Pastor Steve Riley - Loose Him, and Let Him Go

[Music] take your Bibles with you and turn with me to John chapter 11 John eleventh chapter I would perhaps read in your hearing from verse one you follow me carefully cuz I'm gonna jump at some point verse 38 excuse me John chapter 11 I'm reading from verse 1 now a certain man was sick named Lazarus of Bethany a tongue of Mary and her sister Martha it was that same Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair whose brother Lazarus was sick therefore his sisters sent unto him saying Lord behold he whom thou lovest 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 might be glorified thereby no this is the part of the text that gets me now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus when he had heard therefore that he was sick he abhorred two days still in the same place where he was when he had heard therefore that he was sick he abode two days still in the same place where he was mmm we'll come back to that let's go to verse 38 jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave it was a cave and a stone lay upon it jesus said take ye away the stone Martha the sister of him that was dead saith unto Him Lord by this time he sting yes for he had been dead how many days four days jesus said unto her said I not unto thee that if thou wouldest believe thou would should I see the glory of God they then took oh then they took away the stone from the place way the Dead was laid and Jesus lifted up his eyes and said father I thank thee that thou hast heard me in fact I knew that thou hearest me always but because of the people which stand by I said it that they may believe that thou hast sent me and when he has thus spoken he cried with a loud voice Lazarus come forth and he that was there came forth or you should have said him in right there he that was dead came forth bound hand and foot with grave clothes and his face was bound about with a napkin jesus said unto them loose him and let him go then many of the Jews which came to Mary and had seen the things which Jesus did believed on him loose him and let him go let us pray spirit of the Living God loose me let me speak thy words and I word only in Jesus's name Amen quite likely this episode involving Lazarus demise and his subsequent resurrection from the dead is episode and a scriptural reference that I suspect is used in many Christian circles particularly during funeral services to give hope to the bereaved to remind them that there is hope beyond the grave that he has life after death that it does not matter how we die when we die where we dye that once we have Jesus and we confront death the grave is not our final destination Jesus said it clearly when he said in verses 25 and 26 I am the resurrection and the life he that believeth in me though he were dead yet shall he live and he that liveth and believeth shall never die these are words of assurances that have come to comfort those of us who have experienced loss in our family that Jesus is not will be Jesus is not used to be Jesus is the resurrection and the life you should know that there are two other accounts where resurrection took place in the Gospels one such account was the daughter of the ruler of the synagogue you know the story when Jesus was on his way and a woman with the issue touched the hem of His garment and when Jesus finally reached to the home he saw people who appeared to mourn grieving in an artificial and superficial way and Jesus raised her from the dead there's another account of a young man who was taken out of the city of nain or the town of nain to be buried Jesus stopped the buyer or he stopped the casket and said young man I say unto you arise and a young man came back to life this particular episode under study for today occupies more literary space than all the other accounts of resurrection and that's why I believe there is much more Jesus wants to say through this particular episode of Lazarus and his demise than he would have said any other accounts of resurrection I don't suspect therefore that this account of Lazarus as death had to do merely with physical death only because if it was merely about physical death in other words if Jesus came to this earth to reverse physical death that he didn't do such a great job because Lazarus is still dead he died again so if he came only to reverse physical death Lazarus should have still been alive therefore I believe there was much more he wants to say by talking about Lazarus sickness and Lazarus is death I believe he is now talking to us about something more profound than Lazarus his death he's perhaps letting us know that society itself is represented by Lazarus as condition to stay with me now it's not simply the running of mortal flesh that we must pay attention to but the decadence of morality in our society he is speaking about the decomposition of values and morals that plague our society and a society that is destitute of Jesus is heading to the grave are you still here with me if such is the case you would understand this set up therefore that Jesus would have painted when he opened the story because brothers and sisters before Jesus came on the scene it was the custom to talk to physicians and doctors about somebody who is sick but the story mentions nothing about the doctors or the physicians it does not mean that they did not consult them but the story seems to be set up in such a way that Jesus would be held responsible but Lazarus is death are you still here with me as if to suggest because anybody who reads this story will get upset with Jesus's response or lack of response and said to himself well Jesus you could have saved this man but nobody is mentioning anything about Medical Associates nobody's talking about West Shore or they mentions in Agostini Hospital Jesus set it up in this way the lecture not ultimately if I am NOT around death is going to be your lot let me say it another way is he Mary and Martha echoed similar sentiments and they