The life that brings glory to Jesus

Intro: The purpose of our life is to bring glory to God. In our text we read about a family, Martha, Mary, and Lazarus who is used to show us what glorifying God looks like.

Context:

CPS: The life that glorifies God exemplifies service to God, worship of God, and being a witness for God.

I. Martha’s Works (1-2)

A. Martha’s Faith

Martha was a lady of faith, she believes that if Jesus had been with them during her brother's sickness, Lazarus would not have died. But God’s delays are not His denials, His waiting was for the purpose of glorifying God and brought a greater sense of trust to Martha and Mary. Martha also gives us one of the great statements of faith in all of the Gospels, (John 11:26-27). Martha also serves as an example of faith for each of us! She worked whole hearty unto the Lord. She was a worker! And the Bible teaches us that “faith without works is dead.” (James 2:17)

B. Martha’s Service

Martha Served, Served is the Greek verb diakoneō in context it means to wait upon tables. It refers to providing care and implies humble service, ministering to others. This is where we get our English word deacon. Here in this text Martha served God (Jesus) and men (the disciples and whoever else was there.) and she serves as an example to us, John 12:26 teaches that each of us that follows Jesus must serve and that God honors those that serves Jesus.

The Martha that we see in John 12:2 is not the same Martha that we see in Luke 10:38-42. She had transformed into a more mature Christian. In Luke’s Gospel she was anxious and troubled because Mary was not helping her. Now she is serving regardless of help or attention, she serves simply to serve. God is pleased when we serve in the proper manner and with the proper motives! He is pleased when we serve in His will, for His glory, honor, and purpose. In a moment we will see that her sister Mary poured out a fragrant oder that was pleasing to the Lord, so was Martha’s service a pleasing aroma to the Lord.

ILL: Martha reminds us that each Christian must serve God and man. If you want to see an example of what service looks like right here in Enigma, look at our 3 deacons, Donnie, Ethan, and Tommy. Donnie will volunteer to do anything that needs to be done just this past Sunday night he volunteered to paint the new youth room, no body truly likes to paint. Often times in our Weds. night prayer meeting I learn of someone who is sick or a family who has lost a loved one and he has already reached out to them and often times visited them. That’s Service! Ethan works as hard anyone I know. Have you been to his house and seen all he cares for, pomegranates, blackberries, squash, zucchini, and pecans. How often does he bring buckets full of lemons, rutabagas, and bags full of blackberries and pecans that he has gathered for you. He often says, I don’t sell it, The good Lord blesses me with it then I give it away to others. That’s service! Tommy, well I can’t tell you all that Tommy does because you hardly see it and he doesn't talk about it. But from running internet, to cutting the grass around here Tommy does it, and more. He doesn't just do that here at the church but for countless people who can’t do it for themselves! That’s Service!

Let me let you in our a little secret.... God serves too! God in His three person wore the hat of a planner, designer, developer, architect, and engineer as He created the world and all that is in it. He works to this day providing for His creatures and carrying out the work of Salvation. Jesus said He came into this world not to be served but serve His life a ransom for the many. So we must serve too!

II. Mary’s Worship (3-7)

A. Mary’s Faith

Like Martha, Mary was a lady of great faith, she too believed that had Jesus been there, her brother, Lazarus would not have died. She serves as a testimony of faith and worship!

B. Mary’s Worship

Each time we see Mary in the Scriptures she is at the same place. The feet of Jesus! Luke 10:39, John 11:33, John 12:3. She sat at His feet and listened to Him and worshiped Him. Sitting at the feet of Jesus is something we all must do, if I could aspire to be like anyone in the Bible it is Mary. She knew how to be still and how to absorb His presence, she knew what it was like to hear His word and know His will. That is how Mary decided to anoint Jesus’ body for burial. She knew He was going to die because she had paid attention and believing she hung onto Jesus’ every word.

She worshipped Jesus! Worship means to ascribe worth and she proves her love and devotion to Jesus while He was still alive. We often send flowers to a funeral home in honor of the deceased, but Mary was giving the roses while yet He was still alive! Her love and worship for Jesus was public, spontaneous, sacrificial, lavish, personal, and unembarrassed!

Mary loved and worshipped Jesus so, that she poured a whole bottle of nard on his feet and body. Getting down on her hands and knees like a slave she anointed Jesus and she let down her hair which was taboo for a good moral Jewish woman of that day. Jesus was the love of her life and she showed it! This pound of ointment of spikenard, was very costly. More modern translations refer to it as pure/essence of nard. It was the the good stuff! It wasn’t Primeio it was Giorgio. Some people were fortunate to have an once sized flask of this perfume, but Mary had a pound bottle of it! It was expensive indeed, it cost a years wages and she broke the bottle and poured it all out on Him! Like David, (2 Sam. 24:24) Mary would not give the Lord that which cost her nothing!

That is worship! And, notice her love for Jesus, she had the nard and though her own brother had died she did not so lavishly anoint his body for burial! But for Jesus, she let down her hair, got on her knees before him and gave Him her all! Perhaps its time we do the same! However, be warned, when you worship Jesus like that people will oppose you.

ILL: Ashley Hayes… Matilda from VBS dancing, people at WEBC got upset with her because dancing isn't allowed, but David danced naked before the Lord with all his might.

Judas opposed her and though he was a devil unfortunately the other disciples follow suite (Matt. 26:8). That is usually what happens when someone gives their best to the Lord. But Jesus defends her. What shall we then say to these things, if God be for us, who can be against us (Rom. 8:31).

Mary’s worship was a blessing to Christ, herself, and countless generations of Christians. She serves as a testimony of faith and worship that would do us good to learn from.

III. Lazarus’ Witness. 9-11

What we know about Lazarus mostly comes from John 11. He fell sick and died. He was in the tomb for 4 days when Jesus arrived bringing Him resurrection life! He is a testimony to the resurrection power of God!

John 11:45 tells us that many people believed in Jesus when they saw Lazarus raised from the dead. John 12:9 tells us that when Jesus returns to Bethany people flock to see Him and also to see Lazarus, the man Jesus had raised from the dead. John 12:11 tells us that because of Lazarus many people believed in Jesus! Lazarus stood as a witness to Jesus and His power to give life!

A. His Words

None of Lazarus’ words are recorded in the Bible, but had they been I believe you would hear Lazarus say, Jesus is the resurrection and the life, if you believe in Him you will live even if you die. (John 11:25-26) You would hear him say, John 3:16 and perhaps he would tell what he saw and experienced as a dead man.

B. His Life

But we don’t have his words but his miraculous life stands proof of the Power of the Gospel.

ILL: Some people are so full of resurrected life that others don’t have to hear them speak but they simply see Jesus all over them. A few years ago, I was working a trade show and went to see about renting an extra table and chairs for our booth, the lady helping me said, “You are a Pastor aren't you?” I told her that I was as she said, “I just knew it” How? could she see the resurrected life in me? I think so!

The Bible tells us we ought to “walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:4) because we have been “raised from the dead” (Eph. 2:1-10). Friends the resurrected life that we have is the light that shines in the dark word around us!

ILL: There is an old song that we all know and its message is very true! This little light of mine.......

Word got out about Lazarus, His story was told, and the proof in the pudding was his life! Can that be said about you?

Con: Martha worked, Mary worshipped, Lazarus witnessed, and we must be a balance of all three! Each day we must sit at Jesus’ feet and worship Him, it fuels our service and empowers our witness. It is the worshipping, working, witnessing life of that brings glory to God.