John Chapter 11:37-44

God is interested in your needs. He wants to hear what your needs are. But if your prayer time is just a time where you tell God your needs and then that's it.

All man you're missing out on so much.

Welcome to cross the bridge with David McGee. David is the senior pastor of the bridge in Kernersville, North Carolina, who does God used to affect the lives of others. How can you change the lives of strangers. And do you look for opportunities to pray on today's program. We have one of David McGee's assisting pastors the a brown DA. What are your thoughts on some of his Bob as we pray to the Lord. We should not let our prayer time become its dualist today pastor Dave explains the importance of praying to our father spending that time with him as he continues in the Gospel of John Sutherland. Let's get right to it is David McGee with his teaching, what shall we do, were in John chapter 11 verse 38 then Jesus again groaning in himself came to the tomb and it was a cave and a stone lay against Jesus said, take away the stone marker this this sister of him who was dead said to him, Lord, by this time there is a stench for he has been dead for days. You know death taxes. This is bad.

Death is awful. Death is painful. I don't know if you've noticed over the last 10, 20, 30 years. But what we've started to do is kind to try to move death out of our society and the way that we've done this, one of the ways we've done this, is to, especially with the retirement home and extended care facility somewhat and what happens is people passed away in those elements as opposed to passing away at their home. I don't know if you thought about this but when I was a young kid you know in our neighborhood. From time to time, you would hear about somebody passing away in her home. You don't hear about that anymore. Now understand that as people age, and as we get older. Some of us require the amount of care. That's necessary that's needed in an environment like that. But what happens is were not intimate if you will with death and what happens is when death comes, we asked ourselves a lot of the right questions no way what is this all about what is life about is there life after death. What happens after I die.

And so as we remove this from society. We also can remove those questions from society if you will not hurt.

Some people say that at a funeral is the worst time to talk about the Lord, are being born again. You know what that is so wrong. She is a pastor that often is the only chance I will get to offer salvation to people who will never come to this place but will come to a funeral… Do it tactfully and certainly if I'm not sure about the eternal destination of the person is passed away.

I leave that alone because I don't want to want to beat people up with that special at a time when there already hurt, but I do want to make that offer salvation as a matter fact when somebody calls and says hey want you to do this funeral. That's one of things we ask is okay.

You can allow pastor to give the give the salvation message and and everybody so far as sure that the great and we've done that, but it's a good time for us to talk about the right questions now in what's interesting is here, Jesus is take away the stone and wants Martha doing Martha is given him the excuse the reason that the they can't do this thing. She has no what Jesus is getting ready to do this and she goes out. You know Lord is not was not move this rock because the heat he stinks now is only a sister can do. She's pointing out her brothers thinking is in a family thing and it I sit here and and obviously the Lazarus is dead as excuses go for not serving God or being a church, you know that's that's a pretty good one and that you know me if you guys ever call without when I will let you off the hook. I was guy was would be there Sunday but was dead and so probably won't know more the details, but you know what this is no reason the God can you fathom can you let that sink into your brain. This was not even a valid excuse with God. God was going to fix it.

Often we come up with: reasons and give us all a break. Often we come up with excuses for not following God for not serving God for not walking with the Lord but was called what they are there excuses. Now keep in mind I I had some really good ones.

I mean some really good because I was born.

Some of you know this. I was born deaf mute.

I was born 95% death toll was attached to my guns.

I couldn't speak had to have nine different operation so that I could hear and said I could speak now went to four years of speech therapy now six excuses go being deaf-mute there's that's pretty good excuses and then later I had the excuses of utopian drug addict didn't rock bands and all that stuff. But you know what God took away my excuses and you know he can take away whatever is in the way this morning. Whatever stands between you and him. He can deal with you know it's interesting he asked Martha to take away the stone. Think about this for site could Jesus have taken away the stone. All you betcha. But he asked Martha to remove it how I want you to cannot mentally note that in and will come back to that in the course again.

She seen a she's his work. By this time there's a stench freeze been dead for days and is probably just my twisted mind, but I wonder how long that stench lasted after he came I okay will move on death smell probably ended right there.

Anyway, I know it's twisted will move on. There's no spiritual point there.

Don't be looking for what verse four. Jesus said that her did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God. Verse 41 then they took away the stone from the place where the dead man was lying and Jesus lifted up his eyes and said father thank you that you've heard me. Thank you that you've heard me. I love the way Jesus starts his prayer.

