The Importance of Discernment

Living biblically in today’s world is not easy. COVID-19 and cancel culture are just two examples of how God’s people are facing more choices — to obey God and His Word or to compromise with the culture. Be challenged by Barry’s discussion with Pastor Jack Hibbs as they talk about what it means to be discerning as a believer. Now more than ever, we must change our world around us by living for God and by moving everyone every day closer to Jesus! 

Host Barry Meguiar is a car guy and businessman who hosted the popular TV show, Car Crazy, on Discovery Networks for 18 years. He loves cars, but he loves Jesus even more! Learn more about Barry at IgniteAmerica.com.

Get your copy of Barry’s book Ignite Your Life: Defeat Fear with Effortless Faith at Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million, and other online booksellers.

Meet Barry's guest - Jack Hibbs is the senior and founding pastor of Calvary Chapel Chino Hills, based in Southern California, the Founder & President of Real Life ministry, and a nationally syndicated TV & Radio host. Read more about Jack at JackHibbs.com.

Learn more about:
 

•  How God used COVID-19 for the church
• The “secret sauce” in ministering to people
• The two most hotly contested issues of life
• Matthew 13 and the parable of the sower and the seed
• If persecution is coming to America

Visit Why Share on IgniteAmerica.com to learn why it is important for every believer to faithfully live God’s Great Commandment as a means to help move everyone, every day closer to Jesus. Faith Sharing Stories are video stories of people just like you having fun sharing their faith and helping to provide the spark of revival. Sign up to receive emails that will bring you practical faith-sharing tips and powerful inspiration.

Transcript

Barry Meguiar  00:00

I can't find a church today.

Jack Hibbs  00:17

Yes, that's what we're here.

Barry Meguiar  00:18

My solid Christian friends across America can't find a church. So I put them on to you. And now you're their pastor. Well, I met some last night and the meeting that you so explain all the ways they can see you. 

Jack Hibbs  00:33

Well, there's all kinds of ways and it's actually so many that the best thing to do you can find out every direction every path of learning discipleship, material study materials, is simply Jack hibbs.com. If you go to Jack Hibbs, com, it will take you to a real life broadcast real life radio, podcasting. There are style Bible study methods that we've put down there. There's, there's special events, prophecy conferences, things like that, Jack hibbs.com. That's simple. And Newsmax on Sunday mornings. Yeah, Newsmax amazing every Sunday morning. We're on Newsmax and to their credit. The segment is New York time that Well, this has been the news of this week. So Pastor Jack, what how does somebody approach this news from a biblical worldview? And they give me five minutes every Sunday morning at 6:30. Pacific time. Oh, boy, honestly, I don't know. I don't know. Yeah, terrible. I just 

Barry Meguiar  01:32

Okay. All right. You're Daystar now?

Jack Hibbs  01:34

We're on Daystar. That's been going crazy. And Daystar took it upon themselves, which blew our minds. Daystar has taken our television broadcasting, and they have dubbed it in Spanish. Oh. And so they sent us a sample. And I gotta tell you, I didn't know I speak. I spoke Spanish so well. And it has exploded in Mexico, Central and South America. It has absolutely exploded. And we just heard reports that that broadcast is even working in the areas of Spain and Portugal. So it's been crazy.

Barry Meguiar  02:12

You're speaking here we are in the last segment, we got an error and I want to really go into a bit. There's this gift of discernment. Okay. And it's always been there. And it's always been important. But with what's going on in the church today, we need to serve. You could talk about, it's just been a it's a division between the wheat and chaff or what's going on after after COVID. And all this. Once you talk about that a little bit, and I'm going to come back and add add to it.

Jack Hibbs  02:44

I think you just hit the nail on the head. I know that this may sound radical for a lot of people, but please hear me out on this. I don't believe that God sent COVID to the world. I think that's a satanic thing in this world, but God uses things. And God used COVID, for example, all of us can agree that God shook the church. Using COVID He utilized this what happened. There are pastors and preachers and ministries that produced books and conferences on courage. Don't be afraid, you know, come to the fearless conference. And those guys fold it up. I mean, they just folded up their tent and went home. And what happened was that and I'm sure that they meant it in a good spirit. But I do know this God was speaking, God was the least seen to the one Bozo right here. Jack, you don't have the authority to close the doors of my church. Behold, I've said before you an open door. And I believe that God spoke that to every pastor in the world. And so today, we live in a world right now where I think we're going through at least the second phase for men and

Barry Meguiar  03:53

Because, everybody close their churches. Okay. And God spoke to you. 

Jack Hibbs  03:57

Yeah. 

Barry Meguiar  03:58

And said, what?

Jack Hibbs  03:59

Well, on May 31, open up the church. And 

Jack Hibbs  04:03

Two years ago. 

