Session 3 Sharpened to Share INTRODUCTION We’Re Going to Wrap up the Weekend with Our ﬁnal Session, Entitled Sharpened to Share

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FORGED: Session 3 Sharpened to Share INTRODUCTION We’re going to wrap up the weekend with our ﬁnal session, entitled Sharpened to Share. Now, I know that for a lot of us, this is where the walls come up and fear kicks in. Reading the Bible…sure, I can get excited about that. Learning to pray…absolutely. Share my faith? Let’s not get too crazy!

No…in all seriousness, let’s just talk honest this morning: it can be a struggle to share. Facts. Even the best evangelists miss opportunities. So my goal today is not to guilt you in to sharing your faith.

No, what I want to do in this, our ﬁnal session together, is show you how the time we spend studying God’s Word and talking with Him in prayer aren’t just for our beneﬁt or spiritual growth, but for the advancement of Christ’s Kingdom.

Consider this, if God’s purpose in saving us through His Son was just to secure our pardon, we would instantly be taken to Heaven. There would be nothing more left to do. But our salvation isn’t just about us. In fact, at its root, it’s nothing about us. It’s about God and His glory. He saves us and it’s for His glory. But then He sanctiﬁes us, and that’s also for His glory (John 15:8). And part of this sanctiﬁcation is sharing. Peter and John said it well in Acts 4:20 - for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard. As we SEE Jesus in the Scriptures (and Jesus said we would in John 5:39 - You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me) and HEAR from Him in prayer (He promises we will in Jeremiah 33:3 - Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known), we — like them — will not be able to help speaking about what we have SEEN and HEARD! And this is for His glory!

The reason you and I are still breathing; the reason our hearts are still beating is because the God of the Universe has given us a part to play in His mission of making all things new. Paul says it this way in 2 Corinthians 5:17-20 - Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. 18 All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; 19 that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. 20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God.

And guys, if we are going to be the church God would have us be, if we are going to reach this community for Christ, it’s going to be because the men of this house — you and me — get serious about sharing our faith.

So, with that being said, I want to conclude with a challenge from John 11:

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To most of you this will be a familiar story, but I hope that as we unpack it this morning you will look at it with fresh eyes and with an open heart, asking the Spirit to speak speciﬁcally to you, wherever you may be this morning.

Let’s read together in verse 1…

Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. 2 It was the Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped His feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. 3 So the sisters sent word to Him, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom You love is sick.” 4 But when Jesus heard this, He said, “This sickness is not to end in death, but for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be gloriﬁed by it.”

Now let me pause here and say from the outset that this was always the aim of the Lord Jesus…to glorify His Father.

So in this instance, and in every instance, both Christ and those who now belong to Him are called to value and seek the glory of God above all else. Remember? That’s what we just talked about! So all of our lives ought to be looked at through this lens: will this response glorify God?

5 Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. 6 So when He heard that he was sick, He then stayed two days longer in the place where He was. 7 Then after this He *said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” 8 The disciples *said to Him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone You, and are You going there again?” 9 Jesus answered, “Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he does not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. 10 But if anyone walks in the night, he stumbles, because the light is not in him.” 11 This He said, and after that He *said to them, “Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I go, so that I may awaken him out of sleep.” 12 The disciples then said to Him, “Lord, if he has fallen asleep, he will recover.” 13 Now Jesus had spoken of his death, but they thought that He was speaking of literal sleep. 14 So Jesus then said to them plainly, “Lazarus is dead, 15 and I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, so that you may believe; but let us go to him.” 16 Therefore Thomas, who is called Didymus, said to his fellow disciples, “Let us also go, so that we may die with Him.”

17 So when Jesus came, He found that he had already been in the tomb four days. 18 Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles off; 19 and many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary, to console them concerning their brother. 20 Martha therefore, when she heard that Jesus was coming, went to meet Him, but Mary stayed at the house. 21 Martha then said to Jesus, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 Even now I know that whatever You ask of God, God will give You.” 23 Jesus *said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha *said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live

Page 2 of 10 FORGED: Session 3 Sharpened to Share even if he dies, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She *said to Him, “Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, even He who comes into the world.”

