Okay, John chapter 11. I'm entitling
the message from the words that are found in verse 3 and 4. Beloved
of the Lord, yet sick. Beloved of the Lord, yet sick. Let's read verse 3 and 4. Therefore
his sister sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold he, that is Lazarus,
the one that you love, the one that you had chosen by your grace,
The one that you had set your affection upon, this one that
you love, he's sick." When the Lord heard that, it wasn't something
new. He already knew what was going
on. And he said, this sickness is not unto death, that is final
death, but it's for this purpose, for the glory of God. For the
glory of God, that, that the Son of God. Son of God, the Lord
Jesus Christ might be glorified thereby. Now, by way of introduction,
being a believer of the gospel of God's saving grace, being
a lover of the Lord Jesus Christ does not exempt believers from
heartache, Heartache. All of us know something about
having our heart broken. Does not exempt us from the hatred
of this world or from the trials and tribulations that come to
pass in our life. We're all too familiar with these
things. Turn over here to John 16. Our
Lord said it would be so. John 16, 33. These things have
I spoken unto you that in me you might have peace. You got
it? John 16, 33. that in me you might have peace. For in the
world you shall have tribulation." Now, it's not might or could
be. You shall have tribulation. But be of good cheer. I've overcome. I've overcome. So being a believer
doesn't exempt us from heartache, trouble, hatred of the ungodly,
those who despise the grace of God, nor does being a believer
exempt us from sickness and bodily death. We all know about that,
don't we? This body will get sick and at
some point it's going to die. Back to the dust. Our God said
it must go. When sin is finished with this
body, it will die. And that's the reason it dies.
Sin brings death. There have been many dear and
faithful servants of the Lord down through the centuries that
have endured much sickness in their life. I think of a couple
biblical examples. I think of the misery that Job
endured. You read through the life story
of Job. He lost all of his wealth. His camels, his livestock, everything,
lost his health. God killed all of his children.
And Job was stricken with a vile disease, had boils all over his
body. He sat out in the dust, just
scraping his skin with a piece of pottery to try to get some
kind of relief. And his wife said to him, Job,
You're a miserable man. Job, why don't you just curse
God and die? Nobody loves you, nobody cares
for you. And Job said, though he slay me, yet I'll trust him.
The Lord has given, the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the
name of the Lord. I think of another one whom the
Lord loved. God loved Job. He said, Job,
have you considered my servant Job? He's a righteous man. The
Lord loved Job, yet he suffered like no other. I think of another
one that the Lord Jesus Christ loved and yet endured hardship,
pain, and death. Just 33 years old, a young prophet
by the name of John the Baptist. He had his head removed, was
arrested in the prime of his ministry, 33 years old. And we
know the Lord loved him and yet he died such a horrible death.
And I think of the trials and the sickness of the Apostle Paul. Boy, he had heartache, didn't
he? He had sickness, pain in his body. He was a frail man,
a sickly man. And eventually he was arrested,
and eventually he was executed, for the gospel had his head removed.
Now did the Lord love these people? Absolutely. And yet, Yet they
suffered heartache, trial. All these were abundantly blessed
of the Lord, sovereignly chosen, sovereignly loved, redeemed by
His blood, and yet they suffered sickness, pain, heartache. I think of a tremendous preacher,
probably England's greatest preacher, Charles Spurgeon. preacher of
the gospel for many years. At the age of 30 he was stricken
with a very serious illness and for the next 28 years he was
grievously afflicted and affected, spent months away from his pulpit,
sometimes a half a year away from his pulpit, unable to preach,
and when he was 58 years old in 1892, he died. Four years younger than I am.
Here's a man that was used of God, preached to thousands and
thousands of people, and yet he suffered sickness 30 years. Why was he sick? The Lord loved
him. The Lord used his ministry. Behold, he whom thou lovest is
sick. There are some in this congregation
right now that are going through trial, bodily affliction, pain,
and sickness. And we're constantly praying
for God's people, praying for the Lord's healing mercy upon
them. Some among us here in the past
and other places have endured great bodily sickness. Some have
been healed, and some the Lord was pleased to take home. I think of the great sickness
that Pastor Todd Nybert endured. Cancer not once, but twice. This
last time having a very, very severe case of cancer. A great preacher of the Gospel,
loved of the Lord, redeemed by the Lord. Why was he sick? Why
did the Lord send this sickness? Well, the Lord healed Brother
Nybert. And he continues this day preaching the gospel of God's
grace. Yet others, the Lord was pleased to end their life and
take them home. How do you count for such things?
