Watch Your Step Part 5
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John 11:1-44
John 11:1-44
Prayer Coming Down
Welcome Online & First Time Visitors
Fellowship Moment & Dismiss The Youth
Call back to seats
Please remain standing while we read the Word Of God
MAIN SCRIPTURE : JOHN 11:1-6
THANK THE CONGREGATION, THANK GOD
Speak about a child getting hurt and wanting their mother or father,
Speak about the woman with the issue of blood,
Speak about the Roman centurion,
Speak about how the disciples didn’t want Jesus to leave them......
Now stay in that place with me as we go into John 11 this MORNING. This is a message that has been prompted in me for a while now and over the last week i felt the full impact of it finally wash over me.
John 11 may not jump out to you immediately but the story line certainly will. It when Jesus comes back to the home of Lazarus who had taken ill and died. I’ve told y’all before I grew up listening to all kinds of music, but one that will always be near and dear to me is what my grandma played all the time. My grandmother loved BLUEGRASS. Anybody in here ever hear a song Patty Lovelace recorded called RISE UP LAZARUS? Man that’s a good song… it speaks about the POWER Jesus held, and how we are called to simply believe in Him and we to can be released from our bondage of this world. If that don’t set your soul on fire we might need to check you for a pulse.
But when you read the text you will see an important detail missing from not only that bluegrass song but also missing from a lot of teachings done on this topic.
This story is found in John 11 and starts in verse 1. Go there in your Bible with me this evening and let’s read a bit of it....
Now a certain man was sick: Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. And it was the Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. So the sisters sent word to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.” But when Jesus heard this, He said, “This sickness is not meant for death, but is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified by it.” (Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister, and Lazarus.) So when He heard that he was sick, He then stayed two days longer in the place where He was.
First thing I see here is the Triune God on display, Jesus being fully God as much as He is fully man knew what the assignment was. He knew what was happening, and He knew WHAT WAS ABOUT TO HAPPEN. When Jesus heard Lazarus was sick He didn’t have to even leave where He was in order to heal Lazarus in an instance. He held the POWER TO HEAL RIGHT WHERE HE WAS, WHY YOU ASK..… BECAUSE JESUS IS THE HEALING!!! Jesus is JEHOVAH RAPHA! AMEN?!
Jesus knew this moment was meant for God’s glory and Jesus being the Son of God would be glorified in it as well. So Jesus remained in the place where He was for two more days....
When Jesus knows it’s time to go He tells the disciples “Let’s go to Judea again”. Remember, as the disciple are going to remind Jesus of, it was in this same place where the Jews wanted to stone Jesus not long before. The disciples are fearful of what would happen upon their return to Judea. For just a second they forgot who they were walking with…
Jesus reminds the disciples of what’s surrounding them in every step… John 11:9-10
Jesus replied, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks during the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks during the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.”
JESUS IS TELLING THEM WALKING WITH ME IS WALKING IN THE LIGHT!!! MOVING WHERE I TELL YOU TO MOVE KEEPS YOU IN MY PRESENCE, AND IN THAT PRESENCE YOU CAN SEE CLEARLY BECASUE YOUR WALKING BY REVELATION NOT GUESSING, YOUR WALKING BY FAITH, NOT BY SIGHT, YOUR WALKING IN THE BRIGHT SHINING LIGHT, NOT IN DARKNESS.
WALKING IN DARKNESS IS WALKING IN THE FLESH! WALKING IN THE FLESH IS WHEN WE STUMBLE. HOW DO I KNOW BECASUE JESUS JUST SAID SO!!!
JESUS SAID I’M LIGHTING EVERY STEP YOU TAKE WHEN YOU REMAIN IN MY PRESENCE, REMAIN IN ME AND YOU WILL NOT STUMBLE.
I want to pause right here for a second… in a recent interview Denzel Washington, famous actor, was asked what he wanted to be remembered for when he dies. His reply was simple, I WANT TO BE REMEMBERED AS A MAN OF FAITH! He goes on to say he’s made so many mistakes, but how he ended that though is what hit me the most....
He said “TO GOD BE THE GLORY, ONLY THE MISTAKES WERE MINE”
We all need to acknowledge this.… IF WE STAYED PERFECTLY IN GOD’S WILL WE WOULDN’T MAKE MISTAKES! Why BECAUSE GOD DOESN’T MAKE MISTAKES!
Our trouble is we have this flesh that is being worked out of us, so we fall, but it is but one thing that picks up back up and sets us back on the path of God’s will...
THE PRESENCE OF GOD ALMIGHTY!!! Somebody say AMEN! Will we fall yes, will we get back up again yes…
People say it’s not about how you fall but I disagree, how you fall dictates the way in which you get back up… WHEN YOU FALL DID YOU FALL BACK OR DID YOU FALL TO YOUR KNEES OR ON YOUR FACE INTO SUBMISSION OF GOD’S WILL, DID YOU FALL INTO HIS PRESENCE OR DID YOU FALL FURTHER AWAY?
Falling in the right direction will allow you to RISE UP in the right direction, WHEN WE STUMBLE WE NEED TO FALL FORWARD BACK INTO THE DAYTIME AND ALLOW THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD THAT IS JESUS TO MAKE THE DARKNESS FLEE!
This doesn’t mean you have it all figured out, let’s go back to the text and see what I mean there....Go to John 11:11
This He said, and after this He said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going so that I may awaken him from sleep.” The disciples then said to Him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will come out of it.” Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that He was speaking about actual sleep. So Jesus then said to them plainly, “Lazarus died, and I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe; but let’s go to him.” Therefore Thomas, who was called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, “Let’s also go, so that we may die with Him!”
The disciples were missing the BIG PICTURE, but they were falling forward and into God’s PRESENCE! So even still they were moving in the LIGHT, they were moving WITH JESUS!
