Turn back with me over to John
chapter 11. This story of Lazarus takes place
in a town called Bethany. And everything that our Lord
does is so perfect. I enjoyed seeing all this. This is such an appropriate,
everybody knows this story of Lazarus. We've heard it since
we were kids. And this is such an appropriate
event for this place, Bethany. Bethany was in the Mount of Olives.
It was on the east side of the Mount of Olives. And our Lord, he loved going
there. He went there all the time. It's where he withered the fig
tree. You remember that story, withered
the fig tree? He did that in Bethany. He exposed man's works
to be dead works. That fig tree is what Adam and
Eve used to cover themselves after they sinned against God.
They took fig leaves and they sewed them together and covered
themselves. And that's man's works. That's man's own righteousness. And God cursed him. He said,
it's not going to bear any fruit. No real fruit. Man's works are
dead. He did that in Bethany. He was in Bethany when he sent
two disciples to go get a colt. He said, there's a colt in town.
And it's tied up. You go get it and start untying
it. And when they ask you, what are
you doing with that coat? You tell them, the master has
need of him. And they won't say a word. So
they brought the colt to him, and they laid their clothes on
the colt, and they laid their clothes in the way, and he rode
two miles down the Mount of Olives into Jerusalem to accomplish
the purpose that he came for as the King of kings and Lord
of lords. He did all that in Bethany. And after he arose from the grave,
He went back to Bethany to ascend up into glory. Our Lord illustrated
the truth of his gospel in Bethany. But I don't believe it was just
the place that drew our Lord there. There was a family there. Two sisters, Martha and Mary,
and they had a brother, and his name was Lazarus. And our Lord loved that family. Why did he love them? I don't
know. Why does he love me? But he loved them. I mean, he
loved them. And they loved him. It was special.
Look at chapter 12, verse 1. Then Jesus, six days before the
Passover, came to Bethany, where Lazarus was, which had been dead,
whom he raised from the dead. There they made him a supper,
and Martha served, but Lazarus was one of them that sat at the
table with him. Then took Mary a pound of ointment
of spikenard, very costly. and anointed the feet of Jesus
and wiped his feet with her hair and the house was filled with
the odor of the ointment. How precious is that? How precious is that? Can't you
just smell the love and the unity that's in that house? I was reading
this week a lot of things that happened at Martha's house, and
I thought, oh, to be at Martha's house. I pray this is Martha's
house. What Mary did was a sweet smelling
savor to men and to God. Well, something happened to one
of the family members, Lazarus, and our Lord recorded what happened
to him. Because what happened to Lazarus
is what happens to every single sinner that Christ came to save. Every single one. My prayer is
that John 11 is my story. Your story and my story. I pray
that I might be able to take out the word Lazarus and put
the word Gabe right there. That's my prayer. Chapter 11.
Go back to chapter 11. Verse 1 says, Now a certain man... Did you
know God only saves certain people? You know that? Only certain people. Salvation in Christ is not a
general salvation. It's not a mankind salvation. He chose and He purpose and he
decreed to save certain people. But who are the certain people?
That's an important question to me. Who are the certain people? Who did he come to save? Verse
1 says, Now a certain man was sick. He came to save the sick. That's who he came to save. He
said, they that are whole need not a physician, but they that
are sick. Sick from what? Cancer? Heart disease? AIDS? No. Sin. Sin. He said, I came not to call the
righteous, but sinners to repentance. Verse 1 says, Now a certain man
was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister
Martha. It was that Mary which anointed
the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose
brother Lazarus was sick. Therefore his sisters sent unto
him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. Who did Christ come to save?
The ones He loves. He came to save the ones He loves.
Every soul that Christ saves, the reason He saves them is because
He loves them. That's the reason. It's because
He loves them. Well, God loves everybody. No, He doesn't. How could God love a man and
allow him to go to hell when it's in God's power to keep him
out of hell. How could he do that? Verse 3 says, Therefore his sisters
sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is
sick. When Jesus heard that, he said,
he told his disciples, He comforted his disciples with these words.
He said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory
of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby. This sickness in the one he loves
is not unto death. Comfort one another with these
words. There's a woman in Crossville,
Tennessee whom the Lord loveth, and she's sick. But it's not
unto death. Not unto death. It's unto life.
