Sovereign Grace Baptist Church

November 6, 2011

SOVEREIGN GRACE BAPTIST CHURCH

LOCATION

Rocky Hill Firehouse, 2^nd Floor

150 Washington Street

Rocky Hill, New Jersey, 08553

Telephone: 615-513-4464

Schedule of Services

Sunday 10 AM Bible Class

Sunday 11 AM Morning Service

Thursday 7 PM Midweek Service

• Brother Scott Keller will bring the message to you this morning.  I am preaching in San Diego this weekend. 

• Next Sunday, November 13, we have our regular scheduled services, will observe the Lord’s Table, then have a lunch together after the service.    

• Be in prayer that the Lord might make known to us the building the Lord has ordained for us.

November Birthdays

Elizabeth Klaman—7th; Kevin DeRitter—8th; Rachael DArmiento—9th; Scott Keller—9th; Abigail Lutter—23rd; William Keller—23rd; Robert Keller—29th

BELIEVE ON CHRIST
John 11: 1-44

We experience great sorrow over sick loved ones or loved ones who die.  We experience great sorrow over our loved ones who are yet dead in their sins.  Death and sorrow is the result of sin due to the fall.  Martha and Mary sent word to the Lord Jesus that Lazarus, their brother, was sick (Jn 11: 1-3.)  But the Lord does not go to their aid immediately.  Why?   Two reasons: for his glory and because he loved them (Jn 11: 4-6.)  In the face of sorrow, remember, everything God is doing in this world is to bring glory to his Son.  And because he loves his own he will see to it that all his children rest believing in Christ Jesus the Son of God. 

Some may say—“we know this.  Why are you telling us this again?  Because just as Lazarus had grave clothes that needed removing, you and I who have been called by Christ, yet have many grave clothes: grave clothes that only Christ can remove, grave clothes that will only be removed at the Voice of the Eternal Word, Christ Jesus. In his Wisdom, for his glory for his love for his own, God waits for his time that all his own may know and trust him that we may believe and behold his glory!  In this way the Lord removes the grave clothes of our own unbelief so that we truly believe on Christ.

Believe on Christ in the face of all Opposition (John 11: 7-10.)

The Lord Jesus must work the works of God (John 9: 4-5.)  Christ is the Light.  As the Mediator, Christ walked this earth trusting the Light of his faithful God and Father. So he teaches his disciples to follow him in faith, to walk in the Light of Christ in the face of the enemy so that we stumble not.  Looking at the enemy rather than believing Christ will cause us to question what the Lord is doing and misunderstand his word (John 11: 11-15.)  We face many enemies: our sin, our self-righteousness, and the Lord said a man can expect division in his own house, but the worst enemy we face is unbelief (He 12: 1-3.)  Remember brethren, walking by faith is to walk in Christ the Light--If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world.”  I am not sure in what spirit Thomas said this, but we will look at in the best light for faith says: “Let us go, that we may die with him.”  Let us take up our cross knowing that if we suffer it is nothing compared to the baptism Christ was immersed in.  It is not the strength of our faith, but the strength of faith’s object that saves!

Believe on Christ and Behold God (John 11: 17-27, 39-40.) Martha said, “God will give it thee.”  But Christ Jesus declares that He is God—the Son of Man who is the God the Son—the Resurrection and the Life.  This is the theme of the gospel of John—the Eternal Word made flesh (John 1: 14; 5: 25-29; 6:  44, 54; 14: 5-9.)  Christ Jesus the Man is God providing HIMSELF a Lamb, the propitiation.  God is just and the Justifier of all who believe because God himself justified his people in Christ.  “The church OF GOD,” is the church which he hath purchased with his own blood (1 Tim 3:16; 1 Jn 5: 20.) Jesus Christ is God—the Resurrection and the Life of who born of his Spirit (Colo 3: 3-4.)  Believe on Christ and thou shalt see the glory of God, the God of glory.

Believe on Christ in the Midst of Weeping (John 11: 28-38)

How amazing!  How delightful!  How comforting in all our sorrow and suffering!  As soon as we hear him declare he is God, we read this amazing word—“Jesus wept.”  There were many weeping there that day, probably none more than Mary and Martha.  But for Christ this was infinitely more.  He is the only one there who was sinless.  Christ Jesus was “touched with the feeling of our infirmity” more than even Mary and Martha.  Christ is not merely morning as we mourn the death of a loved one.  This is the groaning of Him who “took our infirmities and bare our sicknesses” (Mt. 8:17). My dear suffering brethren, remember, in the midst of all pain and suffering and sickness, none as experienced our pain like Christ. There is no other so kind, so gracious, so caring as our Redeemer.  Cast all your care upon him, dear believer, he shall care for you like no one else can (Ro 8: 26.)

Believe on Christ to do What Only He can Do (John 11: 39-44.)

Lazarus shows us the spiritual state of all men by nature (Ro 5: 12; Eph 2: 1.)  What our Lord Jesus did here is a demonstration of how a sinner is born again.  It is a picture of the new birth, the first resurrection (Rev 20:6.)  The Voice of the LORD is the voice of Life.  He calls his own by name—“LAZARUS, come forth”.  His Voice makes the dead to live, makes the unwilling willing—“stretch forth thy withered hand”, makes the unable able—“take up thy bed and walk.”  His Voice turns the unbelieving into believers.  His Voice shall cause all the dead that are in the graves to come forth.  And this is the same Voice who removes the grave clothes of those he has called to life.