CALLED AND COMMANDED LOOSED
John 11:30-44
Lazarus is now in the sweet rest. Although he is content, those who held him close are struggling to cope with the situation. God has given his survivors not emotional stability but vulnerability. The situation has grabbed them by the neck and left them dangling in their sandals.
The situation has caused despair, and they forgot that God could give them hope.
The situation has caused heartbreak, and the forgot that God could repair their shattered hearts.
The situation has caused sorrow, and they forgot God’s promise to never leave them.
The situation has caused frustration, and they forgot that God would work things out.
God has put them in this situation to show himself to them. I think I need to tell you that God will put you in a place of trial to show himself to you.
It wasn’t until Abraham was about t kill Isaac that God showed himself as Jehovah Jireh, the Lord our Provider.
It wasn’t until Moses needed a name to tell the people that God revealed himself as the I Am That, I Am.
It wasn’t until Joshua had cold feet about Jericho that God revealed himself as the Commander of the Lord’s Host.
Jesus decides it’s time to go to Bethany. This isn’t by accident. This was time.
Everything God does is timed. When you get ready, God has been ready.
The Disciples demonstrated this. When they made a decision to go on a mission when they weren’t properly prepared. They weren’t prepared to heal people’s hearts. They weren’t prepared to cast out devils. It wasn’t time.
The memory of Lazarus is tormenting Mary and Martha. No one can consul them. The longing for his tender, embrace can only be fulfilled by recollection. God has failed them. He has forgot.
Somebody has had troubled in their life and been on the brink of despair and he forgot.
Somebody has had heartbreaks to the point of giving up and he forgot.
Somebody has had had times when they felt like they couldn’t go another-further, and he forgot.
They are feeling the pains of isolation, but Jesus is on his way. I know it feels too late, but Jesus is on his way. I know it seems like he’s forgot, but he is on his way. He is going to get some glory out of this.
Oh, thank God – I can go through things for his glory. He wouldn’t have brought me to it if he couldn’t get any glory. He wouldn’t have brought me through it if he couldn’t get any glory. I wouldn’t have come through if he couldn’t get any glory.
“When he shall come to be glorified in his saints…”
“That the Name of our Lord Jesus Christ may be glorified in you…”
“Pray for us, that the word of the Lord may be glorified.”
“That God, in all things, may be glorified through Jesus Christ…”
Jesus arrives in Bethany. He is welcomed by the sorrowful cries of weeping sisters. He only finds complaints and no praise.
“Lord you should’ve been here.”
“Lord you could’ve changed it.”
“Lord you would’ve healed him, wouldn’t you?”
“Lord why didn’t you come earlier?”
Maybe that’s where we have strayed away in the church - there to be a time when the saints would praise their way out. They would be in the kitchen rattling pots and pans saying, “I love you to praise him, I love to praise his name!” They would be strutting through the house saying, “Real, real, Jesus is real to me.”
We live in a world now where some of us simply complain – but that’s a trick of the enemy. He wants you to major on the minors – he wants you to loose your focus – he wants you to cuss – he wants you to fuss.
Because he knows that praise is your secret weapon and it can make things happen.
Jesus is told everything. And he wants to see the tomb. The tomb was the location for the occasion. Jesus pays no attention to what has happened but focuses on what’s on the way to happening. This is interesting to me because God doesn’t care what happened in your past. He doesn’t care about you getting saved. He cares about what you do after you get saved.
He goes on t demand them to remove the stone. He doesn’t care about the odor. He doesn’t care about the stench. He doesn’t care about the smell.
They remove the stone. And while he watches, he begins to weep. He looks at their condition and weeps. He looks at their mentality and weeps. He looks at their hearts and weeps.
Maybe that’s where we fall short. We don’t care. We don’t weep for the hearts of the people anymore. We see hem dying and we don’t care. We see our daughters getting paid to show off their bodies and we don’t care. We see our sons deteriorating before our eyes and we don’t care. We see our communities going to hell in a hand basket and we don’t care.
We need to start crying out to God for our sons.
We need to start crying out to God for our daughters.
We need to start crying out to God for our communities.
Most of all, we better start crying out to God for their soul salvation.
Jesus sees them, still weeping and begins to pray. But he must lift himself up to get the glory out of this. And he begins to transform before their very eyes from the passive weeper to the powerful pray-er. And he says “Daddy, thank you for hearing me. I know you always hear me. But all of these people standing around needed to hear me say it to believe that you sent me. So Daddy, let’s make us some believers, o.k. Amen.”
And he leaned forward, looked into the cave, cleared his throat and cried “Lazarus, come forth.” Jesus called his name. Oh my brothers and sisters, he’ll call you by your name.
If he wants me.
He ain’t going to call Jim
He ain’t going to call Jack
He ain’t going to call Johnny
He’s going to call me
If he wants you
He ain’t going to call Sonya
He ain’t going to call Tonya
He ain’t going to call Ronda
He’s going to call you
He calls Lazarus, and the Bible says, “He that was dead came forth.” Oh… when the Lord speaks you got to move! He called the dead and the dead came forth.
What a mighty God we serve! Only God can speak into a dead situation and life spring forth!
Only God can speak into a dead situation and prosperity spring forth!
Only God can speak into a dead situation and success spring forth!
Only God can speak into a dead situation and joy spring forth!
Only God can speak into a dead situation and peace spring forth!
Only God can speak into a dead situation and love spring forth!
Only God can speak into a dead situation and hope spring forth!
But just as he was laid down wrapped in grave clothes, he came out in grave clothes.
He had been healed but he was still in grave clothes
He had been delivered but he was still in grave clothes
He had been set free but he was still in grave clothes
And then Jesus speaks again and says, “Loose him, and let him go.” Thank God he’ll command me out of my grave clothes.
Depression – Loose them and let them go
Recession – Loose them and let them go
Despair – Loose them and let them go
Heartbreak – Loose them and let them go
Trouble – Loose them and let them go
Sorrow – Loose them and let them go
Frustration – Loose them and let them go
I need to close here – when God has called you forth, when God has commanded you to be loose – you ought to him a praise.
I’m glad that God has called me and commanded me loosed.
I’m happy that God has called me and commanded me loosed.
I got joy in my heart because God has called me and commanded me loosed.
I’m going to tell the Lord thank you for calling me and commanding me loosed.
I want to serve him because he called me and commanded me loosed
I want to thank him because he called me and commanded me loosed
I want to praise him because he called me and commanded me loosed
I am free Praise the Lord I am Free
No longer bound no more chains holding me
My soul is resting
This is a blessing
Praise the Lord! Hallelujah! I am free!
He died that I might be free.
He got up out of the grave that I might be free.
Thank God! Hallelujah! I am free!
(Close)
