Services | Lazarus and the Glory of God

Bulletin

FBCWest
July 12, 2020

“God is Spirit, and those who worship Him
must worship Him in Spirit and truth.”

“I Love You Lord”
Praise and Worship
SCRIPTURE READING – 1 Thessalonians 5:16 - 24
“Endless Light”
“I Refuse”
“We Won’t Be Quiet”
“Love Moved First”

Giving of Selves and Our Offerings
OFFERTORY PRAYER
SPECIAL MUSIC – By Pru Hungate

Proclamation of the Word
Message by Pastor Joe
“Lazarus and the Glory of God”


PRAYER TIME / Time of Reflection
“I Will Rise”
Acknowledgements and Announcements
Benediction “Won’t Stop Now”

Sermon Notes

John 11:1 – 3 Lazarus is sick and his sisters send word to Jesus
John 11:4 – 9 Lazarus sickness not to end in death so Jesus stays there even though He loves Lazarus and the sisters
John 11:8 – 10 Jesus heads to Judea, but His disciples warn Him
John 11:11 – 16 Jesus tells His disciples that Lazarus is dead. They go thinking they will die with Jesus
John 11:17 – 27 Lazarus dead already 4 days, but Jesus talks to Martha concerning the resurrection
John 11:28 – 37 Mary and others meet Jesus and He is moved by what He sees
John 11:38 – 48 Lazarus arises from the dead
John 11:45 & 46 Many believe, but
John 11:49 – 53 Caiaphas advice and prophecy
John 11:54 Jesus goes to the city of Ephraim

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Scritpures

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Transcript of Service

One of the problems in our current generation.

Is that we are used to?

Watching television and movies.

Wasn't too long ago that the radio was invented and you would hear stories on the radio.

And people would use their imaginations to complete the picture. And sometimes your imagination is even better than Hollywood special effects.

Uh, that imagination was so good that there was a radio program called the War of the world and everybody would panicked and called their local police because they were feared that aliens from Mars had landed and was taking over the world in so our imaginations can be.

Very strong.

So what I want you to do when we're taking a look at this particular passage, I want you not to use your imagination to sense of the change with the scripture, say, but to use your imagination to bring it to life, to see in your minds eye what's happening. Because I think this is an excellent if you will.

Short movie

that has.

Mystery.

And some clues.

Has sadness.

And some comedic relief.

And so I want us to take a look at and on top of that. There are some tremendous teaching that takes place at this time, and so this is getting near to the time that Jesus will enter Jerusalem for his final time during his earthly ministry, but not his final time, because he's coming back. And so in. John, Chapter 11. It says now, a certain man was sick lazareth of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha.

It was a Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. Now to bring you back, this was when Jesus had accepted an invitation to.

From a Pharisee to dine at his home and then Mary.

Anointed Jesus feet wept and cleaned his feet and ride them off with her hair and the religious leaders were very condemnatory of Jesus, saying, well, if this man was such a profit, how could he let such a Sinner touch him?

Is that Mary?

So there making it clear because there are a number of Marys in the gospels. So the Mary who was can viewed as a Sinner, the Mary who.

Kissed and wash Jesus feet with his tears.

And so the sisters.

Sent word to him. Thus Jesus, saying, Lord, Behold he whom you love is sick. But when Jesus heard this, said, this sickness is not to end in death.

But for the glory of God, so that the son of God may be glorified by it.

Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister Anne Lazareth.

Now I want you to remember that I want you to see that they love Jesus so much so that Mary Outpoured her love and gratitude on Jesus when no one thought it was appropriate. And it says here that Jesus Love and it goes through and done. Just say lazareth then just say merry and then just say Martha that Jesus loved Lazareth Ann, Martha Ann Marie. So he loved them.

But he was saying, and he gives a clue that this is not going to end in death.

Want you to notice that clue?

But

that God the father might be glorified, and that God the son might be glorified, and we're going to see in a moment where some other reasons for it.

So when he heard that he was sick, he stayed, then stayed two days longer in the place where he was.

Now I want you to know that in the scriptures makes it very clear that he loved all three.

But he stayed two more days.

There are times when God doesn't immediately respond to our requests.

And we wonder, well does he love me?

Does he care about Maine? Because if he loved me, if he cared about Maine, he would immediately come to my aid in the scriptures. Here makes it very clear that Jesus stayed not because he didn't care, but because he loved them, but there's something else that's going to take place that the glory of God might be seen.

There was an. I've shared this with you, a pastor who ilost an adult child.

And another pastor was counseling with him.

And the one thing that this pastor told the other pastor was.