said it so profound so simplistic and yet is profound they said to Jesus if you had been here my brother would not have died they did not say if we had gotten a doctor from West Show or from cookery Hospital Jesus even if the doctors came and they said that my brother was going to die you could have reversed it if you had been here my brother would not have died I have so much belief so much belief in your power and it's not up to the doctor to decide my destiny Jesus if you had been here and we have got to come to the realization and if Jesus is not around I don't care how expert your doctor might be if Jesus does not say the word your condition will get worse mm-hmm therefore death cannot exist without Jesus's permission oh you didn't hear what I said you would have shouted if you understood what I just said death cannot occur without Jesus's permission which means that as long as Jesus said you're going to live oh lord have mercy as long as Jesus say that you're going to live as long as he says that you're going to live you will live and not die that's his word I believe it and that settles it for me once he wants your life that's why you are life today you should not have been here but Jesus has the final say over my life hallelujah therefore brothers and sisters if Lazarus as death is more than just physical it has to do it spiritual or moral then his sickness is not just about physical sickness because he ought to know by now that there are some brothers who are sick today and was kid again there are some brothers amongst us who are sick today when a when a grown man can make a toddler his lover we have some brothers who are sick help me somebody when when a vigilante group can put to death a helpless man and be justified in so doing we have some brothers who are sick help me somebody when a husband can promise to love and to cherish the very wife that he abuses we have some brothers who are sick when pornography can be the outside woman we have some brothers who are sick when police officers can be taken aim at each other and not at the bandits and the criminals that are roaming the street we have some brothers who are sick when criminals can dress up like police officers while police officers act like bandits and criminals then we have brothers who are sick when they're brothers who can tell you they can choose whichever gender they want whenever they want we have some brothers who are sick but the good news about the story is that there are some sisters who will talk to Jesus about brothers who was come on talked me somebody hallelujah there's some sisters who will call upon Jesus help my brother who is sick Martha Mary called out to Jesus he is sick we don't know the nature of his ailment but we don't need to know once we have the Great Physician we can call upon him and guess what he can heal all manner of diseases that's his profession but though they called him he did not respond well he did not respond in the way they wanted him to respond and I want you to take your minds from the physical to the spiritual Jesus is not responding to our brother who is sick because Jesus will God not give new life to that which is sick lord have mercy Jesus will not give new life to that which is sick you see if he must give new life all habits must die oh lord have mercy come on top with somebody all habits must die when it comes to restoration Jesus is not in the business of renovation because it again when it comes to restoration Jesus is not in the business of renovation or refurbishing there are some contractors and builders in the midst will tell you sometimes it's more difficult yeah even more frustrating to renovate an old house than it is to build a new one talk me somebody it has to do with the quality of the material you would use to put by the old sometimes is the measurements that are used sometimes they don't measure up to that which has already been established you perhaps putting superior and more advanced material that which is not superior that which is inferior to putting the old and new with that which is all and sometimes we don't mesh they don't stay together because renovation is not the business of Jesus he will break down that old house and put up a new house hallelujah hallelujah because Jesus is not about to renovate you he will recreate you because that's why he says if any man is in Christ he is not a renovated material he is a new creature old things are passed away behold all things have become new that's why if you've got to experience a new life that drinking habit has to die come on talk to me somebody that smoking habit has to die that gambling has to die that stealing has to die that lying has to die that addiction to Paul has to die the habit must die because Jesus cannot resurrect you until you die you can't resurrect somebody who's alive the old man has to die before the new man comes to life and so the Bible tells us just as Jesus came to the tomb four days later he came to this earth four thousand years after man became sick in the garden stay with me now four days later he came to the tomb Jesus came to this earth when the earth was stinking when it was at its worst he came to this earth the time when it was petrifying with corruption and rebellion when religion had become a mockery back then it was a belief that a person's death at a person's death his soul will linger in his body for at least three days they would think that the person would die or would have died eventually when his face began to get disfigured when it took on a change therefore you were never given a certification of death until the fourth day oh lord have mercy it was significant that Jesus waited until the fourth day because if he had come a day earlier they would not have said that it was because of him they were upset it was because of the soul that was still alive that some spirit was still in the man's body that resurrected him jesus knew who he was and it does not matter how low down you become he can