|
THE SPRING OF HOPE: Come Out of Your Grave
‘When he had said this, He shouted with a loud voice, “Lazarus, come out!”’ – John 11:43
|
You need to be reborn, rekindled, revived and finally restored from the state you are in before you can come out of the grave of your own making. You must be roused from your:
1.State of Apathetic Love –
AND Reborn to the Fire of First Love
Do you remember your first love?
- how you always wanted to be with him/her
- how the mere presence of your love made your day
- how your day was not complete without hearing your love’s voice
Do you remember when you first discovered love with God?
- how you always wanted to spend time with Him in worship
- how merely meditating on His Word for half an hour or so made your day
- how your day was not complete without speaking with Him in prayer
•Revelation 2:4 – “Yet I hold this against you: You have forgotten your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen!”
•When was the last time the very realization that you have been saved by grace caused you enormous thankful joy?
•Remember the Cross of Calvary… When we first learned of this, how we cried… how we repented… how we lived each day in thankful love… where is that fire now?
When he had said this,
He shouted with a loud voice,
“Lazarus, come out!”
– John 11:43
Do you hear Him calling? Will you come out?
2.State of Routinized Service –
AND Rekindled to Joyful Service
Do you remember when:
- how opening the car door for your love was not duty, but privilege
- how serving food for your love was not an obligation, but an opportunity
- how doing errands for your love was your joy
Do you remember when:
- how you eagerly presented yourself to your leaders so you could assist in any way
- how you were so keen to help that you were always brimming with ideas
- how a long day of serving only made you smile because you did it for your Savior
Acts 16:22-25 “The crowd joined in the attack against Paul and Silas, and the magistrates ordered them to be stripped and beaten. After they had been severely flogged, they were thrown into prison, and the jailer was commanded to guard them carefully. Upon receiving such orders, he put them in the inner cell and fastened their feet in the stocks. About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.”
•As you go about serving in your respective ministries, do you still have that joy that convicts you that to serve is a privilege, an opportunity and worth every hardship because you are doing it for your Savior?
•When thankful delight overflows the soul, it is fated to fire joy to everybody else. The state of the soul dictates the condition of service.
•When service starts becoming a burdensome routine, go back to the source. Rekindle your soul. And start serving with joy again…
When he had said this,
He shouted with a loud voice,
“Lazarus, come out!”
– John 11:43
Do you hear Him calling? Will you come out?
3.State of Joyless Bond –
AND Revived to Blessed Relationships
Walk down memory lane again and recall the bonds of love
- how the love you felt in your heart for your love was the fuel you used to love the ones your love loved
- how you were always filled with excited anticipation whenever you were presented with opportunities to mingle with your love’s friends
- how love colored your work and your relationship with your co-workers
Summon up your memories of how you associated with others when you first learned of God’s love
- how you grabbed chances to share your testimony and show the changed and blessed “you” at home, to schoolmates, co-workers and churchmates
- how you were so intensely “on fire” that you didn’t care if you looked stupid whenever you felt you had to share something about God and His impact on your life to family, schoolmates, co-workers and churchmates
- how every minute you could spend with your family, friends, co-workers and churchmates counted because you realized how fleeting life is
Acts 2:44-47 – “All the believers were together and had everything in common. Selling their possessions and goods, they gave to anyone as he had need. Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved.”
•If joy has left your relationships… if the excitement and the craving to spend time with your family, your friends, your co-workers and your churchmates is no longer present, look inward. Check if you still have God’s heart.
When he had said this,
He shouted with a loud voice,
“Lazarus, come out!”
– John 11:43
Do you hear Him calling? Will you come out?
4.State of Complacent Mediocrity –
AND Restored to Restless Excellence
Remember:
- how you were always, in one form or another, in a state of dreaming about you and your love
- how you were not afraid to dream big dreams for you and your love
- how all your efforts were tiny steps towards the fulfillment of your dreams that included your love
Do you remember when you first realized love with God?
- how you were always, in one form or another, in a state of visualizing yourself accomplishing great things in the name of your Lord
- how you were not afraid to not just step in faith but to leap in faith in order to bring glory to God
- how all your efforts were tiny steps towards the fulfillment of the great things which you believed God had set you apart to accomplish
•Proverbs 29:18 – “Where there is no vision, the people perish…”
•When was the last time you dreamed big dreams for God?
•Dream for God. Lay everything on the table. Do not be satisfied with the status quo. “This will not do.” And God… He will walk with you… and restore you to restless excellence.
When he had said this,
He shouted with a loud voice,
“Lazarus, come out!”
– John 11:43
Do you hear Him calling? Will you come out?
Conclusion:
If you are in the state of:
- apathetic love… without love that transports beyond self
- routinized service… whose soul is dry and burdened
- joyless bond… whose relationships are no longer a manifestation of God’s heart
- complacent mediocrity… afraid to risk and big dreams for God
then you are that corpse that God is calling… and He is calling you by name.
Will you respond to His call?