11 November 24, 2013, John 11;1-57, Dealing With Death

DEALING WITH DEATH?JOHN 11

NOVEMBER 24, 2013FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH

JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI

USA

November Bible Memory Verse:

Philippians 4:6-7 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 4:6-7

What’s the number one thing?

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The glory of God!

The most important theme in the universe is the glory of God.

God’s glory is the underlying reason for all of God's works, from the creation of the world, to the redemption of fallen sinners, to the manifestation of His greatness for all eternity in Heaven.

Everything God created gives Him glory—except fallen angels and fallen men and women.

The most gracious and complete manifestation of God's glory came in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, “the Word [Who] became flesh,

and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14).

John chapter 11 records the last and most powerful of the seven miraculous signs in the gospel of John , the resurrection of Lazarus four days after he died.

*The miracle's primary purpose, however, was not to restore him to life, or to comfort his grieving sisters.

Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead, first and foremost, so that He and the Father would be glorified (John 11: 4,40).

John 11:4 NKJV4 When Jesus heard that, He said, “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorifiedthrough it.”

John 11:40 NKJV

40 Jesus said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you would believe you would see the glory of God?”

John 8 - The adulterous woman

John 9 - The man who was born blind

John 10 - Jesus the True Shepherd

In the OT the sheep died for the shepherd.

In the NT the Shepherd dies for the sheep!

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Psalm 23 KJV1 The LORD is my Shepherd; I shall not want.2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters.

3 He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will

fear no evil: for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou anointest my head with

oil; my cup runneth over.6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

Psalm 23 KJV

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4a Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

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5b my cup runneth over

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6b …I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

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6 Surely goodness and mercyshall follow me all the days of my life:

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The resurrection of Lazarus evidenced Christ's glory in three ways: 1) it pointed

unmistakably to His deity (John 11:25-27);

2) it strengthened the faith of the disciples (John 11:15);

3) it led directly to the cross (John 11:53).

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THE MAN WHODIED TWICE

RAY STEDMAN

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Ray Stedman1917-1992

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The MacArthur New Testament Commentary, Copyright © Moody Press and John MacArthur, Jr., 1983-2007.

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Since sin shall not have dominion over us; we’re no longer to be boundby the things of the past.

This is that second view of the cross in which we see that Jesus Christ not only died for our sins, but that, as Paul puts it, “we died with Him”. See Galatians 2:20

Galatians 2:20 NKJV

20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live

by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.

Galatians 2:20 NKJV

Colossians 2:12 NKJV12 buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, Who raised Him from the dead.

1) Crucified with Christ

2) Buried with Him

3) Raised with Him!

“it is no longer we who live, but Christ lives in us”

Galatians 2:20b NKJV

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The basis of our activity is no longer I’ll try but I’ll trust.

No more self-effort but His activity in us.

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We learn the great truth in Romans 7 and 8: not I, but Christ.

Instead of that futile, pathetic, pitiful struggle of so many Christians to make it I plus Christ ;It is not I, but Christ, no longer a struggle, but rest. (Matthew 11:28)

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Matthew 11:28-30 NKJV

28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.30 For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.” Mt11

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No longer my efforts for Him, but His efforts through me; life is no longer a failure, but a triumph!

2 Corinthians 2:14a NKJV

14a Now thanks be to God Who always leads us in triumph in Christ,

1 Corinthians 15:57 NKJV

57 But thanks be to God, Who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

VICTORY IN JESUS!I heard an old, old story,How a Savior came from glory,How He gave His life on CalvaryTo save a wretch like me;

I heard about His groaning,Of His precious blood's atoning,Then I repented of my sinsAnd won the victory!

O victory in Jesus,My Savior, forever.He sought me and bought meWith His redeeming blood;

He loved me ere I knew HimAnd all my love is due Him,He plunged me to victory,Beneath the cleansing flood.

Bible mathematics of Revelation 22:18-19 and 2 Timothy 2:15

We are not to add to the Bible, nor to subtract from it, but to rightly divide it.

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Colossians 2:6 NKJV

6 As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,

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Have you moved into this area of Christian living? For this is as much a part of God’s intention for you as that you should have been made alive from the dead in the first place.

John 10:10 NKJV10 The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

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Are you living a defeated life or an abundant life?

It was never the intention of Jesus Christ to raise Lazarus from the dead and leave him stumbling about, bound in the grave clothes of the old life.

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The Gospel not only includes the promise of life in Christ, and libertyin Christ, but also liberality, enrichment, the joy of unbroken fellowship with Jesus!

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This is an actual practical experience, quite possible in every Christian life.

Spelled out in the simplest of terms it means such things as: comfort in sorrow, insight in perplexity, joy through a veil of tears, courage in danger,

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beauty rising up from ashes, & light in darkness.

2 Corinthians 4:7-11,14-15 NKJV7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellence of the power may be of God and not of us.

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treasure in earthen vessels

8 We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair;9 persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed—

10 always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.

