Late, But Right On Time
by Pastor Rick Libby
Sermon transcript of Souls Harbor
Program 1639, Air Date 05.16.2010 

IT'S TIME TO LOOK TO THE WORD OF GOD TODAY. AND IF YOU HAVE BEEN NOTICING ALL THE DIFFERENT SONGS THAT HAVE BEEN SUNG, THEY HAVE BEEN SUNG THAT   HAVE BEEN USED TO TRY TO ENCOURAGE OUR FAITH. I KNOW TODAY THAT I'M SPEAKING TO AN AUDIENCE THAT HAS MANY, MANY, MANY NEEDS. AS INDIVIDUALS YOU HAVE   MANY, MANY, MANY NEEDS. BUT TODAY, IF I COULD SOMEHOW IMPART THIS TRUTH TO YOU, I WOULD TRY TO HELP YOU TO UNDERSTAND THAT GOD IS ABLE TO HELP YOU, REGARDLESS OF WHAT IT IS THAT YOU'RE FACING. YOU SEE, HE IS A GOD    OF IMPOSSIBILITIES. AND I KNOW WE'VE ALREADY TALKED ABOUT THAT. BUT, JUST BECAUSE YOUR SITUATION LOOKS IMPOSSIBLE TO YOU, DON'T THINK TODAY THAT IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO GOD. FOR GOD SURELY CAN HELP YOU WITH YOU'RE GOING THROUGH. HERE'S WHAT WE HAVE TO DO. WE HAVE TO LET HIM. MAYBE THE FIRST STEP IS, IS TO BELIEVE THAT HE CAN. AND THEN AS WE BELIEVE THAT HE CAN, WE WILL COME TO A PLACE WHERE WE WILL LET HIM. I WANT YOU TO TURN WITH ME   TO THE BOOK OF JOHN TODAY. I DON'T HAVE MUCH TIME, BUT I'M GOING TO TAKE THE TIME TO READ AT LEAST 4 VERSES OF SCRIPTURE. BECAUSE I WANT YOU TO, AT LEAST, GET THE BEGINNING OF THIS STORY SO THAT IT MIGHT HELP TO ENCOURAGE YOU TODAY. IN JOHN CHAPTER 11, I WANT US TO TURN TO THE STORY OF LAZARUS. IN THE FIRST 4 VERSES OF JOHN 11, WE READ SOME THINGS, THAT I THINK AS WE READ THEM AGAIN TODAY, WILL OPEN A LITTLE BIT OF OUR UNDERSTANDING. MAYBE WE'LL SOMETHING OF OURSELVES IN THESE THINGS THAT ARE UNFOLDING AT THE BEGINNING OF THIS CHAPTER. IN JOHN 11, BEGINNING WITH VERSE 1, IT SAYS, "NOW A CERTAIN MAN WAS SICK  NAME LAZARUS OF BETHANY, THE TOWN OF MARY AND HER SISTER MARTHA. IT WAS THAT MARY WHICH ANOINTED THE LORD WITH OINTMENT AND WIPED HIS FEET WITH HER HAIR WHOSE BROTHER LAZARUS WAS SICK. THEREFORE, HIS SISTER  SAID UNTO HIM SAYING, "LORD, BEHOLD HE WHOM THOU LOVEST IS SICK." WHEN JESUS HEARD THAT HE SAID, "THIS SICKNESS IS NOT UNTO DEATH. BUT FOR THE GLORY OF GOD,  THAT THE SON OF GOD MIGHT BE GLORIFIED THEREBY." NOW YOU MIGHT NOT THINK IT TODAY, BUT THERE'S A LOT OF PREACHING IN THESE VERSES OF SCRIPTURE. THE FIRST THING THAT I WANT TO DEAL WITH IS THE VERY FIRST         THING THAT IS BEING STATED HERE. "NOW A CERTAIN MAN WAS SICK." TODAY, I WANT YOU TO PLEASE BEGIN TO THINK ABOUT SICKNESS AS BEING MORE THAN JUST A PHYSICAL SITUATION IN THE BODY. I KNOW TODAY THAT I'M TALKING TO A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT HAVE PHYSICAL SICKNESS. YOU'RE AFFLICTED. DISEASE HAS COME. MAYBE YOUR BODY IS JUST WEARING OUT AND YOU'RE LOOKING AT A VERY DIFFICULT TIME, TO DO EVEN THE SIMPLEST OF THINGS. SICKNESS CAN COME IN A VARIETY OF WAYS AND IT SEEMS LIKE THAT EVEN IN OUR DAY OF ADVANCED MEDICAL TREATMENTS WE'RE ALWAYS COMING TO THE