We live in a world that is preoccupied with death
Lot’s of movies are all about death – chick flicks or shoot em up guy movies. It doesn’t matter. One of the main theme’s is death.
The more modern day movie that I really, really like, “Sixth Sense.” Anybody like Sixth Sense? Yeah, remember the twist, and there’s the little kid. What does he see? You remember what he said, “I see dead people.”
I’m like that little kid. So are you. Everywhere we go we see dead people – and they don’t know that they are dead! Everywhere I go, I see them. I go to the mall. I try not to, but sometimes I do have to go to the mall, and I see dead people there all over the place. I go to the gym, and I see dead people. I go into churches, and I see dead people.
Did you know that you can be dead while you live? Alive on the outside, but very, very dead on the inside.
You can be dead while you are alive. Paul writes to Timothy and says, 6 But the widow who lives for pleasure is dead even while she lives. - 1 Timothy 5:6
I see dead people, and so do you. We see dead people.
I see people who are just dead, because they are just existing, floating through life, hoping that one day it will get better, but it doesn’t seem to. I see dead people.
Alive on the outside, but dead on the inside.
As we talk about the story of Lazarus, he died. Maybe something on you, inside of you died, and God wants to bring it back to life.
Lazarus was sick
Now a man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair. 3 So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.”
John 11:1-3
Let’s put you in this story for a moment.
What you can see going on is, there are some loved ones who, right now, are in that moment of panic, where someone that they love is about to die, and they are saying, “Jesus, we’ve seen you do miracles before. We know that You can. We need some help, and we need it quickly. Things are not good. They are not looking like they are going to get better. We need you here! We need you here – Right now!”
But look at what Jesus did.
This sickness will not end in death
4 When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.”
Jesus’ response is not what the sisters expected – not at all what they expected. They were looking for a hasty trip to the side of this sick young man and a healing. But that is not what happened.
It is almost as if Jesus was saying, “Okay, things don’t look good on your timetable, but what you need to understand is that I’ve got divine strategy. This is part of a bigger plan. It’s going to be ok – trust me. And then he didn’t make any preparations to leave. In fact, he stayed for two more days. There is something going on behind the scenes, and when I am through with this, everyone is going to say, ‘What happened couldn’t have happened except for the hand of God. We’ve got to give God glory for that.’”
There may be those of you, right now, where you are facing some things and you are going, “Things are going the wrong way. I don’t understand it. I don’t know what’s going on,” and God may say, “This sickness in your life, or whatever it is, will not end in death. I’ve got divine strategy.”
It’s like the “Rocky” Movie
Remember “Rocky Number 43”? There is Rocky 44 coming out, by the way. This is the one where Rocky was fighting the giant Russian, and the Russian was just beating the tar out him, and Rocky came back over to the trainer.
The trainer was like, “What are you doing?” And Rocky was like, “Yo! I gotta strategy!” And, what he was doing was, he was taking some blows, and then toward the end, when no one expected, he was going to take down the enemy.
Right now, you may feel like you are taking some blows from the enemy, and when you as God for help you are getting nothing but maybe, maybe God is saying, “Hold on, I’ve got a divine strategy. This sickness, this situation, this challenge, this struggle you are engaged in is not going to end in death. In fact, when I am through, it is going to be undeniable that the hand of God has been involved, and everyone’s going to have to worship. This sickness will not end in death.”
Let me go back to the beginning and summarize this story. I’ll tell you what happened between verses five and verse sixteen. You can read all the details on your own time. Jesus heard that his good buddy, Lazarus, was dying, and then he actually did die. And so then, Jesus waited two days before He left to go on a journey to go see His loved ones. Two days he waited. Then, He said to His disciples, “Let’s go back to Judea, where Lazarus was.” And His disciples said, “Uh uh, Jesus, remember, last time You were in Judea, the Jews tried to kill You. You don’t want to go there. Here, good. There, bad.” And Jesus said, “No, you don’t understand. Our friend, Lazarus, has fallen asleep.” Now, what He meant was, “Lazarus has died.” And He said, “We are going to go there to wake him up.”
