The Word Made Plain

Guest (Male): Welcome to the Word Made Playing with senior pastor Tony Clark of Calvary Chapel Newport News in Virginia. Currently, pastor Tony is teaching in the book of John. Please open your Bible to John chapter 11 verses 28 through 37.

Tony Clark: Notice how when Mary sees Jesus, she falls down at his feet. Oh, this really shows us how special Mary is because in Luke chapter 10 verse 39, we see her sitting at the feet of Jesus during good times. Here in this verse, we see her at the feet of Jesus during hard times. Mary is one who both in good times and in hard times could be found sitting at the feet of Jesus. Oh, I have seen people during the good times in life sitting at the feet of Jesus worshiping him, praising him, and saying, Lord, you just so good.

You so good to me. And we see you at church and you got that that cheesy grin on your face. Oh Lord, it's just so good. But when difficulty comes your way, you pull away. And then frustration you say, well, why spend the money or put forth the effort to go to church? I would just stay home. Others, you run the church in hard times and you sit at the feet of Jesus, but when things get back to normal, you disappear. Then there are some of you who like Mary, regardless of the situation, you will be found sitting at the feet of Jesus.

Do you want to know how to navigate through the storms of life? It is by sitting at the feet of Jesus, learning from him, listening to his words. And Mary was able to get through this difficult season in her life because she developed a habit of sitting at the feet of Jesus, worshiping him, and hearing his word. Oh, we saw in verse two that of this chapter that she anointed the feet of Jesus with a very expensive perfume called spikenard that was imported from India. It was so expensive, as we talked about last time, it was so expensive that it will cost a year's salary.

And she took that oil and she anointed the feet of Jesus. And once again, she was at the feet of Jesus. And this is how she was able to endure this difficult time in her life because she had developed a habit in the good times and the bad times to sit at his feet. Some of you in good times you at his feet, bad times you go. Others bad times you at his feet, when things are back to normal, you go. Oh, no, no, no. Mary in the good times and the bad times, she was at the feet of Jesus.

This is the only way you'll be able to navigate the storms of life when death comes knocking at your door in whatever form. This is the only way you're going to be able to navigate through that difficult time if you develop the habit of sitting at the feet of Jesus. Don't notice what Mary says in verse 32, the second part of verse 32, as she fell down at his feet saying to him, Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. Now, notice these are the exact words Martha said to Jesus in verse 21.

Now, this was not a rebuke, but it was a cry out of her sorrow. However, this teaches me something about human nature. We began to talk like the people with whom we hang out with. I am sure as they watch Lazarus gradually get sicker, they said, where is the Lord? Didn't he get the message? We sent the messenger. Didn't he get it? Doesn't he care? And they spoke the same words. And this is why it is so important to establish relationships with people who speaks the word of God because that's the language you want to speak.

I don't want to be I don't know about you, but I don't want to be a person that is negative, who doubts, who complains, who is grumpy. Why? Because I will look up and everyone around me will start to be grumpy, complainers, and doubters. You want to spend time with people that will take you higher in the Lord because if you don't, you will find yourself speaking the same language as they do, like Mary and Martha. Look at the people you hang out with. I guarantee you that you guys talk alike and you don't even realize it until now.

Ask yourself these questions. Do they speak the word of God? Or they speak the words of the world? And no matter how they speak or talk, just know you will talk just like them. Hey, I'm telling you, this this is why it's so important to marry someone singles. It's so important to marry someone who is in the Lord, has a relationship with the Lord, who speaks the word of God to you. Because eventually, however they are, if they are strong personality in the relationship, you will begin to speak like them. It's just a guarantee that that would happen.

Look at verses 33 and 34. Says, therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews who came with her weeping, he groaned in the spirit and was troubled. And he said, where have you laid him? And they said to him, Lord, come and see. Now, the scene was understandably one of intense sorrow and pain. And we see in verse 33 that Jesus saw her weeping referring to Mary and the Jews who came with her weeping. It says that Jesus groaned in the spirit. Now, I want to draw your attention to the Greek word for weeping.

