Believest Thou This?

Turn with me to the Gospel of John chapter 11, please. John chapter 11. We'll be reading shortly in verse 14. What if I told you that I knew a way that you could be free of worry and concern over these things. Let me give you a few. I know a way to cure and prevent brokenness of heart beyond repair. Would you be interested in knowing that way? I know a way to cure and prevent spiritual deadness. Separation from God.

Death. That ought to get some folks' attention. The grave. That's probably the biggest worry and concern that most people have, and that's the uncertainty of death in the grave. Binality. The penalty of breaking God's law. The guilty verdict of God's strict and holy justice. I know how to avoid that. Eternal hopelessness. Spiritual deadness.

Are you at all interested? Then what if I told you that this cure is free? There's folks that would give anything and everything to have the cure of these things and yet it's free. Now if God will enable me, I want to just plainly and simply this morning again point you to that cure.

And one of my favorite stories in all the Bible is the one of the Lord Jesus raising Lazarus from the dead. And why is that one of my most favorite stories? Because it very well pictures my own story. Your story. It pictures how Christ raised His people from the dead. And then one of my favorite verses in all the Bible tells us of the moment when the Lord Jesus Christ arrived.

Martha met Him. And she and others thought the Lord to have been too late. Lazarus was dead. And let me say, child of God, so were you and I. dead in trespasses and sin. Yes, moving and talking and seeing and all the things that physically alive people do, but spiritually dead. But God is never late. We've said that so many times. God is always right on time. Now you're hearing John chapter 11. Let's begin in verse 14 and read a few verses. John 11. 14. Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.

And I'm glad for your sakes that I was not there. to the intent that you may believe. Nevertheless, let us go unto Him." And then Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellow disciples said, let us also go that we may die with Him. And then when Jesus came, He found that He had lain in the grave four days already. Now, the Lord had said that Lazarus was sleeping, and they thought He meant just that, but what the Lord meant was that He was dead. And Thomas here still didn't get it, and neither would have we. But he said, let us go that we may die with him. Well, he's already dead. And the Lord Jesus came, and he and his disciples found that he'd already been in the grave four days already.

Now, Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem about fifteen furlongs off, 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 hast been here, my brother had not died. But I know that even now whatsoever Thou wilt ask of God, God will give it Thee.

And Jesus said unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. And Martha said unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. And Jesus said unto her, this is my favorite verse. He said, I am the resurrection and the life. And 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." That's the title of my message, Believest Thou This.

As I said a moment ago, sin is mankind's greatest enemy. Sin brings forth the death. The book of Romans repeatedly reminds us of that, whereby as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin, so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned," Romans 5.12.

Paul also said in Romans 5.21, sin hath reigned unto death.

Romans 6.16, he said, sin is unto death. In verse 23 of chapter six, he said, for the wages of sin is death.

In Romans 7.13, he said that it might appear sin, working, death, and me. Sin is always related to death. Every cemetery, every funeral, every tear shed beside a grave reminds us that sin has brought death into the world.

No wealth, no power, No religion can overcome death. Death stands as the final proof that man is helpless in himself. Had someone recently tell me, I plan on living to be a hundred. And I said, well, sorry, you don't have any control over that. And we don't, we have no control over anything, much less death.

And yet, into our story of the dark reality of death steps the Lord Jesus Christ, who is life Himself. Standing in the shadow of Lazarus' tomb, He doesn't merely offer comfort. He declares, I am the resurrection and the life. Now you think about those words. First, Christ confronts the reality of death. In verses 14 through 16 that we read, the Lord told His disciples, Lazarus is dead. The death of Lazarus did not catch the Lord off guard. I grow tired of men preaching the gospel as though, like when Adam sinned in the garden, you know, God had a backup plan. God doesn't need backup plans.

God ordains how everything is predestinated by Him. He's the author and the finisher of all of our faith. He's the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end. He knows all things. He's not surprised at how things turn out. He's the cause of how they turn out. And the Lord here doesn't ignore the reality of death. He doesn't pretend that death is harmless. He doesn't pretend that it's natural. Let me tell you something. I hear this all the time. He died of natural causes. Men do not die of natural causes.

You see, they die because of sin. Sin is the wages of death. Death is the wages of sin, I mean. Sin is death's wages. Sin and death entered the world through Adam's fall and reigns over all mankind. You might ask yourself, why do I do the things that I do? Sin, sin's the cause. Sin is what we are, not just what we do. Sin and death entered the world through Adam's disobedience.

