What Are You Waiting For?

00:00 - Speaker 1
Real Life presents the Jack Hibbs Podcast with intention and boldness to proclaim truth, equip the saints, and impact our culture.

00:09 - Speaker 2
I've noticed more and more in the Christian life over these last several years, there's a great sense of urgency in the lives of those that are following Christ. What does it take to get urgent about the things of God? It's actually very simple. You pick up the Bible again, start reading, return to your first love that's in the Bible, and find out what Jesus Christ wants for your life. He's thrilled to be your Lord and Savior and He wants to use you in a powerful way.

00:38 - Speaker 1
You can get the outlines of this podcast by going to jackhibbs.com/podcast. Today, if this podcast lifts you up and encourages you to live a more fulfilled life in Christ, then make sure you leave us one of those five-star ratings. To us, that's like saying amen or yes. Then that rating will encourage others to listen. Now open your hearts to what God's Word has to say to you. Here is Jack Hibbs.

01:07 - Speaker 2
The Holy Spirit guides you and leads you. Now there are people who claim faith, but have you noticed they're bouncing off the guardrails all the time and always getting themselves in trouble or following the latest, greatest, strangest thing, and you wonder where's the Holy Spirit in their life? Well, I don't know, but one of the hallmarks of being a true child of God is that your life is led by the Spirit of God. And when God does that, He uses the guidance of the Word of God, the Bible. Sanctification is quite awesome, quite exciting. And I think about the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit where, in our lives, we put Him through a lot. He's with us every day. Remember, Christ said I'll never leave you or forsake you. But technically, Jesus is seated at the right hand of the Father right now in heaven. So how is it that Jesus is with us? The Holy Spirit, and what we put Him through in just a day? Think of the grace that He gives us. But He's there. And then, I might add, He puts us through a lot of stuff too, does He not? Have you ever tried to get away with something as a Christian? Yeah, you're laughing because you can't do it, huh, because He's with you and He'll bust you and He'll tell you no, you can't do that. Listen, this is terrible. I'll confess this in front of you guys, but don't tell anybody. So, and if I already told you this, just ignore it.

02:43
But I was asked to be on a broadcast and so I went to their studios and it was a Christian organization and they're doing this. They got the cameras all set up and this stage and this studio and everything, and so it's like okay, let's, you know, here we go. So like three, two, one, and they go like that, you know. And the guy goes okay, well, here we are, it's nice to have you. Before we get started, can we challenge you to a push-up contest? And I thought this is actually a joke. They were joking, the cameras aren't really running, we're not ready yet, they must have a problem. And I go okay, whatever you want.

03:29
And I didn't think the cameras were on, and so they got this young guy I'll challenge you to a push-up contest. How old are you? I'm 65 and a half. How old are you? I'm like 39 and a half. I said, all right, I know how this is going to go, but remember, the cameras aren't running. So I thought so we're doing push-ups and he starts I could see him outside of my eye he starts weakening and that's very inspiring, and so he taps out, I think at 29. Little did he know I can do 50. I know I can do 50. It's just I'm not strong. I just can do 50.

04:25
And so watch the Holy Spirit, this is real. At my expense. I'm going under the bus right now. Here we go. So what do I say to me? Let's, let's, blow these guys out of the water. So I say I'll stop at 50., like nothing happened. So I 30, 31.

04:46
And I hear the Holy Spirit say what are you doing? I'm doing 32, god 33. And the Lord says you're gloating, stop. So I get up. And I sat down and, lo and behold, when they published it, it was on there, but it reminds me where I was willing to do what I wanted to do, because I had the situation. But the Holy Spirit stepped in, unbeknownst to anybody in the universe, and taps me on the noodle and says Jack, you're gloating, stop it. Just beat him enough. And then quit. And so I was humbled.

05:39
I won the contest, but I was taken to the woodshed by the Holy Spirit. Are you with me, because that's pride. And the whole time I sat there I could just hear the Lord saying don't do that again. And I love you, Jack, but don't do it again. And so we put Him through stuff, but He puts us through stuff, but the stuff He puts us through is always for our good. Always for our good, and we're going to know a lot about that today. Which brings us to really the argument of this portion of Romans, chapter 8, and that is glorification, redemption, justification, sanctification. To what end? Glorification, friends. Listen, according to the Bible, God's intent and He will fulfill it is to get you, the believer, into heaven, glorified. But the glorification begins before you enter heaven. He's working in your life now and He's developing us and He's working in us. So, number one, mark it down.

