1 00:00:01,520 --> 00:00:04,080 Speaker 1: Hey, this is Stephen Ferdick. I'm the pastor of Elevation 2 00:00:04,320 --> 00:00:06,560 Speaker 1: Church and this is our podcast. I wanted to thank 3 00:00:06,600 --> 00:00:09,920 Speaker 1: you for joining us today. Hope this inspires you. Hope 4 00:00:09,920 --> 00:00:11,959 Speaker 1: it builds your faith. Hope it gives your perspective to 5 00:00:11,960 --> 00:00:14,760 Speaker 1: see God is moving in your life. Enjoy the message. 6 00:00:17,079 --> 00:00:21,439 Speaker 1: God still shows up at the tomb of every Lazarus. 7 00:00:23,120 --> 00:00:26,320 Speaker 1: And I want to show you the scripture that that 8 00:00:26,360 --> 00:00:29,360 Speaker 1: line came from today, and then I want to speak 9 00:00:29,400 --> 00:00:33,400 Speaker 1: to the Lazarus in your life. Everybody in here has 10 00:00:33,400 --> 00:00:38,400 Speaker 1: a Lazarus, and everybody in here has a God. And 11 00:00:38,880 --> 00:00:40,920 Speaker 1: today we just want to bring these things into God's 12 00:00:40,920 --> 00:00:44,400 Speaker 1: presence for a few moments. John chapter eleven is the scripture. 13 00:00:44,720 --> 00:00:47,560 Speaker 1: Welcome to our EPAM around the world. There are tens 14 00:00:47,560 --> 00:00:50,239 Speaker 1: of thousands of people right now who are joining us 15 00:00:50,320 --> 00:00:52,880 Speaker 1: on their devices, and let's thank God for them as well, 16 00:00:52,880 --> 00:01:00,240 Speaker 1: that this word would be received in your life. Got 17 00:01:00,240 --> 00:01:02,800 Speaker 1: smart to beat up, brought my iPad today, my Bible. 18 00:01:02,800 --> 00:01:05,520 Speaker 1: I'm preaching from John eleven and I'm covering quite a 19 00:01:05,560 --> 00:01:08,920 Speaker 1: few verses of scripture, and my Bible yesterday kept blowing, 20 00:01:08,959 --> 00:01:11,679 Speaker 1: the pages kept blowing. It wasn't the Holy spirit. It 21 00:01:11,720 --> 00:01:14,240 Speaker 1: was the air vent, and it just kept blowing to 22 00:01:14,280 --> 00:01:16,559 Speaker 1: different scriptures, and so I brought it on the iPad today. 23 00:01:16,600 --> 00:01:18,360 Speaker 1: I hadn't preached from it in a long time, and 24 00:01:18,440 --> 00:01:21,040 Speaker 1: it's locked and loaded and charged, and I want to 25 00:01:21,080 --> 00:01:23,520 Speaker 1: preach to you. Well, it's not locked. It's going horizontal. 26 00:01:25,640 --> 00:01:29,680 Speaker 1: There's some old men stuff right here. You know, every 27 00:01:29,720 --> 00:01:32,880 Speaker 1: preacher gets persecuted. Paul had shipwrecks, and I have iPads 28 00:01:32,880 --> 00:01:35,640 Speaker 1: that go horizontal. It's kind of on the same level, 29 00:01:35,680 --> 00:01:38,400 Speaker 1: don't you think. But we're going to look at something 30 00:01:38,440 --> 00:01:42,240 Speaker 1: today together. From John chapter eleven, verse one. Now, a 31 00:01:42,240 --> 00:01:45,720 Speaker 1: man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the 32 00:01:45,800 --> 00:01:49,840 Speaker 1: village of Mary and her sister Martha. This Mary, whose 33 00:01:49,880 --> 00:01:52,920 Speaker 1: brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who 34 00:01:52,960 --> 00:01:55,920 Speaker 1: poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with 35 00:01:55,960 --> 00:01:59,560 Speaker 1: her hair. So the sister sent word to Jesus, Lord, 36 00:02:00,080 --> 00:02:04,000 Speaker 1: the one you love is sick. When he heard this, 37 00:02:04,160 --> 00:02:06,520 Speaker 1: Jesus said, the sickness will not end in death. No, 38 00:02:06,640 --> 00:02:09,080 Speaker 1: it is for God's glory, so that God's son may 39 00:02:09,120 --> 00:02:14,600 Speaker 1: be glorified through it. Now, Jesus loved Martha and her 40 00:02:14,639 --> 00:02:17,280 Speaker 1: sister and Lazarus. Everything up until this point, by the way, 41 00:02:17,760 --> 00:02:21,080 Speaker 1: makes total sense to me. We're given the name of 42 00:02:21,120 --> 00:02:24,920 Speaker 1: this man, Lazarus. His name literally means the one who 43 00:02:25,040 --> 00:02:28,800 Speaker 1: God helps. Have you ever had God just help you 44 00:02:28,840 --> 00:02:31,560 Speaker 1: out of a mess that you got yourself into or 45 00:02:31,639 --> 00:02:34,960 Speaker 1: a mess that you couldn't get yourself out of? His 46 00:02:35,040 --> 00:02:38,120 Speaker 1: name means the one that God helps. And his sister 47 00:02:38,360 --> 00:02:41,080 Speaker 1: was Martha. She's the one who made the mortgage payment. 48 00:02:42,080 --> 00:02:44,919 Speaker 1: His other sister was Mary. She was a good listener, 49 00:02:45,520 --> 00:02:49,399 Speaker 1: and Jesus liked going by and visiting because Martha made 50 00:02:49,440 --> 00:02:53,400 Speaker 1: these incredible lemon pepper wings. He liked to eat her food. 51 00:02:54,240 --> 00:02:56,840 Speaker 1: And then Mary would sit at his feet and be discipled. 52 00:02:57,080 --> 00:03:00,200 Speaker 1: And there's nothing better than somebody. Well, I was going 53 00:03:00,240 --> 00:03:01,920 Speaker 1: to say, there's nothing better than a good listener. But 54 00:03:01,960 --> 00:03:04,840 Speaker 1: a good cook is better than a good listener. And 55 00:03:04,919 --> 00:03:07,320 Speaker 1: if you ever find a good cook and a good listener, 56 00:03:07,520 --> 00:03:11,280 Speaker 1: marry him, marry her. Okay. And Jesus loved to go 57 00:03:11,320 --> 00:03:14,280 Speaker 1: to this little place two miles outside of Jerusalem, and 58 00:03:14,320 --> 00:03:16,720 Speaker 1: he would often be refreshed there in his ministry travels. 59 00:03:16,919 --> 00:03:19,160 Speaker 1: But now they need his help, and it says that 60 00:03:19,200 --> 00:03:22,200 Speaker 1: he loved them. He loved all of them. He loved Lazarus, 61 00:03:22,240 --> 00:03:25,360 Speaker 1: he loved Mary, he loved Martha. And as lazarus sickness 62 00:03:25,400 --> 00:03:30,920 Speaker 1: begins to overtake the affairs of the family, Martha issues 63 00:03:30,960 --> 00:03:36,280 Speaker 1: not necessarily an invitation to Jesus, but a request for help. Lord, 64 00:03:36,320 --> 00:03:38,640 Speaker 1: the one you love is sick. I love how she 65 00:03:38,680 --> 00:03:43,400 Speaker 1: phrased it. You know, send him a message, say Lazarus, no, no, 66 00:03:43,560 --> 00:03:46,400 Speaker 1: say the one you love is sick. Because he's very 67 00:03:46,440 --> 00:03:47,960 Speaker 1: busy and we need to get him here. So let's 68 00:03:48,000 --> 00:03:50,960 Speaker 1: just remind him of how much he loves Lazarus and 69 00:03:51,000 --> 00:03:53,080 Speaker 1: get him here real quick so he can do that 70 00:03:53,160 --> 00:03:56,400 Speaker 1: healing thing that he does for us. And everything makes sense. 71 00:03:56,440 --> 00:03:58,600 Speaker 1: You know that he loves them, so he would come 72 00:03:58,600 --> 00:04:00,560 Speaker 1: to them, and he would visit them, and he would 73 00:04:00,600 --> 00:04:03,480 Speaker 1: help them because lazarus name means help, so it's in 74 00:04:03,520 --> 00:04:06,640 Speaker 1: his very nature to expect the help that his name identifies, 75 00:04:06,720 --> 00:04:08,640 Speaker 1: just like as a child of God, you call on 76 00:04:08,720 --> 00:04:10,880 Speaker 1: your father and you expect him to help you. And 77 00:04:11,000 --> 00:04:15,880 Speaker 1: everything up until here makes sense. But the next verse 78 00:04:16,200 --> 00:04:17,760 Speaker 1: is something that I want us to talk about for 79 00:04:17,800 --> 00:04:19,960 Speaker 1: a few moments today, because some of you are at 80 00:04:19,960 --> 00:04:22,160 Speaker 1: a place in your life that doesn't make sense anymore, 81 00:04:22,839 --> 00:04:25,239 Speaker 1: and it's that I want to speak to. It says 82 00:04:25,279 --> 00:04:28,760 Speaker 1: that he loved them, that Jesus loved them, He really 83 00:04:29,160 --> 00:04:33,680 Speaker 1: loved Martha and Mary and Lazarus. Verse six. So when 84 00:04:33,720 --> 00:04:37,599 Speaker 1: he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he 85 00:04:37,880 --> 00:04:43,640 Speaker 1: was two more days. And that's what I wanted to 86 00:04:43,680 --> 00:04:46,800 Speaker 1: work on together today, because it would be one thing 87 00:04:47,000 --> 00:04:49,880 Speaker 1: if the Bible said he loved them, but he stayed 88 00:04:49,880 --> 00:04:52,800 Speaker 1: where he was two more days, because that would mean 89 00:04:52,800 --> 00:04:56,320 Speaker 1: that he couldn't come. He had other people to help. 90 00:04:57,440 --> 00:05:03,240 Speaker 1: But it says this interesting word. So so he stayed where 91 00:05:03,279 --> 00:05:06,719 Speaker 1: he was two more days, and that means that verse 92 00:05:06,760 --> 00:05:11,719 Speaker 1: six flows directly from verse five. He loved them, so 93 00:05:11,880 --> 00:05:16,279 Speaker 1: he did not come when they wanted him. And I 94 00:05:16,320 --> 00:05:18,280 Speaker 1: want to talk about this today from my heart. I'm 95 00:05:18,279 --> 00:05:23,600 Speaker 1: going to title this message the Lazarus Factor, the Lazarus Factor. 