PLACE WHERE WE ARE DISCOVERING NEW ILLNESSES. OR ILLNESSES THAT WON'T RESPOND TO TRADITIONAL TREATMENT. WHAT WORKED YESTERDAY, DOESN'T SEEM TO WORK TODAY. AND IN THE MIX OF ALL THAT, WE SEEM TO STRUGGLE WITH FAITH. BELIEVING THAT OUR PHYSICAL SITUATION IS GOING TO OVERPOWER US  AND WE'RE GOING TO LOSE THAT BATTLE. WE'RE JUST GOING TO GIVE UP AND DIE. NOW TODAY, DEATH IS INEVITABLE. THERE WILL BE SOME THAT ARE LISTENING TO THIS MINISTRY TODAY, THAT MAY NOT BE WITH US, COME NEXT SUNDAY. I'M SORRY TO SAY THAT, I DON'T WANT TO DISCOURAGE ANYBODY. IF THERE'S ANYTHING THAT I TRY NOT TO DO IN THIS MINISTRY,  IT IS TO DISCOURAGE PEOPLE. BUT IF YOUR LIFE HAS BEEN TAKEN CARE OF BY GOD AND YOU'RE READY TO MEET THE LORD, THEN DEATH ISN'T SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE FEARED. FOR IT MAY BE THAT YOU      WILL LEAVE THIS LIFE, BUT THE LIFE YOU'RE HEADED TO IS FAR BETTER AND THERE SICKNESS WILL NEVER TOUCH YOU AGAIN. BUT WE HAVE TO ALSO UNDERSTAND TODAY THAT THERE'S MORE THAN  JUST PHYSICAL SICKNESS. THERE IS A SICKNESS THAT CAN COME AND AFFECT THE EMOTIONAL MAN. TODAY, YOU MAY BE PHYSICALLY HEALTHY. YOU MAY BE PHYSICALLY STRONG. THERE MAY NOT BE ONE THING THAT YOU'RE STRUGGLING WITH AS FAR AS THE PHYSICAL BODY IS CONCERNED. BUT SICKNESS HAS COME AND ATTACKED YOU. ITS DISEASED YOUR THINKING. ITS DISEASED AND AFFLICTED THE EMOTIONAL MAN. AND THAT SICKNESS IS MUCH MORE DIFFICULT TO TREAT. YET, I WANT TO STOP HERE LONG ENOUGH TO TELL YOU ONCE AGAIN, THAT GOD KNOWS THE CURE FOR THAT SICKNESS. IT MAY NOT BE THAT YOU CAN FIND A COUNSELOR WHO SPECIALIZES IN THE AREA YOU'RE AFFLICTED WITH. IT MAY BE THAT YOU CAN'T PUT INTO WORDS WHAT YOU'RE THINKING AND WHAT YOU'RE FEELING. IT MAY BE SOMETHING THAT YOU'VE TRIED TO BURY WITH      A LOT OF OTHER STUFF. THINKING THAT IF YOU COULD COVER IT OVER SUFFICIENTLY THAT IT WOULDN'T RISE UP TO ATTACK YOU AND AFFLICT YOU    AND CRIPPLE YOU.  BUT YET IT REMAINS AND YOU FIND YOURSELF ON A CONTINUAL AND CONSISTENT BASIS, HAVING TO DEAL WITH THAT SICKNESS THAT THERE JUST     DOESN'T SEEM TO BE ANY CURE FOR. AND IT ALMOST SEEMS LIKE YOU'RE DYING AN EMOTIONAL DEATH, EVEN THOUGH THE BODY IS STRONG AND HEALTHY. THEN THERE IS THAT SICKNESS     THAT IS THE WORST OF ALL. IT IS THE SICKNESS THAT COMES AND ATTACKS OUR SPIRIT. OH, THAT WE WOULD FIND THE CURE BEFORE IT WOULD EVER HAPPEN TO US. THAT CURE BEING JESUS, HIS LOVE, HIS GRACE, HIS MERCY, HIS UNDERSTANDING, ALL OF THE MANY THINGS THAT THE LORD IS, MAY WE FIND THAT BEFORE THERE IS A SICKNESS THAT ATTACKS OUR SPIRITUAL MAN. I HAPPEN TO BELIEVE THAT AS LONG AS THE SPIRITUAL MAN IS HEALTHY, IT WILL HELP US WITH THE EMOTIONAL AND PHYSICAL MAN. I KNOW WE REVERSE THAT. WE THINK IF WE'RE PHYSICALLY FIT, THEN WE'LL BE SPIRITUALLY FIT, WE'LL BE EMOTIONALLY FIT. IF OUR MIND IS STRONG THEN  WE CAN DO WHAT WE HAVE TO WITH THE SPIRITUAL MAN AND THE