Just before we read
the scripture reading,
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I want to give you a little bit
of background on this message.
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Each day, my wife and I
read our devotions together.
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We read our Bible.
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We read one of our
favorite devotional writers,
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a man by the name
of Oswald Chambers.
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And number of years
ago I did a sermon called,
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"The Silence of the
Lambs" which was about prayer.
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This is not the same sermon.
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This is the silent of the lamb
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which can be
summarized in a simple question,
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"What do you do
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when God doesn't seem
to be responding to you?"
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There we were
sitting on the mountaintop
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in the Virgin Islands.
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My brother's
girlfriend arranged for us
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to stay at the home of
the lady she worked for.
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Beautifully, the
house was nestled right
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on the side of a
hillside overlooking.
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Our eyes feasted on
the beauty of St. Thomas.
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But we had no
electricity, no running water,
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none of the necessities
of life were functioning.
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We were just laying
on a queen sized bed,
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looking out this panoramic
view of the beauty of disaster,
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wondering what these
residents of the Virgin Islands
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and all the islands
of the Caribbean did
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while they were
waiting for relief to come.
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I scheduled it so that
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the generators would arrive
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when we got
there, but they didn't.
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My brother encouraged me in
a beautiful way and he said,
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"Brother, I know you wanted
the generators to get here
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when you did and
they are still not here.
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They'll be coming
the day you're leaving."
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But I just want you to know
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as I went to the different aunts
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of the family and family members
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that are gonna get a generator,
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they all expressed
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how much they are so grateful
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that you even thought
about us in our time of need.
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Because it's
going to be a long time
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before we get any
response from the government.
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What do you do
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when God seem to be silent,
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or when God seems to extend
His arrival by two more days?
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This morning the message,
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the Silence of the Lamb
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is an attempt to
address those questions.
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Let's stand together.
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I'd like to just
give you a reset.
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If you stand with me,
we're gonna read the scripture,
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reading a very short one,
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but I think that
you've sat so long
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I want to give you
a chance to breathe,
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you know, when they say
when the lungs are folded
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and you don't get oxygen,
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you get comatose
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and you don't
want to get that today.
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John 11:6, let's
read this together,
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is the church ready?
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The Bible says,
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"So, when He
heard that he was sick,
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He stayed two more days
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in the place where He was."
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Father in heaven,
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as we open Your
Word this morning,
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open our hearts and minds,
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breathe into us
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the faith we need
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when God seems to be silent,
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when He seems to be on a delay,
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when our desire
for Him to arrive
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had not yet been fulfilled.
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Lord, give us the
faith to trust You
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in the moments of Your silence.
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In Jesus' name we pray.
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Amen.
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You may be seated.
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I've learned as I have
been in the Virgin Islands
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and seen the disaster
unfolding in so many ways.
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It takes the least
amount of faith to say
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that Jesus is an on-time God
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until you are the
one waiting for Him.
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It didn't take
a whole lot to say
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we serve an on-time God,
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until your
lights are not working,
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and there's no water to drink,
and there's no food to eat,
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and your car is
upside-down down a cliff,
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and your home
has been blown away
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from the second
to the third story
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completely obliterated.
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We saw devastation
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that I didn't
think as my brother said,
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he said, "Take
your heart pills."
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I don't take heart
medication, but he said,
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"When you come here,
take your heart pills,
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you gonna be
shocked by what you see."
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We drove to a
woman's house up the hill.
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And with my drone,
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she said, I'd like to
get some aerial footage
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so that the
insurance companies can have
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what they need to make
an assessment of rebuilding.
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And the second and third story
was completely decapitated,
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blown off, car
blown over the cliff.
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It looked like a bomb
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had fallen
right on her property.
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And the stories go on and on.
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Hotel roofs completely
removed, third floor is removed,
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cars turned upside down
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as though they
were made of paper,
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poles everywhere.
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And I said, "Is this
how it is all the time?"
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She said, "This is how it is."
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So what are you
guys doing about it?
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We're just waiting for help,
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been praying for
more than a month,
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waiting for help.
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What do you do
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when God seems to be silent
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and you had hoped He would come,
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but He had not yet arrived?
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The story begins in John 11.
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If you have your
Bibles with you this morning,
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go there with me.
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We're gonna walk
through this scenario
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to see how important it is
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to trust God even
when He is silent.
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It takes the least
amount of faith to say
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that Jesus is always on time
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until you are the
one waiting for Him.
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We pick up the
narrative in John 11
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and we read verse 1 to verse 3.
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The Bible says, "Now
a certain man was sick,
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Lazarus of Bethany,
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the town of Mary
and her sister Martha.
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It was that Mary
who anointed the Lord
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with fragrant oil
and wiped his feet
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with her hair,
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whose brother Lazarus, was sick.
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Therefore the
sisters sent to Him, saying,
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"Lord, behold, he
whom You love is sick.'"
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When I read the story,
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the servant of the
Lord said that when the news
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of Lazarus's
illness reached Jesus,
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Mary and Martha did not send it
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with an urgent
tone connected to it.
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They didn't text Jesus and say,
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"Respond, if you get this text."
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They didn't send
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a red letter saying, "Come now."
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Because Mary and
Martha did not feel
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the need for persistence,
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they considered
Jesus to be the closest
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of their friends.
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When they called on Jesus,
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they did not call
on Him like others did.
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This was the one that
spent time in their home,
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this was the one
that ate with them,
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and laughed with
them, and talked with them.
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This was the one,
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the family with whom
Jesus was most comfortable.
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So they didn't
feel the need to say,
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"Come now, we need your help.
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Please, if you
would, just come."
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These two sisters knew
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that they had
such a friend in Jesus
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that He would come knowing
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that his friend
Lazarus was severely sick.
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The Bible
continues the story though.
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In verse 4, the Bible says,
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"When Jesus heard that,
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He said, 'This
sickness is not unto death,
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but for the glory of God,
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that the Son of God may
be glorified through it.'"
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This is not
something that is gonna cause
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any major impact,
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this is not unto
death, this is not that bad.
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But when you read the
narrative and you understand
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what had happened prior to this,
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that response
caused his disciples
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to further doubt his divinity
because not long before this,
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they'd already
questioned the silence of Jesus
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in reference to not
visiting John the Baptist,
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when he was in prison.
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And even the question,
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"Are you the one
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or is there
somebody else to come?"
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When Jesus doesn't respond,
could you possibly be Jesus?
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Could you be the Divine One?
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So to hear this again,
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they begin to further question
his divinity, wondering,
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is He in fact the Christ,
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or is there
something in our mind
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that may be a
little off kilter to think
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that he really does care.
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Because He listens to the news
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and He says it's
not that serious.
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But when you do
follow the story,
00:10:06.77\00:10:08.14
you'll find that
the next two verses
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could severely cloud
your understanding of God.
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If you received
a message like this
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while your
brother is slipping away.
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Look at verse 5 and 6.
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The Bible says,
"Now Jesus loved Martha."
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Now Jesus what?
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"Loved Martha, and
her sister and Lazarus."
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And this is the verse on
which the sermon is founded.
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"So when He
heard that he was sick,
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He stayed two more days
in the place where He was."
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Now you got to get this.
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Two days had already passed
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and when you think about
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the absolute silence
in the home of Bethany,
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Martha and Mary thinking
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that by now
Jesus would have come,
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I could think of day one
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they would have
said to each other,
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"I know He's on
His way, He loves us.
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I mean, this is the guy
that is always at our house,
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He loves us.
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I know He's on
His way." Day two.
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Martha, "He'll be here soon."
00:11:08.96\00:11:11.30
There's got to be
some reason for the delay,
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but to compound it.
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Verse 7 comes into the story.
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Verse 7 comes into the scenario.
00:11:20.71\00:11:23.14
Verse 7 comes now
00:11:23.18\00:11:24.91
into the movie roll as it were.
00:11:24.95\00:11:29.82
"Then after this,"
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after He said,
let's stay two more days,
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He said the following words,
"Let us go to Judea again."
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You've got to get the picture.
00:11:39.96\00:11:41.80
You've got to
look at the setting.
00:11:41.83\00:11:43.73
Here is Lazarus
slipping away in illness,
00:11:43.77\00:11:47.70
Mary and Martha says,
00:11:47.74\00:11:49.90
"Come, our brother,
the one that You love,"
00:11:49.94\00:11:52.47
and they
specifically said it that way,
00:11:52.51\00:11:54.31
"The one whom You love is
sick, would You please come."
00:11:54.34\00:11:58.25
And Jesus says,
00:11:58.28\00:12:00.08
"Well, let's go to Judea first,"
00:12:00.12\00:12:02.88
and then He decides
00:12:02.92\00:12:04.25
to stay away for
two additional days,
00:12:04.29\00:12:07.16
almost with a sense
00:12:07.19\00:12:08.52
that this is not as
urgent as it needs to be.
00:12:08.56\00:12:12.69
And Mary and Martha
are there waiting for Jesus
00:12:12.73\00:12:16.13
and when you think about
00:12:16.16\00:12:17.50
where they're
located, they're in Bethany.
00:12:17.53\00:12:19.37
Judea is on its way to Bethany,
00:12:19.40\00:12:21.87
but the reason why
the disciples did not want
00:12:21.90\00:12:23.74
Jesus to go to Judea,
00:12:23.77\00:12:25.47
but directly to Bethany
00:12:25.51\00:12:26.84
is disclosed in
the very next verse.
00:12:26.88\00:12:29.04
Look at verse 8.
00:12:29.08\00:12:30.98
"The disciples said to Him,
00:12:31.01\00:12:32.35
"Rabbi, lately the
Jews sought to stone You,
00:12:32.38\00:12:34.32
and You are going there again?"
00:12:34.35\00:12:36.05
But I want to say,
00:12:36.08\00:12:37.42
when I read this verse I
paused and I thought to myself,
00:12:37.45\00:12:39.85
you see the
emphasis is not just about
00:12:39.89\00:12:43.96
what we're going
through while we wait for Jesus,
00:12:43.99\00:12:46.26
but hear me carefully.
00:12:46.29\00:12:47.63
The emphasis is what
Jesus is willing to go
00:12:47.66\00:12:50.60
through just to get to us.
00:12:50.63\00:12:53.20
Because He put
Himself in harm's way
00:12:53.23\00:12:57.61
just to get to Bethany.