Now, they traveled there, and when then do, we are going to see three different characters in this story.
Now we see three responses to this. One response was from Thomas, one of the disciples.
If you are taking notes, it may not surprise you. Thomas was dead in his doubts. He was filled with negativity and despair.
There was also a response from each of the sisters, Mary and Martha.
Each of these responses demonstrate a trap – a death trap.
Death Traps – Dismay
16 Then Thomas (called Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.”
Remember Thomas? He was known for always what? Doubting! I relate people to the different characters in Winnie the Pooh. Thomas is a definite “Eeyore.” He always walked around with a black cloud over his head.
Now, I’m admittedly reading a little bit into this, but I think I am right, because in the context of this story, the disciples just said, “Let’s go back. No, let’s not go back to Judea, because they’ll kill you,” and it is very likely that Thomas, right here, was being incredibly sarcastic. Verse 16, “Then Thomas (called Didymus) said to the rest of the disciples, ‘Oh, okay, let’s go back also that we may die with him.’
In other words, things aren’t good, and they are probably going to get worse – so let’s go eat worms!
Thomas was afraid and filled with doubt. I imagine a man who lived life very tentatively. He had a pocket filled with band-aids – just in case something happened.
Just because He’s there, it doesn’t always feel like He’s there. Many of you right now, you may have prayed for something, and it seems like Heaven is silent. You are wondering, “God, I’m praying this way and nothing’s happening. Are You even there and real? And if You are, are You good? And if You are good and You are there, can You do something about it, and if You can, why aren’t You?
I don’t understand. Is it me? Is it You? What’s wrong with this picture? I don’t understand. – We’re all going to die!”
What in your life is filling you with fear? What has left you paralyzed and unable to make a decision for fear of making a mistake?
That’s Thomas. Then there is Mary…
Death Traps – Discouragement & Depression
20 When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.
Thomas was filled with Mary. If you are taking notes, her death trap was discouragement and depression. Some of you will be able to relate with this. Look at verse 20, check her out, “When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet Jesus, but” what did Mary do? She stayed at home. Can you just feel the depression? Not only did she stay home – she probably didn’t get out of bed. She was still in her night clothes way past noon. The laundry wasn’t done. The beds weren’t made. There was green fuzzy stuff on the food in the refrigerator and dirty dishes piled up in the sink. It ‘s like Mary was saying, “Well, why even bother? Nothing’s going to happen. There’s no use.”
Guess what? I see dead people all the time. They are dead in their discouragement – they are overwhelmed by depression and filled with a combination of self-pity and self-loathing. They struggle through each day as if wading through thick sticky mud and with a cement block hanging from each arm.
Death Traps – Discouragement & Depression
Discouragement is ingratitude for the blessings of yesterday, indifference to the opportunities of today, and insecurity regarding strength for tomorrow.
William Ward
SOURCE: Sermon Central: William Ward. Today in the Word, April, 1989, p. 18.
There’s a question I would like for you to answer yourself, and be very, very, very honest. Ask yourself, “What in your life discourages you?” Be really honest. What is pressing in and down on you?
Is it a lack of faith? Or maybe it’s your inability to master yourself. Maybe it’s that addictions control your life. Could it be that you are just really tired and weary of fighting the good fight? Could it be that you are tired of trying really hard and getting nothing back when people around you never seem to have to work hard and everything seems to go their way? Is it the constant pressure of worry, about your kids, about your bills, about your job, about your stuff?
On the outside it looks good – but inside you’re dying!
Thomas was driven by dismay. Mary was burdened with discouragement. Then there is Martha…
Death Traps – Despair
21 “Lord,” Martha said to Jesus, “if you had been here, my brother would not have died.
