7th Sign: Lazarus Come Forth, Part 2

Today on Fellowship in the Word pastor Bill Gebhardt challenges you to become a fully functioning follower of Jesus Christ having another scene. We would all just be so greatly that mission of having seven is not going to seem that great when you get back.

See, that's the point of what we were created, but it says that many sought. Most of us, I would. I would, that's what I believe that you saw back, notice the next verse. Some of them went to the Pharisees and explaining the joining us today on this additional Fellowship in the Word pastor know your heart Fellowship in the Words the radio ministry of Fellowship Bible church located in Metairie, Louisiana Pastor Bill Gebhardt now again he shows us how God's word meets our work. She does is anticipating some miracle that necessarily, but it certainly implies that she knows his powers, is not denying that you just she's extremely emotional at this time. She loves her brother Jesus said to her, your brother will rise again interesting words of the company matter.

You can tell by her response. Notice how she responds that she said I know that he will rise in the resurrection on the last day to how does she know that because she understand some passages in the Old Testament that are very obscure in Job 19 verse 25 Job right. He said the warms destroy this body and in my flesh I will see God, whom I see with. He said whom I shall see for myself and not another Job was confident I will see God in my flesh. However, resurrection Daniel chapter 12 in verse two has the promise and at that the saints will rise.

Not only will the saints rise to everlasting life, but everyone else will rise everlasting contempt. Daniel says she knows this. That's remarkable is what makes it remarkable ways. Jesus is obviously a great teacher, but in that culture.

Women never set on the rabbis rabbis only taught men not Jesus but rabbis did you only teach men. She knows this stuff, she gets comfort from this stuff and so she says I know W resurrection on the last day venison credible IM statement. There are seven of them in the Gospel of John as well. Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life you believes in me will live, even if he dies, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this generous doing Jesus saying here Jesus is not saying I can muster together the power to even raise the dead, somebody say is that I am the life.

I am life. I am the resurrection and the life. I am life you see when Jesus created in this creation is creating out of his own life is not just creating life. It's not the evolutionary idea that we teach that you know is a vice chance and circumstance. If there's a certain amount of all these different molecules and chemicals that come together in some primordial soup and a perfect time.

I don't know where you get a single cell using I'm the life. When I create life. I'm just giving life from my essence not creating something I'm alive forever. You see I am the life I am the resurrection, not that I know about the resurrection. I know I give you like I am that he's everyone who lives and believes in me will never die. That's his work. Clear but yes the question be believers makes all the difference in the world. Whether you believe this, or whether you don't. She said to him.

Yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the Messiah, the son of God, you IDD and even he who comes into the world is remarkable.

Is anyone else ever said that the Gospels Peter Peter and Matthew 16. Remember, said the same thing. I know you are the one is coming to the world of the Messiah your God incarnate of the son of God.

She Peter said that and remember with Peter what Jesus said. He said getting come up with that on your own merit that he said question blood and reveal it to my father in heaven we go that you, Peter, is a member's right after that. Then he rebukes Peter because Peter is again let them go to Jerusalem and I said get behind me Satan. None of that with this lady. Now God revealed it to her, but not like this. Jesus never says about that she come up with that on our own.

I know who you are you the Messiah is the son of God. You see, I know who you are is amazing statement for someone like Martha to make to him such an insightful thing and when she had finished that it said, and she had said that she went away and she called Mary her sister saying secretly.

The Rabbi is here and he's calling for you. I love that statement. The Rabbi is here and he's calling for you. And when she heard it she got up quickly and was coming to him.

Mary is an amazingly spiritually sensitive woman every time she shows up in the Scriptures is that the feet of Jesus learning anointing his feet. She's an amazing woman everything of the disciples didn't get she got. She understood exactly what was going on.

Now Jesus had not yet come into the village but was still in the place where Martha met him and then the Jews who were with her in the house and consoling her when they saw that Mary got up quickly and went out. They followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there back and forth in the tomb to the house. Now there are dozens and dozens of people we don't know Lazarus, a rich man. It could be even more than that, whether they see her get up. Let's go with her and Mr. weep with her. She's going back to the tomb to weep some more. Therefore Mary came where Jesus was and she saw me she fell at his feet, just like her and notice what she says, Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. Somebody's been talking to each other. That's the conversation Mary and Martha had on several occasions. They said the exact same thing.

