Jul 28, 2019
Church Growth Series #1
Series: GROW
CHURCH GROWTH SERIES #1 Acts 2:36-41 I want to give some ideas of what it will take to make the church grow.
  1. WE MUST HAVE A GROWTH MENTALITY
SOME CHURCHES DO EXHIBIT POOR MENTALITY! “As a man thinketh, so is he.” Prov. 23:7 Our thinking controls our actions. Our thinking controls our lives. Where we go, what we do. We must think right to do right. We must think church growth in order to go after it and experience it. WE MUST HAVE A CHURCH GROWTH MENTALITY IN ORDER TO EXPERIENCE IT! The early church had it and we need to get it. THE BIBLE SAYS: Acts 2:38  “Repent and be baptized, everyone of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” What happened after Peter preached those words to the people? Do you remember? Acts 2:41 “Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.” They were added to what? To the church! Acts 4:4 “But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand.” In Acts 2 we read about 3,000 people being baptized. Now there are 5,000. What happened? CHURCH GROWTH! The people were thinking in terms of growth, outreach and it was happening! Acts 5:14 “More and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number.” MORE AND MORE people. That’s church growth. Acts 6:7 “So the Word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly...” Acts 8:1, 4 “On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered.... V. 4 Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.”
  1. WE MUST HAVE SOME DEFINITE GOALS IN MIND
Men hit only what they aim at. Phil. 3:14 Paul said, “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Paul had heaven as a goal in his life. Rom. 10:1 “Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved.”
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  • Jul 28, 2019Church Growth Series #1
    Jul 28, 2019
    Church Growth Series #1
    Series: GROW
    CHURCH GROWTH SERIES #1 Acts 2:36-41 I want to give some ideas of what it will take to make the church grow.
    1. WE MUST HAVE A GROWTH MENTALITY
    SOME CHURCHES DO EXHIBIT POOR MENTALITY! “As a man thinketh, so is he.” Prov. 23:7 Our thinking controls our actions. Our thinking controls our lives. Where we go, what we do. We must think right to do right. We must think church growth in order to go after it and experience it. WE MUST HAVE A CHURCH GROWTH MENTALITY IN ORDER TO EXPERIENCE IT! The early church had it and we need to get it. THE BIBLE SAYS: Acts 2:38  “Repent and be baptized, everyone of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” What happened after Peter preached those words to the people? Do you remember? Acts 2:41 “Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day.” They were added to what? To the church! Acts 4:4 “But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand.” In Acts 2 we read about 3,000 people being baptized. Now there are 5,000. What happened? CHURCH GROWTH! The people were thinking in terms of growth, outreach and it was happening! Acts 5:14 “More and more men and women believed in the Lord and were added to their number.” MORE AND MORE people. That’s church growth. Acts 6:7 “So the Word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly...” Acts 8:1, 4 “On that day a great persecution broke out against the church at Jerusalem, and all except the apostles were scattered.... V. 4 Those who had been scattered preached the word wherever they went.”
    1. WE MUST HAVE SOME DEFINITE GOALS IN MIND
    Men hit only what they aim at. Phil. 3:14 Paul said, “I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Paul had heaven as a goal in his life. Rom. 10:1 “Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved.”
  • Apr 21, 2019Will Good People Go to Heaven? Sermon 4-21-19
    Apr 21, 2019
    Will Good People Go to Heaven? Sermon 4-21-19
    Series: Rise Up
    Why Good People Won't Go to Heaven Romans 10:1-4 Dear brothers and sisters,[a] the longing of my heart and my prayer to God is for the people of Israel to be saved. I know what enthusiasm they have for God, but it is misdirected zeal. For they don’t understand God’s way of making people right with himself. Refusing to accept God’s way, they cling to their own way of getting right with God by trying to keep the law. For Christ has already accomplished the purpose for which the law was given.[b] As a result, all who believe in him are made right with God.   “Wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow is the road that leads to life, and only a few find it” (Matthew 7:13-14).   Will good people go to heaven?
