Jesus Does the Impossible

Greetings, welcome to the midweek service of beacon Baptist Church coming to you by means of video or camera or whatever were doing tonight were glad that we have this opportunity to meet together at a time when we cannot physically come together yet. I've been encouraged over the last couple of weeks with how many of you are joining us for these lifestream services are enjoying them responding to them giving us feedback regarding them telling other people about them and it really is a wonderful opportunity to invite friends, particularly those whose churches may not have disability to join us for our regular times which are Wednesday night at 7 o'clock Sunday morning at 930 and Sunday evening at 6 o'clock.

What a blessing to have this means of coming together around the things of God.

I want to begin by reading Psalm 91 he who dwells in the secret place of the most high shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord he is my refuge and my fortress, my God in him I will trust. Surely he shall deliver you from the snare of the Fowler and from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with his feathers, and under his wings you shall take refuge, his truth shall be your shield and buckler.

You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste it day a thousand may fall at your side and 10,000 at your right hand, but it shall not come near you only with your eyes shall you look and see the reward of the wicked because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, even the most high your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling. For he shall give his angels charge over you to keep you in all your ways in their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.

You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, the young lion of the serpent you show trample underfoot because he has set his love upon me, therefore I will deliver him. I will set him on high, because he has known my name, he shall call upon me and I will answer him. I will be with him in trouble.

I will deliver him and honor him with long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation. It has become evident to me as I'm sure it has to you that many people in the world around us are very very worried. In fact, I've come to understand that those who are not showing a great deal of panic are definitely the exception not the rule and therefore occurs to me that this a wonderful time to bear testimony for the Lord Jesus Christ even simply talking to people about what's going on and by your conversation, making it clear to them that you are not fearful because you are trusting God and you are confident that all of the things that are happening in our world around us are by his design and under his perfect control and therefore those who trust in him have no reason to be and that is a wonderful, wonderful testimony, as well as a help to those that are around you.

I would encourage you to look for opportunities to talk about the Lord.

During this time was good good to receive feedback from a lot of you brought a couple of cards to the fault with that have come in the mail. Most of the communications far more than these two cards I have come to us by way of email, or in some cases, telephone calls, but I didn't bring any emails from our members tonight, but this card. These two cards.

This one says no that you all are thought of in a special way today and wish to God's abundant blessings we miss you all and we pray for your good health and safety during these trying times. What a time of rejoicing.

We will have when this is over.

Signed Bernie and Lenny Braley members of our congregation and then this one which says sure miss being at church but thank you for the resources we have. I am still working pray that I can be the hands and feet of Jesus to the needy patients signed Nancy Verity so thank you Nancy and Lenny and Bernie as well as others that I could name that have communicated to us your well-being, your prayers, your desire to gather together as soon as we are able to do so and we are so thankful to know that now. If you have need. You need somebody to go to the grocery store to go to the pharmacy to help you out in this crisis and you don't have anybody available one of your member of our church. Call your deacon and if he is not able himself to help you. I'm sure he can Cadden get a hold of some resources someone else that will be able to help you. And if you can't get a hold of him and call the church office. We have people who have volunteered to help.

They want to help. They will be thrilled if you give them an opportunity to help you. So please let us help you if we possibly can know one additional word I and the other pastors have been tremendously encouraged by how many of you have made sure that your tithes and offerings have come to the church throughout the month of March.

That understandably was one of the current concerns of others. How are we going to sustain our ministry pay our bills keep things going.

We don't have a congregation and were not receiving offerings on the Lord's daily in the usual fashion and we have just been so encouraged by the many of you mailed your offerings to the church and some have even brought them by personally and in the case or to have called and asked someone to come and pick up your offering and bring it to the church and I can tell you that as a result of that some of you have given extra because you know that there are people who are slack on employment because of what's going on today and I can tell you that at the end of March we were able to pay all of her obligations. We have a good strong balance in our checking account. We did not make the transfers the budgeted transfers into savings that are members know about and I will try to explain that those who are not members but if you are a member you know what I'm talking about.

We decided to hold back on those, but otherwise we been able to take care of all of her obligations and we thank you for this demonstration of your love, your commitment, your concern, your desire to worship Christ in your giving as well as in other ways, and doing everything you can to keep things going and to keep things as normal as possible in these very very difficult days for those who would like to send them an offering our mailing address is PO Box 159, Alamance, NC 27201 beacon Baptist Church, PO Box 159 Alamance, NC 27201 I'm not going to give you some prayer requests.

