Souls Harbor :: Live TV

Whosoever Pt. 2 by Pastor Rick Libby
Sermon transcript of Souls Harbor
Program 1629, Air date 03.07.2010

IF YOU KNOW ANYTHING ABOUT THIS MINISTRY, I HOPE THAT YOU KNOW THIS. THAT WE ARE ONES TO PROMOTE THE FORGIVENESS OF THE LORD, THE GRACE, THE MERCY OF GOD. AND THAT WHOEVER YOU ARE, REGARDLESS OF YOUR SITUATION, IF YOU'LL COME TO GOD, GOD WILL RECEIVE YOU AND TAKE YOU TO HIMSELF, THAT HE MIGHT HELP YOU WITH THE MANY THINGS OF YOUR LIFE. WHETHER YOU HAVE DESTROYED YOUR LIFE WITH SINFUL LIVING OR WHETHER YOU'RE JUST STRUGGLING WITH THE THINGS THAT LIFE HAS BROUGHT TO YOU. IT DOESN'T MATTER TODAY. I HOPE WHAT YOU'RE HEARING FROM OUT OF THIS MINISTRY IS, IS THAT GOD HAS A GREAT IMMEASURABLE DESIRE TO TOUCH YOU THAT HE MIGHT RESTORE YOU, THAT HE MIGHT HELP YOU. YOU SEE, THAT'S REALLY WHAT WE'RE HERE FOR, TO POINT PEOPLE TO JESUS. AND IF WE CAN DO THAT, I BELIEVE WE'RE ABLE TO HELP SOME PEOPLE. NOT THAT WE CAN HELP THEM OURSELVES. BUT THAT THROUGH THE MESSAGE OF GOD'S WORD, WE CAN HELP SOME PEOPLE TO FIND THAT SOURCE OF HELP THAT MAKES THE GREAT DIFFERENCE IN THEIR LIFE. TODAY, OUR PRAYER IS, IS THAT THERE WILL BE SOME PEOPLE THAT WILL YIELD THEIR LIVES TO THE LORD TODAY, THAT MAYBE HAVE NEVER DONE THAT. THAT YOU MIGHT COME TO KNOW HIM FOR THE FIRST TIME IN YOUR LIFE AS SAVIOR. AND WITH THAT IN MIND AND WITH THAT AS OUR MOTIVATION, I WANT YOU TO TURN WITH ME TO THE BOOK OF ACTS TODAY. AND I WANT TO GO BACK TO THE VERSE OF SCRIPTURE THAT WE SHARED WITH YOU LAST WEEK. IN ACTS CHAPTER 2, VERSE 21, IT SAYS THIS, "IT SHALL COME TO PASS THAT WHOSOEVER SHALL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD SHALL BE SAVED." OH, I WANT TO READ IT ONE MORE TIME. BECAUSE I WANT YOU TO HEAR WHAT GOD IS SPEAKING TO SOMEBODY TODAY. "IT SHALL COME TO PASS THAT WHOSOEVER SHALL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD," THEY "SHALL," LISTEN TO THE DETERMINATION HERE, THEY SHALL, THAT MEANS, THEY WILL "BE SAVED." BUT YOU'VE GOT TO HEAR WHAT THE LORD IS SAYING HERE. HE'S SAYING THAT, WHOSOEVER, WHICH MEANS, ANYONE. IT DOESN'T MATTER WHO YOU ARE TODAY. AND I HOPE WE MADE THAT CLEAR LAST LORD'S DAY. WHOEVER CALLS ON THE NAME OF THE LORD, REGARDLESS OF WHO YOU ARE, WHAT YOU ARE AND ALL OF THAT CRITERIA. IF YOU'LL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD, NOW THAT'S THE SECOND THING WE NEED TO BE AWARE OF. IT IS UP TO YOU AND I TO CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD. THAT'S WHERE IT BEGINS, THAT'S WHERE HELP COMES. IF WE DON'T CALL ON GOD, THERE IS NO HELP FOR US. NOW, THAT'S