Jack Hibbs  04:04

Yeah. And we, I just felt compelled to invite every every church in California to open up. We were delighted to find out that not every church in California opened up but 1200 of them did. And you wrote governor's we sent Newsom, it was even fantastic. We not only sent him a letter we sent to me. We sent them I sent him a personal video saying to Him with all due respect, because I don't like the man but I respect the office. With all due respect. This is the church it's not it's not relegated to what is essential or non essential. The church is transcendent, and it's time that we must obey God rather than man. We mean no disrespect, but more than ever, in this pandemic. People are hurting and this is where the church shines the most. And historically that's what happened with Luther Martin Luther in the in the bubonic plague the Black Plague. It's what happened with Charles Spurgeon. In England with the cholera plague, the church came up and help the local entities that lo and behold, the state of California was not warm toward us. But guess what happened. Barry, you know this, that our local government and our county government loved us for being open. We helped the local governments so incredibly much that it won us incredible favor. And listen, we baptized 3014 people. In on three Saturdays, we had to have three Saturdays we baptized basically 1000 people per Saturday, who were coming to Christ, they were coming to church, they were hearing the gospel, and they found out I don't have to be afraid. Jesus has got my back. He's got my soul. He's got my life. And the trajectory since then has been nothing but but just stellar. Because why? We're not doing anything special. We're doing the same old thing. What is it? Jesus said, My sheep hear my voice, and they'll follow me. So how do we give them his voice? That's the question every pastor needs to ask himself or church leadership right now. How are we giving Jesus's voice to the flock? And so it's the Bible. So when you give the Bible, Jesus has people respond. It's not the pastor. It's not as tennis shoes, or it's not as black shirt. It's the Bible. That's the secret sauce, the Bible to the heart of the people. And listen, Barry White pastor, we're middlemen. We're just middlemen connecting people to God, and let him do the rest.

Barry Meguiar  06:35

I gotta tell you a funny story, Jack. And then I'm going to get to the heart of what I really want to capture here. So in the middle of all of this jack comes to church every Sunday expecting at least halfway expect him to go to jail that day. So staff everybody's already all ready for the next pastor to one Sunday when we get there. And he comes out he says, hey, great news for you. We have we actually have officers today from the state and local and federal government all three are here. So if you see him around, would you hug on them and welcome them make them feel welcome here and Oh, and by the way, I just want to say to you it's a it's a felony in the state of California to interrupt cert service. And and we have a great legal team and we will prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law. But But hey, we're gonna come to jail and ministered you are and share the love with Jesus. Whether you then he goes search the sermon, he's always going I forgot to tell you everybody if you're a first timer, please don't leave the campus before you go into the recall recall ever Newsome route called get some food. Make sure you sign into this. 

Jack Hibbs  07:40

Yeah. So So it's true. It's so people think pastors think and I want to challenge you. Where did you get this thinking from? Somebody might say, wait a minute. We heard that you guys do voter registration at your church? Yes. 52 weeks a year? How can you guys do that without being arrested? Because it's legal. It's literally legal for a church to have voter registration. Not only that, but it's actually legal for pastors to actually inform their churches about bad laws and propositions and assembly bills, for example, it's legal. Yeah, it's literally legal. 

Barry Meguiar  08:14

Okay. We're running out of time. Yeah. But I do want to just ask you courage to say one more thing. What do you say to pass say, wait a minute, I don't get involved in political things. What would you say to that pastor? And most pastors are in that?

Jack Hibbs  08:25

Yeah. Honestly, because I've spoken to people who have left your church. They don't respect you. For this reason. You preach one thing, but you live another. And here it is. Notice that the two most hotly contested, contested issues of life is religion and politics. And if Satan can convince you don't talk about religion or politics, then he's got you show me in the Bible anywhere in the Bible. Where any actor in the Bible any participant, uh, separated the two. Jesus didn't. David didn't. Isaiah didn't. Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Micah, none of them Paul. Listen, Paul the Apostle. He's he's been judged that says, Surya. And what does he do? He uses his political position as a Roman citizen, and he appeals to go to Rome. That was a political act. So here's the deal. Part of the reason is, we don't know our American history. God has given us a constitutional republic. Pastors should be the beacon of truth in every community in America, pastor should be leading the way, in a way in a sense, the community should tremble if it thinks about doing evil, knowing that there's a church that is a beacon on a hill a light as it were in shining armor, because that's who we really are. And if the Lord if we live the rest of our days like this, so be it if we get raptured now, or if I dropped dead, so be it. I will have done the right thing.

