The Church of Eleven22 - Wk 3: Bridging Pain and Sorrow

Episode Date: August 25, 2019

Emotions are a gift from God given to us to navigate life. However, we are not ruled by emotions. We are ruled by Jesus.

Okay, so this is a bit unorthodox. I don't think I've ever done this before, but before you ever hear the sermon, if you're here at any of our locations right now, and you know that you need Jesus as your Savior, that you don't need self-help, but you need a Savior. If right now, for the very first time, maybe you're like Brad, maybe you are ready to surrender your life to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, whether you were in the depths of despair like he was,

or maybe things seemingly on the outside are okay, but you know deep down in here it's not okay. And maybe through his message in that video that you've realized for the very first time that Jesus is just that, that you want to know this God and that you in this moment are ready to surrender your life

to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Before we go any further in the service at all of our locations, I want to give you that opportunity right now. So if you'd bow your head and close your eyes, and if you would tell your eyes, say, you know what, that's me. I don't even have to hear the sermon, that through that man's testimony, I understand that Jesus Christ came on a rescue mission for me, that the God of heaven

stepped off of his throne and reached his hand down and picked me. And if in this moment right now, you were ready to say, yes, I surrender my life to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. If you're ready to admit it, you're not just a mistakeer that needs to try harder and make better decisions, but you're a sinner in need of a Savior. And if in this moment you believe, you believe, that when Christ stepped off of his throne, came to this earth, lived the perfect life, died on the cross, when he says it is finished that somehow that counted for you. And that in this moment right now, you were ready to confess him as Lord and Savior. Then like Brad did years ago, would you raise your hand?

Say, Father, here I am. I surrender my life to the Lordship of Jesus Christ. Amen and amen and amen. Our good and gracious heavenly, Father God, we love you more than anything. Lord, I thank you that you save. God, I thank you that by this we will overcome by the blood of the Lamb and our testimonies. God, I thank you for the testimony of my friend Brad. I thank you that you have rescued and redeemed him, that you have reconciled him unto yourself

and to God you have a future and a plan for him. And God, that is true for every single one of us who would believe. And God, I thank you that there is salvation in your house, even in this very moment right now. And God, I thank you that you have built a bridge from him. heaven to earth that you cross to come and rescue and redeem us. And we pray all of this in the good, strong name of Jesus Christ, our Lord, and all God's people said. Amen. Amen. Amen. Amen. Hey, if you got your Bibles, we're going to be in John chapter 11. And we're talking about, we're in this series on Bridges, obviously, I told you we would work that illustration to death. We would milk that metaphor for

everything it's made of. But today we're going to talk about the fact that Jesus bridges our pain and sorrow. And so there are three categories of people when it comes to pain and sorrow. You're either coming out of it, you're in the middle of it, or you're an hour closer to it than you were when you got out here. That's just a fact, all right? Selah. I mean, that's it. Meditate upon that, my friends.

It's just true. I will try to speak to all three groups. I am going to try to say some things to you that I wouldn't necessarily say if you are in the depths of despair and sitting in my office and had a tragedy in your life. But there are some things that I want to speak to in regards to that. And I think John Chapter 11 illustrates this, maybe better than any other passage in the scripture. We're going to get going.

We've got a bunch of verses, like 44 verses. All right. So based on how long it takes me to do a verse. three and a half hours and we'll wrap this puppy up verse one now a certain man was ill lazarus of bethany the village of maria mary and her sister martha now if you're if you've been around bible study you know these names mary and martha are the house that jesus went to and uh martha is a type a driven get it done high d dominant personality type she's like a CEO kind of person

Jesus shows up to her house and she is working working working working working working and we also know from Luke 10 that's where that account is that Mary is more introspective she's probably an introvert very contemplative and so Mary just sits at the feet of Jesus while Martha is working and working and working these are the sisters that this account is about

verse 2 it was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair. This is referring to Matthew chapter 26, John chapter 12, Mark 14, Luke chapter 7, that Mary has this deep, deep, deep appreciation for what Christ has done in her life, and she

worships at his feet. And so John wants us to know who these sisters are. So it's Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent to him saying, Lord, he whom you love is ill. for about three years this is how you pray you didn't have to say dear jesus it was like go get jesus

you understand this so for us this would be like prayer but for them jesus was in another village and so they sent for jesus now think about this if you were somewhere and somebody ran up to you and said well hey hey hey hey hey the one that you love is ill who would come to mind for most of us it would be our children. It doesn't say the one that loves you. It says the one that you love. So if you got teenagers, you see what I'm saying? And so Jesus knew who they were talking about, verse 4.

But when Jesus heard it, he says, this illness does not lead to death. Now, you need to underline this part. It is for the glory of God so that the son of God may be glorified through it. In other words, what Jesus is letting us know before we get into the details of the account. And just spoiler alert, in case you're new to Bible study, here's what's going to happen. Lazarus is going to die, and then Jesus is going to raise him from the death. Very important details, okay?

