WEBVTT 00:00:03.680 --> 00:00:04.400 Well, amen. 00:00:04.879 --> 00:00:06.719 It is great to see everybody this morning. 00:00:06.879 --> 00:00:08.880 Good morning, Church at the Grove. 00:00:09.199 --> 00:00:12.160 It is great for you guys to be here. 00:00:12.320 --> 00:00:14.000 Thank you for being here. 00:00:14.160 --> 00:00:24.000 I'm uh whether you are here uh as a regular part of our church, um, or you might be here as a first-time guest or second-time guest. 00:00:24.160 --> 00:00:26.000 We we're excited that you're here. 00:00:26.160 --> 00:00:36.000 Hopefully, um, I always say this we we want to be uh a warm and friendly church, and we want you greeted um warmly when you come in. 00:00:36.079 --> 00:00:44.320 But I will tell you that once you come in, our prayer is that that you will experience an encounter with the Savior. 00:00:44.479 --> 00:00:51.520 It's not, you know, friendliness will not change eternity for you. 00:00:51.679 --> 00:00:56.560 Now, friendliness has impact on eternity. 00:00:56.799 --> 00:01:06.000 Because if if the Holy Spirit is working in us, then we are we are people with with the the fruit of the Spirit in our life. 00:01:06.159 --> 00:01:08.719 And so, um, but I want you to experience the Lord. 00:01:08.799 --> 00:01:12.719 And we come into a time right now, which is our our giving moment. 00:01:12.799 --> 00:01:19.200 It's our opportunity to give back to the Lord and and to celebrate how He has gifted all of us. 00:01:19.359 --> 00:01:22.799 And I want to celebrate some good news with you today. 00:01:22.959 --> 00:01:36.640 I want to give you a report, an update, a reveal, so to speak, um uh related to our Four Generations initiative, and we have received um uh tremendous response. 00:01:36.799 --> 00:01:45.200 I mean, the Lord has blessed in in uh significant ways, and um and and and this is this it's not over. 00:01:45.439 --> 00:01:52.640 It's far from over because this is a process, and and um uh but we've seen God already at work. 00:01:52.799 --> 00:02:15.680 I've seen God work in your hearts, I see it in the fruit of this initiative, and so we see how uh the Lord has worked in significant ways, and and it's it's a joy, it's a joy as your pastor to see how the Lord has stretched you as a church and stretched us as a church. 00:02:15.840 --> 00:02:20.159 And so um, as we step out in faith, I want to say I'm proud. 00:02:20.400 --> 00:02:36.159 I'm proud, and I know when I say proud, pride is not a good thing in the kingdom of God, but but but as a as a as a almost like a father is proud of a child, I am so proud um to be the pastor of Church of the Grove today. 00:02:36.400 --> 00:03:08.000 And so um one incredible number I want to celebrate is that that during the this initiative we saw uh we saw over 20 uh new, brand new first-time, never have have we seen a gift, a financial gift, over 20 first time givers, whether that's individuals or families, for the very first time engage financially with with our church. 00:03:08.080 --> 00:03:12.319 And I'm telling you that that's that that's that that is significant. 00:03:12.479 --> 00:03:16.639 That is significant, and I I expect that number uh to grow higher. 00:03:16.800 --> 00:03:18.960 And so can we celebrate that right now? 00:03:19.599 --> 00:03:20.479 Yes, yes. 00:03:20.639 --> 00:03:28.639 And so for those of you uh that that have given for the first time, it's so encouraging that that's a step, that's a discipleship step. 00:03:28.800 --> 00:03:30.560 That's not it's this is not about money. 00:03:30.719 --> 00:03:34.639 Have I told you that this that this initiative is not about a building? 00:03:34.879 --> 00:03:38.879 It's not just about a dollar, it's about a journey with Jesus. 00:03:39.120 --> 00:03:41.520 And so um and so we celebrate that. 00:03:41.680 --> 00:03:48.960 We've had significant engagement from the core of our church, and this this is a starting line. 00:03:49.120 --> 00:03:52.240 This isn't a finish line, this is a starting line. 00:03:52.560 --> 00:04:00.400 We have today seen just over$4.1 million pledged to church. 00:04:00.719 --> 00:04:01.439 Yes, yes. 00:04:01.680 --> 00:04:03.439 Hallelujah, hallelujah. 00:04:03.680 --> 00:04:08.639 And listen, we we expect that number to grow, we need that number to grow. 00:04:08.800 --> 00:04:24.000 Um, and so um, and we're still praying, we're we're still asking, we're still asking, and I know there's still there's some of you yet to to engage maybe with a commitment card or a number, and there's I know there's lots of reasons. 00:04:24.079 --> 00:04:44.079 Some of you are newer, you're you're newer, and you're you're you're you know, the Lord is still, you know, uh you're you're in the process of trying to determine is this where God wants us to plant long-term roots, and we understand that, and so there'll be new people that will continue to come over the next year and two years. 