Death Denied (pt2)

DEATH DENIED (PT2)

JOHN 11:25–32 (KJV 1900)

25 JESUS SAID UNTO HER, I AM THE RESURRECTION, AND THE LIFE: HE THAT BELIEVETH IN ME, THOUGH HE WERE DEAD, YET SHALL HE LIVE:

26 AND WHOSOEVER LIVETH AND BELIEVETH IN ME SHALL NEVER DIE. BELIEVEST THOU THIS?

27 SHE SAITH UNTO HIM, YEA, LORD: I BELIEVE THAT THOU ART THE CHRIST, THE SON OF GOD, WHICH SHOULD COME INTO THE WORLD.

28 AND WHEN SHE HAD SO SAID, SHE WENT HER WAY, AND CALLED MARY HER SISTER SECRETLY, SAYING, THE MASTER IS COME, AND CALLETH FOR THEE.

29 AS SOON AS SHE HEARD THAT, SHE AROSE QUICKLY, AND CAME UNTO HIM.

30 NOW JESUS WAS NOT YET COME INTO THE TOWN, BUT WAS IN THAT PLACE WHERE MARTHA MET HIM.

31 THE JEWS THEN WHICH WERE WITH HER IN THE HOUSE, AND COMFORTED HER, WHEN THEY SAW MARY, THAT SHE ROSE UP HASTILY AND WENT OUT, FOLLOWED HER, SAYING, SHE GOETH UNTO THE GRAVE TO WEEP THERE.

32 THEN WHEN MARY WAS COME WHERE JESUS WAS, AND SAW HIM, SHE FELL DOWN AT HIS FEET, SAYING UNTO HIM, LORD, IF THOU HADST BEEN HERE, MY BROTHER HAD NOT DIED.

SOWING IN TEARS

MARY’S QUALTIES

V29-31 “SHE ROSE QUICKLY” “THAT SHE ROSE UP HASTILY”

· THEY THOUGHT THAT SHE WAS RUSHING TO THE TOMB BUT SHE WAS RUSHING TO JESUS

· NOT OUT OF HOPE FOR THE SITUATION, BUT OUT OF HER LOVE FOR GOD

· JOHN 14:15 IF YE LOVE ME, KEEP MY COMMANDMENTS.

· BENEFIT OF OBEYING GOD EX 19:5

V32 “SHE FALLS DOWN AT HIS FEET”

· SHE DIDN’T ALLOW HER SITUATION TO EFFECT HER RELATIONSHIP WITH JESUS

LUKE 10:38–39 (KJV 1900)

38 NOW IT CAME TO PASS, AS THEY WENT, THAT HE ENTERED INTO A CERTAIN VILLAGE: AND A CERTAIN WOMAN NAMED MARTHA RECEIVED HIM INTO HER HOUSE.

39 AND SHE HAD A SISTER CALLED MARY, WHICH ALSO SAT AT JESUS’ FEET, AND HEARD HIS WORD.

V32 SHE STILL ADDRESSES JESUS AS LORD—

· IS HE STILL YOUR LORD IN TIMES OF TROUBLE

V33 “WHEN JESUS THEREFORE SAW HER WEEPING”

THIS IS THE MARY IN WHOM JESUS SAID CHOSE THE GOOD PART

BY BEING AT HIS FEET RATHER THAN BEING BUSY ABOUT OTHER THINGS

THIS IS THE MARY THAT UNDERSTOOD SEASONS,

SHE UNDERSTOOD WHAT SHE HAD IN JESUS BEING IN THE HOUSE

THIS IS THE MARY WHO UNDERSTOOD THE TIME

AND ANOINTED THE HEAD OF JESUS IN PREPARATION FOR HIS DEATH

BECAUSE SHE LEARNED FROM THIS SITUATION THAT DEATH IS NOT FINAL.

WHEN JESUS SEEN HER, AND THE JEWS WEEPING

IT CAUSED JESUS TO RESPOND

IT CAUSED HIM TO WEEP HIMSELF

AND IT CAUSED HIM TO PERFORM A MIRACLE

IF WE WANT TO SEE JESUS DO THE MIRACULOUS IN YOUR LIFE

WE HAVE TO LEARN HOW TO FALL ON YOUR FACE BEFORE GOD

WE HAVE TO PUT GOD IN PROPER PERSPECTIVE IN OUR LIFE

AND CRY OUT TO GOD AND HE WILL RESPOND

PSALM 126:5–6 (KJV 1900)

5 THEY THAT SOW IN TEARS SHALL REAP IN JOY.

6 HE THAT GOETH FORTH AND WEEPETH, BEARING PRECIOUS SEED, SHALL DOUBTLESS COME AGAIN WITH REJOICING, BRINGING HIS SHEAVES WITH HIM.

THE VOICE OF JESUS BROUGHT LAZARUS TO LIFE

JESUS GAVE THREE COMMANDS IN THIS NARRATIVE

1. “TAKE YE AWAY THE STONE”

2. “LAZARUS COME FORTH”

3. “LOOSE HIM AND LET HIM GO”

PEOPLE COULD REMOVE THE STONE,

AND THEY COULD LOOSE LAZARUS FROM HIS GRAVE CLOTHES.

HOWEVER, ONLY GOD COULD CAUSE HIM TO COME FORTH FROM THE GRAVE

THE LORD COMMANDED US TO PREACH THE GOSPEL

AND MAKE DISCIPLES THROUGH TEACHING.

THIS PART WE CAN DO, BUT WASHING AWAY SIN

AND RENEWING INDIVIDUALS IN THE SPIRIT IS GOD’S BUSINESS

IF WE WILL BE FAITHFUL IN DOING OUR PART

WE WILL RECEIVE A HARVEST

BECAUSE GOD IS FAITHFUL TO DO HIS PART.

