Real Life Radio

Jack Hibbs: My food, my nourishment, my strength, my hope, my meaning, my everything is to do the will of Him who sent me and to finish that work. That's for every Christian.

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.

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On today's edition of Real Life Radio, Pastor Jack now continues his series called "Disciplines of Life" and a message titled "Discipline of Discernment." We live in a very confusing world these days filled with darkness, false ideas, and deception. So spiritual discernment is really more important than ever.

Without discernment, we can easily be misled in the important decisions about life, faith, relationships, even our beliefs. It's why learning to think and choose in a way that aligns with God's will is how we can avoid the consequences of costly mistakes. So today, Pastor Jack teaches that when God's word lives in our hearts, it's a powerful way to live. When we allow ourselves to be taught by the Lord and yield our lives to His will, we can live free of uncertainty and doubt. Now with his message called "Discipline of Discernment," here's Pastor and Bible teacher, Jack Hibbs.

Jack Hibbs: For me personally, I go through these mental, emotional, spiritual gymnastics in my soul and in my head when it comes to that challenge that Jesus said right there: to do what He's called me to do and to finish the work. I know right now that I am in the middle of the will of God, and I pray that tomorrow I will be. I know yesterday I was. I want to live like that every day. I'm terrified with the thought of being outside of that.

You say, "Jack, are you making this up?" I'm too weak, I'm too frail, I'm too in need of Him to be anywhere else. And I know that there's this dialogue between you and I, "No, no, you're the pastor, you're up on the podium and you don't go through the things that we go through." Yes, listen, we go through more things. How can we relate to you if we don't go through the things that you all go through? The attacks, the pressures, the things.

You say, "Yeah, but you know what? You're up there on Sunday and Wednesday and you're just having a great time." Teaching is the easiest part of my calling. This is the easiest part. And the whole thing is, Lord, I just want to finish. Listen, let me tell you something. I challenge you. Go look for—let's just use this terminology for a second—go look at careers. I don't think being a pastor is a career, but I'll just throw it in that camp.

Go look at careers and see how many people start out as an engineer and end as an engineer. How many people start out as firemen and end as firemen? How many people start out as doctors and end as doctors? You're going to find 98, 99, 100 percent of them. How many people start out as pastors and finish as pastors? You will find that it is the most dangerous job on the planet.

Not dangerous as in getting shot in the head or run over by a rhinoceros, nothing like that. I'm not talking about that, not in this country, not yet. What I'm saying is because of spiritual dynamic and in an age that you and I live in, somebody could think up some thing in their head and launch it out onto the internet about you or about me and our lives are ruined. That fast.

Did I share with you guys what happened with Josh McDowell and I? Well, too bad you weren't here, so you missed it. I'll just say this, some lunatic fabricated a story, floated it on the internet, used my name to attack Josh McDowell. Josh McDowell gets a hold of me all upset. I said, "What are you talking about?" It was internet fraud.

Somebody can take a picture of you and not even know it and Mickey Mouse it on their Photoshop and ship it to the world and ruin your life. We live in dangerous times. All I want to do is finish my calling, and that should be the biggest burden on your heart as a Christian: to maintain, keep, strengthen, and build your faith all the way through to the end. And you need to be discerning to do that because there's tricksters out there.

There's tricksters. Yeah, there is, tricksters. There's tricksters out there. There are people who want to deceive and mess with your life and get you off some path. Jesus said there's a bunch of them.

In John 6:38, Jesus said, "For I have come down from heaven to do not my own will, but the will of Him who sent me." That should be the cry, "Lord, I'm here to do your will." Every day I want you to get up tomorrow morning and say, "God, live your will through my life."

Don't raise your hand. Is your life boring? Are you a Christian? Yep. Is your Christianity boring? Yep. Your fault. Because all you need to do is say, "Lord, use me to fulfill your will today in my life." And let me tell you, put your mouthpiece in and strap your helmet on because it is going to be an E-ticket. For those of you who are old, E-ticket. Nothing like an E-ticket.

Also this, what does God's will look like in my life? It's that I discover the plan for my life. He actually has a very specific plan for my life. Jesus said in John 18:37, when he was questioned by Pilate—Pilate said, "Are you a king?" And Jesus says, "You've rightly said that I was the king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I've come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. And everyone"—that's you and I—"everyone who is of the truth hears my voice."

Ah, that's key. "Lord, I need to discern about what to do about my job or maybe I've lost my job and should I go this way or should I go that way?" By the way, I've told you before, I need to tell you again. If you're looking for a job and you're seeking the Lord, the great probability is that when you get a job offer, you will get two at almost the exact same time. Two job offers.

You say, "Why didn't God just give me one? Because now I've got to pray which one?" That's the way He works with His kids. "I'll give—you know, there's Johnny, he's praying for a job." So God gives you two to pick from. Why? Why does He do that to us? So that we'd slow down, fall down, pray, and He'll speak to us.

