Faith and the Glory of God

John 11:1–6 NKJV

Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. Therefore the sisters sent to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.” When Jesus heard that, He said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So, when He heard that he was sick, He stayed two more days in the place where He was.

The Day of Trouble

Troubles can come to those whom God loves.

Jesus loved Lazarus who was sick.

Jesus loved Martha and Mary, the sisters of Lazarus.

Troubles come at unexpected times (The day of my trouble)

Psalm 77:2–3 NKJV

In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord; My hand was stretched out in the night without ceasing; My soul refused to be comforted. I remembered God, and was troubled; I complained, and my spirit was overwhelmed. Selah

Lazarus was sick unto death and his sisters sent for Jesus to come heal him.

God is Greater than our Troubles

John 16:33 NKJV

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.”

Jesus said, “This sickness is not unto death,”

God has a Purpose in our Troubles

Troubles are a set up for the manifestation of the glory of God

John 11:4 NKJV

When Jesus heard that, He said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it.”

God sometimes delays His intervention until there is no hope except in Him. Jesus waited two more days.

Lazarus did die, but death did not win.

What is the glory of God? It is the revelation or manifestation of the divine attributes of God.

Exodus 33:18–19 NKJV

And he said, “Please, show me Your glory.” Then He said, “I will make all My goodness pass before you, and I will proclaim the name of the Lord before you. I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion.”

Exodus 34:6–7 NKJV

And the Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abounding in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children and the children’s children to the third and the fourth generation.”

Troubles present a divine opportunity for the LORD to reveal His divine attributes in “redemption”.

How can He reveal Himself as Savior if there is no sin?

How can He reveal Himself as Healer if there is no sickness?

How can He reveal Himself as Deliverer if there is no bondage?

How can He reveal Himself as Restorer if there in nothing broken?

How can He reveal Himself as our Peace if there is no chaos?

How can He reveal Himself as our Resurrection if there is no death?

God can reveal His glory in miraculous power or through a miraculous process.

We long for God to be glorified in an instantaneous miracle, but God often chooses to be glorified in a miraculous process.

Jesus can deliver us “from” the storm (disciples), or He can deliver us “through” the storm (Paul).

We look for the BIG miracle, but miss the LITTLE miracles God is working each step in the journey.

If Christ has already overcome the world, then He has already overcome anything we are now facing.

We must settle the outcome of victory in our hearts and then believe Him to lead us in victory every step of the journey toward the finish line.

Troubles Test our Faith

James 1:2–4 NKJV

My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.

Tests will not destroy true faith; tests will reveal true faith.

Tests will not ruin true faith; tests will refine true faith.

1 Peter 1:6–7 NKJV

In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,

The testing of our faith produces patience.

We cannot avoid the testing of our faith, but we can choose to avoid unbelief by producing patience.

Andrew Murray says, "Faith does not grow disheartened because prayer is not immediately honoured; it takes God at His Word, and lets Him take what time He chooses in fulfilling His purposes, and in carrying on His work. There is bound to be much delay and long days of waiting for true faith, but faith accepts the conditions — knows there will be delays in answering prayer, and regards such delays as times of testing, in the which, it is privileged to show its mettle, and the stern stuff of which it is made." [Bounds, E. M. (1999). The necessity of prayer. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.]

George Mueller: “God delights to increase the faith of His children. We ought, instead of wanting no trials before victory, no exercise for patience, to be willing to take them from God’s hands as a means. Trials, obstacles, difficulties and sometimes defeats, are the very food of faith.”

Patience perfects (matures) our character.

Faith and patience prepare us to receive the promise.

Hebrews 6:12 NKJV

that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.

Troubles Provide Opportunities to See the Glory of God

There is a connection between faith and seeing the glory of God.

Three kinds of faith

Limited Faith

John 11:21 NKJV

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

John 11:39 NKJV

Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to Him, “Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days.”

Fundamental (Creedal) Faith

John 11:24 NKJV

Martha said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day.”

Unlimited Faith

John 11:40 NKJV

Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?”

The Glory of God

John 11:41–44 NKJV

Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying. And Jesus lifted up His eyes and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. And I know that You always hear Me, but because of the people who are standing by I said this, that they may believe that You sent Me.” Now when He had said these things, He cried with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth!” And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with graveclothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Loose him, and let him go.”

What was the glory of God that they saw?

It was the resurrection of Lazarus from the dead.

It was Jesus Christ as the Resurrection and the Life

It was Jesus Christ as sent by God the Father.

Faith and the Glory of God

It was not enough that Martha and Mary wanted their brother to live.

It was not enough that Jesus loved Lazarus, Martha, and Mary.

It was not enough that people mourned and wept.

It was not enough that Jesus sympathized with their sorrow.

God is not moved by our need; He is moved by our faith (Hebrews 11:6).

Jesus challenged Martha to believe and act on His word to see the glory of God.

John 11:40 NKJV

Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?”

Our Request: “God, I want to see Your glory!”

God’s Reply: “If you believe, you will see My glory!”

Will we believe and act on God’s word so that we will see the glory of God in our generation?