She's about to leave the land of the dead. It's not unto death. This sickness
is there. Sin is there. But it's not unto death. It's
for the glory of God that the Son of God might be glorified
thereby. Why has everything happened in
this world the way it has happened? For the glory of God that the
Son of God might be glorified thereby. That's the reason. Why
has everything happened in our lives and the lives of our loved
ones the way it has? The answer is for the glory of
God that the Son of God might be glorified thereby. That's
the whole reason. If God controls all things and
nothing can happen without Him giving that command, why would
He allow sin to enter the world? Why did He do that? Adam and
Eve did it. No, they didn't. Yes, they did,
but God allowed that to happen. Why would He allow sin to enter
man, the man that He loves? The answer is, for the glory
of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby. Every single
thing that happens on the face of this earth is somehow for
the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.
Even my death in sin. Even my fall in sin, Adam fell
for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified
thereby. In this story, Lazarus represents every man and woman
on the face of this earth, every single one. We're all sick. We're all sick. We're all sick. But that actually does not describe
our condition. We are all sick, but that doesn't
describe our condition. Look at verse 5. Now, Jesus loved
Martha and her sister and Lazarus. When he had heard, therefore,
that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place
where he was. Why did our Lord do that? Why
did he stay where he was two more days? The answer is for
the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby.
Who am I to question God? Verse 7 says, Then after that
saith he to his disciples, Let us go into Judea again. His disciples
saying to him, Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee,
and goest thou thither again? Jesus answered, Are there not
twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he
stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world. But
if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there's no
light in him. These things said he, and after
that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth. But I go that I may awake him
out of sleep. Then said his disciples, Lord,
if he sleep, he shall do well. Howbeit Jesus spake of his death. But they thought that he had
spoken of taking of rest and sleep. Then Jesus said unto them
plainly, Lazarus is dead. Lazarus is dead. We are not just sick. We're dead. I mean, we're dead. We are dead. Every man and woman
that walks the face of this earth, all of us, in our humanity, we
are all spiritually dead. All right? Now, as I say that,
very few people will believe me. Here we all are. There's a camera
right there. As I say that, As I merely repeat what God has
said about our natural condition, as that declaration goes into
the ears of men and women, very few people will believe it. And the reason is because we're
all dead. That's why. It takes life to
believe. You know that? That's why people
don't believe it. You tell them you're dead, and
they don't believe it. It's because they're dead. It
takes life to believe. What that means is it takes Christ,
because Christ is life. Verse 15 says, Our Lord said,
And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the
intent that you may believe. Nevertheless, let us go unto
him, Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellow
disciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him." Old Thomas. Bless his heart. He never can
say the right thing at the right time. Or can he? Thomas said, Let's go that we
may die with him. He said that because he didn't
believe our Lord was going to accomplish what he was telling
them he was going to accomplish. He didn't believe it. Thomas
thought he's not even going to make it to Lazarus. As soon as
he gets into the city, they're going to kill him. They're going
to kill him. But what Thomas actually said
is all my hope. It's all my hope. Wherever Christ
goes, let us also go that we may die with him." That's all
my hope. That's the only hope any of us
have of eternal life, that we might die with him so that we
might live with him. Verse 16 says, then said Thomas,
which is called Didymus, unto his fellow disciples, let us
also go that we may die with him. Then when Jesus came, he
found that he had lain in the grave four days already. Now, Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem
about 15 furlongs off, two miles. And many of the Jews came to
Martha and Mary to comfort them concerning their brother. Then
Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and
met him, but Mary sat still in the house. Then said Martha unto
Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. What she said was, this should
have never happened. This should have never happened.
Somebody dies, and people say this should have never happened.
I was in a, quite a few years ago, I had my store. And a lady
came in and was taking up money for Katrina victims. And I was
all for that. You know, help those in need.
And she was thanking me and getting ready to leave and talking about
what an awful situation it was. And she said, God didn't want
that to happen. And I said, ma'am, God sent the
hurricane. Do I want to help them? Yes,
I do. But that's the first way that this flesh responds. God
didn't want that to happen. This should have never happened.