Whatsoever the Lord pleases to do with us, he will do. according to His eternal purpose.
He will do all things, working together for good to them who
love God, to them who are called according to His purpose. Each
time a believer dies, now notice what I said, each time a believer
dies, the prayer of the Lord Jesus Christ is answered. Did
you know that? Sometimes we pray, Lord heal them, Lord heal them,
Lord take care of them, and the Lord's praying, come home, come
home, come home. Turn to John 17. John 17 verse 24, Father, I will,
John 17, 24, that they also whom thou hast given me be with me
where I am, that they may behold my glory, which thou hast given me, for
thou lovest me before the foundation of the world. When a believer dies, to be absent
from his body is to be present with the Lord immediately. Our
Lord told that dying thief, today you'll be with me in paradise. Now, as you look at this story
of Martha, Mary and Lazarus. The Lord knew this family well. He'd spent time in their home
before. This family believed Him. They believed the gospel. They
trusted the Lord Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. They loved
Him. And He loved them. It says that in verse 5, Now
Jesus loved Martha, Mary and Lazarus. And when he came to
the grave, the Lord Jesus walked to the grave and he stood there
weeping before the grave. It says in verse 36, verse 35,
Jesus wept and the Jews said, the Jews behold how he loved
him. They even recognized that the Lord Jesus Christ loved Lazarus
and this family. The sisters here in verse 3 did
the right thing. These sisters, they sent word
to the Lord, saying, Come, we need your help. Come and help.
Saying, Behold, the one you love is sick. They sent word to the
Lord. Notice how this is said here,
though. The note to the Lord Jesus Christ wasn't how much
Lazarus loved the Lord. It was how the Lord loved Lazarus. They did not beg or ask for help
and healing on the basis of Lazarus' righteousness. I'm sure he was
a faithful man, a lover of Christ. Nor on account of his love for
the Lord. I'm sure that Lazarus loved the Lord. But they didn't
appeal to those things. They said, Lord, one whom you
love is sick. Come and help. The love of God
Make no mistake, the Lord does love His people, doesn't He?
Behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. The Lord does love His
people. We read in Revelation 1, He loved
us and washed us from our sin in His own blood. Behold what
manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us that we should
be called sons of God. We could spend the rest of the
morning just reading Scripture about the love of God. everlasting
love. He loved his own with an everlasting
love, therefore with everlasting kindness he does draw us unto
himself. The love of the Lord Jesus Christ
is sovereign love. Jacob have I loved, Esau have
I hated. The love of the Lord Jesus Christ
is saving love, isn't it? Here is love, not that we love
God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the sacrifice
for our sin. The love of the Lord Jesus Christ
is certainly keeping love, isn't it? Nothing can separate us from
the love of God which is in the Lord Jesus Christ. Believers
do love the Lord Jesus Christ, and the only reason we love Him
is because He first loved us. Isn't that so? But God who is rich in mercy
for his great love were with he loved us even when we were
dead in trespasses and in sin hath quickened us together with
the Lord Jesus Christ. Believers do love the Lord Jesus
Christ. John Newton said of this love,
to the Lord. We love the Lord not as we should.
