“True Worship”!! Pt.1

TEXT:  ST. JOHN:4:24: God is Spirit, and they that worship him, must worship him in spirit and in truth.

John’s name means, “whom Jehovah loves”.  Along with Peter and James he was one of the three in Christ’s inner circle.  Jesus surnamed him and James “Boaner’ges” (the sons of thunder), or (sons of commotion) because of their prophetic zeal and resolution (intention; aim; aspiration; purpose; plan) to witness for Christ.  

Sons in Hebrew, is ben (bane), meaning, builder of the family name.  Sons (male & female) are still builders (designers; planners; establishers) of God’s family name.

 The Gospel of John shows Jesus as the Son of God!  John wrote this Gospel for the purpose of proving that Jesus was and is “the Christ”, the promised Messiah for the Jews and the Son of God for the Gentiles!  The other three gospels show Christ in action; John shows Him in meditation and communion.

In this Gospel:  no genealogy is recorded; neither Jesus’ legal lineage through Joseph (as given by Matthew), nor His personal descent through Mary (as given by Luke).  There’s no account of His birth – because He was “in the beginning”!  There’s nothing about His boyhood; nothing about His temptation.  Jesus rather is presented as Christ the Lord, not the One tempted in all points like as we are.  There’s no transfiguration; no parables; no account of the ascension; no great commission.  Yet only here is He called “the Word”, the Creator, the only begotten of the Father, the Lamb of God, the revelation of the great “I AM” (Exodus 3:14).

In St. John chapter one [Jesus’ Deity – He’s the Word made flesh]:  chapter two [His first miracle, the water made wine]:  chapter three [Jesus teaching Nicodemus about the new birth]:  in this 4^th chapter [Jesus goes to Galilee].  

 John 4:1-15 [Jesus leaves Judea going to Galilee, but stops off in Sychar, takes a rest on Jacobs well where He encounters a Samaritan woman].

We know the story:  This Samaritan woman comes to Jacobs well to draw natural water to drink and Jesus offers her living water that would be within her a well of water springing up into eternal life and she says, “Give me this water that I thirst not, neither come hither to draw” (vs 13-15).

Then in verses 16-18, Jesus tells her of her past by making mention of her husbands which I’m sure rocked her world, and at that point, then she says to Him:

·        Vs 19-20: “Sir, I perceive that thou art a prophet.  Our fathers worshipped in this mountain (she was stating in reference to the Jews), and you say  that in Jerusalem is the place where men ought to worship”. 

This Mountain the Samaritan woman was speaking of was Mt. Gerizim, in Samaria. 

Around 1000 BC, King David ruled Israel (the Jewish people).  His son Solomon built the first holy Temple in Jerusalem, which became the central place of worship for Jews.

About 332 BC Sanballat, governor of Samaria under the Persians, and who opposed Israel under Nehemiah (4:7---13:28), went over to the side of Alexander the Great who gave him permission to build a temple on Mt. Gerizim like the one in Jerusalem.  

The Samaritans were expecting the Messiah to make Mt. Gerizim in Samaria, not Jerusalem [referred to as Zion the mountain and city of the living God (Hebrews 12:22)], His seat of Government.

Now because Jesus’ words proved Him to be a prophet, the Samaritan woman seized upon the opportunity for Jesus to answer her question about where “worship” should take place!

And Jesus affirmed that “true worship” would not be confined to either site (in Samaria or Jerusalem) because He, the Messiah had come. 

Jesus was about to tell her “Who is to be worshipped”!

And He said to her:  Vs 21: “Woman, believe me, the hour cometh, when you shall neither in this mountain, nor yet at Jerusalem worship the Father.  Vs 22: You worship, you know not what:  we know what we worship:  for salvation is of the Jews.  Vs 23: But the hour cometh and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth:  for the Father seeks such to worship him.  Vs 24: God is a Spirit:  and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

GOD IS: Creator: (Genesis 1:1): In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth:  I AM: (Exodus 3:14): And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: GOD: (Psalm 90:2): Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou had formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God:   Supreme Being: (Isaiah 45:5) I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God besides me:  LORD: (Malachi 3:6): I am the LORD, and I change not:  Omnipotent [all powerful]: (Jeremiah 32:17) Ah Lord GOD! Behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee:  vs 27: Behold, I am the LORD the God of all flesh:  is there anything too hard for me?  Omnipresent [ever present] (Psalm 139:7-8): Whither shall I go from thy spirit?  Or whither shall I flee from thy presence?  If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there:  if I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there: Omniscience [all-knowing] (1^st John 3:20): For if our heart condemn us, God is greater than our heart, and knows all things:  WORTHY: (Revelation 4:11) Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory  and honor and power:  for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

In relation to “TRUE WORSHIP”!