00:12:57.64\00:12:59.44
He didn't have to go to Judea,
00:12:59.47\00:13:01.08
but He went to Judea
00:13:01.11\00:13:03.28
knowing that His life
was in jeopardy there,
00:13:03.31\00:13:06.18
knowing that He
could have been killed,
00:13:06.21\00:13:08.38
He could have been injured,
00:13:08.42\00:13:09.75
His disciples were
fearful for their lives,
00:13:09.78\00:13:11.75
but He went through Judea
knowing the circumstances,
00:13:11.79\00:13:16.36
but He did that ill-concerned
about His own safety,
00:13:16.39\00:13:21.86
but more concerned by the safety
00:13:21.90\00:13:24.90
and the need of Mary and Martha.
00:13:24.93\00:13:27.84
So when you're
going through stuff,
00:13:27.87\00:13:29.84
remember this,
00:13:29.87\00:13:31.21
what we're going
through, hear me carefully,
00:13:31.24\00:13:32.91
is nothing compared
00:13:32.94\00:13:34.28
to what Jesus
went through for us.
00:13:34.31\00:13:36.04
Every crisis we face
00:13:40.42\00:13:42.28
is based on a
particular time frame.
00:13:42.32\00:13:46.42
What we're going through
00:13:46.45\00:13:48.69
is nothing
compared to what Jesus went
00:13:48.72\00:13:50.13
through for us.
00:13:50.16\00:13:51.63
In times like these
00:13:51.66\00:13:52.99
we tend to
minimize His sacrifice
00:13:53.03\00:13:54.36
and maximize our anxieties.
00:13:54.40\00:13:57.07
We tend to focus
less on His investment
00:13:57.10\00:13:59.20
and we tend to focus
more on our requirements.
00:13:59.23\00:14:02.64
I know what He's
doing, but what about my needs
00:14:02.67\00:14:05.04
and I thought about
that in the Virgin Islands,
00:14:05.07\00:14:07.14
while we were there
walking the streets,
00:14:07.18\00:14:09.88
asking people to
tell us their story.
00:14:09.91\00:14:12.58
There's a restaurant
that we frequented there
00:14:12.61\00:14:14.55
in the Virgin Islands,
00:14:14.58\00:14:15.92
and I asked my
brother about this place,
00:14:15.95\00:14:17.29
it's called Victor's
Hideout, a Caribbean restaurant,
00:14:17.32\00:14:20.46
very good food.
00:14:20.49\00:14:22.06
You know, when you're in a place
00:14:22.09\00:14:24.16
like the Caribbean,
you don't need to cook,
00:14:24.19\00:14:26.13
everything tastes
like home cooked food.
00:14:26.16\00:14:28.53
Anybody know what
I'm talking about?
00:14:28.56\00:14:31.27
When you go to those countries
00:14:31.30\00:14:32.63
where they
really know how to cook.
00:14:32.67\00:14:34.00
I'm not talking about Paris.
00:14:39.51\00:14:43.08
I'm talking about
good old Caribbean food,
00:14:43.11\00:14:46.05
seasoned like
mama would cook it.
00:14:46.08\00:14:48.48
When you're there
00:14:48.52\00:14:50.29
and you remember the name
of your favorite restaurant...
00:14:50.32\00:14:53.76
What happened to
Victor's Hideout,
00:14:53.79\00:14:55.39
because it's perched on the hill
00:14:55.42\00:14:57.09
overlooking the bay,
00:14:57.13\00:14:58.66
glass windows all the
way through the restaurant,
00:14:58.69\00:15:01.26
and I said, what
happened to Victor's Hideout?
00:15:01.30\00:15:03.10
And my brother said,
00:15:03.13\00:15:04.47
well, I'm sure it
sustained some kind of damage.
00:15:04.50\00:15:07.90
But he didn't tell me,
00:15:07.94\00:15:09.70
he did not
prepare me for what I saw.
00:15:09.74\00:15:13.17
The roof had been ripped
off of the entire restaurant.
00:15:13.21\00:15:17.58
I mean, think
about a restaurant,
00:15:17.61\00:15:18.95
the width of this room,
the roof is completely gone,
00:15:18.98\00:15:21.72
every window was blown out,
00:15:21.75\00:15:25.02
everything was
completely devastated.
00:15:25.05\00:15:28.46
And I have some video
to show you about that.
00:15:28.49\00:15:31.69
But I thought about it
00:15:31.73\00:15:33.70
when we are in
moments like those,
00:15:33.73\00:15:36.77
I had a chance to talk to
the owner of the restaurant.
00:15:36.80\00:15:40.90
And I said, can I see Victor?
00:15:40.94\00:15:43.81
Because I knew
that he wanted pictures
00:15:43.84\00:15:45.17
for obvious reasons to see
00:15:45.21\00:15:46.98
what it looks
like now and ask him
00:15:47.01\00:15:49.44
whether or not he
plans on rebuilding.
00:15:49.48\00:15:51.28
And I said,
Victor, what happened?
00:15:51.31\00:15:52.65
He said, you know,
00:15:52.68\00:15:54.02
the day after the
restaurant was blown apart,
00:15:54.05\00:15:56.35
we were open for business.
00:15:56.38\00:15:59.15
I said, "How is that?"
00:15:59.19\00:16:00.92
He said, in the basement.
00:16:00.96\00:16:03.06
The kitchen was left intact
00:16:03.09\00:16:05.33
and we opened
immediately the very next day
00:16:05.36\00:16:07.90
because our focus was
that people need our help.
00:16:07.93\00:16:13.54
They gave food to
the emergency responders,
00:16:13.57\00:16:17.01
to the police department,
00:16:17.04\00:16:18.64
to those whose
homes were devastated.
00:16:18.67\00:16:20.48
He said, after I saw
00:16:20.51\00:16:21.84
what had happened
to the restaurant,
00:16:21.88\00:16:23.21
I determined there is no way
00:16:23.24\00:16:24.85
that I'm going to
rebuild in this location.
00:16:24.88\00:16:27.22
But he said,
00:16:27.25\00:16:28.58
when the people
began to show up.
00:16:28.62\00:16:30.12
He said, I didn't have
00:16:30.15\00:16:31.49
the desire to go
through rebuilding again,
00:16:31.52\00:16:33.76
but now I see,
I've got to rebuild
00:16:33.79\00:16:36.73
because they need
00:16:36.76\00:16:38.09
this kind of
service in the community.
00:16:38.13\00:16:41.76
So he's rebuilding.
00:16:41.80\00:16:43.20
But when you're in that moment,
00:16:43.23\00:16:44.57
the seeds of darkness tend
to give way to misunderstanding
00:16:44.60\00:16:47.80
and we tend to think that
00:16:47.84\00:16:49.57
because help
hasn't come right away
00:16:49.60\00:16:52.07
that we lean more on our anxiety
00:16:52.11\00:16:55.01
than on the investment
that Jesus is on His way.
00:16:55.04\00:16:59.85
And the story is endless.
00:16:59.88\00:17:01.22
We try to go visit
some of the hotels,
00:17:01.25\00:17:02.78
but they were barred,
there are police everywhere,
00:17:02.82\00:17:04.95
and there are
emergency responders
00:17:04.99\00:17:06.99
and there are military.
00:17:07.02\00:17:10.33
There's some places
you can even get to see,
00:17:10.36\00:17:12.39
they've been so devastated.
00:17:12.43\00:17:13.76
But when you begin to
embrace misunderstanding
00:17:17.43\00:17:20.84
that's why Jesus
inserted verse 9 in the story.
00:17:20.87\00:17:24.24
Look at it with me.
00:17:24.27\00:17:26.31
"Jesus answered,
00:17:26.34\00:17:28.51
'Are there not
twelve hours in the day?
00:17:28.54\00:17:31.68
If anyone walks in the
day, he does not stumble,
00:17:31.71\00:17:34.55
because he sees the
light of this world.'"
00:17:34.58\00:17:37.62
In other words, if we
keep our eyes on Jesus,
00:17:37.65\00:17:40.42
we won't be troubled
about what we don't know.
00:17:40.46\00:17:43.83
Amen.
00:17:43.86\00:17:45.53
If you've got the
light of the world,
00:17:45.56\00:17:47.90
how can you be in darkness?
00:17:47.93\00:17:50.47
He says, "If you keep
your eyes fixed on the light,
00:17:50.50\00:17:56.40
you won't walk in darkness."
00:17:56.44\00:17:58.27
Look at John 8:12.
00:17:58.31\00:18:01.64
"Jesus spoke to
them again, saying,
00:18:01.68\00:18:03.85
'I am the light of the world.
00:18:03.88\00:18:06.31
He who follows Me
shall not walk in darkness,"
00:18:06.35\00:18:08.68
but have what?
00:18:08.72\00:18:10.25
"The light of life."
00:18:10.29\00:18:12.15
When the moment
doesn't make sense,
00:18:12.19\00:18:15.19
you got to trust
00:18:15.22\00:18:16.59
that Jesus is still in
control of the final outcome.
00:18:16.62\00:18:20.73
My brother and I
were standing there
00:18:24.37\00:18:25.70
at the window
00:18:25.73\00:18:27.07
and he begins to talk to the guy
00:18:27.10\00:18:28.44
behind the window in
a very comfortable way,
00:18:28.47\00:18:29.80
and I'm thinking, does he know?
00:18:29.84\00:18:31.17
I said, "You know him?"
00:18:31.21\00:18:32.54
"No, I don't know him,
00:18:32.57\00:18:33.91
but I know the guy
standing behind him."
00:18:33.94\00:18:35.28
"Who was that guy?"
00:18:35.31\00:18:36.64
He calls him to the
window, I won't mention his name
00:18:36.68\00:18:39.25
and they begin to talk
about their fishing experience,
00:18:39.28\00:18:41.38
how they were out
on the ocean together
00:18:41.42\00:18:43.05
and my brother caught a shark
00:18:43.08\00:18:44.45
and pulled it on
board and he looked around
00:18:44.49\00:18:46.22
for his friend to help
00:18:46.25\00:18:47.59
and he was in
the back of the boat
00:18:47.62\00:18:50.09
and they began to laugh together
00:18:50.13\00:18:51.59
and then this friend
says, "What are you doing here?"
00:18:51.63\00:18:53.06
He says, "I'm here to pick up
00:18:53.09\00:18:54.43
some generators
four generators."
00:18:54.46\00:18:56.00
And then he said to his friend,
"What are you doing here?"
00:18:56.03\00:18:57.97
He said, "I'm the
manager of the warehouse."
00:18:58.00\00:19:01.90
And what does that mean?
00:19:01.94\00:19:03.27
When anything
arrives, I know it's here.
