It's been a real, real delight
for Shelby and I to be with you again. And we look forward to
coming again, the Lord willing, in the summer. And I ask you
to pray for us, pray for God's blessings upon our labors with
you in the cause of our Redeemer. I've got to say this, listening
to Brother Jesse this morning particularly. He's a dear friend,
faithful, faithful pastor. You who are not familiar with
the South, you've not listened to orators until you've heard
southern black orators. Now they don't usually preach
much, but they're impressive to listen to. They can take instructions
on a chemistry set and read it, make it sound wonderful. W.A. Criswell, who was twice president
of the Southern Baptist Convention, He was from Kentucky and he pastored
for a while in Kentucky and then he was called to pastor the church
in Dallas, Texas, first Baptist church that was established by
George W. Truett many years before. And
he was driving through Kentucky once and on his way back down
to Dallas, it was on a Sunday afternoon and he was driving
through the country and saw a church building sitting out in the middle
of nowhere. just a crowd around it. They were having an all-day
meeting. It was a black congregation and he decided he'd stop and
try to listen, but he couldn't get in. Folks were standing outside
the windows listening, standing on a porch listening, and the
preacher was just beginning to preach. And he said that preacher
started to ask a question, kind of piqued the interest, and he
said, where was the Lord before he hung the stars in the heavens?
Where was he preacher? Where was the Lord? Before he
made the heavens and the earth and went on, as those fellows
can do for a few minutes in a congregation, where was he preacher? He said
he was in his glory! That's where he was. And Chris
Wells said, I wish I'd have said that. I wish I'd have said that. So good, such a blessing. Thank
you brother. Let's turn again to John chapter
11. John chapter 11. This familiar story of Lazarus'
death and resurrection, recorded here by divine inspiration. It
was a mighty display of our Savior's eternal Godhead. He who has power
to raise the dead by his mere voice must indeed be God the
Messiah promised in the Old Testament scriptures. This picture was
intended by God to show us two things at least. Not only our
Savior's Godhead, but these two distinct things. It was intended
to be a picture of our spiritual resurrection in the new birth. That which is described in the
scriptures as the first resurrection. Our resurrection from death to
life by the power of God's omnipotent grace in regeneration. The Lord
God Almighty raises sinners up from the dead when he saves them
by his grace. And Lazarus' death and resurrection
was also intended to picture for us the death and resurrection
of God's elect with Christ. We've considered this many times
as a picture of the resurrection, I'm sure you have. But have you
ever thought of this? Between the time that Lazarus
died and the time that the Lord raised him from the dead, for
those four days while his body was in the tomb, where was Lazarus? Where was Lazarus? I think it's
a question worth consideration. During those four days while
his body slept in the earth, Where was he? One of our fellows
asked me this question not long ago. He said it's not really
significant, I don't guess, but where was Lazarus during those
four days? Since I've been here, I've been asked at least a couple
of times about the state of God's elect between death and the resurrection. Where was Lazarus? That's the
question I want to address in my message to you this morning.
Let's begin in John 11. These things said he, and after
that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth. Our friend Lazarus sleepeth. That's important. Remember that. But I go that I may awake him
out of sleep. Then said his disciples, Lord,
if he sleep, he shall do well. How be it Jesus spake of his
death, but they thought that he had spoken of taking rest
in sleep. Then said Jesus unto them plainly,
Lazarus is dead. When it says he said plainly,
he said it so that they did it. Lazarus is dead. He goes on,
and in just a little bit we're going to read it, he says, Lazarus
is not dead. But he says here, Lazarus is
dead. Because he speaks to us in terms we can understand. Lazarus
is dead. And I'm glad. What a strange
thing to say. I'm glad. Lazarus is dead, and
I am glad. I'm glad for your sakes that
I was not there, to the intent you may believe. Nevertheless,
let us go unto him. Verse 23. Jesus saith unto her,
that is, unto Martha, Lazarus' sister, thy brother shall rise
again. Martha saith unto him, I know
that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day,
I wish folks would quit talking like Martha, don't you? When
you're trying to teach them something. Well, I know. I know. Martha is here disputing with
the Son of God. And she does it without a thought. She does it without a thought.