True in Webster is defined as in accordance with fact or reality; genuine; accurate or exact; loyal or faithful; honest.

In Greek, truth is from the root word alethes’, meaning as not concealing; actual; true to fact. Synonyms for truth are: accurate; correct; faithful; verifiable; without variation.

• James 1:17: Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.

WHAT IS WORSHIP? Worship is from the Greek root proskune’o, meaning to fawn or crouch to; (fig) prostrate oneself in homage; do reverence to; adore; to do “obeisance” to.  

In Hebrew it’s shachah’, meaning to depress, to prostrate especially in homage to royalty or God; bow down; obeisance; reverence; fall down; stoop; crouch especially bowing down in homage before a superior.

Worship is an act of reverence which is a feeling of deep respect, love, and awe for God! 

The purpose of “worship” is to establish or give expression (utterance; declaration; proclamation) to a relationship between God and man.

When someone worship, he or she present (offers; gives; delivers; bestows) his or her love to God, and identifies himself or herself with Spirit! 

·        1^st Corinthians 6:17: He that is joined (united) unto the Lord is one spirit!

Spirit is the root word pneu’ma, meaning breath, a spirit ie (human) the rational (sound; whole; complete] soul; vital principle; mental disposition.

How do we worship God in Spirit?

The first part of the definition of Spirit is a current of air, in relation to “breath”.  We already know that God is more than just the very “air” we breathe that’s called oxygen.  This “breath” is not just the breeze you feel when you’re outside or the wind you hear blowing.  But it’s the same “breath” that the LORD God breathed into Adam’s nostrils (aph) [the face; countenance; forehead; mind] in Genesis 2:7 that caused him to become a “living soul”!   This breath was  neshamah’, meaning a puff, wind, angry or vital (absolutely necessary; essential; full of energy; lively] breath; divine inspiration (inhaling; or being inspired mentally or emotionally; any stimulus to creative thought or action by an inspired idea); intellect (the ability to reason or understand).

This is the same “breath” that was breathed on the dry bones in Ezekiel 37!  The same “breath” that Jesus breathed on the disciples in John 20 when He said to them, “Receive ye the Holy Ghost”!  The same “breath” that was breathed on those in the upper room at Pentecost (Acts 2) and thousands were saved!  

The same “breath” that we are breathing in (or inhaling) today as we receive His Word and give out His Word to others!

John 4:24: God is SPIRIT, and they that worship him, must worship him in Spirit and in truth.

So to “truly worship” God in spirit we need a renewed mind, a spiritual mind!

·         Romans 8:6: For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

·         Romans 12:2: Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind.

This word “mind” in Romans 12:2 is the Greek root word nous, meaning the intellect (the ability to reason and understand) in relation to (human or divine; in thought, feeling, or will); understanding.

When we’re “spiritual minded” whichever area we’re operating in, whether in thought, feeling, or act, with or without the aid of symbols and rites, “pure worship” is expressed through adoration (deep love and respect) and veneration without making petitions and self-renunciations and sacrificial giving to God.  Worship is the occupation of the soul with God Himself and does not include prayer for needs and thanksgiving for blessings.

Both words proskune’o and shachah’, are rendered as “worship”, but in Old English was spelled “worth-ship”, denoting the worthiness of the one receiving the special honor or devotion.  Both terms may be seen of the 24 elders falling down before the One who sits on the throne:

·        Revelation 4:10: The four and twenty elders fall down before him that sat on the throne and worship him that lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying, vs 11: Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power:  for thou hast created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and were created.

Pleasure is the root word thel’ema, meaning, determination; volition; inclination; will; decree; purpose.  Stipulating that God in the beginning determined (purposed) that man was to be in His own image after His likeness manifesting Him (God) in the earth in a flesh body as a many membered body of people, composed of both male and female, called CHRIST!

·        Ephesians 5:30: We are members (limbs; parts) of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. 

·        1^st John 4:17: As he is, so are we, in this world.

Worshipping in Spirit shows that man is substantiating, confirming, and maintaining the right mental attitude toward God!!  Our attitude toward God helps determine our altitude in God.