This should have never happened. Martha was a believer. How quickly
we forget that our God is God. He is God. He orders all things. and he orders them well. We're
about to see why in just a minute. He orders them well. We have
loved ones right now that are very sick. Should that have happened? Why is our sister in so much
pain from this cancer? Should that have happened? I'll
tell you why. It's all for the glory of God
that the Son of God might be glorified thereby. Verse 21 says,
Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here,
my brother had not died. But I know that even now whatsoever
thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee. Jesus saith unto
her, thy brother shall rise again. The promises of Christ are so
sweet to a sinner. You know that? To a sinner. So
sweet. They're so glorious to a dead,
vile, decaying sinner. They're just so glorious. I know
it looks bad now. Martha, I understand that it
looks real bad right now. But joy is coming in the morning.
I promise. Thy brother shall rise again. That's the Word of God. That
sinner is going to rise again. Now here's the difference in
religion and life. Religion is dead. It's death. Here's the difference in dead
doctrine and Christ. Here's the difference. Verse
24, Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the
resurrection at the last day. I know. I already know that.
You can talk to anyone in religion and they'll say, I believe Jesus
came. I believe Jesus came. I believe
he lived. I believe he died. I believe
he rose again. You would be hard to find a person
who doesn't believe that. Do you believe Jesus Christ?
Do you believe there was a resurrection? Yes. You believe he's coming
back? Yes. You'd be hard to find somebody
who doesn't believe that. I believe in those facts, but
when Christ brings life and light to a sinner, this is what they
see. Verse 25, Jesus said unto her,
I am the resurrection and the life. He that believeth in me,
though he were dead, yet shall he live. And whosoever liveth
and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? She
said unto him, Yea, Lord, I believe that thou art the Christ, the
Son of God, which should come into the world. Listen to this. The truth We preach the truth. You know
that? What do y'all preach down there?
The truth. The truth is not a bunch of facts
that are correct. The truth is a person. Heaven is not a place. It's not a place. I'm not lying. It's not a place.
I don't care what the streets are paved in. I don't care what
the mansions look like. I don't care how many angels
are there and how many choirs are there. If Christ is not there,
it's not heaven. It's not heaven. Heaven is not
a place. Heaven is a person. Life is not
an existence. It's not a state of being. Life
is a person. The resurrection is not an event. It's a person. He said, Martha,
I am the resurrection and the life. He that lives and believes
in me, not the facts, me, is never going to die. Verse 27. She said unto him,
Yea, Lord, I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God,
which should come into the world. And when she had so said, she
went her way and called Mary her sister secretly, saying,
The Master is come, and he calleth for thee. As soon as she heard
that, she arose quickly and came unto him. Now Jesus was not yet
come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him.
The Jews then, which were with her in the house and comforted
her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went
out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep
there. Then when Mary was come where
Jesus was and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto
him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. Oh, to be like Mary. Every time
this woman is mentioned, we find her at the Lord's feet. Every time. As soon as she sees
Him, she sits down at His feet to listen. As soon as she sees
Him, she falls down at His feet. As soon as she sees Him, she
pours ointment on His feet and just starts wiping His feet.
She's thinking, oh, how beautiful are the feet of them that bring
glad tidings of peace. That's the most glorious place
a sinner could be found. At the beautiful feet of the
Lord Jesus Christ. I hope to be there in person
one day. And I want to sit there with you. I hope to be, that's
my hope. I want to be at the feet of Jesus.
I want to see him. Like Job said, I know with these
two eyes, I'm going to see Jesus Christ's feet. Verse 32, then when Mary was
come where Jesus was and saw him, she fell down at his feet
saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had
not died. When Jesus therefore saw her
weeping and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned
in the spirit and was troubled. He troubled himself and said,
where have you laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come
and see. Jesus wept. Then said the Jews, behold how
he loved him. And some of them said, could
not this man which opened the eyes of the blind have caused
that even this man should not have died? Jesus therefore again,
groaning in himself, cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and
a stone lay upon it. Is that not the death of our
Lord? Is that not the death of our Lord? He came to the place
that we were. Come to Christ! I can't, I'm
dead. I can't move my legs, I'm dead. Believe, I can't, my heart is
dead. He came to the place where we
were dead in our sins and he groaned in his spirit. He troubled himself for the souls
of every sinner whom he loved. He carried our griefs and our
sorrows. And he said, my soul is exceeding
sorrowful unto death. He cried, my God, my God, why
hast thou forsaken me? And as he hung there in my shame, they all reviled him saying,
he saved others. Why can't he save himself? If
he saved others, surely he can save himself. What they actually
said was, he saved others, himself he cannot save. Truer words have
never been spoken. If he's going to save others,
himself he cannot save. He bore those sins all the way
to the grave. It was a cave and a stone lay
upon it. Why did he do that? Why did he
do that? You know why? For the glory of
God that the Son of God might be glorified thereby. That's
why he did it. He laid there in that grave for
Lazarus, for Martha, for Mary, for the other Mary in Crossville.
