I'm here with my wife
And I'll worship you in all of the wild
And I'll worship you in all of the night
And I'll worship you in all of the shade
And I'll worship you in all of the night
How was y'all's weekend? I hope it was good
It was good
I had to wash my truck
But you're here now
I got a slide for you
Pastor Dan gave me something to read
Luke 13, 19
It's like a mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his garden
Which means even with a little bit of faith you can still go a long way
Amen
Deacon Tony, lead us in prayer
The Lord thank you for another day of giving us thanks for this place
And the people that gathered today
And we are one of many churches that are being together across the nation
We ask the Lord to come here with us
Be with us
We worship you
And ask the Lord to shower your promise and your gift upon us
We give the passers-by a great service
The message to the Lord
We thank him for all he's done for us
We ask the Lord to be with those that maybe wanted to be here
Or couldn't be here for whatever reason
Sickness or just a cold or whatever
We speak to him and help him move more toward his goodness
Again, thank you for what you've been doing
We're going to be with you from the first minute
How we love, how wide is the love of Christ, how deep
How deep, how high is the love of Christ, how deep, how high is the love of Christ
In the tick-to-nall of my tongue to come for your friend
A love with no beginning, a love that knows no end
How wide is the love of Christ, how deep, how high is the love of Christ
In the morning's early morning, forever more
He's not going to fill the ocean, fill the overflow
Jesus, the angel of my heart, the power of my will and my life
Jesus, the angel of my soul, you are my true and true happiness
Jesus, you do not compare, the power I am to your will
I'm feeling the hope of my heart, you are
The heavens, be glad you are God, and the mountains rejoice
The ocean, cry hallelujah, as we worship the Lord
For this is our song of love
Jesus, you save my soul, I thank you forever more
Jesus, forever my life, you are
The heavens, be glad you are God, and the mountains rejoice
The ocean, cry hallelujah, as we worship the Lord
For this is our song of love
Jesus, I am in awe of the love that you have shown
Jesus, how precious you are to me
The heavens, be glad you are God, and the mountains rejoice
The ocean, cry hallelujah, as we worship the Lord
The heavens, be glad you are God, and the mountains rejoice
The ocean, cry hallelujah, as we worship the Lord
As we worship the Lord
I'm forgiven because you are forgiven
I'm forgiven because your spirit is with me
Because you are forgiven
I'm forgiven because you have to say again
I'm forgiven because you are forgiven
God, I'm forgiven because your spirit is with me
Because you are forgiven
I'm forgiven because you are forgiven
I'm forgiven because you have to say again
Ooh, ooh, ooh
Before I do your name
You're my every breath
Before I found my way
You're my every step
Before I knew everything that I need
You gave it all to me
No greater love than this, that if you should lay down your life
For someone such as me
I'd spend a lifetime wondering why
The beauty of everyone is here in my heart
And I know there can be no greater love than this
I've never understood
How merciful love could be
Until I felt his way
Let every part of me
And I will give everything that I am
Yes, I have been saved
No greater love than this
That you should lay down your life
For someone such as me
I'd spend a lifetime wondering why
The beauty of everyone is here in my heart
And I know there can be no greater love
Oh, love, oh, love, oh, love
The beauty of everyone is here in my heart
And I know there can be no greater love
For someone such as me
No greater love
Than this
Can you do me a huge favor?
Can you go back there on that PowerPoint
And change that capital H on him to a little h?
Okay, it's coming.
All right, the title of the sermon is Why Kill Him.
Now I know titles are normally all capitalized,
but that one's not capitalized for a very specific reason.
Anyone want to take a stab at the end of the sermon?
No, you can't.
You can't.
Okay, it's not as important as a capital H.
So whenever I write He or Him in reference to a certain being,
I always capitalize it and that would be God.
And so if you normally if you saw that title,
and it said Why Kill Him, who would you be expecting it to be?
Jesus, right?
Except we're not talking about Jesus.
