ARE YOU WILLING TO BE IN THE WILL OF GOD?

ARE YOU WILLING TO BE IN THE WILL OF GOD?

Note: Ben Bennett’s card said: “LORD KEEP ME IN YOUR WILL, OR I’LL BE IN YOUR WAY”.

Sometimes being in His will puts you right in the middle of a disaster.

Five things to do when disaster strikes

We all know this story. We all know the outcome, but don’t get ahead of the game. Don’t miss out on the lessons that Jesus is trying to teach the disciples and us in every verse that we’re going to see.

As I’ve said in the past to my small group and other people, and I’ll probably say it again from this pulpit or the 1 downstairs if y’all keep letting me do this, not one single word of this Bible was written to me. Every single word in this Bible was written for me!

John 11:1-45

11:1 Now a certain man was sick. A certain man this is not a parable; this is a true story that John is telling. named Lazarus, of Bethany.

Bethany was a small village in Judea located about two miles east of Jerusalem on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives along the road to Jericho. BETHANY “house, place of unripe figs It is called also the house of misery on account of its lonely situation and the invalids who congregated there

Back to our text, the town of Mary and her sister Martha.

2(It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.)

(This has not happened yet; next chapter)

3 Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick.

NT:5368 phileo (fil-eh’-o); from NT:5384; to be a friend to (fond of [an individual or an object]), i.e. have affection for (denoting personal attachment, as a matter of sentiment or feeling); specifically, to kiss (as a mark of tenderness):

KJV – kiss, love.

First things to do when disaster strikes.

Prayer must be a priority. (John 11:1-3)

The first thing the sisters did was to send word to Jesus.

The one you love is sick. When a crisis hits our lives, be it a death, an accident, a diagnosis, a relationship breakdown, whatever it is. Even if it is that your church needs a pastor, the first thing we need to do is to send word to Jesus.

When a crisis brings us to our knees, we are in a perfect position to pray.

Prayer changes things.

When we communicate with the creator of the universe, things happen.

We call on the greatest power in the world.

And yet too many times we lack the faith that prayer will make a difference.

How do I know that?

Because we do not pray until we have tried everything else.

Instead of prayer being a last resort, it should be our first option.

“Why Trials Come Our Way.”

By Norma Head

It seems when times are getting hard,

And things are looking bad,

That’s when we call on the Lord the most,

When we are very sad.

But if you stop and think a while,

We need Him most of all.

When things are good, and we can smile,

But then we seldom call,

Why do trials come our way?

They help to keep Him in our hearts,

When on our knees, we stay.

Now the sisters could send word to Jesus because they had a close friendship or relationship with Jesus.

Had they not known Jesus, they would have been in an awful position with nowhere to turn.

4 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.

John 11:4 (NLT2) But when Jesus heard about it, he said, “Lazarus’s sickness will not end in death. No, it happened for the glory of God so that the Son of God will receive glory from this.”

Sometimes we have to go through things we very much do not want to go through just so we can see the hand of God when it’s all said and done for His glory

5 Now Jesus loved Martha, and her sister, and Lazarus.

NT:25 agapao (ag-ap-ah’-o); perhaps from agan (much) [or compare OT:5689]; to love (in a social or moral sense): NT:25 is wider, embracing especially the judgment and the deliberate assent of the will as a matter of principle, duty and propriety: the two thus stand related very much as NT:2309 and NT:1014, or as NT:2372 and NT:3563 respectively; the former being chiefly of the heart and the latter of the head) KJV – (be-) love (-ed). Compare NT:5368.

6 When he had heard therefore that he was sick, he abode two days still in the same place where he was.

*Jesus is never frantic or anxious about anything

Has it ever occurred to you that nothing has ever occurred to God?

Don’t miss this, and I keep saying it over and over and over: God doesn’t get in a hurry, no matter how much we want him to. And we as a church need to slow down and wait patiently on God’s hand and His time, and for His pastor to take this pulpit or that pulpit

Second thing when disaster strikes

Perseverance pays off. (John 11:6)

Do you think Jesus stayed where he was two more days because he didn’t care about Lazarus?

No way.

He stayed where he was because he knew that God was in control of the situation and that, at the right time, God would take care of the crisis with Lazarus.

When a crisis invades our lives, we do not want to wait it out.

We want it to end as soon as possible.

As Christians, when a crisis comes, we often look for the “fastest exits.”

We want out of the trial or crisis just as soon as possible, and with the least amount of pain. Romans 5 tells us

Romans 5:1-5 ¹ Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, ² through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. ³ And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; ⁴and perseverance, character; and character, hope. ⁵Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.

Sometimes the only way out of a storm is to ride it out.