We begin by asking you to pray for government official of the week.

This week is city of Methvin map and councilmember Tim Bradley and to pray for our military person of the week. From our own congregation who is Senior Airman Justin Marley at the US in the U.S. Air Force at Seymour Cir. in Lincoln, CA. Few of our members. This these are certainly not all of them continued up. Pray please for Angela Boyd in recovering from her recent transplant surgery and she because of her surgery has a very delicate immune socialist system at this time which puts her in greater danger for the coronavirus. Pray for her. Enter Guthrie likewise is having cancer treatments of that is also lowering her defenses and her immune system.

John Caleb Casale, eventually recovering from their recent automobile accident still are not completely well.

Our Pope COPD Lenny Braley also has COPD George Svensson is struggling with this lung cancer and with the treatments that he's having is also in a weakened condition were glad that Kirk Kramer in Indiana that we announced. I think last week was a relative of Stephen Lori Gagnon that he had the cove in 19 virus, but it turns out that he did not.

There was a false alarm. He does however have pneumonia needs to recover from that were praising the Lord that he does not have the coronavirus continue. Please pray for John Petrie is doing well were thankful to see the strength of his faith. Pray for Bob Rose who is continuing to decline gradually, pray for Terry Owen Smith, who is having had spinal surgery and is recovering from that at UNC in Chapel Hill undergoing physical therapy so far has not been able to stand or walk.

She had spinal surgery. Please pray for her. Pray for all of our missionaries, but especially Paul Snyder who was in the states for medical treatment and for Trevor Johnson who had to leave Papua, New Guinea and go to Malaysia for medical treatment. Please pray for Roberto who is a friend of missionary Tom Chapman in Chile who has contracted the coronavirus pray for Stewart law were rejoicing that his insurance company gave preliminary approval for his liver transplant and is now in the hospital getting all of the things tests that need to be run. The workup that needs to be done to be completely satisfied that he will be able to sustain such a serious operation and if these tests show that he is still a viable candidate for liver transplant surgery than we would expect him to have that at any time. We also did ask you to pray for Josh Boyd who has acute pancreatitis. He was in the hospital may still be in the hospital UNC hospital, but there was a possibility that he might go home today but he needs our prayer's. Those are the ones that I will mention at this time. Before I read communications from our missionaries, which is one of the things that we do on Wednesday night to keep our congregation up to date with the large family of missionaries. The privilege of supporting all across the world, but I like to read the words of the hymn, we can't sing together, we can consider the words of this hymn by John Newton very suitable for the crisis that were facing in America and around the world today and he writes no troubles. The sale and dangers of fright, though. Friends should all fail and foes all unite yet one thing secures us, whatever betide the Scripture assures us, the Lord will provide the birds without barn or storehouse are fed from them. Let us learn to trust for our bread his saints what is fitting shall never be denied. So long as it is written, the Lord will provide no strength of our own goodness we claim yet since we have known the Savior's great name in this our strong tower for safety. We hide Almighty. His power, the Lord will provide. It's about in a prayer of thanksgiving to God. Heavenly father are grateful we are that we know you, the God of the universe is our heavenly father having been brought into union with the Lord Jesus Christ by the work of your spirit, and by the operations of your grace. We are grateful Lord that we can bow before your throne and cast all of our care upon you, knowing that you care for us that we can trust our concerns our worries, our anxieties, our fears, our needs into your omnipotent, gracious and wise care and we can know that all things do work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to his purpose and so heavenly father we give you thanks thank you first of all, for salvation for giving your own son, the Lord Jesus Christ that sinners like ourselves might be cleansed from our sins and assured of life eternal beyond the grave.

We thank you father for sustaining and protecting us in these dangerous times we are amazed with all of the disease around us that, at least as of yesterday, there had only been nine diagnosed cases of coronavirus and Alamance County in six of those are already on the mend.