But Jesus looks at the circumstances, looks at these events, and he says, this illness does not lead to death. And I guess he meant ultimately, because it did for a minute, four days, actually. But these events are for the glory of God so that the circumstances. son of God may be glorified through it. In other words, what Jesus is saying, there is more here than you can see, and that the glory of God is more important than anything else on this planet. Paul will say it this way in Romans chapter 8, verse 28. He says that God works in all things for the good of those that love him and are called according to his purpose. And so if you are going

through it right now. Let me tell you that God does not waste a hurt. If you're going through it right now, just let me tell you that it's not meaningless, it's not accidental, it's not coincidental. I mean, whether it's cancer or criticism, that God is working on your behalf for a particular glory that will exemplify him and that you will experience one day when you are glorified with him and have the perspective that he has. Now I know if you're in the middle of it, it's hard like I know it hurts. And you may be asking, I don't understand.

Well, just try to ask yourself, but how in this moment could God possibly be glorified in this? In the death of somebody that you love. I can tell you, man, I have sat in the hospital room. I'm thinking right now of a man named Bob who was the father of the father of the... friend of mine. He started attending 1122.

Grew up staunched Catholic. There are some Catholics that love Jesus and there's some Catholics. It's just their Catholics. It's just true. There can be any denomination. There are Baptists that are just Baptist and there's a Baptist that love Jesus. You know how that goes, right? He starts hanging around 1122.

Goes on an encounter men's trip with us. Starts walking down this Jesus path. Gets cancer. He's sitting in the hospital room. And Bob says to me, I don't know, a month before he died, I'd rather have cancer in Jesus than no cancer and no Jesus. And I'm telling you, God is glorified in that. God is glorified when they watch a man of faith pass from this earth, from this life to the next.

And so I know sometimes we don't understand. The Bible says right now we see through a glass dimly. We do not have all the details. Jesus gives everybody perspective here. Verse 5. Now, Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. Now, he has the state this here because of the circumstances that are going to happen next. Now, we have an advantage over Martha and Mary and Lazarus.

And I know you say, are you sure? Because they were standing right there with Jesus. Well, here's why we have an advantage. Because we are on the other side of the resurrection. They had yet to experience the resurrection. Romans 5-8 says this, but God demonstrates his love for us in this, that while we were yet still sinners, Christ died for us.

Here's what this means. If you want to know how much God loves you, don't look at your circumstances. Look at the cross. If you want to know, the depth of God's love for you, don't focus on your circumstances, focus on your Savior. And you're like, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. How could he love me and I get cancer?

How could he love me and I still be single? How can he love me and I go through this pain and I lose my job? All of those things are temporary. And when Jesus sat on the cross, it is for eternal life. So he eternally loves us. John later in chapter 15, verse 13, would tell us this, greater love has no one than this that someone lay down his life for his friends. Don't look at your circumstances, look at the cross.

But here, John has to tell us, now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus because of what's going to happen next. Listen to this very carefully. Sometimes the most powerful message from Scripture, from some of the smallest words here. Now, Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus, so when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. Hold on. Don't you mean, but? I mean, that doesn't make more sense if he says, now Jesus love Martha and her sister Lazarus, but when he heard, that doesn't that make more sense,

but it doesn't say it says so. If this is the definition of love, my children love me extensively. I tell them to do something, and so they love me so much they don't do it, if that is Jesus' example. I mean, how can you love them and not show up? Now the way we ask this philosophically is if God is good and God is all powerful and God is loving

then why the bad things happen to good people. First of all, it's a very flawed egocentric kind of question. Who's good? You? There's only one good man. Very bad things happen here for God's glory and our joy. Essentially, we think we deserve good. And yet every single one of us by nature, and nurture are not just mistakers, we are rebels against the king, treasonous, and deserve the death penalty. The true question, like the Bible doesn't really deal with the, why do bad things happen to good people. The Bible really deals with the amazing grace that anything good happens to a bunch of bad people. And so, when you look at this, I'll give you three, let me answer the question.

Here's why bad things happen to good people. First of all, there's no good people, but I understand what you mean. You're theoretically inaccurate in your question. However, I will still give you an answer. There are three reasons for evil. One, the fallen world. That's it. Man, we live in a broken world. God created it right in right relationship with him. We sin. Our first parents, Adam and Eve sin. Sin enter the world. Fractures the whole thing. And we are not just offspring of them. We are glad participants in the rebellion. Every single one of us. And so the whole thing is broken. The good news, though, is Jesus came to undo all the things that have been cursed. So everything from weather systems to cells don't do what they were intended to do at time. So sometimes it's just because we live in a broken world. Sometimes evil things happen because you were evil and you did it to yourself. You're broke because you're greedy.

