Do You Believe?
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John 11:1-4
John 11:1-4
Resurrection Sunday
Pray
Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. (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.) So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.”
Mary, Martha and Lazarus were in Bethany.
Bethany is a town located about two miles south east of Jerusalem.
When this news came to Jesus, He was somewhere east of the Jordan river in the region of Perea.
It is believed that Jesus may have been about 15 miles or so from Bethany when word came to Him about Lazarus.
A somber thought that can be taken from this text is that though we know God, hardship can still befall us.
We will still face difficulty in this world.
Click #1
1. We face difficulty in this fallen world because of the prevalence of sin.
Spurgeon quote:
“The love of Jesus does not separate us from the common necessities and infirmities of human life. Men of God are still men.” (Spurgeon)
We as humanity trudge through the consequences of the fall.
It is not until we go home to be with the Lord or He comes back will we be delivered, finally from this struggle.
Though we all struggle:
We can cling to the hope that even in hardship, God will be glorified.
Click #2
2. In our difficulty, we can choose to glorify God through our faith.
One purpose of this account is to give glory to God.
Not only to glorify God, but to recognize the authority of Jesus our Savior and King, the Son of God.
I am not saying that this is easy.
As a matter of fact in our own strength it is impossible.
We will never be able to cling to hope in hardship without faith in Jesus.
By no means is it easy to cling to faith, but it is possible if we are willing.
It is possible if we are willing.
It is possible through Jesus if we choose to allow His to strengthen us.
I am reminded of the account of the woman who reached out to touch the garment of our Savior.
Turn to Matthew 9
While he was saying this, a synagogue leader came and knelt before him and said, “My daughter has just died. But come and put your hand on her, and she will live.” Jesus got up and went with him, and so did his disciples. Just then a woman who had been subject to bleeding for twelve years came up behind him and touched the edge of his cloak. She said to herself, “If I only touch his cloak, I will be healed.” Jesus turned and saw her. “Take heart, daughter,” he said, “your faith has healed you.” And the woman was healed at that moment. When Jesus entered the synagogue leader’s house and saw the noisy crowd and people playing pipes, he said, “Go away. The girl is not dead but asleep.” But they laughed at him. After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up. News of this spread through all that region.
This woman, in her suffering had only the strength to reach out and touch the hem of His garment.
Yet even in her weakness, she had faith.
She made a choice to be willing to trust.
She made a choice to be willing to cling to the Savior because she recognized Jesus as her strength.
She reached out to touch Him, and Jesus called her daughter.
This is an indicator of our identity.
Click #3 and #4
3. We are sons and daughters of an eternal, loving King.
Cling to this truth.
4. Cling to who Jesus says you are.
Cling to the truth and authority of His words.
We must do the same as the woman in these verses.
Reach out and cling to the Messiah who is the strength of our being,
Click #5, 6
5. We must, even in our weakness, cling the the hem of His garment.
In our weakness, He can make us strong.
6. We must choose to reach out in faith.
We must choose faith.
In faith, we are in covenant with His strength.
In our choice to cling to faith, we will be strengthened.
This life is not the end, but the beginning of an eternal promise.
Faith in Jesus opens the door to the beginning of a life set apart in covenant with Him.
Not saying that this is easy.
But we must be willing.
We must be willing to cling to faith even in adversity, because He is our strength.
Turn to Matthew 10
As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give. “Do not get any gold or silver or copper to take with you in your belts—no bag for the journey or extra shirt or sandals or a staff, for the worker is worth his keep. Whatever town or village you enter, search there for some worthy person and stay at their house until you leave. As you enter the home, give it your greeting. If the home is deserving, let your peace rest on it; if it is not, let your peace return to you. If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, leave that home or town and shake the dust off your feet. Truly I tell you, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.
In these verses, Jesus is preparing the disciples to go out and proclaim the message of Salvation.
He tells them to proclaim that the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.
Click #7
7. Repent and get right with God because Salvation has come.
Jesus is preparing them, and us for our mission.
After Jesus instructs them to go out and proclaim repentance for the Kingdom of God is at hand, He says in verse 6,
“I am sending you out like sheep among wolves. Therefore be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.
Jesus is inferring in these verses that he is leaving them.
It is coming to the time for Him to return to heaven to be seated on His throne awaiting His return.
Click #8
8. Jesus says in His Name, Go out and proclaim these things, but as you do you will be sheep among wolves.
He sends us out, as sheep among wolves.
This is true.
We can see in our society that we are surrounded by sin.
Temptation.
James tells us in chapter 3 of his book that the wisdom of sinful humanity is informed by jealousy, selfish-ambition, disorder and every vile practice.
It is in this world that we unfortunately are called to go out into.
To bring the news of repentance unto Salvation.
To proclaim that the Kingdom of the Lord is at hand.
Very much so we go out as sheep surrounded by wolves.
What hope do sheep have?
What hope do we have knowing that we are surrounded by a tsumani of difficulty, trouble and sin?
Brother and sister, I ask you this?
Jesus did say the He sends us out as sheep among wolves, but who is the Shepherd?
Click #9
9. Who is the Shepherd?
How often and quickly we forget our Shepherd.
We forget that the Shepherd in in our midst.
The Shepherd dwells in our hearts through the person of the Holy Spirit.
We are not alone.
The Shepherd walks with us.
In all His authority, glory and majesty, He walks with us.
SO find hope therefore in His authority.
Jesus is with us even in our time of difficulty.
KEEP on slide for sake of time.
See to it that you do not refuse him who speaks. If they did not escape when they refused him who warned them on earth, how much less will we, if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven? At that time his voice shook the earth, but now he has promised, “Once more I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens.” The words “once more” indicate the removing of what can be shaken—that is, created things—so that what cannot be shaken may remain. Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us be thankful, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe, for our “God is a consuming fire.”
Once more God will shake the earth by the power of His voice.
Once more will the King of Glory shake not only the earth but the heavens above.
And all that can be shaken will be removed leaving only that which is unshakable.
May the wolves cower.
May the wolves cower at the sound of His voice.
Be thankful, therefore because we are recipients of a Kingdom that cannot be shaken.
Click #10
10. We are protected by a Shepherd that stands in our midst.
DO not fear, do not be anxious for our God is with us.
So often we focus on the trial.
Our focus must be upon the King.
Turn back to John
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.”
This verse picks up after Jesus heard the news that Lazarus was sick.
The words of Jesus upon hearing this news: “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.”
It is for this reason we celebrate to day.
In the context of the verses, Jesus is speaking about His authority over death.
He will go on later in this chapter to proclaim that He is the Resurrection and the Life.
Click #11
11. Faith in Jesus delivers us from the curse of sin and death.
The sickness that all humanity suffers in.
The sickness of sin has only one remedy.
That remedy being Jesus.
Click #12
12. Jesus is the remedy.
He is the hope we can have in this life.
He is the promise that difficulty will not be our end.
Because He is risen.
He is our Resurrection.
We do not have to fear because Jesus is not in the grave.
He is risen and He is our hope in resurrection.
Benediction: