The Lazurus Generation

We Are All Trophies of God’s grace!

John 11:43, 44 “When he had said this, Jesus called in a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out!" The dead man came out, his hands and feet wrapped with strips of linen, and a cloth around his face.
      Jesus said to them, "Take off the grave clothes and let him go."

A great part of Jesus’ earthly ministry was His association with His disciples.

 He encouraged them to be involved in ministry... He worked while they watched, then encouraged them to work while He watched. 
`Cast your nets on the other side…Prepare the upper room for the Last Supper.  Peter, James and John went to Gethsemane with Him to `watch and pray’… Pass out the loaves and fishes…
Peter was invited to walk on the water.’
He invites our participation with Him.

 We can’t change the sinful hearts or proud spirits of men, but we are commissioned to proclaim the Gospel message to a lost and dying world. 

We are to be His hands and feet to the world!!

Our responsibility is to be faithful to what He commands…His responsibility is to transform lives!

Only Christ has the authority to command the dead to "come forth". But once that miracle has been accomplished,  He turns to His disciples and encourages them to join in the blessing- "Loose him, and let him go.

Our job is to `loose them and let them go...”  Whatever the hurt, habit or hang-up that lingers to them like the stench of death, the ‘Christ in us’ can help others get free!!
2 Cor. 6:1 "We then, AS WORKERS TOGETHER WITH HIM, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain." Christ invites us to work with Him-- behold His glory ---enjoy the blessings of close relationship with Him...

Notice the condition of the resurrected man--
Lazurus’ resurrection was a great miracle…but Jesus shows us that it required a finishing touch. The man was raised but was not yet completely free. Look closely at the picture here.
*He is a living man wrapped in the garments of death.   All around us, we see believers still bound in their grave clothes. 

They have been made alive, but they need to be set free!

Isaiah 61:1 “…He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners…” This was Jesus mission statement, and it is ours, too!

 The Christians in the church at Corinth needed to be freed from their grave clothes.
I Cor. 1:2 “To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy…”  They were born again…but were still wearing their old sinful grave clothes.
1 Cor. 1:10-13 speaks of divisions.
1 Cor. 3:1-4 references carnality
1 Cor.5:1-2 fornication and indifference.

 ----People judge you by what they see in you. When Lazarus came out of the grave, someone may have said, "He must still be dead, he is wearing his grave-clothes." But Jesus said, "Loose him and let him go."

When you’re bound hand and foot, you can’t walk freely or go where you should.  Some believers are able to move in one direction, yet don’t seem able to budge an inch in any other direction...
There are some of us who can give up sin or crush a bad habit, but can’t seem to grasp the promises of Jesus.
Lazarus was strong enough to come out of the grave, but he was helpless to remove his own bandages.  You may be strong in one area, but you need the Body to help you get free in other areas!!  This is why we need each other!!
 Maybe you know the Word, but don’t know how to pray or give or love or worship.
 SOMETIMES WE NEED HELP, AND SOME TIMES WE ARE CALLED UPON TO GIVE HELP.
The church is made up of two kinds of people---those who are hurting and those who want to help the hurting! Most of the time, we are both…We are Wounded healers called to a `ministry of reconciliation’… Isn't it ironic, that God would choose us to participate in this Kingdom life alongside Him!?!  We know how weak and frail we are, and so does He..but He still calls us, qualifies us, and equips us to bring healing and life to others!

----HURTING PEOPLE WELCOME HERE---

What holds Christians in bondage?

1. Ignorance -- People have the capacity for knowledge but they need to be taught. We need the discipline of the local church.  Sunday Morning Worship, Wednesday night `Connection.’ We also need a daily devotional habit! “Faith comes by hearing...the Word of God.” We need pastoral covering, correction and care!
2. Guilt and Fear- Some are held back by their sorrow for the past; or fear of the future.
Jesus Christ paid for the sins of your past.
He then rose from the grave as the champion over death and hell to secure your hope for the future.
3. Condemnation-Some are bound by the corrupt mentality of their life before Christ. "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold all things are become new." (II Cor. 5:17)

4. Self-Righteousness- These are `church people’…usually raised in church, or attended most of their adult life...They have `heard it all’, are hard to God’s Spirit, and can’t be told anything…they are wearing grave clothes, too...

As an unbeliever, sin was your life. You wrapped yourself in sin trying to find peace and safety.
Now that Christ has transformed you and given you His own righteousness, He calls us to a renewed life. Romans 12:2, “Be not conformed to this world, but be transformed…”

This is a daily challenge, as we struggle with past habits, hurts and hang-ups. But you can do it. “Greater is He that is in you…”  

The struggle is hard but it also strengthens you like a butterfly in the cocoon...

----There is great fulfillment in knowing that we have done something to encourage someone.

The disciples--"When Jesus raised Lazarus, he asked me and I helped to loose him from his grave-clothes."

Jesus did what He can do, and then asked us to do what we can do!!

-You may do many kind things for those who seem ungrateful and forgetful.

Maybe you have wanted to say, "I won’t help them again because they weren't grateful enough."   What mother would say this about a new born child?

2 reasons to loose the grave clothes-
1. The Lord commands it. He encourages us to comfort the feeble and support the weak.

2. You were once bound. We all have a past…and have been bound by grave clothes. We should be the first to sympathize and run to the aid of those in need.
Selfishness and pride are arrogant sins. We must be willing to follow the example of Jesus and sacrifice for the benefit of others to glorify His name.