This Sickness Is Not Unto Death (10/31/2004)

Park Meadows Church

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October 31, 2004

Dr. Myron Golden

00:03: Well, praise the Lord we can shout to the north and the south. Amen Amen. All right turn with me if you will to John chapter 11
00:13: John chapter number 11 And we'll start out reading verses 1 through 4 of John chapter 11
00:32: We say it's good to be here. Always a always a blessing. Amen Got to be here for brother
00:38: Otis's Sunday school class. That was a blessing even though I didn't have the right answer I'm still studying
00:46: And it's always a pleasure to be with brother Dave and his family and Learned a lot from brother
00:53: Dave over the years whole bunch Learned a lot of Bible stuff too.
00:59: Okay. All right Amen, John chapter 11 John chapter 11 verse number 1 through 4 now a certain man was sick named
01:09: Lazarus of Bethany the town of Mary and her sister
01:15: Martha It was that Mary Which anointed the
01:20: Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair whose brother Lazarus was sick
01:26: Therefore his sister sent unto him saying Lord behold he whom thou lovest is sick is sick
01:35: When Jesus heard that he said this Sickness is not unto death but for the glory of God the
01:43: Son of God might be glorified Thereby, I want to talk to you on this subject today.
01:49: This sickness is not Unto death. Let's pray father. Thank you for your word.
01:55: Thank you for the power of it Thank you for the truth of it and we thank you Lord that your word has the answers
02:02: For the questions that we don't even know yet We pray Lord that indeed you would help us to see clearly that Our problems have a purpose
02:16: And help us to rejoice in that purpose in Jesus name. Amen The Bible says now a certain man was sick named
02:26: Lazarus and as I began to study this passage The first thing I like to look up when I'm studying the
02:31: Bible if I'm studying a story as I want to find out Who is this person that the story is about?
02:37: Who is this? Lazarus and I I looked up Lazarus name and Lazarus name was very interesting to me from this perspective
02:45: When I looked up his name his name means he whom God helps
02:50: And I thought you know, I can relate to Lazarus Because I'm certainly one that God has helped how many y 'all can relate to Lazarus.
02:59: Can I get a witness? He whom God has helped And that's who this man was, but the
03:06: Bible says this man whom God has helped Was sick.
03:13: I can think of many many ways that I've been helped by God. I thank God for the parents that I had
03:19: I thank God for my mom and my dad and the fact they taught me to work hard and they taught me I could do
03:25: And be anything I wanted to be and and they raised me up to have Confidence and competence and to work hard and to believe in God.
03:34: I thank God that God helped me with my parents I thank God that God helped me with my brothers. I've got six brothers
03:40: Y 'all wonder how I got to be so tough. I Have six brothers and you better be tough when you got six brothers
03:48: I thank God for the brothers that I have the one older brother and the five younger brothers that I have
03:53: I'm truly one that God has helped. I thank God for the fact most of all that when
03:58: I was 16 years old That I received Christ as Savior and I thank
04:04: God That Jesus saved me of all the things
04:09: I'm excited about now, but I've got a lot I get excited real easy y 'all It don't take a whole lot to get me excited of all the things
04:16: I get excited about Yeah, I get excited about my golf game. Sometimes get excited about my children. I get excited about my wife
04:22: I get excited about just being able to travel and see the world But the thing that excites me most is the fact that I'm saved by the grace of God There's nothing in the world that I'd rather be than saved.
04:33: I'd rather be saved than anything else I can think of I am like Lazarus.
04:38: I am he whom God Has helped I could tell you story after story after story after story
04:46: How God has worked mighty and mightily in my life I could tell you the story of how one time
04:51: I needed a car to go on vacation. We were coming to Texas and God allowed me to buy a
04:56: Cadillac that only had 19 ,000 miles on it for four hundred and eighty dollars. I Could tell you a story
05:02: I could tell you a story about how we needed a house and I told everybody at my job That I was gonna buy a house and pay cash for it, but I didn't have any cash
05:12: And I prayed and God allowed me to buy a house for two hundred dollars I could tell you stories about How when
05:22: I was really having a rough time right after I resigned from pastoring the church that I pastored in Georgia and financially it was tough times and and we prayed and and God blessed us and I Spoke at a church and I mean
05:35: I was I was all the way down at the bottom of the barrel and we were in A little bitty church out in the middle of nowhere
05:42: And I preached on a Thursday morning to about 40 or 50 people and they didn't even know I had a need but God put it on the pastor's heart to raise a love offering and that love offering was $4 ,000 and a pickup truck.
