Let's take our Bibles and turn
with me to the book of John 11. The last time we looked in the book
of John 11, we looked at verses 3 and 4, and we beheld the glorious
wonder of our Lord's mercy toward His people, even in their state
of physical sickness. And we saw that sickness, illness,
it has its limits. Our physical frailties are limited
And they must bow just as the sea and the wind bowed when our
Lord in Matthew 8 stood up and said to the wind and to the sea,
peace, be still. Scripture says there was just
a perfect calm. It was calm. You know, water, if you've ever
been out, I mean, there's always just a little movement. It was calm. To the point that
the disciples were amazed when He said, Peace, be still. Be still. I know, I'm convinced,
it was glass. It was just And the disciples
said, what manner of man is this that even the wind and the sea
obey him? Well, the Lord was told by a
messenger from Martha Mary that he whom thou lovest is sick. And our Lord made this statement,
verse 4, when he heard that, he said, This sickness is not
unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might
be glorified thereby. Now, from that truth, And I know
that Lazarus was sick. He was gravely sick. In fact, he died. But from that
statement that our Lord made, let's draw some comfort in knowing
that every illness that we encounter is governed by the will and the
power and the purpose of the Lord who has ordained our departure
out of this world. Now, if sickness comes, if sickness
returns for God's people, He has ordained that for their good
and for His glory. Romans 8.28 bears that out. All
things work together for good to them that love God, to them
who are the called according to His purpose. The Lord who
numbers the hairs of our head has everlastingly predestinated
every step of our path to bring honor to Himself in the receiving
of His own. Now, we're not going to stay
on this earth one moment longer. Mitch, when your dad died, that
was his time. Rob, others died. Daris, Betty, Martha. It's appointed on demand. He wants to die. And I know this,
he who loves his people, loves them with an everlasting love,
he's not going to allow them to be tempted above that which
they're able. But will, now listen to this
precious promise, but will with the temptation also make a way
of escape? I've told you before, it's amazing. It's amazing to watch a taught,
aged, settled believer. To watch a believer die. I know
this precious in the sight of God is the death of His saints. He is ever tender. Lamentations
3.33, for he doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children
of men. He does all things perfectly,
beautifully. Death, which will eventually be put
to an end, is truly to a believer the means by which Almighty God
ushers his people right into his presence. Lamentations 3.32, But though
he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude
of his mercies. He who has fixed the bounds of
our habitation has fixed the bounds, the boundaries of our
tribulation. But today, I read that passage
of Scripture and I know that in that text right there, Lazarus
was sick. Martha and Mary informed the
Lord, he whom thou lovest is sick. The Lord said this sickness
is not unto death, but it is for the glory of God. that the Son of God might be
glorified thereby. But I would like for us to look
at something that I know is absolutely so. And not only do we know that
that verse of Scripture dealt with Lazarus and his physical
infirmity, but I'd like to look at it for a few moments in light
of eternity. I'd like to view that truth as
it is spoken to every child of God's affection. Now listen,
believer. I'm talking to you. I'm talking to every believer
in this congregation this morning. To every child of God's affection. To those that have been taught
Salvation is all of grace. If we look at these words and
consider them in light of eternity, and our being born in Adam in
affliction, there is a precious promise right here. He whom thou lovest is sick. Now here is my first point. that the Lord has eternally loved
is born spiritually sick. Though objects of His love, we
were all born spiritually diseased, dead, depraved. And let me tell you, if someone
came this morning and they're kind of, I say, sounds like you're catching
a cold there. Yeah, maybe sinuses, maybe a
cold, but I've got the sniffles. There's a characteristic. There's something that's giving
away the fact that you've got the sniffles. Well, let me tell
you what the evidence, let me tell you what the characteristic
is of one that absolutely is in the dregs of depravity and
an unregenerate state. Here's the characteristic of
it. They don't believe God. They don't believe the Lord.
They believe not He that believeth. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ
and thou shalt be saved. Not putting the hope of your
salvation in your belief. Your belief is the evidence of
what God's done for you. Don't trust your faith. As I
said before, faith didn't die for you. Faith didn't lay down
its life. Faith wasn't made sin for you.
