"Our Own Heavenly Wake-Up Call"              April 10, 2011                                     Jack Keating

Cicero United Methodist Church                           Lent 5                                         Text:  John 11

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            Over the last several years, Reader's Digest has published some really strange stuff from the lives of ordinary people. One lady wrote in to tell about this interesting billboard she had seen down south.... It encouraged people to "Stand Up and be counted for the 2000 US Census ... " and the billboard was sponsored by a local cemetery..... Another lady wrote in to tell about an excuse given by one of her employees for being missing from his job for a day.... He said, "I can't come in to work today because I'm having an autopsy ... but I should be back in tomorrow.... "

            Now I don't know exactly what type of medical procedure (if any) the man was having, but I'm guessing it wasn't an autopsy. But if it was, his name must have been Lazarus ....

            I know we have all heard the story of Lazarus many times before, but it's a story that never grows old ... Because it's a story of New Life ... It's a story about a resurrection and that's what resurrection is .... It's New Life.

            And anytime we share this story together, it should bring us New Life, new hope, new meaning .... Because the story is not about Mary and Martha and Lazarus ... it's a story about us - and how Jesus can bring us New Life, new hope, and new meaning.

            We all know the story! Jesus was close friends with Mary, Martha, and Lazarus ... they had spent a lot of time together; they had shared many meals together ... they were close friends. And Lazarus got sick, and it was evident he wasn't getting any better and that he was dying. So out of desperation, Mary and Martha sent word to Jesus that he should come quickly and heal Lazarus from his sickness. And we know that Jesus loved Mary and Martha and Lazarus and yet,
when he got their message, the Bible tells us that he stayed where he was for another 2 days.

            And that one sentence would lead us to a good sermon ... God's timetable is not out timetable! After all, how many times have you prayed that Jesus would come and quickly rescue you from a situation? Yet, Jesus seemingly lingered somewhere far off and all you were left with was silence? And yet that's what faith is all about! It's believing in God and God's providence even during those times when God seems so far away...

            And Jesus lingered where he was, but then to his disciples he says, "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, and I must go wake him up... " Jesus may linger, but he hasn't forgotten us.... And in this case it appears he lingered to prove a point.

            On his arrival Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days... And that's a significant point, because some Jews had a belief that a person's soul would stay around the body for three days, but after three days the soul would depart from the body. So the four days may have been a statement by Jesus that Lazarus was really dead ... there was no life left in him.

            We're told that Mary and Martha went out to meet Jesus, and they say ... "if only you had been here earlier, you are too late, Lazarus is dead... " and they begin crying. And what did Jesus do? The Bible says, "Jesus wept!"

            That's the shortest verse on the Bible, but it's also one of the most powerful verses in the Bible. And then what did Jesus do? He goes out to the tomb and tells them to "Roll back the stone - open the grave," and with a loud command, he says, "Lazarus, come out!" And amazingly, before their very eyes, Lazarus is resurrected from the grave. And he comes walking out still wrapped in his grave clothes and Jesus says, "Unbind him, and let him go."

            And it seems to me that, in this lesson, there are three lessons that are just jumping out at us, three lessons that will help us all in our daily lives. The first lesson is that, JESUS WEPT WITH THOSE THAT HE LOVED ... AND HE STILL DOES!

            I read a story about a new pastor who was sharing his first communion since being appointed to his first church, and he did just fine until he got to the point where he said, "Hear these words from scripture ... " and his mind went totally blank! He couldn't think of any scripture to share and after a long pause, he blurted out, "Jesus wept!" And then he continued on with communion.

            He thought he had surely blown it ... and he was embarrassed. But after the service, one of the members of the church said to him, "When you quoted that verse, 'Jesus wept' that was so meaningful to me because it made me suddenly realize that ... the Healer of our pain is also the feeler of our pain!"

            And that is so important for us to know! Not only is Jesus the healer of our pain, he is the feeler of our pain, Jesus feels our pain. When we hurt ... he hurts. When we're sad ... he's sad. When we grieve ... he grieves. When we cry ... he cries with us. We may feel like we suffer by ourselves, but we never suffer alone. When - we suffer ... Jesus suffers with us.

            Many times, when I go to visit with a family after a death, I can't help but weep with the family. You might think a pastor is always supposed to be strong and in control, and not show his or her emotions ... But sometimes that's all I can do - just weep along with you. And I don't apologize for my tears ... because when you hurt, I hurt and when you weep ... I weep with you.        And the truth is that, in that situation, you probably won't remember my prayer or what I had to say, but you will probably remember my tears ... because they are tears of love. Jesus wept with those he loved, so I guess I'm in good company!

