just when you're in trouble. The priorities for a Christian has to be every day, God's first. You had a business meeting tomorrow morning. I bet you wouldn't be late. But Sunday school, what is that? It's just a test of your character. That's all it is. Can you put God first on Sunday? You put yourself first the other six days. He gave you a lot there. And some of you think, well, you know, he's just sort of kind of, yeah, well, he just gets right to the point. And that's a Christianity that a lot of people don't know about. And John chapter 11, but I appreciate it. I appreciate you, brother. I know you get embarrassed and all that kind of stuff, but I appreciate your faithfulness to the Lord for better than 20 years now. And I appreciate it very much. John chapter number 11. Now, before you get the misconception that you already know everything that's in this passage, can I just ask you for a few moments to consider that there might be something in the passage that we haven't considered before. Maybe. Usually when we see this passage about Lazarus, we realize, you know, he died and then he was in the tomb for four days and Jesus showed up and then he got up and then we go on from there and then we turn to chapter number 12 and read about the supper and then move on to the crucifixion and then we're pretty much done. And oftentimes I find also in my own life As a preacher who's preached certain passages many times, I go to the passage already kind of having an idea of where it's going and what's going to be said, instead of going, wait a minute, let's slow down and see if maybe the Lord might show you something different, maybe applicable to what you're going through now that you weren't going through when you went through it the first time. Oftentimes as a preacher, I'm a little bit apprehensive about preaching on a passage I've preached on before because my pride gets in the way and says, well, they'll think you're giving them stale bread. I haven't preached what I'm going to preach to you before today, but I have preached out of this passage on a number of occasions. And I hope with the Lord's help, maybe you might see some things in here and some of them might be hurtful. But a lot of them, I hope, will be helpful. John chapter 11, just six verses to start off with. The Bible says, Now a certain man was sick named Lazarus. Notice he uses a certain man, a particular man. He makes sure that everybody knows he's not a stranger. This is somebody that Jesus knows about in particular. A certain man was sick named Lazarus of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. And it was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick. Therefore his sister sent to him, because Lazarus was sick, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. And when Jesus heard that, he said, this sickness is not unto death. Watch it, because this is kind of the core of the message. This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified thereby. Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus. When he had heard, therefore, that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place. where he was. Father, we'd ask now for a special unction from the Holy Ghost. And God, we thank you for the singing congregationally. We thank you for the singing that was done from a special standpoint. We thank you, God, for the testimony that we heard. God, now we come to this portion of the service where we do our best to exposit what you have for us in the Bible. And God, we'd ask that it not go into our heads, but that it might touch our hearts. And God, we pray especially for those individuals who, not by chance, are in this service, who have yet to trust You as their personal Savior. And Lord, as the sands of time run through that hourglass, and it is just about to the last grain, I pray that today might be the day, even now, that they trust You as their personal Savior and spend eternity there with us in heaven as opposed to in hell for all of eternity. We pray these things, Lord, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. Thank you. If you would, please have a seat and look with me. I want to just call a couple of things to mind as we start here. Notice that it's not coincidence. It's a certain man. It's specific. It's not happenstance that Lazarus is sick. A certain man, Lazarus, was sick. By the way, notice also in that particular passage that the Lord has someone who He loves, who he knows extremely well, who he has been to his house and eaten with him on a number of occasions, who has found great rest between Lazarus, his friend, Mary and Martha, his sisters. This is almost like a family kind of a situation. They're very close together. And there was no question about the fact that the Bible says when Mary and Martha go to the Lord because their brother is sick, you know what they say? Lord, the one whom thou lovest. In other words, the Lord had not been bashful about letting Lazarus know, and other people knew that the Lord loved Lazarus. And Lazarus was the one that was sick. Let that sink in for just a second. Can we just think for just a minute that maybe when we go through some problem, some trouble, some trial, some difficulty, instead of it being because the Lord despises us or is chastising us or is mad with us, could it be possible that it's because the Lord loves us? Could it be possible that the Lord said, so-and-so whom I love is sick, and the Lord goes, I'm aware of that. Lord, are you going to come running Johnny on the spot the second I get sick? I'm going to stay over here for a couple of days. I'm in no hurry to get back. He doesn't even bother. Lazarus is not praying for himself. His sisters have gone on his behalf. But you know what happens to us oftentimes if you consider this passage right here? Oftentimes when trouble happens, when problems come, you know what we generally think? We often think that the whole story is about me. This story really is not about Lazarus. Just as much as the prodigal in Luke chapter number 15 is not about the prodigal. It's actually about the prodigal's father. And in this passage right here, this is about God getting glory in spite of someone suffering in sickness. You know what it does? He lays this out in a special way so that we who are going through things now don't get the misconception that when we fall into trouble, when we fall into trials, when we fall into sickness, when we fall into things we don't understand, God has a purpose or an intent behind it that we can't see or understand. But it's sometimes hard on our pride. Sometimes nowadays, especially in the day of Laodicea that we live in, we think that if we're suffering or that we're sick, that people say, well, you must not be right with God. Might I say this, you might be more right with God than people might think you are. You're saying, so you're saying if I'm suffering that I'm more in the will of God, so therefore I'm somebody. Now, you've got to be careful because now you're going to turn that on you again, which is the tendency. But think about this, the last time trouble happened. Did your prayer life change? Did all of a sudden it get to be, why God? Why this happening to me? Lord, why are you allowing this trouble, this trial, this conflict, this difficulty, maybe this sickness, maybe this loss? Lord, why are you letting this happen? Because see, what happens in the Christian life, oftentimes we really do think it's about us. And we forget that after we're saved that it's no longer about us, it's about the One that saved us. Before you were saved, it was all about you, because all you did was live for yourself. All you did was you sought employment so you could improve yourself. All you did was seek to satisfy all the things that the flesh desired. You lived for yourself. You acted for yourself. You rested for yourself. You played for yourself. You ate for yourself. Everything you did was you at the center of the universe. But after you get saved, that's supposed to switch. And now we have to realize that the Lord doesn't, in the Bible, show you things where so-and-so