In today’s episode of Real Life Radio, Pastor Jack Hibbs emphasizes the impermanence and unpredictability of life, urging us to look beyond worldly possessions and achievements. As he delves into the Book of James, Pastor Jack stresses the importance of trust in God’s will and the need to align our lives with eternal truths. Experience a thought-provoking discussion on the necessity of a life centered around faith and the realization that control is an illusion when it comes to life’s challenges.
Answering life’s greatest questions is that we don’t have control over life’s situations. To have life’s questions answered is we need to come to the point of realizing that we do not have control over life’s situations.
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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. The cross. For a lot of us, it’s just a symbol that we wear around our necks, right? Display in our homes or maybe hang from the rearview mirror. But what if instead of being a decoration or accessory, the cross motivated and shaped the way we live every single day of our lives? What if it wasn’t about hiding or minimizing our sin, but actually crucifying it in order to move forward in the freedom that Christ offers? Born Crucified. It’s a book by Ellie Maxwell. In this book, you’ll discover what it truly means to live in a cross-centered life. This short but very powerful book is a classic for every Christian’s library. It reminds us that the cross isn’t just a symbol. It’s the key to victory over sin and the power to serve God effectively. Now, if you’re ready to experience the freedom and purpose found in a life centered on the cross, this book is one that you should get. Born Crucified. It’s available 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 now continues with his series called The Book of James and a message titled The Answer to Life’s Greatest Question. Now, before it became one of the books of the New Testament, James was a letter sent to the Jews who chose to follow Christ. And as new believers, James shares with them life’s greatest question. You see, within the heart and mind lies the greatest question that mankind has ever faced. The question is simple, and yet it’s profound. What is my purpose in life? So today, Pastor Jack teaches that we simply cannot guarantee our own future because we have no control over life’s situations. It’s why we need to learn to let go and let God be in control of our lives.
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now with his message called the answer to life’s greatest question here’s pastor and bible teacher jack hibbs time is the most precious thing i think in fact the bible says because the days are evil what are we to do be redeeming the time meaning the years that you and i spent investing in the world and doing all the stupid things that we’re now we’re trying to forget The Bible says now, through Christ, you can redeem those days. Isn’t that great? Thank God. Our perception of time is wrong. The reality that is around us, God creates. Even dangerous things. Even sorrowful things. We do not bow down to a fair weather God. Our God is a God of reality. And somebody might say, well then, why is there so much evil in the world? Answer, man. Don’t blame God. Why are all these atrocities taking place? Man. Mankind doing their own will. James taught us earlier, where do wars and fights come from among you? Remember? They come from ourselves, from the heart of mankind, not from God. Another thing regarding verse 13 that we see here is that we don’t know all the answers. The fact of the matter is that our motives are often so self-centered. It says to make a profit. It’s to make a profit. for our own selves. The word implied here is that it is to our own gaining. The second point we see this morning is in verse 14. Answering life’s greatest questions is that we don’t have control over life’s situations. To have life’s questions answered is we need to come to the point of realizing that we do not have control over life’s situations. Jack, are you insinuating then that we are just victims of happenstance? No, the exact opposite of that. We as Christians, and to be quite honest with you, if you’re not a Christian this morning, even your life in some respect is under the control of God and not you yourself. Let me explain. For the non-Christian, there is one thing that God is trying to do in your life, and that is he’s trying to get you to see that he loves you, that he wants your life, not your wife, he wants your life. Lord, take my wife and let her be solely, Lord, consecrated unto thee. No, your life. He wants your life because he wants to bring your life to a purpose. And he wants you to fulfill that reason for which you were born. And you have not yet tasted of that. So in all of your dealings, God is trying to get you to come to him. Now listen, he may use blessings. The Bible says in the book of Romans, it’s the goodness of God that leads a man to repentance. Or he’ll use other means. C.S. Lewis wrote that he’ll use sometimes his love so great, severe mercy. Oh, yeah. God will allow your foot to get broken for you to think about him. God will allow you to lose your old company, if that’s