Now, I know nobody loves you to say that enough. you, but that is it. Okay? You have a heart issue because you over eight for 40 years. That's you, all right? You're divorced because you cheated. Sometimes it ain't the devil killing you. He doesn't even need to waste his time.

You are crushing it at killing your own self. It's just true. This is part of the reason why God gives you a church so that there are people in your life going, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, this is not the fallen world. This is you or an idiot, okay? this is why you need people in your other. And then sometimes people sin against you. They do.

When people ask these questions, I get it. Why did things like a terrorist attack happen? Because evil terrorist attack, these are human beings sinning against other human beings. So that's it. That is the answer. And yet, God is still in control of every single bit of it. that God can use sinful, corrupt human beings and systems.

I mean, the craziest thing of the world is God can use our very own sin as a part of his plan for salvation, not just of us, but everybody around us. Don't believe me, read Genesis 35 to 50 tonight. In that, you will find somebody falsely accused of rape. You will find domestic violence. You will find human trafficking. Do you think that's God's will? And yet, by the time you get to Genesis chapter 50,

Joseph says what you intended for evil, God intended for good. It doesn't say what you intended for evil, you kind of call God off guard, but he's pretty quick, so he worked it out for his good. That's not what it says. That's crazy, man. This is how sovereign our God is. That God could use a man's story in the lowest of lows of lows and redeem him and then use that for God's own glory.

He's still in charge. You see, that word so means therefore. God loved Martha and Mary and Lazarus. Therefore, when they pray, Jesus, will you help me? He said, nope. So if you read this thing the other way, you could read it this way, that Jesus did not answer Mary and Martha's legit request because of his love for them.

That the pain that we experience sometimes in the hand of the all-powerful God is because he would love us enough to have us walk through it for two reasons. He's going to give us two reasons in this passage. One, for his glory and two, so that us and others may believe or trust that he is a good, good father. I mean, I can remember when the first time, when we had our first kid, we didn't know what we were doing we had her sake here we didn't know either we didn't care as much you remember that and so we had to take our first one in for shots remember that we take that little little buddy in there

put him on the table and one of our deacons was our doctor and you you it's crazy right you know the pain they are about to experience and it's for their good and you can't even explain it to you can't be like all right buddy don't you trust me when this is over, okay? They're looking at you with his little chubby face and eyes like, I love you, Daddy. You know, you can't even say it, but it's just like, it's kind of breathing. It's just looking at me with my name, and then she's like, and he's like, you did this to me. Get it? We took Reagan in. We were prepared. We give her, this is the craziest thing. Boy, they stuck that needle in. She didn't even flinch. Gretchench. Gretchen's like, she's going to be one strong

woman. Maybe. Or she might be psycho. You understand what I'm sorry? saying? I mean, you don't even, I mean, she's 18. We might be saying, baby, we are so proud of you, or we might be in the front lawn talking to the news. Come home and turn yourself in. I don't know. You understand? That's not my notice. I've got to stop. Stop, stop, sorry. But in that, in that moment, right, you as a parent have a different perspective than your little, whatever, eight week old, three months, I don't know when you get a shot. So, all right, we're done with that stuff. However many-month-old baby. And you know, though it, though it hurts. This is for your good. This is for your good. That God still has the whole world in his

hands. So he loved them. So when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. Then, after this, he said to the disciples, let us go to Judea again. And the disciples said to him, Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you. This is John 10, I mean chapter 10 verse 31. Get it? That's like on this page, they're trying to kill him. And on this page, He's like, let's go back. And Jesus answered, are there not 12 hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles because the light is not in him.

To which I think the disciples are that? Are we even having the same conversation? What does that mean? I don't know what you're talking about. I just said, if we go there, people are going to throw rocks at us until we dead. He's like, do you not walk around in the day? Of course we do. what does they have to do with anything? We are confused. After saying these things, he said to them,

here's what he does. He has to bring this thing down to kind of the disciple level. Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him. You see, this is so important. Jesus is not surprised by the circumstances. No matter what has ever happened to you or what is going to happen to you or what is happening to you right now. Jesus has never been surprised. It's never been over his head. It's not above his pay grade. It's not out of his hands. Jesus does not sit up in heaven and go, what in the name of me is going on in Jacksonville? That has never happened one time. That he knows all of the details. He knows what's happening. He knows what's going on. And he is at work in that very thing for the good of those that love him and are called according to his purpose.