05:54: I mean, I got a lot to be excited about but the thing I'm most excited about Is the fact that I'm saved by the grace of God Who is this
06:05: Lazarus this one whom God has helped this this Lazarus is a picture We know that he is not the story even though it's about Lazarus It's not just about Lazarus because it starts out saying a certain man
06:17: Which means that we can put ourselves in that certain man's place. This story is a microcosm
06:23: It is a picture of life as a picture of a child of God whom God has saved and he ran into some trouble
06:32: Lazarus is a picture and sometimes we have sickness rise up in our lives and sometimes it's in the form of physical sickness
06:39: But sometimes it's not sometimes the sickness is financial sickness Anybody ever had a weak wallet?
06:46: Can I get a witness in here? Sometimes it's in the form of family sickness.
06:51: Sometimes maybe it's a child that's wayward. Maybe it's a spouse that's wayward Maybe it's just some trouble between you and your spouse.
06:58: We it doesn't always it doesn't always have to be physical illness It's just a problem and sometimes that problem can weigh on your spirit and make you feel like you're about to die
07:11: Lazarus was a picture But we know also not only was he a picture but Lazarus was also a very prominent man.
07:17: The Bible says that now Lazarus was Lazarus of Bethany the town of Mary and Martha her sister
07:28: It was that Mary that anointed the Jesus with the ointment and wiped his feet with her hair
07:34: See the Bible says that Bethany was the town of Mary and Martha But Lazarus married
07:52: Martha their family was a very prominent family, but even in their prominence They had a problem
08:02: Lazarus Was sick and maybe you have something in your life right now that feels like a sickness that might take your life
08:09: Maybe something you've got something in your life that makes you distraught and makes you distress But I've got good news for you this morning.
08:17: This sickness is not unto death Because Lazarus had a purpose and the purpose was that the glory of God might be made manifest
08:32: Do you realize that's what our problems are for our problems are that God might get glorified by our problem
08:38: God is glorified when we are weak and he is strong through us You know,
08:44: I used to get worried when I had problems. I get excited now And the reason
08:49: I get excited because I know that God is getting ready to do something until I come Face to face with the
08:55: Red Sea with Pharaoh at my back I'll never be able to discover that God can open up the Red Sea until Nebuchadnezzar Don't pace the floor and bring my hands like I once did but now when
09:21: I when trouble comes I start getting excited because I Know God is getting ready to do something. I've never seen before I get excited about my problems because I know my problems
09:32: Have a purpose and that purpose is to bring the glory of God We see in our story that Lazarus was diseased
09:44: But I want us to read down a little bit farther it says in Verse 4 it says when
09:50: Jesus heard that that he said this sickness is not unto death But for the glory of God that the
09:55: Son of God might be glorified thereby now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus and when
10:05: He had heard therefore that he was sick He abode two days in the same place where he was
10:13: Lazarus was diseased Jesus was delayed The Bible says when
10:18: Jesus heard that Lazarus was sick because he heard the last he abode therefore two days where he was
10:27: Not that interesting, you know, we like to think that that God is as interested in our trouble being over as we are
10:36: We would like to think that God is interested in us getting out of this situation But I've got news for us this morning
10:43: God is more interested in us getting from this situation what he wants us to get from this situation
10:49: Then he is in us getting out of this situation And Every Friday in church and you have a test
11:03: And If you didn't pass the test You got to take it again on Monday If you didn't pass it on Monday You got to take it again on Tuesday And if you didn't take it again on Tuesday, guess what?