allow you to die because he is the resurrection and the life is there for waited until the soul and the body had died just this week I read an article just this week just me breaking news I read an article about a girl who was following me I've heard about it a baby girl who was found alive after she was buried for eight days the girl's great grandmother told authorities she examined the infant and thought she was dead according to local ritual this is from Brazil the great grandmother said she buried infant in the ground it's a granddaughter's child or her daughter's child I bigger yeah granddaughter's child and she thought as a result of the fact the baby was my breathing baby was dead for eight hours the infant girl was in the ground before authorities acting on a tip about an unreported infant death death does up alive quote we were digging out the hole when we suddenly heard a small cry on the ground and realized she was alive it was a thrilling an unforgettable moment says military police in Brazil the police officer chief said the baby's survival is a miracle by the time we arrived we never expected to find a child alive eight hours on the ground a baby and I suspect maybe before long somebody some medical expert some wise scientists will begin to explain away how the baby survived you know that nobody believes in miracle so they will have some scientific explanation to explain away how the baby could survive for eight hours but how could you survive for four days Jesus therefore waited to make sure that nobody can come up with any explanation to suggest that Lazarus could have lived for three days even after he was pronounced dead my suspicion brothers and sisters is that Jesus wanted Lazarus to die it's songs a bit harsh but when you know Jesus you don't need to make an excuse for him and the reason why I say he wanted him to die is by one word we read earlier when Jesus therefore heard that he was sick when he therefore knew that the one who was sick was one that he loved he abhorred therefore I am NOT going because I love him I am NOT responding to him because I want him to die because if I must resurrect you I must wait for you to die if I must resurrect the old man he must die and that's why many of us will never experience new life until we die I must be crucified with Christ before I can live with Christ I must die Paul said it I must die daily let me revisit the accounts of the three stories because I want to believe there's a reason Jesus recorded or allowed the authors to record three stories or three accounts of resurrection the first account you know is about a young girl who passed away the daughter of the ruler of the synagogue from all accounts she was still in a bed when Jesus arrived at the home so she had just died stay with me now she represents some righteous people who had just fallen they are not those who are practicing but they fell Jesus can resurrect you too because a just man may fall seven times but he is still just because if he is falling seven times it means he stands up so the course of his action is the standard but he falls even while he tries to stand I still here with me the second case is of the woman widows son of name he was not on his bed but he was on the way to the grave so he represents those who practice sin and those who are carried away by friends are you still here with me they are in the Train on the way they have not reached yet but they are on their way there Jesus has come to let you know that if it's become an habit for you to practice watching xxx because nobody sees you it has become a norm you can worship the Lord in His Church you can lift his name but you can still go back because it's part of your life to do that Jesus says I can resurrect you to stay with me now I can resurrect you to but the third case is the one we are looking at today last what his condition is one that tells me he is a seasoned sinner why do I say that because by now Martha says he is stinking his lifestyle is repulsive nobody wants to be around him because of what he does are you still here with me this is Lazarus who is stinking Lazarus represents that person that you have given up on by now he is so stink Lord he cannot come back mercy he is too far gone maybe if it was if he was still in his bed there was a chance maybe if he was on his way you can stop the casket but Lord three days have gone and you have come on the fourth day God by now he is thinking there is no hope for him his sinful state is permanent but I've come to tell you that Jesus specializes in combats some of you are here because you came back oh I'm not talking to everybody here today but maybe I'm talking to somebody who people have given up on Jesus has come to remind those of you who feel that your life has gone too far Jesus has come to say I am a God that specializes in come back if you have gone too far if your case is hopeless if you are a waste of time maybe even if you yourself have given up on you I have not given up on you because I am a God that can bring you back even from a hopeless state a hopeless situation even if by now you stink I can bring you back that's what he's here about instead Jesus Jesus could have simply stayed where he was and told Lazarus come but what did he say where have you laid him I'm excited already he said where have you laid him because I want to go where he is I could say to him come because his stench might be unbearable but I am not afraid or ashamed to go to where he is stinking because he sees me many of us who have been washed by the blood of Jesus Christ and because we are so clean we don't want to be contaminated with some sinners so we stay far from them because they see by mingling with them we might become like them but if you read the story carefully when Jesus asked where have you laid him that's when they replied and say Lord you serious by now he's stinking but then Jesus went to the grave and he cried out with a loud voice there's a reason I believe he