Sometimes the only way out of a crisis is perseverance.

One day Lazarus was alive, the next day he was dead; just four days later he was alive again.

A lot can happen in a week.

A lot can happen in three days, just ask Jesus.

It’s the thing that I put on my mom’s refrigerator years ago that she really loved, and it says:

“Sometimes He calms the storms, and sometimes He calms the believer and lets the storm rage on.”

7 Then after that saith he to his disciples, Let us go into Judaea again.

Jesus and his disciples had just left Judea just recently, and now they’re going to turn around and go back, and John chapter 10, verse 25 is Jesus is telling them that he is the Messiah, the Son of God, and they gather up rocks and want to kill him

8 His disciples say unto him, Master, the Jews of late sought to stone thee; and goest thou thither again?

John 10:39 ³⁹ Therefore they sought again to seize Him, but He escaped out of their hand.

9 Jesus answered, Are there not twelve hours in the day? If any man walk in the day, he stumbleth not, because he seeth the light of this world.

10 But if a man walk in the night, he stumbleth, because there is no light in him.

Oh yeah, that really cleared things up. You ever read a verse in the Bible and go What?

This is one of those verses at first, but He’s telling us, you only have a certain amount of time to accomplish something for the cause of Christ.

And if you walk in the light, who is the light? Jesus. You won’t stumble, but if there is no light, you’re gonna fail every single time

John 1:4-5 ⁴ In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. ⁵ And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.

You only have so much time. Use it wisely

11 These things said he: and after that he saith unto them, Our friend Lazarus sleepeth; but I go, that I may awake him out of sleep.

He’s telling them that He is bring him back from the dead

1 Kings 2:10 So David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David.

Daniel 12:2 And many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.

Psalm 13:3 ³ Consider and hear me, O LORD my God: lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death;

Acts 7:60 And he kneeled down, and cried with a loud voice, Lord, lay not this sin to their charge. And when he had said this, he fell asleep.

1 Corinthians 15:51-52 ) ⁵¹ Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, ⁵² In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

And our story continues Verse #12

12 Then said his disciples, Lord, if he sleep, he shall do well.

13 Howbeit Jesus spake of his death: but they thought that he had spoken of taking of rest in sleep.

14 Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.

Now let’s look at this as another one of those hard things in the Bible, Jesus said in verse 15

15 And I am glad for your sakes that I was not there, to the intent ye may believe; nevertheless let us go unto him.

He’s not glad that Lazarus is dead He’s glad that his disciples are about to learn a very valuable lesson and that is never count Jesus out no matter what the end result looks like you’re still in the game as long as you’ve got Christ on your side

16 Then said Thomas, which is called Didymus, unto his fellow disciples, Let us also go, that we may die with him.

We always have a doubter; we always have someone that’s griping about something

And they go on to Bethany, and the Bible says verse 17

17 Then when Jesus came, he found that he had lain in the grave four days already.

18 Now Bethany was nigh unto Jerusalem, about fifteen furlongs off: Or as we said a couple of miles

19 And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother.

20 Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house.

Always be ready to get in the presence of Jesus

21 Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.

I heard a preacher say recently that this is not a compliment to Jesus. This is a complaint if you’d have just shown up. You let me down

How many times have we said that in our heart or even out loud?

God, if You’d just been here, You could have fixed this. I know I have.

22 But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee.

She didn’t lose her faith. Notice that! Don’t miss that!

As I’ve said in the past it’s OK to get upset it’s OK to tell God you’re upset he knows But don’t lose your faith and don’t give up

23 Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again.

24 Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day.

She knows the word of God she has set under Jesus teachings She knows there’s gonna be a resurrection of the last day and she is confident that she will see him Lazarus again someday just not as soon as she’s fixing to

25 Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:

One of the seven I Ams of the Book of John.

26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?

Brennan Manning says; When we get to heaven God’s gonna ask us one very important question and that question is do you truly believe that I love you

And the question to you is do you truly believe that he loves you and if you do believe that whatever happens whatever’s going on he allowed it through his love and when you accept that it makes a life living life so much easier

27 She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.

She’s accepted the salvation but hasn’t accepted the consequences that comes with serving God sometimes as I’ve said are you willing to be in the will of God and sometimes when you’re there it comes with a heavy price

28 And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee.

Jesus must have asked where is Mary

Now let me let you in on something very important Jesus never asked a question for information He is and always has been God. God never asked a question for information It’s always to expose something whenever you see a question mark at the end of something that Jesus or God says it’s to expose something He knows everything

29 As soon as she heard that, she arose quickly, and came unto him.

Great reaction when you fill a call from the Lord you get up and move then

30 Now Jesus was not yet come into the town, but was in that place where Martha met him.

31 The Jews then which were with her in the house, and comforted her, when they saw Mary, that she rose up hastily and went out, followed her, saying, She goeth unto the grave to weep there.

