Kingsport Sovereign Grace Church,
located at 905 Yadkin Street in Kingsport, Tennessee, would
like to invite you to listen to a message of sovereign grace
by their pastor, Gabe Stoniker. And now, Pastor Gabe Stoniker. If you would like to turn with
me to John chapter 11, I have something very specific that
I would like for us to look at. I'm going to take a few minutes
here and just set everything up and then we'll get to the
heart of this message. This chapter begins with the
story of Lazarus. I'm sure you have heard and you're
familiar with the story of a man named Lazarus. He was a man whom
the Lord loved very much. The Lord loved him very much
and he became sick. And he died. The Lord loved him,
but he allowed him to become sick and he died. And after Lazarus
was put in the grave and he had been laying in that grave for
four days. The Lord raised him from the
dead. Our Lord cried, Lazarus, come
forth. Verse 44, right here in John
11, verse 44 says, and he that was dead came forth, bound hand
and foot with grave clothes. And his face was bound about
with a napkin. JESUS SAITH UNTO THEM, LOOSE
HIM AND LET HIM GO. I LOVE THAT VERSE. I TRULY LOVE
THAT VERSE. THAT IS A PICTURE OF SALVATION. THAT WHOLE STORY AND WHAT OUR
LORD DID, HOW HE HANDLED THAT, THAT IS ALL A VERY PERFECT PICTURE
OF SALVATION. THAT'S WHAT EVERY STORY IN THE
SCRIPTURE IS. IT'S AN ILLUSTRATION OF THE TRUTH
And the reality of how God saves centers, all of it points to
salvation. How God saves centers, this actual
story of Lazarus is a spiritual picture of how the Lord God comes
to a man. Christ came to him. He didn't
come to Christ, Christ came to him. And this is a picture of
how the Lord comes to a man who is dead. In sin and dead because
of sin. And without any effort on the dead
man's part. I mean, no effort on the dead
man's part. We can see that so clearly in
this story. No effort on the dead man's part. God gives life to that man. And God calls that man to himself. And God sets that man free from
everything that has bound him to the grave. Now, that's what
we see in this, that is. WHAT THE STORY IS POINTING US
TO, HOW GOD SAVES SINNERS. IT'S A WORK THAT GOD DOES WITHOUT
ANY EFFORT ON THE SINNER'S PART, AND WE SEE THAT SO CLEARLY BY
THE CONDITION THAT LAZARUS WAS IN. THAT'S WHAT I WANT US TO
GET A HOLD OF. BEFORE WE GO ANY FURTHER, LET'S JUST TAKE A MOMENT
AND REALLY GET A HOLD OF THE CONDITION THAT LAZARUS WAS IN. The condition Lazarus was in,
what was his condition? He was dead. He was dead. He was dead in this
great event of him being raised from the grave. What could Lazarus
have possibly done in this event? What could he have possibly taken
part in? WHAT WAS LAZARUS'S PART? WHAT
WAS HIS ROLE? WHAT WAS HIS WORK IN THIS? WHAT
COULD HE HAVE POSSIBLY DONE? HE WAS DEAD. HE WAS SO DEAD, HE STANK. THAT'S HOW DEAD HE WAS. HOW DEAD
WAS HE REALLY? HE STANK. THEY DID NOT WANT OUR
LORD OPENING THAT GRAVE. THEY SAID, LORD, PLEASE DON'T
OPEN THAT GRAVE. He stings. He's been laying here for four
days and he stings. He was a repulsive sight. He was a repulsive smell. He was dead. He could not cry out from the
grave. They didn't hear anything coming
out of that grave. He could not cry out. He could not move a
muscle. Our Lord did not say, roll the
stone away. Now, Lazarus, if you'll move
a muscle and if you'll just show me that anything's in there.
Lazarus couldn't cry out. Lazarus couldn't move a muscle.