We love the Lord Jesus Christ not like we would like to, not
as we will one day, but we do love Him. We do love Him. As Peter said in John 21, Lord
you know all things, you know, you know, I do love you. I do love you. Now look at verse
4 back in our text. We'll come back to verse 3 in
just a minute. When the Lord heard the news, it wasn't unexpected
news. He said, this sickness is not
unto death, but for the glory of God. Glory of God, that the
Son of God might be glorified. The Lord was waiting for the
news. He's the sovereign of the universe. Nothing happens without
His purpose being accomplished. He worketh all things after the
counsel of His own will. He doeth according to His will
in the army of heaven and among the heavens of this earth, and
none can stay His hand or say unto Him, Lord God Almighty,
what are You doing? The Lord knew that Lazarus was
sick, and the Lord knew that Lazarus would die. The Lord also
knew that He would raise him from the dead. You remember in
verse 11, our Lord said, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth, but
I go that I may wake him out of sleep, raise him from the
dead. You see, all things happen in this universe by the good
and sovereign providence of God, that the Father and the Son should
be rightly glorified. That's what it says in verse
4. The sickness is not unto final death or final destruction, but
for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified. You see, behind everything that
our great and glorious God does is His glory. You remember Romans
11? Of him, and through him, and
to him are all things to whom be glory, both now and forever. And then it says, amen. See, everything in creation,
everything in providence, And especially in salvation, all
work to the praise of the glory of His grace. To the glory of
the Father and the glory of the Son, their glory is inseparable. Saving faith gives all the glory
to God alone for all of salvation. Abraham was strong in faith,
giving glory to God, being fully persuaded all that God had promised,
he's able to perform. But of him are you in Christ
Jesus, who of God is made unto us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification,
and redemption, that, according as it is written, he that glorieth,
let him glory only in the Lord. God forbid that we should glory
save in the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. Look at verse 5
and 6, John 11, verse 5 and 6. Now, Jesus loved Martha, and
her sister Mary and Lazarus. And when he had heard, therefore,
that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place
where he was. Then after that he saith to his
disciples, Let us go into Jerusalem. Although the Lord loved Lazarus,
he loved this family, he loved being with them. He didn't immediately go either
to cure Lazarus. He delayed two days. He didn't
either go to cure Lazarus nor to comfort the sisters, but waited
until the time appointed of God. You see, the ways of God sometimes,
to us, they seem strange. I mean, I'm sure, don't you think,
that as Mary and Martha fully expected, as soon as the Lord
heard, He would come immediately? Two miles away? I mean, that's
not a very long trip. But yet the Lord waited, waited. We must not judge His love to
us and His care for us by outward circumstances. These trials are
for our good to prove and strengthen our faith and to glorify our
God and to accomplish His eternal purpose. Wait upon the Lord. Now, back to verse 3. Behold,
Lord, Behold, he whom thou lovest is
sick. He whom thou lovest. I'm sure
that Mary and Martha maybe were perplexed, maybe even astonished
that their brother, whom the Lord loved, believers aren't
supposed to get sick. That's what I've heard some people
say. If you had enough faith, you'd never get sick. Oh yeah?
Is that right? We love our brother, they might
say, and we make him well. We love him, we make him well.
But we're unable. Lord, you're able. You can make
him well with just a word. Just speak a word and Lazarus
will be healed. Maybe that's what they were expecting.
Remember the man that came to the Lord and said, my son is
sick? And the Lord said, well, I'll go see him. And this attorney
said, no, just speak a word, he'll be healed. The Lord could
have spoken a word. But he waited two days. Now,
my question, have you ever wondered why, and we all wonder this,
why some of the Lord's dear saints suffer so much when the wicked
seem to have no pains of death in their bands? David asked that
in Psalm 73. Those who hate God in the gospel
of the Lord Jesus Christ, sometimes they seem like they're getting
along with no problems. Blue skies and green lights.
