It’s Time to Get Up
John 11: 38-44 March 9, 2008
Illus: Over the years Readers Digest has published some really strange stuff from the lives of ordinary people…
One lady wrote in to tell about an interesting billboard she had seen in Texas… It read, “Stand up and be counted for the 2000 Census…” The sign was sponsored by the Rosewood Cemetery…
Another lady wrote in to tell an excuse given by one of her employees for being absent from work… He said, “I can’t come to work today because I’m having an autopsy… but I should be in tomorrow…”
Now I don’t know what kind of medical procedure the man was having, but I don’t think it was an autopsy… But if it was an autopsy, his name must have been Lazarus…
I know you’ve heard this Lazarus story many times before, but it’s a story that never grows old… Because it’s a story of New Life… It’s a story about a resurrection and that’s what resurrection is – It’s New Life…
Anytime we share this story together, it should bring us New Life, new hope, and new meaning… Because the story is not about Mary and Martha and Lazarus… It’s a story about us – and how Jesus can bring us New Life, new hope, and new meaning…
We all know the story! Jesus was close friends with Mary, Martha, and Lazarus… They had spent a lot of time together; they had shared many meals together… They were considered buddies…
Well Lazarus got sick, and it was evident that he wasn’t getting any better and that he was dying… So out of desperation, Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus that he should come quickly and heal Lazarus from his sickness…
Jesus loved Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, yet, when he received the message, the Bible tells us that Jesus stayed where he was for two days…
That one sentence would make a good sermon… God’s timetable is not our timetable… How many times have you prayed that Jesus would come and quickly rescue you from a situation? Yet, Jesus seemingly lingered somewhere far off and all you were left with was silence? That’s what faith is all about! It’s believing in God and God’s providence even during those times when God seems absent…
Well, Jesus lingered where he was, but then he said to his disciples, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, and I must go wake him up…”
Jesus may linger, but he hasn’t forgotten us… In this case, I think he lingered to prove a point…
On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days… And that’s a significant point… Because some Jews had a belief that a person’s soul would stay around the body for three days, but after three days the soul would depart from the body… The four days may have been a statement by Jesus that Lazarus really was dead… there was no life left in him…
We’re told that Mary and Martha meet Jesus, and they say, “If only you had been here earlier, you are too late, Lazarus is dead…” and they begin crying… And what did Jesus do? The Bible says, “Jesus wept!”
That’s the shortest verse in the Bible, but it’s also one of the most powerful verses in the Bible…
And then what did Jesus do? He goes out to the tomb and tells them to “Roll back the stone – open the grave,” and then with a loud command, he says, “Lazarus, come forth!” And amazingly, before their very eyes, Lazarus is resurrected from the grave… And he comes walking out still wrapped in his grave clothes and Jesus says to them, “Unbind him, and set him free…”
In this story, three lessons just jump out at us… Three lessons that will help you and me… The first lesson is that “JESUS WEPT WITH THOSE THAT HE LOVED – AND HE STILL DOES!”
Illus: I read a story about a young mister who was serving his first communion… He did fine until he got to the point where he said, “hear these words of comfort from the scripture…” His mind went blank…
He couldn’t think of any scripture to share and after a long pause, he blurted out, “Jesus wept!” And then he continued with communion…
He thought he had blown it… He was embarrassed… But after the service, one of his members said to him, “When you quoted that verse, ‘Jesus wept,’ that was so meaningful to me because it made me suddenly realize that… the Healer of our pain is also the feeler of our pain!”