Father, we give you thanks. We don't know what tomorrow may hold and there may be many, many more. But considering the growing numbers all around us. We are astounded that our county seems to be so far only lightly touched with this disease. Father were also confident that if you and your wise design should bring a great influx flux of this disease into our own community that your children can trust in you safe and secure in knowing that you care for us and that nothing can take us out of this world until the time comes that you desire to call this into your present and when that time comes, nothing can keep us from entering into your presence. Glad to know these things were thankful father for this opportunity to praise you to tell you how much we adore you and worship you and love you because he first loved us. In Jesus name. I had a very delightful telephone conversation yesterday with David Cassels with his lot wife Isabella ministers in Chelmsford, England, and has preached here at our church. Many, many times over the years the first time going clear back to the mid-1980s. He is a very capable and powerful preacher of God's word is one of the things that we talked about yesterday was the possibility of his coming again North Carolina and preaching to us again and that is certainly something that he would desire to do and will see when and how we can work out those circumstances, but he tells me that he's in good health. He tells me that he's continuing in the work of the church there in Chelmsford. He had good things to report and is praising the Lord he wanted to be.

Remember to our congregation, so I pass that word along to you at this time I mention this in regard to Stewart law. The email I have in my hand, came on March 18 and therefore in this day of rapidly changing circumstances is already out of date. To some degree, but this tells us at this time, he was still trying to get approval from the insurance company and now of course that's taken place.

But he tells us that the coronavirus is now invaded Africa south Africa Zimbabwe is concerned about his family that are in Zimbabwe and the pastors that he that he supervises on.

If that's the right word or not the pet the pastors that he leads to look to him for leadership that are pastoring churches in Zimbabwe the needs they are very great because there are so few medical facilities and medical resources in that country. There situation from a medical standpoint is far more per precarious than ours and that on top of the other difficulties they have there in famine in that land is when many of you know, so please as you pray, don't forget to pray for our brother Stewart water Johannesburg as he awaits surgery.

Don't forget to pray for the believers and pastors in Zimbabwe. Now all of the missionary communications I brought tonight make reference to the coronavirus and I just bring these and I'm going to touch on them lightly, and I can read any of these letters in their entirety. But we know that this virus is not contained in any one country. It's all around the world, but sometimes that's what should I say is a bit distant until it starts touching people we know, so this will remind you how this is impacting the work of the gospel of this is a letter from Armando Orsini in Rome, Italy, who says over the last few months.

An invisible enemy has been tacking our world a tiny little virus threatening to infect and devastate mankind. As you may know the most affected Italian region is Lombardi city such as Bert Gamel Mark Malan Comeau bones, etc. which presently reports 22,000 people infected in here the region of Rome. We have approximately 1000 infected know this letter was written March 21. From what I see on television. I think the numbers would be much higher than that now all over our country. It is strictly prohibited to leave our houses, other than for absolute necessary needs. All of our world is panicking, perhaps a measure of fear has also overtaken some believers extreme reactions can be seen in the hyper alarmism of some as well is the hyper spiritualism of others is for ourselves, while abiding by the directions given by our government to stay home and momentarily suspend short church services. We are at rest knowing that we belong to our God and father Lord of all the universe is for a nation we persevere in prayer, pleading with God to intervene in the hearts of our fellow citizens. This epidemic is a most clear demonstration of man's inability to control and rule anything of his own life. The fact that microscopic organisms is more than sufficient to make men tremble and collapse proves that he is but dust and ashes. We pray that Italian people may repent and know God. Indeed, we pray the same for our own nation united states of America. Here's a letter from Anthony Vallas in his family in the Czech Republic. This one received on Monday, March 23.

The whole world is watching the development and spread of covert, 19, and its effect on countries. As you know, Europe is now become the epicenter of the virus. By the way, the Czech Republic is, I think. I think the border actually touches Italy Italy in the northern part of Italy's very close.

The numbers of second the Czech Republic are on the rise, and the government has close the borders and imposed routine on the whole country schools have been shut down for weeks and are not planning to reopen until early June.

We pretty much stay at home or in the yard. As many of you probably have to do as well.

Some towns nearby are completely shut off from the rest of the in our missionary contacts.

There is a silver lining is churches started to stream their services. We get to see many of our friends and supporting churches online. Please include us in your prayers as we together, petitioner, sovereign God of the situation may use this calamity to further his kingdom.

He is above all and even the smallest virus submits to his divine will.

We believe that that is the truth.

Here's one from the Bixby's and France dear friends in the fourth chapter of the book of Daniel were told how God humbled Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, under whose long and eventful reign.

The Empire attained its peak. Even he was brought to his knees quite literally and had to acknowledge his utter inability apart from the gracious hand of the one true God, because from Daniel for the words of Nebuchadnezzar. I blessed the most high and praised and honored him who lives forever for his dominion is an everlasting dominion in his kingdom endures from generation to generation.

