Today on Real Life Radio, there's the sensation that God gives that you finished a course for that day that He ordained. And it is her best. Feeling. 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. You know, when it comes to social media, we can either use it for our benefit or allow ungodly philosophies, opinions, and worldviews to bog us down with content that really doesn't come from a place of love and hope. We often fail to realize the influence social media has upon our lives.
So if you're looking for a social media source that promotes biblical truth, simply head over to our website, jackhibbs.com.
Now, once you're there, you'll find Pastor Jack's podcasts, YouTube channel, Facebook, Instagram, real-life radio programs, and a whole lot more. Again, our website is jackhibbs.com, and it's there you'll find easy access to all that Pastor Jack has to offer, including our real-life mobile app for your smartphone or tablet. That's at jackhibbs.com. On today's edition of Real Life Radio. Pastor Jack continues now with his series called 1 Samuel and a message titled Church Growth 101, Part 4.
Now, Samuel of the Old Testament was the last judge of Israel, and he was the first of its prophets.
So, here now, in chapter 16, we'll continue to focus on the Holy Spirit by referring to Romans 11. You see, in Romans chapter 11, verse 29, the Lord tells us that when God gives someone a gift or calls them for some special purpose, he doesn't change his mind or take it back, even when we stumble. God chose the Jewish people and made promises to them, and the same goes for us. His promises still stand.
So today Pastor Jack teaches that there is no greater joy than to be fully committed and right in the middle of God's will. If we are still breathing, God wants to still use us in big ways.
Now, with his message called Church Growth 101, Part 4. Here's Pastor and Bible teacher, Jack Hibbs. I used to. At the other church I used to go to, I did it for years. I would walk around in the parking lot with a little nail at the end of my broomstick, and I'd pick up papers.
I loved it. But you know, I don't think that's a gift of the Holy Spirit. It could be a gift of helps, my friend. I just know this, if the parking lot was filled up with filth, everybody would notice that. But you know what?
I think God might want to do something in your heart. based upon his gifting that he called you to do. And you happen to be nuts about that thing. And for whatever reason, You may not be exercising it. I wanted to just challenge you.
to find out what that is. I'm going to say something right now that's going to go over like a ton of bricks. And that is for those of us who have teenagers, I know they're so busy, but this applies to them too. They're so busy, some of them, they're more busy than us. They got grades to maintain.
They either got sports or cheerleading or they've got other things going on, preparing for college, whatever it might be. Those are really good things. But at some point in time, maybe it's twice a year. I think that your team My team You know, I think They need to maybe get down to Tijuana. or Rosarita or Insonata.
Or I tell ya over to the Hopai Indian Reservation. Or the Navajo. And go there for a weekend. And help. And see what happens.
Why? Why? Is it like a, you know. Is this torture for the teen? No, you know what?
Even though they would go kicking and screaming, see, we'd have to rent one of those LA County Sheriff's Department buses. But once you get them there This is the greatest thing you could do for a young person. They don't think so. And they would gripe all the way there, I got an history, they'd gripe all the way there. And all the way back, they would say what we've heard them say: when are we coming back?
Isn't that funny? Because they get out there. And uh They see this little, you know, a couple of teenage girls see this little Indian girl, and they start cleaning her up and painting her face with flowers and a happy thing and a little deal, and they put jewelry on her, and they're giving her the gospel, and they give her the, you know, the wordless book. Have you ever seen how that works? And da da da da.
And all of a sudden, kids begin to find out. I say kids, forgive me, teenagers. The teenagers begin to find out: hey, there's more to my life. Gee, I'm deeper than I thought. I can do this.
And like it. How will they ever find that out?
Now, some of you parents, you would never do that because your kid, if you go home tonight, you're gonna say, Pastor Jack said to go to Mexico. They're going to say, Well, shine Pastor Jack in that church. I'm never going back there again. No. You need...
You need to establish your own godly authority. Don't use my name, it'll get you nowhere but in trouble. You know, think about it, pray about it. And then here's another thing: we need somebody in this body to have the idea to, hey, man, you know what? God has these gifts in my life, and I do this, and you can check me out.
I'm a safe guy, and I'm a legal guy, and all this stuff. And what I'll do, I'd love to take the youth down for a day or two. In fact, we'll swing hammers and saws and get some nails, and we'll go down there and help some people that are at this orphanage down in. Rancho Sortimundo. You can do that.