All right, so that little h is there to remind you that what we're going to read about is not Jesus
Anyone who would take a stab at who we might be talking about
No, that's good though. That would be a good story and you know, that's really neat too because John the baptist said
Uh that I must decrease and he must increase and so it does tie in with what we're going to talk about
But not john the baptist and we'll take a stab at it
The old self yeah, it is the old self but that not that that's not him
In this title. Okay, you know why you're not getting it
Because we don't think about it. I didn't think about it until the lord brought this to mind
And so when you see it, you're going to be a little surprised. It's
lazarus
Was it really well you're too slow too slow
All right, so grab your bibles if you would and go with me to john chapter 12
No, amen. This is god's word
All right, we're going to read 9 to 11
And then we're going to read 17 to 26 now. We're not skipping 12 to 16 because they don't matter. Of course
we're skipping them because
9 to 11 and a 17 to 26 point very pointedly at what we're talking about. Okay, so it's john chapter 12 verse 9
I just realized I forgot to push the button. Sorry tommy. Okay
The great multitude therefore of the jews learned that he was there
And they came not for jesus's sake only but that they might also see lazarus whom he raised from the dead
But the chief priests took counsel that they might put lazarus
to death also
Because on account of him, the chief priests took counsel
that they might put lazarus to death also
Because on account of him many of the jews were going away and were believing in jesus
So not only were they plotting to kill jesus
They were also plotting to kill lazarus and it tells us the reason why
Because many of the jews were going away and believing in jesus after having seen that lazarus was there alive
They were coming to see jesus speak. Of course hear what he had to say see was he really?
He was really coming to see jesus speak
And so they were coming to see the risen from the dead lazarus. That's a pretty big deal
Right, and then we'll skip down to 17
Verse 17 says this and so the multitude who were with him
When he called lazarus out of the tomb
And raised him from the dead
That second hymn is jesus witness and it has a capital h by the way. So the first h is lazarus
The first says and so the multitude who were with him
That's jesus when he that's jesus called lazarus out of the tomb and raised him. That's little h
Lazarus from the dead were bearing him. That's jesus witness for this cause also
The multitude went and met him
That's jesus because they heard that he had performed this sign what sign
The raising of lazarus from the dead
Right the pharisees therefore said to one another
You see that you are not doing any good
Look the world has gone after him
So they started talking to each other saying all that preaching you're doing all that teaching of the old testament all that standing up trying to
Being
Controversy there's the word i'm looking for with jesus trying to be in controversy with jesus all that you're doing
You're not doing any good. Look the world is going after him
Verse 20 now there were certain greeks now these folks are from far away
Okay, their ancestry is from far away and some of them had traveled there for the festival and so on
So they were literally from far away. There were certain greeks among those who were going up to worship at the feast
These therefore came to philip who was from vetsida of gallilee and began to ask him
So philip was a follower of jesus and he's involved in the whole wow, this is amazing stuff. That's side of gallilee
He's there and began to ask philip saying sir. We wish to see jesus
Philip came and told andrew andrew and philip came and they told jesus and jesus answered them saying
The hour has come for the son of man to be glorified now. We've talked about glorified that word a few times
Okay, does anybody remember my if you will easy way of remembering what glorified means?
