The next sermon is by Mark Mutch, pastor of the Reformed Baptist Church in Torcha. For more information or to contact us, visit our website, iglesiaentorcha.org. And now, proclaiming the word of God, verse by verse, Pastor Mark Mutch. We're here for the funeral of Samuel Mark Mudge. But funerals are not for the dead. They're for the living. They're for us to remember his life. But even more importantly, for us to hear from God about the meaning of life and death, we're going to read the story of the death and resurrection of Lazarus. It is in John chapter 11. I'll read it in English and then you can read it in Spanish. Now a certain man was sick, Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. It was that Mary who anointed the Lord with fragrant oil and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. Therefore the sister sent to him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom you love is sick. When Jesus heard that, he said, This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it. Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. So when he heard that he was sick, he stayed two more days in the place where he was. Then after this he said to his disciples, Let us go to Judea again. The disciples said to him, Rabbi, lately the Jews sought to stone you, and are you going to get there again? And Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If anyone walks in the day, he will not stumble, because he sees the light of this world. But if one walks in the night, he stumbles because the light is not in him. These things he said after he had said to them, Our friend Lazarus sleeps, but I go that I may wake him. Then his disciples said, Lord, if he sleeps, he'll get well. However, Jesus spoke of his death, but they thought he was speaking of him taking rest and sleep. Then Jesus said to them plainly, Lazarus is dead, and I am glad, for your sakes, that I was not there, that you may believe. Nevertheless, let us go to him. Then Thomas, who was called the twin, said to his fellow disciples, let us go also, that we may die with him. Then there was sick a man called Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and Martha, his sister. Mary, whose brother Lazarus was sick, was the one who anointed the Lord with perfume and washed his feet with her hair. So they sent the sisters to say, Jesus, Señor, he aquí, el que amas está enfermo. Oyendo lo, Jesús dijo, esta enfermedad no es para muerte, sino para la gloria de Dios, para que el Hijo de Dios sea glorificado por ella. And he loved Jesus, Martha, his sister, and Lazarus. When he heard that he was sick, he stayed two more days in the place where he was. Then, after this, he said to the disciples, Let us go to Judea again. The disciples said to him, Rabbi, now the Jews were trying to stone you. And again, are you going there? Jesus answered, Does not the day have twelve hours? He who walks by day does not stumble because he sees the light of this world. But he who walks at night stumbles because there is no light in him. Having said this, he said to them afterwards, Our friend Lazarus is sleeping, but I am going to wake him up. Then their disciples said, Lord, if he sleeps, he will be healed. But Jesus said this about the death of Lazarus, and they thought he was talking about resting from sleep. Then Jesus said to them clearly, Lazarus is dead, and I am glad for you that you have not been there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him. Then said Thomas, called Didymus, So when Jesus came, he found that he had already been in the tomb four days. Now Bethany was near Jerusalem, about two miles away, and many of the Jews had joined the women around Martha and Mary to comfort them concerning their brother. Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him. But Mary was sitting in the house. Now Martha said to Jesus, Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But even now I know that whatever you ask of God, God will give you. Jesus said to her, your brother will rise again. Martha said to him, I know that he will rise again in the resurrection the last day. And Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in me shall never die. Do you believe this? She said to him, yes, Lord, I believe that you are the Christ, the son of God who has come into the world. Jesus came and found that it had been four days since Lazarus had been in the tomb. Bethany was near Jerusalem, about fifteen stadiums away. And many of the Jews had come to Martha and Mary to console them for their brother. So Martha, when she heard that Jesus was coming, went out to find him. But Mary stayed at home. And Martha said to Jesus, Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But I also know now that whatever you ask of God, God will give it to you. Jesus said to him, Your brother will be resurrected. Martha said to him, I know that he will be resurrected in the resurrection on the day after. Jesus said to him, I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me, even if he is dead, will live. And all who live and believe in me will not die forever. Do you believe this? And when she had said these things, she went her way and secretly called Mary, her sister, saying, the teacher has come and is calling for you. As soon as she heard that, she rose quickly and came to him. Now when Jesus had not yet come into the town, but was in the place where Martha met him, then the Jews who were with her in the house and comforting her, when they saw that Mary rose up quickly and went out, followed her, saying, She's going to the tomb to weep there. Then when Mary came where Jesus was and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying to him, Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. Therefore, when Jesus saw her weeping and the Jews who came with her weeping, he groaned in his spirit and was troubled. And he said, Where have you laid him? They said to him, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept. Then the disciples said, see how he loved him. And some of them