Thank you that you've heard me, and that a great way to start a prayer.

He thinks I would encourage you in your prayer time to thank the Lord and as you start out your prayer time now know what you know. Mention prayer and in summer school because mentally what we do when we think of prayer we think okay what that's like in a lien on your face for like three hours.

Well some of us may be gifted in intercessory prayer that may be what prayer means to you. That's you know to be honest I pray for the people here, but I wouldn't consider myself gifted in intercessory prayer. I was surprised to read that Spurgeon they said never prayed longer than five minutes but he never went more than five minutes without Brian C. Suit live in. And that constant communication that to the prayer and just you know is you got a couple minutes spent with the Lord is a traffic jam praise gospel traffic jam on the spec of much of the Lord all there's a line at Walmart pray the pray.

This is change my life.

This is change my life because it used to be, you know, especially given that open up a little bit, especially when I would get behind a car you know and not enough in a 50 mile an hour zone and there were like 35 you know and and the Highway Patrol said I had to remove the bazookas but anyway can't legally have those and in this done thing is out to bid anyway that you know I would get really frustrated. What I do now. Scott got a couple more minutes, suspend along with the Lord God gave me these few minutes but put me this person in front of me that's driving so slow. Praise God, I mean it will change your life. Jesus starts us off by thanking the Lord. The first life lesson here is do not let your prayer time become up to do list for God. Don't let your prayer time become up to do list for God. God is interested in your needs. He wants to hear what your needs are, but if your prayer time is just a time where you tell God your needs and then that's it all mean you're missing out on so much you're missing out on so much more spending time with the Lord and thanking the Lord.

Some of you.

Prayer may be very different for you to maybe just beginning your prayer life and let me encourage you, and that prayer is just talking the God don't feel like you got out you know speak in King's English when you pray to God I cannot prayed with some people like that and it just always makes me I don't know makes me wonder. It doesn't mean because they know they go around talking like this they go around talking normal and then they go to talk to God in their old view the dollars still wouldn't have enough the above is like. I'm sorry. Do you normally talk like that. It's like we change our event voice changer face so we can talk to God. Be careful of that one because God wants to enter into every aspect of your life is or just talk to just talk to and it's a great thing to started off with sanctioning and keep in mind, you know what the Lord's prayer well to learn that really wasn't the Lord's prayer. I know it's called the Lord's prayer, and I don't mean to get you weird on your anything but the real Lord's prayer, rinsing the gospel of John and a few chapters that was the prayer were Jesus was open heartedly praying for his disciples and nurse beautiful things in there.

The other thing he was model in force and go will. This is one way to pray and you. It's amazing you remember how I started that out. He said don't pray like that. He even do with vein repetition now is it just me or did we do exactly what he told us not to do that prayer father who art in going out yeah I know what it mean I didn't stop to think of what it meant.

It was just a vein repetition, I guess so so you don't have to say the Lord's prayer. If you want to, that's great, but the Lord wants to hear your heart wants to hear your heart and prayer and notice to that Jesus prayed here with his eyes open. He lifted up his eyes supreme with your eyes open.

That's a perfectly acceptable way to pray. In fact, if you're driving. That's a preferable way to put don't close your eyes by your house. And I'm sorry that your call Missouri really feel bad, but do know that the Lord led me to hit your car so don't you know our worship pastor David told me to pray was driving so I just wasn't bad at it, let's recognize it when your eyes are open, you can be distracted to okay so sometimes closing your eyes is a good thing.

Although Yarbrough did this, I made the mistake we don't get you know the support prayer and grouping is 78-year-old you know we got through.

A raised band teachers at what is open. She said how do you know God told me he had. There's no good. You only do that once will be right back with more from David McGee on cross the bridge right now. Here's a word from associate pastor DA Brown about want take a minute to pray for some listeners in the state of Idaho. Specifically, the city Cascade, Clarkston, Gainesville, kitchen marsh sing in Boise call in Moscow, we thank you for everyone listening today will we pray that you would encourage them. Remind them how much you love them.

Lord, if there is some listening today haven't put their trust in you. We pray that today will be the day they would say yes to allowing you to forgive them of their sins, and that they would say yes. The following you on all their heart, all your soul and all their strength and we pray that you get them plugged into a Bible teaching Bible believing church. Jesus name, amen, amen.

