Amen. I would like for us to look this
morning at the 17th verse of the 22nd chapter of Revelation. And this is what it says, And
the Spirit and the Bride say, Come. And let him that heareth
come. And let him that is a thirst
come, and whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely." I've entitled this message this
morning, Whosoever Will. The thing that I realize on this
verse of Scripture is that Every man, every woman is without excuse
before Almighty God. Now, man has a desperate problem. Here is man's problem. Isaiah
59-2 says, But your iniquities have separated between you and
your God, and your sins have hid His face from you, that He
will not hear." Now that's a problem. Man's in trouble. Man by nature is absolutely left
to himself without hope. Leave a man to himself and he
is in desperate trouble. Why? Your sins have separated
between you and your God. Your sins, my sins, as I have
been born in Adam, has hidden His face from me. And listen to this. He will not
hear. Now, that's a problem. Now, the problem is not with
God. Men hear the gospel of God's
free grace. They hear of God's sovereignty.
They hear of God's distinguishing grace. And they say, God's too
hard. No, the problem is not God. The
problem is man. Here's the problem. First of
all, a man will not come. He will not. You listen to John
5 for me. And ye will not come to me that
ye might have life. I looked up the word will just
a few minutes ago. You will not. I looked it up.
This is what it means. Determined. Choose to prefer. He said you're determined not
to come. You choose not to come and you
prefer not to come. So man will not come. Here's a second thing. He cannot
come. He cannot. John 6, verse 44,
No man can come to Me except the Father which hath sent Me
draw him. No man has the ability. Now you think about this. No
man chooses to come. No man prefers to come. No man
is determined to come. And he cannot come. Now you think
that's not a problem? No man can come except..." Oh,
a ray of hope. "...except the Father which hath
sent Me draw him." That word, draw, means chooses to drag. That's what it means. No man
can come except God chooses to draw, to drag. As I've heard Brother Scott say,
God brings a man, draws a man. Without that man's consent, I'm
going to say it wrong, with his full consent. How do you say
that, Brother Scott? How do you say that? Okay, there he is. God does something
with a man's full consent. I've got that one just about
butchered, but you know what I'm talking about. This drawing is going to take
a new life. It's going to take a new will.
A new will. If a man dies without coming
to Christ, that man is going to perish.
He shall. But what does it mean to come
to Christ? It means first to believe God's
report of the Lord Jesus and to believe on Him. That is to believe on Him For
salvation, apart from anything that I've done, whatever a man thinks that he's
done that adds to, that merits, that helps, that contributes
to, salvation is a lie. Salvation is totally by the grace
of Almighty God. There is not one thing that a
man has done. You said he's believed. God grants
a man to believe that God has saved him apart from any works
of righteousness that that man has done. Salvation is by grace. Isaiah 53 says, Who hath believed
our report? And to whom is the arm of the
Lord, the power of the Lord revealed? Who has God revealed? what He's
done apart from that man's works. That's what Isaiah is saying.
Who has trusted on the person of the Lord Jesus Christ? Who
believed the doctrine, the truth of Him? And to whom is the force,
the will, the power, the strength of Jehovah disclosed? Who is
it? I'll tell you who it is. All
those that God's called out of darkness. They come to Christ.
They come. They come in their heart. They
come by faith given from above. That's how they come. Coming
is not walking down an aisle. Walking down an aisle has got
nothing whatsoever to do with it. Being baptized is not coming
to Christ. Baptism is an outward confession
of a man's faith in Christ that he's come to Christ in his heart. Coming to Christ. John 3.36 says,
He that believeth. He that believes. I believe. I believe that Almighty God has
saved me apart from anything that I've done. He that believeth
on the Son hath. He that believeth hath. When
a man believes, he hath everlasting life. And he that believeth not
the Son, he that doesn't believe God's report of the Lord Jesus
Christ, shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him."
He that dies in unbelief. You say, well, I think he was
sincere. I think, he that believeth not the message that God has
given concerning His Son, possessing the grace and the gift of faith
is a miracle. of God's mercy. He that believes,
2 Thessalonians 3 says, and that we may be delivered from unreasonable
and wicked men for all men, hath not faith. Listen, any man that
tells you that everybody has faith and that all you have to
do is exercise that faith is a liar. He's a bald-faced liar. He's a low-down, bald-faced liar.