96 00:05:24,600 --> 00:05:26,520 Speaker 1: And Lord, I just pray that you would enable me 97 00:05:27,480 --> 00:05:30,479 Speaker 1: to preach this word beyond my human understanding or my 98 00:05:30,600 --> 00:05:34,560 Speaker 1: oratorical abilities. God, I pray that something would go forth 99 00:05:34,600 --> 00:05:37,560 Speaker 1: from this pulpit today that would call forth from the 100 00:05:37,560 --> 00:05:40,800 Speaker 1: hearts of your people the kind of faith that makes 101 00:05:40,839 --> 00:05:45,120 Speaker 1: the difference in Jesus's name. I pray, Amen, Amen, you 102 00:05:45,160 --> 00:05:54,920 Speaker 1: may be seated. Spoilert Lazarus dies and gets resurrected in 103 00:05:55,000 --> 00:05:59,560 Speaker 1: John chapter eleven. I didn't want to leave you in 104 00:05:59,600 --> 00:06:04,960 Speaker 1: suspend It's too long. But you ever think about how 105 00:06:05,000 --> 00:06:09,760 Speaker 1: different people have different love languages. They have a book 106 00:06:09,800 --> 00:06:15,120 Speaker 1: about it, the Five Love Languages. And I'm so thankful 107 00:06:15,120 --> 00:06:16,720 Speaker 1: that God gave me a wife that one of her 108 00:06:16,760 --> 00:06:19,880 Speaker 1: love languages is physical touch. Do you're not happy? That 109 00:06:19,880 --> 00:06:24,400 Speaker 1: makes me? What a blessing. I'm so glad her love 110 00:06:24,480 --> 00:06:28,719 Speaker 1: language is and acts of service. I much prefer physical touch. Amen. 111 00:06:33,080 --> 00:06:41,039 Speaker 1: You know what God's love language is trust. If you 112 00:06:41,080 --> 00:06:44,680 Speaker 1: were to ask me from just studying the Bible for 113 00:06:44,880 --> 00:06:47,440 Speaker 1: however many years I've been studying since I was sixteen, 114 00:06:48,400 --> 00:06:52,560 Speaker 1: how does God receive love? He loves to be trusted 115 00:06:53,680 --> 00:06:55,640 Speaker 1: more than he even loves to hear you sing. And 116 00:06:55,680 --> 00:06:58,120 Speaker 1: I'm not saying you don't have a great voice. He 117 00:06:58,160 --> 00:07:01,680 Speaker 1: loves when you trust him more than he even loves 118 00:07:01,760 --> 00:07:05,040 Speaker 1: when you, you know, wear a cross around your neck. 119 00:07:05,560 --> 00:07:09,080 Speaker 1: He loves when you trust him more than he even loves. 120 00:07:09,120 --> 00:07:11,280 Speaker 1: And I probably shouldn't say this as a pastor, but 121 00:07:12,320 --> 00:07:14,119 Speaker 1: more than he even loves when you come to church. 122 00:07:15,000 --> 00:07:18,400 Speaker 1: He loves when you trust him on Tuesday. He just 123 00:07:18,480 --> 00:07:21,960 Speaker 1: loves to be trusted. One of the most difficult things 124 00:07:21,960 --> 00:07:25,080 Speaker 1: I think in our life is that we often equate 125 00:07:25,160 --> 00:07:30,480 Speaker 1: love with comfort, while God equates love with trust. If 126 00:07:30,520 --> 00:07:34,280 Speaker 1: we are not studious and if we don't give attention 127 00:07:34,360 --> 00:07:37,560 Speaker 1: to the scriptures, we will conflate and confuse our human 128 00:07:37,600 --> 00:07:42,120 Speaker 1: definition of love with a divine love, a love that 129 00:07:42,280 --> 00:07:44,680 Speaker 1: is not simply an action, but an essence of who 130 00:07:44,680 --> 00:07:50,840 Speaker 1: God is. I don't know about your first job, but 131 00:07:50,880 --> 00:07:54,000 Speaker 1: I would put myself out there as maybe having the 132 00:07:54,040 --> 00:07:57,000 Speaker 1: most interesting first job in the whole room, because my 133 00:07:57,120 --> 00:08:00,760 Speaker 1: first job at age fifteen was to work pet rest 134 00:08:00,840 --> 00:08:05,480 Speaker 1: cemetery and cremation service, and I'm proud of that. I 135 00:08:05,520 --> 00:08:10,680 Speaker 1: did those funerals with dignity, and I lifted one hundred 136 00:08:10,720 --> 00:08:14,200 Speaker 1: and eighty pound bull mastiffs. That's part of how I 137 00:08:14,280 --> 00:08:20,960 Speaker 1: learned to, you know, preaching dead churches was because right 138 00:08:21,000 --> 00:08:24,600 Speaker 1: after my ministry of burying dogs and cremating dogs, I 139 00:08:24,600 --> 00:08:27,280 Speaker 1: had to go preach at Baptist churches, and you know, 140 00:08:27,320 --> 00:08:30,320 Speaker 1: the atmosphere could sometimes be real similar. Some of the 141 00:08:30,400 --> 00:08:33,319 Speaker 1: churches don't be hateful I'm just telling you about my experience. 142 00:08:36,240 --> 00:08:38,599 Speaker 1: It was a good job, and people often judge me 143 00:08:38,640 --> 00:08:40,439 Speaker 1: when I tell them, because you remember we used to 144 00:08:40,559 --> 00:08:42,520 Speaker 1: go out there, and I'm on the way to the mall. 145 00:08:42,600 --> 00:08:44,720 Speaker 1: I tell Eric, I just need to stop by real 146 00:08:44,840 --> 00:08:47,400 Speaker 1: quick and take care of these dogs real quick. And 147 00:08:47,440 --> 00:08:49,319 Speaker 1: you could tell who your friends are when you stop 148 00:08:49,400 --> 00:08:51,640 Speaker 1: by the crematory on the way to the mall. Who 149 00:08:51,880 --> 00:08:54,120 Speaker 1: who your friends are. But some people would judge me. 150 00:08:54,280 --> 00:08:57,360 Speaker 1: You know, you tell them that you cremate dogs, and 151 00:08:57,360 --> 00:08:59,720 Speaker 1: they look at you like you deal drugs. And it 152 00:08:59,760 --> 00:09:02,640 Speaker 1: was a service with dignity. It was I'm again very 153 00:09:02,679 --> 00:09:04,600 Speaker 1: proud of the fact that I was fifteen years old 154 00:09:04,600 --> 00:09:06,680 Speaker 1: with a job that paid one hundred and fifty dollars 155 00:09:06,760 --> 00:09:15,440 Speaker 1: a week. Yeah, and I got my own beeper. Yeah. 156 00:09:15,440 --> 00:09:22,400 Speaker 1: I don't know nothing. And you know what, I think 157 00:09:22,760 --> 00:09:25,120 Speaker 1: that one of the worst jobs would have been to 158 00:09:25,160 --> 00:09:30,679 Speaker 1: be the pr manager for Jesus Christ, to have to 159 00:09:30,760 --> 00:09:36,120 Speaker 1: explain his actions or to have to give a press 160 00:09:36,160 --> 00:09:42,440 Speaker 1: conference for Jesus, especially when John chapter eleven says things 161 00:09:42,520 --> 00:09:48,440 Speaker 1: like he loved them, he received hospitality from them, but 162 00:09:48,520 --> 00:09:51,440 Speaker 1: when it came time for him to help them, he 163 00:09:51,679 --> 00:09:57,839 Speaker 1: stayed away. Two extra days because he loved them. It's 164 00:09:57,880 --> 00:10:01,520 Speaker 1: an interesting construct we come to find in all of 165 00:10:01,559 --> 00:10:07,280 Speaker 1: our lives, the difference between God's job and our job. See. 166 00:10:07,320 --> 00:10:13,000 Speaker 1: God's job is outcome, your job is process. Can I 167 00:10:13,040 --> 00:10:15,079 Speaker 1: preach a little bit to the three people who are awake. 168 00:10:16,800 --> 00:10:19,480 Speaker 1: The longer that you think you can control outcomes in 169 00:10:19,520 --> 00:10:23,480 Speaker 1: your life, the more frustration you are going to experience 170 00:10:23,559 --> 00:10:26,760 Speaker 1: in this journey of faith. And many of us were 171 00:10:27,000 --> 00:10:31,280 Speaker 1: taught starting out that faith was a way of controlling outcomes. 172 00:10:31,880 --> 00:10:35,120 Speaker 1: It was like, if you pray this and do that, 173 00:10:35,480 --> 00:10:38,800 Speaker 1: then you can expect this. But everybody in here has 174 00:10:38,840 --> 00:10:42,559 Speaker 1: a Lazarus. The Lazarus factor is the thing in your 175 00:10:42,640 --> 00:10:46,840 Speaker 1: life that made the formula fall apart. The Lazarus factor 176 00:10:47,000 --> 00:10:49,040 Speaker 1: is the thing in your life that caused you to 177 00:10:49,160 --> 00:10:52,520 Speaker 1: question the very nature of faith and start to see 178 00:10:52,559 --> 00:10:55,920 Speaker 1: at this point in this passage that faith is rarely 179 00:10:56,040 --> 00:10:59,440 Speaker 1: a form of manipulation by which we get God to 180 00:10:59,520 --> 00:11:03,160 Speaker 1: keep our I've got news for you. God will not 181 00:11:03,280 --> 00:11:07,720 Speaker 1: be manipulated. God will not be moved just because we 182 00:11:07,880 --> 00:11:10,880 Speaker 1: get uncomfortable in a situation. And I hate to break 183 00:11:10,920 --> 00:11:14,000 Speaker 1: it to you, but faith is not a means of manipulation. 184 00:11:14,559 --> 00:11:18,400 Speaker 1: It is a patience with mystery, the kind of mystery 185 00:11:18,440 --> 00:11:21,760 Speaker 1: that can say, on one hand, God can do anything. 