said, could not this man, who opened the eyes of the blind, also have kept this man from dying? She, when she heard him, got up quickly and came to him. Jesus had not yet entered the village, but was in the place where Martha had found him. Then the Jews who were at home with her, and consoled her. When they saw that Mary had risen in a hurry and had gone out, they followed her, saying, Go to the tomb and weep there. Mary, when she came to where Jesus was, when she saw him, she stood at his feet, saying, Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. Jesus then, seeing her weeping, and the Jews who were with her also weeping, shuddered in spirit, and was moved, and said, Where have you put her? They said to him, Lord, come and see. Jesus wept. Then the Jews said, Look how she loved him. And some of them said, He could not, who opened his eyes to the blind, having done so well that Lazarus did not die? Then Jesus again, groaning in himself, came to the tomb. It was a cave, and a stone laid against it. Jesus said to him, said, Take away the stone. Martha, the sister of him who was dead, said to him, Lord, by this time there is a stench, for he has been dead four days. And Jesus said to her, Did I not say to you that if you would believe, you would see the glory of God? Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was lying. And Jesus lifted up his eyes and said, Father, I thank you that you've heard me. And I know that you always hear me. But because of the people who are standing by, I said this, that they may believe that you sent me. Now when he had said these things, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth. And he who had died, came out bound hand and foot with grave clothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to him, loosen and let him go. He had a stone on top of him. Jesus said, Remove the stone. Martha, the sister of the one who had died, said, Lord, remove it now, because it is four days old. Jesus said, I have not told you that if you believe, ¿Verás la gloria de Dios? Entonces quitaron la piedra de donde había sido puesto el muerto. Y Jesús, alzando los ojos a lo alto, dijo, Padre, gracias te doy por haberme oído. Yo sabía que siempre me oyes, pero lo dije por causa de la multitud que está alrededor, para que crean que tú me has enviado. And having said this, he cried out in a loud voice, Lazarus, come out! And the one who had died came out, his hands and feet bound, and his face wrapped in a shroud. Jesus said to him, Untie him and let him go. When we read this text, and consider this story, it teaches us how we're supposed to respond when we have our dead child in our hands. And I want to speak to you today about how to relate to God when you're in most difficult times. Think about how today is a day where we all mourn together. But a day will come for you when you will lose something that you hold so precious. Will it be a family member? A wife? A husband? will be a child, the ability to walk, the ability to see, your fame, your reputation, your career, your money, One day, you will lose something that you hold so tightly to. It will make you face the question, where was God? Where was God in this moment? When I lost the ability to walk, When I lost all my career. When I lost my wife. Where was God? This story tells us where God was. And it tells you how to respond. The same faith that God gives at salvation is the same faith that is applied in your greatest nightmare. The same faith that God gives in salvation, is to be applied in your greatest trial. In this story, we see three things that are very important. One is that Jesus is in complete control. Second, we see the question, where were you Christ, when my brother died? And then third, we see why there is suffering, for the glory of God. God is in control. The question, where was God? And finally, death happens for the glory of God. in our story we saw where Jesus he received a message that the one whom he loved was dying and because of that he did not go. He stayed where he was. As the man died in another town. He had the ability. He had the time. He had the ability to save Lazarus. And he did not. And you will be faced with the same question. God is powerful and sovereign over all. Your greatest blessings in life, and your greatest trials, come by the hand of God. And you have to face them. It doesn't happen by accident. We're not here today by accident. So when you are in your greatest trial, you must face the fact that God has allowed it. And what Jesus says to the disciples, He says, that Lazarus is dead and I'm glad for your sakes. How could Jesus say that? How could he say such hurtful words? You can only understand them if you have the faith. Jesus knows there's a better plan. He knows that in allowing this horrible event, a greater good will happen. And we believe that. And we believe that today. Samuel is not alive today, but God allowed it. And he is good and in control of it all. Next in our story, we see the question, where was God in this hard time? You heard both sisters, Mary and Martha, had the same question. They were the ones who sent for Jesus. They were the ones waiting for Him to come. They knew in the time that they had, how far away he was, and he could have come in time. And when they looked at his dead body, and then they hear Jesus is coming to his town, days later, They have the question that you will have. God, how could you allow this? What does Jesus say? Jesus responds by saying, I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me, though he may die, he who shall live, whoever lives and believes in me, All who live and believe in Me shall never die. Do you believe this? The same faith that God gives in salvation is the same faith that He gives in trials. If you hear anything I say today, hear this truth. The faith that saves is a faith that believes that God is holy. He's apart from us. He's holy. He can have no wrong, no sin in His presence. And we are evil people. Our sins corrupt us in our thoughts, In our attitudes, in