WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR? PT. II BY PASTOR RICK LIBBY
SERMON TRANSCRIPT OF SOULS HARBOR
PROGRAM 1648, AIR DATE 07.18.2010 

WELL, IT'S TIME TO LOOK TO THE WORD OF GOD TODAY. AND I HOPE THAT AS WE LOOK TO HIS WORD, THAT YOU'LL OPEN UP YOUR HEARTS AND YOUR MINDS TO RECEIVE FROM HIM. SOMEWHERE IN THIS MESSAGE TODAY, I BELIEVE GOD WANTS TO SPEAK TO SOMEBODY'S LIFE. THAT THE VERY ANSWER TO WHAT YOU'RE GOING THROUGH, IS NOT GOING TO BE FOUND IN THE THINGS THAT ARE AROUND YOU, BUT THEY'RE GOING TO BE FOUND IN THE WAY GOD WANTS TO WORK WITHIN YOU. I'M GOING TO RETURN TO THE SUBJECT THAT WE STARTED     WITH LAST WEEK AND TALK TO YOU TODAY ABOUT, SOME CHANGES THAT NEED TO OCCUR IN OUR LIVES, SO THAT GOD CAN WORK AND BRING US TO A PLACE THAT HE DESIRES US TO BE. NOW I WANT TO ADDRESS THE VERY FIRST ISSUE THAT GETS RAISED WHENEVER I BEGIN TO TALK THIS WAY. WE ARE TOLD IN THE WAY THAT SOCIETY AND CULTURE IS TODAY, THAT WE OUGHT TO BE OUR OWN PERSON. THAT WE OUGHT TO BE WHO WE WANT TO BE. AND WHILE I UNDERSTAND WHAT THEY'RE TRYING TO SAY, I ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT THERE IS A MUCH HIGHER PLAN, A MUCH HIGHER PURPOSE. AND THAT IS THE PURPOSES OF GOD. GOD HAS A PLAN FOR OUR LIVES. AND IN WORKING THAT PLAN SOMETIMES GOD HAS TO BRING SOME CHANGES SO THAT WE CAN BECOME WHAT HE DESIRES US TO BE. DON'T EVER LET YOUR OWN PERSONAL WILL SUPERSEDE THE WILL OF GOD. DON'T EVER PUT YOUR PLANS, YOUR DREAMS AND YOUR DESIRES AHEAD OF GOD'S PLAN FOR YOUR LIFE. BECAUSE, AND I CAN TELL YOU THIS FROM EXPERIENCE, WHEN YOU DO IT GOD'S WAY,  YOU'LL NEVER REGRET IT. YOUR LIFE WILL BE BLESSED AND YOU'LL BE WELL PLEASED WITH THE OUTCOME. SO I ENCOURAGE YOU TODAY TO LET GOD HAVE HIS WAY. IF YOU'LL LET THE SPIRIT OF GOD WORK IN YOUR LIFE, HE'LL BRING SOME CHANGES THAT WILL BE A BLESSING TO YOU AND WILL ALSO BE A BLESSING TO THOSE THAT ARE AROUND YOU. I WANT TO PICK UP WITH A VERSE THAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT AS WE CLOSED LAST WEEK, IT'S FOUND IN 2ND CORINTHIANS, CHAPTER 3, VERSE 18. IT SAYS, "BUT WE ALL WITH OPEN FACE BEHOLDING AS IN A GLASS THE GLORY OF THE LORD ARE CHANGED INTO THE SAME IMAGE FROM GLORY TO GLORY. EVEN AS BY THE SPIRIT         OF THE LORD." NOW I WANT TO DRAW YOUR ATTENTION TO THE LATTER PART OF THAT VERSE. THIS IS THE SECRET. IT IS DONE, IT IS ACCOMPLISHED, IT IS WORKED BY THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD. THE BIBLE TEACHES US THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT GUIDES US    IN ALL THINGS. IT TEACHES US ALL THAT WE SHOULD AND OUGHT TO KNOW. TODAY, IT MAY BE SOMETHING THAT IS A MYSTERY TO YOU. BUT IF YOU'LL LET THE HOLY SPIRIT OF GOD WORK IN YOUR LIFE, GOD WILL REVEAL THOSE HIDDEN MYSTERIES. GOD WILL HELP YOU TO UNDERSTAND, GOD WILL HELP YOU TO KNOW AND GOD WILL HELP TO BRING ABOUT THE CHANGES THAT ARE NECESSARY. NOW WE WERE TALKING ABOUT WHAT YOU WERE LOOKING FOR IN YOUR LIFE. TODAY, IN MANY OF OUR LIVES THERE ARE SOME MISSING PIECES. SOME THINGS THAT NEED TO BE FOUND, YET THEY SEEM TO BE DIFFICULT TO FIND. YET, IF WE'LL LET GOD WORK HIS WORK IN OUR LIVES, WE WILL FIND THOSE THINGS. AND MANY TIMES THE THINGS THAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR ARE THE CHANGES THAT WE JUST CAN'T SEEM TO WORK FOR OURSELVES. I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU, BEGINNING WITH THIS FIRST ONE AT LEAST, I WANT TO SHARE WITH YOU ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT CHANGES THAT GOD WANTS TO HELP US WITH. THE FIRST THING THAT PEOPLE WILL COME TO KNOW ABOUT YOU AND THE THING THAT THEY'LL REMEMBER MOST ABOUT YOU, IS ATTITUDE. IT IS AMAZING TO ME, HOW MUCH ATTITUDE PLAYS A ROLE IN OUR LIVES. IT CAN EITHER HELP TO BRING US UP OR IT CAN HELP TO TEAR US DOWN. THE RIGHT ATTITUDE ADDS TO OUR LIFE, THE WRONG ATTITUDE TAKES FROM OUR LIFE. NOW I HAVE TO TELL YOU, THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE I HAVE MET IN MY JOURNEY THAT HAVE WAY TOO MUCH ATTITUDE FOR ONE PERSON. AND THAT SEEMS TO BE THE BIGGEST OBSTACLE IN THEIR PATH. THEY CAN'T GET BEYOND THEMSELVES THEIR ATTITUDE PREVENTS THEM FROM EVER CHANGING THEIR LIVES TO BECOME SOMETHING DIFFERENT THEN THEY ARE. IN ORDER TO RECEIVE SOMETHING THAT THEY'VE NEVER HAD. ATTITUDE MAKES A BIG DIFFERENCE. NOW I DON'T GET TO WRAPPED UP IN THE POWER OF POSSIBILITY THINKING, OR THE POWER OF POSITIVE CONFESSION, BUT I DO ACKNOWLEDGE THERE'S SOME TRUTH TO THIS. THE FRAME OF MIND THAT YOU HAVE, WHICH IS YOUR ATTITUDE, WILL LARGELY DETERMINE THE POSSIBILITIES, THE OPPORTUNITIES THAT YOU HAVE TO SUCCEED WHERE YOU MIGHT OTHERWISE FAIL. NEGATIVE THINKING PRODUCES NEGATIVE RESULTS. IF YOU'RE SURROUNDED BY PEOPLE THAT ARE SAYING IT CAN'T BE DONE, IT WON'T TAKE LONG FOR YOU TO BELIEVE, THAT IT CAN'T BE DONE. YOUR ATTITUDE WILL BEGIN TO BECOME LIKE THEIRS AND WHEN YOUR ATTITUDE BECOMES SOMETHING OTHER THAN WHAT GOD WANTS TO CREATE IN YOU THROUGH HIS PRESENCE, YOU'LL BEGIN TO DENY YOURSELF THE BLESSINGS THAT GOD WANTS TO POUR OUT UPON YOU. THERE ARE TIMES WHEN WE NEED GOD TO CHANGE OUR ATTITUDE. BUT, LET'S CONFESS IT TODAY, LET'S ACKNOWLEDGE IT, ONE OF THE HARDEST THINGS FOR US TO CHANGE ABOUT OURSELVES, IS OUR ATTITUDE. WE HAVE THOSE MOMENTS WHERE WE SEEM TO MAKE GREAT PROGRESS. AND THEN ALL OF A SUDDEN THOSE MOMENTS PASS AND WE FIND OURSELVES RIGHT BACK TO WHERE WE WERE. SOME WOULD LIKE TO SAY, "WELL THAT'S JUST THE NATURE OF OUR PERSONALITY." I HAPPEN TO BELIEVE TODAY THAT IT'S POSSIBLE TO        CHANGE THE UNCHANGEABLE. IT MAY BE A PERSONALITY THING. IT MAY BE A CHARACTERISTIC THAT'S BEEN LEARNED FROM YEARS OF LIVING IN A SPECIFIC DIRECTIONS. BUT IF WE'LL LET GOD HAVE HIS WAY, HE'LL BRING ABOUT CHANGES THAT CAN PRODUCE POSITIVE THINGS WITHIN OUR LIVES. AND ONE OF THE FIRST THINGS WE NEED HIM TO DO, IS TO       CHANGE OUR ATTITUDE. BECAUSE AS HE CHANGES OUR ATTITUDE, THEN WE BEGIN TO OPEN UP OUR LIVES TO RECEIVE OTHER CHANGES THAT HE WANTS TO BRING WITHIN US. CAN I GIVE YOU THIS WORD OF ENCOURAGEMENT TODAY? DON'T LET YOUR EGO, DON'T LET YOUR PRIDE GET IN THE WAY OF WHAT GOD DESIRES TO DO. BECAUSE IF YOU DO, IT'LL ROB YOU EVERY TIME. BUT IF YOU'LL LET GOD HELP YOU TO RISE ABOVE THOSE THINGS, TO BE HUMBLE IN THE HAND OF GOD AND LET GOD WORK THE       CHANGES HE DESIRES, YOU'LL FIND YOUR LIFE IS MORE BLESSED.  