He's lying. All men have not faith. If God
grants a man faith, God saved that man. He saved him. Called
him out of darkness. Granted him faith. And that man
believes. He believes God. Just because
a person is a member of a local assembly. Just because a man
is associated with a local assembly doesn't mean that he possesses
faith, saving faith. He may have a form of godliness.
He may have the appearance of righteousness without the faith
of God's elect. The possession of saving faith,
true faith, is the operation of the Holy Spirit of God. 1
John 4, 2, "...Hereby know ye the Spirit of God, every spirit
that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God."
Someone says, well, everybody preaches that Jesus Christ came
in the flesh. This is what that Scripture means.
Every spirit, every preacher that preaches that Almighty God
has sent His Son to live for and to die for those that He's
chosen before the foundation of the world, that He came in
the flesh to obey God's law for them. Every man that believes
that is born of God. A man that says that Jesus Christ
came into this world to make salvation possible is a liar. He didn't come into this world
to make salvation possible. He came to save His people. To
say that salvation is possible means that it's left up to you.
That He's done everything that He can to make it possible and
all you have to do is. Now, the Spirit of God imparts,
He puts in a new heart. It is evidenced by faith that
believes God Almighty has sent His Son to save His people. He, as the obedient representative
of all of God's sheep, lives and obeyed God's law for them. He died being made sin for them. They were buried with Him, they
rose with Him, and they sit with Him in heavenly places in Christ
Jesus right now. right now. Everything, as far
as God Almighty is concerned, is yea and amen. It's done. It's
over. Now, you and I are going through
this world living it out right now, and you and I don't see
things as things are. But Almighty God saves His people. Coming to Christ believes God's
report. Philippians 129 says, It is given in behalf of Christ
not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for His sake. Without a doubt, Almighty God
has a people that He has chosen in Christ before the foundation
of the world that they should be holy and without blame before
Him in love. And what does the authority of
God's Word say about those that shall come to Christ. Well, John
6.37 says, All that the Father hath given me shall come, they
shall believe this report. All of God's elect are going
to believe this gospel. They're going to die in the faith.
They're going to believe. What if they die not believing
this message? They don't know God. Is that
too blunt? Is that too the point? All of
God's people come to Him by faith. They believe God. So the evidence
of eternal election is faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. They
believe God. The Father chose, the Son redeemed,
and the Spirit of God calls them out. They believe God. The Lord
fully met the requirement of Almighty God for His people. He lived for them, charged them,
imputed to them His righteousness. The Spirit of God shall surely
regenerate, effectually call out of darkness every redeemed
sinner to life. Blessed is the man whom thou
choosest. and causeth to approach unto
thee that he may dwell in thy courts." Well, one may ask, how
do I know that I have any interest in God's mercy? I hear you talk. I've been hearing you talk. I've
been hearing Brother Scott preach for years and years and years.
God's electing grace. God's choosing grace. God's predestinating
grace. How do I know? How do I know
that I have any interest in that? Could it be that I do? How do
I know? How do I know that I'm one of
His elect? I think that's a pretty good
question. How do I know? Could it be that I might find
myself among the blessed of the Lord? Could it be that I might
find myself as one to whom God is not going to impute sin? Could it be? How do I know? Well, the answer is the truth
that is set forth in Revelation 22. And the Spirit and the Bride
say, Come. Two-fold thought there. Come
to Christ, but also come, Lord Jesus Christ. The Spirit and
the Bride. That is the Spirit within the
Bride. The Spirit and the Bride. There's
one way that a man's going to call, going to come to Christ,
going to call on the Lord. By the Spirit of God in him. helps our infirmities. The spiritual
bride says, ìCome.î The Holy Spirit-breathed Word in the hearts
of Godís people. Without Him, I can do nothing.