Lazarus couldn't make a decision. The Lord didn't say, now, Lazarus,
what do you want to do? What do you want me to do for
you? This is your decision to make. And if Lazarus could not
make a decision, Lazarus could not do anything. He was dead. He was dead. That is man's spiritual condition
before God. Man is dead. Man is dead. Now, when I say
man, I mean man, woman, boy, girl. All. All, all of us in our flesh. In this world is we're. Living
in this world. As God sees us when he looks
at us. We are all in the flesh of our
humanity, spiritually dead before him. Now this is something that
the flesh naturally can't understand because we are physically alive. God has given us physical life
and we think this is life. This is not life. This is not
eternal life. This is temporary. I'm talking
about spiritual life. I'm talking about eternal life.
I'm talking about the life of the soul. There will come a point
when the soul is separated from this physical body and the physical
body will lay down and this physical life will be over, but the eternal
soul will go on forever. When God makes a soul, that's
an eternal thing. That soul lives forever. either
here in the physical world or eternally in the spiritual world.
And man before God is spiritually dead. Spiritually dead. Now, that's what God sees when
he looks at us, because that's what we are. That's what we are,
dead before him. Turn with me over to Ephesians
2. Let's see this in the word. IN EPHESIANS 2, VERSE 1, IT SAYS,
AND YOU HATH HE QUICKENED WHO WERE DEAD IN TRESPASSES AND SINS. THAT'S HOW MANKIND STARTS OUT. THAT'S HOW WE ALL CAME FORTH
FROM OUR MOTHER'S WOMB, SPIRITUALLY DEAD. WE WERE ALL BORN SPIRITUALLY
DEAD. VERSE 2 SAYS, WHEREIN IN TIME
PAST YOU WALKED ACCORDING TO THE COURSE OF THIS WORLD, ACCORDING
TO THE PRINCE OF THE POWER OF THE AIR, THE SPIRIT THAT NOW
WORKETH IN THE CHILDREN OF DISOBEDIENCE. AGAIN, THERE'S AN ANIMATED PHYSICAL
LIFE THAT WE HAVE IN THIS WORLD, BUT THERE IS NO SPIRITUAL LIFE
BEFORE GOD UNTIL HE QUICKENS US TO IT. HE MUST QUICKEN US
TO IT. HE MUST GIVE LIFE. PSALM 51, VERSE 5 SAYS WE ARE
ALL CONCEIVED IN SIN. WE'RE ALL CONCEIVED IN SIN. THE
MOMENT THAT ADAM AND EVE SINNED IN THE GARDEN, THEY BECAME SINNERS.
AND FROM THAT MOMENT ON, SINNERS HAVE PRODUCED SINNERS. Sinners have children and those
sinners produce sinners. And sinners produce sinners and
sinners produce sinners. Many people believe that we start
out sinless, a baby is born and and we look at that baby and
all of its innocence. And we think what a sinless thing
that that is. AND PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT THE GOAL
OF LIFE IS TO KEEP IT THAT WAY. WE START OUT SINLESS AND THE
WHOLE GOAL IS TO STAY THAT WAY TILL THE VERY END. UNFORTUNATELY,
THAT'S NOT THE CASE. THAT'S JUST NOT HOW IT IS. PSALM