Here's how we say it around here. Help me out. If the tomb is empty, I was in Montana this week, suffering for Jesus, fly fishing. I've never done that before. I'm just thinking good at it. I'm just going to say that. All right, I didn't even know. Just out there. Like, whoa, oh, okay, it's fun. There was this guy. I'm a little group, man. We're introducing ourselves. There's people from all different places. he says hey tomorrow's my anniversary everybody's like yay he goes then we're separated right now I pulled him aside afterwards talk to him a little bit ask him a couple questions because I don't know man that's just what I do most people hear stuff like that I don't know this guy

he he heard me preach one time in Atlanta that's how close we are okay and he anytime a little extra emotion comes up I just dig in I just go right there and go hey man what's going on dude let's talk let's talk you know ask him a few questions I was like is there hope he goes there is for me I don't know about her. I mean, we're literally about to get in the boat. And I said, look at me. If the tomb is empty, anything is possible. I mean, these dudes walked up, and they saw Jesus dead a couple days before,

and now they go to the tomb, and they're expecting him to be dead. They brought the spices, right? That's why they showed up, and the stone is rolled away, and there is nobody in the tomb. And if he, if Jesus was dead and can come back to life, then for sure he can resurrect your marriage. If the tomb is empty, brother, anything is possible. And he's doing that, you know, we about to go fishing.

We're just standing out there. He's got the quiverly up going, you know. Brother, next morning we all got up early to like go to spend time with the Lord. And I walk by him and he's on the phone. And I just hear him say, hey, baby, if the tomb is empty, anything is possible. Right? That's just true. It's just true.

And so what Jesus says is though this is how it looks to everybody. our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep but I go to awakening and the disciples said to him Lord if he fall on the sleep he will recover so Jesus has to explain it you really think I meant like he's taking a nap in Bethany and I'm gonna go risk all of our lives to wake him up hey buddy get up all right let's head back no all right you dummies this is why if you have dumb Bible questions listen there are no dumb questions just dumb people does everybody understand that And the disciples' questions to Jesus should make you feel much better about your own discipleship in your disciple group. You understand?

There's nothing off limits. I don't understand. Okay. You could make a great disciple. Now, Jesus has spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest and sleep. And then Jesus told them plainly. Lazarus has died Now look at this next part

He's going to give us some why behind why he let this happen And for your sake I am glad that I was not there So that you may believe But let us go to him So Why would God allow Something like this? So far

In these few verses we have at least two reasons, to display his glory and that people may believe. So you may ask, all right, well, so you mean, can God use an even purpose tragedy and sin and sickness and death for his glory and for us to believe? And I would say exhibit A is the cross. Is that not sin? when people crucify an innocent man, when people stand out front and wag their finger at the author of life, that what looks like the most tragic event in human history because it is,

just think about it. If you're standing at the cross and you've been studying your Bible your whole life, I think in that moment you were asking, where are you, God, what are you doing? Have you lost control? What are you doing? they are crucifying the Messiah. Have you lost control?

And he's going, no, actually. Actually, it's through this suffering that salvation is made possible to everybody. So the moment you find yourself in an impossible situation, then you look to the God of the impossible that goes to the cross and bears the weight of all of our sin, and then three days later is resurrected from the grave. If the tomb is empty, anything is possible. And so Thomas called the twin,

said to his fellow disciples, let us also go, that we may die with him. Thomas actually knows what's going on. It's kind of confusing in the greet to know if the hymn is Lazarus or if the hymn is Jesus. And I think that's on purpose. That he understands what true discipleship is,

that we follow Jesus, even and especially to our own death. Verse 17. Now, when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been dead in the tomb for four days. Here's why this matters. There was this first century superstition that believed that it's the body that the spirit

kind of hovered over the body for about two days, maybe three days at most. And if there was a resuscitation that the spirit could reenter the body, but after the fourth day, you were not mostly dead, see the princess bride, that you were dead dead. So Jesus is giving everybody enough time to be sure that Lazarus, isn't some dead, and partly dead and mostly dead. He's all the way dead dead, for sure. And Bethany was near Jerusalem about two miles off. And many

of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. We'll come back to that. So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, remember Martha? Martha was the one that when Jesus showed up to her house, she cleaned, she cleaned, she cooked, she'd get stuff done.

She's a high D. She's probably an eight or a three on the eneagram. If you know that stuff. She's a get it done, fix it. I got stuff to do. Get out of my way. You were slowing me down. This is who she is. Anybody like that in the room? Anybody. Anybody like that? All right. Anybody just want to point at somebody you're married to that's like that. They just lied to us. All right. Thank you. So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she didn't wait. She went out and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. Notice how they react to pain very, very differently. We're not talking about right and wrong here.

We're just talking about different types of people. And what we're going to find here is that Jesus meets each of them very, very differently. He just meets them right where they are in the midst of their pain. And Martha said to Jesus, now I am reading, a little bit of speculation here. There's no way to read tone in the text. but I think I have enough evidence in all the scriptures to think that Martha is coming out essentially accusing Jesus. I don't think this was a whisper. I think she's loud.