Kind of yeah, I lift it up or shine a light on right the real
The real greek word means to shine a light on something
To glorify it is to lift it up or make it so people can see it or to shine a light on it
So people can see it right and he says the hour has come for the son of man to be glorified now
The reason you're thinking there that it means lift it up is because he's talking about being crucified
But not only being crucified right there's more to it than that
Says the hour has come for the son of man to be glorified
So you could say it this way now is the time for god to point the light to shine the light to lift up his son
To show everybody everything about jesus 24 truly truly I say to you
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies
It remains by itself alone
But if it dies it bears much fruit
Okay, so in other words if you take a grain of wheat
And you put it in a jar
Come back a month later you're going to have a grain of wheat in a jar
Come back a year later. You're going to have a grain of wheat in a jar
But if you put that grain of wheat in this in the dirt in good soil
The grain will burst open and cease to exist
But a plant will grow
Which will then produce seed not one seed but a bunch of seeds and then when the wind blows
Probably in the fall that seed will fall and then it will take root and every one of those seeds will die
And a whole cluster of wheat will grow up
And call it wild wheat and you can live off of it and it's quite filling and so on
But the bottom line is unless that seed falls into the earth and is destroyed ceases to exist
It remains by itself alone, but if it dies it bears much fruit
25
He who loves his life loses it
And he who hates his life in this world shall keep it to life eternal
Now he's not really talking literally about love and hate right this is you understand this is figurative language
All right, but it means if you're really attached to you really desire or really after the things of your life if you're about what's going on now
Then you will eventually lose all of that
So if you're about your family you love your kids you love your wife and there's nothing wrong with loving them
Right, but your eternal existence
Is determined by if you can put things in proper priority does your family
Come after god
Okay, so be careful good things of this life that we get attached to
He's saying can cause us to actually lose everything
And he who hates his life in other words he who prioritizes his life
After the things that god would put first
So that's and when it says your life it's talking about literally anything in this lifetime that you might get attached to
And it does say in this world shall keep it to eternal life or to life eternal
So in other words if you can put your money
In proper perspective and jesus is always first if you can put your time if you put your relationships your health
Your job your hobbies if you put your money in your life
Your job your hobbies if you put all of that in proper perspective
And put jesus first in everything so if jesus is first in your money if jesus is first in your time
Jesus is first in your hobbies jesus first in your relationships, then you can keep your relationships
You can actually redeem them if you will make them into something good that lasts all the way through this life into eternity
It'll take you right to the gates of heaven
And you don't have to go. I'm ashamed. I ever had that or I wish I had never done that
Right you don't have to regret how you used what god blessed you with if jesus can be first in those things
But so many people get so wrapped up in what's going on this life
I mean isn't is it easy to not get wrapped up in what's going on this life
We got phobias we had health concerns
We got bills coming in all these problems so many people get so wrapped up in what's going on in this life
and
Grip it so tightly
Jesus says if you do that you will lose it
Just a little further 26 if anyone serves me
As to say if you are a follower of jesus
If you are a disciple of jesus
let him follow me
And where I am
There shall my servant also be and so there's a little bit of figurative language here when he says follow him
He doesn't literally mean always follow him right because they couldn't even follow him to the cross you get that
But follow him like do what he does
Follow him listen
All right, let him be the leader let him be the one in charge
Right follow him follow his example see what he does and do what he does
Says and where I am there my servant also
Be if anyone serves me the father will honor him
So again if you want god to honor you then what do you do you serve jesus?
How do you serve jesus you follow jesus and do the same thing
Follow jesus and do the things that jesus would have you to do
Okay, so that's our primary text for the day. We're going to have a few supporting texts in a moment
First of all, I want to contrast for a second if I can jesus and lazarus
Okay, so we could have been talking about jesus when we say why kill him
I can't I can't find any really good reason to kill jesus. I know why they did it
They did it because he was accused of sedition or rebellion
Overthrowing the roman governor empire, right?
That's one of the main reasons and also because the blasphemy because he claimed to be god
The jewish people wanted him killed because he claimed to be god and that is a sin punishable by
Stoning
Not crucifixion, but stoning
So but the romans would crucify people who did certain things pirates
uh rebels
Right certain things that they would crucify them as a way of saying you don't ever want to do that
Right not just you're dead people like well, you know, I live really well and I die because i'm a pirate
That wouldn't be so terrible quick death, but crucifixion now. I don't want to die crucified. So i'm going to avoid being a pirate
So that was the whole idea. It's a step-up crime. It's worse
Right, and so he was probably the main reason pilot crucified him was he was a rebel or he was in sedition
This is also supported by the fact that he got a sign over his head while he was hung there saying
Here be the king of the jews, right? And so it was probably for rebellion or sedition
So I could kind of see that but the truth is at this point in time
Until they really put him up on trial
And he starts saying things like he's god. That's where he blasphemes and says they start thinking well
He claims to be god. So we should have him killed
Right, they could have stoned him theoretically. They really weren't supposed to be doing that
But the roman government kind of looked the other way for blaspheme, right?
