Real Life Radio

Jack Hibbs: When we get this down, all of a sudden, all of my weaknesses, all of my frailties, it becomes a power tool in the hands of God because Paul the Apostle had weaknesses. He had frailties, and God grabbed him like a plane. Think about it. Grabbed him in the head and went like this. "Come on, Paul, I'm going to build my church."

David J: 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.

Do you think that your kid has a solid understanding of where America came from and why we're so blessed? *Happy Birthday America: 250 Years of God's Blessings* is a production that we've put out that you're going to want to get your hands on for your kids and your grandkids because it's all about God's good hand upon America. Get a copy for yourself and you'll enjoy it immensely.

The *Happy Birthday America* booklet: helping the next generation discover the founding truths of our nation. Get your copy today for free. Just pay shipping at jackhibbs.com.

On today's edition of Real Life Radio, Pastor Jack continues his series called "Disciplines of Life" and a message titled "Discipline of Disability." As humans, we all have some kind of limitation. But hard situations can serve a purpose. You see, having a disability doesn't just mean a physical condition. It can be anything that makes life difficult. We often feel like our struggles make us unique, but all of us have something that we're dealing with.

So today, Pastor Jack teaches that disabilities and limitations can push us to rely upon God. When we focus on how to respond to problems and not the problems themselves, our strength and support will come from the Lord rather than ourselves. Now with his message called "Discipline of Disability," here's pastor and Bible teacher Jack Hibbs.

Jack Hibbs: The Bible says that Paul was stoned by his adversaries and left for dead. I think he died. I actually think God brought him back. Can you imagine? You can go online and watch people being stoned to death. You should; I'm not joking. You want to get your eyes and your brain clear about Islam? Go look at Islamic countries and what they do. You should see it.

Wake up, America! Paul had been stoned and whipped and laid open, and his body was scarred. Probably a little bit deformed from all the stuff he'd gone through. Paul says, "I am not worrying about how this all turns out in the end because, you know what? I bear the scars of Christ in my own body." Think of that for a minute. How committed are we to what Jesus wants to do, to what Jesus is doing?

When we get this down, all of a sudden, all of my weaknesses, all of my frailties, it becomes a power tool in the hands of God because Paul the Apostle had weaknesses. He had frailties, and God grabbed him like a plane. Grabbed him in the head, grabbed him maybe like on the rump, and went like this. "Come on, Paul, I'm going to build my church."

Imagine if every Christian had a handle sticking out of their back. Wherever we went, God just says, "I need something done right here. Come on." We should look at each other like that with handles sticking out of our back. God can grab us anytime and use us.

In Philippians 1:20, he says, "For I live in eager expectation and hope that I will never do anything that causes me shame, but that I will always be bold for Christ as I have been in the past, and that my life will also honor Christ, whether I live or die. For to me to live is Christ and dying is even better." Wow. Isn't that kind of fatalistic? No way. It's impossible to be fatalistic when you have enter target and you have a purpose to live now.

Also this: when God goes to work, people will be affected. The whole palace guard! Look at verse 13: the whole palace guard. How in the world? Can you imagine? What if you had a burden to witness to the Secret Service right now? "I want to reach out to the US Secret Service." What are you going to do? Knock on their door? "Hey, can you let me in? I want to tell you about Jesus." They wouldn't even open the door.

Can you imagine going to Langley and knocking on the door of the CIA? "Hey, can I come on in and tell you about Jesus?" So how do you get there to share with people like that? You get yourself arrested. Paul's preaching Christ. God, in his infinite wisdom, winds up having the situation be so that Paul was taken away. And he shares Jesus with the palace guards.

You guys, I really truly—have you ever watched the White House when the helicopter lands? That's called Marine One, HMX-1. I got to be on that thing three times. I got to sit in the president's chair. You know the phone, like in a movie, and you pick it up and it says Moscow, Television, Cairo? It's really there. I picked it up. I'm not kidding.

I have stuff in my office from that helicopter. They gave it to me; I didn't take it. And I sat in that chair. It had the presidential seal on it. Prayed for the president. Pretty awesome. I didn't get to see the president. So how would I have gotten to see the president? Probably would not have gotten a chance to see the president on that helicopter unless I'd maybe done something illegal.

