Radical Faith



Radical Faith—John 11:17-25

Introduction—We are going to talk about Radical Faith. I’m talking about radical, tenacious, relentless faith to believe that God can do anything but fail. It’s important for us to initiate, activate, and build our faith to a level whereby we inherently please God. The Bible says without faith it’s impossible to please God. So it doesn’t matter what else you do, or how good the charitable work if you don’t have faith at the basement, core, and the substratum of what you’re doing it for it means absolutely nothing. I want you to know that everything you’re dealing with or have been confronted with has everything to do with your faith walk with God. That doesn’t mean that because you may be going thru something that you don’t have faith. It might not be the lack of faith that got you into it but it will be the strength of your faith that gets you out of it.

1. Relationship—Lazarus had a preexisting relationship with Jesus before he got sick. That’s important for us to understand as we interpret this text. I see too many people trying to exercise something in faith when they don’t have a relationship with God. The only time they come to God is when they are in dire need and perilous circumstances. They come to Him to get them out of the crisis but they haven’t built the infrastructure of their relationship upon their faith, they are just using God to get them out of trouble. You’d be amazed at the amount of people that come to God because of crisis. Don’t just serve God when the storm comes you won’t recognize Him, but bless the Lord at all times and let His praise be continually in your mouth.

When Mary and Martha established a relationship with Jesus it wasn’t because they were trying to use Him. They came into His life to provide Him a place to stay whenever He came into Bethany. They were true friends that cared deeply for Jesus. The fact that they had a relationship with Christ before the crisis was the catalyst to them experiencing the miraculous from Jesus. Some of you are trying to get God to do something for you; you don’t speak to Him, worship, serve, seek Him. Then in the time of trouble you show talking about do something for me and you have a nerve to have an attitude if He doesn’t do it for you. Miracles begin with relationship.

2. Reality—However, I want to warn you that just because you have a relationship with God doesn’t mean that you won’t have a crisis. The Bible says that they that live Godly shall suffer persecution. Bad Things Happen to Good People. These are good people that are faced with a bad crisis. That’s important to know because we are surrounded by theology that tells us that if you’re good people nothing bad will happen to you. When it comes we are shocked and intimidated. Some of it comes from the nay sayers around us. They will gather around and say you had it coming, saw it coming a long time ago, thought he was so saved, suchy much; perhaps you did something to bring this on yourself. These people haven’t lived long enough because if you live long enough you will find out that you can live all that you know how and ever so often trouble will still come to your house. “many are the afflictions…” I can live with the confusion if the voices of criticism were external, but the truth is that some of the voices come from the inside. Self condemnation is worse than any criticism you can face. You can go through something so stiff that it makes you look for God in it. Have you ever gone through anything that made you look for God?

3. Release—They had done all that they could do and Lazarus grew worse. They sent for Jesus but He didn’t come and Lazarus died. Sometimes while you are waiting on God stuff dies. What do you do when you’ve done everything you know how to do and you sent for Jesus and He doesn’t show up? You go into a stage of release. Release is a stage when you simply let it go. After you’ve prayed, fasted, worried, cried, and all that you could do you release it to God. Release is necessary for radical faith because as long as you are holding on to it God will not touch it. As long as you think you can handle it you won’t receive the miracle working power of God.

They buried him and rolled the stone in front of him. That’s how you manage messes you can’t fix, you cover it up. Sometimes after you’ve done all that you can do, and it’s still stinking. When something starts stinking you have to cover it up and go on for survivals sake. They rolled the stone over it just like families do when there is a mess in the house. Now here comes Jesus, He got there late. He didn’t get a great reception because we have trouble receiving Jesus well when He comes late. They said if you would’ve been here my brother wouldn’t have died.

The Pace—When Jesus hears about Lazarus He takes His time to get there. When I see the pace in which Jesus responds I would almost think that He doesn’t care. But John is careful to make us understand that Jesus loved him. Had Jesus left when Lazarus got sick He could’ve gotten there in time. But wait a minute He didn’t have to go. Don’t you remember the Centurion soldier said “lord I’m a sinner and I’m not worthy for you to come in my house, speak the word only.” When Jesus got the message He could’ve said be healed and lazarus would’ve sat up in the bed but He waited.