Uh is that particular Greek word and it means to wail or to lament loudly. According to Jewish custom, even the Poors family was expected to hire at least two flute players and a professional wailing woman. And since Mary and Martha and Lazarus were a prominent family, and they would likely have uh had even more professional mourners in addition to others who came to pay their respects that we saw in verse 19. And what I want to bring to your attention is the Greek word for groaned in verse 33. It said that he groaned in his spirit speaking of Jesus.

Well, that Greek word is and it means to snort like a horse. It it appears three times in the New Testament and it is translated sternly warned, scolding. It can include the connotation of anger, outrage, or indignation. And so with this in mind, Jesus may have been angry over the painful reality of sin and death of which his dear friend Lazarus was an example. But perhaps he was angry over these professional mourners only putting on a show of sadness and sorrow because that was the custom of the day. Perhaps at one time they had a death in the family and they carried on in such a way that people said, well, we need to hire her next time.

When we have a death in the family and now there's just carrying on just out of for a show. It's not real. It's something that that just it's just a show. And see many of you came out of churches like that where it's just a show. It's it's it it's nothing wrong with emotion. God has given us emotion, but when emotion slides over into watch this emotionalism, that's where the problem comes in because emotionalism becomes a show. It just be show of look at me. Look how spiritual I am or look how in the spirit I am.

And it's just a show. And perhaps this is what Jesus was angry over. This just show when sin destroys and sin breaks hearts and sin causes death and sorrow. And here you have a bunch of people putting on a show. And no doubt this broke his heart. This verse also said that Jesus was troubled. Well, that Greek word is and it further describes strong emotion. It is also translated indignant or furious. And then in verse 34, Jesus asked, where have you laid him? And they said, Lord, come and see. The they in this verse must refer to those directly involved in the burial of Lazarus.

Now, what happened next? Look at verses 35 and 36. Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, see how he loved him. Now, here in verse 35 is the shortest verse in the Bible, but it packs a big punch. Now, I am just going to bring out just a couple of things. There's more I could have spent the whole time on verse 35 alone. Now, it says that Jesus wept. This Greek word is and it is different from weeping that Mary did. This Greek word means to silently burst into tears. And it is a rare word only used here in the New Testament.

And this word is in total contrast to what the typical professional mourners were doing. The tears of Jesus were generated no doubt from his love for Lazarus and his grief over what sin has done to his creation. And truly as Isaiah 53 verse uh three says, it rings true that Jesus was a man of sorrow, acquainted with grief. And the Jews were correct in verse 36 as seeing Jesus tears as evident of his love for Lazarus. But they were incorrect in thinking that his tears reflected the same hopelessness and despair that they felt. And we must understand as believers what 1 Thessalonians 4:13 says, it says that we do not sorrow as those who have no hope when someone dies.

Now, this verse doesn't say that we do not sorrow, but it says we do not sorrow, notice as those who have no hope. That particular phrase, those who have no hope, is a reference to unbelievers. To those who have no hope that there's life after death, that they have no hope that they will see that loved one again. Now, why is it that people believe that there is life after death when someone dies, but don't spend the time to prepare themselves for such a life? Or if there is life after death, what is it like?

Is there a certain criteria to get there? Or does everyone automatically go to this good afterlife when they dies? Oh, the Bible has the answers to these questions and we experience a wonderful life in heaven through Jesus Christ. And anyone who has repented of their sins and made Jesus the Lord of their lives will spend eternity in heaven with him. And this means everyone doesn't go there automatically when they die. Only his children. It blows me away. I I am baffled because of social media, we get to see the thoughts of a lot of people because everyone puts everything on social media.

Everyone wants everyone to know what their thoughts are every moment of the day. I am looking at this tree, hashtag board. So we we we we see everything. We we exposed to everything. And we hear such craziness, such mind-boggling craziness when people die. I Oh, well, you know, now oh, they got their wings now. Since who said that when we die, we get some wings? We become birds all of a sudden or we some kind of Well, God wanted his angel back. Are you kidding me? Where is that in the Bible? We have all this crazy folklore that's out there that's not rooted in scripture anywhere.