58, VERSE 3 SAYS, WE COME FORTH FROM OUR MOTHER'S WOMB, SPEAKING
LIES. I WOULD NOT IMAGINE, HONESTLY,
THAT ANY SET OF PARENTS EVER I WOULD NOT IMAGINE THAT ONE
PARENT EVER HAS SAT THEIR CHILD DOWN AND REALLY WORKED WITH THEM
AND REALLY TAUGHT THAT CHILD HOW TO LIE TO THE PARENT. NOW,
HONEY, THIS IS HOW YOU LIE TO ME. YOU SAY SOMETHING OTHER THAN
WHAT'S THE TRUTH. YOU SAY SOMETHING. NOBODY DOES
THAT. NOBODY DOES THAT. WELL, HOW IS
IT THEN THAT CHILDREN AUTOMATICALLY JUST KNOW HOW TO LIE? IT'S BECAUSE
THEY'RE BORN IN SIN. And that's what sin does. Sin
sins. We are all conceived in sin. That's what we are. We are sin. And what is the result of sin? What does sin cause and what
does sin bring? The scripture says death. Spiritual
death. Our Lord told Adam and Eve, in
the day that you eat of that tree and you sin against me,
thou shalt surely die. Did their physical bodies fall
over at that moment? No. But in that very day, spiritually,
they died. That's what happened. The wages
of sin is death. Romans 5 verse 12 says by one
man, sin entered the world and death by sin. First Corinthians
15 says in Adam, all die. And it's because all have been
infected with this disease called sin. Verse four right here in
Ephesians 2 says, but God, WHO IS RICH IN MERCY, FOR HIS GREAT
LOVE WHEREWITH HE LOVED US, EVEN WHEN WE WERE DEAD IN SINS, HATH
QUICKENED US TOGETHER WITH CHRIST. THIS RIGHT HERE IS OUR SALVATION. GOD THE FATHER SENT CHRIST TO
US. EVEN WHILE WE WERE DEAD IN SANDS. JUST LIKE LAZARUS. HE WAS JUST
LAYING THERE. WHAT WAS HE DOING? BEING DEAD. EVEN WHEN HE WAS DEAD. AND THIS
IS OUR SALVATION. GOD SENT CHRIST TO US. GOD THE
FATHER SENT CHRIST TO US AND QUICKENED US. EVEN WHILE WE WERE
DEAD IN SIN. THAT'S WHAT THE LORD JESUS CHRIST
DOES FOR ALL OF HIS PEOPLE. HE COMES TO EVERY SINGLE ONE
OF THEM INDIVIDUALLY AND HE QUICKENS THEM. HE GIVES LIFE TO THEM. SPIRITUAL LIFE. THE END OF VERSE
5 SAYS, BY GRACE YOU ARE SAVED. BY GRACE. GRACE MEANS FREE GIFT. IT MEANS YOU DIDN'T DO ANYTHING
FOR IT. YOU DIDN'T EARN IT. IT WAS FREELY BESTOWED KINDNESS. BY GRACE YOU ARE SAVED. VERSE
6 SAYS, AND HE HATH RAISED US UP TOGETHER AND MADE US SIT TOGETHER
IN HEAVENLY PLACES IN CHRIST JESUS. HE'S RAISED US UP AND
HE HAS MADE US. HE MADE US SIT TOGETHER IN HEAVENLY
PLACES WITH CHRIST. HE DID THAT TO US. HE DID THAT
FOR US. When he raises a center up, that
center is raised up. When he makes a center sit. That
center is seated, whatever he starts, he finishes. And when
he said, Lazarus, come forth. He that was dead came forth.
It's a sovereign command. It's a mighty call, it's a powerful
call, it's irresistible. Lazarus had no ability to say,
no, thanks, I'm happy right here. When he said, Lazarus, come forth,
he that was dead came forth. And that's how it happens every