28 When she had said this, she went away and called Mary her sister, saying secretly, “The Teacher is here and is calling for you.” 29 And when she heard it, she *got up quickly and was coming to Him.

30 Now Jesus had not yet come into the village, but was still in the place where Martha met Him. 31 Then the Jews who were with her in the house, and consoling her, when they saw that Mary got up quickly and went out, they followed her, supposing that she was going to the tomb to weep there. 32 Therefore, when Mary came where Jesus was, she saw Him, and fell at His feet, saying to Him, “Lord, if You had been here, my brother would not have died.” 33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews who came with her also weeping, He was deeply moved in spirit and was troubled, 34 and said, “Where have you laid him?” They *said to Him, “Lord, come and see.” 35 Jesus wept. 36 So the Jews were saying, “See how He loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could not this man, who opened the eyes of the blind man, have kept this man also from dying?”

38 So Jesus, again being deeply moved within, *came to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. 39 Jesus *said, “Remove the stone.” Martha, the sister of the deceased, *said to Him, “Lord, by this time there will be a stench, for he has been dead four days.” 40 Jesus *said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?” 41 So they removed the stone. Then Jesus raised His eyes, and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. 42 I knew that You always hear Me; but because of the people standing around I said it, so that they may believe that You sent Me.” 43 When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth.” 44 The man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus *said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

45 Therefore many of the Jews who came to Mary, and saw what He had done, believed in Him. 46 But some of them went to the Pharisees and told them the things which Jesus had done.

PRAY

MESSAGE Now, in reality, we could spend several weeks unpacking all of the truths contained within this text, but in our time together today, I want to zero in on something I saw for the ﬁrst time a few weeks ago when reading through and reﬂecting on this passage.

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One morning I was meditating on this passage and realized that we all have a Lazarus in our lives. To be sure, this is an absolutely true story and I don’t want you to think for a minute that I am attempting to minimize that truth by point out this metaphor. So permit me to explain…

With Lazarus, the sickness and death were physical…the painful by-product of a world perverted by sin. And yet, the Bible reminds us repeatedly (Ephesians 2 & Colossians 2) that all are born spiritually sick, as dead spiritually as Lazarus was physically.

Although most of us in this room have been called out of that condition by Christ we are still surrounded by others who are stuck in that sin-induced state. So whether it be a family member or friend; a co-worker or classmate…all of us have a Lazarus in our lives.

Who is the Lazarus in your life?

See, if you’re like me, names…faces, they start ﬂooding to mind.

And as I was meditating on this passage, I realized that not only am I surrounded by sin-sick people that Christ loves deeply, but that the glory of God is at stake in my response to this reality.

You see, even though I have been rescued from death, having been where they once were, I became convicted that my reaction to the lost was less like that of the Lord Jesus and more like the people in this passage.

So I don’t think my responses were out of the ordinary, in fact, I think we see four very common, very human responses to sin and the death which accompanies it. So my goal this morning isn’t to make you feel guilty about your response to this reality, because - in all honesty - I’m often right where you are.

Instead, I want to point you to Jesus who graciously meets each of us where we are and - knowing ﬁrst-hand that we live in a fallen world - reveals how we can respond to the inescapable effects of sin and death in a way that will bring our Father glory.

So let’s look brieﬂy at each of the four responses in hopes that the Spirit will show which of them are present in our own lives and help us to see how Jesus offers us a better way for us moving forward.

1: SCARED (the disciples; 5-16)

Collectively, Christ’s disciples were more concerned with their personal comfort than they were with the condition of their Master’s friend.

Page 4 of 10 FORGED: Session 3 Sharpened to Share 7 Then after this He *said to the disciples, “Let us go to Judea again.” 8 The disciples *said to Him, “Rabbi, the Jews were just now seeking to stone You, and are You going there again?”

Twice, both in this verse (8) and in verse 12 they try to dissuade Jesus from returning to Judea. It was just too dangerous…too much risk in returning to that place.

And although on the surface, it seems that they are genuinely interested in Jesus’ safety, Thomas reveals their true concern in verse 16 - Let us also go, so that we may die with Him.

