In this inspiring episode of Real Life Radio, Pastor Jack Hibbs delves into the essence of making disciplined decisions. Drawing from biblical teachings, we explore how individuals can align their choices with divine guidance to minimize mistakes and maximize blessings. Hibbs emphasizes the spiritual virtue of patience, urging listeners to wait for God’s perfect timing instead of succumbing to societal pressures. Join us as we unpack the Book of Habakkuk, among other scriptures, to highlight the benefits of spiritual obedience and the divine promises of strength and joy that come with it. Whether it’s a career move, relationship decision,
God is in your life working for good. Listen, the world is out there throwing curveballs at us, but God takes them and turns it around and makes it for good. This is a very dangerous world you and I live in, and it’s getting nuttier by the minute. This world’s nuts. My God’s not nuts, though. My God’s right on target.
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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.
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Hey, everybody, have you ever thought about what’s afterlife? Do you know that the Bible teaches life is afterlife? If you know the Lord Jesus Christ, my good friend Philip DeCourcy has written a great book, and that’s the title, Life After Life, Exploring the Bible’s Wonderful Promises About Heaven and Eternity, published by Harrah’s House Publishers. Get a copy for yourself.
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Life After Life by Philip DeCourcy, Exploring the Bible’s Promises About Heaven and Eternity. It’s available for a gift of any amount at jackhibbs.com. That’s jackhibbs.com.
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on today’s edition of Real Life Radio. Pastor Jack now continues his series called Disciplines of Life with a message titled Disciplines of Decision. God’s guidance in life guarantees certain comforts. One being that if we’re in step with him, then we don’t have to make mistakes in our decision making. You see, we have to recognize our own limitations and ask God for his guidance. We can only understand so much and we need to let God’s word guide us. So today, Pastor Jack teaches us that once a decision is made, we’ve got to be willing to obey God’s guidance. God knows what’s right, and He wants what’s best for us. There is a blessing in a disciplined decision. Now with his message called, Disciplines of Decision, here’s pastor and Bible teacher, Jack Hibbs.
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The book of Habakkuk, Habakkuk chapter 2, verse 3. Habakkuk chapter 2, verse 3 says, “‘For the vision is yet for an appointed time.'” But at the end it will speak and it will not lie. Though it waits or tarries, wait for it. Because it will surely come and it will not tarry. What does that mean? That means God knows what’s up. He knows the answer that he’s going to give you. You wait. Oh, this is the one where we just have such a hard time with. We want stuff to happen. We look around at people, we look around what’s on the TV or we look around what might be in the movie theater and we start thinking about our own lives. My goodness, I’m 21 and I don’t have this and I don’t have that and I need to make it happen. This is a scourge in our culture. I’m 30 and I still don’t have this or I’m 40 or I’m this and I’m that. And then we have, what are these things? Midlife crises. What is that all about? What is that thing? What is that? I don’t know. You see guys, their shirts are open down to here with a gold chain. They take their Suburban and they get a little red convertible Yugo or whatever. And they have this big, what’s the deal? I thought I would have had more in life by now. Well, we can fix that. We’ll just ship you to Mexico for a month and get your perspective fixed. Think about it. You have shoes, don’t you? We’ve got this thing where we begin to judge our status in light of what the world offers. You and I will never, never achieve what the world is trying to sell us. It’s Madison Avenue, wake up. Well, I don’t look like him. You’ll never look like him. Well, I don’t look like her. You’ll never look like her. First of all, they’re all a bunch of airbrushed things. But you look at that and you go, man, hey, wait a minute. Wait on God. We cannot outweigh him. See, Jack, what if I wait too long? I don’t think it’s possible. You can disobey him once he speaks. That’s a problem. That’s our third point where I’m getting ahead of myself. That’s obeying him. But when you’re saying, Lord, lead me, Lord, guide me, show me. If he has not showed you yet, wait. Wait. I won’t name any names. It wouldn’t be