11:16: Yep, you got to take it again on Wednesday and you have to keep on studying that same material over and over and over and Again until you pass the test, you know, it's amazing people come to you sometimes for counseling brother
11:28: David Don't they they come to you? Sometimes they I don't understand why this always happened to me this always happened to me this always happened to me
11:34: Because you have not yet learned the material and once we learn the material and we pass through that test, then
11:43: We can go on and learn some new material But it's interesting to me That the
11:49: Bible says here when Jesus had heard therefore that he was sick He abode two days still in the same place where he was
11:57: Jesus didn't get in a hurry Because Lazarus was sick. Jesus didn't get all it up. Well, we better go saddle up boys
12:03: We got to get back and take care of Lazarus. The Bible says clearly that Jesus loved Lazarus Jesus loved
12:10: Martha and Mary but he didn't hurry up and go solve their problem because Sometimes we can get more out of going through it than we can from avoiding it in the first place
12:21: The Bible says Jesus the Lord was delayed because Lazarus was sick, you know, sometimes
12:28: God takes his time answering our prayers because We have that challenge in our lives because we have that problem
12:36: But not only was Jesus the Lord delayed because he was sick. Let's read on in verse number seven
12:45: Then after that he and his disciples I'm sorry, then after that he says unto his disciples.
12:50: Let's go into Judea again now He now he's now he's leaving. He's not even going to where Lazarus is
12:56: Let's go into Judea again. His disciples saying to him master the Jews of late Sought to stone thee and goest thou thither again and Jesus answered
13:05: Are there not yet 12 hours in a day if any man walk in the day? He stumbleth not but he seeth the light of this world if a man walk in the night
13:14: He stumbled because there is no light in him. Jesus said I don't have to be worried about anything I'm gonna take
13:20: I'm doing the will of God. I am invincible These things said he and after that he saith unto them our friend
13:28: Lazarus sleepeth But I go that I may wake him out of his sleep Then his disciples they were this state what they said.
13:36: He reminds me of me Then said his disciples Lord if he sleep he shall do well how be it
13:43: Jesus spake of his death and they thought that he had spoken of taking rest and sleep and G then said
13:49: Jesus unto them plainly Lazarus is dead. Not only was the
13:55: Lord delayed because he was sick, but the Lord was delayed until he was separated Lazarus was diseased the
14:03: Lord was delayed and Lazarus was dead And then it says something strange verse 14 and he said and then said
14:15: Jesus unto them plainly Lazarus is dead and I am glad for your sakes that I was not there to the intent that you might believe
14:24: Nevertheless, let us go unto him It said that Lazarus was dead and the
14:32: Lord was delighted That he wasn't there to stop That's up home
14:41: Lazarus is dead and I'm glad Now you we can put ourselves in that situation. Well, so -and -so has financial problems
14:48: And I'm glad this person over here. They're having some problems with their kids and I'm glad this person over here
14:53: Their children are giving a rough time. I'm glad this person over here having some marriage problems I'm glad this person over here is having some problems in their career and I'm glad that I wasn't there
15:02: Why to the extent that you might believe do you understand that God is trying to get us tuned into the real world
15:11: Last time I was here. I preached on I can't believe my eyes and the fact is
15:17: When God is working in our lives God is working to get us to see the invisible and to believe more in the invisible
15:26: Then we do in the visible and the problem with us Sometimes in this world is that we don't believe it until we see it
15:33: But God wants us to get to the place in our lives not where we don't believe it until we see it But where we believe it until we see it
15:43: You remember He said I had fainted
15:48: I had believed to see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living and what we need to learn to do
15:55: We need to learn to believe hard to do Because we since the time we're knee -high to a grasshopper
16:04: We see things and we begin to equate the stuff we see and the stuff that we can touch as real stuff
16:10: But the real life is the invisible life because the things which are invisible Those are the things that are eternal, but the things that are visible those things are temporal
16:19: The Bible tells us clearly in in Hebrews chapter 11 that Moses endured seeing him who is invisible
16:27: Jesus said Lazarus is dead. I'm glad I'm glad that he's dead because you're gonna believe after you see men the reason
16:35: Jesus let him see thing One thing after another after another after another because they saw it and then they believed it
16:42: They saw it and then they believe they saw it and then they believed it and then after he was crucified He went on up to heaven
16:48: Then they began to believe and then see and that's the place that God wants to get all of us to Jesus said
16:57: Lazarus is dead and I am glad that I was not there To the intent that you might believe
17:02: God's more interested in your faith than he is in you having perfect circumstances
17:07: God is more interested in us believing in what he said that he is us not having any problems verse 16
17:17: Then said Thomas They call him doubting Thomas then said Thomas which is called
17:22: Didymus unto his fellow disciples Let us also go that we may die with him He didn't get it
17:32: When Jesus come then when Jesus came he found That they had laid him.