And then your natural reaction is, "Well, how's He going to speak to us?" That's why daily Bible reading is paramount to life. I don't know, I tell you, you want to get pumped up, especially again, young people, listen up. How do you know when God's speaking? Listen, you need a real good, cool problem. You need a nice problem that throws you on your face before God. You're crying out to Him and you pick up your word and I don't know, I don't get how—He's God, He can do this stuff. How does He do this all around the world with billions of people every day?

They'll pick up the Bible, "God, I need to hear from you, Lord. Oh, God, anyway, what's my daily Bible reading?" My daily Bible reading is—and you start reading it and there'll be that verse in your daily Bible reading that answers your life's problem that day. And then you just go, "God, you're too much." Do you know what I'm talking about? Can somebody say amen? He is amazing that way. He's great that way, I love it.

To discover the plan for my life, God's got it. He has, according to the book of Ephesians chapter two, He's got a plan for your life so tailor-made for you personally that nobody else can do it. It is a work that He's established before the world was ever created and it's been waiting like in a box. We're approaching Christmas and you'll have a gift with your name on it. And if it's a good gift, it'd be something you can use, that'd be meaningful, purposeful.

And so you're wondering, you shake it. Kind of tear—oh, honey, I tore the—paper's torn, right? That gift, if it's the right gift, is so specific for your life. And God has done that. He has got a plan for your life that there may be other Bobs in the world, but there's no Bob like you and there's no gift for any other Bob but for you, Bob. And if your name's Bob tonight, you better be getting this.

Listen, when you pray for you, I mean this. You say, "I don't pray for me, I pray for other people." I didn't say don't pray for other people. But you're supposed to pray for yourself too. Some people think, "I'm—no, I'm too right on to pray for me." That's ridiculous.

"Our Father, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done. Give us"—yeah, us. So listen, when you pray for all of the world and you pray for me first and then you pray for everybody else, when you pray for you, I want you to think about this. I want you to pray for yourself prophetically. What do I mean by that? When I mean prophetically, I mean like this, Romans 8:27.

It says, "Now He who searches the hearts"—that's God—"knows what the mind of the Spirit is." That is a reference to the Holy Spirit dwelling in you. The Holy Spirit lives inside you, right? You got that? He knows what you need. So look at that verse up there. "Now He who searches the hearts knows"—notice it's your heart—"knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He"—who, the Spirit—"makes intercession for the"—who, the saints—"you, according to the will of God."

When you pray, "Lord, I need direction, I need discernment, I need an answer. Lord, help me, Lord, guide me, Lord, lead me," the Spirit of God is praying through you speaking to the Father. How cool is that? When you pray, understand that, think of it as praying prophetically. What do you mean by that? When you pray like that, you know—in fact, here's a bonus verse. It's not on the screen, it just came in my head. Just like that.

John 15:7. "Have my word"—He's saying, "My word, if my word abides in your heart, you may ask what you will and it shall be done unto you, for herein is my Father glorified." Answer: pray the Bible. "I don't know how to pray." Open up your Bible and pray Bible. I'm dead serious about that. I'm telling you, it's amazing.

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.

Also this, you and I discover the power in my life, the power in your life. What does God's will look like in my life? It's His power. Listen, the power to start your Christian walk, the power to endure your Christian life, and the power to finish.

In 1 Peter 4:12, listen to this. Peter, so sweet, he says, "Dear friends, dear brothers, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are now suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when His glory is revealed. If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests upon you."

What a great thing, the power of God. What does God's will look like in my life? God's power. Not mine, not yours. His power. It's a sweet thing.

Third and final point, we got five minutes to wrap this one up. How can I have His will done in my life? Well, listen, three ways. Number one, allowing. Write it down. By yielding, allowing, letting Him, allowing myself to be taught by Him. This sounds so simple and it's such a big deal. Did you know that people suffer unnecessarily because they're not teachable?

You know, if you're not teachable, it's because you have an arrogant spirit. You're proud. There's nothing worse than to see somebody that's unteachable because they think they know everything and they can't be taught. You say, "Is that me?" I don't know. Do you criticize everything that comes your way that will instruct you? Then you're proud.

Make sure you have a teachable spirit. How can I have God's will done in my life? Number one, make sure you allow yourself to be taught by God. John 14:26: "The Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name," Jesus said, "He will"—what—"teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you." What a tremendous verse.

John 16:12: Jesus said, "I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak of His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak"—isn't that interesting—"and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify me, for He will take of what is mine and declare it to you." That's the art of God teaching you and I.

And listen, Jesus said this amazing, spiritual family that you and I belong in. I think you'll understand this. You know, there's some people that say, "Man, you know, family, family," and I'm all for family. God's for family. He invented the family. But some people take it a little too far. They get a little goofy with it. "The family! Don't get in between the family!"

Well, listen what Jesus said about family. And by the way, this freaked people out when He said this. In Mark 3:33, it says this: "And He answered them and said or saying, 'Who is my mother or my brothers or brethren?'" This is when Jesus was ministering and Mary came with his brothers and sisters.