    1. Because You Can Never Be Good Enough.
    “Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved” (v. 1).   “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). Good people don’t go to heaven–not even good people from other religions–because no one can be good enough.   
    1. Because Good People Are Deceived About The Reality of Their True Condition.
      “For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge” (v. 2). Religion tends to turn people into failures, hypocrites or both. Isaiah 64:6  “All our righteous acts are like filthy rags.” 
    1. Because Good People Think They Don’t Need Jesus.
    “Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes” (vv. 3-4). they came up with one of their own  
    1. Because Good People Wouldn’t Be Happy If They Did Go to Heaven.
      Are You a Good Person? Please accept my compliments on the good life you’ve been living. Every society needs fine people like you. Are you saved? Can a good person go to heaven? Yes, if he is willing to turn away from his goodness and trust Jesus Christ for his eternal salvation. As long as you cling to the slightest shred of your goodness, you’ll never see the gates of heaven. Once you let go of the rags of your own righteousness, you can be saved.
  • Apr 14, 2019Parade or Protest Sermon 4-14-19 AM
    Apr 14, 2019
    Parade or Protest Sermon 4-14-19 AM
    Series: Rise Up
    Parade or Protest Palms or Picket Signs Crown Him or Crucify Him Hail Him or Nail Him Cheers and Tears Luke 19:28-45 Luke 19:28: After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, “Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there, which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone ask you, ‘why are you untying it?’ tell him, ‘the Lord needs it.’” THE CHEERS OF THE CROWD Everyone loves a parade.
    1. PAST: Jesus entered Jerusalem as a humble King
    Shout, daughter of Jerusalem! See your King comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey.” (Zechariah 9:9)
    1. FUTURE: He will enter Jerusalem as a conquering King
    “I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True...He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God.” (Revelation 19:11, 13) “On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west…The Lord will be King over the whole earth. On that day there will be one Lord, and his name the only name.” (Zechariah 14:4,9) Learn the lesson of the donkey. “God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong–so that no one could boast before Him.” (I Corinthians 1:27)
    1. THE TEARS OF THE KING
    Jesus was weeping–at His own parade! Why did Jesus cry that day?
    1. Jesus wept because of superficial belief
    Today, Jesus must certainly weep when He sees the shallow level of commitment in our lives.
    1. Jesus wept because of spiritual blindness
  • Apr 7, 2019Rise Up and Be Changed Sermon 4-7-19 AM
    Apr 7, 2019
    Rise Up and Be Changed Sermon 4-7-19 AM
    Series: Rise Up
    What if there was not a Resurrection? Well, there was so…   RISE UP and be CHANGED   1 Corinthians 15:12-22   1 Corinthians 15:12-19  (NKJV)   12 Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?   13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then Christ is not risen. 14 And if Christ is not risen, then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty.   15 Yes, and we are found false witnesses of God, because we have testified of God that He raised up Christ, whom He did not raise up—if in fact the dead do not rise.   16 For if the dead do not rise, then Christ is not risen. 17 And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!   18 Then also those who have [a]fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiful.     PLAY: (Jayson??) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxH8Q8ue65o     what if that resurrection never happened…suppose that the Lord Jesus was still in that tomb?     That’s what Paul is talking about in our text.
    1. THE TRAGIC CONSEQUENCES OF A FALSE RESURRECTION
     
    1. Our Preaching is Profitless.
      - vs. 14, “and if Christ be not risen, our preaching is in vain.”   - Heart of the Gospel is this15:3-4, “That Christ died for our sins, was buried, and has risen again…according to the Scriptures.”  
    1. Our Faith is Foolish
      - vs. 14, “and your faith is in vain.”   “If we confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in our heart that God has raised him from the dead then you shall be saved.”  