17:38: I'm sorry that he had laid in the grave four days already now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem about 15 furlongs and Many of the
17:47: Jews came to Martha and Mary and confronted them concerning her brother I'm sorry and comfort them concerning her brother and Martha as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming went and met him
17:59: But Mary sat still in the house and we see in verse 21 that the ladies were distraught
18:05: It says then said Martha unto Jesus Lord if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died
18:11: Do you realize that Martha thought it was over? This is it. It's over. He's already dead.
18:16: He's already been dead for days There's nothing you can do about it now She's distraught she's weeping.
18:23: She's broken Lord. Why didn't you get here a few days? He was already two days away
18:30: He stayed away another two days and then it took him to the it took him four days later
18:38: Then said Martha unto Jesus That's been here. My brother had not died But I know even now that whatsoever thou will ask you
18:46: God God will give it thee and Jesus saith unto her Thy brother shall rise again Martha said
18:52: Let me make sure he just said what I think he said Verse 24 and Martha saith unto him.
19:01: I know that he shall rise again in The resurrection at the last day
19:06: Jesus said unto her I am the resurrection and the life and he that believeth in me though He were dead yet shall he live whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die
19:16: Believest thou this? She saith unto him yea Lord, I believe that thou art the
19:23: Christ the Son of God which had come into the world And she said And when he she had so said
19:32: She went her way and called Mary her sister secretly saying Masked the master is come and call it for thee and watch this and as soon as she heard
19:42: That she arose quickly and came unto him. Let me ask you a question when God speaks to you as Soon as he speaks to you.
19:50: Do you arise quickly and come or do you hesitate? Now Jesus was not yet come into the town
19:59: But was at the place where Martha had met him and the Jews then which were with her in the house
20:05: Had come and had comforted her when they saw Mary that she arose up hastily and went out followed her saying she goeth unto the grave to weep there
20:16: And when Mary was come Where Jesus was she saw him and fell down his feet saying unto him
20:24: Lord If thou has been here my brother had not died Jesus therefore saw her weeping and the
20:29: Jews also weeping which were come with her and he groaned in his spirit and was troubled and said where have you laid him and They said unto him
20:40: Lord come and see and Jesus wept and Jesus was not weeping over the death of Lazarus Jesus wasn't weeping because of the tragedy
20:48: Jesus was weeping because of the lack of belief Then said the
20:53: Jews behold how he loved him and some of them said could not this man which opened the eyes of the blind and Have caused that this man should have not died and Jesus therefore again groaning himself in himself coming to the grave and it was a cave and A stone lay upon it and Jesus said unto them take away the stone
21:14: Martha the sister of him. I'm sorry Martha the sister of him that was dead said unto him
21:20: Lord by this time. He stinketh for he's been in the grave Has been dead four days
21:26: Jesus saying to him I said and said I anointed thee that thou shouldest believe thou shouldest see the glory of God Jesus said
21:32: Remove the stone. Do you realize that sometimes the only thing separating us from our challenge?
21:38: The only thing that separate when we're witnessing to somebody sometimes we got to move the stone
21:43: So when Jesus calls them out, they're not inhibited We got to move the stone sometimes of self -righteousness, don't we?
21:50: Sometimes that stone blocks people. They can't they can't they can't when Jesus speaks I know that we can't stop somebody from being saved.
