Today on real life radio. You have not been given more than you can handle. It feels like it's. I know it, and that's what makes it a trial.
Well, it wouldn't be a trial if you go, I got this one. 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. What do you say when a friend says their marriage might end?
Or how do you help a coworker dealing with depression? Do you have the right words when your child opens up about school stress or family issues or something else? The Biblical Counseling Reference Guide by June Hunt. It's your go-to resource when real-life problems demand some real answers.
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On today's edition of Real Life Radio. Pastor Jack continues his series now called The Parables of Jesus and a message today called The Parable That's Not a Parable.
Now, it might sound like a confusing title, but this parable is given by Jesus in such a way that it's not like the others. See, Jesus starts by breaking apart a common misconception about heaven and hell by being specific about the reality of hell. The religious leaders think that hell isn't a real place, so in their reasoning the story must be symbolic. He also mentions a person's name in this story, which not only makes it personal, it's highly unusual for a parable.
So today, Pastor Jack teaches us that at the end of our lives, the final question that determines where we'll spend eternity is, did we live life only for ourselves, or did we live our lives for Christ? Once we die, it's only our faith in Christ and our repentance from our sins that can lead us towards the comforts of heaven.
Now with his message called Parable That's Not a Parable, Here's Pastor and Bible teacher Jack Huggs. Listen, America's messed up. Never been this bad before in the history of America, but people are still trying to break into this country. Yeah. Think of that.
People are trying to leave their countries and break into this country. People still want to come here. Why? America, we are at least running off the residual of God's blessings. Right?
But, you know, were you out today?
Now, I was not outside today. I was preparing for this message today. But I had all my windows open in my house, the wind was blowing. And it was so perfect all day today. It's been like that for about a week.
Have you noticed that?
So blessed. I'm reading that verse. Oh, God, I'm so blessed. The breeze is blowing, and it's just my Bible, the wind is moving my Bible.
So Got up this morning, it was crystal clear outside, and then at about 6 or 6:30, it got all cloudy. And I went out in the backyard, God. This is amazing. Everything about that? He's so good to us.
He's so good all the time. The Bible also tells us regarding, listen, if your life is smooth and pleasurable. I have some encouragement for you. The Bible tells us in Philippians 4, verse 11, not to speak in regard, Paul says, to need, for I have learned in whatever state. Amen.
I think he means California also. To be content. He says, I know how to be abased. Wow, Paul says, I know how to be poor and have nothing. And know how to be rich.
Everywhere and in all things, I have learned both to be full and to be hungry. Both to abound and to suffer need. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Listen, I love that portion of scripture, and I think verse 13 should be read before verse 11. Who How can you say that?
Because of this, it's through life's experiences that Paul learned I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Listen, I want this to encourage you. I don't think Paul came to his poverty or to his wealth and said, All right, this is poverty standing right outside my door. I see it. I can do all things through Christ that strengthens me.
I don't think you did that. I think Paul said, Yikes, I'm a Christian. This poverty. Whew, well, look, God knows. He's able to cause a falafel to fall out of the sky.
If he wants me to have one. And so I'm not going to complain. I'm just going to trust in him. And maybe Paul, who was a Jew, Hebrew, knowing the scriptures, a Pharisee, would have even drawn from Job and said, you know what, I remember when Job wrote, Naked I came and naked I go, blessed be the name of the Lord. What is he doing?
What am I doing with you? I'm saying to you what Paul, I think, would have said to himself. He would have preached the word of God to himself. And all of us as Christians need to be preachers of the Word of God to ourselves. That is vitally important.
Are you discouraged? Then you need to look, look right down your shirt and say, Why so downcast, O my soul? Hope thou in God. That's what David said. David took his robe and he looked down and he said, Why so downcast, O my soul?
Did you know he s he wrote that? He wrote that. In the time of Great Depression, he said, wait a minute. He looked all around. I've got so much to be thankful for.
David looked around. Wow. Why are you downcast, O my soul? Hope in God. He preached to himself.
We need to do that. We need to do that many times during the course of one day. Yeah, yeah. It's awesome.
So this is what I think. I think Paul learned, man, this, so this is. being poor, but Jesus walked with me through it. And then there are times when Paul had a bunch of money. And I don't know about you guys.
But that's the dangerous time. Yeah. You know where I get this from? Two people. One is Solomon and the other one's me.
