stories the mainstream media downplays. It’s time to start getting your news from people you trust, and it’s totally free. Sign up now at reallifenetwork.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 J: 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.