Easter - Hope for the Hopeless - Hope for the Hopeless, Part 2

In just a couple of days celebrate Easter will celebrate the hope that we have in Jesus Christ will celebrate his resurrection from the dead and all of the things that make Easter special, but for some of us connecting that event that happened 2000 years ago doesn't make much sense today because were in a tough difficult situation if you're struggling to know where that hope shows up in your daily life and really you're stuck stay with thanks for joining us for this Good Friday living only a Living on the Edges of teaching and discipleship ministry between the Bible on the trip finishes the message again in our last program listed. It's available on the chip and remap was talking about hanging on. Not sure you got the spring. Or maybe your case well, I'm really glad you're with us because this message is going to bring your faith back showing here. Strip with part two of this message from John chapter 11. Jesus is going to do something that he wants to do and you and he wants to do in me wants to do it whether you walk with him for 30 years so that you grasp it with power and reality like never before and wants to do it. If you happen to be here because your mom, your grandmother or friend or coworker. Second, what you come to church Easter in your thinking and other nice people.

Probably an hour hour and 15 minutes. Knowing how bad can it be right, but I want you to ponder the story she's hurt and she wonders her cheeks are swollen from crying. She really wonders will Jesus come through. She has all the right information in her head and what Jesus is about to say is to change the fact to a face. He's going to talk about just instead of your sort of personal belief system is going to move to a life changing reality in a person.

Follow along as I read Jesus said to her, and I believe piercing into her eyes.

I am the resurrection and the life. He believes in me will live, even though he dies and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. And I think coming out of his lips right now. It went into her eyes and into her brain and down into her heart and there was emotional connection that took concepts and all the sudden she realized this isn't about believing a set of truths. This is about a personal living relationship. The Jewish leaders had tried to pin him down. Are you the Messiah people question over and over, and now just very few days before he go to the cross. He says to this woman directly. I am not just the resurrection on the life I want to give you more than fix your problems.

I want to do more than just make your life and your agenda in your expectations. What's going on with you a little bit better.

I want to get behind and under all that and I want to give you a brand-new life. I want to forgive all your sins. I want to live inside of you. I want intimate relationship with you and I don't know his promise to take you out of it, but I will be with you and I will take you through and I'll give you hope in the midst of the darkest, darkest things you ever go through.

And then he looks versus do you believe that Martha in a moment of faith. She says Lord I do. I believe that you are the Chris tossed the son of God, the one is to come into the world, and after she said this she went back and called her sister Mary aside, the teachers here is asking for you. And when Mary heard that she got up quickly and she went to him now. Jesus had not yet entered the village but was still at the place where Martha had met him when the Jews had been with Mary in the house comforting her noticed how quickly she got up and went out.

They followed her, supposing she was going to the tomb to mourn him when Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him. Picture this, she fell at his feet and said, Lord, if you had been here would not my brother died.

Same question. Where were you when I needed you. Martha is the pragmatist and she intellectually deals with the issues.

Mary is the emotive one and she just is weeping.

The word weeping here it's wailing. This is this is a wailing and she's his feet, the same place she was at one time she poured perfume and wiped it with her hair in her hearts bleeding and she's crying and look at the the Jews wonder whether there crying is an emotional moment and Jesus sees her crying and he sees the Jews cry.

It says he's deeply troubled in his spirit and disturbed two very interesting words, there is an emotion that was visceral this word and that an ancient language.

It's literally used of a horse when it snorts when when something is happening. It's a picture of emotion welling up in Jesus and there's is compassion in his heart goes out to her and look at the he asked where have you laid him and the Jesus begins to weep. This isn't some God who's far away that doesn't care. This isn't some God who's angry, they got a pray to so many times a day. This isn't some invisible force that you can somehow get the higher levels of consciousness and hope that you next time around. You come up and come back a little bit better than you were.

This is the personal God who said I created all that there is a time to prove it.

Just a minute and I care about you and is angry at death and he's angry. What sin does in his heart goes out to this woman that he loves and then he begins to get on the solution side, but there's always a couple responses to what Jesus does.

