John 11 - Tears of Hope
Gregory Bishop
(Audio: English)
SUMMARY: This sermon is based on John 11 and the story of Lazarus. The speaker talks about how Lazarus was a close friend of Jesus, and how Jesus delayed for two days when he heard that Lazarus was sick. The speaker goes on to discuss how sometimes it seems like God is delaying in our own lives, and how we can still have hope in those situations. The speaker also talks about how Jesus asks Martha if she believes in him, and how we too may be asked to profess our faith in difficult situations. Finally, the speaker discusses how Jesus wept when he saw the sadness of those around him, and how this shows his love for us.
In John 11, Jesus weeps over the death of Lazarus, showing his deep emotional connection to the pain and suffering of those around him. He raises Lazarus from the dead in a demonstration of his power over sin and death. The word "hope" in the Bible is not a weak or passive term, but rather one that speaks to an optimistic expectation that God can work even in the most difficult situations. Abraham is an example of this kind of hope, as he believed in God's promise of a son even in the face of physical impossibility. Hope is a strength and key to resilience in difficult times. Many members of the congregation have faced overwhelming tragedies and difficulties, but find hope in their faith and in crying out to God.
Hope is a powerful force that can sustain us through difficult times. Abraham demonstrated this kind of hope when he believed in God's promise of a son even though it seemed impossible. Hope is not a weak or fuzzy concept, but rather a firm and solid anchor for our souls. It allows us to enter into an intimate relationship with God and defy the unacceptable present reality. We should rebel against evil and have audacious confidence in God's power to make all things possible. We can activate hope in our lives through prayer and trusting in God's promises.
In John 11, Jesus weeps over the death of Lazarus, showing his deep emotional connection to the pain and suffering of those around him. He raises Lazarus from the dead in a demonstration of his power over sin and death. The word "hope" in the Bible is not a weak or passive term, but rather one that speaks to an optimistic expectation that God can work even in the most difficult situations. Abraham is an example of this kind of hope, as he believed in God's promise of a son even in the face of physical impossibility. Hope is a strength and key to resilience in difficult times. Many members of the congregation have faced overwhelming tragedies and difficulties, but find hope in their faith and in crying out to God.
Hope is a powerful force that can sustain us through difficult times. Abraham demonstrated this kind of hope when he believed in God's promise of a son even though it seemed impossible. Hope is not a weak or fuzzy concept, but rather a firm and solid anchor for our souls. It allows us to enter into an intimate relationship with God and defy the unacceptable present reality. We should rebel against evil and have audacious confidence in God's power to make all things possible. We can activate hope in our lives through prayer and trusting in God's promises.
You’ve got your Bibles, John 11? And this is one of my favorite stories in the New Testament, in fact I mean the whole group after it. We have a group of men in recovery from addictions and we call it Grupo Lázaro, Lazarus group, because we believe that those of us who are there have been risen from the dead.
God is in the process of taking the bandages off, so we’re going to talk about this story of Lazarus and before we get into it, just to notice that Lazarus was a friend of Jesus, because sometimes we think that Jesus was such a ethereal spiritual being that we forget that he became human, and he had friends, and he had some specially close friends: Lazarus and his sisters, Mary and Martha. The Bible says he would go over to their house to eat. He even almost got tangled up in a squabble between two sisters going on. That’s how intimate they were with him.
God is in the process of taking the bandages off, so we’re going to talk about this story of Lazarus and before we get into it, just to notice that Lazarus was a friend of Jesus, because sometimes we think that Jesus was such a ethereal spiritual being that we forget that he became human, and he had friends, and he had some specially close friends: Lazarus and his sisters, Mary and Martha. The Bible says he would go over to their house to eat. He even almost got tangled up in a squabble between two sisters going on. That’s how intimate they were with him.
