Buried Too Soon!
John 11:1-44
Do you have anyone in your life that you are praying for?
Is it someone that needs a major change?
· Are they lost?
· Are they an alcoholic?
· Are they just in need of a transformation?
And they are so bad off that you are praying for them night and day. You have them on every prayer list in every church in the southeast. Praying for a Change!
But there is a problem with some folks:
People get something on you and they basically believe that you will always be – who you always were.
· He is a druggie and always will be known for his drugs
· She is one that tells everything she knows and she will always be known as the town gossip.
· She was a bad mother and will always be considered a bad mother
· He is a trouble maker and will always be a trouble maker
To tell me that I could never change –
Then why are you praying for me if you’re not going to accept the change when it comes?
They watch you go down
They watch how you react while you are down
Then they make a decision about you
Some of you are still suffering from a decision that was made about you a long time ago:
(ex. Telling your child he/she is stupid
You are giving your child permission to be stupid.
You’re saying, “I expect nothing else from you.”
There is only one thing worse than all of this –
Some of you won’t pray for someone to recognize their ways and change. Because you don’t won’t to accept them when God makes them a new person.
They have hurt you too much
I may have to forgive them if they change
So I don’t want them to change – I am not praying for them!
We find in John 11 a sick family member:
Read John 11:1-4
So the need here is for someone that is sick. Lazarus is the one that is sick and now the family has been called in.
Mary and Martha do what we all do during this time, they call for Jesus. They begin to pray!
Why? Because when someone in your family is sick, it affects the entire family.
· Affects where you go
· Who you can go with
· What you can do
· How many times you call home
· Affects your sleeping habits
All because someone is sick and requires ATTENTION!
Many of you have lived with a sick Lazarus:
You can’t live with an alcoholic and not be affected
So we find Mary and Martha praying –
You have to understand there are things that happen in your life that you are not going to be able to handle.
Doctors can’t handle it
Mom/Dad can’t bail you out
You boss can’t help you…
You realize that I have to send for Jesus!
But we have become CHURCHIZED!
Acting as though this is the way we have always been.
We even have the nerve to sit back and not worship:
The music is not right –
Wrong tempo, words, and key
The preacher is not right –
Wrong message, too long, never preaches to me
The church is not right –
Too cold and they are always asking for money
They Sent for Jesus (verse 3)
· But Jesus didn’t do what they thought He was going to do or when they thought He was going to do it.
So reality has set in for the family. Something is going to happen.
· People in the community will find out
· Some will start talking about us
· Some might even stare at us
You can hide a headache:
But in your situation it could be that something else is embarrassing to your family.
· Son has just been arrested
· Teenage daughter has come up pregnant
· My wife of 25 years has left me
· My husband ran off with his co-worker
I am talking about that sickness that you can’t hide!
Something you have to understand:
Everyone has a line for you and when you cross that line they are through with you.
Even God has a line: Lazarus Died!
In that day due to the hot climate, the dead bodies decayed rapidly. So burials usually took place within a few hours after death. Acts 9:37 tell us they washed the bodies and then wrapped in cloth…
Might as well wrap:
Lazarus he’s dead He crossed the line – Wrap it!
My husband beats me He’s an alcoholic – Wrap it!
My marriage is gone She won’t change – Wrap it!
The church is not right It will never be the same
Might as well wrap up Lazarus:
He’s gone He’s dead He’s through
He’s finished Put him away!
Some of you have been put away:
That’s what people do to you when they don’t think you are coming back.
…he’ll never be the husband he once was
…she will never quit her drinking
…that church will never be the same now
v. 21 – Jesus shows up (verse 17)
Mary and Martha make a comment that many people cannot get over today.
“Lord, if you would have been here”
· My brother wouldn’t have died
· My marriage wouldn’t have ended
· My church wouldn’t have been hurt
“If you could have showed up on time”
And people don’t mind Jesus showing up, just as long as he shows up before they give up on you.
Once they have decided about you, they could care less that you are in church. The very ones that were praying for you to make a change will be upset because God did it a little too late.
v. 34 – Jesus deals with the family
Lazarus is buried so he can’t speak for himself, so Jesus does the talking for him.
Read verse 34
“Where have you laid him?”
What Jesus is saying to them?
“Take me back to the place where you gave up”
“Take me to the place where you quit believing”
“Take me to that spot where you quit praying”
“Take me back so I will know where to pick up.”
So they take him to the tomb of Lazarus.
Where do you need to take him?
v. 39 – Jesus starts making his move
When Jesus gets to the graveside, he begins to take charge and start doing what He came to do.
But the family stops Him!
Jesus ordered them to take away the stone –
(Martha says a profound statement that keeps you from getting to your place of victory)
“NO LORD, NOT NOW…BY NOW HE STINKETH”
· Not now Lord, I don’t want to forgive him
· Not now Lord, I don’t want to think about getting back with her
· Not now Lord, I can’t start loving him again, I just now got to where it doesn’t hurt anymore
· Not now Lord, I am done with them
Listen to Me:
I know there has been some terrible things happen in your life. I know this church has been through some trials and tribulations, and many of you have good reason to hurt.
But Remember: You were praying for God to change the situation, and now that God is working on it, don’t let the “stink” stop you.
· It is hard to trust someone who has let you down
· It is hard to give someone a 10th chance
· It is easy to sit back and wish that nothing ever happened
· It’s easier now that you have put a stone in front of it where you don’t have to look at it anymore.
But you have BURIED LAZARUS TOO SOON!
Jesus wants you to take him back to the spot where you gave up because He is about to start restoring:
Relationships Families Churches and Ministries
But before He can do the restoring, someone has to remove the stone from in front of the tomb.
I know it’s heavy … but you have to roll it!
I know you’ve been hurt … but you have to roll it!
I know you’ve been wounded … but you have to roll it!
As they rolled the stone away, Lazarus wasn’t free yet, but he could see a little daylight.
My home maybe a wreck but I see some daylight!
Closing:
Notice what Jesus did when they rolled the stone
1. He didn’t say anything about the “stink” –
There is a lot that God could throw up in our faces but He goes on and acts like He can’t even smell the stink.
2. He got Happy! (verse 41)
“…father I thank thee” You’ve got to learn how to thank God even when you are standing in middle of a grave yard surrounded by people who have given up on you.
3. He called Lazarus out by name (verse 43)
No doubt some doubters were present. Jesus could have just raised his hands and allowed Lazarus to come forth but he wanted to show people that it was the Son of God that was raising this dead man.
4. He said, “Loose Him and Let Him go” (verse 44)
1. You may have been the one doing the wrapping and giving up on people too soon. Jesus is telling you to “Loose them and let them go”.
2. If you are the one that is wrapped up in things that others have done or said, it’s time to take off the grave clothes…
For Lazarus to get out the grave clothes, he had to come to the one that was calling him out.
Would you also come to Jesus? He is calling you by name!