00:19:03.30\00:19:08.58
Can I see your paperwork?
00:19:08.61\00:19:10.45
They exchange numbers.
Praise the Lord, He works.
00:19:10.48\00:19:13.72
The Lord get you in
touch with those you need
00:19:13.75\00:19:16.12
in the most crisis of moments.
00:19:16.15\00:19:19.09
Gave their phone numbers
to each other, and he said,
00:19:19.12\00:19:21.92
"When it gets
here, you will have it."
00:19:21.96\00:19:27.26
And you need
that kind of assurance
00:19:27.30\00:19:28.63
because people have taken stuff,
00:19:28.66\00:19:32.10
people are mailing
things down that disappear,
00:19:32.13\00:19:35.97
never get to the people
that it intended to get to.
00:19:36.00\00:19:39.07
But Jesus said,
"If you follow Me,
00:19:39.11\00:19:41.61
you will not walk in darkness."
00:19:41.64\00:19:43.38
You see, when I read that
text I thought about the text,
00:19:43.41\00:19:45.35
"The just shall live by faith."
00:19:45.38\00:19:46.98
The just shall live by what?
00:19:47.02\00:19:49.58
Which means, when
you're following the Lord,
00:19:49.62\00:19:51.25
you don't need all the facts,
00:19:51.29\00:19:52.75
you just need to trust
God that He is in charge
00:19:52.79\00:19:55.82
and He will handle the moment.
00:19:55.86\00:19:58.96
In Desire of Ages,
00:19:58.99\00:20:00.33
the Lord's
servant says in page 527,
00:20:00.36\00:20:03.16
speaking about those
who trust God, she says,
00:20:03.20\00:20:04.87
"The light of
God's guiding Spirit
00:20:04.90\00:20:07.57
gives him a clear
perception of his duty,
00:20:07.60\00:20:10.71
and leads him aright
till the close of work."
00:20:10.74\00:20:14.91
In other words, when
you are following God,
00:20:14.94\00:20:17.18
you don't need to
be caught in anxiety.
00:20:17.21\00:20:19.51
If you simply keep
your eyes on the light,
00:20:19.55\00:20:21.38
the light will guide you
00:20:21.42\00:20:22.78
because the
light belongs to God,
00:20:22.82\00:20:24.92
belongs to Jesus
00:20:24.95\00:20:26.29
who is, in fact,
the light of the world.
00:20:26.32\00:20:29.49
But go back to John
11 and look at verse 10.
00:20:29.52\00:20:34.13
He reiterates this even further.
00:20:34.16\00:20:37.17
John 11:10, the Bible says,
00:20:37.20\00:20:41.50
"But if one walks in
the night, he stumbles,
00:20:41.54\00:20:43.97
because the
light is not with him,"
00:20:44.01\00:20:46.37
which simply means
00:20:46.41\00:20:47.84
when we attempt to use
the reasoning of humanity
00:20:47.88\00:20:50.75
to figure out the
intellect of divinity,
00:20:50.78\00:20:53.08
we will always fall short.
00:20:53.11\00:20:55.22
Amen, Joe?
00:20:55.25\00:20:56.92
When we use human ingenuity
00:20:56.95\00:20:59.62
to try to corner
divine intellectuality,
00:20:59.65\00:21:02.62
we'll always fall short
00:21:02.66\00:21:04.76
because the fact
of the matter is,
00:21:04.79\00:21:06.13
the Lord doesn't
have to tell us everything
00:21:06.16\00:21:07.66
that He's gonna
do before He does it.
00:21:07.70\00:21:09.30
If we believe Him by faith,
all we need to have is faith,
00:21:09.33\00:21:13.37
not necessarily all the facts.
00:21:13.40\00:21:15.50
That's what He said in John 10.
00:21:22.04\00:21:25.01
John 11:11.
00:21:25.05\00:21:28.25
Look at these
words. Look at these words.
00:21:28.28\00:21:30.99
"These things He said, and
after that He said to them,
00:21:37.03\00:21:41.76
'Our friend Lazarus sleeps,
00:21:41.80\00:21:45.40
but I go that I
may wake him up.'"
00:21:45.43\00:21:47.70
If I walk on the
light I won't stumble,
00:21:50.77\00:21:53.44
if I walk in the
dark I will stumble.
00:21:53.48\00:21:56.44
If I trust you by
faith, I don't have to worry,
00:21:56.48\00:21:59.31
but if I don't
trust you by faith,
00:21:59.35\00:22:00.72
I'll always fall
short of understanding
00:22:00.75\00:22:02.55
what's taken place.
00:22:02.58\00:22:04.29
Hold on to that, but
now let's go see Lazarus.
00:22:04.32\00:22:06.96
Lazarus is sleeping,
00:22:06.99\00:22:08.32
but I'm gonna go
that I may wake him up.
00:22:08.36\00:22:10.46
Since your mind is
on the death of Lazarus
00:22:10.49\00:22:12.09
that's going to
finish the scenario,
00:22:12.13\00:22:13.60
verse 12 and verse 14.
00:22:13.63\00:22:15.33
Verse 12 to verse 14.
00:22:15.36\00:22:17.43
"Then His disciples
said, 'Lord if he sleeps,
00:22:17.47\00:22:19.67
he will get well.'"
00:22:19.70\00:22:21.20
If somebody is sick
and they're getting rest,
00:22:21.24\00:22:23.47
praise the Lord,
they will get well,
00:22:23.51\00:22:24.84
the body will recover itself.
00:22:24.87\00:22:27.44
"However, Jesus
spoke of his death,
00:22:27.48\00:22:29.84
but they thought
00:22:29.88\00:22:31.51
that He was speaking
about taking rest and sleep.
00:22:31.55\00:22:34.38
Then Jesus said
to them plainly,"
00:22:34.42\00:22:36.85
can we say this together?
00:22:36.89\00:22:38.39
Are you ready?
"Lazarus is dead."
00:22:38.42\00:22:42.52
Two more days. I
know He is on His way.
00:22:46.23\00:22:50.27
There must be some
reason for the delay.
00:22:50.30\00:22:52.87
Day three, I don't
know what happened to Him.
00:22:52.90\00:22:57.74
Day four, nobody
says anything just eye...
00:22:57.77\00:23:01.34
Just eye contact,
just physical gestures,
00:23:09.32\00:23:13.46
frustrated and to
add insult to injury...
00:23:13.49\00:23:16.83
to add insult to injury
00:23:16.86\00:23:18.69
a total of four days
00:23:18.73\00:23:22.36
culminate with Jesus
arriving at the scene,
00:23:22.40\00:23:26.43
walking in with great confidence
00:23:26.47\00:23:28.90
into a scene
00:23:28.94\00:23:30.27
that had become
paramount to death,
00:23:30.31\00:23:33.78
devastation,
disappointment, grief,
00:23:33.81\00:23:37.28
and a crowd of
mourners are gathered,
00:23:37.31\00:23:41.92
mourning the death of Lazarus.
00:23:41.95\00:23:44.42
And Jesus walks in,
00:23:44.45\00:23:46.25
and then there
are religious leaders,
00:23:46.29\00:23:48.56
the Pharisees,
believing in the resurrection,
00:23:48.59\00:23:50.83
the Sadducees not
believing in the resurrection,
00:23:50.86\00:23:53.03
they're all gathered there
at the home of Mary and Martha
00:23:53.06\00:23:57.83
in Bethany and Jesus walks in.
00:23:57.87\00:24:01.04
And He's met with the
grief stricken statement
00:24:01.07\00:24:03.41
of the two sisters
00:24:03.44\00:24:05.17
and Martha leads
the way in verse 21.
00:24:05.21\00:24:07.78
Go there quickly
with me, with these words.
00:24:07.81\00:24:10.81
John 11:21,
"Martha said to Jesus,
00:24:10.85\00:24:15.32
'Lord, if you had been here,
00:24:15.35\00:24:17.29
my brother
would not have died.'"
00:24:17.32\00:24:20.02
And when you continue
the story in verse 32,
00:24:20.06\00:24:21.76
Mary says the same thing,
00:24:21.79\00:24:23.26
"If you had been here,
00:24:23.29\00:24:24.63
my brother would not have died."
00:24:24.66\00:24:27.80
Now indulge me for a moment,
because when I read this,
00:24:27.83\00:24:31.43
it takes me to
the same statements
00:24:31.47\00:24:33.07
that many
people have made today,
00:24:33.10\00:24:34.44
a lot of people have said that.
00:24:34.47\00:24:36.57
I've heard a
lot of people say...
00:24:36.60\00:24:37.94
As Martha and Mary
did, they accused Jesus
00:24:42.24\00:24:46.41
of not preventing
the death of Lazarus.
00:24:46.45\00:24:51.39
And I asked you the question,
00:24:51.42\00:24:52.75
how many times have
you heard people say,
00:24:52.79\00:24:54.86
"I'm not blaming
Him for his death,
00:24:54.89\00:24:56.22
I'm just saying
00:24:56.26\00:24:57.59
that He could
have prevented it."
00:24:57.63\00:25:01.16
Have you heard that, everyone?
00:25:01.20\00:25:02.53
"I'm not saying
that Jesus is the cause,
00:25:02.56\00:25:05.30
but He could
have done something."
00:25:05.33\00:25:08.10
I've been to the
funerals of people who said,
00:25:08.14\00:25:09.67
"I prayed, nothing happened."
00:25:09.70\00:25:12.24
But what they did not know
and I have to insert this here,
00:25:12.27\00:25:15.68
what they did not know, Tim,
was this that Jesus had far,
00:25:15.71\00:25:20.68
had something far
better than preventing death,
00:25:20.72\00:25:24.35
Jesus came not to prevent death,
00:25:24.39\00:25:27.56
Jesus came to defeat death.
00:25:27.59\00:25:32.89
You got to understand that.
00:25:32.93\00:25:35.13
Jesus did not come to
keep the Hebrew worthies
00:25:35.16\00:25:37.83
out of the furnace,
00:25:37.87\00:25:39.20
He came to sustain
them in the furnace.
00:25:39.23\00:25:41.70
He didn't come to
keep Daniel out of the den,
00:25:41.74\00:25:43.47
He came to show you
00:25:43.51\00:25:44.84
that He's a big
enough God to take care of us
00:25:44.87\00:25:47.14
even when we are in the den.
00:25:47.18\00:25:50.51
He didn't come to deliver
the disciples from the storm,
00:25:50.55\00:25:52.88
He came to be
with them in the storm.