She's talking to him. Lazarus is dead now. The Master
has come to show the glory of God in the resurrection of Lazarus.
And Martha is talking to him about the doctrine of the resurrection.
This woman, even while her heart is heavy with grief at the loss
of her brother, doesn't hesitate to debate doctrine with the Son
of God. The things we believe. God help us now hear this, are
not doctrines alone. The doctrine of the gospel is
life. Our Master said, the words that
I speak unto you, they are life. They're life, not just theory. The Lord listens to Martha. And he answers this way, verse
25. Jesus saith unto her, I am the
resurrection and the life. He that believeth in me, though
he were dead, yet shall he live. Now watch this. And whosoever
liveth and believeth in me shall never die. But he just said Lazarus
was dead. But he was talking then about
Lazarus' body sleeping. That body that had died was asleep
in the earth. But Lazarus was neither sleeping
nor dead. Lazarus was more alive than he
had ever been. Lazarus was living. Believest
thou this? Verse 39, Jesus said, take ye
away the stone. Do you ever wonder why the Lord
does things? He's about to raise Lazarus from the dead. Do you
reckon he could have moved the rock? Well, sure he could. But those
people standing by could move the rock. They couldn't raise
the dead. And the Lamb, our God and Savior,
who alone can raise the dead, condescends to take such things
as we are, to roll rocks out of the way. Oh, what a privilege. Wouldn't
you like to admit that push on that rock? He gives us the privilege, Brother
Jesse, of preaching this glorious gospel. We can't, as you so well
said, we can't raise the dead. But we can roll the rocks away.
We can preach the gospel. We can lift up the path. We can
clear away the debris. We can proclaim Christ crucified
and watch the master work. He said, take your way to stone.
And Martha, the sister of him that was dead, said unto him, Don't laugh too hard at Martha
and don't beat her up too big because we're just like her.
Lord, by this time he stinketh, for he hath been dead for four
days. Do you want us to roll this rock away? Jesus saith unto
her, said I not unto thee, that if thou willest believe, thou
shouldest see the glory of God. Lord, show me your glory, Moses
said. Would you see God's glory in
the face of Jesus Christ? Would you? If you would believe,
you would see the glory of God. Martha, didn't I tell you, if
you would believe, you would see the glory of God? Verse 43. 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 great clothes, and his face was bound
about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loosen,
and let him go. 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. When
this miracle was performed, many believed. And many others believed not.
When the miracle was performed, many saw past the bodily resurrection
of this man to the glory of God in the one who raised him from
the dead and believed on the Son of God. Oh, may God give
you faith then to believe. And some were bewildered. They
saw a man raised from the dead. Now this was not one of these
old Roberts Crusades. This wasn't something fake. This wasn't something that was
put on. This was a publicly demonstrated
act of divinity, the power of God raising a man from the dead
that people had seen laid in that tomb four days earlier.
And it comes out in life! And still many did not believe. How come? Because no man can
come to me except it were given him of my Father. No one can
believe, no matter what they see, no matter what convincing
evidence you give, they cannot believe except they be born of
the Spirit. Oh, Spirit of God, come then
and give life to dead sinners this day. Let me say just a few
things about Lazarus. First, it should be noted that
we're never told in the scriptures that Lazarus ever said anything
about the state of his soul while his body was in the grave. Not a word. Now, do you hear
fellows today talk about having died and come back again? Especially if they wrote a book
about it. Especially if they wrote a book
about it. They're lying. They may have had some real good... Now, I've been put under a few
times. Doctors have put me under. It is wonderful. I mean, it's wonderful. And I've
had some strange visions. I've even seen some lights and
some darkness. But I didn't die and come back.
