INTRODUCTION

Welcome again to all of you today. If you have your Bibles with you, and I hope you do, would you open them to the book of John in the New Testament, John 11. As you turn there in your Bibles, I’m curious, how many of you right now would say in your life, you really would like God to do something supernatural? You know, you could use a touch from God, or it would really help if God were to act on your behalf in the form of a miracle? You’ve prayed. Nothing has happened, and you hope that something will. Come on now, how many of you would say, “It would be awesome - if God were to do a miracle?” If that is you today, I pray that this story about the miracle of Lazarus, a guy who was dead for four days before God acted, will speak to you.PRAY

[show picture of dug out grave]
Being in a cemetery always seems to put things into perspective. I’ve got to confess that I’m not much of a fan for cemeteries especially when I am looking into the hole of a place where a person, who died just four days ago will be buried. A place, where in just a few short hours, there will be family members and friends that gather all around this area, who will be grieving, and crying, and hugging each other, and offering words of comfort, and then a minister will open up God’s word and share some scripture, and people will be grieving what we call death.

The thing is though, at every funeral, it is very likely there will be more than just one dead person? There will be those, very likely, who are also spiritually dead. There will be those who had relationships that died. There will be some that have simply lost all hope for a better future.

This week, we are going to study another one of Jesus’ miracles, when a guy who had been dead for four days was put into a hole, and Jesus, by His power, proved that all things with God are possible. In God’s world, we are going to find that death is never final.

Speaking of funeral…

There was a five-year-old boy that went to his very first funeral and the pastor there was reading the scripture from Genesis 3:19 that says, “From dust have you come and so shall to dust shall you return” The little boy went home later on and was playing under his bed and saw a pile of dust…and he cried out, “Mom, come quick! Someone’s either coming or they’re going, but something is happening under my bed!!” (illustration from the message “Raising Lazarus from the Dead” by Craig Groeschel)

Let’s start in verse 1 of John 11. Scripture says,

1 Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair. 3 So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.”
John 11:1-3 (NIV)

Let’s just pause here for a moment. Put yourself in this story. What you can see going on is that there are some loved ones who, right now, are in that moment of panic, where someone that they love is about to die, and they are crying out, “Jesus, we’ve seen you do miracles before. We know that You can. We need some help, and we need it quickly. Things aren’t good. They are not looking like they are going to get better. We need You now.” Then, Jesus speaks up in verse 4,

When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not… John 11:4 (NIV)

What did Jesus say, it will not…what? Say it with me. “end in death”. In other words, it was looking bad, but it is not going to end up in the way you think. He continues…

… No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.”
John 11:4 (NIV)

For who’s glory? For God’s glory so that Jesus may be glorified through it! It is almost as if Jesus was saying, “Okay, things don’t look good on your timetable, but what you need to understand is that I’ve got divine strategy. There is something going on behind the scenes, and when I am through with this, everyone is going to say, ‘Oh my gosh, what happened couldn’t have happened except by the hand of God. We’ve got to give God glory for that!’”

There may be some of you, right now, who are facing some things and you’re saying, “Things are going the wrong way. I don’t understand it. I don’t know what’s going on,” and god may say, “This sickness in your life, or whatever it is, will not end in death. I’ve got divine strategy”

It’s kind of like the movie Rocky 4 in which the boxer played by Slvester Stallone is fighting this giant Russian. In the movie the Russian is just beating the tar out of Rocky and Rocky came back over to the trainer. The trainer says something like, “What are you doing?” and Rocky replies, “Yo! Got strategy!” As he gets back in the ring he continues to take some blows, and then toward the end, when no one expected, Rocky took down the enemy.

Right now, you may feel like you are taking some blows , and God may say, “I’ve got a divine strategy. This sickness is not going to end in death. In fact, when I’m through, it is going to be undeniable that the hand of God has been involved, and I will be glorified. This sickness will not end in death.”

Speaking of death. I’m curious - is there anyone here today who really loves scary movies? Put up your hand - come on! Okay, all of you - you’re slightly sick in the mind…ha ha - I kind of like scary movies too - my problem is though that I try to stay away from them because I have such a vivid imagination that the images in the movie stick with me longer than I’d like them too!

