Shake Off Those Grave Clothes

Introduction

Last Weeks Recap

Last week we began a short series in John 11 and talking about Lessons we can learn from the death, and Life of Lazarus.

And Last week we uncovered signifigant truth in begining of this Story as we talked about the Purpose, Promise, and Perserverence that lay within its context.

Purpose

We talked about how Jesus purposely waited 2 days when he found out lazarus was sick

and that this was intentional.

That through this waiting the prayer request moved from a simple healing to a raising of the dead..

Through the waiting the audiance of this miracle grew..

And through the waiting an oppurtunity for faith to grow grew as well.

Jesus has purpose in the waiting..

and He does this in the timing of events in our lives as well.

So we dertermined we should trust him in it and cling to the promise.

Promise

Secondly we discovered that Jesus, from the very begining gave a promise to Mary and martha..

A Promise that this event would not end in dead..

and it certainly did not.

It ended in lazarus walking in life..

We talked about how If mary and martha would have recognized and clung to the promise they would have been able to weather the waiting in a calmer and more peaceful way..

We talked about the prmoises God has given us

and how we are to cling to them as we wait for God to fulfil them in our lives.

Perserverence

Finally, We were reminded that the four day will come.

the day where Jesus finally fulfilled the promise and raised lazarus from the death..

In each and everyone of our promises the day will come when God will fulfill them..

but between then and now we have to perservere and wait with faith..

clinging to the promise that God will do what he said he will do.

Today

Last week we spoke about the begining of the story..

This week I want us to focus on the end of the story

The Story

I want us to focus this week on John 11:38-44

Lets Read it together

John 11:38–44 ESV

Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

Pray

Recap

Lazarus has been sick,

We know mary and martha sent for Jesus..

and then Jesus waited 2 days..

And now Jesus has showed up 4 days after lazarus died and does something crazy…

Somthing impossible..

Something illogical..

He tells the people that are there..

Move the stone..

The poeple of course try to “reason with Jesus..”

Lord.. He has been dead four days..

If we move the stone its going to stink to high Heaven!

But Jesus reminds them of the promise..

They move the stone

and Jesus begins to pray..

And crys out..

Lazarus Come OUT..

And scriptures records that the man who died, lazarus, came out of the grave..

From Death to Life

Maybe you need reminded today..

But we serve a God who brings dead things back to life

He isnt afriad of any situation, circumstance or problem..

Hes not afraid of anyones mess..

BUT WHEN HE GETS IN THE MIX THE DEAD THINGS IN OUR LIFE BEGIN TO COME BACK TO LIFE!

Salvation

You know, if you know Jesus the bible says that exzaclty what God has done in our lives..

Brought us from death to life..

Look at what paul wrote to the colosians..

Colossians 2:13–15 (ESV)

And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

In our sin we were dead..

destined for heal..

deastine for eternal death..

BUT AT SOME POINT, Like paul on the road to demascuous..

We intersected Jesus in our journy

We gave our life to him..

He put our sin on the cross

Paid our debt with his blood..

and we were Birthed into the kingdom as believers

we were raised to life with christ.

LIKE LAZARUS WE TALK OUT OF OUR GRAVE.. INTO THE LIGHT..

Paul

Paul says it to the romans this ways

Romans 6:4 ESV

We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

The Voice Translation of the bible puts it this way

“Therefore, We were buried with hime through this baptism into death so that Just as God the father, in all his glory, ressurected the annointed one, we, too, might walk confidently out of the grave into new life.”

Simply put If we know Jesus..

Like Lazarus..

WE have been called out of the grave..

and we are alive..

Lazarus was alive..

Lazarus was alive..

His heart was beating again..

He was breathing again..

He was moving again

BUt

the bible says their was still a problem..

He still had the grave clothes on..

Look at verse 44 again

John 11:44 ESV

The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

Lazarus was now alive..

but he was still bound with the linen strips and the face wrap of his death..

He still looked like a buries corpse..

So Jesus speaks to those around him and tells them.

Unbind him.. and let him go..

today I want us to talk about the grave clothes

Because I want us to understand that it’s possible to be alive in christ, but still be bound by the things of our dead life, and if we are not cut free from them..

they have the propesity to greatly effect our walk with god, and eventually even drag us back into the grave..

Abundant life

I want to remind us this morning that God did not call us out of the grave just so we could be alive but still be bound..