is being blessed, and so-and-so is being blessed, and so-and-so is being blessed, and God's getting glory. You know what He shows you throughout the Bible? So-and-so suffered, and God's getting the glory, and so-and-so suffered, and God's getting the glory. The Apostle Paul, day and the night in the deep, and whippings, and mockings, and jail, and prison, and nakedness, and hunger, and in fastings, and all this, the care of the church, and Paul suffered, you say, why? So that God could be glorified. We look at his son Jesus Christ, he suffered so that God could be glorified. So let's look at this passage maybe in a little bit of a different light this morning. Notice first of all that sometimes when you're going through something it makes other people pray that maybe otherwise wouldn't be praying. Look what happens in verse number three, therefore his sisters went. I just underlined that and said somebody else's trouble often makes us go to Jesus on their behalf. In this particular case, I think it's real strange because you know what they're doing? They're going over there on his behalf and saying, Lord, they do get a little manipulative, I'll give you that. Sometimes when we go to the Lord on behalf of somebody else, notice what it says, the one whom thou loveth, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. There's pressure that's there. It's strange sometimes how we use that prayer, because I can't help but think that maybe Mary and Martha are thinking this is the only man in our life. Mary and Martha weren't married. Lazarus is sick, so that's going to hurt maybe their income. But if we move ourself or transcend the flesh here, I think what you might see is that they're really concerned about losing their brother. And you know what? They don't have any problem at all just reminding the Lord, hey, you really love him. And so what we see as an expression of your love for him is that you make him well. Do you see how the Lord responds in the passage? I'm going over here, I'm going to be here for a couple more days. They know that if he doesn't come back within a couple of days, that their brother is going to be dead and his goose is going to be cooked. Sometimes the way the Lord shows us He loves us is He leaves us in the mess we're in. Sometimes the way the Lord shows us He loves us is He leaves us in the mess we're in. You say, why? Because he's got something greater down the line, not for Lazarus, but for his glory. I'll hopefully be able to show you that here in just a minute. It's funny how we stray sometimes. Lord, is it me? Lord, why aren't you answering my prayer? Because I love you. Lord, why aren't you doing what I think you need to do? Because you can't see what I'm trying to do. You don't understand what I'm trying to do. You don't understand what it is that I'm trying to accomplish. You have no concept of how this thing will play out in eternity. But Lord, right now, I'm in need of this. Well, if you were in need of it, I'd be there. I'm going to be a couple more days. And by the way, there's an inference there to 2,000 years. But beyond the prophetic implications in the passage there, you know what he's saying in that thing? He's saying, listen, I know what's best for you, and right now it's best if I just leave you alone and let you die. Because I'm going to get glory out of you after you're dead. Could we preach there for just a while? You know what causes us to take glory from God more than anything? It's when we're more alive to ourself than we are alive unto God. The thing that causes His glory to be tarnished, I guess you might say, at least in the eyes of other people, is this one that's still alive. Sometimes the greatest thing God can do is after He kills everything, and we got nothing left, and we got no reputation left, and we realize we're nothing, now you're in a great position, you say, for what? Well, number one, for salvation. You say, no, wait a minute, no, no, no. The Bible says you either come to the cross and you take your place among thieves and you admit that you're a sinner and Jesus Christ can save you or you didn't get saved. You don't come to Jesus Christ as a good person. You don't come to Jesus Christ coming up there and say, now Lord, I'm better than T.K. is, you know. I mean, I ain't done what I heard him do, you know. I know what Mitch done over there. Yeah, I've heard Brad's testimony. Making bombs out of Coke bottles and stuff like that, you know. Chemist and all that in there, the mad scientist. Yeah, I've heard about him when he was 15 years old. That was 40 years ago, near about. But I'm better than he is, then you didn't get saved. When you come to the cross, you know what you come as? You come as the worm you are. The greatest thing God can do is let you die to yourself, let everything run. The greatest thing He can do is not help you when you're in a mess, to make you understand, hey, listen, you will be glad for the day that I didn't help you, that you looked in the mirror and accepted responsibility. You are going to hell to burn like a grease ball forever. Not because I want you to go, but because you were too proud to trust me as your Savior. You wanted to work it out? How's that working out for you? You thought you could earn it? How's that working out for you? You thought you could live it? How's that working out for you? Trust me, I've been saved since I was seven. Fifty years. I know I can't live it. How come you're saved? By His grace. How am I kept? By His grace. Yeah, but you're a preacher. I know. I can lose it just as quick as you, and I probably know things there that maybe you're not aware of that I realize I sin is just not in things you can see. So I know I can't be sinless, so what do I have to do? Depend on a sinless man. See, one of the things we fail to realize in today's society, it's all about, I'm okay. And you're okay. They start you off very early in school with a little purple dinosaur. Which, by the way, that's a little weird. And if your kids are in here, stop their ears for a second. But first of all, I don't know about dinosaurs, but second of all, they ain't purple. I don't want no son of mine watching no purple dinosaur. I ain't wearing no purple suit. So I don't see nothing wrong with it. Well, okay then. I'm okay. You're okay. What are you? Y'all are getting real tight over there. Oh, here he goes. No, no, they start off by telling them you're okay. No, see, that's contrary to the Bible. You're okay until the knowledge of sin enters in and the Bible says what? And sin revived and I, what? Died. Paul didn't have the proper vision until he died. Unfortunately, he didn't die until the road to Damascus when the Lord knocked him off of his horse and blinded his eyes. And Paul said, man, I'm blind, but now I see. I see me for who I am. Sin revived. I died. I'm dead. I can't get it by works. I can't keep it by works. I'm not good enough. I'm just rotten to the core. I need something. I'm desperate. What do you need? I need a Savior. Well, can you find one? The Lord said, here I am right here, Paul. And what do I have to do? Accept me. Proud people will never do that. I've seen grown men walk away and turn their nose up and, I don't need no charity. You ain't going to get saved then. You're real proud. That sounds real brave, but about four seconds burning in hell forever, you ain't going to be proud no more at all. You're going to be thinking, man, get me out of here. But you know what the Bible says? The whole time you're in hell, you're not going to be sitting there with regrets. You're going to be saying, I hate this. I hate this. I hate him. I can't stay weeping, wailing, gnashing of teeth. You say, why? You refuse to die. You can't get saved until you realize you're no good. I know that's contrary to modern theology. They put you in school. Oh, everybody's good. Everybody ain't good or we wouldn't be building more prisons. Everybody is not good or we wouldn't need no police. Everybody is not good or we wouldn't need no locks on our doors, burglar alarms on our cars, on our doors, and now on your cell phone. You say, why? Because people aren't good. They will steal from you. They will shoot you. Oh, but we're all just innately good. No, we are all innately bad. And until you realize that, listen, how that Christ died for your sins, negative, for your sins, negative, and then buried, negative, and rose again. Three parts of the gospel is negative. You know what it is? It's trying to get across to you that you are dying because of the wages of sin, which is death. No, I'm fine, I'm feeling good. See, but we ain't talking about the here and now, we're talking about the hereafter. We're talking about what's really real. What's really going on now is like a dream, if I could liken it under that. This ain't really real. What's really real is where you're going to spend eternity. Millions of years. Either in heaven with Jesus Christ, or in hell, then the lake of fire burning forever. Forgotten by God. Who's that? I don't remember. Don't even remember creating him. What's his name? A terrible thing, isn't it? Look at him down there. Read Isaiah 66. The Bible says it'll be an abhorring to all flesh. That means out in eternity people will come down there and look at your beginnings of your body. You'll be a worm, writhing in pain, no arms, no legs, just writhing in pain and burning and screaming for all eternity until God dies. So step number one is that sometimes God does us a great favor by letting us recognize the fact that we've got to be dead to get anything done. That doesn't change after you're saved. Sometimes God puts us through troubles and trials and difficulties and things like that, not only to get other people to pray on our behalf, but also to show us that we ain't really living until we're dead. I think it's interesting in this passage, but I looked at all the passages. Do you realize Lazarus never says one word? Did you realize he never speaks? He never preaches a sermon. He never sings a song. He never is an apostle. He's nothing. He's a friend of Jesus. Sits at the table with Jesus even after he's resurrected. He don't say nothing. He don't run around going, yeah, I'm the guy the Lord raised up in the dead. At least there's no record of it. He don't say a word. You know what happens? He's dying. He don't even call Jesus. You say, well, if I was him, I know, but I'm just saying it's interesting to me that Mary and Martha are praying for him. Lazarus ain't saying nothing. Maybe he's too sick. Maybe he's spiritual, I don't know, but it's interesting, he don't speak. And he's the one in a mess. But you know where that'll put you in a mess? If you're here today and you hadn't trusted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, and you don't say, me, me, me, me, me, if you don't speak, you know what'll happen? The Lord will say, you didn't speak, so you know what'll happen? You're gonna spend eternity in hell forever. You say, why? Because you didn't speak up. Well, He said He forgives everybody, and I believe He forgives everybody. He don't forgive you unless you ask for it. That's why people go to hell. You go to hell not because Jesus wants you to, it's because you choose to, and He'll give you your choice. It's free will. You weren't foreordained to go there. You're going there because you chose to go there. You have a choice in the matter right now. I remember being in the prisons with Doc. I've used the illustration before. It bears repeating. And we're in there. There was about 225 or so guys in there that are all packed in this place down in the prison down south here around Tomoka. And they're all sitting in that place and they're like that. And Doc's up there drawing a picture of the crucifixion. And he just stopped all for no apparent reason. He turned around and he said, you know something, if I could find a sinner in here, he said, I have a good message for him. And he went back to drawing again. Nobody said anything. And then a little while later, he turned around and he said, you know what, if I could find a sinner in here, I'd have a good message for him. I've never forgotten this guy. This guy stood up. He must have been, I don't know, six foot four or five, big fella, weighed 300 pounds at least, big old fella. He stood up in the back and he said, me, me, me, me. And he turned around and looked at him, and he said, you, and he goes, I'm the sinner. I'm the sinner. And I thought, buddy, I'd like to take some of that kid's backbone right there and stick it in some Christians that have the courage to do that, but some people to stand up and say, you know what, I don't want to go to hell. That old man never missed a beat. That Bible says, he said, the Bible says, come let us reason together. Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as wool. Though they be red like crimson, they shall be as snow. He said, if you'll come down here, he said, did Brother Peacock over here take a Bible? And that fellow come down there in front of all these guys. Now you've got to understand a pecking order in prison. That guy's calling himself out. He come walking down that thing like that and went over there and sat down there and tears running down his face. I mean, the fruit done fell off the tree. He's already saved. I just had to show him what he actually did there. You know what I think happened? I think all of a sudden the Lord maybe heard the prayers of a grandma or a wife or a mother and said, how about doing this? Let's schedule a meeting over there because there's going to be a boy there that'll be there and if you'll preach, I'll give him the chance. And you know what he could have done? He could have said, nah. Could I ask you this question? Do you spend any time praying for somebody besides yourself? Do you spend any time concerned over the souls of people going to hell? Because you know, when we boil it all down, let's not make it about church, let's make it about heaven and hell. Let's not make it about us, let's make it about Jesus Christ. Because it's really all about Jesus Christ. It really isn't supposed to be about us. And I know some of you are visiting today and some of you come from different churches where you're the center of attention. I've tried to get my deacons and trustees to put a sign out there that says, welcome to Bible Believers Baptist Church, the church where everybody is nobody. But see, that'd be so offensive because most of you walk in and you're thinking, I'm here and nobody even spoke to me and I'm a visitor. Okay, well, just get used to it because we're here to hear from the Lord. Man, preacher, you just ran them off again. Brad's over here going, well, there goes another tither out the window. But here's what we try to do is not to be rude and not that we're not warm and not all those other kind of things, but there's been too much focus, too much emphasis, too much detail that has been thrown on, too many lights shining on us instead of on Jesus Christ. And the church has turned into some sort of a political sort of a hodgepodge of it's all about who's there and who's not there and who gets recognized and who gives and who doesn't, who gets this and who gets that. And there's so many stars in the church anymore, you can't see Jesus. We're here to lift up Jesus Christ. You say, why? Because He said, if even I be lifted up, I will draw all men unto me. Not to the preacher, not to the church, not to the pulpit, to Jesus Christ. He's the one that saves. And if you're dead and trespasses in sin, that's what the Bible says about you. Don't be so negative. You can't get saved without being negative. The wages of sin is, but the gift of God is eternal life. You don't get the positive until you get the negative. Brother Matt taught me this about my car. I have a battery in the car, and if I want it to start, in spite of all the gas, the combustion, the starter, and all the other stuff that has to happen, he says, listen, you got two sides to the battery. I said, yeah, the positive's hooked up. It's good. I got the positive. I got the charge in there. He said, you don't get it. Unless it's negative, unless it's grounded, the positive ain't going to work, and