time. Thank God. Thank God I can't resist him
in my sinfulness, even though my sinfulness would prefer to
resist him. It's irresistible. VERSE 5 HERE
IN EPHESIANS 2 SAYS, EVEN WHEN WE WERE DEAD IN SINS, HE HATH
QUICKENED US TOGETHER WITH CHRIST. BY GRACE YOU ARE SAVED, AND HATH
RAISED US UP TOGETHER AND MADE US SIT TOGETHER IN HEAVENLY PLACES
IN CHRIST JESUS, THAT IN THE AGES TO COME HE MIGHT SHOW THE
EXCEEDING RICHES OF HIS GRACE AND HIS KINDNESS TOWARD US THROUGH
CHRIST JESUS. KINDNESS. WHAT IS THE EXCEEDING
RICHES OF HIS GRACE IN HIS KINDNESS TOWARD US? HERE IT IS RIGHT HERE,
VERSE 8. BY GRACE ARE YOU SAVED THROUGH
FAITH. AND THAT'S NOT OF YOURSELVES,
IT'S THE GIFT OF GOD. THAT WAS HIS KINDNESS. THE GRACE
OF SALVATION. AND HE SAID THAT'S NOT OF YOURSELVES,
That's the gift of God. Do you think that Lazarus, after
the Lord raised him and loosed him and let him go and they took
those grave clothes off of him, do you think Lazarus went around
telling everybody what all he did in his salvation from the
grave? Do you think he told everybody
the decision he made and how he decided it was time to live
again? No way. Absolutely not. THERE WAS NO DOUBT NOT ONLY IN
HIS MIND, BUT IN EVERYBODY ELSE'S MIND. GOD DID THIS. GOD DID THIS
FOR YOU, LAZARUS. GOD DID THIS TO YOU. GOD GETS
THE GLORY FOR THIS. HE GETS ALL THE GLORY FOR THIS. VERSE 9 SAYS, IT'S NOT OF WORKS
LEST ANY MAN SHOULD BOAST. A MAN WHO WANTS TO BOAST ABOUT
EVERYTHING THAT HE'S GONNA DO FOR GOD. AND I SAY THIS WITH
SORROW IN MY HEART, BUT YOU KNOW MEN AND WOMEN LIKE THAT. BLESS
THEIR HEARTS. THEY GO AROUND TELLING EVERYBODY
WHAT ALL THEY'RE GONNA DO FOR GOD. POOR THINGS. POOR THINGS. THAT'S A MAN WHO
IS EVIDENCING SPIRITUAL DEADNESS. THAT'S WHAT IT IS TO BE SPIRITUALLY
DEAD, NOT SEEING THE REALITY OF THE CONDITION WE'RE IN. Not seeing the reality of what
God must do for us. It's not what I'm going to do
for God, but only what he has and must do for me. That's the
evidence of life. That's the evidence of the quickened
eyes to see, the quickened ear to hear, quickened heart to believe.
Honestly, what can a dead man do? What can a dead man do? A MAN WHO HAS BEEN MADE SPIRITUALLY
ALIVE WILL SEE THAT AND WILL KNOW THAT TO BE SO. VERSE 8 SAYS
SALVATION, LIFE, THAT SPIRITUAL QUICKENING, THAT'S THE GIFT OF
GOD AND THAT'S WHAT A SPIRITUALLY ALIVE PERSON WILL SAY. OH, IT'S
THE GIFT OF GOD. NOT BY MY DOING, NOT BY WORKS. VERSE 9 SAYS, LEST ANY MAN SHOULD
BOAST, FOR WE ARE HIS WORKMANSHIP. HE DID IT. CREATED IN CHRIST
JESUS UNTO GOOD WORKS. HE TOOK SOMETHING THAT WAS EVIL
AND MADE SOMETHING GOOD OUT OF IT IN CHRIST. WHERE HIS WORKMANSHIP
CREATED IN CHRIST JESUS UNTO GOOD WORKS WHICH GOD HATH BEFORE
ORDAINED THAT WE SHOULD WALK IN THEM. EVERYTHING THAT GOD
DOES HAS BEEN BEFORE ORDAINED. EVERYTHING, IT HAS BEEN PURPOSED.
