Giving Up Your Life

This is your life - Switchfoot.

Yesterday is a wrinkle on your forehead Yesterday is a promise that you've broken Don't close your eyes, don't close your eyes, This is your life And today is all you've got now And today is all you'll ever have Don't close your eyes.

This is your life, are you who you want to be This is your life, are you who you want to be This is your life, is it everything you've dreamed That it would be when the world was younger, And you had everything to lose? Yesterday is a kid in the corner Yesterday is dead and over This is your life, are you who you want to be This is your life, are you who you want to be

Paul Said it Better.

Philippians 3:4–7 ESV

though I myself have reason for confidence in the flesh also. If anyone else thinks he has reason for confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless. But whatever gain I had, I counted as loss for the sake of Christ.

Ph 3:4-7

Everything in my life was awesome.....

As awesome as it was, it doesn’t matter.

And can I add to that - as bad as it was it doesn’t matter

All that matters is this moment and who has your life right now.

Our Text -

John 11:1–45 ESV

Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.” When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept. So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?” 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.” Many of the Jews therefore, who had come with Mary and had seen what he did, believed in him,

Lets Talk about The Characters.

Lazarus -

He died - it’s coming

His Disciples

Suffered deep sense of loss

John 11:16 ESV

So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”

Life is hard sometimes.

Martha

Meets Jesus as he approached the city

The accusation

John 11:21 ESV

Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.

Had some understanding of the eternal life.

John 11:22 ESV

But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.”

Story of a person who tried but couldn’t get it.

Jn 11

Jn

This is the Martha that kept trying to work things and got frustrated rather that realizing that hearing from Jesus is more important than working to please him… “I just want to be with you.”

Blames Jesus for the suffering she was experiencing - your late. You weren’t moving fast enough.

2 Peter 3:8–9 ESV

But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.

Mary - the saddest story

Many commentators believe that this Mary was the lady who the pharisees brought to Jesus being caught in the act of adultery - yes in the middle of the act, and according to the law of that day she should have been stoned… but Jesus rescued her. (Jn 7:52-8:11)

As a result of this dramatic rescue Mary entered a home where Jesus was dining and poured perfume on His feel and wiped them with her hair. ()

This Mary got it right by choosing to listen to Jesus rather than do the dishes. (Sitting under the word of God and worshipping Him is more important that any idea we have.)--- John Barone story.

His Mary was one of only 4 of Christ’s friend that were at the cross. (Jn 19:25)

This Mary saw the resurrected Jesus first. ()

But in this moment she did not rise up and go see Jesus. Her wound of the loss of her brother and the disappointment with a possible that rescued her caused her to be despondent.

And don’t we feel like that sometimes… When we suffer sometime when we don’t deserve it. When we do everything we think is right.... Don’t we feel like that? We just lose hope? We become just dead inside.

I want to make a proposal to you...... The most dead person in this story is not Lazarus… It’s Mary.

The disciples were following him through the story.

Martha at least got up to meet Him even if it was only to accuse Him of being late.

Mary couldn’t move until she was prodded to move. Her hurts and frustrations paralyzed her.

Us

This is you life.... are you who you want to be.

right now, this moment.

Forget yesterday

your hurts, your joys, your successes, your fails, none of it matters.... none of it.

This is your life… are you who you want to be… are you?

Lets go over the best place.

Mary sat at the foot of Jesus letting the rest of the worls go away so she could hear His words and worship Him.

She gave up all dignity to weep over his feet and anoint Him with expensive perfume.

She had a faith that lasted right to end of Christ’s life and kept her going until she saw His resurrected life.

But today........ THIS IS YOUR LIFE>>> ARE YOU WHO YOU WANT TO BE>

Christ

Always the main person of every Bible story.

When the disciples we told of the death of Lazarus Jesus adds this weird statement.

Jn

John 11:15 ESV

and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”

Jesus tarried on purpose to teach us something.

John 11:25–27 ESV

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.”

John 11:25–26 ESV

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

John 11:25–26 ESV

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

Jn 11:25-26

jn 11:25

John 11:35 ESV

Jesus wept.

Jn

jn 11:25-2

Jesus is the source of life.

When death comes he is the source of giving it back

If you only believe - you never die.

Jesus wept

because they couldn’t see the bigger picture.

THE LIFE HE GIVES TRANSCENDS THE LIFE.

THE PHYSICAL DEATH THAT WE EXPERIENCE - OR WILL EXPERIENCE

Ephesians 2:1 ESV

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins

E

Romans 6:23 ESV

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Ro 6

Genesis 2:17 ESV

but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

LIFE

Genesis 2:7 ESV

then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.

Ge 2

John 1:1–5 ESV

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

John 1:15 ESV

(John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’ ”)

Jn 1:

Ephesians 2:1–2 ESV

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—

Ephesians 2:1–3 ESV

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

eph 2:

Ephesians 2:1–5 ESV

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—

eph 2:1-

Ephesians 2:1–4 ESV

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,

Conclusion

If you don’t leave changed today, nothing has happened. The goal is this.... we have to give up our life and take on the life he gives.

THIS IS YOUR LIVE---------ARE YOU WHO YOU WANT TO BE?

FORGET ABOUT YOUR PREVIOUS MOMENTS AND LETS TAKE A LOOK AT RIGHT NOW.

THERE IS HUGE POSSIBILITY THAT YOU ARE NOT ALIVE IN CHRIST AND THAT YOU ARE A WALKING DEAD MAN. WHETHER IT BE THROUGH DISCOURAGEMENT OR SIN, IT DOESN’T MATTER.

Jesus said

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.

So ask yourself - this is your life— are you who you want to be?

I’m going to give us a few seconds of silence to ask that before Jesus and if you are not where you want to be - lets kill that old life again and pray for God to give us a new life.