00:04:44.240 --> 00:04:52.240 And so we as we see us grow in discipleship, and so the the generosity of our church blows me away. 00:04:52.399 --> 00:04:55.680 And so God is continuing to work diligently. 00:04:55.839 --> 00:05:30.639 Um, and and we as a church, and when I say we, I'm talking about the whole church, but but we as leaders, the leadership of our church, um, we are working diligently to take what God has has done and and to diligently steward these resources and to monitor the scope and the price of this project and to make sure that we stay within a budget range that we feel like God um has put us in. 00:05:30.800 --> 00:05:45.600 And so the whole time, we're we're you know, we we start out with a goal and we start out with a plan, and sometimes you know we we've got to adjust that according to budgets, and and and so that's our leadership is in the process of doing that. 00:05:45.680 --> 00:05:52.319 But let me tell you one last thing that has absolutely blown my mind, and I hope will blow your mind. 00:05:52.560 --> 00:06:00.800 So last Sunday we had our big give, and I said, hey, we need to have our biggest offering in the history of our church. 00:06:00.959 --> 00:06:03.920 Let me let's you're you you're not gonna believe this. 00:06:05.199 --> 00:06:08.959 The Lord blessed us with$400,000. 00:06:10.560 --> 00:06:12.560 $400,000. 00:06:13.120 --> 00:06:13.680 Yeah. 00:06:15.040 --> 00:06:16.160 Praise the Lord. 00:06:16.399 --> 00:06:17.519 Hallelujah. 00:06:18.480 --> 00:06:19.600 Hallelujah. 00:06:19.839 --> 00:06:21.759 That is that is huge. 00:06:22.000 --> 00:06:22.800 You know why? 00:06:23.040 --> 00:06:24.959 Because that's real money. 00:06:27.040 --> 00:06:28.079 That's real. 00:06:28.319 --> 00:06:29.759 That's real money. 00:06:31.199 --> 00:06:37.920 And so uh that that is I'm I that that was that has been overwhelming for me this week. 00:06:38.240 --> 00:06:39.360 Overwhelming. 00:06:39.680 --> 00:06:45.439 And so because you know, let me let me tell you one other thing that you you you may or may not know. 00:06:45.680 --> 00:06:55.759 Our elders know, people that are that are uh, you know, we have a financial team and and and other leaders that that get our monthly financial reports. 00:06:56.319 --> 00:06:59.759 But part of those reports we show how much cash we have on hand. 00:06:59.839 --> 00:07:12.800 There's there's and and so because just because God has been good, you have been faithful, and and you have God has provided, I feel maybe I feel like our church has been obedient with stewardship. 00:07:13.040 --> 00:07:28.000 So we we've already before uh before we came into this this uh initiative, we we have just saved over time 300, a little over$350,000 cash that we had on hand. 00:07:28.480 --> 00:07:34.800 So$400 plus$350,000 plus you know a little bit extra. 00:07:41.680 --> 00:07:43.199 That's a whole lot. 00:07:46.879 --> 00:07:50.160 And so uh you know why? 00:07:50.399 --> 00:07:52.160 Because that and that you know why that's important? 00:07:52.399 --> 00:07:53.839 Because that's real money. 00:07:54.160 --> 00:07:58.319 That's and and that that's that's that is I I I'm overwhelmed. 00:07:58.399 --> 00:08:00.319 I don't even know if I can teach. 00:08:01.600 --> 00:08:02.879 But I'm going to. 00:08:05.199 --> 00:08:08.399 Um I'm gonna set my timer here. 00:08:09.680 --> 00:08:11.360 And you know what that means? 00:08:12.000 --> 00:08:13.600 Absolutely nothing. 00:08:18.000 --> 00:08:21.279 Um all right, we're in this journey. 00:08:21.920 --> 00:08:27.839 By the way, if you want to give today, you can give online. 00:08:28.240 --> 00:08:32.799 You can give uh in if you give check or cash in the box out front. 00:08:32.960 --> 00:08:37.360 And I'm telling you, it it's it's such a blessing to give. 00:08:37.440 --> 00:08:40.639 And some of the I this I see smiles on your faces. 00:08:40.879 --> 00:08:42.240 This isn't about money. 00:08:42.399 --> 00:08:57.759 It's not about money, it's it's it's about heart, and it's about it's about obedience, and it's about God's goodness, and and uh um, and so uh God, God's gonna do something amazing. 00:08:58.000 --> 00:09:03.039 He already has in the last 17 years, but you know, we say it all the time, and we I mean it. 00:09:03.200 --> 00:09:04.480 The best is yet to come. 00:09:04.799 --> 00:09:05.440 Amen. 00:09:06.559 --> 00:09:13.200 And so um, and so all right, we're in John chapter 11. 00:09:13.360 --> 00:09:16.080 You got your Bibles, you want to open up and follow along. 00:09:16.320 --> 00:09:17.840 John chapter 11. 