Why didn't he come why did he come he loves Lazarus what he did is what he does all these things for strangers why when you do this for us. When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and that were weeping as Plato and that word means wailing and crying loudly, sobbing. This is wailing weeping. This is little tears on your cheek. This is really weeping and the Jews came also weeping whether he was deeply moved in the spirit and was troubled. I was a did have a translational word that the words terrazzo you look up the word almost all the times terrazzo is translated it means angry. It can also mean outraged is angry. Was he angry at death. Death, he hates this one of the things I'm most proud of that I have in common with the Lord. I often Satan feels is I hate death, and I know Jesus hated it to.

We were created that I brought this on ourselves.

He's he knows the anguish. Just imagine being an all-knowing God and sing every second around the globe, people dying every second and all the anguish that death causes just enormous anguish to people days.

Outraged is troubled by this. I can't blame a mental so he said to them, where they laid him and they said, Lord, come and see shortest verse in the New Testament, Jesus wept. This is much more pensive word.

This is a could hold back anymore and he starts a sobbing Valerie love Lazarus, that's fine. He's in need identifies of Mary, Martha, but I think this is so much more to you know this is a much more transcendental than that. This is about death is heartbreaking mistress heartbreaking.

Everybody goes through that. I mean it. It's amazing how the rest of us going about our lives and we feel a certain way, but when you lose someone you love, spouse or parent friend there people everywhere just grieving. I can drive by like I can't go by Lakeland on the interstate lookover not think this is the worst day of some people's lives right at building their Greek know were not winters driving along and doing our thing. But that's what death does brings tremendous heartache and Jesus.

What so the Jews were saying see how he loved good level but that wasn't what he was weeping about. He was he was weeping about what death is done, but some of them said, could not this manual open the eyes of the blind and have kept this man from dying will, of course, he could've see, of course, he could he do need a messenger tone. Lazarus was sick, he knew that long before that. So the next time I see you.

So again from 17 to 38 we moving to the miracle.

So Jesus again being deeply moved within came to the tomb and it was a cave and a stone was lying against it.

And Jesus said remove the stone from the who said that Jesus right now you are the son of God, your deity, that's what Martha said if I want you to see how this happens.

Remember when they disciples were caught in the storm on the Sea of Galilee and Mark for an Jesus.

Let's go over the other side and they he was asleep and about and they were thinking of going to die.

They wake him up, and a say to him you know you know what you doing we can. You don't kill going to die here know what was really wrong about that statement.

Jesus said were going to the other side.

What's that mean you're going to the other side just to he's the son of God save Jesus so that's going to happen he's already thought through every possibility and expect the best one for this Jesus says remove the stone no watch mother's response mother, the sister of the deceased said she said to him, Lord, by this time there will be a stench freeze been dead for four days I just want to give information. Anything you had see what I mean what is the lack of faith.

She's not she's just in season. I totally empathize with the pain that she's in what the embarrassment, but notice how Jesus responds to her did I not say to you, if you believe you will see the glory of God. I just told you that maybe 1/2 an hour ago.

Now if I told you that what you going to see the glory of God. Then I just teaching this shows us how we are, what circumstances do was and so they remove the stone Jesus raised his eyes and said father I thank you that you heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but because of the people standing around. I said it so that they may believe that you sent me is a great public prayer understands him Jesus and went to pray out loud. Now that's not between you and me. I'd already heard me. You know what I'm just her to do your will. But these other people need to hear me pray a lot because then I'll know when I pray out loud to you that you sent me here to do this so he prays out loud, not for God but for the people so that other people will be able to listen to what he saying and when he had said these things, he cried out with a very loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. This those wars, Lazarus, and is much louder than that come forth. I said in the past when I talked about this passage, he had to say the word Lazarus.

Otherwise, all the graves with empty because of who you is going to be a time by the way Paul does the Corinthians. What is going to do that for all of us.

The dead in Christ will rise first.

That's his power over death is its master. Lazarus come forth the resurrection and the life shouting to the cave at death that has no bearing.

Oh death where is your victory. Oh death where is your sting is master of death you imagine what the angelic response would be to this think of the angels in heaven are watching this to sleep with every light I can see them all smiling order spoken they know years he just spoke. What about the fallen angels. All the demons on their conversation. All in all, oh no, why that's our great power over people. That's the great fear. We can put in people that he just said come for things, and for though no while well the men who would guide came forth. While there wonder how member is bound to put the wrappings all run like this. Try to become think they just moved and you just but it's interesting even have the wrappings off it is wrapped up pretty tight and so he comes forth he said bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth and Jesus said, I'm buying a millennium ago. What a miracle is incredible. Countless people say and countless people got to see this. Just spoke it and it came forward. This miracle is such a profound personal thing. How you respond to it. The key phrase in this verse 45.

Therefore, many of the Jews who came to Mary and sell what he had done.

