Lazarus’ Living Lessons
Prairie Baptist Church – 1/17/10
A.M. Service
Text: John 11:1-44
Key verse: John 11:25 - Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.
Premise: Much more than raising Lazarus from the dead, He taught the living a lesson in the values of the Christian life and how God expects us to live.
The Introduction
Zig Ziglar tells the story of boy that went with his mother to the old general store. He liked to sneak away from his mother and when no one was looking he would dip his finger into the large barrel of molasses.
The storekeeper caught him doing this and decided to teach the boy a lesson. He picked up the boy by his britches and dunked him head first into the barrel of molasses and then set him out on the front porch of the store. But instead of crying the boy was out there praying, “God, give me the tongue to equal this opportunity.”
The most prominent verse in this portion of Scripture 11:25 - “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.
But there are other lessons that Jesus was teaching here through His friend Lazarus:
• He was teaching the disciples about deity and God’s glory
• He was teaching Mary and Martha about His compassion and capacity over death
• He was teaching the Jews about His authority and control over the forces of life and death
What can He teach us this morning?
There are three expectations of the Christian life that are revealed here in our text that bring us closer to understanding God and His work in us.
Body
1. Patience Disciplines Us To Wait On God’s Timing – 11:1-16
A. Have you ever watched a spider? The spider will spend many hours, days, in great effort spinning a web. As the spider spins the web, the key factor will become patience. Many hours after the web is completed, the spider waits and waits. The spider must be very still and quiet. The spider has a plan, but the plan can never develop without patience.
As the spider waits, one day the spider will feel the web moving, the food has come suddenly.
But there was nothing sudden about it. It was patience released.
B. God’s timing is never rushed but purposeful – 4
i. Lazarus death was not a permanent death, and would accomplish God’s greater glory
ii. He is patient in His reaching out to man with the gospel - 2nd Pet. 3:9 - The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.
iii. His plans are set and will take place in His way and time - Isaiah 55:11 - So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it.
C. God’s timing always teaches us about Himself – 9-10
i. He is the light giver
ii. He is the life giver
iii. He has taught many through Scripture about Himself:
a. He taught Abraham that He was the provider (the ram, the promised son)
b. He taught Paul that He was the grace giver
c. He taught Moses that He was the lawgiver and guide
d. He taught Job that He was absolutely sovereign
e. He was teaching the disciples that He had power over life and death
D. Patience in God’s timing produces greater faith – 15 – that you may believe
i. The disciples still had not reached a point of perfect vision in their faith
a. They thought Jesus spoke about Lazarus resting, instead of death (13)
b. They thought they would meet their death with Jesus in Bethany (16)
ii. James 1:3-4 - 3knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.
iii. Patience is highly valued as a Christian character because:
a. It is a sign of maturity (Jms. 1:4)
b. It indicates a Spirit-filled life (Gal. 5:22)
c. It is the only way to successfully run the race we call the Christian life (Heb. 12:1)
2. Priorities Direct Us To Focus On God’s Program – 11:17-37
A. A group of friends went deer hunting and paired off in twos for the day. That night one of the hunters returned alone, staggering under an eight-point buck.
"Where's Harry?" he was asked.
"Harry had a stroke of some kind. He's a couple of miles back up the trail."
"You left Harry laying there, and carried the deer back?"
"Well," said the hunter, "I figured no one was going to steal Harry." Bits & Pieces, March 3, 1994, p. 5.
B. Priority #1: God’s Glory – 25a – I am . . .
i. Giving God glory should be the first priority of our day
ii. 1st Cor. 10:31 - Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.
iii. We give God glory in:
a. Our words
b. Our motives
c. Our attitudes
d. Our obedience
iv. We can equally do damage to God’s glory in those same areas.
C. Priority #2: Life to the dead – 25-26
i. We are given spiritual life - Ephesians 2:1, 5 - 3And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, 5even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)
ii. We will be given immortal life in a glorified body – 1st Cor. 15:53-54 - 53For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54So when this corruptible has put on incorruption, and this mortal has put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”
D. Priority #3: Our faith
i. It is how we live - Romans 1:17 – For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “The just shall live by faith.”
ii. It is Jesus work from beginning to end - Heb. 12:2 – looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
iii. It should exist in abundance in our lives - James 2:5 - Listen, my beloved brethren: Has God not chosen the poor of this world to be rich (abundance or abundantly supplied) in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him?
3. Power Demonstrates To Us God’s Sovereignty – 11:38-44
A. A young boy traveling by airplane to visit his grandparents sat beside a man who happened to be a seminary professor. The boy was reading a Sunday school take-home paper when the professor thought he would have some fun with the lad. “Young man,” said the professor, “If you can tell me something God can do, I’ll give you a big, shiny apple.” The boy thought for a moment and then replied, “Mister, if you can tell me something God can’t do, I’ll give you a whole barrel of apples!” Today in the Word, April, 1989, p. 43
B. His rule is not subject to time or circumstance – 39
i. Not restricted by time - 2nd Pet. 3:8 – But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
ii. Time, for God, is nothing
a. He created and controls it (The sun standing still for Joshua [Josh. 10:13])
b. He plans the details of it to work for us in the right way
iii. Not restrained by circumstance - Jer. 32:17 - ‘Ah, Lord GOD! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for You.
a. Life’s twists and turns are no shock to God
b. God is not surprised or caught off guard
c. He knows your trials before you even have a clue
C. His control always points to Himself – 42
i. It is God doing what only God can do
ii. It draws us to praise Him and Him alone
D. His power is the only power that can liberate – 43-44
i. Augustine once remarked that if Jesus had not said Lazarus’ name all would have come out from the graves.
ii. It was the only thing that could free Lazarus from the grave
iii. It is the only power that can save – Romans 1:16 - For I am not ashamed of the gospel £of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.
Conclusion:
(Invitation to the unsaved)
Christian, how are you living?
Do you wait patiently for God to work in your life?
Are your priorities where they need to be?
Do you rely and anticipate God’s power in your life?
