An elderly man ... who lived alone in Idaho ... wanted to till his sizable potato garden, ... but the ground was extremely hard ... and his son, ...who used to help him, ... was recently sent to jail.
The old man mentioned this ... in a letter to his son.
He wrote: ... "I'm not sure exactly what to do...... I'm just getting too old ... to be digging up a garden plot ... It looks like I won't be able to plant that garden this year after all."
A few days later, ... he received a short note from his son:
"Dad, for heaven's sake, ... don't dig up that garden ...that's where We buried the loot ... from the heist!"
Well, all correspondence ... is read by the authorities ... before being released.
So, at 4AM the next morning, ... a crew of police officers, ... arrived to dig up the stolen property.
After digging for hours, ... they gave up ... apologized to the old man ... and left.
A few days later ... the elderly gentleman received another letter from his son... "Dear Dad, ... under these circumstances, ... that's the best I can do,
You should now be able to plant your potatoes." (Pause)
Sometimes we are like the stubborn earth... A stubbornness that stands in the way .... of experiencing a fully transformed life ... in Christ Jesus.
Instead of trusting God ... Instead of taking his commandments and promises to heart ... (Touch Body) we let this flesh ... rule our life.
We allow our flesh ... to take control of our life.
We let the flesh ... harden the soil of ... our hearts.
We do not allow the garden of our soul ...to be tilled.
We remain a potential garden... a potential garden ... in need ... of being softened.
Softened by the one who is... the Way, the Truth, and the Life... To be tilled ... by the hand of Jesus
And Beloved ... a potential un-tilled garden ......will become hardened ...over time.
And today's Gospel text ... speaks to this.
Martha ... apparently bolder than Mary, ...goes out to meet Jesus, ... perhaps to have a private conversation.
Immediately ... Martha affirms her faith by saying ...... Jesus if you had been there, ......my brother would have been saved. (John 11:21)
Jesus said to her, ... Martha your brother will rise again. (John 11:23)
She responded... I know that he will rise again in the resurrection ... on the last day. (John 11:23)
Then Jesus shared these infamous words, BIBLE "I am the Resurrection and the life, ... whoever believes in Me, ... though he die, ... yet shall he live. And everyone who lives and believes in Me ... shall never die." END (John 11:25-26).
Jesus proclaims I am the Resurrection ... and the life. (John 11:25)
What did Jesus mean when he said these words?
I am the resurrection ... and the Life! (John 11:25)
Are they the same thing ... or are they different?
When Jesus said, .... "I am the resurrection and the life," ... He was clearly proclaiming ... that He is the source ... of both.
He is the Resurrection ... which means that those who believe in him ...will live ...even ... if they ...die.
This is the final resurrection ... the one that Martha spoke of.
Jesus was also making a statement concerning His nature.
His divine nature.
For Jesus, does more than give life; ... Jesus is life, ... and therefore ... death has no ultimate power ... over Him.
And Jesus ... confers this spiritual life ... on those who believe in Him, ...so that they too ...will share in His triumph ......over death (1 John 5:11-12).
Beloved ... Jesus is the Resurrection ... and Jesus is the Life
He offers life ... to everyone who believes in him... And what? ...... they will never die.
For all eternity ... They will Never die.
Beloved ... There is no resurrection ... apart from Christ, ... and there is no eternal life ... apart from Christ.
For He is both ... He alone ... is the Resurrection and He is the Life.
And After Jesus makes this statement ... he asks Martha this simple question, ... (Slow) "Do you believe this?"
And her response ... was that ... of well tilled soul, BIBLE "Lord I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world." END (John 11:27)
And within a mere number of verses, ... Jesus commanded those present at the Tomb of Lazarus to: ...... "Take away the stone". (John 11:39)
And with a loud voice he proclaims ... (Loud) "Lazarus come out!" (John 11:43)
Some theologians believe ... that if Jesus did not specifically name Lazarus ... that all the tombs ... in the area ... would have been emptied. (Pause)
Beloved ... Jesus is the Word ... the Word made flesh...The Word spoken of ... in the Scriptures.
The Word... that brought creation ... into being.
And he is the same Word ... that heals the sick ... and raises the dead.
He speaks these words outside the tomb ... and Lazarus ... who had begun to decay ... from 4 days in the tomb ...comes forth. (Pause)
Now...Jewish tradition at the time ...was that the corpse was laid on a linen sheet ... that was twice the length of the body, ... half the sheet was underneath ... and the other half ... on top.
The feet were also bound ... at the ankles.
The arms were tied to the body ... with linen strips ... and the face was bound ... with a separate cloth.
Lazarus could hop and shuffle at best ... as he left the tomb.
This story of Lazarus ... obviously foreshadows ...the resurrection of Jesus, ...but they are different.
For...Lazarus was called to a restoration ...of a mortal life.
Lazarus ... sadly would be called to face death ... yet once again.
Jesus was resurrected...... He conquered death ... He would rise ... to never face death ... again. (Pause)
How many of us ... need a restoration?
How many of us ... need the harden soil of our hearts ... to be tilled by God?
Beloved ... Jesus shares with us ... these words of comfort. Hear God's Word: BIBLE "Let not your heart be troubled, Trust in God, trust also in me." END (John 14:1)
We often only trust ... that which we can hear, ... that which we can see, ... that which we can touch.
Yet nothing here on this earth ... will last.
In fact, ... all things earthly ... are ... temporary.
Nothing on this earth ... is eternal.
(Touch Chest) This house of clay ... this physical body ... is temporary.