So they would look the other way and let they were actually stoning people
But they really weren't supposed to be legally doing even stoning people, but they were doing it
But they couldn't crucify anybody but the romans could crucify and they could crucify for rebellion or sedition
So it wasn't until he got up there and they said well you they calling you the king of the jews
And he said yeah, it is as you say, you know, it's true
Basically is what jesus says and that's when right and so it wasn't really until the
Mock trials the fake trials are going on stuff that jesus really crosses the line
So at this point there really isn't a good reason a good legal reason to be putting jesus to death
more over
There were others who would come and claim to be the messiah not a big number people always make this out to be like dozens
But there was there was a couple right?
There's a guy named uh simon bark a hobo or something like that and he claimed to be the messiah
And and there was a guy that would come later like ad 135 long after jesus comes and he claimed to be the messiah
And he leads the jews in a revolt to try to cast off the romans. There's a couple of them
But there's never a time when those guys who were claiming to be the messiah. They're talking about putting them to death
So that doesn't really even make any sense, but then extend it one step further
Let's talk about lazarus versus jesus. Did lazarus do miracles?
Not that we know of did he preach publicly at the you know
The big amphitheater out there by the dead sea and thousands came and gathered were listening to him
And they're all getting baptized because of that no he didn't do that did he claim to be the king of the jews?
No, he didn't do that did he call himself god?
No, we didn't do that so all of the reasons why one might stretch and come up with I can kill jesus for this
Lazarus doesn't have any of it. He doesn't he's not in sedition. He's not in rebellion anything so there's
Only really one thing that jesus was doing that was causing a problem amongst the jews that lazarus was also doing just one thing
And that is they were bringing about new faith
Men were putting their faith again in god
They were repenting of old ways and turning to the god of the universe and saying I will live for god
That's really the only thing you can think of that lazarus was doing that jesus was also doing
But other men as I had said other messiahs other leaders of the jews had done this and they never talked about killing them
And lazarus didn't even do all the other things that made jesus different
To bring him to the place where they might kill him and now they're talking about killing him a large crowd of jews
Were coming not only to see jesus but also to see lazarus whom jesus had raised
So what was lazarus's crime?
Was he in sedition was he out there telling everybody that jesus is the king of the jews nation to overthrow the roman empire?
No, that was not the case
Nobody that jesus is the king of the jews nation to overthrow the roman empire. No, that was never the message of christianity
Christianity was never even about overthrowing the roman empire
The jews just made it out to look like that so that they could have a reason
To appeal to pilate to crucify him that really was never what they were about
So was lazarus teaching overthrow the roman empire? No, was he a zealot? Did he carry a dagger on his waist? No, actually, that's peter
Right, so that wasn't going on
What did he do that they wanted to kill him?
He died
He died and was risen again by jesus. That's what he did jesus died and was raised
He was dead and now is alive
People were seeing jesus for the first time with fresh eyes because of what had happened to lazarus
Listen to the language
They were seeing jesus with fresh eyes for the first time because of what had happened to lazarus
Not because of what lazarus did because he didn't raise himself from the dead. He didn't preach the gospel
He's not recorded in here. Yes. He was faithful to jesus a follower after being who wouldn't be right
Yes, he was there to be seen what god had done in his life was clearly being seen
He was dead and now is alive and people were seeking jesus
Because of lazarus, but not because of what lazarus had done but what had been done to lazarus
I think it's one of our j's favorite as a matter of fact second corinthians chapter five
Second corinthians chapter five says as follows i'm going to begin reading in verse 15
It's talking to mostly really talking about us but written to the book of corinth and we're very much like corinth
The church of corinth in our day
I'll start in 14. So it's sort of sort of the beginning of a sentence
But it's a little bit of a
Sort of the beginning of a sentence although this whole thing strings together
so uh
Second corinthians 5 14 says this for the love of christ controls us having concluded this
That one died for all therefore all died. So let's get this straight
So lazarus is on the verge of being put to death
The jews have said let's put him to death and one of the two things that he did
That were causing them to want to put him to death was
He died and now we have paul saying that if jesus died for you
Then you died for the love of christ controls us having concluded this that one died for all therefore all died