DISAPPOINTING, THAT'S DISCOURAGING. EVERY ONE OF US TODAY, NEEDS HELP. THERE'S NOT A PERSON UNDER THE SOUND OF MY VOICE RIGHT NOW, THAT DOESN'T NEED SOMETHING THAT ONLY GOD CAN TAKE CARE OF. TODAY, YOU'VE BEEN ANXIOUSLY AWAITING, TO FIND OUT WHAT YOU CAN DO, IF YOU CAN DO ANYTHING. AND IT SEEMS LIKE THAT THE SOLUTION TO WHAT YOU'RE DEALING WITH IS JUST BEYOND REACH. AND AS YOU GET CLOSER TO IT, IT JUST SEEM TO GET A LITTLE FURTHER AWAY. YOU NEVER SEEM TO BE ABLE TO COME TO THAT PLACE WHERE YOU CAN RESOLVE THE ISSUE. BUT LET ME ASK YOU THIS TODAY, HAVE YOU CALLED UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD? YOUR SALVATION IS NOT FOUND IN MAN'S SOLUTION. YOUR SALVATION IS NOT FOUND IN WHAT YOUR MIND CAN COMPREHEND AND CAN CREATE AS AN ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION, TO YOUR PROBLEM. NO, YOUR SOLUTION TODAY, YOUR SALVATION COMES AS YOU CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD. THERE'S ANOTHER VERSE OF SCRIPTURE THAT I WANT TO READ TO YOU, TO HELP SUPPORT WHAT I'M SAYING. IT'S FOUND IN THE BOOK OF ROMANS, CHAPTER 10, VERSE 13. IT SAYS ESSENTIALLY THE SAME THING THAT ACTS IS TELLING US, BUT IT'S JUST ANOTHER LOCATION. AND I READ IT TO YOU BECAUSE I WANT YOU TO HEAR THAT NOT JUST ONE TIME, BUT MANY TIMES GOD HELPS US TO UNDERSTAND THAT WHOEVER WE ARE, WE CAN CALL UPON HIM AND HE'LL HEAR OUR CRY. ROMANS 10.13 SAYS, "FOR WHOSOEVER SHALL CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD SHALL BE SAVED." YOU SEE, IT'S RIGHT THERE ONCE AGAIN. IF HE SAID IT ONCE, WELL, OKAY. BUT HE SAID IT TWICE AND HE GOES ON TO SAY IT MANY MORE TIMES. IF WE COULD UNDERSTAND TODAY, HOW GREAT GOD'S DESIRE IS TO HELP US, I THINK THAT WE WOULD BE QUICK TO TURN TO HIM, AS THE WHOSOEVER, CALL UPON HIS NAME AND FIND THE SALVATION THAT WE HAVE NEED OF. GOT YOUR BIBLE THERE STILL? TURN WITH ME TO THE BOOK OF REVELATION, THERE'S A VERSE OF SCRIPTURE THAT I WANT US TO READ HERE THAT HELPS US JUST A LITTLE BIT MORE. IN REVELATION CHAPTER 20, VERSE 15, IT SAYS THIS, "AND WHOSOEVER WAS NOT FOUND WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF LIFE, WAS CAST INTO THE LAKE OF FIRE." HERE'S THAT WORD, "WHOSOEVER," AGAIN. NOW I THINK THIS IS WHERE WE LEFT OFF THE LAST TIME WE TALKED ABOUT THIS SUBJECT. BUT I WANT TO EMPHASIZE THIS ONE MORE TIME TO MAKE CERTAIN THAT WE ALL UNDERSTAND. WHOSOEVER, AGAIN, MEANS ANYONE AND EVERYONE. NO MATTER WHO YOU ARE, NO MATTER WHAT YOU'VE DONE. I HOPE WE'RE MAKING THIS PERFECTLY CLEAR. GOD JUST SAID, "WHOSOEVER." THAT'S AN ALL INCLUSIVE WORD. IT DOESN'T SEND ANYBODY AWAY, IT