There is no way man can substantiate, confirm or maintain the right mental attitude toward God except with a “spiritual mind”. 

·        1^st Corinthians 2:16: But we have the mind (nous) [thoughts; understanding] of Christ! Philippian 2:5: Let this mind (phrone’o) [exercise; disposition; interest in spiritual things] be in you which was also in Christ Jesus.  1^st Peter 1:13: Gird up the loins of your mind (dian’oia) [deep thought] which comes through study and rightly dividing the word of truth (2^nd Timothy 2:15).

How do we worship god in truth?

Truth is from the root word ale’theia, meaning, verity [real; genuine; authentic; proven; valid)], that which signifies the reality lying at the basis of an appearance; the manifested; veritable essence of a matter.  Then it goes to another word alethes’, meaning true (as not concealing).  

·        John 14:6: Jesus said, I am the way, and the truth, and the life!

Worshiping the Father in “truth” is: “Speaking not in the words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Ghost teaches:  comparing spiritual things with spiritual (1^st Corinthians 2:13).

Worshiping the Father in truth is:  coming to “KNOW” who He really is and that He is not out beyond the blue.  [TRUTH IS] - 1^st John 4:4: Greater is he that is IN YOU, than he that is in the world!

·        Matthew 1:23: Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.

·        St. John 1:1: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God:  vs 14: And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us!

·        John 10:30: Jesus said, “I and my Father are one”!

·        John 14:9: Jesus said unto him (Philip):  “Have I been so long time with you and yet hast thou not known me, Philip”?  “He that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how say thou then, show us the Father”?

Worshiping the Father in truth is:   Knowing that we too are one with the Father through Christ Jesus:

·        John 17:19: And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified (hagia’zo) [to make holy; purify or consecrate; (mentally) to venerate (regard with great respect)] through the truth.  Vs 21: That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us:  that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.  Vs 22: And the glory which thou gave me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one. Vs 23: I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and has loved them, as thou hast loved me.

Worshiping the Father in truth is:  Knowing that He was Jesus in flesh form that “IS COME” to deliver us and has delivered us from the works of the devil when He was nailed to the cross and rose on the third day!

·        Romans 8:2: For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death!

·        2^nd Corinthians 5:21: For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

·        Colossians 1:13-14: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:  in whom we have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.

·        Hebrews 9:12: Neither by the blood of goats and calves, but by his own blood he entered in once into the holy place having obtained eternal redemption for us.  Vs 22b: Without shedding of blood is no remission.

John 4:23 (Jesus said):  “The hour cometh and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth:  for the Father seek (zete’o) [seek for; desires; endeavors; enquires (for); requires] such to worship him”.

In the Old Testament, worship can be divided into two main periods, patriarchal and theocratic.

Prior to the Mosaic institutions there are few indications of formal and public worship among the patriarchs.  The times of the Patriarchs reveal the individual, personal, and occasional acts of worship that would characterize a seminomadic people living apart from organized society:

Genesis 4:3-4, 26; 8:20-22, does picture the beginnings of ritualistic religion in the institution of sacrifices and the building of altars.

·        Genesis 22:1-5 (Abraham at Moriah when he goes to sacrifice his son Isaac on the altar).

·        Genesis 28:18-22: (Jacob at Bethel) [His dream of the ladder that reaches to heaven; God tells him how He’s going to bless him; and Jacob’s vow to God].

During the theocratic period the corporate and ritualistic concept of worship became prominent.  A very highly organized and comprehensive system of worship was revealed to Moses by God at Sinai, which included:

·        Special kinds of offerings and sacrifices for the whole nation: (a) daily (Num.28:3-8):  (b) each Sabbath (Num.28:9-10; Lev.24:8):  (c) At the new moon (Num.28:12-15):  (d) The Passover or the Feast of Unleavened Bread (Num.28:16-25; Exo.12:1) on the 14^th day of the first month, which is the prototype of Christ and was succeeded by the Lord’s Supper (Mt.26:17-29).

·        Particular sacrifices to be offered by an individual for himself and his family, such as:  the Passover meal and the Passover itself (Exo.12; Lev.23:5):  a burnt offering of a male of the flock without blemish, for himself and his family (Lev.23:5).

·        Special sacrifices for the priest themselves at the consecration of Aaron and his sons (Lev.8:2, 14-15); at the anointing of the priest (Exo.29:15; Lev.6:19-23).