00:09:18.000 --> 00:09:23.679 Um, I'm gonna teach through this story, and I I am I I am you know setting my timer. 00:09:23.840 --> 00:09:27.200 I may not get through the whole story, but that's not my goal. 00:09:27.360 --> 00:09:33.360 My goal is is I I told Hannah, uh I said my goal is to follow the Holy Spirit. 00:09:33.440 --> 00:09:41.679 And so I may camp out, I may stop in a particular area in the passage and just and just really camp out if the Holy Spirit leads. 00:09:41.840 --> 00:09:44.320 And but I am going to be sensitive to the time. 00:09:44.480 --> 00:09:47.200 I I that's uh being being serious. 00:09:47.279 --> 00:10:00.320 So um, and so the older the older I get, the more I hurt. 00:10:02.720 --> 00:10:06.799 The older I get, the more pain that I have. 00:10:12.960 --> 00:10:17.600 I mean literally, physically, I it just aches and pains. 00:10:18.639 --> 00:10:32.799 Um and so time goes by and and and before you know it, you're you're fifty something, almost sixty years old. 00:10:33.279 --> 00:10:34.960 And where is where is it gone? 00:10:35.200 --> 00:10:36.240 Where is it gone? 00:10:36.559 --> 00:10:38.080 Time is a thief. 00:10:38.720 --> 00:10:51.519 Time is a thief, and you'll wake up and your kids will be graduated and they'll be moved on in their life, and and time is a thief. 00:10:52.000 --> 00:11:11.279 And so we we the one thing that is apparent over time is is there is there's pain, and and and there's pain that comes from just being uh you know a little bit older, and you have you know joints and and physical ailments, but then there's pain that comes from just life. 00:11:11.519 --> 00:11:13.759 There's pain that comes from life. 00:11:14.080 --> 00:11:21.039 And so um one thing that is apparent is is is that that pain is observant. 00:11:21.279 --> 00:11:24.320 I mean, we look at our world, we look at all of our world. 00:11:24.399 --> 00:12:08.879 I mean, let's just take a let's take just a second, and this isn't this is not exhaustive at all, but but Israel, Gaza, Ukraine, Haiti, Dominican now, and that and that's close to home because we we are we have a church plant we support in Haiti, and we have a pastor, and he he he hasn't been able to go to back to his home in years now because of the turmoil in in Haiti, and now that's spilling over into the Dominican, where we have also partnered with the uh two more church plants. 00:12:09.120 --> 00:12:13.759 And and so we we could also continue around the world. 00:12:13.919 --> 00:12:19.759 We could talk about um relationships in our in our church family. 00:12:19.919 --> 00:12:24.000 I've been I've been to three funerals the last three Saturdays. 00:12:24.399 --> 00:12:30.000 I've been to a funeral each Saturday of the past three Saturdays. 00:12:30.240 --> 00:12:35.200 And so pain and death is evident all around us. 00:12:35.679 --> 00:12:49.840 We either have experienced it or are experiencing a depth of pain ourselves, or we know somebody and have a friend or a family member who's experiencing pain. 00:12:50.720 --> 00:12:55.360 And and and it is it is sometimes it's just overwhelmed. 00:12:56.159 --> 00:12:58.399 It's absolutely overwhelming. 00:12:58.480 --> 00:13:27.600 And so pain is a part of life, and because it is a natural part uh of life doesn't mean that it it is something that is easy or that we get used to, but but but uh what I'm what I want to get to is I don't want you to walk away or to hide or to cover up or to mask or or to um hide uh the pain. 00:13:27.679 --> 00:13:30.879 I don't we I don't want you to self-medicate. 00:13:32.720 --> 00:13:43.519 Sometimes we've got to be willing to embrace and to walk in the pain and just and be raw with the pain. 00:13:44.000 --> 00:13:47.759 Some false teachers teach a false gospel. 00:13:48.159 --> 00:13:53.200 If you love God enough, you won't have to deal with pain and hurt. 00:13:53.440 --> 00:14:05.200 As a matter of fact, you'll be blessed so much that you'll have, you'll you'll be able to drive certain types of cars or live in certain types of houses, and that is a false gospel. 00:14:05.600 --> 00:14:12.960 The true gospel of the word of God is that pain is a reality of life. 00:14:13.120 --> 00:14:24.960 Now we it doesn't mean that we can't experience the victory that Jesus provides in spite of the pain. 00:14:25.279 --> 00:14:35.679 And so we're on this series, we're we we're in this series the way to victory, and we're in a sense we're headed to Easter, right? 00:14:35.759 --> 00:14:56.000 We're we're a couple of weeks from Easter, and so last week we took uh a look at how this man was blind and Jesus healed him, and and and they they they got into this big debate, and and Jesus, you know, the question was, who sinned his his himself? 00:14:56.159 --> 00:14:58.639 Was it the man himself or was it his parents? 