All the inhabitants of the earth or account is nothing, and he does according to his will among the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth, and none can stay his hand or say to him what have done in the letter goes on and explains many ways that the coronavirus is affecting their ministry, including the fact that to pastors of sister churches have come down with the coronavirus that's in France here's a letter from David Chaplin in Suriname, South America.

He says March 14 the Surinam government closed the school's we've turned to online classes in order to keep the kids from losing the school year and other schools as far as we know they are taking an early vacation Surinam schools run from the first week of October to mid August they usually receive a three week spring break so our government is simply giving them their free days early plus one week on April 14, the government will have to make a further decision.

David has been arranging money scouting stores limits and has been learning a whole new way of teaching not one that I favor not having the students in schools actually causing the teachers more work and longer hours than a normal day and I know this by personal conversation with a number of teachers to prepare lessons to teach online that you haven't been teaching online and are not originally prepared that way takes a great deal of additional work and this is happening all over the world, not just here, the United States of America.

That's in Surinam. I have another letter here from David Vaughn. Also in Francie's in the south of France.

I don't think I'm read very much of this, but I will summarize part of it because he was actually in Africa and the Ivory Coast. He and another man doing pastoral training and he had to cut that short and come home because of the coronavirus. They were only able to complete today's and then his wife called and said the French president Mark Crone had announced that French residents traveling abroad had 48 hours to get back into France or they would be blocked outside of France for 1 to 2 months, so he had to scramble and come home. Hated to interrupt the training but this crisis made that necessary and so that's the way his work was affected as well as what's going on in France itself, and then I finally have one more and that is from Larry Bunyan at the Blackfeet Indian Reservation in Montana. He says these are interesting times. I would never guess that the fear of virus would lead to certain grocery store aisles being perpetually empty. It is not the virus itself, but the fear of the virus. The numbers change daily to date.

Not sure when this letter was written there are about 100 known cases of covert, 19 in Montana out of 1 million people spread out over hundred and 47 square thousand square miles of territory. Some of them practice social distancing every day of their lives. They they don't live that close together, but at any rate. Nevertheless, he says every K-12 school in the state is closed.

Colleges have ended the semester. Several Montana urban areas of band eating out in restaurants virtually every civic gathering in the area has been canceled or postponed by executive orders from the governor so his situation is not that much different from ours. Even though he's in a Western state. Fewer cases of coronavirus and a much more spread out population, but it's affecting everybody.

And though in many ways this would seem to be a great interruption to the normal work of the gospel. It is a great interruption to the normal work of the gospel. I think we should view it as a potential advancement for the gospel because people are so worried and are willing to listen and to search in a way that many times under normal circumstances, they are not.

So again, I would encourage us. Our church you who are the church to look for those opportunities to talk to people about the Lord Jesus Christ at this time and now I'm opening my Bible to John chapter 11 will recognize that is a very familiar passage of Scripture.

It is the account of Christ, raising Lazarus from the dead, and I think this passage has something important to teach us during these days of Corona will think about some of the parallels and realize what this portion of God's word reveals about our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is no question that we are facing a very difficult situation in America, there's no question that the friends of Jesus were facing a very difficult situation in John chapter 11. The situations are different, but there are many things about them that are parallel what is our response to what's going on in America today for most people it is fear.

It is panic. It is despair, I had my annual physical checkup. Yes today. No day before yesterday at day. Went to my doctor that all the draw my blood the week before and had all of the bloodwork results, they are almost 3 pages of all of these results, they did the EKG, they did the x-ray.

They did that other things that they normally do and I can report to you by the goodness and grace of God that the doctor pronounced me once again an excellent physical condition. I'd explain that, except by the grace of God. Those of you know my history know how amazing that in itself is but anyone to talk about Corona and was very clear to me that the doctor himself was very worried about it and he reported that virtually everybody that came into his office was very about it and even though in his practice.

They have not had one case of coronavirus yet they tested several of all proved to be negative. Not one fact I read online yesterday. Did I tell you that an element scouting. We've only had nine cases. I think I told you that in six of them are already getting better though we may have a very different figure tomorrow, but in spite of the fact that there are virtually well. I started to say virtually know that there's just a handful less as of yesterday less than the fingers on my two hands of people in Alamance County who have come down with coronavirus and only three of those who are currently being treated because the others have already passed the crisis and are either considered considered well or well on the way to do being mended and well but nevertheless people are worried they are panicking is all kinds of reasons to panic at their people are losing their jobs.