00:25:52.91\00:25:55.68
And so often we
get to that place
00:25:55.72\00:25:57.12
where I've heard
family members and people say,
00:25:57.15\00:26:00.09
"He could have done something,"
00:26:00.12\00:26:01.46
and there are people
that leave the church,
00:26:01.49\00:26:02.89
they walk away from God.
00:26:02.92\00:26:04.59
They're upset that
He did not do something.
00:26:04.63\00:26:06.63
I didn't get the
job. My deal fell through.
00:26:06.66\00:26:10.53
My house got
destroyed in the hurricane.
00:26:10.57\00:26:12.80
And they wonder, why
didn't God do something
00:26:12.83\00:26:16.84
to prevent all this hurt,
and pain, and devastation.
00:26:16.87\00:26:21.91
After all He is God.
00:26:21.94\00:26:24.11
And by the way, do you
know that that is the statement
00:26:24.15\00:26:26.82
that atheists use the
most to throw at Christians.
00:26:26.85\00:26:30.89
If God really is God, why
is there so much suffering,
00:26:30.92\00:26:34.12
they say.
00:26:34.16\00:26:35.59
If He really is God,
why is there so much death,
00:26:35.62\00:26:39.49
and pain, and
suffering in the world?
00:26:39.53\00:26:41.96
And my response is, but
is there joy in the world?
00:26:42.00\00:26:45.77
Oh, yes, there is.
00:26:45.80\00:26:47.14
So that if you see that pain
00:26:47.17\00:26:48.50
is the evidence of
the absence of God,
00:26:48.54\00:26:50.41
then joy must be the
evidence of the presence of God.
00:26:50.44\00:26:53.78
Jesus did not
come to prevent death.
00:26:58.55\00:27:01.25
Jesus came to defeat
death. Amen somebody.
00:27:01.28\00:27:05.05
But now there He is,
00:27:05.09\00:27:06.45
Lazarus wrapped
00:27:06.49\00:27:07.82
in the grave
clothes of his inactivity,
00:27:07.86\00:27:09.92
sealed in the tomb of finality,
his hopes and dreams are dead,
00:27:09.96\00:27:13.93
and any thought of a
tomorrow finally ceased.
00:27:13.96\00:27:19.37
But there is Jesus.
00:27:19.40\00:27:21.97
As I was sitting on
the plane yesterday,
00:27:22.00\00:27:25.54
working on my sermon,
00:27:25.57\00:27:28.64
I didn't want to go
to bed at 3 o'clock,
00:27:28.68\00:27:31.75
so I went to bed
at 3:44 instead...
00:27:31.78\00:27:33.95
On the plane
working on my sermon,
00:27:37.59\00:27:40.46
in the airport
working on my sermon,
00:27:40.49\00:27:44.16
got to get this done.
00:27:44.19\00:27:45.69
When I got home last night,
00:27:45.73\00:27:48.10
"Oh, closer to 1 o'clock,
00:27:48.13\00:27:49.63
I said, well, I
only have the last page.
00:27:49.66\00:27:52.57
I didn't know the last page
00:27:52.60\00:27:53.94
would take 2
hours and 24 minutes.
00:27:53.97\00:27:56.81
How does the last
page take that long,
00:27:56.84\00:27:59.84
when the first five
didn't take much time at all?
00:27:59.87\00:28:03.24
Because the Lord said don't rush
00:28:03.28\00:28:04.61
through this message,
you've got to get it clearly.
00:28:04.65\00:28:07.35
You see, amid the undeserving
accusations of the crowd,
00:28:07.38\00:28:11.22
Jesus is there, but
He narrows His focus,
00:28:11.25\00:28:13.99
under the unceasing
hail of condemnation,
00:28:14.02\00:28:16.59
Jesus remains resolute,
00:28:16.62\00:28:18.99
surrounded by satanic confusion,
00:28:19.03\00:28:20.96
nothing distracts
Jesus as He walks His way
00:28:21.00\00:28:24.93
toward the crowd,
00:28:24.97\00:28:26.30
the mourners, the
Pharisees, the Sadducees,
00:28:26.33\00:28:28.50
the religious doubters,
00:28:28.54\00:28:29.94
those who continually doubted
00:28:29.97\00:28:31.74
whether or not He
had any power at all.
00:28:31.77\00:28:33.98
Jesus is focused,
He remains resolute.
00:28:34.01\00:28:36.41
He is not distracted
00:28:36.44\00:28:37.78
by anything
happening around Him.
00:28:37.81\00:28:39.78
Would to God that would describe
00:28:39.81\00:28:41.82
some of us in the
midst of our difficulty,
00:28:41.85\00:28:45.99
nothing distracts us,
and what does Jesus say,
00:28:46.02\00:28:49.59
I love what He says.
00:28:49.62\00:28:50.96
Look at verse 34.
00:28:50.99\00:28:52.33
What does Jesus
say to the accusations,
00:28:52.36\00:28:54.50
to the
condemnation, to the confusion,
00:28:54.53\00:28:56.40
what does Jesus say?
00:28:56.43\00:28:57.77
I love the words.
00:28:57.80\00:28:59.13
A short verse,
but powerful verse 34,
00:28:59.17\00:29:00.97
and He said together,
00:29:01.00\00:29:02.97
"Where have you laid him?"
00:29:03.00\00:29:07.18
Where have you laid him?
00:29:07.21\00:29:08.94
There's more to the
question that meets the eye.
00:29:08.98\00:29:13.05
And let me tell you
what is meant by that.
00:29:13.08\00:29:15.55
Jesus could have easily come
00:29:15.58\00:29:17.62
when there was
Martha and Mary alone,
00:29:17.65\00:29:20.19
there would have been no crowd,
00:29:20.22\00:29:21.69
but here's a point
that came to me so clearly
00:29:21.72\00:29:23.43
as I was thinking to myself.
00:29:23.46\00:29:24.93
Why didn't He show up earlier
and I know theologically,
00:29:24.96\00:29:28.13
you understand some
of you're really deep,
00:29:28.16\00:29:30.37
Jesus stayed away
00:29:30.40\00:29:31.73
because there was a
belief that continued to exist,
00:29:31.77\00:29:34.54
that the soul
would try for four days
00:29:34.57\00:29:36.67
to get back into the body
00:29:36.71\00:29:38.41
and if it did then the
person would come back to life.
00:29:38.44\00:29:40.88
That's the one reason
00:29:40.91\00:29:42.24
why Jesus stayed
away for four days.
00:29:42.28\00:29:44.01
He wanted to show them
00:29:44.05\00:29:45.45
that you don't come back to life
00:29:45.48\00:29:46.98
because the soul is in charge,
00:29:47.02\00:29:48.62
you will only come back to
life because I'm in charge.
00:29:48.65\00:29:52.25
That's the one reason,
but there's a deeper reason.
00:29:52.29\00:29:55.12
Had Jesus showed up
00:29:58.16\00:30:02.73
when He first received the news,
00:30:02.76\00:30:05.80
there would have
been no mourners,
00:30:05.83\00:30:08.70
there would have been no
skeptical religious leaders.
00:30:08.74\00:30:11.37
There would have been
no Pharisees, no Sadducees,
00:30:11.41\00:30:14.34
nobody there that
doubted His divinity.
00:30:14.38\00:30:17.51
Mary and Martha would have been
00:30:17.55\00:30:18.95
the only ones to
witness the miracle.
00:30:18.98\00:30:23.02
But get this, this
is about to get deep.
00:30:23.05\00:30:25.39
Sometimes Jesus waits
00:30:25.42\00:30:27.56
until you are surrounded
by your doubters for Him
00:30:27.59\00:30:32.43
to do something
spectacular for you.
00:30:32.46\00:30:35.66
Sometimes Jesus waits
00:30:35.70\00:30:37.10
so that the very ones
that celebrated your defeat
00:30:37.13\00:30:39.90
will be the first ones
to witness your victory.
00:30:39.93\00:30:43.30
Think about that.
00:30:43.34\00:30:44.84
The ones that said,
nothing is gonna happen,
00:30:44.87\00:30:48.14
and all of a sudden
something far greater than
00:30:48.18\00:30:50.31
you can ever imagine
happens before their eyes,
00:30:50.35\00:30:53.55
and instead of doubting now
00:30:53.58\00:30:55.55
they become the first
ones to witness the victory
00:30:55.58\00:31:00.39
that Jesus brings your way
00:31:00.42\00:31:02.92
in the presence
of those that doubt,
00:31:02.96\00:31:05.23
and that is why
00:31:05.26\00:31:06.59
the Psalmist
David wrote these words,
00:31:06.63\00:31:08.66
"Thou prepare us
a table before me
00:31:08.70\00:31:11.27
in the presence of mine enemies,
00:31:11.30\00:31:13.20
Thou anointed my head
with oil, my cup," what?
00:31:13.23\00:31:16.14
"Runs over."
00:31:16.17\00:31:17.81
So Martha and Mary are there.
00:31:17.84\00:31:19.74
The Pharisees are there.
00:31:19.77\00:31:21.61
I don't believe in resurrection,
00:31:21.64\00:31:23.55
I believe in the resurrection.
00:31:23.58\00:31:25.38
He cannot do it, He can do it.
00:31:25.41\00:31:28.22
He's not divine, He is divine.
00:31:28.25\00:31:31.29
That's not the
Christ, He is the Christ.
00:31:31.32\00:31:33.32
Then why don't He do something?
00:31:33.36\00:31:35.19
Show me where he is laying.
00:31:35.22\00:31:38.43
And what they did not
know is this is the moment
00:31:38.46\00:31:41.10
that Jesus had been
planning for a long time.
00:31:41.13\00:31:43.47
Come on, Pastor
Shelton, can you say amen?
00:31:43.50\00:31:45.53
And planning this a long time,
00:31:45.57\00:31:46.90
He couldn't do this earlier
00:31:46.94\00:31:48.27
because had He
done this earlier,
00:31:48.30\00:31:49.90
they would have made their minds
00:31:49.94\00:31:51.47
to get rid of
Jesus a long time ago.
00:31:51.51\00:31:55.41
But this was the story
00:31:55.44\00:31:58.25
that pushed the mission of those
00:31:58.28\00:32:00.72
that sought His death.
00:32:00.75\00:32:02.42
This was the miracle
that sealed the fate of Jesus.
00:32:02.45\00:32:08.42
They didn't mind
that He fed the 5000.
00:32:08.46\00:32:10.03
They did not mind
00:32:10.06\00:32:11.39
that He multiplied
the loaves and the fishes.