00:14:58.799 --> 00:15:03.360 And Jesus says, it's not whether or not somebody sinned. 00:15:03.519 --> 00:15:13.759 This this is something that he has been inflicted with that will put the glory of God on display. 00:15:14.240 --> 00:15:15.440 You hear me? 00:15:15.919 --> 00:15:21.919 And so sometimes we go through pain and we go through difficulties. 00:15:22.320 --> 00:15:30.240 Um and so we we we don't listen, the psalmist says we walk through the valley of the shadow of death. 00:15:30.399 --> 00:15:41.600 Don't, but don't camp out there, don't pitch a tent when you walk through the valley of the shadow of death, because we don't stay there. 00:15:41.840 --> 00:15:50.480 We know that if we keep going, if we keep traveling, we'll at some point we'll get a high point, maybe even a mountaintop. 00:15:50.720 --> 00:15:53.759 And from the mountaintop, you have a different perspective. 00:15:54.000 --> 00:15:54.639 Amen? 00:15:55.360 --> 00:16:01.039 And so this I started out kind of depressing, uh except for the money part. 00:16:01.200 --> 00:16:22.480 It's been it's it it feels, but I'm telling you, you over and over in the New Testament, we read that pain is a means, not an obstacle, to deepening our Christian maturity and fully experiencing the life that Jesus wants us to have. 00:16:23.200 --> 00:16:38.720 Dane Ortland says this, and if you can get the hold of something that Dane Orton has written, a couple of books, um, Gentle and Lowly and Deeper are two books. 00:16:38.879 --> 00:16:40.960 And he is he's alive. 00:16:41.120 --> 00:16:50.320 You know, I always tell people, I tell young pastors, you know, you gotta read something, you've got to constantly have in your library or what you're reading. 00:16:51.039 --> 00:16:58.480 If you're gonna read something from a pastor that's living, that's great, but on occasion, you've got to read something from somebody that's dead. 00:16:58.720 --> 00:17:09.039 And and that's where sometimes the depth is there with somebody that but he Dane Ortland is a pastor of our generation, and and the Lord is using him greatly. 00:17:09.279 --> 00:17:13.920 Here's what he says: he says, pain will foster growth like nothing else can. 00:17:14.319 --> 00:17:19.119 If we listen, if we will let it, if we will let it. 00:17:19.359 --> 00:17:26.880 And so last week we talked about the way to victory, and the way to victory is to is to is through humility. 00:17:27.359 --> 00:17:35.839 What was the what was what was the competing uh virtue or competing attitude of the of the religious leaders? 00:17:36.000 --> 00:17:37.119 It was pride. 00:17:37.359 --> 00:17:42.079 It's pride, it was religious leaders that were in opposition to Jesus. 00:17:42.319 --> 00:17:47.039 And the competing attitude is pride. 00:17:47.440 --> 00:17:58.000 And so last week, hopefully, um as God removes the scales from our eyes, we're able to see the Lord more clearly. 00:17:58.160 --> 00:18:02.240 Open the eyes of my heart, Lord, that I may see you. 00:18:02.880 --> 00:18:05.839 Holy, holy, holy is the Lord. 00:18:06.000 --> 00:18:06.880 That's the response. 00:18:06.960 --> 00:18:07.839 That's what we sang. 00:18:08.079 --> 00:18:09.200 Sang it this morning. 00:18:09.359 --> 00:18:18.000 And so we slow down long enough to really breathe in the moments that we have. 00:18:20.000 --> 00:18:21.440 And let God work. 00:18:21.839 --> 00:18:26.640 The big idea for today is this spiritual life is born out of death. 00:18:27.200 --> 00:18:29.920 Spiritual life is born out of death. 00:18:30.079 --> 00:18:32.160 That is so contrary. 00:18:32.400 --> 00:18:44.720 But you want the Holy Spirit to work in your life, then then you sometimes have to experience the depth of death. 00:18:46.240 --> 00:18:49.279 And it might be literally, it might be figuratively. 00:18:49.759 --> 00:18:52.160 Spiritual life is born out of death. 00:18:52.559 --> 00:18:54.640 So can I just pray for us, Father? 00:18:54.880 --> 00:18:56.400 God, speak to us. 00:18:56.720 --> 00:18:59.200 God, use this remaining time. 00:19:00.480 --> 00:19:12.000 We may not get through all of this passage, but use the remaining time that we have, God, to speak to us and to bring us to the reality of seeing you clearly. 00:19:12.319 --> 00:19:15.119 As we talked about last week, open our eyes. 00:19:15.279 --> 00:19:24.720 Well, today, Lord, help us, help us to understand that we don't run away from hurt and pain and death. 00:19:24.960 --> 00:19:38.799 Sometimes we need to lean into it, knowing that what you want to produce in us, Lord, will come through, through that experience. 00:19:39.519 --> 00:19:50.000 But glory to Jesus for the life that comes and is promised as a result of his resurrection. 