Today on real life radio. Nobody erects a statue in their front yard anymore. But you could very well have it parked in the garage, or you could have it in your wallet, or you could have it on your wall hanging. You know what I'm saying? It's true.
What do you live for? Yeah. 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. 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 called 1 Samuel and a message titled This Holy God, Part 1. Samuel of the Old Testament was the last judge of Israel and the first prophet.
So Samuel is now urging the people of Israel to come back to their one true holy God. You see, Israel slipped into a ritualistic-based form of worship rather than a personal relationship with God. And when they fail to recognize God's holiness, they're also neglecting to pray to him. exposing themselves to the power of the enemy.
So today, Pastor Jack teaches us that what we do for a living can project who we are. Israel's enemy worshipped a wooden statue.
Sounds ridiculous today, but we can have gods in our lives like influence, money, even beauty. Or perhaps fame.
Now, the danger is not in what we do so much, but how it could take the place of God in our lives.
Now, in his message called This Holy God, Part 1, Chris Pastor and Bible teacher Jack Hibbs. Isaiah 19 verse 1 says, The burden against Egypt is this: Behold, the Lord rides on a swift cloud, and he will come into Egypt. The idols of Egypt will totter at his presence. And the heart of Egypt will melt in his midst. Don't you love that?
All these gods, and here comes the Lord, and they just begin to shake and fall over, and hands are falling off, and heads are rolling, because they're just extensions of man's creation. They're handcrafted gods I'm glad we don't have those things anymore, huh? Or do we? First Samuel, if we sneak ahead for a moment, first Samuel 6:13. This is a shock because in 1 Samuel 6.13 It says, Now the people of Beth Shemesh were reaping their wheat harvest in the valley, and they lifted up their eyes and they saw the ark and they rejoiced to see it.
Why am I giving to that right now? Because when that god lost its head, and lost its hands. It communicated to the people that Their days were numbered. We're going to be starving because the God that provides us food. is in great trouble.
Well, how does this story end? Sneaking ahead, when they see that that is, the children of Israel see the ark coming back home, what are they doing? They're reaping the harvest in the fields, something Dagon was supposed to have provided for the Philistines. I wonder what would have happened if they would have acknowledged, you know, the heart of God. If they would have acknowledged the Lord and said, Wait, we have served foreign gods.
We need to serve this God of the Hebrews. the Lord would have done for them and to them. He would have forgiven them. You say, well, I don't know about that. What about Jonah?
Jonah goes to pagan Nineveh. And I you know, his message is Hilarious for a crusade. By the way, it's the most successful crusade ever in history. Did you know that? A couple million people got saved.
And his message was, forty days and you fry. He walks away. Can you imagine? The cries playing, all the music's going on. You got.
You know. Big tent revival out there and You know, the super tones, all this music. The guy comes out with a message: 40 days in Anaheim. Fries! Walks away.
And all the whole stadium falls on their face, they all get saved. Jonah goes up there 40 days. You guys are all toast. I'm out of here. And he leaves.
And they begin to repent and seek God. And God. Jonah is so excited to see them fry. He sits on a hill, he's going to watch the whole thing. He does.
And the people, the king, Down to the animals. They're all repenting, they're wearing sackcloth, they're all crying and seeking God, and they're saying, you know what, perhaps this God of the Hebrews will have mercy on us. And God says, Jonah, I can't kill them. They're all repenting. And Jonah gets so mad at God?
I knew the That if they turned and sought you, you'd forgive them. That's why I didn't want to do this gig. I knew you were the. Like this. You look for a heart that's repentful and you forgive them of anything.
He really wanted to see them fry. He was so disappointed in Disgusted. What a weird guy, huh? Any other evangelist would have loved that setting. You know?
It's amazing.
Well Its head has fallen off, its palms have fallen off. And I thought about this. Their God and his identity is Obliterated from them. And I thought, in this 21st century that you and I live in. What are the gods of uh of our age.
And you can go on and on. There's more gods now than ever before. You know that. But I thought, you know, how do we know? How do we know though whose God is what?
And I don't know if this applies to your life, but I thought about my life. And the things that I hear. And so I wrote down a few things. What are our gods in the 21st century? Um Our gods might be the the gods of commerce and influence.