00:32:11.43\00:32:12.89
They did not mind
00:32:12.93\00:32:14.70
that He restored
the sight of the blind.
00:32:14.73\00:32:17.67
They did not mind
that He gave feet to those
00:32:17.70\00:32:19.97
who could not walk.
00:32:20.00\00:32:21.70
They did not mind
that Jesus calmed the waves
00:32:21.74\00:32:25.24
and stilled the seas
and said to the winds hush,
00:32:25.27\00:32:28.41
they didn't mind all that.
00:32:28.44\00:32:30.05
They heard what had happened.
00:32:30.08\00:32:31.75
But this was the sealing moment
00:32:31.78\00:32:33.11
that Jesus waited for
to let them know that,
00:32:33.15\00:32:35.78
"You all doubted My
divinity and My ability,
00:32:35.82\00:32:38.95
but this is My moment."
00:32:38.99\00:32:40.32
And we read
00:32:43.79\00:32:46.66
verse 43 to verse 44.
00:32:46.70\00:32:51.33
I went ahead of
myself, verse 39.
00:32:54.80\00:32:59.51
Verse 39.
00:32:59.54\00:33:04.01
Jesus said...
00:33:04.05\00:33:05.45
What did He say?
00:33:05.48\00:33:07.42
"Take away the stone."
00:33:07.45\00:33:10.65
Martha, the sister of him
who was dead, said to Him,
00:33:10.69\00:33:14.96
'Lord by this
time there is a stench,
00:33:14.99\00:33:18.66
for he had been
dead four days.'"
00:33:18.69\00:33:21.10
Now, I read that
and thought to myself,
00:33:21.13\00:33:23.57
did Jesus not know that?
00:33:23.60\00:33:26.94
Now, let me give you
00:33:26.97\00:33:28.30
the context of
why she said that.
00:33:28.34\00:33:29.67
You see, Jesus could
have said to the stone,
00:33:29.70\00:33:32.51
"Move," but what
we ought to realize
00:33:32.54\00:33:35.74
is there are certain
things that God calls us to do
00:33:35.78\00:33:38.35
that He's not going to do.
00:33:38.38\00:33:41.42
So when we don't do our
part, He won't do His part.
00:33:41.45\00:33:45.59
He could have said to the stone,
00:33:45.62\00:33:46.96
"Be moved," He
could have thought
00:33:46.99\00:33:48.52
and the stone would have moved,
00:33:48.56\00:33:50.13
but there are
moments, hear me carefully,
00:33:50.16\00:33:52.09
there are moments in your life
00:33:52.13\00:33:53.90
that you fail to
do what you have to do
00:33:53.93\00:33:57.10
and you fail to experience
00:33:57.13\00:33:58.47
the blessing of
what Jesus will do,
00:33:58.50\00:34:00.97
which is what His
responsibility is.
00:34:01.00\00:34:04.34
He's not going to do
what we are called to do,
00:34:04.37\00:34:06.74
and we cannot do
what He is equipped to do.
00:34:06.78\00:34:08.98
So He said,
00:34:09.01\00:34:10.35
"Roll away the
stone," and instead...
00:34:10.38\00:34:11.88
instead of Martha
rolling away the stone,
00:34:11.91\00:34:14.28
Satan gives a
moment of discouragement,
00:34:14.32\00:34:16.75
discourages humanity
00:34:16.79\00:34:18.95
from participating with divinity
00:34:18.99\00:34:21.92
because Satan
knows that when we...
00:34:21.96\00:34:23.73
Hear me
carefully, when we respond
00:34:23.76\00:34:26.86
and follow the
command of the Lord,
00:34:26.90\00:34:29.20
victory and
blessings also follow.
00:34:29.23\00:34:31.60
Can you say amen?
00:34:31.63\00:34:33.37
When we follow the
command of the Lord,
00:34:33.40\00:34:36.64
victory and blessings
will naturally follow.
00:34:36.67\00:34:39.94
Roll away the
stone, "By now he stinks."
00:34:39.97\00:34:42.24
I put this in the
sermon, but I deleted it.
00:34:45.31\00:34:48.12
I got to add it back, I mean,
00:34:48.15\00:34:49.48
I was just
impressed to add it back.
00:34:49.52\00:34:53.36
And I want to say this kindly,
00:34:53.39\00:34:55.62
but the thought came
to my mind on the plane.
00:34:55.66\00:34:57.69
The only thing
00:34:57.73\00:34:59.06
that was thinking at that moment
00:34:59.09\00:35:01.30
was her inactivity to
follow the command of God.
00:35:01.33\00:35:05.83
If you would just
simply do what I ask,
00:35:05.87\00:35:08.40
the blessings will follow.
00:35:08.44\00:35:10.51
"If you'd simply
follow My command,
00:35:10.54\00:35:14.31
the victory that
you've been longing
00:35:14.34\00:35:15.74
for would be yours."
00:35:15.78\00:35:17.88
Roll away the stone.
00:35:17.91\00:35:20.15
Verse 43 to verse 44.
00:35:20.18\00:35:22.48
They finally took away the stone
00:35:22.52\00:35:23.85
and Jesus turned up the volume.
00:35:23.89\00:35:25.65
You know what?
00:35:25.69\00:35:27.02
When I read the story,
I wish I had been there.
00:35:27.06\00:35:28.39
Come on, somebody say amen.
00:35:28.42\00:35:29.76
Amen.
00:35:29.79\00:35:31.13
The physically
dead, bound and buried,
00:35:31.16\00:35:33.40
and his only hope is
the physical resurrection.
00:35:33.43\00:35:35.30
You find verse 43,
00:35:35.33\00:35:36.83
they finally
took away the stone,
00:35:36.87\00:35:38.40
and Jesus says in verse 43,
00:35:38.43\00:35:40.34
"Now when He had
said these things,
00:35:40.37\00:35:42.60
He cried with a loud voice,
00:35:42.64\00:35:45.17
'Lazarus, come forth!'"
00:35:45.21\00:35:49.31
Is that what He said?
00:35:49.34\00:35:51.11
"Lazarus, come forth!"
00:35:51.15\00:35:54.92
Is that what He said?
00:35:54.95\00:35:56.35
Can I say what He said?
00:35:56.38\00:35:57.95
"Lazarus, come forth!"
00:35:57.99\00:36:02.99
Amen.
00:36:03.02\00:36:04.36
And the servant of God says,
the voice of the life giver,
00:36:04.39\00:36:08.76
opened the ears of a
man who had been dead
00:36:08.80\00:36:13.94
and had He not specified
00:36:13.97\00:36:19.77
by name,
00:36:19.81\00:36:21.18
the one to whom He called,
00:36:21.21\00:36:23.75
everybody in that
graveyard would have come out.
00:36:23.78\00:36:29.05
Oh, that's what the Bible means
00:36:29.08\00:36:30.42
when it says the
Lord himself shall descend
00:36:30.45\00:36:32.29
from heaven with a what?
00:36:32.32\00:36:33.66
Shout,
00:36:33.69\00:36:35.02
with a voice of a trumpet...
00:36:35.06\00:36:36.86
He called Lazarus.
00:36:40.00\00:36:42.50
The Bible says in verse 44,
00:36:42.53\00:36:43.97
"He who had died came
out bound hand and foot
00:36:44.00\00:36:47.77
with graveclothes,
00:36:47.80\00:36:49.27
and his face was
wrapped with a cloth.
00:36:49.30\00:36:51.81
Jesus said to him...
00:36:51.84\00:36:54.21
Jesus said to them,"
00:36:54.24\00:36:56.08
This is our
added responsibility,
00:36:56.11\00:36:57.85
Jesus said to them, do what?
00:36:57.88\00:37:00.08
"Loose him, and let him go."
00:37:00.12\00:37:01.95
Two times in the story
that Jesus asked for humanity,
00:37:01.98\00:37:05.69
humanity to
participate with divinity.
00:37:05.72\00:37:08.62
Roll away the stone,
lose him and let him go.
00:37:08.66\00:37:10.89
And we got to remember that
00:37:10.93\00:37:12.26
because there are
things that we can do
00:37:12.29\00:37:14.06
to cause
somebody else to be free.
00:37:14.10\00:37:17.20
Amen.
00:37:17.23\00:37:20.67
There're stones in
some people's lives
00:37:20.70\00:37:22.77
locking them in,
00:37:22.80\00:37:24.17
stones in some
people's lives barring them
00:37:24.21\00:37:26.57
from the blessings of God.
00:37:26.61\00:37:27.94
Stones that have been built
00:37:27.98\00:37:29.31
in people's lives
keeping them locked
00:37:29.34\00:37:30.98
into the things that bind them.
00:37:31.01\00:37:33.08
Stones that if we were to use
our effort to roll them away,
00:37:33.11\00:37:36.42
I so loved what
Little Richard said
00:37:36.45\00:37:38.62
when he was here.
00:37:38.65\00:37:39.99
I just love what he
said when he was here.
00:37:40.02\00:37:41.86
When you talk about the
story where he had gone to a man
00:37:41.89\00:37:46.80
and he told him
about his plight,
00:37:46.83\00:37:49.36
and the man had the
money to help him in his need,
00:37:49.40\00:37:52.37
and he said,
00:37:52.40\00:37:53.74
"I'm going to pray
for you," and he said,
00:37:53.77\00:37:55.34
"No, God sent me to you,
not for you to pray for me,
00:37:55.37\00:37:58.57
but for you to help me."
00:37:58.61\00:38:00.84
Amen.
00:38:00.88\00:38:02.21
There are some
folk that could help,
00:38:02.24\00:38:03.75
but they choose
not to lift a finger
00:38:03.78\00:38:07.48
to roll away the stone.
00:38:07.52\00:38:11.09
When somebody is in crisis,
00:38:11.12\00:38:12.95
when somebody is in disaster,
they won't even lift a finger,
00:38:12.99\00:38:15.79
they are content for that person
00:38:15.82\00:38:17.33
to be bound and immobilized.
00:38:17.36\00:38:23.10
If somebody lifts a
finger and then the Lord says
00:38:23.13\00:38:24.77
to the gathered crowd,
"Loose him, and let him go."
00:38:24.80\00:38:28.70
And there are
those so complacent
00:38:28.74\00:38:30.14
about the
condition of fallen humanity,
00:38:30.17\00:38:33.68
dead and trespasses in sin
00:38:33.71\00:38:35.58
that they wouldn't lift a finger
00:38:35.61\00:38:37.35
to help somebody
become loosed and set free.