Solomon said when he was young, Great prayer. He forgot he ever prayed it after a while, but Solomon said, Lord. Don't let me be so poor that I'm tempted to steal. And don't let me get so rich that I'm tempted to forget you. By the way, that's a middle class verse for real.
For real. The danger, I know in my life, I was 19 years old making What I call stupid money. It was all legal, don't get any ideas. Nineteen years old had had too much money. And For me, it rivaled my faith in God.
Because the more the account grew, I went to church every week. I didn't stop being a Christian, but what happens was, as I realized, man, if I have this much money now. Here, right here. Then Uh I'm okay. No, you know what?
You know what I learned? I learned In reverse, what Paul was talking about, I had it. And then I lost it all. And you know I learned from it all? I learned how to be a pastor.
To deal with the church. No, I'm right. It's like, wait. Hey! His promises are true in the mountains and in the valleys.
His word is true in the highs and the lows. His word is true. Black or white, day or night, up and down, in and out. His word is true. And it never changes.
And so, no matter what life is throwing at you right now, you can say, I've learned from stuff. She said, Why do sometimes things get worse? That's because you're still learning and I'm still learning. Learning what? That next time around when situations have changed, we can look at a friend or somebody and say, Hey, you know what?
You can do all things through Christ who strengthens you. I can tell you something. When it was this way with me, God did this. And when it was this way with me, God did that. God is there.
Second thing under this is The days of our lives can be lean and heartbreaking. Why is some. Churches, in fact, let me rephrase that. Why is it that? In every church, there are the welled-off and the brokenhearted, the down and out.
Have you noticed that?
It doesn't matter where you go. God sees to it. I thank to answer this challenge that's here tonight. That those who have Have compassion on those who do not. And here's the tough part.
God has called some. to be that poor person. I said, man, Lord, can't you call somebody else to do it for a while? But God will use Up. A struggling family or a struggling person.
Now, granted, you guys in a church this size, when we were small, it was easy to. To locate the, what do you call them? They're drift. No, I don't know if even that's the right word. I don't say drifters, but there's people who come and take advantage of churches.
It happens ev uh all the time. In a big church, it's hard because they'll weasel in among the groups.
Sometimes it takes them a while to find, but I'm just passing through. You know, I don't have any money. I'm wanting you going to help me. And there's ways to help people like that. There's ways.
But you better think twice before you start pulling out cash in front of them. There's a way to help them. But as a Church, God will always test a church's love in a heart. by always providing those who are in need that the body would respond. There's always going to be the lean.
Didn't Jesus say, the poor you have with you? Always. What are you supposed to do? Love them. Help them.
So look at verse 20 and 21. It says, But there was a certain beggar. named Lazarus, full of sores. Very sad, huh? And he was laid at the rich man's gate, and desiring to befell To be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table.
Moreover, the dogs came. and looked his source. The difficulties and the hardships. John 16:33, Jesus said, These things I have spoken to you: that in me, listen, this is for all of us, in me you will have peace. in the world.
You'll have tribulation. Can I just pause right there for effect? There's a comma right there. We need to hear this again. Y'all listening?
Jesus said, in me you're going to have peace.
So you be and me. in the world. You're gonna get your socks knocked off. In the world you're going to feel like you're being crushed. In the world, you're going to feel like you're losing your mind.
In the world, you're going to feel like a second-rate. Human. But in me you'll have peace. Translation, paraphrase. In me, you have eternity.
And you're en route to it. Here, you're just passing through. And it's pretty rough. Just don't take your eyes off the fact that you're not home yet. It's not your home.
You think about that for a moment. If this was your home, You look around at the way the world's going these last few months. Last few days, You look what's happening to our country. As a Christian, it breaks my heart to see my country die. But you know what?
As a Christian, it's like, well, it's prophetic. Yeah, yeah. The Bible said this with Adam. And As much as I love this country, God saw fit to put me here. The cool thing is I'm not home yet.
I'm not home yet. You're not home yet either. That's good news. You're listening to real life with Pastor Jack Hibbs. You know, to hear more episodes and maybe catch up in the series, go to jackhibbs.com.
That's jackhibbs.com. And now let's get back to our teaching. Once again, here's Pastor Jack. 1 Peter 4.12 says, Dear friends, this is from the New Living. Dear friends, don't be surprised.
At the fiery trials you are going through. Do you ever feel like you're being absolutely ravaged by life? as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad for these trials. Make you partners with Christ in His suffering.
So that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing His glory when it is revealed to all the world. That's a reference to His coming. In other words, listen, in Jesus, we can suck it up and press on because He will never give us more than what we can handle. Never. I know it feels like it, doesn't it?
