never(x2)give up John 11;1-45

 

Praise the Lord

It is indeed an honor and privilege to be here

May GOD continue to bless upon this church

and continue to use this church in winning souls for our Lord

 

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.”

 

Today’s passage is a well known story

through today's story

We will learn something

(I'd like consider 4 things)

1)God loves us

2)never give up

3)have a faith

4)obey the word of God

 

the story goes like this

Lazarus was suffering from illness of which he was to die

So his sisters sent someone to Jesus

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

Jesus loved Lazarus, but he was sick

and i tell you 

being a christian does not mean that we will never go through any storms 

brothers and sisters 

do you love God?

and 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

as you know Job was suffering a lot

Bible says in book of Job1:1

“He was blameless—

a man of complete integrity.

He feared God and stayed away from evil.” 

yet he was suffering

in today's passage 

Lazarus' family had a special relationship with Jesus 

when ever Jesus come to this place

He stayed with them and enjoyed their presence 

and now Lazarus is sick

Yes,sometimes people of God is suffering,

and we have to know this one

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 in suffering,troubles, trials, we may sick

Do not doubt the love of God

yes our life of 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 in book of 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 still 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)

 

we know this story very well through the bible

we know that he will be resurrected

 

but at that time people were so disappointed

Why Jesus is so slow in coming

at that time People didn't understand

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.”

 

brothers and sisters

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?

we pray every day

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 your prayer 

Even your situation is getting worse 

even everything goes wrong

You do not lose your string of faith

we have to know this one

the answer of our prayer is not our way but God's way

the answer of our prayer is not our time but God's time

the answer of our prayer is not our method but God's method

He will answer in his time and his way amen?

 

So Keep going, keep running, keep moving, keep praying.

The LORD is my strength and my shield; (쉴드)

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. 

the name of God strong tower

so that i keep my eyes always on the Lord

i will not be shaken 

 

Brothers and sisters

do not give up even though there is no answer

there is no light in the darkness? not yet finished

still nothing happen? sandale teka

Even Lazarus was dead it is not game over.

Delayed, but not Denied!

Delay does not mean Denial.

Lazarus will arise from the grave amen.

 

EX)"어머니 기도"

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

 

today's passage verse 22

Martha Says "even now (x2)God will give you whatever you ask."

Lazarus was dead, and had been buried, but Martha faith still lived

and in spite of all things which went against her,

she believed in Christ and said

even now (everybody say even now)God will give you whatever you ask

we should have these faith

everything hopeless? even now God will do something

there is no way to Go? even now God will make a way

God is greater than all problems

nothing is difficult for God

even now,

even here

even to me

have a faith brothers and sisters

it will be done according to our faith amen

 

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 that it is 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"

we have to know this one brothers and sisters 

for our body we eat-운동

like this for our soul we read bible 

and we need  speaking

Bible says in Book of mark 11;22-23

"have faith in God -Jesus answered

Truly I tell you, if anyone says ( not think not wish )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.

 

Jesus connected speaking with believing.

Faith and words. They are inseparable (인쎄퍼러블)

no separate/ they go together

so we need both part Believing and saying

there is a power in speaking so

once again everybody said "i walk by faith"

 

 

Look at Abraham

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

it seems game over Sandalemuna

Tomorrow Lazarus will alive. Amen

 

nothing is impossible to God

the Word of God never fail

Heaven and earth will disappear,

but my words will never disappear.

 

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 amen

so what all we can do is count our lives on these promise

God's word does not change (X2)

God won't break his promise to you

he will never (X2) 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

God will give life but before that miracle 

We have to do something

that is removing the stone

we have to obey his word amen

 

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

he want see our obedience

yes brothers and sisters

our God is our final authority

so trust him absolutely

and obey his word

 

Jesus says remove the stone

But we do not obey why?

Because we look at ourselves as weak

Because we look at our circumstance 

Do not look at the tomb but focus upon Jesus

Look at the Jesus mouth

Listen to what Jesus says

And obey his word

Then miracle will happen

God will give new life amen

there is saying

if there is Chinese they open restaurant

if there is Japanese they open factory

if there is Korean they build church

you know why?

in Korea we believe that if we build church

God will bless us

like king Solomon who build

the 1st Jerusalem temple

and among 39 israel'skings

solomon is the most blessed king 

that is why korean like to build church 

 

ex)한빛 사모님 

God is always in Control!

 It’s never too late for God 

and it is not over until He says it’s over.

 

bible says 

in Proverbs 3;5-6

Trust in the LORD with all your heart

and lean not on your own 

understanding;

in all your ways acknowledge him,

and he will make your paths straight.

Jesus said, Take Away the Stone

so we obey the word of God

even we don't understand

the reason why remove the stone

just obey his word

then we will see the glory of God.

We will see the dead rise up.

we will see miracle after miracle

when they obey what Jesus had said

after they removed the stone

Jesus was shouting "Lazarus, you

come out"

Then dead man come out

he came alive

Death was destroyed

The enemy was defeated

Victory was given.  Amen

And this evening

Jesus want to do the same thing to you

Jesus wants to dissipate the death in your life

Jesus wants to give you new life

1) remember that God loves us

2) in any situation never give up

3) have faith even now God will do something

4) and remove the stone today then

Miracle will happen in your home

Miracle will happen in your Ministry

Miracle will happen in your Business

Believe that his power is the same 

yesterday today forever

싸카바라 바따따

얀다라 야카타 쏘꼬또 바카하따

Father we thank you once again this morning 

Father we thank you for what you have done in our lives 

father we thank you the word you given us today

and we know that your word never fail

and faith is speaking

so I declare in the name of Jesus

all mountain will go away in our life

every hindrance will go away

in the name of Jesus i command now

break every chain

break every power of darkness

frustration will go away

every sickness will go away 

and i declare in the name of Jesus

we have a victory  today

and  continually we will go forward

for your glory

thank you Jesus and thank you holy spirit

father 

help us to stake our lives on your promises.

increase our faith and help us obey your word

help us your word be our standard and adviser

help us your word be our compass

in directing our life's transaction

thank you Jesus we bless your name

we praise you and exalt your name

thank you Jesus we sing to praise you

we worship you hallelujah Jesus

 

Once again I pray for this church 

Father you pour out your blessing  upon blessing

to this church

make this church, the church of prayer 

church of love and church of power

use this church to make real impact on the lost

let everyone enter this church will be blessed

healed/empowered

and bless all this church pastor workers and congregation

father you anoint them with your power of the Holy spirit

meet their ministerial and personal needs to overflowing

provide richly to their emotional, spiritual and physical needs

use them mightily for your kingdom and your greater glory 

bless their life bless their family bless their ministry 

once again we thank you for giving us victory

glory honor and highest praise

in Jesus name amen