AND YOU'LL FIND YOURSELF RECEIVING THINGS THAT YOU NEVER EVEN THOUGHT POSSIBLE TO RECEIVE. THAT'S HOW GOOD GOD WILL     BE IN BLESSING YOU. THEN THE NEXT CHANGE THAT I THINK THAT GOD NEEDS TO BRING TO OUR LIVES SOMETIMES, IS THE CHANGE OF THE WAY THAT WE THINK. I KNOW, VERY QUICKLY, THAT       IT MAY BE THAT WE THINK THAT THINKING AND ATTITUDE ARE THE SAME THING. AND TO SOME DEGREE THEY ARE. BUT IN YOUR ATTITUDE YOU FALL BACK ON THE VERSE SCRIPTURE IN PHILIPPIANS THAT SAYS, "I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST THAT STRENGTHENETH ME." THEN YOU REALIZE THAT AS GOD CHANGES YOUR THINKING, HE IS INDEED CHANGING YOUR ATTITUDE. BECAUSE ATTITUDE, MANY TIMES, IS       A REFLECTION OF THE INNER MAN. WHAT WE THINK IS PROJECTED THROUGH OUR ATTITUDE. AND WE NEED GOD TO CHANGE  THE WAY WE THINK. LISTEN TO THIS, IN THE BOOK OF ROMANS, CHAPTER 12, VERSE 2. VERY QUICKLY I WANT      TO READ IT TO YOU.IT SAYS, "BE NOT CONFORMED TO THIS WORLD. BUT BE YE TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWING OF YOUR MIND, THAT YE MAY PROVE WHAT IS THAT GOOD AND ACCEPTABLE AND PERFECT WILL OF GOD. TODAY IT MIGHT JUST BE THAT WHAT SOME OF US NEED TO BE          IS TRANSFORMED BY THE RENEWING OF OUR MIND. THIS IS THE AREA THAT GOD WILL WORK IN. THERE'S ANOTHER VERSE OF SCRIPTURE THAT I WANT TO READ OUT OF THE BOOK OF EPHESIANS TODAY, AND OUT OF EPHESIANS, CHAPTER 4, VERSE 22, IT SAYS, "THAT YE PUT OFF CONCERNING THE FORMER CONVERSATION, THE OLD MAN WHICH IS CORRUPT ACCORDING TO THE DECEITFUL LUSTS BE RENEWED IN THE       SPIRIT OF YOUR MIND  THAT YE PUT ON THE NEW MAN WHICH IS AFTER GOD, IS CREATED IN RIGHTEOUSNESS AND TRUE HOLINESS." OH, LET ME TAKE YOU BACK TO SOMETHING PAUL SAID IN THE BOOK OF ROMANS, CHAPTER 8, VERSE 6. HE SAYS, "FOR TO BE CARNALLY MINDED IS DEATH, BUT TO BE SPIRITUALLY MINDED IS LIFE AND PEACE." ARE YOU HEARING WHAT THE SCRIPTURES ARE TALKING ABOUT? THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT THE WORKING OF OUR MIND, HOW YOU THINK TODAY. WE NEED TO LET THE SPIRIT OF GOD PERMEATE OUR THOUGHTS, THAT HE MIGHT PERMEATE OUR INNER MAN. IF WE CAN SATURATE THE INNER MAN WITH THE SPIRIT OF GOD, CHANGES ARE GOING TO BE REFLECTED IN THE OUTER MAN. OUR ATTITUDE WILL BE DIFFERENT. WHAT WE SAY WILL BE DIFFERENT. WHAT WE WILL LISTEN TO WILL BE DIFFERENT  WHAT WE WILL LOOK AT WILL BE DIFFERENT. AND ALL OF THAT WILL COME      BACK TO US AS IN THE WAY THAT WE FEEL WILL BE DIFFERENT. HOW?  BY LETTING THE SPIRIT OF GOD WORK IN OUR LIVES WHAT ARE YOU LOOKING FOR TODAY MY FRIEND? I HOPE THAT WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FOR CAN BE FOUND IN CHRIST JESUS. AND IT WILL BE, IF YOU'LL LOOK OUT OF YOURSELF INTO HIM AND LET HIM WORK A PERFECT WORK WITHIN YOUR LIFE TODAY. THAT'S THE ONLY WAY YOU'RE GOING TO ACHIEVE SOME OF THE THINGS THAT YOU DESIRE TO FIND            IN YOUR LIFE TODAY. IF THEY ARE GOOD THINGS, GOD WILL WORK THEM IN YOUR LIFE. IF THEY'RE BAD THINGS, YOU NEED GOD TO HELP YOU TO REMOVE THEM FROM YOUR LIFE TODAY. LET ME CLOSE WITH A QUICK WORD OF PRAYER WITH YOU RIGHT NOW.  HEAVENLY FATHER, SOMEHOW, HELP US WITH THE IMPOSSIBLE TODAY. MAKE THOSE CHANGES THAT ARE NECESSARY THAT WE MIGHT            BECOME MORE LIKE YOU. WE COME TO YOU THE MASTER TODAY, FOR WE NEED THE MASTER TO TAKE CONTROL OF OUR LIVES. AND HELP US WITH WHAT WE CANNOT HELP OURSELVES WITH. IN JESUS' NAME, AMEN.