Health and wealth. And yet some of the Lord's people,
some of His trophies of grace, suffer great affliction and pain. Now we should not be astonished
that believers do suffer pain and sickness. I'll give you four
reasons. I think this will help you. Four reasons. And these four reasons come from
an outline of a sermon that Charles Spurgeon preached. when he was
in Mentone, France, unable to preach the gospel in his own
pulpit, and he gathered a bunch of invalid people in this hospital
where he stood, where he stayed, and he preached a message of
which he said these four things to those who were invalid, those
who were sick, and himself being sick. And he used this text,
Behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. We shouldn't be astonished
at believers who suffer pain and sickness because we are at
best still sinners. That's it. Our flesh is still
sinful flesh, subject to the same necessities of life and
the infirmities of life as the ungodly. Men of God and people
of God, believers, are still men at best sinful. All flesh, remember that scripture,
all flesh is grass, frail. fallen grass. You see the covenant
of grace does not exempt believers from ills and evils of the flesh. The covenant of grace is not
made to keep us from getting cancer, heart disease, bodily
disease. Bodily sickness and disease will
follow us right to the grave. Count on it. As I get older I
see more and more the frailties of the flesh. You remember in
John 3, 6, that which is born of the flesh is flesh. That's all it ever will be. Sinful,
wicked, dying, corrupting flesh. The flesh profiteth nothing,
it's the spirit that quickeneth. In Romans 8, the Apostle Paul
who knew something about suffering said, we groan within ourselves
waiting for the redemption of our bodies. Turn over here to
2 Corinthians 11 this time. 2 Corinthians 11. And let's read a little bit about
the apostles' painfulness and sickness. Behold, he whom thou
lovest is sick. Look what it says in 2 Corinthians
11 verse 24. He said, Of the Jews five times
received I forty stripes, save one. Five times he was beaten
almost to death. Lord, you reckon he's wondering
when he's feeling those stripes coming down, Lord, do you love
me? I'm suffering here. You reckon that thought ever
crossed his mind? I'm sure it did. Thrice I was beaten with
rods. Once I was stoned. They drug
him out by the heels, by the heels, drug him out of the city
of Lystra. He was stoned, they thought,
to death. Some think he did die and God raised him up. Stoned. Lord, do you love me? Yeah, I
love you. Three times I suffered shipwreck,
and night and day have I been in the deep, in journeys often,
in perils, trouble of water, in danger of robbers, in dangers
of my own countrymen, the Jews hated him, in danger, perils
of the heathen, perils in the city, in the countryside, in
the wilderness, in the sea, among false brethren. Verse 27, in
weariness. Lord, do you love me? in painfulness,
in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fasting, in cold,
in nakedness. Lord, do you love me? He who
now lovest is sick. Here's a second reason we shouldn't
be surprised. when those whom the Lord loves
are afflicted. Reason number two, those whom
the Lord loves are more likely to suffer sickness because, or
endure many trials and difficulties because those whom the Lord loves,
those whom the Lord loves, He chastens. Boy, the Apostle Paul
really must have been an object of God's love. Those whom he
loves, he chastens. He disciplines, the Lord does,
not in anger, but out of fatherly love. One of the marks of a true-born
child of God is the trials that he sends our way, not to hurt
us, but to help us. Now let me turn, let's turn and
read that together. That's found in Hebrews chapter
12. Whom the Lord loveth, he chasteneth. You see, trials are
called precious trials. If need be. You see, trials are
needful for us. If you'll find Hebrews chapter
12, Luke verse 6. For when, for whom the Lord loveth,
he chasteneth. and scourgeth every son whom
he receiveth." If you endure chastening, God dealeth with
you with sons. For what son is he whom the Father
chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement,
wherefore are ye all partakers, then are you illegitimate, bastards,
and not sons, not true sons. So, you see, We should expect
frailties, sicknesses because of the frailties of the flesh. Because secondly, whom the Lord
loves, he sends these difficulties unto. And thirdly, the Lord sends
these trials of sickness or difficulty for our own personal benefit.
to make us aware how frail we really are, how dependent we
are upon His mercy, and to keep us humble before Him. Now, you
remember what the Apostle Paul said back here in, don't turn,
let me just read it to you again, 2 Corinthians 12, lest I should
be exalted above measure? What if we didn't have any trial
at all? What if we didn't have any heartache, any sickness,
any difficulty? You know what happened? We'd
get puffed up. We'd think, you know, we're just
a little bit better. Lest I should be exalted above
measure through the abundance of the revelation that was given
unto me a thorn in the flesh, lest I should be exalted above
measure. God sends these things in our
lives to humble us before His grace, His throne. Think about
this. If we had no sickness, no trials,
just blue skies, green lights, good health, had the world by
the tail on a downhill pole, prosperity of wealth, we would
soon be puffed up with what? Pride. Pride. Pride. Give me neither poverty nor riches. Let me rest in Christ. We would
be like the friends of Job, remember? Who mocked him for being sick.