the car won't start. If all you've ever gotten was nothing but the positive message, then you might want to... I'm not trying to retread you. I'm just simply saying sin will kill you, but the sin that he's talking about won't just kill you physically. Some of you know that. Some of you have sinned for years and years and years. You ain't dead yet. But in eternity, you pay for that sin forever. Well, nobody's ever told me nothing like that. Probably nobody ever told you about hell. Don't mean it ain't there. Can I tell you why they don't tell you that? Because they want you to keep coming. We're going to give you some psychology and some psychiatry to make you feel better about yourself. I'm not here to make you feel better about yourself. You're dirty, low down, rotten, and no good. You say, how can you say that? How dare you? Well, just keep your hat on just a second. The Bible says there's none good. There's none that seeketh out the God, there's none that's righteous. Now, are we going to believe what the Bible says, or you just got offended at how I said it? In common language for me, that means you're dirty, rotten, sorry, and no good. After I'm saved, the new man is good, the old man is still dirty, rotten, and unsaved as the old man was. As the new man was. But now the new man is saved, and so now I'm a new creature in Christ, but this thing on the outside is still the same dirty, rotten scoundrel that used to be there. I'm just a saved Christian now, a saved person now. But before I was dead and trespassed, that's what the Bible says, doesn't he say, dead? So can I ask you this? Let me just look at it from a positive standpoint. One of the greatest things God can do for you if you're lost is to show you you're dead. because now you have the opportunity to be resurrected to newness of life. And all through that passage, we can see a type of salvation in that Lazarus was dead without Jesus, but when Jesus showed up, Jesus was able to do something that no human could do. He could resurrect him from that. He could raise him from the dead. He could give him eternal life. Listen, it wasn't until Jesus showed up in my life that I was resurrected from that situation that took place. You need to realize there's things you can't do It's humanly impossible. You can't save yourself. Only Jesus can save you. So when Jesus shows up, you know what He says to you in Revelation 3? He says, Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If any man will open, I will come in and sup with him and he with me. But you've got to open the door. So first thing we see is the type of your salvation. Second thing we see is that for those of us that are saved here today, It can also mean that sometimes the Lord lets us get in a situation beyond our control in order for us to realize that without God supernaturally intervening, we ain't got no control anyway. Like the brother David was trying to tell you, ain't nothing you can do about it except go through it. When the ship is out there and you're a Clyde on and you've done everything you can do and done all the stuff you can, the bottom line is you can't control the storm. When you finally come to that point of helplessness, now God can get something done. But man, doesn't He have to take us beyond ourselves sometimes. So secondly, understand this, sometimes the greatest way the Lord shows His love for us is by letting us die. Look in verse number 4, if you would please, and look what happens. The Bible says, and Jesus heard that the sickness was not under, He said, this sickness is not under, for the glory of God, that the Son of God might be glorified. Verse 5, now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. Commentary? Yes, God allows bad things to happen to people that He loves. It doesn't say this is a wicked, God-forsaken, good-for-nothing, rotten, deserves whatever comes His way. Because when we see someone who is that person, get it? It's like, hey, they deserve to get shot. Reap what you sow, man. But when it happens to somebody innocent, when it happens to a child, when it happens to somebody we think, well, why didn't God do something about that? Listen, just let me tell you, God let Lazarus die. That was a man He loved. God the Father loved His only begotten Son. You know what He let Him do? He let Him die. Can I help you with something this morning? Sometimes the greatest expression of His love is to let you die. Why? Because He loves you. He hasn't forsaken you. He hasn't left you. He hadn't forgotten where you are. You're going to find out in just a minute. He's walking along there and all of a sudden He stops and He goes, Let's go on down there. He's dead now. He knew exactly when Lazarus died. He knew exactly what was going on in Lazarus' life. He wasn't just doing this for the benefit or the request of Lazarus, or for Mary, or for Martha, or for 2012, a sermon on a Sunday morning. He's doing this for a specific person that they can't see in the state that they're in. You get in that state of a conundrum. I don't know what to do. I don't know where to go. I don't know what's happening. I don't know why it's happening. I don't know how I'm going to get out of this. I don't know why this is happening to me. And then all of a sudden, usually the well-meaning Bible believers pile on the pile and go, well, brother, I think it's this and I think it's this. And they become like Job's friends. And then they start convincing you you're the problem. Lazarus is just the point of the story. He's going to die for another reason. But he don't know that yet. Neither does Mary and Martha. Sometimes, ladies and gentlemen, you have to understand God allows things to happen in your life. And we get bitter about it, but He does it so that He can be glorified. So we all want God to get the glory, right? I started to have these boys sing this morning, to God be the glory, great things He has done, but we don't always think those things are so great. They're praying for Him. Women generally have a tendency to pray more than men. I want you to notice also that these women love a man that's sick. Did you hear me? They love a man that's sick. These women are types of a Christian that in spite of his sickness, they're praying for him. In spite of his disease, they're praying for him. In spite of whatever it is that's killing him and the Bible doesn't say, they're still praying for him. It's a tight picture of what we ought to be doing. It's a tight picture of how we ought to be acting. That no matter how abhorrent it may be, no matter what the problem is, that we ought to still be beseeching the Lord and saying, Lord, do something with them. Lord, do something with them. Lord, please on their behalf, would you please do something for them. It's a type of that. Listen, can I just say that women sometimes must pray more than men. And the reason is because some of the men that you live with. Am I right? Maybe all of a sudden you know of a man that you're with or that you know about that he's past feeling now. Maybe he's not the person that he used to be. Maybe he's got all kinds of problems and difficulty. Maybe he's unstable. Maybe he's neglecting you. Maybe he's neglecting the kids. Maybe he's neglecting his work. Maybe he's doing other... You know what happens? It should drive you to prayer, not drive him out the door. They didn't say, Lazarus, you're sick. Get out. You know what they said? Lord, he's sick. We can't help him. Can you help him? Can you let me just touch this point real quick and I'm going to move on? Because I've got to go all the way to the end of chapter 15. Watch. Deanna's listening. Just touch this for a second. They're praying on the behalf of Lazarus because they're beyond being able to help him themselves. But they never give up on God helping him. What requires more, something we can fix ourself or something we have to trust the Lord to take care of? Women, let me explain something to you. Your husband's directly under the Lord, and if he's not being what he ought to be, then you should go directly to the Lord and say, Lord, he's sick. Can you