Thank you brother and now get back to David McGee as he continues teaching verse by verse, verse 42 Jesus continues and I know that you always hear me because of the people who are standing by said this, they may believe that you sent me while he's praying as much for the benefit of those around them as having communication with God so that they'll see so that they will hear your lives as father Stein got all rolled away at the tomb of Jesus didn't need the stone to be rolled away so he could get out Jesus was not in there going there tomorrow starlet. He didn't need to do that. He could've gotten out like that the stone was rolled away not so Jesus could get out so that we could see in the tomb was empty and the still empty today so he's he's praying this prayer and you know really what this person shown daddy shown daddy that either all watch and show that's a good attitude to have. That's a good prayer to pray you show them got verse 43 now when he had said these things, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. I do like the been there. This is one that I want to see you like video footage when I mean I'm thinking they can have some sort of thing like that up there no other thing again were causing poorly comes up because this is this is good stuff.

Verse 44 and he who had died came out bound hand and foot with grave cloths in his head and his face was wrapped with a cloth and Jesus said to them loose and let them go.

He said Lazarus come forth and even though Lazarus was dead.

He came forth. This is amazing stuff. Now understand the reason for this before and maybe you have to the reason he called Lazarus by name is because had he just said, come forth. Everybody was dead in that area would've come up other great one day you will say Lazarus is just a come forth and was so happy everybody's going to come about and there's power's power in the words of Jesus and Lazarus rules brawl from the life what Julie can you imagine standing there and being his sister's and watching him get up and come to the entrance of the tomb or maybe the executor teams that need an exit before Jesus, Gabriel, but the doors entrance exit.

He came out that and they stood there so late that he's alive to understand you have a portion of that joy when we get to heaven and we see loved ones who've gone before us and them when they see us and I'm going to see people working to see some people that we've known. And then there's gonna be some people that we don't know that will come up and thank us pastor David we don't understand something that the whole thing is of giving and being a blessing the people's lives.

Some of your very faithful to give her financially and we are very faithful to support missionaries so do you understand that by what you're doing.

There's people on the other side of this planet Earth who are getting saved.

Can you imagine the joy that you feel at that moment of looking at it change lives that you had something to do with Galatians chapter 5 verse one says stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ is made us free, and do not be entangled again with the yoke of bondage. When he came up out of here.

It was different than the resurrection of Jesus.

He came out with his grave close. He was still bound up. He was still wrapped up in and he had to take his grave close off now again Matthew question. Good of Jesus had just snapped his fingers or said a word or something in him been out of his grave.

Close all you bet.

You no doubt about. But what did he do what you notice is sent.

He told the people to unwrap the grave cloths. He told the people to take those claws, you know why he did that. You know why he had to move the stone he and understand why Adam take the grave cloths out because he wanted all this is good stuff. He wanted to include them in what he was doing that day he could've done the whole thing by himself, but he included others. He gave them the opportunity to take the grave close off Lasser's interstate we we have the same opportunity here. We should be going to the same process taken off her grade class taken off the old man. If you find that concept in Scripture lot off but not put off the old man put taken off to the you know the old way of life in the old things and know the new man and then after we do this and as we do this we get the opportunity to help others take the grave cloths off you know I've done a lot of things are very cool and want things brought a lot of joy but you know what that's what the greatest things we ever get to do is we see somebody go from death to life, but they still got the grave cloths off and we get that set him free so they can walk around in one of these grave costs would have been something time his mouth together so that one was taken off Lasser he could talk about it so we could tell people your grave closer layoff is a swing around your mouth has it been untied.

I sure hope so because I want you telling other people about what's going on in your life about what the Lord's doing in your life and that cloth cloth is gonna go because you know if you mean, if you still got the cloth on you can't really get talk to me. I guess you could that be are rearming the cloth up and you need to help others take their grave cloths off to and it's awesome that God wants to use us to do this mean that the concept is almost too good to be true. God wants to use you to affect the lives of others may after we get saved after we come to the Lord is not like work done and that's it xoom you're in heaven. I mean if if that was the plan, you know soon so I got to disappear.