Some of the Jews who watch this at all. How he loved them. He loved Lazarus, but there were some who said will could he who open the eyes of the blind could he kept this man from dying to know matter what God does, we can come up with solutions to to reframe it 60 should've cared more for this is the third time in one passage where does God really care.

Does Jesus really love me come up if you felt that way anybody like to feel that right now this God really care. This is this is that catalytic moment of a category of religion. I believe in God and luckily I believe there's a resurrection you know some people need this and something to what about you and he looks into your eyes and says, on this day I brought you in this room because I want you to know something.

I know you got problems in your finances, and I have problems in relationships and it's a fallen world and knowing some of you have health problems and some of you have job problems and some have you pressure with your kids and some have struggles in your marriage, and I know that really a lot of prayers are a lot of people single God help me.

Will God help me will gotta please fix this please fix that.

Please fix that when he does, and if he does in the way that you want off on the way it happens is thank you thank you thank you. Three months later, we can't forget right. Do remember what he said he said to the disciples.

I am glad that I wasn't there yet. Scratch your head so anything you're glad you were there, you chose not to be there. It's purposeful. He let it get to a point now where was hard not was difficult to let it get to a point where it was impossible so that what he would do would be bigger and more beyond anything he wasn't going to fix Mary Martha's problem he was going to demonstrate who you really was the Messiah, the Savior of the world and he was going to do it in a way that would be unmistakable that he is not one option on the salad bar of religions. He speaks by his word, and a man's gonna come back to life once more.

I didn't deeply moved, came to the tomb. It was a cave with a stone laid across the take away the stone, he said, but Lord said Martha, the sister of the dead man. By this time there's a bad odor for he's been in there for four days. Then Jesus said, did I not tell you that if you believe you will see the glory of God.

Could you circle the word if you believe there's a theme developing it's been developing but now it's coming to a climax so they took away the stone Jesus looked up and now is going to pray a prayer not for his sake, but so people can get a real snapshot of who he really is and what he's really about father, I thank you that you have heard me. I know that you always heard me that I said this for the benefit of the people standing here that they may believe that you sent me. Could you circle may believe what he said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, Lazarus, come out the dead man came out his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen cloth around his face and Jesus said to them, take off the grave clothes and let them go. Now, don't you think if when they sent the messenger. If Jesus would've gone back and healed Lazarus. I mean, that would've been at least a B, maybe even a B+ right wow that's great thank you. Or he could have done a long-distance miracle. He could've said tell Mary and Martha that at this very hour, Lazarus will be well and he goes back that goes.

It was noon. It was noon that would be a good be coming like so much critically ill or totally restored. Jesus didn't want to give him a B. He wanted given a triple plus see he didn't want to help them. He didn't want to solve a problem. He didn't want to fix what was going on where they felt pressure, he one of them have a gift of himself in life that no matter what they face for the rest of their life. They would know he comes through and he's gonna come through not only in this life, but for ever and ever and ever, and when he walked up and said Lazarus and elect some commentator 60 had to use his name, lest everybody come back to life. Think of that Jesus was a very narrow person.

I am the way the truth and the life no man comes to the father except by me. This is a second person of the Trinity, the Godhead who takes on flesh in the womb of a teenage girl fully man and fully God lives in absolutely perfect life for 30 years does a three year ministry, and then is rejected by his own people and will hang upon across and about a day or two from this event will take on your sin and my sin and the sins of all people in the just wrath of God because God hates sin. It makes him angry. Just like it makes you angry when someone gets betrayed. You get angry when kids get abused, you get angry when over and places in Africa right now her little mind and tenure boys are given guns and a put in their hands and they said you join this army and kill these people were.

We kill your parents so we can't we kill their parents in front of them, often in grotesque manners. If that doesn't enrage you if the sex trade doesn't enrage you for pollution is destroying our planet doesn't arrange you something's wrong with your listing to Living on the Edge with Chip Ingram will be back with the rest of his message and just Living on the Edges and international discipleship ministry dedicated to helping Christians really live like Christians or more chips teaching just download the free shipping. Remap now let's get back to the rest of today's message.