Faith, Mitch, is the gift of God by which you believe Him. That's the only way a man believes
God. He whom thou lovest, He that
you have everlastingly loved, is sick. Now, how sick? How sick was every one of God's elect
when they were born into this world? How sick? Well, just as
sick as every other man that's ever been born in this world.
Isaiah 1.5 says the whole head is sick, and the whole heart is faint. From the sole of the
foot, even to the head, there is no soundness. There is no
wholeness. There is no part that is unaffected. There is no soundness in it but
wounds and bruises, putrefying sores, wounds having been beaten
by sin. Wounds that will never heal. They'll never heal. They never
heal themselves. Man or woman is healthy. Cut
yourself, you know, and you're healthy and it begins healing.
It'll heal. But if it doesn't heal, something's
wrong. Check it out. The wound of a
man's nature. It will never heal itself. He can't heal it. These sins that manifest our
nature, they've not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified
with ointment. Nothing can ever be done for
their healing. No medicine can be applied as
far as man's ability, help, no bandage to prevent the worsening
of its effects. We're sick. Spirits were sick. Our soul is sick. Our soul is
dead. That's how sick it is. And we don't want a cure. I don't
want a cure. I'd cure myself. That's what
man says. But when Jesus heard this, He said this. He said, This sickness is not
unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might
be glorified thereby. It's not unto death to you, but it was death unto Him. He
was made what we are by nature. Here is the grace of Almighty
God. He whom thou lovest is sick. This is a fact. We're born sick,
diseased. What must be done for us to live? Well, here's my second point.
There's hope only in God our Savior. When Jesus heard that, He whom thou lovest is sick when
He heard it. I think about this glorious thought. How long has he heard it? He's
always known it. He's always known the need. He
knew the need of His people before they were ever physically born. He was the Lamb slain from before
the foundation of the world. Before there was ever a sinner,
there was a Savior. Nothing has ever began with God. He's always, always had a people. Always loved His people. Always
had a Savior. Always had a Lamb. My son, God
will provide Himself a Lamb. Now I know that when the messenger
came from Martha and Mary, the Lord heard the messenger. concerning Lazarus' physical
sickness. But as to his knowledge of the
spiritual need of his people, he's always known of their need
of healing. Before we fell, the provision
was made. Before we fell, When did He make
provision? I'll show you. Revelation 17,
8. Let me show you the provision that's always been made. Now
He's life. He is the Lord of life. I am
the way, I'm the truth, I'm the life. I'm life. How long have
we been written in life Himself? Revelation 17, verse 8, "...the
beast that thou sawest was, and is not, and shall ascend out
of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition. And they that
dwell on the earth shall wonder whose names were not written
in the book of life from the foundation of the world, when
they behold the beast that was, and is not, and yet is." How long has the names of God's
people been written in Christ? They've always been there. They've
always been written in Him. I told you before, I grew up
in a religion that told me that whenever a sinner gave his heart
to Jesus, that the recording angel wrote their name in the
Lamb's Book of Life. But you know, Mark, that's not
in there either. It's not in there. What does God say about
it? How long has there been a Savior? How long has God's people been
written in Him? They've always been there. How
long have they been secure? They've always been secure. Let
me ask you this. How long have they been saved? How long has God's people been
saved? The Scripture says, who has saved
us and called us in that order. You mean to tell me that they
were saved, safe, secure, rescued? That's what the word saved means.
Rescued. You mean before God Almighty
ever called them out of darkness? Yes. Before I formed you in the
belly, Jeremiah, I knew you. And I ordained you a prophet. Before God's people are called
out of darkness, they're God's. His sheep. How long have they
been sheep? They've always been sheep. Sheep
don't become goats or goat sheep. They always have been. Almighty
God says, My sheep, hear My voice. Other sheep I have. They are
not of this fold, and them also I must bring. I must bring them. Let me ask you this. How secure are they? All that
the Father giveth Me shall come to Me. How secure
are they? According to His Word, they are saved. I heard Brother
Henry say this one time. He said, God has saved us, is
saving us, and shall save us. God's people, they are sick,
born in themselves. But the Lord says, this sickness
is not unto death. but for the glory of God. I know this. He's always known
our plight. He's always stood as the surety
of His people. He's ever heard the declaration
of their need. He's always had mercy. He's always
had compassion. He's always been their redeemer.