help him? Lord, he's tired. Can you help him? Lord, he's killing himself trying to provide and trying to take care of all this stuff, Lord. And I'm watching him work long hours and I'm watching him sweat. And I see the anguish and I see the furrowed brow and I see him growing old before his time. Lord, can you do something? I can't do anything. I'm the weaker vessel, but I can still pray for him. Sometimes what happens is, is the expectation because of all this junk that's on the boxes, you think that you're supposed to have all of these things provided for you. It puts pressure on them. I'm just trying to help you. It puts pressure on a man to try to provide for you beyond his ability and means. And he works, and he works, and he works, and he works, and he works, and before long, you don't have a husband, you have a mule. And before long, the relationship's gone because unless he's working 24-7, seven days a week, and then, hey, he's not providing what you need. And before long, you know what'll happen? He'll get so accustomed to working that he won't be doing the things that he ought to be doing concerning you and concerning the kids and concerning household responsibility. And then before long, it won't be long, before the verse you already heard quoted to you that says, "...he that provideth not for his own is worse than an infidel." That ain't just in material things. You know what happens with men? They drop the spiritual things. Because a man is always looking for a reason to drop. You say, preacher, you talk like a tree fell on you. Well, hear me out just a second. Eve is in the garden. She goes and talks to the devil and falls. Adam falls because of Eve. He was not deceived. She put him in a position of like, you love me, then be with me instead of being with him. That's what it boils down to. Either be with me or be with God. You choose, big boy. I don't know how it would have worked out if he'd have said, hey, young lady, God's first, and I love you, and I'll go to God on your behalf and see if He'll cut you some slack, but it sounds to me like you're going to die and I'm going to be getting Jodiette. I'm going to get married again because you're dead. And there's some things in this household, honey, we don't do. We unequally yoke now. You done messed up, but he didn't do that. You know what happened? Because he loved the woman, the Bible says, he chose to go... You know what will happen? Because he loves you, he'll work himself in the ground. Because he loves you, he'll try to provide and he'll try to do. And before long, his spiritual life will be dead and his flesh will be very much alive. And you won't know what went wrong. You say, what do I need to do? You need to pray for him. You say, well, you want to make your situation better? Pray for him. That's what Martha and Mary were doing. They want to make their situation better. They want their brother back. I wouldn't want to go through the loss of my brother. But watch what happens, if you will. Just helping you at all. They love a sick man. Help him out, Lord. We can't help him. You ever pray that for the guy or the girl that you're having a problem with? You ever realize how many lunatics the Lord healed in the Bible? You ever realize how many he saved since that time? And you know what happens? There are some people that only the Lord can help, but do you beseech him on their behalf? You say, Lord, they're whacked out. Do you ever realize that sometimes those people are in your life for one reason? To drive you to Jesus? You ever realize that? Sometimes people cross-grain you for one reason. To drive you to Jesus. To say, man, that guy, that, man, I, mmm, man. And the Lord's like, what? Tell me about it. Invariably, you know what's going to take place, right? You're going to go talk to Him about them and He's going to say, well, let's talk about you. You're going to be like, ah! The Lord's like, see, you see so many things in Him that it's like you're looking in a mirror. That's why I'm sitting by your way. It's like this giant mirror walking by you. You're really looking at yourself. Lord, I can't be like that. And He's like, oh, spend a little time with Me and I'll show you. I think we're on number three now. Look in verse number 17, you know what happens, they had expectations. Remember a few weeks ago I talked about, I thought, I expected, this is how I thought it would go down? Lord, I want you to know I love Him and I know you love Him and so I've already determined that because you love Him and because I love you, I already know how this is going to work out. You're going to come by here, you're going to heal him, or you're going to heal him from where you are, and we're going to be good to go. I've already written the ending to the story. And then when the story doesn't work out, verse number 17, then when Jesus came, I found that he had lain in the grave for four days. Jump down, if you will, please, a little bit further to verse 20. And then Martha, as soon as she heard Jesus was coming, went and met him. But Mary sat still in the house. Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, If thou hadst been here, my brother had not died." Mary says the same thing a little bit later on in verse number 32. They must have been talking about it. Lazarus is dead now. So they had to be sitting around with each other going, man, if the Lord had been here, this wouldn't have happened. And I can't understand why the Lord didn't show up, because you know what happens? Those expectations all of a sudden can breed bitterness. And we usually let it spread to other people. I don't know why God done it like that. Why God let that happen? Why God? It spreads from husband to wife. It spreads from wife to kids. It spreads among friends. Because it's like, we're trying to figure out, the reason is, we've already figured out what we think God should do. Especially when we're being good. Lord, I've been cooking for you. I've been making up your bed. You come by and stay at our house for your charge. Don't cost you a nickel. You know we love you. You know Lazarus loves you. Lord, I've been good. I've been going to church. I've been reading my Bible. I've been giving my money. I've been supporting missions. I've been preaching. I've been doing all... Lord, I've been good. Why are you letting me die? Could somebody amen that? Because what happens to us is we get to thinking it's like, well, after all I've done and you let this happen to me. The Lord says, because I love you. Where do you get that, Calvary? What does the Bible say? For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son. Is that what it says? John 3.16, am I right? Alright, now stay with me, we're almost done. Just bear with me a couple more minutes and we'll let you go get you some cappuccino or something for lunch and have you some cornbread and biscuits and all that kind of thing. But listen to me for just a second. Here this situation has taken place and it's not unlike we are today. Lord, if you'd have been here, if you'd have done this like we think it should have been done. And he said, where were you when my son died? And the Lord said, the same place I was when mine died. Where were you, widow of named son, when he died? The same place I was when mine's gonna die. You think your son's more important than my son? My son died too. I know how it feels, but can I just say this? My son had nothing wrong with him. He was completely perfect. He was completely pure. There was not any sin in him. There was no sin on him until it was placed on him by y'all. There was nothing wrong. He never even so much as had to clear his throat. He was pure. He was perfect. He was holy. And guess what? Y'all killed him. He laid his life down for y'all. And you know what we say? Lord, if you'd have been here, this wouldn't have happened. You know what they're thinking? They're thinking God doesn't love them, God doesn't care about them, and God has deserted them because they're going through a trial, and they're thinking, man, God, if you'd have been here, what they're saying is, God, you didn't