I didn't die and come back. Lazarus and Paul are two men
who went to the third heaven and came back to this earth to
live again. And you know what Lazarus said about it? Nothing. And you know what Paul said about
it? I can't say anything about it. That's what he said. He said, I saw things that words
can't express. I saw things that the mind can't
conceive, let alone words express. You see, God wisely puts a veil
over His most wondrous works. He puts a veil over them, so
that while we're made aware of them, we can't begin to comprehend
them. Would you like to tell me how
God incarnate is God incomprehensible? Would you like to explain that
for me? Well, first of all, that can't be explained. No, but I
can believe it and rejoice in it. Would you like to tell me
how Christ who knew no sin and did no sin was made sin for us? Try explaining that. It's beyond
explanation. It can't be explained. It can't
be defined. And every man who attempts to
define it messes it up. How come? Because God puts a
veil over His most wondrous works. And we simply behold them with
awe and believe. Lazarus says nothing about his
time between his death and his resurrection. And yet the resurrection
of Lazarus is one of the most unmistakable, unquestionable
revelations of our Savior's Godhead recorded in Scripture. Lazarus'
sisters say nothing about what transpired. Apparently, he didn't
talk about it. Now, having said that, let me
just make a couple of observations in that regard. He who is God
our Savior can raise sinners dead. No matter how vile, by the mere word of His power
to life everlasting. He can save you. He can save you. There's power,
life-giving power in Him who is life. And He who can raise
Lazarus from the dead. He who has raised me from spiritual
death to spiritual life can and will raise this body up from
the dead in the perfection of resurrection glory. I want to
give you some of my thoughts this morning concerning this
matter of death and dying. I say my thoughts, they're thoughts
that I believe God has given me over the years gleaned from
the book. The message are things that I
believe the Spirit of God has stamped on my heart. I like to
think about death. I think about it a lot. I think
about it deliberately every day. I thank God for every reminder
that soon I shall die. And I try to pass those reminders
along to others. We see friends get sick in hospital,
pray for them and I thank God we're reminded soon we're leaving
here. You see, it is better to go to the house of mourning than
to the house of feasting. For the living will lay it to
heart. Go to the house of mourning and
watch what transpires in the house of mourning. When the family
is disrupted, when the man that you loved so much is now gone,
the woman you loved so dearly is now gone. Go and learn. But learn something about the
one God has taken as well. When the Master cometh, whether
at midnight or in the evening, or at the cock crowing or in
the morning, I hope, like Mary, I will be ready, and Brother
Jesse just said, good to go, so that I will quickly arise
and go to him with ease when I hear the Master's come and
calleth for thee. Let me talk to you about three
things here with regard to this man, Lazarus, as they apply to
you and me. First, Lazarus experienced a
separation, a time of separation between soul and body. And then
second, there was a state of separation between soul and body.
And then thirdly, there was a reunion of soul and body in the resurrection. Turn with me to 1 Corinthians
2. 1 Corinthians 2. I fully realize things I have
to say this morning are things that no natural man can grasp.
They are beyond the reach of the natural man. 1 Corinthians
2 verse 9. As it is written, eye hath not
seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of
man the things which God hath prepared for them that love him." No eye has ever seen. No ear
has ever heard. No human heart has ever conceived
the things that await us in glory. But God has revealed them to
us. When He says He's revealed them to us, that doesn't mean
that He's shown us all the details and wonders of heaven. He hasn't.