It was dangerous for Jesus to go back into Bethany. Especially when He could’ve healed him with one word. But God was going to get some glory out of that situation. When He’s really ready to get glory out of your situation He doesn’t take any short cuts. He allows you to go through the process, because the power is in the process. I wish I had somebody in here who have gone through some things. I know you’ve been delivered from some things but how many have gone through some things. Has God ever taken you through some things where you thought you were going to lose your mind but He held you and kept your mind through the process. He said if you go through the fire, rain I’ll be with you. Jesus puts Himself and His men in danger to go heal somebody He could’ve healed with His hands. He took so long to get there that He missed the funeral and graveside service. He showed up at the house after they buried him. He walks in the house with a calmness that means either He’s lost His mind or He knows there is nothing He can’t handle when He gets there. He may not come when you want but He’s right on time.

4. Revelation—But right in the midst of the crisis Martha got a revelation; she said even now you have the power to raise him up. God wants to give you an even now miracle. You’ve tried everything but now its Gods turn to bless you big. You have to determine in yourself that I still believe God. I still believe that the best is yet to come; the latter will be greater than the former; my children are going to be saved. You need to get a revelation that God can do anything but fail. Why serve a God that can only do what you can do. I still believe that God can save my son, deliver my daughter, change my friends, the head and not the tail, and make my life better. It’s never too late.

Show Me Where You Laid Him. Jesus came in the house and said show me where you laid him down, or show me the point when you stopped believing. Take me to the spot where you gave up. Because I want to start working where you stopped working. Where you run out of faith is where I’m going to step in and do exceeding, abundantly, above all you can ask or think. They take Him to the spot but they are still making excuses saying, by now he stinketh. The challenge of the believer is to take the Word of faith you get in here and take it out there and apply it to that dead situation. Sometimes we give up because we don’t want to deal with the pain of expectation. We won’t admit it but there’s a peace in quitting; and there is a pain in expectation. Once you resolve in your mind that things aren’t going to get better it becomes hard to put the Word of faith on the thing you got buried. Because you don’t want to stir that mess up again.

5. Restoration—Now they rolled the stone back away that they rolled over the situation. God can’t restore it if you’re not willing to roll it back and dare to believe again. In order to get restoration in certain situations we’ve got to be willing to confront the stinky stuff. All of us have some stinky whether we want to admit it or not. We just roll the stone over it. Not until you take a chance of exposure and roll the stone away will you be restored.

You have to take this word by the hand and put it on the spot where you quit. Jesus came to the spot with the sole intent of restoration. He is surrounded by people with differing opinions and attitudes. Mary and Martha are crying, the Pharisees are scoffing, the Sadducees are skeptical—they believed that the spirit left the body in the third day. But Jesus came on the scene on the fourth day on purpose. He waits until the situation is hopeless until He comes, and then He says Lazarus! He may not come when you want Him but He’s on time. Jesus could have thought Lazarus out of the grave. He said Father I know that you hear me but for the benefit of all of these doubters and haters I’m going to call Lazarus out of the grave.

He called Lazarus and there is no noise in the tomb, only silence. He doesn’t go into the tomb; He just stands outside the mess and calls Lazarus. He listens after He speaks. Radical faith stands up and speaks louder than the screaming silence. Silence screams when you’re waiting to hear something and you don’t hear anything. Then all of a sudden they hear thumps. They said I haven’t seen anything but they heard something. But we don’t walk by sight we walk by faith. You’ve got to tell the devil I don’t see anything but I hear a sound. Rationale sees, Revelation feels, but Faith hears; like Elijah heard the sound of abundance.

Lazarus came out bound and unable to walk out straightway. That’s why we need to accept everyone who will to come into the house of God. Because when people begin to come out of their situations they will come out bound but God will set them free. That’s why you don’t stop anybody from coming to church because they may come in tied up, but they coming out free! Your eyes haven’t seen, neither have your ears heard, but Gods got a blessing.

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