right. Someone came up to me about a week and a half ago, and they were a little bit upset. I could tell. Because things aren’t going good in their family. And so the person said, you know what? God… I mean, you have really two wonderful son-in-laws. They love God and your daughters, you know, you never had any problem with them doing drugs and stuff like that and they’re serving and almost to the point where I felt like I should be apologizing. I’m sorry. And I felt the Lord, I didn’t hear any rumbles of thunder or anything, but I felt the Lord say, bless me now, Jack. This is your opportunity. Bless me now. And I don’t know if you know what that means, but I knew exactly what it meant. I told her, I said, listen, first of all, when we got pregnant with these kids, we laid our hands on her tummy and prayed for God to fill those babies with his Holy Spirit. And when I used to pray, I used to say, Lord, bless this baby. I’m not joking, you guys. I told you I was nuts, but sometimes there’s a benefit to being crazy. and we led them in the way of the Lord every day of their life. So now their life’s blessed because God blesses obedience, and I’m supposed to apologize for that. I can’t do it. You know why? It’d be robbing God of his faithfulness. Can’t do it. God blesses obedience. But that’s the third point. We’re not there yet. We’re talking about being willing to wait for him. Psalm 37, seven says, “‘Rest in the Lord.'” and wait patiently for him. Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass. Just wait. Church, listen, just wait. I know it’s hard. You wait. And if we’re all waiting together, we can encourage one another to wait. Let’s wait together. It’s going to favor our walks. It’s going to favor our Direction in life and all. Also, this waiting disciplines our emotions. This is a big one, so we need to be biblical. Waiting kills our emotions. Come on, let’s admit to it right now. We hate it. We want answers now. Emotions get all pumped up and we want something now. But listen, waiting disciplines those emotions. You know how you spank emotions? You make them go sit in the corner. Emotions get us in trouble. Can someone say amen? Is that not true? We need to discipline our emotions. 1 Peter 1, verses 13 to 16. This is tough stuff. Peter gives tough love. Here it is. He says, therefore, he’s so subtle, gird up the loins of your mind. Put your brain back in your head. Peter is saying, be sober. He’s not talking about put the drink down. He’s talking about think right. I’d love to hear him say this. Wouldn’t you love to have Peter come out here? And rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ as obedient children, not conforming yourselves to the former lusts. In other words, stop going back to your old life. It’s a dead end and you know it. as in your ignorance, but as he who called you as holy, you also be holy in all of your conduct because it is written, be holy for I am holy. What a great statement. He’s saying, listen, God’s holy. Yeah, that’s right. And God, because now you are hidden in Christ, you’re a Christian, you get to be holy also. What does that mean? It means you don’t have to make the wrong decision anymore. You just wait for him. Lord, what do you want me to do? Do you understand that really blesses his heart? I’m not moving, God, until you talk to me. Gideon did that. Remember Gideon? A lot of people make fun of him. I think he’s awesome. Do you guys know who I’m talking about? God, I’m not going to do anything unless you take this skin of this animal and you make it all wet and all the ground around it dry. So it happens. Okay, God, I’m not going to do anything until you make the skin wet. And he reverses it back and forth, back and forth. And people go, man, Gideon’s got no faith. Exact opposite. Gideon had so much faith. He’s asking God to answer him so Gideon would not make the wrong decision. I would be a Gideon any day. Okay, think about that. Oh God, you know, speak to me. And when you ask God, are you into fleeces, Jack? Are you talking about fleeces? No, listen, what I am saying, because some people say, God, if you want me to marry that person, have the sun come up. That ain’t gonna happen. That’s not good. Gideon was seeking hard after God’s mind to get the answer. And Peter says that we get to be holy now because God is holy. We belong to him. We are holy. He pronounces us holy. Isn’t that radical? So listen, if that’s true, and it is, the Bible makes it very clear. We are now declared holy. We are now born again. We now have been given the mind of Christ. Then why do we make stupid decisions? Because we don’t wait.
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Also, this waiting brings to you and I His joy. Wow.