So we died and he died for all
That they who live should no longer live for themselves, but for him who died and rose again on their behalf. And so in other words
He's saying y'all died
And now are alive again therefore you should live for the one who died
So that you didn't physically have to die for your own sins and you should live for him now
That's essentially the exact same equation that lazarus was living through
16 says this therefore from now on we recognize no man according to the flesh even though we have known christ according to the flesh
Yet now we know him thus no longer in other words
We don't see things the way we used to see things because we died and rose again
Therefore if any man is in christ he is a new creature the old thing passed away behold new things have come
Lazarus died came back to life and the old things had passed away
He wasn't seeing things the way he used to see them when he was laying on his deathbed going
Oh, what was me he was seeing things now the way he was seeing them after he was walking around having been brought back to life
It says in 18 now all these things are from god who reconciled us to himself through christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation
Namely that god was in christ reconciling the world to himself
But not counting their trespasses against them and he was committed to us
the word of reconciliation
A little further therefore we are ambassadors for christ as though god were entreating through us
We beg you on behalf of christ be reconciled to god you think that might have been the message of lazarus
I died i'm alive
Won't you believe this guy?
How could you not i died i'm alive believe him i died i'm alive believe him you see
21 he made him who knew no sin to be sent on our behalf that we might become the righteousness of god in him
people were seeking jesus because of
What they saw in lazarus not because of what lazarus had done but what had become of lazarus's life
It had become a living testimony his existence had become a lure
in 15 to 17
Of chapter 2 flip back a few pages of second corinthians you can kind of see this same equation
So we're in second corinthians same book back to chapter 2 15 to 17
And it says this for we are a fragrance of christ to god
Among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing
To the one and aroma from death to death to the other and aroma from life to life
And who is adequate for these things
For we are not like many
Pedaling the word of god but it's from sincerity but it's from god we speak in christ in the sight of god in other words
If you're living your life for jesus you're going to run into people are going to go
Yeah, I kind of like that and you're going to run to other people are going to go. I don't like that
And that's what was going on with lazarus having been dead a stench of death in the tomb
Risen again by jesus now he's there and his death
And burial and resurrection lazarus's death burial and resurrection was a testimony to everyone that he was running into
Everyone that he was running into that they needed to make a decision about this jesus
So should ours be not to get ahead of us jesus
Existence that's a testimony in and of itself that we need to make a decision about his being lord about his being savior
but
Lazarus existence had become the same thing a lure for people to listen and go wait
There is something here
And your life my life should do the same thing
Others were telling lazarus's story far and wide so that by the time the greeks got to the festival
Can't come from home several days whatever or take a ship
For a week or two
To get to the festival they were already there going. I want to see this jesus
And this lazarus that he raised from the dead
Because if he raised lazarus from the dead he can raise anybody from the dead
I want to see that
And it ought to be like that if you're a follower of jesus, then people ought to encounter you and go wow
This is a man changed
This is a woman changed they don't do what they used to do
Right and you know they didn't know me
They don't have to because you can tell them what you were like and others can tell them what you were like
You can tell them what life was like and others can tell them what your life was like what you used to do the way you used
to be
But if you come into contact with the risen savior then you've been
Transformed made new but here's what I see in a lot of christians. There's no story to tell
Yeah, I believed in jesus and I got baptized and I go to church but there's no real difference between the old me and the new me
That's not the jesus I know
If there's no transformation if there's no change if there's no difference in between who you used to be and who
You are now then who did you meet?
Because it's not jesus because jesus has resurrection power
He transforms the lives of everyone that he encounters either with the stench of death and you go
Well, I don't want jesus and you run the other way and do all kinds of things that you should never do
Or with the aroma of life and you run with jesus
With jesus in you and with jesus all the way to the end doing amazing things that you never thought you could do
Now does this mean that you're suddenly going to be superman?