Anyway, if you like scray movies - you’re probably like talking back to the screen right? It’s just part of it - “Don’t go there!” or… “no, no, don’t open the door…” Let’s play a little game - can anyone tell me what movie this is… [do the “dun dun, dun dun” from Jaws] “Jaws” Very good! The movie that made it impossible for us to ever enjoy the beach again. I even had trouble swimming in pools after I saw it…

The more modern day movie that I liked was the movie “Sixth Sense”. Anybody here see that movie? Remember the twist in the end? There’s this little kid in the movie and he sees…what? Say it with me, “dead people” He says, “I see dead people”.

Okay, there’s something that you may not know about me, but as a pastor, we have super powers. No really, we do. It’s amazing. I could be talking to you, and I can know what you did this week…It’s really fun. I’ve never had a red light in my life. As a pastor, I just pull up and they just turn green, and it’s stinking cool…yeah right!

Another power, I see dead people, and I’m not joking about that one. I really do. Everywhere I go, I see them. I go grocery shopping - I try not to, but sometimes I do have to go grocery shopping and I see dead people there all over the place. I go to the gas station and I see dead people. I even go into churches, and see dead people.

Here’s the thing, If you are taking notes, write this down. Did you know that you can be dead while you live? Alive on the outside, but very, very dead on the inside? I see dead people, and so do you. Help me out - let’s read 1 Timothy 5:6 - all together now…

But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives.
1 Timothy 5:6 (NIV)

We see dead people. Maybe you see people who are relationally dead. Relationally - you know what I’m talking about? Those who really don’t have authentic transparent relationships in their lives. All they have are Surfacy relationships, just all on the surface. I see relationally dead marriages - people who are married that live in the same house, but are barely more than roommates. I see people who are just dead, because they are just existing, floating through life, hoping that one day it will get better, but it doesn’t seem to. I see dead people - alive on the outside, but dead on the inside.

As we talk about the story of Lazarus - you’ll notice that he died. Maybe something on you, inside of you died, and God wants to bring it back to life. Let me kind of summarize this story. I’ll tell you what happened, in brief summary, between verses 5 and 16. You can go ahead an read the details on your own later today. Jesus heard that his good buddy, Lazarus, was dying, and then he actually did die. Then, Jesus waited two days before He left to go on a journey to go see His loved ones. Two days he waited. Then, he said to His disciples, “Let’s go back to Judea” - the place where Lazarus was. Jesus’ disciples replied, “Um, Jesus, remember last time You were in Judea how the Jews tried to kill You? You don’t want to go there. Here, good. There, bad…” Jesus said, “No, you don’t understand. Our friend, Lazarus, has fallen asleep.” And what He meant was, “Lazarus has died”. He continued, “We are going to go there to wake him up.”

So Jesus and His disciples traveled to Judea, and as they do I want to point out three different characters in this story. These characters were all alive on the outside, but something on the inside was dead. They represent three different death traps and maybe you can relate to one or more of these in your own life.

We’ll look first at Thomas. Now some of you may already be familiar with Thomas! He was known for what?

Death trap #1: DOUBTING (leads to disbelief)

Thomas was always known for doubting. If you are taking notes, it may not surprise you. Thomas was dead in his doubts. Now, admittedly, I’m reading a little bit into this, but I think I am right because in the context of this story, the disciples just said, “Let’s go back? No, let’s NOT go back to Judea, because they’ll kill you,” and it is very likely that Thomas, right here, was being incredibly sarcastic.

Then Thomas (called Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”
John 11:16 (NIV)

In other words, things aren’t good, and they are probably going to get worse. A lot of you are, right now, dying on the inside with very real spiritual doubts. I relate a lot to the little boy who was afraid of the basement at his house, and his mom kept all of the food down there. It was kind of like a pantry, and the mom would always say, “Go get this…” and the boy would say, “No” because he was afraid to go down to the basement. The mom said, “son, would you go get me a can of tomato soup in the basement,” and the boy said, “No” - the mom said, “Why not?” and the boy said, “Because I’m afraid of the basement”. The mom in her wisdom said, “son, you need to understand…Jesus is in the basement. You will be fine.” The boy said, “Jesus is in the basement?” Mom says, “Yes, Jesus is in the basement.” The boy said, “Fine,” opened up the door, looked down into the basement, and said, “Yo, Jesus, can You toss me up a can of tomato soup?”

Just because we know He’s there doesn’t necessarily mean it always feels like He’s there. Many of you right now, you may have prayed for something, and it seems like Heaven is silent. You are wondering, “God, I’m praying this way and nothing’s happening. Are You even there and real? And if You are, are You good? And if You are good and You are there, can You do something about it, and if You can, why aren’t You? I don’t understand. Is it me? Is it you? What’s wrong with this picture? I don’t understand.” …and so doubt sets in.