But in the New Testament, with the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ, all the Old Testament sacrifices and offerings became a thing of the past.  There is now no more sacrifice for sins, for the Lamb of God has taken away the sin of the world:

St. John 1:29-34 [John’s witness to Jesus]:   Vs 29: The next day John sees Jesus coming unto him and said, “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world”!

·        Hebrews 10:26: For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world:  but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself.

Now the believer has an advocate before God in Christ to plead for him/her when he/she repents of his/her sin:

·        1^st John 1:9: If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

·        1^st John 2:1: My little children, these things write I unto you, that you sin not.  And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

And he (man) now needs no earthly priest.  Therefore the form of worship soon began to change. 

Public worship however, in the first days of Christianity was still associated with the temple.  That is fine, for the word says, not to forsake the assembling of yourselves together (Hebrews 10:25). 

Yes it’s true, worship can take place within the four walls of the church building and that’s fine, but “true worship” begins within us individually in Christ Jesus!!

We’ve just dealt with the Who is worshiped (God):  What worship is:  and how we are to worship, in spirit and in truth!

There will be a continuation of “True Worship” with part 2 talking about “where” true worship takes place.

Pastor Gracie Perry

Right on Time

 Prophetic Scripture: 

The book of Hebrews depicts Christ “Our Intercessor and Mediator.”

I’m using one verse of scripture with sixteen words.  (KJV) 

Text: Hebrews 10:37: For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry.

