The Making of a Miracle

The Making of a Miracle (Authenticity & Faith)

John 11:17-44 NLT; John 11:39b KJV; Romans 13:14a NLT

June 20, 2023 – Waters Edge Church Student Camp

INTRODUCTION / TENSION / THE HOOK (4.5/4.5)

Camp! What’s up… I’m Corey Hise-NN CP…pumped to be here…been awesome so far-God is moving! __ team is winning, but__ team is making a comeback! Speaking of…y'all ever seen an amazing comeback?

Dating Ashley Story… now that’s a comeback/miracle! But today I want to remind you all of something… bc many of prob feel like you’ve lost/it’s over…your relationship/faith/parent’s marriage/addiction… today I want to remind you that we serve the God of the comeback/of the miracle/who brings dead things to life…nothing too far gone for him & he loves you so much that he wants you to experience a miracle in your life

Yall ever wanted that? how many came to camp needing to experience a miracle/move in your life? to pull comeback?

EXPOSITION (8/12.5)

Today- gonna walk you through the profound story of Jesus’ most impressive miracle…bc its @ someone who really wanted a miracle, but didn’t seem to get it…yesterday Teanna taught us that Lazarus died & everybody was utterly hopeless…we left off w/ Lazarus’ sisters, Mary/Martha who had waited & waited…begged God to do a miracle & he didn’t show up…situation is dead & finished-their brother was gone/not coming back…pull out Bibles

John 11:17… stop there, this is important… Jews believed that after someone died, their soul would hover around their body for 3 days waiting to see if they had an opportunity to reenter the dead person… so understand, when we hit 4 days, it means that this brother was a goner…everybody had long given up hope… keep reading: John 11:18-21… where we stopped last time… but I want you to see this next line…John 11:22 “but even now”- amazing faith

Now Martha is not saying she thinks Jesus will resurrect Lazarus, that’s not even a remote possibility in her mind… what’s she saying is: “if you’d been here, you could’ve healed Lazarus… but even now, I still believe in you”

This is an amazing statement… Jesus hasn’t died on the cross & been resurrected yet/hasn’t ascended to heaven/etc etc… yet in the midst of the worst defeat of her life, she still believes in Jesus…do you? you have faith like Martha? Even if no answered prayer/miracle/comeback, believe/trust in him? That he’s good and he loves you? Amazing!

John 11:23-27…have hope! You will see him again, not bc of his good works/he’s a Jew, but bc he had faith in me… important- listen if you’ve given your life to Jesus, you will go to heaven… no matter what… you belong to him

John 11:28-37… astonishing-ppl are so focused on what Jesus didn’t do, he’s angry that they don’t see what he can do

John 11:38-44…love this story! Most shocking moment of Jesus’ whole ministry… dead are raised to life/he’s done the impossible/Lazarus was dead, now alive… he is the Messiah! What an amazing miracle!

Often we hear this story, say “man that’s awesome, I want to experience that power/glory/those wonders in my life”, get excited/inspired, start praying for God to move like that/bring revival/do mighty works… and while we pray for that/want that, we are not prepared for that/not taking necessary steps to experience a miracle…

Want to spend rest of time together examining this miracle, bc if we look closely, we’ll notice that w/ each of Jesus’ 3 commands, he shows us what we need to do to experience a miracle…ingredients of comeback/makings of miracle

Get Real (5/17.5)

Let’s look back at John 11:39a… this is the first command Jesus gives… Jesus doesn’t take no time/count to 3/etc, he rips the band-aid straight off! So bad that Martha says in my fav version (KJV), John 11:39b KJV: Lord, by this time he stinketh” but Jesus doesn’t care & he leads us to the 1st ingredient of experiencing a miracle…we’ve gotta Get Real

Sonic Story…can’t fake it with God…if you want to experience God pull off a crazy comeback/miracle in your life… can’t sit in safety/secretly, quietly paying for God to change you… you’ve gotta get real/get nasty/open up/stink a little bit… ultimately, you’ve gotta uncover sin your life

Many of us are praying for God to move in life/relationships/family/friend’s life/addictions… but if we don’t uncover our sin to someone else, if you don’t get real/nasty, we’ll never give God space to move in our life

God always wants to move, but we choose whether we’ll be transparent enough to let him…when we’re authentic with Jesus, we give him access to our hearts…& its that access that allows him in to do amazing things in/through us

In other words, authenticity makes us available for miracles…

So if you’re sitting here & you’ve been praying for God to do a mighty work, your 1st step, get real…find your leader/ parent/CP & let them know what’s going on… don’t be afraid of how they respond to the stench of your sin/situation, instead recognize that this is how you step into healing/blessing/miracle…while it’s hard/weird/scary, it’s abs worth it

Get Out of the Way (9/26.5)

Bc when we get real, leads us to next ingredient for experiencing miracle…John 11:43…what emphatic/authoritative moment… this is Jesus’ 2nd command, Lazarus, come out…I love how he calls him by name/knows him/loves him

No sugarcoating/lengthy intro- Lazarus, come forth…but notice- everyone in the story is getting in his way… Jews/ disciples/crowd/Martha…& Jesus finally just steps up/shouts, Lazarus come out…this is 2nd ingredient in making of miracle: Get Out of the Way & let Jesus move! So many in story believe in Jesus/want to help but are just in the way!