Right and have only one weakness ever no you have lots of weaknesses
You're still a human you have lost the eyes less than flesh pride of life and you always will
As long as you're here until you enter the gates of heaven
But your life like lazarus's life has become jesus's story
His story was jesus's story
But be careful because when your story has other aspects to it
I watched a movie this week pretty pretty awesome movie called overcomers made by the kendrick brothers the same people who made
Fireproof and prayer room and like that and it's about a teenage girl who uh she's an asthmatic as a matter of fact
And she's across it across country from the country of the world
She's an asthmatic as a matter of fact and she's a cross country runner
And she's the only member of the cross country team team where she's at and there's a man there
And he's a basketball coach and suddenly he has no basketball team because the steel plant closed down
There's nobody there and so he becomes a cross country coach
But the truth is he becomes a cross country coach only reluctantly
He's only half in you know, I mean, he doesn't really know how to be a cross country coach. That wasn't his thing
He was a basketball coach, right?
And his son at one point in time says to him, you know dad, he said you make us run as punishment
Why would anybody on the basketball team ever want to come out and run cross country when running is just punishment for basketball players?
and
So he's only really like half in there are aspects of him still a basketball coach
Not really a cross country coach
But there's a moment in time when he's already a professing christian was a moment of time when he realizes
He's not really running for jesus. He's not really full in full full on full press for jesus, right?
That's a basketball team. It means getting after the ball from the moment. They bring it in bounds, right?
So he wasn't really full press for jesus
And so he starts to to coach his one runner his cross country team as if he truly is
Doing what he's supposed to do. He's doing it as if he's doing it for the lord rather than doing it like a side job
right
As long as there are other aspects in your life that are not about following jesus
You're always going to look like
Confusion and hypocrisy to the world they're going to come to you because they've heard the story
I was just we're going to talk about a little bit of the team leader being so I was printing off some maps
In my office before church today in preparation for the team leader being and these maps show where the podcast of new heights fellowship
Is being listened to all over the world?
right danny and I were editing podcasts on wednesday for the life station and and we pulled up the map of where the life station podcast
Is being listened to all over the world the encouragement calls that go out to 1500 households all over toledo and a few
Some people move to indiana and stuff so they're they're reaching out pretty far too, but then we turn that into a podcast
17 countries all over the world people listen to this podcast
And so literally somebody could walk up to you on the street while you're wearing your new heights t-shirt
While you're wearing your new heights t-shirt, please do that by the way while you're wearing your new heights t-shirt
You don't have one get one right and they might go hey. I know new heights fellowship
I listened to their podcast while I was in indonesia
And they might do that right after you're busy doing whatever you're doing that's got nothing to do with jesus
As long as there are aspects of your life that don't have anything to do with jesus
Somebody who's heard the story and comes from afar and comes and sits in our chairs next sunday
Might be expected to find people who are on fire for jesus and what they find is people playing video games on their cell phone
Or or whatever else anything else but being totally focused on jesus
And that's a problem
I'm gonna tell you the story about a family that chartered a plane to go on vacation
It's a six seater plane six people in their family
um
and uh
While they're flying along the pilot the co-pilot are up there in the cockpit everything's going fine
They come back and there's a little extra seating room in the in the back area there because they have
Four small children and a husband wife four small children
So the children are kind of crammed into an area plane on the floor stuff
There's extra seat at a certain moment in time the co-pilot gets up from the cockpit and on the way back to the
Seating area where the family is riding they think to the vacation of their lives, right?
He stops and he puts on his
Parachute and he comes back in the seating area and he sits next to the exit door
The co-pilot is sitting next to the exit door with his parachute on
And the mom says hey, what's uh going what's with the parachute what's going on?
