Lazarus, come forth.

[B-A-C]

I have an opinion on all the movies these days. Special effects are over the place, they have become so common, that we have either become
absorbed by them, or else we have become skeptical of them. I suspect mostly the latter. If someone dies in a super-hero movie, we just go back in time and recover them.
No big deal, right? Hollywood effects can do anything.

In real life it doesn't work that way. Usually when someone is dead, they are... well, dead. But if believe the Bible, and we believe in Jesus, and His power to raise the dead, then
somethings we believe should change.

John 11:43; When He had said these things, He cried out with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come forth."
Lazarus had been dead for four days by this time. In a tomb/cave covered by a stone. I'm sure there were skeptics in the crowd wondering what Jesus was going to do.
But then.. Jesus calls him. Tells him to "come forth". Just three simple words, and yet how profound it must have been. I imagine the gasp going through the crowd as
Lazarus walked out of his tomb. This wasn't some Hollywood special effect. This was the power of God. In the next chapter ( John 12 ) we see this same Lazarus
reclining at a table with a crowd of dinner guests ( including Jesus ). Can you imagine being there, sitting at that table with someone who was known to be dead for four days.

Matt 9:5; "Which is easier, to say, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up, and walk'?
Mark 2:9; "Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven'; or to say, 'Get up, and pick up your pallet and walk'?
Luke 5:23; "Which is easier, to say, 'Your sins have been forgiven you,' or to say, 'Get up and walk'?

Three of the four gospels tell a story of a paralyzed man lying on a cot. His friends can't get to Jesus, so they make a hole in the roof and let the paralyzed man
down through the hole. Of course Jesus heals the man, but He also tells the man to take up his pallet and walk. Again another presupposition shattered by Jesus.
Again, I imagine there were skeptics in the crowd. People who knew the man, people who had seen him lying on his bed for years. Wondering what Jesus was going to do.
Yes, Jesus heals him. Not only does he get up and walk, he carries the very bed that he had been lying on for all those years out of the room. Muscles that had never lifted
anything before, now carrying the very thing that carried him. But that's not the biggest surprise here. Jesus tells him that his sins have been forgiven.
The Pharisees take exception to this....

Mark 2:7; "Why does this man speak that way? He is blaspheming; who can forgive sins but God alone?"
Luke 5:21; The scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, "Who is this man who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins, but God alone?"

They were right of course, only God ( Jesus ) can forgive sins, but yet Jesus did forgive this mans sins, and He can forgive yours.
As proof that Jesus had the power to forgive sins, He asks the Pharisees which is easier to say, "your sins are forgiven" ( which has no physical evidence that they could see )
or "take up your pallet and walk" ( which everyone could actually see ). Jesus was proving He was God, He was proving He had the power to do miracles and forgive sin.

You know, Jesus has that same power today. He can heal us. More importantly, He can forgive us. Jesus has that power!!
There are a lot of "dead" people walking around in this world, not knowing Jesus. Not believing in God, and living in their sins. But you know what, Jesus can raise them from the dead.
Not necessarily physical death in this case, but spiritual death. The same power that changed that paralyzed man's life can change yours.
Can you imagine the conversations that Lazarus and this paralyzed man had in the years after they met Jesus? I bet it was a story they told everyone they ever met.
That same Jesus, with the same power, has power to raise dead people even today. Both physically and spiritually.
Has Jesus raised you from the dead yet? Have your sins been forgiven? Has Jesus changed your life? He can!! He will if you let Him.

Mark 1:40; And a leper *came to Jesus, beseeching Him and falling on his knees before Him, and saying, "If You are willing, You can make me clean."
Mark 1:41; Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, and *said to him, "I am willing; be cleansed."

Just like Jesus cleansed this leper, He can cleanse you. Just like He was willing to clean this leper, He is willing to clean you.
If Jesus has the power to raise the dead, heal the paralyzed, make the blind see, and cleanse the lepers, what can He do for you?

 

[B-A-C]

There are Christians in the world today who have a certain mindset. I've always done these sins, and I can't quit doing them. Yes you can!!
I'm not saying you'll never sin again for the rest of your life, and I'm not saying you will be perfect. But I am saying you can quit those habitual sins.
You don't have to keep doing the same sin over and over again every day. Jesus has the power to change you. Let me say that again....
JESUS HAS THE POWER TO CHANGE YOU!!! But He doesn't force you to change. You have to cooperate, you have to put effort into this.

It's funny people believe the stories in the Bible, Jesus raised the dead, made the blind see, make the lame walk, walked on water, and calmed
the storm. ... but, He doesn't have enough power to change me? Yes He does, oh you of little faith.

Well, I haven't changed so far. That's because you don't really want to. You love your sin. Jesus didn't do many miracles in His own home town.
Why is that?

Matt 13:57; And they took offense at Him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his hometown and in his own household."
Matt 13:58; And He did not do many miracles there because of their unbelief.

Because of their unbelief. If you don't believe Jesus can change you, guess what... you won't. You say you believe in Jesus, but really you only
partially believe in Jesus.

John 5:14; Afterward Jesus *found him in the temple and said to him, "Behold, you have become well; do not sin anymore, so that nothing worse happens to you."
John 8:11; She said, "No one, Lord." And Jesus said, "I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more."
Matt 5:48; "Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

Why would Jesus tell us to do something that is impossible for us to do? Because it's not impossible. You just have to believe it's possible.
Jesus asked the Pharisees, which is easier to say.. 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Get up, and walk'?

It's really the same today.... which is easier to say "Go and sin no more" or "I have forgiven you of your sins". Why do you believe one and not the other?

 

[B-A-C]

Is Jesus truly your Lord and Savior?

Luke 6:46; "Why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?

Luke 6:47; "Everyone who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them, I will show you whom he is like:
Luke 6:48; he is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid a foundation on the rock; and when a flood occurred, the torrent burst against that house and could not shake it, because it had been well built.
Luke 6:49; "But the one who has heard and has not acted accordingly, is like a man who built a house on the ground without any foundation; and the torrent burst against it and immediately it collapsed, and the ruin of that house was great."

Do you love Jesus? Do you really?

John 14:15; "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.

 

[B-A-C]

There is a certain interstate near my house. I usually only drive on it to go to work. I work in the city about 40 mile away. The good news is,
I mostly get to work from home, and I usually only go into the office once a week or so.

But last Saturday I was going to a store that was on that highway. But I wasn't paying attention. So I drove right past my exit, and
continued right on going. Before I knew it, I was halfway to work. Now why did I do that? Because it's a familiar old habit.
It's something I've done over and over again for years. It was Saturday, not even a work day, but I was on "auto-pilot". My car
can't drive itself, it only goes where I steer it to go.

Sometimes breaking those old sinful habits is the same way. We are so used to doing them. We've done them over and over again
for years. Sometimes we do them without even thinking about it. We are on "auto-pilot".

I was able to get off at another exit and turn around and get back to the store I needed to go to. I didn't have to drive all the way
to work. It's a good thing, because the doors would have probably been locked.

It's the same way with those old habitual sins. We can turn around before we go too far. But sometimes we have to "break"
the habit. We have to pay attention, we have to get off "auto-pilot" for a while.

I've had other jobs before, years ago. Why didn't I drive to one of those jobs? Because it's not my habit. It's not something I do
all the time. I got out of that habit, and made a new habit.

You can do the same thing. You can make new habits too.