And then the Lord says something remarkable here. He tells those that thought he was too late, he says, and I'm glad for your sake that I was not there. Well, what do you mean by that? To the intent that you might believe. I'm going to show you something the Lord's saying today that ought to cause you to believe in me.

You see, the death of Lazarus was not outside of God's purpose. Nothing is. Nothing is outside of God's purpose. The Lord Jesus was preparing to reveal His glory and strengthen the faith of His people. God in mercy and grace allows us to come face to face with our helplessness. That's what He did with each child of God.

We saw that we were helpless. We couldn't help ourselves. We didn't have the ability to come to Him. No man can come. No man has the ability. Why? Because we're dead. And then on top of that, we love darkness more than we do light. Before resurrection comes the acknowledgment that death is due and that sin has won and man cannot save himself. That's the condition of all of us. We are all dead in trespasses and sin, Ephesians 2. No one seeks life. Now I'm telling you this is so. No one seeks life until they first see their own spiritual deadness. Why? The same as we don't go to a doctor unless we're sick. Those that are well have no need of a physician, and we say that all the time. Who needs a doctor?

Somebody that's sick. Somebody that's diseased. Somebody that's dying. That's us. The second thing we see here is the Lord meeting a grieving sinner. When the Lord arrives, Lazarus has been dead four days. Stinking dead. Martha meets him with sorrow. She's lost one that she loves.

She said, Lord, if you'd been here, if you'd have been here, my brother would not have died. And there's faith in her words. But like all our faith, it's imperfect faith. You see, she knew that if the Lord had been there, he could have kept Lazarus from dying. But she didn't confess that he was there now. Thought it was too late. Martha believes the Lord could have prevented death, but she's yet to grasp His power over death itself.

Christ is life. Death cannot stop Him. He doesn't just prevent it. He can raise one from the dead. That's what He did for His people. How often do we limit Christ in the same way? We believe He can help us. We believe that He can comfort us. We believe He can guide us. Yet we fail to see the fullness of who He is.

He can do anything. My father can do anything. You know, I can remember as a child, you know, me and my neighborhood friends, we'd always get in an argument about whose daddy was the greatest. Well, let me tell you, beyond a shadow of doubt, my Father is the greatest. He can do anything. He can do everything. And He really can. There's a lot of things I thought my earthly Father could do that He couldn't. But my Heavenly Father can do anything and everything.

Yes, Martha meets Him with sorrow, but her sorrow is fixing to turn to joy. And regardless of her imperfect faith, She still comes to him. Martha came to him on this day, though her faith is imperfect. That's the true mark of faith, though imperfect, true faith always brings us to Christ.

Did you hear me? True faith will always bring you to Christ. Everything may seem hopeless and you seem totally helpless, but you still come to Christ. Lord, help me. Lord, save me. True faith in every situation, in every trouble, every trial, every suffering brings the believer to Christ.

That's what Peter said, to whom else will we go? Thou hast the words to eternal life. Where are you and I going to go but to the Lord? Though Martha is confused, though Martha is sorrowful, though Martha is struggling, she brings her burden to Christ. It's the only place we have to go. He's the only one that can truly help us.

Christ always receives, always, always, always receives those who come to Him. said it many times, say it again. Can't find anywhere in this book where somebody came to the Lord Jesus wanting, begging, asking for mercy and help that He didn't give it. You won't find it. And even though Martha's faith is weak, even though her understanding is incomplete, She came to Christ weary and heavy laden, and He always, always, always gives us rest for our soul.

Thirdly, Christ declares victory over the grave. In verse 23, the Lord tells Martha, your brother shall rise again. Martha responds, I know that He'll rise again in the resurrection at the last day. You see, Martha believes in resurrection, but it's a future resurrection.

But resurrection is much more than a future event. Resurrection is a person. Grab hold of that. Never forget that. Resurrection is a person. Jesus Christ is the source of resurrection. Our Lord did not say, Martha, I can perform a resurrection. He didn't say, Martha, I'm going to bring about a resurrection.

He said, I am. You know what that is? That's His name, isn't it? I am. Not I was, not I'm going to be. I am. Always, presently, I am the resurrection. Our resurrection depends solely on Christ. Men do not rise because they possess life within themselves. Chosen sinners arise because the Son of God possesses life in Himself. Big difference.

