Believe it or not.
John 11:21-27
Introduction
Last week I mentioned the term, “Cafeteria Christianity.” A religion where people walk into church and pick and choose what they believe may benefit them, rather than what will benefit the body of Christ.
I remember in Hawaii, a young couple coming into church, visiting for the first time. They were a happy family, two young children, secure jobs, secure future, and a secure home. As I talked with them I determined that, prior to their visit to our church, it seemed that they had sat down and had figured everything all out. They had a mental checklist of what they wanted in a church. They already prepared a list of what they thought the church should be offering them. And, if, at the end of their investigation, the church didn’t have all of those items, they would move on. I asked them plainly how many churches they had visited. They said they already been to 15 different churches.
Baptist, Southern Baptist, Independent Baptist, Assemblies of God, Word of Life…nothing fit the list.
That’s sad because, while they were so busy looking for things that would benefit them, they didn’t get to hear the message. It’s tragic because, while they were so busy checking off pre-requisites, they missed the fellowship with the people, they missed letting the Holy Spirit minister to them through others.
But, no, they had their checklist. Needless to say, they moved on, because we didn’t offer what they wanted. No church could. No church would.
1st Timothy 4:
1 The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. 2 Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron.
The last days are not looming any longer, they are here. The end times are not on the horizon any longer, we have entered into them and the question being asked is the same that has been asked for 2000 years, “Do you believe this?”
At Jacob’s well near the town of Sychar, in Samaria, Jesus ministered to a young woman who had had five husbands and He told her:
(John 4:26) …I who speak to you am he.
Jesus was referring to her previous statement about how the Christ, when He comes, will explain everything to her people. He said, simply,
"I who speak to you am he."
Here’s the information lady, what are you going to do with it? She promptly left her pots at the well and went back and brought others, so that they could put their faith in Jesus, like she did.
“Believe it or not”
That’s the title of today’s message. Believe it or not!
We’re looking at the scripture in John 11, verses 21 – 27.
21 "Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask." 23 Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again." 24 Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." 25 Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; 26 and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" 27 "Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world."
What’s His Relationship to You?
Martha makes a very distinct remark here. She doesn’t call Him Jesus, or Rabbi., she calls Him Lord. She calls Him master. She’s out in the front to meet Jesus.
Now, I want to call your attention to the reverse of what had happened earlier.
When Jesus had visited Martha and Mary before, over in Luke, chapter 10, Mary was the one that was sitting at Jesus’ feet and listening to His teaching.
38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" 41 "Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."
At that time, Mary chose to listen to Jesus, but now she chooses to stay home and not go out to meet Him. Is there any implication in the fact that she stayed home? I don’t think so. She was probably still overcome with grief at losing her brother. However, look at how far Martha has come. Look at how mature Martha has become. Before, she was doing something else and complaining about not getting any help. But
look at what she says in those verses.
She calls Him Lord. She calls Him the Christ. She calls Him the Son of God. Sure, she’s the outgoing sister, sometimes seeming a little bold, a little forward. But, she still has her priorities straight. He is Lord of her life. To her, He is everything?
How about you?
Is He Lord of your life? Have you turned your small and big situations over to Him? Have you submitted your life to Him, and made Him Lord of your life?
So many times people will call Him Savior, but they don’t turn everything over to Him. They will say that He has saved them from the utter-worst, but that’s as far as they go. They basically are saying, “I want to be saved from hell, but don’t interfere in my life.”
We can’t have one without the other. If you’re not willing to say Lord and Savior, then you’re not willing to grow as a Christian.
What’s Your Understanding of His Power?
In verse 22, Martha says,
22 But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.
Martha believed that Jesus could have healed Lazarus before he died. She believed, based on what she had previously seen in her own life, and in the life and ministry of Jesus that He could have kept Lazarus alive. She had seen the miracles of Jesus. She had seen various wonderful things being done.
So, she starts out seeming to be a little indignant, but, then, I think she softens her tone. “if you had been here…” she starts, then,
22 But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask.
I think when she began talking with Jesus she may not have fully believed what she said in verse 22. I think when she began talking with Jesus, she felt His look and His presence and at that time, it was revealed in her, like it was revealed in Peter when he said,
Matthew 16:16-17
16 Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." 17 Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven.
I believe that between verses 21 and 22, Martha was given an epiphany, a revelation that Jesus was able to do anything, that He is the Christ, the Son of God..
Do you believe that? Do you believe that He can save you from that bad habit, or that bad situation? Martha did and she voiced that belief. Have you voiced that belief? Have you exclaimed out loud that He is Lord and Savior of your life and that He is capable of doing what He says He will do?
What Has He Said to You?
In verse 23, Jesus says to Martha that her brother will rise again. She’s thinking that He’s meaning when we all get called home to heaven and we’re all at home with the Lord. But, Jesus reassures her that that is not what He means.
He tells her very plainly, without parable or allegory, that He is the resurrection and the life. He tells her that those that believe in Him will live and never die.
What has He said to you lately? What has He told you about your life, about your future, about your family, or about that relationship that you’re in? Have you been listening?
Martha listened.
Confess it….
She confessed out loud the most important thing that anyone could ever admit. What does she say? She says, “yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world.”
Have you said that out loud? Have you confessed to your heart? Have you confessed that to Him? Have you confessed that to the church?
The Bible says,
(Rom 10:9 NIV) That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
That’s an important thing in the life of a Christian. It’s an inward, upward and outward vocalization that Christ is the Lord and Savior of your life.
Summary:
Jesus is the Christ. He is the resurrection and the life. Do you know Him as your Lord and Savior?