I come, but itís the Lord breathing. The Spirit-filled bride, the
Through the preaching of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Spirit
that fills the bride with an anxious anticipation and a love
for His appearance, the spiritual bride of Christ says, Come. They long to see Him. They long
for His elect to come to Him. This is what the spiritual bride,
the Spirit and the bride say, Come. This morning, I would desire
that God's people would come to Him. I know all that's going
to come, all that the Father has given the Son. All that the
Father has given me shall come to me. This is what I pray. Lord, we desire to see Your people
come. I don't know how many folks are
sitting out here, but I know this, all that the Father has
given the Son are going to come to Him. I know that the preaching
of Christ, the setting forth of truth by the preaching of
the gospel, the means of the gospel, the Spirit of God is
going to bless that Word to God's people. And I know what's going
to happen. They're going to come. Now, when
they come is according to Almighty God. Paul says, when it pleased
God, who separated me from my mother's womb and called me by
His grace. I know this, in time, God's people
are going to come. Who knows? Maybe one of your
kids. Who knows? Who knows? It might be your mom or dad.
Who knows? It might be your brother or sister.
Who knows? But I know this, they're going
to come. The Spirit and the Bride say,
Come. And let him that heareth, you
that hear His voice, you cry to Him right now. You come by
faith right now. By God's grace, you came last
week. By grace, you came yesterday.
by the grace of God. You come because you desire to
come. You hear His voice. You long after Him. You come
to Him. God grants you faith to believe.
You come. He that heareth, let him that
heareth. You come for comfort. You come
for joy. But you come. And you continually
come. God's people are always coming.
You that have been given ears to hear His voice, the spiritual
bride says, come, come. You ask, could it be that I have
found grace in His sight? How do I know? Let me ask you
this. Is the very heart of your desire,
give being. Do you want to come? Do you want
to? Do you desire to? I know this. If God leaves a man to himself,
I know, I'm convinced, how? By this word right here. No man
will come. If God leaves him alone, no man
will come. Because no man can come. But
if you desire to come this morning, come. Whosoever will. This is as open as it gets. Does any man, any woman desire
to come to Christ? Come in their heart. Now, you
that have a heart to come, you come. And you that have no heart
to come, You can't wait until this service is over. And you
feel that you've done your duty. And you've done church. But if
you want to come, you come right now. You come to Him. Because
I ain't got nothing to do with it. I can tell you that. But if you want to come in your
heart, God's given you a heart to come. And you long after Him. And you look to Him for mercy,
just like you did last time. You come. Whosoever will. Let him that is a thirst, do you thirst after the righteousness
of God? I'm not talking about the best
you can do. That's not going to get it. I'm talking about,
has Almighty God given you a heart for true righteousness." Where
is that found? One man. One man. The righteousness of God. If
you thirst for righteousness, for God's righteousness, I want
to be righteous before God, then let me just give you the answer
right here. Drink of Christ. How do I do
that? By faith. How do I know if I
have the faith of God? Do you believe Him? If you do,
you do. If you don't, you don't. But him that is athirst, thy
people, Psalm 110.3, shall be willing in the day of thy power. Who knows? Maybe God called somebody
out of darkness today. I pray so. I pray so. I know people say, boy, you know,
sometimes you preachers of the Gospel, you're all so hard and
you're all so, listen to me. If any man thirsts, let him come
to Christ. Why will you die? Why will you
die? Why will you look away? Come. Whosoever will. Let him take
the water of life freely without any cause in yourself. Come to
Christ. Isaiah 55, verse 1. Everyone that thirsteth, come
ye to the waters. And he that hath no money, come
ye buy and eat. Yea, come, buy wine and milk
without money and without price." Here's the bottom line. The Spirit
and the bride say, Let him that heareth come, and
let him that is athirst come, and whosoever will." You say, I thought you said,
though, that no man will. No. If God leaves a man to himself,
he won't. I thought you said that no man
can. No man left to himself can. But if Almighty God creates a
brand new man, if Almighty God imparts a new heart, a willing
heart, a hungry heart, a thirsty heart, that heart comes. That man comes. That man longs. That man hungers. That man thirsts. How do you know who God's people
are? They believe God. They believe
God. They come to God. They come to
Christ. They believe Christ. Whosoever
will. Don't let anybody tell you that
they don't believe in whosoever will at Katie Baptist Church.
Yes, they do. Yes, they do. Whosoever will. Now, I'm not saying whosoever
is going to decide and try to come to God on their own merit.
But I'll tell you this, whosoever will, hungers and thirsts to
come to Christ as God has revealed Him to be in these Scriptures.
Whosoever will. Let Him take the water of life
freely. He lives. He already lives. Alright, let's
take a few minutes break.