Since evil and it's a fallen world, and as a byproduct of evil that hits all of us. Jesus declares I'm going to address the core sin and the results of sin is death, Lazarus, come forth. But all that was was the prequel. All that was was to tell the people we love the most. I'm to come through for you here, but I'm gonna come through for everybody in about a day or two and then he paid the price for your sin and mine for all time. The word is a tone recovered for his like if there's a huge bank account of sin that had to be paid for his blood covered it all is called paid in full and then he says whosoever would accept this gift of paid in full. You kinda need to write a check, you need to appropriate site you know I want this grace for my life and you fill in your name. By faith I received that personally, not as an intellectual construct, but I want relationship with the living God through the work of his son and that he rose from the dead to prove it is true, and then how did he healed Lazarus exactly the same way that he created the earth and the universe. Hebrews 11 says he spoke the universe into existence.

He didn't touch him.

There wasn't a formula he didn't get a dream. There's not some little thing that you do to earn your favorite piece some angry God. This is God coming to his people. I am the resurrection, me the person I am your life.

I want to give you a bigger gift and fix your problems and there's always two responses again when God enters and provides truth powerfully and demonstrates.

Therefore, many of the Jews who had come to visit. Mary and see what Jesus did believe in him. Here's the opposite response but some of them went to the Pharisees and I told him what Jesus had done when the chief priests and the Pharisees called a meeting of the Sanhedrin. What are we accomplishing. They said here is this man performing many signs. If we let them go on like this. Everyone will believe in him and then the Romans will come in I'll take away our temple literally the word is our place and our nation.

Here's what you need understand this isn't out there. This is our story were there were with Mary and Martha were close friends. There's this itinerant preacher who makes these outrageous claims he feeds these people we's race a couple people from the death of PCC's messing with our our spiritual leaders.

It is little children we grubbing review of the Sadducees and the Pharisees and he basically says the most religious people in the world of the farthest from God. They miss God's heart there religious.

They have no relationship there. Hypocrites are about you, but I grew up in a church just like that. I had no idea you could have a relationship with God through Christ and now he raises us man from the death to demonstrate its true and literally a portion say we believe biblical believing faith is entrusting and saying I now receive the gift of salvation.

And, I believe, to the point that I'm going to obey what he says because when he speaks the universe comes into existence when he speaks. Lazarus comes from the grave. When he speaks to me he's on what you follow me, unless you walk in the light as I'm in the light and when you do I will do things in you that you could imagine that solve some of those issues in your marriage and with your kids with your future. I want you to do finances. My wife why don't you have your dreams my way. I want to give you exceedingly abundantly beyond what you could ever ask or think, but it starts with relationship and it doesn't mean there won't be challenges and hurts and pains and difficulties in a fallen world, but all be with you and I'll never leave you, and I never forsake you.

I didn't come just to fix your problem came to give you new life. Basically one group said we wanted in the other group said no way a second if everyone believes in him.

What he said to Martha, Martha, do you believe that she might circle that anyone who believes in me will not die. He said to the disciples.

It's good that I wasn't there, in order that you may believe you know it's it's not real hard. There's an honest question. A powerful story and the amazing answer is so that you may believe sometimes God let your problems go from bad to possible so that you may believe not intellectually agree with actually believe, like when you believe in a surgeon you don't say.

I believe you can do those operations and other people to been very successful intellectually agree you believe when you say I believe that you're the best surgeon for this very delicate operation and the next Monday morning at 6 o'clock will be there preop and I believe, to the point that I'm let you cut me right through here. That's belief and that's really what he wants to do for you and me and is really two things he wants you to believe he wants you to believe the extent of his love you on my journey through all that time and that new job God took me through something and I think down deep in my heart there is something like I love Jesus and I've been a pastor for 25 years at the time and you and I really I really want to follow you and have my wife happy and I want to follow you and be involved in a great ministry will follow you in on my kids doing well and intellectually. I knew that wasn't really biblical but then God said okay you know the stuff even preaching everybody else want you tried offer for five years. How about just me is enough. I have to tell you that at a new level. I experienced Jesus is my life. My resurrection and I got where you know what Lord is a fallen world. I can't control things by faith.