When you’re really desperate for an answer from God, it can be tempting to start thinking the Lord will not respond in time. Someone once said a humorous line about the timing of God. They said, “God is never late, but He sure is last-minute!”  Sometimes it feels like the Lord is going to miss the window of time for a much needed miracle. I am sure there were many people in the Old Testament who wondered why it was taking so long for the promised Messiah to appear. After all, couldn’t God see all the problems occurring? Without a doubt, many were convinced that the time for the Messiah had to be now! Yet it was to be years before His appearance. They probably were like many of us and thought God had not come through in time. But how many know He was there all the time!!! Exodus 13 and 14: He was a pillar of a cloud by day and pillar of fire by night to give light unto the Israelites. Numbers 20: He was the rock that Moses smote that gave them water abundantly. Daniel 3: Nebuchadnezzar the king rose up in haste with astonishment and said Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like “the Son of God.’’ What we need to know about the timing of God is that God is eternal and sees everything from that perspective. He knows that the events of today are never the final answer. God is not about making you suffer, but realize that the miracle answer will not be late. If you trust that today, your confidence will agree with His perfect timing, and you’ll realize that things really are well with you. The bottom line is that He will come, and His answer will never be late! Right on Time – Over 2000 years God spoke to Abraham (Genesis 17:19) “Sarah … shall bear thee a son; indeed, and thou shalt call his name Isaac: and I will establish my covenant with him for an everlasting covenant and with his seed after him.” In a matter of time, it was manifested. Galatians 4:4: But when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law..." (1 Timothy 2:6) "Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time." And according to Paul in (Titus 1:2-3). Vs 2: In hope of eternal life, which God, that cannot lie, promised before the world began; Vs 3: But hath in due times manifested his word through preaching, which is committed unto me according to the commandment of God our Savior. "For then must he often have suffered since the foundation of the world: but now once in the end of the world hath he appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of himself" (Hebrew 9:26). God’s timing is Not accidental. Paul makes it very clear that God had an appointed time for this event. God was not premature in revealing Himself in the flesh to man some 2000 years ago!  He was Right on time!  St. John 1:1: In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  Vs 14: And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father), full of grace and truth. There are no accidents with God, nothing just happens, but everything is according to His time table. Come here Lazarus!!!! John 11:1-7, 11-15, 39-40. 1 Now a certain man named Lazarus was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 (This Mary, whose brother Lazarus now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Lord and wiped his feet with her hair.) 3 So the sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.” 4 When he heard this, Jesus said, “This sickness is not unto death. No, it is for God’s glory so that God’s Son may be glorified through it.” 5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So, when he heard that Lazarus was sick, he stayed where he was two more days, 7 And then he said to his disciples, “Let us go back to Judea.”  11 After he had said this, he went on to tell them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up.” 12 His disciples replied, “Lord, if he sleeps, he will get better.” 13 Jesus had been speaking of his death, but his disciples thought he meant natural sleep. 14-15 So then he told them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, and for your sake I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him.”  39 “Take away the stone,” he said. “But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man, “by this time he’s stinking: for he has been dead four days.”  40 Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” Lazarus’ name means:(whom God helps, succor of God, aid or assistance of God; to (surround) that is protect or aid: grace of God; not of help; without succor; helpless). Lazarus refers to the part of the consciousness that is helped by the good, though apparently utterly neglected by the man himself.  Meaning, the part of the consciousness that is helped by the power of God, though utterly neglected by the man himself, or utterly incapable of helping itself as itself, but must receive its help from something higher than itself, representing God.” In the parable (Luke 16:19-31) Jesus describes the state of consciousness of one who passes through the change called death.  When one understands the disintegration/decay that death produces in man, this parable is perceived to be rich in description of that process and of the new relation of the segregated parts of the complete man. The raising of Lazarus, the brother of Mary and Martha, signifies the restoring to consciousness of the idea of youth, which is asleep in the sub-consciousness, or tomb of the body. People grow old because they let the youth idea fall asleep. This idea is not dead, but is sleeping, and the understanding I AM (Jesus) goes to awaken it. Now when that word youth is used, please don’t be misled. Most people are naturally going to signify or suggest turning back the clock when you use that word, and taking on the body of a young person again, in terms of time.  Whereas the meaning of youth I’m referring to was not turn back the clock to the early days, but ever-renewing.  