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So we need to rest in that. Psalm 1611. Psalm 1611 says, You will show me the path of life. In your presence is fullness of joy. And at your right hand there are pleasures forevermore. What an awesome God we have. Well, here’s the verse that we’re moving off from tonight. It’s Jeremiah 42, verses 6 and 7. Check it out. whether it is pleasing or displeasing. That word means whether it’s gonna be comfortable or uncomfortable for us, we will obey the voice of the Lord our God. Skipping ahead a little bit. That it may be well with us when we obey the voice of the Lord our God. Obey him, watch what happens. Verse seven, and it happened after 10 days that the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah. Now I don’t know about you, but after 10 days, Jeremiah got his answer in 10 days. If you ask me, that’s pretty quick. Have you been asking God for stuff for years? I have. There’s some things going on in my life, and I’ll tell you right now, it’s just us right here. I’ll just say it, that, Lord, I mean, this is a great opportunity for you to show yourself mighty. This is a great opportunity now, God, for you to answer that thing I’ve been praying to you for. He’s not listening to what I’m saying. Amen. We have a relationship, him and I. I talk and he answers me with what he wants to answer. And I’ve learned over a lot of years that’s a good thing. You can thank God right now that he has not answered all your prayers. I’m gonna give you four verses, just jot them down real quick. You guys all know this one, this is the best. Isaiah 40, verse 31. Famous verse. But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings like eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint. Isaiah 30, verse 18. Therefore the Lord will wait on That he may be gracious to you. And therefore he will be exalted. That he may have mercy on you. For the Lord is a God of justice. Blessed are all those who wait for him. Isaiah 49 verse 23. Down at the back end of that verse. It’s a big verse. Then you will know that I am the Lord for they shall not be ashamed who wait for me. Wow. Notice that. If you will not wait for God and go do your own stubborn decisions because you want to have it your way and this is what you want and it must be God because it’s what I want and you go do it and it all falls apart. Notice this. You’re going to be put to shame. Your friends might pat you on the back, but when they walk away, they’ll say, bozo. Don’t be fooled. This is vital. Ecclesiastes 3.11. Ecclesiastes 3.11. Solomon wrote this. He has made everything beautiful in his time. Also, he has put eternity in their hearts. He has put eternity in their hearts. He makes all things beautiful in his time. God’s goodness to cause time to make sense in the end is remarkable to me. Young people tonight, listen. You need to slow down. Just slow down. It’s okay. Just slow down. You’re not going to miss anything. Somehow he makes everything beautiful in his time, which means in my time, I can destroy everything. In my time. Third and final point tonight, the disciplines of decision is this. We need to be willing to obey his guidance. When God says it, do it. Wow. Wow. This way, he knows what’s right. When we trust him, we will agree. He knows what’s right. Come on. Did any of us make the moon? I mean, some walked around on it, but we didn’t make it. What do we know for sure regarding us? What do we know about him? He is absolutely the sum of of all that is perfect and beautiful and grand. He’s lovely, says the Bible. So check this out. He knows what’s right. Jeremiah 42, verse 3 says, The Lord your God will show us the way in which we should walk and the things that we should do. You ought to memorize that. Are you young right now? Memorize that verse, Jeremiah 42, 3. The Lord’s going to show me the path that I should take. UCLA, Florida, Washington. What is it? Where are you going to go? Lord, show me the way. Think about it. Him, her, this direction, that company. He has promised to answer. And he knows what’s right for us. Imagine that. We know that that’s native to the human heart. Have you ever driven around? I don’t know. Thank God if it’s anywhere in this region. If it is, don’t tell me. I don’t want to know. But for some reason, you drive around some old town somewhere and eventually out in the front of some old converted house, there’s a sign out front and it says, poem reader. It always cracks me up. Why would you go there? Oh man, I get my poem read. For what? It’s demonic. It’s demonic. It’s in the human heart, though, to try to peer into the future. Your God knows your future. He’s the only one. I have to do this because here’s a great verse. I thought, man, they’re going to freak when I tell them that. But you know what? The Bible tells me that I have to give a report card to God regarding you guys in the end. Did you know that? First of all, listen, Jeremiah 3.15 says, I will give you pastors according to my heart. They shall feed you with knowledge and understanding. I’ve been giving you a lot of verses tonight for this. Three fantastic verses about pastors. Hebrews 13.7 says, Remember those who rule over you, who have spoken the word of God to you, whose faith follow concerning the outcome of their conduct. Meaning we’re going to stand before God and get in a lot of trouble. If we misrepresented his word. Just remember how big trouble Moses got into because he goofed up. You say, why are you saying all this stuff? Because I’ve got to tell you this stuff. No palm readers. No horoscopes. No. Bible, God, prayer. Let him answer you. Listen to this, Hebrews 13, 17 says, obey those who rule over you and be submissive for they watch out for your souls. As those who must give an account, let them do so with joy and not with grief for that would be unprofitable for you. Hebrews 13, 24, greet all those who rule over you. Say hi to me. Because I’m to give an account for your soul in the end. That’s why we’re in the Bible. That’s why you need to be willing to obey his guidance because if God is working in your life, he’s gonna speak to you from this book. Like that. Okay, critical, clear, very important, very