But how do I get to Leavenworth or wherever they take people? You would be carted away under that entourage to that location for that punishment or for that jurisdiction. Paul was taken to the Roman palace guard, and he preaches Christ. And guess what? We know from other portions of scripture that even those of Caesar's household had gotten saved.

My friends, you may not know what's going on. Jeff may not understand, and maybe his family is saying, "Lord, why?" Maybe someone in the hospital tomorrow will hear about Jesus. And at Christmas, he will share with his mother-in-law, and she's got a neighbor who doesn't believe in Jesus. And that neighbor knows the trashman who—I'm serious. That's how it works.

You say, "Can't he make it easier?" It's what he does. But you become a power tool in God's hands in all of our weakness. He's amazing. Philippians 4:11 says, "Now that I speak in regards to need," he says, "for I've learned in whatever state to be in there and to be content. I know that to be abased"—Paul knew how to be absolutely poor and he knew how to handle himself when he had stuff.

Everywhere and in all things I've learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. What's he saying in verse 13? "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." That's a great verse. That's an awesome verse. And then also this: when God goes to work, people will be encouraged. Look at what it says there.

He says that everybody's now found out that my chains are in Christ. You know what they began to say? That word means that people began to talk. "Hey man, the Lord put Paul in jail. The Lord put Paul in jail. He stood for righteousness, and he got put in jail. He wasn't speeding with his donkey. He didn't cut some camel off. He's in jail for preaching Christ."

And people began to talk about it. "What's he in jail for?" "Preaching Jesus." His chains are in Christ. What a great thing. Think of that. What's he doing? Well, he's doing time. For what? He was preaching Christ. He witnessed to Nancy Pelosi or somebody. Got arrested. That's an honor. That's amazing. It would be encouraging.

The very reason, the explanation—it was about Jesus. And Paul said in Second Corinthians that in all of his weaknesses, the Lord had used him. That God had become more grand and more glorious in the minds of people because of weakness. It's amazing so that the power of Christ would rest upon him, says the scriptures.

In Second Timothy 4, it is one of the most moving chapters in my opinion of the entire Bible. I remember when we did our study in the book of Second Timothy, that chapter moved me to the core because Paul now is older and he's imprisoned for the last time. He's in Rome; we've been to that prison. And the next morning, his head was going to get cut off.

Paul says in Second Timothy 4:6, "For I am already being poured out as a drink offering." Listen, if you're Jewish, you get it. Paul is saying, "I'm a dead man. I'm not getting out of this one alive." I'm checking all my bases; I got everything settled. Tomorrow I die. I'm being poured out.

When that drink offering's poured out, it hits the coals of the altar, the steam rises, and what was you goes up. And he goes, "That's me." He says, "For my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith, and finally there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous judge, will give me on that day. And not only me, but also to all those who have loved his appearing."

That's a great statement. And in Romans 8:26, the same man Paul wrote to the Italians in Romans 8:26 and he said, "Likewise, the spirit also helps our weakness." Did you guys know this? Did you know that the Holy Spirit prays for you? I don't understand that, but the Bible says that the Holy Spirit—in fact, the Bible says that the Holy Spirit prays for us.

That's weird. Think about that. The Holy Spirit talks to God the Father for us. And the Bible also says Jesus intercedes for us. Are you with me? The Holy Spirit and Jesus talk to the Father for us. The Bible says wherever two or more are gathered—how about this? In the hearing of two witnesses, the truth shall be established.

The Holy Spirit and the Son are talking to the Father about you. Not about you—I mean like, "Oh man." For you. Romans 8:26: "Likewise, the Holy Spirit also helps our weaknesses, for we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the spirit himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered."

"Now he who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the spirit is because he makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to his purposes." Final point: disabilities will cause us to become dependent. That's a very good thing to be dependent.

Number one this way: we are unable to provide for ourselves. Did you know that? We're unable. It says in verse 14, "Now for most of the brethren in the Lord, having become confident by my chains, are much more bold to speak the word without fear." Very quickly, we're unable to provide for ourselves truly. God has promised to take care of us.