THE SCRIPTURE SAYS KNOWN UNTO GOD WERE ALL HIS WORKS FROM THE
BEGINNING. EVERYTHING WAS PURPOSED BEFORE
THE FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD, THE SCRIPTURE SAYS. THE MOST
GLORIOUS WORK OF ALL BEING THIS RIGHT HERE, VERSE 11, WHEREFORE
REMEMBER THAT YOU BEING IN TIME PAST GENTILES IN THE FLESH WHO
ARE CALLED THE UNCIRCUMCISION BY THAT WHICH IS CALLED THE CIRCUMCISION
IN THE FLESH MADE BY HANDS. THAT MEANS OUTCAST, HEATHENS,
VERSE 12, THAT AT THAT TIME YOU WERE WITHOUT CHRIST, BEING ALIENS
FROM THE COMMONWEALTH OF ISRAEL, AND STRANGERS FROM THE COVENANT
OF PROMISE, HAVING NO HOPE AND WITHOUT GOD IN THE WORLD. VERSE
13 SAYS, BUT NOW IN CHRIST JESUS, YE WHO SOMETIMES WERE FAR OFF
ARE MADE NIGH BY THE BLOOD OF CHRIST. THAT MEANS REDEEMED FROM
SIN. PAID FOR AND DRAWN CLOSE TO GOD,
BROUGHT NIGH BY THE BLOOD OF THE LORD JESUS CHRIST. THAT'S
EXACTLY WHAT OUR LORD PICTURED TO US WITH LAZARUS. THAT'S EXACTLY
WHAT HE PICTURED TO US. HE WAS REDEEMED FROM DEATH AND
DRAWN NIGH TO GOD. OUR LORD SAID, LAZARUS, COME. COME TO ME. COME TO ME. VERSE 13 SAYS, BUT NOW IN CHRIST
JESUS, YE WHO SOMETIMES WERE FAR OFF ARE MADE NIGH BY THE
BLOOD OF CHRIST. FOR HE IS OUR PEACE, WHO HATH
MADE BOTH ONE, AND HATH BROKEN DOWN THE MIDDLE WALL OF PARTITION
BETWEEN US, HAVING ABOLISHED IN HIS FLESH THE ENMITY, EVEN
THE LAW OF COMMANDMENTS CONTAINED IN ORDINANCES, FOR TO MAKE IN
HIMSELF OF TWAIN ONE NEW MAN, SO MAKING PEACE." HE VITALLY
JOINED HIMSELF WITH HIS SINFUL PEOPLE. OF TWAIN, ONE NEW MAN. VERSE
16 SAYS, AND THAT HE MIGHT RECONCILE BOTH UNTO GOD IN ONE BODY BY
THE CROSS. THAT'S WHY HE DID IT. having
slain the enmity thereby. And I love how in my Bible, I've
got a center margin right here. That word thereby translates
in himself. He slew all that enmity. He redeemed
to God. He did all of it in himself on
the cross of Calvary in himself. Now, why was Lazarus allowed
to come out of that grave? Let's ask this question. We need
to ask this question. Lazarus was a sinner. He was. That's why he died. He was a
sinner. Death is what he deserved. The wages of sin is death. So
why was Lazarus allowed to come out? That just told us it's because
Christ went in in his place. OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST WENT INTO
A GRAVE, DIDN'T HE? CHRIST CAME TO BE LAZARUS' SUBSTITUTE. THAT'S WHY JESUS CHRIST CAME
INTO THE WORLD. FOR EACH ONE OF HIS PEOPLE INDIVIDUALLY,
CHRIST CAME TO BE THEIR SUBSTITUTE. WHAT DID LAZARUS DESERVE? HE
DESERVED THAT GRAVE. WHERE DID CHRIST GO FOR HIM AS
HIS SUBSTITUTE? HE WENT TO THE GRAVE. LAZARUS
WAS MADE ALIVE BECAUSE ON THE CROSS OF CALVARY, CHRIST DIED
IN HIS PLACE. CHRIST BORE LAZARUS' SIN. AND HE BORE THE SIN OF EACH ONE
OF HIS PEOPLE INDIVIDUALLY. HE LITERALLY TOOK THEIR PLACE. THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH. SIN IS WHAT BOUND LAZARUS TO
THAT GRAVE. BUT LAZARUS WAS SET FREE FROM
ALL THAT BONDAGE AND FROM ALL THAT SIN BECAUSE CHRIST MADE
HIMSELF TO BE SIN FOR LAZARUS IN HIS PLACE. THE DEAD HAD TO
BE SETTLED. GOD'S JUSTICE HAD TO BE UPHELD.
GOD IS HOLY. HE CAN'T JUST CLEAR THE GUILTY.