shouted with a loud voice so there they have no doubt as to who he was calling you see there are people who are doubting there are people who were paid to mourn there people were mock him so Jesus if he had said come forth and Lazarus had come forth they will say well fifty-fifty maybe he got to but he wanted them to know which person I was going to call out of that tomb I am NOT a shame I'm not afraid I have so much power and I could limit it to one person even though there are other graves around I just have to call one grave one person one individual and that person will respond he calls you by name he doesn't have to call the entire church he calls your name yes your name and he calls you and tells you I know what you have been through I know what you're going through is you out what no no yes yes you I want you I'm speaking to you who might be ducking your head yeah yes you I want because I want the world to know that though they may have given up on you that my power is so great that I can bring you back again at the whole world will see if you can come back it could only be because of the power of Almighty God Lazarus come forth and Lazarus deliverance me Jesus was not affected without cooperating with those who put him in the grave and it's the way I want to use an illustration because the first thing Jesus told those who were gathered he says remove the stone why remove the stone because you see he wants them to separate or to remove the barrier that separated them from the one who was thinking Lazarus come forth Lazarus come forth here comes Lazarus from the grave because he he wants you to see that despite how stink he was I can call him from the grave remove the stone you erected that social stone that social barrier you placed that mental barrier why what are you talking about Jesus the reason why you put him in the grave is because you have calculated that there are some sinners who are worse than others so you put a stone to separate clean sinners from stinking sinners oh lord have mercy and some of you have felt like stinking sinners because there are some clean sinners who don't want to shake your hands they're too clean to shake your hands they place a barrier Oh No they pass you by because they are too clean to be contaminated by your stink nests and your stinking attitude they don't want to see see you so they put a barrier they talk to you as if there is a difference between them and you but Jesus says remove the stone so all will see we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God but somebody say Amen we've all sinned the difference between he who is be high in the grave and I was this side is that I am not there yet but without Jesus I would be just like him I used to be with me in fact I am Who I am because of Jesus no difference so Jesus wants to elicit your cooperation for those who are being baptized I've come to let you know you might meet some clean sinners I'm saying like it is because you see they based on where you come from there are some of us who don't want to touch here because we are too clean to be messing our character with yours so I am preparing you to meet some clean sinners but when you meet the clean sinners remember that the clean sinners are still they are still sinners and it's an oxymoron because it can be clean and a sinner at the same time but Jesus says we have all sinned and come short of the glory of God but the wages of sin is death and the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord hallelujah hallelujah so by moving the stone these folk did not know that they were actually giving this man that they'd given up on a chance to live again some of you or some of us have prevented some sinners from living by what we have told them and by our attitude to watch them there are some people we put behind a stone because in our minds they can never change my talk you say they can never change so we have placed this eternal stone this eternal barrier suggesting that they will never change Jesus s move it because when they come in a church you have to accept them as evidence of my miraculous power and then he says something so lovely Jesus is so awesome he says oh now that he has come from the grave lose him no no I could lose them you know I could just say the word on you be loosed but but the truth is I didn't tie him up it is you who tied him up huh you made him not been able to walk and there's some of you who are tied up in church what do I mean there's some of you who have told me pastor I wanted to say amen but when I remember who is in church why because that person has tied you up oh lord have mercy that person has made you believe that you can't and you shouldn't there are many men who have been tied up by society if you cry you're less than a man huh you tied you up but if you do this you are less than a man and you've made you feel that you cannot become all that you want to be all that you desire to be you have been tied up by societal ills but wait a minute if Jesus says to this man lose him and let him go we remember Martha says by now he what he stinks but in order to untie him they have to go close to the one who is smelling to unloose him which means you have to smell how stinky is without turning up your nose because sometimes by turning up your nose you still hold him in bondage he says lose him Jesus sometimes wants us to go up close and personal with the one who is thinking oh lord have mercy you still here with me because it is sometimes in order for him to be loosed he needs to feel loved have mercy he needs to be accepted I don't care how a stinky smelling I don't care how stink you're smelling I am going to accept you as my brother in the Lord because you are a child of God the church was under bondage to the extent that you could not wait a minute you will not be accepted until you repent that's why the eldest son in a story of the prodigal was upset because he did not see evidence of the prodigal change behavior and here is