00:38:37.38\00:38:40.98
Well, now you know the story
00:38:45.05\00:38:46.39
to the
Christian death is asleep.
00:38:46.42\00:38:49.62
And for those of
you that understand
00:38:49.66\00:38:50.99
the topic of death, I
must say this just for those
00:38:51.03\00:38:52.53
that may be
listening or watching
00:38:52.56\00:38:53.90
that don't fully understand.
00:38:53.93\00:38:55.56
Death is asleep,
can you say amen?
00:38:55.60\00:38:57.50
Amen.
00:38:57.53\00:38:58.87
Forty times in
the Old Testament,
00:38:58.90\00:39:00.24
physical death is called sleep.
00:39:00.27\00:39:04.24
That's why at the
second coming of Jesus,
00:39:04.27\00:39:06.88
He will call the
saints from their dusty beds
00:39:06.91\00:39:08.78
to eternal life.
00:39:08.81\00:39:10.15
And He says to us,
00:39:10.18\00:39:11.51
"Behold I show you a mystery
00:39:11.55\00:39:12.88
we will not all sleep,
00:39:12.91\00:39:16.92
but we will all be changed."
00:39:16.95\00:39:20.32
Now, I'm gonna
take you some place
00:39:20.36\00:39:23.43
that you didn't
think you're gonna go.
00:39:23.46\00:39:24.79
The death and
resurrection of Lazarus
00:39:30.93\00:39:34.97
is filled with
remarkable parallels
00:39:35.00\00:39:37.11
to our spiritual lives.
00:39:37.14\00:39:38.97
You know, God has been
working in my own heart,
00:39:39.01\00:39:42.18
in my own life, taking
me deeper into my Bible.
00:39:42.21\00:39:46.61
And I wish I could say
00:39:46.65\00:39:47.98
that was true 15
years ago or 20 years ago,
00:39:48.02\00:39:50.55
or 2 years ago, or 5 years ago,
00:39:50.59\00:39:52.35
but God has taken me to
a new place in my Bible.
00:39:52.39\00:39:56.79
And I'm now able to
look at stories in the Bible,
00:39:56.83\00:39:59.13
and He's able now to
peel back the curtain
00:39:59.16\00:40:01.33
and show me things
that I never saw before.
00:40:01.36\00:40:06.33
And this was one of the stories
as I was sitting on the plane
00:40:06.37\00:40:09.80
there on Delta
Airlines, close to the window,
00:40:09.84\00:40:12.51
typing with my
laptop, close up to me,
00:40:12.54\00:40:15.44
I kept going ooh, ooh...
00:40:15.48\00:40:18.31
And she said, what's wrong?
00:40:18.35\00:40:19.68
I said, "Oh, this is
getting too deep for me."
00:40:19.71\00:40:24.45
I never saw that before.
00:40:24.49\00:40:26.82
You see, I'm
talking about death.
00:40:26.86\00:40:29.39
Amen.
00:40:29.42\00:40:30.93
As literal death affects
00:40:30.96\00:40:32.46
every functioning
organ of the body,
00:40:32.49\00:40:36.33
so also spiritual
death, hear me carefully,
00:40:36.36\00:40:39.37
Lord, open their ears.
00:40:39.40\00:40:41.40
Hear me carefully.
00:40:41.44\00:40:42.77
As literal death affects
00:40:42.80\00:40:44.64
every functioning
organ of the body,
00:40:44.67\00:40:47.18
spiritual death affects
00:40:47.21\00:40:49.44
every functioning
area of our lives.
00:40:49.48\00:40:52.81
All five senses of a dead person
00:40:59.49\00:41:02.42
cease to
function, and I must say
00:41:02.46\00:41:05.46
all five senses of a
person spiritually dead
00:41:05.49\00:41:09.90
are affected in a parallel way.
00:41:09.93\00:41:12.73
Dead people are unresponsive,
so are the spiritually dead.
00:41:15.84\00:41:20.64
Nothing moves them.
00:41:20.68\00:41:22.38
You could preach to
them and they're like stones.
00:41:22.41\00:41:27.88
No one knows what
I'm talking about.
00:41:27.92\00:41:31.99
Elijah knows, the prophets know,
00:41:32.02\00:41:34.82
Stephen got
stoned for saying that.
00:41:34.86\00:41:36.89
How many prophets has
the Father sent to you
00:41:36.93\00:41:40.90
and you stoned
every one of them.
00:41:40.93\00:41:45.50
I know you gonna stone me
too, but I've got to tell you
00:41:45.53\00:41:48.64
the same thing that
every one of them told you,
00:41:48.67\00:41:51.31
I know, I know what it's like.
00:41:51.34\00:41:54.94
All five senses of a dead person
00:41:54.98\00:41:58.11
cease to function.
00:41:58.15\00:41:59.48
Dead people are unresponsive,
nothing moves them,
00:41:59.51\00:42:02.12
God's word affects their senses.
00:42:02.15\00:42:05.35
In this way, it
doesn't make sense
00:42:05.39\00:42:08.99
when it's preached.
00:42:09.02\00:42:10.36
You know why?
00:42:10.39\00:42:11.73
Because they're
spiritually dead.
00:42:11.76\00:42:13.29
So why is He getting all
bent out of shape over a test?
00:42:13.33\00:42:17.27
Dead people
have lost their sense
00:42:17.30\00:42:18.93
also of right and wrong.
00:42:18.97\00:42:21.70
Their senses don't function.
00:42:21.74\00:42:24.41
The spiritually
dead are unconscious
00:42:24.44\00:42:26.78
even of their own
decaying condition, dying.
00:42:26.81\00:42:31.28
A Laodicean dying in church
can't witness, have no joy.
00:42:31.31\00:42:37.75
The gospel means nothing.
00:42:37.79\00:42:39.69
The second coming
of Jesus has no impact
00:42:39.72\00:42:41.79
on the way they live.
00:42:41.82\00:42:43.49
They don't care about
the three angels' messages.
00:42:43.53\00:42:46.29
Who cares about that?
00:42:46.33\00:42:48.26
So what about
hurricanes, and death,
00:42:48.30\00:42:50.67
and tornadoes,
and nuclear weapons,
00:42:50.70\00:42:53.44
all the signs of the
times couldn't budge them
00:42:53.47\00:42:56.54
because they are dead,
00:42:56.57\00:43:01.11
decaying in
their own inactivity,
00:43:01.14\00:43:03.88
and satisfied to be
like a walking leper,
00:43:03.91\00:43:07.98
body parts falling off
and they don't even feel it,
00:43:08.02\00:43:11.55
and God is saying, "Behold,
I stand at the door and knock,
00:43:11.59\00:43:16.42
if My church would hear
Me, they could come out.
00:43:16.46\00:43:21.06
Amen, amen.
00:43:21.10\00:43:24.63
So I'm not concerned if
you sleep in church anymore.
00:43:24.67\00:43:27.04
God said, "Forget
them, they're going to sleep
00:43:27.07\00:43:29.37
because they're dead,
that's what dead people do.
00:43:29.40\00:43:33.07
Lazarus was sleeping.
00:43:33.11\00:43:35.48
Everybody
that's spiritually dead
00:43:35.51\00:43:37.15
is gonna asleep.
00:43:37.18\00:43:39.35
So I got past that,
00:43:39.38\00:43:41.52
I'm not gonna ask
you anymore to wake up
00:43:41.55\00:43:43.65
because I now
understand your condition.
00:43:43.69\00:43:45.65
Thank you, Jesus.
00:43:45.69\00:43:48.52
Sleep on, Lazarus,
00:43:48.56\00:43:50.89
until Jesus
comes the second time.
00:43:50.93\00:43:54.00
You will come out
to the stark reality
00:43:54.03\00:43:57.00
that you've been
sleeping all this time
00:43:57.03\00:43:59.83
and the message to
Laodicea has no impact on you
00:43:59.87\00:44:03.54
because you're spiritually dead.
00:44:03.57\00:44:04.91
The Word of God
doesn't make sense
00:44:04.94\00:44:06.64
because dead people
can't make heads or tails
00:44:06.68\00:44:08.41
out of anything that God
says, until He gives them life.
00:44:08.44\00:44:13.31
He said to them, and
I'm gonna hit you that
00:44:13.35\00:44:15.02
in moment, just a moment.
00:44:15.05\00:44:16.38
"He said to them, if
you roll the stone away,
00:44:16.42\00:44:18.92
I could do something for them."
00:44:18.95\00:44:20.29
Now I tell you brother,
the reason why God calls us
00:44:20.32\00:44:23.09
is there are some
people that are dead
00:44:23.12\00:44:24.46
and trespasses in sin,
00:44:24.49\00:44:25.83
and we have the responsibility
to roll the stones away.
00:44:25.86\00:44:29.83
Evangelism, sharing our
faith, witnessing for Christ,
00:44:29.86\00:44:34.47
giving out a track,
investing in evangelism,
00:44:34.50\00:44:38.01
going to somebody that you know
00:44:38.04\00:44:39.47
and talking to them about Jesus,
00:44:39.51\00:44:41.14
help roll their stones away,
00:44:41.18\00:44:45.41
but the spiritually
dead are unconscious,
00:44:45.45\00:44:47.48
not only of their
own decaying condition,
00:44:47.52\00:44:50.39
but the spiritually
dead cannot be reasoned with.
00:44:50.42\00:44:52.95
Why?
00:44:52.99\00:44:54.32
Because they
have no discernment,
00:44:54.36\00:44:55.69
their minds have
ceased to function.
00:44:55.72\00:44:58.16
Look at Acts 28:26-27.
00:44:58.19\00:45:02.63
Acts 28:26-27.
00:45:02.66\00:45:04.47
Look at the
Bible. Look at the Bible.
00:45:04.50\00:45:07.50
Powerful.
00:45:07.54\00:45:08.87
I was sitting on
that plane, I thought,
00:45:08.90\00:45:10.24
Lord, why are You doing this?
00:45:10.27\00:45:12.41
He said, "John,
you worry about people
00:45:12.44\00:45:13.98
sleeping in church?"
00:45:14.01\00:45:15.34
Don't worry about that anymore,
stop talking about that.
00:45:15.38\00:45:18.41
They got to edit
that out of the sermons,
00:45:18.45\00:45:19.88
don't mention that.
00:45:19.91\00:45:21.68
Just preach.
00:45:21.72\00:45:24.95
Let me worry about
the spiritually dead.
00:45:24.99\00:45:27.76
Powerful passage.