quickly. He wants what’s best for you and I. Aren’t you glad? God is nuts about you. Is it true God’s watching me all the time? It’s because he can’t take his eyes off you. That’s why he’s watching you all the time. He’s crazy over you. He wants what’s best for you. Micah chapter 6, verse 8 says, He has shown you, O man, what is good and what does the Lord require of you, but to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. That’s beautiful. You guys know this. Jeremiah 29, 11, and 12. I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord. Thoughts of peace, not of evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and go and pray to me. And, what? I will listen to you. Third, right here. Be willing to obey his guidance because he does what’s good. He does what’s good. Romans chapter 8, verse 28. For some of you, I noticed we had some new believers coming in here tonight from last week. This verse is going to be brand new to you. Check this out. Romans 8, 28. And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to his purposes. Verse 29. For whom he foreknew, that is, he’s always known about you. He also predestined to be conformed to the image of his son. That means God is at work in your life and he’s going to do what’s good. This is a big one. So yeah, but you know what? I accepted Jesus on Sunday. I got hit by a truck on Monday. God is in your life working for good. Listen, the world is out there throwing curve balls at us, but God takes them and turns it around and makes it for good. This is a very dangerous world you and I live in. And it’s getting nuttier by the minute. This world’s nuts. My God’s not nuts, though. My God’s right on target. And what he’s doing, he’s doing for good. This world’s crazy, and it will hurt you. But when my God works in my life, I tell you, if you’re not a Christian tonight, you’re in danger zone. You’re not a Christian tonight, you’re flirting with eternity. Man, don’t live like that. Very quickly, listen to this. These are the dangers of an undisciplined life or undisciplined decisions. Undisciplined decisions. Listen. Proverbs 1, verse 28 says, Then they will call on me, but I will not answer. They will seek me diligently, but they will not find me. Because they hated knowledge and did not choose the fear of the Lord. They would not have none of my counsel and despised my every rebuke. Therefore, they shall eat the fruit of their own way and be filled with full with their own fancies. For the turning away of the simple will slay them and the complacency of fools will destroy them. Now listen to the blessings of a disciplined decision. But whoever listens to me, I will… listens to me, will dwell safely and will be secure without fear of evil. My son, if you receive my words and treasure my commands in you so that you incline your ear to wisdom and apply your heart to understanding. Yes, if you cry out for discernment and if you lift up your voice for understanding. If you seek her as silver and search for her as for hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and find the knowledge of God. For the Lord gives wisdom. From his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He stores up sound wisdom for the upright. He is a shield to those who walk uprightly. He guides or guards the paths of justice and preserves the way of his saints.” Then you will understand righteousness and justice, equity and every good path. Final verse right here. Wonderful verse. Ecclesiastes 12, 13. Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter. Fear God. Keep his commandments, for this is man’s all. For God will bring every work to judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil. So what do you do with that verse? Lord, lead me in the way of making the right decisions. And all God’s people said.
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pastor and Bible teacher Jack Hibbs here on Real Life Radio and his message called Disciplines of Decision. So glad you could spend some time with us today. You know, this message is part of Pastor Jack’s series called The Disciplines of Life. It’s a series highlighting the disciplines of a Christ follower and the high cost of sharing our faith with others in a lost and broken world. And we’ll continue on the next edition of Real Life Radio. You ever felt like something’s missing in your life? Maybe you’ve been searching for answers for peace or a sense of purpose. You know, the truth is those longings are there because you were created to know God. At JackHibbs.com, there’s a tab called Know God. It’s designed to help you discover what it truly means to have a relationship with God. This isn’t about religion. It’s about understanding who God is and why he loves you and how you can find hope and forgiveness through Jesus Christ. The page breaks it down in a simple, clear way, answering common questions and guiding you through the steps of faith. It’s a great place to explore and reflect whether you’re just curious or you’re ready to make that next step. So don’t miss out on the most important relationship you’ll ever have. Visit that tab called KnowGod at JackHibbs.com and start your journey today. That’s JackHibbs.com because knowing God changes everything in your life for the better. Take that next step. Explore and reflect at the Know God section at JackHibbs.com.
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Hey everybody, have you ever thought about what’s afterlife? Do you know that the Bible teaches life is afterlife? If you know the Lord Jesus Christ, my good friend Philip DeCourcy has written a great book, and that’s the title, Life After Life, Exploring the Bible’s Wonderful Promises About Heaven and Eternity, published by Harrah’s House Publishers. Get a copy for yourself.
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Life After Life by Philip DeCourcy, Exploring the Bible’s Promises About Heaven and Eternity. It’s available for a gift of any amount at jackhibbs.com. That’s jackhibbs.com.
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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.
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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.
