Today on Real Life Radio. We want things quick, we want things really now, and yet when it comes to the call of God on our lives, God will not do that. He will not give us a presto answer. He demands that we experience him and that we go through the rank and order of God preparing us to hear from him. There is no shortcut to hearing God's call upon your life.
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. Have you ever ignored a warning only to regret it later? What if the warnings we so easily brush aside are exactly what we need to live a life full of purpose and protection?
What if instead of seeing warnings as obstacles or interruptions, What if we embrace them as the love and wisdom of a God who wants to protect us from destruction? How often do we dismiss the warnings in our lives because they challenge our comfort, our convenience, or our pride? In this month's featured resource called Words of Warning, Charles Spurgeon calls us to wake up to the seriousness of the spiritual battles we face every day. Words of warning, and listen to the subtitle everyone, for those wavering between belief and unbelief. You need this book.
Everyone needs this book. If you're struggling with belief and unbelief, Get it. Get words of warning by Charles Spurgeon for a gift of any amount at jackhibbs.com slash real radio. That's jackhibbs.com slash real radio. On today's edition of Real Life Radio.
Pastor Jack continues his series now called First Samuel. and a message titled, Hearing the Call of God for Your Life, Part 1.
Now Samuel of the Old Testament was a man dedicated to God as Israel's last judge, and the first of the prophets who heard and understood the call of God upon his life. You see, the word of the Lord was rare in those days, and there were no widespread revelations. But in desperate times, there are desperate needs and the call from God will come to the proper person. And just as Samuel heard and responded to God, he's called us to respond as well.
So today, Pastor Jack teaches that even though Samuel was still a young boy, He was already in the temple ministering before the Lord. Samuel knew opportunities would arrive and he was ready with passion and enthusiasm for the things of God.
Now with his message called Hearing the Call of God for Your Life, Part 1. Here's Pastor and Bible teacher Jack Hibbs. Living in these last days can mean amazing. Thank you. It is an amazing thing.
We have, I think. become so Callus to the technology. And to the age in which we live, there's microwave ovens. Can you imagine if our. Founding fathers of the West, leaving the East, coming out here with their covered wagons, if you would have told them that you could have put a chicken.
In a little box, plastic box and press the button. That in a matter of moments, out would come this hot chicken. They would think you're insane. They probably would have done something about that. We've got worldwide banking.
Everything's done with numbers, and you can take your ATM card now or your credit card anywhere in the world. And not only get out money, but you'll get out money in the currency of that country. Even though your credit card is programmed and all in English, you can travel around the world and instantly you can have money taken from your account and delivered into your hands somewhere in the world. The amazing age in which you and I live in. Email.
Email now, so fast, global. You can go online. You can talk to people around the world. Amazing. And now it's like, oh, who cares?
It's like we're now accustomed to all this stuff. It's just part of the way we live. What about air travel? That blows my mind. I mean, it absolutely blows my mind.
We can span the skies and travel at speeds that, again, From the creation Up until about Oh, sixty years ago. Or so Horseback was the fastest way to get around. And now we can strap people into Spacecraft, and you can get them up to 26,500 miles an hour. When the shuttle makes its re-entry 17,000 miles an hour. To make its final approach into either Edwards Air Force Base just north of here.
or Florida, it begins to report in for its final approach. You know, over. The Australia or area like that coming in, you know, we're a final approach, we're over Australia. In a matter of moments, they're on the ground in California or Florida. It's amazing, and I'm constantly blown away with the fact that, for example, just.
about two months ago. Or less than that. I got done teaching here on a Sunday morning, went right out through that door into my truck and drove to Los Angeles, LAX. and got on a plane. left LAX, flew to Stuttgart, Germany.
And uh Which is on the other side of the globe.
So when I landed, I got picked up at the airport and arrived at about five thirty on Monday evening, looked at my watch and realized that you are still awake probably at eleven o'clock Sunday night here. On the same day. By the time some of you went to bed, I was delivering a message that Monday night. Though, to me, in my mind, my heart, in my life, it was still Sunday night, very late. Taught messages all that week, got on the plane on Saturday morning, flew home, arriving here Saturday afternoon, prepared for the Sunday service, got into the pulpit, and you didn't even know I was gone.
And I'll be doing that again here in a few weeks. Amazing! Strange time. We have things at our fingertips that demand that we know. We get upset when our computer is not running super fast.