That is the real meaning, not going back to the age of sixteen, but the ever renewing process of life expression in the body. There is no age; age and time span have nothing to do with it. A body can take on characteristics of age and yet ever within itself be undergoing renewal. This is to be permanent, eternal: and the idea of this is the symbol of Lazarus. "I am the resurrection and the life". The silent unity affirmation is "I am the ever-renewing, ever-unfolding expression of infinite life." Bringing this sleeping life to outer consciousness is no easy task. Because Jesus himself groaned in spirit and was troubled at the prospect. The higher must enter into sympathy and love with the lower to bring about the awakening…that’s why “Jesus wept.” But there must be more than sympathy and love----- “Take you away the stone.” The “stone” that holds the sleeping life in the tomb of matter in sub-consciousness is the belief in the permanency of present material laws. This “stone” must be rolled away through faith. The man who wants the inner life to spring forth must believe in the reality of spiritual powers and must exercise his most high faith by invoking in prayer the presence of the invisible but Omnipresent God (present everywhere at the same time). This reveals to consciousness the glory of Spirit, and the soul has witness in itself of a power that it knew not. Whew!!!! God is a Spirit and they that worship Him must worship Him in spirit and in truth. (John 4:24) Look people this raising of Lazarus is performed every day by those who are putting on the new Christ body. The flesh must die in order for the spirit to be lifted up. If you trust and allow the spirit to lead, He will guide those who trust Him, and lead them in righteous ways if they listen patiently to the inner guide. We’re still Talking about an On Time God!!! How many people do you know or maybe even yourself always believes in being punctual? Being late is a bad thing for me. Like the old cliché, “Better an hour early than 5 minutes late.” Even trains and planes leave at appointed times. Connecting flights are dependent on the earlier flights being on time. Delays or cancellations cause big problems for people. But, by far the most punctual person in the universe is God! He set up the galaxies and our solar system like giant time pieces, running with precision. The time of the sunrise – a thousand years from now – can be calculated to a millisecond!  How strange and contradictory it is then, to find God being late! God – all-knowing and all powerful – how can He not be on time? Yet, it’s true! He was twenty five years late getting Abraham a son; fifteen years late fulfilling Joseph’s dreams; seventeen years late making David to become king; Samuel was late to make sacrifice for Saul, and a good number of other instances! And here we find God being so late to heal a man, that He even missed his funeral by four days!  Yet we’ll find out, God may be “four days late, but He’s right on time!” Getting back to Lazarus… A. THE SITUATION OF LAZARUS 1. You remember the two sisters from Luke 10, where Martha slaved over a meal and Mary just wanted to sit at Jesus’ feet and listen to His words. Mary was also the one who anointed Jesus for His burial (John 12:3). 2. Their brother Lazarus’ name means “assistance of God”, pointing to the fact that, no matter what our circumstance, we all need God’s help! 3. They lived in the town of Bethany which means, “the house of unripe figs or the house of misery.” 4. Everywhere we turn in this life there’s sickness, pain, death, depression, discouragement and constant trouble. Job said, "Man that is born of a woman is of few days, and full of trouble."(Job 14:1). 5. WE ALL HAVE OUR BETHANY! No one is immune to the attacks of Satan or the troubles and trials of life. B. BASIS OF THE SISTER’S REQUEST 1. The message they sent was very short, not even a petition. They didn’t dare to direct the Lord in what to do. It barely related the situation, but contained the tender insinuation, the unspoken plea for Jesus’ assistance. 2. “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.” a. They did not say, “He whom we love, but he whom You love.” Our greatest encouragements in prayer are derived from God’s character and the motivation of His grace. b. They did not say, “Lord, behold, he who loves You, but he whom You love.” “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us.” But His love to us can never be enough spoken of and it’s more than our love to Him. II. Now let’s see how: JESUS’ RESPONSE TO THE PLEA A. JESUS COULD EASILY HAVE HELPED LAZARUS 1. Jesus has power to alter the forces of nature: to calm the winds and the waves; power to suspend the movement of the universe in answer to the prayer of one man. Jesus did miracles with many elements -- He made arms grow out, made bread and fish multiply, transformed water into wine. 2. Sometimes He didn't have to be present to work a miracle. He told the Centurion, "Go your way your servant will be made whole." Another long-distance healing was the Syro-Phoenician woman's daughter (Mark 7:25-30). No circumstances could stop Him. No limits of time could be a factor. Nothing limited Him. He had the power to heal sight, restore hearing to deaf ears, speech to the mute; freedom to the demon possessed, healing to the lepers, and He’s moved with compassion – “touched with the feelings of our infirmities.” 4. Why then does He wait until a man, whom He clearly loves, is dead, before setting out to help him? Even the disciples knew there was a special bond between Lazarus and Jesus; "He whom You love is sick." B. THE CALL 1. “Jesus Wept.” Why did Jesus weep? He knew that in a few minutes He was going to raise Lazarus from the dead, yet He still wept, because He felt the hurt of Mary & Martha so deeply and grieved for their hurt. He is touched with feelings of our infirmities! But most of all because even those who were closest to Him failed to recognize that He was, as He declared in verse 26, “The resurrection and the life” and was in their presence. Hallelujah!!! 2. Imagine that you or I call our best friend on situations and you needed them right then, and our friend responds, "Well, I'm busy.”  Or “It's Sunday, I'm in church, I'll try to make it by Friday.”  “Do you think you can hang on that long?" I know “A MAN, A FRIEND that’s never too busy to answer a call!!! His line is never busy!!! EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS When in sorrow...........................call John 14. When men fail you.......................call Psalm 27. If you want to be fruitful...............call John 15. When you have sinned....................call Psalm 51. When you worry......................call Matthew 6:19-34. When you are in danger..................call Psalm 91. When God seems far away................call Psalm 139. When your faith needs stirring........call Hebrews 11. When you are lonely and fearful,.........call Psalm 23. When you grow bitter and critical......call 1 Corinthians 13:1-13. For Paul's secret to happiness.........call Colossians 3:12-17. For understanding of Christianity.....call II Corinthians 5:15-19. When you feel down and out.................call Romans 8:31. When you want peace and rest...............call Matthew 11:25-30. When the world seems bigger than God........call Psalm 90. When you want Christian assurance..............call