00:45:27.79\00:45:29.26
That perfectly
describes a person
00:45:29.29\00:45:31.76
in a lethargic
Laodicean unconditioned,
00:45:31.79\00:45:35.30
uncaring, unmoved condition.
00:45:35.33\00:45:38.67
Acts 28:26-27, saying,
00:45:38.70\00:45:41.97
"Go to these people and say:
'Hearing you will not hear...'"
00:45:42.00\00:45:45.61
Why? Because
their ears are dead,
00:45:45.64\00:45:47.91
and shall not understand.
00:45:47.94\00:45:49.28
Why? Their minds don't function.
00:45:49.31\00:45:51.18
"And seeing you will
see, and not perceive," Why?
00:45:51.21\00:45:53.48
Because their eyes are closed.
00:45:53.52\00:45:55.28
"For the hearts of this
people have grown dull."
00:45:55.32\00:45:58.85
That's what happens
when people's hearts die,
00:45:58.89\00:46:00.89
they can't feel anymore.
00:46:00.92\00:46:03.32
"Their ears are hard of hearing,
00:46:03.36\00:46:05.46
and their eyes,
they have closed,"
00:46:05.49\00:46:09.13
unconcerned, I want to be dead.
00:46:09.16\00:46:11.67
When you close your own eyes,
there's only one thing worse
00:46:11.70\00:46:14.50
than having your eyes
closed is closing your own eyes.
00:46:14.54\00:46:17.54
"Lest they should
see with their eyes
00:46:21.88\00:46:24.58
and hear with their ears,
00:46:24.61\00:46:26.41
lest they should understand
with their hearts and turn,
00:46:26.45\00:46:29.32
so that I should heal them."
00:46:29.35\00:46:33.05
God wants to heal us.
00:46:33.09\00:46:34.42
Come on,
somebody say amen. Amen.
00:46:34.46\00:46:36.09
God doesn't want
people that have...
00:46:36.12\00:46:37.66
God is not
concerned about membership.
00:46:37.69\00:46:41.20
He's concerned about fellowship.
00:46:41.23\00:46:43.87
If you walk in the
light, as He is in the light,
00:46:43.90\00:46:46.74
you have
fellowship with one another.
00:46:46.77\00:46:48.64
He's not concerned about
00:46:48.67\00:46:50.01
how long you've
been in the church,
00:46:50.04\00:46:51.37
but He's concerned about
how long you have been in Him.
00:46:51.41\00:46:55.31
Some folk are Adventist,
but they ain't Christians yet.
00:46:55.34\00:46:59.55
And some people
are not Adventists
00:46:59.58\00:47:01.78
and they're living
with all they know.
00:47:01.82\00:47:03.95
And by the way, let
me put this in context,
00:47:03.99\00:47:05.69
I am by no means
00:47:05.72\00:47:07.69
talking down to this
beautiful message we have,
00:47:07.72\00:47:10.76
but I'm saying don't be a
person who keeps the Sabbath
00:47:10.79\00:47:13.60
and is unconcerned
about his own salvation.
00:47:13.63\00:47:17.97
The Pharisees kept the
Sabbath, the Scribes kept it,
00:47:18.00\00:47:20.44
the Sadducees kept it.
00:47:20.47\00:47:23.94
When I read this
text, I thought, "Lord,
00:47:23.97\00:47:25.77
that's amazing, that's amazing."
00:47:25.81\00:47:28.41
I almost ask the
question as I begin to close,
00:47:28.44\00:47:31.88
can we say that Jesus has come
to wake up the spiritually dead
00:47:31.91\00:47:35.82
for the same reason He
came to wake up Lazarus?
00:47:35.85\00:47:38.15
Can we say that Jesus wants
to wake up the spiritually dead
00:47:38.19\00:47:41.49
for the same reason He
went to wake up Lazarus?
00:47:41.52\00:47:45.26
Look at Ephesians
5:14, go there with me.
00:47:45.29\00:47:48.26
Ephesians 5:14. Look at it.
00:47:48.30\00:47:51.43
Look at it. Look at it.
00:47:51.47\00:47:53.64
Remember the message is
the Silence of the Lamb.
00:47:57.87\00:48:00.41
Look at it.
00:48:00.44\00:48:01.78
This is the reason why
Jesus wants us to wake up.
00:48:01.81\00:48:04.55
Ephesians 5:14,
"Therefore He says, 'Awake...'"
00:48:04.58\00:48:08.65
What a powerful text?
Come on, what does it say?
00:48:08.68\00:48:11.22
"Awake, you who
sleep, Arise from the dead,
00:48:11.25\00:48:14.72
and Christ will give you light."
00:48:14.76\00:48:17.03
Until we respond to
the invitation to wake up,
00:48:17.06\00:48:22.06
we will never be
able to see the light.
00:48:22.10\00:48:24.17
Dead people don't see light.
00:48:24.20\00:48:26.40
Dead people don't have eyes.
00:48:26.43\00:48:28.90
You can shine a flashlight
one quarter of an inch
00:48:28.94\00:48:31.21
from their eyes
and they cannot see it,
00:48:31.24\00:48:32.94
so He says, there's so
much light for my church,
00:48:32.97\00:48:35.54
but they're sleeping.
00:48:35.58\00:48:36.95
They can quote the Bible,
00:48:36.98\00:48:38.31
but they have no
connection with Me.
00:48:38.35\00:48:40.02
They know the
Sabbath school lesson,
00:48:40.05\00:48:41.45
the 28
fundamentals are in place,
00:48:41.48\00:48:44.05
but they need to
awake from the dead,
00:48:44.09\00:48:46.79
I need to give them some light.
00:48:46.82\00:48:48.16
Why? You are the
light of the world.
00:48:48.19\00:48:50.63
We can only be
the light of the world
00:48:50.66\00:48:52.96
if the light of the
world is living within us.
00:48:52.99\00:48:58.73
That's what the
Apostle Paul says,
00:48:58.77\00:49:01.40
"Knowing the time."
00:49:01.44\00:49:03.44
Come on now, how many
more disasters do there need
00:49:03.47\00:49:06.27
to be for God's people
to say, "He's coming soon."
00:49:06.31\00:49:12.25
How many more
murders must we hear about?
00:49:12.28\00:49:14.78
And nuclear threats,
and ISIS, and bombings,
00:49:14.82\00:49:18.82
and shootings, and
hurricanes, and tornadoes,
00:49:18.85\00:49:22.16
and earthquakes, and disasters.
00:49:22.19\00:49:25.09
How much more
immorality must we hear
00:49:25.13\00:49:27.76
and read on the
news before we wake up?
00:49:27.80\00:49:31.53
Knowing the time
that now it is high time
00:49:31.57\00:49:35.84
to awake out of sleep for
now, brothers and sisters,
00:49:35.87\00:49:39.41
our salvation is nearer
than when we first believed.
00:49:39.44\00:49:43.58
Amen.
00:49:43.61\00:49:47.25
This is not 1925.
00:49:47.28\00:49:50.29
This is 2017.
00:49:50.32\00:49:52.22
The world should have
been over a long time ago,
00:49:52.25\00:49:55.32
but in his mercy
somebody's got to wake up.
00:49:55.36\00:49:59.63
I want them to be in my kingdom.
00:49:59.66\00:50:02.43
"Lazarus," He is
saying to the Church,
00:50:02.46\00:50:04.17
"Lazarus, come forth!"
00:50:04.20\00:50:08.80
They're saying, I'm
comfortable in here.
00:50:08.84\00:50:11.64
I've got a good place to lay.
00:50:11.67\00:50:15.08
I feel good.
00:50:15.11\00:50:16.44
Being dead makes me feel
good, just leave me alone.
00:50:16.48\00:50:20.48
Do not worry
about anything else,
00:50:20.52\00:50:23.45
while He wants to give us light.
00:50:23.49\00:50:26.86
But let me wind up with
this very important point.
00:50:26.89\00:50:29.82
The timing of the
resurrection of Lazarus
00:50:29.86\00:50:31.69
has a deep
spiritual meaning also.
00:50:31.73\00:50:33.96
The timing. Get it.
00:50:34.00\00:50:37.37
For two days
Jesus did not talk about
00:50:37.40\00:50:41.07
the illness of Lazarus
when the news came to Him.
00:50:41.10\00:50:43.14
For two days Jesus said
nothing to the disciples
00:50:43.17\00:50:45.74
about the message
from Martha and Mary.
00:50:45.77\00:50:48.04
For two days the House of Mary,
Martha and Lazarus was tense.
00:50:48.08\00:50:52.91
For two days there were no
return messages from Jesus,
00:50:52.95\00:50:58.42
no estimated time of arrival,
00:50:58.45\00:51:00.29
no sight of and
no news from Jesus,
00:51:00.32\00:51:03.16
no dust in the
distance signaling His approach,
00:51:03.19\00:51:05.89
no approaching crowd,
noise indicating He's near us.
00:51:05.93\00:51:09.46
For two days Jesus
entered a mode of silence.
00:51:09.50\00:51:13.84
For two days they had
to learn to trust in Jesus
00:51:13.87\00:51:19.97
in His time of silence.
00:51:20.01\00:51:23.08
Two days.
00:51:23.11\00:51:24.45
I don't like asking questions,
00:51:29.62\00:51:30.95
but I got to ask
you this morning.
00:51:30.99\00:51:32.45
Can Jesus trust
you with His silence
00:51:32.49\00:51:35.56
or are you still
demanding answers
00:51:35.59\00:51:37.73
according to your timing?
00:51:37.76\00:51:39.26
I need it now, Lord.
00:51:43.00\00:51:46.30
Are you busy
morning because Jesus
00:51:46.33\00:51:48.04
has not yet verbally
responded to your prayer?
00:51:48.07\00:51:50.41
When you don't hear from Jesus,
00:51:55.21\00:51:57.05
do you begin to
doubt His divinity?
00:51:57.08\00:51:58.95
Think about it.
00:51:58.98\00:52:00.62
The silence lead
you to believe that
00:52:00.65\00:52:02.55
Jesus is not as
powerful as death,
00:52:02.58\00:52:05.35
but that death is
more powerful than Jesus.
00:52:05.39\00:52:07.62
Just to let you
know that I don't forget
00:52:12.86\00:52:14.20
the heart of the
story, follow me as I close.
00:52:14.23\00:52:16.97
And who is gonna play the piano
00:52:17.00\00:52:18.33
just come and play softly.
00:52:18.37\00:52:19.70
Adam, just play softly for me...
00:52:19.73\00:52:21.07
Alex.