But rather he called us out so we could truely be free..

Jesus in John 10:10 said it this way..

John 10:10 ESV

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.

Jesus has not saved us and brought us to life to simple let us continue in bondage..

but he calls us out of our grave cloths into true freedom!

So what are the grave clothes

The Grave Clothes

What were grave clothes

in bible days people were not buryied in a box like they are today..

They were buried in a tomb.

Life was very different..

When somone died

they would wash the body..

anoint it with oil

and prepare it for burial.

Then they would wrap the body in linen strips..

mixing different perfumes and burial spices into the wrap as they went..

they would place a napkin over the face and then lay them in a tomb..

the body would spend a year or so in the tomb.. and after which the family would come and gather the bones of the person and place them in a box and lay them with the other relatives in the tomb..

Lazarus

so when lazarus comes out of the tomb..

He doesnt just come walking out like we came walking into church today.

He is wraped up..

He was still bound by the grave clothes..

his arms wrapped to his sides

His legs wrapped together..

and his face covered in a napkin..

HE STILL LOOKED LIKE THE OLD DEAD MAN..

and this has the potential to cause great problems if not dealt with..

The problem of the grave clothes..

if they do not remove the grave clothes He will not be able to function as he should..

He wont be able to walk right..

Or use his arms..

or breathe correctly

or even see..

and if were going to be honest..

they have the real chance of taking his life again through suffrication

or infection..

So the grave cloths were and issue..

Us

You see I told you God was a god of life..

but unfortunatly there are many who god has brought to life..

They are alive in him..

but they have yet to shed the grave clothes of theirs sinful selves..

They are still bound things of their past..

bound by the things of the dead man..

and so they are not able to serve the lord as he intends them too.,.

they arnt able to worship as he intends them too..

they arnt able to fulfill their purpose as he intends them too

or walk as he intends them too..

because while they are breathing they are still bound in their grave cloths..

Fall

If were gonna be honest.. this is the reason that when some come to christ..

they never see victory, and maybe even eventually fall back into the grave..

Because never shed the grave clothes

They nevere shed the wardrob of the old man..

You see the grave cloths are a real problem..

So you might be asking.. Pastor.. what are our grave clothes?

What are our grave clothes?

Grave clothes represent the things we used to do when we were spiritually dead.

They represent addictions and worldly habits that we hold on to.

Grave clothes represent things in our past that we wont let go..

Hurts, pains, unforgiveness, and relationships..

They represent patterns of thinking and living that are rooted in the sin old man nature all of us inherited from Adam.

Grave clothes represent our limited beliefs in what GOD can do in our live.

Simple put, the grave clothes are the leftovers from our old, sinful life, that we are still wrapped up in and bound by..

they can be anything that threatens to prevent us from living free when Jesus brings us to new life

Anything that threatens to steal our breath and silence us from praising God..

Anything that threatens to stop our walk..

or threatens to send us back to the grave..

Examples

Our grave clothes could be fear..

It could be unfrogivness..

It would be a ungodly relationship or friendship..

It could be an addiction or habit ..

It could be a way of thinking or living..

It could be a hurt or a pain from the past…

It could be just about anything..

BUT WHAT WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THIS MORNING..

IT WHATEVER IT IS.. WE MUST SHED IT THIS MORNING..

AND GET RID OF IT

BECAUSE GRAVE CLOTHES HAVE A MAJOR EFFECT ON OUR LIFE!

This morning I want to talk breifly about 5 dangers of living in your grave clothes..

Problems that arrise when we are not freed from them..

The Dangers of living in your grave clothes..

1. Our grave clothes can prevent us from truely living free (The Legs)

Remember the legs were bound..

Lazarus could not walk..

or go anywhere..

because his legs were bound..

us

when we are bound in our grave clothes we cannot live in the freedom god intends for us..

they prevent us from being free..

and walking as God has called us to walk

Ungodly relationships

take for example relationships from our past..

Its hard to live for god when the people around you are encouraging you not too..

Maybe this morning you need to break ties with some people who are not walking the same direction as you..

Additions and habits..

maybe you have an addiction or habits that you know God wants to break off of you..

It prevents you from walking truely free in chirst…

Christ wants you to be free..

Our grave clothes prevents us from walking free..