00:19:50.720 --> 00:19:51.440 We thank you. 00:19:51.759 --> 00:19:56.960 Give us, give us, give us a glimpse into the life that comes. 00:20:01.039 --> 00:20:03.680 The spiritual life that comes through death. 00:20:04.000 --> 00:20:05.440 It's in Christ's name we pray. 00:20:05.680 --> 00:20:06.319 Amen. 00:20:06.640 --> 00:20:15.599 And so Jesus continuing his ministry, and here's what we see John 11, verse 1. 00:20:15.839 --> 00:20:17.920 A man named Lazarus was sick. 00:20:18.079 --> 00:20:24.000 He lived in Bethi with his sisters, Mary and Martha, just a little bit outside of Jerusalem. 00:20:24.160 --> 00:20:27.519 And Jesus knew this family intimately. 00:20:27.599 --> 00:20:28.880 He was close to them. 00:20:29.039 --> 00:20:32.160 And Lazarus was a very close friend. 00:20:34.000 --> 00:20:37.359 And so we know of Mary and Martha. 00:20:37.519 --> 00:20:40.799 We know we we hear, we're familiar with their story, right? 00:20:41.039 --> 00:20:46.960 Mary, um uh uh Martha's busy, a busybody. 00:20:47.119 --> 00:20:53.680 Mary, Mary wants to sit at the feet of Jesus, and Lazarus is a friend of Jesus. 00:20:53.839 --> 00:20:58.799 He's part of their family, and so we we see that in verse 2. 00:20:58.880 --> 00:21:05.440 It says, this is the Mary who later poured the expensive perfume on the Lord's feet and wiped them with her hair. 00:21:05.680 --> 00:21:08.640 Her brother Lazarus was sick. 00:21:09.039 --> 00:21:17.599 And so John wants us to make sure that we know who they are, the context, um, and the relationships that are taking place. 00:21:17.759 --> 00:21:25.440 And in verse 3, so the two sisters sent a message to Jesus telling him, Lord, your dear friend is very sick. 00:21:25.599 --> 00:21:32.319 But when Jesus heard about it, he said, Lazarus' sickness will not end in death. 00:21:33.440 --> 00:21:35.119 No, it happened. 00:21:35.680 --> 00:21:41.759 He says, No, it happened for the glory of God, so that the Son of God will receive glory from this. 00:21:41.920 --> 00:21:45.519 And I want you to I want you to see a familiar theme here. 00:21:46.400 --> 00:21:51.359 So last week, it's a man who was born blind. 00:21:52.640 --> 00:21:56.720 The conversation is about is is it is it his sin or his parents' sin? 00:21:56.880 --> 00:21:59.839 And Jesus said, it's not their sin at the end. 00:22:00.240 --> 00:22:07.680 Not his sin, it is but for the purpose of the glory of God that this has taken place. 00:22:08.160 --> 00:22:17.759 You see a familiar theme here, but when Jesus heard about it, he said, Lazarus' sickness will not end in death. 00:22:18.000 --> 00:22:25.680 No, no, it happened for the glory of God, so that the Son of God will receive glory from this. 00:22:25.920 --> 00:22:33.279 So although Jesus loved Martha, Mary, and Lazarus, he stayed where he was for the next two days. 00:22:33.440 --> 00:22:36.880 Finally, he said to his disciples, let's go back to Judea. 00:22:37.119 --> 00:22:43.440 I love this because it shows us that Jesus is sovereign and in control. 00:22:44.079 --> 00:22:55.359 He knows, regardless of what he's been told, that he's got control of the circumstances so much so that he stays where he is for two more days. 00:22:57.039 --> 00:22:59.279 And so we're quick. 00:22:59.839 --> 00:23:05.200 In my mind, man, somebody, somebody's sick and dying, let's let's rush. 00:23:05.359 --> 00:23:06.720 Let's get to them. 00:23:07.039 --> 00:23:10.799 Jesus hangs out where he is for two days. 00:23:11.119 --> 00:23:12.559 He hears about the news. 00:23:12.720 --> 00:23:17.759 He's um when you hear somebody sick, you tend to want to rush. 00:23:17.920 --> 00:23:19.680 You want to, you wanna you want to show up. 00:23:19.839 --> 00:23:20.880 Somebody's passed away. 00:23:20.960 --> 00:23:22.000 Let's let's get to them. 00:23:22.160 --> 00:23:23.279 Let's let's get to them. 00:23:23.440 --> 00:23:24.880 Or somebody's close to death. 00:23:25.039 --> 00:23:26.640 Let's get, let's get there. 00:23:26.960 --> 00:23:29.279 But but his disciples objected. 00:23:29.440 --> 00:23:35.039 Verse 8, Rabbi, they said only a few days ago the people in Judea were trying to stone you. 00:23:36.079 --> 00:23:38.000 Are you going there again? 00:23:38.319 --> 00:23:41.759 And so Jesus is about to take off. 00:23:41.920 --> 00:23:46.319 And Jesus replied, There are 12 hours of daylight every day. 00:23:46.559 --> 00:23:48.960 During the day, people can walk safely. 00:23:49.119 --> 00:23:52.160 They can see because they have the light of this world. 00:23:52.319 --> 00:23:55.920 But at night there is danger of stumbling because they have no light. 00:23:56.079 --> 00:24:02.319 And then he said, Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep, but now I will go and wake him up. 00:24:04.000 --> 00:24:05.759 Now, I love that. 00:24:07.359 --> 00:24:10.640 Because Jesus has an eternal perspective. 