Back in John's gospel in chapter
11, Martha, it seems, misunderstood
our Lord's meaning concerning the raising of her dead brother. He said, Thy brother shall rise
again. And she takes for granted, there's
a lesson in this, she takes for granted that she understood what
he meant, but she didn't, but she didn't. She says, I know
that he'll rise again, verse 24, in the resurrection at the
last day. She thought of a distant time
and what she said was so. But that's not what the Lord
meant. She said, Oh, I know that I'll see him again someday, someday. He'll rise someday. But Jesus meant more than she
thought. He meant today. He meant this
day. And in verse 40 he says to her, when in verse 39 she said, Why
bother to roll away the stone, she seemed to say. He's been
dead four days. What's the point? "'Set I not unto thee,' verse
40, "'set I not unto thee, if thou wouldest believe, "'thou
shouldest see the glory of God.'" When we read the entire passage
earlier and the conversation between Martha and our Lord,
can you not just see, feel, identify with the struggle that was going
on within her breast between faith and unbelief. You see both those things, do
you not? They send word to him, they send
a messenger, it seems, to tell the Master, he whom thou lovest
is sick. That was enough, they felt, and
rightly so. They need not say anything more.
He loved Lazarus and Martha and Mary. He visited this little
home in Bethany on several occasions, one of the few places when our
Savior walked this earth that he was welcome, one of the very
few places. He was at home in that little
house in Bethany. But they send the message, he
whom thou lovest is sick, thinking surely he'll make haste. But
he didn't come. But he didn't come. He deliberately
stayed away. He deliberately waited until
Lazarus had died. They thought his love will bring
him. Oh, but it was his love that kept him away. His love
for the glory of God, his love for their eternal good that they
might believe along with his disciples. Do you remember what
Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians chapter 4? He said, Now we see through a
glass darkly, darkly. Now we see only the temporal, not the eternal. But these things, Paul said,
work for us, not against us, an eternal weight of glory. In verse 14 again, our Lord said
to his disciples, Lazarus is dead, and I'm glad. Isn't that something? I'm glad.
I'm glad for your sakes that I was not there. to the intent
that ye may believe, nevertheless let us go unto him." As we said,
Martha's faith grows weak when she walks by sight, by her own
reason, by what she can see, looking at what is seen. But
then we see her faith rise. Verse 22, I know even now whatsoever
thou would ask of God, God will give it thee. That seems like
strong faith. But then as we read a moment
ago at the tomb, she seemed to say, what's the point of this?
It's too late now. I can almost hear the words struggling
within her that struggled in the heart of another man, one that came to Christ and said,
Lord, I believe, help thou my unbelief. Martha has the same issue, the
same problem. Every believer does, don't you? Don't you? Is it not so? Is that
not your experience and mine? Is it not another part of that
struggle that goes on constantly within a believer, a believer
that has two natures, the new and the old, and this is a part
of that struggle, faith and unbelief, they abide in the same heart. And unbelief, unbelief, the unbelief
in me, is more often than not that which makes me uneasy and
fretful and causes me needless worry, unbelief. That's at the root of it, unbelief. That's what our Lord said. Turn,
if you will, to Matthew chapter 6. Do you remember in his sermon
on the mount? Speaking to his disciples, he
said, don't be like the Gentiles. They live for the world. That's all they have. That's
all they want. They spend all their time and
energy grabbing all that they can. Don't be like that. In Matthew 6 verse 27, which
of you taking thought by being anxious, weary, by taking thought
can add one cubit unto his stature. And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field,
how they grow, they toil not, neither do they spin. And yet
I say unto you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed
like one of these. Wherefore, if God so clothed
the grass of the field, which today is and tomorrow is cast
into the oven, shall he not much more clothe ye, O ye of little
faith? That's the problem. Therefore
take no thought saying what shall we eat or what shall we drink
or wherewithal shall we be clothed. For after these things did the
Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knoweth. That should be enough. That should
be enough. Your Heavenly Father knoweth
that ye have need of these things, but seek ye first the kingdom
of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be
added unto you." I think the hymn writer expressed it very
well. If I'm not mistaken, it sounds
like they experienced this very thing of faith and unbelief.
They wrote, We often forfeit. Oh, what needless pain we bear,
all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer. Every time we gather here, long
before the time of service begins, I pray and I believe you do as
well, Lord, show us your glory. Show us your glory. Meet with us. Glorify your Son. Glorify your
Word. Make it effectual. Glorify your
own holy name. Show us your glory. Ravish our
hearts with the fresh awareness, appreciation of our precious
Redeemer. Reveal him to us again. Comfort some burdened fellow
brother or sister in Christ. Lord, show us your glory. Speak
the word of life to a dead sinner. Go to that person that's dead
in sin that doesn't know our Redeemer and show us your glory
by saying, that you not pray that." And our Lord said, Martha,
the thing that prevents you and Larry Criss and every child of
God from beholding his glory is unbelief. That's what he said. In other places, our Lord said,
according to your faith, be it unto you. We read, he marveled at their
unbelief. He marveled at their unbelief.