And Paul says, "Guess what? Not only is God using these chains, but he's using it in the lives of other people." Are you willing tonight, church? Are you willing tonight to say to the Lord, "Lord, use my life so that whatever you want to do, your will be done"? Are you listening? Your will be done, Father, that in my life you would infuse into others that they might be confident.

Are you willing to pray that prayer? Now you need to say, "Jack, I'm scared to pray that prayer." No, listen. I don't understand it, but when you pray that and you say, "Lord, I just want to be used by you," you cannot live a more blessed life. I can't explain it.

David J: 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: I don't understand it, but when you pray that and you say, "Lord, I just want to be used by you," you cannot live a more blessed life. I can't explain it. See, "But what if it's like Joseph who gets sold out by his brothers and thrown into a pit?" And he gets carted off to Egypt. Yeah, you know what, Joseph? That's a big deal.

I can't think of anybody who had—outside of Jesus, Joseph. I mean, his life, he was constantly misrepresented, lied about, forgotten about, ripped off, cheated by his family, by the Egyptians, by the caravan of Ishmaelites. It was horrible for him. If anyone has a right to complain, it's Joseph. And you never see him complaining.

And the poor guy, he was born an absolute physical stud, incredibly handsome, and Potiphar's wife keeps hitting on him. He's a man of integrity, and what happened? You think, "Oh man, surely God's going to really totally defend him because he's a man of integrity." God did defend him in God's time and in God's way. But he wound up going to jail because this total Jaguar cougar woman kept coming on to him.

"Lie with me, lie with me" every day. It said that she cast longing eyes at him. You know, what does that mean? "Take me, take me, get me, get me." What is that? And he kept running from her. So then she ripped him off, had him thrown in jail because he wouldn't go for it. Joseph. Joseph grew up in that horrible time being radically dependent upon God.

What about Job? Joseph did nothing wrong. Job was minding his own business. Satan says, "You know what? God, you've blessed that guy so much, it makes me sick." And God says, "I know that guy. There's nobody in the earth like him." And Satan says to God, "You know what? You let me take him to an inch of his life, and he'll curse you to your face. His faith in you is all because he's rich."

"You've blessed him; he's got kids galore, he's got all kinds of donkeys and stuff. I'll kill them all." God, who knows all things, says, "You can touch him, but you can't take his life." You say, "Man, that's mean." Look, the Bible says in the book of Job, chapter 42, that in the end Job is restored with wealth and children more, and his life was more blessed in the end than it was in the beginning.

I can't explain it. Just like you can't explain the things going on in your life. But my friend, you'll either hang on to Jesus or you'll bail like a lunatic and jump out of the boat into the raging sea. You're going to make that choice. And I highly recommend that you stay with Jesus all the way through. You know what, real quickly? Jonah.

Jonah goofed up and brought almost everything upon himself. Jonah ran from God. Jonah knew the will of God and ran from God. Maybe you're a Jonah tonight. You know exactly what God's telling you to do, and you're running from God. It is funny because I see you running down the street and you're this big, and behind there's these giant feet coming behind you. It's God. "Hey, where are you going?" And you're running.

We were talking before service and Lisa and I remember Ashley when she was really little. We were at Mervyn's. She was so tiny, and the little stinker, she would go hide. And we're shopping. "I thought you had Ashley." "I thought you had Ashley." "Where have you been?" "I was in that area of the store." "Where were you?" "I was in that area of the store."

"When's the last time you saw her?" "Like half an hour ago." You ever had that feeling? You ever have that happen? Instantly, instantly I ran to the front of the doors of the Mervyn's and stood there, and I would have killed anyone coming out of the building because my daughter's lost. And the worst thoughts enter your mind as a parent. You ever been there as a parent?

"Get on the announcement. You announce, shut down this store. Her name's Ashley. She looks like this. She's about that big." It's a horrible feeling. "Where are you?" She's inside of the rack hiding the whole time, hanging on. Thought it was great. Can you imagine the gut feel? Can you imagine the gut feel when God said, "Where are you, Adam? Eve, where are you?"