Chase Whittle/Dre Intramural Story…that’s the idea, bc you/I/leader/parent can’t do it… only Jesus has the divine spark/power to do miracles in your life/transform/revolutionize your life…here’s why: bc you’re not the hero of your story/not the main character, Jesus is…

Often times we get real/repent of sin/apologize/open up, & then we decide we’re going to be the hero…do/act/behave better/find solutions/fix problem… but here’s the truth: that’s not how miracles happen… you can play hero, but you will never experience a move of God when you’re in charge… in fact, the only way to experience a miracle in your life is through God’s miraculous touch…

By definition, miracle: an extraordinary event that is naturally unexplainable and must be ascribed to God… yet many of you are asking God to restore parent’s marriage/break addiction/heal sickness/save friends & you’re planning/ strategizing/working/interjecting… & Jesus is saying, “get out of my way/give me space/I got this”

Jesus may be calling you today to give him space & let him move…bc when I move, not much happens; when Jesus moves, miracles happen/comebacks occur/walls come down/world changes/ppl healed/restored/reconciled/saved

Some of you have been trying for too long to change your situation/parents/friends/bf/gf… & Jesus is saying, trust me, get out of the way, let me handle this… so I encourage you, let him… give him the ball & watch what he’ll do

For those who have gotten real, but not seen God move mightily in your life yet, your next step: get out of the way… how? sit w/ Jesus/pray or journal/tell Jesus you trust him w/ that area where waiting & invite him to move in that area

While that may feel boring/useless to you- it’s exact opp…bc you’re inviting the God of universe into your situation

And trust me-when God enters your situation, everything changes…

Get Moving (7.5/34)

Which brings us to end of the story… John 11:44…I love this! Do you see it? when you open yourself up to Jesus (get real) & invite Jesus to move (get out of the way), Jesus in his timing will move/perform miracle… & there you have it, the making of a miracle! but wait, the story doesn’t end, notice Jesus had 1 more command after the miracle

“Unwrap him/let him go” feels like duh- he’s free- let him go! But there’s actually a bigger idea here & it’s the actually the final ingredient to experiencing a miracle…bc a miracle w/o transformation just becomes a memory… Jesus says, to experience this miracle: Lazarus, you must Get Moving

He’s free, but he has to choose whether he would walk like he was free… how many people are free, but still living in bondage? live in the light, but walk around w/ eyes closed? healed, but overcome w/ sickness? alive, but still stumbling around in their grave clothes?…many of you have gotten real/gotten out of the way & Jesus has moved, but if you want to fully experience that miracle/let it transform you- then you must get moving

Hospital Clothes Illustration… that’s so many of us…we’re free/healed/restored, yet we still walk around in our grave clothes… you’re wondering why your life hasn’t changed since God moved mightily in your life/last camp/gave life to Jesus/baptized/went to SG…it’s bc you’re still walking around as if nothing has changed… look/talk/dress/act/ think the same…you’re walking around in your grave clothes

Grave clothes are things in your life that look/represent you before gave life to Jesus (anger/insecurity/fear/cussing/ rude/bullying) (cf. 2 Cor 5:17) many of you still have them on…you’ve been forgiven/healed/restored, yet you live like you haven’t

Throughout Bible, Jesus heals, but it’s up to the person healed if they will receive that miracle & walk it out in faith

So I want to challenge you- Ditch Your Grave Clothes… take off sin/anger/addiction/etc, & Romans 13:14a NLT: Clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ…

Lazarus wasn’t just resurrected so he wasn’t dead anymore, resurrected so he could truly live… God doesn’t just want to move in your life so you’re no longer in pain, wants you to live in joy, grief/freedom, sin/holiness, dead/truly live

As I close, when you experience your move of God, I urge you- don’t lay back down/stay in darkness/stay in tomb/linger/stay down … come forth, get moving, ditch your grave clothes & live in freedom

& this is the making of a miracle- we’re authentic (get real), we trust Jesus to move (get out of the way), & we move in faith (get moving)… & trust me, as you prepare yourself for a miracle from God, not only will Jesus move radically in your life, you will grow closer to Jesus than ever before…

CONCLUSION (1.5/35.5)

Conclusion of Ashley story… look at what a precious, over-the-top gift the Lord gave me… so gracious/kind

This is who we serve, we serve the God of the comeback, the miracle-working God who will do more than we could ever hope/imagine… with Jesus, no situation is ever hopeless/no one too far gone… with Jesus, the impossible/ expected, the comeback/normal, the extraordinary/ordinary… not bc of what we do, but bc who he is

So I urge you- get real, get out of Jesus’ way & get moving… & watch what God will do in your life…Pray

KNOW (BOTTOM LINE): Jesus does miracles in the lives of those with authentic, faith-filled hearts.

DO: Uncover sin; invite Jesus into area of need; ditch grave clothes.

FEEL: Challenged; inspired

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