He's revealed to us the certainty of these things. He's revealed
them to us. by his Spirit. For the Spirit
searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God. For what
man knoweth the things of a man, save the Spirit of man which
is in him? Even so the things of God knoweth
no man but the Spirit of God. Now we have received not the
Spirit of the world, but the Spirit which is of God, that
we may know the things that are freely given to us of God. Alright, here's the first thing. The scriptures tell us much about
the bodies of God's saints. When our soul is separated from
the body in death, the scriptures reveal much. And these things
were true with regard to Lazarus, and they're true with regard
to you and I who soon will leave this world, and they're true
with regard to our brethren who have left this world. Death for
the believer is a temporary separation of soul from body. That living union that's ours
with Christ is an indissolvable, indestructible union. So when
we talk about a separation of the soul from the body, it is
not a separation of the believer from his Lord. It is not a separation
of the one who is born of God from God who saved him. It is
not a separation of Lazarus from his Redeemer. When Lazarus was
separated from his body, he was with the Lord Jesus in heaven. Brother Don, wait a minute. The
Lord was down here on this earth. When the Lord Jesus walked on
this earth, He was still with the Father in heaven. He did
not cease to be the omnipresent God. He's seated in heaven right
now in a physical body, is He not? Certainly he is. Is he here with us? Oh yes. Oh
yes. And as Lazarus was taken to glory,
he was taken to be with his Savior. The believer, as soon as he leaves
this world, as soon as he is separated from this body, enters
into heavenly glory. And the separation was just a
brief one. He was just separated from his
body for four days. Lazarus was just separated from
his family for four days. It was just a very brief separation
and when our Lord revealed himself to Moses in the burning bush,
whether Jesse referred us to it just the other night. You
remember he revealed himself as the God of Abraham, the God
of Jacob, and the God of Isaac. The God not of the dead, but
of the living. Turn over to Luke. Luke's Gospel.
Chapter 20. Hundreds of years later. Hundreds
of years later. Now, if it had not been for this
passage in Luke's Gospel, I would never have guessed I would never
have imagined that our Lord's words to Moses in Exodus 3 had
anything to do with the resurrection of the dead. I would have never
dreamed it. But here our Lord quotes himself
in Luke chapter 20 defending and declaring the doctrine of
the resurrection. Look at verse 37. Now that the
dead are raised, even Moses showed at the bush. when he calleth
the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the
God of Jacob, for he is not the God of the dead, but of the living. Our Lord said Moses made it evident
that the dead are going to rise again. Moses made it evident
because he's the God of the living. When Lazarus was separated from
his body, our Lord referred to his time of separation as a sleep. Not a sleep of the soul. No. No, the soul is life. And the
soul of man born of God never sleeps. Never sleeps. Remember in In the song of Solomon,
even in the time of languishing, the bride says, my heart, wake! The soul born of God never sleeps,
it's always full of life, for it is the life of God in you
that makes the soul to live. And we live forever, but these
bodies sleep. These bodies sleep in the dust,
and sleep in the dust in hope of the resurrection. Listen to
this. For we believe that Jesus died
and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus will
God bring with him. This body sleeps. And sweet sleep
it is. Far too little has been said
about the sleeping of our bodies in the arms of our Redeemer.
But did you know the Lord Jesus purchased my flesh as well as
my soul. The resurrection of the body
is called the redemption of the purchased possession. So that
redemption is not really finished. We think about redemption, we
only think about it in terms of the payment of the price.