Even when you are hurting you can still lead others to Christ.

32 Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.

Always at his feet

Luke 10:38-42 38 Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus’ feet, and heard his word. 40 But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. 41 And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: 42 But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.

John 12:3 3 Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment.

Always at his feet

And the story goes on…

33 When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled,

34 And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see.

35 Jesus wept.

is used of “any loud expression of grief,” especially in mourning for the dead
Vine’s Expository Dictionary of Old Testament and New Testament Words.

Third thing to see when disaster strikes

Emotion is natural. (John 11:35)

One of the worst temptations during a crisis is to try to appear strong.

I will be a rock during this storm, you might think.

But let me share a simple truth with you. When we are weak, he is strong. We live in a society that says crying is weak and for women.

Nothing could be farther from the truth. Jesus wept.

Why did Jesus weep? Mourning over Lazarus? No, that doesn’t make sense. He knew God was going to raise him from the dead.

He wept because he saw the pain in Mary and Martha, people he loved, and his heart hurt with them.

God has made us emotional people, and when a crisis hits, we need to let it out. It’s ok to be emotional. It’s ok to cry.

When we want God to fix something, we want him to fix it now

Isaiah 53:3-5 ³ He is despised and rejected by men, A Man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. ⁴ Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken, Smitten by God, and afflicted. ⁵ But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.

Listen, you’re not in it alone. Jesus hurts when we hurt.

We saw when Stevens was being stoned in the book of Acts, he looked up, and he saw Jesus standing at the right hand of the Father. When we’re facing difficulties, when we are hurting, when we’re having problems, Jesus takes note, and he stands up, and He’s on our side

And I keep saying over and over if God be for us who can be against us!

Death is not a destination. It’s a transition.
Death is a reunion with friends and loved ones who are also believers
Death is not the end. It’s the beginning of eternal life.

Salvation begins with a decision. It’s not just a prayer prayed, one and done, and go back to living the way you want to, but it starts with a prayer. Commit your life to Jesus and enjoy the Hope and promise of heaven that is open for all who believe.

Max Lucado book Next Door Savior chapter “What Jesus Says At Funerals”

Christ’s Response to Loss In an unexpected move, Jesus weeps alongside Martha and Mary, showing that sorrow is a natural response to loss, regardless of faith. He doesn’t dismiss their pain but instead shares in it. This validates that grieving is not a sign of weak faith; rather, it’s a real, human experience. Jesus understands deep sadness, even knowing he would soon raise Lazarus

Jesus didn’t take it lightly. When he saw people he loved hurting, he hurt himself. He was there for them. He comforted them, and he cried for them

There’s been a number of occasions in funeral homes and people’s homes after someone had passed away that I’d go in and I didn’t have words to say but I’d hold them and I’d cry with them

When Margie Sprayberry passed away I went over to their house and I walked in and Chuck was just barely holding himself together and I just took him and I pulled him to me my prayer partner my brother my friend and I held him and he started reaping and crying We didn’t say words I just stood there and cried with them sometimes you just need to be there for somebody

And the story goes on,

Read verses 21, 32. It is ok to question God. It is ok to say “God I do not understand why this is happening to me. I don’t understand what you are trying to do in my life.”

21 Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. 32 Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.

Again, I don’t see this as a compliment; I see it as a complaint. Why didn’t you show up, God? And he does just try to look through his eyes and see what’s best for you in some situations

If you are going through a crisis, realize that prayer must be a priority, and that it is ok to allow your emotions to be expressed.

36 Then said the Jews, Behold how he loved him!

And he does love and listen he loves you. you may be going through a hard time right now, this church may be going through a hard time right now, but I want to tell you God’s here with us Why because He loves us.

37 And some of them said, Could not this man, which opened the eyes of the blind, have caused that even this man should not have died?

Yes, He very much could have, but He didn’t .

Which is the greater outcome?

To heal a sick Lazarus

Or to raise a dead Lazarus

That’s gotta cut deep. He can do it for others; why couldn’t he do it for his own friend? You ever questioned God like that? I have. I’ve seen God answer prayers for some people, and I’m praying, and I’m like, ‘ Why couldn’t you do that for me.

Because he knows what’s best for me, and he treats us all differently.

38 Jesus therefore again groaning in himself cometh to the grave. It was a cave, and a stone lay upon it.

He was hurting deep down inside. My mother said that he was hurting because of their unbelief. Quite possibly so.