That's a reason for concern for fear the people are concerned about getting a virus getting sick and dying people who are little bit further along in life, or perhaps our are already retired or looking at their retirement portfolios that have taken a beating like that. We haven't seen in decades. Just in over a matter of a few days just to see entire investment portfolio folios come crashing crashing down yes were facing a very difficult situation, but for those who know the Lord Jesus Christ and truly know him and believe his word. There's no reason for panic. There's no reason for fear there's no reason for despair because as we learned in John chapter 11 Jesus our Savior is able to do the impossible call of the impossible. What he did in John chapter 11 was raised Lazarus from the dead to him that was not impossible, but it was to everybody else until he did it and even then they were absolutely amazed how this is a rather lengthy portions are knocking to read much of it going to assume that you are familiar with the passage of that I can just pick out a few verses as I go along, but though it is lengthy, it is familiar and it is instructive. What I do. I want you to see in John chapter 11.

I want us to see.

First of all that Jesus encounters an impossible situation. That's verses one through 16, number two, the Jesus demonstrates remarkable compassion.

He had amazing compassion, concern, love, empathy for the people who were impacted by this impossible situation, namely the death of Lazarus, but third I want you understand the Jesus exercises divine omnipotence. That's the way the chapter in let's look at this a little more carefully. Jesus encounters an impossible situation now certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. Therefore, the sister said to him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom you love is sick when Jesus heard that, he said the sickness is not of the death but as for the glory of God the son of God may be glorified through it. Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that he was sick, he stayed two more days in the place where he was that after this he said to his disciples, let us go to Judea again.

Disciples said to him, Rabbi, lately the Jews are sought to stone you and you are going there again and a little more conversation with the disciples and then he said to them, our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him up. Then his disciples said, Lord, if he sleeps he will do well. However, Jesus spoke of his death. They thought he was speaking about taking rest and sleep. Then Jesus said to them plainly, Lazarus is dead and I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless let us go to him. Jesus encounters an impossible situation. Another lot of things we can say about the situation but two things in particular in the first one is to recognize from the Bible that this crisis was of Christ's own design report came to him from his friends. Mary and Martha that their brother Lazarus was sick and they asked him to come.

They appealed for him to come and Jesus instead of coming immediately because they knew that he had the power to heal. That's obviously why they wanted to become. But instead of coming immediately. We read.

He stayed two more days where he was and then later he said to his disciples. Let's go and when they questioned him. He said what were going to do is go and raise wake Lazarus up out of sleep and they said well if you sleeping if he's been sick but now he sleeping. That means he's probably getting better now that he's able to sleep.

He must be over. The crisis sees gaining strength, these getting well. The fever perhaps is broken. He's he's getting getting better so let's not disturb them is what they're saying in Jesus said no Lazarus is dead. He's dead. Why was he didn't really was dead because he succumbed to the to the illness to the disease, but why he was he dead, it's because Jesus didn't come immediately to where he was and to heal him as he had the power to do so. The crisis we don't have any indication of the first crisis that we know because we know that God controls all things that even the original illness was of Christ's own design. But what we do know from the passage is that allowing a Lazarus to die was Christ perfect design to bring glory to Christ, glory to God and encouragement and strength and help you enjoy and sufficient provision to everyone involved, but he allowed the crisis to get worse before he did these things for a number of reasons.

He allowed it to get worse. But as much is anything to demonstrate his power.

How does this relate to coronavirus. We don't know what God is doing with coronavirus.

It's my prayer that is going to use it to bring revival to our nation. We surely need that. And again, what will it take to bring revival to our nation and II don't know. I can't say what exactly will take place but it's pretty obvious, is that before revival can come to our nation is going to have to be a great tumbling of our nation going to have to be brought to our need for going to have to come to the end of our self-sufficiency were going to have to realize that we are in fact an impossible situation and it may not no profit. I'm not saying that this is what's going to happen, but it may be that things are going to have to get a whole lot worse before were brought to that place with the grace of God poured out an abundant measure, and shall bring about some long-lasting changes in the spiritual health of America. Now I don't know that that's what's going to happen. I have no idea, but I pray that that's was going to happen, but it does seem to me that it is likely that if God is going to do a lasting spiritual work throughout our nation.