06:41
The title of the message is what are you waiting for? What are you waiting for? And the answer is when time is running out. What are you waiting for? Time is running out, but you might be surprised on how I throw this out to you. As a believer, I know time is running out. That's a great thing for the Christian. The world doesn't want to hear this. In fact, in the world right now, they already turned off the message. If this is airing later on the radio, they'll turn it off. Why? The world doesn't want to hear about time running out. Why? It makes them nervous, they get scared, they don't want to come to an end, they want to keep, maybe milking it one more day.

07:22
You know, for the believer, when time is running out and it is running out, the glorious thing is this that for us as Christians, the meaning of it all is and mark it down is that we are to be looking now to practice expectation as a Christian. Every day, time's running out. So how are we to respond as believers? You do know that we are one day closer to going to heaven. This is very, very important. Mark this down if you would.

07:53
It's 2 Corinthians and it's in chapter 6, and the Bible tells us there that, beginning in verse 1, we then, as workers, together with Him, notice the beauty of this. We then, as workers, together with Him that's the Lord also plead with you not to receive the grace of God in vain. That simply means that when you hear Bible doctrine, you better reel it into your soul, better bury it in your heart somewhere, don't let it bounce off into the dirt. It's valuable, it's the most valuable thing. And so Paul is saying to the Corinthians that we are working together to get the word to the world.

08:40
Watch verse 2. For He says and this is what God says today, in an acceptable time. I have heard you. Did you know that God wants to hear from you? For some of you, He's been waiting to hear from you. Like AW Tozer says, He's been waiting to hear from you and you have made Him wait so, so, very long. Don't do that. He's waiting to hear from you. In an acceptable time. I have heard you. And in the day of salvation I have helped you. Behold, now is the acceptable time. Behold, now is the day of salvation. Do you sense urgency in that? You should. That verse is extremely urgent.

09:26
But when I think about the ministry of Jesus in the four gospels, wasn't His ministry urgent? He was always on the go, always on the go, and, by the way, even when He took a break, the Bible tells us He went away and He prayed to His Father and He prayed about the disciples, He prayed about the coming suffering at the cross and He recharged His batteries, communing with His Father. But there's an urgency I've noticed more and more in the Christian life over these last several years. There's a great sense of urgency in the lives of those that are following Christ. What does it take to get urgent about the things of God? It's actually very simple. You pick up the Bible again, start reading, return to your first love that's in the Bible and find out what Jesus Christ wants for your life. He's thrilled to be your Lord and Savior and He wants to use you in a powerful way.

10:18
But know this for the believer, time is running out, and that's a good thing. We need deadlines. Do you work good on deadlines

? I have to have. You know, we're all different, but we're all in some way, shape or form, we are all victims of procrastination. I am terrible. I've always been this way. It's not good. I'm not commending this, I'm trying to change it, it just hasn't worked. But I'm able to do something well. But I have to do it non-stop. And the only way that I can do it non-stop is if I do it when I only have three hours left, right. So if there's a deadline for a book, right, well, you have to have these many words by a certain time and in my mind I think oh, I haven't got three months and you know you think about it. I'll just do a little bit every day. Isn't that always the line? I'll just do a little bit every day. And then two weeks go by and you haven't started yet. And then two months go by and you haven't started yet. And then you start to sweat and freak, and that's why God made coffee, pots and pots of coffee. But time is running out. But for the believer that's a good thing, because we've got a date with eternity, guaranteed by Jesus, and it's called glory. And in Romans 8, from this chapter, verse 18 on, it's about the glory that awaits us and we want to bring as many men and women and boys and girls with us as possible. We want to share the good news and there's a good life to be lived with Christ.

12:07
I found out last night that my son-in-law was reading Kirk Cameron's new book, Brave Book Series, up in the Sacramento area at the public library and all of the woke groomers or whatever, they got all upset. They got all upset because he was reading a book to the kids that came to the library on character don't tell lies, speak the truth, and be nice to one another. And some of the people made a comment we can't live like this. Isn't that funny? I thought it was great. What do you mean? We can't live like this.

12:43
Listen, it's easy to criticize people who don't hold your biblical worldview, but listen, it's another thing to love them enough into the kingdom of God. They're blind, they don't see, they don't know, and so we urge you, so to speak, right, to consider the forgiveness of God and that God's got a glorious plan for you and you don't have to worry about the coming end. For us, as the believers, the coming end is the entrance into the beginning. It's absolutely awesome, it's thrilling. But we practice expectation.