GALATIANS 6:7–9 (KJV 1900)

7 BE NOT DECEIVED; GOD IS NOT MOCKED: FOR WHATSOEVER A MAN SOWETH, THAT SHALL HE ALSO REAP.

8 FOR HE THAT SOWETH TO HIS FLESH SHALL OF THE FLESH REAP CORRUPTION; BUT HE THAT SOWETH TO THE SPIRIT SHALL OF THE SPIRIT REAP LIFE EVERLASTING.

9 AND LET US NOT BE WEARY IN WELL DOING: FOR IN DUE SEASON WE SHALL REAP, IF WE FAINT NOT.

1 CORINTHIANS 3:6–9 (KJV 1900)

6 I HAVE PLANTED, APOLLOS WATERED; BUT GOD GAVE THE INCREASE.

7 SO THEN NEITHER IS HE THAT PLANTETH ANY THING, NEITHER HE THAT WATERETH; BUT GOD THAT GIVETH THE INCREASE.

8 NOW HE THAT PLANTETH AND HE THAT WATERETH ARE ONE: AND EVERY MAN SHALL RECEIVE HIS OWN REWARD ACCORDING TO HIS OWN LABOUR.

9 FOR WE ARE LABOURERS TOGETHER WITH GOD: YE ARE GOD’S HUSBANDRY, YE ARE GOD’S BUILDING.

WE MUST ALWAYS REMEMBER

WHEN WE GATHER AS THE CHURCH

THE GOAL AND THE OBJECTIVE IS NOT JUST TO TOUCH GOD FOR OURSELVES

(HOWEVER THAT IS IMPORTANT)

BUT IT IS ALSO TO MINISTER TO OTHERS WHO ARE GOING THROUGH,

AND ALSO TO HELP BRING THOSE WHO ARE DEAD TO THE FEET OF JESUS

SO THAT THEY CAN BE BROUGHT BACK TO LIFE

THEY ROLLED THE STONE AWAY

WE NEED PEOPLE THAT ARE GOING TO HELP

POSITION OTHERS TO RECEIVE A TOUCH FROM GOD

V45-46

A MIRACLE CAN:

· HELP INCREASE THE FAITH OF THOSE WITNESS IT OR WITNESS THE TESTIMONY OF THE MIRACLE

· NOT EVERYBODY’S GOING TO RESPOND TO THE TESTIMONY THE SAME WAY

o BUT WE DON’T DECIDE WHO WILL RESPOND IN WHAT WAY WE JUST GIVE OUR TESTIMONY TO EVERYBODY

V47, 53

JESUS’S DENIAL OF DEATH PUT THE EVENTS OF HIS OWN DEATH

GENESIS 22:11–13 (KJV 1900)

11 AND THE ANGEL OF THE LORD CALLED UNTO HIM OUT OF HEAVEN, AND SAID, ABRAHAM, ABRAHAM: AND HE SAID, HERE AM I.

12 AND HE SAID, LAY NOT THINE HAND UPON THE LAD, NEITHER DO THOU ANY THING UNTO HIM: FOR NOW I KNOW THAT THOU FEAREST GOD, SEEING THOU HAST NOT WITHHELD THY SON, THINE ONLY SON FROM ME.

13 AND ABRAHAM LIFTED UP HIS EYES, AND LOOKED, AND BEHOLD BEHIND HIM A RAM CAUGHT IN A THICKET BY HIS HORNS: AND ABRAHAM WENT AND TOOK THE RAM, AND OFFERED HIM UP FOR A BURNT OFFERING IN THE STEAD OF HIS SON.

IT IS A PARALLEL TO JESUS ALLOWING HIMSELF TO BE THE SIN OFFERING FOR THE WORLD

IT IS NOT POSSIBLE FOR US TO RELIVE THE MIRACLES OF RESURRECTION THAT THE DISCIPLES WITNESS

BUT WE CAN SEE A PARALLEL MIRACLE

WHEN SOMEONE EXPERIENCES THE NEW BIRTH PAUL PROCLAIM IN

ROMANS 6:4

4 THEREFORE WE ARE BURIED WITH HIM BY BAPTISM INTO DEATH: THAT LIKE AS CHRIST WAS RAISED UP FROM THE DEAD BY THE GLORY OF THE FATHER, EVEN SO WE ALSO SHOULD WALK IN NEWNESS OF LIFE.

REPENTANCE AND BAPTISM PARALLEL JESUS DEATH AND BURIAL, AND THE HOLY GHOST BAPTISM PARALLELS HIS RESURRECTION.

AND WHEN WE ARE OBEDIENT TO IT

GOD CAN PERFORM A RESSURECTION TODAY

CLOSING

THE STORY OF LAZARUS IS INDEED A POWERFUL EXAMPLE OF THE GLORY OF GOD IN JESUS CHRIST. THIS MIRACLE REVEALED HIM AS THE VICTOR OVER BOTH DOUBT AND DEATH. FURTHERMORE, THROUGH HIS DELAY IN SUBSEQUENT MIRACLE HE DISPLAYED HIS DIVINE PURPOSE AND FORESIGHT.

WE CAN HAVE COMPLETE CONFIDENCE IN GOD’S FAITHFULNESS. HE MAY NOT ANSWER WHEN WE THINK HE SHOULD, BUT HE WILL ALWAYS ANSWER IN HIS PERFECT TIME. MAY WE EXERCISE ULTIMATE FAITH IN THE ONE WHO HAS THE POWER TO DENY DEATH