00:24:12.960 --> 00:24:15.680 Listen, he lives on another plane. 00:24:16.319 --> 00:24:20.960 He lives in another world. 00:24:21.440 --> 00:24:22.400 Do you see it? 00:24:22.799 --> 00:24:24.640 I mean, it's just automatic for him. 00:24:25.200 --> 00:24:26.319 And we struggle. 00:24:26.559 --> 00:24:27.279 We struggle. 00:24:27.359 --> 00:24:29.440 We can't get out of this world. 00:24:30.799 --> 00:24:32.400 We can't think eternally. 00:24:32.799 --> 00:24:34.240 It's all about right now. 00:24:36.559 --> 00:24:38.000 We gotta think eternally. 00:24:38.799 --> 00:24:40.319 We've got to step out. 00:24:40.559 --> 00:24:46.960 Kingdom, God, oh God, would you bring your kingdom and let it be reality in my life? 00:24:47.359 --> 00:24:50.960 Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 00:24:51.119 --> 00:24:53.359 Give me a kingdom perspective. 00:24:53.680 --> 00:24:54.000 God? 00:24:56.000 --> 00:25:03.920 And so the disciples said, Lord, if he is sleeping, he will soon get better. 00:25:04.799 --> 00:25:06.720 Like, we know he's not sleeping. 00:25:06.960 --> 00:25:12.319 They thought Jesus meant Lazarus was simply sleeping, but Jesus meant Lazarus had died. 00:25:12.559 --> 00:25:16.000 So Jesus has a different perspective of death. 00:25:16.240 --> 00:25:19.839 So he told them plainly, Lazarus is dead. 00:25:20.160 --> 00:25:21.759 So he's okay. 00:25:21.920 --> 00:25:24.079 Lazarus is dead. 00:25:24.799 --> 00:25:27.680 In the sense of this world, he's dead. 00:25:27.839 --> 00:25:30.400 But let me tell you, here, you need to hear this. 00:25:30.640 --> 00:25:33.119 Spiritual life comes out of death. 00:25:33.839 --> 00:25:36.319 Spiritual life comes out of death. 00:25:37.359 --> 00:25:42.079 There's a scripture, I can't recall the place, the reference. 00:25:42.319 --> 00:25:49.119 It says, unless a seed falls into the ground and dies, it will not sprout life. 00:25:49.279 --> 00:25:55.039 Unless the seed falls into the ground, the kernel falls into the ground and dies, it cannot. 00:25:55.200 --> 00:25:58.240 I mean, this we're we're about to we're entering into spring. 00:25:58.480 --> 00:25:58.799 I don't know. 00:25:59.039 --> 00:26:01.440 Has anybody planted a garden yet or is it too early? 00:26:02.400 --> 00:26:05.119 Oh, a couple people, y'all, some of y'all planted some stuff. 00:26:05.519 --> 00:26:07.279 Has anything come out of the ground yet? 00:26:07.599 --> 00:26:16.960 So you're starting to see the reality of something dying, and then life comes from that something being dead and buried. 00:26:17.119 --> 00:26:22.480 And so Jesus is wants everybody to know that he's Lazarus is dead. 00:26:22.640 --> 00:26:23.759 Verse 14. 00:26:24.240 --> 00:26:31.519 So he told him plainly, Lazarus is dead, and for your sakes, I'm glad I wasn't there, for now you will really believe. 00:26:31.680 --> 00:26:32.880 Come, let's go to him. 00:26:33.519 --> 00:26:37.839 You're gonna you're about to you're about to see something, you're about to experience something. 00:26:38.079 --> 00:26:38.799 Let's go. 00:26:39.039 --> 00:26:40.000 Let's go. 00:26:40.960 --> 00:26:47.200 In verse 16, Thomas, here's Thomas. 00:26:48.079 --> 00:26:49.759 He's always positive. 00:26:51.119 --> 00:26:53.359 No, he's he's not. 00:26:53.519 --> 00:26:56.559 Do y'all do anybody have a Thomas in your life? 00:26:57.200 --> 00:26:58.640 Oh, Russ. 00:26:59.119 --> 00:27:01.440 We'll never raise that much money. 00:27:01.680 --> 00:27:03.359 We'll never, we'll never, it'll do. 00:27:03.440 --> 00:27:13.119 We'll never, I mean, you know, you you got you got somebody that's gonna pour cold water on anything that's good. 00:27:14.079 --> 00:27:19.440 And so, we but we, you know, I think sometimes we all need a Thomas in our life. 00:27:19.680 --> 00:27:26.640 Um, but Thomas, nicknamed the twin, said to his fellow disciples, let's go to and die with Jesus. 00:27:26.799 --> 00:27:28.799 What a positive attitude, right? 00:27:29.359 --> 00:27:31.680 I mean, let's go to and die with Jesus. 00:27:31.839 --> 00:27:36.000 I mean, this is, he is seriously being a Debbie Downer here. 00:27:36.319 --> 00:27:38.240 Let's go to and die with Jesus. 00:27:38.400 --> 00:27:40.880 So lots of death already in the story. 00:27:41.119 --> 00:27:51.759 Lazarus has died, there's threats of death on Jesus' life, and the disciples, they feel like if they go with him, that their their physical being will be um uh in danger. 00:27:51.920 --> 00:27:54.960 And so, but here's here, listen, let me tell you something. 00:27:55.279 --> 00:27:58.720 God works, the Lord works through death. 