He's always stood as the truth His sickness is not unto death. But knowing what I know about
man, about his wickedness, knowing what I know about God's demand
for holiness, here's my question. How should a man be just with
God? Now, I know this. I know that every man, every
woman is going to physically die. I know that. But for all
those that have been loved by the Father in electing grace,
loved by the Son in redeeming grace, loved by the Spirit of
God in quickening grace, they shall never see death. Never! Whosoever liveth and believeth
in Me shall never die eternally. When He died in Calvary, we died
in Him. The penalty of God's broken law
was satisfied in Christ. He whom thou lovest is sick. This sickness is not to their
eternal death. But it's for the glory of God.
When He was raised from the dead, we were raised to life in Him.
Because He is Almighty God. Because He lives. Because He
is our surety and righteousness and redemption. We live. We are alive. Alive in Christ. The sickness of sin's penalty
and the burden was made to be His. This sickness is not unto
their death, but oh, the high cost of our freedom and liberty
and life in Christ. He was forsaken of God that we
might never be forsaken. Our redemption, point three,
is for His glory. This sickness is not unto death,
but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified
thereby." Now, here's an amazing thought. We know that His redemption for
us is for our good. And we see, according to His
Word, that our spiritual healing is totally for His glory. Even in the fall of man, Christ
receives the honor, glory, and praise for the redemption of
His own. How is it that sin entered this
world? Let me ask you this. How is it that sin entered into
heaven when Satan and one-third of the angels rebelled? There
was war in heaven. War in heaven. How was it that
sin entered? There's one answer for this,
and this is the only answer for it. God permitted it. For His
glory. For His glory. Let me ask you
this. Did sin take God by surprise? Did one day God just come to
the realization, oh no, Satan has rebelled against me. And
one third of the angels have been drawn away by him. Did that take God? Where was
God when Satan rebelled against Him? I'll tell you exactly where
He was. He was on the throne. doing exactly as He will in the
army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth. Where
was God when sin entered heaven and earth? He was on the throne. This sickness is not unto death, but is for the glory of God. Though God Almighty is not the
author of sin, sin in all of its heinousness and the putting
away of it is for His glory. The casting of that sin as far
as the east is from the west and the redemption of His people
is for His glory. The putting of sin behind His
back is for His glory. In the absolute wisdom of God,
how would we know mercy if there was no need for mercy? God Almighty,
who has set forth the absolute glory and honor of Himself in
the redemption of His people, allowed sin allowed it. Not the author of
it, but allowed it. And then he dealt with it in
the redemption of his people. What did God determine would
give him glory? When Lazarus was sick, what did
God determine would give him glory? That he would rush over
there and go to Lazarus heal him from his disease, or raise
him from the dead? What did God determine? The Scripture
says he stayed two days after they told him. He waited two
days. And they allowed him to die.
Likewise, wherein is more glory toward God Almighty according
to His glorious message of salvation. according to God's determination,
to offer salvation and leave man's salvation to that man's
will and work, or to save man, dead man. Dead man. Dead in trespasses and sins. You have to say this, if man
has the ability to be able to do something, that man is not
dead. He's sick. He might be sick. He might have
a bad cold. I'm not saying he doesn't have
something, Mitch, but I'm saying, which gives him glory according
to his message, according to his gospel. To offer salvation
and let man accept it and give man some glory for that sickness
whereby man fell in the garden. and died. That's what the Lord
told Adam in the day he was going to die. Which gives him glory. To take a dead sinner and raise
that sinner to life in Christ. Give that man life. Give that man righteousness.
Give that man a standing in glory in Christ. To give that sinner,
that rebel against God, to crown him with the honor that is due
only to his precious head, the Lord Jesus Christ, and to cause
that man to sit with Christ, to be seated in the heavenlies. Those four and twenty elders
that fell and cast their crowns down, Lord, unto you is due all
the honor and glory and praise. Lord, he whom thou lovest is
sick. This sickness is not unto death,
but is for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be
glorified thereby. Lord, teach us afresh, for Christ's
sake.