Sunday
Morning Bible Study
February
1, 2015
Introduction
Do people see Jesus? Is the gospel
preached? Does it address the person who is: Empty, lonely, guilty, or afraid
to die? Does it speak to the broken
hearted? Does it build up the church? Milk – Meat – Manna Preach for a decision
Is the church loved? Regular: 2900
words Communion: 2500 words Video=75wpm
Hope
I have a video to show, and I’m afraid it may offend some of you.
Why did I show the video?
The rugby players looked cruel at first, tackling all sorts of unsuspecting
people.
It’s not until later that you realize that they were actually saving the
people from some tragedy.
I’m afraid I may offend some of you today, I may tackle you a bit roughly
today.
But pay attention to what I’m hoping you’ll be saved from.
Some of the things I may say over the next few minutes may offend you. They may make you feel uncomfortable.
There’s a reason I’m “tackling” these things.
Yesterday I did my 65th funeral for the wife of one of our dear
friends.
At yesterday’s funeral, I shared the story of something that Jesus did
about a week or so before His own death.
Jesus had a friend named Lazarus who lived in Bethany with his two sisters
Mary and Martha.
Jesus loved this family.
When Jesus got word that Lazarus was very, very sick, Jesus waited a couple
of days, and then headed to Bethany.
(John 11:17–25 NLT)
—17 When Jesus arrived at Bethany, he was told that Lazarus had already
been in his grave for four days. 18 Bethany was only a few miles down the road from Jerusalem, 19 and many of
the people had come to console Martha and Mary in their loss. 20 When Martha
got word that Jesus was coming, she went to meet him. But Mary stayed in the
house. 21 Martha said
to Jesus, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died. 22 But even now
I know that God will give you whatever you ask.” 23 Jesus told her, “Your brother will
rise again.” 24 “Yes,”
Martha said, “he will rise when everyone else rises, at the last day.” 25 Jesus told
her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live,
even after dying.
Now you may be asking yourselves, when is the pastor going to “tackle”
me? When is he going to offend me?
Here’s the offensive part.
Unless Jesus returns soon, every single person in this room will one day
face death just like Lazarus, every single one.
Death has some amazing statistics.
Every single person born on this planet dies someday.
You will die.
The reason I’m willing to risk offending you by reminding you of this is
not because I’m going to keep you from dying, but my hope is to help you …
Video: AIG Tackle Cement Truck
…avoid the cement truck when you “cross the street” at death.
There is a place in the town of Bethany in Israel considered to be the tomb
of Lazarus.
A photo journalist was thinking of making a video of the tomb when this
happened:
That doorway with the orange sign over it is the tomb of
Lazarus.
Even today, people are still dying in Bethany.
The real issue for you this morning is this – what will your life be like after death? Can you know what will happen?
Jesus not only made this bold statement about being the “resurrection and
the life”, but He went ahead and proved it by raising Lazarus from the dead.
Jesus went to the tomb of Lazarus and commanded that they roll the stone in
front of the tomb away. He then called
out with a loud voice, “Lazarus come forth!”
The man who had been dead for four days came hopping out of the tomb, still
wrapped up like a mummy in his graveclothes.
And if that wasn’t enough, a week later when Jesus Himself was crucified
and buried in the tomb, Jesus rose from the dead to prove that He is the
resurrection and the life.
Maybe you’re wondering if Jesus really did rise from the dead.
My message at the next service is titled “Proof of Life”. We’ll talk about just how real the
resurrection is.
Maybe you’re wondering why it’s a big deal that Jesus rose from the dead.
The resurrection gives us hope for what happens after this life, after we
die.
Jesus actually rose from the dead, and He promised that if we will trust
Him, we too will have eternal life on the other side.
The resurrection also gives us hope that we can endure whatever
difficulties we face in life, because to be honest, we all face difficulties.
(Romans 8:11 NLT) The Spirit
of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you. And just as God raised
Christ Jesus from the dead, he will give life to your mortal bodies by this
same Spirit living within you.
That’s life now, that’s power to face the difficulties we
will face in life.
Illustration
In October, 1871, Horatio Spafford, a wealthy Chicago businessman, lost
most of his worldly possessions in the famous Chicago fire.
In the autumn of 1873, Spafford placed his wife, Anna, and their four
children on the Ville du Havre sailing from New York to France. He was
forced to stay in the United States for several more weeks to settle some
business matters before he could journey to join the family in Europe.
The evening of November 21 the Ville du Havre was making its way
peacefully towards France when in the middle of the night it was suddenly
rammed by another vessel, the Lochearn.
Spafford’s wife survived, but all of the children were lost at sea. Spafford heard of the shipwreck but didn’t
know the fate of his family.
A cable arrived from Wales stating that the four daughters were lost at
sea, but his wife was still alive. He was crushed with what had happened. All
night he walked the floor in anguish. Toward the morning he turned to his
friend, Major Whittle, and said, “I am glad to trust the Lord when it will cost
me something.”
On the way across the Atlantic to join his wife, the captain announced that
they were now passing the place where the Ville du Havre was wrecked.
This is what Spafford wrote that day …
When peace, like a river, attendeth
my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.
Though Satan should buffet, though
trials should come,
Let this blessed assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.
My sin, oh, the bliss of this
glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!
And Lord, haste the day when my
faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.
How can anyone say “It is well with my soul” after having lost their
children?
We can say it because we know the God of Hope, the One who raises the dead,
the One who has an eternal home in heaven waiting for us.
He is the resurrection.