Some of you right now, just like Thomas, are dying in your doubts. They are overwhelming your faith.

Then, there was Martha, and many of you will be able to relate with her.

Death Trap #2: DELAY (leads to impatience)

Martha was dead in her impatience. What was the problem? It was taking Jesus too long to get anything done, and she was about to let it be known.

On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days.
John 11:17 (NIV)

How long had Lazarus been dead? Come on, say it out loud! “Four days” There’s dead, and then there’s really dead. When Jack Bauer on the TV show 24 dies, that’s just dead, okay? Because in a minute, somebody’s going to inject him with something, and he’s going to come back and whip some tail again, okay? They’re just dead. Four days is really dead. Four days, the body is starting to smell. It even says that in scripture. In fact, if you want to have some fun, find yourself a Bible that is the King James version and read the verse. It actually says this. It says in the King James version, speaking of Lazarus body, it says, “he stinketh.” Honest to goodness, that’s what it says, “he stinketh”. That just cracks me up. Ha ha! I don’t know why…”he stinketh”. Good ol’ King James. Anyway, he stinketh.

Now let’s look at verse 21, here’s the delay…

“Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died.
John 11:21 (NIV)

In other words “What took you so long? You could have been here in a day and a half. It took you four days. What were you thinking?” Dead in her delay. Some of you may be able to relate. I know people who pray and seek God for things and nothing seems to happen - “Wait a minute. I’ve been doing everything right, and nothing’s working for me.” You are in the delay. Then, there are people who are married, and they are praying for their marriage to get better, and it’s not. Delay. I know many people who are praying for God to touch their physical bodies, or the bodies of someone that they love for healing. Nothing. Delay. One of the saddest, there are so many people whose greatest prayer is that the person they love dearly would come into a living relationship with the risen Christ. And the harder they pray, the farther they seem to get from God. What is going on here? Why the delay?

Thomas was dead in his doubts, Martha in her impatience because of delay, and then Mary, perhaps was the most difficult…

Death trap #3: DISCOURAGEMENT (leads to distance)

Mary was dead in her discouragement and many of you will be able to relate with this. Let’s look at verse 20,

When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.
John 11:20 (NIV)

Martha went to Jesus when she heard He was coming but what did Mary do? She stayed home. Can you just feel the discouragement, “Well, why even bother? Nothing’s going to happen anyway. What’s the use?” Guess what? I see dead people all the time. Dead in their discouragement. A discouragement that causes them to distance themselves from God. “You know, I tried to overcome this addiction thing, but I just can’t. You know, I prayed, and I went to this class, and I got counselling, and I tried this, and I’m always going to be this way. I’m never going to be happy. Everyone else is; I’m not. Oh yeah, you’re blessed and God answers you. Bla, bla, bla, bla…then there’s me. It’s no use.”

CONCLUSION

There’s a question I would like for you to answer and I want you to be very, very, very honest. Ask yourself, “What in your life is dead or is dying?” Be really honest. It could be your faith. It could be that one time you really, really had a deep and a real faith, but that’s dying. It could be that at one time you were really intimate with God, and His word would speak to you, and you’d have these times where you’d sense, “Oh, God wants me to do this,” and “God wants me to reach out to this person,” and you did it, and you’d experienced the joy of obedience, and then somehow, that just kind of went away.

Maybe that’s you. Or maybe it’s like so many people I talk to who will say, “You know, there’s my dad, you know, and we’re just not talking. When we do, it’s not real nice, it’s just way out there.” It’s a relationship that should be alive, but in so many cases, it is just dead.

Or maybe it could be something financial. You look like you’ve got it all. On the outside, you’ve got the image. You’ve got the car. You’ve got the look and the appearance of success. But the truth is, you’re dead in debt.

I don’t know where it is or what it is that is dead or dying in your life. I do know what it’s like to be in that place myself. Sometimes it just seems that there is no light at the end of the tunnel or that there’s no reason to expect anything different.