do it how I thought it ought to be done. Them expectations can sure get you in trouble. God, if I was you, well, thank God we're not. I wouldn't have done this this way. God said, I knew he was dead. I knew he was going to die. He says up there in the passage, he said, it's not unto death. It's not about him dying. It's not about Lazarus. The story's not about Lazarus. It's that God might be glorified if you get to the end of the story. But when we're in it, we're like, why? And then you know what happens? We continue to make it about Lazarus even after the incident has passed. He's been dead four days. Is that right? Is that in the passage? Soon as they see the Lord, I got a bone to pick with you. If you'd have been here, the Lord's like, well, I'm here now. And instead of being glad to see them, they're like, you know, you realize that everybody thought we knew you so well, and you were our buddy, and you know what you've allowed to happen? You've let tragedy come into our house. Do you realize what this looks like to the rest of the community? I mean, after all, we're Jews and we require a sign. And don't you understand, don't you realize, don't you get it that these people are thinking because sickness and death are a sign of sin, do you realize what you've made our family look like? By not being here? We've told everybody about you. We've opened up our doors. We've had meetings here. We've financed the meetings. After all we've done, how could you let this happen to me? The Lord's like, so that I could be glorified? But they don't know that yet. It's so that I can get some glory. Let's go a little further in the passage, and I promise I'm not going to John 15. I'm just a little bit further and we'll be done. Sometimes we get bitter, don't we? Bitter? Look, if you will, please, in verse number 35, Jesus wept. In spite of what most people would think, He's groaning in His Spirit because of their unbelief. He gives Martha a clue. He says, don't you know I'm the resurrection life? She goes, yeah, I know. In the resurrection He'll come up. I get that. I believe you're the Son of God. Well, I've raised other people from the dead. What's the big deal here? If I want Him raised, then I'll raise Him. But you know what He's saying in so much? Well, if you really believe that, then you ought to know I do all things well. So if your brother's dead, it's for his good. If your brother's dead, it's for his good. I don't believe that. You never will looking through carnal eyes. Amen. That's right. Amen. Hey, Peacock, your daddy's dead. It's for his good. That's right. Amen. So you believe that? Well, that gets a little closer to the curb. It takes a little while to grab that one. But God knows what he's doing, doesn't he? Amen. Well, God, why don't you do that to him? Instead of saying, well, Lord, I guess there's going to be some glory out of that somewhere for you. You know what you're doing, so I've got to move on. Some of you never move on. You spend too much time weeping over the sepulcher. I'll have you know, listen, listen, I'm not talking about in the physical sense, and I'm not here to tell you what you are and are not doing. I'm simply saying God's let some things in every one of your lives die, and you know what you're doing? You're over there behind that, looking behind that stone, and what you've done is, is you've taken that Lazarus, and you've put it in that cave, and you've rolled that stone on it, and you're letting it in there without no sunlight, and it stinks. And you're bitter, and you're mad, and all you do is spend all your time looking at that. Why God let that die! My business died. My family died. My health died. My money died. How come God... I can't believe God... If He'd have been here, if He was really real... My ministry died. My church died. My marriage died. Some of you have Lazaruses in there, and you know what you do with your Lazaruses? Instead of bringing them to the Lord, you know what you do? You bury them in a tomb, and you roll a stone on them, and you've done made up your mind, ain't nobody gonna go in there, and nobody's gonna see them, and you're not messing with them. That's my Lazarus, you leave it alone. I have a right to feel that way as my brother. Jesus said he loved him, but that's a funny way of showing it. And Jesus said he loved me, that's a funny way of showing it. So you know what you do? A lot of you have never left the tomb. You spend all your time around that incident that happened in your life, and you know what you're doing? You're taking the spotlight off of what gives glory to God and putting it on yourself. Preacher, if you knew about my past, behold, all things were passed away and all things become new. God knew exactly where you were in your past. He knew everything that went on in your past. But you know what you have a great opportunity now to say, in spite of my past, I'm resurrected now. I've been brought to newness of life now. But oh no, no, no, you just stay in the tomb or around the tomb. Some of you were done wrong coming up. Some of you were mistreated. Some of you were taken advantage of. Some of you through no fault of your own. But you know what you're doing? You're looking at that tomb and you're thinking, buddy, I'm telling you now, that thing's stuck with me and gonna stick with me until the cows come, until Jesus shows up. I ain't giving up. I'm staying right here. You know where to find me by the tomb. You know how I know? It don't take you five minutes of talking to them. And before long, that tomb comes up. Are you with me in the balcony? It don't take five minutes before all of a sudden that thing that they're regurgitating comes up and they're bitter. Now they're giving you all the reasons why they don't come to church and why they don't read and why they don't pray and why they don't want nothing to do with God. Because God done them wrong. No, God was trying to show them that He loved them. You realize that all those things took place to bring you to an end of yourself, to show you that you were dead and you needed a Savior. But you know what? You like the dead guy better than you do the live one. You say, why? Because you cater to Him all the time. You cater to His feelings. You cater to His reputation. Some of you hold on to it like some of them guys that I know that I went to school and graduated in the early 70's and they still are acting like they're in high school recalling their football days when they won a championship. It's like, are you kidding me? That was like 35 or 40 years ago. And some Christians are the same way. You can't get over it. You just stand there and look at that tomb. And the Lord says, hey, how are you doing? Come on over here. Let's roll the stone away. No, it stinks. There ain't nothing you can do with it anyway. Listen to me and I'm almost done. It's too far gone. You can't do nothing with it. You don't know what they did to me. You can't resurrect it. You can't fix it. You can't make me love him. You can't make me love her. You can't make me forgive them. It's too fine. I made up my mind. It's dead and you can't do nothing with it. The Lord said, hey, let me in the tomb there. I can do some miraculous things. You ain't going in my tomb. Y'all rolled the stone away. The Lord could have said, stone, be thou removed. Then it would have gone. The Lord said, y'all roll it in. You say, why? Because it ain't Him that's keeping the dead things in there. It's you. You know what happens? He calls them and says, hey, come on out of there. Notice, there's the critics that show up. Jesus weeps and so on and so forth. Some of them said, could not this man which opened the eyes of the blind have caused even this man should not have died? They're kind of being, you know, well, we're in agreement with you. I mean, if He really was God, I mean, He could have stopped it. Have you ever asked this question? Well, if God's God, why did He let that happen? That's what the critics are saying. God didn't start it. We started it in the garden. as a result of our sin, the wages of sin and debt that caused him to have to