DOESN'T EXCLUDE ANYONE. ANYONE AND EVERYONE CAN CALL UPON THE NAME OF THE LORD. ANYONE AND EVERYONE WHOSE NAME IS NOT FOUND WRITTEN IN THE BOOK OF LIFE WILL BE DESTROYED ON JUDGMENT DAY. NOW, I'VE BEEN TRYING TO ENCOURAGE YOU AND I KNOW THAT'S A LITTLE BIT DISCOURAGING TO HEAR. BUT YOU HAVE TO UNDERSTAND THAT GOD IS A JUST GOD. HE IS A GOD WHO JUDGES AS MUCH AS HE IS A GOD WHO FORGIVES. HE IS A GOD WHO WILL SOMEDAY HAVE TO MAKE A CRITICAL DECISION CONCERNING YOUR ETERNAL DESTINATION. BUT THE THING IS, IS THAT IT'S NOT GOD WHO REALLY MAKES THE CHOICE, IT'S YOU AND I. AND THIS IS WHAT I WANT TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT TODAY. I WANT TO HELP YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT NO MATTER HOW MUCH GOD WANTS TO HELP YOU, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO RECEIVE GOD'S HELP UNTIL YOU CHOOSE GOD. IT'S YOUR CHOICE TODAY. THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS IN LIFE WE HAVE NO CHOICE ABOUT. YOU COULDN'T CHOOSE THE WHEN AND WHERE YOU WOULD BE BORN. I'VE HEARD SOME PEOPLE SAY THEY WISHED THEY'D BEEN BORN IN A DIFFERENT PART OF THE WORLD. WELL, IT'S POSSIBLE TODAY THAT THAT COULD HAVE HAPPENED. AND YOUR CIRCUMSTANCES CERTAINLY WOULD BE DIFFERENT. BUT YOU DIDN'T HAVE A CHOICE WHERE YOU WERE BORN. I WAS BORN IN BANGOR, MAINE. THERE MAY BE SOME PLACES I COULD LOOK AT AND SAY, "WELL, I COULD HAVE BEEN BORN THERE." IF I HAD BEEN, MY CIRCUMSTANCES WOULD BE MUCH DIFFERENT TODAY. YOU PROBABLY NEVER WOULD HAVE HEARD OF RICK LIBBY. BUT GOD ALLOWED ME TO BE BORN WHERE I WAS BORN. HE ALLOWED ME TO BE BORN TO THE PARENTS THAT I WAS BORN TO. YOU CAN'T CHOOSE YOUR PARENTS TODAY. NOT AT BIRTH. DOWN THE ROAD SOME THINGS MAY OCCUR AND YOU MAY MAKE SOME CHOICES. THAT YOU WILL HAVE PEOPLE THAT WILL BE MORE LIKE YOUR PARENTS THEN YOUR BIOLOGICAL PARENTS. BUT YOU CAN'T CHOOSE YOUR FAMILY TODAY. YOU CAN'T CHOOSE YOUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS. ALL YOU CAN DO IS CHOOSE WHETHER TO ENJOY THAT FAMILY RELATIONSHIP, OR NOT TO ENJOY THAT FAMILY RELATIONSHIP. YOU SEE, YOU HAVE SOME CHOICES BUT THERE ARE SOME THINGS YOU DON'T HAVE ANY CHOICES ABOUT. THERE MAY BE SOME THINGS THAT HAVE COME TO YOUR LIFE THAT IF YOU COULD HAVE CHOSEN, YOU WOULD NOT HAVE HAD TO GO THROUGH SOME THINGS THAT YOU'VE GONE THROUGH. BUT THE SITUATION DICTATED THAT YOU DIDN'T GET A CHOICE, IT HAPPENED. SOME PEOPLE MAY HAVE FORCED THEIR OWN WILL UPON YOU. THERE MAY HAVE BEEN SOME CIRCUMSTANCES THAT YOU FOUND YOURSELF IN, THAT YOU DID EVERYTHING YOU COULD DO TO MAKE CHOICES TO AVOID