Luke 5.25 says, For as the Father hath life in Himself, this is the Lord speaking. He said, So hath He given to the Son to have life in Himself.

I am the resurrection and the life, our Lord said. Lazarus had been dead four days. No human remedy remained. The Lord is not merely the giver of life. He is life Himself. I'm the resurrection and the life. No man comes to the Father but by Him. Every form of life originates in Him. Physical life, He gave. Spiritual life comes from Him. Eternal life, you won't get it any place else but from Christ. Religion can't give life. Good works can't give life. Church attendance can't give life.

Only Christ can make dead sinners alive. That's why we call it the Gospel. And that's why it's His Gospel, because it's all about Him. It's all about what He's done for us. That's the good news. Not what we do for God, what God's done for us. Christ has authority over death itself. And we have life in and by and through our union with Him. Why do you always talk about Christ? He's my life. I have life because of him. I was dead, now I'm alive. The Lord's not pointing us to a method of salvation.

Boy, there's plenty of that in religion today. Method for this, a method for that. This religious world often turns salvation into a system or a process or a formula of some kind. Moral improvement. Oh, that's a heavily preached subject. The belief that living a good life earns acceptance with God.

Not true. Law keeping. Trusting obedience to His commandments is the ground of salvation. Not so. Religious ceremonies. Well, we don't have religious ceremonies at our church. Yeah, you do. Confidence in baptism, communion, confirmations, other ordinances as saving acts in themselves. A lot of people make tithing Proof of salvation. Well, you know, I can give. I can give to the church. Decisionism. Trusting that repeating a prayer or making a commitment or walking down an aisle secures salvation. Apart from Christ Himself. Church membership.

Believing that belonging to a particular denomination or an organization actually saves you. Well, you know, I'm a Baptist. A lot of Baptists are going to be in hell. Well, I'm a Methodist. It doesn't matter what you are. If you're not a believer, you're condemned. If you're not trusting in Christ, there's no hope for you.

What about good works and charity? Oh my! As I've said before, there's gonna be some that's got such a big crown on their head from all their good works that they're gonna need a neck brace to hold their head up. Not so, not so. Religious experience, trusting, feelings, visions, spiritual gifts, emotional encounters.

I know many folks that do not believe they're saved because they've never had an emotional experience. Knowledge and doctrine, depending on correct theology, rather than on Christ. Many know about Christ, but don't know Christ. So knowledge of doctrine is not going to do you any good if you don't know the one who the doctrine is about. Personal faith, viewed as work, making faith itself the object, instead of trusting in Christ, who is salvation.

And when the Lord said, and I just love thinking about this, when He said, I am the resurrection and the life, He was directing people away from confidence in a method and toward confidence in Himself. I am the resurrection. If you miss Me, you've missed it all. Christ is telling Martha, the resurrection that you and your brother Lazarus need, along with every other chosen sinner, is standing right in front of you. And He's standing right in front of you today through this preaching. That's what we do in preaching.

We present Christ as who He is, the only means of salvation. He's the resurrection that conquers our death. He's the life that sustains our souls. The Lord not only saves us, He keeps us. All who rise, rise in Him. All who live, live through Him. Christ is our life, Paul said in Colossians 3. That's a short, simple statement. Four words. And you could write volumes on it. Christ is our life. You better believe He is. He is our life. Eternal life is in God's Son. 1 John 5, 11 and 12. God quickens the dead through Christ. Romans 4, 17. Christ is the first fruits of them that slept, that were dead. 1 Corinthians 15, 20.

And resurrection is inseparable from Christ's person. Apart from Him, no resurrection. No resurrection unto life. In Him, death is already conquered. The believer doesn't merely await resurrection day. They belong to the resurrection Himself. The grave must and will release God's people because it cannot hold the One with whom we are united. If we're in Christ, We live through Him. He does for us what we can't do. We die in Him. We're buried with Him. We're risen with Him.

And guess what? We're seated with Him on the right hand of God. Where He is, we are. And He said, I'm going to go prepare a place for you so that where I am, you shall be also. Well, listen, we're already there. We just can't fathom that yet. Fourthly, Christ truly gives life to the dead. He really does. This is not just storytelling. This is not fairy tales. This is not fables. Again, verse 25, He says, He that believeth in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. He said that. If you won't believe Me, will you believe Him? That's what He said.