I pray he laid there for me and for you. because he laid in that
grave, and he paid every single debt of our sin. Verse 39 says, Jesus said, take
ye away the stone. Remove the middle wall of partition. Take ye away the stone. Martha,
the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this
time he stinketh, for he hath been dead four days. Jesus saith
unto her, said I not unto thee that if thou wouldest believe
thou shouldest see the glory of God. then took away the stone. They took away the stone from
the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his
eyes and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me,
and I knew that thou hearest me always. But because of the
people which stand by, I said it, that they may believe that
thou hast sent me. And when he had thus spoken,
he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. 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. Glory to God in the highest. All glory and praise to the Lamb
that was slain, who has borne all our sins and cleansed every
stain. Hallelujah. Thine the glory. Hallelujah. Amen. Salvation has
come to a center. Eternal life has come to a center. Lazarus was laying there in his
cold, dead darkness, and when the stone was rolled away, light
entered that tomb. The light of the glory of God
in the face of Jesus Christ. Light entered that tomb, and
that dead corpse heard the voice of the shepherd cry, Lazarus,
come forth. I'm sure he was in a graveyard. There had to have been tombs
everywhere. Had the master cried, come forth, all the graves would
have opened. All of them would have come forth.
This call was very particular. He said, Lazarus. As soon as Lazarus heard the
call, life poured into that grave. And his eyes opened. And he's
laying there looking at burlap or whatever they had him wrapped
up in, but he could see a little bit of light coming through the
pores of that cloth. He could see as it were through
a glass darkly, but he could see. And he responded to the master's
call. He came forth. The Master says, Come. And the sinner says, Lord Jesus,
I come to Thee. We sing a song and it says, Out
of my bondage, sorrow, and night, into Thy freedom, gladness, and
light. Out of my sickness, into Thy
health. Out of my want, my lack, into
thy wealth. Out of my sin and into thyself. Lord Jesus, I come to thee. I'm
not coming to religion. I'm coming to you. Out of the
fear and dread of the tomb, into the joy and light of thy home.
Out of the depths of ruin untold, into the peace of thy sheltering
fold. ever thy glorious face to behold. Lord Jesus, I come to thee. 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 said unto them,
Loose him, and let him go. Set him free from his grave clothes. Everything religion has bound
him up with Set him free. Set him free from all the rules
and the regulations and the doctrines and the laws and the traditions,
all that bondage. Set him free. All that religion
does for a man or woman is prepare them for the grave. You know
that? They wrap them up in all these
things and all they're doing is preparing that body for the
grave. That's all they're doing. wrapping him up in bondage, our
Lord said, set him free. From all of that, he has Christ
now. Set him free. Our Lord said,
if you know the truth, the truth will make you free. He'll make
you free. Verse 45, then many of the Jews
which came to Mary and had seen the things which Jesus did believed
on him. But some of them went their ways
to the Pharisees and told them what things Jesus had done. Our Lord allowed Lazarus to die so that many Jews would come
from Jerusalem, two miles away, to comfort Martha and Mary. Isn't that what we read? Verse 19, Many of the Jews came
to Martha and Mary to comfort them concerning their brother.
So our Lord allowed Lazarus to die so that many of the Jews
would come from Jerusalem to comfort Martha and Mary, so that
All those Jews could watch the Lord raise Lazarus from the dead
so that all those Jews could believe on him. As soon as they
saw it, many of them believed on him. He used this to save
many Jews. We don't know why the Lord does
the things he does, but I tell you this, it's to save sinners. It's for the glory of God that
the Son of God might be glorified thereby, and sinners will cry
out, God, be merciful to me. He used this to save many Jews.
I pray that he will still use this to save many Gentiles. Save
us, Lord. He does all things well, doesn't
he? All right, let's stand together.