what it’s going to take, to get you to turn to him. He loves you so much you might even get cancer. Did God give it? No. Life does it to you. Have you noticed? Life’s not fair. You bet it ain’t fair. That’s why I want to get out of here and go to heaven. God didn’t do it. God will use it. He didn’t do it. God, we use sickness to bring you down to the place where you’ll finally turn your heart and say, O Lord God, why? Who are you? Where are you, Lord? Are you real? When you’re faced with such serious thoughts, God will use such things. We do not have control over our lives. And for the Christian, now it’s wonderful for the Christian, the Bible encourages us that every situation in life, For the Christian, God is in. God is working. God is bringing to our own betterment. Can you believe that? It’s amazing what it says. Do we trust Him? Are we living our lives for Him? We don’t have control over life situations, but God does. He says in verse 14, whereas you do not know. By the way, the word is you can’t know. Jean Dixon, isn’t that who she is? Jean Dixon. She’s a false prophetess, right? Jean Dixon? She doesn’t know. She does not know. Whereas you do not, you cannot know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? And there you ought to circle that. For what is your life? What is the answer to life’s question? James here under the power of the Holy Spirit in verse 14 says, what is your life? And I want you to ask yourself right now, can you handle this? I’ve been with this verse all week long, so I can’t wait to lay it on you now. Let it bug you for a while. God has been speaking to my heart looking at this verse. What’s your life? Jack, I’m talking to you. What is your life? What comprises your life? What are you living for? What is the passion of your heart? Listen, is what you’re living for worth dying for? That should answer your question. Is God your passion? If God is your passion and you know him, you see, the more Christians get to know him, the more you’re willing to die for him, you know? But what is it? What is your life, James asks? What is it? Value is your life. When the company is gone and it’s all over, or the school year comes to a close, or when time has run its course for your life, and you come to the end, what is your life? I don’t want to go too far off of this, but I got to tell you, this week I was so blessed by a precious man who is soon to be going home to Jesus. He recently gave his heart to the Lord, and one of his chagrins, one of his regrets was, now that I know Christ, I’m dying. He’s bedridden, and his concern is, I’d like to have served Christ now that I know him. And it was so awesome to be able to say, I actually wanted to jump out of my clothes and just lay down in the bed next to him and just fellowship with him right there when he asked that question. We’ll just hang out together, brother. Because the fact of the matter is the case situation that you’re in right now, God is using so wonderfully. And the Lord brought to our mind the thief on the cross. thief on the cross hanging there just moments away from death and he says jesus remember me when you come into your kingdom and how many people have been led to christ by the confession of that thief on the cross i tell you our god’s title is redeemer it’s an awesome thing that you can be on your deathbed and receive jesus christ and other people in the room be hearing the word of god all this man wants now is to hear the word of god read His family’s reading the Bible to him. Isn’t that incredible? I tell you it’s incredible. Jesus said, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it abides or lives by itself. But if it falls into the ground and dies, what does it do? It produces much fruit. It’s an incredible thing. We do not have control. As Christians, who are we to dictate to our God? You will do thus and so with me. Shall the clay rise up to the potter and say, why have you made me this way? No. This is Romans chapter 9. The uncertainty of life. You do not know what will happen tomorrow. If you’re not a Christian this morning, that should send you to your knees and saying, God, forgive me of my sins. Jesus, fill my heart with life and write my name in the Lamb’s book and take me to heaven when that time comes. But God, don’t let me leave home, leave this earth without you. There’s no guarantees. In Luke chapter 12, verse 13 says, The Bible tells us there, then one from the crowd came to Jesus and said, teacher, tell my brother to divide his inheritance with me. But Jesus said, man, who made me a judge or an arbitrator over your matters? And he said to them, take heed and beware of covetousness. For one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he owns. Did you hear that? One’s life does not consist of the abundance of the things he owns. I thought the bumper sticker said, he who dies with the most toys wins. Jesus went on to say in Luke 12, 16, then he spoke a parable and he said, the ground of a certain rich man yielded plentifully. And he thought within himself saying, what shall I do since I have no more room to store all of my crops? It’s a bumper crop. So he said, I’ll do this. I’ll give more of my money to the work of the Lord. No, he didn’t say