10-19-97.................... To Live or to Die? ......................John 11

Are you ready to Come out for Jesus?

By Ronald George Jr. .................................................................................SFBC

This is a sermon about a coming out for Jesus Party!

Bucharest -- A Romanian woman fainted recently when she opened her front door and found her husband standing there. The Romanian weekly Tinerama says it all started when a man named Neagu choked on a fish bone, stopped breathing and collapsed. The family doctor, knowing Neagu's heart condition, didn't think twice about proclaiming the 71-year-old dead of a heart attack. But three days later, grave-diggers at the cemetery heard someone knock on wood. They opened Neagu's coffin to find him surrounded by wilted flowers but very much alive. When Neagu arrived home his wife, fearing he was a ghost, barred him from spending nights at home. It took Neagu three weeks to convince the authorities to cancel his death certificate from their registers.

Scripture Text: John 11:33-46 John 11:33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled, 34 And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see. 35 Jesus wept. 36 Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him! 37 And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died? 38 Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it. 39 Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days. 40 Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God? 41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me. 42 And I knew 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. 43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. 44 And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go. 45 Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him. 46 But some of them went their ways to the Pharisees, and told them what things Jesus had done.

As a young man, D.L. Moody was called upon suddenly to preach a funeral sermon. He hunted all throughout the four Gospels trying to find one of Christ's funeral sermons, but searched in vain. He found that Christ broke up every funeral he ever attended. Death could not exist where he was. When the dead heard his voice they sprang to life. Jesus said, "I am the resurrection, and the life."

I. How do you know there has been a spiritual death?

How do you know when you need to come out of your tomb?How do you know when you are in a tomb?How do you know when you are dead in your spiritual life?

1. There is a lot of murmuring going on. Low talking so that no one else will hear. Don’t want to wake up the dead at the funeral home. So whisper.

2. There is a notable absence of certain individuals. Where are they/you? They may be dying but does anyone care? No one knows where they are. The dead can’t be with the living unless it rubs off on way or the other. The dead don’t want to be with the living.

3. There was a stink going around? Who is it that is stinking around here?Is it you? Is it me? He has been dead for four days and he is stinking.There are problems brewing. So instead of going to the Bible and clearing up the problems we just let them cook until it begins to stink. Do we need to be kicking some dead horses? Do we need to go to one another in love and work out our problems with the love of the Lord. If we care enough about the Lord, we will realize that this stink is only going to get worse until someone carries away that old dead horse.

4. There was a sadness in the air. Jesus Wept. It is grieving when there is death in a spiritual life. You are being missed.

II. How do you know that People care?

v. 35 Jesus Wept. They care and they weep for you. How do you know that you care? It grieves you when folks disappear from the family. They are willing to take away the stone that keeps out the light of the Lord. They are wanting to participate in the Lord’s resurrection of the dead.

John 11:25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:John 11:26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

The Lord brings life into the house.

III. How does it happen?

1. Hear the word of the Lord? Listen to the message that God gives the preacher and the teacher. It is for you. It is from the Lord. It is not meant for so and so because they aren’t here. There is only one way for us to be resurrected in our lives. We must hear the Word of the Lord. Listen to what the Lord has to say to you.

2. Answer the Call of the Lord:The Lord stands at the door of our tomb and calls for us to come out into the light of his truth and his word. Decide that you will come out of your tomb and follow Jesus. Decide that you are tired of listening to everyone else but the right one. This right one is Jesus. Will you listen to him? Stand up for Jesus. Have you ever stood up for the Lord? Young people, old people, and middle people need to hear his call and stand up and come out for the Lord. If the lost can stand up for their rights why can’t we stand up for our right to serve the Lord and let others know that we serve the Lord.

3. Come Out for the Lord? Death cannot exist where he is. Would you come out for the Lord on a Wed. Night for a church service. If you can’t come out on a wed. night, will you come out for the Lord on a Mon. morning? Come out of hiding you folks who are supposed to be followers of the Lord Jesus Christ.

4. Take off those rags. Lazrus?Let go of all of those things that you know the Lord is not pleased with. Confess our sin those are the rags that hold us back from serving the Lord. Repent of our sin. Turn from the unrighteousness to the Lord. That is why there are so many folks who won’t come to church. We are walking around with our filthy rags on. Mummified christians are bound up in there grave clothes.

Isa. 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

5. Loose Him and Let Him Go!

Our Responsibility to help others get free from the bondage of sin that leads to death. We are our brothers keeper. If you aren’t then you are in the wrong place. We are not a self-service people . We are to be here for one another. Help others by removing the stone and letting in the light in their lives. This is the commandment of the Lord himself. How many have you loosed and let go.

Rom 6:23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

People will die without the Lord. People need the Lord to be set free.Can there be a modern day resurrection? Can you still hear Jesus? Will you listen to Jesus? Will you come out for Jesus? Will you take off those rags? Will you loose him and let him go?