Say, well, what makes you think that? Because I hear people make inquiry about gods these days. Say, well, what kind of inquiry? Like this. So what do you do?
Everybody seems to ask that, what do you do?
Now, it's normal to ask that, but what's the motive behind it? And if you're in a carnal setting of the world, Have you ever been in like a corporate meeting or it's a banquet or it's a launch date for some. You know, company or whatever. And there's all these people brushing shoulders, you know. They got their suits and they got their shoes.
Everything's perfect. Yeah. So, what do you do? It's a thing. What you're doing is, you know, you're supposed to bring out your God.
What do you do?
Well, I'm a systems analyst for IBM. That's your identity. That's your influence. That's your commerce. It's who you are.
How sad that is. What do you do?
Well, I do this or I do that. It's okay to say I do this or I do that, but when it's the thing, In the corporate world, in the world outside the walls of this worship, what you do almost projects. The God you worship. Outside these walls, the world will look at you. And if you're something in the world's eyes, well, I'm president of ABC Corporation.
Whoa! They almost do homage to you. You know what I'm saying? It's very strange.
So, the gods of this age could very well be commerce and influence, or The gods of this age could be money and Wealth. You'll hear people say, well, how much do you make? Really? That much, huh? And when and what you respond to them about and with.
Changes their attitude with you. Have you noticed that?
Well, I make You know, I make 20,000 a year. People just walk away. But if you add a couple zeros onto that and say, well I make two million dollars a year, you know Oh wow, you know what? And I'm just, I've Been wanting to meet you for so long and all this stuff. Why?
Because they're bowing down at the God of Money! And wealth. It's the way the world thinks. Nobody here rex. a statue in their front yard anymore.
But you could very well have it parked in the garage, or you could have it in your wallet, or you could have it on your wall hanging. You know what I'm saying? It's true. What do you live for? They lived for Dagon.
And God removed Dagon from their... Eyes! It's tremendous to me. 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. What gods might there be now? Maybe it's beauty and fame.
If you've got the looks, You can get almost anything in this world now. Isn't that pathetic? It's horrible. See you. What is the God of your life?
Who is the God of your life? Is it beauty? Is it fame? Is it money? Is it wealth?
Is it commerce? Is it influence? These are the things that the world will. Kill for. Because it is their God.
Or gods. The second thing is in verses 6 through 12, and that is regarding this holy God of ours. We have to be careful. Uh And that we don't want to be failing. To fear the Lord, we want to fear him.
The Bible says, The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Say, Jack, please help me with this word fear. And that's a good question, or that's a good thing to request. God nowhere in the Bible. wants you to be Fearful of him as you and I in this culture understand the word fear.
It's too bad that we don't understand Queen's English. of England to fear the Lord The word means to be in awe, in reverential awe of God. Have you ever been to the Grand Canyon? You know, it's hard to stand there and not be in reverential awe of a whole. It's a hole in the ground, but it's breathtaking.
You feel like a little speck in its presence. And it's a thing. I've never been there, but I've heard from friends who have a Calvary Chapel just down the way when they see a shuttle launch. The ground shakes. And the brilliant fireball from that shuttle causes you to feel very insignificant, very small.
You ever been near huge waves. And when they crash on the shore, you go down to the wedge there in Newport Beach and you hear those. You know, 20-foot waves hit that three-foot of water just breaking, and the rumble of the ground, you feel so insignificant. to stand in awe of God. The word we use to fear the Lord.
We had better, I guess, say, to be in awe of God. What's sad about our culture is that there's nothing that really holds us in awe anymore. You know, we've been to Disneyland. Um we've been to Universal Studios. I was talking to um Steve, our tour guide in Israel, is talking to him on Monday.
And a friend of mine, Cover Chapel Grass Valley, the pastor in this church, they were up there. In Israel, it is And he had to call and tell me how hilarious this was. They came around a corner, they were going to the shepherd's fields in Bethlehem, and there was an Israeli tank parked there. And there was no action around it, it was just sitting there.
So they thought, this is very cool.
So, Steve, that some of you know, Steve says, stop the bus. You guys want to get a picture next to a tank?
