JESUS IS THE RESURRECTION
John 11:1-16
GOD SETS UP OUR SITUATIONS
V:11 Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair. 3 So the sisters sent word to Jesus, "Lord, the one you love is sick."
A. God loves family. It is no secret.
1. God creates family for His Glory.
2. The sisters, Mary and Martha entertained Jesus and His disciples
when He came to their town.
3. The sisters showed acts of love by preparing meals and washing
the feet of Jesus.
4. They were generous with their resources which they gladly used to
serve Jesus.
B. We don’t hear much about Lazarus, other than he was the brother
Of Mary and Martha.
1. Outside of their home, we do not hear of any service Lazarus
rendered to Jesus.
2. This sickness is the first time he became the center of the conversation.
3. It is obvious that the family had an intimate relationship with Jesus.
C. When you serve the Lord you can naturally expect that Jesus is
interested in all areas of your life.
1. The sisters interceded on behalf of their brother by communicating
with Jesus.
2. Our prayers ought not be all about us but should always include the
needs of others.
3. When we serve the Lord we store up treasures in heaven that we
can freely call on in times of need.
D. It is alright to remind the Lord of those He loves.
1. Since God loves a cheerful giver, we conclude that Lazarus
was a participant in the service of Mary and Martha.
2. You don’t have to toot your own horn when you serve the Lord,
others will do it for you.
GOD HAS THE ANSWER TO OUR SITUATION
V:4 When he heard this, Jesus said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God's glory so that God's Son may be glorified through it." 5 Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 Yet when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days.
A. When we are sick. We need to understand that the Lord allows if for
His glory.
1. One thing we see in this text is that death is not the end of us, but the
beginning of something new.
2. The Lord uses our trials and tribulations to draw others to Himself.
B. The Lord may not come when you want Him but He is always on
Time.
1. God heard the prayer of Mary and Martha, but He delay coming.
2. We have to learn to wait on the Lord.
3. Waiting teaches us patience.
4. Waiting is not passive. It is actively serving the Lord.
C. No matter how bad the situation is, this teaches us not to get in
a rush in making decisions.
1. Time is in the hands of the Lord.
2. God uses time to position us for future blessings.
V.:7 Then he said to his disciples, "Let us go back to Judea."
8 "But Rabbi," they said, "a short while ago the Jews tried to stone you, and yet you are going back there?"
9 Jesus answered, "Are there not twelve hours of daylight? A man who walks by day will not stumble, for he sees by this world's light. 10 It is when he walks by night that he stumbles, for he has no light."
A. God has not given us the spirit of fear, but power love, and a sound mind.
1. The one who fears, does not trust God completely.
2. Fear is a roadblock to faith.
3. Fear causes us to see impossibilities and to lose hope.
4. Fear is walking in the ways of the world which is darkness.
5.. Fear sees closed doors and dead ends.
6. Man stumbles in his own inabilities and negative thoughts.
7. When fear takes charge of us, we do not operate with a sound mind.
B. Waiting on the Lord has its advantages.
Isa 40:31
But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall
mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and
they shall walk, and not faint.
1. Those who trust the Lord know that all things are possible
2. Those who trust the Lord walk in the light of His glory.
3. When we trust the Lord, we can expect that all our wants and
needs are in His hands.
4. Whatever we are going through, we go by God's design.
GOD EXPLAINS OUR SITUATION
V:11 After he had said this, he went on to tell them, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I am going there to wake him up."
12 His disciples replied, "Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better." 13 Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep.
14 So then he told them plainly, "Lazarus is dead,
A. In my life time, I have experienced the lost of love ones who I prayed
Long and hard to the all mighty God to recover.
1. I have also realized the truth of scripture, that we cannot get to our
heavenly home without physical death.
2. In 2020 and 2021 we have experienced a number of deaths
in our families.
3. We have also witnessed our prayers being answered in a number of
recoveries from all sorts of physical illnesses.
4. Each of us have a predetermined expiration date and a corresponding
new birth in Heaven.
B. We will go to sleep on earth and wake up in Heaven
1. Absent from the body is present with the Lord.
2. When we look through our eyes, we see death as the end, but
it is a new beginning.
3. When we look through our eyes we want a long life, but it is only
temporary.
GOD GETS THE GLORY FROM OUR SITUATION
V:15 And for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him."
16 Then Thomas (called Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, "Let us also go, that we may die with him."
A. The death of Lazarus was the opportunity for all to witness the power of
God over death.
1. God allows things to happen in our lives so that our faith in Him
is strengthen.
B. Jesus could have healed Lazarus from a distance.
1. To know God’s power is to see Him work in our lives on a
personal level.
2. The power of God becomes real when it happens to us.
3. The disciples of Jesus were close to Mary and Martha and
Lazarus.
4. They had witnessed the miracles of Jesus many times.
a. They knew the story of Jonah being swallowed up by a fish
for three days and spit out on dry land.
b. They knew the story of Elisha and the Shunammite woman
whose son had died. Elisha came to her house and raised
the boy from the dead. (2 Kings 4:8)
5. Those were just stories that were not real to them because it
happen to someone else.
C. Jesus said I am glad that I was not there when Lazarus died.
1. His purpose was to make the resurrection real in their lives.
2. Until God get rid of the sting of death in your mind, you
will continue to walk in darkness.
3. Until you can see the glory of resurrection in the death of a
love one, you still be bounded to the influence of Satan.
4. God wants to break that bond so that you live in His hope.
5. From time to time, trusting in God hurts and disappoints,
but in the long run, our faith is strengthened.
THANK GOD FOR THE RESURRECTION
Rev. M Mitchell
Asst Pastor Of Greater Macedonia Baptist Church
5510 West Sam Houston Parkway North
Houston, Texas 77041
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