There's going to have to be more desperation, more humbling, more recognition that we are not masters of our own fate that we don't have what it takes that all of our scientific knowledge. All of our medical knowledge. All of our economic strength and prosperity. All of our factories that can be retooled and sprung into action. All of these things that we are looking to in order to bring about salvation from the coronavirus they need to everyone collapse until there is absolutely no human hope left until everyone.

Everyone recognizes that the situation is not merely difficult but impossible because it is often in those time when God reaches down and does that work of his power that brings him glory and accomplishes great things. So Jesus encountered an impossible situation but it was of his own design. He waited until Lazarus was dead. We could say he wait until Lazarus was good and dead. He waited until Lazarus was unquestionably dead by the time he got there he been dead four days to get. I don't know this to be a fact. But I wonder if he had arrived. Say just an hour or so after Lazarus died, and in that situation, resurrected in the life of some would say well he wasn't completely data just appeared like it he was he was he was very close to death that it seemed like he was dead but he revived and would not have given the glory to God that is due to his name would not have recognized the greatness of the miracle that was performed. But Jesus deliberately did not go so that when he did get there. The death had now passed 123 and into four days and there was no question.

Lazarus was dead was a crisis of his own design, but it was a crisis to demonstrate his divine power because now when he demonstrated his power, there could be no question but that divine omnipotence did what was humanly impossible. That's what Jesus did. Jesus encounters an impossible situation. Secondly, in the middle part of the chapter demonstrates Jesus demonstrating his remarkable compassion.

First it with his encounter with Martha and then secondly with his encounter with Mary Martha came to them first. As you know, and said, Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. It's almost a a an indirect complaint. She didn't come right out and complain, but she made a statement, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. Implication being, you didn't care enough to get here and keep him from dying, but she said even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you we don't know what she had in mind of their doesn't seem like she was expecting a resurrection, but she was expressing faith in Christ Jesus said to her, your brother will rise again. Martha said to him, I know that he will rise again in the resurrection of the last day. She clearly didn't expect the resurrection in this day Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this again and again throughout this chapter Christ make statements that he presses people to express their faith. Do you believe what I'm saying you believe the truth that I'm communicating do you have faith in me. She said to him. Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the son of God, who is to come into the world. That's pretty pretty high level of faith. She recognizes Jesus was indeed the promised Messiah and that he was also the son of God she had come to put those two things together which most Jews had trouble putting together the fact that the Messiah was more than merely a man. He was God himself who came to earth. She believed that the Mary Kay Jesus told her Martha to go get Mary and then he had an encounter with Mary and as soon Jesus had not yet come into the town that was in the place where Mary Martha met him. Then when Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying to him, Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. Exact same words that Martha spoke and she wasn't there to hear what Martha spoke which causes me to suspect that they'd been talking about this among themselves. Martha had said to Mary of the Lord and then her brother had not died. Mary said to Martha. Yes I know Florida been your brother had not died.

They both spoke the same words. Therefore, for when Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her weeping, he groaned in the spirit and was troubled and he said, where have you laid him.

They said to him, Lord, come and see. And then the shortest verse of the Bible that every Sunday school child knows if you have to quote diversity versus quota versus a teacher. John 1135 Jesus wept. Two words Jesus wept.

Though that's the shortest verse in the Bible that is one of the biggest verses in the Bible Jesus wept.

He cares for you. He cares for you he ever loves and cares for you and he will do what no one else can do for Jesus cares for you. He had compassion.

He knew he was in the raise Lazarus from the dead, knowing that he might've been a little bit what should I say a little bit unmoved. He might've said now now now just this. The patient bide your time, you're going to have cause for rejoicing.

Soon enough, but she entered into their burden their sorrow. There were either concerned with their grief.

He wept.

He demonstrated his compassion. He cared for Mary he cared for Martha.

He cares for all of his blood bought children.

If you are believer in Jesus Christ. He cares for you. He demonstrates remarkable compassion, but finally Jesus exercises divine omnipotence. Then Jesus again groaning him and himself came to the tune. It was a cave and a stone lay against it. And Jesus said, take away the stone. Martha, the sister of him who was dad said to him, Lord, by this time there is a stench for he has been dead for days. Jesus said to her, did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God and they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying and Jesus lifted up his eyes and said father I thank you that you have heard me, and I know that you always hear me, but because of the people who are standing by. I said this, that they may believe that you sent me and when Jesus had said these things, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, Florida, and he who had died came out bound hand and foot with grave clothes and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, loose him and let him go.