Do not seek ... that which is material.
That ... which is temporary.
Do not put your trust ...in that ...which is earthly.
Jesus also shared this glorious promise ... to those who call themselves followers of the Christ: ... "I will never leave you ...nor forsake you..." (Hebrews 13:5)
These are words of trust.
And he has assured us ... with this future promise... "I am going ... to prepare a place ... for you..." (John 14:2)
Beloved ... Earth is not our eternal Home.
When we leave this side of eternity ... when we leave this earth ... This island ... in the universe ... then ... then ... we will reach home.
Our citizenship ... is there.
Our name is ... written there.
Our Savior is ... there.
Our inheritance is ... there.
And our Lord is clear ... on how we obtain this inheritance of eternal life:
BIBLE "I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die will live ...... and everyone who lives ... and believes in me ... will never die." END (John 11:25-26)
Beloved do you believe this?
Are you experiencing the fullness ... of this resurrected ... life?
You should be ... and you can be!
If you desire fullness ... Then remove the stone that lies in front of the ... tomb.
The stone ... that holds in ... those things ... that are squelching your spirit.
Those things that are keeping you ...from a full life ... in Christ Jesus.
In our Gospel text, ... they heeded Jesus' command... and removed the stone ... from the tomb of ... death.
And that is what faith is about... Removing ... yielding ... every aspect of our life ... to allow Jesus to be Lord... Lord of all.
For In the midst of tears ... in the midst of sorrow, ... a disciple of Christ ... still trusts ... Still follows.
Faith does not mean ... That we will not feel pain, ...that we will not feel weakness... that we will not feel brokenness.
Faith does not even mean ... that we must fully understand.
Faith means ... that in spite of death... in spite of adversity ... In spite of tears ...that our trust remains in Jesus.
For he is the resurrection and He is ... the life...
Beloved ... God ...will raise up his followers on the last day, ......but he can also raise us up ... this day.
Do You yearn for a deeper relationship with the Lord?
Seek Jesus ... be honest with him.
Ask him ... to open up the gates of heaven .... and fill you to overflowing ... with a ...resurrection life.
A life ... that your soul ... longs for.
Christ came to set us free ... Free from the power of sin ... from the power of death.
He wants to set you free ......from every tomb that enslaves you.
He is the word made flesh ...that calls each of us ...to a ... resurrection life.
(Slow) We must move......To a mature life in Christ ... that proclaims ... not my will ... not my will ... but thy will ... be done.
(Ending One) Yet ... What about times ... when we feel ... far from God?
What about times ... when we recognize we have wandered after our own interests?
What about those whom we love ... that have drifted?
Now I'm going to use a very unflattering analogy ... but I am also going to speak very personally.
My wife Lee and I had a wonderful golden retriever ...... her name was Dakota.
She was a bright dog ... and every morning she would run down the driveway ... and pick up the Newspaper and bring it to me.
Every Morning I would call to her "Get the paper Dakota, Get the Paper".
That was truly wonderful ... especially in the winter.
But when we took her on walks, ... at least in the beginning, ... she was a lot to handle.
For a long time ... her leash would be held close, and we would teach her heal ... and to walk right by our side.
But as she got better at listening and coming when she was called ... we would begin to give her more and more leash.
We had a long retractable leash.
At times Dakota, ... would not even know that there was a leash attached to her collar.
She was absolutely free within the bounds of that 35-foot leash to explore whatever she wanted to explore.
Sometimes as were walking the neighborhood she would stroll in and out of the brambles and bushes.
Once in a while she would just stop ...... and give me ... the look ...... which meant ... I'm stuck ... get me out of here.
And I would carefully unwind her ... and help her escape the brambles and bushes she had gotten tangled in. (Pause)
Now Beloved ... I'm going to suggest that those of us who have been called by God; ... Justified by God, ... and who will be Glorified by God.
That in reality ... that is our picture too.
That we all have a leash.
And that the leash is in the hand of a loving Father.
And he gives us great latitude.
And sometimes we find ourselves very far from him.
We did not mean to get far from him.
We were exploring.
We were following perhaps ... our own interests.
Following something ... of curiosity.
And we may find ourselves ... drifting very far from God.
We may find ourselves tangled up ... and we do not know how to get out.
Yet the same God, ... the same God who found us when we were lost; ... still has us firmly in his grip.
And we can have assurance ... that He will not let go. (Pause)
Jesus is so very clear in in our Gospel Text: "I am the resurrection and the life; those who believes in me, though they die, yet shall they live, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die." (John 11:25-26)
Then Jesus goes on to ask "Do you believe this?"
May we answer ...... as Martha did.
"Yes, Lord; I believe."
Amen and Amen!
(Ending Two) Jesus has called us to roll the stone ... that covers the tombs ... in our life.
Can you hear his command ... Can you hear his voice ... "Remove the stone ... And come out!
Come out of the tomb ... And live a resurrection life.
Do not let your heart be ... harden ...do not let your heart be troubled.
Allow the Holy Spirit to till you ... to soften the soil ... of your heart.
Our gospel text in a way ... is a story about choice... a choice between... life and death.
Do you seek the tomb ... or do you seek the temple?
Jesus is so very clear in in our Gospel Text: "I am the resurrection and the life; those who believes in me, though they die, yet shall they live, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die." (John 11:25-26)
Then Jesus goes on to ask, ... "Do you believe this?"
May we answer ...... as Martha did.
"Yes, Lord; ... I believe."
Amen and Amen!
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