    1. The Disciples are Deceivers
      - I Cor. 15:15, “Moreover, we are even found to be false witnesses of God,   because we witnessed against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise…”   - Hypocrites and Martyrs are not made of the same stuff…A man may live for a lie…but no one would die for a lie.  
    1. Sin is Sovereign
      - vs. 17, “And if Christ is not raised, your faith is vain and ye are yet in your sins.”   - No resurrection, No Savior…No Savior, no forgiveness…No forgiveness, no justification…   …No justification, no cleansing…No cleansing, you have to pay the penalty for your sins.   “Living he loved me, dying he saved me, buried he carried my sins far away, rising He justified, freely forever.   One day He’s coming, Oh glorious day.”  
    1. Death has Dominion
      - vs. 18, “Then those who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished.”  
    1. The Future is Futile
      - vs. 19, “If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.”   - Earnest Hemingway said, “It’s as though we are a colony of ants living on one end of a burning log.”   I have good news…Jesus Christ is risen and resurrected from the dead!!!
    1. THE TREMENDOUS CHANGES OF A TRUE RESURRECTION
     
    1. Through the Resurrection, a Statement was Made
    “It is finished.”
    • JOHN 20:6-7, “Simon Peter therefore also came, following him, and entered the tomb;
    •  
    • and he beheld the linen wrappings lying there, and the face cloth which had been on his head,
    •  
    • not lying by the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself.”
    - SILENT SIGNATURE
    1. Through the Resurrection, Sanctification was Mandated
      - Colossians 3:1-2: “If then you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.”  
    1. Through the Resurrection, a Salvation was Manifested
      - I Corinthians 15:20-22: “But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep. For since by a man (adam) came death, by a man also came the resurrection of the dead.   For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all shall be made alive.”   You called me from the grave by name You called me out of all my shame I see the old has passed away The new has come!   Now I have resurrection power Living on the insideJesus, You have given us freedom No longer bound by sin and darkness Living in the light of Your goodness You have given us freedom   That I'm dressed in Your royalty Your Holy Spirit lives in me And I see my past has been redeemed The new has come!   Now I have resurrection power Living on the inside Jesus, You have given us freedom I'm no longer bound by sin and darkness Living in the light of Your goodness You have given us freedom Freedom, You have given us freedom You have given us freedom, my chains are gone! Freedom, You have given us freedom You have given us freedom, hallelujah! Freedom, You have given us freedom You have given us freedom, my chains are gone oh o oh Freedom, You have given us freedom You have given us freedom, hallelujah!   Now I have resurrection power Living on the inside Now, I'm no longer bound by sin and darkness Living in the light of Your goodness You have given us freedom! Now I have resurrection power Living on the inside Jesus, You have given us freedom Now, I'm no longer bound by sin and darkness Living in the light of Your goodness You have given us freedom! (You set us free)   I have resurrection power (you set us free) Living on the inside Living on the inside! (You set us free) No longer bound by sin and darkness (you set us free) You have given us freedom You have given us freedom!     Songwriters: Ed Cash / Tony Brown / Ryan Ellis
  • Apr 7, 2019Hot Topics #6- Transforming the Culture Sermon 4-7-19 PM
    Apr 7, 2019
    Hot Topics #6- Transforming the Culture Sermon 4-7-19 PM
    Series: Hot Topics
    Transforming Our Culture 1 Cor. 3:6-7 It’s the word CHANGE. not a new program, a new building or a new emphasis. NO! To change our culture God is going to have to change our minds, our attitudes, our styles and preferences and even our behavior inside and outside of the church. Paul knew that his culture would never willingly come to him…so he made it his priority to go to them. The latest statistics show that America is now considered the 3rd largest mission field in the English speaking world. That means the American church isn’t reaching our own people, much less the people of the world! So let’s face it, WE NEED TO CHANGE! the key is found in 1 Cor. 3:6-7, “My job was to plant the seed in your hearts, and Apollos watered it, but it was God, not we, who made it grow. The ones who do the planting or watering aren’t important, but God is important because he is the one. who makes the seed grow.” Listen close all the way to the end or my may not hear what I’m proposing… 1). We have to develop a “come as you are” attitude. GRACE God saves every one of us using the exact same formula – his grace applied to our messy lives = a new creation. Matt. 22:2,9-10, “God’s kingdom is like a king who threw a wedding banquet for his son. Go out into the busiest intersections in town and invite anyone you find to the banquet.’ The servants went out on the streets and rounded up everyone they laid eyes on, good and bad, regardless. And so the banquet was on— every place filled.” The good and the bad! Rom 8:1-2 (NLT) “So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. For the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you through Christ Jesus from the power of sin that leads to death.” “The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of GRACE and truth.” John 1:14 (NIV) 2). We have to root out the “us versus them” attitude. There’s one other ingredient that’s necessary if we want to change our church culture. 3). We have to understand that spiritual life is a process. My question is – are we going to become that church or will God have to look for another?