186 00:11:22,240 --> 00:11:24,760 Speaker 1: But in that very same breadth that you say God 187 00:11:24,800 --> 00:11:28,160 Speaker 1: can do anything, there is something in your life right 188 00:11:28,200 --> 00:11:31,320 Speaker 1: now that God will not do. That you see in 189 00:11:31,360 --> 00:11:34,320 Speaker 1: his word that he did for somebody else, but he 190 00:11:34,480 --> 00:11:38,160 Speaker 1: has not done for you yet. I'm simply trying to 191 00:11:38,240 --> 00:11:42,720 Speaker 1: say that everybody in here has a Lazarus. Everybody in 192 00:11:42,760 --> 00:11:46,640 Speaker 1: here has something that was supposed to be done. If 193 00:11:46,679 --> 00:11:49,920 Speaker 1: God really loved you, he would. If God really saw you, 194 00:11:50,040 --> 00:11:52,880 Speaker 1: he would. If God was really strong like they say 195 00:11:52,920 --> 00:11:55,920 Speaker 1: he is, he would. If God really had all power 196 00:11:56,000 --> 00:11:59,559 Speaker 1: in his hand, he would have. Because we confuse God's 197 00:11:59,600 --> 00:12:04,240 Speaker 1: love proof in circumstantial evidence, we never really get to 198 00:12:04,320 --> 00:12:07,360 Speaker 1: the foundational core that the love of God is not 199 00:12:07,440 --> 00:12:10,240 Speaker 1: always proven by the way I feel his presence. The 200 00:12:10,320 --> 00:12:12,520 Speaker 1: love of God is proven by the way I deal 201 00:12:12,559 --> 00:12:15,680 Speaker 1: with his perceived absence. The love of God is not 202 00:12:15,800 --> 00:12:18,000 Speaker 1: only proven in the times where I thank Him for 203 00:12:18,080 --> 00:12:20,920 Speaker 1: my blessings. The love of God is proven in my 204 00:12:21,000 --> 00:12:24,240 Speaker 1: life where I cannot feel him, but by faith I 205 00:12:24,360 --> 00:12:27,720 Speaker 1: praise Him because he is God. Even when I don't 206 00:12:27,800 --> 00:12:31,040 Speaker 1: sense God, he is God, And I wonder, is there 207 00:12:31,040 --> 00:12:35,000 Speaker 1: anybody who's willing to give God a praise by faith 208 00:12:35,360 --> 00:12:40,560 Speaker 1: in this place today? At Gaston, at Blakeney, at Valentine, 209 00:12:40,800 --> 00:12:44,000 Speaker 1: at you see online, give him a praise if you 210 00:12:44,000 --> 00:12:46,520 Speaker 1: don't praise him for what he does, but who he is. 211 00:12:57,360 --> 00:13:00,240 Speaker 1: And they didn't have text messaging, so when Martha sent 212 00:13:00,320 --> 00:13:03,440 Speaker 1: the message to Jesus, you need to get here quick. 213 00:13:04,760 --> 00:13:08,280 Speaker 1: The one who you love needs your help, she would 214 00:13:08,360 --> 00:13:11,319 Speaker 1: have to wait several days, two days to be exact, 215 00:13:11,720 --> 00:13:14,520 Speaker 1: from the time the messenger got there until the time 216 00:13:15,160 --> 00:13:16,719 Speaker 1: he got back. But there was one problem. When the 217 00:13:16,760 --> 00:13:21,160 Speaker 1: messenger started coming back to Bethany, he was by himself. 218 00:13:22,720 --> 00:13:26,920 Speaker 1: He was supposed to bring Jesus. You know how it 219 00:13:26,960 --> 00:13:28,599 Speaker 1: is when you see the person you didn't want to 220 00:13:28,600 --> 00:13:30,120 Speaker 1: see and they don't have the person with him that 221 00:13:30,160 --> 00:13:37,040 Speaker 1: you really wanted to see. Where is he? She sent 222 00:13:37,120 --> 00:13:43,120 Speaker 1: him a message and Jesus left Martha on red. You 223 00:13:43,120 --> 00:13:48,280 Speaker 1: ever been left on red? Honestly, I only became familiar 224 00:13:48,360 --> 00:13:51,360 Speaker 1: with this phrase a few months ago. There was somebody 225 00:13:51,400 --> 00:13:57,679 Speaker 1: I was ignoring and I ran into him. In real life. 226 00:13:59,040 --> 00:14:04,120 Speaker 2: He goes, bruh, oh, I'm like, praise the Lord Brother 227 00:14:05,320 --> 00:14:06,760 Speaker 2: you know, I get real fake when I have to 228 00:14:06,760 --> 00:14:11,600 Speaker 2: see somebody face to face that I don't like. 229 00:14:10,000 --> 00:14:12,840 Speaker 1: Like, what's up, man, what's been going on? He's like, 230 00:14:12,920 --> 00:14:17,000 Speaker 1: I've been texting you. You left me on red? You 231 00:14:17,040 --> 00:14:23,200 Speaker 1: got a new number or something like that. No, did 232 00:14:23,240 --> 00:14:29,400 Speaker 1: you get my message? Yeah? I got it, and then 233 00:14:29,440 --> 00:14:31,000 Speaker 1: I faked the heart attack. You know, I didn't know 234 00:14:31,000 --> 00:14:37,080 Speaker 1: what to do. Hey, Jesus, the one you love is sick. 235 00:14:38,360 --> 00:14:44,760 Speaker 1: Hey Jesus, I'm depressed. Hey Jesus, I can hardly breathe 236 00:14:44,800 --> 00:14:50,200 Speaker 1: right now. Hey Jesus, I feel all alone. Hey Jesus, 237 00:14:50,800 --> 00:14:54,560 Speaker 1: I need to know how to make this decision. Hey Jesus, 238 00:14:54,960 --> 00:14:57,600 Speaker 1: I need you to show my husband how to stop 239 00:14:57,680 --> 00:15:01,560 Speaker 1: being crazy. Hey Jesus, I need you to do for 240 00:15:01,640 --> 00:15:04,920 Speaker 1: my kids what prozac can't do and calm them down. 241 00:15:05,440 --> 00:15:09,120 Speaker 1: Hey Jesus, I need you to straighten this out. And 242 00:15:09,320 --> 00:15:14,160 Speaker 1: Jesus left Martha on red. Have you ever been left 243 00:15:14,160 --> 00:15:17,200 Speaker 1: on red by God? Have you ever prayed a prayer 244 00:15:17,200 --> 00:15:19,800 Speaker 1: that hit the ceiling? Have you ever prayed a prayer 245 00:15:19,840 --> 00:15:22,600 Speaker 1: that bounced right back? Have you ever prayed a prayer 246 00:15:22,680 --> 00:15:25,200 Speaker 1: that came back to you with such velocity that you 247 00:15:25,280 --> 00:15:27,640 Speaker 1: barely got it? Out of your mouth before you had 248 00:15:27,680 --> 00:15:30,720 Speaker 1: to stare at the same situation back in your face. 249 00:15:31,000 --> 00:15:37,880 Speaker 1: And he left them on red because he loved them, 250 00:15:38,000 --> 00:15:42,160 Speaker 1: not because he was busy, but because he loved them 251 00:15:42,240 --> 00:15:47,080 Speaker 1: so much he didn't come. I don't know what to 252 00:15:47,120 --> 00:15:51,880 Speaker 1: do with that. Humanly speaking, my love language is presence. 253 00:15:53,520 --> 00:15:57,400 Speaker 1: You know, I love you, pastor, but you don't come. 254 00:15:58,720 --> 00:16:01,040 Speaker 1: You don't love me if you don't come. That's how 255 00:16:01,080 --> 00:16:04,080 Speaker 1: I feel about it. You know, people will say things 256 00:16:04,120 --> 00:16:10,600 Speaker 1: sometimes we're there with you in spirit. I appreciate that, 257 00:16:12,240 --> 00:16:14,240 Speaker 1: but there with me in spirit doesn't help me move 258 00:16:14,280 --> 00:16:19,960 Speaker 1: these boxes. Huh. There with me in spirit doesn't cook 259 00:16:20,080 --> 00:16:22,360 Speaker 1: chicken noodle soup when I have a coal, talk to 260 00:16:22,400 --> 00:16:25,320 Speaker 1: me somebody there with me in spirit. And then people 261 00:16:25,360 --> 00:16:29,160 Speaker 1: are real annoying. They'll give you cliches and think that's 262 00:16:29,200 --> 00:16:33,240 Speaker 1: supposed to comfort you. Well, if you know God put 263 00:16:33,240 --> 00:16:36,320 Speaker 1: it on you, he won't give you any more than 264 00:16:36,360 --> 00:16:40,480 Speaker 1: you can bear. They always got a scripture for you. 265 00:16:40,480 --> 00:16:43,680 Speaker 1: You know. That's why when I sent you the scripture 266 00:16:43,680 --> 00:16:45,200 Speaker 1: the other day, I said, delete this if you don't 267 00:16:45,200 --> 00:16:47,560 Speaker 1: want to see it right now, because sometimes the scripture 268 00:16:47,840 --> 00:16:51,200 Speaker 1: is annoying. I love how y'all look at me when 269 00:16:51,240 --> 00:16:53,320 Speaker 1: I say stuff like that. That's how I know I'm 270 00:16:53,320 --> 00:16:56,000 Speaker 1: preaching good because you give me that face. It's the 271 00:16:56,040 --> 00:16:57,840 Speaker 1: face that you make when you've thought it, but you 272 00:16:57,880 --> 00:17:06,880 Speaker 1: would never say it out loud. Halloween is over, take 273 00:17:06,920 --> 00:17:11,760 Speaker 1: your mask off and admit for a moment. Come on, y'all, 274 00:17:11,800 --> 00:17:14,760 Speaker 1: this is my job to say the stuff that you're 275 00:17:14,880 --> 00:17:19,000 Speaker 1: thinking anyway, so you don't think you're going to hell 276 00:17:19,080 --> 00:17:22,760 Speaker 1: for thinking it. You can have great faith and still 277 00:17:22,800 --> 00:17:26,679 Speaker 1: be frustrated. You can have great faith and still wonder 278 00:17:26,760 --> 00:17:34,919 Speaker 1: sometimes what the one day, I'm gonna put out a 279 00:17:34,960 --> 00:17:42,080 Speaker 1: whole CD called Honest Worship, and it's gonna have songs 280 00:17:42,119 --> 00:17:46,440 Speaker 1: you love like you're never gonna let never gonna let 281 00:17:46,600 --> 00:17:50,960 Speaker 1: me down, except that one time you're never gonna It's 282 00:17:50,960 --> 00:17:53,960 Speaker 1: gonna have ad libs like you seldom lost the battle, 283 00:17:54,320 --> 00:17:57,639 Speaker 1: except when I was fourteen, And you're gonna sing about 284 00:18:01,400 --> 00:18:12,600 Speaker 1: the real situations. The one you love is sick, and 285 00:18:12,640 --> 00:18:19,160 Speaker 1: we often conflate God's love with the circumstances of our life. Now, 286 00:18:19,200 --> 00:18:22,639 Speaker 1: if you look to the circumstances of your life for 287 00:18:22,720 --> 00:18:26,520 Speaker 1: the proof of God's love, you are looking for love 288 00:18:27,119 --> 00:18:37,720 Speaker 1: in all the wrong places. So Jesus says one of 289 00:18:37,720 --> 00:18:40,280 Speaker 1: those things that could sound like a cliche on the surface. 290 00:18:41,520 --> 00:18:44,560 Speaker 1: He says, this sickness will not end in death but 291 00:18:44,680 --> 00:18:51,840 Speaker 1: for the glory of God. Well, hallelujah. Do you know 292 00:18:51,840 --> 00:18:55,359 Speaker 1: what I mean? God is your provider, but he's not 293 00:18:55,720 --> 00:19:01,200 Speaker 1: paying my rent. But if you won't say in fact, 294 00:19:01,200 --> 00:19:03,960 Speaker 1: when we put this online, let's put the stuff you 295 00:19:04,119 --> 00:19:09,959 Speaker 1: wish you had the guts to say. But Martha, Martha 296 00:19:10,000 --> 00:19:13,760 Speaker 1: said it, and I want to show you how she responded. 