ANNOUNCER: The following program is sponsored
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ANNOUNCER: Welcome to Real Life with Jack Hibbs.
JACK: We said, I'm going to follow Jesus Christ. Did you
even think for a moment what you were saying? We're going to
follow Him. Where is that? Where are we going? Wherever He leads.
You want to go to heaven, right? He's taking you there.
But He didn't ask us to pick the path.
ANNOUNCER: Who are the elect of God? In today's study, Jack
Hibbs explores the biblical understanding of who God's
select are. Get out your Bible's. Real life starts now.
ANNOUNCER: Ready for a treasure hunt. Every journey is better
with a knowledgeable guide in With the Word, Warren Wiersbe,
one of the greatest Bible commentators of our time,
becomes your guide through each and every chapter of the Bible.
This isn't just a commentary, it's a personal conversation
with scripture, book by book, chapter by chapter, discover the
richness of God's Word and uncover life-changing
applications on every page. Wiersbe's approachable style and
relevant insights make complex truths accessible, encouraging
you to develop a meaningful and consistent Bible reading
routine. Join the ultimate treasure hunt as you explore the
depths of the Bible with Warren Wiersbe's expert guidance. Each
chapter reveals hidden gems and timeless wisdom making your
daily reading a life-changing adventure personally recommended
by Pastor Jack Hibbs With the Word is our thank you gift to
you, when you support Real Life with any
amount, visit Jackhibbs.com or call
877-777-2346 to get your copy. Order now.
JACK: Who are the elect of God? This is a debated issue and it
shouldn't be debated because if you read your Bible, it should
actually bring you great comfort. The Bible does say that
there's the elect of God, but the Bible also says it's all
based upon the foreknowledge of God. God's in control, friend.
God is sovereign. Here's the great, great, wonderful test. I
want to make you an offer that you cannot refuse. Listen you
probably think that those are the words of Marlon Brando from
the Godfather film, but actually if you think about it, 2000
years ago, Paul wrote to the church at Ephesus and said, just
as He, God, chose us in Him, that's Christ before the
foundation of the world, imagine that we should be holy without
blame before Him in love. That's called the elect of God. That
means that God knows those children who are His. God knows
His kids, and God who is eternal knows those who will accept Him
and those who will reject Him. And for those who will reject
Him, they reject the offer of eternal life that's on them. But
for those of us who accept Him, all praise and glory goes to Him
for providing the way of salvation. So friend, you need
to get in on this because you're not going to find this offer
anywhere else. I know that sounds like a commercial,
doesn't it like act now, but wait, there's more. Well,
actually you should act now and there's an infinite amount of
more to start your walk with Jesus is something that you
should do right now. What's your excuse? Because friend, listen,
I want to let you in on something. This is the best deal
in town. This is the best deal in the world. This is the best
deal that you'll ever find is that God, when you put your
faith in Jesus Christ takes your sin, washes it away, and places
you in the body of Christ. Let's grab our Bibles and dive into a
message titled, Who Are The Elect of God.
JACK: When I do biblical guidance, you listen. You
listen. You have to learn how to listen, which is really hard for
me, but I've learned how to listen. Sit on my hands. Listen.
And when you listen, you start writing down verses that applies
to their situation and then at the end you pray with them, you
give them some spirit led advice and then you give them
scriptures to go home with. And 30 years ago just made a lot of
sense to me. If you're not feeling well, what do you do?
You get ahold of your doctor and you get 'em to write you a
prescription for something. And so this is what I do. This is
one of the pads that I have. I put your name on there, I put
the date in there and the Rx is the verses. I just start writing
verses down there, that's your prescription and refills. I'll
see you next time or whatever it might be. Do not substitute.
That's important. You never want to substitute a Bible verse. You
don't want to have some sort of new age, happy thought replace a
Bible verse and then in the little print down there it says,
to ensure effectiveness, use only the Word of God. All
scriptures guaranteed. It's your responsibility to take your
medicine. And then it says Isaiah 55:11, which says, my
Word will not return unto me void. It says the Lord. So you
write a prescription and I want you to know right now Ephesians
1:3 through 6 should be something that you ought to
write down and you ought to wrestle with it for a while
until you wind up giving up and just letting God love you.