I hear some of the most mind-boggling things. Guy, I remember gang member gang bang shot up, shoot them up, drugs, the whole night, killed folks, all kind of stuff. When stretched out here, oh yeah, I bet he up there doing some gang signs with Jesus, you know up there. I am like, what? What kind of mess? I I am baffled. Every see everyone believes in the afterlife when they're faced with death. But how many people are preparing themselves for such a life? Or is it just automatically everyone goes there? You die, you go. Everybody goes there.

I I have never heard or seen on social media someone died and said, well, yeah, he bust hell wide open, you know. No. He ride he ride and ride in his bike in heaven, you know. What? Who said there bicycles or motorcycles in heaven? Who said that? Yeah, he probably we got that thing throttling through the pearly gates. Who says these things? Because people are ignorant of the scriptures, of the word of God. They just go based upon the craziest thoughts in life. I bet he up there wearing Jesus to death. She wearing everybody here but I bet he she wearing Jesus in that What?

The Bible says be anxious for nothing, worry for nothing, but everything by prayer and supplication. However, she's up there worrying Jesus to death. But she was a talker. I bet she's talking Jesus here off. What? I hear this kind of stuff. It is crazy man-made folklore. It's not rooted in the Bible anywhere. And if there's an afterlife, we need to prepare ourselves for such a life. Only his children go to heaven. And everybody is not a child of God. Let me tell you something. Stop saying that. We're all his creation, but we are not all his children.

You're only a child of God through faith in Jesus Christ. John 1:12 says, for as many as received him, to them he gave the right to become children of God, even to them who believe on his name. The Bible is clear about that. Everyone is not his children. We are all his creation. You're only a child of God by putting your faith and trust in Jesus Christ. The question is, have you received him? For as many as received him, to them he gave the right. That word in the Greek, the right means it means the power, the authority to become children of God, even to them who believe on his name.

The way that you know that you're a child of God, it will be reflected in the way that you live. Look at your life. Does it reflect Jesus Christ? Or does it reflect just however you want to live? I am telling you, don't be fooled into thinking you're a child of God just because you believe that there is a God. Oh, it just shows that you're not a fool. The Bible said the fool has said in his heart, there is no God. Oh, because you acknowledge there is a God just means you're not a fool.

It doesn't mean you're a believer. That that that word believe means to trust and to adhere to, to rely upon. It means that that Greek word means to place one's weight fully upon something, to place the weight of your life fully upon Christ, trusting him. Just like when you sat in that chair, you placed all of your weight in that chair. You were trusting that that chair was going to hold you up. You put all your weight upon Christ, trusting him for your salvation. Oh, somebody needs to hear this today because you thinking that you are a believer just because you believe that there is a God.

The Bible said the demons believe and tremble. Did you know Satan that did you know there are no atheists in Satan's kingdom? Satan is not an atheist. Oh, he promotes atheism. You you know, that which the belief that there is no God, he promotes that. But Satan believes that there is God. Oh, I tell you. So those who don't have this hope in Jesus mourn like those who have no hope during funerals. Look at verse 37. And some of them said, could not this man who opened the eyes of the blind also have kept this man from dying?

Now, listen to what some of the people in this crowd said about Jesus. Oh, yes, they were impressed with his tears in verse 36 and some said, see how he loved him. While others were questioning Jesus and perhaps you know, picking up on what the sister said, could not this man who opened the eyes of the blind have kept this man from dying? No doubt this is a reference to the miracle Jesus performed in John chapter nine of the blind man when he healed the blind man in verses 1 through 12 that we studied sometime back.

Now, they were being critical of Jesus. They were implying that Jesus had the power to heal a blind man and according to Mary and Martha could have prevented their brother Lazarus from dying. So they're wondering why is it that he didn't come and heal him? What took him so long to get it? He's getting here now. Lazarus has been dead four days. So something else must have been going on. Something sinister must have been going on for him not to come to this family that he claims to love. Oh, this is what they were saying.