Many of you will be able to relate to Martha. She was consumed with despair. Her voice trembled with anger and anguish. Her fingers pointed to Jesus in a rebuke. Her words cast on Him all of the blame.
What was the problem? It was taking Jesus too long to get anything done, and she was the one to lay it on the line and let it be known.
Verse 17, “On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. How long was he dead? Four days. Lazarus was a dead man. I mean really dead.
We’re used to dead being not so dead. Remember the Princess Bride when Westley, the dread Pirate Roberts died – he wasn’t really dead. He was just sort of dead.
Then there is Jack Bauer, the hero of 24. When Jack Bauer on 24 dies, that’s just dead – because in a minute, somebody’s going to give him a shot, and he’s going to come back and start beating on someone again.
And how many times have people died in soap opera’s only to find out that they aren’t really dead – it was just a dream.
We’re used to people being dead but not really dead. But there is a dead that is really dead. I’m talking four days dead. Four days dead is dead, really dead.
At four days, the body is starting to smell a bit. It even says that in scripture. In fact, if you want read it in King James it says this “It stinketh.” Really! Sometime the King James Version really is the best version – it says things so very well.
‘Lord,’ Martha said to Jesus, ‘If you had been here, my brother would not have died. What took you so long?’ You could have been here in a day and a half. It took you four days. What were you thinking?”
Some of you may be able to relate. I know so many great and Godly people, who deeply desire to share their life in marriage with another Christ Follower. So, what do they do? They look pure. They pray. They seek God. The see someone cute walking into their church experience, and they name that person and claim them in Jesus’ name.
Then their best friend marries the person. Like, “Wait a minute. I’ve been doing everything right, and nothing’s working for me.” Despair.
Then, there are others who are married, and they are praying for their marriage to get better, and it’s not. Despair.
I know a ton of people who are praying for God to touch their physical bodies, or the bodies of someone that they love for healing. Nothing – Despair.
One of the saddest, there are so many people that you love someone very, very deeply, and your greatest prayer is that this person would come into a living relationship with the risen Christ. And the harder you pray, the farther they seem to become from God. What is going on here?
In 1864, one of America’s great poets, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, wrote the poem which became the well-known carol, I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.
When I first heard this song, I wondered, “Why does he suddenly shift from joy at hearing the Christmas bells into such deep despair?” It starts with:
I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men!
Then he says:
And in despair I bowed my head:
“There is no peace on earth,” I said,
“For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men!”
The question is clearly answered when we see two verses of the original that are not included in our hymn. In these verses Longfellow speaks of the horrors of the American Civil War that was tearing the country apart. In fact, his son had been seriously wounded in that conflict not long before he wrote the song. (The death of Longfellow’s wife two years earlier may have contributed to his mood too.) Listen to what they say:
Then from each black, accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound
The carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good will to men!
It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearthstones of a continent
And made forlorn
The households born
Of peace on earth, good will to men!
Little wonder he is tempted to despair. And yet he concludes with the resounding affirmation, "God is not dead, nor does he sleep!" Through the Savior whose birth the angels celebrated, God will accomplish what he has promised.
Our God is not about death Our God is about life
I want you to notice what is happening in verses 33-35. There are a lot of tears going on and Jesus was right in the middle of it. “When Jesus saw Martha weeping, and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.” Jesus was hurting as well.
God is the first to cry when you suffer.
“ ‘Where have you laid him?’ He asked. ‘Come and see, Lord,’ they replied.” Verse 35, what did Jesus do? What did Jesus do? “Jesus, Jesus wept. Jesus wept.” Think about that. Think about the irony of this.
Here is the Son of God, who was about to do what? Jesus was about to raise Lazarus from the dead. He knew at any moment He could do it, and yet, He wept. Why? Because that’s how much He feels and cares for His people. That’s how much.
He was weeping because He was hurting, and He was crying because His people were hurting.