That is so important for us to know! Not only is Jesus the healer of our pain, but he is the feeler of our pain… Jesus feels our pain… When we hurt, he hurts… When we’re sad, he’s sad… When we grieve, he grieves… When we cry, he cries with us…
We may feel like we suffer by ourselves, but we never suffer alone… When we suffer, Jesus suffers with us…
Illus: Many times, when I go visit a family after a death, I can’t help but to weep with the family… You might think that the pastor is supposed to be strong and in control, and not show his emotions… But sometimes, that’s all I can do – is to just weep with you… and I don’t apologize for my tears… Because when you hurt, I hurt, and when you weep, I weep with you…
And the truth is, in that situation, you probably won’t remember my prayer or what I had to say, but you will probably remember my tears… because they are tears of love…
Jesus wept with those he loved – and he still does… But secondly, we see in this story that JESUS RAISED PEOPLE UP – AND HE STILL DOES…
Illus: One of the hardest things for a preacher to do is a funeral for one of his members… We want to make it personal… I think it’s hard because as a pastor we try to follow the examples of Jesus… and as you look at the examples of Jesus in the New Testament, we realize that Jesus never officiated over a funeral... He didn’t do funerals – he only did resurrections…
And here in John 11, we see Jesus performing a resurrection and he said, “Lazarus, come forth!” Notice how personal Jesus made it… He called him by name…
One of the Bible commentaries that I read this week said that if Jesus hadn’t been specific about who he was calling to come forth that all the dead would have come forth on his command…
But Jesus was specific and he made it personal… He called “Lazarus” to rise and come forth… And Lazarus came forth from a dead man’s tomb…
I told you earlier, this story is not about Lazarus, it’s about you and me… What we need to see here is that Jesus is all about raising people up…
So if you listen close enough, you just might hear Jesus calling you this morning… He calls us by name and says, “IT’S TIME TO GET UP…”
Jesus has a resurrection for you! He wants to bring you out of that tomb (whatever it is) that is imprisoning you… He wants to set you free… Free from your bondage, free from your sin, free from your guilt, free from your grief, free from whatever it is that is holding you back…
He wants to set you free and he has the power to do it… If you will hear his call and respond in faith, he will raise you up and give you a new start, a new chance, a new life, a new hope, a new meaning… But we have to respond to his call…
Jesus raised people up and he still does… But lastly, we see in this story that JESUS INCLUDED OTHER PEOPLE IN PERFORMING HIS MIRACLES – AND HE STILL DOES…
Don’t miss this! Notice what happens when Lazarus comes out of the tomb… Jesus turned to his family and friends and says, “you Unbind him, and you set him free…”
Most of us don’t even stop to think about this… Jesus performed the miracle but he relied on others to take a part in it… Certainly Jesus could have taken the tomb clothes off of Lazarus and set him free himself, but he didn’t! He included other people in performing his miracles… and he still does…
Church, God is always counting on us to help Him do His work! Now I’m not going to spend the time to illustrate what it is that God’s calling you to do – because I don’t know what God is calling you to do… but God is calling all of us to do something… And whatever it is, if we’re not willing to do it, we’re not being faithful to God… we’re letting God down!
I want to encourage you this morning, whatever God is calling you to do, step out in faith and do it! Just do it!
You see, God is not going to call the wrong person… And whatever it is that God calls us to do, He’s going to give us the tools to do it… But he relies on us to have enough faith to rely on Him…
I think this is a sacred part of the service this morning because I feel like God is trying to get our attention… Church, He’s saying, “It’s time to get up – it’s time to trust me – it’s time for you to step out in faith and do what I’m asking you to do…”
Whatever it is that God is calling you to do, step out in faith and do it!
If Lazarus hadn’t obeyed Jesus, he would still be in the tomb… If his friends and family hadn’t obeyed Jesus, Lazarus would still be confined to his grave clothes, walking around like a mummy… But by the grace of God, the power of Jesus, and with the help of friends and loved ones, Lazarus was set free! God is calling us to do His work!
Jesus wept – and he still does… Jesus raises people up – and he still does… Jesus includes others in his miracles – and he still does…
This story is all about you and me… And this morning I intentionally don’t have a closing to my sermon… because I want you to finish the sermon for me…
Before I close in prayer, I want us to pause for a moment of silence to allow God to talk to you and you to talk to God… And ask God where you fit into this story and how He wants you to finish this sermon!
Maybe you’re the one weeping and you need to realize that Jesus weeps with you and wants to bring you comfort and healing…
Or, maybe you’re the one in the grave – you’ve lost hope, you’ve lost meaning, and everything is piling up on you. You feel like you’re six feet under and can’t get out… Friends, you can get out. You just need a hand to lift you up to a New Life, New Hope, and New Meaning… You need to reach out and take the hand of Jesus and let him lift you up…
Or, maybe God is calling you this morning to take a part in one of His miracles that He is performing… and He is calling you to step out in faith and trust Him…
The perfect ending to this sermon is how you respond to what God is saying…
Rev. Mike DuBose
Newhebron United Methodist Church
Newhebron, MS
www.newhebronumc.com