11 For we who live are always delivered to death for Jesus’ sake, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.

14 He Who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you.

15 For all things are for your sakes, that grace, having spread through the many, may cause thanksgiving to abound to the glory of God.2 Corinthians 4:7-11,14-15

A mellowing, broadening, deepening walk in the faithfulness of God, where we discover His mercies are fresh every morning and His word is like manna to the soul.

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His mercies are fresh every morning and it is always morning somewhere!

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This is feasting with the Lord Jesus Christ!

Revelation 3:20 NKJV20 Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.

There is yet a final scene here about Lazarus in John 12:9-11.

The Plot to Kill Lazarus John 12:9-11 NKJV

9 Now a great many of the Jews knew that He was there; and they came, not for Jesus’ sake only, but

that they might also see Lazarus, whom He had raised from the dead.

10 But the chief priests plotted to put Lazarus to death also,

11 because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believed in Jesus.

John 12:9-11 NKJV

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Here is a scene that pictures Lazarus being used by God - mightily used!

A great crowd had come out to see Lazarus.

They not only came to see Jesus, they came to seeLazarus.

They didn’t come to hear him because the interesting thing is that Lazarus never told a thing about what his experience was beyond the grave.

Whether he didn’t remember it, or whether he was simply, as Paul said about himself, forbidden to speak about these things, we don’t know.

Paul said it’s not lawful for a man to utter these things (after being caught up to the third Heaven –caught up into Paradise).

2 Corinthians 12:1-6 NKJV

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For whatever reason, Lazarus never said a word about what conditions were like beyond the grave.

These people didn’t come out to hear Lazarus, they came out to see him, this remarkable man who was raised from the dead.

In the insight which we gain here, Lazarus has become what every Christian can be.

*Lazarus was a disturbing element which men could not ignore, they could never leave him alone. *He upset them; they had to make a decision about him, one way or the other.

Contact with Lazarus here meant either they believedor they belittled, one or the other.

There were some that came to believe.

11 because on account of him many of the Jews went away and believedin Jesus.

John 12:9-11 NKJVBut there was that crowd that wouldn’t believe.

There are more horse’s behinds in the world than there are horses.

This group of unbelievers planned to also put Lazarus to death.

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Imagine putting a man to death that had just been raised from the dead!

But so vicious is this hatred, awakened by the testimony of a man standing before them, that they intend to put him to death again.

*You can see here what a vital, unforgettable impact Lazarus is making on the people of his day. *They couldn’t leave him alone; they had to make a decision.

What a disturbing man he was!

Pray that God might use us like this!

You don’t have to wait until you have gone through all the preparatory stages of Christian experience before God can begin to use you.

The preparation of Jesus Christ in the human life is an in-service training.

See Philippians 1:6 -

Philippians 1:6 NKJV

6 being confident of this very thing, that He Who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ;

*Jesus began immediately to use His disciples and sent them out even though they’re woefully ignorant. *They had much to learn, as He Himself tells us.

God begins to use you as soon as you are saved if you allow Him to.

Even if you are a newborn babe in Jesus Christ, you can be used mightily.

But that use is always limited and will never come to its full manifestation of possibility and potential until, like Lazarus, we have passed through

these intervening stages and come to what Paul calls maturity.

Then once we learn the great basis of Christ’ life in us, and we cease to depend on our own self effort in this respect, we move into that place where we become the

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instruments of God’s use.

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instruments of God’s use

*Have you come to Jesus but you are still bound? *Are you still under the same domination of power and habits and thoughts that you always have been? Galatians 2:20

Galatians 2:20b

“and the life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God…”

Psalm 119:9&11

9 How can a young man keep his way pure?By keeping it according to Thy Word.

11 Thy Word have I hidden in my heart,That I might not sin against Thee.

Psalm 119:9&11

Are you still strugglingwith the same old routine of evil things in your life that hamper you and fetter you and hold you in demand?

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Or having passed beyond being bond by your past, have you yet entered into the stage of feasting with the Lord?

Feasting with the Lord where you have not only discovered how to walk with Him but you are daily experiencing Him in every way you move and in everything you do?

*If so, then you are very close to this place of being widely used by the Lord in unmistakable impact upon those all around. *But first find out where you are.

Have you noticed that this is the first question in the Bible?

When God came searching for Adam in the Garden of Eden, His first question was, “Where are you?”

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You will never make significant progress in your spiritual life until you answer that question.

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All progress in your spiritual life must begin with an honest appraisal:

Where am I spiritually?

*Wherever you are, you will find that Jesus Christ is all that you need to take you to the next step. *The answer in every case with Lazarus was Christ.

Christ is the answer!

Beginning with where you are, come to Him acknowledging where you are, telling Him what your need is, asking Him to make clear to you how that need is to be met in your life.

And then, looking to Him, expecting Him to lead you as you begin the search for whatever it takes to move into that next step that will bring you at last to this place of abiding truthfulness, a tremendous impact in your

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Christian experience.

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PRAYERFill us Lord, as vessels in which there is hidden a great treasure that the

excellency of the power may not be of us, but of Thee and that we may be,as Lazarus became, a disturbing element, so that no one contacting us can go away without

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either being challenged to believe or belittle.

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What’s the number one thing?

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The glory of God!