Uh, you know, is everything okay? And he's like, oh, yeah the pilot's got it. Everything's fine
I just thought I would sit here next to the door with my parachute on just in case
Nothing's wrong
Nothing's gonna happen
He's good. I mean he's flown planes. It's a light. He's the he's the best pilot i've ever known
But i'm just wearing this parachute
Sitting here next to the door just in case and you can imagine what is the very next thing out of the dad's mouth
He says
Are there parachutes for us too as long as there are aspects of things that you're
Trusting following working with in your life that have nothing to do with jesus. It's like you have a way out
I'm good. I'm following jesus, but I want to make sure that i'm the one that's in control of my relationship
I want to make sure that i've got enough money in the bank in case things go a little awry
Oh, yeah, I trust jesus with everything but I still got to make sure that I have enough money
I still got to make sure that he or she does what I want them to do
I still got to behave in a way that doesn't have anything to do with jesus
And keep my parachute on sit next to the door and do things my way instead of jesus is what yeah
He's got it. It's gonna be fine the plane's going where it's going we're gonna get there
I'm gonna sail right through the pearly gates when the time comes
But i've got to keep my parachute on and sit next to the door as long as there are aspects
of your life that have nothing to do with jesus when jesus is
Potential people come to hear your story and what jesus has done in your life all they're going to see is your parachute
That's it
They want to be saved they want to know about jesus they want to know what it means to be a follower of jesus
They want to see a miracle worker and an overcomer, but all they see is a man or a woman with a parachute
And do you really trust the pilot if you're sitting next to the door with a parachute on?
When you do a thing that is not inextricably linked to jesus in other words everything you do should be so tied to jesus
That he would not be ashamed if he himself were putting his hand to it
And you do things that are
Easily separated from who jesus is
then jesus in you jesus in your life and what jesus has done loses
Undeniably see when they came they saw jesus and lazarus and lazarus was there
Lazarus didn't bring his old life with him he just said i'm here i was dead now i'm alive follow jesus
I'm here i was dead now i'm alive follow jesus he didn't say i'm here i was dead are you giving up
Follow jesus he didn't say i'm here i was dead are you giving today i'm here i was dead are you serving today
I'm here i was dead can i talk to you about cows i'm here i was dead can i talk to you about favorite sports star
I'm here i was dead can i talk to you about the video game i like to play he didn't do any of that
He said i'm here i was dead now i'm alive follow jesus
That was lazarus's life that's what it had become and people were coming
And who knows how far to hear about jesus wanting also to see lazarus and i'm telling you
That there are people in the world who want to be saved and they want to come to jesus
And they want to do it and see what jesus has done in you
And if all they see when they come to you are your collection of parachutes your things that you're holding back from jesus
Then don't be surprised
When they walk away
unsaved
Oh, but wait a minute
Because something goes terribly wrong right then
Something goes terribly terribly wrong right then
Because of that man sitting in that cockpit or sitting in that uh
What you call it rest area if you will of the plane the cabin of the plane
The copilot says no there there's only two parachutes
In the entire plane
And now the guys like the dad or the family's like
We rented the plane
We paid for the plane
This our plane because no it's a pilot's plane the copilot's plane. It's not your plane
I don't care if you rented us for the day or not still our plane cost 20 you didn't pay
$20,000 30,000 for this plane still our plane. Okay. No, but but we rented the plane if anybody's getting a parachute. It's us
We got the money. We paid the bills. We put the fuel in the tank
We get a parachute take the parachute off. No, i'm not taking the parachute off the pilot. I don't know why you get all upset
I don't understand why you're all getting worked up here. Why are you crying? Why is she crying? I understand why she's crying
I'm just I'm wearing a parachute just just in case it's just in case it's not for real
We're not crashing. There's no problem. The pilot's still at the if you look in there the pilot's wearing the other parachute
What the pilot's wearing the other parachute? Jesus is gonna be fine. You understand?