297 00:19:13,800 --> 00:19:20,359 Speaker 1: Because everybody has a Lazarus. Everybody has something that God 298 00:19:20,480 --> 00:19:24,040 Speaker 1: was supposed to do for you that he did not do. 299 00:19:25,520 --> 00:19:28,640 Speaker 1: What I love about the Bible is that it gives 300 00:19:28,760 --> 00:19:35,159 Speaker 1: us the inside of hindsight. The inside of hindsight means 301 00:19:35,640 --> 00:19:39,520 Speaker 1: I know why John wrote the Book of John, because 302 00:19:39,560 --> 00:19:41,800 Speaker 1: at the end of it he says, the reason I 303 00:19:41,800 --> 00:19:45,600 Speaker 1: wrote all of this was that you may believe. And 304 00:19:45,640 --> 00:19:48,000 Speaker 1: he organizes his gospel account. If you ever read the 305 00:19:48,040 --> 00:19:50,760 Speaker 1: Gospel of John, it reads differently than Matthew, Mark, and Luke. 306 00:19:50,800 --> 00:19:53,199 Speaker 1: Those are called the synoptic Gospels. That means optic, you know, 307 00:19:53,280 --> 00:19:56,280 Speaker 1: like see with sin, sin with see with they saw 308 00:19:56,280 --> 00:20:00,280 Speaker 1: with one another. John's on a whole different wave. John 309 00:20:00,280 --> 00:20:05,359 Speaker 1: takes seven signs that Jesus did, seven statements that Jesus made, 310 00:20:05,880 --> 00:20:09,439 Speaker 1: and then he organizes it not as it's happening, but 311 00:20:09,640 --> 00:20:15,040 Speaker 1: after it happened, and after he has the insight of hindsight. 312 00:20:16,280 --> 00:20:20,879 Speaker 1: So he addresses who Jesus is with a knowledge of 313 00:20:20,920 --> 00:20:24,240 Speaker 1: what he came for, after he saw him do all 314 00:20:24,280 --> 00:20:29,200 Speaker 1: that he could do. The insight of hindsight is really powerful, 315 00:20:29,359 --> 00:20:31,840 Speaker 1: but we don't live our lives with the insight of 316 00:20:31,920 --> 00:20:35,639 Speaker 1: hindsight about every situation. I would like to suggest to 317 00:20:35,720 --> 00:20:39,439 Speaker 1: you that Mary and Martha, who were mourning the loss 318 00:20:39,440 --> 00:20:43,240 Speaker 1: of their brother Lazarus in John chapter eleven, never read 319 00:20:43,320 --> 00:20:48,399 Speaker 1: John chapter twelve. That's just a guess, especially since John 320 00:20:48,440 --> 00:20:52,119 Speaker 1: didn't write it until a D. Eighty five. Jesus died 321 00:20:52,200 --> 00:20:55,240 Speaker 1: in a. D. Thirty two, so that means they didn't 322 00:20:55,280 --> 00:20:57,760 Speaker 1: get to read chapter twelve while they had to live 323 00:20:57,800 --> 00:21:00,959 Speaker 1: out chapter eleven. Who am I pre who is in 324 00:21:01,080 --> 00:21:04,240 Speaker 1: chapter eleven today? Let me show you something. If you're 325 00:21:04,280 --> 00:21:08,919 Speaker 1: in chapter eleven, it's in verse two. It's in parentheses. 326 00:21:09,240 --> 00:21:12,480 Speaker 1: Now I want to caution you be very careful to 327 00:21:12,640 --> 00:21:16,199 Speaker 1: never put a period where God put a parenthesis. What 328 00:21:16,240 --> 00:21:18,840 Speaker 1: do you mean by that, I mean that some things 329 00:21:18,960 --> 00:21:22,399 Speaker 1: in your life will make sense after the fact that 330 00:21:22,480 --> 00:21:26,520 Speaker 1: don't make sense right now. And John chapter eleven, verse 331 00:21:26,560 --> 00:21:29,720 Speaker 1: two is very interesting because it says not only did 332 00:21:29,800 --> 00:21:32,920 Speaker 1: Mary cook for not only did Martha cook for Jesus, 333 00:21:33,200 --> 00:21:36,520 Speaker 1: but Mary worship Jesus give me verse two. This Mary, 334 00:21:36,800 --> 00:21:40,760 Speaker 1: whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one 335 00:21:40,800 --> 00:21:44,080 Speaker 1: who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet 336 00:21:44,359 --> 00:21:47,560 Speaker 1: with her hair. The only catch is this that didn't 337 00:21:47,600 --> 00:21:52,000 Speaker 1: happen until John chapter twelve. That happened after what we 338 00:21:52,040 --> 00:21:55,800 Speaker 1: are about to read. That happened after the revelation that 339 00:21:55,880 --> 00:21:58,919 Speaker 1: Jesus was about to give. But the writer puts it 340 00:21:59,000 --> 00:22:02,080 Speaker 1: in chapter eleven them because if you do not see 341 00:22:02,119 --> 00:22:06,600 Speaker 1: yourself worshiping in John chapter twelve, you will not have 342 00:22:06,680 --> 00:22:10,640 Speaker 1: the strength to wait. In John chapter eleven, I don't 343 00:22:10,640 --> 00:22:13,600 Speaker 1: know who this is for, but God said this morning, 344 00:22:13,840 --> 00:22:17,120 Speaker 1: I want you to see yourself in John chapter twelve. 345 00:22:17,440 --> 00:22:20,439 Speaker 1: I want you to see yourself worshiping. I want you 346 00:22:20,520 --> 00:22:23,600 Speaker 1: to see yourself grateful. I want you to see your 347 00:22:23,680 --> 00:22:27,359 Speaker 1: self restored. I want you to see yourself better. I 348 00:22:27,400 --> 00:22:30,000 Speaker 1: want you to see your self free. I want you 349 00:22:30,080 --> 00:22:32,720 Speaker 1: to see your self delivered. I want you to see 350 00:22:32,760 --> 00:22:35,520 Speaker 1: your self healed. I want you to see yourself with 351 00:22:35,600 --> 00:22:41,200 Speaker 1: a testimony. Come on, y'all, high five twelve people. Tell 352 00:22:41,240 --> 00:22:44,560 Speaker 1: them I read the next chapter. I found out it 353 00:22:44,600 --> 00:22:47,720 Speaker 1: doesn't end in then. But for the glory of God, 354 00:22:50,119 --> 00:22:54,000 Speaker 1: I speak that over your children. Your children will worship 355 00:22:54,040 --> 00:22:57,960 Speaker 1: the Lord. Your children's children will have a legacy. You 356 00:22:58,040 --> 00:23:01,480 Speaker 1: will see the goodness of the Lord in the land 357 00:23:01,560 --> 00:23:09,879 Speaker 1: of the living. Shout if you believe it now, Shout 358 00:23:09,960 --> 00:23:11,520 Speaker 1: if you want to believe it. But it's kind of 359 00:23:11,560 --> 00:23:18,159 Speaker 1: hard right now. God liked that second shot better than 360 00:23:18,200 --> 00:23:24,000 Speaker 1: the first one. They say, you've got to see it 361 00:23:24,040 --> 00:23:27,800 Speaker 1: to believe it. God says, you've got to believe it 362 00:23:33,760 --> 00:23:37,720 Speaker 1: to see it. And what I love about it, yew's 363 00:23:37,720 --> 00:23:45,320 Speaker 1: it out is Jesus has to break it down. You know. 364 00:23:45,480 --> 00:23:46,800 Speaker 1: This is for those of us who are in the 365 00:23:46,840 --> 00:23:52,520 Speaker 1: remedial class and for the advanced students, the honor Christians. 366 00:23:54,720 --> 00:23:56,600 Speaker 1: You can make your grocery list while I share this. 367 00:23:56,880 --> 00:24:01,280 Speaker 1: But for the rest of us, this disciples, even the 368 00:24:01,280 --> 00:24:05,520 Speaker 1: ones who followed Jesus, even the ones who had the 369 00:24:05,520 --> 00:24:09,440 Speaker 1: most exposure to him, were constantly confused about his motives. 370 00:24:11,480 --> 00:24:14,640 Speaker 1: And they doubted the outcome because they had not yet 371 00:24:14,680 --> 00:24:18,680 Speaker 1: seen the cross. Even at the cross, most of them 372 00:24:18,680 --> 00:24:21,040 Speaker 1: went home because they had not yet seen the resurrection. 373 00:24:23,640 --> 00:24:28,199 Speaker 1: He's the God of the outcome. He's the God of 374 00:24:28,320 --> 00:24:32,240 Speaker 1: the outcome. I'm not. And the reason I need that 375 00:24:32,320 --> 00:24:35,399 Speaker 1: in my life is because all I can do is 376 00:24:35,440 --> 00:24:39,320 Speaker 1: sow the sea. I was reading one scripture where Jesus 377 00:24:39,359 --> 00:24:41,880 Speaker 1: said that we should pray to the Lord of the harvest, 378 00:24:42,880 --> 00:24:44,720 Speaker 1: and for a long time I read it just thinking 379 00:24:44,760 --> 00:24:46,840 Speaker 1: about how we should pray. But then I thought about 380 00:24:47,200 --> 00:24:49,400 Speaker 1: the fact that he called God the Lord of the harvest. 381 00:24:50,400 --> 00:24:55,440 Speaker 1: The harvest represents the result, the seed represents the process. 382 00:24:56,400 --> 00:24:59,280 Speaker 1: He's the Lord of the harvest. He's the God of 383 00:24:59,320 --> 00:25:05,800 Speaker 1: the outcome. But I'm the Lord of the seed. I 384 00:25:05,920 --> 00:25:10,680 Speaker 1: decide what I saw, I decide what I withhold. He's 385 00:25:10,720 --> 00:25:13,680 Speaker 1: the God of the outcome. And the only thing that's 386 00:25:13,680 --> 00:25:16,840 Speaker 1: difficult for us in reading this passage is that we 387 00:25:16,880 --> 00:25:22,040 Speaker 1: have the insight of hindsight. The disciples didn't. So he 388 00:25:22,119 --> 00:25:25,280 Speaker 1: said to his disciples verse seven, let's go back to Judea. 