Feel like it? That's what makes it a trial. Do you understand that? You see, wait a minute. He said he wouldn't give us more than we can handle.
What you're not listening And it's happening to you. You are not, you have not been given more than you can handle. I I know it, and that's what makes it a trial. Look, it wouldn't be a trial if you go, I got this one. Car blew up.
I got it. I got another car in the garage. I got it. We're good. That's not a trial.
When your car blows up and you don't have another car, that's a trial.
Okay. And so the scripture says, don't panic about this. Why? Because in that situation you're going through right now, you, by the Holy Spirit's power, He's conforming you into the personage or the image of Jesus Christ in this world. The world around you is watching you.
And listen, they can't see Jesus. They're not going to see Jesus. But they see you. All of us, this is true for. Look, I'm speaking it to you, and as I'm speaking to you, I'm saying, Lord, amen to that.
Because that's true in my life. All of us are in this together. Our neighbors are watching us to see how we handle what's going on in our life. They'll never pick up a Bible. They're reading you instead.
And they're wondering. Your neighbors are thinking about you right now. Oh, they're at that church again. And when something happens, look, you know, you're Something happens in your neighborhood or in your home or with your family or with your health or whatever it is, they're like definitely, they may not look like this on the outside, but they're like this. And they got, look at the guy in Honey, I Shrunk the Kids.
He's got all these glasses and lenses and eyeballs, and he's zooming in to see, let's see if their Christianity is really true here. And when you come through this Fiery trial. Number one, listen, it makes it that much harder for them to keep rejecting Jesus. And in the same breath, number two, it makes it that much easier for them to come to know the Jesus. You just.
represented to them. Our lives are a living billboard for God. Are you a Christian tonight? That's what you are. You're a billboard for God.
I don't want to be a billboard for God. Christians are billboards for God. It's true. Second thing, verses 22 to 26, is that the parable that's not a parable teaches us. About the end of our lives, the end of life.
And in this, in verse 22, we look at here that we all enter into what I like to call reality. We are all heading now listen. We're all heading toward reality. at the end of our lives. You say, wait a minute, isn't this reality now?
I don't know. I'm going to put you to the test on this one. Is this really reality? Think about this. How long is this world?
Listen. In fact, you have to be a Christian. You've had basic science in class, basic physics. Is this world going to last forever? Nope, science tells you everything is turning into dust.
The sun is turning into dust. Everything's worry now. Everything's going to end. You have to be a Christian to figure that out. Scientists, if it's all ended.
Okay. So if this is all ending, And eternity is forever. Which one's the real r which one is the actual reality? See, you and I focus so much on the temporalness of this world. Jesus put it this way: you guys worry about what you're going to eat and what you're going to wear and what you're going to do.
He said, all these things the unbelievers seek after. Think of it. That's kind of how we're programmed. We're programmed by the world. And Jesus says, Whoa!
This passing. Peter tells us in another place that this world and all that is in it The elements will someday melt with fervent hate. And seeing that this is the end, what manner of persons ought we to be? The answer is A Christ follower. Why?
Because we have the opportunity tonight. to make a decision to live for God. And that decision will literally affect us and for us in eternity. Listen, I'll put it to you like this: you can go down to the bank tonight and make a deposit in your bank. And tomorrow morning, wake up to find out that the entire financial world has collapsed.
And what you put in last night Great. Flew away while you were sleeping. It's no more. Are you with me? But what you deposit spiritually cannot be affected by the things of this world.
And this is the challenge for all of us to think carnally or to think spiritually. How are we living? Are you living for the gusto?
Now, I just showed you my age. I'm going to grab all the gusto I can't. I don't know what gusto is, but it was the same. I'm going to, I said it a moment ago: whoever dies with the most toys wins. Whatever it is, boom, boom, it's all.
I heard a commercial tonight, putting my feet on, put my feet, my shoes on, putting my shoes on about this commercial was all about, it was amazing. I should have taped it. It was all about, you really need this for you. You should have better. It's all about you, and you deserve, and you, and I'm, and I'm.
Putting my sh shoes on, I just went in this. I mean, in five seconds, they must have said you like five times. You, you, you, you. And listen, that's again, look, if you live for you, Jesus said, if you live to find your life, Yeah. in the end.
The greatest way, he said, to find your life in reality. It's to give up your life for Him. Think of it. No, are you happy, really? You've lived your life for you.
