SERVICES: SATURDAY 6PM | SUNDAY 9AM & 10:45AM. 

We Livestream at www.FaithFellowshipWeb.com/livestream, through the FFC App, and YouTube.

Disappointment with God

Disappointment with God
Words of Faith 12-19-16
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2016
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><

John 11
[17] On his arrival, Jesus found that Lazarus had already been in the tomb for four days. [18] Bethany was less than two miles from Jerusalem, [19] and many Jews had come to Martha and Mary to comfort them in the loss of their brother. [20] When Martha heard that Jesus was coming, she went out to meet him, but Mary stayed at home.
[21] "Lord," Martha said to Jesus, "if you had been here, my brother would not have died. [22] But I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask."
[23] Jesus said to her, "Your brother will rise again."
[24] Martha answered, "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day."
[25] Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; [26] and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"
[27] "Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world."

The story of the raising of Lazarus is a powerful story of growing faith. We remember Mary and Martha from Luke chapter 10. Mary was the sister who loved to sit at the feet of Jesus and absorb His every word. Her sister Martha was the solid practical one who was distracted by much serving. Both loved Jesus very much. They also loved their brother Lazarus and were deeply grieved at his death.
There can be no way around the fact that Martha was disappointed with Jesus. Mary and Martha had sent for Jesus in the hope that He would heal their brother Lazarus but Jesus hadn’t made it! Now she greets Jesus saying, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
The truth is that Lazarus must have been dead by the time Jesus got the message, and Jesus knew that. It was a one-day journey to reach Jesus and a one-day journey back. Jesus delayed two days with the knowledge that Lazarus was already in the tomb by the time he got the message. He said as much in verse eleven. "Our friend Lazarus has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up."
Even so, Martha was struggling. She was trying not to be angry and also to express her faith. She added to her greeting, “I know that even now God will give you whatever you ask." But this was more words than genuine faith.
Then Jesus made the clear declaration of His intention. He told Martha what He had meant when He said to the Disciples that He was going to wake up Lazarus. "Your brother will rise again."
But this was still too much for Martha. She gave the orthodox answer. She gave the theological answer. "I know he will rise again in the resurrection at the last day." But Jesus had more in mind.
Jesus was ever so gentle with Martha. (Aren’t you glad He is that way?) He said to her, "I AM the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"
This was the point of the delay. This was the reason that Jesus did not stop on His way OUT of town and heal Lazarus. Jesus was about to make the last bold declaration of His Messiahship. This was not just another miracle. He was saying that if you place your hope in the coming resurrection, I AM that resurrection. If you are looking toward eternal life, I AM that life.
“Do you believe this?" Jesus asked. That was the bottom line. Do you believe that Jesus is resurrection and life? The answer was still a little shaky but Martha was trying hard. "Yes, Lord," she told him, "I believe that you are the Christ, the Son of God, who was to come into the world."
We can hear that she didn’t know how anyone could raise the dead especially after a body has been in the tomb four days, but she was trying. Surely you are the Christ of God.
The Lord continues to teach us centuries later through this powerful miracle. Who is Jesus in your life? Is He just a healer you call on when you are sick? A fix-it man for when things go wrong?
He wants us to know that He doesn’t just DO resurrection, He IS resurrection. He doesn’t just talk ABOUT life or offer life, He IS life. Our great hope is in HIM as we believe in Him. If you believe in Him, trust in Him as your only hope and salvation, you will never die. Do you believe this?

Yes, Lord. I believe. With all the faith that I have I believe that You ARE resurrection and life. I believe that I will never die. In Jesus’ name.

<>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <>< <><
© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2002, 2016
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
SUBSCRIPTIONS - To receive the Words of Faith devotion five days a week, send an E-mail message addressed to join-words-of-faith@hub.xc.org. To stop receiving Words of Faith, send an E-mail message addressed to unsubscribe-words-of-faith@hub.xc.org. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2010 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.