Watch what Jesus does in verse 33-35. There’s a whole lot of tears going on and Jesus was right in the middle of it…

33 When Jesus saw her[MARTHA] weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled. 34 “Where have you laid him?” he asked. “Come and see, Lord,” they replied. 35 Jesus wept.
John 11:33-35 (NIV)

What did Jesus do? He wept. Think about that. Think about the irony of this. Here is the Son of God, who was about to do what? Jesus was about to raise Lazarus from the dead. He knew at any moment He could do it, and yet, He wept. Why? Because that’s how much He feels and cares for His people - those He loves. That’s how much. He was weeping because He was hurting, and He was crying because His people were hurting. Where is Jesus today? Scripture says,

Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died–more than that, who was raised to life–is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.
Romans 8:34 (NIV)

When you are hurting, Jesus is praying, and is wanting to hold you until the tears go away. Some of you, you are in the season between the death and the power of the resurrection. You are in the delay. You don’t see it. You don’t feel it. The doubts are real. The delay is obvious, and you are in a season of discouragement. During that time, Jesus will hold you until the tears go away, but never forget this. Never forget this, God’s delays are not necessarily God’s denials. Just like Joseph in prison for two years, just like Moses wandering in the desert, just like Noah building a boat and there’s no rain in sight, just like Paul making tents for years and years, waiting and waiting. God’s delays are not God’s denials.

Why did Jesus come? He came so that you could live. That’s why He came! He came so that you could live the God kind of life, not this fake, stupid, pathetic, exclusive pursuit of materialism and selfish gratification that we bought into in our mindset. Not that. Jesus came so that we may live the God kind of life. The kind of life that is so real that you have joy on the inside when there is no human reason to have joy on the outside. That kind of life. The kind of life that I’ve seen so many times - walking into a place where there is no reason why anyone should have any kind of peace, because there is too much crud all around, and yet, there is this peace from on high on the inside that goes beyond all of our human ability to even understand. It’s a peace from God. It is this power of being connected with Him.

Do you realize that if you are a Christ-follower, the very same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead, that resurrection power is inside of you? Why did He come? So that you could live, really live. The God kind of life. Jesus’ mission statement, follows what may be said to be the enemy’s mission statement in John 10:10

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.
John 10:10 (NIV)

The God kind of life.

Jesus came so that you could have life, so if you are taking notes, write this down. If it’s true - and I believe it is - that Jesus came so that you could live, stop dressing like a dead man. Stop dressing like you belong in the tomb. Stop speaking like a dead man. Stop thinking like a dead man. Stop acting like a dead man! Stop hanging around exclusively with dead people. Jesus came so that you could live. Stop dressing like a dead man and that nonsense. What did Jesus do? Watch what He did in this story. He looked up to Heaven, and He prayed. Then He said, “Move the stone away from the tomb. Verse 43…

When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”
John 11:43 (NIV)

What did Jesus say, say it again with me will you… “Lazarus, come out!”

The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face. Jesus said to them, “Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”
John 11:44 (NIV)

Take off anything that resembles death. Take it off. Strip it off. Get rid of it. Get rid of those dead things.

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins,

4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions–it is by grace you have been saved.
Ephesians 2:1, 4-5 (NIV)

Take off those negative thoughts - “Well, I’m never going to amount to anything,” and “Ah, well, we’re always going to be miserable,” and “Well we might as well get used to the fact that we’re always going to be in debt,” and “Oh, God? Yeah, He answers others prayers but never mine. Oh - you overcame something? Great, but I never will. Oh, you have a great relationship? Well, I’m not.”…

Stop death thinking. Stop that death speaking. Take it off. The past is the past forgiven under the blood of Christ. God is here. God is real. God has resurrection power. He is available to any who will come to Him. Stop acting like a dead man. Come out from the dead stuff. Is he real, or is this all a joke? Do you believe, or are we simply playing church? All things are possible with God. Dead for four days is not dead in God’s world. He can speak to dead things, and they can live. What’s dead on the inside of you? Let Him bring it back to life. Your vision you once had to make a difference, and you’re just stuck, let Him bring it back to life. Your hope to lead someone to Christ, you used to have it and now you don’t - Let Him bring it back to life. Your faith, your passion, let Him bring it back to life. He specializes in bringing life to dead things. What in you is dead that He wants to live? I see dead people, but when God shows up, He makes dead things alive.

Why did Jesus come? Jesus came so that you could really live.

As I finish this morning I want to repeat that question to you. What in your life is dead, or is dying? Remember, with God, death is never final. Come out of the grave, take off the grave clothes, and live. Jesus spoke to Martha and said:

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies;
John 11:25 (NIV)

Then He asked the question, “Do you believe this?”

That one question really gets to the heart of it. Do you really, really believe this?

Let’s pray,