And uh It would take a it would it would be like pulling teeth to get the kids down, to to get them under the Bus? But It changed their life. My wife still talks about times when she went with her with Anaheim First Baptist Church. To um Oh, I don't know.
Somewhere out there by the Blake Mead. And she says, in the middle of summer, I mean, people were melting. But she loved it. Yeah. And those things are those things are so powerful.
And I mean there's a way. in an opportunity where gifts can be stirred up. Most of the time, The opportunity is how we find out. It's the opportunity that cracks open, gives birth to the very gift that we have. And so we can sit here in an academic sense and say, well, okay, I took the little exam, I think I have this gift.
You can try that. Mm. And maybe some of the gifts you can try that with and det determine that. But personally, some of them you just have to step out and go for it. It doesn't have to be Mexico.
It can be the local hospital here. It can be the bulletins being folded. on Fridays here. It it could be something. And every time I say this, I always feel like you don't believe me.
But In fact, I'll say it this way If you're visiting Take this challenge that I'm about to give you and go home and bless your church. That's how much of a blessing it is. And it's this. Venture out. And see if God is in that area.
And See if God opens the door. If God opens the door, We're going to have to hold you down. You're going to be like a kite. You're gonna be so excited. And that's when the truest, most wonderful type of Christian growth happens.
It's fantastic. And I had someone, I'd love it. Years ago, she came to me and she said, I'm going to do that. I'm going to step out. But what if I fail?
And I said, well, number one, you're going to get an A for stepping out. Number two, you're going to know that that was not your gift. That's a great thing to know, isn't it? In fact, when I told her that, I told her, you will know more than what most people who sit in church don't know. Because they sit around going, hmm.
He must be talking to someone else. But when you step out, I don't know. And she goes, well, what if that's not it? What if I fail at it? And I just told her, I said, You know what?
I'm sure, because I will be, but I'm sure the Lord will be so proud of you. You'll get an A, you'll know what your gift is not. And en route, you're going to find out what your gift is. And I want to leave this exhortation or encouragement with you this way. Yesterday my neighbor was mowing his lawn last night.
in the evenings. Morning's line. And he's got a little boy. His name's Blake. Cute little guy.
Anyway, Steve's out there mowing his lawn. He's got his mower going and uh every I don't know how old Blake is, maybe two, close, maybe a little over two. Um But every time his dad starts the mower, Blake goes into the garage and gets his little Fisher Price mower. And Steve's mowing, and Blake's behind him with the little, and he goes. You know, they'll click, click, click, click, click, click.
Click, click, click, click, click, click, go here. It's great. It doesn't bring you memories when you hear that. It's like, I had one of those. Steve's mowing, and this is very cool because as they're mowing, Blake said.
Um I want to erase I want to race you. Let's have a race.
So his dad gets down there. And they got the mowers going. Yes. And as they went across the lawn, Steve just stayed far enough ahead. of Blake to get Blake to exert his utmost.
In other words, he didn't go, okay son, ready, set, go! And Steve just stood there and the sun runs down their No, he didn't do that. Who would have wanted that? No boy wants that. He made it a race.
And they're going like this. Across the yard I'm watching this. It's great. And right before Steve got to the sidewalk. You could see Steve fake a huge, oh my goodness, I'm so tired.
Oh man, and And Blake just stretches his mower out there and goes. And it's so cute because The kid The mower makes it to the curb, I mean to the sidewalk, and he just falls flat on his face on the grass. Just pshh! And Gets up and And I can't help believe, but believe that God. God is so much into that kind of encouragement.
He'll do things like this to you and I. And allow me to just my thing. For you, it might be God will say, you know, straighten that chair. Go ahead, you can do it, you can do it. Straighten that chair.
For me, God will say, Tell him, tell that guy in line, tell him, come on, come on, come back. And in my head, he'll say, I would tell him. Yeah. So you tell them, oh Lord, you know, come on. Don't tell him.
And there's always that battle.
Okay, oh 'cause it has to be my faith. You know, if you're some kind of a weirdo, hey everybody, you grab the microphone in aisle three. Hey, Jesus Christ rocks, he rolls aisle three.
Something's wrong with you.
Okay.