And I want you to please be careful. Please be careful during times like this that you don't allow Satan to use people to cause you to question Jesus. It is during times like this that we question God's love for us, we question the people of God and especially the church. There are those just like these Jews who will be critical of Jesus or the church and start to put these thoughts in your mind that they didn't do enough for you and cause all kinds of problems. See, we are very vulnerable and sensitive and emotional during times like this.

And even the most spiritual people can be influenced like people like this that we reading about in these verses. So be very careful that you don't allow Satan to cause you to question the love of Jesus or the church during your time of grief. What happened next? You know like I do, you got to stay tuned to next time that we pick up because we have to finally see what happens with Lazarus. Let me conclude with this. When God doesn't make sense, we saw how we need to develop a habit of sitting at the feet of Jesus in the good times and the bad times because when the storms of life come and they will come, it will be our times of sitting at his feet that will help us navigate through these storms.

We also saw how we need to surround ourselves with people that are always speaking the word of God because we become and talk like the people we hang around. And finally, where are you going when you die? Don't automatically assume that you or your loved ones are going to heaven just because you died. God has a criteria and a way to get to heaven and it is through Jesus Christ. Jesus said in John 14:6, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No man comes to the Father but by me. He said in John 10:9, I am the door by which you enter in to be saved.

Therefore, the question is, have you come through that door? It's the door of repentance through Jesus Christ by which you get to heaven. But you can. You can today come through this door. You and your loved ones can come. It is through Jesus Christ. If let's just say we're lucky enough to live 100 years. And at this pace, I don't know if I I don't want to live 100 years in this world. But just in case you're lucky enough to live 100 years, what is that? To eternity, 100 trillion years that you're going to live once you die.

You're going to live it somewhere. It's either in heaven or it's in hell. One way, you're going to have eternal life. The question is, where is it going to be? That's the question. And that's just why Satan would try to blind us, to prepare our lives here on this Earth. This is why he would do that, to distract us, to get our eyes focused on here instead of focused on heaven. This is why you have people standing pulpits like this and say, oh, you need to God wants you to be rich and he wants you to name it and claim it and he wants you to name that house and that car and that bank account.

All things to distract you, to get your eyes and your focus on here and not on heaven. This is why the Bible says if Christ be raised with God, set your mind on things above and not things on this Earth. Oh, but you have preachers that will say just the opposite. No, set your eyes on things on this Earth. Look at me. Look at my lifestyle. Look at what I am doing. You can have it too if you just have enough faith. Kidding me? Who wants to go to heaven when you can have heaven here?

Who wants to go? Because you're enjoying it here. That's why you don't hear a lot of talk about heaven today, a lot of talk about the second coming, a lot of talk about hell. You don't hear a lot of talk about that because the churches, they want to talk about how you can accumulate more junk for this Earth. And Jesus made it very clear that life does not consist upon the abundance of things by which you possess. But today people say, oh yes, it does. And they always say, he who dies with the most toys wins.

And I always say, no, he who dies with the most toys still dies. And where you're going to spend eternity? That's the question. And we're going to have some people available to pray with you about these things. You want to make sure things are right between you and God. You want to begin to prepare yourself for eternity. Eternity because you never know around what corner death is. You don't know. You don't know. And you want to be prepared when you go. Father, thank you so much for this time you have given us. Lord, we pray by the power of your Holy Spirit you would draw people unto you, save souls and lives today.

I pray, Lord, if there are those who are here who've never repented of their sins and and accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior, believe that you died on the cross and was buried and rose again, Lord. You said that they shall shall be saved. Draw people unto you today by the power of your Holy Spirit. And Lord, I just pray for your people that we will learn how to sit at your feet and learn from you. Sit at your feet in the good times and the bad times. Help us, Lord, we pray in Jesus name.

Amen.

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