Barry Meguiar  09:56

And we're gonna ask for us early people. Where else can we go? Tell me one of the places we can go to hear truth. Yeah, to hear a biblical perspective and how we should vote. And it's our responsibility. Jeremiah makes it pretty clear, very clear, very, that if we, if it goes wrong in our government would take over here would be be peace among the people true. So that's, that's such an important point. Now we're in the real point, I want to talk about this thing of discernment. Yeah, yeah. It's so critically important. And there are great men in my life. Who have gone off into false doctrine. I mean, just false doctrine. wokeness, whatever you want to call it. I can't believe it. The very things they spoke they, they preach strongly about, they're now endorsing and preaching strongly in their defense, right? I have passed churches, I have a denomination, I have a Christian college that I won't walk back on its campus anymore. Because what's happened? I mean, how is that? You know, they'll depart from the truth. And I read the scriptures. And it's one of the, one of the one of the signs of the new ad, he freaks a great seven while back, we all hear the thing and the signs of the times, you've reached a server. These are the times yeah, these are the times are the times are the signs, when we're seeing these signs, and you look up and rejoice. So and this is, this is one of the signs.

Jack Hibbs  11:23

Yeah, it really is. In Matthew 13, Jesus talked about you, you guys know what the famous parable of the sower and the seed. And one of those, it's very haunting, because he says after a while, is he says These are they who believe for a while, but in time, over time, they go back into the world. Now, that's terrifying, because it implies compared to the other grounds or soils that receive the Word that at some point in that person's life history, there's going to be an event or there's going to be an age where they actually give up. Now, here's the interesting thing, Barry, when Jesus says that these are they who believe for a while, but go back into the world, they never lost their salvation, because they never had it. They believed, when their belief was tested, it folded why? Because their belief on a Christian, oh, I go to church, or I read my Bible or on the pastor, when it's tested. It's only found out to be AV leaf, and not a faith. Listen, we must make sure that our belief we have to discern this about our own selves. Do we claim to be a believer? If you do my question to you is explain that to me? What does it mean to be born again? Jesus said you must. What does it mean? When you talk about the authority of God? Scripture? What does it mean? That Jesus rose again from the dead? How did that happen? Who did this? If you can't explain that, then you're only a believer, but you don't have faith. I look, I believe in George Washington, but I don't have faith in George Washington, you see the difference? I can talk about God all day long. But until my belief system is put into practice, or tested, then faith in the fiery furnace comes forth. Okay, that's what's got to have here. 

Barry Meguiar  13:19

And I look at these words that we've loved with respect you.

Jack Hibbs  13:22

I know, me too. 

Barry Meguiar  13:23

And, and we look ourselves, poker eyes out, yanker arms are doing that we're not giving up our fate. There's nothing? How? How can how can we have what there's a difference between where they were where we they weren't the same place for us? And you're right, right?

Jack Hibbs  13:37

Exactly. These days are testing people. And there's, there's greater tests coming. And so does the bible that you preach? Or does the bible that you read, really govern your actions of your life? Are you discerning the times in which you live in in such a way that you're going to decide to do this? Listen, you're gonna decide to do this. And if you decide to do this, which is biblically, you're gonna, you're gonna decide to do exactly what Jesus did on this situation, or to say what the Bible teaches on this situation, knowing that if I hold this position, my family is going to disown me. I could get fired for my job. If they find out. I believe this. We're living in those days right now. Yeah, we are literally living in the times where you've always wondered in America anyway. I wonder if persecution is ever going to come to America? It's, it's, it's starting now. Yeah. And you're gonna see a whole lot of it increase in short order. Okay. It's now

Barry Meguiar  14:34

Okay. We're out of time. Yeah. I still want to talk about discernment from that visit is a really important point to me. I've been sedated a lot lately. How do you have discernment? And as as times get tough. I know we've both been in places where there's persecuted church. They have to know who each other are. And if they trust somebody, they shouldn't they can get turned in that hey, From here, but also who do you trust? Who do you go? To? Which when trouble strike? Who do you go? Who do you run to for encouragement? Who are you? Who are you encouraging? Where are people you need to know where everybody is spiritually. Discernment gives you that gift. It's amazing. Karen, I have found ourselves in the last year. So we're looking for first love Christians. Yes, that's right. First of all Christians. I hear God said to us in the in the larger church emphasis. I know you're doing all the church stuff and your faith, we know good teaching for me know that. But you've left me as your first love. I'm no longer your first love. And you're no longer doing the first work if if God is your first love. You automatically tell you if you're excited by Jesus, you're going to tell people about Jesus. So that's a self test right there. If you're not telling people about Jesus, and what are you talking about? And whatever that is probably your first love. But how do you discern people who have first love? It's interesting, how quickly when you focus on it, half I mean, in five minutes, you can discern where people are spiritually. And it's good for two reasons. One, you know, you can't trust them for your own edification. But you also know the opportunity, you have to edify them. Yeah. And so it's a it's a continual process. How do you get discernment? I found out about this over the last few months, it's just become more and more important. You can't have certain without knowing the Word of God. That's right. You can you even say, don't trust me, it's the Bible at pulsa. That x 17. Allah. So if you're not in a church, that's preaching the word of God, get out of the church. Yeah, you're just wasting. I don't care how much you love your pastor, and your friends, how you been there for generations get out of that run. We're not going to survive without good teaching, which is why like, if you can't go anywhere else, go to Jack hibbs.com. Calm that simple. I mean, I sit there every Sunday, if I not I'm here in Arizona, I still listen to you. And you're, you're pounding me with understanding of the word of God that I've never had before. And you strengthened me. And you give me discernment. So I go out more and I'm, I'm more fortified to share. But I'm also more sensitive to where the the weaknesses are and how I can be of help and 80% of the people were under a certain wash, they're going to hell we we have this opportunity. It's never been more fun.

