Lessons from Lazarus

Tomorrow I'll preach the 3rd message in a row from the raising of Lazarus from the dead in the Gospel of John.  Those of you who know what has been going on in my life (and that of my wife Nicole) know that we suffered a setback this week.  Plans that we thought were God's will for us fell through and took us back to square one.  I've been on a quest during the last 15 years to discover how God wants me to glorify him.  When I was first starting down the road to becoming a minister of the Gospel I prayed, "Lord, make your name great through me."  It was the best way I could think of to ask God to use me in a mighty way without letting pride get involved.  Of course, in my mind, that meant God using me to lead a church whose ministry was a clear city upon a hill, or perhaps even at some point writing a book that would inspire and teach others.  I do lead a church, and the people there are God's servants, but we're not on a hill, we struggle to be a light in our small town.  I have written a book, but few have read it.

So how is God planning on using me to glorify his name?  The life and death of Lazarus points the way.  You see, Lazarus was a man of God, a friend of Jesus, but his contributions in life will forever be overshadowed by his contribution in death.  I'm sure it wasn't the plan that Lazarus would have chosen, nor one that his sisters Mary and Martha could have understood as they mourned his loss.  God's will to them was hidden; they had followed the Lord faithfully, but God hadn't answered their prayers.

And yet God did answer the prayers of his people.  The Messiah, his only Son, Jesus was here on Earth to show the make the way to God available to us all.  Lazarus was used by God for the noble purpose of showing those who knew Jesus his divine nature so that they might put their faith in him.  Imagine how many people in the last two thousand years have put their faith in Jesus in part because of how God's glory was revealed in the resurrection of Lazarus.  Nobody wants to volunteer for that role, but when we put our hope and faith in Jesus, we also put our trust in the will of the Father.  When we do, God will use us to make his name great, because we will help lost sinners find their way home.

I may not understand God's will for my life, and I wouldn't have chosen to take it in this direction, but the wisdom of God is at work because I have chosen to be God's servant, and he will make his name great through my life as long as I continue to follow him; and I will.

Sermon Video: "I am the resurrection" The Raising of Lazarus Part 2 - John 11:17-27

In the second part of the story of the resurrection of Lazarus, Jesus speaks with Lazarus' sister Martha whose continued faith in him defies the disappointment that she must have been feeling.  Jesus tells her that her brother will rise again because, "I am the resurrection and the life".  Jesus' bold claim to being the power over life after death is a fundamental belief of all Christians.

To watch the video, click on the link below
Sermon Video

Where's a new Christian to start?

A long-time friend of mine asked me where in the Bible a new Christian should start reading.  In the beginning, at Genesis and just read it through?  At the start of the New Testament, in Matthew? 
My own suggestion would be to have anyone who wants to learn about the Bible, and new Christians in particular start with the Gospel of Mark.  Mark offers the easiest to understand account of the life of Jesus, and one that can be read in a short period of time.  You've got to start somewhere, and the account of who Jesus is and what he did for us should generate plenty of questions that will help spark the dialogue that leads to understanding and growth.
It also seems like a good idea to read the letter of James for its practical moral advice about living an active faith, and then perhaps the letter of I John because of John's teaching on what makes a person a Christian (oddly enough, the subject of my book; free to read, download, or print with a simple click; just click on the "documents you can read" topic in the index).
In the end, new Christians and those who are curious but not believers, both need help from someone who can explain the basics of the Gospel message who is also at the same time living that message in his/her life.  The Bible can work wonders, it is of course God's Word, but most people want to see that we take this Bible seriously, that we follow its teachings, and that we love each other if they themselves are going to join our family.
Where's a new Christian to start?  Hopefully, reading God's Word and spending time in a local church that can help him/her nurture that newborn faith.  In the end, perhaps where a person starts to read isn't as important as who is walking alongside them to help them.  We all should be eager to lend a helping hand to those who, like us, have found redemption in the blood of the Lamb.

Sermon Video, "so that you may believe" The Raising of Lazarus Part 1 - John 11:1-15

In John's Gospel Jesus is confronted with the news that a close friend named Lazarus is very sick, but Jesus decides to wait two days before returning to help.  Lazarus dies before Jesus arrives, but Jesus tells his disciples that he is "glad" that he wasn't there because they will soon see his power (when he raises Lazarus from the dead), "so that you may believe".  Why does God have the right to use our lives (our hurt, pain, even deaths) to further his will?  And How could Jesus stand by and let someone he loves die?  The Love and Wisdom of God are revealed by Jesus.

To watch the video, click on the link below:
Sermon Video

A Lesson from my dog...

One of our dogs hasn't been feeling very well of late.  Not eating, stomach problems, lethargic, that sort of thing.  The problem is that we can't ask her what is wrong.  Was it something she ate, is she in pain, is she sad that she misplace her favorite bone?  Who knows.
The thought occured to me that many people act the same way.  They go through struggles, difficulties, and troubles without ever letting those who care about them know it.  Why do people hid their pain?  Usually it is some mixture of shame, fear, pride, or stubborness.  What will people say if they know what I've done?  What will people think if they know what I'm afraid of?  How will people look at me when they know how much I've let them down?  I don't care how much it hurts, I'm going to fix this myself.
Maybe you've had some of those thoughts, maybe you're saying something like that right now.  There are two very good reasons why you should let other people help you through tough times in your life.  The first is that we're not meant to fight those battles alone.  God created us to be social, to lean on each other, to offer mutal support.  We're designed this way.  When we try to do everything on our own, we make things much more difficult and miss out on the love that our friends, family, and church would offer if only we would let them.  The second reason why we should ask for help is because we deny those same friends, family members, and church members the chance to be Christ-like when we don't go to them for help.  As believers in Jesus Christ, we have an obligation to support and help those in need.  The only way that we will grow as Christians is by serving others.  If we all try to solve everything on our own, none of us will grow to be the mature Christians that God wants us to be.
The next time you face something difficult in life, rather than digging a moat around yourself so that nobody can get in, try instead to build a bridge so that someone can show you how much they love you.  As God's Word reminds us, "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you." (I Peter 5:7)  Go to God, go to his people; we are his hands, his feet, here to serve each other, here to carries the burdens of those in need.