This promise reaches beyond Lazarus. Physical death will not destroy the believer. We fear the very thing that is our next step, our departure into glory. Unless the Lord returns before we die, we're going to have to die to ever be in glory with Him. It reaches beyond Lazarus. This body may be laid in the grave, friends, but the souls of those who are in Christ will be rushed into His presence. And physical death is a glorious departure. Paul said, I've finished my course. I've fought a good fight. My departure is at hand. It's a first class ticket, too.

The gospel is God's calling to the tomb of a dead sinner's heart. The gospel is giving the soul life and the ability to believe. And just as Lazarus would soon hear Christ's voice, he will be given life and come forth, and chosen sinners are given life. They hear the voice of the Son of God and they live.

Now, I said it that way on purpose because life is always given before the coming. It has to be, right? That just makes common sense. One dead can't get up and come to Christ and then get life. No, he's got to begin life first. Salvation is not self-improvement, it's resurrection from the dead. Well, you know, straighten up your life, do this, do that, then come to the Lord. No, you'll never come. I need a resurrection.

I think Christ, who is the resurrection and the life. And fifthly, this life that Christ gives us is forever. Forever. Verse 26. And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. All of us are going to experience physical death, as I said, unless the Lord returns prior. But no believer will ever experience separation from God under judgment.

I'm going to stand in judgment before God to give an account of the things I've done in this body. But you see, I've got an advocate. I've got a mediator. There's one mediator between God and me, the man Christ Jesus. And on that day, when I go to speak to give an account for all the sinful, wretched, depraved things that I've done, my mediator stands and says, Your Honor, I died for Him. I lived perfectly. I kept Your law perfectly. I satisfied Your justice perfectly. And He in me." And the judge says, not guilty! The verdict's in, not guilty. Enter in, thou good and faithful servant. What a day that'll be, huh?

Christ has already bore the judgment. Christ has already satisfied divine justice. Christ has already removed the curse. He that hath the Son hath life. He that hath not the Son hath not life. Where Christ is, life is. Where Christ is absent, death remains. He is the resurrection and the life. So the question of the hour, it's a short one. It's asked by the Lord. To Martha, the Lord Jesus today is asking you and I the same question through the preaching of His Word. Just three words found in verse 26.

Believest thou this? Do you believe what I'm telling you? Do you believe what the Lord's telling you? Do you believe the Lord's declaration about Himself? Do you believe that He is the resurrection and the life? And the question is not, do you believe there will be a resurrection? The Lord is asking, do you believe that the only hope of resurrection and salvation and eternal life are found in me?

There's much more than just a general. This is much more than just a general belief that in the resurrection at the last day, this is being confronted with the truth that there is only one way to be saved. We say that all the time because it's the truth. There's only one way to be saved. He said, I am the way. There's only one truth to be believed. He said, I am the truth. There's only one life that's eternal. He said, I am the life. And then He added to reiterate those three things and said, no man comes to the Father but by Me. He is the way, the truth, and the life. My, my. Eternal life's not something that Christ simply gives apart from Himself. He's the source and the substance of eternal life.

And this is a question that everyone is called to answer. The question is a great divider. You know, it divides humanity. It divides family and friends. It divides belief from unbelief. It divides those who trust in doctrine from those who trust in a person. It divides life and death in the deepest sense.

Death is the great certainty of human existence. I don't think there's probably any unbeliever, anyone that's lost that doesn't believe that they're going to die. I mean, they've seen it all their lives if they've lived any time at all. Many speculate about death. Philosophers debate death. Religion strives to answer death. People try to ignore death, but none can escape it.

When Christ asked, believest thou this? He simply meant, do you believe in me? Do you believe in Him? And blessed are those who can With Martha say, yea, Lord, verse 27, yea, Lord, I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which hath come into the world. That's what Peter said. Where else will he go? Thou hast the words to eternal life. He said, I believe that thou art the Son of God.

And as I said, as Martha stands in the shadow of Lazarus' death, her confession now shifts from the focus from circumstance to Christ himself. All she can think about before this is my brother's over there in that tomb. He's dead. If the Lord had been here, the Lord came too late.

Oh, I love him. I believe he can do anything. But did she? Because she would have realized he was right on time. All she can think about is circumstance. That's our problem. But now her confession shifts to Christ Himself. That's what the gospel always does. It points us to what really matters. The question of who Christ is demands a verdict. Martha said, I believe. What do you believe, Martha?