Jack Hibbs  17:36

It's never been more fun. One of our friends last night, Ken said that he saw a recent poll, that in San Francisco 4% of the population of San Francisco is churched. What it doesn't take an Einstein to discern that San Francisco needs Jesus. Yeah. Okay. Berries, exactly correct. The more you ingest the Bible, the more you will be able to discern the times and the seasons in which you live. And it's true about everything. What about your marriage? What about your family? What about your kids? How are you going to know if your kids are going down the wrong path unless you are in taking have an intake of Scripture, that the Holy Spirit will say to you, hey, you know what, listen, your son is getting messed up with drugs. That thought is insane, right? It's like, No, not my son. But God will lay it on you, God will speak to you about that. And regarding a church, you bury you hit the nail on the head, we're living in days where now you either decide to go to a Bible teaching church that that honors the Word of God and exalts the Word of God, or you're going to eventually you're going to eventually have to do it under great, great duress, because the shaking is coming. And Jesus said, everything that can be shaken shall be shaken. And only that which can remain shall remain. So you need Bible, let nothing take the place of Bible, no, nothing and no one.

Barry Meguiar  19:00

You have the ability if you don't pay much attention to Bible prophecy, it seems a little strange to you. There's an infomercial for that. But you have the ability to take those scriptures that are you read by yourself, and what does that mean? You bring them so clearly, to where you see exactly what's happening today. And you fortify us. I just gotta beg you folks, if you don't have a good church, go to Jack hibbs.com. Right. Yeah. And, and interchange your life or renewal. And I've been doing that people across the country last couple years. And there are home churches all over America now. Because once they get under these Oh, my goodness, you know, yeah,

Jack Hibbs  19:38

We've been delighted with that. So many neighbors have been inviting neighbors to come to their house on Sundays to church.

Barry Meguiar  19:44

The single most important thing we can do as Christians, what's the single most important thing we do as individual Christians? We can't change the world but we can change our world. How do we do that?

Jack Hibbs  19:53

It's the single most important thing is that wherever you're at whoever you are, as a Christian, influenced the Those that are around you closer to Jesus Christ just share with them as Barry said winsomely move them toward the Lord Jesus Christ with thoughts of can I pray for you? Isn't it a great day God bless your day. Just start there have fun with it.

Barry Meguiar  20:17

Move everybody, every day, closer to Jesus resume that's my prayer. They're scared I pray every word of the day. They will not miss anybody if it's really about Have a good day God bless you. Yeah. Everybody make sure you touch it but don't just be good. Christians think being good get some to heaven. Yeah. Christian being good. Does it get you to heaven or anybody else to have no way? It just makes you feel good? Okay. So Christians are really good at being good attached God to your goodness, if nothing more than just say and God bless you they know that's a nice person, but they're a nice person because they're I didn't know that Christians were bad people. Here that's that's good. The connotations of Christians. Not good. No, exactly. The moment you send somebody with kindness, yes. And tip, soft minute, you go into a restaurant I hear you talking about God and then you stiff bullets. Yep. I mean, you just push them away from God. All the time. Exactly. There's a million ways to do it. But anyway, live your life for God. And we may be running out of time, folks. We don't know. I mean, the rapture could happen tomorrow, right? It could happen. Hey, I'm ready. Now once in a while you might have heard this already is the sensitivity of how many things are going on? But if he doesn't live everyday for him and you can't live which I mean it says every day, every day is an adventure. I get frost shows every day people say how come you gearing your your aid you're in your 80s How are you having so much fun? How are you here? Because we're always coming off one of these experiences. That's right. That's how he just went on another ones around the corner. We can't wait to see what it is. And you get that it'll ignite sure life it really well. It's so special. And you got to have a pastor feety and if you don't have a bachelor, go to Jack Hibbs.com. 

Barry Meguiar  22:03

Bless you, Barry, you too, love you.

Barry Meguiar  22:04

 See you next time.