THOSE THINGS. BUT YET, THEY STILL CAME. BUT HERE'S THE GOOD NEWS, THERE IS ONE THING YOU DO HAVE A CHOICE ABOUT. AND THE THING THAT WE NEED TO REALIZE IS, IS THAT IT'S NOT UNTIL WE MAKE THIS CHOICE THAT WE EITHER RECEIVE THE KIND OF HELP THAT WE NEED, OR WE DENY OURSELVES THE KIND OF HELP THAT WE NEED. YOU SEE, WHEN YOU CONSIDER THE WORDS, "WHOSOEVER," AND YOU CONSIDER THE WORD "CHOOSE" AND YOU CONSIDER THE WORD "WILL" AND THESE KINDS OF WORDS THAT HELP US, YOU'LL REALIZE THAT THERE ARE OVER 4,000 TIMES THAT THESE WORDS ARE USED IN THE BIBLE. AND EVERYONE OF THEM HELPS US TO UNDERSTAND, THAT GOD DOES NOT FORCE HIMSELF UPON ANYONE. YOU AND I HAVE BEEN GIVEN THIS AMAZING POWER AND THIS AMAZING GIFT. IT'S A CHOICE. GOD ALLOWS US TO CHOOSE WHOM WE WILL SERVE. GOD ALLOWS US TO CHOOSE WHO WE WILL YIELD OUR LIVES TO. AND TODAY, IF THERE WAS ANYTHING I COULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO CHOOSE, I WOULD ENCOURAGE YOU TO CHOOSE GOD. BECAUSE IT'S A CHOICE THAT YOU'LL NEVER BE SORRY FOR. THERE'S ANOTHER VERSE OF SCRIPTURE THAT I QUICKLY WANT TO ASK YOU TO TURN TO. IT'S FOUND IN REVELATION CHAPTER 22, VERSE 17. HEAR WHAT THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS SAYING. IT SAYS, "AND THE SPIRIT AND THE BRIDE SAY, COME. AND LET HIM THAT HEARETH SAY, COME. AND LET HIM THAT IS ATHIRST, COME. AND WHOSOEVER WILL, LET HIM TAKE THE WATER OF LIFE FREELY." OH, I WANT YOU TO HEAR WHAT HE'S SAYING HERE. THOSE WHO HEAR, THOSE WHO ARE THIRSTY AND THOSE WHO WILL COME, MAY DRINK OF THE WATER OF LIFE. YOU SEE, IT'S YOU TODAY THAT MAKES THE CHOICE. AND IF YOU DON'T MAKE THAT CHOICE, YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND THIS, IF YOU CHOOSE NOT TO GIVE YOUR LIFE TO THE LORD, THERE ARE GOING TO BE SOME CONSEQUENCES ALONG THE ROAD OF LIFE. THAT PROBABLY WILL BRING SOME REGRET AND SOME SORROW TO YOUR LIFE. BUT IF YOU CAN TURN YOUR LIFE OVER TO THE LORD TODAY AND YOU CHOOSE HIM. I THINK, BASED ON THE EXPERIENCE OF MY OWN LIFE AND THE EXPERIENCE OF OTHERS, THERE'S A GREAT CLOUD OF WITNESSES THAT CONVINCES ME, THAT IF WE CHOOSE GOD WE WILL NEVER BE SORRY FOR THE CHOICE THAT WE HAVE MADE. YES, WE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT GOD MAY ASK SOME PRETTY GREAT THINGS OF US. THERE MAY BE SOME THINGS THAT GOD DESIRES FOR OUR LIFE THAT WE HESITATE TO DO OR TO ALLOW TO COME. THERE MAY BE SOME CHANGES THAT GOD WILL BRING THAT WE WONDER ABOUT. AND THINK TO OURSELVES, THIS IS NOT GOING TO ADD TO MY LIFE, THIS IS GOING TO TAKE AWAY FROM MY LIFE. IF GOD DESIRES TO TAKE SOMETHING AWAY FROM YOUR