2014.10.12 礼拝

2014.10.12 礼拝

John 11:1-16 – “Knowing how to show God’s Glory”
————-
Kids Message
Lazarus was a sick man. Have you heard of this story? What happens to him, Better yet, why did these things happen?
Jesus allowed Lazarus to die so he could show His power to raise the dead. He had power over death.
This is not just a story or fairytale. It really happened. Jesus was real. Lazarus was real. This and all the words of the Bible are real.
——
In the Sunday bulletin there is an article about the “Golden Rule”. It is such an important rule of life.
Matthew 7:12 – “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”

Let’s look at the first part of the story of Lazarus in John 11.
Mention of Lazarus’ sister, Mary. She as a very devoted follower of Jesus. Now her brother, Lazarus was very sick.

John 11:5 – “Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus.”
We see from this verse that Jesus had a very special relationship with this family.

John 11:6 – “So, when he heard that Lazarus was ill, he stayed two days longer in the place where he was.”
In contrast to the previous verse, we see something really strange. If Jesus loved this family so much why did he wait two days?
For this family, it was not just the death of Lazarus the older brother but the death of the whole family. In those days women had no way of surviving without a man in the home. It was a very serious situation.

We are not a part of a “health and wealth” religion. Sometimes we are faced with difficult and even impossible situations. No matter how much we pray or have faith, sometimes bad things still happen.

The one thing we know for sure is the LOVE OF GOD.

Sometimes we need to experience the love of God in the midst of the storm and not through the removal of the storm.
Mary and family couldn’t understand why all these things were happening to them even though they were so close to Jesus.

But the important lesson they learned was not the importance of their understanding and acceptance of their situation. The important lesson was that Jesus was there. He was in control even when no one could see it or understand it.

Our hope is not what we find or experience on this earth but what we have promised in HEAVEN.

On this earth, there are difficult times and times of not understanding. Let’s remember the presence of Jesus.