PHYSICAL MAN. BUT I HAPPEN TO BELIEVE IT'S THIS WAY, THAT IF THE SPIRITUAL MAN IS STRONG, REGARDLESS OF WHAT THE EMOTIONAL MAN AND THE PHYSICAL MAN ARE GOING THROUGH, THAT LIFE IS GOING TO BE HEALTHY. WHY? BECAUSE GOD WORKS THROUGH THE SPIRITUAL MAN. IT IS THE DOOR THAT HE   COMES THROUGH TO HELP US  WITH EVERYTHING ELSE THAT WE'RE ENDURING AND GOING THROUGH. AND TODAY, I WANT TO ENCOURAGE YOU TO LET GOD COME THROUGH THAT SPIRITUAL MAN. ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE BATTLING WITH SICKNESSES. LAZARUS WAS SICK. NOW WE KNOW FROM THE STORY, IT WAS A PHYSICAL SICKNESS. BECAUSE AS THAT SICKNESS PROGRESSED IN THOSE NEXT  FEW HOURS, LAZARUS DIED. BUT BEFORE DEATH CAME, JESUS WAS SENT FOR. NOW HERE'S SOMETHING I WANT YOU TO PLEASE HEAR TODAY. AS YOU READ THIS STORY WITH ME, GET DOWN THERE TO VERSE, WELL, LET'S SEE, LET'S GO DOWN TO VERSE 4, SAVE A  LITTLE TIME HERE. IT SAYS, "WHEN JESUS HEARD THAT, HE SAID, "THIS SICKNESS IS NOT UNTO DEATH." NOW THAT STATEMENT RIGHT THERE IS IMPORTANT. BECAUSE THE BOTTOM LINE OF ANYTHING THAT WE'RE GOING THROUGH, IS NOT WHAT THE SPECIALIST SAID, IT'S NOT WHAT THE    DOCTOR HAS SAID, IT'S NOT WHAT THE COUNSELOR HAS SAID, IT'S NOT WHAT THE EXPERT HAS SAID, IT'S WHAT JESUS SAYS THAT IS THE TRUTH. YOU SEE, THE DOCTOR MAY SAY THERE IS NO HOPE. BUT HE'S ONLY A PHYSICIAN, HE'S NOT THE GREAT PHYSICIAN. THE COUNSELOR MAY SAY, "THERE'S NOTHING WE CAN DO, WE'VE TRIED EVERY TECHNIQUE, WE'VE TRIED EVERY SITUATION THAT WE CAN THINK OF AND THERE JUST DOESN'T SEEM TO BE ANY ADVANCEMENT. THERE DOESN'T SEEM TO HAVE BEEN ANY KIND OF HELP THAT'S MAKING THE DIFFERENCE." BUT THEY DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS WHEN THE HOLY SPIRIT COMES TO COUNSEL US. THEY DON'T KNOW THAT THE LORD CAN TALK TO US AND CAN DO THINGS THROUGH TALKING TO US, THAT NO COUNSELOR, NO SPECIALIST, NO EXPERT COULD EVER SAY. HE KNOWS THE RIGHT WORDS. JUST AS HE SPOKE TO THE  WIND, PEACE BE STILL. HE CAN SPEAK TO THE TURMOIL OF OUR MIND AND SAY "PEACE BE STILL" AND THAT CALMING AFFECT WILL COME AND WILL SETTLE US DOWN. AND WILL HELP TO STRAIGHTEN THE PATH BEFORE US. OH, I KNOW IN THIS DAY WE STRUGGLE WITH MANY THINGS. BUT IF WE COULD LEARN IT'S WHAT THE LORD SAYS THAT MAKES THE DIFFERENCE, WE WOULD ALWAYS WAIT UNTIL HE MAKES THE FINAL DECREE. YOU SEE, JESUS SAID TO THESE FOLK, LAZARUS, "THIS SICKNESS IS NOT UNTO DEATH." "LAZARUS, IS GOING TO LIVE." NOW IT SEEMS LIKE THAT IF THEY WOULD HAVE LISTENED TO THAT, THAT WOULD HAVE SETTLED ALL OF THEIR ANXIETY, THAT WOULD HAVE SETTLED ALL OF THEIR FEARS. THEY WOULD HAVE SAID TO THEMSELVES, "WE DON'T KNOW           WHAT HE'S GOING TO DO, WE DON'T KNOW HOW HE'S GOING TO HELP LAZARUS, WE DON'T KNOW HOW HE'S GOING TO REVERSE THIS THING THAT HE'S GOING THROUGH." BUT JESUS SAID, "THIS SICKNESS IS NOT UNTO DEATH," SO WE'RE GOING TO REJOICE IN THAT THOUGH LAZARUS IS