never(x2)give up

Never give up(John 11:1-45)

 

 

32.When Mary reached the place where Jesus was and saw him,

she fell at his feet and said,

“Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”

When Jesus saw her weeping,

and the Jews who had come along with her also weeping,

he was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.

“Where have you laid him?” he asked.

“Come and see, Lord,” they replied.

Jesus wept.

Then the Jews said,

“See how he loved him!”

But some of them said,

“Could not he who opened the eyes of the blind man

have kept this man from dying?”

Jesus, once more deeply moved,

came to the tomb.

It was a cave with a stone laid across the entrance.

“Take away the stone,” he said.

 

“But, Lord,” said Martha, the sister of the dead man,

“by this time there is a bad odor,

for he has been there four days.”

Then Jesus said, “Did I not tell you that if you believe,

you will see the glory of God?”

So they took away the stone.

Then Jesus looked up and said,

“Father, I thank you that you have heard me.

I knew that you always hear me,

but I said this for the benefit of the people standing here,

that they may believe that you sent me.”

When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice,

“Lazarus, come out!”

The dead man came out,

his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen,

and a cloth around his face.

Jesus said to them,

“Take off the grave clothes and let him go.”

 

Father we thank you this afternoon

you bless this time bless this place and bless your word

Helps us to welcome your word as the living word of God

and allow it to work in us

thank you in Jesus name

 

 

Today’s passage is a well known story

through today's story I'd like consider 3 things

1)God loves us

2)never give up

3)remove the stone

 

the story goes like this

Lazarus was suffering from illness

So his sisters sent someone to Jesus

and said ‘Lord, the one you love is sick”(x2)

Jesus loved Lazarus, but he was sick

 

Do you believe that God loves us? 

Even God loves us

Sometimes we suffer  

Sometimes we have difficulties

your pastors can have hardship

your missionaries can face trials

Even good Christians can have sickness

 

Job was suffering a lot

Bible says Job1:1

“He was blameless—

a man of complete integrity.

He feared God and stayed away from evil.” 

yet he was suffering

 

sometimes people of God is suffering

And there is God’s purpose 

Sometimes we suffer in order to glorify God

Sometimes God reveals himself to us through our sufferings

Sometimes our sufferings make us closer to God

 

therefore even we are suffering

Do not doubt the love of God

Even if we are sick, still God loves us

Even if we face trial still God loves us  

So when someone is suffering

Do not judge them

Because we don’t know what is God’s purpose for them 

 

you know what is the problem?

you know who is really problem?

Christian who do not pray

Christian who do not go to church

Christian who do not have faith

they have problem

we must be on our guard against this

 

as Christian, we have 2 basic problem in this world

1)God wants but we do not go for it

2)God doesn't want but we do it

this is problem

the other things is not a problem

Bible says (James 4:15)

If the Lord wants us to, we will live—and do this

just do it what God wants us to do

follow and obey what is God's will for us

yes our road is not always highway

sometimes it lubac lubac

we may have hardship on our way

we may suffer

we can have sickness

But i tell you Still God loves us

and God is with us

 

Bible says Hebrew 12; 7-8

“Endure hardship as discipline;

God is treating you as sons.

For what son is not disciplined by his father? 

If you are not disciplined

(and everyone undergoes discipline),

then you are illegitimate(일레지티맽) children

and not true sons.”

 

Suffering is one way for God to discipline us

God discipline us, that is because he loves us

We are the children of God that he cares for us

Amen?

 

Lazarus was sick 

So they sent someone to Jesus

and asked to come heal Lazarus

But Jesus did not come immediately 

He delayed his departure 

So people were worried 

He is going to die (X2)

mamamatay na siya (마마 마따이 나 시아)

Please hurry up, it’s emergency

 

But Jesus MATAGAL going there

Finally Lazarus died 

Yet Jesus stayed where he was two days more

  

People did not understand what Jesus was doing

It seems his acting like he does not care

whether he is dying or not

People really did not understand Jesus

It seems like he was waiting for his time of death

And really Lazarus died

And after his death Jesus said INTAYON(렛츠고)

 

Why Jesus is so slow in coming

at that time People didn't understand

and they were so disappointed

 

If Jesus came earlier,

maybe Lazarus did not die

He will be healed 

Even Mary said  

‘Lord, if you had been here,

my brother would not have died.”

  

Mary had faith that Jesus will heal Lazarus sickness

But she had no faith that

Jesus will resurrect his brother from death

 

Brothers and sisters

These days, we pray to God with many matters 

Each every one of us,

pray to God with individual desire 

And, if there is no answer 

People are easily discouraged

and give up on their faith 

 

They ask to Jesus

Jesus, you come, and heal Lazarus’ sickness’

We believe that you can heal him, so you come now’

But Lazarus died 

 

When Jesus came they said ‘oh you are late’ 

If you came earlier you could heal him

 

Today we pray something to God

we may pray in the morning and evening

Lord you answer my prayer

But there is no answer

The matter is getting serious 

And situation is getting worse 

So we become discouraged 

why God takes so long to answer my prayers?

 

Perhaps there are things

We’ve been praying about for weeks and weeks,

or months and months, or even years and years,

and still God seems to be delayed in answering.

There is nothing happened 

We are worn out

But I tell you something brothers and sisters

You do not give up

Even though there is no answer

Never (X2) give up to pray 

Even your situation is getting worse 

even everything goes wrong

You do not lose your string of faith

Brothers and sisters

The answer to our prayer is not our way but God’s way

The answer to our prayer is not our time but God’s time 

The answer to our prayer is not our method but God’s method 

He will answer in his time, his method and his way

So wait patiently in God’s time 

Bible says in James 1;4

“Perseverance must finish its work

so that you may be mature and complete,

not lacking anything.”

