Before Lazarus Was Raised

Activity: Sunday Message

Anchor Scripture: John 11: 1 - 44

Introduction

The church today, the pulpit and the congregation, is full of people who want miracles, by whatever means they can get it. Every miracle that happened in the Bible are being preached over and over and sometimes, over stretched, by the pulpit, albeit to impress the congregation and make them “believe”. Unfortunately, most people in the congregation are not able to see through most of these messages because according to the Word of God, they have also developed “itching ears” (2 Timothy 4: 3). We pray the good Lord to heal His church of graven covetousness in Jesus' Name. Amen.

Message

Many of the greatest works of our Lord Jesus Christ in the Bible that amazed the people of that time most was the raising of Lazarus from death after four days of his death. Jesus Christ was even discouraged by members of Lazarus’ family that the Lord should not bother again, because by then, he has started decaying and smelling (John 11: 39). But the story changed when the Lord got to the graveside. The Bible says that the Lord “wept” (john 11: 32). The question is why did He betray emotions openly like that and weep?

What I found very annoying in most of the messages coming from the pulpit today is that the preachers tell us the final result of God’s or Jesus’ intervention, and gullibly, most of us take those and began to pray or began to act on it just because the man of God said so. This kind of attitude is one of the reasons many brethren who were once fervent for the Lord backslid and never returned because they felt disappointed by God.  They now is God as a liar who will say one thing, but do another.

One thing I want you to know, brethren, is that our God is a God of processes. Our God doesn’t build something on nothing. That is why He doesn’t do magic, He does and specializes in working MIRACLES. So, what was before Lazarus was raised back to life?

Brethren, three things happened for Lazarus to be raised back to life. These things are very important if we are going to truly receive from the Lord. The Holy Spirit has told me over and over again that there is always a process or the other with God. I pray God grants us a heart of understanding in Jesus' name. Amen.

The first thing that happened was that both Lazarus and our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ were friends. In John 11:2 when Lazarus’ sickness was to be told Jesus Christ, his sisters said, “. . . he whom thou lovest . . . .” (John 11: 3). That verse tells us that Lazarus was a beloved of the Lord. By implication, they were friends. Being friends means that; they understood themselves, they have the same behaviour, liking the same things and hating the same things. They go to the same places. They see things the same way. They think the same way and do things in common. This is the truth because the book of Amos 3: 3 says, “Can two walk together, except they be agreed?” So brethren, before Lazarus was raised back to life, he and Jesus Christ were in agreement. What agreement, then? Agreement as regards how he would live his life in accordance with God’s Word. That was why he was loved by the Lord. So, when this Scripture is used to raise a prayer point in your congregation next time, ask yourself whether you and Jesus Christ are in agreement. Can your family members go to Jesus and call you the one He loves? Are you being identified with him?

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The second thing that happened before Lazarus was raised back to life was that his family members knew the right place to go and the right person to call even when he was sick, that is, before he eventually died. But who do you call when you run into trouble or where do you go? In whom is your trust? Have you not replaced God with a man or something else? Let me tell you, the Psalmist wasn’t drunk when he wrote Psalm 121: 1-2. He knew the right channel, the right place to look and ask for help. The truth is that where you turn determines what you get.

The last thing that happened was that the people had faith. The Bible says “without faith, no one can please the Lord.” (Heb. 11: 6). When Jesus Christ asked them whether they believe, they gave an emphatic “yes”, not a maybe or not (John 11: 27) So, when the situation gets the worst, that is when our faith supposed to be stronger and become more stubborn. But what do we do at that point? We break down and begin to lament. God is not interested in our lamentation, but in our unshakeable faith in Him. He says, “if thou has faith like the mustard seed, you will tell a mountain to move and it will move.” (Mat. 17: 20). But instead of you and I doing what Jesus Christ admonished us, we lose control and do the opposite.

Brethren, there are still many things the Holy Spirit will teach us together, for our own good and for our perfection unto Him that we may be truly called, the sons of the living God. Let us not continue to believe the lies of motivational speakers parading themselves as men and women of God who teach us what the Bible calls the wisdom of men.

May God help and keep us till He comes in Jesus' name, amen.

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Till we meet again to learn at His feet, keep keeping on in Him!