Romans 8:1-30. When you leave home for labor or travel.....call Psalm 121. When your prayers grow narrow or selfish....call Psalm 67. For a great invention/opportunity..........call Isaiah 55. When you want courage for a task...........call Joshua 1. For how to get along with fellow men.......call Romans 12. When you think of investments and returns... call Mark 10. If you are depressed.......................call Psalm 27. If your pocketbook is empty.................call Psalm 37. If you are losing confidence in people......call I Corinthians 13. If people seem unkind....................call John 15. If discouraged about your work.............call Psalm 126. If you find the world growing small and yourself great....call Psalm 19:1-3. Alternate numbers: For dealing with fear................call Psalm 34:7. For security............................call Psalm 121:3. For assurance.........................call Mark 8:35. For reassurance....................call Psalm 145:18. All lines to Heaven/Higher Realms of Elevation are open 24 hours a day! Feed your faith, and doubt will starve to death! C. Jesus’ response to the plea:  IT WAS A SIGN OF GREATER LOVE 1. You would think, “When Jesus heard that Lazarus was sick, He would have stopped what He was doing and immediately went to him.” You’d think that if He loved them, He would “burn the road up to get to him/Lazarus.” 2. But He showed His love the opposite way. Because He loved them, He determined to do something great and extraordinary for them, to perform a miracle greater than He’d done for anyone else. So, He waited so that Lazarus might be dead and buried before He came. 3. If Christ had come immediately, and healed the sickness of Lazarus, that would not have been a superior act of love than He’d demonstrated for thousands of others. 4. If He’d raised him back to life right after he’d died, that would not have been a superior act of love than He’d demonstrated for the widow of Nain’s son (Luke 7:11), or Jairus’ daughter (Matthew 9:18). 5. But by delaying to answer their prayer and letting the situation become so hopeless and impossible, He showed more love for them than anyone else!                                                                Look, God’s greatest intentions may be signaled by His longest delays! 6. Christ’s friends at Bethany and their distress were not out of His thoughts, though He didn’t hurry to them.                                                                                   By His omniscience (infinite knowledge), He was present in spirit, when Lazarus at last died and when the sisters carried their brother to the grave. Then Jesus said, “Let us go into Judea.” Meaning “the praise of Jehovah.” This is a key to the mental attitude in which the Christ consciousness will be opened to us—while we are praising the Lord. In John 4:47, the great I AM (Jesus) dwelling in “praise of Jehovah” (Judea), identifies man with Christ thoughts and leads to greater expression of divine power. 7. Listen to Ezekiel 37:11, 13; “They say, ‘Our bones are dried up and our hope is gone; we are cut off.’….Then you, my people, will know that I am the LORD, when I open your graves and bring you up from them.”  People of God that’s what He’s doing in your Lazarus situations. D. Jesus responds to the plea: IT WAS FOR THE DISCIPLES TOO. 1. John 11:15, Jesus says, “For your sakes I am glad I was not there, so that you may believe.” If Jesus had immediately gone there, He would have healed Lazarus’ disease and prevented his death. 2. But then His disciples would have seen no further proof of His power and their faith would not have been enlarged. Contrary to natural thinking, God’s delays are often a tremendous blessing. Many people believed on Jesus because of this miracle. III. PURPOSES OF GOD’S DELAYS God may be delaying because delaying is GOOD FOR US. He may be testing our faith or developing perseverance in us. It may actually be dangerous to give us something at this moment. Another idea is that God is setting up an impossible situation, in order that He may perform a miracle, or a bigger miracle. Sometimes Jesus waits until your situation really stinks! When it stinks, God will get complete Glory! That’s when you come to the end of yourself! You don't get resurrected while you're alive! You get resurrected when you're dead! It's not until we've died out to ourselves, all our efforts, have given up, resigned ourselves to the defeat of our efforts, had a stone placed over our tomb, that a change can come. “For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus’ sake that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh” 2 Corinthians 4:11.   The principle is LIFE OUT OF DEATH. God wants us to grow to handle any situation that arises in our lives. If He didn’t take us through situations to make us stronger; we would collapse under the weight or pressure life throws at us.  Over time God strengthens and prepares us like and oak tree so it can handle the weight of what it can bear in maturity. We might want everything now, but God knows we can’t bear it, so He only gives enough according to our faith until we grow spiritually stronger. God wants us grounded and rooted; “the deeper the foundation, the taller the structure can go.” The depth of our spiritual foundation determines how high we can rise. God must dig us down before He can raise us up. Many believed that life in the center of God’s will, will be easy, and if it’s not easy then we’re out of His will. This isn’t necessarily true. Many biblical heroes experienced betrayal, hardship, loss and disappointment while being in the center of God’s will.  Jesus said to Martha, "I am the resurrection and the life, he that believes in Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live" (John 11:45). That's present tense. So, people of God; BE PATIENT! “Don’t throw in the towel and do not throw away your confidence, because it will be richly rewarded. You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised.” Heb. 10:35-36. 35 Cast not away therefore your confidence, which hath great recompense of reward. 36 For you have need of patience, that, after you have done the will of God, you might receive the promise. Never close the book of your life when GOD HAS NOT FINISHED writing your story. Never hang up when GOD IS STILL ON THE LINE with you. Hang in there. GOD IS STILL WORKING IN YOUR LIFE. God wants us to know, that even if we don’t see Him, He’s there and He will be right on time! God will be there to catch you if you fall!

CLAP YOUR HANDS AND GIVE GOD THE HIGHEST PRAISE!!!!!

Assistant Pastor, Jackie Burton