In another place, an even stronger word, he could do no mighty works
there. Did I read that right? He could
do no mighty works there because of their unbelief. He could not. because he would
not. Oh my, how my unbelief dishonors
my God, Joe. There's no excuse for it. We're
told in Romans 4 that Abraham, who's called the father of the
faithful, Abraham believed God. We're told he believed that what
God promised he was able to perform, that God would do exactly what
he promised that he would do, and you remember what the verse
says, he glorified God. He glorified God by his faith
in God. Verse 28 in John 11, look at
that word. Martha brings to her grieving
sister. Mary goes to her. There's a crowd there. They've
come to grieve, comfort these sisters at the death of their
brother. But Martha pulls Mary aside and
whispers in her ear, Mary, the Master has come. The Master has come and calleth
for thee. The Master. I like that, don't
you? You remember that night on the
stormy sea when he was asleep? The disciples addressed him with
that word, didn't they? Master, don't you care that we're
going to perish? Oh, my. What a thing to say. What a thing
to say to him. He told them as they got into
the ship, let us pass over into the other side. And you well
know, child of God, the only way, the only way that those
disciples could perish, the only way that they could go down,
Christ would have to go down with them. The only way they
could perish if he himself perished, and that's not possible because
he'd already said, we're passing over unto the other side, and
they awake him. And oh, what unbelief is expressed
in those words, Master, carest thou not that we perish? But
the Master arose nonetheless, rebuked the wind, and said unto
the sea, Peace, Be still." And they obeyed the voice of their
Creator, and then he turned it to the disciples and said, how
is it that you are so fearful? Why is it that you have no faith? The Master has come, and he always does. not when we think he should,
not when we think that it would be best. Oh, but he does come
at his own time, which is the best time for us, for him, for
God's glory. The master is coming, the master
of the sea, the master on land, the master over all. Let me read you a couple of quotes
by men along this line. Matthew Henry said, "'Unbelief
is at the bottom of all our staggerings at God's promises.'" Pretty tough
to argue with that, isn't it? Robert Trail wrote, "'A great
many believers walk upon the promises at God's call in a way
to heaven even as a child upon weak ice.'" which they are afraid
will crack under them and leave them in the depths." No, no,
that won't happen. That can't happen. Martha's heartache
was real. Her struggle with, why is he
not coming to us, was very real. And her loss, her grief because
of it, was not a pretense. It was very real. But, but, compare
all of that, all that Martha was feeling, all the grief that
she was experiencing at that moment to this. Compare that to this. Verse 25,
I am. I am. I am is here. The eternal God
is here. I am. The psalmist said, God is our
refuge and strength, a very present time in trouble. Therefore, therefore, if God is my refuge, my strength,
a very present help, a present help, Why don't I believe him? He loved me and gave himself
for me. What more could he do to prove
his faithfulness and love? God spared not his own son. How shall he not also freely
with him give us all things? A present help in trouble, therefore
will we not fear, Though the earth be removed and though the
mountains be carried into the depths of the sea, though the
waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with
the swelling thereof, it doesn't matter. God is with us, the psalmist
said. And our Lord said again, verse
25, I am the resurrection and the life. He's your God and Savior,
Martha. at this very moment, 7 times
in John's Gospel, our Lord identifies himself with those words, I am,
I am. And you remember, that is the
way God Almighty identified himself to Moses at the bush, I am, I
am the eternal God. I am the great Jehovah. I am
the everlasting God. And when Christ said, I am, he
was saying, I am God. I am God. I am the bread of life. I am the light of the world.
I am the door. I am the good shepherd of the
sheep. And here in John 11, I am the
resurrection and the life. I am the way, the truth, and
the life, and I am the true vine." He tells us, I am all that. I am all that. That's worth repeating. Jesus
Christ is all that. The great I am. Ponder that. Think about that. Send up a prayer
that God would make it effectual to your heart. I am the bread
of life, the light of the world, the door, the shepherd, the resurrection,
the truth, the true vine. He's all that. Now, after pondering
that, Put your present circumstances that you feel are against you,
like Martha did. Put your present trial, trouble,
heartache, put it next to that. Put it next to the great I am. Compare it to him. Is there any
comparison? Oh, and if so, if so, We'll say,
oh, indeed, if God be for us, who can be against us? If he who is himself the resurrection
and the life, the mighty God, if Christ is really everything
that this sinner will ever need, if Christ is enough to present
me before the throne of God without a fault, without sin, without
blemish, if Jesus Christ is everything and I'm complete in him, how
does a trouble, a trial, measure up to that? If God is not for us, then indeed,
by all means, hang your head and weep Hang your head and weep."