Where is Jesus today? Scripture says, “He is high and exalted, sitting at the right hand of God, the Father, praying for you.” When you are hurting, and He is praying, He is also crying, holding you until the tears go away.
Some of you, you are in the season between the death and the power of the resurrection. You feel the despair and you carry the weight of depression in your very bones.
Never forget this, that God’s delays are not cause for despair. Joseph was in prison for two years, Moses wandering in the desert, Noah building a boat with no rain in sight, Paul made tents for years and years, waiting and waiting but God’s delays are not cause for despair – they are cause for patience and faith in our Lord.
Why did Jesus come? Why did He come? Why did He come?
He came so that you could live. That’s why that He came. He came so that you could live the God kind of life, not this fake, stupid, pathetic, exclusive pursuit of materialism and selfish gratification that we bought into in our mindset. Not that.
The God kind of life. The kind of life that is so real that you have joy on the inside when there is no human reason to have joy on the outside. That kind of life. The kind of life that I’ve seen so many times. You walk into a place where there is no reason why anyone should have any kind of peace, because there is too much crud all around, and yet, there is this peace from on high on the inside that goes beyond all of our human ability to even understand.
It’s a peace from God. It is this power of being connected. Do you realize that if you are a Christ Follower, the very same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead, that resurrection power is inside of you. Why did He come? So that you could live, really live. The God kind of life. Jesus’ mission statement, and arguably, the enemies’, John 10:10 in your notes, “The thief comes to,” do what? What does he come to do? “To steal, kill and destroy, but Jesus said,” “I have come that you may have life, I have come that you may have life, I have come that you may have life, and life to the full,” the God kind of life.
Jesus came so that you could have life. Because He came so that you could live, stop dressing like a dead man. Stop dressing like you belong in the tomb. Stop speaking like a dead man. Stop thinking like a dead man. Stop acting like a dead man. Stop hanging around dead people. Jesus came so that you could live. Stop dressing like a dead man. Stop that nonsense.
What did Jesus do? Watch what He did. He looked up to Heaven, and He prayed. Then He said, “Move the stone away from the tomb.” Verse 43, “Jesus called out in a loud voice, and said, ‘Lazarus, come out!’
The dead man came out, his hands and feet were wrapped with strips of linen, and cloth around his face, and Jesus said to them, ‘Take off the grave clothes and let him go.’
Take off anything that resembles death. Take it off. Take it off. Strip them off. Get rid of it. Get rid of those dead things.
“You were”, scripture says, “Dead in your transgressions and sin, but now you are alive in Christ.” Take off those negative thoughts.
Well, I’m never going to amount to anything
Ah, well, we’re always going to be miserable
Ah, we are always going to be in debt
Oh, God, yeah, He answers their prayers, but never mine
Ah, yeah, that’s okay for them, but I don’t know that kind of thing
Oh, well, so you overcame something. Well, I never will
you pray and God answers for you, but you know, then there’s me.
Stop that death thinking. Stop that death speaking.
Take it off.
The past is the past forgiven under the blood, cast into the sea of forgetfulness. God is here. God is real. God has resurrection power. He is available to you.
Stop acting like a dead man. Come out. Come out from the dead stuff. Come out! Is He real, or is it a joke? Do you believe, or are we playing church?
All things are possible with God. Dead for four days is not dead in God’s world. He can speak to dead things. In a moment, they can live. He can speak to dead things, and they can live. What’s dead on the inside of you? Let Him bring it back to life.
Your vision you once had to make a difference, and you are just stuck, let Him bring it back to life. Your hope to lead someone to Christ, you used to have it and now you don’t. Let Him bring it back to life. Your faith, your passion, let Him bring it back to life. He specializes in bringing dead things back to life. What in you is dead that He wants to live. I see dead people, but when God shows up, He makes dead things alive. Why did Jesus come? Jesus came so that you could really live.
What in your life is dead, or is dying?