Never let what you know about God.

Be taken away by what you don't know about.

And what we know about God is that he loves you and that he loves me.

Just as he loved lazareth and Martha and Mary.

So why he may or may not come to our aid as quickly as we want him to? The question is not that he doesn't love us.

So don't let that seemingly delay affect you.

And we even teach that God loves us to her children. We teach it in a simple song.

Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so.

And so we sing it. We show it in the Scriptures. We read it in the scriptures that we see that nothing can separate us from the love of God. And so this delay has nothing to do with Jesus is love.

And when Jesus delays coming to your rescue or to your answer to prayers, and it seems that it's taking longer than you want.

Don't doubt that it's the reason is because he doesn't love you.

There may be something else going on.

So we say there two days longer in the place where he was then. After this he said to the disciples, let us go to Judy again. And the disciple said to him, rabbi, the Jews were just now sinking to stone. You are you going there again so his disciples going wait a minute, we went and left you dear, because they were trying to stone you there trying to kill you is that such a good idea to go back to because we're going to see a little bit Bethany.

Is very, very close.

To Jerusalem.

It's in Judea.

Where the opposition is.

And so they are warning him.

And Jesus answered, are there not 12 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.

Jesus is going to use an analogy of the world to talk about spiritual reality. He saying when is daylight.

That's when you venture out and go on your journey. But when it's night, you don't because you're afraid to fall in a pit or stumble across rock or whatever.

But just as similarly.

When that spiritual light is not in you.

Not the light from outside, not the light of the world, but the spirit that is in US.

We might stumble.

This he said, and after that he said to them, our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep. But I go, so that I may awaken him out of sleep.

Now Jesus is not using sleep.

As a metaphor for death, because he doesn't like the term death.

The scriptures tend to talk about when.

Believers.

Exit this world.

They sleep even in the Old Testament. He went to sleep with his father's.

And Jesus is saying, because for the believer.

Death is not final. Death is not in life.

You're the body, simply rest.

And so his disciples misunderstandings is. So let's go and awaken amount of asleep and disciples. Then said to him, Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.

Their attitude is wait a minute.

If he sick in his falling asleep, then by our medical understanding that's good for the body and he will recover. Why risk going to Judea where they want to stone you when everything is gonna be OK anyway?

So.

Great to have such council, isn't it?

Now Jesus has spoken of his death, but they thought that he was Speaking of literal sleep. So Jesus said to them plainly.

Lazareth is dead.

Now.

This is where there's a clue that Jesus gave earlier.

'cause he said that this was not going to end in death. He never said there was going to be no death.

That it would not end that way.

So he says Lazarus is dead and I am glad for your sakes, that I was not there so that you may believe, but let us go to him.

A third reason.

That Jesus didn't respond immediately.

To Mary and Martha.

The glory of the father. The glory of the sun, and strengthening the belief of the disciples.

So says I'm glad I wasn't there because now is going to help you to believe.

Let us go to him. Therefore, Thomas, who's called venomous didymous, means twin. So apparently Thomas was one of of a set of Twins instead to his fellow disciples. Let us also go that we may die with him.

Now see, they still don't quite understand what Jesus is doing.

There thinking, well, let's go to Lazarus because Lazarus is dead, which means let's meet Lazarus.

Yet.

And Tom's been very value in very.

Loyal says let's go die with Jesus.

It's always interesting that they're willing to do these things.

Until the crucifixion.

Then they're not to be seen.

So there thinking OK, Jesus is going to die with Lazareth. We're going to go and we're going to die as martyrs.

Let's go with him. So when Jesus came, he found that he had already been into tomb four days.

Or days.

Jesus probably took at least a day to get message to him. He stayed two more days, probably took him at least today to get there.

So he's been dead 4 days and at home.

Now Bethany was near Jerusalem about 2 miles off.

And many other Jews had come to Martha Ann Marie to console them concerning their brother.

During this time and that's why I want you to use your imagination, if you will.

In the Jewish context of that day.

To express your love and sorrow for the family.

You whale.

You just said.

You cried out, you screamed you well, so much so that if there was insufficient people waiting for you, they'd hire somebody.

Yeah, we we today. What we do instead of wailing we make up good things about the guy who die.

So much so that we're going is that the guy I knew that's been very 'cause I didn't see him that way. But you know, we come up with start. Good to speak evil of the debt. So instead of wailing and crying we make up stuff they to make sure that everybody thought This guy was a worthy guy and how sad it is for the family. They wailed and cried and let it be known.