Philippians chapter 2, verse 13 says, for it is God who works in
you both to will and to do of His good pleasure, who's at work
within you? God is. He's at work within you. And then listen to
this, so much so that John chapter 6, verse 43, John 6:43
says, Jesus therefore answered and said to them, no one can
come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him and I will
raise him up at the last day. What a statement. Jesus said,
nobody can think of thought toward me right now. Jesus
Christ, Jesus Christ, living savior, son of God, Jesus
Christ. You cannot think a favorable thought toward Him and
be moved toward Him without the Father drawing you to those
thoughts. The old Puritans used to say, it is the wooing of the
Holy Spirit, that the spirit of God is flirting with you as it
were to pull you to Christ. What a glorious thing that is. What a
great, great blessing. Galatians chapter 5, verse 5 says, for we
through the spirit, eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness by
faith. Christ is coming back and when He comes, this is what
we're eagerly waiting for. I guess I should say this, follow
along, watch for we through the Spirit. In other words, whatever
we're talking about, it's done by the Holy Spirit. You agreed
everybody, do you understand that? Eagerly wait. The words
eagerly wait is where we get imminent. So some people want to
argue about this, I don't believe Jesus could come back
today. Well, that's your problem. The Bible says we are
to be eagerly waiting. The moment you tell me that you
don't think He can come back at any time, then you are not
eagerly waiting. I'll just submit this to you. God's kids
eagerly wait and the Holy Spirit will see to it that He stirs you
up. If you're not excited about Jesus coming back, then I want
to ask you two things. Number one, who is Jesus or what are
you doing that you don't want Him to come back right now?
Well, why wait? Well, because the hope of righteousness by
faith, that's what's coming. God's final and ultimate act of
your full redemption will take place, will be transformed if He
comes while we're alive. So listen, who's the elect of God?
Well, I don't know. I thought about that myself. I wrote some
things down. Who are the elect of God? You can find them in a
corner office of some high rise building somewhere. Did you know
that? Who are the elect of God? You can find them in a classroom
somewhere. Who are the elect of God? You can find them on the
battlefield. Who are the elect of God? You can find them in
some darkened hunt, in some back alley somewhere. Who are the
elect of God? You can find them on the streets. Listen, friend,
listen. Who are the elect of God? You can find them in abject
poverty. Who are the elect of God? Well, someone like this
last weekend here with our love life ministry came across the
situation where a young girl is being trafficked and she was
rescued by the police, snatched from the hands of a career of
prostitution and then certain death. That's how you find God's
elec. Who are God's elect? Those that are filled with wealth and
fame. I think you get the point I'm making. It's everybody. It's
everybody. But see, you and I have the tendency in our
humanity that well, let's invite that person to church. Well,
let's talk to them about God. If you and I were walking down
right now, PCH and we're, well, let's make it graphic. What if
you and I were walking down Venice Beach in LA, we should do
this some Sunday as a field trip. Church will be held at
Venice Beach on the walk on the boardwalk and we would walk
along and I guarantee you, you would hear this voice in your
head, not that person. I- not that person. Oh gosh, yikes. Not
that person. Are you hearing me? But then there's somebody that
might look just like you and you say, I'll talk to that person.
Have you noticed that about us? Don't look at me so angelic. I
know exactly. We're the same. It's I'll share with those who
are comfortable for me to share with. Little do we know that the
guy in the corner office or the woman who's being pimped on the
streets are just equally valuable to God and we make our
assessment and we often fail to be used by God in that most dear
moment. To rescue a soul for the kingdom of God. It's absolutely
remarkable. So much is God committed to this. I want you to
listen to Luke chapter 14 verse 16. Luke 14:16. Then He, Jesus
said to him, a certain man, it's a parable church, we'll wrap
this up here in a moment. A certain man gave a great supper
and invited many and sent his servant at supper time to say to
those who were invited, come all things are now ready. Think of
that for a moment. Lisa. Poor thing. Lisa will do this and
then I will do the same thing. Lisa will work hard, prepare a
meal and I dunno what it is about me. It's genetic, I guess.
Somehow I know that she's going to be all done with her meal in
about five minutes and I decide to go mow the lawn. I got bad
timing in that. She's got to say, come on in here. Jesus
says, the meal was prepared, the table was laid out, everything
was prepared and everybody was invited and the announcement was
made come for all things already. Verse 18. But they all
with one accord, with one mind began to make excuses. The first
said to Him, I've bought a piece of ground and I must go see it.
