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River Church Sermons


Apr 7, 2019

Life From Death #1

The Resurrection & The Life, John 11

By Louie Marsh, 4-7-2019

 

1) I must ACCEPT & REJOICE  in God’s timing!

 

1  Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2  It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. 3  So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” 4  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.” 5  Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6  So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. John 11:1-6 (ESV)

 

  • God times things for His glory not MY COMFORT.

 

2) When God opens a door I need to STEP THROUGH IT!

 

7  Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” 8  The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” 9  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. 10  But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” John 11:7-10 (ESV)

 

  • “12 hours of day light” = IT WON’T STAY OPEN INDEFINITELY.

 

  • I don’t have to be perfect to SERVE GOD!

 

16  So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” John 11:16 (ESV)

 

3) But I can’t do that unless I RECOGNIZE REALITY.

 

21  Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22  But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” 23  Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24  Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25  Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, 26  and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” 27  She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.” John 11:21-27 (ESV)

 

  • Jesus knew exactly WHO HE WAS.

 

  • Do I really believe it?

 

  • Do I know who I am?

 

4) Christ shows me that God really CARES ABOUT MY PAIN.

 

33  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. 34  And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” 35  Jesus wept. 36  So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” 37  But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?” John 11:33-37 (ESV)

 

The Greek word for "deeply moved" can mean "intensely agitated."—Life Application Bible Commentary

 

5) Encountering Christ often results in STRANGE THINGS!

 

38  Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. 39  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.” 40  Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” 41  So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. 42  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.” John 11:38-42 (ESV)

 

  • These things are always done to GLORIFY GOD!

 

6) Encountering Christ always brings me TO LIFE!

 

43  When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.” 44  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.” John 11:43-44 (ESV)

 

Jesus had to call out Lazarus by name for if he hadn't, all the dead would have come out of their graves! - Augustine