That will be a day. It just impresses me more and
more as each day goes by. One day I'm going to see the
one I preach. I stand here week after week
I'm going to see the Lord Jesus Christ, the one who was despised
and rejected of men. I'm going to see him face to
face, talk to him, walk with him and live with him forever and
ever. That's real. That's very real
to me. It's very real to me. John chapter
11, I titled this message, A Loved
One is Sick. A loved one is sick. Just saying
that makes my emotions swell up in me. When you hear of a
loved one being sick, It just makes your emotions just
swell. That's something you don't really
want to hear, that a loved one is sick. And then to hear that
a loved one has died. And Martha and Mary had to go
through this. But everything our Lord did and
does and will do tomorrow is for our good. and His glory. Do you believe that? It's so. It's so. You know, you and I
have a real blessing in that we get to see the beginning and
the end of a matter when we read the Word of God. This is given
to us for our learning. We get to see how God moves and
works among His children. Job is a good example of that.
We see what Job went through. God has let us take a peek behind
the scenes and see what went on concerning Job. And we got
to see the end of Job's faith and how that the Lord blessed
him with double of all that he had. That's nothing. That's nothing. compared to what
we are gonna be blessed with when we stand in his presence.
It's not even a comparison. People think of what Job got
double. You know, there's some people
that wouldn't mind going through some tough things if they get
double back. There's some people like that.
But our double is in heaven. Our real treasure's in heaven.
and we are going to receive far more in glory than we can even
imagine here can't even imagine it our Lord is the perfect example
you see he was born into this world he came from glory and
he came into this cesspool of sin we see the trouble he faced
the disciple said you gonna go back to Jerusalem they want to
kill you that was after his life on every turn. We see how he
suffered and died, but we also see that he rose again, that
he ascended on high. He is seated at God's right hand,
making intercession for us and ruling heaven and earth. You
see, we get to see the end and the beginning and the end. We
get to see both. That's an advantage. Job didn't have the word of God
like we have it. The disciples didn't have it
like we have it. We have it. It's a real advantage to us.
Now we have in this chapter, the story of our Lord Jesus Christ
and one whom he loved was sick. And then he, as the Lord said,
fell asleep. He died. And we see how he let
Martha and Mary go through this painful experience of losing
their brother. And he did all this, now listen,
he did all this on purpose. All of it on purpose. Because
it's gonna be for their good, his disciples' good, and God's
glory. Especially this particular incident
of raising Lazarus from the dead, God's gonna be glorified in his
son. Now it says, and I'm only gonna deal with parts of this
chapter this morning. I got to looking at it, and I
have an outline written on the whole chapter, but that's just
too rich. It's too much here, too much. A certain man, not just any man,
a certain man. You know, God's children are
certain children. I have certain two sons. God's
children are certain children, and their troubles are certain
troubles. A certain man named Lazarus was
sick. God's children get sick. God's children suffer. God's
children They can contract diseases just like everybody else on this
earth. We have trouble like everyone else has on this earth. We have
it. And they die physically, not
spiritually. He said, he that believes in
me shall never die. But they die physically. And we have here his two sisters,
a certain man named Lazarus was sick and Martha and Mary there
in verse two and three, they sent a message to our Lord that
he whom thou lovest is sick. They knew the Lord loved them.
They knew that there was no doubt that the Lord loved them. He
made his love known to them. But they sent a messenger to
tell the Lord that he's sick. Don't we do that when we pray? What they did in sending a messenger
to tell the Lord he's sick, that's no different than when we bow
before the Lord and we pray for a loved one that's sick. We pray
for Doug. That's what they're doing, they're
praying. This is a prayer, and they put legs on it, and sent
this one to the Lord. Tell him, he whom thou lovest
is sick. But you know, the Lord already
knew that. You know, in prayer, we are never informing God of
anything. We are recognizing our dependence
on God and our need of Him. That's what we're recognizing.
And we bring our loved ones before the Lord, who is the Great Physician. You know all healings of God?
All healings of God. He may use medicine. He may just
speak a word. It's His medicine. It's His. All medicine is made from this
earth, isn't it? It's His. And He can give the power of
it to heal or not. But our Lord knew he was sick.
Being God, he knew all things. He knew it because this is of
him. This is of him. He's got this under control.