Job, what have you done? Huh? Remember? They thought those
three friends of Job, whom he called physicians of no value,
they thought they were better off than Job. That's what they
thought. That's not what God said. God
said Job was a blessed man. He was really blessed. Not the
three friends of Job, but Job was blessed of God. Who said,
though the Lord slay me, I'll trust Him. Who said, the Lord
gives and the Lord takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord."
So these trials that the Lord sends our way, they're for our
good. I didn't say they'd feel good.
They're meant to hurt, to humble us before God, to make us depend
upon Him. Fourthly, and again this is the
fourth point that Charles Spurgeon makes to this crowd of sick people,
infirm people, at himself being sick. These trials and sickness
come in their lives, the lives of God's people, for the benefit
of others around us. That they might testify the Lord's
grace unto us. I want you to find Philippians
chapter 1. Philippians chapter 1. There was a young man who came
Let's see Brother Henry Mahan one time. This is back in about
1972, 73. His name was Raymond Gerhardt.
And he didn't know the gospel, although he said he was a preacher.
And Brother Henry gave him some good and wise counsel to come
and sit down and listen to the gospel and ask the Lord to reveal
the gospel to him. Well, after he came and listened
for several years, he was stricken with cancer. And he died. But before he died, he had this
testimony. The last time Brother Henry visited
with him in the hospital, he said, Brother Raymond, he said,
right now, he said, what is the verse that you hang on? What
is the verse that really helps you right now? And he said, without
doubt, Philippians 1, Verse 20, according to my earnest expectation
and my hope, that in nothing I shall be ashamed, but that
with all boldness as always, so now also Christ shall be magnified
in my body, whether it be by life or by death. Christ would
be magnified. For me to live is Christ, to
die is gain. You see, that believer gave testimony
to the grace of God. He was a great help, not only
to Brother Henry, but the whole congregation. Now, Brother Henry
preached his funeral, but he also preached a message from
this text. Two days after Raymond died,
Brother Henry brought a message from Philippians 1 verse 20,
and he titled the message, I Watched a Believer Die. Now, I would
encourage you to find a copy of that. It's number 68B. Number 68B. It's on Sermon Audio. And if you don't have a computer
and unable to listen to that message, I watched a believer
die. I'll be glad to make you a copy and give it to you. But it's a... Brother Raymond
was a blessing. You see, in his death, he gave
testimony to the grace of God. He gave, and it was a help to
others. I think of your dear husband,
Tom, how he was a testimony to the grace of God in his last
dying words. You see, God uses these things
to be a help for others, others. I remember, turn over here to
Psalm 119, let me show you, let me show you this and I'll tell
you another story. Many of you remember Brother Henry Mahan's
daughter, Becky Coffey. He turned to Psalm 119. Becky
Coffey was the same age as my wife. Matter of fact, they were
in second grade together when they were little girls. And at
the age of 43, Becky Coffey was given cancer and she died. She died. She died in 1995. And
if you have Psalm 119, look at verse 71. I remember Brother
Bob coughing. All of you know Brother Bob.
He's been here, visited with you, preached for you here before,
but this is, I remember Bob telling me this, and it helped me here. He said when Becky was dying
and in so much agony and pain and sickness and he was standing
by her bed trying to comfort her and he made this statement.
He said, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. And his wife rebuked
him. Becky rebuked him, said don't
be sorry. And here's the verse she quoted,
Psalm 119 verse 71. Verse 71, it's good for me that
I've been afflicted that I might learn thy statutes. I've never
forgot that. Don't apologize for God. Look
at verse 75. I know, O Lord, that thy judgments
are right and that thou in faithfulness hath afflicted me. Oh, I tell
you, for grace, for grace, for grace. Notice something else
here. Back to John chapter 11. Something else that Martha and
Mary did that was very wise. Very wise. Do you see it in verse
3? Very wise. They did something
very wise. They sent unto him. They told
the Lord. They told the Lord. They sent
word to the Lord. Now the Lord knew all about the
sickness of Lazarus. The Lord knows all about us.