I think she's animated. I think she's agitated. I don't think you run to where somebody is on their way to see you and then just kind of in a little whispery voice say this. I think she's loud, Lord. if you had been here, my brother would not have died, but even now I know that whatever you asked from God, God will give you. Let me ask you this.

What does your prayer life look like when you're in pain? What you're going to see here is Jesus never rebukes her. Jesus never says, how dare you tell me where I ought to be? That all he does, as she essentially is accusing him, a little loud with him, and still she's holding on hope. It's not too late, because you are the Son of God, right? So why don't you just fix this now? You screwed up.

I mean, you didn't ask for my prayer. You kind of screwed that up, but there's still a chance. You are the creator of all things. You are a miracle worker. I mean, you can bring my brother back, and it's not even like it would dim the lights of heaven, okay? This won't even be hard for you, so fix it. I would encourage you in your prayers, be honest.

Notice that Jesus will not rebuke her. And if you need some help and being honest in your prayer, why don't you read Psalm chapter 22. David prays, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me? And the spirit of God inspires him to pray that way. And then God says, yeah, that's good. Let's write that in the book. And we'll keep it there forever and ever.

You ever felt that way? You see, Jesus meets her right where she is. James chapter 4, verse 1, says this. What causes fights and quarrels among you? It's because you want something and you don't get it. It goes on to say that you have not because you ask not. It says that you want and you desire and you murder. And yet, when it comes to the things that you bring before God,

you have not because you ask not. I think what James is instructing us in is this, is that when you come to God, why don't you bring it to him with the same intensity that matches the emotion of the moment? Like when David cries out, my God, my God, why have you? you've forsaken me. Before Jesus ever prayed it on the cross, David is praying it about his circumstances. God is saying, hey, I'm a really big God. You're not going to offend me. I can handle it.

You ask me questions, no problem. I'm not going to be, I'm not going to shriek and be like, I don't know. He's just saying, bring it to me and she brings it. And look how Jesus responds. Jesus is going to respond with theological accuracy. And for whatever reason, this helps her a lot. It has a lot to with just how she is made up. Jesus said to her, your brother will rise again. And Martha said to him, she just got out of seminary, apparently, I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day. Now, let me warn you, Christians real quick.

Be careful, Christians. Jesus obviously knows what he's doing. You usually don't. I do this a lot. True doctrine in time of pain, though it is very, very important. You can't rightly love God without rightly thinking about God, no doubt. but true doctrine in a time of pain typically does very little to console the human heart

I mean it matters hope matters but it's not the end-all be-all of the situation you know what it is love is people ask me all this time okay I'm going to you know I got this family funeral thing and it ain't awesome and I'm going to be there what do I say you know what typically the only thing we remember when people say is when it was really dumb

isn't it true it's true the Bible says careless words stab like a sword wise words lead to healing healing is a slow process

a stabbing is instantaneous and I can't tell you the number of Christians that were theologically correct that say some of the most dumb things I've ever heard in my entire life why are you sad he's in heaven

shut up you idiot you understand you know you're going to see him again I might send you to see him right now stop I mean, seriously, okay, listen, when Christians die, they go to heaven. And if you're a Christian, you also go to heaven. And then one day, you will be reunited.

In the meantime, it's stinking sad, man. Look, if my son joined the Navy and he got on a boat and they were like, he's going to be gone for 10 years. Even though I would be assured that we would be reunited for 10 years, I'd be really, really sad that I don't get to interact with him and see him and the way that I normally do. So be careful with the theologically accurate answers. People ask me all this, they ask me all the time in moments of just bitter tragedy.

Why did this happen? And I just tell them, why don't we talk about that later? It matters a ton. It really does matter a ton. Let's talk about that later. Right now, I just need you to know. I love you. We're here with you, and God loves you.

You can rarely go wrong with this statement. I love you. That's it. Now Martha wants answers. Jesus says your brother will rise again. Martha says, I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day. But Jesus is talking about right now. And Jesus says to her, I am the resurrection in the life. You need to know about this.

In the book of John, Jesus seven times makes these I am statement. Seven is the number of completion. The name I am translated into Hebrew is Yahweh. the name of God. When Moses bumps into God at the burning bush and he says go tell Pharaoh let my people go and Moses said, who should I say? Sent me. And God answers him,

Yahweh. I am that I am. It is the translation. Actually, it's just four letters with no vowels and it's supposed to sound like breathing. Like breathe in, breathe out. Yahweh. That's what it's supposed to sound like. Meaning I am the ever present God. He doesn't say I was. He doesn't say

I'm going to be. I am. When you are eternally present, that means you are eternally right now. And I think it's going to matter a whole bunch in just a little bit. And so Jesus says, so she agrees, theologically, I know he will rise in the resurrection that is to come on the last day. And he looks in her and goes, it has come. It is right here. I am the resurrection in the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live.

And everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. And then he asked the most important question you will ever be asked. Do you believe this? Do you believe this? By the way, at my funeral, whoever's around, ask everybody that question. Tell everybody, Jesus is the resurrection and the life. And whoever believes in him has eternal life. Do you believe this?

Or are you just at church? Fundamentally different things. And look at her answer. He asked her very specifically, do you believe this? Do you trust this? Do you bestuo this? And she said to him, yes, Lord, I believe, I trust, I postoo, that you are the Christ, the son of God who was coming into the world. She understands that he is Lord and Christ, you cannot separate the two.

He is savior of her life and he is the king of her life. And at this point, somehow Martha is satisfied that Jesus is greater. than her circumstances. And we know this because she goes to get her sister. Next verse, when she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, the teacher's here, and he's calling for you. And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him.

Now Jesus had not yet coming to the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. And when the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise up and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. Okay, real quick, this is kind of an aside, but it's very important. When you are in times of pain, you have to war against isolation. It is one of the primary tools of the enemy. You think, because I'm in pain, I need to be alone.

And I'm telling you, we talk about this all the time. If you ever watch the animal planet, and there's a whole bunch of antelope in the herd, and there's that one little antelope, and I know it's in pain, and I know it's experienced tragedy, and its left leg don't work that good. And you see that one isolated. The Bible says the devil prowls around like a roaring lying seeking someone to devour. It always devours the one that's outside of the herd. And the church historically has been notorious for taking the beaten up, the broken, the people that most need the family and kicking them out to the edge.

And the enemy takes them off. You war against isolation. After all of our services this weekend, we have this disciple group thing. Just outside, you walk out there and there's disciple groups, and everybody's going, come on, they're not going to use these words, but they're saying, get in the hurt, get in here. And if you're like, well, I don't need it. Everything's going good. Okay, listen. One, maybe they don't know about you.

Maybe you need to be one of the get into herders, you know what I'm saying? Because you've got your life all together. Good job, all right? And maybe you need to, because since you're so strong and you're so mature, and you're so prideful, but hopefully you'll get over that. Maybe you need to be in the group saying, come on in here. I'll protect you from the enemy. And I'm telling you, man, Christian fellowship is like a retirement account.

If you wait until you need it to build it, you're screwed. That should be in the proverb somewhere, I believe, all right? So you war against isolation. So she gets up to go. It says, now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell. at his feet. Different personality. Not bad or not worse. It's different. She says to him, she's going to say the exact same words, but I believe it sounds very

different coming from her, Lord. I think there's tears. I think there's weeping. You don't fall on your face and shout, right? You fall on your face and tears. I think she's broken and she's desperate. Lord, if you'd just been here, my brother would not have died. You ever been there? I mean, I've been there this week. I've been there this week. this week in our church, death, suicide, miscarriage, divorce, diagnosis, this week. Two people that I know Jesus loves and has called and has saved and are working for his glory to push back darkness for his kingdom. And I'm talking about people this week in our church. death and suicide and miscarriage and divorce

and she is in a place of utter desperation if you then that's what she's saying what are you doing God what are you doing if you would just do what I ask everything would be different and I'm not asking bad stuff I'm asking that my brother would be healed I'm not asking for cash and prizes

I'm not just asking for promotions and for parking spots at the mall dumb stuff. I'm not asking for traveling mercies and little weak prayers. I'm not asking that the food nourish the body. That's just what it does. I'm asking like legit. Maybe you're there right now. I mean, honestly, they don't compare to death, but you're single and you just keep looking in the mirror saying, what's wrong with me, God? I just want to share my life at somebody. You just want a baby. I mean, you just want, you've been married, you've been trying, it ain't working, and it's just like, I don't understand.

Or when you listen to the sermons I do on marriage, that's what you want and that's what you've always wanted, but the person that vowed for better or worse has bailed. And you're begging God, if you would just change their heart, this could be different. Or that prodigal son, you raised them in church. You took it to VBS, you did all the right things and they are far from God. or you had this addiction and you just can't pray it away. Some idiot told you it's because your fate's not big enough. And you go, all right, Lord,

if you would just answer my prayer, this pain would be gone. You've been there? Now, I know it in most churches, you're not supposed to talk about that stuff. That's why you're here. Look, we all deal with it. We're either dealing with it, we've dealt with it, or we're about to deal with it. You understand?

Like it's coming. We have an enemy, and he wants to steal, kill, and destroy everything good and godly in your life. And there will be times where he is destroying what you think is God's gift of you, and you are begging, Lord, please help me. And it seems very, very silent. What do you do when God disappoint you? What do you do when he just won't behave? I know you're not supposed to talk like that. Let me refer you back to the Psalms.

God instructs us to talk that way. And so Mary falls on her face. Lord, if you've been there, my brother would not have died. And when Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews would come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved. That word in Greek means he grunt. It literally means he snorted. Like he grunted, he groaned.