He's orchestrating this whole thing. And when Christ heard that Lazarus
was sick in verse four and five, he replied, that this sickness
was not unto death, but for the glory of God. You know that the
one they sent and told him this, and he said, this sickness is
not unto death, but for the glory of God, you know, that encouraged
him. And he was, he had a snap in his step when he went back
home. The Lord said, he tells Mary and Martha, the Lord said,
this sickness is not unto death. And no doubt that really encouraged
them. And it gave them hope. David
said this, I hope in thy words. And the Lord gave his word. This
sickness is not unto death. But when Lazarus died, they forgot
his word, didn't they? They was in great sorrow. They
forgot what he said. The Lord said this sickness is
not unto death, but for the glory of God. This is how we ought
to see our sickness, whenever we are sick, or whatever it is
we have. I'm telling you the truth. This is how we ought to
see it. Anything comes our way to the
believer, it's not unto death, it's for God's glory. Whatever
I have, whatever comes my way, it's for God's glory. God looks
over His children. They don't have anything that's
not in His hands or not given by Him for their good. It doesn't
matter. It might take us a while to see
that now. It might take us a while to see it. But it's for our good and His
glory. And in verse 5 here, It's interesting. You see John's telling this story.
He's right there with the disciples when this is going on. But now
he steps back and he's going to tell this story. And he says
that, uh, you know, Lazarus is sick. And the Lord said this
sickness, not in the death, but for the glory of God. And he's,
and he says this in verse five, he lets him know that the Lord
loved this family. Don't judge what he's going to
let happen. Don't judge his love by that.
Don't judge God's love for you by circumstance. Don't judge
God's love for you because something hard has come your way. It's
of God. He sent it. And we bow to Him. He sent it. So John lets them know in verse
5. The Lord loved Mary, Martha, and Lazarus. He loved them. Don't
think He didn't love them because they went through this. He did
love them. Actually, they're going through
this. They're going through this because He does love them. You know, you and I, as parents,
we try to keep everything away from our children, don't we?
We try to keep all sickness away from them. We try. You know,
wash your hands, wash your hands, do all these, you know, we try
that. But now our Lord gives us things
that are hard for our good. You know, if they put me in a
bubble and kept me away from all disease, all of germs and
all that, my immune system would be what? Shot. My immune system
wouldn't be anything. You know, I grew up on a farm
when I was through my, up to my teenage years. I grew up on
a farm. I was in the dirt. I mean, I
was in the dirt handling animals, cattle, dogs, chickens, you name
it. I was handling it. Now I've got
the immune system of a junkyard dog. I do. I got the immune system
of a junkyard dog. I may get the flu, I may do it.
Just about everybody I know has been getting the flu, getting
sick, and I shake hands with everybody. And you know, part of that gives
me a strong immune system. If I just said, no, don't shake
hands, I'll see you all later. No, no. We need these things. God gives us these things for
our good. It's a spiritual immune system.
We have a spiritual immune system. He gives these things to us to
benefit us spiritually. Now, verse six, look here. When
he had heard, therefore, that he was sick, that Lazarus was
sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.
They expected him, no doubt, to just hurry up and get there.
Hurry up, you know, just like the disciples when there's on
that boat, care style, not that we perish. He's in the boat asleep. He's in the inner part of the
boat asleep and they're, they're freaking out. They're about to
lose their mind. We're going to die. We're going
to perish and he doesn't care. Oh yes, he does. You need that. Our Lord stayed away for two
more days. He let Lazarus die on purpose. Didn't he? He stayed away two more days.
He also put Martha and Mary through that pain on purpose. He also stayed away on purpose
for his disciples that their faith would be strengthened in
him. Almighty God let his children,
all his children, die in Adam on purpose. There are things, there are mysteries
in the counsel of God that you and I can't look into. We can't
comprehend those kind of things. He said, my thoughts are not
your thoughts and my ways are not your ways. As my thoughts
are higher than heaven, so are my thoughts higher than yours.
My way is higher than yours. You see, God, when God is doing
something, it has an eternal value to it. It has an eternal
value to it. We can't see, but just a little,
just like in this room, can you see the whole world right now?
Can you see outside this building right now? God sees the end from
the beginning. God determined the end from the
beginning. God did that, and that's why
He can do this, and this is why we trust Him. That's why we trust
Him. He's got to do this, and now
listen also, the trial must run its course and teach its lesson.
You know, when God sends us a trial, it has to run its course. You
know, last time I had the flu, I mean, it's been several years
ago, I was in my 20s, last time I really had the flu. And I remember
how sick I was. I went to the doctor. He gave
me some, he gave me a prescription. He said, but he told me this.
He said, it'll have to run its course. You've already got it,
it's gonna, he said, this might help it be a little more mild,
but he said, it's gonna have to run its course. A trial must
run its course. FOR US TO LEARN THE LESSON AND
THE REASON GOD SENT IT. IT'S GOT TO RUN IT'S COURSE.
