Will You Please Come With Me

The following program is sponsored by generous friends and partners of Real Life. Welcome to Real Life with Jack Hibbs.

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Darkness cannot hide from God. You need to meditate on that for a while. I'm just doing my little dark thing in my little dark space in my little dark part of my life. And God's got a God's got a beam on it and he's going, I see you.

>> In the message, Will you please come with me? Jack Hibbs challenges us to step out [music] of our comfort zone and into faith in motion. Grab your Bibles. Real life starts now.

All year long, don't just celebrate [music] America's 250th birthday. Stand for what it was built on. Faith, [music] freedom, truth. These are the values that shaped this nation from its very first days. And our faith and freedom collection was [music] designed to help you carry them boldly wherever you go in a culture that is working overtime to silence those [music] convictions. A simple shirt can start a powerful conversation. And right now, when you order from the [music] Faith and Freedom collection, we'll also send you a free copy of the Happy Birthday [music] America Kids Guide, a faith- centered resource that puts America's founding story in the hands of the next generation. Order [music] soon and be ready to celebrate America's 250th birthday with conviction. [music] Shop today at jackkibs.com or call 877-2346. [music]

Heat. Heat. [music] [music] [music]

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>> Will you please come with me? How many times do you hear that? And yet that's the title of the message today. Please come with me when God is calling you and I out of the spiritual spectatorship that is so often described the believer's life. Well, no more. You know, think about it. God wants you and I to walk in faith and walk forward in the motion of which is advancing the kingdom of God. Trusting God, walking with God, letting him steer us as we go along the way. I think Jesus is saying to you and I, will [music] you please come with me? And so God is calling us out quite frankly and [music] to do exactly that to step out and to go with him because God's on the move. And listen, for the love of God, you and I move forward in the great commission because we love him. We want to obey him and trusting him to direct our everything quite frankly as we seek his face. To God be the glory. That's how we want to live our lives. [music] And so I'm going to invite you and I to dive in in the walk of pursuing Christ while at the same time advancing the gospel of God all around the world and throughout the streets in which you and I live in. Do our neighbors know the gospel? Do they know Jesus because of us? What about the ends of the earth? And so I think God wants to reshape and remove every obstacle and hindrance that might be in our lives. And so to do that, I'm going to ask you to grab your Bibles and dive into the message titled, "Will you please come with me?" [music]

And so when we look at this [music] message titled, "Will you please come with me?" The apostle is drafting the love, the care, the concern of the Roman believers. And if he wrote to them drafting their love and support, there's no doubt that as he writes this book from Corinth, Greece, that he would be drafting their love and support as well. He, it doesn't say it here in the book of Romans, but he probably while he was in Greece before he headed off to Jerusalem and then over to Rome that he would have said to the Corinthian believers, "Let's do this. Come with me on this mission." And this is one of the greatest passions and the driving forces of the believer today is that God HAS DEPLOYED YOU AND I to this exact same mission to fulfill and that is to exalt the Lord Jesus Christ and to be salt and light in this world and to love him and to experience him. Will you will you please come with me? Why? As we CONTINUE ON TOGETHER, HE IS saying to the believers, I am going to go eventually to Rome, but all along the way, I'm inviting you to come. Please write this down. Scan the QR code for your own notes, confident enough to be transparent. Paul the Apostle gets very personal here with this. THIS IS PAUL THE APOSTLE. WITH ALL DUE RESPECT, THIS IS NOT PAUL THE PRIEST. THIS IS NOT PAUL THE PASTOR. THIS IS NOT PAUL THE POPE. THIS IS NOT PAUL THE FILL-IN- THE-BLANK. This is Paul the apostle. A man that had been captured and possessed by Christ and the Holy Spirit and made a servant of the most high God. Paul would say, "I'm a slave of Jesus." That makes him greater than all the kings in my opinion and all the leaders that the world has ever seen. To be a slave of Jesus trumps all things that this world can offer you. And I love how transparent the man is. He's not distant. He's not aloof. He's not removed. He's not so much the apostle that he travels in a long entourage or motorcade of black donkeys with tinted windows. He's Paul the Apostle. He's Paul the servant. He's Paul the lover of the souls of men. And would to God that all of us, starting with me, would love the souls of lost men and women.