Plain and simple: they didn’t want to die. And they didn’t want to go anywhere near the place where this outcome was a possibility.

Scared people seek a safe Jesus. They want His power without the possibility of persecution. They want the experience of being with Jesus but none of the enmity He said would surely follow.

John 15:18-20 - 18 “If the world hates you, you know that it has hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you, ‘A slave is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you; if they kept My word, they will keep yours also.

And in this passage - John 11, His disciples opted for safety at the expense of the supernatural. They were willing to let Lazarus die rather than put themselves in danger. This is what happens when fear overtakes faith. I wonder…had I been there that day would my response have been much different?

And it led me to ask myself, how many times do I miss out on a miracle because of my unwillingness to go to hard places and hard people?

2: SENSBILE (Martha; 17-27)

The second response we see in this passage is that of Martha in verses 17-27.

Martha’s response is sensible…it’s logical. If you’d been here, he’d still be alive. It’s likely that Martha was fully aware of Jesus’ power to heal the sick, and that she genuinely believed He

Page 5 of 10 FORGED: Session 3 Sharpened to Share could have healed her brother. But common sense said that death was a different story, and Jesus was simply too late to make much of a difference.

She was thinking logically about her loss. There was an absence of emotion…no mention of Martha shedding even a single tear.

23 Jesus *said to her, “Your brother will rise again.” 24 Martha *said to Him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.” 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in Me will live even if he dies, 26 and everyone who lives and believes in Me will never die. Do you believe this?” 27 She *said to Him, “Yes, Lord; I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God, even He who comes into the world.”

Martha had the right words they just hadn’t become real. What was settled in her head hadn’t yet made it’s way into her heart.

Have you ever been there before? Have you ever found yourself at the place where you felt like - logically - He was just too late? The person or people that came to your mind earlier… does it seem like He missed His chance to move in their lives; that they’re past the point of no return?

With God, it’t not about logic. Trust has to trump logic. And trust helps us get past ‘what makes sense’ and to the place where we can acknowledge that His ways are higher than our ways, and His thoughts are higher than our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9).

3: SORROWFUL (Mary; 28-35)

The third response is Mary’s, seen in verses 28-35…

As is the norm in John’s gospel, Mary appears in incredible contrast to Martha.

Page 6 of 10 FORGED: Session 3 Sharpened to Share Martha walks out to meet Jesus, Mary moves quickly. Martha is apparently alone; Mary is followed by many. Martha apparently stands and delivers the news; Mary falls at His feet. Martha explains the situation; Mary just weeps uncontrollably.

And yet, as different as they are, they say the exact same thing to Jesus: if you had been here.

The response is the same but it’s root is different. Martha was responding with her head, Mary was responding with her heart. Mary’s heart was absolutely broken that her brother had been lost, and like her sister Martha, she was conﬁdent that Christ could have done something about it.

Martha was being led by logic, Mary was following her feelings. But both (logic and feeling) can be dreadfully deceiving if they are divorced from faith.

Sorrow, in and of itself, is not a sin. But it can become sinful when it’s split from faith and the hope we have in Christ Jesus.

You see, some of you, even now, are heart-broken over the ones who came to mind. And be comforted…Jesus weeps with you. But it’s a different kind of weeping!

In this passage, John uses two different words to describe what’s taking place. Of Mary, he says that her weeping was that of a mourner…a loud lamenting for that which had been lost.

But of Jesus, he uses a different word, meaning very simply - to cry. It’s the only time the word is used in the entire New Testament. And it’s a word that can only be used in connection to the Lord Jesus. Why?

Because Jesus knew it wouldn’t end in death (verse 4).

He wasn’t mourning His friend…in this moment, He was moved deeply by the devastating consequences of the fall. Though His eyes were on Lazarus’ tomb, His heart was consumed with the thought of countless others - throughout the ages - who would suffer from the sting of sin.

So if you weep today over one who seems lost - weep knowing that even in your hurting there is hope. Don’t let your feelings extinguish your faith.