I ask you to have me excused. Okay? Any person buying land is
really a dumb person. You know that. Well, I saw it on the
internet. You don't buy land unless you go see it. These
excuses that you were about to hear are so actually hilarious
if they weren't so sad. Verse 19, and another said, I have
bought five yoke of oxen. Can you imagine buying five trucks
and I'm going to test them. I ask that you have me excused.
Oxen, just think about the five pickup trucks, oxen, oxen, ox. I
bought five ox. I got to go test them. Can I be excused from your
dinner? Can you imagine? What condition are the five oxen in?
Do they got legs? Are they this big or are they they healthy? I
don't know. I just bought 'em. I'm going to go find that out.
Who does this? Nobody does this. Nobody does this. Still another
man says in verse 20, now this guy may have something here. I
have married a wife and therefore I cannot come. We will
have to think about that one a little longer. No, of course I
do need to say though, at verse 20, men don't wait around for
your wife to come to Christ. Men husbands come to Christ. "Well,
I'll come to Christ when my wife comes to Christ." What if your
wife is waiting for you to come to Christ? Verse 21, so that
servant came and reported these things to the master, then the
master of the house being angry. The word angry, here is the word
that can also be translated, that he's been provoked to
disappointment. He laid out everything prepared everything.
Friends listen, has Jesus prepared everything? Did He go
to the cross? Did He die 2000 years ago in the Roman empire,
in the city that was under Roman occupation called Jerusalem. And
is it recorded not only in the Bible but in Roman history as
well? Yes. Is there a rumor that He rose again from the dead
according to the scriptures? Yes. Does He and His message
continue to change the world? So much so that His message is
banned from many communist countries because it's so
changes people's lives. My, my. Listen to what He does. This is
a beautiful desperation, if I can put it that way. He said to
His servant, alright, go out quickly into the streets and
into the lanes of the city and bring in here the poor, the
maimed, the lame and the blind, and the servant said, master, it
is done as you commanded and still there's room. Then the
master said to the servant, go out into the highways and hedges
and compel them to come. Are you hearing this, that my house may
be filled for I say to you that none of those men who were
invited shall taste of my supper. How long has God been
inviting you? I have an excuse. I just married a wife. I just
bought five pickup trucks. I haven't test driven them yet,
but I bought 'em. I just bought some land online. I got to go
check it out. How about this? I'm not going to give my life to
Jesus because my baby died at the age of four. I'm not going
to give Him my life or I lost my job last month. I'm not going to
church anymore. You think that's a good practice? What are you
thinking? You mean the world hits you in the face and you
take it out on God? He's the very one who's delivered you
from this kind of stuff. Well, where was God in this situation?
Right in the middle of it.
Listen, for all of us things
have happened in our lives and the temptation rose up with us
and we said, God, why me? And there's no answer, but He walks
you through. You're not even sure if He's with you. You get
over here. You're maybe even in a clumsy way, clean onto a
scripture or two, but you get to the other side and He turns you
around and He says, you see this path you just went through? Yes,
I felt every moment of it. Where were you? I was holding you
through it. You know Jack, everybody in life suffers. The
best of them, the worst of them suffer the same. But all my kids
have me to go through the suffering with them. You're not
going to escape the pains of this world by following me as I
bring you through. Did you know Jack? You've been sharing with
your family members for decades, but they wouldn't listen to a
word you said, but they watched you in the suffering and their
hearts are going to be opened up now as I use you to my gospel.
Finally, did you know that as I walk you through the death of
that child, did you know Jack? Have you stopped for a moment to
realize that that baby's in heaven and you're going to go
there someday? You're going to see your child, but little did
you know that those at the company were watching you
because they weren't listening to a, they wouldn't believe a
word you said about the gospel and the good news and God is
love. So I used you in this horrible situation to
communicate to them without you preaching to them. They were
watching. Didn't you come to me in the beginning and say, here I
am Lord, I heard you and you're my child and you're going to go
to heaven. And when you said to me, Lord, do whatever you want
to do in my life, I yield to you. I took you seriously. He
said, He's speaking to some of you right now and all the things
I've brought you through, I've been with you the entire way all
along the way so that you can communicate to others and all of
this sorrow and all of this hurt and all of this pain or what
about your successes? You can tell your friends and you can
tell the world that you serve God. So church, family, listen,
when we said, and don't raise your hand, don't say anything
about this, but when we said, I'm going to follow Jesus
Christ, did you even think for a moment what you're saying, we're
going to follow him. Where is that? Where are we going?