I believe you're the Christ. I believe you're the Messiah. I believe you're the one that God sent into the world to save sinners like me. I believe that you're the one that can do anything and everything. I believe that you are the resurrection and the life. Do we? Yea, Lord, I believe. Help thou my unbelief.

Resurrection life is tied to a union with Christ. Salvation is personal trust in Christ as the only means of being raised from spiritual death. Christ's command is life-giving. Our Lord does not invite, He commands. Lazarus, come forth! What follows that? And he that was dead came forth. None can resist His divine authority. The command is effectual. It always is when it comes from Him. It's because of Christ's authority.

It didn't have anything to do with Lazarus' condition. You say, well, he was dead. That's nothing to the Lord Jesus. That's why you and I have hope. The Lord spoke specifically to Lazarus, and it's been said that if the Lord had only said, come forth, and I've told you this before, everyone in every tomb would have come forth. They would have. But He spoke to one in particular. Has He spoken to you? Death cannot resist God's sovereign command.

Today, many are trusting in their goodness. Multitudes are trusting in their religion. Millions are trusting in their efforts. But some are trusting in the one who is the resurrection and the life. To the grieving, Christ offers comfort. To the fearful, Christ gives hope. To the dying, Christ gives life. To the sinner, Christ gives salvation. He doesn't offer anything. I said that wrong. To the grieving, Christ gives comfort. He always does. The result of such God-given faith to enlighten sinners discovers that they live because Christ lives. We rose because Christ rose. We will ascend to heaven because Christ ascended. And such is our perfect union with Christ.

You have salvation because He is salvation. I'm almost finished. Stay with me. I asked you at the beginning of this message that if I could show you a way that you could be free of all these things that worry and concern us, would you be interested? So again, we see that Christ is the way. He is that way. He is that cure.

Brokenness beyond repair. Christ relieves this burden because nothing's beyond His power to restore. Lazarus was dead four days. That's a pretty big obstacle to overcome, isn't it? Not for him. Yet Christ called him to come forth, and he that was dead came forth.

You see, the sinner's condition is not too ruined, not too hardened, and not too far gone for him. Spiritual deadness. Dead sinners cannot give themselves life, but Christ is life itself. He quickens whom He wills, and He imparts spiritual life to those who are dead in trespasses and sins. That's what Paul said, and you hath He quickened who were dead in trespasses and sins.

Separation from God. Sin separates man from God, but Christ reconciles sinners to God through His blood and righteousness. He makes us perfect because He's perfect. For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, we're no longer enemies.

We're no longer dead. Christ conquered death through His own death and resurrection. Death remains an enemy, but it's a defeated enemy. O death, where is thy sting? The grave. The grave cannot hold us, those who belong to Christ, because He arose and all of us shall also arise. Because I live, you shall also live. John 14, 19. That's what He said. I live, you live. Finality. For the believer, death's not the end. Christ transforms what appears final into a doorway of eternal glory. And we follow Him right through that doorway into glory. Whosoever liveth and believeth in Me shall never die.

John 11, 26. The penalty of breaking God's law. The law demands punishment for sin. Christ bore that penalty in the place of His people. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of law. How? Being made a curse for us. Galatians 3, 13. And the guilty verdict of God's holy justice God's justice rightly condemns sinners. But Christ satisfied divine justice by His obedience and sacrifice. Does that mean anything to you?

There's therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus. Eternal hopelessness. Apart from Christ, there's no hope. But in Christ, there's living hope. Grounded in His resurrection. Begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead. 1 Peter 1. And then spiritual deadness. Christ removes the burden because He's not just a teacher of life. He's the source of life. And He speaks, and the dead live. The dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God, and they that hear shall live. John 5, 25.

So, I've endeavored to back all this up with Scripture. So, again, it's not that you believe me, it's that you believe God. So the sum of it all is every burden on this list that I gave you ultimately comes from one thing. Being without Christ. Every relief from this list, every cure from this list comes from having Christ.

Brokenness is relieved because it's He that restores. Deadness is relieved because He gives life. Separation is relieved because He reconciled. Death is relieved because He conquered it. The grave is relieved because He empties it. Condemnation is relieved because He satisfied justice. Hopelessness is relieved because He's our living hope. And Christ doesn't merely provide resurrection and life, He is the resurrection and the life. So I ask you, believest thou this?

Believest Thou This?

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Believest Thou This?

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