You ever hear people cry? And they're just like wailing out of control. That's what that means. That he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. And he said, where have you laid him? And they said to him, Lord, come and see. And then the shortest verse in the Bible, Jesus wept. And so the Jews said, see how he loved him.

There's a lot here. Okay, real quick. Why is Jesus crying? I mean, he knows everything. He's already told the disciples before he's going. Dude's asleep, I'm going to wake him up. Come on, let's go. He knows how this is going to end.

He's at the tomb. How long you think it took? I don't know. 10 minutes, 15 minutes, 20 minutes? How long is it? 22 minutes. That's a good number around here. 22 minutes, Jesus is going to hang out.

He knows in 22 minutes, Lazarus is going to hop like a bunny out of the tomb. And yet in this minute, he is crying. Why? Some people will say it's because of his humanity. I get it. He is fully human, but I don't think this is it. I think because of who he said he is. He says, I am. Not just I was, and not I'm going to be, but I am eternally present with you. And so when you are in pain, I feel that pain with you right now, even though I know one day it's all going to work out for your good. I know it. And eternally speaking, I need you to know the difference between four days and four thousand years in regards to eternal. eternity is minuscule. There's no difference. There is no difference. The Bible tells us in Romans 12, 5 that God weeps with those who weep. The Bible tells us in Psalm 34 that God hears our cry. Here's a verse for you. Psalm 568. The Bible says, you have kept count of my tossings. Put my tears in your bottle. Are they not in your book? I don't even know what that means, but God,

God is collecting our tears in a bottle. He doesn't say stupid stuff like it's all going to work out. He puts his arm around you and he groans and weeps anytime his children are in pain. Why is Jesus crying? Because he is eternally present with you right now. Also, emotions are a gift from God to navigate this thing called life. Emotions are a gift.

from God. Ecclesiastes chapter 3. This is very important. I'll just read it. If you're like 10 years older than me, you'll start singing it. For everything, there is a season and a time for every matter under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die, a time to plant, a time to pluck up what is planted, a time to kill, a time to break down, a time to build up, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance. Here's what this is means when you face tragedy and you're sad, you should cry. Because when it's time to cry, you should cry. 26 years in ministry, here's what I've seen.

When it's time to cry, the people that don't cry aren't able to dance when it's time to dance. You see, emotions are a gift from God. They are a gift from God to navigate life. Then this next verse is super weird. There's a time to cast away stones and a time to gather stones together. Stones represent memories in the Old Testament. When something would happen, God would say, build an altar here. And people would take 12 stones usually to represent the 12 tribes of Israel.

And they would stack them up so that when the next generation came by and they'd be like, Dad, what happened here? And they'd be like, oh, let me tell you, that's where Jacob wrestled God. That's where we crossed over the Red Sea. That's where we crossed over the Jordan. Those represented, let me tell you of God's goodness. Let me, let's look back over our shoulder at the faithfulness of God in our past so that we can trust that he will be faithful in our future. But he also says there's time to take some stones and you throw them away.

Here's what this means. That there are some memories that you have and that by God's grace you take those things and you just throw them away. You throw them away. In fact, one of the reasons that I think is a really important thing to do a funeral of somebody, particularly when it didn't go good. Or when your granddad who was such a strong, strong man, sort of faded away in the hospital, A part of what you do is you choose to remember those best memories of those folks. And you take those not pleasant memories.

And by the power of God, man, you chunk those things out of here not to be remembered anymore. And it is a part of the healing process. And so if Jesus was man enough to cry, then when it's time to cry, then you cry. And then some said to him, could not he who opened the eyes of the blind also have kept this man from dying? See, we as humans always equate a lack of cooperation with a lack of love. Right? If this was true, no teenager would ever think their parents love them. Because I don't ever do anything my teenager says.

Can I do this? No, shut up. Do what I said. It's because I love you. And the reality is, is God always has a greater plan for His glory and our good. And then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. Now, we may miss this. I said multiple times, Jesus meets the sisters right where they are.

he also meets Lazarus right where he is. In the tomb. And it was a cave and the stone lay against it. And Jesus said, take away the stone. And Martha, the sister of the dead man said him, Lord, by this time, there will be an odor. I mean, let's be out. Men stink just normal. Take a man, don't shower for four days.

It's going to stink. You don't breathe for four days? It's going to stink real bad. You understand? He's been dead for four days. He is dead, dead, all the way dead. And Jesus said to her, did I not tell you that if you believe you would see the glory of God? On this side of the resurrection, we would say again, if the tomb is empty, then anything is possible.