Notice Jesus exercising divine omnipotence. First, he steps up to the two that stronghold of death, not only just a symbol of death. It certainly is that. But the place where dead people lie captive to death. Every cemetery is a testimony to the power of death, it will claim every one of us, unless the Lord Jesus Christ comes first to catch us up to medium in the air and Jesus came to the tomb where his dear friend Lazarus was buried in standing there in the face of that true he had no fear that tomb did not did not strike fear in his heart he was going to be in a tomb like that this when we read was a cave, the one where Jesus was buried was also a cave he was going to a tomb like that, but he had no fear of death. He had no fear of the great standing there that tomb. He orders that the stone be removed. Someone said will, if he had the power to raise Lazarus from the dead like me just say the word.

The stone would roll away by his power, he could have sterling certainly could have, no one would question that after they saw him raise Lazarus from the dead, but does this remind us that the things that we cannot do. God can and if he chooses to he will do those things that we are unable to do, but the things that we can do.

We must do as his servants doing them at his command, and obedience to him. He didn't come by on the stone to roll away. He said to those who were there, you roll away the stone could God save people without hearing the gospel without our witness. Of course he could if he chose to do it that way. He hasn't chosen to do it that way we can save a single center we can't raise any dead center to life. Only God has the power to do that, but he has chosen to do it through the proclamation of the gospel of his believing children. He tells us to do that because we can do that we can save a soul we can give out the gospel in trust the one who can save souls to use it to their resurrection, their spiritual resurrection. So he orders the stone to be removed and he prays to the heavenly father not because not because his father needs to hear him parading his father heard him pray continually but he said I'm doing it publicly so that those who are standing by watching this will know that my heavenly father hears me and that he sent me this was a testimony of his relationship with the heavenly father and then after praying to his heavenly father. He commands the day told have someone said if he had said, come forth without saying Lazarus come forth. If you just said, come forth in every dead person that cemetery would've come for but he said Lazarus come forth as a wonderful illustration of salvation when God speaks into man's soul. He speaks life.

He speaks change. He speaks his omnipotent power. No one can come forth until first. They have in made alive by the power of God, then they can come forth to Christ, then they can believe in Christ then they can follow Christ. Lazarus was quickened to life in order to be able to hear the voice commanded him to come forth and Jesus commanded the dead to live.

He exercise divine omnipotence. He did the impossible.

In doing this he displayed his compassion never doubt his love. In doing this he displayed his wisdom never doubt his designs though we don't know what he's doing and sometimes things look very perplexing to us. He knows what he's doing knows what he was doing by staying two days before he came to where Lazarus was. He knows exactly what he's doing. He is all lies. Never doubt his wisdom, he demonstrated his power do not disbelieve his ability, his ability to do anything and everything. There is nothing that is to hard for God and in this he demonstrates salvation do not reject his provision.

He died on the cross and rose from the dead, those who trust in him might be. Say all of this with the demonstration of his saving power may be I don't know I'm not God I don't know the mind of God may be what God is doing with coronavirus is humbling people to the dust that they might be brought saving faith to the Lord Jesus Christ know we don't know what God is doing.

But we know that he knows what he is doing God moves in a mysterious way, his wonders to perform.

He plants his footsteps in the sea, and rides upon the storm deep in unfathomable minds of never failing skill he treasures up his bright designs and works his sovereign will judge not the Lord by feeble sense, but trust him for his grace behind a frowning Providence. He hides a smiling face. His purposes will ripen fast, unfolding every hour.

The blood may have a bitter taste but suite will be the flower blind unbelief is sure to and scan his work in vain. God is his own interpreter and he will make it plain. Shall we pray Almighty God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

How we praise you for your wisdom, your power, grace your love your compassion. We do not know what you are doing with the coronavirus. We trust you. We know that whatever you do is always why we pray Lord that you might use it to humble men of their pride into bring them to cry out to you in repentance and faith. We pray Lord that it might be used to bring our nation to its knees to bring revival all across the United States of America. The father we read earlier in the service a whole list of people who are in need of prayer. Father, we are confident that you are able to do whatever needs to be done and every one of the situation and so we commit every one of them to you in the full confidence that you know their need and that you are able to meet their need. In your wisdom know how to miss best meet their need and how to bring the greatest good to them the greatest glory to Christ, so we commit all these things into your care.

In Jesus name