come down here and pay a price or every one of us would have gone to hell. So he's like, y'all messed it up, but I'm going to fix it. A little further. Look in John chapter number 12. I don't want to spend too much time. Look in verse 40 of chapter 11 first. Jesus saith unto her, he says he stinks in verse number 39, then Jesus saith unto her, I said I not unto thee, that if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of Lazarus resurrected. Oh, I'm sorry, it must be another version. What does it say? Oh, you mean it was about God the whole time? If you believe, you'll see the glory of God. If you're here today and you're lost and you believe, you know what you'll see? You'll see something you've never seen before. You'll see His glory. You say, what's His glory? To save your miserable rotten hide from hell, that's what. Look, if you will, just a little bit further. You see what happens here? We let him alone and so on and so forth. We're coming down to verse number... Oh, let's stay in 11. Just stay there in 11 for a second. Come on down to verse 47. Now, what happens here is Lazarus gets let go, right? He comes up out of the grave and the Lord says to people, loose him and let him go. There's a lot of good preaching there. And the Bible says this, verse number 46, but some of them went their ways to the Pharisees and told, they Facebooked them, them what things Jesus had done. I mean, he hadn't no sooner done it than they're texting him, you know? You get the text, man? You get the Twitter? Hey, man, you know what Jesus just did? They're not telling him from the standpoint of, wow! That's amazing! It's like when you get saved, all of a sudden you walk out and you got this flashing sign on you that you're saved, and people that never messed with you before, now they're messing with you. Oh, you went to that church? Oh, well, let me get... But before you're saved, they don't care nothing about letting you go to hell. But after you get saved, it's kind of like somebody tells the Pharisees. Watch what happens, the Bible says, then gathered, verse 47, the chief priest in the prayer sees a council, always bad when the council, 25 times found, only one time is it good. The council gathers together, what do we, for this man doth many miracles, raise Lazarus from the dead. If we let him thus alone, all men will believe on him. Oh, we're starting to get the picture now. Oh, you mean he let Lazarus die so he could be glorified. In other words, he's kind of starting to reveal why he let these things take place. We're going to see his glory revealed here in just a second. Watch what he says. Come on down to verse number 49. And one of them named Caiaphas, being the high priest that same year, said unto them, Ye know nothing at all. Now, nor consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people. He's prophesying, he doesn't even know what he's saying. And that the whole nation perish not. And this spake he not of himself, but being high priest that year, he prophesied that Jesus should die for the nation. And not for the nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad. Watch it, verse number 53. Then from that day forth they took counsel together, for to put him, Jesus, to death. He let Lazarus die to not only increase Lazarus' influence, but he let Lazarus die so that when he resurrected him, he could get himself crucified. The real motive was for him to literally be glorified, and there's no greater glory than when he was crucified on Calvary's cross. What he did was he allowed those events to take place, and then orchestrated it such that he knew when he resurrected an individual who had been dead for four days, everybody was going to know, the Pharisees were going to know, and now they're trying to kill him. And now he says to the apostle, hey boys, we are on the right track now, they're looking to kill me, so we're in good shape, we're just a little ways away from where I need to be. You mean he let Lazarus die to point to him? That's what it says. Listen, Lazarus came up and now all of a sudden everybody knows, they know that guy's special. He did it, so he let Lazarus die so that he could be recognized and be put to death. Remember the death? He's willing to suffer the death. Now John chapter number 12, let me put a bow on it. It doesn't say that Lazarus came out of the tomb. and said, why did you do this to me? Why did you let me go through all this stuff if you knew this was going to happen to me? Jesus raised him up. Why? To draw attention to Him, not Lazarus. That's why Lazarus never says anything. This is the blessing for me of the whole message in chapter number 12, which I've read a number of times, but here's the strange thing. Look in verse number 9, interest of time. I'm almost done. Chapter 12, verse number 9. Much people of the Jews therefore knew that He was there. He is Lazarus. Watch. And they came not for Jesus' sake. We're going to see the dead guy. We want to hear about the in the tomb experience, the NDE, the near death. We want to hear about what it was like to be rotten and stinking and dead and come out and get all new. We want to hear about what happened to him. Notice that this is what they're saying. Much people of the Jews therefore knew that he was there, and they came not for Jesus' sake only, but that they might see Lazarus also, whom he had raised from the dead. Would you say Lazarus' influence has increased? Lazarus ain't telling nobody nothing. All Lazarus is doing is finding his seat at the table. The Lord says, here, right here is your seat, right here. Just have a seat right there. Lazarus said, thank you. And he comes and sits down right there and said, what do they want to see? They're here to see that guy right there. What does he say? Nothing. He just shows up and sits down. He's just faithful to be where God would have him to be when God's there. Later on, you find out they're in the Garden of Gethsemane, they come out there, and you know what they're trying to do? They're trying to kill Lazarus. Lazarus is just sitting, he ain't saying nothing. They grab Lazarus. Lazarus comes out of his coat and takes off running naked down the street. They're trying to kill Lazarus because he was already dead. They're like, that guy has too much influence. If people know what God did in his life, they're going to all be looking for Jesus. They're going to think Jesus is the Messiah. They're going to think Jesus is the one. Man, we got to do something, not just to Jesus, but that guy's got to go. You'd almost think something supernatural happened in his life. A couple more verses. Look in verse 11. I'm sorry, 10. But the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus also to death. Why? Because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away and, wow, believed on. He's careful not to put the word him there. Not believing Lazarus. But because of Lazarus' testimony, many people believed on Jesus. One more verse and then a little commentary and we'll go to the bar and watch it. Verse number 19. The Pharisees therefore said among themselves, Perceive ye how we prevail nothing? Behold, the world is gone after him. Why? Because of Lazarus. The whole world in their mind is following after Jesus. Why? Because of Lazarus? Because Lazarus was dead and he came back from the dead, you don't see a place in the Bible where he preached a sermon, it's not recorded. You don't see that he was an apostle, it's not recorded. You don't see that he was a disciple. All you know about him was is that he must have been a friend of Jesus because the Bible says there's no question Jesus loved him. Sat down and ate dinner with him on a number of occasions. Spent time with him. He didn't come out like, well, I can see why Jesus raised me. He must have really been missing me while I was out there. I mean, man, the whole world was spiritually bankrupt until the Lord came and got me off the bench. He didn't do that. You know what happens? Chapter 11 ends with the Pharisees plotting on how to kill Jesus because Lazarus came up. And in chapter number 12, where do you find