So they get out. They're standing there next to a tank taking pictures. Inside the tank were guys. And half an hour earlier, tragically, and is really. A soldier was killed in Bethlehem.
But they Israeli intelligence knew the knew the room in the condo. in Bethlehem where the bullet was fired from.
So here's a a tank and it's zooming in on this Yeah.
Well, they're standing right next to the tank. And the tank guys, they don't know it. And the tank launched around into the building in Bethlehem. And Steve said. And if you know Steve, he's going, Jack, I'm that line, you should have seen these people.
Mm-hmm. I'm not blame. Except he's from Philly. He's a great Jack. I'm not lying that you got to see this.
This is great. I mean, his accent's so great. He says the tank fired? And all these people turned around with huge smiles on their face. And Steve, who was in the army, says, get in the bus.
Get in the bus. Quick, quick, quick. Get on the bus. They're gonna return fire. Get on the bus.
Get on the bus. And he said nobody would move. And then he says, is not a movie. Get in the bus. This is not a movie.
And even Pastor Richard, nobody's moving. They're like, So he grabbed Richard and he said, listen. This is not a movie! Go, we gotta go! And he said they got the bus up to 80 miles an hour leaving.
But they got out of it. That you know, it takes something like that to get them to stand in awe, to get us to stand in awe. Kaboom, you know, and even then he said they thought it was a movie. It's like, this is so cool. That was so great.
Did you hear how loud it was? Yeah. And he had to say, this is real. This is not a movie. Can you imagine being in the presence of God?
It's not a movie. No matter what we have been hyped up on in this world, no matter what Spielberg has been able to pull off, when God pulls it off, All of men's devices will wane. and fade in comparison. Because He alone is God, and He is the great and awesome Lord, and we're to stand in awe. of him.
Verses 6 and 7 we learn here that they did not yield to his power. They should have. They didn't. And the hand, it says, but the hand of the Lord was heavy on the people of Ashdod. And he ravaged them and struck them with.
Tumors, NIV, New King James. I think the old King James is M. Is it emerged? The actual word is hemorrhoids. That's a tough That's a tough thing.
He struck them with hemorrhoids. Both Ashdod and its territory. And when the men of Ashtod saw how it was, they said, The ark of the God of Israel must not remain with us, for his hand is harsh toward us and Dagon our God. Can you imagine? He completely It mobilizes the people.
Bye. Bye. Now that's the hand of God. Can you imagine? What are you gonna do?
Psalm 97. Verse 7 says, Let all be put to shame who serve carved images. who boast of idols. Worship Him, the Lord. All you guys, that's like a little Sarcasm there.
That's a tough judgment. They didn't yield to God. And so God judged them. Verse 6 says, And the hand of the Lord was heavy on them. Verse 7 says his hand was harsh.
Revelation 16 tells us that God's hand is going to be heavy and harsh again. In the tribulation period, Revelation 16. Verses 1 and 2, it says, John speaking. He says, Then I heard a loud voice from the coming out of the temple, by the way. That's the temple in heaven.
The original. The one and only. From the temple Saying to the seven angels, Go and pour out the bowls of the wrath of God on the earth.
So the first went out and poured out his bowl upon the earth, and a foul, loathsome sore came upon all men who had the mark of the beast, and those who worshipped. The image of the mark of the beast. Revelation 16, 11. They blasphemed the God of heaven because of their pain and their sores and did not repent of their deeds. Is that crazy?
God is honestly, God is trying to get their attention. They've got hemorrhoids. Their God has fallen over, broken-handed and broken-headed. And All what God would have them to do is turn. They're not doing it.
Notice this, we're almost done. With this point, we'll have to make this a two-parter Look at verses 8 through 12. Failing to fear the Lord, look, they didn't submit to God's will. They could have, but they didn't. 8 through 12.
Therefore they sent and gathered to themselves all the lords of the Philistines and said, What shall we do with the ark of God of Israel? And they answered, Let the ark of the God of Israel be carried away, that is from Ashdod to Gath.
So they Carried the ark of the God of Israel away.
So it was, after they had carried it away, that the hand of the Lord was against the city. With a very great destruction. And he struck the men of the city, both small and great, with hemorrhoids. And broke out upon them. Therefore, they sent the Ark of God to Ekron.