And so they took away the stone and Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, Father, I thank you that you have heard me and I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around that they may believe that you sent me. You see, every miracle of Jesus, John calls it a sign. A sign is nothing in and of itself. A sign points to something greater. Every miracle in the book of John is a sign to pointing to something greater. What Jesus is going to show us is that he is the prototoko, the prototype of the dead,

and this is a picture of what will happen to every one of us who believe. He said, I am the resurrection, I am the life. Whoever believes in me will not die but live eternally. That Lazarus is going to die, and yet Jesus is going to raise him from the dead as a picture to what happens to every single one of us who believe. And when he said these things, he cried out in a loud voice. Lazarus, come out. Augustine says the reason he has to say, Lazarus, if he'd just say, come out.

Every dead person in there would have come out. It looked like thriller. Now, nobody ever interviews Lazarus. The Bible says to be separated from the body is to be present with the Lord. Jesus says on the cross, today you will be with me in paradise. Lazarus may be ticked. He'd be like, seriously, I've got to go back. I kind of like to hear better, present with you, Father.

And I got to be back to my stinky body. wrapped in linens, but that's just speculation. Verse 44, the man who died came out, and his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth, and I love this part. Jesus said, unbind him and let him go. The NIV says, take off his grave clothes. Why? Because he's alive.

Living people don't wear grave clothes. What Jesus is saying to him, look, you are a new creation. You got on dead man's clothes. They don't fit you anymore. By the way, church, that's what sanctification is. If you are alive in Christ, the reason that we should walk in a manner worthy of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the reason that we should take off all sin, all malice, all evil, all idolatry, all those things. It's not just because those are bad things.

It's not just because an addiction is a bad thing. It's because if you are in Christ, that stuff just don't fit you anymore. Why would you, as a living person, walk around with stinky dead man clothes on? And notice, he can't take him off himself. He needs some people to come around him. help take those dead man clothes off. This is the role of the church. That we are to help one another take off these dead man clothes.

Here's the point. Emotions are a gift from God, given to us to navigate life. No doubt, man. When it's time to cry, you cry. When it's time to laugh, you laugh. However, we are not ruled by emotion. We are ruled by Jesus. Jesus only cries that we know of two times in the Bible.

He cries right here with Lazarus. The next time we find him crying, he's crying. in the Garden of Gassimony, sweating drops of blood, saying, Father, if there be any other way, let this cup pass around me, not my will, but your will be done. And then Jesus, like Lazarus, he is put in a tomb and he is dead. And yet the Spirit of God resurrects Jesus, and he comes out of that tomb so that we don't ever have to do that. So let me ask you. Some of you are dead like Lazarus.

Spiritually speaking, you are dead. You do not know Jesus. That you have just been walking through this life, trying to manage it on your own. And spiritually, you are dead. And what you need to do maybe in this moment right now, you hear the voice of God somehow in here that you can't explain, but you can't deny.

And he's calling your name. And he's going, come on, step out of the grave, step in the life. Some of you need to surrender to Jesus. And there's some of you that are sad. you're in a place of desperation whether it's sickness or financial or relational or sometimes the worst one of all you don't even you can't even pin it on a circumstance you just wake up in the morning and down here in your soul man it just ain't right and you're like I don't know what's wrong and what you need to do is understand Jesus will meet you right where you are like Mary you need

to fall on your face before him and just let it out and weep and cry out to him and say, Lord, I need your help, and I promise you he will meet you where you are. And some of you are alive, but you have used pain as an excuse to put grave clothes back on. And it's time to take them off. So at the end of all of our services, we invite you to come and pray. When Jesus on the cross says, it is finished. The curtain was torn that separated the presence of God from the people of God. that God is the

galactic God of the universe and yet through Christ he's our heavenly father and so if there's pain in your life or maybe there's somebody that you need to pray on behalf of because there is pain in their life when we close our service in just a second everywhere we're all going to stand at all of our campuses

we're going to sing the same song and this is a time to come like Martha did like Mary did to come to Jesus at the altar and kneel before him fall on your face and say, I need your help. And cast your cares upon him because he cares for you. And some of you have been called to life. And you know, man, because of some pain in your life, you've used it as an excuse to put grave clothes back on.

And you need to come down here. And those, you need to bring somebody with you. So, hey me, I need a little help. I need a little accountability. I'm starting to slide into some stuff that a follower of Jesus shouldn't be slide into. A living person shouldn't be walking around in dead man closing. Here's some air. Would you come and pray for me so that I can walk like God has given me new life? And then every single one of us has the body of Christ that we would join our voices together. We're going to close

with one of my favorite songs because it communicates this thing that I love that we are not defined by our tomb. We are not defined by the grave. We are not defined by our grave clothes. We are not defined by our pain. We are not defined by our past. We are not defined by those things that the world wants to define us by that only Jesus gets to tell us who we are. And the whole church, we're going to declare, I am who you say I am. So would you please stand and pray with me as we respond? Our good and gracious Heavenly Father God, we love you more than anything. And Lord, I pray, I pray that even in this moment,