that. He said, I will pull down my barns. I will build greater barns. And there I will store all of my crops and all of my goods. I will say to my soul, soul, you have many good things laid up for many years to enjoy. Take your ease, eat, drink, and be merry. But God said to him, you fool, tonight your soul I require of you. For those things which he has, for whom has he provided them for? So it is to he who lays up treasures for himself and is not rich toward God. The Bible says, verse 14, concerning our lives, it is even like a vapor that appears for a little time and then it vanishes away. I had a cup of coffee this morning and it was cold outside and dark and the coffee, you know, you take the coffee outside and the vapor goes up. That’s what the Bible says our life is like. Well, this is causing me to feel very insecure. God is saying, everyone, please listen. Your life, if you live a long life at best, it’s as long as a vapor in reality to the eternal existence which all of us will experience. We see here concerning having no control over life situations is that life, there’s a brevity to life. It’s so short. I know some of you are young and you’re thinking, man, It’s going to last forever. I mean, gee whiz. I consider myself halfway gone. I’m 40. And this year has gone faster than any other year. And last year went faster than all the years before it until this year came. And I’m making plans. Have you noticed how fast time is going? I believe personally, you know, psychologists bicker about what this thing all means. Well, you know, personally, I think that’s God warning us and showing us about eternity. Have you ever been in a severe accident? Have you noticed that when you’re in an accident, what happens? Say it. I just want to… Isn’t that awesome? All of you said the same. It all slows down. I was in a horrible accident in a car, and I almost crashed in an airplane one time. And the same thing happened. everything slows down and the glass goes by you can’t say it flies by the glass goes by in increments have you noticed and yet inside your mind aren’t you thinking in real time oh god help me lord when is this car going to come to a stop i believe this is my this is my Commentary on God’s grace. I think in the middle of that horrific situation, God is slowing down the situation in your perception, but you’re thinking in light speed. Why? I believe God does that in an accident situation, because I was not saved at the time, to say, Lord, God, help me. God, save me. Jesus. Jesus, save me. I hope none of you are in an accident, but if you’re in a bad enough accident, I don’t understand how that works. But time begins to slow almost to a standstill as it’s taking place. It is the mercy of God because we have no control over our lives. And he and his love is saying right then and there, call upon me.
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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.
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Verse 14, what is your life? It is even a vapor of smoke for a little time. It appears for a little time and then it vanishes away real quickly because we’re running out of time. What time is it? Don’t look. We don’t know. Matthew 6, 19. I’m going to give you a bunch of verses. I just jotted them down. You can look at them later this afternoon. Matthew 6, 19. Jesus says, But lay up for yourself treasures in heaven where neither moth nor rust nor thieves do break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there where your affections be also. Psalm 39, verse 4. Show me, O Lord, my life’s end. Boy, this is a bold prayer, isn’t it? Lord, show me my life’s end and the number of my days. Let me know how frail my life is. That was the prayer of David. God, show me. Somehow, let me know. How long am I going to live? And cause me to live my life accordingly. And remind me how frail my life is. Remember, what is your life? Psalm 39, verses 5 through 7. Indeed, you have made my days as a hand’s breath. About nine inches. Hand’s breath is from the pinky to the thumb, like this. That’s the hand’s breath. That’s how long you’ve made my life. My age is as nothing before you, Lord. Certainly every man at his best state is but vapor. Surely every man walks about like a shadow. Surely they busy themselves in vain. He heaps up riches and does not know who will gather them in. Isn’t that true? I’m making all this money, but who’s going to spend it? You’re thinking, I am. But that may not be the case. Psalm 90 verse 9 says, All our days pass under your wrath, O Lord. We finish our years with a sigh. Is that it? The length of our days are 70 years, 80 at best, if we have the strength. Yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, and they quickly pass away, and they fly from our presence. 