THE WAGES OF SIN IS DEATH. DEATH HAD TO HAPPEN. SO CHRIST
CAME AND DIED FOR HIM. DIED IN HIS PLACE. OUR LORD CRIED
CONCERNING LAZARUS, LOOSE HIM AND LET HIM GO. WHENEVER THEY CAME TO TAKE OUR
LORD, TO BRING HIM TO PILATE, HE SAID, IF YOU SEEK ME, YOU'RE
GONNA HAVE TO LET MY PEOPLE GO. YOU CAN HAVE ME, BUT YOU'RE GONNA
HAVE TO LET THEM GO. HE CRIED TO HIS FATHER, BIND
ME AND SEND ME TO THEIR GRAVE. VERSE 16 SAYS, HE RECONCILED
US UNTO GOD IN ONE BODY BY THE CROSS, HAVING SLAIN THE ENMITY
THEREBY. Verse 17 says, And he came and
preached peace to you which were afar off and to them that were
nigh. For through him we both have
access by one spirit unto the father. That is the quickening
of spiritual life. We have access by the spirit. Through the gift of the sacrifice
of the Lord Jesus Christ. Now, with all of that being understood
back in John chapter 11, this is the heart of the message.
This is the heart of it right here. This message is center. Come forth. Our Lord, in verse
43, when he had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come
forth. Here's the message. Come forth. If you are a dead, decaying,
stinking sinner, and God has revealed that to you, then hear
the word of the Lord. Hear and your soul shall live,
the scripture says. If God's spirit is calling, then
come. Come to him. If you hear his
voice, say, YOU'RE A SINNER WHO WILL NOT COME TO ME. THAT'S WHAT
HE SAID IN JOHN 5. YOU WILL NOT, BUT I'M DRAWING
YOU IN SPITE OF THAT. IF YOU HEAR HIM SAY LIKE HE SAID
IN JOHN 6, YOU CANNOT COME TO ME, BUT I'M DRAWING YOU IN SPITE
OF THAT, THEN COME TO HIM. COME TO HIM AND YOUR SOUL SHALL
LIVE. COME JUST LIKE LAZARUS DID. THIS IS HOW WE COME TO HIM. COME
WITH YOUR HEAD BOUND. COME CRYING, LORD, I CAN'T SEE
ANYTHING OF MY OWN, I CAN'T HEAR ANYTHING OF MY OWN, I CAN'T KNOW
ANYTHING OF MY OWN, I CAN'T SAY ANYTHING OF MY OWN. COME WITH
YOUR HANDS BOUND. COME CRYING, LORD, I CAN'T DO
ANYTHING OF MY OWN. COME WITH YOUR FEET BOUND CRYING,
LORD, I CAN'T EVEN COME TO YOU UNLESS YOU DRAW ME. YOU'RE GONNA
HAVE TO DO IT ALL. I'M BOUND, I'M BOUND. If that's
you and you hear his voice, say come. Then come, come to him,
come out of your bondage, sorrow and night into his freedom, gladness
and light. You come to him in need of mercy
as a dead sinner, asking him, Lord, salvation is totally in
your hands. You come to him in that way.
And this is what you'll hear him say when you get to him.
HE WILL SAY, LOOSE HIM AND LET HIM GO. LOOSE THAT DEAD SINNER
WHO I'VE MADE ALIVE AND LET THAT MAN GO. HE SAID, I AM COME THAT
THEY MIGHT HAVE LIFE. AND EVERY SOUL THAT THE FATHER
DRAWS TO CHRIST WILL HAVE IT. EVERY DEAD SINNER WILL HEAR THE
VOICE OF THE LORD, AND THEY THAT HEAR SHALL LIVE. AND IF HE SPEAKS
TO YOUR HEART, Come to Him. Come to Him. Lord Jesus, we come. We come to Thee. Till next week,
may the Lord make that to be a blessing to our hearts. You
have been listening to a message by Gabe Stoniker, pastor of Kingsport
Sovereign Grace Church in Kingsport, Tennessee. If you would like
a copy of this message, or to hear other messages of sovereign
grace, log on to our website at ksgctn.org. If you would like to come and
worship with us, our service times are Sunday morning Bible
study at 10 o'clock a.m., worship at 1045 a.m., and 6 o'clock p.m.,
Wednesday evening at 7 p.m. Please tune in next week for
another message of God's free and sovereign grace.