Something's wrong, that's not right. But if it's a spiritual thing. If it's a spiritual thing, the insecure factor is going to be there. I can't do this, God. But you know what?
You step out. And I think the Lord will so much do it like Steve was doing it with Blake. He rides alongside you. And he's like, come on, and he's going to encourage you along. And You're going to have that sense, that victory feeling.
You're listening to Real Life with Pastor Jack Hibbs. You know, to hear more episodes and maybe catch up in the series, just go to jackhibbs.com. That's jackhibbs.com. And for now, let's get back to our teaching. Once again, here's Pastor Jack.
Those of you who are in various ministries, Please take this right, all of you. Yeah. It sounds terrible, but There's no greater feeling on earth. Then after you have finished your ministry. When it's done, This is the coo it's the greatest feeling.
Those of you who tomorrow night will go out and share the gospel. Door to door. You can't wait for it to be over. Not because You don't like it. But because there is a contentment Satisfaction.
Inside that you cannot Bye. Trade for, barter for, You can't find it anywhere. And no one knows what I'm talking about unless you've done it. Um Sunday night after ser after fourth service on Sunday. I Yeah.
That's the time for you to ask me for a loan. I'm as happy as a clam. Why? I'm done. It's not that I'm it's not that I gotta Uh The next day off, it's not that I have the next day off, that's not it.
It's, you know what? There's the sensation that God gives that you finished a course for that day that He ordained. And it is the best Feeling. And I can't, I would, I can't stand. Just having that for me.
Some of you are nodding your head, you know what I'm talking about. You all should have that. But you'll never have that unless you find out what God and how God wants to use you. Either they're in this body or the body that you're. You're going home or back too?
And I'm gonna I'll end with this. Um John Cantor, Pastor John and I were at a men's retreat. Uh Well, it was in September. It was September 26th. I don't remember the year now, though.
Eighty six or eighty seven? That's 1886 or 87. And We're up at twin picks. And Mike McIntosh was speaking that night. And I was doing, it was a mens retreat, a mensary treat, you know.
You go there because you're supposed to go there, and then you're also supposed to go there because you want God to speak to you for sure. And you also go there because guys bring a lot of cool and unusual things to eat.
So it's just, you know, Friday's getting underway. It's pretty wild thing. And I don't remember what Mike McIntosh was teaching on. But He goes, okay, everybody, stand up. And I said, what?
Oh. Stand up.
Okay, we're all standing. It's packed house. Packed. I'm saying like 200, I don't know how many hol how many it holes. He says, all right, raise your right hand.
What are we doing? I don't know. Repeat after me. I vow. I vow.
That's serious. I vow. To you, God. What's he doing? What's going on?
What are we doing? I vow to you, God. To give you my life.
Okay, I've already done that. That's cool. That's no problem.
Okay.
To give you my life.
To serve you? Sure, of course. Of course, it's servio. And to go back To the church that I attend, go back to the church that I attend, and tell the pastor. That you're available to be used any way he wants you to be used.
Wait on manager. When you get that many men in a room though, you have to say it. Yeah. You may be lying to God, but they're not going to know it. We drove down that mountain.
And I didn't think much about that. But then Sunday morning, the following Sunday, came around, and I had The Holy Spirit said, I'm not kidding, you guys. I don't understand how God does that, but He does it. And The Lord reminded me, You vowed me a vow. Oh, Lord.
And so I went. And I said, I'll be used any way you want. Just tell me what to do. Anything. See, it had nothing to do with that pastor.
It had everything to do with me and God. And I tell you, I am so The lad. I did that. My insides were crawling. But you know what?
I don't know how my life would have been. If I would have rejected that moment. I hate to think. What might have come? If I would have reneged on that vow to God.
Sometimes God will use us Or catch us, what's uh ah, maybe this. Maybe God takes us more seriously, Then we take ourselves. You know what I mean? By the grace of God, may you seek Him to stir up the gift within you. Where you're at tonight, you can say, God, I remember when I was used by you.
And I haven't done or been anywhere. I rededicate to you my willingness. I rededicate to you, God, my willingness. To stand as it were with Isaiah chapter six. And say, here I am, Lord.
Send me. And those people that have done that, I see them walking around this church. They've got smiles on their faces. They're really strange people. The world could be falling down around them.