389 00:25:26,520 --> 00:25:30,160 Speaker 1: But Rabbi, they said, a short while ago, the Jews 390 00:25:30,200 --> 00:25:33,440 Speaker 1: there tried to stone you and yet you are going back. 391 00:25:33,520 --> 00:25:37,280 Speaker 1: What they didn't understand is that Jesus was invincible until 392 00:25:37,320 --> 00:25:41,119 Speaker 1: his assignment was complete. He wasn't going to die until 393 00:25:41,119 --> 00:25:43,920 Speaker 1: it was time to die. He wasn't going to die 394 00:25:43,920 --> 00:25:46,359 Speaker 1: on accident because there was a price on his head. 395 00:25:46,880 --> 00:25:50,440 Speaker 1: He would only die at that penultimate glory moment where 396 00:25:50,480 --> 00:25:53,840 Speaker 1: God was revealing and releasing the salvation that he brought 397 00:25:53,880 --> 00:25:56,480 Speaker 1: him to earth to carry. But they didn't know that. 398 00:25:57,040 --> 00:25:59,560 Speaker 1: And see, we don't know that. You don't know when 399 00:25:59,560 --> 00:26:01,720 Speaker 1: you're going through what you're going through, why you're going 400 00:26:01,720 --> 00:26:03,880 Speaker 1: through what you're going through. But you're gonna find out 401 00:26:04,119 --> 00:26:07,280 Speaker 1: that this sickness is not unto death but for the 402 00:26:07,280 --> 00:26:13,400 Speaker 1: glory of God. So Jesus answered verse nine. Are there 403 00:26:13,440 --> 00:26:17,159 Speaker 1: not twelve hours of daylight? Anyone who walks in the 404 00:26:17,280 --> 00:26:19,919 Speaker 1: daytime will not stumble, for they see by the world's light. 405 00:26:20,800 --> 00:26:23,200 Speaker 1: It is when a person walks at night that they stumble, 406 00:26:23,240 --> 00:26:27,600 Speaker 1: for they have no light. Well, that clears it up. 407 00:26:30,040 --> 00:26:32,960 Speaker 1: Are we going to Judea or not? Are we going 408 00:26:32,960 --> 00:26:34,760 Speaker 1: to help Lazarus or not? I know you feel this 409 00:26:34,760 --> 00:26:39,159 Speaker 1: way when I preach. Sometimes it's like that's cute, but 410 00:26:39,480 --> 00:26:44,080 Speaker 1: it's not anymore clear. Because I still don't know what 411 00:26:44,359 --> 00:26:49,640 Speaker 1: to do. So after he had said this, he breaks 412 00:26:49,640 --> 00:26:51,560 Speaker 1: it down a little further Verse eleven, y'all enjoying this 413 00:26:51,600 --> 00:26:54,639 Speaker 1: Bible study today. After he said this, he wanted to 414 00:26:54,680 --> 00:27:00,560 Speaker 1: tell them our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep. He means 415 00:27:00,560 --> 00:27:05,680 Speaker 1: he's died. He's speaking symbolically, but the disciples are kind 416 00:27:05,680 --> 00:27:09,159 Speaker 1: of literal, you know. He says he's fallen asleep. I'm 417 00:27:09,240 --> 00:27:15,560 Speaker 1: going to wake him up. His disciples replied, Lord, if 418 00:27:15,600 --> 00:27:21,919 Speaker 1: he sleeps, he'll get better. Jesus had been speaking of 419 00:27:21,960 --> 00:27:26,719 Speaker 1: his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep. 420 00:27:27,600 --> 00:27:37,560 Speaker 1: So then he told them plainly, Lazarus is dead. Make 421 00:27:37,640 --> 00:27:43,679 Speaker 1: it plain, Jesus, because I will always see things on 422 00:27:43,720 --> 00:27:48,919 Speaker 1: the surface. See, everybody in here has a Lazarus. But 423 00:27:49,000 --> 00:27:51,760 Speaker 1: I'm not just talking about a person that you've lost. 424 00:27:52,600 --> 00:27:55,800 Speaker 1: Everybody in here has a Lazarus. But it might not 425 00:27:55,880 --> 00:28:00,840 Speaker 1: be a relationship. Your Lazarus might be something in your 426 00:28:00,960 --> 00:28:04,919 Speaker 1: character that you thought would be fixed by now. And 427 00:28:04,960 --> 00:28:08,360 Speaker 1: you send a message to Jesus saying, come over here 428 00:28:08,400 --> 00:28:12,560 Speaker 1: to Bethany and see about me. Come over here and 429 00:28:12,640 --> 00:28:15,920 Speaker 1: break these chains off of my life so I can 430 00:28:16,000 --> 00:28:20,080 Speaker 1: serve you everybody in here has a Lazarus. I'm not 431 00:28:20,119 --> 00:28:23,640 Speaker 1: a rookie pastor anymore. I've been at this about as 432 00:28:23,680 --> 00:28:26,280 Speaker 1: long as my oldest son has been alive, and one 433 00:28:26,280 --> 00:28:30,200 Speaker 1: thing I've learned is everybody has a Lazarus. Some people's 434 00:28:30,280 --> 00:28:33,719 Speaker 1: lazarus is buried so deep they forgot about it. It 435 00:28:33,760 --> 00:28:37,040 Speaker 1: no longer even registers anymore. Because we've learned how to 436 00:28:37,160 --> 00:28:41,080 Speaker 1: move on from the event, but we never process the disappointment. 437 00:28:42,040 --> 00:28:45,200 Speaker 1: And the Lazarus factor says that how you process the 438 00:28:45,240 --> 00:28:50,360 Speaker 1: disappointment determines whether it becomes faith that propels you or 439 00:28:50,480 --> 00:28:54,320 Speaker 1: fear that paralyzes you. So when they send word to 440 00:28:54,440 --> 00:28:57,880 Speaker 1: Jesus and he didn't come when they wanted, now they 441 00:28:57,920 --> 00:29:00,440 Speaker 1: have a decision to make. If he did did not 442 00:29:00,520 --> 00:29:02,680 Speaker 1: come when we want him to come, and did not 443 00:29:02,880 --> 00:29:05,640 Speaker 1: do what we wanted him to do, does he still 444 00:29:05,720 --> 00:29:10,200 Speaker 1: love us? This is the Lazarus factor. I know that 445 00:29:10,280 --> 00:29:13,640 Speaker 1: he loves me, and I am no longer looking for 446 00:29:13,880 --> 00:29:18,240 Speaker 1: proof of that fact. I am living from the proof 447 00:29:18,520 --> 00:29:21,840 Speaker 1: that he loves me. This love is not based in 448 00:29:22,040 --> 00:29:25,840 Speaker 1: just what he did. Sometimes this love is proven by 449 00:29:25,840 --> 00:29:34,400 Speaker 1: what he chooses not to do. Jesus said, I'm going 450 00:29:34,760 --> 00:29:39,040 Speaker 1: to wake him up, and I love Thomas's faith. Watch this, 451 00:29:39,600 --> 00:29:42,440 Speaker 1: he says. Jesus says verse fifteen, I'm glad I was 452 00:29:42,480 --> 00:29:46,320 Speaker 1: not there, so that you may believe. But let us 453 00:29:46,360 --> 00:29:49,840 Speaker 1: go to him. And Thomas, also known as Didamus, said 454 00:29:49,840 --> 00:29:52,520 Speaker 1: to the rest of the disciples, let us also go 455 00:29:52,840 --> 00:30:01,000 Speaker 1: that we may die with him. What great faith. Jesus says, 456 00:30:01,040 --> 00:30:05,760 Speaker 1: I'm going to wake him up, and Thomas says, let's 457 00:30:05,800 --> 00:30:13,400 Speaker 1: go die. The Lazarus factor is the faith to follow 458 00:30:13,480 --> 00:30:20,360 Speaker 1: him anyway. This message is from my heart today, because 459 00:30:20,480 --> 00:30:24,320 Speaker 1: we all have a Lazarus. And whether that's a dream 460 00:30:24,360 --> 00:30:26,080 Speaker 1: that didn't play out the way that you thought it 461 00:30:26,120 --> 00:30:28,840 Speaker 1: would play out, or whether that's a way that you 462 00:30:28,920 --> 00:30:32,920 Speaker 1: saw the most important relationships in your life materializing. You know, 463 00:30:33,920 --> 00:30:37,320 Speaker 1: the starter kit version of Christianity that you started with, 464 00:30:38,840 --> 00:30:42,360 Speaker 1: And now you're having to understand the fact that he'd 465 00:30:42,400 --> 00:30:48,280 Speaker 1: loved them and he was still late. God's never late. 466 00:30:49,360 --> 00:30:53,360 Speaker 1: You never read the Bible. You just memorized the cliche 467 00:30:53,920 --> 00:30:57,320 Speaker 1: Jesus was late. Started to say he was fashionably late, 468 00:30:57,920 --> 00:31:02,720 Speaker 1: but actually he was functionally late. It means he showed 469 00:31:02,800 --> 00:31:07,920 Speaker 1: up late because of his love. Because there was something 470 00:31:08,000 --> 00:31:11,520 Speaker 1: about his character that they would not see if he 471 00:31:11,680 --> 00:31:15,960 Speaker 1: showed up at the sick bed. He had to show 472 00:31:16,080 --> 00:31:19,640 Speaker 1: up at the tomb so they could see something about him, 473 00:31:20,080 --> 00:31:23,400 Speaker 1: not a new thing that he was, but what God 474 00:31:23,480 --> 00:31:26,480 Speaker 1: is doing in your life right now. He is going 475 00:31:26,560 --> 00:31:29,680 Speaker 1: to show you his glory in a way you've never 476 00:31:29,840 --> 00:31:34,040 Speaker 1: seen before. He's going to show you his demonstration of 477 00:31:34,240 --> 00:31:37,800 Speaker 1: power in a way you haven't experienced it yet. And 478 00:31:37,840 --> 00:31:41,680 Speaker 1: I know it's really difficult to stay in that place 479 00:31:41,720 --> 00:31:44,440 Speaker 1: of faith. In fact, the Bible says in verse seventeen, 480 00:31:44,760 --> 00:31:48,600 Speaker 1: on his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been 481 00:31:48,680 --> 00:31:52,360 Speaker 1: in the tomb for four days. Now. This is significant 482 00:31:52,400 --> 00:31:56,040 Speaker 1: to the Jewish audience for which John intended this gospel account. 