 

Even Lazarus was dead it is not game over. not yet finished

Lazarus will arise from the grave amen.

 

EX)"어머니 기도"

(so my point is this one never(x2) give up)

 

you know  

it is not all what we are seeing (X2)

we are seeing our situation, and it seems there is no hope

we are seeing our surrounding, and it make us discouraged

we are seeing Lazarus dead body, and we think game over

but the Bible says righteous will live by faith 

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for

and certain of what we do not see.

as Christian we have the spirit of Faith

we do not walk by sight but we walk by faith amen

somebody say i walk by faith

come on faith is speaking

everybody say "i walk by faith"

Bible says (mark 11;22-23)

"have faith in God -Jesus answered

Truly I tell you, if anyone says to this mountain,

'Go, throw yourself into the sea,'

and does not doubt in their heart

but believes that what they say will happen,

it will be done for them.

 

Believe and saying(X2)

According to Jesus , if we believe but say nothing that is not faith

he didn't say this works if anyone believes in their heart

he didn't say this works if anyone thinks

he said it works if any one says it works if anyone speaks

 

Jesus connected speaking with believing.

Faith and words. They are inseparable

so we need both part Believing and saying

once again "i walk by faith"

 

 

Look at Abraham

And Abraham’s age is 100 years old

His wife is 90 years old

In the eyes of view it is impossible to have a baby

So will you give up  

Will you withdraw the promise of God

we have to know this one ?

God never break his promise no matter what.

God can't break his word because he is God

 

It is not all what we are seeing(X2)

Nothing happened today?

Don’t worry miracle will happen tomorrow

Tomorrow Lazarus will come to life 

In our eyes of view it seems game over

In our thought everything is finished

But from that time God’ is starting to work

nothing is impossible to God

the Word of God never fail

 

I was absent more than 1 years in ABC

coz of financial problem i'm the one who made money

and when I came back to ABC this year

many people said ABC is finished

pastors said it is game over

missionaries said No more ABC

but I close my ear

I did not see surroundings 

I kneel down to God

I focus only Jesus (X3)

Yes, I don’t have any background

I don’t have any personal connection

I have no money no sponsor

Yes I have nothing 

But I have Jesus

God is with me who is almighty

He is the one who use me 

he is my background, my education, my sponsor 

He is the source of my everything

(let shout our theme )

God wants ABC to continue forward

God made a way ABC  go on

so Never, never Give up

just go forward God is with us

even there is hardship

never, never give up

if there is no way God will make a way amen

so do not look at ourselves as weak

do not look at our circumstance 

Do not look at the tomb 

but focus upon Jesus(X2)

Look at the Jesus mouth

Listen to what Jesus says

And obey his word

Then miracle will happen

God will give new life amen

 

through 26 years  ministry I have learned

that God's word is truly trustworthy amen

God has promised to take care of us

God has promised to be with us till the end of the world

God has promised to give us life and more life

we can count our lives on these promise

God's word does not change (X2)

just do your work God will work his part

you do our job then God will do his job

God won't break his promise to you

he will never let you go

 

Now Jesus stands in front of the Lazarus’ tomb

Even Jesus wept because he loves Lazarus

And he said “take away the stone”

 

Brothers and sisters 

God will make Lazarus arise from the dead

But first, there is stone that we have to remove

God will give life but before that miracle 

We have to do something

that is removing the stone

We are the one who take away the stone.

This is our job

Remove the stone first

so that Lazarus will buhay

 

Now we check this one 

Which stone blocks me from God?

which stone cover me from God's blessing

today we remove that stone

God will not remove that stone for us

That is our work

You know, God wants to bless us to prosper

and prosper is his will for us

He wants us to have abundant life and victorious life

But before we have these blessings

we have to do something first is removing the stone

 Do not ask God to remove the stone for us

That is our job

Now think about it brothers and sisters

What is our stone?

Which stone do I need to remove in my life?

What is blocking me from God?

Maybe someone’s stone is lack of faith

maybe someone's stone is laziness

May be others stone is disobedience 

 

 They listen to the word of God

And they are touched.

They said amen, amen 

But they do not apply the word of God in their lives

They do not practice the word of God

They do not obey

They have to remove those stones

 

Someone is always complaining

Someone’s stone is negative thinking

It is like they have root of bitterness in their heart

throw all of those, take away those stone

because those stones blocks us from God

so we have to remove that stone

 

 when the people remove the stone

Jesus was shout “you come out “

Then dead man come out

he came alive 

Death was destroyed 

The enemy was defeated 

Victory was given   Amen

And this afternoon Jesus wants to do the same thing to you 

Jesus wants to dissipate the death in your life 

Jesus wants to give you new life 

so remove the stone(X2)today

Miracle will happen in your home (Ministry)

Miracle will happen in your Business (ABC)

Believe that his power is the same yesterday today forever 

faith is speaking

so I speak in the name of Jesus

this mountain will go away

all the problem will go away

I declare in the name of Jesus

we have a victory 

father once again we thank you this morning 

we than you what you have done in our lives 

and thank you the message that you give us today

yes father you are the king of kings and lord of Lords

and with out you we are nothing and we can do nothing

so father help us to live with you everyday in our lifes

and give us victory for your glory and your kingdom

thank you Jesus 

Thank you Holy spirit

We love you Lord hallelujah Jesus

and this time I pray in the name of Jesus for this church 

father you bless all the ptr in this church

anoint them with your power of the holy spirit

and use them more mightily for winning soul for your glory 

father also bless all the congregation

bless/spiritually /financially/ physically

help them to be united in your love 

and provide every  thing what they need 

father  bless our ministry and bless our life 

thank you father we exult your name

and give glory, honer highest praise to you