LIFE, BE QUICK TO LET HIM DO IT. BECAUSE WHATEVER HE'S TAKING FROM YOUR LIFE IS GOING TO MEAN YOU'VE GOT MORE LIFE TO LIVE. YOU SEE, GOD DIDN'T COME TO BRING SADNESS AND SORROW TO YOUR LIVES. HE CAME TO BRING US JOY AND NOT JUST JOY, BUT JOY THAT IS ABUNDANT JOY. HE CAME THAT OUR JOY MIGHT BE FULL. BUT THAT CAN'T HAPPEN UNTIL WE MAKE THE CHOICE OF PUTTING OUR LIVES IN THE HANDS OF GOD. TODAY, THAT CHOICE CAN ONLY BE MADE BY YOU. IF I COULD CHOOSE TODAY AND MY CHOICE HAD THAT KIND OF POWER AND THAT KIND OF ABILITY, I WOULD CHOOSE FOR YOU. I WOULDN'T RISK THE FACT THAT YOU COULD MAKE THE CHOICE ON YOUR OWN AND YOU MIGHT NOT MAKE A GOOD CHOICE. I WOULD GO AHEAD AND SAY, "ALL WILL BE SAVED." BUT I CAN'T MAKE THAT CHOICE. YOUR FAMILY CAN'T MAKE THAT CHOICE FOR YOU. THOUGH THEY MAY CARRY A HEAVY, HEAVY BURDEN FOR YOUR SOUL AND FOR YOUR LIFE. THEY CAN'T MAKE THAT CHOICE. NO MATTER HOW MUCH THEY LOVE YOU, THEY CAN'T MAKE IT HAPPEN FOR YOU. YOU'RE THE ONLY ONE TODAY THAT CAN MAKE THE CHOICE. GOD HAS PUT THIS GREAT POWER IN YOUR HANDS. IF YOU WANT HIM, YOU CAN HAVE HIM. IF YOU DON'T WANT HIM, YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE HIM, HE WON'T FORCE HIMSELF UPON YOU. BUT I'VE COME TODAY TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO OPEN UP YOUR HEART AND YOUR LIFE AND ASK HIM TO COME IN, MAKE THAT CHOICE TO LET GOD BE A PART OF YOUR LIFE. AND YOU WILL NEVER, EVER BE SORRY. IN FACT, I BELIEVE WE CANNOT RECEIVE THE FULL BENEFIT OF ALL GOD'S ABILITY UNTIL WE MAKE THIS CHOICE FIRST. THE GOOD NEWS IS, IS THAT IF YOU'LL CHOOSE HIM, HE WILL MAKE CERTAIN YOUR NAME IS WRITTEN IN THE LAMB'S BOOK OF LIFE. SO THAT ON JUDGMENT DAY, INSTEAD OF RECEIVING JUDGMENT AND BEING CAST OUT OF HEAVEN, YOU CAN HEAR HIM SAY, "WELL DONE THOU GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT, ENTER ON IN." YOU SEE, WE'RE LIVING FOR MORE THAN JUST THE MOMENT TODAY. WE'RE LIVING YES, FOR THE REMAINDER OF OUR LIVES, BUT WE'RE ALSO LIVING FOR THE LIFE THAT IS TO COME, THAT LIFE THAT WE SPEAK OF AS ETERNITY. HOW ABOUT IT TODAY, WILL YOU MAKE THE CHOICE? AS I CLOSE IN A WORD OF PRAYER, WHILE I'M ASKING GOD TO HELP YOU, WOULD YOU REACH OUT TO GOD AND ASK HIM FOR YOURSELF, TO COME AND HELP YOU. LET'S PRAY TOGETHER. HEAVENLY FATHER, WE ASK YOU TODAY, THAT FOR EVERY PERSON THAT NEEDS YOU AS SAVIOR, SOMEHOW, SPEAK TO THEIR HEART TODAY TO LET THEM KNOW THEY'RE IN NEED OF YOU. THAT THEY MIGHT MAKE THAT CHOICE TO YIELD THEIR LIVES TO YOU. HELP US WITH SOME DIFFICULT DECISIONS WE PRAY. AND LORD MAKE US READY FOR HEAVEN I ASK, IN JESUS' NAME, AMEN.