The walls can be caving in. They've got blood on their brow or dirt on their cheek, but you know what? They've got a skip in their step. You want to know why? We're all going to get bloody and dusty in this world, but there's nothing like going through this world right in the middle of the will of God.
You have no greater joy. than to be doing what you know God told you to do. And our young people are on the threshold of finding this out.
Some of them are, most of them need to find it out. And what about the rest of us? We're still drawing air. We're still breathing. That means there's still something that He wants to do with us, and that means there's a gift or gifts.
that He wants us to exercise. Father, we thank you for this time. And Father, we thank you for your love for us. Please, Lord, let us not rest day or night as a church. Unless and until we are so dedicated to life.
To you. to being used. Not being spent in a bomb. But being used Unto glory. What a wonderful lord you are.
So, Father, tonight I would trust, I would hope, Lord, that As we sit here These people You yourself, you know who you are and you know What's going on in your life, in your heart and mind? And you're settling the account with God right now. You're talking to Him right now. That's cool. But I pray for everyone in this room right now.
including myself, may our hearts burn with a zeal to Do what God wants us to do. Do you know that means? Not what Calvary wants you to do, not what Jack wants you to do? That God tells you what he wants you to do. Wow.
Oh, you'll have a vision. You'll have a mission. You'll have a purpose. You love energy? It's like getting an old dog, a new puppy.
God will crank you up. And you'll hear a song again. Father, bless us. With whatever you want to do on the earth. In the name of Jesus Christ, We know, Father, that you are going to bless this world through a church or churches or movement or whatever.
We ask in Jesus' name that you would baptize us into your fresh work. Lord, that you would fill us with a new call and a fresh Passion. And Lord, that you would make this church, even though we be in multiple services, One heart and one mind. Lord, that you would remove from this church those that you don't want here, and you'd bring those that you would. Father, that you would make this place a church that tackles the world from outside the curb to around the world.
Lord, in Jesus' name, baptize us with a sense of reckless abandonment for our God. That we would not rest day or night. Until Lord God, you come to get us. We go to see you. Hmm.
But Father, it is my prayer on behalf of these, your people, to baptize all of us into a work that no man can explain, people will not be clearly be able to describe. A Holy Spirit thing. based a hundred percent on the Word of God, bringing honor and glory to only one name. A name that has been given above every name. That name Jesus Christ.
to whom our hearts Bow. and our knees long. to kneel. in your presence. In Jesus' name we pray.
Female Yeah. Pastor and Bible teacher Jack Hibbs, here on Real Life Radio, and his message called Church Growth 101, Part 4. Thanks for taking the time to be with us today. You know, this message is part of Pastor Jack's series called First Samuel. It's a series that highlights the prophet Samuel, who was called by God during one of Israel's darkest times, 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. Hey, Pastor Jack, this is the time of year when we normally start talking about the one-year Bible because we like to get together as a church and as everybody who listens to our various broadcasts to do the one-year Bible together, right? This is the time of year we start talking about that. But we've got this special deal going on where you can get the one-year Bible.
And your new book, Watching Waiting, the devotional, the 40-day devotional. For a gift of any amount, we're going to send you both of those books. Tell us about the one year Bible. Tell us about Watching Waiting. Yeah, thank you.
Wow. You're making me go back now for decades. And I mean many decades. Could be three decades where we as a church. The entire church family, you know, how do you have a big church stay small, feel small?
Well, here's what we do. Every year, we all start out reading the one-year Bible. Starting on January 1st. And so every November, every December, we make sure that those who don't have the one-year Bible that they make sure that they get it. And so on January 1st, all of us dive into the Word of God.
And my goodness, I think we're coming up on 30 years of going through the Bible. 30 times. Isn't that amazing? And so it's been amazing, and we're just encouraging people. And then, of course, as you mentioned, getting a copy of the brand new devotional.
It's a 40-day devotional, watching, waiting. It's a devotional written about really the expectancy of Christ coming. Are we ready? How do we get ready? What does it mean to be ready?
And so it's all scripture versed and scripture-referenced. And we think that you're going to love it. I think it'd be a good addition. To your one-year Bible. The One Year Bible and the 40-day devotion by Pastor Jack called Watching, Waiting.
Get your copy for a gift of any amount at jackhibbs.com/slash real radio. That's jackhibbs.com/slash real radio. 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.