We take our computer that we had, like, you know, a year or two ago, and we're looking, what's wrong with this thing?
Well, nothing. It's just that now we have, you know, upgraded technology and faster computers, and we can't stand it. Especially if you're sitting on a plane or somewhere and somebody sits down next to you with a faster computer, it's ruined. You can't even work anymore. You're like looking at his computer.
And it's like, oh man, I gotta add one of those. Why? His is faster! We want things quick. We want things really now.
And yet, when it comes to the call of God on our lives, God will not do that. He will not give us a presto answer. He demands that we experience him and that we go through the rank and order of God preparing us to hear from him. There is no shortcut to hearing God's call upon your life. If some of you guys and gals are in here tonight and you're saying, oh my goodness, this message is for me.
I've been asking God what I ought to do. I don't think you're going to get the answer tonight. But what you might get is a little bit of an infusion of patience and hope. And I've got to tell you that this message tonight is very personal to me because I'm going to have to share some things from my own life that may or may not apply. But I love this chapter of the Bible.
And we'll do our best to cover the entire chapter. this evening hearing the call of god i know that sounds funny but we're going to try Hearing the call of God for your life. First point that we see, if you're a note-taker tonight, you're going to want to jot down our first point, and that's found in verses 1 through 4. of 1 Samuel 3, and that is desperate times and desperate needs. That's the scenario.
That's the stage. Jut it down. Desperate times and desperate needs. And you might say, and I think you're right in saying so, man, it's desperate times for me and it's desperate needs for me. That's good.
I hope so for all of us. I'm not talking about your finances, I'm not talking about your health. I'm talking about what every Christian ought to be going through in their life, and that is desperate times and desperate needs about hearing the voice of God. Don't you want to just Hear him speak. And you might say, yes, I do, but how will I know when it's him speaking?
We're going to go through that tonight. Desperate times and desperate needs, verses 1 through 4. Very, very powerful. The first thing that we see in verse 1 is that the call will come to the proper person, or God will give the call to the one that He's called. Look at verse 1.
Then the boy Samuel ministered to the Lord before Eli. Remember, he's a very young boy. And the word of the Lord was rare in those days. There was no widespread revelation or vision of God's word.
So, the first thing that we see is that God's Word comes. He's going to speak it to little Sammy. But it's at very difficult times. There was a drought in the land of God's word. I believe that there's always a drought in the land for God's word.
I think that's why God keeps his people. Preaching and proclaiming and sharing. I think that's why Jesus said, Go ye therefore into all the world and preach the gospel. Why? Because there's always going to be the need to get the Word of God out.
And this church, remember, we are either a sending church or we're a going church. You and I are either senders or goers, and I know many of you are both senders and goers. But if you name the name of Christ tonight, are you a sender or are you a goer in getting the word of God out? Every Christian, I don't want to sound legalistic about it, but it should be nature to us that every Christian should be able to say, I contribute financially to the going out of the gospel or I go myself. And I don't care if it's down the street or around the world.
There are four key things that we need to look at under this point here. The call will come to the right person. First thing I want you to jot down: there are four key factors to the equation of what God is doing here in Samuel's life. Number one, Samuel was there. Samuel had to be there.
It says in verse 1: then the boy Samuel ministered to the Lord. He's there. There are Christians who rarely Or sometimes go to church, or sometimes serve, and they're missing out on being blessed. We used to sing a song. I really don't know the name of it, but it's it goes something Like this and its words.
I'm not going to sing it. We'll be blessed because we came. And there's a lot of truth to that. You can get the tapes or the Televised messages that's going on here, or whatever it is, and you can say, well, that was nice, but it's just lacking something. It's supposed to lack something.
You can't get a cassette tape and take it home and get all that was going on in the service. You can't get that. There is a special built-in blessing.
Somebody once asked, in fact, many people have asked, at the birth of the great. You know, computer boom, what was it going to do to the church? Nothing but enhance the church. Why? Because With the advent of computers and being able to get things online and inside your home.
People thought, well, no one's going to go to church. But God's sheep don't work that way. You can go online and you can get information, but you can't get the spirit. You can't get the feel. You cannot get the fellowship that God has commanded us to experience.
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.
So, the first thing in our factor here under this point regarding desperate times and desperate needs, God raises up the believer, but you've got to be there. Samuel was there, and what was he doing? He was ministering before the Lord. You want to hear God speak? Determine now to minister before the Lord.
