The Divine Crash

Today’s service was one I had been looking forward to for a while now and it proved interesting.  You can listen to it on iTunes (search for Tanoma) or click here.

The scripture for this sermon was John 11:1-12:19 It was the death of Lazarus and the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem.  I didn’t read the scripture, only a few verses.

We talked about church, not as a building but as people, people who love Jesus and come together to worship Jesus the savior.  So then, that means the church did not hurt you.  The church can’t hurt you.  The people in the church who hurt you are the people who forget they are the church and started thinking about themselves instead of the church.

We starting with prayer and scripture reading then moved on to talking about Lazarus, Mary, and Martha.

They were siblings and they were friends of Jesus and yet things weren’t working out.  They went to Jesus and Jesus seemingly ignored them.  Things weren’t going the way they wanted.

We get that.  When our life isn’t right.  We pray to Jesus and Jesus doesn’t seem to answer.  It is those times that we need people around us.  When we shake our fist at Jesus and scream at Him because life isn’t right, because  the spit has hit the fan and the cancer is back, or our unemployment has run out, or our life just isn’t the way it is supposed to be, it is in those moments that we need people around us who love us, will clean us up and take us to the cancer appointments and the AA meetings.

Then notice what happens to Jesus, he is being hunted. Jesus can’t walk openly he is being hunted for doing the right thing.  As a result he retreats and surrounds himself with people who will care for him and comfort him.  This is the next reason we need a church family because when we are hunted by those who would take our lives we need people around us who will comfort us and keep us safe.

Last, when Jesus enters Jerusalem He is going because He is going to change the world.  Jesus is on the cusp of history.  This is again when we need that church family around us.  When our world changes we need those people around us. When we get married, kids are born, loved ones passes, jobs change, move, etc… these are times when our whole world changes.

Finally, if you are a follower of Jesus and you can’t be the kind of church that helps when it hits the fan or give comfort to those who are hunted, or even guide those whose world is changing, then leave because that is when people get hurt.

You can listen to the full text on iTunes or by clicking here.

Sermon Audio

Filed under:
Sermon by RevBT