22:06: I already know that I've heard preachers say well, you know Are you you're keeping somebody from being saved? They're not gonna receive Christ. No, I know that's not true
22:13: But you know what God has some stuff that he wants us to get up out of our lives So he can use us in the miracle.
22:19: He's about to perform He said take away the stone Jesus said unto her
22:25: Say I not under thee if thou wouldest believe that would see the glory of God and they took away the stone from the place
22:31: Where the dead was laid and Jesus lifted up his eyes and said father. I thank thee that thou hast heard me
22:38: And I know that thou hearest me always but because of the people which stand by I said it That they may believe that thou hast sent me
22:46: Jesus Jesus the only reason he spoke it is so they could hear him and believe And notice what happened and when they had thus spoken he cried with a loud voice
22:57: Lazarus come forth and he that was dead came forth bound hand and foot with grave clothes and his face was bound about with a napkin and Jesus saith unto them loose him
23:08: And let him go We see that Lazarus was delivered from the grave Lazarus was delivered from the grave
23:17: By the word of Jesus Lazarus come forth, you know, I thank God that there was a time in my life when he called me
23:34: And he said Lazarus come forth But I want you to see that Lazarus was not only delivered from the grave clothes
23:42: By the Savior But he was doing I mean by the from the grave by the Savior, but he was delivered from the grave clothes by the
23:48: Saints Jesus didn't take off the grave clothes. Jesus told them to do that And that's where discipleship.
23:55: That's where our part comes in Our part comes in when we begin to teach people the
24:01: Word of God Who have received Jesus Christ as their Savior and we teach them how to walk by faith and not by sight and we teach them how
24:08: To walk in the spirit then those grave clothes of the old life Are removed and we can walk in newness of life
24:16: And I thank God that not only Did Jesus call me out of the grave one day?
24:23: But Jesus Commanded some folk to take off the grave clothes And as I began to study the
24:30: Bible and have had great men of God teach me the Bible men like brother David brother
24:35: Otis As I've had people teach me the Word of God The grave clothes have been coming off And we can walk in newness of life
24:46: The good news is this When trouble comes this sickness is not in the death but that the glory of God Might be made manifest.
24:57: What is the trouble you have in your life today? What is the struggle that you're going through that you're worried about God's not worried about it at all
25:08: Their only reason it's there Is because God is gonna bring glory
25:15: From it to his name Let's pray father. Thank you for your word Thank you for the power and the truth of your word
25:27: Thank you for the fact that because Jesus spoke to me one day 26 years ago
25:39: That I received Christ And thank you for the fact that all the trouble
25:47: I received had in my life since that time It's just there that you might manifest your glory.
25:53: Thank you father for the fact that you love us and And that you sent
26:00: Jesus down the cross for our sins and That we have your spirit with us to comfort us.
26:07: We pray the Lord that you would continue to work in our lives in Jesus name
26:21: Brother Myron has not been here in our church in the last months and weeks, but so he might not have a way of knowing how
26:31: Amazing the timing that message is I know that's true in many ways many of our lives I know Raj has been going through some physical difficulties and Unusual illness and many of us
26:43: I'm sure that message would speak right to us certainly did to me to our family and The fact that troubles are there
26:54: Unto the glory of God an amazing illustration of how Jesus waited for that very purpose
27:01: It's difficult for us to think that way when we're going through it But we know it's true and we see another beautiful example from the scriptures today.
27:09: So brother Myron and Tony Thank you so much for ministering to us. Let's stand We'll have a word of prayer together and we'll invite you if you're visiting with us today to stay for lunch
27:19: We have lunch here every Sunday and then our afternoon service will be Sometime between 1 o 'clock and 1 15.
27:26: So let's pray father. We thank you for Your word we thank you so much for brother
27:33: Myron and Tony The way you brought them to minister us to that to us today and the gift that they are to the church at large
27:41: And especially to this local church and Lord we ask you to be with us through our time of fellowship
27:48: Lord, may we encourage one another? May you bless the Meal that we have and we thank you for it.