Quite frankly, I don't think you're going to hear much from God unless you set it in your heart. I'm going to minister. before the Lord. Remember what his mom did? Hannah dressed him up in a little ephod?
I should have worn one tonight. I need to... Come and bring one some nights. I think. It'd be very comfortable to teach in.
It's kind of like. Um Like a skirt? You know, but with the sleeves cut off. Had a V-neck on it, kind of comfortable.
So it's like this little skirt that's just above the knee with no sleeves. Very nice. She made that for him. It was a linen ephod. That's what it's called.
And he ministered before the Lord in his little priestly. Suit. What a cute little guy. Remember, she had brought him and gave him to the Lord.
So the first thing is, if you're going to hear God, you got to be there. You gotta be there. Esther 4, 14 teaches us Where her Life is Really on the Edge, but she doesn't know it. It is said to Esther, if you remain quietly, Esther, silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place. But you and your father's house will perish.
And yet, who knows whether you have come into the kingdom for such a time as this? And of course, you know the story of Esther. She was born into the kingdom for such a time as this. I personally believe that birth, life, death is all ordained and implemented by God every moment. That you and I live.
The moment we die. The moment we're born is all ordained by God.
Now, some people will say, well, if that's the case, then I don't have to do anything. God's going to do it, and I don't have to do anything. Then some of you will say, rightly, if that's the case, then I'm going to go for it because God knows everything.
Some people might say, well, why pray if God knows everything? God knows everything, but He's asked you to pray because He wants to answer prayer, but He won't answer prayer until you pray.
Well, if God knows everything, then I can just sit down and He'll bring ministry my way. No, he doesn't work that way. You get up and you move. It takes faith to get up and move. Step out.
Samuel was there. Esther was there. In 1 Corinthians 15, 8. Paul the Apostle says, Then last of all, Jesus was seen by me also. as one born out In due time.
Paul was saying, I saw Jesus Christ in my life at exactly the right time. You were born again at exactly the right time.
Now, some of you might say, well, I can't remember when I was saved. That's okay, God knows.
Some of you can pinpoint the moment. I know I got saved somewhere between 8.30 and 9 o'clock. On June 22nd, on a Monday night, 1977 at Calvary Chapel, Costa Mesa, 3800 Fairview Avenue in Santa. How do I know that? Because I was there.
I was there. You gotta be there. Samuel was there. I remember September John, you might remember this. We were together.
September twenty sixth, It was in 1986 at Twin Peaks Conference Center there for Calvary Chapel. There was a men's retreat. Mike McIntosh got up and he said, All right, all you guys who want to be serious about God, raise your right hand.
Well, there was enough testosterone in the room that every man would have to stand up and raise their right hand just because there's a bunch of pride in the room, for one thing. You see one man stand up and boy, I gotta stand up. Hey, I remember standing up, raising my right hand, and I didn't know what I was getting myself into, but Mike. had people raise their hands and then repeat after me.
Alright, we know what we're doing. Yeah. I will. I will. Dedicate my life to God.
Dedicate my life to God. I will go back home. I'll go back home. And I will tell the pastor, I'll tell the pastor, that I'll do whatever he wants me to do. What?
Yeah. But we did that. Samuel was there. You got to be there. If God's going to speak to you, it's desperate times and there's desperate needs.
Whenever God's people are serving, and whenever there's a lost world, it's desperate times and desperate needs. And God's calling you. to serve him. The second thing I want you to jot down under this point is that Eli was soon to pass. Eli was soon to pass away.
And Isaiah chapter 6, verse 1. You know this verse, Isaiah 6:1. It says, In the year that King Uzziah died, Isaiah said, I saw the Lord. sitting on a throne. It's implies that Isaiah couldn't see the Lord until Uzziah died.
He was a great king, by the way, and everybody loved him. But God removed him so Isaiah could see the Lord high and lifted up in his glory. Of his robe filled the temple, and above it stood the seraphim, and each one had six wings. With two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he did fly. And one cried out to the other, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts.
The whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the doors were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke.
So I Said, Woe is me, for I am undone because I am a man of unclean lips. And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips, for my eyes have seen the king. The Lord of Hosts Then one of the seraphim flew having his Having in his hand a coal which he had taken off the altar with Pons. And he touched my mouth with it and said, Behold, This has touched your lips. Your iniquity is taken away and your sin is purged.
Also, I heard the voice of the Lord saying to me, Whom shall I send? And who will go for us? And then I said, here I am. Send me. That's powerful.