  • Mar 31, 2019Rise Up 3-31-19 SERMON AM
    Mar 31, 2019
    Rise Up 3-31-19 SERMON AM
    Series: Rise Up
    Rise Up You can’t have a resurrection until you have a burial
    1. JESUS’ BURIAL WAS CONDUCTED BY TWO UNLIKELY UNDERTAKERS
    2. Joseph had the courage to ask for the corpse of Jesus
    “As evening approached, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who had himself become a disciple of Jesus. Going to Pilate, he asked for Jesus’ body.” Matthew 27:57
    1. Nicodemus came into the light to help the Man who told him he needed a new birth
    “He was accompanied by Nicodemus, the man who earlier had visited Jesus at night. Nicodemus brought a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about seventy-five pounds. Taking Jesus’ body, the two of them wrapped it, with the spices, in strips of linen. This was in accordance with the Jewish burial custom.” John 19:39-40
    1. JESUS’ BURIAL WAS PROPHESIED IN THE OLD TESTAMENT
    “He was assigned a grave with the wicked, and with the rich in his death, though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.” Isaiah 53:9 III. WHY IS UNDERSTANDING HIS BURIAL SO IMPORTANT? FINAL TRUTH: WHEN WE ARE BAPTIZED, WE IDENTIFY WITH JESUS “We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.” Romans 6:4
  • Mar 24, 2019Rise Up O’ Men of God Sermon 3-24-19
    Mar 24, 2019
    Rise Up O’ Men of God Sermon 3-24-19
    Series: Rise Up
    “Rise Up O’ Men of God!”
    Ezekiel 22:23-30 God has placed within the heart, hands, and soul of men incredible power to heal or hurt, build up or tear down, comfort or crush, and serve or enslave. When men decide to do something…something happens….good or bad Ezekiel 22:23 Again the word of the LORD came to me: 24“Son of man, say to the land, ‘You are a land that has had no rain or showers in the day of wrath.’ 25There is a conspiracy of her princes within her like a roaring lion tearing its prey; they devour people, take treasures and precious things and make many widows within her. 26Her priests do violence to my law and profane my holy things; they do not distinguish between the holy and the common; they teach that there is no difference between the unclean and the clean; and they shut their eyes to the keeping of my Sabbaths, so that I am profaned among them. 27Her officials within her are like wolves tearing their prey; they shed blood and kill people to make unjust gain. 28Her prophets whitewash these deeds for them by false visions and lying divinations. They say, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says’—when the LORD has not spoken. 29The people of the land practice extortion and commit robbery; they oppress the poor and needy and mistreat the alien, denying them justice. 30“I looked for a man among them who would build up the wall and stand before me in the gap on behalf of the land so I would not have to destroy it, but I found none. (Ezekiel 22:24-30 NIV) The walls are down in America today. It is time to rise up O’ men of God! We have gotten excited about temporal, transient things like sports, cars, and climbing the ladder of success instead of passionately pursuing the things that will last long after we are gone. The four character traits that will enable us to be men who can stand in the gap for our wives, children, church, community, and businesses. Repentance. Isaiah 29:13 13The Lord says: “These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men. Beliefs. “Men without an organized system of thought will always be at the mercy of men who have one.” We are in great need of men who know why and what they believe. Strength. The strength of a man is his passionate commitment to the Lord. 7 The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song. (Psalm 28:7 NIV) 19 The Sovereign LORD is my strength; he makes my feet like the feet of a deer, he enables me to go on the heights. (Habakkuk 3:19 NIV) 13I can do everything through him who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:13 NIV) Fellowship. Proverbs 27:17 As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. God has placed within the heart, hands, and souls of men incredible power. Power to shape the hearts of our children, power to bless our wives, power to restore our communities, power to strengthen God’s Church, power to glorify God in an unbelieving world.