2. Our Grave Clothes will prevent us from accomplishing his purpose (Arms)

Lazarus could not use his hands..

they were bound..

So he couldnt make anything..

write anything

play anything

or do anything until he was loosed..

us

our grave clothes can flat our steal our purpose..

selfworth/shame

maybe you veiw your self as unworthy because of yoru past..

or not good enough because of your downfalls..

if we live in the past of who we have been

or under the shame of what we have done.

we will never allow ourselves to think we can be used of god..

fear

if we live in the fear that we are not enough to accomplish what god has spoken over us..

We will never have the courage to step out into the new things he calls us too..

If we dont get rid of the grvae clothes we may never accomplish our purpose..

3. Our grave clothes can prevent us from expereincing the fullness of God (face)

Lazarus face was covered..

He couldnt even see the Jesus who had set him free..

He couldnt even breath clearly..

He could not take note of Christ presence..

us

If we are so caught up in the pitfalls of who we were..

and we continue to live in those ways..

we will never be able to avance our relationship with god in the way he desires us too..

It will prevent us from gettings close to him..

both because of the dirt of sin..

and because of our shame..

like the islrailtes who refused to come close to the mountain because of the way they felt..

We will push our intimacy with god off on the moses of our day..

instead of walking close with him ourselves.

4. Our grave clothes threaten to steal our praise.

this one hits hard in me..

Lazarus couldnt lift his hands

or praise god with his mouth

He couldnt even thank god for life until they cut him free..

the grave cloths prevented him from doing that

us

the grave clothes prevent us from giving god the praise he is due..

They prevents uf from lifting our hands..

manytimes because we dont feel worthy too..

or we feel that God is not happy with us..

free

And to be honest..

WHen you finally get set free from that bondage..

their is a praise that comes up out of you like nothing youve ever known..

because you know he was the only one who could do it..

5. Finally, the grave cloths threaten to take our life

If they would not have freed him from them..

they could have sent him back to the grave..

They could have sufracated him..

but he aslo could have died from an infection..

These things had been wrapped around a decaying body for four days..

they would have been filled will all kinds of things that were not healthy..

us

if we dont cut ties with the od ways of life..

with the pre life things of the world..

they have the oppurtunity to steal the life God has given us..

and put us back in the grave..

Our grave clothes are a threat

and they have to go..

How do we shake off our grave clothes?

look at the last verse again..

John 11:43–44 ESV

When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

first we have to choose to come out and be free..

1. Choice

jesus called lazarus out of the grave..

and he came out..

If we want to be free..

we first have to choose to be free..

We will not be free from them..

until We decide We want to be free..

Comfort

Lets be honest, one of the Problems is that some of our grave clothes are so comfortable we don’t want to take them off.

we like them..

they are warm..

comfortable..

and what we know..

BUT

Until you choose to take them off..

And put on the new garments god has given you..

the garment of rightousness instead..

YOu will never be free..

You have to choose to come out..

Colossians

I love what colossians 3 says..

I preached on it a few months ago.

but let me read it to you..

Colossians 3:1–17 ESV

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On account of these the wrath of God is coming. In these you too once walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away: anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth. Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. Here there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all. Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.

We have to choose to lay down the old grave cloths of this world..

and live in the new garments God has given us..

but we have to choose..

that the begining..

but theirs more..

2. Christ

look at the verse again..

IT WAS JESUS.. WHO CALLED HIM OUT OF THEM..

JESUS SPOKE..

AND HE WAS RAISED FROM THE DEAD.

AND HE WAS FREED FROM THE CLOTHES

example

over and over again in the new testament we find people who had problems..

people who loved god..

but they needed freedom.

and what do they do..

they bring it to Jesus and he frees them..

BUT THEY HAVE TO CHOOSE TO BRING IT TO HIM.

he has the power..

whatever you facing.

If your choosing to be free today..

He is going to be the catalyst and power that sets you free..

and finally..

look at the last part..

Jesus doesnt just tell lazarus to free himself..

He tells the people around him too.

Each other

fwere not in this alone..

we are called each and everyone to help each other shed those grave cloths..

and continue to walk in the way God has called us to walk..

We have an obligations to each other..

To help each other walk the way God has called us to walk..

to keep each other accountable

to lean on and carry each other..

Are you ready to be free today?

Choose to lay them down,

people will pray for you..

we believe God will set you free