So many other Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother and Martha. Therefore, when she heard that Jesus was coming, went to meet him. A married stayed at the house. Now I find it interesting. The switch of the two sisters.

Because previously when he talked about them being at their house, Martha complained that Mary said at Jesus feet while Martha was busy working in his Martha, who runs to see Jesus and Mary stays there.

We're not told why we can speculate. It might be she's a little upset with Jesus that he did respond. She might be a little while. I love him, but maybe he doesn't. We don't know, but we know she stays there and Martha goes.

And Martha then said that, Jesus, Lord, If you had been here, my brother would not have died.

Now she has partial faith if you will. She understand that Jesus has the power to heal, and that if Jesus were there that lazareth could have been healed.

But it's only a partial fee, why?

Because there were those such as the Centurions Servant.

Who Jesus healed from afar?

There was a father who came to Jesus because his child was sick unto death and Jesus healed from afar. It is not necessary for Jesus to be there to heal.

And it is not necessary for you to feel that Jesus is here for Jesus to work.

And so she has partial face. She understands that Jesus could have done something, but she didn't understand the full context of Jess who Jesus is because Jesus is power is not limited by time or space.

Or anything else.

Even now, I know that whatever you ask God, God will give you interesting statement.

She again understands the connection between God the son and God the father, and that there closed connection so much though that whenever the God the son ask God the father God the father will do.

But notice she says, Jesus said her, your brother will rise again.

Now my thought would be based on her comment.

You going to raise them from the dead?

Because anything you ask of the father, the father will give you, and since you weren't here before he died, maybe you can ask him now in he'll rise from the dead.

Martha said to him, I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.

You see, Martha had good theology.

Martha understood better than the Sadducees that there was a resurrection and that her brother would be apart of that resurrection.

She understands the theology.

She doesn't understand the person.

And Jesus said to her.

I am.

I am is very important his I am is the name of God I am that I am.

I am.

Not away of the resurrection. I am the resurrection and the life.

Jesus is in just a way somewhere. Jesus is the way he is, the resurrection.

And he is the life.

He who believes in me will live even if he dies in who everyone who lives and believes in me will never die.

This is one of the many proof checks in the Scriptures. When I tell you that it isn't live death and life again, it is eternal life.

Jesus says if you believe you will never die.

If you will, just as Jesus gave in.

His brief description to his disciples.

This will not end in death.

Your life as a believer will not end in death.

Do you believe this?

Not just about the theology, do you believe? Not that there will be a wreck resurrection, but that I am the resurrection and that I am the life.

And she said him, yes, Lord, I have believed that you are the Christ, the son of God, even he who comes into the world.

Martha makes that confession of faith.

Not only do I have my theology.

I understand who it is that you are.

And when she had said this.

She went away an called marry her sister, saying secretly the teachers here and is calling for you.

And when she heard it, she got up quickly and coming to him. So again, Mary doesn't waste anytime as soon as she hears that Jesus has asked for her.

In Martha doesn't make a big public scene of this. She secretly tells her so that Mary might go quietly to Jesus.

And had that discussion.

How often?

Is it that we need to go quietly to Jesus?

And have a discussion.

Why it seems?

He let us down.

Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but we're still in the place where Martha met him.

Then the Jews who are with her in the house and consoling her when they saw the Mary got up quickly and went out. They followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. So again there good weeper there good consolers let's go with Mary's. The whole point is a consoled Mary and make her so she's probably going to the tomb. She's probably feeling better, so let's go and make her feel better so they get up.

Supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. Therefore, when Mary came where Jesus was, she saw him and fell at his feet.

Again, we see Mary constantly, always at the feet of Jesus.

Always been subservient to who he is always acknowledging.

Who he is.

But she makes the same mistake as Martha Lord. If you had been here, my brother would not have died.

She says basically the very exact same thing the Martha did, Jesus. If you'd only been here, he wouldn't have died. I don't know what took you four days after his death again here.

But if you have been here, he would not to die.

Another she does Jesus response.

When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, he was neat, deeply moved in spirit, and was troubled.

And said where have you laid him?

Jesus is responses and to give Barry the same discussion about who he is as he did with Martha.

He simply goes.

Or Julia.

And he sees the trouble and spirit that Mary. Has he seen the trouble and spirit than Martha had. He seized the Jews who are attempting to console her and there.

And they said to him, Lord, Come and see.

The next 2 words.

The shortest.

Scripture in the Bible.

Jesus wept.

I have considered those words I have looked at what the commentary say.

And I'm going to give you an honest answer to why Jesus wept.

I don't know.

I see that he has compassion for the people because they're crying.