Well, you wear your parachute. You don't wear your parachute that doesn't change whether jeep where jesus winds up in yet. He's gonna be fine
So the pilots wearing the other parachute copilot's wearing a parachute if i'm that man, we got us a problem here right now
You take those parachutes off for one me and one of my wife
Let's find some rope strap the kids to us and the plane goes down. We're getting off
This is what happens. They look at you. They come wanting to see jesus
They wanted to see what jesus did in you and they can't
And now we have a problem
Because they still want a parachute if there is a hell they still want to not go to hell
So at best they accept jesus and begin to live like you do wearing a parachute
If that's your situation
Problem is
If you're wearing a parachute because you'll bail out of the jesus plane if it seems like you're wearing a parachute
That's not worth anything because sometimes the jesus plane does go places where you don't want to go
Do we not recall the stories of the new church standing in the coliseum
Praying and not even fighting back as the lions ripped them to shreds
And the
After nero claimed that it was their fault the christians fault that part of rome burned and all of rome begins to persecute christians and churches and churches have to meet underground
Do not understand that even today in many countries it is illegal to do what we are doing right now
But we are doing what we are doing right now
We are doing what we are doing right now
Today in many countries it is illegal to do what we are doing right now
Lazarus's story became a story in which jesus had acted
Lazarus didn't put on a parachute he gave his life completely over to the one who raised him from the dead
To keep your parachute on to keep aspects of your life to confuse the issue if you will is nothing but idolatry
If you have a lifeline in case this jesus thing doesn't pan out you are lost
If you have a lifeline in case the one man who was god in the flesh who died on the cross for your sins and rose again on the third day
Stayed to start the church and the church told you about jesus and you supposedly got saved you have a lifeline in case that doesn't work out
You think well I could walk out of the church and never come back again if new heights fellowship could cease to exist as a church and it wouldn't affect you
Are you are lost?
Are you not t saved and are you going to hell?
You are saved when you trust your whole life into the hands of jesus with no parachute
This is more than a story in which jesus had acted
Lazarus's very real life had become an allegory for the very real truth
That you must completely trust jesus with all that you are or perish without him
We're in our conclusion now as we talk about that an allegory is a story that has a hidden meaning
But the beauty of allegories is the meaning is not meant to stay hidden
Anyone looking
Can find it
Galatians chapter 3
Galatians chapter 3 if you want to flip there in your bibles we have two references left and then we'll be done for the day
Galatians chapter 3
It comes after the corinthians
They just didn't get as big a letter and that's how they wound up further back galatians 3
I'm going to read 26 to 28
And this is what it says follow along with me if you brought your bible
For you are all sons of god through faith in christ jesus for all of you were baptized into christ
Who were baptized into christ have clothed yourselves with christ
There is neither jew nor greek there is neither slave nor free man
There is neither male nor female for you are all one in christ jesus
You see if you accepted jesus christ as your lord and savior and were baptized
Indicating that you've put your old life behind you and now living for jesus then every time someone comes to you at your most
inconvenient moment
When you don't think anyone is looking when you're having your worst day your car just broke down your house falling apart
You're in pain your sorrow your relationship sucks your money's not there at your worst moment every time someone comes to you
When they come to you they should see jesus now. I understand. That's a high standard. You don't have to be perfect
It's not like that
They should see jesus even when you're screwing up that looks like oh
That probably wasn't the best witness I apologize I understand i'm i'm just a human following jesus
Please understand that i'm totally transformed from who I used to be
And I realized that what I just did
Probably wasn't the way to show you that but listen to me life is in jesus
Hell is where we wind up without him heaven is where we wind up with him when he is in us
So your witness is that you are a human your witness is that you are trying every moment of every day
To be the man or woman that jesus would have you to be because you're following him to the best of your ability
That is your witness not that you're perfect not that you get everything
Right, but that you have said I have no parachute
Romans 6 5 to 11 then and these are our last verses to the day
Say this
For if we have become united with him in the likeness of his death
Certainly, we shall also be in the likeness of his resurrection
Knowing this that our old self was crucified with him that our body of his body
With him that our body of sin might be done away with that. We should no longer be slaves to sin
for he
Who has died is freed from sin and who died by the way he died for us and that he died for us
All have died
Verse eight now if we have died with christ we believe that we shall also live with him
Knowing that christ having been raised from the dead is never to die again death no longer has master over him
For the death that he died he died to sin once and for all but the life that he lives he lives to god
Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin but alive to god in jesus christ
When I think of lazarus I think of a man
Who never should have had a death warrant issued for him
He didn't do anything
Jesus did everything
When I think of me
I think of a man who didn't do anything
Jesus did everything
How about you?