I believe that you love me and here's what I want you to know I think I made the right decision. But here's the father.

I still number 11 early morning say Lord even if all the circumstances revealed.

Maybe I did make a very wise decision. I did make in the right way. I will just do whatever you show me and you don't amazing thing happened where he did something in me, and then after that I watched him turn those things around and sometimes the way God shows his love to those of you that he loves the most. And you walk with them for years and years, as he lets things go from bad to impossible, that you could have a level of understanding of his love for you and secondly that you could grass have available his powers as it often takes more power to endure difficulty in pain and struggle and persevere that it does to just see him deliver some miraculous way. And so I would say to you whether you been walking with God for 30 years or you just visited and in your mind you're thinking. I think I get what it means to believe and I think it's God's will for me to find hope today by placing my faith in Christ, with all the implications because they didn't believe because of the place their position and their nation control, and people don't believe today because we don't want to lose our position. We don't want to lose our control and position in control have to do with pride. I'll run my life my way. Thank you. To people who choose to do that. God says, thy will be done for those who say to God that I will be he says. Two new do anything else, let me ask the most important question you ever answer in your entire life. If you are standing before the living God at this moment. After what you've heard.

Are you one of those people who say to God, thy will be done come into my life. I'll follow you.

I'm a Christian, but I'm not walking with you in today's the day, thy will be done. I get it or are you a person who realizes you're not a Christian, you're not a follower, you say, thy will be done.

I receive Jesus at this moment as my Savior and my Lord in just a minute, working to pray together and you get in vitamins your life and then you get a tell a friend and you can go to Easter service and you to go there is a brand-new believer born again as the Bible says not just physically but now spiritually so will you be one of those who say to God that I will be done, or will you be one of those to whom God says I will be done. You don't want me.

It breaks my heart but that's your choice. That's how clear it is. That's what Good Friday's about. That's what Easter is about.

That's what the story is about. There are some who said look what God did. Lazarus is alive and many of the Jews believed and some of them. They went away trying to figure out. Wow, that was such a big authenticated miracle we gotta get rid of this guy because he's going to infringe on our power and our status and our deal is.

So at the heart of following Jesus is surrendering your pride. Recognizing your need and in the Bible word is to repent.

You're ready to do that your eternity is in the balance. Don't be proud.

You can't handle it. Father I pray right now for every single person listening to you through my voice Lord for those that are saying at this moment I want thy will Lord your will to be done. If they don't know how to express that in words.

I'm get encourage them right now to pray along with me and get them in their mind if they're driving with their eyes open or closing their eyes and from their heart, saying, dear Jesus, I believe you raise Lazarus from the dead. I believe you rose from the dead, and I believe you died in my place to pay for my sin. And so today I ask you to forgive me and come into my life.

I commit to follow you, by your power and by your grace.

Lord, I'm turning from the things and the people that have pulled me away from you and I want to tell you I'm sorry for offending you, for hurting others.

I want to be a son.

I want to be a daughter.

Will you forgive me right now and come into my life. And Lord, then I pray that you would Doug give them a thought quickly in their mind to tell someone that they know whether they call them text him get on the phone call a pastor Telamon tele-dad and God that I pray you will lead them to a church where the Bible is taught in people love deeply and I pray that in Jesus name, amen. If you prayed with Chip. I hope you'll take a minute and call us at 1-888-333-6003. We'd love to talk with you and get a free resource in your hands that'll help you understand what you just did and where to go from here if you'd rather go to our website LivingontheEdge.org we'll find that same resource on the new believers tab. We just want to help you get started on your new journey of faith as we wrap up today. It's our prayer that you celebrate the resurrection of Jesus with absolute confidence.

If down deep, you kind of wonder is a powerful passage in first Corinthians chapter 15 might help resolve it in your mind.

The apostle Paul tells us that besides being with his disciples, and many others.

Jesus appeared to over 500 people, not just randomly but at one time in one place he is alive and because of that we have rocksolid hope will for Chip and everyone here is really say happy Easter. Thanks for listening to this Edition of Living on the Edge