Eli was passing away. God was raising up a young man. Joshua And Joshua Chapter 1 Moses is now dead, and the Bible says now to Joshua, Moses' assistant, rise up and take this people in. There's always going to be a passing. And there'll always be a need for someone to take the helm.
Thirdly, The word was rare in those days. The word was rare. in those days. The word means That there was a drought concerning the Word of God or something hard or difficult to find. In Romans chapter 10, verse 13, the Bible says, Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Doesn't that sound simple? And it is simple. Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. And we say, well, that's great. That is great.
But listen to the rest of the verse. How then shall they call upon him whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe on him whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent?
For as it is written, how beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace. who bring glad tidings of good things. In other words, people have to be sent. People have to go. That's a wonderful thing.
Fourth consideration under this point. The Bible says here that there was no widespread vision or revelation of God's word. That word means that there was no clear message or voice preaching. Have you ever been somewhere where there's no clear message? Our voice preaching?
I'm about ready to lose my voice right now tonight. Yeah. I've been fighting the throat thing for like eight weeks now. Yeah. And that's just painful.
There were no servants. Of God's word available. There was no clear Preaching of the word. How tragic. You know, we've said this before, we'll say it again.
You and I live. in Babylon, you know?
Southern California is a pretty dark place. But you know what? It's as though. And I'm sure there is a wonderful battle going on. I say wonderful because we win.
There's a wonderful battle going on between light and darkness, good and evil. Yes, this place is Babylon, and Los Angeles is the pornographic capital of the world. But you know what? In this region, in this area, there are great churches and there's a great presence of preaching and God's word. And you know what?
If you don't like some church, you can go to someplace and find a church that preaches the word of God easily. Thank God. You go on the other side of these San Bernardino mountains. And you're not going to hit anything until you get to Vegas. There's an excellent several churches in Vegas.
That's a miracle, isn't it? After you leave Vegas, you're not going to hit much. You get to the East Coast and they're there, but they're not compacted together like they are here. Very, very amazing. God has sent a clear message.
To the time and to the place in which we live. How does he do it? Through people. Great. It wasn't like that.
In Samuel's time. We look at this also that The call will come at the right time. God's call always comes at the right time. Verses 2 and 3, it says, And it came to pass at that time. A very specific time while Eli was lying down in his place.
And when his eyes had begun to grow so dim that he could not see, He's old. And before the lamp of God went out in the tabernacle of the Lord, where the ark of God was. We'll stop right there. The call will come at just the right time in your life. You might be saying, God, what are you going to do with my life?
What do you want to do with my life? And the great thing about this: it doesn't matter how young you are, it doesn't matter how old you are. You can be 99 and say, God, what do you want to do with my life? That's a wonderful thing. You're never too old to ask.
You're never too young to ask. But the call will come at just the right time. And my friend, you might be saying, well, this message is for pastors and evangelists and preachers. Wrong. How do you think pastors and evangelists and preachers ever got to be?
what they're doing because they heard the call of God in their life. It's not, and it's not for men only. God calls his people to To serve. And that cult comes at just the right time. Pastor and Bible teacher Jack Hibbs here on Real Life Radio, and his message called Hearing the Call of God for Your Life, Part 1.
Thanks for spending some time with us today. We're glad you did. You know this message is part of Pastor Jack's series called First Samuel. A series highlighting the prophet Samuel, who was called by God during one of Israel's darkest ages. to bring the people back to a heart of true worship.
and we'll continue on the next edition of Real Life Radio.
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So, if you haven't checked it out already, that's the Real Life Network streaming the best in Christian and conservative content. Sign up and start streaming today for free at reallife network.com. That's reallife network.com. Hey, have you ever looked at a burning fire? Maybe it's in a fire ring or you're at the beach and the logs are burning, and someone was to pull out one of the logs and set it off to the side.
Have you noticed how quick it cools down? Because it's not with the rest of them. The rest of the fire continues to burn, but when you break it up and pull it apart, Those pieces begin to grow cold. Friends, listen, that could describe your Christian life right now. But don't let it continue to be that way.
You are part of God's family all around the world. As you and I continue to stand in the truth, we are standing in the very beautiful, refining fire of God. Let him have his way with you. And you will come out ablaze for his glory. We're near the finish line, friend.
Don't give up, don't quit, keep standing because God's truth will never fail. In Jesus' name, Amen. 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.