4: SKEPTICAL (the Jews; 36-37)

The fourth response is that of the Jewish crowd that comes with Mary to meet Jesus, seen in verses 36-37…

Page 7 of 10 FORGED: Session 3 Sharpened to Share So the Jews were saying, “See how He loved him!” 37 But some of them said, “Could not this man, who opened the eyes of the blind man, have kept this man also from dying?”

Did you hear it? “Couldn’t He have kept this from happening?”

The skeptics were there out of courtesy, not conviction. They showed up to “mourn” with Mary and Martha, and may have even been paid to be there.

Skeptics often appear concerned about a person, but - deep down - aren’t convinced Jesus has sufﬁcient power to save them. And if I’m being honest…I’ve been there. Have you? Have you ever felt that someone was just too far gone?

If so, that’s okay. Jesus isn’t scared by our skepticism.

In fact, none of these things are hindrances to Him.

So let’s pause here, for just a moment, and acknowledge that the vast majority of us in this room are reacting to the lostness in our lives in one of these ways. And regardless of which response you’ve had, recognize with me that God isn’t gloriﬁed by the gap that exists between us and them, no matter how sensible it may seem.

But be encouraged this morning that Jesus meets the SCARED, the SENSIBLE, the SORROWFUL, and even the SKEPTICAL right where they are and invites them to join Him in His work.

In this story, and in YOUR story, God’s glory would be revealed, not just in Lazarus being raised to life, but in the participation of His people in the miracle.

38 So Jesus, again being deeply moved within, *came to the tomb. Now it was a cave, and a stone was lying against it. 39 Jesus *said, “Remove the stone.”

Wait, hold up, say what? Remove the stone? Why on earth would we remove the stone?

And even though Martha is the ﬁrst to voice her concerns, rest assured everyone there that day was dumbfounded by His command.

Martha, the sister of the deceased, *said to Him, “Lord, by this time there will be a stench, for he has been dead four days.”

See, the stone held back the stench, and ultimately the sting of sin and death. If the stone is removed, they are all forced to come to face-to-face with the fact that Lazarus was lost.

Lazarus was lost. And your Lazarus is lost.

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And our tendency, whether motivated by fear or logic or sorrow or skepticism is to put something between us and them. A barrier that blocks us from the decay and dismay of sin and death.

40 Jesus *said to her, “Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?”

To be sure, Jesus didn’t need them to move the stone. Jesus made the stone, He spoke it into existence. We know from Satan’s temptation of Jesus in Matthew 4 that all Jesus need do is speak and the stone would have turned into mere bread. So why did he give them - the scared, the sensible, the sorrowful, the skeptical - a chance to move it?

Because it wasn’t just about Lazarus. And it’s not just about your Lazarus. It’s about YOU. See, when Jesus calls the dead to life, He does so in a way that builds the faith of those who already believe.

Over and over again in this passage…so that you may believe.

In verse 15, the disciples. In verse 26, to Martha. In verse 42, the people standing at the tomb.

God is gloriﬁed when Christ’s people push through doubt and in faith, follow His commands.

There were 2 commands: Remove the stone; loose him and let him go.

Remove the stone - step out in faith…do something that doesn’t make sense…put yourself in a position to watch me do what only I can do.

39 Jesus *said, “Remove the stone.” Martha, the sister of the deceased, *said to Him, “Lord, by this time there will be a stench, for he has been dead four days.”

41 So they removed the stone. Then Jesus raised His eyes, and said, “Father, I thank You that You have heard Me. 42 I knew that You always hear Me; but because of the people standing around I said it, so that they may believe that You sent Me.” 43 When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come forth.”

Reminder: its JESUS who brings life to Lazarus! Only Jesus can call a person from death to life. Only Jesus!

44 The man who had died came forth, bound hand and foot with wrappings, and his face was wrapped around with a cloth. Jesus *said to them, “Unbind him, and let him go.”

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Loose him and let him go - now, help the one who was dead learn how to live again. This is what it means to make disciples! Jesus brings new life and then calls us to walk along side those brought to life, loosing them…helping them to lay aside (Hebrews 12:1) every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us…

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