Lazarus? Well, he just took his place back up and he said, hey, pass the potatoes and the peas, please. I'd like to have a little bit of that steak, be nice. Martha, you got them biscuits ready yet? Have a biscuit, please. The Lord looks over at him like that, and people are all looking in the windows. Man, what is going on? That's that guy. That's that guy. He didn't let his sickness and his death be focused on him. He just went and sat back next to Jesus and said, phew, man, he's something else, ain't he? You see, they come to the Apostle Paul, and they're standing there in front of Felix and Agrippa. And Apostle Paul says to them, he says, I think it's great that I have the opportunity, he says, I think myself happy to be able to speak for myself. And the accusations, the attorneys at law come and say, now, Paul, they're saying you killed these people, and you did this, and you did this, and you did this, and the Jews have accused you of this, and accused you of this, and accused you of this. What say ye? And he goes, guilty. But that's charged to the guy I was then. That guy's dead. I'm not that guy anymore. You know what the Apostle Paul does? He don't spend any time talking about what he used to be. He said, let me tell you about what Jesus did for me and who I am now. And by the fact that he let that old man perish, Philippians chapter number three, and counted it all but done, guess what happened? He's still pointing people to Jesus Christ. So here's two things. Some of you have had terrible tragedies in your life. I like to think Lazarus was like, well, the Lord's my friend, and he knows I'm sick, because he knows everything. And if the Lord wanted me to get well, I guess I'd be well. So I must be sick for a reason. So I ain't asking. Mary and Martha go ask. Right? He don't tell them to ask. They just start doing that. They're pleading his behalf. Lazarus doesn't open his mouth when he comes out. He never says, let me tell you what it was like in paradise. Man, I'm at Abraham and Isaac and Jacob. Man, I was down there having the time of my life and why'd you resurrect me from all this kind of stuff and this and that and the other. He don't say any of that. Because I think Lazarus realized that God only did it for one reason, and that was for him to be glorified. So you have trouble in your life today? Listen, I'm not trying to be smart when I say you need to get past it or get over it. I'm simply saying to you, it wasn't about you in the first place. It never was. You did not get that promotion because God was mad at you. He did it so he could be glorified. You did not get that wife you wanted, or husband you wanted, or boyfriend you wanted, or girlfriend you wanted because God's mad at you. God just said, I want to do it so I can be glorified. You didn't get that sickness or that disease or go through some terrible tragedy in your life because it was about you. It never was about you. If you're saved, it's about God. And some of you here today, you know what you need to do? Brother Grutter, you come, I want you to play something soft on the piano, if you would, please. You know what you need to do? You need to bow your head this morning. Maybe you need to come to the altar. Lord, I always thought it was because you were mad at me and upset with me and angry with me, and I always thought it was about me, and you've just drawn a big circle around yourself. My daughter went rabid. My daughter went crazy. My family did this. My family did that. Now I can't believe they did this to me. It never was about you. It never has been about you. You don't know the mistakes that have happened in my life. It never was about you. It never was about you. It's so God can be glorified. You know what you need to do? You need to say, Lord, if you can get some glory out of that mess I made, resurrect it and get some glory out of it. Nothing that happened to you happened because God hates you. If you're saved, it was done for one reason, and that was to give glory to God. Secondly, if you'll listen to me with your heads bowed and eyes closed and nobody looking around, if you've never trusted Jesus Christ as your personal savior, this message is for you because the Bible says you're dead in trespasses and sin, and you're headed to a place worse than a physical tomb. You're headed to a place where the worm dieth not and the fire is not quenched. You will burn forever, paying for your own sins. Only a fool would do that, I say respectfully. Jesus Christ died for your sins according to the Scripture and was buried and raised again the third day. And if you've never trusted Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, I promise you I'll not embarrass you, but if you've never trusted Him as your personal Savior, could you just slip your hand up real quick? I'll pray for you. Could you just slip your hand up real quick? Okay, anybody else? Just slip your hand up. I don't know for sure, preacher, that if I died tonight, I'd go to heaven. If you're not sure how to pray, maybe you would consider praying in this fashion. Lord, I know I'm a sinner. And I don't want to go to hell when I die. I'm asking you and trusting you the best way I know how to save me. And I'm trusting nothing but you, Lord. Admit you're a sinner. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and confess Jesus Christ. Well, preacher, I don't have time to name all my sins. Just confess you're a sinner. You don't have to name your sins. You don't get saved by confessing your sin. You get saved by confessing Christ. Lord, I know I'm a sinner. I want to go to heaven when I die. I don't want to go to hell. I'm asking you to save me and trusting you the best way I know how. You pray that and you mean that in your heart, the Lord will save you that quick. That quick. And if that's you today, it'd be good for you to tell somebody, when that preacher prayed that prayer, I prayed that prayer and I asked the Lord to save me. Christians, those of you that are left here, it's time we get over our Lazarus experiences. It's time that we go from death to life, from the old man to the new man, from a bad, sad situation to a glad situation. It's time that we realize this whole thing was never designed about us in the first place. It's time that we finally understand we've made it way too much about us and not enough about Him. As these continue to pray, He's going to play one more song, I mean one more stanza and we'll close. One more stanza. Thank you for your many blessings. We thank you for such great illustrations as Lazarus in the Bible, not parables, Lord, but specific things, knowing that you deal with us specifically, individually and personally. God, I pray that maybe this afternoon and maybe even now that we'll roll the stone away and let you into our dark, dirty, stinking tombs and allow you to touch things that we have decided or otherwise did, things that we've just sort of kept almost as a trophy, as an excuse making our mind up and being so utterly stubborn and rebellious as to put our foot down and refuse to let you do what you want to do so badly. I pray, Father, if there's somebody here that's lost today, that today, that through the gospel of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit, that they might realize their condition and they might trust you before this day is out as their Lord and Savior. Lord, bless these folks that are here. God, thank you so much for the ones that continue to come and to sit. No, Lord, they may not be doing a whole lot in the eyes of other people, but the fact is, Lord, they've come back from horrible, horrible experiences. Them just sitting here is a testimony of how good you are. I pray God you'll bless them and keep them coming and reward them for their willingness to come in spite of their situation, in spite of their circumstances, I pray God. In spite of their tombs, they continue to come that you'll reward them for just sitting at the table. We pray, God, you might bless this day, all the activities thereof. Bring us back again this evening, we pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.