THE PATIENT IS UNDER THE CARE OF THE GREAT PHYSICIAN. YOU KNOW,
SOMETIMES, YOU KNOW, YOU AND I GO TO A DOCTOR, WE DON'T GO
TO A DOCTOR FOR HIM TO MAKE IT WORSE, DO WE? BUT YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES
THE LORD MAKES IT WORSE IN ORDER FOR IT TO GET BETTER. because
the lesson in it is spiritual. We may have to get worse physically,
that we might be better spiritually when it's over. These are lessons
to be learned. Now in verse 7, then after that,
after he stayed two days on purpose, then after that he said to his
disciples, let us go to Judea again. Let us go, it's time,
listen, it's time to work. Now it's time, you see there's
a time and a place, there's a time and a purpose for everything
under heaven. You and I are on a time schedule.
It's time for this, it's time for that. In God's purpose, there's
a time for everything in our life. Not just a time and purpose
for creation and things in general. I mean specifically for me and
you, day by day, there's a time for it. There's a time for it. And it was time now to go. Time
to go. Lazarus has died. And the disciples
there in verse 8, they remind him that the Jews, they want
to kill you. You're going to go back there? You're going to
go there? He's not afraid of the Jews.
He's not afraid of the Jews. He's not afraid of Satan. He's
God. He's got it all under control. They haven't seen this yet. He
knows, listen, He knows that they have no power at all against
Him, except it be given to them from above. And the same applies
to His children. Nothing and no one has power
against you, except God gives it power against you. And then He says here in verse
9 and 10, look, Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in
the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbles not, because
he sees the light of this world. But if a man walk in the night,
he stumbles, because there is no light in him. And our Lord
is telling them there is a certain time for everything to be done. He said, well, it's daytime.
It's time to work. He said, I have a time to work.
I have a time to accomplish redemption. I have a time to do what I'm
given to do. And he said, and it's time. It's
time to do that. And then verse 11, look at this.
And this just jumped out at me this morning as I was looking
over it again. These things said he, and after that he said to
them, our friend Lazarus sleepeth, but I go that I may awake him
out of sleep. Our friend Lazarus sleepeth. Who told him that?
He didn't send a messenger and said that Lazarus is dead, don't
worry the master. He said, our friend Lazarus sleepeth. HE KNEW HIS CONDITION. HE KNEW
HIS CONDITION BECAUSE HE PUT HIM TO SLEEP. THE LORD PUT HIM
TO SLEEP. AND WHEN IT COMES OUR TIME, IT
WILL BE THE LORD WHO PUTS US TO SLEEP. You remember when you
were children, and you've done this with your children when
they were just little things, you'd take them to their bedroom
and you'd put them to sleep? You said, I'm gonna go put her
or him, I'm gonna go put him to sleep. And you'd go in there
and you'd lay him in the bed and you'd talk to him and you'd
put him to sleep. And that's what our Lord did.
He, standing there, put Lazarus to sleep. He put him to sleep. But the disciples, listen, being
babes, they didn't know what he meant there in verse 12. Then
said his disciple, Lord, if he's sleeping, he shall do well. He's
right. They're right. If he's asleep,
he's doing well. You know, when somebody's sick,
when someone is sick, someone loved one is sick and you see
them asleep, doesn't it make you feel good? When you see him
asleep, it makes you feel good. He said, they're resting. They're
resting. And you know most of the healing
of the body happens when you're asleep? You know when most of
your growing happens when you're young? It's when you're asleep.
You know your brain actually heals itself most when you're
asleep? This is good for him. This is
good. they said if he's asleep he does
well but christ here in verse 13 to 14 how be it jesus spake
of his death but now when john was there standing with those
disciples he didn't know that did he you see john was standing
there with the disciples he had the same thought they had but
but now sometime later john writes this and he says he says however
jesus spake of his death But they thought that he had spoken
of taking of rest and sleep. Then said Jesus unto them plainly,
Lazarus is dead. He spoke in a language they understood. You see, when he said he's asleep,
he's speaking in heavenly language. He's speaking in the language
of the kingdom of God. But they lived in this world.
You and I live in this world. So he speaks to them plainly
in a language they can understand. He's dead. Oh, oh, now I know what you're saying.
I know what you're talking about. And he says in verse 15, I'm
glad for your sakes, I was not there to stop it. I'm glad for your spiritual growth.
I'm glad for your increase of faith that I was not there to
the intent you might believe." And this must have sounded strange
to them. This miracle is for your faith. And when he said,
I'm glad for your sakes I wasn't there, I bet they're going, what
do we have to do with this? What do we have to do? Oh, you
have a lot to do with it. You see the lesson when the Lord
even makes one sick here or someone going through trouble here, it's
for the whole body of Christ. It's for the whole body of Christ.
We all learn. We all learn through it. Now, listen, I'm going to wind
it up with this verse here in verse 15. And I'm glad for your
sakes I was not there to the intent you may believe. Nevertheless,
let us go to him. Let us go to our brother. Let
us go to him. This can be said concerning all
our trials that God sends our way. They are necessary. When I came to this part, I just
started writing on some things and that's the reason I stopped
here. These trials that are sin of
God are necessary for the growth of faith. We ask the Lord to
increase our faith. This is how it is accomplished. This is how it's accomplished.