00:27:59.440 --> 00:28:07.119 The Lord works, he promises this, he promises this, he promises it. 00:28:08.079 --> 00:28:10.079 The Lord works through death. 00:28:10.240 --> 00:28:16.160 Sometimes it is a it's the physical death, it is somebody that has passed away. 00:28:16.559 --> 00:28:20.640 And so I've I've I've experienced that that loss. 00:28:21.680 --> 00:28:29.039 So at night in 92, my the uh my mother, bless my mother's heart, she had a rough decade. 00:28:29.599 --> 00:28:37.920 So 92, my my brother Eddie passed away at the age of 34 in May, and August, her oldest brother died. 00:28:38.799 --> 00:28:52.000 And so then then in '95, my grandmother, her mother, passed away, and then '97, my father passed away. 00:28:53.119 --> 00:28:56.720 Death, death, death, death. 00:29:03.279 --> 00:29:04.640 Rick Warren says this. 00:29:04.720 --> 00:29:07.519 He says, God has a purpose behind every problem. 00:29:08.640 --> 00:29:12.079 He uses circumstances to develop our character. 00:29:12.640 --> 00:29:20.240 In fact, he depends more on circumstances to make us like Jesus than he depends on our reading the Bible. 00:29:20.960 --> 00:29:27.200 Now, I think one reason Pastor Warren said this is not to make light of the fact that the Bible changes our life. 00:29:27.359 --> 00:29:31.440 He just knows that we as humans don't read it like we should. 00:29:35.680 --> 00:29:39.920 And so a lot of death talk here. 00:29:40.000 --> 00:29:42.240 Let me give you, let me give you just a little kernel. 00:29:42.319 --> 00:29:44.000 I wasn't planning on this. 00:29:44.559 --> 00:29:45.920 Wasn't planning on this one. 00:29:46.079 --> 00:30:03.519 So, so my brother Eddie dies on a Monday, Monday night, goes, goes to work on Monday, comes home, goes out to eat with some friends, goes to bed. 00:30:04.640 --> 00:30:08.160 Somewhere in the middle of the night, he has a massive asthma attack. 00:30:11.519 --> 00:30:14.720 And this is 92. 00:30:17.839 --> 00:30:28.079 And I, at this time, the my two older brothers, Eddie and my brother Butch and myself, we're all we're all three of us are believers. 00:30:29.519 --> 00:30:32.960 God is God used them two to bring me to Christ. 00:30:34.160 --> 00:30:36.480 We've all witnessed to my father. 00:30:37.359 --> 00:30:38.559 We've all talked to him. 00:30:38.720 --> 00:30:40.960 He and he would put us off. 00:30:41.039 --> 00:30:45.039 Sometimes he would put us off gently, and other times he would put us off. 00:30:45.200 --> 00:30:47.519 Like, get out of my face, leave me alone. 00:30:47.680 --> 00:30:49.119 I don't want to hear about it. 00:30:50.559 --> 00:30:52.079 I'll deal with that. 00:30:55.200 --> 00:31:07.920 And so after Eddie passed away, my dad, who had already been a drinker and alcoholic, took a, I mean, he he he he went off the cliff. 00:31:10.799 --> 00:31:17.200 I could tell you in more detail, but I'm telling you, it was just bad. 00:31:17.440 --> 00:31:18.720 It was bad. 00:31:20.480 --> 00:31:21.759 It was bad. 00:31:28.319 --> 00:31:31.119 My dad's health began to fail worse. 00:31:32.720 --> 00:31:37.759 My dad had an old friend that he had been rowdy with in high school in the 1950s. 00:31:37.839 --> 00:31:40.640 My dad went to high school at Southwest Cab High School. 00:31:40.880 --> 00:31:44.000 And one of his classmates was a guy named Ralph Easterwood. 00:31:44.960 --> 00:31:51.359 And so Ralph stepped into heaven, stepped into glory during COVID. 00:31:51.920 --> 00:32:02.799 Ralph ended up pastoring a church that has become one of the great churches of Metro Atlanta called Glenn Haven Baptist Church down in McDonough, Georgia. 00:32:03.519 --> 00:32:06.160 And so this time Ralph is a believer. 00:32:06.319 --> 00:32:07.519 He's a pastor. 00:32:07.759 --> 00:32:10.079 And so he he cares, he loves my daddy. 00:32:10.799 --> 00:32:13.759 So he starts coming by just to talk to my dad regularly. 00:32:13.920 --> 00:32:18.480 He cares about my dad because my dad has experienced the loss of a child. 00:32:18.559 --> 00:32:21.920 And I'm telling you, there's not I I don't know. 00:32:22.160 --> 00:32:24.400 I can tell you what that experience is like. 00:32:24.799 --> 00:32:29.119 But I can tell you that that's not the order that God intended it to be. 00:32:30.079 --> 00:32:36.319 And so I can tell you what it's like to watch your parents grieve the loss of a child. 00:32:36.960 --> 00:32:38.880 Adult, whatever age. 00:32:39.119 --> 00:32:40.480 It's awful. 00:32:41.920 --> 00:32:48.799 And so Ralph just started, he started just showing care to my dad. 00:32:51.200 --> 00:33:02.559 And so probably 94-ish, they were walking our property down in Henry County. 00:33:04.720 --> 00:33:12.480 And my and and Ralph said, Buddy, that's what everybody, my dad was known as Buddy. 