But it gives the believer great relief to pour out our hearts
before Him. They went and told the Lord. That's what it says in Psalm
62. Pour out your heart before Him. He would have us do it. God is a refuge for us. We're
encouraged in Scripture, Hebrews 4, 16, He would have us come
boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, find
grace to help in time of need. I'll give you another good example
of that. When John the Baptist, when he was arrested, put in
prison, and then his head was taken off, The disciples of John,
it says in Matthew 14, 12, that they took up his body, headless,
and they went and buried the body of John. And you know what
they did? They went and told the Lord. That's a good thing for us to
do. To tell the Lord. Tell Him all
about it. Take your burdens to the Lord.
We sing that song, don't we? Take your burdens to the Lord
and Leave them there. Psalm 55 said, Cast thy burden
upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee. He'll never suffer thy
righteousness to be moved. Peter said, 1 Peter 5, Casting
all your care upon him, for he careth for you. The Lord has promised every believer
grace to help in time of need. He said, my grace is, what? Sufficient. That's why Paul said,
my grace is sufficient, the Lord said to him, for my strength
is made perfect in weakness, and Paul said, most gladly therefore
will I rather glory in my infirmities that the power of Christ may
rest upon me. The Lord has promised us grace
in time of trouble. Something else the Lord about
telling the Lord Jesus Christ. He's promised grace for the trial. And we're to tell the Lord Jesus
Christ and to seek mercy where mercy is found. The Lord may
give healing. He said you have not because
you ask not. There's nothing wrong with asking
the Lord to heal our sick bodies. Martha and Mary did. They sent
to the Lord. And He may heal. He may not. We pray to Him to forgive our
sins, don't we? We should also seek the Lord
to heal our bodies. There's nothing wrong to seeking
out the best doctor to help with your sickness. Nothing wrong
with that. The Lord uses those things. But we know that all
healings are of the Lord. There's nothing wrong with also
praying about these things and looking to the Lord for the answers. We're told to seek ye first the
kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be
added unto you. Our Lord said in Matthew 7, Ask, and it shall
be given to you. Seek, and you shall find. Knock,
and it shall be opened. For everyone that asketh receiveth,
and he that seeketh findeth. And to him that knocketh it shall
be opened. Ask. I want to ask. Lord have mercy,
Lord heal me. There's nothing wrong with asking
the Lord to heal our bodies. And there's nothing wrong with
asking others to pray for us in our time of need. We're encouraged
and instructed to do so. To pray for one another, love
one another. Lastly, let me give you this.
We must submit to the wise purpose of our Lord who does all things
well. The Lord delayed for two days
and Ladra died. Even though they sent word, even
though they asked the Lord, Ladra still died. We must not expect
that everyone we pray for should not die. We should not expect
that everyone we pray for should be healed. It may not be the
Lord's will. He taught us to pray, Thy will
be done. One more comforting thought and
I'll let you go. Lazarus did die. But that's not the end of
the story. Lazarus was raised up from the
dead. Lazarus was raised up from the
dead. Martha said unto him, the Lord
said in verse 23, John 11, thy brother shall rise again. Martha
said, I know that in the resurrection he shall rise again to the last
day. And the Lord said, I'm the resurrection and the life. He
that believeth in me, though he were dead, yes, shall he live,
and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never, no, never,
never die. You see, every believer who has
died, will be raised from the dead
to a glorious and eternal presence with the Lord. And there shall
we ever be with the Lord. Just as Lazarus died and the
Lord raised him from the dead, even so every believer will be
raised from the dead. When the Lord comes back with
a great shout, the voice of an archangel and the dead in Christ,
get up. What a day. You know what I often think of
when I drive by a cemetery? I think of that place over there
on 119, up on that hillside. Or down here on 23, that cemetery
is up on that hillside. What would that place look like
in a resurrection morning? It's going to be totally different,
isn't it? All those who were buried will
come forth, some to everlasting life, some to everlasting condemnation. You see, to the believer, death
is not punishment, it's promotion. He redeemed us body and soul.
We're going to have a new body. We take our loved ones, believers
who have died, and we bury away that body. Oh, they're not there,
they're with the Lord. And we read that scripture that
says we're sown in corruption, but we're going to be raised
in incorruption. Sown in dishonor, raised in glory. Sown in weakness,
raised in power. Thanks be unto God who has given
us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Behold, he whom
thou lovest.