483 00:31:56,520 --> 00:31:58,960 Speaker 1: They believe that within the first three days of death, 484 00:31:59,000 --> 00:32:01,360 Speaker 1: the spirit could return learn to a man. It was 485 00:32:01,400 --> 00:32:04,600 Speaker 1: a sort of superstitious belief that was common to Judaism 486 00:32:04,680 --> 00:32:08,000 Speaker 1: in the first century. But Jesus waited until after their 487 00:32:08,120 --> 00:32:12,440 Speaker 1: time period expired to reveal his glory. I wonder, is 488 00:32:12,480 --> 00:32:16,240 Speaker 1: God waiting past the point of your expectation so his 489 00:32:16,440 --> 00:32:20,080 Speaker 1: strength can kick in with a new velocity. I feel 490 00:32:20,120 --> 00:32:23,880 Speaker 1: your spirit, God, he showed up after four days. Now, 491 00:32:24,720 --> 00:32:29,320 Speaker 1: now Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, and 492 00:32:29,360 --> 00:32:32,040 Speaker 1: many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort 493 00:32:32,080 --> 00:32:34,200 Speaker 1: them in the loss of their brother. So they came 494 00:32:34,240 --> 00:32:36,960 Speaker 1: to comfort Martha and Mary because that's all they could do. 495 00:32:37,240 --> 00:32:40,160 Speaker 1: There's only so much people can do for you, even 496 00:32:40,200 --> 00:32:43,000 Speaker 1: if they mean well, There's only so much your friends 497 00:32:43,000 --> 00:32:47,160 Speaker 1: can do for you. Stop worshiping people. People can only 498 00:32:47,200 --> 00:32:50,240 Speaker 1: do so much for you. Don't make them an idol. 499 00:32:50,480 --> 00:32:53,440 Speaker 1: They are not your God. People can be a gift, 500 00:32:53,720 --> 00:32:56,520 Speaker 1: but they cannot be your God. There are some things 501 00:32:56,560 --> 00:33:00,160 Speaker 1: in my life that only Christ can do. There's something 502 00:33:00,280 --> 00:33:04,080 Speaker 1: I appreciate the help. I appreciate the prayers, I appreciate 503 00:33:04,120 --> 00:33:07,320 Speaker 1: the well wishes. But I need Jesus for this child. 504 00:33:07,720 --> 00:33:10,440 Speaker 1: This is a big one. I need the Master. I 505 00:33:10,520 --> 00:33:13,400 Speaker 1: need the healer. I need the great I Am. I 506 00:33:13,480 --> 00:33:16,240 Speaker 1: need the bread of life. I need the light of Heaven. 507 00:33:18,640 --> 00:33:28,720 Speaker 1: I need Jesus. I need Jesus Verse twenty. When Martha 508 00:33:28,760 --> 00:33:31,560 Speaker 1: heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, 509 00:33:33,040 --> 00:33:38,880 Speaker 1: but Mary stayed home. We all have different ways of 510 00:33:38,920 --> 00:33:43,800 Speaker 1: dealing with disappointment. Some of us get under the covers. 511 00:33:45,080 --> 00:33:50,800 Speaker 1: I love Martha. She met him at the gate. Oh 512 00:33:50,920 --> 00:33:56,120 Speaker 1: you want to show up now. Welcome to Bethany, the 513 00:33:56,240 --> 00:33:59,160 Speaker 1: same Bethany you came to to eat my cooking. You 514 00:33:59,200 --> 00:34:01,520 Speaker 1: came when I cook, but you didn't come when I cried. 515 00:34:04,600 --> 00:34:08,520 Speaker 1: It's good to see you. Would have been really good 516 00:34:08,600 --> 00:34:12,239 Speaker 1: to see you about two days ago. It's good to 517 00:34:12,239 --> 00:34:15,680 Speaker 1: see you. I appreciate the comfort. I appreciate the peace. 518 00:34:15,920 --> 00:34:18,200 Speaker 1: But why didn't you just keep it from happening so 519 00:34:18,239 --> 00:34:24,600 Speaker 1: I wouldn't need the peace? The stuff you won't say, 520 00:34:25,320 --> 00:34:29,680 Speaker 1: but Martha would, Oh, yes, she would. The significant thing 521 00:34:29,800 --> 00:34:31,799 Speaker 1: is not even what she said. It's the fact that 522 00:34:31,840 --> 00:34:35,719 Speaker 1: she showed up. She comes to Jesus at the gate. 523 00:34:36,400 --> 00:34:39,160 Speaker 1: And this is funny because every other time he's been 524 00:34:39,160 --> 00:34:41,840 Speaker 1: to Bethany, she led him in the house, not this time. 525 00:34:45,840 --> 00:34:48,080 Speaker 1: I love how God will come as far as we 526 00:34:48,160 --> 00:34:53,480 Speaker 1: let him in our life, and she met him at 527 00:34:53,480 --> 00:34:55,400 Speaker 1: the gate. This is just a story about a man 528 00:34:55,480 --> 00:34:58,880 Speaker 1: named Lazarus. But it's really a story about whatever you 529 00:34:58,960 --> 00:35:01,839 Speaker 1: brought in here today that died on you. It's really 530 00:35:01,920 --> 00:35:04,880 Speaker 1: a story. People say sometimes that when you preach, you 531 00:35:04,880 --> 00:35:07,200 Speaker 1: shouldn't make the Bible about the people. It's about God. 532 00:35:08,400 --> 00:35:12,759 Speaker 1: A woman named Mary, a woman named Martha, a man 533 00:35:12,880 --> 00:35:19,760 Speaker 1: named Lazard, a man named Jonathan, a woman named Rachel. 534 00:35:20,760 --> 00:35:22,400 Speaker 1: I wish I had time to do every name in 535 00:35:22,440 --> 00:35:24,759 Speaker 1: the house, but some of y'all got hard to pronounce names, 536 00:35:24,800 --> 00:35:29,360 Speaker 1: and you'd be embarrassing me. He deals with her individually, 537 00:35:31,800 --> 00:35:37,280 Speaker 1: and she says exactly what she means, Lord, You're still Lord. 538 00:35:38,520 --> 00:35:43,400 Speaker 1: I love how she shifts the perspective from Lazarus to Lord. 539 00:35:44,960 --> 00:35:48,360 Speaker 1: I love how she still has this understanding. Watch this. 540 00:35:48,719 --> 00:35:51,359 Speaker 1: You didn't do what I wanted you to do, but 541 00:35:51,400 --> 00:35:59,279 Speaker 1: that didn't change my understanding of who you are. I 542 00:35:59,320 --> 00:36:02,840 Speaker 1: want to preach this kind of faith. So when he 543 00:36:02,920 --> 00:36:05,399 Speaker 1: stays two more days instead of running to see about 544 00:36:05,440 --> 00:36:07,919 Speaker 1: what you need him to see about, you won't change 545 00:36:07,960 --> 00:36:15,400 Speaker 1: your mind about who he is. If you would have 546 00:36:15,440 --> 00:36:20,640 Speaker 1: been here, she said, my brother would still be here 547 00:36:22,320 --> 00:36:25,480 Speaker 1: if you would have been here, like you used to 548 00:36:25,520 --> 00:36:29,080 Speaker 1: come here when you needed a place to stay and 549 00:36:29,120 --> 00:36:33,560 Speaker 1: you didn't want to go on AIRB and B. I'm 550 00:36:33,600 --> 00:36:38,279 Speaker 1: not cooking for you this time. I'm upset, and she 551 00:36:38,560 --> 00:36:45,080 Speaker 1: offers Jesus an honest assessment about what she expected. The 552 00:36:46,000 --> 00:36:49,320 Speaker 1: most godly prayer you can pray is the most honest 553 00:36:49,360 --> 00:36:53,359 Speaker 1: prayer you can pray the most honest prayer you pray 554 00:36:53,600 --> 00:36:57,040 Speaker 1: will be the most godly prayer that you pray. So 555 00:36:57,120 --> 00:37:00,360 Speaker 1: she says, I expected you to come. Did you not 556 00:37:00,440 --> 00:37:03,399 Speaker 1: get the message? You left me on red, You left 557 00:37:03,400 --> 00:37:06,760 Speaker 1: me in my hurt, and Lazarus kept getting sicker and sicker, 558 00:37:07,000 --> 00:37:09,840 Speaker 1: and my faith got weaker and weaker. And at first 559 00:37:09,840 --> 00:37:12,680 Speaker 1: I thought, well, just surely he's been detained. But then 560 00:37:12,760 --> 00:37:16,160 Speaker 1: I found out you didn't come on purpose. If you 561 00:37:16,200 --> 00:37:19,400 Speaker 1: would have been here, if they would have raised me, 562 00:37:20,320 --> 00:37:23,440 Speaker 1: if they wouldn't have abused me, if you would have 563 00:37:23,600 --> 00:37:27,120 Speaker 1: stopped it, if you would have prevented it, if you 564 00:37:27,239 --> 00:37:30,400 Speaker 1: can do all things, why didn't you do what I 565 00:37:30,480 --> 00:37:33,360 Speaker 1: needed you to do that I've seen you do for others. 566 00:37:33,719 --> 00:37:37,120 Speaker 1: I saw you heal people. I saw you touched lives. 567 00:37:37,480 --> 00:37:40,040 Speaker 1: I saw you take better care of people who treated 568 00:37:40,080 --> 00:37:48,239 Speaker 1: you worse. But you have confused my love with conformity 569 00:37:48,360 --> 00:37:55,200 Speaker 1: to your agenda. If you would have been here, Lazarus 570 00:37:55,480 --> 00:37:59,719 Speaker 1: would not have died. And then something takes over Martha 571 00:37:59,760 --> 00:38:02,120 Speaker 1: and praying it'll take over us today because everybody in 572 00:38:02,160 --> 00:38:05,120 Speaker 1: here has got a Lazarus. Everybody in here has got 573 00:38:05,160 --> 00:38:08,080 Speaker 1: something that you're just buried or you're in the process 574 00:38:08,080 --> 00:38:10,880 Speaker 1: of burying and there's a funeral going on at the 575 00:38:10,920 --> 00:38:13,319 Speaker 1: same time that faith is trying to be born in 576 00:38:13,360 --> 00:38:16,960 Speaker 1: your heart today. But something kicks into Mary's spirit and 577 00:38:17,040 --> 00:38:20,040 Speaker 1: she's like, if you would have, then we could have. 578 00:38:20,200 --> 00:38:22,759 Speaker 1: But look at verse twenty two. But I know that 579 00:38:22,880 --> 00:38:26,960 Speaker 1: even now, and I want somebody to shout right now, 580 00:38:27,080 --> 00:38:31,200 Speaker 1: just say now, now, God is present in this moment. 581 00:38:31,320 --> 00:38:34,200 Speaker 1: God is with me in this season. God is for 582 00:38:34,360 --> 00:38:37,640 Speaker 1: me in this moment. God is with me in this season. 583 00:38:38,080 --> 00:38:42,040 Speaker 1: Shout now now. I know that devil has been trying 584 00:38:42,080 --> 00:38:45,080 Speaker 1: to keep you at the graveside, but let's bring our 585 00:38:45,120 --> 00:38:48,799 Speaker 1: disappointment into the presence of God for a moment and 586 00:38:48,880 --> 00:38:52,000 Speaker 1: declare that even now he is sovereign, even now he 587 00:38:52,160 --> 00:38:55,360 Speaker 1: is holy, even now he is good, even now he 588 00:38:55,520 --> 00:39:04,560 Speaker 1: is working, even now he's showing up. Even now, God 589 00:39:04,600 --> 00:39:08,680 Speaker 1: will give you whatever you ask. And Jesus said to her, 590 00:39:08,800 --> 00:39:11,839 Speaker 1: your brother will rise again. And Martha answered, I know 591 00:39:11,960 --> 00:39:14,960 Speaker 1: he will rise again in the resurrection at the last Day. 592 00:39:15,200 --> 00:39:18,560 Speaker 1: And Jesus said, you're missing the point. I am, the 593 00:39:18,600 --> 00:39:23,239 Speaker 1: resurrection and the life. You keep trying to prove my 594 00:39:23,400 --> 00:39:26,960 Speaker 1: presence by what I do. But I want you to 595 00:39:27,040 --> 00:39:31,000 Speaker 1: see who I am. So I didn't do what you 596 00:39:31,160 --> 00:39:34,000 Speaker 1: wanted me to do because I needed you to see 597 00:39:34,520 --> 00:39:38,160 Speaker 1: who I am. I am a friend of Stick. It's closer. 