We must have the rain as well as the sunshine. We must have
the taking as well as giving. That's what it takes to increase
our faith. Secondly, these trials that God
sends our way, they prove whether we have faith or not. Just like
the parable of the sower. Seed fell on the rocks, the sun
came up, it had no depth of earth, there was no real root, it took
no root, and it was scorched. Another one, it fell among thorns,
and the cares of this life choked it, That's why he's saying the
cares of this life choked it, choked the word, and there was
no fruit. But the one that fell into good
ground, it grew. It grew. It was evident that
it was in good ground. Trials prove whether we have
faith or not. I want to know this. I want to
know that I have faith before I die. I don't want to stand
before God and find out whether or not I had faith. I want to
know now, Lord, I want faith now. Give me faith now. Make it genuine. And then they
teach us our dependence on Christ. Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, they
were absolutely 100% dependent on the Lord, bringing him out
of that grave where he's not coming out. We are dependent
on the Lord to bring us through every trial, every heartache.
We depend on Him to bring us through. Because if not, we'll
collapse. We will collapse under the lightest
trial. We will. We don't have that kind
of strength in us naturally. The only thing that keeps you
from being offended at God and the world being offended at God
when they go through something, The only difference is grace,
for by grace through faith, your faith is genuine and you
know it's of God. You know it's of God. David said in Psalm 39 for Lord,
make me to know my end and the measure of my days. You
think we'd ever pray like this? what it is that I may know how
frail I am. Lord, make me to know mine end. Measure of my days, what it is
that I might know how frail I am. Because the more I know how frail
I really am now, I mean, I'm a whole lot more frail than I
think I am. You know, when you see someone
that's been strong in their life, strong, my dad, I'm thinking
of my dad, strong man, physically strong man, and then to see him
can't even lift an arm, can't even lift an arm, make me to
know how frail I am. If I live long enough, I won't
be able to lift an arm. They teach us how frail we are,
and that makes us run to Christ. Then these trials that God sends
are always connected to Him and His glory and our good. Our good. There's a few times when I was
young, and I don't know if this was any good for me or not, but
my mama used to take castor oil. I don't know if it was good or
not, but she had me to tell you, it was awful. I had to eat, when
I was six years old, six, seven years old, I had rheumatic fever. They said I had rheumatic fever.
And the doctor told her to feed me liver, beef liver. I gagged. I can remember her
force feeding me that, and I was gagging, and she was feeding
me, and I was gagging, and she was feeding me. It was awful. I can't even walk in a room if
that stuff's cooking. I got to get out of the room.
I'm going to start gagging. But it's for my good. At least
they thought it was. I don't know if it was or not. But I don't have to think if
it's good or not when God sends it. I know it's good. It hurts,
but it's good. You're not going to set somebody's
leg that's been broken that it doesn't hurt, unless you knock
them out with morphine or something, but I mean, that hurts. And then they teach us of the
mercy and power of God to rule and overrule all things. I know
a young, I know he's not a young preacher no more, but I know
a preacher, Pastor Todd Nyberg, they told him to get the funeral
arrangements made. I went down there and visited
him and he's in the hospital. He was in our early 20s, he was
in our 20s there, some early 20s. And they told them to get
the funeral arrangements made. And you know these pastors down
there in Lexington, Todd's Road Grace Church, been there for
40 plus years. And the doctor said, he's going
to die. Get his funeral arrangements made. They teach us of the mercy
and power of God to overrule and rule over all things. They
are about to see a dead man raised from the grave. In 1 Peter 1, it's written in
verse 6 and 7, wherein you greatly rejoice, though now for a season,
if need be, every trial's a need be, you are in heaviness through
manifold temptation, many trials, that's a trial of your faith
being much more precious than of gold that perishes, though
it be tried with fire. You ever get burned? Fire is,
fire is painful. You stick your hand in it, it's
painful. Though it be tried with fire, it might be found unto
praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.
He's coming. And I want that faith that is
a gift of God that will be waiting on him till he comes. And trials are necessary in order
to exercise the graces or the gifts of the Spirit. Love, joy,
peace, long-suffering, those have to be exercised, and they
are exercised by the things God sends on us, the trials. And they are absolutely, I mean
absolutely, under His control. He knows the outcome from the
beginning. I have learned this as I've gotten
older, and I've learned this. Whatever it is I'm going through,
the outcome is already determined. It's already settled. Isn't that
comforting? The outcome's there. It's already
done. I just got to get there. He's just going to bring me through
this experience that I'll experience a growth in faith, and love,
and joy, and peace, and longsuffering. But that outcome is already set. Job said it like this. He knoweth
the way that I take. when he has tried me. He already
knows me going through this. Already. He's got control of
it. All right.