SICK, HE'S NOT GOING TO DIE." IT WOULD HAVE BEEN FOREVER SETTLED IF THEY HAD JUST HEARD WHAT JESUS SAID. BUT THE PROBLEM IS, THE SAME PROBLEM THAT MANY OF US ARE FACING TODAY, THE PROBLEM WAS, THEY DIDN'T HEAR WHAT HE SAID. THEY ONLY SAW THE SITUATION, THEY SAW THE SYMPTOMS OF THE SITUATION AND AS A RESULT, THEY DIDN'T HEAR THE WORD OF THE LORD. LISTEN FRIEND, IT ALWAYS COMES DOWN TO THE WORD OF THE LORD. THE LORD ALWAYS HAS THE FINAL WORD. THE ENEMY THAT'S COMING AGAINST YOU CAN ONLY GO SO FAR AND THEN HE HAS TO WAIT FOR THE WORD OF THE LORD. IF YOU'LL READ THE STORY OF JOB TODAY, YOU'LL COME TO UNDERSTAND, THAT GOD PUTS LIMITS   ON THAT ENEMY. HE MAY COME AND TEST US, HE MAY COME AND TRY US, BUT HE CAN'T GO ANY FURTHER THAN GOD HAS ALLOWED HIM TO GO. NOW YOU MAY BE DISCOURAGED IN THAT, SAYING, WHY WOULD GOD ALLOW ME TO BE TESTED AND TRIED. HOW ARE YOU GOING TO KNOW WHAT YOUR FAITH  IS CAPABLE OF, IF THAT FAITH IS NEVER PUT TO THE TEST? IT'S ONE THING TO SAY, "I BELIEVE GOD," IT'S ANOTHER THING TO REALLY BELIEVE HIM. IT'S NOT JUST WORDS, IT IS AN ACTIVE APPLICATION IN OUR LIVES. IT IS US BELIEVING AND TRUSTING AND THEN THE CIRCUMSTANCES  AROUND US DON'T MATTER, IT'S LOOKING UNTO GOD THE AUTHOR AND THE FINISHER OF OUR FAITH. GOD ALWAYS HAS THE LAST WORD. WITH THE ENEMY THAT COMES AGAINST US, GOD HAS THE LAST WORD. EVEN WITH THE THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON IN OUR LIFE TODAY, THINGS THAT MAYBE THE ENEMY ISN'T DOING, BUT IT'S JUST THE NATURAL COURSE OF LIVING. GOD EVEN HAS THE LAST   WORD IN THAT AS WELL. FOR YOU SEE, I WANT TO REMIND YOU ONE MORE TIME BEFORE I LEAVE YOU TODAY. THAT GOD SAID HE WOULD NEVER ALLOW MORE TO COME OUR WAY THEN WE WERE ABLE TO ENDURE. SO TODAY, IF YOU'RE GOING THROUGH THE TEST OF YOUR   LIFE, BE ENCOURAGED IN THIS, GOD KNOWS THAT YOU'RE GOING TO BE ALRIGHT. GOD KNOWS IT WON'T DESTROY YOU. BUT SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDST OF WHAT YOU'RE FACING, YOU'RE GOING TO HEAR HIM SAY, "COME FORTH." AND WHEN HE SAYS, "COME FORTH." JUST AS WITH LAZARUS OF OLD, YOU WILL FIND YOURSELF COMING OUT OF THAT GRAVE THAT YOU'RE FINDING YOURSELF IN. AND LIFE WILL RETURN TO YOU, BECAUSE GOD ALWAYS HAS THE LAST WORD. OH, MY TIME HAS FLOWN BY TODAY AND HERE I AM NEEDING TO STOP. I HOPE THAT WE'VE BEEN ABLE   TO ENCOURAGE YOUR FAITH TO HELP YOU TO TRUST IN  WHAT THE LORD HAS SAID. IF YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT HE SAID, THEN LOOK TO HIM,  TALK TO HIM, LISTEN TO HIM. AND GOD WILL SPEAK SOME THINGS TO YOU THAT I BELIEVE WILL STRENGTHEN YOUR LIFE. I WANT TO CLOSE WITH A QUICK WORD OF PRAYER. PRECIOUS LORD AND SAVIOR, WE ASK YOU TO MINISTER TO EACH ONE THAT HAS SUCH A GREAT NEED TODAY. HELP THEM TO KNOW THAT THIS SICKNESS IS NOT UNTO DEATH AND SPEAK THE WORD TO THEM TO BRING THEM OUT OF THEIR GRAVEYARDS TODAY I PRAY, IN JESUS' NAME WE ASK IT, AMEN.