But as Martha soon realized, her brother's sickness was not
unto death but for the glory of God, for the faith of his
disciples, for the increase of her own faith. Can you imagine?
Can you imagine after this, after our Lord Overall, ascended back
to glory and sat down upon his throne, ruling everything and
everyone all the time. Years after, Martha and Mary
are sitting in their home, old women perhaps now. Martha,
Mary would say, Do you remember what he did? Martha, let's talk about that.
Do you remember that day? Oh, we were full of doubts, questions,
fearful, unbelieving. We should have known better,
but we didn't. We had no reason to doubt him,
but we did. The Master came, Martha. Remember
when you came in the house and I was just weeping, my eyes out,
and you said, the Master has come? Remember? Oh, how could they forget? This
is not death as its final issue, but for the glory of God, that
the Son of God might be glorified thereby. Thomas, because you
see me, you believe. You believe, you see me, you
touch me, you handle me. Oh, Thomas, blessed are those
who shall not see me and yet will believe. Oh, God, give me
grace to look to Jesus Christ first, first of all, foremost,
to listen to his voice before any other voice, to believe him,
Oh, God, give me grace to believe you regardless of what seems
contrary to your promise, to fall down. That's the place to
fall. John, it'll bear all the weight.
It'll bear all the weight that this sinner can place upon him,
to fall down upon the master of the sea. Three statements
I see in verses 25 and 26. Three statements and one question
concerning those statements. The question Martha was asked,
and I want us to ask ourselves, as though the Lord came before
us this morning and asked each of us, Believest thou this? Believest thou this? Thou this? There's no question about what
our Lord said. These are statements in verses
25 and 26. No question mark after those
words. They're blessed realities, blessed
realities, not realities concerning the
Son of God according to the so-called history channel. Don't get your theology from
the history channel. The few times I've watched that
program, everything I've seen has been inaccurate, especially
if they dare attempt with the Son of God, which I understand
they're going to do. Oh, no, these are realities not
according to Hollywood, but according to the Word of God. These are
blessed realities according to he who was the Word made flesh. And concerning these statements
he made about the resurrection, let's read them again. 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? That's the question to Martha. Do you believe this? Do we? Do we? Is that really true? Is that really true? He's the
resurrection and the life? He can speak to dead sinners
and give them life? If he is pleased to do it, if
he's willing, his will determines it, He has power, life, that just by his mere word,
his mere will, he can come before dead sinners and say, live, and
what will happen? They'll live. They'll arise to
walk in newness of life. Is that true? Is that really
true? You believe that? Do you believe that he that liveth
and believeth in him, you and I, believers in Christ, do you
believe that we're never going to die? That we're going to live forever?
Oh, I know this body will go back to the dust, but do you
really believe what he said here? That the moment, Lord, that I'm
absent from this body, that I'm going to be standing in the presence
of my God and my King? Do I really believe that? He who spoke these words said,
I am the truth. He told the truth always, didn't
he? Always, even when doing so would
cause him untold suffering. He had to tell the truth. He
could not lie. When they came to take him in
the garden, being led by the traitor Judas, he steps forward. Whom seek ye? Jesus. Did he tell the truth? I mean, you found him. The second time, "'Whom seek
ye, Jesus of Nazareth? I'm he. Take me, take me.'" And
they bound him. They bound him like a common
criminal and drug him through the streets. When the high priest
in mock humility said, "'Are you the Son of God?' He said,
"'You got that right. I am, I am.'" And he said, "'Well,
we don't need any more witnesses. He's worthy of death.'" He stood
before Pilate and said, I'm the truth. Pilate said, what is truth? And he says here to Martha and
to you and I, I'm the resurrection and the life. These other things,
these truths that follow that and all others rest on this,
don't they? They can only be true if this
is true, if he's really who he said he was. because he himself
is the resurrection and the life. That is why he that believeth
in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live. This is why that
whosoever liveth and believeth in him shall never die." What
does that mean? When he said, I'm the resurrection
and the life, what do these words mean? Well, I declare the way he expresses
it It means more than doctrine, doesn't it? He says, I am. It's a person, a glorious person,
the God-man, the God-man. In John 5 he said, there are
hours coming that all that are in the graves shall hear the
voice of the Son of Man, and they that hear shall live. In John 14 he told his disciples,
Because I live, ye shall live also. What can sever the life
of God in the heart of a believer? It cannot be. It's eternal life
because it's derived from Jesus Christ who is the resurrection
and the life. He must die before we can die. The same life is in me that's
in him. That's what he meant, I'm the
resurrection and life. Oh, how this should calm our
fears. It did, David, didn't it? David
said, when I walked through the valley of the shadow of death,
I'm going to be shaken like a leaf. No. He said, I fear no evil. David, that's a pretty bold statement.