39 Jesus said, Take ye away the stone. Martha, the sister of him that was dead, saith unto him, Lord, by this time he stinketh: for he hath been dead four days.

We (the Church are to remove the stones to get to the stinking people…we need to quit being so high and mighty and pious and go after the stinking people. We forget where we came from.

Rom 3:23 For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Isa 64:7 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.

40 Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?

Fourth thing to see when disaster strikes

God uses disaster for his glory. (John 11:4, 40)

He can take a negative and turn it into a positive. He turned disaster into deliverance. God can use crisis in our lives to bring about his glory.

4 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.

In verses 4 & 40, God did not cause Lazarus to die, but he used the crisis for his glory, and it changed the lives of Mary and Martha. So how does that help us?

It helps us with the temptation to blame God.

It helps us to realize that God doesn’t bring disaster into our lives.

It helps us realize that he loves us and can take our defeats and turn them into his victories.

It also gives us hope that God is able to cure any disease, fix any marriage, mend any heart, forgive any sin.

There is no crisis too big for God.

Emotions do not drive Jesus; He is guided by devotion to the Father

Gary Hamrick “The more you commune with God, the more you’ll be immune from the fear and anxiety of the world… “

41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid.

As the Munchkin in The Wizard of Oz said, talking about the Wicked Witch, “as Coroner I must claim have thoroughly examined her and she’s not only merely dead she’s really most sincerely dead,”

And that’s exactly where we see Lazarus right now; he is sure enough dead. He’s been in that tomb for 4 days, wrapped up, hadn’t had anything to eat or drink, and he has not been breathing. He’s surely dead.

No doubt that this is a great miracle

41b. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.

As we said downstairs a few weeks ago on the Sermon about prayer, God hears every single prayer we pray as believers, and He will answer every single prayer yes or no, and no is an answer, and sometimes just wait

And Jesus speaking in verse 42

42 And 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.

What He is doing is for the good of everyone

43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.

Rarely do you see Jesus raise his voice but I guess he’s in a grave and he’s hollering into tomb and he’s being specific about the name as we’ve heard before if he’d had just said come forth the whole graveyard would have emptied out

44 And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, Loose him, and let him go.

We need to take off the grave clothes of old habits:

We need to take off the grave clothes of old attitudes:

We need to be renewed by the changing of our minds –

We need to begin to think differently – like we’ve been set free!

Galatians 5:1 (NKJV) Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.

45 Then many of the Jews which came to Mary, and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him.

You see the result This is because of what he did Many believed on him how we handle our circumstances is going to see how we minister to other people around us as I’ve said time and time again people are watching Let him see God in you

God’s delay is often for His display

Jesus was not late

God is never late. He does not have to operate on our timetable.

Fifth thing to see when disaster strikes

God changes lives through crisis. (John 11:45)

That’s the final lesson for us. Sometimes it is the life of the one going through the crisis.

Other times it is the lives of those around a suffering person.

Most of the time it is both.

Think about the lives that were changed in the Lazarus story:

Lazarus- he was never the same again. He had some wild stories to tell.

You know you can tell a story, and somebody’s always going to come along and beat it. I caught a 7-pound bass; well, they caught an 8-pounder.

I killed a nine-point buck; they killed a 10 Pointer.

There’s always somebody gonna outdo your story, I think Lazarus won that storytelling all the time

Ex: My brother Glenn had a trump card when it comes to being sick and having stories told “I did die”

Mary and Martha- Had a new love and appreciation for life, Lazarus, and Jesus.

The Jews- (verse 45) changed hearts, a new faith.

John 12:11

11 Because that by reason of him many of the Jews went away, and believed on Jesus.

It is sad that it takes a crisis, but thank God that through a crisis he can turn the lost into saved,

he can melt hardened hearts,

he can make the bitter loving,

he can turn orphans into children of the king.

We play in fair weather, but we pray in the storms.

If you are a Christian and have gone through a disaster in your life, then you know exactly what I mean.

You could say today, “I am not the same person that I was before the crisis came into my life.” God has shaped and molded you into who you are today, and has done it through crisis.

If you are a Christian and have not had any “great disasters”, I do not want to be the bearer of bad news, but at some point you probably will have a time of crisis and testing in your life.

I pray that you will keep these things close to your heart so that you will be totally prepared in a time of crisis.

One final scripture today- John 11:25-26. Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me will live even though he dies. And whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?”

Do you? Are you Christians living your lives reflecting your hope in the risen Lord?

If Jesus is not the Lord of your life, he can be. The Bible says we must:

Believe in Jesus as the Son of God.

Repent of our sins and confess Jesus as Lord.

Arise and live for him each and every day.

August 5^th 2026 Wednesday night Calvary Baptist Church

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