>> When was the last time you wept over someone's soul? The Bible tells us that Paul often wept. This great man of God says in verse 30, "Now I beg you, brethren, through the Lord Jesus Christ. I am calling upon you to come with me. I'm invoking the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and I'm telling you, I'm begging you." And these few words are packed with power. He uses the word beg. Pericleo. You've seen this word many times before. Pericleo is described uh is one of the words used to describe the Holy Spirit. The paracleo, the one to come alongside YOU AND BE YOUR COMFORTER, to come alongside you. The point is TO COME ALONGSIDE, TO BE YOUR GUIDE, your comforter, your uh compass. Listen to what he says. I'M BEGGING YOU. I'M ASKING YOU, the word is to call out to you, TO TO APPEAL to you, to encourage with great passion and intensity, to entreat, to invite. Do you do you see why I'm talking about him being transparent? The word has also has been translated to preach. He is preaching to them saying, "Will you come with me?" He's not asking them to actually come with him. He's not asking them to make more room so that all these people can join. He's talking about in spirit. Now look, this verse just comes to my mind right now. So you might want to write it down and look it up later. See how wrong I am. Uh Colossians chapter 2:5 goes something like this. Colossians 2 verse 5 says this that though we be absent from one another in flesh yet we are one in spirit.

>> Think that through for a moment. So we met some sweet people from Idaho.

>> Where are you from? Doesn't matter how what's the furthest representation today of where you're from in the world. If you're a follower of the LORD JESUS CHRIST, WE MAY BE ABSENT IN THE FLESH. I MAY NOT BE ABLE to see you and you may not be able to see me, but we are one >> in spirit. That's God's business. That's what God does. Why? Because the mission is so precious. AND HE'S SAYING THAT HE'S SO TRANSPARENT that he's saying this. HE'S NOT TOO PROUD to to to say, "I, you know, I I I GOT THAT. I DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT." NO, NO, NO, NO. He He's not proud. He's saying, "I I I need you to come with me in spirit." And through uh that that word through in the Greek is through the agency of through the opening of or the authority of through the door or opened authority signifying the way into what is one of Jesus's names? Yeah. The way. But he is the >> door. The door. And so he's saying now I beg you, brethren, through you see this. Who? Through who? The Lord Jesus Christ. This is a door Jesus has opened. Paul is being obedient. He's following. I want to read this to you. It's uh it's something that you guys already have on your notes. In a remarkable display of humility, Paul makes it undeniably clear that he is not leaning upon his own resources or his own strength to accomplish the task before him. I love that he is not trusting in his education and his previous lifelong achievements. HE'S NOT LOOKING TO PAST MIRACLES or past glories to ensure his future ministry. That's very wise. Don't look to the past and think you're okay regarding the future unless you grow. Paul is laying himself out before the Roman believers and he is pleading with them, will you help me through the Lord Jesus Christ is what he's saying. THE PICTURE THAT PAUL PAINTS here is a man walking through a door or uh a veil. Paul is saying, "I beg you, come over to this side with me in spirit to the Lord Jesus Christ." You see that? COME OVER HERE. I'M GOING. COME ON OVER. BUT HE'S asking them in a very listen. Listen. He's asking them not to physically come. He's asking them come via prayer. Prayer. HE SAYS RIGHT THERE in verse 30, "And through." There it is. And through and going through the veil to know the love of the spirit. This is a beautiful statement. Some people are afraid of the Holy Spirit. Why would you do that? Maybe because you went to a crazy church. You know, oh, hey, SORRY, BUT THE SPIRIT OF GOD TOOK OVER and No, he doesn't do that.

>> He's a gentleman. The Bible says he will never speak of himself. Did you know that? The Bible says the Holy Spirit will never draw attention to himself but will exalt the Lord Jesus Christ. Jesus said,

>> "Amen."

>> THE HOLY SPIRIT LOVES YOU. The Holy Spirit is God. God the Holy Spirit. And Paul doesn't even flinch to say the love of the spirit. Play along for a moment. How many of you are born again Christians? Raise your hands. Put your hands down. You know who's inside of you?

>> The Holy Spirit. Couple of you said Jesus. Now that's okay. But you should be over in the other room with the children's ministry. No, no, you're all correct. You're you're all correct. It's actually correct. I'm You're all It's all true because you know if YOU ASK THE KIDS in the other buildings across the way, where's Jesus? They'll go like this. And that's cute. But the technical answer is Jesus Christ dwells within you by the presence of the >> Holy Spirit. JESUS SAID, "I WILL NOT BE WITH YOU ALWAYS. I'VE GOT TO GO. BUT WHEN I LEAVE, I will send the comforter to you, and he will be with you forever, even the Spirit OF TRUTH, WHOM THE WORLD CANNOT SEE, BECAUSE IT seeth him not, nor knoweth him. BUT I SEND him to you. He has been with you and shall be >> in you," Jesus said.