00:52:21.10\00:52:23.24
The most
powerful part of the story
00:52:23.27\00:52:25.07
I left to the last.
00:52:25.11\00:52:28.14
John 11:23 and 26.
00:52:28.18\00:52:31.05
Look at it.
00:52:31.08\00:52:32.41
Jesus said to her,
as they are dialoguing
00:52:37.05\00:52:39.25
before the stone is rolled away.
00:52:39.29\00:52:40.96
And Jesus said to her,
"Your brother will rise again."
00:52:40.99\00:52:43.89
Martha said to Him,
"I know that he will rise
00:52:43.93\00:52:45.99
in the
resurrection at the last day."
00:52:46.03\00:52:49.83
And Jesus said to her,
00:52:49.86\00:52:51.57
"I am the
resurrection and the life,
00:52:51.60\00:52:54.44
he who believes in
Me though he may die,
00:52:54.47\00:52:59.31
yet shall he
live, and whoever lives
00:52:59.34\00:53:02.08
and believes in
Me shall never die.
00:53:02.11\00:53:03.78
Do you believe this?
00:53:03.81\00:53:05.35
The messages,
there are some dead folk,
00:53:05.38\00:53:07.55
and he said, even
though they are dead people
00:53:07.58\00:53:09.52
they can live,
00:53:09.55\00:53:11.45
but if you're alive
and you believe in Me,
00:53:11.49\00:53:14.39
your spiritual walk
with Me will never die.
00:53:14.42\00:53:17.69
Your spiritual walk
with Me will never die.
00:53:17.73\00:53:20.80
Mary pushed her
expectations to the last days.
00:53:20.83\00:53:25.67
Thinking that my
dreams will never come to pass
00:53:25.70\00:53:27.50
until the last day.
00:53:27.54\00:53:28.87
My hopes will maybe come to pass
00:53:28.90\00:53:30.81
just before Jesus
comes in the last days.
00:53:30.84\00:53:33.54
I got to say to
you this morning,
00:53:33.58\00:53:34.91
don't let your ETA
overshadow God's ATA.
00:53:34.94\00:53:37.61
Don't let your
estimated time of arrival
00:53:37.65\00:53:39.95
overshadow God's
actual time of arrival.
00:53:39.98\00:53:43.18
Two days, the blessing...
00:53:43.22\00:53:46.25
Hear me, the blessing
was only two days away.
00:53:46.29\00:53:52.33
But here's the most
powerful part of the sermon.
00:53:52.36\00:53:55.66
When they did
not hear from Jesus,
00:53:55.70\00:53:58.73
He was working on
giving them a better answer
00:53:58.77\00:54:01.37
than they prayed for.
00:54:01.40\00:54:04.11
They said, "Stop him
from dying," Jesus said,
00:54:04.14\00:54:06.44
"What if I just
bring him back to life,
00:54:06.47\00:54:08.24
would that be all right?"
00:54:08.28\00:54:09.61
Amen, somebody? Amen.
00:54:09.64\00:54:11.51
Stop my dream from dying,
00:54:11.55\00:54:13.08
but what if I
resurrect your dreams?
00:54:13.11\00:54:15.98
What if I resurrect your hopes?
00:54:16.02\00:54:17.92
You think that
there is no more time
00:54:17.95\00:54:19.82
for your dreams to come true.
00:54:19.85\00:54:21.19
What if I resurrect those dreams
00:54:21.22\00:54:22.56
that have been dead for years?
00:54:22.59\00:54:23.93
What if I restore the
feelings of appreciation
00:54:23.96\00:54:28.50
that you thought was
long gone and buried?
00:54:28.53\00:54:34.44
Had they fully trusted in Jesus?
00:54:34.47\00:54:37.64
Hear me carefully...
00:54:37.67\00:54:39.27
Little softer.
00:54:39.31\00:54:40.74
Had they fully trusted in Jesus?
00:54:40.78\00:54:43.01
Time would have
made no difference.
00:54:43.04\00:54:49.08
That's why I'm concerned
about all the prophecy people.
00:54:49.12\00:54:52.42
Oh, I love prophecy,
but let me tell you some,
00:54:52.45\00:54:54.06
my brethren, I don't
care when Jesus comes,
00:54:54.09\00:54:56.69
I just want to be ready.
00:54:56.73\00:54:58.06
Come on,
somebody say amen. Amen.
00:54:58.09\00:54:59.56
All the chart people,
two and half hours here,
00:54:59.59\00:55:03.20
15 seconds
there, this empire fell,
00:55:03.23\00:55:06.03
that one rose,
this fellow, that rose,
00:55:06.07\00:55:08.47
that does not matter
if you don't know Jesus.
00:55:08.50\00:55:10.71
Amen.
00:55:10.74\00:55:12.11
Now what matters, it
lets us know where we are,
00:55:12.14\00:55:14.94
but if you don't know Him,
00:55:14.98\00:55:16.34
you're getting
close to your own death,
00:55:16.38\00:55:19.45
and you're doing
nothing about it.
00:55:19.48\00:55:20.92
When Jesus is
silent, you got to remember
00:55:24.62\00:55:27.66
the sign that your answer.
00:55:27.69\00:55:29.29
When Jesus is silent,
00:55:29.32\00:55:31.43
it is a sign that
your answer is on the way.
00:55:31.46\00:55:35.96
Your life is
about to start over.
00:55:36.00\00:55:37.67
Your dreams are
about to be resurrected.
00:55:37.70\00:55:42.64
And I'm not gonna run
through these last three points,
00:55:42.67\00:55:44.27
I got 3 minutes and 22 seconds.
00:55:44.31\00:55:48.31
Time.
00:55:48.34\00:55:50.45
Jesus allowed Mary and Martha
to experience His silence,
00:55:50.48\00:55:54.62
not to hinder
their relationship,
00:55:54.65\00:55:56.69
but to strengthen it.
00:55:56.72\00:55:59.65
Can He trust you
when He's silent?
00:55:59.69\00:56:01.89
His silence was
proof that He loved them.
00:56:01.92\00:56:05.49
Because He
didn't come to prevent
00:56:05.53\00:56:06.86
their brother's death,
00:56:06.90\00:56:08.26
He came to
resurrect their brother.
00:56:08.30\00:56:10.37
There is
somebody in your family,
00:56:10.40\00:56:11.73
maybe you need
to be resurrected,
00:56:11.77\00:56:15.17
maybe you've
been dead so long that
00:56:15.20\00:56:17.51
you're just comfortable
sleeping without Jesus.
00:56:17.54\00:56:20.98
When you cannot hear Jesus,
00:56:21.01\00:56:23.65
you will learn in hindsight
00:56:23.68\00:56:28.38
and this is the most
powerful point of the message.
00:56:28.42\00:56:32.25
You will learn in hindsight
that when you cannot hear Him,
00:56:32.29\00:56:37.29
He has trusted you in the
most intimate way possible,
00:56:37.33\00:56:42.80
His absolute silence.
00:56:42.83\00:56:45.33
Amen. Amen.
00:56:45.37\00:56:50.64
The Lamb is only
silent, to those for whom
00:56:50.67\00:56:55.21
He is planning an
even bigger revelation.
00:56:55.24\00:56:58.11
I don't need to be
there to prevent his death
00:57:02.08\00:57:05.52
'cause I'm gonna be there
to bring him back to life.
00:57:05.55\00:57:09.12
Amen? Amen.
00:57:09.16\00:57:11.16
What's He's saying? Nothing.
00:57:11.19\00:57:13.29
He doesn't need to say anything.
00:57:13.33\00:57:15.86
If we simply trust and
obey, for there is no other way
00:57:15.90\00:57:20.74
to be happy in
Jesus than to what?
00:57:20.77\00:57:23.37
Trust and obey.
00:57:23.41\00:57:26.04
You got silent spots
in your life right now?
00:57:26.07\00:57:29.11
You got things that
have not yet been answered?
00:57:29.14\00:57:34.78
The help ain't coming as
fast as you hoped it would?
00:57:34.82\00:57:37.95
The plans are
not being fulfilled
00:57:37.99\00:57:39.42
as quickly as
you pray they would?
00:57:39.45\00:57:41.62
All the things you invested
are not coming to fruition
00:57:41.66\00:57:43.73
as you are praying they would?
00:57:43.76\00:57:45.39
Oh, don't despair my
brother, my sister, my friends,
00:57:45.43\00:57:48.96
those listening and
watching don't despair, why?
00:57:49.00\00:57:51.63
Because Jesus has
given you the blessing
00:57:51.67\00:57:54.87
of the most intimate
thing He has, silence.
00:57:54.90\00:57:58.01
He's only silent to
those who He knows know Him.
00:57:58.04\00:58:01.44
That's why He chose this family.
00:58:01.48\00:58:03.11
They had an intimate connection,
00:58:03.14\00:58:04.61
He didn't need to tell
them, they already knew
00:58:04.65\00:58:06.21
about all the
doctrines, so He said,
00:58:06.25\00:58:08.08
"I can trust Mary and Martha,"
but even those who know Him
00:58:08.12\00:58:10.92
sometimes have
their faith challenged
00:58:10.95\00:58:13.02
and He would do for us
if we would simply trust Him
00:58:13.05\00:58:16.22
when He is silent.
00:58:16.26\00:58:17.69
He would do for us far greater
than we are praying for Him
00:58:17.73\00:58:20.96
to do.
00:58:21.00\00:58:22.46
So your dreams are not
dead, they're just buried,
00:58:22.50\00:58:25.17
but He's the
resurrection and the life.
00:58:25.20\00:58:27.34
Your hopes are not buried,
00:58:27.37\00:58:30.07
they just have been
inactive for a long time,
00:58:30.11\00:58:32.27
but He's the
resurrection and the life.
00:58:32.31\00:58:35.44
So today, if you
want to trust God
00:58:35.48\00:58:38.58
in the silence of your
life, stand with me right now.
00:58:38.61\00:58:41.65
If you want to trust
Him, when there does not seem
00:58:41.68\00:58:45.32
to be a rational
reason why He's delaying,
00:58:45.35\00:58:49.56
I'm encouraging you
today to trust and obey
00:58:49.59\00:58:52.79
for there's no other way,
00:58:52.83\00:58:55.63
when the moments of silence
come to be happy in Jesus
00:58:55.66\00:59:00.30
than to simply say,
He's got it, I'm not worried.
00:59:00.34\00:59:04.61
He'll be here
when He needs to be.
00:59:04.64\00:59:07.38