They would have to struggle with sin or temptation or fall water getting up early that stuff is not the way worse God leaves you hear what forth tell other people share with other people help them take their bondage is off to help them hear the word of the Lord. Romans 1017 says so then faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God and in Romans 1014 says but how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him and how can they believe in him is a never heard about and how can they hear about them unless someone tells them it's our role to bring people so they can hear the good news. Now whether that you telling them.

Are you bringing them here and I'll tell we can partner together to reach your friends and your family and this is what were supposed to be doing taken or grave grave close off and telling people talking the other people because if we don't work out like well if you ever heard the sound that's a bad sound and you never hear that something will great the cars not start. You may now because you have more time to break but it that's a dead battery dead battery is a problem. What's the problem there's not enough power to make the engine start. So what should we be doing connecting to the power will lose the power Jesus is the power Jesus is that connection that we all so desperately need effort. Some people get what Christians are, like cars, you know, you gotta put in the gasoline to run well.

You have heard that analogy before. I don't use it anymore.

You know why because you know I can fill up my car like once a week or once every couple weeks I can operate like that spiritually fill up once every week Philip once every two we are good. I went to church like 04. I'm good Christians are more like you. Even the Disney you that the monorails or the subways they work on the contact principal. In other words, if they're connected to the power they're going if you're not connected to the power they're not going.

I think that's it. Better spiritual analogy, we have to be connected to Jesus to receive spiritual power and if you're struggling in your life. May I lovingly and kindly suggest that perhaps you're not connected to the source of the power that is Jesus. He is the giver of life and that's what were to be is givers of life to other people. I don't mean more messiahs. There's only one assignments Jesus, but we can give life to others by proclaiming the truth of God's word of God. Salvation, what an awesome thing when awesome experience. As a matter fact were supposed to be doing that and understand that were supposed to be doing if it were not doing that something is wrong or, like stale coffee, you're going to drink a cup of coffee and it and it be old and it be we can it be cold and then nasty or or you know, maybe it's hot that you you don't realize it's been in a cooking for like two days or something before you drink it you go by the gas station you will couple companies I own cash, what is not good feeling is one of the people around you and your life experience, and when they drink from your cup if you will, is it something robust and full of life and full strength and full of power or is it like today will coffee connected Jesus connect to the power and have your grave cloths away with done away with.

Now Jesus has raised Lazarus from the dead. Let me ask you question what do you think Lazarus is wanting to do or he is thinking at this point he's out of the grave his club grave cloths off when you think he's thinking of what you think is going through is not what you think.

You think about doing that day or later to mark what you think is do you think is the ego old honey Henry the remote. I'm thinking not now. I'm sure at that point he was ripped Lauren ready go wax because he had been taken from death to life pastor with what could that possibly mean to me. Let me explain the you and have been taken from death to life. What should we be thinking about what should we be planning to do.

We should be thinking about telling others print.

Do you know for sure that your sins have been forgiven.

You can know right now only Legion a short simple prayer simply telling God you're sorry and asking him to help you to live for him. Please pray this prayer with me out loud right now.

Dear Jesus, I believe you died for me that I could be forgiven and I believe you were raised from the dead that I could have a new life not done wrong things I have sent and I'm sorry. Please forgive me of all those things.

Please give me the power to live for you. All of my days in Jesus name, amen friend of you prayed that prayer according to the Bible. You've been forgiven you've been born again, so congratulations for you just made the greatest decision that you will ever make. God bless you, if you pray that prayer with David for the first time we'd love to hear from you. You can visit cross the bridge.com to receive our first steps package with helpful resources to help you begin your walk with Christ. Or you can write to cross the bridge at PO Box 12, 515 Winston-Salem, NC 27117 and share how God is working in your life you're the Bible tells us that the free gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord. But it does cost for us to come and bring that message to you and to others in your neighborhood through radio through the Internet and through the mobile technologies that God has gifted us to be able to use so if you like to support this ministry. Please go to cross the bridge.com. Click on the donate button and ask God how much you would have you give either on a one-time basis or continuing basis each month to help ensure that the teaching of God's word continues to go out also.

Thank you so much DA before we go. What are some ways bless our listeners they wake up with encouragement from Pastor David with his email devotional life lessons to consider a daily reading plan and the thought to meditate on. Throughout today from the heart. David McGee thanks again for listening and join us next time. As David McGee continues teaching verse by verse in the gospel of God