Wherever He leads. You want to go to heaven, right? He's taking
you there. But He didn't ask us to pick the path. Y'all know the
path. See, I have been in Texas. Did you hear that? Y'all know
y'all know the path that we'd pick velvet rose petals? No.
See, the reality is there's people in the world around you
and I that are hurting really bad and they don't know God. And
so when we called Him Lord, He said, this is awesome. You are
going to be a servant of mine to reach the lost. And so here's
what we're going to do. So God does what He does in your life
and you throw your toys down as it were, and you're panicking
and you're all upset. When He said, you said you wanted me to
be Lord and I'm using you right now. I know it's not easy, but
I'm using you and there's going to be a tremendous outcome. I'll
end with this. Do the people around you in your life, how
much do you really love the people in your life? Do you love
them enough to say, Lord, however you want to use me, use
me, whatever that means because I've read in Romans chapter 8
that all things work together for good to those who are called
to those who love God. What a God.
JACK: So who are the elect of God, you might be surprised
because for me personally, when I woke up to the realization
that I was actually one of the elect of God, it was way after
I'd become a Christian, but prior to being a Christian, I
thought, how could there be a God with such a hurtful, mean
and ugly world? But then when you pick up the Bible and read
what God said about a world that is on fire with hate and with
war that that's man's doing. It's not God's doing, and you
notice how we kind of by default blame God, the suffering, the
pain and all the stuff of this world. We say we don't believe
in God, but then we blame God for the world that's on fire and
God turns it right around in the Bible and says, wait a minute, I
love you and I wrote here that the world would be on fire if
you would reject me. Maybe your life is on fire, friend. God
loves you and that's not how it's supposed to be for you. He
wants you to come to Him and instead of seeing this as your
burden to bear in life, that this is just the life that
you're living and it's just the way that it is. You don't have
to walk alone. Do you have cancer right now? Did your wife
or husband walk out on you or did your family just abandon
you? Are you completely thinking that you're without hope, not
so! Friend if you're able, and if you're willing to listen to
this message, you might very well find out that you are the
elect of God to reach those you love with the truth and to have
the truth reach you, who God loves is the answer. Can you say
that God uses you or me at all costs to reach others? Listen,
have you heard the gospel? It came at a cost. Jesus died on
the cross obviously, you've heard that, but it costs someone
to take the risk to step out of their own safety zone to tell
you about the love of God. That's how valuable you are. But
listen, for those of us who are believers, we need to tell
others as well. The only hope right now in this world is Jesus
Christ, to help you in your walk with God. That's why we're here,
and you can go to jackhibbs.com to find out so much more social
media platforms, Bible study, Real Life television, so much
more. Jackhibbs.com. God bless you. Until next time.
ANNOUNCER: You are watching Real Life with Jack Hibbs. Ready for
a treasure hunt. Every journey is better with a knowledgeable
guide in, With the Word, Warren Wiersbe, one of the greatest
Bible commentators of our time, becomes your guide through each
and every chapter of the Bible. This isn't just a commentary,
it's a personal conversation with scripture, book by book,
chapter by chapter, discover the richness of God's Word and
uncover life-changing applications on every page.
Wiersbe's approachable style and relevant insights make complex
truths accessible, encouraging you to develop a meaningful and
consistent Bible reading routine. Join the ultimate
treasure hunt as you explore the depths of the Bible with Warren
Wiersbe's expert guidance. Each chapter reveals hidden gems and
timeless wisdom making your daily reading a life-changing
adventure. Personally recommended by Pastor Jack
Hibbs, With the Word is our thank you gift to you when you
support Real Life with any amount, visit jackhibbs.com or
call 877-777-2346 to get your copy. Order now.
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ANNOUNCER: Welcome to Real Life Radio with Jack Hibbs.
JACK: God's Word never will return void. God's Word is
spirit. It's power and it has its effects. God did not give us
Bible prophecy to scare us, but to prepare us, you are the light
of the world Jesus said, you are the salt
of the earth. How does that happen?
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