They believed in him.

I reviewed I mean you know is dead four days. You were there when I put them in a cave. You know what happens the body, and now this guy walks out.

I just imagine this as he is walking out another way of looking at this Lazarus is absent in the body, and he is present with the Lord in heaven. Anyone what he's doing. I just maybe sit there with Abraham and Moses talk just talking about the Lord and then over the PA system in heaven. Lazarus you wanted down below and I gibber him up like I don't know what that means people don't go back that way you never think about Lazarus's point of view is going back Jewish tradition is by the way, lived 30 more years after that it happened I was the Jewish tradition about Lazarus, but the point of it is he's back. I always think it's one of the saddest cases in the Bible you go to heaven another send it back soon and we would all just be so greatly back. Listen of heavens. Heaven is not going to seem that great when you get back. See, that's the point. That's what we were created for. But it says that many of the people sought and most of us and say I would I would. That's what I believe that if you saw the fact that true notice the next verse, but some of them went to the Pharisees and told them the things that Jesus explained in detail the miracle they don't believe they don't, and when regular Pharisees and total when you done while I thought seeing is believing thought. Faith is the evidence of things not seen as ready writer Hebrew says but watch therefore the chief priests and the Pharisees convened the Council and they were saying.

What are we doing for this man is performing many signs. If we let him go on like this all men will believe in him and then the Romans will come and take away our place for get replaced.

Notice they will deny the miracle at all this, are we seeing what is done and now we know what he's done.

He raised the man was dead four days in the dead when we got this guys going to convert everybody is our place. While that's the unbelieving spirit. I will not believe what I say I will not believe. While you see the most important thing of this is for you and me as few believers this is you believe this is the most important question of your entire life. Do you believe this is. That's what Jesus said I am the resurrection and the life. He believes in me will live, even if he dies. Everyone who believes in me will never die. Do you believe this.

That's what makes this such an important thing John leaves his readers right where he leaves us but I can tell you this if you say I don't believe it. It's not because of the lack of evidence that's there years ago when Josh McDowell converted he decided to do an investigative report on all the evidence of concerning Jesus Christ. You see in any notable called evidence that demands a verdict.

Lisa once I look at all the evidence I realize I could not live in my unbelief because I said is not enough evidence I cannot do that anymore. Jesus displayed this in front of a lot of people, many of them believed many of them do not Pharisees and the chief priest in the Sadducees, they heard the report knew it was true and said I'm not gonna believe.

I'm not gonna believe that because I lose my place if that's the case, but John ended this epistle where we started this series in John 2031 and says all the signs have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ the son of God and believing you may have life in his name is why John wrote a piece is for the most important thing about this Pat. This chapter is simply this you believe it or not and if you don't I bake you to put your faith in Christ to believe this statement is can make all the difference in the world he that believes in the son has life he that doesn't believe in the sun does not have life with the wrath of God abides on him. The choice is yours. The spring father.

The story is so profound and we've seen it so many times that we almost common.

Isaac but is like no other. How Jesus Christ displayed his heart, his love for people's compassion is power in this miracle was unparalleled in the question that he leaves is the same question he leaves with us. Do you believe this father I pray for anyone who hasn't put their faith and trust in Christ. I pray that they decide to do this. I pray that they'll hide behind some flimsy excuse not to father. We all live with this sort of trepidation of death. If there's one thing that the Bible teaches us as we don't have to fear it is simply a transition from this life to the next is what we were created for and even others in anguish, and especially when you lose somebody you love and are suffering and often when we lose our own life. All of the terms for good.

When we see Jesus Christ face-to-face begin our eternal existence and so much is at stake. I prayed clear confirmation and pastoral government on the radio ministry of fellowship Lord, if you ever miss one of our broadcast or maybe you just like listening to the message one more time. Remember, you can Google a great website called one place.com that's one place.com and you can listen the fellowship and the word online at that website you will find on with today's broadcast but also many of her previous audio programs as well Fellowship in the Word. We are thankful for those who financially support our ministry and make this broadcast possible. We ask all of our listeners to prayerfully consider how you might help his radio ministry continuous broadcast on this radio station by supporting us monthly with just a one-time gift support for ministry can be sent to Fellowship in the Word. 4600 Clearview Pkwy., Metairie, LA 7006 if you would be interested in hearing today's message in its original format that is is a sermon, the pastor will delivered during a Sunday morning service at Fellowship Bible church visit our website FVC Nola.org that FVC and oh LA not owe RG at our website you will find hundreds pastoral sermon you can browse through our sermon archives defined sermon series are looking for.

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