But I know before this whole incident started, he knew that he was going to raise Lazarus from the dead because it was not going to end in death.

Was he crying because they're missing the point?

Was he crying because Jesus is so compassionate that even when people grieve?

Wrongly.

That he still touched by it.

Does he weep because he's going to wake Lazarus from the grave when?

We all say this to make ourselves better feel better. 'cause Lazarus is in a better place.

And now he's going to bring him back.

I don't know the reason that Jesus wept.

And I suspect none of us will, until we see him face to face.

But Jesus, because of his great compassion, wept. And so the Jews were saying, see how he loved him.

But some of them said could not this man who opened the eyes of the blind have kept this man also from dying?

So even the crowd saying, Well, you know Jesus has this ability to heal.

He can even healed the blind so he could have kept this man from dying. Where was he?

So Jesus again being deeply moved within.

Came to the tomb.

Now was a cave in a stone was lying against it.

So we had this idea that that like we do, we either put people.

In the ground, or sometimes we put it into a crypt where it's a mausoleum and we slide a casket in there, but in this is basically a cave.

You put the body in The Cave. You put a stone over. It prevents everything from grave robbers too.

The decomposition of the body.

So it was a cave in a stone was lying against it.

And Jesus said, remove the stone.

Martha, being the practical one.

The sister of the deceased.

Said to him, Lord, by this time there will be a stench or he has been dead for days.

There is decomposition going on here. Jesus, I know you could have kept him from dying. But not only is he did he's been dead for four days.

Now his disciples have seen Jesus raise at least two other people from the dead.

He saw him raise a little girl.

During the funeral March.

He saw him.

Raise.

A son.

Of a widow.

But these were people who were going to be buried, but had recently been deceased.

What are the same?

You sure you want to do this?

His by now the body stinks.

Jesus said to her, did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?

Here's the point.

But God is going to do through Jesus the son.

Is it give God the father and God the son glory?

Maybe?

We should be a little more patient.

When we ask God to intervene in our lives because maybe there is something that God wants to do to demonstrate his glory.

Now let's face it.

You're sick.

And God heals you.

He's more of the of phrase.

If you dead 4 days.

Erase you from the dead.

He's in title whole lot of phrase.

Maybe the rest of your life kind of praise.

Because you would be in that tomb.

The rest of the time, instead of singing glory to God.

So they remove the stone.

Then Jesus raised his eyes and said, father, I thank you that you have noticed the past tense have heard me.

Jesus is not praying God to do something he already into father already talked.

His prayer is not for God's benefit or his benefit. His prayer is for the public benefit.

So he says, father, I thank you that you have heard Maine. I knew that you always hear me.

Or BIC cause of the people standing around. I have said it so that they may believe that you sent me.

Another reason that God didn't answer the two sisters request to come and he'll Jesus.

Was for the glory of God, for the glory of the sun. For those disciples, my strength and their belief, and for those who are standing around now that they might believe.

Revival's about to break out here.

Because God didn't answer immediately.

And when he had said These things, he cried out with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.

Now we're gonna have this great sorrow. Jesus even weeps at the view of all the people weeping and their morning. And all of this.

And now we're going to have a little comedic relief.

The man who had died came fourth bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around him with Clock. Now I want you. I'm going to help you with.

Your imagination.

But I want you to see what's happened. You've all seen mummy movies.

Where the mummies all wrapped up in in in strips of now in the mummy movies, the mummy's walk.

This says he's bound him. So basically what's happening is Jesus calls forth for Lazarus.

To come forth and Lazarus is doing this.

He's attempting to obey, but he's bound with wrappings and his face is covered.

Now I think this is funny.

You don't see everyday a guy going.

Listening to Jesus.

In coming forward from, he didn't say go in there and get the body out, he says Lazarus, come forth. He told Lazareth to do the moving.

And here is a praise to God.

And Jesus said to them, on buying him.

And let him go.

So the people there took the wrappings off.

Of Lazarus so that he no longer would be bound.

So that he would be free.

Alive.

He doesn't stink.

But he's alive.

Now here's the sad thing.

You and me we have been dead in our sins and trust passing.

And Jesus has made us alive.

And Jesus is called forth for us to come.

But unfortunately seems that too many of us are still wrapped in the dead close.

We are bound.

By the things that held us death when we're alive.

We need to get out of the boundary of death.

And it's covering and walk in newness of life.

Now Lazarus had to have some help.

And you and I probably need help as well. We need other people to encourage us to give us the word to strengthen us, to say it's OK. Sometimes it doesn't feel like God has heard us, but we know that God loves us and that he will come.