>> Amen.

>> Wow. Get ready. Write some verses down. Oh, that's introduction. Here we go. 1 Corinthians chapter 12. First 1 Corinthians 12. NOW, CONCERNING spiritual gifts, the actual Greek word is now concerning spirituals. It's a single word. Some of your Bibles might say concerning spiritual matters. Doesn't matter. BRETHREN, I DO NOT WANT YOU TO be ignorant. You know that you were Gentiles carried away to these dumb idols. Dumb. He's not being mean. Dumb meaning they can't hear or speak. He's not He's not being like rude. He's not having a bad day. However, you were led. Therefore, I make known to you that no one speaking BY THE SPIRIT OF God calls Jesus a cursed. That means foul uh uh to deny or to speak out against the deity of Christ. Nobody can do that by the Holy Spirit. And no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit. Listen, that doesn't mean if somebody says Jesus is Lord that they're automatically saved. It means this. They can't say that he's Lord and mean it. There are a lot of people who will say Jesus is Lord, but they also believe that other things or people are lords also in the same capacity. Some religions hold Jesus as a great teacher. Watch out for religions who say he's a great teacher. HE WAS A GREAT PROPHET. That's deception. Watch out. Well, wasn't he a prophet? Yeah, he he prophesied. Wasn't he a great teacher? He was the best teacher. But if you leave it at that, you never get to him being the Lord, the God, the second person of the Trinity, God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit. And the Holy Spirit exalts, as I said, Jesus. Allow me to read this to you. It's uh it's what I just semi tried to quote a moment ago. It's it's in the old King James. I when I got saved at Costa Mesa, when we were all at Calvary Costa Mesa, Chuck taught for years out of the Old King James. So sometimes I misquote scriptures because in my brain, I've got old King James and New King James all bundled up in here. If I had it my way, we'd all speak Queen's English. I just love that. I I think I was born too late in in life, but Uh John chapter 14, Jesus said, "I will pray the father, and he shall give you another comforter, pericleas, the one who comes alongside you, that he may abide with you forever, even the spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him, but you know him, for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you." Punch line. Verse 18, I will not leave you comfortless. I will come to you. Some versions of the Bible says verse 18, I will not leave you orphaned. I will come to you. He does that by the Holy Spirit. Psalm you guys. Okay.

>> Psalm chapter uh 139. Psalm 139. We all love this Psalm. I tell you what, you guys, David, King David, two two people in my opinion, this is just my opinion, two people in the Old Testament had New Testament relationships with God. Did you hear what I said?

>> Two people in the Old Testament had New Testament relationships with God. Abraham and David. Go search and see. How was Abraham justified? By keeping the law.

>> Abraham was justified by faith. Abraham, Moses, hadn't even been born yet.

>> There were no ten commandments. Abraham was declared righteous by God. And Abraham had not even yet been circumcised. David. David? You mean the adulterer? Yeah, that David. You mean David the murderer? You mean David the crummy father? Yep. David whose life had extreme highs and horrific lows. Yeah, that guy. Does that guy's life not embody the human experience? And did God forgive him when he repented?

>> Key word, repented. This is what he says. Oh Lord, you have searched me and known me. You know my sitting down and my rising up. You understand my thought a far off. You comprehend my path and my lying down, and you're acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word on my tongue. But behold, oh Lord, you know it all together. You have hedged me behind and before and laid your hand UPON ME. SUCH KNOWLEDGE IS TOO WONDERFUL FOR ME. IT IS HIGH. I cannot attain it. This I'm sorry, BUT HE'S EXPLAINING OUR PASSION AS BELIEVERS. WHERE CAN I GO FROM YOUR SPIRIT? OR WHERE CAN I FLEE FROM YOUR PRESENCE? IF I ASCEND INTO HEAVEN, YOU'RE THERE. IF I MAKE MY BED IN HELL, BEHOLD, YOU'RE THERE. IF I TAKE THE WINGS OF THE MORNING and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, just ask Jonah, even there your hand shall lead me, and your right hand shall uphold me. If I say, Surely the darkness shall fall on me, even the night shall be light about me. Indeed, the darkness shall not hide from you. I like that. Darkness cannot hide from God. [sighs] Oh, you need to meditate on that for a while.

>> Oh, I'm just doing my little dark thing in my little dark space in my little dark part of my life and God's got a God's got a beam on it and HE'S GOING, "I SEE YOU."