13:16
Verse 18 says for I consider that the sufferings of this present time, in this present time, Paul is saying that there are sufferings. Now, I don't know if you know this or not. If you don't, please go about to prove me wrong. I know no other individual in history that has suffered protracted pain over decades like the Apostle Paul. I mean, there may be somebody, I just haven't come across them yet. I just haven't come across them yet for decades.

13:55
Because he knew Jesus Christ. He was beaten with the Roman flagellum, which is also known as the cat of nine tails. It's a wooden handle with a leather ball at the end with nine leather strips of bone, glass and rock. And Paul was whipped at least three times and each time, each time stands for 39 whippings. He was stoned and left for dead, shipwrecked numerous times. I mean over and over it goes Paul the apostle.

14:37
All he had to do is denounce the name of Jesus and everything would have gone calm, right. He couldn't do it. Christ had become so big to him and so real that even if he would have denied Christ, he would have had to confess that I'm lying. I mean, think about it. What if somebody stormed into your life today and said denounce Christ or I'm gonna cut your head off? I would first of all say listen, it's possible you pull my fingernails out. That's gonna hurt. It's possible that you're gonna pull my teeth out with a pair of pliers. That's not fun.

15:09
If at any time, my emotions cave in and say I denounce Christ, I must tell you now I'll be lying. Are you hearing me, people? If you extract that confession from me before you get started on torturing me, I won't mean it. So go at it, right, think about it. They just might save themselves some grief and just cut your head off and be done with it. Do you understand what I'm saying? You have taken away the power of the enemy to bring upon you condemnation, or you've taken away the opportunity that you could cave in such a moment and deny Christ. No, you tell him right up front if I do under duress, it's not going to be me denying Christ. That'd be my weak flesh screaming for mercy. But I won't mean it. Expectation, expectation of this sufferings. Who wants to hear this? Sufferings in this present time.

16:08
The Bible says there's sufferings. When he says, consider, write that word down, would you? Sufferings. When he says consider, write that word down, would you? It's a mathematical or it's a term of math. In the first world, you'll recognize the language. Even in the Greek the word means to reckon. Watch this. I reckon. I've done the math. I've looked at the word of God, I've looked at life. I have figured this out from God's word. I have reckoned to count. The word would be run the numbers. We would say run the numbers or let's see if it's all worth it. I have run the numbers and I found this to be true.

16:48
What I'm about to tell you, that's what the apostle is saying. He's saying everybody in Rome listen up what I'm about to tell you. I've taken it to the lab and I've tested it and it's truth. And here it is that there's sufferings that you and I go through in this present time. We will suffer, people, every single one of us will suffer. We need to remember this. God doesn't abandon us in the suffering.

17:14
Now look, if you're not a Christian, you're going to suffer exactly the same way we suffer. We all suffer. The difference is for the non-believer you've got nobody to hold your hand. You've got no promise. You're terrified and you should be. There's nobody with you and in that hour of death, when that time comes, you're all alone. And yet, just know this officially God didn't want it that way. For the Christian, we suffer, but He holds our hand.

17:50
I can't explain it, but the more suffering the Christian goes through, the bigger Jesus gets and the closer He gets. And I can't explain it. It is absolutely awesome. The more peace comes to you, the bumpier the road. I don't know how He does it. The more He flattens it out. Seemingly makes no sense. And in this world of suffering, I have expectation. I can expect God to be there and listen. He wants you and I to practice that expectation now.

18:23
Imagine if you and I take the word of God and apply it to ourselves now and when the bumps come, when the pain comes, we're able to meet it. Why? Because our suffering has a purpose. See, Jack, I have a hard time with your God, because that's really the reason why I don't believe in Him is because there is suffering. So can you explain that to me? Yeah, how can a loving God allow all this suffering? Well, first of all, we're not big fans of suffering either.

18:55
But let me ask you something. What would you do if you were God? See, when we start to approach things theoretically, we have a wealth of options. When it's theory, look, if you're going to the right university, the right college, I'd like to know. Please tell me when. But I can spread the news. But what's really tough is when you talk to somebody that just graduated with their PhD in something. How old are you? I'm 24. And you're going to what? I'm going to tell you how to live your life. Do you have kids? No. And you're going to what? I'm going to tell you how to live your life. Do you have kids? No, have you ever been married? No, do you have a dog? Do you hear what I'm saying? You can get anything on paper. God's not interested in that. He's interested in experience. Why? Because when we walk with Him through life, something happens called sanctification, and that leads to glorification. That's what God does.

20:10 - Speaker 1
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