That's pretty big words. How in the world can you say
that? Because thou art with me. That's the only way. That's the
only way. I'll tell you the truth. When
the time comes, it may be a different story, but I think often, Mike, what it will be. If I'm aware of it, my life is
down to a matter of moments, moments. The doctor comes in,
says, Larry, Chris, it's just a matter of time, little bit
of time. And I believe that when that time comes and
I close my eyes to this world, there he is. There he is, my soul. And he's going to take my hand
and lead me to the Father's house and I'm going to be with him
forever. Do you believe that, Larry Crisp? Yes, I do. Thank God by his grace,
I surely do. The hymn writer expressed it
like this. Hail, sacred union, firm and strong. How great the
grace, how sweet the song. One in the tomb when he arose,
one when he triumphed over his foes, one when in heaven he took
his seat, while seraphs sang all hell's defeat." These words
mean, when he says, I'm the resurrection, it means he came to us as dead
sinners and gave us life. That's what Paul said. You had
he quickened. who were dead in trespasses and
sins. That requires a miracle. That
requires a miracle, doesn't it? That requires a miracle of grace. Sinners are dead, and they're
being told, take the first step. No, the resurrection, Christ
in his own glorious person, with his own glorious power came to
us. He came to us and quickened us. He said, live, live, and we live
because he lives. Believest thou this? And notice
what he says to Martha, I am, I am, not that I was or I will
be, but Martha, right now, Right now, right now while you weep,
right now while you bear this heavy burden, I am. I am here. I am with you. I, no one else, no one else,
I am the resurrection. We must come to Him. Start anywhere
else and you go wrong. Years ago, Paul Mahan was going down to Franklin, Tennessee
to preach when Marvin Stoniker was pastor. Paul may have been living, I
don't know where he was living at the time, it doesn't matter. But
anyway, he got to Franklin, drove all around, hadn't been there
before. They couldn't find the motel. After about an hour or
so of just wandering around, he finally calls Marvin and said,
Marvin, where's the motel? I can't find the motel. I'm more
out. Found out he was in Franklin,
Kentucky. He wasn't in Franklin, Tennessee. Franklin, Kentucky,
I've been there, through there, going to Franklin, Tennessee,
just at the state line, a few more miles, then you're in Franklin,
Tennessee. We can't have life unless we
go to the source of life, the right place, and there's only
one, and Jesus Christ says, I'm he. And he makes this statement,
he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall
he live. Isn't that something? Isn't he
something? Isn't he something? Every saved
sinner is proof of this fact, is proof that he told the truth. He speaks to dead sinners and
they live. The very life of God is put into
them. Nicodemus, that which is born
of the flesh is flesh. You must be born again, born
from above, and when a man is, He's a new creation in Christ
Jesus. The third statement, the last
one, verse 26, "'And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall
never die.'" Believest thou this? Do you believe that? When this
life is over, we'll be forever with the Lord. As Job said, though
the skin worms He said, For I know that my Redeemer liveth, and
that he will stand at the latter day upon the earth, and though
after my skin were destroyed this body, yet in my flesh shall
I see God, whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold,
and not another, though my reins be consumed within me. Verse
40, and we'll close. Look at it again. Our Lord said
to Martha in response to her objection, about rolling away
the stone, said I not unto thee? He told her earlier, thy brother
shall rise again. Said I not unto thee if thou
wouldest believe thou shouldest see the glory of God? Oh, if that's so, if that's so,
as our Lord said, according to your faith be it unto you, then,
Lord, increase my faith because I want to see your glory. I want
to honor God. and God honors faith, does he
not? Faith honors God and God honors
faith. It's a great honor to any man.
If I would say concerning John Copeland or Joe or Lord or Louis
or Lester, that I trust you. I trust you. I would trust you with all my
worldly goods. Well, we can do better than that.
Trust you with my life. That's putting a lot of honor
on you fellas. Oh, how much more should we honor
God who is able to deliver us, who is able to do all that he
promised. Oh, God, show us your glory.
Give us faith to believe you. In all that you are, in all that
you've promised, may we believe and honor you in so believing. Grant that we may hear our great
high priest when we gather here. May he be pleased to intercede
on the behalf of sinners as he did here. In verse 42, I know
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. Oh, Redeemer, do it here. Do it in our midst. Do it for
our lost loved ones. And also this, may he come where
two or three are gathered for his glory and be in our midst. And do this, verse 43. Can you just picture him? All
the crowd stands around. What's he doing? A little bit
late for that. Four days ago it may have helped,
but when Lazarus was still alive, but he's dead now, oh, and hear
him speak as never a man spoke, Lazarus, come forth. And without intermission, he
that was dead came forth. And the master said, loose him
and let him go. O Lord, glorify thy name. Increase our faith to believe
that you're the same yesterday, today, and forever. Amen.