00:33:14.319 --> 00:33:24.160 Buddy, is there any reason we just can't take care of this, your salvation, right now in this barn. 00:33:24.400 --> 00:33:27.759 They were in our barn below our house. 00:33:29.039 --> 00:33:31.440 And my dad said, no, there's no reason. 00:33:31.599 --> 00:33:32.960 And they knelt right there. 00:33:33.039 --> 00:33:35.839 And my dad put his faith in Jesus Christ. 00:33:39.039 --> 00:33:44.160 Spiritual life is born out of death. 00:33:45.039 --> 00:33:48.319 Unless a colonel falls into the ground. 00:33:50.000 --> 00:33:51.200 You hear me? 00:33:56.319 --> 00:33:58.720 And so circumstances. 00:34:00.400 --> 00:34:01.519 Circumstances. 00:34:01.759 --> 00:34:03.519 God is in the business. 00:34:05.279 --> 00:34:10.079 And he wants to save souls, but he doesn't just want to save your soul. 00:34:10.239 --> 00:34:12.000 He wants to sanctify you. 00:34:12.159 --> 00:34:13.920 What does sanctify mean? 00:34:14.239 --> 00:34:22.480 Sanctification is the process of us becoming more and more like Jesus in our character. 00:34:24.880 --> 00:34:40.000 And so sometimes these circumstances, death, sometimes a death, a physical death, or it can be the death of a dream. 00:34:41.280 --> 00:34:43.199 The death of a dream. 00:34:45.199 --> 00:34:50.159 One of the gifts in my life was serving under a pastor named Ike Rikert. 00:34:51.360 --> 00:34:54.320 If you don't know who Ike Riker is, look him up. 00:34:55.039 --> 00:34:57.119 But I learned so much from that man. 00:34:57.360 --> 00:35:00.960 He understands the significance of death. 00:35:02.400 --> 00:35:08.719 And so he pastored one of the great churches in Metro Atlanta, New Hope Baptist Church, down in Fayetteville. 00:35:09.039 --> 00:35:20.639 He was pastoring that church, and he used to tell, he used to tell us when I was at North Star Church and I was a youth pastor, he would say, Don't, he said, don't you dare let me catch you being the last one at the office. 00:35:21.840 --> 00:35:24.559 And I was like, man, I'm trying to work hard. 00:35:24.639 --> 00:35:26.880 I'm trying to, you know, develop a work ethic. 00:35:26.960 --> 00:35:28.719 I mean, I'm supposed to be caught. 00:35:28.880 --> 00:35:30.960 I'm supposed to be caught as the last one at the office. 00:35:31.039 --> 00:35:34.880 He said, Russ, I'm telling you, time will is a thief. 00:35:36.880 --> 00:35:40.320 And he said, and and and so Ike Ike knew this. 00:35:40.559 --> 00:35:42.079 He understood this. 00:35:42.559 --> 00:35:51.119 He had been married while he was down in Fayette County to his wife, and they wanted to have a child, and they couldn't conceive. 00:35:52.000 --> 00:35:55.199 And so they ended up adopting. 00:35:55.360 --> 00:35:57.840 And then his wife gets pregnant. 00:35:58.800 --> 00:36:05.440 And so they're in the hospital, in the delivery room, where something goes haywire. 00:36:06.320 --> 00:36:07.760 Something goes haywire. 00:36:07.840 --> 00:36:08.639 It's one of those things. 00:36:08.960 --> 00:36:15.280 It's got a name for it, and I can't remember it, but it's one in a million type occurrences. 00:36:15.440 --> 00:36:22.000 And they turn to Ike in the labor and delivery room and they ask him a question. 00:36:22.800 --> 00:36:26.639 Do you want us to save your wife or your child? 00:36:30.320 --> 00:36:31.360 I mean, can you? 00:36:31.440 --> 00:36:34.960 I mean, and like we need an answer immediately. 00:36:35.280 --> 00:36:36.719 He said, save my wife. 00:36:36.880 --> 00:36:39.199 We can we can try to have more children. 00:36:39.920 --> 00:36:41.679 Both passed away. 00:36:43.679 --> 00:36:44.320 Both. 00:36:45.039 --> 00:36:46.800 Both passed away. 00:36:48.000 --> 00:36:54.559 And so Ike, now, Ike is is he's one of the most influential. 00:36:54.719 --> 00:36:56.559 He is a natural leader. 00:36:56.880 --> 00:37:01.280 Right now, he's pastoring a church called Piedmont Church over in Marietta. 00:37:01.440 --> 00:37:06.000 Um, he helped plant North, he was the lead planter at North Star Church. 00:37:06.239 --> 00:37:13.039 He also is the CEO of Must Ministries over in Cobb County, um, that really impacts the whole city of Atlanta. 00:37:13.199 --> 00:37:17.679 But but Ike used to talk about the death of a dream, the death of a dream. 00:37:17.760 --> 00:37:20.880 And he he'd say, you know, and he t he tells the story. 00:37:21.119 --> 00:37:24.320 He's written a book called Treasures in the Dark. 00:37:24.480 --> 00:37:27.199 And he tells, he says, listen, I tell you that story. 00:37:27.280 --> 00:37:28.639 I don't want you to be sad. 00:37:28.880 --> 00:37:38.480 He said, because God, I would have never met Robin, who is his current wife, and we would have uh never had Abigail, which is their biological daughter. 00:37:38.559 --> 00:37:40.159