Jesus putting his coat on us man stinking from a pigsty because they had a theory that you must repent before you accepted Jesus accepts us and then tells us to repent have mercy are you still here with me he comes close to us now you see what he looks like when he's tied up he is not who he supposed to be he does not know what he is supposed to be without this without all with the rap or the napkin around him you did not know it was Adrienne well mother knew but the fact is when we are tied up we don't behave as we should people don't see the real person so Jesus says untie you because very many of us are supposed to behave loosed now I gotta be careful how I say this I did not say you must behave loose but you must behave loosed there's a difference in trini balance between loose and being loose and there are many who are loose who needs to be you all know them there are many of us who are still tied up but Jesus says untie him and let him go let because I see my power is so much inside of him I did all the hard work I got him from the grave so it's now your opportunity to lose him the church must be in the habit of losing people of setting them free of helping them to realize you can make it you can do it you can become all that you can be you need to become see the fact is he was not supposed to make it but Jesus refers that come on somebody there are people who don't believe you will come back so they treat you as what you used to be your nickname is based on what you did and people keep you in bondage to what you did but Jesus saw and sees what we can do I'm not done yet there's up to more texture coat for you as I wrap this up go with me to chapter 12 I'll tell you why Jesus wanted the story recorded chapter 12 verse 9 much people of the Jews therefore knew don't go anywhere Lazarus come here Lazarus Lazarus come here listen to my voice brother new believers when you come to church you hear all kind of voices carrying otherwise listen to the voice of Jesus this is Lazarus much people chapter 12 verse 9 most 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 I'm talking to those new converts now those of you who have been rescued from the hand of the enemy Lazarus was wherever Jesus was so when they went looking for Jesus they didn't only go looking for Jesus because they knew Lazarus was there they went looking for Lazarus also if you are loosed from Jesus if loosed from sin by Jesus then you must be found in places where you know Jesus will be are you still here with me that's not all verse 10 but the chief priests consulted that they might put Lazarus to death the man died already he served time in the grave but they wanted to carry him back because there are people who don't like it when you change come on somebody they don't like it when you change it might be a spouse of bf or GF it might be a family member some friends they don't want you to change but if they want to get rid of you tell them I've served my time already I have done I have done my parents already I have come back there people who are targeting you the enemy is targeting Lazarus know that he is loose to put him back the way he used to be those of you who are in prison those of you in jail those of you in smoking those of you in gambling the enemy of gambling is targeting you right now so you can go right back to where you were tell the enemy I have served my time already and no weapon formed against me should be able to prosper I am loose in the name of Jesus and I have changed mercy let me read my final text because that by reason of him many Jews went their way and believed on him finally because of Lazarus resurrection many people believed on Jesus so let's go back to our original question why did Jesus allow him to die because by his resurrection more people will believe on Jesus sometimes he reverses the course of action when you just slip and fall sometimes he touches you on your way to the grave there are times he even allows the sinner to become stink because there are people who will only believe when they realize that you should not have been around there are people I am too I've been told who didn't want you to be around who thought you could never come back but Jesus is the resurrection and life and because Lazarus was loosed many people believed on Jesus I've come here to declare to you that your salvation was the effect changes in other people's lives those of you from on top there are other people in mountain that need to be saved but while they are going to be saved they are watching to see how long you're going to make it how long you're going to stay here in fact some of you some of them want you to go back to degree from which you came so that they will feel excited about where they are I am saying to you on the authority of God's Word that you need to remain focused on Jesus so that others will be delivered from sin Thank You Lazarus Thank You la Souris listen to me brothers and sisters from the record I don't hear last were saying one word there's no record of him seeing anything after his resurrection yet his life impacted other people's life you may not remember the text or be able to quote scripture you may not have the ability to say one word but you must become a walking sermon just by the fact that you are alive and walking in the newness of life others will believe on Jesus those of us who have been here before others are depending on us to be a walking sermon so that others can believe on him isn't Gordon awesome God is he an awesome God

Channel: Mt. D'Or SDA Church

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Keywords: mt dor sda church, Mt. D'Or SDA Church, Mt D'Or Seventh Day Adventist Church, Seventh Day Adventist Trinidad and Tobago, Mt D'Or Divine Service, Mt D'Or Sermon, Pastor Steve Riley - Loose Him and Let Him Go, Pastor Riley - Loose Him and Let Him Go, Pastor Steve Riley, Pastor Riley, Loose Him and Let Him Go

Id: mIebpMFAhC0

Length: 43min 24sec (2604 seconds)

Published: Sat Jun 16 2018