We only think about it in terms so much in terms of the actual
accomplishment of substitutionary atonement. But redemption is
the complete deliverance of our being. Not just our souls. The complete deliverance of our
beings from all the consequences of the fall and the sin in the
glorious resurrection When Christ comes, then comes the redemption
of the purchased possession. These bodies shall be raised
from the dead. Oh, what a sweet sleep it is
then that waits for the Savior. But while we live here, in this body, we grow. This body that is The instrument
in which the Lord God allows me to serve Him in this vessel
of clay. This body of flesh. I realize that when the scripture
talks about the flesh, it doesn't just refer to this physical body,
but it refers to the inner man, what we are by nature. The fallen
man. But you can't distinguish the
one from the other. As long as I live in this physical
body of this flesh, I live with this horrible foe
in my soul called humanity. and sin, and flesh, and Adam,
and death working in me. This flesh that lusts against
the spirit. They said this sleep, oh what
a sweet sleep it should be. For when this body sleeps in
the earth, I shall then be done with all warfare. I shall then be done with all
sin. I shall then be done with everything
that hinders me from that which I most desire, and that is complete
consecration to my God. Complete conformity to my God. Complete submission to His will. That's sweet sleep. That's sweet
sleep. Who would ever, who would ever
think of disturbing the sleep of a man who is just exhausted,
worn out. Especially a man who is exhausted,
worn out from the heat of a long battle, with no rest for such
a long time. The Lord's disciple said, Master,
he's asleep. Well, that's good. That's good! Who won't understand that? Soon, this body shall sleep in
the earth. And when it does, that's good. That's good. Oh, what blessedness
it shall be. The anticipation of it is joyous. Let us ever live on the tiptoe
of faith, looking for everlasting life to Jesus Christ our Lord. Looking for Him. anxiously anticipating
His coming, whether it be to put us to sleep in death, or
to come and raise us immediately by His glorious second advent,
looking unto Him for life everlasting. Lazarus' death, his separation
of his soul from his body, like ours, was for the glory of God. The more Jesus told his disciples who were standing by
when he got the message from his sisters, he said, this sickness
is not unto death, but for the glory of God. It was for this
purpose, God's glory, that God might be visibly glorified, to
wandering worlds that God Almighty, our Lord Jesus, took on Himself
our nature. That God the Son came into this
world in human flesh. It was to demonstrate God's glory
visibly to wandering worlds. Not just in his sacrifice, by
which all the attributes of God were glorified in our redemption.
Not just in calling us from death to life and changing our lives
so that folks would look and say, well, I knew Jesse when
he used to run the streets, now look at him. No, no, no, no.
Now the world doesn't see God's glory in those things. But there's
a day coming. But our God shall spread his
elect as virgins, chaste virgins, robed in white, perfect and pure
before all the regions of the world. And He'll say, look here,
this is my glory in you. His own, whom He's redeemed by
His blood and by His grace. and all the world shall behold
the glory of God and Mike Lovelace and Stephen Doyle and Don Fortner that's just beyond me that's
just beyond me Lazarus died his body slept his soul was separated
from his body for God's glory for the purpose that the Lord
Jesus might come and by his mere word raise that already rotting
flesh to life again and everybody around see it to display his glory well what
about this time of separation, the state
where Lazarus was for these four days, where you and I shall be
between death and the resurrection. Turn to 2 Corinthians 5. 2 Corinthians
5. God the Holy Spirit has given
us some indication in his word what the state should be like. We know that if our earthly house
of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, a
house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. That's already
more than I can get out. People have the idea that when
we die we're just going to kind of float around on the clouds
until the resurrection and some kind of a formless spirit. No, no, no. Between death and the resurrection
we have a house, a building, a body, a temporary body perhaps,
I don't know, a body, a building of God and house not made with
hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we grow earnestly
desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven. Now this body, this house from
heaven, Going to be a whole lot like the one you're in. That's how Moses and Elijah stood
on the mount, wasn't it? Just like they had before. And
Peter and James and John recognized them as Moses and Elijah, and
they'd never even seen a picture of them. They'd never even seen
a picture of them. They also were in the mount with
the Lord in this marvelous pre-heaven display of heaven's glory. We don't now. If so be that being
clothed, we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle
do groan. We groan. Being burdened, not
for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon. What do you
mean Paul? That mortality might be swallowed
up of life. You see, how can I say this and be understood? Life for you and I who are gods
in this world is just a process of dying. Now, no one has a better
life. Oh, this man who's talking to
you? God has given me a blessed, blessed,
blessed life. And the life that I have with
my family, with God's saints in Danville, with my friends
around the world, the life I have is incomparable. I wouldn't take
place with anybody in the world's history. Nowhere. Oh, I can't
compare what a life God's given me. but the life I have with
me. Oh my God, what a struggle. It
is as two opposing armies constantly are at war in my heart. It is
as light and darkness are constantly fighting, as if heaven and hell
are constantly at war. And most of the time it looks
like darkness and hell triumphs. Thank God it doesn't, but that's
the way it appears. That's the way it appears. And
when I drop this flesh, the war is over. And life begins. Life begins. The believer then is brought
into immediate glory. clothed upon mortality, swallowed
up with immortality. No wonder when Stephen was dying,
he saw the Lord Jesus standing in heaven, he said, Lord Jesus,
receive my spirit. Then, freed of self. Face to face with our Redeemer. freed of sin and freed of self. Beholding Him in all His goodness
and grace and glory, freed. So completely freed of self.