You say, "What?" Read Matthew 13:55. Read it later. It gives you the names of Jesus' step brothers and mentions the fact that He has at least two sisters because it says sisters, plural. What does that mean? The Bible teaches that Joseph and Mary must have had kids after Jesus was born. I know that blows some of your theology, but it's the Bible.

So watch this. Jesus is teaching and Mary comes with the family and they said, "Jesus, your family's here, your mom's here and your brothers." And He looked around about on them and sat about Him, those that were listening in, those that were gathered in the teaching, and He said, "Look, behold, my mother and my brethren. For whosoever shall do the will of God, the same is my brother and my sister and my mother."

What's He saying? If blood is thicker than water, spirit is thicker than blood. The family of God. We are kindred spirits the moment that we're born again and we're brought into the family of God. Jesus is the one that's in my family, the one that does my will and the will of my Father.

Also this, by determining to obey Him no matter what. That we determine tonight to obey Him. We're almost done. John 17:8 and verse 14 as well, Jesus said, "For I have given them the words which you have given me." He's praying to His Father. This is what's known as the high priestly prayer of Jesus. "And they have received them," that is the word, He's talking about the disciples. "And have known surely that I've come from you, and they have believed that you sent me." Verse 14, "I have given them your word, and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world." Amazing.

Jesus is saying that you and I are to be determined to obey God no matter what. I read this today, this is so encouraging. Listen to this. Martin Luther. There's a record in one of his journals, check this out. Martin Luther said that Satan visited him on several occasions. Satan himself. That'd be pretty freaky.

And during one of those demonic moments, Luther heard Satan recount all of Luther's sins that day. And Luther said to Satan, "Is that all?" And again, he heard Satan speak to him, and again Luther responded louder, "Is that all?" And again and again this happened until Luther said, "Enough!" And with that, he shouted this next verse. Isn't that awesome?

He shouted this next verse, it's 1 John 1:7: "The blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin." If you ever get a chance to see in Germany, there's a room where Martin Luther was there seeking God and he was the father of the Reformation period. And Satan appeared to him and Martin Luther picked up his inkwell and threw it at the wall and the stain is still on the wall in Germany.

I love that. Satan says, "You know what, Luther?" "Is that it? Oh, you know what, and this, this and this too." "Is that all you got?" Don't you love it? And Satan, because the Bible says Satan is the accuser of the brethren day and night. Isn't that weird? God allows him to appear before God day and night. Somebody give me your name. Give me a name. Carolyn, Carolyn. Satan goes up there.

"Carolyn, you know what, she had this thought today and she's doing this and she did that and she went over 55 and she..." All this and he's going on. And Carolyn from now on can say, "Is that all?" Because the blood of Jesus Christ, it cleanses. Absolutely.

We're at time but very quickly, the final thing is this: by keeping His will as the focus of my existence. You want to keep God's will as the focal point of your existence and life to pursue God. There's no greater example of this than what Jesus has set for us. Jesus said in John 8:29, "I do all things that please Him." Isn't that your heart's desire? Let's be honest. Down deep inside, is that not your heart's desire? "I just want to do all things that please Him." Man.

On and on, I can encourage you to do a study on the will of God or the will of the Father or God's will. The Bible tells us this, I'll give you a couple more verses and we'll end right here. 1 Thessalonians 4:3, "For this is the will of God, your sanctification." That is God—it's God's will that you be taken out of this world and set into a place of walking in this world but not of the world. Okay, we'll keep going.

"That you may abstain from sexual immorality, that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor," yielding your life to what God wants done, not what you want to do. "Not in passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God." And then finally here, we end where we began, Ephesians 5:17.

But before we read Ephesians 5:17, let's look at the context of it. Look at verse 15. Ephesians 5:15, start there. "So then, that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but wise, redeeming the time because the days are evil." Boy, that's a big one, verse 16. We should print that out and put it right over our TV sets and computers and stuff, right?

"Therefore, do not be unwise but understand what the will of the Lord is. And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation." Why get drunk? You'll get stupid for a minute, do dumb things and then you'll wake up. That's what it means. Why you waste your effort for? It's dumb. Why be sometimes possessed when you can be possessed with the Holy Spirit? Look at the result of it: "Speaking to one another in psalms, hymns, spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord."

Well, who does that? People who are bent on knowing the will of God because they have learned how to discern the path and the way that they should live. And it's available to every one of us right now.

David J: Pastor and Bible teacher Jack Hibbs, here on Real Life Radio, with his message called "Discipline of Discernment." Thanks for joining us today. You know, 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.

Are you searching for answers these days in a world where truth is hard to find? Well, my friend, as you heard in our broadcast, Jesus is the way, the truth, and the life. And if you'd like to learn more about what that means to you personally, just go to our website, jackhibbs.com. And then click on that tab there that's labeled "Know God." And there you'll be guided through what committing to Jesus Christ really means and the freedom that you'll find in knowing God. That's the "Know God" tab at our website, jackhibbs.com. That's 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.