Can you imagine the gut feel of God when two of his kids had run away? "Where are you?" Think about that as a parent. He's calling you back. We're unable to protect ourselves. We need to come to him. The Bible says in Psalm 103:14, "For he knows our frame and he knows that we're just dust." Isn't he kind?

And then we end with this: we're unable to promote ourselves. You say, "What does that mean?" When I say promote, it says in verse 14—and we end with this—that they were much more bold to speak the word without fear. That word "without fear" means this: they were much more bold because of Paul's imprisonment. Here's what happened. Wake up, we're ending.

It's time to wake up and go home. Here it is. They looked at Paul and they kind of like, imagine they poked him. "How you doing?" "I'm fine." "But you're chained and you're in jail." "Yeah. And you know everyone's talking about you being in here. And even some of the guards, man, we got—they got guards over there now and they're singing little Jesus songs."

"Yeah, I know. It's been amazing. I've been sharing with everybody." "Wow. Well, you know what? People outside started thinking, if you can preach the gospel chained in prison, then we ought to be able to preach it free outside." And that's what's been going on. And we've seen your faithfulness, Paul, and it's made us fearless in the face of men.

How cool is that? By your witness, we're not afraid of anybody anymore. You guys, that is the answer to any disabilities we might have. Lord, whatever I am, what I have and what I don't have, it's yours. Use it. And he will. And in this case, the witnesses became fearless in the face of men. That's what we need in this day and age.

The church needs men and women fearless. The Bible says that the fear of man is a snare, but the righteous are as bold as a lion. That's cool. Luckily for you, my voice is done. Father, we pray tonight, O Lord our God. Blessed are you, Lord, who brings forth everything that we need. Father, we pray tonight that as your people, we would revel in your presence that you've made possible through Jesus.

To simply speak, talk, commune with you, to talk with you. And Father, that tonight if there's a man or a woman, a boy or a girl that they don't have that, they don't know that. Very religious maybe, but no personal moment-by-moment interaction, no keen awareness that you're ever before them.

That that would change, and my friend, maybe that's you tonight. I highly, highly beg and plead with you to say yes to Jesus right now right where you're at. Ask him to forgive you of your sins. He can't wait to do that; he's so excited to do that. He died on the cross for you, for us. And to join the family of God, not this church, but by faith right now to say, "Lord, I want to be in this forgiven family."

"I want to be in this saved house of people." And you would tell him right now, "Lord Jesus, thank you for dying for me on the cross and being risen from the dead to shatter the grip of the grave, to blow the lid off the ground, to roll the stone away. Lord, will you do that for me in my life? Will you fix my life? Will you fix my home?"

My friend, please do that right now right where you're at while you have the time. This world is so precarious right now; you don't even know if you have tomorrow. Say yes to Jesus now. Father, we thank you in Jesus' name. All God's people said, amen.

David J: Pastor and Bible teacher Jack Hibbs here on Real Life Radio and his message called "Discipline of Disability." Thanks for spending time with us today. This message is part of Pastor Jack's series called "The Disciplines of Life." It's a series that highlights the disciplines of a Christ-follower and the high cost of sharing our faith with others. And we'll continue on the next edition of Real Life Radio.

As you heard from our broadcast, Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. And if you'd like to know what a commitment to Christ can mean in your life personally, we would love to help you out with that. Go to jackhibbs.com/knowgod. That's K-N-O-W god. And there you'll be guided through what a commitment to Christ can mean in your life and the freedom that you'll find in knowing God. Don't miss out. That's the Know God tab at jackhibbs.com.

Do you think that your kid has a solid understanding of where America came from and why we're so blessed? *Happy Birthday America: 250 Years of God's Blessings* is a production that we've put out that you're going to want to get your hands on for your kids and your grandkids because it's all about God's good hand upon America. Get a copy for yourself and you'll enjoy it immensely.

The *Happy Birthday America* booklet: helping the next generation discover the founding truths of our nation. Get your copy today for free. Just pay shipping at jackhibbs.com.

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. 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.