Paul tells us that were supposed to take off the old clothes.

Input on the new clothes of righteousness.

We just don't think about the old holes being dead close.

In the clothes that we were buried in.

At least lazareth Wally was bound. Kept moving to the Lord.

And maybe you and I feel bound. Keep moving to the Lord.

But Jesus told them to unbind him.

And Jesus is told us to be unbound and be clothed in righteousness.

So let's keep jump, stop jumping up and down and moving to him.

Therefore, many of the juices came to Mary and saw it had been done, believed him.

There's another group of people who, because Jesus delayed in his arrival.

Change from healing to resurrection.

And there were those who believed.

But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them the things which Jesus had done.

You always got somebody who's got a tattletale.

Yeah, 'cause everybody already knows that the Pharisees don't like Jesus.

So.

You you, you let me tell you what Jesus just did, there's This guy named Lazareth and Bethany 2 miles off.

We just got raised from the dead by Jesus.

You're not telling them because they're wanting to witness.

They tell him because they want them to do something about Jesus.

Therefore, the chief priests in the Pharisees convene a council called the San Hedren.

And we're saying what are we doing for this man is performing many signs. Now I find this interesting.

Because what is it that Jesus they keep to ask Jesus? Will you perform a sign for us that we might believe in Jesus basically told them because they don't really accept signs? The only sign you're going to get is a sign of Jonah.

Well, here's a sign and there saying in their council meeting he keeps performing signs.

So maybe they should believe instead of having a business meeting to determine what to do with him. Maybe they should they.

The Messiah is here.

I move that we disband 'cause he's the King and he's the chief. Priests were no longer needed.

If we let him go on like this, all men will believe in him and the wrong ones will come and take away both our place in our nation. Well, if he is the Messiah, Rome is going to have no ability to take away him or the nation because he's the Messiah. The one God is sent.

I suspect that that their concern.

With their own position.

But one of them, Caiaphas.

Who was high priest that year said to them?

You know nothing at all.

Here's a guy this kind of Eragon.

You guys don't know which talking about.

Nor do you take into account that it is expedient for you, that one man die for the people, and that the whole nation not perish.

He's gone.

Here's the answer to the problem.

It's expedient, it's the quickest way to avoid our problem.

Is for Jesus to die.

Rather than the nation crumble.

Now he did not say this of his own initiative, but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus is going to die for the nation, and not for the nation only. But in order that he might also gather together into one the children of God.

Or scattered abroad.

Now.

The wisdom here is.

Just because somebody get something right?

In the word of God.

Does it mean there right?

He is prophesying because he is the high priest and God is using that prophecy to tell what's going on.

But Civ is as High Priest is like a broken Clock.

Is right twice a day.

So simply because you hear somebody say something that sounds like the truth in the Scriptures, you need to examine all what they have to say, not just because it got right one time.

So, crevices.

We got this covered.

He dies.

We stay in power.

Oscar.

So from that day on, they plan together to kill him.

The San Hedren now makes it as their policy.

The death of Jesus.

It's no longer just a trap him in something to turn him. The people against him. It is for them.

To put Jesus out of their misery.

Therefore.

Jesus no longer continue to walk publicly among the Jews, but went away from there to the country near the wilderness into a city called E Fream, and there he stayed with the disciples.

So we see Jesus moving out of Bethany.

To the border regions to city of Evil is continuing to teach his disciples is continuing to preach and to do, but he has moved from that area. Why?

'cause it's not yet passel.

It is not yet time as Daniel predicts.

And is Zachariah produce?

Let there be 1.

Who comes?

Are donkey called?

He's gonna come on that day.

The exact day Daniel projects.

He is going to come on the way to Jerusalem exact way Zachariah predicts.

Not because they predicted it.

Because that's what he did and the Prophet saw it.

From afar

so he's not.

In fear of death.

He leaves because the timing is not yet right.

So in this passage.

We see.

That Jesus loves.

Yes, sometimes he doesn't act right away.

We see that Jesus tells us.

That he is the resurrection and the life.

And that.

You

in your story.

Will not end in death.

And that in between that time.

And now.

Let's get rid of the burial clothes.

Put on the robe of righteousness.

And praise him.

And declare his glory.

Because he's worthy of it.

And quite frankly.

I do not want to be embarrassed.

That the rocks.

Do a better job at declaring his glory than I do a redeemed.

So in this story, and I hope you've used your imagination.

That this story will not soon leave your memory.

But then.

The next time.

It seems that God is a far off.

You remember, maybe He's waiting.

To present greater glory.

And all God's people said.