  • Mar 24, 2019Hot Topics #5- Is it Okay to Play The Lottery?
    Mar 24, 2019
    Hot Topics #5- Is it Okay to Play The Lottery?
    Series: Hot Topics
    Is It Okay To Play The Lottery?  Isaiah 65:11–12 says, “But you who forsake the Lord, who forget my holy mountain, who set a table for Fortune and fill cups of mixed wine for Destiny, I will destine you to the sword, and all of you shall bow down to the slaughter, because, when I called, you did not answer; when I spoke, you did not listen, but you did what was evil in my eyes and chose what I did not delight in.”
    1. Current Concerns about Playing the Lottery
    2. Culture’s Answers to Playing the Lottery
    The government on the one hand, they say that they want to help the poor. But, on the other hand, the vast majority of people who play the lottery are low income earners. III. God’s Answer to Playing the Lottery Gambling is not simply taking a risk. Where there is a reasonable, manageable risk, you do not have gambling. Five biblical reasons why playing it is wrong.
    1. Because It Denies the Reality of God’s Sovereignty
    it denies the reality of God’s sovereignty and affirms the existence of luck or chance.  Psalm 103:19  “The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His sovereignty rules over all.” Psalm 47:4a “He chooses our inheritance for us.” Deuteronomy 8:18a, “You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth.” Daniel 4:24–25, “This is the interpretation, O king: It is a decree of the Most High, which has come upon my lord the king, that you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. You shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and you shall be wet with the dew of heaven, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, till you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.” Isaiah 65:11–12 says, “But you who forsake the Lord, who forget my holy mountain, who set a table for Fortune and fill cups of mixed wine for Destiny, I will destine you to the sword, and all of you shall bow down to the slaughter, because, when I called, you did not answer; when I spoke, you did not listen, but you did what was evil in my eyes and chose what I did not delight in.” Fortune comes from the Hebrew word gad and it means luck, usually good luck. Destiny comes from the Hebrew word meni and it means back luck. Faith in God and faith in luck are mutually exclusive ideas.
    1. Because It Is Built on Irresponsible Stewardship
    Psalm 24:1 teaches us, “The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein.” Psalm 50:10–12, “For every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the hills, and all that moves in the field is mine. ‘If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and its fullness are mine.’” 1 Corinthians 10:31 says, “So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” Playing the lottery is an irresponsible stewardship of the money God has entrusted to you.
    1. Because It Erodes a Biblical Work Ethic
    It devalues and displaces hard work as the proper means for one’s livelihood. Genesis 2:15 says that “the Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” Genesis 3:19, “By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”  Proverbs 12:11“Those who work their land will have abundant food.” But the verse goes on to say in verse 11b, “but those who chase fantasies have no sense.” Is there any greater fantasy than playing the lottery? People who play the lottery have no sense. Ephesians 4:28  “Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands, so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.” Colossians 3:17  “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” 2 Thessalonians 3:10b “If anyone is not willing to work, let him not eat.” 1 Timothy 5:8 “But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”
    1. Because It Is Driven by the Sin of Covetousness
    Exodus 20:17  “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s” Luke 12:15, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.” Philippians 4:11b-12, “… for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.” The antidote to covetousness is contentment.