What's happening here is that it's It's spreading everywhere. I mean the whole land. has got hemorrhoids now. Ashed on it. All the people in Ashdod, now all the guys in Gath.
Now they're taking it to, they're get it out of here. And all because they won't repent and yield to God, the judgment spreads.
Now it's an ecrom.
So it was as the ark of God came to Ekron that the Ekronites They have brought the ark of the God of Israel to us to kill us and our people.
So they sent and gathered together all the lords And by the way, these are the religious Leaders, the Philistine religious leaders, and said, send away the ark. of the God of Israel and let it go back to its own place.
So that it does not kill us or our people. For there was a deadly destruction throughout all the city. The hand of God was very heavy there. And the men who did not die were stricken with the hemorrhoids, and the cry of the city went up to heaven. I bet it did.
What's amazing to me is that they're willing to just keep passing God off. and by without seeking his face. without seeking him.
Next time together, we're going to do, we'll do all of chapter six because it just continues. Um This theme But amazing, chapter six literally becomes an example for us. The Philistines actually do something very right. that Israel Um should learn a lesson by And God is going to teach Israel something through this. But listen.
God has got to be kept holy in our hearts and in our lives. Israel didn't hold him. and revere him as holy? And the nation fell into Disarray Paganism The Ark of God is captured. In a pagan nation, Has The symbol of God's dwelling.
They do not Revere. And honor God's holiness and judgment comes upon them. What's the moral of the teaching? If you're a Christian or not, if you're a believer or not, God will not let His name be blasphemed. You may think that you're getting away with something, But you won't in time.
And I have to tell you, and I want to be the first to tell you. that his judgment and discipline is always rooted in love. Always. Even to the non-believer. Always rooted in love.
That if you could get them to repent. and call upon his name. He'll heal them. It's amazing.
He's so good. Father, we thank you for your word and for your truth. Lord, we ask in Jesus' name that in our hearts and our lives that we would be in awe of you. Father, and I know that maybe tonight someone's saying, Well, how can that happen? I would like to have that be true in my life.
Lord. We understand there's only one way. And that is to first begin to meditate on you. Father, tonight may there be no idols in our lives. May we love you completely.
And may we learn from tonight to say, Lord, remove any obstacle from my heart. that you might be holy. Holy God. in my life. in my world in which I live.
In Jesus' name. Amen. Pastor and Bible teacher Jack Higgins. Here on Real Life Radio. and his message called This Holy God Part 1.
Thanks for spending time with us today. We're very glad you're here. You know, this message is part of Pastor Jack's series called 1 Samuel. A series highlighting the prophet Samuel, who was called by God during one of Israel's darkest ages. In order to bring the people back to a heart of true worship, and will continue on the next edition of Real Life Radio.
So 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 slash know God. 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. Daniel Cohen here from Israel. If you love Pastor Jack Hibb's fearless approach to teaching God's word, you'll love the Real Life Network. It's built for warriors who want the truth.
God's truth. On the Daniel Cohen Show, we bring you stories the mainstream media downplays. It's time to start getting your news from people you trust, and it's totally free. Sign up now at reallifeenetwork.com. You know, the Apostle Peter in his letters to the church urged his fellow Christians to keep on learning and growing in the faith in spite of their suffering and pain.
Unlike today, however, resources were scarce. Still, they persevered, and Christ's followers were growing in both strength and numbers.
Now, there's no limit of ways to access quality materials on Christian Living. including Pastor Jack's website. when you go to jackhibbs.com and click the media icon. You'll find not only real-life radio episodes, but real-life podcasts, real-life TV, real-life basics for Christian growth, and even news updates. There's also specific verse-by-verse studies from books of the Bible, and so much more.
So, head on over to our website at jackhibbs.com and click on the media tab. That's jackhibbs.com. You know, one of the great things that plagues our culture today is people not really knowing why they exist at all. In our land, there's a great loss or there's a great absence of the Bible. And that's unfortunate because God has a plan for your life.
Friends, listen: God has placed you exactly where you're at right now for a purpose, He's not done with you.
So you need to remember this. What God has started, he will complete.
So Father, in Jesus' name, we look forward to what you're going to do with us today. as we determine now to walk with you no matter what. 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.