In our family, leave the verse up. In our family, it it's uh somebody like, "List, you know, we're living life. People are running around the house. It's life. It's like your home." And uh somebody says something like, "Oh, who left THE DOOR OPEN?" "OH, your dad. Your dad always leaves the door open and he's always in." And I'll say, "I can hear you. WHO BROUGHT THE MUD IN ON THE FLOOR? IT'S JUST IT'S ALL OVER THE PLACE. WHAT? WHICH ONE OF YOU NOME POOPS did that? Dad did that." And then from the back room, I I can hear you right now. You may be saying, "Oh, I've got my life and nobody knows. It's I got a little secret life." We were talking to somebody just very recently where this man claimed to be a Christian. He had his family over here in that part of the county and he had another family on on the other part of the county. And um I know you'll go to hell for that. I just think you should go to jail before you go to hell for that. Verse 13. For you formed my inward parts and you covered me in my mother's womb. I will praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Science science backs that up. Marvelous are your works and that my soul knows VERY WELL. MY FRAME was not hidden from you when I was made in secret and skillfully wrought in the lower parts of the earth. That's a reference to the womb. Your eyes saw my substance. Listen. Being yet unformed. What that means? God had a schematic in his mind. He had blueprints for your life. Friends, listen. Anybody pregnant? Anybody thinking about getting pregnant? Somebody might find out they're pregnant tomorrow. Listen, it's not an accident, you know. Oops. No. No. Whoops. No whoops. Pure science. pure God. And God says, "I I'm in there. I HAVE A BLUEPRINT FOR HUMANITY. THIS IS HOW IT WORKS." You say, "Jack, you're being silly." Am I now?

>> No.

>> Uh, that's the definition of DNA.

>> Yes.

>> You say, "Well, I don't like my freckle over here, and I don't like the way my eyebrows are, and I don't like the way that my nose." Yeah. Well, that's the way you were written up. And if something's wrong, he'll he'll fix it in the resurrection. I'm sure of it. No one's going to walk around No one's going to walk around in heaven saying, "It's awesome to be here, and you guys are all so beautiful, but my nose. If God can raise you from the dead, he can give you a new nose." He says, "How precious also are your thoughts to me." Amen.

>> Listen people, God's thoughts toward you are precious. Oh God, notice. Oh God, he knows the Lord. How great is the sum of them. If I should count them, they are more uh in number than the sand. And when I awake, this is this is the miracle. When I awake, I'm still with you. I'm still with you. He says, you could say, when I awake, you're still with me. Same is true. When I WAKE UP, I'M WITH YOU. Will you [music] please come with me? I believe God is speaking to you and I to do exactly that. Listen, I hope you could hear that from the Apostles's heart, the great Apostle Paul, who loved nothing more than to see the saving of souls by the grace of Jesus. And I thank God that he was no celebrity apostle, right? He got right down in there and he went after the souls of men. And so for you and I to do the same, folks, time's running out. And you and I have got a great mission before us. And that is to exalt the Lord Jesus Christ by advancing the gospel. And so when we say, "Will you come with me?" We're asking you to join us, we with you as we advance the gospel through prayer and love, partnering together to get the word of God out because he's opened up so many doors. Will you pray and see how God would have you get involved? Join the mission and the spirit behind what God is doing and pray. You say, "Well, I'm I'm I'm a shut in, Pastor Jack. I I I can't leave my home." You can pray and you can empower us with your prayers while [music] others still have the ability to go. But every opportunity belongs to us to advance the gospel of Christ. And you and I are deployed into this great mission field today to love on Jesus Christ by loving other people. to be salt and light in a world that is growing darker. So listen, to help you in your walk with Jesus, we're asking you to find out more at jackhibs.com and see what is there for you. You can grow, you can learn, you can study, but by all means, we'll see more of you at jackhibs.com as we seek after the heart of God in Jesus' name. Amen.

You are watching Real Life with Jack Hibs. All year long, don't just celebrate America's 250th [music] birthday. Stand for what it was built on. Faith, freedom, truth. These are the values that shaped this nation from its very first days. And our faith and freedom collection was [music] designed to help you carry them boldly wherever you go in a culture that is [music] working overtime to silence those convictions. A simple shirt can start a powerful conversation. And right now when you order from the Faith and Freedom collection, we'll also [music] send you a free copy of the Happy Birthday America Kids Guide, a faith- [music] centered resource that puts America's founding story in the hands of the next generation. Order soon and be ready [music] to celebrate America's 250th birthday with conviction. Shop today at jackkibs.com or call 877-2346. [music]

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