598 00:39:46,120 --> 00:39:48,200 Speaker 1: The one who believes in me will live even though 599 00:39:48,239 --> 00:39:51,840 Speaker 1: they die. Question question next verse, next verse, and whoever 600 00:39:51,880 --> 00:39:54,160 Speaker 1: lives by believing him will never die? Do you believe this? 601 00:39:56,480 --> 00:40:11,160 Speaker 1: Do you believe this? Do I believe what? Bro Preacher? 602 00:40:13,200 --> 00:40:19,120 Speaker 1: Do you believe what I just said? And she answers, yes, Lord, 603 00:40:20,120 --> 00:40:26,520 Speaker 1: I believe that you are the Messiah. Now it's two 604 00:40:26,520 --> 00:40:30,600 Speaker 1: things in the text delay. One says your brother will rise. 605 00:40:31,640 --> 00:40:35,880 Speaker 1: One says, I am the Resurrection. She says, I believe 606 00:40:36,480 --> 00:40:40,319 Speaker 1: that you are who you say you are. I don't 607 00:40:40,360 --> 00:40:43,920 Speaker 1: even know what you're going to do. But the Lazarus 608 00:40:43,960 --> 00:40:49,120 Speaker 1: factor is that thing inside of you that somehow knows 609 00:40:49,239 --> 00:40:59,959 Speaker 1: he is God. I believe that you are. It's sure 610 00:41:00,040 --> 00:41:02,920 Speaker 1: would have been nice if you had. But even though 611 00:41:02,960 --> 00:41:10,600 Speaker 1: you didn't, you are even even though you didn't. You are. 612 00:41:12,840 --> 00:41:18,200 Speaker 3: Even though I wish you are, even though I hoped 613 00:41:18,920 --> 00:41:25,120 Speaker 3: you are, even though he died, You are even though 614 00:41:25,239 --> 00:41:25,960 Speaker 3: it happened. 615 00:41:26,480 --> 00:41:33,080 Speaker 1: You are even though that's over. Even now, I believe 616 00:41:33,719 --> 00:41:40,759 Speaker 1: you are. And God God brings us to these points 617 00:41:41,040 --> 00:41:45,759 Speaker 1: to see what will we do with our disappointment. She 618 00:41:45,920 --> 00:41:49,279 Speaker 1: met him at the gate, and she confessed faith in him, 619 00:41:49,600 --> 00:41:52,200 Speaker 1: even in the absence of the miracle that she so 620 00:41:52,400 --> 00:41:56,719 Speaker 1: desperately needed. I believe that you are the son of 621 00:41:56,760 --> 00:41:59,280 Speaker 1: God who is to come into the world. And after 622 00:41:59,360 --> 00:42:02,400 Speaker 1: verse twenty eight she had said this, she went back 623 00:42:02,680 --> 00:42:06,080 Speaker 1: and called her sister Mary. A sigh. The teacher is here, 624 00:42:06,160 --> 00:42:09,120 Speaker 1: she said, and he's asking for you. And when Mary 625 00:42:09,160 --> 00:42:12,920 Speaker 1: heard this, she got up quickly and went to him. Now, Jesus, 626 00:42:13,560 --> 00:42:16,920 Speaker 1: I love the Bible. Jesus had not yet entered the village, 627 00:42:17,239 --> 00:42:19,560 Speaker 1: but was still at the place where Martha had met him. 628 00:42:19,880 --> 00:42:22,880 Speaker 1: He will stand where you need him to stand, and 629 00:42:22,920 --> 00:42:25,440 Speaker 1: he will come as far as you invite him. So 630 00:42:25,560 --> 00:42:28,840 Speaker 1: listen what that means if you choose to keep God 631 00:42:29,000 --> 00:42:39,400 Speaker 1: at a distance. He stood at the gate, and Mary 632 00:42:39,480 --> 00:42:43,200 Speaker 1: was mad too. I love how they were both mad, 633 00:42:43,239 --> 00:42:49,640 Speaker 1: but they still got a miracle. I don't know how 634 00:42:49,680 --> 00:42:51,560 Speaker 1: this is going to go over, but give God an 635 00:42:51,600 --> 00:43:01,759 Speaker 1: angry praise. He fell down at his feet, not in 636 00:43:02,200 --> 00:43:10,080 Speaker 1: faith but in frustration. But she came to him, and 637 00:43:10,120 --> 00:43:14,759 Speaker 1: everybody followed her out there. Everybody that came around. Aunt 638 00:43:14,800 --> 00:43:22,160 Speaker 1: Margaret just started with the letter m Mary. Martha Margaret said, 639 00:43:25,360 --> 00:43:30,240 Speaker 1: she said, verse verse thirty two. She reached the place 640 00:43:30,239 --> 00:43:31,880 Speaker 1: where he was and saw him and fell at his 641 00:43:31,920 --> 00:43:33,440 Speaker 1: feet and said, Lord, if you had been here, my 642 00:43:33,480 --> 00:43:36,840 Speaker 1: brother would not have died. And Jesus saw her weeping. 643 00:43:38,320 --> 00:43:40,240 Speaker 1: The Jews who had come along with are also weeping. 644 00:43:40,280 --> 00:43:43,719 Speaker 1: He was deeply moved in spirit and trouble. When he 645 00:43:43,760 --> 00:43:51,600 Speaker 1: saw her pain, he participated in it. The Lazarus factor 646 00:43:51,680 --> 00:43:59,880 Speaker 1: is not only that God gives miracles in desperation. The 647 00:44:00,200 --> 00:44:04,600 Speaker 1: Lazarus factor says that He is with us in the 648 00:44:04,640 --> 00:44:12,160 Speaker 1: pain of disappointment as well. And he asked Martha, do 649 00:44:12,239 --> 00:44:16,640 Speaker 1: you believe this? And he asked Mary for a location, 650 00:44:18,040 --> 00:44:22,160 Speaker 1: where did you lay him? Take me to that place, 651 00:44:24,200 --> 00:44:28,160 Speaker 1: Not the place that you let everybody else see. That place, 652 00:44:30,719 --> 00:44:34,440 Speaker 1: that place where you kind of buried your belief in God. 653 00:44:36,160 --> 00:44:40,960 Speaker 1: It was a rejection that place, It was a loss. 654 00:44:42,360 --> 00:44:50,160 Speaker 1: That place, it was a betrayal. That place is a 655 00:44:50,160 --> 00:44:53,799 Speaker 1: place where you feel exhausted, and it's sometimes a place 656 00:44:53,840 --> 00:44:57,120 Speaker 1: where you're embarrassed of it. It's not the rooms in 657 00:44:57,160 --> 00:44:59,960 Speaker 1: the house that you show the guests, it's the other 658 00:45:00,160 --> 00:45:08,120 Speaker 1: rooms that place. What I couldn't figure out was why 659 00:45:08,120 --> 00:45:10,960 Speaker 1: did Jesus wait when he could have come and spoken 660 00:45:10,960 --> 00:45:14,000 Speaker 1: a word. And if he could have come and spoken 661 00:45:14,040 --> 00:45:17,480 Speaker 1: a word, why didn't he just speak it from a distance. 662 00:45:18,480 --> 00:45:21,440 Speaker 1: He didn't even have to come to Bethany to heal Lazarus. 663 00:45:22,680 --> 00:45:26,040 Speaker 1: But I think he wanted us to see that He 664 00:45:26,200 --> 00:45:32,120 Speaker 1: likes to come close to what other people would push away. 665 00:45:33,440 --> 00:45:38,799 Speaker 1: Everybody has a Lazarus. Everybody has a turn that your 666 00:45:38,840 --> 00:45:42,279 Speaker 1: life took that you didn't see coming and that God 667 00:45:42,320 --> 00:45:46,640 Speaker 1: didn't prevent. And as simple as this message may be, 668 00:45:47,440 --> 00:45:49,319 Speaker 1: I think it may be the deepest one that you 669 00:45:49,440 --> 00:45:54,640 Speaker 1: ever hear, because God is saying, take me to that place. 670 00:45:56,280 --> 00:46:00,000 Speaker 1: It is not a physical location, it is an emotional one. 671 00:46:01,000 --> 00:46:07,959 Speaker 1: Take me to that place where you laid him, where 672 00:46:08,000 --> 00:46:13,080 Speaker 1: you stop being optimistic, where you started going through the 673 00:46:13,120 --> 00:46:18,360 Speaker 1: motions swinging an axe with no blade. Take me to 674 00:46:18,440 --> 00:46:22,520 Speaker 1: that place where you just learned to manage the addiction 675 00:46:22,960 --> 00:46:27,120 Speaker 1: rather than fighting it. Take me to that place where 676 00:46:27,160 --> 00:46:29,920 Speaker 1: you just decided to show people a facade because you 677 00:46:29,920 --> 00:46:33,200 Speaker 1: don't think they can handle what's really you in the 678 00:46:33,200 --> 00:46:40,200 Speaker 1: core of your being, that place, everybody has a Lazarus. 