    1. Because It Is Built on the Exploitation of Others
    the lottery often takes advantage of poor people who think they can gain wealth instantly. It encourages the continual erosion of financial resources. It increases debt. It leads to increased poverty. And in some instances, it leads to suicide. 20% of addictive gamblers have attempted suicide. The suicide rate of spouses of compulsive gamblers is 150 times the national average. Playing the lottery is wrong because it is built on the exploitation of others by often taking advantage of poor people who think they can gain wealth instantly.
  • Mar 17, 2019Rise Up…Surprise! Sermon 3-17-19 AM
    Mar 17, 2019
    Rise Up…Surprise! Sermon 3-17-19 AM
    Series: Rise Up
    Rise Up…..Surprise!  That’s just like Jesus! He loved surprising people, especially those who had lost all hope. John 11:1-5 Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. John 11:6 So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was. God seems so slow sometimes, especially when we’re in a hurry. Most of us don’t like to wait, do we? John 11:7-8 Then after this he said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” The disciples said to him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone you, and are you going there again?” What do you want to do? Get yourself killed! John 11:9-10 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” John 11:11-15 After saying these things, he said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but I go to awaken him.” The disciples said to him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that he meant taking rest in sleep. Then Jesus told them plainly, “Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.” John 11:16 So Thomas, called the Twin, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, that we may die with him.” Now, they all expect to die if they go back to Judah. John 11:17 Now when Jesus came, he found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb four days. John 11:18-21 Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off, and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them concerning their brother. So when Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went and met him, but Mary remained seated in the house. Martha said to Jesus, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. John 11:22 But even now I know that whatever you ask from God, God will give you.” John 11:23-24 Jesus said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” John 11:25-26 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this?” Jesus said, “I AM the resurrection and the life.” Do you believe it? John 11:27-32 She said to him, “Yes, Lord; I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who is coming into the world.” When she had said this, she went and called her sister Mary, saying in private, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” And when she heard it, she rose quickly and went to him. Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha had met him. When the Jews who were with her in the house, consoling her, saw Mary rise quickly and go out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. Now when Mary came to where Jesus was and saw him, she fell at his feet, saying to him, “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.” They wanted Jesus to raise Lazarus out of his sick bed, but Jesus had something far greater planned for Lazarus. DON’T BE SURPRISED BY HIS DELAYS. DON’T BE SURPRISED THAT HE LOVES YOU SO MUCH. John 11:33 When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. John 11:34-35 And he said, “Where have you laid him?” They said to him, “Lord, come and see.” Jesus wept. John 11:36-37 So the Jews said, “See how he loved him!” But some of them said, “Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man also have kept this man from dying?” DON’T BE SURPRISED BY MIRACLES JESUS CAN AND WILL DO IN YOUR LIFE. John 11:38-39 Then Jesus, deeply moved again, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone lay against it. Jesus said, “Take away the stone.” Martha, the sister of the dead man, said to him, “Lord, by this time there will be an odor, for he has been dead four days.” John 11:40-43 Jesus said to her, “Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?” So they took away the stone. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, “Father, I thank you that you have heard me. I knew that you always hear me, but I said this on account of the people standing around, that they may believe that you sent me.” When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out.”   John 11:44 The man who had died came out, his hands and feet bound with linen strips, and his face wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.” It was a miracle far beyond anyone’s imagining. Ephesians 3:20 puts it, “far more abundantly than all that we ask or think.” We want a fix on the old life when Jesus wants to give us a new one. We want a healing when Jesus wants to give us a resurrection.
  • Mar 17, 2019Hot Topics #4 Sermon
    Mar 17, 2019
    Hot Topics #4 Sermon
    Series: Hot Topics
    "Hot Topics #4 Sermon".