Can I go a bit deeper tonight? Amen!
When Jesus is close the Bible says “HE FOUND OUT LAZARUS HAS BEEN IN THE TOMB FOR FOUR DAYS”
Martha, finding out that Jesus was coming went to meet Him where He was. Now I want you to read this next verse with me… John 11:21
Martha then said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.
Now watch this SHIFT in the next verse.…
Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.”
Just like that Martha came bringing her doubt and probably even a bit of anger or despair that Jesus did not come immediately to save Lazarus from death.
BUT WHEN SHE ENTERED THE PRESENCE OF GOD..… I SAID WHEN SHE STEPPED INTO THE PRESENCE OF THE LORD BEFORE HER, IN AN INSTANT, SHE HAD A SHIFT.
MARTHA WENT FROM IF YOU WOULDA, STRAIGHT TO I KNOW YOU CAN.
People always want to know why we behave different as disciples of Christ… again there is but one answer to this question...
THE PRESENCE OF GOD ALMIGHTY!!! When I’m moving in the LIGHT, DARKNESS HAS NO HOLD ON ME. I DO NOT STUMBLE WHEN I’M IN THE LIGHT, I DO NOT DOUBT WHEN I AM IN THE LIGHT, I DO NOT FEAR WHEN I AM IN THE LIGHT. I STAND UPRIGHT IN THE LIGHT, I TRUST IN THE LIGHT, I AM COURAGEOUS IN THE LIGHT… WHEN I AM STANDING IN THE PRESENCE OF THE KING OF KINGS AND THE LORD OF LORDS… I’M STANDING ON THE CORNERSTONE, I’M STANDING ON FAITH, I’M STANDING ON THE PROMISES OF GOD WHICH ARE YES AND AMEN!
THY KINGDOM COME THY WILL BE DONE ON EARTH AS IT IS IN HEAVEN! THAT’S THE BUSINESS I’M STANDING ON!
Again we see that shift doesn’t mean we have it all figured out.… go to verse 23...
Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise from the dead.” Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; the one who believes in Me will live, even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?”
I love it when Jesus asks questions, you gotta pay attention when the question mark is in RED y’all.
Martha answers Jesus with an answer full of light and full of knowing the presence she is standing in… John 11:27
She said to Him, “Yes, Lord; I have come to believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, and He who comes into the world.”
After this Martha returns to get Mary who is grieving in her home… knowing Jesus was there the Bible says Mary got up and went to Him quickly.
This is what we need more of today, when God calls we need to go to HIM QUICKLY!
Mary echoes what Martha said to Jesus. But watch what she does even in her despair, watch what direction she falls.… verse 32
So when Mary came to the place where Jesus was, she saw Him and fell at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” Therefore when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled, and He said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to Him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept. So the Jews were saying, “See how He loved him!”
Verse 35 is one everyone knows, AMEN? Jesus wept. Jesus wept being 100% man and 100% God! Our Father does not desire us to be troubled, not even with DEATH. The deep compassion shown here highlights the COMPASSION God has for us! Jesus the one who wept is the embodiment of that COMPASSION! Come on somebody…
Now Jesus is at the tomb, and he says REMOVE THE STONE, now that command is a whole other sermon but just think about the impact of that statement for a second. We have the benefit of knowing how impactful the stone being rolled away is, and the truth of life eternal we find when the weight of SIN is removed from our life because the STONE WAS ROLLED AWAY! Y’all check in with me on Easter Sunday for the rest of that!
Now Martha, remember when Jesus came to visit them earlier Martha was busy keeping house and getting things ready for the guests, now Martha is worried about the stench as the Bible says that will come from the tomb because Lazarus has been there for four days.
Now Jesus’ next question is rhetorical, John 11:40
Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”
JESUS KNEW THE GLORY OF GOD WAS ABOUT TO BE ON FULL DISPLAY!!!
The stone is moved and next Jesus does what He does all the time..… HE PRAYS TO THE FATHER! After His prayer He CRIED OUT the word says, LAZARUS COME OUT.
Jesus spoke with confidence in knowing God would answer Him! Jesus knew the POWER HE HELD! AND GUESS WHAT HAPPENED, Verse 44
Out came the man who had died, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”
As THE WORSHIP TEAM COMES BACK UP...
The theme we see throughout this entire passage of scripture is GLARING. Being in the PRESENCE OF THE LORD, means nothing is impossible.
Jesus wasn’t late to Lazarus, Jesus was right on time FOR THE GLORY OF GOD, and that in that glory THE SON ON GOD WOULD ALSO BE GLORIFIED!
So as we turn the page from this year to next, do not let the sun go down in your spirit. Remain in the light, remain in the glory, remain in THE PRESENCE OF GOD!
And when you fall, when I fall, we fall forward to remain in HIS PRESENCE. There is where FAITH is strengthened and the Spirit within is renewed.
Now before we pray today I want to open the altar and anything that causes you to stumble, to doubt, to fall backwards and not forward come leave it here...
I’ll start, Lord I leave my business here this evening, I need to focus more on my personal relationship with you and realize that being busy in the ministry does not mean following the path you have for me. I leave it here Lord to grow closer to you one on one and know that being in YOUR Presence is what strengthens me and allows me to continue in obedience to what YOU HAVE CALLED ME INTO! Thank You God for allowing us to dwell in YOUR PRESENCE!
AND AS ALWAYS THE ALTAR IS OPEN FOR PRAYER, FOR NEEDS, FOR HEALING, AND IF YOU JUST WANT TO COME DOWN HERE AND PRAISE GOD FOR WHAT HE IS DOING IN YOUR LIFE RIGHT NOW COME ON. I’D LOVE TO PRAY WITH YOU!