            The second lesson we see in this story is JESUS RAISED PEOPLE UP... AND HE STILL DOES.

            One of the hardest things for any pastor to do is the funeral for one of their church members.... We want to make it personal. And it's hard because we always try to follow the example of Jesus ... but as you look at the New Testament you suddenly realize that Jesus never officiated a funeral... He didn't do funerals ... He only did resurrections.

            And here in John 11, we see Jesus performing a resurrection and he says, "Lazarus, come out!" Notice how personal Jesus made it ... He called him by name.     

            One of the Bible commentaries I read this week suggested that if Jesus hadn't been specific about who he was calling out of the tomb, all of the dead would have come out on his command. But Jesus was specific and he made it personal... He called "Lazarus" to rise and come out ... And Lazarus came out from a dead man's tomb.

            I told you earlier that this story is not about Lazarus, it's about you and me. What we need to see here is that Jesus is all about raising people up. So if you listen closely enough this morning you might just hear Jesus calling you.... He calls us by name and says, "It's time to get up."

            Jesus has a resurrection planned for you! He wants to bring you out of that tomb (whatever it is) that is imprisoning you.... He wants to set you free... Free from your bondage, free from your sin, free from your guilt, free from your grief, free from whatever is holding you back.

            He wants you to be free and he has the power to do it ... If you hear his call and respond in faith, He will raise you up and give you a new start, a new chance, a new life, a new hope, a new meaning... But you have to respond to His call. Jesus raised people up and He still does.

            Now lastly we see in this story that JESUS INCLUDED OTHER PEOPLE IN PERFORMING HIS MIRACLES - AND HE STILL DOES.

            Notice what happens when Lazarus comes out of the tomb ... Jesus turned to his family and friends and says, "You unbind him and let him go... "

            Most of us don't even stop to think about this.... Jesus performed the miracles but He relied on others to take part in it. Certainly Jesus could have taken the grave clothes off of Lazarus and set him free himself, but he didn't! He included other people in performing his miracles ... and he still does.

            Friends, God is always counting on us to help him do his work! Now I'm not going to spend the time to illustrate for you what God is calling you to do - Because I don't know what God is calling you to do... but God is calling all of us to do something... and whatever it is, if we're not willing to do it, we're not being faithful to God... we're letting God down!

            I want to encourage you this morning, whatever God is calling you to do, step out on faith and do it! Just do it!

            You see, God is not going to call the wrong person.... And whatever it is that God calls us to do, He's giving us the tools to do it... but He relies on each of us having enough faith to rely on Him.

            And I think this is the sacred part of this service this morning because I think God is trying to get our attention, maybe both as a church and as individuals. He's saying, "It's time to get up - it's time to trust me - it's time for you to step out in faith and do what I'm asking you to do... " Whatever it is that God is calling you to do, step out on faith and do it!

            If Lazarus hadn't obeyed Jesus, he would still be in the tomb ... If his friends and family hadn't obeyed Jesus, Lazarus would still be confined to his grave clothes, walking around like a mummy. But by the grace of God, the power of Jesus and with the help of friends and loved ones, Lazarus was set free! God is calling us to do his work!

            Jesus wept - and he still does...   Jesus raises people up - and he still does... Jesus includes others in his miracles - and he still does.

            This story is about you and me... and this morning I intentionally don't have a closing to my sermon.... Because I want you to finish the sermon for me.

            Before I sit down I'd like for us to pause for a moment of silence to allow God to talk to you and you to talk to God.... And ask God where you fit into this story and how He wants you to finish this sermon!

            Maybe you're the one weeping and you need to realize that Jesus weeps with you and wants to bring you comfort and healing. Or, maybe you're the one in the grave - you've lost hope, you've lost meaning and everything is piling up on you. You feel like you're six feet under and can't get out.... Friends, you can get out.

            You just need a hand to lift you up to a New Life, a New Hope, a New Meaning.... You need to reach out and take the hand of Jesus and let him lift you up.

            Or maybe this morning God is calling you to take a part in one of His miracles that He is performing... and He is calling you to step out in faith and trust Him.

            You see, the perfect ending to this sermon is how you respond to what God is saying. So just listen for a minute with me.................      Amen.