679 00:46:40,239 --> 00:46:43,440 Speaker 1: And the question is not whether or not you have 680 00:46:43,520 --> 00:46:46,400 Speaker 1: a Lazarus. The question is what are you gonna do 681 00:46:46,480 --> 00:46:51,600 Speaker 1: about it? Now? Jesus made the trip to the tomb, 682 00:46:52,400 --> 00:46:54,319 Speaker 1: and when he got there, some of y'all said, you 683 00:46:54,320 --> 00:46:56,919 Speaker 1: were going to memorize more scripture this year. I'm gonna 684 00:46:56,920 --> 00:46:59,839 Speaker 1: give you one to start. Verse thirty five. Jesus wept, 685 00:47:03,040 --> 00:47:05,560 Speaker 1: so you can go home and tell somebody you memorize 686 00:47:05,560 --> 00:47:08,800 Speaker 1: the whole Bible verse today, that's the whole verse. Jesus 687 00:47:08,840 --> 00:47:12,880 Speaker 1: webt how powerful that before he spoke the word, he wept. 688 00:47:14,880 --> 00:47:19,239 Speaker 1: Before he demonstrates his authority, he demonstrates his empathy. He 689 00:47:19,280 --> 00:47:21,400 Speaker 1: wants you to know, I'm with you while you're waiting 690 00:47:21,440 --> 00:47:23,640 Speaker 1: for it. I'm with you while you're waiting for it. 691 00:47:23,840 --> 00:47:26,800 Speaker 1: I'm with you. I was with you when you didn't 692 00:47:26,800 --> 00:47:29,560 Speaker 1: see me. I was with you when you didn't feel me. 693 00:47:29,840 --> 00:47:32,160 Speaker 1: I was with you when people couldn't do it for you. 694 00:47:32,480 --> 00:47:38,640 Speaker 1: I was with you. And he wept. And when they 695 00:47:38,680 --> 00:47:41,280 Speaker 1: saw that verse thirty six, many of the Jews gathered 696 00:47:41,280 --> 00:47:45,399 Speaker 1: there said, see how he loved him, Look how much 697 00:47:45,400 --> 00:47:48,959 Speaker 1: he loved him. And then some of the other Jews said, 698 00:47:49,120 --> 00:47:52,560 Speaker 1: verse thirty seven, could not he who opened the eyes 699 00:47:52,560 --> 00:47:56,960 Speaker 1: of the blind man kept this man from dying. So 700 00:47:57,040 --> 00:47:59,560 Speaker 1: now I got one voice saying, he loves you so much. 701 00:48:00,800 --> 00:48:02,719 Speaker 1: And then I got another voice saying, if he loves 702 00:48:02,760 --> 00:48:07,840 Speaker 1: me so much, then why. And the Bible says that Jesus, 703 00:48:07,840 --> 00:48:10,759 Speaker 1: once more deeply moved, did not respond to their opinions, 704 00:48:10,800 --> 00:48:15,360 Speaker 1: but operated according to his purpose. I feel the presence 705 00:48:15,400 --> 00:48:19,480 Speaker 1: of God in this place. Now watch this moment and 706 00:48:19,520 --> 00:48:22,280 Speaker 1: receive it for your Lazarus in your life. It says 707 00:48:22,360 --> 00:48:27,080 Speaker 1: Jesus once more deeply moved, came to the tomb. It 708 00:48:27,239 --> 00:48:30,640 Speaker 1: was a cave, but the stone laid across the entrance. 709 00:48:31,880 --> 00:48:35,680 Speaker 1: The stone across the entrance means nothing else is going 710 00:48:35,760 --> 00:48:38,040 Speaker 1: in and nothing else is coming. Now that's some of 711 00:48:38,040 --> 00:48:44,640 Speaker 1: your hearts today. And then Jesus tells them something to 712 00:48:44,640 --> 00:48:46,800 Speaker 1: do that he could have easily done without their help. 713 00:48:47,840 --> 00:48:51,719 Speaker 1: Take away the stone. Isn't that crazy? He's about to 714 00:48:51,800 --> 00:48:55,040 Speaker 1: raise this man from the dead, but he can't push 715 00:48:55,080 --> 00:49:02,480 Speaker 1: the stone. He could, but he didn't until the moment 716 00:49:02,600 --> 00:49:06,759 Speaker 1: where you open yourself to the possibility that God can 717 00:49:06,840 --> 00:49:11,920 Speaker 1: do it. Your heart is a closed tomb keeping dead 718 00:49:11,960 --> 00:49:18,240 Speaker 1: things in. But here's what's beautiful when Martha responded to Jesus' command. 719 00:49:18,760 --> 00:49:22,319 Speaker 1: She was embarrassed because she didn't want to expose what 720 00:49:22,520 --> 00:49:25,600 Speaker 1: was inside. She said, Lord, by this time there's a 721 00:49:25,640 --> 00:49:28,719 Speaker 1: bad odor. I don't want anybody to see this. I 722 00:49:28,719 --> 00:49:31,800 Speaker 1: don't want anybody to know this. I don't want anybody 723 00:49:31,840 --> 00:49:34,120 Speaker 1: to go know what's really going on in my heart. 724 00:49:34,440 --> 00:49:37,399 Speaker 1: But then Jesus said something. Did I not tell you 725 00:49:37,760 --> 00:49:41,480 Speaker 1: that if you believe, you will see the glory of 726 00:49:41,560 --> 00:49:44,000 Speaker 1: God and get ready to praise him by faith Verse 727 00:49:44,040 --> 00:49:49,280 Speaker 1: forty one. They took away the stone, and Jesus looked 728 00:49:49,360 --> 00:49:51,880 Speaker 1: up and said, get ready to praise him. Father. I 729 00:49:52,040 --> 00:49:55,040 Speaker 1: thank you that you heard me. I know you always 730 00:49:55,120 --> 00:49:58,080 Speaker 1: hear me. But I said it for them that they 731 00:49:58,160 --> 00:50:02,440 Speaker 1: may believe, that they may believe I sent you through trouble, 732 00:50:02,760 --> 00:50:05,919 Speaker 1: that you may believe I sent you through the sea, 733 00:50:06,360 --> 00:50:09,799 Speaker 1: that you may believe that you sent me. And then 734 00:50:09,920 --> 00:50:12,799 Speaker 1: Jesus get ready to praise him Verse thirty forty three, 735 00:50:12,840 --> 00:50:15,440 Speaker 1: Come on, come up. When he had said this, he 736 00:50:15,600 --> 00:50:23,600 Speaker 1: called out in a loud voice, Lazarus, come out, Lazarus 737 00:50:24,719 --> 00:50:27,080 Speaker 1: come out. Forty four. 738 00:50:27,719 --> 00:50:32,040 Speaker 4: When he said it, the dead man came out, the 739 00:50:32,120 --> 00:50:36,920 Speaker 4: dead dream came out, the dead Daith came out, the 740 00:50:37,000 --> 00:50:42,759 Speaker 4: dead place came to life. The tripos came together. 741 00:50:42,920 --> 00:50:48,279 Speaker 1: Both to both hear the word of the Lord Lazarus. 742 00:50:48,800 --> 00:50:58,440 Speaker 4: Come forth, Praiser, Lazarus, come. 743 00:51:01,600 --> 00:51:07,680 Speaker 1: For in a loud voice. He commanded that thing that 744 00:51:07,880 --> 00:51:14,480 Speaker 1: was dead to come alive. And the Lazarus factor says, 745 00:51:15,920 --> 00:51:21,480 Speaker 1: you don't always get Lazarus back, but his presence is 746 00:51:21,520 --> 00:51:26,480 Speaker 1: always calling something forth, come and let us sink in. 747 00:51:28,800 --> 00:51:31,799 Speaker 1: You know I'm right about it. You know he's the 748 00:51:31,840 --> 00:51:35,000 Speaker 1: god of the outcome. You know he's the god who 749 00:51:35,080 --> 00:51:37,960 Speaker 1: is working all things together. Right. You didn't forget that, 750 00:51:38,080 --> 00:51:43,120 Speaker 1: did you, Martha. You didn't let you didn't let your 751 00:51:43,239 --> 00:51:48,520 Speaker 1: Lazarus convince you that he didn't love you. He loved Lazarus. 752 00:51:50,160 --> 00:51:54,720 Speaker 1: He loves Larry Stevens Fredick Jr. He loves Hollyanna Fredick 753 00:51:56,080 --> 00:52:01,719 Speaker 1: loved He loved me so much that he let something die. 754 00:52:02,480 --> 00:52:06,000 Speaker 1: Showed up at the spot, and he's still showing up 755 00:52:07,360 --> 00:52:11,160 Speaker 1: at the tomb of every Lazarus. They didn't want him 756 00:52:11,200 --> 00:52:13,360 Speaker 1: to show up at the tomb. They wanted him to 757 00:52:13,400 --> 00:52:18,239 Speaker 1: show up in the hospital room, in this place. I 758 00:52:18,280 --> 00:52:19,799 Speaker 1: want you to know that, even though it's not the 759 00:52:19,800 --> 00:52:24,160 Speaker 1: place you plan to be. He's standing here. He has 760 00:52:24,200 --> 00:52:29,240 Speaker 1: not forsaken you. He has not abandoned you. In Greek, 761 00:52:29,560 --> 00:52:34,719 Speaker 1: the word is umeh. It means never. When he said 762 00:52:34,760 --> 00:52:37,040 Speaker 1: never will I leave you, never will I forsake you. 763 00:52:37,719 --> 00:52:44,520 Speaker 1: It's a double negative. Umeh it means never, no, never. Father, 764 00:52:44,600 --> 00:52:47,480 Speaker 1: in the name of Jesus, I thank you that you 765 00:52:47,640 --> 00:52:51,520 Speaker 1: hurt us the first time. I thank you that there's 766 00:52:51,560 --> 00:52:56,160 Speaker 1: nobody standing before you today who cannot declare that you 767 00:52:56,239 --> 00:53:00,919 Speaker 1: are weeping with us in our disappointment, and your word 768 00:53:01,000 --> 00:53:05,560 Speaker 1: is going forth into our future. I speak to every 769 00:53:05,640 --> 00:53:08,560 Speaker 1: Lazarus in this room today, in the name of Jesus, 770 00:53:09,400 --> 00:53:13,640 Speaker 1: I call joy forth. In the name of Jesus, I 771 00:53:13,719 --> 00:53:19,120 Speaker 1: call peace, purpose and glory forth, for we know that 772 00:53:19,200 --> 00:53:23,520 Speaker 1: this sickness does not end in death, but for the 773 00:53:23,560 --> 00:53:31,480 Speaker 1: glory of God. The Lazarus factor. He is getting glory 774 00:53:31,680 --> 00:53:35,719 Speaker 1: out of this situation. Look at me for one moment. 775 00:53:35,719 --> 00:53:37,520 Speaker 1: I'm over my time, but I got to tell you something. 776 00:53:38,680 --> 00:53:42,920 Speaker 1: It was the situation that gave the opportunity for revelation. 777 00:53:45,440 --> 00:53:48,879 Speaker 1: God is doing that in your life right now. Thank 778 00:53:48,920 --> 00:53:51,360 Speaker 1: you for joining us. Special thanks to those of you 779 00:53:51,400 --> 00:53:54,400 Speaker 1: who give generously to this ministry. Is because of you 780 00:53:54,520 --> 00:53:57,480 Speaker 1: that this ministry is possible. You can click the link 781 00:53:57,520 --> 00:54:01,000 Speaker 1: in the description to give now or visit at Elevationchurch 782 00:54:01,160 --> 00:54:04,400 Speaker 1: dot org slash podcast for more information and if you 783 00:54:04,520 --> 00:54:07,719 Speaker 1: enjoyed the podcast, you can subscribe. You can share it 784 00:54:07,760 --> 00:54:10,080 Speaker 1: with your friends. You can click the share button, take 785 00:54:10,080 --> 00:54:12,440 Speaker 1: a screenshot and share it on your social stories and 786 00:54:12,480 --> 00:54:15,359 Speaker 1: tag us at Elevation Church. Thanks again for listening. God 787 00:54:15,400 --> 00:54:15,759 Speaker 1: bless you.