1 Peter 1. Verse 24, because all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man is as a flower of the grass, and the grass withers and the flower fades away, but the word of the Lord endures forever. Psalm 144, verse 4, we read it this morning in our scripture reading today. Man is like the breath, his days are like a passing shadow. Every one of us, unless God comes back for the church with the rapture, every one of us will die forever. Some will go to heaven, some will go to hell. I hope nobody in here goes to hell. But that’s your choice. In Matthew 7, verse 13, Jesus says, Enter in, enter in by the narrow gate, because wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to eternal destruction. And there are many people going in that way, because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to everlasting life. And few there be that find it, said Jesus. Proverbs 14, 12. There is a way that seems right to a man, but his way ends in death. I’m going to do it my way. I don’t care what this teacher has to say. I don’t care what this church has to say. I don’t care what the Bible has to say. I’m going to do my own thing. I’m going to save myself if need be. The Bible says your way will end in death. In John chapter 10, verse 10, we all know it so well. Jesus says that Satan has come to kill, lame, and destroy your life. He says, but I have come to give you life. And that word more abundantly means to possess a preeminence of life, both now and forever. To have a great life now and to have a great life later in eternity. The third point, answering life’s greatest question, is we must learn to let go of our lives, which is probably the hardest thing of all for us to do. He says in verse 15, instead, or contrary to all of this carnal planning and all of this pursuit of making a profit, instead you ought to say, if the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that. I love the way the Holy Spirit put it in order. He didn’t say, if the Lord wills, we’ll do this and that and live. Look at the order he puts it in. If the Lord wills, we’ll live. And if we’re living, then we’ll be able to do this or that. The Bible says a person living for their own pleasures is dead while they still live. They’re living a life, but they’re dead. And the Lord says, no. You put me first. And this is an awesome thing. To think that you and I will be alive next month based upon one decree and one decree only. Did you know that? It’s if God allows it. Is that a humbling thought? Now, I don’t know what that does do, but man, that makes me kind of excited. Because that means when my time comes, it’s his will. Tomorrow, a bunch of us are going to get together and climb into a big piece of metal. They’re going to strap some engines onto the wing and hurl the thing down the end of the runway. And if we don’t make it, we’ll go right through Pershing Square and wind up right on the ocean there at the end of L.A. Airport. Stop it, you’re scaring me. No, only if God wills it. We’re going to fly at 36,000 feet over icebergs over the top of the world. The engines could quit. Don’t talk like that. What? If God wills it. We could land in London and get out of the plane. What? If God wills it. See, you might think, oh, I don’t want to think like that. But then you’re going to get in your car and you’re going to go across an intersection where most deaths happen. In that car. Oh, great. He’s totally bummed out my entire morning. Not if God wills it. Hallelujah, if He wills it. Do you, are you loving your Lord? And have you given Him your life to the point where you say, whatever you want? Do you know how liberating it is to live like that? Oh, man. Whatever you want, Lord. It’s true.
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pastor and Bible teacher, Jack Hibbs, here on Real Life Radio with his message called The Answer to Life’s Greatest Question. Thanks for being with us today. You know, this message is part of Pastor Jack’s series called The Book of James. It’s a series on true Christianity and how it creates a new way of living. And we’ll continue on the next edition of Real Life Radio.
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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.
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Hey, Pastor Jack here. I want to give you guys a quick update on what’s going on in Southern California in wake of the devastating and forever life-altering fires that have ravaged the Southland. Things have never been like this before. And I mean that where a fire has never been seen like this before, where the sky was aflame and the winds were blowing 80, 90 miles an hour. Flames and fire horizontally. has devastated homes by the tens of thousands and there’s over 150 000 people without a home and i say all that my friends to encourage you to consider this please please consider giving to the samaritan’s purse organization franklin graham we’re working with them we’re on the grounds here in our own neighborhood so to speak of los angeles malibu the palisades eaton canyon altadena areas of pasadena And it is overwhelmingly epic. I promise you this. Give what you can to SamaritansPurse.org. SamaritansPurse.org. Go there and send support to them regarding the Southern California fires. Please do not send us any of your money. Do not send it to Real Life. Do not send it to Real Radio. Please send it direct. Your contribution is a 501c3 tax-deductible contribution to the right people. Samaritan’s Purse, and you can go to SamaritansPurse.org. Thank you very much.
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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.