I'm so about me. Are you happy?
Well, when You know, at certain times. Why not be happy all the time? Forget about you. Find out what Jesus wants to do and it's true happiness. It's absolutely amazing.
Reality. Listen to this. Verse 22 says, And so it was that the beggar died. The poor man died. And I love this.
And was carried by the angels to Abraham's bosom, or paradise.
Now, I don't want to get sidetracked. I only have a few hours left to teach this, so I want to watch everybody. Watch. Before Jesus died, The Bible teaches of a place called Paradise, or the Jews called it Abraham's bosom.
So what is that? Father Abraham. It meant that you were Comforted by the patriarchal father of the faith, Abraham. It's a Jewish term, it's very sweet. It's very cool.
Okay. So It was believed. That as a Jew, when you died, you were greeted. By Abraham. In paradise.
So Jesus is speaking their language, okay? But There is a absolute truth and reality to this. Prior to Jesus' resurrection from the dead, when a believer died, Uh To think of Noah. Think of believers before Christ. Rose from the dead.
Where did they go? When they died, they went to paradise. They were fully awake. They were In what is here referred to by Jesus as Abraham's bosom. Absolute uh beauty, absolute Uh Comfort.
It's also referred to as Hades. You think of Hades, right? You think of hell and burning. That's half truth. Watch this.
In that location, The Bible says that there was the Comforted? And then there was a huge gulf. A great grand canyon, so to speak. And on the other side, there's the Hades that you're thinking about: Sheol, the torment. Watch this.
When Jesus Christ died on the cross, That is, his body died. Remember this. The Bible tells us. in Ephesians, for example, that Jesus Christ descended And led captivity captive and gave gifts unto men. It's what a conquering general did.
in the first century Roman Empire, that when a general conquered Uh a City or a state or whatever it is, he got back all of those that represented his kingdom. He got them all out of the prisoner of war. For example, and took them back to their country. The Bible says that Jesus went and preached to the souls that were in hell. That's interesting.
And he led captivity captive. What did he do? When Jesus died on the cross, and listen, before his resurrection, he would have descended into this place called Abraham's bosom. Mm. He would have, listen, he would have announced to them.
I'm the one you were waiting for. Are you guys ready to leave? Yeah, we're ready to go. That's why Jesus is also the first fruit from the dead. Pastor and Bible teacher Jack Hibbs, here on Real Life Radio, and his message called Parable That's Not a Parable.
You know, this message is part of Pastor Jack's series called The Parables of Jesus. It's a series highlighting the teachings of Jesus while he was ministering right here on this earth. And we'll continue on the next edition of Real Life Radio. Pastor Jack, every once in a while I like to feature a listener. And I want you to do a shout out to Vonnie.
Get this. Vonnie says, I stumbled upon Pastor Jack about two weeks ago and I wanted to shout with joy. She says, I'll be 92 in August. Oh, wow. And she says, I've lived in Brazil for the last 50 years.
She says, I've had an adventure I would have never dreamed of as I serve God. Ooh, that's a topic for another day, isn't it? She says, I'm amazed at how Jack and Amir are filling some of the gaps in my life. The Lord has been using them to give me more hope. The world is crazy, but the Lord isn't.
I'm going to have a t-shirt with that. Wow. She says, I'm thanking God for you. And if there's any way that I can help. She says, let me know.
I'm here. Send me. Blessings to you that's vying.
Okay, first of all, all of us. Should be ashamed, right? Come on, what's our excuse for not serving the Lord, Vonnie? At what was it? 92?
92. Yep. God bless you, Vonnie. That's incredible. And you might even find it to be a little bit more of a fun insight to know that Amir, by the way, friends, she's referring to Amir Serfate, the founder and president of Behold Israel.
And you need to listen to Amir. He and I have been very, very close friends. We're almost going on three decades of being close friends. In fact, I'm going to be with Amir in a couple of days. But yeah, Vonnie, what an encouraging word that is.
God bless you. And you know, you asked how can you be involved. Wow, I'm going to take a wild guess and say that you already are because there's probably a good chance that you pray for us. And that's the greatest thing you can do is ask God to grant us his favor. Hey, you know, if you'd like to drop a note of encouragement to Pastor Jack, that'd be awesome.
He'd really love to see what you have to say about him and how his ministry has affected your life.
So please do that. Go to the Connect tab at jackhibbs.com. That's the tab labeled Connect. at jackhibbs.com. 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.