our religion. Some of you have seen the worst evil, not in the streets, but in the church. Our sin is what we must believe. That's part of the faith. That we believe God is holy. That we are not. And this is our greatest problem. But that Christ died on the cross for sinners. For all of those who would repent. For all of those who would believe in Him. You see, true faith doesn't just believe God's love and that Jesus died for us. But the true faith believes that God is holy. And that every trial that happens, happens by His sovereign hand. Every person who is saving faith, believes that they deserve hell. Do you really believe? Do you really believe that for your sins, that you really deserve hell? That's hard to believe. Now think about that faith. That faith that saves. Think about that faith in a trial. It applies the same truth. The person who's in a trial, who says, where was God, doesn't believe God is holy. The person who's in a trial, and they say, I'm your servant of you God, how could you allow this to happen? They don't really believe they're that sinful. And so they can't make it through the trial. Their world falls apart. They don't, in the trial, the person who says, I lost my legs, I lost my child, I lost my money. All my world is gone. I can't continue. That person doesn't really have faith in the resurrection. The person who does have faith, that God is holy, that they're a sinner, and that there is a resurrection in Jesus Christ, can go through any trial. All can be lost. And what remains is the truths and the promises of God. They cannot be taken away. Satan himself can't take it away. We can die, but no one can take a Christian's eternal life. Queridos, you are the dearest people in my life. You're here because you cared about Samuel too. If you When you are faced with your greatest trial, it may reveal that you don't have true faith. I want you to test yourself. Before a trial comes, do you really believe these things? If you do, they not only change your eternity, they change your life now. Radically. The same faith that God gives for salvation is the same faith that He gives to His children in their hardest times. Do you believe that? Faith is not a power. Faith is not something you wear like a badge. And as you walk around and you say, Oh, I made it through this trial. I want to be an example I want to be an example to you all. No true faith has your face to the ground, with your eyes full of tears, crying out to God, God, I don't deserve to go to heaven, and I don't deserve to make it through this trial. Only you can sustain me. Only you can give me the strength. If you remove your strength, and let me see what was inside my heart, I would curse your name. God is in control. The question of where was God? And then lastly, all this happens for the glory of God. Your greatest trial will happen to you to drive you to God. If you're not in Christ, your greatest trial, your greatest pain, is a gift from God to push you away from the edge of hell, Push you to repent. To see the weakness of your own soul. If you're in Christ. Your greatest trial comes. And it comes to make you see. That all will pass away. And all that matters. Is the glory of God. To the salvation of men. Samuel may have died so that you would believe this. That you would truly believe. That you would truly believe these things. So that you could rejoice with him in heaven. A sister sent a text. Think about the blessing that Samuel has. He doesn't have to live in this sinful world. But he can go straight to be with Christ. You see, a counsel like that sees the end. It sees that it's about God. It's not about us. This story is about God. He is in control. In all the times we question, He is leading all things to show how good and gracious He is. So, funerals are not for the dead. They're for the living. This funeral is for us. For us to hear from God that what matters is life and death. If you've lived a few years, you know what I'm saying about trials is true. If you're young, perhaps you don't yet. And perhaps you do, even when you're young. So hear my words today. God wants you to repent and believe in the gospel. He is the resurrection and the life. He holds the power of life and death. No one dies apart from His hand. And no one lives apart from His hand. This Holy God, has done an act that is good and we trust him. And I want you to as well. I want you to trust him as well. We love Samuel. We love you all. Thank you for coming. Thank you for being with us in this most difficult hour. I was walking in a neighborhood and I saw the power and the glory of the sun near the door of a neighborhood. I was blinded at first. I thought, how could the sun be on our street? And as I got closer, I realized, it's not the sun. It's simply a mirror. True Christians are like that mirror. They reflect the glory of God. There's nothing worthwhile about them. The mirror won't give you heat. It won't make the trees grow. It won't give you light. Only the sun will do those things. But the mirror can remind you of the glory of the sun. True Christians are like that with Christ. And so if you have that faith, reflect that glory of Christ in your darkest hour, with the same faith that you had when you believed to begin. Let's pray. Dear Lord God, we thank you that you hear us, and we pray that You please will be with us in this time. Please use the death of Samuel for your glory, to show your mercy, your holiness, to show your hope, your justice, that you will judge. And your love. Lord, we don't know why. But we know who. Lord, we don't know why you allowed it. But we do know you. And we know you're good. And we trust you. Help us not just to trust you in a moment now, but to continue to trust you. Amen. Thank you for listening to this sermon by Pastor Mark Mudge. We hope it has been a blessing for your life. If you wish, you can copy and distribute this sermon. Just do it for free and without altering its content. For more information and to listen to more sermons, visit our website iglesiantorcha.org.