Let me see if I can express what's been going through my mind the
last several weeks preparing this message. Lazarus was with
the Lord in heaven. The Lord said to the thief, today
shalt thou be with me in paradise. That's not talking about a compartment
in hell. That's paradise. But Lazarus was with the Lord
Jesus in heaven, completely freed of sin and self. and while he's there the master
says Lazarus I'm taking you back to the earth and he's perfectly willing to
go perfectly willing to go To go back and abide a while
longer in the flesh, struggling with sin, in this warfare, trusting
the Redeemer for just one reason. For just one reason. Not as these
fools on television and radio who try to sell you their books
talking about dying and coming back to, oh, I just want to be
with my wife a little longer. No, no, and I'll be honest with
you. I'll be honest with you. I faced
the prospect of having to leave this dear lady. And it is a painful
prospect. It is a painful prospect. But
if I ever left her, I'd never miss her. That's right. That'd be over. No, I'll go back there and stay
with Martha and Mary a little while longer. No, I need to get
married and have some sons to lead my family when I'm gone.
No. Just one reason. The glory of God. That the Lord God might in Him
Signally show forth his glory. And so four days later after
his death Lazarus's body and his soul are
united. And soon, soon after we leave
this world children of God Our Lord Jesus is coming again, and
we shall come with Him. And when we come with Him, body
and soul united. These bodies shall be raised
from the death, from the dust, from the corruption, from the
ashes. These bodies shall be raised
incorruptible. Soul, a natural body, shall be
raised a spiritual body. A spiritual body. You talk about a contradiction
in times if you read it anywhere except in this book. A spiritual body. Abraham going
to live with him in a spiritual body. Elijah. Already lives with Him
in a spiritual body. In a spiritual body. We shall
live forever with Him in a spiritual body. Incomparable to anything
we can imagine on this earth. Turn to 1 Thessalonians chapter
4. Verse 13. I would not have you to be ignorant,
brethren, concerning them which are asleep, that you sorrow not,
even as others which have no hope. For if we believe that
Jesus died and rose again, even so them also which sleep in Jesus
will God bring with Him. How is that going to happen?
Those who are asleep, their bodies sleeping out there under the
cemetery, their bodies sleeping in the belly of the sea, their
bodies scattered in the ashes, been persecuted, burned to death
and scattered in the four winds by pagans, and they say, now
let sin raise them from the dead. They're coming with Him. Those
that sleep are coming with Him. As they come, their bodies shall
be raised from the dead. Let's see. Let's see. Look at
it. For this we say unto you, by
the word of the Lord, that we which are alive and remain unto
the coming of the Lord shall not prevent, there's that word,
precede them which are asleep. Now these dispensational yahoos who talk about the seven-year
tribulation and the rupture of the church and all that stuff,
they say, Oh, I want to live until Jesus comes. I want to
be in the resurrection when Jesus comes in the rapture. It would
be better if you walked preeminence. It would be better to be dead
first. Is that what it said? That's
what it said. We're not going to prevent them which sleep.
No! There are not going to be any preferences in the resurrection.
Oh no! We're chosen by the same Father's
everlasting love, redeemed by the same blood at Calvary, called
and saved by the same grace, and we shall be raised in the
same immortality, just as our Redeemer Himself. Raised up quickly,
and they shall come with Him. We don't. We don't. For the Lord
himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice
of the archangel, with the trump of God. Jubilee is about to come, and
the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive
and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds
to meet the Lord in the air. Shall we ever be with the Lord? So comfort yourselves and one
another with these words. Amen.